According to www.dictionary.com, the origin of the word “impact” comes from the Latin word impingere, which means “to push against.” The online dictionary has three definitions of impact that relate directly to the concept of leadership impact:

1) “influence; effect,”

2) “the force exerted by a new idea, concept, technology, or ideology,” and

3) “the power of making a strong, immediate impression....

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Wow!  I just had a great customer service experience and I still can’t believe it.  I’m still reeling!   I won’t bore you with all the nitty gritty details but just suffice it to say that my belief in good customer service has been restored.

I have been worried lately that people just don’t seem to care anymore.  Whether it was getting no response from a client who missed an appointment (after many repeated atte...

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Last night I had the pleasure of attending a workshop about transitioning hosted by Janet Fiorenzo.  A fabulous group of ten women of various backgrounds, ages and stages in their lives, came together to share stories of transition and what they are experiencing.  It is always amazing to me the energy that is felt when women come together for a common purpose.

Janet taught us a new tool that we can use to assist us at t...

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I think it's important to note that great leaders are made, not born, so each and every one of you has the opportunity to hone your leadership skills and become the leader you want to be.  Here are some of the top qualities that great leaders possess.

Fairness - Great leaders are able to put their own feelings aside and look at what is best for their team as a whole.
Knowledge - Leaders should attempt to get as many details about a situation as possible before making their decision.
Decisive - G...
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It was so uplifting when I came across this article about someone who actually loves what they do.  And she's a woman in technology no less!  A rarity indeed.

In today’s economy, you don’t always hear about people that enjoy what they do.  More often than not we hear about people who are unemployed, frustrated in their current situation or struggling to getting it all done. 

That’s why I wanted to share this a...

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The business world is changing.  It is no longer enough to keep your head down, do a good job and expect the rewards and recognition to come your way.

Marketing guru and author, Seth Godin, recently stated in this article from Business Insider.com,  “If you're the average person out there doing average work, there's going to be someone else out there...

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I am a big supporter of networking and connecting people that I believe will mutually benefit from knowing each other.  So when I ran across this blog post from Entrepreneurs Unpluggd, I just had to share these basic tips for doing introductions via email. 

I love sharing simple tips and tricks that help build relationships, improve communication skills and streamline daily activities.  This step by step outline with e...

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Managers are the key to successful organizations.  Becoming a great manager and leader is a process.  Steven Covey talks about the Whole-Person Paradigm in Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results.  He states that great leaders see people as whole--body, heart, mind and spirit--and work to unleash their full creative potential.

Employees are the most critical asset a company has.  A manager is the conduit between the individual employee, their goals and desires and the goals of th...
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As you are leading and impacting others, are you getting the results you want?  If yes, do you know what you are doing to get those results so you can keep getting them again and again?  And if no, do you know what you are doing that is disempowering others, so that you can change your approach to achieve your desired results and empower others in the process?

So, what does it take to be an impactful leader?  Being a leader is not about your title, the power of your position or how many follow...
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As a leader, you will acquire a lot of knowledge and experience--even wisdom--along the way.  One of the most important parts of your job is passing it on to the next generation of leaders.  This is how you expand the capabilities of everyone else in your organization, individually and collectively.

Tim Sanders calls this being a "lovecat".  According to Sanders in his book, Love Is The Killer App, "...a lovecat gives away their intangibles to promote growth of everybody they do business with....
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I recently read an article on Forbes.com entitled “Millennial Women Are Burning Out At Work By 30…And It’s Great For Business”.  The article suggested that this younger generation is getting frustrated with their corporate careers and striking out into entrepreneurship in search of independence, fulfillment and control. 

Realizing at an early stage in your career what is important to you and having the courage ...

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Being a Colorado native you naturally become a Broncos fan whether you are really into football or not.  Just living in the Mile High City you get swept up by the enthusiasm of the fans in this city.  It has been a whirlwind season and today the Broncos are facing the New England Patriots under the leadership of Tim Tebow.  Some have their doubts of how the game will turn out for the Broncos but you can't help but be impressed by the character of their leader, Tim Tebow.

As a leadership coach,...
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Keeping employees motivated can sometimes be a challenge.  What with the economy, layoffs, everyone being asked to do more, people can get frustrated in their work. 

Many believe that money is on the top of most peoples’ list of what motivates them.  I tend to disagree.  In a previous blog post I wrote about how to motivate employees by unleashing their power and potential.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I do believe ...

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2012 started off great.  I set my theme for the year…TRUST, I joined a 31 day blog challenge and got my writing juices flowing and I had a great strategy and goal setting session with my fabulous business coach, Kristin.  I was excited and on my way to the most productive year yet.  So what happened?

Twelve days into the New Year and I am feeling very scattered.  I have so many great ideas on how to take my leadership...

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Here are the last 3 mistakes that leaders make.  Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 if you happened to miss them.  Again, take time to reflect back on your leadership style.  Have you been guilty of any of these 9 mistakes?

7.  Acting as if you have all the answers

Just because you have the title of “Boss” doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers.  As a matter of fact, managers who insist on making all the de...

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As I promised, here are the next 3 mistakes that leaders make.  If you missed Part 1 where I listed the first 3 mistakes you can read it here.  The final 3 will be revealed in my next post.  As I stated previously, this list is not all inclusive and in no particular order.  I invite you to take an honest look at the leader you have been and determine if there are areas you may want to improve.

4. Micro-managing

You may be ...

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Recently I was talking to a senior leader of a telecommunications company about the mistakes managers make in leading their teams.  The discussion went on for some time and in the end we identified 9 critical mistakes.  I am sure this list is not all inclusive but it is a place for you to start thinking about whether you have fallen into some of these traps.  As you read through the list, I invite you to honestly assess if...

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Words can be very powerful.  They can encourage, inspire and motivate.  Or they can hurt, diminish and destroy.  Words are just words.  It is the action behind the words that matters most. 

This video by Simple Truths says it best.  These 7 simple words can be very powerful if as leaders we embrace them and actually LIVE by them.

COMMITMENT    HONESTY    ACCOUNTABILITY    RESPECT    COURAGE    ETHICS    INTEGRITY

...
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About a year or so ago, I became fascinated with numerology.  I find it quite interesting how accurate some of this information is based on the date and time of your birth.  I don’t claim to understand it all but I do love exploring more about it.

To indulge my fascination, I get a Daily Life Guide report from Life-Answers.com.  Today my report read:  “Hello Lisa -Saturday, January 7, 2012- Focus your attention b...

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The beginning of the year is a great time to take a look at your purpose or vision statement.  What?  You don’t have a vision statement?  Then how do you know if you are on course if you aren’t clear on what you stand for as a leader? 

There is an interesting article by leadership coach John M. McKee entitled “Best leaders know what they stand for”.  He explores the age old question of why some leaders make mor...

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Well, now into day 5 (really day 6 since I sat out yesterday!) of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and the overthinking of what to write about has kicked in.  Part of why I did this challenge was to get the writing juices flowing.  Not quite there yet.

Another reason was to hold myself accountable for blogging on a regular basis.  I have found some great fellow bloggers that are helping me with that accountability.  Thanks f...

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We all make assumptions.  We naturally fill in gaps in what we think and perceive so that we can make sense out of our world and our experiences.

Sometimes the assumptions we make are accurate; sometimes they are not.  And the reality is, assumptions are powerful.  They can build bridges or destroy them.  They can make peace or start a war.

As a leader, you have an obligation to notice the assumptions you make, both good and bad, and verify them for accuracy, especially if they are negative and...
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Have you thought about what 2012 will look like for you?  Do you have a plan to take your worklife to the next level?  Or are you going to continue to sit back and see what comes your way?

It is so easy to keep doing what you have been doing and expect to get different results.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Gone are the days when you can simply keep your head down, do a good job and get the recognition you desire.  ...

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To build a strong, effective team, (whether it be at work, at home or in your community) you first need to communicate your values as a person and a leader.   What are the guiding principles that you live by and are willing to defend when challenged?

Many times we think we know what our values are, but when pressed, we are not able to articulate them clearly.  Knowing the core of who you are and what you believe will allow you to authentically model the behavior you expect. 

As a leader you a...
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Well, here we are... day one of the New Year. 

I have always enjoyed looking back over the previous year and remembering all the wonderful accomplishments, challenges and lessons learned that I am truly grateful for.  It is amazing how much you can forget throughout the year.  Reflection and gratitude are very important tools that help me realize just how far I have come and keep me focused on where I want to go.  I just have to remember to do use them.

While I do enjoy reflecting, I don't lik...
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