I talked with a leader who was in the quandary of feeling she wanted to do one thing but thinking she should do something else. In essence, her head and heart weren’t in agreement. She knew what convention expected of her, even what the demands were that she placed upon herself but meeting those expectations wasn’t satisfying her emotionally.
Read MoreFor those of us who see ourselves as leaders we need to know that people certify our leadership based in their mental images of what a leader is. Another way of saying it is that we’re leaders because people think we are. Perceptions do count.
Read MoreNo one is perfect and few fully adjusted. In other words, most of us are like cracked pots: We have the promise of potential but with a few leaks and if the strain gets too great our insides show. The goal isn’t to repair the cracks – they’re life long – but to make our inside beautiful so that when we’re strained people experience grace instead of grief. After all, isn’t that the kind of leader you’d want leading your enterprise?
Read MoreDiscerning the story of our life can be very rewarding but like most things we do having an example helps, especially one that enables us to feel less strange about who we are.
Read MoreIt’s said to be “more important to know who you are than where you are going, for where you are going will change as the world around you changes.” In this light the demand to know direction and “do something” isn’t always a leader’s best counsel. In fact, the busyness of doing can get in the way of the business of being and become a way to defer taking a look at yourself.
Read MoreWhile celebration within our organizations doesn’t mean we’re responsible for everyone’s happiness, still, happiness is core to the idea—we don’t celebrate very well when we’re sad. If happiness in the workplace—or in the volunteer organization, the serving place – is key to celebration, how is it attained?
Read MoreIf you’ve been around leadership for any amount of time then you already know the importance of vision. People must have a sense of direction and it’s the leader’s job to come up with it. Right? Not all would agree. In fact, some see this proposition as being the myths within vision.
Read MoreMaking decisions based only on what is visible and measurable, while expedient and perhaps all we think we have, can leave some larger areas unaddressed. In fact, you may have experienced the consequences of actions based only in process and committed to without fully considering people. Could there be a better way?
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