As a leader, you have the honor of caring for the tone of your culture daily. Some days, that may feel like a privilege and other days it may feel like a burden. What’s the difference? It’s how you’re relating to the complex beings around you and the interpretation you have about how they “should” be versus how they “are.” …
Small acts. These are the most significant things we do. Though we’d like to believe it’s the big, challenging, difficult things, it’s not. It’s the consistent small, thoughtful, kind gestures that matter most. When you receive the note, text or call that says, “I was just thinking of you.” When the flight attendant sees you’re cold and not only brings…
How much time do you need? What if you began every endeavor with this question? Without knowing the details or being able to assess what you believe is a reasonable amount of time, how would that change the amount of time you’d allow for certain activities? When I used to work with leadership teams, I asked this question before I…
Have you ever wondered when you decided there was a “right” way to live? Oh, we’ve all done it, comparing what’s happening with others to what’s happening with us in our lives. Which leaves us where? Diminished and discounted on both sides. We all need to shatter this illusion. Theodore Roosevelt said “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s absolutely…
When things change it opens up space. Space in your mind, your environment, your beliefs, and your possibilities. You can focus on what you’re losing, what’s going away, how “hard” it will be, or what you don’t like about the changes. You can also focus on what you’re gaining, what’s emerging, how “fun” it will be to learn and grow,…
When your core values align with your employees, clients, partners and vendors, you can make mistakes. When trust is high, and you’ve delivered on what you said time after time, you can make mistakes. When you go the extra mile, especially when it’s not required or expected, you can make mistakes. When you’ve done none of the above, don’t be…
When you pursue a dream, a future opportunity, or a goal, all kinds of concern, worry, and fear can show up. After all, it wouldn’t be a future possibility if you already knew how to do it. Recently, while working with a group of CEOs, one of them declared something big. It was something career and life altering that wasn’t…
I’m asking myself a question these days which moves me in much more certain directions. It’s become the mantra I need at this time in my life and in business. The question is clarifying. It helps me say “no” much more confidently. Saying no has created space and confidence as more and more situations are calling for my attention. What’s…
The greatest opportunity during communication is for miscommunication. Read that again. I know I need to. Somehow, in my day to day, I forget regularly that it’s up to me (as the speaker) to ensure any person (whether an audience, a family member, a client, or friend) understands what I mean. I frequently refer to this reference from NLP (Neurolinguistic…
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,…