How do I as a leader live a life that is less stressful and more meaningful when I feel lost and overwhelmed by all that is happening and all that needs to get done each day? - part #4

Some days we think we are doing just fine until we run into a problem that stumps us on so many levels. 

For me, it was a ground hog trying to make a home under our front porch one year as winter approached. I first noticed that we had a problem when I saw that something had chewed through the lattice along side our porch steps. So I went to the lumber yard and purchased a fresh sheet of lattice, cut it to the right size and installed it.

The next day I discovered that the “new” lattice was chewed through. Now, I went to the garden center and purchased a variety of repellants in powder and spray form to stop what ever was chewing on our house. I also went back to the lumber yard and purchased more lattice.

This became a recurring problem. More chewing so I applied more repellant. Then, it was purchasing more “new” lattice. Finally, after a couple of cycles, I covered it all in chicken wire.

The next morning I discovered that what ever was chewing on our house had chewed through the chicken wire too. I was flummoxed. So, I found a neighbor with a trap and put it beside the worst part of the damage. 

I also started asking people for advice. A farmer recommended I use an anhydrous tank to solve the problem. Someone else said I should use the exhaust from a car to solve the problem. One person suggested I purchase coyote urine or use my own to solve the problem. I wasn’t open to any of these solutions.

Finally, the problem continued so I hired a “critter removal” service. They installed a bigger trap and we caught a squirrel. Next, we caught a skunk but the critter removal service told me that my real problem was a ground hog who was looking for a place to make it’s home for winter. 

The spot under our porch must have been the best place. It also must have been a very smart ground hog with a PhD, because we never caught it in the trap. Instead, I went out one morning and discovered a massive hole in the ground.

By now, I was one mad homeowner. I’d had it with this problem and just wanted to finish it “once and for all.” So, I got on my work clothes, a hat, headlamp, dust mask, knee pads, a trash can lid and a pointy stick. Then, I removed all the lattice and chicken wire and crawled under our porch. On one level, I was checking to make sure I did not trap the groundhog under the porch once I made the final repairs. I also think my inner, cave man brain had kicked in and I just wanted to have it out with the beast.

There I was all hunched over under the porch when I began to think again. “What are you doing?”, I asked myself. “This is the dumbest idea you’ve had in quite some time.” Quietly, I crawled out from under the front porch, and then sat on the front porch steps. I needed space for reflection. Previously, I had not given myself permission to take the time to do this.

Slowly, a new solution came to me. First, I had to think like a groundhog. I did not need chicken wire because I wasn’t dealing with a chicken. Instead, I purchased industrial grade hardware cloth and, of course more lattice. 

Next, I installed the hardware cloth first, then the new lattice and finally more hardware cloth. I also dug the hardware cloth into the ground one inch deep and out for two feet. It looked great.

The following morning I discover one more big hole. Unbeknownst to me, the ground hog had been asleep under the porch when I had crawled in. Lucky I got out when I did!

As I stood looking at the massive exit hole, another neighbor walked over and saw me staring at the hole. “You want to stop that from happening?”, he asked me.

“Yes”, I replied.

“Drop some old rocks and junk in that tunnel. Then pour in my old bag of powdered concrete. Add a gallon of water. Cover it up with an inch of dirt and in a couple of hours you will have one big massive concrete plug. There is no way they can dig through concrete.” So, I followed his advice and created a large “concrete plug.” I have never had a problem since that day.

On that cool fall day, I learned two important lessons. First, I needed to ask more people for advice. I also need to role model “intellectual humility”, a term Ryan Holiday talks about in his book,. Stillness Is The Key (Portfolio/Penguin, 2019).

The second lesson I learned was that I did not need to rush to a solution.  Reflection is a powerful first step to finding a solution. As John Paul Lederach wrote in his book, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace (Oxford University Press, 2005): “When overwhelmed by complexity,” the haiku master said, “seek the elegant essence that holds it all together.” For me that day, it was a massive concrete plug.

This week I encourage you to schedule more time for reflection, to role model intellectual humility, and to seek the elegant essence that holds it all together.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

How do I as a leader live a life that is less stressful and more meaningful when I feel lost and overwhelmed by all that is happening and all that needs to get done each day? - part #3

We were talking with friends over dinner this past winter when she shared how in the time period of constant connectivity, i.e. smart phones, more and more people are feeling disconnected from friends, family and a meaningful life. She then paused and asked me the following question: “How do you move from connectivity back to real connections?””

I have been thinking about this question quite a bit because I am seeing more and more people in leadership positions who are feeling like they have lost their real connections with other people and are only connected to their iPhone, iPad or laptop, which, by the way, is constantly clamoring for their full attention. 

After a lot of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that we need to look inward for the answer. Earlier this year before COVID-19 came and changed everything, I was participating in our adult education class at church. I was the youngest person in the group in my sixties and the oldest was over eighty five years old. We were talking about life’s challenges and transformation when one of the elders in the group said, “The seed of transformation is within each of us.” 

The comment stopped the entire discussion. Everyone needed to pause and think about this insight. Slowly, we entered into a focused discussion about “What is transformation?” Some asked if it was an event or a gradual process. Others wondered if we were active participants or passive participants. Finally, most of us wondered how time plays a part in all of it.

The woman who made the original comment listened and then shared, “It’s an awakening… We have to be open to being open to new possibilities.”

I think the challenge for so many people in management and leadership positions is that we are not open to being open to new possibilities. Most of us have not explored or untangled what is happening inside of us. Instead, we just say “whatever” and move on.

However, those who have done this kind of work know that it will require us to engage with our mentors who can offer insights and perspective. We also have to work on our mindset, not just our skill set. As Dr. Willey Jolley reminds us: “Your input determines your output.”

If we want to improve our “inputs”, we need to limit our inputs. As Ryan Holiday in his book, Stillness Is The Key (Portfolio/Penguin, 2019), writes most of us suffer from “… the “CNN Effect” = breathless, twenty-four hour media coverage makes it considerably harder for politicians and CEOs to be anything but reactive.” He continues, “The point is, it’s very difficult to think or act clearly (to say nothing of being happy) when we are drowning in information…. analysis paralysis.” He encourages us to routinely ask the following question: “Is this necessary?” Many times, it is not and we are not even aware that we are addicted to the constant level of inputs.

Next, I believe we need to read more. As Jim Mattis in his book, Call Sign Chaos: Learning To Lead (Random House, 2019) that he co-wrote Bing West, writes: “If you haven’t read hundreds of books, learning from others who went before you, you are functionally illiterate - you can’t coach and you can’t lead.”

Furthermore, I believe we need to engage with and listen more to a diverse group of people and sources. This will gives us a more holistic perspective on life. It will teaches us that we are part of the problem and we can choose to be part of the solution.

Finally, we need to share our stories more. Leadership is accessible to all of us; we just need to figure out how to share it with others. As an old Chinese proverb says, “It is not the size of the mountain that obstructs our way. It is the pebble in our shoe.” And a lot of us need to share about the pebbles in our shoes and how we have learned to take them out.

This week think connectivity vs. connections and seek out pathways to create more and more meaningful connections in your life.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

The Importance of Role Modeling

Recently, I have chosen to share with leaders the following quote by Kevin Cashman: “Leaders get what they exhibit and what they tolerate.” While many leaders right now focus on the word “tolerate”, I have had to remind them of the word “exhibit.” During complex times with many unknown unknowns, we, as leaders, often underestimate the power and importance of role modeling.

The old phrase “actions speak louder than words” is a powerful concept in the world of leadership. It is based on a deep understanding that not everything can be said in words. Sometimes, the most important and powerful act of leadership is to show up, be respectful and give others your undivided attention. 

Furthermore, each day we have the choice to role model the core values and/or operating principals of our company and our own lives. In every interaction, we can demonstrate this by how we treat others, namely with respect, compassion and understanding. We also have the opportunity to support, encourage and inspire people to be their best selves at work and at home. These small but significant choices on our part can and do make a difference.

Upon reflection, I realize that there have been many people in my life journey such as family, friends, teachers and mentors who have left a deep and profound impact in my life. They have been and are valuable role models. They have helped me to become a better person, not just helped me to do better work.

This week, I encourage you to give thanks for those who have been role models in your life and I encourage you to aspire to being a better role model for those who are part of your life now. At this time of profound change, we need people who seek to be their best selves at home, at work and within their community.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

How do I as a leader live a life that is less stressful and more meaningful when I feel lost and overwhelmed by all that is happening and all that needs to get done each day? - part #2

We met over an early breakfast before a busy day of meetings. He sat down, took a sip of his coffee and said to me, “I am dealing with the two empty bucket syndrome.”

I sighed because I know this place. It is when two people in a relationship come home at the end of the day and they are both drained. Furthermore, each person wants the other person to fill them up with good energy. But the reality is that two empty buckets can not do this. Each has nothing to give.

So, on that cold winter morning, we discussed this situation which is happening to more and more people in management and leadership positions, especially given all that has happened this spring. Running on empty is becoming the new normal.

First, we talked about the importance of having allies and confidants. Allies are the people outside the family that can help and support a person going through a rough patch. Confidants, on the other hand, are people outside the family who can listen and share without trying to fix you, the relationship or the family. They can just be present to you and the situation before you. Sometimes, they are the same people, but I encourage people to expand their pool of allies and their pool of confidants so there is always the option for different people to be supportive.

Second, we talked about the importance of good health and exercise. In particular, we talked about proactively maintaining one’s health. We also discussed how working out can help get rid of the emptiness feeling. He reported to me that morning: “I like walking the dog right now. It helps me unwind from the day.”

Next, we discussed the importance of making time for transitions when arriving home from work. When we walk in the door, it is important to not start the evening unloading all our frustrations and struggles on other people around us. Instead, we need to change our expectations around communication. Once we have taken off our coats and jackets, put down the piles of stuff in our arms, then we can decide if the other person is open to listening. Some evenings we can to ask the question, “Can you listen to me for 15 minutes?” If your partner says “no”, do not take it personally. Some days, they just can not be present given the challenges on their plate. Instead, now is the time to turn to your allies and confidants for support and perspective.

Finally, we talked about the importance of systematic connections. Routinely now I will ask those who visit with me if they are still going out for “date nights” with their partners. Most are surprised. I remind them that for 30+ years I have traveled, taught and consulted. Our scheduled date nights are foundational to our success as a couple. Sometimes we meet with friends for a potluck. Other times, we go to a favorite restaurant and just share. Recently, someone talked to me about their regular “fajitas and margaritas” dinners with friends as a way to make it through the tough times. I was all smiles as I like both of those things. Even though COVID-19 has changed many things and will require us to be very creative with date night, it is still an important point of connection during these challenging times, 

This week, reflect on the above options and watch out for the two empty bucket syndrome. It is a real and growing problem.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

How do I as a leader live a life that is less stressful and more meaningful when I feel lost and overwhelmed by all that is happening and all that needs to get done each day? - part #1

Currently, more and more people are feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and vulnerable, especially given the COVID-19 situation this spring. We have lost a sense of connection in a world of connectivity, a sense of community, and a sense of safety. For some, life has become nothing more than a meaningless process of getting stuff done and spending more and more time numbing ourselves from the uncertainty of life, the suffering, and the pain .

Some of us as leaders are suffering from task fatigue. Murr Brewster in her article called “Me, my garbage cans, and the spinning of the globe” in the January 27, 2020 issue of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly wrote: “Two generations ago (in my family, at least), people had ways of coping with cold. They might have preferred not to bring the cows into the barn through a North Dakota snowdrift, but they could do it; they could bundle up, and they could prevail. For thousands of years, people have managed to feed themselves and regulate their temperatures.

Today we are bundled up in layers of tasks - places we think we need to be and things we think we need to do - and extreme weather has turned into more of a calamity. We’re almost undone if we can’t drive to the store.” 

In some families, our children and their lives are just becoming “one more thing to get done”, too. And if we are not suffering from task fatigue, we are overwhelmed with decision fatigue or future fatigue. We never really get a break from making decisions or worrying about the future. With no boundaries between work and home, work decisions and home decisions are all mixed up and impacting each other.

In certain situations, some leaders are still suffering from confidentiality fatigue, i.e. we carry the burden of knowing too much that we can not share. Others are adding to this list compassion fatigue, i.e. there are too many people to care for at one time.

The outcome of all this fatigue is that we feel depleted which leaves us with two courses of action. First, we make careless choices. Or second, we surrender to the status quo and do nothing. We forget that it’s one thing to engage in depleting activities, but there’s another dimension, namely how we behave under the influence of depletion. Doing things that deplete us is not the same as doing things when we’re depleted. As Marshall Goldsmith in his book, Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts - Becoming the Person You Want to Be, (Crown Business, 2015), notes “The former is cause, the latter effect.” The outcome for us personally and professionally is that many of us are experiencing moments of brokenness. We feel like we have slipped into the ditch of life rather than moving forward on the road of life.

This sure happened to me one winter day many years ago before I was a consultant and executive coach. I was driving my car to work and I was not a happy man. This job could have been a case study for the book, The 3 Signs of a Miserable Job. I was miserable. The job was miserable and to a degree life was miserable and overwhelming.

On that day, there were icy road conditions. As I crested the hill coming out of town on the western edge, my car spun 180 degrees and pointed back to town. I was shook up and the back tires were just off the gravel on the edge of the road. Just then, a truck load of teenagers pulled up and pushed me back on to the road. I drove home that morning and thought about just going back to bed. There are days when you just want to start over. William H. McRaven in his book Sea Stories: My Life In Special Operations (Grand Central Publishing, 2020) shared a popular saying amongst Navy Seals, namely “… the only easy day was yesterday.” I have experienced times in my life journey when even yesterday wasn’t very easy. 

This week, I want you to focus on not making your life less stressful given how few things we can control right now and instead focus on making your life more meaningful. Understand that some days we are overwhelmed by fatigue on many levels. It happens, but it does not have to define who we are and in what we believe in. Slowly we can rebuild our lives from the inside out. It will take time and energy but it is possible.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Living Between Two Stories

The late Thomas Berry, a cultural historian and scholar of the world’s religions, wrote that we are living in a time of trouble “because we are in between stories. The old story sustained us for a long time - it shaped our emotional attitudes, it provided us with life’s purpose, it energized our actions, it consecrated our suffering, it guided education. We awoke in the morning and knew who we were, we could answer the questions of our children. Everything was taken care of because the story was there. Now the old story is not functioning. And we have not yet learned a new one.”

When I read this passage, I had to stop my reading and just ponder his comment. For me, it was as if Berry had captured the essence of what had happened this spring and crystalized it into powerful insight. We are living now between two stories and the new story has not yet been written.

Many writers and commentators are calling this spring an inflection point, a decisive moment in the course of our personal life and collective life that marks the start of a significant change and that has the potential to take us in a different direction. I am not sure this is an inflection point for many people, because as states, cities and towns reopen after being closed, people are racing back to living their lives in the same manner as before COVID. People are desperately seeking normal, i.e. the feeling of control, order and predictability in their lives. On one level, going forward for many people is a return to a past way of living. In short, they want the old story to function once again.

However, for those of us whose lives have been touched by this global pandemic on a personal level, there really is not a way to return to “normal.” What happened changed the way we see the world, the way we see our country, the way we see our community, the way we see our family and, for many of us, the way we see our life. Having lost a loved one to COVID, I can not go forth blindly and think nothing really happened. It did happen and it’s impact has shifted my perspective.

For me, this is not an inflection point. I am not seeking to change the direction or purpose of my life. Instead, my life has turned into a series of reflection points, where I need to pause and deeply consider what new choices I want to make and what old, pre-COVID ways I want to continue. It is in these periods of quiet reflection that I am rediscovering a deeper story.

The late Joseph Campbell, an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and religion, wrote “The world is different today from what it was fifty years ago. But the inward life of [a person] is exactly the same.” Given what happened this spring, we all have struggled with fear and anxiety about the present and the future. We also have gained new insights about who we are, and what is important in our lives. The outcome of this individual and collective experience is that we can choose now to build a more deeply centered and more meaningful spiritual foundation for living. 

It is in this new story that we can reclaim our ability to wake up in the morning and know who we are. We can answer the questions of our children and create our life together accordingly. We also can trust the journey through this time because our new story is not solely defined by outer circumstance as much as by inner clarity and connection.

While we are living between two stories, we must remember that our life is not just a physical journey but a spiritual quest to greater wholeness, compassion and integrity. As Joseph Campbell wrote: “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re seeking. I think that what we are seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that actually feel the rapture of being alive.” 

My hope for you today and during the coming weeks, months and years is that you will find your new story and through the process experience the “rapture of being alive.”

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

A Road Map For This Summer

We were talking on the phone when he said to me, “I get your point that we are no longer in the emergency phase of dealing with COVID. My question to you is a simple one. What should we be doing this summer to be better prepared for what’s next?”

“First, recognize that COVID has sucked all the oxygen out of the room,” I replied. “During the emergency phase, we had to focus on day to day operations. We had to survive the crisis. But now that we are in the adaptive stage related to COVID, we need to think again about the strategy of the company. Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What’s it going to look like? These questions need to come back on the radar screen otherwise we will be caught in an endless cycle of reactivity which is not good for you as a leader, and not good for the company.

So, with that in mind, I encourage you to read and discuss with your team the following article: Heifetz, Ronald, Alexander Glasgow, and Marty Linsky. “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis”, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2009. The article will not solve all your problems, but it will give you and your team some common language and perspective as you move into the next three months. And having common language and perspective will give you and the team the ability to think creatively about operational problems and strategic challenges.

Next, it is time to plan and execute an After Action Report related to the first 90 days of COVID. They key to success when you read about how to do this (see my 4-14-20 blog on this subject) is that the process needs to be facilitated. This gives you as the leader the chance to think and listen carefully to what is being said rather than tracking the conversation and making sure everyone has had a chance to speak or clarify their thoughts. Whether that person is me or someone else, make sure your facilitator is knowledgable and capable of holding the space for safe and thoughtful dialogue. The goal here is to capture lessons learned so you can be better prepared for the future.

Furthermore, it is time to set up and then hold an in-depth strategic review. We need to evaluate the entire strategic plan and determine if it is still viable given the current internal and external environments. Recognizing the high degree of unknown variables within the market place for the foreseeable future, you may need to create a Bridge Plan (see my 4-22-20 blog on this subject) which spans the next 6-9 months. This new plan will allow for maximum flexibility in a complex operating environment.

Before you build a Bridge Plan, I encourage you to read the following book: Weick, Karl E., and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe. Managing The Unexpected: Resilient Performance in an Age of Uncertainty. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2007. As the authors write, “The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives.” Since the chaos has already arrived in the form of COVID, it is time to think carefully about what new structures need to be put in place to assure we are better prepared before another crisis comes into play. 

For me, I think one of the core messages of the book is the importance of resilience. As Weick and Sutcliffe note, “No system is perfect.... The essence of resilience is therefore the intrinsic ability of an organization (system) to maintain or regain a dynamically stable state, which allows it to continue operations after a major mishap and/or in the presence of a continuous stress.” As they explain, “The hallmark of an HRO [High Reliability Organization] is not that it is error-free but that errors don’t disable it.” Recognizing that COVID is not a short term error, we must become more resilient in spite of the continuous stress of COVID plus the resulting economic uncertainty that it has created.

I also recommend you sit down with two different groups of people, namely your senior team and your marketing and communications team. With the former, it is time to develop an internal communications plan about the company’s direction during the coming 6-9 months so all employees are clear about what is most important and where they should focus. This will increase engagement, clarity and confidence in the company. It will also help you re-recruit your best players so they do not seek or accept new employment offers when the economy picks back up again.

With the later group, I recommend you develop an external communications campaign for all customers, partners, and shareholders. This will help people know you are clear about what is most important, and that you are moving forward in a productive and resilient manner given all that has happened. Market confidence in a company is as important as internal engagement.

Next, in mid-summer, I would plan on holding two table top exercises, using a military term, as a senior team. During the first exercise, I would explore in-depth the following question: How will we handle round #2 this coming fall, i.e the return of COVID plus a new flu strain which could result in a possible return to shelter in plan orders? The second table top exercise should explore the following question: What should we do if the economic fall out from COVID is a 3-5 year problem rather than a 6-12 months challenge? Both exercise have the possibility to anticipate problems before they become real problems and to generate real time solutions that could impact current operations and future choices.

Finally, starting this week, I would commit to holding routine and in-depth coaching sessions for the next 120 days. The emergency has passed and day to day operations are stable. Now, we need to help people reflect on what happened and prepare them for the future. Skill based coaching, and mindset based coaching are needed so people can maintain balance, perspective and focus. If you do not have the capacity to do this internally, then consider partnering with an external executive coach who knows you and your company. The key is to not let this important one-to-one work slip to the back burner. If we want better results moving forward, we need to invest time and energy into creating better people. As noted before, “The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives.” Routine coaching is one of those important structures.

I hope I have not overwhelmed you with what I would do this coming summer. But if you want to be well prepared, both operationally and strategically, for the fall and 2021, then now is the time to get to work.”

“That was a lot,” he responded, “but you have given me a road map for the summer which is practical and specific. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. That’s way I am a part of your team. I look forward to when we visit next.”

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

How do people shift from being a manager or supervisor into becoming a leader? - part #3

Here are two important questions you need to ask yourself as a leader:

- What are we talking about in our weekly meetings other than COVID-19 related stuff?

- What is the ratio between internal issues, reports, problem solving and external market place issues?

First, people who successfully make the shift from manger or supervisor to leader know one thing. They need to listen to their customers, clients, members, guests, etc. Whatever is the name you choose to describe the person you serve, we need to make them the focus of all we do. Furthermore, we need to dig deeply into the following set of questions with them:

- How are you doing during COVID-19?

- What’s going on in your neighborhood? Your community?

- How are we doing as an organization in serving you?

The challenge for us as leaders is to get our head into the market place more than just into the supply chain. If we are vision led and mission driven as a company, the customer is the focus of all we do. We are creating solutions for them, not just for the supply chain.

Second, we need to listen to the front line employees. They are the ones who interact with the customer on a daily basis. And with these important people, we need to ask the following questions:

- How are you doing during COVID-19?

- What’s going on in your team? Your division?

- How are we doing as leaders?

Hal Gregersen in his article called “Bursting the CEO Bubble: Why Executives Should Talk Less and Ask More Questions” in the March - April 2017 issue of the Harvard Business Review, writes that leaders need to be “uncharacteristically quiet”. This goal is “.. to increase your chances of encountering novel ideas and information and discerning weak signals: being quiet.” We need to understand that this is not normal leader behavior. Normally we are in send mode, broadcasting information in all directions. We want to answer the question rather than ask the question. We want to inspire people rather than be inspired by people. We want to explain things to people rather than listen to explanations. 

Being quiet as a leader is to switch into receiving mode. Our challenge is to “Ask questions. Don’t tell.” The hardest part of listening is to learn not to fill the space with comments. Instead, we need to embrace the power of the pause and listen.

This week practice asking more questions and being uncharacteristically quiet. You will learn a great deal if you do this on a regular basis.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257