Even if you aren’t in a leadership position, you have a leadership presence. You get to choose what that leadership presence is. So why not choose a presence that instills confidence?

Leadership presence is your ability to command a room, communicate with charisma, and engage others to follow you. It is the brand that you are known for as a leader. It is what others say about you and think of you when you are not in the room. When you are someone who has authority or power over others, your presence extends far further than the physical space you occupy.

If you haven’t heard of Quiet Quitting by now, you will soon. I’m all for this! 100%. But I don’t love the term quiet. I believe this movement needs to be loud. Both employers and employees need to have difficult, messy, loud, healthy dialogue. Even healthy conflict perhaps. Because that’s how change happens.

​Chronic complainers are exhausting. They deplete the energy of everyone around them. The challenge is that they often don’t see themselves as complainers. But nevertheless, a chronic complainer must be dealt with before they bring down an entire team. Chronic complainers are not looking for advice or alternative suggestions. Anything you offer that contradicts their powerlessness, or recognition of their hardship, will be rejected.

Gossip is something we face everyday. It is alive in nearly every workplace, friendship, and family. How we deal with gossip is a key driver in creating the kind of culture we desire in these complex systems and relationships. If you are someone who wishes work culture was more positive and valuing, and you aren’t setting strong boundaries around gossip, you are part of the problem.

Gossip is an attempt to pacify or quiet a feeling of discomfort or vulnerability that rises up in me. My brain then adds all kinds of stories (fears, assumptions, judgments, expectations, values) to the data and makes the story bigger. Because what my brain is creating, I falsely believe sharing will bring me relief.

There is a movement of previously highly ambitious, committed workers who are making the choice to stop going above and beyond. They are no longer stretching the work day into the evening, weekends, and paid time off. You must help them know that they are seen and heard, even if you don’t agree or aren’t able to fix what they are wanting to be different. Here are my quick and easy steps to begin.

True and authentic communication is necessary. Without it, how do people come to truly know you? How does the reciprocity of trust develop in relationships? You must speak your truth. But how can you do that in a way that sets the stage for the best possible outcome? Simple. By turning the conversation around. Turning a conversation around involves these 4 elements.

The NCD mantras serve as reminders to question the beliefs that may make you hesitant to initiate tough but necessary conversations. When asked which of the mantras most resonate, the majority of people pick The only person you can manage is yourself. Through hundreds of discussions, what I’ve found is that the people who pick this particular mantra are people who say, “I don’t like to make other people unhappy.” Sound familiar?

Trust is such an integral part of the success of any organization, team or group. Yet, we rarely ever take a deep dive look into what trust really is and the many ways trust either does or does not show up in our relationships. The following is an excerpt from my newest book, Turn This Conversation Around.

A recent participant in NCD Essentials was reflecting on what the NCD Process taught her. I was so inspired by the insights she had after just two sessions of NCD Essentials, that I am altering my definition of gossip.

A client request got me thinking about the gap that exists when we use phrases like “managing up” and what happens when we assume that others understand exactly what that means to us. If you are a leader who keeps using the term “manage up” as a directive to your staff and yet you aren’t getting the results you want, the problem is likely not in your employee’s performance but in how you are making that ask. I’ve written up a 4-step process you can follow to develop a managing-up relationship, and I'm sharing it with you.

Now more than ever, the world needs a pathway to connection through dialogue. A survey done in 2021 showed that close to 84 million Americans have parted ways with one or more significant people in their lives due to conflicts over values and political differences. For some it is the neighbor who helps you out from time to time. For others it is the coworker with whom you bantered at the water cooler. And for others it might be the aunt or uncle who you’ve known since childhood and saw every holiday. Many of us are grieving these losses.

Do you ever walk away from a conversation wondering, “What happened? Why did I behave like that?”​ If you are human, it is likely you have been surprised by your own behavior. Maybe you lashed out at someone, or blamed them harshly, or even got mad and stormed off. It happens to all of us from time to time, when we react based on what I refer to as an emotional hotspot.

It has become disturbingly normal to dismiss and disconnect from people with whom we don’t agree. While this choice may feel comfortable in the short-term, it erodes our ability to thrive and survive as individuals and collectively. This will have a long-term negative impact on our society. ​

I was a teacher-in-training in a high school English class. It wasn’t just any class but a class for students with emotional and behavioral challenges which prevented them from success in mainstream classes. I watched as all the previously raised hands were lowered and students tried to become invisible. She became exasperated and proceeded to tell them her perspective. Previously curious eyes now glazed over.

Whatever you're thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you're worrying, you are planning. When you are appreciating, you are planning. What are you planning?

Sleep is not a character trait. It is something we are born with the ability to do. Not because it is a luxury or a reward. Sleep is as vital as drinking water, eating, or even breathing. It is when your mind and body do their work to repair, nourish, and grow. Stop thinking about it and just sleep.

Between companies trying to lure employees back to the office and the current difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees, the rising cost of gasoline is not helping out. Many of my clients are trying to find creative ways to help employees reduce the financial burden of commuting to the office as the price of gas continues to go up.

Putting myself out there for feedback is uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the more comfortable it becomes. And now here I am again feeling a little uncomfortable. But this time, I didn’t wait for my team to push me, I initiated getting the feedback.