Patterns
Summary: What happens when a respected professional challenges a powerful leader and finds herself at the center of controversy? Psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee’s story raises important questions about professional responsibility, ethical boundaries, and the courage to speak up when silence seems safer. The question that won’t go away. I watch the news and wonder…
Summary: What a Pulitzer Prize-winning play at Berkeley Rep reveals about women’s liberation, family patterns, and the unfinished business of change. I recently attended a performance of Liberation at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and it brought back memories of the women’s movement in the 1970s. Yes, I was a part of those days, honoring Gloria…
Summary: Why disruption brings out our oldest behaviors, and how to turn uncertainty into a GLIMMER. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Have you noticed how differently people respond when the world suddenly feels uncertain? My son-in-law, who was a “shew-in” for a relatively minor public office, now looks like he will lose the vote for a job…
Summary: When loyalty collides with business integrity, the temptation to keep the peace can make everything worse. Dear Dr. Sylvia, My sister and I are fighting in our family business, just like we did as kids. I am the older sister and always had to protect her. She is three years younger chronologically, and I…
Summary: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins challenges traditional leadership by showing how collaboration, empowerment, and innovation are reshaping success. As AI transforms the workplace, leaders must rethink old patterns and focus on building bridges rather than climbing the corporate ladder. Keep reading to discover what today’s leaders can learn from this shift. For decades, the corporate…
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,…
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,…
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…
Summary: Three generations. Three pairs of brothers. And one question every family eventually faces: What happens when loyalty to someone you love collides with responsibility for the larger family? We tend to watch the Royal Family as though it were a very expensive television series. But look beyond the crowns, castles, scandals, and headlines, and…
Summary: The patterns you inherited might matter more than you think. You’re sitting in a doctor’s office filling out forms. Heart disease in the family? Diabetes? Cancer? High blood pressure? Important questions. But there’s another family history we almost never get asked about: How did your family handle being sick when you were growing up?…