Welcome Back, Reader Do You Know How to... Just Be? As the weather turns colder, and the nights are longer, this time of year encourages us to slow down. Yet, it can feel so foreign to slow down... Especially here in the U.S. where the focus is all about doing more, faster. As a result, we face all the health consequences that come with the "more" mentality. Do yourself a favor... Stop for just a moment RIGHT NOW. First, smile. Then take a deep breath... slowly inhale, holding your breath for...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Welcome Back, Reader November is Stress Awareness Month Indeed's US Well-Being Annual Report defined 4 key indicators to measure employee well-being: happiness, purpose, stress, & satisfaction. Stress: Zippia reported that 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress, with 1 in 4 reporting that their job is their leading cause of stress. I hope that's not you, Reader, but it could be someone you know. As Empowered Leaders, your stress is only compounded by trying to take care of a...
29 days ago • 2 min read
Welcome Back, Reader Leading can be very scary ...and not just around Halloween. 🎃 There is no job manual. There is no one way to do it. It is hard. It's all on you... the outcome, the issues, the mistakes. Every day can be a struggle. Everyone adds to the pressure. But, it can also be very rewarding When you realize the team trusts you. When you understand how much they appreciate you. When you see your team win. When you see them grow and accomplish more than you ever expected. Just...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Welcome Back, Reader What does it mean to lead with empathy? Do you know a leader who struggles with managing conflict? If you shift the focus away from the word "conflict" and, instead, focus on the intent of helping someone to improve, the conversation gets easier. Do you know a team or an individual who is burned out (or headed that way)? Let's look at why that might be: Are they afraid to speak up about having too much to do? Are they trying to prove themselves to someone? Does it make...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome Back, Reader It's been said... but it deserves repeating Yes, it feels like it would be easier if only you had THAT title. But I've witnessed too many who get THAT title... and still think they need the next one to make a difference. The truth is that it was never about the title. No one ELSE can give you the permission that you believe you need to make an impact. If people look to you for advice... If they feel comfortable coming to you when there is an issue... If you make others...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome Back, Reader New Yorker Cartoon by Kendra Allenby “At this point in your career, your only possible promotion is to management, where you will stop doing the work you love and use a skill set you don’t have and we don’t teach.” It would be funny, if it wasn't true As a leader who has had employees say they don't want to go into leadership but they still want to be recognized or promoted in some way, why does it have to be like this? ..."your only possible promotion is to management"....
3 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome Back, Reader It seems like everyone is burned out... And if you don't think you're burned out, every article you read tells you that you are! How do you know for sure? Sometimes all you have to do is ask your family or friends... they see it, they feel it. It has to do with how much energy you have left AFTER you leave the office. How often you feel that you HAVE to check in on work after hours... even if just for ONE quick thing. How truly PRESENT are you with your family and...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome Back, Reader The Elusive Mystery of Balance... Honest vs. Kind Work vs. Personal Trust vs. Oversight Soft vs. Hard Skills Experience vs. Competency The list goes on and on and on... We may rebel against the majority to move the needle to one side or the other. We may consider ourselves (or others) weak or strong based on which side of the scale we favor. We may search for the happy medium, yet often find ourselves in a comfort zone leaning one way or the other. The reality is even...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome Back, Reader Ah, the generation gap! "They don't have any loyalty." "They are disengaged with work." "They are slackers with no work ethic." Oops, did you think we were talking about Gen Z or Millennials? Nope! These were the common statements the Boomer generation used to describe Gen X when they first entered the workforce. Boomers vs. Gen X... Boomers had valued long-term employment with a single company. Gen X had grown up witnessing corporate restructuring and layoffs in the 80s,...
5 months ago • 4 min read