One of the greatest mistakes I see leaders make is when they believe they have to know it all and take care of everything themselves. We are all born with precious gifts and talents called strengths. At the same time, we all have areas in which we are not strong and where we have blind […]
The Power of Humility in Authentic Leadership
In my work with leaders, our conversations often turn to the place of humility in effective, influential leadership. It’s in being humble where you can admit your failures, ask for help, and receive grace. A successful leader can lead with power and persuasion in one hand and humility in the other. It’s been my experience […]
Can Dysfunctional Teams Become Functional?
Many leaders I work with discover that, when they promoted to a new leadership opportunity, they have inherited a troubled team. And they are now expected to fix it – making the team functional. Frequently, their new team is not interested in being fixed or functioning any differently than do currently. To further complicate leadership […]
Authentic Leaders are Self-Aware
When I reflect on Authenticity I think of the retirement celebration I attended for someone who had worked in the same office for 38 years. She experienced many obstacles, challenges and adversity in leadership during those 38 years, always handling everything with integrity and courage. Throughout the celebration I heard over and over again how […]
The Pursuit of Authenticity
My journey to realizing and claiming my authentic self, my voice, has felt like a bumpy and difficult process because I relied so much on feedback from others. I often felt misunderstood or that my authentic self was not okay — was there was something wrong with me? Then I came to learn about and […]
Yearning for Leadership Purpose
Throughout my years coaching leaders, purpose has been a constant thread. Leaders, like you, are looking to have greater impact through meaning and purpose in your work. Clarifying and articulating your purpose, your calling or your why seems elusive. It often feels difficult to identify on your own. While yearning to know what it is, […]
Why Know Your Strengths?
I was reminded, again, during a conversation with a friend and colleague of how we each have a unique constellation of strengths that show up and work together to be in service of the greater good for all. Each of you bring a unique constellation of strengths to contribute in service of your dream. Your […]
Mining for Passion
All too often I meet with people who have unconsciously fallen into living their life on automatic pilot, doing what is expected of them because they feel obligated. It’s easy to forget what brings us joy and satisfaction in our work and our life. People talk about feeling trapped or stuck in their professions. We […]
Personal Passion : Exploring ‘What’s Next?’
Leadership and the Conflict Blind Spot
Conflict offers such a ripe place for our blind spots to hide. Through the strengths lens our blind spots can appear in different forms. For example, in my top ten strengths I have Command, Self-Assurance and Activator so I am comfortable with conflict and I don’t shy away from naming issues or calling people out. […]
Diana Gabriel, PPC