The playing field of leadership is the other person’s emotional system and situation. The more you know them, the more you can lead and inspire them. The challenge is that people’s greatest motivations tend to be their greatest vulnerabilities, so we tend to protect them instead of sharing them. Thus it helps to listen, but many people who want to accomplish things tend toward action. Acting or prompting others to[…] Keep reading →

People’s language and emotions get intense around wedge issues like abortion, gun rights, and tax levels. One side says the other wants to control women’s bodies, the other says the one wants to kill babies. Such characterizations, mischaracterizations, and seeing the other from your view not theirs makes finding common ground nearly impossible. I call this pattern the worst problem in the world. Yet we have to live together. Secession[…] Keep reading →

I enjoyed reading Bill McKibben’s latest book Here Comes the Sun. I found much of it well researched. Still, I don’t think it made clear what I consider its starting point. Before you read the critical stuff I start with about the book, I end on a high note. I’ve written many times how tools like technology, market incentives, and legislation aren’t good or bad. They implement and augment the[…] Keep reading →

I’ve been increasingly realizing and pointing out that I am not an environmentalist. I surprised myself to discover it. I had long felt misunderstood when people asked, “If you like nature so much, why don’t you go to the woods live in nature?” It had long been obvious to me that we needed to change culture, not escape it, and New York is an influential cultural center. Then I checked[…] Keep reading →

Our environmental problems are symptoms. I won’t fight people trying to protect and conserve nature, but the degradation of nature isn’t the problem. Restoring an old growth forest doesn’t change that billions of people are acting in ways to cut down whatever is restored. Many times I’ve described how the suffering and death we and our culture is causing is orders of magnitude times greater than slavery, so I won’t[…] Keep reading →

Climate Week NYC was a month or so ago, but its sliminess lingers. I’m writing this post not to complain, but to call attention for the need for leadership, integrity, and credibility. I saw none there, but huge demand for it. I haven’t engaged yet with the event planners so attended passively, therefore include myself in showing no leadership there. It’s further motivation to finish my next book, which will[…] Keep reading →

It’s been close to a year since I first appeared on the Heritage Foundation’s podcast The Power Hour, hosted by Jack Spencer, who has been a guest on my podcast three times. First, I enjoy Jack’s hosting both as a guest and a listener. I really was laughing as hard as I said when I came on. You’ll hear me share more about how America’s founders, Lincoln, Adam Smith, and[…] Keep reading →

I’ve written that, yes, we should teach children about living sustainably, but teaching children doesn’t solve the problems we’re teaching them about. On the contrary, if we teach them to do what we aren’t doing ourselves, they learn from our behavior, not our words. We will lead them to see polluting and depleting like cursing or drinking, something kids have to wait until they grow up to do but that[…] Keep reading →

Two things I haven’t kept track of but happen over and over: Sure, I could go for the quick clicks as the guy off the grid in Manhattan. I could probably get a million followers, but to change global culture, continuing the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, requires a solid, deep foundation. I’m getting closer to launch all the time, but not there yet. The reason my material has value and[…] Keep reading →