Happy New Year.

Fred Rogers has inspired countless people with his radical kindness. I recently shared seven lessons learned from Mr. Rogers in an invited talk I gave at my university. I am a recipient of the 2025-2026 Faculty Senate award.

Faculty Senate at the University of Wyoming invited me to give a presentation on leadership. I got the idea for the leadership presentation from our students one day when I was walking through our campus student union building. Students asked the WWMRD question: What would Mr. Rogers do?

Our students were passing out stickers and encouragement. The sticker below was made by our students. The orange background of the sticker displays lyrics from his music. Mr. Rogers composed more than 200 songs with many of them appearing on his television show.

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” when we support our neighbors through positive and caring leadership principles. Mr. Rogers left behind an enduring legacy of care for each other that is still relevant today. If you are interested, tune into our BUTTERCUP podcast episode 36 with Bill Isler who is President Emeritus of Fred Rogers Productions. Hear him share stories of how Fred Rogers used his leadership skills with children’s media production. Wishing you a neighborly good new year in 2026.

The sticker above was created by college students.

Macy, M. (2025, December). From Latrobe to Laramie: Leadership Lessons from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. University of Wyoming Faculty Senate, Laramie, Wyoming.