Posts by Joan Fletcher

For the past few months, leaders around the world have faced geopolitical and economic uncertainty. They are being asked to pivot quickly, sometimes multiple times in one week. Leadership in uncertain times is taxing, to say the least. This year reminds me of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a humbling experience…

There are many different types of leadership, and each type may have several different names, depending on the thought leader you are reading/watching/listening to. The name doesn’t matter, though. What matters is understanding what types you embody and the related skills you bring to your team and organization. 10 types of leadership Coaching Leaders Coaching…

The book EQ 2.0 was published in June 2009, and it was groundbreaking. Not because it was about emotional intelligence, but because it was one of the first books that made a direct connection between emotional intelligence and the impact it has on your leadership. Before the book came out, you could work with a…

In Okinawa, Japan, people live longer than almost anywhere else in the world. Why? They have Ikigai. They understand their strengths, and they know their purpose. Ikigai is a combination of two Japanese words: iki, meaning life, and kai, meaning effect or result. It translates to “something that gives a person a purpose and reason…

Many of today’s conversations about workplace wellbeing spotlight what leaders can do to improve employee wellbeing. While this should be top-of-mind for leaders, we often overlook a crucial cornerstone of being successful in that pursuit. As a leader, your ability to cultivate a culture of wellbeing begins with first nurturing your personal wellbeing. The reason…

Written by Karen Mack, MSOD, CPCC, PCC, Leadership & Executive Coach for Winning Ways, Inc. The ability of executive leaders to navigate the complexities of their roles often hinges on the capacity to let go, even when they would rather not – especially when they would rather not. Whether it is letting go of a…

If there is one thing we know, it’s that change is constant. This means that for leaders to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape of the workplace, they must be ever-evolving themselves. But just as change is constant, it can also be hard, and we might even find solace in an “it’s how we’ve always…

One of my clients, a senior leader at a large organization, was running late for a meeting. When she arrived, she apologized profusely. “No worries,” I told her. “During the 10 minutes I waited for you, I worked on my next blog article.” “Oh,” she responded. “I don’t blog much, but I always feel like…

Leaders, there is no doubt that we have a lot competing for our attention: looming deadlines, never-ending to-do lists, days packed so full of meetings that we don’t have time to take a 2-minute breath, etc. It’s no wonder that having the time to listen to our direct reports may feel more like an aspirational…

One of the most popular questions my team and I get from leaders is, “How do I motivate my team?”. It’s a great question! The quick answer? The secret to motivating and engaging your team is to develop your emotional intelligence in leadership. As leaders, we have many opportunities to better understand ourselves and our…