UXL, Creating Successful Leaders

08/19/2026

Learning to Sit with the Problem

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” -Albert Einstein We are a nation of quick actions, and we often expect instantaneous results. We want the solution yesterday, and that sometimes prompts us to make hasty decisions—decisions that may not work in the long term....

“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” -Albert Einstein We are a nation of quick actions, and we often expect …

08/05/2026

Applying Your Skills and Talents to Retirement

Retirement can seem like an end, or the closing of a chapter. Since we naturally mourn endings, this might seem like a sad or confusing time for some people, especially those who have spent most of their lives in the rhythm of work. And those who tend to link their identity to their career (I wrote about this last month; …...

Retirement can seem like an end, or the closing of a chapter. Since we naturally mourn endings, this might seem like a sad or confusing time for some people, especially those who have spent most of…

07/22/2026

Retirement and Identity

Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash I have officially retired and am in the process of winding down existing projects and responsibilities. Even this blog will come to a close before the end of this year. As I move forward into true retirement (not counting my first retirement from 3M), I have been thinking about who I am as a person without an official occupation and title....

Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash I have officially retired and am in the process of winding down existing projects and responsibilities. Even this blog will come to a close before the end of t…

07/08/2026

5 Small Acts of Kindness in the Workplace

In the workplace, like so many other spaces in our lives, we can choose to be bad-tempered and short with others…or we can choose to be kind. Even if your co-workers or boss can occasionally make you exasperated or annoyed, you can decide to turn things around and respond with kindness and understanding. In fact, this is perhaps the best time to respond this way....

In the workplace, like so many other spaces in our lives, we can choose to be bad-tempered and short with others…or we can choose to be kind. Even if your co-workers or boss can occasionally make y…

06/24/2026

Saying “No” at Work (3 Scenarios)

It’s easy to say yes. We naturally aim to please our co-workers and supervisors; we want to look good in the eyes of the company and get that raise or earn that promotion. But saying yes can be dangerous. If you say yes to everything—every assignment, every request, every invitation—you’ll end up stretching yourself too thin and you’ll possibly end up taking on work that isn’t in your sweet spot or doing things that go against your code of ethics....

It’s easy to say yes. We naturally aim to please our co-workers and supervisors; we want to look good in the eyes of the company and get that raise or earn that promotion. But saying yes can be dan…

06/10/2026

Lifting Up Others Through Mentoring

Few people "make it" in any profession or position without a little help. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and receive support from the people around us--bosses, co-workers, and outside mentors. In my career, I have benefitted from several different "teachers," who have lifted me up as I aimed to improve myself and my work. I didn't take that for granted, and I've tried to also raise up others through mentoring....

Few people “make it” in any profession or position without a little help. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and receive support from the people around us–bosse…

05/20/2026

Most of us would benefit from being a little kinder to ourselves. Let's talk about overcoming self-criticism...

If you’re reading this today, know that you are more than you realize. You are smarter, you shine brighter, and you touch more people’s lives than you know. Far too often, we do not rec…

05/06/2026

Stressed? You Might Need an Intentional Break

Life can get to be a lot. We juggle work with family commitments, volunteering, household chores, and trips to the gym. We get sucked into the little dramas happening all around us, as well as the …

05/05/2026

Finding Personal Peace - https://mailchi.mp/ea3ee52a476e/5-ps-of-courage-9331504

04/22/2026

The Case for Uplifting Others...

Our modern world can be highly competitive. Dozens (or even hundreds) of people might apply for the same job. Influencers release content that tries to be more engaging/outrageous than their compet…