High-trust teams don’t shy away from difficult conversations. They lean into them with transparency, empathy, and respect. Leaders on these teams normalize vulnerability and foster a culture of group psychological safety. Team members know they can speak up without fear of judgment or retaliation. This strengthens resilience and collaboration.

Resilience doesn’t mean being tough or pushing through without complaint or introspection. It means creating a foundation of stability and psychological safety so your team can adapt, respond, and yes, even thrive in constantly shifting conditions.

Authentic cultural shifts begin to take place when you begin to liberate people at all levels. Empower them to interact with one another in ways that minimize hierarchy and maximize opportunities to meaningfully change habits.

In my coaching of underrepresented leaders, I’m finding that they need support, now, more than ever. When social norms begin to collapse and economic outcomes become increasingly uncertain, the already marginalized are the first to know it. Their lives are already experienced on the edge. So, when the edge itself begins to crumble, they are directly in the impact zone.

Fast forward to today, where I’ve found my calling as an executive and leadership development coach. I’ve discovered that my purpose is to help others become happier, personally and professionally, and create a positive ripple effect in their sphere of influence. This is the work that truly feeds my SOUL 🌟.

If we can be “10% Happier”ᵀᴹ (a great read, by the way) by simply noticing our breath, imagine how much happier we could be by doing just a little more. And, if happiness comes from within, how do we bring that happiness out in ourselves and others?

Failure to recognize, understand, and bridge the gap between what matters to you, your team, your clients, and your organization leads to a waste of time, effort, and money. Even worse, it could result in reduced credibility and morale, and increased frustration and tension due to mismatched wants and needs.

Unlike the Standard and Poor’s Index, our “Personal S&P Index” is not tied to the ups and downs of selected stocks. Rather, it is tied to what activates our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and our Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). These systems counterbalance each other, and the degree to which each is activated has an impact on our overall health and wellbeing.

While it may seem impossible or naive to transform a dark corporate environment into a positively transformative place, this goal is within reach. Leaders who recognize that providing great physical, intellectual, and emotional spaces can have a huge impact on corporate culture and employee engagement, run some of the most successful companies.

When we visited the Great Wall a few years ago, we watched in awe as a young, fashionable woman walked backwards down a steep section. All this while wearing a pair of high heels and holding an umbrella to protect her from the scorching sun. In fact, it was her choice of footwear that necessitated her unorthodox descent. The angle of the wall, combined with the three inch heels would have pitched her onto her face, had she tried to walk forwards.

Being a manager of a small team or a large organization is like being at the helm of a small yacht, a large cruise liner, or the Starship Enterprise. But are you Captain James T. Kirk or Captain Bligh? Do you inspire loyalty, or mutiny?