August 19, 2024
Good morning! Coming to you this morning from the far Down east Coast of Maine — where if God had made a prettier place… well, you know the rest. Bluesberries, lobster, spectacular shorelines, a thirteen-foot tide, and just one narrow, winding road.
Where does confidence end and arrogance begin? Is it a solid line or a slippery slope? Do you know it when you see it; do you notice it too late? 
- Warren Buffet recently increased his cash holdings to $277,000,000,000 (that’s $277 billion if you don’t want to do the math.)
- As they say — or used to say: Cash is king.
- Curious: What part of the body counts as crossing the finish line? Any part, or just the upper torso?
- Foot? Head? Arm? Outstretched hand? (In swimming, yes.)
- If any body part counts, it would seem Noah Lyles was in third place when you study that .005 photo finish.
- Hmmm?
- A tax tsunami is coming.
- Guess who will be left holding the bag?
- In almost all urban centers in the United States, the property values of commercial real estate are declining, sometimes dramatically.
- Here is but one anecdotal example:
- The Wells Fargo skyscraper in downtown Minneapolis was taxed $10 million on a $277 value in 2020.
- In 2024 the same exact property was taxed $7.3 million on a $226 value.
- Projected for 2025: the tax is as of yet unknown, but the preliminary appraisal shows $173 million of value.
- By sharing these leadership tips from Eades, we don’t necessarily endorse them, but they are good food for thought:
- The fact that you haven’t doesn’t mean you can’t;
- Talk to yourself more than you listen to yourself;
- Your leadership is most needed in the lives of the people closest to you;
- Fear and anger give lousy advice;
- and, Growth is only possible when you’re uncomfortable. (Ouch!)
- To navigate conflict, prioritize dignity. (Hoben, 2024)
- Four practices can bolster dignity, leading to more constructive problem-solving and collaboration.
- Deepening acknowledgement;
- (Acknowledgement is about naming tensions and core issues with a proper emotional tenor.)
- Strengthening agency;
- Building reciprocity;
- Ensuring clarity of path.
- Deepening acknowledgement;
- By dignity, we mean our inherent sense of value, self-worth, and need to contribute and shape what matters most to us.
- Emphasizing dignity in conflict resolution doesn’t displace the tactics of classical interest-based negotiation, either; rather, it precedes them…
- When corporate interests conflict with the needs and values of communities, we need to build better interactions among people,
- …especially with those intensely at odds with one another who also need to collaborate.
- Four practices can bolster dignity, leading to more constructive problem-solving and collaboration.
- If you are navigating a new leadership position, especially the CEO position, the experts suggest:
- Be purposeful.
- Have a clear vision of strategic priorities.
- Create organizational support.
- Executive teams preparing to onboard a new colleague should develop a systematic approach to support the new leader, blending formal education with softer skills…
Is it I, or is it Generative Artificial Intelligence?
Ocean Tides
The ocean whispers tales of distant shores,
Where dreams are born and sorrow finds its rest.
With each tide’s pull, it stirs forgotten cores,
And in its surge, a heart’s lost hope is pressed.
The moon above, a lover’s silent guide,
Draws waves to dance in rhythm, slow and wide.
Yet as they fall, they leave the sands more bare,
A fleeting touch, a kiss that hangs in air.
In every rise, a promise half-fulfilled,
In every fall, a memory left chilled.
The ocean’s pull, both tender and severe,
Brings love and loss, the depths of joy and fear.
