Stress is a normal part of leadership. Deadlines, decisions, and pressure come with the role. But too often, leaders ignore the signs that stress is no longer helpful. It crosses the line from fueling performance to draining it. The key isn’t to eliminate stress, it’s to recognize when it shifts from a challenge to a threat.
Your body knows before your brain does. Maybe your sleep gets shallow. Your patience runs short. Your heart races over small things. These are not weaknesses. They’re signals. Physical signs like headaches, fatigue, or chest tightness often show up first. Then mental and emotional cues follow: irritability, forgetfulness, withdrawal, or decision fatigue.
(more…)Leadership is often measured by results. But the leaders people remember most are those who make sacrifices to serve others. Not because it was easy, but because it mattered. In today’s workplace, the willingness to take action that benefits someone else, even at a personal cost, sets true leaders apart.
This kind of service isn’t about putting yourself last or burning out. It’s about acting with intention. The Heart Module of our Core Program teaches that leadership starts with aligning your actions to serve the best interests of the team and the organization, not just yourself. This could mean stepping into a hard conversation to protect a teammate, staying late to help others hit a deadline, or giving credit to someone else when recognition is on the line.
(more…)In this month’s episode of Leadership Personified, we’re excited to feature Erin Radigan, Clinical Lead at National Lutheran Communities & Services and a certified Personify Leadership facilitator. Erin joins our host, Michelle Cummings, to discuss her unique approach to integrating Personify Leadership principles in healthcare. From fostering compassionate care to building resilient teams, Erin shares her journey and insights on what it takes to lead effectively in a clinical setting.
(more…)In our third episode of “Leadership Personified,” Michelle Cummings, CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Creative Officer, interviews Jeff Hudson of Marquette Transportation. In this conversation, Jeff shares his insights on how the Personify Leadership program resonates with the mariners and leaders internally at Marquette.
Don’t miss this insightful discussion on leadership, growth, and the real-world applications of Personify Leadership. Watch the full interview now and discover how Jeff is making a difference through leadership excellence.
(more…)True leadership starts with the courage to communicate openly, with clarity and conviction. But great leaders don’t just speak—they listen, adapt, and make sure their words truly connect. In our Voice of a Leader module, we don’t hold back. We dive deep into what it means to communicate effectively, because your voice shapes your team’s trust, alignment, and ultimately, your success. This is about finding your voice—authentic, unfiltered, and purposeful—and using it to build a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and inspired to do their best work.
The Voice module within the Personify Leadership program focuses on developing leaders’ communication skills to inspire trust, clarity, and connection within their teams. This module emphasizes the importance of clear messaging and effective listening to ensure that leaders can convey their vision, expectations, and feedback with impact.
(more…)Whether it’s a change in season, our homes, or our teams, most of us are fascinated by makeovers. I know I spend way too much time watching the HGTV channel myself. From magazines to trainings to television shows, we all drink in reinventions of almost every conceivable thing: rooms, closets, cars, bodies, even relationships. Why? Because aside from a little silliness here and there, makeovers are particularly instructive. They offer a window into the process of transformation, the whys, the hows, and the actions that bring it about. Wanting to do something better… it is an outer expression of an inner desire.
On the one hand, change can be fun and anticipatory. As mentioned above, reinventing or refreshing a space can be creative and invigorating, and the change of seasons to Fall welcomes cooler temperatures and the beauty of the changing leaves. On the other hand, change can be really hard. Especially if the change is not something you wanted or anticipated, like the people devastated by Hurricane Helene, the passing of a loved one, or a relationship ending badly. There are also many massive changes going on in the world right now, such as our impending election and unpredictable war-torn areas of the globe.
(more…)Trust is the foundation of leadership—but it’s tested most when pressure is high. In the Heart of a Leader module from the Personify Leadership Core Program, leaders are taught to lead with clear intention: to act in the best interest of others and stay aligned with their values. Authenticity is not just about being “real”—it’s about showing up in a way that reflects who you are and what you stand for, even in difficult moments.
When stress rises and uncertainty creeps in, teams begin to look to their leader for cues. This is when trust is either reinforced or quietly eroded. The Heart Module challenges leaders to ask, “What signals am I sending?”—through tone, posture, presence, and action. If those signals match a leader’s stated intention, it builds stability and confidence. If they don’t, even small gaps in behavior can shake a team’s sense of safety.
(more…)At the core of successful leadership lies intention—the purpose behind every action a leader takes. This month we’re focusing on the first of our eight competencies, the Heart of a Leader.
The “Heart of a Leader” module in the Personify Leadership program emphasizes this, helping leaders align their intentions with their actions. Leaders who consistently focus on their team’s best interests build stronger connections and foster trust within their organizations. This trust, formed through intentional and transparent leadership, is the foundation of effective and respected leadership.
(more…)In our second episode of “Leadership Personified,” Michelle Cummings, CEO, Co-Founder, and Chief Creative Officer, interviews Kim Dennis of Veolia North America. In this conversation, Kim shares her love for the Personify Leadership program, what inspired her to become certified, and how the program is inspiring leaders internally at Veolia.
Don’t miss this insightful discussion on leadership, growth, and the real-world applications of Personify Leadership. Watch the full interview now and discover how Kim is making a global difference through leadership excellence.
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At the heart of every high-performing organization is a strong leader – someone who drives the vision, creates the company culture and knows how to call the shots in a time of crisis. Wouldn’t it be great if every company had multiple leaders like that?
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