• Expectations vs. Reality in Public Service and Leadership

    “Never trust a politician.” This was something I remember hearing growing up from nearly every elder in my family. With that firm belief tucked inside my brain, I never thought I would engage in politics as an adult. For better or worse, here I am, engaging with politics. Essential Qualities of Effective Leaders Begrudgingly, I have to give credit to those who choose to serve in public office. Just being on the peripheral, I find it to be, more often than not, infuriating and draining. There are many qualities that someone in a position of leadership should possess. Most leadership experts consider self-awareness to be the most critical. Empathy, humility…

  • The Little Things.

    I am not one of those people who easily overlooks the little things. Little things matter. I know someone who constantly forgets to tell me minor things or he will play them down. The key here is that I said “constantly.” All of these little things add up to create big things: resentment, frustration, anger, stress. Examples: Last minute changes: Forgetting to keep me in the loop inconveniences me to drop what I’m doing and rush something through. The saying “Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine” doesn’t always hold true, especially in business. When he forgets something, and I have to remind him:…