Sharpen your pencils - and your leadership skills
This was always my favorite time of year as a kid.
Summer was winding down. The weather was still warm, but without the oppressive humidity of July in Ohio. You could feel fall coming — crisp mornings, beautiful leaves, apple cider, and hayrides.
But my absolute favorite part?
Back-to-school shopping.
I loved walking down those long store aisles lined with brightly colored notebooks, folders, and erasers. The satisfying rip of velcro on a brand-new Trapper Keeper. The smell of a freshly sharpened #2 pencil. The anticipation of organizing it all neatly in a shiny new backpack, ready to carry me through the year.
Ah…my little learning-loving heart was overflowing.
As an adult, I miss that built-in moment to start fresh. There’s no big “back to work” shopping list when you’re already in the professional world. The end of summer can feel more like a slow fade than a fresh start.
But lately I’ve been wondering… maybe we can still channel that back-to-school energy into our work.
After all, the whole point of back-to-school shopping was making sure you had what you needed to succeed — the right tools, the right resources, the right mindset. That’s just as true for us as leaders.
So this week, I’m doing my own version of school supply shopping — only this time, for leadership:
- Which of my leadership tools could use a refresh?
- What new resources would help me right now?
- Where can I find or build those resources?
Here’s my question for you:
If you could add just one new tool to your leadership backpack right now, what would it be?
While you’re thinking about what’s in your leadership backpack, if you want to explore your leadership tools and growth areas together, I’d love to invite you to a free strategy session.
👉 Grab your strategy session here
Then, stay tuned for next week’s email when I’ll share The Leadership Backpack — a new resource designed to help you carry your leadership skills with confidence and purpose. You won't want to miss it!