CEO-CODE®

Motivational Intelligence Advocate

Business Agility Institute

Discover the future of business. Learn the journey ahead of you. Attend global events to connect with others on the journey.

Product Owner Research

Mentoring Club

• Provided personalized mentoring to individuals seeking growth and development in a remote setting.
• Offered honest feedback and advice based on extensive industry experience.
• Ensured complete discretion and confidentiality in all mentorship sessions.

Business Mentor

MentorMe Germany

Mentor by MentorMe Germany

The LPI (Learning and Performance Institute)

Associate

bluquist

Helping individuals, teams and organizations to unleash their full potential.
bluquist: Measure. Match. Grow.

Chief Learning Officer (CLO) | People Analytics | Partner

GemeinsamEinzigartig

Jeder Mensch ist einzigartig. Vielfalt zu erlernen und zu entwickeln ist eine wichtige Kompetenz für die Zukunft.

Mentor

WAU.TALENTIAMO

Vogliamo essere un ponte tra scuola, università e mondo del lavoro!

RMP italy

Founder & Managing Partner

reiss motivation profile nordic Oy

About RMP Nordic

Reiss Motivation Profile Nordic Ltd represents Reiss Motivation Profile in the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland since 2012. We work as a direct licensee in close collaboration with Steven Reiss and IDS Publishing, as well as our closest partner companies RMP Switzerland and RMP Portugal. 

We believe it should be the right of every individual to discover their individual motives and values. We are committed to enhance the high quality use of Reiss Motivation Profile for this purpose in our region.

THE REISS MOTIVATION PROFILE (RMP)

Like a fingerprint, each human being has his individual motivation profile that shows information on the expression of the 16 basic desires. The Reiss Motivation Profile (RMP) is a concrete, detailed image of a person's individual basic desires, motives and values. When you know your own basic desires, it is possible to develop true value-based happiness and improve your performance in many areas of life.

Reiss Motivation Profile Nordic Ltd
Pyhäjärvenkatu 5 A, 4. kerros
33200 Tampere
Finland

info@rmp-nordic.com
www.rmp-nordic.com

Founder & Partner

Intrinsic Motivation Expert | Personality creates the difference

🔥 I ignite intrinsic motivation in a world addicted to external validation.

Speaker | Author | Expert on Motivational Intelligence | Advocate of Steven Reiss’s Life Work

I challenge the status quo of leadership, personal development, and workplace psychology. 

While others chase trends, I decode the timeless logic of human motivation — using the science of the Reiss Motivation Profile® to reveal what truly drives people from the inside out.

🎯 My work is a rebellion against one-size-fits-all motivation hacks.

I help leaders, coaches, and organizations move beyond guesswork by aligning their actions with deeply rooted inner motivations.

💥 Author of “Wenn Turnschuhe nichts bringen” — a manifesto for anyone tired of surface-level productivity and hungry for purpose-driven performance.

💡 I believe:

People don't burn out because they do too much. They burn out because they live against their motives.

I write daily about:

🧠 Intrinsic Motivation

🎭 Personality & Individuality

🎯 Motivational Intelligence

🤝 Emotional Awareness & Leadership

🔍 Tacit Knowledge & Human Potential

Ready to evolve the way you lead, coach, or work?

Let’s talk. Or better yet — let’s disrupt together.

https://calendly.com/ceo-code/virtual-coffee-with-brunello-im

BRUNELLO GIANELLA

NeuroChangeSolutions (NCS)

As a certified NeuroChangeSolutions consultant, Maria Luisa educates businesses on Dr. Joe Dispenza's method of changing organizations 'from the inside out'.

For a change program that teaches how to create sustainable results, contact me and I will be happy to discuss your specific company needs.

Certified NCS Consultant

VisualSparks

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
Whether you're a coach, consultant, manager, or marketer, Sketchnotes streamline communication, boost client engagement, and enhance retention of information.

By incorporating Sketchnotes into your presentations, social media, and training sessions, you not only make your content more memorable but also position yourself as an expert in your field.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬:

🎓 We educate professionals to create their own sketchnotes and visuals, even if they have no experience, with our online courses.

🏢 We provide corporate trainings on-site or online for internal facilitators and managers to give them visualization tools.

🖌️ We customize sketchnotes and visuals for your business, book projects, newsletters, homepage, or presentations.

Company Owner

HeartMath LLC

I train individuals and organisations a science-based tools to build resilience capacity, improve decision making, communication  and intuition. 

The programs/Modules includes practical tools and helps to build heart coherence to your day-to-day lives.

Certified HeartMath Resilience Trainer and Coach

Maria Luisa Engels Training & Consulting

I offer neuroscience based programs, coaching and consultancy services for organisations, and teams in 3 main areas: 
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞
𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
www.marialuisaengels.com

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬/𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Neuroleadership modules: to understand the body and brain mechanisms and to apply practical strategies 
Topics:
➡️Goal setting, goal pursuing, individual and team goals
➡️Influence and persuasion, 
➡️Leading teams, 
➡️Bias mitigation for diversity, inclusion or decision making, 
➡️Focus, attention and performance, 
➡️Communication, influence and feedback
➡️Change and habit formation, and 
➡️Emotion regulation for leaders and teams under stress.
➡️Teambuilding workshops based on sketchning, drawing or painting(remote or onsite)

In change management I help to reduce the resistance to change through trustful environments and effective visioning. In innovation and creative departments I use creativity to generate more and better ideas for products/services, and to implement innovation in cross functional teams. 

To my clients count global customers and Fortune500 Companies. Contact me for customer references.

I have also supported customers more globally to enhance brand awareness and corporate culture.

Head of Training and Coaching

PowerMinutes

Discover the science-backed secrets and brand-new tools to turn your passion into a successful income stream. 🌟 Master the Art of Turning Your Dreams into Reality! The Power of Neuroscience + Proven Techniques

Hi, we're Maria Luisa Engels and Dr. Alex Steinberg, two corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who turned our dreams into reality using neuroscience-backed techniques and powerful tools. 🚀 Now, we want to share this proven recipe for success with you.

Co-Founder

Opel

Transfer price documentation for Adam Opel /Opel Automobile
Responsible for the building, coordination, consolidation and reporting of the transfer price documentation for Adam Opel with the General Motors allied companies worldwide. Reporting directly to the Head of Tax at Opel and to the german Legal Tax authorities (Finanzamt).
•	European responsible to consolidate the finance results of all european GM units (UK, Spain, Portugal France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark) in compliance with SOX rule. 
•	Support and advice other european companies (Denmark, Sweden, Spain) in tax relevant issues related to compliance with transfer price documentation.
•	Training of other european units (Spain, Portugal, Hungary) to build up a Transfer Price documentation in compliance with the local tax authorities.
•	Coordination with PSA (Paris) transfer price unit to build and align  the german transfer price documentation to the corporate structure of PSA after the merger in 2018 in compliance with the requirements of the french tax authorities.

Senior Finance Specialist-Pricing and Tax

I was in charge of developing the finance reporting (Profit and Loss) for Opel PWT GmbH as a result of the Joint Venture between FIAT and GM in year 2000. Direct reporting to the CEO.
Responsible of regular and prototype pricing of the FIAT&GM Joint products.
I also developed the complete transfer price documentation for Opel PWT Germany, directly reporting to the Head of Tax and Tax authorities.

Senior Financial Specialist

1998-2000  I worked for the project implementation of the GM world wide pricing system in Saragossa (Spain), being responsible for the german plants.
I also was in charge of the monthly finance reporting and budgeting of the material cost of the individual Opel carlines produced in Germany.

Junior Financial Specialist- Project management

Visual thinker I I help you convert your expertise into engaging visuals I Follow for content on business and personal growth I Training & Coaching I Neuroleadership I Psychological Safety I Resilience

Hi! I'm Maria Luisa,
I help leaders, teams, and creators communicate complex ideas with clarity so they can inspire action, build trust, and lead change that lasts.
My work combines visual thinking and neuroscience to turn information overload into understanding and engagement.

Most teams and leaders struggle to communicate clearly, not because they lack ideas, but because they lack the tools to show them. In a world of information overload, clarity is a competitive advantage.

Over the past nine years, I've partnered with organisations including OLX (Prosus), Deutsche Bank, Merck, Oracle, Fresenius Medical Care, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and BioNTech, supporting their teams with programs on visual communication, psychological safety, resilience, and change leadership.

Before teaching, I spent two decades in senior management and finance, experience that showed me how communication can make or break collaboration. Later, I studied Neuroleadership and began designing science-based programs that help leaders and teams turn knowledge into action.

What I've learned is simple:
➡️ Visuals help the brain process ideas faster and remember them longer.
➡️ They connect emotion and logic, helping messages stick and change take root.

As a Neuroleadership Expert and Visual Thinker, I design programs that help teams and leaders:
➡️ Build psychological safety and open communication
➡️ Strengthen resilience in high-change environments
➡️ Lead transformation that lasts, from the inside out

Alongside my corporate work, I draw and teach through a visual-learning community of 48,000+.
My approach combines art, science, and business, always with one goal: to make ideas clear and change possible.

Since 2023, more than 2,900 professionals have joined my visual-thinking programs to make their communication more transparent and engaging.

Want to communicate with more clarity, trust, and impact as a leader or a team?
Let's talk.
👉 calendly.com/marialuisaengels/discovery-call
📩 info@marialuisaengels.de

➤ WHAT CLIENTS SAY:

“In the course with Maria I learnt how to draw from zero! I was able to create my own visuals in just 5 weeks. Today I share my sketchnotes on linkedin and use them in my presentations. Now that I've started, I don't want to stop!" - Erica Omenetto -

"I joined a corporate training with Maria during a major restructuring at our company. The course fundamentally changed how I lead, especially in how I communicate and decide under pressure. It made a lasting difference in how I show up during times of change." - Alessia Orlandi, Fresenius Medical Care -

Maria Luisa Engels

"I wish I hadn't worked so hard."

It's one of the top 5 regrets of the dying.

A palliative care nurse named Bronnie Ware spent years with people in their final weeks of life. She documented what they wished they'd done differently.

The patterns were undeniable. These are the other 4:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not what others expected
2. I wish I'd spent more time with the people I love
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

The common thread?

Spending time on what looked important instead of what actually mattered.

→ Saying "yes" to everything.
→ Working late on things no one remembered.
→ Chasing titles that came at the cost of being present.

So here are 4 questions worth asking:

➡️ Am I present for the people I love, or just physically there?
➡️ Am I building my career on my terms, or living someone else's definition of success?
➡️ Will the people I'm developing remember me, or just my title?
➡️ Am I sacrificing relationships that matter for achievements that don't?

The busy work will always be there.
The meaningful moments require intention.

 ❌ Your life's highlight reel won't include the late nights fixing other people's problems.

✅ It will include the people you love when you were fully present.
✅ The friend who knew you'd show up.
✅ The career move that scared you but felt right.

The question isn't whether you're busy.
The question is whether you make space for what matters.

What moment from this week would you want in your highlight reel?

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Top 4 Leadership Voice (Germany) | Helping leaders & teams create change with clarity, energy & purpose | Trainer & Coach | Psychological Safety | Visual Thinking & Neuroscience

Micromanagement isn't leadership.
It's fear wearing a productivity mask.

Control creates compliance.
Trust creates growth.

Most leaders with good intentions end up chasing perfection over progress.

And here's what happens:

Micromanagers don't create excellence. They create actors;
people who perform competence instead of building it.
Not because they lack talent, but because fear of failure makes them play it safe.

The best leader I ever had asked three things:
"What do you need to succeed?
How can I support you?
Can you deliver?"
Then he stepped back.

The worst asked for approval on everything.
Same me, completely different results.

Here's what most leaders miss:

❌ Micromanagers Shrink People

→ "Let me review before you send that"
→ "Why didn't you follow the exact process?"
→ Result: Teams that wait for permission to think

✅ Trust-Based Leaders Expand People

→ "What's your recommendation and why?"
→ "What support do you need to succeed?"
→ Result: Teams that take ownership and innovate

Here's what shifts everything:

When you trust people, you don't just delegate tasks - you transfer belief.

And belief is the raw material of capability.

Your role as a leader isn't to be the ceiling.
It's to remove it.

People don't grow under constant supervision.
They grow under consistent support.

Your legacy isn't how much you controlled. It's how much you enabled.

What's one area where you could replace supervision with support?

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Two days before my successor was supposed to take over my role, she started crying.

I took her to the bathroom and told her how things worked here:

"Never ever show people here your tears. It's a sign of being weak."

She couldn't handle the pressure. She resigned a few months later.

This was normal at a company with a "great workplace" reputation.

Feedback happened only at performance reviews. Most things weren't discussed openly. The unspoken rules were clear: hit deadlines, deliver results, avoid failure at all costs. Hide it when you couldn't. People burned out regularly. Gossiped behind closed doors. Counted the years until retirement.

When someone struggled? "Figure it out alone."

I thought this was leadership. I thought this was how successful companies operated.

Until I watched too many talented people burn out and leave. People like her. The pattern finally broke through: this wasn't strength. This was waste.

So I started doing things differently.

→ When someone struggled, I asked what they needed instead of telling them to figure it out.
→ When I messed up, I said so.
→ When my leaders weren't clear, I pushed them to be.

It felt awkward at first. But people started speaking up instead of quietly burning out.

The transformation isn't complicated. 
But it requires intentional change.

➡️ When someone is drowning in tasks
→ Don't: "You need to manage your time better."
→ Do: "How can I support you?"

➡️ When someone makes a mistake
→ Don't: "How could this happen."
→ Do: "What do we fix first."

➡️ When someone is carrying too much stress
→ Don't: "You need to be more resilient."
→ Do: "Where can we reduce pressure."

The woman who cried in my office deserved a culture where vulnerability was strength, not weakness.
Every person silently struggling at work deserves that same environment.

What sentence do your people need to hear tomorrow?

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Most people start adult life with a list.

A list of things they want to achieve.
A list of who they want to become.
The job title. The salary. The lifestyle.
The version of themselves that finally "made it."

And if they're lucky, they check off every box.

But here's what nobody tells you:
Many still feel unsatisfied and they don't know why.
They did everything right, yet something still feels off.

That was my case. And I've seen it happen to countless others too.

The reason? We spend years chasing what we think we need, not what we actually need.

Here are 10 things we chase, what we really need and how you can otherwise satisfy your real needs:

1️⃣ Myth: Money
→ Reality: Freedom/survival
→ Alternative: Work remotely, relocate to a country with better quality/cost ratio

2️⃣ Myth: A bigger house
→ Reality: Comfort and feeling at home
→ Alternative: Redesign your current space, create one room you love, spend time in places that feel like home

3️⃣ Myth: Success
→ Reality: Self-worth that doesn't depend on achievement
→ Alternative: Volunteer where you're deeply needed, keep a "done well" journal

4️⃣ Myth: to be productive
→ Reality: Control over your time and attention
→ Alternative: Batch tasks, work in 90-minute blocks, delete social apps

5️⃣ Myth: A promotion
→ Reality: Feeling valued for your contribution
→ Alternative: Build relationships with people who appreciate your work, mentor someone.

6️⃣ Myth: To work less
→ Reality: Energy and real recovery
→ Alternative: say no to low-value requests, protect your mornings from interruptions

7️⃣ Myth: Confidence
→ Reality: Accepting you're okay as you are
→ Alternative: List and thank yourself for what you already do well, stop comparing yourself.

8️⃣ Myth: To be perfect
→ Reality: Feeling good enough without proof
→ Alternative: Share your work at 80%, ask for help publicly, celebrate "good enough"

9️⃣ Myth: More skills
→ Reality: Knowing you are already capable
→ Alternative: Teach what you already know, run tiny experiments, find proof you've already changed

🔟 Myth: More time
→ Reality: Fewer distractions stealing your focus
→ Alternative: one browser tab rule, theme your days by type of work

The hardest part isn't recognizing these patterns.

It's understanding that these real needs can be satisfied in many ways.

These shifts take time. Most of us have been chasing the wrong things for years.

You don't need to fix everything at once. Start with one.

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I spent 20 years chasing every workplace trend before I realized: 
I was reacting to change, not directing it.

The exhaustion was real. The confusion constant.

Then I learned something important: 
change doesn't happen to us, it happens through us.

These 6 visuals helped me shift from reactive to intentional:

1) Learn with your head. Practise with your hands. Embody the Wisdom.
→ Skill-building isn't just knowledge, it's integration.
✓ Tip: After learning something new, try this: apply it, reflect on it, teach it.

2) The gap between where the world is and where you are determines your relevance.
→ Standing still isn't stability. It's falling behind in slow motion.
✓ Tip: Ask weekly: "What's changing around me and how am I responding?"

3) Opportunities don't stay open forever.
→ You either move through the window or miss it.
✓ Tip: Create a "yes shelf": a space for chances you'll act on this month.

4) What you believe about yourself becomes what you attract.
→ Self-image shapes your thoughts, your behaviour, and results.
✓ Tip: Write down 3 beliefs you hold about yourself. Are they empowering or limiting you?

5) Compatibility matters.
→ You can bend to fit or move to where you fit best.
✓ Tip: Do a fit check: "Does it cost me energy to be here or does it give me energy?"

6) Same room, different perspective.
→ Transformation isn't about escaping your environment. It's about reshaping how you see and respond within it.
✓ Tip: Next time you feel stuck, ask yourself "What's in my control right now?"

Which one resonates most with where you are right now? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.

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6 Frameworks That Changed How I Handle Change

Leadership today demands contradictions.

You need to be successful and humble. 
Assertive and empathic. 
Decisive and reflective.

The skill isn't choosing between them. 
It's knowing when to lean into each.

Most leadership advice oversimplifies this. "Be confident." "Be humble." Pick one.

But the real skill? Reading the situation and matching your approach to what it needs.

Here are 6 "contradictions" worth mastering:

1️⃣ Successful AND Humble

→ Be successful: Board meetings, salary negotiations, when your team needs resources
→ Be humble: Team retrospectives, 360 reviews, when your direct report gets the promotion

2️⃣ Assertive AND Empathic

→ Be assertive: Scope creep conversations, protecting your team's time, impossible timeline pushback
→ Be empathic: Performance conversations, personal crises, honest mistakes

3️⃣ Decisive AND Reflective

→ Be decisive: Crisis mode, 80% data threshold, when delay costs more than mistakes
→ Be reflective: Strategic pivots, hiring decisions, when you feel rushed

4️⃣ Visionary AND Grounded

→ Be visionary: All-hands meetings, change management, morale building
→ Be grounded: Budget planning, quarterly reviews, operational fires

5️⃣ Bold AND Cautious

→ Be bold: Market opportunities, innovation projects, competitive threats
→ Be cautious: People decisions, compliance issues, unfamiliar territory

6️⃣ Independent AND Collaborative

→ Be independent: Unpopular decisions, contract negotiations, consensus paralysis
→ Be collaborative: Brainstorming sessions, culture building, buy-in requirements

The discomfort of holding both? That's not weakness.

That's range.

Range means you're not locked into one leadership style. You can go high and low. Push hard or pull back. Speak up or listen deeply.

The wider your range, the more situations you can handle effectively.

Leadership isn't about having one strong identity. It's about having the flexibility to become what each moment requires.

Which contradiction do you find hardest to balance?

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Many leaders think they need to be the hero of every story.

The one with all the answers. The decision-maker. The person everyone turns to.

But when leaders hoard control and visibility:

→ Innovation slows because ideas need approval
→ People wait for direction instead of taking initiative
→ Talented people leave because they feel underutilized.

I have seen that multiple times in my corporate job.

The best leaders flip this completely.

They create systems where:

→ Multiple people can solve problems
→ Expertise is distributed across the team
→ Decision-making happens at every level

Here's what sets collaborative leaders apart:
it's in the questions they ask:

❌  Instead of: "What should we do about this?"
✅  They ask: "What options do you see, and which one excites you most?"

❌ Instead of: "Let me handle this client meeting."
✅ They ask: "Who on the team has the best relationship with this client?"

❌ Instead of: "I need to be in every decision."
✅ They ask: "What decisions can you make without me, and what support do you need?"

The goal isn't to be invisible. It's to be multiplied.

When your team succeeds without you in the room, you haven't lost control.
You've created something that can scale beyond you.

Collaborative leaders don't disappear. They amplify.
They build a team so strong that no one can point the leader.

What would become possible if your team didn't need you in every decision?


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Ed Bastian runs a 103,000-person company.
He still meets flight attendants face-to-face.

He doesn't sit in Delta's headquarters waiting for reports.
He leaves the office to meet baggage handlers and gate agents directly.

Through VELVET sessions, he brings senior leaders directly to frontline workers.
Not to deliver orders, but to listen and co-create solutions.

Then he backed it up with profit-sharing and career growth programs.
The message was clear: we grow together.

Garry Ridge did something similar at WD-40.
He didn't call mistakes "failures."
He called them "learning moments."

→ He gave employees clear values as guardrails, then let them make decisions
→ He reframed managers as "coaches" instead of supervisors
→ He created a culture where experimenting wasn't risky but was expected

The result? 
A company where people don't just show up to deliver. 
They show up to grow.

Bob Chapman at Barry-Wehmiller took it even further: 
business exists to make employees successful.

His approach? 
"Responsible freedom":  autonomy within strong values, plus empathetic listening at every level. 
Because people can't grow if they don't feel heard.

What do these leaders have in common?

They didn't build businesses that use people.
They built businesses that grow people.

And those people built everything else.

Do you work in a 'deliver' culture or a 'grow' culture? Drop in the comments.

And if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to see it.

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I read over 50 personal development books before leaving corporate.
Invested in seminars. Hired coaches.

But here's what no one tells you: some of that advice doesn't help you leave.
It just makes you better at staying.

The same myths that kept me stuck?
They're keeping leaders trapped in roles they've outgrown right now.

Here are 6 personal growth myths that delay the career moves you need to make:

1️⃣ "You need to identify your limiting beliefs first"
❌ Myth: People spend months thinking about "imposter syndrome".
✅ Reality: The invisible strings aren't your beliefs. They're your habits. You cut them by changing your behavior.

2️⃣ "Think your way to clarity"
❌ Myth: Most people wait to "get clear on their why" before making any moves.
✅ Reality: Analysis keeps you safe in your head. But career moves happen in messy conversations. Curiosity beats clarity.

3️⃣ "Be your authentic self"
❌ Myth: People wait to "align with their true self" before making a move.
✅ Reality: Everyone feels like a fraud at first. That's normal. You become the role by practicing the role.

4️⃣ "Failure means you're not ready"
❌ Myth: When rejected for a role often people "build more experience" first instead of applying again.
✅ Reality: Falling down is feedback. The failure is treating that feedback like a stop sign.

5️⃣ "If you know what to do, you'll do it."
❌ Myth: People can read every career book and still not ask for a career conversation.
✅ Reality: Knowing and doing live in different worlds. The gap isn't knowledge. It's an action.

6️⃣ "Just take massive action"
❌ Myth: People spend weekends updating their resume, researching 20 companies. Then Monday comes. Back to the same role.
✅ Reality: The change doesn't happen in weekend sprints. It happens in Tuesday conversations with one decision-maker.

Readiness isn't a feeling. It's a practice.

The leaders who make the move?
They create imperfect momentum.
One conversation at a time.

The people who grow fastest are the ones who stop waiting for clarity and start creating conversations.

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6 Visuals To Make Personal Change Stick

Four weeks into my first job out of university, I found myself in a frozen Detroit winter riding a small bus toward Niagara Falls with seven nationalities and a boss I barely knew.

At the Canadian border the officer looked at our passports and asked if we were a travelling circus.

We laughed. Then we did some of the best work of my early career.

He treated us as equals. He genuinely valued our opinions and listened to what we had to say.

We solved complex problems faster than expected. We could disagree openly and still walk out laughing together.

That trip showed me what leadership looks like when people feel trusted and included.

Looking back, I realize he used key practices that turned strangers into a high-performing team.

It comes down to sixteen specific practices:

𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁
Start every project by defining what success looks like in one sentence.

𝟮. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆
Ask "What might we be missing?" before decisions get locked in.

𝟯. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
Use one-minute rounds so every voice enters the discussion.

𝟰. 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽
Say "What support do you need?" in every check-in.

𝟱. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴
Share how you reached a decision so people can challenge ideas, not authority.

𝟲. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀
Short, frequent conversations. One topic. One clear next step.

𝟳. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀
Ask "What did we learn?" instead of "Who made the mistake?"

𝟴. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
Block hours where no meetings or interruptions are allowed.

𝟵. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Celebrate tests, prototypes, and first drafts, not only final results.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Let different team members lead parts of meetings or projects.

𝟭𝟭. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
"What is the goal?" "Who owns what?" "What is unclear?"

𝟭𝟮. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲
Use a rule like "criticize the idea, not the person."

𝟭𝟯. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲
Anyone can stop the process when something feels off. The team must address it.

𝟭𝟰. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀
Tell people why their work matters. Motivation follows meaning.

𝟭𝟱. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
Measure how many improvements come from team members, not the leader.

𝟭𝟲. 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Each person states what they will do next. Ownership becomes visible.

That boss taught me more about leadership in ten days than many learn in a year.
Which practice would you start with?


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The office closed at 5 pm. Your brain scheduled overtime.

You closed your laptop, but that difficult email follows you home.
Your manager's critique replays during dinner.
Tuesday's mistake loops while you're trying to sleep.

We've mastered the physical commute.
We've forgotten the mental one.

Most people think they're resting when they're really just distracting.
Scrolling Instagram isn't a rest from negative thoughts.
Netflix isn't processing.
Three drinks aren't problem-solving.

Here are three ways to actually rest from work thoughts this weekend:

𝟭. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁
→ Friday at 5 pm: list every unfinished work thought
→ Next to each one, write "Resumes Monday 9 am."
→ Your brain stops looping when it knows there's a plan

𝟮. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲
→ For every negative replay, name one thing that went well this week
→ Manager's critique? You also delivered that project early
→ Negative thoughts aren't more true - they're just louder

𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
→ Friday evening: write three thoughts you want for this weekend
→ Not goals - mindsets: "I'm proud of what I finished" or "I have the capacity to rest."
→ You plan your meetings. Plan your mental state, too.

Your weekend starts when your mind leaves the office.
Not when your body does.

What's one work thought you're leaving behind this Friday?

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"I can't even draw a straight line."

The Director of Finance crossed his arms as I laid out watercolors for their strategic alignment off-site.

His leadership team had spent months talking past each other. Different priorities. Competing visions. The usual.

Two hours later, he was admiring the collaborative collage his team created.

It now hangs in their office.

What happened when we replaced PowerPoint with markers and paintbrushes:

1. Ideas became visible
→ Vague corporate speak turned into tangible sketches
→ Disagreements surfaced and got resolved in real-time
→ Abstract concepts took concrete shape

2. Hierarchy disappeared
→ The junior analyst shared as freely as the VP
→ Everyone held the same brushes
→ Leaders listened differently when thoughts came through art

3. Engagement skyrocketed
→ Laughter replaced meeting tension
→ Phones stayed face-down
→ Two hours felt like twenty minutes

4. Genuine alignment emerged
→ Each person saw their input in the final piece
→ Honest conversations about values happened naturally
→ Nodding along became actual understanding

By the end, they were asking: "When can we do this again?"

Want to try this in your next meeting?

➡️ Start small: 
Begin your next strategy session with 5 minutes of silent doodling. 
Everyone gets markers and paper. 
Tell them to doodle while thinking about the topic (don't share them, just let their hands move.)

➡️ What happens: 
The room gets quieter. 
People's brains shift out of argument mode. 
When you start the real discussion, they're calmer and more creative.

It's the lowest-stakes way to break the analytical pattern.

The most strategic tool isn't always another framework.

Sometimes it's a marker.

Want more exercises like this? My newsletter shares simple visual techniques you can use in any meeting: 

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Behind the Scenes- Visual Strategy Session

The meeting ended two hours ago.

You're still replaying it in your head.

That's the real performance killer.

Chronic stress is quietly erasing every gain you're making.
And the biggest source isn't your workload.

It's the internal narrative running in the background.

Your nervous system can't tell the difference between a real tiger and that worry about tomorrow's board meeting.

When you replay that difficult conversation from last week, your body responds as if you're in actual danger.

→ Sympathetic nervous system: activated 24/7
→ Cortisol: flooding your system
→ Prefrontal cortex: shrinking

The mental loops are the real problem:

"What if this project fails?"
"Did I mess up that decision?"

These thoughts run 24/7. Your body never gets a break.

Research shows chronic stress is linked to a 37% higher risk of cognitive impairment.

It's not the 60-hour weeks destroying your performance.
It's the stress response that never turns off.

𝟯 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂:

𝟭. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻
→ Chronic worry depletes your prefrontal cortex faster than actual work
→ By 2 PM, you're running on fumes

𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗮𝘄, 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
→ Elevated cortisol keeps muscles contracted for danger that never comes
→ The tightness doesn't release because the stress thoughts don't stop

𝟯. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
→ Chronic stress shrinks your hippocampus (emotion regulation center)
→ It's neurological overload, not a personality flaw

Good news: your brain is plastic.
These patterns reverse once you interrupt the cycle.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆:

➡️  𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽
→ Say it out loud: "I'm running the failure scenario again."
→ Naming activates your prefrontal cortex and disrupts the amygdala

➡️  𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
→ Box breathing: 4 counts in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold
→ Activates your vagus nerve - do it between meetings, not when you're already overwhelmed

➡️  𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
→ 10-minute walk without your phone
→ Brief social connection signals safety to your nervous system

Remember:

Burnout is not a medal of honor. 
It is a signal telling you to slow down.

The goal isn't eliminating stress.
It's catching the signals before they compound.

Which signal are you experiencing right now?

Source: JAMA Network Open, 2023 study on stress and cognitive function

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High achievers don't struggle with laziness.
They struggle with overthinking.
The procrastination looks different, but it's just as costly.

The problem? When you overthink every decision, you create the illusion of productivity.
You feel busy, but nothing moves forward.

I spent 2 years stuck in this cycle until I learned these 6 steps:

1️⃣ Plan Ahead
→ Map your tasks the night before
→ Create a clear roadmap for tomorrow
→ No more morning confusion

2️⃣ Minimize Distractions
→ Track where you lose time for 3 days (you'll be surprised)
→ Turn your phone face-down during deep work
→ Use website blockers during your top 3 task time

3️⃣ Set Priorities
→ Pick your top 3 tasks only
→ Tackle them when you're most alert
→ Avoid the overwhelm trap

4️⃣ Set Artificial Deadlines
→ Cut your estimated time in half
→ Schedule it in your calendar like a client meeting
→ Parkinson's Law: work expands to fill the time given

5️⃣ Execute Strategically
→ Start with the 10-minute version of any task
→ Done is better than perfect (perfectionism = disguised procrastination)
→ Momentum beats motivation every time

6️⃣ Track and Reward Progress
→ Monitor your daily wins
→ Reward task completion
→ Build positive habits

My turning point?
I realized overthinking felt productive but kept me stuck.
Last year, I was working 60+ hour weeks and still behind.
Now I finish my work by 6pm and actually have energy for my hobbies.

The difference wasn't working harder. It was stopping the mental spinning.

Which of these 6 steps will you try first? 

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