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Determinants of Success – Grit and Growth Mindset
Two of the most impactful business books that have influenced how I think about work and life are Mindset: New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, and Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. Both base their books on extensive research and fact-based observations around determinants of success. Despite the fact that…
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Five Tips for Setting (and Achieving) Goals
It feels like there are a lot of givens in December – family celebrations for the holidays, colder weather for us to snuggle up by the fireplace, and the annual tradition of thinking about New Year’s resolutions. The questions that many of us ask ourselves are how do you balance personal and work goals, are…
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What Humility Is and Is Not
I saw an Adam Grant post about humility that struck a chord with me. Grant’s post read, “Downplaying your achievements is not the antidote to appearing arrogant. Humility is acknowledging your weakness, not denying your strengths. Generosity is elevating others, not diminishing yourself. Owning your success doesn’t make you a narcissist – it makes you…
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Deciding if a Career Coach is Right for You and How to Find One
The past week has been filled with lots of time watching the World Cup, pondering if the U.S. will make it out of their group (thankfully, yes). I’ve also thought about the critical roles coaches play in the success of these teams’ training, strategy, mental preparation, and beyond. The U.S. men’s soccer star Christian Pulisic…
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Putting Thankfulness Front and Center
How many of you know that 17 countries celebrate their own version of Thanksgiving? It is not just an American holiday; thankfulness is a universal trait celebrated globally. We can work on being thankful daily and don’t need to wait for a holiday to count our blessings. How do you make this year the one…
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Writing your own story and living it
Many of us have a story about our lives. Whether it was dreamed up when we were young or a story that we have more recently told ourselves with expectations of how life and work will turn out. These stories can serve as motivation, but they can also be distracting and sometimes dangerous. These are…
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Five Strategies to Build Resilience at Work
The State of Resilience report found that a majority of Americans overestimated their own resilience. According to the poll, 83 percent of Americans stated they had high levels of mental and emotional resilience; however, 57 percent of the respondents actually scored as resilient. The report also concluded that “growing research shows higher levels of resilience…
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Do “nice” folks really finish last? Not if they avoid these four traps!
There is an old saying that people have used time and time again about nice guys finishing last – in work, sports, and life. Research from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business studied 1,500 people over 20 years, and they found that being too nice won’t boost you up the corporate ladder. I…
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Five Unique Ways to Celebrate Individual and Team Success at Work
Let’s face it, many people are working harder than ever. Lots of us are still working from home. While we appreciate not having to sit in traffic twice a day, the hours we save on the morning and evening commutes are often not going to working out, time with the family, or volunteerism. A recent…
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The Fallacy of Control
Early in my career, I was under the mistaken notion that I had significant control of my life, including my work life. I subscribed to the idea that I could set my mind to anything at work and ascend the career ladder. First, you wrote down your aspirations – I’m going to be a director…