Leadership Lessons They Don't Teach in Medical School
Leadership Lessons They Don't Teach in Medical School
Every leader wears armor. Most don't realize they're wearing it. Over-reliance on data. Excessive use of jargon and buzzwords. Cynicism disguised as realism. These forms of armor often punish the very behaviors that build trust. Your armor may have served you at some point. The question is whether it's still serving you now — or whether it's keeping your team from trusting you enough to follow where you're trying to lead.
In our rush to grow up, we often forget one of the greatest sources of creativity, connection, and joy—the power of play.
In this story about my daughter’s “last” Halloween and an Elvis-wig tradition from my first job in rural Wisconsin, I argue that play is essential, not childish. Whether leading a team, raising a family, or simply living fully, staying playful keeps us young at heart and open to possibility. Because the moment we stop wearing costumes, we stop growing.