My first book, Make Space to Lead, came out last week and within several days was at the top of six best-selling Amazon categories. But let me tell you a dirty little secret. While this book is considered successful by many standards in the publishing industry, especially for a first-time…

Last Saturday, I had a surfing accident on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. I have a bruised face and a black eye, however, I’m grateful that there is no permanent damage to my face or my eye. Right after the accident, I was sobbing and shaking on the beach, gripped…

Many of us fall into a common pattern of speaking in platitudes, abstractions, or generalities. This often happens when we are distracted and not completely focused. Think about the last time someone asked, “How are you?” Many of us automatically reply, “Fine, thank you. And you?” and then we continue…

How often in your days or weeks do you support and help other people? Many of us believe that it’s our job, whether in our role as a servant-leader in corporate management or as a coach / consultant who is paid to help others.

How often do you ask someone…

This is scary. I don’t know what to do next. I’m such an idiot. I’m making so many mistakes. Do I belong here?

Being a n00b or a newbie, no matter what the unfamiliar situation— job, school, community, career, or learning a new skill—is deeply uncomfortable. It fills us with…

Many leaders do their work from a sense of service and purpose. Many are quiet leaders who simply want to do the best job and not toot their own horn. Yet we can run into a blocker when we do work we’re passionate about and want to share it on…

My first book, Make Space to Lead, comes out on November 2nd. I chose to self-publish the book and am now sharing brief lessons about two options for self publishing that I know of. These lessons are also universally applicable to leadership:

When you’re doing a work project, when should…

We all aspire to be good leaders, supportive of our teams & companies and also at home. The core of this aspiration is that leadership starts with ourselves. We must believe in these qualities and model them for others. One physical instantiation of leadership is the ability to create intentional…