I started taking piano lessons (again) in June, but before I tell you why, let me give you some backstory. When I was nine years old, my dad retired from the Chicago Post Office and used a huge chunk of his savings to buy a Baldwin upright piano. He dreamed of playing “House of the…

When author Julia Cameron came out with The Artist’s Way in 2002, I had just left my job and was branching out on my own. I was a little lost and feeling pretty untethered. I gave her Morning Pages technique a try, and twenty-one days later, my entire business plan (unbeknownst to me) was laid out. Morning…

Many of you know my love for the Chicago neighborhood where I was raised. Stoops outside our front doors were practically windows into our souls. Sharing milestones and events of the day, and simply passing the time with neighbors strengthened our connections to life and each other. My stoop was also gateway to the outdoors….

I had no idea that volunteering to take care of a city drain on our block would mean so much to me. Last winter, we northern Californians had record rainfalls. By January, 23 trillion more gallons of water fell on us than usual, and it was far from over. Up to this point of record…

If you keep up with trends on leadership, you have no doubt noticed that vulnerability gets a lot of attention, and for good reason. Vulnerable leaders tend to have greater self-awareness, and they find that it’s easier to build new relationships and strengthen the ones they have. Great relationships, of course, are the glue that…

My dad loved his job when I was growing up. I would always ask, “Dad, why do you love your job so much?” His answers always entailed the fact that being a postal carrier—what we called a mailman back then—fit his values and what was most important to him. He loved being reliable to others;…

If I were to name the one book that had the single biggest impact on my life and leadership, it would be Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. I was fortunate enough to have been given this book as a first-time leader. I vividly remember how profound it was for me to think about…

I have always found travel to be a portal for wonder and a reboot of my own ability to feel awe. A change of scenery—especially out of the country—shakes my reality and reminds me how small I am and how little I know. I’m in Mexico City in this picture, taking a much-needed break in…

I went to a class years ago. I just didn’t get it. My mother-in-law sat down to teach me while she was visiting from England, and as soon as she left, I forgot everything I learned. Then, somehow, after a friend later encouraged me, I watched a video by Staci Perry and the light bulb…