Learning 2 Lead Leading 2 Learn

reflections on higher education, executive coaching, and leadership

Category: Organizational Learning

  • What’s Trying to Be Born Through You? A Different Approach to New Year Intentions

    I’m lucky to have amazing friends who also happen to be incredible coaches. Each January, we gather to talk about the year ahead. I cherish this time and these conversations. We reflect on the highs, lows, and learnings from the past year, then set goals and intentions for what’s coming. This work is hard, vulnerable,…

  • Leading Through the Holiday Season: When Self-Criticism Takes Over

    This time of year is tough for many leaders. We are juggling everyday leadership responsibilities, fiscal and year-end accountabilities, and navigating the ever-evolving expectations and commitments associated with the holiday season. My Recent Mind Trap Last week, I found myself in a mind trap of failure, not-enoughness, and inadequacy. What does this look like? I…

  • As a leader working in higher education, I navigate what feels like an unprecedented array of challenges. Everything feels like an urgent priority. I recently collaborated with colleagues across UCalgary’s Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning to explore the shifts and transformations we are experiencing in higher education (Kenny et al., 2025), and to develop…

  • Cultivating Workplace Joy: Myth vs Reality

    What is joy? Joy is a positive affective or emotional state.  It is something we can broaden and build (Fredrickson, 2001). The more we notice, practice, and express gratitude for the joy in our lives, the more we feel and experience it.  Johnson (2020) suggests that: When we talk about bringing joy into workspaces, it…