Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Alex Perry, CEO of Practically Speaking, LLC, host of the Minivan Mogul Podcast, and author of Minivan Mogul: A Crash Course in Confidence in For Women. We hope you enjoy Alex’s wisdom and perspective.

As I sit down to write this, I'm already battling the little voice in my head that says, "Why are you trying to write a post on leadership? Seriously, Alex, stop, you're going to try to come up with something that sounds business-y (is that even a word), and you're going to sound ridiculous! Why don't you just leave this one to the experts and go back to scrolling through Facebook or something like that. What on earth could you have to say to professional people who don't make their living writing and talking about their adventures self-discovery in their minivans." ((sigh)).

I'm fighting the urge to make this sound like I think you expect it to sound and doing what I know works for me as a leader, which is writing exactly what I think. You didn't realize when you started this that you were going to get an express ticket to the inside of my brain. Welcome, please make yourself at home. Being true to myself as a leader is tough work that's only gotten minimally easier as I've gone along. Is the same true for you? (if not, feel free to scroll on over to another blog.)

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kristine Hilger Carles, Executive Director of Leadership South Bend | Mishawaka. We hope you enjoy Kristine’s wisdom and perspective.

My oldest son, a senior in college, is an acting major. Through the experience of being a theater mom, I’ve learned that acting isn’t the chaotic creativity I once believed and that “going off script” is frowned upon in most situations. Acting, though inherently creative, has scripts, procedures, and norms.

Many aspects of life today, from project planning to decision making to meeting management are scripted for us. There is comfort in the script, security in our routines, assured results in our procedures. What happens, though, when an unprecedented pandemic obliterates our routines, and there is no choice but to go off script?

During our board of director’s meeting last fall, I shared the story behind the Miracle on the Hudson, and pilot, Sully Sullenberger’s, quick, creative landing which saved 150 passengers in 208 seconds. When Captain Sullenberger was asked to define his thought process in the middle of a life-threatening crisis, he attributed his unorthodox solution to a “could” approach.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Chris Mills, Chief Operating Officer/Partner at ML Talent Strategies. We hope you enjoy Chris’ wisdom and perspective.

We think of business strategy as a three-legged stool. Each leg is distinct, yet all three legs must be integrated effectively to grow a dynamic, value-based enterprise.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Randy Taussig, Chief Navigation Officer at BlueCore Leadership and Certified EOS Implementer^™. We hope you enjoy Randy’s wisdom and perspective.

The ability to solve substantive business challenges could be the most important skill your leadership team must master.

It can either propel your business forward at light speed or, if done poorly, keep you orbiting through chaos and frustration. Beating business obstacles is one of the most difficult skills to master, but when you do, magic happens!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kim LaGrange, President of Prime Talent Insights. We hope you enjoy Kim’s wisdom and perspective.

Even though we are only halfway through 2020, we can be sure it will long be remembered as an incredibly challenging year for our country and our world. We might consider it to be the year of “uns”, since the events of 2020 are described as unprecedented, uncertain, unsettling, and perhaps even unbelievable.

Within today’s challenges, we can find opportunities – for our organizations and for our own growth as leaders. To quote management expert Peter Drucker, only three things happen naturally in organizations: friction, confusion, and underperformance. Everything else takes leadership. Leadership matters, today more than ever. Never has it been more important for a leader to be resilient, to be able to grow and to drive their organization’s growth, even in times of adversity. Seizing the possibilities and creating a great tomorrow is exciting and important work!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Randie Dial, Managing Principal at CLA Indiana. We hope you enjoy Randie’s wisdom and perspective.

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.”

The quote above can’t highlight the concept of gratitude any better. Practicing the act of gratitude in your organization can have such a tremendous impact on so many areas. Culture. Retention. Team. Growth. These are all areas many leaders are striving to attain but can’t quite achieve!

As leaders, we have high standards. We are driven by passion. That passion causes us to hold ourselves to the highest standards, which in turn causes us to expect a lot from our teams. Because of this, gratitude MUST become a part of our routine. As leaders, we need to be able to recognize and express gratitude consistently!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, CJ McClanahan, keynote speaker, advisor, and author. We hope you enjoy CJ’s wisdom and perspective.

Over the last 17 years, I’ve seen hundreds of “mini” crisis and a few big ones (2008/2009 ring a bell?). I get a little shaken up by all of them – just like you do. However, as leaders, we’ve got a responsibility to help others through these times.

Today, we find ourselves in yet another unprecedented situation.

However, even amidst the uncertainty, there are simple tactics we can put in place to help ourselves and our teams thrive during this interesting time.

I first wrote this blog in March, but I believe the ideas remain relevant. Even though some individuals, organizations, and industries are getting back into the swing of things, there are many still experiencing uncertainty. And I’d argue we’re all going to face some level of uncertainty for months to come. But be it from COVID-19 or any other obstacles, we will each continue to face uncertainty and crises at different points of our lives – and these tactics can help lead you through challenging times.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Jill Young, Certified EOS Implementer and Author of “In Courage” We hope you enjoy Jill’s wisdom and perspective.

Most people feel some kind of fear daily. Here’s what it looks like at work, when you’re an entrepreneur:

• I’m afraid that if I invest in the company, I’ll lose my personal security.
• I’m afraid that if I fire John, the clients might follow him.
• I’m afraid that if we hire for this new position, I’ll lose control of quality.

Some people are motivated by fear; others are debilitated by it. Successful entrepreneurs use this fear to propel themselves and their companies forward. I believe that true entrepreneurs are in constant growth mode, and growth means change. But great change, change that really sticks, is more like a constant evolution than a revolution, and living in fear makes that evolution scary instead of exciting.

According to the National Safety Council, the use of a cell phone while driving causes an estimated 1.6 million accidents each year. In 2018 alone, 4,637 people died in a car accident due to cell phone use. 14% of fatal crashes involved cell phones. Distracted driving is an epidemic.

Starting July 1, 2020, there will be a new Indiana State Law for distracted driving. This bill will extend the 2011 ban of texting while driving to banning all physical use of a cell phone unless using hands-free technology. We encourage you to take a little extra time to consider the dangers of distracted driving and get to know the laws for distracted driving in your state.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

When you lose perspective, you lose margin. When you lose margin, you lose impact.

As leaders, somewhere in our youth, we were told that, when things are not going well or when they are going well, “You need to work harder, work more hours, put your nose to the grindstone,” or a dozen other clichés. The reality is most leaders spend so much time and effort digging that we dig ourselves into a ditch. Soon, we begin to think that the edge of the ditch is the skyline. Gretchen Rubin, who appeared at Catalyst University in 2019, says, “Work is the most dangerous form of procrastination.”