I Promised to Be a Team Player

The Promise That Didn’t Survive the Evidence

Bill Leighty made a quiet promise when he joined Tulsa’s Planning Commission in 2005: be a team player, be reasonable, cause no trouble. Within a year, one meeting and one video changed everything he believed about how cities should be built — and set off a reversal that eventually reshaped his politics too. In this episode, Bill reflects on what it cost him to change his mind at sixty-five, and whether that same capacity for openness is still alive in him at eighty-one.

Insight Map

A promise made in 2005. A video that changed everything. A fifty-year political identity, reconsidered. Here’s how one Tulsa afternoon rearranged a lifetime of certainty.

Infographic titled 'Breaking the "Team Player" Promise: A Lesson in Late-Life Growth,' illustrating how older men can pivot from conformity to conviction, embrace cognitive flexibility, and choose curiosity over irritation when facing change.

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The Encore Project Editorial Team

The Encore Project Editorial Team develops research-based articles and practical guidance designed to support senior men navigating life’s second half. Content is created using advanced research tools and AI assistance under the direction and editorial oversight of founder Bill Leighty. Every article is carefully curated to ensure it is relevant, thoughtful, and aligned with The Encore Project’s mission: helping men remain purposeful, engaged, and resourceful in retirement and beyond. The Editorial Team focuses on topics including financial empowerment, creative pursuits, grief and loss, health and wellness, faith, relationships, and lifelong growth.

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