Critical Thinking
Summary: Most leadership programs teach skills, like how to communicate better, manage conflict, and improve engagement. All are worthwhile goals, but after more than 35 years working with leaders and organizations, I’ve learned something important—skills alone do not transform culture. Read on to see what matters even more. Dear Dr. Sylvia, My team is efficient…
Summary: Everyone is talking about AI—how fast it is, how powerful it is, and how much work it can do. Some people are excited by it, while others are terrified. Most are trying to figure out where they fit into a future that seems to be changing by the minute. But I think we may…
Summary: Leadership is often misunderstood. Many people assume that if a leader is nice, as in pleasant, agreeable, generous, and always trying to keep the peace, they are automatically effective. Not always. In fact, some of the most quietly frustrating workplaces are led by nice leaders. Let’s take a closer look at how this behavior…
Summary: Everywhere we turn, there’s noise, uncertainty, division, and pressure to perform. A constant low hum of anxiety that never quite shuts off. Leaders feel it. Teams feel it. Organizations live inside it. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: most leadership tools today are designed to help people cope with chaos, not transform it. Let’s go…
Summary: This week I’m featuring Lynsi Snyder, CEO of In-N-Out Burger. She didn’t just inherit a company. She inherited a family system disguised as one. When she stepped into that role, she walked into something far more complex than a typical CEO transition, carrying a deep legacy on her shoulders and navigating all the patterns…
Summary: When people talk about leaders others want to follow, they usually point to charisma, vision, or bold public personas. Let’s challenge that. Because Safra Catz didn’t build loyalty through spotlight leadership. She built it through something far more powerful, and far more rare; relentless clarity, unshakeable execution, and zero need for applause. And that’s…
Summary: Let’s start with a truth that may surprise you ➜ Not all tension on a team is a problem. In fact, some of it is essential. But here’s where leaders get it wrong; they treat friction and conflict as if they’re the same thing. They’re not. And when you confuse the two, you either…
Summary: Here’s the hard truth—most leadership strategies for 2026 are built for a world that no longer exists. Leadership today isn’t just about hybrid work or KPIs; it’s about navigating a human reset. The real shift? Moving from automatic triggers to conscious awareness. Organizations that thrive will embrace Human-Centered Leadership, seeing people as whole humans…
Summary: There’s something quietly powerful about Jensen Huang. No theatrics. No constant spotlight chasing. And yet, he is leading one of the most transformative shifts in modern history. Artificial intelligence didn’t suddenly appear. It was built patiently, strategically, and often invisibly, over decades. And Huang? He stayed the course when most would have pivoted. Dear…
Summary: Most leadership programs promise change. Better communication. Stronger teams. Less conflict. And for a while, things improve. Then stress hits, and everything snaps back. Why? Because most leadership work focuses on behavior. But behavior is just the surface. Underneath every reaction, every conflict, every miscommunication, there is a pattern. And if you don’t complete…
