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…)Leading with Heart: When Serving Others Comes with a Cost
- Jan 07, 2025
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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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…)Finding Your Voice: the Unfiltered Power of Leadership Communication
- Sep 19, 2024
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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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…)Embracing Change: The Power of Focusing on What Matters
- Sep 12, 2024
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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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 Under Pressure: How Authentic Leaders Help Teams Thrive
- Sep 05, 2024
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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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…)Leading with Intention: The Heart of Effective Leadership
- Sep 04, 2024
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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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…)Be a Leader, not a Boss
- Jun 24, 2024
- By personifyadmin
- In Newsletters
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Have you ever found yourself in a position where you loved your company and team but found your boss incredibly difficult, even unbearable? You’re not alone! I ran across this study by DDI that suggests that 57% of people have quit because of their boss — and 37% reported that they’ve considered leaving because of their manager.
When I read this study, I found that number to be staggering, and it made me think of the difference between the titles of ‘boss’ and ‘leader.’ In my opinion, when it comes to a boss vs. a leader, the difference often lies in how you make the people around you feel. Bosses take power and keep people subdued. Leaders empower and elevate people to new heights.
Here are the different behavioral traits of Leaders vs Bosses:
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