Doug Teschner

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Post-election reflection

Dec 6, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

With the election behind us, here is a useful exercise that starts with thinking about your values. “Your fundamental values and beliefs represent the core of who you are,” argue James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book “Learning Leadership.” In “Dare to Lead,” Brené Brown adds that value clarity “is an essential support, a North Star in times of darkness.”Write down the three or more values that are most important to you. I have written about this before, so maybe you already have a list.
Courageous conversations

Oct 4, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

An alternative to fight, flight or avoidance of hard discussions Whether with family members or work colleagues, the ability to have a productive discussion when there is disagreement is increasingly challenging, especially when the discussion veers into politics. Consider these options. Fight is one possibility, but usually a lose-lose situation where no one leaves happy, and rarely does it help people better understand each other.
Dignity and respect

Sep 6, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

Everyone deserving dignity and respect is a simple idea but also complicated and challenging. I suspect that most people agree with it, at least in principle. But what about Vladimir Putin, leader of Russia? As someone who lived more than four years in Ukraine, I find myself pushing back against my idea of dignity and respect when I think of what Putin has done to that beautiful country and its people.
Embracing self-leadership

Jul 12, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

Andrew Bryant defines self-leadership as, “having a developed sense of who you are, what you can do, where you are going coupled with the ability to influence your communication, emotions and behaviors on the way to getting there.”Who do you want to be? Where do you want to go in your life? What gives you meaning?
Polarization as a business model

Jun 7, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

At the suggestion of Rik Yeames, NH’s leading solar eclipse enthusiast and Concord Domino’s Pizza franchisee, my April 26 NH Business Review column “Eclipse reflections” was included in the time capsule buried on May 1 outside the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and Planetarium. When the time capsule is opened in 2079 (the year of our next NH solar eclipse), I hope that our nation will be in a strong and healthy place where people can disagree while treating others with dignity and respect.
Eclipse reflections

Apr 30, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

In 1963, I witnessed my first eclipse — outside the zone of totality on the coast of Maine. I “saw” it through a shoebox fashioned into a pinhole camera, following instructions in a State of Maine leaflet. (I re-discovered that same flier this year and made one for my 7-year-old grandson.) I recall a fine summer day among family and friends. Sadly, my father died in a car accident a few months later, leaving my mother to raise us three boys.
The exhausted majority

Mar 22, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

After my column on the politics of contempt, Todd Miller from North Conway wrote: “What a refreshing read. My wife and I frequently become frustrated at the behavior we see on the local and national level, whether it be in Washington D.C. or on the street on our way home at night.
Managing emotions in life and work

Feb 23, 2024 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

On Jan. 1, I was blessed to be on NH’s Mount Moosilauke for my 29th New Year’s Day, a personal tradition going back to 1988 (although I missed a few years when I worked overseas). I summited 25 of those 29 years and always advise people of the need to turn around when the situation warrants it — like I did near the top during extreme weather in 2008 and 2018.
Beyond the politics of contempt

Jan 12, 2024 | nhbr.com | Sara Hessenflow Harper |Doug Teschner

A recent Associated Press–National Opinion Research Center poll found that 62% of adults say U.S. democracy could be at risk depending on who wins the 2024 presidential election — 72% of Democrats and 55% Republicans agree, but for very different reasons. Democrats worry that we could elect an authoritarian president, while Republicans are concerned that government overreach and mandates are a threat to fundamental freedoms.
The power of informal leadership

Dec 1, 2023 | nhbr.com | Doug Teschner

You don’t need a title to have a big impact You may not think of yourself as a leader but, if you are influencing others, you most certainly are! We tend to think of leaders as CEOs, managers and politicians — the sorts of people with formal leadership roles. But some of our most impactful leaders don’t have a title, nor do they supervise others.