7 Ideas to Enhance Your Leadership in 2014

January 6, 2014 By Kimberly

We all know the power of leadership. Let alone through the media, we’ve witnessed that power in our own personal lives and careers, through the people we’ve encountered, or for some of us, through our very own actions. This post is for those who desire or who feel called to that great, delicate art of leadership. Here are seven ideas to help you lead and succeed in 2014.

Listen to and consider others’ ideas and perspectives, even if they differ from yours. Especially when they differ. Not only do leaders stand to gain insight and learn something new, but also they demonstrate respect. Mutual respect goes a long way toward accomplishing a vision.
Make a regular habit of showing your appreciation. For some, it might be helpful to carve out time weekly on the calendar to make a quick call, or write a short note of thanks.
Leaders are not know-it-alls, though, unfortunately, we’ve all met some who have taken on this role. Determine to learn something new this year.
Humble yourself before others. Admit you’re wrongdoings. Apologize for bad judgment. Acknowledge your lack of skills or knowledge. Besides, everyone knows about them anyway. And people love working alongside those who serve others with humility and grace.
Allow your people to win and to shine. Leaders don’t hog the attention. They know that they don’t work for the company but for the people within the company. So shine the light on others. Give them the tools, resources, and praise they need to be winners.
Engage and empower others. Utilize their strengths, talents, passions, and career goals to help them succeed in the workplace. Tap into their motivations and giftings, and you’ll tap into their potential.
Be positive, even in the face of adversity. Often, it’s not whether something is “realistic” or not that a goal is accomplished. Sometimes, it’s through sheer vision, determination, perseverance, and attitude. No one wants to work with a negative, critical soul. But people warm up to a leader with spirit and optimism.

So how will you demonstrate leadership this year? What should I have added to the list? Put your comments in the box below. And please pass this post along if you found it helpful. Happy New Year!

How to Claim Freedom from Your Cell Phone

April 9, 2013 By Kimberly

Nobody wants to be in bondage.

And yet, that’s what we are—bound, no that’s putting it too mildly—shacked to our cell phones.

Many of the hard working professionals I coach come clean about cell phone slavery, wince when I mention that there’s a way out, and sheepishly confess they haven’t a clue how to get free.

We have unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. Nobody can be at everyone’s beck and call. And yet we expect others to drop whatever they’re doing to attend to our call or text, and they expect the same from us, whether they’re our spouses, children, or colleagues.

Fine if you’re Superman or Superwoman.

But I’m betting you’re not.

So if you desire uninterrupted time to explore, think, create, innovate, dream, rest, and enjoy your loved ones, here are some simple strategies. I didn’t say easy, mind you. Simple. But if you’re determined to turn off so you can tune in to life, I’m confident you can discover what works for you.

Strategies:

Don’t get defensive. Take an honest, critical look at your phone usage. On a spreadsheet, log for one or two days how often you use your cell phone, or other technological gadget, and for what purposes. Even if you just take out your cell phone to glance at it, without actually “using it,” log it. I’m betting you’ll be surprised! Perhaps horrified. Oh, and did I mention honesty?
Phones and emails have been shown to light up the reward centers of our brains, so find other rewarding activities to replace technology, such as reading, working on a project, daydreaming, cooking, or conversing with other people.
Experiment with not using it. Try it for half a day, a whole day, or a weekend. I know I’m asking the impossible. But I promise, you will survive! You cannot understand what it’s costing you until you’ve ditched it. And I don’t mean forever. If it helps to think of it as an experiment, then call it that. Experiment and get an accurate sense of the benefits and consequences of intentionally ditching the phone.
Identify what your unique struggles are. For example, are you tempted by the chime, knowing that you’ve got a new email to check?
Come up with a plan. Set boundaries or rules for yourself. When and what kinds of calls will you accept? Which will you disregard until later? What hours will you keep the phone on? When will your phone be put away, so you’re not tempted to use it? What’s urgent/not urgent?
Respectfully share those boundaries with others. Let them know how to get a hold of you if there’s an emergency. One of my clients kindly let her new boss know the times she regularly checks her voicemails and emails. This way, she put a boundary in place, while at the same time assuring her boss that she will indeed do her job.
Ask for help from others, such as your spouse or kids. If I tell my kids to let me know when I’m one the phone or computer too much, they will do so, and gladly! They want their mommy time. Who can hold you accountable? And better question—are you willing to be held accountable?

I’ve love to hear from some of you how you’ve found freedom from your cell phone or other technology. Perhaps you’ll help one of our readers. Perhaps you’ll help me!

And by the way, if you’d like more articles on career, relationships, and purposeful living, be sure to subscribe to my blog, as well as my newsletter. You’ll even receive my newest ebook, 21 Days to Happier, Healthier, Balanced Living.

5 Reasons Why We Get Stuck

February 26, 2013 By Kimberly

Stuck.

It’s that dark swamp of icky-ness we sometimes fall into. It’s that sense of going nowhere, of not moving forward, of wasting our precious, precious time.

Quicksand.

Stuck, sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of paralysis.

There are several reasons why we get stuck:

Because we’re afraid
Because what we want doesn’t align with our values or beliefs
Because we only see one or two choices or possibilities instead of the gamut
Because we’re perfectionists and can’t see the perfect option or path
Because we insist on seeing the whole picture–the outcome–before taking a step forward

Where are you stuck? In a relationship with a colleague? With your spouse or child? Determining a leadership move? Taking a career path? Venturing into a new business opportunity?

And why?

Only when we define why we’re stuck and can visualize what it would look like on the other side can we gather the courage, identify the course of action, and move forward with purpose and clarity.

Are you ready to get out of the mud?

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P.S. I want to hear your ideas about how to get unstuck. Feel free to post them in the comment box below for our readers. Thanks!

23 Ideas to Increase Your Joy, Success, and Satisfaction in Work and Life

January 2, 2013 By Kimberly

Well, it’s that time of year again when people begin to think about their future and what they want their year to look like. Regardless of whether or not someone makes New Year’s resolutions, everyone wants greater joy, success, and satisfaction in work and life. Here are 23 nifty ideas to inspire you. The key? Picking a few of them to begin working on immediately.

23 Ideas to Increase Your Joy, Success, and Satisfaction in Work and Life

Feed your creativity. What do you need to be creative? Time? A new outlet? Materials and tools? Other creative thinkers to prod you along? We feel engaged when we can use our creative talents. And don’t be fooled. Everyone is naturally creative, in some way or another.
Craft your mission or purpose statement. If you’ve already done so, review it, and determine how you want your life and work to bear out your mission this year.
Write your life’s story. Your children and those you love will appreciate it someday.
Get working on your bucket list. What? You don’t have one? Then read the next idea.
Make space and time to dream. Put away the to-do list for a while. The tasks will always be there, and the list will never end. Then dream. This will also help with Idea #1 above.
Forgive someone. Write a letter to that person, even if you don’t ever give it. Feel the burden lift from your shoulders.
Ask 5 people to list your top 3 talents, strengths, and values. Are you integrating them fully in your life and work?
Throw a surprise celebration party for someone who deserves it, such as a family who fosters children, a tireless advocate for the homeless, or the neighbor who shovels his elderly neighbors’ driveways every brutal winter.
Invite your neighbors to a quarterly potluck. Get to know them!
Improve your skills, or learn something you’ve always wanted to learn. You can sign up for free college courses from top universities.
Bring your pet to a nursing home, rehab hospital, or children’s hospital. Be sure to ask permission first. Warning: smiles and giggles ahead.
When you take your dog for a walk, ask to take the neighbor’s dog as well. Maybe double trouble, or maybe double fun.
Get outside daily. Walking to the car does not count.
Include more beauty in your life–art, nature, faith….
“Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, the Bible)
Increase your family size. Mentor a foster child, or one who has recently “graduated” from the foster system. Many 18-20 year-olds leave the foster system with no one to help guide them, answer their questions, or inspire them to create a better future. You can be there for them.
Count your blessings, literally. Keep a gratitude journal.
Stop adding to your to-do list. Take one or more items off. Got a responsibility or obligation you’re not passionate about? Are you on too many boards, committees, or task forces? Must you be all things to all people? Free up some space in your schedule.
Ask for feedback from those you trust: What am I doing well? What could I improve? These kind of intentional, honest questions can potentially change your life.
Study your disagreements, especially from the other’s perspective. What went wrong? What was your part in the disagreement? How can you communicate better? What should you have noticed?
Cut down on your New Year’s resolutions. If you make them, consider just one or two. Only 20% of resolutions are kept, so consider what is truly important for you to do, and then create a plan to achieve your goals.
Spend some time alone every day to do nothing. If an hour is a stretch, aim for 5 minutes, and then gradually lengthen the amount of time.
Resolve to compliment, praise, or encourage at least one person every day.

And here’s a bonus: Listen more, talk less.

What ideas do you have to increase your joy, success, and satisfaction in work and life? What are your New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comment box below.

And if you enjoyed this post and would like additional resources and articles on leadership, coaching, career, purposeful living, and relationships, subscribe to this blog by clicking the “RSS” subscribe button and signing up for our free ebook and newsletter.

Have a wonderful, adventurous, inspirational year!

Why Leaders Should Behave Like Dogs: 4 Doggy Lessons for Work and Life

December 26, 2012 By Kimberly

Know a great leader whose feet smell like corn chips and is hairy to boot?

I do. I work alongside her nearly every day. Actually, there are two of them. Right by my feet, where they lay silently, waiting for me to bless them with a glance their way, eager to thump their tails on the floor when I do.

They are good dogs, Zoe and Maddy. They’re not only part of the family, but they also have great influence. They’ve got us wrapped around their little paws.

Leaders would be wise to take a cue from my dogs. Yeah, I know. Dogs eat vomit, sniff each other hello, and lick themselves clean. I don’t advise you do that—at least not in public. But there are a great many lessons you can learn by observing them.

Doggy Loyalty

Remember the classic Where the Red Fern Grows? Essence of story: Brother and sister dog love each other, grow up, and die together. Dogs are loyal. To us. To each other. Try breaking into my house, and the Jaws of Death will lunge at your neck. And where one dog goes, the other follows. This includes getting out the front door as they chase each other off into the distance, ignoring my pleas to “Come back!” (Okay, so this is where my loyalty metaphor breaks down; loyalty to each other is sometimes more important than to me).

Can you imagine what the workplace would look like were leaders to exemplify loyalty in all their dealings? Loyalty to the vision. Loyalty to the values. Loyalty to staff’s development? Loyalty to work-life balance and boundaries?

Wolf Pack on Mission

Open the door to the backyard, and—pop! goes the gun—they’re off! That squirrel never did see it coming. Just kidding. They’ve never caught one, but their vision is clear: death to all squirrels (and all rodent life). Their mission? War against the fuzzy enemy. How? Together! Stand in their path? Do you want stay alive?

Effective leaders, too, not only cast the vision but also help those they lead to adopt it for themselves. Whether the vision is squirrels or creating a new market, they engage their team in the mission, trampling “it can’t be done’s,” plowing through obstacles, and chasing after the dream. And how the vision and mission is accomplished is through teamwork and collaboration.

Puppy Love

When I return home from being gone, my dogs jump up with excitement, licking my face, as if I’ve been gone for days on end. A whole 20 minutes is an eternity for them. I should be so thoughtful when my children come home from a hard day’s work at school. No, I wouldn’t lick their faces, but I certainly could behave as if they are the dearest things to me (because they are), as if I’ve missed them so much (well, most the time).

Puppy love—a love that is fierce and unselfish.

Leader—do you express this kind of love for your people? The kind that exemplifies servant leadership? The kind that elevates others before yourself? Act as if your colleagues and staff are the best ever (they are!), and they will love and protect you in return.

Persevering All the Way to China

If anybody is going to dig his or her way to China, it’s my dog. You should see my yard—holes, holes everywhere. Never give up! is their motto

Similarly, successful leaders persevere. Despite hardship and headache, they keep going until they reach the goal, even when they have to adjust the destination from China to Brazil, because of change and uncertainty. With sweat and passion, they tunnel their way to success, not letting a little dirt (or a lot) stand in their way.

So there you have it—four ways we ought to behave like dogs. Hmmm. I wonder if there are squirrels in China? Forget I asked. We wouldn’t want the dogs to find out.