Are You the Player, the Coach, or the Owner of Your Team?
My day started off by prepping for an upcoming monthly financial team meeting. Then I went into one-on-one meetings with my direct reports. Lastly, I finished my day by speaking at a leadership conference. To effectively perform each of these activities, I needed a different set of skills and mindset. As the leader of a team […]
Balancing Grit and Moving Forward: Have We Made it Impossible to Leave Unhealthy Situations?
Universities, companies, and teams that institute core values for their people typically include dedication among their priorities. The concept of grit takes dedication and adds the stipulation of unconditionality; through thick and thin, someone with grit will stick with it. It is a kind of courageous loyalty, a tenacity that gets excited about the notion […]
6 Ways to Stop Being Stressed
Some days when I am stressed, I try my best to figure out different, but fun, ways to de-stress. One of my personal favorite things to do is sit under a tree or by the KU alumni fountain. I find it so peaceful to be outside, taking in the fresh air. We are already a […]
Extroverts vs. Introverts: Who’s The Better Leader?
At the beginning of time, there were introverted dinosaurs and there were extroverted dinosaurs…. Maybe it isn’t that dramatic, but this certainly has been a real topic of conversation that people can go back and forth on. Who would you rather lead your organization or department? An introvert or an extrovert? THE MYTH Let’s get […]
Know That You Are Not Alone – Seeing Support That is Already There
“Only 30 more days, I can do it!” My fellow cohort members and I are on the home-stretch for the last official month of our first semester of graduate school, and at first I had no idea how I was going to push through it. First I went with a count-down, but I found myself […]
Sleep is Neat (And Makes Your Community Better)
Recently, I was averaging going to bed at 2:00am and then waking up at 8:00am. That’s what about 6 hours of sleep every day of the week. Ahhh, not good! In fact, it was so “not good” that I was sick over the entire Easter weekend while I was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying […]
The Permission You’ve Been Needing To Take a Break
I am writing this at 10:44PM on Thursday. And I am about to talk to you about self-care, mental health, and balance. I am not being hypocritical, please read on. You are reading this on Monday. I am probably somewhere in a cafe, writing poetry or hunched over a crossword. That’s right, at 2pm I am […]
Say YES if it scares you; Say NO when it overwhelms
I started my college career proudly telling the board of the club I was a member of that I was a follower, not a leader. I felt that my role was to support from the crowd, while someone else did the leadership and organizing. And then, something changed at the end of my sophomore year. […]