One Thing Does Not Change

In these changing times, many of us are reimagining our future.

You might be looking for ways to expand your opportunities. Maybe you want to build new partnerships. Or, maybe you just want to get more out of every minute of your life.

As we experiment and change, and reach out to others who are doing the same, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the promises we make along the way. Especially if we embrace self-improvement or like to help others whenever we can, we may sometimes commit to things we're not quite ready to do.

This is all the more likely in times of transition like we are going through now. But what would happen if we chose our commitments more carefully?

Opportunity Is Not All That's Lost

It's tempting to think that if you don't keep an agreement, you only lose an opportunity. Or, maybe you think the losses are purely financial and you can make more of other opportunities to compensate.

But there is so much more that happens when you...

The Power of Starting

"You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar

When you take action, you trigger all kinds of things. The benefits spread. For example, people around you notice your leadership and are inspired. Everyone can see that you are serious about your intentions, which builds respect and connection. Plus, people with similar goals are drawn to you.

It's How We Grow

When you take action, you may also get feedback and that's good too. Feedback from others helps us grow. Sure, it'd be easier to play it safe and not act, but then you would also not learn.

It's a truth of life that the more action you take, the more you learn and grow. Even our greatest challenges lessen with practice. Things that once appeared difficult begin to be easier.

Live2Lead Goes Virtual

Every year, the UpCloseTeam organizes a leadership event call Live2Lead in Wood Buffalo. We'd been holding this annual event for four years when we had to make a big shift...

The Power of Diversity

There is a lot of power in diversity. Teams built on the unique and valuable contribution of each member are more innovative, better at solving problems, and more able to make decisions that serve the organization as a whole.

People tend to be more content in a diverse environment where everyone feels appreciated and their opinions are valued. Diverse organizations have higher employee retention and for good reasons.

Understanding Yourself and Others

It takes skill to understand yourself and others. We all have strengths and blind spots. The more diverse our team, the greater the challenges are. As Malcom Forbes said, "Diversity is the art of thinking independently together."

It is a reality of working with others that sometimes we struggle to understand why people behave the way that they do.

That is why tools like the DISC personal assessment are so essential. To learn more about your personality style, take the DISC assessment on our website. Then, use our...

Embrace Opportunity

We have all made adjustments in our lives and careers over the recent months. We won't pretend that these changes aren't sometimes a challenge, but with change there is also opportunity.

Self-care is more important now than ever and we can all contribute something of value. In order to do that, we need to first focus on where value can be found. So take a breath and ask yourself what's important to you now. Are your efforts designed to make you feel good? Are they designed to help you become the best you can be? How will you make the world better for others? These are great questions to ask yourself.

The Law of Contribution

Before you can help anyone else grow, you must first take care of your own growth. In "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth", John Maxwell talks about what he calls the Law of Contribution. According to this law, "Growing yourself enables you to grow others."

You may be wondering why you'd want a personal growth plan. What is the purpose of such a...

The One True Thing We Have

When a person feels overwhelmed by the future, they can lose sight of the one true thing they really have--now.

It is always possible to stop and enjoy the moment, but this is a skill that takes practice. You know it when it happens because it feels good, but it's about more than feeling good. Being in the now helps us lead successful lives. Everyone wants that, but according to John Maxwell, few of us know how to get there.

Today Matters

We are led astray by misconceptions. In his book, "Today Matters" John Maxwell identifies some of the most common misconceptions that can hold us back:

1. We believe success is impossible, so we criticize it.
2. We believe successes is mystical, so we search for it.
3. We believe success comes from luck, so we hope for it.
4. We believe success is productivity, so we work for it.
5. We believe success comes from opportunity, so we wait for it.
6. We believe success comes from leverage, so we power up for it.
7. We believe success comes from...

New Experiences

As we enter the holiday season, my husband and I have been spending time in the evenings watching holiday movies. Not many evenings ago, we looked at each other in the middle of one of these movies. We asked something we'd never thought to ask before. Have we ever built a gingerbread house? Have we ever worn an ugly Christmas sweater?

When we thought about it, we couldn't help but laugh. For us, the answer to both questions is No. We also didn't do these things growing up and we certainly did not do them with our kids. Like so many people, we were busy raising a family, taking our kids to sports, and a variety of other activities. If these activities had one thing in common, it was that they happened outdoors in the fresh air. It was easier to buy a gingerbread house, or a raffle ticket for one.

Inspiring Each Other

Last week, we had a Zoom meeting with friends who own a very successful business. We have been friends for years and have supported one another through...

"To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions: both dispense with the necessity of reflection."- Henri Poincare

 The Best Solutions Are Not Obvious

In challenging times, it is particularly hard to settle down and look inwardly. We can so easily be drawn into the crisis of the moment or weighed down by the things that are not possible.

The UpCloseTeam recently held another Live2Lead event in Wood Buffalo. The 2019 version of this event was highly successful, specifically because of the way it brought people together. Participants enjoyed good food, celebrated awards, watched each other's reactions to the speakers, exchanged ideas and networked. Everyone who attended gained leadership principles and personal growth techniques, and they did that in the company of their peers.

For the 2020 event, we needed to do things virtually, which meant a reimagining of possibilities. We could not do what had worked in previous years. We had to come up with...

James is at the dinner table with his wife, Cheryl. She can see he's distressed and asks if he's okay. The answer is larger than she expected. As far as she knew, James was happy in his job.

“Cheryl, I don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve worked long and hard for the company. I’ve been loyal and I've given my all. In the past, I was rewarded for my performance, but they’ve passed me over for a promotion again. Guess I better find another company that appreciates my experience and effort.’”

Only three years ago, James was excited about his future. He'd been promoted to a manager position at the manufacturing company where he works. They'd valued his university degree, but they'd valued his 10 years of experience even more.

He had spent many years showing his skills and helping the company grow. He grew in his career and was happy that his company valued his professional development.

James was ready for the learning curve his new role demanded....

Finding direction in uncertain waters

In uncertain waters, when the waves are high and the sky is dark, it's only natural to look to others for direction.

But sometimes when the uncertainty gets too large for comfort, people cluster together around extremist thinking. They get locked into the simplest answers, a kind of black-and-white thinking that deliberately avoids the complexity of our messy world. The further they commit to the extremist thinking, the farther they may get from their inner compass of beliefs.

You may wonder, why does this happen? Well, first off, it's comforting to think you've found the answer. Also, if someone else provides the solution, you don't have to go through the messy work of confronting complexity and facing difficult situations. John Maxwell calls this kind of pressure "popular thinking" and he reminds us to challenge it.

Chart your own course

You can think of it as navigating a rough ocean. Finding our way is difficult in normal conditions and...

 Emblems of hope

In challenging times like the ones we're in, people who act unselfishly stand out as emblems of hope for all of us. They inspire us to keep trying and they soothe worries about the unknown ahead. They remind us that as long as we're good to each other, we can get through anything.

There's a wonderful website called randomactsofcanadian.com. The website serves a singular purpose—to shine a spotlight on people all over our country who continue to be kind and generous. In times of need, these people see what is lacking and they offer whatever help they can provide.

The Law of Sacrifice

The website calls these offerings "random acts of kindness", but I wonder how random they really are. It takes effort to be kind. Unselfish acts often take more work, and require not just your personal effort, but the effort of others. John Maxwell calls this The Law of Sacrifice and it's one of "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" for good reason. In moments that are...