One of the most extraordinary leaders I’ve worked for was my boss of nearly 20 years ago, Ed. He was smart, no-nonsense, with a dry, witty humor that surfaced at just the right moments. To some, he was intimidating—but as his direct report, I found him approachable and deeply thoughtful. Ed was an extraordinarily good…
Authored by Karen Pelot, Edited by Becca Whipple Attitude is Everything Have you ever worked with a leader who makes difficult things feel easy? What about a leader who made everything feel more difficult? Juxtapose those two. If you could choose, which would you spend time working with? Years ago, I was working with a…
Organizational culture as a strategy first got my attention when I heard the phrase “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” in a customer-service workshop as a young leader. The idea resonated with me immediately, and over the years I’ve repeatedly experienced it firsthand. Sometimes in great ways, sometimes like a SH*% show. Peter Drucker is credited…
Author: Karen Pelot, Edited by Becca Whipple Why do conflict styles matter? Did you know your go-to leadership conflict style could be costing you in your working relationships and results? As a leader, the opportunity for conflict is embedded in nearly everything you do: feedback, prioritization, boundary-setting, change management, and the list goes on. Leaders…
As an executive coach, I’m often brought in to work with leadership teams when they need successful change. Regardless of the nexus, I’ve learned the real change needed – the one that will make the change stick – is usually tied to the organizational culture. Candidly, culture shifting is not easy, but leaning on the…
How Leaders Lose Their Edge — and How to Get It Back When was the last time you did something professionally that felt like a stretch? Looking back, did it help you grow? It’s an important question for leaders, especially in today’s ever-evolving landscape. Maybe there was a time when innovation, agility, and adaptability were…
Leadership Hats… More Than KPIs. Think about your favorite boss for a minute. What made that leader so effective? Chances are, it wasn’t just their strategy and ability to hit KPIs. More likely, it was how they showed up for you. As leaders, we have the privilege of playing pivotal roles in helping to shape…
When it comes to delegation, does this sound like you? “It’s easier if I just do it myself ” or “I don’t have time to explain this to someone else.” Maybe, you feel like no one else can do “it” as well as you will. No shame – leaders at all levels wrestle with delegating. Delegating…
What One Remarkable Leader Taught Me There’s something magnetic about a leader who carries remarkable grace under pressure. Who stays composed in chaos. They walk into pressure-filled rooms and create calm. They take hard questions, deliver tough news, and still show up with presence, poise, and clarity. That’s not luck. That’s grace under pressure. And…
How to Avoid This Leadership Cop-Out Ever catch yourself saying “I should…,” “We should…,” or worse, “You should…”? When I was going through the executive coaching program at UT, I learned to notice when a client was “shoulding” versus committing to action. Hearing the “should” was part of learning to fully listen to what’s being…
A Refresh for Mind, Priorities, and Workspace Every year, by the end of March, I get the “spring cleaning” itch. Not just the traditional “dust the blinds” kind of cleaning, but also mental, physical, and environmental clearing. I crave change, which means things in my home and office get moved around – a lot. As…
A Leadership Practice for Managing Stress & Driving Success Control the controllable. What does that even mean? To start, it’s the remedy to feeling like a victim and being full of frustration when “stuff” happens that is outside of your control. It’s the antidote to the emotional, mental, and even physical fatigue that’s prone to…