How Introverts Build Executive Presence: From Quiet IT Guy to Closing Keynote
Executive presence for introverts is not a personality trait reserved for natural extroverts. It is a learned set of skills built on behavioral self-awareness, foundational communication fundamentals, the ability to read a room in real time, and a mindset shift around how others actually perceive you. The introverted senior leaders I coach consistently outperform their […]
Why High Performers Fail at Leadership (I Was the Perfect Hire and the Wrong Kind of Leader)
High performers often fail in their first leadership role because the skills that earned them the promotion are not the skills the role actually requires. The transition from individual contributor to leader is an identity shift, not a skill upgrade, and it comes down to three things: redefining what hard work means, treating kindness as […]
Why Your Boss Stopped Advocating for You: 3 Reasons Executive Sponsorship Goes Quiet
You got passed over for another meeting. Then you find out you were passed over for several meetings on a project you’re going to be doing all of the work for. If your boss used to put you in front of executives and the invitations have quietly stopped showing up, your executive advocacy has gone […]
C-Suite Communication Skills: 5 Skills Every Executive Must Master
Most senior leaders underestimate how much their communication is holding them back. The technical skills that got you to director or VP will not carry you into the C-suite. What gets you there is how you communicate, how you read a room, and how you land your point with the people sitting at the executive […]
You Don’t Need the Title: How to Lead With Influence, Not Authority
Authority is assigned. Influence is earned. If you’re waiting for a promotion to finally get people to listen, you’re waiting on the wrong thing. The Short Answer You don’t need a title to lead. You need influence, and influence is built through six habits: earning credibility beyond your own lane, building trust in small moments, staying […]
How to Get Promoted from Director to Vice President (It Had Nothing to Do with Technology)
Ten years ago, I made a transition that I have barely talked about since. I have spent years documenting what happened after I became a VP, the jump from IT to HR, building out ESG, leading safety and transportation. But I hardly ever talk about how I actually got to the VP level in the […]
Why You Didn’t Get the Promotion (And What You Did to Yourself)
Let me be straight with you. If you were passed over for that VP or C-suite role, there is a good chance you did it to yourself. That is a hard thing to hear. But the sooner you accept it, the sooner you can change it. I have had this conversation more times than I […]
5 Leadership Lessons from Jocko Willink
In 2016, I was an introverted IT guy who had just been handed the keys to an HR department. I had no background in it, and no obvious reason to succeed. Around that same time, I came across Jocko Willink. His podcast, his book Extreme Ownership, the work he and Leif Babin were doing at […]
How to Actually Get C-Suite Access (And Not Waste It)
Most people blow it the moment they get in the room with a C-suite executive. Here’s how not to be that person. After working alongside executives through 48 acquisitions and two IPOs, I’ve watched talented people fumble opportunities with senior leaders over and over again. Not because they weren’t capable, but because they approached it […]
Building a Business from Scratch: Key Lessons and Strategies
Starting a business is both exciting and extremely challenging. After a year or reading, researching, and testing, here are the essential lessons and strategies I’ve learned over the past nine months to help you successfully launch and grow your own company. Building Your Brand Your brand exists in both the virtual and physical realms. It’s […]
