On Vulnerability
I don’t like feeling vulnerable or making mistakes. Possible failure makes me anxious. Yet I have noticed how resistance to vulnerability hinders creativity and hampers building relationships. Brene Brown, who has authored numerous books on vulnerability and imperfection, defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.” On a recent trip to Italy, I took a […]
The Power of Pause
Many people all over the world take the dawn of a new year to start fresh. Goals are written, resolutions are declared, and hope is born. Gyms are full. Healthy food flies off the shelves. Books are purchased and stacked by our beds. Enthusiastically, we dash into January, pumped up by the promise of a […]
Video Blog: Thinking About… Self Care for Leaders
Craig Schloneger, Partner and Senior Consultant with North Group Consultants, joins Roger North in discussing the importance of taking care of ourselves as leaders and the direct relationship self-care has with our ability to better serve others? We also invite you to tell us, “What have you been thinking about?”
Do It Anyway
Some time ago my wife and I were returning home after enjoying dinner out with friends. We left the restaurant around 9:30 and were on the way to drop our friends off at their home. At one point, we stopped at a traffic light behind a car we had been following. As the light turned, the […]
Gratitude, A Life Changing Attitude
Next week is Thanksgiving. It’s a day for families to gather, often overeat, and sometimes watch football. Isn’t it interesting that the first three things I think of have nothing to do with being thankful! Gratitude can change your world. Have you ever met people who seem to have no apparent reason to be thankful, […]
Are You Building Your Resume or Your Eulogy?
I recently attended the funeral of a close relative where the pastor asked, “Are you building your resume or your eulogy?” As I reflected on those thoughts, my mind turned to the leadership journey we all are traveling as we define the “dash” on our tombstone—the time between birth and death. A resume is all […]
Video Blog: Thinking About… Energy
North Group Consultants’ Founder & President, Roger North, explores the topic of energy… As leaders, how do we protect, preserve and create the energy we need to lead well? We also invite you to tell us, “What have you been thinking about?”
How Long Is Your List?
We live in an age of lists. We have our “to do” lists, and more recently it has become fashionable to accomplish items on a “bucket list.” But there is one list that is rarely discussed—the list of issues we find most difficult, or even impossible, to talk about. Yet that list is perhaps the […]
Shoulder Tapping
I recently read the book, “My Calling to Fulfill,” by John E. Sharp. The book is about Orie O. Miller who led Mennonite work in education, mission, peacemaking, and mental health. He developed most of the major Mennonite agencies that exist today, including Mennonite Central Committee, Eastern Mennonite Missions, and Goshen College. Miller had many […]
Don’t Throw Your Anchor Inside Your Own Boat
Recently our daughter shared a sketch she created on social media. It included the words, “Don’t throw your anchor inside your own boat.” Seeing her sketch caused me to think about a recent conversation I had with a friend. As we met for coffee my friend shared that his “bucket” was almost empty; he was […]