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Blue Bridge Leadership

Executive Coaching, Career Coaching, Training, Leadership Development, Professional Development

7 Ideas to Enhance Your Leadership in 2014

January 6, 2014 By Kimberly

7 Ideas to Enhance Your Leadership in 2014We 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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!

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Relationships

13 Adventures in 2013

February 16, 2013 By Kimberly

13 Adventure Ideas for 2013I don’t know about you, but I want each year to be bigger and better than the last.

What would be your adventures?

In your relationships? With your business? At work? For your personal life?

C.S. Lewis said, “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” I’m never short on goals or dreams! In fact, I like to call them adventures, because the connotation is much more positive than the word “risk.” So here I’ve dreamed up 13 adventures for 2013.

  1. Mentor a teenager in the foster care system. Did you know that thousands of kids “graduate” from the foster care system every year? At the age of 18, it’s off to the real world. And who is to support them? Who is to help them with job applications? Who can they turn to when they have questions about rent or college or dating or cooking? My heart is for these teens who are often unprepared and alone.
  1. Take a nearby mission trip with my children. Over the summer, I’d like to pack up the kids, hook up the pop-up camper, and travel to another state. We’ll stay at a campground for a few weeks, but several times a week work alongside an existing ministry or organization. Perhaps we’ll read stories and teach art lessons to underprivileged children. Maybe we’ll work every night at a soup kitchen. Who knows! The fun will be in encouraging the whole family to participate in the planning process.
  1. Go parasailing.
  1. Take a 3-day backpacking and camping trip with the family. I’m not talking about the pop-up camper. I’m talking matches, sleeping bag, lantern, backpacks, and whining kids who ask, “When are we gonna get there?” as they traverse hills and rocky paths.
  1. Acknowledge and praise people more often. Adventurous? Yes, for me.
  1. Start Sunday Family Meetings. Goals for the week? Check. What’s going well? Check. What to work on? Hmmmm. Could be rough waters ahead.
  1. Tempt the swing. Swing dance, that is. Here in my hometown, locals gather to swing dance. I tried it once last year, failed miserably, but am determined to learn. And this time, I’m forcing hubby to go with me. That should be an adventure in itself!
  1. Got 4 little kids at home. Just got me one awesome dog. Had a great idea: Why not create a little chaos at the nursing home? Many elderly folks love kids and dogs. They remind them of their own grandkids or pets they had long ago. Plus, my kids could use a little lesson in empathy and service to others.
  1. Help my children to identify ways they can help others, and then walk alongside them as they implement their ideas. (Example: sell cookies to raise funds for a child with cancer.)
  1. Write a book.
  1. Create a 5-year financial plan. (Is this adventurous or scary? I don’t know.)
  1. Turn Bible verses into personal prayer petitions for myself and those I love.
  1. Make new friends! Reach out to 10 women who inspire me. Ask them to lunch.

Now, it’s your turn. What would be your list of 13 adventures for 2013? Share one of them in the comment box below. I’d love to hear your ideas.

And, if you’d like to receive the latest articles, resources, and tools on a life, career, and business of excellence, significance, and impact, be sure to sign up for my blog and monthly newsletter. You’ll even receive my latest ebooks for free!

Filed Under: Faith and Spirituality, Health and Wellness, Purposeful Living, Relationships, Uncategorized

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

January 2, 2013 By Kimberly

Joy, Success, and Satisfaction in Work and LifeWell, 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Write your life’s story. Your children and those you love will appreciate it someday.
  4. Get working on your bucket list. What? You don’t have one? Then read the next idea.
  5. 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.
  6. Forgive someone. Write a letter to that person, even if you don’t ever give it. Feel the burden lift from your shoulders.
  7. Ask 5 people to list your top 3 talents, strengths, and values. Are you integrating them fully in your life and work?
  8. 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.
  9. Invite your neighbors to a quarterly potluck. Get to know them!
  10. Improve your skills, or learn something you’ve always wanted to learn. You can sign up for free college courses from top universities.
  11. Bring your pet to a nursing home, rehab hospital, or children’s hospital. Be sure to ask permission first. Warning: smiles and giggles ahead.
  12. When you take your dog for a walk, ask to take the neighbor’s dog as well. Maybe double trouble, or maybe double fun.
  13. Get outside daily. Walking to the car does not count.
  14. Include more beauty in your life–art, nature, faith….
  15. “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, the Bible)
  16. 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.
  17. Count your blessings, literally. Keep a gratitude journal.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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?
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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!

Filed Under: Career, Health and Wellness, Leadership, Purposeful Living, Relationships

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.

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Purposeful Living, Relationships

13 More Easy Recognition Strategies for Home and Work

December 11, 2012 By Kimberly

In my last post, I listed 10 easy recognition strategies for leaders and colleagues in the workplace, and promised you some more. However, I thought it would be relevant and fun to list those that can be used at home as well. Here are great ideas to spread the love around.

Appreciation and Recognition at Home

  1. You call it mush. She calls it a casserole. Eat it anyway. And smile.
  2. He’s got unique admirable qualities–point them out.
  3. Want to be a a true servant leader? Wash your husband’s stinky feet. Even Jesus did this. (Once a year is enough.)
  4. Want to be a loving husband? Take over the chore she hates the most. (Once a year is not, I repeat, not enough.
  5. Give his wagging butt a little pat. Oh, you thought I meant your husband’s? No, the dog, silly.
  6. Call her on the phone for no real reason–just to show her you’re thinking about her.

Appreciation and Recognition at Work

  1. Give out awards for fastest staple-er, hands that fly across the keyboard the quickest, best deal closer, warmest smile, heartiest handshake, most authentic–you name it.
  2. Hold other more serious contests.
  3. Give him a biscuit. Oh, you thought I meant your colleague? No, I mean to the colleague’s dog, for those companies that let their employees bring their pets to work.
  4. Praise extraordinary workers in the company news bulletin or announcements.
  5. Chocolate. Need I say more?
  6. Oh, and did I already mention in my previous post about an afternoon off? Well, in case it didn’t sink it. Nike was right. Just do it. Talk about spreading the love around.
  7. Just say the words: Thank you. I appreciate you. You are what makes our company the success that it is.

Ahhhh. I’m feeling warm and cozy already.

P.S. Your ideas? What works? Doesn’t work? Got a story to share? Please do so in the box below. (By the way, I appreciate you for doing so!) And if you enjoyed this post, please sign up for our newsletter (with free ebook) and our blog subscription, and consider sharing this link with others. Thank you!

Filed Under: Career, Leadership, Purposeful Living, Relationships

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