Lead Dad 101

Why You Should Take Your Kids to Work Any Day

On the eve of her birthday, my daughter came to work with me at the Today Show. From exploring the studio to spotting Al Roker’s jacket, it became a Thanksgiving memory we’ll never forget.

Why My Greatest Accomplishment of the Past Year Isn’t What You’d Think

After six months of weekly vision therapy and consistent practice at home, my daughter improved her vision tracking from the 3rd to 77th percentile. The real win? Sharing that time together as a Lead Dad.

How To Stay Connected with Your Friends As a Lead Dad

After nearly four years apart, two lifelong friends and Lead Dads reconnect, navigating calendars, family logistics, and quality time to strengthen their bond.

Why Working Parents Have To Juggle Differently

It’s not whether you can juggle as a working parent; it’s what you’re juggling – and whether you can keep everything in the air. We all talk about the juggle. When we visualize it, I’d bet the most common image is the one on the left – someone casually …

How Do You Know If You’re a Lead Dad?

Here’s an answer to a question I get all the time: You know you’re a Lead Dad when you cancel your plans and step into the situation. It’s the simplest definition. You’re the one whose schedule generally has more flexibility and you’re the one who will …

Three Lessons from Sing-A-Longs To Tate McRae

There’s an eight-year gap between my youngest and oldest. I’m still doing elementary school parenting, while thinking about college for my oldest. I think about it often as I try to plan my work around what needs to be done for them – and my wife, who has always had far less control of her […]

Do You Know What Your Working Parent Employee Did Last Night?

Do you know what your working parents did last night? Chances are it could affect how they show up to work today. Maybe they read a book or streamed a show and got a good night’s sleep. Maybe they went out to dinner with a friend or spouse and might start the morning off a […]

Why Lead Dads Are Team Players, Not Solo Operators

Being a Lead Dad doesn’t mean going it alone with all things family, be they at work or home. It means being a team player. It’s an answer I have to give often when guys are hesitant to step forward as Lead Dads. These are guys who are helping out at home, but they’re hesitant […]

What A Dad Won After Losing A Much-Anticipated Golf Tournament

All week, I’ve been thinking about a defeat last weekend. It’s buoyed my spirits, particularly around working dads and male friendships. Here’s the background: I look forward to playing golf with my cousin in a two-day member-guest tournament every fall. Each September, I think this is going to be the year we win our flight […]

Learn Why Something Called a Care Shift Will Make Your Life Better

I proposed the idea of Care Shifts a few years ago and was thrilled that the idea was well received. This year I’m living and working almost totally via Care Shifts, and it’s changed what I can do and how I can do it – some things for the better, some things TBD. A Care […]

How To Make Two Things True At Once for Fathers

A phrase I say often is: Two things can be true at the same time – even if people don’t always believe that to be the case. Like, companies can support working parents and be profitable. Or, HR departments can have programs for both Working Moms and Lead Dads and supporting one doesn’t mean the […]

What’s Scarier at a Beach? Sharks or Bad HR Policies?

Every time my daughter asked if there were sharks in the water, if jelly fish were going to sting her, if there were fish biting her toes, I said no. At this beach, I said she needed to worry about angry, mini-Bernadoodles running along the bottom of the ocean floor and nipping at her! When […]

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