Imagine being in high school and getting to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. My podcast guest, Belvie Rooks of Growing a Global Heart, shared how this interaction at a youth conference brought her from despair towards hope and became a seed for her work in the world. I found what happened after the… Read more
Category: Leadership
Rethinking Where We Put the Spotlight
Recently, I attended a fundraiser gala event for a local women’s foundation. Picture the scene: people dressed up, sitting at tables of 10, food being served, and a stage with a podium. The evening’s program was designed around giving awards to four women, celebrating their leadership and accomplishments and offering each of them time to… Read more
Three Leadership Behaviors that Undermine Collaboration
I sometimes think about how many kitchens are filled with the sounds of people who come home from their job and rant about how frustrated they are with people at work and organizational dysfunction. I grew up hearing this in our kitchen many nights when my dad got home from his office. Perhaps that’s part of… Read more
Resilience: Cultures that Learn from Failure
Resilience is the ability to withstand disruptions and adversity and come back from them. This concept is getting more attention and research in many fields, e.g., city planning, climate adaptation, trauma healing, and individual well-being. Effective organizations welcome and learn from information on what is working and not working. Cultures and behaviors that punish failure can erode… Read more
The Most Frustrating and Memorable College Class
A few weeks ago, I attended my college reunion at Bates College. I co-hosted a conversation among around 60 alumni about leadership, with my friend J.J. Cummings. Instead of a typical panel presentation, we invited everyone to consider this question: Share a story from your experience of what you have learned about what it takes… Read more
Questioning to Question Our Assumptions
Asking powerful questions can spark people’s intrinsic motivation to learn, contribute and create positive change. They also allow organizations and networks to tap and synthesize the knowledge, experience, and perspectives of many people in a system, organization, or community. Today I taught a workshop called The Art of Strategic Questioning, with a group of about 30 people who do… Read more
Successfully Transitioning Your Organization to a Network Mindset
Working in networked ways is fundamentally different than traditional ways of working. Organizations can commit to a network approach yet not fully realize all the pieces and behaviors needed to make it actually work. Leaders and organizations can easily slip back into traditional ways of working that can undermine progress on creating a collaborative culture… Read more
How Urgency Disrupts Collaboration – Part 2
This post builds on Part 1. Here we explore the question: How can we capitalize on the full benefits of teamwork and do our best thinking, even when the process is moving quickly? Here are some tips: When things need to move fast, have pre-emptive conversations about decision-making and input. The team can agree up… Read more
How Urgency Disrupts Collaboration – Part 1
In experiences with three teams lately, I have noticed that something happens to teamwork and the commitment to collaboration when a deadline and related sense of urgency comes into the picture. As someone who thinks a lot about how we create the conditions for groups to perform at their highest collective potential, I have been… Read more
Tips for Navigating Uncertain Territory (Part 3 of a 3 Part Series)
This blog builds on previous Part 2. Tips for Navigating Uncertain Territory Here are some of the ways I coach leaders in learning how to work in this uncomfortable territory of not having a clear answer or plan: Name the discomfort – I find it helps to name how uncomfortable this feels, e.g., to convene… Read more