Looking Back…A Year in Review

In this post, I want to do two things.  The first is to say “Thank you” for reading this blog, and particularly to those who have chosen to subscribe.  I like to think of this as a place of reflection and one where thoughts and ideas about leadership can be exchanged in a collegial way.  You have made it such a place.  And you have added richness to the posts that appear here by adding your own views.  Thank you.

As well, in the spirit of reflection, I want to take a little time to highlight the posts that seem to have captured your attention the most in 2011.  Feel free to rummage around in the mix.  There may be something in there you missed the first time around.  Who knows? And, if you are new here, my hope is that you will spend a little time exploring.

In January, I published Leading Collaboratively …a 21^st Century Necessity.

This post asks us to consider some of the reasons we distance ourselves from collaborative effort and suggests some ways that leaders can help others choose a collaborative approach over more independent strategies.  It also includes a great video clip that demonstrates the power of effective collaboration.

In February, there was The Importance of Being Care-Full

There continue to be those who believe that caring for people is not an organizational imperative.  I think it is.  And, I explain in this post what caring really looks like in a practical way.

In March, we talked about Leadership and Curiosity and examined some of the possible reasons we can easily lose touch with our inquisitive muscle.

In April, I offered for your consideration Encouraging Innovation & The Story of the 5 Monkeys.  This post is meant to demonstrate how easily we can become conditioned to doing things in certain ways without really knowing why.  And it asks us to consider this: As leaders, how do we invite innovation and creative thinking into our workplaces?

In May, I posted Going First.  This post suggests that leadership is fundamentally about going first.  It also examines the tension that leaders must manage every day between doing too much or too little of well, just about everything, and includes some ideas about how leaders can go first while convincing everybody else involved that it’s a good idea.

In June, we talked about the importance of Straight Talk.  In this post, there are a number of principles meant to guide us in our conversations with others designed to help us establish a Straight Talk environment.

In July, I assumed my follower role and considered what it would take to make me want to follow someone in …And I’ll Follow You Anywhere

In August, as the summer drew to an end, we discussed what it takes to get moving again after the summer sun has worked its magic in, Getting Back to Work ~ What motivates Us.

In September, We looked at what it means to care and care-take in, Caring or Care-taking?…A Fine Distinction

And finally, following the death of Steve Jobs in October, I offered this post, Valuing Differences…Here’s to the Crazy Ones.  This one includes a powerful and really short video narrated by Steve Jobs that makes this one a post you enjoyed a lot.

And that’s it, for this year anyway… except for this. My wish for you is that 2012 will be one of prosperity, learning, growth, good health and much happiness.  As Captain Picard was so fond of saying, “Make it so”