THE LEADERSHIP BLOG
Reflections on Leadership, Clarity, and Growth
Derek’s blog is where he shares reflections on leadership as it is lived: practical insights, real moments, and ideas leaders can return to when they need perspective. Many ideas shared here connect directly to Derek’s books, speaking topics, workshops, and the Lead on 3 framework. Readers often use these reflections as a place to pause, reset, and refocus.
Where Change Actually Breaks
One of the easiest mistakes leaders make during organizational change is forgetting how long they've already been living with the change. Senior leaders may have spent six months discussing it. They've reviewed options, debated risks, asked questions, changed their minds, looked at drafts, worked through concerns, and gradually arrived at a decision they're ready to implement.
What the Boxcars Can Still Teach
In 1933, Joseph Siwek lost his railroad job. It was the middle of the Great Depression, and families in Minnesota needed firewood to heat their homes. Joseph started dismantling old wooden boxcars, pulling nails, and selling the scrap wood as firewood.