John Baldoni's Blog

Haley Stevens lost her primary race to become the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. It was a very close race, and she lost by a percentage point, a mere 15,000 votes. It was a bitterly fought race with the eventual winner, Dr. Abdul El-Sayeed. 

Haley Stevens may have lost, but she is not a loser. Two days after her defeat, she was on CBS News endorsing El-Sayeed and urging her supporters to support him and the Democratic ticket.

Stevens, who represents a swing district in Michigan, will forfeit her seat, but she has given us a good lesson in democracy. In our contentious times, contested election results have become more common. The concept of acknowledging a loss too often is forgotten in favor of disputing results. Doing this erodes the heart of democracy. Winners win, and losers admit defeat. That is the American way.

So Stevens’ concession and her willingness to endorse her opponent is welcome. It is a lesson in grace. When you lose fairly, you admit it and move on. Stevens is taking it one step further by working to elect her rival. 

What we can take from Stevens’ approach are four things:

One, when you lose, admit it. 

Two, thank those who support you and be gracious to those who did not.

Three, heed your purpose and continue to stand tall for your values.

Four, stay positive.

Politics is a mean business, and more and more it has become an arena where personal and family safety can be at risk. So when we see candidates admit defeat and move toward unity, they demonstrate that partisanship has its limits, but the greater good knows no bounds.

… I would be remiss if I left unsaid the one thing to say about him –

There is no greener laurel to lay on a leader this,

that he did right so we could do without him.

That is how poet Miller Williams ended a tribute to a colleague upon his retirement. The line resonates with the truth of a leader’s role. 

The leader’s role

Upon taking charge, the leader needs to provide direction and resources to enable the team to execute. And importantly, elevate us to our better selves. And when all that happens – over time, and never perfectly or even always on time – it is necessary for the leader to make way for a successor, one who can carry on – not as the leader has – but as is necessary for the organization to succeed.

When to step down is a question that every leader faces. For some, it is not their choice due to age or performance, for others, it is a matter of when. Some look forward to shedding “the harness of responsibility,” others do not and wonder what will happen when they leave. The question is both organizational and personal.

The organization lives on

On the organizational side, the quote from Miller Williams hits the nail on the head. When people no longer need you, it is an affirmation that you have done a good job, even a great one. It means that your efforts have prepared the organization to move forward without you. That is a sign that you have a strong bench and a viable successor, one who will take the organization forward. Not necessarily as you have done, but as the organization needs to meet rising issues, some of which are wholly unknown at the moment.

What about you?

On the personal side, a leader may wonder what’s next, how will he or she occupy themselves when they are no longer in charge? That’s a human reaction and one that is only solved by exploration and self-discovery. When you close the door on one career, it does not mean “the end.” 

Take good care of yourself. You have earned it. Pursue what engages your mind and your heart. Fulfillment awaits those who seek it.

Note: The poem cited above is “Talking about the Retirement of Not Soon Forgotten,” and is contained in Time and the Tilting Earth by Miller Williams.

“This is a book about courage, faith, and hope. It is a book about what we ought to be, what we can be, and what we will be. This is a book about the American spirit.”

This paragraph is from the introduction of William McRaven’s newest book, Duty, Honor, Country & Life: A Tribute to the American Spirit. Admiral McRaven served for 37 years as a Navy SEAL, including his final assignment as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. When McRaven retired from the Navy, he became the Chancellor of the University of Texas from 2015 to 2018. Since then, he has become a highly in-demand speaker and best-selling author, most notably for his book,Make Your Bed.

The title of this book is derived from the title of General Douglas MacArthur’s speech given at West Point, his alma mater, in 1962. As McRaven notes, the old man spoke without “his soaring ego” about the “courage, sacrifice and patriotism” of average Americans and with “a deep sense of reverence for his country and for those who fought so valiantly to defend its principles.”

Who We Are

Reverence for those who have built our nation and who sustain it today is a central theme of this book, which is a richly eloquent collection of McRaven’s reflections, speeches, and poems. It also is an apt tribute to our nation as it marks its 250th anniversary. Throughout, there are stories about the service and sacrifice of those under his command. McRaven also lauds families of service personnel who, in a very real sense, serve alongside their loved ones.

In a reflection about heroes, McRaven cites the courage of Medal of Honor recipients as well as being “inspired by diplomats, those U.S. ambassadors who carried the might of America in their words and their actions.” He closes his essay with a shoutout to “the teachers, coaches, parents, and guardians who raised us to adulthood, taught us right from wrong, motivated us through the pain and disappointments, and encouraged us to follow our dreams.”

For me, this paragraph sums up what I have observed from so many veterans with whom I have come to know, either personally or through story. Service men and women volunteer for us. And while their military service is rightly recognized, it is built upon a foundation of national ideals and values. That foundation, however, rests upon the willingness of citizens who are willing to — as another veteran, President John F. Kennedy, put it – “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” Patriotism is service. It is reserved for those in uniform, but it is an invitation to serve, collectively and individually,

Poem for action

McCraven, who has written poetry throughout his life, closes with a poem, “Sitting on the Porch.” In his introduction to it, he notes that the poem’s genesis was hearing sirens as he was seated in his rocker on the porch. “I knew that somewhere, someone was in trouble…. There is always someone in trouble… and while I couldn’t solve every problem, maybe I could still make a difference.” And so here’s a portion of this poem.

But the longer I rock/the more it seems,

that sitting on the porch/is only for dreams…

But now I know/that the answer lies

in getting off the porch/before I die.

Consider this poem as a call to action that each of us can answer in our own way and in our own communities, doing what we can to make a difference.

First posted on SmartBrief.com 7.02.2026

Is power based on influence, or is influence based on power?

 The answer is both. The challenge is to decide how to employ each. Do you lead with power, or lead with influence?

 The answer is it depends upon the situation.

 Corporate influence

When my generation (Okay, Boomer) first entered the work force, we were expected to follow orders or else. And we did or found another job. Over the decades, there was a subtle shift toward greater delegation, allowing employees to exercise more autonomy and decide how to work more effectively.

One of the influences was the Toyota Production System, in which authority resided more with workers than with bosses. It was said that the most powerful people in manufacturing at Toyota were the vehicle program chiefs. Same in the U.S., but there was a difference. Toyota chiefs had no direct reports; American chiefs had many. The former relied upon influence based on experience. The Americans relied upon command and control.

The operative principle is trust. In the first instance, trust is secondary. You do what the boss says because you want to keep your job. In the second instance, you want to follow the boss because you trust their know-how. Therefore, the optimal use of power should be based upon trust.

Individual influence

Power within an organizational context rests on a foundation of authority, e.g., the boss. Influence within the same organizational context is derived from example and experience. In the first instance, the boss tells you to do something, and you do it because failure to do so may result in your being fired. In the second instance, the boss asks you to do something, and you do it because experience has taught you that the boss knows what’s best.

Executives have power over others because of the authority inherent in their positions. They are the boss, and bosses have the responsibility to get things done and the authority to do so. They accomplish their goals through others.

Peers have no authority over their colleagues. But they can exert influence based on their experience and example. Their peers trust them because they have proven themselves able to accomplish what needs to be done.

 At the same time, executives can operate as peers insofar as they seek input and encourage individuals and teams to make the best decisions for how to accomplish the workflow. Doing so enables workers to exercise autonomy and, over time, take ownership of their jobs and their outcomes.

 Each form of power is valid, but when it comes to building trust, we gravitate toward those who enable us to make decisions – within the context of the job – to get things done. That behavior enables us to exert ownership. If we are only told what to do, we will do it, but seldom with the same enthusiasm. We lack autonomy.

 Our challenge is to understand our own influence – our sense of agency. We can make the choices that affirm our values and enable us to commit to helping the organization succeed.

First posted on LinkedIn 00.00.2026

TPresident Eisenhower, an avid golfer, lamented that his game was no longer as good as it was when he was president.

CEOs today know the feeling, especially when their jokes fall flat, their phones do not ring, and their calendars are open – wide open.

Welcome to retirement.

This syndrome pertains to all of us at one point or another after our working years are over. Time stretches as it never did before, almost like being a schoolkid again, feeling the long days of summer.

Only you won’t be going back when the bell rings. You are done.

Finding the new you

Steve Lopez, author of IndependenceDay: What I Learned about Retirement from Some Who Have Done It and Some Who Never Will, told me in an interview that when you retire, you need to find purpose. And such a purpose need not be grandiose. Steve said some folks find purpose in walking their dog.

Purpose is essential, certainly, but I have a different take. I would define post-work years as the need or search for relevance.

We all want to be wanted. 

When you are in charge, everyone wants a piece of you. Your time is rarely your own. You are, so to speak, in harness to the organization’s needs. When you hang it up, your time returns to you. Retirement, a friend told me, is six Saturdays and one Sunday.

So how do you want to spend those days?

Finding meaning

Relevance, as I define it, is what gives you meaning, focus, or even direction. The question becomes, what do you have to offer?

A good friend of mine Jim retired after a long corporate career in finance. In 2017 he began volunteering two hours a week at a nonprofit organization that distributes clothing and small household items free to children and adults in need. Jim’s two hours per week has bloomed into three full days a week managing inventory, including the manual labor required to accept donations and restock shelves. Now that’s relevance!

So ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I like doing?
• What am I good at?
• How can I contribute?

Doing volunteer work is great, but it is not for everyone. You can make time for others. Pitching in where you can as a friend or neighbor.

And you can still have fun.

For example, I know fellow golfers who play nearly every day when the weather permits. Golf is a game of focus, something you can work on and always improve, even when your level of improvement is more an act of restoration, that is, finding a way to still enjoy the challenge of the game.

Word to the wise. Some folks want to continue working. Steve Lopez told me that he interviewed Mel Brooks when he was writing Independence Day. As we know Mr. Brooks is a centenarian and still in the game. If you want to keep working – and you can still contribute – go for it.

First posted on LinkedIn on 6.28.2026

My country strong and proud.

Its might is rooted in our heritage,

Born in revolution, steeled in conflict,

Men and women willing to sacrifice all.

The flag they chose speaks it all

Red for toughness and valor.

Blue for vigilance and justice.

White for the purity of our ideals.

Strength is not mere might.

It is a belief in natural law rooted in a moral code.

Ideals where all persons are created equal.

That puts the rights of all ahead of the rights of a few.

They are willing to stand up for what they believe

Against those who conflate their privilege with righteousness.

We honor those in uniform who act for our benefit.

We believe in authority rooted in the voices of the people,

The many voices – all not in harmony, but all who have a right to be heard.

Dissent is our heritage. 

We argue, we disagree, we march, and we vote.

If we lose, we accept it.

If we win, we act for the good of all.

As sacred as our values are, 

we know we have not always honored them with our actions.

Yet we persevere in principle.

We are patriots.

Proud, strong and brave.

If you want to raise a crop for one year, plant corn. If you want to raise a crop for decades, plant trees. If you want to raise a crop for centuries, raise men. If you want to raise a crop for eternity, raise democracies.

Ari Weinzweig uses this quote by Carl Schenk, a German-born forester who developed techniques for modern forestry in the late 19th and early 20th century, to underscore the challenge that we face in building and maintaining democracies. Ari is co-founder of the internationally renowned Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and a prolific author of books, pamphlets and essays on business and the human condition. (He is also a friend.) 

As Ari writes in his new pamphlet Why Democracy Matters, he, like so many of the Boomer generation – including me – was raised to take democracy for granted. Today, such nonchalance – born of the fact that American democracy did work well – lies at the heart of its current threat. That is, when you take your eye off the ball – and do not invest in making it work – it can erode governance “of the people, by the people, and for the people” into governance of, for and by those who would use it for their own interests rather than the common good.

Principles of democracy

Ari offers some practical wisdom on integrating democracy into our lives. His stance is not partisan; it is rooted in the idea that democracy is worth investing in because, when it works well, it creates a more equal and just society.

To begin, Ari grounds his thoughts on democracy in the principle of Deep Understanding, a concept developed by author-business philosopher Carol Sanford. The concept of Deep Understanding is rooted in exploring and understanding a topic and leveraging that understanding to influence (and in some cases, lead).

With that as a foundation, Ari proposes a 12-point outline of what democracy is and how it can be practiced. Let me synthesize a few of these points.

• Democracy is about 100% commitment from everyone.
• Democracy is about engaging diversity and active inclusion, which can only happen when you have effective conversations and the holistic application of equity. That is, democracy includes and rewards those who participate.
• Democracy is built upon positive beliefs. And its practice enables us to exercise our autonomy and say No! (That is, we pull together, but we also have the right to voice dissent.)
• Democracy requires a shared sense of purpose, reinforced by the concept of love. Yes, love, because it is love that is fundamental to respect for others and the recognition of the dignity of others – including those with whom we disagree.

Ari concludes his description of these points by saying, “All 12 of these [principles] help clarify the work we can – and might – do. They do not, however, lend themselves to a neat, simplistic, elevator pitch explanation. Democracy, when it comes down to it, is hard to describe.” In short, it takes work and a lot of practice.

Practice of democracy

For Ari, democracy is not theoretical. He is co-founder with his business partner, Paul Saginaw, of the Zingerman Community of Businesses. Established in 1982, first as a deli, the enterprise now includes a bakery, a creamery, a coffee shop, a restaurant and a mail order business. True to his beliefs, he and Saginaw practice democratic principles in their business. Open book management is fundamental, as are generous benefit plans, including employee ownership. 

Concluding this treatise on democracy is a quote from historian Heather Cox Richardson. “The whole point of democracy is that it’s never finished.” It is a work in progress that needs the push-and-pull of its stakeholders to engage with it and make it work for the betterment of the common good.

First posted on LinkedIn 06.20.2026

Work may not always be what you want it to be, but if you make the best of it and surround yourself with people you like, then it can be something special.

That is the message of a documentary called The Wrecking Crew, about a loosely-knit group of top-ranked session musicians – numbering as many as fifteen or more — who backed some of the greatest artists of their time, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, as well as backing for groups like the Beach Boys, The Byrds and the Monkees. 

The core of the group was Tommy Tedesco on guitar, Hal Blaine on drums and Carole Kaye on bass. At least two of the Crew became solo artists: guitarist Glen Campbell and pianist Leon Russell.

Music lessons

What we learn by watching the documentary produced by Denny Tedesco, Tommy’s son, is the commitment to craft that each musician brought to their gigs. Each was highly skilled on their instrument and talented at adding something special to what they played. Here’s what I gained from watching them.

Respect for craft. Know what you can do. Practice your “instrument.” And keep in tune with your colleagues, from whom you can learn.

Respect for process. Making music is a joy, but it is also hard work. It requires a blending of skills to meld with the other artists to produce the sound that is just right for the song you are creating.

Respect for the artists. Session musicians are paid by the gig. They are not the stars, but they support the stars. (Or if doing a jingle for a commercial, the product.) 

And lastly, there was a respect for one another. Because they played together on so many gigs, they became like family. They brought a sense of camaraderie to the sessions that not only enabled them to collaborate more fully with one another but also made it comfortable for the name artists they were backing.

Keep believing in yourself.

There was a downside to being a session guy. No publicity for what they did. Their names rarely appeared on the credits of the records they produced. Their recognition came from being recognized by the music producers and artists who hired them.

There is one story that deserves special mention. A young trumpet player was breaking into the business in the early Sixties. He had a good Latin sound and was trying to get his first record produced. So, breaking union rules, he hired a bunch of studio guys from the Wrecking Crew and paid them $15 for the session, a paltry sum. 

Lo and behold, the song they recorded was “Taste of Tijuana,” and it soared to number one. Herb Alpert was the trumpeter, and unlike so many in the entertainment industry, he did right by the musicians. He went to the union, paid a fine for not paying scale and sent each of the session musicians a check for their work. 

Sometimes artistry does pay.

Posted 6.07.2006

CPope Leo XIV has issued his first encyclical; it is titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” and it is a proclamation about the rights of man as they apply to artificial intelligence. In doing so, Pope Leo is following in the footsteps of a namesake Pope Leo XIII, who authored “Rarem Novarum.” Penned in 1891, it advocated for the dignity of labor and the rights of working people. In the time of Leo XIII, the Industrial Age was in full force, and workers were viewed as commodities rather than as human beings. 

AI, in its basic form, is used for automation and improving efficiency. Agentic AI, by integrating decision-making, builds on this. Already, it is used in design, law, science, and medicine, displacing highly trained and talented women and men who have devoted their lives to study and practice. What does the future hold for them?

The Pope’s call to action

Pope Leo XIV writes that “technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity.” Yet, “the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs… A society that guarantees employment to only a small fraction of the population, despite having a high level of technical development, risks exposing many to forced inactivity.” 

Showing that he is cognizant and respectful of those who develop technology, Pope Leo released his encyclical alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, a major AI developer.

The challenge for governments, businesses and organizations is to use AI for the good. Its malign purpose is already here. As summarized in the New York Times, the encyclical suggests the following steps:

• Ask governments to regulate private companies involved in AI development.
• Provide workers displaced by AI with “protection and retraining”;
• Educate students to “think critically about technology”; and
• Protect children from “violent, hypersexualized or fake information… generated by AI.”

Pope Leo also urges countries to instill “safeguards to ensure that humans, not artificial intelligence, remain responsible for all decisions regarding the use of weapons.” Failure to do so threatens human life and civilization itself.

What leaders can do

For leaders the question arises how can you use AI to improve your organization while integrating solutions that reinforce social capital? This is the question of our times. There are no easy answers, but leaders can assert themselves by communicating what AI can do and what its impact on the organization will be.

Sometimes AI will displace employees so what can organizations to provide not merely a soft landing but, as the Pope advised, offer retraining so they can continue to learn and grow their skills and find new opportunities. Additionally leaders can use their platforms to focus on what humans do bring to their work – creativity, commitment and community.

Just as Leo XIII put the dignity of labor in the late 19th century, Leo XIV is affirming human dignity in the face of civilization-altering technology in the 21st century.

Special thanks to Mahesh Thakur and Scott Eblin for their thoughts on the AI challenges leaders face.

I have written many– some might say too many – columns about Tom Brady, and so when I wrote the last one about him after he had retired, I thought. That’s it.

But no!

The Back Story

Brady was the 2026 commencement speaker at my alma mater, Georgetown, a curious twist because I had come to know of Tommy (as he was called then) when he was quarterback – at times a struggling quarterback – at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, my hometown. 

I loved his underdog approach and persistent perseverance, which emerged in college and became his strength in the NFL as the 199th pick and 6th quarterback in the 2000 draft. An injury to starter Drew Bledsoe in Tom’s second season opened the door for him to start. He then led the New England Patriots to the 2002 Super Bowl title, the first of six more to come: five with New England and one with Tampa Bay.

What I was not prepared for was his sense of humor – an approach to public speaking that makes for an enjoyable talk and one likely to be remembered.

The Schtick

“Sitting here, looking out at this amazing crowd of business majors, getting ready to start your careers, I realized something: Sports was a very strange way to make a living.

People screamed at me all the time. They gambled on my performance, and they celebrated all my failures.

But here’s a number for you guys: 99.7. What’s that number make you think of? It’s an A+ — I didn’t get many of those. It’s a low-grade fever, maybe…

There are 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and we’re losing 28 to 3, and it’s fourth down at midfield. And at that moment, the Falcons had a 99.7% chance of winning.

If there was a 99.7% chance at anything, it’s that I’d be behind the counter at Ben’s Chili Bowl before I was behind center in an NFL game.

The Message

Of course, Brady was not at Georgetown to tell jokes. 

His message to students was one that had guided him all his life: “You don’t quit and you don’t make excuses. Every hard choice is a brick in the path toward the life you want. Every excuse is a brick in the wall that will stand in your way.”

Good message, indeed.

So let me say Hoya Saxa for my alma mater and Go Blue for my hometown school.