Leadership Reflection

I tend to say “yes” to everything. There are many reasons. For a long time, this served me well enough, but it all became too much.

I volunteer as a bingo caller at my church. During a recent game, my mind meandered to how a good bingo caller is similar to being a good leader.

I am a huge Ted Lasso fan. It was so refreshing to see a show achieve success with a leader that was kind, ethical, humane, caring, and funny.

There have been times when my work started to feel stale less engaging. Learning a new skill or tackling a new challenge helped reignite my spark.

At first, the prospect of leaving management was concerning. What would it mean for my career prospects? What would happen to my current team?

I was flipping through my notebook. I wrote down what I want to be known for. Later I circled the question “Is what I said true?” I had some doubts.

Being fully present provides the opportunity for us to be intentional in sending messages of sincere interest and make meaningful connections.

I started wall climbing. I was surrounded by people far better me. I was the worst in the class. This was the perfect place.

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Peggy Huston, Leadership Coach at MOR Associates.  Peggy may be reached at [email protected].]   What makes a great leader?  I posted this question in a Google search and received a long list of important traits for a great leader, such as integrity, good communication, agility, influence, empathy, courage, respect, knowledge, etc. […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Brian McDonald, President of MOR Associates.  Brian may be reached at [email protected].]   During the past month different MOR cohorts have had the opportunity to hear leadership lessons from several accomplished program sponsors. Their insights seemed well worth passing along so others could benefit from these thoughtful reflections.  1. Self-Acceptance Is an […]

Gratitude makes us feel good on both the sending and receiving side. However, it goes further: expressing gratitude at work can make us healthier.

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Marcia Dority Baker, Leadership Coach at MOR Associates.  Marcia may be reached at [email protected].]   “I describe my career path as a zigzag, not a career ladder.” Denise Morrison       I recently gave my leadership journey during a MOR Leaders program workshop. As a facilitator I was on […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Bill Wrobleski. Bill is currently on a trail somewhere in rural France. Need to find him? Check billonthecamino.com or email him at [email protected].]   Tomorrow, I head out on a 1,000-mile pilgrimage across France and Spain. For over seventy-days, I’ll be walking the Camino de Santiago, a series of well-worn trails […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Molly Sharp, Service Management Programs Director at Stanford University. It is a reflection on what she is learning as a current MOR program participant.  Molly may be reached at [email protected].]   Over the months since I began the MOR program, I’ve been evolving my thinking about the purpose of the […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Mark Askren, MOR Associates Leadership Coach, and former Vice President for IT at the University of Nebraska. Mark may be reached at [email protected].]   As leaders, we’re always on stage. Our staff, colleagues, campus stakeholders, clients, and the people we report to are paying attention to our work behaviors. What we […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Susan Washburn, Program Leader and Leadership Coach at MOR Associates.  Susan may be reached at [email protected].]   Recently, I pushed the rewind button on my Leadership Journey.   Looking back at the lessons we have learned is one of the most powerful activities in the MOR Leaders Program.  My journey is […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Michael Humphrys, Director of IT Strategy & Innovation, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. It is a reflection on what he is learning as a current MOR program participant.  Michael may be reached at [email protected].]   Of the many lessons learned through my MOR experience, one that has […]

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Jesse Voigt, Associate Director of Infrastructure, Macalester College. He is a current MOR program participant.  Jesse may be reached at [email protected].]  The Problem   One of the most frequent frustrations I hear from leaders is that they struggle with balancing their lead/manage/do ratio.   We fall into the trap of […]

The Paradox of Presence [Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Mark N. Goedert, Director of IT Planning & Strategy, University of Illinois Chicago. It is a reflection on what he is learning as a current MOR program participant.  Mark may be reached at [email protected].] My MOR leadership journey is very much like a puzzle.  The first […]

This week we’re going to do something different and start with the results of last week’s survey.   From Last Week  Last week, we asked: Which of these practices is most important to you? 41% said building relationships 27% said weekly planning 19% said owning your calendar / defensive calendaring 13% said delegating whenever possible […]