Leadership advice
Developing Your Leadership Authenticity
Female Firebrands Author Mikaela Kiner once asked me, "Why are you so authentic?" "What does that even mean?" I responded. She rephrased, "How did you get so comfortable being you?" I responded flippantly, "Well, who else would I be?" But deep down, I knew exactly what she meant. I had spent a lot of time pretending not to be myself earlier in life, at…
My Secret Sauce to Masterful Networking
Recently, we hosted brunch, and someone asked how, after living in Austin for only six months, were we able to throw our first annual ‘Naughty or Nice’ holiday party and have 40 curated guests show up. It comes down to masterful networking. I arrived in Austin, with two goals: To become part of the business community and to make friends. Before Austin, we’d…
Leadership Insight: Expedia CPO
Many of you, I'm heads down working on the Leadership Lab no. 19 (LL19), a powerful, invite-only networking and leadership experience for emerging executives, who will be the thought leaders and industry shapers in our future C-Suites. It’s happening this fall, and nominations are open. For more information visit The Leadership Lab no. 19. In doing my research, I’m asking C-suite executives for advice…
SEPT 14: Women, Men & Leadership
When I feel a little helpless in the world, I do what I do best, which is to gather the great thinkers and ask hard questions. So that’s what I’m doing on Thursday, September 14th. We are talking about women, men and leadership, and it will be an important discussion for both men and women to attend. Even though research shows companies perform better…
Leadership Insight: Alaska Airlines CFO
Don't be ridiculous... I met with the other CFO, Brandon Pedersen. We sit on the Board of Governors at the World Trade Center together and we had a cool conversation about his insight, advice and what he thinks it takes to think from the CEO’s perspective. The reason I asked is because on October 19th, I’m convening a highly curated, exclusive peer community of emerging…
Four Ways To Manage Your Executive Presence
Many believe executive presence or charisma is one of those mysterious aspects of leadership you’re either born with or you’re not. Some think it’s the personality that comes with being an extrovert. I don't agree with either of these viewpoints. Executive presence is how you manage your assertiveness and diplomacy in professional situations. It requires intention and practice. Like leadership itself, your DNA may…
Leadership Insights from a Delta Air Lines VP
When Delta Air Lines came to town, I was not enthusiastic. Seattle is provincial and extremely protective of our hometown brands. But when I actually met Mike Medeiros, Vice President for this region, he turned out to be a really cool guy, which made it a lot harder to maintain my cool indifference. Delta flew in swiftly to Seattle and invested itself into the…
An Executive Coaching Plan for Our New Commander-in-Chief
We have a new CEO – Commander-in-Chief. Not one whom I wanted, nor one I would have hired. But I did expect him to get the job. #NotStunned #NotShocked And similar to my experiences working with any CEO for the first time, I want to get to know him. I have a pretty good idea of the leader he is today. So for my…
Insights From Elie Wiesel: How Conviction Fuels The Best Leaders
In my work with CEOs I've noticed a clear behavior that elevates the best ones: conviction, knowing what you stand for and demonstrating that every day. The concept is simple, but to act it is not. On a rainy night at O’Hare International Airport, I faced the choice of owning my own conviction in a small but powerful way. That night, no planes were landing or…
CEOs Advise on Diversity From a Personal Perspective
Benjamin Franklin said “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” I took creative license and revised his sentiment:Workforce Diversity will not be achieved until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. #TRUTH Diversity is awkward. Right after the last “From the CEO’s Perspective” leadership forum, I had a conversation with…
Supreme Women Supporting Each Other
What if women in the most powerful ranking positions helped other women come alongside them? What if that was normal? I recently listened to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg describe her challenging rise through the male dominated legal court system to the highest appointment possible. Justice Ginsberg was the second female supreme court justice ever appointed to the bench. Her story is complex…
What Kind of Leader Are You?
I was meeting with a young leader interested in executive coaching. Halfway through the conversation, he told me I reminded him of the performance coach on Billions, the Showtime drama starring Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff. I hadn’t heard of the show, so the comment meant nothing until I watched it. When I did, I wasn’t sure if I should feel flattered…
CEO Perspective: Chris Gregoire, Head of Challenge Seattle
I’m a student of the question and I have a new favorite. I’m asking all the CEOs I interview or who are guests on my CEO Leadership Forum ‘Are you a leader who loves to win or hates to lose?’ It’s interesting because often the question gets equated with failure. I’m not sure if they hear something I’m not asking or if it’s the…
CEOs Discuss Strategies for Leading a Multi-Gen Workforce
In another sold out CEO Forum, three, amazing CEOs–Ken Alterman, SAVERS/Value Village, Kimberly Harris, Puget Sound Energy and Kevin Klock, Talking Rain–shed light on their biggest challenges, mistakes and takeaways from leading a multi-generational workforce. One of the reasons I chose this topic is because a former colleague of mine said that all this talk about Millennials and their influence is making her feel…
CEO Perspective: Diane Neal, CEO of Sur La Table
I’m pretty excited about Diane Neal. She’s a really cool chic, and like me, her dad played a pivotal role in her life and leadership. It was an honor to talk with her and learn more. Diane Neal serves as CEO of Sur La Table, a retailer of kitchen and dining supplies. She has learned over the years, as the retail industry has changed, some valuable lessons about leadership. Read…
8 Game-Changing Tips for Rising Leaders
I’m still marinating on the discussion I had with Rebecca and Sachi for the #WomenWhoLead event last week at WeWork. Here’s a list of takeaways, tips and habits I gleaned for rising leaders who want to be at the top of their game. Thanks again to fellow panelists Sachi Shenoy, Chief Innovation Officer of Upaya Social Ventures, and Rebecca Lovell, Director of Entrepreneurship &…
Actionable Advice for Men and Women Leaders
The tables were turned Wednesday evening, and instead of being the moderator, I was a panelist for the #WomenWhoLead event, hosted by WeWork. Alongside me were two, rockstar leaders: Sachi Shenoy, Chief Innovation Officer of Upaya Social Ventures, and Rebecca Lovell, Director of Entrepreneurship & Industry, City of Seattle. Our moderator was Gina Phillips, the PNW Lead for WeWork. We spoke to a room…
CEO Perspective: Rajeev Singh, CEO of Accolade
When I speak about leadership, I am often asked who my favorite leaders are. The smart people would skirt the question, but I don’t. The reality is, I have several favorite leaders for different reasons. Currently, I’m leadership-crushing on Raj Singh, because he truly is one of the most authentic people I know. So it was no surprise that when I posed the question…
CEO Perspective: Daryl Campbell, CEO of Goodwill
When I talked to Daryl, a lot stood out. Something that stuck with me was the creative logic that came about when he and his friends were naming their boy band. One day, they were down at the marina and they saw a boat. “There were four guys, and the name of a boat was Forvus.” And that became their name. #MoreCleverThanOneDirection Daryl Campbell joined…
Hey, CEO! It IS About YOU
Can I get a dollar for every time a CEO tells me “It’s not about me”? It’s annoying and untrue. Frankly, it makes me trust you less. You set the standards and the pace. You set the vision. You set expectations. You motivate and engage your team and their teams. You do the things only a CEO can do. So, explain to me how…
CEO Perspective: Darryl Rawlings, CEO of Trupanion
When combined, my cat’s collective name is Satan. I didn’t plan it that way. I named them Matan and Sinclair, and a college kid I mentored coined the name. I tell you this because, today’s post is about a guy who started a company to help cats like Satan (and dogs). Darryl Rawlings has a passion for pets, (get the tissue before you read…
Are you a Superboss?
The latest HBR has a great article by Sydney Finkelstein on what makes a boss a Superboss. I can’t tell you how many times this article has landed in my inbox – because it’s a great one! Thank you to all who have forwarded it to me. This article reminds me of a book I read a trillion years ago called, Profiles of Female Genius. If…
Why Successful Leaders Have Decision Anchors
Many of my clients are successful leaders who want to continue that success in a different, more deliberate way. It’s awesome! We work together to define their true purpose and what brings them serious joy. Serious joy is my way of saying – "I help them figure out the very few things that matter most." At the highest level of leadership, a lot matters…
4 Leadership Strategies to Increase your Influence
Influence infuses everything we do in life. It’s what enables us to get further faster. An unstoppable leader will have a clearly defined purpose; they know how to leverage his or her influence. This is how a leader achieves longstanding significance. I think of it as an absolute. If you’re not influencing others, they are influencing you. A large part of my work as…
7 Leadership Behaviors to Stop in 2016
I showed up at the gym last week for Bootcamp, and like every January, a bunch of newbies invaded my space. I know it's the human thing to do -- gather hope and intentions, get excited for what’s possible, set some goals and climb aboard the success train. But since this isn’t my first rodeo, and it’s not yours either, so let’s cut to…
From the CEO’s Perspective Forums: Announcing the 2016 Line Up
For those of you that have been wondering and inquiring, I'm so pleased to finally share the big news! Here’s the 2016 line up for my “From the CEO’s Perspective” forums at the World Trade Center, Seattle. If you were lucky enough to attend our last forum in 2015, you heard the amazing stories from culture creators: Scott Svenson, CEO of MOD Pizza; Raj…
David Bowie: Courage + Authenticity = Leadership
The world is dimmer for the loss of such an iconic symbol of courage and authenticity. I’m not going to claim I was the biggest Bowie fan. His influence reigned heavy before I was born. But I am an admirer of what he symbolized: the courage to live his eccentric view of the world in the most authentic way he could. For leaders and…
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