gentlemen’s disagreements
by Throughout his term, Barack Obama had a call for the activists agitating for change. He recalled what Franklin Roosevelt told his activists pushing for their own reforms. FDR said, “I …
Category: essay
thought experiments
the destructive nature of self-preservation
Everything in the universe is in a constant state of change. The change can be imperceptible like the flowing water of a river. Or it may be more like the …
the platinum rule
The Golden Rule is a central Christian tenet for most practitioners. For the unfamiliar the saying means (roughly), “treat others how you yourself want them to treat you.” Professor Leonard …
three tales of courage
Last week, I said that our success in a system often means it’s tilted towards us. What I mean to say is that the systems that we live, work, and …
what does it mean to put community first?
Some articles get my goat and don’t let go. Last year I read an interview with a roundtable of CEOs at major food banks around the country. The headline quote …
creating traction
Everything changes. We can’t change that fact any more than we can stop the rotation of the earth. Most organizations feel designed for permanence. They have boards of directors and …
before sunset
I talked to my mom earlier this week. She’s the director of a professional organization that is starting to lose steam. She’s led the organization for decades through highs and …
it just works
“As president,” Kamala Harris announced in the throes of her presidential campaign. “I’ll establish a student loan debt forgiveness program,” she wrote. “For Pell Grant recipients,” she added. “Who start …
you lost me there
Nod if this has happened to you before (full disclosure: I can’t see you). You might strike up a conversation with a coworker about rent prices. They’re too high! What …
what is a room to a person uninvited?
I hate being othered! My brown skin is often the first thing a person notices about me. I was once in the office (when people worked in offices together) talking …