Managing Yourself

Staying Afloat in a Shitstorm

Calm in the Storm Rana had reason to be upset.  Her reputation for making large-scale sales was well-known. She’d been hired by a company and placed on a division leadership team that had been together for years – in some cases, decades. That leadership team, which included women, had no interest in welcoming this outsider …

Staying Afloat in a Shitstorm Read More »

Finding a Lighter Path

A Vicious Cycle Samir was stuck in an unhealthy cycle. Over the course of several years, I’d delivered a number of 360-degree feedback reports to him and his partners at their architecture firm. ‘Every report of Samir’s, including this current one, reflected the same good news-bad news portrait. On the one hand, people idolized Samir. …

Finding a Lighter Path Read More »

How to Disarm a Trigger

Creating upset Meg liked having things in order. As she saw it, order happened when people, including herself, followed rules. Living by rules gave Meg fierce certainty. Meg was given a coach because people were often upset with her. I asked her what she knew about people being upset with her.

Holding Boundaries

Provoking war Mandalit and I had tackled an idea that unsettled her: setting boundaries. She was a life-long “good girl” who, despite her success in business, often struggled to advocate for herself.

How to Set Boundaries

“Why can’t I speak up?” Mandalit felt like a victim of her own success. The leaders at her company moved her wherever a team was under-performing. She’d become known as someone willing to do whatever was asked of her – a loyal team player, good at her work and uncomplaining.

Two Paths to Flow

Losing his touch Patricio came to me with a worry. He’d been holding this worry in the back of his mind for a long time, but a recent incident pushed it forward.

How Leaders Can ‘Play Better Poker’

A missed promotion Ritu had expected a promotion. Not only did she not get promoted, but a peer, whom Ritu thought a much less effective leader, did get promoted. Ritu complained to her boss, the CEO, Delwin.

Scroll to Top