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Speak your truth
“Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.” ~Audre Lorde You know that feeling of walking out of a meeting wishing you’d spoken up about a project that you didn’t think would work or you thought was misguided or wrong. Or...
Leap out of your comfort zone
This is one of my favorite infographics. It’s quite simple, yet so powerful. It tells you that you can choose to stay in your little circle of comfort or choose instead to venture out and hop into the big juicy circle where the magic happens. Many things can keep you...
You think you’re listening, but you’re missing so much. Here’s what to do about it.
"When people talk, listen completely." ~Ernest Hemingway Have you ever been in the midst of a conversation with someone, only to realize you have no idea what they've just been saying to you? Have you ever acted on something you discussed with someone, only to have...
Why enjoying yourself is an essential leadership skill
We are a driven culture. A can-do society with an addiction, at times, to over-achieving. Or maybe that's just me. Or me and many of my clients. One thing I've learned in my years of supporting - and challenging - leaders is that at least as necessary as achieving and...
What we resist, persists
“The instant I fully accept one of life’s waves, I shift away from worry and open up to creativity and possibility.” ~Andrea Gibson A client was telling me about a tough situation they were facing. Their boss had decided, with no input from my client, to simply shift...
How to start anew, even when it’s old
We’re just back from our month-long sabbatical. We know how lucky we are to be able to take a month to practice what we “preach” about rest and reflection. We’ve been doing this since my 22-year-old child was heading into kindergarten…so for a while now. Back then we...
Mistakes welcome!
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” ~Theodore Roosevelt Why is it that we (that I) get so hung up on the mistakes we make? Or even sometimes on the mistakes that others make around us. What is this notion that somehow resides...
Please, thank you, and I’m sorry – words for kindergarten and leadership
As parents we can be very focused on teaching our children manners and appropriate behaviors – choosing the right words, using our "inside" voices, sharing, being kind to others. But somewhere along the way we forget that those very behaviors we are instilling in our...
Don’t apologize for using the “F” word at work
"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." ~Benjamin Disraeli I refer to Feelings as "the F word" in business. I've witnessed over the years that many people - many people - still seem to think that we should somehow leave our...
The biggest barrier to your team’s development? You
Years ago I had a peer (I'll call her Nancy) who complained constantly about her team. We were both managers of large sales teams, worked for the same overly demanding boss, and had to manage in a period of never-ending restructuring and downsizing. I'll admit, it...
Do you really need advice?
“Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.” ~Erica Jong The other day I noticed a pattern during a recent coaching session. It was pretty obvious and hard to miss. My client was sharing a number of situations she was facing and...
Running is like leading – 5 key steps towards winning the race
I went for a run this morning. It was tough. I'm not sure why. I haven't been running all that often – I never actually run all that often – but I have been running. But today my three miles were challenging. As I kept my legs moving, I reflected back to when I first...