<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[About Leading]]></title><description><![CDATA[aboutLEADING offers insights and resources for the trenches of real life and leadership from Gary Mayes. ]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:27:25 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.aboutleading.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Finding Your Writing Process]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you are a leader, you are in the communication business. That means, you need a process for putting thoughts into writing. Here's mine.]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/finding-your-writing-process</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6491d372d14c1cc3caf4711e</guid><category><![CDATA[Dev Others]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Competence]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:23:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_d2f3f16e7b054e3da93af18303d9fcd0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Change Is Hard]]></title><description><![CDATA[Twelve months ago, I found myself in the throes of the largest, most disruptive, and personally difficult season of organizational change...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/change-is-hard</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6487f021342dd0c2e28ddf4b</guid><category><![CDATA[Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Competence]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:33:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_c434f1996b404a8091f6a845d5d35560~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Your Sabbatical Can be Healthy for Your Whole Organization]]></title><description><![CDATA[A healthy sabbatical offers an organization--not just a leader--powerful opportunities to take new ground. ]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/your-sabbatical-can-be-healthy-for-your-whole-organization</link><guid isPermaLink="false">647f64c6a2b41f846717ea04</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Dev Others]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:29:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_796c3389ffd94b29b6db8e3c8bc3a358~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Navigating the 4 Phases of a Sabbatical]]></title><description><![CDATA[Four phases are common to a good sabbatical experience, but each one is fraught with temptations that can sabotage the best of intentions.]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/navigating-the-4-phases-of-a-sabbatical</link><guid isPermaLink="false">647550a7bc10387606f04db7</guid><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 30 May 2023 14:32:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_b5c05c216776415da14ff8cd893a6f5c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building Your Sabbatical Plan]]></title><description><![CDATA[There is no magic plan or secret formula for a great sabbatical. However, there is no great sabbatical without a plan. ]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/building-your-sabbatical-plan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">646e82b2ca739c4a04d28d9c</guid><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category><category><![CDATA[Succession]]></category><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2023 22:07:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_a5ffe287316f4a46b71256a92bb3878c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[OFF-RAMPS and ON-RAMPS: The Hidden Secret of a Healthy Sabbatical]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Sabbatical can be an amazing gift, but your your off-ramp from everyday life can ruin it before you start.]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/off-ramps-and-on-ramps-the-hidden-secret-of-a-healthy-sabbatical</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6463a898516a9f02cee3e803</guid><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 16 May 2023 16:24:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_f9d7f65b4725499bb676ed0e7d38f962~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Healthy Sabbaticals Start Here:: GET CLEAR ABOUT YOUR WHY]]></title><description><![CDATA[If your thinking about a sabbatical, this is the place to start.]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/healthy-sabbaticals-start-here-get-clear-about-your-why</link><guid isPermaLink="false">645c2a0a4d873993e4ee8db1</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2023 23:58:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_6ca6d2fadab24850b8ecc863169f429d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_521,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Your Scaffolding Won’t Support You]]></title><description><![CDATA[A strange thing catches people off guard as they get older. The rhythms and practices of self-care that used to support our well-being...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/when-your-scaffolding-won-t-support-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6376e603b8ac6d2460ba73e1</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2022 02:16:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_25638e5be76c4c9c841aaed32f2f04c8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mentoring: What if it isn't hard?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think most of us have been conned into thinking that mentoring is hard. That somehow being a successful mentor is beyond the reach of...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/mentoring-what-if-wasn-t-hard</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62d8d0fbc674c4be6ca8a00d</guid><category><![CDATA[Dev Others]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:05:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_9ac716518a9546fdb83515fda9290fee~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["PLAY" is Not a Four-Letter Word]]></title><description><![CDATA[Okay, yeah, I know it is a four-letter word. But, the point is, too many of us treat the notion of play as something anathema. We see it...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/play-is-not-a-four-letter-word</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61fc139276010b18fbd63d07</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category><category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2022 17:57:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_a69c99e6885b4656a2aab4cfefaaad4b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Avoiding the Graveyard of Good Intentions]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you are like most people, you began the New Year with some thought about goals, possibilities, and dreams of what you’d like to...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/avoiding-the-grave-yard-of-good-intentions</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61eedea156aeff0017fe5f2c</guid><category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category><category><![CDATA[Competence]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:36:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_f25b4238948b40a989f521a6f159ac4d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s Time to Give Away Power]]></title><description><![CDATA[I want to talk about power. No, not the dark side of power nor all the abuses that flow from it—a good topic for another day—but the...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/it-s-time-to-give-away-power</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61e056b1d8d6710016414ba0</guid><category><![CDATA[Dev Others]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Succession]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2022 17:11:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_48be55889d5a4108a811fac34035ccbe~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Do I Lead into the Unknown?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’ll bet you’ve joked, “Is that a light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train?” Leading the way through times of uncertainty...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/how-can-i-lead-through-the-unknown</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61bce5ae7b4521001698d04c</guid><category><![CDATA[Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:56:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_fd4e66d147a5404cbc9fc913942e88c7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_185,h_182,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cure for a Culture of Blame]]></title><description><![CDATA[Maybe it’s the nature of politics. Maybe it’s just part of human nature. Either way, it seems that the public rhetoric of our day is...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/cure-for-a-culture-of-blame</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61a908900794010016022642</guid><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Competence]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2021 18:12:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_4ccd18e9126a479db6f6924fe8214f75~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Question for Immediate Perspective]]></title><description><![CDATA[Perspective is a big deal for me. It marks the difference between good leaders and all the rest. Perspective sorts what’s important from...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/one-question-for-immediate-perspective</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6196b6f674be5e00175af9eb</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2021 20:41:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_b125a27a633940a3911d1eb02bbdaa33~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_195,h_217,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rest Before You Need It]]></title><description><![CDATA[You ever noticed that we equate rest with laziness and glamorize exhaustion as a symbol of significance? I sat with a group of pastors...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/rest-before-you-need-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">618407ca3fda620016b886bc</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2021 17:41:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_84f95dc4517f471dba1fc8d897fc997f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Can I Build Trust?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Does it seem to you like we live in a moment when trust of leaders is at a real low? In politics we are more suspicious than ever. In the...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/how-can-i-build-trust</link><guid isPermaLink="false">617af8bb3f4985001688ef40</guid><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Dev Others]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2021 19:34:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_84fd4db6e3fb4b8c95c77e6817c30ad7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Power of ONE THING]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every day every leader must find a way to cut through the fog and the clamor of the urgent in order to focus their attentions on what...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/the-power-of-one-thing-3</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60b8e4ddf123480015dc39a4</guid><category><![CDATA[Interior Life]]></category><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Mission]]></category><category><![CDATA[Courage]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2021 14:54:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_3e90d762b003469c9d0f15981b9d7161~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_760,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 Reasons YOU Need a Canary]]></title><description><![CDATA[Coal mining is tough stuff. Gritty. Dangerous. Anything but romantic—except for the cute little canaries carried deep into the mines to...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/3-reasons-you-need-a-canary</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60a68d24e14c63001580a558</guid><category><![CDATA[Change]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2021 16:35:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_8a0ad4bff3864989821210995ffeb48a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Overcoming Vision Paralysis]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you’ve read my recent posts on vision, you’ve heard me say I think Vision is a subject that has gone out of vogue among leaders. I...]]></description><link>https://www.aboutleading.com/post/overcoming-vision-paralysis</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6081abd11543f60015714687</guid><category><![CDATA[Perspective]]></category><category><![CDATA[Org Culture]]></category><category><![CDATA[Mission]]></category><category><![CDATA[Courage]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:29:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9348ea_a7c3a923c5e14948a58e663a45b7b096~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_627,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Mayes</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>