Last week I shared a powerful West African proverb, “The lion’s story will never be known if the hunter is the one to tell it.” It reminded me of some Quiet Leaders (QLs) who say they don’t like talking about themselves and would rather their results speak for them. Typically, they have no qualms shining
The lion’s story will never be known if the hunter is the one to tell it. West African proverb. It hit me the first time I read this: Introverts are the lion in this proverb. If we allow our story to be told through someone else’s perspective, the fullest truth of our story can easily
One day when I was a pre-teen heading home from Rockaway Beach, I accepted a ride with a friend of a friend, a teen driver. This was a risk because my parents had warned me never to get into a car with a driver I didn’t know. I trusted my friend, so I got in.
Quiet Leaders influence without authority through relationships. It works regardless of your role, level, industry. You are in control of developing, strengthening, nurturing relationships. If that pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone when it comes to relationships with some people, keep this sage advice in mind: “Waiting to feel brave so that you can act
“Alex” said she was not going to spend any more of her precious time and energy thinking about what had happened with a colleague because it was making her miserable, consuming her thoughts, affecting her behaviors. She felt like she was living a façade, smiling on the outside, angry on the inside. She had a
We all take risks. Small, medium, large. Scary, exciting, exhilarating. Some succeed, some are flops. Some repel us, some pull us forward. What may energize you may cause fear in others. And vice versa. The fact is: None of us would be where we are today if we hadn’t taken risks and learned from them. Each time we do,
My very pleasant, seasoned taxi driver talked all the way as he drove me to my hotel in the city. It was pouring rain, and I was disappointed because I’d been looking forward to a long walk, my favorite way to get to know a city. But his stories kept me engaged, and I was
Frustration with their leader’s communication style was the theme running through my coaching sessions last week. It boggles my mind that leaders thrive in their roles despite their poor communication. They assume people will grow without frequent feedback on what is working well and what could be better. People at all levels need feedback to
We all notice things that could be improved, get ideas for something new, or we’re good at expanding on others’ ideas. When Lilly gets an idea for something new or different, or notices a process, product or service that could be improved, she floats it to a number of people whose opinion she values. If
A plant in my backyard has languished since the trees, and beautiful bougainvillea entwined in them, were removed. I hated to see our lush, jungle-like yard change to a sunny, somewhat barren look and feel, but it had to be done because the branches were pulling on the wires. This plant was not happy with