The Emerging Challenge Of Leadership - part #2

Create Clarity Of Intention

Along with this, many leaders focus their attention on all the problems around them. However, what they miss is whether or not they are clear about their intention in the problem solving process. Clear intention should always precede problem solving. 

When coaching someone who is experiencing a full bandwidth, and trying to solve problems plus keep their eye on the ever-evolving big picture, I ask them: “What is your intention in this situation?” Most just look at me for a long minute, and then respond: “I am just trying to fix it all.” Some will respond by saying “I am just trying to get caught up,” or “I don’t know.”

The problem here is that their fundamental belief about leadership is based on three myths. First, the leader’s job is to come up with all the answers. Second, the leader’s job is to fix everything. Third, the leader’s job is to make sure you get everything done before you rest. These leadership myths have created a significant amount of pain, fear, and loss, because they are totally unrealistic on so many levels. 

Instead, we need to help ourselves and others clarify our intentions plus rebuild our faith and trust in ourselves and others. We also need to realize that the world will always be changing, and the strategy of the company may not always be able to keep up with unforeseen variables that surface due to this change. 

And, at the same time, we need to accept the fact that most leaders are afraid of change, because they fear the messiness and unknown nature that comes with it. They also fear the judgement of others, and the feeling of losing control around all that is happening. If they recognize these factors and understand that they are normal, even if they do not like them, they will always handle everything better if they stand on a foundation of clear intention, faith, and trust in themselves and others to figure out what to do next, and how to move forward. 

Build A Framework of Acceptance And Commitment

Second, having a framework of acceptance and commitment makes a major difference when our bandwidth is full and overflowing. In the beginning, we need to recognize that “acceptance is the answer to all my problems,” as Alcoholics Anonymous so wisely reminds us. To gain a greater understanding of this perspective, we must turn to The Serenity Prayer, which was originally written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. As it states, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” There are days now when I wish people would start each day reciting this prayer in order to remind themselves of how to respond, and cope with all the problems and issues that swirl around them each and every day. 

Along with a clear perspective on acceptance, I also think we need to explore what are our commitments when we are feeling overwhelmed. As John Adams once wrote, “There are 2 kinds of people, those who make commitments and those who keep commitments.” From my vantage point, I think there is a third kind of person, namely one who routinely reviews their commitments in order that they can maintain them in a healthy and effective manner. When we review our commitments and re-commit to them, we build a new way of leading in the midst of all that is happening.

Nevertheless, Margaret Wheatley reminds us of something very important. As she explains, “We know we are an island surrounded by seas of increasing turbulence, tsunamis that suddenly wipe out years of good work and destroy possibility. We know that we have no control over these forces, and so we gather together and build an island. The strongest protection is our shared identity and our commitment to norms and practices that nourish the human spirit.” 

When we choose to nourish the human spirit, our own and others, we must remember the advice of the late, Richard Farson: “People can make lasting changes in themselves only though a commitment to continuing discipline…. Lasting change comes only from the adoption of sound management principles that are practiced on a continuing basis. There are no quick fixes.” And this is the hardest part of all, because we live in a society that is addicted to quick fixes and instant gratification more than the work of discipline and commitment. 

The Problem of Living A Divided Life

Third, the other problem we experience when our bandwidth is full is that we end up living a divided life. Rather than pursuing a path of integration and wholeness, we instead default to a pathway of fragmented and transactional living and working. We often do this in the hopes of meeting needs, priorities, and expectations of others. 

Tasha Eurich in her book, Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And why resilience alone isn’t enough) (Little, Brown Spark, 2025), notes that we need three things in order to thrive. As she explains, “The first three-to-thrive need is confidence: the belief that we’re effective in our actions, capable of achieving out goals, and able to grow and learn new things. The second three-to-thrive need is choice, which means feeling free to function without pressure or threat, acting with agency and integrity, staying true to ourselves. The final need is connection, the sense that we belong, get along with others, and experience mutual closeness and support…. Fundamentally, confidence keep us growing, choice keeps us authentic, and connection keeps us together.”

I think the challenge of a divided life is that we have lost the memory and the experience of living and working from a place of confidence, choice, and connection. And with a full bandwidth, we end up wandering in the land of self-doubt, constant pressure, and loneliness when what we truly want are the feelings of competence, authenticity, and love. 

Now, people, who realize that they are living a divided life, often want a singular solution to solve this problem. While I wish I had one, I do believe there is a three-fold pathway to creating a unified life. First, I believe we need to engage regularly with mentors and elders, because they can offer perspective, insights, and ask wonderful questions that we would not normally ask ourselves. Second, I believe we need to create or find a circle of trust so we can share freely and openly about life’s challenges. This helps us process what is happening and helps to remember that we are not alone in our challenges. Finally, I believe we need to reclaim our faith, because sometimes there are no black and white answers to life’s questions, and faith can help us cope with this level of ambiguity and complexity. In short, we need to embody faith, trust, and respect in all that we do, and in all that we say if we seek to unite our life rather than cope with a divided life. 

Learn to Unlearn

Asking big questions and working through complexity are normal aspects to the life of a leader. Working when overwhelmed and, at times, being afraid given the changes happening in the big picture may also happen. In short, there will always be challenges when working with people, and change. 

Nevertheless, when we grasp the important choices we need to make as a leader, we come to two important insights. First, we realize the significance and “necessity of learning to unlearn” as so aptly stated by the retired, Carleton College professor and dean, Bardwell Smith. We need to question ourself, not just others, and we need to question our understanding, assumptions, and expectations. Sometimes, we are just wrong about what is happening and why. By recognizing the importance of unlearning, we can execute better moving forward. 

Second, we realize the significance and necessity of embracing this old Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” The questions we ask, or are confronted with may be big and complex, but the way we role model how to explore them, and to live with them always speaks louder than our words. This choice to consciously role model is directly connected to the choice of no longer living a divided life. Instead, we must choose to live a life united. “Embracing one’s wholeness makes life more demanding,” explains Parker Palmer, “because once you do that, you must live your whole life.” And, in the end, living from a place of united wholeness is the pathway to solving many of life’s most complicated and complex problem. 

Again, there will always be more questions and more problems when being a leader. And there will always be choices to make about how we respond to them. But, in the end, we need to live and work from a place of integrity, trust, and respect. Then, the idea of wholeness becomes a daily reality rather than a life based on unrealistic expectations. 

© Geery Howe 2026

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

The Emerging Challenge Of Leadership - part #1

The Big Question

Over the past couple of months, I have been visiting with various leaders, and a unique question keeps coming up in our conversations: How do we balance our understanding of the current and emerging market trends and the strategy of our company versus having the bandwidth to deal with continual operational problems, technical or adaptive, and, at the same time, discern the  strengths of each of our direct reports? When we dive deep into this multi-layered question, the discussion always get quite interesting. 

First, the question assumes that an individual is aware and understands the current and emerging market trends within their industry. It also assumes that an individual is aware and understands the strategy of their company. In the former, the focus needs to be on the speed of change in the trends, and a understanding of how quickly the overall risk profile is changing due to these trends. Once this is understood, a decision will need to be made about whether or not these conditions will require a change in the existing strategy of the company. However, the later assumes that an individual understands the strategy of the company, and knows why it is the right strategy given current events. 

From my perspective and experience, the first half of this important question starts with some big assumptions related to understanding trends and strategy. For my part, I no longer assume people understand these two things. Often, at best, they are aware of them, but have not done their in-depth homework to move from awareness to understanding. Therefore, their capacity to make major strategic decisions is more likely limited at best, or narrow in scope. 

Second, when it comes to the second half of this important question, it assumes that an individual is aware and understands the difference between technical and adaptive problems. It also assumes they know how to discern, and then build on the strengths of their direct reports. This level of problem-solving, and this level of people management takes a great deal of education, coaching, and experience over time in order to be done well. Again, from my perspective and experience, many of these kinds of assumptions rarely result in effective outcomes. 

But, given the original question is a good one, and given many leaders have, to some degree, a level of proficiency in these areas, the question still stands, namely “how do we do this?” When I enter into dialogue about this question with others, I realize that the problem is not due to a lack of effort or focus. Instead, what I discover is a lack of bandwidth around all of these issues. And I believe managing one’s bandwidth is a significant challenge for people in leadership positions. 

Understanding Bandwidth

Now, bandwidth is defined as “the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network or internet connection in a given amount of time.” It also is defined as “the energy or mental capacity required to deal with a situation or problem.” The reality is that most people in leadership and management positions at this time period are trying to process a large number of problems with barely enough energy or mental capacity to handle the tsunami of information that is being directed toward them on an hour by hour basis. The result is that they feel overwhelmed, and burdened by it all. 

But, underlying this bandwidth issue is a dangerous assumption, namely I should be able to discern changes in market trends, understand strategy, solve all technical and adaptive operational problems along with building on the strengths of all my direct reports. And I should be able to do this all at the same time period. 

Now, any reasonable person, who is not feeling overwhelmed and burdened by this assumption, would look at these assumptions at face value, and recognize that they are unrealistic and unattainable. I seriously doubt at this time period that the majority of people in leadership positions can meet or excel given these expectations. 

When I pause and reflect about this situation, I am reminded of something that Arthur Brooks in his book, The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose In An Age of Emptiness (Portfolio/Penguin, 2026), wrote about called “the Striver’s Curse: the more you achieve, the emptier you feel.” Right now, I believe that many people in leadership positions are suffering from the Striver’s Curse, and, as a result, are experiencing a deep feeling of emptiness at work, and in life over all. With a full bandwidth based on unrealistic expectations of self and others, plus an overall feeling of emptiness and a general lack of meaning or purpose in their life, many leaders don’t know what to do, and thus ask the aforementioned question, seeking a realistic and honest answer. 

The Four Realizations 

Through my many dialogues about this subject, my answer to this important question has three parts. First, we need to reset our expectations of our self and others. This begins with the following, four realizations:

- the realization that relationships are more important than tasks.

- the realization that processes are more important than outcomes. 

- the realization that intention is more important than attention.

- the realization that faith and trust are as important as competence and experience.  

Now, on the surface, these seem pretty elementary. However, to fully embrace them, one needs to focus on building and maintaining relationships, plus making sure the right processes, or systems are being followed correctly. For what I often discovered as a consultant was that a bandwidth problem often reflected a lack of healthy relationships and the belief that if I want to get something done, and done right, then I have to do it myself. However, when teams are functional rather than dysfunctional, and when healthy social networks are present, many leaders can activate a collective response to a problem or situation rather than default to their own individual effort. 

Furthermore, when processes are followed correctly, rather than by-passed because people don’t know of them, or don’t know how to utilize them, then people can solve their own problems rather than always defaulting to pushing up the problem to a person in a management or leadership position. 

To be continued on Tuesday. 

© Geery Howe 2026

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Searching For Praxis - part #4

Remember That We Are Home To Each Other

We were sitting in his office after a long strategic planning meeting. In particular, we were reviewing the initial draft of possible strategic choices when he paused, put down his notes, and said to me: “I went to a funeral last week.”

“Oh,” I replied. “I am sorry for your loss.”

He paused again, and continued: “One of our employees lost their sister in a tragic accident. I’ve known this employee for many years. We do not visit often, but enough that our relationship was more than just superficial. When I got back to my office after hearing of her loss, I just sat down in this chair and thought to myself, ‘What if I lost one of my siblings? How would I want my company to respond to this news?’. I just sat here quietly and realized that my siblings are very important in my life. We have history. We are family. Their presence means a lot to me. 

So, I cleared my calendar and went to the funeral. I sat in the back by myself. I didn’t want this choice to be about the CEO showing up at the funeral. I just wanted my choice to reflect my values. I wanted her to know I cared. It mattered. This was important. 

Other people came from her department. They sat together and grieved with her before and afterwards. They were her circle of immediate support along with her family and friends. 

When it was my turn to greet her, and the family in the receiving line, I tried to shake her hand and say ‘I am sorry for your loss,’ but she just hugged me and said ‘thank-you for coming. This means a lot to me.’  

On my drive home, I realized that this choice was the right choice. I didn’t do it, because I was the CEO. It also was not some sort of symbolic gesture on my part and that it would be good for the company. I just did it because it was the right thing to do. 

No matter where we work and what our job title is, we need to stand with each other through the good times and the hard times. We need to be present. We need to show up. 

It’s been a week now, and I am glad I went. It reminds me to focus on what is important, not just what is pressing.”

“Thank-you for sharing this with me,” I responded. “When we act from our own personal nexus and then choose a path to move forward, we discover a core that does not change. We also discover a legacy perspective that is greater than just situational awareness. We come to understand that we are all in this together, and in the end, we are all moving in the same direction.” 

As Father Gregory Boyle reminds us: “We don’t just walk each other home to wholeness; we are home to each other.” When we find our wholeness on the path, we can help others to do likewise. And this makes a profound difference in the lives of all involved. 

Serve The Force That Sent You Into The World

Rather than solely rely on the past to interpret the future, these people who are dedicated to the practice of leading well, relied on the nexus of their lives and the lessons learned on the praxis to find, experience and share the wisdom learned and wisdom experienced. They did not do it for a reward, but instead saw it as a responsibility. They grasped the importance of service, and the depth of meaning found by serving others. They understood that the quality of their inner life had direct, outer implications and consequences to the way they lived, and engaged with others. 

Therefore, they routinely created time for quiet discernment and reflection. They choose to listen to others, and to learn from others. They realized that it is not what we see, but how we see it that transforms our lives, and our praxis. 

As the Dalai Lama reminds us, “I am one of eight billion people.” But even though I am one of eight billion, when I find my praxis, I discover something special, the capacity to be both centered and grounded, moving and still, connected and transcendent. 

From this place, I then grasp why I am here. “The meaning of life,” writes Leo Tolstoy, “is to serve the force that sent you into the world.” Thus, I serve. I role model. I make a difference. I do my best each and every day. And I remember that this life is a gift. This praxis also is an opportunity to serve, and for that I am humbly grateful to be here and now. 

© Geery Howe 2026

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Searching For Praxis - part #3

Choose Empathy, Compassion, And Loving Kindness

Another element of the praxis is to understand, and then choose to live and lead with empathy, compassion, and loving kindness. Over many decades of doing this work, the leaders I have admired the most in my career have been the ones who have role modeled empathy, compassion, and loving kindness. This choice did not mean that they didn’t make hard and complicated decisions. It’s just that they did not strip people of their dignity in the process of making difficult or complex decisions, and they did not act in a disrespectful manner when people were struggling as these decisions, strategic or operational, were executed. They also did not tolerate anyone who choose to act in an inappropriate, or disrespectful manner with others. 

Yet, within this important choice about how to lead, is an element often missed by many people. In order to lead and role model empathy, compassion, and loving kindness, these amazing leaders embrace the journey of learning, unlearning, and relearning. They recognize that outer behaviors always reflect the inner journey. They recognize that this in-depth work takes great courage, because it requires us to routinely re-evaluate our world view and to expand our world view. It requires us to look in the mirror and out the window, referencing the work of Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap. . . and Others Don’t, (HarperBusiness, 2001). 

At the same time, and because of this combination of learning, unlearning, and relearning, they gain in-depth self-knowledge which helps them be more fully present and focused when engaging with others. For in the end, these leaders understand that translating an intangible into a tangible begins with the connections we make. And it is these connections that generate the trust and the capacity to rise to the seen and unseen problems that surface each and every day. 

But, there is another element to their choice. These amazing leaders recognize that given current events and the constant rapidly changing adaptive environment that we find ourselves in each and every day, many people react by trying to move at hyper speed. The outcome of this choice is typically two fold. First, they become hyper vigilant and perceive everything and everyone as a threat. Second, they give everyone and every thing their partial attention. As a result, they miss many key elements, and many bits of information. 

However, these amazing leaders, who walk the praxis in a thoughtful manner, do not do this. Instead of choosing hyper vigilance or partial attention, they seek hyper depth in their connections and in their understanding. Because they are constantly choosing to learn, unlearning, and relearn, they do not default to just know about issues, ideas, or people. Instead, they seek depth and understanding. In essence, they focus on the hidden wholeness, rather than the default choose of living, leading and working from a place of inner and outer fragmentation. And because they do this, the integrity of their empathy, compassion, and loving kindness is true and heart felt. People always  notice this, and respond accordingly. The praxis they walk is both the path and the destination when this happens. 

To be continued tomorrow. 

© Geery Howe 2026

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change

Searching For Praxis - part #2

Face The Current Reality 

When we step back right now, and look at the larger picture, many people and teams are struggling to maintain a sense of commitment and love for the work they are doing. They have lost touch with the praxis and with the nexus. I know this, because many have shared with me that they feel a sense of isolation in their life at work, and at home. They also feel the weight of difficult decisions that need to be made, often with incomplete information, and having few opportunities to talk with others who understand the challenges of making these kinds of decisions. The result is a rise of cynicism and despair that is crowding out any sense of optimism and hope for how to move forward. 

I think this problem reflects the convergence of two elements, creating what Thomas Beech, former CEO of the Fetzer Institute, called chronic sincerity. One element is being “overwhelmed with the seriousness, the weight, the importance of my work” and, at the exact same time, being “convinced that I alone carry the responsibility to make all things right,” i.e. a default to thinking that perfection is the solution to all problems, and that I am the only one who can create the perfect solution. I believe this is a common problem for people who care deeply about the mission of their organization, and about the people they work with each and every day. From my perspective, chronic sincerity reflects a loss of understanding that the fulfillment of the mission is a commitment to a collective process, not something that is going to happen because of an individual effort. 

Given this reality, I believe we need to commit to gaining greater perspective, and investing more time in reflection and renewal. These three elements, perspective, reflection, and renewal, are critical choices one can make along the praxis. Furthermore, the discipline to continually choose these three elements generates faith, courage, and perseverance. Then, the praxis becomes a path of hope and optimism. 

Nevertheless, it takes great courage to lead and to manage the known and unknowns of our current reality. It also takes courage to face reality, and to acknowledge that some days just “suck.” It is hard to keep moving forward when the problems keep expanding and the solutions feel nearly impossible to find or create. 

Often now, I meet more and more people who are consumed by the inputs of their life, namely meetings, people, problems, news alerts, text messages, and e-mail. It’s a daily, if not hourly, tsunami of information, all calling for their time and attention. In particular, I hear it when they tell me: “I spend all my time doing paperwork,” and “I don’t get enough time with my direct reports or the people we serve.” They also share: “I don’t get enough time with my family,” or “I am not getting paid enough for all the stress this creates in my life.” The outcome of all these statements is best summarized by this statement: “I just feel drained, empty, and defeated by it all.” Thus, my call for the importance of perspective, reflection, and renewal seems idealistic, if not a comically absurd choice in a world that feels burdensome and cumbersome. 

Furthermore, when people are in pain, confusion, and feeling powerless, the message they hear, consciously or unconsciously from others and the message they give to themselves is “get your act together and all will be well.” The reality is that we can’t always get our act together, because we don’t even know what our “act” is, let alone where to find it. This is why perspective, reflection, and renewal are so important. For by choosing these three things, we can create the time and space to find our act and come to understand our act, i.e. we understand ourselves, and we understand our own inner, hidden wholeness. 

Our work as leaders has always been holistic and organic more than it has been mechanical engineering. We are in the business of creating outcomes and relationships, not just outcomes and getting more things done. For being “done” implies a termination and/or a conclusion rather than an on-going and holistic evolution and transformation. We need to understand and remember that our wholeness is always changing, growing and evolving. It is never a static equilibrium with no ongoing movement or motion. In short, our personal praxis and our collective praxis are interconnected, and each has the potential to strengthen the other. 

Create A Circle Of Trust

However, if we want this to happen, we need to enter into dialogue about the inner life of our being, and the outer life of our doing, which is another vital part of the praxis. In order to do this, we need to find our people, and to gather with them in a circle of trust, respect, and listening. We do this not to be fixed, but instead to acknowledge where we are broken, and where we need to re-center our life in order to reclaim and maintain our hidden wholeness. For as we do this, we understand the timeless wisdom that Gandhi shared: “As I change, the world around me changes.” And right now, we need to change ourselves in order to change the world. 

Still, as Fr. Bruno Barnhart reminds us, “We humans prefer a manageable complexity to an unmanageable simplicity.” The praxis to changing our lives requires us to create a circle of trust, and then to step into it. I was reminded of how hard this is for many people when I read a sign at a restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin: “There is no Wi-Fi password. There is no Wi-Fi. Act like it is 1995, and sit down and talk to each other.” 

The challenge of sharing at this level requires us to be vulnerable, which is not something we like to do, or often choose to do. Yet, Brené Brown in her book, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (Avery, 2012), explains: “We can’t opt out of the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure that’s woven through out daily experiences. Life is vulnerable.” And the praxis will always involve uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. Moving forward on the praxis also involves vulnerability. Thus, the building of safe spaces, i.e. circles of trust, to confront these feelings, and to engage in sharing about them with others generates the capacity to be centered, and to be grounded in clarity as we move forward along the path of translating the abstractness of the strategic nexus into a workable reality for all involved. 

To be continued tomorrow. 

© Geery Howe 2026

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change