At some point when we hit adulthood or career-hood, we stop thinking about developing ourselves. It could be from the feeling of having all of our emotional and social needs met – like being in a cozy relationship with someone, or loving our co-workers and what we do at work, or loving being a full-time parent. Whatever the reason, […]
Archive | Work Life Balance
#TheLostGenerationX – #AllEyesOnMillennials
Ever read the book “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway? He demured in Paris in the 1920’s, with the likes of Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and F.Scott Fitzgerald. This group of literary geniuses was also known as La génération perdue = The Lost Generation. Similar to Gertrude Stein’s self proclamation during a depressed time after […]
Vulnerability and Leadership
I am a strong believer that, as a leader, part of rebuilding or newly bridging trust with workers, peers, or all employees is to share some sense of being human – your vulnerability. I am not talking about confessing to epic mistakes, or admitting failure daily, or even lacking confidence. In fact, it takes confidence to […]
Countering Negativity in Leadership (and Life)
What makes a great leader? I am a constant student of leadership, from being a company leader myself, to working directly with company leaders (at every level) as a consultant to help them find solutions and set culture. Of course there are hundreds of articles and blogs on the topic, and entire sections in book stores (online and […]
Mr. Mom
After reading several articles about flexibility in the workplace, a more common topic is bubbling to the surface of many respectable publications. Here’s one that states: Bottom Line: Working fathers are placing more importance on their familial obligations, and companies must react to this societal shift. My first thought, what will that mean for many companies who rely on fathers being […]
Follow Your Path
Six years ago, I directly managed ten senior staff and oversaw a team of over 700 who were implementing projects worth ~$20 million per year. For the last five and a half years, I have had a hiatus from all of that, from managing staff, and ensuring quality programming, and juggling money, and signing off […]
The Straight and Narrow
Sometimes, the way forward is clear. Sometimes it is not. The only advice I can give is to follow your compass. This means following your own values, even if it means you have to rewrite the script or define new rules for your tribe or wait for a different path to show its way. Have […]
The Negation of Why
There’s a lot of hype these days about the need for a purpose, that to achieve we have to have a why. And it’s true. Having a mission does give us motivation. Knowing the why helps us inspire our teams. Developing a purpose provides the roadmap. I recently read a passage, however, in a novel: […]
More on Life Balance
I love being on a plane. I’m not talking about going someplace. I mean actually sitting inside in the airplane. I especially love those long haul flights leaving in the mid-morning, when I’m wide-awake and well rested. Being on a plane gives me guilt-free time to do nothing that is “obligatory” (particularly if I’m traveling […]
‘Tis the Season
My personal definition of success includes helping others, both professionally and personally. So I am a humanitarian worker, living and working in less industrialized countries. I support all manner of programs designed to improve the lives of those who are less fortunate. I also give personal resources – my time, my family’s gently used belongings, […]