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 #17 – Decisions go where they belong. Ever sat in a meeting thinking, “Why am I even deciding this?” If you’re honest, you probably have. Leaders often hoard decisions like Halloween candy, believing it’s “safer” if they approve everything. Spoiler: it’s not. It slows things down, burns you out, and disempowers the very people
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 #13 – Personality Conflicts Aren’t About Personality. The Provocation You know the scene: two talented people avoiding eye contact in meetings, Slack messages that feel like subtweets, and a tension you could cut with a butter knife. You’ve tried pep talks, mediation, maybe even a team lunch. Nothing sticks. Here’s the plot twist: it’s
Principle #12 – Real skin-in-the-game creates true accountability. Ever notice how people take way better care of rental cars when the deposit is $500? That’s skin in the game—when the outcomes of a decision hit you directly. Why It Works Accountability isn’t about job titles or performance reviews. It’s about feeling the impact of your
Principle #11 – Every solution is first a hypothesis. Reality test. Here’s a secret scientists know that many leaders forget: the first solution is almost always wrong. Or at least, incomplete. We fall in love with our ideas because they feel elegant and clever—“This will fix everything!” But in reality? Every solution is just a
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 #9 – People do things for reasons, not always the reasons they give you. You’ve been there:A key project is running late. You finally corner the responsible person and ask why. They look you in the eye and give you a perfectly reasonable explanation—unexpected delays, busy schedule, competing priorities. Sounds legit. You
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.
