Hi,

I was in Astoria, Queens last Saturday with family and ate outside at Hamido’s, a seafood restaurant (highly recommended). The day was gorgeous and the street in front of the restaurant was blocked off for Halloween festivities, so there were lots of very small people in all kinds of costumes walking with bigger people, most of whom were costumed too. Suddenly, I heard someone calling to the two police officers nearby, and immediately I thought there was a problem.

But thankfully, there wasn’t; it was a father asking if he could take a photo of the officers with his son. They smiled and posed with the little boy who was dressed in police SWAT gear. I would have loved to have a photo to share with you of that moment. The officers were smiling, the little boy was smiling, his father was smiling. The sun was shining, and all around them were colorful pops of Halloween costumes.

Initially, my thoughts were about the quote by Abraham Lincoln, “No man stands taller than when he stoops to help a child.” Then I thought about my brother, a retired police officer, who spent countless hours as a kid playing “cops and robbers” with his friends and always insisting on being the good guy. I wondered if the boy would become a police officer and if the officers wondered the same thing. Then I thought of those officers again. The same two who were helping a father and son by posing for a photo would also be in a line protecting protesters, answering B&E calls, helping get someone medical attention, and on and on. Who knows where they were before the photo, and who knows where time took them later that day. Where are they now?

How accurately do we fill in the before and afters to the snapshots life gives us? Wondering…

Here are a few content shares to help keep your leadership mindset sharp:

• Fascinating interview by Jeremy Goldman with Tobias Dengel, author of “Sound of the Future” The Coming Age of Voice Technology.” They talked about big consumer tech advances and then the lack of them and how AI for voice tech is going to be a big leap, enabling the promise of streamlining actions. I’m not doing it justice, it’s a great listen, find it on Apple podcasts, the show’s called Future Proof.

• Have you heard of the AIM framework? I learned about it via the Calm app. Professor Megan Reitz talked about today’s leaders needing strength in these 3 skills: resilience, focus, and collaboration. She said we need to make time and space to reinforce those strengths in work situations and use them when making decisions. AIM stands for: Allowing (or Accepting) the reality of the situation; Inquiring, being curious, asking questions, not making assumptions, asking for info and data; and Metaverse, blending your perspectives with those of the people around you—round out your POV with theirs. Embrace the wholeness and then move forward. Can you AIM this week to see how it feels?

• Do you think you’re photogenic? Do you often dislike a photo of yourself while your friends say it’s a great shot? This article in The Atlantic sheds quite a bit of light on the topic, including its history and tips on being more comfortable in photos.

• Are there issues you want to learn more about and lend a hand to resolve? Adam Edwards’ Surmountable provides the info and the options. Here’s a story about safety in the workplace you may find interesting. What I love about pieces from Surmountable is that there are always actionable steps included!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Adaptive Adventures 🌟

Adventure is for everyone! Adaptive Adventures’ vision is to ensure that all individuals with physical disabilities have access to participation in outdoor sports regardless of their location, equipment needs or economic status. As another member of REI Cooperative Action Fund, they are an organization working to make outdoor activities inclusive to all! Learn more about their mission and programs: Adaptive Adventures.

• Those travel visas to Europe are delayed again so take getting them off your “must do” list for 2024. “Europe has delayed yet again its new visa waiver system, which by May 2025 will require travelers from the United States and dozens more countries to get pre-approval to enter most European nations.” Read the story for more details but whew, one less thing to deal with in 2024.

• Advice from a dad to his kid that his kid shares with us. The 5/10 rule. 😁

And on that note, I know you have a lot going on, and you’re trying really hard to be the best version of yourself every day. That’s what compassionate leaders do. Keep making those ripples that turn into waves of positive change. I’m right there with you! Have a great rest of the week, and enjoy the weekend too.

Niki