Celebration, Relationships, and Rest

Cathie Leimbach • December 18, 2023

The holiday season is upon us! During the next two weeks, most of us will be taking a break from our normal routine to celebrate Christmas, New Years, Kwanzaa, or simply time off. This is a great season for celebration, relationships, rest.


Take advantage of this season to celebrate! Enjoy traditions that celebrate your faith. Treasure group events and the small things that affirm your beliefs. Acknowledge your achievements throughout the year. Maybe you have become healthier, taken up a hobby that energizes you, or furthered your education. Perhaps you started a new business or got a promotion at work. You may have achieved a financial goal or taken your dream vacation. Celebrate your successes!


Invest in your personal relationships. Take time for long dinners and conversations. Have fun with the people in your life. Encourage others around you by giving them a meaningful gift or lending them a hand with a project.


Enjoy some rest. Sleep in or take naps. Make time for both physical and mental rest. In today’s society, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and overburdened. Give yourself permission to play, to do things that give you joy and recharge your spirit.   



I encourage you to live the next two weeks intentionally, so you get the most out of this holiday season. How can you have a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? What celebrations are most important to you? What relationships do you wish to enjoy or strengthen? What will allow you to feel rested? Scheduling these life-giving activities is the first step in making them happen.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, hope, love, and peace!

Age and Gender Shape How Employees Want to Be Appreciated

By Cathie Leimbach • June 10, 2025
In today’s evolving workplace, one constant remains: employees want to feel valued. Interestingly, research comparing data from before and after COVID-19 shows that employees' preferred languages of appreciation have remained remarkably consistent over time. However, age and gender differences reveal important nuances leaders shouldn’t ignore. Gender differences are clear. Men more frequently chose Acts of Service as their preferred form of appreciation (26%), while women gravitated toward Words of Affirmation (46%). When asked about their least preferred language, women were more likely to rank Acts of Service at the bottom, while men showed a strong dislike for Tangible Gifts. Age also matters. Employees over 60 overwhelmingly preferred Words of Affirmation (48%), while the youngest generation (under 20) leaned toward Quality Time (33%). These trends suggest that life stage and workplace experience shape what appreciation feels most meaningful.  The takeaway? While core preferences haven't shifted dramatically post-COVID, effective leaders need to understand and respond to individual differences. Avoid blanket strategies and invest in knowing how each team member feels most valued. Personalized appreciation builds stronger teams—across every generation and gender. For further details, see Dr. Paul White’s article on gender differences in appreciation preference.

Why Better Leaders Mean Better Bottom Lines

By Cathie Leimbach • June 3, 2025
Let’s talk straight—leadership development isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s the engine behind real economic progress. John Kotter, a world-renowned voice in leadership and change, made it clear: organizations don’t rise or fall on products alone—they succeed because of how well they lead through change. When leaders know how to cast vision, inspire action, and adapt quickly, the ripple effect is huge. Teams become more engaged. Strategy gets implemented faster. Resistance turns into momentum. And yes—revenue and results improve.  Kotter’s work shows that companies with strong leadership navigate uncertainty better and capture more market share during tough times. Why? Because effective leaders create clarity in the chaos. They don’t just manage—they lead change with purpose. If we want to strengthen our teams, our organizations, and even our communities, we have to prioritize leadership development. Not later—now. Because when leadership improves, so does everything else. That’s not just theory. That’s proven strategy. Click here to view the document: Better Leader = Better Bottom Lines and see why investing in leadership pays off. Let’s build leaders who build better futures.
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