Estimated read time: 5 minutes When Words Lose Their Weight In leadership, words are powerful, but only if they’re used with intention....

I believed the work would speak for itself. Reflection taught me otherwise. “When Quiet Becomes Clarity” marks the start of a new chapter—one grounded in clarity, alignment, and the lessons I’m finally choosing to share.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Overrated Power of the Spotlight Leadership has long been equated with visibility: commanding the...

November 17, 2025 When systems fail, it rarely happens overnight. The cracks are usually visible long before the collapse, but only to those who know what to look for. In government, those early warning signs often hide beneath the surface of “normal” operations: decisions slowing down, accountability blurring, small lapses in trust dismissed as personality conflicts. These are not inconveniences; they are structural alarms. Leaders are trained to manage people and processes.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Myth That Leadership Is About Talking Leaders are often taught to find their voice: to inspire, to...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes Why “Big Moments” Get Too Much Credit Leadership books love to highlight dramatic speeches, crisis...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes Rethinking Power in Leadership When people think of leadership power, they often imagine the spotlight:...

November 3, 2025 For more than a decade and a half, my work has revolved around one enduring question: How can public systems serve people better?  That question has guided every policy initiative, evaluation, audit, and reform effort I’ve touched. Yet, over the past year, I’ve taken time to pause, not out of fatigue, but to recalibrate how that mission takes shape. Public service isn’t static. The world that local and state leaders navigate today bears little resemblance to

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Temptation of Resume Moves Every leader faces the temptation to build their résumé instead of their...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Seduction of Charisma Charisma has long been seen as a hallmark of leadership. The ability to command...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes Joy as a Leadership Strategy When most leaders talk about strategy, they mean profits, efficiency, or...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Calendar Tells the Truth If you want to know what a leader really values, don’t read the mission...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes Trust Breaks in Inches, Not in Earthquakes Most leaders imagine that trust collapses in dramatic moments:...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes When Integrity Gets Reduced to Policing Every leader says they value integrity. But too often,...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The End of the Command-and-Control Era For most of the last century, leadership was defined by control....

Estimated read time: 5 minutes The Future Isn’t Built on Old Playbooks The world leaders are stepping into today doesn’t look like the...

Estimated read time: 5 minutes Why We Can’t Lead Tomorrow with Yesterday’s Playbook Leadership has always evolved, but the pace of change...

Let’s be clear. When people lose trust in public institutions, they’re not overreacting. They’re responding, often with restraint, to...

Organizations often pride themselves on having strong values. But values aren’t what you print in annual reports. They’re what you choose...

When organizations fail, we often trace the collapse back to a person. A scandal. A single event. But most breakdowns don’t begin with...