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

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...

Today, the conversation in front of me felt particularly difficult because of the CliftonStrengths dynamics at play. It was, in essence,...

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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...

Negotiation is often misunderstood. Many people associate it with hard bargaining, competition, and even confrontation. But in today’s...

"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...

As a coach, I see the hidden opportunities in conflict every day. Many clients come to me saying, “I have a situation I need help with.”...