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The Collaborative Action Blog has moved!

Dear readers! The posts you see here, as well as more recent posts, can now be found at https://lorimicheleleavitt.com/blog.

If you are already subscribed, you do not need to re-subscribe.

If you are not yet subscribed, you can still do so on this page (at the right) or go to the link above and see “Join Collaborative Action” in the left navigation bar.

After joining the blog, you’ll receive a post summary, usually once per week, on Wednesday 6am PST.

If you want to guest post, interview or quote me, or talk about this blog, just send an email to: lori[at]collaborative-action[dot]com.

I look forward to sharing with you!

Collaborative Action has moved! Find and join the Collaborative Action Blog at https://lorimicheleleavitt.com/blog/
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4 more Models of Leadership Clarity – Being Clear, for Others.

4 more leaders to model when seeking to be clear so that others can brilliantly execute strategy.

Last week I posted 4 Models of Leadership Clarity. All examples were of male leaders. Although I pulled those 4 based on my research of major companies that have orchestrated change, with Clarity being a big part of that, I feel the need to add more. This post includes all female leaders.

Continue reading “4 more Models of Leadership Clarity – Being Clear, for Others.”
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4 Models of Leadership Clarity. Being Clear, for Others.

4 leaders to model when seeking to be clear so that others can brilliantly execute strategy.

With this post I aim to help you be clear for others, with a bit on how to communicate and more about how to be so that your communication has the best chance of landing with another person. I’ll provide insight followed by a video clip of a leader who models this way.

Clarity involves getting clear for yourself and being clear in your communication with others, so that they might also gain clarity.

As leaders, we want to be clear. Breakthrough performance becomes possible with alignment and momentum. Alignment and momentum both hinge on clarity. Ineffective communication results in a disconnection between strategy and execution.

Continue reading “4 Models of Leadership Clarity. Being Clear, for Others.”
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3 ways to be more inspiring

We can all get better as leaders in our ability to inspire.

Inspiration followed by action, is powerful. When combined with a shared vision, objective, or goal, the resulting performance can be magical. Why, then, aren’t we always inspiring?

For most leaders, leading and creating a workplace culture where people are motivated to do what is needed isn’t always easy, even though everyone knows what to do.

Weaving a lean improvement culture, where known ways of doing things are improved little by little over time, can be harder.

Continue reading “3 ways to be more inspiring”
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Orchestrate Life and Leadership

As a leader, do you practice leadership?

I use the phrases get clear for you, set the stage, be clear for others, and create a rhythm to describe how leaders continuously orchestrating change for their organizations. Because there will always be change required and it is you, the leader, who ensures that an ability and willingness to always be moving smartly forward is natural in your organization; it’s simply what everyone knows is expected there, and they are committed to do their part.

Choose whichever words or phrases remind you of your practice, and continue support your ability perform and to orchestrate change. Know that holding the position of leader does not mean you are practicing leadership. Consider what your current leadership practice is, and what about your business, role, workplace or life that is not yet aligned with what you really want. Now consider what can be with an effective leadership practice in place.

Your performance requires a personal practice

Continue reading “Orchestrate Life and Leadership”

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Pause to empower

Leaders, pause to empower your teams to help them gain clarity and choose their next steps.
Leaders, empower your teams to perform at their best.

Today I shared a conversation with a business owner about remote conversations. We especially honed in on the power of the pause.

There are many types of pauses. The pause I speak about most in Pivot to Clarity is one that takes you away from the busy-ness of work and life, to think deeply, creatively, and strategically about the future.

Now, let’s talk about pausing before we speak, and throughout any conversation. There’s even benefit to pausing while presenting. If having your words land in an understandable and memorable way with the other party or audience, read on. 

If you’re like me, you may be a quick thinker, and find it easy to allow words to flow eloquently … and yet … are you being clear? Are you being so clear that others can get clear?

Continue reading “Pause to empower”
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Steve Jobs – A role model of Clarity

The video below is from 1997, when Jobs presents the thinking behind Apples famous “Think Different” campaign. You’ll hear about getting clear and being clear within the first 5 minutes of this video.

He first shares how he and the senior leadership team got clear about which direction to head. They thought differently.

He then shares how communicating the strategy clearly (being clear) to engineers, allowed them to get clear for themselves; they understood and committed to the strategy.

Continue reading “Steve Jobs – A role model of Clarity”
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Pivot – how? What Orchestrating Change Requires from a Leader

Pivoting an organization is not a quick shift – it is an orchestration of many shifts made by many people over time. Focused & Nimble. Alignment & Momentum.

This blog is about leadership and, as entitled, collaborative action. That means — more than one person is involved. Pivoting your business, also requires leadership, collaboration, and action or execution.

You may envision pivoting as being a super quick shift, like footwork in basketball, and as used as an analogy for individuals or early-stage start ups that move quickly from one strategy, idea, action, market, mindset, etc. to another. Leaders know that turning-on-a-dime is often not possible and rarely sustainable across the organization.

Continue reading “Pivot – how? What Orchestrating Change Requires from a Leader”
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Your perspective is a choice.

How are you looking at your life, leadership and business – and all that is in your world?

There is the world and there is the world as you perceive it, and the perspective – your point of view – you associate with it. You are not in control of the world. You are in control of your perspective, which creates your world. And so, you are in control of your world.

Your world encompasses you and everyone in your circle. Further, as a leader, your circle creates many circles with many people touched by the ripple resulting from your actions and words.

How you show up, and what you say and do, are driven by your perspective. You create a context, at work and in every place you lead …

Leaders, you can’t change a person but you can change the context you create at work and in every place you lead.

… You can choose to change your perspective.

Continue reading “Your perspective is a choice.”