This week the temps are dropping but our curiosity is rising; the leaves are falling but our engagement is increasing. Let’s spend the month that’s devoted to gratitude thanking those around us and appreciating how far we’ve come.
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” – Joseph Campbell
:: Image of the Week
:: Self-Leadership Development
Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves
Virtually every book, course, and program on leadership begins with self-understanding. That’s no accident; it’s because managing ourselves helps us lead others more effectively. In this episode, Margaret and Dave explore the six key questions that will help you manage yourself better.
Key Points
• When people are asked to describe the attributes of their best bosses, 85% of the responses highlight interpersonal skills.
• Our differences are our features, not our flaws. Knowing yourself well helps you lead others better.
Six Questions for Self-Understanding:
1. Who, and whose thinking, has shaped you as an individual?
2. What situations and events have helped shape your perspective?
3. What does success look like for you?
4. What are your core values, and how have these values changed throughout your life?
5. To what extent are you aware of—and allow yourself to feel—your emotions?
6. What feedback have you received over the years about how your actions and behaviors impact others?
Margaret Andrews is a seasoned executive, academic leader, speaker, and instructor. Her course MYLO (Manage Yourself to Lead Others) has become the most popular professional development program at Harvard. She is the author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding (Amazon (https://amzn.to/4m2P4yD) , Bookshop (https://bookshop.org/a/90226/97815417…) )*.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmrZ8UiRh5Q
“Few things are more important to a leader’s character, and their ability to lead effectively, than being able to listen well—both to individuals in one-on-one conversations, and to the larger organization in general.” – DOUG CONANT
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness with Your Own Two Hands
A DIY Prescription for Happiness!
This insightful book from wife-and-husband physicians Carrie and Alton Barron presents an innovative, highly achievable five-part plan to find happiness and alleviate depression and anxiety by tapping into creative potential.
A gifted psychiatrist and a premier hand surgeon, Carrie and Alton Barron draw upon the latest psychological research, a combined forty years of medical practice, and personal experience to demonstrate how creative action is integral to long-term happiness and well-being. The Five-Part Prescription for the Creativity Cure—Insight, Movement, Mind Rest, Your Own Two Hands, and Mind Shift—leads the way to a more meaningful, fulfilling life by simultaneously developing self-understanding and self-expression. With the Barrons’ detailed tools and strategies for cultivating creative outlets, overcoming unconscious fears and barriers to happiness, and linking internal thought to external action, readers will build the mind-set and habits necessary for happiness and positive change. They will experience—and learn how to sustain—the deep satisfaction that accompanies creating something by hand.
The perfect self-help book for our handmade, homemade, crafting culture, The Creativity Cure has a simple yet profoundly inspirational message: that you can find the authentic, contented life you crave by taking happiness into your own two hands.
:: Communication
3 Things Every Leader Should Steal From Lorne Michaels of SNL
Being responsible for an enterprise is no laughing matter. Yet I’ve personally seen dozens of executives improve their leadership skills (and their business outcomes) by copying strategies from the man behind Saturday Night Live.
Lorne Michaels appears on camera occasionally, but he’s far from being a centerpiece of the show. He even downplays his role as the creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live: “At the end of the day, that’s really all I am is the tiebreaker. I’m just the one to say, ‘Okay, it’s gonna be this.’”
It doesn’t sound like much. Yet Lorne managed to wrangle prominent personalities like Chevy Chase, John Belushi and Pete Davidson. He’s found a way to keep SNL running for 50 years (and counting) while it has collected more than 200 Emmys. Under his leadership, what started as a scrappy group of mostly unknown comedians turned into arguably the most recognizable comedic institution in the world.
There’s much to learn from the Tao of Lorne, and you’ll probably get results if you start with just three things.
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/3-things-every-leader-should-steal-from-lorne-michaels-of-snl
At UW-Madison, We Protect Data; Learn More in Under 30 Minutes
Do you and the staff you supervise understand your responsibilities regarding the institutional data you collect and use every day? Designed for all UW-Madison employees, Data@UW – Data Governance and Responsible Use, a 30-minute, self-paced module, shares crucial steps to maintain the security of our institution’s data. Data that includes social security numbers, benefits elections, financial data, cybersecurity information, student records, and, for many, increased access to these data in Workday.
Remember, inappropriately accessed or shared data can harm students, faculty, and staff, and UW–Madison.
After completing the course, a UW–Madison employee shared: “I finally understand how the data governance council works, including data domains, stewards, and trustees. I also learned that screen sharing is a form of data sharing and requires the same authorization as other forms of sharing, and that we need to take care to secure printed materials as well as we take care of electronic materials.”
Educate yourself and encourage your staff to learn more about safe data practices by taking Data@UW. Contact DAPIR if you have any questions.
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
The Power of Pause with Karen Bartholomew
Ever feel like life’s chaos has you running on autopilot? What if the secret to freedom isn’t doing more, but learning to pause?
Amy Woodall sits down with Karen Bartholomew, creator of The Pause Method, to uncover how pressing “pause” can actually move you forward. Together, they dig into how slowing down helps us break free from old stories, calm the chaos within, and reclaim our peace.
From rewiring fear into possibility to learning how to show up safe, worthy, and whole every day, Karen brings powerful insight and humor to the art of living consciously. If you’ve been craving clarity, calm, and a little soul realignment, this one’s your permission slip to hit pause.
https://sites.libsyn.com/401834/the-power-of-pause-with-karen-bartholomew
“Everything is going to be all right. Or, if not, everything is going to be, so let’s not worry.” – Matt Haig, How to Stop Time
Finding Direction in Healthcare: From the OR to Patient Advocacy
After nearly a decade as a trauma surgeon and critical care physician at UW–Madison, Angie Ingraham experienced firsthand how overwhelming the healthcare system can be — even for physicians — when her own dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. That experience changed the course of her career and led her to found True North Patient Advocates, LLC, an independent, physician-led patient advocacy practice based here in Madison.
Today, Angie helps individuals and families navigate medical decisions, coordinate care, and communicate effectively with healthcare teams — guiding clients through uncertainty with the same clarity, perspective, and steadiness that good leadership provides. Her work combines deep clinical knowledge with compassionate support, helping clients feel informed, in control, and confident in their care.
If you or someone you know is facing a challenging healthcare situation — or if you simply want to understand how professional patient advocacy can make the process easier — connect with Angie!
Visit www.truenorthpatientadvocates.com or schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Call with Angie here.
:: Recognition
Academic Staff Excellence Awards Nominations Open
Each year, UW–Madison and Universities of Wisconsin honor academic staff members for their achievements and dedication to excellence. The UW‒Madison Academic Staff Excellence Awards will honor nine individuals in seven categories. The deadline for nominations is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.
https://acstaff.wisc.edu/grants-awards/uw-madison-academic-staff-excellence-awards/
:: Creativity
Creativity Challenge for Teams
When some voices are unintentionally muted, we lose potential ideas, innovations, and breakthroughs. Dr. Amy Climer invites you to do a little self-reflection:
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Notice your airtime. If you tend to speak first, experiment with speaking third or fourth. Pause, listen, and invite others to share before you jump in. If it feels like no one is talking, just silently count to 10 before you speak (seriously, I do this all the time). Chances are that the silence isn’t as long as it seems.
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Scan the room (or the Zoom). Who isn’t being heard? Who might have a great idea but needs a little encouragement to share? Consider inviting ideas by saying, “Maria, given your experience, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this?” Or, “Gregory, what are your thoughts?”
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Question your assumptions. When you feel resistant to an idea, pause and ask one curious question before evaluating it. You might ask, “How might we do this given our limited budget?” Or, “We did something like this a few years ago and it didn’t go well, how might this be different?”
Small shifts like these can transform your team’s culture. When people feel seen and valued, their creativity flows freely – and the results are incredible.
“You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn if for yourself.” — The Wizard of Oz
:: LinkedIn Learning
Leading without Formal Authority
Leadership isn’t just a skill for managers. Demonstrating leadership is important for employees at every level of an organization. There are opportunities to lead every day, whether you hold a formal leadership position or not. In this course, leadership and personal development experts Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo outline how individual contributors can exhibit leadership by influencing, inspiring, mentoring, and motivating others. They also help you overcome unique challenges such as how to communicate when you think your boss or team is headed in the wrong direction. Take this course to explore strategies for developing a leadership mindset, building a network of support, inspiring others, and navigating high-stakes situations.
This course includes AI-powered Role Play. Role Play allows you to practice what you’ve learned in interactive simulations of real-world conversations.
:: Take Five*
*Note: CSN occasionally adds “Take Five” articles to take you off the beaten path. Articles are about local or regional areas of interest but not necessarily focused on leadership development. The intent is for you to take a break from being a leader and relax for a moment!
UW Bat Brigade blends curiosity and conservation
Sometimes Badgers stay up late in the library studying. Other times they stay up late to count bats in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve with the UW–Madison Bat Brigade. “When students come out and do one of these night surveys, they put on a headlamp, they’re trekking around like Indiana Jones, and it really excites them,” says Seth McGee, faculty advisor to the brigade. See the whole story here:
https://news.wisc.edu/uw-bat-brigade-blends-curiosity-and-conservation/
:: Upcoming Events
Transition to Retirement: Preparing Mentally and Emotionally
LifeMatters and the Employee Assistance Office, in partnership with Madison Benefits Services, are offering a virtual webinar, “Transition to Retirement: Preparing Mentally and Emotionally.” The one-hour webinar will be offered on three different dates.
Participants will learn about:
- The phases of retirement
- Mentally preparing for retirement
- Hazards and opportunities
- Reaching a rewarding retirement
This webinar is offered at no cost to all UW–Madison employees. Register online for the session of your choice to receive the Zoom link.
Upcoming sessions
- Wednesday, November 19, 2025
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. - Wednesday, December 10, 2025
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Virtual Replay: Administrative Professionals Conference
As part of our commitment to accessibility and continued learning, Virtual Replay: Administrative Professionals Conference brings back the most popular sessions and presenters from this past April’s conference. Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning to explore new speakers and perspectives, this virtual offering is designed to provide fresh insights and valuable takeaways.
The Virtual Replay is designed for UW-Madison employees who are eager to grow professionally across a wide range of topics, including career management, inclusive excellence, leadership, personal development and workplace skills, and well-being.
Join us online to revisit top sessions, deepen your skills, and connect with a broader community—all from wherever you are.
Date: December 4, 2025
Time: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Online
Welcome to the Coaching Community of Practice!
We’re excited to welcome you into this community of practice (CoP) and to connect with all of you as leaders and learners. To kick us off, we’d like to begin with our first CoP focused on self-awareness and perspective-taking and how that might inform the way we, as coaches and leaders, engage in [coaching/leadership] conversations with our colleagues. We’re offering two (2) resources to get us started, which are included below. We encourage you to review and reflect ahead of our gathering; however, it is not required. Our vision is that this will be a facilitated discussion to build the foundation of this CoP and to set the stage for further conversations. We are also eager to hear what you want and need this space to be. We invite you to our first gathering!
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Zoom Link to Join: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/my/sandratm