Independent business blogs are blogs that aren’t supported by an organization like a magazine, newspaper, company, or business school. Those people provide lots of great content, but they don’t need any additional exposure. In this post, every week, I bring you posts of quality from excellent bloggers that don’t get as much publicity.

This week, I’m pointing you to posts on tuning in and turning off, courage, leadership lessons from SCUBA, the passion of great leaders, and sustainable personal energy.

From Jesse Lyn Stoner: Tune In and Turn Off

“There’s tremendous pressure on us to be ‘always on.’ But it’s not healthy, and in the long run you will be less productive. Even if you understand this, it can be hard to resist the pressure unless you make intentional decisions to create ‘off time.’ Here are 7 habits that can help.”

From Lolly Daskal: Courage Is The Key To Fearless Leadership

“There are many kinds of leaders and all kinds of leadership, but the leaders we remember the most—the ones who remain unforgettable—are those who lead with courage.”

From Karin Hurt:  Leadership Below 100 Feet: Leadership Scuba Style

“Leadership lessons come in many contexts. Last year,  I shared what I learned about inspiring ‘courage’ from my Scuba instructor on my first panicky intro to Scuba. A few more dives logged, I continue to see more connection between leadership and Scuba. Part metaphor. Part reality. I look forward to hearing your real-life metaphors and application.”

From Mary Jo Asmus: What’s behind the passion of great leaders?

“Those great leaders love to lead even if they can still get tired, frustrated, and angry at how hard it can be. Yet even in the face of professional and personal adversity they will pick themselves up, reinvigorated and ready to make a difference in the lives of the people and organizations they lead. I’ve noticed that it’s what’s behind the passion for their work that keeps them going.”

From Julie Winkle Giuloni: Sustainability and Focus

“How sustainable is the personal energy you bring to the focus you deploy against your goals, mission, and purpose in life?”

That’s it for this week’s selections from independent business blogs. If you liked this piece you may enjoy my regular post on “Leadership Reading to Start Your Week” points you to choice articles from the business schools, the business press and major consulting firms about strategy, innovation, women and the workplace, and work now and in the future. Highlights from the last issue include how to lead strategic change without inciting a mutiny, The higher-education business, creating breakthrough innovation, why a woman’s career gains can slip away in midlife, and the fastest way to build leadership in your company.

How I Select Posts for this Midweek Review

The five posts I select to share in my Midweek Review of the Independent Business Blogs are picked from a regular review of about sixty blogs I check daily and an additional twenty-five or so that I check occasionally. Here’s how I select the posts you see in this review.

They must be published within the previous week.

They must support the purpose of the blog: to help leaders at all levels do a better job and lead a better life.

They must be from an independent business blog.

As a general rule, I only select posts that stand on their own, no selections from a series.

Also as a general rule, I do not select posts that are either a book review or a book report.

I reserve the right to make exceptions to the above.

Here, on Three Star Leadership, I post things that will help a boss at any level do a better job and live a better life. At the 360 Degree Feedback blog The , I join other bloggers with posts on leadership development.

If you’re a boss, you should check out my Working Supervisor’s Support Kit.