I had a plumber out to the house to do some work today. When it came time to receive the invoice at the end, I was told he accepts cash or check. This presented a problem because I rarely ever carry cash and I can’t remember the last time I actually wrote a check. Off to the ATM I go.

🍿 In honor of the 50th anniversary: Jaws (1975)

Jaws poster

From Michael Abrashoff in his book, It’s Your Ship:

“As I saw it, my job was to create the climate that enabled people to unleash their potential. Given the right environment, there are few limits to what people can achieve.”

Leaders aren’t meant to impose a climate—they’re meant to create one. One that’s shaped by listening, not control. When people feel seen, supported, and trusted, they thrive. And when they thrive, everything changes.

I’m definitely aligned with the “tired”.

A quote by David French about America is displayed on a yellow background with a partial view of a book cover titled "The Road to Wisdom" by Francis S. Collins.

From Emma Keith:

Leaders don’t need all the answers, or to understand all the technology, they need to surround themselves with people who do, ask the right questions, trust their teams and lead them through change, understanding the impact this can have on people and how to best enable them to move through the process successfully.

I especially like the callout here to the importance of leaders trusting their teams. I’ve personally been in organizations where that trust didn’t exist. And while trust often needs to be earned, it’s nearly impossible to do so when teams aren’t empowered in the first place.

Currently reading: The Abundant Community by John McKnight 📚

Finished Reading: Churchill’s Citadel by Katherine Carter 📚

Grace does not make the hard thing go away; grace illumines the hard thing with eternal meaning and purpose.

Rosaria Butterfield, The Gospel Comes With a House Key

Currently reading: These Precious Days by Ann Patchett 📚

Finished Reading: Living Life Backward by David Gibson 📚

Living Life Backward teaches that true wisdom comes from honestly facing the reality of death and our lack of control over life, which frees us to stop striving for gain and to receive each day—and its simple blessings—as a gift from God.

In essence, the “big idea” is that life is gift, not gain; and learning to live well means accepting our mortality, enjoying the present, and focusing on loving God and others while we have the opportunity