Executive Directors need hope, the ability to dream and the courage to push back the status quo. Executive Directors need to be able to have boundaries for themselves, their staff and the organization. They need to be able to listen deeply. Listen to staff, clients, board members, community, supporters and themselves. Executive Directors need love and joy.
I don’t know if this was the answer she was expecting, but it is what came to my heart.
Read More“I’ve started using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to edit my book.” shared a coaching client, “I had a brain injury and sometimes my words get jumbled.”
AI is everywhere right now. I received at least 5 emails in the past week talking about it. In actuality, AI has been around since the 1950s’ but as it’s sophistication grows, AI is taking root in every sector. Put very simply, AI is a computer’s ability to think like a human.
Let me say that again, a computer that can think like a human.
What previously was used primarily by a few, is now more widely available to all. Grant writers. College students. College Professors. Hiring Mangers. Content Creators. Writers.
As we move through this new era, the first question we need must ask ourselves when using AI is,
Read MoreDo you want people to feel “meh” or “inspired!” when hearing about your passions?
Purpose matters.
Clarity of purpose is a foundational trait of strong leaders. Understanding why you do what you do and being able to share it with others makes a difference.
Read MoreAfter some internal struggles (and some whining), I coached myself. I asked myself, “What do I most need right now?” I listened to my body and knew I needed some big movement to really clear my head.
Read MoreEvery once in a while, I remember to pause and look around, to take in the view, the trees, the ferns. I’ll pause to just be in the moment and take in the reason I’m there.
This can happen during my workday too, when I worry about falling behind.
I've learned that I need to pause. I learned that the organization was better when I paused - when I paused to rest, to move, to learn, to reflect. I paused so that I could center myself and respond from a place of groundedness, of confidence, of knowing.
Pausing wasn't easy. Its's not written in policy or often accepted in our society.
And yet, pausing is so important.
Read MoreWhen I was an Executive Director, I did not always stop to see and feel the joy in the work – the small wins and the big wins – because there was always something coming next that needed my attention. Because there will always be something next is precisely why we need to stop and feel the joy. Take a moment to pause. Celebrate our wins.
Read MoreBoard Members, the organizations need you more now than ever. Stay 6 feet away, but stay engaged.
Read MoreFinding the system that works for you could be the holy grail of your leadership.
Do you start your day with a list of tasks that will take longer then you have hours in your day? Are you often getting pulled in multiple directions? Do you often find yourself putting off important tasks because something urgent came up?
Read MoreAuthenticity. Growth. Health. Joy. Service. These are my five inner touchstones, also known as my values. The “tests” I use when I’m making a decision or double checking where I am in my life. When I am living by my values, I feel an ease in my life. A flow.
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35,000. That’s the number of decisions we make every single day. No wonder I feel overwhelmed some days. What if you had a guide that made decisions less overwhelming?
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Yesterday, I felt scattered all day. Finally, late afternoon, I had my A-Ha moment. I realized what I did wrong. It’s nothing complicated and yet it is so important.
Read MoreI distinctly remember the moment when I truly felt the weight of the organization on my shoulders. They sagged. It was after five and I was alone. I was sitting in my new office working on budgets when it hit me. The entire organization depended on me. At that moment, I felt very alone.
Read MoreWhat if you had the support and resources you needed to thrive and lead well. What if, every morning you met your day thinking “I’ve got this!”?
Read MoreI never played sports growing up (outside of one season in soccer in 3rd grade), so I’ve never experienced the value of a Coach until I was an adult and wanted support in my life and career then I engaged a Life Coach. Once I had my first Coach years ago, to support me in walking through a potential job transition, I realized the value. A good Coach is important.
Read MoreAccording to Brené Brown in her book Dare to Lead, “a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” Throughout my career, (both in title and actions) I have met this definition of a leader; often focusing on developing employees. As my career shifts and shapes, I have come to understand the most important person whose potential I can develop
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