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Oliver Buchannon
Matthew Barbour

25-year leader. Writer. Believer that humanity is the best leadership strategy.

Memory & Erasure

+2

Another Line in The Ledger

Jun 16, 2026

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8 min read

Another Line in The Ledger

On Juneteenth, the editing of a nation's memory, and a friend's Plan B.Essay 12 - June 16, 2026

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
The Signals of Safety

Jun 11, 2026

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3 min read

The Signals of Safety

On the small proofs that it was safe to be seen, and the grief of watching them go.

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

Workplace Culture

+1

The Careful Version

May 31, 2026

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7 min read

The Careful Version

On fluency, performance, and what came up when the careful version was not at hand.

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
A Note From Istanbul

May 11, 2026

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2 min read

A Note From Istanbul

Special Note From Istanbul, May 11, 2026

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+2

Still Practicing

May 5, 2026

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4 min read

Still Practicing

On the words a leader has to keep choosing

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
The Tool I Reach For First

Apr 26, 2026

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6 min read

The Tool I Reach For First

On Appreciative Inquiry, and the humility of knowing when to set it down

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
Two and a Half Years

Apr 20, 2026

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3 min read

Two and a Half Years

On the decisions that policy alone can't make

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
Before We Begin

Apr 14, 2026

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10 min read

Before We Begin

Asking something real before you ask anything else

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

The Living Wall

Apr 5, 2026

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9 min read

The Living Wall

On Belonging Signals and the Weight They Carry

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour
What the Quiet Is Saying

Mar 29, 2026

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8 min read

What the Quiet Is Saying

The Invisible Workplace: What Leaders Miss When No One Is Complaining

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

The Larger Circle

Mar 24, 2026

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10 min read

The Larger Circle

What Pauli Murray Taught Me About the Work We Never See

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

When The Fear Works

Mar 22, 2026

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8 min read

When The Fear Works

The results were real. So was the damage

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

The Seat Isn't The Signal

Mar 15, 2026

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6 min read

The Seat Isn't The Signal

Some lessons take years to recognize. This one took me twenty.

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

The Dinner Table Test

Mar 8, 2026

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4 min read

The Dinner Table Test

What this newsletter is, why it exists, and the question I hope you carry into every room you lead.

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Dinner Table Test

+5

The Leader Who Changed How I See Leadership

Mar 8, 2026

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5 min read

The Leader Who Changed How I See Leadership

Some lessons take years to recognize. This one took me twenty.

Matthew Barbour
Matthew Barbour

The Human Leader Project

The newsletter exploring what it really means to lead with humanity — one week at a time.

© 2026 The Human Leader Project.
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