The Importance of Creating Clarity
I’ve had two conversations recently that highlighted the importance, as a leader, of creating clarity for your organization. While one looked retrospectively over the course of 2022, the other focused prospectively on 2023, and both had implications for the employees of their respective organizations. In the first situation, the person I was speaking with described […]
You Inspired Me to Take My Dream Off Hold
Recently, I presented my first-ever hybrid workshop. I knew three things coming into this session. First, that the participants of this organization were “worn down.” They’d been through a tumultuous time. As a result, they’d “armored up” to protect themselves. So there wasn’t a high degree of trust or psychological safety. This meant that I […]
How Much Time Are You Spending in Your Zone of Genius?
In speaking with a client the other day, he expressed his frustration that he was stuck. That he didn’t have time to do the stuff he wanted to be doing — and, in some cases, the stuff that was important to the organization — because he was caught up in a never-ending cascade of ‘busy […]
Can You Be Successful AND Happy?
I am often asked the question, “can you be successful and happy?” and I can appreciate why this is such a difficult concept for individuals to grasp. Society has conditioned us to believe that happiness is the price we have to pay if we are to be successful. In fact, society has done a pretty good job […]
Understanding Generational Difference
I was having a great conversation with a friend where he was sharing his frustration with the Millennials. The dialogue went something like this: Him: We were brought up to work hard, keep our head down, and our efforts would eventually be recognized. This new generation seems to want an award just for showing up. […]
A Beginner’s Mindset
As children, we think little of the fact that we have no prior experience or knowledge of something. We take for granted that the process to proficiency will not be smooth. We view any progress as a smashing success and pay little mind to the hiccups along the way. Think of the toddler learning to […]
When There is No Separation Between Work and Home
A recent facilitator in the Emerging Leaders Program shared the quote, “We no longer work from home. We now live at work.” Think about that for a moment. For ages, office workers have talked about work/life balance. In some instances, they’ve even made the case to their organizations that working from home would enable them […]
A Matter of Perspective
We have the power to choose our perspective. Why maintain an outlook that causes distress and negativity? And yet, sometimes, we’re not able to see the alternatives. Let me explain. This morning my son made the comment that he can’t wait for 2020 to end. In some ways, I can understand why he might feel […]
The Telescope’s Cautionary Tale
In my last blog, I talked about the concept of looking at a situation through a microscope or a telescope. By this, I mean focusing so acutely on the problem that it is all you see versus putting it into its proper perspective. However, just as there is a concern about spending too much time looking […]
Are You Looking Through a Microscope or a Telescope?
I’ve found myself using this phrase — “Are you looking through a microscope or a telescope?” often. The way I explain this is that sometimes, particularly when we are embroiled in an issue, it becomes all we can see.Whereas, typically, if we can put a bit of distance between ourselves and the issue, we are […]