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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

Mental/Physical Activities Identify an activity or activities unrelated to your work and participate in that activity for ONE segment throughout the day. For the purpose of this activity, we suggest a segment length of 20 minutes or more. The activity is intended to be fun, challenging, and stimulating – something that stimulates your mind or…

Attitude of Gratitude Invest ONE minute sometime during the day to reflect upon the things and people you are grateful for. Make a list if you like, or simply focus on ONE thing you are grateful for and reflect on that throughout the day. This focus of gratitude will act as a magnet, attracting other…

Noticing Your Patterns Select a day or a portion of a day when you make a conscious effort to notice your patterns. It may be the way you react to being challenged, or how you respond to people who are early or late. It could be how you interact with your family or colleagues, or…

Inspiration Through Modeling Select a book to read, a movie to watch, or a podcast to listen to that you may find inspiring. As you read the book, watch the movie, or listen to the podcast, notice what parts of it make you feel inspired, that reach you at an emotional level. Keep in mind…

Intention Setting Select ONE intended outcome for the week. Thinking from the end, visualize what a successful outcome would look like. Your intentions could vary from feeling good, to closing a deal, to improving a relationship, to being more patient. Select just ONE outcome for the week and focus your attention on achieving that outcome.…

INTENDED OUTCOME: The end in mind is to get you into action and feeling good about your commitment to your ongoing growth, energy renewal, and positive perspective during these challenging, uncertain, and unprecedented times. Our seven-day process is intended to provide you with a plan that is easy to accomplish and that integrates mind, body,…

Transparent Leadership Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability has been showing up frequently in the news and on social media. I enjoy her work tremendously and am aligned with much of her research and her vision around what is needed by leadership. I prefer the word transparency rather than vulnerability; vulnerability seems almost too personal for…

Driven. “Relentlessly compelled by the need to accomplish a goal; very hard-working and ambitious.” Most of the leaders we work with are driven, and that drive brings fulfillment to our mission – that drive, if you will, drives us. Driven leaders are clear about outcomes; they are bold at facing development gaps (most of the…

I recently came across yet another book about leadership, written by a former college president and an assigned reading from my daughter Sophie’s freshman year of business school. When I inquired if she would mind if I borrowed the book, I also asked what she thought about it. Not unlike her father, she is quick…

Restorative practices are those habitual activities we intentionally engage in for the purpose of recharging our energy. Not unlike rechargeable batteries, our performance requires our bodies, minds, hearts and souls to have an opportunity to rest and recharge; otherwise our resilience will be weak and we’ll get “tapped out” sooner than we’d like. And not…

Whenever our family watches a superhero movie, inevitably we ask each other, “What would you want your superpower to be?” My wife always chooses the classic ability to fly. My son invariably requests multiple powers so he doesn’t have to choose, while my answer has always been the ability to read the bad guy’s mind.…

A podcast, an article, and a book: Finding inner inspiration out there In the recent weeks of quarantine living and Zoom working, I’ve realized how much inspiration can be found in our quiet moments of self-care – those activities in which we engage to both relax and re-energize. Those activities, for me, typically include listening…

It’s not easy being a leader today. It could be argued that it’s never easy to be a leader, but it remains essential regardless – and part of what makes one is the acceptance of that knowledge. I learned much of what I know about leadership from my mother. She passed away a little over…

“Normal” is generally defined as usual, typical, or expected. It’s the general sense of routine and expectancy we’ve developed through the years that provides a stability to our lives … and our lives since COVID-19 have been anything but usual, typical, or expected. We continue to isolate ourselves in hopes of “flattening the curve,” and…

During this time of working from home and dealing with challenges of connecting with your teams, co-workers, peers, and clients, appreciation and encouragement are critical. Even our families need that support, as we are challenged to be at home working and schooling together. In “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” by Gary Chapman…

I scheduled a doctor’s appointment today after a week of not feeling quite right, unsure as to whether it was related to a recent procedure, diet, or my body just breaking down. I was able to get an appointment with short notice and was glad I did – not so much for the medical treatment…