Beware the Underdog

Beware the Underdog

We love to cheer for the underdog. Their struggle mirrors our own deepest hopes, that we can overcome doubt, adversity, and the odds stacked against us. Watching someone with less power, privilege, or preparation rise to the occasion stirs the belief in us that effort...
Jumping Into the Deep End

Jumping Into the Deep End

We’re here on earth for just a short time. And the time we have is a privilege. And a responsibility. A responsibility to do something with your “one wild and precious life.”  But often we hold back. We’re not ready. We think we need more time, more credentials, more...
Side-stepping power

Side-stepping power

Most misuse of power is seen as its overuse: dominating discussions, micromanaging others, coercing or threatening to get your way. But the underuse of power—timidity, hesitation, fear of making the wrong decision—is just as costly. Holding power means having a...
Staying True to Your Voice

Staying True to Your Voice

Praise, approval, and positive feedback is attractive—and addictive. When you have an audience, it’s tempting to bend toward their expectations, to dilute your voice, your truth to earn their approval. We see artists sellout, teachers lower their standards to get...
Oh. I guess it’s me.

Oh. I guess it’s me.

My mother died last month, and now I’m confronting the strange sensation of being the eldest generation in my family. Along with my sister and brother, I’m suddenly the person at the top of the tree, the elder. It’s an odd feeling, and one I haven’t quite grown into....
Between Conscience and Compromise

Between Conscience and Compromise

When institutions are threatened by corrupt or corrosive forces, leaders face a difficult choice: resist or acquiesce. Do they defy the regime or accommodate to protect and preserve the institution? Is compromise a form of quiet resistance, or is it ‘bending a knee,’...