Journal
Notes on leading and communicating.
Two posts a month — one on coaching and leadership, one on communications.
Agreements: why great coaching starts with the contract — and great teams do too
Most misunderstandings at work are agreements that were never actually made.
Measuring internal communication beyond open rates
Open rates tell you who clicked. They don’t tell you whether anyone understood, believed, or acted.
Leadership CoachingFeedback you can actually use: a leader’s guide to receiving it
The more senior you become, the less honest feedback you get. Here’s how to keep it coming.
CommunicationsMedia interviews: bridging without dodging
Audiences can spot an evasive answer instantly. Here’s how to stay on message and still answer the question.
Leadership CoachingBurnout and the myth of the tireless leader
We admire leaders who never seem to stop. Their teams pay the price, and eventually so do they.
CommunicationsHow to communicate during a merger when you don’t know the answers yet
Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of trust. Pretending you have certainty is.
Leadership CoachingDelegation is a trust problem disguised as a time problem
Leaders say they don’t have time to delegate. Usually, they don’t yet trust what will happen if they do.
CommunicationsThought leadership needs a thought
A posting schedule isn’t a point of view. Start with what you believe that others in your field don’t.
Leadership CoachingValues under pressure: what your calendar says about what you believe
Your stated values live on the wall. Your real values live in your calendar.
CommunicationsTown halls that don’t feel staged
People can tell when the questions were screened. Real engagement requires real risk.
Leadership CoachingPresence is a practice, not a personality trait
Executive presence isn’t charisma. It’s the quality of attention you bring into the room.
CommunicationsManagers are your most important channel
Employees trust their direct manager more than any email, intranet, or town hall. Equip them accordingly.
Leadership CoachingThe first 90 days: the transition trap high performers fall into
The skills that earned the promotion are often the ones that sabotage the first months in the new role.
CommunicationsJargon is a confidence problem
We reach for buzzwords when we’re not sure of our point — or not sure we’re allowed to make it.
Leadership CoachingWhat coaching is — and what it isn’t
Coaching isn’t advice, therapy, or mentoring. Knowing the difference helps you get the support you actually need.
CommunicationsCrisis readiness: the holding statement you should write today
In a crisis, the first hour is spent deciding who’s allowed to say anything. Do that work now.
Leadership CoachingListening at three levels
Most of us listen to respond. Leaders who listen to understand hear what’s underneath.
CommunicationsYour strategy deck isn’t a story. Here’s how to make it one.
Strategy lives or dies in translation. A story gives people a reason to remember it — and to act on it.
Leadership CoachingWhy most leadership goals fail by February
Goals fail not for lack of willpower, but because they skip the conversation that makes them real.
CommunicationsThe year-end letter nobody reads — and how to write one they will
Year-end messages tend to become lists of accomplishments. The best ones are about people.
Leadership CoachingYear-end reflection: the review your performance review won’t give you
Your formal review measures results. This one measures whether you’re becoming the leader you want to be.
CommunicationsAnnouncing a reorganization without losing your best people
Your strongest performers have the most options. A reorg announcement is the moment they decide whether to use them.
Leadership CoachingThe difference between a good question and a powerful one
Good questions gather information. Powerful questions change how you see the problem.
CommunicationsThe first sentence is the whole message
Most people read the opening line and decide whether to keep going. Write it like it’s the only one they’ll see.
Archive
2025
- The year-end letter nobody reads — and how to write one they willComms
- Year-end reflection: the review your performance review won’t give youCoaching
- Announcing a reorganization without losing your best peopleComms
- The difference between a good question and a powerful oneCoaching
- The first sentence is the whole messageComms
2026
- Agreements: why great coaching starts with the contract — and great teams do tooCoaching
- Measuring internal communication beyond open ratesComms
- Feedback you can actually use: a leader’s guide to receiving itCoaching
- Media interviews: bridging without dodgingComms
- Burnout and the myth of the tireless leaderCoaching
- How to communicate during a merger when you don’t know the answers yetComms
- Delegation is a trust problem disguised as a time problemCoaching
- Thought leadership needs a thoughtComms
- Values under pressure: what your calendar says about what you believeCoaching
- Town halls that don’t feel stagedComms
- Presence is a practice, not a personality traitCoaching
- Managers are your most important channelComms
- The first 90 days: the transition trap high performers fall intoCoaching
- Jargon is a confidence problemComms
- What coaching is — and what it isn’tCoaching
- Crisis readiness: the holding statement you should write todayComms
- Listening at three levelsCoaching
- Your strategy deck isn’t a story. Here’s how to make it one.Comms
- Why most leadership goals fail by FebruaryCoaching