Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Give the Gift of Attention: Three Steps You Can Take Today
I’m a big fan of giving thanks for all the great things in life. This year, let’s turn Thanksgiving upside down. Let’s give those around us something to be thankful for. And, I have the perfect thing – your attention. A friend recently said to me, “The most precious...
Elephant in the Room? Three Reasons Not to Ignore It
The workplace is filled with awkward situations that are hard to discuss. Perhaps there’s been an unpleasant exchange between co-workers and there’s a lingering undertone of anger. Maybe someone didn’t get the expected promotion and remain disappointed. Perhaps...
Over-thinking It? Use Insight to Resolve the Nagging Feeling
When over-thinking it, have you ever felt that there’s just more going on than meets the eye? There is. This video shows why you need to honor that feeling and dig in for more information. Your brain is trying to bring insight to you if you are willing to listen....
Pushing a Wheel Chair: Lessons in Servant Leadership
I'm not a caretaker. I seem to have missed that gene even as a woman. But then came the diagnosis - lung cancer - again. It was my husband. Now, I would push his wheelchair into radiation; fetch whatever he needed, and run errands in the weeks until he passed away. As...
The Secret to Finding Your Most Meaningful Goals
Have you ever noticed that you are more likely to do the things you like to do? Given the choice between doing something we have to do and doing something that we want to do, it's much easier to choose the latter. It simply feels good to do the thing that resonates....
Know Your Red Flag Feelings…and Don’t React!
My computer crashed…again. I was right in the middle of writing a big proposal. And just like that, I become the snippy, curt version of Shelley instead of the attentive, polite Shelley. I’ve been triggered. This is not a defect of character – it’s something that...
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
Wait for It…
They were in front of me as I approached the hotel’s escalator to head down to the first floor. A little, brown-headed boy about 2 years scurried to the escalator holding his dad’s hand. His dad held firm to his hand as he flew him inches off the ground to land...
Increase Focus with a Nature Break
It was a hustle bustle morning. I was in Austin preparing for a client meeting. I was downtown, and they were in South Austin. It required a drive down Interstate 35 in rush hour to reach their office. Traffic was stop, start, stop, start for several miles before the...
Words Matter: Three Steps to Using Words to Get What You Want
“I’m trying not to be worried. It will be fine.” If I said it once, I said it a hundred times. I said it to my friends. I said it to my work colleagues. And most importantly, I said it to myself. Looking back, I thought I was being positive. “It will all be fine.”...
For Effective Leaders: Five Reasons Why “Feelings” is Not a Dirty Word
“There’s no place for feelings at work!” I heard it frequently as a young engineer. Thankfully, I learned this admonition was impossible to achieve and very bad for my career. Today, after interviewing 76 effective leaders, it is clear that the skillful use of...
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