Leadership Qualities: Keep Calm and Carry  Lead On. By Desiree Grace   “Control your emotions and actions,” said Chad Williams, a former Navy SEAL, while discussing the importance of self-control in leadership. I couldn't agree more. A leader sets the tone for their team, whether they choose to fight, flee, freeze, or, even worse, panic. There is tremendous value in emotional self-discipline and keeping calm, even in the most challenging circumstances. It’s not easy, but it is achievable. We’ve all seen this popular poster, created in 1939, to keep the British people motivated when under threat of air attacks. The situations we face are not quite as dire, but the point remains. Let’s talk about three ways you can keep calm and demonstrate self-control when dealing with challenging work situations. Imagine an important customer is involved in a tense negotiation, and the situation escalates, raises his voice, pounds his fist on the conference room table, and makes derog...

Forget the Crystal Ball: Future-Proof Your Business Using Your  AQ                        By Desiree Grace, Special Projects Consultant   Does anybody out there have a crystal ball? A tried-and-true way of forecasting the future? In the movies, a fortune-teller always sees the future using a crystal ball. With the numerous changes on the horizon, especially after the election, we recognize there are also changes we cannot see. In the supply chain, both manufacturer and distributor and rep agents are watching carefully to see what our new president and his team do. One thing we know is that as organizations and professionals, we need to try our best to prepare.   One way to plan is to build your Adaptability Quotient, aka your “AQ.” What the heck is AQ? Well, it’s a form of intelligence, part of a three-legged stool, along with IQ (general intelligence) and EQ (emotional intelligence). It is the ability to...