Blog Articles By Topic

Emotional Intelligence (EI) also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ) is understood as the ability to understand your own and others’ emotions and how they drive behavior. This capacity to relate appropriately with others, and engage constructively with their emotions is a vital trait for every successful female leader. In the 1960s, and by the 1980s […]

Every January, we hear a lot of “new year, new me” phrases that people use to project the hope and motivation they feel. Everyone wants to start a new year off on the right terms, and because of this, January is the month of Resolution. Like many, you might have professional goals you’re thinking about […]

If you have a goal in mind, organizing your plan privately is only part of the path to success. Just because you have your eyes on the prize, management probably isn’t aware of your intentions – and you can’t always do it alone. By discussing your plans with your supervisors, you are helping to lay […]

“Difficult conversations do not just involve feelings, they are at their very core about feelings.”  – Douglas Stone Let’s face it, most of us dread having that difficult conversation. Whether it be delivering bad news to a co-worker, discussing a delicate topic with a friend, talking to your boss about a work issue that needs […]

As many of you know, I like words, their meanings, and their use. And for those of you hearing me for the first time, I believe that words matter, so when I began the process of formulating my thoughts on the “inspiration,” I went to the dictionary. That is what I do.  The definition that […]

It’s officially Customer Service week! No one is an island. All year your team has been working tirelessly to serve and support your customers and clients. This week is the perfect opportunity to give back to your hard working team by letting them know how much their efforts are appreciated. Re-engage and re-energize! Myra Golden […]

Stress will happen. It’s a very natural response when you’re juggling work, family, social life, and everything else you have on your plate. The key is to make sure it isn’t getting the best of you. Make sure you’re taking the time to work actively on managing stress when it’s really building up. 3 fun […]

Burnout is an epidemic affecting the modern workplace today. All of us experience stress at work at one time or another, but burnout is a different beast. While the two can feel very similar, it is crucial to your well-being that you’re able to recognize when you are crossing that line.  Equally, if not even […]

No matter where you are in your career, you’re aware of the challenges many women face as they try to advance their career into senior management. That’s why this initiative, which asks companies to sign a pledge to fast-track women’s progress up the corporate ladder, is a step in the right direction. Started by Frustrated […]

Want a way to close the pay gap in your own company? Pay transparency is one way. Yes, it can certainly pit employees against each other, but it could also be the answer to closing the pay gap between men and women. Citigroup, the fourth largest bank, just revealed that women earn 29% less than […]

Innovation is the introduction of something new or taking something that exists and making it different. It is a key component of success for organizations everywhere. Why, then, do only 8% of CEOs make innovation a priority? In her book, “The Leadership Innovation Manifesto,” Dr. Kim Hires sets out to determine why so many leaders shy away from change, why it’s absolutely necessary for all organizations, and how to empower today’s leaders to be bold, take initiative, and embrace innovation.

Why is innovation so crucial? Innovation helps organizations to break free of the constraints of supply and demand. All products and services are limited in what they can offer, but innovation creates new value in an ever-changing market. Innovation sets organizations apart when they adapt or evolve with the needs of their consumers. While many leaders prioritize growth, they fail to see that growth is limited without creativity and a willingness to change.

Dr. Hires examines the common pitfalls of innovation in today’s leadership, and how to overcome them. The book is set up as a learning opportunity – with thorough yet easily digestible lessons, complete with thoughtful prompts for readers to consider and apply to their unique situations. She provides actionable strategies for helping leaders develop themselves as well as their teams. And, the information isn’t only for CEOs and upper management – it’s for leaders at all levels, including emerging leaders. As she says, “if you’re not at the helm of leadership when everything erupts, you will be on the receiving end as the consumer.”

Each lesson dives into why innovation is so important – not only within the organization but also within ourselves. We can not afford to be stuck in today’s environment and Dr. Hires helps the reader to unlock their potential to evolve and adapt. “The Leadership Innovation Manifesto,” is a great, quick read for anyone who is looking to make a difference and become a stronger leader.

An email I opened yesterday said, “Good morning. If you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution, don’t despair. You don’t need a holiday to change your life.”

I laughed. Yes, I’ve already broken a couple of my New Year’s Resolutions. You know those famous resolutions: lose weight, exercise more, and live right. To be more literal: lose 50 pounds by February 1^st, stop binge-watching Netflix movies, and reduce drinking Mountain Dew Code Red.

Why are these statements easy to dismiss? Because they are only figments in your imagination without the component of resolve.  

Resolve, according to Merriam-Webster, means to make clear or understandable and to reach a firm decision about. To move statements from figments of the imagination to actualization, you must make a firm decision that you want to pursue these dreams.

Strava (a social network for exercisers) marks January 19 as “Quitters Day,” the day most people give up on their New Year’s resolution for exercise and continue life as it was in the past year. When considering all resolutions that are made, not just exercise, Inc. Magazine reports that 80% of people only last until the second week of February. This may be optimistic.

Why do we get sidetracked and lose our focus on worthy goals of creating a new me?

1. We bite off more than we can chew. We are too ambitious on January 1 then we get overwhelmed trying to keep a litany of resolutions. It is easier to keep one MAJOR resolution. A major goal always has plenty of sub-goals attached to it to keep you busy.
2. We lack passion. We make a resolution that is good for us, is proper and should be achieved, but we lack the passion to go for it.
3. We lack resolve. In this instance, resolve means we lack self-discipline…not an easy thing to admit. MAJOR goals take 100% commitment.
4. We lack clarity. When we think through and write down steps, the mind becomes clear. We see it first in our brain before it becomes reality.
5. We are conscientious individuals. This means we get busy with our work assignments and with the duties of sustaining life. Because we are conscientious individuals, we stop pursuing our MAJOR goals to deal with unexpected events or circumstances that impede our progress.
6. We miss a day. Because we are conscientious and our work responsibilities often become overwhelming, especially when a deadline looms large ahead, we miss a day or perhaps two of performing the predetermined steps toward our goals. Predictably, the negative self-talk starts: “Why keep trying? I never can stick to my goals. Guess this year won’t be any different.” BOOM! You quit.

Brad Paisley, an American country music singer and songwriter, posted on December 31, 2022 “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”

The truth is, we don’t need New Year’s Resolutions to change our lives. Every morning when the sun rises is a new day, and we can write anything on that day we choose. You can turn mere statements about improving your life into life-changing experiences that create the best you at the end of the year by making crystal clear goal statements of what you want to achieve.

The first step is to evaluate what went well in the previous year and decide what you would like to change or develop more fully, considering your focus, energy, and time constraints. Are there key themes? Can you set desired outcomes? 

The next step, and the most time-consuming step, is to create a concrete action plan. Write your goal statements and supporting goal statements in terms that anyone who reads them can understand your vision. Use the SMAAARRT^TM acronym: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Affordable, Realistic, Relevant, and Time Targeted. Make them “resolve to do” statements by breaking the SMAAARRT^TM resolutions into daily steps that go on the traditional to-do list. Add monthly checkpoints to assess and ensure progress. 

American poet and author Ella Wheeler Wilcox in her poem “Solitude” gives us these lines “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.” A more powerful quote in my opinion by Wilcox summarizes resolve:

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”

Print these words out. Paste them on your mirror, on your dashboard, and at the top of your goal-setting sheet, by your computer – anywhere you can see them regularly.

I have two framed pictures on my wall that form my daily resolve. One says:

Determination – What we hope to do with ease, we must first learn to do with diligence.

The second one says:

Perseverance – Effort fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.

Use these statements to build resolve and resiliency and as a determined soul who has resolve, step-by-step throughout 2023, a new book will be written and a new you will emerge.