Courage and Leadership

Recently I had the opportunity to meet Mary Ann Masur Singer. She shares these wonderful (and short) Leadership Tips every Monday. Her one on Courage, below, has a message I think is worth repeating here for my readers. The list of what makes a great leader is long. I my experience working with leaders, the one asset leaders need first and foremost is Courage. Is is said that Aristotle said, “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” I hope you enjoy Mary Ann’s thoughts on Courage as much as I do.

Dismissive Body Language The Subtle Relationship Saboteur

First Lady Michelle Obama was caught on video yesterday during the President’s 2013 inaugural luncheon. appearing to roll her eyes in displeasure at the Speaker of the House. Dismissive body language works, if your intention is to show disapproval without saying a word, Be aware though, it is also a subtle saboteur….

Are you a Thought Leader?

Okay, we hear the two words: THOUGHT LEADER everywhere nowadays…. When you think of the term thought leader, what comes to mind? That “always-accurate” source Wikipedia defines thought leader as: “A thought leader is business jargon for an entity that is recognized for having innovative ideas.” On the surface that’s fairly accurate, but what does it take to be a thought leader? For me, the foundation to be a thought leader is the ability to think critically. Nowadays, I look around and wonder if it’s a lost skill!

Dr. Liz Alexander and co-author Craig Badings, share how to become a thought leader in your industry from their latest book: #Thought Leadership Tweet: 140 Prompts for Designing and Executing an Effective Thought Leadership Campaign (THiNKaha Books).

Body Language is a game changer

We’re Seeing Body Language Is A Game-Changer

Will Biden be ready to command attention to counterbalance the lackluster Obama performance? Will his gestures will be large and his delivery style forceful, reminiscent of an old-time preacher?

Will Ryan be ready with equal energy to respond to a fiery delivery? Can he encapsulate his facts and figures into a compelling strategic vision, to counteract an argument that evokes strong emotion?

You don’t realize how important some things are until you stop doing them

You don’t realize how important some things are until you stop doing them – take breathing for instance…. Breathing seems natural enough, we do it on ‘auto-pilot’ — thank goodness! Can you imagine what it would be like if you had to remind yourself to breathe in, breathe out?

Yet, is your breathing auto-pilot working correctly?

Know How To Say “No”

A couple days ago guest blogger Gary Ryan Blair shared 15 ideas to save you time, energy and money in “What is this two-letter word costing you?”. But, how do you say no? In business, saying no is often about respecting and valuing your most precious commodity, your time. So, How To Say “No”

When you must say no, be direct. Saying no is not a time to beat around the bush. Although no often sounds more polite with a short pre and/or post-amble, “I’m sorry, I can’t,” just begs for a reply of “But why?” A short explanation proactively stops the inevitable “Why?”

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

Meet Izzie…. my little “rescue” dog with a mighty wonder-lust for adventure.

Listen into my latest podcast (It’s just 3 minutes long) and find out what little Izzie taught me last night….

Then please share with me below ways you have found to get out of your own way….

How To Be Successful in 4-Easy Steps

As the clock struck 12:40pm I walked into the salon. The young manager looked up at me and politely asked “how may I help you?”

“I have a 12:45pm appointment with Zack (a manager from another business branch who I was to coach), is he in yet?”

“No” she hadn’t seen him to which I replied “that’s ok I’m a few minutes early anyway”

A Good Man is Hard to Find…Or Is He?

I often hear women say that a good man is hard to find. Then there are those who say that it’s hard to find a man who is comfortable with a powerful and successful woman. They say that men are intimidated by their success. While I can perhaps sympathize with this theory, I can’t say that I really agree.

Nothing personal…

Shama recently unfollowed 16,100 people on Twitter and I applaud her for it. I have started to follow her unfollow lead…. Now, I’m not doing a mass dump of everyone like she did. However I have been in serious overwhelm trying to give attention to the over 5000 that I had been following – they are coming in at about 30 more before I’m done reading one. It really is a disservice to them and to me.