Posted on March 12, 2019
By Nan Russell
Some of us started 2019 with a fresh-start mindset. We made New Year’s resolutions with well-intentioned, often passionate, decisions to change or improve something in ourselves or our lives. At this point, 25% of us are still working on our New Year goals, and by year’s end, only 8% will achieve what they set out to accomplish with their resolutions.
I won’t be one of them. I gave up New Year’s resolutions a decade or two ago, not because I don’t want to improve or change, but because I’ve learned making my goals, dreams, and aspirations happen isn’t a once-a-year thing. For me, a fresh start can be any time of year. There’s power in that.
You can start anew toward life dreams, aspirational goals, unsolved problems, or relationship building anytime. The reality is we don’t need a new year to regroup, start fresh, or begin again. We can ignite these resolutions and aspirations any day we choose.
It was Walt Disney who influenced my life early on in that regard. Maybe because when I was (continue reading →)
Posted in: Hitting Your Stride, In the Scheme of Things, Life |
Tagged: acting, choices, determiintion, Doing, focus, goals, hard work, hoping, In the Scheme of Things, life dreams, Nan S. Russell, New Year's Resolutions, passion, persistence, practice, resolutions, results, wishing |
Posted on July 24, 2018
By Nan Russell
Maybe you read on Facebook that Dollar General Stores were celebrating their anniversary by giving out $150 shopping coupons to those who liked and shared their posts, or maybe you received an email seeking applicants as paid mystery shoppers in your area. Maybe you heard that theaters used subliminal advertising to increase sales of popcorn and soft drinks, or saw a “send old shoes, get a new one free” promotion that caught your attention. Or maybe you read about the discovery that disease can be cured by drinking four glasses of water every morning.
The fact that these are all false didn’t stop thousands of people from forwarding, liking, retweeting, repeating, or believing them. One even made it into the top 50 “hottest urban legends” on snopes.com.
Likewise, the fact that office grapevines are filled with false information, speculation, innuendo, and gossip doesn’t stop people from using rumor to fuel distrust, reinforce silo building, or enhance “us” versus “them” thinking, either. This workplace ladder fuel can devastate motivation and destroy work cultures as quickly as nature’s fuel of underbrush, branches, leaves, and vegetation can cause a ground fire to scale trees and devour forests.
A few years ago a forest fire came within a half-mile of our remote cabin, engulfing (continue reading →)
Posted in: Winning at Working |
Tagged: accountability, communication, fake news, false information, gossip, ladder fuel, mistrust, mistruths, Nan Russell, results, rumors, trust, Winning at Working, work relationships, workplace culture |
Posted on April 27, 2015
By Beth Pelkofsky
As a colleague of Nan’s I regularly post here about work and sometimes life. I’d label myself an avid reader. I enjoy a combination of an e-reader and the printed page. I need to see book titles as I go through my daily activities. I have bookcases in my office, in several rooms at home plus a stack by my nightstand. They keep me grounded and often spark an idea or provide inspiration. The other day, I was flipping through a well-read book and came across this passage. I think it offers both a thoughtful perspective and a ‘how to’ for getting results in today’s complex workplaces. And, I thought I’d share:
Give What’s Missing*
If everyone is shouting, what’s missing is quiet reason.
If everyone is pointing fingers, what’s missing is accountability.
If everyone is finding fault, what’s missing is praise and recognition.
If everyone is in agreement, what’s missing is another perspective.
If everyone is focused on short-term gains, what’s missing is long-term thinking.
If everyone is thinking about their own department, what’s missing (continue reading →)
Posted in: Tips, Today's Workplace |
Tagged: accountability, appreciation, being yourself, Beth Pelkofsky, career, courage, inspiration, nibble, perspective, praise, quality, quiet reason, recognition, results, success, your voice |
Posted on January 10, 2013
By Nan Russell
One of the reasons titleless leaders get results where others don’t is because they’re self-aware. They cultivate an inner skill of standing back and considering how their thoughts, words, and actions impact others, and themselves.
Want to increase your skill of self-awareness? Try asking yourself questions like these:
- Ben Franklin’s evening question, “What good have I done today?”
- Before telling a workplace tale, consider if your intention is positive or negative by asking, “Why am I telling this story, anyway?”
- When asked to serve on a committee or attend a meeting consider, “How can I contribute here? What skills do I bring? How can I help?”
- Before getting angry, frustrated, or escalating a situation ask “In the scheme of things, will this matter? In a week, six months, a year?” (continue reading →)
Posted in: Tips |
Tagged: ask yourself questions, Nan Russell, results, self-aware, self-awareness, titleless leader |
Posted on December 3, 2012
By Nan Russell
Titleless leaders are memorable, not by what they say, but how they operate. It’s their every day actions that get them natural followers and great results.
Here are a few actions that make titleless leaders stand out at work. How many apply to you?
- They value other people’s time
- They operate with behavioral integrity
- They have an attitude of service
- They built relationship trust
- They’re self-aware, monitoring their own words and actions
- They listen with undivided attention
- They authentically show up
- They don’t see people as (continue reading →)
Posted in: Leadership |
Tagged: Nan Russell, results, The Titleless Leader, titleless leadership actions |
Some of us started 2019 with a fresh-start mindset. We made New Year’s resolutions with well-intentioned, often passionate, decisions to change or improve something in ourselves or our lives. At this point, 25% of us are still working on our New Year goals, and by year’s end, only 8% will achieve what they set out to accomplish with their resolutions.
