For many leaders, the simple phrase “holding someone accountable” creates a knot in their stomach. We dread it, seeing it as the opposite of empathy. This is a common cycle I call the “Reformer’s Trap.” It’s what happens when leaders, often with the best of intentions, default to judgment at the expense of trust. (If
Author Archives: Amy Kay Watson
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Oct
Oct
Are you an entrepreneur who feels caught in the “hustle and grind” culture, disconnected from the passion that made you start your business? Christine Kane’s The Soul Sourced Entrepreneur offers a powerful antidote. The book provides a clear framework for building a successful, profitable business that is deeply aligned with your intuition, values, and authentic
15
Oct
Oct
Summary: When change moves faster than our team’s capacity to adapt, leaders need more than resilience—they need the skills of a Leader as Regulator. This post explores the predictable performance “Change Dip,” the observable data that shows your team is stuck in “The Labyrinth,” and provides a Leader’s Diagnostic Toolkit to restore performance by rebuilding
03
Oct
Oct
Empathy is not just a personal virtue—it’s a crucial leadership skill that shapes workplace culture, employee well-being, and organizational resilience. Inspired by The Empathetic Workplace by Katharine Manning, this checklist provides actionable steps for leaders to build a more compassionate, supportive, and effective workplace. Use it to assess and strengthen your approach to handling difficult
26
Sep
Sep
Fairness in the workplace isn’t just about policies—it’s about designing systems that produce real, measurable equity. Inspired by Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results by Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi, this checklist distills key principles for creating fairer workplaces through evidence-based interventions. Use it to assess and improve workplace fairness in hiring, promotions,
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Sep
Sep
Introduction Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence explores the evolving partnership between humans and AI, emphasizing collaboration rather than competition. This book demystifies AI technology, explains how to think of AI as a co-intelligence partner, and offers practical rules for integrating AI effectively in work and life. This checklist is designed as a practical reminder and guide to applying the
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Aug
Aug
Steve Jobs was known for turning product launches into cultural events. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo breaks down the elements of his legendary style—simplicity, storytelling, and presence—that any speaker can adopt. This checklist serves as a refresher for those who’ve read
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Aug
Aug
Inspired by Dave Anderson’s article at Scarlet Ink. The Leadership Myth Whether we say it aloud or not, the intuitive wisdom about leadership (which clearly grew out of the machoism of the mid-twentieth century) is that tough leaders get ahead, but empathetic ones get ignored. It’s such old thinking that it feels instinctive: forceful personalities
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Jul
Jul
Kindness as a Leadership Imperative This article unpacks key findings from “Why Kindness isn’t a Nice to Have” by by Nicki Macklin, Thomas H. Lee and Amy C. Edmondson and explains how leaders can turn kindness from a “nice to have” into a practical, performance-driven management discipline. Table of Contents Why Kindness Matters More Than
