Leverage individual communication styles to enhance team operations

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“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly”.

(Mark Sanborn)















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People are more important than the job description (My soapbox)

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(Andy Stanley)

So, need to vent for a minute.

Continue to see and hear across multiple industries where the boss makes job description modifications (additions/deletions/unit changes) without discussing with the person doing the actual job.  The boss is then surprised when staff decide to find a work environment that views them as more than the job description.

Please note, I’m not saying changes can’t be made to a specific job description.  Organizational missions change and updating duties, responsibilities and unit structure provides growth needed to move forward.  Leaders need to ensure the people tasked with getting things accomplished remain a part of the overall process.  Imagine the favorite part of your current position is removed and nothing was said to you prior to implementation.  How would you feel?

I know leaders who make decisions based on how the job description is written and refuse to consider the impact on the person in the position.  Never agreed with this logic and still don’t.  People are more important than the job description!

The authentic leadership variable balanced processing would help in these situations.  My research identified balanced processing as the variable that best explains job satisfaction for direct reports.  They want to be involved and should be.

Leaders are encouraged to seek and find the big picture before making decisions.  Simply identifying potential job description changes would allow staff to provide input before the final product is created.  Balanced processing is leveraged to build trust, encourage professional growth for direct reports and provides a foundational and reliable decision-making process.  It also signals all opinions are valued and expected.  The concept eliminates personal bias from the decision-making process, everyone in the organization has input prior to the final decision.  Again, people are more important than the job description!

I continue to promote the authentic leadership model because it can help create positive workplace outcomes and improve organizational performance.  It may also stop workplace turnover and get me off this overworked soapbox!

Okay, I’m dropping the microphone and stepping down from my soapbox. 😊

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How does your work environment ensure people are not overlooked?  Does your leadership put job descriptions ahead of the people doing the job?  (Please respond in the comments section below—thanks!)

“It is trust that transforms a group of people into a team”.

(Stephen Covey)

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Don’t fear the unknown–life moves forward

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“On the other side of your maximum fear are all the best things in life”.

(Will Smith)

How many times have you talked yourself out of doing something based on perceived fears?  I’m talking about larger life episodes like changing careers, starting your own business, learning a new skill or traveling to an exotic locale.

Sometimes we fear the unknown simply because it is unknown.  Nothing has happened to instill the fear we live with; we just bring it along into our daily routines.  Don’t let that little voice in your head talk you out of pursuing something you want to accomplish.  Positive thoughts generate positive outcomes!  Tackle life with an Irie mindset!

Look for ways to embrace your fear and understand the root cause.  Challenges provide opportunities to grow so don’t let a little apprehension stop you from making a move.  Try to place a marker or name on what you fear.  Is it the actual change, lack of confidence, professional requirements or something else?  Understanding the root cause of fear provides a road map to help overcome the thing you fear—sounds simple, right?

Look for ways to visualize the successful outcome you seek.  Leverage a vision mapping process to walk you through the entire process.  Start with the most basic concepts and then work to put everything into a step-by-step diagram as a road map for success.  Your vision map may show holes in your thought and execution patterns you can counter to help eliminate fear and enable success.  The vision map also allows you to put time frames in-place to accomplish the task you identify.

Positive people make positive things happen!  I continue to stress having an Irie mindset.  Believe this is vital daily in life.  Expect great things to happen and back up the expectations with proactive research, conversations and efforts needed to get what you want.  Positive thoughts will help build up resiliency so when faced with obstacles you go to the next option but never stop trying to get what you want.

Be prepared to pivot as needed.  There are times a fundamental change in approach is needed to get what you want.  This is not a failure but a proactive way to work towards outcomes to enhance your current situation.  Do you need to get a specific certification prior to starting a career change?  Do you need to have a business partner to make your small business idea successful?  The willingness to pivot when needed can eliminate a level of fear associated with similar changes.



Accept fear as a natural motivator in life.  Sounds counterproductive but what if you tackle a small fear daily to build up confidence for the larger things in life?  Fear public speaking? Then join Toast Masters to get in front of people to learn how to overcome this fear.  I’m a natural introvert so speaking in front of people was a fear I had.  Discovered the more I speak in front of groups the less fear I have.  The process becomes easier the more I face the fear.

Mentors can help you when facing your fears.  We should all have multiple mentors to help get through personal and professional scenarios.  Why not enlist a mentor when you must face a fear?  This trusted advisor may have experience in the area and can provide insight to help you move forward.  The mentor can also serve as a sounding board for you to present your thoughts.  This simple concept may allow you to hear what’s holding you back.  Your mentor will be able to provide feedback based on thoughts you present as well.

Fears are natural to most of us.  Visualize success, leverage positive thoughts, pivot if needed, accept fear to defeat it and engage your mentors.  Simple, huh? 😊

Remember, everything Irie!

What tools do you leverage to overcome fear?  What have you thought about doing but let fear hold you back?  (Respond in the comments section—thanks!)



“Named must your fear be before banish it you can”.


Strong tree branches keep me moving forward

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(African Proverb)

My collective tree branches continue to amaze me daily!

I enjoy watching the great things they are doing in their respective areas of higher education, mentoring, volunteering, speaking, podcasting, recruiting, leadership development and fitness to name a ‘few’ areas these outstanding folks are making a difference.

The one area that stands out to me today as I write this is the teamwork they constantly display.  My Walk into the Future has led me away from a physical office space—as noted, I primarily work out of coffee shops with Lucky Goat being first choice.  My previous work life allowed me to be surrounded by direct reports and colleagues every day.  There was always someone available to me whenever I had a question, concern or marketing idea I needed to hash out.


(Henry Ford)

My current walk provides me unlimited freedoms to decide what I work on and when.  The one limiting factor is I don’t have ‘my’ team right down the hallway to bounce things off.

A great aspect of having so many tree branches is they are only a text message, email or phone call away when I need help.  Today was a perfect example of how great my tree branches are.  Needed some help generating a Presentation Value Proposition for a conference proposal I was working on.

I had no trouble describing my proposed presentation, highlighting learning outcomes and generating an overall summary.  Couldn’t generate the Value Proposition for the presentation for some odd reason—just couldn’t make it pop or even sound interesting.

Reached out to two of my most creative tree branches and described my dilemma.  Provided them with what I needed to do and my attempt to generate the Value Proposition.  They both jumped into teammate mode and sent me back appealing options for the Value Proposition that made the presentation sound exciting.  The point being is even without us being in the same cities, my team still has my back and we make each other better daily.

The ability to stress the importance of teamwork is something I’m proud to bring to every organization I’ve worked with.  It’s great to see my tree branches continue to embrace team concepts and help others grow.  Well done tree branches—keep up the great things you do daily!  Very proud of your efforts!

Thanks to my tree branches who return my texts, emails, phone calls and LinkedIn shout outs!  You’re fueling this journey one step at a time—Irie!

What are the most important team concepts you display daily?  How can you enhance the team experience in your work environment?  Thanks!

Respect Melissa and V’Rhaniku!

ER 2016

(2016 team bowling outing)


(Booker T. Washington)

Leverage a growth mindset to maximize your success



“You have to apply yourself each day to becoming a little better. By becoming a little better every day, over a period of time, you will become a lot better”.

(John Wooden)

Growth mindset has been defined as people believe their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point (Carol Dweck).

Fixed mindset

A fixed mindset puts undue parameters in place.  An individual who believes they are only good at certain things will most likely only be good at those things.  You can talk yourself into or out of anything.  A fixed mindset can hinder progress because of the avoidance of anything that may challenge you.  This process causes individuals to give up when tasks get hard or unfamiliar.

A fixed mindset limits individual growth because of sticking to what you know only—attempts to try or learn new things are avoided at all costs.  A sad aspect of this mindset is when people believe potential is predetermined.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t—you’re right”.

(Henry Ford)

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Growth mindset

Contrasting the fixed mindset with growth mindset highlights the importance of positive thinking and actions.  People with a growth mindset view failure as an opportunity, not something to shy away from.  Functioning as a lifelong learner is another aspect of the growth mindset—the foundational principle is to never stop learning new things and tasks.

Positive effort and attitude are thought to be determining factors toward individual abilities.  This concept helps eliminate being defeated even before starting a task.  The success of others leads to inspiration for someone with a growth mindset.

The great things my tree branches accomplish daily inspire me to continue to grow and make a difference.

A hidden aspect of the growth mindset is the freedom it provides to practitioners.

Growth mindset is based on not limiting yourself (thoughts or actions) so you approach each day as a gift.  You seek new challenges because you have the tools to accomplish them.  You’re willing to try new things because you never want to stop learning and improving your knowledge and abilities.  Setbacks are your opportunity to learn, reset and then try another approach to the challenge you face.

Lessons are everywhere when you embrace the growth mindset.


(Napoleon Hill)

Growth mindset key factors:

  • You can learn anything needed for success
  • Displaying the right attitude makes learning possible
  • Challenges are viewed with excitement
  • Failure is not the end
  • Positive words, thoughts and actions daily

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you don’t stop”.


How can a growth mindset impact your daily interactions?  What things do you need to change to adopt a growth mindset?  Thanks!


TED Speaker, Carol Dweck. (n.d.) Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/speakers/carol_dweck. 

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It’s all GOOD – Networking in Orlando

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(Jerry Seinfeld)









“The key to life is accepting challenges”.

(Betty Davis)

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Quotable Leadership philosophy!

FAU Leadership quote August 2019

“A leader is a dealer of hope”.

(Napoleon Bonaparte)

Always wonder if my leadership and mentor quotes travel well.

Received the image above a couple weeks ago from a Career Center friend in South Florida.  The Career Center had Graduate Assistants (GAs) present to leadership how they would incorporate National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies into daily interactions with students and alumni.

One of their GAs researched the NACE site and found an Authentic Leadership article done with me and leveraged my words to make her point on how a leader truly inspires an organization.  I was happy to see my words helping the next generation of college students and future leaders.

You can find the full NACE article here:  https://www.naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/authentic-leadership-hinges-on-listening/

  • So, yes, proud to say people are listening and putting these words into action! 😊

I continue to promote Authentic Leadership as a platform to enhance organizational success. The four variables are easy to understand and apply in daily interactions within the work environment.  True leaders need to be visible and available to engage direct reports to ensure everyone has input in how the organization operates.  Top down leadership may be needed in isolated situations, but your people want to be engaged.  The only way to accomplish this is to engage them—simple concept.

Leverage Napoleon’s words above and become a dealer of hope.

What’s your favorite leadership quote?  How does the quote impact your daily interactions?  I welcome your thoughts, thanks!


(Bill Gates)

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