Blog

The Art of Pursuing Relationships

The Art of Pursuing Relationships
In the category of leaders who have chosen to continue trusting and building relationships after being burned, one man comes to mind. I first met Dennis Okoth almost twenty years ago when he came to speak at a graduation ceremony in Africa. His full story is not mine to tell, but suffice it to say…
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How to Start Expecting Results

How to Start Expecting Results
Aisha got her first email address when she enrolled at a brand new university in Uganda in the fall of 2012. An outside observer could be forgiven for not expecting much from her incoming first-year class. Many came from villages that lacked electricity and running water. Over half of them had never seen a computer…
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3 Steps to Start Embracing Risk

3 Steps to Start Embracing Risk
Vincent risked everything for his son. When I first met him, he described himself as a peasant farmer, but it was obvious that he was much more than that. Most farmers in East Africa never travel more than a few miles from their homes. But Vincent picked up his whole family and moved across the…
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Why Leaders Fear Failure

Why Leaders Fear Failure
Would you trust a leader who had never experienced failure? Although none of us likes to fail, mature leaders understand that failure teaches us things that are very difficult to learn any other way. A leader who has never failed does not know his or her current limits or how to lead self and others…
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Build Your Community at Work

Build Your Community at Work
I love a good campfire. Watching the flames dance and flicker, feeling the warmth, and smelling the aroma of wood smoke. And I love how a campfire draws people into a circle of community. As Scoutmaster for Troop 711, I get to watch older Scouts teach the younger boys how to build fires. First, they…
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Why I Coach

Why I Coach
Do you know what it feels like to lose? Sometimes, we lose because the competition was just better. Other times we lose because we made too many mistakes and beat ourselves. I’ve experienced both as a leader, and I know the consequences of losing. These experiences of losing and winning in leadership have shaped the…
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