One Leadership Challenge: Is it skill or will?

Leadership challenge? Nah, It’s great to be a leader – easy in fact! Presiding over your kingdom, all your peeps utilizing their strengths effectively; everyone getting along and collaborating for the best possible outcomes; goals being met ahead of schedule; creative ideas flowing; and all the key stakeholders as happy as they can be. Yep,…

Healthy Work Environment Tip of the Week

Last week we posted about how using nonviolent communication in the workplace can help create a healthy work environment. One tip we offered was to ditch your judgments and focus on objectively observing the instant situation. In other words, be present for what really is.  But how do we do that? Before we give you the…

Creating Synergy at Work

Having trouble creating synergy at your workplace? I hate to break this to you, but it might just be YOU. Many of us don’t take the time to consider how we communicate when conflict arises. Unfortunately, most of us have been trained to speak a language that encourages us to alienate ourselves, through our communication…

It’s A Great Day to Celebrate!

Great leaders understand organizational success requires commitment to core values and goals; authentic and timely communication; collaboration to identify the best possible action plans, timelines, and solutions; and, they know how and when to celebrate! Indeed, great leaders celebrate! They celebrate the big wins of course, but more importantly, they seek opportunities to celebrate the…

Do Yourself a Favor: Collaborate!

Commit, Communicate, COLLABORATE, and Celebrate. Did you know Henry Ford spent a great deal of time bouncing ideas off his friends Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone? Man, what would it be like to collaborate with heavy-hitters like that?  Well, Mr. Ford changed our world through the power of collaboration. He said “If there is any…

Success Requires Communication

Twenty years ago as a new manager in the insurance industry, I remember being told by a corporate leadership trainer “the key to being a successful manager is Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!” I also remember looking skeptically into the eyes of that trainer and thinking “Really? You are getting paid to tell me I need to…

Success Begins With Commitment

Recently, I pointed to meerkats as a fine example of successful collaboration, stemming naturally from the shared vision, mission, and values of a group. Today we’ll begin to “unpack” traits I observed within the meerkat clans, which keep them aligned, moving forward, and enjoying themselves along the way. Commitment, Communication, Collaboration, and Celebration are the characteristics…

Never Underestimate the Power of Your Perception

“Assume the best about people and watch how anger and stress fall away.”  I don’t know who coined that statement, but I imagine most of you have heard advice about perception similar to this over the years.  But, have you ever put it to the test? It took a tragedy in my family, and the unchartered journey that followed, to convince…

Be Happy Now (Life Lessons from Bishop and Sadie)

Lately I’ve been spending time intentionally observing my dogs. I’ve always enjoyed watching their antics, but I’ve been watching them from a “conflict resolutionist” standpoint.  (Wait, I think I just made up a new word – “resolutionist” – I like it!) Anyway, I have two dogs.  Both are rescues. Both are happy. Sadie is the…

Need Grace Under Pressure? It’s all About the Preparation.

Need Grace Under Pressure? It’s all About the Preparation.

Don’t you know someone who always seems to have it all together?  That person who can reason and stay calm when others are melting down?  The one who stays focused and productive during adversity – even leads others to a good result despite a major cog in the wheel?  Rest assured his/her grace under pressure…

Stop Hiding Your Brilliance and Succeed at Public Speaking

Stop Hiding Your Brilliance and Succeed at Public Speaking

Did you know, according to many researchers, public speaking ranks as the most terrifying thing a person can attempt to do? If you Google “top fears”, regardless of the researcher or institute, public speaking consistently makes it into the top five – usually #1 or 2. It outranks snakes, flying, confined spaces, heights, and even intimacy. Yikes!