I often find that I hold back when it comes to sharing my leadership reflections. It may appear to some that I exercise leadership actions and inquiry with ease; however, often I am only relaying half my message. In the past, I was burnt by offering my voice, particularly when individuals or groups were not ready to digest the message that I was offering. I took away from these interactions the belief that I needed to calm the flame inside of me. I believed that I was too pas

When we prioritize other people’s wellbeing above our own, we teach them how to treat others. According to Brené Brown, author and researcher on shame and vulnerability, a boundary is simply “what’s okay and what’s not okay” when it comes to the way we allow ourselves to be treated. When we fear that if we disagree with another person, we may lose our safety within that relationship (they’ll be mad at us, disown us, say hurtful things), we teach them that we’ll always agree,

I recently moved to South Carolina, the Palmetto State. While exploring the low-country of Charleston and upstate Greenville, I encountered this common and important question, “Who are your people?” Some of you may be thinking, I know my relatives: there is my crazy uncle, my wonderful aunt, my braggadocios cousin, and my loving parents. But there’s another group of people who are probably equally important to your life: your team members, your boss, your clients, and your s

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” -Prayer of St. Francis Assisi As a child, how often were you asked the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Adults probably encouraged your aspirations when you replied with the usual suspects: doctor, artist, astronaut, professional athlete. As a teenager heading off to college, I remember feeling the pangs of uncertainty while trying to answer this question, yet I also had a sense of urgency to resolve it.