Drawing and Holding the Line
After publishing my blog series about “over-functioning” in the workplace (you’ll find the links below), I wound up in many conversations with leaders who shared some version of the following: “OK, guilty as charged. I’m a chronic over-functioner. So, what’s the one thing I can do that will help me establish a healthier way of […]
The Curse of the “Striver”
As I celebrated yet another birthday in April, I notice that I am less able to multitask. Tasks that I could once do quickly take me just a bit longer to complete. I also need more recovery time after multi-day meetings. If you are over 45, you may have encountered similar limitations. It’s a reality […]
“It’s Nothing Personal” by Lisa Husseini
“Taking life personally, whether you’re aware you’re doing it or not, is a lose-lose situation. Either you’re blithely unaware that you’re deep in victim mode and taking it out on the world around you, or you’re highly aware that you are trapped in an emotionally torturous box of your own making.” -Lisa Husseini Let’s say […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Think Again by Adam Grant
The old saying, “seeing is believing” doesn’t really describe how we operate as humans. If you’ve spent any time with me in a workshop, you’ve probably heard me tell a favorite story that challenges this conventional wisdom. There’s this elderly couple. The wife Ethel becomes concerned that her beloved husband Joe is losing his hearing. […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek Murthy
Everyday, I speak with leaders who are surrounded by people and yet admit that they feel lonely. Loneliness is defined in Vivek Murthy’s book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World as “the subjective feeling that you are lacking the social connections that you need.” When I began reading Murthy’s […]
ON MY MIND: Coming Back Together (Part 2)
After describing the dynamics of polarization in a previous blog, this second installment will highlight Parker Palmer’s essay entitled, “Five Habits to Heal the Heart of Democracy.” It contains important insights on how we come back together in our families, work places, communities and our country. I’m taking some liberties with these five habits to […]
FROM MY BOOK SHELF: My Three Go-to Books During Difficult Times
A friend recently asked me what books I turn to during difficult times. An apt question these days. One that caused me to realize that there are three books that I always keep close at hand. I often travel with these books, re-reading the many passages I have underlined and the personal notes I’ve made […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Moments of Impact by Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon
What’s the best way to address complex challenges facing your organization? Bringing smart people together for truly strategic conversations. I know I don’t have to tell you this, but the reason for the reminder is a lament that I often hear from leaders: I thought I did everything right. I put a logical agenda together, […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Feedback (and Other Dirty Words): Why We Fear It, How We Fix It By M. Tamra Chandler with Laura Dowling Grealish
Everywhere we look in organizational life there is evidence that feedback is a source of fear and anxiety, both for the people on the receiving end and for those delivering it. It’s time to “fix” feedback. Too often feedback is: Non-existent: Feedback is simply avoided through an unspoken “don’t ask for it, don’t give it” […]
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
After sharing my blog Leadership and the Art of Subtraction, I received emails from readers suggesting I write a book on what I call “skillful life-carving”. I began to look for existing resources and came across Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, which is a better book on the topic than I could ever write. I love McKeown’s […]