Going through the college application process with my daughter, it’s easy to get sucked into thinking, “When she gets into the right college, everything will be great.” It’s what Shrizad Chamine refers to as the Saboteur criticizing circumstances. It reminds me of how much my clients, ambitious professionals (You!), postpone gratification to reach […]
Looking through my eclipse glasses and seeing the beginnings of the moon block the sun was breathtaking. So I went to one of the benches in the median on Broadway near my home. And waited. I was waiting for Totality, the moment when the moon would completely cover the sun. The day would get […]
A friend in Tech recently shared the idea of Tech Debt. Basically, tech companies have to invest in infrastructure that works — for now. Different than traditional obsolescence, this infrastructure will actually require investment to undo down the road. We played with applying the concept to the work I do. Basically, the Leadership approach […]
The other day, a client told me, “I have trust issues” as a way to explain why he micro-manages his team. From his perspective, he couldn’t trust his direct reports, because other important people in his life had let him down. As we spoke, it became clear that the micro-managing behavior was linked to […]
Last week I got to attend a small breakfast with one of my heroes, Carla Harris. I first heard Carla speak in the middle of the financial crisis, and have been a super fan ever since. I remember her saying that in times of crisis, it was human instinct to lay low and just […]
A couple of weeks ago, I saw Tarang Amin, CEO of E.L.F. beauty, interviewed. Tarang said a lot of things, but one made me want to pinch myself. He said that when he speaks to other CEO’s, they say things like, “I want my employees to feel real ownership of their brands and the […]
On one hand, things pick up after winter’s lull. That means there is energy around execution and getting things done – steam roller. On the other hand, a new vision wants to emerge, but hasn’t yet. That’s like the swirling eddy on the edge of a river. Combine the two, and it can feel […]
“Back in the day we were proud to work at a company that was growing and innovating. We didn’t need sustainability missions, game rooms and hybrid work.” You still see senior leaders who don’t get why today’s early and mid-career professionals aren’t loyal in the ways that they were. Here’s the thing: People act […]
“I can’t help it! I’m a perfectionist,” is a line that drives me crazy. You’ve heard me talk about the Confidence Lie — using impressive experience or talent to hide internal self-doubt. Which makes the “perfectionist” claim the rallying cry of the Confidence Lie. It leverages our shared value of hard work and high […]
In London recently I had coffee, tea actually, with a former coaching client. He has a senior role in HR, so we quickly got to talking shop. He was sharing that people in London, even ambitious people, generally end their workday by 6:00. It was something I knew, but prefer to forget. We Americans […]
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