The Middle of Anything Feels Like Failure #80 Beginning is exciting. When everything is fresh and new, you see and hear things in technicolor. It’s exciting and can be scary, but when it’s new, you tend to interpret the events as excitement, not fear – though physiologically it’s the same. See blog #9, Choosing Your Ride. When you reach a…
Because… #79 This was shared with me from a former client. It’s inspirational for leaders and plays out every day to be true. Because I call it challenge rather than crisis; Because I look at hardship as opportunity instead of obstacle; Because, at this end of the matter, I ask “what will I learn from this to make me better?”;…
The Answer to How is Yes #78 While meeting with a colleague recently, we were discussing how she would build her business. She’s got many plans and tactics, and is unsure which method is best as many seem plausible. I asked her “what” she wanted to accomplish and “why?” She paused. She didn’t have a clear answer and said she’d need to…
Yes, and Not Either/Or #77 Many people have heard of the both/and theory. In improv they call it “yes, and.” It’s the same principle. When ideating, working with a team and getting the creativity going, the best way to encourage participation, vulnerability and engagement is “yes, and.” Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a team of leaders. We…
No Issues, That’s an Issue. #76 If you’ve ever walked into your meetings or Quarterly offsites and heard someone say “I don’t think we have any issues,” you’re on a slippery slope to mediocrity. If your meetings have become routine or your team looks to you as the source of substance for the agenda for the weekly time you’ve allotted…
Where You Go, They Go #75 Culture. It’s something many people talk about, but often don’t effort at creating. And when they don’t do so, it becomes assumed – which isn’t what you want. The problem is, if you want a “great” culture by your own definition, the only way to have it is to create it. You and your…
3 Ways to Be a Great Mentee As a young person in business, there is a lot to learn. I frequently say that I feel like I went to college twice with all the learning I’ve had during my years in the workforce. For us young professionals, most of the information we need to succeed gets taught on the job.…
You Can Only Help the Person in Front of You #74 When people want coaching, a listening ear or a team comes in and talks about someone not in the room, it’s all the same. Some series of events occurs, their interpretation of those events is strewn together, and the story is told. The question is, is that story forwarding…
Naturally Present #73 I’m in the west today, it’s different than the calm of the water I described in blog #71; it’s rugged, majestic and expansive. Every shade of green covers the fields, and though Montana has not yet fully welcomed the golden hues of summer, it’s beautiful. We are fortunate to be surrounded by friends while staying at their…
The Most Important Thing #72 Often as we go about our busy days, many people don’t prepare for meetings. Why? I see teams prioritizing preparation for things like client meetings – where they believe it “counts;” and I don’t disagree. Why we don’t prepare for all our meetings, especially with our leadership teams, I’m unsure. Daily I’ll ask my clients…