As human beings, we are meaning-making machines! To make sense of our daily lives, our brains are constantly on the hunt for a story that fits. Yet, there is a problem with stories. Once we give ourselves a good guy and a bad guy, or a right way and a wrong way, our brains reward us with a hit of the feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine. The brain doesn’t care if the … [More]
Embracing Chaos
Chaos is defined as “a state of utter confusion, or disorder, a total lack of organization or order.” If there is one thing we are not missing right now is more chaos! The world has been turned upside-down in ways that we have never dreamed of! Things that once seemed normal, now require deep preparation, orchestration and facilitation like never before. The new normal is no … [More]
Four Steps to Thinking Positive in Business
It’s long been known by successful people what a powerful tool positive thinking can be. Just think of all the inspirational quotes out there that point out the impact of the right attitude and the importance of perseverance. Positive thinking can help people in all aspects of life, and it can be incredibly powerful in the way people conduct their businesses and lead their … [More]
Feedback: January 2021
Question: What were some critical first steps in incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices into your business? Patricia Pace Anderson Manager of Donor Program Development Donor Network of Arizona Sector: Healthcare Recent events in our community and nation over the past year have brought the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion front and … [More]
Culture Renovation
Most business leaders understand the power of a dynamic, positive culture — but almost every effort to change culture fails. Why? The approach is often all wrong. Rather than attempt to “transform” a new culture from the ground up, leaders need to instead spearhead a culture renovation. It’s all about keeping what works, changing what needs to be changed, and ensuring proper … [More]
Flinn Foundation President and CEO Tammy McLeod Joins the Utility Customer Research Consortium as a Board Advisor
Poised to apply a broad level of private-sector executive and community leadership experience that includes nearly 23 years at Arizona Public Service, Arizona’s largest public utility, Flinn Foundation President and CEO Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., has accepted the position of Board Advisor of The Utility Customer Research Consortium (UCRC). Comprised of a blue-ribbon panel of senior … [More]
Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals
Each year, businesses look ahead to project, budget and plan the coming year. We always learn a lot from years prior to help gauge changes for the year to come. This year will be one for the books, as they say. Planning for 2021 will be a lesson for us all as busines owners. But before looking ahead to 2021, it would be impossible to ignore the unprecedented nature of 2020. … [More]
Courageous Feedback. Can You Deliver It?
"Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.” —Dr. Brené Brown Most leaders assume feedback is negative and angst over how to deliver it so that it creates accountability, without discomfort for themselves. The ultimate challenge is how … [More]
Ripple Effect of a Toxic Boss
Working for a difficult or temperamental boss is common in the U.S. A survey last from by Cision for Robert Half showed roughly half of the employees quit their job due to what they termed a bad boss. But high turnover isn’t the only downside such bosses cause. Abrasive or toxic leadership creates many other costs for organizations and employees as well, from personal health to … [More]
Feedback: December 2020
Question: Given the events of this past year, what would you say are the most important leadership attributes (skills, experience, philosophy) for growing and strengthening your company? Sandra Bassett President and CEO West Valley Arts Sector: Arts & Culture When I became West Valley Arts president and CEO in April, COVID was just rearing its ugly head. Soon after, … [More]
Stronger Through Adversity
COVID-19 has disrupted business and life in ways we never imagined. Within days of the outbreak, world-renowned business expert Joseph Michelli contacted more than 140 senior leaders at major companies about their specific challenges and how they were meeting them — getting raw yet thoughtful real-time insights into a crisis that will define an entire generation of leaders. The … [More]
