Instead of just providing the temperature and forecast, my weather app has started adding commentary along with the numbers. Examples include: “It’s a perfect day to be outside,” or “The sky can’t make up its mind. Honestly, that’s perfectly fine.”
I wonder whose job it is to write these cute little quips and why someone thought they were necessary. It seems like a waste of effort, and for me, it distracts from what I am trying to learn when I open the app. I do not need a narrative along with the data. It would be like the gas pump displaying a “Hope you have a pleasant drive” message or the ATM encouraging me to “do something fun with your withdrawal.”
Maybe you’re a fan of cute commentary from technology, but I ascribe to Dragnet’s Joe Friday’s mantra: “Just the facts, ma’am.” Let the information-providers provide information and leave the rest out.
How many times have you forgotten your server’s name at a restaurant? Knowing who is assigned to you makes it much easier to ask someone else to send “your” server back to the table, or to ask for them specifically on your next trip.
A local restaurant solved those problems and made it easier for the server to remember which tables they were handling by utilizing a small sign at each table. It was so simple that I wonder why other restaurants don’t do something similar.
Your solutions don’t have to be fancy to be effective.
Many resources on effective negotiation boil down to checklists: be prepared, know your bottom line, learn about the other person’s priorities, anchor the negotiation by making the first offer, ask questions, etc. But what makes the greatest difference is your mindset and how you approach the negotiation process.
The definition that resonated most with my class and me was from Margaret Neale:
“Negotiation is about finding a solution to your counterpart’s problem that makes you better off than you would have been had you not negotiated.”
When you consider each of these components, it helps you focus on a solution-oriented approach; it helps you enter the process with more curiosity than certainty, and it may give you that extra boost of courage by framing it as a problem-solving conversation rather than an adversarial one. If you start by trying to find a solution to their problem, your whole perspective changes, and the negotiation tends to be more productive.
The next time you find yourself in a negotiation situation, whether about your kids doing chores, accepting a new project at work, making a major purchase, or just shopping at a garage sale, consider the interaction from your counterpart’s viewpoint. By helping them, it’s more likely that you, too, will benefit.
In a webinar about his book Inside the Box, author David Epstein promoted the value of constraints and shared research about how limitations actually make you more creative. The brain wants to follow the path of least resistance, so it takes the easy route first, even though that is not where creativity lies.
The phrase that stuck with me is “It has never been easier to do too much.” People are wired to naturally think in terms of “adding,” and AI and other tools make it easier than ever to do so. We don’t think of subtracting, but constraints force you to clarify priorities and focus on the most important things to accomplish. I think it’s the premise behind writing a-dot-a-day!
Ernst Hemingway ended his days in the middle of a sentence, so he knew where to start tomorrow. Epstein adopted this strategy by writing down the #1 thing he needed to accomplish the next day, and not turning on his phone or other distractions until it was accomplished. He intentionally created a restraint to block the easy path his brain wanted to follow (phone scrolling) and instead channeled his creative energy into something more important.
Dr. Seuss chose to limit the number of words he would use in a book. Nest opted to design its box (what the end users would see first) before the thermostat itself. Other companies write the press release before starting on product design.
Think about how you can self-impose limitations that help direct your creativity to your priorities. Boundaries can turn out to be freeing.
Have you noticed how many movies are extensions of the original story rather than original productions? The Devil Wears Prada 2, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Mortal Kombat II, and even the 40th anniversary of Top Gun are examples of what is showing in the theaters today.
Time and money are among the most valuable commodities people have. To lower their risk of wasting either, people tend to invest in what is familiar. The summer concert series in our town features the majority of the same acts that performed last summer (and the summer before that, etc.). People tend to buy books written by the same author and music performed by the same artists instead of experimenting. We eat the same entrees at the same restaurants because they are a known commodity.
It’s time to remember that we did experiment with all those things that are now familiar favorites. We took a risk to see the first Star Wars, or to try that new bistro. We invested our time to watch a new act perform before we became their fans. We took a chance on our now-favorite author when we read her debut novel. Some risks paid off, while others did not, but all the things we cherish were once new to us.
Be brave today and try something for the first time. All great love affairs start by taking a risk.
Today’s dot was written by Jayda Shiner from Minot State University’s leadership class
Moving away from home – whether it’s for university, a job, that someone special, or just a change of scenery – can transform who we are. When we are no longer around those same people we grew up with, we are no longer chained to their opinion or expectation of us. Instead, we are able to grow with the new experiences presented to us and learn who we truly are without external forces pushing us one way or another.
Take, for example, the high school best friend. Going through the same situation together, such as high school, brings people together, but when they are left to go their own ways, they can drift apart. At first, they promise to text constantly, visit soon, and call every week. But different circumstances change their reality, and those promises soon turn into sentimental greetings and occasional messages such as “I miss you!” or “We need to catch up soon!” While the distance can feel painful and terrifying at first, it often makes room for personal growth and new opportunities.
The same can be applied to leadership. Without realizing it, we can become stuck in the same patterns and routines, turning away from change. But where does clinging to the familiar get us? Nowhere with our desired results. Like those high school friendships, we have outgrown those people, routines, and mindsets, and now need to shed the past. By freeing ourselves from the chains of the familiar, we are able to grow and perform to our full potential, rather than cower in comfort. Though an intimidating step to take, it is necessary in a leadership role to be an effective and inspiring leader who can help themselves and others reach their full potential.
Today’s dot was written by Mikayla Altringer from Minot State University’s leadership class
As a bank teller, there are often moments of high tension. And with that, the need for speed and the necessity for precision are imperative. If you rush a transaction to shave off time, you risk a discrepancy that could hurt the bank and the customer you helped. When you are dealing with someone’s life savings, making a silly mistake isn’t an option.
Leadership in a collaborative environment often looks like this. It’s the ability to acknowledge the “grind” and repetitive, high-pressure tasks, but also refusing to let the chaos dictate what you do.
Staying calm is not only good for yourself and the customers, but it also helps provide an anchor for your coworkers. We are a reflection of who we surround ourselves with, so approaching tasks with a focused mind shows others they can too.
Leadership isn’t always glamorous; sometimes it’s simply getting things done. It’s not about focusing on the list of things you must do, or the line of people going out the door; it’s about giving 100% to each person asking for your help. You don’t need a big office to lead; you need composure when the stakes are high and the task load is large. This will aid in maintaining customers’ trust while also keeping the team from falling apart in high-stress situations.
Today’s dot was written by Gage Olson from Minot State University’s leadership class
Balancing life, work, school, and college athletics can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to think everything is equal in importance. Every assignment, every shift, every practice, every competition, every event. When you do this, eventually something will slip through the cracks of life.
The overload doesn’t always seem obvious. Most of the time, it’s the small things that start to go first. Missed assignment, a bad practice, or just feeling exhausted from a busy day. These things build up slowly until it deeply affects your mindset and performance.
Balance isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about knowing what matters most in the moment. That means school comes first some days. It could also mean athletics come first on other days.
Responsibilities are hard to balance. They are like Yin and Yang. Opposites working together to achieve balance. You can’t always give 100% to everything at the same time, which is okay. Balance comes from adjusting and realizing perfection isn’t achievable, which means you should give yourself some grace.
Next time you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself this simple question. What needs my attention the most right now? I bet you’ll find the right answer.
Today’s dot was written by Presley Thompsonfrom Minot State University’s leadership class
I’m a part of a club on my college campus called Miles for Smiles, which raises money for children with cleft lip and palate. Each year, we host fundraisers leading up to our annual walk, our final hurrah. With this, all proceeds go toward funding these life-changing surgeries.
No matter what you are doing, someone will struggle to see the bigger picture and where they fit into it. For example, we sold baked goods for $2, and while this seemed like a “pointless” fundraiser, it was one of our biggest successes. Though people often groaned at the idea of contributing in a small way, they needed to be reminded that $2 is more than nothing.
During the 2025-2026 school year, we raised over $5,000, enough to fund around 21 children’s surgeries. When people heard this, they were shocked to find that something as simple as a bake sale could have this level of impact.
But this is the point: every contribution matters.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to remind people how they make a difference. Their voice, their effort, and their willingness to contribute all add up to something even bigger than they had originally imagined.
So, contribute. Support the idea. Be part of the success.
My friend, Jim Sturm, directs the Looyenga Leadership Center at Minot State University and required his LEAD 201 leadership class to read my dots, then write their own dot as an assignment. In what has become an annual tradition, I’ll be sharing some of the results this weekend and other weekends this summer while I’m away.
Today’s dot was written byTayton Hjelmstad
I’ve spent a lot of time behind a microphone as a public address announcer for softball games. On the surface, it looks like a solo role. You, a script, and a voice echoing across the field. But the biggest leadership lesson I’ve learned is this: even the most “individual” roles are only successful when they are deeply connected to the team.
Early on, I treated announcing like a performance. Get the names right. Keep the energy up. Do not mess up. But I realized quickly that when I focused only on myself, I missed the bigger picture. Timing cues were off. Music did not match the moment. Player intros felt flat. The reason was simple. I was not truly working with the people around me.
Leadership in a team setting starts with awareness. Who is running the scoreboard? Who is coordinating walk-up songs? Who needs a heads-up before the next inning starts? When I began communicating, really communicating, with those people, everything changed. The flow improved. The energy felt natural. The game experience became something we created together, not something I delivered alone.
Here is the practical takeaway: do not confuse your role with your impact. Your role might be clearly defined, but your impact depends on how well you connect with others. If you want to lead within a team, ask more than you assume. A quick “What do you need from me?” goes a long way. Stay one step ahead for others, not just yourself. Anticipate how your actions affect the group. Make others look good. When they succeed, the whole team wins, and so do you. The best teams do not just share tasks. They share awareness. And sometimes, the strongest leadership does not sound like a voice over a speaker. It sounds like nothing at all, because everything is running exactly how it should.
