Lynn Carnes

Burnout Or Recovery?

Have you found yourself wishing there was more time? Time to do the things you know you need to do? When is the last time you took a moment to really rest? And no, I’m not talking about when you rested because you got sick and had to go to bed for a day. There […]

Promises are the Gold Nuggets of Work

Virtually every time I facilitate a program, whether for team looking to improve their alignment and performance or a variety of leaders transforming their lives through self awareness, one word comes up almost every time. Communication. Lack of it has killed more deals and relationships than you can count. Too much of it…well, I’ve never

A Better Response to Fear? Skills

Last week I did a short workshop with the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce to kick off a Woman in Business Series. Our topic? Using Fear to Thrive and Grow. These courageous women tackled the topic of fear in a profound way. Fear is an interesting topic – because it’s like eating. We need fear

When Disappointment Strikes!

Missing an appointment with an IBM Selectric Typewriter most likely changed the whole trajectory of my life. It’s truly mind-boggling to realize that such a small thing made such a huge difference. I was in high school, and my teacher had signed up me and several other students for a typing contest in a town

Flawless Execution…or Go for Greatness

In my banking days, one our most closely held values was flawless execution. It may not have been printed up in an official list of values – but I can tell you this: it was a very real expectation. In reality, flawless execution is corporate-speak for perfectionism. For many years, I was a good “soldier’

Here We Go Again

What is the thing we want more than anything else in the world – and yet we don’t want it at all? In my experience, that would be change. It’s as if our brains somehow think that the order of the universe is stability and equilibrium. Nothing could be further from the truth. The order

What’s Inside of YOU?

We interrupt the regularly scheduled blog post to bring you this moment of inspiration. Last week I hosted a “Create Your Life” workshop in which we increased clarity and set intentions for the life we truly want to live. We used Vision Boards and Vision Books as our medium – but it was energy of

Is balance even possible?

In one of my recent workshops, a very successful businessman was struggling with balance. He adores his wife and children and also has a hugely demanding job that includes long hours and travel. He came into the session wanting mostly to find a way to produce that elusive dream of “work/life” balance. His high achieving

A Thanksgiving Reflection On Fire

You started with a spark, shooting a small column of smoke surrounded by the driest forest. Right on the edge of a cliff, you danced and waved as the calls started pouring in. The helicopter was upon you within hours, yet you carried on.  Boats lined up for the show, filled with people wondering how anyone could

Optionality And The Prison Of Choice

  Choice is a good thing, right?  I’ve built my entire life around keeping my options open, in the name of “freedom.”  Recently I’ve been reminded that too many options can be as bad – maybe worse – as no choices.  So what brought this insight into sharp awareness?  Mahjong.  So how the heck did