Weekly Leadership Reflection
Monday Morning Minute
A short reflection on leadership, every Monday since 2018. 328 articles and still going. Each one meant to be read in just a few minutes.
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Happiness • 4 min
Luggage or Baggage? Which Will You Carry into the New Year?
Luggage is what you packed. Baggage is what is simply still there. Bryan Yager on telling the two apart in January.
Read Change • 5 min
Leadership University; Real Life! Real Lessons! Right Now!
Bad leaders teach as reliably as good ones. Bryan Yager on the leadership lessons a crisis puts on public display.
Read Change • 4 min
The Soft Stuff is the Hard Part
70% of transformations fail. Bryan Yager on why they are usually well managed and badly led.
Read Communication • 5 min
Leaders are Listeners
"Speak Like a Leader" sells out. Listening courses do not. Bryan Yager on why we assume we already know how.
Read Culture • 5 min
Culture Matters! How Fast Are You Driving?
A culture that will not support your strategy attacks it. Bryan Yager on why so few leaders ever measure the one they have.
Read Communication • 2 min
The Heart of the Matter is Not in Your Head
Leaders are judged more on how they listen than how they speak. Bryan Yager on hearing what nobody actually said.
Read"How will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this coming week?"
— Bryan's weekly sign-off
Attitude (18)
Change (24)
Choices (9)
Coaching (15)
Communication (27)
Continuous Learning (20)
Expectations (8)
Fear (10)
Focus (12)
Gratitude (11)
Habits (13)
Happiness (15)
Influence (8)
Intentional Thinking (13)
Listening (12)
Mentoring (8)
Motivation (16)
New Year's Resolutions (9)
Priorities (9)
Relationships (10)
2026
24 articles Taking My Own Advice! The Storms We Imagine No Land in Sight; Navigating Change for Work & Life 250 Years and Counting! Everyone Has a Story, Most of it is Hidden! Who's in Your Foxhole? Trust is Built Before it's Needed Nobody Wins Alone Standing Where History Happened! Leadership... Beyond a Title! The Curse of the brilliant Permission to Pause! The Quiet Cost of Fear & Self-Doubt So Much Energy... So Little Movement! Self-Leadership; The Battlle Within! Moving From "No... to How!" What Does Your Calendar Say About You? One Conversation Can Change a Career! Change is Coming! What Do You Expect... Really? Part II Expecations at Work... A Leadership Responsiblity! What Do You Expect... Really? Networking... Part of Your Leadership Toolkit! Let's Dream Bigger, Do Better! Travel Lighter, Through Work, Home, and Life!
2025
35 articles Happy Holidays! In all their Splendor! In al their Flavors! Please Help Me Help Others Learning Does Not End at Graduation! Now Auditioning; People are Watching! Change Leadership is Not Enough! Once Spoken, Never Retrieved! Rainy Days & Mondays Always Get Me Down! Seeing Potential in Others Small Acts, Strong Communities Believe-In, Not Buy-In! Bad News Doesn't Age Well! Labor Day Lessons from Mom!* Can't Light the Way with an Empty Lamp! AI... an Ally for Leadership? One Rabbit at a Time! More Change? Really? A Lot in Common Leading Change... is a Leader's Role! Making the Shift, From Me to We! A Belated Independence Day Reflection* Never Say "Good Job" Again! Why Is It? When Kindness Lives Outside the Home! Dads, Are You Ready to Let Go? Memorial Day Moments of Reflection Are You a New Manager? Who is on Your P-Pod? Staying Young at Heart! Just get started! Making the Shift; Choosing Less Stress The Power of Story Telling Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone! You are an Important "Who Said?" to Someone Important! Is an Open-Door Policy Right for you? The Time to Build a Network, is BEFORE You Need One! The Road Ahead...
2024
30 articles Make Habits, Not Resolutions! Happy Holidays, In all Their Variations and Splendor! Breaking Free of Confirmation Bias! Which Lens Will You Choose? What's the Difference? Thinking About Thinking Creating an Avalanche of Respect! Am I a Good person? Be Persuasive, Not Abrasive! What's On Your "To-Do" List Today? Friendship Treasures! Us vs Them A Moment in Time... Happy Belated 4th of July! Safety is Not an Accident! The Dual Roles of Successful People They Watch, They Listen, They Learn! But, It's Only a Few Minutes! So Many Choices! * Are You Working too Hard? Help! I'm a People Pleaser! Culture Matters! How Fast Do You Drive? Internal/External... Where is Your Focus? Listening Like a Leader! I Love You! (Valentine's Day Edition) Congratulations! You are CEO! - Part 2 Congratulations! You are CEO! It is Time to Reinvent Yourself? Quitter's Day... Is it a Real Thing? Why is it called January?
2023
37 articles It is Great to Give! Looking Back... Planning Forward! Time for a Vacation? The Curse of the Brilliant What Can We Say? Is it Time to Unplug? Life is Like a Camera! Help! I'm Drowning in Emails! Where is Your Focus? In Search of Happiness! Part II Labor Day Lessons from Mom! Leadership is a Balancing Act! So... You're a New Manager? Growth Begins with People! Have We Solved the Right Problem? What Did You Say? Happy Independence Day! Avoiding the "Sunday Scaries!" Great Dads & Leaders Have a Lot in Common! Thinking About Thinking! Taking a Memorial Day Moment Stressed? Shift Your Focus! Where is Your Focus? Is Having Problems a Problem? Unlocking Self-Confidence* Small Improvements Matter; Lessons from the Game of Golf; Part 1 Do You Flex Your Style? You Make Me So Angry! So Much Energy... So Little Movement! Where are the Edges? Have You Made the Transition? But... It's Only a Few Minutes! Can We Be Positive Pessimists? Can You Envision the Final Picture? Stay Thirsty My Friends! Here be Dragons! Monday Morning Minute, January 9, 2023
2022
32 articles Giving the Gift of Time! Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in 2023! Congratulations, You're the Boss... Are Your Running a Deficit? No, It's My Turn to Talk! Storytelling; Engaging More Than Just the Brain! Thinking Twice About Advice Offensive Content Ahead Her Majesty’s Wisdom So Many Doors, So Many Choices Experience: How Much Do You Really Have? Happy 4th of July! Leaders & Dads; Accidental or Intentional Teachers? Which is Worse? Where Do You Want to Be? I’m Not the Only One! Against the Wind Can We Still Have a Conversation? Are You Balanced? Are You Problem-Driven? Gone Skiing! What is Your LB/LA Ratio? Humility, A Foundational Leadership Quality The Road to Success is Never Straight! A Sign of the Times – Help Wanted; Part II Who is More Important? Customers or Employees? – Part I Get Ready… Get Set… Go! Do You Really Care, or…? What, or Where, is Your Schwerpunkt? Have Plans Become Useless? Don’t Break the Chain! Luggage or Baggage? Which Will You Carry into the New Year?
2021
31 articles Monday Morning Minute Giving the Gift of Time! We Must Stop Meeting Like This! Do You Develogate? Every Day is a Gift! Make the “Dash” Matter! Practicing Verbal Aikido Can You be a Positive Pessimist? What Do Your Listeners Hear? Think Influence, Not Rank, Title or Position! Where is Your Focus? Are Your Strengths a Weakness? I’m Never Wrong! Who Are Your Customers? What Did You Learn? How Are You? What Did You Say? In Search of Purpose Return to Normal? Is Your Mental Immune System Friend or Foe? Below the Deck Matters! Time Management is Not the Problem! Violated Expectations Nefarious… Say What? Pebbles in Your Shoes? Are You Perfect… Yet? Now Auditioning! Look the Part… Play the Part! You’re Wrong! In Search of Wisdom The Dawn of a New Year!
2020
47 articles Singing the Post Holiday Blues Not Feeling the Joy This Year? A Birthday Request Is the Story You’re Telling Yourself True? What Lens Will You Choose This Week? Be Real, Not Perfect! Unlocking Confidence The Power of a Good Compliment Us Versus Them Thinking We Can Dream Bigger and Do Better Would You Say That to a Friend? Quit Babysitting Smiles Matter! Which is Better, Right Answers or Right Questions? At My Best, by Choice! He Knows My Name! Made in the Shade! What Echoes Will You Hear Today Live Life Intentionally, Not Accidentally! Someone Moved My Cheese… Again! Can Being Right be Wrong? Are Problems the Problem! Happy Belated Independence Day Are You Poisoning the Pool? I Wanna Be Like Dad! One Planet, So Many Different Worlds! “Back to Normal” is the Wrong Wish! Memorial Day Gratitude Whose Truth is More True? COVID-19 University Now Open? Making a Mental Shift; Reducing Stress Dreaming Bigger… Is Now the Time? Appreciation in Difficult Times Which Fire Are You Feeding? Don’t Get Stuck in Emotional Mud! Leadership University; Real Life! Real Lessons! Right Now! Being Our “Best Self” – Now is the Time! Which Will You Feed This Week? Don’t We All Need a Cheerleader? When the Wind Blows Wrong! How Do You See Others? I Demand to Know Your Name! Am I a Good Coach? A Prologue of Sorts Am I a Good Coach? How Does a Lion Hunt Here be the Dragons! What Anchors are Holding You Back?
2019
47 articles Make New Habits; Not Resolutions A Brand New Start Getting into Your Learning Zone! Happy Thanksgiving! Can’t Light the Way with an Empty Lantern Leave “Your World” a Better Place Intentional Learning – Part 3 Intentional Learning – Part 2 Intentional Learning – Part 1 Wonderfully Dissatisfied! How Funny Are You, Really? It’s Monday, So…? How Fast is “Too Fast”? In Search of Happiness Make Someone’s Day Today Timeout for Family & Friends Storytelling – Engaging More Than the Brain Influence, Not Rank, Title or Position Humor, an Essential Element of Leadership Humility, A Foundational Quality Resentment; A Silent Killer! The Soft Stuff is the Hard Part But Please, That’s Not What I Meant…! You Remember 9/11… How About 9/12? Leaders & Dads; What Do They Have in Common? Are My Problems My Fault Coaching, Beyond the Game, Beyond the Work! Memorial Day Moment Is Time Management Possible? Old Ways Won’t Open New Doors! Leadership; Have You Made the Mental Transition? What Habits are Shaping Your Life? Getting “Buy-in” Isn’t Enough! You Make Me Angry! Think Influence, Not Authority Leaders are Listeners Hope in the Future, Power in the Present! Seeking Work-Life Balance Challenge Your Limits Weeds, Green Grass & People… Leadership Lessons from Mother Nature Culture Matters! How Fast Are You Driving? Pessimism; Good or Bad? Is Your Leadership Energy Positive or Negative? Are You Taking Your Health for Granted? Is Your Attitude Intentional or Accidental? Let’s Get Rid of Management! Luggage or Baggage? What Will You Carry into the New Year?
2018
45 articles A New Book, A New Chapter Are You a Source of Joy & Happiness? Do More Than You’re Paid to Do Saying “Great Job” Isn’t Enough Curse of the Brilliant Do You Trust Your Brain? Perhaps You Shouldn’t! An Attitude of Gratitude is More Than a Platitude Viewing the World Through Scratched Lenses Was Yesterday Your “Best Day”? Today is a Good Day to Begin! Do You Trust Your Team? Do They Trust You? Looking for a Promotion? Start Here. Challenge Your Fear – Live Your Dreams Inside/Outside… Where is Your Focus? Are You Listening to HMFI – AM Radio? The People You Lead Are! Which is Better, Right Answers or Right Questions? Time Management is Not the Problem Filler or Drainer, Which Are You? Congratulations, You’re the Boss; Who Serves Who? Are Your Expectations Helping, or Hurting? Is There a Crisis is in Your Future? Grow Your People, Grow Your Business What Habits are Compounding in Your Life?” Are You Working with a Dull Ax? Are Your Beliefs Limiting Your Success? Taking Turns Isn’t Enough So Much Effort How Many Positive Ripples Will You Create Today? Memorial Day Gratitude How Much Experience Do You Really Have? So Many Doors, So Many Choices Know When To Fold’em Alligators Under My Bed Made in The Shade The Heart of the Matter is Not in Your Head Do You Know What You Don’t Know? Don’t My Kodachrome Away? Are You Running a Deficit? Don’t Worry, Be Happy! Beauty On A Dreary Day Prioritizing Your Schedule Isn’t Enough People Don’t Care Eat Your Frogs First Intentions ≠ Impact Just For Today
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