You are meticulous about preparation. You make all the lists and plan all the details, but sometimes things happen that are outside of your control. It’s disorienting and confusing. What are you supposed to do then? How do you recover and keep going?
Archive for Personal Development
4 Pitfalls of a Vision-Deficit Leader
Passion is a key component of a leader. Leaders generally don’t get to where they are without it. The same is true of drive, good ideas, and execution. Even confidence. But none of that is enough to replace vision. Passion and all the rest can fuel the mission, but vision is the North Star to […]
Why Your Story Should Shape the Way You Lead
You are leading a team aimed at achieving lofty goals. You want to help them be stronger and healthier together, so you can reach those goals. You’ve heard that fostering personal connection is key, but you don’t want to inadvertently step over the line. How do you know what to say and what not to?
3 Ways to Create More Margin in Your Personal Life
We all need margin to live productive and fulfilling lives. It helps us perform at our best and be fully present. But what happens when you lack margin at home? Just like at work, we have long to-do lists at home. From laundry to cooking, to cleaning and shuffling kids to activities. Not only can […]
How to Integrate Encouragement into Your Leadership
You work with a great team. You’re all running hard toward your goals, but lately people seem to be flagging. As a leader, you want to step up to reinvigorate them. But you don’t want it to be empty fluff or surface-level rah-rahs. Are there concrete ways to encourage your team effectively?
The Key to a More Productive Day
A lot of us start our days with a laundry list of things to do. It’s not uncommon for people to have 10, 20, or even more items on their to-do list. Where do you even start? Even if you accomplish five or six things, it’s easy to feel like a failure at the end […]
The Cure for Burnout
Most achievers think the answer to their productivity struggle is to hustle harder and faster. But that only leads to burnout. And in the modern workforce, burnout is a constant threat. We put leaders who never rest on a pedestal. We wear busyness like a badge of honor. Technology keeps us continually connected and always […]
4 Questions You Should Ask Your Direct Reports Weekly
Leaders are generally great solo achievers, but they often get one-on-one check-ins wrong. Either they give too little attention to their direct reports or smother them with communications and requests for updates. It’s challenging to find the appropriate level and cadence of interaction. People need an individual place to connect with their direct supervisor, so […]
3 Key Benefits of Daily Rituals
If you’re like most people, your days are filled with demands, distractions, and interruptions. It can be frustrating wading through the never-ending tasks on the table. If you’re to make any headway, you can’t give your attention to everyone and everything. You have to identify exactly what needs your attention and what doesn’t. One way […]
3 Ways to Prepare for a Good Night’s Sleep
The health effects of neglecting sleep are no secret. Cardiovascular disease, elevated stress hormones, and reduced immunity—just to name a few. Less noted is the effect skimping on sleep has on our work performance. Have you ever had one of those days when you’re just dragging, when no amount of coffee helps and you can’t […]
Why You Need White Space
Many of us struggle to disconnect from our work. Even if we manage it, it’s uncomfortable. Because of our always-on culture, we may even feel guilty putting a hard stop on our work day and letting emails go unanswered until the following day. As much as we try, hitting the pause button is hard. The […]
The Business Case for Sabbaticals
You’re running on empty without much gas left in the tank. You can see your performance slipping and your creativity dwindling. But how can you take time off when there’s so much to do? Won’t you just regret it when you come back to hundreds of emails in your inbox?