Leadership Trait to Ponder: Fun

August 7, 2014 by

Leadership-Trait-Fun-Todd-Nielsen-ManagementToday the leadership trait to ponder is Fun. As leaders we can’t be slave drivers of ourselves and those we lead. While I am all about execution, it is important to also have some fun at work, as well as away from work, to recharge and be able to better focus. The dictionary defines Fun as: enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure; amusing, entertaining, or enjoyable. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Fun. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Fun

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.” ~Kin Hubbard

It’s fun to have a partner who understands your life and lets you be you.” ~Kim Kardashian

Follow your dreams. Just make sure to have fun too.” ~Chris Brown

Work is much more fun than fun.” ~Noel Coward

When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.” ~Dr. Seuss

Life is more fun if you play games.” ~Roald Dahl

>You don’t have to make something that people call art. Living is an artistic activity, there is an art to getting through the day.” ~Viggo Mortensen

The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” ~Benedict Cumbergatch

Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world …” ~Liz Reinhardt

In terms of days and moments lived, you’ll never again be as young as you are right now, so spend this day, the youth of your future, in a way that deflects regret. Invest in yourself. Have some fun. Do something important. Love somebody extra. In one sense, you’re just a kid, but a kid with enough years on her to know that every day is priceless..” ~Victoria Moran

When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.” ~Shannon L. Alder

 

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What do you think about when you ponder Fun at work? Please share your thoughts int he comments section.

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UQ Power – Have You Got It?

August 4, 2014 by

Heidi-UQ-PowerSix months ago a wonderful and original book hit the world by my good friend Heidi Alexandra Pollard called, Power Up Your UQ: Boost Income, Influence, & Impact. I truly regret not sharing this book sooner, but life has been full of twists and turns that have made it difficult to get my review out. Heidi asked me to review the book last year and write the forward. I was honored when she asked me, but even more so after I finished the book. This book is like no other self improvement or leadership book you have ever seen, I guarantee it. Below is the forward I wrote, after reading it recently, I am  sure I could not write anything better to get you to want to read it.

Forward to Power Up Your UQ: Boost Income, Influence, & Impact

“Every successful person has habits, knowledge, and skills that elevate them to rise above others and achieve phenomenal feats. They don’t just desire success, they hunger for it. It’s an unquenchable hunger, and unfortunately there’s not a simple recipe for success. Success is about so many things, such as: changing your mindset, becoming productive, always learning and improving one’s skills. It’s about being creative, asking questions, being a good listener, standing-out from the crowd, and so much more.

In my search on what makes organizations truly successful, I have found that the best organizations are ones that know how to get things done, they execute, and they have a culture of execution that creates and amazing power to excel far above their competition.

Before you can arrive to culture of execution, there are a lot of things that must be present in an organization. A successful business is one that stands-out in the marketplace, its unique; it’s filled with individuals, from the top to the bottom, that possess passion and strong leadership skills. At the heart is a culture that is positive and uplifting which brings out the best in people and motivates them to help the business grow and be mo
re successful. There is a lot more, but the end result is – they get things done.

In my search for the secret to success in life and business, I have read hundreds, if not thousands of books on leadership, management, self-improvement, productivity, personal branding, and every other topic under the sun to improve my skills and ability to stand-out in work and life, and to become more successful. Every once in a while I come across a truly original book that changes lives, enriches souls, and helps to fill in the recipe of how to create success. Power UP Your UQ: Boost Your Income, Influence, & Impact, is just that and much more. In a unique, fun, and creative style, Heidi makes you laugh, all the while teaching you valuable lessons to change your life and business.

This book wraps a hundred years of business and self-improvement literature into a concise, unique, and fun volume that touches on just the right elements to take an individual or business to the next level of success.

Will it be easy? —- Of course not!

Will it be fun?  —- You bet!

Will it be worth it? —- Absolutely!

So enjoy the story, laugh at the illustrations, be inspired at the nuggets of wisdom – then get to work and build your UQ Power.”

If you have read the book or have some thoughts please leave a comment. If you want to buy the book, which you really should, you can get it from Heidi’s website. I’ll be mailing a few copies to some people that leave well-thought out comments.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Punctuality

July 31, 2014 by

Punctuality-Leadership-Time-Management-Todd-NielsenToday the leadership trait to ponder is Punctuality. Punctuality is important to me since a leader’s time is almost always scarce. I have sat in many conference rooms with a number of other executives waiting for the leader or some other key member to arrive in order to begin a meeting.  I estimated in one meeting that the cost of waiting amounted to be in the thousands of dollars.

I have taught my 6 year old son the phrase, “Early is on time and on time is late.” It’s a motto that we could all benefit from. The dictionary defines Punctuality as: the condition of keeping to arranged times for appointments, meetings, etc. The condition of arriving or taking place at an arranged time; promptness.

Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate the importance of Punctuality. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Punctuality

I think the only way to properly face doom is to be on time.” ~Jennifer Dubois

Punctuality is the soul of business.” ~Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no delay, no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” ~Lord Chesterfield

Punctuality is the politeness of kings.” ~Louis XVIII

Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.” ~Niccolo Machiavelli

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” ~William Shakespeare

Promptitude is not only a duty, but is also a part of good manners; it is favorable to fortune, reputation, influence, and usefulness; a little attention and energy will form the habit, so as to make it easy and delightful.” ~Charles Simmons

People count the faults of those who keep them waiting.” ~Proverb

What do you think about when you ponder Punctuality? Do you have any other favorite quotes on the topic? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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64 Things Every Leader Should Promise NOT To Do

July 29, 2014 by

Leadership-Behaviors-Todd-NielsenLast week I shared an article called 64 Things Every Leader Should Promise.  That came from a project I was working on earlier this year in which I wanted to document all the promises that I believe a leader should make to the people he or she leads. Once I finished that list I realized it was not good enough. So I started another list that explained 64 things that I refused to do as a leader. While many of the items are similar to the promise list, many of these were just pet peeves that annoyed me. We all know the importance of “to do” lists and “will not do” lists, this is kind of like that.

So here is my “NOT GONNA DO IT” list, I hope you enjoy the list and it gives you a lot to think about:

  1. I will not belittle or speak condescending to staff.
  2. I will not curtail communication, thus leaving staff unclear about direction.
  3. I will not disempower my staff so they cannot succeed on their own.
  4. I will not overly analyze every decision and thus halt the execution process.
  5. I will not restrain from admitting when I have made a mistake.
  6. I will not forget to recognize staff for the achievements they have made.
  7. I will not ignore my staff and retreat into an office.
  8. I will not refuse to provide executive-level sponsorship for management initiatives.
  9. I will not forget to give managers the proper authority to perform their jobs.
  10. I will not sit idly by if staff does not have the resources or tools to complete their objectives.
  11. I will not yell at anyone.
  12. I will not be inconsiderate.
  13. I will not forget common occasions that are important to people.
  14. I will not use threats with staff to get them to perform their job.
  15. I will not make my staff feel guilty, if they do not do something extra (stay late, work the weekend, etc…).
  16. I will not use fear tactics to “motivate” staff.
  17. I will not play favorites with staff.
  18. I will not do things that are self-serving.
  19. I will not find myself lacking the competence that is critical to the organizations success.
  20. I will not lie to my staff.
  21. I will not make an “example” of staff members in front of others.
  22. I will not disregard the health and welfare of staff over the success of the company.
  23. I will not keep necessary training from staff that will prevent them from having greater success.
  24. I will not create an atmosphere where the staff does not have opportunities to progress and grow.
  25. I will not be callous and moody.
  26. I will not be unforgiving of staff mistakes, even after improvement and correction.
  27. I will not avoid face to face communication, by always using email and other impersonal communication methods.
  28. I will not practice analysis paralysis that inhibits progress from taking place.
  29. I will not ignore needed changes.
  30. I will not refuse to solicit feedback from staff.
  31. I will not fail to plan for the success of the organization.
  32. I will not fail to set a clear vision for the people and departments I have stewardships over.
  33. I will not be a poor example of execution and accountability, yet expect those behaviors from others.
  34. I will not interject myself into staff’s duties by doing things under their responsibility, without consulting with them.
  35. I will not fail to provide organized structure within the departments and staff I lead.
  36. I will have the confidence to take educated risks that could help the company reach its goals.
  37. I will not be a poor example of time management.
  38. I will not display deceitfulness or passive aggressive behavior.
  39. I will not try to please everyone, all the time. It’s just impossible.
  40. I will not fail to follow-up with staff.
  41. I will not lack the courage to lead.
  42. I will never encourage, practice, or listen to gossip.
  43. I will never exercise unethical business practices.
  44. I will not micromanage my staff.
  45. I will not fail to set aside time to properly plan for success.
  46. I will not fail to set aside time to reflect on problems, solutions, and progress being made.
  47. I will not act in a way that makes others feel like I am unable to take criticism.
  48. I will not fail to act and improve on received criticism or feedback.
  49. I will not fail to teach my staff about leadership, teamwork, time management, positive conflict, and other things to make them good leaders.
  50. I will not be egotistical or prideful.
  51. I will not ignore signs (signs of organizational problems, moral problems, etc…).
  52. I will not be disrespectful to staff.
  53. I will not fail to lead from the heart and take emotions into account.
  54. I will not diminish my ability to improve by not consistently learning and receiving coaching from others.
  55. I will not conduct ineffective meetings.
  56. I will not hoard my connections from staff that could help them have greater success with the proper introductions.
  57. I will not promote an environment that accepts the status-quo.
  58. I will not fail to promote an atmosphere of learning.
  59. I will not fail to create an environment of fun.
  60. I will not fail to support my staff and set them up for success.
  61. I will not manage by command and control.
  62. I will not emphasize anecdotal information over true data.
  63. I will not expect staff to just, “Figure it out.”
  64. I will not fail to manage and serve the most important aspect of an organization, the people!

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Focus

July 24, 2014 by

Leadership-Trait-Focus-Todd-NielsenToday the leadership trait to ponder is Focus.  The dictionary defines Focus as: the center of interest or activity; the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition; to pay particular attention to. I believe the ability to focus is an important trait of a leader. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Focus. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Focus

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” ~Aristotle Onassis

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” ~Mark Twain

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” ~Alexander Graham Bell

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” ~Brian Tracy

My focus is to forget the pain of life. Forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it. And laugh.” ~Jim Carrey

I don’t focus on the critics. Everyone who is making any difference in any field has critics. As long as I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, then I don’t worry about it.” ~Joel Osteen

Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” ~Matt Cameron

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something.” ~Ralph Marston

When you focus on life, on enjoying and connecting with other people, that’s when work comes.” ~Alia Shawkat

The sun’s energy warms the world. But when you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is so powerful!” ~Alan Pariser

What do you think about when you ponder the leadership trait of Focus? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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64 Promises That Every Leader Should Make

July 22, 2014 by

Leadership-Promises-Todd-NielsenI have come to believe that as leaders we need to make promises to ourselves and to those we lead. Earlier this year as I was working on a project, I thought to myself, “What are the promises I make as a leader?” I have always had ideals and ways of doing things, but I had never written them out as promises and made them official. I thought about this for quite some time and after a while I came up with this list of 64 promises that leaders should make.

I believe it is fairly encompassing; although probably not a complete list, nor is it in order of importance, per se. You might ask where “64” came from, that’s just where I ended.  This list may not be perfectly suited to you, if not start your own list, and see where you end up.

I hope you enjoy this and it gives you a lot to think about. Here it goes:

  1. I promise to serve others.
  2. I promise to manage issues head-on.
  3. I promise to be a great teacher.
  4. I promise to hold effective meetings.
  5. I promise to find and create efficiencies.
  6. I promise to have and help others have an innovation mindset.
  7. I promise to be crystal clear about expectations.
  8. I promise to provide consistent coaching and feedback.
  9. I promise to never stop asking questions.
  10. I promise to build teamwork and leadership acumen among everyone under my stewardship.
  11. I promise to never stop learning.
  12. I promise to commit myself to excellence.
  13. I promise to be ethical and honest.
  14. I promise to inspire others.
  15. I promise to listen.
  16. I promise to acknowledge and celebrate successes.
  17. I promise to create some fun.
  18. I promise to be transparent and self-aware.
  19. I promise to own-up to my responsibilities and failures.
  20. I promise that I will make mistakes; but I will own up to them, and learn from them.
  21. I promise to lead by example.
  22. I promise to learn what really motivates the individuals under my stewardship.
  23. I promise to make culture, a priority.
  24. I promise to not offload responsibility
  25. I promise to delegate effectively.
  26. I promise to build trust.
  27. I promise to be authentic and vulnerable.
  28. I promise to plan for success.
  29. I promise to manage my time effectively and teach that skill to others.
  30. I promise to tell good stories to illustrate and inspire.
  31. I promise to really care for the people under my stewardship.
  32. I promise to defend the company’s values.
  33. I promise to always speak well of company leadership.
  34. I promise to anticipate problems and find solutions.
  35. I promise to find efficiency through better processes development.
  36. I promise to be organized.
  37. I promise to be detail oriented.
  38. I promise to communicate the company vision, goals, and key messages.
  39. I promise to be realistic about deliverables.
  40. I promise to support and push those under my stewardship to achieve more.
  41. I promise to manage the consequences of poor performance.
  42. I promise to be humble.
  43. I promise to not only lead, but also to follow.
  44. I promise to give credit to those that have done good things.
  45. I promise to simplify the complicated.
  46. I promise to be personable and approachable.
  47. I promise to say no when appropriate in order to not create burdens.
  48. I promise to say yes most of the time and then empower and lead my teams to create success.
  49. I promise to grow others.
  50. I promise to build cohesiveness among cross-functional teams.
  51. I promise to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.
  52. I promise to be a change agent to displace inefficiencies.
  53. I promise to encourage creativity.
  54. I promise to be passionate about what we are doing.
  55. I promise to have a positive attitude.
  56. I promise to take everything in stride.
  57. I promise to try new things.
  58. I promise to reward results.
  59. I promise to create “structures” that create confidence.
  60. I promise to create career paths and opportunities for those under my stewardship.
  61. I promise to “take one for the team” if that is what it takes.
  62. I promise to get my hands dirty.
  63. I promise to be goal oriented.
  64. I promise to keep my promises.

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Adaptability

July 17, 2014 by

adaptability-leadership-traitToday the leadership trait to ponder is Adaptability.  The dictionary defines Adaptability as: the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances; the ability to change your ideas or behavior so that they are suitable for different conditions, a new environment, or in order to deal with a new situation successfully. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Adaptability. As you read these quotes on Adaptability, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Adaptability

All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” ~Yann Martel

It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~Charles Darwin

Set patterns, incapable of adaptability, of pliability, only offer a better cage. Truth is outside of all patterns.” ~Bruce Lee

If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” ~Jeff Bezos

All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.” ~Max McKeown

Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.” ~Max McKeown

Tactics, fitness, stroke ability, adaptability, experience, and sportsmanship are all necessary for winning.” ~Fred Perry

The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” ~Kakuzo Okakaura

Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

What do you think about when you ponder Adaptability? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!

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5 Areas of Leadership We Cannot Delegate

June 3, 2014 by

leadership-delegation-habits-valuesOn a recent flight I was half-listening to the takeoff instructions reminding me about tray tables, flotation devices and oxygen masks. “If you are traveling with someone who needs assistance, please put your oxygen mask on before assisting others.” I’d heard it a hundred times, but today, it spoke to my weary soul. I had gone through a ministry season during which I had delegated too much of myself assisting others rather than “putting on my oxygen mask first”.

The evidence of the impact of this season could be seen on: my calendar that showed no margin; my stress level from too little time in the gym; and my mental and physical health, showing signs of poor eating and mental fatigue. I was an effective leader of everyone but myself.

“Leader” – The word itself conjures up images of a person who is in charge, discerning, strategic and magnetic. We manage projects, build teams, solve problems and develop people while delegating and distributing vision necessary to bring the future into reality. But at the core of all our work lies a personal responsibility… to lead ourselves.

What I learned through this season, was that while I was good at delegating many things, I cannot delegate self-leadership. There are certain things that ONLY I can do. We have been designed to lead ourselves. This truth was unpacked in a much deeper way for me when I was studying Galatians 6:4-5 “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” (emphasis mine)

The word “LOAD” in this verse is a form used in the Greek language referring to some type of luggage or baggage. Some baggage could be hired out to be carried by a porter. But this particular word for “LOAD” is one the Greek language indicated can only be carried by YOU. It likened it to the fact that no one can be sick for you. No one can grieve for you. It became a powerful awareness for me to pay attention to the things in my life that only I can carry in my self-leadership.

As I began to apply this verse to my own self-leadership, I observed 5 things in my life that, slowly over time, I had allowed to be led by the urgency of others instead of the my own boundaries.

  1. MY POWER HOURS – Morning is the most productive time of my day, so I guard my power hours for my most pressing projects. I get up early each day and I need to guard that time to be focused on important projects, brainstorming and creativity. The saying is true that I cannot burn the candle at both ends. If I know my day starts really early, then I also need to guard that it cannot end very late. I need 8 hours of sleep and must guard my evenings to make sure I have powerful mornings. What are your power hours and how can you guard them?
  1. MY HABITS – Where am I wasting time? (social media, constant emailing, tv, phone) . Is my health suffering? (exercise, eating, stress) How are my relationships? (marriage, parenting, family and teammates) I need to consistently assess areas to identify ways my habits are becoming unhealthy.  Small choices – good or bad ones – over time can affect the person we become. What is one habit you know needs your self-leadership today?
  1. MY VOICE – Steven Covey “It’s easy to say no when you understand your greater yes.” I’ve identified my greater yes to be about things that are specific to my calling, passions, goals and dreams. It releases me to say YES and, more importantly, to say NO to family, professional, and even social invitations and decisions. What is a decision you’re facing that you are tempted to give away your voice?
  1. MY CALLING – There are certain things I am currently doing that many other people can do. However, there are a few things that ONLY I CAN DO. I continually need to filter my calendar, decisions and commitments through my calling and mission statement. I need to challenge myself to say NO to good things in order to say YES to better things. I have been uniquely designed to leave a mark that only Lisa Allen can leave on this world. Can you find one thing to take off your calendar today that can be done by someone else in order to create room for something only YOU can do?
  1. LIVING MY VALUES – Authenticity is one of my top personal values. Am I the same person on the inside as the outside? Am I the same leader at home as I am in the office? Who am I when no one is looking at me?  Leaders who practice self-leadership are keenly aware of the inconsistencies in their lives. Take a good look at yourself and identify any areas that you know are inconsistent with your values. Redirect your choices to reflect the values you hold dear.

From one leader to another, I hope you can learn from my missteps. Aristotle says “We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” What are the things that you need to “take back” in order to put the “oxygen mask of self-leadership” back on today? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Emotional agility: The Key to Leadership Success

May 30, 2014 by

Leadership-Agility-Business-EmotionalAll the top clients were in the room and all eyes were on the CEO. He walked up with a smile and began “It has been a great year for us. We have grown and continue to grow. We are looking at Asia to grow.” and continued in this vein for ten minutes.  I am not sure if he noticed the luke warm applause that followed his self-centered speech that could have been delivered easily by a junior intern ! In this defense he did learn a few words in the foreign language of the audience in an attempt to connect with them but I could not help but think it is emotions and not linguistics which is the international language of leadership.

It is the language of emotions that leaders must develop greater fluency and agility in, if they want to connect people to a vision or inspire them to action. They must develop emotional agility to leverage the privilege of the platform that leadership provides to them. I define emotional agility as the skill a leader has to tap into the right emotion at the right time for the right purpose. One can think of it as a specific subset of emotional intelligence which taps into a larger domain of the management and regulation of emotions.  The more I look around the more evidence I gather of lack of emotional agility in leaders around the globe . One has to only look at the recent ill fated MH370 Malaysia flight that disappeared to see the lack of emotional agility of the team. They informed people of having lost their loved ones first via text messages. Leadership is not just about management of information but also management of emotions.

How can we acquire and display emotional agility?

 

1. Learn more about yourself:

Like most things in leadership the fluency begins with self awareness and discovering what is our own level of comfort with dealing with emotions – that of self or others. Some of us are more expressive and willing to be vulnerable in the moment while others hide behind personas by adopting masks that prevent people from seeing the real you. Needless to say the former have an edge in being emotionally agile but even in the latter situation it is a skill that can be learnt. In the day and age of flat structures the emotional accessibility of the leader help connect them with the people they lead.

If you observe a pattern in the situations where you often encounter an impasse for instance, it may be time to step back and consider if expression/acknowledgement of emotions of the parties involved was in anyway at the root of it all. We all have blind-spots about the way we deal with emotions and those must be overcome for developing emotional agility.

2. Learn more about the culture seek to influence:

Different cultures deal differently with emotions. While smiling even at a stranger or greeting them as you meet them on the street maybe common in some western countries, it may be seen as intrusion and be met with distrust in some Eastern ones. In Japan for instance, customers service reps have had to be taught to smile by holding pencils between their teeth as traditionally smiling has been equated with the attempt to hide something. Casual banter from senior leaders may be acceptable in the US but is not so common in China. So the context of the expression of emotion matters. Incidentally, you don’t have to go East or be in China for this to apply. Given the global world we live in, your colleagues might treat the expression of emotion differently than you.

3. Learn to be a great storyteller:

Given my work on corporate storytelling, I have come to the conclusion that there is a strong correlation between great storytelling and emotional agility. Being a good storyteller requires you to go beyond the knowledge of story structures, formulas and scripts to the wisdom of which story to tell, when to tell it and to whom. Stories harness emotions like no other expression. They cut across cultural and functional boundaries.

The best example I see of this is the relationship between India and Pakistan where both parties have been at war more than once and the relations can become strained on many issues but Pakistani plays are highly popular in India as are Bollywood films in Pakistan. When immersed in stories we experience a safe space for connection and so adding storytelling to your repertoire increases your emotional agility. As Christina Baldwin famously put it – words are how we think but stories are how we link.

Logic may lead us to a conclusion but it is emotions that move us to action. And a leader that can inspire action is a force to reckon with anywhere in the world!

What do you think about emotional agility? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Using Pole Dancing to Rekindle One’s Passion for Business

May 29, 2014 by

Pole-Dancing-Leadership-PassionPassion in a business setting is very individually experienced. Some call it drive or motivation that appears regularly to spur them on their way. While for others, passion is something that they do—a true calling or a “dream job”—where the content of their work is what keeps them going, not the daily activities. Regardless of how you define it, passion in your business can ebb and flow naturally, driven by changes in your personal life such as having a new baby or through external impacts like losing a big client. But when it’s missing, your life just isn’t the same without it.

With no real athleticism, I took my first pole dancing class three years ago during a time when my passion for my business and life in general was at an all time low. Pole dancing is a popular, alternative workout mixing cardiovascular dance movement and strength-based lifts, high in the air around a slim metal pole. (Shape Magazine named it one of the 15 hottest fitness trends)

I am a leader in my primary business, and serve as a leader for multiple non-profit organizations. Losing my “mojo” was not just bad for business—it was making me physically ill and emotionally depressed. A leader needs to always know where they are going, or at least be happy and positive trudging through the difficult jungles of economic uncertainty. I was neither happy nor positive and it was starting to show, affecting the morale of my team and our ability to provide true value to our customers. I had to do something to dramatically change my outlook. Pole dancing was completely out of my comfort zone but I was willing to try anything!

Roadblocks to Living a Passionate Life and Defining Success

The biggest roadblocks to living our business lives passionately everyday are expectations—paradigms we follow either provided to us by our upbringing or self-imposed from envious comparisons to our peers: “If everyone’s dream job is in finance, is that what I should do?” “My parents will only be proud of me if I get a ‘real job’ so I won’t become an artist.”

Pole dancing is salacious. Instant reactions almost immediately conjure up negative perceptions including the objectification of women or scandalous thoughts about nudity and sexuality. One of the first reactions to my new-found fitness hobby, was a hardy (and clearly nervous) laugh from a fellow board member who spent the remainder of our strategic planning meeting furtively glancing across the conference table at me in open shock, mentally trying to mesh the seemingly opposing concepts of “board president” and “pole dancer.”

Fear—of loss, of failure, of not living up to those paradigms and disappointing people whose opinions we value —can prevent us from living the life that is most fulfilling to us personally, our passionate life. Fear can lead us to shore up paradigms that we know don’t feel right, provide excuses for not breaking out of our comfort zone and mire us further in a downward spiral of negative thoughts and actions: “I can’t do this, I’m not good enough, I’ll never be happy.”

Not only am I not naturally athletic, I am also deathly afraid of heights. Of course an intense fitness activity that involved heights would propel me completely out of the “funk” I’d fallen into!

The first time I climbed to the very top of the pole I thought I would have a heart attack. I looked below, sweaty palms, white-knuckle-clenched to see the smiling faces of my fellow students and my supportive “pole mom” instructor cheering me on and I started to believe, for just a moment, that perhaps if I could conquer this, maybe I could conquer other my fears and worries about business and rediscover my passion. Maybe things weren’t really as bad as they seemed.

Since no one is born with a natural ability to shimmy up a slippery, chrome apparatus, the pole dance community is incredibly supportive of men and women of all shapes, sizes and abilities. Every small improvement, every tiny victory over previously insurmountable physical or emotional limitations are a cause for celebration. Each class, as I got a little stronger, a little more confident in my ability, slowly those feelings of empowerment started to translate to other parts of my life too and I began to walk, then run and now leap out of bed ready to face the challenges of the day. My passion was coming back!

It’s Up to You!

Today, even though market conditions haven’t gotten much rosier, my outlook has and my passion for providing excellent service wearing all my many professional “hats” has improved dramatically. I’m bothered less by the little things that used to easily derail my optimism and I’m not afraid of what others think about how I live my life and run my businesses. If I could swing my entire body upside down, I could do anything! Pole dancing may not be the panacea for all your business ails but try something totally different that engages you in a new way—you never know what you’ll discover. No one is ever too old, too young, too unfit, too uncoordinated or too any-excuse-you-can-muster to live a passionate life that is perfectly right for them.

The only one holding you back from living your passionate life is you. So what are you waiting for? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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