Completion challenge: Surviving and thriving at harvest time
I always thought harvesting was the fun part of the growing cycle. I still do; I just didn’t realize that it could […]
Wiggle your toes to calm your mind
Recently, I wrote about “Breaking the grip of self-judgment.” This week, I discovered some tools that can help. In Positive Intelligence Shirzad Chamine writes that we […]
Did Darwin Get it Wrong?
At the suggestion of a friend, I recently watched Fantastic Fungi. Normally, a movie about mycelium and mushrooms wouldn’t be my top pick […]
Saying yes to life, even then, even now
In these crazy times, as the world changes in unpredictable ways, where do we turn to find meaning? I don’t mean […]
Find the heroes you need
The Netflix movie about Michelle Obama has just been released, and I cried watching the trailer. Like millions of others, I miss […]
Why I won’t “manage” my rage
I ran into an artist friend of mine before a concert last weekend, a gracious, considerate, soft-spoken woman. In a brief “how […]
Freedom’s not just another word
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing else to lose.” Kris Kristofferson Last week I lost a piece of my heart: our foster […]
To hold as we are held
My Mom was not the perfect Mom. I was far from being the ideal daughter. I constantly challenged her during the late […]
Find Your Inner Porpoise
The books written about Purpose or “Finding Your Inner Purpose” on Amazon have it almost right. They just spelled it wrong. Change […]
What does real accountability look like? (It might go beyond what you think…)
What does it mean to be fully accountable, taking responsibility for one’s actions as well as for one’s legacy? The business world […]
As the earth rises in 2019, we’re still in this together
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] We’ve just closed out 2018. […]
Five Reasons Advice Doesn’t Work and When It Might
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.63″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid”] I remember many years ago […]
What will you stand for?
What do you stand for? Isn’t it time to get a little bolder, to speak up for the truths you hold […]
When you’re fogged in, follow the markers
There are mornings, here in the Pacific Northwest, when the fog covers the fields in a sheet of gray, and I can […]
Working from the vulnerable void
Brené Brown did the world a great service when she shared, from her research and experience, about the importance of being willing […]
Freedom! Let’s get the job done…
My fifteen-year old granddaughter and her BFF cousin spent last week with us (such joy) and entertained us by singing most of the songs […]
When a Story Becomes a Game-Changer
If you ever needed proof of the power of story to set a direction for an industry, take a look at The […]
Are you rolling the rock uphill? (Or Sisyphus in the garden)
Do you ever feel like you’re just rolling the rock uphill? As I face that huge to-do list of things-that-have-to-be-done, I’ve been […]
How to (not) Play Squirrel
Some years ago, I was walking my beloved Springer Spaniel, Lady, to the dog park. She was pretty well trained to heel […]
Finding the essential in aerospace and art
I recently had an opportunity to tour Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ privately-funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company. Tucked in an industrial area […]
How to Birth a Dream—Gently
Before a dream can be transformed into a project in the world, it has to be born. We talk about “making” dreams come true, but […]
Why Some Meetings Fail Before They Begin
If you work in an organization or business, or volunteer regularly in the community, how many hours do you spend weekly in […]
A Manifesto for Disruptors and Manifesto-makers
Recently, I had an opportunity to interview two cool, world-class disruptors who are challenging society’s beliefs about aging: Dr. Bill Thomas, author […]
Finding an Anchor in Changing Seas
In a couple of months, I’ll be going to a gathering where the theme is “Sea Change.” The title reflects the […]
Ten Leadership Lessons to Steal from Springsteen
Creative Commons photo by GabboT Steal if you want to, but I think Springsteen would let you drive away with any insight you’d like from his […]
Four Words to Help You Bridge Divides
Have you noticed how the fault lines between our values in the United States are becoming chasms? The distances separating conservatives […]
Is It Time to Dare More Greatly?
Dr. Martin Luther King dared to believe. His words still offer truths that are bold and aspirational to guide us in political times that […]
Music for Times That Need to Change
Dylan in 1963, Public domain photo. This year the Nobel Committee gave the prestigious Prize for Literature to Bob Dylan, the first prize ever […]
A Secret Bullies Will Never Know
Illustration from a video by Association Jean Vanier. My head is foggy with a bad cold this week, so I have to keep […]
You Can Do This Hard Thing
During this time of recovery and even trauma, I chose poetry over punditry, philosophers and theologians over politicians. Listening to the meaning-makers who speak through their hearts helps me to heal and to stand in my deeper values and higher self rather than in my spite and reactions.
Breaking the Spell
Is our country under a spell? After the last presidential debate, I felt the need to wash away a residual toxicity, so I […]
Are You Counting What Counts?
So God just sent his chief publicist down to help Jesus and he says, “You’re doing good work, Jesus, but I’m worried about your counts. […]
The Perils of Working from Passion
Do you ever get so excited by a project that you can’t wait to work on it? You bounce out of […]
Make meetings memorable with graphic facilitation
An alternative to death-by-meeting If you’ve worked in organizations, you probably know the drill: You drive to a conference site, arrive […]
Are we rating ourselves crazy?
It’s a sad day when a presidential candidate publicly rates women on a scale of 1 to 10. Are we really […]
Why you SHOULD sweat the small stuff (Hint: Do the math!)
Have you ever noticed how fast the small, regular stuff of life accumulates? I’m not talking about the big-maybe-you-didn’t-really-need-it-stuff like the toaster […]
Are you a try-aholic?
Last week, I found a book by Edward Slingerland with my name on it: Trying Not to Try You see I’m Sally […]
Looking behind to step ahead
To start my new year, I took a day of looking back to step ahead. Unlike the vision day I took last […]
Create an eco-system to support your goals (or, What I learned driving past slums in Mumbai)
It’s January, when we often launch the year with goals and aspirations. If you’re like me, you took time over the holidays to […]
A learning journey to India
It may be easy to believe that your culture is the one right way when you’ve grown up in just one culture, […]
Money can’t buy it (a story)
When Mary sat down at the table for coaching, I could tell that something had changed. With her sandy hair, impish face, […]
Time for tea and reflection
Welcome to November, the time of long nights and cold rain in the Northwest. Our glorious Indian Summer, which I celebrated in […]
Is the word “leadership” dead?
My close B-school buddy, Lori, and I have been having a debate about leadership. She thinks the word has gone flat. I, however, […]
Know How You Feel to Change How You Think
Lots of self help gurus preach that we can change what we believe (and then act) by changing how we think. Powerful stuff, […]
Embracing what we might not choose
Life is full of things most of us don’t ask for – like old age, if we are lucky enough to get […]
Getting ready to fly
Fall brings change. The days shorten. The air cools. The migratory birds will soon take off. It’s a beautiful site to see them […]
In praise of an audience of one
Despite the buzz about content marketing, and writing for your audience, the words of Kurt Vonnegut, as quoted by the brilliant Maria Popova, live on: "write for an audience of one".
Want to practice BEING vulnerable? Try clowning!
The words “be vulnerable” are now becoming mainstream, thanks, in part, to Brené Brown. In her brilliant TEDx talk, she talked about […]
How to write about yourself when the future is foggy
Writing about one's self when you're in the midst of re-invention can be daunting. But with every step, the path gets clearer. "We make the road by walking."
Do you choose high seas or a safe harbor?
Action heroes are always taking risks, daring greatly and saving the planet. They'll probably always choose high seas over safe harbors. But for the rest of us, managing the balance of risk and safety is a skill to cultivate.
WHY we should stop asking “HOW?”
We live in a culture that values efficiency, productivity, and action. All good…if we’re doing the right stuff, the stuff that matters […]
Be In Your Future Now: A conversation with Robert “Jake” Jacobs
Why wait when you can step into your future now? Feel it. Taste it. Put it on like a wrap. Look through it […]
How to ask a better question: how does space make you feel?
Good questions lead to interesting answers. I’ve been questioning why some spaces make us feel good while others make us feel empty and dull. And in the air, I find a couple of examples.
How NOT to Ask a Question
Questions can be life-changing. They can help you: See the world with new eyes Redefine a problem Find options that […]
How a Mapmaker Imagines the World
What's in a map? Is it a literal representation of reality or a way to see the future? Explore ideas with seasoned map-maker Annie Brulé.
The Perils of Having a Vision
Edward S. Curtis was a visionary. He was also obsessed. He created a monumental legacy at great personal cost. And so it is with visions - engage at your own marvelous risk.
Finding Fierce Humility
Nobody I knew in business school used to wander around asking "How can I be humble?" But there's a fierce humility that may well be at the heart of leadership.
Mind Your Cues to Change Your Habits
Habits are useful. They help us not to think. Like checklists they help us navigate complexity. But changing a habit we don't want can be hard -- and understanding cues can help.
A simple tool for managing complexity
I'm not a to-do list obsessive kind of gal. So you wouldn’t think I’d get excited by a book called The Checklist Manifesto. I’ve become a believer in his main premise: In a complex world, the simple checklist can be an extraordinary help (and will save lives.)
Finding the bigger story
Are you feeling tired of hearing all the government-bashing by the punditry? Isn't it time to create some bigger more empowering stories about the institutions and causes we care about?
How to give advice people want to hear
Ever wish that you could give people a piece of your mind and have them wanting more? Or, give feedback that someone really used because it was both tough and compassionate? The best model I’ve found recently for balancing straight talk with caring isn’t in a leadership book. It’s in an on-line advice column “Dear Sugar” by Cheryl Strayed, compiled in her book, Tiny Beautiful Things.
When Nurses Speak
Last week, with a partner, I guided 6 nurses to be able to share their stories on stage. The group represented 180 years of nursing experience. Add six stories and you had one big miracle. As a participant with more than thirty years experience wrote after the experience: “The transformation was the highlight of my nursing career.” It doesn't get better than that!
Doodling about leadership with Lynda Barry
Lynda Barry doesn’t write or draw about leadership. She’s an award-winning cartoonist, known for her comic strip “Ernie Pook’s Comeek.” Yet in her recent graphic book Syllabus, she shows us how she led her students on a path of discovery - into the world of creativity and seeing - qualities all leaders need.
How I found gratitude in the back of my closet
This weekend I cleaned my closet. Not an earthshaking event, but a task I’d avoided. Yet this weekend, as I sorted scarf after scarf, bag after bag, I realized that I didn't even know what I had. And I discovered that paying attention to my belongings, and appreciating them, were doorways to abundance.
50 Shades of Introversion
This week I have a new coaching client and I’m so excited: he’s smart, he’s competent, he listens well and….he’s an introvert. […]
Try the Appreciation Diet Before Thanksgiving
Appreciations are the low-hanging fruit of communications that build better relationships. Yet most of us could offer so many offer. Why not go on an appreciation diet to build your gratitude muscle for Thanksgiving?
When Nurses + Stories = Tranformation
Nurses are taught to listen. But in a profession so key to our health care system, they need to speak out as well - and tell their stories. That's what Nurses Speak is all about.
Find the courage in your unique legend
When life feels particularly challenging, you might be experiencing the middle, turbulent phase of an extraordinary, legendary journey. Your legend is waiting for you to claim it, and to create it as you live it.
Is technology making you feel dumb?
I wanted to take a four-minute clip from a video interview. It should have been easy. But somehow nothing that involves new software or new technology ends up being that easy. There's always some question I can't answer - which is why I often feel frustrated - or dumb. And with all the software and productivity tools I'm using, I have those feelings a lot these days!
Mining the mind of a millennial
Do millennials think differently than baby boomers? I decided to ask a recent college grad, who is living with us for a few days. A desire for the freedom to move about, wanting to be fulfilled at work, and the right to be "just a little bit weird" are just a few of the insights she shared with me.
Should we lose or use our anger?
How do you live with ANGER? Would you rather avoid it? Move beyond it? Or use it as a fuel for action? Of all the emotions, anger is the one that I like least. So I was interested in some thoughts from Deepak Chopra about letting go of anger...at the same time I was left wondering, "Aren't there ways to use our anger, too?
What Robin Williams teaches us about leadership
We can find our inspiration for leadership in many places. Last week - for me - it came from Robin Williams, whose untimely death I deeply grieve. He was a wild man who taught us the beauty and power of letting loose some creative wildness. He made me believe that there was room in this world for aliens, people who thought outside the box, people who moved with creativity and compassion and weren’t afraid to let their imaginations rip. Don't you want to let out a little more of your wild side? And don't you think our organizations would be better off for it?
How to take some emotional heat without getting scorched
Conflict and deep emotion often go together. Recently, I've been learning how hard it is to stand in the fire and take the heat, when a disagreement turns strongly emotional. Here are a few insights I pulled from the embers after the first flames of a recent conflict died back.
A Secret Tool to Help You with Difficult Conversations
If you’re like most folks I’ve worked with, handling conflict, especially when it involves messy emotional conversations, is not your cup of tea. Conflict comes with the role of a leader – and it’s important to be able to have those difficult conversations. I bet you handle conversations well when differences are clear-cut, objective and technical. But do you run for cover when things become confrontational and feelings start flying? Well here's help - new skills - that come from improvisational theatre.
12 Ways to Find or Build a Tribe
Recently, as part of launching my website, I've had great fun re-connecting with members of my tribe of colleagues who I haven't seen for a while. We still share so much. I've also been relishing making connections to new tribe members! My tribe means A LOT to me - and I'm always looking at how to continue to build it. Here are a few ideas...
Why I Need a Tribe and Why You Might Want One Too
Having a group of colleagues (aka tribe) with whom to share dreams, ideas and interests can be a big boost to our professional lives. And for the solo-preneur, independent consultant, or innovator forging a new direction within a company, it’s essential.
How to Get Back in the Saddle When You’ve Been Thrown Off
Have you ever found yourself in the sand after being bucked out of the saddle by a particularly hard life lesson? We can’t avoid the hard bumps that come with any heroic journey. But we still need to dust ourselves off and get back on.
After the Tragedy: A circle of support
In the wake of tragedy, we can tap the tremendous potential for healing and support that occurs when we stand by each other in the circle.
Unleash the Creativity Within Conflict!
We may want to avoid certain conflicts, but learning to manage conflict is necessary for creativity. Besides, it makes a better story.
How to Stop But-ting
When we say "yes, but" in our controversial conversations we can escalate conflict and decrease listening. Last week, I taught about a way to reach a better outcome. Just don't say what I did!
Take a vision day
As a self-employed professional, I need time away from the day-to-day demands of work to reflect, refuel my creative inspiration, and think about the future. That's why, as the new year begins, I'm taking a Vision Day. Learn how you can create your own retreat - to access a Muse who may surprise you.
Spark Your Thinking by Going Visual
Visual Goal Setting is a way of tapping your intuition and giving additional power to your goal setting and planning efforts. I spent a great evening with Patty Dobrowolski, author of Drawing Solutions, learning how to make use of this creative tool.
Is it Time to Get Your Hands Dirty?
Planning and improvisation often go together. And you can't start a business unless you are willing to plan....and then improvise, or as we say in the garden "go get your hands dirty".
Does Your Contact List Need a Spring Cleaning?
Do you ever wonder - who is your data base, really??? Or feel the urge, as you begin a new project, to let go of what you are dragging around from the past. I did....and it started with my contacts!
