Thoughts. Reflections. Intentions.

Last week, I talked with a client who expressed a common frustration: she’s so busy putting out daily fires that she has no time to focus on long-term goals or more strategic work. It’s an example of a paradox that occurs in every organization. Managing the day-to-day and planning for the future are both critical. Other universal paradoxes? Tending to the tried and true while pursuing creativity and innovation. Managing localized needs while creating global standardization. Upholding sustainability commitments while delivering shareholder value. Leaders struggle daily with contradictory pressures. You may view these strategic paradoxes—or polarities—as “either/or” problems. But what Read more.

Imagine the last time you felt uncomfortable. Was it in a meeting where you were asked to share your take on a tough topic? Was it when a team member asked you a question you didn’t have an answer for? Maybe it was in the throes of a (real or perceived) conflict with a co-worker. Read more.

Learning and development are two very different things, especially when you examine them through the lenses of adult learning theory and adult development theory. Read more.

Over the past decade or more, emotional intelligence has gained traction as a must-have trait, particularly for leaders. But the term is used so freely and frequently that few of us can really articulate what it means. Is it composure? Is it flexibility? Is it empathy?

Emotional intelligence can encompass all these traits, but more specifically, it’s defined as your capacity for awareness and effective management of your emotions. Those with high EQ are more likely to be aware of, control, and express their emotions.

Nearly everyone has the capacity for emotional intelligence, but tapping into it is often easier said than done. It becomes especially challenging in stressful circumstances, when your nervous system is triggered and sets off a tsunami of feelings that are difficult to get a grip on. Read more.

I consider myself to be fiercely independent and outrageously resourceful. From a young age, I was programmed to solve my own problems, move my own barriers, and work through my own obstacles. Help? I don’t need it. Support? I can take it or leave it. This mindset has had its advantages in life and my career. It’s made me strong, capable, and resilient. But it’s also had some disadvantages. I can appear distrustful or distant. I’ve turned down opportunities for teamwork or collaboration that would have expanded my learning and growth. It wasn’t until started working with Transitions Coaching that Read more.

As leaders today, our capability to lead change is constantly being tested. At the same time, we’re stretching our teams’ capacity to absorb change. Read more.

The tension in my shoulders. The quickening of my pulse. The clenching of my jaw. The tightness in my chest. It wasn’t a physical threat triggering my fight or flight response—it was an annual performance review. Read more.

The threat of professional burnout isn’t new, but it certainly seems to be becoming more prevalent. Back in 2012, a ComPsych survey found that 62% of workers in North America felt high levels of stress, loss of control, and extreme fatigue. A study in 2021 reported that 60% of professionals experienced burnout often or very often, and 90% felt their work lives were getting worse during the pandemic. We can’t deny that burnout is dangerous So dangerous, in fact, that in 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) added burnout to its International Classification of Diseases. The research looking at burnout Read more.

As we’ve evolved as humans, we’ve created mechanisms to help us handle all sorts of situations. We’ve developed skills to make quick decisions, maintain our safety, and protect ourselves from threats. Read more.

Leaders are grappling with some big and complex issues: increasing turnover, widening skills gaps, and elusive talent. The problems often feel insurmountable, and they’re also universal. Read more.