I've always been a little dubious about the abundance mindset thing. Yes, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. But that doesn't mean you have to accomplish everything. And it definitely doesn't mean that if you don’t accomplish your goals, then you're weak or a failure. The impossibility of simply wishing away scarcity with the right mindset is something I've always intuitively understood, because of a hard limit of my own that I've had my whole life.  In today's episode I'll explain how scarcity can actually be a useful tool to find growth and abundance in your life and work.
~~~
Resources Mentioned:
How My Cardiologist taught me about Kind Leadership (Challenge #2)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

I’ve been thinking a lot about routines this week, because changes have made my routines a bit wacky. We moved house a little over a week ago. and we’re still figuring out things like the best drawer for the rolling pins and which light switch controls what. In addition, between burning off some vacation days and some post-semester doctor appointments, I’ve also barely been in the office this week. So although this week has been a bit unsettling, it’s also forced me to lean back and take stock of what is and isn’t working in my routines, and ensure that I’m getting (and staying) in the groove, not stuck in a rut. And today, I’ll walk you through how you can do the same in your personal and professional life as a leader.
~~~
Resources Mentioned:
How to get started with Kind Leadership (Challenge #1)\

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

Today I'm discussing one of the top vote-getters in my recent listener poll: Workplace Drama! Specifically, I'll explore toxic workplace drama, healthy workplace conflict, and how a kind leader can guide team members--and themselves--to shift from the former to the latter.
~~~
Related Resources:

The Origins of Justice Stewart's "I Know It When I See It":  Peter Lattman, Wall Street Journal 
How to Detox Workplace Drama With One Simple Question (Challenge #30)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

This is a weird episode for me, as I try to keep things pretty evergreen on this show. However, a recent university closure hit a little close to home for me, and got me thinking about the precarious balance of mission and sustainability in all the institutions we lead. So, since I don’t think this challenge is going away anytime soon, let’s talk about it.

Resources Mentioned:

Mr. Micawber teaches David Copperfield about Budgeting
How to Survive Budget Season (Challenge #63)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

There’s a bit of conventional wisdom that floats around, especially in mission-driven fields, that the best leaders are the reluctant ones. The ones who never sought power, but accepted the mantle when it was thrust on them, and who rose to the challenge because of, not in spite of, their lack of interest in leadership. And I have seen over the years that people who took that path to leadership often have an innate sense of humility and obligation that serves them well as they work to build a better world. But does that mean that the other side of the coin is true? That people who strive to lead should be avoided as ego-driven power seekers? Are Ambition and Kindness mutually exclusive?

Well, it's complicated. 

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

So back in Episode 60, I mentioned the bonkers life I was expecting during April and May, between working on TWO different universities’ re-accreditations, moving house, multiple hiring processes, the end of the school and fiscal years at my place of work, and just the sundry ups and downs of life as an educational leader in late spring.

In episode 60 I also laid out my roadmap of how I (and by extension you) would try to get through that craziness without burning out. It’s now 6 weeks later, about half the stuff on the list above is done or at least progressing, and it feels like I owe y’all a progress report in the name of accountability. Am I indeed stopping burnout before it starts?

You'll just have to listen to find out. ;-)

~~~
Resources Mentioned:
How to Stop Burnout Before it Starts (Challenge #60)
Re-watch the Challenging Conversations Livestreams

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

 When you are a leader, what you think does not matter. 

Well, OK, it’s not the ONLY thing that matters. You do need to have a vision and goals of your own. But if you don’t have a critical mass of team members and stakeholders that think more or less the same way, then what you think doesn’t matter, because you will not be able to make your vision an enduring reality. So today I’m gonna share things I’ve seen work to get more of your organization thinking—and moving--the same way.
~~~
Resources Mentioned:
How to get started with Kind Leadership (Challenge #1)
Why Won't They Do What I Tell Them? (Challenge #32)
~~~

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

Once upon a time I was the person who would check my email one last time before bed, or come in early on short notice to prep for an event. These days my work is a lot less urgent and a lot less visible to our patrons and faculty. And in my weaker moments, my work feels a little less important too. However, if I’ve learned nothing else in my 5 years of Deaning, I’ve learned that the more hands off and less heroic I am, the better things run in our organization. Today I’ll share how you can manage that transition.

~~~
Related Episodes:
How to Be a Powerfully Kind Leader (Challenge #3)
Why Do We Micromanage? (Challenge #33)
How to Delegate--for Real! (Challenge #45)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

You may remember that back in episode 48, I announced my word of the year is clarity. And as I reach the 1/3 mark of 2023, I am feeling a good bit clearer on who I am as a leader and leadership coach, how I want my work to flow, and on my vision for the better world I wish to see. I also realized that a lot of you probably could use more clarity about what leadership coaching is, and what leadership challenges can best be addressed with leadership coaching. So today I’m going to share my definition of leadership coaching, as well as a few examples of leadership challenges that a coach can help you conquer.
~~~
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
And My Word for 2023 is...Clarity! (Challenge #48)

~~~
Related Episodes:
Why Mastering Challenging Conversations is the Key to Kind Leadership (Challenge #22)
Who Will Tell You When You’re Being an Idiot? (Challenge #49)
When's the Last Time You Asked for Help? (Challenge #50)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.

Because many educational leaders find the first half of the spring semester the most stressful time of year, I’ve been talking a lot about the squishy side of kind leadership lately: self care and avoiding burnout and what-not. That said, there comes a time each year when we need to set aside the vision boards and meditation apps and open up our spreadsheets. Because budgeting season is upon most of us.

Today I’m going to share the lessons I’ve learned from leading everything from the office supply fund to a multi-million dollar academic library budget, and provide some concrete tips that will make budget season, if not stress free, at least a little less terrifying.
~~~
Related Episodes:
How To (Finally!) Tackle Your To-Do List (Challenge #51)
What if there's still too much to do? (Challenge #52)

~~~
To listen to more episodes, head to kindleadershipchallenge.com!

Ready to Take Today's Challenge, but not sure where to start? Download the free Next Steps Checklist!

Want a likeminded community of leaders who'll have your back through thick and thin? Learn more about the Kind Leadership Guild.