It’s Commencement Season! You have friends or family who have achieved one huge goal and and are entering into the next big thing in their lives. Many of them will endure really dull commencement speeches. Others will hear powerful words they’ll never forget. I wish I could remember who gave the Commencement Speech or what…
A savvy young woman who is an ad agency video producer recently told me her boss’s management style and stress was negatively impacting her work. We’ve all had “bad” boss experiences – someone who is difficult or ineffective – occasionally, even abusive. Maybe you have one now. A lot has been written about “toxic” people. …
Shonda Rhimes recently challenged Dartmouth grads, “Dreams are for losers, be a doer not a dreamer – it’s hard work that makes things happen!” That sounds a bit harsh, but she got their attention! A lot of people get stuck not because they don’t dream – but because they don’t DO. Did you set audacious…
The impactful people we admire from business leaders like Sheryl Sandberg and Oprah Winfrey, to social entrepreneurs like Chris Underwood, founder of Basic Needs, owe as much of their success to “doing the ordinary thing extraordinarily well” than daring to have a big idea. One day at a time, they made simple, ordinary choices that…
When you’re ready to make a change – a personal or professional improvement, or if you aim to launch a whole new initiative in work or life, don’t be surprised when you encounter this paradox – great excitement and energy, combined with FUD – fear, uncertainty, and doubt (a term we often used in the…
Quick, tell me the top 5 things you’re good at. What are the 3 most valuable traits you bring to your company? Can’t do it? I’ll bet you can tell me what you’re not good at. Many of us spend more time focused on (and trying to fix) what we’re not good at, instead of…
To live the life we imagine, we are advised to find the courage to “dare greatly”. In one of the boldest moves of my life, I found courage from a quote by anthropologist Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world…indeed it is the only thing that ever has.…
It’s not supposed to be that hard to find out. And, our purpose isn’t always elsewhere – we may just need to dig deeper into the life we already have – the latter point wisely made recently by Glennon Doyle Melton. How many times have you, (or someone you know) said, “I don’t know what…
Suddenly, the “magic” of “tidying up” has struck a chord with millions. In just four months, 2 million copies of Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up have sold.
One thing is clear – many people long to do something that seems simple – de-clutter, get organized, and enjoy transformation.
It resonates because all of us know we have a constant need to de-clutter our external spaces.
But I believe that our internal spaces must be given the same level of respect and diligent attention as the external spaces. These include our perspectives, attitudes and personal direction at work and in our careers.
Questions are the secret sauce that leads to big and small successes. Over the years, I’ve led, advised, and mentored hundreds of people. Most of the time, people want to know how to wrestle with a challenge or perplexing problem at work. Often, they are in a hurry. That is how I spent a great…