Chocolate Truffles, Onion Soup, And Leadership Lessons

On April 26, 2018

What I learned about leadership from a celebrated French restaurant. How does a traditional French restaurant weather the notoriously competitive and fickle restaurant industry to stay highly successful for over 50 years? And what can those lessons learned teach us about becoming successful leaders? L’Auberge Chez Francoise in Great Falls, VA has received scads of top

Which Lens Are You Looking Through?

On April 13, 2018

Have you ever been to the optometrist to get fitted for new glasses? Staring at the eye chart, you strain to assess magnification acuity. “Which one is better? Lens A?” Click. “or B?” Click. “A?” Click. “or B?” What if we used this idea and looked at the world through a different lens every day?

Sometimes, You Get What You Need…

On March 22, 2018

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” –The Rolling Stones, 1969 “I did it again. Tried to jam 20 pounds of ‘stuff*%*’ in a 10 pound bag.” As I looked at my upcoming week on Sunday night, I thought, “how

Is Our Stress Altering The Brain Cells Of Others?

On February 22, 2018

I was standing in line at my favorite coffee shop. The guy in front of me seemed to be having a bad start to his day. It’s not what he said, it’s how he said it. He ordered a coffee and croissant. “Ordered” being the operative word. Louder than necessary. Leaning with wide arms on

Can You Be A DOER And SELF-AWARE At The Same Time?

On February 15, 2018

Another report from the coffee shop…Here I am, listening in again. It’s a popular spot, close quarters. You can’t help but overhear people’s conversations. Sometimes I pick up a nugget or two for leadership reflection. Like from the table next to me today. Two women, I gather from their conversation, co-owners of a small business,

What The Brain Is Doing When We Get Feedback

On January 30, 2018

In the “6 Most Dreaded Words” we met David and Shauna, two consultants in a feedback discussion after a presentation. A discussion that is shaping up to be largely one-way (although Shauna is having a robust conversation in her head) and more defensive than effective. How can they have a more productive feedback conversation? Understanding what happens in the

Bringing Soul To Your Bottom Line

On January 25, 2018

The picture above is the (Save Our) Soul box from Penzey’s Spice company. After the President’s derogatory comments on immigrants from African nations a few weeks ago, Bill Penzey, Jr., the company’s CEO, sent out a newsletter denouncing the people who continue to support racism in our country. To put ‘skin in the game’ so

The Charlie Brown Approach To New Year’s Resolutions

On January 11, 2018

Peppermint Patty: Have you made a New Year’s resolution, Chuck? Charlie Brown: Remember how I used to dread the whole year? Now I’m only going to dread one day at a time. —from A Charlie Brown Christmas Chuck is onto something. Hint: It’s not the dread. There is value in having big goals, long term goals. While the

The Gift Of Generosity

On December 21, 2017

I recently lost a very good friend to cancer, someone I had known for close to 40 years. My friend was a dynamic spirit who filled her life with adventures. At her celebration ceremony, many people from different interests in her life came forward to share the piece of Valerie that they knew. Her whitewater

The 6 Most Dreaded Words—”Can I Offer You Some Feedback?”

On November 14, 2017

Shauna and David, both consultants, just made a presentation to a client. David gave the strategic overview and Shauna provided the implementation plan. Afterwards, on the way back to the office, David says, “Shauna, can I offer you some feedback?” Shauna’s thought…if I say yes, this can’t be good otherwise you would have just said

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