Entries by Dave Carr

Are We Able To Have Trustworthy Elections?

I attended the Braver Angel WNC Town Hall, a significant event that was based on the Braver Angels Trustworthy Elections Report, a comprehensive and credible resource on Restoring Trust in Our Elections. The Town Hall began with an overview of the report. Then, we broke into seven small groups, each discussing one of the seven election topics. 1. […]

What Is Fair?

An electrician recently charged me $1,200 to rewire our kitchen for remodeling. He and his partner were there for 6 hours. The cost of supplies was over $100. I thought his bill was expensive. Then, I heard back from a client on a proposal for leadership development, who told me my fee was too high. […]

The Curse of, “I Didn’t Think About That!”

How often have you said to yourself and others, “I didn’t think about that.” or “That didn’t cross my mind.” or “I hadn’t considered that.”? Why did you say that? Why did you think that? Were you guilty of “fast thinking”? According to Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow, we spend over 90% of our […]

Is It Hard To Be A Liberal in Today’s World?

Recently, I co-facilitated a discussion with six conservatives and six liberals on book banning. My co-facilitator, a conservative, commented, “It’s tough being a conservative in today’s world.”   I got to noodling on her comment and realized it is tough to be a liberal. Here are my thoughts: It is tough to be liberal in today’s world. I’ve […]

Do You Have a Word for 2024?

As 2023 ends, some call this the “year of the brink.” Some think 2024 will be worse. We have wars going on in Ukraine, Israel, and Sudan. AI poses a profound risk to society and humanity. 2023 was the hottest year on record, contributing to various climate crises. Trust in SCOTUS, banks, crypto, and media […]

What Sailing Taught Me!

A coaching client read my blog, Hell NO, I Don’t Want To Live Another 70 Years! They asked me about valuable lesson number nine: Learn to sail. Sailing has taught me more about life than any job, hobby, or sport. They asked me to explain what I had learned from sailing. Sailing is a blend of ballet, sport, […]

Hell No, I Don’t Want To Live Another 70 Years!

When our financial counselor told me he expected me to live to be 90, I told him I expected to live to 78! My father died at 61, and my mother died at 88. I believe I can beat the law of averages by three years! Our son, Brett, asked me to officiate his and […]

Soulfully Strong People: 7 Things They Do Well*

Having coached leaders and worked with many teams, the most obvious work needed to overcome is dysfunctionality! This is the work of the soul. It’s that fourth edge of the saw we need to keep sharp. It’s part of the 7th habit of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which Covey refers to as […]

Is Christianity Going to the Dogs?

On a recent men’s retreat, one of the conversations was about our relationship with God and our Christian faith. Every man shared concerns and uneasiness in their faith journey. All I could say was, “Me too.” Brian McLaren is experiencing this Christian uneasiness and has written about it in Do I Stay Christian? I found this book […]

How Are You Dealing With the VUCAs?

In the 7th edition of The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner address the VUCAs (page 213) under the practice of Enabling Others to Act. I first encountered the term VUCA while attending an educator’s boot camp at Paris Island MCRD in 2013. Back in the 1990’s, the military added the acronym, VUCA to its vocabulary. […]