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 […]