New year, new you—isn’t that how the saying goes?  It’s December, the end of 2018, and many of us are excitedly looking forward to the holidays and spending time with our families and friends.  But as you’re filling out your New Year’s Resolutions for 2019, don’t forget to keep your professional goals in sight.  Look around your business and evaluate the current atmosphere of your corporate culture. 

In the past months, we’ve spent time talking about how to act with intention and grow our emotional intelligence as leaders. But we’ve yet to tackle one of the most powerful emotions: fear. Fear is, perhaps, the emotion that dictates our lives more than any other.

Have you ever noticed how the way you feel about the weather changes based on your mood?  Take a bright, cloudless summer day, for instance.  When we’re in a good mood, we might think about how we should go for a walk, or take a long drive, or grab the dog and go for a long walk.

We’ve all heard the old saying—“Do as I say, not as I do!”  However, as you’ve no doubt guessed or learned on your own, this is not an effective leadership style.  If anything, it can be actively damaging to your workplace environment and culture. 

When training team members in your company, things can often become frustrating as you struggle to gauge exactly how much training individuals need.  Things that seem straightforward and simple to you sometimes appear to be ungraspable by your team. 

Creating a thriving, successful organization is not unlike raising a child.  You want your company to do well, live a long and prosperous life, and, perhaps most importantly, continue to do these things even once you are no longer around to directly oversee operations. 

Intentionality.  It is the ability to understand the end game before ever beginning.  It is the competency to identify the steps needed to achieve a goal and, most importantly, taking those steps to make your desired outcome a reality. 

After graduating from the Leadership Minor last fall and nearly completing my undergraduate degree in Human Resource Development at the University of Minnesota, I have been thinking about how I can use what I’ve learned in the classroom and transfer that to my future workplace. 

Fresh off of March Madness, there is plenty to learn from one of the country’s biggest sporting extravaganzas. For a closer look, let’s go to the tape.

Recently, our travels took us back to Garza Blanca in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We planned our first venture to Garza Blanca back in 2014. Using photos and recommendations sourced online—while on the hunt for a great value—we carefully planned our trip.

As Minneapolis hosted Super Bowl LII, there were constant reminders of the popular Twitter hashtag #BoldNorth all over. Ironically, there were also constant reminders of #MNNice, too.

Statistics tell us that nearly 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail. And with a rate like that, it’s a wonder why so many people still give it a go! Historically, New Year’s resolutions are a Christian tradition.

I recently went on a trip to Nashville with friends. If you’ve never been there—you need to go. The street bars were lined up with talented musicians doing what they love: singing, playing an instrument, entertaining, laughing.

At the start of my career, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to become. I had a degree in Psychology and Business, but what did that mean? I did know I needed a job, and I was blessed to join a woman-owned organization focused on quality market research.

October is one of my favorite months. Sure, autumn brings a new volleyball season, but it also offers a natural chance to reflect, to set your sights on the new year to come. What things will we do the same? What things will we do differently?

“The success or failure of an organization is based on leadership,” says Leadership Delta Founder and CEO Laura Boyd. Laura has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and she’s a Certified Change Management Professional. Her passion is around leadership development and organizational growth.