Diversity

Friction vs. Conflict: The Leadership Distinction Most People Miss (and Why It Matters More Than Ever)

By Sylvia Lafair | April 14, 2026 |

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…

The 6 Reasons People Love Working With Certain Leaders (And Leave Others)

By Sylvia Lafair | April 10, 2026 |

Summary: Let’s start with a truth most leaders don’t want to hear. People don’t leave companies; they leave patterns. And more specifically, they leave leaders whose patterns create disconnection, confusion, and emotional exhaustion. But the reverse is also true. When people love working with a leader, it’s not random. It’s not charisma alone, or just…

Leading Through Uncertainty: Why Your 2026 Strategy Is Already Outdated

By Sylvia Lafair | April 7, 2026 |

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…

Satya Nadella’s Leadership at Microsoft: A GLIMMERS Approach to Head, Heart, and Gut Leadership

By Sylvia Lafair | March 18, 2026 |

Summary: When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014, the company was already one of the world’s most powerful technology organizations. Yet internally, many employees described a culture marked by competition, silos, and a constant need to prove who was smartest in the room. More than a decade later, Microsoft is widely recognized not…

When Companies (and Nations) Are Divided: How the GLIMMERS Process Can Help Us Talk Again

By Sylvia Lafair | March 10, 2026 |

Summary: The World feels more divided than ever. Here are ways to think about healing the divide. Not easy, yet possible. The GLIMMERS Process needs us all to rethink our basic conflict strategies. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I am sad and curious at the same time. It is a time of so much dissension and chaos.…

Leadership Does Not Wait for Permission: The Glimmers José Andrés Brings into the Darkest Places

By Sylvia Lafair | March 5, 2026 |

Leadership does not wait for perfect conditions. Inspired by José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, this article explores how aligned leadership begins with gut instinct, supported by head and heart, to take meaningful action in moments that matter most.

When the World Feels Unsafe, People Look for One Thing from Their Leaders

By Sylvia Lafair | March 3, 2026 |

When the world feels unsafe, leaders set the emotional tone. Discover how calm presence, nervous system regulation, and steady communication support teams and families during chaotic times.

Quiet Leadership in a Noisy World: What the Monks Taught Me About Loving Kindness 

By Sylvia Lafair | February 19, 2026 |

Explore how quiet leadership shapes culture through presence, compassion, and mindful action. Inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh and walking monks, discover why steady humanity—not force—creates lasting trust and transformation.

The Courage to Be Seen: Where Real Connection at Work Begins

By Sylvia Lafair | February 17, 2026 |

Discover how the courage to be seen transforms leadership and workplace culture when leaders finally address the elephant in the room.

Tea with Thay: Traveling in China with Thich Nhat Hanh

By Sylvia Lafair | February 16, 2026 |

In this reflective story, Tea with Thay becomes a lesson in transformational leadership, presence, and letting go as a journey to China reveals the power of simplicity, breath, and inner clarity.