Empowering Leadership and Music Articles
Each article uses our empower framework that we also use for our leadership coaching services.
Song for America… renew on the long drive with the quiet one?
"We are not even halfway there..."I have driven through much of Kansas, highlighted by a Turnpike that had a sign "Next Exit 90 miles". As the wheat literally was flying past me,...
Magnum Opus… execute on the work you would do for free?
"... the scoring always happens in the First 2 or the Last 2 ..."... do you know the scene in Forrest Gump where he just stopped running... and didn't really offer an...
Miracles Out of Nowhere… wonder what your early failures were for?
"He will make a great Master's student"While starting my career, my family, I was also continuing my education. I had always dreamed of having a PhD, and during that same early...
The Wall… observe the signs before someone else does?
"You can quit ... but I am not going to pay you to leave."They were offering packages to leave for certain job titles, and as fate would have it, I had ended up being labeled a...
Carry On Wayward Son… partner with the voice you still hear?
"Keep your pants zipped, and everything will turn out fine."As I crested the hill west of Tyler as a 17-year-old freshman, happiness was palpable and real. My favorite radio...
Dust in the Wind… manage the minutes you keep promising?
"Dad is a few 2 or 3?"... 1985, we were in Friendswood in our first house. There is a story of my daughter at 3 asking repeatedly to help her do something ... and me through the...
Point of Know Return… engage the hours you will wish you had back?
"I can come to the funeral any day but Thursday." ... "It's Thursday"My college roommate Wes, who introduced me to Kansas, died over 10 years ago... so when the writing calendar...
Kite… renew the Legacy you were handed?
"Mr. House - you threw a pencil. You HAVE to go out in the hallway!"I loved teaching 5th and 6th grade Boys Sunday School. They are smart enough to notice and challenge you, but...
Song of the Future… execute a step back and let the band play?
"Even I couldn't figure out what we wanted, and I wrote the request!!"Our systems had to be bullet proof... literally they could go down less than 1 minute in 3 years. Yes......
Love Is Blindness… wonder what the people closest to you will remember?
"My first girlfriend. For exactly a week... which luckily included my 14th birthday"One woman I had not seen since high school was my very first girlfriend. I had heard about her...
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)… observe who could play the seat tonight?
"Go Play Striker"It was the end of the season All Star Soccer Tournament, probably U-15. As All Stars, it was a mix of players from across Herndon, including a 'new kid' that...
Mysterious Ways… partner with the one who runs the room?
"We can't do this without him. You can try, but you will fail... and I can't let you fail"A full-fledged crisis for the business led to the firing of the CEO, the COO, and the...
City of Blinding Lights… manage the day after you leave?
"I am not going to be here on Day 61."The gig was supposed to be an architectural redesign for a University here in Virginia. Like a lot of IT teams, they had a mis-match of...
Silencio… engage the people who will carry your Legacy?
"You were always so kind to me"I barely remembered this man, but clearly he knew me. As we kept talking I learned he was now a tech guy like me, and in high school, I had talked...
Club Zero… renew the torch someone held out to you?
renew the torch someone held out to you?"Sponsorship takes some risk."...I wrote that in 2019 about my father-in-law. He was a minister, and back in the early '60s he backed...
Turn to You… execute the handoff before the seat is empty?
execute the handoff before the seat is empty?She brought other women with her....that is a story you don't see much in Women's Leadership. Now a very powerful senior vice...
We Got the Beat… wonder how she hears the whole room?
wonder how she hears the whole room?"... there is no way I can possibly ever lead like that..."...probably 1994, at Fannie Mae. Julie was a senior vice president, and she was...
Head over Heels… observe it from the back of the room?
observe it from the back of the room?"It looks that way looking backwards."... a young woman had just asked me how I had put together such a perfect career plan. I laughed. I had...
Vacation… partner costs?
partner costs?"Why are you giving away all of your business to your partner?"Another great question from my "President", Beth... as I was just getting started. She had great...
Our Lips Are Sealed… manage the whole song, or only the chorus?
manage the whole song, or only the chorus?"I can't manage this without you... and I can't read you in..."Project ONE....fall of 2006, at VeriSign. 26 vice presidents called into...