Recently I was guest on the Leadership Hacks Podcast with my esteemed colleague, Jill Windelspecht, a fellow executive coach and organization consultant. Jill invited me to bring my best hack (shortcut/workaround) to the conversation, so I showed up with the most basic tool in my box: Breathing. You’ve heard me say it before: if you … Read more
Reflecting on a Transition In January I will celebrate my 20th anniversary as a business owner. Before becoming a solopreneur and The Executive Happiness Coach(r), I spent 20 years as a leader in the corporate space, so I’ve called myself “a recovering corporate executive.” As I shift toward having more time OUT than IN the corporate … Read more
Happiness is Noticed for its Absence… Picture this: I am sitting in a room with a leadership team who are frustrated with high levels of behavior often associated with employee disconnection: turnover, absenteeism, gossip, backbiting, lack of discretionary effort, cliquishness, zero input during meetings, constant griping about even the tiniest things, and a pervasive sense … Read more
I sense so much tension in the world, today. I know that there have been times in human history when conflict was uglier and more violent, and that, statistically speaking, the world has never been safer; and yet… The ugliness that exists today feels so pervasively personal. Internet trolls have affected our ability to have … Read more
Leadership is Personal I had a stimulating conversation with an amazing person the other day. She is the president of a company striving to build a better world, and many of her observations and questions revolved the topics of social impact, making a difference, and the power of Leadership. We really connected around a descriptor she used … Read more
Dear tribe members: If you celebrate the Great American Holiday of Thanksgiving, you will soon gather round a meal and give thanks for your blessings. Enjoy that moment. Know also that I appreciate you; Thanks for being part of this conversation. AND that’s not what this quick note is about. This is about the workplace, … Read more
There are moments when Life Sucks, when failure is the only option, or when it’s easier to blame your problems on everyone else… because it’s just too damn exhausting to take personal responsibility. I get, I’ve been there. Just last week, in fact. BUT if you find yourself living in those spaces a lot, it’s … Read more
Photo Credit: Startup Stock Photos Culture is defined in many ways: it’s the stories we tell about ourselves, it’s the way we treat each other and customers, and it’s often described as “the way we do things around here.” One of the core differences between bad/mediocre cultures and really good ones is the attention that … Read more
I recently attended Human Resources Conference where the topic of performance appraisal came up constantly — in the keynote sessions as well as breakouts. The last speaker of the day pointed out this recurring theme: “What we’ve heard today is that everyone – employees, managers, and HR – hates the annual appraisal process as practiced … Read more
As the year turns, I hope your “Leadership Sense” is tingling with the possibilities for a year of growth and improvement. Besides the daily tweaking and problem-solving that is part of your role, consider spending part of your time looking at the long term and the underlying systems that create the outcomes you’re currently getting from … Read more