Even the most disciplined people find times in their lives where they drift away from their goals. Life is consistently inconsistent, and it’s those people who catch themselves before they drift too far off course that excel and achieve their goals. I especially notice this when it comes to health and wellness. […]
Change is not just inevitable—it's accelerating. As someone who is immersed in change, I often hear executives and project managers express concern about keeping pace with this ever-increasing velocity of transformation. However, by examining historical patterns and leveraging past experiences, organizations can better prepare for future challenges and opportunities. I feel like we are forgetting to learn from our own histories when doing so can be a shortcut to success. The Accelerating Pace of Change Recent studies indicate that the [...]
Fear stands in the way of well intentioned people when it comes to allyship in the workplace. Many senior managers and executives are wary of doing and saying the wrong thing. So they stay quiet. High profile missteps and misfires have contributed to a miscalibration in how allyship efforts are perceived. It doesn’t have to be this way. New research has found that advantaged groups greatly underestimate the positive effects of allyship in the workplace. On average, attempts at allyship [...]
“Or is there?” A powerful question around change and our ability to affect change. This simple question - from my Uncle Lurie was to be a catalyst for change. This is an excerpt from my book What’s Your Catalyst: The Power of Managed Change where I recount my life-changing work trip to Africa and the impact of those three words. As I sat writing in a Cameroonian hotel room late one night, my tone was different. I wrote with a [...]
I recently contributed to a conversation on LinkedIn about common mistakes in public speaking and I felt compelled to make the point that when we are speaking – to audiences of any size – connection is crucial. As I typed, I realized how strongly I felt the following to be true, and how often it is overlooked in favor of clickbait soundbites and the dominant narrative around data. Here’s what I said, and keep reading for some insights into how [...]
We’re in control after all! We have long been told that the majority of actions, decisions and behaviors are driven by our unconscious mind – the ‘hidden’ part of us where our attitudes, beliefs and biases reside. A new book has turned this concept on its head – literally turning Freud’s iceberg upside-down to illustrate that the majority of our existence is conscious – and we have access and control. Doing otherwise is an abdication of responsibility says Professor Ben [...]
“In the past jobs were about muscles, now they’re about brains, but in the future they’ll be about the heart.” Dame Minouche Shafik, President of Columbia University This quote reflects a profound transition underway in our relationship with work. In previous eras, labor was largely driven by physical human effort and endurance. Then, the knowledge economy ushered focus towards intellectual capacity over manual skills. However, research shows that emotional intelligence (EQ) will soon eclipse both physicality and intellect as the [...]
As a self-confessed Marvel geek, I love seeing the transformation of ‘ordinary Joe/Jo’ into superhero and I believe that while we can’t all scale buildings and win intergalactic battles, we do all have a unique leadership superpower – some capacity, skill or quality that sets us apart and elevates organizational performance. However, unlocking our true heroic potential requires looking inward first and a great place to start is by analyzing our impact patterns. […]
“Disagreement means richness of point of view, a wealth of ideas. So we want to keep that. But we want to prepare people to listen to different points of view.” – Francesca Cornelli, Dean of the Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management This quote encapsulates the opportunity more empathic and inclusive leadership presents for organizational success. But what does it mean to truly listen across differences in background and experience? And why does it matter? […]
Do your employees feel genuinely valued and seen for their contributions? If not, their performance and morale may falter no matter their natural drive. I wrote recently about reigniting a dimmed spark with insights for leaders on how to increase motivation and I want to go deeper on one important facet of motivation that is within the capability and control of every leader and manager: Recognition. […]
