What is your change style preference? Would you be an originator? A conserver? Or would you find yourself in the pragmatist category? Which category would my team members fall? Does it matter? Yes it does...knowing our tendencies and understanding their respective implications provide us with the tools to be more effective in our change efforts.

Conflict is a part of our daily lives at work or at home. How we manage conflict has a direct impact on how fulfilled we feel about our work, the quality of work, and the quality of work from our respective teams or units. Effectively dealing with and using conflict as a positive tool is a major component of success in current or future leadership roles.

Over the past decade a growing body of literature has documented the importance of social and emotional effectiveness as well as effective coaching (how we take good people and make them the best they can be) and feedback skills.  As leaders face times of increasingly rapid changes within their respective organizations, teams, and/or laboratories they must proactively work with others to lead them through these challenging times while continuing to meet the changing needs of stakeholders and clientele.  

"You get what you focus on."  -Vannoy & Ross As a leader it is important to know what talents you possess, that you bring to the leadership table.  Do you know what strengths you possess?  Every leader possesses her/his own unique set of talents.  According to the Gallup Organization, "we spend too much time focusing on our weaknesses, trying to make them stronger rather than recognizing our strengths."  When you focus on your weaknesses, you miss out on utilizing what you do best for your organization.