For those who follow my posts, you’ll notice that I have written very little in the last six months. I could say the reason is I was so full with work, or distracted by the recent presidential election here in the states, or give a number of other reasons why. Sure, some of that was true. What is also true is that I was distracted by a couple of ... [Read more]
How Do You Embrace A Love of the Challenge?
If you are a high achieving leader, you love nothing more than a meaty challenge. How do you find your sweet spot of being energized by a challenge that will stretch, and maybe tax you, but not overly so? It’s in overcoming our greatest challenges that we can feel really alive and accomplished. Yet there is a fine line between feeling the ... [Read more]
Leadership Insights From The Big Chill
No, I’m not talking about the movie. I am referring to my “polar bear” dip in the video above. I was at a weekend intensive training class being held at a retreat house on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. The air temperature was about 50 degrees and the water was colder. This class was a second level training for teachers of Kundalini Yoga on ... [Read more]
What Are The Critical Questions You Ask Yourself In Chaotic, Uncertain Times?
If you are wired like most humans, when confronted with uncertainty, your questions would be oriented from your limbic brain – how to create stability, security and safety for yourself. Your questions would be oriented more toward the short-term - solving your immediate problem versus satisfying a longer-term vision of where you really want to be. ... [Read more]
Breathe. You Have Arrived.
Breathe, You Have Arrived. This is the sign that greeted me when I arrived at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health last weekend. I was there on a Kundalini yoga retreat. I practice and teach this form of yoga – not for my career, but probably because of it. What I mean is, it’s the pressures of life that fueled me to search for ways to ... [Read more]
Go Slow to Go Fast
What does it mean “go slow to go fast?” When I googled to find an image for this, I was amazed at how many words and images I found. Here is what it means to me: when I am the most stressed, stretched or unfocused, it is precisely the time I need to slow down and regroup. And this is precisely when I am most resistant to doing it – it’s ... [Read more]
Focus Friday: The Empathic Leader and Self Care
There is a lot written in recent years about the need for a leader to demonstrate empathy when creating a safe, high performing culture for their constituents. When I refer to an empathic leader, I am not referring to someone who can demonstrate empathy. I am referring to someone in a leadership role who is considered a highly sensitive person – an ... [Read more]
Focus Friday: How Do You Maintain Your Leadership Filter?
First, what IS a leadership filter? It’s how you personally filter and process information so you are passing on the right content and tone of your message to your constituents. Are you passing on stress, confusion, or clarity? I had several conversations with clients this week about this very point. When you are on your email late at night ... [Read more]
Focus Friday: Are You Living In Passion or Stress?
Passion and Stress both harness strong emotions. Both move energy. It’s a question of what kind of emotion you are experiencing. What is passion? It’s a strong, exciting feeling that energizes you and is generative – it builds on itself. The online Merriam Webster dictionary also gives the following definitions: A strong feeling (such as ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: Breakfast for Dinner?
Follow up Friday on Sunday? What? It’s like – have you ever had breakfast food for dinner? Why do you do this? Well, I do this when: I’m too tired to cook – a bowl of cereal is fine for everyone. I didn’t have a chance to grocery shop and that’s all the food left in the house. I have a fussy child who wouldn’t eat anything else that night. ... [Read more]
Follow Up Friday: Blizzard Travel
The reflection question Monday was - what do you appreciate about what's working? Wednesday I flew from New York to Tuscon to attend a business retreat for my mastermind group. I made it to the airport in record time, no wait in security, and my connecting flight a breeze. I was cognizant of my reflection question and so appreciative of how easy ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: Turning on the Light Within
Follow up Friday: Turn on the Light Within This week’s question was - Where do you notice yourself getting distracted or looking outside for answers only you can provide yourself? What are some of your most challenging relationships and experiences teaching you? Here is what I noticed in myself and others – we distract ourselves and look for ... [Read more]
Know What Charges You & Stay Calibrated to Full
Yesterday, I shared about the woman business owner who had an outrageously long list of to dos she accomplished in a given day. Some might say this is what energizes her so good for her, go for the insane list! She’s engaged with her life and accomplishing a lot for so many people. Yet, her email “Are You Ready to Quit” says otherwise. It comes ... [Read more]
Follow up Friday: Striving Toward What?
On Monday I asked you to think about what you would do with your free time, specifically time you have gained as a result of delegating and developing your team. Your team could be at work or at home. The point is, what are you striving toward and what is it that you really need to be focused on that no one else can do? Then I got an email from a ... [Read more]
The Power of Freneticness & The Illusion of Productivity
Frantic energy is so strong – and it’s contagious. If this is what is showing up in you or your team, you want to make sure you are harnessing and channeling this excitement for directed, not wildly distracted action. Thefreedictionary.com defines “freneticness” as: “from Greek phrenītikos, from phrenītis, brain disease…1. distracted or frantic; ... [Read more]
Reflections in Radio Land: Holidays & Integrating Grief
Here is my first radio show with Xander Gibb. Thank you Xander! I enjoyed the show. We talked about celebrating the holidays, managing ourselves as multi-dimensional people, and our guest was Margret Echeverria. She talked about her experience with her son dying from SIDS. Xandermonium Episode 155 © Copyright 2015 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC ... [Read more]