coach

Two roles on the table. One pays $125K. Big title. Big responsibility. The other pays $75K. Smaller on paper. I asked him which one he’d take if both came through. No hesitation. The $75K. In a heartbeat. Not because he doesn’t want more money. Because the mission of that organization lines up with his purpose.…

I looked up one day and realized I should have more clarity than this. Four years at the Academy. 22 years active duty. Commanded a squadron. By any measure, a successful career. And yet I woke up in this new chapter asking myself, Why don’t I know exactly what to do every day? That’s what…

One of the first realizations when you step into a new role or a new organization: What worked before isn’t going to be enough here. That’s uncomfortable. Because the habits, instincts, and expertise that got you here are still part of you. But the environment is different now. The context is different. The expectations are…

One phrase that stopped resonating with me over time: Work–life balance. I understand what people mean by it. But it assumes work and life are separate things. They’re not. It’s all life. If you’re working, that’s your life. If you’re with your family, that’s your life. If you’re leading a team or making decisions that…

Leading change isn’t just about new plans or structures. It’s about what happens when leaders feel pressure to act like they have all the answers, even when uncertain. In today’s Leadership Ready Room Chats, Tom and I talk about: • Communicating clearly what’s changing, why it’s changing, and what’s not • Admitting what you don’t…

You know that feeling when small things start to feel heavier than they should? You get frustrated by things that normally wouldn’t frustrate you. Little decisions take more energy than they should. For me, that’s usually the tell. Not that the team is the problem. But that I don’t actually know the best next step…

There’s a kind of uncertainty that feels familiar to me. I spent 22 years flying helicopters in the Navy. One of the biggest shifts wasn’t learning the controls. It was learning to fly when it wasn’t clear. Instrument flying is what you trust when your body is telling you one thing and reality is telling…

There’s a pattern I keep running into. A lot of the paths we’re on weren’t really chosen. They were inherited. Encouraged. Rewarded. Modeled. And for a long time, they work. You’re productive. Capable. Even successful. Until there’s a quiet moment where something feels…off. Not wrong. Just unexamined. This clip captures how I’ve been thinking about…

I’ve been thinking about something after a conversation with my coach this week. We talked about AI, content, and efficiency. And then we talked about what actually creates connection. AI can create the image of a fire. It just can’t warm the room. That comes from something else. Passion. Meaning. Presence. It reminded me that…

One of the easiest leadership traps to fall into is this: • You see the situation. • You’ve done something similar before. • You know how you would handle it now. So you tell your teammate what to do. It feels efficient. Helpful, even. But there’s a cost most leaders don’t notice until later. When…

Before next year starts asking more of you, it’s worth noticing what this year already changed. Not in terms of titles or accomplishments. But in how you experience your role. For many leaders I work with, this is the year where: • the work felt heavier than expected • decisions took more energy than they…

Most leaders don’t come to coaching because things are falling apart. They come because even though things are working, they’re not working as well as they could. They’re competent. Trusted. Respected. And still, something feels off. Not urgent. Not dramatic. Just persistent. • The role feels heavier than expected • Decisions take more energy than…