Kathryn D. Cramer's Blog

What a time we live in! Some days, the leadership opportunities feel so exciting that you can’t wait to get out of bed and seize them.

Other days, it feels more like this:

In today’s volatile business environment, you as a leader are being confronted with a storm of unceasing challenges: radical change, competitive innovation, mergers, and overwhelmed employees, to name a few. You probably sense that you need to be a game-changer.

You are right.

To see the opportunity inherent in all this...

Need a leadership development event for your next management offsite or in-house leader team meeting?

We are proud to announce the latest tool in our leadership training arsenal, the Heroic Journey Leadership Experience! The Cramer Institute has partnered with CPG, a member of the Nitrous Effect Agency, to bring our very successful Heroic Journey workshops to all your leaders wherever you are!

The Heroic Journey Leadership Experience is a half-day program that engages your leaders, identifies...

Way back in February 2016, Kathy wrote a blog post called, “Is Workplace Trauma The Key To Success?” about how we can turn tragedy into doable challenges that move us forward.

She wrote:

Your greatest power in the face of adversity is your power to choose how you will react—that’s where Asset-Based Thinking comes in.

How do you choose to see this trauma? As a threat or a challenge?

Well, since then we at The Cramer Institute faced a staggering personal and professional trauma. On July 13, 20...

As we at The Cramer Institute move forward after the passing of Dr. Kathy Cramer, I want to share some of her Asset-Based Thinking inspiration that we are drawing upon.

About a year ago, Kathy started a new book: Staying on Top When Your Health Turns Upside Down: How to Navigate the Heroic Journey Back to Vitality and Wholeness.

The book was to be the story of how Kathy made her way through her bout with cancer and with it, she was creating a format designed to help others see dealing with a...

This is my first time posting so let me introduce myself. I’m John Davis, Managing Partner of The Cramer Institute and Kathy’s husband — now widower.

This is also the first time I have ever spent Thanksgiving by myself — as in alone with no one else here. (Well, the puppies are here.) I am doing so by choice — in a very purposeful way for a very intentional reason, about which I would like to offer some Thanksgiving thoughts.

In early 2015, the red flag of cancer went up for Kathy. After almo...

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Dr. Kathy Cramer passed away on July 13, 2016, due to complications of cancer.

Kathy was diagnosed with cancer in early 2015 but she chose to keep that information private. She seemed to be making progress with her health until relatively recently. With typical enthusiasm and tenacity, she carried on her mission and work until about two weeks ago, when the effects of chemotherapy and the cancer itself became physically overwhelming. At the end,...

Erica Ariel Fox learned the hard way that her life’s work (using ancient wisdom traditions to help business executives be better leaders) and her platform (as Director of Harvard’s Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII) were two separate things. When HNII came to an end, she had to rebuild her sense of self and mission. And so she did.

Today I publishedPart 2 of my Lead Positive Profile with Erica Ariel Foxon myPsychology Today blog.In the profile, she talks about how devastating it was at fir...

Harvard Law professor, Mobius Executive Leadership Co-Founder, and best-selling author Erica Ariel Fox stands at the intersection of mindfulness, wisdom traditions, and philosophy and contemporary leadership.

Today I publishedPart 1 of my Lead Positive Profile with Erica Ariel Foxon my Psychology Today blog.In the profile, she explains that she sees her role as translator, offering personal development insights from a range of wisdom traditions in a language that resonates with senior executi...

Laura Herring is a great listener. She leveraged this asset first as a high school counselor, then as a psychologist before embarking on her heroic leadership journey to build the first HR consulting company catering to the emotional and practical needs of relocating employees.

Today I publishedPart 2 of my Lead Positive Profile with Lauraon myPsychology Today blog.In the profile, Laura explains how she became the ears (and eyes) of her clients so she could help them provide the much-needed...

Laura Herring knew early on that she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Once she found her life’s calling, supporting families going through corporaterelocations, she threw her all into it—no fear.

Today I published Part 1 of my Lead Positive Profile with Laura on my Psychology Today blog.In the profile, Laura discusses how she convinced companiesof the dire need for her relocation support services, a field that didn’t exist, by touching their hearts.

Here are some of the most ins...