We did it. We dropped my oldest son, Caleb, off at college last weekend. This was a first for our family. Many friends and colleagues have gone before us. It’s a significant experience and something I wanted to write about. I had to think long and hard about what unique thought I could offer you, and of course, what leadership lesson could apply to many, regardless of their stage of life. One unique aspect of this experience, is that my...

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I just got back from a family vacation in Hawaii. We had never been there before, and it was a lovely time. As a part of our trip, we spent two days on the “Big Island” and I really wanted to see flowing lava, if at all possible. The day we arrived, we went on an organized tour of Volcanos National Park. When we were there, we saw Kilauea smoking and steaming profusely. Nearby park rangers told us that it...

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I noticed this quite a while ago, and once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. Many movies, dare I say most, are written with a hero and a mentor. We love to focus on the hero characters, but ever-present are the mentor characters. These are the ones who show up partway into the first act to help the hero get through their early challenges in the quest. Some mentor roles are short and static, others are dynamic and involved...

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Did you hear the news? After 38 years of waiting, Spaceballs 2 was announced yesterday. Check out the hilarious announcement from Mel Brooks himself: I cannot wait! In 1987, Mel Brooks released Spaceballs as a parody of Star Wars and other science fiction of that era. As much as I consider myself a Star Wars geek, I’ve probably watched Spaceballs more than the movies it parodies. It’s so quotable, and somehow, it never gets old. I was recently considering a common IT problem, and for some reason, Spaceballs scenes kept coming...

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Last week, I spoke about technology change leadership at Open Source North. It was a lot of fun. In case you missed it, I drew heavily from these past Zach on Leadership articles: Today’s article isn’t about the content of that presentation. It’s about the experience itself. I had an epiphany: I wasn’t nervous at all. I genuinely enjoyed the speaking opportunity. I was relaxed. It was fun. If I go back 15 years in time, the past version of...

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I’m naturally fascinated by new technology. No one needs to tell me to keep up on tech trends. I do so naturally. I’ve done plenty of dabbling with Generative AI. I’ve written about it a few times on this blog already. If you missed it, you can check it out here, here, and here. Today’s article is all about Generative AI technology adoption. Some never use it. Some play with it from time to time. Some use it daily. I’m...

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I remember the first time I set foot in a real data center. It was roughly 26 years ago. That’s where the magic happened. That’s where the serious IT engineering work was done. At the time, I was a desktop support technician. After a few years, I advanced my career to the point where I was qualified to work in the data center. I was elated. I loved every aspect of it. The ice-cold air conditioning, the blinking LED lights, the...

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Do you ever get the feeling that you should’ve been promoted to the next level by now? If you are early in your career, you might think you are the only one. Ask anyone. Every single person will say that they’ve been there for a season of their career. Most have been there multiple times. While the situation is common, it isn’t easy to handle. Being overdue for a promotion can lead to frustration and disengagement. There are a lot...

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