“It is important to learn how to take criticism seriously but not personally.” ― Hillary Clinton It’s great advice. Yet if you’ve ever been criticized (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?), you’ll know that being told “not to take it personally” often does little to soften...
Leanne was recently promoted to head fashion buyer for an international clothing chain. When I rang to wish her congratulations, the first words out of her mouth were, “I’m just waiting for them to realize they made a mistake; that I don’t know near as much as they...
This morning I woke up (on a mattress on the floor) surrounded by boxes. Lots of boxes. Between now and unpacking them in Singapore in August, I’ll be living from a suitcase at “no fixed address". As you might imagine, moving home and hemisphere comes with mixed...
While I wish it were different, there will always be people who seek to lift themselves up by pulling others down. They aren’t necessarily bad people – more often they are operating out of a deep-seated fear of their own inadequacy. Making others feel inferior,...
Last weekend I was back in Washington D.C. celebrating my son Lachlan’s high school graduation. I vividly remember the day I gave him a hug at Melbourne airport as he boarded his flight to travel across the world to pursue his passion for basketball and forge his own...
“I can’t break up with him. I just can’t,” Sue told me, “It will just kill him.” “Sue I’m not a doctor but I’m pretty sure breaking off your engagement won’t kill him. It may be very upsetting for a while, but his heart will continue to beat and so will yours,” I...
What does it take to make God laugh? Tell him your plans. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying. Well let’s just say that God has been having a good old chuckle at me over the last week because guess what? I’m moving to Singapore. And guess what else? This was not in my...
When I sat down to interview Bill Marriott at Marriott’s international headquarters, I hadn’t reckoned on him turning the tables to interview me at the end. As you will see from our exchange, one of the things I shared with him is my belief that failure is never final...
Is sweating unimportant decisions keeping you from making smarter ones? I’ve just returned to Australia after a very rewarding but not very restful 6 days in the US. As a 'frequent flyer' I’ve learnt the importance of giving myself permission to make imperfect...
I've been writing in a journal off and on since I was eleven. While my entries have evolved since my 'tween' years, a common thread has woven through many of them: COURAGE. Or more precisely, the need to dial it up! Of course, courage comes in many forms and be...
Happy International Women's Day! We are women. Hear us roar. Some days. Other days, not so much. In fact, there’s a lot of days that we spend a large majority of time second guessing our decisions, questioning our value, beating ourselves up or talking ourselves down....
Yes, “Fortune favors the bold." But that doesn't mean every risk we take will be immediately rewarded. Sometimes when we take a deep dive out of our comfort zone into the water below, we land flat on our face. The question is, what to do when your best and bravest...
I’m sure that you, like me, are proud of different things in your life. Your children, the goals you’ve achieved, the challenges you’ve overcome or the ways you’ve helped others to overcome their own. As you should be. Yet sometimes we can be too proud for our own...
Ever find yourself feeling resentful at people for what they do... or fail to do? Perhaps your boss just puts too much on your plate or doesn’t pay you what you're worth. Maybe a co-worker, friend or family member continually oversteps boundaries, or continually asks...
Whether it's change you choose or change forced upon you, change looms large on the horizon for 2017. You will handle it better and seize it's opportunities when you lean into the discomfort it always holds. As we look out toward the year ahead, change looms large...
Courage is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. And in our increasingly fearful world, it's a muscle we must practice daily. Here's 7 ways to help you do just that. Of course while fear often gets a bad rap, without it our cave dwelling ancestors...
"First say to yourself what would you BE, and then do what you have to DO." - Epiticus It's great to focus on what you want to accomplish in the year ahead. Habits you want to start. Or quit. Goals you want to achieve. Changes you want to make. Money you want to earn....
When I met Teresa while running a leadership program at her company, she was miserable in her job as a risk analyst and had been for over 12 months. A year earlier she had applied for more senior position in her firm. When it was given to a less experienced analyst,...
As we near the end of the year it’s easy to get so caught up in all that still needs to get done that we fail to look back on the year just gone – to acknowledge how far we’ve come and who we’ve become in the process. I am sure you’ve done plenty this year. And I’m...
Nearly every person I've spoken to over the last week or so has mentioned to me how much they have on this merry month of December. Holiday parties. School concerts. Travel planning. Teacher gifts. Card writing. Present shopping. Christmas decorating. Gift wrapping....
