Nov 10th, 2024

Needs Improvement Newsletter

Hey friends,

Two newsletters in one week—there’s a lot on my mind, and I imagine I’m not alone in that.

You may know that I’m an external processor, so you'll likely be hearing from me more often over the coming weeks as I work out some ideas and make meaning for myself of recent events.

As always, I’m focused on using my voice and experience to highlight what Needs Improvement—not just in today’s workplace but in the broader culture of the United States.

When I first started this newsletter, it was a place to explore mindfulness and well-being at work, and to share what I’d learned navigating the high-pressure world of big tech, corporate America, layoffs, and toxic workplace cultures.

It was a way to bring readers more deeply into my world, and offer solutions like workbooks, podcasts and coaching to support people along their journey. Largely that is still the case.

However, over time, and through my work with Changing Work, I’ve discovered a “red thread” that connects these workplace issues to a larger cultural gap in conscious, secure leadership—a thread that extends beyond corporate settings and touches on our social and political landscape.

The recent election in the US made this thread even more visible to me, especially around the growing disenfranchisement and radicalization of middle-aged and younger white men in America.

Many have turned to authoritarian figures and divisive ideologies, while others have retreated into escapist behaviors and distractions, rather than investing in healthy, productive ways to relate to themselves and others.

This isn’t just a political shift that I see as being part of a deeper societal issue tied to the lack of positive male role models and constructive examples of masculinity.

Sensitivity, compassion, education, and empathy are too often dismissed as “weak” or “unmanly,” and this has a profound effect on how people engage with each other and the world.

I’m no sociologist, but I see a link between the scarcity of constructive role models and the lack of meaningful conversations about what masculinity can look like today.

I’ll be diving into this in the coming weeks and months, and finding ways to weave this into my overall interests in conscious business and leadership. I see them as one and the same.
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Recent shower thought: "I was never able to find a men's group I felt was aligned with the way I want to show up in the world. Maybe it's time to create my own."

At the moment, I'm exploring the idea of creating a group coaching program for men who want to embrace a conscious, compassionate form of masculinity and leadership, men who want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

This is just an early idea, but more soon on this front.
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​👉 Is this something you would be interested in? Know someone who would? Reply to this email and let me know. 👈

With so much upheaval in the air, both politically and personally, it feels like we’re collectively grappling with entropy.

In physics, entropy describes the natural tendency toward disorder. Left unchecked, things drift into chaos—which is why our lives, careers, culture, and environments all need regular attention and energy.
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Just as our political landscape shifts, so too do our personal lives and workplaces, often in unexpected ways.

Life throws curveballs, and each one invites us to adapt, refocus, and sometimes reinvent ourselves to thrive.

In the next edition of Needs Improvement, I’ll explore entropy not as a force to resist but as a reality to manage.

Instead of being overwhelmed by this, we can see it as an opportunity: each time we apply wise effort to create stability, we fuel our own growth and resilience—and that of those around us.

I’ll be diving into this theme more deeply in my work as a coach, leader, mentor, and self identified conscious (though imperfectly) American male.

I encourage you to explore it, with me.

Until next time, may you be well.

Yours in solidarity,

Nicholas Whitaker
Coach and Co-Founder changingwork.org​

Deepening Self Awareness Through Curiosity

Looking for a little guidance to kickstart your own conscious journey? Get my complimentary journaling and reflection prompt guide to help you navigate ambiguity in uncertain times.

New Episode of the Needs Improvement Podcast:Leadership, Arts, and Authenticity | Tim Van Ness, President @ Van Ness & Co.​

Join host Nicholas Whitaker and Tim Van Ness, President at Van Ness & Co as they discuss the transformative power of creativity and theater in corporate culture.

Tim shares his journey from music and theater to founding Van Ness and Company, using improvisational theater to address organizational challenges and promote conscious leadership.

Our conversation dissects the role of humor, emotional intelligence, and storytelling in revealing truths and catalyzing change within organizations, and we also emphasize the importance of connection, self-awareness, and leadership presence.

Listen in to the Needs Improvement Podcast

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