How to Make a Clear Choice Without Second-Guessing A while back, I had two job offers on the table. Both paid well. Both had teams I liked. Both would lead to interesting work. I told myself I just needed “a little more time” to compare them. That little more time
Most leaders don’t set out to micromanage. It usually creeps in quietly, disguised as “being thorough” or “wanting to help.” But the truth is that small choices in language and habits can erode trust before you even notice. If your team feels second-guessed, watched, or boxed in, their creativity
Burnout is not a badge of honor. It is a slow leak in the engine you are relying on to get anywhere. A few years ago, I worked with a client who wanted a major launch to land right in the middle of the holiday season. The request was not
A candid piece about role ambiguity, hidden responsibilities, and how to thrive anyway. It’s your third week on the job and you're already doing three roles that weren’t listed in the job description. You smile through meetings, take diligent notes, nod like you’re totally following
The first time my boss burst into the room with that look...wide eyes, clipped sentences, coffee sloshing out of his mug. I braced for bad news. Something major had to be wrong. But it was just a client pushing a deadline by one day. That was the thing about
The Leadership Skill No One Talks About Most leaders are not rewarded for restraint. They are rewarded for speed. Decisions made fast. Problems solved early. Action taken visibly. That is what leadership tends to look like from the outside, someone who knows what to do and moves quickly. But some
The first time I saw this done well, I almost missed it. We were in a tense meeting. The kind where the coffee goes cold before anyone takes a sip. A major project had just wrapped, and the client was gushing with praise. They kept directing it toward the senior
(Spoiler: It’s not about pizza Fridays) Years ago, I walked into a project kick-off meeting with the same optimism you have when you join a gym in January. The company was well-known, the role was a big step up, and the team lead had been described as “inspiring.” By
Accountability feels different when it is something people choose. I once worked with a manager who never had to chase deadlines. There were no frantic end-of-day emails. No “just checking in” messages. No public shaming in meetings. Somehow, everyone on their team knew exactly what was expected and owned their
It’s not about avoiding the storm. It’s about weathering it together. Markets shift. Plans fail. Suppliers drop the ball. The teams that survive (and win) aren’t the ones that never face setbacks. They’re the ones who regroup fast and keep moving without burning out or blaming
There’s a lot written about resilience, but not as much about what happens in the messy middle. The moment after something falls apart but before you’ve figured out how to fix it. Projects stall. Plans shift. Mornings go sideways before the caffeine even kicks in. Some of the
I still remember the first time someone asked me in a meeting, “Why are you so quiet?” I laughed awkwardly, cheeks hot, and muttered something like, “Oh, I’m just listening.” What I wanted to say was: Because my heart is pounding, I am terrified of sounding stupid, and I