Leadership Archive

  • Students Science Experiment

    Tapping into the Power of Young People

    Every year I conduct admissions interviews for my alma mater. I love getting the chance to meet with high school seniors to talk with them about their accomplishments, and to get a sense for what their goals are for the future. After each interview I...

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  • Dear Santa Letter

    My Leadership and Community “Holiday Wish List”

    Now that the holiday season is in full swing, and holiday gift lists are taking shape, I thought this might be a nice time to put forth my “Leadership and Community Holiday Wish List.” As I look around at issues we’re facing as a state,...

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  • Pile of Bricks

    Leading in a House of Bricks and Sticks

    It’s the start of the last month of year filled with flux.  In 2011, tall trees of our society and economy continued to fall in the forest, while others swayed weakly in the wind. Change is in the hands of the people. In late June,...

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  • MN Music 4 MN Kids

    Minnesota Musicians Helping Minnesota Kids

    In Minnesota we are extremely lucky in a couple of very important ways. We have access to some of the best health care in the country. We are also home to an incredibly talented and diverse arts community. In my work at Children’s Hospitals and...

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  • All-You

    Going the Extra Mile to Stop Bullying

    Like many Americans, I was appalled to hear the crowd at a recent Republican debate boo a military serviceman who asked a question about gay rights. I was even more disgusted by the story out of New York this week about students cheering the death...

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  • State-Fair

    Leadership on a Stick

    Timing is everything, and with the opening of the Minnesota State Fair, I’m the lucky Leadership and Community blogger who gets to use this kitsch.  So how does one dazzle the masses with such innovation and finesse, encapsulating a whole meal of ideas into something...

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  • Don Shelby

    A Minnesota Broadcasting Legend Reminds Us of the Power of Truth

    Nine months ago, the people of Minnesota received a gift when Don Shelby retired from his anchor post at WCCO television. Shelby spent more than three decades at WCCO and he had earned his place alongside his mentor Dave Moore as a legend of Minnesota...

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  • MN State Capitol

    Five Tips for Avoiding the NEXT Shutdown

    Conventional wisdom says the sign of a good compromise is when neither side feels happy about a resolution.  Unfortunately, it appears the impending agreement to end the government shutdown will be the exception to prove that rule. It’s hard to imagine anyone feeling good about...

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  • Business Meeting 640

    Do you hear me now?

    Recently, I read an article on how women of color in leadership positions are many times seen and not heard.  To add further insult to injury, if there is more than one women of color in a leadership role in a business setting, they are...

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  • us capital 640

    What Can Our Political Leaders Learn from Powderhorn Park?

    When National Public Radio asked outgoing Rep. Jim Oberstar to reflect on how Congress has changed over his three and a half decades in office, he answered without hesitation: “Less congeniality, less interaction of members with one another” he said. “… The collegiality has diminished...

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