Management

When executive indecision stalls progress, your leadership becomes the engine that keeps momentum alive. Instead of waiting for clarity from above, use these strategies to manage up and move your team and organization forward.  Reframe requests. Large, irreversible proposals often trigger hesitation. Instead, position the ideas you propose to executives as low-risk, time-bound experiments. Shifting […]

In today’s workplace, teams are often asked to perform flawlessly while also learning and innovating. But trying to pursue both equally can backfire. Teams achieve more when they commit to one clear purpose. Here’s how to keep them focused. Choose a dominant orientation—then commit to it. If your team’s job is to explore new ideas, […]

In times of uncertainty, your team looks to you not just for strategy, but for reassurance and direction. To move people from fear to confidence, you need to show up with clarity, conviction, and calm. Here’s how. Communicate a clear purpose. Share a reason for being that feels bigger than day-to-day tasks. Frame the work […]

Loneliness isn’t just a personal struggle—it’s a workplace challenge that quietly erodes trust, creativity, and performance. As a leader, you can counteract it by embedding connection directly into how your team works. Here’s where to start. Build team cohesion through shared identity. Create shared narratives and simple rituals that reinforce belonging—for example, quarterly “culture calibrations” […]

With headlines questioning AI’s value, it’s tempting to see experimentation as a waste. But the real problem isn’t trying new things—it’s unfocused efforts that fail to connect to real business opportunities. To avoid repeating past mistakes, you need a disciplined approach. Frame AI as part of a bigger shift. Don’t treat AI as an isolated […]

As a senior leader, your calendar is packed, and the decisions you have to make are many. But not every call should be yours to make. To lead effectively—and sustainably—you need to delegate the right decisions to the right people. Ask these four questions to figure out what to hand off, and to whom. Who’s […]

When morale is low and organizational dysfunction is high, your team needs more than encouragement—they need protection. As a leader, your job is to buffer them from organizational chaos. Here’s how. Set clear standards. Don’t passively inherit the culture around you. Instead, co-create a team identity based on shared values. Define how you’ll treat each […]

When your team expands rapidly but your support system doesn’t, the result is often leadership overload. Here’s how to adjust your approach so you don’t get buried—and your team doesn’t burn out.  Reset how you work—together. Don’t lead a large team like a small one. Revisit your availability, role in decisions, and team routines. Set […]

The more expertise you gain over the course of your career, the easier it is to fall into routine. Mastery can end up quietly limiting your flexibility, creativity, and curiosity. To stay mentally agile, you need to regularly escape your comfort zone. Here’s how to apply strategic amateurism—the practice of intentionally becoming a beginner again.   […]

Company culture isn’t built through values posters or wellbeing perks. It’s shaped by what senior leaders do—especially when it’s hard. If you want culture to stick, shift your focus from messaging to behavior.  Start with how your leadership team actually operates. Don’t roll out new values until your leadership habits reflect them. Ask: Where are […]

Today’s business problems are more complex than ever, and innovating solutions to those problems without considering systemic impact can backfire. To avoid unintended harm to people and the environment, it’s critical to apply a simplified systems-thinking approach to help you identify patterns, connect stakeholders, and guide change. Here’s how.   Identify your North Star. Don’t just […]

In a world where technical skills age quickly, it’s foundational strengths—like problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability—that set high performers apart. If you’re hiring, leading, or developing talent, here’s how to focus your efforts where they’ll matter most.  Hire beyond what’s on the résumé. Don’t just screen for niche expertise. Ask candidates how they approach uncertainty, learn […]

When big strategic changes are announced from the top, they often feel abstract or irrelevant to the people doing the day-to-day work. As a leader, your job is to translate strategy into meaning and action. Here’s how.  Gauge your team’s mindset. Don’t assume everyone shares your enthusiasm. Consider what motivates them and what they might […]

If you treat emotions like distractions, you’re missing out on one of your most powerful leadership tools. Emotional intelligence isn’t about being touchy-feely—it’s about using emotional data to lead with clarity, resilience, and trust. Here’s how to make that shift.  Notice what emotions are telling you. Start by paying attention to physical cues, energy shifts, […]

Fake news often spreads faster than the truth—and it can damage an organization’s reputation hard. But fact-checking alone won’t stop it. Use this three-part framework to protect your brand.  Monitor for social resonance, not just mentions. Don’t just track fake news—analyze who’s amplifying it and who’s most influenced. Use social-listening tools, train employees to flag […]

Without clear norms, communication can become a productivity killer. Messages get ignored, decisions are delayed, and burnout rises. If you want to build a high-performing team, you need to establish shared rules for how, when, and where information flows. Here’s how.  Clarify responsiveness expectations. Teams often misread urgency. Some reply instantly to casual emails; others […]

“Bring your whole self to work” may sound empowering, but in senior leadership, it can do more harm than good. Transparency is valuable—but only when it’s strategic. As a leader, your job isn’t to share everything; it’s to project clarity, earn trust, and foster stability. Here’s how to stay authentic without oversharing.  Curate, don’t conceal. […]

Yesterday we outlined three types of everyday courage, and how to develop them. Here are three more types of courage you can practice daily—especially when the stakes are high.   Intellectual courage: Question your own thinking. Model rethinking by saying, “Here’s my logic—what might I be missing?” Invite critique to normalize learning and adaptation. Don’t tie […]

Courage isn’t just for crisis moments—it’s a leadership skill you can build through consistent, values-aligned action. Start by focusing on these three types of everyday courage.  Moral courage: Act on your values. You can’t protect what you haven’t named. Identify your core values, define what they look like in practice, and communicate them clearly. Prepare […]

As you step into senior leadership, your communication style must evolve. What used to feel like transparency—casual updates, unfiltered thoughts, or constant idea sharing—can now create confusion, anxiety, or misalignment. At this level, your words carry greater weight, and your silence does too.  Recognize that less is often more. Offhand comments can shift strategy or […]