Did you know that rowing is one of my life passions?
Nothing beats the feeling of being out on the water in the quiet calm – just me, my fellow rowers, and the boat gliding along.
At the same time, rowing tests my perfectionistic and performative tendencies. It’s a highly technical sport where there’s always room for improvement.
Yet the saving grace is that there are so many chances to repeat and practice. A rower takes at least 20 strokes every minute, and so for an hour of practice – you do the math. It’s a constant stream of opportunities to learn and adjust, stroke by stroke.
It’s been one year and 24 articles since I launched this newsletter, and I feel the same way about it as I do the rowing. The habit of writing on a consistent schedule has kept me thoughtful and agile, synthesizing my past and current experiences to share in a way that is meaningful, I hope, to you.
In honor of this anniversary, I selected a few past newsletters that were well received and reflect key themes in scientific leadership:
- The shift from expert to leader – This story was for a client who was balancing their love of their own work with showing up as a good leader for their group. I see leaders at all levels facing this dilemma. Here’s how to approach it:
- Managing yourself – Many of us fall in the trap of trying to be everything to everyone as a leader and human. This question will immediately shift your mindset. I use it all the time in my coaching:
- Managing your manager – There a lot of info about how to be a good manager, but what about the skill of being managed? Given that one’s relationship with one’s manager is one of the prime indicators of happiness and engagement at work, why not approach it intentionally, with this advice:
- How to be understood – In my leadership coaching I’m constantly reminded of the critical role of communication, particularly the ability to get our ideas across to colleagues who don’t share our expertise. The ideas in this article may change your mind about what’s really important for effective communication and collaboration:
Like in rowing, I learn best from feedback. There’s nothing better than when a reader replies and says how timely the advice is or asks a question. So, please tell me what you like, don’t like, and want to hear more of in the upcoming newsletter editions.
Are you (or a leader you know) feeling stuck because what’s worked in the past isn’t working anymore? It may be a good time to talk about coaching. Find a time on my calendar for a “Chemistry Call” at this link.
