I am learning to hear opinions and ideas that I don’t agree with and learn to try to see things as they do.
ANDREW BARBAN, 2026
1
TELL US ABOUT YOU.
I will tell you what my first director told me back in 1993.
He said, “Andy, you have a lot of potential, and I know you are going to do some great things, but right now you lack follow through, and you are going to have to find a way to fix that. “
Twenty-five years later I fixed that. About eight years of that was me denying it and about seven years of me trying to blame other people, then about five years of me actually doing the work.
We all have something to learn.
2
how does the cover photo capture who you are?
This is me running the factory during COVID.
If everyone else had to be there, then I needed to be there too.
Looking at that photo, I remember driving to work and seeing almost no other cars on the road.
Those were strange mornings, but it never occurred to me not to show up.
3
In one sentence, what are you trying to change?
I am trying to change myself, as that is all I can ever change.
I am learning to hear opinions and ideas that I don’t agree with and learn to try to see things as they do. I figure if I can change then maybe others can too.
4
What did you notice was broken that made you start writing?
For over twenty years I have been studying leadership, and have gone to some of the best universities around, which after COVID they all went online, so it was easy.
I saw what doesn’t work out my window, but I couldn’t get anyone to listen to what I thought might work.
I did a startup factory and put it to the test. It worked, but nobody really wanted to listen, so I figured I would just write it down and send it out in the universe and see what happens.
5
If you could manifest a brighter tomorrow, what would change by 2030?
A world where you can read the news and you don’t feel worse reading about what is happening and what these people are doing.
6
How would your closest friends describe you?
I am the guy who you call at 3 am when you need someone with a shovel to help you and will be there in 30 minutes with no questions asked.
Andrew Barban, 2026
7
What’s a challenge that changed how you see the world?
I have broken my neck twice, and after 3 surgeries, I understand what neurological pain is.
I used to make fun of my co-workers who said they could not come into work because their back hurt.
Well the universe decided to laugh back at me on that one.
8
What are you most proud of right now?
I am proud of the fact that I helped raise a family, hold down a good job, and still retire early enough to enjoy the people around me.
I’ll tell you my secret, and it is a line from a Sheryl Crow song:
It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you got.
Sheryl crow, 2002
9
On hard days, what kind of signal from your readers keeps you going?
When the readers share their stories.
Everyone is just going through the same mess. It makes a difference going through it with other people who see it too.
10
WHAT ARTICLE WOULD YOU WANT YOUR New Readers TO READ FIRST?
Most Leadership Advice Ignores the System You’re Actually In
Most leadership advice assumes every workplace rewards the same behavior. Believe me when I say they do not. Some systems reward authentic leadership. Some reward visibility and connections. Some reward staying busy and looking important. Some reward survival.
When you put healthy leadership advice into a place that rewards scope and visibility, it does not land the same way. It will not move you forward the way you feel it should. It does not align with the work the system values.
