Dr Flavius Akerele III's The E Team Education blog

  As I watch the job market, follow the news, and scroll through social media "influencers," I find myself thinking about how we misuse certain words and phrases. I am Gen X. That means I absolutely understand the value of respect, but I am probably not what many people today would consider politically correct. My generation could throw hands, curse you out, and tell jokes that would probably get us canceled in today's environment. We were far from perfect. What we were not, however, was rude. Lately, it seems that being rude is being confused with being politically incorrect. They are not the same thing. Being politically incorrect means saying something that challenges social norms or accepted conventions. Being rude means treating people poorly, showing disrespect, or behaving without basic courtesy. My generation also understood something that seems to be missing today: consequences. If you ran your mouth recklessly, there was a good chance you would have to...

  Today, I am going to look at the word controversial . “Controversial: describes something that causes prolonged public disagreement, debate, or strong opposing views. It applies to topics, actions, or people that spark intense discussion and lack a general consensus”— Dictionary.com. “Root: stems from the noun controversy, which means a prolonged public dispute.” “Common examples: often used to describe polarizing policies, public figures, or debated art.” — Cambridge Dictionary There are certain people in the news right now publicly displaying abhorrent and antisocial behavior, yet the media keeps calling them “controversial.” I am not sure why. There is nothing controversial about simple rudeness, cruelty, or a complete lack of basic respect for others. (There is another term I could use, but I am keeping this PG.) At some point, we as a society need to stop romanticizing or excusing bad behavior under labels like “controversial,” “unfiltered,” or “not politically...

  Why institutions must begin treating leadership development and institutional memory as strategic priorities Dr. Flavius A. B. Akerele III Adapted from a keynote presentation delivered at the 12th Annual California International Conference on Management and Leadership at Alliant University (May 2026). Higher education institutions excel at developing disciplinary expertise, academic knowledge, and professional specialization. Yet many institutions still rely upon surprisingly informal systems for developing leaders. Faculty, staff, and administrators are frequently promoted into leadership positions based upon technical expertise, longevity, or operational success without receiving structured leadership preparation beforehand. Leadership often develops reactively rather than intentionally. I refer to this as the “accidental leadership” model. This approach may have evolved naturally over time, particularly during periods when institutions were smaller, organizational structures w...