Walk Into the Future

Category: Self Awareness

  • Please Feed the Unicorns

    Unicorns: something unusual, rare or unique. (Merriam-Webster)

    The term or concept of the mythical unicorn comes up in my conversations from time to time.  The unicorn can symbolize different things for people; from the image of a horse like creature with a single horn, to a magical being or someone who is unique.

    I’ve been called a unicorn in multiple settings.  I wear this designation as a badge of pride because being a unicorn means I have a uniqueness about me.

    My life and career pivots have taken me from a computer analyst, classroom instructor, conference planner (US Air Force), career specialist (Macon State College), guidance counselor (Government contractor), adjunct psychology professor (multiple schools), employee development consultant (Goodwill), employer relations (UCF & FSU) and now a blogger/consultant/speaker.  The ability to adapt and believe I can pivot into different settings/outcomes generates the unicorn concept some associate with me.

    I have a lot of great mentors and friends who provide advice and support to ensure I’m prepared for the next pivot.  The efforts from my mentors/friends/tree branches provide me with a platform to stretch my professional boundaries to ensure I’m continually growing.

    How do they do that?  They feed the unicorn:

    • Display a desire to partner
    • Willing to share knowledge
    • Expert listeners
    • Words and actions match (Consistency)
    • Regular check-ins
    • Positive affirmations
    • Tough love when needed

    The list above can be used by YOU to feed the unicorns you meet in your daily lives.  You can add more ‘feeding’ variables based on the unique situations encountered but my list is a starting point to engage others daily.  I’m sure there’s someone you work with who would benefit from being treated as a unicorn.  They may not realize their uniqueness or potential until you start to feed the unicorn.  You may be surprised by the number of unicorns around you once you start the feeding process.

    FYI—I consider everyone who follows and/or reads the Walk Into the Future blog, unicorns.  My words, thoughts, and adventures are designed to help you forge your own unique path on your personal walk.

    Thanks for inspiring and feeding me as well!

    Unicorn

  • The Big Gulp: How do you handle it?

    “I never do business with anyone where I have to take a big gulp to move forward”.

    (9 Things You Simply Must do to succeed in Love and Life)

    The quote above comes from a book written by one of my favorite authors, Dr. Henry Cloud.  It is a piece of advice he received from a mentor when faced with a big business decision.  This concept can be used in multiple situations and has been a big part of my life.

    I was able to leverage this quote with one of my most positive ‘tree branches’ last week to help with a decision she was facing.  I’m encouraged with my ability to shape this quote to help my tree branch and others when faced with tough choices.

    I was introduced to the written works of Dr. Henry Cloud during a career development course while finishing my masters program in Counseling/Human Relations.  The book was so influential it was the first college text book I decided to keep for my personal library.  Most days you will find this book on me as I refer to it constantly for additional insight.

    The Big Gulp can be defined as the apprehension you may feel prior to making a commitment.  The commitment could be business related, personal or a combination of both.  How you handle life’s Big Gulp moments can increase your level of happiness as you move forward on your Walk into the Future.

    My personal Walk into the Future has been defined by leveraging Big Gulp moments to my advantage.  I never accept deals, offers or partnerships with anyone I would have to take a Big Gulp before moving forward.  I didn’t heed this concept a few times and moved forward and regretted every minute of the partnership.  It took me a few times to experience this before I became a firm believer in this process:  when offered something I would have to take a Big Gulp before moving forward, I do not accept it.

    The opportunity may seem like the best thing ever, but the Big Gulp reaction should identify additional research is needed.  The Big Gulp reaction comes from past experiences where things didn’t seem quite right or the person offering you the deal has done things in the past to make you cautious.  Trust your instincts when faced with these situations.  Better yet, run the situation by your mentors for additional insight.  I recommend you share your apprehensions with your mentors so they can provide advice to cover all angles of the decision.  The ultimate decision belongs to you but remember the Big Gulp came from somewhere.

    Can you isolate the Big Gulp to something tangible?  Can you trust the person offering you the opportunity?  There are other things to consider, but these are a few to help jump start the process.

    Have you ever experienced a Big Gulp moment and still moved ahead?  How did that experience work out for you?

    How can you leverage the Big Gulp moving forward?  I welcome your thoughts—thanks!

    References

    Cloud, Henry. (2004) 9 Thing you simply must do to succeed in love and life. Brentwood, TN: Integrity.

  • Leading from the Front

    We are all leaders!  The actual title you have is not as important as understanding your impact on others you interact with.  There are people in this world with the ‘title’ that implies they are the leader, but they don’t ‘move the crowd’.

    Leading from the front can be done by everyone.

    I continue to highlight the key to effective leadership is self-awareness.  Self-awareness is needed in order to lead from the front in your daily activities.   The self-aware leader understands strengths and weaknesses, have a fully developed self-view and demonstrate they understand how their interactions impact others (direct reports, clients, colleagues, etc.).

    Things a leader can/should do:

    • Inspire people
    • Empower people
    • Lead change
    • Share a vision

    So, if you can inspire people, empower people, lead change and share a vision, you are a leader.  Again, you don’t need a specific title to be viewed as a leader.  Don’t give away your influence because a specific title is not attached to you.

    encouragement_leadership blog

    We can all lead!  Look around your current work environment. Who do you inspire daily?  How do you inspire these people?  Your level of self-awareness within the work environment creates empowerment.

    Do you need anyone’s permission to inspire your students, clients, colleagues or direct reports?  I don’t think so.  Now you need to identify/understand how you inspire others.  Are your actions positive and consistent?  Do you create an environment conducive for communicating new ideas?

    I believe empowered leaders initiate, act, and adjust within the work environment.  These things are available to all of us.  I promote to direct reports, ‘Mistakes happen, just don’t make the same mistake twice’.  Use situations like this to create an environment where your people can learn and grow.

    Leveraging your ‘Why’ can also impact how you lead from the front.  Identify why you show up every day and then ensure your leadership decisions are made to positively impact your ‘Why’.  Simple enough, huh?  It can be!

    How do you lead from the front daily?  What adjustment are needed to ensure you lead from the front in your work environment?  Thanks!

  • Permission granted; Go ahead and free your mind

    ‘Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude.’

    (Fredrick Douglas)

    I laughed a bit at myself when I did some actual research on this Fredrick Douglas quote.  Originally heard this in an old Public Enemy (PE) song, ‘Show em what you got’ from the late 1980’s.  Turns out PE was dropping knowledge as usual by integrating activism into their music to help listeners gain a new level of consciousness.

    But let’s leverage this quote into a bit of ‘mind magic’ to help with your Walk into The Future.

    How many times have you talked yourself out of accepting a new challenge?  How often do you stay stuck because you can’t free yourself (mind, body, soul)?

    It may be time for the multitude to travel down the road.

    Give yourself the freedom to accept and then conquer new challenges.  Most times people view challenges with dread and then go into negative self-talk mode.  Why is that?  You haven’t freed your mind enough to let yourself move forward with the challenge.

    You may want to view potential challenges as opportunities available to you.

    Go ahead and give yourself permission to release your ‘preconceived’ thought formations and leverage the clean slate available once you free your thought process.

    A free mind allows you to:

    • Start with a clean slate
    • Concentrate
    • Eliminates stress
    • Jump start positive self-talk
    • Strategize for the task at hand

    There will be other benefits of allowing yourself the freedom to clear your head from time to time.  We all carry mental clutter throughout the day.  How often do you make the time to clear this clutter to enhance your day?  A meditation practice could be leveraged to help with this process.

    Go ahead and give yourself the permission to experience the mental freedom you need to soar.  It’s okay to get out of your own head for a bit.

    What things do you need to ‘clear’ out of your head to experience a new level of freedom?  Write them down to help you Walk into The Future!

     

  • Black History Month – How did you celebrate?

    Black History Month

    ‘The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.’

    (Bob Marley)

    Today marks the end of Black History and is a good day to reflect on why we have this month and ways we can keep the celebration going.

    Black History Month started on a much smaller scale.  It was originally designated as Negro History Week in 1926 and created by Carter G. Woodson.  The month-long celebration of Black History began in 1976.  The month of February was selected to incorporate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass.

    So, as you can see the celebration of Black History grew from a week-long process to a full month where we get to recognize and celebrate the amazing contributions of black folks to this country.  You don’t have to wait for February to learn or explore Black History—it should be taught daily in our schools, family gatherings, churches and anywhere else people get together to discuss important things.

    There are times when Black History ‘may’ seem like an afterthought but that shouldn’t be the case.

    Tuskegee Airmen

    The Tuskegee Airmen program was established at Tuskegee Air Field, Alabama to train black crew members to fly and fight in World War II.  The term Tuskegee Airmen has been used to describe the pilots, navigators, crew chiefs and others who trained at Tuskegee Air Field.

    The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black aviators to serve in the U. S. Armed forces.  They were able to accomplish a lot of good while also still fighting discrimination from within the Armed services and the nation due to the climate of race relations in the country.

    The Tuskegee Airmen trained and prepared for war but because blacks were considered inferior, they were not viewed as deployable for overseas duty.

    This all changed due to an unlikely allay for the Tuskegee Airman program.  The first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt visited Tuskegee in 1941 to inspect the program and talk with candidates.  She embarked on a flight with a black instructor and her response once she landed was instrumental in changing the perception of black aviators within the War Department and around the country.  A picture of the first lady and pilot still in the plane after their flight was on the front page of every newspaper in America.  This publicity provided a springboard for the Tuskegee Airmen and helped pave their way to see combat and help end World War II.

    I had the honor to attend a traveling exhibit to help educate the nation on the Tuskegee Airmen and their contributions during World War II.  This was an amazing experience for me to get a first-hand account (in their recorded words) from Tuskegee Airmen who are still alive.  They describe in detail the challenges they faced and how they mustered the courage to keep moving forward even though the odds were against them.

    The Tuskegee Airmen flew the P-51 Mustang air frame in combat.  Their planes were painted with a distinct ‘Red Tail’ to identify the flying unit.  Other units in World War II had similar distinct tail markings to signify friendly aircraft—especially needed in air-to-air dog fights.

    A P-51 has been restored to include the Red Tail and travels around the country to help bring additional attention to the Tuskegee Airmen program.

    Attending the ‘Red Tails’ exhibit was a great experience and I’m happy the story of the Tuskegee Airmen is still being told.

    Learn more here:  https://www.redtail.org/

    My Black History Month tradition:

    I’m an avid reader and decided years ago to read a specific book every February as my personal Black History Month tradition.

    My book of choice is:  The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

    It is easy to forget the importance Malcolm X. had from a cultural standpoint.  You can follow his continual growth as he developed a better understanding of how to lead people and adjust his original thoughts.  He died still trying to formulate a new platform towards race relations in America.  Note:  his views were dramatically changed after traveling to Mecca and learning true brotherhood.

    We should celebrate Black History every day!  February provides a full month to re-engage with Black History, but we don’t have to limit our celebration just to February.

    How did you celebrate Black History month?  What traditions do you have to make the month stand out for you?  Thanks!

  • Success

    “I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”

    (Thomas Jefferson)

    Success2

    What does success look like?  How would you define success?  How did you gain success in your life?

    These were a few questions a branch on my tree asked me a few weeks back.  To be fair, I asked several branches on my tree for topics they have interest in to see if I can develop into a blog article that would benefit them in their Walk into The Future.

    It took be awhile to wrap my mind around the concept of success—I view myself as enjoying my Walk into the Future, but success must be on display in some format for me to be able to control this walk.  So, I thought back to some advice I received as a young Air Force instructor that was gifted to me:

    ‘Be where you’re supposed to be;

    Doing what you’re supposed to be doing;

    When you’re supposed to be doing it.’ (U.S. Air Force Mentor, 1997)

    Thinking about the topic of success allowed me to reflect on this advice and it follows me into every activity I pursue.

    This advice on face valuable is simple.  But reflecting on the concept of success allowed me to see how the advice I received years ago has allowed me to find successful outcomes in most endeavors I tackle.  I’ve used this advice over the years but now realize it has been the foundation of my daily interactions—every day and every project!

    This foundation has allowed me to form outstanding working relationships with direct reports and peers because I’m always focused on “where, what, when”.  This provides my interactions with a level of consistency to ensure successful outcomes.  Some may say they give 110% percent effort when facing a task or challenge.  I’ve never attributed the phase ‘110% effort’ to myself when taking on a task.  I view each task or challenge with a focus to get things done with maximum effort within a minimum amount of time.  The advice I was gifted years ago provided me with a formula to get things down with an eye towards the integrity of the process.

    I talk with students I work with on how they can become visible and viable when seeking employment.  The concept of “where, what, when” is used in my conversations to give them a simple formula to work with when engaging with recruiters in their search for employment.  This concept is relatable for students and provides them with guidance towards a successful outcome when engaged in the recruitment process.

    So, to come back to the questions I was asked on success:

    What does success look like?  How would you define success?  How did you gain success in your life?

    Success varies from person to person.  My view on success is having the ability to navigate a situation or task where the outcome exceeds the level of expectations.  Success is defined as having the mental capacity to adapt, think and build on past experiences to navigate the situation or task.

    I gained success by using the “where, what, when” concept daily in all interactions.

    • Examples: supervision, mentoring, speaking engagements, volunteering.

    In each of these examples, being where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, when I’m supposed to be doing it has led to successful outcomes.

    My last view on ‘my’ success is tied to the people (branches) I work with.  I feel successful when I watch and hear how well others are doing in their professional and personal lives.  My success is a direct reflection of their success—the more successful they are the more successful I will become.  Kind of a large circle of success!

    So, what does success look like for you the reader?  Curious for your thoughts—thanks!

    “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it”.

    (Maya Angelou)

    Success3

     

  • What Inspires Me?

    ‘Don’t chase the paper (money), chase the dream.’

    (The Notorious BIG)

    I conducted a leadership and goal-setting workshop with staff from the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Center for Student Success and Services (CSSS) in January.  Extremely engaged group of professionals who were very aware of their goals and vision for success.  My work allowed them to fine tune their organizational efforts towards creating empowered leaders who lead from the front.

    During my time with the group we touched on the concept of inspiration and who they inspire through daily interactions.  This was a very good way to get staff to engage and identify how they impact the organization in a positive way.  While listening to their responses it was easy to see the passion they have for what they do and the clients (students, parents, leaders, peers) they interact with daily.

    I formulated a question for myself on my drive back from conducting the workshop for CSSS staff members:  What Inspires Me?  Please note, this concept is something I have already identified but wanted to expand as part of my continued Walk into The Future.

    Why

    Months ago, a friend asked me ‘what’s your why?’.  My response was:  to impact people in a positive way to leave them better than when I found them.  Simple enough, right?  But to look deeper, my why and interactions with others is what inspires me daily.  This process seems to generate a complete circle because the more I help others the more inspired I become.  Understanding your ‘why’ can provide the blueprint for what you should be doing.

    Inspiration with Why

    Who

    I work with multiple people I’ve met over the years; some from my time in the Air Force, others from my work at multiple university Career Centers.  My speaking engagements have allowed me to reach a larger audience from diverse work environments and backgrounds.

    My interactions with branches on my tree drive my desire to help them succeed in their professional and personal lives.  My branches determine the level of interaction needed during our check-in sessions.  Some just need a little ‘encouragement’ while others need a full session to energize their efforts on their Walk into Future.  Either way, my work with branches on my tree inspires me probably more than it does them.  The stronger the branches grow, the stronger the tree becomes.  Let’s inject the complete circle metaphor here again for visual impact. 😊

    Inspiration Circle

    When

    Spend time with me and I will probably have some level of advice for you.  It comes naturally for me since I have a background in Psychology and Career Services arenas.  I never force information on anyone but when asked I will give an honest answer.  There will be times my responses require a branch to conduct homework (research, reflection, goal formation, etc.) and then we can get to work on mapping out a path for success.  I agree to partner and help find the success needed to move forward.  The ownership remains with the branch to finalize the process.

    So, what truly inspires me?  Having a formulated ‘why’ and interactions with branches (who) as determined by their needs (when).  Simple enough, huh?

    Thanks to my branches for inspiring me daily!  Well done!

    What inspires you daily?  Who inspires you?  Curious, thanks!

  • Leaders Build People

    encouragement 3

    How often do you make the time to encourage others?  What benefits can a kind word from you have on the daily outcomes for someone you know?  How do leaders build direct reports into valuable team members and future leaders?

    Encourage them and watch them grow!

    I look for ways to reach out and help my tree continue to grow daily.  Some days it’s just a simple text to say hello and other days jumping on a phone call may be a better option to be a people builder.

    A simple ‘check-in’ can be the catalyst to help someone experiencing a difficult challenge in their day.  This approval process can be what they have been craving but didn’t know they needed.

    Leaders can bring this concept into the work environment by having a complete understanding of their staff members. Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses can enhance this process.  Look for ways to emphasize and cultivate the strengths of your team to unlock hidden potential.  Also look for opportunities to encourage team members to stretch their skills for additional growth.  Leaders who encourage their people to test their limits and provide a foundation for growth are ‘people builders’.

    I make it a point to tell direct reports, “I don’t care if you make a mistake, just don’t make the same mistake twice”.   This statement is my way to let people know they are encouraged and should explore additional ways to get things accomplished in the work environment.  We constantly hear about work place diversity but at times hinder the process of diverse thoughts, ideas and concepts.

    ‘Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it’. (Colin Powell)

    Everyone wants to be valued—plant the seeds today and watch the people around you grow.  Show an authentic belief in them and their overall success.  This concept can be utilized in the work environment and with daily interaction with family, friends and others you cross paths with.  Take the time to showcase the ‘positive’ when communicating throughout the day.  Go ahead and give that vote of confidence to someone who is considering making a big change in their professional or personal life.  Your encouragement may be the thing they need to move forward.

    You become a ‘people builder’ when you provide the nudge, advice or encouragement needed to help them Walk into The Future.

    Who can you build up today?

  • Happy New Year

    Happy New Year 2019

    ‘None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows’ (Colin Powell)

    2018 was a great year and looking forward to having a great 2019 as well!

    I’m sure you will hear Happy New Year for the next few weeks, so I decided to get my version in via a blog post.  Positive thoughts lead to positive actions so let’s use the New Year vibe to create a road map for your personal and professional success.

    I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions because the construct behind these resolutions have an air of whimsy.   Most resolutions are stated with an almost ‘either/or’ prospect without the foundation for future growth or success.

    I sit down each January and generate a list of goals I will accomplish in the New Year.  These goals range from travel locations, fitness targets, professional pursuits, community involvement and reading plans for the year.  Generating SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Based) goals provides a template to determine progress towards meeting a specific goal.  The ability to gauge progress towards stated goals provide a level of satisfaction and accountability to meet or exceed a goal.  I also leverage an accountability partner who receives a copy of my goals and checks on progress throughout the year.

     

    smart goals 2019

    I routinely advise direct reports and mentees to generate 3 SMART goals in the following areas:  professional and personal.  This process has helped them set goals to ensure the new year will bring the success they seek.  Please note:  3 SMART goals are the minimum I request from my tree; most create a robust number of goals in these areas and others depending on their professional and personal needs.

    Use the early days of 2019 to get organized and create goals that will enhance your entire 2019!  Don’t wait, get moving towards the productive year and outcomes you want to see!

    Let’s energize your Walk into the Future!

    What goals do you have for the New Year?   

  • The Humble Leader

    close up photography of a cellphone
    Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com

    The concept of the humble leader sounds contradictory to what most people envision in the workplace.  The traditional leadership view (real or perceived) cast leaders as hard charging, take no prisoner and only out for themselves.

    Humility: the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s importance, rank, etc. (Dictionary.com)

    A true leader understands you lead people and manage programs.  Not the other way around.

    A humble leader displays a level of self-awareness within the workplace to ensure growth for everyone.  A humble leader does not seek or need the spotlight to highlight the great work of the team.  The humble leader can inspire better team cohesion, eagerness to learn and a better performance outcome for their teams.

    The process of leading by example and a leader with a humble approach when working with individuals and teams is an excellent example of this concept.  This consistent approach provides a template for others to follow and allows the team to perform knowing the true nature of their leader.

    Humble leaders:

    • Build relationships
    • Listen
    • Enable trust in the workplace
    • Show appreciation
    • Reflect
    • Display authenticity

    A humble leader puts the needs of others before themselves.  This could be a simple process of ensuring direct reports have the tools needed to perform their duties.  Sounds simple but how many times are work assignments delegated with deadlines, but instructions/tools needed to perform are not provided.  The humble leader looks to provide tools needed to ensure overall team success.  They are also not afraid to ask questions to ensure the assignment is fully understood.  Asking follow-up questions does not show weakness but shows the leader cares and wants to optimize time spent on a specific project.

    Being a humble leader does not imply weakness.  Humble leaders are always looking to improve themselves and focus on larger, organizational goals—not just their individual goals.

    A leader is best when people hardly know that they exist. (Lao Tzu)

    What impact does humility have within your current work environment?  How would this concept enhance overall productivity in the work environment?