I was born deaf in my left ear. I am not sure exactly how it happened, but my entire life I have had to adjust where I sit, walk, and how I approach people with my left ear in mind. Early in my life, I adjusted instinctively, but as I grew older I remember making intentional decisions to put myself in positions to minimize the impact the deafness would have on my conversations with people.
Read MoreSomething I wish I knew when I was younger... When someone's going through something difficult, saying nothing (out of fear of saying the wrong thing), is typically worse than saying the "wrong" thing.
Read MoreIf a team member is not a positive influence on the team, how valuable can they be for the team? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. We often prioritize talent over leadership qualities.
Read MoreWhen we don’t have experience, we often feel the need to over-communicate what we have done.
When we have experience, we often don’t feel the need to talk about what we have done; our actions show our expertise in their own right.
The most confident people in the world are often the ones who are willing to genuinely say “I don’t know.”
Read More"Now more than ever" is overused and typically factually wrong.
Read MoreIt seems as if every financial model/expert point to us heading to recession. I often think about the phrase.... "Don't wait until it rains to build a roof." We all need to be roof-building right now, and who knows, maybe it even needs to be a retractable one.
Read MoreThe best learning typically occurs AFTER we have a baseline of competence. Competence is simply the ability to do something successfully or efficiently.
Read MoreHow can we create an easy environment for things that have a positive impact? Especially when things are hard, we need to find ways to make them easier (i.e., have exercise clothes laid out the night before). Our habits are greatly impacted by our environment. Think about what actions would benefit from less
Read MoreI like a movie but the person I go with doesn’t. Same with a song. A restaurant. All good. Yet, I am crushed when someone leaves 2 stars for my podcast or book or opts out of my newsletter. I
I’m working on normalizing those experiences. I don’t have to be all things to all people.
What happens with more perspective? Here are some examples.
A person is speeding and flies by us. We decide to follow them in a rage as we hope to give them a piece of our mind at the next traffic light. We wonder how they could act so carelessly. We follow them all the way to the hospital emergency room.
It’s 7:30 PM and I am running around my house trying to coax my 5 and 6-year-old to shower, put PJs on, brush their teeth, and get ready for bed. It’s a nightly journey. And while I am focused on the difficult task at hand, one thing continues to pull my attention: my phone.
Read MoreIt stings, but rejection can be a great form of opportunity. I have had many rejections, but here are some of my favorites.
Read MoreWhen silence is intentional it can be very powerful. When it's not intentional it can be cowardice. Knowing when to be silent and when to speak up is tricky. Yes, great leaders need to learn to listen in silence AND to speak up when direction is needed. Here are some examples of when I try to be silent and when I try to speak up.
Read MoreSports evolve. Think about the last 30 years and how they have changed; NBA teams take far more 3 pointers, NFL teams throw more, NHL teams have swapped out fighters for speedsters, MLB teams swing away, hunting for homers, instead of just making contact. Evolution is everywhere in sports. Yet, how are you evolving? What about your organization?
Read MoreWhat is essential? Truly. When push comes to shove, what is essential for you? What will you prioritize? How do you prioritize the essential and say no to that which is non-essential?
Read MoreThree words: I am enough. Powerful. Often helpful. Feeling as though we are enough allows for us to have peace of mind. Yet, growth mindset, which is one of my favorite concepts, has been embedded into our school, businesses, and many other organizations. So how do we leverage growth mindset while also understanding that we are enough?
Read MoreGrace. It’s a beautiful word. It can be simply defined with two words: courteous goodwill. I’ve found grace to be liberating. When extended, it can show light in darkness and hope in times of suffering. Yet, it’s not something that often comes naturally to me. It’s often a secondary thought or feeling. I have to work at showing courteous goodwill. I bet you do too. Here’s why we need to increase our grace.
Read MoreNothing worth doing comes easy. I’ve used that mantra in the past and I am not sure how much I believe in it now. We don’t always have to go toward the difficult things in life. For example, I am super grateful that I went into an industry that came easier to me than many others. We all have gifts, and it’s important to open them up and leverage them.
Read MoreI struggle with discipline. Yep, that’s right. Despite the fact that you get this weekly article from me, consistent behavior has never been my strength. So how do I consistently do things that I often don’t feel like doing? I leverage forcing functions.
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