When 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 MoreAs I walked into the room a smile came over my face. I was thrilled with the space we were going to be working in that day. There was a lot of natural light, bright colors on the walls, and all the furniture was on rollers which meant we could design and redesign the room as the day unfolded.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I decided to go for a run at Forest Park in St. Louis. I had been sitting all day and it was time for my body to be in motion. I arrived at the park and made a spur-of-the-moment decision: I chose a path I hadn’t taken before. I could tell from looking at the map that it was about a six-mile loop and that sounded great.
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 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.
Read MoreI was 30,000 feet in the air, somewhere over Nebraska or Colorado, when I first heard this story on a podcast. I do not remember the context or the reason the speaker was sharing this story. What I do know is that I heard it through the lens of leadership, and it had a profound impact on me.
Read MoreIt was an early Monday morning in late January and I was waiting outside my Los Angeles hotel for my Lyft driver. When Carlos arrived in his cream-colored Hyundai Sonata, I made two quick observations:
1. His vehicle had barely met the minimum standards for a shared ride driver.
Read MoreIt is no secret: I love to read. Regardless of the topic, I am often thinking about how what I am reading applies to leadership. Recently I was reading Standing at the Edge by Joan Halifax. She shared a story about some work that she had done in the Bahamas, and that story resonated with me.
Read More
“He is the problem.” I hear this a lot in conversations with leaders. While assessing what is limiting the progress, success, or growth of a group it seems the quick answer is to single out one person as the Captain of Team Dysfunction. This presents an interesting dilemma because once we have decided
Read MoreAugust was an incredibly busy season for me. My last road trip of that month was with a team that I know well. Anytime I walk into their offices I feel like I am at home and I was looking forward to capping off a long stretch on the road with them. After we finished two full days of leadership development,
Read MoreI spent most of the month of August on campuses with faculty and staff, student leaders, coaches, and student-athletes who were returning for yet another school year. Several of the groups I worked with requested sessions on leadership development. During these sessions, we all experienced a few lightbulb moments that are simply too good to keep to myself.
Read MoreOne of my former assistant coaches recently called to share a great story with me. As we talked about her story we discovered that it resonated with what we both believe about being a good leader.
My friend now works with aging adults, many of whom are struggling with memory loss.
Read MoreI have a friend who has experienced several difficult years in a row, in fact, it might be closer to a decade of struggles. During this season of life, she shifted into survival mode, but now she is beginning to find herself and is moving toward a healthier place.
Read More
Due to my work, I fly a lot. I have my packing and travel day routines down to a science and I know what I need to do to be at my best when I’m traveling.
I am currently working with a team that is in a tough position; an epic plague has all but hit this team! You name the injury, illness, or bizarre twist of fate and odds are it applies to this team. Players are being asked to play different positions,
Read MoreWhen I was a kid there was a tree in our front year. I used to race home from elementary school to climb that tree. I wanted to see just how high I could climb. I loved to push my luck as I inched dangerously higher and higher than the day before. As a kid, it was all about how high I could
Read More