Leading Thoughts for June 5, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Rosamund and Benjamin Zander on accepting reality:

“When we dislike a situation, we tend to put all our attention on how things should be rather than how they are. When our attention is primarily directed to how wrong things are, we lose our power to act effectively. We may have difficulty understanding the total context, discussing what to do next, or overlooking the people who ‘should not have done what they did’ as we think about a solution.”

Source: The Art of Possibility : Transforming Professional and Personal Life

II.

Joe Davis on taking the perspectives of others:

“Generous leadership is about setting yourself aside to make room for the way someone else is thinking, to make room for the way they might see the world. It’s an openness and an active setting-aside of our own experiences and beliefs to believe in another way of being, another person’s way of seeing the world. As you ask and try to understand another’s point of view, be attuned to whatever information, facts, and insight they can offer that can be added to what you do know. Then that combined knowledge will afford you a better view into the option sets and a more deeply rooted understanding of the best possible paths forward.”

Source: The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain

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Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:31 AM
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Loving Leadership Isn’t Soft—It’s Essential

IF you close your eyes and visualize “peak performance,” what comes to mind?

A Tour de France champion training in a wind tunnel, with wires monitoring the disciplined, finely tuned athlete? A highly efficient, symbiotic team delivering breakthrough innovation in record time? A climber overcoming every adversity to summit Mount Everest?

How many leadership posters hang on office walls, calling us forward for peak performance, perfection, execution, and winning through focus, discipline, and hard work? As if that’s where the magic lives.

Yes, determination and drive matter, and excellent execution leads to achievement. But peak performance is fueled by brilliant minds powered by beating hearts—where teammates work with purpose, passion, and free will, chasing outcomes they deeply desire alongside people they care about and feel appreciated by in return. United in mission and powered by purpose, these individuals and teams become larger than themselves and tap into an essential energy called meaning.

Those of us lucky enough to join these teams—with loving leaders who care—love our work and enjoy showing up at the office. It’s more than a paycheck or benefits package; satisfaction, joy, and connection make Mondays a pleasure.

Any leader or manager can set goals and work plans. But loving leaders bring intention and attention to how the work is done in five critical ways:

1. They know their teams: It’s one thing to know a person’s skills, experience, and education and to match talent with the work to be done. It’s an entirely different thing to understand people’s motivations, ambitions, challenges, and dreams.
   
   Loving leaders connect with teammates through genuine care, curiosity, and concern for their performance and well-being. Monthly 1:1 time is highly effective for maintaining consistent engagement in critical programs—but it will also help you know your people and see how they think, analyze, and execute.
   
   
2. They curate microclimates: Your company may have a long-standing culture, but each division, department, and project lead has the power to shape the daily working climate.
   
   The more diverse the team, the more styles and behaviors are present—especially when pressure rises or problems appear. Make time for proactive and retrospective check-ins with both teams and individuals. They protect psychological safety and trap division or dissent before it boils over or breaks out into chaos.
   
   
3. They help teams fail fast: High-performing teams pursuing change and breakthroughs are bound to face unpleasant surprises and failures along the way. Yet when the pursuit of ambitious goals is transparent and supported, problems aren’t setbacks; they become learning opportunities and avenues to pivot and persevere.
   
   Expensive and catastrophic failures that waste time and money start with fear and anxiety about sharing bad news. With loving leadership, teammates are quick to turn uh-oh moments into a-ha outcomes, with everyone jumping in to shape solutions.
   
   
4. They treasure trust: Stuff happens in business, relationships, and life. Trust ebbs and flows with colleagues, customers, suppliers, and collaborators. We’re all human, after all.
   
   Loving leaders value integrity and take action to maintain and restore trust, not to eliminate or avoid conflict. When teams can identify what’s eating away at trust—addressing the pain and the cause—trust grows, and relationships strengthen. Customers and colleagues become more connected and loyal when issues are managed quickly—and managed well.
   
   
5. They catch people doing a great job: Most people appreciate being recognized for their efforts, contributions, and strengths. Loving leaders capture these moments and acknowledge momentum, reinforce values, celebrate successes, and reward hitting once-out-of-reach milestones.
   
   Performance reviews and bonus plans are great, but people remember thoughtful notes, unexpected gratitude, and reinforcement when they’ve taken risks and chances. Being open and vulnerable when times are tough should be applauded. Those who have the courage to challenge the path are rarely alone.

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Kelly Hall is a leadership expert and business strategist who helps individuals and organizations move from surviving to thriving. As the founder of Live L.A.R.G.E., she brings 30 years of experience leading diverse teams and transforming struggling businesses into high-performing, self-directing organizations. She is the author of Love Works: Transforming the Workplace with Purpose and Authenticity. Find her at kellywinegardenhall.com

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 09:37 PM
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First Look: Leadership Books for June 2025

HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in June 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month.

The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies by Robert E. Siegel

A groundbreaking blueprint for mastering “cross-pressures” in a rapidly changing world, teaching leaders to execute and innovate, think locally and globally, and project ambition and statesmanship alike—from a Stanford Business School lecturer and consultant to some of the biggest and most innovative CEOs. Part of the problem is that these challenges, while acutely felt, are rarely articulated in a way that makes them graspable and actionable. Robert E. Siegel has witnessed the impact of these cross-pressures from different perspectives. As a lecturer in management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, an operator, a venture capitalist, and a consultant, he sees countless teams of managers, at all sorts of companies, struggling to lead their companies into the future.

The Dark Pattern: The Hidden Dynamics of Corporate Scandals by Guido Palazzo and Ulrich Hoffrage

From the creators of the theory of ethical blindness comes an investigation into how corporate scandals happen, revealing the common pattern behind them and how your organization can avoid them. Too often, the stories of corporate scandals are narrated like Hollywood movies in which once-celebrated CEOs are unmasked as sociopaths and ultimately convicted for their crimes. What we fail to realize, however, is that most bad things are done by average people with honorable values and without bad intentions.

Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less by Pat Flynn

Navigate the chaos of information overload and supercharge your efficiency with Lean Learning, a groundbreaking guide that reveals a counterintuitive approach to success: winning by learning less. From an early age, we’re taught that more is better. More money, more information, more skills. But times have changed. What was once valuable has now become a burden, and if information alone were the answer, we’d all be exactly where we want. In today’s fast-moving world, the difference between success and failure is not in what you know but in what you do with what you know. Lean Learning equips you with the tools to do just that, propelling you towards your goals with greater efficiency, purpose, and results.

Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed by Richard Hagberg and Tien Tzuo with Gabe Weisert

Based on decades of empirical research and data, Founders, Keepers gives founders a practical roadmap for navigating the inevitable challenges that come with startup growth. It’s a brutal paradox—the same founder attributes required to put a startup in motion will invariably blow it up. The difference between success and failure lies in the personal journey that every founder must pursue to avoid their own worst impulses. Steeped in nearly forty years of research in leadership psychology, Founders, Keepers begins with the same personality assessment Rich Hagberg, a psychologist and executive management coach, gives his clients. Hagberg and Tien Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora, help founders build a Swiss Army knife of practical tools that will give them a much better chance of making it to the next level of success.

Firm Feedback in a Fragile World: How to Build a Winning Culture with Critical Conversations by Jeff Hancher

Turn dreaded workplace feedback into opportunities for growth and trust with Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, your guide to fostering stronger teams and a thriving workplace through effective, confident communication. “We need to talk.” It’s a phrase that can fill us with dread. For many, the statement signals conflict or criticism. But what if it didn’t? What if feedback and conversations in your workplace inspired growth, built trust, and created thriving teams? In Firm Feedback in a Fragile World, Jeff Hancher redefines how we approach feedback in the workplace. Combining relatable stories, research, and practical tools, Hancher offers a roadmap to turn feedback from a source of tension into a powerful leadership tool. As a military veteran, corporate leader, and leadership coach, he provides actionable insights that help leaders and employees alike navigate feedback with confidence and clarity.

Go One More: Find the Clarity to Make Intentional, Life-Changing Choices by Nick Bare

top holding yourself back and make a powerful impact by taking control of your life and transforming your mindset around health, relationships, and success. Growth doesn't happen overnight; it's a choice. You must wake up every day and choose growth. These decisions compound over time, and with ruthless consistency, the outcomes are life-changing. Whether training for a marathon, leading a family, or starting a business, being intentional with everything we do is essential for success. Nick Bare shares a simple philosophy for helping people tap into the clarity and resolve they need to keep progressing: go one more.

For bulk orders call 1-626-441-2024

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“You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.”

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 07:46 AM
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LeadershipNow 140: May 2025 Compilation

Here is a selection of Posts from May 2025 that you will want to check out:

• Disagree with the direction? Don’t just sit there – here’s what to do instead by @suzimcalpine
• John F Kennedy and the Art of Becoming by @jamesstrock
• The Importance of Leading in Small Places by @PhilCooke
• Memorial Day | Gratitude, Humility, Resolve by @JamesStrock National Pride, International Precarity.
• 3 Signs It’s Time to Recharge Your Leadership Battery by @WScottCochrane
• Turning Adversity Into Advantage: The Championship Mindset by @AlanSteinJr
• Writing a Book? You May Need Professional Help by @wallybock
• What Comes Next Isn’t a Product. It’s a Provocation. by Nicholas Negroponte History tells us that significant ideas rarely come from the center. They begin at the margins, where ideas are allowed to be incomplete, even incorrect. Places where success is not the goal, but learning is
• The Secrets of Building Great Teams by @PhilCooke
• 10 Culture Builders Every Leader Should Master by @Get4Sight Jenni Catron
• The Daily Discipline of Humility via @TheDaily_Coach The very things that challenge our humility—pressure, complexity, doubt—are the very things humility helps us navigate with greater grace
• Leading with Intentionality by @James_Albright
• Personal Grounding: Staying Sane Amid the Madness via @HagbergGroup
• The Map Is Not the Territory by @AdmiredLeader
• Zuckerberg Superyacht Aircraft Carrier Invades Arctic by @jamesstrock Have We Reached Peak Oligarchic Excess?
• Is It Time To Redefine Your Leadership Story? by @TerriKlass
• Leadership Caffeine — Do Something Courageous (60-second tips series) by @artpetty
• Why Are We Surprised? by @mr_swarr Jeffrey Swarr
• When You Can’t Fix It, Care: The Leadership Imperative for Uncertain Times by @Julie_WG
• CEO Coaching: Humble Pie, Buffett-Style by @toddordal
• Why Great Leaders Break Their Own Rules by Craig Groeschel
• 10 Culture Busters That Sabotage Your Team (and What to Do About Them) via @Get4Sight Jenni Catron
• Leadership Caffeine — Raise your questions-to-comments ratio (60-second tips series) by @artpetty
• Idea Alchemy: Improve Your Writing With the 5 Cs by @wallybock
• An American Century | 1 of 4 by @jamesstrock From the Four Freedoms to the National Security State
• An American Century | 2 of 4 Leader of the Free World by @jamesstrock
• Don’t let your creativity destroy your productivity by @wallybock
• Write Your Business Book Even Though You Have No Time (Seriously) by @wallybock
• What Will Your Book Do for You? by @wallybock

See more on Twitter.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 07:13 AM
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Leading Thoughts for May 29, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Rich Diviney on the notion of peak performance:

“Repetitive peak performance is unrealistic because performance is often conditional. It typically requires a predictable and familiar environment. Repetitive peak performance is unrealistic because uncertainty is life’s foundational state. True success in life and business hinges instead on optimal performance, which means delivering your “best” in the moment, whatever your best looks like in that moment. However, sometimes your best is about persevering, moving forward step-by-step in the midst of challenges, embracing the messy, grueling, and unpolished reality.”

Source: Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team

II.

Robert E. Siegel on moving forward in a changing world:

“Fully understanding the reasons for past successes can help you internalize whether your old ‘playbook’ is still useful for a current or future challenge.”

Source: The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 03:09 PM
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Leading Thoughts for May 22, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Dan Thurmon on testing yourself:

“When uncertainty and randomness strike, whether the immediate perception is threatening or exciting, you don’t take it personally. You simply see it as a new factor to incorporate into your life. This is not about the challenge coming at you. It’s about the challenge coming from you. It’s not what’s testing you, but how you are choosing to test yourself.”

Source: Positive Chaos: Transform Crisis into Clarity and Advantage

II.

Dean Williams on helping people face challenges:

“The first challenge of leadership is to get people to wake up to the fact there is a problem—that the group is avoiding some aspect of reality, ignoring a threat, or missing a great opportunity. To get the people to wake up and face the problem is an activist challenge. Often the problem is embedded in people’s values and behavior. The people might espouse one view but act in ways that are not consistent with that view. The leadership task in an activist challenge is to call attention to the contradiction in values and intervene to disrupt the thinking and patterns of behavior that allow the people to persist in avoiding the reality of their condition.”

Source: Real Leadership: Helping People and Organizations Face Their Toughest Challenges

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 03:05 PM
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Productive Failure

HOW do people learn? Simply put, when the reality does not meet the expectation. When we make mistakes. When we fail. And when we learn from those mistakes, we learn not only the correct way to go, but we gain a deeper understanding of the issue and thus are able to more easily apply it to similar situations.

In other words, if we try to solve the problem before we are told how to do it, we learn better.

Manu Kapur wrote Productive Failure with this in mind. “The idea of Productive Failure is to be proactive; that is, if failure is so powerful for learning, then we should not wait for it to happen. We should intentionally design for it for deep learning.”

Kapur began his career as a math teacher. He thought “if he could engage his students, explain the concepts as clearly as possible, then show them, step-by-step, exactly what to do and how to do it, he’d achieve transformational results.” This is the direct instruction method that we are all accustomed to—the teacher lectures, we practice, and we learn. It feels right. It feels logical.

However, the problem with the direct instruction method is that while we feel we’ve learned, our understanding is often largely superficial. “The problem was not that we learn poorly from bad lectures, but rather that we learn poorly from excellent ones. Not learning well from bad lectures is understandable and explainable. Not learning well from good lectures is perplexing, even shocking.”

The solution to the paradox lies in realizing that the first job of teaching is actually not to teach. The first job of teaching is to prepare the novice to see with an expert’s eyes.

The bottom line: when learning something new, it is much too easy to find the path of least resistance. It is most natural to seek the easy way out. However, my research on Productive Failure shows that making learning does not always ease learning. If not intentionally designed to leverage failure in the initial stages, learning tends to be shallow and inflexible. But with it, learning is deep, flexible, and adaptive. Productive Failure suggests that making initial learning more difficult and challenging, where you may struggle and even fail to solve a problem or perform a task, can be beneficial for learning.

In contrast to Direct Instruction, Discovery Learning asks the learner to figure out how to apply their existing knowledge to the problem first. “Discovery Learning emphasizes active engagement and self-exploration as the primary drivers of acquiring new knowledge.” Discover Learning asks you to transfer your existing knowledge to new contexts. Activating prior knowledge helps us to make sense of new information. It develops curiosity and open-mindedness. This kind of learning is the most valuable in dynamic and uncertain environments, and what we need more of in people at all levels.

“Struggling a bit with the problem helps you learn better than if someone just explains the answers. Before we can repair or resolve our misconceptions or failures, we need to become aware of them in the first place.” An awareness of all we do not know is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. The gap between what we know and what we don’t know sets us up to learn.

So, how do we use this?

As in teaching, as leaders and mentors, we can learn from this: “We are quick to see what is wrong in students’ answers and reasoning. We are quick to zone in on that which is incorrect, so that we can quickly and robustly correct it. What we are not good at is analyzing students’ incorrect answers to see if there are elements in those answers, bits and pieces, and components, that could be used as building blocks for helping them learn the correct concept.” What is right in the wrong answer?

“Deep understanding requires that we are able to see what is critical and connect it with our prior knowledge.” Productive Failure helps us to reassemble components in our knowledge in a new way to solve new and harder problems.

Tasks can be designed to be challenging and accessible. “Productive Failure is good for learning things that you need to deeply understand and transfer to novel situations,” like the adaptive challenges we face today. We are not trying to design for failure for failure's sake, but to design in such a way that we have to think through the challenge and see it in different ways.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 05:13 PM
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Leading Thoughts for May 15, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Nick Bare on intentionality:

“Lack of intentionality leads to a repetition of what is easiest.”

Source: Go One More: Find the Clarity to Make Intentional, Life-Changing Choices

II.

Will Guidara on a point of view:

“If you try to be all things to all people, it’s proof that you don’t have a point of view—and if you want to make an impact, you need to have a point of view.”

Source: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

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Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 10:34 AM
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