Writing
Compassion science, burnout and Occupational Distress Syndrome, self-compassion, trust, speak-up culture, mentorship, and leading teams. 49 articles, newest first.
Featured
6 min read
Before anyone raises a concern, they quietly ask two questions: Is it safe? and Is it worth it? A poster answers neither. A look at the research behind speak-up culture, the four quadrants of voice and silence, and why the answer is the only thing leaders actually control.
5 min read
Quality of care is proportional to the quality of your questions, multiplied by how often you ask, raised to the power of the integrity of your answers. A walk through the equation — and why honest answers are the exponent that amplifies everything else.
3 min read
The same device can enable compassion or extinguish it, and the difference is never settled in the silicon. Six questions — for leaders, clinicians, students, prescribers, and builders — about where moral responsibility for technology actually sits.
11 min read
I have been mentored badly by generous people and mentored well by people who had very little time for me. If I am being honest, I have probably also been both types of mentors as well. The difference was never warmth, a
9 min read
Independence does not leave through the front door with a suitcase. It slips out through a hundred small exits. A home safety professional on why you cannot subtract your way to safety, and how to negotiate risk without shrinking a person's life.
11 min read
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published a report that shook American healthcare to its foundation. To Err Is Human estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year from preventable med
16 min read
When I was a younger man, I did a fair amount of stand-up comedy. While I had a lot of fun developing and performing material, it could get repetitive and boring. The jokes were the same every night. The audience was dif...
10 min read
When I was a younger man, I did a lot of stand-up comedy. While I had a lot of fun developing and performing material, it could get repetitive and boring. The jokes were the same every night. The audience was different,
5 min read
Why the foundation of compassionate culture in healthcare isn't a policy or program, but a fundamental shift in how we relate to one another
9 min read
Here's a statistic that should keep every healthcare leader up at night: 44% of healthcare workers worldwide are burned out. In intensive care units, that number climbs to a staggering 74%.
6 min read
In a fascinating RSA talk, author Daniel Pink presents research that challenges everything we thought we knew about motivation. The findings carry profound implications for healthcare, where burnout has reached crisis le
15 min read
Abstract: Research reveals a counterintuitive truth about stress management: focusing on helping others is more effective than focusing on yourself. The "tend and befriend" response, mediated by oxytocin, creates neurolo
9 min read
The Surprising Cultural Barrier to Self-Compassion
11 min read
"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." ~Jack Kornfield
18 min read
"Your World is Perfectly Arranged to Give You The Results You are Currently Getting"
5 min read
Effective January 1, 2026
14 min read
Every educator faces a fundamental tension: how to provide honest, rigorous feedback without crushing students' spirits. Too harsh, and we risk pushing learners away. Too soft, and we deny them the critical information t...
19 min read
A Universal Design for Learning Perspective on Belonging in Education
6 min read
In my post " Empathy vs. Compassion: Why Healthcare Providers Burn Out," I talked about how compassion training can mitigate burnout caused by empathy distress. In this post, I will discuss ways organizations can support...
9 min read
Healthcare providers are burning out at unprecedented rates, and we have been misdiagnosing the cause. The exhaustion you feel after a day of patient care does not come from too much compassion. It comes from too much em
10 min read
One of the unfortunate things about being human is that, at one point or another, we all suffer.
4 min read
Authentic Questions in the Mentor Mindset: Definition, Science, and Practice
4 min read
Fostering Growth Through High Expectations and High Support
4 min read
Have you ever heard the adage, often attributed to Socrates, Buddha, or the Sufi tradition:
4 min read
Trust is considered the cornerstone of cohesive societies, resilient organizations, and meaningful relationships. Although frequently discussed, the underlying architecture of trust remains intricate; an interplay of psy...
13 min read
A Review of The Science of Leadership (Hull & Moore)
5 min read
Article 1: The Fragile Architecture of Trust
5 min read
The Art of Exceptional Mentorship: Facilitating Flow, Balance, and Purpose
5 min read
“Far too often, we assume that if somebody doesn't understand what we're telling them, it's because they are 'stupid' or 'closed-minded.' That is very rarely the case. While we know our subject matter, we may fail to kno...
5 min read
The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is a timeless ethical principle promoting kindness and empathy. Rooted in many religious and philosophical traditions, its core premise is to treat ot...
5 min read
Transparency is about openness and creating an environment of trust and collaboration where every member, from leadership to students, understands their role and can contribute to the institution's mission. A culture of ...
3 min read
Stephen Shedletzky's book Speak-Up Culture delves into the importance of creating environments where individuals feel safe and empowered to voice their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. The book explores how leaders can fos...
5 min read
Students are valuable stakeholders in the creation and continuous improvement of curriculum. We want their feedback to be honest, accurate, and, most of all, useful. The reality is that most students don't complete the c...
5 min read
Building a strong, cohesive faculty team is essential for delivering high-quality education and fostering a positive learning environment in any educational institution. While many focus on hiring high-performing individ...
9 min read
In higher education, the success or failure of innovation initiatives largely depends on the attitudes and dynamics within the faculty. The dynamics within a team—whether they operate as an "ecosystem" or an "egosytem"—c...
5 min read
In academia, where intellectual growth and innovation are supposed to flourish, there exists a pervasive, often unspoken phenomenon known as "Tall Poppy Syndrome." This term, which originates from a metaphor used in Aust...
6 min read
In A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives, Thupten Jinpa, a former monk and the principal English translator for the Dalai Lama, explores the profound impact of compassion on our li...
3 min read
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Dr. Kristin Neff is a groundbreaking book that explores the concept of self-compassion, which involves treating oneself with the same kindness, care, and und...
4 min read
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek explores the concept of viewing life, business, and leadership as an infinite game—one where the goal is not to "win" in the traditional sense but to continue playing and adapting in a co...
4 min read
What is Nonviolent Communication?
8 min read
10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager provides a fresh, research-based perspective on guiding young people through the crucial developmental years between 10 and 25. By exploring the science be...
4 min read
In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)—the precursor to the CIA—published a covert document now known as the Simple Sabotage Field Manual. The manual's purpose was to empower ordinary citizens in occupied territ...
3 min read
Dan Heath’s Reset: How to Change What's Not Working was an absolute pleasure to read. What stood out most to me was how seamlessly Heath integrates principles from systems theory to offer a structured, actionable approac...
3 min read
Originally penned by Kim Scott, a former executive at Google and Apple, Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity introduces readers to a revolutionary approach to feedback and relationship-building...
4 min read
Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind offers more than just a history lesson. The book’s deep dive into the evolution of humanity provides a lens through which educators and academic leaders can reima...
7 min read
Sinek applies philosopher James Carse's distinction between finite and infinite games to business leadership. Rather than viewing business as a competition to be won, he argues that sustainable success requires an "infin...
3 min read
"Daisy's Different," a beautifully illustrated children’s book authored by Dr. Russ L'HommeDieu, DPT, and Karen L'HommeDieu, LMSW, and illustrated by Patrick Carlson, is more than just a story. It’s a heartfelt journey t...
