re-thinking a popular workplace motto on employee empowerment We’ve all heard (and probably said): “Don’t come to me with a problem. Come with a solution.” I understand the intent: to encourage ownership, initiative, critical thinking. But in my experience, that’s not always what the phrase teaches. The leadership question isn’t, Why didn’t you solve this before bringing it to me? It’s, What kind of problem is this, and what does this person need in order to move forward? Sometimes the...

A leadership trait we're encouraged to ignore I was sitting in my most comfortable chair, legs curled under me, ready for my every-six-months virtual doctor’s visit, poised to complain and lament. I have been living with a condition since my teens. It is not life-threatening and, as long as I do the things I’m supposed to do, not a major disruptor in my life. One of those things is taking medication each morning. When I forget, especially if I forget more than one day in a row, my symptoms...

On comfort, connection, and the quiet cost of AI A couple of years ago, a friend and I were walking through the neighborhood where she raised her kids, and we passed her old house. Like all the others around it, hers was built before air condition was a thing. Every house on the street, no matter the size, had a big front porch. She said that in the early days of her life there with her young family, you’d see people outside regularly, especially in the summers when it was more comfortable...