Recently, I had two meetings with two C-suite executives from the same company during the same week, discussing the exact same body of work. I walked out of each room realizing how profoundly leadership shapes what people are willing to contribute.   Meeting One: Explanations I’m sitting across from a senior executive I work with […]

There’s a particular kind of leadership conversation that almost always happens behind closed doors. It’s the one about the high performer who is wreaking havoc on the culture. They deliver results. They have skills the organization values. They might hold critical client relationships, deep institutional knowledge, or insights pulled straight from a competitor. On paper, […]

I was listening to Mark Carney speak last week, and somewhere between his discussion of global economics and the fragility of power, I had a visceral aha moment. He wasn’t just talking about current leadership dynamics across the globe, he was describing dynamics I’ve seen in many organizations I’ve worked in—and many I still work […]

I was coaching a CEO this week who is sitting at a pivotal moment in her business. This year’s sales performance will be a major determinant of the company’s future. The stakes are real. The pressure is on. And the person she has in the sales leadership seat is, on paper, outstanding. Deep industry knowledge. […]

The holidays always remind me how good it feels to give. It’s one of the reasons this season can feel so joyful. We’re wired to light up when we brighten someone else’s day. Of course, there’s magic in receiving something thoughtful too. That warm sense that someone thought of you, just for you. But the […]

“What looks like a talent gap is often a focus gap. The ‘all-star’ is often an average-to-above-average performer who spends more time working on what is important and less time on distractions. The talent is staying focused.” — James Clear    The Dopamine Trap  These days, our brains are wired for quick hits of dopamine […]

One of my clients recently watched a new college graduate walk into her first day of work wearing a backpack and a brand new hoodie. She looked bright, capable, eager…and nervous. You could tell she wasn’t quite sure of the invisible rules of this mysterious land called “professional life.” My client was worried she might not be […]

Recently, I was coaching a leader who was struggling to develop a coaching strategy for one of this team members. This wasn’t a case of bad behaviour or major mistakes. It was a string of little things that, over time, started to add up. Comments like, “Sorry, I forgot,” or “Yeah, I didn’t get around […]

I once worked with a leader who could’ve given any crime show investigator a run for their money. The moment a project went sideways, he’d pull out his metaphorical magnifying glass.“Who dropped the ball?”“Why didn’t I know sooner?”“What went wrong here?”The problem is, he was never around when the clues first appeared. He’d arrive after the body […]

Today I was coaching a sales leader who shared how important it was for him to protect his team’s culture as he brought in a few new hires.When I asked what values he wanted the team to hold, he said: open communication, teamwork, and accountability.On paper, these sound obvious. Who doesn’t want those things? But as […]

In coaching leaders each year, I’ve noticed a striking pattern: most are simply too busy to lead.What does that mean? It means the very practices that keep teams healthy, such as the check-ins, one-on-ones, performance conversations, team goal reviews get pushed aside. They’re the first to be cancelled when calendars get tight, or worse, they never make […]

“I can’t promise it won’t hurt — but I can promise it will be better.” “But I know it’s going to hurt,” she says, her giant green eyes welling up with tears. And I hate that I can’t promise her otherwise. The fact that I can’t say, with honesty, “No, it won’t hurt” cuts me […]

I was coaching a leader recently who found herself in one of those classic leadership conundrums: how do you give tough feedback to a very talented new hire without dousing their spark?Here’s the situation:She had a new team member—a rock star on paper—who joined the company ready to hit the ground sprinting. Within weeks, this hire […]

If you’ve ever watched a world-class tennis coach in action, you know they’re not just drilling forehands and backhands. They’re teaching mindset. They’re coaching decision-making. They’re showing players how to think the game—not just play it. The same holds true for leadership. One of the most powerful (and underused) tricks high performers can use to […]

A couple years ago, I had one of those unassuming yet unforgettable conversations that quietly rearranges your thinking. I was chatting with a new friend from Australia—we’d been covering all the usual topics: family, careers, travel. But at some point, with her usual clarity, she turned to me and said, “I’m here for a big […]

“How do I delegate more effectively?” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that question from brilliant, accomplished professionals, I’d be writing this from my yacht. (Spoiler: I’m not. I’m sitting in my kitchen, procrastinating from folding laundry.) But here’s the truth: most of the time when people ask how to delegate […]

You know that magical moment when you finally let go of something, assign it to someone else, and breathe a sigh of relief because, finally, your to-do list is lighter? …And then, a few days later, that very same task comes whizzing back at you like a rogue boomerang, smacking you square in the face? […]

Ever tried running a marathon without knowing where the finish line is? Imagine it: Your legs are aching, lungs burning, sweat dripping into your eyes. You check your watch—you’ve been at it for miles—but you have no idea how many more are ahead. Is it two more? Ten? Twenty? You start to lose steam, not […]

I was on a train back from Madrid to Málaga with my family and another family after a weekend packed with 45,000 people running the Madrid Marathon. The nine of us were finally heading back to Estepona when things started to go sideways. First came the texts from friends already home in Estepona, three hours […]

I was chatting with a new friend recently about this incredible community of families I travel with. Imagine a group trip… with no drama, no fuss, no weird group text politics. Just good humans, great kids, and a shocking lack of side-eyes and over-organizers. It’s like a unicorn of group dynamics. As I was gushing […]

I was talking with a client recently who was wrestling with a big decision. One of those career-changing, life-altering, “is-this-a-genius-move-or-a-terrible-mistake?” kinds of decisions. And as we talked, he kept circling back to the same thing: “I feel anxious. I feel uncertain. I feel like I might be making the wrong choice.” And then came the […]

Let’s talk about loyalty. Not the kind your dog shows when you so much as think about opening the fridge, but the human kind—the kind that shows up in workplaces, boardrooms, and even friendships. Some people are drawn to power like moths to a very expensive, well-lit flame. They meet someone powerful—maybe a CEO, an […]

As a leadership coach and a mid-life human myself, I find myself asking: Should a coach stick strictly to leadership topics, or are we truly in service to a leader if we address the bigger, more personal obstacles that inevitably impact their work? Let’s start with the reality. Leaders are not just their job titles. […]

After a year-long, down-to-the-studs home renovation—including new insulation, windows, roof, HVAC, and more—I thought we were set for whatever Mother Nature threw our way. But as this winter’s extreme cold set in, I noticed something troubling: long, drippy icicles hanging off every side of the house. Not exactly the picture of energy efficiency I had […]

If you could peek upstairs in my brain during a typical workday, you’d probably find a golden retriever energetically wagging its tail, ready to help and leave people feeling happy. That’s who I really am: someone who genuinely wants to be of service, to contribute, to make things better for the people around me. And yet, despite […]

Since we are officially past the “Happy New Year” greeting window according to Larry David, I’ll just say I’m thankful to be back in your inbox. This week, I want to share a profound experience I had at MEA’s Transitions Retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When I arrived at the retreat, I was burnt out (yup, I’m an […]

Dessert First: Part Six (of Six) Part One: New view, new you: The power of a workation Part Two: Dessert first: Putting fun before function Part Three: How to build a strong community Part Four: Too happy to be busy  Part Five: I’m here for a big life We’ve covered so much in my dessert-first […]

Dessert First: Part Five (of Six) Part One: New view, new you: The power of a workation Part Two: Dessert first: Putting fun before function Part Three: How to build a strong community Part Four: Too happy to be busy When you’re surrounded by people from different walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures, you start […]

Dessert First: Part Four (of Six) Part One: New view, new you: The power of a workation Part Two: Dessert first: Putting fun before function Part Three: How to build a strong community In my first book, Too Busy to be Happy, I focused on what can happen to us mentally when we let certain […]

Dessert First: Part Three (of Six) Part One: New view, new you: The power of a workation Part Two: Dessert first: Putting fun before function Part Four: Too happy to be busy By now, you probably know that I spent 12 weeks in Greece this year with 22 other families. It was a life-changing experience, […]

Dessert First: Part Two (of Six) Part One: New view, new you: The power of a workation Part Three: How to build a strong community Part Four: Too happy to be busy What would happen if we turned our days inside out? Or upside down? If you read Part One of my series on living […]

Dessert First: Part One (of Six) Part Two: Dessert first: Putting fun before function Part Three: How to build a strong community Part Four: Too happy to be busy This past April, I took a leap of faith. Or rather, a leap of fortune. I packed up my family and my business, Leader in Motion, […]