Posts by Reba Schumacher, PCC, M. Ed.
Treasures in a Seat Back Pocket
Recently as I was flying across the country, I was caught in that space and time when passengers are asked to power off their devices. Going for even a few minutes without something to read seemed unthinkable, so I reached for the airline magazine in the pocket in front of me. It fell open to…
Read MoreHow Do We Move From Asking to Action
One of my favorite radio programs is Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me. Each week the show’s producers select several listeners for each show and call them to appear on the program, playing various games featuring questions based on the week’s news. In most cases, the contestants receive a bit of latitude in getting the correct…
Read MoreThe Question of the Grandmother
“Sooner or later, like it or not, you’ll be faced with challenging questions – so why not get in the habit of asking them sooner?” -Warren Berger As a coach leader, I never tire of hearing those four little words, “That’s a good question.” Coaches are often asked, “How do you know what questions to…
Read MoreTrust: The Foundation of Leadership
Trust is an elusive thing. It takes a long time to capture, yet we can lose it forever with one tiny slip. One instance of thoughtless behavior can drive another away from us forever. As a coach leader, how often do you assess your levels of trust? A friend tells the story of returning to…
Read MoreWhose Job is it Anyway?
Whose responsibility is it to build trust in a leader-follower relationship? The leader! It’s up to the leader to make the first move to earn the trust of his/her followers. Not only does the leader have to earn trust, the leader has to grant trust to others so they feel empowered to act responsibly and with…
Read MorePinkie Swear
My friend, John Wink, is a respected school leader and a stand-out colleague. One of the things I admire most about John is his capacity to share his experiences and wise leadership. Recently he tweeted a self-authored article titled the Five Fingers of Leadership. I was especially intrigued with his description of the pinkie’s role…
Read MoreMindset of a Coach Leader
In their book Multipliers, Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown write that leaders who are multipliers “…operate from a belief that talent exists everywhere and they can use it at its highest if they can simply identify the genius in people.” As I read the above sentence, it strikes me that leaders who have truly internalized…
Read MoreThe Essential “Mindset” of a Coach Leader
It’s almost inevitable. Those we lead get excited about their goals and plans and begin the work it takes to implement their ideas. Then, over time, they begin to encounter bumps and naysayers along the way. Just when they are about to achieve something remarkable, they give up, discouraged by their doubters. It has been…
Read MoreHow Are You Leading for Results?
Some high schools have begun a tradition each spring of posting in a highly visible area of the school’s lawn a straight line of simple signs with the names of colleges and universities where their graduates have been accepted for fall enrollment. So imagine for a moment driving by a school and seeing that row…
Read MoreWhich Door Will You Open?
Sitting across the restaurant table from Ava, I could see her eyes cloud with pain when I asked about her topic for today’s coaching conversation. She systematically chewed her bottom lip, sucked in a long-ragged breath, and plunged in, “My adult niece asked to move in with me for six months and I’m already regretting…
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