Winning Ways, Inc.

"Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another." - John C. Maxwell. Many years ago, I was interviewing for a teaching position in one of George Mason University’s graduate programs.? When the program head found out that I didn’t have my graduate degree, she said, “You must get your graduate degree to lead this program.” “I don’t have time right now,” I told her. “My husband and I just moved to this area, we are still getting settled, and I know college programs take a lot of time and effort.” “You can do this, and I know you can do it quickly,” she responded. By the time I left the interview, I was registered for graduate school. And I got the teaching position. The program head was my boss. She was difficult. She was a micromanager, perfectionist, and extremely direct. However, she fully believed in me. Her faith in me was powerful, and it changed my life. Anytime I am faced with something that I don’t feel ready for or don’t want to do, I can hear her loud and clear, “You can do this!”? It was the start of leaning into discomfort to expand my life. Let’s celebrate the leaders in our life! I invite you to share a story about a leader that positively impacted you. Please leave your story in the comments below. #NavigatingUncertainty #LeadershipSkills #GTownCoach

When we were kids, we had parents, teachers, sports coaches, and other adults in our lives to provide guidance, encouragement, and most important of all, accountability. But as an adult, who provides that direction? Who is there to cheer us on and push us forward to become a better person or leader? A coach fills that role. A coach is right by your side, guiding you and holding you accountable for doing the work to become a more effective leader. Participants in our Leadership Evolution Program tell us all the time how important the accountability piece is. Lionel Taylor, Principal, GHT, recently told us about his coach in the program. “Karen Mack, MSOD, CPCC, PCC was outstanding. She didn’t let me get away with anything. She kept me on task with everything.” If you had an accountability partner, what personal or professional goal could you reach faster? And if you’d like to learn more about our program and/or coaching, follow the link in the comments below. #Accountability #LeadershipStrategies #GTownCoach

In her 2016 New York Times best-selling book, The Sleep Revolution, Arianna Huffington wrote, “We sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity but, ironically, our loss of sleep … adds up to more than eleven days of lost productivity per year per worker, or about $2,280.” She went on to write that sleep deprivation costs American companies $63 billion every year. Perhaps you’ve gotten better at prioritizing sleep - but are you sleeping the recommended 7-9 hours every night? I’m bringing this up because it’s Sleep Awareness Week. If one of your sleep challenges is calming your body and mind before you go to sleep (or when you wake up in the middle of the night), try the Structured Breathing Square. This technique works to calm our nervous system. It is simple to do: Take a deep breath in for a count of 3, hold the breath for a count of 3, breathe out slowly for a count of 3, and pause for a count of 3. Repeat. While you are breathing, draw one line of a square (in the air or on your leg) for each step (in, hold, out, pause). What do you do to calm your mind before you go to sleep? #Sleep #LeadershipSkills #GTownCoach

Leaders, do you lead with kindness? I’ve been thinking about what it means to lead with kindness. It’s more than being nice for the sake of it. Instead, it is: Genuinely investing in others by getting to know them on a deeper level. It’s asking about their family, their personal and professional goals, what is holding them back, and learning how you can support them in their career. Building trust by showing others that you see them, hear them, make space for them to show their whole human selves, and invite their perspective. Leading with kindness is transformational, not transactional. Think about a time a leader showed you kindness. How was it transformational for your relationship? What lesson can you take from that experience to be a leader known for kindness?? #Kindness #LeadershipStrategies #GTownCoach

At Winning Ways, Inc., we believe self-awareness isn’t just something we reflect on; it’s something we develop through action. That’s why we’re launching???????????????????????: ?????????????? ????????-?????????????????? ?????????????? ????????????—a series exploring how real experiences shape the way we understand ourselves and our leadership. ? To kick things off, our Director of Client Engagement, Kristy Ross, took on the challenge of a?no-buy year. ? But what started as a test of discipline quickly became something much bigger—a shift in mindset, a deeper understanding of habits, and a surprising lesson in resourcefulness and values. ? Her story is one of curiosity, intentionality, and the unexpected discoveries that come when we change our patterns. Read more below. ? What about you? What challenge have you taken on that reshaped how you see yourself or your leadership? We'd love to hear your share. #SelfAwarness #LeadershipEffectiveness #GTownCoach

Leaders, if your organization, company, or Federal agency has issued a return to office (RTO) policy, you and your employees may be struggling with some big and difficult emotions. This is true for parents who are scrambling to figure out school drop off, after-school care, carpools to activities, etc. And it is true for anyone who leads a busy life and needs to rethink their workout schedule, find a dog walker, etc. Now is the time to tap into your emotional intelligence skills, especially your: Self-awareness: You may be upset about RTO. What emotions are you feeling? Why? What do you need to do to make this new schedule work for you and your family? By working with your emotions, you’ll be much better prepared to handle your team’s emotions. Social awareness: Schedule one-on-one meetings with your direct reports. Ask them, “How are you feeling about RTO? What can I do to help?” And then follow through on what you say you will. Resilience: Things are going to change for everyone. Remain flexible, so if something isn’t working, you can pivot to try something new. Empathy: This change may be really hard for some people on your team. Check in with those who are struggling. Work with them on solutions. Change is hard. But you can do this. #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipStrategies #GTownCoach

One of the greatest joys of the?Leadership Evolution Program?is hearing how it transforms not just leaders—but lives. Here’s what Laura Morder, PE, LEED Green Associate, and Principal, shared about her experience: …?????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ???? ???????????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????????...??’???? ?????????? ?? ?????? ????????/???????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ???????????? ?????? ????. ?? ???? ???? ???????????????? ?????? ???? ??????. ? ?? ???? ?????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ????????????, ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? ???? ?? ???????????????? ????????????, ????????????????, ????????????, ?????? ????????????. At its heart, LEP is about empowering leaders to navigate complexity with resilience and grace—at work and beyond. If this resonates with you, let’s talk. #LeadershipEvolution #LeadershipDevelopment #GTownCoach

Do you know how to ask questions? No, that’s not a trick … question. For a leader, knowing how to ask powerful questions will make you much more effective. Asking questions helps you learn and discover what you may not have known before. But it also takes courage. As I wrote in my book, “Knowing what to ask or even making the choice to challenge conventional wisdom … is not an easy feat.” Powerful questions that lead to powerful answers often begin in the following ways: ??????????For example, “What support do you need from me to complete the assigned project?” ???????? ????? For example, “What if we met for an hour to discuss your ideas for completing the project?” ????????For example, “How are you feeling about the project?” ?????? ?????????? ????? For example, “How might we ensure that we are giving our very best to this project?” These questions promote open conversation and learning, and they are effective in helping us gather the answers we need. Did you notice that “why?” questions are not included in the above list? Questions that begin with “why” may be perceived as judgmental. So when you ask a “why” question, pay special attention to your tone and inflection. How might asking more questions help you become a more effective leader? #LeadershipStrategies #GTownCoach

???It’s Not Too Late to Lead with Intention in 2025??? The new year is already in full swing—but if it feels like the rush of January left you and your team playing catch-up, take heart. There’s still time to pause, reset, and set the tone for a year of purposeful leadership. At Winning Ways, we believe the best leaders are those who make time to develop their self-awareness through a practice of reflection, checking in with themselves that they are aligned with their core values, and creating a clear vision for their teams. It’s not about perfection—it’s about progress and intention. So, what’s?your?plan to elevate your leadership this year? How will you help your team grow while staying focused on what matters most? The good news: It’s never too late to start. Let’s make 2025 the year you lead with clarity, purpose, and remarkable impact. Are you ready to set your intention? Request a Word for the Year card to be sent to your email or the best address. Simply comment or DM “Word for the Year”. #LeadershipStrategies #IntentionalLeadership #GTownCoach

More than three decades ago, I was taught a leadership myth: We live two distinct and separate lives - a personal life and a professional life. Our personal life focuses on family, friends, personal finances, self-care, spirituality, health, etc. Our professional life focuses on time management, delegation, communication, profits, business development, productivity, professional development, etc. After using this model for years, I realized that it was inaccurate. We aren’t two different selves, we are one. Everything in our personal life affects our professional life and vice versa. If you devote more time to self-care, for example, the mental reset you gain will show up in your leadership. If you work on better time management skills at work, you will have more time for friends and family outside of work. I’m not implying that we work on everything all at once! I believe in working on one thing each year. Create one or two goals and focus on them. If you do your utmost to reach those goals, your life will improve both personally and professionally. What aspect of your life have you focused on recently, and how did it affect you personally and professionally? #LeadershipMyths #LeadershipStrategies #GTownCoach