When things are challenging, many of us get stalled at starting and proceed to feel bad. Once we feel bad, we justify our inaction by creating stories, rationalizations, excuses, and justifications thinking our feelings are reason enough to remain stuck. We do other things, deprioritize the “big” thing we need to do that might be new, different, larger in scope, or something we’ve not done…
Teamwork. It’s so rare it’s like a superpower. With every team I coach, we define and deepen core values. Every team has one about teamwork. Every single one. Perhaps it’s because inherently we know we can do what I can’t. Perhaps it’s because we know we are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with – you know the adage that says you are the sum of…
For some of us, when things aren’t going right, we react with emotion. This describes me. Over time, I’ve learned to wait before reacting, and at times that works. I’ve found people who react more logically do better with this method than I do. Waiting 24 hours before saying anything is often a good idea for most of us when it’s a more triggering event. What I’ve appreciated as I’ve learned to install my “pause…
What can I do to change, improve, impact, and engage others? It’s a big question. Do you wake up wondering how you can maximize your impact for yourself, your team at work, your company, your community, perhaps even the world? If not, why? What if you imagined 50% of your work was doing your job impeccably, as if how you did your work was the only thing between where…
In the face of pressing circumstances and tight deadlines, it’s easy to mistake urgency for desperation. In fact, they are quite different. One emotion comes from abundance, the other from scarcity. Urgency, coming from abundance, fosters innovation, sparks disruption, and champions intentional immediacy. It acts as a catalyst, propelling you forward with a sense of purpose, and mobilizing people towards common goals. On the contrary,…
Sometimes we forget the meaning and importance behind what we’re doing, and things erode from there. It can be as simple as preparing for a meeting. When I remind the leaders I work with about the facts – what it costs them to host a meeting with their leadership team for an hour or an offsite, the time they’re investing, the learning they miss, and…
Intention. It sets the course for action and determines what we do and don’t act upon. It’s great to be active and productive, but actions without intention won’t necessarily lead to the result you’re seeking. Often, with clients, the data they rely most heavily upon is about what’s already happened. While that’s useful and gives us a 20/20 look backward, it won’t inform us about what actions to change in the moment. Setting an intention with no previous knowledge isn’t helpful either;…
Tao Te Ching says “Your conversations help create your world. Speak of delight, not dissatisfaction. Speak of hope, not despair. Let your words bind up wounds, not cause them.” This is a great reminder for me. I’m the person who enters a space and sees what’s off. Whether it’s in my home, at work, or out in the world, my brain is programmed to make things better. It’s a ninja skill many people have, I’m not…
The signs are there. Can you see them? When you’re present, it’s like entering the Matrix. Everything slows down. The pieces of the puzzle emerge and assemble themselves into a new, vibrant picture of what’s possible. The picture isn’t accessible without letting go of where you are. It means leaving what’s comfortable, predictable, and has served you to arrive at the next version of you. Success can be a learning disability. Don’t hang onto what you know, surrender…
When things get chaotic and seem to be out of control, disorganized, or out of sorts, it’s easy for overwhelm to be the result. When this happens, we must rely on structure and process to bring us back to a focused and organized world. One step at a time, we must look at our world from a 10,000 foot view and then zero in on the details. We must…