ARTICLES BY DR. ANDY NEILLIE, CSP

Several of them dropped the balls again. In the midst of “generally managing everything,” several of our swim school General Managers let their site-specific social media postings fall off the radar in the past several weeks.

On the one hand I understand: we are heading into our busiest time of the year, and most of them are short-staffed. On the other hand, our customers live on their smartphones. If we aren’t posting regularly,…

Leadership is not just about guiding others but also about handling our own fears and anxieties. In our latest leadership episode, we are exploring the timeless call to “be strong and courageous,” a mandate that has encouraged leaders for generations.

Here are three key takeaways from this inspiring session:

· Courage in Leadership: Understand that leadership involves periods of fear and anxiety. Acknowledging this can empower you to handle challenges more effectively.

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A leadership lesson from our newest dog, Traveler.

This important lesson is key as we lead people, especially in this generation. We need to meet them where they are to take them to where they need to be. We may need to meet them in their excitement, disappointment, humor, and even their shortcomings.

Leaders earn the right to lead when their followers sense they are down in the trenches with them. How will you implement this lesson in your future interactions with your team members?

Ted Lasso is wrong, but we still need to act like goldfish.

Fellow leader – if you’re a fan of Ted Lasso, you’ll remember the wisdom Ted shares with his “futball” athletes after every bad play or loss on the soccer field: “A goldfish only has a three second memory.  You need to be like a goldfish.  Forget the bad game and move on.”

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Mirrors

Michelle Kazary is a life-long hair stylist. (BTW: she does great haircuts!!!) Michele’s salon, as is fitting for a stylist’s salon, has mirrors on the walls and at least a couple of handheld mirrors.  The last time I sat in Michelle’s chair, she made a brief comment about spending so much time in a salon with mirrors. She said “Mirrors are only for glancing.  Nobody should spend too much time looking at themselves.” I heard in the wise tone of her voice the recognition that people in her industry – and the whole body-beautiful movement itself – can easily become vain and narcissistic.

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