Dear Courageous Leader, As we move closer to Christmas, I find myself returning to a quieter question than usual. Not what needs to be done, solved, or resolved, but how am I showing up. The Advent season invites us into a different rhythm. One that values nearness over noise and presence over performance. It asks us to pay attention to how we are being with ourselves and with one another, especially when the pressure is real. This season has been asking me to loosen my grip on performance...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Dear Courageous Leader, Advent is the season of waiting, but not in the passive sense. It is the season of becoming. This week, I’ve been reflecting on a framework that has shaped my life again and again, often without my permission: Order → Disorder → Reorder. Richard Rohr calls this the universal pattern of transformation. Its wisdom reverberates across every major spiritual tradition. It’s also the rhythm of adult development and the reality of leadership. Here’s how he describes it: Order...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Courageous Leader, The first week of Advent invites us into watchfulness, not the anxious, bracing kind, but the quiet, courageous kind. Watchfulness asks us to be awake to our lives, to ourselves, and to what is slowly emerging beneath the noise. This invitation took on new meaning for me last week in Santa Fe. I had the privilege of learning with Susan David, the creator of Emotional Agility, alongside 49 extraordinary coaches, consultants, and deeply human leaders at the Modern Elder...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Courageous Leader, Today, as I sit with a cup of coffee and the quiet hum of the holiday morning, I’m reminded that Thanksgiving isn’t just a date on the calendar. It's a posture of the heart. A chance to pause, notice what’s true, and give thanks for the people and experiences that have shaped us. This year, I find myself especially moved by the abundance in my life. By the values and grounding my parents instilled in me. By the humor and tenderness of my blended family. By the gift of...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Courageous Leader, Every fall, leaders face the same question: Where should we invest our limited time, energy, and resources for the year ahead? It’s tempting to focus on what’s most urgent—closing the quarter, balancing the budget, preparing for audits or board meetings. But the most strategic leaders know this season isn’t just about closing chapters. It’s about planting for what’s next. Now is when culture, performance, and capacity are shaped for the year ahead. The choices we make...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Courageous Leader, I’ll be the first to say: confidence matters. People don’t respond to a leader who wavers, second-guesses, or can’t own their voice. We need confidence to stand steady, to take risks, and to chart a way forward when the path is uncertain. But here’s the truth: confidence by itself is never enough. Confidence without connection can feel like arrogance. It can project certainty but leave others disengaged or defensive. What people long for in their leaders is not just...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Friends, Leadership isn’t a concept we think our way into—it’s an experience we live. And it’s emotional. Even when we try to compartmentalize or power through, our inner world eventually catches up with us. I know this firsthand. I’m so glad to be back and to share this new edition of the Dispatch with you. The past several weeks have been full—in the best possible way. Client work has kept me deeply engaged, and I’ve also been tending to some family needs. In June, I carved out time for a...
7 months ago • 5 min read
Friends, We find ourselves in challenging times, when leadership is tested not by easy choices, but by moments demanding courage and clarity grounded in our deepest values. Observing the erosion of democratic norms, especially here in Oklahoma under leaders like Ryan Walters, I’m reminded daily of my responsibility—not to remain comfortably silent, but to actively champion the ideals that sustain a thriving society. This isn't about partisanship; it's a moral imperative of leadership. Join me...
9 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, The best team I’ve ever been a part of was built on trust, not control. We pushed each other, grew together, and accomplished more than most thought possible. We took risks. We told the truth. We owned the mission like it was ours—because it was. That didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of Deborah Gist. Deborah created the kind of leadership culture that made you want to bring your best. She modeled humility and backbone at the same time—giving us space to lead while...
10 months ago • 9 min read