Leadership Presence Is a Myth
Leadership Presence Is a Myth Leadership presence may be one of the most overrated ideas in leadership. For years we’ve been taught that influence comes from commanding a room, projecting confidence, and creating followership through charisma. I taught leadership presence myself, so I understand why the idea persists. But I’ve become less convinced that presence explains influence as well as we think it does. Some of the most influential leaders in history would score surprisingly low on executive presence assessments today and still changed behavior at extraordinary scale. That made me question whether people follow leaders because of how they appear or because of the beliefs they create....
Subscribe to This Week in Culture on LinkedIn
Get weekly Insights From Dr. Jessica!
Past Issues
The Most Comfortable Lie About AI
The Most Comfortable Lie About AI The most comfortable lie about AI is that it can never replace human empathy. It’s such a safe, nothing statement...
Why Are You Disturbable?
Why Are You Disturbable? Over the weekend I called my mentor to vent about someone who was frustrating me. I expected advice about the situation....
The AI Anxiety Gap
The AI Anxiety Gap This week’s This Week in Culture is about something I’m calling the AI Anxiety Gap. A research note from Citrini Research moved...
AI Is Everywhere. Adoption Is Not.
AI Is Everywhere. Adoption Is Not. AI is everywhere right now. The conversation is loud, the investment is real, and the visibility is undeniable....
Are You a Working Person or a Person Working?
Are You a Working Person or a Person Working? “What do you do?” It’s the most common icebreaker in American culture, and it says more about us than...
4 Leadership Lessons to Get You Through Q1
4 Leadership Lessons to Get You Through Q1 Q1 has a way of testing leadership fast. Pressure shows up early, deadlines tighten, and decisions stack...
Choosing to be a World Champion at Life
Choosing to be a World Champion at Life Yesterday we hosted the first Surrender to Lead Summit. The conversation moved fast from aspiration to...
The Conversations Leaders Are Ready to Have
The Conversations Leaders Are Ready to Have Six days. That is how far we are from the Surrender to Lead Summit, and I keep coming back to where this...
My New Year’s Resolution Is to Answer a Bigger Call
My New Year’s Resolution Is to Answer a Bigger Call Last year, my New Year’s resolution was to raise the stakes. This year, something different is...
2026 Is the Year of Playing Offense
2026 Is the Year of Playing Offense Playing offense in 2026 requires a shift in how leaders think about momentum. It shows up in the belief systems...
