http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughtsBLOG RSSSun, 01 Jan 2023 21:29:19 GMTSun, 01 Jan 2023 21:29:19 GMThttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/shining-the-lightI’ve been trying to focus this year on the areas that I need to see immediate improvement in order to be successful in my work. But here’s the trouble … there are SO MANY areas that need focus!    Now, I know I’m not telling you anything, and I know that is what you experience day by day, hour by hour.   MY trouble (and I imagine a bit of yours as well) is that because there are SO MANY areas to focus on, I go from one thing to another, never really giving the first area my full attention.  OrSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:54:53http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/shining-the-lighthttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/celebrate-the-winsI saw this image* floating around Facebook a year or so ago, and it really stuck with me.  Some of you may have seen it too.   I saw it and LOVED it and wanted to share it with you all today.  Note that the kids in spots 2 3 don’t look happy at all (and are probably kind of mad that they didn’t get first place).  Even the kid on the top, the first place winner, doesn’t really look overjoyed  …. but what about that kid who took 4th place???  He is beyond excited to have made it to theSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:54:35http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/celebrate-the-winshttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-truth-in-the-storiesSo, I’ve been walking around all week with a BIG misconception.  Even though I spent the week trying to keep my head above water, sorting through some ridiculous (never-before-in-20-years kind of situations), and struggling in all sorts of ways ---- sound familiar? --- I was absolutely positive that it could not possibly be a full moon because we just had one.Well, guess what?  It is definitely a full moon!  Go figure! I’m telling you this as today for a couple of reasons. First, there isSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:54:18http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-truth-in-the-storieshttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/think-againI was reading (or listening to) the Adam Grant book Think Again this week.  It’s a book about letting go of our preconceived notions and ways of doing things and being willing to re-think how and why we do things, as well as re-think our own opinions and even convictions by listening to the thoughts of other people. One phrase in particular struck me … “The opposite of conflict is not agreement.  The opposite of conflict is apathy.” Conflict in a team, a community or a family can be good …Sun, 29 Oct 2023 02:53:58http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/think-againhttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-blunt-reality-of-leadershipSo first let me say that I’m going out on a limb here and referencing the Bible in my Friday Focus this week.  I promise I’m not preaching, and in this particular instance, really am simply referencing something I read in a book this week.  If you feel that might be offensive to you, please stop reading and enjoy your day : )Okay, now on to our MAD leader focus:There is a section in Exodus chapter 18 that I think must be one of the first “leadership lessons” ever written (over 2000 yearsSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:53:42http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-blunt-reality-of-leadershiphttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-way-we-talkI had several calls and meetings this week where the subject of communication / improving communication came up. (surprise, surprise, right?!) And then, just a few minutes ago I responded to an email string without reading the entire communication carefully (you know I like to read quickly and skim over things) and sent a reply that was totally wrong.  I’m thinking we (I) should probably focus on communication today : )My own communication was absolutely a case of not listening (orSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:53:22http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-way-we-talkhttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-possibility-of-moreWe've all heard of "self-fulfilling prophecy," right?   The idea that what we think/ believe  will happen actually will happen because we believe it will?   I came across the message below from Beth Wonson, Leadership Coach and Founder / CEO of Navigating Challenging Dialogues and thought it well worth sharing with you today.From Beth: ________________________________________________________________________“I recently heard a story from a friend that I will never forget. Denise is aSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:53:01http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-possibility-of-morehttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/messing-up-everybody-does-itSo this is how I woke up this morning … OH NO!!! I forgot my Focus blog post!I was so “focused” on other things yesterday that I totally forgot all about it.  I know that most of you probably didn’t even notice, and some of you were happy not to have another email to fill up your “in” box, but still, I made a commitment to you and to myself that I would create “focus” blog post twice a week this year, and I messed up.  So again, I’m sorry about that.  But, that does lead me to anSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:52:48http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/messing-up-everybody-does-ithttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-candy-crush-focusLeadership (and life) lessons are everywhere .... even in a silly game we waste time with on our phones.   Today  I thought I’d share with you a few of the things I've been thinking about that I've  learned from Candy Crush.  (and in case you’re not familiar with it, Candy Crush is a somewhat obsessive game that I may or may not play once in a while on my phone : )     Candy Crush is all about knowing what your task or goal is for each level, and then concentrating on reaching that goal.  IfSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:52:33http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/the-candy-crush-focushttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/first-things-firstIn getting ready for the new year with my own team of leaders, I pulled out a document this morning that I created many years ago:  "ED points of Pride."    For those of you who may not know, I work with Executive Directors of senior living communities, and essentially this is a document I created of "best practices" for things to do each day, week, month to ensure they are staying on track in an environment that can get crazy and hectic and where it's easy to get side-tracked by people who justSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:52:18http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/first-things-firsthttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/no-drama-llamasSooo …. wouldn’t it be amazing to have a workplace (and home, for that matter) that really had no needless drama?  I bring this up as today because for whatever reason (possibly because of the full moon coming up?) I have heard about or been in some way involved with more than the typical number of  incidents essentially caused by drama of one sort or another.   For any of you who know me at all, this is especially annoying to me …. I guess I am essentially a “No Drama Llama!”Some of theseSun, 29 Oct 2023 02:52:03http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/no-drama-llamashttp://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/welcomeWe often get wrapped up in all we have to do … thinking, planning, and mainly doing all of those “urgent” tasks that come up day to day and just have to be done and are way more important than anything you had planned for the day. Especially those things that can help you grow and develop and in some cases just hold onto your sanity … after all, there are fires to put out, right?I’m going to encourage you to stop what you’re doing, just for a short amount of time, and think about what youSun, 15 Jan 2023 01:34:34http://leadersmad.com/mad-thoughts/welcome