attitude

Leaders stay sensitive this time of year

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This is a “rerun” from last year; some events of the last month have convinced me to share it anew: We’re just a couple weeks from the Winter Solstice, the shortest darkest day of the year. A contrast to the holiday season, it can exacerbate hidden internal sadness in those around us. I love Christmas … Read more

Group Dynamic Primer Chapter Seven: Positivity

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 We’ve covered six leadership traits and skills.  Now, it’s time to talk about two mindsets that must permeate our leadership behaviors. The first is positivity.  Being positive is the way others see that the hard work is worth it. Now, leaders ought not be a fake, smile-plastered, Pollyanna; positive leadership is not “soft” leadership.  It … Read more

For those who don’t get it…

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Something that occasionally presents itself in the world of leadership is that there is one person, also a leader, who doesn’t “get it.” Maybe it’s another teacher, a member of administration or your direct supervisor. They see what you are doing, they know that those you lead appreciate what you’re doing, but for one reason … Read more

The Olympics of Dedication

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The Olympics have a way of shining a new light on the meaning of dedication.

The opening ceremonies were comprised of one spectacular vignette after another, with thousands of performers, musicians and athletes knowing exactly where to go and what to do during every minute of their moment in the spotlight. That’s dedication.

Every commercial that runs during the Olympic Games tells the athlete’s tale of foregoing dessert, not watching TV, not skipping a single day’s workout in order to be the best. That’s dedication.

Then there was the Chinese farmer who spent the last two years traveling to London via rickshaw just to see the Olympic games. A little extreme, but yes – that’s dedication.

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On owning your leadership style…

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Let’s make the assumption that, as a leader, you’ve taken a number of human behavior assessments (like the Leadership Practices Inventory, Everything DiSC®, Strengths Finders or Myers-Briggs), and therefore you have some sort of description (or two or five descriptions) as to what kind of leader you are. What happens to those analyses after you … Read more

Organizing your attentiveness

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Last fall, I spent two blog posts discussing how effective leaders stay organized. At that time, I was referring to your actual to-do list, which typically won’t have the actual words “pay attention to John on Monday.” But maybe you should consider it. A colleague of mine was telling me about a car salesman who … Read more

“Where do you get that energy?!”

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Frequently, people ask me that question.  Those who ask are usually witnessing me in a professional situation; if they saw me after the alarm goes off, there’s no way they’d ask that! But it’s true- if we lead, we have an obligation to give those we serve our best, and that means maintaining optimal mental … Read more

What drives you nuts? An idea for coping…

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A coping strategy when things “drive you crazy” at work or home: Take a moment to consider the potential positive side.  About 20 years ago, in a college class about marriage, the professor pointed out this fact: The things that we adore about our future spouses will eventually, at times, drive us nuts. “He’s so … Read more