As we head into this season of gratitude, I’ve been reflecting on the leaders who shaped my life and my career. Some taught me through their example — steady, clear, compassionate, and courageous when it mattered most. Others taught me through challenge — showing me who I didn’t want to become, and inspiring me to lead differently. Both kinds left a mark. I’m deeply thankful for the leaders who believed in me before I believed in myself. For the mentors who invested their time. I am thankful for the colleagues who reminded me that leadership isn’t about position — it’s about presence, it's about dignity, it's about competence ,and it's about humanity. Leadership is learned. Trust is earned. And it’s strengthened through the people who show up with clarity, steadiness, and courage when things get messy, uncertain, or hard. So today, I’m grateful for every leader who: • Created safety when emotions were high • Communicated clearly when expectations shifted • Led with empathy without losing accountability • Wasn’t afraid to have hard conversations kindly and directly • Quietly made work environments better for the people around them If you’ve had a leader who changed your life — even in small ways — tag them below or share what they taught you. Your gratitude might encourage them more than you know. And for all of the emerging leaders stepping into new roles this coming year: Your steadiness matters more than you realize. Your presence can change someone’s entire day. You’re capable of more than you know. Here’s to the leaders who shaped us — and the leaders we’re still becoming.

New leaders face one of the most misunderstood challenges in the workplace: They’re expected to lead people without ever being taught how. Most promotions reward performance, not people-leadership capability. So leaders enter the role excited—and then quickly feel the weight of: • Interpersonal conflict • Shifting expectations • Emotional pressure • Team misunderstandings • Difficult conversations • Protecting morale • Balancing compassion with accountability The gap between “I’m good at my job” and “I know how to lead humans” catches almost everyone off guard. When that gap isn’t acknowledged, new leaders often misinterpret the struggle as incompetence, when it’s actually a predictable stage of learning. Here’s what I tell every new leader: There is nothing wrong with you. You are simply learning a new discipline—one that’s rarely taught but desperately needed. People-leadership is a skillset. A teachable one. And when leaders are given the right tools, languages, and frameworks, they grow quickly—and so do their teams. If you’re navigating this transition, you don’t need perfection. You need support, structure, and skills that make you feel secure and your leadership feel steady. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

I met with a new leader today. As we discussed how she was feeling about her leadership role, she said she was afraid to admit that she was uncomfortable having difficult conversations about performance gaps with those she supervises. I don't know many people who love having difficult conversations. They are generally unpleasant for most of us. I was very proud of this young manager for her willingness to come forward with her insecurities. We were able to identify where in the conversations she was feeling most insecure and make a plan for how to handle it next time it happens. I am confident that this leader will master the art of having difficult performance conversations. She was brave enough to take the first step into more confident and calm leadership. She has a bright future ahead.

Forms of "not so obvious" workplace bullying are some of the most challenging things for new leaders to manage. Truthfully, this type of bullying is one of the hardest things for a leader to manage at any stage of their career. Check out the attached pdf Not so Obvious Work Place Bullying to see examples of overt and covert bullying. I would love to know if you have experienced any of this or have had to deal with any of it. Thanks for taking the time to consider this topic. The challenge is real!

My guess is that you know well the stomach churning anxiety as you anticipate the start of the work week. I do. Most of the time that panic comes not from fear of work to be done. It comes from the dysfunctional interpersonal challenges you must mitigate as a leader. One of the hardest situations I have encountered is when I work with people leaders who are unaware that their leadership habits are causing the majority of the problems they struggle with. It is worse when they not only lack awareness but also believe they are good people leaders. Objective self-awareness is possible to teach, but it is only possible if people are willing to learn. I would love to know if any of you have experienced this. If so, what you did about it?