A client of mine, Melissa, the CEO of a tech company in the healthcare sector, vented to me about a conversation she’d had with her CHRO, Ben. He came to her and said, “I’m hearing frustrations on the team about how decisions are getting made.” Having prided herself on being a transparent, inclusive leader (which she is), she was perplexed. Ben went on to share several stories of team members who’d learned about critical decisions that affected them from their peers, not from Melissa.

You have to lay off a team member, deliver hard feedback in a tense meeting, or end the day absorbing the resignation of a top performer. No crisis. Just another Tuesday.

Each of these moments is emotionally taxing on its own. But taken together—and set against a backdrop of performance pressures, shifting workplace norms, and the unrelenting emotional labor of guiding and supporting teams through crises and global turmoil—they quietly add up.

If you’re being called in for interviews but don’t get the job, it’s possible that something you’re doing is raising red flags, causing the interviewer to question your suitability for the position. A recent survey found that the most concerning red flags range from obvious mistakes like lying, to more subtle slip-ups that job seekers might not even be aware of. The most concerning behavior from job candidates — by a significant margin — is dishonesty, with 63% of hiring managers saying they view it as the biggest red flag. Hiring managers see rude language or behavior as a red flag in potential hires. Despite your technical skills being strong, hiring managers are often also judging your interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Criticizing or badmouthing previous employers is also a red flag with 62% of executives viewing badmouthing as a deal-breaker. Lastly, being unprepared can harm you in more ways than simply not knowing about the company’s background. For example, being inadequately prepared can cause some people to panic during interviews, leading them to overtalk and fill the silence with unnecessary details. Use these tips to support your interview preparation and have a better chance at getting an offer.

(briandoddonleadership.com)

4 Leadership Styles in Church: Strategies to Navigate Them

(briandoddonleadership.com)

Sadly, I have worked with numerous leaders who disqualified themselves from leadership and no matter how well they started or what heights they achieved, needlessly did not finish well.

I thought a lot about that this lately.  Let me explain.

Leadership is a dynamic and ever-changing responsibility.  As the world evolves, so do the challenges leaders face.  In 2025, the pace of change and complexity in the marketplace are higher than ever, making leadership both exhilarating and daunting.  While every leader steps into their role with the hope of success, many fall short.  Here are ten reasons why leaders fail in 2025 and how you can avoid these pitfalls.

The following are five things novice leaders do that advance leaders don’t:

Novice leaders minimize experience, advanced leaders don’t.

On Thursday, May 24th, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2 in double overtime in the NHL’s Western Conference Finals.  It is the Oilers second trip to the conference finals in three seasons.  Their experience is proving valuable.

What Really Motivates You at Work?

A Warning To The Smartest Person In The Room (briandoddonleadership.com)

So you are the smartest person in the room.  You know who you are.  We all know who you are.  Take pride in that.  You have worked hard.  You are intuitive and insightful.  But be careful.

The smartest person in the room always falls into one of two categories – the ones we like and the ones we do not.  Let’s take a look at the difference:

The Smartest Person In The Room We Like

What Needs to Change About DEI — and What Doesn’t

Organizations and their leaders have endeavored to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations in one way or another since the mid-1960s, even as the sociopolitical climate around these efforts has fluctuated.