May 5, 2026 Last week I had an observation related to music and organizational leadership. I love it when my diverse interests come together! As I’m fond of pointing out how creative solutions come from diverse thinking, I was recently listening to Billy Corgan’s podcast “The Magnificent Others,” where his guest was guitarist Jeff “Skunk”…
December 29, 2017 Gather round, kiddies — we’re going to talk about business ethics. Wait! Don’t run away! When my wife worked at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, one of her coworkers used to ask interesting interview questions to get at the heart of the ethical dilemmas inherent in modern work. For example: “Would you…
Back in the mid-90s, I worked at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington. It was my second time moving away from Oklahoma, and the first time where the experience changed me and helped me develop into the leader I try to be today. It also taught me about the many different names for rain, as well as…
October 26, 2017 One of the best parts of my profession involves being a tireless seeker of truth, and by extension, information. It’s been a part of me forever. When I was growing up minor arguments would erupt at the dinner table that would be solved by me rushing to the bookshelves, grabbing a World…
October 3, 2017 RIP, Tom Petty… This week I’m at the United Way’s Finance, Talent, and Technology Management Forum in Dallas. It’s my first time here — the UW has recently added “Technology” to the roster of this conference, and it’s been a wonderfully refreshing opportunity to learn and discuss all the big-picture tech issues,…
My favorite joke about working in Nonprofit Leadership. From the Vaudeville era: The circus comes to town, and everyone turns up for the grand parade down Main Street. There’s the Strong Man, the Bearded Lady, and Lions and Tigers in cages, pulled by beautiful horses. Then, at the end, come the Elephants marching in single…
September 24, 2017 Like most of the U.S. (of a certain age anyway), I’m slogging my way through Ken Burns’ Vietnam on PBS. Since I was a youngster back then, it’s been educational to fill in the blanks of my memory on the War that Won’t Go Away. I’ve been relearning the terms “Viet Minh,” …
We all have competing demands for our time and resources. After the basics of food, shelter and education for our families we’re involved in things to better our world — volunteering and giving to nonprofits and/or to our church. In this way we can all “do good” in our community in ways big and small.…
May 2, 2017 You know when you’re driving down a familiar street and you suddenly notice a favorite store or restaurant is gone? While you feel a palpable sense of loss, the demise can often be attributed to the following: (1) you and others didn’t shop there enough, or (2) mismanagement by the entrepreneurs. I…