May 21, 2014 When Life Gives You Lemons: Turning A Bad Situation Into Something Positive
At the end of 2007, many of my close associates watched in horror as the economic crisis took millions of Americans’ jobs, homes, and dreams. None of us had ever seen anything like it.
It was bad. And it continues to be bad for many people. But as it turned out, what came out of the crisis for me was a journey I never envisioned myself embarking on.
It started as friends of mine–old colleagues, neighbors, and family–began to confide in me: “I’ve been in the same career for years, and now it’s gone!” they’d tell me. “What do I do now? Go back to school? I can’t do that, I’m too old!”
I also heard: “I’ve never had to write a resume, can you believe that?”
Actually, I can believe it. Many of my peers were blessed with secure, longterm jobs in which they excelled for decades, so that they had no need (they assumed) to keep a polished, updated resume on hand. When the economic downturn left them frantic, it was only then that they realized their mistake. So I helped them craft a resume that would optimize their chances at landing another job.
At first, I was simply being a friend to individuals in need of guidance. I’d meet with folks for coffee and offer what advice my experiences had equipped me with. Then, I began to discover that I was truly good at helping people to find their path, and that I really enjoyed doing it.
So, You Excel Now was born. Today, I still coach numerous individuals on a one-to-one basis, but as this thing just keeps on growing, I’ve started turning my message and experience into talks, workshops and keynote addresses in order to reach more people. It doesn’t look like it’ll slow down anytime soon.
Here’s my point: All of this happened for me as a result of a really, really bad thing: the 2008 crash. While I’m obviously not glad the crisis happened, it serves as a good reminder that life is unpredictable, and often doesn’t do what we want it to do. The good news is, we get to choose how we handle it.
When you look at it right, you’ll find something good to take away from almost any bad situation. At the very least, a bad situation always equips you with a powerful learning experience. But oftentimes, bad situations open the door for new, potentially amazing opportunities. Had I not chosen to look at a disastrous situation as something potentially positive, I can’t say for sure that I would have found myself on this amazing journey as a career and life coach.
So keep your eyes peeled!
Tags: Career Coach Advice, How to Boost Self-Esteem, How to Change Your Life, How to Get a Life, Job Hunt Advice, Margaret Smith
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- Posted under Changing Your Life, Uncategorized
May 15, 2014 Leading With Humility Strengthens Your Organization
A recent study found that across the board, the most effective leaders demonstrated the following characteristics:
1) acts of humility, such as learning from criticism and admitting mistakes
2) empowering followers to learn and develop
3) acts of courage, such as taking personal risks for the greater good
4) holding employees responsible for results
In other words, it is crucial to lead with humility. You may feel pressured to always have the right answer and to always take the reins, which is understandable. After all, the buck stops with you. But if you never allow your team room to find solutions in their own way, you’ll miss out on some amazing collaborations. I’ve witnessed some truly incredible things when I gave people room to learn, grow, ask questions and trust both me and one another.
In other news, the Star Tribune did a great piece on me. You can read it here.
Have a great week, all!
Tags: Delegation, Effective Communication, Healthy Workplace, Improving Leadership, Improving Relationships, Margaret Smith, UXL
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- Posted under Better Business
May 3, 2014 Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel’s Five F’s For Successful Leadership
In this snippet from one of her talks, Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel gives us her five characteristics every good leader needs.
Her five F’s are:
Fast
Focused
Flexible
Fluid
Futurized
I like how she not only establishes some very important leadership attributes, but also stresses the importance of being able to jump from one skill to the next. In a leadership role, you need to be fast on your feet as things develop on the fly. At the same time, you must stay focused on the project and on the people working with you. The attribute that lets you do this is flexibility. You must be able to be on high gear in one moment, then slow it down to address the needs of an individual, and then turn it back on high gear.
From experience, I can tell you that all this running around and focusing on all the various needs of the organization gets exhausting. Many leaders burn out pretty quickly. This is why I think Dr. Bethel’s last point, being futurized, is a very fitting point to end on. Having vision and being forward-thinking are what keep you centered and motivated. So, while you might get tired from all the running around and changing gears to address new developments as they pop up, you won’t burn out, because you know what you’re working toward.
What are your thoughts on Dr. Bethel’s five F’s? What kind of leadership principles are on your list?
Have a great week, it looks like spring is finally upon us!
Tags: Delegation, Healthy Workplace, Improving Leadership, Leadership, Learning Agility, Margaret Smith, UXL
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- Posted under Better Business
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