Tag Archives: Character-based Leadership

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Do you have the courage to let them speak their truth?

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As most of you know, I’m in the midst of my first expat experience, meeting others, sampling the culture, tasting the food, and pondering the lessons that are coming from this experience.

Have you ever considered how much courage it takes to create a family or an organization where people are encouraged to speak and to live their truth?

For the first time ever, I’ve been pondering the wisdom and the courage of the founders of our country when they decided that EVERYONE should be allowed to speak THEIR truth.

Can you imagine creating a country where:

  •  Laws are not mandated by the titled ruler of the land but decided by a group of elected officials?
  • You are allowed to speak your truth about anything?  …Even if it is against the government?
  • You have the right to practice ANY religion you want to?

It sounds chaotic and a little insane – right?

Seriously!  …How do you get people to believe in your truth if they are given choices and allowed to use their brains, and follow their hearts?

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5 Ways To Fire-Proof Your Character

An unexpected leadership lesson from vacation

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A few years ago my husband and I vacationed in Paris.   We went for adventure, for love, for history…  It was my first trip “across the pond” and although I was anticipating romance, joy, and the wonder of the old buildings, old streets and art.

I was NOT anticipating a leadership lesson…

Everyone recommended touring the Gardens at The Palace of Versailles. However, before we went, I did no research so I was completely unprepared for what I saw.

The gardens:

  • Are on 800 hectares, which is the equivalent of 1,976 acres of land in the United States.
  • Have over 200,000 trees and over 210,000 flowers.
  • Maze-like hedges are lined with marble statues.
  • Each path leads to one of 50 gorgeous water fountains.
  • In the middle of the gardens lies a cross-shaped Grand Canal for boating and fishing.
  • And situated on these spectacular grounds are the Palace, the Grand Trianon and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.

Gardens at Versailles

The Gardens at The Palace of Versailles

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Head, Gut or Fear: Which one do you listen to?

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Shortly after one of our many moves, I was asked to serve on a local board.  One of the board members that I got to spend a lot of time with was a smart, energetic woman that ran a local literacy coalition.

Each one of us brought different knowledge, experiences and strengths to our conversations but we shared a vision and a passion.

After one of our long meetings of turning over rocks, looking at squiggly things underneath them, and brainstorming solutions, she made the comment that when we spent time together it felt more like playing than work.  (I felt the same way.)

Isn’t it awesome when you can pour energy into something, think deeply, challenge yourself or learn something new that several hours later instead of feeling tired you feel energized, focused and hopeful?

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Have you ever been Pickled by a Half-Truth?

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My mother is a great storyteller.  As I was growing up, there was one story in particular that I loved to hear her tell, especially if she told it to someone who had never heard it before ~ because before the story ended the people listening would usually be doubled over in laughter with tears running down their faces.  (With her permission I am sharing that story with you…)

When I was two and my sister was a baby, my dad was just out of the military, and my parents were re-inventing our lives in their home state. Dad had a new job and mom wanted to start a garden and can vegetables to contribute to the family.

It was during a time when stores were selling more convenience foods, and gardening and canning were not popular, so it was difficult to find the supplies needed to can. So my great aunt offered to give several old canning jars to my mother if she would be willing to dispose of the old pickles in the jars.

My mother was thrilled and agreed.

When she got the jars home she wondered what to do with the old pickles.

  • No garbage disposal.
  • No plastic garbage bags.
  • Perhaps she should flush them?  (After all they were about the same size as other items that are typically flushed…)

So she did…

Open a jar.  Dump.  Flush.

That seemed to work

Open another jar.  Dump.  Flush.

And another.  Dump.  Flush.

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For Bosses on Boss’s Day: Have You Done Eough?

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October 16th is Boss’s Day.

When I think of Boss’s Day I think of the bosses I’ve had, the bosses I’ve seen and the boss I’ve been. I think of the skills I admired and echoed.  I think of the skills I could see that were buried under layers of self-discipline issues and integrity challenges.  I think of the good, the bad and the ugly:

  • The boss that was in his late 40’s, that would have temper tantrums like a two-year old when things did not go well.  (Stomping feet, throwing things, and completely consumed with blaming someone instead of problem solving.)
  • The boss that was kind, fun, supportive, and late for everything!
  • A different boss that realized in a training that her constant tardiness felt like a slap in the face to many of her employees and they were questioning her integrity.   (Her discovery was profound and behavior-altering!)
  • The boss that listened first to understand, then evaluated if the team had the tools,training and support to do their job before determining how to handle poor performance.  (Building trust and a strong organization!)