To Be a Leader

The elevator doesn’t always go to the top when I’m stressed and busy but this week I had one of those moments of insight that ended up explaining a lot.

I realized that leadership means different things to different people. The variance in their interpretation may be the result of age, education, experience or perhaps it may be about genetics or gender.  Likely there isn’t ever a right or wrong – there is just different – and that’s okay.

For example, under my current contract I’m working for a wonderful man for whom leadership is very much about logic. It… More Posted on 11-29-09

Dancing for Collective Joy

By the end of the week I’m generally tapped out. As a result, I’m more susceptible to the magpie syndrome and easily distracted by anything bright and shiny. This week it was a link to a YouTube video sent by my mother.

It was shot in the main concourse area of a busy train station in Brussels. As I watched, the classic version of Do-Re-Mi, sung by the indomitable Julie Andrews, was suddenly heard over the loudspeakers in place of the typical announcements of arrivals and departures. By the looks on the faces of those captured in… More Posted on 11-22-09

Rethinking Linking

Tough times typically result in reduced resources and employees working flat out. As a result, it seems anything falling into the nice-but-not-essential category is dropped from our never ending to-do lists. Although networking often falls into that category, trends are suggesting it should be moved up on our list of priorities.   

This week I experienced the advantage of being part of a network when a potential duplication of efforts in a draft proposal from a member was flagged. We were able to identify the overlap only because we had spent time getting to know more about one another’s… More Posted on 11-15-09

Promising Practices

Up against a deadline, I can pull an all-nighter and still function. I can deal with cranky people, manage in chaotic situations, meet deadlines, cook decent meals when I need to, keep my house sort of organized, and multi-task with the best of them.

It seems when I put my mind to it, there’s a lot I can do. Except one for one thing.

Lose weight.

I simply haven’t been good about managing food choices. That recently changed when I found an article written by a woman who suggested, along with a number of other strategies, the idea… More Posted on 11-09-09

Stories Matter

This week I was reminded about the power of stories. It occurred as the result of taking part in a conference that included a session entitled “Community Development in Action”. In the one hour and fifteen minute session, representatives from ten communities shared their respective stories about how they were working to become more active, creative and engaged. Despite the five minute time limitation for each presenter the group managed to deliver compelling stories that had the audience laughing, crying, ooh’ing, ah’ing, and applauding enthusiastically.

Hardly the reaction to a typical conference session, it clearly demonstrated the important and often… More Posted on 11-02-09