The reality gap

You built a story about yourself. Then you started believing it. The metrics you ignore. The feedback you dismiss. The reality you’ve decided doesn’t apply to you. Your team nods along because challenging the narrative feels dangerous. Your advisors tell...

Who coaches the coach

The executive sits across from me, frustrated. Revenue plateaued. Team morale dropped. Market share slipping. “I’ve tried everything,” he insists. Everything except the one thing that matters most: looking in the mirror. We all have blind spots. The...

Prioritize time to see clearly

When leaders remain entrenched in day-to-day operations, they lose perspective. Like standing too close to a painting, they see brushstrokes but miss the complete image. Executive coach and leadership expert Michael Bungay Stanier calls this “being in the swamp...

Controlling perspective

We have more control over our thoughts than we realize. Yet, we often allow our minds to wander aimlessly, dwelling on matters close and afar. We feel the world’s weight on our shoulders but fail to recognize that we can shift our attention. From Darfur to...

It’s amazing

So much occurs each day that we take for granted: a meal, the cross-walk attendant who always greets and smiles, an unexpected, well-thought-of service. Yet, so much of that goes unnoticed. Every day is filled with amazing things; the issue is our inability to...