Good Leaders: How does your family help you be a better leader?

You are in for a real treat. If you make it to the Good Leadership Breakfast next Friday, April 21, you will discover the irresistible mystique of Alex Steinman: I started the Strong Like Mama blog for working mothers,” Alex explained. “I don’t talk about crafts and new cooking ideas. I talk about real stuff working moms understand…like what to do when your kid craps in the tub while you are on conference call trying to fix a product launch,” she laughed. See what I mean?

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Good Leaders: How are you setting goals this week?

Last night at a dinner party, one of our friends casually made the comment to another: “You should put that into your goals for the new year.” He and I made eyes across the room because just hours earlier, we had discussed our goals for the new year. Together, we agreed to use the framework of The Seven Fs for 2017. Here’s the framework, described in detail to help you:

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Good Leaders: Can you keep the peace this week?

Can you avoid talking politics to keep the peace over the holidays?

This week, we have some time off with family. That’s why I tuned into an important conversation on a local radio talk show. The interviewer asked three panelists: “What’s the best way to talk about politics with your family over the holidays?” The first two offered politically-correct, crappy advice. The third panelist gave the best answer.

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Good Leaders: Have you planned your winter retreat?

Successful executives and business owners understand their “job” is more than a job. It’s a full mind, body and soul commitment to build something special. It takes an unwavering support system of family and friends to make it happen. And sometimes a restorative Seven Fs retreat is just what the doctor ordered!

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Good Leaders: Who is your role model for promoting fairness?

“Don’t let anyone, at any time take away the power you have over your own direction,” she answered with passionate intensity. The question I asked Rita Johnson-Mills last Friday at the Good Leadership Breakfast: “What was the message you shared with students, when you were the first African American ever invited to speak at your high school’s graduation?”

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Good Leaders: What brings you joy today?

This the easiest blog of the year to write because today is a big deal. Melinda and I are celebrating 30 years of marriage today. And that really brings me joy! On October 18, 1986, I didn’t know how to think 30 years into the future. I was 23 years old, hoping to buy a house someday and start a family. I didn’t know it then, but we were building a Seven Fs foundation.

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Good leaders: Where did you learn to live generously?

Patience Ferguson is at the top of the mountain in her peer group. As Chief Human Resources Officer at the City of Minneapolis, she has her dream job – one that she never expected to earn. She shared a passionate story of her journey to a full room at the Good Leadership Breakfast series last Friday. Here’s a sample of what she shared…

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Good Leaders: How are you living your mission?

With two toddlers and a recent promotion, Sara Koch’s life as a good leader is sometimes overwhelming. At Lutheran Social Service, Sara oversees seniors who volunteer to support other seniors and children around the Twin Cities. One day, Sara asked one of those volunteers, an elderly woman from the Soviet Union, what motivates her.

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Good Leaders: What motivates your good work?

At some point in our lives, our points of pride are no longer about our individual accomplishments. Gary Spears, IT Director at Medtronic and recent graduate of Good Leadership Training, explains where his most meaningful leadership moments come from.

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Good Leaders: Are you creating the life you want?

Stephanie Franciscus took our Personal Visioning exercise seriously – and she’s on fire. As the Director of Sales Effectiveness at Medica, Stephanie was a star graduate of the Good Leadership Training program this spring. She’s someone who role models positivity and is always working to improve her Seven Fs Wheel, explaining: “I owe it to myself to create the life I want.”

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