Listening Well Imagine yourself at the beginning of a large-scale (but fun!) personal project…like planning a vacation to Bali. You do what any good information-gatherer does: you turn to your hive mind. You put out the call for restaurant recommendations, Read more
Grow Your People,or Watch Them Go There’s a question in Gallup’s engagement index that always gives me pause: Is there someone at work who encourages your development? It doesn’t ask whether you’re enrolled in a certification program. It doesn’t ask Read more
Care Is a Leadership Skill, Not a Personality Trait You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend. But you do have to give a damn. That’s the job. If that feels blunt, great. Because this particular leadership trait (genuinely caring Read more
Words of Affirmation: Work Edition Every once in a while, folks will talk to me about Love Languages – a clever way of describing intimate relationship communication strategies. One of the Love Languages is “Words of Affirmation,” and I personally Read more
Help Your People Connect the Dots on What They Do Best When I was a baby assistant director, I had this magnificent boss who was very popular for her people skills. She was the beloved adviser of the college student Read more
How to Lead with Value When the Dollars Don’t Show Up In higher ed, we’re no strangers to scarcity. Budgets get trimmed. Positions go unfilled. Technology is “refreshed” less and less often. And still, we show up—managing events with borrowed Read more
Clarity Isn’t Intrusive: Why Clear Expectations Are a Gift “They should know what’s expected of them.” Should they? It’s a phrase I’ve heard from supervisors more times than I can count. It usually surfaces after frustration has simmered too long—after Read more
Passive vs. Active Relationships: Know the difference. Use ‘em both. We’ve all walked away from a day full of meetings, events, and conversations—and felt completely disconnected. There’s a weird paradox in student affairs and higher ed work: you’re surrounded by Read more
Your Wellbeing Depends on Your People: Why Social Connections Matter More Than You Think Leadership can be lonely. You’re the go-to problem solver, the decision maker, the “let’s circle back on that” guru. But if you’re not careful, you’ll look Read more
Open Your Ears (and close your mouth!) Earning a PhD is an exciting and triumphant accomplishment, and a ton of work! Several of my clients are in various stages of their doctoral programs, and I always enjoy hearing the stories Read more