coaching

Tackling the Hard Assignments

Tackling the Hard Assignments

Have you ever started cutting up vegetables and finally realized that it was taking longer than expected? Maybe you’ve gone outside to trim your hedges only to find the job harder than you anticipated. Or in a burst of energy, you picked up your ax to chop wood, and were quickly out of breath as you realized how much effort was required.

Then it finally occurred to you that if you simply stopped to hone the edge of your tool; whether a knife, trimmer, or ax, that the job would be much easier. The sharper your implement, the more you can accomplish, very quickly. (more…)

0
Read More

6 Strategies for Leading Through a Crisis

6 Strategies for Leading Through a Crisis

I frequently begin my leadership insights with a story, but none is needed today. We all know the story, and the title is COVID-19. It is a pandemic that has impacted virtually every country and continent in the world. The potential for serious illness and loss of life is enough to make all of us quickly change our normal routines, postpone or cancel what we previously thought to be critically important meetings, and stockpile supplies (including more toilet paper than we know what to do with, me included).

As a coach, consultant and speaker, my face-to-face training and coaching sessions have all been postponed or moved to online delivery.  And, as the wife of a heart transplant recipient who is on immunosuppressant medications, I have decided to “hunker down” inside my home office for most of the next three weeks to minimize bringing germs inside. (more…)

0
Read More

Pivot to Purpose: Moving From Career to A Calling

Pivot to Purpose: Moving from a Career to a Calling

What were you doing as a teenager that really excited you and that you continue to do today?

A speaker asked this question years ago while talking to a group about understanding their strengths and passions in life. Several years later, when I was at a pivot point in my career, trying to decide whether to take the “safe” route, which required less faith, or the “risky” route, which required a lot of faith, it helped me make my decision. I recognized four key things I did during my teens that I was passionate about and how I continued these themes later in life.

Writing – When I was about 14, I decided on my own to read 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Bible and write down, chapter by chapter, what it meant to me. I was analyzing and trying to understand it and relate it to current life. Thirty years later, I continued that theme by writing a book of insights reflecting a faith- based approach to leadership. And I’ve followed that by writing a monthly commentary for individuals, teams and organizations focused on development of successful leadership skills. For me, the creativity of writing is intellectually stimulating and has become a passion and a priority in life. (more…)

0
Read More