Don’t Give Away Your Feathers
Last week I stumbled across a story I hadn’t heard in years. While I’m unsure of its origin, it reads like an Aesop’s fable. Remember those? Stories told to entertain while also teaching life lessons. This one beautifully illustrates the long-term cost of giving away your power and talent: There once lived a bird […]
The Dangers of “Fake It ‘Til You Make It”
How often have you heard people joke about simply “faking it until you make it?” In its most true definition, the phrase is meant to imply that by imitating confidence, competence, and a leadership mindset, a person can realize those qualities in their real life and achieve the results they seek. Unfortunately, the reality […]
The Leadership School of Life
My call to action for you: Stand in the truth of your own story and listen to what your life experience is telling you. Demand the credit you deserve, both from others and from yourself. How often do we give ourselves enough credit for the lessons we’ve learned through simply living? Through learning to pay […]
Why Is This on LinkedIn?
This post, written originally for my LinkedIn newsletter, speaks directly to the heart of the question: Why do many leaders insist on being two (or more) different people? One exclusively for work, and the other for “life”? It’s exhausting, and erodes trust. How many times do you see this question asked every week, usually in […]
Defining Connection – On Your Terms
What is today’s newsletter? It’s a discussion about sense of purpose. Belonging. Connections. Where and how we need it, find it – and when we might feel most disconnected or isolated. I’ve been struggling with the question of “where to start” on today’s newsletter, since it has the potential to veer off track. So, I […]
The “Fine” Jar
What might be the impact on your personal and professional conversations if you removed the word “fine” from your vocabulary? Why do we default to “fine” in the first place? My house has a fine jar. Some houses have a fine jar for swear words, for using electronics at the dinner table, not completing chores. […]
The Perils of Perfection
Our relentless drive for perfectionism is killing our playful spirit of innovation and creativity, rather than allowing us to realize, as Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun!” When did we stop having fun? I know when I did, and I can spot it when it’s happening in others. It’s called burnout. Last night my […]
The Perils of Perfection
Our relentless drive for perfectionism is killing our playful spirit of innovation and creativity, rather than allowing us to realize, as Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun!” When did we stop having fun? I know when I did, and I can spot it when it’s happening in others. It’s called burnout. Last night my […]
Networking from A Place of Giving
Networking from a place of service, of connection and curiosity, will always come full circle. Often, when you need it the most – if you have tended to your connections with care and a spirit of giving. It might sound counter intuitive. Networking from a place of service? Giving rather than receiving? YES. As someone […]
Learning To Say “No” With Grace
It’s such a small, but difficult thing to do, saying no. There truly is an art and a grace to saying no, with genuine, authentic truth and care. Earlier today I was writing down my three daily gratitudes when the top one caught me by surprise. It reads, “Today I’m grateful for sticking to my […]