Thoughts – Page 51 – Reimagine. Strategy.

December 21, 2020May 3, 2022

Adaptable Leadership

If you were to name the most important leadership skill heading into 2021, what might it be?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a book called Nimble. It’s mostly about holding loosely to your script when facilitating meetings and workshops, but I could never have predicted how the broader concept of nimbleness would come to shape my entire practice now. So my vote for the key leadership skill most needed today would go to adaptability. (No kidding, right?! Good riddance, 2020…) Continue reading “Adaptable Leadership”

December 14, 2020December 15, 2020

Let Your Whos Handle the How

‘Tis the season to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, so a blog about Whoville seems timely. Plus I love it when a book makes a simple but potentially life-changing point.

That happened for me this week with Dan Sullivan’s new book, Who Not How. Rather than asking yourself, “How can I achieve this vision or address this problem?” how might it change your approach to ask, “Who can help me reach this goal or solve this problem?” Can you hear how that switches the issue from occupying mind space in your head to taking up residence in someone else’s? (Ideally, someone who is far better equipped to find a solution than you are?) Your job becomes casting a compelling vision of the desired impact rather than figuring out the path to get there, then recruiting skilled help. Continue reading “Let Your Whos Handle the How”

December 7, 2020May 3, 2022

Winter Driving

“I don’t like winter.”

At least that’s the story I’ve always told myself.

Last year, I escaped winter a few different times for work, and it made the long season manageable. This year, that ain’t happening. Winter 2020 has just begun where I live, and I’ve been dreading it.

But I’ve had a small breakthrough. I’ve realized that winter isn’t the problem. Winter driving is. It causes me stress. I don’t like wondering if I’m going to be able to get somewhere, or how long it will take, or if my less-experienced-driving kids will be safe in the snow. Continue reading “Winter Driving”

November 30, 2020December 1, 2020

Add the Tag

When I took piano lessons as a child, I remember learning how to play a cadence. It was a two-chord ending that gave a sense of finality to a piece. I loved the way it sounded — it reminded me of saying, “Ta Da!” at the end.

This past weekend I attended the quarterly gathering of Thought Leaders Business School. One of my favourite features of that event is the Genius Bar, where successful, experienced people offer mini coaching sessions one-on-one and others can listen in. Several of those conversations left me highly motivated this time around, and I realized they had something in common. In each case, the person added a tag at the end that required action on my part and commitment on theirs. Continue reading “Add the Tag”

November 23, 2020May 3, 2022

Set the Tone

I’m going to break one of my cardinal rules of facilitation right off the top: don’t remind a group of all they’ve lost. Avoid any variant of, “If we were meeting in person, we would…” or “If only we were together, we’d be able to…” Instead, leverage what you do have and can do. It keeps the energy positive and allows our attention to move to a more generative place.

But let me just say: don’t you miss variety in our venues? Continue reading “Set the Tone”