Skip to content
Cindy Masingill
African Buffalo, Oxpeckers, and Leadership
Last month, I wrote about my experience in Kenya and particularly how a pride of lions reminded me of effective teams and strong leadership. Today’s blog is about something my niece and I learned from the guides in Serengeti and the mutual beneficial relationships between different species of animals. After being in Kenya for about…
Leadership Lesson from Lions of Maasai Mara, Kenya
I just returned from a 16-day trip in East Africa, and there were two things that I loved most: first, meeting the people of Kenya and Tanzania and the opportunity to learn about different cultures; and second, the experience of observing and being with all the different animals and birds that live in the game…
Your Moment of Lift
I just finished reading “The Moment of Lift” by Melinda Gates – what a wonderful book! She shares experiences from the work she is doing with the foundation she and her husband started in 2000. One such experience she writes about is the horrible misconception that the uber-rich can solve world problems by throwing money…
What’s kicking your ass?
If you feel like your team is dysfunctional, uncooperative, toxic or broken, you’re not alone. Most corporate teams are not really teams; they are groups of people who show up Monday through Friday, work 8-9 hours a day, claim to be working towards a common goal, and say they want the same thing for the…
Seven Simple Leadership Lessons
The seven simple leadership lessons I was reminded of by 41 client leaders this past week: Rapport isn’t rocket science. All it takes is for one face-to-face interaction to really shift (for the better!) a relationship that’s been solely built by telephone and email. Influence isn’t just a topic underneath the heading of Leadership; it…
What Are Your Rituals?
When I ask a new client, “What gets you back to your center?” most responses have something to do with church, time with family, working out, a hobby, or spending time outdoors. What I enjoy most is not necessarily what they do; rather, it’s how they say what they do. When a client says something…
Listening – A New Approach
This week I heard something that both intrigues me and challenges me. A colleague shared something from a book she’s reading, in which the author suggests four “don’ts” when communicating with others. We’ll call it a listening approach, although it may be more accurately labeled a talking approach. Here it is: No fixing No saving…
4 Truths About How To Be A Great Leader That Might Surprise You
The first session of our 2019 LeadFORWARD class started last week. As I prepare to work with and support a new group of accomplished leaders, my intention is to start this journey as if I’m beginning right along with them. This is our 8th LeadFORWARD class, and I want to be sure that time, confidence…
What’s Missing?
As leaders, we are often in situations that involve uncomfortable conversations – but conversations that are necessary to help our teams and employees achieve maximum potential, for themselves and for the organization. Unfortunately, because these conversations can be difficult, they are often avoided. A few years ago, our team put a definition to the term…
The Minimum Age Required to Influence
A supervisor influenced the company president to change a decision. An intern influenced a senior designer with a fresh idea. A millennial persuaded her baby boomer manager to get back into regular exercise. A son influenced his father to be more patient. A college graduate convinced an entrepreneur to take a chance and hire him….