Greetings from the University of New Hampshire! I’d like to introduce you to my office assistant, Big Boy. I can neither confirm nor deny that Big Boy wrote portions of this week’s newsletter. In his hayday, Big Boy was about 18 pounds, which is pretty big for a cat. We adopted him from a shelter in Virginia and that was the name they had given him. No one knows his superhero origin story - he was apparently found in a park somewhere in Fairfax. We think he’s about 16 now, so he’s really Big Old Man, but that just doesn’t roll off the tongue.
Thanks to all of you who have taken my reader survey so far. As I mentioned, I’m looking for a little feedback on how to improve the newsletter. And also I’m being reviewed for tenure this year, so some feedback would help me make my case as to why I should be spending my time on this newsletter. The experience of tenure review is akin to what I would imagine a colonoscopy without sedation would be like. So if you have five minutes, would you mind filling out the survey? You can find it at: https://unh.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_080iFx5K8uLgyvX
Something I’ve been thinking about - would you, my friends, be interested in a leadership book club? Like a live, Zoom-based meeting, maybe once a month? Could be books or journal articles. Shoot me a note if this is something you would be interested in. I am considering it once my tenure case is submitted.
Stay well and stay safe.
Read
What: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, United States vUnited States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996).. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996).
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep518/usrep518515/usrep518515.pdf
Why: RIP Justice Ginsburg, the “Notorious RBG”. Anyone who serves their country for as long as she did deserves to be celebrated. I am not a lawyer, but when I was doing my Ph.D. I became interested in the evolution of legal punishment, and specifically the interpretation of the 8th Amendment, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of the US Constitution, and so, much to my pleasure, I discovered I could look up Supreme Court decisions on the web and read them. One of the great things about living in a republic is the (relative) transparency of the rule of law. (I said “relative” - let’s compare the US to all other historical human societies, not an idealized possibility.) I had never read legal opinions before, and I was stunned at how readable the Supreme Court opinions actually were. Granted, not being steeped in constitutional law, I didn’t know all of the terminology and I didn’t know all of the referenced cases, but it seems to me that by the time something gets to the Supreme Court, it is usually a fight over something fundamental, not a technical nuance. Case in point is U.S. Reports: United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996), in which RBG wrote the opinion that forced Virginia Military Institute to admit women.
A prime part of the history of our Constitution, historian Richard Morris recounted, is the story of the extension of constitutional rights and protections to people once ignored or excluded. VMI’s story continued as our comprehension of “We the People" expanded.There is no reason to believe that the admission of women capable of all the activities required of VMI cadets would destroy the Institute rather than enhance its capacity to serve the "more perfect Union."
(https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep518/usrep518515/usrep518515.pdf - skip to p. 43 to see this passage)
Here is a good article about RBG’s most well known cases. If the one above doesn’t catch your interest, try another one. They are all available from the Library of Congress. Exercise your right as an American and read one in celebration of RBG’s contributions to justice.
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What: Inc Mag, Google Has a Plan to Disrupt the College Degree
Why: COVID is having a disruptive effect similar to war or natural disaster. It is crushing weak and old models of doing many things, while introducing opportunities for new ways of doing that would otherwise have been smothered by established interests. Google’s new educational plan sounds amazing and promising. The program trains people for many of the roles my students take early in their career. I think far too many kids go to college right now because not going to college leaves you with a professional stigma. But if these certifications can become acceptable substitutes, or even intermediate substitutes while you work on your degree at night through an online degree program, this could be a game changer - for young people and for employers. I think the appropriate comparison here is one semester of college vs. this program. Which one gives you more for your investment (time and money)? It could be an intermediate step - do this program, land a great job that gives you a middle class income at 19, move out of your parent’s home, and then start taking online classes at night to continue toward a degree. Or just take more courses like this one and develop a portfolio of skills people are willing to pay for.
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What: Ryan Holiday, Books To Base Your Life on (The Reading List)
https://ryanholiday.net/reading-list/
Why: This is somewhat random, but a former student, Jared B., sent me this link. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read a lot of Holiday’s own writing, but I have heard him talk about books, and in particular the Stoics (he wrote a book, The Daily Stoic which I have not read, but sounds interesting). His list of books to base your life on start with the Stoics of course, which I firmly concur with. I’ve written down several books of interest from this list. I’ve read a small number of these books, but the ones I have read Holiday nails. One in particular that I think has had less coverage than it should is Cowen’s Average is Over. It’s a few years old now, but it really captures the changing nature of work. Every manager should read it and meditate on it. Based on the list, I’ve just ordered Lord Chesterfield’s Letters because I spend a lot of time counseling young people, and at heart I think I am an 18th century guy.
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What: Law & Liberty, Destined for Prison?
https://lawliberty.org/destined-for-prison/
Why: “What happens when two rabbis-in-training are driving on the ‘Loneliest Road in America?’” is how this essay about a rabbi learned about criminality. Clearly landing in prison is a bad health outcome. This is a reflection on community as a social determinant of health - in this case, criminality.
Watch
What: Malcolm Gladwell | Talking to Strangers - What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
Why: I thought this was a nice follow on from the last article above. Chaplaincy is all about talking to people - especially strangers - and making a connection in a short period of time. Here Gladwell, who is a masterful storyteller in case you are not familiar, talks about lessons in trust we can learn from spies who get fooled. The take away - being trusting is an evolved behavior.
Listen
What: Health Leader Forge, Arthur Mathisen, President, Memorial Hospital
https://healthleaderforge.blogspot.com/2020/09/arthur-mathisen-president-memorial.html
Why: In this month’s Health Leader Forge podcast I interview Art Mathisen, the President of Memorial Hospital in North Conway, NH. Memorial Hospital is one of 13 critical access hospitals in New Hampshire, and part of the MaineHealth system. North Conways is on the Maine border. Art is a fellow retired Medical Service Corps officer, so in the full length version, we talk more about his service in the Army. I think Art tells a great story and has some excellent insight for healthcare leaders.
What: Freakonomics Radio,What if Your Company Had No Rules?
https://omny.fm/shows/freakonomics-radio/what-if-your-company-had-no-rules
Why: This is an interview with Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix. In the interview he talks about his own biography a bit, but then goes on to talk about the culture he has tried to create at Netflix. I think my former colleagues who work (or have worked) in the Federal government will have their minds blown. I’ve shared it before, but check out the Netflix Culture Deck. Would it be appropriate to run the Federal government like Netflix? I would say no. But to get the kind of creative energy that we need in the private sector to continue to be the world’s leading economy, I think we need more of this.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line at mark.bonica@unh.edu , or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
See you next Friday!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
'It is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.' - Gandalf (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)