OUR Leadership BLOG

Nick Metler | 8/15/2022

Meaningful work comes from a place of synergy that maximizes your output, your joy, your gifts, talents, and abilities with a pursuit that you could not do on your own.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 8/10/2022

You have a finite amount of time and energy every day.

How much time and energy are you giving to negativity? Do naysayers drain your resources and divert your focus away from what’s most important?

Dr. Fred Johnson and Nick Metler | 8/9/2022

Positive change begins on the inside. If you want different results, it's never about magic, luck, or throwing things at the wall and hoping it sticks. You have to begin with your way of thinking. You have to start with behaviors. 

It is normal in our world to be negative. As humans, we naturally make quick judgments to save our skin. For much of history, this was necessary for survival, but negativity isolates us from others when leading. This isolation is the antithesis of leadership. Part of being a leader is attracting others and drawing out the best each member has to offer.

Negativity is not leadership.

Nick Metler | 8/1/2022

What is your relationship with time management? Does the idea make you cringe a little bit?

It does for me.

There is a strong propensity for leaders to focus too much on time management without stopping to ask what is actually managing their time. Often, leaders prescribe solutions that don't address the problems at hand. Another issue of time management comes from the failure of leaders to empower and trust the people in their lives to handle the tasks set before them adequately. Trust is the bedrock for any relationship, and high-functioning teams must let trust govern their actions to operate effectively. 

Dr. Paul Metler | 7/25/2022

Who is the best leader you have ever known?

As you remember the person, see if you are connecting the person with the help they provided. Was there a particular problem they solved? Nearly every time I reflect on leaders I admire, the images that pop into my mind relate to how they facilitated movement from a significant problem to a helpful solution. The words they spoke—their actions. I recognize how they connected, inspired, and mobilized others to deliver a better future.

Dr. Paul Metler | 7/11/2022

Negativity produces a strange paradox. Generally speaking, negativity is not an attractive quality. If you ask prospective employees what they’re looking for in their next opportunity, negativity never appears in their dream job description. Negativity does not attract top talent.

And yet, who would deny that negativity is contagious? How can something unattractive become so attractive and spread so easily? That’s the contradictory complexity of negativity.

Nick Metler | 7/5/2022

Do you know your purpose? Sometimes I feel like that question is a bit scary. This fear was especially the case when I was younger; the interplay between purpose and failure was regularly on my mind—I've been an old soul for a long time. Ultimately, lacking a sense of purpose wasn't the source of my fears. Failure was. Now, in times of failure, I've recognized that purpose is often the only thing that stays with me. It steadies the ship, grounds my actions, and allows me to see that there is a pathway out of the pit. A vital piece of the fear comes from, I believe, our longing to be authentically integrated people who live true to ourselves and one another.

Stephanie Schultz | 6/23/2022

Rather than blaming circumstances, how can you take the next step toward solutions? If you’re serious about your leadership, you cannot ignore the importance of taking 100% responsibility.

Dr. Fred Johnson | 6/22/2022

Do you feel like you’re still stuck in the same place? Fear lurks beneath the surface of a choice to live in the status quo despite compelling reasons for change. Fear has many sources:
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• A fear of discomfort
• A fear of failure
• A fear of disappointment
• A fear of the unknown
• A fear that you are not enough

Dr. Fred Johnson and Nick Metler | 6/21/2022

Accelerating change means accepting a new reality for living each day. If you want to get out of the status quo, you must be willing to change your thinking. Making a real commitment to change over the long haul can feel daunting. It’s helpful to learn a few pivots that have the power to transform your life.  

So, what do you need to tell yourself to get away from playing it safe?