I was talking with a client who is facing a difficult business challenge, and she said, “I’m excited because I’m going to have to grow in order to step up.” I share this because not everyone faces their challenges with this kind of enthusiasm. Often, it’s with dread, or at best annoyance. But what if […]
This week, while working with an executive team, in a moment of poignant honesty the CEO said “I admit that I’m scared sometimes.” He paused, and then said “But the question is, will I let it stop me?”
We demonstrate courage in many ways. I thought my client’s question—“Will I let fear stop me?”—was courageous. But […]
At this time of year, I often run into one of my pet peeves. Have you noticed the word “x-mas?” The little convention that literally takes Christ out of Christmas. I’ve asked myself why this irks me. And I think it’s because something essential, something sacred, gets lost.
When it comes to the sacred, I think […]
Let’s try an experiment. Imagine a great leader who lacks confidence. Hmmm…
Okay, now ask yourself what role confidence plays in your own life. When do you have it? When do you lose it? What does it do for you?
Notice if your answers tend toward the circumstances of your life. For example, do you feel confident […]
Recently I was talking with a good friend, a leader I admire greatly, and he shared with humility that at this point in his life he really has nothing left to prove. It had me wondering how much of our lives we spend proving ourselves? Proving that we are good enough, smart enough, successful enough—as […]
In the movie Avatar, the Nabu people greeted each other with the words “I see you.”
For the Nabu, “I see you” wasn’t a throw-away line like “hey, how ya doin,” but seemed to be more of an honoring of the human spirit.
Since the movie came out, I’ve wondered if “I see you” is […]
Have you ever considered that you may be an environment for others?
Thinking of yourself as an environment can open up a new dimension of self-inquiry, and self-awareness. We normally think of environments as places we live, work and play in—like offices, living rooms, hiking trails, and football stadiums. But consider that people live, work, and […]
“I’ve got to be more disciplined.” How many times have you said that to yourself?
And yet, what does that really mean? Is discipline about making yourself do things you don’t want to do, and then feeling resentful and resistant (like dieting for example). If so, you may be seeing discipline as a tool to make […]
Welcome to Executive Wisdom Insights.
In these weekly posts, I have two intentions: One is to break with conventional thinking as much as possible. Two is to offer practical ways to have a more powerful impact in your business, and the relationships you care about.
Executive Wisdom is about power. Not control. But power—personal power.
How we use […]