Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Shelley’s VideoCasts Leading Change Series
Watch and listen to Shelley's New VideoCast Series on Leading Change. No matter what your organization does, change can be tricky. But change is part of organizational life. Our world is changing faster than ever. The astute leader must understand change and...
Leadership Lessons from EMTs
By the time I arrived, she was groggy, clammy and complaining of chest pains. The emergency management technicians (EMTs) drove up to my mother's house in spite of me giving them the wrong address. Red lights reflected off the windows as they pulled into the driveway....
Three Reasons that “What Matters” Motivates
How many cathedrals are enough? After traveling over Europe I had enough of soaring cathedrals with vast interiors filled with church art and relics. But, my husband, born and raised a Catholic, has a cathedral fetish. And so it was that we walked around the outside...
Tune Your Brain for Optimal Performance
We didn't know where to go so we followed the throng of people. We jostled through the streets of Monaco under a blazing blue sky. We were traveling in southern France, and to our surprise we learned about the qualifying time trials that were taking place for the...
Effective Persuasion: Ten Things to Know and Five Things to Do
Have you ever tried to persuade someone and it did not go well? You have all the facts and data; you have a compelling case and the answer seems obvious – at least to you. Yet, they are not convinced and their arguments seem counterintuitive. This situation plays out...
Four Brain-Savvy Tips for Changing Attitudes
Whoo-hoo! I was promoted to mid-management (GS-13 in government lingo). I was going to Headquarters! I made it! ...not so fast. My first assignment was to write policy on the use of motorcycles in HOV lanes. If you think that doesn't sound very exciting, you're right....
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 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...
Three Paddleboarding Tips for 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...
It’s Just a Croissant: Three Steps to Keeping Perspective
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...
Three Steps to Resource Yourself to Be Calm Instead of Testy
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. ...
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