Someone once told me: The two most important words in the English language are “after you.” Can we reconcile this lovely thought with our rigid notion of “the leader,” a word and concept, which quite literally describes the one in front? Yes! Because in great leadership we follow others, as is appropriate to the situation. … Continued
I was just talking to a good friend and his 9th grade son, and I asked the youngster: “Who’s the leader in your house — your mom or your dad?” His mom who’s been largely stay-at-home is now re-entering the work force. His dad is the breadwinner, the bigger of the two, the main driver … Continued
My reading of Daniel Goleman’s fascinating book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence has coincided this week with a powerful experience of “a field” of energy in a group. Goleman writes persuasively about how important it is to be able to change our focus, and to focus upon things that our conscious minds have never known they … Continued
Trust is the KILLER APP. A new client retained me last week. I told him I’d write up the agreement and pricing if he wanted it, but I didn’t need it. He could dump me at any time, and I’d fix to his liking any issue regarding payments. He was fine with that and said … Continued
Long before Sting, Carl Jung wrote deeply about synchronicity – the occurrence in time of seemingly unrelated events which when read as a pair seem profoundly steeped in meaning and purpose. So it was that on Friday, January 3rd after a dozen years of gruesome, noble, and spirited battles with cancers and other biological assailants, … Continued
Happy New Year! That’s a wish. And here are 3 actionable ideas, especially if you haven’t set goals for 2014. First, put yourself first! Second, make yourself focus. Third, work backwards from January 1, 2015. Put yourself first, because nobody else (other than a great coach) should or will put you first. Don’t start the … Continued
The University has its own rhythm – the Great Enthuse of the first weeks full of sheer possibility, then viruses spreading and mid-terms looming. And now it’s bearing down time, the stretch to holidays and finals, with little new but colds and colder air and shorter days. Okay, I’ll stop…And strategize. What do we all … Continued
I was with a client last week and they repeatedly used the word “under-resourced.” If you’re not Google or Twitter, that statement probably applies to you, right? We’re all stretched thin in these days of do-more-with-less. Yet I’ve been blessed by raining-down resources, and perhaps there is relevance for others in the nature of the … Continued
I’m 55 and a voice in me groaned quietly to hear it again. I’ve been going to church more or less religiously (forgive the pun) on Sundays for those 5+ decades. And when I heard “A man had two sons,” I knew the story nearly by heart. Add in an older priest as reader and … Continued
Last week I wondered out loud with you how you help others to take feedback constructively, rather than defensively. And I also asked: how do you help yourself to be so open to growth. THANKS to the 55 people who responded . . . with quite a remarkable array of thoughts. Here are the most … Continued