Does this sound contradictory? It is possible to be connected to your constituents but not be tied to your pervasive electronic device of choice - wireless laptop, blackberry, I-phone, cell phone? 

In this age of information, accessibility and turbulent changes, it’s understandable that you want to stay connected - to your customers, to your people, and to your suppliers. But, what does it mean to be connected? Is it to be personally on top of the needs, changes or ensuring this work gets done? How honest are you with yourself in making this distinction?

Without sleep and some sense of downtime you lose your edge – your ability to be on, energized and focused. Even your blackberry needs to be recharged occasionally. As a society we have changed our addictions from health, exercise, relationships, and work to our portable devices. What is driving this? Is it fear of losing the next deal? Fear of not being needed? Fear of not being the top performer? Does this little device really give you more control over these fears?

How do you recharge? Is it possible to schedule in time to unplug or discipline yourself to not respond to every ping or call? What does unplugging give you? I propose more balance and therefore ultimately better performance.

What have you got to lose other than freeing up some space on your hard drive?

What would happen if you had empty space? What would you fill it up with?

Copyright 2009    Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC      www.sagelead.com

I just came across an article in the Wall Street Journal written several months ago where Jack Welch commented that there is no such thing as work life balance, particularly for women. You bet he got strong comments!

Here is my take: I think work life balance is all about choices based upon what you value. As with all choices there are trade offs and consequences. The big debates come into play when you reflect on what your actual career aspirations are and what is doable in terms of what you want in life – whether it is to take time off to have children and not work or work part-time or whether you just want to work full-time and have a life. Do you live to work or work to live?

If you have CEO aspirations, there is a prevalent paradigm that exists that it is not possible to become CEO or achieve high executive levels and have a balanced life. I say this depends… on who you are and your work culture.

Technology has introduced a lot more flexiblity in terms of where and when we work. It’s up to us humans to push back on workload and not try and do it all this week or this month.

Do I believe it is possible as a woman (or man) to “have it all” – a primary passionate relationship, close connection with your kids and creative, lucrative and fulfilling work? ABSOLUTELY!!

…Maybe not in the same, hour, day, month or year, but over the course of your life. It’s a question of when and how. What do you really want and are you willing to pay the price? Be honest with yourself – you’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort long-term.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC      www.sagelead.com

“Shift Happens” is a presentation that shows how fast technology is driving the direction of our lives…and how the balance of power and money is and will continue to shift outside the U.S. It gives the world and in particular, Americans a much broader view on the intersection and impact of technology on learning, society and commerce.

Originally created by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman, it started out as a Powerpoint presentation for a faculty meeting in August 2006 at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado, United States. It “went viral”  in February 2007 and, as of today, the old and new versions of the presentation have been seen by at least 20 million people, not including others who have seen it at conferences, workshops, and other venues.

Some have questioned the exact statistics. I wouldn’t get too hung up if we can discern how many couples actually met online, for example; but to focus on its general irrefutable message: how profoundly technology has and will continue to change our lives. We cannot deny it is the greatest accelerator of change and pace of life today. It is also the great equalizer, leveling the playing field in terms of distribution of power and information.

The key is understanding what your choices are – and making those choices. How do you best leverage technology? What kind of boundaries do you put around technology? What is the pace of change you can effectively assimilate – for your life or business – where you stay challenged and yet centered amidst the storm of chaos and change? Within this accelerated technostorm, we always have choice – to stay plugged in or to unplug – in service of a sane yet current existence. These are the central questions of our times.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC          www.sagelead.com

So you have a team that is based in 8 different time zones in more than a dozen countries. If you have to be on calls at 6 am, 11 am, 4pm, 8 pm and 2 am – when do you sleep and how do you manage?

I am hearing about this kind of activity from many executives who work for global organizations.

Let’s get REAL! We have the technology that allows us to communicate and work 24/7 but we don’t have the human capacity to do this – not if we:

a) want to think clearly and effectively solve problems.

b) want to have a life.

b) want to have a HEALTHY life.

What is the solution?

1. Set boundaries for your personal capacity. There is a lot to be said for going back to basics. Be TRULY strategic and make forced choices about what meetings YOU personally need to be involved in.

2. This naturally leads to delegating and effective decision making.

3. Be realistic about your physical capacity: growing it AND realizing you are a FINITE creature.

Focus on YOUR basic requirements of eating, sleeping and exercising “rightly” for your own body needs. Only you know for sure. Some people can get by on 4 hours a sleep forever. Others start to melt down doing this more than 3 nights in a row. In terms of exercise, find a regime that focuses on efficiency - spending the least amount of time to get the most health benefits. I am partial to practices like Yoga, in particular Naam Yoga. 

We are living in the age of the frantic mind. This impacts your body and stress levels. We need to do things that clear and balance the mind – brain aerobics. If you don’t do this you are nowhere – but fast like a gerbil!

Get off the wheel and reassess & regroup for optimal longterm impact.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC         www.sagelead.com

Being a professional in the field of leadership and organization assessments, I have seen everything – instruments that have been rigorously validated by Ivy League PHds to those that have been thrown together using color coding by amateurs. I am always on the lookout for something unique, meaningful, relevant and with some level of rigor and science behind it.

Last year while attending the National Association of Energy Psychology’s Conference in Alberquerque, NM, I met Roberta Coker, who was administering Hand Dynamics’ Life Purpose Fingerprint Assessement. I consider myself an open skeptic – always exploring new and different things with a critical eye. At first I thought, “Okay, this looks like some new age ‘who hoo’ thing.”

After she administered my handprint, explained it’s meaning, and I questioned her methods – I was sold on there being some validity to this assessment.

This system is based on empirical data, like modern psychology. It’s been around for 30 + years. It’s not predictive, like a fortune teller. But it can give you useful information outlining a blueprint of your inclinations, potential and nature – at a soul level. I know this word “soul” is not very “corporate,” but think of it as something core to who you are at a deep level.

It’s methods are based on those used by the FBI to identify unique characteristics. Your fingerprint patterns, unalterable and unchanging since 5 months prior to your birth, are coded in your DNA. With all the change happening in the world, isn’t it nice to know that at at least your fingerprints don’t change? For more information, check out Roberta’s website for not “just another tool” to help with cultivating self-awareness & understanding.

Her methods are based on the work of Richard Unger.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC       www.sagelead.com

It’s never too late to Wake Up! Effect Conscious Leadership in your own world. We all know the healthcare (or disease care) system is a complex issue but instead of feeling overwhelmed, do something within your control to effect change, starting with you and then your circle of influence in your family and community.

I challenge you to do just ONE thing today to improve your overall health and well-being. It may be to just close your door and eliminate one item on your to do list and just breath for 10 minutes!

Thomas Dahlborg, Executive Director at Hygeia Foundation d/b/a True North Health Center, posted on a Linked In Forum today, one of the most articulate comments on the topic of health care reform I have seen. Check it out:

“John F. Kennedy spoke these words in his inaugural address on January 20, 1961:

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

How does this apply to health care reform?

In the health care debate the question is often asked:

“Is health care a right or a privilege?”

In line with President Kennedy here is a third option:

“Health care is an obligation.”

We are obligated to and owe it to ourselves and to our families to take care of our own health. To eat right, to exercise right, to get enough sleep, to find healthy options to relieve stress, to stop smoking, to drink alcohol in moderation, to develop healthy relationships, to work to maintain an optimal weight, to ensure optimal conditioning prior to engaging in sports, to wear a bike helmet when riding a bike, to wear a safety belt when in a car, to follow scientific-based prevention guidelines best suited to you as an individual, to make one’s health a priority, to develop and manage a health care related budget, and so much more.

Living up to these obligation alone could significantly improve the health of individuals and communities and lower the cost of health care more than any reform option currently on the table. Living up to these obligations could literally change the world.

Beyond the personal obligations articulated above we also have obligations to identify barriers to good health, to identify the root-cause of these barriers, and to stand up in community to break these barriers down.

These barriers include, but are not limited to:

- Environmental barriers to good health such as pollution, chemicals in our foods, food production techniques, and more

- Political barriers to good health such as the politics of stakeholders in the health care system (insurers, politicians, providers) worrying more about themselves than about the greater good of the community

- Financial barriers to good health such as balancing the inability for some to afford high-quality, value-based health care with the human need to give, to earn, to be needed, and to be honored

- Reimbursement barriers to good health such as primary care physicians having to generate 25-30 or more relative value units (as patient services are referred to in the health care world) per day (clearly not based on the good of the patient) and physician practices having to make up financial shortfalls by ordering more and more ancillary services and driving up the cost of care

- Other access related barriers to good health such as cultural, language, education, limited number of high-quality physicians in rural areas, and more

We have voices, we have our energy, and we have our obligation to stand up, to get involved and to make a significant difference (and not wait for our country to do it for us).

What can we do for our country to significantly improve the health of individuals and communities? Much…starting with living up to our obligation to take care of ourselves and our families and our communities.”

AMEN Thomas!

We are launching our first public workshops:

Discover Your Umbrella Of Consciousness  and
Awaken Now! Align To Greater Success in Life and Work

To learn more visit our latest newsletter http://www.sagelead.com/Newsletters/SLS-Newsletter-0909.html

Many believe that a woman has to exhibit behavioral characteristics of a man to be effective in a “man’s world” of leading. And if you are visibly pregnant – forget it, you aren’t in the game. Depending upon your culture, this is “non-negotiable.”

My twelve year old daughter is a fan of Project Runway, a fashion design competition reality show. We watched the last segment together and I was pleasantly surprised they had four women judges who are currently or had been pregnant before, and all accomplished professionals in the fashion industry. The assignment was to make an outfit for Rebecca Romijn, a model and actress, who was carrying twins. She wanted it to be form fitting, allowing her to feel feminine and sexy with an expanding body.

Have we arrived? Despite the hype of reality TV, my daughter was given some positive messages: You can be creative, successful, sexy, a skillful businesswoman and be a mother. You don’t necessarily have to choose, hide or subvert one for the other. Let’s not gloss over this because it’s fashion and it’s easier ”to be” this way. It’s still serious business – an industry that rakes in over $250 billion a year.

Yes, you can show your curves, your nurturing ability and make smart, saavy decisions in the board room depending on, or perhaps despite your chosen industry.

My daughter is growing up in a different world than my mother and me – and thank God. My mother was mandated to stop working when she was visibly pregnant. As a single parent of a toddler, occasionally I had comments insinuating I wasn’t that focused on my career because “how could I be?” When is a man confronted with this dualism: Life OR Career?

Hat’s off to Heidi Klum for celebrating her womanhood all while being an accomplished model, entertainer, artist, wife, mother and businesswoman with a firm presence. Our brains don’t dissolve just because we have smaller people we also care for… we can “make it work.”

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC      www.sagelead.com

The world has gone mad – and you want to be a Life Coach to help sort through it all? We all know someone who has been laid off, is dealing with a divorce, a major disease or grieving loss of a loved one. The planet is definitely detoxing and clearing out…

First, be clear on WHY you want to be a life coach and WHAT this requires.

Because you have bi-polar and handle your disease well, you aren’t suddenly qualified to be a therapist and treat others. So too, because you feel you are successful in your life, doesn’t suddenly qualify you to be a life coach. Many people DO hang out their shingle this way – some without a college degree, work experience or any formal training in what it means to coach or how to coach. While well intentioned, you can do a lot more harm by working with what you don’t know you don’t know. We humans are complex, messy creatures.

You CAN be a great friend, role model or mentor – someone who gives advice.

Your own successful life experience is certainly a prerequisitie for being an effective coach. It also requires proper training and supervision. I strongly recommend receiving coaching yourself. In addition to superior listening skills, you must have clear boundaries and facility with various tools and concepts. You are a sherpa  – because you have navigated your own inner terrain, you know the landscape, and can guide your clients through nooks and crannies of their challenging or dark journey, assisting them in achieving their goal(s).

One of the most important tenets is to be clear on what your issues are and how they are effected by your client so you are clear on what they need vs. operating from your own needs. Ultimately, It’s as hard and simple as that.

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC        www.sagelead.com

Is it “funemployment” or “wiseemployment”?  It depends on your perspective.

There is some bad press out there about Millenials - ”Generation Ys” – who are twenty-somethings just entering the workforce. If you are a Baby Boomer or a “Gen Xer” and you hire or manage a Millenial, you may be questioning their commitment, drive and ambition.

One Millenial said he would rather ride out the down economy by supplementing bartending with golf or travel until the economy turns around.  “Since there is a slim chance of getting a job in my field, I may as well get out and see the world.  I’m only 22. Taking a year or two off won’t hurt as long as I make enough to pay my bills.” Are Millenials slackers or intelligent optimists trying to balance practicality with purpose and meaning?

When they do get a job they want to be promoted to SVP within the year. Reality check required for sure! And yet, is there a balance point between recognizing they do need certain experiences AND that the world has changed and sometimes checking all the boxes to progress in a linear fashion may not be necessary?

Are all these attributes generational characteristics or is there a different consciousness or attitude coming into play as the entire workforce sorts through the revolution of technology, its ramifications – different business models and skillsets required – and the disillusionment with the corporate ladder? Who really expects to spend 15 or 30 years at the same company these days?

Millenials ‘work to live’ versus their parents ‘living to work.’  I’d say this is right alignment with yourself regardless of age. Your career search must start and end with you. If you don’t have a life and perspective on where your work fits into it, where are you?

Copyright 2009 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC        www.sagelead.com