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Connectedness Beats Metrics
Whether you’re the newest intern or CEO, most people in an organization recognize that everyone has a functional role to play in a highly...
John W Bailie, PhD
Mar 11, 20203 min read
302 views
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Cancel the Apocalypse
Nothing is inevitable. Success and failure have little to do with fate. They have everything to do with the ability to dream big, while...
John W Bailie, PhD
Feb 25, 20204 min read
136 views
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The Survivor Bottleneck
Is your organization led by the best, or by the “survivors”? There are many reasons certain people find themselves in positions of...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jan 23, 20203 min read
253 views
0 comments


Three Reasons Why No One is Doing What You Want
As a mentor for leaders, there are some conversations you have over-and-over again. One common conversation begins with a statement like...
John W Bailie, PhD
Nov 5, 20195 min read
242 views
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Buy Me an Ice Cream: An Unlikely Case Study
Life lessons about interpersonal conflict sometimes come from unexpected sources. In this case, it's a maximum security prison. My father...
John W Bailie, PhD
Oct 17, 20195 min read
176 views
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A Monkey, a Rock, and a Coconut
How do you know when it’s time to let go? A wise friend once told me a story about a hunter. This hunter’s tribe lived in an area with...
John W Bailie, PhD
Oct 8, 20192 min read
236 views
0 comments


Justice, Mercy, and the Irish Curse
Don't be fooled by those smilin' Irish eyes. Beneath that sunny disposition lurks a dark and terrible storm waiting to be unleashed. We...
John W Bailie, PhD
Oct 2, 20195 min read
178 views
0 comments


“Cus” Words for Work
When the guy above walks into your office, will you be ready? Some tasks are inherently unpleasant. No one likes rinsing out a garbage...
John W Bailie, PhD
Sep 18, 20193 min read
242 views
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Work/Life Balance is a Myth
You cannot “balance” aspects of life that are inherently unequal. To attempt to do so produces nothing but pain and fruitless sacrifice...
John W Bailie, PhD
Aug 19, 20195 min read
356 views
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Shall We Play a Game?
I’ve recently discovered one of the great benefits of entering the early middle-aged phase of life: some of the things I loved in my...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jul 19, 20194 min read
178 views
0 comments


Fundamentals Win Fights
If you ever study a martial art that includes real competition or sparring, like boxing and jujitsu, you’ll learn one thing very quickly....
John W Bailie, PhD
Jul 3, 20193 min read
255 views
2 comments


Kind is Mandatory. Nice is Optional.
I was recently invited to speak at a leadership retreat. The organization is based in a region of the country that is known for many...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jun 19, 20193 min read
620 views
0 comments


The Art of Following
A subscriber recently asked me, “How do you follow a bad boss?” The answer is, “The same way you follow a good one.” Great leaders are...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jun 6, 20194 min read
409 views
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Grow or Go
Sometimes a colleague needs to decide: it’s time to grow, or time to go. In the previous article, Seek Problems, Not Solutions: Leading...
John W Bailie, PhD
May 7, 20194 min read
252 views
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Lie To Me
Every month, the small alternative school for at-risk youth where I worked as a young man ran a “recovery” group. This group was for...
John W Bailie, PhD
Apr 9, 20196 min read
289 views
1 comment


Truth Is Freedom
Humans are hardwired to reward truth-telling and responsibility-taking. I know it doesn’t feel that way when you’re the one with the...
John W Bailie, PhD
Mar 13, 20193 min read
257 views
1 comment


Sacrifice, Sackcloth, and Ashes
Throughout the years, I’ve had the unique opportunity to help many organizations come to terms with the relational impact of internal...
John W Bailie, PhD
Mar 6, 20194 min read
266 views
0 comments


Culture is an Egg. Practice is a Chicken.
New systems and practices will always default to conformity with an organization’s culture over time. You cannot simply impose a new way...
John W Bailie, PhD
Feb 27, 20193 min read
267 views
0 comments

High-Trust Vs. High-Monitoring Workplaces
I once worked as a counselor in an alternative school for delinquent and troubled teens. The building was full of young people who were...
John W Bailie, PhD
Feb 6, 20195 min read
729 views
0 comments


The Great Equalizer
There are some domains of human life that are great equalizers. They humble the proud and exalt the modest. Conflict is one of those...
John W Bailie, PhD
Jan 30, 20193 min read
155 views
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