Too Smart for Your Own Good? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I am a team lead (the youngest, thank you very much) in a fast and fun Silicon Valley startup. Everything was fine until I was made a lead. The problem: I am just too smart. I know that sounds terrible, but it is true. I actually have an IQ of about 170, and…

The Mindset of a Coach—and 5 Ways to Develop It

People from all walks of life gravitate to the profession of coaching. Many are service oriented and find joy in helping others achieve their dreams. Some enjoy the entrepreneurial aspect of owning their own business and having the freedom to work with as many or as few clients as they desire. Still others work in…

Self Awareness

Reframing, Metaphysics, and Coaching

As a science geek I read up on a lot of different things. Admittedly, some of it goes over my head. I couldn’t honestly say what a Bosun-Higgs particle does, or is, but I recognize one when I see it. (That’s a joke—they are too small to see.) I share this because I’ve been reading…

Leaders: Tap into Your Unique Energy Source

Leaders work with coaches to take purposeful action in the advancement of their goals and in the interest of their organizations. But how does this really occur? Certainly not with the coach standing there, bullhorn in hand, yelling at the leader to stay on task. Instead, the coach listens carefully to what really matters to…

10 Signs You Might Be A “Frankenboss”

Frankenboss – noun; 1. A mean boss that terrorizes his or her employees; 2. A boss whose behavior closely resembles that of a half-brained monster; 3. A jerk. With Halloween just four days away, I told my wife that I wanted to write an article about the bad, clueless behaviors that make a leader a…