NCS

Bad days happen. Expect them. It helps. Marcus Aurelius did. He reminded himself every morning that people would be rude, unfair, selfish. He wasn’t surprised when they were. He was ready. You can’t control traffic, gossip, deadlines that slip. You can control your response. That’s the whole game. Epictetus would say: Focus where your hands… Read more

Lessons are everywhere in life, even in teaching kids to ride a bicycle. You hold the seat. You run beside them. You shout encouragement.They wobble. They fall. You steady. You let go. They ride on before falling. As they hit the ground, the realization hits you. This is what they’ll always need.The right amount of… Read more

You say it’s not the right time. You say you’re focused elsewhere. You say you’ll come back to it later. But here’s the truth: What you’re not chasing, you’re choosing. Choosing comfort over growth. Certainty over possibility.The known path over the one that calls you. Not chasing doesn’t mean standing still. It means moving in… Read more

You’re delivering a project for a customer. You’re working with a partner. And things get bumpy. You don’t always agree with their approach. They don’t always understand your product. Frustrations build. And then it happens.The tension shows. In meetings. In emails. Sometimes, even in front of the customer. You think You’re being subtle.You’re not. When… Read more

The big important meeting went well. People showed up. They listened. They contributed.Real conversations happened. The kind you remember. But the point of a valuable meeting isn’t the offsite.It’s what happens after. Insight without follow-up is theatre.Alignment without execution is a mirage. The work now is simple, but not easy: Pick what matters. Turn it… Read more

There’s a certain kind of politeness that turns sour. It says: I won’t challenge your work because I don’t want to hurt your feelings. But withholding critique isn’t kindness. It’s fear in disguise. If you’re showing up and doing your best work, then you deserve more than approval. You deserve feedback. You deserve someone brave… Read more

A senior leader gave me feedback Friday. The kind that stays with you. He said something like:“Your writing is thoughtful. But it’s too flowery. Too complex. You bury the point.” Ouch.And… fair. So I’ve decided to try and change. From now on, I’m aiming for writing that’s simpler. Sharper. Shorter.Not less meaningful, just more direct.… Read more

I remember reading this once in a book: “A group is a bunch of people in an elevator. A team is a bunch of people in an elevator—but the elevator’s broken!.” It made more sense the second time I read it this week. Because a group just shares space. A team shares responsibility. The group… Read more

Know your no. Every career comes with choices. Not just what you do, but what you won’t. Your non-negotiables define the edge of the map.They’re your “no matter whats.”Without them, you drift.With them, you steer. Mine? It is Impact. My thinking on Impact Some people chase promotions.Some chase applause.Some just want to keep the peace.… Read more

I’ve been reading The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan, a vivid account of the slow unravelling of the Roman Republic before anyone realized how fragile it had become. While I was reading, I remembered something from earlier this year. My colleague and friend Ben and I attended a discussion on Stoicism, and the… Read more

We like clean categories. Us vs. them. Good vs. bad. Winners and losers. But the world doesn’t work that way. Most of life exists in overlapping distributions. Not all rich people are smart, and not all poor people are lazy. Not all great leaders are extroverts, and not all quiet people lack vision. Even in… Read more

Leadership isn’t about making people happy. It’s about making decisions. Sometimes, the right decision is the popular one. More often, it isn’t. The temptation is to delay, to wait for perfect information, to hedge. Maybe if we tweak it a little more, soften the edges, get one more round of input, then everyone will feel… Read more

A question is an opportunity. Not just to respond, but to create clarity. Most people answer reactively. They start speaking before they’ve fully heard the question, filling space rather than delivering insight. Here’s a better way: First, actually hear the question. Read it. Listen fully. Let it land. Pause to think. Silence isn’t a gap;… Read more

Some people just see more. They spot the disconnect in a conversation before it turns into a problem. They notice when a process isn’t just slow. It’s broken. They sense the shift in a customer’s tone before the account is lost. Noticers aren’t always in leadership roles, but they lead. They don’t always have authority,… Read more

President Jimmy Carter was a mentor of mine. In as much I have read all he has written and had been written about the man. He was a man of quiet greatness, a quiet presence I try to replicate poorly. I was upset when I heard he died. His passing marks the end of an… Read more

Last night, I caught up with a dear friend. The kind of friend who doesn’t require updates or explanations. The years fall away, and the connection feels timeless. We met for drinks and did a puzzle together. We sat at a hotel table, sifting through the chaos of a jigsaw puzzle. At first, it was… Read more

It’s disheartening, isn’t it? That someone, somewhere, could look at your effort, aspirations, or results, and hope they falter. I experienced this recently and felt compelled to write it down, to process it. At first, it felt personal. But as I reflected, I realized it wasn’t. People often project their fears, insecurities, and unmet expectations… Read more

I turned 50 years old in late May, and at 50 you should really know yourself by now. And what I know is the resistance I feel is no longer a surprise. It appears in projects, in people, and within myself. It whispers the same refrain: “Stay where you are. Avoid the discomfort.” Resistance though… Read more

This week the company I work for had a Summit in Europe. It is for our customers and was full of interactions and face to face opportunities and for an introvert like me I almost get overwhelmed. I wanted to this morning reflect on stoic lessons that I think of when I approach this annual… Read more

We live in a time where everyone has an opinion. Social media thrives on it, news headlines are driven by it, and conversations around the dinner table are filled with it. But here’s the thing: the world doesn’t change because of your opinion. It changes because of your actions. We can shout from the rooftops,… Read more