“Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great.”
Fernando Flores

All of us have greatness inside. To activate it is our own choice. Activating greatness requires the ability to reach down inside to be the best expression of self. It is easy to see what is wrong, it is easy to see the opportunities, and it is easy to sit on the side lines. It is hard to define your own path, to be the solution, and to break free from old ways.

To live your greatness the questions you need to ask yourself are:

Do you enjoy being in the stands vs being on the playing field?
Will you regret not expressing yourself more in the world?
What have you squelched on the inside overtime because you felt the world did not want to recieve it?
What will it mean to you to be the most of who you are regardless of result or likability?
What one new behavior or action could you try which would create bold meaning for yourself and the world?

Go on …..dare to learn to ride the...

There are a plethora of books and ways to be effective with time management. Yet leaders find themselves in the same spot every day….being pulled into the fire or flavor of the moment. The reality and truth of success is to maintain your focus on the dream/vision and the core strategy to actualize it. You have to be selective with your focus. In addition, if others support or impact this vision/goal/dream/outcome/expected result etc. you must constantly feed/water/maintain/nurture these relationships….there is no way around it ( well if you like being reactive vs proactive than don’t do this one;-)

To maintain your focus being mindful of your choices and consider the following:

Does this pull on my attention serve the vision/strategic plan?
Am I having the right conversations with all constituents who are a part of this vision/plan?
Am I choosing the right leadership behaviors which align with the vision/plan?
Am I getting pulled away from the vision for the...

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” - Ambrose Redmoon

 What does courage really mean today…… it can have so many interpretations and the one I have defined is the ability to really listen to your own voice, speak it, and be it in the world. It is easy to be a copy and you will be guaranteed some ease and success when you copy…. it takes courage to forge your path and to trust in what ever direction appears for you. There are no guarantees when you follow your own voice and live it, accept you will become your best and fullest expression of self. What is your definition of courage?

Recently I had a participant pose the question “Whether practicing leadership made a difference?” At first, my brain just stumbled and my heart stopped….how could this even be a question in anyone’s mind?! Of course, there are so many examples where leadership is lacking, and yet organizations and/or businesses continue to survive ….the question makes absolute sense. As usual, I stumbled for an example and later one emerged a few weeks later in my community.

When my son was in grade school his principal was replaced. We have had an interim principal “Jon Doe” for six months. He did not do a lot different in terms of process… he maintained standards to the expected level of excellence, he was a behind-the-scenes kind of leader, and he made a huge difference through his nature alone. He has lifted a cloud from the school. The teachers became more engaged, a bit looser yet equally competent and the parents felt more...