Not Your Typical Leadership Newsletter (Welcome!)

“Whatever you focus upon increases.” – Andy Andrews

Welcome to Lines of Leadership! This isn’t your usual newsletter with tips and tricks. It’s an invitation to pause and reflect on leadership differently. Leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention, as Andy Andrews reminds us.

So, let’s focus on what truly matters.

Leadership is often reduced to goals and results, but it’s also about the spaces we create—both physical and cultural. These spaces, whether meeting rooms or team dynamics, tell a story about what we value as leaders.

Consider this snippet from a poem I wrote:

If walls of this conference room could talk, what would they complain about?

Would inflicted wounds by nails and screws from whiteboards be their angry shout?

Would the horror of fluorescent lights, years ago, Buckle under today’s common sense?

Or would they grumble like old men, Under their breath, about open office trends?

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It’s a playful take, but it highlights how spaces reflect our focus and priorities. These imprints influence those who share them.

Shaping Leadership Spaces

Much like walls that hold the wallpaper of past decisions, team cultures bear imprints of past actions. Here are three ways to refocus on what matters:

1. Listen to Your Spaces Pay attention to the feedback your spaces provide. Are meetings inspiring or draining? Does the layout encourage collaboration or isolation? Observe and adjust.
2. Curate Your Focus Not everything deserves your energy. Prioritize intentionally. If innovation is your goal, create time and celebrate bold ideas—even if they fail. Your focus shapes your team’s mindset.
3. Create Reflection Time In the rush of work, reflection often gets sidelined. Make it a practice to review what’s working and what isn’t. Better yet, invite your team to reflect with you. Ask: What should we keep focusing on? What’s distracting us?

From Complaints to Possibilities

Returning to the poem, imagine if the walls whispered hopes instead of complaints. What if they envisioned breakthroughs and collaboration? Likewise, we can reimagine our leadership spaces as opportunities for growth and connection.

Reflection Questions

As we close, I invite you to choose your focus. Let it ripple through your actions and spaces. Let it grow into something extraordinary.

With each newsletter I want to leave you with three reflection questions.

1)????? What signals am I sending, intentionally or not? (Leading self)

2)????? If I would ask my team to describe our meeting sentiments, what would they highlight? (Leading others)

3)????? Do my spaces reflect our company values? (Leading organization)

Focus on trust, and it grows. Focus on fear, and it spreads. Leadership is about choosing wisely.

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Poem: If Walls Could Talk (from Poetry at the He{art} of Business)

About Lines of Leadership

My name is Arend Boersema. I am a global citizen, hip hop fanatic, avid writer, and eternal optimist.

I wrote this for leaders looking to lead with impact and authenticity. My monthly newsletter will disrupt your perspective on company culture by combining the art of poetry with the science of leadership and team dynamics.

Each issue offers practical coaching wisdom and thought-provoking reflection questions to spark growth for you and your team. Drawn from my books on leadership and company culture, this is not your typical leadership advice—it’s a creative and transformative journey designed to inspire action and build stronger communities at work.

Join a community of forward-thinking leaders and take the first step toward leading with heart and mind.

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