Spider-Man, the Punisher, and New Masculinity
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the most popular movie of all time. Some people think it slaps harder than The Odyssey (for the record, I need to rewatch each film before deciding). A positive focus of the film is the…
Play Without Fear
The FIFA World Cup concludes this week. It feels like Canada’s Men’s National Soccer Team has been out of the tournament for months. Even though we lost badly to Morocco, the experience was rewarding because results do not always tell…
No WIFI
I spent most of the last 10 days in the wilderness of Vancouver Island. Where there is no WIFI. (No – or very limited – cell service, either). The no WIFI constraint engendered two noticeable changes in the adults. First,…
When Losing is Winning
Simone Sinek wrote a pretty good book about the infinite game, which explains how “winning” in work and life is different than winning at a board game or a sport or a spelling contest. When winning isn’t zero sum –…
Productivity
If you want to trigger me, answer “things are really busy” when I ask what is new and interesting at work or what problems you are solving today. Busyness is not the same as productivity. Full calendars, constant messages, and…
Why You Should Have an End of Work Ritual
Lately I’ve been struggling with time management. Following a recent promotion (mine) and a recent leave (an awesome manager who is having an awesome baby), I temporarily have a lot of people are reporting to me and the complexity of…
Why You Should Laugh at Yourself
What if I told you that laughing at yourself might be the most underrated leadership skill nobody teaches in business school or the campus career centre? Let me paint you a picture. You’re in a team meeting. Someone makes a…
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is good for grounding us in values and shared stories. Research by University of Southampton psychologist Constantine Sedikides, Joost Leunissen, and Tim Wildschut shows that nostalgia bolsters social connectedness, strengthens optimism, and helps us weather disruption with a sense…
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the highest form of love because it is the only force powerful enough to rebuild what violence, division, and resentment destroy. Communities cannot be safe, healthy, connected, or self‑actualized without it — and the evidence is overwhelming. Forgiveness…
Renaissance People
So I didn’t set out to raise a Renaissance person. But here we are. Watching my oldest son last week — pitching terrariums he’d co-created with friends at a the Kidovate Youth Entrepreneurship Experience, anchoring our defence and making clutch…