Most communication breakdowns don’t start with words. They start with assumptions. We assume intent far more often than we realize. With our direct reports. With our peers. With our manager. Those assumptions feel certain. They rarely are. And once we
“Just tell me what you want me to say.” That’s what I told one of my managers years ago. It taught me something powerful about how leaders think they’re communicating… and what’s actually being heard. If you’re a leader who
Fully authentic but not fully effective! I hear it often, “I’m just being myself. People need to deal with it.” But what if being yourself isn’t actually helping you lead, influence, or connect? After a recent conversation with an executive,
Most “great teams” are missing this. Leaders often tell me, “We’re great at communication. We meet weekly. I have 1:1s with my team.” But when I drill down, I find something different. In this short video, I’m sharing what’s often
Peter Drucker wrote “The Effective Executive” decades ago. But some wisdom doesn’t age. In this video, I’m sharing two things Drucker observed in high-performing leaders that I actively incorporate. No trendy hacks. No overwhelming systems. Just timeless practices that help
Scare tactics belong in haunted houses – not leadership! I saw a headline saying Gen Z doesn’t respond to scare tactics and I had to laugh! Did any of us ever? Yet, they’re still showing up in conversations, in emails,
I just celebrated my 50th birthday! And it hit differently than I expected. This isn’t a reflection post. It’s a perspective shift. If you’ve ever felt pressure around timelines, expectations, or what it means to “arrive,” this video is for
Five generations. One workplace. Zero room for confusion. As the mom of two Gen Z teens entering the workforce, this topic hits close to home. But I’m also seeing it play out inside the organizations I work with via communication
You’re presenting more than you think! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve spoken at two women’s leadership conferences on one of my favorite topics: how to have an impact in just a couple of minutes – so you can
I asked my cat a question. Siri answered. It reminded me how just one word can completely change the way a message is received. That got me thinking…How often are we choosing words by habit, not by intention? Whether you’re
Masculine vs. feminine energy? In a recent workshop debrief, I listened as a group wrestled with the idea of “masculine vs. feminine energy” in leadership. It raised a deeper question that so many professionals, especially women, are silently navigating. This
“Colleen, I know you’re right, but it’s just easier not to.” That’s what a C-suite exec said to me mid-training… and he’s not the only one. I was training a senior executive and his leadership team on how to lead
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