Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
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...
Bravery in Action
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,...
Fire Up Your Conversations! When to Use Email–or Your Voice
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...
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
PODCAST – Four Anchors to Weather any Storm
I recently was asked to speak on the PharmCast podcast (where they talk all things pharmacy and wellness.policy, people and the profession) to share ideas and tools for pharmacy leaders to steady themselves and their staff. I help provide guidance for navigating...
Know the Person Who Gets Things Done in the Office!
We're learning about the ten skills that technical professionals need when they become a manager. Today let's discuss the importance of getting to know that special person who simply knows how to get things done in the office. And it's not simple! Know the Person Who...
Look Up and Out to See the External Factors Influencing Your Organization
We're learning about the ten skills that technical professionals need when they become a manager. Today we'll talk about the importance of knowing the influences outside your organization that can shift its direction and how you can stay on top of them. Look Up and...
Know the Six Influencers Who Impact Your Effectiveness
Our new boss arrived with an agenda and he wasn’t timid about it. It seemed that he gathered input from everyone but us. Because he was influenced by an array of people unfamiliar to us, the work environment became challenging, to say the least. Through this...

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