7 Steps to Create an Awesome Company Culture.

Listen to the podcast.

Culture is not a slogan or a perks list. It’s the daily heartbeat of how your people think, act, decide, and treat each other. If that heartbeat is strong, your company sprints. If it’s weak, you’re dragging a body across the finish line. Let’s build a culture that gives everyone oxygen and a mission worth bleeding for.

WHY?

Dialed-in culture pulls in top talent without you begging, keeps A-players excited, and speeds up everything: hiring, decisions, execution. Teams collaborate instead of compete for airtime. Customers feel the vibe and stick around longer. Accountability goes up, drama goes down, and profit rides the wave of that energy.

IF YOU DON’T . . .

Skip culture and you’ll bleed slowly. Toxic hires slip in. Quiet quitting spreads. Meetings balloon, deadlines slide, turnover spikes. You spend your life refereeing politics instead of scaling the business. Morale tanks, innovation stalls, and your best people start answering recruiters at lunch.

7 ACTION STEPS:

1. Kickoff With Clarity

What you should do: Draft a one-page Culture Playbook: purpose, vision, how you win, and the 5 non-negotiable behaviors you expect. Share it at onboarding, in all-hands, inside your project docs. Review it quarterly and tighten it.

The result: Everyone knows what “good” looks like. Less guessing, fewer mixed messages, faster alignment.

2. Over-Communicate the Good Stuff

What you should do: Every Monday, blast a quick “Wins + Focus” note: what we nailed last week, what matters this week, and one reminder of a cultural behavior you saw in action. Use Slack, email, or a 10-minute stand-up. Consistency is the point.

The result: People feel momentum, not just pressure. Success gets normalized. Focus becomes a habit, not a crisis response.

3. Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

What you should do: Add 3 culture-fit questions to every interview. Score them like you score technical chops. Run a quick “values check” call with a future teammate before you make an offer. If a candidate trips your culture alarms, pass politely.

The result: You avoid expensive mis-hires. New folks plug in faster. Teams stay tight because values are shared, not preached.

4. Make Feedback a Tuesday Thing

What you should do: Reserve 30 minutes every Tuesday for micro feedback loops: two shout-outs, one course correction, one request for feedback on your own leadership. Keep it specific, timely, and tied to behaviors, not personalities.

The result: Issues shrink before they metastasize. Trust rises because candor is normal. Performance improves weekly instead of annually.

5. Celebrate Behaviors, Not Just Numbers

What you should do: Build a quick ritual: end-of-week Slack thread or 5-minute Friday huddle where peers nominate teammates who embodied your values. Call out the story, not just the stat.

The result: Values move from posters to practice. People copy what gets recognized. Metrics improve because the right habits spread.

6. Kill Zombie Meetings

What you should do: Audit every recurring meeting this month. For each: what decision or learning does this drive? If none, kill it or cut it to 15 minutes with a tight agenda. Replace status updates with async docs or Loom videos.

The result: Hours released back to real work. The meetings that remain actually matter. Energy shifts from sitting to shipping.

7. Build Rituals People Brag About

What you should do: Launch simple, repeatable traditions: a monthly “fail forward” session, rotating lunch-and-learns, Friday demo hour, or a quarterly offsite where you fix one cultural friction point together. Keep them light, human, and consistent.

The result: Belonging skyrockets. Your culture becomes a story employees tell friends, not something HR forces.

Final Thoughts

Culture isn’t a side project. It’s the operating system. Pick one action this week, execute hard, then stack the next. In 90 days your company will feel radically different if you stay disciplined.

Take Action

Serious about making this real? Let’s build your playbook fast. Reply “I’m in” and I’ll send a link for a focused 20-minute call. Let’s get your culture firing on all cylinders.

How to Handle Late-Career Job Loss: The Punch, The Pivot, and the Plan.

Read the playbook.

I’ve had a lot of conversations lately with friends, former clients, and colleagues who’ve been hit with late-career job loss. Smart, talented, experienced professionals — suddenly out of work and trying to make sense of what’s next. I couldn’t stay quiet. I had to write this. Because this isn’t just a career hiccup — it’s a full-on identity crisis.

But there is a way through it — and it’s more powerful than most people think.

Let’s be real — losing your job in your 50s or early 60s isn’t just a career detour. It feels like a freight train to the chest.

You’ve put in the hours, climbed the ladder, delivered results, led teams, and built a damn good resume. Then suddenly, you’re out. No warning. No parachute. Just a polite email, a final paycheck, and a head full of “what now?”

According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly 1 in 5 workers between the ages of 50 and 65 get laid off. And it’s not just about a job. It’s about losing your identity, your financial trajectory, your healthcare, and your sense of purpose — all at once. The numbers paint a rough picture:

• Older workers face longer job hunts than their younger counterparts.

• Those who land a new role often take a pay cut.

• And retirement plans? They can get shredded if you’re forced to dip into savings early or lose access to benefits.

It’s brutal. But here’s the truth: You’re not done. Not even close.

This is your opportunity to pivot — with experience, wisdom, and firepower most job seekers don’t have. Here’s how you turn the ship around:

1. Grieve, then Get Moving

Feel the sting. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to be scared. But don’t park there. Give yourself a week or two. Then, it’s time to start rebuilding.

2. Reignite Your Network

You’ve spent 25+ years building relationships — now is the time to use them.

• Call former colleagues.

• Set up coffee chats.

• Reconnect on LinkedIn.

Don’t just ask for a job or to ‘pass around my resume’. Ask for insight. Who’s hiring? What problems are companies trying to solve right now? Position yourself as the answer. Get names and numbers and reach out to them yourself.

3. Update Everything

That resume from 2015? Burn it.

• Focus on results and leadership.

• Speak the language of today’s market.

• Upgrade your LinkedIn with a bold headline and a killer summary.

You’re not “unemployed.” You’re “a strategic advisor in transition,” “a seasoned operator exploring new opportunities,” or “a transformational leader ready for the next big challenge.”

4. Join the Conversation

Get involved. Join industry groups. Attend events. Volunteer. Comment on posts. Show people you’re active and engaged — not retired.

5. Stay in Shape — Mentally and Physically

The job hunt is a grind. Work out. Read. Meditate. Learn. Keep your edge sharp. The next opportunity is going to demand your best self.

6. Plan for the Long Game

Retirement plans may need tweaking. That’s okay. Work with a pro. Create a new roadmap. This isn’t about just getting by — it’s about staying in control.

Here’s the bottom line:

Late-career job loss can shake you — but it doesn’t have to break you. You have the wisdom, experience, and grit that can’t be taught. Companies need leaders like you — they just don’t always know it yet.

So show them. Loudly. Proudly. Relentlessly.

Your next chapter? It’s not a footnote. It’s the comeback story. And it starts now.

If you are looking for more info to help you with this - check out this playbook.

If you’re navigating a late-career pivot and want an experienced partner in your corner, I help high-performing professionals bounce back, rebuild, and lead again — stronger than ever.

Overcome Self-Defeating Behaviors: The F.L.I.P. Framework

Listen to the audio.

Meet Jenna, a VP of Operations who can scale a supply chain in her sleep but stalls every time she’s asked to present to the board.

She preps for weeks, rehearses every slide, then walks into the conference room and - boom - her inner critic grabs the mic. Voice trembles, data muddles, confidence evaporates.

She walks out thinking, “Why do I sabotage myself right when it matters most?” Sound familiar? You’ve got the skills, the seat at the table, and the P&L - but an invisible tripwire keeps yanking you back. Let’s cut that wire today.

Why Does This Happen?

Self-defeating behaviors surface in sneaky, predictable ways:

1. Perfection Paralysis – You rewrite the proposal ten times, miss the deadline, and watch a slower competitor win the deal.

2. Procrastination Disguise – You call it “strategic patience,” but deep down it’s fear of being judged.

3. Imposter Loop – You hit every KPI, yet still assume the promotion email was sent to the wrong address.

4. Conflict Dodging – You sugar-coat feedback, then wonder why performance never improves.

5. Micromanagement Addiction – You check every detail because trusting the team feels riskier than burning out.

If any part of you whispered “ouch,” congratulations - you’ve pinpointed the enemy.

The F.L.I.P. Framework™

I’ve distilled two decades of coaching into one four-step tool that turns self-defeat into self-domination:

1. Frame – Name the behavior in concrete terms. “I freeze during executive Q&A.” No fluff, no excuses.

2. Locate – Trace it back to the trigger. Maybe it’s a childhood teacher who mocked a wrong answer or a boss who ambushed you once in front of peers. Get specific.

3. Interrupt – Insert a pattern breaker: take a deep breath, recite a power phrase, or perform a physical reset, such as standing tall. This snaps the neural rut.

4. Practice – Rehearse the new response in low-stakes settings until it becomes muscle memory. Confidence isn’t built in the boardroom; it’s forged in daily reps.

Run the F.L.I.P. Framework for every sabotage scenario, and watch the old loops evaporate.

Take Action

• Behavior Inventory (15 minutes) – List the top three moments you’ve tripped yourself up in the last month. Be ruthless.

• Trigger Mapping (10 minutes each) – For every behavior, jot the exact thought, feeling, or circumstance that lit the fuse.

• Pattern Breaker Selection – Choose one quick disruptor per trigger: a mantra (“I own this room”), a posture shift, or a deadline lock (“Hit send by 3 p.m. no matter what”).

• Daily Reps – Schedule micro-drills: give a two-minute impromptu update to a teammate, or ship a draft at 80 percent complete to prove the world won’t end.

• Accountability Buddy – Share your plan with a trusted colleague who can call you out when the old behavior creeps back. Visibility kills excuses.

• Celebrate Micro-Wins – Every time you beat the pattern, log it: wins stack, confidence compounds.

Wrap Up

Your biggest competitor isn’t the market - it’s the silent assassin between your ears. Stop letting self-defeating behaviors write your story. Ready to F.L.I.P. the script and turn every weakness into a weapon?

Book a 20-minute strategy call with me and let’s craft the mindset that aligns with your ambitions. Success loves speed - grab your slot and let’s get to work.

Use the Difficulty: Turn Every Obstacle Into an Advantage.

Listen to the audio.

You’re cruising along, locked in, then - WHAM - a chair lands in the doorway. Most people freeze. Michael Caine didn’t. He flipped the script, built the scene around the obstacle, and walked away with a life-long mantra: “Use the difficulty.”

If that mindset can rescue a stage performance, imagine what it can do for you when a project explodes, a supplier flakes, or your personal plans go sideways.

Why “Use the Difficulty” Works

1. Reframes Reality – Instead of “Why me?” you ask “What can this become?” That single pivot yanks you out of victim mode and drops you into creator mode.

2. Triggers Creativity Under Pressure – Constraints breed innovation. Limitations force fresh thinking you’d never explore on an easy road.

3. Builds Leadership Cred – Teams rally around the person who sees a dead end and still finds daylight. They’ll follow the one who turns a mess into momentum.

4. Protects Emotional Energy – Harnessing setbacks keeps frustration from spiraling into burnout. You spend energy on solutions, not self-pity.

Some Examples:

• When a key employee bails in the middle of a project, most teams freak out and scramble to backfill. Flip it: promote a hungry rising star, trim the scope to what really matters, and document every move so succession planning happens in real time.

• If your budget gets slashed by 30 percent, don’t moan about scarcity. Zero in on the highest ROI deliverables, renegotiate vendor deals, and make lean execution your new bragging right.

• Tech meltdown during a big presentation? Skip the apology tour and own the room. Ditch the slides, grab a whiteboard, and let your expertise shine without the crutches - you’ll look even more credible.

• Your flight home gets canceled, refuse to stew at the gate. Grab a quick local adventure, capture fresh content, meet new people, and turn the delay into a story everyone else wishes they had.

The U.S.E.R. Loop™

A four-step cycle you can drop into any challenge.

1. Uncover – State the raw obstacle. No sugar-coating.

2. Scan – List every upside lurking inside: skills to learn, contacts to make, etc.

3. Experiment – Pick one upside and act fast. Test, feedback, no overthinking.

4. Reinforce – Capture what worked, share the story, lockmichae in the lesson.

Run the loop once, solve the problem. Run it forever, build an antifragile culture.

Action Steps

1. Daily Drill: At day’s end, jot the toughest snag you faced and answer, “How did I use the difficulty - or how could I have?” Five minutes. Compounds fast.

2. Team Huddle: Kick off the next meeting by asking each member for one obstacle they flipped into an advantage last week. Celebrate mini-wins to hard-wire the habit.

3. Challenge Card: Print “Use the Difficulty” on a wallet card or phone wallpaper. That visual cue breaks the reflex to complain.

4. Scenario Sprints: Once a month, run a 15-minute tabletop exercise: throw a wild, worst-case curveball at the group and see how many opportunities they can mine.

5. Story Bank: Capture every success story in a shared doc. When crises hit, flip through the bank - proof you’ve conquered chaos before sparks instant confidence.

Bring It Home

Obstacles aren’t detours - they’re ramps. Train yourself and your team to hit them at speed, launch higher, and stick the landing. Start running the U.S.E.R. Loop today, and the next time a chair blocks your doorway, you’ll know exactly what to do: pick it up, smash your scene, and own the room.

Next Step: Ready to ingrain this mindset across your leadership team? Book a 20-minute strategy call and let’s turn every “problem” into your competitive edge.

Become Un-Layoff-Able™: Build the Safety Net That Catches You Before You Fall - Part Two.

Part Two:
Build the Safety Net

Listen to the audio.

In Part 1 we nailed your Non-Negotiable Value Proposition and crafted ROI-packed stories that shout, “Cut me and profits drop.” Great - now let’s make sure the right people hear that message before the rumor mill starts grinding.

Forbes just flagged tech, retail, government, and manufacturing as 2025’s layoff hotspots, with pink-slip totals racing past the half-million mark - an 87 % jump over last year.  Translation: even rock-stars get rocked if they’re invisible or disconnected.

1. Deploy Your Network-on-Demand System

When the axe hovers, who would fight to pull you onto their team? If you can’t list 25 names in sixty seconds, start here.

The 25-Contact Grid:

1. Ambassadors – peers who rave about you in rooms you’re not in.

2. Mentors – seasoned voices who open doors and prep you for interviews.

3. Talent Scouts – recruiters, VC partners, or HR execs hungry for performers.

Action: Draw a simple 5×5 grid and fill every square by Friday. Empty box? Ping LinkedIn or swap business cards at tomorrow’s lunch-and-learn.

The 3-Touch Cadence:

• Month 1: Send value - article, podcast, quick insight.

• Month 2: Ask a micro-favor - opinion on a trend, intro, or quote.

• Month 3: Offer help - share their post, recommend their service, congratulate a win.

Then loop again. Three touches a quarter keeps relationships warm without feeling like spam.

2. Activate the Quiet Visibility Routine

You don’t need viral posts; you need the right eyeballs (15 minutes a day).

Daily Micro-Plan:

Minute 0-5 – Scan your feed for layoffs, funding rounds, or leadership changes; comment with a fresh stat or question.

Minute 5-10 – Post one insight: a metric from your CAR story, a lesson from a client, or a chart you found.

Minute 10-15 – DM one Ambassador or Mentor: short, personal, no ask - just keep the line alive.

Result: Your name pops up in twenty feeds, a recruiter note pings your inbox, and you’re back to real work by 9:15 AM.

3. Position Yourself as the “First-Call Fixer”

A network is insurance; visibility is advertising. Fuse both and you become the reflex answer when a crisis erupts.

• How? Tag your stories with outcomes: “Saved $2.1 M in Q1” or “Cut turnaround time by 42 %.”

• Where? LinkedIn headline, Zoom background, even your Slack status.

• Why? Because decision-makers remember numbers, not job titles.

4. Quick Wins to Tackle This Week

• Map the Grid: Block 30 minutes, pour coffee, and list 25 contacts.

• Book Two Intros: Ask one Ambassador to connect you with a peer in another division.

• Kick-off Cadence: Schedule three calendar nudges - email, DM, share.

• Launch Visibility: Tomorrow morning, share a 90-word post that ends with a data punch.

Two hours of focused effort and you’ll have a living network engine plus a visibility rhythm that runs on autopilot.

Up Next - Part 3

We’ll future-proof your Skill Stack, build a 48-hour Crisis Playbook, and lock everything into a 12-month Employment Insurance Plan. Finish your grid, run the cadence, and keep those daily fifteen-minute visibility sprints humming - because the safest place to stand is in plain sight, backed by people who’d hire you tomorrow.

Next Steps:

Ready to build a network engine that rings before the pink slips fly? Reach out and let’s turn invisible connections into bullet-proof career insurance - fast.

7 Coaching Myths For The Skeptical Executive.

Most leaders who hover over a “Book Your Executive Strategy Call” button hesitate for the same seven reasons - each is understandable - but every one has a data-backed counterpunch you can use to move forward with confidence. The Seven:

1. Cost Anxiety & Fuzzy ROI

Sticker shock is real when calculate the hourly rate for executive coaching. Yet a Metrix Global study tracked a 788% ROI once productivity gains and retention were tallied.

FIX IT: Ask coaches to anchor goals to hard KPIs - revenue lift, churn drop, decision speed - and review progress every 30 days. A clear business case makes the engagement pay for itself.

2. “I Don’t Have the Time”

Half of managers and 45% of employees name lack of time as the biggest barrier to development in LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report.  Gallup finds bandwidth, not desire, is the top blocker to growth.

FIX IT: Choose sprint-style programs (30-minute sessions + on-demand voice/text access) so coaching happens in the flow of work, not as another calendar boulder.

3. Fear of Vulnerability - “I’ll Look Weak”

Employees are 5.3x more likely to trust leaders who regularly show vulnerability and 7.5x more likely when leaders admit mistakes (link).

FIX IT: Frame coaching like pro athletes frame trainers - proof you’re obsessed with sharpening your edge, not patching a flaw.

4. Skepticism that Coaching Really Works

SHRM flags an “ROI backlash” as some firms tout improbable returns, breeding deep skepticism. Forbes warns that any service promising impossible ROI without data is hype waiting to implode.

FIX IT: Verify experience, testimonials and demand before-and-after case studies tied to metrics. Data chops slice through the woo-woo fog.

5. Effort & Change Resistance

McKinsey shows most leadership programs flop because insight never meets on-the-job application. Psychology Today links procrastination to fear of failure or success.

FIX IT: Work in micro-experiments - one behavior per week, measured in under five minutes - to build momentum without overwhelm.

6. “What If The Chemistry’s Off?”

Coaching is an unregulated industry, so anyone can hang out a shingle.  The wrong fit can waste both money and morale. 95% of coaches are hobbyists.

FIX IT: Treat chemistry calls like investor pitches: interview at least two coaches, check for client testimonials and references, and agree on success metrics before signing.

7. Confidentiality Doubts

ICF’s Code of Ethics requires coaches to “maintain the strictest level of confidentiality with all parties.”  Forbes echoes that robust NDAs are standard practice in quality coaching agreements.

FIX IT: Demand a written confidentiality clause and clarify exactly what (if anything) can be shared with sponsors or bosses - your data, your rules.

Final Thoughts

Every objection on this list is solvable - and solving it is the difference between staying stuck and hitting your next growth ceiling. If you’re ready to put these fixes to work, let’s talk.

Grab a no-cost, 20-minute Executive Strategy Call—zero sales pitch, just straight coaching insight drawn from 20+ years in the trenches. Pick a time that fits your schedule here: Book Your Call.

Become Un-Layoff-Able™ - Keep Your Job & Find One Quickly - Part One.

Part One:
Nail Your Core Value Before the Axe Swings

Listen to the audio.

Executives everywhere are watching respected brands - Disney, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble—shrink white-collar headcount like it’s a new sport. The WSJ tallies a 3.5 % reduction at U.S. public companies in just three years (link) and the layoff drumbeat is still pounding. If you want to stay off the spreadsheet when Finance says “cut 10 %,” you need to become ‘Un-Layoff-Able’ - the person whose departure would punch an immediate hole in revenue, innovation, or customer trust.

This three-part series hands you the exact playbook I give my C-suite coaching clients. Part 1 gets your foundation poured - so solid that even an AI reorg can’t crack it.

1. Reality Check: Know the Game You’re Playing

Forget whisper-level rumors. Layoffs are data points, and the data is ugly:

• Tech alone axed 22,000 jobs by mid-year 2025.

• AI-driven restructuring has spread to retail, manufacturing, even old-guard conglomerates.

If you still think great performance protects you, ask the thousands of star performers shown the door at Meta or Intel this spring. Your shield isn’t tenure or talent - it’s provable, profit-linked value anyone can understand in 30 seconds.

2. Forge Your Non-Negotiable Value Proposition

Goal: Craft a one-sentence statement that makes your boss say, “Lay them off? We’d be out of our minds.”

The 5דWhat/Why” Drill:

1. What do you do? - “I run global procurement.”

2. Why does that matter? - “I negotiate vendor contracts.”

3. Why does that matter? - “We save on materials.”

4. Why does that matter? - “Lower COGS lifts gross margin.”

5. Why does that matter? - “Every 1% margin gain adds $4M to EBITDA.”

Sentence template:

“I protect $4M in EBITDA every year by cutting supply-chain costs 3% - even in inflationary markets.”

Paste that into your LinkedIn headline, your email signature, and the first 20 seconds of any Zoom intro. You’ve just labeled yourself too expensive to lose.

3. Weaponize Story-Powered Metrics

Bullet points like “Led cross-functional team” hit HR’s trash folder. Numbers plus narrative trigger recall and respect.

Use MY C-A-R frame:

• Challenge: “Vendor prices spiking 11% post-pandemic.”

• Action: “Renegotiated 22 contracts, introduced auction model.”

• Result: “Banked $6.2M in hard savings; margin up 180 bps.”

Write three of these mini-case studies:

1. Profit Protector – Shows you add money.

2. Risk Destroyer – Shows you avert catastrophe (compliance, security, safety).

3. Growth Accelerator – Shows you open new revenue or markets.

Keep each to ≤150 words. Post one every other week on LinkedIn and watch recruiter DMs sprout like weeds.

4. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
(DO THESE BEFORE NEXT WEEK):

1. Run the 5X “Why” drill; write your value sentence. (30 min)

2. Draft your first CAR story; get peer feedback. (45 min)

3. Update your LinkedIn headline and banner with your profit metric. (15 min)

4. Schedule a 30-minute meeting with your boss to learn which metrics they quote to leadership. (30 min)

5. Total time: about two hours - less than a movie night - and you’ll shift from “employee” to “irreplaceable asset.”

COMING UP IN PART 2:

We’ll build your Network-on-Demand System (the 25-contact grid that surfaces hidden jobs) and install a 15-minute-a-day Quiet Visibility Routine so opportunities chase you, not the other way around.

Finish your value sentence, polish your three stories, and tape them to your monitor. The axe might still swing, but when the spreadsheet shows your name, the numbers beside it will scream, “Untouchable.”

How To Give Difficult Feedback To Your Direct Report.

Listen to the podcast.

Ever notice how most managers treat tough feedback like a trip to the dentist?

They wait until the cavity is screaming, then wonder why the root canal costs so much. The reality:

Delayed feedback isn’t kindness. It’s negligence dressed in business casual.

Every awkward pause, every “maybe next quarter,” every unsent email is silently grading your leadership.

Let me introduce you to the real productivity thieves lurking in your hallway. (Spot any of these in your mirror?)

• The Avoider – smiles through missed deadlines, hoping silence will magically motivate improvement.

• The Sugar-Coater – wraps the truth in so much frosting the message dies of diabetes.

• The Nuker – unloads months of frustration in one mushroom-cloud meeting, leaving scorched morale behind.

• The Sniper – fires one-line Slack critiques at 9 PM, then logs off before questions hit.

• The Spreadsheet Sergeant – buries humans under charts, forgetting feelings don’t fit in cells.

• The Ghost Critic – hints at “areas of concern” but never sources the specifics, so nothing changes.

• The Passive-Aggressor – compliments in public, corrects through gossip, breeds distrust like it’s a side hustle.

That’s your silent churn machine.

While you’re avoiding discomfort, these habits are grinding engagement into dust. Why does that matter?

Because A-players crave clarity, not comfort.

Give them vague praise today and confusing correction tomorrow and they’ll reboot their résumés before lunch.

Unspoken issues balloon. Trust evaporates. Performance tanks. Then the people who can leave… will.

So what’s the sharper play?

• Normalize the scorecard. Publish the behaviors and results you expect. When everyone knows the rules, feedback feels objective, not personal.

• Go early, go small. Nip issues in the bud within 24 hours. Tiny course corrections beat full-blown interventions.

• Use the 3-Part Punch. Situation – Behavior – Impact. “Yesterday’s client call, you interrupted twice, it rattled the team’s confidence.” Clear, factual, undeniable.

• Ask, don’t assume. Follow with: “What’s your take?” Pull their truth to the surface before prescribing yours.

• Co-create the fix. Let them draft the action plan. Shared ownership fuels commitment; dictation fuels resentment.

• Document the agreement. One email recap. One deadline. Zero confusion.

• Coach in public, correct in private. Praise on center stage. Hard truths in a closed room. Respect is the amplifier.

• Follow up like clockwork. A five-minute check-in next week shows you meant it and you care.

• Model receipt. Invite reverse feedback. If you can’t take it, you can’t give it.

• Celebrate the bounce-back. When they improve, trumpet it. Reinforcement cements the new behavior.

And breathe. Honest, timely feedback delivered with respect beats a year of performance reviews no one remembers.

If you really want results, stop acting surprised when silence breeds mediocrity.

Start talking the moment performance slips – firmly, clearly, constructively.

P.S. Ready for your 60-second audit?

Before close of business, list the last three times you gave tough feedback. Note when, how specific, and what follow-up you scheduled.

Tomorrow, share that snapshot with a peer and ask, “Would I feel empowered if I were on the receiving end?” If not, upgrade your approach.

Culture is forged in the daily grind, not the annual review.

Speak straight, course correct, and compounding wins will follow.

Lead with clarity or watch your talent walk.

Promote the Wrong People, and Watch Your Best Talent Exit.

Listen to the podcast.

Ever notice how too many companies treat promotions like raffle tickets at the holiday party?

They toss them out, cross their fingers, and hope whoever wins delivers the goods.

But here’s the mic-drop fact:

A promotion isn’t a gold star. It’s a billboard that screams, “THIS is who we reward.”

Get that billboard wrong and brace yourself for a talent exodus.

That shiny new title? Just information.

The bigger paycheck? Just data.

The corner office, the new DRs, the LinkedIn confetti? All raw inputs.

Let me introduce you to your actual saboteurs. (Which ones do you see on your org chart?)

• Your Ladder Climber - stomps on peers to reach the next rung, then wonders why no one follows.

• Your Echo Chamber - parrots back whatever the boss says, killing innovation one yes at a time.

• Your Firefighter - heroic in crises they secretly created, addicted to chaos not solutions.

• Your Credit Thief - presents the team’s ideas as their own and pockets the applause.

• Your Culture Killer - smart on paper, toxic in practice, drags morale into the gutter.

• Your Ghost Leader - delegates accountability, vanishes when it’s time to face the music.

• Your Data Diver - buries people under metrics, forgets there are humans behind the numbers.

• Your Drama Magnet - turns every sprint into a soap opera, sucking energy from real work.

That’s your war zone.

While you’re popping champagne for “high-potential” promotions, these enemies are torching engagement backstage. Why does this matter?

• Because A-players aren’t paid to babysit B-behaviors.

• They won’t stick around to watch mediocrity climb the ladder.

• Misplaced promotions break trust. Trust breaks teams. Teams break results.

• And the people with options – your innovators, rainmakers, quiet pros – will exercise those options elsewhere.

So what’s the better way?

• Clarify the scoreboard. Publish the criteria that actually earn a promo – impact, collaboration, integrity. No mystery, no politics.

• Make it 360. Peer, direct report, customer feedback – all voices heard before you crown a new leader.

• Reward outcomes, not optics. Showboats don’t scale. Builders do.

• Test-drive leadership. Temporary stretch assignments expose capability fast – without permanent damage.

• Coach, don’t catapult. Pair rising stars with mentors before you hand them the keys.

• Spotlight the right role models. Celebrate humility, accountability, and team wins louder than lone-wolf heroics.

• Hold a talent exit interview. When a top performer walks, find out whose promotion nudged them out – and fix it.

• And breathe. One clear standard, consistently applied, beats a dozen knee-jerk promotions every time.

If you really want retention, stop acting surprised when bad promotions chase out good people.

Start promoting the values you claim to stand for.

Victory doesn’t come when every seat is filled.

It comes when the right seats are filled by the right people – and everyone knows it.

P.S. Ready for your 60-second audit?

Before close of business, ask yourself: “Who was the last person we promoted, and why?” Write down the real reasons – no corporate fluff.

Tomorrow, share that list with your leadership team and ask, “Would we proudly publish this as our promotion policy?” If not, time to rewrite the rules.

Because culture isn’t built in all-hands meetings.

It’s built one promotion – or one resignation – at a time.

Choose wisely.

Stress Resilience: Power Habits Executives Use to Thrive

Listen to the audio.

Ever notice how most people treat stress like it’s some unstoppable tornado?

It is as if the only play is to hunker down, grit your teeth, and pray the roof holds.

But here’s the mic‑drop fact:

Stress isn’t the storm. It’s the weather report.
The real storm is how you interpret it.

That breaking‑news headline? Just information.

The surprise project dumped on your desk? Just data.

The market dip, the rumor mill, the late‑night ping from your boss? All raw inputs.

Let me introduce you to your actual saboteurs. (Which ones do you do?)

• Your Catastrophizing - the thought spiral that turns “maybe” into “end of the world.”

• Your Tunnel vision - the habit of zooming in on what’s wrong and missing everything that’s right.

• Your Comparison game - scrolling until everyone else’s fake highlight reel crushes your mood.

• Your Past‑centric playlist - replaying yesterday’s mistakes on a loop that drowns out today’s wins.

• Your Future‑tripping - scripting disasters that never make the final cut.

• Your Cluttered environment - screens, piles, and noise that shout louder than your peace.

• Your Stingy acknowledgment - refusing to notice the tiny victories hiding in plain sight.

• Your Self‑talk - that relentless narrative saying it’s never enough, never safe, never certain.

That’s your war zone.

And while you’re chasing the next cortisol hit, those enemies are staging a coup in your head. Why does this matter?

Because you can’t outrun uncertainty, but you can out‑skill it.

You can’t delete every stressor, but you can disarm its fuse.

High performers don’t bulldoze every obstacle.

They swap the lens. They weaponize gratitude. They search for what’s working, what’s present, and what’s still possible.

And some days they find diamonds. On other days, they find dust. But they always look.

Here’s the cost of skipping that scan:

Stress hijacks your focus. Uncertainty bulldozes your confidence. You react, overreact, then crash. You miss the blessing hiding behind the burden.

So what’s the better way?

• Make it daily. Three wins before coffee. Write them, speak them, text them to a friend.

• Practice micro‑thanks. The green light, the hot coffee, the teammate who covered your back.

• Flip the script. When a curveball smacks you, ask, “What could this teach me?” instead of “Why me?”

• Audit your inputs. Trim the doomscroll. Feed your mind with people and content that lift.

• Celebrate progress, not perfection. One inch gained is still forward.

• And breathe. Deep, slow, intentional. That alone tells your body the saber‑tooth tiger is off‑duty.

If you really want peace, stop waiting for the world to calm down.

Start noticing the calm already inside your circle.

Victory doesn’t come when the noise disappears.

It comes when gratitude turns down the volume.

P.S. Ready for your 60‑second reset?

Tonight, before bed, ask yourself: “What three things went right today?” Then jot them. No filter, no ranking.

Tomorrow, wake up and thank one person from that list. Not ten. Just one.

That’s how resilience grows.

One day. One thank you. One stressor defused.

Now go train your gratitude muscle.

Help Your Team Design a Company Culture They Love.

Listen to the audio.

Skipping culture work is like ignoring the oil light on your dashboard – you don’t avoid the breakdown, you just schedule it for later. Time to build a Workplace Culture Playbook.

The Facts You Can’t Dodge:

• Disengaged employees trap $8.8 trillion in lost productivity every year.  (source)

• Only 22 % of workers say they’re truly thriving on the job – four out of five are already mentally clocked out.  (source)

• Teams with strong cultures crank out revenue growth 4× faster than their peers. (source)

• 25 % of employees are actively job‑hunting right now because their workplace feels toxic. (source)
  

Culture Killers In The Wild:

• The ping‑pong mirage – toss a toy in the corner and call it culture.

• The values poster nobody reads – words on a wall don’t move hearts.

• Hero‑of‑the‑month roulette – praise one superstar, ignore the system that made everyone else invisible.

• Rumor‑mill radio – leaders stay silent, gossip becomes gospel.

• The burnout buffet – nonstop pings, zero boundaries, guaranteed turnover.
  

Design Your Workplace Culture Playbook:

• Co‑create the code – crowdsource values from the people living them.

• Make feedback a standing meeting – replace annual guilt trips with weekly candor.

• Tie rituals to business beats – Monday 15‑minute wins, Friday 5‑minute learnings.

• Pay what you preach – comp should mirror the behaviors you shout about.

• Launch no‑jerk policing – anyone can flag vibe‑killers, title buys no immunity.
  

Action Steps (start today):

1. Listening Blitz – three 30‑minute roundtables asking one question: “What makes work feel alive for you?” Log themes, act fast.

2. Values Rewrite – every teammate gets two sticky notes: kill one value, crown one. Draft Principles 2.0 from the pile.

3. Meeting Fast – cancel one recurring meeting and use that slot for peer shout‑outs. Watch morale pop.

4. Boundary Buzzer – set a shared Do‑Not‑Disturb window. After‑hours Slack noise drops like a rock.

5. Culture KPI – pin eNPS or a pulse score next to revenue on the dashboard. What gets measured gets oxygen.
   

Bottom line: Culture isn’t a perk shelf – it’s the operating system. Design it with your people or watch your best people design their exit.

P.S. The 7‑Day Culture Sprint:

For one week, let a different teammate own a five‑minute stand‑up ritual – music Monday, teach‑back Tuesday, gratitude Wednesday, and so on. By day seven, the room will feel lighter, voices will get louder, and the culture will finally sound like everyone wrote the song together.

Ready to turn these ideas into an actionable game plan for your team?
Hit me up and let’s build a culture your people will brag about.

When the Loudest Voice Is the Least Qualified.

Listen to the audio.

I was coaching a senior leadership team last week when an all‑too‑familiar scene unfolded.

During a strategy session, one leader - let’s call him “Tom” - hijacked every conversation. Tom spoke first, longest, and loudest. His points were half‑baked, light on data, and heavy on bravado. Meanwhile, the real subject‑matter experts sat silently, shrinking with every booming opinion Tom hurled across the room.

Sound familiar? It happens in boardrooms, on Zoom calls, and Slack threads everywhere.

The wrong, the ill‑informed, the unprepared, the ego-driven, are often the ones who crank the volume to eleven. If you don’t address it fast, your best thinkers tune out, productivity nose‑dives, and morale flatlines.

So why are the wrong people so loud, and what can you do about it?

Three Reasons the Noise Merchants Dominate

1. Volume Masks Insecurity

   Loud talkers use noise to cover gaps in knowledge. If they keep the spotlight on themselves, they never have to reveal what they don’t know.

2. Leaders Reward the Wrong Metric

   If meeting time equals airtime, the squeaky wheel wins. When leaders confuse confidence with competence, volume becomes currency.

3. Silence Feels Safe for High Performers

   Your real talent is thinking before speaking. They weigh words, test ideas, and avoid drama. In a room where bombast is unchecked, restraint feels smart - even when it hurts the conversation.

Your Playbook to Turn Down the Volume

1. Set the Rules of Engagement - Establish clear ground rules: concise contributions, data over opinion, no interruptions.

Say this: “Each point gets two minutes. Bring facts, not volume. We’ll rotate speakers so every voice is heard.”

2. Make Expertise Visible - Label who owns what. When a topic lands, invite the expert first.

Say this: “Before we debate market entry, Maria owns customer insights - Maria, kick us off.”

3. Reward Insight, Not Decibels - Publicly praise tight analysis, sharp questions, and a collaborative tone. Watch how quickly volume chasers recalibrate when applause shifts to value.

4. Coach the Offenders in Private - Don’t shame them in front of the team - that just turns the volume into a weapon.

Say this one‑on‑one: “I appreciate your passion. Let’s channel it. Speak shorter, anchor in data, and leave room for others. That’s how we win.”

Why This Matters

When loud equals right, you breed groupthink, miss red flags, and hand the microphone to ego over evidence.

When insight equals right, you unleash a culture where the best idea wins, no matter how quietly delivered.

Next Steps

Ask yourself:

• Do my meetings spotlight expertise or ego?

• Have I set explicit rules on how we discuss, debate, and decide?

• Who’s not talking that should be, and how will I pull them in?

Great leaders aren’t noise‑canceling headphones - they’re master conductors. Balance the orchestra so every instrument, from thunderous brass to delicate strings, is heard clearly and on time.

Win the Inner Game: Build Discipline & Outperform Yourself

Listen to the audio.

Ever notice how people treat competition like it’s a zero-sum game?

As if the only way to win is to beat someone else. To outsell, outshine, outpace the person next to you.

But here’s the mic‑drop fact:

Your biggest competition isn’t them. It’s you.

That guy who’s “killing it” on LinkedIn? Not your real rival.

The colleague who just got promoted? Not your obstacle.

The loud achiever who always has something to say in meetings? Not your problem.

Let me introduce you to your actual competitors:

• Your ego - the one that keeps you from asking questions because you don’t want to look dumb.

• Your procrastination - the daily delay that costs you compound progress.

• Your lack of discipline - that quiet killer that lets “later” become “never.”

• Your distractions - social feeds, email dings, open tabs, and everyone else’s to-do list.

• Your bad habits - the ones you swore you’d break six months ago.

• Your self-doubt - whispering, who do you think you are?

• The knowledge you neglect to learn - because you’re too busy or too tired or too comfortable.

• And yeah, even the crap you eat - because your fuel affects your focus.

That’s your battlefield.

And while you’re watching others, those enemies are winning inside your own house.

Why does this matter?

Because you’ll never outperform someone else until you stop underperforming against yourself.

You can’t win on the outside if you’re losing the battle on the inside.

High performers don’t declare war on the market.

They declare war on their excuses. Their blind spots. Their autopilot choices.

They wake up and go toe-to-toe with their lesser self.

And some days, they win. Other days, they learn. But they always show up.

Here’s the cost of not doing that:

You fall behind and blame others.

You get stuck and call it “bad luck.”

You spin your wheels and wonder why momentum never shows up.

You watch people pass you by - not because they’re better, but because they did the internal work you avoided.

So what’s the better way?

Make it personal. Track what derails you every week. Is it time? Energy? Fear? Start there.

Audit your habits like a ruthless CFO. Cut what doesn’t return value.

Build discipline through boring consistency - not hype.

And learn like your future depends on it - because it does.

If you really want to win, stop pointing fingers.

Start pointing inward.

Victory doesn’t come when you crush the competition.

It comes when you conquer the version of yourself that refuses to grow.

P.S. Ready for your 60-second reset?

Tonight, before bed, ask yourself:

“What am I letting beat me?”

Then write it down. Don’t judge it - just name it.

Tomorrow, wake up and do one small thing to beat it.

Not ten. Just one.

That’s how the tide turns.

One day. One choice. One enemy defeated.

Now go declare war.

Do You Run From Rejection?

Listen to the audio.

Running from rejection is like yanking the plug on your Wi‑Fi the second a video buffers—you don’t eliminate the pain, you just guarantee you’ll miss the next big download.

The facts you can’t dodge:

• The average job seeker fires off 294 applications before landing an offer. That’s not failure—that’s the current entry fee for a desk badge.  (Empower)

• 60 % of customers say “no” four times before they ever say “yes,” and 80 % of sales need at least five follow‑ups. Quit after the first rejection and you’re literally leaving cash on the table.  (Peak Sales Recruiting)

• A microscopic 0.05 % of startups ever see venture‑capital dollars. Translation: 99.95 % of founders eat “no” for breakfast—then come back for seconds.  (DemandSage)

The “Rejection Reflex” in action:

• The one‑and‑done fade‑out. You pitch, they pass, you ghost. Congrats—you just saved your ego and sold your future cheap.

• Premature pivoting. Changing strategy after a single “no” is like swapping GPS apps at every red light. You’ll never find the highway.

• Silent suffering. Treating rejection like a quarantine zone—no follow‑up, no feedback—turns a tough lesson into a wasted one.

Try A Rejection Reboot:

1. Track the “no” ratio. Keep a visible scoreboard of attempts vs. turndowns. When the ratio tightens, you’re trending up.

2. Mine the feedback gold. Every “we’ve gone another direction” is hiding intel. Ask why. Dig for specifics. Rewrite the pitch.

3. Reframe the cost. Each rejection is tuition. Measure it like an investment, not an insult.

4. Shrink the recovery window. Feel the sting, set a 24‑hour wallow limit, then swing again. Momentum outruns doubt.

5. Build a “courage crew.” Surround yourself with people who’ve been laughed out of rooms and still leveled up. Iron sharpens iron, not cotton candy.

6. Celebrate the reps, not just the wins. High‑five the attempt count. Volume multiplies luck.

Action Steps (start today):

• The 10‑Pitch Sprint: Send ten bold asks (sales calls, collaboration requests, speaking gigs) in the next 48 hours. Log every answer.

• The Debrief Loop: For every rejection, send one follow‑up question: “What would have made this a ‘yes’?” Aggregate the patterns.

• The “No” Jar: Drop $5 in a jar for each rejection until you hit 20. Use the pot to celebrate your first “yes.” Pain funds progress.

Bottom line: Rejection isn’t your nemesis—it’s your coach. It strips the fluff, exposes the gap, and drags your potential onto the field. Show up, absorb the hit, iterate, repeat. Master that cycle and you don’t just chase success—you outgrow it.

P.S. The 7‑Day “No” Diet:

Seven days, minimum one deliberate rejection per day: call a high-level person and introduce yourself, ask for an upgrade, pitch a daring idea, request feedback from your harshest critic. Track the discomfort drop‑off. By day seven, fear shrinks, skill spikes, and opportunity finally stops hiding behind the word “no.”

How To Give Difficult Feedback To Your Direct Report.

Listen to the interview.

Dodging tough conversations is the corporate version of hitting snooze on a smoke alarm—the longer you ignore it, the hotter the mess.

The gut‑punch you can’t dodge - here are the facts:

• 44% of managers admit giving critical feedback feels “difficult or stressful,” and one‑in‑five duck it altogether. (HBR)

• When employees get meaningful feedback every week, they’re four times more engaged than their flashlight‑in‑the‑dark peers. (Gallup)

• Ignore the hard talks and watch disengagement drain your wallet - $1.6 trillion annually in lost productivity nationwide. (Gallup)

Translation: Dodge the tough convo, and you’re basically wiring money to your competitors.

The “Feedback Facepalm” in action

• The annual ambush. Waiting for review season is like telling a pilot about an engine fire after landing.

• The praise‑critique‑praise sandwich. People taste the baloney in the middle, and trust erodes.

• The email grenade. Dropping negativity in someone’s inbox so you can “circle back later” just torpedoes morale on a timestamp.

Here’s a page from my playbook: Delivering hard truths without casualties

1. Pinpoint the one ugly fact. Boil the issue down to a sticky note sentence: “Missed client deadlines three times this quarter.” Clarity beats a 30‑slide post‑mortem.

2. Choose a private arena. Hard feedback is a closed‑door sport - no audiences, no Zoom spectators.

3. Lead with observable reality. “I noticed the Q3 roadmap slipped two weeks.” > “You’re kinda slacking.” Facts mute defensiveness.

4. Connect to impact. Show the cost: “Delivery delays cost us $62K in rework and dented the renewal odds.” Stakes create urgency.

5. Paint a better future. Shift from punishment to potential: “Here’s how we can slice those delays by 40% next sprint.”

6. Listen like you might be wrong. Shut up. Let them respond. Dig for root causes, not excuses.

7. Co‑craft the action plan. Give them ownership: “You draft the rescue roadmap; I’ll unblock resources.”

8. Time‑box the checkpoint. “Let’s huddle Friday, 9 a.m., 15 minutes, to track progress.” Accountability loves calendars.

9. Document in your HRIS. Memory is a leaky bucket; logged agreements protect both of you and fuel future promos when the turnaround lands.

If you’re on the receiving end:

• Assume intent = growth. Your leader isn’t swinging a bat; they’re passing you a sharper tool.

• Clarify specifics. “Can you show me where the process broke?”

• Own the pivot. Outline what you’ll do differently and when before the meeting ends.

Bottom line

Real leaders don’t sugarcoat; they serve truth raw, with a side of actionable support. Rip off the Band‑Aid, highlight the fix, and stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder in the mud until it’s done. Do that consistently and you’ll transform reluctant reports into unstoppable operators.

Talent doesn’t flee tough feedback - it bolts when silence lets problems fester. Upgrade the conversation and you won’t just correct performance - you’ll build a team that begs for the next growth edge.

P.S. The 48‑Hour Hard‑Truth Sprint

Spot a pattern that can’t wait? Schedule the convo within 48 hours - no slides, no spreadsheets.

Five minutes, strict: one fact, one impact, one next step.

The freshness keeps emotion high, blame low, and momentum sky‑high.

Do it twice, and “difficult feedback” becomes your team’s favorite growth hack.

A Better Way To Recognize Your Employees

Listen to the interview.

Ever notice how that dusty “Employee of the Month” plaque in the break room feels about as inspiring as a flip phone in 2025?

Here’s research that tells you why:

A 2025 Achievers survey of 4,000 U.S. workers found that employees who get meaningful recognition at least once a month are 36% more likely to call themselves “highly engaged” and 22% more likely to stick around for the long haul. Yet only one‑in‑three say they get anything beyond the occasional generic shout‑out.

Why?

Because most recognition programs are run like a bad karaoke night - cheap, awkward, and totally off‑key.

And infrequent praise? That’s the managerial equivalent of telling your spouse “love ya” once a quarter.

So the leader who fires off a mass email saying “Great job, team!”? “Checked the box.”

The manager who hands out $5 coffee cards every fiscal close? “Culture champion.”

The exec who saves praise for performance‑review season? “Strategic motivator.”

Meanwhile, the people who actually power the business start to:

→ Wonder if their daily wins even register

→ Assume pay is the only language leadership speaks

→ Quiet‑quit into minimal‑effort autopilot

→ Update résumés when a recruiter slides into their DMs

Engagement tanks, discretionary effort disappears, and the very talent you can’t afford to lose starts pricing its value on the open market.

Here’s the kicker: limp recognition costs real money. Gallup and Workhuman calculate that a 10,000‑person company bleeds up to $16.1 million in turnover costs every year when recognition is an afterthought.   And remember - U.S. engagement just hit a ten‑year low at 31%.   Skip the praise and you’re basically pouring fuel on that dumpster fire.

So what’s the better way?

1. Make it micro, not monumental. Skip the once‑a‑year gala. Celebrate everyday wins in real time - Slack shout‑outs, two‑minute huddle kudos, handwritten “saw what you did there” notes.

2. Tie it to impact, not output. Thank Penny for catching the bug that saved the release, not for “working late.” Recognition should spotlight business value, not martyrdom.

3. Pass the mic. Peer‑to‑peer props crush top‑down praise because teammates see the grind up close. Bonus: it scales without ballooning budgets.

4. Personalize the currency. Some folks crave a stage; others want an extra PTO day, a coveted project, or lunch with the CEO. One‑size‑fits‑nobody.

5. Log it, don’t lob it. Track recognition in your HRIS so promotions, comp reviews, and succession plans reflect the full picture - not just who shouted loudest in Q4.

Real confidence as a leader isn’t about hoarding the spotlight; it’s about flooding the floor with it. Shine it on the everyday heroes who keep the gears turning and watch discretionary effort - and revenue - go vertical.

Talent stays where it’s seen, heard, and celebrated. Upgrade the applause and you won’t just retain employees - you’ll unleash believers.

P.S. The 90‑Second Loyalty Turbocharge

Want a zero‑budget move that’ll bolt rocket boosters onto your culture? Tonight - yes, tonight - dial one of your rock stars at home between 7 and 8 p.m. When they pick up (or their spouse/partner does), they’ll assume it’s a five‑alarm emergency. Instead, hit them with 60‑90 seconds of pure, unfiltered appreciation: “Just had to tell you how much your work on the Phoenix rollout means to me and this company. You’re the reason we’re winning.”

Keep it tight, no agenda, and hang up. Tomorrow they’ll walk in lit up like Times Square at midnight - motivated, energized, and ready to crank another 100K high‑octane miles for your team.

Try it once; you’ll make it a ritual.

Hired For Life: How To Ensure Employment For Your Whole Career

Listen to the interview

As an executive coach, I see it every week - talented leaders who thought their jobs were iron‑clad suddenly find themselves on the outside of the building, faces pressed against the glass, wondering what happened. Comfort lulled them into complacency, and disruption hit before they even noticed the clouds rolling in.

The Wake‑Up Call

Meet Dana, a rock‑star VP of Operations at a global manufacturer. For eight years, she crushed every metric, sat on the high‑potential list, and enjoyed a corner office view of the skyline. Life was good - until a shareholder letter announced a “company-wide reorg.”

Overnight, Dana’s once‑critical division was folded into a new unit run by an outsider. Her calendar is now jam‑packed with quick meetings about layoffs and severance packages. Dana hadn’t updated her résumé in a decade, her network was stale, and she had no public presence beyond her company badge.

When the HR email finally hit - subject line: “Important Reorganization Update” - Dana realized comfort had become complacency. Don’t let that be your story.

Below are 10 battlefield‑tested actions to ensure you’re employable, marketable, and in demand, for life.

1. Run a 360° Radar, Daily: Keep a constant pulse on your department, your company, and your industry. Scan earnings calls, analyst notes, regulatory chatter, and emerging tech. The goal: spot shifts early enough to pivot on your terms, not the company’s. Calendar a 15‑minute “situational awareness” break every morning.

2. Network Outside the Bubble, Weekly: Block one coffee, call, or LinkedIn DM every week with someone beyond your org chart. Fresh perspectives expose opportunities and give you allies in unexpected places. Momentum comes from new energy, not recycled hallway talk.

3. Become a Thought Signal, Not Background Noise: Publish quick‑hitting articles, jump on podcasts, speak at meetups, ask a question at every conference. When your name equals insight, recruiters chase you, not the other way around.

4. Treat Skills Like a Stock Portfolio: Set a 70/20/10 rule: 70 % deepen current expertise, 20 % learn adjacent capabilities, 10 % bet on crazy‑‑cool frontiers (hello, quantum‑safe cybersecurity). Compound these “skill dividends,” and you’ll outpace AI automation and junior disruptors alike.

5. Master Your Metrics: Know the three numbers that prove your impact - revenue lifted, cost shaved, risk mitigated. Track them quarterly and translate them into concise, brag‑worthy narratives. Data is your currency; spend it loudly.

6. Build a Mentor‑Mentee Flywheel: Secure mentors two levels up and mentor rising talent one level down. Upward mentors broaden strategy; downward teaching sharpens leadership credibility. Both circles vouch for you when promotions or pink slips circulate.

7. Productize Your Personal Brand: Create a one‑page “You‑Inc.” brand statement: promise, proof, and payoff. Align your LinkedIn banner, bio, and posts around it. Great brands don’t beg for shelf space - they get featured end‑cap placement.

8. Keep a “Go‑Bag” Résumé: Update your résumé and portfolio every quarter - wins, certifications, media mentions. When a downturn flickers on the horizon, you can hit “send” the same day, not after a two‑week scramble.

9. Interview Before You Need To: The instant you sense turbulence, schedule exploratory chats. Hiring cycles move glacially; get your foot in early while you still project abundance, not desperation.

10. Guard Your Runway: Stash 6–12 months of living expenses. Financial oxygen lets you negotiate, not capitulate, and fuels sabbaticals that reboot creativity rather than panic.

Bring It Home

Dana’s story ended well because she finally acted. She rewired her network, spoke at an industry panel, and landed a COO role in a growth‑stage firm before the severance ran dry.

The Unbreakable Career Code

Here’s the pattern I see: the executives who keep climbing - who breeze through reorganizations, sidestep layoffs, and land promotions while others scramble - all practice these ten actions as non‑negotiables. They monitor the horizon, nurture wide networks, broadcast their expertise, and stay interview‑ready. Do the same, and you won’t just survive the next shake‑up - you’ll accelerate through it.

Play offense with your career, and the market will keep drafting you for its A‑team.

Your Next Move

Pick two of the actions above and calendar them today. Momentum loves speed. Already between gigs? Treat job hunting like a full‑time sprint - fire up every one of these ten actions today and turn “out of work” into “on the move.”

Need help building an unbreakable career moat? Let’s talk. Your future self will high‑five you for starting now.

Trash-Talk Leadership: The Quickest Route to Empty Desks and Lost Momentum

Listen to the interview.

Ever wonder why a fresh-minted manager storms in and starts trash-talking every project, process, and pixel the last boss touched?

Here’s research that tells you why:

A 2024 study out of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business tracked 2,600 leadership transitions and found that managers who loudly discredit their predecessors enjoy a 12% faster rise in title (and comp) during their first two years. Turns out the “I’m here to fix the mess” narrative plays well with execs hungry for quick wins.

Why?

Because bravado still gets confused with brilliance.

And negativity? Too many boards mistake it for “clarity.”

So the newbie who trashes yesterday’s roadmap? “Visionary.”

The one who renames every initiative? “Strategic reset.”

The one who calls the old guard “legacy thinkers”? “Culture change agent.”

But while these self-anointed saviors preen, their teams start to:

→ Lose faith in institutional knowledge

→ Question whether their past work has any value

→ Spend energy defending the old instead of building the new

→ Polish LinkedIn profiles and eye the exit

Morale tanks, momentum stalls, and the very talent that could have turbo-charged the new leader’s success walks out the door.

Here’s the kicker: dismiss-and-replace behavior is often a cloak for insecurity. If your first move is to burn the previous playbook, you’re signaling one thing - “I don’t know how to build on it.” Real confidence is additive, not destructive.

We see the same theater in politics every election cycle. A new administration barrels in, labels everything “a disaster,” and positions itself as the lone adult in the room. The intent? Distance from predecessors and frame any future progress - no matter how incremental - as heroic salvation. It’s page one in the desperation playbook, and employees spot the falseness from a mile away.

The antidote? Humility plus curiosity. Great managers walk in, shut up, and listen. They honor the wins that came before, learn why certain paths were taken, and then layer their own perspective on top. They co-create the next chapter instead of ripping out the pages.

If organizations promoted leaders for empathy, self-awareness, and the guts to celebrate what already works - rather than the flair to stage a coup - workplaces would be rocket ships, not revolving doors.

Talent deserves the top seat, not theatrics.

Ad Astra Per Aspera: Why We Must Embrace the Hard Road

Listen to the interview.

Let’s get something straight - leadership isn’t a comfy chair and a title on LinkedIn. It’s a warzone of decisions, risks, failure, growth, and transformation. That’s why when I first heard the phrase Ad Astra Per Aspera - “To the stars through hardship” - in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it hit me like a punch to the gut.

Because that is Catalyst Leadership.

This isn’t just a pretty Latin phrase thrown around in a courtroom scene. It’s the mantra for every leader who chooses to move beyond playing defense. It’s for the executive who stops polishing reports and starts disrupting industries. It’s for the founder who throws off the comfortable routine and decides to rebuild everything from the ground up.

You want to lead? Then get ready for the aspera - the rough patches, the doubt, the sleepless nights, the awkward conversations, the heavy accountability. You will be challenged. You will be misunderstood. You will get bruised. But if you keep moving? If you keep learning, growing, and pushing? You will earn your stars.

In Catalyst Leadership (coming in May 2025), I don’t sugarcoat the journey. I lay it out like it is. You’re not here to maintain systems. You’re here to break them, rebuild them, and evolve your people. You’re not here to be liked. You’re here to ignite momentum, challenge mindsets, and set fires under stagnant teams. And that means walking straight into the “hard stuff.”

Hard stuff like:

• Saying no to legacy practices that make everyone comfortable but produce zero results

• Calling out mediocrity - even when it’s coming from your top producer

• Risking your reputation on a vision others can’t see yet

This is the work of a Catalyst. And no, it’s not for everyone. Most people want the results but don’t want the pain. Most want the promotion, not the pressure. But not you. You’re here because you’re done playing it safe. You’re here because you’re ready to earn your place in the sky.

That’s Ad Astra Per Aspera.

It’s the path from job-holder to visionary. From manager to movement-maker. From boss to builder of empires.

So, get ready for Catalyst Leadership - it’s not a how-to manual. It’s a challenge. It’s a mirror. It’s a call to action. You’ll find the tools, yes. But more importantly, you’ll find the mindset required to endure the “aspera” and claim the stars.

Because in the end, leadership isn’t given. It’s earned - through fire, grit, and relentless forward motion.

Let’s go get the stars.

Surprise! Achievers Are Eating Your Lunch.

Listen to the interview.

Business doesn’t reward the‑almost, the‑maybe, or the‑someday.

It crowns Achievers - people who hit “Publish,” push “Send,” and make the cash register ring.

If you’re stuck in the mud as a Perfectionist, Overthinker, or Procrastinator, here’s how to rip off the parking brake and drive.

The Perfectionist

You tweak that pitch deck until the logo pixels sparkle - but the market’s already moved on. Example: A SaaS founder spends six extra months polishing UI colors while competitors launch, learn, and lock up customers.

Shift to Achiever: Commit to a 48‑hour “good‑enough” rule. Once it meets the core need, ship it, collect feedback, iterate. Perfection is the enemy of momentum.

The Overthinker

You’re the human spinning wheel, analyzing every angle until the window of opportunity slams shut. Example: A marketing VP burns three weeks debating email subject lines, missing a seasonal promo window that competitors exploit.

Shift to Achiever: Use the 70/40 Rule (courtesy of General Colin Powell): when you have 70% of the info and 40 % of the time left, decide. Data matters, but speed wins.

The Procrastinator

“I’ll start tomorrow” turns into next quarter, then next year, while hungrier players eat your lunch. Example: A solopreneur delays launching an online course until “the perfect economy” returns—meanwhile, five copycats launch, build social proof, and dominate the niche.

Shift to Achiever: Break the goal into 15‑minute micro‑tasks and schedule the first block today. Momentum is built in minutes, not marathons.

Becoming the Achiever

Achievers aren’t fearless—they just act before fear grows roots. They:

1. Decide fast. Direction beats deliberation.

2. Execute publicly. Publishing forces accountability.

3. Iterate relentlessly. Every launch is a feedback loop, not a final exam.

4. Celebrate progress, not polish. Wins compound; perfect never ships.

The marketplace pays for value delivered, not hypotheticals debated. Choose one action step above and lock it in your calendar right now. Quit worshipping flawless plans and start stacking real‑world wins—because the only metric that matters is execution. Let’s go!