Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Motivation: Tips to Give (not Take) Clout
The brain really likes feeling important, but it’s not just about giving out raises or promotions (although that’s okay, too). As a manager, there are simple ways to activate the brain’s reward response by helping people feel important and give them a sense of clout....
It’s Not Fair! Three Ways to Combat Unfairness
“But it’s not fair!” Have you ever heard that from someone on your staff or from a frustrated colleague? At one time or another, everyone has felt the pangs of unfairness. There’s a reason for that. The brain is wired to easily detect and react to perceptions of...
Connection: We Feel Good When We Feel Connected
Is there someone you work with who could use a little motivation? Could you use a little motivation? You can’t motivate someone else if you can’t motivate yourself and, frankly, we could all use a little motivation sometime. Too often we think of motivation as money...
To Counteract Uncertainty: Stabilize
There’s a reason that we experience resistance to change whether it’s us personally or staff. The brain wants the world it experiences today to be as expected based on its past. The brain likes “the way we’ve always done it before.” That’s easy, comfortable and...
Control: Take It or Give It
Is there someone you work with who could use a little motivation? Could you use a little motivation? You can’t motivate someone else if you can’t motivate yourself and, frankly, we could all use a little motivation sometime. Too often we think of motivation as money...
Three Tips to See Past Your Wiring for Good Decisions
You’re wired to see what you already believe. It’s a simple statement but the implications for decision-making are complex. What you already believe is built layer upon layer from your experiences which create a filter through which you see the world. Good...
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
Challenge These Five Assumptions for More Innovation (or Learning from UFOs)
There were thirteen of us and an unknown number of them. We, leaders of a technology company, were standing in a dark field surrounded by the rugged mountains of Sedona. We held night vision goggles and laser pointers that reached ten miles. They were the inhabitants...
Give Your Staff a Trophy (and It Doesn’t Have to be Silver)
The trophy case stood in the middle of the building. It covered an entire wall. Walking through the Miles River Yacht Club, the sun reflected off the polished silver cups, chalices, and bowls. Some of the most highly sought trophies could have held a basketball. I...
What a Sailboat Captain Taught Me About Leading in Adversity
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...
Three Leadership Tips from Tango
The night was warm as we stood looking over the Annapolis harbor at the gathered crowd. It was a perfect evening for (are you ready?) tango. Yes, tango. Argentine tango, to be specific. The bricks of the Annapolis City Dock were covered by a smooth dance floor and a...
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