“AI leadership” and leading an AI team are myths. Machines can execute, but only humans can inspire, discern, and build trust. Learn why words—and meaning—matter in the age of intelligent systems.

Many careers stall not because of lack of talent, but because leaders stop being curious. When managers believe they already know everything about an employee, opportunities shrink and growth halts. Research from MIT Sloan and others shows leaders directly shape career trajectories through visibility, feedback, and development support—yet most spend their time in meetings, not mentoring. The solution? Use AI to automate low-value tasks and create margin for real human connection. Through the GENUINE™ Framework—Generous, Engaged, Nice, Unafraid, Integrity, Non-Judgmental, and Empathetic—leaders can build trust, stay curious, and intentionally invest in employee growth. Practicing GENUINE™ leadership turns curiosity into career momentum and transforms culture from talent hoarding to talent multiplying. When curiosity ends, careers stall—but when it grows, people and organizations thrive.

On a recent trip, my wife and I visited Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado—two cities with mountains yet vastly different experiences. Phoenix’s mountains are harsh, rugged, and exposed; they demand endurance in a challenging, dry heat. Denver’s Rockies, however, are lush, inviting, and revitalizing, offering cool air, shaded paths, and breathtaking vistas.

Leadership mirrors this duality. The basic definition of leadership is guiding a group to achieve a goal, but the lived experience can vary dramatically. Some leaders create harsh environments where team members merely endure, much like a scorching hike up Phoenix’s mountains. Others foster nurturing environments reminiscent of Denver’s Rockies, challenging yet supportive, driving growth and collective achievement.

The critical difference between these leadership experiences hinges on two beliefs:

• Job Purpose: Effective leaders view their role as serving and empowering others.

• Success Definition: They measure success through collective growth and team achievements.

To consistently foster this empowering environment, adopt the GENUINE Leadership Model, embracing principles of Generosity, Engagement, Niceness, Unafraid action, Integrity, Non-Judgmental attitudes, and Empathy. Leaders embodying these traits build teams that thrive, creating energizing and productive workplaces.

Ultimately, just as mountains offer profoundly different experiences despite similar definitions, leadership's impact depends heavily on the beliefs and actions of the leader. Choose intentionally, and you’ll create an environment that empowers and inspires your team to reach new heights.

You don’t need to solve every problem you encounter, which is good because you literally can’t. Your resources have limits, so you must learn how to manage them wisely, and sometimes that means ignoring the windchime. The decision to live with the occasional noise it creates is more responsible than devoting resources to quieting something when there are minimal returns on creating the silence.

The goal of sharing truth or engaging in conflict with someone in your personal community should be to improve the relationship and encourage the other person to consider if a change is best for them and your relationship.

This type of honest dialogue, when done appropriately, creates deep connection. Deep connection creates long term mutually beneficial relationships capable of withstanding difficulty.

Follow this model to help you improve the quality of your interactions over subjects that might cause conflict.

Setting healthy boundaries leads to better outcomes. Boundaries are required for you to be sustainably generous and a great leader. Great news is you control your ability to create boundaries. #boundaries #mentoring #leading #successful #generosity

Increase your ability to connect with others by growing your capabilities around demonstrating empathy. #leadership #communication #empathy #relationships #successfulteams

Here are 10 things I say to my kids that anyone can apply to their life to achieve more success and better outcomes.

There are a few important principles for living your best life that you can learn from making chili. Check them out here and get a recipe for an award winning chili. #lifelessons #leadershipprinciples #bestlife #lessonslearned #cooking

2022 was a year to practice being courageous. Here is what I learned from that pursuit. #lifeprinciples #communicating #relationships #learning #leadership

One of the things that I believe has helped me as a leader is Leading with a growth mindset—embracing that the world of work has changed and will continue to evolve. I am consistently looking to learn and share what I learn.

So when I say need to know information, I flip this well know axiom by encouraging that all information is need to know, and everyone needs to know all the information. Leaders should model this by going first and encouraging everyone to follow their lead. #effectivecommunication #leadershipbestpractices #communication #bestpractices

Effective communication, core beliefs, values, beliefs

We can all change the trajectory of another’s life by

• Genuinely listening to their story

• Being empathetic to their experiences

• Offering our time, talents or treasure to help

• Not being distracted and always in a hurry.
  

I had a discussion the other day about the line between courage and recklessness. This conversation led me to conclude that it might be helpful to share brief generalizations on what it looks like to act courageously versus settle for mediocrity versus acting recklessly.

Effective communicators will rule the future. The mediums will change but the basic blocking and tackling (or scale for my musical friends) will stand the test of time. The best communicators share content in ways that bring others into the story. They are able to influence others into action by making sure the value is felt. They are willing to learn about and then be empathetic to the experience that others filter the message being shared through.

As I was reflecting on my reading list from 2021 , two things stood out. First, it’s a much shorter list this year. I only read 27 books. This was mainly because my family bought a farm, which required me to divert my time resources for three months away from reading and towards packing, moving, unpacking, and then restoring our full of potential fixer upper.

Having experienced the reality of barely surviving (more truth than hyperbole in that statement) the stress, discomfort, lack of control, and fatigue of moving. I on fully on board with the research that concludes the physical, mental and emotional demands of moving lead it to being one of the most stressful events in your life.

If you are actively engaged in living, you will encounter problems. However, especially in the workplace, some people choose to live life as if one of the definitions of success is never letting anyone know you have encountered a problem. Success looks like being so buttoned up and so over-prepared that things appear always to be going as planned. There is a better way.

Change is hard but a requirement for long term sustainable success. It goes against human nature and business nature so you must be willing to be persistent in a respectful way as you challenge the status quo knowing what got you to here won’t get you to there.