Our Past Self Needs Our Patience
Last week we talked about how sometimes, it can be easy to look at the struggles of others and assume they should not be having a difficult time. After all, their challenge would be easy for us. But it’s also easy to make the same judgmental mistake when we look at...
Leadership=Grace Through the Turmoil
My oldest daughter started high school this year, and it became instantly apparent there’s a lot of fear and excitement that goes into a transition like that. Think about it: one year they are kings and queens of the castle, and they come back from summer at the...
Making Change: Part II
Last week we talked about giving your team time to process a big change. But that naturally invokes the question--what do you do in that time? How can you learn and grow in that space? First of all, remember this is a space for development and learning. Spend the time...
Digging In The Sand To Create Change
Leading change is like digging in dry sand. As soon as you pull out your shovel, the sides fall right back in. This thought hit me this year when digging in the sand at Cannon Beach with my daughter, Leah. We giggled as we’d dig a hole and the sand would fall back in...
Stop Pushing My Buttons!
If people would just stop pushing my buttons, everything would be great and I’d be an awesome guy. That's the obvious solution, isn't it? Other people changing for me? Unfortunately, there's one problem with that 'solution': it's impossible. There will always be...
Of People & Pendulums
Here’s something to contemplate: People as Pendulums. They're peculiar things, pendulums. They can’t change mid-swing. When you let one fly, it goes pretty much as far in the opposite direction as it started in the first. Equal and opposite extremes, one might say. It...
Olympic Glory It’s Not
As we entrench ourselves in the Olympics this week, it's clear: everyone loves winning. The pride of being the best, of being able able to exclaim, “I’m a winner!” is exhilarating. And on the world stage, against the best of the best, OMG, that has got to be a...
A Crying Shame
Let me ask you what I hope is an easy question: What do you do when a baby cries? Usually, you pick them up. Right? You don't yell at it, ignore it, threaten it, demand it find a different way to communicate with you, or any other action that requires the baby...
Playing Hardball With “Soft” Skills
Playing 'hardball' is tough, right? It’s supposed to be serious, difficult, dangerous and most definitely not for the weak of heart. “Hey! We play hardball here! Get used to it!!" Softball on the other hand--that’s supposed to be easier, gentler and more forgiving. We...
Forget Learning – Start Forgetting!
Have you noticed how easy it is to get hung up on what we think we 'need' to know? When we ask the question "How can I be a leader?", we proceed to look for the best book, the best class, the best something or someone to teach us the answer. We assume that if we just...
