Posts Tagged ‘leadership’
The Cost of Speaking Up: Dr. Bandy X. Lee and the Courage to Question Power
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…
Read MoreThe Leadership Test America Needs Before Election Day: What John McCain Taught Us About Courage, Character, and the Danger of Blind Loyalty
Summary: I recently received an email from a client that speaks to the tension we are all feeling these days. Here is the essence of it: I am exhausted by the anger surrounding this election. Friends no longer speak to one another. Even at work, people are careful about what they say because one wrong…
Read MoreHealthy Boundaries: The Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches You
Summary: We often think of boundaries as walls that we put up when we’re angry, hurt, or trying to keep someone out. But healthy boundaries are not about rejection. They are about clarity. When attempting to break an old pattern, clarity can be uncomfortable, especially when the person on the other side is someone you…
Read MoreYou Change Your Underwear Every Day, So Why Are You Still Wearing the Same Old Patterns?
Summary: Let’s start with a question that you don’t get asked often, if ever: When was the last time you changed your underwear? Hopefully, this morning. Most of us wouldn’t dream of wearing the same underwear day after day. We also replace worn-out socks, buy new shoes, upgrade our phones, and trade in cars that…
Read MoreWhat Banksy Teaches Us About Leadership: When the Message Matters More Than the Messenger
Summary: Banksy is one of the most recognized artists in the world. And yet, almost no one knows who Banksy is. While building a personal brand, chasing followers, and measuring success by visibility is the norm, Banksy has done the opposite by remaining anonymous, yet his work is discussed around the world. That isn’t just…
Read MoreWhat To Do When Someone Shuts Down the Conversation
Summary: Every successful company reaches a moment when difficult conversations must happen; a new strategy, major investment, leadership change, growing financial concern, difficult employee, etc. Healthy organizations don’t avoid these conversations. Instead, they lean into them. But what happens when a person in leadership shuts the conversation down? The greatest danger in leadership isn’t disagreement;…
Read MorePattern Intelligence: The Leadership Skill Abraham Lincoln Used Before There Was a Name For It
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.…
Read MoreWhen a Glimmer Becomes a New Beginning
Summary: Most breakthroughs don’t begin with a grand plan. They begin with one small moment of awareness, a GLIMMER. Discover how curiosity transformed one executive coach into a jewelry designer and how your next chapter may already be waiting for you. “Sometimes the smallest spark changes the direction of an entire life.” —Sylvia Lafair Most…
Read MoreWhat America’s First Leaders Still Teach Leaders Today
Summary: Every generation believes its leadership challenges are unique, but they’re not. Technology, politics, and markets may change over the years, yet human nature changes very little. Here’s what you need to know to lead in today’s chaotic world. As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day in the United States, I found myself going back,…
Read MoreThe GLIMMERS Glow™: What Happens When Self-Awareness Becomes Contagious
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…
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