Waiting to Bloom
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
It is hard to wait for a good plan to unfold, what can impatient or discouraged leaders discover from cotton blossoms, boll weevils, and denim jeans?
Doesn’t everyone have a favorite pair of jeans dyed to the perfect shade of indigo blue? Actually, they were called waist overalls until the 1960’s when our hipster Baby Boomers started calling them jeans.1 The ingenuity of these denim pants was more about durability than comfort, and more specifically, the...
Get Ready to Soar
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
What do eagles teach about adjustment, the effortless, and the proven? What do birds have to do with planes, controversy, and the United States seal?
In 1903, the Wright brothers were credited with the first repeatable flight of an aircraft. By definition, an airplane must be heavier than air, manned and powered, take off and land under its own power, and controllable along all three axes (more on that later).1 Have you ever wondered how planes fly? I really never...
2020Q3 REVIEW: Identity
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Let’s reflect on the Leader’s Field Guides from 2020Q3. As you focus on "identity", how can you develop more clarity and intentional expression?
It’s time for a review! Reflect on 2020Q3 and consider what you’ve incorporated into your leadership and what needs more attention. Think about how each topic challenges you to reflect on your professional and personal identity. Are those identities different? How can you enhance your leadership...
Identity Crisis
LEADER’S FIELD GUIDE
Our identities can become enmeshed with our jobs. How does your job performance, business card, and work past contribute to your Professional Identity?
I had an Identity Crisis. Yes, there was a time when I couldn’t wait for people to ask me, “What do you do?” I would almost hyperventilate as I magnified my brilliant impact or bragged about my stellar accomplishments. I was my job. If you wanted to know me, you had to know my job. I like the...
2020Q2 REVIEW: Change
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Let’s reflect on the Leader’s Field Guides from 2020Q2. As you focus on "change", what habits would help you develop more acceptance and adaptability?
It’s time for a review! Reflect on 2020Q2 and consider what you’ve incorporated into your leadership and what needs more attention. Think about how each topic challenges you to reflect on the change you, your teams, and your family members are experiencing. How can you enhance your...
Using a Different “Yes”
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Ever feel a twinge in your gut in response to a request? Maybe it's time for a different "Yes"! Find out what "Nice Girls Don’t Get…" author suggests.
The customer is always right, right? Well, “Yes, and…” We’ve all been pressed at the last minute to move up a deadline or expand the scope of an effort, usually without additional payment or time. We want to be accommodating and perceived as cooperative, but that can come at...
Pick Your Triangle
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
We play roles on a stage called "Workplace". What's your starring role? Are you enabling? Empowering? Pick a Triangle and start practicing your lines!
I love a good science-fiction movie! I would choose that or a thrilling mystery over a drama. And though we may not agree on the best film genre, we probably could agree that mystery and drama belong on the Silver Screen rather than in the workplace. I’m sure you’ve either observed or been caught up in the...
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...
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Light-Hearted Wisdom for Serious Business
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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