Category: Creating a Space to Thrive

Assertive selfishness is not equal to aggressive selfishness

Assertive Selfishness is not equal to Aggressive Selfishness

“Selfish” is not a four-letter word. We’re taught from infancy that being selfish is bad.We condition ourselves to believe we must be selfLESS to be good. That story we tell ourselves results in frustration, exhaustion, and burnout. We’re missing the nuances of being selfish. While it’s advisable to avoid being “aggressively selfish” – displaying toxic…
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Text: The most important safe space is the one in your own head Image: person hugging themselves

The Most Important Safe Space

Imposter syndrome.Fear.Doubt.Self-criticism.Self-punishment.Perfectionism. The stories we tell ourselves can hold us back from developing and helping others develop. Becoming a more effective leader often starts with creating a safe space in our own heads. 

Image of kids feet in large shoes

Stop Trying to Put Yourself In Someone Else’s Shoes

Imagine someone close to you complaining about their shoes. They’re too tight. They cause blisters.  There’s a weird bump at the toe. “Let me see,” you say as you slip your feet inside. “These aren’t too tight! And there is no weird bump!”  Empathy? Not really. Unsurprisingly, their size 12 shoes are not too tight for your size 9…
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People Carrying a Lightbulb

The Opportunity of the Executive

The Managers began to talk. Openly. Honestly.  It took many hours of conversation and confidence in the pledge to maintain confidentiality. And they were ready to offer insights about challenges and opportunities.  They had excellent observations and suggestions. They balanced the positives with the opportunities. They were constructive. They were empathetic. They continued to speak with respect. And they were not willing…
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Everything was not fine

Everything was not fine

“We don’t get a lot of complaints around here” It was true.  People did not complain.  – They did as they were told. – They put in the long hours needed to get their jobs done.  – They made the most of the “open-door policy,” frequenting their manager’s office to ask questions and understand how the Manager…
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Mutually Agreed Upon Expectation Make A Huge Impact

Making an Impact with Expectations

3 hours. Not a huge amount of time to get results. The organization was struggling with policies and procedures not being followed. The senior leaders were putting a lot of time into dealing with individual incidents while those that remained unaddressed created increasingly large and complex problems in the background. It was creating stress for…
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