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One New Good Idea
When I worked at the CIA I had a boss, Mike, who used to say that he felt good about going to a conference as long as he got ONE NEW GOOD IDEA from it. That may sound like a low bar but after 40+ years...
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Rebel Against Your Inner Critic
The person that’s stopping us from doing great work is often ourselves. Or, rather, our inner critic.Apprehension, fear, insecurity, and all kinds of other negative feelings push back on us, causing...
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It Takes Every Kind of Rebel
We're all most likely a mash-up of these and other behaviors. (Rebels never fit into tidy boxes.)Our hope is that this graphic encourages us to see the value different people bring to any change...
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Complicated or Complex?
Happy New Year to all you Rebels at Work!!In addition to thinking about how to navigate organizations reluctant to do what’s good for them, I also spend a lot of time thinking about thinking—how to...
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The Day After: A Rebel's Mistakes
The historic Ashton Mill and Viaduct, Cumberland, RI. Photo by Lois Kelly An incident happened yesterday in my small New England town where people called the police on me.I was in that wonderful flow...
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Rebels at Work Keep it Real--newsletter
A brief thought about UkraineThe planet on which we circle the sun every 365 (and a quarter) days is not having a smooth time of it. It’s impossible to write about Ukraine without somehow taking...
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Dare to Un-Lead: Collectively Changing Leadership
Celine Schillinger's new book, "Dare to Un-Lead: the Art of Relational Leadership in a Fragmented World," comes out today. The well-research book examines why we need new approaches to leadership and...
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Always Learning
Rebels at Work has been a thing for more than 15 years now so you might assume there’s not a whole lot more Lois Kelly and I could learn about the struggles of so many of you to make things better at...
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A Rebel’s True Thoughts on Returning to the Office
By Laurel MaxwellI like my quiet mornings. The slow ease into the day like placing eggs in boiling water. Gently so they won’t crack the minute they hit the hard bottom. Bubbles lazily making their...
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Rebels At Work: Control is for Amateurs
We came across this graphic the other day and it reminded us of something we observed a few years ago. Control is for amateurs. This usually applies to new managers, who often default to...
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Ten types of Rebels at Work
Rebels at Work can’t be neatly categorized. We’re far too complex, as are most humans. What is important is that we value different approaches to solving problems and improving situations at work. That...
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Good Rebels Persevere: Boston's New Police Commisioner
Boston’s new police commissioner, Michael Cox. Photo @BostonGlobe. People often ask Carmen and me for examples of good Rebels at Work. Here's one: Boston's new police commissioner Michael Cox.He's...
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A Few Words about Accountability
Accountability is a really good thing, correct? Organizations would perform so much better if they had a culture of accountability. Managers who hold their direct reports accountable are practicing...
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Make It Easy
The biggest secret to changing behavior or getting your boss to say “yes”: make it easy.So many of us lay out masterful proposals and presentations on why our idea should be supported or adopted and...
View ArticleThe Joys and Sorrows of Being a Rebel at Work
How do you stay positive and effective when challenging the status quo and trying to introduce new ideas at work? In my conversation with Celine Schillinger, author of “Dare to Un-Lead,” I share ways...
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Another Inflection Point for Rebels at Work
A painting of Cassandra, the doomsayer of Troy. Have you played with the Generative Artificial Intelligence engine ChatGPT? I have and was immediately reminded of my seminal Rebel at Work experience...
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Learnings on the Rebel Trail
Lois Kelly and I have been talking with Rebels at Work for more than a decade. You would think there’s not much more for us to learn, but you would be wrong. Just in the past few weeks, I’ve...
View ArticleGuidelines to live and work by
Found this advice from Vikrant Batra, CMO of HP, while cleaning out some files. They’re the guidelines that shape his approach to work. They seem valuable to Rebels at Work, especially as we manage our...
View ArticleJacinda Ardern: Dare to Lead with Humanity
We are waiting. More than 2,000 students, faculty, and community members are in the Brown University sports complex to hear her speak about leadership.“I’ve never seen so many students show up for this...
View ArticleThe Story of Bridgewater Associates: When a Rebel Should Quit
The new book, “The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend” by investigative reporter Rob Copeland, is a fascinating read and an example of where good rebels...
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