The challenges of being a rising leader are unique.

Reader, Being around other leaders has an elevating effect. It challenges, inspires, and changes minds. I’ve had far more opportunities like this than one could hope or expect. Since I was 27, I’ve been surrounded literally by hundreds, maybe thousands, of Founders, CEOs, and senior leaders operating at the highest levels. Someone recently asked, “How is that even possible?” For most of my career, I’ve worked in business organizations and associations with statewide and eventually global...

Reader, I'm about to launch something really exciting! That’s not what this email is about, but it got me thinking about something important. My one aim is to help rising leaders develop themselves into truly great leaders of teams. Why? So they don’t feel stuck waiting around for a fabulous boss or company to make it happen. Being stuck is the worst.But, being stuck is also the best. The feeling we get when we realize we’re stuck screams to us, “Something has to change.” Without that...

Reader, This week, I have a quick favor to ask! When you finish reading this email, will you click update your profile at the bottom and select the topics you want to hear about most? I’m about to launch something really exciting, and I’d love to know the conversations you care about. And now for our topic this week... In most companies, there’s an ever-present tug of war between boundaries and freedom. It’s the most significant tension I’ve been seeing this year, and it’s equally challenging...

Reader, Last week, I shared one reason burnout is so hard to solve in a team: burnout doesn’t just drain energy. The way we respond to it often erodes confidence, too. (If you missed it, you can read it here, since I’ll be building on that conversation.) This week, let’s look at another side of the issue: Why do good intentions sometimes cause burnout? How can rethinking priorities shift the way we work? It all feels important. To borrow the opening phrase from last week: no one sets out...

Reader, Burnout isn’t where anyone intends to end up. No one sets out thinking, “I’m going to work so hard that I bring myself to the brink of burnout.” But it happens all the time. It’s never fun teetering on the edge yourself—and sometimes even harder to watch someone else get there. We usually respond to burnout with good-intentioned ideas about wellness programs, flexible schedules, or reminders to “take care of yourself.” A simple solution to a complex issue. This week and next, I want...

Reader, Have you ever described a team member as an "underperformer"? I have, usually in response to that nagging sense something isn’t working. I’ve also been described this way before—ironically, during a season when I felt like I was thriving. It’s a complex issue that can derail even the best of teams. Hard to define. Harder to solve. And once the seeds of doubt are planted, they’re hard to uproot. Let’s explore a few perspectives on why it happens and how to respond. You’re not...

Reader, Books, podcasts, and studies on developing people are everywhere. They cover everything from productivity hacks to coaching models, from culture shifts to personal growth plans. But they rarely start with the simplest—and maybe most important—question: What are we developing people for? If you’re involved in helping people grow—whether that’s a peer, your first team, or an entire organization—the aim of your development shapes everything that follows. What’s the aim of your...

Reader, This week, we're shifting to emails that focus more on perspective, perception, and direction than practical action. And our question: How much effort should a team member give their work? All or nothing?Whatever it takes?Enough to make it good enough? Rarely do all team members agree on the right answer at any given moment. Making assumptions. I used to see it as a negative when a team member didn’t give their all—when they scrutinized their time, did the bare minimum, or held back...

Reader, When you make a case for something you believe in, you may be missing the one step that matters most. How do I know? I’ve made this mistake many times—both as a rising leader and as a CEO. It starts with a simple assumption that’s so easy to make: It’s a good idea. It was December 2001, and I was hired to launch a unique volunteer campaign—just months after 9/11. We needed revenue badly and had found a way to create a true win-win for our investors. In fact, it was a brilliant...