Sometimes we have to accept the reality that innovation can’t always be planned, but when we find a pattern to help us increase the likelihood of spontaneity – why not try to learn it and bake it into the corporate culture? In their new book “Great by Choice,” Jim Collins and Morten Hansen have...
Coaching Advice
Giving Away Your Personal Power – And Taking It Back
Just like balancing on one foot, once you understand the feeling of InPower, it’s easier to identify when you unconsciously give your power away and can take steps to retrieve it and catch yourself earlier next time. “Taking back your power” is as simple – and as hard – as paying attention to these emotional signals and putting yourself in a genuinely positive state. Sometimes this is easier than others, causing us to learn to let go of beliefs and unconscious reactions that no longer serve us, and other times it’s really quite easy. Always it is a choice. Once we become adept at managing our own InPower balanced state, we can also practice it in the world, helping others around us attain more InPower so that the groups we lead as a whole can access more power. An InPower leader can not only foster group power, but direct it into achieving great things in the world.
This is the second post in the Take Back Your Power series of posts.
6 Tips for Staying Positive When You’re in a Career Transition
Looking for a job when you don't have one is one of the hardest things we do as responsible adults. Career transition is hard work and the biggest challenge is staying positive. Kathryn gives us some great strategies for keeping our chin up and focused until we find that perfect fit. - InPower...
Dear Dana Workplace Advice: How Can You Manage A Peer with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Dear Dana: I recently moved to a new division and the team I run works closely with another team. The other team leader and I are supposed to work closely together to coordinate schedules, resources and such. I am a positive person and went into this peer relationship trying to create a win-win....
Stressed? Practice the Art of Saying No
The holidays are upon us and this means - increased stress! We all "know" that when things get busy we need to be gentle with ourselves and that one of our best strategies is to say "No" more often, and preserve more of energy for the highest priorities. We know it but we often don't do it. I want...
Career Advice: Examples of Team Accomplishments When Applying for a Job
Welcome to “Dear Dana”, a column to give you career and workplace advice/coaching from executive coach, Dana Theus Dear Dana, I am updating my resume to apply for jobs. I read your article about "speaking accomplishments." I liked your advice and will apply it to how I manage the way I think about...
The Perils of “Easy” Consensus: Leaders, Do Your Job
Throughout my career I’ve had experiences with government, nonprofit and corporate cultures, and I’ve noticed a leadership pattern in all three that leaders can learn from. Consensus means different things to different people. Be brave. Do Your Job. Don’t take the ”easy” path. The word consensus...
Speak Your Truth To Power – High Risk/High Reward
Almost half of respondents from a recent survey (48%) say they withhold their truth more than 25% of the time. Why? Because 82% say they’ve been penalized in the past for speaking up, being pushed aside, minimized and even losing their jobs. When I asked this question in discussion forums and in the survey, some of the emotions were raw. People feel that their integrity is at stake when something important is on the line and most (76%) feel regret when they decide to bite their tongues. But there’s a silver lining here if you want to advance your career and feel like you’re taking your whole self to the office every day (i.e., most of us) – 72% said that speaking truth to power actually got them ahead! You can learn to negotiate this professional development minefield to help advance your career and maintain your integrity at the same time. Read the full post for more stats and insights. Download the survey results free and register for the new eCourse, Speak Your Truth to Power.
What You & An Air Force General Have in Common – The Path To Leadership
When I first met Lieutenant General Judith Fedder, I was immediately struck by her poise and presence. Then I noticed the three stars on her shoulder and wanted to know about her experience with power and leadership as one of the most senior ranking women in the military. She was very open and...
6 Communication Tips to “Bring People with You”
How many times have you had a conversation with a colleague who carries on about a topic and you never get to say a word – nevermind ask a question? One-sided conversations can get tedious – quickly. And I’m sure if you have experienced this, you hide from the person when you see him coming down...