By Dean Newlund The Invisible Weight of Competence There is a quiet moment that arrives in the life of every committed leader. It does not come with a formal announcement or a clear signal. It emerges slowly, almost imperceptibly, as responsibility accumulates around them. What once felt manageable begins to feel dense. Their role expands. […]
By Dean Newlund Lately, I’ve been sitting with a question that keeps returning to me: why does leadership feel heavier than it used to? The pace is faster. The stakes are higher. The space to pause, reflect, or even breathe feels smaller every year. AI has accelerated everything. Urgency has become the default operating system. […]
By Dean Newlund Most leaders spend years honing strategy, communication, and emotional intelligence. Yet there’s a part of the body that quietly determines whether any of those skills come through when the stakes are high. It’s not a mindset trick or a productivity hack. It’s a nerve—one that begins at the base of the brain […]
By Dean Newlund There’s a moment most of us experience—not once, but many times—when the momentum of our lives slows just enough for something more profound to be heard. It’s not a dramatic breakdown, not a billboard sign from the universe. It’s quiet. Almost imperceptible. A sense that something isn’t right or isn’t whole. That, while […]
By Dean Newlund Imagine knowing—at the very moment it happens—when your team leans forward with interest, drifts away, or silently checks out. Most leaders can only guess. We rely on surveys, town halls, and gut instinct, hoping the enthusiasm we sense in the room will carry forward. But too often it doesn’t. People nod politely, […]
By Dean Newlund Leadership used to be measured by output: what we achieved, how fast we moved, how many goals we hit. Today, the real measure is deeper. The question isn’t how much we’re doing, but how aware we are while we’re doing it. We live in an attention-deficit world—speeding through our days, skimming conversations, mistaking […]
For the first time in history, five generations are working side by side. Baby Boomers are extending their careers, Gen Xers are leading in senior roles, Millennials are now the largest part of the workforce, and Gen Z is redefining how and why work happens. According to Gallup, Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce […]
When we were asked to create a guide for new managers, we decided not to start with theory or trends. Instead, we reviewed data from dozens of Leadership 360 Assessments we’ve conducted for CEOs and senior leaders across healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofits, and tech. The patterns were unmistakable. Across industries, geography, and company size, CEOs consistently […]
By Dean Newlund. I’ve been looking forward to this conversation for over two years. On a recent episode of the Leadovation podcast, I finally sat down with my friend and former Zappos executive, Jamie Henriod. We’ve collaborated in the nonprofit world and had countless off-the-record talks about culture and leadership. But this one, focused on the intersection […]
By Dean Newlund. How Leaders Can Harness Artificial Intelligence Without Losing Their Humanity We’re in the midst of an AI gold rush. Across boardrooms and C-suites, leaders are urgently asking: What should we do with AI? But amid the excitement, most organizations are missing a critical point—AI doesn’t fix dysfunction; it exposes it. In this […]
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