February is often referred to as the month of LOVE! This is the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and acknowledge our affection for those who hold special places in our lives and in our hearts. The holiday draws our attention to the concept of love in a romantic sense. But did you know there is a Love Language for the workplace?

Ah – the beginning of another new year! The excitement of new possibilities, a blank slate and the chance for new beginnings is almost euphoric. New Year, New You??? Not me! I don’t feel the need to commit to creating a new me. I’m not into the traditional psychological seesaw of New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t get me wrong. I know making these resolutions is important for many and I support my friends and colleagues who choose to do so. For me, I want to be a better version of myself in 2025 and I will choose to pursue a slightly different approach.

I enjoy all four seasons of the year – ok, well maybe not so much the heat and humidity of summer in the South 😊 – but I especially love fall!  The vibrant colors, the cool crisp mornings, and the start of sweater weather usher us into the last quarter of the year.  While this is a beautiful season with lots of festivities and several major holidays, it can also be one of the most stressful times in the workplace and in our personal lives.  Project deadlines, quarterly or end-of-year metrics to achieve, or last-minute requests to take on additional work are common.  Requests to attend social functions, host events, or plan family gatherings are abundant in our personal lives. This is the time of year when we are most susceptible to overcommitment.

Got Milk?® Chances are this visual resonates with many of you, especially if you’re from my generation! The iconic logo launched in the early 1990s as part of an advertising campaign to encourage the consumption of milk and dairy products. Since then, the trademark has been licensed to food and merchandise companies across the nation for almost 30 years now with unwavering popularity. It is a powerful property with a reported 90% awareness and recognition as noted by the Got Milk?® Website.

Do you ever stop to reflect on your leadership style? What is your style? How did you get to be who you are as a leader? Chances are you learned about the various traditional styles of leadership during your formal educational trajectory or through professional development initiatives. Chances are also that you embraced some of these styles or elements of each and incorporated them into your style for a “test drive.” I know I certainly did.