Articles

We know that as the pace of change in the world accelerates, both the challenges and opportunities for leaders and organizations grow exponentially. We must rely less on past successes and what we know and more on being open, willing and prepared to continually learn, adapt and grow if we intend to remain relevant. A…

I love the power of thought. I love how much influence it has over our actions and behaviors. I love how it’s first informed by emotion and I love how it can truly deceive us. Yes, the power of our own minds can deceive us. I often witness this with my 6-year-old son. He says…

What stretches you, and what energizes you?
In this busy holiday season, most of us are stretched to the max - whether with shopping, decorating, social engagements or end-of-year work. So how do we stay energized?

Who doesn’t love a good session with your favorite bands? My session usually involves riding in my car with music blaring through the speakers, while I try secretly to sing along. Meaningful and motivational lyrics always strike me, and I’ve learned along the way that many of my emotions are tied to them. The song…

I believe we are the average or sum total of the five people we associate with most often. I once heard that your income is actually the average of your five closest friends. And while financial results are one way of measuring our well-being – although not the best – I am intrigued by this…

Forget “either/or” thinking. It is one of the biggest obstacles to creative- and opportunity-minded thinking. In a world and culture of almost unlimited options and choices, this artificial distinction of choosing one thing over another as if there is only one right choice can result in a missed – perhaps better – opportunity. While you…

I recently read a newspaper article discussing the fascinating topic of awe, and since then I have been thinking a lot about the effects that experiencing awe can have on us. Awe is described as that ‘goose bump’ feeling we get when we see the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, or another natural wonder of our…

Think of some of the inspirational quotes about baby steps that you’ve read – Small steps to big change… Take one small step in the direction of your dreams… Big things change with many small steps… What small step have you taken today? Studies, research, and self-improvement articles often remind us that small steps, done…

Do you have the language of leadership? How is what you’re saying affecting you as leader? Whether in your life, your family, your team, or your community, what is your language saying about your leadership? I was recently working with a client on her awareness of her language – of what she was saying, and…

Have you ever stood hip-deep in a stream and felt the steady rush of water around your feet? Those are the deep currents – the currents that keep the water moving and flowing. Life comes with some sunny and calm days AND stormy and choppy days; they all make up the ebb and flow of…

We are both blessed and cursed to be meaning-making machines. While being able to assume, generalize, and deduce allows us to function in the world, sometimes our need to make meaning causes limitations in ourselves, in others, and in our organizations. Our need to describe everything we encounter in a particular and specific way causes…

This time of year is one of my favorites; the weather is cooler, the leaves start to fall, and pumpkins are decorating the neighborhood. And of course, the kids head back to school to tackle new challenges and learn new things. Even more than spring, it is a time of beginnings. My daughter started high…

Think of some of the things you told yourself today. How positive is your self-talk? How productive? I often find that my self-talk is not very productive or positive at all – “Why did you eat that bag of chips? That was not a great idea. Chips are NOT a part of my eating plan!”…

What does it mean to be integrated? In our sense, it means we are unified, coordinated, cohesive. Businesses all rely on each member – on integration – to get work accomplished, and even families depend on each of their individual gifts to make the home and family run smoothly. I’ve recently realized that I feel…

Feeling Rusty I’m feeling rusty.  Fergi and I usually do our agility training weekly, but due to vacation and an off week, we haven’t been to class for two weeks. So not only is missing class leaving me dry for blog material, it’s also making me feel a little rusty, and I don’t like it. …

Recently inspired by a client’s successful experiment, I became motivated to commit to a series of experiments around positive changes I intend to make in both my leadership and my life. First, I examined elements of my life I would like to change – obvious things like weight loss, regular exercise, and reading; from there…

Recently, I’ve noticed that I have been using my GPS or navigation system on my phone more frequently. Even when I know the way, I engage the navigation – just in case there is a faster way. And I engage it even if I know that faster way, because there may be an even newer,…