Late 2017 and early 2018 provided us with the opportunity to run the gamut of highs and lows as new mostly self-employed business owners. The public events were successful overall, and full of learning experiences. Locally, it was our third year and the most successful to that point. The other being...

2015 likely held as many life changes as we had ever experienced in a single year. Shortly after taking a week-long vacation to celebrate our fifteen anniversary, which may have been the first full week we were away from our jobs at the same time since our honeymoon, I completed the SHRM prep course...

As I approached the one-year mark in my new role with that small, family-owned business, I received my first annual performance review. My immediate manager and the owners of the company were keenly aware of all I had taken on in that position as well as in my time away from work. They saw tremendou...

When was the last time a project or goal slipped, and your first instinct was to explain away the outcome — or even quietly shift some of the responsibility? 

As leaders, we all juggle demanding responsibilities. When things go sideways — especially when we feel overwhelmed or frustrated — it’s eas...

I’ve been blessed beyond measure by the mentors in my life who have made themselves available. Had each of them not been genuinely focused on seeing people’s worth, there’s no way I would have had so many of the opportunities I’ve experienced. Following those amazing examples, I’ve worked to pay it ...

In all the years I worked in behavior-based safety, much of our work was based on the premise that we can’t see someone’s attitude or emotions except through the action they take. That applies equally (if not more) when it comes to valuing others. I can say it over and over again, but there's little...

While it wasn’t necessarily a direct lesson I asked for at the time, the availability Terry has provided me with for close to three decades shows my just how much value he’s seen in me - as well as everyone else he’s mentored over the years. The humility he’s modeled through the process has taught m...

As we worked through steps for how developing others serves as a path to leadership, I shared how a reluctance to pass along knowledge, often out of a misplaced fear that it could diminish our own value, prevents us from providing a successor (or even a direct report) with all the guidance we possib...

When we see others’ worth and we’re humbly willing to make ourselves available to them, the time we invest supports their growth in ways we may never fully comprehend. We can easily count the seeds in an apple, but we can’t count the number of apples that come from one seed. By valuing others and be...

Seeing value in and being available for the people around us is critical; not just in a leadership role, but in every aspect of our lives. But just clearing time on our calendar may not be enough to earn trust and get the most possible value from diverse contributions, especially if we don’t display...

Even when we see people’s worth, being available isn’t (and shouldn’t be) a blank check. Valuing someone is wildly different than providing them with unlimited time at the drop of a hat. Whether it was Terry, Chris, or any other mentor who’s been a blessing in my life over the years, getting time fr...

The art of responsiveness requires listening (to build a foundation so we can adapt our response to our team’s needs) and investing in each responsive relationship (to give or receive mentorship), but quick decisions under pressure can sacrifice the influence we’ve worked so hard to earn - if we’re ...