Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I work out … and if you’ve followed me at all, the last 16 months, I’ve taken it seriously. I have several “secret weapons” I’ve shared; a supportive spouse, an Oura ring, a couple of blogs I follow (like Dan Go and Luke Carlson), I do blood panels outside of my primary health care provider and I studied macronutrients to better understand what fuel I should be adding and what shit I should stop consuming. A friend I’ve known for 5 years but haven’t seen for 6 months said a couple of weeks ago, “You look good!”. (Feeling good, Lewis!)

The biggest contributor for sticking to a regimen is my trainer. When I started, I had pain that simple stretching wasn’t taking care of. We found the right mix of things to do to eliminate that. He starts each session with an enthusiastic greeting and a basic question, “How’s the body?” We go from there. Customized, work through the pain, focus on the weak spots, boost the confidence, build rapport along with muscle.

Earlier this week I got a text. He and I have a flexible system and we try to be timely and respectful if we are unable to make a previously scheduled commitment. This one came in 2 minutes before we were supposed to start the workout. I was disappointed because I look forward to our sessions. This wasn’t a dog-ate-my-homework excuse, it was someone hurting, dealing with a private health concern, physically and mentally locked up and couldn’t move off the stairs he found himself sitting on.

I had a few ways to respond; 

•Thumbs up emoji

•OK

•Thanks, sorry to hear, see you Friday? 

…but none of those would have been right, or compassionate.

I sat down after my stretch and warm up and started typing. I shared a personal story that was similar, I eased his concern about missing our session, reassured him his choices were understood to be best for him at the time, added some humor he commented later was a help to get unstuck.

What does this mean going forward?

We all deal with difficult situations and empathy (yes, I’ve had training on this subject) goes a long way toward understanding what people are facing instead of being pissed that someone missed our expectations.

In business, compassion and commerce collide regularly. “I can’t afford to be nice” is bullshit. Instead you should be thinking,

“What if this was my [kid, spouse, close friend]?” 

How do I want them to feel? 

What kind of relationship am I willing to invest in here?

Do I extend trust or do I hold the line and lose the audience?

I was raised … tough, but fair.

I’ve become … fair, but trusting…with limits…starting out with more compassion.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

There was a time—not that long ago—when “work from home” wasn’t just accepted; it was celebrated. Companies proved they could operate remotely, employees enjoyed newfound flexibility, and many wondered whether the traditional office had become obsolete.

Fast forward to today, and the pendulum is swinging.

Some of the world’s most recognizable companies—including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Dell, and Tesla—have made a clear statement: Come back. For many employees, that means returning to the office five days a week.

While each organization has its own story, their reasoning is remarkably consistent. Five themes continue to surface.

1. Collaboration. Leaders believe innovation happens faster when people share the same space. The conversations before meetings, the quick whiteboard session, and the ability to solve problems in real time are difficult to replicate through scheduled video calls.

2. Culture. Culture isn’t built by policy manuals. It’s built by watching how leaders behave, how teammates respond under pressure, and how success is celebrated. Those moments are easier to experience than explain.

3. Mentorship. Many organizations describe themselves as apprenticeship businesses. New professionals don’t simply learn the technical aspects of their jobs—they learn judgment, communication, and leadership by observing experienced colleagues. Proximity matters.

4. Speed. Whether the data fully supports it or not, many executives believe decisions are made more quickly when people work together in person. Fewer delays. Fewer misunderstandings. More momentum.

5. Accountability. Leadership requires visibility. Coaching opportunities arise naturally when managers and employees interact throughout the day, rather than only during scheduled meetings.

Whether you agree with these decisions is almost beside the point.

The lesson isn’t really about returning to an office.

It’s about understanding what leaders value.

Organizations are signaling that relationships, collaboration, mentoring, and culture are strategic advantages worth investing in. Technology remains an incredible enabler, but many leaders no longer believe it should completely replace human connection.

As leaders, we should ask ourselves a different question.

Are we creating opportunities for our teams to connect, learn, challenge one another, and grow? If the answer is yes, the location becomes less important. If the answer is no, no amount of remote technology—or office space—will fix the problem.

The office isn’t magic.

Neither is remote work.

Leadership is.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’m flying back from HQ while I write this. Anne and I booked a long weekend on the North Shore last November and the weekend is upon us. We are excited to get away, if only for a little while to hike and bike and watch a camp fire dance.

Earlier this month, lightning struck some trees up by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and before you know it, we got ourselves a smoke show. We’re hearty folk (code words for stubborn and not easily deterred) so we will take a drive and see what we see.  If the visibility becomes an issue, we’ll slow down, stop or improvise.

Have you ever planned things for months, looking forward to that day, that trip, that weekend … and something outside of your control creates challenges? How do you handle it? Do you start thinking doom and gloom and generating worst case scenarios? Do you gravitate to the optimistic side and scenario plan to minimize (or avoid) disappointment? Where does your energy go?

No one can control every situation. There are things we must accept and make the best of the ramifications that follow. Historically, I was inclined to go into full-on problem solve mode when all the situation really requires is to exhale, consciously relax those tight muscles and let that peaceful feeling wash over your brain. Ahhhhh.

Big picture, we are getting away to spend time together with few interruptions and recharge with some natural beauty. It helps to not lose sight of the reasons behind your plans. There is more than one way to realize the goals you planned for. Loosen your grip, Eric. It’s gonna be good.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’ve spent a significant part of my professional career in management and leadership.

Age has taught me that wisdom isn’t measured by the answers we collect, but by the questions we refuse to stop asking.

Three have stayed with me:

• What makes a great leader?

• How much is enough?

• What’s the meaning of life?

Entire industries have been built around answering those questions.

I’ve concluded that’s because they aren’t math problems…they’re mirrors.

The answers reveal less about the questions than the person answering them.

Then it occurred to me:

Perhaps they aren’t three questions at all. Maybe they’re one question that follows us through life.

At 25, I wondered, How do I become a leader?

At 50, I wondered, How much is enough?

Today, at 61, I find myself somewhere between those questions and another that feels even more important.

By 75, Less to do with life’s meaning and more like…

Was I faithful with what the Good Lord entrusted me with?

John Bogle eventually settled on one word:

Enough.

I’ve come to believe enough isn’t a number, it’s clarity.

Knowing what matters and living accordingly.

Perhaps the meaning of life isn’t something we discover.

Perhaps it’s revealed in thousands of ordinary decisions…one relationship, one act of service or one typical day at a time.

Until one day we’re no longer asking,

“Was I successful?”

but,

“Was I faithful?”

For me, a life well lived can be reduced to three quiet declarations:

I led with purpose.

I defined enough before the world did.

I was faithful with what the Good Lord entrusted me with.

…and the numbers in the title are really just reflection points of stewardship at different times in our lives, real or anticipated.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Saturday is Independence Day and a milestone one to boot!

Like many Americans, I enjoy the traditions of the Fourth of July. Flags wave, grills fire up, and fireworks light the sky. But this year, I found myself thinking less about the celebration and more about the man at the center of our nation’s beginning.

George Washington.

History remembers him as a brilliant military commander and our first president. Both are true. Yet what may have made him indispensable to America’s founding was a trait we don’t often celebrate in leaders today.

He knew when to let go.

After leading the colonies to victory, Washington could have held onto power. In fact, some believed he should become king. Instead, he resigned his military commission and went home to Mount Vernon. Years later, after serving two terms as president, he did something equally extraordinary.

He stepped aside.

In doing so, Washington established a precedent that leadership is stewardship, not ownership. He demonstrated that the purpose of leadership isn’t to accumulate power, but to build something strong enough to endure beyond your tenure.

I find that lesson increasingly meaningful as I’ve moved through different seasons of leadership. Early in our careers, we’re often focused on proving ourselves—earning responsibility, building credibility, and creating impact. Over time, however, a different set of questions emerges.

Who are we developing?

What will remain after we’re gone?

Are we creating dependence on ourselves, or are we building people and systems that can thrive without us?

Perhaps the true measure of leadership isn’t how tightly we hold the reins but how intentionally we prepare to hand them over.

George Washington became the Father of His Country not simply because he led at pivotal moments, but because he repeatedly chose principle over position. He understood that his legacy would not be defined by the power he accumulated, but by the example he set.

As we celebrate our nation’s independence this weekend, I hope we also reflect on that quieter, timeless leadership lesson.

The strongest leaders are often the ones secure enough to walk away, knowing they have left something better behind.

Have a blessed holiday weekend! Enjoy some summer activities and reflect, if only for a moment, how incredibly fortunate we are to live where we do.

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Years ago, I participated in Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People training. One concept that stuck with me was how people interpret communication, often referred to as the 7-38-55 rule.

Albert Mehrabian’s research is often summarized this way:
● 55% body language (facial expressions, posture, gestures)
● 38% tone of voice
● 7% actual words

In a nutshell, here is what it means (to me).
People hear our words, but they decide whether to trust us by comparing those words with our tone and behavior. Communication is most powerful when the message and the messenger are in alignment.

That captures the spirit of Mehrabian’s research without overstating the famous 55% figure.

Recent: I was walking through the office the other day and a colleague was at the front desk. I waved and said hello. Apparently, I also raised an eyebrow. That eyebrow was the only thing she noticed and quickly announced. Confirmation of some element of Mehrabian’s research.

A number of years ago: Some dear friends experienced a tragic family loss and let us know about it. We dropped what we were doing to be there for them. I’ve questioned myself a thousand times about what I should have said to comfort them. In that moment, words were not the critical element. Our intent was conveyed through our actions.

Going forward, I want to be hyper-conscious of this idea: Communication is most powerful when the message and the messenger are in alignment.

Good morning!
How are you?
What’s on your plate today?
Any plans for the weekend?
Can I help in any way?

The words matter. But my facial expressions, tone, attentiveness, and intent may communicate even more.

How do you communicate?

If someone were to video your interactions, would the replay match how you “see” yourself?

Sometimes the most powerful things we communicate go beyond words.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I was heading out on another business trip after the back side of a long weekend. Quick turn. Unpack, repack, shower, hit the hay sort of thing.

We’re hugging before the Lyft arrives, and Anne starts the checklist.

“Do you have your wallet?”

“Yes.”

“Phones?”

“Yes.”

“Glasses?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have your sweetness?”

“No.”

Chuckle.

“Not my kind of sweetness. Your kind of sweetness.”

Ahhh. Then I suppose the answer is yes.

Each of us shows up differently at different times and for different reasons. For more than fifteen years, I’ve shared in various writings and speeches that we should be gentle, because everyone is fighting a battle of some kind. That includes when we arrive at the office.

Leaders aren’t entitled to empathy. They’re called to give it.

Nobody really cares how much you travel, how much you hurt, or how busy you are. They want to be seen, heard, and cared about.

The confidence you display, the warmth you exude, and the concern you convey determine how your influence is felt. As John Maxwell says, leadership is influence.

You might label your effort to be a better leader something other than sweetness.

You might leave the false impression, based on your facial muscles (like yours truly), that you’re incapable of sweetness.

All that really meant for me was that I had to work harder at it. It only took me decades to figure that out because I was unwilling to accept that people would form impressions based on whether I smiled at them or asked how their day was going.

That wasn’t logical.

Nope. It’s emotional.

It wasn’t enough to care, quietly. I had to let people know how I felt. I had to understand that vulnerability wasn’t weakness.

Leading people effectively required that I find my kind of sweetness.

Maybe that’s patience.

Maybe it’s encouragement.

Maybe it’s simply taking the time to smile and ask someone how they’re doing.

Soft … is hard.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’ve been called an overthinker most of my life.

The label never bothered me much. Thinking deeply has served me well. It helped me solve problems, navigate challenges, and build a career. Analysis has value.

But lately I’ve been reflecting on the difference between analyzing life and experiencing it.

There is a time for both.

Analysis helps us prepare and understand. Experience is the vacation sunset, the laughter shared with people we love, or the feeling of being fully present in a strong, capable body.

For many years, I spent a lot of time in analysis mode. I was always evaluating, improving, planning, and anticipating what might come next. Those habits can be useful, but they can also steal joy from us if we’re not careful.

There will always be issues, concerns and problems to obsess over but your family does not do well with being ignored. Mine was no exception. I worked hard, focused my energy and derived solutions. But…I wasn’t always there for them when they needed me. My choices were focused on the big picture, allowing me to deep think on the regular, and I left the day-to-day to others. Looking back, I wish I had experienced more and analyzed less.

The same was true in other areas of my life. I often found myself thinking about the next goal, the next challenge, or the next improvement instead of fully appreciating what was right in front of me. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’ll slow down and enjoy life once everything is figured out. The problem is that there is always something else to figure out.

Evaluation and analysis typically requires that we divorce fact from emotion in order to investigate, uninhibited. But that is where we lose a crucial piece of life and where joy often comes from.

I learned the hard way that it is possible to think too deeply, too often. Now I make a concerted effort to be more present, pay more attention and leave myself available for joy.

Not every moment needs to be optimized.

Not every experience needs to be dissected.

Not every conversation requires a post-game review.

Some moments are complete just as they are.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate that life is not only meant to be understood. It’s meant to be lived.

That doesn’t mean abandoning thoughtfulness or preparation. It simply means recognizing when thinking has done its job and it’s time to put it aside.

There are moments that call for strategy, reflection, and analysis.

There are other moments that call for presence.

The challenge is knowing the difference.

For those of us who naturally live in our heads, that may be one of life’s most important skills. Not learning how to think less, but learning when to stop thinking and start experiencing.

Because in the end, the goal isn’t to become an expert on life.

It’s to fully participate in it.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric 

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Life has a funny way of throwing punches just when you think you’ve got things figured out.

When you’re young, you’re trying to discover who you are. You test boundaries. Make mistakes. Change your mind. Question your path.

Keep fighting.

When you’re building a career, you’ll inevitably run into people who underestimate you. Some will criticize. Some will gaslight. Some will tell you why your idea won’t work.

Keep fighting.

When illness strikes or you lose someone you love, life can feel brutally unfair. The days get longer. The weight gets heavier.

Keep fighting.

When politics dominate every headline, the economy feels uncertain, and layoffs seem to be around every corner, anxiety becomes easy and optimism becomes work.

Keep fighting.

When you’re chasing a dream—writing a book, starting a business, running a marathon, or maybe singing the National Anthem before a professional sporting event—progress often arrives much slower than expected.

Keep fighting.

And perhaps most importantly, keep fighting for the people who matter most.

As we age, life doesn’t necessarily get easier. Parents need help. Children face challenges. Friends encounter setbacks. Spouses carry burdens we don’t always see.

Make the call.

Schedule the visit.

Show up.

Keep fighting.

The truth is that nobody gets a free pass. Every person you admire has fought battles you know nothing about. The difference is not that they avoided adversity. The difference is they refused to surrender to it.

The world doesn’t need more people looking for reasons to quit.

It needs more people willing to take one more step, make one more call, have one more difficult conversation, and try one more time.

The circumstances may not improve today.

The economy may not improve today.

Your situation may not improve today.

But you can.

Keep fighting.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Every leader wants to be known as a great decision maker.

That sounds admirable until you realize the average person makes roughly 35,000 decisions every single day.

At my first CEO role, my Chief Administrative Officer once told me:

“You should probably only make six big decisions a year.”

At the time, I thought leadership meant making the call.
The call on strategy.
The call on people.
The call on growth.
The call on culture.

I assumed the seat required answers.

Experience taught me something different.

Some leaders make too many decisions because they believe leadership means control.

Others seek buy-in for every difficult issue because they fear getting it wrong.

Neither works for very long.

Strong organizations are not built by executives who dominate every decision.
They are also not built by leaders who crowdsource courage.

The best leaders seek perspective.
They ask questions.
They invite disagreement.
They listen longer than most people realize.

But eventually, the room gets quiet.

And somebody has to own the decision.

That is the part people rarely see from the front lines.

Executive leadership comes with perspectives that are not always visible throughout the organization.
Some information is confidential.
Some consequences are downstream.
Some risks are invisible until much later.

Yet decisions are still judged immediately.
Second guessed publicly.
Questioned confidently by people who only see part of the picture.

One of the hardest transitions in leadership is separating ego from stewardship.

Every leader has an ego.
Healthy leaders recognize it.
Unhealthy leaders are consumed by it.

And some suffer from hubris…believing the title alone makes them right.

That is dangerous territory.

Because stewardship is bigger than the individual leader.

It extends to employees.
Families.
Customers.
Culture.
Reputation.
Longevity.

A business is not a personal platform for ego validation.

It is something entrusted to your care for a period of time.

Healthy organizations should encourage rigorous debate.
Strong leaders should invite challenge.
The best executive teams wrestle through difficult decisions together.

But eventually responsibility settles somewhere.

One person usually carries the weight of the final call.

And that responsibility is often taken far more seriously than people realize.

From the outside, decisions can look cold.
Quick.
Calculated.

From the inside, many come with sleepless nights, pressure, risk, and consequences that affect real people and real families.

That burden changes mature leaders.

You begin to understand leadership is not about winning arguments.

It is about stewardship.

About getting it right more times than not.
About protecting the long-term health of the organization.
About making decisions based on what is best for the business…not what is best for your popularity, your comfort, or your ego.

And if you lead long enough, you learn something humbling:

Some of your best decisions will still be criticized.
Some of your hardest decisions will never be fully understood.
And some of your most important decisions will feel very lonely.

That comes with the seat.

But leadership was never supposed to be about comfort.

It was supposed to be about responsibility.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric