Digging Through the Compost Bin (August 2025 Edition)
The current state of global leadership during Sad Dad Summer
Leadership models are everywhere.
Most of them have some significant issues.
I’ve been chewing on this article all month.
There’s a sense in which all models are correct—while none of them are.
Generative leadership considers the conditions. Environment, climate, and ecosystems vary—and that matters. At the heart of every situation where there are leaders and followers, there are people living in a context. Leadership is more than models. It’s alive with beating hearts and breathing lives. Real people who eat and dream and love and hope.
This is why “Project Generative Leadership” imatters so much to me. People and nations are too often sacrificed on the whims of leaders—leadership lusting for power and position, money and merit.*
Generative leadership (at least the version I envision) decomposes all leadership models into something that works for everyone—making our churches, businesses, nonprofits, and world better places.
This project is gaining traction this month. I’ll share more in the first September edition of Good Dirt.
At the beginning of each month, I’m setting aside the regular essay to fill you in on seeds and scraps and shoots and roots—what’s going into my personal compost bin, and what’s beginning to grow from the fresh, good dirt.
🌱 Seeds and Scraps
Stuff going into the composter this month
📖It Can’t Happen Here (something to read): Books are the cure for doomscrolling. In a day of perpetual political polarization, “breaking news” will ultimately break the spirit. Long-form, after-the-fact analysis—and, in this case, satire—is better for the mind and the soul (and, I believe, for society). Sinclair Lewis wrote this during the heart of the Great Depression (1935). Most Americans were unaware of what was happening in Europe, as they were facing their own scarcity. Lewis’s political satire is bitter and biting, revealing a timeless reality: our democracy is much more fragile than we might have first thought.
🧠 Obsidian (software to check out): Last month I told you about my rediscovery of analog notebooks—and I’m still an avid user and huge fan. But in my often chaotic world of thinking, writing, research, and output (ideas that dosomething?), digital is the best way to find and organize in an orderly manner. Obsidian is my software of choice for this.
For any nerds reading this, there are two big draws for me:
First, Obsidian uses simple markdown text files. This is nerd-speak for the fact that my notes can be opened on any machine using a basic text editor. I’ll never lose my work.
Second, the ability and ease of linking notes means I can connect disparate ideas to create something new. Linking my thinking, if you will.
If you’re looking for a simple and interesting way to take digital notes, I recommend it. (Let me know if you want to hear more about this!)
📽️The Wild Robot (something to watch): This animated movie came out last year (2024) and we saw it in theaters and loved it. Our daughter was home this month and we watched it again with her, and loved it some more. The animation is stunning. There were moments in the movie theatre when I audibly gasped because it was so beautiful. More importantly, the story is a beautiful balance of humor and poignancy. Sure — it’s a great movie for the kids. My kids are all adults and it may be an even better movie for us. The Wild Robot was one of my favorite movies in 2024. Having seen it again, it may be one of my favorite movies of all time. Check out the trailer. Then pop some popcorn and plan a movie night with the kids (or by yourself). It’s really that good.
🎧 Aperture (Something to listen to):
Spotify has a “Daylist” feature, in which the algorithm reviews your most recent listens and compiles compatible playlists based on what it thinks you like. I get some interesting ones sometimes. Occasionally it’s “Mohawk and Anarchy Saturday Morning” (that’s mostly old-school punk), or “Dramatic and Cinematic Tuesday Afternoon”—a reflection of the typical background music I play while working.
But most of the time, my Daylist title is something like “Soul-Crushing, Sad Dad, Americana Saturday Night.”
The Head and the Heart often show up on those lists, and their latest album has been a big part of my Sad Dad Summer™. While our daughter was here this month, she and I had a chance to see them live in Asheville—and it was a magical show.
This song might just be my theme for 2025.
🌿 Shoots and Roots
What’s sprouting—projects in motion, words on the page, ideas taking shape.
📘 Nonfiction:
Project: Generative Leadership
We’re making progress. But I don’t want to make promises! I really hope to have significant manifesto headway to report next month!
Not much progress on fiction this month, other than some productive walks.
📚 Fiction:
Project: Dark Academia Cozy Mystery
Think: eccentric professor, internationally set mysteries, and Gothic libraries. Plus a lot of coffee.
Not much to report on this one this month.
Project: American Folklore Fantasy
Think: American Gods meets a John Green novel with cryptids and Algonquin folklore (and much more family friendly than American Gods). This one is still in the compost bin. Although I have written a short story and have begun developing this world with its characters. No word count on this one. But I think about this world and this story almost every day.
Thanks for being here.
Grow deep. Lead strong. Compost everything.
And remember you are doing better than you think.
This is my every Sunday-ish essay — a shovel-full of what I’m reading, writing, watching, thinking, and experimenting with in the space of generative leadership, creativity, and the slow, steady work of growing good things.
It’s always free. But if you’d like to support the work — and help fund the coffee that keeps the compost turning — you can upgrade to a paid subscription.
☕️ Much appreciated.
👋 Let’s connect on LinkedIn — I’d love to hear what dirt you’re working with these days.
🎙 I’m a consultant, coach, and trainer with Growability® Consulting, helping businesses, nonprofits and cross-cultural organizations develop clear leadership, sustainable strategy, thriving teams, and better management tools. I also co-host the Growability® Podcast — wherever you get your podcasts.
Need help growing your team, your systems, or your story?
Just hit reply. Growability® Coaching can help.