Leadership Leaves Scars
But it’s worth it
I got my biggest and most prominent scar when I was 12 years old. My dad and I were helping a neighbor move a large tree that had fallen during a colossal thunderstorm. My Dad tied one end of a rope around the trunk of the tree and the other end to a stake that he began driving into the ground with a sledgehammer. As I watched my dad ...
Your Work Culture Matters
We’ve worked hard over the years to make CCB Technology a great place to work. It has taken time, energy and intentionality.
It didn’t happen overnight.
We have had some tough years, especially the ones during what has now been coined as, “The Great Resignation” in 2021 when a lot of employees were quitting their jobs for gree...
Leading Through Change
In March of 2020, I boarded a plane to Florida, six months pregnant and toting two toddlers. We were going to see my parents and spend a couple days in the sun, away from the doldrums of the gray winter of the North. A few days later, I sat on the porch with my parents, in the light of the Floridian sunset, discussing whether I could make it back home to my husba...
Overcoming Fear
While on a plane from Denver to Milwaukee, I had the pleasure of watching the movie King Richard, the story of Venus and Serena Williams who both became world champion tennis players thanks to the perseverance and tenacity of their father. He dreamt of their success when they were young and pushed them to colossal heights never reached by any other female athlete.
I w...
As a mother, I spend a lot of time trying to influence my children to do what I want them to do—get dressed, eat meals, be obedient, refrain from booger mining in front of grandma. I used to think that the reason they wouldn’t listen was because I must not be communicating properly. I only needed to speak louder, say it clearer, say it again, then again, then yell and surely they wo...
4 Things to Consider
Let’s talk about selling your business.
Cue the theme music to the movie Jaws. I see the terror on your face as you think about a larger predator ripping your business to shreds. I see you imagining your staff scared, legs dangling in the water, unsure about what’s underneath. I see you mentally swimming helplessly out in the open ocean, making l...
Doing business at your own pace
My daughter is going off to college in the Fall and while I’m so proud of her for taking the opportunity to leave home and grow, I’m also sad to say that she’s going all the way to Ohio. It’s a small Christian school that she loves and it’s within driving distance, but it does require driving through Chicago. On a recent trip...
Practicing Resilience in the Face of Trials
Due to unfortunate genetics (mine), my eight-year-old son has been required to wear a very conspicuous orthodontic device day and night. It’s officially called a headgear and consists of a metal bar over his face, connecting a pad on his forehead to a pad on his chin. It pulls his upper jaw forward, ensuring that his bite will be aligned, and...
When we talk about good leaders in history we often think about glory. We think about their accomplishments, their strengths, and their greatness. We think about their renown and their authority. We think about standing on stages, accepting awards and accolades and names being written in history books.
We rarely hear the term “leadership” and think of a lowly shepherd wading...
Choosing positivity and encouragement
I recently sat in a meeting where those in leadership roles spoke very poorly to one another. Their tones were snippy, their responses were short, and their questions sounded loaded like large rifles ready to discharge should the answer cause even the slightest bit of frustration. I felt all the positive air in the room slowly leak out like a balloon pri...
