Change

The Most Dangerous Words a Leader Can Say: “I’ve Got This”

By Sylvia Lafair | October 13, 2026 |

Summary: Why tomorrow’s best leaders will stop pretending they have all the answers—and how to move forward. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I am a leader who thought I had most of the answers for my staff. After 25 years at the helm of a very successful retail business, I am now stuck for solutions. Every day,…

Leaders Initiative: What If Polarized Times Are the Beginning of a New Renaissance?

By Sylvia Lafair | October 1, 2026 |

Summary: It’s easy to look at the world right now and only see division. Political polarization. Wars. Cultural battles. Anxiety about artificial intelligence. Generations arguing over what matters most. People choosing sides before they’ve even finished listening to each other. We keep asking, “How did things get this bad?” I wonder if there is another…

Hanneke Faber: Turning Curiosity Into Organizational Change

By Sylvia Lafair | September 24, 2026 |

Summary: What if meaningful organizational change begins not with a grand strategy, but with a leader who notices what others may have overlooked? Hanneke Faber’s leadership offers a powerful example of how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to challenge the familiar can create meaningful transformation. Some leaders enter an organization with a five-year plan already…

Just Wait—The Magic May Already Be Happening

By Sylvia Lafair | September 22, 2026 |

Summary: What if the employee who keeps reverting to old behaviors isn’t failing to change, but is actually showing the first signs of transformation? Discover how recognizing the small GLIMMERS of progress can help leaders balance accountability with patience, avoid triggering old patterns, and allow space for meaningful growth to take hold. Dear Dr. Sylvia,…

Follow the GLIMMER: How Gloria Steinem Noticed What the World Couldn’t See

By Sylvia Lafair | September 17, 2026 |

Summary: What if the things that bother you most are actually trying to get your attention? Gloria Steinem’s life offers a powerful reminder that change often begins with a GLIMMER—a question, contradiction, or moment that makes you stop and wonder why things are the way they are. Discover what happens when you pay attention to…

Satya Nadella and the Leadership Skill AI Can’t Replace

By Sylvia Lafair | September 3, 2026 |

Summary: What happens to leadership when artificial intelligence can analyze faster, process more information, and produce answers in seconds? Perhaps the answer is surprisingly simple: We have to become more human, not less. Microsoft’s CEO has something to teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and human leadership in the age of AI. Satya Nadella, Chairman and…

The Most Dangerous Sentence in the Workplace: “That’s Just How I Am.”

By Sylvia Lafair | September 1, 2026 |

Summary: There’s a sentence I’ve heard in executive team meetings, family businesses, and coaching conversations for decades: “That’s just how I am.” That sentence is almost guaranteed to shut down conversation and creativity for good. Here is another way to think and respond. Dear Dr. Sylvia, My leadership team is stuck in an “either/or” argument…

Still Playing Hide-and-Seek? What You’re Hiding May Be Running Your Life

By Sylvia Lafair | August 25, 2026 |

Summary: Remember playing hide-and-seek? You covered your eyes and counted to ten. Everyone ran. Someone squeezed behind the sofa. Someone crawled under the bed. And there was always that one kid who found such a brilliant hiding place that everyone eventually forgot where they were. Then came the words, “Ready or not, here I come!”…

What Oprah Winfrey Learned From a Bad Boss: When Rejection Becomes a GLIMMER

By Sylvia Lafair | August 20, 2026 |

Summary: What if one of the worst moments in your career actually pointed you toward the work you were meant to do? Long before Oprah Winfrey became Oprah, she was a 22-year-old television journalist who moved to Baltimore to co-anchor the evening news at WJZ-TV. Oprah has written and spoken openly about those early years.…

How to Deal With a Toxic Boss: Stop Labeling the Person and Start Looking at the Pattern

By Sylvia Lafair | August 18, 2026 |

Summary: You know the feeling. Your boss walks into the meeting, and your stomach tightens. Or perhaps you have an idea, but you hesitate before speaking. Tension comes in many flavors, from yelling and passive-aggressive comments to the silent treatment. Eventually, someone says the words everyone has been thinking: “We have a toxic boss.” Maybe…