I’ve always been someone who likes to solve problems at the root. I’m also an excellent pattern matcher. So it was natural that I would, over the thousands of coaching conversations I’ve held, start to notice some things. About six…
I spend a good amount of my time coaching executives as they prepare for important professional conversations. Yesterday, I was working with a senior executive preparing for such an interaction with a new CEO acquaintance. He was seeking tips for…
CLEAR stands for Clarify - Learn - Evaluate - Act - Refine. I created this decision-making process to guide executives through resolving any strategic question or issue they care about. It is simple and encourages imperfect action. You can apply…
My all-time favorite guided meditation is by storyteller and meditation teacher Sarah Blondin; I’ve listened to her 8-minute “Learning to Surrender” meditation so many times I almost have it memorized. The message I take from her wise words: there are…
As the alarm chirped, Robin reflexively hit the snooze button. Thirty minutes later, she felt the fog of sleep lift and a sense of heaviness descend in her chest. As she dragged herself out of bed, she muttered, “Monday mornings…
One of my favorite images to help understand the value of observation comes from Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership on the Line. Heifetz talks about the importance of “going to the balcony,” leaving the fray of a real-time situation to take the…
You may find it tricky to say “No” to your colleagues, family members, or friends, even when you don't want to do what is being asked of you. A tendency to say “Yes” can lead to overwork - and, if…
One of the most energizing ways to become more effective as a leader is to make staring out the window time a regular part of your workweek. Another term for this practice is big picture thinking time. Building the muscle…
Never before have we lived in a world changing more rapidly. Futurist David Houle, author of Entering the Shift Age and The 2020s: the Most Disruptive Decade in History, asserts that we no longer live in a world where it…
We are living in an unprecedented time, one that is impacting our livelihood, how our children learn, how we connect with others, the future of our planet and the human race. With all the elements that feel out of control…