Every day, we have dozens of conversations. We talk with colleagues, clients, family, friends… yet we talk the most to ourselves. This “inner monologue” helps us to process our experiences in real time.

How are you and your team showing up at work? Are you business partners, or are you order-takers?

If the headlines around generative artificial intelligence (AI) are making you nervous, you’re not alone. The fear of being ”replaced” by machines is not entirely unwarranted or new. AI has been around for decades, but the rise of generative AI may feel very sudden. Leaders across industries are now challenged with new anxieties, both their team’s and their own. 

It’s difficult to know how others see us. I know more than one leader who has been surprised by feedback about how they’re interpreted at work. You may know that you’re meticulous and thorough, but others may view you as controlling and negative.

Identifying these high performers is an important part of your role as a leader, but it’s not as easy as it may seem. Without a clear vision of what makes a top performer, you may be overlooking exceptional workers. Here are three things to consider. 

Over the past three years, the workplace has changed dramatically. With the prevalence of remote and hybrid work and market uncertainty, leaders are facing new challenges and expectations. High-potential individuals and even seasoned leaders need support, but what worked in the past for leadership development no longer works. 

Dealing with a “difficult” or “toxic” team member is one of the toughest challenges for leaders, and it’s also one of the most common. Because problematic attitudes and negative behaviors can spread like wildfire to the rest of your team, it’s important to take action.

In an age where more and more of us are in a hybrid or fully remote environment, offsite meetings can be an impactful way to bring your team together.

Collaboration can make or break your organization’s growth and progress. One of my clients - let’s call him Matt - is the President of a technology company who is becoming increasingly frustrated by his senior leadership team's (SLT) inability to work together. While he and his SLT meet on a weekly basis…

In the average business meeting, 75% of the talking is done by men. This would be shocking in 1990, but in 2023,

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Has there ever been a more misleading saying? Words have power, and while most of us are mindful of how we speak to others when it comes to self-talk, that awareness goes out the window.

I’ve been talking a lot with my clients about change lately. It seems to be happening everywhere. Across all industries, at all levels of leadership, organizations are in flux. With so much uncertainty over the last three years, it’s tempting to approach these changes with caution, to play it safe. It seems logical, right? Not necessarily.

Workplace disruption can be a motivation-killer. Here’s how to keep your team engaged and productive, no matter what’s on the horizon.

“These people aren’t living up to my expectations.”

I’ve heard this phrase many times over the years, usually said with frustration and disappointment. It’s a challenging experience that nearly every leader has gone through in their professional life, but if you’re constantly feeling like your team is letting you down, the problem may not lie solely with them. This issue can happen for a number of reasons, one of them being your expectations. 

You may have heard the expression, "the only constant in life is change." The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with this idea, and I agree with him. This is especially true in our ever-evolving business world. Every day, new technologies, ideas and competition present us with opportunities to stay relevant, to innovate, to give ourselves a competitive advantage…If we are open to them, that is. 

As we close in on the end of 2022, it’s only natural to reflect on the events of the past year, both what went well… and what didn’t. The difficult thing is that all this reflection comes during the busiest time for most of us! Organizations are often scrambling to end the year on a high note, teams are working hard, and leaders have little time to spare; and that’s not even mentioning the family gatherings and holiday parties that fill the month of December. We’re all running at top speed, yet taking a moment to slow down will actually help you be more efficient and effective.

The holidays have officially arrived, and as our schedules fill up with parties and family responsibilities, making time for reflection isn’t often at the top of our to-do list. Coasting through the end of the year can be very tempting, but I encourage you to make space to evaluate your team’s health and performance during the last year. What are your greatest successes? Your greatest challenges?

This is not an easy time to be a leader. With burnout and looming macroeconomic uncertainty, your company is guaranteed to be going through change right now. Many companies are starting to tighten the belt. You might be one of the lucky few companies that are growing, which means you might be struggling with what that growth means. Either way, being a leader in this moment means navigating growth or contraction (a.k.a. change).

How do you thrive in both work and life? What’s realistic? With all the demands on your time and attention, what does “good” look like for you? Are you the leader you envision in your work and life?

The tightening of capital through the Fed, inflation rising at a rate we haven’t seen in 40 years, a war in Europe with deep implications around food and fuel supplies, supply chain failures, and (of course) looming climate change are all combining to make us feel a little nervous.

Did I stress you out yet?

In this week's blog post, we're looking at the function of leaders during a crisis, and three steps that can make or break them during such an event.