Articles

I’ve been a sports fan my entire life, but recently my interest has waned. The money is really getting out of hand, and even in team sports the focus has shifted from collective vision and shared leadership to individual star power and inflated egos. The magic moments so celebrated in the best sports movies seem,…

When I first heard the phrase, “Leaders bring the weather,” it brought me back to wrestling practice in high school. Always eager to get a leg up on our future opponents, we made a literal change to our training environment: to increase the temperature in our small upstairs gym, we wrapped ice packs around the…

At Emergent, we often discuss the transformative power of gratitude.  True gratitude is much more than a polite gesture. It is a deeply-felt expression of appreciation and acknowledgment born from the knowledge that our success is made possible by the support and encouragement of others. We want to take this moment to express our gratitude…

Many of our parents and grandparents stayed in the same job for most of their career because their jobs provided a sense of security. Perhaps you, too, are a “lifer” in your organization. There was a time when American workers chose a job, whether consciously or subconsciously, because of the employer’s ability to shelter them…

I was recently listening to an interview with Frank Slootman, CEO of Snowflake Computing. When discussing his company’s culture and what he looks for in employees, he said, “Behavior is a choice, not a skill set.” Said another way, the culture of a company is the sum total of its employees’ actions. Fancy language and…

“Begin with the end in mind.” It’s a phrase that has been stated and restated for decades. I first came across this concept while reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I was highly intrigued by the way the author framed this particular practice. The best way to describe his approach…

We spend so much time on the Internet. We are constantly connected to a complex artificial environment, surfing the web, streaming media content, and accessing the cloud. It’s no secret that this technological addiction is affecting our productivity, leadership and well-being. What about the real waves and streams, the real webs spun in the wilderness…

Trust is one of the most important indicators of organizational success. It is also one of the least-developed faculties in the business world. Distrust abounds in many organizations. An executive lacks faith in their manager’s ability to take on a bigger responsibility; workers on the shop floor don’t believe in the strategy the higher-ups are…

Delegation is an essential skill, both in leadership and everyday life.  We all need to reach out periodically and ask for help. But it’s not always easy to do, for both social and psychological reasons. Let’s discuss the benefits of effective delegation, and try to remove some of the mental roadblocks that prevent us from…

Polarity management theory is a model for managing two forces that are opposite, yet interdependent.  When faced with two antipodal options, we often focus on the opposition, and may fail entirely to notice that the forces depend on each other. Think, for example, of breathing. Breathing is a complex biological process, but it can be…

I was recently informed of a safety recall on my car. Four weeks have passed without a fix or further instructions. But after each fruitless visit to the dealership, I’ve received an auto-generated email asking me to fill out a feedback survey to let them know how they’re doing. Now, I’m always eager to provide…

During a meeting with local health leaders, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: compassion fatigue. Burnout is common in healthcare, and the pandemic added untold stress to health workers around the world. But in addition to facing long hours and near-daily traumas, doctors and nurses are also expected to show empathy and compassion to millions of…

“What is the most important question a leader can ask?” I get this question often from my clients, and I always tell them that they basically just asked it! Put more generally, the best question a leader can ask is also the simplest: “What do you think?” This question is basically an invitation to contribute.…

I have been studying energy and time management for more years than I care to admit. For most of that period I was focused on finding work/life balance. It’s a logical goal to strive for: just enough work, and just enough life. If you get the proportions right, it’s smooth sailing. But a few years…

In the realm of professional leadership, there exists an essential but delicate art: the balancing of confidence and humility. These crucial qualities are present in everyone, but each leader exhibits them in different proportions. Picture a leader who exudes unwavering self-assurance while maintaining an open mind, receptive to the insights of others. This leader has…

Recently, I found myself engaged in a conversation with a small group of friends on a perennial topic: incompetent bosses. When one of my friends wondered aloud how unqualified people end up in high-level positions, another replied, “That’s the Peter Principle for you!” The Peter Principle was first identified by Dr. Laurence J. Peter, a…

About 15 years ago, Jay Morgan, my good friend and personal trainer, told me about the 3 Ms: melt, mold, and move. He learned this concept from one of his mentors, Gary Gray of the Gray Institute. Jay is a wizard when it comes to designing workout routines, but his true genius is in the…

Are you tired of feeling like you need to have all the answers as a business manager or leader? Do you struggle to connect with your team and create a culture of empathy and trust? Are personal challenges making it more difficult to lead effectively? If so, it’s time to consider embracing your woundedness and…