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Appreciation is a valuable mindset and practice that supports harmony, empathy, and growth. It involves both valuing and recognizing the unique perspectives, experiences, and contributions of others.  This week, we explore the practice of appreciation through valuing others. Taking time to gather information, listen to various viewpoints, and seek a thorough understanding of factors at…

Last week we turned our focus onto the importance of connection – a key enabler to Expand Your Influence. One way to forge connection is real curiosity – to genuinely be interested in understanding and knowing more about those with whom we interact.    Most of us glide along the surface at work … talking about…

I love watching fireworks! Many fond memories come flooding back at this time of year:   sitting on a blanket with friends on the Capitol lawn in Washington, DC, seeing the display light up the sky to show off the multiple national monuments;   floating on the Hudson River with 200 other people oohing and ahhing at…

Last week, we wrote about being present – minimize distractions, slow down, focus on the moment.  This week, we explore having presence – the ability to command attention, own a room, or display gravitas after becoming present to what’s going on.  Having coached numerous executives these past two decades, I’ve spent a fair amount of…

We recently ran a workshop exercise where listeners became distracted as the talker was speaking of something that they cared about. When this happened, the person talking became unable to communicate their thoughts – they lost words and the motivation to continue. It’s quite disorienting when you feel that you aren’t being listened to –…

Earlier this year, my sister-in-law and her uncle came to visit. They were recounting their recent adventure of sky diving. When my father exclaimed that he was open to doing that, you could have knocked me out of my chair. This, from a former helicopter search-and-rescue pilot who had always said, “I’ll never jump out…

The mind is a wondrous thing…it opens and shuts and opens and shuts. At times we want it to stay open, but it doesn’t. We wrote last week about the importance of being open in the practice of leadership. Here, we explore staying open.  Once we raise awareness to be open—adopt an open mind, open…

When stuck in my thinking, there is something about staring out at the ocean that opens my mind to possibilities. I’m not sure if it’s hearing the rhythmic fall of the waves, wondering what lies beyond the horizon, or the dolphins that arc above the water that have me look below the surface … it…

As Jen mentioned last week, we’re exploring the topic of Expanding Your Influence over the next few weeks … because  engagement with others – interacting, connecting and building relationship – is its foundation. Most of us don’t live in a bubble, so it’s important to be cognizant of how we relate to others … to…

Over the coming weeks, we will explore what supports the ability to “Expand Your Influence” and start a ripple through leadership. This follows our blog series on how to “Strengthen Your Core” as a foundation for leadership.  We believe influence starts with engagement. In work-world terms, engagement describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication someone…