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
Stop emailing your way through conflict! Two days ago I shared this stat: 60% of Gen Z use email to avoid conflict and anxiety at work. It’s relatable. It’s real. But if we’re not careful, it becomes a pattern that
What’s really behind the Gen Z stare? There’s been a lot of chatter about the Gen Z stare – that emotionless expression used in response to “dumb” questions from a customer. But here’s the thing: this isn’t just happening in
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
©2025 The Corporate Refinery. All Rights Reserved.
