Thought Leadership

Why the second half of the year demands more than a KPI, OKR or goal check-in.

By July, many leaders are asking themselves some version of the same question:

"How are we already halfway through the year?"

January often begins with ambitious goals, strategic plans, and clear intentions. Then reality happens. Priorities shift. New projects emerge. Teams change. Unexpected challenges demand our attention.

Before we know it, we've been busy for six months.

But have we been building momentum?

During our re…

Why the loudest and most familiar voices are often rewarded over the most valuable ideas

We often think workplace bias shows up in obvious ways.

Hiring discrimination.

Pay inequity.

Exclusion from opportunities.

But during our recent #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable on Stereotypes & Accents: The Overlooked Bias Undermining Performance, we explored how bias shapes workplace culture every day. We talked about how leaders often make assumptions about people based on superficial traits including how they…

Conflict has a reputation problem. Most leaders see it as something to avoid, minimize, or resolve quickly, but in our latest #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable, one idea came through clearly:

Conflict isn’t the issue. How we interpret it is.

In today’s diverse and distributed teams, this distinction matters more than ever.

Conflict isn’t just disagreement.

It’s the intersection of:

• Different perspectives

• Different communication styles

• Different interpretations

And often… different assumptions.

“Don’t attr…

How your definition of resilience is quietly shaping how you lead

“I don’t want to be known as resilient.”

That’s how I opened our March #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable.

Because resilience, as with any word we use, isn’t neutral. It carries weight, expectation, and sometimes pressure. As our conversation unfolded, I reminded everyone that the Roundtable was not a space to simply agree with each other but a space to share our perspectives and that there was an opportunity for each of us to (re)defi…

Why high-performing leaders must look inward before expecting teams to open up

Most leaders say they want psychological safety but when I ask what that actually requires of them, they get quiet.

At our February #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable, Leadership Consultant and author of Inquisitive Leadership, Frederica Peterson, MA, CPC, ACC, ELI-MP reframed the conversation:

“You have to be willing to let go of control.”

That’s not soft.

That’s discipline.

Psychological safety isn’t about being nice, but w…

What our January Roundtable revealed about power, bias, and the cultures we automate

Can you really build ethical AI or use AI ethically inside a broken culture?

At our January #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable, guest expert Maikel Groenewoud helped us challenge the feel-good language around AI like “responsible”, “ethical”, and “safe”.

He didn’t hold back. And what he revealed wasn’t just about tech. It was about leadership.

If you care about inclusion, trust, and sustainable performance in your tea…

A lot of leaders say they want to grow.

But what they really mean is, “I want to grow… without changing.”

At our final #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable of the year, career coach and DEI strategist Anaïs Comot joined us from London to drop some truth about what it really takes to scale as a founder, a leader, or a team.

It’s not more productivity hacks.

It’s not better goal-tracking tools.

It’s an identity shift.

Because the version of you that got you here… might not be the version that can get you wh…

When pressure hits, how do you show up?

Let’s be honest: we throw around the word “authenticity” a lot in leadership circles.

But when revenue drops, layoffs loom, or the board pushes back, authenticity is often the first thing to disappear.

In our November #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable, we explored a harder question:

What does authenticity look like in action, especially when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unpopular?

Because from my perspective:

Authenticity in leadership isn’t about being r…

I wanted to take a moment to (re)introduce myself.

Not because anything dramatic has changed, but because context does.

And leadership, like people, never exists in a vacuum.

Over the years, one thing I’ve learned is that being able to show up well, whether as a leader, partner, or collaborator, starts with clarity. Clarity about what you contribute, how you work, and what others can expect from you.

So, consider this a brief re-introduction.

I’m not just a coach.

While coaching is part of my work, it…

And what it’s costing them in trust, clarity, and connection

We’ve all heard that storytelling is a “powerful leadership tool.” But at our October #PeopleBeforeStrategy Roundtable, one thing became clear:

Most leaders don’t know when, where, or how to actually use story.

They overthink it.

They try to sound like someone else.

They avoid vulnerability because they fear it will weaken their authority.

And in doing so, they miss the opportunity to build trust, clarify the why, and create real connection.…