This site is intended as an online showcase of skill and experience.
In these pages you will find samples of previous work in three areas: writing, event planning, and marketing.
Thought Leadership - Finding a sense of Place
Vision -
Leadership involves catalyzing ideas into action by being on the front lines, showing the way to success. I envision a world of purpose, where everyone feels fulfilled by the roles they play, both in their private lives and professional lives. Leadership is about inspiration in action where creative expression becomes a way of life.
Mission Statement-
To not just live but feel alive.
To tend the garden and grow the hive.
To nourish, flourish, and thrive.
Motivation -
My leadership style is that of a Diplomat. Diplomat style leadership prizes interpersonal harmony. As the social glue and affiliative force that keeps groups together, Diplomats are typically kind, social, and giving. This often creates deep personal bonds with their employees. They are known for being able to resolve conflicts peacefully as well as work to avoid them in the first place.
As a diplomat, I thrive on relationships. It gives me a sense of purpose to know my role is to encourage and support others to achieve their best. I believe that honoring the gifts and talents of each individual and matching them with appropriate responsibilities will create a ‘sense of place’ that will motivate my team. In allowing others to take ownership of their role, this will foster a sense of purpose towards the work they perform. I feel that having a sense of purpose will directly contribute to fulfillment and job satisfaction. This in turn translates to greater sense of loyalty and commitment. In my experience, it is the quality of relationships that determine loyalty. Humans naturally want to serve those they feel a kinship with. By fostering relationships balance and harmony can be achieved.
In the business world motivation has been primarily money driven. But corporations are waking up to the fact that people don’t just want a paycheck. They want dignity and choices. People want connection and purpose. People want meaning and understanding. An effective leader will be able to speak to these deeper desires and convince their audience that doing things their way will fulfill them.
Managing Conflict -
Everyone wants to belong to something. Conflicts arise when there is a perceived threat to that sense of belonging. This can manifest as issues with inclusiveness and diversity. New employees could be perceived as a threat to the status quo and end up feeling left out. Or perhaps one person doesn’t agree with the culture and is purposefully divisive. Another area of conflict is when there are relations outside of the work place that end up affecting the functioning of the team. Sometimes people are just inappropriate because they are human, and no one knows how to call them on it. Every day our energies fluctuate which influence our ability to interact causing potential for conflict.
Fostering a sense of place and belonging begins with clearly defined roles. Boundaries and expectations are set in the beginning, especially those involving communication. There is a lot of expectation in leadership to mitigate conflict, but rarely is the process made clear. In order to ensure proper communication, it must be made safe to do so. A sense of safety comes from trust and trust is built over time through consistency.
When conflict arises, it must be addressed quickly and compassionately. Those that take ownership of their mistakes and work to correct them will be rewarded. Open communication and assuming positive intent are the cornerstones of my leadership model. In addition, creating a sense of safety in speaking one’s truth will be emphasized. Often people fear the outcome of speaking up which can create unnecessary tension and miscommunication. Speaking up and modeling appropriate behavior in difficult situations paves the way for others to do the same.
Reflection -
At the end of the day, what matters most to me in terms of my career is authenticity. Does what I’m doing matter or make a difference? For me to be an effective leader the answer to those questions must be a yes. A great leader must possess passion and must be able to speak to that passion to catalyze others to do the same.
Everyone comes to the table with different desires and needs that they are seeking to fill. To work as a team, they must see the process of working towards that goal as mutually beneficial to their life trajectory. Without that people may become mired in apathy and conflict. It is the job of a leader to be able to speak to this spectrum of want and be convincing to others.
Therefore, leadership is about conviction and strategy. A great leader must not only be a passionate visionary, but a calculated strategist. They must constantly reinforce the vision and goals by behaving in a manner people wish to emulate while leveraging the talents of their team. Conflict must be viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow. Because it is the human element of highs and lows that open the door to innovation.
In conclusion, leadership is about knowing when to step up and when to step down. Leadership is knowing your strengths and owning your weaknesses. Leadership is walking in alignment with your words. Leadership speaks from the heart. An effective leader inspires people to emulate their behavior and cultivate a sense of harmonious involvement and achievement.
Leadership involves catalyzing ideas into action by being on the front lines, showing the way to success. I envision a world of purpose, where everyone feels fulfilled by the roles they play, both in their private lives and professional lives. Leadership is about inspiration in action where creative expression becomes a way of life.
Mission Statement-
To not just live but feel alive.
To tend the garden and grow the hive.
To nourish, flourish, and thrive.
Motivation -
My leadership style is that of a Diplomat. Diplomat style leadership prizes interpersonal harmony. As the social glue and affiliative force that keeps groups together, Diplomats are typically kind, social, and giving. This often creates deep personal bonds with their employees. They are known for being able to resolve conflicts peacefully as well as work to avoid them in the first place.
As a diplomat, I thrive on relationships. It gives me a sense of purpose to know my role is to encourage and support others to achieve their best. I believe that honoring the gifts and talents of each individual and matching them with appropriate responsibilities will create a ‘sense of place’ that will motivate my team. In allowing others to take ownership of their role, this will foster a sense of purpose towards the work they perform. I feel that having a sense of purpose will directly contribute to fulfillment and job satisfaction. This in turn translates to greater sense of loyalty and commitment. In my experience, it is the quality of relationships that determine loyalty. Humans naturally want to serve those they feel a kinship with. By fostering relationships balance and harmony can be achieved.
In the business world motivation has been primarily money driven. But corporations are waking up to the fact that people don’t just want a paycheck. They want dignity and choices. People want connection and purpose. People want meaning and understanding. An effective leader will be able to speak to these deeper desires and convince their audience that doing things their way will fulfill them.
Managing Conflict -
Everyone wants to belong to something. Conflicts arise when there is a perceived threat to that sense of belonging. This can manifest as issues with inclusiveness and diversity. New employees could be perceived as a threat to the status quo and end up feeling left out. Or perhaps one person doesn’t agree with the culture and is purposefully divisive. Another area of conflict is when there are relations outside of the work place that end up affecting the functioning of the team. Sometimes people are just inappropriate because they are human, and no one knows how to call them on it. Every day our energies fluctuate which influence our ability to interact causing potential for conflict.
Fostering a sense of place and belonging begins with clearly defined roles. Boundaries and expectations are set in the beginning, especially those involving communication. There is a lot of expectation in leadership to mitigate conflict, but rarely is the process made clear. In order to ensure proper communication, it must be made safe to do so. A sense of safety comes from trust and trust is built over time through consistency.
When conflict arises, it must be addressed quickly and compassionately. Those that take ownership of their mistakes and work to correct them will be rewarded. Open communication and assuming positive intent are the cornerstones of my leadership model. In addition, creating a sense of safety in speaking one’s truth will be emphasized. Often people fear the outcome of speaking up which can create unnecessary tension and miscommunication. Speaking up and modeling appropriate behavior in difficult situations paves the way for others to do the same.
Reflection -
At the end of the day, what matters most to me in terms of my career is authenticity. Does what I’m doing matter or make a difference? For me to be an effective leader the answer to those questions must be a yes. A great leader must possess passion and must be able to speak to that passion to catalyze others to do the same.
Everyone comes to the table with different desires and needs that they are seeking to fill. To work as a team, they must see the process of working towards that goal as mutually beneficial to their life trajectory. Without that people may become mired in apathy and conflict. It is the job of a leader to be able to speak to this spectrum of want and be convincing to others.
Therefore, leadership is about conviction and strategy. A great leader must not only be a passionate visionary, but a calculated strategist. They must constantly reinforce the vision and goals by behaving in a manner people wish to emulate while leveraging the talents of their team. Conflict must be viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow. Because it is the human element of highs and lows that open the door to innovation.
In conclusion, leadership is about knowing when to step up and when to step down. Leadership is knowing your strengths and owning your weaknesses. Leadership is walking in alignment with your words. Leadership speaks from the heart. An effective leader inspires people to emulate their behavior and cultivate a sense of harmonious involvement and achievement.
