Principle #20 – Coauthor. More minds, more better. We love the romantic image of the lone genius: one brilliant person, one whiteboard, one lightning-bolt idea. But let’s be honest—most “solo brilliance” dies on the whiteboard. Breakthrough solutions don’t come from one perspective; they come from multiple minds colliding and refining ideas together. It’s messier, sure,
Principle #18 – Communication is more than saying words. Ever leave a meeting thinking, “I heard every word, but I have no idea what they just said”? That’s because communication isn’t just words—it’s connection. We’ve all seen it: the sales rep powering through their pitch, oblivious to confused faces. Or the manager who sends a
Principle #15 – Work hard to make hard things (more) simple. Ever seen a process map that looks like a plate of spaghetti? Or listened to an explanation so complex you left with more questions than answers? Complexity might make us feel smart, but it slows decisions, burns people out, and kills momentum. Leaders who
Principle #14: Apply the Trust Algorithm. Accountability = Authority = Capability Ever notice how trust tanks when someone is “responsible” but has no power to decide… or someone has authority but no clue what they’re doing? Cue the eye rolls and Slack rants. Trust isn’t built on good vibes. It’s built on alignment: Accountability =
Principle #10 – Be curious. Share the growth mindset. Somewhere along the line, someone decided curiosity killed the cat.Bad PR for curiosity—because curiosity is how we learn, innovate, and stop making the same mistakes on repeat. Why Curiosity Wins When leaders stay curious, they stop pretending they already have all the answers (spoiler: they don’t).
People Energy Principle #8 – Each human is uniquely wired for something. Notice this. Every person on your team comes wired with a unique mix of talents, quirks, and passions. Some have laser focus; others are idea factories. Some thrive in chaos; others need structure like oxygen. Yet too many leaders treat people like one-size-fits-all
People Energy Principle #7 – Change Change People by Assuming They Can’t Change You’ve probably heard it before: “People can change if they really want to!” Cute. Inspiring. Totally unreliable as a leadership strategy. The Hard Truth Most people don’t dramatically change who they are just because you gave them a pep talk or a
People Energy Principle #6 – Notice what people say and believe what people do. People say a lot of things: And yet… deadlines slip, priorities shift, and actions don’t match the script. Is their motivation misaligned? Are they unaware of their true motives? Yes. Why the Disconnect Happens Humans are wired to present themselves well.
A while back, a highly strategic business owner was trying to get his store managers to collaborate and share operational and team performance insights. But, instead, they’d claim that their store is somehow uniquely unique in ways that the other managers couldn’t possibly understand. Which is, of course, nonsense. The President just knew that if
I coach a lot of leaders. Over time, I noticed a pattern. As we worked together, they started thinking and talking differently—about their people, their decisions, and their business as a whole. They saw problems more clearly. They found traction where they’d been spinning. I got curious.What exactly was I doing that made that shift
