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We carry within us, the wonders we see around us. Sr. Thomas Browne

I keep in mind that everything happens in the perfect time-space sequence.

Leadership is struggling. You only need to look at the latest news articles to see how little we’ve done to prepare individuals to lead. We’ve defaulted to the most basic of approaches to help leaders grow – observation. We send them off into the wild and let them observe the behaviors of other leaders, and that’s how many truly develop their style and approach. Unfortunately, this method usually relies on observing the worst behaviors and choosing (hopefully) not to include those in their repertoire. It’s a bit like giving someone a chainsaw and having them figure out all the things not to do with it, rather than showing them how to use it properly. Of course, many of you will object and point out all the books and leadership training out there today, and I would agree – there is a lot of great information available. But information doesn’t equal behavior and it’s behavior that we’re after. We need leaders who are self-aware, empathetic and honest, but very few organizations focus on these areas. Instead, training is often just a check box on a performance review that we can mark completed at the end of the year. If you want to get a pulse check on leadership in your organization, honestly ask yourself a few quick questions: Do leaders in our organization make working here better? Do they inspire those around them, trust those they work with, and have a passion for developing people? Are the leaders in our organization self-aware, and do they have a deep understanding of what motivates each member of their team? Are they excited about helping everyone achieve their personal and professional goals along with the organization’s objectives? Are our leaders beacons in the organization – encouraging growth and learning? Do they accept mistakes as challenges to be looked at as learning opportunities? Are the leaders in our organization focused on growing the next generation of leaders? Are they committed to hiring, challenging, developing and inspiring great leaders? How well does your organization stack up against those simple questions? These questions only begin to scratch the surface of what we need our leaders to be. We need these qualities and a lot more. The status quo needs to go out with 2019 and a new paradigm established. It all starts with a hard look at where you are. From that honest assessment you can begin to explore the resources that could help your organization not only grow the next generation of leaders but rehabilitate those who are struggling right now. Start today. Don’t let another year, much less another decade, go by. The survival of your organization may depend on it and we don’t want to survive, we want to thrive!

If you do not change direction you may end up where you are heading. Lao Tzu

I feel safe in the rhythm and flow of ever-changing life.

Once a wise man was asked, “What’s the meaning of life?” He replied, “Life itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create meaning.”

I am beginning to see the world with fresh, joyful eyes.

This is the decade where we will finally dare to accept that we’re all human beings at home AND at work. We can’t hang our emotions at the door of the office and work dispassionately throughout the day anymore. The evolving workforce just won’t have it. The Millennials are here, and they will very likely be the majority in the workforce before we see another Near Year’s Eve. The Millennials grew up in a time connected by technology. They don’t know a world without it. They are very comfortable with a constant stream of information that they consume and use without even thinking about it. They don’t see the need nor want to separate their lives into compartments, like a cafeteria tray where one thing can’t touch another. They want integrated lives where they can feel connected as a whole person and they’re willing to keep trying different things until they find it. It’s been creeping up on the Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers for years, but many of us just looked the other way. We got our smart phones and learned how to be tech savvy, but what we missed while we were getting wired up, was connecting to ourselves. So many of us life lives with very clear boundaries that we wouldn’t even think of crossing. We go to work no matter what is happening in our lives, and we suck it up because that’s what we saw our parents do. Our personal lives could be crashing down around us, but we’ve learned to bottle that up and keep it out of the workplace, no matter the cost. This clash of the fragmented and the integrated is turning our world upside down. The truth is, it’s an oil and water situation – they just don’t mix. It’s one of the reasons why we have seen such an increase in discussions around toxic work environments and people coming forward to shine a light on the unsavory behaviors of those who take advantage of others. These conversations are fueled by emotions, not politically correct business jargon, and the Millennials and Gen Z’ers are leading the charge. They aren’t willing to be in environments that make them uncomfortable and they’re exercising their preference by taking their talents elsewhere. They aren’t willing to sacrifice their own well-being or numb out like the generations before them. They have higher standards for their lives and they’ll soon be holding us accountable to those same standards if they aren’t already. The proverbial students are becoming the teachers at a pace none of us expected and if you don’t pay attention, you may find yourself on the outside looking in. To the Boomers and X’ers - it’s time to find out who you really are – not the ‘home you’, ‘work you’ etc. The world you’ve known is slipping away and almost gone, so embrace what’s next. This is your chance to be the person you really are in all areas of your life. Will it be uncomfortable? Absolutely. Will it be worth it? You bet it will. Is it necessary? More than you know. To the Millennials and Z’ers – keep doing what you’re doing. Turn the world upside down and shake out our shared humanity. Hold everyone accountable for kindness and compassion for one another. Don’t stand for anything less than being treated with respect and as a person, not ‘personnel’. When we start the next decade, the ‘working world’ will have been shaped by you and I predict it will be unrecognizable from what we see today. And that’s a good thing. Take chances, be brave and most of all, be you. We all need you.

Everyone should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Henry Ward Beecher

I am open to the endless possibilities of this year!

As the year begins, I feel so grateful for all that I already have. Yet I am also looking forward with eager anticipation, because I know that Life has more goodies in store for me than I can envision now I am excited to experience a new year and a new me!

We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential. Ellen Goodman