A creative leadership lesson from parenting a teen, and managing adults Teen boys are a masterclass in paradox. Developmentally, they’re wired to push for autonomy: “I need space. Please go now.” And at the same time, secure attachment (feeling safe, seen, understood) remains a protective buffer for mental health and risk-taking. So you also get: “Nobody gets me. You don’t get me.” It’s a seemingly impossible dynamic: “Don’t come closer… and don’t you dare leave me” I started

Conflict can be creative. There is no creativity without tension. Constraints matter. Yes, there’s risk. But if your team looks to you for facilitating their collective creativity, the sooner you can learn to appreciate conflict, the better. When I say to be “good with conflict ,” I don’t mean being aggressive or initiating conflict. I mean that when it arises, and we know it inevitably does, we can meet it with calm, curiosity, and a gentle detachment from our own stance, an

Some of us are wired for harmony. Wait, all of us are. From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains are wired for connection and for minimizing social threat. Harmony can be external, when the people and systems around us are in sync, or internal, when our thoughts, values, and actions feel aligned. Both create serenity and flow. But harmony left unchecked can slip into avoidance. Not because we’re weak, but because as humans we associate tension with danger. Our nervous sys

For thousands of years, cultures around the globe have told a version of the same story: the hero leaves home, faces trials, slays the dragons, and returns with treasure that saves the community. Joseph Campbell called this the Hero’s Journey, and it has shaped our imagination of what leadership should look like. Even today, we unconsciously expect ourselves as leaders to embody this myth. We look up to that elusive notion of a heroic solver of all problems, the one who leave

A few days ago, driving my son home from basketball practice, I decided to share something I’d been reflecting on from Joseph Nguyen’s...

It’s Friday afternoon. You’ve worked hard all week, but instead of feeling accomplished, you feel wrung out. It’s not the workload that...

Here is a deceptively simple question: What is the opposite of helplessness? But let’s take it one step at a time. We All Come to Work to...

And How to Use Them to Strengthen Yours When Fin took over a passionate literacy team, he thought things would click quickly. Seven staff...

How to replace dread-inducing reviews with talent, engagement, and belonging It’s Time to Retire the Old “Performance Machine” Picture...

Even if you’ve never watched Grey’s Anatomy , there’s a scene that captures something important about leadership. Dr. Cristina Yang,...

You’ve felt it before, that moment where everything in you wants to speak up, but something holds you back. Maybe it’s fear of conflict,...

Good leaders never stop learning. Great leaders, the kind who leave a positive lasting impact not just on organizations, but on people’s...

Whether we speak or remain silent, show up or withdraw, every action, or inaction, sends a message. Communication isn’t just about what we say; it’s also about what we don’t say. Silence, hesitation, and avoidance are just as communicative as words. And in leadership, these unspoken messages often speak the loudest. “One cannot not communicate.”  — Paul Watzlawick Avoiding hard conversations erodes trust. When we sidestep giving feedback, delay naming tension, or choose silen

What is Psychological Safety? "The belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or...

Great leaders get remembered. Not because of their titles, wealth, or power, but because of the way they lead, the actions they take, and...

Trust defines relationships. It is the invisible thread that holds society together, shaping our interactions, decisions, and...

What if setting boundaries in a clear and compassionate way was not only possible but also empowering? Imagine feeling confident ,...

An atmosphere charged with possibility, this isn’t how most people immediately describe a conflict situation. However, when reflecting on...

"Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." – Brené Brown What Does This Mean? At first glance, Brené Brown’s statement may seem simple, yet its...

Navigating today’s leadership landscape requires new leadership skills , it's not just about solving problems but about mastering the...