Leadership profile

I was a shy sixteen-year-old, afraid of my own shadow, in the summer I worked at our local hospital. The Director of Nursing was a strong loud woman dressed in the white starched uniform nurses wore back then. She intimidated me more than the doctors. Whenever I saw her coming, I would turn and go the other direction.

What is leadership and how to define an effective leader are questions that are most often associated with professional work settings. There are countless definitions of leadership and even more books on the traits of successful leaders. Many discussions around adopting an effective leadership style explore the skills needed to grow into leadership positions. Often leadership is described as something you learn, not something you are born with, which gives hope that with hard work a leader can learn the skills needed to be successful. Clearly a lot rides on those who are in charge, especially if they have just been promoted into a larger role.

In our post-Covid, competitive world of business, leaders and teams often find themselves navigating a multitude of challenges, striving for success while facing stress, uncertainty, and rising levels of burnout. In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the benefits of integrating spiritual practices into the corporate world.This article explores the transformative power of spiritual practices for business leaders highlighting the positive impact these practices can have on well-being, productivity, and overall success.

Leaders are constantly seeking strategies to build high-performing teams. While numerous factors contribute to team success, one often overlooked aspect is the role of self-care. By prioritizing self-care practices, leaders can create an environment that fosters productivity, engagement, and overall well-being within their teams.In this article, we will delve into the importance of self-care in building high-performing teams and explore practical strategies that leaders can implement to enhance team dynamics. I have found in working with various companies that the following self-care strategies are effective in integrating self-care into the company while building high-performing teams.

Is the quality of your relationships (personal or professional) not at the levels you desire it to be? Are you having too many difficult conversations that sometimes escalate into drama? Do you find it challenging getting people to fulfill their roles and responsibilities? The quality of your life truly depends on the quality of your relationships. I’ve found through my years of experience and practice that “Communication” is the essence that drives healthy and productive relationships.We all yearn to create strong bonds … our “Connection” brings meaning to relationships. Many of my sessions involve Workplace Conflict Resolution, Managing Up, Communication Style Conflicts, Work Style Differences — all pertaining to situations where people with pure intentions, were simply not seeing eye-to-eye.

There are several myths around leadership, and each myth presents challenges for developing new leaders, and can hinder the growth of our current leaders. These myths begin at school age, and while some teens learn to develop beyond, many do not. This may be why we don’t see more emerging leaders, or those who take on initiatives in our companies. When we learn these myths at a foundational point in our lives, we believe them to be true, and then perpetuate them further in our organizations. Myth #1: Leaders have a title. Who are the leaders in your organization? How do you know they are leaders? Usually, the easy answer is, “They have a title.” If we need a title to be a leader, then who else can be a leader? There are only a few titles to be had, but many tasks to complete.

We have all heard the adage ‘The only constant is change.’ Yes…how true this is. Change and progress are inevitable. They are vital. They are necessary. Many individuals and organizations resist change. We need to CHANGE the way we are looking at the experience…aka: CHANGE THE FRAME. For example, when professionals are being faced with a change in their job or position, why not CHANGE the way they look at it? It helps us to remember and realize that we are NOT defined by the job or position we hold.Often, we can get completely absorbed in our job or company. In fact, many senior executives believe their identity is the company for which they work. I ‘get’ this concept and lived it at one time in my career. Most of us can relate to this, especially as we climb the ranks in Corporate.

“Who are the great leaders?” The first time I was asked this question in a workshop on leadership, a 15-month-old popped to mind, and I found myself telling a story about a moment a couple of years ago when my wife Victoria and I were waiting in Los Angeles Airport for a flight to San Francisco. We had just been told that our flight would be delayed. As we grumped into our seats that looked across the concourse at gate 70A to wait, a family of four caught our attention on the other side. A woman with a 15-month-old on her hip stood with her husband while their two-year-old son attacked his stroller in a rage. We watched this painful scene in empathic agony for a while. Then Victoria said, “Look! A couple of your clients.”

As I write this, we’re in the midst of summer. I can't help but express my love for this time of year. Summer holds a special place in my heart. It's a time when we can finally bid farewell to winter jackets and embrace the freedom of flip flops and shorts. Baseball becomes a prominent part of our lives, and warm evenings on the deck with friends and engaging conversations become a cherished ritual. There's something about June, July, and August that makes life slow down, even if just a little bit. When the topic of summer plans arises, I eagerly share my excitement about upcoming baseball trips, hiking adventures, and, the highlight of it all, our two-week "off the grid" vacation in August.

As an executive, you’ve worked your entire career to build a powerful leadership brand. You have achieved many successes, and have an impressive portfolio and reputation built on technical mastery, business acumen, industry knowledge and leadership skills. Congratulations! You’ve proven that you have the brilliance, drive, and resilience to be a successful leader in today’s global economy. But now you crave something different. A new passion has bubbled up and you need a different career challenge. You may be thinking, Is it worth the risk to leave my current job and switch career tracks?