I am not suggesting Barack Obama was perfect or that he alone could heal what divides us today. Rather, he represents, at least to me, a style of leadership that appealed to our better angels instead of our worst instincts. I miss that aspiration. More than anything, I miss believing that politics could still be a force capable of bringing Americans together rather than driving them further apart. We need leaders with vision, empathy, integrity, and the courage to place count

“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships— the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt Racism. Misogyny. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Transphobia. Ageism. Ableism. Religious intolerance. The list of our prejudices - and the things we fear - seems almost endless. How can we hope to live together in the United States - or anywhere in the world - if we cannot first accept on

I have been thinking a lot lately about how fragile life really is. How everything can change in an instant. Every day we read about accidents that take the lives of the young and the old. Sometimes they are tragedies we almost expect—illnesses, natural disasters, acts of war. Other times they are so random they seem impossible to comprehend, like the woman in New York City who died after falling into an open manhole while stepping from her car. Thousands of innocent people,

The larger and more complex organizations become, the easier it is for communication gaps to create operational problems. In technology-driven environments, teams often assume the challenge is purely technical. In my experience, it rarely is. Most operational failures begin long before systems go down. They begin when priorities become unclear, stakeholders stop sharing information effectively, or technical and nontechnical teams begin speaking entirely different languages. T

Reflections on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making during Hurricane Katrina With hurricane season upon us once again, I find myself reflecting on my time at Northrop Grumman supporting the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on Louisiana and New Orleans. Like many state agencies, DCFS faced an extraordinary challenge. One of its critical responsibilities was helping establish and support shelter

"Carry on my wayward son, There'll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don't you cry no more" - Kansas What a past 12 months this has been! The pandemic. The fall of Trump. (Thank God!) The social justice (injustice) that swept the country. The still heartbreak of my fur companion Conner passing over the rainbow bridge. Health issues, family issues, etc. It seemed like one thing after the other. The mental toll that the pandemic, racial issues and

A good friend of mine always says that "The perfect is the enemy of the good", an expression which is commonly attributed to Voltaire. One of my many achilles' heels have been my constant search for answers, perfection, absolutes, etc. in world that is not black and white at all. Striving for greatness in any endeavor, vocation or calling is noble and should be the goal; but sometimes I think I have allowed it to get in the way of my growth as a human being. We are all no