The frameworks do not make the leaders of 1863 look smaller. If anything, they make the tragedy larger. Lee was a genuinely exceptional military mind operating at an exceptional level, and the cognitive architecture that produced Pickett’s Charge was built on the same foundation that had produced Chancellorsville and Second Bull Run. The abundance that…
Lee’s decision to invade the North in the summer of 1863 was a product of that abundance, and it is where the Epistemic Rigidity begins to show its teeth. His strategic rationale was not unreasonable on its surface. A decisive Confederate victory on Northern soil could break Union political will, potentially encourage foreign recognition of…
You’re good at your job. That’s not flattery, that’s just the setup. You’ve built something real. You deliver. Your manager/boss/leader trusts you. Your team follows you. When things are moving in the right direction, you’re exactly the kind of leader people point to as an example. And that’s precisely where this gets complicated. Because the…
Leadership is not simply about authority or expertise, it is about trust. People look to leaders as anchors in uncertain times, and when leaders lose control of their emotions, they erode the very foundation they are supposed to provide. While passion and humanity are necessary in leadership, unchecked emotion is not strength; it is weakness.…
Contrastive inquiry is such a fascinating concept. Whenever a statement is made with certainty, ask yourself the opposite and challenge the accuracy of the statement. “The best burgers in town.” It’s a simple analogy, but a common enough one that you have probably seen it somewhere before. I’ve always questioned these statements but never fully…
Let’s just be honest about it, because if you’ve made it this far, you’ve already been thinking about it. Maybe you’ve been circling around the idea of change. Maybe you’ve told yourself you’re “getting things in order first.” Maybe you’re watching from a distance, watching podcasts, looking over the site, weighing your options like there’s…