Resolutions don’t work – balance needed does!

Did you make some New Year’s resolutions for 2011? How’s that working for you?

When I make resolutions they are usually broken by the 2nd of January. Instead of making resolutions, I’m checking the tires on my car. My life tires that is!

You won’t get very far if your car tires are damaged, worn, or flat no matter how much time you have spent mapping out the route. The same is true in life. Checking the tires first lets you set a course for a smoother more enjoyable ride.

L-E-A-D recognized by Inside Business Magazine for Best Practices

Break out the carrots!  We have a little celebrating to do.   

L-E-A-D was included in Inside Business Magazine January/February edition of Best Practices:  Meetings & Events.  Read us in Galloping Host,  

Let us host your next business retreat, leadership or team development; or book an EquiCoaching session or workshop with us.  LEAD is fun, and produces results without keeping you locked inside a stuffy classroom.    

You may be surprised that your greatest teacher is a horse!

Old friends out last their usefulness

It’s winter time in NE Ohio!  We got pummeled with 30″ of snow last week, followed by rain on Saturday only to have it dump 18″ on us since Monday and its still coming down!  

Winter is a great time to review your goals, enjoy your accomplishments of the year, set some new goals and ponder what you’d like to do differently in the New Year.  It’s also a great time to reflect on what is important, notice what you’ve released, and rejoice in how far you’ve come!

I opened a gift yesterday!  One that sat on my bookshelf for several years all wrapped in beautiful paper with a big bow on top!  The first year it peered at me and I thought about it a lot.  I wanted to unwrap it and dig out the gift, but

Lead like a Billionaire!

You can’t deny the success of someone with a 25 year TV career and who amassed $2.7 Billion net worth. Oprah surely is doing something right!

According to the Forbes article “How to Lead Like Oprah” the key to her success is attributed to focusing on the 3 Business areas of Team, Vision and Values and the following 10 Leadership Practices:

Loosing our ability to be face-to-face

Communication has been on the top list of issues in organizations for year and a constant challenge for parents. What is making it worse? Technology!

With instant gratification that comes with technology, we are spending less and less time ACTUALLY talking to each other

Partnering provides Leadership Development

A year ago, Leslie Ungar from Electric Impulse Communications and I started discussions on how to partner to provide her clients with the unique Leadership learning experience from the horses. 

Not a typical partners, two consultants and coaches coming together to provide services for the others clients, which is what made it intriguing to both of us.  Along with Leslie’s love for horses, she use to ride and show horses for years.  So we met, discussed details, and decided to give it a whirl.  

Lack of Customer Service can kill you

As a consumer I have been overwhelmed with the lack of customer service in today’s world.   One incident I can overlook and with a busy schedule who has time to follow through and complain about the lack of service we get?  My recent experiences have taken on new meaning when it came to care my father received after a stroke or rather the lack of service and follow through with doctor specifications!

Leadership Development ties in South Africa

I remember a woman contacting me via email in search of a mentor to understand the work I do with horses.  At that time Yolanda was living in Daubi.  She was a Human Resource Manager for a large credit card company and traveled the world on business.  Shortly after our email exchanges we spoke on Skype and we became friends with a unique bond miles away from one another.  She moved to Singapore and eventually home to South Africa.

Yolanda and I continue our relationship from a distance but the inflence of mentoring has proven to support and enhance her dream of establishing her own busienss using the power of horses.

Take your own oxygen first

I was reading a book written by my friend Jim Smith which is a fantastic little book about living in Happiness and provides tools to help you get the most from your life. You can view Jim’s ““The 13 Principals of Happiness” or buy the book “Happiness at the Speed of LIfe”.  

LEAD in Istanbul – teambuilding and leadership

More than 3 years ago, I had the honor of attending an International Coach Training Program and became friends with a talented woman, Gila Seritcioglu. We set an intention to present L-E-A-D workshops in her country, Turkey.

That intention, vision and dream became a reality. At the beginning of the month I presented Unharness Your Leader-Self, Leading and Living Your Vision, and Boundaries LEAD workshops in Istanbul, Turkey.   

                     
       Gila, Lupen and Sue in Istanbul, Turkey