Memory Matters

Laser Provision: All leaders know the importance of remembering names. Being able to call someone by name, especially after it has been a while since we have seen them, is a form of acknowledgement and affirmation that says: "You are important to me." People feel great when we give them that sense. But did you know that being able to remember the past derives, in part, from our ability to anticipate the future? Both functions utilize the same processing centers in the brain, and the stories we tell about the past are as much about sense-making as they are about reporting. In our minds, all human beings are time travelers. If you want learn how to leverage that ability for leadership, then I encourage you to read on. Read entire Provision ...

Coaching Inquiries: What is the nature of your relationship to the past, present, and future? Are you aware of how your own optimism bias plays out in life and work? To what degree would you describe that bias as irrational and to what degree would describe it as predictive? How can you become better able to bolster the self-confidence of others?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Moods Matter

Laser Provision: Are you in a good mood? If you are a leader, I certainly hope so. That's because moods, like emotions, are contagious. People pick up on and attune themselves with the moods of leaders. When leaders are persistently anxious, frustrated, or depressed, for example, such qualities come to define the culture and climate of our organizations. Any thought that people will rise above the mood of their leaders is largely an illusion and certainly an exception to the rule. Most of the time, leaders set the tone. It behooves us, then, to set a tone that will lead to organizational success. And moods cannot be faked. Self-management is therefore a key work of leadership. Read the entire Provision if you want to buff up your own mood and set yourself apart as a leader.

Coaching Inquiries: How would you describe your mood in life and work? What would assist you to cook up more positivity? Where do you go to find clarity, calm, confidence, and hope? Who could help you to find those energies today and to stay with them tomorrow?o reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form.

To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Mindfulness Matters

In her extensive research and writing on trust in schools, my wife, Megan, notes that trust is hard to define because it is easier to describe the absence than the presence of trust. Trust is like air: we take it for granted until it becomes polluted or scarce. Mindfulness works the same way. So many definitions describe mindfulness in terms of what it is not: not distracted, not judgmental, not reactive, not bored, and not attached to an outcome. Although these statements are all true, they do not help us very much when it comes to incorporating mindfulness into our life and work as leaders. What, exactly, are we supposed to do and how, exactly, are we supposed to be? Read the entire Provision to get some answers....

Coaching Inquiries: What is your decision when it comes to mindfulness? How do you show up and carry yourself in life and work? How well do you embody the six attributes of mindfulness identified in this Provision? What could help you to embody them more fully? What is one thing you could do right now that would make you more mindful? Who could join and support you on the journey?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Learning Through Listening

According to the International Listening Association:

• 45 percent of a student’s day is spent listening.
• Students are expected to acquire 85 percent of the knowledge they have by listening.
• Yet only 2 percent of the population ever receive formal listening instruction.

To change that, Learning Through Listening has developed a variety of downloadable lesson plans, strategies and activities, as well as case stories for teachers. The lessons plans use poetry, music, stories, and interactive activities to help K-12 teachers meet the diverse needs of their students.

Perhaps it would help if we all took a few listening courses. To that end, you might enjoy listening to a 30-minute podcast on The Science of Listening from WNYC. Although the focus of the program is on the biology of listening to music, it makes clear how the affective components of listening come into play and influence what we hear. That's as true for verbal messages as for musical tracks, so keep that in mind as you listen to the program. Enjoy!

Coaching Inquiries: What is your relationship to music? How can listening to music make you a better listening leader? How could you learn how to be a better listener? What would you like to listen to right now?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Belief Matters

Laser Provision: Do you believe in what you are doing? Do you believe that you will be successful? If not, then it's time to look again at your life and work. Self-belief is what separates leaders from followers. Leaders not only believe in the mission, we also believe in the ability of people to achieve the mission. I know how this works. In less than a week, my wife and I will be on our way to Asia for a whirlwind tour during which time we will be presenting on 14 different occasions in 4 different countries. Along the way, we will also be attempting to conquer the summit of Mt. Kinabalu – a high-altitude climb to almost 4,100 meters or 13,450 feet. Sound crazy? It would be if we didn't believe in the cause and in our capacity. This Provision explains the connection. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What do you believe in? How do you put your beliefs out in the world? How attractive is your energy? What stories do you tell about the future and change? How confident are you that change is possible? Who is a part of your tribe? What movements do you connect with? What movements would you like to start?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Beauty Matters

Laser Provision: Many people think of leadership as hard work. "I wouldn't want to be in her or his position!" is an oft-repeated refrain. That notion is reinforced whenever leaders get in trouble. Just think of the leaders in the Arab nations of northern Africa and western Asia. Who wants to be them! Closer to home, at least closer to my home, who wants to preside over looming deficits and divided constituencies? From political leaders to school leaders to church leaders, the refrain sounds like something from a Rodney Dangerfield movie: "We just don't get no respect around here." When times are tough, it's tempting to see everything through the lens of enemies and struggles. But there is another side to life: beauty. Great leaders look for that beauty and make it plain. Could you do that? This Provision might help. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What helps you to see beauty in every situation? How can you better point that out and share what you see with others? What effect do you think that might have? Who do you know who is that kind of leader? How could you interview them to find out their secret?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Juice Matters

Do you have juice? If you are a leader, then that would be a good thing to have. I don't mean fruit juice, of course. I mean the joie de vivre, the joy of living, that adds energy and excitement to any situation. With all the travail in the news lately, including both natural disasters and political upheavals, it's easy to lose our juice and forget our joy. Yet that is the first responsibility of leaders. It is our job to show up with juice and to share it with others. How do we do that? By noticing the good stuff in life. In every situation, great leaders always find things to celebrate. Such mindfulness refills the glass for leadership. Want to pour some of that juice for yourself? Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kind of attitude do you bring to the work of leadership? Do you inspire people and lift them up or do you discourage people and tear them down? How would others answer that question about you? What has been your best experience with serving as a catalyst for positive energy? How did you muster that spirit? What would it take to muster that spirit on a daily basis? How could you make it so, right now?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Check Out Past Issues

It's been too long! Check out the issues you missed of LifeTrek Provisions, since our last post in November, by visiting our Web Archive. We're in the middle of a series on evocative leadership, the kind that calls out the greatness in people. Like what you see? Sign up to receive your own weekly emails! Thanks!

Touch Matters

Laser Provision. When it comes to leadership, it's not enough to have a clear vision and lots of ideas. It's not enough to have lots of technical skills as to how to get the job done. One must also have the high-touch skills to galvanize teams and bring people together. That's especially true when we seek to bring about change in organizations or society. The more of a change-agenda we have, the more important those people skills become. Want to learn what that looks like? Read entire Provision...


Coaching Inquiries: What kind of leader are you? How would you rate your ability to touch the hearts of the people you lead? What would help you to develop your emotional intelligence? How could you become more sensitive to the people side of the equation? Who could assist you to make it so?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Trust Matters

Laser Provision: Today's Provision could not have been written without the research and work of my wife, Megan Tschannen-Moran. For the past 15 years, Megan has made trust one of her primary academic and professional interests. But trust is not just a theoretical construct to be studied, understood, and described. Trust is a way of being in the world. My wife embodies that way of being as does every great leader. Trust matters. Read the entire Provision to see just how much it matters and how it works.


Coaching Inquiries: On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate yourself when it comes to trustworthy leadership? What examples do you have of standing in trust and experiencing its transformative power? How could you strengthen your understanding and practice of trust? How could you make your school or organization more fully embody the five facets of trust? What is one thing you could do today that would move things forward in a positive direction?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Happiness Matters

Laser Provision: As someone concerned about the future of education in America and around the world, I have watched with increasing dismay the strident calls to get tough with teachers. There's no hiding the behaviorist philosophy: punish the low-performers and reward the high-performers. But are such threats and incentives the best way to change behavior and reform the system? Twelve years of coaching adults to higher-levels of learning and performance tell me the answer is no. Happiness matters. That's the most important incentive of them all. Read Entire Provision...


Coaching Inquiries: What framework do you come from? How can you make life and work more positive? What is one thing that could make you happy right now? How can you meet more of your needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness, and well-being? How could you assist others to meet those needs as well?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

What Is Servant Leadership?

The connection between being nice and servant-leadership can be seen in the earliest writing about servant leadership from Robert K. Greenleaf. In his 1970 essay, "The Servant as Leader," Greenleaf wrote:

"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature."

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

In his second major essay, "The Institution as Servant," Greenleaf articulated what is often called the "credo":

"This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built. Whereas, until recently, caring was largely person to person, now most of it is mediated through institutions -- often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always competent; sometimes corrupt. If a better society is to be built, one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people, then the most open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as servant of existing major institutions by new regenerative forces operating within them."

That sounds very nice to me. There are many excellent books and articles about Servant-Leadership. You can download a bibliography from the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership. Or you can go straight to the source, and read Greenleaf's seminal book on Servant Leadership for yourself.

Coaching Inquiries: How would you describe the power of leadership? Where does that power come from? What does it lead to? How can you best embody the power of servant-leadership? What difference would it make if you carried yourself that way today?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Needs Matter

Laser Provision: When it comes to leadership, needs matter. Leaders who are more concerned about their own power, position, ego, agenda, perks, pocketbooks, smarts, or solutions, than about the needs of their people and the people they serve are not great leaders at all. Great leaders take a "seventh generation" perspective. We think about the impacts of our decisions not only on the needs of people today but also in the needs of people seven generations in the future. Where are we taking our people? If you haven't thought about that lately, then read on. You just might get inspired. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What needs are you most acutely aware of right now? What are people trying to tell you about how you are treating and respecting their needs? How could you do more listening before taking charge? What would have to change in order for you to get into that frame of mind? Who do you know who models respectful servant leadership? How can you get to know them better?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Evocative Coaching = School Transformation

We just published our new book titled Evocative Coaching: Transforming Schools One Conversation at a Time. This book grew out of our passion for human learning and our confidence that all schools can be catalysts for that learning. Not just some schools, but all schools. Not just schools with favorable demographics and resources, but schools with the right attitude, culture, and approach. That approach, the coach approach, has served us well throughout our personal and professional lives. Our best experiences in education have motivated us to develop our skills and to pursue our aspirations. Such experiences have opened doors to spirals of creativity, innovation, and accomplishment. They have made us what we are today.

Yet that is not the way education works for many people. The discourse regarding school failure has become all too familiar. Unfortunately, such discourse tends to shift educators into a defensive crouch that limits or even prevents them from making progress. They become so concerned about the consequences of failure and so focused on fixing what’s wrong that they lose confidence in their abilities and awareness of their strengths. Once that happens, the prospects for performance improvements dim and the politics of individual and collective resistance grow.

Although many books have been written and many speeches have been given on the subject of how to turn around this dynamic, we prefer to start with the most basic of building blocks when it comes to school performance and culture: how teachers talk to themselves and to others about their classroom experiences. When those conversations value teachers as collaborators and partners, who need not fear the consequences of sharing their stories, expressing their feelings and needs, exploring strengths, imagining new possibilities, and experimenting with how best to meet the educational needs of students, then resistance diminishes and energy grows for the teaching task.

That is our hope for those who learn and practice evocative coaching. We hope it will transform schools, one conversation at a time. This happens when teachers, coaches, instructional resources, staff developers, and other educational leaders make two significant conversational shifts: from evaluation to valuation and from problem-solving to strengths-building. These shifts are not easy, especially for educators who are so accustomed to grading performance and providing guidance, but when it comes to adult learning these shifts have proven their worth. Adults like to figure things out for themselves, building on what they already know and do well, without receiving judgmental feedback that calls into question either their intentions or their abilities.

To facilitate that kind of learning, we have to turn the tables on the questions we ask, the listening we do, and the reflections we make in our thinking and in our conversations. We have to move beyond old methods of supervision and professional development in order to dance with teachers in ways that generate openness, awareness, understanding, and change. In Evocative Coaching we choreograph that dance as having two turns (The No-Fault Turn and The Strengths-Building Turn) and four steps (Story Listening, Expressing Empathy, Appreciative Inquiry, and Design Thinking). We provide the research base as well as practical, hands-on descriptions for each step. By the end of the book, we hope readers will have a good idea as to how to facilitate an evocative coaching conversation.

To that end, we have launched the Center for School Transformation and a companion website with additional resources, http://www.schooltransformation.com/. The Center offers a training program in Evocative Coaching that takes place in a convenient virtual classroom created by advanced telephone conference technologies. Anyone who can make a long-distance telephone call can participate in the training program. This 20-hour program across 13 sessions provides critical opportunities for people to practice and become more familiar with the techniques. The program has already been well received by trainees in 9 states and 6 countries. The Center also offers on-site training workshops, leadership coaching, and whole-system transformation initiatives.

Drawing upon the best in adult learning theories, growth-fostering psychologies, and organizational development, the Center aims to evoke excellence in education and school transformation — one conversation at a time. We invite you to join us on the journey.

Creativity Matters

Laser Provision: When faced with significant constraints, it's easy to make them the center of attention. After all, they're getting in the way. But focusing on the problem is not always the best way to solve the problem. It's often better to focus on the possibilities. That shift, from problem to possibility, unleashes creativity and generates enthusiasm. The more significant the constraints, the more creativity and enthusiasm we need. So let this Provision be your guide. Creativity matters when it comes to making dreams come true. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What holds you back from being creative? How could you empower and trust others to think outside the box and contribute their strengths? What could you offer the world that would make a difference? How could you test that hypothesis? Who do you think of as a creative role model? How could you draw yourself closer to their circle of influence?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Wisdom from Maya Angelou

Tis' the season for wisdom from famous people. Last week, we had ten lessons from Steve Jobs. This week, we feature eleven lessons from Maya Angelou, an American autobiographer and poet extraordinaire.
In April, Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. She talked about it as exciting and amusing, especially all the physical changes which seemed to be occurring day. The audience laughed so hard they cried as she talked about the different parts of her body which were sagging in a seeming race to her waist. She is a plain-spoken and honest woman, with much wisdom in her words. Consider these life lessons:

1. I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
2. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
3. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
4. I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a life.
5. I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
6. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.
7. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
8. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
9. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back.
10. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
11. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Coaching Inquiries: How do you make people feel? What would people learn about you by watching how you handle a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights? What would it take for you to start making a life? How could that be more wonderful and life-giving?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Lessons from Steve Jobs

One of my clients recently alerted me to an article titled "10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs." I encourage you to read the whole article. For this high-level summary, I give you the ten quotes from Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Computers, around which the article is written. Enjoy!

1. "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
2. "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."
3. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."
4. "You know, we don't grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we're constantly taking things. It's a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge."
5. "There's a phrase in Buddhism, 'Beginner's mind.' It's wonderful to have a beginner's mind."
6. "We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on."
7. "I'm the only person I know that's lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It's very character-building."
8. "I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates."
9. "We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?"
10. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Coaching Inquiries: Which of these lessons speak most powerfully to you and your situation? Of everyone who has ever lived, who would you like to spend the afternoon with? What questions would you ask? What truth would you contemplate? How can you follow your heart and intuition more fully?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Persistence Matters

Laser Provision: The military has a term for what happens when priorities and planning go awry: OBE -- Overtaken By Events. John Lennon put it this way: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." We all know that feeling and experience. It is universal because no one controls life. But we can control our response to life. Do we quit or do we persist? Do we give up or do we hang on? Although it doesn't help to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results, it also doesn't help to stop looking for alternative approaches and goals. With lots of engaging quotes from notable leaders, this Provision shows you how. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kind of mindset do you take in life and work? Would you describe yourself as more or less resilient? What brings out your resilience? What enables you to hang in there until you discover new possibilities and new ways forward? Who can be your persistence partner in whatever challenges you are facing?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Priorities Matter

Laser Provision: What things do you spend most of your time on? If you are like most people, you spend most of your time reacting to crises, deadlines, and pressing problems. No one gets away from such matters completely, but great leaders learn both how to set priorities and how to organize and execute around priorities. By taking a proactive stance in life and work we are better able to generate vision, perspective, balance, discipline, and control. We have fewer crises because we plan ahead. If that sounds like the third habit of highly successful people, then you're on to me! I hope you enjoy the Provision. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kinds of activities do you spend your time on? How much time gets spent in Quadrant 2 activities? What rituals could you develop to help you get in that Quadrant more frequently? How could you get started today? Who could you talk with to identify the possibilities?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Stress Relief

A friend recently passed along these thoughts on stress. Give my own writing on Vital Rhythms, they fit right in and easily generate smiles. Enjoy.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance."

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes," he continued, "and that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry all of our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Don't pick them up again until after you've rested a while. They will then seem so much lighter."

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

• Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
• Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
• Always wear stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
• Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "recalled" by their maker.
• If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
• It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
• Nobody cares if you can't dance well; just get up and dance.
• When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
• Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
• You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
• A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Coching Inquiries: What burdens are you carrying right now? How could you set them down for a while? Who lightens your spirit and makes you laugh? What would it take to connect with that person right now? What might get you to smile?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Making Ideas Happen

There are many systems in the world for turning dreams into deeds. One of the better known is David Allen's, Getting Things Done. A more recent take on the subject is Scott Belsky's, Making Ideas Happen. Here is what Seth Godin, author of Linchpin, has to say about the book:

"Should you buy a book that will make you uncomfortable?

More questions: Why is it so difficult to ship good ideas out the door? Why do committees show up and wreck the purity of your idea? Why do people avoid doing the hard work of actually bringing their work to the market?

I'll tell you why: Because it's safe. Ideas that never ship are never criticized. Faceless committees accept the blame for tepid products that were probably better off in the warehouse. And managers in search of a place to hide can best hide behind the unshipped product, the unrealized idea and the system gone wrong.

Scott Belsky has your number. He's seen it all before. He knows your excuses, he's seen your shtick and he knows all the ways to avoid doing the work. In this book, Scott's not giving you any place to hide.

There. Do you still want to read his book?

If you care about your art, your job or your market, you really have no choice. This is strategy and tactics, concepts and how-to, all in one on a topic that's often overlooked."

Sound intriguing? I encourage you to give it a look.

Coaching Inquiries: How do you do when it comes to making ideas happen? Are you better at coming up with ideas in the first place (creativity) or following through on your ideas to make them happen (discipline and delivery)? Which muscle would you like to strengthen this week? Who could help you to make it so?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Mindful Eating

In many respects, great leadership is mindful leadership. We cultivate the ability to stay in the moment, without distraction or criticism, in order to bring out the best in ourselves and others. Great leaders therefore adopt mindfulness practices in all areas of life and work. To that end, I found the following tips on mindful eating by Dr. Jennifer Daly in the April issue of the Health Journal to be helpful:

• Always eat in a clean and quiet place either alone or with people you like.
• Look at your food and appreciate its appearance and smell before you eat.
• Chew your food slowly and attentively, concentrating on and appreciating its subtle qualities.
• Eat without distractions such as television, radio or other media.
• Only eat when you are truly hungry.
• Do not eat within 2 hours of bedtime.
• After exercise wait a while before eating to get an accurate gauge of
your hunger level.
• Walk about 100 steps after a meal to aid digestion.
• Do not eat when you are angry, depressed, bored or otherwise emotionally unstable. Instead, try to resolve these feelings first through stress management tools such as exercise (including yoga), meditation, or seeking the support of friends, family, a spiritual adviser or a mental health professional.

Now, have some fun with this list. Substitute the word "lead" for the word "eat," and the word "people" for "food." Read the list again. What new ideas do those substitutions bring to mind? Hopefully, the exercise will encourage you to become both a more mindful eater and a more mindful leader at the same time.

Coaching Inquiries: What does mindfulness mean to you? How can you become more mindful in how you relate to eating and leadership? What benefits might you experience? What benefits might others experience? Who can join you on the path to mindfulness? How could you make it so today?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Rituals Matter

Laser Provision: Our effectiveness at work declines if we are always on the go. That's why great leaders develop regular, reflective rituals. We find ways to step back and to connect with purpose, plans, and people. That's what makes great leaders so refreshing to be around. Instead of wearing people out with nonstop performance momentum, great leaders infuse people with energy by knowing just when to push and when to pull back. It's an intuitive dance but it doesn't materialize out of thin air. It's cultivated one day and one ritual at a time. If you don't have such rituals, then this Provision will give you at least 11 ideas. I encourage you to go out and make at least one of them your own. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: Who do you think of as a great leader? What do you know about the things they do when you're not around? How could you find out more? What questions do you have? How could incorporate your discoveries into your everyday life? What rituals make the most sense for you?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

We Are What We Celebrate

Great leaders understand not only the importance of developing our own reflective rituals, but also the importance developing collective rituals that help to bring out the best in the people and organizations we lead. A collection of essays that takes this to the level of religious, national, and cultural traditions is titled We Are What We Celebrate: Understanding Holidays and Rituals by Jared Bloom and Amitai Etzioni.

Here is the book description; I encourage you to look into it if you can.

How did Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday become a national holiday? Why do we exchange presents on Christmas and Chanukah? What do bunnies have to do with Easter? How did Earth Day become a global holiday? These questions and more are answered in this fascinating exploration into the history and meaning of holidays and rituals. Edited by Amitai Etzioni, one of the most influential social and political thinkers of our time, this collection provides a compelling overview of the impact that holidays and rituals have on our family and communal life.

From community solidarity to ethnic relations to religious traditions, We Are What We Celebrate argues that holidays such as Halloween, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, and Valentine's Day play an important role in reinforcing, and sometimes redefining, our values as a society. The collection brings together classic and original essays that, for the first time, offer a comprehensive overview and analysis of the important role such celebrations play in maintaining a moral order as well as in cementing family bonds, building community relations and creating national identity. The essays cover such topics as the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday; the importance of holidays for children; the mainstreaming of Kwanzaa; and the controversy over Columbus Day celebrations.

Compelling and often surprising, this look at holidays and rituals brings new meaning to not just the ways we celebrate but to what those celebrations tell us about ourselves and our communities.

Coaching Inquiries: What are the celebrations and rituals in your organization? How can you influence them or even set up new ones? How can you make them more celebratory and regular? Who could you involve in the process of stimulating a ritual makeover?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Relationships Matter

Laser Provision: Great leaders don't just get things done; great leaders get things done through people. That's the definition of leadership. Unfortunately, all too many leaders neglect or even violate the people side of the equation. We become so focused on getting things done that the needs of people get stepped on or trounced in the process. "Do whatever it takes!" If that sounds like you, then I encourage you to read on. This Provision is an invitation to think again. The needs of people must always be respected, honored, and met; otherwise, results suffer and leaders fail to get things done. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kind of attention do you pay to relationships? Do you inspire trust in the people you work with? What needs do you naturally pay attention to and honor? What needs are you more likely to overlook or neglect? How can you become a more holistic leader? Who can help you to get where you want to go?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.