“When we make plans, God laughs.” I’m having one of those days. In my mind, it was an open day for me to catch up, make space, create, practice and deliver on multiple deadlines that are all crashing in at once. It was my chance, my day. This is where you cue the laugher. The day unraveled quickly, going nothing like the picture I had of all…
If you own a business, you’ve been running quite a race for the past year-ish. Are you taking care of yourself as a leader and in your life? Something that can help with perspective is to remember you’re actually running two businesses. Whether you’ve ever thought of it this way or not, you’re running the business you have now and you’re running your business in the…
We all know change is disruptive. It’s especially disruptive if we think it’s happening to us rather than when we believe we are part of the change. Whether it’s leaving a job, starting a new job, changing your business model, automating something that’s been manual, buying a new phone, technology, appliance, car or a pandemic, things are no longer as they were. How we…
Today I received an email that our dock and pontoon will be delivered in the next 2-3 weeks. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Our pontoon is where we relax, restore our energy, absorb Vitamin D and enjoy countless hours with family, friends and colleagues enjoying music, laughing and solving the world’s problems (which is a tall order right now). I…
When you see something, or the absence of something, do you say something? If not, why not? As I participate in leadership teams daily, I observe people. It’s a skill worth mastering. Whether you do so on a screen or in person, people are communicating so much – SO much – whether they speak or not. It could be their facial gestures,…
Want to up your game in communication? Answer the question. No, seriously. When someone asks a question, answer it. Do it simply, succinctly and only elaborate if asked. Most people don’t do this. They tell you what they wanted to say, offer a story or dodge the question. And, it’s frustrating for your listeners. And you lose credibility and the confidence of those who…
Some of the best words and phrases I’ve ever heard are made up or seldom used. They are words people have invented to describe a current situation that may or may not have an equivalent term and, in the moment, sums up what’s happening better than imagined. Here’s a list of a few of my favorites, feel free to add your favorites in the comments…
It’s hard to wait when you have a need. If you’re impatient like me, you don’t enjoy waiting anyway, and to wait and be patient while doing so – especially when you have a need – is challenging. Set the bar high and let yourself embrace the journey. Excellence is worth it. The question becomes: What’s the price of settling? What’s it worth to wait and do it well once? …
Manufactured Stress. Have you ever caught yourself creating stress where there wasn’t really any? Me too. I create deadlines all the time. It’s what I do to be effective and accomplish things. It’s also a good way to manufacture anxiety, irritability and cause yourself pain. When I catch myself imposing deadlines on house or work projects which really aren’t driven by a deadline, I deescalate my own…
As we move into the next phases of the emerging world of work, the topic of hybrid work is frequenting meetings, conversations and minds everywhere. I am fascinated by the topic and have immersed myself in the conversation since mid-2020. The fact of the matter is, we entered the pandemic as one, at least by geographic location. And now, as…