Next Generation Leadership

Hate is a strong word. I know. But in this case, I am standing by my choice of words. In 30 years of experience talking to people who value and are trying to create more inclusion, I have not found evidence that the pros outweigh the cons of using anonymous feedback to solve organizational challenges–from performance management to climate. This is what I hear:  “My direct reports were given a...

While thinking about all that you are and have to bring to your clients, colleagues, and employers, consider how they know you add value. My assertion here is that being awesome isn’t enough. Someone else, and hopefully someone who matters, must know exactly what you bring and how it makes you indispensable—irreplaceable if you will. Seth Godin, author and thought leader, describes irreplaceable...

My kitchen table is spilling over with textbooks, lined paper, construction paper, a shoe box, some old and unwanted papers mixed in with some of my favorite magazines, a bowl of grapes, several tumblers of water, an iPad, a baseball cap, a hoodie, three #2 pencils and erasers (and of course eraser dust everywhere). And just a couple of feet away, my stove top is covered with pots and pans, field...

My son’s name is Shiloh. It has two meanings: “gift from God” and the other is “peaceful one.” I have no greater longing for my beloved son than to live a life filled with peace, every day with the full awareness of my gratitude for having him in my life. In addition to the meaning, I love that the word is simple, gender-neutral, not too common but still familiar. The process that I used to...

“Stretched thin” is the understatement of the decade! I have email, Zoom, Teams, Slack, DM, SM, Facetime, and on every device, my laptop, desktop, watch, phone, even Amazon’s Alexa talks to me. Communication is coming from everywhere. Preposterously, people sending it to me–to all of us–expect us to keep up with it and to be able to ingest, process and respond, quickly nonetheless.  Though it’s...

The 1930s United States, particularly the Jim Crow South, was filled with racism and overt segregation. Stereotypes and hate-filled messages were everywhere, including the major channels used to influence cultural thinking, like Hollywood. The blockbuster movie, Birth of a Nation, outrightly claimed “a good lynching.” Others followed, with messages that shaped the discourse and psyche of...

Well-being is so much more than yoga classes and spa days (though I love both!). It’s become a central theme in organizations, particularly over the past 3 years. I distinctly remember those sleepless nights at the beginning of the pandemic. I designed our Well-Being and Morale course to provide research-based guidance by trained mental health experts and easy-to-incorporate practices, exactly as...

I recently read a book that changed my life. I have about a dozen books that I describe this way, including Pedagogy of the Oppressed, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Ishmael, and The Artist’s Way, read in that order and re-read many times over the years. The newest addition to the list is The Surrender Experiment: My Journey Into Life’s Perfection, by Michael Singer. Singer is a self-described...

By DeEtta Jones For people keen on maintaining relevance and thriving in the ever-changing world of work, the prioritization of lifelong learning is undeniable. On the other hand, most of us are pretty busy. Our discretionary time is limited, and increasingly we are choosing more balance in our lives. Recognizing these factors, a cohort learning experience might be the right fit for you and your...

Often the most ardent spokespeople for valuing diversity and creating equity in our systems also possess a determination that is rooted in wanting to help “those disenfranchised people”, or “that marginalized group.” The assumption is that “those ____ people” (fill in the blank: Black, Asian, Gay, differently abled, etc.) need “our” help. With all of the best intentions, this perspective—and...