You (According to Them)

Leadership

What Yoga Can Teach Us About Leadership

Sara Canaday on April 25, 2018

A yoga studio (or our yoga space at home) might seem far removed from our offices, but there are some key leadership lessons we can carry over.

A yoga studio (or our yoga space at home) might seem far removed from our offices, but there are some key leadership lessons we can carry over.

Leadership

Five Misconceptions Every Modern Leader Should Know

Sara Canaday on January 21, 2018

We can all look back on the choices we made as leaders and think of things we'd do differently. I could go back, here are a few leadership lessons I’d share with “past Sara”.

We can all look back on the choices we made as leaders and think of things we'd do differently. I could go back, here are a few leadership lessons I’d share with “past Sara”.

Leadership

Do Less, Lead Better (Really!)

Sara Canaday on November 29, 2017

As a leader, you might constantly push yourself to do more to keep up with ever-changing work environments. But the most powerful approach to leadership today isn't about doing.

As a leader, you might constantly push yourself to do more to keep up with ever-changing work environments. But the most powerful approach to leadership today isn't about doing.

Confidence

Common Career Traps of High Performers

Sara Canaday on September 19, 2017

If you are a top performer (or a leader who manages one), it’s important to know the common career traps that may be draining confidence and diminishing a sense of achievement.

If you are a top performer (or a leader who manages one), it’s important to know the common career traps that may be draining confidence and diminishing a sense of achievement.

Leadership

Cognitive Diversity

Sara Canaday on June 18, 2017

What does the concept of cognitive diversity mean? When leaders surround themselves with people who "constantly validate and reflect their own beliefs," it stifles fresh thinking.

What does the concept of cognitive diversity mean? When leaders surround themselves with people who "constantly validate and reflect their own beliefs," it stifles fresh thinking.

While I’m a huge proponent of self-awareness and proactively seeking feedback, I also believe it is incumbent on us as leaders to tell it like it is (candidly and with compassion). Developing those under your guidance is one of the primary goals of a leader, mentor, or coach.

The reason so many people believe in the validity of EI has nothing to do with being members of a cult, and everything to do with observation in the real world. Sure, data can sometimes overturn the apple cart of “common sense,” but in this case, the other methods of EI measurement are absolutely correlated with greater success both personally and professionally.

Career

How Do Others See and Experience You?

Sara Canaday on October 23, 2014

Credentials and years of experience aside, our real career success is driven by how we work with and through other people – how we lead them, collaborate with them, interact with them, and react to them. When we manage that impact and ensure that others experience us in the way we intend, we can accelerate the pace of our professional trajectories.

Credentials and years of experience aside, our real career success is driven by how we work with and through other people – how we lead them, collaborate with them, interact with them, and react to them. When we manage that impact and ensure that others experience us in the way we intend, we can accelerate the pace of our professional trajectories.

Career

Go Big or Go Home: What Is Your Approach?

Sara Canaday on July 24, 2014

As I’ve worked to grow my own business over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to consider both sides of the equation. I have made some Go Big decisions that worked out great and a few that left me with anxiety and regrets. I’ve also had some Go Home decisions that kept me wondering what opportunities I potentially lost.

As I’ve worked to grow my own business over the years, I’ve had many opportunities to consider both sides of the equation. I have made some Go Big decisions that worked out great and a few that left me with anxiety and regrets. I’ve also had some Go Home decisions that kept me wondering what opportunities I potentially lost.

Career

Ultra-connected World Leaving You Disconnected?

Sara Canaday on May 21, 2014

Increased connections aren't the same thing as productive connections. In fact, the decline in strong, effective business relationships is now taking a measurable toll: more careers seem stalled, more teams are struggling to perform, and more companies are suffering from unproductive workplace behavior. Ironically, all of those digital connections are creating a serious pe

Increased connections aren't the same thing as productive connections. In fact, the decline in strong, effective business relationships is now taking a measurable toll: more careers seem stalled, more teams are struggling to perform, and more companies are suffering from unproductive workplace behavior. Ironically, all of those digital connections are creating a serious pe

I believe it is incumbent on us as leaders and coaches to tell it like it is. Developing those under your guidance is one of the primary goals of a leader. This means much more than sending folks to class, handing them the latest business book, or giving them new assignments. The practice of revealing people's “blind spots” is probably the biggest gift a leader can give.

If you doubt the importance of selling your value beyond the resume, just look at the way many Fortune 500 companies are now evaluating employees to determine their readiness for the next-level.

Countless studies have documented the significant career benefits of collecting feedback about our business performance and behavior. So why do so many well-intentioned professionals fail to take full advantage of this potential competitive edge and why don't leaders give their employees access to candid insights about their strengths and weaknesses?

Opting out of the Internet or giving up our mobile phones to restore the integrity of our business relationships is not an option. What we need, is a more proactive strategy to maintain and restore our workplace connections so that we can benefit from the feedback that comes with them.

Career

Driving Our Careers

Sara Canaday on October 21, 2013

While companies fully recognize that reaching their goals and being successful is dependent on quality and "ready" leaders, the vast majority of them struggle to make that a priority. So what does this trend mean for professionals at every level who aspire to increase their leadership skills and take on more responsibility?

While companies fully recognize that reaching their goals and being successful is dependent on quality and "ready" leaders, the vast majority of them struggle to make that a priority. So what does this trend mean for professionals at every level who aspire to increase their leadership skills and take on more responsibility?

Today, the most successful leaders don’t necessarily have prestigious degrees and professional certifications. Instead, they tend to have real-world experience or “street smarts.” They have self-awareness and excel under ever-changing conditions.

Having the spine and self-confidence to accept and even seek out feedback is hard. But your determination to be a better performer, leader or coach will far outweigh the short-term discomfort associated with confronting these hurdles.

Motivation

Third Quarter: Your Move

Sara Canaday on September 24, 2013

The people who are most successful at reaching their goals in business (and in life) instinctively know the importance of transforming valuable insight into strategic action that generates targeted results. If you want to win the game, you can’t quit at half-time.

The people who are most successful at reaching their goals in business (and in life) instinctively know the importance of transforming valuable insight into strategic action that generates targeted results. If you want to win the game, you can’t quit at half-time.

When we think of how others perceive us, the tendency is to think about the things we say and whether we appear smart or knowledgeable. However, our perceptions of other people are more rooted in emotion than intellect. So what does that mean for team members and leaders who want to be seen as competent, effective, and high-performing?

While we may be able to think of people who don’t recognize the impact of their own personality quirks, recognizing subtle blind spots is much harder to pinpoint. Overdoing our own strengths is a seductive blind spot that can sabotage even the most promising careers. So how can we avoid this trap, allowing one of our best assets to silently become a liability?