Leadership is a journey that starts everyday
I have learned that leadership is not defined by roles and designations. It is not about traits, but about actions. And it’s a journey, not a destination…
Reinvent the yin with a yang
Whether you are inventing at work, or reinventing yourself, reach out to those least like you, and perhaps you will find your breakthrough. There are numerous examples across disciplines that demonstrate the role of diversity in creativity.
How to increase the odds of success? Dream
When we want to help others, it is tempting to advise them on what they ‘should’ do. Doesn’t usually work. The book “Helping People Change’ has some wonderful lessons on what does work – useful for leaders, doctors, coaches, teachers, parents – or in fact, anyone who works with other people.
Lessons from a 9-year old, part 2: Perfect is truly the enemy of good
How many times do we stop ourselves from doing things because we worry we won’t make a success of them? And so we don’t even try. Small things, and very big ones too. Like career transition.
Focus on the positive
A focus on the positive activates that part of our brain that makes us more creative, open to possibility, filled with an excitement to get even better. And when we focus on the negative, we tend to justify or negate, not change. It actives the body’s stress response. The fight or flight mode.
Loss. Reinvention.
Mid-career transitions – times when we choose to change our career track – can be incredibly hard. Not the least because as we do this, we lose a part of our identity. In the in-between phase, we can no longer define who we are.
Are you self-aware?
If I asked if you are self-aware, what would you say? Most likely you would say yes. Because 95% of people think they are. Unfortunately, the likelihood of your being right is quite low.
Ambition and awareness
Ambition – the part of me that counts my successes every week (okay, every day). That wants to get bigger, better. And fast. But it is only the other part of me, the awareness in the current moment, that allows me to truly connect with my why.
Flow. A lesson from my 9-year old
Flow has tremendous power. While coaching, when I am able to strike a deep connection with my client, I find flow. There is intense concentration, serenity, timelessness and joy! And the experience is so immersive that nothing else matters. As per Csikszentmihalyi, who first studied it, it is what helps us find true happiness in life.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A true icon.
While we mourn the loss of an icon, I wanted to pause and reflect on what I want to learn from RBG and incorporate into my own life.