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Leadership Reflection

leading through uncertainty
08.28.2025

Leading Through Uncertainty: Lessons for Today’s Leaders

Recently, I had the opportunity to join Craig Anderson on his popular Executive Evolution podcast. So I wanted to share my perspectives from what was a great and fun discussion. We covered a lot of ground—leadership challenges, decision-making in uncertain times, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way in higher education and beyond. As […]
08.26.2025

Cold Showers Never Feel Warm

Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Christian Schmieder, Assistant Director for Data Governance at the University of Wisconsin-Extension and a MOR program alum.  Christian may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn. A friend recently gushed about the benefits of incorporating cold showers into his daily routine. I was intrigued – and maybe a little envious. […]
08.12.2025

Do MOR, not necessarily more

I’ve learned that when I commit to doing MOR, I don’t have to do more. The tools and habits are part of the empowerment journey.
07.29.2025

Learning to Pause

Whether responding to a question, making a decision, or a difficult conversation, pausing gives us time to think, breathe, and realign.
leading through disruptive change
07.08.2025

Calm in the Storm: Five Practices for Leading Through Disruptive Change

Leading during turbulent times requires supporting your people and leading with strategic focus. Here are five strategies to help.
07.01.2025

Strategic Leadership in Uncertain Times

As leaders, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to lead with vision, empathy, and resolve in a complex and rapidly changing landscape.
06.17.2025

Embrace the Nice

I got feedback that I was “too nice.” I assume if they had given me advice, they would have said, “Be less nice!” My advice: embrace the nice!
05.06.2025

From Railways to Three Lenses: Embracing Change in Leadership

I faced significant pushback from others when making changes. This confounded me until we studied Van Maanen’s three lenses on organizational change.
04.22.2025

This Is The Work of Leadership

Transitioning from technical work to leadership involves coaching managers and aligning on context, philosophy, and goals.
04.08.2025

Challenge Assumptions to Create Smarter Higher Education IT Strategy

Our teams want to innovate and improve our institutions. Our leadership responsibility is focusing on measurable, beneficial outcomes.
04.01.2025

Prioritizing Self-Care in the Workplace Is Not Selfish

As the self-care trend emerged over the past few decades, I was too busy to pay much attention. My mindset has slowly evolved.
03.25.2025

10 Leadership Journey Guiding Principles

As I approach 25 years at Indiana University, I reflect on my values and how I made them uniquely me.
03.18.2025

Is Your Emotional Intelligence a Leadership Superpower or Kryptonite?

Emotional Intelligence wasn’t always a concept I grasped fully. I hadn’t realized my emotions communicated even when my words didn’t.
03.04.2025

The Challenge and Opportunity of Embracing Leadership Discomfort

Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Ranna Farzan, Associate Director, Technology Strategy and Planning, Harvard University Information Technology and a MOR program participant.  Ranna may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn. Last month, right around my first MOR workshop, I also started reading Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential as part of a book club with other […]
02.25.2025

Insights on the Importance of Leadership Delegation Skills

One of my biggest opportunities for growth is more effective delegation. Delegation is never one-size-fits-all.
02.18.2025

The Journey to Discovering Leadership Presence

I don’t know about you, but I still reflect on what I learned during my MOR workshops. A theme that was a cornerstone of our MOR experience: Presence.
01.07.2025

Moving Beyond New Year’s Resolutions: A Path to Lasting Growth

The key to growth is setting goals that align with your values and committing to the work to achieve them. Build systems to support your progress.
pair of three feet deep ruts on a dirt road in autumn
10.29.2024

Sticky Visual and Emotional Communication

Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Marion Groh Marquardt, Associate Director of Web Services at Stanford University and a MOR program alum.  Marion may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn. You know how it is sometimes: we’re so focused on what we want to communicate that we overlook the crucial visual and emotional communication threads […]
10.15.2024

Reflections on Leadership

I’ve had the opportunity to cross paths with thousands of leaders and learn from their journeys. Together, we’ve explored what it means to lead.
09.10.2024

From Missed Boats to Big Wins: How I Learned to Show Up

I can’t pinpoint when things started to change. It wasn’t some big, life-altering event but a series of small choices that shifted my perspective.