Words people use to describe great leaders
If you ask AI for a profile of a great leader, you’ll get something like, “great leaders are visionary, inspirational, empathetic, decisive, innovative, collaborative, charismatic, resilient, authentic, and strategic.” This may be a good list to aspire to, but it’s an impossible standard to uphold if you think you have to be there to be […]
When is help not helpful as a leader?
We raised chickens on the farm growing up. It’s painful to watch a chick hatch when you’re a born caregiver like me. One day I “helped” a chick by breaking the egg for it. To my horror, it died. On that fateful day I learned that sometimes help isn’t always helpful. Sometimes people need to […]
Honouring Terry Fox September 15
Raised in British Columbia, Terry Fox was an active teenager who participated in many sports. In 1977, at 18 years old, Terry was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone cancer) and his right leg was amputated six inches above the knee. In the hospital, Terry was overcome by the plight of other cancer patients and decided […]
Are you re-inventing yourself when necessary?
It’s natural to get comfortable in our life situation. But if we aren’t conscious and intentional, we can unknowingly become unsuitable to our existing environment. I’ve learned is that it’s good to periodically re-invent yourself in response to different life events. Regularly renewing yourself is a crucial component of personal growth and development. Otherwise, we […]
Four Pillars of a Good Life
Lindsay Kimmett was an athlete, leader, learner, and aspiring doctor with the skills and ambition to leave a big mark on the world. After her tragic passing on February 17th, 2008, her family and friends, committed to carrying on her legacy and passion for hockey, organized a 3-on-3 pond hockey tournament in Lindsay’s hometown of […]
Why “being nice” and avoiding hard conversations isn’t really “nice” at all
Have you ever met a “nice” person who is polite, but hard to connect with? There’s a difference between being nice and being kind. The chart illustrates an extreme dichotomy between the two. Nice comes from insecurity, a lack of confidence Kind comes from high self-worth and respect Nice is polite aloofness Kind is genuine […]
Don’t Get Stuck In The Pursuit Of Perfection: The Power of Small, Continuous Improvement
I’ve always had a hard time enjoying an activity because of my unrealistic expectations of perfection. Years ago I took piano lessons and I recall how much I practiced Für Elise focusing on perfection. I became hyper-aware of each barely noticeable flaw and when a finger slipped and shattered any illusion I had of perfection, […]
You Can’t Leave Belonging To Chance
If you think about the time you have spent in your family, at school, and organizations you’ve worked in, you know what it feels like to belong or not belong, and why it matters. It’s the difference between feeling isolated, detached, and irrelevant, and feeling connected, valued, and engaged. Belonging makes all the difference. We […]
4 Ways To Lead With Initiative
After lunch today, I was in a hurry to get back to the office, and just placed my dishes on the counter rather than taking an extra few seconds to put them in the dishwasher. When others pick up the slack and do too much for us, we lose what my parents called good old-fashioned […]
Is it well-loved?
For the past several weeks while looking at houses, our realtor introduced an expression, “This house has been well loved.” Now at some showings, I find myself saying, “This is not a well-loved house.” Some people truly turn a house into a home that is worth loving, while some only take from their surroundings. This […]
