Why subscribe?
I’ll provide you with a weekly leadership story you can read in 3 minutes, but you’ll remember for years. Real situations, real lessons, real growth - plus practical takeaways and thought-provoking questions to help you in your personal leadership journey.
About Me
I've spent over 30 years learning leadership the hard way - from Marine Corps deployments to Nike's explosive growth period, from high-tech startups to my own entrepreneurial ventures.
Here's what I've discovered: Most people get promoted into leadership roles without any real framework for success. The result? Miserable leaders, frustrated teams, and stalled organizations. I've seen it countless times.
But I've also seen the opposite. Organizations like Nike and the Marines invest heavily in developing their people. During my 13 years as a Marine, I spent almost a third of that time in training. At Nike, I watched leaders who understood that their job was developing others, not just hitting numbers.
The difference isn't talent - it's having real stories and frameworks that actually work when the pressure's on.
That's why I write these newsletters. Not to share theories from business school, but to pass along the leadership lessons I learned from taking arrows for my team, making million-dollar mistakes, and watching both great and terrible leaders up close.
If you're ready to lead with both competence and character, you're in the right place.
A Few Things I Love
I love my violin… Many years ago my wife bought me a violin. I love it. It soothes my soul. There is much more I want to be able to do to expand my capabilities with it; yet, at the same time, the limited things I can do with my violin today are soul-filling.
I love horses. I grew up riding with my cousins who lived in Eastern Oregon. This picture was taken in Mona, Utah where I’m riding a horse named Duke. Horses can teach you a lot about leadership.
I love my family. Each year my wife organizes a Cousins Camp. It’s a week-long event. Most of our grandchildren are able to come. This picture is of July of 2024, we had 16 present and one who couldn’t make it. The theme was the Cool Cousins Cooking Challenge and my wife helped each of our grandchildren, individually, make their chosen recipe. I spent my time outside with the grandchildren playing in the water, reading books, and just having fun.
I love sports and coaching. I’ve spent most of my life coaching sports. I’ve coached at all levels and have learned invaluable lessons from each team I coached. The team in this picture was a perfect 21-0 team. Champions! Here’s what I learned from them:
You win games in practice - preparation makes the difference.
You take one game at a time - champions focus on what's in front of them.
Players with talent will excel if you make it possible - direction + preparation + freedom = impossible results.
My Career Journey Has Been Interesting
I feel blessed to have had all of these experiences, and frankly, I find it hard to believe all of these experiences have come to me. I truly hope you’ll join me as I share stories, lessons, and advice to help leaders get better.
