Leading from the Middle of the Pack
Many of the articles I’ve written have touched on leadership, often at the executive level and sometimes about new leaders. It got me thinking that I, like many others, have overlooked the importance of middle managers in our organizations. We define middle managers as team leads, regional directors, and senior managers who translate strategic vision into reality. They carry the weight of culture, accountability, and influence – not from the top, but from the centre. They’re expected to inspire, deliver, align, adapt, and hold it all together. In my opinion, it’s one of the most demanding leadership roles in any [...]
Why Second Chances Matter
Have you ever been given a second chance? A do-over, a “let’s try that again” moment? Earlier this year, I needed to request a transcript from the University of Manitoba. When it arrived, I had to laugh (or shake my head), not because of how it ended, but because of how it started. Straight out of high school, I enrolled in a joint Business Teacher Education program between Red River College and the U of M. That first year? I was more focused on beer bashes than textbooks. 😉 By year-end, I’d barely passed and didn’t meet the requirements to [...]
The Power of Disconnecting
As I draft this (June 11), I’m sitting on a plane, heading out to spend a few days with my friend of over 30 years (since we were babies, I always say 🙂). She’s in the midst of cancer treatments, and I wanted to be with her during one of her chemo sessions. This month also happens to be my busiest since I started Leaps&Bounds. I’m facilitating every week, supporting multiple projects, and yet, I prioritized this trip. Not because it’s convenient, but because it matters. To her. And to me. I’d love to say I would have always made [...]
People as the Driver of Your Strategy
Have you ever been in a room where the strategy is something only the executive team or the board gets to talk about? I have. It’s in a binder on a shelf or a slide deck that is quickly forgotten. Often, it was built with the very best intentions, and sometimes, it’s even a good strategy. But here’s the thing: if your people don’t know your strategy, they can’t execute on it and worse, if they’ve never had a chance to contribute to it, you’re missing out on some valuable insights, the ones from the people closest to the work. [...]
Beyond the Ask: Listening for What Matters
I listen to a lot of podcasts and read many books on building a consulting business. One recurring theme is “productizing your service.” While I believe in the value of that concept, I think there are important nuances worth exploring. In our world, there are many templated frameworks and plug-and-play models that can be helpful when clients are looking for quick and simple solutions to a pressing issue. But sometimes, the best thing we can do is to pause and look outside of our normal approach. The clearest solution often doesn’t surface in the first (or second) conversation, and an [...]
Work Style DNA
I was standing in line at Costco a couple of weeks ago when I got a LinkedIn notification from someone who wanted to connect (and someone I was excited to connect with). I went to respond but hesitated—after all, it was a Saturday morning, and I wasn’t technically in “work mode”. This got me thinking about an exchange I had with one of my colleagues recently. She said, "You are a responder," and while I had never thought about my habit of being responsive in this way before, she was right. I realized being responsive is one of the qualities [...]
Strengthening Executive Team Alignment
Executive teams are often made up of talented, experienced, and passionate leaders who are deeply committed to their people, business, and clients. However, even the most capable teams can struggle with alignment. This challenge is not unusual and can arise for many reasons: rapid growth or decline, leadership changes, mergers, acquisitions, and more. Through our work with executive teams, we have seen that the difference between those who successfully navigate these challenges and those who continue to struggle often comes down to one critical choice: whether or not to lean in and do the tough work of leadership. The teams [...]
The Power of Personal Leadership
In our work lives, we often talk about the importance of leadership—leading organizations, leading teams—but we spend far less time discussing personal leadership: our accountability for our own success within the organizations we are part of. Over the next few weeks, we’re launching a new product—one that has been years in the making—with a focus on personal leadership. The idea first took root in me as a parent of young adults, watching them navigate their career journeys. I’m sure they got tired of hearing me say things like: “Being early is on time.” “Do a little more than what’s expected.” “Build [...]
End-of-Year Celebration
Last weekend, our LBC team came together to celebrate the holidays—a wonderful opportunity to pause and spend time together in a different way (and with our spouses). Hosting at our home, I found myself reflecting on our small but mighty team with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and responsibility. Gratitude for these exceptional humans who have trusted me with this chapter in their lives (and for their spouses who support them), and for the responsibility to stay focused on LBC’s vision: to stay the course on our growth plan, to take risks (but not too many!), to continue building our [...]
November Blahs and the Gift of Loss
(Note: this post mentions the loss of a child.) Ugh, November. Has anyone else struggled through this month? The longer, darker days, the absence of snow, and the lack of sunlight always make it feel heavier. But for me, November carries its own unique weight: it’s a month tied to loss, reflection, and—unexpectedly—gifts. On November 6, 1996, my daughter Jessica was born, and it’s also the day she passed. We knew she wouldn’t survive the birth. For weeks before, I carried the knowledge that I would lose her, yet I chose to let the process unfold naturally. I wanted every [...]
