Perception is Everything
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
What can a group of thrill-seeking ski bums teach us about uncertainty? Identify your team’s risk attitude and the importance of perception.
I was skiing with a group of friends. It was not the coveted bluebird day characterized by bright blue sky, brilliant sun, and sharp shadows. On the contrary, the clouds were thick, and light was flat making it increasingly difficult to see inconsistencies in the white landscape especially as the day drew to a close. That didn’t sto...
The Next 100 Days
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Extreme arrogance, information bias, and poor communication caused Napoleon Bonaparte to meet his Waterloo. What can we learn from his mistakes?
Congratulations to those who are starting new jobs this month! We’ve been rooting for you and now-- the first 100 days. Actually, we all have the next 100 hundred days. Before we find out what you are doing with yours, a little history. The phrase first 100 days comes to us from the French by way of Napoleon Bonaparte. It refers...
WIIFM of Kindness
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
If you think of me as a nice person, then you’ve got to hear my origin story. You also need to know what you get back when you are kind to others.
What I am about to tell you may shock you! If you think of me as a nice person, then you could consider this my origin story. The first week of kindergarten, I let my classmates talk me into tipping Billy’s desk over-- with him in it! Oh, it pains me to share this and though my little mind knew Billy was different, it did not ...
2020Q4 REVIEW: Progress
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Let’s reflect on the Leader’s Field Guides from 2020Q4. As you focus on “progress”, how does patience and practice factor into learning and growth?
It’s time for a review! Reflect on 2020Q4 and consider what you’ve incorporated into your leadership and what needs more attention. Think about how each topic challenges you to reflect on your progress over the last three months. What role is practice and patience playing? How can you enhance your growth through intentional l...
Scoring to Lose
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Rarely does an opponent insist on giving points to the other team. What does an ill-timed goal tell us about instincts, clock management, and losing?
Have you ever seen football players signal a touchdown for the other team? Or teammates console the player that accidentally broke the plane, earning his team six points and a chance for a seventh? It’s extremely rare, if not unheard of… Well, until Todd Gurley, running back of the Atlanta Falcons, scored the “game-losing t...
Take a Chance Card
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
What was the game of Monopoly intended to teach us and what can great leaders learn about taking risk, managing fear, and revealing personal edge?
Remember the orange cards in the game Monopoly? I was pretty excited about drawing a Chance card, unless I had less than $200. Here’s why: 12 out of the 16 cards are actually beneficial, if you count the “Go Back 3 Spaces” card—which might give you a chance to buy that third of three Title Deeds. Seventy-five percent of the ca...
7-Minute Workout
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Why can’t we simply microwave our way to great fitness, relationships, appreciation, or confidence? Here’s what efficiency experts won’t tell you.
I’m an efficiency and process freak! When I’m stuck in traffic, I reimagine energy-saving transportation solutions or wonder what systems are involved in the proficient mass-production of break light covers. Oh, I’m a riot in the workout room, too! I master my most effective workout routine, the one that gives the most strengt...
Get Ready to Soar
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
What do eagles teach about adjustment, the effortless, and the proven? What do birds have to do with planes, controversy, and the United States seal?
In 1903, the Wright brothers were credited with the first repeatable flight of an aircraft. By definition, an airplane must be heavier than air, manned and powered, take off and land under its own power, and controllable along all three axes (more on that later).1 Have you ever wondered how planes fly? I really never unders...
Runaway Truck Ramp
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
The sign says, “Don’t Be Fooled…”! What does that have to do with a big rig loaded to the maximum of weight 80,000 pounds, hot brakes, and hairpin curves?
You can’t miss this sign on east-bound I-70, it reads: “Truckers Don’t Be Fooled, You’re Not Down Yet”. Drivers pass under the Continental Divide (via Eisenhower Tunnel) and in about 60 miles descend almost 6000 feet into Denver, CO. Dan Hopkins, former communications director for Colorado’s highway department, explai...
Chestnut Do Over
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
I dug into the tiny white paper bag and tasted my first chestnut. How do expectations and repurposing play into our much-needed Do Overs?
One of our family traditions is going to New York to see a musical the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. As you know, I love New York and I have a crazy pair of pants with the I ❤ NY logo printed all over them to prove it! During one visit to the city, I insisted on getting a bag of roasted chestnuts. They smelled delightful and though I ...
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AUTHOR & COACH
Michelle Sugerman
Michelle Sugerman (PMP, PCC) is an author and leadership coach with Leading Synergies. She created Synergy Groups and TEAM Tenacity-- powerful online groups for Christian leaders seeking Community, Accountability, Transformation, and Leadership.
Michelle also partners with high-performers and heirs-apparent, especially in the STEM industries. Her formal background in technology, franchise, and project management gives her clients an edge for implementing best practices and scaling towards sustainable success.
Michelle lives in Colorado where she hikes fourteeners and enjoys gourmet meals with her loving husband and college sweetheart.
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