Each year, when Matariki rises, I find myself resisting the temptation to look immediately towards what comes next. This is my second annual Matariki blog.  There will always be another project to begin, another goal to pursue, and another challenge to accept. Matariki gently asks us something different of us. Before we look ahead, it

(Part of the Boston College Blog series) Schools are crowded places. Corridors fill with noise, staffrooms hum with conversation, and leaders move constantly between meetings, classrooms, parents and staff. Yet crowded places can still be lonely places. Loneliness is not simply being alone. It is the sense that the connection we long for is not

Survival mode is not a flaw, it’s part of being human.  It’s something like a protective switch that turns on when life feels threatening. When that happens, our system naturally focuses on getting through. We narrow our attention. We conserve energy. We do what we need to do to stay afloat. This response is wise

Take care of yourself so you can lead others It’s been a long week. You move from one meeting to the next. A colleague shares a deeply personal struggle. Your inbox lights up. Someone knocks and says “just a quick question” even though it will probably take at least 20 minutes. You end the week

Burnout rarely comes from doing too much; it comes from doing what no longer feels alive. When the purpose that once gave our work depth flattens into tasks and metrics, something essential is lost. When impact goes unnoticed.When effort feels invisible.When connection is replaced by compliance. When meaning fades, energy leaks.And when energy leaks, flourishing

Leading with Kindness Leadership isn’t just a set of strategies; it’s a return to the basics that make us human. We all know the power of simple, childhood truths: be kind, share, tell the truth, help when you can. Somewhere along the way, many workplaces start to treat these as soft ideas. They sound nice

When Life Throws You a Curveball…… Life throws curveballs. We all know that. They come in all shapes and sizes — illness, job stress, family change, loneliness, or just the slow build-up of everyday demands that finally tip you over. When I look back, the things that helped me most weren’t dramatic. They weren’t found

This week I found myself thinking about the people who make us who we are; those who drift in for a season and those who stay to hold us steady. Someone once compared people to parts of a tree. Some are leaves, some are branches, and a few are roots. It is a simple image,

The Real 5am Club It’s 5am and your alarm is screaming. The cat jumps on you r bed and decides to pee on your pillow. The world tells you this is what successful people do—wake early, push harder, squeeze more out of every day. But lying there, half-asleep, smelling of cat and already exhausted, you