Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Ever heard?

“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree”

“Chip off the old block”

“Spitting image”

“Cast in the same mold”

“Cut from the same cloth”

If we do nothing to change the trajectory, we might end up just like our parents. 

“Like father, like son”

Is that ok? Preferred? Preventable?

I must admit, as I have aged, I looked in the mirror one day and thought to myself, “Dad?!”

Without surgery, we typically can’t do a lot to change the way we appear…but we don’t have to resolve to emulate our predecessors path or follow the same curve as it were.

•My father started college, but didn’t finish.

•He also started his own business, but struggled scaling it.

•He was a problem solver, but could have had much larger impact if he got out of his own way.

Each parent wants a better future for their children than their parents had. They are begging us to bend the curve, not just follow it.

What are you doing to chart your own course?

Here is “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley (1875):

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

It’s up to each of us to be the captain of our soul. Not to parrot or mimic or walk in the shadow of others, even a namesake.

Bend the heredity curve. Be yourself. Make your own mistakes but live the life you were meant to have. 

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Just came out of two days of Leadership meetings here in chilly, beautiful South Dakota. We had one of our corporate executives visit while we were together and he pointed out an issue I thought was worth expanding on today.

In leadership conversations, “alignment” and “agreement” are often used interchangeably. They shouldn’t be. Confusing the two slows decisions, dilutes accountability, and quietly erodes trust. High-performing organizations understand the difference—and intentionally choose alignment.

Agreement means consensus. It implies that everyone shares the same view, supports the same solution, and feels comfortable with the path forward. While agreement feels good, it is expensive. It takes time, encourages compromise over clarity, and often results in the lowest-common-denominator decision. Worse, agreement can silence dissent, as leaders avoid productive conflict in the name of harmony.

Alignment, on the other hand, does not require unanimity. It requires clarity and commitment.

Alignment occurs when leaders clearly understand the decision, the rationale behind it, and their role in executing it—whether or not it was their preferred option. Aligned leaders may disagree in the room, debate vigorously, and challenge assumptions. But once a decision is made, they commit fully and act consistently. There is no triangulating, second-guessing, or passive resistance.

The healthiest leadership teams embrace disagree and commit. They create space for robust discussion up front, then close ranks once direction is set. This builds speed without sacrificing quality and trust without requiring consensus.

Here’s the test:

Agreement asks, “Do you like this decision?” Alignment asks, “Will you own this decision?”

Organizations that demand agreement before acting often stall. Organizations that demand alignment move with purpose.

For leaders, the responsibility is twofold. First, ensure decisions are clear—what was decided, why it matters, and what success looks like. Second, hold leaders accountable not for their private opinions, but for their public commitment.

Alignment is not about suppressing voices; it’s about channeling them. It allows teams to benefit from diverse perspectives without being paralyzed by them.

In a volatile, high-stakes environment, alignment beats agreement every time. The goal isn’t comfort. The goal is coordinated action—and sustained results.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I had dinner last week with a friend and industry collaborator who charted a similar career path as mine. During conversation, Ron rattled off one the productivity adages, “Don’t confuse effort with results”.

I think this is a common problem. If someone works hard, they believe their efforts should be recognized and rewarded. However, without clarity of purpose and goals, it is entirely possible to expend large amounts of effort…doing the wrong thing, focusing on the wrong targets and following the wrong set of rules and guidelines, only to miss the mark and fall short.

How does this happen so often and how do successful people and companies get past this conundrum? In a word, clarity.

•clarity with people; getting the right people in the right seats… the who 

•clarity with purpose; what do we do, what do we not do and why do we do what we do

•clarity with process; how we do things. Systems should be aligned with efficient processes to minimize deviation between effort and results. An ideal process enables “plug and chug”. Bring in solid people, align them with company purpose, show them the rules and monitor progress toward required results. Adjust as required.

Easy to document, harder to do.

When performed well and results achieved, there is plenty of recognition and reward to go around.

The desired state … is predictability. Boring, predictable, glorious results.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

The holidays are over. People are back at it. 

I recognize I’m most content when I’m grinding… and my intense focus leaves most wondering why I am so angry. 🤨

The wrinkles in my forehead are there due to focus, not frustration. I can see what the project in my hands, rubbing up against the stone, will be … and I’m anxious and determined for it to realize its potential, and I’m nudging like a persistent parent (or maybe an armed guard).

I got home late last night and I’m back in the airport today under different conditions. Travel for other reasons provides the opportunity to look up from the project, the purpose, the focus … to see humanity, if but for a moment.

For example:

I normally don’t travel with checked bags and a kind attendant pulled me out of a long line to use touchless (since that was quicker) but my first thought was I was moving from a short line to a different, longer line. Grumbling to humbling; gratitude and apologies.

Still in “get ‘er done” mode, I’m waiting for the sky club to open. I get there early, a line forms, I approach the group waiting for the elevator and figure I’ll take the stairs only to find out all are being delayed to let the first wave of folks check in before the next wave goes up. More humility…

Life will continue to teach you lessons until you learn them.

Deep breath. Take a seat.

Observations:

Most people I see this morning are traveling in pairs.

-The Mom who tries to guide her 2 year old to the right row of seats picking up the trail of toys, etc.

-The dutiful wife escorting her somewhat absent-minded husband to his correct row and manage his backpack.

-The blind partner holding on to the backpack of her leading man.

We are all codependent to some extent.

Life will continue to teach you lessons as long as you are open to recognize them.

Have a blessed weekend and stay open to what life is trying to teach you. 

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

“Thank you for the butter and the prayers…”

We were out with family at an event Christmas Day when my phone alerted me someone had entered our condo. I got a little nervous but Anne was not available to speak to at the moment, so I waited, anxiously, for the right time to understand if she knew something I didn’t. I forgot about it until we got home.

We returned from the event and she clarified our neighbors across the hall had returned from a trip, didn’t have a critical cookie making ingredient so Anne gave the code to get in and directed them to the right spot in the fridge. When we got home, there were some chocolate chip cookies as a thank you with a note, some of it shared above.

Our neighbor across the hall is fighting cancer. Her husband posts on caring bridge, we follow, sometimes comment online and sometimes see them in passing, in the elevator or walking the dog. They are sweet people, going through a hard time, and doing it with the utmost grace and courage.

We are reminded daily of the hard things; challenges, pain, brokenness. How we react to the issues we must face is the essence. How we treat others as they face hard things  is the opportunity for civility, neighborly, humanity.

As you go out into the world today, this week and this new year of 2026, be gentle. Everyone is fighting a battle of some kind.

Eric

Good morning, Team!  It’s Friday! …and my last blog for the year.

I’m sitting on yet another delayed flight over the past few weeks. Safety first, always. But it’s relative. I see logistics mistakes made every single day and the aviation industry is … not immune.

To my topic for the day.

There are natural patterns in life. An old boss called one out he named, the “bullshit tolerance” curve. It goes like this:

When we first get out of school/college, we are willing to make a name for ourselves and put in the time, effort, etc. As we age, we get married, buy a car, buy a house, have kids and with each step, we are so invested that we will tolerate…more bullshit. It escalates until the kids are out of college, the car is paid off (or you start leasing), the mortgage is done, or close, depending on how much the weddings cost and if you took a second mortgage out… and the descent begins. Usually just as treacherous as the ascent because now you’re whooped, older and wisdom may or may not make up for your inflexibility. (Is this guy sarcastic or just excessively candid?)

Bending:

In this instance, we try to bend the curve DOWN, flatten the mountain as it were, so recovery isn’t quite so long, arduous and painful…labor of love or not.

We’ve all seen the thought process that “I’m in so deep now, what’s another $50k?”

Answer: It might be your sanity, your health, or your willingness to keep going.

This is too important to stop at one example so this might spill over into the New Year. We should explore moving some curves to the right, some to the left and some up instead of flattening.

No matter what, if you give in to the pattern, you’ve accepted mediocrity as the only answer. This is a leadership blog at its core and average, typical, take-what-the-world-gives-you is like giving up. Something I can’t accept, nor should you.

Have a blessed weekend, happy holidays and an awesome new year! 

BTW-If you are thinking about making a resolution…consider a commitment not tied to a calendar but linked to the benefits that will come from your choice of healthier habits. 🙂

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I had a few meetings this week, bracketed by delayed flights, and a visit to the field to greet the difference makers, the men and women who build transmission lines and substations on the most complex system the modern world has ever experienced…and it gets more complicated by the day.

I was … vocal, specific, categorical and pointed in my delivery, because I care and because sometimes “knowing” needs a nudge before “doing“ gets traction. Several pushed back on my assertions and the defensive response means I pushed limits and stepped on toes. Complacency does not wake up with a smile.

I received a text from a meeting participant afterward who said I was passionate and followed up by saying “it wasn’t a bad thing”.

What happens when a team doesn’t meet expectations?

•defensiveness

•excuses

•assignment to others

If delivered correctly and consistently, a tough but accurate message may trigger the grieving process (DABDA):

•Denial

•Anger

•Bargaining

•Depression

•Acceptance

What are we grieving? 

Loss

Loss of what? 

Performance, notoriety, significance, predictability, security…and the list goes on.

What can we do about it?

Own our shit.

No one is perfect and we learn so much more from mistakes (when we are open to it) than we do from success.

Yes, I am passionate and I can be intense and positive at the same time.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

A lesson on perspective:

Many have heard the passage, from Matthew 7:3

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the [log] in your own eye?

The analogy is intentionally exaggerated to show how our own perspective is often more flawed than we realize. 

A similar perspective,

“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” Stephen Covey

The quote reveals that judging intentions (internal view) versus behavior (external view) creates a mismatch in moral and social evaluation due to perspective asymmetry. To build better relationships, trust, and fairness, individuals must actively shift perspectives and consider intentions behind others’ actions as well.

Walk a mile in my shoes before judging me sort of thing.

Food for thought on a Friday morning.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Thanksgiving, the holiday, is behind us and retailers have converted Black Friday from one supercharged day to two weeks of advertising overload and “deals” as we anticipate $1T in spend this season.

While most of us were taking a break for turkey, some of our crews at Brink were powering through the holiday to meet deadlines and keep the infrastructure build moving ahead. The weather, the shorter days, collaboration with other sub-contractors, all require maximum effort and when our customer asks for an expedited schedule, we bring in more help, more equipment and work to meet or exceed expectations. 

Our President and other leaders committed time over the holiday to hand out meals and support our field staff as they deliver a significant project. We work in challenging conditions on the regular. We make sacrifices, like being away from family at special times, because we understand the importance of reliable and sustainable power. Our leadership gets it as well. That’s how you set the tone…at the top.

I’m proud to be part of an organization that places such a high priority on safety, people, customers and performance. While there is a significant amount of work on the horizon for the power generation and power delivery industry, we are taking care of each customer, one project at a time. 

We are still at it!

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Am I the only one clinging onto the sentimental memory of multiple generations relatives crowding around a large table in a modest living room with the kids sitting at a wobbly card table in close enough proximity so passing the mashed potatoes still happen before they get cold?

This is the time of year we celebrate harvest, demonstrate gratitude for what we have and who we are with. (It’s also a practice that should extend 365, regardless of the type of harvest you celebrate)

My traditional Thanksgiving world has been transitioned a few times in my life and I must be getting old and grumpy like Andy Rooney, from CBS’ 60 minutes fame.

From early memories,

I enjoyed setting the table, getting out the fancy silverware and goblets, smelling the turkey in the oven and stuffing on the stove, the nuts in a silver dish with special cracking tool next to it, and peanut brittle … and the lighter mood everyone enjoyed. It was special.

I enjoyed going to Aunt Hazel and Uncle Carrold’s farmstead for dinner with so many other relatives. Excellent food and hospitality. (Definitely sat at the kids table back then)

Once married, the new family sat at a different table with different faces but maintained a strong resemblance to the traditions I had grown up with.

Fast forward 40 years-

There are a lot of new faces, a lot more considerations and a much different view of what tradition is, like:

•Whose table are we at, or is it a restaurant?

•Who is at the table? 

•Why do they prioritize being at the table? 

Most importantly,

•How do I come across to my loving wife if I am less than welcoming to every suggestion being made about what this beloved tradition transitions into next?

Ann Landers would say it’s important to set boundaries.

Coming together as a family is far more challenging and complicated today with multiple generations weighing in and trying to balance all of the things…than I recall growing up.

•I love our blended and extended families

•I enjoy spending time with them even if simultaneous gatherings have become nearly impossible

•Supporting decisions is typically easier than formulating solutions with this social calculus

We will see many of our loved ones this season but not everybody at one table for one meal. It will still be special, just maybe a little more spread out than we became accustomed to many decades ago.

However you choose to spend your time and whomever you choose to spend it with, be gentle, be open, be kind.

Have a blessed weekend and a memorable Thanksgiving!

Eric