When I started this blog I shared one of the best pieces of leadership advice I ever received: “The most important asset in any organization are people.”[i] Unfortunately, many leaders fail to follow through and properly manage staff across the entire employment cycle. Last month I read a particularly incisive Substack post about a key … Continue reading Staff Retention – Don’t Make it an Afterthought!
Credibility, the Currency of Leadership
The history of judicial administration is full of attempts to define, explain, and teach about “leadership.” For instance, here at Court Leader we have published dozens of articles, guides, and podcasts on leadership, while the National Association for Court Management identifies leadership as a core competency and has many relevant articles in The Court Manager … Continue reading Credibility, the Currency of Leadership
Creating the Future
I have always been a “big picture” person, focusing more on the macro rather than the micro aspects of life. Early in my career I heard a speaker talk about the need for strategic thinking and it really resonated with me. The biggest takeaway I got from this session was the need to think big … Continue reading Creating the Future
The Eight Tasks of Leadership
When we think about leadership, what comes to mind? Usually, we focus on what are the best attributes and skills of an effective leader. These include such things as emotional intelligence, resiliency, modeling behaviors, accountability, competency, leadership styles, etc. Leaders need to be capable of using all these skills well.[i] Sometimes, though, we lose sight … Continue reading The Eight Tasks of Leadership
Performance Previews, NOT Reviews
Employee performance management is a fundamental component of leadership and directly supports the judiciary’s mission to uphold the rule of law. After all, employees are the backbone of the court. To that end, in my career as a court administrator I made improving employee performance a high priority. In that time, I learned a lot … Continue reading Performance Previews, NOT Reviews
A High School Lesson on the Importance of Values
I have previously made several posts on the core values I shared with court staff during my career.[i] Values, of course, are not exclusive to courts. I recently read the values of a high school which really resonated with me as these values apply to any setting where people work together, not just in an … Continue reading A High School Lesson on the Importance of Values
2025 WJP Rule of Law Index
The 2025 Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project paints a dismal picture of the state of the Rule of Law around the world. We need to take action to reverse the downward trend in far too many countries.
Fulfilling the Public’s Trust: Competency
Competency is the sum of the knowledge and skills required for effective performance.
NACM’s 40th Anniversary Conference’s Outstanding Education Program
Last month I attended the National Association for Court Management (NACM)[i] annual conference in Omaha, where we celebrated NACM’s 40th anniversary. As a Charter Member of NACM, it was wonderful to see how much NACM has grown and achieved over the decades. At the conference there was great professional networking, a fine vendor exhibition, and … Continue reading NACM’s 40th Anniversary Conference’s Outstanding Education Program
The End of USAID and its Rule of Law Programs
The termination of USAID ends decades of positive work to strengthen civil societies and institutions. A key example is the end of Rule of Law projects, in which I participated for over two decades.
Court Leader 