My dad traveled quite a bit for work. Before a trip, he’d lay everything he thought he needed across the bed. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. Everything he might possibly need while he was away. Then, once he was convinced he’d thought of everything, he’d do something that always amused me. He’d put half of it back. […]
What Are You Carrying Into the Next Season? Read More »
We’ve all been in the meeting. Everyone gives an update. “We’re working on it.” “We’re waiting to hear back.” “We should know something next week.” Forty-five minutes later, everyone leaves knowing approximately the same things they knew when they arrived. Nothing terrible happened. But did anything actually move? That’s an important distinction. Because it’s easy
Your Meetings Should Move Work Forward Read More »
There comes a point in the growth of almost every business when the thing that helped create success can start getting in the way of what’s next. Sometimes, that thing is the leader’s own expertise. You’ve spent years learning your business. You know your clients. You remember why certain decisions were made. You know the
Your Business Can’t Scale Only What You Know Read More »
The Leadership Shift from Specialist to Generalist My dad wrote three books before he passed away. They’re filled with family stories, observations about life and work, wisdom gathered over decades, and plenty of pearls I’ve found myself returning to as I’ve gotten older. There’s something rather wonderful about reading his words now. Sometimes I agree
The Expertise That Got You Here Won’t Lead You There Read More »
There’s a moment in coaching that I know well. Someone is working through a problem. As they’re talking, I can see a possible answer. Sometimes I can see three. And everything in me wants to help. “Have you thought about…?” “What if you tried…?” “Here’s what I’ve seen work…” All perfectly reasonable responses. And sometimes
From Knowing to Wondering: The Leadership Discipline of Curiosity Read More »
A full calendar may explain your present. It also predicts your future. Last week, I wrote about creating capacity. It struck a chord because so many leaders feel like they’re running at full speed with very little margin. They know they need more space, but they aren’t always sure what that space is for. That
Your Calendar is Quietly Creating Your Future Read More »
Every time a busy season eases up, I make a very optimistic list of everything I am finally going to catch up on. Clean out my inbox. Organize my email folders. Finish the projects that got pushed aside. Get ahead for once. For the record, “clean out my inbox and organize my mail folders” has
What Needs to Change Before Things Get Busy Again? Read More »
For years, after open enrollment ended, I would ask my agent clients a simple question: “Are you finally coming up for air?” The responses were usually some version of the same thing. “Not yet.” “I don’t know what you mean.” “I can’t see it from here.” Or my personal favorite: “Open enrollment lasts all year
The Cost of Never Coming Up for Air Read More »