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Tag: leadership advice

  • Connections in the Workplace Aren’t Just a Nice Bonus. They’re a Competitive Advantage

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    In today’s hybrid and remote workplaces, office friendships are becoming increasingly rare. More problematic, the decline of these connections signals more than just a shift in workplace culture. It’s a serious challenge for employers. 

    A recent Fast Company article describes the shift as such, “For centuries, work has been more than a paycheck. It’s been a space where people collaborate, forge meaningful bonds, and find belonging.” But today, that’s changing. Gallup research backs this up. Only 20 percent of U.S. employees report having a best friend at work. That number has been steadily declining, and it matters for everyone, company leaders and owners included. 

    Strong friendships at work drive engagement, loyalty, psychological safety, and retention. Without these connections, companies struggle to build cohesive teams, sustain productivity, and create cultures where people want to stay. 

    What does work when it comes to building meaningful bonds among employees? If leaders study environments where deep friendships tend to flourish—military units, dormitories, sports teams—they can reverse-engineer the key ingredients that reliably produce connection. They can also begin to rebuild the workplace as a place where people belong. 

    Where deep friendships form and why 

    Studies across social psychology and organizational behavior point to a set of high-trust environments where meaningful relationships form quickly and last for years. These include: 

    1. Military units and boot camps
      Why it works: Shared risk, physical hardship, and team interdependence create rapid trust and lasting loyalty.
      Result: Many veterans describe lifelong bonds forged during service. 
    2. College dormitories and campus living
      Why it works: Constant proximity and shared life transitions promote openness and frequent interaction.
      Result: Friends made in college often endure across decades and life stages. 
    3. Sports teams and performing arts ensembles
      Why it works: Collective performance, emotional highs and lows, and shared goals strengthen interpersonal ties.
      Result: Teammates frequently report feeling like “family.” 
    4. Religious small groups and faith communities
      Why it works: Shared values, vulnerability, and consistent rituals promote emotional intimacy and support.
      Result: Many people rely on these communities for lifelong friendship and belonging. 

    What these environments have in common  

    First, people spend a lot of time together. Frequent interaction creates familiarity and builds trust. Second, there’s a shared goal and sense of purpose that pulls people together and gives their effort meaning. Third, they go through challenges side by side. Facing stress, uncertainty, or pressure as a group creates a powerful sense of unity.  

    Next, these environments make room for honesty. When people feel safe being themselves, real connection follows. Finally, there’s joy. Fun moments, shared jokes, and celebrations of success that strengthen bonds and leave lasting impressions. 

    Taken together, these ingredients do more than build successful teams. They build lasting relationships, and there’s no reason they can’t exist at work. With intention and structure, companies can foster the same kind of connection and benefit from the trust, loyalty, and performance that come with it. 

    Real friendships drive results  

    Years ago, I worked with the Zambian Consolidated Copper Mines, with a workforce of more 50,000 unionized miners. The goal was simply to increase copper production to meet critical delivery targets and consequently raise cash to pay down a huge amount of debt. We identified five bottleneck operations and created improvement teams for each. Teams that achieved throughput improvements earned self-funded bonuses. 

    Four of the five teams thrived. They collaborated, succeeded, and celebrated their bonuses together. One team failed, despite their best intentions. Why? Team size. At 2,000 members, it was simply too large to allow the trust, camaraderie, and proximity that fuel human motivation. The other, smaller teams had formed real friendships. That made the difference. 

    A repeatable pattern for connection and performance 

    Throughout the years, I’ve worked with hundreds more companies and a clear pattern for excellence emerged: 

    • Gather input on key challenges including employee surveys 
    • Align around a focus for improvement 
    • Make progress transparent to everyone 
    • Establish team-based, self-funded bonuses that reward measurable success 
    • Celebrate wins together, publicly and meaningfully 
    • Explore new areas of focus 
       

    Sound familiar? It should. These steps align closely with the five drivers of economic engagement—a proven approach to increasing both productivity and connection. 

    Economic engagement helps companies build stronger relationships and stronger results by making employees true stakeholders in the business. It turns hired hands into partners. Here’s how: 

    1. Customer engagement connects owners and workers with the noble goal of serving customers by providing what customers value.  
    2. Economic understanding aligns owners and workers with a common understanding of what defines success for the company.  
    3. Economic transparency enables owners and workers to see how the company is doing and learn from successes and failures.  
    4. Economic compensation gives owners and workers a shared stake in the results, making them economic partners in the company. 
    5. Employee participation leads to lower turnover and better relationships between owners, managers, and employees.  

    These five pillars generate engagement, profits, and friendship. As employees work side-by-side toward common goals with transparency and shared rewards, bonds naturally form. 

    Want better results? Build better relationships 

    The truth is that a workplace without connection is a workplace at risk of disengagement, turnover, and burnout. The solution isn’t a ping-pong table or a forced happy hour. Its structure, strategy, and shared ownership. Friendship, in this sense, isn’t just a nice bonus. It’s a competitive advantage. 

    As Harvard Business Review noted, employees who have strong social connections at work are more productive, more resilient, and more loyal. Data from Gallup shows that those with a “best friend” at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their job. 

    Leaders in the workplace have spent decades chasing productivity, engagement, and profitability. What they may have missed is more human. If your workplace is low on friendship, don’t settle. Rethink how your teams work together. Rethink how they share goals, risks, wins, and rewards. The best way to build it isn’t through perks or platitudes. It’s through economic engagement. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Bill Fotsch

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  • This Wellness Entrepreneur’s Story Proves the Power of the Pivot

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    Shizu Okusa, the Wall Street alumna turned wellness entrepreneur behind Apothékary, which Okusa described as “Mother nature’s pharmacy,” shared on Yahoo Finance‘s The Big Idea about how to jump into change with both feet. Everyone will have to pivot at some point, whether they are forced to through a firing or layoff or if they are inspired to start a new company. In fact, a recent survey found that 50 percent of U.S. workers are actively considering switching industries. The key is to use the pivot to grow, evolve, and take the risk!  

    Recognize when it is time for change.

    Okusa built her early career in the high-pressure world of finance before realizing it no longer aligned with her aspirations. That clarity pushed her to explore her Japanese roots and passion for herbal medicine. The result was Apothékary, a plant-based wellness brand now carried by major retailers like Ulta and Sprouts.  

    Knowing when your current path is unsustainable is the first step toward making a bold shift. “There’s a visceral reaction in your body when you just know after day in day out, and you show up to work and you’re not present,” Okusa explained. 

    Treat pivots as part of the entrepreneurial journey.

    Okusa shared that entrepreneurship is constant evolution. “You have to go into business knowing that you’re going to pivot,” Okusa said.  

    From sourcing ingredients to scaling distribution, she has reframed pivots as a natural part of running a business rather than signs of failure. That mindset shows up in Apothékary’s journey. The company launched with herbal powder blends, but customer feedback was not exactly complimentary. Instead of ignoring it, Okusa rebranded and pivoted into tinctures that were easier to use and more palatable while still potent. 

    Her biggest pivot, though, came earlier. Before Apothékary, she co-founded JRINK, a cold-pressed juice brand. When that business was acquired, she shifted focus to her own health struggles and her Japanese roots in herbal medicine. That decision became the foundation for Apothékary’s plant-based wellness products. 

    These examples underscore Shizu’s point that pivots aren’t setbacks, they’re part of the path forward, and you should keep going. That mindset shift can help founders approach obstacles with flexibility and optimism.  

    Authenticity is key. 

    For those considering a career change, Okusa recommended researching the space and identifying what makes your offerings unique. That might be testing an idea as a side project, exploring funding options, or simply talking to others who have made similar transitions.  

    “Do everything and work for someone who you think is going to be in the industry or in the space you want to start your business in and learn it all, even for free,” Okusa said.  

    That kind of groundwork helps entrepreneurs uncover real problems worth solving. “You lead with the problem and then the solution comes forward,” she added. One real-life example is to look at the comments on your ads. 

    Career pivots aren’t easy, but Okusa’s journey shows they are possible with clarity, flexibility, and intentional steps. Whether you are moving industries or redefining your business strategy, change is less about the perfect moment and more about authenticity. 

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    Elizabeth Gore

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  • Why Saying No Is Key to Being a Highly Effective Leader

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    Imagine approving every request that crosses your desk, then discovering you’re booked until 2045. For some good leaders, saying no simply and clearly is just hard. Download a copy of my Saying No guide here. The truth is that saying no when it’s true and necessary is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. It is the way of love-powered leaders. It will also help you create clarity, get everyone focused, and build trust, all of which make for better results.  

    Are you good at saying no?

    When you rarely say no, you end up overcommitting, spreading yourself and your team thin, and losing sight of what truly matters. You no longer have the time and space to lead effectively. There are two common traps that keep executives from saying no and being as impactful as possible. First is the desire to please. Second is the lack of clear priorities. Consider if these apply to you. 

    Trap 1: A desire to please  

    The Problem: You avoid saying no because you worry about being perceived as uncooperative, rude, or selfish. Your fear of disappointing people or damaging relationships blocks you from setting boundaries. The more you try to please everyone, the more you spread yourself too thin, and your ability to focus on strategic priorities diminishes. 

    The Fix: Recognize the importance of boundaries for both you and those around you. Practice saying no respectfully, starting with low-risk situations. You don’t need to apologize or offer excuses—simply acknowledge the request, explain why you cannot take it on, and offer an alternative, if possible. 

    The Win: By saying no confidently, you can create a culture of truth-telling and respect within your organization. Others will appreciate your honesty, and you’ll foster stronger relationships based on trust and clarity. You’ll also reclaim time and energy for the things that truly align with your mission and vision. 

    Trap 2: Lack of clear priorities 

    The Problem: Without a clear sense of what’s most important, it’s easy to say yes to anything that comes your way. You make reactive decisions instead of strategic ones. This causes overwhelm, confuses your team about what really matters, and lets truly important projects fall through the cracks. 

    The Fix: Define your top priorities, those that align with your vision and long-term strategy. It should be a maximum of three. Use them as your decision-making filter when new requests or opportunities arise. If something doesn’t align with your priorities, say no and protect your time for what really matters. 

    The Win: When you say no to distractions, you make space for focused, high-impact work. You’ll have more energy and time to dedicate to the initiatives that move the needle, and your team will benefit from the clarity that comes with knowing where to focus their efforts. 

    3 powerful to improve your ability to say no 

    • Get clear on your priorities. Spend some time this week defining what truly matters to you and your organization. Ask yourself, “What are the three things I should be focusing on to drive the vision forward?” These become your filter for making decisions about where to spend your time. 
    • Practice saying no. Choose one situation where you’ve been avoiding taking a stand—agreeing to unnecessary meetings, under-delegating, or postponing tough decisions. Practice saying no with clarity and respect, even if it’s uncomfortable. Start small and build up your confidence. 
    • Regularly check your boundaries. Take a moment each week to assess how well you’re maintaining your boundaries. Are you overcommitting again? If so, recalibrate. Set a reminder to check in with your priorities and ask yourself if the new requests align with them. 

    Take your next steps now  

    The good news is that with the right strategies and tools, you can break free of the traps and make saying no a leadership superpower. Right now, identify one area where you’ve been saying yes too often. Make a conscious decision to say no. Reflect on how it feels to set that boundary and notice how it shifts your focus.  

    With every no, you’ll make more room for the right yes, for the things that truly matter. Saying no is empowering, and it’s a choice that leads to greater freedom and fulfillment, helping you become a more focused and impactful leader. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Moshe Engelberg

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  • Confidence in the Workplace Actually Starts With the Conversation in Your Head

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    Recently, I explored how communication habits can impact the confidence you feel and the confidence that others perceive. However, how you communicate with others isn’t the only piece of the confidence puzzle. What you say to yourself, your self-talk, is just as important. Here are three self-talk habits that might be hurting your confidence, and how to change them so they give you a boost instead.  

    You compare yourself with others.  

    I have a client who has over 20 years of experience in her field and a proven track record of success. However, that evidence alone isn’t enough to overcome her constant stream of diminishing self-talk. She compares herself with others, listing all the ways they have more experience, more advanced education, or more tenure at her company. The constant comparisons don’t really serve any productive purpose. They only make her feel inferior, which projects how she presents herself to others, too.  

    I didn’t advise my client to stop noticing others completely. However, instead of obsessing over what she’s lacking, I told my client that she could shift her focus to what she can emulate. If you find yourself comparing yourself with others, think of people you know who have qualities you admire, and think about what you can learn from them.  

    My client mentioned a senior executive at her company and explained that she’s a confident leader. I asked her to describe the behaviors that make her come across as confident. She explained that the senior executive is succinct when she speaks. She also doesn’t rush, and she puts others at ease with her sense of humor. By noticing these strengths and framing them as something to emulate, my client started to feel inspired instead of inferior.  

    You use negative self-talk when the pressure is on.  

    If you’re ever in a high-pressure situation—a pitch before investors, a presentation for a potential client—it can be easy for the nervous energy to lead to self-disparaging statements. While some people might insist that a little self-criticism is the boost of motivation they need, research shows that positive self-talk is more beneficial in the long run.  

    In 2009, a team of sports psychologists at the University of Thessaly studied athletes under pressure. They found that when players replaced negative self-talk with short motivational phrases, their confidence rose, their anxiety fell, and their performance improved. A simple mental script change shifted how they showed up in the moment. 

    If you’re having trouble finding the words to flip the script, think about reframing the nervous energy you feel. Challenges aren’t threats but opportunities. Instead of thinking “I’m anxious,” think “I’m excited.” Instead of “This is going to go badly,” think “I’ve done the prep, and I’m ready.” 

    You keep telling yourself old stories that are no longer true.

    Ten years ago, another one of my clients had the opportunity to present a proposal to his company’s senior leadership team. During the presentation, he was challenged by the company’s legal counsel, criticizing his work in front of the others. My client was humiliated, and he did his best to avoid the colleague—until, 10 years later, he found himself working alongside him on that very same senior leadership team.  

    While a decade has passed, when it comes to his perception of himself, my client is frozen in time. He still sees himself as that young, nervous leader, and his colleague as someone who doesn’t respect him. In fact, in recent feedback, his colleague described him as a “brilliant leader” he wishes he could collaborate more closely with. However, my client misses out on that opportunity by continually repeating a script that’s outdated and inaccurate. 

    These stories not only impact your work opportunities, but they even affect the way your brain operates. A 2021 brain-imaging study found that negative self-talk activated areas of the brain tied to self-criticism and stress, while positive self-talk engaged reward and motivation networks. Over time, repeating the negative patterns wore down motivation. So that mental track you play on repeat doesn’t just shape mood, it rewires how your brain approaches challenges. 

    Confidence starts with the voice in your own head. When you learn to notice unhelpful patterns and rewrite the script, you’re not only boosting your own sense of self, but you’re also shaping how others see you, too. The story you tell yourself becomes the story you live out loud. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Maya Hu-Chan

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  • Asked to Share Your Leadership Seat? Here’s How to Cope

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    Shared leadership is a trend that’s gaining global traction, with companies like Oracle and Netflix transitioning to a co-CEO model. While splitting leadership has benefits, it can also come with a heavy emotional toll, such as identity loss, as well as feelings of rejection, stress, and even grief. 

    If you’re facing a co-leadership challenge, you’re not alone. However, you can still hold onto your individual power and impart your values into the culture despite splitting roles. What’s important is that you do not lose your sense of self or the reason you stepped into leadership. Also, you should commit to radical self-inquiry to uncover and uproot the underlying causes of your reactions.  

    Deliberate self-injury  

    Every reaction has roots. As a leader and a human being, it’s your job to uncover those roots. Not so you can control your reactions, but rather to understand why they exist. With time, learn to pause and reflect before strong emotions govern your decisions. It’s not an exact formula; you will make mistakes. But you can start by asking yourself these questions:  

    • Am I afraid? Of what?  
    • Do I feel invalidated or threatened? Why? 
    • How do I see this partnership unfolding?  
    • Why do I feel threatened or angry?  
    • What truth is behind these emotions?  
    • Are my feelings based on past experiences? Are those experiences clouding the present?  
    • What will it take to find even ground and calmness? What would that look like?  
    • How can I get to a place where I am OK with this change?  

    I’ve never seen a leader find peace overnight. However, you can start to answer these questions and see if they lead to more questions. Shared leadership cannot exist without trust. Taking the time to pause and reflect will leave room for clear-headed decisions and future collaboration. However, it will require thought, reflection, and an understanding that the legacy you want to achieve is still attainable.  

    Letting go to grow 

    To let go sometimes means finding who you really are. It’s terrifying, but it’s also the place where you rise. Who you are as a leader does not have to change, even when you share space. There’s no attack on your values or what you bring to the table—the opposite may even be true. I’ve seen co-leaders claim respective spaces bigger and better than they had the capacity to do before.  

    Concepts that had no space or time to grow can now be claimed. Goals that might have been unattainable due to time constraints may now grow. The leadership role you once held may no longer be yours alone, but the person you are and the foundation you built still exist. Initial feelings of threat or rejection may be strong, but they will fade as you find your new footing.  

    Being asked to share your leadership space can be difficult, and it will take time to find a new flow. However, letting go to move forward doesn’t mean shrinking. It opens a space where both your influence and self-understanding can grow. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Jerry Colonna

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  • Elevate Your Presentation Skills With 7 Expert-Backed Tips

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    Are you looking to boost your formal presentation skills? Recently, I sat down with fellow Inc. columnist and communication coach Carmine Gallo on my podcast, Talk About Talk to discuss what separates exceptional communicators from everyone else.  

    I started my interview with Gallo with a thoughtful question: “Based on your research, who stands out as the most exceptional communicator?”  Gallo would know. If you’ve read Gallo’s books and articles on TEDTalks, Taylor Swift, Tim Cook, and Warren Buffett, you know he’s a master at researching real-world patterns in communication excellence. “In my opinion, still, the world’s greatest brand storyteller was Steve Jobs,” Gallo replied.  

    If you haven’t watched Jobs’s 2008 unveiling of the iPhone, Gallo and I both encourage you to do so. Note the storytelling, the power pauses, the simple slides, the dramatic black backdrop, and, of course, the iconic black turtleneck. Certainly, Jobs’s communication skills are something everyone can aspire to. But where do you to start? Whether you’re delivering a speech or leading an important meeting, here are five key tips from my interview with Gallo that you can use right now to elevate your formal presentation skills. 

    1. Be generous by being selective. 

    Gallo spoke a lot about the power of minimalism and focus. This is about precision and brevity. Gallo’s shorthand for why this works is that great communicators have the courage to leave things out. “They all had the courage to keep it simple,” he said. 

    When coaching my executive clients, I often reference the irony here. While many people believe generosity means sharing everything they know, ironically, it’s the shorter, tighter messages that are most generous. This is about being courageous and being a minimalist. Think of Jobs’s slides with few or no words. 

    The TED ethos is instructive. Audiences don’t want everything. Rather, they want the one big thing that matters and will make an impact. When you cut volume, you improve the value of your message. That’s respect for your audience. 

    2. Start at 30,000 feet. Then, drill down. 

    Gallo’s point here was a new one for me, and it’s something critical for anyone who communicates about complicated products or processes. A typical example could be in the tech space, a complex financial transaction, or introducing a new product. Consider again Jobs’s unveiling of the iPhone. According to Gallo, most leaders suffer the “curse of knowledge.” They start in the middle, wrongly assuming shared context. Gallo’s fix is to earn the right to go deep by framing the big picture first. 

    “People tend to make things far more complicated than they should be. Because you’re not starting from the big picture, you’re starting in the middle,” he explained. “Instead, start at the top, at the 30,000-foot level. Then, drill down.” Try this and you’ll notice immediate benefits such as fewer clarifying questions, faster decisions, and a calmer room. 

    3. Make it familiar with analogies. 

    When ideas are new or complex, analogies are a leader’s shortcut to clarity. Jeff Bezos popularized the flywheel. Buffett’s letters created the moat. A crisp comparison lets people get it and remember it. For example: “It’s like X, but Y.” Test for accuracy and resonance. One strong metaphor can do more work than five charts. 

    “It’s like a castle and moat. That means it’s hard to enter,” Gallo explained further. “That came from Warren Buffett. He first wrote that in a shareholder letter about 20 years ago and now everybody uses it. It’s shorthand, ‘We like that stock. There’s a moat there.’”  

    Gallo’s message is simple: If you have an idea that’s new, unfamiliar, and somewhat complicated, find a familiar comparison to make it more relatable. “We can call it an analogy or a metaphor,” he added. “I don’t care what you call it, but find a familiar comparison because that’s how people will remember it.” 

    4. Let slides support your story—not the other way around. 

    Jobs’s presence onstage when he launched the iPhone showcased him as an orator and storyteller. The slides supported his story. Bezos went even further in meetings, as I learned when I read Gallo’s book, The Bezos Blueprint. Bezos made a rule for meetings at Amazon. He outright banned slides in favor of pre-issued narrative memos. 

    As Gallo put it, “If you are using slides or visual material, have the confidence to tell the story and then let your slides complement the story.” When you give a presentation, you are the storyteller, not the slides. Try minimalist slides and watch attention snap back to you, the presenter and storyteller. 

    5. Build confidence the way athletes do. 

    When I asked Gallo if he had any hacks for building confidence for formal presentations, I thought he’d talk about the benefits of deep breathing and positive self-talk. Instead, he highlighted the one thing that consistently reduces anxiety.  

    “There’s only one tactic that I’ve come across that works to alleviate stress, and it’s the same tactic that professional athletes use before the big game, that law enforcement or military use, or that anyone who must execute something under high pressure uses,” Gallo explained. “They practice that skill thousands of times.” 

    It’s not just about rehearsing out loud before your speech. It’s also about adding mild stressors and practicing being nervous. Timer on, two colleagues watching, a tough first question. 

    Go out of your way to put yourself into situations that make you feel anxious. Raise your hand to lead every meeting and present every talk. That’s what high-performance athletes do. They practice hard until competition day comes, and muscle memory sets in. Practice does make perfect. 

    Minimalism is key in communication. 

    Based on the insights he shared from Jobs’s stagecraft, Bezos’s memos, and Buffett’s analogies, Gallo’s message was clear. In terms of the message, if you want to be an exceptional communicator, you need to be a minimalist. Highlight a focused takeaway, provide context at 30,000 feet before drilling down, and use analogies to make unfamiliar concepts feel familiar. In terms of delivery, let slides support, not tell, your story, and fuel your confidence through practice, just like an elite athlete. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Andrea Wojnicki

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