Courage

Finding Your Sunshine At Work

October 3, 2016

Every summer, I plant a small veggie garden in my Michigan backyard. Even though the location is too shady for some of the sun-loving plants, it’s the only place that works in our yard, so we (and by “we”, I mean both the plants and I) make do. This summer I experimented with the placement […]

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The Power of Living in the Moment

May 23, 2016

It was Day Six of my eight-day out of town trip, and back at home, my preteen daughter was trying to keep it together. She had been sick for several days, with a fever spiking to 102 degrees. Her sixth grade class was going through state testing for math, reading and science so her teachers […]

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Huffington Post’s “True North Leaders”

February 1, 2016

When Huffington Post published my article How to Stay Okay with Who You Are and Still Meet the Demands of Leadership, I discovered this great part of the site: their “True North Leaders” section, which highlights the “inner game” that leaders must master: authenticity, courage, values and integrity. I write about those topics frequently, so I’ll be sure […]

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Leadership Means Learning to Let Go

December 21, 2015

My eldest child starts driver’s training today. A couple of years ago my good friend Mike Henry, (who has already lived through this phase) told me, “If you think the teen years are hard now, wait until he starts driving.” Well, Mike, that day is here! It’s terrifying. The responsibility is huge. There’s potential for […]

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Leadership Communication is Vital During a Crisis

June 29, 2015

Even though it happened over 20 years ago, the memory is vivid: While working in corporate America, I was waiting for a fax for one of my projects. Upon hearing the sound of an incoming fax, I grabbed the paper off the machine, read it, and then lost all thought of the task on which […]

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Are You Listening to Yourself? A #soulsparks Story

March 27, 2015

It happened while I was cleaning up the dinner dishes. While I stood at my kitchen sink, scrubbing pans, the thought formed, completely unbidden: I want to be a writer. It was a June night; my family was outside enjoying one of the first warm days of our soon-to-be Michigan summer. And I was inside, […]

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Is a Global CEO’s Grueling Travel Schedule Necessary?

November 20, 2014

Is a burned-out CEO the New Normal of the globally connected world? That seems to be the premise of a recent article I read titled, “Death on a Moscow Runway: The Modern, Homeless CEO.” (How’s that for grim imagery?) I take issue with the idea that CEO’s must be this super-human person that “has” to […]

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Favorite Quotes about Following Your Conscience

November 19, 2014

This week author Frank Sonnenberg published his latest book, Follow Your Conscience: Make a Difference in Your Life & in the Lives of Others. You can read my review here. The book is a series of essays on the important things in life—which Frank reminds us are rarely “things”. He writes beautifully about honesty, compassion, […]

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Leaders – Use These Tips to Stay Relevant with Younger Workers

November 17, 2014

How do you stay current with popular culture references and changes in language? If you’re in a leadership position and have accumulated more than four decades of life experience, chances are that your younger team members might from time to time confound you with an unfamiliar phrase. Take for example, the term “struggle bus” which […]

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When Leaders Should Take a Tough Line

October 16, 2014

What should a leader do when a team member just doesn’t quite “fit” with the company culture? That’s the question I address in this month’s Smartblog on Leadership article. It really boils down to leadership “tough love” – you can’t make excuses for direct reports who almost adhere to the organization’s values. Smartbrief’s leadership newsletter […]

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