Ego wins, project loses

Ever have one of those days where you’re feeling blue because something really worthwhile is going to come to an end because the person in charge says they want help but really don’t?

That’s me today.

A leader asked several individuals, myself included, for our help in getting a project off the cliff’s edge of financial collapse. The calibre of the individuals providing advice is impressive; what they have to say moves me. Their intelligence and passion are formidable. They care. Continue reading

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Confidence, Curmudgeons and Other Fav Leadership Reading

Boosting your self-confidence, dealing with curmudgeonly bosses and leading up were some of the reading topics that captured the fancy of the BIG team over the past week. Please share if any of these topics grab your fancy, too!

When you feel inadequate  (Mary Jo Asmus, Aspire-CS) Continue reading

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Fav Leadership Reading: Communications and Connection

Communicating, networking and the power of vulnerability were leadership topics that struck a chord with the BIG team this past week.

Believe in yourself and enjoy!

Take 5: Why Men Should Care (Ilene H. Lang and Jeanine Prime, Catalyst) Continue reading

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Hopes, dreams and doing

I met Lisa two years ago at a networking event. She worked at a small graphic design company but said she really wanted to be a personal trainer. I offered to virtually introduce her to a west coast friend who was a personal trainer if she would share her email address with me. She said she didn’t have any cards with her that contained her email so she would email me. She didn’t. 

Six months ago, our paths crossed again at another networking event, a round robin table style. Lisa told the ten women seated at our table that she worked in graphic design and was checking into becoming a personal trainer. Continue reading

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Leadership reading for corralling inner critics

Overcoming fear and failure was a pervasive theme in our research and work this past week. If you’re too tough on yourself or your inner critic has taken over, you’ll find good insights here about regaining control and pushing through to success. Enjoy!

Successful Women Make All the Right Mistakes (Rania Anderson, The Way Women Work) Continue reading

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Monkeys, Duct Tape & Other Assorted Thoughts on Leadership

Leaders doing good, getting creative, and managing monkeys were just a few of the leadership posts that snagged the attention of the team at BIG this past week. Enjoy…because it isn’t every day one sees the words “duct tape” in a piece about leadership!

10 Creativity Tips From The World’s Greatest Scientists (The Bacharach Blog)

Creativity was cited as the single most important leadership quality Continue reading

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Leaders: rewarding hat tricks or planning?

don't reward hat tricksListening to the CEO of the $500m manufacturing firm describe the exploits of his operations vice president was fascinating:

“Louis was an incredible leader…again. When the product defect was discovered, he told his team to do whatever was needed to fix it. After two weeks of all-hands-on-deck work, Louis got the glitch Continue reading

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Fav Leadership Reading

Our work was fun, fun, fun this past week as we encountered so much fine reading material. Topics snagging our fancy included leadership with soul, the perils of group think, improving coaching skills and proof that there’s more to life, love and leadership than money…please enjoy!

The Leadership Gap (Lolly Daskal, Lead from Within) Continue reading

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Leadership Reading Favs

Our research and reading tastes were all over the map this past week:  from learning to emotions to dreams and on to possibility…enjoy!

Are You a Bully? Are You Sure You Aren’t?(Colin Gautrey, Colin Gautrey on Influence)

Feeling introspective? Colin offers up a thought-provoking list of 31 bullying behaviors along with a five-step process to assess whether or not some adverse behaviors have crept into your leadership style. Continue reading

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