Today I’m hosting a meet-up based on the book Dare, Dream, Do by Whitney Johnson. When I first heard about the book, I wasn’t all that excited about discussing “dreams”. I’m a busy wife/mother/daughter/friend who runs a full-time consulting business and also does volunteer work. Who has time to dream? Whitney’s book has opened my…
Authenticity
TEDx Grand Rapids – Food for Thought
I attended my second TEDx Grand Rapids event last Thursday. The theme this year was “What Now?” and it came alive in such unexpected ways. From innovations in technology and materials, to finding peace in an act of terrorism, each speaker was able to knit “what now?” into his or her presentation. It’s a very…
Influencing Across Organizational Boundaries
Earlier this week I presented a session on Influencing Across Organizational Boundaries to the Western Michigan chapter of the Project Management Institute. The session was so well-received that many people asked for copies of the Power Point presentation. Well, you know how that goes—a Power Point without the corresponding speaker commentary is a bit flat….
5 Reasons Leaders Fear Embarrassment
And Three Ways to Deal with It “The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” Douglas Engelbart, American Inventor I was in a strategic planning meeting being led by a Regional VP named “Henry”. His boss was there, as were all 55 of his team…
The Mutuality Measuring Stick for Networking
Should you network with someone you don’t like? This question was put to me recently. My response was emphatic: “No, of course not!” Here’s why I say this with such conviction. My definition of networking is: The purpose of networking is to connect people who have a mutual interest in developing a professional relationship or assisting one…