What is this site?!

One morning I wrote up a handout for one of my coaching clients and when I finished I thought...

Why not do a bunch of handouts? Or a bunch of articles. I can post them on my site for my clients. I'll give them a password.

Then I thought...

Why have a password? That's so unfriendly. Why not put up my pages for anyone who wants them?

So here we are. But it's going to take some time to write all the pages I have planned. Meanwhile I hope what I've posted so far is worth your visit. And I invite you to stop back from time to time to see what's new.

Two things make me happy about this site. First, I like that my clients can read through my key strategies and principles on an issue for free and then use their coaching time with me to go deeper and make it personal and get their breakthrough.

Second, in this tough economic time, I like giving away some of my favorite strategies to social change leaders who can't afford coaching right now.

Of course, I know this site is not for everyone. Because of who I am there's no way it could be. And I can already guess some of the comments I'm going to get...

"Hey, what's with all the stuff about hearts?"
What can I tell you? That's just me.

If you looked at my home page, you saw the question about living by what's deepest in your heart. I call that my signature question. It came to me when I first started coaching and it's not going away. With each passing year I become even more attached to it.

So the heart theme shows up on many of my pages. Just be glad I didn't use cute heart graphics to decorate the site. At least I spared you that. ♥ ♥ ♥ 

"Jeez, some of these pages are awfully long."
Oh please don't say that. These pages are short! I've worked hard to edit them down from much longer drafts.

I get it that nonprofit leaders have very little time to read, but I don't want to sacrifice substance for speed. Sometimes a few quick bullet points just aren't enough when you're up against complex challenges.

"Whoa, you left out a lot."
You've seen those jacket quotes that say, "This is the only book you'll ever need for....success, money, love, whatever."

My site isn't like that. It's not comprehensive.

I'm focusing on what I believe is the heart of the matter. But there's a lot more to leading than what you'll find on this site.

I think of this as my contribution to the delicious potluck of leadership.

"Dude, you're too intense."
I used to hold myself in check precisely because I believed I was too intense. But I've done my own self-development work and now claim my intensity as a strength.

I am indeed passionate about what matters to me. And I'm much happier living that passion than hiding it. So it's a keeper.

Finally, I'd like to ask you for a favor...

Please don't turn anything I say on any of these pages into a should.

 As you read, please always ask yourself:

Is this something I need?

Is it right for me?

Is it right for me right now?

I urge you to be a critical consumer of information, including mine. Especially mine, because some of what I say is a bit idiosyncratic. Sometimes a lot idiosyncratic.

Please take what I've written only as a starting point. Use it to provoke your own thinking. There's no received wisdom on this site.

It's not that I don't believe in the things I write. I do. I'll stand by them anytime, anywhere. But even at my most passionate and most convinced, still I'm only one person with my own life experience.

And you are still your own person and the leader of your own nonprofit...

So I urge you to always make sure that your decisions come from the inside not from the outside.

And there's one more favor I'd like to ask. If you try out any of my strategies or perspectives and they work for you, would you send me a quick e-mail or give me a call and let me know?

Tell me the story. Make it personal. Include the details. I love details. How did you take care of yourself? How did you claim your power? How did you take what you got here and create something new?

Hearing about your successes, having that kind of sweet connection with kindred spirits, means a lot to me.

Thanks and best wishes....

—Rich

510-663-3555
e-mail

Wondering where to click next?

You can check out
TOP ISSUES
which you'll find on the top right nav bar.

Or you can check out...
Leadership operating systems
which is in a way the core part of the site.

Or if you're curious about coaching...
you can click here.

Or if you can't afford coaching,
here's one way to get help for free...
Asking kindred spirits for support.

PS: Complete confidentiality is part of coaching. Any client deserves it, but I think nonprofit leaders, being so much under the microscope and in the spotlight, have a special need for it.

So when I write up stories and scenarios, and I have a lot of them on this site, I change details, sometimes every single detail. The fiction writer in me takes over. But I want you to know that the spirit and message of each story is absolutely true to life.

© 2008 Rich Snowdon