You know, Memorial Day hits different when you’ve walked in those boots yourself. I was in high school during Vietnam (’68 – ’71), and let me tell you – watching soldiers coming home from that war was like walking into a cold shower that never ended. Fifty years later, as I watch my grandkids play […]
Business startup concept.Young man working together with partner in modern office loft ” data-medium-file=”https://babyboomer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/122593614_m-650×434-1.jpg” data-large-file=”https://dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/122593614_m-1024×683.jpg” /> In today’s business landscape, leadership theories and methodologies seem to multiply by the day. From transformational leadership to servant leadership, from agile frameworks to complex management matrices—the sheer volume of leadership advice can be overwhelming. Yet, what if the […]
Picture this: You walk into your office and notice something feels off. People are going through the motions, but that spark—that energy that makes a team truly hum—is missing. You’re not alone. Employee engagement has hit a 10-year low, with only 31% of U.S. employees truly engaged at work, down from its peak of 36% […]
Picture this: You’re at a big party, surrounded by people, but you might as well be invisible. That’s exactly how 1 in 5 employees feel at work right now, according to recent data from Harvard Business Review. Despite all the Slack channels, Zoom meetings, and office social events, workers are feeling more alone than ever. […]
The meeting had been going on for a few minutes, when a junior executive rushed in, late. The boss looked up and glared. The junior said “excuse me, I didn’t mean to disturb.” The executive grinned and said, “No problem, I’ve been disturbed for quite some time.” There were uncomfortable chuckles. What can you make […]
Recently there has been a rise in the number of times someone on LinkedIn posing as an agent for someone else, proposing a deal or to make connections by going off LinkedIn to WhatsApp. I’m not usually a suspicious person, living my life in a fairly trusting way. But I was very curious about the […]
In today’s complex business landscape, entrepreneurs and business leaders are constantly searching for frameworks to bring order to chaos, clarity to confusion, and direction to their teams. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) has emerged as one of the most popular business operating systems over the past decade, with more than 170,000 companies using its tools […]
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) has emerged as the defining factor that separates exceptional leaders from merely competent ones. As we navigate through 2025, the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership has reached unprecedented levels, with studies showing that EI accounts for nearly 90% of what moves people up […]
In a world crowded with leadership advice, the most important question often goes unasked: “What do YOU want your leadership reputation to be?” While countless books list the attributes of “good leaders,” the truth is that true leadership isn’t about checking off boxes from someone else’s list. It’s about consciously creating your own unique leadership […]
In today’s workplace, we’re experiencing a fascinating clash of communication styles. As Gen Z (born roughly between 1997 and 2012) enters the workforce in greater numbers, they’re bringing fresh perspectives on everything from work-life balance to corporate language. And one thing is becoming increasingly clear: many traditional business buzzwords are falling flat with this new […]
