Passion – Blanchard LeaderChat

Life Transition Has You Asking Big Questions? Ask Madeleine

Madeleine Homan Blanchard — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 11:26:00 +0000

Dear Madeleine,

I am a director in the finance department of a national restaurant/foodservice company. I have always liked my job, brought a lot of creative problem-solving to my team, and enjoyed hosting events to create bonds among people in my organization.

My last kid just graduated from high school and left for a six-week trip abroad. My two kids in college have summer jobs away from home. I thought I couldn’t wait to finally have the kids all leave the house so I could have more time to myself and more time to work—but now that it has finally happened, I seem to be adrift. All I have is time, and I don’t know what to do with it.

It feels so strange. I don’t recognize myself. For the last twenty years I have been in constant motion. Even though I’ve loved being a mom, I’ve resented the never-ending grind. But now that I don’t feel the clock ticking, I can barely focus on work.

Ever since Covid, my entire team has worked from home. I am happily single but never felt lonely until now. Maybe I’m just really sad—the empty nest thing—because I have so been looking forward to this time. But it feels like all of a sudden I have ADHD or something.

Have you ever heard of anything like this? Do you think there is something wrong with me?

Weirded Out

________________________________________________________________________

Dear Weirded Out,

There is nothing wrong with you. You are going to be fine. I promise.

Humans vastly underestimate how destabilizing it is to change our daily routines. For twenty-plus years you were on the clock, and all of a sudden you have a surfeit of time. It’s as if you had loud music playing 24/7, you learned how to dance to it all day, every day for twenty years, and someone suddenly turned the music off. The silence is so deafening it can be hard to think. You developed an entire set of skills, disciplines, and practices that made you feel productive, accomplished, and competent. Now, all you need to do is…start all over again.

The working-mom fantasy of having more time to work is common; and, like most fantasies, the reality is often a letdown. Because, let’s face it, you probably already work plenty.

One general principle that might be helpful to understand is this: just because a big change is desirable and makes you happy doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to grieve the chapter that is coming to a close. All the big, happy life transitions (graduating school, getting married, starting jobs, having children, buying homes, moving to a new location), no matter how welcome, require leaving all kinds of beloved things behind. What that means is just because you are thrilled to have made it to end of the working-mom marathon doesn’t negate whatever other emotions you may be having.

Here are a few ideas you might consider to help you through this big transition:

Take some time off. Go for long walks, take some yoga classes, meditate, get a massage. Anything you can do to clear your head so that you can hear the soft voice inside that is offering clarity about your heart’s desire.
Maybe avail yourself of your company’s EAP to do a short course of therapy to unpack all of the feelings you are experiencing. Identifying, naming, and feeling them will be a relief and will help you to re-focus on what is in front of you.
Take a quiet moment to write down all the things you have been putting off for so long. Jettison the things you don’t care about and prioritize the ones that still matter. Choose one thing that is appealing and make a plan to go after it. Learn pickleball, get a puppy, discover ballroom dancing, train for a marathon, find a cooking class. Whatever makes your heart beat a little faster.
Make a list of the people you care about who’ve dropped to the bottom of your priority list and make it your business to reconnect. Commit to either rebuilding those relationships or building new ones.

I would urge you to take it slow and start small. You don’t want to cram your life so full that you immediately go back to your old rhythms. Just because it might feel comfortable doesn’t mean it is right for you. It took you years to shape your former daily rhythms and it will take some time to experiment and find new ones. You will be able to recognize yourself in a new form soon enough (perhaps just in time for one of your kids to boomerang back home again).

Just kidding. Kind of.

Love, Madeleine

About Madeleine

Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services as well as a key facilitator of Blanchard’s Leadership Coach Certification course. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.

Got a question for Madeleine? Email Madeleine and look for your response soon. Please be advised that although she will do her best, Madeleine cannot respond to each letter personally. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.

British vs. American Culture!

Hart Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 23:36:05 +0000

5 Things People Do To Look Really, Really Busy

Gus Jaramillo — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:22:21 +0000

Top 5 Office Pet Peeves (Leadership Quote)

Hart Lee — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:26:53 +0000

Passion + Enthusiasm = Success?

Jemma Garraghan — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:00:00 +0000

What is “Passion”? The dictionary says: “a strong and barely controllable emotion”; “a state or outburst of strong emotion”; and “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something”. Passion is the positive emotional state of mind – which drives a willingness to apply discretionary effort; long-term commitment; peak performance; and satisfaction.

The Passionate Leader
Leaders need to love what they do; otherwise, where are they leading their employees? Leaders who display passion can engage the hearts and mind of employees, foster their commitment and determination, and empower their employees to meet meaningful goals.
Passionate leaders create an environment that energizes others; mixing passion with employee involvement, and transparency. Communicating passion every day, and in different ways – a face-to-face engagement, an exciting meeting, or a quick e-mail – allows the leaders’ enthusiasm to shine. If an employee feels trusted and involved, they can share their leaders’ passions and develop their dedication to their organizations.
Leaders with a passion have the power to instill a sense of meaning – they can provide a “bigger picture”, making the work their employees do worthwhile. Passion makes work about more than just a paycheck. People who feel that their work is valued feel empowered to make meaningful changes for their customers.
The Passionate Employee
Employee engagement and employee passion are essential for productivity, profitability, and customer loyalty. An engaged, motivated, and empowered workforce is far more likely to work at optimal levels, and have a higher performance.
In 2006, The Ken Blanchard Companies embarked on a new study to explore the concept of Employee Passion more fully concluding that, for employees to be passionate about their work, they need to have meaningful work – which means they should understand how their work adds value to the organization and creates positive results. They need an organizational culture that encourages collaboration, sharing, interdependence, and team spirit. The work environment needs to be fair – benefits, resources, and workloads are fair and balanced. They should be given the autonomy to choose how tasks are completed; have the information and authority needed to make authoritative decisions – and know the boundaries of this; and be trusted to do their job without micro-management.
Employee passion is reinforced with recognition – which can be verbal, written, or monetary; praise or promotions – for their accomplishments, and the opportunity for growth, where employees are supported in future career planning. Employees also need to feel connected with their leader and their colleagues, which requires honesty and integrity at all levels; and making an effort to build rapport.

Train Your Passion
By asking yourself what drives you to work hard; commit; achieve; and what makes you happy, you can grow your own enthusiasm for your work. Ask yourself:

What makes you feel energized?
What makes you get up in the morning?
What keeps you going when things get tough?
What makes everything you do worthwhile?

Passionate leaders spend time with their employees – learning about employee needs and desires, how to communicate with them, and what makes work meaningful to them. Employees with a passionate leader – where this passion is communicated and shared – are more enthusiastic and engaged. Organizations must provide meaningful work, autonomy, and opportunities for growth, encourage collaboration and recognition, and address the concept of fairness in order to maximize Employee Passion. Passion, in turn, creates driven, enthusiastic, committed and hard working employees.
Employees with a positive attitude create success.
Find your passion, grow it, and share it!
– – –
About the author: Jemma Garraghan is an EMEA Project Manager at the Ken Blanchard Companies. She can be reached at jemma.garraghan@kenblanchard.com

Are you a Travel Agent or Tour Guide Manager?

Gus Jaramillo — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 18:27:37 +0000

If you are like me, all you want to do is “see everything” once you get to a new country or city. I just want to go out and explore every inch of the city and get a feel for the people, the food, and the culture. On my last trip to Venice I ended up getting lost and seeing the same tall buildings for 2 straight hours as I kept going in circles through the buildings that divide the canals. At times in my career I’ve been doing the same thing wandering aimlessly throughout my day to day tasks. Often Ken Blanchard tells us that “Leadership is a partnership” and that we must work together to accomplish tasks. If you have ever had a bad manager or a bad travel agent, you know how important this collaboration is.
Take a look at these descriptions to see what kind of manager fits your description:
Travel Agent: He has never done the job before that he is asking you to do, and probably will never end up doing it himself. He has tons of tips of ways to accomplish the task but has never even stepped onto the job site. He doesn’t speak the business language at all, but tries to act like he does, while continuously mispronouncing business terminology. He also keeps repeating the word “synergy” because he thinks it sounds great but has no idea what it means. He also thinks SCRUM is a type of Norwegian cheese spread.
Tour Guide: Knows the job really well and has extensive experience in the field. He speaks the business language fluently and often teaches these classes at night to new comers. He knows the job site in and out and can tell you the best places to meet new people and who to learn from. He’s often seen walking around the office and getting acquainted with the culture and knows the real players in the organization. He guides his direct reports every day and helps them navigate the business while providing them with the best information possible. He doesn’t accept tips at the end of the day because he genuinely loves to do his work.
If you are a Travel Agent manager, don’t feel bad. Get out there, explore the sites, and get familiar with the “culture”. Sip the wine, mingle, and help your direct reports through their workplace experience. Really do your best to partner with them and guide them through their role and tasks.
The workplace needs more leaders who can partner with their direct reports for success. No travel agents needed.
Gus is a Learning and Performance Professional at the Ken Blanchard Companies and is currently finishing his PhD in I/O Psychology. He can be reached at gus.jaramillo@kenblanchard.com

Pent Beneath Fancy Knot

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:19:37 +0000

To the one pent beneath fancy knot,

pent behind fancy knot

It is curious to look at your affair

Catching you gaze toward heaven

Each afternoon seeking fresh air

Petitioning social network for leaven

Numb cheek now fermenting

Who could rejoice with thee now?

Fatigued, slipping into some ancient chat

You lie back in whispering waves of mocha

Toes banked in lukewarm grains of sand

Swimming in ocean’s of caramel bliss

Careless of the call you just missed

Pent beneath fancy knot

Ulysses’ alarm, pale reason to depart

Returning home at sundown—eyes half shut

Visions of Marla—the happy stray mutt

Once proud royal, mourn the day left behind

Slumber to the door—the angel’s tear has descended

You slide softly and silently into your favorite spot.

Still pent beneath fancy knot

by J. Diamond Arnold
Jason Diamond Arnold is a Leadership Consultant and Learning Media Producer at The Ken Blanchard Companies. He is Coauthor of Situational Self Leadership in Action a real time, real work, leaning experience that develops effective communication and collaboration skills for individuals in the workplace. He is Co Producer and Director of Stepping Up to Leadership with Scott Blanchard, at lynda.com.

Is “meaningful work” actually meaningful?

Matt Youngblood — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 13:00:01 +0000

Employee engagement is a hot topic these days. According to a Gallup poll estimate, disengaged employees cost the US between $450 – $550 billion each year in terms of lost productivity. Could you be contributing to that figured by not finding out what’s truly meaningful to your employees?
According to The Ken Blanchard Companies own research on the topic of Employee Work Passion, there are five job factors that can have a direct impact on retention: Autonomy, Workload Balance, Task Variety, Feedback, and Meaningful Work.
Over 800 individuals responded to a survey asking them to rank these factors by order of importance. While all five factors are important, Meaningful Work was most commonly ranked as being the #1 priority. In other words, respondents feel that employees need to know that the work they do has a direct positive impact on their organization, whether that impact is internal or external.
It makes sense, right? If I’m an employee who feels my job duties are really just “busy work” that aren’t contributing to my organization’s success, will I really be engaged in my work? If I don’t see my own work being important, how motivated will I be to go the extra mile?
Think about those fabulous people who work in IT. Lots of companies, regardless of what business they are actually in, rely on the systems and technology maintained by these individuals. While IT support may differ entirely from the type of work being done to maintain/grow a customer base, that doesn’t mean the work is any less important. If you have a frontline IT help desk representative who doesn’t see that their own contributions have a direct impact (i.e. employees from other departments could not complete their own work without the assistance of IT support), their quality of work may suffer.
A common trap leaders fall into is to assume that just because their organization is in the business of making positive impacts on customers and people, that their employees see it that way, as well. Leaders need to be proactive to ensure that their people also see the benefits of the work they complete.
ASK your employees how they feel about their work. Be sure to check this barometer on a regular basis. It’s easy for people to forget their importance in the grand scheme of the organization’s success. If your company has ever been through a series of changes, you can probably relate.
SHOW them the results. Ensure they know that they make a positive difference based on positive outcomes.
PRAISE them when praisings are due. If they did a good job, be sure to tell them! If you hear from another employee or customer that that they did a good job, pass that along to the employee!
How do you personally make sure your employees understand their contributions are meaningful? Leave your comments!

Quit & Stayed, or Quit & Paid?

Matt Youngblood — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:00:15 +0000

If you’re not familiar with the term “quit & stayed”, it is the act of mentally quitting, yet staying in the same physical environment. More specifically, it’s the act of becoming disengaged in the work you complete, whether that’s for a business or just in general.

“Image courtesy of Stuart Miles, / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

Chances are that you work with one or more people who have quit & stayed. They are people who show up just for the paycheck. They aren’t passionate about their job. They don’t have the motivation to go above and beyond. In a perfect world, everyone would get paid handsomely to do what they love, but unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Almost every company and organization has employees who fit into this category.

Amazon recently listed this trend in the annual letter to shareholders from company CEO Jeff Bezos along with a plan to deal with employees who have quit & stayed. The idea behind this plan is that once a year, employees will be offered a payout to quit. Depending on how many years you’ve been with Amazon, you could make anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 for handing in your resignation. The idea isn’t to create a high turnover rate, but instead, bring in new blood and energy where existing employees may have no interest in maintaining their career with Amazon.
Personally, I’d be curious to know what this does to their turnover rate. Will they see an uptick in the number of employees who move on to other companies? More importantly, are they paying adding unnecessary costs by paying employees to resign who might resign in either case even if they weren’t getting a bonus to do so?
Jeff Bezos says it best: “In the long-run, an employee staying somewhere they don’t want to be isn’t healthy for the employee or the company.” That is one statement I wholeheartedly agree with.

Be sure to take a look at The Ken Blanchard Companies Quit & Stayed Leadership Livecast. You can even view 17 minutes of the Livecast for free.
Leave your comments!

Leadership as an Experience in Humanness

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:00:56 +0000

At the beginning of my career, desperate for experience, I took whatever job I could in my field. Fortunately, my first manager treated employees and customers like gold. Luck struck twice when I was hired by yet another wonderful manager.
Regrettably, subsequent managers provided the “opportunity” to witness appalling treatment of both employees and customers. Still relatively naïve, I unconsciously swept their behavior under the rug in an attempt to gain valuable experience.
As my skill-set grew, I became disillusioned with my own attempts to lead. Emulating a combination of previous managers, who overall, seemed successful, led to followers who appeared blatantly angry, humiliated, and hostile. Advised not to take it personally, I couldn’t help but wonder what I was doing wrong and how I could change. With a warrior mentality, I read every work regarding leadership I could find and studied leaders as if by doing so I could internalize their success merely by being in their presence.
My leadership skills improved, yet something was still missing. I fervently questioned reasons why I was obsessively engaged when being led by some and so greatly disappointed when being led by others.
It took a truly unfortunate interaction with a leader long ago for me to embrace that even in the workplace I was a learning, feeling, developing, mistake-making fallible human being….and that there was nothing anyone could do to change this. The difference between those leaders who got the best and worst of me was their willingness to unconditionally accept me. Those who received my highest level of loyalty, performance, engagement, and respect were those who liked and even embraced my humanness.

Downshifting emotionally, I tapped into a level of humility that allowed me to personally, yet not unprofessionally, connect with those I was leading. Forgiveness, understanding, compassion…the willingness to let go of control enveloped me. Resultantly, I felt the vulnerability and fear of those I was leading. I could see and feel the need for hand-holding and that was okay! I could connect with their lack of confidence and disbelief in their abilities.
I listened. Then, I listened some more and allowed for silence and space. Never have I experienced employees so willing and hungry to give everything they have to their work. The change was so fast and dramatic it was emotionally overwhelming. There was no need to question how those I lead felt; it was clear that through their actions they felt just as I had at the beginning of my career.
*Photo courtesy of http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo121/4thfrog_2008/2uel34n.jpg
***
Cheryl DePonte is a Human Resources Learning and Performance Specialist at The Ken Blanchard Companies and has over 15 years experience in the fields of organizational effectiveness and human resources development.

Exploring the Hidden Secrets of Employee Engagement (pt.1)

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:00:46 +0000

As I walked out the door of our air conditioned building to go to lunch, I stepped though a stifling wall of heat that took my breath away. It was high noon and the temperature was 95 degrees farenheit…a stunning 20-25 degree difference from the comforts of my office. At that moment, I felt my energy level plummet and a number of thoughts began to run through my mind, including but not limited to, “I can’t wait to get home and put some shorts on,” and “I’d rather be at the beach or in the pool right now,” and “an ice cold beer would really hit the spot,” and “will I be able to recover and have a productive afternoon?”
In an instant, my level of engagement had been shifted by, yes, the weather. Is this example extreme? Perhaps, but is it really that far-fetched to think of a time when the weather outside affected your mood? In contrast to the previous example, a very cold day may have you daydreaming about snuggling up with your favorite blanket and sitting in front of the fireplace with your favorite book. When your mind wanders off to these places during your working hours or, in some cases, leads you to turn your daydream into reality, is that a reflection of your level of engagement and work passion?
My colleagues at The Ken Blanchard Companies have done some amazing research on the subject of employee engagement and work passion. To date, Blanchard has published four white papers on the subject which you can access by clicking here. In the latest installment, Blanchard identified 12 employee work passion factors within three different categories:

Job Factors – Autonomy, Meaninful Work, Feedback, Workload Balance, and Task Variety
Organizational Factors – Collaboration, Performance Expectations, Growth, Procedural Justice (process fairness), and Distributive Justice (rewards, pay, and benefits)
Relationship Factors – Connectedness with Colleagues and Connectedness with Leader

Without question, all of these factors are vital toward achieving an engaged and passionate workforce. What jumps out at me, and with most other’s research on the subject, is that the focus areas all tend to be very, for lack of a better word, work-centric. Whether you subscribe to the notion of work-life balance or work-life integration, my belief is that, in addition to these crucial work-centric factors, any number of outside personal factors may significantly influence an individual’s level of engagement and passion at any given time. And yes, this may even include an individual’s reaction to the weather outside.
It’s important to remember that regardless of your industry, you’re in the people business. Your colleagues and customers are human beings who are affected by other life experiences, both good and bad, besides those that occur while they’re working. We are individuals with unique needs, wants, situations, and emotions. In future posts in this series, we’ll further discuss situations and possible solutions to achieve a deeper understanding of what drives the engagement and passion of the unique individuals who make up your workforce.
Follow me on Twitter: @adammorris21 | Add me on Google+: gplus.to/AdamMorris21

A Much-Needed Time of Rest

Matt Youngblood — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

It has been a while since I’ve taken time off for a vacation (or “staycation” in my case, since I’m really a homebody). However, I’ll be taking some time off starting next week. I am quite giddy as I’m watching the clock counting down to the end of business today. I can’t wait to leave my responsibilities behind!
After reading that, you might be thinking that I hate my job or my work environment or my coworkers (or all of the above). It’s actually quite the opposite. I have a great job where I’m challenged on a regular basis. My company has the greatest culture out of any company where I’ve previously worked. My coworkers are all more like family than simple associates, and I know that if I’m in trouble or need support, I can always rely on them.
However, even though I appreciate all of these aspects, I’m burnt out. I feel mentally exhausted.   I’ve lost some of that passion I’ve carried with me in the past.
Being challenged at work is a great thing. It leads to both personal and professional growth. However, it’s also a cause of stress. When you’re challenged over and over again without any breaks, it’s like someone has access to your personal stress button and they’re trying to break it by stomping on it repeatedly.
For others out there, maybe challenges aren’t the problem. Maybe it’s a lack of challenges, or perhaps doing the same routine day-in and day-out. Whatever the source, all of us eventually get exhausted and need to get away from work in order to recharge our batteries.
Various studies have shown that vacations allow workers to come back to the office feeling refreshed and more productive. Confused.com compiled statistics from some of these studies and listed additional benefits of vacation, such as having a better feeling about life, or longer life expectancy in certain individuals.
Unfortunately, not everyone has vacation time through their employers since it is not mandated by the federal government here in the United States. Some businesses simply deny their employees this benefit.
I have not personally seen a business do this, but I did have a friend who was denied paid time off for the first two years of their employment. To think about working for 2 years without a break seems crazy. They even admitted to me that they were not feeling engaged by the end of that 2-year span until they were able to take some time away from they office.
What amazes me the most is that for those of us who are fortunate enough to receive paid time off in the US, the average American worker does not use all of their vacation time each year. According to a study by Expedia, the average number of vacation days provided each year is 14, yet only 12 of those days are typically taken.   It’s a shame because those vacation days are meant to be used and not stockpiled.
It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who is head-over-heels in love with their job, or someone just in it for the paycheck. If you’re one of those individuals who does not use all of their vacation time, use it up! You need that time away for your own mental health. You’ll feel better about yourself and about your work.
Leave your comments!

Look To The Past To Improve The Present And Future

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:16 +0000

My younger brother, Chris Morris, is an insanely talented musician/singer/songwriter. (Sure, I might be a tad biased but if you don’t believe me just see for yourself). This week Chris released a new music video for a song called, “Why Don’t You Come Home?” The song is a resurrection and recreation of an incredibly rare and unreleased Stevie Wonder song from the 1960’s that inexplicably never made it on to any of Stevie’s albums. (Listen to Stevie’s original version here). When Chris stumbled across it he “decided to get in the studio and pay tribute to this unknown masterpiece.”
What amazed me is that more than 40 years after the song was originally written and recorded, it still sounds current and relevant. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the song was ‘ahead of its time.’ And now, decades later, it has been given new life.
In thinking about Chris’ process, I’m reminded that often the best ideas, practices, methods, systems, and behaviors, are those that have been there all along, sitting around collecting dust. So why not look for new growth and development opportunities by reflecting on old ones that either used to work or were never put into practice in the first place?
Considering the following questions:

What worked well for you in the past that you’ve gotten away from? Did you have a system or process that worked well for an old task or job that could be applied to your current job or a current task? Do you no longer flex your leadership style as well as you used to?
What have you learned in the past that you never put into practice? Have you ever read a book or article and thought, “I need to do that,” but never did? Have you ever taken a class, loved the subject, but forgot about it the minute you put the textbook up on the shelf?
What were you once very passionate about that you’ve since abandoned? What activities or hobbies significantly contributed to your overall happiness and well-being that you no longer participate in?

I challenge you to sit down and do some brainstorming around this subject. What ideas, practices, methods, systems, and behaviors from the past can you breathe new life into? Once you’ve identified them, bring them home where they belong.

Follow me on Twitter: @adammorris21 | Add me on Google+: gplus.to/AdamMorris21

With Greater Leadership Comes Greater Expectation

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Like many, my college experience provided the opportunity to make friends and interact with some fascinating people – classmates whom I admire and respect more than they will ever know. We all had our dreams and aspirations, then graduation day came and we parted ways, ready to pursue our passions and make a positive difference in this world. We were ready and willing to be the best leaders we could be, prepared to serve others, stand behind our beliefs, and utilize the tools we had acquired – at least as far as our toolbox would take us.
What began as one such dream for a few of these classmates turned into an international charitable organization employing dozens of staff members, enlisting hundreds of volunteers, and impacting countless lives around the world. This past week, something happened to this organization that changed everything: it garnered global media attention virtually overnight. This organization is known as Invisible Children.
You may be familiar with the latest media blitz surrounding this non-profit and their viral video, Kony 2012. The team posted the video last Monday, hoping for 500,000 views by the end of the year. Yet what they received was far beyond their wildest dreams: 52 million views in just four days…and over 78 million views as I write this. This has led to an outpouring of news articles, TV interviews, blog posts, enormous praise, and even a severe backlash of criticism from people around the world, across nearly every major media entity from the Wall Street Journal to TMZ.
Wow. These young leaders must be feeling so many emotions. I would imagine they are thrilled beyond belief to have their message heard by so many people, yet fearful and/or frustrated by the criticism, and perhaps even nervous by the overwhelming attention in general. The international fame happened nearly overnight. Yet whether they were ready or not, this organization and its leaders will forever be held to a higher standard. Their leadership, or perhaps more importantly, others’ perception of their leadership, has been forever changed.
You see, whether we agree with it or not, leading at higher levels requires a new level of perseverance. The higher we go, the more others expect of us. It may not seem fair, but it is a reality. When you reach a certain level of fame, fortune, or position, opposition becomes inevitable. People will take shots at you, even when you know you’re doing the right thing. Observers will scrutinize your every action just because they can.
As leaders – leaders who are continuously growing and likely aspiring to reach new levels of leadership – we must always remember this. As our ability to influence others and our capacity to act as role models increases, we must expect that higher standards, albeit often unspoken, will be placed over us. As we continuously strive for moral and ethical excellence, we must trust that we’re doing the right thing, even in the face of criticism. And as we responsibly persevere, we must remember the expectation – and the privilege – that the more we receive, the more we must give; the more we lead, the more we must serve.
Our individual leadership journeys may never reach the level that Invisible Children has as an organization (or perhaps they will!), but regardless, the lesson is the same for all. Leadership simply gets tougher the higher you go and the more lives you touch. Not that my opinion matters in this case, but I am enormously proud of my classmates, grateful for their generous work, and fully confident that they will continue to do amazing things for this world… They’ll face a higher level of scrutiny and more forceful opposition, but as with all great leaders, this will ultimately only strengthen their resolve and improve their effectiveness.
Thank you for your Comments!

The Awkward Phase

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:02:35 +0000

At some point as a little girl, probably around the age of seven or eight, I decided it was perfectly normal to tell people I was going through my “awkward phase.” It is that inevitable phase in our youth perhaps many of you experienced, where you’re in between sizes, your teeth haven’t decided which way they want to go, and there is no guarantee that your foot will actually make contact with the ball during a routine game of soccer. I’m sure I picked up the funny saying from my dear mother and father, thinking it was simply a matter of fact to be shared with others. While I laugh about this now, it does remind me of another life stage that we go through, worthy of a similar name: our 20’s.
What an awkward phase this can be! After nearly two decades of school, all structure is lost. We graduate from college and our world suddenly opens up. The paradigms we have accepted and mastered are no longer relevant. We begin to question what’s next, and realize both the power and the trepidation behind this overwhelming notion. It is yet another “in between” stage where we must make the leap from being handed a path to carving our own. We must face the often harsh reality that is the real world without ever having been taught how to do so, and become the “leaders of tomorrow” with zero direction for perhaps the first time in our lives.
Yet we must not lose hope! Professionally, our 20’s can be a roller coaster of soul-searching, excitement, growth, insecurity, setbacks, confusion – you name it. But whether we are ready or not, we are the next generation of leaders. While I am by no means an expert in this area (and, truthfully, am still living it!) this unique journey has taught me to remember three things in particular:
1. Seek work with meaning and purpose: Find something you believe in, something you can be proud of. Tap into the intrinsic motivators in your life. Go beyond the extrinsic; paychecks and perks will only provide so much satisfaction. We will spend at least a third of our lives in the workplace, so search for something that brings meaning to you – a place where you feel you are making a positive difference in the world.
2. Never stop learning: Be inquisitive. Meet new people – people different from yourself. Seek mentors. Ask questions, even dumb ones! Don’t feign competence where it doesn’t exist – be coachable and soak up as much as you can from those who have gone before you. A lack of knowledge is not a weakness – it is an opportunity to grow.
3. Be patient and give yourself grace: None of us will rise to the top and “have it all figured out” by 30. In fact, we will never reach that point. Our careers are not a destination, but a journey – an adventure. Like the rest of life, our 20’s help to create our story. Patience and grace through our high highs and low lows generate an authenticity that will make us more effective down the road.
These are just a few of the lessons I have learned along the way… What are yours?
Thanks for sharing!
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The Work-School Balance

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:03:19 +0000

Today’s posting goes out to all those working professionals who may have underestimated their boundaries to the point of no return – and who may be questioning their sanity on a regular basis. I am talking about the working student. Do I have any sympathizers out there?

You know how it goes: Work a very busy day, challenged by curveballs left and right, tired at the end of it, but wait – you’ve got that second wind, just enough to buy groceries or squeeze in a quick workout – only to race home, hoping that your third wind kicks in with enough energy to start a research paper? But wait! There’s more. You get to do it all over again tomorrow.
Over the last eleven months, I have been working toward a degree through an all-online program. I’m sure I speak for thousands of others when I say this is no easy feat. Hundreds of pages of weekly reading, library and online research, a paper due every other week, virtual group projects, online exams, and mandatory discussion forum posts all in addition to, well, life, including the responsibility of being a working professional.
Week nights often consist of motivational self-pep talks: “You’re not too tired – you can totally do this!” Or, the bribe: “If you just finish these 70 pages, you get to watch Survivor!” The weekends are even better: “I’m so excited – I get a whole Saturday to catch up!” My husband is even into the incentives now: “You can do it, hun, just one more discussion question then it’s time for The Amazing Race!” We don’t have kids yet, but I can imagine the work/school balance is exponentially more challenging for those who do!
Does this sound familiar to anyone?
All of that said, I have to be honest… Despite the organized chaos that the last eleven months have been, I’m going to be a little bit sad when it all comes to an end next summer. Once my initial panic subsided about a month into the program, my days became filled with constant learning, a deeper thirst for knowledge, a broader worldview, the continued reminder to be inquisitive and to think critically, and a greater appreciation for others’ views, particularly those that are different from mine.
For these reasons I hope my learning never ends, because I truly believe it is a defining quality that sets leaders apart. The greatest leaders in my life have been those with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They embrace change, always look to discover something new, and aren’t afraid to adapt when needed. They willingly accept feedback. Leaders are always looking for ways to challenge themselves – to take risks – even if it brings the possibility of failure. They seek wisdom from those who have gone before them; they aren’t afraid to ask questions. A lack of knowledge is not viewed as a weakness, but rather as an opportunity to grow.
I hope we all never stop learning.
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What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:37:09 +0000

To this day, I cannot say with any ounce of certainty exactly what it is that I want to be when I grow up. Complicating matters is that I’m thirtysomething and Married with Children (well, child). Considering that I have a family of my own, and am old enough to vividly remember when those shows were on the air, I should have this figured out by now…right?!
At various points throughout my life, I thought I had the answer. Then, for whatever reason, I’d lose interest with the idea of pursuing one career path and replace it with the newfound excitement of a different career path. This has been a continual cycle. The one constant has been that none of the things I’ve momentarily wanted to be has ever undisputedly captured my soul and staked claim to being the one.
What would the one look like? In my mind there has always been three key criteria that would need to be met:

Am I passionate about the work? I need to do something I truly believe in and something that I truly enjoy doing.
Is the passion sustainable? I need to be confident that I’ll feel that same level of belief and enjoyment over the long haul.
Will it provide financial security? I need to make enough money that I won’t have to worry about money.

That’s it. Three not-so-simple questions that typically play out in my head something like this…
Out of all the things I really enjoy doing, how do I choose just one to build a career around? Whichever one I choose will most assuredly get most of my time and energy. And after investing so much into just one of my passions, will I still enjoy it or will it eventually just become “work?” Even if I feel content with the answers to those questions, can I make enough money doing this for me and my family to live comfortably?
While I’m not quite there yet, I feel closer than I ever have to finally figuring it all out. I have an idea but I still don’t know exactly what I want to be when I grow up and, I’m OK with that. I know I’m not alone. I, like countless others, will continue to work and put my best foot forward while longing for something more, something to satisfy the void in the pit of my stomach, something that undisputedly captures my soul and stakes claim to being the one.
What do you want to be when you grow up? If you’ve achieved it, how did you know? If you haven’t, how will you know?

Workplace Fanatics

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:03:39 +0000

End of November. It’s that time of year. Football season is in full swing. High school playoffs are just starting; college rankings shuffle as teams vie for that BCS Championship spot; Super Bowl predictions are taking shape for the NFL. People are going all out – they can’t help it. Gatherings are being planned; the chips and dip are ready to go. Fantasy competitions are coming down to the wire and mid-week Madden is played just to pass the time. That inexplicable game-day excitement is in the air.
There’s a buzz…an energy. Fans are pumped.
Then there’s the look – it’s all about the ensemble, the superstitions. There’s the lucky T-shirt. The favorite scarf. The colorful face paint. The faithful hat. Or the unthinkable – the playoff beard. There is no stopping the dedicated fan.
Enthusiasm, loyalty, passion, hope, community, allegiance – just some of the adjectives that describe this unique and passionate (borderline obsessive) time of year.
These are also the words that have me begging the question… What if this level of energy were to translate into the workplace?
Can you imagine? What if we were able to harness all of this energy and release it into our jobs, our companies, our cubicles?
What would that look like? Perhaps I’m being idealistic, but my guess is: what we long for it to look like! It would be a place of purpose, collaboration, productivity, even gratitude – a place where employees believe in the work they do.
Is that you?
I think if we’re truly honest with ourselves, this is our desire. We want the 40+ hours a week that we work to be for more than just to pay the bills – for something bigger than ourselves, where we really feel like we’re learning and contributing to the betterment of this world. Like the diehard football fan, we want to be proud of our workplace and represent it with enthusiasm.
Unfortunately this isn’t always reality. There are tough projects, tough managers, tough clients and limited time. There are bills to be paid and responsibilities to take care of. But the first step starts with US – asking ourselves these questions: Am I fulfilled in my professional life? Is the organization I am with encouraging me to reach my full potential? Do I believe in its mission? Even more so, am I doing all I can to stretch myself and contribute to my current organization, to ultimately have it become a place I believe in?
Like the football fan, it’s a two-way street. We must find that mission we are passionate about, and at the same time once there, we must give it our full commitment to make it a place we can be proud of.
Employee Passion can be a real possibility, but it doesn’t just come about on its own. Intrinsic value starts with choices – there are decisions to be made. So ask yourself what you truly want, and go for it 100%. Paint your face, grow the beard and throw the party! Let’s find our stadium and become workplace fanatics.

Don’t Pass on Passion

Blanchard Associate — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:20:37 +0000

Some of the best advice I was ever given was from a former co-worker—let’s call him Tim. Tim was a middle-aged man working in the IT department at a very reputable corporation. He was highly compensated but every day when I passed his cube he looked depressed. One day I walked over to him and asked him if everything was going ok. He looked up at me and said, “No, I’m not doing ok. I’m 37, have 2 kids, and hate my job.” I was utterly shocked! “You hate your job? But you get paid so much money and have so many perks as an employee here.” He smiled and said, “Yeah, it’s all gravy, but this job isn’t what I’m passionate about. I don’t jump out of bed saying to myself, ‘I’m living the dream.’ I usually say to myself, ‘I’m dying on the inside’.” At that moment I didn’t know what to say, so I continued to walk on by. He stopped me and said, “Don’t ever pass up the opportunity to do what you’re passionate about.” I smiled, nodded, and walked to my desk, and since that day never forgot those words.
Passion is a strong emotion; it’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach that wakes you up in the middle of the night. Passion is the thing that you should be striving for. When your passion becomes a reality it transforms into your ultimate dream job. And who doesn’t want to be working at their dream job?
For so many of us, working has become a chore, something that we just have to get through to pay the bills. No true magic reveals itself at our jobs, just mountains of paper work, annoying co-workers, and outrageous bosses. But this is unacceptable. People should not be settling for less, they should be transforming their lives and searching for what they are passionate about doing, and DO IT. And if you don’t know what your passion is, that’s ok—for now. But don’t ever stop looking for that thing that could take you from boring to extraordinary.
Below are three tips that can help you navigate through life, not ever passing on your passion. What are some other tips that you can contribute to this list?

“Whatever you do—whether it’s getting the coffee, whether it’s putting the finishing touches on that dress—do it 110 percent. The people you work with will notice, and that will be rewarded.” Jenna Lyons, the executive creative director at J. Crew.
“It’s about working hard, following your dreams and finding your zone.” Buddy Valestro, TLC show, Cake Boss.
Living out your dream job is about creating something that will make someone else stop in their tracks. “We’re all so busy in the brouhaha of everyday life. If you stop a businessman in the lobby of a hotel or if you make something in a restaurant and they’ll stop and say, ‘That’s amazing,’ you’ve done your job.” Known as the rock ‘n’ roll florist, Jeff Leatham.

Xoxo Nish
P.s Never stop reaching