by Jane Perdue | Women
“I loved how you encouraged us to speak up, but I’m not sure I can do it. I don’t want to be rude.”
Like this workshop participant, I think most of us are taught from an early age that interrupting is impolite and something best not done.
Yet my experience in business—and that of many others—is that if we (especially women*) wait for that pause in the flow of discussion that tells us it’s our turn to speak, well, the moment passes us by because the pause we’re waiting for doesn’t happen. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Inspiration
Looking for a bit of inspiration? Does your spirit need a lift? Want a nudge for gentle introspection or some wings to fly? (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Leadership
A gal pal asked me if I’d heard that Doug’s* company had failed.
Given that we’d worked with him earlier in our careers, neither of us was surprised that his entrepreneurial venture hadn’t succeeded beyond a few years. Doug was super smart but difficult to get along with, driven yet narcissistic, single-minded about success, unwilling to share, and short on integrity and ethics. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Creativity
Creativity is surrounded by paradigms.
1500 CEOs who participated in an IBM study noted creativity as the single most important leadership quality for success yet, according to research by Adobe, 80% of respondents reported more pressure to be productive rather than to be creative at work. Go figure.
Ask people if they would describe themselves as creative, and the likely response is something along with lines of “Well, I’m not [an artist, a musician, a writer, a composer, etc.], so no, I’m not creative.” (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Leadership
I love wisteria. Seeing those trailing explosions of frothy purple blossoms always makes me smile.
So why had I just driven for 15 minutes on a road where they grow wild and lush on the oaks and pines and not seen a single one?
I’d been “in my head,” all thoughts and attention focused on the writing conference I was about to attend along with a smattering of other things: (more…)
