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There’s no such thing as too many heartfelt thank-yous.
This principle has served me well, even though I’m not as good at it as I’d like to be. But it’s a habit that I’ve been trying to form as a manager, as a leader, and as a contributor to various groups.
But it’s not as simple as it sounds.
Read the rest of this entry »As a leader, you probably spend most of your day responding to stuff. There are a million little things which demand immediate attention – many of them small and quickly dispensed with.
It makes you feel important, because you’re busy all the time. We’re all busy.
But busyness is not productivity. Productivity is launched from having actual thought leading to useful activity.
Read the rest of this entry »True leaders understand that their role is to serve others.
That sounds like a contradiction, right? When we think of the typical boss/employee model, it’s very clear which direction serving should go.
You’re the boss, and others aren’t. So they should serve you.
The reality is that this isn’t sustainable.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve had a surprising number of conversations recently with people who are planning to move from one stage to the next – personally or in their business.
What usually comes with this is a sense that “I’ve never done this before.” So big disorientation and unsettledness.
Everything seems upside down.
Read the rest of this entry »This has been an extraordinarily distracting time for me recently. Family concerns, changes in my business, and other groups … a whole lot going on!
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
– John Lennon (perhaps)
So my task right now is to enjoy life as it’s happening, and to not try to fight it. Right?
Read the rest of this entry »Sometimes you just gotta reboot.
This is often your first step in fixing a problem. The computer’s acting weird? Reboot. Your phone stopped working right? Reboot.
But that’s darned hard to do with an organization. What’s the difference?
Read the rest of this entry »We tend to think of leadership as something you achieve, then you get to keep it forever. Or at least a long time.
But I’m a member of an amazing service organization, Rotary International, which has the practice of changing leadership every year. I’m signed up to be the president of the club for the 2023-24 year, and I’m starting to get my mind wrapped around the implications of that. And trying not to get stressed out about it.
But I’m keenly aware that I’m just a temporary seatholder in a long string of leaders, going back to 1977 for our club. It’s a humbling realization.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve been pondering lately how I can possibly make a difference when we have such huge, intractable problems. I’m just one person with limited resources.
It feels hopeless.
But the truth is that big changes are made in small increments. Even though it may feel ineffective at times.
Read the rest of this entry »I always work with my clients with the objective of a healthy business. Why that word, as opposed to profitable or growing or whatever?
It’s because the word conveys a proper sense of balance and happiness. I’ve seen many cases where the pursuit of profit can result in unhappy employees, disloyal customers, and a burned-out owner.
But we all want health and happiness, right?
Read the rest of this entry »It wasn’t in my plans for the week.But when I tested COVID positive, I had to push everything aside to let my body heal.
Fortunately, it only lasted a week and I wasn’t hospitalized. Just inconvenienced.
But as I was clearing my calendar and rescheduling activities, I learned some important things.
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The Values-Based Business 