I don’t know about you, but for many in my personal and professional tribes, the world seems a bit chaotic right now. Perhaps it's an age thing. The older you get, the more aware you are of the pressures - political, environmental, organizational, geographical, generational, or health-related - life seems like a powder keg on the edge of exploding. 

Every day, people walk through the doors of their organizations feeling the pressure of these unavoidable world & life dynamics. Add the hectic pace and pressures of daily work, and it’s easy to skip the time to listen. Many leaders I speak to express frustrations that despite valuing their team, they struggle to find the time to connect due to competing demands on their time.

The sad news is there’s no silver bullet that solves it all.  The harsh reality is that there will never be enough time in your day. As soon as you check one thing off your to-do list, there will probably be twenty more things to add...

Take the DARE 

Over the past few months, I've been approached by several leaders and organizations wanting to talk about how to build strong professional networks. Many of us would rather complete a report or spend the day pouring through spreadsheets than go to an event and make awkward conversation. 

I know networking isn't easy, so I use a simple process; I call it the DARE. Why the DARE, you ask? Well, to dare someone is to defy or challenge someone to do something. So often, that's how building our networks feel. To make progress, we may have to disregard our feelings of discomfort or defy our schedules because there is never enough time. Four simple steps form the foundation of the DARE. 

Define the relationship
Activate to stay connected
Reach out and invite connection 
Examine motivations 

Today, I want to add another layer on top. To learn more about the DARE, revisit February and read the blog. Now that you have the basic steps, what...

What box do you have? What box do you need?

This month marks International Women’s Month and International Women’s Day (IWD). The theme for this year's IWD is Embracing Equity. 

Equity is often an uncomfortable topic for leaders. Equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place - we must acknowledge and make adjustments for imbalances. It means that sometimes we have to do more for others to right the imbalances that exist from biases and systemic structures. When I work with leaders they often ask, how can I practically focus on being more equitable.

When DEI leaders talk about equity, they often share a picture of three men looking over a fence standing on boxes. The point of the picture is that we all need different levels of support to have access to opportunity. Through this month, on my social platforms, I’ve shared a few short stories of moments when more equitable environments were created for me and others. To continue this...

Adapted from Assemble the Tribe.

A few weeks ago, I spent some time working with a colleague to prep for a session with a group of women leaders who wanted to explore creating a professional tribe. As we prepared, we talked about the fact that life hands us so many things that can disrupt our relationships. Sometimes it may be that we drift apart as life tosses us this way or that, or maybe it's because we’re so busy that we struggle to carve out time for ourselves, let alone anyone else. 

The good news is that there are a few simple steps we can take to help us navigate the challenges that may arise in forming new relationships. When I formed my first group, Tribe, many years ago, I found these four steps to be incredibly helpful in doing so - I call it the DARE. A dare is a challenge or having the courage to do something, and sometimes we need to dig in and just get started. No matter your schedule or other limitations, you need people, and they need you. This month,...

It's that time of year when we all start thinking about New Year's resolutions and goals. A great question is how can I live and lead with my professional tribe with more intention? Here are three tips to get you started! 

Communicate

Over the years, I've seen it all - strong goals, weak goals, confusing goals, employees with no goals, and employees with 15 goals. Employees with goals for projects that have been canceled. Employees with goals who understand the strategy and employees who don't understand the strategy. I have also heard time and time again leaders sigh in frustration that people are just not working and thinking strategically. 

A global research study I read the other day said that only 10% of employees understand their company's strategy, and only 40% of managers clearly understand it. 

I have coached many bewildered employees who want to do their best, but they need clarification on where they are heading and how they can support the organization's...

2022 In Review - Lessons in the Silence

A year would not be complete without reflection. I have found that sometimes, the most significant growth opportunities are discovered when we take the time to examine the past.

I want to start this reflection with a thank you. Thank you to all my vendors, sponsors, clients, and partners. Thank you to my tribe of monthly accelerators (you know who you are) who meet with me and share thoughts and ideas to help me grow! Thank you to my family and personal tribes, who have supported me and given me quiet and space when needed. 

In 2021 my word was freedom, and my learning was to remember that true freedom is found when we release ourselves from the need to do it all.  

When we truly rely on and relax into the things that matter most - faith, family, and our tribes - only then do we experience true freedom.  

So let's get started; here's a recap of my 2022 in Review:  

2022 TOP 5 GOALS...

Three choices we can make to create healthier tribes at work

This month on my social media platforms, I will be talking about the different types of group tribes that we belong to. For this blog post, I want to delve deeper into some of the dynamics in our professional tribes, specifically the work tribe. As I sat down to write, I want to be frank; I was a little frustrated. You see, there were five of them, not one, not two, but five. Five hurt, disappointed, angry leaders and team members who had either walked away, were about to walk away, worn down, churning in the situation, or were on the verge of giving up. 

The Tribes We Choose & Create

Every day worldwide, millions of people wake up and head to work. People often become part of a work tribe out of necessity. Someone has to pay bills and put food on the table.  In contrast, some enjoy the thrill of competition, the rush that comes from hitting targets and achieving results. Perhaps, they love the idea of making...

You can do whatever you want in life. But when all is said and done, is it beneficial?

Life has an interesting way of helping us grow. Every day we make thousands of little choices. Do I wake up now, or do I hit the snooze button? Should I exercise or not exercise? Do I wear a white shirt or a blue shirt? Shall I gather the team or skip the team meeting? Should I carve out time for that conversation I have been putting off with my direct report, or should I clear out my email box? Every day in our life and leadership, we have the right to choose.

A shift is happening

The other day, I talked to an employee who was thinking about making a shift to a new organization. When I asked why they said, "I am thinking about making the shift because leadership is simply refusing to listen." "What do you mean?" I asked, "tell me more?" They shared with me that the pandemic had placed pressure on some and given others in their organization pause to reset their priorities. What they had accepted...

"Good Morning. How's your day going?" I asked. 

"It's been such a hectic day, and I've not gotten much done. I've been busy doing HR stuff all morning!" 

"Really, tell me about your day so far."

"Well, I had an interview this morning, then met with an employee to discuss an issue, completed a few performance review discussions, held a team meeting, and now I am here meeting with you in HR."

I looked and him with a sly grin and said, "Oh, you've been doing leadership stuff all day." 

HR Stuff or Leadership?

I get it. As leaders, you have a list, and it seems that no matter how hard or efficiently you work, it never ends. However, no matter the length of your list, if you sit in a leadership seat, perhaps it is time to reconsider how you prioritize and categorize your day. 

Like the leader I chatted with on that bright sunny morning, you can think of the time you spend with your team as "HR stuff." Or you can shift your perspective and see it as a critical...

The other day I was driving in my car, in silence. It was a forced silence. In a world that constantly bombards us with content and demand, we have lost the ability to sit in silence. So I made myself do it, and as I sat there, I was uncomfortable. I wanted to make a call, listen to the music, anything to give my mind some input. But I forced myself and sat there in silence. At that moment, the traffic slowed to a standstill. I just sat there, in the silence, looking at the water and then up to the sky. 

Flying about half a mile from my car was a bird, with no effort, just gliding. Curious to see how long he could glide before he would have to start flapping his wings, I sat and watched. I must have watched for at least 5 minutes. He never moved a muscle - he just glided through the air. 

I decided to glance around, and I noticed that the trees were having a different kind of day, unlike the bird. The trees lower to the ground were rustling gently, and one big palm tree...