Partnering with Leaders to Define SUCCESS and Achieve It.

Thank you for visiting my profile.  I'm Angela Crawford, a strategist and leadership consultant who empowers people and organizations to grow through authentic connection and a relentless commitment to helping others succeed.

With over 20 years of strategic leadership experience, I provide organizational consulting, along with coaching and leadership development through my customizable Leaders SUCCEED Together© system.

Let's work together to define success for yourself and your organization--and achieve it!

Who I Help:
- C-Suite Executives in privately owned companies
- Senior Leaders tackling new challenges
- HR Professionals seeking leadership development solutions
- Education and Healthcare Administrators

How I Can Help:
- Provide consulting services across organizational development, HR, sales, marketing, and operations.
- Design custom leadership programs to attract and retain top talent
- Serve as your confidential sounding board with fresh perspectives
- Enhance team dynamics and performance with tailored solutions
- Navigate the unique challenges of education and healthcare leadership

Why Choose Crawford Partners?
- Extensive cross-industry experience
- Proven, research-backed Leaders SUCCEED Together© System
- Flexible, client-focused approach
- Deep commitment to your success
- Over 13 years of delivering results

Ready to grow your organization like never before?  Let's connect.

P.S. Even if leadership development isn't your current focus, feel free to pass my information along to someone who might benefit. I'm passionate about helping leaders become the best versions of themselves.

Angela Crawford

➡️ Here's what most leaders miss about organizational culture:

They think culture change happens from the top down through mission statements and company values.

The reality?

73% of culture transformation initiatives fail because leaders diagnose the stated culture instead of the enacted culture.

After studying Cameron & Quinn's Competing Values Framework and Schein's organizational culture theory, I've adapted a 4-phase diagnostic that reveals what's actually happening:

The Framework:

✅ Phase 1: Behavioral Evidence Gathering (Weeks 1-3)
→ Track decision patterns, not policy documents
→ Observe meeting dynamics, not org charts

✅ Phase 2: Informal Culture Assessment (Weeks 4-6)
→ Map promotion patterns vs. stated values
→ Analyze crisis responses vs. company principles

✅ Phase 3: Force Field Analysis (Weeks 7-9)
→ Identify reinforcing vs. disruptive cultural forces
→ Calculate net change pressure

✅ Phase 4: Integration & Action Planning (Weeks 10-12)
→ Plot cultural reality gaps
→ Design evidence-based evolution strategy

The difference? Companies using behavioral diagnostics see 3x higher success rates in culture transformation.

You know you've succeeded when: Your promotion patterns, resource allocation, and crisis responses actually match your stated values.

Which assumption about your company culture needs challenging?

Share your biggest culture gap discovery below. ⬇️

—

👉 DM me “GROWTH” to book a free 30-minute strategy call.

And get actionable leadership tips right in your inbox every Wednesday.

(Newsletter link in my bio).

Angela Crawford, PhD

Business Owner, Consultant & Executive Coach | Guiding Senior Leaders to Overcome Challenges & Drive Growth l Author of Leaders SUCCEED Together©

👉 Strategy without a framework is just a wish.

You can't build a solid house on a shaky foundation. The same goes for your business strategy.

Too many leaders either overcomplicate their planning or "wing it" and hope for the best.

The secret to effective strategy isn't having a 100-page document. It's about having the right tools to think clearly and make decisive moves.

Here's a cheat sheet with 5 battle-tested frameworks that I use with my clients to turn ideas into action:

→ SWOT Analysis: Your 360° View
↳ To honestly assess your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Start here for a clear picture of your current reality.

→ TOWS Matrix: Your Action Blueprint
↳ To turn insight into action. This framework helps you match your internal strengths to external opportunities and create a concrete plan.

→ SOAR Framework: Your Vision Igniter
↳ To build a future-focused, positive vision. It rallies your team around Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and measurable Results.

→ PESTEL Analysis: Your Early Warning System
↳ To see the bigger picture. Analyze Political, Economic, Social, and other macro-trends to anticipate shifts before they impact you.

→ VRIO Framework: Your Competitive Edge
↳ To find your "unfair advantage." Identify resources that are Valuable, Rare, and hard to Imitate to build a moat around your business.

Stop guessing and start using a framework.

Which one will you use to plan your next quarter? 👇

—

👉 DM me “GROWTH” to book a free 30-minute strategy call.

And get actionable leadership tips right in your inbox every Wednesday.

(Newsletter link in my bio).

Last week, I facilitated sessions with a cohort of high-potential leaders. It’s always fun and energizing to watch them dive in.

In this particular session, we focused on something many leaders find challenging: giving and receiving feedback through coaching conversations. 

Among the models I share, the GROW Coaching Model (Goal | Reality | Options | Way Forward) consistently resonates most powerfully. It creates space for open dialogue without handing over ready-made answers.

I’ve found that most people don’t respond well to being told exactly what to do. We tend to commit far more deeply to solutions we help discover ourselves. 

GROW supports that beautifully by guiding the coachee to define their own goals, examine their current reality, brainstorm options, and commit to actionable next steps, all while building ownership and momentum.

With performance review season underway for many organizations, revisiting this timeless framework can be especially valuable. It helps leaders foster genuine growth conversations that keep top talent engaged and clear on what success looks like moving forward.

Attached is a helpful visual overview of the model (adapted from John Whitmore’s Coaching for Performance).  

If you want more tools for your leadership toolbox, subscribe to my weekly newsletter (link in my bio) and get them right in your inbox every Wednesday at 8 a.m. EST.

Who Do You Really Need? Probably More Support Than You Think. 

Take a look at the graphic in this post: Therapist. Coach. Consultant. Mentor. 

Most professionals think they need to pick one or maybe two people to support their growth.

But in today’s environment, I have found that you may need all four.

And here’s the truth: it’s not indulgent.  It’s strategic. 

The Reality of Today’s Workplace: 

➡️ Leaders are juggling nonstop change and complexity: financial pressures, workforce disruptions, and tech transformation, all at once. 

➡️ Over half of employees today report stress and fatigue. Nearly one in three struggles to balance work and life. We’ve never been asked to navigate more challenges than we are right now. 

Why Multiple Forms of Support Matter 
✅ A therapist helps you process the emotional side. 
✅ A coach accelerates your growth and clarity. 
✅ A consultant brings frameworks and fresh expertise. 
✅ A mentor offers real-world wisdom. 

Alone, each plays a role. 

Together, they help you build resilience, strategy, and confidence. 

That’s why hybrid coach-consultants are on the rise, helping leaders think differently and act decisively. 

Insight + Implementation = Sustainable Change. 

The ROI of Investing in Yourself:  The data speaks for itself: 
💲 Leadership development returns $7 for every $1 invested (Bridge LMS, 2025). 
💲 Coaching boosts financial performance by 14–19% (ICF, 2024). 
💲 94% of employees say they’d stay longer at a company that invests in their growth (LinkedIn Learning, 2025). 

But beyond the numbers, the right support builds confidence, energy, clarity, and capacity, which are the hallmarks of great leadership. 

When you thrive, your organization thrives. 

So here’s the question every leader should ask right now: 
👉 What kind of support are you giving yourself this year? Is it enough for the change and complexity you’re facing? 

Because investing in your own development doesn’t just lift you, it lifts everyone who depends on your leadership. 

Send me a DM if you want to chat about consulting and coaching.  Or, sign up for my weekly newsletter at the link in my bio and get resources in your inbox every Wednesday.

26 Leadership Books to Read in 2026:  What's on your list?

As I looked over my bookshelf and through my Kindle over the holidays, I thought about how many timeless books I read and which new ones have impacted my clients. 

Here are 26 for 2026 that I've curated by analyzing bestsellers from the past year and including favorites from leadership legends. Each book brings something unique to help you grow, inspire others, and create positive change.

As we enter 2026, effective leadership matters more than ever. Whether you're leading a team, developing yourself, or building organizational culture, change is everywhere. These books offer timeless wisdom and cutting-edge insights to elevate your impact.

It was hard to keep the list to only 26. What's on your 2026 reading list? 

👇 Drop your favorite leadership book in the comments. I'd love to hear what's shaping your thinking!

If you are as passionate about leadership, then subscribe to my weekly newsletter where I share free guides, tips, and links. 8 a.m. EST every Wednesday. No spam, no junk, just resources to help people and organizations grow. See the link in my bio.

What's your why?  Simon Sinek is famous for asking leaders to articulate their why. And he’s right—purpose matters. It’s how we stay grounded, fulfilled, and energized in the work we do. 

When I reflect on my why, which is my mission to help people and organizations grow, I don’t think about frameworks or programs first. 
I think about people. 

🌟 People like Courtney Jo, who sent me this video. She is a software engineer who completed my Superpower Pyramid program and is now continuing her leadership journey in one of my client organizations’ leadership programs. 

 ➡️ I think about Bob, a 63-year old maintenance supervisor who attended one of my leadership programs and told me, “This is as much leadership development as I’ve received in my entire career.  I really wish I had learned this sooner.” 
➡️ Or Bill, a CEO who shared something many leaders quietly experience: “The more I have moved up in the organization, the less honest people are with me. I need someone who understands this complexity, both as a consultant and a coach.” 
➡️ I think about Jennifer, a CMO navigating relentless change and an entirely new business reality, needing a trusted partner to help her make sense of what’s next. 
➡️ Susan, an HR leader, was told she must “be more strategic,” and she needs someone who truly understands HR and strategy to help her grow into that role. 
➡️ Cindy, a nonprofit leader balancing a complex web of stakeholders while facing the most challenging season of leadership she’s ever known. 
➡️ And John, a new college graduate, starting his career, unsure which path to take. 

No, these names (except Courtney Jo) are not their real names, but they are real people.   

Yes, I’m growing a business. But for me, this work has always been about impact. Walking alongside people I genuinely care about.  Earning their trust.  Helping them navigate their biggest challenges, hopes, and dreams. 
That is my why. 

And I am deeply grateful for the leaders, Courtney Jo Zuboski, who trust me with it and are willing to share their stories.

What’s your why?  Who do you have in your corner to walk beside you toward the growth you desire?   

Interested in growing in strategy and leadership?  Sign up for my 1 x per week newsletter (link in my bio).

Kicking off 2026 by doing something a little different…I pulled together my top 10 posts from 2025. These are the ones that sparked the most saves, shares, and “this is exactly what I’m dealing with” messages from leaders.  

Inside this curated set, you’ll find short, practical insights on:  
👉 Why a strategy without a framework is just a wish. 
👉 What most leaders miss about organizational culture and why their best talent leaves.
👉 How to give feedback that actually lands, without damaging relationships. 
👉 Why most companies only use half of SWOT and what to do instead 
👉 What 20+ years of senior leadership experience, education, and working with thousands of leaders have taught me about building thriving workplaces. 

If you’re a busy leader who wants straightforward tools to improve strategy, culture, and communication, not theory, you'll want these in your back pocket for the year ahead.  

Want all 10 posts (beautifully packaged) delivered straight to your inbox next week?  
👉 Sign up for my newsletter using the link in my bio, and you’ll get the full Top 10 from 2025 as a downloadable set, right in your inbox

Hard truth that took me too long to learn: no one will ever intentionally invest in your career growth as much as you will. 

You may have leaders, mentors, and colleagues who care deeply about you, but at the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your own career.

After reading the December 2025 Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn, I felt, honestly...sad. 

The data is a sobering reminder that progress is fragile and that waiting for organizations to take care of us is a risky strategy.

Early in my career, I believed my boss owned my aspirations. She was wonderful, supportive, smart, and a mentor. I took the classes, earned degrees, and did all the right things inside the system. Over time, I learned a tougher lesson: organizations change, internal politics are everywhere, and if you are not intentional and strategic about your career, it will not unfold the way you hoped.

The report notes that only about half of companies are still prioritizing the development of women leaders, and for the first time, there is a visible ambition gap: 80 percent of women versus 86 percent of men say they want to be promoted. 

As AI, automation, political polarization, and constant change impact everyone, women are experiencing higher burnout and, in many cases, lower support. Those who wait quietly for their organization to invest will likely be sidelined from the most strategic, future-focused work.

Here is the encouraging part: in my own work, I am starting to see a shift. Senior women, especially in the C-suite and in HR and marketing, are proactively seeking me out as a confidential sounding board to navigate complex organizational dynamics. Not just as a coach, but as a consulting partner to work through high-stakes career and organizational decisions. Some are even paying out of pocket and not telling their organizations, because they worry their desire for growth will not be understood or supported. Their courage humbles me every day.
Together we focus on:
✅ Becoming more strategic by shifting from a trusted operator to an enterprise-level thinker who shapes decisions, not just executes them.
✅ Navigating politics with integrity by mapping power, influence, and risk so you can advocate for yourself and your function without burning out.
✅ Leading AI and change by positioning yourself as a future-ready leader who understands both people and technology, rather than being pigeonholed into softer roles.

If the 2025 numbers tell us anything, it is this: no one is coming to save women’s careers from the outside.

If you are a senior woman, consider this your nudge to take back ownership of your career. Whether you work with someone like me or not is secondary. What matters most is that you find a trusted partner, a confidential and strategic secret weapon, to walk alongside you as you build the career and impact you desire. 

👏 You deserve it!

What's Your Word for the Year?

For 2025, my word was GROWTH, focusing on growing organizations and growing myself in alignment with my values and purpose as a leader. That word shaped my decisions, my calendar, and my commitments. It reminded me that my mission is to help people and organizations grow, not just in results, but in character, clarity, and capability.
 
For 2026, my word is generosity. It comes from this verse:
 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  (Based on 2 Corinthians 9:6)
 
Even if you’re not someone of faith, this principle is powerful. When we are generous with our time, treasure, and talent, we become more valuable to those around us. We don’t just do our jobs—we multiply value. We don’t just hit goals—we elevate people.
 
This year, I want to be known for generously sharing with those around me:
➡️ Generously sharing knowledge
➡️ Generously sharing time and attention
➡️ Generously sharing information, connections, and opportunities

I’ve spent time reflecting on a deeper question: “How do I want to be known when I’m gone?”
 
Being remembered as someone generous—with wisdom, encouragement, and practical support—is deeply important to me. Generosity is how I want to live, and how I hope to be remembered.
 
If you’re considering choosing a word for 2026, here are a few reflection questions to get you started:
❔ What are your values?
❔ What do you want to see more of in the world?
❔ How would you like to be remembered?
❔ Where do you believe you need to grow this year?
❔ When you look back at the end of 2026, who do you want to have become?
 
🌟 Then ask yourself: “What single word, if I truly lived it, would change the way I show up this year?”
 
Drop your word for 2026 in the comments. You never know who might need the word you choose.
 
Want a more detailed copy of our Word of the Year Guide? My newsletter subscribers already received it last week. DM me for a copy and sign up for my newsletter (link in my bio) to get actionable tips and guides in your inbox every Wednesday at 8 am EST.

Recently, a colleague asked, "Why don't more organizations have leaders ready to take on larger roles?" 

We both started our careers and quickly advanced because we experienced what many leaders today haven't: foundational leadership development within our organizations. 

So I looked into it. What I discovered reveals a troubling trend: for some organizations, we may have a lost generation of leaders.

➡️ Early 2000s: Organizations invested in leadership training: workshops, mentoring, programs, assessments. Imperfect, but present.
➡️ 2007-2010: The Great Recession devastated L&D budgets. Organizations cut leadership development by over 50%. 
➡️ March 2020: COVID-19 canceled leadership workshops overnight. The real-time mentorship and informal learning pathways that develop leaders simply vanished.
➡️ 2020s: Many organizations shifted to self-paced online modules. While inexpensive and flexible, research shows these lack the collaboration, real-time feedback, and interpersonal connection that actually develop leaders.

Although many organizations have returned to investing in leader development, others have not, and here's what we lost: 

Collaborative learning that creates shared language, common vocabulary, and frameworks that strengthen culture and accelerate decision-making. 

The bottom line? A generation of talented leaders was promoted because they deserved it, but many never received the foundational development they needed.

This isn't their failure.

We cut budgets when we should have invested. We moved to isolated online learning when they needed collaborative experiences. We canceled programs when uncertainty demanded we double down.

Now, during unprecedented change, I have to ask:  How are you developing your leaders?

Are you creating collaborative learning experiences that build shared language and strengthen culture? Or are you asking them to figure it out on their own?

If we want future leaders, we need to be the ones willing to develop them.

We are sending all ten of these detailed guides to our newsletter subscribers on this Wednesday. Sign up in my bio if you want to receive them.

Ranked #1 in Branding | AI Strategist for High-Stakes Communications | I Help You Attract Premium Clients, Stages & Global Media | 35M Views

Iza Montalvo is an award-winning journalist, founder, and speaker whose work has been recognized on the floor of the U.S. Congress.

She works at the intersection of media, reputation, and influence, shaping how leaders, companies, and experts are seen, trusted, and remembered.

Over the past 15+ years, Iza has helped craft public narratives and media strategy for U.S. elected officials, public figures, advised C-suite executives at Fortune 100 and 500 companies, and partnered with product and go-to-market teams to launch and scale complex technologies. 

Her specialty: translating high-stakes ideas, from AI platforms to enterprise systems into human stories people understand and believe.

Her own platform has reached more than 50 million people, building a 115k-strong audience in a single year. 

She has been featured in Times Square, recognized by Forbes as a LinkedIn expert, and ranked #1 globally for branding and positioning by Favikon.

Whether on stage, online, or on the page, Iza challenges one belief:
talent isn’t enough, visibility shapes opportunity.


IZA MONTALVO 🧲

This isn’t persuasion.
It’s how the brain works.

Most offers don’t fail because the product is weak.
They fail because the decision feels hard.

Carousel created by Tom Pestridge.

Every buying decision runs on a few shortcuts.
Ignore them and strong offers stall.

9 principles that shape buying decisions:

✅ Anchoring Bias
✅ The Framing Effect
✅ The Contrast Effect
✅ The Affordability Illusion
✅ The Power of Free
✅ The Rule of 3
✅ The Paradox of Choice
✅ The IKEA Effect
✅ The Endowment Effect

Good marketing isn’t deception.
It’s structure.

It aligns the offer with how decisions happen
so value doesn’t need explanation.

📌 Save this before you price or package anything.
♻️ Share it with someone who builds offers.

NEUROMARKETING CONCEPTS TO KNOW

I lost time trying to “figure things out myself.” Speed matters more than pride.

So in 2023, I made a rule:
If I want to learn something fast, I hire the best.

I treat this as a practical decision.

Jobs are contingent.
Markets are cyclical.
Titles are temporary.
Skills are portable.

I’ve seen people lose income, security, and status.
The ones who recovered weren’t unusually confident or optimistic.
They were competent.

They could do something useful in more than one setting.
They didn’t need ideal conditions to function.
They weren’t dependent on a single system continuing as planned.

One distinction:

You’re not paying for information.
Information is easy to access.

You’re paying to shorten the gap between not knowing and being able to act effectively.

There’s evidence behind this way of thinking.

The World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of workers’ skills will change by 2027, driven by technology and shifting business needs.

Skills that only work in one role or one environment don’t age well.
That’s why I don’t see learning skills as a gamble.
I see it as limiting downside.

When you invest in property, equities, or a role, you rely on external conditions holding.
When you invest in skills, you increase your ability to operate when they don’t.

The filter I use before investing in a skill:

Can I use this in more than one role or industry?
Does it improve how I think and decide, not just what I produce?
Would it still be useful if my current job disappeared?

If the answer is no, I skip it.
If things went wrong tomorrow, I wouldn’t be starting from zero.

I’d be starting with capabilities I can apply again.
That’s the difference.

PS: If you’ve built a skill that paid off later than expected, share it below, those examples are more useful than advice.

♻️ Repost to help spread this message

When I say it's never too late, I mean it because I've lived it.

At 40, I:

got married for the first time
had my second child
quit my corporate career in news
built my first serious business
traveled to my dream city in Europe 
bought my first investment property

At the same time, life didn't stop happening.

I lost a job. 
My husband got sick.
I spent years trying to find the right support for my child with additional needs.
I got scammed online.
I had to reinvent myself.
I found success again. 

If you're new here, I want you to know this:

You're not late.
You're not broken.
You didn't miss your one chance.

Some of us move slower because we're carrying more.
We are figuring out things as we get older and wiser. 

If you're in the middle of a reset, this isn't the end of your story.
It's the part where you realize what you're really made of.

PS: What's one thing you started later than you "should have" and still made happen?

Award-Winning Founder, Journalist & Speaker | Top 1% Creator | Former U.S. Congress Communications Director

Kindness matters more now than it used to. 
Or at least it feels that way. 

Sometimes it’s a smile, a helping hand, or a simple gesture that brightens someone’s day. 

Work has sped up, gone remote, stripped back to tasks and messages and calendars. 
A lot of the human stuff has thinned out.

There’s data behind that feeling. 
Studies on modern workplaces show declines in perceived empathy and connection as work becomes more digital. 

Gallup has found that only a small fraction of employees feel genuinely seen or cared about at work, even when performance stays high.

During remote learning, a professor logged into what he assumed was just another final Zoom class. 

Same faces. 
Same screens. 
Nothing to mark the end.

Then the cameras came on.
One at a time.
Every student holding a handwritten sign.

"Thank you".
"For caring".
"For showing up".
"For treating us like people".

He stopped talking.
Just looked at the screen for a second.

Then said is a whisper: “You’re gonna make me cry.”

Someone recorded it. 
The clip made its way around. 
People shared it, saved it, sent it to each other.

Psychology research explains why moments like this are so memorable. 

Under stress, the brain holds on to emotional experiences more than information. 
Facts blur. 
Feelings don’t.

That semester was full of isolation, deadlines, and glowing rectangles. 
And this is what stayed with people.

Not the material.
Not the grades.
Not the lectures they crammed for.

Being noticed.
This isn’t really about teaching.
It’s about leadership. 

Or maybe it’s about what leadership looks like when all the extras fall away.
If you manage people, build things, mentor someone, the impact you have usually shows up later.

In trust.
In who sticks around.
In moments you never planned for.

That’s the part people carry with them.

🎥 Video credit: Brain Nourishment, IG
♻️ If you believe in kindness, pass it on.

Perspective arbitrage is worth 30% more revenue.
Research on cultural adaptation found this pattern.

Companies that adjust products and messaging see higher revenue growth than those that don’t.

Most companies already have this advantage.
They just don’t see it.

What is perspective arbitrage?

The ability to profit from insights others can't access because you think in multiple cultural contexts.

Inside organizations, this ability is often treated as translation.

I’ve seen the cost of that mistake.

A company planned to enter a new market.
The discussion centered on translation and launch timing.
One person raised a different concern.

The product story didn’t match how customers in that market judged value.
That observation changed the launch plan.
Projected revenue increased threefold.

Nothing new was added.
The decision changed.

So why does this keep getting overlooked?

1/ It gets framed as language
“I can help translate.”
Instead of: “This won’t work the way we expect.”

2/ Differences get set aside
Teams aim for speed and miss context.

3/ Observations don’t carry forward
Adjustments get made in meetings,
then disappear once the decision is done.

When insight isn’t named, it doesn’t influence the next choice.
Seeing across cultures isn’t a soft skill.
It’s how blind spots get caught early.

Many bilingual professionals are hired for language.
The ones who advance earn trust for how they think.

Perspective arbitrage isn’t a personal advantage.
It’s how companies avoid making the wrong call.

Your cultural lens isn't just heritage.
It's a business advantage.

🔁 Share if you've used cultural insights to drive business results
➕ Follow me IZA MONTALVO 🧲 for more

Founder | Top 1% Creator | Journalist | Former U.S. Congress Communications Director | 50M Views

Intelligence opens doors. 
Adaptability keeps you moving.

Someone with less experience just got promoted 
over 5 people who'd been there longer.

Same role. 
Same manager.
Happened over 18 months.

The difference wasn't talent.
It was how they responded when things changed.

When feedback came, they didn't defend it. 

They listened. 
Took notes. 
Applied it without ego.

When a new system rolled out, they learned it first. 
While others complained, they were already fluent.

They copied what worked. 
Emails. 
Meetings. 
How to handle pushback. 

Same personality. 
Upgraded execution.

They admitted gaps early. 

"I haven't used this before. 
I'll learn it this week." 
Speed beats pretending.

They systemized mistakes. 

What went wrong. 
Why it happened. 
What changes next time. 

Fix once. 
Avoid forever.

Research shows 64% of senior leaders say: 
a growth mindset enhances productivity and performance. 
Source (TalentLMS)
and 94% of employees would stay at a company longer 
if it invested in their career development.  
Source (LinkedIn)

The pattern is clear: 
Internal promotions happen 20% faster than external hires 

PS: What's one habit you picked up from watching someone else work?
♻️ Share with your network of high-performers

Most leadership misses one simple truth:
Connection isn’t one-size-fits-all.

My 9-year old son’s teacher proves this every morning.
At the classroom door, she gives her students five ways to be greeted:

High-five
Hug
Fist bump
Smile and nod
“Good morning”

That’s it.

No pressure.
No forcing energy.
Just choice.

What matters isn’t the options themselves
it’s what they mean.

👉 You get to decide how you want to be seen today.

Some mornings kids want closeness.
Some mornings they want space.
Some mornings they just want acknowledgment without attention.

And every choice is respected.

That small moment does something powerful:
It gives students agency before the day even starts.

When people are acknowledged in ways that work for them, engagement follows.

They participate more.
They take risks.
They trust.

It made me think about leadership.

How often do we decide for people how connection should look?
How often do we mistake our preference for a universal rule?
The best leaders don’t demand sameness.

They design for difference.
Because confidence doesn’t grow from being managed.
It grows from being met where you are.

♻️ Worth sharing with someone who leads people.

Some fires don’t burn you all at once.
They warm you first 🔥 

You stand close.
You tell yourself it’s manageable.

You adjust instead of stepping back.

Until one day you realize...
you’re not tired.
You’re scorched.

I used to stay near things that were silently burning me.
I thought endurance was a virtue.
It isn’t.

There’s research that backs this up.

Studies on chronic stress show the body reacts before the mind does: 
elevated cortisol, muscle tension, sleep disruption, long before people consciously label a situation as “toxic” or unsustainable.

That’s why logic rarely gets you out first.
Your nervous system tries to.

What finally changed things wasn’t a conversation.
Or closure.
Or an apology.

Relief came the moment I stepped out of the burn radius.

That’s emotional intelligence.
Not reading the room
reading the heat in your own body.

Those Sunday night knots?
That’s not anxiety.
That’s information.

Psychologists call it somatic signaling, the body flagging prolonged threat when the mind is still negotiating.

Signs you’re standing in the fire:

🚩 You explain it more than you enjoy it
🚩 You’re depleted, not restored
🚩 You don’t recognize who you’re becoming
🚩 Every interaction feels like careful movement
🚩 You’re giving fuel, getting smoke back

Leaving doesn’t mean you failed to control it.
It means you stopped pretending you could.

Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do 
is walk away and chose yourself.

♻️ Repost to share this message with your network.

Ranked #1 in Branding & Positioning | AI Strategist for High-Stakes Communications | I Help You Attract Premium Clients, Stages & Global Media

Your biggest limit isn’t skill. 
It’s self-perception.

Before effort.
Before chances.
Before experience.

I didn’t apply for leadership roles
because I didn’t see myself there yet.

That took me longer to admit than I’d like.

You don’t try everything you can do.
You try what feels right for someone like you.

That starts early.

The jobs you apply for.
The roles you raise your hand for.
The rooms you expect to be in.

Over time, this view becomes familiar.

You learn what you’re known for.
You learn what people come to you for.
You learn what feels normal to reach for.

Then something bigger shows up.

A role with more responsibility.
A chance to lead instead of help.
An opportunity that could change things.

You pause.
You read it twice.
You tell yourself to wait.
You think you need more time.

So you stay where you are.
The work stays busy.
The results stay good.

But nothing really changes.

While that view stayed the same:

Skills stayed boxed
Growth slowed
Opportunities passed you by

Nothing broke.
Nothing failed.
That’s how limits work.

They don’t stop you.
They guide what you try.

People who move ahead see themselves doing more.

They apply sooner.
They speak up earlier.
They step into roles they grow into later.

That starts with how they see themselves.

Different view.
Different actions.
Different results.

Change how you see yourself,
and the line moves.

Little by little.
You reach higher.
You stay in the room.

You try things that once felt out of reach.
That’s how limits lift.

PS: What’s one limit you’re ready to question?
♻️ Share this with someone who needs it.

A bad boss makes weekdays hell. 
A great one gives you Sundays off. 

I’ve worked for managers who made me dread Mondays.
And managers who made me want to take on things I didn’t feel ready for.

The difference wasn’t title or tenure.

7 signs you’re working with a great manager:

They remember what you told them weeks ago.
They ask how it turned out without checking notes.

When you mess up, the first question is:
“What do you need to fix this?”

They back you in rooms you’re not in.
You hear about it later, casually, from someone else.

Bad news doesn’t trigger panic.
It starts with: “Walk me through what happened.”

They give you work that makes you pause before saying yes.
The kind that forces you to rise.

Their one-on-ones aren’t updates.
They’re honest conversations about what’s stuck and what’s next.

When they’re wrong, they say it.
Out loud in front of others.
Then they move on.

The best managers don’t just manage work.
They change what you think you can do.

If you've got one, appreciate them. 
If you don't, become one. 

PS: What’s one thing a great manager did that you still remember?
♻️ Share if you believe good leaders deserve recognition.

5 mindsets I see in every successful person 
(you’re not born with this)

95% of people want to be high performers.
Only 5% install the mindset required to sustain it.

The difference isn’t effort.
It’s how they interpret pressure, failure, and time.

I’ve had to consciously rewire these myself, especially after hitting plateaus where “working harder” stopped working.

Here are 5 mindset reframes that separate winners from everyone else:

Reframe #1: Failure
Every setback is data.
Every obstacle reveals something.

❌ "I'm afraid of making mistakes."
✅ "Mistakes show me what to fix."

Reframe #2: Discipline
Pressure isn't the enemy.
Avoidance is.

❌ "I don't feel like doing it."
✅ "I do what needs to be done."


Reframe #3: Time
You don't find time.
You protect it.

❌ "I don't have time."
✅ "I protect what matters most."


Reframe #4: Success
Success isn't motivation.
It's repetition.

❌ "I hope this works."
✅ "I make it work through action."


Reframe #5: Opportunity
Momentum beats timing.
Action beats waiting.

❌ "I'll start when it's right."
✅ "I start now."

Your mindset determines your ceiling.
Reframe how you think.
Change what you achieve.

♻️ Repost this if it helped.

>>5 MINDSET REFRAMES OF HIGH-PERFORMERS<<

The best KPI no one talks about 👇🏽
because you can’t measure it

It’s how your team feels on Monday morning.
You won’t find it in a dashboard.
It won’t show up in a report.

But you notice it straight away.
It’s there when people walk in.
In the energy they bring.

In whether ideas get shared or kept to themselves.
In how people treat each other before the meeting even starts.
That tells you more than most metrics ever will.

What tends to move that needle:

1/ Keeping people interested
Not just busy.
Not just ticking tasks.
Engaged in what they’re building.

2/ Keeping people informed
Sharing the why, not just the plan.
Letting people see the bigger picture, not just their lane.

3/ Keeping people involved
In decisions that affect their work.
In changes they’ll have to live with.
In wins they helped create.

4/ Keeping people inspired
Through trust.
Through space.
Through leadership that doesn’t rely on pressure.

You can track every number in the business
and still miss the important one.

How many people want to be here.
Look at how your team show up in the morning.
That’s the real dashboard.

Old thinking built control.
New thinking builds outcomes.

Good people don’t leave bad companies.
They leave bad leaders.

Treat people like a risk and you’ll churn talent.
Treat them like an asset and they’ll grow the business.

This isn’t a culture debate.
It shows up in revenue. 

Here's what works:

→ Hire for behavior, train for skill
→ Give people freedom to get results
→ Apply the same rules to everyone

The business owners I work with get this.
They don't build places where people count down to Friday.
They build places where people want to show up.

This change is happening now.

The best leaders aren't building better companies.
They're building places where people grow.

PS: Which shift has made the biggest difference where you work?
♻️ Share this if you agree

"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."
William H. McRaven

If you can’t do the small things right
You’ll never do the big things right 

That’s a Navy SEAL lesson to remember. 

Admiral William McRaven said it best in a commencement speech that has been watched over 100 million times.

It comes down to one simple idea:

Make your bed.

It sounds silly.
It isn’t.

True leadership isn’t built in big moments.
It’s built in what you do every day.

When small things slip, bigger things follow.
1/ Start with one finished task
Before email.
Before meetings.
Before anyone needs you.
Do one small thing you can complete.
You start the day with a win.

2/ Use hard moments to pull people together
In SEAL training, the toughest tasks can’t be done alone.

When something breaks:
→ Don’t avoid it
→ Don’t carry it solo
→ Bring someone in and work through it

Teams don’t bond when things are easy.
They bond when things feel challenging.

3/ Notice what others skip
Details tell the truth.
What you check shows what you care about.
People trust leaders who pay attention.

4/ Say what didn’t work
In training, failure was normal.
What mattered was owning it and learning fast.
When leaders talk about mistakes, people stop hiding.
Trust goes up.

5/ Make one person feel seen
In the hardest moments, one comment kept people from quitting.
Leadership lives here.
In checking in.
In noticing effort.
In showing up when it’s uncomfortable.

The gap between good and great isn’t talent.
It’s doing the small things.
Every day.

video credit: IG

♻️ Share this with your network of high-performers

Built your credibility face-to-face.
Keeping it offline is the bottleneck.

I analyzed 50+ leaders’ online presence last year.

Not to study content.
To see where opportunity breaks.

The pattern showed up across the same roles:

📣 Investors.
📣 Executives.
📣 Founders.

People with track records.
Very little to verify in public.

That gap creates credibility leaks.
If you’re missing deals, it’s usually coming from 1 of these 4 places:

1/ Your wins are hard to find
Media features buried
Exits never named
Board seats invisible
If someone has to work to understand your background, they won’t.

2/ Your language sounds like everyone else’s
Careful phrasing
Safe opinions
Nothing that shows judgment
You don’t look wrong.
You look replaceable.

3/ Your presence doesn’t match your level
Generic posts
Helpful tips
No authority markers
You wouldn’t hire this version of yourself.

4/ Your footprint is too light to confirm influence
Search doesn’t validate you
So decisions move on without you

Here’s what that costs in practice:

❌ Investor intros that don’t progress
❌ Board seats that go to visible peers
❌ Speaking invites that never land
 
When leaders fix this, the shift is predictable.

✅ Inbound increases.
✅ Demand rises.
✅ Opportunities start finding them.

Same experience.
Clear positioning.

If you want to close the leaks:

1 / Look yourself up like capital would
First three results only
Do they show relevance?

2 / Put proof where attention goes
Headline: the win that opens doors
About section: the track record you already have
Once a month: explain one real outcome

3 / Remove corporate or technical language
Write how you speak in closed rooms
State what you believe
Let judgment show

4 / Leave authority trails
Share how you decide
Break down calls you’ve made
Show the method behind results

Staying quiet doesn’t protect your name.
It makes it easier to pass over.

PS: Where is your credibility leaking?
♻️ Share with your network of high-achievers

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