Author: leadership dots by dr. beth triplett

I'm the chief connector at leadership dots where I serve as "the string" for individuals and organizations. Like stringing pearls together to make a necklace, "being the string" is an intentional way of thinking and behaving – making linkages between things that otherwise appear random or unconnected – whether that be supervising a staff, completing a dissertation or advancing a project in the workplace. I share daily leadership dots on my blog to provide examples of “the string” in action. I use the string philosophy through coaching, consulting and teaching to help others build capacity in themselves and their organizations. I craft analogies and metaphors that help people comprehend complex topics and understand their role in the system. My favorite work involves helping those new to supervision or newly promoted supervisors build confidence and learn the skills necessary to effectively lead their team.

leadership dot #4956: mic

May 22, 2026May 21, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

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 by Tayton 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.

The mic isn’t the moment, the team is.

leadership dot #4955: interject

May 21, 2026May 21, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m a big fan of involving the supervisor in an aspect of the coaching relationship with one of their employees. While coaching needs to maintain sufficient separation for the “coachee” to be comfortable sharing difficult situations and challenges with the coach, it helps immensely when the supervisor can be looped in at occasional intervals.

Not only does this provide for updates, but it also allows a third party to interject with specific examples of behavior. There are things that the supervisor sees that the coachee may not even recognize they are doing, and, of course, the coach would have no way to know otherwise. With intermittent sessions with the supervisor, future coaching appointments can be adjusted in response to reality.

If an organization is investing in coaching for one of its employees, it’s in everyone’s best interest to have strong outcomes from the experience. Engage the supervisor to have the best chance of that happening.

leadership dot #4954: dosage

May 20, 2026May 19, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I was prescribed a round of Prednisolone, a drug that is taken in decreasing doses each day. The instructions read that dosing is variable, and my doctor recommended that I take all six pills at once on the first day, then five the next, etc.

In its own quirky way, it reminded me of an onboarding schedule. You need to front-load your time and information, gradually pulling back on the amount of intervention needed. Hopefully, by the end of the orientation period (which, unlike these pills, should last longer than six days!), the new employee will be equipped to work independently, with only intermittent assistance from you.

Not everything should be distributed in equal doses. Take care in determining which dosage schedule aligns with the need.

leadership dot #4953: foundational

May 19, 2026May 18, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s always more fun to create new things than to fix existing problems, but failing to pay attention to infrastructure needs can cause real issues later.

Think of it like buying an old house. You may want to start painting or picking out new accessories, but if the electrical box is a mess, it needs to take priority. It’s painful to spend thousands of dollars on something you can’t see, but working systems are necessary before the aesthetics are addressed.

The same is true in organizations, where teams may prefer a high-profile new project over maintenance of record-keeping or other data systems, but attention to those tasks creates a stronger foundation to support creative work later.

For some organizations, summer may offer a different cadence in the work. Utilize the time to review the not-glamorous-but-essential systems, and ensure your foundational infrastructure is solid before the “decorating” begins.

leadership dot #4952: clarify

May 18, 2026May 15, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The best time to outline expectations and clarify responsibilities is when there is no emotion involved. This usually occurs when no particular situation is at hand, and you can discuss in generalities and ideal scenarios rather than when a conflict is brewing.

It’s why it is wise to set ground rules for meetings, outline expectations with a timeline during onboarding, and clarify responsibilities at the beginning of a project. People tend to be more rational and reasonable when they aren’t staring down a deadline or having a disagreement about direction.

This part of the process is often overlooked, with optimistic people believing that everything will work out and things will proceed as planned. Unfortunately, it is rarely the case. Whether setting a schedule for who does the dishes or pays the bills, or being clear about what benchmarks must be met on a project, first clarify those expectations before anything else. Agreeing early is much easier and less time-consuming than disagreeing later.

leadership dot #4951: dirty

May 17, 2026May 15, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

If you ever questioned the power of social media, look no further than the proliferation of “dirty sodas” that have moved into the mainstream. (Dirty sodas are regular pop with flavored creamers or syrups added to the mix.)

Apparently, TikTok is responsible for the spread of this concoction, and now dirty drinks are available in many places. Franchise restaurants such as Texas Roadhouse are promoting their beverages with the addition, and Mountain Dew just released a dirty version in cans. There are brands (Swig and Sodalicious) specifically dedicated to dirty soda variations. And, of course, there are hundreds of combinations that can be made, enhancing the appeal. Everyone wants everything customized to their liking.

If you haven’t yet noticed the dirty soda trend, it won’t be long before you do. I envision “dirty soda bars” popping up at parties everywhere! For good clean fun, your team can have fun experimenting to create their own version of dirty.

leadership dot #4950: appropriate

May 16, 2026May 15, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Certainly, technology has its place and has made many things easier, but there are times when low-tech is the best option. Such was the case with a simple page-a-day calendar that showed the date by which someone was eligible to purchase alcohol. It was the perfect format for a small business and accomplished the job without much expense or implementation issues.

Before you reach for a high-tech solution, consider whether other methods may serve your needs. Low-tech may be high-value.

leadership dot #4949: emotions

May 15, 2026May 14, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the tenets of Emotional Intelligence is the ability to moderate emotions and channel them into productive uses. But before you can moderate, it’s important to learn to recognize what is truly at the core of your emotional reaction. Why are you so mad in this meeting? Why did that comment set you off? Why are you envious of another person’s success? Why are you feeling unappreciated?

And then, while it may be appropriate to moderate your emotions in the moment, it does no good to suppress them or to ignore the root cause. The next skill is learning the courage to address what triggered your feelings, whether through a conversation with another person, a change in your behavior, or altering the circumstances in the future.

As Disney showed, emotions have the ability to turn you inside out. Treat them like you would any other performance skill and work to strengthen your command of their power. Recognize, moderate, and address.

leadership dot #4948: everywhere

May 14, 2026May 13, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A colleague presented a workshop session sharing the words of wisdom he learned from others over the years. Another colleague taught a class based on lessons learned from movies. There are many books on marketing insights from the Grateful Dead, and much has been written analyzing Taylor Swift’s business savvy.

We often think that learning is a formal process, and you must be in a classroom or seminar to absorb it. In reality, opportunities for education, inspiration, and insight are everywhere. The lessons are there if you pay attention.

leadership dot #4947: don’t assume

May 13, 2026May 12, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’m part of the school district’s community task force, charged with making recommendations for how to align resources since the bond referendum failed. As part of our work, we toured one of the high schools. Among other spaces, we saw a robotics lab, drafting and engineering computer stations, hospital beds, welding bays, an engine repair station that allows students to work on everything from snowblowers to rebuilding car engines, and a construction lab where students are building sheds. It is offered at both high schools as part of the district’s career and college readiness program.

What I saw was nothing like any high school I went to. Had I not been on this task force, I would have driven by these schools every day, assuming all that was inside were classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, and a gym, as I had.

Think about what assumptions you might be making based on old or incomplete information. Maybe church has changed since you last attended years ago. Perhaps yoga isn’t as strenuous as you imagine, even though you have never tried it. Maybe you can learn pickleball. Perhaps if you take a tour of your schools, you would think differently the next time you vote. Maybe if you visited, you’d learn that the humane society has more than cats and dogs up for adoption. Perhaps if you attended a meeting, you’d learn how government really works.

Start by recognizing that you are making assumptions about many things, and then challenge yourself to learn firsthand whether your perceptions are true. You may be surprised at how different reality is from what you have been believing.