Advent is Finding the Time

Last updated on: December 7, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

I belong to a liturgical church. The first season of our liturgical year is called Advent. Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation. Advent is about finding the Sacred in the Everyday. One of the great challenges of Advent is finding the time to anticipate, prepare, and celebrate the deep sacredness all around us. Advent is countercultural. Advent calls our attention to reflection at exactly the time everyone is rushing headlong into the “holidays,” the time when profit margins... Read more

Practice & Discipline

Last updated on: December 5, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

One of many reasons I am not a good musician is that I really do not enjoy practicing. The word “practicing” brings to mind repeating something over and over. Practicing is something to be endured. Practice is something that I have to do, not that I want to do. Some people say that practice makes perfect, but how can that be? Being perfect makes perfect. I am much less likely to do something well the first time I try it. No... Read more

Leadership is Challenging

Last updated on: December 3, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

Leadership can be challenging. It is challenging to recognize your own leadership. We do not become leaders by magic. There is no automatic process, no external sign to tell you that you are a leader. We become leaders individually, from the inside out. The leaders who inspire me come from the least likely places. They learn by trying, trying again, growing, and gaining wisdom. It takes a lot of hard work. Much of that work is done within themselves. Leadership... Read more

Advent is Finding the Sacred in the Everyday

Last updated on: November 30, 2013 at 4:47 am By Greg Richardson

I belong to a liturgical church. Each time we get together, we remember part of our story and we share a meal. One of the things that make us “liturgical” is that we follow an annual pattern of the parts of our story we remember called the “liturgical year.” Each year has something in common with other years; each year is unique. Our liturgical years have seasons, just like regular calendar years. Each season focuses on a theme, like “the... Read more

Is Thanksgiving Still a Holiday?

Last updated on: November 27, 2013 at 5:10 am By Greg Richardson

Is Thanksgiving still a holiday? On its own? Not merely as a precursor to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Not as the day the “shopping season” begins. Not as Turkey Day. Not as the next stepping stone to BCS bowl eligibility. I understand that retailers are focused on generating revenue, that we each need to do what we can to help the economy. I enjoy good football games. I really appreciate great food. I suppose it should... Read more

Leadership Shows Gratitude

Last updated on: November 26, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

The leaders who inspire me say thank you very often. They thank the people who contribute insight and information that make it possible to achieve goals. They are grateful to people who go above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference. They express their gratitude to each person involved in the process. Some of them even thank the people who slowed things down or created obstacles that gave us time to find creative solutions. For these leaders,... Read more

The Deep Fabric of Life

Last updated on: November 23, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

Our lives are tapestries that include a nearly-infinite variety of strands. People and places, events and sensations, memories and dreams are woven together across space and time. Our perspective colors our experiences. Some remain vibrant, some are natural dyes, some fade over time. Each book we read, each place we visit, each vision we explore, each aroma, each sensation, each conversation, each thought is part of the material woven into the fabric of life. Row after row, layer after layer,... Read more

Focusing on the Worst Case Scenario

Last updated on: November 21, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

I really appreciate a good worst case scenario. There is something very satisfying about anticipating the problems that could arise before they do. Someone says, “What is the worst that could happen?” You can give them a detailed description of what that worst might include. It is even more enjoyable when one person gives you their idea of the “worst that could happen” and you can suggest several more, even worse, possibilities they had not foreseen. “Oh, it could be... Read more

Leadership Uses All the Keys

Last updated on: November 19, 2013 at 4:40 am By Greg Richardson

The leaders who inspire me are not one note, or one hit, wonders. They do not play it safe, repeating the same tunes that already work for them. They explore, trying new arrangements, new approaches. They push the boundaries to discover new favorites. I have worked with people who had a very firm grasp on their own strengths and weaknesses. They were reluctant to develop new strengths, or to work with people who might have been able to help them... Read more

Book Review: Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks

Last updated on: November 17, 2013 at 12:10 pm By Greg Richardson

Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks by August Turak will transform your appreciation of transformation. I became the Strategic Monk as I seek balance that includes both being effective and being true to my deepest self. My own story includes practicing law, teaching, and getting things done as I do the inner work to explore and practice my own core values. My story includes connecting with the monks at New Camaldoli Hermitage and Monastery in Big Sur, California. August Turak has... Read more