Leadership is a key component to living our calling and initiating change in the world. Under this topic, we talk about the qualities and skills of effective leaders.
Honest feedback is priceless. But it can be so hard to come by. Heck, we’re doing good if a friend is honest enough to tell us what we’re wearing isn’t flattering. It’s really rare to get someone honest enough to say, “Hey, the way you’re showing up isn’t really cool. I don’t think it’s working … Read more
Discipline comes in handy when you’ve got goals and tasks and stuff to accomplish. It helps fill in the gap when you don’t really feel like getting it done. I know inspiration is valuable and it certainly has its place. But for me, it cannot take the place of good, old-fashioned discipline. I got to … Read more
We all at times hide behind a mask. Most of us are often completely unaware of it. But living life from behind a mask is costly. Typically, we started creating our masks when we were young. We created them based on what we believed people wanted from us. They were created to project an image … Read more
How we show up gives people permission to do the same. Therefore, our own way of being is a means of influencing other people. This influence can be positive or negative, depending entirely on how we are showing up in life. Examples of negative ways of showing up Distrustful Self-centered Self-conscious Distant Fearful Guarded Distracted … Read more
I struggle with wanting to be perfect, or at least to appear perfect. I know that doesn’t make any sense because it’s not even possible. Nonetheless I get really uncomfortable when I need to produce something people will evaluate, especially when it’s something I’ve never done before. Even though it’s something new to me, I … Read more
I chose to let go of my guide dog Willa. She went back to the guide dog school three weeks ago and is now settled in again with the family that raised her. Basically, she got an early retirement. Originally, I chose to get a guide dog because I wanted some help. I had learned … Read more
Sometimes our words are muddled. It’s easy to choose the wrong pronoun for what we are trying to express. But I’ve found that choosing the right word, “you” or “I,” helps us express ourselves well. It also helps the listener have a better experience. When to Use “I” or “You” Using “I” is appropriate anytime … Read more
People often say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Usually when I hear it, people are implying that they are unable to learn new ways of being, thinking and doing. However, I have some really good news! First, if you are reading these words, you are not a dog. The whole “old dog” … Read more
There is a difference between reacting and responding. These two things on the surface appear to be the same thing. Something happens. Both reacting and responding then are what we do next. But these are very different things. Reacting gives us a feeling of being out of control. Responding gives us a feeling of being … Read more
We’ve talked about the first two stages of leadership here and here. The third stage of leadership is about a shared vision. There is a lot information out there about how to get people to do what we want. Much of this information is about how to manipulate people. The best manipulation is to give … Read more