This week, I want to touch on a big role of leaders, which is the importance of getting to know their people. When I was getting my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, one of the required classes was Career Counseling. I had worked at Group Dynamic for three years when I took this … Read more
Last week, I gave one of my couples “homework” to complete by their appointment this week. I handed them a piece of paper with a list of fifty or so open-ended questions, and I said, “Ask each other these questions this week and discuss your answers together.” I gave no other instructions. They came to … Read more
Vision is the two-fold ability to:1) Accurately see the current reality of your organization/situation.2) Creatively see the possibilities for the future of your organization/situation. Try this simple activity to make the concept of vision more concrete, actionable, and enduring: Step One: Make 2 lists. Each list will have three items. List #1: List three words … Read more
Star Wars nerds everywhere are scrolling to the bottom of this post to let me know I got the quote wrong. But, if you give me a few minutes, I will explain. Yes, the quote is wrong in the sense that Obi Wan actually said: However, I’d like to make a case that Obi Wan … Read more
You will need a piece of paper or a Post-It note for this blog. On that paper, write down an answer to one of these questions: What is your most troubling current issue? What is one task on your list you keep putting off because you are unsure of how to proceed? What is one … Read more
The essence of servant leadership is to meet the needs of your organization and your people. But arrogance creeps in when you assume you’ve got it figured out. Because you’re the leader. You ought to know. Peter Block calls this type of arrogance a paternalistic view of leadership. Block describes this dynamic as “taking care … Read more
“Humility is the cornerstone of leadership.” –John G. Miller The word “leadership” brings to mind several adjectives: action-oriented, outgoing, visionary, confident, competent, problem-solving, and responsible. However, I would argue the most important quality in a leader is humility. But what is humility and what does it look like? Firstly, let’s start with what humility is … Read more
You may have heard me share this quote from Batman Begins: “Bruce, deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it’s not who you are underneath… it’s what you do that defines you.” Batman Begins (2005) I’m not a fan of pumping people up with an “attitude is … Read more
We are at our best when we feel in control of our fate. In other words, when we have a sense of autonomy, we are more likely to make better choices and take ownership of those choices. Additionally, we inspire confidence and trust when we take responsibility for our choices. Words matter. Generally, we use … Read more
Regardless of your life roles, it is easy to get overwhelmed, overworked, and exhausted. We think thoughts like: “I have to finish this right now.” “I can’t let them down.” “People depend on me.” “I can’t fail.” “No one else can do this except me.” “So-and-so needs me.” We probably wouldn’t say it out loud, … Read more