Blog

Up Leveling You and Your Team’s Development

level-up

When I left my full time corporate job in IT many years ago, I had no idea what I was going to do next. I just knew it wasn’t what I always did before. When I reflected on what I loved doing in my Corporate work, I enjoyed developing my people and in doing so, developing myself. Therefore, I stepped into my work as a leadership coach. And here I am in the same fulfilling profession of developing people into better leaders. 

As part of my own development, I study with experts. I am currently stu…

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Invest In Yourself. It's a Great Payback

invest-in-yourself

"She was a 'what if' personality and because of that she never really happened." ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

For us to be truly living and to feel that aliveness, we must continually invest in ourselves. The quote above reminded me of how much of our lives we live in that "what if" place. Or that "if only" place, or that "someday" place. Lots of us get stuck there and live our entire lives there.

Do you know anyone like that?

In the past I have talked about the GULP factor and what a juicy place…

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5 Ways to Help You Make Better Decisions

difficult-choices

"A peacefulness follows any decision, even a wrong one." ~ Rita Mae Brown

I have let go of the notion that there are "right" decisions and there are "wrong" decisions. I have learned any decisions I make are the best decisions I make at a specific point in time with the information I have at that one point in time. As time changes, my decisions change.

Even the "wrong" decisions have shown me the many, many ways I do not want to go. They have been some of my most valuable lessons and with …

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Giving Great Feedback

feedback

"Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." ~Margaret Cousins

"Can I give you some feedback?" Why is it when we hear that question, we freeze and tell ourselves something bad is coming?

I have grown to really appreciate feedback...at least the type of feedback that is very constructive with suggestions on how I might change my behavior for the better. I believe we always have the choice to listen to the feedback and sta…

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Manager or Leader?

Manager-or-Leader

"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." ~Ralph Nader

In my work I am frequently asked what the difference is between managers and leaders. I believe we all have the capacity to lead and that managers can, and need to be, great leaders. At least those managers that are given the opportunity to display leadership skills in their positions. I've seen this called 'leading from any seat at at the table.'

Some differentiators of …

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The Value of Being Vulnerably Authentic

authenticity-crop

I presented at a luncheon the other day at an international biotechnology company. It was a talk I had given before and I knew my material really well. I was prepared with stories from my own life that demonstrated the points I wanted to make.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the comment by a participant when she came up to me after the presentation and said, “I so appreciate your vulnerability.” 

Interesting. I simply said, “Thank you.”

She responded, “I don’t see that in too many people and I…

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How to Lift Yourself Out of a Downward Spiral

going-down-crop

“Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality."  ~Ralph Marston

Now that the holidays are behind us and we’re in the depths of Winter, I thought we could use a reminder of some tips on how to lift yourself out of a downward spiral.

Several years ago, I did some post-graduate work on the neuroscience of leadership. While on this journey, I bec…

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The Worst Advice I Ever Got

bad-advice

I’ve been in business as a leadership and team coach for over 17 years. Because of this, people come to me frequently for advice. I love to be of service this way, and I do remind them I do not have all the answers and the advice I give them may not work in their specific situation and just maybe, it might be the worst advice they get.

Again, I don’t have the answers for another person’s life. What works for me may not work for another.

This Thrive Global article talks about The Worst Career A…

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Reflection

reflection

"Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration. Listen carefully." ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Let's think about our days. They are made up of meetings, making phone calls, answering phone calls, checking voicemails, reading emails, responding to emails, texting, updating all our social media sites, attending events, blah, blah, blah...

When was the last time you stopped...paused...and reflected on your progress?

I was reminded of Stephen Covey'…

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Creating A Brand New 'Mind Map of Me'

mindmap-of-me

I thought the end of the year would be a great time to work on a new ‘Mind Map' for the new year. This previously posted blog was written in June and demonstrates my process. Let me know if you try it.

I keep getting reminders that we’re closing in on the middle of the year. Six months have gone and we’re asking ourselves, “Where did all that time go?”  

I usually begin my year with big aspirations and a completely new mind map of me and of what I vision my year to be. I have my mind map close…

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