Workplace Wisdom

How to handle the times when work, well…to put it bluntly, just sucks.

What’s Your Brand?

What’s Your Brand?

Nike has the “Swoosh”, which represents speed, movement, power, and motivation, and Evernote, an app that stores your written notes on a laptop, uses the figure of an elephant's head, because "an...

Obstacles Are Opportunities In Disguise

Obstacles Are Opportunities In Disguise

What amazing things would you do if you thought you could?  I was going to write about branding this month, but I believe this is an essential first step. I recently came across a book in my...

Put the “I” in I, Inc.!

Put the “I” in I, Inc.!

Successful people act as owners of their own company, whether they work for a company, as a contractor, or self-employed. It is crucial to have a strong sense of the value you bring which you can...

The Trouble With “No”

The Trouble With “No”

The trouble with “no” is we keep saying “yes” to everything. We reply yes to phone calls, text messages, emails as they arrive. We say yes to volunteering for new projects, tasks, whatever comes...

Use “GPS” To Map Out Your Goals

Use “GPS” To Map Out Your Goals

When I drive to someplace new, I put the destination into my GPS. I am able to measure my progress at every step because it tells me where to turn, what to look out for, and when I will arrive. The...

Ten Steps To An Effective Meeting

Ten Steps To An Effective Meeting

Our time is a valuable, limited resource; and we need to use it wisely. The following ten tips will create an effective and productive meeting that stays focused and on point, with an engaged and...

Create Your Front & Back Pocket Plans

Create Your Front & Back Pocket Plans

Be Prepared! Change is continuous; it will never stop. Preparing for the challenges change offers—whether an unexpected work force reduction or a role change—is responding to events rather than...

5 Steps to Being More Effective at Work

5 Steps to Being More Effective at Work

Peter Drucker said “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” When you accomplish a lot of tasks, you may feel productive and efficient; but are you...

End of Year Debrief

End of Year Debrief

This year has really flown by! Because we can get mired down in all the details of emails, deadlines, and projects, going into the New Year is a great time to think about what you have accomplished...

The Bully Factor

The Bully Factor

Bullying is extremely destructive, so much so, that, in extreme cases, youngsters have committed suicide.  They get bullied in the school yard and on social media—on their cell phones, on Twitter,...

Chris skillfully coached me to recognize my strengths and leverage them

It is likely that you are considering a course of action to improve your leadership skills. It is also likely that this is something that you have been thinking about for some time; perhaps you read some books and took some company sponsored training or workshops. You are probably doing OK, but wondering if there isn’t something that you could be doing better.

The foregoing fairly describes my own situation when I had the benefit of a series of conversations with Chris Sier. For me that dialog was about going from good to great as a leader. Since each person’s needs and expectations are different, and since you and I have never met, I will not delve into the specifics of my journey. I will however say that I found myself in a very safe and supportive environment that was at the same time challenging. In retrospect, Chris skillfully coached me to recognize my strengths and leverage them. She also helped me confront the thing that was holding me back from being really comfortable as a leader. With her help, we devised a series of strategies and actions that have enabled me far more that I would have anticipated. This has resulted in increased confidence with my leadership, my team, and clients.

You are reading this because you are considering investing in your future as a leader. If you are ready to be challenged (in a very nice way), and willing to take some personal risk I can think of no more productive activity than to engage in a series of coaching sessions with Chris. If after reading this you would like to have a conversation with me, Chris knows how to reach me. If she gives you my number, I would be delighted to have that conversation.

Brent Temple
Account Executive, Washington, D.C.