Leadership Memo 2025-10 Over the past five years, the Leadership Memo has been my way of sharing lessons and insights from decades of leading and learning alongside leaders around the world. If you’ve been reading for a while, thank you.…
Category: Culture
What Happens When Loyalty to the System Replaces Loyalty to Truth
Issue #1 Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Stewardship Brief, a space where we explore leadership through the lens of biblical stewardship, integrity, and purpose. This month begins an eight-part series on the UK Post Office Scandal, one of…
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Why Organizations Attack Their Best Leaders: The Pattern You Need to Recognize
Leadership Memo 2025-9 In the past few months, we’ve looked at the 10 qualities of authentic leadership, how insecure leaders react when threatened, and how to handle the loneliness and criticism that come with it. In this final piece, we…
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When Leadership Feels Heavy: How to Break Through Discouragement
It’s 11 PM. You’re staring at your laptop. The project is behind, your team is exhausted, and stakeholders want answers. That voice creeps in: “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Every leader…
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Real Rest vs. Fake Vacation: Why Your Team Needs You to Truly Disconnect
Have you taken a real break lately? Not the kind where you sneak in a “quick” call from your hotel room or answer “just a few” emails from the beach. I mean actual, unapologetic disconnection, whether it’s a summer holiday…
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7 Leadership Essentials for Today’s World
Leadership today isn't what it used to be. The world’s changing faster than ever. Politics, technology, society, you name it. What worked yesterday doesn’t work now. So, if you want your team to thrive, not just survive, it’s time to…
More Than Coffee: Starbucks’ Bold Bet on People Over Profits
“We’re not a company based on technology. That enables us. We’re a company based on people.” In 2025, this quote almost feels rebellious. But coming from Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks chief who grew the chain into the world’s largest,…
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Why Being Told You Have “Too Much Influence” Is Actually a Compliment
Leadership Memo 2025-7 In my last newsletter, I shared the moment a CEO called an executive meeting with one item on the agenda: me. I was just a director. Not on the executive team. But apparently, I had "too much…
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The Secret to Leading People Well? Start with Appreciation.
If you want to lead well, there’s no secret. Most leaders just miss one simple habit: showing appreciation. It’s not fluff. It’s not optional. It makes others feel seen and valued. Genuinely appreciating people strengthens trust, boosts morale, and inspires…
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You Don’t Need to Agree on Everything: The Power of Reconciliation in Leadership
In a mini-series that we started last month, we’ve been unpacking how to navigate conflict, starting with owning your part even when the conflict may be 99.99 percent their fault. Then listening for the other person’s hurt and perspective. Today,…
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