Appreciate your comments from the last blog, Penguins, Pools and Purpose:

"I love your notes. I am officially refreshed (re-tired is not what I want to be) and preparing to start substitute teaching (always wanted to teach). I feel that I am living on purpose"  - Derek

And loved seeing the penguin photos you sent, to include this fellow standing guard over some important playoff games, where the team definitely put the penguin in the pool to make the playoffs!

And thank you for all of your well wishes regarding celebrating 10 years of gracecamp® consulting. The work started ten years ago has certainly evolved, and at the same time remained true to a core tenent of building better teams through building better leaders.

Which is why I wanted to share an article with you: should you be a leader. It is a good quick read with some provocative questions, and some compelling data to include: "50 - 60% of leaders are seen as ineffective by their employers".

The two questions that I liked the most were: Are you coachable? and Can you tame your darkside?

They were my favorite as I often see these two questions related for many leaders. The best leaders I get the privilege to work with understand that leadership is never a finished product, and that they must always be learning (coachable). And as importantly, knowing when/how to lead from the front, side or back. This means not always needing to be out in front or needing the glory (often a dark side). And knowing when to coach from the side, as you support and develop people in your organization. And knowing when to step back and have them go it alone (putting their penguin in the pool!).

Ultimately, as the author in this article reminds us, "leadership is not about you. It is about what you do for others....do you want to lead for their sake, or yours?"

Interested in learning more about improving your leadership skills? And/or how to better lead your team to higher performance? We can help. And we want to, for your sake and your organization.