We all struggle with strong reactions that hinder progress - as parents, leaders, partners and friends. Over the years, I’ve found three simple practices that help leaders (and parents, and partners) manage their internal reactions.

When “Rude” Becomes Grounds for Punishment In my work with Parks and Recreation departments, I’ve seen a pattern emerge among staff at community centers. A patron might be curt, condescending, or simply unfriendly, and the immediate request from staff is: “Can we ban them? They were rude.” It’s understandable. No one enjoys being spoken to disrespectfully. Rudeness stings. But here’s the problem: there’s no policy against being rude. Unless a patron is blatantly harassing som

Why shifting from reactivity to responsiveness is non-negotiable “My boss really needs to get better at identifying his triggers.” That’s...

The other night, I found myself wide awake, heart pounding, convinced we were painting our fence the wrong color.  Rationally, I knew it...

"I tried being truthful about what was on my mind and it blew up in my face." That's what a client recently said to me as we were...

De-escalation, Boundaries, and Leadership on the Front Lines When the Frustration Isn’t Really About You After weeks of receiving...

What a Case of Mistaken Identity Revealed About Communication in Crisis At the start of this year, I found myself dealing with a very...

Recently, I found myself observing a familiar scene—parents and children navigating big emotions in the wild. And in witnessing this...