Stagnation: The Silent Killer That You May Be Facing
Most people, teams, and organizations are operating in some form of stagnation. On the surface, it looks like stability or comfort. But beneath the surface, it’s the silent killer of growth. The primary feeling that comes with stagnation? Frustration. You feel like you’re working hard, but not moving forward. You feel like things aren’t clicking […]
Leaders, What If ADHD Is the Invisible Barrier You’ve Been Battling?
You’re sharp. Capable. Driven. People rely on you. And yet… You constantly feel behind. You miss appointments, forget names, lose track of tasks you swore you’d remember. You rewrite the same to-do list every morning because yesterday’s priorities evaporated the moment you opened your inbox. You bounce between hyper-focus and brain fog. Some days, you’re […]
The Leadership Ceiling: Why 85% of Leaders Plateau at Level 4
In leadership development, there’s an invisible but stubborn ceiling — one that stops the majority of leaders from ever reaching their full potential. In my work with executives, I find that fewer than 10 percent ever make it to the highest rung of leadership maturity (i.e., Level 5). The rest? They plateau at Level 4. […]
Inflection Points: The First Step Toward True Leadership Transformation
Most people aren’t intentionally resisting growth. But they’re not actively pursuing it either. They’re simply moving with “the flow”—navigating the rhythms of life and leadership without ever questioning where that current is taking them. And here’s the hard truth: “the flow” rarely leads us to the best version of ourselves. If anything, it often steers […]
Does Your Trauma Show Up at Work: How Our Past Shapes Performance, Leadership, and Growth
In a recent article titled “When the Past Walks Into the Office”, Susan Schmitt Winchester and Dave Ulrich explores a topic that many leaders and professionals overlook but almost all experience: the invisible ways childhood trauma manifests in the workplace. He outlines nine symptoms that stem from dysfunctional early-life experiences—symptoms that, at first glance, may […]
Self-Awakening: Are You Someone Who Has “Awakened?”
Last week I wrapped up the latest cohort of “The Climb,” a 10-person vertical-development intensive that culminates in summiting a 14,000-foot peak. Actually—make that two peaks: Mount Belford and Mount Oxford, connected by a saddle of loose rock that feels designed to test both quads and character. Three days in the Rockies gave us more […]
What it is Like to Transformationally Become Better
Readers of my new book, Becoming Better, keep telling me about how powerful and impactful a specific example is in this book. The example I am referring to is of my wife. She is someone who hasn’t just become incrementally better, she has become transformationally better. Here is a quote from the book that conveys […]
Why Traditional Leadership No Longer Works—And What Needs to Replace It
We’re living in a time of compounding complexity. As leaders, we’re being asked to navigate environments that are more volatile, uncertain, and fast-moving than ever before. And yet, many organizations are still operating with a traditional model of leadership—one that was built for predictability, not complexity. I was recently at ATD25, where I had the […]
What Emotional Maturity Really Looks Like (And How to Build It)
Vertical development is about elevating our cognitive and emotional sophistication. It’s the internal transformation that allows us to see ourselves, others, and the world in more complex, integrated, and empowering ways. While we often focus on cognitive development—how we think and make sense of the world—emotional development is just as crucial. In this article, I […]
Why We Sometimes Fail Even When We have the Abilities to Win
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you had everything you needed to succeed—knowledge, skills, experience—but things still didn’t work out? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, more than once. And each time, it left me frustrated, confused, and questioning whether all my effort was ever going to be […]
