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Nothing is more important than breathing, and here’s why
"Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is a wonderful moment." ~Thich Nhat Hanh A client came to his session the other day clearly upset about an interaction with his boss. The truth is, my client had said...
Why pausing is such an important leadership skill, and how to do it
As an Executive Coach, I get to work with many powerful, successful leaders, and many of them have a habit that's getting in their way. They're reacting too quickly, and not reacting Thoughtfully. Their colleagues will say: "I ask him a question, and his immediate...
Finding the path that seems unfindable
"Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley." ~Theodore Roethke I was talking with a client the other day, and they felt stuck. Stuck in old reactions. Stuck in a situation. Stuck not knowing what to do. They were involved in a...
The way to happy customers is through happy employees, so how do you do that?
I was having a recent conversation with a dear friend who is the QUEEN of Customer Experience (CX to those in the know) – Stacy Sherman of Doing CX Right. We were having a serious mind meld about how Employee Experience (EE) is just as important as CX. One of our...
Why stealing credit is never a good idea
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." ~Harry S. Truman "I can't believe my boss took credit for my ideas," my client said to me the other day during a coaching session. "She asked me for my thoughts, debated my suggestions,...
Five tips to navigate the currents of conflict
It was not the first time my son said "No" to my "Yes" that day. It felt like the umpteenth, even if it was maybe only the third. I felt like I was slogging through sludge to get anywhere with him, to get anything done. And so I stopped. "I give up," I said. "This...
Fill yourself up so you can lead and live
"You can’t be a resource for others, unless you nourish yourself." ~Alexandra Stoddard We hear it every time we get on a plane. “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” We hear it so often, that we might not really pay attention to what it means or why they say that to...
Someone on your team made a mistake. Now what?
Early in my career I was a company newsletter editor. I managed a small team of writers, oversaw design and layout, and worked with a printer to produce and distribute the weekly publication to over 150,000 employees. (This was back in the day when people actually got...
Where are you choosing to be miserable?
“Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.” ~Cynthia Nelms This is one of my favorite sayings. Each time I read it I stop and smile. I think of all the time and energy I can waste being miserable and dissatisfied…and remember it’s always...
Feeling misunderstood? Offer others a “User’s Guide” to you.
As a young manager, I had the opportunity to attend an MBTI® workshop with my director and my peers. I had never done a self-assessment like that, and I was blown away by the spot-on narrative about my preferences and behaviors. The experience was self-affirming and...
The Three Things method to a better day
"Not having the best situation but seeing the best in your situation is the key to happiness." ~Marie Forleo We are often waiting for things to get better. A better boss. A better team. A better project. A better relationship with (fill in the blank). A better...
Why a pink flamingo is an essential leadership tool
I was on my side porch the other day, chilling, enjoying the breeze, and doing a bit of writing for work, when I looked through the trees over to my neighbor's yard and saw a huge pink flamingo. And I mean huge. Now I probably should clarify that through the trees was...
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