A mentor of mine once said, “Your character communicates to people in the room before you ever enter the room.” Who you ARE makes a difference!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to do a training for professional development and been told not to enter into the touchy-feely personal development area. Because personal development isn’t ‘important’ in the workplace. Nay nay!

Who you are determines your success!

Your character communicates three things:

• Consistency- can people count on you to BE the same person day in and day out? Or do you changer your personality and habits like someone who changes their clothes? Do your people wonder which boss will show up to work- the kind and caring boss, or the mean and angry one?
• Potential- who you ARE communicates whether the person and/or the work has potential for growth. For example, many of my coaching clients come to me to make a transition in their life (new job or start a business)...

Thomas Troward, one of the members in my ‘old, dead guys club’, a mentor, writes about the laws of the universe and Nature and how you can apply those to your thinking. One law in particular is the law of growth. He writes about the plants, and trees, specifically the huge sequoias and how they all, including many generations over time, come from a small seed.

He explains that thoughts and ideas are just like seeds in the physical world and when they are planted in great soil, watered, and fertilized, they can grow exponentially.

I’ve found, after coaching hundreds of people, that there are three choices you can do with an idea:

• Force it to happen: usually by hurrying, worrying, overworking yourself, or MAKING it happen
• Give up hope that it will happen- dismissing the idea right away or letting someone influence you NOT to do something with that idea
• Watering that idea with an intentional and persistent thought process.

Guess which client usually sees better...

"Predictability, dependability, and consistency: these three qualities ensure that our leadership is reliable and motivates people to place their confidence in us. Our effectiveness as leaders is built on trust." Gayle Beebe

Consistency isn’t a fun thing to do or talk about- it isn’t sexy like transformation and leadership! However, when you truly understand the power behind consistency, especially compounding consistency, then you can begin to enact real change in the world.

• How are you consistent as an employee? Does your boss see you doing your tasks on a consistent basis? Can she/he count on your predictability? Or do you bring drama wherever you go?
• How consistent are you as an employer? Do your people see you as dependable? Do you do what you say you’re going to do? When do you not do what you promise and why?
• Are you consistent as a volunteer? Do your team leaders feel that you are steady and trusted or that you’re going to ‘flake out’ on...

Last chance to sign up for the Self-Image Mastery course! We open today and you’ll never hear me talk about it again.

“When there is no choice, there’s no fear.” Byron Katie

I read this statement this morning and, honestly, it had me doing some mental gymnastics…

At first, I thought when I have no choice, I don’t like it! Some people, when they have no choice, tend to turn into a victim/hostage, some people will fight to the death like a wounded animal, and others will accept it and move on. And, out of all of those options, you still have a choice. So, what to do with this statement?

As I thought about it more, I realized there are many times when I don’t have a choice about something and I move forward. For example:

• When there’s a pandemic that forces you to stay at home
• When your son, a week into a pandemic, chops his knee while cutting firewood and you can’t stay at the hospital with him
• When you lost 3 friends in 6 hours...

Recently, I had the joy of going on vacation with family, friends, and colleagues. It was a ton of fun!

As I had fun and engaged with others I realized a few things about myself. I acted a bit differently than I have in the past. Others noticed, which turned my attention towards it as well.

In the past, on these trips, I would sleep in, party, spend lots of money, drink too much, eat bad food, stay up late, and talk about other people. Now, some of you might say, “I don’t know, Michelle, that sounds pretty good to me.” And for a time, it was.

But this trip was different…

This time, I got up early each day and enjoyed the quiet while everyone else was sleeping. I did a few hours of work that I loved and got to serve my clients. I spent the rest of the day with the other party-goers. I set up systems before the trip so I could still make money while resting, swimming, and reading. I ate nutritious food (for the most part!) and took regular walks- I loved my...

John Maxwell teaches leaders that their leadership ability does not equal their actual effectiveness. Einstein said the thinking that got you this far won’t get you to the next level. So, how does apply to our leadership?

Many new leaders come into a position and think they were hired because they know something. When, in reality, they KNEW or DID something in the past (i.e. what’s on their resume) and are expected to know and do something NEW in the future.

Past performance does not guarantee success!

As a leadership coach, I’ve seen all kinds of leaders. The leader that comes in hot and heavy and demanding, who might suffer from insecurities and doubts but shields that from anyone watching. And the humble leader who knows they know nothing and wants to do their best. Here are a few tips:

• You knew something to get you here and you need to know even more to keep getting results, so adopt a learner’s attitude
• Start looking at others as experts and ask them...

Two of my mentors talk a great deal about who you attract in life, especially when you lead.

“Life is an echo. What you send out, comes back. What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get. What you see in others, you see in yourself." Zig Ziglar

“Who you are is who you attract; that’s the law of magnetism.” John Maxwell

That got me thinking… as I’m working with leaders, many of their complaints focus on the ‘soft skills’, communication, work ethic, etc. Common complaints include:

• “They just don’t listen to me.”
• “They always do their own thing and not what the team needs.”
• “They just don’t seem to ‘get it’.”
• “They always procrastinate and show up late.”

When I hear these statements, I know it’s time to start digging! Subtle modeling is caught, not taught. Meaning, people will do what they see, not what you tell them to do. Is there some small part of these...

"It is characteristic of all learning that as learning takes place, correction becomes more and more refined." Maltz

When a baby toddles, they fall frequently. When a 5-year old rides a bike without training wheels, they fall often. When a 16-year-old drives a car, they make mistakes!

As a mother of an almost 16-year-old and having spent a great deal of the last year praying fervently and teaching him how to drive, under great stress I might add, I understand this learning principle even more now! As he practices, he seems to ‘grope better’ through his driving. (He’s actually really great at parking!) Much like the toddler who has to learn coordination, balance, and grace as they practice, Josiah is learning the same things as he drives.

AND… we learn the SAME way in our leadership roles! After working with thousands of leaders, many of them new, I can tell you that most of them have the understanding like I did when I started my first position, that you...