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Which leadership trait do you use most: Control or Wisdom?
Being an effective leader means having control and being in control. That’s what a lot of people think, anyhow. It’s certainly true that there are times when a leader has to take the helm and move things forward. It is especially critical for a leader to take control during difficult or contentious situations. Chaos and…
Read MoreDo you stand head and shoulders above the rest?
Since I was a little girl, giraffes have been a favorite animal of mine. I was drawn to their sleek, tall stature and spotted coat, feeling a slight familiarity with my childhood face full of freckles. The tallest mammal in the world captivated my attention, this creature was imposing and powerful. Yet, even more enthralling to me, this…
Read MoreHow to bring two competing employees together: find a carrot
In our house, you won’t ever see Grace, our 10-year-old pooch, curling up next to either one of our cats. Grace likes to keep her distance from the felines in the family and will avoid them whenever she can. Oliver and Dodger oblige, rarely infringing on her personal space. So as I curled up on the sofa, I chuckled…
Read MoreLove at First Sight: How first impressions can pull you off course in your hiring process
Most every week I volunteer at our local humane society. When I started last spring, I expected to fall in love with every dog and cat I interacted with. To my great surprise, that just didn’t happen. Each animal has had their endearing characteristics, bringing hours of enjoyment to my life, but none has tugged…
Read MoreNew Year, New Achievements. Or not?
When the calendar page turned over to the first day of 2015, it seemed that there would be plenty of time to accomplish all the things I wanted to do. This week, reality is settling in. January is moving fast. The minutes and hours are fading into days which are becoming weeks. We’re almost at…
Read MoreYou can achieve what you want, with just one word
Everyone is talking about setting goals for 2015. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s always smart to know what you want to do, otherwise, it’s unlikely that you’re going to make much progress. Yet, we know that most New Year’s Resolutions are never realized. Life seems to get in the way and somehow, despite…
Read MoreStand Tall, Even When You’re Not
Last week, my husband and I toured four national parks in California. One of them was Sequoia National Park, sister park to King’s Canyon, located side-by-side in southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley in California. There is so much to say about what we experienced, but one theme was the sheer size…
Read MorePeople do crazy things sometimes
As a manager, you may never figure out why someone does something that you think is crazy! Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, spend your energy on creating a different environment that works for both of you. As you know, I believe there are many lessons available to us from the animal world. One such…
Read MoreLooking for a team building exercise? Volunteer in your community!
Any significant project in today’s workplace requires the cooperation of others. Even more than cooperation, successful outcomes only truly happen when a group of people decide to work alongside each other through thick and thin to accomplish their goal. They need to define roles, establish responsibilities, wade through obstacles and persevere through conflict, communicate clearly, and…
Read MoreDo you love where you work?
What do you love about the company you work for? I’m sure there is something you love about the company you work for. Hopefully there are lots of things. And that’s the way it should be. Creating workplaces of choice ought to be the job of every executive, manager, and human resources professional. That doesn’t…
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