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You know that feeling!… An in-your-face problem has you feeling stuck. You’re disappointed in yourself and maybe resentful toward others about the situation. Moreover, the “stuckness” is keeping you from being fully productive and feeling competent on your other responsibilities.

This quarter, I offer you a page from the playbook of the US women’s national soccer team. As I watched their final match to earn the World Cup championship (again!), I was in awe of how they are continually fueled by their desire to win, with their focus or energy never waning.

My quarterly coaching insight is again inspired by yoga. But you don’t have to like or do yoga to appreciate this. Sometimes, we care so much about something – and are so sure we know the best way to achieve it – that we try too hard.  

A recent coaching client, call her Anne, was a productive and ambitious over-achiever with expertise and results that top management highly valued. But she had been told she could be so brusque and direct that colleagues at various levels found it hard to work with her. She was described as sometimes intimidating, condescending, exhausting, and emotionally unpredictable. Not good!

I’ve always admired great comedians, and not just because they make me laugh. Masterful comedy is a lot like great leadership.

Here are some of the shared attributes of great comedians and great leaders:

Do you know when your mind is running on a low battery? And – importantly – what to do about it? This question popped in my head recently when my ever-so-smart phone notified me of its own “Low Battery” and offered me an optional “Low Power Mode”. Since my own energy was running low at that time, I thought this was especially brilliant. A refresher lesson on resilience!