Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
I’ll Know It When I See It … Three Steps to Greater Clarity
It was the sixth shoe store we visited in Vienna, Austria. And still no shoes. I wanted to buy a pair of boots as my old ones from Milan, Italy, fit so well. In and out of shoe stores we went. My traveling companion had the patience of Job. I looked at combat-style...
Folding Paper Airplanes: Three Steps to Creating New Habits
Do you remember what it was like to fold a paper airplane? You fold the corners in on an angle so that there is a pointy end; fold the sides down into wings and there it is. A sheet of paper transformed into an airplane. And it flew! Well,…mostly. Now, unfold the...
Reach Your Goals: Leadership Insights from a Kayak
It was a beautiful fall day in Keystone, Colorado. The aspen were gold and the sun highlighted the crevasses in the mountains that guarded the lake. It was a perfect time to rent a kayak and paddle around under the blue sky. My love affair with Kayaking really began...
Three Tips to Increase Productivity
Rain. All day. Grey and dreary. Yay! I love a rainy day. Why would anyone find a damp, overcast day appealing? Here's what I observe: On a rainy day, the to-do list is shorter because some things can't be done or are less convenient in the rain. I focus my attention...
Four Tips to Manage Your Energy Drains and Fillers
“You’re doing what?” The question came from my girlfriends during our morning run. I had explained my plan to attend a weekend meditation retreat. It wasn’t the meditation retreat they reacted to. It was the plan: Friday night concert (we already had tickets);...
Mental Flexibility: Stay Calm and Find the Workaround
It happened for the second time. I arrived to speak at the conference workshop and realized that I left the mail-back cards and envelopes at home...again. (Yes, I have a packing checklist; yes, I used the checklist; yes, I still overlooked it.) That feeling of panic...
Blue Fjord Leaders Newsletter with Shelley Row, PE, CSP
Your place for short, easy-to-read articles on management, leadership, decision-making, and personal & professional development.
Featured Blog Posts
Know Your Staff! Four Briefing Styles that Give You Clues to Their Superpower
Think about your first management position. What was initially on your mind? For most of us, we dove into the technical work. What are the projects? Are they on time and on budget? What are the technical challenges? What is the financial picture for each? For sure,...
10 Things Every Technical Person Should Know when They Become a Manager
Whether your technical expertise is in engineering (like mine), law, finance, technology or science, we technical folks don’t have good reputations as managers. When a technically accomplished person is promoted into management, suddenly the old skills that made us...
Is Your Leadership Falling Victim to the Villain?
Is your leadership falling victim to the villain? “What villain?” you say. It’s a dastardly villain that limits your leadership potential and short-circuits your effectiveness. Particularly in technical fields, we’ve been trained to go along with the villain. Here’s...
4 Anchors To Weather Any Storm
It was supposed to be an easy cruise. That's what they told me. The 47' Morris sailboat, sailed the Newport to Bermuda race and finished second in her class. We were part of the crew sailing her back to Newport. And, it was my first sailing trip. To say that the trip...
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