At InPower Coaching we believe that having purpose is critical to both happiness and effectiveness at life - but what if you haven't found your life's calling? The thing you plan to devote every waking breath to forever? If you haven't found a "life purpose" are you destined for unhappiness and...
inspiration
Why Is Leading Innovation So Hard?
Innovation so often happens in the unplanned places. This is something of a conundrum for many leaders whose manufacturing B-School heritage tells them that everything should be planned out, documented and accounted for. Innovation – like its sister creativity – cannot be planned, budgeted, shoved into a “retreat” or predicted. It happens in the shower and in the in-between spaces of life and work.
Leading innovation is difficult because you have to risk looking like a fool. But when the great leader looks beneath the surface of the failures innovative playtime produces, they often discover that in those failures are seeds of success. Sometimes it’s a specific idea that results, sometimes it’s just reenergized employees, which can pay back in employee creativity, retention and improved customer service.
Innovation is a personal skill too. Here are three things you can do to create space for innovation in your life.
Stop the Spiral of Negative Self Judgment
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, shared in a speech that no matter how charmed her life looks, every day she falls short of what she had hoped to accomplish. Then she has to consciously stop her brain from beating herself up for her shortcomings. She ended by telling us to “Let go of...
How Not To Fall Victim To “The Motherhood Penalty”
It’s a fact, Ladies. The most fulfilling experience of our lives – nurturing little beings into wonderful adults – is statistically killing our careers. At least that’s what the data says. According to a 2010 study by Michelle Budig and Melissa Hodges of the Social and Demographic Research...
How To Conquer Your Fears
Fear will stop you dead in your tracks or make you run like hell. It’s supposed to do that. When you come face to face with a life threatening moment, like a fire in your house or a wild animal in your path, your fight or flight reaction kicks in; thank heavens for that. That’s what fear is...
INSIGHT: 5 InPower Travel Tips
Do you travel a lot for your job? Through my career I’ve gone through times where I traveled a lot and hardly at all. I used to believe that when I traveled, life tended to get out of control very easily. Then I had kids and realized that the tendency for a crazy life seemed to follow me...
Coming Out From The Shadows By Cultivating A Positive Attitude
Dana's on vacation this week so we're taking a break from her regular Friday Insight & Inspiration post to share some thoughts from our newest team member Suzan Czajkowski who reminds us how to turn bad news into opportunity with a positive attitude. Please help us welcome Suzan! - InPower...
Resolutions Faltering Already? Four Footholds For Sustaining Practice
If your New Years resolutions are already in danger, enjoy some tips from Leslie on how to make them real. - InPower Editors My work as a coach is to help people increase their capacity in an area that really matters to them. For some, it’s the capacity to connect more fully with others. Or...
INSPIRATION: Release
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. - Hellen Keller The end is nigh. 2015 comes to a close tonight. Where are you at? Is this an end to a happy time? A crappy time? Are you ready to be done with it? Wishing you could hold on? Still rushing to close out? Take a moment and notice what...
INSPIRATION: Invest in Yourself
Wow, the holidays are coming fast. Can you feel them rushing at us? Though I’m tempted to start putting myself second already, I am resisting the urge. The end of the year is actually a great time to invest in myself, personally and professionally. Professionally, I take time to think about what I...