1. Lessons from Ice Cream and Snorkeling

    December 23, 2011 by Elaine Suess

    Earlier today, I was gearing up for a sweet chocolate sundae in my kitchen. You know the kind – vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, cold, smooth…with an open bowl and a handy spoon.

    I tugged and tugged at the top of the Double Vanilla, Private Selection, almost-half-gallon-container, but,

    It just wouldn’t come off.

    It finally dawned on me that this particular brand of ice cream has what seems like a top-secret entry point on the lid. There’s one corner that allows easy access, and all it takes is a gentle, (more…)

    Category: Leadership ,  Personality Type ,  Self Awareness
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  2. Where Leadership Lives

    November 14, 2011 by Elaine Suess

    Last month, I met for the second time with a group called the “Sista Circle.” It’s a group of women brought together by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for the purpose of providing encouragement and support in various ways.

    The women of the Sista Circle live in an expansive group of apartment complexes where drug dealing and the sounds of gunshots are not uncommon. I had exposure to some of these women last year through the Leadership Cincinnati program, and was touched by their honesty and open hearts.

    Strengths and Leadership

    Why am I writing about these women? Well, because I’ve found a tremendous strength in these women and clear signs of leadership (more…)

    Category: Change ,  Personality Type ,  Self Awareness ,  Strengths Tags: , , | 
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  3. Constant Change l Creative Innovation

    September 16, 2011 by Elaine Suess

    A few weeks ago, I was in a room with 32 others at Case Western Reserve University. We represented numerous countries around the globe, including Japan, Iceland, Nepal, Spain, Mexico, India, Singapore, New Zealand and the United States.

    It was a very interesting and insightful group, and we were all there with purpose – to grow in our ability to serve our clients, and to complete our certification in Appreciative Inquiry (AI) from the “father” of AI, David Cooperrider.

    The Beginning

    In the late ‘80’s, before the Strengths movements began, and before positive psychology officially charged out of the gate, the Appreciative Inquiry process was softly launched without fanfare, patent or IP protections, for the world to use.

    Since then, AI has taken hold in businesses and non-profit organizations large and small, (more…)

    Category: Appreciative Inquiry ,  Change ,  Communication ,  Innovation ,  Positivity ,  Strengths
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