The Leader's Edge: April 2025

Welcome to the April 2025 edition of The Leader's Edge.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

  • A leadership lesson inspired by Bluey

  • A book review on creative thinking

  • Updates on Everybody Leads and where I’m sharing its message

  • This month’s most talked-about LinkedIn post

There’s a lot in here that will help you grow as a leader.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.

Leadership Insight of the Month

What Bluey taught me about leadership.

In the Bluey episode “Rag Doll,” Bluey and her sister Bingo want ice cream. Their dad, Bandit, says they have to earn it. He drops to the floor, playing the role of a lifeless rag doll, and tells them: 

If you can get me to the car, I’ll take you to get ice cream.

What follows is a messy, hilarious, and surprisingly insightful lesson in leadership.

Here’s what stuck with me:

1. You’ve got to work for it.

Bluey and Bingo assume money comes from the ATM. 

Bandit’s challenge shows them, and us, that progress takes effort. 

Leadership isn’t passive. It’s earned through hard work and intentional action.

2. Obstacles are part of the path.

Dragging their dad through doorways and down steps? It wasn’t easy. 

But like real-life leadership, the barriers we face shape us.

Great leaders don’t avoid obstacles; they adapt.

3. Resilience wins.

They fall. They get frustrated. But they keep going. That’s the lesson. 

Leadership isn’t about perfection, it’s about persistence.

4. Whatever it takes.

Despite how long it takes or how hard it gets, Bluey and Bingo didn’t give up. 

That’s the mindset leaders need, especially when things take longer than expected.

5. Work smart, not just hard.

Eventually, they stop overthinking and find the simplest solution.

Leadership is the same. It’s not just about effort, it’s about clarity, creativity, and keeping things simple.

When Bluey and Bingo finally succeed, the reward is sweeter and the lesson sticks. 

Real-life leadership is rarely clean or predictable. 

But if you stay clear on the goal and keep moving forward, it’s always worth it.

Book Review of the Month

Thinking Differently: Lessons from Non-Obvious Thinking

Earlier this year, I read Non-Obvious Thinking by Rohit Bhargava and Ben DuPont.

This book offers a practical guide to breaking out of conventional thought patterns. The authors structure the book around a powerful framework called SIFT, a tool I’ve returned to again and again:

S – Space (Create Room to Think)

Great ideas don’t come in chaos, they come in quiet moments. 

The authors encourage leaders to slow down, pause, and reflect.

Tactics include changing your morning routine and ditching artificial deadlines.

Leave room for the breakthrough to find you.

A partner once told me: “Spend more time staring out the window.” That’s where creative breakthroughs often begin.

I – Insight (Be Present to Discover Meaning)

Stay present.

Subtle moments often reveal powerful truths if you’re paying attention.

Practices include reading body language, tuning into nuance, and even noticing small details (like the color of geese feathers on a morning run).

The book echoes what thinkers like Brother Lawrence called “the sacrament of the present moment.”

F – Focus (Cut Through the Noise)

We’re surrounded by distraction. 

The authors challenge us to focus relentlessly and block out the noise.

They also recommend tools like the “Five Whys” to uncover root causes and center on the real issue, not the noise around it.

I use 90-minute work sprints, six-week goal plans, and 100-day execution windows to protect focus and drive results.

T – Twist (Take Ideas in a New Direction)

Innovation requires risk and adaptability. 

The book encourages reverse thinking, trying things backwards, or asking provocative, contrarian questions.

I shared the book with my leadership team and asked each person to bring one non-obvious idea for improving our firm. What followed was a powerful dinner conversation that turned into a roadmap for change.

If you’re leading a team or tackling a big challenge..

Non-Obvious Thinking is a book worth reading.

Everybody Leads

Exciting News!

Everybody Leads launches on July 22nd!

With the release now confirmed, I’ve been sharing its core ideas in more rooms, on more stages, and through more conversations.

Upcoming Speaking Events
I'll be bringing the Everybody Leads message to these stages:

  • June 24 – Innovation Works – Baltimore, Maryland

  • August 11 – Lunch with a Leader – Canton, Georgia

More events are being finalized—I’ll share them as they’re confirmed.

Podcast Guest Appearances (Coming Soon)
Watch for guest interviews on:

  • Love as a Business Strategy

  • Culture from the Heart

New Episodes on the Everybody Leads Podcast
Catch up on March’s episodes:

  • 3/12 – Lindsey Davis Stover & Shivam Mallick Shah (1953 Tequila)

  • 3/23 – Jody Luke (Love Doves)

  • 3/26 – Lisa Calhoun (Valor Ventures)

New Episode out today:

  • 4/9 – Jonathan Litt (MONTICELLOAM, LLC)

Each conversation explores real-world leadership through the voices of people building, navigating, and leading in various fast-moving environments.

Pre-Order Is Now Open

Reserve your copy of Everybody Leads and get 15% off with code: TIMLEADS

LinkedIn Post of the Month 

Here’s the hard truth about work and life:

Work-life balance? It’s a myth.

Life doesn’t pause when work gets busy.

And work doesn’t slow down when life demands more of you.

Great leaders don’t chase an equal balance. They create a comfortable integration.

What might that look like?

  • Taking a call while on a morning walk.

  • Blocking off time for family dinners, with no exceptions.

  • Being fully present in both professional and personal moments.

Because leadership isn’t about achieving a perfect split.

It’s about finding a rhythm that works for you.

So, how do you integrate work and life? 

Thank You for Reading!

Keep an eye out for the April Monthly Roundup, where I’ll share closing thoughts and stories from the month that was.

Tim