Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Personal Development
I just finished Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence by Andy Molinsky, Ph.D.
We can all think of moments, big and small, when we have gone outside our comfort zone – going after a promotion, presenting to a large crowd, or just being the dissenting voice in a meeting.
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Recently I was preparing to facilitate a strategic planning session for a not-for-profit board. This had me reflecting on my past board experiences, which have ranged from a large international association to a local chapter.
As diverse as these experiences can be, one commonality remains. To be an effective board member you need to devote a significant amount of time and energy. And you need to decide where to best place your attention. The same is true in the workplace.
This is where a simple and powerful coaching concept can help: Saying Yes, Saying No.
Right now I am exploring what Carl Jung called “synchronicity,” or the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
You know the sensation. One moment you are thinking of a friend, and then all of a sudden your cell phone rings and there she is. According to Jung (and many who followed him) synchronous circumstances while not related through casualty, are connected by intuition, meaning, or purpose.
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Most fundraisers I talk to wish they had more time for creative thinking. Time to let their minds wander and come up with fresh ways of thinking about their work. Coming up with new ideas can make us better at our jobs. We also know from past experience that creativity is engaging and energising.
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When I have more time, I’ll make more money. When I make more money, I’ll have more time.
Do you see the madness?
Time and money scarcity are among the most pernicious beliefs that afflict leaders today. We tend to get caught up in the limiting belief that there is not enough time and money for everything in life.
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Graciousness and Gratitude both begin with a G, just like Give and Gift. Not to mention Generosity, one of my very favorite words.
All of these words beginning with G describe an amazing year, full of changes and challenges that thanks to you have been possible.
I want to share with you the Gifts that – in the form of testimonials – my coachees and participants in workshops and conferences have given me upon completing some of our programs; programs such as: “How to Fundraise”, for nonprofit organizations; “Persuasive Communication”, for entrepreneurs and freelancers; and “How to Land your Ideal Job”, for students and for people who are reinventing themselves professionally…
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My book club recently read an unusual novel – The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.
As I was searching for discussion questions for our book club meeting, I came across this phrase “magical realism” which means a genre that combines mythical elements into realistic fiction.
One of the things I found most compelling about this book was that the main character’s unusual gift (Rose tastes people’s emotions in food they prepare) quickly became commonplace. As other character’s gifts were revealed I was reminded just how magical Rose was.
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10-You don’t ask for help when you need it.
9-You have an inward (rather and an outward) mindset.
8-You do not touch, move and inspire anyone.
7-You allow your fears and saboteurs get the best of you.
6-You do not honor your word to yourself or others.
5-You continue to make yourself right and others wrong.
4-You avoid crucial and difficult conversations.
3-You run ineffective and inefficient meetings.
2-You succumb the myth of time scarcity.
And the #1 reason you’ll fail as a leader in 2017 is that you choose not to invest in your own learning and growth.
David Langiulli is a certified professional coach who helps nonprofit leaders flourish and thrive. He is also the author of The Essential Leadership Guide for Fundraising Professionals. Grab your FREE copy now by becoming a member at www.FundraisingLeadership.org.
I have been dealing with a generous dose of rejection lately. It’s as a result of an intention to explore how I might be helpful to nonprofit leaders. This past fall I started reaching out to some folks directly through LinkedIn. While these overtures are harmless, it appears that the “stranger-danger” ethos is alive and well in America. I find this fascinating, and it reminded me of a humorous scene from the 1982 teen cult comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where the boys are refused service at the local fast food establishment. [Read more…]
I am currently reading the autobiography of Richard Feynman entitled: Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman. It is a collection of vignettes from the life of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Feynman was a consummate prankster. He eschewed conventional norms in science and society and left an indelible mark on both.
While I recommend Feynman’s story (a New York Times bestseller at the time of its publication), I caution that it is not a politically correct book, nor was he a politically correct man. So it is with those truly unique individuals who cause mischief and disrupt the status quo. They are often referred to as “leaders.”
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