Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
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...
What Commitment Looks Like
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...
Seeing Beyond the Details: An Essential Insightful Leadership Skill
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...
Is Your Decision-Making Pattern Negatively Impacting Your Organization?
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...
Disappointed by Your Plan? Get Hooked by Questions Insightful Leaders Ask
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...
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
Four Simple Tips for Conducting Effective Virtual Meetings
I bet you have been on more virtual meetings in the last couple of weeks than ever before. Locked in the house avoiding COVID-19, we're all working on virtual meeting platforms. Take Zoom, for example, the company added more users in the first two months of 2020 than...
How to Stay Connected with Remote Employees
Particularly for those of us who work on technical projects, it's tempting to use the time working from home to focus project work; however, as a manager, your staff need your attention now more than ever. Maybe you supervise highly technical people who enjoy working...
The Over-Thinker’s Guide to Working at Home Effectively
photo credit: rawpixel The world has shifted and here we are – at home – working. Having worked out of my home office for years now, I can say with assurance that there is a difference between working at home for a couple of days a week and working at home for an...
10 Skills Every Technical Professional Should Know when They Become a Manager
Whether your technical expertise is in engineering (like mine), law, finance, technology or science, we technical folks don’t have good reputations as managers. When a technically accomplished person is promoted into management, suddenly the old skills that made us...
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