One of the most fulfilling things I’ve had the privilege of experiencing in professional career (and personal life, too) has come as a direct benefit of the power of paying forward the many lessons mentors have provided for me, specifically in seeing measurable growth with those that have latched on...

So far, we’ve looked at why relationships are the key to unlocking our potential (there’s no such thing as a self-made leader), how harnessing the power of candid conversations builds strong foundations for those relationships, and steps we can take to maximize the return on investment from each rel...

For any relationship to deliver a measurable return on investment, strategic investment will always be required. To take full advantage of the value we can recognize through strong mentorship relationships, it’s crucial that we practice a high degree of emotional intelligence as we make those invest...

As we looked at why many folks in leadership roles avoid feedback, I shared examples of how some leaders aren’t necessarily avoiding feedback; they just aren’t getting honest input from the folks closest to them on where they have opportunities for growth. In most cases, these leaders are in little ...

To have any hope of taking advantage of the untapped power of honest feedback, we absolutely must develop the skill set of accepting that feedback without justifying our existing performance or allowing the feedback to eat away at our confidence. I mentioned earlier how much it stung, especially ear...

“Wanting everyone to be happy and making tough decisions were incompatible tasks.”

 - John Maxwell

I (Cindy) remember reading this quote early in my leadership journey and realizing there’s my problem!  I was attempting to keep people happy while making tough decisions... and it wasn’t working ou...

I remember having lunch with my best friend from high school in 2002 or so. He had recently accepted a position with a new company and was off to an amazing start. I had been leading our facility’s behavior-based safety process for around a year at that point and was finally starting to believe I co...

Passion is a thought process you can choose at any time. If you don’t believe me (Cindy) just think about your next trip to the beach, your family, the fun you have with your best friend, or the way your dog greets you when you arrive home. If none of these work for you, how about that cup of coffee...

In putting together an upcoming course titled The Strength of Your Organization:  Finding & Retaining the Best People, I (Cindy) was reminded of something John Maxwell shared with us as part of his President’s Advisory Council.  What I am about to share with you John says is a foundational piece to ...

When we strive to become more aware of us we give ourselves a chance to grow in the areas we need to. 

A friend called me (Cindy) recently with a revelation about some of the individuals she was choosing to spend time with. I passed on an intentional action a mentor shared with me when I found myse...

Apparently the last post sharing my near-death experience during that less than half mile run was somewhat amusing… Not only did I receive a few direct email responses about the humor folks were able to find in my stupidity, I heard Cindy laughing uncontrollably from the other side of the house as s...

Why does professional development matter to you? For your future self? For those counting on you? For all the ways you can add value to others? For tomorrow to be better than today? For an edge in your career pursuits?  Don’t miss the opportunity at the end of this blog to access our complimentary p...