City of Gold
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Miners worked for $2 per day, braving cave-ins and explosions. The Gold Rush presents leaders perfect examples of sunk, indirect and opportunity costs.
The aspen leaves looked like golden flakes of snow as they jettisoned from the black and white bark in the fall wind. These quaking aspens draw visitors to mountain towns from all over the world. My dad and I were no exception. As we meandered along the San Miguel River, the remaining leaves shimmered in the sun like...
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...
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....
Waiting to Bloom
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
It is hard to wait for a good plan to unfold, what can impatient or discouraged leaders discover from cotton blossoms, boll weevils, and denim jeans?
Doesn’t everyone have a favorite pair of jeans dyed to the perfect shade of indigo blue? Actually, they were called waist overalls until the 1960’s when our hipster Baby Boomers started calling them jeans.1 The ingenuity of these denim pants was more about durability than comfort, and more specifically, the...
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...
Healthy Competition
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
I love competition-- as long as I’m winning! Like cyclists riding through mountains, businesses face ups and downs. What role does competition play?
I love a healthy competition-- as long as I’m winning! Which is why you won’t find me competing in Colorado’s Triple Bypass, a bicycle race covering 120 miles over three mountain passes averaging two miles above sea level! Just like cyclists riding the through mountains, businesses face...
2020Q3 REVIEW: Identity
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Let’s reflect on the Leader’s Field Guides from 2020Q3. As you focus on "identity", how can you develop more clarity and intentional expression?
It’s time for a review! Reflect on 2020Q3 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 professional and personal identity. Are those identities different? How can you enhance your leadership...
Change Fee
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Improvement comes at quite a price-- a change fee. How does the airline ticket change fee shed light on the challenges of changing or not changing?
Recently (like…yesterday), I rolled out a new website. As many marketing and web experts already know, new websites have a way of clarifying mission, vision, ideal clients, business processes, and grammar! Change is hard! Even if the new solution is an improvement, it comes at quite a price-- a change fee. I am...
What More Do You Need?
LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE
Not only did NASA send a crew to the moon, they returned safely with less computing power than I have on my wrist! Learn how to win YOUR "space race".
I admire the scientists, technicians, and astronauts that worked on the first orbits of the earth and the lunar landings. Did you know I have more RAM, processing speed, and storage space on my Apple Watch than Apollo 11 had in 1969. Fifty years ago, the computer on board the lunar module computer, called Apollo Guidance...
Red Flag Alert
LEADER’S FIELD GUIDE
Red flags forewarn of prickly leaders focused on short-term advantage, single-factor decisions, and self-preservation causing eroding support.
Just like sea urchins, people can seem warm and fuzzy, until you get too close. Let me explain… Beachgoers are familiar with the meaning of Beach Warning Flags. Green flags mean conditions are calm and it is safe to swim. Yellow flags signal caution, and a red flag implies high hazard. If you see two red...
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Light-Hearted Wisdom for Serious Business
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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