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It’s easy to lead in good times. Sometimes all it takes to be perceived as a strong leader is to just be in the right place at the right time and take advantage of the opportunity at your feet.

But true leadership is demonstrated when someone makes tough choices, tradeoffs, or takes a courageous stand when times are tough and uncertain.

We are seeing a number of our clients doing this now. They may not have regained their complete stride back but have felt enough of an uptick in their businesses that the time is right to bolster investment in their talent – especially after the previous 18 months were many leaders were asked to cut back and do much more with significantly fewer resources.

We have had a number of our clients make significant investments in development opportunities for their senior leaders this quarter, which is giving them a renewed perspective and energy jolt. Many are revamping or creating for the first time, development programs aimed at fostering strategic thinking and navigating the whitewater environment of today.

We partner with our clients to create or facilitate these kind of high impact experiences that are embedded in the context of solving significant business challenges. We continue to “receive rave reviews” with sustainable results.

Please don’t hesitate to call for a consultation today. 203-730-2103.

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

We live in incredible times. I can be sitting at the beach watching the fireworks and have you “there” with me. Snap, crackle pop – sideways!

Fireworks

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”   ~Erma Bombeck

I love the principles this country was founded on: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – However, I may not always agree with how we exercise democracy around the world.

I see this country as the greatest experiment of modern times. There is power and challenge of truly living in community as people have different ideas about what freedom and happiness are for them… so it requires mutual respect, dialogue, and the willingness to compromise.

This was really apparent to me when, two nights ago, my family was having dinner on our deck in the beautiful summer night. My neighbor’s large dog ran over and went after my small dog. This happened the previous night and I didn’t say anything. This night, I asked my neighbor if he could keep his dog tied up so he didn’t keep coming in our yard.

I was taken aback by what ensued. He yelled, screamed and berated me using explicatives. The anger and hostility that emanated from him was palpable and scary. This is the second conversation I have had with him in six years, because the first wasn’t that pleasant. When I asked, if I ever did anything to offend him to cause this reaction – he listed the two requests my husband ever made (pick up their tree that fell in our yard and we would help them do it, if he could pick up the fallen leaves in December as they were blowing in our yard). Both reasonable.

Does freedom mean do whatever I want, whenever I want, regardless of the impact on others? I think not.

If we can’t co-exist with our neighbors, how can we solve world peace? Freedom does not mean I do what I want and bully others to comply. If we can’t change this on a neighborhood level, how can we, as a country, change it with neighboring countries?

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

I’m noticing a general sense that things are “heating up” – and I don’t just mean because it’s summer here in the Connecticut/New York area.

Perhaps this is due to a variety of reasons – ongoing uncertainty with the economy, getting laid off, having too much to do in a given day, going nuts keeping up with technology – but people’s fuses and capacities are getting shorter and tighter.

This is a sure sign of stress overload – operating with an overtaxed sympathetic nervous system – the flight or fight syndrome.

This leads to people saying things they don’t mean or saying them in a mean way. Everything starts and ends with the power of the word. Whether you are finding yourself in a tense meeting trying to do the impossible with less, working against insane deadlines or you are looking to find more meaning in your work – what you say and how you say it are key in these changing times.

Before you say something to the ‘wrong’ person, at the ‘wrong’ time, in the ‘wrong’ situation, take a moment to cool down your nervous system. If you feel the temperature rising, the most basic way to cool down and “detox” the moment is:

Take a slow, deep inhale through your nose to a count of 8, exhale through your mouth with an “o” shape to a count of 8. You can add: bring in positive feelings with each inhale; discharge negative feelings with each exhale.

Do this 3-11 times. This will allow enough pause and space in the conversation and energetic exchange for a shift to happen. Then open your mouth to respond versus react.  It is only in the present moment that we can truly change anything. And it starts with ourselves.

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

Okay, so what is quantum entanglement and what does it have to do with the workplace?

Marilyn Schlitz, President of the Institute for Noetic Sciences in San Francisco has asked the question: “Does our consciousness have the capacity to reach out and connect to someone else in a way that’s health-promoting?” (BTW: Dan Brown based his lead character in his book, The Lost Symbol, on Marilyn and the Institute).

To me, science is catching up with what many of us have known intuitively. So quantum entanglement is described as ”Once two particles have interacted, if you separate them, even by miles, they behave as if they’re still connected.”  So far, this has only been demonstrated on the subatomic level but Marilyn and her team are investigating this possibility with human relationships.

Dean Radin, a senior scientist at the lab wonders: “Could people in close relationships — couples, siblings, parent and child — also be ‘entangled’? Not just emotionally, and psychologically — but also physically?”

I suggest, we think about this concept in terms of our working relationships. I’m sure you have taken worries about work relationships (your boss, co-worker, customer) home – and vice versa – brought feelings about personal relationships to work. There has been a lot documented on the physical effects of stressful work environments. I’m sure at some point you have experienced a stressful work relationship.

What would it feel like if these were joys – charges, positive feelings – about your work relationship? What would it feel like to be engaged with a helpful, positive entanglement? Choose one relationship today to focus on to boost your immune system and allow the other worries to fall away. Just for today.

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

The article in The Huffington Post today by Robert Lanza is interesting, not just because of his provocative message – scientist are now starting to work on experiments that explore the thought that perhaps we are more than purely physical – maybe even spiritual. (We know we have consciousness in a way that no other creature on earth does) – but also because of the  heartwarming story he tells about the day he just hopped the trolley and went to Harvard because he wanted to meet a Harvard doctor who could help him with his experiment. It sounds like a scene from a movie.

Dr. Lanza implies that this encounter was a seed for reinforcement of his lifelong quest to understand more about life through scientific inquiry.

When Stephen Kuffler, the “world-famous” neurobiologist engages Robert, the boy, he doesn’t “shush” him away but instead he listens to him and invites him inside the building where he does indeed introduce him to one of his colleagues. It’s a very human moment that we come to understand had a profound impact on Dr. Lanza. One wonders if this scene happened today, would the individual be too busy answering emails or trying to secure grants to give an aspiring next generation scientist’s brave inquiry and venture any attention – let alone invite a stranger into the building?

What can you do today to listen to, or inspire a tween or teen to pursue their questions or dreams? Just think, if Bill Gates or Steve Jobs didn’t pursue their curiosity and drive while coming of age, what would we all be typing on?

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

So, it’s been two months since the spill. Some reports actually minimize the spill and its effects putting it in “a bigger perspective.” The reality is no one really knows what the ultimate long-term effects will be. The bigger perspective would be to consider how our actions impact the environment, not always placing profit first.

Yet, we do know that thousands of wildlife have, and will continue to die. And the spill isn’t anywhere near getting cleaned up or “fixed.” I know so many people who want to help but relief efforts are blocked.

Many of us are outraged that the clean up efforts seem so slow, complicated and ineffective. Where IS the leadership in all of this mess? Clearly no one was “steering the boat” before the spill. And I’m not sure what’s really been happening since except that different parties want to place blame or are concerned about who is paying for what.

You have to hand it to these guys who came up with a seemingly simple solution and socialized it on the internet. The best of using social media to solve world problems. Is this too simple and cheap to work? Why not try it?

It seems that the relief efforts have become a political hot potato which seems to be slowing down real progress.

What do you think?

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

Frankly, the best leadership I am seeing in the food industry is in the likes of Jamie Oliver. He introduces a tragic 16 year old who is diagnosed with 6 years to live due to obesity which is effecting her liver among other ailments. We are killing our children – or allowing them to kill themselves. Jamie is passionate and practical… and on a mission to transform the obesity epidemic in this country. 

Yes, we can blame parents or the school system. And clearly responsibility lies there. But, the missing players are the giants in the food companies. Their processed products are laced with fat and sugar, addicting and incredibly misleading to the uneducated consumer. One need only see Morgan Spurlock’s Supersize Me to realize that much of this food is not only addicting, but causes obesity and disease. Morgan himself went from being in stellar health to his major organs starting to shut down in a mere 20+ days on an all MacDonald’s diet.

It is a sad fact that the current generation may be the first one in many generations that have a shorter life expectancy than their parents – all due to factors that are controllable – diet and lifestyle. And, we need food companies to make decisions based on other criteria other than profit.

Where is leadership in the food industry? Who will be the brave giant to stop these toxic fillers in prepared foods? What can you do today to boycott or demand the changes? What can you do to educate yourself or the children in your life on better nutrition?

The answers to these questions are truly a matter of life or death for almost an entire generation.

Copyright Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.    www.sagelead.com

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What’s included: 30 minute initial consultation, four 1 one hour sessions, in-depth resource workbook, paperback book. Optional: demonstration of technology available for additional purchase.

Your part: doing some reading and exercises in between our meetings and applying the tools and insights. Offer expires June 10th. We can only offer this program at this rate for one month and after this, it will go up. Sessions may be in-person or over the phone. Call today for an appointment at  203-730-2103  203-730-2103 or email at info@sagelead.com.