Hi Reader, Leaders often ask some version of the same question: How do I improve engagement on my team? It is an understandable place to start. When a team’s energy feels inconsistent or participation begins to fade, engagement appears to be the missing ingredient. We instinctively look for ways to motivate people or encourage greater ownership. Over time, however, we’ve come to believe that the question itself points us slightly in the wrong direction. Engagement is not something leaders...
7 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you probably don’t need to be convinced of the importance of psychological safety. At this point, the connection between psychological safety and high performance is well established. Teams that cultivate it collaborate better, innovate more freely, and navigate challenges with greater resilience. And yet, despite all that, there are still wide misunderstandings about what psychological safety really is…and what it isn’t. Even the...
14 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Last summer our family spent a week on Vancouver Island. We took several hikes through old-growth rain forests, and the thing that struck me most wasn’t the size of the trees. It was the canopy. I don’t know that I’d ever been in a forest with such dense, connected coverage. At times there didn’t seem to be much light coming through, and yet the forest below was incredibly lush - even more vibrant than rainforests I’ve hiked in Costa Rica. That felt counterintuitive and made me...
21 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, In training, we regularly ask people to reflect on the leader behaviors that make them feel unwilling to speak up or share their opinion. The answer we hear most often is simple and sobering: “I felt dismissed.” That single phrase reminds us of a significant reality: people leaders have an outsized influence on whether others will share their best thinking with the team, or quietly hold it back. The way a leader responds in everyday moments shapes whether people feel safe to...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Think about the last time someone brought you a problem. A teammate shared frustration about a peer. A direct report voiced concern about a decision. A colleague described something that felt stuck, unclear, or unfair. How quickly did you move to trying to solve it? Most senior leaders do not pause to fully absorb what they are hearing. They diagnose. They optimize. They offer solutions. They move the conversation forward. That instinct has probably served you well in your career....
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Last week we used a clip from Ted Lasso to explore the power of grace in building relationships. That moment showed us how unexpected compassion and empathy, especially when it feels undeserved, can become a turning point in trust and connection. As much as we love that clip, the reality is this: Most bids for connection won’t be that dramatic. They will be much more subtle. And yet how we respond to them still carries every bit the potential that Ted’s response carried for...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Human beings are wired with a negativity bias. When something goes wrong, our brains naturally give it more weight than everything that has gone right. A single disappointment, missed expectation, or awkward interaction can begin to color our entire view of a person. Over time, we stop describing behaviors and start defining character. “They have always been this way.”“They don’t take feedback well.”“They’re impossible to work with.” When we let those stories take root, we quietly...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, There is no shortage of conversation about artificial intelligence right now. Executive teams are investing heavily in new tools, platforms, and infrastructure. Boards are asking about AI strategy. Leaders are under pressure to “do something” so they do not fall behind. But there is a critical investment area that very few leadership teams are talking about. To make the most of AI, you don't just need better technology. You need stronger teams. A recent Deloitte insight shared by...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, One of the most encouraging things we see at the beginning of each year is leadership teams doing the hard work of clarifying their shared focus. They step back and they commit to a small set of strategic objectives that will guide the year ahead. And then something predictable happens. The calendar fills up and urgent issues take center stage. Meetings become reactive. And without meaning to, teams drift away from the very goals they worked so hard to define. This is not a failure...
2 months ago • 3 min read