The Thoughtful Leaders Blog
Posted by Lisa Kohn on May 10, 2012
 I am feeling it – that feeling of just too much. Too much to do. Too many deadlines. Too many balls in there air. And while I coach clients and offer keynote sessions on managing overwhelm, I’m feeling too caught in my own stuff to know what I know…so here’s a refresher for me (and perhaps for you). And yes, I did pick up The Power of Thoughtful Leadership to help me remember:
Let the little things slide – Right now, at my house, the bed is unmade, the laundry is unfolded, and there are dishes in the sink. Right now, in my office, there’s a pile of magazines that need to be looked through, a pile of papers that need to be filed, and a pile of expenses that need to be entered. Right now, on my to-do list, are many documents to be edited and a full email inbox to go through…and none of that really matters. These are the little things that I normally do to keep my life calmer and more clutter-free, but there simply isn’t time right now and I have to let them slide. And forgive myself for not keeping up with my own standards.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on April 26, 2012
 To grow as a leader, or in any endeavor, it is essential to build upon your strengths. And in order to do that, you must be aware of your strengths – the specific things that make you you, that make you great, and that make you good at what you do. This awareness is something many of us have trouble identifying and embracing.
A great way to find your strengths is to do some research. To spend time in reflection; to look around you and notice what you love, what you excel at, where you truly shine. Your research should include asking others – to reach out to those people who know you really well and ask them to notice and to list the best things that make you you. Noticing the strengths in others, and contemplating which of those you might also possess, is another way to find your strengths.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on April 23, 2012
“There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the ways we start many of our client engagements is with an OEA – our Organizational Effectiveness Assessment. This allows us to gather anonymous input from our clients’ employees as to what’s working at the organization, and what isn’t.
One of the workplace issues that often arise is the taking of credit and the placement of blame. It seems that way too many managers and leaders, at least in eyes of those that report to them, are too eager to take credit and too willing to place blame.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on April 9, 2012
“I will not should on myself today.” Anonymous
I learned this pithy saying years ago, and it still makes me smile.
So often we “should” on ourselves. We run the list of our “shoulds” – to ourselves or others. “I should answer this email.” “I should volunteer at my kid’s school.” “I should work late even though I’m exhausted.” “I should exercise more often.” “I should sign up for an evening class.” “I should learn a foreign language.” While many of these shoulds are admirable, when we list our shoulds we pile on the pressure (and the self-dislike when we don’t meet our own expectations). In a recent blog post, Hit the pause button, we shared how stepping away from all the “shoulds” in our lives for even a brief moment can help us refresh and come back stronger and with more clarity.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on April 5, 2012
 As a coach and consultant, research on leadership behaviors are always fascinating to me – and, when it focuses on women leaders, it really piques my interest. One report developed by our friends at Performance Programs, Inc., a research firm specializing in industrial psychology and psychometrics, in conjunction with Wenroth Consulting Group, looked at the traits that high-achieving women exhibit in both corporate and entrepreneurial careers. Having been on both sides of the fence, I was curious to see what the differences were between successful corporate women and successful women entrepreneurs.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on March 15, 2012
 This seems to be very blatant, obvious advice, yet I think it’s advice we can all heed – both in it’s specifics and in it’s overall concept: to make sure we’re fully focused when we communicate with others, put things in writing, and send them out through cyberspace.
When you’re out drinking, when your filters may be a bit less engaged, it is NOT the time to answer emails, or IMs, or even phone calls, of a work-related nature. You may feel charged to get one last thing done, or inspired with a pithy response or brilliant idea, but it is easy to say or type the wrong thing, dash off a nasty-gram, or use inappropriate humor when we are not really focused on our best communication.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on March 12, 2012
“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it.” Jonathan Winters
I like this idea. I’m not the best swimmer, but I’ve spent too much time waiting for ships to dock so that I can get on them and sail away. I love the visual of swimming out to meet my ship – finding it and catching it.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on February 2, 2012
 I wish I could say that I thought of this leadership approach myself, but I can’t. One of my clients a few years back shared this with me, and I’ve been passing it on ever since.
It is an adage to live and lead by. So often what we tell others about ourselves is exactly what we wouldn’t want others to think. “I don’t know how I’ll get this done,” we offer. “I’m swamped and don’t know what to tackle next,” we share.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 30, 2012
“Doing more of what doesn’t work won’t make it work any better.” Charles J. Givens
This quote made me laugh. It’s so true. Yet somehow we seem to forget and we continue to operate on the belief that if we just try harder, even if it’s not working, we’ll somehow figure it out and push things through.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 2, 2012
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain
Sometimes I think that nothing gets in our way as much as our certainty. We argue with others incessantly, steadfastly insisting how right we are on a specific topic, even when they have proof as to another answer. We maintain that our view of a situation or a person is the Truth, and simply refuse to consider that others may view things differently. Somehow we’re simply sure, and nothing can convince us otherwise.
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View Robyn McLeod's profile
by delegating and building the team,
hey if they don’t want to play, I will find someone else interested in doing a good job
Delegating is a great way to stop overwhelm and build your team. Thanks for sharing Tim!
Well, we all have been overwhelmed with the task we need to do. But I focus on small things that can be solve easily and keep that momentum. You will never notice that you already finish your without even bothering to check on it.
Thanks Melisa. I also find it helpful to make myself notice the things I do accomplish, as that helps me feel less in overwhelm and I’m likely not to notice them if I don’t actively try to.