Inspiration

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

~John Quincy Adams

Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Charismatic, Democratic...are only a few leadership styles. They all have pros and cons and can be effective in different situations.

There is no one "right" way to lead. Different leadership styles are needed for different situations. 

I've been a big believer for a long time in what is called Transformational and Situational Leadership. This le…

I have always been great at testing. There was something about the preparation and pressure of tests that got my adrenaline pumping and allowed me to attack them with complete focus and attention. I knew my stuff!  

When I put the stake in the ground to start my own coaching business and give it two years to turn a profit, I got trained in this field. I attended a six-month coach training school. In order to be certified, I had to participate in a full day of examinations. These included a writ…

Last week I was putting a lot of stress on myself as I was preparing the day before for a webinar I was leading where the technology was new, the content needed updating and I had to practice a 45-minute delivery. When I prepare to present to others, my usually quiet and sometimes easily controlled perfectionist comes screaming out in my head at 194 decibels (the point at which sound waves become shock waves) and I simply can’t shut her up.

I couldn’t take it any longer so I clicked open Facebo…

"The problem with communication...is the illusion that it has been accomplished."

~George Bernard Shaw

I have been in the business of coaching for almost 17 years and whenever anyone asks me, what is the number one thing you coach on, I tell them regardless of the reason I’m hired, it frequently comes down to how to communicate with others. 

This includes not only what’s being said and how it’s being said, but also (and sometimes more importantly), what is not being said. 

Communication is …

“I choose bold. I choose action. I choose what's right for the people. I choose to make a difference.”     - Bill Richardson

Most of you are aware by now that I work with a change and innovation model called The Bigger Game.  I even wrote a book about it. 

The word “Game” just means what we are up to in life.

The model is simple, but a very powerful one. It changed my life and I’ve witnessed it changing other lives. I’ve even presented this model to a group of scientists and technologists who…

A few months back on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the Broadway musical Hamilton that won 11 Emmys, was talking about how he was bringing the musical to Puerto Rico, where his parents are from, for three weeks and donating all the money to arts organizations in Puerto Rico. 

At that time, it had been over two years since he stepped away from being a performer in the play. Colbert asked him how long rehearsals would last. …

Last year I made the decision to take a sabbatical.  For many years I thought sabbaticals were only for academics to be able to have a school year free from teaching to allow them to devote time to rest, research, travel, and write. This sounded like an ideal life to me and it was one of the reasons I wanted to become a professor.   

The word sabbatical  is related to  sabbath, which refers to the Biblical day of rest, or the seventh day.  

The concept of paid sabbaticals, separate from va…

Last year, I merrily dumped New Year’s Resolutions. Because I believe what you mutter matters, last year I looked up the synonyms for  resolution and found some I adopted for 2018. 

Last year, I made bold heartfelt declarations that set my intentions to be full of moxie, spirit and sincerity. I carried them out with courage, boldness, tenacity and gutsiness.  

How’d that turn out?  

Pretty good actually. My top 2018 declarations continue to help me be a better human being:  

"In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess I have always found it a wholesome diet." ~Winston Churchill

Have you been involved in any of these conversations or ones like these lately?

• Talking to a colleague about a sensitive issue;
• Giving your boss some feedback about her behavior;
• Ending a relationship;
• Talking with a rebellious teenager;
• Confronting a loved one about an issue;
• Asking a friend to stop a certain behavior.

Many years ago I was …

“How desperately difficult it is to be honest with oneself.  It is much easier to be honest with other people.”~Edward F. Benson

To be authentic is defined by dictionary.com to be trustworthy, honest, genuine, real. It is a particular way of dealing with the external world, while being faithful to our internal selves and our ideas rather than external influences and ideas. The word originated in the early 1300’s from the Latin autheniticus meaning “one who does things himself”. Some of my work …