The room was never the real problem. Trust was. I was in a room with senior leaders. People I respected. People I'd worked alongside for years trying to make something real happen. And it stopped. Not loudly. Not with conflict or confrontation. It just stopped. The kind of stop that doesn't announce itself until you're lying awake at 2am trying to figure out where things went sideways. It set us back. More than I want to admit. And for a long time I thought I knew why. Wr

There was an elephant in the room. I saw it. I said nothing. Three of us are building a collaboration I'm genuinely excited about. Early on, we talked about weaving in our signature content, the thing that would differentiate us from everyone else in the space. Then, in a separate conversation, one partner suggested we launch without it. The client wasn't offering fair value pricing. Why give them our best work if they weren't willing to pay for it? It made sense in the momen

This week marks an intentional shift. After 160+ episodes of the podcast, we are evolving into The Trusted Guide—focusing on how to build real credibility and drive change when you don't have formal authority. From Delighted Customers to Trusted Guide If you've been with me for a while, you may have noticed something is different. The name has changed. The look has changed. And I want to be honest with you about why, because honesty, it turns out, is exactly what this new c

Karen Read and her legal counsel during the first trial Like many, I missed the first Karen Read trial-but I’ve found myself drawn into the second. If you’re not familiar, Karen Read stands accused of second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. As of this writing, the prosecution is still presenting its case, and I’m not here to argue guilt or innocence. Instead, I want to share an important reminder about the role trust plays in ho

You hear about it after the fact: an important meeting with key executives to discuss strategic priorities. Everyone who matters was...

We’re taught early on to be the first person to raise our hand in response to the teacher’s question. We’re rewarded throughout our...

I’m sorry if you are traveling this week. Apparently, the latest Microsoft update was a “downdate”(my word). Company A updated software...

Late, late Saturday night, I had a unique opportunity to join a group of Michigan State University professors who collaborated with The...

What was the number #1 challenge of CX leaders according to a poll I conducted just prior to speaking at the CXPA Leaders Advance...

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Chipley, Florida. It’s one of only five preserves that provide...