
GUIDED JOURNAL
Do you want to start journaling but need a little help getting your thoughts flowing? Check back here every Monday for a journal prompt. Thank you to our book club members for this idea! Some of the prompts will connect to current our past book club learnings. You don't need to be in the book club to address every prompt, but we'd love you to join us to delve deeper into your leadership practice. Click the button to register!
Sep 23
We're getting ready to kick off our women's leadership book study! Part of the program includes working with an accountability partner. How does having an accountability partner benefits leaders?
Sep 16
What’s a book that inspired you to make a change? How has this impacted you and your leadership practice?
Sep 9
In what ways can you strengthen your connections with other leaders to foster collaboration and shared learning in your leadership journey?
Sep 2
Reflect on the historical significance of Labor Day: How have the sacrifices and struggles of past workers shaped the rights and dignity of today’s workforce, and what can you, as a leader, do to honor and build upon this legacy?
Aug 26
With the recent buzz around the Super Blue Moon, think about how rare and special events can bring people together. How can you create or recognize unique moments within your team to boost morale and strengthen connections?
Aug 19
Think about a time you attended a really good meeting. What made it successful? How have you or can you incorporate those successes into your own leadership practice?
Aug 12
What are three things you’re looking forward to this week?
Aug 5
We're sticking with an Olympics theme this week! What leadership skills are required to be a good coach? Are different skills required to coach elite athletes, like the Olympians giving it their all in Paris? How can you apply these skills to your leadership practice?
July 29
The Olympics have begun! If you could compete in any sport, which would you choose and why?
July 22
After a poor debate performance, voters and legislators began to lose faith in Joe Biden, prompting him to suspend his presidential reelection campaign. As a leader, what would you have done in his situation? What factors would you consider when making your decision?
July 15
Take a break!
July 8
How do you like to start the day? Take a moment to reflect on your morning routine. What’s working for you? What should you change? If you don’t have a morning routine, think about the habits that help you feel refreshed, energized, and focused on what matters most. Prepare to have a great day!
July 1
Steve Jobs said, "If you want to make everyone happy, don't be a leader. Sell ice cream." What's one time you had to make a decision that did not make others happy? Was it the right decision? If you could go back, would you change your decision? Take some time to reflect in your journal, then go get some ice cream!
June 24
Reflect on a recent significant organizational change, considering your emotions, communication strategies, decision-making process, team impact, and personal growth, and identify one key insight or lesson to enhance your future leadership during times of change.
June 17
Check out this article on the Candid blog about nonprofit organizations. Whether or not you work in a nonprofit, how does diversity play a role in your organization’s leadership structure? Is there a takeaway from the article you will apply to your leadership practice?
June 10
What’s on your summer reading list? List a couple of books you’d like to read just for fun at the top of a couple of pages of your journal. As you read them, go back to the pages you assigned in your journal and note some of the leadership lessons you noticed in your beach/pool/vacay reads!
June 3
What type of life do you want to live professionally and personally?
May 27
Create a mantra that will help you reach a professional or personal goal. Write it down, put it in a prominent place, and read it out load to yourself every day.
May 20
This week's guided journal prompt comes from James Clear's 3-2-1 newsletter: "Unspoken boundaries often cause frustration. What is one area of your life where you would benefit from having clearer boundaries, but haven't voiced them yet?”
May 13
Vincent Van Gogh wrote in an 1885 letter, "I am always doing what I can't do yet in order to learn how to do it." What’s something you can’t do yet? What steps are you taking to learn?
May 6
What do you need to rid your daily routine of in order to become a better you?
April 29
Inspired by Legacy: How can you balance professional will and personal humility?
April 22
We know how important it is for our mental and physical to take time off work, but many people feel a sense of dread when it’s time to get back to the office after a break. How do you like to get back into the swing of things? Are your strategies working for you? Check out this Harvard Business Review article if you need inspiration.
April 15
Take a week off!
April 8
Today there was a total solar eclipse! Did you see it? Reflect on your experience with this unique experience. Did you miss it? Reflect on another meaningful, unique experience in your life or reflect on what it was like to miss the eclipse today.
April 1
Here’s another one inspired by Dare to Lead. Draw a one-inch square on a piece of paper and write down the names of everyone whose opinions really matter to you inside the square. Are you surprised by anyone who made it (or didn’t make it) into your square? Do you think you’re in your “square squad” members’ squares? How can you spend less time seeking approval from people whose opinions don’t really matter to you?
March 25
What are your top two core values? If you need ideas, Brene Brown has a great list in Dare to Lead. To what extent are you living and leading these values?
March 18
How would you describe yourself as a leader? Make a list of words and phrases. When you're done with your list, highlight all the descriptors you like in one color and highlight all the descriptors you want to change in another color.
March 11
How are vulnerability and courage linked in leadership?
March 4
What's getting in the way of your leadership? Write a list, write a paragraph, draw a picture, make a voice memo, do whatever you need to do to think through this question.
February 26
Take the Daring Leadership Assessment from Brene Brown’s website - it’s quick. What did you learn about yourself? Did anything surprise you?
February 19
Let’s get visual! Find 3-5 images this week that represent your ideal 2024. These might be old photos, screenshots of memes, or images you come across in your daily life that resonate for you. Keep this images somewhere you can look back on them when you need inspiration.
February 12
Last night was the Super Bowl! Put yourself in the Chiefs’ cleats and think about a time you worked really hard and accomplished something big. What did you learn from your achievement? Now, put yourself in the 49ers’ cleats and think about a time you worked really hard but didn’t achieve your goal. What did you learn from that experience?
February 5
Remember Start with Why? Think about all the ways you lead. Pick one and create your leadership Golden Circle - why you do it, how you do it, and what you do. How does your leadership Golden Circle align with the leadership resolution you set for yourself?
January 29
Write down how you want to feel as a leader this year, then turn those feelings into your resolution that inspires action. For example, “I want to feel productive, motivated, well-rested, and calm under pressure,” could become “In 2024, I want to be a leader who takes control over her calendar and commitments so I allow the right amount of time for work, rest, and personal fulfillment.”