Leading with Moral Authority

The Case of the Missing Remote, or Why Change Efforts Fail

I was at a client site last week and I noticed this box taped out on their conference room table. It was labelled “TV Remote”. You’ll notice that it’s empty. Looking around the room, the remote was nowhere to be found. We have the same problem at my house. Do you? My first (wry) thoughtContinue reading “The Case of the Missing Remote, or Why Change Efforts Fail”

Experiments in Adaptive Leadership at the Leadership Unlimited Class of ’27 Opening Retreat

It was my absolute pleasure to work with the Leadership Unlimited Class of 2027 late last week during their opening retreat, organized by Angie Cirone, Director of Richland Leads, the education arm of the Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development. We’re trying something entirely new and definitely exciting this year as we strive to reachContinue reading “Experiments in Adaptive Leadership at the Leadership Unlimited Class of ’27 Opening Retreat”

Mourning the loss of “the messy middle”

“What happens to a society and its industries if an entire class of workers loses faith in their careers overnight?” I read an article yesterday about the worker shortage crisis. It explains why so many people are backing away from more traditional careers with larger, more established companies and instead opting for seemingly less secureContinue reading “Mourning the loss of “the messy middle””

On being a “good bean”

Damon West was in my hometown recently sharing his message about being a coffee bean and it got me thinking. I appreciate his message about how each and every one of us can have a positive impact in our community if we choose to do so. And, if a coffee bean is someone who influencesContinue reading “On being a “good bean””

I can’t wait to see you at GCP’s Culture Matters!

Don’t you just love how conferences give you all sorts of new and exciting ideas? And don’t you just loathe how all of those awesome ideas fall by the wayside as soon as you step back into the office? Well, Greater Cleveland Partnership‘s Culture Matters conference has you covered. Thanks to the insightful Culture360 assessmentContinue reading “I can’t wait to see you at GCP’s Culture Matters!”

Why your workers leave … and what to do about it

I hear from employers on the regular who lament the lack of “stick-to-it-ive-ness” in employment candidates these days. “No one wants to work anymore,” or “They expect raises and promotions in the first couple of weeks,” or “They leave for lunch and never come back,” and “They are glued to their phones instead of doingContinue reading “Why your workers leave … and what to do about it”

Comparing Leadership Assessments: Gallup CliftonStrengths and Leadership Circle Profile

It was breezy and threatening rain on a Saturday morning in June when I met Sarah Kundla and her partner in life and business, Joel, to compare notes on our experiences with leadership, business, and team coaching. Inside Village Coffee of Sunbury, though, it was warm and cozy. The place was literally buzzing with activity.Continue reading “Comparing Leadership Assessments: Gallup CliftonStrengths and Leadership Circle Profile”

Clint Tuttle: Finding his niche in life after tech

I’ve been spending some time lately developing the content for a custom Excel course I’ll be running for a local manufacturer. I have to admit, at first, I was not especially enthralled about teaching Excel. I don’t t typically think of it as my wheelhouse. But as I dug into the content, I started toContinue reading “Clint Tuttle: Finding his niche in life after tech”

JoAnn Fabrics: A Fall From Grace

First posted on LinkedIn in June 2025. By now you’ve likely heard that, for the second time in one year, Ohio-based JoAnn Fabrics has filed for bankruptcy. This time, though, they are closing all of their stores and relieving all of their employees of their jobs. You might be thinking, what happened?! JoAnn’s was killingContinue reading “JoAnn Fabrics: A Fall From Grace”

Revisiting Civic Assembly: An update on my experience with Unify Akron

10 weeks ago I posted about my first impressions of deliberative democracy and civic assembly. I was just moving into my role as a facilitator for Unify Akron at that time. The closing ceremony was last week and the civic assembly has now come to a close. As we embark on the impact team phaseContinue reading “Revisiting Civic Assembly: An update on my experience with Unify Akron”