Talent Talk Weekly

Hey Reader, There’s nothing like a glitchy podcast recording to remind you that nothing goes as planned, and maybe that’s the point. Doris and I sat down with our dear friend Heather Wolcott for a podcast episode on wellness in the workplace. We had sound issues, echo cancellations, browser mishaps, and the kind of start-and-stop chaos that makes you wonder if the universe is trying to teach you something. It was. Because even though we were scrambling to get everyone’s mic working, the...

Hey Reader, Last night, I joined a group of folks going through career transitions. I was asked to speak to them about adjacent skills, but instead we dove in and did some deep work. One participant had just earned their master’s degree and was finally ready to pursue the role they’d been dreaming about. However, after years of running their own business, they were unsure how to position themselves in a corporate HR role. Midway through the session, they saw it clearly. After the meeting,...

Reader, One year ago, I met Doris on a walk. I was the slowest in the group by a mile, but she stayed back and talked with me. We connected instantly and now, a year and twenty-something podcast episodes later, we may not walk together but we are still talking, and still turning life’s awkward moments into leadership insights. This week on the podcast, we celebrated our one-year anniversary and tackled a topic that most people can relate to but few talk about with honesty: nervous energy....

{ subscriber.first_name }}, years ago, I ran the worst meeting of my life. I gathered my team for what was supposed to be a strategic planning session. But I hadn’t set a clear agenda. I was vague about the goal. And I invited everyone “just in case” they had something to add. It was a mess. People talked in circles. No one made a decision. One teammate left early. And someone told me afterward, “That could have been an email.” Ouch. That moment changed how I lead meetings. And then I...

Hey Reader, I can vividly recall exactly three times in my professional life when I lost my temper. I don’t mean the silent-eye-roll or the I’ll-talk-to-you-later cool-off moments. I mean, full-blown frustration that rose up in me like a wave, and crashed directly into someone else. And each time, I learned the same lesson: when your emotions take the wheel, the relationship and the conversation goes off the road. In The Next Conversation, Jefferson Fisher introduces this brilliant metaphor...

Hey Reader, Not too long ago, I had a disagreement with a colleague. It started over something relatively small. A missed deadline and some miscommunication around roles. But I let my frustration lead the conversation. When threatened, I became defensive, raised my voice more than I meant to, and said a few things I immediately wished I could take back. The conversation ended abruptly. I walked away feeling like I had proven my point, but I also had a pit in my stomach. I hadn’t solved...

Hey Reader, You know that person. Maybe they steamroll meetings like Miranda Priestly, play the victim like George Costanza, disappear like Ferris Bueller, shut down collaboration like Sheldon Cooper, or complain nonstop like C3PO (yes—even the droids bring drama). In our latest Leaderish podcast episode, Doris and I had way too much fun unpacking five difficult personality archetypes we all encounter—at work, in life, and (gulp) occasionally in the mirror. But here’s the real gem:You’re not...