by Shelley Row | Sep 17, 2018 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Sep 4, 2018 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Aug 20, 2018 | Decision-Making, Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Aug 8, 2018 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Jul 9, 2018 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Jun 19, 2018 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Jun 4, 2018 | Leadership
Each May the Blue Angels fly for the U.S. Naval Academy graduation in Annapolis. Their performance in the blue skies over the Severn River is a highlight and a special moment. Visitors and residents gather along the shore staring overhead, searching the horizon. No...
by Shelley Row | May 21, 2018 | Leadership
It was dark and I was in unfamiliar territory. I was aboard a friend’s boat on the Chesapeake Bay, at night, headed home, when he said, “You should drive. It will be good practice.” “Good practice?” I thought. “Is he crazy? There are lights everywhere.” As I looked...
by Shelley Row | May 7, 2018 | Decision-Making
I was 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...
by Shelley Row | Apr 23, 2018 | Leadership
We left the dock at 5 am, bundled against the cold, the boat loaded with food, drinks, snacks for us and lures for the fish. It was opening day of Rockfish season. I know nothing about Rockfish, but I was with an experienced team who have fished together for twenty...
by Shelley Row | Apr 10, 2018 | Leadership
I was in my hometown of Smithville, Texas for the big Jamboree celebration. Jamboree includes a coronation, parade, dances and a livestock show and sale. For the livestock show, kids raise steers, pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits to be judged and sold. The two-year...
by Shelley Row | Mar 27, 2018 | Decision-Making
Have you ever found something that you like and just stick with it? Maybe it’s your favorite restaurant, favorite running shoe, favorite hand lotion or…in this case, your favorite clam chowder. Recently, we visited friends in Florida and a discussion ensued about the...
by Shelley Row | Mar 12, 2018 | Decision-Making
It happened just the other day. I was in Florida driving back from a training program just as the sun was getting low in the sky. Because I’m a transportation engineer I see things on the road that you may not. Glancing in my rear-view mirror, I saw them. The raised,...
by Shelley Row | Feb 26, 2018 | Decision-Making
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...
by Shelley Row | Feb 13, 2018 | Business Skills
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...
by Shelley Row | Jan 29, 2018 | Neuroscience
“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.”...
by Shelley Row | Jan 23, 2018 | Neuroscience
“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...
by Shelley Row | Jan 16, 2018 | Neuroscience
We were in Mikki William’s speaker school. The room was filled with accomplished professionals from a variety of businesses, each there for their unique reasons. One was Barbara. Tall and striking, Barbara’s goal was to overcome her anxiety about speaking. On day two,...
by Shelley Row | Jan 8, 2018 | Leadership
It’s a cold winter’s day and the fireplace is blazing. Yellow flames grasp upward and their heat warms the room. It’s the gas fireplace in my living room. Down the road the fireplace is blazing at my friend’s house. Yellow flames grasp upward, heat warms the room...
by Shelley Row | Jan 2, 2018 | Decision-Making, Leadership
The party is over. The confetti clings to the floor, reluctant to be swept away. The hats and horns are conspicuous with glittered hot pinks, blues and golds. And so the new year begins. Maybe you had a New Year’s Eve like this or maybe you sat quietly at home...
by Shelley Row | Dec 18, 2017 | Leadership, Neuroscience
It was the night of the lighted boat parade in our neighborhood of Eastport. The boat parade, sponsored by the Eastport Yacht Club, is a regular event that draws spectators who line the shoreline and bridge around the three sides of the harbor. The boats –...
by Shelley Row | Dec 11, 2017 | Leadership
Have you ever wanted to try something new in your organization but were hesitant to start? Maybe it’s a process that you need to change or a technology you’re considering investing in. It can feel risky and uncertain. You don’t want to break anything. And, that...
by Shelley Row | Dec 4, 2017 | Neuroscience
‘Twas the holiday season…and family dynamics are taking a toll. There are the folks you see often and those less regularly. Some relationships are easy and welcome. Others …well, other relationships may grate on your nerves. Let’s face it, some family members seem to...
by Shelley Row | Nov 27, 2017 | Decision-Making
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...
by Shelley Row | Nov 13, 2017 | Business Skills
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...
by Shelley Row | Nov 7, 2017 | Leadership
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...
by Shelley Row | Oct 30, 2017 | Neuroscience
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...
by Shelley Row | Oct 24, 2017 | Neuroscience
“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);...
by Shelley Row | Oct 17, 2017 | Neuroscience
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...
by Shelley Row | Oct 10, 2017 | Leadership
Some time ago, I spoke at and facilitated an Executive Leadership Program for a notable association. The speakers were a who’s who in that industry–successful business people with a solid track record. There were sessions on responding to RFPs, auditing and...
by Shelley Row | Oct 3, 2017 | Leadership
They started with two helicopters, an office crammed into the corner of the hangar filled with beat up furniture. Today, there are eight helicopters, a flight simulator, an office building outside the hangar and services offered in three locations across the country....
by Shelley Row | Sep 26, 2017 | Leadership
We were climbing out of the Denver International Airport on an overcast day with bumps typical of Denver. I was flying from a speaking engagement in Keystone to another one in Atlanta and was engrossed in my work when…POP! Flash! The noise and bright light came from...
by Shelley Row | Sep 19, 2017 | Leadership
Scotland is known for fine woolens, shortbread, the heather-covered moors and single malt Scottish whisky. I’m not a single malt whisky drinker but as a visitor to Scotland for ten days, I decided to try two per day. If I was a teenager or student I would be...
by Shelley Row | Sep 13, 2017 | Business Skills
The Isle of Skye in Scotland is laced with hiking trails. Some run through heather-covered rolling moors; some are technical climbs that scale tops of peaks; others drop to the sea along sheer cliffs. It’s not just Scotland with the tricky terrian; all around...
by Shelley Row | Aug 23, 2017 | Business Skills
If you’ve read my blog for long, you won’t be surprised to hear that travel is very important to me. I find that time spent in other environments, cultures and fresh activities expands my thinking, allows me to reconnect to my values, and put into expanded...
by Shelley Row | Aug 15, 2017 | Business Skills
One-and-two-and-three-and-four… My dad sat next to me counting out the beats as I practiced the clarinet. Night after night he taught and I learned. I was good but was never going to be the next Bennie Goodman. Nonetheless, I read and play music and appreciate...
by Shelley Row | Aug 8, 2017 | Leadership
Is there someone in your office who needs a little motivation? Are you part of a team who you’d like to motivate to higher performance? Do you need motivation? Or are you simply looking to continue your professional development growth? No matter what your...
by Shelley Row | Aug 1, 2017 | Decision-Making
You’re in a long security line at the airport. A LONG line. A frazzled, middle-aged, perspiring, blonde woman rushes up from behind. “Excuse me! My plane is leaving! May I cut in line?” In that moment, what do you think? Perhaps some of the more...
by Shelley Row | Jul 25, 2017 | Neuroscience
I had a plan. On the first leg of the flight to Reno, I would work on a new webinar series and on the second leg of the flight, after connecting in Vegas, I would work on materials for a client. I worked steadily during the first flight until the medical emergency...
by Shelley Row | Jul 18, 2017 | Leadership
It started like any other flight. The memorized announcements, beverage service, and a few peanuts. With my head buried in my laptop, I became aware of a commotion of two rows in front of me. A woman asked for help for her husband. The announcement over the speaker...
by Shelley Row | Jul 11, 2017 | Business Skills
“Just the facts: they speak for themselves.” That’s the approach many take when they want to persuade someone to their point of view. But do they speak for themselves? Not so much. From my technical background, I have observed a fact-based approach to persuasion...
by Shelley Row | Jul 5, 2017 | Leadership
It was hot…really, hot. In front of us was a large SUV with the back open, waiting expectantly. Behind us were boxes, a chair (really, a chaise lounge), a table and an assortment of odds and ends anticipating the ride from Texas to Annapolis inside the SUV. Our...
by Shelley Row | Jun 26, 2017 | Business Skills
Six little girls about eight-years old, a mom with her small son, and me and my friend, Patti. We were at Painting With a Twist in South Austin. A blank, white canvas and a paper plate (a perfect substitute for a palette) with puddles of paint in vibrant colors was in...
by Shelley Row | Jun 20, 2017 | Leadership
Everyone has biases. The only thing worse than having a bias is not realizing that you do. It is in the knowing that there is opportunity to manage unintended bias. Humans are designed to crave relatedness. Millions of years ago your tribe was key to survival. Quickly...
by Shelley Row | Jun 13, 2017 | Leadership
It was a perfect, sunny day on Aberdeen Creek just off the Chesapeake Bay. There, in front of me, floating placidly, was a stand-up paddleboard. This was my first experience with a stand-up paddleboard. It looked unassuming but I was suspicious. How do I approach...
by Shelley Row | Jun 6, 2017 | Business Skills
It was a few weeks before my husband, Mike, died. He woke from his nap snickering. “What is it, Sweetie?” He smiled and said he’d had a funny dream, “I was in a fight with a priest over my croissant.” At the time, Mike was barely eating. I could coax him to eat a...
by Shelley Row | May 30, 2017 | Leadership
It’s going to be a tough meeting. The topic is controversial and you feel strongly about the outcome. Plus, there’s a person in the meeting who routinely unnerves you. It’s the kind of situation that could easily cause you to over-react and not behave at your best. ...
by Shelley Row | May 23, 2017 | Neuroscience
There it is – a tea kettle. Shiny and copper. It sits quietly until the heat is on. Suddenly, unexpectedly, it erupts, “Eeeeeeeeee!” There you are. Sitting quietly at home or at work doing what you’re doing. Something happens – a cross word, a sideways glance, an...
by Shelley Row | May 16, 2017 | Decision-Making
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...
by Shelley Row | May 9, 2017 | Business Skills
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...
