Authenticity at work: is that an oxymoron? A pipedream? Most of us long to be more authentic at work, yet in most organizations, authenticity is in short supply. Here’s a quick exercise that illustrates why that might be so. Identify a current work situation that you think is being badly handled but that you haven’t confronted.  If you had a free pass to react authentically - with no threat of repercussion -  what would you do?  Now... if you actually did or said that, what do you think would happen? For many of us, that much honesty could constitute career suicide. This is the double...


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Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, is tasked with reinvigorating a stagnant company.  She must look for every possible lever to boost Yahoo's innovation. One of her strategies: bring people back to work. Stimulate creativity by bringing people back into direct face-to-face collaboration. No more telecommuting. GASP. Actually, I get the fury.  If I were telecommuting, I would hate this policy reversal. I might have to scramble to find new child care arrangements that I didn't used to need and I can't easily afford. It might actually make it impossible for me to stay in my job because I depended...


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I hate Women's History Month. Don't get me wrong; I think it's vitally important to keep remembering that - and why - women matter. It's crucial that we keep examining and updating our perceptions of women, so that we see them in ways that are ever-more complete, current and correct. I just don't think that Women's History Month ("WHM") accomplishes these ends very well. Unfortunately, WHM is often reduced to an annual box-checking exercise that masquerades as a demonstration of commitment to women. I should know. I used to be a Diversity officer for a large organization. The traditional observance...


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Here's a great article from HBR that lays out three perspectives on work-life balance: country, corporate, and couple. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/02/work-family_guilt_is_wasted_en.html


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Those of you who tend to lead from the ‘grace’ side of the power spectrum, listen up.   One of your strengths is probably that you are very accommodating - a real team player.  I’ll bet you pitch in whenever needed.  I’ll bet you say ‘yes’ when everyone else says ‘no.’  And underneath your helpful and positive exterior, I’ll bet you’re just a little bit, well, pissed. More accurately, I’ll bet that you’re harboring some resentment. Resentment is an erosive emotion and a disempowering stance from which to lead. It predominantly affects ‘grace-sters’, because...


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A couple of months ago, Harvard Business Review posted a good blog on the impact that fatigue has on our bodies and effectiveness.  Fatigue Is Your Enemy - Harvard Business Review  But making the case for self-care is relatively easy. Scientists, theologians, psychologists and leadership experts have proven its positive affects again and again.  But taking action for self care is a different story.  As I witness my clients wrestle with fatigue , despite knowing that they should 'do better' at taking care of themselves, I've learned how actively we collude with ourselves and each other to keep...


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My work as a coach is to help people increase their capacity in an area that really matters to them.  For some, it's the capacity to connect more fully with others. Or to follow through. To inspire others. To take a stand. To stand down. To... As far as I can tell, there's no capacity-building without practice: the regular repetition of new moves. Most people would agree on that. So if we know that practice is such a key to growth, why do we often struggle to maintain even the simplest of practices? Why do we wriggle out from under the very effort that will help us fulfill our most ardent...


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In her song,  "Back to the Middle"  India.Arie makes the perfect musical case for integrating grit and grace.  


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I usually steer away from philosophy in this blog, focusing more on practical leadership topics. But from time to time, I think it's important to step back from the 'how to' of leading with grit & grace and look more deeply at the 'why.'  On behalf of what does this work exist? The underlying purpose of Leading With Grit & Grace™ is to help individuals and institutions address what I call the 'tyranny of success.' On one hand, it is critically important to establish what we're good at. This forms the very foundation of our effectiveness. For example, a leader discovers that she gets...


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I've noticed that leaders often have very interesting notions of what constitutes 'leadership.'  Some managers view leadership as something that exists outside and apart from them. They think of leaders as only those who make the grand speeches and set sweeping agendas. So, often, when my clients' jobs don't require this sort of large-scale thought and action, they dismiss the reality of their role and squander their potential for impact. If you asked them, they'd say that they are being appropriately modest. But I'd say they are missing the boat. On the other hand, some of my clients are the speech-makers...


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