Blogs
How to Reduce Stress at Work: Avoid Toxic Social Narcissists
Summary: We live with fake news, general rancor, sizzle and sparkle, slander, and superficiality. As leaders, you must look at the information you receive more intently. Here are ways to judge if someone is here to help or hinder long-term success. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I watched a recent 60 Minutes segment that was chilling. It…
5 Ways to Handle Stress at Work and Become Resilient
Summary: When tough times happen, it’s easy to pull the covers over your head and stuff down the upset or go to the other extreme and shout it out. A powerful way to drop the doldrums and be courageous is often finding courage from others. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Between the heat, the unrelenting virus, and…
Leadership Lessons: When Hidden Emotions Show Up
Summary: The emotions underneath leadership decisions are often ignored. Learning to read your specific personal concerns and upsets can lead to more effective leadership moving forward. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I cannot watch the news anymore without a knot in my stomach. When I see the fires roar around the world and the guns destroy lives,…
How to Use Your Favorite 4-Letter Word and Make a Positive Difference
Summary: The world has changed, and more freedom of speech exists. However, freedom has a downside. The big question is how to use that freedom productively rather than hurt and hinder relationships. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Am I alone in using strong words to help calm me down when I am upset? I think not. However,…
What Happens to Women Leaders When They Tell The Truth?
Summary: There is always a risk to telling the truth. Is it more difficult for women to speak up? Most research says “yes.” Here is a way to be clear, heard, and respected. Dear Dr. Sylvia, As a leader, I know I must give difficult feedback to my team. However, I have not mastered “the…
We All Tell Lies, Which Type of Liar Are You?
Summary: We have all heard “the truth shall set you free,”; yet, lying is a daily occurrence. Read on to see which pattern, from fibs to fraud, fits your personality and, more importantly, what to do about it. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I don’t know who to believe anymore. When I ask my direct reports about…
The Benefits of A Difficult Conversation
Summary: If being judged makes you uncomfortable, here are some ways to structure a feedback session for success. Who do you think has the most challenging time with feedback? Is it the giver or the receiver? Most leadership development programs focus on how the giver, the leader, discusses feedback with the receiver, the employee. The…
How to Be In Charge of Stress NOT Just Cope
Summary: I did a survey asking the following question: What are your usual coping mechanisms? Here are new ways to cope with today’s stress. Dear Dr. Sylvia, Is the world moving faster? Perhaps it’s just me? Nah, I understand that we have more technology to give us information at warp speed. Thus, we know more…
Here’s What Success at Work Looks Like During Difficult Times
Summary: How do you stay true to your core values when everything is out of focus? Dear Dr. Sylvia, How do you ever know when enough is enough? I mean, enough in every sense of the word. For example, when is there enough money in the bank? Or when there is enough food in the…
Case Study for Leadership Development and Team Collaboration
Summary: Here’s how to tell the truth at work; encourage openness and collaboration rather than defensiveness for successful team development. Dear Dr. Sylvia, We are now back in the office three days a week and working from home for two days. It certainly is changing the dynamic of how people behave with each other. Sadly,…
Peace Tools NOT Pistols (or any other weapons of destruction)
Summary: It is critical to look “upriver” to solve the polarization and violence we are now seeing at work, at home, and in our communities. Dear … I am getting so many questions from leaders and emerging leaders about the polarization of our society and the number of attacks on innocent people that I want…
How Leaders Can Move Past “Survival of the Fittest” to “Survive and Be Fit”
Summary: External forces keep us on our toes, ready to react. Here we discuss the hidden reasons for why we respond as we do. Dear Dr. Sylvia, I’ll cut right to the chase. Time is going by, and I am frustrated and worried. I am a 47-year-old healthy male who is the CFO of a…
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