I’ve been having conversations with leaders about how increasing uncertainty is impacting their leadership practices. One conversation with the head of development at a local social services agency stood out as markedly different from the responses I got from for-profit leaders. I heard lots of for-profit leaders talk about shifting toward short-term planning practices: quarterly “rocks”…
During the first four months of this year, I was very focused on a new business playbook to front-load my client creation for 2026. That focus was partly driven by fear. The relative calm of late 2025 felt fleeting – who knows what is right around the corner. I wanted to secure some new work…
In smooth seas, the Captain isn’t on deck. But when there’s a storm or an enemy ship on the horizon, they leap to the bridge and take charge. We don’t need leaders to help us keep things the same. That’s what managers do! Leadership is needed most in the unknown, when the stakes are high…
Lately, I’ve been living in more gratitude. It could be that I’m reading less news, getting more coaching, and getting outside, but I’ve noticed it showing up everywhere: in my family, my work, my community, even the way my pets want to hang out with me. Over that same time period, my business has been…
Somewhere in the middle of the COVID years, I shrank. Not all at once. It happened gradually. I built some strong virtual relationships during the lockdown, so when things opened back up, I stuck with that way of doing things. I turned down trips and offered Zoom instead. I skipped conferences, coffees, and lunches —…
I’ve been subjected to a lot of team-building exercises. Trust falls, Lego building contests, finding your “color” and learning what it tells everyone about your personality, even a drum circle, and a croquet tournament. Some of these were “fun,” I learned from others, but I’m not sure any had as much impact as the time…
I was talking to a CEO last week, and the story she told me fit a pattern I’ve been thinking about. She had been running her business for about 7 years. During that time, she found a niche, got focused on it, and the business grew. She’s now at the point where she understands the…
For about 5 years I was a solo parent of 3 school aged kids. During that same period I was starting my consulting business. It was a busy time! I spent a tremendous percentage of my of time feeling like I was behind, under resourced, and generally failing. This was not a situation that cultivates…
Twenty-five years ago this month, I was unceremoniously dumped out of the corporate world. While I had job offers, I knew some of what didn’t work in that last job would still be there in these new ones, so I decided to try something else. I chose to bet on myself. The early days of…
Is the drive to achieve a powerful motivator for you? If so, it’s likely been a positive force in your life–that drive, along with grit and hard work, has likely brought you acclaim and success. But, I’ll bet that no matter how hard you work, or how much you’ve achieved, you’re still pushing for more….