Leadership Deep Dive

547 Requests for Juice: Annoying or Funny? Margaret and David discussed the importance of finding gifts and opportunities in difficult circumstances. The topic for this podcast came from a post Margaret wrote for LinkedIn. The story was about her then-toddler son’s persistent request for juice that felt quite trying at the time, but ultimately became […]

David and Margaret  do a take on a line from A Few Good Men, substituting “Love” for “Truth” … as in “You Can’t Handle the Love.” The hosts are always looking for ways to learn from their own personal and spiritual journeys — and apply it to being great leaders.  David is reading author David […]

David and Margaret dive into the ways that Leadership and Emotional Intelligence can help when relationships get hard. They announced a free masterclass on June 4th, 2025, to provide tools for improving emotional awareness and communication. Reading the Space Margaret shares that for the recording of the podcast, she is wearing an orange sticky note. […]

Margaret and David discuss David’s new book, “Using Your Mind for a Healthier and Happier Life.” David’s most recent book is a series of short essays inspired by Buddhist teachings. It blends principles of psychology, mindfulness, and leadership to provide actionable strategies that foster happiness, health, and resilience in life. Nuggets of Wisdom, Nuggets of […]

Choice in Personal Growth and Leadership Margaret and guest and fellow fundraising professional Jenny Mitchell address the power of choice and its impact on personal growth, leadership and decision-making. The conversation opened with the age-old nonprofit challenge about how navigating board relationships is challenging for most nonprofit leaders. They explored how choice can help these […]

Are You Above or Below “the Line”? Margaret and David discussed the concept of “the line.” They refer to this line as a reference to your outlook, mood, and perspective. They explained that being above the line means you are in flow, connected, and open. You are curious and able to listen. Choice and agency […]

David and Margaret and their special guest, Amy Daughters, tackle the dying art of using handwritten letters to foster relationships. Wait, like handwritten letters? With a pen? These days, kids can’t even read cursive. They don’t know where to put stamps on an envelope. It might be a dying art. But our hosts want our […]

Dealing with the Death of a Loved One In this episode, David and Margaret discussed the topic of dealing with the death of a loved one — an admittedly uncomfotable topic. Margaret had just learned about the death of a person she cared deeply about — and was feeling the loss. Margaret shared that her […]

With People, slow is fast and fast is slow David and Margaret discussed the significance of Stephen Covey’s saying, “With people, slow is fast and fast is slow.” Inspired by David’s slow recover from knee surgery — including his choice of entertainment during his convalescence — our hosts talk about what “slow” might mean. David […]

Embracing Disruptive Events: The Paradox of Planned Disruption Embracing disruptive events and emotions? How in the world is one supposed to do that? In the episode, as David prepares for an upcoming surgery, David and Margaret have a look at the seeming paradox of planned disruptive events. Examples might include a surgery or significant life […]

What’s in your 2024 rearview mirror and 2025 windshield? This episode takes a look backwards in 2024 (the rearview mirror) and what’s ahead (through the windshield) for 2025. Margaret and David aren’t fans of making resolutions. But they are all about being intentional about who you want to BE in the coming year. Tune in […]

In this episode, David and Margaret discuss the power of bringing your heart to work. “Empathy Techniques” vs. Genuine Empathy Our hosts heard the term “empathy techniques” recently while listening to a refresh of the Positive Intelligence programs — and felt compelled to double click on this concept. How is an empathy technique different from […]

David and Margaret share their strategies for dealing with uncertainty and making decisions. How DO leaders make decisions, particularly when the stakes are high? The conversation originated from David’s process when he and his wife had to decide whether or not to evacuate as Hurricane Milton approached. As a resident of the West Coast of […]

Taking on challenges: what goes into whether you say yes or no? David and Margaret discussed their experiences with taking on challenges. They talk about how to evaluate their feasibility and impact. Taking on Challenges: Jumping into Really Cold Water … and a Big Social Media Goal David shared his experiences with taking on a […]

What is a ‘zone of genius’? David, Margaret, and Michelle discussed the concept of a ‘zone of genius’ in the work context. They defined it as a state where one is highly skilled and derives great joy from their work, a place of great flow. It’s a place where others would recognize us as being […]

Here’s a sometimes shocking concept: when someone makes a request of you, you can say “yes,” “no,” or make a “counteroffer.” That is the power of choice. And people are sometimes quite surprised by this concept. David and Margaret dive into the importance of making and accepting requests in personal and professional relationships.  They explore the [&#8230...

Michelle, Margaret, and David discussed their experiences dealing with exhaustion and depletion. It’s hard for them — and many others to balance personal responsibilities with professional leadership roles. And sometimes it feels even more challenging as one ages. David shared his recent experiences with moving, which felt exhausting and overwhelming. And both Michelle and Margaret [&#...

Ever wondered what unleashing your inner second grader could teach you about leadership? And fundraising? It turns out quite a bit! When we become adults, we want to look good and avoid looking bad. We become complex. We move away from who we were as children. But children offer raw and unfiltered perspectives. They offer […]

In this season of graduations, Margaret and Michelle “double-click” on the importance of intentional completion. They look at when a completion is intentional, as it is with a graduation. Such intentional completions offer ritual and celebration. They also have a positive impact on family members. And when we look beyond graduation, our culture kind of […]

In this episode, Margaret and David delve into handling rejection and embracing new perspectives. No one likes getting a no. Not during a fundraising ask. Not during a potential sale. And not from a request to a family member. Sometimes, after getting a run of no’s, we feel like we should be due for a […]

It was an unexpected twist. A seemingly benign LinkedIn training sent Margaret and David into a spiral to silence the inner critic. Here’s what happened. Margaret and David attended what promised to be a mundane topic: a training on how to write better posts on LinkedIn. David left the training beating himself about all he […]

Coaching for Accountability What happens when a coach holds a client’s feet to the fire? And the follow-up question might reasonably be, “Why would anyone sign up for that??” Actually, accountability — which can feel a lot like having someone hold our feet to the fire — is one of the many tools coaches use […]

Forgiveness and Self-Forgiveness Discussion Do you have a pain in your neck? Any chance it’s related to the practice of forgiveness? In this episode, David and Margaret share their insights on the practice of forgiveness. They focus particularly on self-forgiveness. Drawing from his experience managing self-criticism, David reveals how forgiveness has been a transformative practice […]

Master the Art of Coaching: Essential Skills for Leaders Leadership is no longer defined by barking orders and expecting compliance; in today’s dynamic work environments, the leaders who stand out are the ones who master the art of coaching. Coaching is a subtle yet powerful art of guiding, not directing, and helping individuals and teams […]

You’ve heard of the Parent Trap, but how about the trap of judging parenting? In this episode, David, Michelle, and Margaret kick off with a story about a questionable parenting moment: should we judge it as good (Margaret wasn’t helicoptering!) or bad (she let her son eat sand on the beach)? In our work as […]