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Opinion

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The Elbert Files: A Bright love story

This week’s Valentine Day-themed column is based on work I did in 2015 for the Bright Foundation.

One day in 1928, farm girl Lois Rynor drove her family’s Model T Ford to high school in …

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The Elbert Files: Rebel Republican

Gov. Kim Reynolds was not the first Iowa Republican to conduct a high-profile campaign against fellow party members when she successfully supported primary challengers last year against Republican lawmakers who opposed her school voucher bill. …

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On Leadership: Seven reasons culture is key to your company’s success

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” – Simon Sinek, author, “Start With Why”

Recently, I was asked to give a master class on culture and DEI (diversity, equity and …

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The Elbert Files: Grand Avenue

The 7 3/4 -mile stretch of road we know as Grand Avenue was once anything but grand. 

It is a compilation of three earlier streets, all with different names, none of which was Grand. 

But …

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On Leadership: Sound corporate governance key in ESG success

This column is part of an ongoing series on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and what they mean to business leaders and organizations. 

When I was a little kid in our local 4-H Club, …

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The Elbert Files: Iowa is well positioned

As we head into the new year, Iowa’s economy appears more solid than it has been for some time, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue’s Iowa Leading Economic Index. 

The index, despite its name, …

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The Elbert Files: Don’t ask

One of the more insidious spinoffs of digital technology is the customer satisfaction survey.

I regularly receive emails from merchants, mechanics, medical professionals and others I do business with asking me to rate their actions. …

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The Elbert Files: Tax reform

Republicans have promised to reduce Iowans’ property taxes this year, and therein lies a problem. 


Iowa’s property tax system is the product of more than four decades of effort. Any significant changes are likely to …

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On Leadership: What kind of leader will you be in 2023? 11 leadership trends to watch

Long ago, I got some great advice from one of my favorite bosses. He said at the beginning of each year, leaders should take a step back and take stock of the business, our own …

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On Leadership: Ageism in the workplace

On a recent airplane trip, I sat near two passengers who were making jokes about technology limitations of some of their older colleagues. Seems that their human resources director still couldn’t figure out a few …

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