Captain’s Log

Do you ever feel like you don’t understand your own power and impact until you open up to someone else? I recently had a powerful experience that reminded me of this lesson that I keep learning. Eckhart Tolle says it well, “…my relationships are here to make...

Somehow, I find such joy in the simplicity of a simple flower. I practice taking pictures of all the things I think are beautiful (when I can remember to!) as I go through my day. I use these pictures every morning as part of my gratitude journal. My journal...

This morning I was taking my dog Bella out for a walk and came down this wooden pathway that I have taken so many times before. But this time something struck me. A branch was hanging down over the path, torn down from last night’s rain and blocking view of...

We were working with a large retail company with a well-developed sense of identity and purpose. They believed in providing their customers with products and services to support their health and wellness. This ideology was clear and admirable, but they were...

I am currently in the grind of writing my second book. I’m working hard to stay focused and committed so I made a bet with myself and declared it to a friend of mine. If I don’t write for two to three hours every workday for the next 15 days (to get this...

One of the most significant milestones in the quest to awaken true leadership is when an individual realizes their fundamental strengths and purpose; when a leader discovers their core and true innate ability. At that moment, a person discovers their...

Last month, we looked at smarter ways to lead others in a company undergoing change. Now it’s time to explore the more “personal” side of smarter leadership that’s required for successful transformation. Three principles apply here. 1. Schedule “thinking...

A few years ago our firm landed squarely in the midst of a messy outsourcing project that ultimately experienced tremendous turnaround. Given that most of our prior work had been on projects that ranged from large-scale mergers to strategy alignment, this...

In a world where individuals are somewhat out of control, how do you help your team focus on what they can control? Consider the story of how a very small team is making a huge difference in a world they don’t have much control over; it could give you the...

What if the solution to inclusion was a better understanding of our purpose—or, said differently, our reason for being on this earth? What if we, as leaders, figured out a way to help one another live out our purpose to the fullest extent? What would be...

There is only so much work that a single person can accomplish. No matter how efficient someone is, if they give themselves more responsibilities than they can reasonably handle, and take on too large a workload, it will only lead to stress and burnout. And...