Most Recent Posts
Finish the Story: A New Approach to Overcome Impostor Syndrome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk8xmNxr4_M&t=1s In the podcast above, I help us disentangle ourselves from the voice of the imposter we all carry within us. You can overcome the Imposter Syndrome. It doesn’t have to hinder you; it can actually become our best...
Don’t Get Angry, Negotiate!
Many business leaders are good at contracting and negotiating. Negotiating is how we close customers, manage vendors and hire/release employees; it’s how we establish and maintain our relationships with third parties; it’s how we conduct business. But as a species,...
3 Skills To Vault You Into Leadership (And Help You Stay There)
Meg* and I were lunch-brainstorming how to help one of her direct reports who is struggling to “fit” into her recent Director-level promotion. Meg noted that this woman – we’ll call her Kathy* – found it hard to see the forest for the trees. Meg thought Kathy had tons...
AI in Leadership Development: Focus on Leading, Not Speeding
Is it just me, or does AI (Artificial Intelligence) seem to be everywhere and nowhere all at the same time? On the one hand, CEOs can't stop talking about AI, and billions of dollars in AI investment are pouring into the economy, arguably, boosting it in ways that...
From DEI to High-Performance: A New Blueprint for Culture Fit
Key Takeaways "Culture Fit" is Dead; Long Live "Culture Contribution." Discover why hiring for sameness can be a diversity-killer, and how a new focus on an employee's authentic power is the key to building high-performance, resilient teams. The #1 Threat to...
October 2025 Leadership Development Carnival
It’s time for another installment of the Leadership Development Carnival! Thanks to Weaving Influence and the Lead Change for organizing some great posts from some remarkable leadership writers. If you're new to blog Carnivals, these represent a collection of...
Popular Posts
How to Prepare for a Performance Review or Job Interview
One thing I love most about the InPower Community and other forums where I take part as an expert is answering people's questions. One of the most popular topics on people's minds is how to prepare for a performance review, followed closely by queries about how to...
Want An Executive Job? 4 Tricks To Get Out Of The Weeds
In a previous post about job interview tips, I outlined the findings of several research studies about advancing your career – especially for professional women in leadership who want to land a C-suite executive job. The research basically pointed up the...
10 Biggest LinkedIn Mistakes Most of Us Make
Do you ever wonder what the "best practices" are for LinkedIn, whether you're looking for a job or not? Check out this wonderful post by Henna on common LinkedIn mistakes most of us make for some good advice. We've already done a little LinkedIn profile update after...
Leadership
3 Skills To Vault You Into Leadership (And Help You Stay There)
Meg* and I were lunch-brainstorming how to help one of her direct reports who is struggling to “fit” into her recent Director-level promotion. Meg noted that this woman – we’ll call her Kathy* – found it hard to see the forest for the trees. Meg thought Kathy had tons...
From DEI to High-Performance: A New Blueprint for Culture Fit
Key Takeaways "Culture Fit" is Dead; Long Live "Culture Contribution." Discover why hiring for sameness can be a diversity-killer, and how a new focus on an employee's authentic power is the key to building high-performance, resilient teams. The #1 Threat to...
October 2025 Leadership Development Carnival
It’s time for another installment of the Leadership Development Carnival! Thanks to Weaving Influence and the Lead Change for organizing some great posts from some remarkable leadership writers. If you're new to blog Carnivals, these represent a collection of...
Women in Leadership
Women’s Equality: Blame Won’t Get Us There
Key Takeaways: Equality can’t thrive in a culture of blame; shifting from fault-finding to shared responsibility creates space for growth and understanding. Equality is more complex than just fixing individual bias—it lives in the intersection of beliefs, systems,...
Working Mother Advice: Back-to-School Tips & Tricks – Part 2
Key Takeaways: Working mother A relaxed “back‑to‑school meeting” with your kids a week or two before classes begin helps ease everyone into a new schedule—discussing bedtime shifts, lunch‑packing preferences, and new routines so the transition feels intentional, not...
How Not To Fall Victim To “The Motherhood Penalty”
Key Takeaways: Motherhood penalty is a real systemic roadblock, not just a personal experience—it’s built into hiring, pay, promotion, and performance norms that mistakenly assume moms are less committed or competent. Mothers typically face a per‑child wage reduction...
Mentoring
Sponsor vs. Mentor – 3 Tips for Attracting a Sponsor
Is “Executive Sponsor” is the New “Mentor” for Women Leaders? The missing piece in women's advancement strategies into leadership? Mentorship helps us be effective, but it’s not as helpful at helping us get a job as sponsorship is. Dana takes a look at what is means...
Building Successful Mentorship Programs: What You Need to Know
Mentorship is an important part of any leadership development program. But should you formalize something that is often most powerful in its informal state? Having participated in and supported many different styles of mentorship program over the course of my career I...
Why Mentorship Isn’t Enough To Help Women Get into Leadership
We hear a lot about how, in addition to mentors and mentorship, women need assistance to get into leadership. They need sponsors to help make it into the executive ranks. But how do you learn what a sponsor wants? Dana turns it around and invites you to start...
Career Advice
Why Your Dream Job Isn’t a Just a Dream
Key Takeaways: Your dream job isn’t just a fantasy—it’s a real and attainable goal when you take the time to define what “dreamy” means for you, right now, at this stage in your life and career. What makes a job ideal isn't just the role—it's the challenge, the...
Getting Itchy At Work? Maybe It’s Time To Start Your Proactive Passive Job Search
Key Takeaways: Job search is an experience, not just a transaction—whether you’re passive or proactive, treat it as a journey of self‑discovery and alignment, not just throwing resumes at open roles. The piece contrasts passive (reactive) job searching—waiting for job...
What’s the Secret To Achieving Your Goals?
Key Takeaways: goals set the direction, but they’re only the beginning: The author explains that clear goals pull us forward into our future, helping us envision what we can't yet see—but without the right mindset and systems, they fall short. Letting go of the need...
Interviews
Servant Leadership for Women and Other Historically Under-represented Leaders
Podcast/Audio There is no question that servant leadership for women and other historically under-represented leaders is an effective way to manage teams and organizations. Servant leaders achieve results, not by using their own positional power (e.g., telling people...
Diversity & Inclusion
Women’s Equality: Blame Won’t Get Us There
Key Takeaways: Equality can’t thrive in a culture of blame; shifting from fault-finding to shared responsibility creates space for growth and understanding. Equality is more complex than just fixing individual bias—it lives in the intersection of beliefs, systems,...
The Elephant in the Gender Equality Room: Masculinity
Key Takeaways: Gender equality cannot be achieved without challenging masculinity: Expanding definitions of masculinity—moving beyond rigid traits like dominance or stoicism—is essential for progress. Narrow, culturally enforced ideals of masculinity limit both men...
The Top 6 Reasons Women Are Not Leading In Corporate America As We Need Them To
Key Takeaways: Corporate America is still falling short on gender parity at the top, and it’s time to ask the hard questions. Despite all the well-funded diversity programs and the clear business case for inclusion, too many companies still don’t know why women are...
