Leadership doesn’t start “up there.” It starts with you. In coaching I sometimes hear a version of the same conversation: “I’m not really a leader yet. I don’t have the title. Maybe I need another certification, or another degree, or [...]

A physician and a hospital administrator sit across from one another certain they understand the other’s intentions. But can either of them actually know what the other is thinking? The physician believes the administrator only cares about meeting revenue projections. [...]

There are moments in life and leadership when the weight of what’s in front of us feels overwhelming. It can be a project with no clear outcome, the pressure of an inbox that never ends, stepping into a role that [...]

A conflict between two colleagues has reached a boiling point. After several unsuccessful attempts by HR and leadership to resolve the conflict internally, the company engages a neutral third-party to "mediate." What happens next? Although mediation is commonly associated with [...]

In my previous newsletter, I explored how to deal with difficult people including yourself. Here I dive deeper because the true work it is not about managing them, but about understanding what they're teaching us. "When you find someone difficult, [...]

How many times have you heard this? “I am dealing with a really difficult person.” The phrase applies in a lot of different scenarios. A colleague becomes “impossible.” A partner is described as “unreasonable.” A team member is labeled “resistant.” [...]

Most fairy tales I grew up with follow a familiar pattern. There is someone in trouble, powerless and afraid, the damsel in distress. There is someone to blame, the villain. And there is someone who arrives just in time to [...]