This blog post from Co‑Active Training Institute, “The 5 Most Underrated Qualities of Good Leadership”, outlines five leadership traits that often get overlooked: humor, intuition, vulnerability, empathy, and inclusivity.

Now that you know, what can you do to act on it? Front of mind, put into practice… ready, set, go!

Reflect on:

• Which of these qualities do you most need to focus on?
• How can you take one step forward in raising your awareness and displaying the quality you chose?
• What do you imagine will be the impact of dialing up that quality in you?

Ever wonder about the real difference between guilt and shame?

This side-by-side comparison from the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM) lays it out clearly.

Guilt can be motivating — a call to action that helps us course-correct and repair. Shame, on the other hand, can be confidence-stripping and immobilizing.

When guilt arises, mobilize your resources and take constructive steps forward. When shame shows up, recall your innate goodness and remember that reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Reflect:

• Which have you experienced more recently?
• What steps can you take to smooth ruffled feathers — others’ or your own?
• What resources can help you navigate your way out of either?

Every so often (though more rarely these days), I meet someone who has no idea what coaching is — and no, not the sports kind! Every so often, I take the opportunity to explain it here. This month, though, I’ll let my colleague Julie Ketover say it better than I ever could:

“Each year, as I get farther away from my career in law and more deeply entrenched into my ‘second act’ as a coach and entrepreneur, I find myself reflecting on how and why I got here. Everyone’s journey to transformational work is different, but I have an unwavering inquisitiveness that always seems to push me to have a deeper understanding of mine. The truth is that a series of experiences and circumstances, coupled with divine timing, opened a pathway for me to honor a calling I had been ignoring — out of fear — for the better part of my life.

And so, I leapt. With support, structure, coaching, cheerleading, and even some gentle (and not-so-gentle) questioning (‘But will you make any money doing this?’ Um… I hope so?), I set up my life to be in alignment with a new career. I did what I support my clients to do every day: I created a new career and, really, a new life — one I wasn’t certain I could build.

This personal vignette brings me to what I love most about coaching conversations. They are weird. They are challenging. They are thought-provoking. They are unlike any other conversations a person has in the regular course of their lives.

Coaching is not therapy. The lens of therapy is wellness, with the therapist as expert — often a past-based conversation with many ‘why’ questions. Coaching, by contrast, looks through the lens of life by design and potential maximization. The client is the expert, and coaching is a forward-facing, future-oriented modality.

All that said, make no mistake: there is something deeply therapeutic about honoring your deepest desires and commitments — and, to put it bluntly, doing what you actually want to be doing, authentically.

The coach-client relationship is sacred. Friends and loved ones may cheer you on; colleagues may collaborate or brainstorm with you; acquaintances may politely inquire about your life. But coaches go deep and hold up a powerful mirror so that you can examine what is and isn’t working. Coaches are thought partners — velvet hammers — calling you in to the best version of yourself and demanding that you create the outcomes you truly want.

If you notice any gaps between where you are and where you want to be, do yourself a favor: get a coach.”

— Julie Ketover, JD, PCC, Member At Large – ICF Newsletter (Mar 2023)

A powerful reminder of why coaching matters — and what can unfold when we’re brave enough to engage it.

• In what area(s) of your life are you struggling or feeling stuck?
• What stands in the way of your moving forward?
• What benefits would you enjoy if you had professional coaching support to help dissolve the obstacles?

Image via Gul Sher on LinkedIn – “Innovation, Art & Creativity”

So many companies seek it in their candidates — but have you ever wondered whether innovation is nature or nurture? While there’s plenty of debate, most agree on its crucible: mindset.

Creativity, willingness to take risks, a readiness to “perspectives-hop,” and a comfort with novelty all shape a mindset primed for innovation.

No matter how naturally it comes, we can all strengthen this muscle. Gul Sher offers two smart strategies to fuel this mindset — and don’t miss the stunning video of artists leading the way.

Watch the post here.

• How often do you lean into an innovative mindset?
• What would be the benefits of inviting one more often?
• What area or issue is calling for you to embrace this mindset today?

Does the year feel fresh — but your job feel stale? If you’re yearning to take the leap yet nervous about what it entails, check out this short piece from The Balance on taking the most direct route to meaningful change.

Though it’s been around a while, the advice still holds up — and the embedded links are pure gold for anyone ready to explore what’s next.

• What’s appealing about a new career?
• What’s holding you back from making the switch?
• How might you explore the options before deciding whether it’s worth the leap?

Read the article here.

Whether it’s the holidays, the New Year, or simply that sense of one chapter closing and another beginning, we all share a common wish: to keep growing and moving forward.

As you look ahead to your fresh start, ask yourself just one powerful question:

“What is the one thing—no matter how small—I can do today to ______ (find a new job, make progress toward my financial goal, improve my health, etc.)?”

If you do nothing else but that one thing each day, you’ll be celebrating your success all year long.

• What’s calling for your attention right now?
• What does “one small thing” look like in this season of your life?
• How can you celebrate each small step as a success?

Happy New Year—and cheers to you!

As the holidays approach, so do year-end reviews. And many people feel they’ve come up short, in terms of “big goal progress.” Whether you feel frustrated by hurdles, inundated by details, that you didn’t prioritize the right things, or just aren’t clear on next steps, these 50 ideas can provide the inspiration you need to get going. Go ahead and select the ones that resonate. Maybe bring some ideas to your next coaching session. Let’s get clear and get you on the express route to your goals, so you can be free from this sinking feeling next year, confident you’ve taken concrete steps towards making your vision a reality!

• What goal do you feel “passed you by” this year?
• What stood in the way of making more progress?
• Which idea will you try to help you “get unstuck” (and on the fast-track towards your vision)?

*** As always, we thank you for your support and send you, our readers, best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year! ***

Ask any woman if she’s experienced some form of gender bias, and you’ll get a flood of affirmative responses. But ask a woman how best to handle it, and few can point to a consistently effective solution that doesn’t involve sidestepping or risk escalation.  Despite its age, this article offers “evergreen ideas” to inject humor into the situation, in order to shine a light on the bias while keeping the atmosphere friendly.

• What types of gender bias have you experienced?
• How do you normally handle them?
• Which of the article’s ideas could you imagine using?

Thanks to Elene Cafasso for the article share!

Straight up: the one question you need to be asking your team, your colleagues and yourself is both revealed and explained here, so you get why it’s a critical ask. Do yourself a favor and jot this one down!

• What obstacle seems insurmountable?
• When you swap “desired outcome” for “obstacle,” what happens to your perspective?
• How do the steps change when you’re “achieving the desired outcome” vs. “avoiding the obstacle?”

Stewing over a situation and what to do about it? Even if you’re not, consider This List “required reading.” From life changing events to life’s sticky situations, these 8 questions will help you find your best path AND maybe even solve another issue you didn’t know was looming! [No joke: this list is a must-see.]

• What’s keeping you up at night? 
• What if its solution was easy? 
• What about this list helps you uncover your best path forward?