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Another painful lesson learned on the path to becoming a better leader:

Promises Made – Promises Broken Early in my retail career, I had an oversized belief in what I could control and make happen. I often gave employees assurances to help them feel grounded when they were feeling threatened or uncer…

Early in my retail career, I had an oversized belief in what I could control and make happen. I often gave employees assurances to help them feel grounded when they were feeling threatened or uncertain. Here are a few examples of the kinds of questions I heard: If I take on this project, will I get my job back when it’s over?...

Promises Made – Promises Broken Early in my retail career, I had an oversized belief in what I could control and make happen. I often gave employees assurances to help them feel grounded when they were feeling threatened or uncer…

No one questions the importance of building relationships in a person’s or an organization’s success. Despite this, many leaders are too casual about making it happen. Leadership falls on a continuum—from being aloof and maintaining a safe distance to being an inspirational leader who makes people feel seen and heard. Take a moment to assess where you fall on this continuum, and then use the quick assessment at the end of this blog to validate your answer....

Build Trust First, Then Get Down to Work No one questions the importance of building relationships in a person’s or an organization’s success. Despite this, many leaders are too casual about making it happen. Leadership falls on a continu…

We all do it. In life—both personally and professionally—there are people we naturally gravitate toward. As a manager, I preferred working with high performers. They made my job easier, contributed more, and, frankly, were more enjoyable to be around. On the flip side, I had team members who struggled. I saw them as problems to be solved rather than people to be developed....

Playing Favorites – Don’t Do It! We all do it. In life—both personally and professionally—there are people we naturally gravitate toward. As a manager, I preferred working with high performers. They made my job easier, contributed…

One of the most important leadership behaviors I learned over my 35-year career was getting clear about my intention. Too often, we navigate life like a branch drifting downstream, carried by the current with little control over our direction. Similarly, when we let circumstances dictate our actions, we risk ending up with unintended outcomes. As leaders, this is a dangerous trap—allowing instinct rather than intention to guide us....

Leading With Intention: Making Every Moment Count One of the most important leadership behaviors I learned over my 35-year career was getting clear about my intention. Too often, we navigate life like a branch drifting downstream, carried by the c…

In my last blog, I talked about food retailing being about doing a lot of little things right again and again. It’s called doing the basics. When I got promoted to ‘running’ a group of drug stores, my job, or so I thought, was to check and make sure that the basics were happening. If this sounds like a boring, rote task, it was....

The Checker Checking the Checker Checking the… In my last blog, I talked about food retailing being about doing a lot of little things right again and again. It’s called doing the basics. When I got promoted to ‘running’ a group of drug stores,…

I know what you’re thinking as you read this title – “Well Duh!” I had the hardest time learning this lesson and still have the lumps to prove it. Early in my career, I surprised my first boss not once but twice over a bread table that seemed to mysteriously move by itself. That table almost got me fired. While what you are about to read may seem like a story about a stubborn manager or the case of the moving table, don’t be fooled....

Note to Self – Don’t Surprise Your Boss I know what you’re thinking as you read this title – “Well Duh!” I had the hardest time learning this lesson and still have the lumps to prove it. Early in my career, I surprised my first boss not …

Starting 2025 with the intention (resolution is so passé) to write a weekly blog.

“People Look But They Don’t See” I had a boss who had a  nickname – “The Bullet.” Roger, his real name, was the head of store operations for Hannaford, and like the nickname implied, he moved fast and hit hard. He called…

Very proud of my son, Chris Stapleton, a finalist for Wake County Teacher of the Year.

The 2022-23 Teacher of the Year finalists were surprised earlier today at their schools! We congratulate these masterful educators (pictured below starting top left, clockwise):

- Jane Ferguson: English as a Second Language at Brooks Magnet Elementary
- Terry Hennings: Civic Literacy & African American Studies at Garner Magnet High
- Sarah Freeman: 9th and 10th grade English at Wake Forest High
- Leroy Salazar: Spanish language at Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies
- Kaitlyn Putt: 7th grade English and Language Arts at Carroll Magnet Middle
- Tyler Ellzey: 3rd grade at Buckhorn Creek Elementary
- Darius Davis: Special education at Washington Magnet GT/AIG Elementary
- Ross Anderson: 7th grade social studies at Moore Square Magnet Middle
- Ginny Clayton: English as a Second Language at Cary High
- Chris Stapleton: 11th and 12th grade English and English department chair at Apex Friendship High

Teacher of the Year candidates are nominated and elected by their peers at their individual schools. All nominees develop an e-portfolio and short video to highlight their work and philosophy around teaching.

Selection committees review the portfolios and videos to narrow the field. Scores from the e-portfolio and the highlight video are combined with observation scores to determine the 10 finalists. The finalists then appear before an interview committee for the selection of the Teacher of the Year.

The winner will be named at a special celebration on April 27.