Language is important. For many female leaders I know, myself included, we say we’re sorry when we shouldn’t. It’s an immediate flag screaming “less than” when you’re speaking. One of the ways I’ve corrected this in my writing, especially email, is to begin with appreciation instead. An example would be when I would’ve liked to have responded in a timelier…
Productive, not busy. They’re not the same, yet we can use the words as if they are. We all fall into the trap of busyness. It’s in our language and our psyche. When we’re “too busy” we become stressed, and often are less productive. Imagine if you changed your language from busy to productive. Can you be “too productive” and…
Today I’m thinking about great questions, so I’m including some random, unrelated questions in my recent reading. I hope one or more of them inspires some great thinking on your part!
Recently, I was leading a retreat at an all-inclusive location. It was amazing, and because everything was taken care of, really left us all to do one thing – take care of ourselves. For most leaders, this is a foreign experience. Simple things like sleep, the healthy foods which were abundantly provided, the non-digital environment which encouraged presence, learning, and…
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.” It’s the person who calls to listen…fully. It’s the ride when…
In our ever-changing world right now, this is the question I ask most often. Wherever I’m seeing or hearing changes, I ask myself “what can I do to help?” So much of what’s happening with clients, colleagues, family, friends, our communities and the world feels out of our control and it is. When you ask what CAN I do, it…
When all is said and done, we can adapt. The new normal isn’t better or worse, it’s what is for now. Things will change, not always at the pace we’re seeing right now, but they will. Change is constant. When you accept what is, stop arguing with reality and step into what’s happening, it can inform you. You can respond…
Curve balls. They happen. It’s when the stuff you couldn’t imagine or wouldn’t know was coming shows up and interrupts the previously scheduled plans you’ve had. They happen in small ways every day. If you’re over-scheduled, there’s no room for them and they result in anxiety, stress, and broken promises. There’s a simple fix for this one: schedule less, say…
Have you ever heard the phrase “what you focus on expands?” During a recent meeting, one of the leaders attending said they had been in a “funk.” Well, we all could relate to that statement. The conversation began and seemed to accelerate into all the things contributing to their challenges. It wasn’t helpful; in fact, it seemed to be more…
Discipline. It’s not a popular subject. It often gets confused with punishment. It’s not at all the same. Discipline is closest in my mind to commitment. The kind you make to do something even when it’s challenging; when it’s not convenient; when it’s unpopular; when you’d rather not. It’s a rare thing to witness discipline in action. Ask anyone who’s…