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Why Love Is the Heart of Effective Leadership

Katie Stallard and Alan Mulally at the Museum of Flight in Seattle

“A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear,” the late Herb Kelleher, co-founder, CEO, and Chairman of Southwest Airlines, once said.

When Kip Tindell, retired co-founder and Chairman of The Container Store, first heard Kelleher’s declaration more than 40 years ago, he was, in his own words, “completely taken by it.” In Uncontainable, Tindell explains how he and his leadership team intentionally built an “employee-first” culture that reflected love—and he credits that culture as a major source of the company’s success.

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Blanchard Community Webinar on Connection Culture

Join me on November 19

Connection Culture 2nd Edition Book Cover

If you have ever wanted to learn more about how the power of connection can help you and your team become smarter, happier, more productive and more resilient to cope with stress, then I have good news for you.

Join me for a free, virtual book club event hosted by the Blanchard Community as we discuss tips from my book, Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work (2nd edition). 

  • Date: November 19, 2025
  • Time: 3:00-3:45 pm CST
  • Cost: Free

You can find all the details and register here.

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The Surprising Leadership of J. Robert Oppenheimer

OppieFermiLawrence_860x440

This morning, I had a Zoom meeting with Jeff Moore of Moore Leadership. He was the longtime coach of the University of Texas men’s tennis team. Now Jeff is writing about leadership and he’s teaching and coaching leaders.

I’m impressed with Jeff and his work, and thought I’d share a great article he wrote that I especially enjoyed. It’s about how J. Robert Oppenheimer led the team of scientists and engineers of The Manhattan Project to make the atomic bomb before the Nazi’s did. Here’s the link to Jeff’s article, “Leadership Lessons from Oppie.”

Photo of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Ernest Lawrence (courtesy the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) via the U.S. Department of Energy – Office of History and Heritage Resources

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Shades of Trust: Real Conversations on Connection, Character & Compassion

Webinar on August 28, 2025

Shades of Trust Webinar Promo Graphic

Think about a time when you were working in a team with members who didn’t trust each other.

Lack of trust presents a host of challenges and can ultimately derail the effectiveness of an otherwise talented team.

But, in order to trust people, you first have to connect with them. And in order to connect with them, you have to be open.

It takes courage and vulnerability to connect. The results though are worth it.

I’m looking forward to sharing more about the relationship between connection and trust in an upcoming webinar titled “Shades of Trust: Real Conversations on Connection, Character & Compassion.” The event is free and features a wonderful panel of speakers.

Register today to join me on Thursday, Aug. 28th, from 12:00-1:00 pm Pacific Time.

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The Life and Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein

Frances Hesselbein

I have a film recommendation for you: the beautiful and timely award-winning documentary Defining Moments: The Life and Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein. I attended a screening in New York City in May and it deeply resonated with me. If you are not yet familiar with Frances Hesselbein, I can tell you she was a positive, connection-minded leader and one to emulate.

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TCU Chancellor Boschini Shares Why Connection is Essential for Leaders

SmartBrief on Leadership Article

Chancellor Victor J. Boschini at Texas Christian University

The month of May marks a time of transition across college campuses in the U.S. as students who have completed their degrees celebrate graduation and prepare to embark on their next chapter.

On the campus of TCU (Texas Christian University), Victor Boschini recently handed out diplomas and paused to pose for photographs for the final time as the school’s chancellor. Thankfully for the TCU Horned Frog family, the transition for this “super connector” has him remaining on campus in his new role as chancellor emeritus.

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The Best Leaders Connect, Encourage, and Coach

Leader connecting with and coaching an employee

Organizations with supervisors who connect with, encourage, and coach their employees often outperform those that do not. Years ago, Southwest Airlines discovered that reducing the ratio of frontline employees to supervisors enabled supervisors to build stronger relationships, provide better support, and ultimately improve employee performance. As a result, Southwest Airlines maintained a frontline employee-to-supervisor ratio of 10:1, whereas some airlines have ratios as high as 40:1.

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SmartBrief Article: Will Starbucks Return to Howard Behar’s “It’s All About the People” Leadership?

Photo of Howard Behar used with permission

Current Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has signaled that the company is looking back to its past to rediscover its greatness.

In a recent article published by SmartBrief, Katharine Stallard and I share why part of that return to the past should include a people-first leadership philosophy exemplified by former Starbucks leader Howard Behar.

To learn more about Howard’s connection-focused leadership style, and how it could benefit Starbucks again, check out the SmartBrief article.

Photo of Howard Behar courtesy of Howard Behar