Posts by Jennifer McEwen
A Glass Full of Wonder
You’ve likely heard the terms “glass half-full” and “glass half-empty” used to describe the outlooks people can have when looking at the same, seemingly exact, thing. While the water level in this figurative glass is the same for both (that is, half-way up or down the glass), people can perceive the same glass of water…
Read MoreBlast Off to Leadership
Recently, the world witnessed some extraordinary feats…one of those being Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson both going into space. They are now astronauts! Based on the Wiki definition of astronaut, it is usually a “person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft”…
Read MoreUsing Lightness in Leadership
Lightness, laughter, and levity can be useful in business. “Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity” as Harvard Business Review highlights, citing research by serious institutions like MIT and Wharton. However, lightness – or lightheartedness – does not always show up…
Read MoreLeading Diversity
As a small girl: I was among the poorest in a wealthy community, getting many of my clothes through charitable donations. As a teenager: I looked nothing like the people around me in Sri Lanka, and often felt like an outcast. As an adult: I have worked in organizations dominated by traditional thinking, where my…
Read MoreAcknowledging the Overwhelm
A different kind of overwhelm seems to be setting in for some right now with work. Requests from customers to meet in-person again, having to show up in the office full bore, added traffic doubling some commute times…you name it. If you are feeling extra exhausted lately, you are not alone. The mental toll from…
Read MoreLeadership Lessons from Dog Training
Have you ever been told NOT to do something, and that made you want to do it even more? There is a reason for that: Where you focus your attention is also where you maintain attention. Telling someone NOT to do something literally engages their mind towards the very thing you don’t want them to…
Read MoreLeadership Impact Starts on the “Inside”
It’s a special day at LAITHOS: We three, as Co-Founders, incorporated our business three years ago on April 20th. Three is my favorite number, so I am taking this opportunity to celebrate what we stand for: creating leadership impact. Our journey began five years ago with a single, little idea and has blossomed into a…
Read MoreFilling Those Shoes
My father was one of the most brilliant people I have ever known. He inspired me as a child to lead from integrity and responsibility. I have attempted to follow in Dad’s footsteps; yet, I never quite lived up to what I sensed he envisioned for my life. John Fibelkorn was a man who dedicated…
Read MoreKnowing What’s Essential
It can be a real struggle to focus when so many things seem to require our attention. My own to-do lists used to be long and rather ambitious. Then, I started noticing that the more I tried to do, the less I got done. Now I know that I accomplish my best work when priorities…
Read MoreDare to Be You
Have you ever stuck your neck out and then regretted doing so because it didn’t go as expected? Did you then hesitate the next chance you had to share your beliefs, ideas, and/or convictions? If so, you may have made yourself smaller, choosing to show less of the real you. Less you means less impact.…
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