Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal the author of The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People: Why Some Flourish When Others Fold. It was incredible to be able to connect with her and discuss all sorts of topics. I truly enjoy moments of connection and being able to connect with her was simply amazing. Below are the AI generated transcripts from our call and I hope you will find them as enlightening I did.

Julie and Taryn discussed their respective roles in leadership development and resilience, and the potential for collaboration. They explored the concept of thought leadership, the importance of identifying a central theme, and the challenges of defining a niche. They also touched upon their recent collaboration with a pharmaceutical manufacturer on branding, emphasizing the need to understand clients’ language and focus on resonating benefits. The conversation also revolved around the power of sharing resilient stories, the use of storytelling in leadership and strategic planning, and the importance of intentionality and preparation in crafting stories. Towards the end, they discussed their work schedules and time management strategies.

Work and Resilience Discussion Proposal
Julie and Taryn discussed their work and experiences at a networking event. Julie described her company’s role in leadership development and supporting companies, emphasizing their impact on 75,000 people in the last 12 years. Taryn mentioned her habit of conducting walking meetings and the benefits it brings. They also touched upon the topic of resilience, a subject they believed was of interest to many groups. Julie proposed the idea of giving out books on resilience and discussing Taryn’s work in this field. The conversation concluded with both expressing excitement and eagerness to learn more about each other’s work.

Thought Leadership Strategies Discussed
Taryn and Julie discussed the strategies and considerations for building a thought leadership platform. They examined the approaches of different thought leaders such as Bernie Brown, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink. Taryn emphasized the importance of identifying a central theme or expertise to establish oneself as a thought leader, even though one might have multiple interests. She also suggested that it’s possible to expand into related areas once recognized for a particular focus. Julie shared her own struggle with defining her niche within her business. Taryn suggested that identifying her specific expertise and the problems she solves would be beneficial for her thought leadership.

Pharmaceutical Branding and Sustainability Discussion
Taryn and Julie discussed their recent collaboration with a pharmaceutical manufacturer on its branding. Taryn emphasized the importance of understanding the clients’ language, especially in the healthcare sector, and the need to focus on benefits that resonate with their target audience. They agreed that the product’s sustainability, reliability, and ability to expand business were key points that physicians and pharmacies had raised, rather than the specific term “sustainable supply chain.”

Resilience, Mental Health, and Storytelling
Taryn and Julie engaged in a conversation about understanding audiences in the context of resilience and mental health. They emphasized the importance of tailoring solutions to meet a diverse range of needs. Julie shared that she is writing a book about storytelling and inspiration, and the power of these elements in creating effective strategies. She also sought Taryn’s permission to record their conversation and share it later. Towards the end, they briefly touched upon the concept of ‘gratiosity’, a term Taryn coined to describe the combination of gratitude and generosity.

Resilient Storytelling: Inspiring Human Connectivity
Taryn and Julie discussed the importance and power of sharing resilient stories. Taryn emphasized how reflecting on challenges and difficult experiences can help solidify one’s resilience and inspire others. She also highlighted the fear some people have in sharing their vulnerable stories, but noted the potential for human connectivity and inspiration when these stories are shared in a meaningful way. Julie agreed, noting that many powerful leaders have shared stories of overcoming adversity such as alcoholism, homelessness, abuse, and depression.

Storytelling in Leadership and Strategic Planning
Taryn and Julie discussed the use of storytelling in leadership and strategic planning. They noted that while many leaders recognize the value of storytelling, they often struggle with it, particularly those who lead with an operational and analytical focus. Taryn suggested that storytelling could help leaders connect with their team on a deeper level, but emphasized the need for brevity and relevance in the stories shared. They also touched upon the potential for catharsis through storytelling, but agreed that such stories may not be suitable for general consumption.

Intentional Storytelling: Emotional Challenges and Connections
Taryn and Julie discussed the importance of intentionality and preparation in crafting stories. Taryn highlighted the example of Woodrow Wilson, who required a significant amount of time to prepare his speeches. Julie shared her personal experience with vulnerability in storytelling, particularly in relation to the death of her colleague and friend. They agreed on the power of storytelling in fostering connections and promoting humanity, despite the potential emotional challenges it may bring.

Managing Workload and Time: Taryn’s Strategies
Julie expressed her intention to let go of some old project-related items after nine months, which was an emotional process. Taryn reassured Julie that there was no need to let go of anything and shared her strategy of having a team to handle details, which helped lower her stress level. Taryn also discussed her work schedule and time management strategies, including blocking time for work, scheduling appointments at the beginning or end of the day to avoid commuting, and using lists to keep track of tasks. She also mentioned that she used to start meetings at 11 AM when she worked in corporate because she found her mind most clear in the morning and wanted to preserve that time for creating and writing. Taryn stressed the importance of being able to adapt her schedule if unexpected issues arise.

Helping People Live Best Lives
Taryn and Julie discussed their mutual interest in helping people live their best lives. Taryn shared about her upcoming speaking engagements in Scottsdale or Phoenix, and Julie expressed her desire to host Taryn and show her around Arizona. They agreed to reconvene to discuss their respective programs and businesses in more detail.

Proud. Happy. Relieved.

That’s how I feel now, as my 19-year-old son and I spend an afternoon together at the climbing gym.

Katie and I used to come here together to talk a little about work and a lot about life in between the climbs. She passed away 9 months ago now. As I touch the climbing holds that she also touched, my heart is heavy, but also grateful for her.

She had a gym membership, and she’d give me her one free monthly guest pass. I remember many-a-conversation strategizing about parenting our sons as we’d untie our ropes and prep for the next one. During the Zoom high school years especially, I desperately wanted my son to find drive and motivation and passion. I wondered what I had done wrong. I worried. Those were precious and vulnerable times; sharing and hoping and strategizing with a dear friend.

After my son’s first few months in CA at college (a community college in a beach town, with a dorm, to be exact), I asked about his end of semester grades. With trepidation, I might add. To my surprise, they were great. When I asked him what the secret was, he shared something so profound and also not profound. “The classes were interesting!” Psychology and philosophy and art; all classes that he chose, and he says that he took more notes in the first week than in his entire high school career. And then it all made sense.

At work, I am talking daily about the 3 things that are needed by the modern employee to be engaged & retained in the workplace. Two of those had been missing for him: growth and purpose. What he was missing in high school was the opportunity to choose what he learned, to have an impact, and to lean into a cause and education that mattered to him. He wasn’t driven to people-please, to play the game, or try when there seemed like no relevant point. His school’s structure wasn’t built to support a kid like that. Once he got out, he soared. He is now working for AmeriCorps and spends weeks outside building trails. He’s advancing his rock-climbing skills at record speed (and being a leadership coach, I was tickled when he said, “Mom, I’ve learned to lead!”). He’s earned a chainsaw certificate, loves to paint, ID plants, and is planning to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail. He’s curious and creative and says things like “I’ve found my calling.” I am overjoyed. Today at the gym, we climb routes named “dog milk,” and “three hours later,” while we laugh and sweat and support each other’s dreams.

In high school, students have little impact over their trajectory and how their days are mapped. At work, I can only hope that we, as leaders, can craft a different environment. Can we ask our team members how they want to grow, and what they want to learn? Despite being busy and understaffed and with long to-do lists? How can we uncover their agenda instead of just offering ours? How can we put growth and purpose on their path to fall into?

Katie, if you were here with me, I would be beaming to tell you that everything turned out okay. And I would thank you for your support with my growth and purpose.

NXS. REM. The Cure. The Cranberries.

These make the soundtracks of my high school years.

I just went to accept an award in Pittsburgh, PA, my hometown, where I was given the Distinguished Alumni Award in the Business category from my high school alumni association. What an honor.

North Allegheny was the place where I rocked really big hair, played field hockey, and felt secure enough to spread my wings & fly. I had to think long and hard about what to include in the speech; I was supposed to talk about how my schooling K-12 made an impact on me.

I tend to look backward instead of forward, but every time I look back, I realize some really important things.

Listen to what I said here: North Allegheny Distinguished Alumni Award 2024: Business Category, Julie Lancaster

What impact did your K-12 make on who you are now?

Written By: Judy Tincher & Julie Lancaster

Have you ever been in an ethical dilemma?

Some of you are recalling memories in which you faced a serious conundrum that took you deep into yourself. Others may be summoning recollections of times when you were in a gray area- times there may have been a sliding scale of what is right and what is wrong. Others may have a firm and clear outlook on what is right and what is wrong. A client recently described her black-and-white perspective to me saying, “There are no ethical dilemmas.”

Most of us have faced an ethical dilemma: a decision-making point between two tough choices.

Both ethics and morals address making choices between “right” and “wrong,” but in an ethical dilemma, there are behavior guidelines or rules set by an external source, such as a workplace, whereas a moral dilemma would be one’s personal perspective on right and wrong.[1] It is a dilemma, especially when both choices represent something important.

I was working at a ski area and was closing down the employee locker room at the end of the day. Guest-facing operations had been closed for several hours; it was getting dark and just a few employees were going through the end-of-day procedures. A colleague and I were locking the doors when a guest rushed up. In a panic, he explained that he had lost his cash, specifically, $5000 cash wrapped in a rubber band. He was an international traveler, and in broken English, explained where he thought he lost his cash and gestured that he wanted to look around. The man retraced his steps in the lodge and, completing his search empty-handed, made a plan to return the next day to file a lost item report with the appropriate staff during operating hours.

As the man left, the staff and I speculated out loud:

  • That cash is gone!
  • What would I do if I found it?
  • What’s he doing with $5000 cash wrapped in a rubber band?

Going back to the first series of questions- would you wonder about the cash? If you were a uniformed employee who found it – what would you do? What would you do if you knew the money was from a black market trade? Is it “black and white” for you? Would you be certain to turn it in… or certain to keep it?

Cash creates an ethical dilemma for many people. It’s been a key plot in countless stories and stretches across time and continents. This story represents an ethical dilemma; there are workplace guidelines, and in this case, not everyone in the story is at a workplace. When there are gray areas in decision-making, an individual’s values come into play. A person is guided by their judgment of what is important in life.

Do you know your top four values? Allow me to invite you to a values exercise, and let me encourage you to do this periodically to check in with yourself.

Review the list of values below.[2] Start by putting a checkmark next to every value that is important to you. Run through the list again, and narrow your list by underlining 8 values. Go through the list of eight values, and filter it again by circling your top four.

Accountability
Achievement
Adaptability
Adventure
Altruism
Ambition
Authenticity
Balance
Beauty
Being the best
Belonging
Career
Caring
Collaboration
Commitment
Community
Compassion
Competence
Confidence
Connection
Contentment
Contribution
Cooperation
Courage
Creativity
Curiosity Dignity
Diversity


Environment
Efficiency
Equality
Ethics
Excellence
Fairness
Faith
Family
Financial stability
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship Fun
Future generations
Generosity
Giving back
Grace
Gratitude Growth
Harmony
Health
Home
Honesty
Hope
Humility
Humor Inclusion
Independence
Initiative
Integrity
Intuition		Job security
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Legacy
Leisure
Love
Loyalty
Making a difference
Nature
Openness
Optimism
Order
Parenting
Patience
Patriotism
Peace
Perseverance Personal fulfillment
Power
Pride
Recognition
Reliability
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility
Risk-taking  		Safety
Security
Self-discipline
Self-expression
Self-respect
Serenity
Service
Simplicity
Spirituality
Sportsmanship
Stewardship
Success
Teamwork
Thrift
Time
Tradition
Travel
Trust
Truth
Understanding
Uniqueness
Usefulness
Vision
Vulnerability
Wealth
Well-being
Wholeheartedness
Wisdom


How have these values shown up for you? Look back through your choices and notice how your values guided your decision-making.

My sister-in-law was recently offered a new role. She liked her work as a design engineer, she liked her autonomy and flexibility to work from home, and she liked her salary and generous benefits package, but she missed the client relations and creative engagement she’d had in previous roles. The new role promised to fill a creative outlet that had been missing, but troubled, she lamented, “It won’t be a salary increase.”

I thought about what I would do. I recently did a values exercise in which “adventure” surfaced as one of my top values. I always knew I liked adventure, and as I looked back at my career choices, “adventure” as a top value was making itself known: I worked internationally living in a dorm with hundreds of other internationals, I learned and taught 4-wheel driving as part of a role with a non-profit, I worked from a sailboat in my first fully remote role. Taking an observer’s perspective, it was clear that adventure was very important to me.

I relayed my insights to my sister-in-law, encouraging her to look at the values that were at odds with her decision. Every choice is a vote for a prevailing value, and oftentimes our choices show us what we most value. She recognized that “stability” and “creativity” were against each other. She knew that the new role offered an acceptable level of stability and she took the leap to embrace the value of creativity, accepting the new role as a lateral salary move.

Now that you are reacquainted with your values, get acquainted with your organizational and workplace values. Perhaps these values are a key to your choice to work there, perhaps you need to look them up. Either way, get a sense of the organization and workplace values and see how they align with your personal values.

Our leadership development firm has had the honor of providing ethics & values trainings and discussions to thousands.  We’ve worked with North Country HealthCare, Grand Canyon Conservancy, Mountain Line Transit, Northern Arizona University, Head Start, Nothern Arizona Council of Governments, Lewis Mason Thurston Area Agency on Aging, Coconino County & Maricopa County, AZ, and more. From. the research and the ethical issues that our clients struggle with, we bring you four ideas to implement.

Recommendations

Discuss your personal and workplace values with your team. Initiate a conversation about your values and get curious about other people’s values. You can set the tone by posting a statement about your values in a conspicuous location for others to see. [3]

Take action when your personal values are misaligned with your organization or workplace values. Consider a change to your 3 P’s. Change your perspective, your proximity, or your persuasion. This tool can help you honor your values while considering another point of view, taking a step back, or looking at your influence in a new way.

Create Workplace Culture. You’ve started having values discussions with your team; now it’s time to get on the same page. What are workplace values that need clarification? Are there “elephants in the room” that you can address? Bring up ethical scenarios with your team before they happen, and bring up problems promptly when they do happen. Go back to your personal and workplace values to illustrate and support your decision-making. Decision-making is a crucial leadership skill, and most decisions have to do with how you handle yourself.[4] Go back to your values to gain insight into your decision-making.

Gut check. When faced with a choice, learn to listen to your gut. When a choice is right or wrong- what cues is your body giving you?

Back to the lost cash- did your heart race if you thought about keeping the money? Would you tell your respected elders or your kids that you found $5000 cash and kept it? Would you be calm keeping the cash if you knew it was from the black market?

Let me tell you what happened to the cash. A skier on vacation found the hundred dollar bills wrapped in a rubber band, and without counting it, they submitted it to the lift operator. The lift operator submitted it to their supervisor, who submitted it to security staff, who recorded the cash as a lost item and put it in a safe. The man who lost his cash got it back the next morning.

How do you feel now? 

Judy Tincher is a facilitator at Lancaster Leadership. Judy’s top character strengths are zest, love and learning, and gratitude. She earned a Bachelor of Science in History/Social Studies Education and a Master Certification in Transformational Coaching. Judy has 15+ years of leadership and nonprofit experience and combines Positive Intelligence®, transformational coaching, and habit research for an innovative approach to leadership. You can find Judy on the trails around Flagstaff, AZ when not working.

Julie Lancaster is the founder and director of Lancaster Leadership. Her top character strengths are honesty, zest, and curiosity. Julie has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, and a Master of Arts in Education: Culture, Language & Diversity. Julie has decades of leadership experience and is a Certified group coach, Myers-Briggs practitioner, Change Style Indicator, and Change Style Navigator facilitator. She has been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Month, Businesswoman of the Month, and Adjunct Instructor of the Year. When not working, Julie loves digging in the dirt and has authored the Flagstaff and Tucson Planting Guides.

  1. “Ethics versus Morals: A Comparison.” NASBA Center for Public Trust. https://thecpt.org/2023/03/24/ethics-versus-morals-a-comparison-2/#:~:text=Both%20ethics%20and%20morals%20refer,principles%20regarding%20right%20and%20wrong.
  2. Dare to Lead List of Values. Brene Brown. https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/
  3. Kouzes, James M. and Barry Z. Posner. (1999) Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Gudie to Rewarding and Recognizing Others. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
  4. Maxwell, John C. (2011) The Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential. Center Street Hatchette Book Group.

[1] “Ethics versus Morals: A Comparison.” NASBA Center for Public Trust. https://thecpt.org/2023/03/24/ethics-versus-morals-a-comparison-2/#:~:text=Both%20ethics%20and%20morals%20refer,principles%20regarding%20right%20and%20wrong.

[2] Dare to Lead List of Values. Brene Brown. https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/

[3] Kouzes, James M. and Barry Z. Posner. (1999) Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Gudie to Rewarding and Recognizing Others. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

[4] Maxwell, John C. (2011) The Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential. Center Street Hatchette Book Group.

I’ve had few friends in my life change careers or retire this year. One of the challenges (or gifts) that accompany these bold moves is a challenge to current identity.

As 2024 approaches, I’ve hunkered down with vision-boarding, as I like to do each December, and have thought deeply about who I want to be or how I want to show up this year.

As soon as I walked into the vision-boarding party (I usually do this alone), 2 friends grabbed my hands and proceeded to write, in Sharpie, on my hands: “Knucks”, as they called this game, is where you write 2 different 4-letter words describing the person, as temporary tattoos, on the unsuspecting person’s knuckles. Mine were “best” and “bath.” (I can share more details with you over drinks 😊). These were my kind of people.

Throughout the evening, I was able to hide away, deep think, and create 4 themes for myself for the next year.

  1. Creating moments
  2. Space between
  3. Reciprocal connections
  4. Grand gestures

(Again, I can share more details with you over drinks)

Having these simple yet personally powerful themes established help to guide my decisions and actions for the year.

If you are looking for some ways to get your juices flowing, another idea is to text 5 people and ask them to describe you in a few words. Then decide if that’s how you want to show up in the next chapter of your life, or if you want to go for something different.

Last year I did that during an event and I got:
Carrie: Vibrant, Honest, Playful, Smart
Courtney: Effervescent, Knowledgeable, Genuine
Mom: Enthusiastic, Supportive, Connect with People
Katie: Giving, Authentic, Observant
Erin: Zesty, Inspiring, Curious as Hell, Best Friend in the World, Hell of a Hiker, Kick-Ass Businesswoman, Great Listener

I decided to lean into listener, playful, observant, and giving.

Here’s to your new year, and who you choose to be. I would love to hear.

Best, Julie

I’ve never been an artist. I guess I’ve been drawn to other things. And have never really given painting or drawing, things I consider to be “creating art,” a chance. I read “The Creative Act” a few months back, so I understand the idea that art and creativity is in everything. But still.

Then, slowly, over time, my perception changed. Then Suzanne encouraged me to be a “Masterpiece Art Guide” and teach a monthly art class to elementary school kids. I was willing because I loved the idea of having a purposeful reason to be in my kids’ classrooms, and they were just kids anyway (and might not care or notice that my art wasn’t great).

Then Kendra gave me a homemade watercolor painting with a quote around it, and even though I am frequently decluttering, the painting has withstood the test of time, and I keep it beside my bathtub.

Then my son went to college for art. I would watch his images as they would evolve, day after day. I would watch how he would bask in the slow pace of art, museums, deeply observing.

And then one day, Margot said “I’ve taken up watercoloring. I’ve never really done it, but it helps me to be present, and sometimes even turn out halfway decent!” She says that she pay special attention to a beautiful landscape, or lighting, and then re-creates from picture or memory, with artistic license.

Then the fourth thing that finally pushed me into action was my coach. In one session I said “Andrea, I would like you to help me to learn how to hibernate.” She encouraged me to create a cozy nook in my house, devoid of work and to-do lists. To be present and calm. So into the space, I brought tea, candles, blankets, plants, and watercolors.

Let me be clear that I am brand new at this. But, I am loving every second. I am able to turn off my productivity-mindset, my thinking-ahead mind, and my planning-mind. I mostly focus on colors. Just being present, getting excited about adding a little more pigment here or there. And sometimes the stuff doesn’t turn out half bad.

I can only see this origin story unfold as I look backward. As a human, I am constantly inclined to grow and evolve. Over the years, I realize that the act of coaching, the work I do, helps me to consistently develop my skill with listening. Now, as I become an artist, I am learning better how to see.

With gratitude, Julie

One of Arizona’s luxuries is the proximity to Mexico and the beach.

As time has a tendency to warp, I realize that our family has evolved year after year there. Over the last 20 years of visiting, we are different people each time we visit. We bring our newly evolved selves, with new joys and challenges and interests.

In the early years, the packing consisted of swim diapers, dive toys, and baby monitors. If we went with my parents, Mark and I would get a coveted date night or two. We were careful about sunscreen application, naps, and getting sand out of all the crevasses it invaded.

A few years later, we sought out as many adventures as possible for the endless energy that was our every day; inflatable toys, trampolines, snorkeling with sea lions, waterslide parks, and kayaking adventures. Looking back now, the kids seemed so big at the time, and now seem so young. I feel nostalgic.

More recently, I am struck by how different life looks now. Miles and Ruby are so independent, feel and think deeply, and have great heads on their shoulders. They pack their own bags without any of our input. They have adult bodies that strut the shoreline, and both are taller than me. My parents are a bit more fragile (though my mom is still a world traveler & has more energy than the lot of us). Mark and I relax together by sitting side by side sipping our coffee, reading our books, and enjoying the reprieve from the busyness of life. We don’t need a lot of words.

I just went through the 483 photos of Mexico trips and have painstakingly whittled them down to share. At the time of their taking, the photos don’t seem so special. Now, these snapshots are time capsules that show us who we were and how we have become.

With gratitude, Julie

On the sidelines of the micro-soccer field 8 years ago, as our daughters tried to learn which goal to actual score on, Chris Fetzer and I met.

Chris brought me into Northern Arizona Council of Governments and we had a great time putting on leadership academies and more. Which allowed me to meet Mary Beals Luedka and I started supporting her NACOG Area Agency on Aging. A few years later, when Jennifer Brown took the helm of NACOG Head Start, we started working with her team. From here, we were able to start supporting Nicole Kidoo’s Lewis Mason Thurston Area Agency on Aging up in WA, as she started with NACOG then moved. She then referred us to Kristen LaEace of Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging and we supported her team. Where we met Chuck LaDow of Area Five Agency On Aging & Community and went on to support his team. And the generous referrals and connections go on.

My nature is to look forward. But every time I pause and reflect backward, I am amazed by what there is to learn and see. This incredible map started with one person. Thank you, Chris, and all of you who have generously supported my path. My gratitude for you is overflowing.

And there have been other pivotal folks who have started similar flows. Sarah Douth in the world of Adult Probation, and Cynthia Seelhamer in serving counties, just to name a few.

When you look back, what moment or people have allowed you to be where you are today?

Best, Julie

Looking to expand your leadership learning? Our team and a few or our clients have put together our favorite leadership books in “bundles”. They are carefully curated to go well together (and not overlap).

Julie’s list is not for the beginning leadership-book-reader. But once having the essential leadership concepts under your belt, she recommends these:

  • Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Dan Coyle
  • The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by Danielle LaPorte
  • Essentialism by Greg McKeown
  • Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute
  • Loving What Is by Byron Katie

Faye Farmer’s List:

  • 9 Lies About Work by Ashley Goodall and Marcus Buckingham
  • DEI Deconstructed by Lilly Zhang
  • I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Remit Sethi

Diana White’s List:

  • Deep Work by Cal Newport
  • Lean In by Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sanberg
  • The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin
  • The Lean CEO by Jacob Stoller
  • The Naked CEO by Alex Malley

Jennifer Toth’s List:

  • The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
  • Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
  • Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
  • Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury
  • The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling

Courtney Broughton’s Life Inspiring Books:

  • More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth
  • Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
  • Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Kayla Jacobson’s List:

  • Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer
  • Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

Tyrone Powell’s List, in Order

  • H3 Leadership: Be Humble, Stay Hungry, Always Hustle by Brad Lomenick
  • Captivate by Vanessa Van Edwards
  • Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success by John Wooden and Jay Carty
  • Think Again by Adam Grant
  • The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

Roxana Cardiel’s List:

  • Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair by Kim Scott
  • me and white supremacy by Layla F. Saad
  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
  • Improving Cultural Competence, by SAMSHA
  • The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
  • The Four Cardinal Virtues, by Josef Piper
  • Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
  • Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel
  • la casa de los espiritus, by Isabel Allende
  • Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire
  • To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
  • Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn

CJ Perry’s List:

For the First Time Manager or Supervisor:

  • The Effective Manager by Mark Horstman (I make all my managers go through the podcast version of this book as a requirement)

For the First Time Director or Org. Leader:

  • The Leadership Challenge by Barry Posner
  • Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Best Self-Help, Self Care, Stress Mitigation & Skill Building:

  • Peak Performance Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • Effortless: Make it Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown
  • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
  • Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
  • Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky

Best Refining Leadership & Challenging Leadership Norms

  • Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
  • Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
  • No Rules Rules by Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings

BALONEY MOUSSE. I DO NOT love the baloney mousse.  But it has helped me to clarify my risk-taking travelling rubric. Consider it if it’s: 1) safe 2) kind 3) creates a spark (of joy, fun, curiosity, or thrill) 4) is not too disgusting. Often for me, the weirder and less conventional, the better. The regional whipped meat product did not pass #4, but sometimes it’s hard to know about food beforehand, and being in Bologna, it seemed important.  Live and learn.

SPACE. I DO love my partner, Mark. We are together in the Dolomite Mountains for our 20-year wedding anniversary, 2 years postponed. Our love story began 25 years ago in the mountains of Africa, with me as the initiator, and him as the responder.  That sums up a lot about our relationship. I used to think that I wanted someone who was the life of the party, larger than life.  Until I realized that when I am with people like that, I shrink.  Mark gives me the room to take up a lot of space. He is steady. And patient and easy-going and open minded and kind and isn’t a critic. In life, I do not like to compete for attention. I WILL EXPAND TO THE SIZE OF THE SPACE GIVEN. He gives me space and grace and support along the way. Such a gift.

WILLING. Perhaps what I love most about him is that he is willing. When I want to rearrange all the furniture in the house, he says “Okay.” When I want Thursdays to be soup night (and he cooks), he says “Sure.” 11 years ago, when I told him that I wanted to start a business and spend 17 weeks/year out-of-state for a couple of years, he said “Let’s make it work.” 25 years ago, after 3 months of dating, I asked if he’d get round-the-world plane tickets with me. He was game. We adorned our backpacks, hitchhiked, worked on farms for room and board, and got comfortable with each other’s stink. And loved it.

CREATIVE AND SOMEWHAT CRAZY. When I am at my best, I lean into creativity. I make up games and experiments and ask questions. Thinking of it now, many of my decisions over the years follow this safe/kind/spark/disgusting rubric.

As a teenager at church summer camp, I soaked the linoleum hallway in an uninhabited dorm wing with water for the longest indoor slip-n-slide. We all took a collective shower first, with our clothes on, and slid and laughed for hours.

Lisa and I would approach strangers at the Friday night ice skating rink pretending like we knew them. “Sam!” “You aren’t Sam? Sam Mitches?  My mistake.” We thought we were hilarious because it brought a thrill and sounded like Sandwiches. I think you had to be there to find the comedy.

In my 20s and backpacking on the South African Otter Trail with Mark, I challenged us to hike without pants for a mile. I laughed until I fell over, multiple times. (Thankfully we didn’t see anyone.)

Living in California, I challenged an intimate group to a fully clothed pee-your-pants contest. (It was hard! One of my stranger ideas, but rest assured that we took showers immediately after, and memories were made.)

As a parent and when they were young, the kids and I would paint each other’s faces weekly with watercolor paints. Full-face tattoos. And we’d get out rolls of butcher paper, bottles of tempura paint, and they would feet-paint beautiful designs.

Now, when teaching Ethics, I will “accidentally” mark my face with dry-erase marker to see how quickly anyone addresses it and how they do it. My aim is to teach that speaking up quickly is often an important part of confronting unethical behavior.

BEHAVIOR CHANGE. I see similarities in my personal risk-taking Safe/Kind/Spark/Disgusting model to the more widely accepted way that we teach about behavior change with the SAMER model.

  1. Small (make it small and easy to achieve success)
  • Anchor it (connect it to something else)
  • Measure what matters
  • Enjoy it (don’t forget this part)
  • Redesign (after it gets going, when and how might you want to redesign it?)

As I write about travel and love and meaningful memories and rubrics and change, I am reminded about how I operate best.  With freedom and adventure and the space to expand. How do you operate best?