General Resolution

Pattern Intelligence: The Leadership Skill Abraham Lincoln Used Before There Was a Name For It

By Sylvia Lafair | July 16, 2026 |

Summary: Why do some leaders keep solving the same problems over and over while others seem able to transform an entire culture? The difference is often not intelligence, but pattern intelligence, or the ability to notice the invisible dynamics beneath visible behavior. It means recognizing recurring emotional, relational, and organizational patterns before they become crises.…

Freedom Is the Leadership Skill We Rarely Talk About

By Sylvia Lafair | July 14, 2026 |

Summary: We often think freedom comes from changing jobs, relationships, or circumstances, but real freedom begins within. By recognizing the old patterns and stories that shape our reactions, we create space to choose a different response. That moment of self-awareness is where lasting change begins—and where we gain the freedom to lead, connect, and create…

Strategy Is Logical. Stress Is Biological.

By Sylvia Lafair | June 23, 2026 |

Summary: Most leadership problems are not caused by a lack of strategy. They are caused by stress. Organizations spend millions teaching communication, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills. Yet when pressure rises, even smart leaders often react in ways that surprise themselves. Why? Because strategy is logical, and stress is biological. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I am…

The GLIMMERS Glow™: What Happens When Self-Awareness Becomes Contagious

By Sylvia Lafair | June 16, 2026 |

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…

What Scott Pelley and CBS Can Teach Us About Leadership Under Pressure

By Sylvia Lafair | June 5, 2026 |

Summary: Leadership is easy when everyone agrees with you. It’s much harder when speaking your truth costs you a career position, paycheck, or your reputation. That is why the recent controversy surrounding veteran journalist Scott Pelley and the iconic television program 60 Minutes caught my attention. Read on to learn what telling the truth means…

Polarization to Possibility: How Leaders Create Honest Conversations in Divided Times

By Sylvia Lafair | June 2, 2026 |

Summary: Have you noticed lately how difficult it is to have an honest conversation? Whether it’s politics, workplace policies, social issues, generational differences, or organizational change, many people are walking on eggshells. Some stay silent because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. Others speak louder and louder because they feel unheard. The result is…

Why “Nice” Leaders Often Create Resentment: A GLIMMERS Effect™ Perspective

By Sylvia Lafair | May 26, 2026 |

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…

Family, Culture, Crisis: The Three Forces Quietly Running Your Life and Leadership

By Sylvia Lafair | May 18, 2026 |

Summary: There are moments in life when everything feels uncertain. Your company restructures. Perhaps your marriage cracks or your child pulls away. War begins, or the market collapses. You may get a difficult health diagnosis. A fire burns through your town. An election divides a family. AI changes how people work overnight. And suddenly, what…

Secret Stress: What Happens When We Carry Too Much for Too Long

By Sylvia Lafair | May 12, 2026 |

Summary: Stress has quietly become one of the defining experiences of modern life. Most people are under far more pressure than they admit, and many wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. But when stress goes unaddressed, it doesn’t simply disappear into the background. And perhaps most concerning of all, many people become so accustomed…

The GLIMMERS EFFECT: Reawakening Clarity, Courage, and Connection in a World Fueled by Fear

By Sylvia Lafair | May 5, 2026 |

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…