Human Connection

America’s Addiction to Gun Violence: Can We Move from Triggers to Glimmers?

By Sylvia Lafair | April 28, 2026 |

Summary: Every time there is another mass shooting, another child killed by a stray bullet, another family shattered in seconds, the same question rises like smoke: why does this keep happening in the United States? Here is a perspective that can lead us out of so much darkness, despair, and fear. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Why…

The Leader Who Chose Legacy Over Approval

By Sylvia Lafair | April 24, 2026 |

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…

Vulnerability Is Not Enough: The Missing Link in Modern Leadership

By Sylvia Lafair | April 21, 2026 |

Summary: We’ve been sold a powerful idea that vulnerability is the key to better leadership. And to a point, it is. Thanks to the groundbreaking work of Brené Brown, leaders now understand that courage, connection, and trust require emotional honesty. But here’s the problem no one is saying out loud—vulnerability, by itself, can backfire. Here…

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Leading Through Uncertainty: Why Your 2026 Strategy Is Already Outdated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…

Strong Teams Don’t Avoid Breakdowns, They Repair Them Fast

By Sylvia Lafair | March 24, 2026 |

Summary: Let’s start with the truth most organizations quietly sidestep: conflict is not the problem. Avoidance is. In today’s workplace, teams are often trained, implicitly or explicitly, to keep things smooth, professional, and drama-free. On the surface, that sounds ideal. But underneath? Resentment builds. Conversations go underground. Misunderstandings calcify into narratives that no one names…

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…

Revenge Quitting: The Workplace Warning Sign Leaders Are Ignoring

By Sylvia Lafair | March 17, 2026 |

Summary: Did someone just quit your company today? Not quietly, but with determination? Consider the fact that they quit to make a point. Welcome to the new workplace phenomenon known as “revenge quitting.” It’s when employees resign in anger or frustration to send a message to leadership about a workplace culture that has stopped listening.…

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.…