The challenges of being a rising leader are unique.
The Leadership Arena is a newsletter created especially for Millennial & Gen Z leaders who want to take charge of their own growth and advancement opportunities. It's also a powerful resource for Founders who want to scale leadership throughout their company. Each week, we'll address new topics that are essential to leadership growth, confidence, agency, and trust. This isn't just a theory—it's immediately useful to apply in real-time, every week of the year!
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Why is "underperformance" so hard to solve?
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...
READ POSTWhat makes clarity an unleasher or blocker?
Reader, Clarity is either the great unleasher of focused, purposeful action, or it can stall everything with hesitation, doubt, and waiting. It makes the difference between action and paralysis. Let’s look at what happens when clarity becomes a blocker, and how it can instead become an unleasher. I just need more clarity. When a team member says this, what they really mean is: I don’t know what matters most or how to make that a reality. And being clear about the big picture isn’t enough....
READ POSTMaking the leap from a team of individual contributors to leaders
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...
READ POSTThe perspective gap.
Reader, The difference between being the decision-maker and a decision-maker is big. Bigger than I thought. After years of being an entrepreneur and CEO, I joined a team where I had no formal leadership role or authority. And what I learned completely reshaped my view of leadership. This email is about those discoveries and the perspective gap that changed my mind. The CEO’s perspective. Let’s take a familiar scenario: The company is going through a major restructuring, and the stakes are...
READ POSTCan you see around the corner?
Reader, In the early days of the pandemic, I reached out to a Fortune 500 CEO who had led through all kinds of crises. Her advice: "Your job as the leader is to see around the corner." In this email, we’re unpacking what that really means—and considering what it takes to lead in a complex, ever-changing world. This practiced leader was encouraging me to build a critical skill: Seeing what’s coming before it happens. Being ready for risks that could set us back. Knowing what’s ahead and acting...
READ POSTThe leader-aligned vs. the self-aligned team
Reader, As a CEO, I learned it was my job to align my team and organization. So I went about it using the standard playbook: Set a clear context (mission, vision, values) Make sure everyone could articulate our strategies Define specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time-bound goals Developing reliable structures and processes But it felt like a constant, never-ending battle. I felt like a broken record—repeating our vision and values over and over until I was tired of hearing myself...
READ POSTHow much energy is this worth?
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...
READ POSTSummer shift: lighter rhythm, clearer priorities
Reader, First, thank you for continuing to receive my emails. It means so much, and I love getting your replies. In this one, I’m sharing how I plan to shift this content—and why. A little context. Any leadership approach that can’t land the plane—all the way to the ground where you actually live and work—is useless. It has to meet you where the rubber meets the road. In the daily moments. In the challenges that require a response now, not later. Over the last six months, I’ve shared tangible...
READ POSTWhy hard conversations feel so uncomfortable—and how to change that
Reader, Have you ever felt beyond uncomfortable in a work conversation? You know the feeling... Heat rises in your chest. Your vision narrows. You can’t think straight. And you’re looking for a way to get out—fast. The limiting factor. If your tolerance for human tension is low, you won’t be able to stay present in the moments that matter most. Moments when you need to lead. When other people react, you must have the capacity to stay calm, think clearly, and respond. Your capacity will either...
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