Can you imagine running a business that turned over 25% of its workforce annually? Can you imagine how difficult it would be to sustain a healthy and thriving culture with this kind of turnover? Even worse, what if the people who were leaving every year were your most influential leaders? Can you imagine how exhausting it would be to not only replace 25% of your workforce but to also develop C-Suite annually?
Read MoreNearly 20 years ago I took my first international trip. I spent most of a summer in the Philippines, and to say that this was a life-changing experience would be an understatement. It was a summer of experiencing extremes; I witnessed wealth and poverty, observed urban and rural challenges, stayed at nice hotels and slept on the bamboo floor of a hut, and I learned from the innocence of children and the wisdom of the elderly.
Read MoreFor generations we have talked about leadership and the value that healthy leaders bring to an environment, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that the term self-leadership became a part of the conversation.
I believe self-leadership is one of the most overlooked and underrated aspects in the field of leadership development.
Read MoreThis past year I have found myself on a very long and unanticipated journey, but last week I was finally able to get my first vaccination shot. That moment felt significant, much like a mile marker when you’ve been lost in the wilderness.
For me, the last 13 months have been a prolonged experience in liminal space.
Read MoreIf you and I have ever had a conversation about building culture you know that I believe there are three very specific components to the process: the people, the boundaries, and the stories we tell.
One of my favorite mental pictures to share about building cultural boundaries is that we can choose between fences and wells
Read MoreI don’t remember when I first heard this story, I just remember thinking, “there are so many ways that this concept applies to the work I’m doing.”
It goes like this: in the late 1970s a passenger plane was flying from Denver, Colorado, to Portland, Oregon. As the plane began its descent and its landing gear was lowered, a loud noise was heard.
Read MoreI have always been amazed by redwood trees. These massive structures often grow over 300 feet tall, and many have trunks that span 20 or more feet in diameter. It’s a little hard to wrap my brain around something this substantial.
When I think about these trees, I assume they must have a root system that reaches the center of the Earth! A storm or a tornado could easily blow over an entire redwood forest if it lacked a strong root system.
Read MoreThe story of Chinese bamboo is fascinating, and I have heard it applied in many contexts. For me, the idea that a Chinese bamboo seed could be planted, watered, nurtured, and cared for daily and yet lay dormant for five years and then suddenly break through the soil and grow up to 80 feet in six weeks is amazing. This mental picture connects very well to all areas of personal growth and development.
Read MoreIt is no secret that I love a good meal, especially one that includes meaningful conversations with friends who I care about deeply. But oddly, I find the invitation to a potluck to be very stressful. First, I am never sure what to bring. First, I am never sure what to bring. I find myself wondering if this is a casserole crowd, or wine & cheese people, or maybe they are fans of homemade salsa with chips?
Read MoreSharing about the Jack Pine never gets old to me. I have used this imagery with teams, groups, and leaders for several years and each time I share I feel like I learn something new in the process. The Jack Pine is a particular type of pine tree that produces a cone called the serotinous cone. Each cone stays on a tree for several years before dropping to the ground.
Read More2020 has exposed some tragic leadership flaws. This year forced leaders in all industries and at all levels to lead through a landscape they have never explored. Companies, organizations, educational institutions, and small business owners aren’t certified in Leading through a Global Pandemic. As a result, many leaders have made decisions and acted in ways that have put their people in harm’s way.
Read MoreWhen it comes to holidays, I am not one for elaborate decorations. Thematic rituals and traditions hold little merit with me. However, holidays do provide a rhythmic pattern of pausing in my life. For me, these scheduled dates of celebration are a predictable season of self-reflection, and while 2020 has lacked in all forms of predictability, holidays have been a gift that allow me to process and unpack my ever-unfolding life.
Read MoreI have known what it feels like to walk alone. In these moments, an internal battle ensues, a push and a pull between the work that is calling me to step forward and into unknown spaces, and the resistance that shows up as an intense desire to stay with the certainty of what I know.
Read MoreRecently I started watching a new television show called Away. It’s about five people from five different countries who travel to Mars for a three-year space exploration mission. It is not necessarily the type of show that I am normally drawn to, but I admit it, I am fascinated by the blending of cultures and personalities.
Read MoreIt was 8:00 on a Friday morning and I was the middle of a very difficult conversation. I was sitting in my Athletic Director’s office explaining that my mind was made up: we needed to permanently remove a player from our roster.
Read MoreIn the midst of this global health crisis we are learning and relearning a lot about leadership. As someone who is personally skilled at observing and connecting dots, I am noticing how we are using words in new ways to help shape our experiences in a time of social distancing and isolation.
Read MoreFour years ago, I quit. I was done. I walked into my boss’s office and said, “I don’t need two weeks, I can be out of here in five days.” Actually, I didn’t just quit my job; I walked away from a career of nearly 20 years in coaching. At that stage in my life I sensed that there was something else for me, something deeper that I needed to discover, and staying near the known was restricting me from exploring the pull I felt from within.
Read MoreOver the last seven weeks of social distancing, I have had a lot of time to think. As someone who often gets stuck in her own head, it is fair to say that it has been a dangerous amount of time to sit with and process my thoughts. I have found myself wrestling with the fact that I have said no to several recent public opportunities.
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