Posts by Mary Ellen Clagett
Make Room for Innovation
Peter Drucker wrote “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.” These words resonate right now as I’ve just sold my home of 30 years to start the next chapter of my life. In order to make room for the new, it involved letting go of a lot. How often do…
Read MoreSetting Up for Success
I once took a program management course where the instructor said, “If you can’t change unrealistic objectives and deadlines, accept them and start looking for another job.” While I certainly understand where he was coming from, in most cases, it’s really not advice to follow. How many of you are faced with goals you can’t…
Read MoreStep Up to the Void
When I was in ninth grade, I tried out for “Oliver”. Excited at the possibility of playing a role, I stepped out onto the stage to audition. And… I froze and quickly decided that the props crew was where I belonged. It wasn’t until my 30s that I was able to stand in front of…
Read MoreKnocking Down Silos
Many of us are still sheltering in place and relying on technology to connect us. In some ways, the challenge of crossing boundaries is easier because we are eager to talk to someone other than the folks with whom we are sheltering. On the flip side, we’ve narrowed our audiences and our conversations to the…
Read MoreOut of Alignment
Do you remember the first time you led a team that wasn’t? When I thought about it, the first memory that jumped into my head was when my team was at each other’s throats. It was completely unexpected. We had successfully met some major challenges and should have been riding high. Instead, there was discord…
Read MoreWhat Are You Listening To?
These are challenging times which are stretching our abilities as communicators. Everything around us is in flux. There is a cacophony of messages from leaders, the media, neighbors, friends, family, and the ones we tell ourselves … and many seem to be in conflict. Indeed, poor communication abounds across the board. And, there are shining…
Read MoreGot Your Back
A few years ago, I went to a leadership retreat where everyone in the group did a trust fall. Have you ever done a trust fall? This is a time where you literally have to believe that someone truly has your back. It’s a leap of faith for yourself and for your team. In the…
Read MoreStay the Course
How do you create a sustainable movement? You stay the course, come “hell or high water.” The ending of my first draft of this blog had me flashback to the most memorable man I have known, his impact and the song list he created for his final days. I’ve thrown out the first draft because…
Read MoreCalling My People …
Simon Sinek wrote in The Infinite Game: “The rise of great societies, advancements in science and medicine and the exploration of space all happened because large groups of people, united in common cause, chose to collaborate with no clear end in sight.” This got me thinking about the importance and variety of communities in our…
Read MoreStep Up into the Unknown
While reflecting back over my career, I realized that many of my most creative solutions were born out of chaos – when what had worked before no longer worked for the issue at hand. United around a common goal to find solutions, we brought together diverse teams to attack the issue from different angles. Do…
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