Last week, we talked about numbing as a way of putting on armor. Brené Brown points out that sarcasm, cynicism, and passive-aggressive behaviors are another way to stay distant and avoid vulnerability. The solution is to avoid those three things, and— be clear and kind. One thing I’ve always said in sessions with clients is … Read more
*This blog post contains affiliate links where the author receives a small commission on book sales. I spent 19 years as a high school band teacher. This can be a big job—class sizes of up to 150 students, managing a budget of tens of thousands of dollars, and administering a hectic calendar of events and … Read more
I have never suffered from perfectionism, but I’ve certainly felt the fear of failure. For me, it isn’t perfectionism that produces the fear; it’s competitiveness. I like being the best at things. One year, about 15 years ago, my New Year’s resolution was to be the best Scrabble player in the state of Iowa. Then, … Read more
*This blog post contains affiliate links where the author receives a small commission on book sales. As promised a few weeks ago, I’m going to spend the next seven weeks sharing some of my favorite insights from Brené Brown’s bestseller Dare to Lead. Dr. Brown is well-known for her work on shame and vulnerability, and … Read more
Last week, we discussed insecurity and how our insecurities affect our lives and our work. This week, we’ll discuss the importance of understanding personality differences, and how that can enhance culture and build trust. You can download Dr. Mark Scullard’s short ebook, The Invisible Drain on Your Company’s Culture, for free here. Insecurity can be … Read more
I’m always surprised to find someone in leadership who hasn’t yet seen, heard, or read the work of Brené Brown. Rather than give you her bio or answer “Why do I need to know her work?,” I will let you follow the links to learn more, or watch her seminal TED talk, or watch her … Read more
This week we begin a new, seven-part series on core values. In previous blog posts, I’ve written about the importance of core values to guide work internally and externally, but over the past nine years, I’ve held back on sharing the values of Group Dynamic. Now I’m setting them free. This week is an introduction, … Read more
Recently, when covering the Four Levels of Maturity, we were on a quest to find an essential question that a person would ask at each level. Recall, the first two levels are somtimes referred to as acting “‘below the line”, whereas levels three and four are sometimes referred to as acting “above the line”, which … Read more