44 Years
Sometimes we make terrible mistakes, unintentionally, and innocent people are hurt or even killed. Regardless of whether we are at fault, we may blame ourselves, often for the rest of our lives. And our life trajectory may change as a result, in directions we never imagined. I have lived this truth for decades; today is the 44th anniversary of my tragic mistake during which a wonderful,...
Wait, what is Juneteenth?
Recently, I was conversing with a White friend, and I mentioned that Juneteenth is this weekend. They said, “Wait, what is that?” There’s a part of me that wanted to snap at them, somewhat sarcastically, “How could you not know that Juneteenth is one of the most important independence day celebrations in American history?!” But I couldn’t. Because the truth is, I didn’t know about Juneteenth...
Ink Blotches on Letterhead
This week, we’re doing something new – turning over our newsletter to a dear friend and client whom I had the privilege to serve as a consultant many decades ago. He recently shared a story about something he did back then that I think is very moving and profound. He gave me permission to reprint his story, but he’d prefer to remain anonymous. Still, I can say that at the time he was...
Our Top 10 FAQ regarding Respect in the Workplace
At the Center for Respectful Leadership we’ve found that many people want concrete answers to critical questions about respect and Respectful Leadership™, especially in regard to respect in the workplace. So, we’ve collected the top ten, most frequently asked questions into this little primer. Our goal is to offer common-sense, jargon-free, culturally-appropriate answers to your tough...
The Bullied and Their Guns
When I learned that the Texas school shooter was bullied in school, I couldn’t help but think back to my childhood. I was bullied mercilessly in middle and junior high school. I was beaten up, my lips cut, my glasses broken, and my clothing torn on a regular basis. I was called “f*gg*t” repeatedly, not because I was gay, but because I sang in the choir, and acted in plays and musicals, and...
7 Things You Can Say When Disrespect Goes Over the Line
Given recent events in the US and in many other countries, none of us should be surprised when we say that the evidence indicates that right now the amount of public disrespect – where people are saying and doing very disrespectful things to each other out in the open – is at, or approaching, an all-time high. As proof, we’ve already mentioned numerous incidents of public disrespect in...
Bad Seed
Sometimes the truth is even more disturbing than the rumors. Here at CRL, we can’t point to a clearer case of organizational disrespect for employees, directly fostered by the leadership, than the stunning story of the troubled mortgage company Better.com and its now infamous CEO Vishal Garg. You can read all about it in the excellent Fast Company article via the link provided below. But...
Don’t Ignore Your Virtual Natives
By Cynthia Burnham, MBA I have a coaching client I’ll call Kerry, who is a successful leader with a very large organization. Kerry has a great reputation, excellent personal presence, and strong communication skills; and received multiple promotions over the years. Together, we’ve been working on strategies to help them grow quickly into a new position, which is fully remote, like the other...
It’s Just a Game, Or Is It?
Throughout history, athletes have competed against each other, very often under the flag of their country of origin. In fact, the Olympics and the World Cup are just two of many examples where nations are directly competing in an organized manner that deliberately heightens and celebrates their national achievements year after year. Beating a rival nation is the name of the game and a source...