Career

One of the most common questions I get from senior leaders is some version of: “How do I know when it’s actually time to leave?” They’ve been restless for a while. They keep talking themselves out of moving. They wonder whether the discomfort is real signal or just the inevitable friction of any job. They…

There’s a leadership skill that gets harder, not easier, the more senior you become. Almost no one warns you about it. It’s not in the leadership books. It doesn’t show up in the 360 reviews. But in 20+ years of watching senior careers play out, I’ve come to believe it’s the single most important difference…

Senior leaders almost never lose authority all at once. They lose it in small phrases, repeated over months, that they don’t even know they’re saying. Five I’ve watched undermine smart, capable executives and what to swap them for. 1. “Sorry, can I just add something quickly?”Translation to the room: I’m not sure I deserve to…

There’s something I tell every senior leader in their first session with me. Almost word for word. I tell them: I’m not here to make you into someone different. I’m here to help you see yourself more accurately.Because here’s what I’ve learned in 20+ years of doing this work. Most of the senior leaders who…

Two senior leaders. Same industry. Same starting point ten years ago. One is now a SVP at a household-name company. Big title. Public profile. Speaking at conferences. The other is a VP at a less-known company. Quieter. Smaller team. Most people would tell you the first one has won the decade. Here’s what I’ve learned…