I chatted with a coaching client the other day and she was angry! She had a staff member that didn’t follow through on her promises and put their grant in jeopardy. This is a BIG deal with many people affected. As I listened to her tell me all about the facts of the situation, I was reminded of a quote I read recently by James Allen,

“Working steam is not heard. It’s the escaping steam within which makes a great noise.”

Working steam is contained, captured, and used to power something forward.

Escaping steam does damage! Much like the anger of a leader. So what can we do with that anger so we don’t hurt our people AND move things forward?

• First of all, acknowledge the anger! Many people try to deny that feeling and that’s how you can explode. One day the anger just boils to the surface and you hurt yourself and others. Acknowledge the validity of your feeling.
• You need to find a safety valve! Anyone who’s ever cooked with a pressure cooker...

I heard this statement from one of my coaching clients the other day and could feel his stress and anxiety through the phone! I reminded him that leaders don’t do what’s easy, they do what’s right. After a few moments of a small pity-party, he said, “Okay, now what?”

Great leaders build their reputations by empowering others. While it might seem easy to just cut your losses and let them go, it actually costs much more in time, money, energy, and resources to let them go and find a replacement.

How do you equip your people?

As I was preparing this lesson, I thought, “Man, there is no way I can tell them the answer to that question in a short blog post! I wish they were in the Empowered Leaders Group.” In the Empowered Leaders group we talk at length about how to do this, not just from a principle standpoint, but an individual and personal standpoint, each week in our group coaching sessions. However, let me give you five quick points. John...

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...