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Your team comes back from the offsite fired up with new learnings and connections. Three weeks later, nothing has changed. That's not a motivation problem, and it's not on them. New behaviors learned somewhere else stay tied to that somewhere else, which is precisely why they don't survive contact with the office. I studied habits for my PhD and I still lost an entire year of hard-won change within nine months of coming home from my big year of travel. Here's the science of w

Have you ever had a moment where your mouth said one thing and your gut screamed another? A few months ago, I was wrapping up a beautiful sample session with a potential new client. Everything was flowing. And then, when it came time to share my rates, out came the old ones. The ones I'd promised myself I'd retired. What followed was a spiral — shame, justification, bargaining, and a lot of internal name-calling. And underneath all of it, one quiet question I didn't want to l

For me—and for many servant leaders I know—the very idea of power can feel loaded, even dirty. We skirt around its edges without directly confronting it. As soon as we have power, we give it away. So let’s have an open, honest conversation about it. STORY: Welcome to Part 2 of musings about power! Perhaps you’ve already read Part 1 which discusses external abusive power like what you see in a toxic work environment. In contrast, this post is about internal abusive power… my

I’ve been thinking a lot about power lately because it’s front and center in the local news right now. But power itself is not the problem. Abusive, fear-based power is. It dehumanizes people and systems. But power can also be used collectively, responsibly, and in defense of humane values. For me, this is personal. As a survivor of bullying and sexual abuse, my pattern is to freeze or fawn (not fight or flee) when confronted with abusive power. But like so many of us, I’m le

We’re all navigating change all the time. Sometimes it’s big and obvious, and sometimes it shows up more quietly but either way, it brings a certain amount of uncertainty. And when we find ourselves facing that uncertainty, our brains don’t just sit back and wait to see what happens next. They get to work, trying to make sense of it all. STORY: Here’s what navigating uncertainty looked like for me recently READ MORE: More regarding cognitive reappraisal BOOK STUFF: We’re mee

As we live life, sometimes things fall apart. Perhaps it’s a well laid plan. A hopeful dream. A piece of your identity. Some unexpected,...

At 11:50 am, an alert pops up on my screen “Write Blog Post starting in 10 minutes”. Look at me! Setting aside 2 hours on my calendar to...

Around a month ago, I decided to take a 2 week hiatus from the unrelenting barrage of negative news. Politics. War. Fires. It was too...

I was at a neuroscience conference last week and experienced a big huge impostor moment. It was a networking reception. The glass of wine...

The six hardest things to talk about in the workplace. Politics. Religion. Sex. Money. Feedback. What’s going to happen if the boss...

Do you feel like you’re juggling too many balls? Me too. And same for LOTS of others. Today’s newsletter is here to help you decide which...

Workplace intimidation, bullying, and negativity: "Not this day!"

As promised, I’m back with five strategies to reengage your frontal cortex when your neocortex and limbic system stop talking to one...

Welcome back to the Leader's Campfire! Sorry for the long absence but between flying to Barcelona to speak at a summit and driving to...

Welcome to the first newsletter from the Leader's Campfire! This area is now much more than just a blog. It's access to all the free...

I wanted to write a chapter of my book in May, but got super busy with the end of school. I intended to do it in June while on a cruise...

Between now and August 1st, I’m practicing what I preach by making space to be with the people I love most in the world. I have a...

Between now and August 1st, I’m practicing what I preach by making space to be with the people I love most in the world. I have a...

Impostor syndrome. It sucks. In case you haven’t heard the term before, impostor syndrome is a fear of failure that manifests as extreme...

So many leaders right now are burnt out, tapped out, and strung out. Too much to do, too little time. Juggling too many things. Wearing...