Looking Through the Turn

Elise shares the story of learning to ride a motorcycle and how that changed the way she thought about life and leadership. She also explains a fundamental principle of motorcycling called "looking through the turn" and the powerful metaphor it is for leaders. 

How to Think More Strategically

The constant swirl of day-to-day activities can cloud the thinking of even the most strategic leader. I've experienced this countless times. I'm sure you have, too. 

But as leaders, we must know when and how to rise above the chaos to see our organization, our challenges and our opportunities more clearly. If you can't see the bigger picture, you can't effectively manage it. 

This video shares powerful takeaways to help you see more clearly and demonstrate your strategic thinking prowess.

What to Say When You Don't Know

"We have this problem. What are we going to do?" You've probably been asked this question a thousand times by a teammate, an executive, or a customer/client who brings an urgent issue to you.

Many times, you have solutions. But what happens when you don't? Should you fake it? Make a snap decision? Will you lose respect, credibility – or business -- if others figure out you don't know?

One of the darkest places a leader can find themselves is standing in front of others and not having the answer. In this short video, I share a story of a crucial time I came face-to-face with not knowing, and how I handled it.

How to Achieve Your Goals through Positive Thinking

The key to achieving positive thinking starts with knowing how to master your own thoughts. In this video, Elise shares specifically how a "toward" or an "away" mindset can impact your ability to set and achieve goals, overcome challenges, and lead through change.

Achieving Results in Your Career

I'm a destination person by nature. In business and family life, I like to know where I'm going and how I'm getting there. Does this sound familiar? 

I have reached many destinations that I've set my sights on. And perhaps the biggest and brightest was the privilege of building a business from scratch and selling it to a global organization. 

But there came a point when I learned that the journey matters as much as the destination. And that only in being myself, did I have the opportunity to lead at my best.

Business Rockstars Interview

Have you experienced a time in your life where all you thought about was work? Perhaps you have a clear destination for your career and the drive to get there, but you've forgotten how to enjoy the ride?

Nearly every leader I know faces this dilemma. And when our ambition goes into overdrive, it seems like everything – and everyone – else around us suffers.

I was in this same spot several years ago. And although it's OK to be a destination leader, it can't be all you're about. There's so much more to life. And if you're missing it, something needs to change.

In this interview with Business Rockstars, I share how I discovered a new way to live and lead that has made all the difference. It starts with a journey mindset.

Failure as a Chance to Learn

No matter how hard we try, we're bound to stumble every now and then. 

New opportunities can come when you least expect them, but you must stay open and willing to consider new things. This requires you to set aside the negative emotions and thoughts that can cloud your ability to listen intently and identify potential. 

Setbacks will happen. The real question is how will you as a leader, respond when they do?

How to Be Unique in Your Career

So many leaders today seem to be the same. I believe that to be truly effective as a leader, there's got to be something different and special about you. Sometimes we may think we need to look like everyone else. But I don't think that's true at all. I believe that it is much more compelling to be unique and different. 

There must be something different as a leader that makes people want to choose you. But the trick is, you must be you. Know yourself, and dare to be yourself in you do.

How to Make the Journey Matter

One of the things that holds us back is our fear of the unknown and our anxiety about what might happen. We come up with plan B and plan C. It's OK to have plans for things but you must accept that you won't ever really know what's going to happen. That's part of it.

Being a journey-minded leader means you're willing to live with the tension of uncertainty and tell yourself, "I don't really know what's going happen, but I am talented and capable enough to learn as I go. I've got smart people around me who will help me, and I know I can figure out what I don't know once I'm moving forward."

In this video, I share a time when I didn't have it all figured out. I had to learn to say, "I don't know, but I'm not going to end the sentence there. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to figure it out."