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Monthly Roundup: April 2025

Monthly Roundup: April 2025

Simplicity, Strategy & Road-Tested Leadership

Tim Lupinacci, CEO of Baker Donelson
April 24, 2025

As April comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to look back and reflect.

This month has been packed with lessons, and I’m excited to share what stood out.

From simplifying work to leading on the road…

Here’s what you’ll find in this month’s roundup

A new take on leadership from Lisa Bodell’s “Why Simple Wins”
Podcast episodes that dig deep into purpose-driven leadership
Stops from the Baker Donelson Summer Road Trip
And a major update on the book’s official launch

Let’s jump in.

Book Review and Leadership Thoughts

From: “Why Simple Wins” by Lisa Bodell

In today’s fast-moving, overly complex world, simplicity has become a leadership superpower.

A recent read that I continue returning to is Lisa Bodell’s “Why Simple Wins”

She puts it simply: “The player that can adapt to new conditions more quickly wins.”

Bodell warns of complexity overload. Initiatives without ROI, endless approval layers, and silos multiplying unnecessary effort, to name a few. Her message is clear: complexity kills culture, engagement, and momentum.

Here are a few warning signs she identifies:

Frequent status quo thinking
Frustrated team members
Too many long-winded emails or meetings without agendas
Projects without clear objectives
Rules that no longer serve the organization

We put this into practice by running a “Kill a Stupid Rule” exercise with our leadership team.

Each person brought 3 policies or processes to eliminate or simplify. By the end, we had dozens of changes ready to implement.

The result? A lighter, more focused work environment.

If you’re leading a team, this book is well worth your time. It’s practical, direct, and full of tools to streamline your work and your leadership.

Everybody Leads Podcast

This month, we continued sharing powerful conversations with leaders doing meaningful work:

April 9 – Jonathan Litt, Principal, MONTICELLOAM, LLC
April 23 – Jody Luke, President, Love Does

Coming May 7 – Lindy Cleveland, Founder & Director, Unless You

Each guest brings a different lens to leadership. If you’re not caught up, now’s a great time to jump in.

On the Road: Building Culture This Summer

This summer, I’ll be hitting the road for a multi-city visit across Baker Donelson offices. It’s part of our ongoing effort to build culture, connect across teams, and stay aligned as we grow.

These visits are about walking the halls, listening, learning, and spending meaningful time with our people.

Culture isn’t built by accident. It’s build through presence, trust, and showing up consistently and intentionally.

Below is the list of cities we will be in this summer:

May 16^th – Johnson City, TN	June 25^th– Baltimore, MD
June 3^rd– Atlanta, GA	June 30^th – Washington, DC
June 4^th – Chattanooga, TN	July 1^st – Princeton, NJ
June 5^th – Birmingham, AL	July 2^nd – Metro Park, NJ
June 9^th – Raleigh, NC	July 16^th – Knoxville, TN
June 10^th – Charlotte, NC	July 17^th – Nashville, TN
June 11^th – Columbia, SC	July 18^th – Memphis, TN
June 12^th – Charleston, SC	July 29^th – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
June 16^th– New Orleans, LA	July 30^th – Orlando, FL
June 17^th – Mandeville, LA	August 4^th – Houston, TX
June 18^th – Baton Rouge, LA	August 6^th – The Connective
June 24^th– Baltimore, MD	August 14^th – Jackson, MS

If you’re in the area and want to connect—

Whether it’s to talk leadership, culture, or Everybody Leads, I’d love to hear from you.

Just reply to this email or reach out directly.

Pre-Order Now: Everybody Leads

Mark your calendar: Everybody Leads officially launches on July 22.

You can pre-order now and get 15% off with the code TIMLEADS.

Thanks for your continued support. I can’t wait for you to read it.

Thanks for reading!

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to try this: take five minutes at the end of each month to reflect on where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, and how you’ve grown.

You’ll be surprised how much meaning can be uncovered in the quiet moments of reflection.

Tim