What images come to mind when you think of a leader? Do you imagine a visionary who has attached a large following? Or do you connect the idea of leadership to certain job titles?  Perhaps you only define yourself as a leader if you have people reporting to you. I think it is quite common to see leaders as those out in front or at the top of an organization.
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It’s common at this time of year to take stock of where you are and set new challenges for ourselves, with the goal of leaving behind what we don’t want –  or what hasn’t worked – and heading into the final months of the year with renewed vigor and strategies for achieving what we want.
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Not too long ago I was working with a client who was dealing with a “pesky” colleague. Pesky means “causing trouble” or “annoying.” And, from one perspective it appeared that the colleague was indeed being pesky.

However, there is always another way of looking at the difficult people and circumstances in our lives. More often than not, they are our best teachers. As I reflect back on my own experience, I know this. Hindsight is often like that, and not all that helpful when you are dealing with the pest (or troubling event) in the moment.

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Recently, I was asked if it was possible to build the capacity for empathy and strengthen one’s emotional intelligence (EIQ). The short answer is–Yes!

The longer answer is a bit more nuanced. Many leaders today are conditioned by the educational industrial complex and other societal forces to favor left-brain, rational, analytical thinking. While that approach is useful, such conditioning tends to atrophy the right-brain capacity for empathy and EIQ. And, what we know now is that successful organizations in the modern economy require leaders to access their rational/analytical, AND emotional capabilities.
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Within the past couple of weeks, I helped my parents clean out and sell their condo in Southwest Florida. Mom and Pop are now in their 80’s and have chosen to move to an excellent assisted living facility nearby.
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We all dream, and it’s fun to dream big. What are your dreams? Write them down on a piece of paper and read them over as many times as you want, to really make them yours. We all set big goals for ourselves, to give more meaning to our lives. I wonder: do we actually achieve those big goals, or do we abandon them along the way? If you’re one of those people who leave their goals half-finished, or never even start them, I can imagine you feel frustrated, tired and fed up. What would it be like to celebrate each time you accomplished one of those easy-to-achieve resolutions? How would you feel? I suggest you put pen to paper and make a commitment to yourself to achieve the 4 easy-to-accomplish resolutions listed below:
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