“But I’m not executive enough.” Whoosh, all the air goes out of the room with that admission. My client muttered it under her breath, reluctant to say it out loud, and yet relieved that the weight was finally off her chest. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. And it’s definitely not the first time I’ve felt it myself. What’s funny is, I’ve never heard this from people who are actually not yet at a certain level of leadership. Every time, it’s from incredible leaders alre

Photo by Kamil Pietrzak on Unsplash 🎯 Outcomes ≠ Goals: It’s strategic planning season. 😬 Every year, I see thoughtful leaders get stuck in the same frustrating loop: They set ambitious “goals”... but they don't hit them. Not because they’re not capable, but because they’re aiming at the wrong thing. Here’s the distinction that’s been both liberating and empowering for me and my clients: 🎯 Outcomes ≠ Goals ✅ Outcomes are what you aim for, but can’t fully control.  – Revenu

What stage of leadership are you in: Expert, Enterprise, or Executive? If you're familiar with the concept of the T-shape leader, you'll recognize the first 2 dimensions: 💪 The Expert Leader: You lead with deep expertise and technical mastery in a specific domain. This is the vertical part of the “T” - deep, focused, and confident in your craft. 🔥 The Enterprise Leader: You think beyond your functional silo. You collaborate across teams, see patterns across functions, and i

Stagnant. Scaling. Shifting. That’s where most of my clients are when they come to me. Not in crisis. But in a transition. Sometimes subtle. Sometimes seismic. Here’s how it often shows up: 🌀 Stagnant “I’m not exactly miserable... but I’m not motivated either.” Things feel flat. Energy is low. It’s hard to care. 🧗‍♀️ Scaling “I’m in a bigger role, and it’s… a lot.” More pressure. More people. More decisions. But not more time. (Or people, or money). 🌪 Shifting “What worked

[Photo by Sophi Raju on Unsplash] I knew better.  I still forgot. A few days ago, I submitted an invoice the old way, despite being reminded last month that there’s a new tool. The finance team gently reminded me again. It made me laugh, but it also made me pause. How often do we default to old patterns, even when we know there’s a better way?  Especially when we’re moving fast, under pressure, or trying to be “efficient.” That moment felt like a mini case study in leadership

This isn’t your parents’ executive presence. I wish I could remove the concept of “executive presence” altogether. But the more I work with my clients, the more I see: It’s still the reality they face, every single day. Evaluation against a suit-and-tie, command-and-control image that’s growing more outdated by the minute. And yet -  Even as empathy, thoughtfulness, and diverse perspectives rise as leadership mandates, the old expectations remain loud and clear: 📢 Command th

What does your heart have to do with leadership? A few times this month I’ve heard the phrase  “… but my heart is in <this space>” or “my heart is with <this group>”. And it makes me wonder - where is my heart? Outside of family and dear friends,  my heart is with quiet, thoughtful leaders. Often overlooked. Often overextended.  Often women. I see their aspirations, dreams, hopes for a better world. I sense their drive, determination, grit in moving, pushing, pulling ahead. I

I’ve been thinking about quiet leadership. The kind that doesn’t show up with a megaphone…  …but still makes space for others. The kind that doesn’t chase credit…  …but is often the reason things hold together. I’ve come to recognize this in quietly ambitious leaders -  The ones who may be easy to overlook (because they’re not shouting to be seen), And even easier to undervalue (because they’re heads-down, making things happen). So before the long weekend, just a small nudge:

As senior leaders, we know that uncertainty is part of the job—but leading through  it can feel like a whole different game. After years of navigating both predictable and surprising shifts, I’ve found that a focus on five core leadership principles, the “5 C’s,” can serve as a guiding framework. When you focus on these, you can move forward with intention, bring your team with you, and help create resilience across your organization. The first two C’s—Calm and Commitment—for

Is it too early (or too late) to have a word of the year? Leaders I work with often anchor in one or two words or phrases that are grounding and inspiring, something that springboards them into purposeful action. Mine has been coming on strong lately and it's taking shape as Creativity. Creativity in my work. Creativity in supporting leaders be authentic and impactful. Creativity in shaping the future of work culture. What's yours?

How do introverts buy time in a professional world...? I'm an introvert, and many of my clients also see themselves as more introverted than others. One of the most common difficulties for introverted professions is how to act and react IN THE MOMENT. ⛔️ when someone says something that catches you off-guard ⛔️ when someone asks you a question you didn't prepare for ⛔️ when a discussion suddenly changes direction away from your intention ⛔️ when someone talks over you ⛔️ when

What's your go-to strategy for leading with intention and confidence? This iterative model for intential leadership helps break through the clutter so you can move ahead with confidence, especially when we are stuck, overwhelmed, over-thinking, or under-caring. ❓ 1 Assess Ask: What is important here? What is the challenge here? What’s to learn here? Get a good understanding of the landscape. This could be: What’s the landscape of my leadership right now? What’s the landscape

Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash "You're not visionary enough." "You're not strategic enough." "You're not painting the big picture." Have you heard any of those comments? I recently worked with a client who wanted to "be more strategic" because they felt while they've always been great at executing, they're ready to take on a more "strategic" role to make greater impact at their work. What we found during our work together was pleasantly surprising: she was ALREADY doin

I'm not a celebrity, and yet these days I find myself in front of the "camera" for most of my day. Hairbrush, lipstick, and scrunchies. Those items are at my fingertips nowadays so that I can be camera-ready for work meetings. (I'm not alone here, am I?) But appearances aside, leaders nowadays are often struggling to toe the line of maximizing "engagement" by requiring everyone to have their cameras on during zoom, or respecting individual preferences and allowing people to

Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash While remote and hybrid work has been impacting our lives so much lately, I've found that my work with clients often come back to the basics - something that is true regardless of whether you're interacting in person or virtually. Once the basics are clarified and grounded, then the methods of how this plays out in different work modes becomes important. But not before. I'm a long-time yoga practitioner, and the phrase "Root to Rise" alw

Part 5 of 5 Essentials to Building a Thriving Remote & Hybrid Team What do you think about when I say “communication”? Many think about talking, presenting, and 1-to-many broadcasting. And yes, sharing ideas and information clearly and effectively is immensely important. But a critical part of communication that’s often overlooked is the 2-way engagement, the *exchanging* of ideas, the *listening* in addition to the asking. In particular, for the remote workplace, safe a

I was privileged to be in the company of a fantastic group of Asian Women Professionals this week as a panelist on AWE Network’s (Asian...

Have you read "Good to Great" by Jim Collins? It's a business classic that I've found myself re-reading lately. Every time I re-read this...

Part 4 of 5 Essentials to Building a Thriving Remote & Hybrid Team Here is where the rubber meets the road. How do you turn the inspiring...

Part 3 of 5 Essentials to Building a Thriving Remote & Hybrid team Do you know your company’s Why? Your team’s Why? Or even your own...