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What guides you in times of chaos and crisis? How do you show up for uncertainty and ambiguity? At work and at home, with strangers and loved ones? Don’t wait and consider it until it’s “too late,” think about what you will change before that “next time” does materialize. Let’s not ignore the hippo in the room. Trust me, he’s there, and is taking up a lot of space. Let’s clean out that attic! Hippo first.
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“Boo was our neighbor…he gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife, and our lives.” While watching the end to one of the 20th century’s great stories, I was captivated by a premise, a thing really, one that gets a lot of attention in today’s leadership circles – I’m talking about empathy.
“One time Atticus said, ‘You never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walked around in them.’ Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.”
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I am listening to a conversation about being nice vs. being kind and realizing a powerful message: these are not the same. Being nice is about being pleasant in a situation. The first definition in Dictionary.com is pleasing; agreeable; delightful: a nice visit. Kindness however requires much more active participation and deliberation. Kindness, IMO, is about love. Do I love this person enough to show them they are hurting others or themselves? Sometimes, we have to be tough to “show the love.” Alan Mullalhy, ex CEO of Boeing and Ford, called this kindness “management with love.” What makes his version…
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There are 3 main definitions of Like with 34 nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions, across those three. And one interjection. It’s that one interjection, considered informal, that I’m here to rant about. It looks like this… Informal. (used in speech, often non-volitionally or habitually, to preface a sentence, to fill a pause, to express uncertainty, or to intensify or neutralize a following adjective): So, like, why didn’t you call me? The music was, like, really great, you know? I’m not going out—it’s like 10 degrees out there! Like stick a fork in my eye please. Like it or…
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During the recent Independence Day celebrations that were all around us, the word or value that kept coming up for me was Freedom. A value that seems to lose its meaning and impact as new, younger generations emerge. While that topic is a whole other blog for sure, anecdotally I have experienced a serious lack in the understanding of what freedom means and how it impacts one’s life. Freedom and its plural – freedoms – are simple, not easy to truly acquire and super easy to lose. The opposite side of this is Groundhog Day. (Side note: this is one…
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“I’ve got a big call this morning. Really big. The biggest. Let’s all get on a call 15 mins before and get everyone’s roles straight so we knock this out of the park!” Okay, how do you think that big client call went? Not bad? Pretty good? Great? Or, it could’ve been better, there were good points, I didn’t see that coming, let’s regroup and set up another call. Or maybe, that really was not good… This is about show prep. What’s show prep? If you have ever been involved in the theater, as an actor, director, producer, stage manager…
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The Masters Golf Tournament is happening as I write to you dear hippos. For the first time in many, many years, I have spent time watching this storied and supreme sporting event day after day. (I was recovering from surgery so that’s why I indulged in this decadent use of time) Even if you don’t golf, the Masters is something to witness. From the beginning, the Masters shows its brand. Its tradition to have the greats – the legends – tee off to commence the tournament is brilliant and nostalgic. This year, three of history’s best – Gary Player, Tom…
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“First I want to thank God for giving me this platform and putting so many amazing people around to help support this dream I’ve had since I was a little kid. Without him, none of this would be possible.” Who said this? Hint: Not me. Patrick Mahomes. The quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs and three time Super Bowl champion. What struck me about this quote, among others he made post Super Bowl victory, is that no one questioned his bringing God into his workplace. No one, of consequence at least, was upset with his declarations of faith and beliefs…
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“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen Covey I agree with Mr. Covey to a point. I know we do this as a society, and we don’t go far enough. We listen to reply – exchanging information by telling and asking – because most of us are transactional conversationalists. Some, with training, lean into a cliched action called Active Listening: a broad action that causes us to listen more intently to what others are saying so we can get what we want out of the exchange. Enter Covey’s…
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For years I’ve resisted this exercise, and now based on some things I’ve experienced and encountered in the last year, I’m encouraging my authentic “me” to share what I’ve seen and heard to encourage change for the better. Could any of these be “a better way” for you in 2024? I’ve listed them from things that could make your work different to things that could make your life and the world better… 1. Conversation-serious Stop saying “you guys,” “awesome,” “gotcha” and the ubiquitous “like.. Our conversations are becoming lazy and unprofessional. You’re not an influencer (which btw have been around…
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