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Hand removing a wooden block from a tower, illustrating how individual decisions can affect an entire team

Leadership Accountability: When Common Sense Isn’t Common

Why “they should know better” isn’t a leadership strategy There are few things more frustrating as a leader than dealing with something that feels like it should be common sense. Why didn’t you say something six weeks ago? Why wait until the last minute? Why send a text instead of having the conversation when you...
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Two newspapers labeled "Good News" and "Bad News" illustrating how the order of positive and negative feedback influences leadership communication and employee behavior.

The Feedback Sandwich Is Broken: What Leaders Should Do Instead

I was sitting in church this weekend when my pastor asked a question that stopped me mid-note-taking. “When you’re about to get good news and bad news,” he said, “which do you want first?” He asked the congregation to raise their hands. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the bad news first. Then he made a claim that...
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Orthodontic power chain demonstrating how connected pressure moves multiple teeth, illustrating organizational change leadership.

What a Power Chain Taught Me About Leading Organizational Change

Organizational change rarely fails because leaders choose the wrong strategy. More often, it fails because organizations mistake discomfort for failure. Every meaningful transformation creates resistance before it creates results. Ironically, I learned one of the best lessons about leading change while sitting in my orthodontist’s chair. Eight months into braces, I thought I knew what...
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A cheerful green frog eating a slice of strawberry cheesecake, illustrating the idea of "dessert before the frog" as a fresh approach to the Eat the Frog productivity method.

Why Eating Dessert First Might Beat Eating the Frog

There are many gurus out there who say “eat the frog” first thing in your day, especially in sales, getting the hardest thing or the thing you dread out of the way to ensure it gets done. I’ve taught this for years. I’ve tried it myself. It works, in the sense that the hard thing...
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Back to work concept showing a desk and computer representing returning from vacation without burning out

How to Return from Vacation Without Burning Out

The first week back after a long holiday is one of the most fragile weeks in the professional year. Energy is low, expectations are high, and the gap between the two can create unnecessary stress and guilt. Instead of trying to snap back to full speed, this is the perfect moment to design a more...
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A road sign reading “wisdom” over “perfectionism,” symbolizing high-achieving leaders choosing clarity and sustainable leadership over burnout.

Why High-Achieving Leaders Still Feel Behind (Even When They’re Winning)

“I Feel Like I’m Sucking as a Leader” Several high-performing leaders have said those exact words to me in coaching sessions this year. In retrospect, I recall saying the exact same words in my leadership roles! Sales are up. Teams are hitting targets. Peers are asking for their input. From the outside, these leaders look...
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A close-up of a broken metal chain link symbolizing a struggling team, with the words “Fixing the Broken Team” in bold text. Represents leadership, communication breakdown, and rebuilding team culture.

“So, You Want Me to Fix Your Team?”

The Myth of the Broken Team and  What Leaders Can Do Instead It usually starts with a familiar call: “Gina, my team isn’t getting along. Can you fix them?” The sigh on the other end of the line says it all. Frustration, fatigue, and the faint hope that maybe someone can swoop in and restore...
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From Conga Line to Cohesion: What a Dance Party Taught Me About Leadership and Human Behavior

When I step on stage as a keynote speaker, my goal isn’t just to motivate people; it’s to move them. Literally and figuratively. Sure, most keynote speakers aim to inspire reflection, and that’s important. But I want my audiences to experience something — to feel it in their bodies. Because what we feel, we remember....
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A confident leader communicating clearly with a diverse team to improve workplace culture

From Passive to Proactive: How Clear Leadership Communication Improves Workplace Culture

During a recent coaching session with a C-suite executive, the conversation started where many do, on surface-level updates. We talked about deadlines, projects, and personnel shifts. Underneath the calendar invites and tax return timelines, something deeper was brewing – cultural friction, unclear communication, and the quiet tolerance of behavior that was beginning to rot the...
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Ripple effect symbolizing leadership coaching impact

Why Leaders Need Coaching

The Forgotten Layer: Why Leaders of Leaders Need Coaching Organizations pour time and resources into frontline training, but the real coaching gap often starts one level up, with the leaders of leaders. Directors, VPs, and senior managers frequently assume their direct reports (other leaders) already know how to lead and coach. The result? Accountability slips,...
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