This week, I returned to a memory I didn’t know I needed. My mother, making tea—not for ceremony, but for steadiness. Her hands moved slowly, with care, not rush. A quiet rhythm that once seemed ordinary now feels like wisdom.

It reminded me: rituals aren’t about performance. They’re about presence. They’re the anchors we build when life gets fast, uncertain or loud. Science agrees—Harvard research shows rituals reduce stress and sharpen performance. Not magic, just rhythm with meaning.

In Japanese culture, even daily phrases like Ittekimasu (行ってきます) carry ritual weight. They mark intention. They bring us back to center.

Rituals shape how we show up—especially when we’re not sure we can. Read More…

My journey with the Ensō Mindset began with the quiet presence of my Jiichan, my Japanese grandfather. Though I never watched him practice calligraphy, I can imagine his brush moving across the canvas, creating bold strokes in his shodō paintings—an artist and a businessman shaping the world with deliberate, intentional movement. His art, now in my hands, became the inspiration for how I understood leadership, resilience, and ultimately, how my own brain worked.

Read More…

Have you ever had a leader who said all the right things—but you didn’t feel them? They meant well, but deep down, you wondered… Do you truly see me? Do you understand what fills my cup?

That gap—between words and presence—is what separates transactional leadership from authentic, felt leadership.

In Zen Buddhism, the Ensō (円相) is a hand-drawn circle—imperfect, fluid, and never complete. It symbolizes growth, presence, and continuous learning.

The deeper I explored Japanese philosophy, the more I saw a pattern: words tied to leadership, resilience, and transformation all shared one kanji—心 (Kokoro, heart-mind).

My Jiichan (grandfather) embodied this. While I grew up in Canada, he remained deeply rooted in Japan, shaping me in ways I only later understood.

Living Your Values: A Way of Being

Saying you have values is one thing. Living them is another. A tree’s strength lies in its roots—deep, unwavering, and essential for growth. In leadership, our roots are the values we embody, not just the words we speak. They must be practiced daily, nurtured over time, and strengthened through experience. Without strong roots, a tree cannot withstand the storms; without deeply held values, a leader cannot navigate challenges with resilience.

Racing across open waters has taught me profound lessons about leadership, mirroring the unpredictable storms leaders face. Just like a tree weathering wind and rain, leadership requires deep roots, flexible branches, and the resilience to stand tall through adversity.

The Resilient Leader: Rooted in Purpose, Flexible in Action

The wisdom of the tree offers a timeless metaphor for leadership. A resilient tree doesn’t resist storms; it bends, absorbs, and adapts while remaining deeply rooted in the soil that sustains it. Leaders who embody this wisdom recognize that strength comes from within—anchored in values, nourished by learning, and tested by challenges.

What if the secret to authentic leadership lies in something as simple as a tree? Trees embody resilience, adaptability, and connection, offering profound lessons for leaders. Like a seed growing into a strong and flexible tree, leadership requires nurturing roots in self-awareness, values, and relationships, while branches extend outward toward growth and opportunity.

The tree’s wisdom isn’t about striving for perfection but embracing change, balancing strength with vulnerability, and fostering collective growth. From the “wood wide web” of interconnected roots to the ability to bend without breaking in a storm, trees remind us that true leadership thrives through connection and adaptability.