One of the biggest differentiators between good and great leaders isn’t how much they know—it’s how consistently they act with purpose.

Many leaders default to being "nice" rather than effective. This well-intentioned approach carries significant costs. When we avoid necessary conversations, we create relationships that are neither authentic nor constructive. Teams lose the diversity of thinking that's critical for innovation, and organizations make compromises with the loudest voice in the room rather than the best ideas.

We've been told that authenticity is about expressing our true selves. But in reality, unedited behavior, especially under stress, can often derail careers, damage relationships, and erode trust.

Leaders want to build a more resilient organization. Leadership teams are working on becoming more resilient. But here's what I've noticed: most leaders are operating from a skewed perspective of resilience, and it's limiting their potential in ways they may not realize.

Leaders often believe their feedback is clear, timely, and constructive. However, my observations and research indicate that feedback lacking specificity, alignment with goals, or timely delivery can erode trust, hinder development, and weaken accountability.

As a leadership coach, I’ve talked with many leaders who appear to be doing all the right things: launching new initiatives, encouraging collaboration, and reorganizing teams—on paper, it all looks great.