You as American political leader

warning: this one’s passionate, fact-based, but a bit long 🙁 Everyday Leadership definitionally asserts: everyone can lead. In our representative democracy, this is a tautology: citizens not kings are leaders. One of the complaints I hear a lot is that elected leaders are more like elected . . . followers, “with their finger in the … Continued

Hey Everyday Leader,What Pervades Your Identity?

[I am going to write about Martin Luther King, Jr. next week.] My friend Berke’ Brown shared some psychological research that stuck with me. It showed how having multiple identities strengthens a person’s psychological resilience. So, for example, if one identities as an athlete, a lesbian and a humanitarian; and also identifies as a Detroiter, … Continued

Who’s Got Your Back?

The Irish priests in Boston know their politics. Still, Fr. McInnes’ prescience and sophistication jolted me.  During our marriage preparation, he knew full well the aspirations I was packing up for my trip from the ideals of Harvard’s halls to the political streets where I intended to run in Detroit.  “Dan, what if the party … Continued

What You May Not Know About How Much They’re Paying Attention to You

Friends, I have been in positions for 29 of the last 31 years (exceptions: first year of law school and first year as a lawyer) when people supposedly had to pay attention to me.  I’ve run teams, coached clients, taught students and most important raised three kids.  So, they looked to me.  I’ve made lots … Continued

Should Leaders Show Vulnerability?

Friends, Tomorrow, Jennifer and I officially release A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future.  It took us about 18 months to write, and it’s about 300 pages long, so, (how) can I distill a decent Reading for Leading message?  (Warning: I run a paragraph longer than usual, but beg you to … Continued

A New Man’s Beer Commercial

Cover of The Myth of Male Power In an hour, I will join 10 awesome women and a very cool guy to be feted by the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.  Thomas Bisonnette, the Associate Executive Director for Nursing Practices at the Michigan Nurses Association and I will be receiving the Philip A. Hart Award … Continued

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