The challenges of being a rising leader are unique.
The Leadership Arena is a newsletter designed especially for Millennial & Gen Z leaders who want to take charge of their own growth and advancement. 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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What if thinking is your real job?
Reader, Ever have one of those wake-up-call moments—the kind that stops you in your tracks? These moments often grow us the most. In my first executive-level position, I was used to getting things done, but leading? That was new territory. Racing through the moments. In the weeks leading up to our big program, I was anything but calm—racing from one thing to the next as if my pants were on fire. I arrived at my weekly check-in so frantic I barely noticed my surroundings. The pressure was on,...
READ POSTA remedy for your blind spots
Reader, I once believed every challenge I faced meant I needed to grow more as a leader, so I tried to overcome every limitation I discovered. But no matter how hard you or I try, there are things we simply don’t notice, care about, or focus on—and when others make them important, we sometimes wonder why. This is because we all have different unique lenses...and different blind spots. A remedy for blind spots. Years ago, I stumbled on what I now know is the best way to overcome blind spots as...
READ POSTHow to find confidence (it works every time)
Reader, As a rising leader, there are a million "firsts", and it's your job to notice things you've never even seen before and navigate decisions when there isn't always a clear choice. It can feel like a rollercoaster of ups and downs when self-doubt finds a home in the uncertainty, and sometimes you have to watch a team member go through it too. Fortunately, there is a reliable way to find confidence that works every time. Let's demonstrate with a story. You're on the spot. The room is...
READ POSTAre your work relationships actually helping you succeed?
Reader, We all know relationships matter in work. You've probably invested countless hours building them. In this email, we're unpacking why work relationships matter—and offering a simple approach to help you build relationships that directly help you and your team work better together. Why relationships matter at work. If I know you, then I know how to work with you. It's as simple as that. Yet, many people build relationships at work that don't support this goal. You can know someone...
READ POSTWhy autonomy isn't what you need after all
Reader, For decades, the charge to leaders was—give people more autonomy. Without it, stress increases. With it, people can take initiative and responsibility for their work and their energy increases—all good things. But autonomy can create real challenges if you're trying to succeed as a team. Let's unpack why. The hope of autonomy. Autonomy, at its core, is the ability to choose how you work—to self-govern your time and actions. Leaders encourage autonomy because they want people to make...
READ POSTA quicker way to become aligned (and celebrate as a team).
Reader, People often talk about their team members with an air of mystery, as if their daily work is shrouded in uncertainty: "I think John is doing what he should be, but I'm not sure." "Beth should be farther along on this project by now. I wonder what's going on." "Mandy is busy all the time, but I’m not sure why." In fact, as I write this in a coffee shop, the man next to me is venting about his team member, Curtis: "He's trying to do things that aren’t even his job. And he never...
READ POSTWhat happens when getting clear and taking action collide?
Reader, I grew up in a stereotypical Gen X way. Summertime meant roaming the neighborhoods surviving on water from garden hoses and snacks we had in our pockets. There were rules, but if you knew what you were doing, they could be more like guidelines. When it came to professional development, I wasn’t exactly handed a roadmap. For a while, I was just “winging it.” In fact, I once spent two weeks sitting on the floor of my office, digging through files to figure out what my job even was! Now,...
READ POSTWhy you need rhythms like winning sports teams
Reader, If you had to describe your rhythms in a sentence or two, what words best capture the ebbs and flows of your work? For much of my career, my rhythms were basically on or off. Working or not working. Busy or sleeping. Then I had kids, and exhausted joined the list, and I operated that way for years. I remember driving to work one day when my second daughter was not even a year old thinking, "I wonder if I should be driving to work today. I'm really tired." Not a bad question since the...
READ POSTHave you ever met to talk about things you'll one day meet about?
Reader, One of the quickest ways to frustrate a team? Holding a purposeless meeting. Worse? A meeting where everyone has a different purpose. For years, I thought a tight agenda would fix this. Not so. When you consistently bring purpose to meetings, people notice. You gain a reputation as someone who brings intention and focus—which is a skill every leader needs to grow their career. Today, we’re diving into how to make your meetings more purposeful, even if you're not leading them. Ever...
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