Kathryn D. Cramer's Blog, page 7

Your Lead Positive Hero’s Journey (Part 2 of 2)

Your Hero’s Journey is the leadership story of what lies ahead in the pursuit of your goals. It is the story of the future you seek come true—your leadership vision realized.

Last week, I discussed the first three phases of the Hero’s Journey: The Call, the Resistance, and the Threshold Crossing. In this post, we will explore the last three: The Journey, the Supreme Ordeal, and the Return Home. I also provide reflection questions to help you articulate your role as the hero of your Hero’s Jour...

Your Lead Positive Hero’s Journey (Part 1 of 2)

A story well told transports the listener to a different time, place and plane. It captivates emotions and provides an exciting trajectory of experiences full of hope, struggle, uncertainty and surprise! Stories show us how to live life.

Stories help us lead.

Leadership stories have been told for centuries in the form of heroic myths and legends. When noted mythology professor Joseph Campbell was researching the timeless stories of heroism found in all cultures, he found similar themes and patt...

Rough Weather Makes Good Timber or How Asset-Based Thinking Came To Be

If my brother Jim had not died when he was 22 of a usually easy-to-survive illness called mononucleosis, I am sure I never would have written 9 books.

I know I would not have founded The Stress Center at Saint Louis University. I certainly would not have dedicated my career to discovering what it takes for people to be resilient, optimistic, and confident as they face the great losses and disappointments of work and of life.

If it had not been for Jim’s death, my approach to life would be very...

Your Greatest Weapon Against Stress

One of the main culprits wreaking havoc on our wellbeing and productivity is stress. Stress paralyzes by shifting us in to deficit-based thinking mode and holding us back from seeing and acting on the opportunities in front of us.

For millennia, negative information has weighed more heavily on the brain to ensure survival. In neuroscience, this is referred to as the human “negativity bias,” which exaggerates danger or problems in high-alert situations. Unfortunately, for most of our everyday p...

Why Does Your Vision Matter?

Forbes.com recently published a list by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) of the 25 companies where top millennials most want to work. According to the list, healthcare companies and US government agencies are the most sought after.

“These millennials have a passion for helping other people,” said NSHSS CEO James Lewis. In addition, they “want to protect our country.”

In other words, millennials are craving meaningful work, what I call a mighty cause. If you are a company loo...

The Key to Employee Engagement? Appreciating Effort

Research shows that what employees want the most is: to be seen, to be heard, to be recognized, and to make a contribution. It’s not hard to see how fulfilling the first three items can lead to employees doing more of the fourth.

If you want to help someone learn something—particularly anything that is complex or involves dealing with other human beings—you must move that person into positive emotional territory. Focusing on what has already been done well is the ticket to accelerating a sense...

Leaders With Soul: Arianna Huffington In Her New Book Thrive

I recently read Arianna Huffington’s new bestseller, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, which I highly recommend for its focus on how to inject your life with positive, energizing moments.

What struck me most about the book, however, was the way it shifted my perception of the author—from a hard-as-nails, success-at-all costs kind of leader to a much more empathetic and relatable leader with a deeply personal and inspiring migh...

Give Yourself An A!

I’ve already written about how to give constructive feedback that motivates others, but did you know that the first step to fine-tuning your coaching skills is turning your attention inward?

In the face of challenging goals, it is tempting to worry about how much more needs to be done. Let’s face it: More always needs to be done. But an anxious, worried focus is never helpful. Worry is draining and debilitating. It deprives you of enthusiasm and stunts your creativity. Unfortunately, it is suc...

We Do What We Are

You have probably heard that famous quote from Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Well, I am going to take that thought and reverse it:

“We do what we repeatedly are.”

It is difficult, nearly impossible, to see yourself as you are. As a leader, you must be rigorously introspective, and at the same time open to the feedback, in order to develop a clear picture of who you are and how others experience you—this is your Signature Presence, which I explored in a previous post.

Recall a time w...

Making the Most of Mess-Ups

Imagine this: You have missed a deadline, forgotten a commitment, or (fill in the blank with your own self-generated debacle). You probably feel bad that you let down someone who relies on you. You may even feel worse that you didn’t live up to your own high standard of performance and you let down yourself.

Most high-achievers are their own harshest critics. It’s natural to get down on yourself when you miss the mark but, as you know, a downward spiral of self-doubt and negativity won’t do mu...