The idea of “keeping it clean” is the greatest reward I see in practicing recovery. Yes, we try to get it right the first time and avoid mistakes. But, knowing we have the ability to clean something up provides freedom, adventure and innovation in moments of business, relationships and life.

Your lack of response, timeliness or enthusiasm signals to team members that urgency is not expected or required. Further, during this current time of uncertainty, they look to you to provide necessary structure to rely on.

The fabric of Texas Association of Counties is their fundamentals, twenty-five standards that each member uses to determine the direction of their work. Number seventeen, "LEAD BY EXAMPLE," is a fundamental that places each person in a role as a leader. Knowing that each person leads by example gives each member a sense of accountability, all the way to the security department.

By appreciating our teammates or work mates, we are helping with their brain function and their health!

“The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it. This literally turns a failure into a success.” -Stephen R. Covey

When I work with clients who are in similar situations, I usually tell them, “Find yourself at the source of your suffering.” They rarely like to hear this, and now I find myself reluctant to take my own medicine. It initially seems like I’m asking myself to take responsibility for someone else’s mistake, but that’s not it. I’m reminding myself to be accountable for my own experience. The suffering really is optional, and blaming just increases it for everyone.

As a leader, it is imperative that you practice continual learning. Good leaders are good learners. You have demonstrated learned knowledge and skills in getting to a leadership position, but now is when you need to develop a laser focus on learning more.

What people are willing to share with us is a gift and it enhances our ability to be clear and to make good decisions. The less willing people are to confide in us, the weaker the information we have to make good decisions.

Set high goals and hold yourself accountable for the delivering on the results. This part is about the journey, not just the end game.

When a breakdown occurs, the question becomes "what was not made clear?" Rather than, "why didn't she understand me?" The clarity is a two way street, where just expecting everyone else to understand is sometimes lacking in perception.

I notice I cause problems for myself when I get overly attached to my preparations. One of my many blind spots is around overly relying on my preparation. “Winging it” is rarely my first choice. However, things do tend to work out well when I trust my ability to adapt and find a way.

Failing to hold yourself and your team accountable, essentially creates a culture in which fulfilling responsibilities, assignments and promises is not expected. Clearly, not a culture which breeds engagement or high performance.

How am I doing at living up to and fulfilling the terms of honoring the commitments I’ve made to myself?

Work can be fun when:

• People feel included

• People are allowed to use their gifts for the good of the team

• People are allowed to express their thoughts and opinions

• It's ok to laugh, especially at yourself

• You take off the pressure of being incredibly academic and focus on the product being really great

The more we can all speak the same language, the better opportunity we have to accelerate the communication and results.

It’s this generosity in listening that makes them easy to serve and easy to love.

The core of a successful coaching relationship is a bond of mutual trust. Both coach and client need to trust one another in order to openly and honestly explore both existing and potential new emotions, thought patterns and behaviors.

What made a safe environment possible was to talk about where it had not been safe, at all, up to that point.  It takes courage, conviction, and true commitment from leadership.  And it is very possible, and not all that complicated, once you choose to no longer tolerate a toxic environment.

Doing our best doesn’t mean being perfect. It means doing our best in the current situation at the current time in the current mind-frame with our current knowledge. By believing that everyone is doing their best, I can release myself from the situation and give every person the benefit of the doubt.

We train leaders to listen for others in a way that they are contributing to the success of the team, company, and customer. This doesn’t mean they have to agree with an opposing point of view. If we can get past the agreement part, we can listen for understanding and actually expand our perception and point of view. This could make all the difference in the outcome.