In these moments, it is important to let our values guide us.

Therefore, clarity on our values is essential for leaders.

In his new book, Columbia Business School professor Paul Ingram suggests that answering this question – “What Do You Really Stand For?” – is one of the most fundamental leadership questions that any of us can answer for ourselves.

Ingram suggests that our core values serve a vital dual purpose: they act as a compass guiding us toward the right decisions and an engine providing the internal drive to pursue them.

Based on his work with over 10,000 leaders globally, Ingram emphasizes that articulating our values through a structured process transforms abstract ideals into practical tools for everyday leadership.

Relying on vague notions of what matters is rarely sufficient during high-stakes moments. Ingram recommends a structured approach to distill our principles down to a potent list of three to eight essential values:

• Practice Backward Reflection: Examine past professional experiences. Recall a negative situation that caused anger or hurt, and identify the positive value that was missing (e.g., honesty). Next, analyze a deeply satisfying accomplishment to pinpoint which positive values were actively present.
• Use the Laddering Method: Compare a triad of meaningful elements—such as past jobs, relationships, or projects. Ask how two differ from the third, why you prefer one, and repeatedly ask “why” until you uncover the foundational value driving your choice.
• Sharpen Your Wording: Exact terminology makes a difference. Refine your list by testing synonyms (for example, comparing “accomplishment” versus “excellence”) in direct head-to-head choices until you land on the most powerful expression.

Some people like writing down their core values on a card in their wallet or saving it on their phone.  Do whatever works for you so that you can quickly remember your core values when you need an immediate boost of confidence or ethical grounding.

In our current environment that rarely slows down or simplifies itself, knowing exactly what you stand for provides the ultimate executive superpower: the clarity to make swift, principled decisions when it matters most.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Ingram, P.  “What Do You Really Stand For?” Harvard Business Review online, April 22, 2026.

Trying to force action through hierarchy often backfires, anyway.  So, it is smart to learn how to use influence that does not rely on authority.

A recent article in Harvard Business Review discusses this “indirect influence problem.”  It turns out that effective leaders build influence through subtle, highly strategic behaviors.  To move projects forward without relying on formal power, you can leverage five actionable pathways:

• Become an Influence Spotter: Look beyond formal organizational titles. Observe who team members glance toward during meetings or whose opinions silently shape decisions behind the scenes.
• Use Back Channels Wisely: When formal negotiations freeze or public egos are at stake, establish private, low-pressure conversations. These off-ramps allow colleagues to explore options without needing public acts of contrition.
• Act as a Precision Mover: Good ideas fail when delivered at the wrong time. Master strategic timing by waiting for high-stress crises or group anxiety to cool before making high-stakes pitches.
• Build Genuine Connections: Avoid collecting contacts like business cards. True connectors build trust over time, bridging cross-functional silos by linking the right people to solve problems collaboratively.
• Read the Pulse: Pay attention to emotional currents, nonverbal shifts, and heavy silences. Connect emotionally before appealing to logic, framing challenges in ways that reduce defensiveness.

Direct authority still has its place, but true leadership lies in knowing when a subtler approach is required. By diagnosing the room and choosing the right combination of these strategic paths, you can build trust, align stakeholders, and drive meaningful impact across your organization—title or no title.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Meyer, P.  “5 Ways to Wield Influence When You Lack Authority,” Harvard Business Review, September – October, 2026.

A new challenge and a new opportunity.

Regardless of the quality of the relationship you had with your former boss, you are best off assuming that there will be changes – and remaining open-minded about those.

If your new boss is an insider, then maybe you already have a relationship that you can build on.

But a new boss from the outside is a special situation.  While a boss transition brings undeniable disruption, it also delivers a rare gift: a completely clean slate. Here are some ideas from a recent article in Harvard Business Review on how to grab the steering wheel and make the transition work for you:

1. Your First Impression.  A new manager has no history with your past mistakes, old patterns, or previous workplace struggles. Because people form lasting judgments within seconds—a psychological phenomenon known as “thin-slicing” – you must be intentional about your visible behaviors from day one. Decide what you want to be known for moving forward.

2. Provide an Executive Briefing.  Your new boss is likely drinking from a firehose, navigating enormous complexity while trying to evaluate their new team. Help them orient faster by sending a concise, well-crafted briefing before your first meeting.

3. Decode Their Working Style Fast.  Don’t wait for your new boss to volunteer their operating preferences. Proactively initiate a conversation early on to align your workflows. Ask targeted questions to clear up any ambiguity:

• What are your top priorities in the short and medium term?
• How often do you want to meet and what would you like me to prepare for each meeting?
• How would you like us to communicate – email, text, phone, Slack?

4. Choose Cohesion Over Competition.  Leadership transitions often trigger a survival instinct among colleagues, leading to political jockeying for position and resources. Resist this pull. Reach out to your peers proactively to resolve overlapping responsibilities before your manager walks into them. Standing out as a unifying, mature team player builds immediate executive trust.

Taking a passive “wait-and-see” approach during a transition is a major risk. By actively managing up, you can successfully turn leadership uncertainty into a powerful launchpad for your career.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Smith, D. D.  “The Keys to Succeeding Under a New Manager,” Harvard Business Review online, May 18, 2026.

Lots of our bosses could really benefit from having an executive coach!

We have all probably had bosses like this.  They have a lot of talent and many good qualities – but there are some blind spots!  If they could only get past these then life would be much better for you and the organization.

What do you do?  How do you approach your boss about coaching?  Here are some suggestions from a recent article in Harvard Business Review.

1.  Maybe You Should Not Deliver the Message.  If you feel your position as a direct report makes the conversation too risky, consider if a different messenger—like an HR business partner or a trusted cross-functional peer—might be more effective. You can also lower the stakes by suggesting a time-bound experiment, such as an eight-week trial focused on a specific initiative or transformation.

2.  Identify the Real Barrier.  If they have resisted coaching, diagnose the likely source of their resistance. It usually falls into three categories: ego, where they view needing help as a sign of weakness; misconceptions, where they see coaching as purely remedial for underperformers; or time, where they view it as just another meeting they can’t afford. Tailoring your approach to their specific barrier is crucial for success.

3. Solve a Pain Point, Don’t Fix a Gap.  The quickest way to trigger defensiveness is to point out their personal flaws. Instead, anchor the suggestion in the frustrations they have already voiced—such as executive team misalignment, exhausting workloads, or intense board pressure. Position the coach as a strategic tool to help them navigate these complex business challenges rather than a way to “fix” their personality.

4. Normalize Elite Performance.  Frame coaching as a hallmark of high-performing leaders rather than a remedial fix. Remind them that top athletes and high-profile CEOs from companies like Google and Salesforce have used coaches to manage complexity. Emphasize that a coach provides a confidential, politically neutral space for strategic thinking and pressure-testing decisions.

Ultimately, the decision to engage a coach must belong to the leader. If you notice increasing irritation or find yourself excluded from key meetings after raising the topic, it is time to stop pushing to protect your own professional credibility. The real objective is to create the conditions where they can opt-in to growth on their own terms.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Lyons, M.  “How to Convince Your Boss They Need a Coach,” Harvard Business Review online, April 10, 2026.

This is the standard that I set for myself – and I remind myself of this every day.

This does not mean that I do a perfect job in every class – far from it.  I always have ideas on how I can do better.  But I go for it and give 100% effort every day.

What would it take for you to bring you’re “A Game” to work every day?

Here are some of the things I do:

• Prepare.  Every day brings a new challenge.  Make sure you have put the time into being ready for each of your key goals for the day.
• Focus.  It is easy to get distracted during the day.  Work to keep your focus on your key goals for the day.
• Prioritize.  Bringing your “A Game” does not mean that do everything perfectly.  You need to pick the top goals for the day to focus on.
• Rest.  We cannot be our best without getting proper rest – whatever that means for you.
• Health.  Taking care of our health is great for the long term, but also for today.  Make sure you have the energy you need to bring your “A Game.”
• Continuous Improvement. All of us can get better each day.  Continually evaluate improvements for the future.
• Make Your Own List. These are the things that I need to bring my “A Game” – what about you?

Are you bringing your “A Game” every day or are you sleepwalking through life; same ‘ol, same ‘ol?  Are you phoning it in?

We can never get a day back.  I suggest making the effort to bring your “A Game” every day.  Not only will you be more successful – the whole experience will be much more fulfilling.

The pace of change in our world seems to increase exponentially on a regular basis.  This can frustrate a lot of people when they begin a Strategy effort.  “What’s the point,” they may say, “the future is so unpredictable!”

While this can be true, a solid Strategy will:

• Clarify your Mission and the difference you want to make
• Set your Ideal Vision for the future
• Establish Three-Five Strategic Goals
• Identify relevant SWOTs: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are relevant to implementing your Strategic Goals

In a Strategy Refresh, you can briefly revisit each of these items.

• Your Mission probably has not changed. If not, reaffirm and Onward!
• Maybe you want to update your Vision. If so, great.  This does not have to be a long process.
• Are your Strategic Goals still relevant? Most of them probably are.  If you need to change them for any reason, go for it.  It is more likely that you may want to tweak them based on what you have learned in the past year.
• It is likely that some of your SWOTs have changed – either due to internal changes (i.e., staffing, finances) or external changes. Make sure that you identify these changes and feed them into your implementation process.

A strategy refresh is a healthy standard operating procedure to help make sure that you are still on the right path to your vision and mission.  It will help assure that you maximize your Mission Impact.

But it’s not Happy for everyone.

Many of us are very fortunate to take part in a lot of extra celebratory activities during the holidays.  There are parties and gifts and family gatherings.  Very fun!

But it’s not Fun for everyone.

There are many different reasons why people may be “blue” at the holidays.

• The loss of a loved one in recent years is always more pronounced around the holidays
• If someone is lonely, they are often even more lonely at this time of year
• Financial stress is amplified during these gift giving times
• Festive TV specials and commercials can make people feel even more left out than usual

It is easy for the fortunate ones among us to get very busy at this time of the year and overlook friends and co-workers who are having a tough time.

*Slow down and pay extra special attention to everyone you regularly interact with.

*Turn up the volume on your empathy awareness – if you see something, say something: “Hey, how’s it going?  Want to get together for a coffee?”

*Treat everyone with an extra portion of care.  It is very easy for people to disguise what they are going through.

Of course, the shorter days and colder weather in most of the US does not help.  Some churches even have special “Longest Night” services on Winter Solstice to provide hopeful, caring spaces for people.

It is great to celebrate the holidays.  But let’s do our best to bring everyone along with us.

Recent research reported in Harvard Business Review tells us that worker dissatisfaction is on the rise.  As a leader, this is your opportunity to step up your game and support your team’s continuous improvement.

Following are eight questions to ask yourself about improving your team’s satisfaction and performance:

1. What are the biggest frustrations my team faces, and what am I doing to remove them?  Actively eliminate obstacles, especially excessive workload, shifting priorities, or clunky approval processes.

2. What decisions am I holding onto that my team could be making?  Avoid being the bottleneck. Give your team specific authority, making it explicit which calls they own.

3. Where am I making people do things my way when I could be giving them flexibility?  Grant autonomy—a high-impact, low-cost way to improve satisfaction. Trust them to manage their schedules and, where possible, offer control over where and when they work.

4. How can I create opportunities for genuine connection?  Strong relationships drive job satisfaction. Hold regular meetings that go beyond status updates, and create time for team members to connect with each other.

5. What am I doing to support my team’s well-being?  Make mental health and wellness resources visible, and actively encourage their use without guilt. As a leader, you must also model balance yourself.

6. How am I making people feel valued and helping them see the meaning in their work?  Offer regular recognition—it’s hard to feel miserable when you feel valued. Share success stories that link an employee’s efforts to real outcomes, reinforcing that what they do matters.

7. Where could I be doing more to help people advance in their careers?  In an uncertain economy, learning and growth are critical. Look for low- or no-cost development opportunities like stretch assignments, mentoring, or job shadowing.

8. When was the last time I took a hard look at whether our pay is competitive?  If you have limited authority over pay, talk openly with employees about how compensation decisions are made. Help them understand the logic and fairness behind the system.

Improving morale won’t happen overnight, but small, consistent actions matter more than grand gestures^. By staying attuned to these eight factors, you can remove obstacles where possible and treat people like they matter.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Knight, R.  “Employee Discontent is on the Rise.  Here’s What to Do About It,” Harvard Business Review online, October 29, 2025.

However, it is also important to improve the Emotional Intelligence of our teams!

Most leaders try to build a first-rate team by bringing together a group of first-rate people. But as a recent Harvard Business Review article points out, a collection of “virtuosos doesn’t usually make a virtuosic team.”  In fact, even highly talented individuals can struggle and become demotivated.  This is often because they lack team emotional intelligence (Team EI).

Team EI is a set of intentional routines or norms that meet the core social needs of team members.  These needs include feeling genuinely accepted, valued, and having a sense of influence and agency.  When these needs are met, a team builds a productive emotional environment that includes trust and psychological safety.

Here’s how to assess, address, and improve your team’s emotional intelligence.

Assess Your Team Emotional Intelligence.  The first step is to understand your team’s current baseline.  Do a quick assessment where you and your team members rate how well the team is doing in three key areas, which are the top norms for meeting social needs.

• Understanding each other better: This norm is about making an effort to know one another’s needs, talents, and skills. It also includes routinely giving feedback that helps members grow and feel respected.
• Routinely assessing strengths and opportunities: This involves regularly assessing the team’s effectiveness, anticipating problems, and taking quick action when issues arise.
• Routinely talking to stakeholders: This means actively building relationships with key stakeholders, including internal groups and customers, to gain valuable information and visibility.

The assessment then helps you see what gaps you have and where you need to improve.  Discuss and agree on new norms that you want to follow moving forward.  This will be awkward at first.  But stay persistent at reviewing your progress at every team meeting.

Your new norms will help to create a more collaborative and productive environment.  This will build team emotional intelligence and help your team and its members thrive – no matter what challenges they face.  Together, you will make even more of a Mission Impact.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Druskat, V. U.  “Do You Have an Emotionally Intelligent Team?” Harvard Business Review online, August 11, 2025.

Research tells us that engaged employees perform at higher levels and drive organizational results.  It also tells us that engaged employees stay with the organization longer.  This is very important as workplace attrition continues to be a big problem for many organizations.

Following are some conversations you can have with your employees – over time – to increase their engagement.  These ideas are based on a recent Harvard Business Review article.

*What are your career goals and dreams?  How can I support you in moving toward these?  This is a foundational commitment that you can make to each employee – to support them for the long term.  Every employee should have a professional development plan that targets both what they can do to improve their skills at their current job – and for their dream job.

*What could make this job more compelling for you?  Discuss short run and long run ideas.  If you can rearrange the employee’s responsibilities so they can do more of what they do best every day, that would be ideal.  Or maybe you can get rid of things that they do not like to do and are not very good at.

*How do you derive meaning from your work?  This conversation is your opportunity to make sure they understand how their work contributes to overall organization success.  You may need to remind them of this regularly.

*What’s something that you are excited about outside of work?  You may be able to support the employee with these outside passions.  Even if not, it helps you get to know them better outside of the work world.   And it shows them that you actually care about them as a person.  (NOTE: this will not be effective unless you actually DO care about them outside of work; you can’t fake sincerity.)

Having these conversations with individuals on your team can be a great way to build engagement.  If you want to continue building engagement, then I recommend the book First Break All the Rules, which outlines the Gallup approach to management – including the Q12 survey.

Mediocre employee performance and attrition are huge costs for organizations these days.  Investing your time in employee engagement can have a big payoff for you, your organization, and your employees.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Knight, R.  “6 Questions to Find Out How Your Employees Are Really Doing,” Harvard Business Review online, December 17, 2024.