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Stressed Leadership
There’s no shortage of stress in our lives; as adults in 2020, it’s present on our teams, in our organizations, and even in our homes. Because of this, there is no shortage of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, even when we’re not managing our lives and careers through a pandemic. Effective leadership requires a calm…
Leading with Purpose and Agility
The Army War College coined the acronym VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – in 1987, drawing on the leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus to describe or reflect the general conditions and situations of the post-cold war world. Covid-19 has certainly reinforced the concept; for almost all of us, it is…
The Four Agreements
Over the last few months, I have frequently recommended to my clients the book “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. Published in 1992 it is a short book – only 138 pages – that shares some of the secrets and insights of ancient Toltec wisdom. The author advocates shedding of outmoded limiting beliefs that…
How to Get the Most from Coaching
Learning from those who came before us is one of the unique traits of human pedagogy. Over the years, as we’ve coached clients from all types of organizations and from all levels of leadership, we’ve noted some key attributes of clients who optimize their results. Let’s learn from their success by considering the following collection…
Driving Leadership
My fascination with and choice to study psychology in college as an adult student was rooted in the idea that humans are sentient, motivated beings with self-awareness that have the free will to make choices. In my thoughts and words, this means that we all share in having a foundational driving force in our lives…
Time for Both/And
One recent Saturday afternoon I was walking in a park near my home at the same time as what appeared to be a young girl’s high school sports celebration was taking place. The crowd was within seeing and hearing distance for about a half-mile of my walk. I was aware of a number of different…
Boosting Focus & Productivity Working from Home
5 ways to increase focus and productivity while working from home. For those of us that have worked from home pre-pandemic, we know that productivity can actually be increased compared to working at the office. However, there are some unique barriers to focus and productivity related to working from home – distractions, competing commitments, other…
Awareness, Purpose, Discernment, and Action
Effective, scalable leadership begins with awareness – first self-awareness, and then systems awareness. Leaders who evolve over time and remain relevant are consciously aware of the assumptions, beliefs, and thinking that drive their behavior. And because they are open to learning and feedback, they are consistently hearing from others about what’s working and not working…
7 Days to Renewed Energy and Perspective – Action Step 7
Journaling One activity that helps us become more self-aware of our patterns or enhances our ability to let things go is journaling. Once during the day – midday, at day’s end, or any other time that you find useful – take out your journal and record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, insights, and learnings. Just write…
7 Days to Renewed Energy and Perspective – Action Step 6
The “Pause” Begin noticing the transition that exists between activities, and consciously pause before commencing with the next activity by: Taking at least ONE deep diaphragmatic breath – a way to get the blood flowing and getting you more centered and grounded. Envisioning, while in this relaxed state, the intended outcome for your next activity….