Blog - Page 14 of 39 - Evergreen Leadership

Gratitude

Gratitude: Food for the Soul

In the US, we celebrate Thanksgiving this week. It is the one holiday that is focused on gratitude, abundance, and honoring and sharing the good things in our lives.

Personally, I’m an advocate for expressing gratitude 100% of our days and not only .03% of the time.

Take five minutes to read this pre-Thanksgiving article about both the scientific benefits of gratitude and how practicing gratitude has impacted my life. You just might learn something that will leave you feeling full long beyond the holiday.

3 Leadership Advantages of “Not Knowing”

As a leader or someone in a professional occupation, publicly (or even personally) admitting you don’t know something can feel shameful. Publicly admitting “not knowing” is an act of extreme vulnerability that gives up the pretense that we are all knowing.

That’s what we think many times. In truth, it is that act of vulnerability that opens us up for greater connection, learning, and possibility.

Read about three ways that “not knowing” can give you a leadership advantage.

Challenges

Post-Election Resolution: A Call to Action

I have to admit – the recent election results have me in a tailspin. Emotions have run the gamut from disbelief to despair.

And last night, as I tossed and turned, unable to sleep – it hit me.

There is a fundamental shift happening right now. Like it or not, when things are changing is exactly the time when things are the most malleable.

So I’m not waiting four years to vote for a different candidate. I’m not waiting for things to go badly so that I can complain about them. I’m not waiting to make my voice heard.

Join me in my call to action.

Change

Of the People, By the People, For the People

I’m frustrated…I suspect you are too. Frustrated by the gridlock in our legislatures, by their failure to address the big issues, by attack ads, by those with big money controlling the process. Frustrated and on some days worried that we can’t continue in this way without sacrificing our freedom, our democracy, and all that has defined this great experiment in self-government.

It is time to recall the wise words of Abraham Lincoln, who in the Gettysburg address, introduced the memorable phrase into our democratic lexicon “of the people, by the people, for the people”.

As I reread his words, I am struck by how relevant they are today.

Read and share this post that is both a reflection on the state of our government today and a call-to-action for all American citizens.

Leadership

Old school leaders say, “Obey me.” It’s time to listen to what evolving leaders say.

In January of 2011, I found myself weary from nearly 100% travel with change management consulting. I took the first quarter of that year to reflect on what I had learned and where I was going. It was at that juncture that a few things became crystal clear to me.

1. Leadership Matters

2. Leadership is an Action, Not a Position

3. Leadership Models are Shifting

Since that time of reflection in 2011, I’ve focused more and more of my time and energy in the development of leaders. Not just any leaders and not just those that happen to hold a title that confers leadership responsibilities.

My focus now is about developing an evolving way of leadership. Do you know the difference between old school leadership and the evolving leaders of today? Learn more in this blog post.

Challenges

Nine Words to Strike from Your Vocabulary

I’m off to guide a team retreat – and last night, to prepare, I created a swear jar. You know – the kind where if you say a bad word, you add a predetermined amount of money to the jar, creating a small (and visible) penalty.

We’ll do the same in the retreat, however the swear words won’t be the typical four letter words we think of. The words we will be creating mindfulness about, in the quest to eradicate them from our vocabulary, are words you use all the time. As do I.

These are words that undermine our effectiveness. Our personal agency. That negate our momentum toward positive action.

What are the words that will cause loose change to move from pocket to swear jar? The list includes…

Leadership

The Importance of Developing Capable, Community Leaders

My belief is that the stronger the leaders are within a community, the healthier and stronger that community is.

Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things matter until we envision the opposite. So, what can happen when there are a lack of strong, community leaders? Problems can arise that many American communities are already facing.

Now is the time to look at community leadership differently and think about developing capable, community leaders. Learn more by reading this blog.

Uncategorized

Complimentary Leadership Resources (Webinar & Audio Blog) by Evergreen

Over the past month, we’ve added two, complimentary leadership resources to Evergreen Leadership’s website. First, attend my webinar, Passing the Torch: 3 Strategies to Develop the Leadership Your Community Needs, at the end of October. Second, we now offer complimentary audio lessons and accompanying discussion guides that will allow your team and your peers to deepen your skills and lead well in today’s world.

Learn more about these exciting, new resources in this blog post!

Renewal

Mindful or Mind full? 10 Simple Techniques that Foster Mindfulness

Mindful or Mind Full? Which are you most of the time? There is a big difference, and that difference shows up in many ways. The benefits of mindfulness are plentiful – for your mental health, your physical health, your relationships and your work.

But, mindfulness is a practice – and it really does take practice. I am continually both surprised and unsettled at how difficult it is to maintain a clear mind – for just 5 minutes.

Here are 10 simple ways you can begin to foster mindfulness and the benefits of doing so.

Performance

10 Reasons Slowing Down Can Serve You Well

Do you recall Aesop’s fable from your youth – the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare? Of course, any sane person would scoff at the idea of the turtle winning the race. But as the story unfolds, the overconfident hare takes a huge lead, and believing he can never be overtaken by the turtle, gets off the path and takes a nap. We all know how the story ends.

Today, I, like many others, feel the heat of the race. The pressure to do more, go faster, keep up. And we, in spite of exhaustion, sacrifices to our health, and dents to our most valued relationships, try very hard to run as fast as we can.

There are many reasons to slow down when your pace is consuming you or unsustainable, and here, I name ten.

Evergreen Leadership Blog