May You Experience Peace and Joy

Cathie Leimbach • December 21, 2021

The festive season has arrived! Bright lights and appealing decorations are all around us! The air is full of happy celebration!


Peace and joy are abundant in the communities around us. Are you feeling this peace and joy in your heart, at work, and at home?


When people like their work they are more productive and have a more positive life experience. One of the main contributors to people liking their job is that they are making a difference at work because their job matters and they are doing their job well. When people are confident in these areas, they feel valued and stable, giving them a sense of peace about their livelihood.


Another contributor to people liking their job is having friendly relationships at work. When someone is appreciated and feels comfortable appreciating others, when workplace colleagues trust each other, and when coworkers smile and regularly greet each other in a friendly manner, they experience joy and contentment at work. And these positive emotions spill over into their personal lives.


If your workplace is a place of peace and joy, continue to be a leader who positively impacts the environment around you. If this isn’t your work experience, what can you do to inject positivity and appreciation so you and others can start experiencing peace and joy at work.


Thinking about being positive and appreciating the diversity of people around me brings back wonderful memories of enthusiastic sing-alongs at Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario events. Hundreds of teens and young adults expressed peace and joy as we sang the following chorus written by Paul and Ralph Colwell.


Up! Up with people! You meet ‘em wherever you go,
Up! Up with people! They’re the best kind of folks we know.
If more people were for people, All people ev’rywhere,
There’d be a lot less people to worry about, And a lot more people who care.


Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!



May you experience peace and joy and be a source of peace and joy for others.  

Three Small Shifts That Change Everything

By Cathie Leimbach • March 24, 2026
You don’t need to make big changes in your leadership practices to get better results. Often, it’s small shifts in everyday leadership conversations that quietly change how work gets done. Here are three that work: 1. Make priorities clear Start meetings by stating current priorities. That creates focus right away and helps conversations stay on topic. 2. Ask instead of solve Instead of answering an employee’s questions, ask, “What are your suggestions?” Such questions encourage employee thinking and stronger follow-through. 3. Hold short monthly one-on-one check-ins Meeting with each employee one-on-one allows the regular review of goals, progress, and obstacles. These short conversations surface issues early and keep everyone aligned. These small habits keep teams steady and focused. Your challenge this month: Pick one shift and try it. Notice what changes in clarity, buy-in, or accountability. Sometimes the difference between teams that struggle and teams that move smoothly comes down to a few simple leadership conversations happening consistently. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation on March 30th at 3:00 PM to see how small shifts in everyday leadership conversations can quickly improve clarity, ownership, and results.

From Performance Problems to Possibilities

By Cathie Leimbach • March 17, 2026
Most leaders can list what’s wrong fast: missed deadlines, uneven effort, or teams that seem capable of more. The bigger shift happens when leaders stop asking, “What’s broken?” and start asking, “What’s possible if we lead differently?” Limits like time, budget, and pressure are common. The resulting overwhelm is reduced when leaders get clear about what really matters. Strong leaders respond to these limits by focusing on priorities, simplifying decisions, and actively guiding their teams. Often, the shift begins with better leadership conversations. The right conversations clarify expectations, surface issues early, and help people take ownership before small problems grow into bigger ones. When leaders create space for clear, honest dialogue, teams stop guessing and start moving forward. Performance improves when leaders: Get clear instead of assuming Address issues early through direct conversations Set priorities people can follow Notice and praise progress, don’t comment only on mistakes These small, steady choices create momentum. We often hear questions like: “How do we stop reacting?” “What if our team is capable but inconsistent?” “How do we improve without burning people out?” Those questions point to opportunities for growth. Don’t think of them as failure. 👉 Where might your team be guessing instead of knowing? Identify one gap—and use your next conversation to close it.