“The problem in this world is to avoid a concentration of power—we must have a dispersion of power.” —Milton Friedman My last post was about the singular mission of public schools in America, which I believe should be instilling a deep sense of self-worth in every student. In that post I reported that the US…

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Sometimes we get lost in complexity. The US Department of Education has a $68 billion annual budget from which it measures, sorts, records, studies, advocates for, and tracks public education in America. Yet ultimately, public education only needs a single mission, and it’s pretty much free to give and share—the pursuit of self-worth. This is…

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In October I had the opportunity to speak to and work with three amazing Maine organizations! At the beginning of the month I gave the keynote talk to over 560 Maine Health executives and team leaders at the Cross Insurance Arena. Two weeks later I did a one-day workshop and coaching program for the executive…

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The following excerpts are from my book, The Seventh Power, detailing my visit with Hanna Soroka in 2017. The odds that Hanna Soroka would survive the winter of 1932 in Ukraine and live to see her eighth birthday were too small to calculate. Her parents were dead. Her younger brother and sister were also dead….

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In my last post I shared part of my interview with Mykola Onyshchanko, a survivor of the Holodomor of 1932 and 1933, during which millions of Ukrainian peasants were forcibly starved to death by Stalin’s Communist regime. Mykola, a young boy at the time, survived this period, and decades later, went on to become a…

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Kevin Hancock presents to the attendees of The Prouty Project on the potential of organizations to become employee centric.

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This bronze statue, titled Bitter Memory of Childhood, stands in the center of the walkway at the Holodomor Victims Memorial in Kiev, Ukraine, embodying the message that overreaching has consequences. “Death is the solution to all problems. No man—no problem.” —Joseph Stalin In 2017 I traveled to Kiev, Ukraine, to interview two survivors of the…

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Recently I got a new medicine cabinet above my sink in our bathroom at home. Its predecessor had been there for twenty years, so this was a big change for me and my stuff. Shortly after its installation, the trouble started. The fasteners that held the second glass shelf in place kept loosening. This in…

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“I can imagine no greater heroism than motherhood.” —Lance Conrad By most estimates, humans have been on Earth for 200,000 years, and approximately 110 billion humans have lived during that period. There are so many places to go with this data, but viewed through any lens, it’s miraculous! I have twice now seen our daughter…

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The following is an excerpt from my book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership. For centuries, societies across the globe have been systematically indoctrinated into the belief system that power, control, and higher authority live “out there” somewhere, beyond our reach, in a faraway capital, with a government leader,…

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The data is in from Gallup’s 2024 Global Workplace Survey, and once again, it’s not good. Only 33 percent of American workers describe their work experience as deeply meaningful or engaging. Globally, the data gets worse: Only 23 percent of humanity’s 3 billion workers find their job engaging. Approximately 160 million Americans work, and 67…

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Every summer, on the last weekend of July, the Casco village green in my hometown in Maine comes alive. It’s Casco Days, and hundreds of volunteers are bustling around as they care for thousands of happy children of all ages. The Ferris wheel churns. The merry-go-round spins. Quarters are tossed. Stuffed animals are won. Cotton…

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On June 17, 2024, I watched the Boston Celtics win their record-setting eighteenth NBA title at the TD Garden before a euphoric, sold-out crowd. As a lifetime basketball player, coach, and fan, this was a joyous experience for me. Under any circumstances I would have been deeply committed to the Celtics winning, but this season…

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Recently featured in Inc. Magazine , check out this article featuring Kevin Hancock, Hancock Lumber, and Nando’s North America titled,  “Why Executives Around the Country Turn to a Maine Lumberyard for Lessons in Leadership” by Nicole Gull McElroy. Click here to read the full article!

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“Democracy is a process, not a static condition. It is becoming, rather than being. It can easily be lost, but never is fully won. Its essence is eternal struggle.” —William Hastie On June 27, 2024, I watched the globally televised debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump in a semi-dazed state of…

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The Business of Shared Leadership and Hancock Lumber are excited to announce that Kevin Hancock has joined the Washington Speakers Bureau (WSB) network as a keynote speaker, bringing topics such as shared leadership, employee engagement, and healing from within to audiences across industries and geographies. The world’s largest talent agency specializing in corporate speaking events,…

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I have a friend who is a remarkable hypnotherapist in Portland, Maine. Her name is Maggie Clement, and I have been a grateful client of hers for many years, dating back to when I first acquired my voice condition, spasmodic dysphonia. At the peak of my speaking difficulties, years ago, Maggie helped me to realize…

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I have a Peloton bike in my basement. To date, I have taken 884 rides. My favorite instructor is Emma Lovewell, and my goal, each ride, is to finish in the top 20 percent. During a ride Emma is a bundle of energy with her smiles, her dance moves, and her wisdom. She’s an optimist,…

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We had perhaps the best seats at the Royal River Grill House in Yarmouth, Maine: a table for two beside a big window, looking out onto a coastal winter landscape where the river makes its way to the open sea. Reflective and calm, it was a perfect place to think about leadership. Sara Binkhorst sat…

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I have a dear friend from Pasadena, California, named Tom Shenk. He’s one of the most accomplished executive coaches and business leadership consultants of his generation. And fate brought him into my life.   We’ve known each other for just four years, and yet he’s affirmed, refined, and sparked many of my most valued beliefs…

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