Why “What Do You Want?” Is Such a Hard Question
The question is harder than it seems it should be, and the difficulty is built into the question.
The Important Conversations That Aren’t Taking Place
Art Petty was once a senior executive at a software company, and part of his job was top-line revenue. You might expect the deals to be what kept him up at night. They weren’t. “The thing that kept me awake at night wasn’t the idea of the deals we didn’t know about. It was my
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Why Speaking Up Doesn’t Always Make You More Visible
Two people speak up in the same meeting. Both say something worth saying. One of them gets heard. Someone then repeats the point back an hour later and credits them by name, and by Thursday they are in the follow-up conversation. The other person gets barely a nod, and the conversation moves on. Ask anyone
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August 2026 Leadership Development Digest
Hosted by Susan Mazza | Random Acts of Leadership Welcome to the August 2026 Leadership Development Digest – a curated collection of 21 articles and one podcast episode from some of today’s most thoughtful voices in leadership. Each month, contributors from across the leadership community share a selection of their work from the previous month.
How Does a Leader Become a Leader?
You don’t become a leader someday. You already are one. Here’s how leaders actually develop, one everyday act at a time, and how to see it.
Don’t Do More, Lead Differently
Most leadership advice tells you to do more. The real shift is to lead differently. Here’s the reframe, and what changes when you make it.
The Moment You Knew You Were Doing Too Much
Most capable leaders miss the moment they knew they were doing too much. Here’s the override sentence — and one question that gives the choice back.
Are you the exhausted hero?
There’s a version of you that people rely on. The one who steps in. Figures it out. Keeps things moving. Handles what others drop. You’ve built a reputation on it. And for a long time, it worked. Until it didn’t. Let’s name the pattern you might be living in: The Exhausted Hero. Because if you
Beyond Goal Setting: What I’ve Learned About Leading Yourself by Design
It’s been a few years since I last published a new blog post here. That pause wasn’t intentional. It was simply life doing what life does. It took me in new directions, deepened some priorities, and quietly reshaped how I see my work, my purpose, and even myself, and what it truly means to be
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Is Your Team a Committee in Disguise? – Diagnose the Problem and Get Your Teamwork On Track
If you consider the teamwork and teams that you have been on, it is likely you could easily assess which were high performing and which were dysfunctional. As with anything involving human relationships, there are a multitude of dysfunctions in teamwork is possible. However, there is one distinction I have consistently used to help turn
How Often Do You Ask Questions About Listening?
To learn how good a listener you are, design some questions about listening you want to reflect on; and try asking the people you are communicating with on a regular basis for feedback. Let people know you want to get better at listening.
Are You Being Strategic?
Does success mean checking things off of your “to do” list or project plan, or does success mean achieving an outcome or result that is strategic and matters to you or others?
How Do You Know You Are Leading Effectively?
Perhaps the simplest way to know you are leading effectively is that you and your team are producing the results you promise to your organization. However, being an effective leader is about more than just producing results with and through others. After all, you can produce results when people work long grueling hours that over time leave them feeling exhausted
Why Authenticity is the New Charisma
Charisma can be one of those things that you “know it when you see it or feel it.” One definition of charisma is “a personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people”. It seems that some people naturally possess more of it than others. Charisma can draw people to
How to Focus Better at Work
Focus at work is something I really have to work at personally, so I am always looking for resources on this topic. One of my big challenges is dealing with external distractions, but if I am being honest, a big part of being able to focus better at work is entirely internal. Here