How do we shift from this feeling of getting whipsawed by events into a feeling of being a proactive creator, setting the course rather than reacting?

About 30% of the people I work with have lost touch with what makes them uniquely suited for their work.

Another 30% need steady and gentle reminders about how truly talented they already are.

The cause of some of this is our natural negativity bias – the tendency of our brains to focus on problems, risks, and shortcomings as a survival strategy.

I've been thinking a lot about the ways we tussle for too long with the wrong problem...

I find most of us tackle the content of our challenges: the specific details, information, strategies and tactics associated with an issue.

This is a good place to start, but by bringing in context – elusive and dynamic solutions become accessible.

This week I watched two Ted Talks by this pretty funny guy - Sir Ken Robinson.

You may be thinking..."a guy using the title 'Sir' is funny?" Yes.

He talks about creativity and education.

I’ve been increasingly disenchanted with the basic to-do list strategy for a variety of reasons.

But most importantly it was far too easy to do a lot but not achieve what really matters.

I’ve also had times when life felt dull, my dreams seemed impossible, and I couldn’t even remember what it was like to feel creative or inspired. It sometimes felt personal and intractable.

My view is that these “seasons” - the good and the bad - were a combination of circumstances, my wiring and my mindset.

As leaders, one of the greatest skills we can cultivate is helping our teams learn how to learn.

One of the key benefits of asking people questions is that you teach people how to think and learn and then you observe their ability to apply these new skills.

I’ve noticed a misleading habit we often have when we initiate a change.

We often start by noticing a problem. So far so good, this is what our brains do – scan the environment for a problem.

The natural follow up reaction is – “what would it look like if this wasn’t a problem?” And here again, that’s ok.

Sometimes it feels like there is a razor edge between peak performance and total overwhelm.

I'm grooving along in the pleasant hum of a full, engaged life. Then I look up (it usually feels all of a sudden) and life has become chaotic and almost out of control - a “how am I going to get to tomorrow in one piece?!?” kind of affair.

Speaking from personal experience, if you've been spending the last 10 to 20 years trying to be good grown up than this suggestion might be a little bit tricky for you.

Have you ever been caught up thinking that you need to:

• Share something helpful or wise?

• Come up with a new, creative idea?

• Provide gems of insight or inspiration?

Turns out asking great questions is important (helpful, insightful, innovative...) than having great answers.

You may already know that in addition to being an Executive Coach, I'm also certified as a mindfulness meditation teacher.

Although I love the impact meditation practice has had on my life, I am the first to admit that meditation is not for everyone.