Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Family Dynamics? Four Tips to Stay Merry and Bright
‘Twas the night before Christmas...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...
Four Steps to Cultivate Aha-Moments
“Whereof what’s past is prologue,” wrote Shakespeare in The Tempest. When applied to stable businesses, that statement has a ring of truth. However, for entrepreneurs in emerging industries where new ways to do business or entirely new businesses show up, past is not...
What Holds You Back from Trusting Your Intuition?
You run the numbers, debate the pros and cons, talk to others, and now it’s time to make the decision. It should be obvious but something holds you back. There’s a tug in your gut as you struggle with an intangible feeling that there’s more to this decision than meets...
On Being Thankful for Patience and Impatience
Patience is a virtue. While there is wisdom in that cliché, I've also come to appreciate the value of impatience. For those of us running businesses and working toward goals, impatience is a performance driver. But if all we appreciate in impatience, we miss the joy...
Over-React? Use Your Emergency Tool Kit
Your expectations for the project were clear, but the staff didn't follow them. In the blink of an eye, the voice in your head explodes and you lose your composure. The team exchanges nervous glances and shuffles out of the room silently. You know they won't be silent...
Make Space for Thoughtfulness
The rain was steady as I waited in Starbucks. We planned to meet over coffee and talk about collaborating. As usual, I anticipated a busy day working through my to-do list - the one that stretched to infinity. Each day it felt like the list grew longer, and I hung on...
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
The Facts Speak for Themselves. Do They?
“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 many...
Collaboration: Four Tips Learned from Packing a Truck
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...
Perfect is Over-Rated
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...
Four Ways to Counteract Unintended Bias
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...
Get a Free Copy of
The Handbook for Technical Leaders
Ten Top Skills for Managers