Grounded: Leading Your Life With Intention - Hardcover

Nancy M. Dahl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1545610339 ISBN 13: 9781545610336

Publisher: MCP Books, 2017

Synopsis

How do you build the career and life you want--especially with chaos swirling around you, throwing out roadblocks at every turn. Only when you understand that the world isn't set up to optimize, can you begin the journey to uncover your best and lead your life with intention. Bottom line: life is the ultimate experience model. You don't come with an operating manual that tells you how to be your best. You just have to figure it out to find the things that work. And the discovery is never done. You have to stay engaged, curious and willing to admit you don't know everything, so you can learn more to be your best. Dedicating yourself to the lifelong discipline of practice outlined in GROUNDED allows you to see what works and most importantly stay in tune with what grounds you at every turn of your journey.

The questions change as people move through their lives. In their twenties, people wonder where to begin. In their thirties, people wonder if they are headed in the right direction. In their forties, they may begin to wonder if this is all there is. And in their fifties and beyond, they wonder what should happen next chapter. This notion of being grounded isn't about age, it's about attitude. Your life will have impact. Choices will be made. GROUNDED is dedicated to building the skill so you decide, not someone else. Your life is simply too important to leave it to chance. And if you choose to lead others, GROUNDED is dedicated to inspiring others to be their best because you have done the work to understand how to lead first yourself and now others.

About this title

From the Author

It was a long journey and full of new learnings. After all, I had never done this before, so it took extra time to figure things out. It required me to go bump in the night and fight the temptation to give up because it was so hard. The voice in my head challenged me to consider whether it was worth it and whether it would matter. I knew if it was going to be done, I wanted to do it right. My speed wasn't the goal; I wanted to produce a product that added value to the lives of the reader. So I learned to practice patience. And with the gift of time there is a treasure, isn't that true? The time allowed me to spend more time to refine the stories, practice the approach in new settings, and build my mastery of being grounded. The diligence in the editing process forced me to be clear even when I was sure that I had done it. In this process you create an experience for the reader so the focus is on the message and not the process of reading.Writing this book also challenged me to walk my talk of bringing a talented group together to get their feedback. It required me to truly listen, embrace their perspective, and refine my approach. Saying and doing this are two entirely different things--another easy-to-say-hard-to-do thing in life. The subject was personal; however, the impact was designed to be universal, working to be clear about why I wrote the book, who was my target, and what was my expectation of the book took time. The process of who to assemble was critical. Everybody can make a difference in the world but no one can do it alone. The book needed the diversity to explore the edges of the message. Yet it needed the ability to collaborate and build on each other's perspectives. It needed the time to invest in really reading the manuscript and the time to ponder the message. And it needed leaders who could participate but not in their own self-interest. It helped me practice humility, leverage diversity, and embrace the potential of this book to the greater good. For me, the conversations about the book have led to some interesting places. And the messages and exercises contained in the book have helped in every case. From young professionals navigating their lives and careers to seasoned executives considering their next chapter plans, the concept of being grounded has brought new insight. For C-suite executives focused on talent development and engaging the talent of the millennial generation to entrepreneurial founders worried about how they raise the bar on their organizations and get out of the way without losing control, it has showed a way forward. For leaders looking to expand their capacity to embrace diversity as a point of difference versus a point of weakness and truly understand the gifts they have to offer to others so they can do the same. For education leaders worried about reimagining education of our youth and their approach to building skills for the twenty-first century as well as adults focused on intentional development of their skills to stay relevant. For leaders facing the dynamic marketplace changes and the need for innovation. The work of understanding yourself has never been more essential to lead innovation and change. You need to be fully grounded to lead others, or you risk getting in your own way and stopping the very progress that you're trying to lead. It supports innovation and change for you personally and for others in the organizations you serve. The work in this book enables powerful conversations to address these real-world conundrums in a way that builds agility to meet the future with open arms. Anything is possible if you believe you have to do the work personally first, and then you can lead others. I want to say thank you for spending time with this book. I hope it has inspired you to do the work of being grounded, to practice being a student of you everyday, and to lead so others can see what is possible in their life too.

About the Author

Nancy M. Dahl's professional career spans five industries with sales ranging from $20 Million to $750 Million. The largest included 20,000 employees, seven manufacturing plants, over 200 field offices and in excess of 700 retail operations in North America. In addition, she serves on both Corporate and Non Profit Board of Directors. Nancy has been asked to share her expertise in Leadership, Leading Change, Innovation and Professional Development across the nation for a wide range of business and educational audiences. Her blog, nancymdahl.com reaches a global audience dedicated to leading their life with intention. Now, her work is dedicated to speaking, writing, coaching and consulting with people and organizations dedicated to do the work of becoming their best. She has been recognized as "one of 25 Women to Watch in Business", honored as a Distinguished Alumni for her career accomplishments and as a Community Leader for her dedication to mentoring others. She earned her undergraduate degree at Gustavus Adolphus College, Graduate Degree at University of St. Thomas, and is also a graduate of the University of Minnesota Executive Program. In addition, she has earned numerous professional certifications including an Advanced Board Fellowship Certificate from the National Association of Corporate Directors. She has been married for over 30 years to Brian. Together they enjoy life's adventures with their boys Erik and Jorgen, both graduates of South Dakota State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: MCP Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1545610339
• ISBN 13: 9781545610336
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 294