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: We probably wouldn’t say it out loud, but beneath all of our unspoken thoughts is a need to be needed. When we feel needed and important, we internalize those feelings and interpret them as value–“Someone needs me; … Read more
Like the many businesses right now, Group Dynamic is also changing. Yesterday, the current Group Dynamic staff met to talk about what the business will look like in 2022. Specifically, we discussed what we need to keep and what we need to change. For many years, the old model of Group Dynamic staffing included: In … Read more
Around the time I changed careers, 2008-2010, I discovered the book The Four-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This recent article in the New Yorker reminded me of that book. Consider reading the article to learn more. However, I found some of the suggestions and concepts interesting enough to share here. One area of interest I … Read more
There are three steps to understanding and addressing Unconscious Bias: Two weeks ago, we started an exercise on the first step, identifying bias. Last week, we focused on cultivating additional connection. Today we will dive into the final step. Step Three: Choose Courage Stick with me, because the language may be a touch out of … Read more
Last week we explored areas in which we’ve experienced or witnessed bias. For a refresher, click here. I asked you to do some homework over the course of the week, considering moments where bias impacted your confidence, decision-making, opportunity, health, relationships, or willingness to take risks. It is important to reiterate here that everyone has … Read more
Whenever the phrases “unconscious bias,” “implicit bias,” or “diversity and equity” come up, it seems people make immediate assumptions. They think the topic is about to be related to stuff in the news or marginalized populations. Then, they shut down. Smart leaders know bias exists in everyone. No one is truly objective. Additionally, not all … Read more