Howe Leadership

06/19/2025

Some timely advice from my favorite WSJ columnist:

Congrats, you’ve got your diploma! Now here’s how to outsmart the bots that are taking your jobs, and more advice from Joanna Stern’s recent Union College commencement speech.

02/07/2025

"There are no all-tuba orchestras, because the mixture of skills and tones in an orchestra is what creates the music." ~ Seth Godin

01/25/2025

"Learning is a journey of incompetence." ~ Seth Godin

01/06/2025

Below is the third in a series of posts from my grandson, Josh Toyer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-t-toyer-81b24a276/), who is preparing to start his internship with me. Here is his latest insight from Amy Edmondson’s book “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well” (https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451).
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
In my previous post, I shared that not all failures are alike in how they can be prevented. This time, I would like to consider the consequences of failures— something that I personally do not always want to think about. There are a large variety of situations that we can find ourselves in while working in our respective fields and understanding how these situations affect the impact and likelihood of failure is key to a healthy mindset about failure. The first aspect to consider is whether our work is high stakes or low stakes. By their very nature, failures in higher stakes environments result in more severe consequences than lower stakes environments. An example would be flying a plane versus trying a new sport; failing at either task can result in physical injury, but one will be more serious than the other. The second aspect to consider is the degree of consistency in your work. The more consistent it is, the deeper your knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. In inconsistent work environments there is no established pattern for success, so the probability of failure is high and should be expected. Now imagine a matrix with impact (high stakes vs. low stakes) on one axis and degree of consistency on the other axis. Place your work in the appropriate quadrant. What does that suggest to you about reasonable expectations for failure? The trick for perfectionists like me is to understand both the likelihood and impact of failures, and not to berate yourself when they occur, especially in a work environment with a high probability of moderate to low impact failures. In the meantime, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”

12/22/2024

If you are not a word nerd, perhaps you missed the announcement of the Oxford Word of the Year -- brain rot.

‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”. (https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/)

Denouncing social media would be the trivial, unchallenging reaction symptomatic of brain rot. Let me offer a more thoughtful antidote, from leadership expert, Dr. Michelle Pizer.

"Think about what sparks your creativity or inspires you to think deeply — whether it’s solving a complex problem, learning a new skill, or simply stepping away from the noise for a meaningful conversation. These moments remind us why the trivial stuff is, well, trivial." ~ Michelle Pizer

How about setting a challenging goal for yourself for 2025? Then, if you're serious about following through on it, let's have that meaningful conversation Michelle Pizer speaks of, and perhaps I can help you map out an achievable action plan.

12/19/2024

Below is the second in a series of posts from my grandson, Josh Toyer, who is preparing to start an internship in web design & development here in Indy. We’re both learning from the latest research in the science of failing well. Here’s Josh.
# # # # # # # # # # # # #
In my previous post, I shared that accomplishing anything of significance requires accepting the associated risk and being open to the possibility of failure. However, not all failures are alike— and that’s what I’d like us to consider now. The first thing to understand is that failures can take different forms. There are simple and complex failures, and both of these can be avoided. Simple failures just result from simple mistakes, such as spilling milk or forgetting to do a basic safety check. Complex failures, as the name implies, result from a multitude of small errors that compound into a bigger one. Simple failures are normally simple to prevent, but complex failures often result from factors beyond our control. What are we supposed to do then? For starters, take a step back and learn from the experience. One of the things that perfectionists need to do is reorient their minds from wanting to avoid failure at all costs to having a growth mindset, where failure is not something to be avoided but an opportunity to grow. In the meantime, remember: “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” ~ Richard Branson

If the fear of failure is holding you back, perhaps we can help you rethink the role of failure in your personal growth. If you’d like to find out more, we’d love to share a cup of coffee with you – and Grandpa’s buying!

12/10/2024

I just adopted the word LEADERSHIP on Wordnik (https://www.wordnik.com/words/leadership).

11/19/2024

It's been a pleasure to collaborate with my grandson, Josh Toyer (linkedin.com/in/joshua-t-toyer-81b24a276), over the past few months. As he nears graduation from Cedarville University, Josh has been freelancing for me, creating content on the subject of failure. Some of you may recall that before founding IndyGrit.Community, I served as the Chief Mentor in Residence for The Failure Institute, where I developed a keen interest in this topic. Josh's unique insights have been invaluable, and I've invited him to author a series of posts to pique your curiosity. Here's the first one for your reading pleasure.

=================================

My point of view on failure has been challenged by Amy Edmondson’s book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well (Edmondson, A. (2023) Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, New York, NY: Atria Books). Let’s face it: None of us likes to fail. But it’s a fact of life that failure does occur, and learning to fail well is an important lesson to learn as early as you can. Accomplishing anything of significance requires accepting the associated risk and being open to the possibility of failure. But if you’re a perfectionist like me, that fact can discourage you. If you are like me, you take failure personally; you believe that just because you failed, you are a failure. And that is simply not true. I have learned that just because you fail, that does not mean that you are a failure. I want to share what I have learned with you to give you a bit more confidence in yourself and introduce you to the concept of failing well. I’ll do that over the next few weeks, so check back for my next installment. In the meantime, remember that “When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.” ~ Eloise Ristad

10/22/2024

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust." ~ Samuel Johnson

10/13/2024

"Information scarcity rewarded knowledge acquisition. Information abundance requires pattern recognition." ~ Adam Grant

09/27/2024

Businesses tend to be seasonal in the same way that we experience spring, summer, fall, and winter. However, these business seasons are less conspicuous because their duration is unpredictable and may vary from one business to another.

Here is how farmers respond to the seasons in order to optimize their business over the long term. Spring is the time for planting – for new beginnings. Farmers must first be patient as they wait for the ground to thaw and be sure there will not be another frost. The season is marked by enthusiasm and hope as fields are prepared and crops planted.

Summer is make or break time. It is marked by vigilant monitoring of crops and prayer for favorable conditions that are outside the control of the farmer ‐‐ such as just the right amount of rain, sunshine, and warm temperatures. There is constant weeding, pruning, trimming, and fighting insects. The season is marked by the weariness of fighting against all the opposing forces of nature.

Fall is harvest time and reaping the rewards of all that has come before. A time for bringing in the crops and selling them. And there are decisions to be made about what portion of the cash surplus should be reinvested in the farm and how much should go in the bank to carry the business through the winter. It is a season of celebration with an eye to the future.

Winter is a season for reflection, rest, and preparation for spring planting. A time to mend fences and repair equipment. A time for accounting for the past season followed by short and long‐range planning. It is marked by cautious optimism and waiting for signs of spring.

While this metaphor isn’t perfect, it can be helpful. With that in mind, which season do you think best describes your business? If you were to lean into your current season, what would you be more intentional in doing? I'd love chatting about this with you over a cup of coffee. Please reach out, but no pumpkin latte for me. Sorry.

09/23/2024

There is a proverb from the Native American wisdom tradition along the lines of: "The path is new to you, but it is worn from the footsteps of those who have gone before." This proverb speaks to the idea that the path you are on may be new and unfamiliar to you -- but you are not alone. You can draw on the wisdom and guidance of those who have gone before you. I encourage you to avail yourself of the plentiful resources of our community.

If you'd like to chat, I'd love to share a cup of coffee with you. Perhaps I can be of help, and if not, it's likely I know someone who can.