Real Leaders

Exploring Otherness Can Create a Stronger Team

I was invited to meet a senior vice president of a tech company, who already ran a highly diverse, multicultural team and had just inherited another. She wanted to find the best way to integrate these disparate team members comprised of the old and new guard, men and women, several religions, various nationalities, and even […]

The Number One Ingredient to Living a Meaningful, Healthy Life

Is there a panacea for living a long, meaningful, healthy life? As it turns out, based on the convergence of numerous studies, there is one factor for long-term wellbeing that consistently stands out above the others.  Research based on data from three longitudinal studies in the 1920s and 1930s (life events included the Great Depression and […]

Delaware Proclaims New Remembrance Day: International Overdose Awareness Day

International Overdose Awareness Day symbolizes a global event that acknowledges those lost from the disease known as Substance Use Disorder. It honors the memories of those whose lives have been cut short and recognizes the enormous grief shared by those families left behind. Delaware has the second-highest rate of overdose deaths in the United States. […]

It’s Been a Tough Year: How to Deal With Traumatized Employees

If your employees are behaving in new and disturbing ways, it might not be stress; it may be trauma. And if so, we can’t expect employees to learn to cope or get over it. Here’s why leaders need to know the difference. There are many reasons your employees might be suffering the effects of trauma. […]

How to Overcome Rejection

Whether it’s a friend not returning our call, being broken up with, or being pulled off an important project, each of us has experienced rejection and we are very aware that it hurts. The following personal story can be applied to any leadership role, too. A series of experiments led by social psychologists Jean Twenge of San Diego […]

How Will We Emerge from the Pandemic? It Depends on How We Process It

While it’s certainly true that no two pandemics are alike, it’s also true that no two emotional responses to a pandemic are alike. Whenever we feel a distressing emotion, there are two primary ways in which we can process it: suppression and reappraisal. Suppression is perhaps not the best named response, as it is impossible […]

It’s Not Perfectionism that’s Hurting Us. It’s Our Approach to It

Finding a perfectionist that isn’t in some way proud to be one is like finding out you’ve won $100 Million on the lottery. It’s not unheard of, but it’s rare! Why? Because perfectionists believe their strong work ethic, superior attention to detail, and ability to achieve more than everyone else puts them in a class […]

How Leaders Should Handle Addiction in the Workplace

The goal for any leader should be to catch addictive behaviors early and then triage them on the spot. Delaying or reprimanding executives for their addiction rarely works and only leads to more problems down the line.     According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), addiction and mental issues are up […]