Your Leadership Coach

The phrase for the week is "Financially Speaking” When I’m coaching a senior manager or executive who wants a seat at important C-Suite meetings, I ask one question--How’s your business and financial acumen?   If it’s a face-to-face meeting, I usually get a cold stare.   If I'm coaching by phone, the silence can be deafening. Here’s the deal, reading a profit and loss or any other financial statement is important.   What’s more important, however, is understanding what it means in relation to the company as a whole.   It is no secret, employees with business and financial acumen are better at thinking strategically, see the bigger picture relative to the company’s success and clearly understand how their function impacts that success.   Also important is understanding how the company makes money. This knowledge will accelerate your opportunities to be included in important discussions.   I choose to purse an MBA to shore up this area of weakness in my toolkit.  Y

The phrase for the week is "Strive for Excellence” What exactly does that mean and how will I know I’ve achieved it?   Good question!   You can go back as far as you’d like…think about a time when you either led or were part of something that swirls joyously in your head for months or years--having children or getting married doesn’t count. You know you gave y our best when years later, you are still beaming with pride at just the thought of it!   Could you imagine having that feeling each day?   How about once a week?   Once a week is absolutely doable.   When you achieve a high level of excellence on a daily basis, and it becomes habit, then you’re going to find success greeting you at every turn.   Know where your sweet spot is and be purposeful, deliberate.   Strive for Excellence. I strive for excellence in all I do each and every day.

The phrase for the week is "Invest in Your Network” Thought I'd keep the investment theme going another week. On this day when taxes are due, I'd like to remind you that investments in your network are also due! Too often I speak with young and senior professionals who invest little or no time in building and expanding their network. It is usually during a personal or professional crisis when the alarm sounds and they realize they have no network.   They are all alone. When you have built a thriving network, you’ll know. You are privy to information that hasn’t gone public yet or perhaps, never will.   You are smarter than your peers because you have a body of knowledge and expertise that you can tap into with a quick phone call or email.   You are the go-to person for counsel and information.   People want you on the team. How do you build or expand your network?   Begin with securing a mentor (see March 11, 2019 blog post).   It doesn’t have to be some

The phrase for the week is "Fix Your Relationship with Money”  Money was once a clouded mystery to me.   I spent many years fearful of it, embarrassed by the lack of it, and unclear how money was defining me. About twenty-five years ago, I took stock of my relationship with money and wondered, what does it mean to be rich?   I realized that being wealthy isn’t just about having material possessions, but also-and more importantly-being wealthy of spirit, having a passion for the work I do and pausing to realize all my blessings. I began to change my focus from making money to managing the money I made.   I’m no longer concerned with the deposits being made to my savings or checking, but the deposits of time and love being made to my family, friends, and the next generation of leaders looking to carve out a niche in this world. I talk more about this in my contribution to the book,  Souls of My Sisters . There are countless books on the market about the subject of m

The phrase for the week is "Think Big, Visualize It And Then Let It Go." Make a clear distinction between wants and needs.   About twenty years ago, I finally decided to go through a box of papers I’d promise to clean out for years.   Amongst old bills, letters and photos long neglected, I found a faded sheet of paper containing a list of things I wanted to accomplish in five years and then, in ten years.   I had totally forgotten about this list and got chill bumps all over as I realized that it was ten years old, almost to the day!   This was my list of “wants.”   I had accomplished everything on the list but one thing.   It was something I later determined I didn’t “want” anymore.   Upon reflection, I remembered my state of mind when I developed that list. I was afraid to think big. Would accomplishing these things help define me?    Of course, I now know the answer is NO! I remember thinking I “needed” more money.   How much would be enough?   Of course, I