This year, everybody in the world has come face-to-face with the reality that leadership is about behavior and about change. And we saw it across all parts of our daily lives — personally and professionally.

People obstacles came in all shapes and sizes: opposing counsel, judges, juries, boards of directors, CEOs. It was an endless parade. Everyone had an opinion. Couldn’t they just get out of my way? I can fix this.

There is a common theme I’ve noticed with the companies I partner with: each company that invests in development has one person that spearheads the idea from start to finish; a culture champion.

I joined Hanna Hasl-Kelchner on her podcast, Business Confidential Now. We had a great conversation, and there were three questions in particular that Hanna asked of me that resonated closely with what we talk about in our program.

In mid-September, we hosted a complimentary lunch and learn webinar called “Lead with Intent.” I presented material to help attendees identify their particular style and start thinking about how they can grow into their vision of leadership.

There are many exciting things that have unfolded and continue to unfold for NextGen Center. To start with, the Fall 2020 cohort of the Foundation for Effective Leadership program will be fully virtual.

This month, we hosted a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webinar for our community and partners. We had 40+ attendees from 20+ companies, and it was one of the most powerful experiences we’ve had.

I did something different. I provided a roundtable for CEOs and founders, in hopes we might crowdsource some of these issues. And also to help them realize that they weren’t alone.

As I’ve reflected upon the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, I kept coming back to a conversation I had with Pashara Black a few years ago about systemic racism, as we shared a cup of coffee at Beyu Caffe in Downtown Durham.

I don’t recommend many books, but one that I have recommended many times is one that a client recommended to me several years ago, called Multipliers. And it’s especially relevant right now.

I write this as the crisis around COVID-19 has the country firmly in its grasp, and I see something unique in the leaders I speak to and consult with.

I had multiple coaching calls over the past week, which was our first week under the work-from-home mandate. Almost all of my calls gravitated toward the same sentiment, which is that we are in a challenging and unprecedented situation right now and the unknowns are piling up.