“Give light and people will find the way.” – Ella Baker When we’re feeling pressure to produce results, the natural instinct is to do more. Take control, make all the decisions, be the hero. In many cases, the best answer is to resist this temptation and invest our energy in creating an environment to allow […]

Need a perspective shift? Trying looking at things from 3.7 billion miles away. The tiny image on the right is a picture of Earth taken on February 14, 1990 as the Voyager 1 space probe was leaving our solar system. On a day where we are again reminded of the painful differences that divide us, […]

This is it. Not the funky, frustrating, or infuriating conversation from yesterday (or last week…or a decade ago). Not the anxiety-provoking, or highly-anticipated, event scheduled for tomorrow (or next week…or some unknown time in the future). This is it. This moment. It’s all we really have. I have a reprint of this calligraphy from Thich […]

You follow structured cycles of improvement for your organization…do you follow a similar process for yourself? The Jesuit tradition has a simple five-step prayer called the Daily Examen. Five simple reflections, done daily, applicable to any (or no) faith tradition. Think of it as a PDCA cycle for the spirit: Become aware of God’s presence. […]

“Why can’t we ever make a decision!?!” I’m willing to bet you’ve said this – with some level of exasperation – about your organization in the past year. Laments about flawed decision-making are easily in the top three organizational challenges I hear from leaders. The complaint can come in a few different flavors: “Why does […]

One of the greatest gifts we can offer one another is a moment of pause before responding. In The Book of Joy, author Douglas Abrams reflected on a difficult interaction he was having during a tense interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “As my verbal assault became more pointed and challenging, I saw his head draw […]

Want a shortcut to understand a team’s culture? Listen for the laughter. Is it free-flowing, forced, or non-existent? Is it self-deprecating and focused in the room – or cutting and externally focused on others? How does the team leader interact with humor – as a gift, as a distraction, or as a weapon? This quote […]

Give your full attention. Listen. Respond. Sometimes (more often than not) our job as leaders is that simple. #improvisation #leadership #yesand #threefoldyes

How do you measure the social responsibility of a hospital? The Lown Institute offered their answers last week when they released the 2023 list of Most Socially Responsible hospitals. Their overall Social Responsibility score is made up of 53 measures across three domains: ✔️Equity: inclusivity, pay equity, community benefit ✔️Value: avoiding overuse, cost efficiency ✔️Outcomes: […]