The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.
~ Seth Godin
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Email apnea
Over the course of six months, Stone observed the breathing patterns of hundreds of people while seated at a computer. She found that four out of five held their breath or breathed shallowly while checking their email.
~ Jessica Fish from, Stop, Drop, and Breathe: Curing Email Apnea for Community Professionals
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This is not a metaphor. Literal apnea while reading email. Not some people, but most people. Practice breathing— far too many people think they know how to breath, when in fact they don’t. Practice posture— far too many people think they know how to sit, when in fact they don’t. Practice getting up and fleeing from your computer— far too many…
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Challenge
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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On leadership
Conflicting opinions. Confusing data. Unexpected developments. Interpersonal conflict. We sometimes miss the bliss of the vision and despair. I’m not sure I can do this. You respond immediately, “It seems an impossible thing. Of course it’s hard, but we are going to do this together and I’ll explain how.”
~ Rands from, The Way I Heard It Was…
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There’s an array of skills that a leader has to master to be a good leader. Explaining things is one of those skills. Everyone who knows me even slightly, knows I’m great at explaining things. But as I try to lead more, I’m realizing that no, actually I’m a mediocre—possibly even a poor—explainer. I’ve recently realized that vastly too much of my explanations are about attempting to control other people’s reactions, (or their opinions,) to what I’m suggesting.
“Take this jacket. It’s lightweight, water proof and will keep you dry if we encounter rain. And rain is likely on the mountain we’re setting out to climb. I once went without such a jacket, and I wound up wet and miserable. The color also happens to be one you normally like, and it looks good. It’s got lots of pockets, which are all taped and the design of the flaps keeps water out.” (Alas, a decade ago, that explanation would have also unpacked what “taped” means, and why it’s a desirable feature.)
But that’s way too much information, all intended to convince the listener. It’s a sign of attempted consensus building. It’s all hedging. It’s all me sharing the reasons why you too would make the same decision—to bring this jacket—if you too had all the information and perspective that I have.
A real leader would say, “This is the correct jacket to take, considering the weather we are going to face when we climb that mountain.” Because then, if it turns out it is in fact not the correct jacket, then I’m on the hook for that error. Which is exactly where—on the hook that is—a true leader should be.
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Prudence
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
~ Niccolò Machiavelli
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I over-complicate things
Hanlon’s Razor teaches us not to assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Understanding Hanlon’s Razor helps us see the world in a more positive light, stop negative assumptions, and improve relationships.
~ Shane Parrish from, Hanlon’s Razor: Not Everyone is Out to Get You
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And there’s a rather long, (by Internet blog standards,) article after that opening paragraph. I read it. It resonates with me. It has heuristics and suggestions, points and counterpoints. There are some memorable quotes, including some famous Army General’s way of using the razor to categorize officers based on their combinations of traits.
But, being well aware of my title, I could just take the entire article and train of thoughts and teaching and simplify it to a pithy two-sentence reminder:
Don’t assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Instead, see the world in a more positive light.
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Play with Brandi Heather
How can integrating play into our personal and professional lives improve creativity, productivity, and well-being?
Discovering the connection between joy and resilience reshapes the way we approach work and life.
Play integrated in everything you do. So when you’re doing something at work, that you are so absorbed by— that you absolutely love about your work and you kind of lose track of time in that space. That’s the play I’m talking about.
~ Brandi Heather (13:55)
The conversation examines how play influences personal and professional development, emphasizing its role in creativity and joy. It explores how podcasting enabled one individual to discover and refine their voice, eventually translating this journey into a book. The discussion highlights the intersection of storytelling, science, and personal experience in effectively communicating complex ideas.
Further topics include societal misconceptions about play and how redefining it as a state of absorption and joy can benefit both individuals and organizations. The conversation also touches on the challenges of blending academic and experiential insights into accessible narratives while advocating for preserving playfulness in both childhood and adulthood.
Takeaways
Discovering one’s voice through podcasting — It serves as a stepping stone to larger creative endeavors like writing a book.
Play as a state of absorption — It transcends traditional definitions and integrates seamlessly into work and life.
Societal misconceptions of play — Play is often undervalued or misunderstood as frivolity rather than a powerful tool for creativity and connection.
The challenges of combining science and narrative — Effectively communicating technical information in a relatable format is key to engaging diverse audiences.
The role of intentionality in play — Being mindful of joyful moments can help foster resilience and motivation.
The diminishing spaces for childhood play — Early academic pressures risk eroding valuable opportunities for children to experience play’s benefits.
The influence of supportive communities — Collaboration and feedback from others enhance the creative process and provide accountability.
Resources
Return to Play — Brandi’s book exploring play’s role in resilience and creativity.
Daniel Pink — Author who responded to an interview request for insights on play and work.
Seth Godin — Renowned author and entrepreneur who contributed thoughts on play’s impact.
Finite and Infinite Games — James P. Carse’s book referenced for its discussion on play and motivation.
Ryan Fahey Consulting — Book coaching service that supported the creative process of writing.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Magic with Jey Jeyendran
How does podcasting serve as a medium for creativity, self-expression, and transformation, and what challenges and insights arise from engaging in this art form?
Podcasting emerges as both a blank canvas and a stage for personal transformation.
It’s the tricky thing about podcasting, is that it’s got a really, super-low barrier to entry, but a super-high barrier to continuation.
~ Jey Jeyendran (7:23)
The discussion begins with an exploration of podcasting as a creative and transformative medium. It highlights the realization that podcasting is more than a simple extension of oneself; it involves curating and presenting a version of oneself that aligns with the needs of the audience. This performative aspect is juxtaposed with the authenticity often touted as essential in podcasting.
Another key topic is the unique challenges inherent in podcasting. While the barrier to entry is low, maintaining momentum and overcoming “pod fade” proves significantly harder. The conversation underscores the importance of feedback, both as a measure of growth and as a motivational tool. However, podcasting often lacks sufficient avenues for such feedback, which can leave creators feeling unmoored.
Jey and Craig also touch on the joy and playfulness that can be rediscovered in podcasting. Through low-stakes exercises like creating short recordings, participants can reconnect with the essence of creative expression without the pressure of perfection. This emphasis on enjoying the process rather than fixating solely on the end product is framed as critical for sustaining passion and avoiding burnout.
Takeaways
Podcasting as a blank slate — A medium requiring creators to blend performance and authenticity effectively.
The challenge of continuation — The difficulty of maintaining podcasting momentum despite its low entry barrier.
Importance of feedback — The role of meaningful feedback in driving improvement and combating doubt.
Embracing playfulness — Rediscovering joy through low-pressure creative exercises.
The transformative aspect — Becoming the version of oneself that fits the podcasting persona.
The focus on process — Loving aspects of the creation process to sustain long-term engagement.
Resources
Radiolab — A podcast known for creating immersive soundscapes.
This American Life — A podcast blending narrative storytelling and unique perspectives.
Derek Sivers — Mentioned for his insight on performance and persona in creative work.
Stephen Pressfield — Referenced for his concept of the “shadow career” and creative pursuits.
Grant Cardone’s Podcast — A source of energy and motivation, particularly for overcoming inertia.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Concentrate
Concentrate every minute … on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can—if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered, irritable.
~ Marcus Aurelius
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Attitude adjustments
Sometimes, definitely more often than I like to admit, I need to have my attitude adjusted. Like, a giant kick in the ass, adjustment.
Someone once explained to me their self-esteem box idea. Which is, by the way, a frickin’ brilliant idea. Ever since then the idea has rattled around the back of my head. Finally, this idea gelled into something I can use. It goes like this:
Sometimes I find experiences that eject me from Grumpy Land. They are rare, but they are glaringly obvious to me when it happens. POW! Well, that adjusted my attitude. The first part of my idea is to capture those into posts here on the ‘ol blog. (It’s easy to jot a simple note and write a blog post later as I do that a lot already.) This is classic “capture” in action.
The second part is that I’ve created an Attitude adjustments tag, and I’ll be tagging those posts as such. It’s easy for me to get to that tag. (I find it trivially easy to type, off the top of my head, the full URLs to specific tags.)
…and the magic part is a little plugin I found which will bounce me to a random post for a given tag. Depending when you are reading this, there might be 1 or 100 items in that tag, so this may or may not be random and interesting: Random attitude adjustment, please.
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Hate
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Reflection. Imitation. Experience.
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; And third, by experience, which is bitterest.
~ Confucius
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Leadership
People think that leadership is something that just happens. One is anointed a leader. One is promoted to leadership. One is born into leadership. And of course, this is not the case.
~ Ryan Holiday from, 18 Things I Stole From Some of History’s Greatest Leaders
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Holiday is most famous for his work raising awareness of the ancient, but still very apropos today, philosophy of Stoicism. (Not to be confused with the very different english word, “stoic.”) But this article is all about leadership. It’s a wonderful survey of guide stars. I’m particularly fond of the idea that a leader doesn’t make things worse.
My bias towards taking action… my urge to make a change to make things better… far too often I make things worse. If my life had an omniscient narrator, there’d be a lot of scenes that start with, “Here Craig forgot a hard won lesson. Despite not having a clear idea how to help, he still put his two cents in.” (Cue slow-motion footage of car crash unfolding. Cut to black. Roll end credits.)
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Calm seas
Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm.
~ Publilius Syrus
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Bleak
Then I noticed a huge mound of stones stacked on the flat-topped summit, a clearly man-made production, tight as an Inca battlement and resembling a stone obelisk or maybe an altar. How someone scaled that red junker to stack those stones in that manner rather confounded me.
~ John Long from, «https://www.rockandice.com/john-long-tales/john-long-it-started-with-a-pile-of-stones/»
This is an amazing story told about rock climbing— actually it’s about rock not being climbable, except for the fact that people, who were not modern rock climbers clearly did climb these things. A simply amazing story.
Also, and not at all related, some web sites have these visual “hide” affects that tease you with some initial content. Some web sites do that the lazy way, by sending all the content along but then telling your web browser to hide it visually from you. Also, some web browsers have a “readability version” feature that will turn a hot-mess of a web page into easy-to-read text. If you use that feature on one of those sites, you can read all the text. Furthermore, some web sites actually include the full text of things in their RSS feeds even though they hide it if you go to the web page directly. Curiously, all of these things are completely not at all no way nuh-uh related to this article that I’m sharing today.
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Laughter with Abby Wambaugh
How do personal experiences and creative approaches in stand-up comedy and podcasting intersect to explore humor and connection?
The conversation explores the transformative power of combining humor and reflection in stand-up comedy and podcasting.
I’m interested in the kind of laugh you do when you look at things in a new way. Like, you pierce through something, and it’s a new thought people connect to and identify with.
~ Abby Wambaugh (17:59)
The discussion touches on the creative intersections between stand-up comedy and podcasting, focusing on personal expression and audience connection. Abby shares her journey of creating a podcast during the pandemic to explore humor’s societal impact and their later transition into stand-up. Through podcasting, she experimented with audio formats and advertising parodies, which helped her embrace spontaneity and humor.
Another key topic is the role of feedback in creative processes. Stand-up is highlighted for its immediate audience response, contrasting with podcasting’s private, controlled creation. Insights into how humor fosters social connection and challenges perspectives underscore the transformative potential of laughter, with a focus on maintaining kindness in comedy.
Takeaways
Creating humor that builds connection — Stand-up and podcasting are tools for fostering understanding through laughter.
Feedback as a guide — Immediate audience reactions in stand-up provide invaluable lessons for refining material.
Laughter as social glue — People laugh significantly more in shared settings, emphasizing its role in connection.
Experimentation in formats — Exploring unconventional formats like parody ads can inspire creativity.
Kindness in comedy — Avoiding divisive humor reflects a commitment to constructive engagement.
Exploration of identity — Stand-up and podcasting can be platforms to navigate and express personal identity.
Private versus public creation — Podcasting offers a reflective space, while stand-up demands immediate public interaction.
Resources
Why We Laugh podcast — Abby’s exploration of humor and its societal purpose.
Transom — A platform for sharing crafted audio pieces.
Sarah Schaefer — Comedian and podcaster known for creative projects like the Ha Ha Hole.
Casper Addyman — Baby laughter scientist studying the social and developmental roles of laughter.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Generosity with Lizzie Rhodes James
What lessons and insights emerge from the process of podcasting, and how do they shape personal growth and creativity?
Sharing inner strength moments evolves into a profound practice of learning and giving.
It’s a great opportunity to learn, and you do it and you can transfer that to other parts of your life.
~ Lizzie Rhodes James (18:25)
The conversation explores the dynamics of podcasting as a platform for sharing insights, personal growth, and creativity. Themes of learning and gratitude are central as the speaker reflects on their podcasting journey, emphasizing the importance of creating meaningful and timeless content. The discussion also touches on the process of pausing and reevaluating projects, highlighting the cyclical nature of inspiration and effort.
The technical and creative aspects of podcasting are also discussed, including the routines and systems developed to sustain the work. Lizzie shares experiences of integrating podcasting with other writing platforms, like LinkedIn, and the evolving goals tied to their creative output. Personal habits, such as morning productivity routines, play a significant role in supporting this creative process.
Takeaways
The cyclical nature of creativity — Reflecting on when to pause or continue a project.
The value of timeless content — Creating material that resonates across different periods.
The interplay of gratitude and giving — Sharing experiences to support and inspire others.
The technical evolution of podcasting — Learning from tools and systems developed along the way.
The role of habits in creativity — Establishing consistent routines to foster productivity.
The power of short-form content — Crafting concise yet impactful messages.
The importance of reflection — Stepping back to view the broader themes in one’s work.
Learning through doing — Applying podcasting insights to other areas of life.
Resources
Lizzie’s Inner Strength — A short-form podcast exploring personal growth and resilience.
Lizzie Rhodes James on LinkedIn
Stoic Philosophy — Referenced for its enduring relevance to personal growth.
Timeless principles from ancient literature — Encouraged as a source of wisdom over modern business books.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Favorable conditions
We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.
~ C.S. Lewis
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Grace under pressure
Listen to some, or all, of Rush’s 1984 live recording from the Grace Under Pressure tour.
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Lindsey Kleinberg: Experiencing Nature, Creating Connection, and Healing
How can individuals integrate nature, education, art, and personal healing into creating positive change for themselves and their communities?
Lindsey Kleinberg advocates for nature play in the most important way; practicing what she preaches. She shares her experiences raising her family through alternative and nature education, and why it’s important to her. Lindsey describes the benefits home gardening, self-care, and how she approaches creating change. She discusses books, blogging, art, and what she hopes to achieve in her community.
When you’re really working on a personal journey, if you are making those steps for positive impact and change, people around you, whether or not they will admit, they start to feel those things.
~ Lindsey Kleinberg (44:22)
Lindsey Kleinberg is an educator, artist, avid gardener, and nature play advocate. She is the founder of the Finding Place LV, a Reggio-inspired micro school whose mission is to reconnect kids with nature. In addition to her Masters degree, Lindsey is certified in many areas, including Nature-based outdoor education and School Garden Coordinator.
The conversation explores how integrating nature, art, and alternative education can foster healing and inspire positive change. Discussing the importance of organic gardening, Lindsey emphasizes the transformative effects of hands-on, sustainable practices in raising children. These practices encourage empathy, environmental stewardship, and a deep connection to the natural world.
Topics also touch on the role of art in healing, with examples of how creative activities—ranging from murals to gardening—can reconnect individuals to themselves and their communities. Lindsey advocates for simple actions, such as planting seeds or creating small garden spaces, to initiate broader personal and societal shifts. A recurring theme is the necessity of self-care to sustain these efforts, ensuring individuals remain grounded and effective in their pursuits.
Takeaways
Planting seeds of change — Small, intentional actions like gardening can have a profound impact on individuals and communities.
Self-care as a foundation — Addressing personal well-being is critical to sustaining efforts for broader change.
Nature as a teacher — Hands-on experiences in nature foster empathy, creativity, and resilience in children and adults.
Art and creativity — Engaging in art is a powerful tool for personal and communal healing.
The ripple effect of change — Personal growth and intentional practices can influence and inspire those around you.
Raising environmentally conscious children — Early exposure to sustainable practices helps develop lifelong habits of stewardship and care.
Balancing digital presence — While online tools can spread awareness, maintaining human connections remains essential.
Holistic education models — Integrating principles from Waldorf and Reggio Emilia philosophies creates dynamic, experiential learning environments.
Resources
Lindsey is the founder of The Finding Place Lehigh Valley
Lindsey’s recent blog post, searching for ‘home’.
Rodale Institute — A leader in regenerative organic agriculture and education.
Julian Is a Mermaid — A children’s book advocating for self-expression and creativity.
Kutztown University’s Program in Regenerative Organic Agriculture — Collaboration with the Rodale Institute to provide a unique degree program.
Waldorf: Environment as teacher, play, storytelling, natural learning
Reggio-Emilio, community learning, art, intergenerational
Let’s Play Books and Now and Then books
Book most often given away: Julián is a Mermaid, Jessica Love
Largest book: Hobbit/Lord of the Rings combo book, Welcome to the Museum series
Book you most want, but can’t get: Iwigara
Interactive art, Juxtahub
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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