Strength in Nature

Check out this pitcher plant! It grows in the ferns and bogs of the Adirondacks. The soil of the Adirondacks is famously nutritionally poor and thin. This tough plant has learned how to survive.

Its leaf forms a pitcher, thus the catchy name, to catch water. The flower shoots up and sends out wonderful, sweet scents to attract ants and other creepy crawlies. Once in the plant, they slip down the internal pipe-like stalk where their bodies provide nutrition for the plant that the soil cannot provide.

These plants are colorful and resilient!

Sometimes, we simply land in thin soil. As leaders, it is our jobs to adapt and overcome. At times, the surroundings seem dark. How can we challenge ourselves to overcome? Perseverance and resilience make us tougher. We can dig in and find new ways to challenge our thoughts.

When have you decided to grow where you were planted?

Simon Sinek says, "Start with Why."

Here is a quick introduction to why leadership and leadership skills are so important to me: my husband and our son. With a pre-teen in our house mindset, challenges, and leadership skills are every day conversations.  Although I have coached and developed thousands of employees in various capacities throughout the years, my most difficult challenge is parenting. Family members who live with you know your every weakness. A pre-teen navigating life's changes is adept at negotiating. 

Our family seeks refuge in the mountains a few times a year, hiking in National Parks and Forests. During these times, we challenge our minds and our bodies. Not every adventure turns out as planned. However, we try to learn from these adventures.

The summer of 2020 was no different. After a harrowing event on the water in which part of the craft broke off, my son and I realized that we could work together peacefully under extremely trying (and little...