By Sunday Tollefson MBA, PMP®

The act of celebrating, according to Merriam-Webster, means to perform a ceremony publicly and with appropriate rites, by refraining from ordinary business, marking with festivities or deviation from routine." We certainly celebrate in our lives, but do we celebrate enough? (No.) And can we use celebration to drive our career?  (Yes.) If the answer is yes, who should we celebrate and, specific to professional women, why is it so important?

In this article, you'll learn nine reasons why we should spend more time celebrating and 15 simple ways to celebrate others, along with several real-world examples of celebrations and their outcomes.  

Why should we celebrate achievements? 

1. When it comes to leadership, role modeling both team and individual celebrations improves team morale and develops a positive culture. This is a great way to inspire your team and community. As a bonus, someone might choose to celebrate you...

By Sunday Tollefson, MBA, PMP®

"Being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are." - Michelle Obama, 2012 

Today we are going to dive into crisis leadership.  How does a crisis change leaders? Why does demonstrating leadership in a crisis set you apart from your peers?  This is important information you need to know to set yourself up for success in the future.  

As I write this, we are smack in the middle of a shelter-in-place order in many places including my own state. We have a pandemic on our hands. Almost every industry has been dramatically impacted thanks to the virus.   

You may notice that there is a different style of leadership coming into play right now, in your business, in your company, in your residential community, your family, your government.  

You likely also see faces that are new to you, who are providing information and instructions to you and your peers, colleagues, or...

By Sunday Tollefson, MBA, PMP® 

This week's microlearning subject is the sixth in a nine-part series from the book "How to be a Star Performer at Work: Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed," by Robert E. Kelley. 

The sixth strategy is LEADERSHIP.

But not the leadership you might be thinking of. This leadership is the kind that comes without a title and exists in small, consistent behaviors that move the right needle forward on your career.

Coined as "Little L Leadership," this work style focuses on optional productive leadership in lieu of an imposed management-assigned structure.  This type of leadership is conferred voluntarily by your colleagues, who grow to respect for at least one of three areas: knowledge, people skills, and momentum. 

Knowledge is displayed as functional expertise, perspective expertise, or process expertise.

People skills are demonstrated by understanding coworker needs, skills, aspiration, ad power - plus singling them...

By Sunday Tollefson, MBA, PMP® 

This week's micro-learning subject is the fifth of a nine-part series from the book "How to Be a Star at Work: 9 Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed" by Robert E. Kelley.

The fifth strategy is FOLLOWERSHIP.

Studies show that only 10% of organizational outcomes are attributable to leadership. That means a whopping 90% of outcomes are thanks to the followers. Star performers know how to capitalize on this metric and become star followers. In a leadership frenzy world, they learn to check their egos at the door and instead of leading, lead in "assists." Key aspects of followership for star performers include: Being proactive, being a fact finder, being an advice seeker, being a system player, being persuasive, being courageous, and being a follower. Watch the video to learn more about each of these tactics.

Want a deeper dive on this and other micro-learnings? Join the Inspired Success for Women private Facebook group. Be sure to...

By Sunday Tollefson, MBA, PMP® 

Is there a disagreement at work that is blocking project or initiative that matters to you? How can you facilitate a solution?

Conflict Resolution is a skill that not only solves problems; it also builds trust. This precious trust gives you a significant ability to influence others. When you can influence others, you can lead. All effective leaders are effective influencers. Let's get you leading by demonstrating your ability to influence!

Here are a few points you don't want to miss when resolving a conflict at work. 

• Have you missed any impacted or relevant stakeholders? 
• Have you built the parties' trust in your ability to help prior to agreeing to the resolution process? 
• Do the parties desire a resolution?
• Do the parties have a common goal?
• Have you set expectations for the resolution seeking process?
• Have you listened without judgement and restated positions to test for understanding?
• Have the parties brainstormed...