Notes from the Nest

4 posts

Site updates, working thoughts, and glimpses into the “why” behind cReative Leadership. Sometimes practical, sometimes philosophical — always rooted.

Introduction: Conversations about the Four R’s

Notes from the Nest

There are so many ways to talk about leadership: in terms of competencies, goals, or metrics. We might describe it as “leadership”, “management”, or both. Or neither …

But leadership, at its root, is something more human. It has layers.

In this space, I hold to four R’s as quiet companions in the practice of cReative Leadership: Relationship, Reflection, Renewal, and Resonance.

They are not steps. They are not a model. They are ways of being — inner and outer — that invite us to lead with greater presence, integrity, and depth.

In the coming Conversations, I’ll offer a reflection on each. You may find they echo your own path already. Or they may call you toward a new way of tending your leadership.

Your Journey Sentinel, Andree

A Conversation about Thought-Stewarding

Notes from the Nest

As I mentioned in our first conversation, cReative Leadership is a change in direction, an unseen bend in the road that revealed itself when I took time to sit with Recon Leadership.

We’ll have conversations about why “creative” is as it is here, but for now, let’s just take it slow, from the (fresh) beginning.

I’m a holistic thinker — or a holisting “be-er” if you like. As I worked on the visual aspects of the cReative Leadership space, I wanted some physical pieces to match. So, I crafted a business card. If we meet in person, I will be excited to give you one.

Creating the business card meant I had to consider how I would refer to myself in this space. I discovered that thinking about titles is exhausting!

We use them to signal what we do and what people can expect when they meet us. But most of the titles I could have chosen here — coach, consultant, leader — felt too hard-edged, too hierarchical for the kind of space I want to hold through cReative Leadership.

I chose Thought-Steward because it speaks to what I hope to do:

  • To sit with, not over.
  • To tend conversations and ideas, not direct them.
  • To be a keeper of space, not a deliverer of answers.

A steward honors the living thing they tend — whether a garden, a community, or an idea. That’s how I hope to show up in the dialogues that will unfold here.

You’ll see me close out these conversations sometimes as Your Journey Sentinel, too. That’s a companion word — the one who quietly watches from the edge of the wood or just in the shadow but keeps the lamp lit and invites travelers in when they arrive.

Soon I’ll be sharing more about the possible path(s) we could take together in your leadership journey. I look forward to your considerations, queries, and comments …

Your Journey Sentinel, Andree

A Conversation about cReative Leadership (and about that capital “R”)

Notes from the Nest

You might be wondering why I style cReative this way.

The simple answer is that it carries layers of meaning.

As noted elsewhere, the capital R nods to the roots of this work, which began as Reconnoiter Leadership — a model centered on reflection, resilience, reverence, and readiness.

Over time, I found that what resonated most deeply in this work was the call to creative leadership in its broadest sense: leadership that

  • creates space,
  • creates possibility, and
  • creates conditions for others to thrive.

The capital R is also a gentle reminder: we are not creating simply for efficiency or outcome — but for relationship, reflection, renewal, and resonance.

If you see the R, think of it as an invitation to lead from the deeper layers of your self.

In the coming weeks, I’ll walk with you toward some thoughts around those four R‘s (relationship, reflection, renewal, resonance) and how we can maybe take that exploration a little deeper, a little more personal.

Are you “ready”?

Your Journey Sentinel, Andree

From Recon to cReative

Notes from the Nest

This site isn’t new. But it is different.

What once lived here as Reconnoiter Leadership has grown into something more layered, more inward-facing, more alive.

It’s now called cReative Leadership — and it holds space for those who lead with vision, soul, reflection, and resilience. For those who move sideways before forward. For those who think deeply, feel fully, and refuse to flatten themselves to fit the mold.

If that sounds like you, I hope you’ll stay.

I’ll be sharing thoughts, tools, metaphors, and animal companions for this kind of leadership. Not a model, but a way. Not a fix, but a reframe.

You can learn more about the roots of cReative Leadership here, or simply follow along. I’m glad you’re here.

Your Journey Sentinel, Andree