On your mark!

I can remember when I was preparing to move away to college, wishing that I had some cool middle name that I could start going by instead of Leslie.  I pictured starting a fresh new life where nobody knew me and thinking about how awesome it would be to just start all over from scratch with some exotic name like "Alexandra."  Who would know?!  ONLY ME!
As luck should have it, my middle name is Rae and I didn't see that as a suitable name for my new alias....  so I stuck with good ol' Leslie.

There is something so exciting about starting over! When we start over we get a chance to do new things we never thought we could!  Starting over also gives us a chance to do some of the things we have always done, only better!  Starting over provides prospective and possibilities!

When I think about new leadership opportunities, it reminds me of a blank canvas. 

I am no artist, but I imagine that when an artist is looking at a blank canvas they are able to see the picture they want to paint in their head.  They see the colors they want to use, the different styles of brushes, and techniques to create the contrasts that will make that picture take life!

THIS! is the same as leadership!

Leaders see the "picture" already in their heads/hearts.  Its learning what the right steps are that makes the process challenging!

As a leader, it has always been my experience that the first step is "painting a clear picture" to your team.

You have the vision and only you can cast it! Nobody can do it for you and unless Sylvia Brown is on your team, NOBODY CAN READ YOUR MIND!

I have never seen any team leader come in and start barking orders and be able to retain any followers for longer than a year. 

John Maxwell says it like this: "People don't quit organizations, they quit people."

When your team doesn't know "the why" behind "the what," then they are not bought in!  What is a deep burning passion in your heart, is not in theirs! Why?  Because they don't know WHY they are doing WHAT they are doing!!!

When your team can see the colors, taste the tastes, smell the smells, feel the texture of your picture, they feel ownership in it and want to see it work! 

People do not feel significant until you give them something significant to do.

How are you encouraging your team?  Do they know your heart as their leader?  Do they know the WHY behind what they are doing?  Do they even know what they are supposed to be doing?

It's dangerous to assume.

It is one thing to manage a team, which is important, but it is another thing to lead them! 

Managers keep things running the same, leaders influence growth!

What's Gonna Work?

I was a child once, I have 3 children of my own, I have been around children all of my life, and it seems that we are primed for teamwork at a very young age. When we are just toddlers we are told to take turns, to share, to cooporate, to listen, to "use our words," to follow the rules, to consider others feelings, and that there are consequences to all of our choices. 

The best example of team work I have ever been part of, happened 3 years ago and all i could do is watch. 

I was in the hospital, in labor with our youngest child.  By all accounts the labor was running smoothly and consistent with my last 2 deliveries.

The doctor came in to break my water, and when she did, the umbilical cord, came out.  To all of our surprise, we had an emergancy on our hands.  (The umbilical cord is a life line to the baby, if it is cut off, the oxygen is cut off.)  This is called a Prolapsed Cord.

Instantly, my doctor was on the bed with me,  she began talking softly and camly, explaining exactly what was happening-she told me that she had to keep her hand on the baby's head as to keep it from cutting off the oxygen for the baby.  My doctor told me to keep my eyes on her and to stay calm. (yeah, right)

The nurse  who had been taking care of me had already jumped into action.  I was moved onto another bed (along with the doctor who was attached to me) and being wheeled to the O.R. very quickly.  Everything seemed so fast paced that I couldn't process what was happening quick enough. 

The nurse was yelling orders to the team of other nurses as they were rushing around prepping for my c-section.

I noticed that my nurse was THE ONLY ONE speaking.  My doctor was with me on the bed, and looking at my face, she only spoke to me calmly and quietly.  The nurse seemed rushed and anxious but TOTALLY in charge.

We arrived in the O.R. and the anaesthesiologist greeted me, keeping his voice soft and calm.  He told me what was happening and held my hand. 

After what seemed like 15 seconds, my doctor was off the bed, hands washed, gloves on, medical apron on, hair in ponytail and cutting me open to save my littlest one.

I remember thinking "She was just "elbow deep" holding my baby's head in place and now she is cutting me open-not to mention wearing a ponytail!" 

I blinked a couple of times and our baby was born!

A tiny and sweet little girl. Healthy.

11 minutes from the time my doctor has broken my water.

Leadership lesson?


Take initiative.  See what needs done and do it! Had the nurses waited for the doctor to bark orders we might not have had a better outcome.  The nurses knew that the doctor was concerned about ME and that they had to do the grunt work.

The doctor and the nurses knew the seriousness of the situation, she also knew that if I (the patient) saw her panic that things could get worse.

That day, nobody worried about who was most qualified, or who was in charge, or how they appeared to others.  Ego was nowhere to be found. 

While the doctor was assuring me, the nurses took charge and made things happen!  From the moving me to another bed to the Doctor's ponytail, this was a team that worked together and had the same END in MIND.

Safety and wellbeing of Patient and child.

Job well done.


It is amazing what we can do when it doesn't matter who gets the credit.

The Happiness Advantage

Dream jobs DO exsist!  I got the HONOR to be asked to write a month long book study of
THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE by Shawn Achor, for the orangeleaders.com blog!!!!

This is week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5


I will be back on orangeleaders.com blog in July to study The Catalyst Leader by Brad Lomenick --that gives you some time to order it and read along with me!