The Great Disconnect: How Technology Is Quietly Killing Workplace Connection
We are the most connected generation in history, yet loneliness rates have doubled since the 1980s. I experienced this new isolated world firsthand during a cross-country trip from NYC to LA. From the moment I left my place in NYC, everything ran like clockwork. It was efficient and smooth, but eerily isolating. When Convenience Replaces […]
Your Retreat Is Too Predictable. Add a Plot Twist.
I once paid a man $100 to drop a tray of silverware in the middle of a team retreat I was facilitating . And I’d do it again. We were deep into a strategy session at a corporate offsite. I had just hit a flow presenting when a “hotel employee” shuffled into the back of […]
Stop Micromanaging Your Top Talent, Build Accountability With Engagement Levels
If you’re still treating your top performers like they’re on probation, don’t be surprised when they start looking for another job. Just ask Netflix. During its rise from DVD-mailer to streaming giant, Netflix built a culture known for two things: unusual autonomy and intense accountability. Their leadership philosophy, called “Freedom and Responsibility”, meant managers were […]
Your Team Needs To Act More Like Vampire Bats
No, I’m not telling you to ask HR to start putting pints of blood in the break room. Stay with me.. Vampire bats have a bizarre survival strategy that’s surprisingly relevant to your team. In the wild, if a bat fails to feed one night, it doesn’t just cross its wings and hope for better […]
The Hidden Cost of Tight-Knit Teams: How to Fix a Bounded Culture
Does your team feel more like Cross-Fit or Alcoholics Anonymous? I was working with a leader named Cara who ran a high-performing, close-knit team at a SaaS company. Her people loved each other. Their Slack was chaos in the best way, custom emojis, inside jokes, birthday gifs, and more gifs. It was the kind of […]
How I Helped a 100% Remote Company Build a Stronger Team Culture
Company culture didn’t die with the office—leaders just stopped trying. I was brought in by a CEO who ran a fully remote company and was in full-on “culture panic mode” because people were quitting without much of a reason. “We’re getting the work done,” she told me, “but the team feels… off. Disconnected. Like everyone’s […]
Act Your Wage
“You’re being childish for not Acting Your Wage.” I was recently working with a manager who was brilliant, capable, and completely devoted to his team. He was the kind of leader who would roll up his sleeves and do whatever it took to get the job done. But there was one problem: his team was […]
The Power of Proximity: Why Showing Up Still Matters in a Remote World
Want to get ahead in your career? Get off Zoom and into the office. I was giving a keynote speech to a group of college seniors recently, sharing tips on how to accelerate their careers in today’s increasingly virtual world. But before I gave them my top tip, I offered some perhaps surprising advice: slow […]
The Micromanager’s Trap: Why Great Leaders Let Go
“Your team isn’t bad at brainstorming. They’re just afraid of you.” I was facilitating a quarterly strategy retreat for a new team, something I’ve done countless times before. The manager warned me that his team was terrible at brainstorming new ideas. He said, “My team’s terrible at brainstorming. Don’t be surprised if you don’t get […]
Being The ‘Perfect’ Leader Hurts Your Connection with Your Team
“You’re just so perfect!” He was 100 feet away in an audience of 300, but his words landed with the force of a thunderclap on my heart. For a moment, it felt like he and I were the only two people in the room. What he intended as a compliment hit me more as scathing […]