Reality-Based Leadership

I have an important topic to cover this week that I think many of us are feeling right now or have felt at some point during this pandemic: anxiety. Most of us blow right by anxiety and right into behaviors, denying those feelings, or avoiding the work to process it. I'm going to challenge you to notice where anxiety has showed up in your life right now. Then I'll share how to better understand yo...

This week, I want to talk about how we can hold space for others, widen our perspective of what others are going through, and not allow our ego to make quick judgments right now. I also want to discuss how we can make what I call repair attempts (AKA: mulligans, do-overs, making amends!) when we screw up. Join me on Facebook Live this week on Thursday, May 14 at Noon CST. https://bit.ly/2SNhEcy

Boy, are we learning a lot about ourselves and others during this quarantine! Have you stopped to notice and pay attention? This podcast is all about listening to what you have discovered about yourself during this time. What has been better? What has been worse? What has surprised you? The more we tune into how this time has changed us, the more we can grow. Ask me your questions on this week's F...

Today's podcast is a rapid-fire of questions all related to how we're doing - emotionally - during this pandemic. No two people are experiencing this pandemic alike. While some have too much time and feel lonely, others are overwhelmed and wish they had more time. Still, some others are losing their jobs and those they love most, causing incredible grief and stress. One thing is for sure is that w...

Two themes are emerging for me in your pandemic questions this week: finding space for others and getting perspective. Our egos are flaring up right now and seeing insult where there isn't any, and we have to be ready to combat it. Q's answered: I am a nurse manager. How can I give good communication to my team and help them focus on the task at hand when there is so much fear, anxiety, and stress...

This week I'm answering 4 of your questions as we continue to find our way through this challenging time. My biggest hope is that you can find peace amidst the chaos. Questions answered: - I want to continue working from home, while my co-workers are at the office. How do I ask for what I need? - I feel anxious and distracted working at home right now. How can I refocus and get back to productive...

This week, I'm back to answering your questions about surviving this pandemic: How can I deal with staff anger and resentment when they are now asked to account for their time at home? I see the benefit of routine, but how can we establish new routines that work for our current situation? I'm a nurse manager. How can I support my team who is angry about things out of our control? I'm fearful that...

I'm going to pause on my current podcast series so I can come to you weekly with my thoughts, reflections, tips, and techniques for how to move through this time together successfully. How can we simply survive this time we have been given, or dare I say, thrive? I'm going to talk about two mantras that are so powerful for me right now: Love Wins & Evolve Yourself I'd love to hear your questions!...

I'd love to come to you as often as possible during this strange and confusing time. Right now, maybe you're like me and feeling A LOT of emotions. That's why I thought it would be important to talk about how to process these emotions and to not let them turn into your suffering. Please let me know in the comments if these are helpful and if you would like to see more! I'd love to hear from you.....

When you come into a new leadership role, it's common for your ego to come out to play. In this case, fear took over the ability to move to action, stories overrode facts, victims and villains were alive and well. But when you can move beyond your ego and fear, and give yourself some compassion, it's amazing how well you will be able to lead.

With the frequent updates and changes to our daily lives because of COVID-19, I am sure many of you are feeling uncertain, scared, or just not sure how to lead at this time. I wanted to share some thoughts about how I'm trying to move through this rapidly changing and uncertain world at this time, and I hope it helps you in some way.

This week's Dear Cy letter is from someone leading a multi-disciplinary team that takes care of patients with chronic diseases. She isn't a nurse herself and believes that her team doesn't respect her as a leader because of it. She admits being conflict-averse and should have taken a more pro-active approach. Ultimately she wants to know how to hone her skills and put her ego aside to be a more ef...

Alex and Cy are answering a fan letter this week from a mom who writes about working hard to get a degree in early childhood education but then finds herself in a completely different role as a cook in the center where she is working. How she can find the opportunity in this role when she has worked so hard to obtain a career in teaching? We're going to talk about how your ego gets in the way and...

This week, we're back to answering Dear Cy letters, and I think you're going to love this week's topic: Burnout. This is a big topic right now, especially for healthcare folks, but it's something we can all experience regardless of our job or industry. We're going to dive into handling burnout from a manager/leader standpoint, as well as managing your own wellbeing and self-care. I'm also going to...

This week, I wanted to share a brief overview of the top 5 sources of drama at work that I found in my research. I know many of you have heard me talk about ego as a main source of drama, but did you know there are 4 other major contributors? Here's the great news: If we can understand these sources of drama, and work to manage them for ourselves and our teams, there's nothing that can stop you fr...

Today I'm doing a little something special. I'm sharing a keynote that will help you understand the why behind your stress & frustration at work, or why you don't get the results that you want. I also share the tools and techniques you can use immediately at work or at home. No matter if you are a leader or an individual contributor, this episode will help you find greater peace, happiness, and su...

This week Alex and I are diving into two fan letters where the ego really wants to take hold and be right. One letter deals with a person trying to get a co-worker to change their victim behaviors, lack of accountability and unwillingness to get on board. The second letter asks how they can deal with a new manager that is less experienced than they are. Tons of juicy content in this episode that y...

This week, we're back to answering fan letters! And this one is from a person who is in a complex, goal-oriented team that is frustrated by "unattainable" goals set by their boss, indicating that the team is also frustrated and unmotivated as a result. Said boss is also resistant to feedback and a poor communicator. Alex and I are going to deconstruct this letter and see if we can get down to the...

I'm so excited to be launching Season 3 of the No Ego Podcast! This season is dedicated to your in-depth letters as you work to practice RBL at work and home. Our first letter is from Kimberly. She works in an org where most have adopted RBL philosophy. However, she tells of how some people have written off the philosophy, even when she can see this philosophy is the answer to their problems. Bott...

I'm taking time in this episode to reflect on the key themes that caught my attention this year, as well as things I am entertaining in the new year to continue in my evolution and curation of my life. Some key themes you'll hear about is why I'm choosing self-care over self-soothing, my goals to stay curious longer and not naming things too soon, as well as a preview of my next book, which will b...

The final episode in this Q&A series has more great workplace drama topics, including: how to have tough conversations with employees how to roll out the employee value equation with your team overcoming your fear of speaking up, especially when dealing with someone in power Learn about our Certification Program. Our next class is on March 18-20, 2020! https://bit.ly/2KQDqYM Season 3 of the Podcas...

In the 3rd episode of this 4-part series, I'm sharing more of my Q&A with our Certified Facilitators. In today's episode, we're talking about how I use tools to manage people out of their ego's grip, including these tools: - The Thinking-Inside-the-Box Tool to increase individual commitment and accountability - The SBAR Tool to empower people to solve their own problems - The Edit Your Story tool...

This week, I'm continuing with the 4-part series from Certification where I'm doing some live Q&A. We're getting into why we need to filter our engagement surveys by accountability, how leaders can create a reality-based culture , sharing a feeling vs. venting , and how leaders can stop enabling bad behavior .   Learn more about our Certification Program. Our next class is on March 18-20, 2020! ht...

I think you're going to love this exclusive 4-part Q&A session with our Certified Facilitators where I talk candidly about: - the toggle switch concept, and why it's important for both leaders and employees - how to effectively use self-reflection questions to bypass ego - how leaders hinder accountability - managing employees who vent and share unhelpful opinions - how to create shared accountabi...

I've known Robb Holman for years and we're both out there speaking and training to change hearts and minds! I fell in love with Robb's first book, Lead the Way , which helps leaders self-reflect on their value from the inside, and now in his new book coming out this week, All In , he teaches us how to build trust, bring out the best in each other and proactively connect with our teams. Learn more...