I apologize when I have to bother someone to get details about a personnel matter. Even when that matter is as important (or more important) to the person I'm "bothering" as it is to the employee involved. Even when it's literally part of their job to provide me that information. Then on the flip side, I apologize when I have to deliver news that isn't what someone wanted to hear. When a project didn't make the priority list. When the outcome of a situation isn't exactly wha

Here's the thing about leadership: we accumulate baggage. Not just physical clutter on our desks (though let's be honest, that happens too), but mental and emotional weight that limits our effectiveness. Habits that made sense at one point but don't anymore. Beliefs about leadership that sound noble but actually hold us back.

Here's what this all comes down to: we're all adults here. We all work with people we don't particularly like. We all have colleagues we'd rather not spend time with. We all have had conflicts and disagreements and personality clashes. But somehow, most of us manage to put on our big kid pants and act professionally anyway. We respond to emails from people who annoy us. We collaborate with people we'd never choose to hang out with. We're polite to people we'd cross the stree

You know that employee who used to be your go-to person? The one who'd volunteer for projects, stay late when needed, and bring energy to team meetings? Yeah, they're still showing up. They're still doing their job. But something's different. The spark is gone. They're doing exactly what's required and not one thing more. Welcome to the world of quiet quitting, and if you haven't noticed it on your team yet, you're either incredibly lucky or not paying close enough attention.

Difficult conversations are…well…difficult. There's no sugarcoating it. Whether you're addressing performance issues, navigating conflict between team members, or confronting your own manager about a concern, these conversations trigger every self-preservation instinct we have. Our palms sweat. Our hearts race. We mentally rehearse what we'll say at 2 AM, crafting the perfect words we'll probably forget the moment we sit down.