Leadership Breakthroughs Blog https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com Thought Leadership on Leadership Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:47:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/favicon-150x150.png Chicago Executive Coaching https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com 32 32 Discovering Flow State Part 2: Who Do You Need to Become? https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-2/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-2/#respond Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:36:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/?p=21892
Listen to the Audio Version of Discovering Flow State Part 2: Who Do You Need to Become?

About This Two-Part Series on Flow State

In Part 1, we explored how timing, challenge, focus, ritual, and purpose can create conditions that make flow more likely.

But leaders do not always have the luxury of arranging the perfect conditions. Some of our best thinking is required in the middle of a conversation, an unexpected problem, or a decision that cannot wait.

That raises a deeper question:

Who do I need to become to experience flow more frequently?

When the Moment Finds You

In Part 1, I shared something that occasionally happens during a coaching session.  I become completely absorbed in the conversation. I am listening, recognizing patterns, connecting ideas, and responding to what is unfolding in the moment.  Then I make an observation that causes the client to stop and say:

“That was profound. Can you repeat it?”

Sometimes I can’t. At least, I cannot repeat it with the same wording, timing, or impact.  The thought seemed spontaneous.  But was it?

It may have appeared in that moment, but it was drawing upon a lifetime of leadership experience, years of coaching, study of human behavior, thousands of conversations, mistakes made, lessons learned, and patterns recognized along the way.  I am not consciously sorting through all of that while the client is speaking. Much of it is simply available.  That is what makes spontaneous flow especially interesting.  The moment may not have been planned. But the ability to respond to it was being developed long before it arrived.

The moment may be spontaneous. The readiness for it is not.

Flow State Is Not a Light Switch

Part 1 focused on creating the conditions that make flow more likely. That matters.  But a quiet office, a protected calendar, and a silenced phone cannot supply the skill, judgment, or experience the work requires.  Flow is not a light switch.

We cannot simply block 90 minutes, eliminate distractions, perform a ritual, and expect our best thinking to arrive on schedule.  The conditions matter. So does the capacity we bring into them.  That capacity is developed over time.

Through repetition, feedback, self-awareness, discipline, experience, and patience, we gradually become more capable of handling difficult work without consciously managing every part of it.  Eventually, some things that once required intense concentration begin to feel more natural.  That is where the idea of proficiency becomes important.

From Conscious Effort to Unconscious Competence

When we first learn something new, even simple tasks can require a surprising amount of concentration.

We think through each step. We make mistakes. We correct them. We repeat the process.

Over time, with enough practice, some of that effort begins to disappear.

In an earlier Leadership Breakthroughs post, I described this progression as moving toward unconscious competence—the point where we can “go because we know.”  That does not mean we stop thinking.  It means we no longer need to consciously manage every part of the process.

A skilled driver does not think through every movement involved in making a turn. An experienced presenter does not consciously calculate every pause or gesture. And in coaching, I am not mentally sorting through a checklist of listening techniques while the client is speaking.  That frees attention for what is happening now.  And that may be one of the reasons proficiency supports flow.

Leader in Flow State

When the mechanics of a skill no longer consume all of our conscious attention, more of that attention becomes available for the challenge in front of us.  But proficiency alone is not enough.  A leader can become highly competent and still be bored, distracted, or going through the motions.

So the real question becomes:

What allows proficiency to become full engagement?

Experience Builds Pattern Recognition

Experience adds another layer.  Over time, leaders begin to recognize patterns that were not obvious earlier in their careers.  A conversation starts to drift, and something feels off.

  • A candidate gives an answer that sounds right, but somehow does not fit.
  • A strategy looks reasonable on paper, yet an experienced leader sees a weakness others have missed.

We sometimes call this intuition.  But intuition is not magic. Often, it is experience working faster than conscious thought.  The more situations we encounter, the more patterns we have available to recognize. And when we reflect on those experiences—what worked, what did not, and why—we give ourselves more to draw upon the next time.  Of course, experience alone is no guarantee of wisdom.  There is a difference between having twenty years of experience and having one year of experience twenty times.  The value comes from noticing, learning, adjusting, and adding to what we know.

That accumulated knowledge can become especially powerful during flow state. We are no longer searching consciously for every answer. Connections begin to emerge from what we have already learned.  Which leads to another question:

How well do you understand what you naturally bring to those moments?

Know What You Naturally Bring

Experience gives us more to draw upon. Self-awareness helps us recognize what is already there.  Leaders are often highly aware of what their jobs require. They may be less aware of the strengths they naturally bring to those demands.

  • When are you at your best?
  • What kinds of challenges absorb you?
  • Are you most engaged when you are solving, influencing, creating, organizing, teaching, deciding, or connecting? 
  • What seems to come naturally to you that others find difficult?

Those questions matter because flow is personal. The conditions that help one leader become fully engaged may do very little for another.  We are also sometimes the last people to recognize our own strengths. What feels ordinary to us may be anything but ordinary to someone else.  That is one reason I use self-discovery assessments in my coaching work. They can help leaders better understand their behavioral strengths, motivations, and the soft-skill talents they may already be using without much conscious thought.

Greater self-awareness does not guarantee flow.  But it can help us recognize where we are most likely to become fully engaged—and where further development may be needed.

Coaching Conversation in Flow state

Discipline Builds the Capacity

Self-awareness helps us recognize our strengths. Discipline helps us develop them.  In Part 1, discipline showed up in a practical way: starting before we feel ready, protecting our time, and staying with the work long enough for deeper engagement to become possible.

Here, the role of discipline is different.  It is what keeps us practicing when a skill still feels awkward. It keeps us learning when progress is slower than we would like. It helps us seek feedback, make adjustments, and repeat the process until what once required conscious effort begins to feel more natural.  That matters because flow often depends on capabilities that have been developed long before the moment arrives.

We may admire someone who appears calm, intuitive, and fully present under pressure. What we do not see are the years of repetition, mistakes, feedback, and correction that made that response possible. Flow may feel effortless.  Becoming capable of that effortlessness is not.  And that requires patience as much as discipline.

Patience With the Development Process

There is often an inconvenient stretch between understanding what to do and being able to do it naturally.  Leaders can be especially impatient with that stretch.  Once we understand a concept intellectually, we may expect ourselves to apply it immediately. But knowing is not yet being.

  • A difficult conversation may still feel awkward.
  • A new way of listening may still require conscious effort.
  • A different approach to decision-making may initially slow us down rather than speed us up.

That does not mean the development is failing.  It may simply mean we are still in the conscious stage of learning.  The temptation is to abandon the effort because it does not yet feel natural. But if we stay with it, practice it, reflect on it, and keep adjusting, the capability can gradually become more available without so much conscious effort.  That matters for flow.  The more mental energy we must devote to managing the mechanics of a skill, the less attention remains for the challenge itself.

So perhaps one of the less glamorous requirements for becoming more flow-ready is simply patience.  Patience long enough to let practice become proficiency.

Becoming More Flow-Ready

If flow were simply a matter of technique, we could stop here.

Find your best time. Remove distractions. Set a meaningful challenge. Practice long enough to become proficient.

Useful advice. But incomplete.

Flow also depends on what we have developed in ourselves before the moment arrives.

That may include:

  • Greater awareness of our strengths

  • The discipline to keep developing them

  • Patience with the learning process

  • The ability to recognize when emotion or self-judgment is pulling us away from the moment

  • Enough experience to recognize patterns without consciously sorting through every possibility

  • The confidence to trust informed intuition when appropriate

None of this happens overnight.  Which brings us back to the deeper question behind this second part:

Who do I need to become to experience flow more frequently?

Perhaps the most useful starting point is not to chase flow itself.

Think instead about a time when you were completely absorbed in meaningful work.

  • What were you doing?
  • What strengths were you using?
  • What seemed to come naturally?
  • What had taken years to develop?
  • And what capability, if strengthened, might make that kind of engagement more available to you in the future?

Choose one.  Then work on becoming better at it.

The Moment May Be Spontaneous. The Readiness Is Not.

When I make an observation during a coaching session that seems to arrive from nowhere, it really does not come from nowhere.  It comes from experience. Study. Mistakes. Curiosity. Listening. Practice. Reflection. And thousands of conversations that came before that one.  The sentence may be spontaneous.  The readiness for it was built over time.  That may be the larger lesson of flow state.

We can create better conditions for it. We can learn more about ourselves. We can develop greater proficiency, discipline, and patience.  Then, occasionally, something happens.  We stop trying so hard to perform and become fully engaged in the work itself.  And when that happens, flow can be exhilarating—not only because we may do some of our best work, but because doing it can feel deeply fulfilling.

Flow helps us perform. Purpose helps us decide what deserves that performance.

So rather than asking only: How do I get into flow?  The better question is:  

Who do I need to become so I am more ready when the next moment arrives?

Read or Lisen to Finding Flow - Part 1
]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-2/feed/ 0 Finding Flow State: What Makes Your Best Work Possible? https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-1/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-1/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:15:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=7372

A Two-Part Exploration of Flow

This is Part 1 of a two-part Leadership Breakthroughs series on Finding Flow.

  • Here in Part 1, we will explore how to create the conditions that make flow more likely.
  • Part 2 examines the deeper developmental question: Who do I need to become to experience flow more frequently?

Listen to the Audio Version of

Finding Flow State: What Makes Your Best Work Possible?

Why Does Flow Matter?

Leaders are expected to think clearly, solve difficult problems, communicate well, and make sound decisions—often while managing a steady stream of interruptions.  Flow represents the opposite of fragmented attention. It is a state in which we become deeply engaged in work that challenges us, uses our abilities, and holds our attention long enough for our best thinking to emerge.  In flow, we may become more creative, focused, and productive. Just as important, the work itself can feel more satisfying. We are not simply forcing ourselves through another task. We are fully involved in what we are doing.

For leaders, the benefits extend beyond personal performance. The quality of our attention influences the quality of our decisions, conversations, judgment, and impact on the people we lead.  Finding flow more often offers the possibility of doing better work while finding greater fulfillment in doing it. But flow cannot simply be ordered up on demand.

So what can you do to make it more likely? 

Leader in Flow state

When Do You Do Your Best Work?

You likely know whether you’re a morning person, an after-lunch person, a night owl, or something in between. That’s a start. You can use that insight to plan demanding activities for the times when you have the most energy and focus.

John Hughes, in an October 2018 post on Flow State, suggests three practical ways to improve your odds of getting in the zone:

  1. Define what you want to accomplish in the short term.

  2. Set aside potential distractions.

  3. Take care of your physical needs beforehand.

Useful steps. But there’s no guarantee you will find yourself in that distinctive state where optimum productivity meets high-quality work.  To understand why, we first need to be clear about what flow really means.

What Do We Mean by “Flow”?

The most common use of the word flow doesn’t capture the essence of being in a highly productive state.  The two definitions for the common noun.  

  1. The action or fact of moving along in a steady, continuous stream.  i.e. “the flow of water into the pond”
  2. A steady, continuous stream of something.  i.e. “she eased the car into the flow of traffic”

The definition of Flow State from positive psychology offers more clarity. 

Flow State

Flow: A Psychological Description

“The mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.”

Wikipedia

This is what we often mean when we say someone is “in the zone.”

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi named and developed the concept of flow in the 1970s. He described a state of complete absorption in which our attention becomes concentrated, self-consciousness recedes, and even our sense of time may change.

The flow state shares many characteristics with hyperfocus. However, hyperfocus is not always described in a positive light. Some examples include spending “too much” time playing video games or becoming pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the overall assignment. In some cases, hyperfocus can “capture” a person, perhaps causing them to appear unfocused or to start several projects but complete few.

Flow is not simply working without interruption. It is becoming so fully engaged that action and awareness begin to merge.

Woman Leader in Flow State

When Flow Finds You

I occasionally experience flow during a coaching session.  I become so engaged in listening to the client, recognizing patterns, connecting ideas, and responding to what is happening in the moment that everything else seems to disappear.  Then I make an observation that stops the client.

“That was profound. Can you repeat that?”

Sometimes I can’t. At least, I can’t repeat it with the same wording, timing, or impact. The thought was not something I had prepared. It seemed to emerge from the conversation itself.

Was I simply drawing upon experience? Was my subconscious making connections faster than I could consciously explain them? Or had I entered a flow state?  Whatever the explanation, the experience reminds us that flow is not always something we schedule. It can emerge spontaneously during a conversation, a decision, a presentation, or an unexpected challenge.

Sometimes we prepare ourselves to find flow.  Sometimes flow finds us.

Getting "In The Zone"

In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time.

Named by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1975, the concept has been widely referred to across a variety of fields (and is particularly well recognized in occupational therapy), though the concept has been claimed to have existed for thousands of years under other names.

The flow state shares many characteristics with hyperfocus. However, hyperfocus is not always described in a positive light. Some examples include spending “too much” time playing video games or becoming pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the overall assignment. In some cases, hyperfocus can “capture” a person, perhaps causing them to appear unfocused or to start several projects, but complete few.

Improving Your Odds of Finding Flow

Spontaneous flow is wonderful when it happens. But waiting for it to find us is not much of a strategy.

In his video, “Can’t Focus? Watch This Before You Sit Down to Work,” Daniel Pink offers seven practical steps for creating conditions that make flow more likely. His approach is particularly useful for work we can plan, protect, and complete on our own—writing, analyzing, designing, solving a problem, or preparing for an important conversation.

What's Wrong with Your Setup?

Can it really be pursued?  Or, like happiness, is it something that needs to ensue?  Watch, listen and decide.

Pink’s Seven Steps to Flow

  1. Pick One Clear Specific Task. Define a precise, measurable target. Don’t be vague 
  2. Set the difficulty beyond your normal skill set and above boredom: Be stretched, not snapped.
  3. Work during your peak hours.  Know when you’re at your best and leverage those times. 
  4. Remove every obvious distraction.  Recognize that your phone is the most disruptive one.  
  5. Block 60- to 90-minute time slots.  Make an appointment with yourself and keep it.
  6. Start before you feel ready.  Avoid being a victim of procrastination.
  7. Track your visible progress.  Set up a checklist or scoreboard in advance.

Get Daniel Pink’s free Daily Flow Blueprint

Ritual and Purpose: Pink’s Two Multipliers

Pink describes ritual and purpose as multipliers because they strengthen the conditions created by the seven steps.

Ritual helps us begin.  A consistent time, place, or opening routine reduces the need to decide how to get started. It might mean closing unnecessary programs, silencing notifications, preparing materials in advance, or beginning with the same small action each time.  The ritual is not flow. It is an invitation to focus.  

Purpose helps us stay.

Pink recommends asking some version of:

Why does this matter?

That is a valuable question. But leaders may benefit from taking it further:

  • Who wins if I do this well?

  • What becomes possible?

  • Who benefits from my full engagement?

  • What may be lost if I avoid the work or do it poorly?

Sometimes we are motivated by the possibility of a positive outcome. At other times, recognizing the cost of inaction creates greater urgency.  A leader may not look forward to a difficult performance conversation. The positive possibility is that the employee improves, expectations become clearer, and the team becomes stronger. The negative consequence is that continued avoidance may worsen the problem, frustrate stronger performers, and make the eventual conversation even more difficult.  Occasionally, the inspiring vision of success is less motivating than recognizing the size of the approaching mess.  Purpose can pull us toward something worthwhile. It can also push us away from consequences we would rather avoid.  Either way, it gives our attention a reason to stay.

Must the Work Be Fulfilling?

We all have tasks we enjoy and tasks we would rather avoid. The question is not simply, “What am I good at?” It is also, “What kinds of work naturally engage me?”  In my case, I loathe bookkeeping and accounting tasks such as bank reconciliations. There have been times in my career when I was the only person qualified to do the job. I had the knowledge. What I lacked was any desire to jump in.  I learned to choose times when I had fewer distractions and could lock in and attack the work. Even then, getting started usually felt like deciding to jump into a cold swimming pool.  In hindsight, I might have benefited from following Daniel Pink’s seven steps. But would I ever have become a bank-reconciliation rock star?  Not without developing some reason to care.

Perhaps the task itself does not always need to be fulfilling. The challenge, the outcome, or the consequences may provide enough motivation to engage us. Completing an unpleasant task may serve someone we lead, prevent a larger problem, or create room for work we value more.  We do not need to love every task. But indifference makes flow a difficult place to reach.

So, when the work itself does not inspire you, what might give it meaning?  Ask yourself: 

  • Who wins when you do it well?
  • And what happens when you continue to avoid it?

Can Flow Really Be Pursued?

We can pursue better conditions for flow. We can choose the right time, define the challenge, remove distractions, establish a ritual, and clarify why the work matters.  But can we pursue flow itself?

The harder we try to monitor whether we have entered flow, the more attention we take away from the activity. We become observers of our own performance rather than fully absorbed participants in it.  That brings to mind Viktor Frankl’s observation:

“Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”

Perhaps flow works in much the same way.  We prepare for it. We become involved in work that challenges us. We give the task our full attention. Then, if the conditions are right, flow may ensue.  There is a certain irony in trying too hard to get into a state characterized by no longer thinking about how hard we are trying.

Maybe the better objective is not to pursue flow directly.  Pursue meaningful engagement. Let flow be the possibility that follows.

Try a Small Flow Experiment

Choose one meaningful or consequential task: something important enough to deserve your full attention and challenging enough to require it.  Then create a better opportunity for flow:

  • Work during a time when your energy is strong.

  • Define what you want to accomplish.

  • Remove the most obvious distractions.

  • Clarify why the task matters.

  • Consider who wins if you do it well—and what may be lost if you continue to avoid it.

  • Stay with the work through the uncomfortable beginning.

Do not judge the experiment by whether you achieved flow.  Instead, notice what happened.  When did you become most engaged? What helped you stay with the task? What interrupted you? Was the challenge too easy, too difficult, or about right?  The objective is not to prove that you can turn flow on.  It is to become more aware of the conditions that allow your best work to emerge.

  • Go Deeper on Flow State

NEWLY PUBLISHED

Read or LIsten to Finding Flow Part 2

Related Content

Flow Cover
Finding Flow Cover
]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/finding-flow-state-part-1/feed/ 0 Stakeholder Management… or Stakeholder Leadership? https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/stakeholder-management/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/stakeholder-management/#respond Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:07:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=16340
Listen to the Audio Version of Stakeholder Management… or Stakeholder Leadership?

Stakeholder Management… or Something More?

When I first heard the term Stakeholder Management, I had mixed reactions.

  • Combining two three-syllable words might be impressive to some. But it can also seem like instant jargon or MBA-ese.   
  • As a leadership coach who helps managers become better leaders, I wonder how often stakeholders really need ‘management’.
  • As a supporter of the Conscious Capitalism Movement, I appreciate the value of stakeholder awareness. For me, this means having a heightened understanding of who has a stake in your organization’s success.  

What's the Definition of Stakeholder Management?

Stakeholder management is typically defined as the process of organizing, monitoring, and improving relationships with stakeholders. It often includes identifying who they are, understanding their expectations, and creating plans to engage them.

That all sounds reasonable. But pause for a moment.  Who are your stakeholders?  Not in theory. In your actual role.  Your boss is an obvious one. Your direct reports, certainly. Peers across the organization. Customers. Partners. Vendors. Maybe even your board.  But who else?  Who can influence your success? Or, be impacted by your decisions?  And just as important, whose needs do you tend to overlook?

Most leaders can list their stakeholders when asked.  Fewer have really stepped back to consider them.

stakeholder management

When “Managing” Makes Sense

There are times when management is appropriate.  Projects with deadlines. Competing priorities. Limited resources. Situations where alignment is required and time is short.  In those moments, structure helps. Clarity helps. Following up, tracking commitments, making sure expectations are met… that’s part of the job.  No issue there.  But here’s where it gets interesting.

What happens when the situation isn’t a project… but an ongoing relationship?

What happens when the stakeholder isn’t a task to be coordinated… but a person whose support you need over time?

The Shift from Managing to Leading

This is where many leaders get stuck without realizing it.  They stay in “management mode” longer than the situation calls for.  They communicate to inform. To update. To direct.  But they don’t always communicate to understand. Or to influence. Or to align around something that actually matters.

So what might it look like to lead your stakeholders instead?  It might start with a different question.  Not “What do I need from them?”  But “What matters to them?”  Not “How do I keep them satisfied?” But “How do I engage them in a way that creates shared success?”  There’s a subtle shift there.  But it changes the conversation.

Awareness Before Action

Most stakeholder challenges I see aren’t caused by poor intent.  They’re caused by incomplete awareness.  A leader moves forward with a decision that makes perfect sense to them… only to encounter resistance they didn’t anticipate.  Or silence.  Or worse, quiet misalignment that shows up later.

And when that happens, the instinct is often to double down. To push harder. To “manage” more tightly. But what if the issue isn’t execution?  What if it’s perspective?  What might change if you had a clearer view of what each stakeholder values… how they define success… and what concerns they may not be voicing?

What This Makes Possible

When leaders expand their awareness of stakeholders, something shifts.  Conversations become more targeted. Buy-in becomes easier to earn, not because you’re persuading harder, but because you’re connecting more effectively.  Decisions land with less friction.  And perhaps most importantly, trust builds.  Not the kind of trust that comes from delivering a single result.  But the kind that comes from people feeling seen, heard, and considered. That’s not something you manage.  That’s something you lead.

A Thought to Sit With

So here’s something to consider.  

  • Where in your role are you treating stakeholders as something to manage?
  • When might the situation call for something more?  
  • And if you shifted your approach, even slightly, what more might be possible?
  • Stakeholder Management Deeper Dive
]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/stakeholder-management/feed/ 0 Authentic Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence – What’s Your Choice? https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/authentic-intelligence-vs-artificial-intelligence-whats-your-choice/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/authentic-intelligence-vs-artificial-intelligence-whats-your-choice/#respond Fri, 15 May 2026 11:06:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17772

Listen to the Audio Version of

Authentic Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence – What’s Your Choice?

My Shiny New Object

In April, I was approached by a developer who created a ‘pilot’ podcast episode based on a recent blog post. It was a deeper dive discussion between me (my cloned voice) and an artificial partner.  I was impressed with the content and the speed of the content production.  So, I agreed to try this automated approach to content development and create several initial episodes.  My developer believed in the importance of publishing numerous episodes quickly for building a following.    

Fast is Slow and Slow is Fast

The developer went to work and quickly produced and published five podcasts.  I shared with people who know me.  They objected to the voice clone.  It resembled my voice but was obviously fake.  As I listened and reviewed the content of each, I discovered phrases that I would never say.  These were corrected and republished.  A reminder that Haste Makes Waste.

Three more episodes were generated. 

In the process, the developer created and published podcast content without offering me an opportunity to edit. 

Yellow Flag or Red Flag?

I believe that integrity and authenticity are critical components of our personal brands.  In the absence of these, what are we really achieving? 

What’s Wrong with this Audio Picture?

The source of the first podcast episode was based on my post, The Power of  Connection.   It discussed the importance of High Touch Leadership. I believe that the additional podcast content has real value.  BUT, I believe that authenticity is an essential leadership trait. When listening to my artificial voice engaged in an artificial discussion, an ethical alarm went off.  As an advocate for the importance of authenticity in leadership communication, should I really be using an obviously artificial voice?

I am also an advocate for Smart Brevity.  I know that my audience appreciates this. brevity.  Ironically, my post about Smart Brevity now includes a 7-minute podcast. It does allow you an option to go deeper.  But the ambiguity bothers me. 

The Podcast Directory

Leadership Breakthroughs Podcast Screenshot

Leadership Breakthroughs Podcast on Spotify

The Real Leadership Question

Artificial Intelligence is not going away. In many ways, it can improve efficiency, accelerate research, organize ideas, and even help us communicate more clearly. I use it myself. You are reading this post on a blog where AI has become part of my own learning process.

But leadership communication is not merely the transfer of information. It is the transfer of intent, belief, trust, judgment, and humanity.  That is where the line between artificial and authentic begins to matter.

As leaders, we now face communication decisions that previous generations never had to consider. Just because technology allows us to automate something does not automatically mean we should. At what point does convenience begin to erode credibility? When does polished become artificial? When does efficiency begin replacing connection?

And perhaps the bigger question:

Will people feel more influenced by leaders who sound perfect… or leaders who sound real?

I believe the future leadership advantage may not belong to those who use the most AI. It may belong to those who use it thoughtfully while protecting what should never become artificial in the first place.  

Critical Thinking Matters More Than Ever

In the years ahead, leaders will face growing pressure to communicate faster, publish more content, respond instantly, and scale their influence through technology.

The temptation will be obvious:  Why spend an hour crafting a message when AI can create one in 30 seconds?  But influence has never been built solely on speed.  People follow leaders they believe. People trust leaders who sound real.  People connect with leaders who demonstrate humanity, vulnerability, and conviction.  As AI-generated communication becomes more common, authentic communication may actually become more valuable.

Ironically, in a world filled with artificial voices, authentic leadership could become the rarest and most valued voice in the room.

Applied Critical Thinking: More Content or More Connection?

After the initial month, my developer wanted to continue producing and publishing multiple podcast episodes each month. From a growth perspective, I understood the logic. More content. More frequency. More visibility.

But I decided to press the pause button.  Not because I believe Artificial Intelligence has no value. Quite the opposite. I believe these tools can accelerate idea development, increase efficiency, and create opportunities that did not exist even a year ago.  What concerned me was something different.  I was beginning to sense a gap between content production and authentic representation. The “more is more” approach felt inconsistent with the personal brand and leadership philosophy I have spent over two decades building. I was also unclear on the true return on investment. Was this creating meaningful influence… or simply creating more content?  Those are not the same thing.

If those concerns can be resolved thoughtfully, I would consider revisiting the project. But for now, slowing down felt more aligned than speeding up.

content connection

My Alternative Shiny Object: Audio for  Improved Accessibility

With the podcast paused, my alternative experiment is providing an audio version of the blog post.  Audio-oriented people in my audience can listen to this and future posts by clicking or tapping the play icon at the top of the page.  The audio is not in my voice and does not pretend to be.  The AI tools efficiently generate a reasonable representation of the written content while making it easier for some to consume.  

New Questions

To exercise my own critical thinking muscles:

  • Is the audio version worth the effort?
  • Will it increase readership and thereby create more Leadership Breakthroughs?
  • Will this feature continue and evolve? 

Stay tuned.   

Developing Your Critical Thinking

Perhaps this is the real leadership challenge moving forward.  Not whether we use Artificial Intelligence.  But whether we apply Authentic Intelligence while using it.  As leaders, we will increasingly face decisions involving speed, scale, convenience, automation, and influence. Some of those tools will create enormous value. Some may quietly erode trust, credibility, and connection if we stop thinking critically about how and why we use them.

  • Where might you be tempted to substitute efficiency for authenticity?
  • What parts of your leadership communication should never become automated?
  • And, where might slowing down actually strengthen your influence rather than weaken it?

Those questions matter more than the technology itself.

]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/authentic-intelligence-vs-artificial-intelligence-whats-your-choice/feed/ 0 What Should You Celebrate Next… and Why It Matters More Than You Think https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/what-are-you-planning-to-celebrate-next/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/what-are-you-planning-to-celebrate-next/#respond Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:02:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17661

Listen to the Audio Version

I have been known to ask leaders I coach a simple question:

What should we celebrate next?

At first, it can feel like an odd place to start.  Most leadership conversations tend to focus on what’s next on the agenda… what’s behind schedule… or what needs attention right now. Those are important discussions. They drive execution. They keep things moving.  But over time, they can also create a steady rhythm of pressure—where the focus is almost always on what’s missing rather than what’s being built.  And that has an impact.

Allow me to ask…

When your team thinks about the work they’re doing… what do they feel they’re part of?  Is it a series of tasks?  Or is it progress toward something that actually matters?

Inspirational Leadership

We hear the term inspirational leadership.

And for some leaders, that term can feel a bit uncomfortable.

It can sound like something reserved for charismatic personalities… or high-energy communicators… or people who naturally gravitate toward the spotlight.

So they default to a more practical mindset:

Let’s just focus on the work.  And in many cases, that works.  But it also raises the questions:

Is inspiration really about personality?  Or is it about what you choose to emphasize?

Inspirational-Leadership-word cloud

When you ask, “What should we celebrate next?” you’re not just talking about recognition.  You’re defining direction.  You’re signaling what success looks like in the near term. You’re identifying something worth moving toward—something visible, something shared.  In many cases, leaders assume their teams understand this.  But do they?

What is the next meaningful milestone your team is working toward?  And just as important… do they know it?

Next Question…

There’s a second question that naturally follows.

How will we celebrate?

Because not all celebrations are about the event itself. In many cases, it’s not about the celebration at all. It’s about what the celebration represents.  Progress. Contribution. Momentum.  A sense that what we’re doing matters.

It depends on the team. It depends on the culture. And it certainly depends on what you’re trying to reinforce.  But the act of defining something worth celebrating—and doing it in advance—has a way of aligning effort in a very different way.

I once challenged a CEO  client to ponder possibilities and what might be their next achievement worth celebrating.  On my next visit to his office, I noticed he had written the question on his whiteboard.  

What should we celebrate next?

He had left space beneath it. Not for results, but for ideas.

What stood out wasn’t the question itself. It was the intent behind it.

He wasn’t waiting to recognize success after the fact. He was inviting his team to help define it.

That changes things.

Because people want to feel part of something bigger than themselves. They want to know that their effort is contributing to something that has meaning beyond the task in front of them.

And when that connection is clear, something else shows up:  discretionary effort.

leader-pondering-goals

You can push for performance.  You can manage activity.  And in many cases, that will get you what you need in the short term.  But just because you can drive results that way doesn’t mean you should.  Because when people see where they’re going—and they believe it matters—they tend to bring a different level of energy to the work.

Food for Thought

If the idea of being an “inspirational leader” doesn’t feel natural to you… what if it’s simpler than that?  What if it’s less about style… and more about intention?  What if, occasionally, putting on the “cheerleader’s hat” isn’t about enthusiasm… but about clarity?

  • Clarity on what matters.
  • What progress looks like
  • What’s worth celebrating

Your Next Inspiring Agenda

What are the agenda items your team is working through right now?  Which of those actually represent meaningful progress?   Which of those are worth celebrating?    And have you made that visible?

If your team were to achieve something meaningful this week, month or quarter…

Would it feel like a shared win?  Or just another box checked on the way to the next task?

If you’re looking to inspire your team—not just manage it—this might be a place to start.

What should you be celebrating next?  And how might you engage your team in getting there?  Because in the end, inspiration isn’t created by personality.
It’s created when people see that what they’re working on matters… and that they’re part of making it happen.

office celebration
]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/what-are-you-planning-to-celebrate-next/feed/ 0 The Power of Connection https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-power-of-connection/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-power-of-connection/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:05:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17345

Communication or Connection

Questions to ask yourself before texting…

  • What do I seek when I send a text? Am I trying to connect? Or merely to be heard?
  • Have I ever felt closer or more distant after a message thread?

Relationship Opportunities Lost?

Texting is only one example of how we habitually choose High Tech and High Task over High Touch in our important interactions.   

There’s a paradox. In an age of unprecedented access, the richest exchanges aren’t happening in texts, emojis, or threaded replies. They happen when we risk vulnerability, nuance, silence, and presence, the very things that stripped-down digital tools can’t deliver.

Sherry Turkle, who has studied this evolution deeply, put it this way:

“We’re “connected, but alone.”

We carry devices that promise constant access to others, but these same tools subtly teach us to avoid the messiness of real-time interaction, the pauses, the eye contact, the unedited responses that reveal who we are to one another.

text-screen

  • When was the last time a text truly deepened a relationship?

  • What emotions get lost between typed words and sent messages?

  • How often do we choose efficiency over endeavor — replying fast instead of listening fully?

  • If human connection is messy and unpredictable, what does our preference for controlled communication reveal about us?

Here’s the underlying thought: texting and once-removed communication aren’t simply neutral tools. They shape our expectations of one another — and of ourselves. They offer control and polish at the expense of vulnerability and presence. That’s not always bad on its face, but it does change what connection feels like, and what it takes to achieve it.

 

Discover Jeremy Boone’s Insights on Connection

Jeremy Boone is an accomplished coach who helps athletes and athletic teams achieve higher levels of performance. We share the same assessment tools. 

His TED Talk on Connection is both a potential mindset changer and a game changer.  

Challenge Yourself

This week, notice when you reach for a screen instead of a face. When you’d rather edit a message than risk a real conversation. And then ask,

  • “What am I avoiding?
  • What might I gain if I chose connection instead of convenience?”

That’s where the real leadership breakthrough happens, not in mastering new tech, but in mastering the courage to connect beyond it.

Jeremy’s Two Connection Questions to Ask Yourself  

In the video, he contrasts empathy and compassion. And suggests two self-leadership questions to develop your sense of compassion:

Before any important interaction, ask yourself…

  1. How is (this person) about to experience me right now?
  2. Who does (this person) need me to be in this moment?

The Prerequisite: 

A shift in mindset from “What can I get?” to “What can I give?”

Connection-Icon-NP

Couragous Connection Reminder

“If your presence doesn’t make an impact, your absence won’t make a difference.”

– Jeremy Boone

Challenge Yourself

This week, notice when you reach for a screen instead of a face. When you’d rather edit a message than risk a real conversation. And then ask,

  • What am I avoiding?
  • What might I gain if I chose connection instead of convenience?”

That’s where the real leadership breakthrough happens, not in mastering new tech, but in mastering the courage to connect beyond it.

WAIT

Bonus Question

The WAIT acronym post-it note originally applied as a tool for developing listening skills.  The translation: Why am I talking?

Might it also serve as a reminder to ask yourself: Why am I texting?

Even my AI clone knows: Connection requires more than a text

In this 7-minute ‘Leadership Deep-Dive,’ I’ve tasked an AI version of my voice to sit down with an AI host  ‘Alex’ to explore the themes of this post. While the audio is synthesized, the message on High-Touch Leadership is 100% human-driven. Listen in while you’re on the move.”

]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-power-of-connection/feed/ 1 “It Depends”: Discover How Leaders Use Questions to Deepen Team Judgment https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/it-depends-how-leaders-use-questions-to-deepen-team-judgment/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/it-depends-how-leaders-use-questions-to-deepen-team-judgment/#respond Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:06:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17512
Listen to the Audio Version of “It Depends”: Discover How Leaders Use Questions to Deepen Team Judgment

Discover a Simple Leadership Opportunity

In leadership conversations, few moments are more revealing than when a team asks for a quick answer.

  • Should we do this?
  • Is this the right approach?
  • Can we move forward?

The temptation for experienced leaders, especially, is to respond decisively. To provide clarity. To resolve uncertainty. After all, decisiveness is often rewarded.

And yet, many leadership challenges don’t fall short because the answer was wrong. They miss the mark because the thinking was too narrow.

It Depends - ?

The opportunity isn’t in having a better answer.  It’s in helping the team examine the situation more fully before an answer is chosen.

This is where leadership judgment shows up.

What Might We Be Missing?

Effective leaders recognize when a situation has been framed too tightly—when the team is racing toward a conclusion without fully considering the conditions, constraints, and consequences that will determine whether that decision actually works.

Rather than collapsing the conversation into a yes or no, they briefly widen it.

They slow the moment, not to delay action, but to improve it.

They challenge the team to step back and consider what else might matter.

That shift from answering to expanding perspective is a simple leadership move. And it’s surprisingly powerful.

Discovery Questions

Instead of responding with direction, these leaders ask questions that surface scenarios and implications:

  • What assumptions are we making about how this will play out?

  • Under what conditions would this be the right decision?

  • What could change that would make this approach ineffective?

  • Who experiences this decision differently than we expect?

  • What are the second- or third-order consequences if this works—or if it doesn’t?

Notice what happens when questions like these enter the conversation. The team begins to think beyond the immediate problem. Risks become visible earlier. Tradeoffs are discussed rather than discovered later. Alignment improves because people understand why a decision is being made, not just what the decision is.

This isn’t about analysis for its own sake. It’s about avoiding decisions that only work under one narrow set of conditions.

Leaders often tell me they want their teams to think more strategically or show greater ownership. What they sometimes overlook is how quickly answers are provided. When leaders move too fast to a resolution, they unintentionally take thinking away from the team.

When leaders pause instead to explore possible scenarios, they send a different message:

Your thinking matters. Let’s examine it together.

Over time, something important changes. Teams begin anticipating these questions. They bring more thoughtful recommendations. They consider consequences earlier. Judgment becomes a shared capability rather than a bottleneck at the top.

Of course, leaders still decide. Expanding perspective doesn’t replace accountability. It strengthens it. The discipline lies in knowing when to broaden the frame and when to bring the conversation back to action.

Inspire Strategic Thinking

That judgment about timing, stakes, and readiness is the leadership opportunity hiding in plain sight.

The next time your team pushes for a fast answer, consider resisting the urge to provide one immediately. Instead, guide them to examine the situation more fully. Help them see what hasn’t yet been considered.

Because leadership isn’t just about choosing an answer. It’s about shaping the thinking that leads to the answer.

And that is a skill worth practicing.

]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/it-depends-how-leaders-use-questions-to-deepen-team-judgment/feed/ 0 Why I Struggled with an Office Etiquette Quiz (and Why You Might Too) https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/why-i-struggled-with-an-office-etiquette-quiz-and-why-you-might-too/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/why-i-struggled-with-an-office-etiquette-quiz-and-why-you-might-too/#respond Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:26:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17473
quiz-icon

I recently took a workplace/office etiquette quiz published by The Wall Street Journal. I expected it to be straightforward. Ten questions. Common sense. A quick check-in on professional norms.

Instead, I found myself pausing with most of the 10 questions. 

Office-Etiquette-Skills-quiz

The questions weren’t difficult because they were obscure. They were difficult because the answer choices were nuanced. Familiar situations. Competing priorities. No obvious “right” response. When I finished, I had answered six out of ten correctly.  And I had to think carefully about nearly every one.

The score didn’t bother me. The hesitation interested me.

What the quiz captured—intentionally or not—is how much business etiquette has evolved. These weren’t questions about manners in the traditional sense. They were questions about judgment. Context. Awareness and Presence. All leadership attributes.

“It Depends”

In many of the quiz question scenarios, the most honest response wasn’t a clear yes or no. It was, “It depends.”

  • It depends on the situation.
  • It depends on the people involved.
  • It depends on the stakes, the culture, and the signals being sent.

That’s not indecision. That’s discernment.

In my coaching work, I see this same dynamic play out every day. Leaders aren’t usually struggling because they don’t know the rules. They struggle because the rules don’t account for context—and context is where leadership lives.

The Etiquette Quiz sparked more debate than agreement for a reason. When workplace expectations shift faster than habits, “correct” answers become less useful than thoughtful questions.

That’s what this post, and the ones that follow are about.

I recommend taking the quiz yourself. (Use the blue button below). Not to ace it, but to notice where you pause. Those moments of hesitation are often where insight begins.

In the posts ahead, I’ll explore a few of the themes the quiz surfaced

  • Phones in meetings
  • Cameras on or off
  • Intent versus impact
  • Germophobia

Not to declare what’s right or wrong, but to examine what your decision depends on.

Bottom Line

Office etiquette is no longer about manners.  It’s about awareness, judgment, and presence.

Curious?

You can take The Wall Street Journal’s workplace etiquette quiz here (free registration required).  Worth the price of admission.

Link to Office Etiquette Quiz

The Follow-Up Article

I’m not the only one to have issues with the Etiquette Quiz.  The columnist wrote a follow-up article.  Here’s a link… 

Our Work Etiquette Quiz Stumped Most Readers. Overachievers Have Their Own Tips.
]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/why-i-struggled-with-an-office-etiquette-quiz-and-why-you-might-too/feed/ 0 The Sugar Plum Factor https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-sugar-plum-factor/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-sugar-plum-factor/#respond Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:24:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17410

Listen to the Audio Version of The Sugar Plum Factor

The Sugar Plum Factor

Every December, something curious happens.
Perfectly competent adults begin drifting in and out of focus, juggling year-end deadlines with visions of sugar plums, peppermint bark, or simply January. Some speed up. Some shut down. Some disappear into an endless loop of holiday parties, school concerts, and Amazon deliveries.

I call this seasonal shift The Sugar Plum Factor.

sugar plum factor icon

The Sugar Plum Factor Defined

It’s the quiet but predictable mindset change that arrives during the holidays; a blend of distraction, nostalgia, pressure, and emotional overload that affects how we think, work, and communicate. And whether we acknowledge it or not, it influences every conversation we have.

The holidays don’t just change schedules. They change people.

So what does that mean for leaders?

A Story From Last Week

I recently spoke with someone exploring a career change. Midway through our conversation he asked, “Is the holiday season a good time to look for a new opportunity?”
His voice carried that familiar December doubt.

I borrowed and paraphrased a quote from Henry Ford: “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you’re right.”

Then I told him, “If you believe this season is potentially a good time, there’s a much better chance that it will be.”

Because both realities exist at once.

Some people are unreachable because they’re burning through “use-it-or-lose-it” vacation days. Trying to connect with them feels like leaving a voicemail for Santa.

But with so many people out, the ones still working often have more space — more time, more curiosity, and occasionally a surprising openness to conversations they would normally rush past. Doors crack open that usually stay shut.

The bigger question for him (and for all of us this month) is simple:

What mindset are YOU choosing to carry into the season?

Navigating Your Own Sugar Plum Factor

Leaders are not immune to the swirl of the holidays.
Year-end goals collide with family obligations, budget cycles, travel, and expectations — both spoken and unspoken.

This is a good moment to ask yourself:
How is the season shaping my attitude, my energy, or my clarity?
And maybe more importantly:
How do I want people to experience me during this stretch of the year?

Navigating the Mindsets of Your Team

Everyone around you is experiencing the same season — just not in the same way.
Some colleagues are lighter and more generous. Others are tense, distracted, or running on emotional fumes.

A few leadership moves make a big difference:

  • Clarify expectations. December creates “I thought you meant…” moments. Clear expectations feel like relief.

  • Lead with curiosity. A simple, “What’s pulling your attention this week?” opens honest dialogue.

  • Recalibrate bandwidth without lowering standards. Adjust the path, not the outcome.

  • Offer small, specific recognition. Motivation dips this time of year. Targeted acknowledgment lifts people quickly.

  • Notice disengagement early. The Sugar Plum Factor sometimes shows up as withdrawal. A quiet check-in can prevent a January problem.

Avoiding the Grinch Effect

There’s a fine line between leading well in December and being perceived as the office Grinch. If you push too hard, you risk stealing the season. If you pull back too much, productivity slips and January arrives like an unexpected credit card bill.

The key: set a steady pace without stealing the joy.

Be clear without being cold. Hold standards without holding the season hostage. People don’t resent accountability — they resent tone.

Quick Tips for Leading Through the Sugar Plum Factor

  • Shorten meetings. Attention spans shrink in December.

  • Overcommunicate the “why.” Purpose cuts through holiday noise.

  • Limit surprises. Share deadline shifts early.

  • Check in, don’t check up. Curiosity beats monitoring.

  • Watch your tone. Stress sharpens voices fast.

  • End the week with clarity: “Here’s what we’re carrying into next week.”

  • Celebrate progress. People remember who noticed their effort during a mentally demanding season.

Your Holiday Leadership Opportunity

The holidays expose what people value, hope for, fear, or avoid. Leaders who pay attention gain insight, build trust, and create connection.

This season doesn’t have to be chaotic or distracting. It can be clarifying, if you approach it with awareness instead of autopilot.

Your Question for the Season

Where is the Sugar Plum Factor showing up in your world:

  • In yourself?
  • in your team? 
  • Or, in the people you serve?

And what might shift if you responded thoughtfully instead of reactively?

]]> https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/the-sugar-plum-factor/feed/ 0 Time Management Breakthroughs: Blending Human Insight with AI https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/time-management-breakthroughs/ https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/leadership-breakthroughs-blog/time-management-breakthroughs/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2025 16:08:00 +0000 https://chicagoexecutivecoaching.com/smartleadership/?p=17275

Time Management Formula

HI + AI = Breakthrough Time Strategies

Allow me to translate the formula above. 

It’s not math. It’s leadership. The blend of old-school awareness and new-school tools is where real breakthroughs happen.

HI is Human Insight.  Years ago, we didn’t need to differentiate between HI and AI.

AI  of course, is Artificial Intelligence 

Now, here is an approach for gaining Breakthrough Time Strategies. 

leader frustrated with Time Management asking "where does all my time go?"

Where Does All My Time Go?

We ask ourselves this rhetorical question when things don’t get done. We use it to vent our frustration.  But we rarely seek a detailed answer.  We’re already overwhelmed and thinking…

“That answer could take a lot of time that I don’t have.”  

Because our time is our most scarce resource, it pays to occasionally pause to take inventory to gain real answers for where our time goes.  

Time to Take Inventory?

The next time you impatiently ask yourself, “Where did my time go?”…

Consider investing a little time to come up with a quality answer.  This is NOT a prompt for ChatGPT.  It is a proven, Old School, paper-and-pen exercise. 

The Proven Process

  • Download and print five copies of this Daily Time Usage Form.  Onc copy for each workday. 
  • Fill in your time categories in the top row
  • Log the amount of time spent in each 30-minute period of your day for five successive days. 
  • Each day, total your time for each category

There’s your answer!

You should then anayze which activities are draining your time unnecessarily and work to minimize them.

Time Management Grid Form

Time Use Grid Form
Click Image to Download

What's Next? A New School Answer

Armed with your answers for time usage. ask yourself…

  • Where are the best opportunities for automation?
  • How might I use AI to shorten my tasks?
  • How much time might be saved? 

Next, capture your Return on Investment by asking…

What will this newfound time enable me to do that I can’t do now? 

Human Probes for a New Mindset

By gaining these answers, you’re not outsourcing your job. You’re supercharging your capabilities.  And, making yourself more indispensable. 

Allow yourself to shift from being a task-doer to a strategic leader. To guide your team and ensure project success.

With that change in mindset, prompt yourself: 

What is the most tedious task that you could turn over to your AI partner?
How can you develop the skills needed to lead these new partners more effectively?

 

Breakthrough Time Strategies: The Payoff

Time is the one resource you can’t manufacture more of. But you can make better choices with the time you already have. By combining Human Insight with AI, you create a sharper picture of where your hours go and how to reclaim them.

The real breakthrough isn’t just saving time, it’s how you reinvest that time. Will you use it to strengthen relationships? Shape strategy? Elevate your team? That choice defines your leadership.

Breakthrough Time Strategies don’t just clear your calendar. They clear the way for you to lead at your best.

More on Time Management

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