Havard Management Tip of the Day

Coaching your team doesn’t always have to happen in formal, dedicated sessions—it can simply be a way of leading. The best coaching often happens in short, consistent moments throughout the day. Here’s how to embed it in the flow of work. Use in-the-moment nudges. Spot teachable moments in casual settings: after a meeting, in a […]

Yesterday we went over four ways to address your team’s low morale. If your team is checked out or stuck in “job-hugging” mode—clinging to their jobs despite low engagement—it’s time to act. Here are four more strategies to help you reverse employee discontent. Support well-being. Make mental health resources easy to access and normalize their […]

Your team’s performance depends on how they feel at work—and right now, many employees feel burned out, disconnected, and underappreciated. If you want to reverse that trend, start by addressing the root causes.  Remove the biggest frustrations. Ask yourself what makes work harder than it should be. Whether it’s an unmanageable workload or inefficient processes, focus on removing friction […]

When you’re promoted to a leadership position, it’s tempting to hang on to your old responsibilities. But trying to do both jobs prevents you and your team from growing. Here’s how to shift from executing to leading.   Get clear on your new role. Don’t assume your new scope is obvious. Ask your boss what success […]

Leading change often means influencing others without formal authority, whether you’re launching a new initiative or reshaping culture. But even the most capable leaders can struggle without clear backing from senior leadership. Here’s how to secure the support you need—without appearing hesitant or overreaching.   Check your motives. Before you ask for support, ask yourself: Am […]

The best negotiators communicate clearly, think strategically, build trust, and lead with integrity. To improve your outcomes, hone four essential skills during negotiations.   Start with language and emotional control. How you speak and listen shapes perceptions. Use precise, logical language. Listen to understand rather than react. Regulate your emotions and read others’ cues to keep conversations productive, […]

Yesterday we outlined three commonly known threat responses that show up at work. Beyond fight, flight, and freeze are three lesser-known threat responses: please/appease, attach/cry for help, and collapse. These behaviors can look like loyalty, neediness, or disengagement—but they’re often signs that someone doesn’t feel emotionally safe. Here’s how to recognize and respond to each.   Please/appease: Reward honesty, not just helpfulness. When someone […]

You’ve likely heard of fight, flight, and freeze—the body’s instinctive responses to threats. But these aren’t just survival reactions formed in childhood. They show up in adult life, especially at work, where pressure, politics, and feedback can feel emotionally risky. These aren’t flaws, but protective responses to perceived danger. Here’s how to spot them on your team and respond in a constructive, supportive […]

Yoga is more than a physical activity; it can provide a practical framework for navigating life, including work. In high-pressure environments, its core principles can sharpen focus, build resilience, and improve decision-making. Here’s how to apply them.  Unblock your energy. Use breathwork and meditation to shift from stress to clarity. When you remove mental and […]

The best negotiators communicate clearly, think strategically, build trust, and lead with integrity. To improve your outcomes, hone four essential skills during negotiations.  Start with language and emotional control. How you speak and listen shapes perceptions. Use precise, logical language. Listen to understand rather than react. Regulate your emotions and read others’ cues to keep […]

When your emotional energy is running low, it’s easy to fake your way through the day. But leaders who consistently “surface act” by suppressing their true feelings while putting on a front risk falling into a loop of exhaustion and disconnection. Research shows that breaking this cycle doesn’t require grand gestures. It starts with these […]

Digital tools are meant to make work easier and more efficient, but they can derail our attention and drain our energy. The tools aren’t going away (or getting less numerous), but you can mitigate the digital exhaustion they cause. Yesterday we laid out four tips to help you do that. Here are four more.  Don’t […]

If your workday feels like a blur of nonstop meetings, unread messages, and screen hopping, you might be dealing with digital exhaustion. Instead of letting digital tools fragment your focus and drain your energy, use these strategies to reset.  Stop using half your tools. Too many apps force your brain into constant modality shifts. Audit […]

Coaching builds your team members’ capacity to analyze problems, consider multiple perspectives, and devise solutions in the moment. It can feel daunting to find the time for coaching, but you don’t need formal, hour-long sessions to effectively coach your employees. Some of the most impactful development moments happen during the regular flow of work—if you […]

If your team struggles to give honest feedback, the problem may not be a lack of courage or skill; often, it’s uncertainty about whether feedback is truly welcome. Even experienced employees will hesitate if they don’t think their input will be well received. The best way to shift the dynamic is to create a culture […]

If you’re ending each day feeling drained, the problem may not be your workload, but how your brain is being used. Most leaders over-rely on the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s planning and decision-making center. But this part fatigues quickly under pressure. To sustain high performance, you need to engage other neural systems—and create conditions for […]

Metaphors can make or break your transformation message. They simplify complexity, create emotional connection, and cut through resistance. But not just any metaphor will do. Use these four questions to choose one that sticks.  Which threat are you calming? Strategic change triggers emotional responses tied to status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. Identify the dominant […]

When your leadership hits a wall, don’t just look outward—look inward. Often, the real blockers of success are unproductive beliefs you’re not even aware of. These hidden mindsets limit your effectiveness, decision-making, and ability to grow. The good news? You can shift them. Start with these seven common blockers and reframe them into more productive […]

AI won’t create value on its own. To unlock its potential, you must lead differently—shifting how you learn, structure teams, make decisions, develop people, and model change. Here’s where to start.  Span organizational boundaries. Fluency with AI develops through networks and exposure. Build relationships across industries, startups, regulators, and technologists. More-experienced users can provide insight […]

Being a reliable leader has its perks, but it can also make you the default pick for every stray assignment. Over time, that “magnet effect” drains your focus and fuels burnout. Here’s how to stop attracting extra work.   Prioritize without overcommitting. When given a new task, don’t default to saying yes. Assess how it fits […]