Month: October 2025

leadership dot #4777: third option

October 31, 2025October 29, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Many years ago, I was the keynote speaker for a conference banquet attended by college students. This event happened to fall on Halloween, and the announcement read: “costumes encouraged.”

This caused a dilemma for me as I couldn’t imagine giving even a light-hearted keynote in anything but professional attire, nor did I relish being the only one in “normal” clothes if everyone else was dressed up. So, I compromised and purchased a Halloween sweater that seemed to be an appropriate middle ground.

That choice reminded me of speaker Chad Littlefield’s video about finding a “third option.” He believes that there is rarely a clear dichotomy or polarized choice, even though we often frame things that way. By asking “What’s the third option?” we can explore other alternatives that may satisfy both objectives without going to one extreme or the other.

My ancient Halloween sweater was that third option for the banquet and has served me well on many occasions. Keep Chad’s query in mind when you’re faced with a problem or opposing viewpoint and see if you can’t find more treats than tricks with an agreeable third solution.

(I *still* wear that K-mart sweater, 30+ years later, big shoulder pads and all. Amazing how long clothes last when you wear them one or two days each year!)

leadership dot #4776: verify

October 30, 2025October 29, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m reading Kamala Harris’ book, 107 Days, about her truncated presidential campaign. The epigraph reads: “The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.” (Alberto Brandolini).

The quote resonated with me as I am in the throes of the school bond referendum, dealing with unvetted theories, outlandish claims, unrealistic options, and just a bunch of garbage. It’s impossible to keep up with the misinformation that spews on social media — where anyone can say anything with no factual backing. Even though what is posted is patently false, it’s enough to cause people to have doubt or to enter down rabbit holes of their own.

It has been said that AI “hallucinates.” So do some of the social media posts. Instead of wasting your energy reading the fiction — about any topic you choose, not just the bond — invest it in doing a bit of research to find the facts. It’s a twist on the old saying, “Don’t trust, and verify”.

leadership dot #4775: unwavering

October 29, 2025October 28, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As part of the celebration surrounding the university president’s inauguration, pictures of all the previous presidents were displayed in a gallery. The theme of the exhibit, “Stewards of our Story,” highlighted the contributions former leaders had made to the campus.

One picture stood out — not just because it was of the most recent past president — but because his portrait included his wife. The caption read: “Rev. Jeffrey F. Bullock, with gratitude for the leadership and vision brought to the University of Dubuque, alongside the unwavering support and partnership of Dana Bullock.”

I suspect that the other leaders also had “unwavering support” from someone, but it is indicative of Bullock’s collaborative and humble leadership style that he chose to acknowledge the key person who walked next to him throughout his 26 years at the helm.

Think about who is there to make your journey and successes possible and find ways to publicly recognize and appreciate them. No one leads alone.

leadership dot #4774: anniversary

October 28, 2025October 27, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Today is the 60th anniversary of the date the Gateway Arch was completed. I have always had a special fondness for the structure, a true engineering marvel that has stood the test of time.

On this occasion, I’ll repeat dot #1512:

I recently was in St. Louis, and after hundreds of times seeing it, I am still awe-struck by the Gateway Arch. Not only is it a magnificent piece of architecture and civil engineering, but I also think it is a powerful metaphor of how to function as a supervisor.

In my office, I have a picture of the unfinished Arch, just as they are installing the last piece. It is a visual reminder that the two sides were built simultaneously, all the way to the top, before they could be joined.

On an individual level, I think of building my employees like the Arch, taking care to address their performance on one side and their professional development on the other. I do not believe that you can ignore either and still get the result that you desire. It’s also a balance of providing simultaneous challenge and support.

Organizationally, I am reminded of work from the Santa Fe Center for Emergent Strategies that encourages simultaneous cultivation of entrepreneurial processes and instrumental processes. It is the yin and yang of long-term and short-term, infrastructure and innovation, or operations and strategy. You must have both, or neither is strong.

Think about how you can use the Arch as a metaphor for the work ahead of you. Putting in that last piece was a marvel in itself, and it serves as a reminder that you need to pay equal attention to both sides for the fit to be right.

leadership dot #4773: slow

October 27, 2025October 26, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As I drove to the airport in the wee hours, I noticed that my trip started in darkness, and by the time I arrived, it was daylight. There was no magical moment when it appeared that someone flipped a switch; rather, the sunlight came through so slowly and gradually that I barely noticed until the transition was complete.

The same phenomenon is happening with my puppy, who is growing at slow and imperceptible increments, but somehow has filled out and stretched up. One day, I could pick her up, and now I can’t, but I don’t know when we crossed that threshold.

We have no control over many such gradual changes, but are able to manage other evolutionary transformations by taking actions that plant seeds towards the outcome we seek. Creating a culture is a slow, incremental process. Developing relationships evolves gradually over time. Building skills happens slowly, making it hard to pinpoint when someone moves from beginner to proficient. A regular drip into savings can seemingly suddenly amass a nest egg.

We live in an instant gratification culture where meals, packages, and entertainment can be delivered on demand, but things that truly matter accrue slowly over time. Have enough patience to wait out the gradual realization of your important goals.

leadership dot #4772: accommodating

October 26, 2025October 25, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When people think about providing disability accommodations, what often comes to mind are physical mobility issues — wheelchair ramps, lower sinks, larger restroom stalls, parking spaces, etc. However, many others require accommodations for various reasons.

The History Museum in St. Louis acknowledged this by providing services for the visually impaired and also the often-overlooked colorblind. By using Artificial Intelligence, the Museum could deliver verbal descriptions through smartphones and also provide special glasses for those who are unable to distinguish colors. It is another step toward being inclusive and allowing everyone to be able to fully experience the exhibits.

Think about the accommodations your organization provides and go beyond the ordinary. Those who are recipients of your care will be most appreciative.

leadership dot #4771: unlikely

October 25, 2025October 20, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

You may have never heard of Pinnacles National Park, but the bees have.

In an unlikely environment of rocks and canyons formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions, over 400 species of bees call it home! I did not have any idea that there were that many varieties and I wonder why they have converged on this place as their habitat, but they are thriving in the California mountains.

I think it’s the goal for many communities to create a similar phenomenon with humans. What a great place it would be that could to attract a huge variety of similar, yet different, people who all find one place as a comfortable home. Embrace those differences and work to thrive together, even in unlikely places.

leadership dot #4770: spoken

October 24, 2025October 20, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I received an advertisement for the Copilot Windows computer “the computer you can talk to.” The copy claims, “Copilot Vision understands what’s on your screen, and you can use Voice to ask questions about it, get suggestions, and take action.”

I wonder what the hidden cost of this technology will be. It is estimated that just being polite and saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT has cost the company “tens of millions of dollars” in additional energy use!

I wrote yesterday about unintended consequences (dot #4769) and you can add spoken prompts to the list. Before you add more features, consider the infrastructure required to support them. Who says that talk is cheap?

leadership dot #4769: free parking

October 23, 2025October 20, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the city candidates is promoting free downtown parking as part of his platform. Doesn’t that sound like a great idea?

I used to think so, but then I had a conversation with a small business owner who was very much against the idea. Surprised by this, I asked why, and learned that if there are no meters, many of the prime spaces could be/would be taken by downtown residents with no incentive to move their vehicles. Long-term parkers would occupy the convenient spaces in front of businesses and actually make matters worse.

If something sounds like an obvious solution, before you jump in to support it, ask yourself why it hasn’t been enacted already. It’s always worth the time to learn about unintended consequences.

leadership dot #4768: transformational

October 22, 2025October 20, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In her new book, Strong Ground, Brené Brown extols the virtues of developmental coaching.

“[Coaching sets are] the ROI maker on our transformation investments. Without coaching and other integrated systems that give us opportunities to practice new cognitive skills and continue to challenge the new systems that we are building, we will either default to our old ways or build new systems that are replicas of the old ineffective ones we just tore down…I’ve had a coach for years and can’t imagine my personal or professional life without one. Leaders are the only high-performing professionals who are expected to do their work without coaches. Can you imagine supporting a sports team or athlete who had no access to coaching?“

I’m not sure why coaching is seen as a luxury instead of an investment. People go to the doctor for wellness checks, and to mechanics to do tune-ups that keep the vehicle functioning. Why isn’t it routine for leaders — who often have responsibility for teams of people and substantial budgets — to receive an outside perspective and support to improve?

Coaches can help new professionals and middle managers as well as executives. In fact, they may help the less experienced people more. As you’re looking at upcoming professional development plans, consider coaching for some or all of your team. The results could be transformational for both the employee and your organization.

Quote from Strong Ground by Brené Brown, 2025