Gone to print

This is the start of something new for me.

What you see in this photo is a page from my very first book, hot off the press. It's not a big book or a fancy book. But it's my book. And I'm very proud of it.

Two months ago I began a series of posts on LinkedIn. Over the course of 20 days I shared 20 tips about balanced leadership. Nothing revolutionary. Just good common sense steps that have worked for me in my 14 years as an Executive leading teams, sometimes in a high-pressure environment and often in times of change and complexity.

• Freaking out over a deadline? Breathe.

• Too many thoughts running through my brain? Write.

• Trying to build and maintain a high-performing team? Staff up and out.

• Wanting to take something to the next level? Adopt coach position.

In writing out what worked for me, in simple language, and with actionable tools backed by accessible resources (and adorable doodles by my brother-in-law, Josh), I realized that there was something worth sharing with a wider audience.

People talk a lot about "work-life balance" but I know from experience that it's ALL life. I have worked hard over the years to learn about and practice balanced leadership. It's not rocket science, but it is a learned behaviour and it takes practice.

And part of it is about putting yourself out there - trying something new or uncomfortable - letting yourself get off-balance for a second, then realizing that either your good instincts will kick in and you'll succeed or you'll stumble and learn something in the process.

The Balanced Leader's Toolkit -- How to harness creativity, boost connections and take a balanced approach to life (hint: it's all life!) is available for pre-order here:

Books

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