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An executive leadership team I supported was entrenched in a conversation about vulnerability. One member said, “I’m not big on being vulnerable, but I do my best to be authentic.” It hit me then: We should always be authentic, and vulnerability should neither be a goal nor something for which we aim. But sometimes, it…

I recently moved to Florida and have a view of the garden from my office. I have been fascinated watching the lizards and geckos running around with amazing speed and changing direction on a dime. Feel familiar? I often felt that way at work – we were constantly changing direction and not staying with anything…

I love to hear my husband’s stories that start with, “Dad taught me…” The importance of family, entrepreneurship, and adventure as a staple of life are a few of his favorite topics. For example, Doug learned about profitability at age 8 when he was reminded that he had to pay for the lawnmower rental and…

Why do some executives operate in an abundance mindset while others seem to have a scarcity mindset? Like tree leaves gasping for air and grappling for sun, perhaps the level of competition in business has us striving to secure–or even grow–our position in that dense forest of rivalry. When we perceive competition for power, resources,…

The mere mention of the word conflict can elicit stomach pain, angst and even heartache. For most people, it certainly is no fun to be in conflict with someone, which is why so many avoid it. Interestingly, leaders in organizations who avoid conflict may be doing harm to an individual or team. I worked with…

My father loved poetry. He often had us learn poems that we four kids would recite in unison as we rode cross-country in the car to visit the grandparents. The title of one popped into my head as I sat down to write about toxic cultures – “It Isn’t the Church, It’s You.” It’s easy…

Have you ever stayed in a situation you wish you would have left sooner? Perhaps it was a large commitment like a job, or a short interaction like a customer service phone call to obtain information. You might not necessarily regard your stick-to-itiveness as loyalty on your part…rather, you were holding out hope for something…

Remember the Mom question, “If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you too?”  It may have been our first encouragement to think independently. That, and a type of wake-up call that we may do and say things as a group that we would never consider as an individual. Welcome to groupthink. When I typed…

After 4 ½ months of sheltering in place in another state, my parents declared “it’s family time.” On the second day of their visit, my mom handed me a printout. I had only spoken two words when my dad said, “You don’t need to read that aloud. It’s not a biggie.” (The latter being a…

Who is the star of the show at work or in life, the person taking on a heroic role? You may know someone playing this role, or maybe it is you. This person feels the world is their oyster. Being a hero can feel glorious at times and, at other times, it can feel lonely.…