Leadership is about turning values and vision into tangible steps forward. Leaders first lead themselves. Your leadership flows out of how you recognize and appreciate your own core values, how you relate to your own truest self. The depth of your understanding of yourself is a key indicator of the strength of your leadership. As you embrace your core values and your authentic self, you begin to become the leader you are capable of becoming. You translate your values into... Read more
I spend a lot of time reminding people of what they already know. As I work with individuals and organizations, I listen to their stories. They often feel stuck or trapped, that they have done what was expected of them and their expectations are not being met. I ask questions that help them put the pieces of their stories together in ways they have not seen, and remind them about why they do what they do. I help them appreciate... Read more
I have benefitted over and over again from recycled leadership. The people from whom I have learned the most about being a leader have been recycled leaders. Most of the places where I have been asked to put my own leadership into practice have been opportunities for me to recycle. Our perception of leadership is about newness and innovation. Leaders have new ideas to spark new growth and motivation. Leaders bring new energy and new insights to make new progress.... Read more
Walking is important to me. I know that people in Southern California have a reputation for driving everywhere, but I am a walker. For me, walking is a good way to combine action and contemplation. Walking gives me an opportunity to go from place to place in a way that helps me relax, helps my posture, and helps my breathing. It does not require any special equipment or skill; I have been walking since I was very young. I walk... Read more
Leadership is learning to listen. Leadership is more than thinking, talking, and writing. Leadership combines contemplation and action. Leadership is telling the next part of the story well. Leadership is getting out of your own way. Leadership is setting a good example. The leaders who make the most lasting impression on me, the leaders who have changed the way I lead, are people who listen. Listening is more than hearing. Listening is more than waiting for someone else to finish speaking, or thinking... Read more
My 2012 Craft Brewery Pilgrimage rolls on. Each month I bring people together to build community around a table. I get to meet the people I know online who I have not met in real life. Quite a few of the people I know are connected to nonprofit organizations, so each month I give at least one nonprofit the opportunity to share their story. We pay tribute to the long connection between monks and brewing, and the rapidly growing craft brewing community in Southern California. We... Read more
Soon, the tender plants of Easter’s new life come up out of the ground that has been prepared during Lent. I belong to a liturgical church. It is not enough for us to understand our beliefs intellectually; we need to experience and appreciate them deep within ourselves. My favorite service of the entire year is the Great Vigil of Easter. The service lasts for at least two hours and includes a series of readings that recount our entire story. The... Read more
For me, this Lent is about changing the way I understand and relate to fear. The first step on my Lenten journey is recognizing fear. Another step toward giving up my fear is appreciating it, becoming more friendly toward it. Another step is letting go of fear. Another step is being authentic. Each step of this journey has lead me to a deeper understanding of fear. Each step has helped me relate to my fear in new ways. The next step for me is the understanding that... Read more
Leadership is setting a good example. Leadership is more than thinking, talking, and writing. Leadership combines contemplation and action. Leadership is telling the next part of the story well. Leadership is getting out of your own way. The leaders who influence me the most deeply, who give me examples to follow, are people who demonstrate their ability to be true to themselves. They spend the time and effort it takes to recognize who they really are, deep within, and to... Read more
Is it me? Is it my friends who suggest things? Is it Southern California? Is it first time events? Is it words that end in “thon?” Four years ago, I was talking with a friend about walking with a pedometer. When I told him how many steps I was averaging each day, he said, “Wow! If you walk that much every day, it wouldn’t be that hard for you to run a marathon!” The idea took root. I registered for... Read more
Strategic Monk
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