“Fear is the most expensive leadership strategy we never budget for.” While not captured on a P&L, the loss is real. More than $1 billion dollars is lost each year to fear-based leadership—through disengagement, burnout, turnover, and rumination. One of the biggest culprits? Unconscious cognitive load. There’s a scientific term for this: Perseverative Cognition—the repetitive mental replaying of worries, assumptions, stories, and imagined futures.Not the event itself, but the thinking about...
8 days ago • 1 min read
I recently learned a term that stopped me in my tracks: “Bliss Station.” Coined by Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth, it refers to a sacred place—or time—where you intentionally disconnect from the noise of the world and reconnect with your deeper self. Campbell spoke about carving out this space unapologetically, slowing down enough to listen, reflect, and create. I want to put a small spin on this idea. My first job in a hospital placed me in a sterile room—four blank walls, little...
16 days ago • 1 min read
The Power of Strategic Restraint Years ago, I made a very smart move — I declined a promotion. Yes, the salary would have been higher.The title was impressive.The leaders I’d work with? Exceptional. And yet… I knew I’d be bored. That role would have pulled me away from my inherent strengths. I would’ve been busy — productive even — but disconnected from the work that excites me. Busy and bored is a dangerous combination. One of the most important elements of great leadership is knowing your...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Intentional Leadership, not Performative Gratitude As we wind down the year, I invite you to be brave.Humble.Vulnerable. Begin your next meeting with a pause.A deep breath.Silence. Let the moment land. Then say, “Thank you.” Don’t rush past it.Stay. Thank them for their time.Their wisdom.Their choice to dedicate their moments—and energy—to your team. This will feel powerful.It may feel uncomfortable.That’s the point. It’s easy to untether the tension—to speed up your speech, pivot to...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Beyond Survival, Into Leadership Ten years ago, my life took an unexpected turn: I was diagnosed with cancer. Those moments cracked something open in me. Conversations with strangers cut straight through the small talk and into the heart of things—fear, hope, grit, love. And in that rawness, I noticed something: people relate to their diagnosis in dramatically different ways. Some see it as a chapter—painful, intense, but ultimately finite.Others weave it into their identity so thoroughly...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Are You Admired or Just Tolerated? For years, my husband has been the willing (and occasionally unwilling) test subject for my coaching. Recently, I asked him what changes he’s noticed since he began implementing new strategies and becoming more intentional with his relationships. Here’s what he said: “My workday has become more satisfying, fun, and enjoyable. Patient workflow is more efficient, timely, and accurate. The team shows more compassion toward each other and our patients.” One...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Are You Admired or Just Tolerated? For years, my husband has been the willing (and occasionally unwilling) test subject for my coaching. Recently, I asked him what changes he’s noticed since he began implementing new strategies and becoming more intentional with his relationships. Here’s what he said: “My workday has become more satisfying, fun, and enjoyable. Patient workflow is more efficient, timely, and accurate. The team shows more compassion toward each other and our patients.” One...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Your Sunday Anxiety Is a Message How you feel on Sunday evening is incredibly telling. Are you excited about tomorrow, fueled by the idea of getting back to meaningful work? Or is your stomach doing flips—anxiety and dread growing with each passing hour? If you’re feeling the latter, pause and ask yourself: What’s the culprit? An overloaded week ahead? Look at your calendar on Friday, not Sunday. Adjust early. Reorganize, communicate, and prepare so you don’t start Monday feeling ten steps...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Reclaim Meetings: Less Updating, More Innovating Last week's Weekly Wisdom was a high-level challenge to critically assess your calendar and reimagine how your time is spent. The goal: cut 5-7 hours off your calendar. We waste an extraordinary amount of time with ineffectual meetings. In essence, using these precious hours to simply “update” the team rather than capitalize on the participants to catapult the work forward. Deeper Dive - A New Approach to Meetings You’ve chosen the right...
2 months ago • 1 min read