Introducing Heroine Helen
Her most important thing is to be helpful, sweet, caring and loving. She rescues by easing pain and suffering, at least temporarily. She prides herself on making homemade treats for those she loves, who are in “need”; she makes homemade cards too. She’s proud of her listening ear, how her thoughtful deeds will have you feeling special, and how she’ll…
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Lead From Love
For three mornings in a row last week, my little girl Lali woke up as angry as a hornet. On the third morning of fury, exhausted from her highly charged storm clouds, I wept openly in front of her. It happened spontaneously as I allowed her to bring me to my breaking point. About 30 seconds in, I became conscious…
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You Cannot Change Until You Overcome Your Own Immunity
My client, Laura¹, was late for her own wedding. Not traditionally late. Really late. The minister almost called it off. And she’s been late for almost everything for decades since. Lateness has been her life-long pattern. She wants it to stop yet feels powerless. We jumped in by exploring the costs of her lateness habit. For her, there were no…
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If You Really Knew Me…
…that I think A LOT. That I hold myself to impossible standards. …that I often feel scared. Angry. Jealous. Wronged. Blaming. Overwhelmed—there’s not enough time, money, love, whatever. Sometimes I feel powerless to change things. I am below the line often. And it is all fine. It’s perfect in fact. I am starting to truly understand this and believe it.…
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Blame or Shift?
Recently a friend texted for advice about a “hard client he was working with” (his words). He indicated he thought she needed some tough love. He asked me to tell him how to do that. I agreed to have a conversation to explore his situation. He told me that he had spent three hours the night before crafting an…
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Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast…¹
You’ve just hired Selma as your new controller. She has lunch in the staff room on Day 1 to quickly to get to know her new colleagues. She tells one of them that she’s excited to have found a company that develops and promotes their people. After all, she’s been told that by every leader who interviewed her so she…
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Lead Like a Montessori Teacher
Imagine a workplace where all leaders respect their people, provide clear and consistent expectations, and encourage employees to be independent, intrinsically motivated critical thinkers. Such a workplace would look a lot like a Montessori school in fact. I read this post on the 7 phrases Montessori teachers use because my daughter goes to a Montessori afterschool program. Right away my…
Read MoreThe Promise of Leadership
My cousin Matt married his love Abby the weekend before last in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was wonderful to witness their love and commitment in front of a large gathering of family and friends. Like them, many of you have walked down an aisle and pledged to be true in good times and in bad. And what’s more, you’ve made…
Read MoreHow $12,000 Turned Into $1,200,000
Leadership development is one of the highest levers a company has to improve business performance. There is a 38% probability that increasing leadership effectiveness will translate into higher business performance¹. Few other investments in companies can provide such lift potential. The following true story shows how one VP’s leadership development led directly to $1,200,000 in additional revenue. Soon after we…
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Got Commander’s Intent? A Key to Great Leadership
Ask any CEO if s/he recommends leading their company like a military general. Most would say a resounding “No!’. And yet, a well lead army is like a fine-tuned machine. Most of the companies we work with are not so finely tuned (yet). We don’t like war. We do like great leadership. And we especially like an approach called Commander’s…
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