Category Archives: LEADERSHIP

This is the second in a series on becoming more innovative. The first blog focused on the culture, and this one and the next focus on you. While creating a culture of positive what-ifs and why-nots is crucial, the success of that transition starts with the leader being a positive role model. If you are […]

This blog post is the first of a two-part series on getting unstuck. This post focuses on organizations, and the next will focus on individuals. Is your organization defined by a “culture of stuck” where the conversation gets mired in all the negative what-ifs instead exclaiming “Why not? Let’s make this happen!” I recall when […]

It’s funny how people think that when you have your own business things slow down in December. Quite the opposite, which made a presentation by Quyen Nguyen quite impactful a few weeks ago. Her words inspired me to slow down, ask more questions and really listen. One morning, I took Quyen’s advice. I decided not […]

Focus was one of the Gallup top 10 dominant strengths that I didn’t realize I had until I took the All 34 test and became a certified coach. My awareness of Focus being a strength of mine and the subsequent changes I made in how I do my work boosted my productivity 25 percent. In […]

This is a second blog in a series about how to explain your strengths to maximize impact. Last time we focused on interviewing, and here we will examine building a better relationship with your leader and co-workers. I recall a few years ago when I was in a first meeting with a client who was […]

When I coach clients interviewing for jobs, one of the most common frustrations I hear is: “I hate to talk about myself.” Gallup Strengths provide a cure for that problem by shifting the focus from “why I am great” to “why I am the way I am.” I think this latter dialogue feels better because […]

In my office, I used to have a framed picture of an empty hammock on the beach with this quote at the bottom: The art of doing nothing is really something. I purchased it because I love beaches and hammocks without really thinking about the words written. I recall one day thinking, “When other managers […]

I heard a persistent knock on our home door one Sunday. When I answered, I had to adjust my gaze down about 3 feet to find the visitor. Little Caleb greeted me with a “Hi! What’s going on?” and continued to banter with me for about 10 minutes, sharing tales of adventure — including breaking […]

I was reading Kevin Palau’s book Unlikely at the airport last week and thought a comment that the former mayor of Portland, Sam Adams, made in the foreword was insightful. Before meeting with Kevin Palau (minister and president of the Luis Palau Association), the mayor said he felt weary, had negative assumptions about the other […]

In the last year, I have noticed an increased polarization in thinking. Employees are often judging others as either all good or all bad vs. an ability to see shades of grey. This is concerning because it suggests that people are viewed as either extremely flawed or flawless, neither of which is usually anywhere near […]