Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Are Your Decision-Making Habits Feeding Your Organization?
I’m intrigued but not surprised. The a-ha moment happened as I discussed the pitfalls of over-thinking with a group of 70 transportation leaders. It could have been any group of leaders. Perhaps it is evident: Leaders develop good and bad decision-making habits and so...
Three Steps to Just Getting It Done
It was a beautiful Texas afternoon and I decided to take a short walk along the street where my mother lives. Walking, I passed a short, old woman slowly ambling along out for her afternoon walk and carrying her cane. We smiled and acknowledged each other as our...
Four Ways Leaders Use Intuition
Think, think, think. We live in a culture that values thinking. We have big thinkers, deep thinkers, creative thinkers, out-of-the-box thinkers. There are think tanks and a sculpture called, The Thinker. We think out loud; we think to ourselves and then we think...
Three Steps to True Consensus: It’s More than Flip Charts & Colored Dots!
We talk about creating consensus all the time. What we do, however, is have a meeting and hope to reach agreement without appreciating what “consensus” really is and the benefits it provides when done well. Consensus when well-executed will: Generate a wide range of...
The Leadership Perils of Suppressing Emotion
In leadership positions it’s inevitable that situations arise that generate an emotional reaction. Some emotions are low grade but others are like five-alarm fires. We are taught to control our emotions in the workplace to be credible, strong and unshakable. “Don’t...
Are We Having Fun Yet? Three Reasons for Humor at Work
Years ago, when I led an office at the Department of Transportation, we invested in a 360 assessment for the top managers and me. I looked forward to the results because I appreciate getting others’ perspectives. Or at least I thought I did— until I got the results. ...
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
Give the Gift of Attention: Three Steps You Can Take Today
As Thanksgiving approaches in a couple of weeks, let’s turn it upside down. Rather than giving thanks, let’s give those around us something to be thankful for. Here’s the perfect gift – your attention. A friend recently said to me, “The most precious gift you can...
When to NOT Trust Your Gut
Meet my brother-in-law, Jerry Trimble. Jerry has been flying helicopters his entire life. His mom has a photo of him as a two-year-old sitting in a helicopter reaching for the stick. (He’s adorable. He would hate me saying that which makes it even more fun.) He’s...
Make Your Meeting More Productive: Take the Emotional Temperature
Taking the temperature of the room doesn't mean too hot or too cold. It means taking the emotional temperature of the people in the room. Taking the emotional temperature gives you an edge to enhance productivity. Here's an example. It was an exhausting meeting, but...
Make Your Mark: Three Steps to Get Started
The chances are good that you haven’t heard of Gustav Vigeland. But his single-minded focus on one concept has much to teach us. He is the Norwegian sculptor whose life’s work is on view in Vigeland Park in Oslo. He created hundreds of bronze and stone figures...
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