The Inukshuk

Living in Colorado gives me ample opportunities for great hiking. A common tradition my kids and I like to do when we are out hiking is to leave an Inukshuk cairn on the trail. (more…)

Shane is a leader known for turning poor performers into productive team members. After taking on a new role he was given Beth. Beth is the kind of employee who toggles between meets expectations and underperforming. (more…)

Earlier this month I took a flight to Boston for a conference. I travel quite a bit so I knew heading out that morning there were a myriad of challenges I could face once I entered the terminal doors. On this particular day, what I met wasn’t really a challenge but it stupefied me none the less.

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The month of October always takes me back to my roots. I grew up on a farm in Kansas and we still work some of the same ground my great-great grandparents homesteaded in the 1800’s. This weekend I am taking off my facilitator hat and putting on my farmer hat and headed back to Kansas to help my family bring in the annual corn crop.

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This summer we took a family trip to northern Michigan. Based on many urging and suggestions from family members, we stopped off in Ann Arbor Michigan on our way back home to eat at the famous and world renowned Zingerman’s deli.

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Today has turned out to be an unusual day for me. This morning, my mom volunteered to take the kids to her place for the day instead of watching them here at our home. Instead of leaving for the office as I typically would, my whole day opened up to me. I started thinking about what I wanted to do and realized, I had no set meetings, nowhere I had to be, just an open day. (more…)

Whether it’s a change in season, our homes, or our teams, most of us are fascinated by makeovers. I know I spend way too much time watching the HGTV channel myself. From magazines to trainings to television shows, we all drink in reinventions of almost every conceivable thing: rooms, closets, cars, bodies, even relationships. (more…)

This past weekend I got to watch my 4 year old son play his first little league t-ball game. He woke up in the morning eager and ready to go. He told me on the way out the door “I really hope I play good enough.” I assured him he would and we headed to the baseball park.

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Right before the holiday break, I had the opportunity to connect with two facilitators. They shared with me a compelling story of leadership and teamwork that I thought provided an insightful metaphor for leadership as we go into the new year. I’d like to share it with you. (more…)