Category: Self-Management
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When Disengagement Becomes the Norm, It’s Time to Rethink the System
Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report offers a grim but unsurprising headline: employee engagement worldwide has declined for the second time since 2009, settling at just 21%. Less than a quarter of the people around the world are engaged in what they do for a living. For managers, the numbers are worse, especially…
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Doubt as a Doorway: Transforming Fears About Self-Management
When leaders first hear about self-management, there’s often a moment of silence. Then come the furrowed brows and cautious questions: “But… won’t everything descend into chaos without managers telling people what to do?” It’s an understandable worry. We’ve all been steeped in top-down leadership for so long that the idea of letting go can feel…
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Is Your Organization People-Positive or Just People-Tolerant?
We hear a lot about “people-first” cultures. Companies love to claim they “empower employees” and “foster collaboration.” But if you take a closer look, many of these workplaces aren’t truly people-positive—they’re just people-tolerant. What’s the difference? A people-positive organization does much more than just accommodate people. It actively invests in their growth, autonomy, and purpose.…
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Leadership in Times of Oppression: Building Organizations That Resist and Protect
It’s impossible to ignore what’s happening in the world right now. Many of us are watching, hearts in our throats, as hard-won rights are stripped away, voices are silenced, and authoritarian forces gain momentum. If you’re part of a marginalized community—if your existence, your identity, your rights, or your safety are suddenly up for debate—you’re…
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Rethinking Leadership: A Self-Management Reflection Exercise
Leadership in organizations is evolving. The traditional command-and-control approach, where power is concentrated at the top, is proving too rigid for the complexities of today’s world. Organizations that thrive in times of uncertainty distribute authority, cultivate leadership in every person, and encourage adaptability. However, shifting leadership styles isn’t just about tweaking structures—it requires a conscious…
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The Future of Work Is Evolutionary, Not Extractive
For too long, work has been shaped by extractive models that prioritize short-term gains, exploit human potential, and leave people burned out, disengaged, or disposable. The signs are everywhere: mass layoffs as cost-cutting tools, relentless back-to-office mandates, the rollback of DEI initiatives, and leadership cultures that treat people as expendable resources rather than valued contributors.…
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Culture by Design: Exploring Six Types That Shape Organizations
As I put the final touches on my book Organizing for Impact, I found myself reflecting on a section that feels especially timely in which I discuss six types of cultures I have encountered in the workplace. In a world where back-to-the-office mandates are tightening their grip, DEI initiatives face increasing pushback, and mass layoffs…
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The Power to Resist: How Self-Managed Teams Offer an Alternative to Oppression
The world is shifting, and not always in the direction of progress. We are watching, in real time, as command-and-control leaders attempt to consolidate power, erode protections, and enforce top-down compliance–both in government and in organizations. Oppression thrives in rigid hierarchies, where those at the top dictate the fates of those below and where fear…
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Employee Engagement Decline: The Alarm’s Been Going Off for Years
Last week, Gallup released its annual report on employee engagement, and the findings are hard to ignore. Employee engagement in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level in a decade, with only 31% of employees engaged and 17% actively disengaged. This continues a troubling downward trend over the past few years and highlights the…
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From Complexity to Clarity: Integral Theory for Modern Leaders
In a world that often seeks to confine and categorize us, both in business and society, integral theory offers a breath of fresh air. It’s an invitation to step back, broaden our perspectives, and embrace the full complexity of the systems we live and work within. For me, integral theory resonates deeply with the idea…