Power Intelligence:

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. –Abraham Lincoln   What is the Psychology of Power?  Power is a game changer. Rising higher in rank changes you and changes how others relate to you.  Even with just a...

For many people, one of the most difficult (and unnerving) parts of day-to-day work life is speaking to authority. I jokingly refer to this as a feudal hangover—the knee jerk reaction we have, to rank (see for example Monty Python’s Class System sketch from 1966)....

Giving and receiving feedback is enough to make anyone sweat. And that's understandable. It’s uncomfortable to have to tell someone something they may not want to hear. And, of course, no one likes to hear that they are not making the impact they thought they were....

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. –Maya Angelou Most of the time, we’re our own worst critics. And it’s not easy to silence the critical voice inside our heads. We compare ourselves to others, doubt our own abilities, and make...

One of the most important things we can do in a position of power is to develop our personal power. Without it, we’re at risk of misusing, or even abusing, our power. Have you ever: Avoided giving critical feedback because it felt awkward and hard? Been asked a...

Building trust, creating inclusion and fostering collaboration on virtual teams. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 5 worked remotely (20%). Now, an astonishing 71% of all workers work from home. And very likely, that number will remain high as many companies—and many...

Inclusion is more than a policy or promise. It’s a set of behaviors that must be enacted daily, moment by moment, in all of our interactions. What does this mean? It means treating inclusion not as a stand-alone issue, but as a key competency vital for creating a...

Effective leadership requires the ability to use power effectively. And most ineffective leadership stems from a leader's misuse of power. Why? Because power comes with the means for its own misuse. And this makes it easy to fall into its traps for personal gain. Yet...

While some changes are hard, they are also obvious: we definitely want to quit smoking, or eat healthier food, or start exercising more. We want to learn a new skill, change jobs, or show up more boldly at work or in relationships. But some change is less obvious. And...

Last year, I was invited to facilitate a day of learning for a learning organization that had been together for close to 40 years. I was set to walk into a room of people I had never met, who have known each other for decades, had already been together for a whole day...