How Do You “Sharpen Your Saw?”
- On July 11, 2019
While I’m all for hunkering down with a good novel to lose myself in someone else’s story for a while, I also seek out books that “sharpen my saw” (as 7 Habits author Stephen Covey would say), to read something that makes me question what I thought I knew or fills in some blanks on what I don’t know. I just read a book that definitely cut a few more sharp notches in
Chopsticks and Change
- On May 9, 2019
I found this wooden box of beautiful silver chopsticks and soup spoons. I have two sets of them; place setting for 24. They’ve been buried in the back of a cabinet for years. Now that we are moving, I am discovering all kinds of long-lost treasures like this. These were given to me as a
What Do You Love About YOU?
- On February 14, 2019
What do I love about me? That’s the question we were asked to envision for our morning yoga practice. As I laid there on the mat, with my arms wrapped around my torso like I’m giving myself a big hug (a great stretch to warm up the thoracic spine), not a darn thing came to
Do You Know Who’s Cleaning Your Office?
- On October 16, 2018
Do you know who processes your travel reimbursements, cleans your floors, empties your trash, guards the building? If these people are not directly interacting with you in your job, chances are you don’t. As we used to say in the Army, there’s the pointy tip of the spear…but it doesn’t fly alone. The pointy tip
Who’d You Bring to the Dance?
- On October 4, 2018
I’m a bit of a Dancing With the Stars junkie and this season features its first blind competitor, paralympian Danelle Umstead. She is paired with professional dancer Artem Chigvintse. The job of Artem and the other pros on the show is to train non-dancers to dance. Their role is to design an experience which stretches their partner’s
It’s Not About You…It Really is About Me
- On August 2, 2018
I am getting ready to plunk down a significant amount of money for a major purchase. I need to feel confident this is a good fit for me. Distractingly, the sales person I am working with spent more time spinning their own tale about the purchase than with how well the purchase fit me. This
Up, Down, and All Around—Trolley Cars and Leadership
- On June 12, 2018
I’m in Lisbon for a month, feeling what it’s like to live in a neighborhood (Santos-o-Velho), explore new sights in a new culture, and continue my work. One big thing I’ve noticed about Lisbon is you must look up, down and sideways if you are really going to take in the beauty of the city…and
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