The recent pushback against the imposter phenomenon in the media has largely focused on how and why it’s inappropriate for people of color. In this article, the author argues that, while there is merit to these arguments, getting rid of the idea entirely for Black students and workers is a disservice. Instead, he recommends reconceptualizing the term to include new research on how imposterism affects people of color, and urges organizations to better understand how racism, bias, and imposter feelings are intertwined.

Being an executive coach can be rewarding. But, many people misunderstand what coaching actually is, underestimate the process to become a credentialed coach, and don’t anticipate the ongoing effort required to generate and develop business to make a living doing this work. How many clients should you have? What other income streams should you consider? How many hours per day should you coach? How do you get clients (and keep them)? And most importantly, how hard is it? This article offers some clarity on what it takes to become a successful executive coach, and how to get started.

Mastering the art of spontaneous speaking is important for leaders. They must do more than just deliver a good prepared keynote—they need to nail the Q&A and small talk afterward, or crush off-the-cuff toasts and speeches. The author suggests that anyone can become proficient at this art using the right tactics and behaviors: Toasts, Q&As, and small talk don’t require any specific personality traits. He offers key strategies that include avoiding conventional responses in favor of establishing genuine connections, and prioritizing brevity while delivering messages. He also highlights the need to speak authentically without the pressure to be perfect—which means daring to be dull. An equally important aspect is active listening to understand and respond effectively to others’ needs. And structuring thoughts logically during impromptu conversations is a useful tactic. Fear or nervousness need not deter anyone from communicating effectively on the spot.

In recent years leading executives—from firms like Google, Bridgewater, and Netflix—have touted the advantages of a work environment marked by candid feedback. Employees seem to have bought into the benefits too. In a 2019 survey, 94% said that corrective feedback improved their performance when it was presented well. Unfortunately, the increased diversity of our workplaces has made it much more likely that feedback won’t go over well and will be misinterpreted as an act of hostility. That’s because people from different cultures, genders, and generations have varying expectations for how feedback is delivered and by whom. What’s standard in America, for instance, can come off as harsh or baffling in other countries. Boomers and Millennials hold radically different ideas about what’s appropriate too. And gender differences add to the complexity. Women who are frank are often seen as aggressive, and men have a bad tendency to offer unwelcome advice. This article explains how to navigate the divides: Understand the norms of feedback recipients and adjust for them. Follow the three A’s—make sure any advice is intended to assist, actionable, and asked for. Last, get everyone on your team on the same page by establishing a common approach and building regular feedback loops into your collaborations.

7 Tips For How to Take Your Fair Share

Good one-on-one meetings between managers and their direct reports address the practical and personal needs of the employee, benefitting their performance, growth, and well-being, as well as the success of their team and the broader organization. However, since managers are typically the ones who run these meetings, the employee’s needs are often forgotten. Then it’s up to the employee to ask questions to get the attention they need. The authors’ research points to twenty-eight questions that can drive the best conversations.

What difference-makers should you look for in a coach or a coaching program? What makes for a truly transformative executive coaching experience?

Get In Her Lane is a female-led podcast by women in automotive industry leadership. We aim to push the industry culture forward to attract, retain, and grow more women and diversity in automotive.Ride along with us as we delve into the automotive business from a woman’s perspective. We shed light on…

To partner with a coach is to realize the depth of your being, harness innate capability and positively impact your world. Unleash yourself!

Long hours on the job can temporarily ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety. But you’re better off leaving the office and facing your feelings head-on.

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You’ve started in a new role: congrats!

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One of the most straightforward paths to happiness at work is to fight against the scourge of time-consuming, unproductive meetings at every opportunity.

What is the impact of mispronouncing a name? In this powerful talk, Gerardo Ochoa shares the four styles of name mispronunciation, and the unseen but profound results of each. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Networking gets a bad rap, but it doesn’t have to be overly scary, shallow, or corporate.

Few organizations provide strong guidance or training for managers on meeting individually with their employees, but the author’s research shows that managers who don’t hold these meetings frequently enough or who manage them poorly risk leaving their team members disconnected, both functionally and emotionally. When the meetings are done well, they can make a team’s day-to-day activities more efficient and better, build trust and psychological safety, and improve employees’ experience, motivation, and engagement at work. The author has found that although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to one-on-ones, they are most successful when the meeting is dominated by topics of importance to the direct report rather than issues that are top of mind for the manager. Managers should focus on making sure the meetings take place, creating space for genuine conversation, asking good questions, offering support, and helping team members get what they need to thrive in both their short-term performance and their long-term growth.

Our rapidly evolving world forces us to adopt distinct patterns of behavior, and in the process, paves the way for new cognitive biases to emerge.

It can be one of the trickiest and touchiest tasks for a leader – getting and giving feedback. Here’s where “situation-behavior-impact” feedback (SBI) comes ...

Problematic words and phrases like "master" and "blacklist" are everywhere: in real estate, in computing, in law and in everyday conversation.

Experts share why impostor feelings arise and how to overcome them. These feelings can contribute to increased anxiety and depression, less risk-taking in careers, and career burnout.

Coaching fosters nonjudgmental curiosity and self-examination. So whatever coaching topics come up are acceptable – but how do we choose a great topic?

Reliable ways to hand off work to colleagues, hold them accountable, and get the work done well.

How to set boundaries with your boss, give them feedback, disagree, and balance your needs with theirs.

Sharpen these five skills.

It's not a real vacation unless you can disconnect. Here are tips to help you prepare colleagues to cover in your absence and respect the boundaries you set.

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Most efforts to improve individual and organizational learning focus on teaching people how to give feedback. After years of consulting with organizations ar...

Calls for authenticity at work ask for passionate people with diverse, fresh perspectives who challenge old ways of thinking. But too often workplace culture fails to support the authenticity of professionals of color and other underrepresented groups, leading instead to backlash and fewer opportunities. Writer Jodi-Ann Burey outlines steps toward exposing privilege and achieving true equity on the job -- and implores those in leadership positions to accept responsibility for change.