Blog
Overcome Fear of the Unknown to Live the Life You Want
Some of the earliest memories shared by many of us are of laying in the dark wondering what was lurking where we could not see. The image of monsters under the bed or ogres lurking in the closet is an archetypical experience that stays with us throughout our life. While safe and secure under covers, we feared what we could not see – and we lacked the wherewithal to meet our demons head-on. This phenomenon plays out for millions of people each day. While most adults view fears of the “dark” as a childhood indulgence, how many of us...
read moreHow to Be Yourself with Family, Chosen and Not
I have never met a person who had not experienced complex feelings about their family – and who did not experience some difficulty around family dynamics, especially during the holiday season. People often ask me about how best to approach tough familial issues and the most effective answer I have found is to stay true to yourself. Many people have developed two versions of themselves, the one their family has known and the person they have become out-of-sight of those people. These two personas often come crashing together as sharing the...
read moreTeam Leadership Gets the Job Done
This blog is an excerpt from Kathleen Schafer’s upcoming book Living the Leadership Choice. Join the Leadership Connection community to receive updates and exclusive content. “It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” – Unknown Making progress toward achieving a goal is an essential component of effective leadership. No man or woman is an island, and no goal is accomplished alone. Teamwork is vital to success, and in order to create effective teams, each participant must play a leadership...
read moreAdmitting the Problem is Only the First Step
The recent New York Times Op-Ed piece, “The Unaddressed Link Between Poverty and Education” laid bare the facts that many of us know all too well, that is, students from disadvantaged households have many more educational challenges that their peers from more socioeconomically affluent households. While economic challenges certainly impact a child’s academic performance, there’s a much more fundamental issue at stake for all our children. Do contemporary classrooms adequately serve the needs of any student or our country’s...
read moreHow We Live Reflects Who We Are
While my younger and immensely more social media savvy colleague beseeches me to weigh in on trending topics and news stories as soon as possible, I sometimes like to wait a day or two, not only to ruminate on the points made, but also to see how others respond to the information. Not surprisingly, I often find that my conclusions are not how others reacted to the same information. The most recent example of this was Cook political reporter David Wasserman’s piece in the Washington Post, Will the Election of 2012 be a Contest of Whole Foods...
read moreLeaders Are Not Born or Made – They Make a Choice
I have been asked many times, “are leaders born or made?” The question reveals two important misnomers about leadership. First, is the fear that there’s some elusive leadership quality that they were not born with like Michael Jordan’s athleticism or Albert Einstein’s intelligence. Second, is the hope that they can learn what it takes to be an effective leader to compensate for any genetic deficiencies. Fortunately, the answer allows everyone to breathe easier as anyone who wants to be a leader can make that...
read moreWeekend Wondering – The Gift of You
“Every decision you make – every decision – is not a decision about what to do. It’s a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do.” - Neale Donald Walsch During the last month of the year, our thoughts are not only on the holidays, but also on the gifts that often define the season. Even though our adult selves may have put aside some of the...
read moreWanted: Political Leaders Intent on Solutions, Not Adulation
This week President Obama laid out his vision for America and his rationale as to why he should be re-elected. In a nearly hour-long speech, he sought to firmly establish himself as the defender of the middle class. While the ideals underpinning his rhetoric are laudable, the approach of demonizing various segments of society is not the way to creating solutions we so desperately need. One need not get into the details put forth in the President’s speech, or those of his potential Republican opponents, to know that by staking a position as a...
read moreOur Fickle Selves
It is always with a hint of mirth that I watch the quadrennial analysis of political pundits who seem befuddled by the electorate’s behavior. This year the attention falls squarely on the Republican primary voters who are shifting their preferences with the rise and fall of the personal predilections of the various presidential candidates (the latest Washington Post-ABC poll has Newt Gingrich on top in Iowa, but it’s still early in the game). And it will be no different when the Democrats and Independents enter the fray in the general...
read moreNewt Gingrich Leads in Iowa – Will He Stay There?
In case you missed it, on Monday we talked about Newt Gingrich as a student of leadership styles. The new Washington Post-ABC News poll declared Gingrich as the leader in Iowa. Will Newt be able to create wholesale change while still catering to the people’s desire for approaches less rooted in partisan rhetoric? Full results at WashingtonPost.com Kathleen Schafer is founding principal of Leadership Connection and author of Living the Leadership Choice (release December 2011). Connect with Kathleen on Twitter and read her blog at...
read more