Gratitude Can Mess With Your Head
on Tuesday, November 24, 2015That’s right. Simply feeling grateful, even if you don’t actually express it out loud, stimulates parts of your brain that reduce stress and boost your positive outlook. A regular gratitude habit can make you not just a nicer person, but also a happier one. Arthur C. Brooks explains this in a recent NY Times article, “Choose to Be Grateful. It Read the full article »
Sam Sees His 360 Results and Gets Serious
on Wednesday, February 12, 2014Sam learns how several of his key stakeholders perceive him, and he’s not too happy. But he manages to stifle his anger and his harsh inner critic long enough to acknowledge his numerous positive traits that had helped him be successful. This is the third in a series of coaching stories about Sam (a fictitious client) and his growth as a leader.
Be Someone Who Matters to Someone Who Matters
on Monday, January 20, 2014It’s National Mentoring Month and a good time to think about not just how to be a mentor in your professional life, but why you should do it. Whether your organization has a formal mentoring program or not, and whether you choose or are coerced to volunteer your time, ask yourself “What’s in it for me?”
Forget New Year’s Resolutions! Do This Instead.
on Monday, December 23, 2013If it helps you to start the year with declarations about the weight you’ll lose or the promotion you’ll go for, then by all means knock yourself out. Just don’t ignore the bigger picture – your personal and leadership growth. You’ll get more meaningful and rewarding results by answering three simple questions.
How to Gobble Mindfully
on Tuesday, November 26, 2013Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it’s all about friends, family, food and gratitude. It’s also a great time to practice mindfulness – paying attention, living in the present and appreciating “the now.” I highly recommend this fun and enlightening exercise that everyone at the dinner table can do together to practice being mindful and enjoy the occasion even more.
Sam Has An “Aha” Moment
on Thursday, November 21, 2013Sam is just starting to see that his success as a young marketing executive has been in spite of his failure to collaborate with others beyond the team he manages. As he talks about his role models, he begins to connect the dots. This is the second in a series of coaching stories about Sam (a fictitious client) and his growth as a leader.
Shame on You!
on Tuesday, October 22, 2013Powerful words that get your attention. And they work – if you’re a two-year old or the family dog. As we mature, guilt does a great job of teaching us right from wrong, and we need this kind of “good guilt” for society to function. But just like cholesterol, there’s “bad guilt” too, and that can mess us up. How do you tell the difference? Examine your assumptions.
Sam Starts Coaching and Stops Denying
on Tuesday, October 8, 2013Sam is an ambitious, accomplished VP of Marketing with all kinds of potential. The only problem is that he’s blind to his own leadership shortcomings and has been oblivious to not-so-subtle cues that he’s rubbing people the wrong way and losing his followers. This is the first in a series of coaching stories about Sam (a fictitious client) and his growth as a leader.
Are You Procrastinating? Or Are You “Making Milk”?
on Tuesday, September 24, 2013Procrastinators get a bad rap. They’re called lazy, out of control and self-defeatists. Coaches (like me) have all kinds of annoying tips and accountability support to give. I recently finished an 18-month project that some would say should have taken me a few weeks. But instead of flagellating myself over it, I’ve decided that sometimes what looks like procrastination is actually “making milk.”
