Author: Nelson Coulter My lovely bride of 45 years and I are farmers. We gently and lovingly care for the land, the plants, and the animals (domestic and wild) in our little corner of the planet. We are stewards. We think/act/farm with an eye on the sustainable “health” of the land and all the lives thereon/therein. The construct is called …

Author: Nelson Coulter Good questions stimulate deep reflection, often unexpected insights, and occasionally, transformational breakthroughs. Not-so-good questions do none of that. What’s the difference? Not-so-good questions… Offend others Diminish others Feel judgmental Seem interrogational Stymie meaningful exchange Impactful questions… Invite deep reflection Lead toward new insight Convey value in participants Generate safe and productive discourse Accelerate learning (individual and collective) …

Author: Nelson Coulter Most of us tip the server when we visit a restaurant. That gratuity is a simple expression of appreciation for service rendered. Gratuity is a powerful force multiplier, and it need not be limited in its scope. We can acknowledge and honor the effort and commitment of others in MANY ways, both tangible and intangible. Consider some common and …

Author: Nelson Coulter Some folks just give in, give up, choose the myopic and self-centric view, opt for pessimistic inertia. Being but one person on a planet populated by 8 billion humans, they take the view that we are but one grain of sand on a very large beach. How can/could we matter? On the other hand………… A different kind …

Author: Nelson Coulter I engaged an 84-year old cowboy (Ben) in conversation during a luncheon not long ago. Ben was an interesting character, with bright eyes and a quick wit. He had been a working cowboy his entire adult life and a ranch manager for over 40 years. Ben told me that he had “recently” quit breaking horses because he …

Author: Nelson Coulter According to leadership guru Dan Rockwell, “Wisdom is practical know-how. (Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.)” From observing others over the years it appears to me that wisdom gatherers fall into three categories: Happenstancers  – With this group, little morsels of wisdom “stick” on and to them as result of simply living life. Attenders – This group shows up for …

Author: Kendall Riggan, Collegiate Edu-Nation AmeriCorps Program Director The way you look, feel, and perform right now is a reflection of what you do consistently – your habits.  In order to change the way you look, feel, or perform, you must change your habits. As a fitness and nutrition coach, my professional responsibility has been to help my clients identify …

Author: Nelson Coulter Those in leadership roles frequently feel the burden of that responsibility. It is real! To whom much is given, much is required. Being the best leaders we can be requires us to spend some of our personal resources on self-care. If WE are not healthy and well, what makes us think we can lead entire organizations toward health and …

Author: Nelson Coulter I recently read Future Driven: Will Your Students Thrive In An Unpredictable World? by David Geurin (2017). This book was as much about pedagogy and engagement as it was about affecting future- and life-ready students. But, of course! Are those not inextricable entanglements?   My biggest takeaways: ·      NEVER…………delay gratitude. ·      In schools, desks in rows is “the cemetery effect.” ·      In …

Author: Nelson Coulter Getting better. On purpose. Every day. Easier said than done. But it always starts with reflection. It’s hard to purposefully move toward improvement (either personal or collective) until/unless we turn the mirror on ourselves. That mirror-gazing is both a look at what exists in this moment, and a look over the shoulder at where we’ve been. WHY …

Author: Nelson Coulter When we create targets — goals, outcomes, expectations — in life or work, we are faced with a series of decisions about how to hit those targets. Most of those decisions fall into one of two categories: Speed — How fast and with what intensity are we going to pursue those outcomes? Accuracy — What variability in …

Author: Nelson Coulter I used to believe in coincidences and random events. No longer. I have come to view the encounters I have with others, even in this space, as being Providentially directed. My clarity of understanding in that regard, though embarrassingly late arriving, triggers reflection on the subsequent responsibility I bear in these encounters. Here we are. It is no accident. Our …