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Lessons here about leadership, careers and the future of work that you can use every day.

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Clarity, Values, and Value

“If we want to be values-driven, we have to operationalize our values into behaviors and skills that are teachable and observable.” ~ Brené Brown This quarter (April, May, June), I’ve assigned themes to each month. The themes have helped me focus my work. The theme for April was disruption, to focus on how the Coronavirus … Continue reading Clarity, Values, and Value

Speculation Fatigue

“The future in flux always is.” ~ Yoda At a recent monthly leadership meeting that I host here in Portland, ME, our topic was “What’s Next?” The idea was to share thoughts and ideas about what’s going to happen as we emerge from lockdowns and experience varying degrees of reopenings. What were we going to … Continue reading Speculation Fatigue

What If Your Old Life Is No Longer In Stock?

“There is no going back. The only way out is through — past a turbulent spring, across an unusual summer, and into an unsettled year beyond.” Ed Yong, “Our Pandemic Summer” The other day my wife, Camille, shared a quote by J. Michael Zenn, a health and nutritional evangelist, “What if your old life is … Continue reading What If Your Old Life Is No Longer In Stock?

Career Wayfinding: Building Your Way Forward

So many people begin their conversation with me with “I just don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. “ These are folks in their 20s, at the outset of their careers; in their 40s, at mid-career; and in their 50s and 60s, in the twilight of their careers. They’re all searching … Continue reading Career Wayfinding: Building Your Way Forward

100 Days of Summer

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…”  ~ George Gershwin Very recently I had separate conversations with a few clients. One will be starting a new job next month; the others have decided to seek new opportunities. These folks wanted to know what they needed to do to prepare for their respective challenges. 100 Days of … Continue reading 100 Days of Summer

Level Up, Redux

“In the past, jobs were about muscles, now they’re about brains, but in the future, they’ll be about the heart.” ~ Nemat Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science The quote above was lifted from my new favorite book, Brené Brown’s Dare To Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. It’s … Continue reading Level Up, Redux

Don’t Confuse Your Crisis of Confidence with a Crisis of Competence

“Imposter syndrome: A collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.”  Harvard Business Review, May 2008. I’ve had three recent clients express concern about their abilities to be successful as they progress in their careers. All three have some common characteristics: They’ve either recently transitioned or looking to transition to another industry or … Continue reading Don’t Confuse Your Crisis of Confidence with a Crisis of Competence

Odyssey Planning for Your Career

“We all have more than one life in us.”  ~ Bill Burnett & Dave Evans  This is posted on Thanksgiving week, which means there are about 6 weeks left in this year. Many of us use this time to think about the future–next year and beyond. We ask ourselves where we’re headed and how we’ll … Continue reading Odyssey Planning for Your Career

Build The Right Narrative

In the past, I’ve mentioned the importance of message; how it describes the essence of who you are professionally and allows you to create your own game and define your unique place in the market. When you tell stories around your message, you’re detailing the professional value you bring to an organization – your leadership … Continue reading Build The Right Narrative

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

      “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to stop.” ~ Peter Drucker The higher we go in our careers, the more our problems become behavioral. As we rise, everyone is smart, capable and accomplished. As we advance, behavioral … Continue reading What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Focus on How, Not Why

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”  ~ Simon Sinek Simon Sinek was wrong.  You may be familiar with his 10-year-old TEDxTalk on the Golden Circle, where he encouraged us to start with “why.” Sinek’s talk has become one of the top TEDTalks, with over 47 million views.  Over the … Continue reading Focus on How, Not Why

Three Words for 2019

“Make the words such that they influence your choice of actions, encourage you to decide in favor of your goals, and guide you towards lasting results that you want to experience throughout the year.” ~ Chris Brogan For the past five years, I’ve selected three words to guide me through the coming year. This will … Continue reading Three Words for 2019

Career Storming

“The evolving you is not a moving target, but pursues a moving target.” ~ Alan Weiss & Marshall Goldsmith In their book, Lifestorming: Creating Meaning and Achievement in Your Career and Life, Alan Weiss and Marshall Goldsmith explore what it takes to make significant changes in our lives in order to achieve our goals – … Continue reading Career Storming

Nine Lies About Work

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure, that just ain’t so.”  Mark Twain (or so we think) Work today overflows with systems, processes, tools, and assumptions that are deeply flawed, that push directly against our ability to express what is unique about each of us … Continue reading Nine Lies About Work

Leadership Is A Verb

Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating. ~ Simon Sinek   “I almost didn’t reach out to you,” she said. “If Sally hadn’t recommended you, I would have looked elsewhere.” This was a new client. We were wrapping up our initial meeting and talking about … Continue reading Leadership Is A Verb

Find the Fire

“…you really need only about twenty seconds of courage at a time.” Scott Mautz, in his book, Find the Fire: Ignite Your Inspiration and Make Work Exciting Again, argues that inspiration is the “most powerful programming we have on our internal hard drive.” It’s more powerful than motivation. With motivation, we take an idea and … Continue reading Find the Fire

Embrace the Suck

“Let thee embrace me, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course” ~ William Shakespeare My pal, Bill Pusey, and I convene the Ascending Leaders’ Network, a monthly gathering of leaders in southern Maine seeking to have a more strategic impact on their organizations. Last fall, our discussion topic was “Embrace the … Continue reading Embrace the Suck

Questions – About You, About Them

“My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.” ~ Peter Drucker One of my StrengthsFinder themes is Input. People with this strength collect and archive all kinds of information that may prove useful to others. Case in point, I recently read two articles that focus on questions intended … Continue reading Questions – About You, About Them

The Lesson of the “E”: Shift Your Perspective

“Argue like you’re right, listen like you’re wrong.” ~ Daniel Pink   Here in Portland, Maine, I help facilitate, along with my buddy Bill Pusey, a group of leaders who meet monthly to share the challenges and solutions of leadership that they confront in their roles. A while ago we met and discussed Dan Pink’s … Continue reading The Lesson of the “E”: Shift Your Perspective

Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition

“NO-body expects the Spanish Inquisition. Our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear. Fear and surprise, and ruthless efficiency” ~ Monty Python’s Flying Circus.   I received some interesting reactions to the last post. You’ll recall it was a review of Jenny Blake’s book Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One. A … Continue reading Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition

You’re Not the Hero

People don’t care about your story, they care about their own. Donald Miller’s Building A StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen has had a significant impact on my thinking and work with clients. Miller is president of StoryBrand, a marketing firm that helps clients clarify their messaging. I picked up the book after … Continue reading You’re Not the Hero

Career Pivot: The New Normal

“Virtually everything about jobs and work and careers has changed.” ~ Scott Uhrig I’ve just finished reading Jenny Blake’s Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One. Because careers are no longer straightforward, linear and predictable; pivoting within our roles and throughout our careers is the new normal. A Pivot Mindset Careers have … Continue reading Career Pivot: The New Normal

Throw Off the Bowlines

I collect quotes…sayings and aphorisms that impart wisdom. The best do so with humor. One of my favorite resources for these is Mark Twain, who just had a knack for pithy sayings that makes one pay attention and sometimes laugh out loud, often at ourselves. Here’s a Mark Twain quote that I recently stumbled onto: … Continue reading Throw Off the Bowlines

Clarity and Your Leadership Narrative

    Clarity is a critical element of knowing the value you bring to an organization or to a team. It’s a key component of your Leadership Narrative. It’s about knowing and articulating your unique talent, or as Laura Garnett calls it, your “inner genius,” that which you do better than anyone else. Clarity is … Continue reading Clarity and Your Leadership Narrative

Show Up, Do The Work, And Go Home

This post was fairly easy for me. I didn’t write it. Instead, I’m sharing a quote by Christopher Sommer, a renowned coach of champion gymnasts. A colleague shared Sommer’s quote with me. We’d been talking about the ups and downs of our work and how to maintain focus in a world of nonlinear progress. When … Continue reading Show Up, Do The Work, And Go Home

What’s Your Story – Your Leadership Narrative?

“If you aren’t the author of your own story, you’re the victim of it.” ~ Jim Loehr    Are you telling the story about your career and your work that you want people to hear? Are you telling it in a way that they can hear it? People remember stories. When you tell stories around … Continue reading What’s Your Story – Your Leadership Narrative?

Circle of Influence

Recently my client, “Rich,” and I had a conversation about networking. Rich is a senior-level engineer trying to decide what’s next in his career. Like a number of us, Rich is an introvert. He’s not terribly comfortable talking with people he barely knows and asking them for advice. In fact, the idea is abhorrent to … Continue reading Circle of Influence

Leadership Talent: Whose Line Is It Anyway?

In January, Fortune reported on a Conference Board worldwide survey of 555 CEOs’ primary concerns. The top issue that keeps U.S. CEOs up at night: the ability to retain and attract top talent (the issue ranked #4 on international concerns). Closer to home, my colleague, Bill Pusey, and I have been talking with corporate leaders … Continue reading Leadership Talent: Whose Line Is It Anyway?

The Paradox of the Comfort of Crowds

An interesting dynamic often occurs with new clients. They may sign on, initially because their current job search isn’t working. They have a traditional resume, one that lists, in chronological order, the responsibilities of the positions they’ve held over the years. They may have posted this resume on job boards and used it in applying for … Continue reading The Paradox of the Comfort of Crowds

Raise The Bar: Defining Your Leadership Narrative

    Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. It’s a day of remembrance for those who have given their lives in the service of our country. The day is to honor their sacrifice. Today is also the nominal first day of summer. It’s when we begin looking forward to vacation time at the beach, … Continue reading Raise The Bar: Defining Your Leadership Narrative

Boomers and the Future of Work: SoLoMo

“Come gather round people wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown…If your time to you is worth savin’ then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone; for the times they are a-changin’.” ~ Bob Dylan To many of us of a certain age, Dylan’s 1960s-era anthem of change … Continue reading Boomers and the Future of Work: SoLoMo

You May Be an Ascending Leader If…

I’ve been talking with a number of “Ascending Leaders” lately. And my coaching collaborator, Bill Pusey, and I facilitate a free monthly, invitation only, networking group of Ascending Leaders in the Portland, Maine area.   “What the heck,” you may ask, “is an Ascending Leader?”   Truth is Bill and I struggled with how to … Continue reading You May Be an Ascending Leader If…

Your Resume Is Not Enough

An interesting phenomenon has occurred in the last few weeks. I’ve been seeing a number of clients who are coming in solely to have a new resume. Either they haven’t looked for a job in a long time and don’t have a current resume, or have determined that their current resume isn’t working as they’ve … Continue reading Your Resume Is Not Enough

Are You Laying Bricks or Building a Cathedral?

Clients often express frustration that they’re not finding meaning in their work. They may have at one time, but no longer. They may feel they have plateaued in their current role and there’s no place for them to go. They may have mastered their work and are no longer challenged. Their workplace may be disruptive or toxic and … Continue reading Are You Laying Bricks or Building a Cathedral?

Are You Remarkable?

Are you a fan of TED Talks, the videos that showcase “Ideas Worth Spreading”? I love them. In under 20 minutes you can watch some really smart people talk about key ideas. One of my favorite TED Talks is by marketing guru, Seth Godin speaking about “Sliced Bread and Other Marketing Delights.” In this video, … Continue reading Are You Remarkable?

Begin With The End In Mind

The beginning of the year is a great time for self assessment and the setting of new goals. Often these goals center around improving current jobs and careers or obtaining new jobs and new careers. Many clients struggle at this time of year with these challenges. They’ve taken stock of where they are and have decided … Continue reading Begin With The End In Mind

What are your 3 words for 2015?

I love this time of year…January is full of possibilities. We make New Year’s resolutions, set goals, make big plans. For many of us, it’s a time to take stock of our careers and think of what we’d like to accomplish in 2015…A new job, more responsibility, more pay, a promotion, or all of the … Continue reading What are your 3 words for 2015?

Raising the bar for your career in 2015

It’s that time of the year…when we take stock of the year winding down and look forward to what improvements we’d like to see in the coming year. One area of self improvement that many examine is advancement in their career — either with their current organization or in someplace new. If you’re looking to … Continue reading Raising the bar for your career in 2015

Defining Your Impact; Articulating Your Value

Alice (not her real name) came in perplexed. “I’m a social policy researcher at the university. The group I’ve been affiliated with has lost its funding. I need to figure out how to market myself in a way that appeals to new funders.” “Great! Let’s talk about what you’ve done.” “Basically I organized webinars and … Continue reading Defining Your Impact; Articulating Your Value

Are You an Agent of Change?

Just over a week ago, I attended the annual Agents of Change Digital Marketing conference, here in Portland, Maine and organized by Rich Brooks of Flyte Media. This was my second time attending the conference, and like last year, I was struck how digital marketing strategies closely resemble success in one’s career. Key takeaways for … Continue reading Are You an Agent of Change?

Developing Your Professional Brand: Strategy & Execution

Your professional brand “is about figuring out who you really are and what you do best, and then living that brand out. It’s the essence of authenticity.” ~ Dorie Clark Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about the cornerstones of your professional brand. So far I’ve addressed Purpose, Clarity and Focus. Today, I’ll address the final cornerstone: Strategy. You will recall that Purpose … Continue reading Developing Your Professional Brand: Strategy & Execution

Focus: What’s the story you tell about your value?

One cornerstone of your professional brand is Focus – telling stories that convey your value. In his book, The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny in Business and in Life,” Jim Loehr notes that we tell stories to help us navigate through life because they provide structure and direction. The stories we tell give … Continue reading Focus: What’s the story you tell about your value?

Bringing Clarity to Your Professional Brand

In an earlier post on “Developing Your Professional Brand”, I mentioned Dorie Clark’s quote that your professional brand “is about figuring out who you really are and what you do best, and then living that brand out. It’s the essence of authenticity;” and that there are four cornerstones to be addressed when developing your professional brand: Purpose, Clarity, Focus and Strategy. This … Continue reading Bringing Clarity to Your Professional Brand

Purpose, Meaning and Work

In my post, “Developing Your Professional Brand”, I noted Dorie Clark’s comment that your professional brand “is about figuring out who you really are and what you do best, and then living that brand out. It’s the essence of authenticity.” I mentioned that four cornerstones need to be addressed when developing your professional brand: Purpose, … Continue reading Purpose, Meaning and Work

Developing Your Professional Brand

Your professional brand “is about figuring out who you really are and what you do best, and then living that brand out. It’s the essence of authenticity.”         ~ Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future There has been a great deal of discussion these days, in the career development field, about … Continue reading Developing Your Professional Brand

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