“At Their Most Vulnerable”
"At Their Most Vulnerable" This week I’m speaking to hundreds of healthcare leaders about one of their toughest challenges: the rise of workplace violence. One leader said something that stayed with me — that the people attacking their workers are often “at their most vulnerable.” That phrase reframed everything. The harm isn’t just cruelty — it’s pain turned outward. I’ve seen it firsthand at the homeless hospice where I volunteer. When an angry new resident lashed out, the leader didn’t react with punishment; she sat beside him, set boundaries, and showed compassion. He stayed. Weeks later, he was calm, kind, and grateful. Leadership is holding that same tension — protecting your people...
PAST ISSUES
My New Year’s resolution is to raise the stakes
For the past year, I’ve been wrestling with a nagging feeling that the stakes in my life aren’t high enough. It’s not that things are bad. They’re...
The “Outsider” Strategy: Amazon’s Delivery Dilemma and the Shifting Tides of Public Perception
Raise your hand if you’ve worked for a company that insisted on referring to employees as “partners” or “team members.” I’m looking at you,...
Et tu, Patagonia?
Change is inevitable, but resilience is a choice. Patagonia, once celebrated for seamlessly blending work, play, and purpose, now faces an identity...
My Predictions for the 2025 Workplace Trends
As 2025 approaches, the workplace is set to experience seismic shifts. From navigating political changes to embracing cutting-edge technology,...
AI-Powered Empathy: It’s like Auto-Tune for Management
As we head into the final weeks of the year, this newsletter kicks off a special series: 2025 Workplace Trends. These are the ideas shaping how...
An Accountability Mindset: The Competitive Edge That Sets You Apart
Guess what—skills and knowledge aren’t enough anymore. In a world where everyone has access to the same information and where technical expertise is...
The General Strike Call for 2028: A New Era for Labor in the U.S.?
Imagine this: It’s May 1, 2028, and across the country, industries grind to a halt. Not just one union, not just one company, but hundreds of...
I Told NBC: Forcing Your Team Back to the Office Won’t Fix Your Culture
As Amazon and Starbucks begin enforcing return-to-office policies, CEOs everywhere are asking if bringing employees back will save their company...
Started At The Bottom Now We’re Here
I’m working on a report that should be released by the end of the year on “CEO Chatter” (working title – if you have a better suggestion, send it to...
The Visibility Obsession: Why It’s Misguided and What CEOs Should Focus On Instead
Let’s talk about a common complaint I hear across companies: “You’re not visible enough.” Someone can be a top performer, hitting all their goals,...
A Culture for All Generations
Disrupting the way we think about generations to attract, engage, and retain all employees
There’s a real benefit in dismantling the perceptions behind Gen Z or X, or whatever the next trendy label is! Citing extensive academic research from her book, Unfairly Labeled, Jessica provides a refreshingly enlightening and data-driven perspective on how multi-generational organizations can strip away stereotypes and and biases that hinder performance and prevent progress toward a common purpose.
