Skip to content

Author Archives

Unknown's avatar

Powerful Pieces Coaching

Questions for Leading Teams in Despair

What’s a leader to do when the societal polarities trickle into organizational relationships? How do we respond when collaboration feels near impossible but is still required? A recent APA report says stress is up. From the effects of the pandemic to a difficult ongoing season of divisions within our nation, not to mention any other personal concerns people may be facing, relating in any way (personally or professionally) may be difficult. I’m thinking of a team I connected with whose members share a common mission, but are unable to find… Read more Questions for Leading Teams in Despair

One Problem/Five Questions

Leading is not without challenges and problems. I’d argue leaders are most needed because challenges and problems are inherent to accomplishing any goal. While sharing some of my own challenges, a friend encouraged me to ask myself is this the problem I need to be solving?

Should: Paths & Dead Ends

Should: an influential word used by leaders and team members and often intended to move people in the right direction. When used properly, should provides a path to direct actions while bringing clarity to priorities. When misused, should creates a dead end leaving one overwhelmed, and sometimes paralyzed, by competing priorities. Should is not a bad word, but I wonder if it’s often misused? When out of context, it becomes a word used to nag us and remind us of our shortcomings and maybe all the things we didn’t do… Read more Should: Paths & Dead Ends

Responsibility & Response-Ability

Uncertainty is a regular part of leadership (Thank you 2020 for making this abundantly clear- as if we didn’t already know, but I digress…). One way leaders can navigate uncertainties, large and small, is to define their responsibilities and response-abilities. Responsibilities are what fall under our purview; whatever we are accountable for within our given roles. Responsibility discernment may be difficult in times of uncertainty. However, a clear awareness of what falls within our roles may help us to sort what belongs to us and what’s for us to leave… Read more Responsibility & Response-Ability

The Humility Curiosity Connection

Humility and curiosity are two significant pieces in the leadership puzzle. They are connected by the importance that learning plays for each piece. Together, they create opportunities for creativity and new ideas to emerge. Caldwell, Ichiho, and Anderson (2017) describe twelve interesting aspects of humility in leadership. These include, self knowledge, teachability, and dedication to continued learning. Each of these traits is centered around the idea of learning. This is where curiosity comes in: curiosity is a cornerstone for learning and discovery. Curiosity, as a leadership approach, means not needing… Read more The Humility Curiosity Connection