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Committing to something or someone often starts with being engaged. The level of engagement can vary from low to high; often, it’s based on a person’s desire and then the nature of actions that person takes towards that end. In his popular book, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge asserts that lower engagement involves forms of…

Fun nature fact: Those massive Redwoods that are so awe-inspiring have shallow root systems that go out over 100 feet from their trunks. Their strength to withstand strong winds and floods is because their roots intertwine with the roots of the other Redwoods. What a beautiful lesson from nature about the value of support systems…

Two weeks ago, a group of 36 Indian Muslim women graduated from a prestigious fellowship program hosted by the LedBy Foundation, India’s first incubator focused on helping more Muslim women prepare for business leadership roles. I had the honor and pleasure of serving as an Executive Coach to three of these women. Throughout the time…

The movie St. Elmo’s Fire has intrigued me since I was a teenager. Part of the draw was Georgetown University. I never went to school there; however, I did live in the Washington, DC area and got to drive past it often…such a majestic view from the Potomac River! And then there was that catchy…

Last week, Wally Funk joined Jeff Bezos in space. There’s been a lot of press about how she was part of the Mercury 13; but there is so much more to her story. At 17, she crushed two vertebrae in a skiing accident and was told she would never walk again. She didn’t consider that…

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…

While clearing the clutter in my office, I came across a piece of paper with the word flourish written across it. Underneath were the words “to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally and to translate this growth into action, habit, and purpose.” It stopped me dead in my tracks. I’m a great believer in lessons appearing…

There have been several celebrations in my family this past week:  great-niece Charlotte turned one year old; sister-in-law Janet and brother-in-law Brian turned a few years more than Charlotte; and about 150 people are gathering in Wisconsin to celebrate the life of Marian Croak, who lived 96 vibrant years. As a mother of eight, grandmother…

Talking to peers and co-workers, it seems most of us are experiencing a mixture of relief and fear when we look forward to what’s next. That’s natural. And, there’s a lot to be learned if we take the opportunity to hit <PAUSE> and examine our thoughts around what’s been happening and what is possible. In…

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…