What Matters Most to Leaders as a Result of COVID-19?

September 20, 2021

Good morning! It’s the last muse of summer. That is, if you still consider summer over when the autumnal equinox arrives — in the Northern Hemisphere. There are those who think Labour Day is the official end of summer and still others who think August 31st is the conclusion. If nothing else, celebrate the arrival of a beautiful whole moon tonight… should be spectacular.

Thank you for enduring the summer hiatus… we are now returned bigger, better, stronger, healthier, and happier.

“’tis the last rose of summer, left blooming alone. All her lovely companions are faded and gone…” (Moore, 1805)

What Keeps You Up At Night?

What keeps you up at night — besides that extra slice of pizza?
- If it’s the same thing night after night, don’t you think it’s time to do something about it?
This is old, sorry, but still very good: “If you’re the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room.” (True or False?)

Housing Shortage and Rent Prices

The shortage of housing consistent with respect for human dignity concerns me greatly and is likely to reach a crisis leading to a catastrophe if we don’t figure it out.
- Will we figure it out? I don’t know; we don’t have a good track record.
- I get it — and the story I’m about to tell is not judgmental nor does it contain any answers, just anecdotes.
- I’ve lived in thirteen (13) different domiciles so far — two of them being perfectly functional tents for a period of time.
- Fresh out of college I was thrilled to rent a ~275 GSF basement apartment featuring both a tiny kitchen and a functioning bathroom, but no natural light.
- I did lots of entertaining in that space.
- The rent was $60 per month — and so I took in a roommate to help with the cost.
- Dumb idea… we had been best friends and now we haven’t spoken to each other in nearly 50 years. Dumb idea, really dumb idea.
- But, financially it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
- Two years later a banker suggested I should buy a house — and so I did, that same day.
- For the next six years an inherited upstairs renter paid the equivalent of my mortgage, somewhere around $200 per month, and so I lived basically rent-free.
- I was frugal out of necessity — and I haven’t calculated for inflation — but I don’t think it was anywhere near as challenging a situation as today’s younger generations have it.
- I don’t know if the parallel to my housing solutions of fifty years ago exist today. That concerns me… humans unable to live in dignity concerns me.

Type A Leadership

“…I had built a leadership style where I was so passionate… type A… that most people took my feelings and opinions as fact. Don’t believe everything I say, it doesn’t mean I’m lying, I’m just passionate about it.” (Miller, as provided by Aleisha)
- Can you relate from a culture now waning? I can relate — and I’m guilty… the world is changing.
Those who think something can’t be done shouldn’t stand in the way of those doing it.