From Self to Service

Over the past few months, I’ve been part of a program studying the craft of public speaking. It’s been energizing, humbling, and honestly…a little nerve-wracking. But mostly, it reminded me how much I love being a student again. One of our incredible instructors was Russell Ewing. I learned so much watching him and the other coaches on […]

Moms (and some dads!) are in the messy middle

Have you ever heard of the Sandwich Generation? You might be in it: It’s anyone simultaneously caring for their children and adult parents. So count me as a card-carrying member! But the thing is, those in the throes of all these caregiving responsibilities are often struggling. A LOT. According to a recent study from the University of […]

The unexpected gift the Knicks gave me

Sunday night felt different. It wasn’t just the Sunday Scaries creeping in. I was going into the first week all year without Knicks basketball—and I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss it. Not just the games: The anticipation. The group texts. The where-are-we-watching-tonight planning. The Let’s Go Knicks! energy that made an ordinary Tuesday […]

Expectation vs. Reality

This past weekend my twins, Julia and Caroline, graduated from college. It was finally here. Four years (or 22, really!) in the making. The weekend promised to be everything we’d hoped it would be. The weather was perfect, the fun swag I ordered from Etsy arrived on time and in one piece, and—bonus—the Knicks won […]

Fuel or friction?

Last week I went to my 30-year business school reunion (How is that even possible?!) My time at Kellogg was one of the best chapters of my life, and it was amazing to reconnect with so many classmates. One of the highlights was sitting in on a class with Professors Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, […]

Health or Wealth?

May is a big month for me — Mother’s Day, my birthday, and this May, my twins are graduating from college (I’m still in denial about that)! It’s also Mental Health Awareness Month, which couldn’t come soon enough! Everyone I talk to is stressed out about the steady news of layoffs, the uncertainty around AI, […]

You better think!

There’s a line in a recent Fast Company article that stopped me in my tracks: “Thinking is a premium—and yet it is also the very thing that is most at risk.” YIKES! We’re living through what the article calls the triple threat of modern work: In case you had to reread this paragraph five times already, you’re not […]

How to make work fair

Last Thursday in IBM’s beautiful new office space in midtown Manhattan, I was the emcee for HR Innovators’ first CHRO Summit of 2025, Human Resources to Drive Business Results. I met new friends, saw old friends, connected with leaders who I profiled in my books over the years, and met some “Zoom colleagues” IRL for the first […]

Can AI make leaders more human?

Over the weekend, I read More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter. The title caught my attention—because the idea that AI can actually make us more human seemed like an oxymoron! After all, I’m all about finding that sweet spot between tech and connect—using technology […]

Your Great Human Leader roadmap

Last week I told you about the three kinds of leaders—The “It’s All Good” Leader (aka non-intentional), The “Perfect” Leader (aka a bit robotic), and The Great Human Leader (aka the right amount of messy!). Today I want to tell you how to become a great human leader. But first let’s review what a great […]