It can feel like a paradox: the times when we grow the most and feel happiest often require that we experience discomfort. When I think about moments of greatest growth for leaders and teams I work with, or for myself, they almost always occur after we move through something and/or have an experience that’s hard, […]

As I wrote in the introduction to my first leadership book, “How Do You Want to Show Up? Find Your Inner Truths–and Lead with Them”, I have been curious from an early age about what makes a great leader. What I’ve learned is that effective leadership is more than an attitude or a natural ability. […]

Engaging in authentic conversations allows people to feel most alive and real, and leads to high morale. We need real conversations in order to provide clarity and move discussions, decisions, business outcomes and performance forward. Yet, despite the power of authenticity, it can be surprisingly hard to achieve this at work. Our identity and/or our […]

Are you thriving at work? Often, I hear leaders in work situations where they feel unhappy, don’t feel like themselves, and are convinced that the problem must be about them. They take responsibility, thinking that if they could just figure out how to work better with this one colleague, or fit in better with a […]

If you’ve ever watched the hit Netflix food and travel program Salt Fat Acid Heat, you’ve observed the friendly, bubbly personality of its star, chef Samin Nosrat. She’s known for her warm, upbeat style. In an article for the food magazine Bon Appetit, a writer who spent time with Samin concluded, “She really wants you to […]

If someone seems genuinely interested in you, do you feel more positive about them? I do. In fact, if you want to make a positive connection with someone, there’s scientific research to suggest that people tend to feel good about others who ask questions during a conversation. The researchers in the study analyzed both live […]

The Internal Compass That Guides Great Leadership My coaching clients have a variety of goals: some are working on being more direct, and some are aiming to be more intentional with leadership. Sometimes a person is trying to get clear about what they really want in the future, and sometimes they are trying to gain […]

To achieve great results at work we need to feel that we belong. “As members of a social species, we derive strength not from our rugged individualism but from our collective ability to plan, communicate, and work together,” writes author Brené Brown. Most of us have had at least occasional experiences of disconnection and loneliness […]