Cynthia D’Amour on Leadership and Life

   And needed to cool down a bit.
Recently talked to the chair of a fundraising project.

There was debate if they would make numbers needed.
Ticket sales were slower than usual.
The board was putting heat on her.

She and her team had put hours into the event.

They were totally committed to success.
And couldn’t believe others didn’t fall in [...]

Filed under: Board challenges, Savvy Leadership | No Comments »

   If you want a good one!
I’m sitting at my Jr. League meeting.

Just heard a speaker talk about early childhood research.
Time for table chats.
We were to talk what we still wondered about.

A woman at our table shared her concern.

Her oldest child was 3 years old.
It was time to find preschool.
She was overwhelmed by choices.

Which was [...]

Filed under: Board challenges, Recruiting New Members | 2 Comments »

  For she is She.
Raindrop is a pretty intelligent girl.

She knows her name.
She knows we sometimes call her “the dog.”
Until this weekend, we didn’t realize she also knew about “She” too.

James and I were talking and used “she” in a sentence.

I noticed Raindrop’s ears perking up.
She heard she again.
Began wagging her tail.

We were talking about a [...]

Filed under: Adventures of Raindrop, Savvy Leadership | No Comments »

  And thick blood?
I’m in Sanibel Island, Florida today.

It’s gorgeous.
Sunny with clear skies.
Beautiful beach.

The high maybe 50 degrees.

I think I’m in heaven.
It was -14 in Ann Arbor this morning.
This is a heatwave for me!

Meanwhile the locals are mourning in pain.

It’s freezing.
Their heavy coats aren’t enough.
Why is it so horrible out?

Who is right?

I say all of us.
It’s [...]

Filed under: Board challenges, Savvy Leadership | 1 Comment »

   As if.
Today I got an email from my new replacement sales contact.

I didn’t know who my original sales rep was.
I attended one of their seminars 10 years ago.
Aside from periodic emails, nothing.

I wasn’t sure how to react to the email introduction.

Happy I was worthy of a bulk mail introduction?
That they had remembered me?
(It wasn’t [...]

Filed under: Board challenges, Getting More Members Involved | No Comments »

   For talking to James.
Yesterday, James and I had a progressive lunch in Ann Arbor.

We ate our main course at Jerusalem Garden.
Fabulous lentil soup.
Enjoyed their new decor.

Walking back to the car we decided to stop at another place for desert.

We saw a fairly new coffee shop.
The sun was streaming in the window.
An empty table called our name.

We [...]

Filed under: Getting More Members Involved, Recruiting New Members | 3 Comments »