Reflections from Lynn Connell Olenik

Ivy's eyes are the perfect frame to start off this blog. She is always observant, somewhat serious and when you look up the word "focused" in the dictionary, there is a picture of her there. I have a wonderful presentation about leadership based on dogs. You see, we are all a bit different. We don't always appreciate the nuances that others bring to our teams because we are the most comfortable with "our style". Ronald Reagan made his political success by seeking out and surrounding himself with wise advisors; then weighing the odds and having the courage to make the decision. Focusing diverse personalities and styles takes a willingness to often look past those differences and drill down on the steps to be successful. So as I start this new blogging venture, thank you Ivy for providing the focus.

Lynn Connell Olenik 11/09/2025

We made it through January and on into February and, as the ground hog states, welcome to 6 more weeks of winter. I've been house bound by ridiculous temperatures and, as soon as it warms up, it snows! To say I've had reflection time this season, would be a clear understatement. Thinking about a career in leadership, and having the time to do so, brought up thoughts about unfocused leadership and how damaging it can be to organizations. Think about being on a roller coaster. You may go fast, have twists and turns or even be spun upside-down, but you get to the end, because you are all together and all have a track. Now, think of a water park wave pool. As it increases, you are there by yourself with no one but you and the float you are on. Until the waves subside, you are alone, tossed about and unsure of the duration or the outcome. Where this can be exhilarating for a waterpark ride, it is no way to accomplish a goal or embrace a mission. On a rollercoaster, you have a track, and end game and the camaraderie of those who scream along with you. If you don't have a plan, objectives, a clear mission and a focus, you are at the whim of the waves and, all of you are in the wave pool seemingly alone until the turbulence comes to an end.

If your organization does not have a clear mission and a road map to accomplish the mission you're in the waves and not on the track. If you haven't made everyone knowledgeable about what you want to do, how you are going to do it and what part they play in the process you are alone in the pool. Every idea that people come up with, every outside force that pushes against you pulls you away from success as you never agreed upon the path to get you there. Each time a board member says "why don't we...." you have to jump as you can't say "good idea but our agreed upon plan is XYZ, we'll need to focus on that at another time." You are at the whim of the waves and will leave the pool tired and exhausted because you can only handle being tossed around for so long.

Assemble an agreed upon plan for success and stay on the track, together. Even on the track, there will be places that are accelerated, places where there are hills, turns, dips and crazy g-forces trying to pull you all off the track BUT you have a track and an agreed upon outcome and, if you're on your game, everyone knows about it. How much easier will it be to stay focused through the turmoil and move ahead with an agreed upon plan?

February 4, 2026

Today is the other type of fall day, grey, drizzly; fairly uninspiring. I am reflecting on the loss of a young animal welfare warrior who passed away from a long term illness earlier this month. She was amazing. She had all of the heart and enough spunk to keep her passion alive in her work and stay the course on frustrating days. Though her life was shorter than many, she had the wisdom of a much older person, because I imagine, of the health challenges she had faced. I recall a number of conversations where she brought forward issues we, as leaders, don't always wish to here. With her grievance however, she always presented a solution a "could we try this" or "can I help with that" or a simple "what if". Training your staff to bring a solution alongside a complaint isn't easy but it contributes to everyone's development, including that it contributed to mine. I need to remain conscious of the fact, I am not a great listener. In these conversations, ideas were born, frustrations diffused and relationships were enhanced BUT I had to be present in these discussions and often trust the outcomes. That meant: no glancing at my phone or computer, no saying "we tried it, it didn't work" (because this time it might); no flat out "no" - or very seldom a flat out no. I could ask for a few days and meet them again or I would ask them to write out what their "fix" was to give it more clarity. This is where the trust came in. Leading is more than saying to do something a certain way, it is about developing a thought process and trusting an outcome. If you want to move from managing minutia you have to have agreed upon outcomes and help others progress forward to the goal. This is true empowerment, but it has to be coached and founded in relationships and trust. My conversations with Stephanie at times, could start out a bit tense; but the issues she brought forward were always important to the animals she cared for, and the people she worked with - a noble pursuit I often needed to hear. God's speed Stephanie, I'm certain there are a few kittens and baby raccoons that need your loving touch up in the heavens as well. Thanks for helping me learn to listen, find the message and develop trust in the solutions.

Lynn Connell Olenik 11/22/2025

Good morning on this fine, crisp fall day! I had someone ask me, how did you DO THIS for 20 years? I guess the honest answer is I was just too stubborn to give in. Tenacity is a gift. Believing that you can do the hard things, even if you aren't perfect, is the joy on being a "B" student, and not an "A" student. You do it, by the deadline, putting together what you KNOW and what you HAVE, and asking for suggestions on finding what you NEED.

Another great thing is tracking percentages. Not necessarily where you were yesterday or even last month but nothing gets attention like graphs that slowly move up, year after year (or down as the case may be). We often key in on hard numbers over too small of a time frame and that can make us feel unsuccessful. So here is to the percentages and the graphs that start small and help everyone, including ourselves, visualize success.