Category: blog

Lee Sampson’s daily penguin cartoons cover leadership, learning, and development with a smile while offering daily dose of fun and thoughtful introspection.

Stuck In The Mud

A leadership cartoon of a penguin in a tar pit is trying to dig themself out with a spade and is getting more stuck while saying, "No thank you, I can dig myself out". Another penguin outside the tarpit leans forward trying to help. -Original artwork byLeeSampson.

Some situations are so sticky the more you try to dig yourself out of them, the higher the probability of becoming more stuck.

Life Can Feel Quite Hard Sometimes

A leadership cartoon of three penguins standing in front of a giant, hard, reflective statue that spells, "LIFE". One penguin knocking on the hard surface says to the others, "Is it just me, or is this quite hard?". The text reads, "It's not just you." -Original artwork by Lee Sampson.

Admitting that life can be hard at times isn’t a weakness, it’s a fact. It’s not a hurdle to jump over, it’s a chance to do what social creatures do best, help each other.

Leadership Skills For Uniting Diverse Thinking

A Leadership Cartoon about Self Development. A penguin in a bookshop wearing a staff badge asks another penguin, "Can I help you?". The other penguin is standing in front of a bookshelf that has "SELF-HELP SECTION " written on it with a pile of books around them and replies, "I can't seem to find the one, specifically about me?". The text reads, "We are all the same, but different." -Original artwork by Lee Sampson.

Having a one-size-fits-all leadership approach to learning, personal development, coaching, and conversations will likely leave you falling short of bringing out the best of every individual.

Self Belief

A scene of penguins at a pool with a three-tiered diving board and penguins in various stages of taking the first step to jump into the pool, which has Self Belief written on it. The text reads, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.-Henry Ford." -Original artwork by Lee Sampson

One of the influences on self-belief is the thoughts and labels we give ourselves.

Hide and Overthink

A giant Earth asks a penguin hiding under a blanket that has "What If'd" written on it, "Are you hiding?". The penguin replies, "No. I'm just spending some quality time with my 'What ifs'." The text reads, "Hide and overthink". -Original artwork by Lee Sampspn

Shyness and introversion in a team member can feel like a game of hide and seek to their manager or peers.

Quiet Up There

A penguin with their head open asks four mini-penguins floating around on thought bubbles with megaphones who are yelling at each other "I'm going to ask you to please return to your seats and refrain from arguing with each other. I'm trying to think." -Original artwork by Lee Sampson.

It is a challenge to concentrate when you’re thoughts are at odds with each other.