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, and eyes that danced with enthusiasm for work, Mary usually came into our sessions looking like a sprite. Today, she looked despondent. “I’ve decided to leave the agency.” Oh dear, I thought. I’d worried […]
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 My Favorite Fall Things, is officially over. November is my month for longer cups of tea and yummy evenings inside reading. Sometimes so much dark, though, still gets under my skin and I start […]
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, have been trying to hang on – hoping that I can salvage it on my website to describe my work of the past twenty-five years and what I envision going forward. Has the life gone […]
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, if we don’t forget one critical component: the body. Can we really think our way into change without listening to how the body feels about it? The body stores feelings and the meanings we make […]
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 it, and dying. They’re both hard to talk about (not your best party openers) so thank goodness that someone as articulate as the late, great neurologist, Dr. Oliver Sacks, did not shy away […]
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 soar. Before they depart, their agitation builds. They become increasingly restless. The animal behaviorists call this moment “zugunruhe”. And perhaps that’s not so different from what we, as a culture, are experiencing. During our […]
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 vulnerability while demonstrating being vulnerable. I assigned it as required viewing to my leadership classes. But even as many of us acknowledge the power of vulnerability, being able to stand tall and be vulnerable still requires practice. I recommend […]
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.
