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It happened again – plans changed at the last minute because of COVID restrictions. This time it was Thanksgiving dinner that got rearranged because we needed to keep people safe. And so we pivoted. There’s that word again – “pivoted.” It’s the prettier version of adapting or flexing. And I enjoy pivoting about as much…

While my son was home for a few weeks in November, we watched a few movies as a family. One night we were in the mood to watch something light, and so we selected “City Slickers,” starring Billy Crystal. If you have not seen the movie, Billy Crystal’s character Mitch was going through a midlife…

Readership Warning: In this blog post, I am energized by the deep concerns we all have of the pandemic tightening its grip on us yet again. A small reprieve over the late summer months had some of us back to something fairly normal with shopping, some recreation events, and schools open and operating. Some of us got…

On the twelfth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Twelve Deep Breaths One of the most effective ways to reset and center yourself is by taking a deep breath. Short, shallow breathing adds to our stress, causing cortisol to move through our system and making stressful situations worse. Observe high performing athletes just…

On the eleventh day of leadership, my coach gave to me Eleven Additional Minutes of Sleep Leadership is a physical activity!  When we consider our physical leadership, we understand the importance of a healthy diet, adequate hydration, and plenty of exercise. However, we sometimes forego quality sleep for various reasons, including stress and prioritizing sleep.…

On the tenth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Ten Traits of an Emergent Leader “Everyone is a leader; the question is how well are we leading.” An Emergent Leader is focused on performance – individually, in teams, and organizationally. Following are the ten traits of an Emergent Leader. Purposefully / Mission-driven Influential…

On the ninth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Nine Creativity Tips Creativity fuels innovation and gives us new ways of thinking and problem-solving. Try these 9 tips to help fuel your creativity. Put a small pad of paper and a pen on the table next to your bed—capture all your initial thoughts…

On the eighth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Eight Additional Minutes of Movement Eight more minutes of movement per day is a gift to give yourself. If you’re not exercising at all, this gets you an hour per week. Movement keeps us alert, focused, and engaged in the game of life. Track…

On the seventh day of leadership, my coach gave to me Seven Days of Renewal Seven days of renewal…that’s it! One week of vacation. And it will go by fast, believe me. If you are working at the cadence of most leaders I know, it takes anywhere from 48-72 hours to start feeling anything close…

On the sixth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Six Empowering Questions Empowering questions are open-ended and thought-provoking, allowing a person to look for answers and new opportunities. Here are six to get you started: How will you feel when you reach your goal? How will your accomplishment serve you? Follow up to #2: how…

On the fifth day of leadership, my coach gave to me Five Stretch Goals Think about this quote: “The biggest rewards in life are found just outside your comfort zone.” (Jack Canfield) When was the last time you took that step, or reaped that reward? How have you achieved a stretch goal in the last…

On the fourth day of leadership, my coach gave to me – Four Core Values We value what we do and do what we value. Be intentional about how you use your energy by making conscious choices based on your four key values. Take some time to reflect and select the four values that most…

On the third day of leadership, my coach gave to me – Three Things to be Grateful for Merriam-Webster defines “gratitude” as a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. Family, friends, and good health may be an obvious top 3, but let’s mix it up a bit! The ability to…

On the second day of leadership, my coach gave to me – Two Minutes of Mindfulness Practicing mindfulness – quieting our minds at the beginning of our day – creates the “space for grace.” We get the double benefit of being inspired through intuition as well as noticing when and how we get distracted throughout…

On the first day of leadership, my coach gave to me – One Compelling Vision. The first gift we want you to have is a compelling vision for your leadership. What attributes define your genuine leadership? How will you make a difference (and real difference!) in your leadership? When the leading gets tough, what’s the…

I recently read a short article about “Meta Cognition” that reminded me of a conversation I had with a former manager early in my professional career. Distilled to its essence, the manager saw some potential in me and wanted to influence me to be able to “think higher.” As I read the “Meta Cognition” article, I thought…

Providing positive feedback effectively is a skill that will help others improve their skills. This type of effective communication will lead to an open, robust, and healthy workplace culture. Providing positive feedback will also give members of your team the tools and information they need to succeed on a personal level while helping the group…

How does manifestation occur? We believe that manifesting anything in life starts with a vision of what could be. Our visions are simply an “out-picturing” of our purpose and passion, and in order to manifest consistently, these visions are supported by clear intentions. A clear intention is something that elicits a feeling of joy and…

Research shows that taking just a few minutes each day to make a short journal entry, greatly increases your chances of moving beyond just knowing what you would like to do, and actually start doing what you know. Journaling is an individual activity that has great power. It is one of the most meaningful behaviors…

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…

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…

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…

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…