Business

speak up

Speak Up Like a Leader: Your Responsibility Is to the Room, Not Just Your Ego

By Sylvia Lafair | December 18, 2025 |

Learn how to speak up in toxic leadership cultures, address bully bosses, and communicate truth with clarity, dignity, and real influence without fear or fallout.

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how wise leaders survive

How Wise Leaders Survive the Holidays (and Don’t Lose Their Minds, Their Teams, or Their Health)

By Sylvia Lafair | December 10, 2025 |

Learn how business leaders survive holiday stress with clarity, and ways to protect energy, support your team, and lead wisely.

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the leadership trifecta

The Leadership Trifecta: Why Expectations, Accountability, and Follow-Up Make or Break Your Team

By Sylvia Lafair | December 2, 2025 |

Master the leadership trifecta of expectations, accountability, and follow-up to build trust, reduce drama, and elevate leadership impact.

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the next big shift in leadership

The Next Big Shift in Leadership Development: Stop Guessing and Start Leading with Confidence

By Sylvia Lafair | November 20, 2025 |

Summary: Let’s get one thing straight: you, as a leader, don’t need more theories. Or frameworks. Or another shiny workbook that sits gathering digital dust. You need integration. That elusive moment when the light bulb goes on, and it stays on long enough for behavior to actually change. You can do it as long as…

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the stoic leader

The Stoic Leader: Steady Rock or Stone Wall? The Pattern Truth Behind the Calm

By Sylvia Lafair | November 17, 2025 |

Summary: Stoic leaders are having a moment. Podcasts gush about calm. Every leadership guru raves about equanimity. And half the world is clutching Marcus Aurelius quotes. This is only one part of leadership. It is the glimmer of the mind. Read on to see what works and what doesn’t. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Until now, I…

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In a spacious loft, two work colleagues are fighting.

ALPHA MEETS ALPHA: How Strong Leaders Can Thrive Together Without Making People Choose Sides

By Sylvia Lafair | May 26, 2025 |

Summary: It takes practice for two strong-willed individuals to collaborate. Here’s how strong leaders can find common ground, so people dont have to choose one over the other. Dear Dr Sylvia, My colleague and I, both Senior VPs in a fast-moving tech company, are constantly butting heads. We are two strong leaders, and our teams…

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The Great Disconnect: Why Communication in the Workplace is Crumbling and What It Is Doing to Our Productivity

The Great Disconnect: Why Communication in the Workplace is Crumbling and What It Is Doing to Our Productivity

By Sylvia Lafair | May 22, 2025 |

Why Communication in The Workplace is Crumbling and What It Is Doing to Our Productivity

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A man screaming with smoke emanating from his ears, illustrating a comical yet vivid depiction of overwhelming anger and frustration.

How to Break Free from Secondhand Stress: What It Is and Where It Comes From

By Sylvia Lafair | December 16, 2024 |

Dear Dr. Sylvia, Everyone has secondhand stress these days. It’s not that different than getting sick from someone smoking near you. I can be happy and positive, and then someone will enter the meeting with a frown and a bag full of negatives, and suddenly, my smile leaves, and I can feel that annoying knot…

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A group of people walking in front of glass walls.

Hire Slow and Fire Fast: The Key to Long-Term Success

By Sylvia Lafair | October 29, 2024 |

Summary: “Hire Slow, Fire Fast.” is a strategy that may seem counterintuitive in today’s rapid, results-driven environment. Yet, it’s an approach that many successful companies swear by for sustained growth and long-term success. Let’s look at how it can lead to better team dynamics, stronger performance, and a healthier work culture. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I…

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A man in grey shirt and tie looking up at hands.

How JUBLA (Judgment, Blame, or Attack) Will Make You Angrier and Keep You Feeling Like a Victim, And What to Do About It

By Sylvia Lafair | October 9, 2024 |

Summary: When things don’t go as planned, it’s all too easy to slip into patterns of judgment, blame, or attack (JUBLA). These behaviors, however, are toxic. Not only do they escalate conflict, but they also keep you locked in a cycle of anger, frustration, and victimhood. Learn to move from victim to explorer using pattern…

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