The Thoughtful Leaders Blog
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on September 5, 2011
“If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.” Ancient Chinese proverb
We do it all the time. I hear it from my colleagues, clients, friends, and family members. I do it myself. We decide on a course of action – a way to handle the co-worker who is driving us crazy, to motivate the employee who simply isn’t working hard enough, to get our children to listen – and keep pushing at it, whether it seems to be taking us in the direction we want to be going or not. Most often we come to this course of action quickly – we don’t “have time” to really think through what we’re doing and where we’re going, and so we simply start moving. And keep moving…and wonder why we’re not ending up where we want to be.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on August 22, 2011
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
We often have the best intentions yet fail to stick to our commitments. We decide to change our behavior – to act differently or treat someone with more care and concern – and we do… but only once or twice. Then we wonder why things aren’t different and nothing gets better.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on August 8, 2011
“If you work on your mind with your mind, how can you avoid an immense confusion?” Seng-ts’an
We often get caught in our own minds trying to find a way out of a problem. Like an animal caught in a maze, or perhaps a gerbil going round and round in its little wheel, we circle through our repetitive thoughts trying to find a solution to what’s in front of us.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on July 12, 2011
That glowing Check Engine light. The piles of junk mail on your dining room table. The friend who calls you weekly to complain about her life. The colleague who interrupts you, even when your door is closed. The manager who can’t seem to find anything good about what you do. The direct report who incessantly misses deadlines (but always with “good reason.”) What do these things have in common? If any or all of them are a part of your life, they are tolerations – those distracting, annoying occurrences that frustrate you and sap your energy.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Robyn McLeod on June 16, 2011
As I drove my daughter to school recently I saw my jogging partner walking with her children to school. She mentioned several weeks ago that she wanted to take more opportunities to exercise and to encourage her children to be more active, so I was happy to see her putting her words into action by walking the mile and a half to school rather than driving. I shouted a few words of encouragement as we drove past and she smiled.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on May 23, 2011
“You don’t have to let yourself be terrorized by other people’s expectations of you.” Sue Patton Thoele
I was speaking with one of my clients recently, and she shared with me challenges she was having with her boss. It seems that she was so convinced of how high a bar she had to hit for her boss, that she was afraid of doing anything, lest she fall short. “I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I know I have to move forward on this decision, but I don’t want to let my boss down.”
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on May 9, 2011
“It’s always too soon to quit!” Norman Vincent Peale
So often I’ve wanted to quit just before a breakthrough. I’ve been at the edge, ready to throw up my hands and give up in disgust, to walk away from what I wanted and what I wanted to accomplish, and for some strange reason, perhaps a bit more determination, a bit more hope, or a bit more prodding from someone else, I’ve held on and given it one more try…and I’ve broken through to my goal.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Lisa Kohn on February 18, 2011
So many people wonder if they can really make a difference. “That will never work here,” our clients often say. “No one else is doing it,” or “My boss won’t go along with that.” We challenge them to be do it anyway, to be a change agent, to be the first one.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 21, 2011
Sometimes I question whether the efforts I take for myself, my clients, my family and friends, and even, at times, the world, make a difference. And then I think of the Starfish Story – adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley. Read it below and tell me what you think. Do our little efforts perhaps add up to making a difference? I invite you to visit my Q&A on my LinkedIn profile and add your examples of people making small differences that add up.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 17, 2011
“If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.” Mary Kay Ash
Recently a client was facing a challenge at work, a “growth opportunity” if you will, a chance to lead a team through an intense project – and she knew she couldn’t handle it.
(Continue reading…)
Related Posts:
Leave a Reply
« Newer Posts — Older Posts »
|
|
View Robyn McLeod's profile
Thank you Chatsworth Consulting for this timely Thoughtful Leaders Minute. For the last couple of days I’ve been allowing doubt to creep in and not turning to my faith and support to keep me focused and balanced. This in addition to a scripture I read this morning has reminded me of something I know, but I sometimes forget – I can do it! Keep’em coming….
Thank you for the comment, Tirza. Glad this post came at the right time for you. There’s no better affirmation than “I can do it!”
You might also enjoy this blog post on introspection and positive thinking: A Thoughtful Leadership tip from a monk on Wall Street