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.

In fact, high performing teams are subject to overwhelm even more than an “average” team since they have such high aspirations.

Even the best teams need to pace themselves.

Overwhelm can sneak up on us and be hidden.  One team member who was interviewed for a recent article in Harvard Business Review said:

“I was holding it together on the outside, yet inside, I felt like I was screaming.  I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t concentrate, and even small tasks felt impossible.  I was overwhelmed.”

As a leader, it is hard to see when things have gone too far.  Some stress is stimulating and good.  But it can go too far and produce burnout: “Burnout is an outcome of unmanaged chronic stress that develops over time. (Meister & Dael, 2025, p. 2).”

Identifying overwhelm can be difficult to spot.  It emerges when the three core pillars sustaining employee productivity fracture:

• Lack of Predictability: Overwhelm surges when people feel powerless to influence their environment or cannot see what challenges are coming next, reducing their sense of agency.
• Changes in Work Standards and Expectations: Employees feel crushed by unrealistic external demands or toxic, self-imposed perfectionism. This triggers a harsh inner dialogue where they assume they are “not good enough” because they are struggling.
• No Time for Recovery: The system breaks down when employees lack time, staffing, or support. Over one-third of participants cited severe time pressure as their central trigger.

Because we – as leaders – are often part of the problem, we must actively redesign the conditions of work to become the solution. The HBR article outlines five specific actions leaders can take:

1. Spot Both the Silence and the Strain: Do not assume a quiet employee is a thriving one. Look for subtle behavioral shifts such as decision paralysis, withdrawal, or frantic, break-less working.
2. Engineer Micro-Control: While leaders cannot remove macro corporate uncertainty, they can help teams break overwhelming backlogs down into small, clear priorities.
3. Recalibrate Performance Standards: Actively disrupt perfectionist cultures by explicitly defining what “good enough” looks like.
4. Create Psychological Permission to Say “I’m at Capacity”: Establish a social environment where setting boundaries carries no professional stigma or risk of reprisal: “What would you need to adjust to make this task manageable?”
5. Design Work for Recovery, Not Endurance: Normalize micro-breaks, mental detachment after hours, and rest as legitimate performance practices.

In the modern workplace, overwhelm is no longer an occasional hurdle – it is a defining feature of work life. By recognizing the subtle warning signs early and fostering cultures that value recovery alongside results, leaders can transform operational strain into long-term, sustainable performance.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Meister, A. & Dael, N. “Do You Know If Your Team Is Overwhelmed?,” Harvard Business Review online, December 8, 2025.

A slow but steady shift has taken place in organizations over the past several years.  The result is that managers are leading larger teams than ever, often with significantly less administrative or organizational support.

Responsibilities continue to multiply, but the resources do not.

If you find yourself trapped in a daily cycle of firefighting rather than thinking strategically, you are experiencing a common modern plight: your team has simply grown too big for traditional management models.

While you may not have the power to change your company’s organizational chart, you can change how your team operates. Based on insights from research reported in Harvard Business Review, here are four strategies to regain control when your span of control feels unmanageable:

1.  Shift from Individuals to Small Groups.  Running traditional one-on-one meetings with a large team will completely devour your calendar. Instead, cluster your employees into small groups of three or four based on project alignment or operational specialty. Meet with these small cohorts collectively to facilitate collaborative problem-solving.  Hold one-on-one meetings much less frequently.

2.  Learn to Say No to Good Ideas.  Knowledge work accumulation is notoriously invisible, making it easy to say yes to “just one more thing” until the team is completely buried. Highly competent teams naturally generate a steady stream of great initiatives, but as a leader, you must ruthlessly prioritize and say no to good ideas to protect execution capacity.

3.  Flip Your Meetings.  Many leaders use communication channels backward: they use face-to-face meetings for simple project updates and turn to Slack or email for complex problem-solving. This fills your inbox with exhausting threads of clarifying questions. Flip this dynamic by handling routine status updates via text or email and dedicating valuable synchronous meeting time exclusively to real-time problem-solving.

4.  Protect Your Calendar and Be Transparent.  Stop attending every meeting. Trust your instincts on where your presence is mandatory, and view skipping non-essential sessions as a development opportunity to send a direct report in your place. Concurrently, be entirely transparent with your team about your bandwidth constraints. Explicitly invite them to follow up or “bug” you if an email slips through the cracks, removing the guesswork from their workflow.

You need to protect your time so that you use your work time effectively and have a life outside of work.  Leading a large team requires abandoning the desire to do everything yourself. By restructuring your communication and establishing firm boundaries, you can lead effectively without burning out.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Knight, R. “When Managing Your Team Becomes Too Much,” Harvard Business Review online, October 3, 2025.

And yet, so many leaders do this very poorly.

Some of the implications for lack of accountability include:

• Below average performance of the team and organization
• Resentment builds among team members
• Lack of accountability becomes a part of the culture and spreads
• Lose high performers who leave the company

Here is what you need to do to become better at holding others accountable:

1.  Make sure that you set the standard by following through with every commitment.  You set the tone.  Learn more here.

2.  Establish specific outcomes for every job.  Hold people accountable for the results they need to produce, not progress on their to do list.

3.  Make sure you are clear on the specific expectations of every team member.

4.  Communicate commitments made by each team member in writing after every team meeting.

5.  When people miss deadlines, contact them and ask for an update.  Discipline yourself to do this every time.  Don’t play favorites.  And, you don’t have to be a jerk about it.  Just ask.

6.  Encourage your team to hold one another accountable.

This is a good start.  If you do these things consistently, then you will build a culture of accountability.  In time, this culture will reinforce itself.  High performers will be drawn to your team.

The research on trust is very clear.

Leaders who are trusted are much more effective.

Teams that trust one another are more effective.

And organizations in which high levels of trust exist among employees are more effective.

This all starts with you as a leader.

Can people count on you to be honest with them and to tell the truth – the whole truth, without any “spinning?”

Do you have the best interest of your team in mind at all times?

When you are faced with a dilemma, can people count on you to work it out as best you can?

Do you speak up when you know it is the right thing to do?  And how about – when you know it may not be in your best interest to do so?

These are not easy things in a world that often rewards selfishness.  But if you can answer “yes” to these questions, then you are on the path to becoming a genuine leader of integrity.

What kind of leader do you want to be?

Maybe not.

We often view team harmony as the ultimate goal. We celebrate a lack of ego and a culture of collaboration.

Yet many professional groups fall into a subtle but dangerous trap: they mistake collegiality for alignment. When respect and trust are replaced by a mere avoidance of conflict, the result isn’t a better team—it’s delayed decisions, superficial consensus, and a lack of accountability.

Mistaking politeness for progress is more than a cultural quirk; it is a competitive crisis hiding in plain sight. Research recently reported in Harvard Business Review suggests that governance failures and a lack of probing questions can cause organizations to underperform their sectors by as much as 35% in the following year.

To determine if your team is tipping too far into comfort, watch for these five red flags:

• Avoidance of Accountability: Sensitive topics are consistently pushed to the end of meetings or deferred entirely to avoid discomfort.
• Superficial Consensus: The group moves quickly to agreement without exploring alternatives or risks, often resulting in unspoken concerns.
• Social Comfort Over Candor: Tension is defused with jokes or side-stepped to preserve “good feelings,” even when the actual path forward remains unclear.
• Unequal Voice Participation: Newer or quieter members hold back out of deference, depriving the group of fresh perspectives and relevant expertise.
• Shadow Governance: Key concerns are raised in private “offline” conversations with individuals rather than being debated by the full group.

 High-performing groups don’t just “get along”; they challenge each other’s assumptions with intellectual curiosity. You can shift your team’s dynamic with a few intentional structural changes:

1. Tackle the Tough Stuff First: Reserve the first 20 minutes of your meeting for the most uncomfortable topic when cognitive energy is highest.
2. Assign a “Chief Skeptic”: Rotate a role at each meeting for someone tasked specifically with finding flaws and proposing alternatives. Charge them with “The three potential downsides of this approach are . . . ”
3. Mandatory Round-Robin Input: Before a major decision, require every member to contribute a distinct concern or alternative approach instead of just agreeing with previous points.
4. The “Raise It in the Room” Norm: Require members to disclose any meaningful side conversations they’ve had about team matters since the last meeting.

True leadership requires distinguishing between genuine alignment and the dangerous comfort of surface-level agreement. When collegiality coexists with candor, it becomes a powerful driver of sharper decisions and stronger performance.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Cozma, I. & Rodighiero, E.  “Is Your Board Too Collegial,” Harvard Business Review online, September 17, 2025.

This is easier said than done.  According to a recent article in Harvard Business Review, managing spirits during anxious times requires more than a “keep calm and carry on” poster; it requires intentional, human-centric action.

The quickest way to lose a team’s trust is to pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn’t. Anxiety thrives in silence and ambiguity. As a leader, your first task is to name the reality.

Validating your team’s concerns doesn’t make them “weaker”—it creates a foundation of psychological safety that allows them to actually focus on their work instead of their worries.

Anxiety often stems from a lack of agency. To counter this, help your team zoom in on what they can influence.

• Focus on Purpose and Values: Reinforce the things that are not changing. Remind people that they are a part of something important. Role model the values and what you stand for.
• Clarify Short-Term Goals: When the long-term feels murky, break projects down into “wins” for the next 48 hours.
• Establish Routine: Predictability is the antidote to chaos. Maintain your 1-on-1s and team huddles, even if there isn’t a major “update.”
• Set Boundaries: In anxious times, the line between “working from home” and “living at work” can blur.  Encourage your staff to truly disconnect.

Model vulnerability, not perfection.  You don’t need to be a stoic statue. In fact, if you’re feeling the pressure, say so. When a leader admits, “I’m finding this week a bit challenging too,” it gives the rest of the team permission to be human. This isn’t about dumping your stress on them; it’s about modeling how a professional navigates stress with resilience.

Finally, remember that empathy and productivity are not at odds. Being a “supportive” leader doesn’t mean lowering standards; it means providing the emotional resources your team needs to meet those standards. By prioritizing connection and clarity, you don’t just help your team survive an anxious season – you build a culture that can weather any future storm.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Gulati, R. “How to Keep Your Team’s Spirits Up in Anxious Times,” Harvard Business Review online, September 8, 2025.

Yes – just like your children – you love all of your employees the same.

But, let’s face it – if you have some stars – you do not want to lose them.

If you have recently added a star to your team, use this as a personal wakeup call.  You need to step up your game.  You need to manage your team and your new star in an A+ fashion.  While many employees might put up with your mediocre management, your star will not – not for long.

According to a recent article in Harvard Business Review, keeping these high-flyers requires a management style that balances high-stakes work with long-term career satisfaction.  This is something that you can apply to the management of all your employees.

You should have regular developmental conversations with everyone on your staff – and these are especially critical for your stars.  Ask your team members:

• What’s working for you?
• What’s not working for you?
• What would you like to do next?

To prevent your star staff from becoming someone else’s success story, consider these approaches:

• Prioritize Autonomy: High performers crave the space to work their way. Micromanagement is the fastest way to drive a superstar toward the exit.
• Deliver on the “Sell”: When you hired them, you promised a specific culture and impact. Now, you must ensure their day-to-day reality matches that pitch.
• Manage Team Dynamics: You need to give your stars what they need to thrive without creating resentment among existing team members. It’s a delicate balance of providing extra support while ensuring everyone feels valued.
• Hold Everyone Accountable to High Standards: This is the right way to manage a team, and high performers get especially frustrated with organizational mediocrity.
• Reinforce the Difference They are Making: Make sure the entire team knows their impact and show people how their specific actions contribute to the organization’s performance.
• Identify Their Drivers: Not every star is motivated by the same thing. For some, it’s autonomy; for others, it’s constant learning or high-profile visibility.

A star who feels stagnant or ignored will start looking elsewhere.  You need to pay special attention to keep them engaged, adaptable, and constantly learning.  Bring you’re A+ game to work every day!

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Knight, R. “Don’t Lose Your Star New Hire,” Harvard Business Review online, October 14, 2025.

However, there is a significant difference between being a supportive leader and being “too nice”.

When niceness becomes a shield to avoid difficult conversations, it doesn’t just stall productivity—it actively harms your team’s development and the organization’s health.  You can be “nice,” while also being firm and effective.

According to a recent article in Harvard Business Review, the primary symptom of being “too nice” is the avoidance of healthy conflict. By avoiding the discomfort of a hard conversation, you are prioritizing your own emotional ease over your employee’s growth.

When you fail to address underperformance or provide clear, direct feedback, you create several organizational risks:

• Stunted Growth: Employees cannot improve if they don’t know where they are falling short.
• Resentment Among High Performers: Your top talent will notice when low performance is tolerated, leading to burnout and a lack of motivation.
• Lack of Clarity: Vague, “nice” feedback leaves people guessing about their standing and your expectations.

The solution isn’t to become a harsh or abrasive manager. Instead, the goal is to shift from “nice” to clear and kind. True kindness involves being honest enough to tell someone the truth so they have the opportunity to succeed.

To bridge this gap, consider these three strategies:

1. Directness is a Gift: View feedback as a tool for success rather than a personal attack. Be specific about what isn’t working and what “good” looks like.
2. Normalize Disagreement: Encourage your team to challenge ideas—including yours. This creates a culture where the best idea wins, rather than the most comfortable one.
3. Prioritize Accountability: Set clear boundaries and consequences. Being a leader means holding people to the standards they agreed to, which is ultimately the most respectful way to treat a professional.

Leadership is not a popularity contest; it is a responsibility to guide your team toward their best work. By trading “nice” for “honest,” you build a foundation of real trust and lasting excellence.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Ashkenas, R. & Cooks, G., “Is Your Leadership Style Too Nice?” Harvard Business Review online, January 12, 2026.

Often we think of great leaders as inspiring and motivating.  While these are important qualities, new research recently reported in Harvard Business Review, tells us that great leaders aren’t just great motivators; they are expert talent allocators. Their secret sauce isn’t how hard they push their team, but how well they place them.

A critical responsibility for leaders is deciding who works on what—matching specific individuals to the roles and tasks where they fit best.

When managers use this “allocative power” effectively, the results are transformative. These “high-flyer” managers don’t just increase immediate output; they fundamentally alter the trajectory of their employees’ careers. Workers under these leaders see higher wage growth and increased productivity—benefits that often last long after they have moved on to other roles or even other companies.

To move beyond motivating and start effectively shaping careers, consider these three shifts in your management style:

1. Prioritize the “Match”: Stop viewing roles as static boxes to be filled. Instead, treat every assignment as a matching problem. Regularly assess whether an employee’s unique skills are being utilized to their highest potential in their current tasks. If there is a mismatch, the “miserable” employee often isn’t a bad worker; they are simply in the wrong role.
2. Encourage Internal Mobility: The best managers don’t hoard talent; they circulate it. Research shows that top leaders frequently facilitate cross-functional moves. By helping an employee transition to a different department where their skills are more relevant, you aren’t “losing” a team member—you are optimizing the organization’s greatest asset.
3. Think Beyond Motivation: While morale matters, it is a byproduct of a good fit. When a person is perfectly matched to a role that challenges and utilizes their strengths, motivation often follows naturally.

In an era of rapid technological disruption and AI, the ability to reallocate and realign talent is more than a management skill—it is a competitive necessity. By focusing on placement over pressure, you don’t just improve your team’s productivity today; you build the foundation for their success tomorrow.

*Ideas for this blog taken from: Minni, V.,  “New Research on How the Best Managers Shape Employees Careers,” Harvard Business Review online, October 1, 2025.