Becoming a Better You Recently my older son (21) was sharing with his younger brother (17) the idea of becoming a better you. As a leadership and development coach, of course my ears perked up. My son was explaining that the “you” you are today, is the not the “you” you will become in the future. He asked his younger brother if he’d ever given that idea any thought (this made me smile). Who’s Your Hero? To make his point,…
Compassion Makes All the Difference In a TV interview on CBS This Morning, Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO, said that he has come to understand that compassion is not just a better way to build a team, it’s a better way to build a business. In his commencement address to the Wharton School graduating class (on May 13, 2018) he talked about his vow, that if he were to manage people, he would aspire to manage them compassionately. Weiner said, “if…
The Living a Richer Life Community Thank you for allowing us into your inboxes over the past three years. While you haven’t heard much from me in 2017, I’ve been busy writing a book with my dad, Harvey Schoof. Our new book, Living a Richer Life; It’s All in Your Head, was published in late February 2018, and is now available on Amazon. In addition, I’m excited to announce a new collaboration. Insight Coaching (me) and Insight Consulting (my dad) are merging…
Self-Awareness – It’s All in Your Head! Often, we go about our lives with very little self-awareness. We just do what we do, without much thought. We’re busy with the hum of daily life. We’ve got places to go and people to see. We’ve got bills to pay. We’ve got stuff to do. And if we’re lucky, we carve out some time for ourselves. Yet, all the while, there is a constant whirr of noise in our heads. This noise…
Your Thoughts ARE Showing; Developing Self-Awareness Think about all the people you encounter every day; in your work, school, church, gym, or grocery store. Everyone you encounter is impacted by your self-awareness, or lack thereof, as you are also impacted by theirs. Developing a greater sense of self-awareness is recognizing that whether you know it or not, your thoughts ARE showing! Are Your Thoughts Showing? Think about your boss or colleagues. Can you tell when they’re having a “bad” day? …
Self-Awareness Improves Your Life Have you ever been in a really crowded Subway/Metro or a packed elevator at quitting time? Your awareness is heightened in these extremely close quarters. You may notice your elbow touching someone, or your bag bumping awkwardly around you. You may notice the silence, or the noise, the whirr of the machine, the clanking, the quiet conversations, a burst of laughter, maybe even your own breathing? You may notice the scent of freshly washed hair, or aroma…
Leadership’s Secret Ingredient; Connecting What kind of leader or manager inspires you? Brings out your best? Makes you feel engaged, empowered, and valued? Think about your very best manager, someone you respect and admire. If you need to dig deeper, how about a special teacher or coach? A volunteer, a church figure or community leader? And the question I ask you is: What is it that makes them memorable? Did you think of their knowledge and skills first? Or their education and…
Failure is an Option Fear of Failure Does the fear of failure hold you back? Are you afraid to try new things? When was the last time you took on something new, something that challenged you, made you stretch beyond your comfort zone, something that was even a bit scary? Would you be more willing to make a mistake if you knew that failure really is an option? Real vs. Imagined Failure What does it mean to fail? How we think…
Health & Happiness; Gratitude is Key Practice Gratitude Before you think about making another New Year’s resolution…stop. Before moving forward with your goals and business plans, take a moment to look back. What did your life look like one year ago; your relationships, family, finances, career? Take stock of how far you’ve come, what you’ve learned, who you are becoming, and what you accomplished in 2016. Practice gratitude. Count your blessings. Your health and happiness depend on it. Gratitude Research According…
Questions Improve Your Thinking On average, you think 50,000 – 70,000 thoughts per day, most of which are subconscious. About 90% of our conscious thinking is habitual and automatic, like a program running in the background of our minds. Our brains are wired to maximize efficiency, but is this efficiency helping or hurting our ability to make good decisions? Think about this. Do you respond without thinking? How often do you jump to a conclusion? How do you handle an…