This article unpacks key findings from Melody Wilding’s HBR article, “How to Stay on Top of Your Team’s Projects–Without Micromanaging” and explains how leaders can turn research into practical strategies for managing performance with empathy and accountability. Table of Contents Why This Article Matters Leaders are under constant pressure to know what’s happening inside their
Author Archives: Amy Kay Watson
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Jul
Jul
Summary: This article explores the concept of “mind-in, hands-off” leadership—a way of managing that prioritizes presence over control. Drawing on personal examples and the influence of Katharine Graham’s leadership style, it emphasizes the value of staying mentally engaged without micromanaging. The article also discusses how this same mindset applies when working with generative AI: true
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Jun
Summary: This article unpacks key findings from the 2025 State of Workplace Empathy Report and explains how leaders can turn research into practical strategies for managing performance with empathy and accountability. Table of Contents One of my first coaching clients was a minister who felt trapped and under fire. Her staff resisted her leadership. Her
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Jun
Summary: Empathy isn’t about rescuing—it’s about staying present with the discomfort of growth. This post explores how leaders like Michele Lewis Reeves hold the tension between current reality and future potential, guiding performance improvement without collapsing into quick fixes. Through real stories and the lens of creative tension, it offers a model for lasting change.
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A leader I coach recently described a frustrating pattern. During a critical planning session, she saw her engineers and Scrum Masters repeatedly stepping in to cover missing work from product managers who were on planned leave… work that should have been completed in advance. While she was grateful for the stopgap effort, she recognized this
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Jun
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Summary This article unpacks key findings from Why Empathetic Leadership Matters Now More Than Ever and explains how leaders can turn research into practical strategies for managing performance with empathy and accountability. Table of Contents Why Do People Care So Much About Empathy in Leadership? This article is about something you probably already know in
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Summary: This article unpacks key findings from the HBR article Employee Stress Is a Business Risk—Not an HR Problem and explains how leaders can turn research into practical strategies for managing performance with empathy and accountability. Table of Contents Why This Report Matters The report’s core message is that stress is a systemic business risk
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Leadership Lessons in Balancing Empathy and Accountability Many leaders I coach enter their roles with a powerful, noble drive to create positive change. They envision empowering teams, streamlining processes, and driving exceptional results. Yet, in their zeal to improve performance, many fall into what I call “the reformer’s trap.” I see this pattern often. A
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An Update from Amy: This post on “Hero Mode” has been expanded! The story you’ll read below is now the introduction to my complete framework, “The Leader as Regulator.” To get the full diagnostic toolkit, tactics, and scripts for leading through change, please click here to read the new, consolidated article. When I heard that Dan
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May
May
Find what you need to lead with clarity, compassion, and confidence. You care about your team. You care about results. But some days, leadership just feels heavier than it should. Whether you’re holding back because you don’t want to hurt someone—or pushing hard and not getting the response you hoped for—this guide will help you
