The Longest Day, Ever!
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Quarantined families experience the longest Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day-- EVER, as sharing the workplace experience takes on new meaning.
In the US, the fourth Thursday of April marks Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work (TODASTW) Day. On this day, children of all ages are escorted by a parent or mentor for the purpose of sharing the workplace experience. Marie C. Wilson, Gloria Steinem, and Carolyn McKecuen, who created the concept in 1992, were...
Leading Teams Under Pressure
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
When stressed, it's tempting to change processes, lean on 'favorites', and focus on good news; instead, teams need preparation, experts, and reality.
Some people thrive under pressure and others thrive by avoiding pressure! Let’s face it, being under pressure rarely bring out our best, but practice, partnership, and planning improves our ability to lead teams through challenging experiences– expected and unexpected. For example, every three years, the...
Taking Out the Trash
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
I received an electric grill as a gift. Though riddled with guilt, I gave it away! Find out why and what I learned about leading through change.
Have you ever seen an overflowing trash bin? Perhaps at a park or in, um, someone else’s kitchen? It happens slowly, just one item at a time. But, eventually, even huge dumpsters get full. We tend to find more trash when we switch offices or move to a new location. Some things get tossed out, recycled, or given away....
Recovering from Mistakes
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
I insisted on appearing competent and confident by minimizing the issues-- only to discover the client interpreted my interactions as unapologetic!
It was a perfect storm of technical issues and miscalculated responses. I cringed at the discovery of each new setback: data synchronization errors on my calendar causing confusion, botched software configuration that even Support couldn’t resolve, and an unexpected Disk Is Full message requiring some time-consuming...
Agile Leadership
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Bill Joiner’s Change Model addresses "effective action in complex, rapidly changing conditions." What's your Agile Leadership arena, level, and type?
Right now, my gym is closed. So, I am doing all of my fitness training at home. I alternate between free-weight strength training and my new (and dreaded) cardio-focused High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routine. As with all new endeavors, it is hard to perform at the highest level without a bit of conditioning....
Paradigm Shift
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
The letters G-B-U-J-S were tapped out using a towel against a prison cell. What the Stockdale Paradox says about leaders' perseverance and acceptance.
The letters G-B-U-J-S were tapped out using a wet towel against a prison cell. The Tap Code gave prisoners a 25-letter alphabet for communicating with each other during captivity. 1 While being tortured at the Hoa Lo Prison (A.K.A. “Hanoi Hilton”), James Stockdale heard, “G-B-U-J-S,” which meant...
Childlike Work
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
As children, we were virtually incapable of being bored. We took limitless risks, had an insatiable curiosity, and considered infinite possibilities.
I have a photo of myself taken at a park, in 1976. I know it was taken on a Sunday because I was wearing a dress and thick white tights under my royal blue coat. I was missing three of my front teeth and sporting my favorite Buster Brown shoes. I am grinning from ear to ear while perched on the monkey bars,...
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AUTHOR & COACH
Michelle Sugerman
Michelle Sugerman (PMP, PCC) is an author and leadership coach with Leading Synergies. She created Synergy Groups and TEAM Tenacity-- powerful online groups for Christian leaders seeking Community, Accountability, Transformation, and Leadership.
Michelle also partners with high-performers and heirs-apparent, especially in the STEM industries. Her formal background in technology, franchise, and project management gives her clients an edge for implementing best practices and scaling towards sustainable success.
Michelle lives in Colorado where she hikes fourteeners and enjoys gourmet meals with her loving husband and college sweetheart.
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