Leadership, as we define it, is the willingness to influence your world and the willingness to be influenced by your world.
When Bad Things Happen to Good Companies
We have recently been working with the leadership teams of two very different companies where the proverbial sh!t has hit the fan . . . through no fault of their own. A sad fact: Bad things can happen to good companies, which means that bad things can also happen to good people in those companies. Figuring…
What Do Others Really Know About You?
David came into the room and seemed almost depressed. He said that he’d met with a colleague and the colleague had told him that it was hard for him that David has it “so easy in life.” David is a smart, articulate, handsome man who can wear just about anything and look like he walked out…
Examples of Great Questions
Over the last two weeks, we’ve been talking about the power of questions: The Right Questions Can Change Your Life and The Bones of a Great Question. Our articles have sparked requests from some of you asking if we could give examples of questions to ask. So, today, we’re doing just that. We’re sharing some great…
The Bones of a Great Question
Last week we talked about how The Right Questions Can Change Your Life. As you might imagine, given our belief in questions, we’re always trying to figure out the right ones to create engagement, ownership, and passion. Inviting these into your conversations brings about collaboration and partnership which is transformative in work, family, and community relationships.…
The Right Questions Can Change Your Life
In our roles as consultants and coaches, we’ve come to understand that finding the right question in a conversation with a leader, a team, or even an entire organization can be a game changer. The right question grabs people’s attention, it helps them see and think in new ways, and it demonstrates genuine interest in…
Life Saving Relationships
At Carpenter Smith Consulting, we’re passionate about supporting you in creating success and satisfaction in your leadership, your work, and your world. And, to do that, we know that you need to take care of yourself. No self = no success or satisfaction. So, this week we want to encourage you to read this…
I Hate Everyone!
This is Linda writing to you today about something that recently happened with me. Last week, I shared with the executive assistant at a client’s office that, “This morning, I hate everyone!” The EA’s response? “I do too, this morning!” As I was sharing this experience with the team at CSC, I laughed…
YOU MATTER
Last week brought the stunning loss of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain by suicide. We know that there is pain in everyone’s life – some more visible than others. So we want to take a moment to remind you that, You matter in this world. Take a moment to think about your life and…
What To Do if Your New Boss is Horrible
We recently had a conversation with a client who was feeling disheartened at work. He had a long history with his organization and had, for many years, loved working there. He was invested in their mission and wanted to contribute to business success. He had a great deal of respect for the leadership team…