Pursue What Matters

President John F. Kennedy is widely regarded as one of the most well-known and liked presidents in American history. Perhaps the biggest reason for this was President Kennedy's daring goal to put a man on the moon. When President Kennedy made this announcement, very few people believed it could be done. Even the people at NASA, who knew what it would take to get a man to the moon, thought that it...

Mark Twain once said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." As individuals I believe we all have wondered about our purpose in life at some point. Having a vision for your own life is a central part of what makes people successful For teams and organizations the answer to this question of purpose is just as important. This week on the pod...

Are you ready for a new year? A new year of possibilities? Does the thought fill you with excitement or leave you with a pit of dread? Facing a new year can be daunting. Add to that the expectation of New Year's Resolutions that almost always fail, and is it any wonder that many of us want to run the other way when we consider the year ahead, even as challenging as 2020 has been?!  Before you jump...

This year has been difficult, I'm sure you'll be as happy as me to see 2020 end. But before that happens, I hope you'll join me on this episode to reflect on some of the things you and I have learned this year. There are valuable things for us to remember that will aid us in moving forward. Show notes available at:  www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-86

You have work to do. I have work to do. I'm not talking about day jobs, I'm talking about the creative work you're here to do. The work that lights up you mind, excites you, and that you dream of. Sadly so many of us give in to fear, self-doubt, and other excuses instead of blessing the world with our contribution. Listen in today as I discuss why creativity is so vital and how to overcome the fea...

Motivation. It can be the difference between reaching your most important goals and just getting by. As a leader, it's your job to leverage motivation for the good of the organization. We all know extrinsic rewards like gift cards, company parties, and bonuses have their place, but they only go so far to motivate team members. How do you make someone care about the work, the mission, the culture?...

Performance improvement and performance reviews, these two things may cause you to shudder. They can both be quite painful at times. But they don't have to be. Too many of us ignore the process of performance improvement at our peril. On this episode I'm discussing principles that will help you better work on performance improvement, as well as make the whole process easier for yourself and your t...

On this episode I'll be reviewing Simon Sinek's bestselling book: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't. This is a fantastic book, and is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their leadership abilities. Show notes available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-82

We all react to rewards and punishments, whether they be at home, school, or work. Between grades, performance reviews, or pay raises, there are plenty of ways our behaviors are either rewarded or punished. But are you rewarding the wrong behaviors in your team? Join me on this episode as I explore the issues with so many of our rewards systems, and how we can adjust them to be more effective.   S...

As a leader, you manage a lot of overlapping schedules and goals among those you're tasked with leading. Everyone from Marketing to HR has an important role in accomplishing your overall goals, but each of their individual goals, or their "horizons" can get in the way of each other if you're not careful. Horizon conflict is inevitable in every organization, but if not tended well, it can lead to f...

The research is coming in, and it's telling us that working moms are among the groups hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. While for many of us this isn't surprising, it's still sad to see. On this episode I'll discuss the research and as always, solutions for overcoming this problem.  Show notes and other resources available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-79

We need YOU to lead! Yes you. We need your skill, talent, and especially, your passion for things that others don't feel quite as strongly about. It's your turn to inspire your tribe of like-minded individuals. To help out, I'm reviewing Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin. This incredible book talks about leading in our modern world and how now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to...

We all know arrogant leaders, and we know they can be successful. But does anyone actually look up to them? Enjoy following them? With some humility, these highly capable individuals could be incredible leaders. Whether you're at work or home, I hope you'll join me this week as I share with you why humility is so important to great leadership, and how we can all cultivate humility in our day to da...

A few weeks ago I talked about Dr. Russ Harris's book The Happiness Trap, in which Dr. Harris discusses principle of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This week I wanted to dive in even deeper on ACT and show you how it can help you have an even happier and more meaningful life. Show notes and transcript available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-76

If you're anything like the rest of us, you've probably experienced your fair share of brainstorming sessions that weren't terribly effective. Whether it's bad ideas, poor participation, or team arguments as a result of your brainstorming, we've all experienced less than effective brainstorming. Not to fear, this week I've got some awesome research to share with you about brainstorming, and why yo...

Psychological safety is one of the many new buzz words in the business world that we've begun talking about. I'm so excited about this, because I know personally from my clinical practice how important psychological safety is. I hope you'll join me today as I discuss this vital principle for effective teamwork, and the fascinating research Google found out about teamwork while studying their own h...

Do you have unrealistic expectations about happiness? Could it be that you are caught in the happiness trap? What does that even mean? Join me on this episode as I discuss The Happiness Trap, by Dr. Russ Harris. This book is about how you can use principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to readjust your relationship with expectations and emotions, so you can lead a happier, more fulfilling...

How do you know if you're in the right career path? Are you on a dead-end track? It can be so hard to know! This week I'm here to help you learn to trust in your unfolding path. It's likely bumpy, twisty, and far from perfect, but it's yours, and it's worth loving. If you're not going to love it, who will? Show notes available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-72

What kind of leader are you? Do you have all the answers? Or do you listen and learn? Well, your answer to these questions make a big difference on whether others will want to be lead by you! This episode is all about learning how to ask for help, and why doing so is powerful in your leadership. Show notes available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-71

Brené Brown described perfectionism as "a 20-ton shield that we carry around to protect ourselves from our fear of rejection and hurt." This week I'm talking about why that is the case, how perfectionism shows up in your life, and how to handle life in much healthier ways. I hope you'll join me! Show notes available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-70

Have you ever found yourself in a room of people you esteem as talented, hardworking, or otherwise impressive and thought to yourself, "I don't belong here?" Even when you know you're qualified? Well my friend, you may be suffering from imposter syndrome, the "psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments." I hope you'll join me on this episode as I discu...

Last year there were over 11,000 new business books published last year. That's almost a thousand per month! As a busy leader you don't have time to sort through the myriad of leadership and business books. That's why on this episode I'm giving you my top 5 books from various categories within leadership and business. Enjoy! Show notes available at: www.drmelissasmith.com/episode-68

Oh, boundaries. Sometimes they get a bad rap, but truly boundaries make for the most efficient and effective relationships. Join me to learn more!

Accountability can be such a sticky subject, and usually people lean too far to one side (micro-management) or the other (lack of support). There is a sweet spot, and I'm helping you find it today! Let's jump in!

Time for another book review! This month we are discussing Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Show notes and resources: https://drmelissasmith.com/episode-65/