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Six Summer Savories
August is such an interesting month, isn’t it? Here in central Texas it’s bakey-hot. Regularly breaking the 100º mark and still 80-something at midnight. And yet it’s the beginning of Fall for those of us in higher education or with school-age children. And of course, this is a particularly *interesting* August. For all I don’t like…
Read MorePlus Ça Change
If I met someone new while I was still working on campus, when they learned my title was either Dean of Students or VPSA, a response I often got was “Oh, you’re the one who’s in charge of the students.” My reply? “No, I’m not.” It often seemed to leave them feeling a bit perplexed. If I…
Read MoreThe Practice of Gratitude
One of my top five Strengths is Learner which probably doesn’t surprise anyone who knows me well. I get fascinated by a variety of topics and fall down rabbit holes learning about them. After I read Margaret J. Wheatley’s book, Leadership and the New Science, I spent the summer reading books about physics. (Notice I…
Read MoreTwists and Turns
My heartfelt thanks to each of you for your support over the past year. Here on July first, we sit between two anniversaries. Gage Paine Consulting became real on June 1 of last year and I sent out the first version of Gage’s Notes on July 31st. This truly has been an incredible year and I…
Read MoreCreating Space
You might be wondering what creating space has to do with this week’s topic of energy. The Quote of the Day is the stimulus for today’s topic. Eckhart Tolle suggests we find thirty seconds of space in our day and I think he’s exactly right. Creating even that tiny amount of space in our day, giving…
Read MoreThe Practice of Intention
One of the elements of many, maybe most, yoga classes is the practice of setting an intention at the beginning of class. An intention may be something you want to learn in the class such as a new asana. It may be an attitude you want to maintain – openness to new experiences or keeping…
Read MoreBooks to Read: The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace
“I like music remixes because they celebrate the fact that I’ve been around for a while and they make me feel current. They offer a memory and a discovery.” Lindsey Pollak In my search for resources to develop the content for a retreat entitled “Workplace for Every Generation,” I found a book worth sharing. Lindsey Pollack’s…
Read MoreWhy, How, What?
Simon Sinek did his Tedx Talk about The Golden Circle in 2009. He wrote the book, he coined the term, I always give him credit. I think it’s worth listening to. So here’s the link: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en I came to understand a similar idea through my own experience which I’ll explain in a moment. But…
Read MoreBooks to Read: Good to Great and the Social Sectors
Many years ago, I read Jim Collins’ book Good to Great and I found it interesting. However, I must admit, beyond the continuing use of the phrase “getting the right people on the bus”, I hadn’t heard or thought of it for some time. Then, a client asked me to use the companion monograph to facilitate a…
Read MoreCreative Leaders
I was admiring my husband’s latest artistic endeavor (the images are pictures of his hand-carved Green Man and multi-media picture) and marveling yet again at the range of his skills and talents, when I complained, “I wish I was creative.” He looked at me in surprise and replied with a comment that I cherish and…
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