Leadership

When Work Gets Shaky, Your Team Is Watching You

2026-08-04T20:33:36-04:00By |Business, Communication, Speaking|

Think back to the last time everything at work got shaky (and if you’re like most people, you don’t have to think back too far). Maybe it was a reorg nobody saw coming, or a budget freeze, or a big client taking their business elsewhere. Now picture the moment right after the news landed, when

AI Anxiety at Work: What Leaders Should Do and Say

2026-08-04T20:27:11-04:00By |Business|

AI is reshaping our workplaces and daily lives faster than most of us ever anticipated. While many people are jumping on board and trying out AI tools—around 75% of employees, in fact—others are understandably hesitant. A big part of this apprehension comes from the fear that AI might make their jobs obsolete. This fear isn’t unfounded.

Get Your Team Members Unstuck: The Power of Making Requests

2026-07-26T12:55:52-04:00By |Deborah Grayson Riegel in Inc., Women Leadership|

It was a typical Tuesday morning at 8:30, and I was working with my personal trainer. What I love about my trainer is that she doesn’t yell or intimidate. Instead, she has this uncanny ability to see potential in me that I often miss in myself. She shows it by making requests of me. “I

How to Talk About the War in Israel When You Don’t Know Much About It

2023-11-18T14:53:50-05:00By |Deborah Grayson Riegel in Inc., Self Care|

Over the weekend, I was speaking to the CEO of a small company who, like me, has friends and colleagues in Israel who are impacted by the war. I asked her if she was planning to talk about the events in Israel with her leadership team and staff. "I don't think so," she said. "Because

Here’s how teams can process feelings using Appreciative Inquiry

2026-07-26T14:24:22-04:00By |Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Fast Company|

Tens of thousands of workers have been laid off so far this year. Layoffs can cause feelings of fear and grief. You may be wondering, Who’s next? and Why not me? and What now? While you might not be ready or able to answer these questions, you can’t expect that these feelings of anxiety and

How to be a more vulnerable leader—even when it makes you uncomfortable

2023-06-10T19:58:17-04:00By |Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Fast Company|

It is increasingly common for leaders to show vulnerability. These days, rather than feeling compelled to put up an impenetrable, flawless façade, many leaders are actively encouraged to share their worries, hopes, fears, setbacks, and challenges with their teams. The benefits of vulnerability include creating psychological safety within the team, increasing the team’s potential, building

You’re Not the New Boss They Wanted — Now What?

2022-07-28T12:04:48-04:00By |Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Inc.|

In an ideal world, we would get to choose our boss. We would carefully consider who communicates effectively, leads with high emotional intelligence, can teach us the skills we need to succeed, can push and inspire us in the ways we want, can motivate us without micromanaging or under-leading, can coach us to grow, and

When your open-door policy is bad leadership

2022-06-02T19:05:34-04:00By |Business, Deborah Grayson Riegel in Fast Company|

“Reach out if you need anything.”  “I’m here if you have questions.” “My door is always open.” Chances are, you’ve said one, two, or all of these things as a people leader. And it’s highly likely that you not only said them but you meant them. After all, being available to your colleagues for questions,

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