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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Nov 13, 2019
- 3 min
Stepping Out of Line
Maria Shriver recently wrote about women she admires who have stepped out of line in one way or another. They included some familiar names: - Greta Thunberg (the 16 year old Swedish student who challenged world leaders to address climate change at the U.N. Climate Action Summit) - Alex Bornstein (the actress whose Emmy award winning speech honored her Holocaust surviving mother) -Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (bringing forth impeachment hearings against President Trump) I
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Oct 21, 2019
- 1 min
Strong People Rarely Have Easy Lives
Albert Einstein has many great quotes that circulate LinkedIn and Facebook. One of my personal faves is: If you're a go getter, if your inner drive strives for more, if you've had challenges that keep you wondering, the difficulty that flows soon ebbs. But it helps us grow, it helps us learn, and most importantly it strengthens our resilience factor. The human spirit is one that speaks of perseverance and flexibility. Think about the times when you have been knocked down. The
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Oct 8, 2019
- 4 min
Progress Over Perfection
Earlier in my career as a school administrator, my focus was on perfection. Make sure to do it right. Every time. At times, it was more process over people and I aimed to get things right at all costs. Thank goodness that was MUCH earlier in my career. There is wisdom that comes with time and experiences, and in that time, much of what I learned was the importance of progress over perfection. The younger me would have processed in ways that sounded like: - I only have one att
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Sep 17, 2019
- 3 min
Rewriting Your Narrative
Much of our lives are spent trying to get to that next level....middle school, high school, college, graduate school, the first job, the next job, marriage, children, the next job. And most of us didn't do things in quite that order. But life really is so much about going and going and going. As I approach another birthday, I've paused to explore where I've been and where I want to go. The majority of the journey is about the narrative that is crafted and honed along the way.
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Aug 26, 2019
- 3 min
Bouncing Back from Rejection
re·jec·tion /rəˈjekSH(ə)n/ noun: rejection; plural noun: rejections the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc. synonyms:refusal, nonacceptance, declining, turning down, no, dismissal, spurning, rebuff, kick in the teeth Kick in the teeth? Ouch! But if you've experienced rejection in the professional realm, that's a seemingly realistic descriptor. Rejection isn't the end of our stories. They help us to grow and they remind us that taking risks isn't always easy but h
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Aug 13, 2019
- 3 min
Learn to Love Your Learning Curves
In this week's edition of "A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership," the focus is on learning to love your learning curves. Does like make you feel a little better than love? We can all learn to like taking on something new, or even doing something for the first time. Think yoga, boba tea, running a half marathon, taking on a new project with a huge learning curve, or meditating. The first time.....maybe your face scrunched up and you thought "Really? All this for that?" A
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jul 30, 2019
- 2 min
Is it so Hard to be Kind?
I believe in kindness. But there are days when the world doesn't seem so kind. Twenty four hours ago there was a senseless shooting in Gilroy, California - a mass shooting that feels like so many other shootings that, as of today, are happening at a rate of more than one a day. As the evening pressed on, many of my fellow Gilroy High School graduates messaged to process, always ending with how much we care about each other. It got me to wonder about kindness and caring. Can w
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jul 16, 2019
- 2 min
How to Use Mantras While Running
Would you like to start a run with a little simplicity and focus? Need to head out with clarity of purpose that helps you be laser focused? Time to use a phrase to inspire your run. And there’s a pretty basic way to do it. One phrase. Your mantra. A mantra is a phrase or a singular word that adds belief and power to get you through discomfort, pain, or even boredom while running. Think of phrases that make you feel strong and focused. Maybe it’s a verse from a song. Maybe it’
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jul 16, 2019
- 3 min
The Dreaded "C" Word
There aren’t many words that can bring a seasoned runner to her or his knee faster than the dreaded “C” word. Chafing. Just reading it makes me cringe. If you’re fortunate to have not dealt with it this far in your running career, congratulations. And if you drew the short stick, as I did last weekend, let me pain be your knowledge gain. Chafing is awful. It is painful, it can be difficult to treat, it is often in unmentionable areas, and it can get infected. Scared yet? Read
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jun 3, 2019
- 2 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: Being Brave
What does being brave really mean? I was recently reading a book that referenced the bravery of the character in the way she overcame adversity, how she didn't let others dim her sparkle, how she moved beyond feeling that she needed to be perfect and invincible. And it got me to thinking......how do you strengthen those skills? It's much like the question - how do you teach students about resiliency and grit? Reshma Saujani in the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Girls Who Co
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Apr 8, 2019
- 1 min
Branding Your District
This week's post is a little different than the rest, simply because I wanted to stay current with what I'm doing. I'll be presenting with a newer colleague in Ohio at the Ohio Superintendent Leadership Academy with the world-renowned Trish Rubin. A very special friend taught me an invaluable lesson about a year ago - there are no unintended conversations. Trish is living proof of that. Our paths crossed at the Women's Leadership Conference this past fall in Newport Beach. Sh
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Apr 1, 2019
- 2 min
The Power of the Pack
I'm not going to apologize in advance that I'm going to talk about women in leadership. It's part of my mantra, and I'm also learning to STOP apologizing. But I digress.... Over the last ten years or so since I started working to resurrect the Women's Leadership Network with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), the nation's largest administrative organization, I've learned a lot about leadership, women, challenges with women, lifting each other, and mor
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Mar 26, 2019
- 3 min
The Danger of Silence
A lot has been said about the importance of speaking up to injustices, unfairness, unethical behavior, and more. In the current era of politics and the state of our nation in general, I think the "speaking up" movement has gained momentum...especially with #metoo issues. But speaking up isn't just about what goes on in the nation. When we apply the actions to our work lives, innate challenges arise. What if I speak up? Will it cost me my job? Will I be able to find another jo
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Mar 11, 2019
- 3 min
International Women's Day
Friday was International Women’s Day….and it gave many friends and I time to pause over the weekend and reflect on our experiences as women and with women. Yes, go ahead and poke a little fun at that phrase, as there is no way to really experience anything in a role other than that as a female, but you get where I’m going. A few of us gathered for a run on Sunday morning, mostly women but a few men sprinkled through our group that hung together for an hour. As we wound our wa
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Feb 4, 2019
- 3 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: Lead Like a Girl
Growing up, I was a tomboy in every sense of the word. I was sent to the principal's office for playing tackle football in middle school (still not sure how it was okay for the boys but not the girls). I followed men's professional sporting teams religiously and analyzed data from the newspaper a few days a week. My favorite clothes were always what I was able to stealthily remove from my brother's drawers and closet. But being a female in a realm of school leadership that da
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jan 15, 2019
- 3 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: Power Hours?
Sometimes I blog over the weekend, and sometimes I leave it for early Monday morning (very early, like way before I need to get ready for work). And when I do too much on Sunday, that Monday morning wake-up becomes a bit more challenging.
That's what happened yesterday. I was tired and I didn't take into account what my power hours would be for a Monday, or at least that particular Monday. Have you heard of personal power hours? It's a really cool and valid concept - there
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Jan 8, 2019
- 2 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: Being Goodish
A few months ago, I learned a new phrase - being goodish. It didn't take much reflection to realize that this phrase rocks. Really. But what it really means and stands for is so much more. As a working mom, I can say that I've struggled with that balance in life - trying to be all to everyone and to myself at the same time. Possible? No. Then there's that word perfect that we've all decided to retire, unless we are talking about an Olympic gymnastic score or if we're referrin
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Dec 18, 2018
- 2 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: Anticipation
I love the anticipation that comes with the holidays....vacations....time with the kids off school...the new year ahead. Maybe its the fresh scent of the cut Christmas tree in the living room, or the vision board I know I'll create for the 2019. And sometimes I wonder if its just the new start that comes with a new year. Yes, resolutions may come and go, but that newness always returns every year. The Dutch have a word for that special anticipation that comes with a big event
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Dr. Lisa Gonzales
- Dec 10, 2018
- 3 min
A Coffee Break of Inspirational Leadership: #YouAreNotAlone
Dear Evan Hansen recently arrived in San Francisco and wow...just wow. Was fortunate to see it last night with friends and it was as good as I expected. Maybe better. Having listened to the soundtrack for the last year or so meant I was singing along (quietly) to a performance where I didn't really know the story line. Sure, the lyrics helped with my insights, but the real message was about a number of someones who, during the course of the two acts, emerged as souls feeling
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