Management

Yesterday we went over five questions to help you lead a project-driven organization. Here are five more questions you need to answer.  If job titles matter less, how do organizations identify expertise? Match people to work based on capabilities and experience rather than formal roles or reporting structures.  What is the difference between a working group and a […]

As change becomes constant, organizations increasingly rely on projects to drive growth and execute strategy. But more projects don’t automatically create better results. Use these questions to assess whether your organization is built to adapt and execute effectively.   What does a project-driven organization look like in practice? Consider what work people would naturally organize around if your org […]

Burnout and turnover are common in high-pressure jobs. But new research suggests that people are more likely to leave when their work feels isolating, unsupported, or disconnected from meaningful responsibility. The way you design work day to day can actually strengthen commitment to a demanding job.   Think carefully about how responsibility is assigned. Don’t make staffing decisions based only on coverage needs […]

When you get a new manager, it’s easy to slip into wait-and-see mode. But the first few weeks shape how you’ll be perceived long term. Instead of reacting passively, treat the transition as a strategic opportunity.   Reset your mindset. Don’t let fear, frustration, or office gossip define your view of the new relationship. Notice your emotional reactions, but focus on the […]

AI tools can help you produce performance reviews faster and make feedback sound more polished and consistent. But smoother language can also mask weak evidence, subjective judgments, and incomplete observations.   The bigger opportunity is to use AI to help you identify what your employee actually did—the decisions they made, the problems they solved, and the influence they had […]

If you’re on the shortlist for CEO, one of the most important moments in the process is the board presentation. This is your opportunity to present your vision for the company and shape how directors assess your leadership, judgment, and readiness for the role. Here’s how to nail it.  Develop your vision. Your presentation should answer two questions: Why does […]

When your team is busy, overwhelmed, and focused on immediate demands, career development can feel easy to put off. But helping people grow is part of your job as a leader—and it matters more than ever right now. Here’s how to help.  Focus on learning, not ladders. Encourage your team to build adaptable skills instead of chasing rigid […]

Many leadership problems don’t come from bad intentions or weak skills. They come from misreading what people need. You may focus on empowerment when the team wants direction, or emphasize empathy when employees are looking for fairness and consistency. Here’s what to do instead.  Read the context. Treat everyday problems as signals. If people seem anxious, they may need protection. […]

AI is becoming a regular part of team meetings, with many leaders expecting it to improve collaboration and decision-making. But adding AI to a discussion without clear norms can backfire, limiting participation or shifting ownership away from the team. To make AI a productive contributor, you need to build intentional habits around how your team […]

When change efforts stall, the problem often isn’t a lack of strategy—it’s a lack of true alignment. Teams move forward assuming everyone shares the same priorities, only to discover conflicting expectations later. To avoid that trap, focus on creating clarity before execution begins.  Set clear parameters. Define the exact decisions that need to be made, who will make them, and how […]

Performance reviews are meant to improve accountability and performance. But when employees feel criticized, unfairly evaluated, or financially penalized, frustration can spill into disengagement, resentment, or subtle retaliation that hurts the broader team. Here’s how to balance honest feedback with trust and morale.  Let small mistakes slide. Not every issue deserves formal criticism. If someone falls slightly below […]

When teams struggle to perform, the instinct is often to add more tools, more dashboards, or more oversight. But performance problems are frequently coordination problems. Your biggest gains may come from redesigning how people work together—not the technology they use. Focus on the following.  Prioritize team familiarity. Teams that have worked together before communicate faster, anticipate problems earlier, and stay calmer under pressure. For […]

Research finds that as people climb the career ladder, they tend to treat their perspective as the entire story, ignoring their biases and blind spots. But when you adopt this “main-character energy,” everyone suffers: Your team experiences lower trust and performance, and you’re more likely to experience depression and loneliness. The strongest leaders stay close […]

When an executive questions you in a meeting, your instinct may be to get into the details. But often leaders aren’t looking for more information. These questions are usually driven by three common underlying needs. The more quickly you identify the need behind their question, the more influential and credible you’ll appear. Reassurance. Sometimes an […]

Board dysfunction rarely starts with a major conflict. More often, it develops through repeated behaviors that slow decisions, weaken trust, and drain focus. To keep discussions productive, you need to intervene early. Set clear expectations. Directors often have different assumptions about preparation, participation, and debate. Establish shared standards for how meetings should run, and reinforce […]

When your organization struggles to adapt to changing markets, it may not be a capability issue. More often, it stems from an inability to let go of assumptions, metrics, and habits that no longer reflect reality. To stay competitive, you need to identify what your business should stop carrying forward. AI can help. Audit the […]

When a leader is labeled as “too aggressive,” “too controlling,” or “not strategic enough,” the assumption is usually that their behavior needs to change. But a narrow focus on the behavior—without examining the context around it—may mean that you end up trying to fix the wrong problem. Here’s what to do before deciding what needs […]

A single comment can define how people perceive your leadership. In high-visibility interviews with the media, remarks can be amplified, stripped of context, and judged at scale—often within hours or minutes. That means your intent matters less than how your message lands. To navigate the risk of giving a public interview, you need to prepare […]

AI adoption on teams often fails because of how people experience it. If you want your team to embrace new tools, you need more than a strategy—you need empathetic leadership that understands concerns, builds trust, and involves people in the process. Co-create AI strategies. Don’t announce sweeping AI changes and expect adoption. Instead, involve your […]

You can’t force accountability—but you can make it easier for people to choose it. When pressure rises, your instinct may be to tighten control. Instead, focus on creating conditions where ownership becomes the natural response. Emphasize authorship. Involve your leaders in defining what accountability actually looks like in their day-to-day work. Ask them to reflect […]