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About me...

I'm a practical gal who finds leadership lessons in everyday places.  My background spans several decades of leadership in business, family and community.  I believe that whether you lead a team, a business, a church, a country or a family, there are always ways to do, and be, better.

Popular posts from this blog

Coconut bras & grass skirts

A few years ago, I found myself in front of a 100 or so scrapbookers wearing a coconut bra and a grass skirt.  The "tiki" theme that we had chosen dictated the need for my costume.  The fun part was that everyone in the room knew that when I hit the stage in my crazy outfit, someone was going to win a prize! Shouldn't a leader be above dressing silly at a big event?  Never!  Would it help if I mentioned that I did have a t-shirt on under the coconut bra?  And that we all wore Hawaiian shirts the rest of the time?  Or that I've worn a Santa hat, light up necklace, blue hair, pink bowling shirt with matching glow-in-the-dark bowling shoes for other events? So why did I go the extra mile?  Did I have to wear a coconut bra and a grass skirt to give away prizes? No. But did it add to the excitement and the atmosphere? Yes.  It brought a sense of fun to the event and unity among the team.  A large event is a huge undertaking.  Havi...
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Rules

I am a rule follower. I like rules. I think rules help to avoid a lot of problems. They provide clear expectations for appropriate behavior. They bring a certain civility to life. That being said, I think I'm a dying breed. Almost every day I see people breaking traffic laws (texting, running red lights, causing grid lock, speeding through school zones). These things are illegal and downright dangerous. And don't even get me started about how awful people are when dropping off and picking up at school. I have recently had conversation with a couple people who are dealing with bad employee behavior. The employees do not like some changes that have occured within their respective companies. (On a side note- companies often have to change due to economic or industry factors just to keep their doors open.) Instead of adjusting to the changes or forming a plan to make the changes work in their favor, they have chosen behaviors that are unethical and damaging...
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Volunteers

I've heard many in leadership lamenting about the lack of volunteers.  If you lead a church or other non-profit, or are in direct sales, you lead an army of volunteers.  Sometimes, your volunteers will not hit you over the head with their willingness to serve.  Sometimes, they will.  Are you ready to mentor them in their volunteer position so that they will be successful?  Do you follow through with them while enthusiasm is high?  I think we all believe we do. About two years ago, I volunteered with a non-profit in the Quad Cities area.  It took several weeks just to be able to get through to the correct person to volunteer my services with.  I was invited to attend an open meeting, where I spoke of the service that I was willing to provide.  Although there was much agreement that my service would be a great addition to the service they were providing, and several follow up calls on my part, I never was given the opportunity to volunteer. A...
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