Blog
3 Ways Baking and Conflict Management Mix to make the Holidays Happy
What do holiday baking and conflict management share in common? First—what’s your favorite holiday cookie? While I’m not much of a baker (or cook), I’ve had the privilege of learning from friends and family who are true artists in the kitchen. My good friend Donna, for example, once taught me...
The Tru Leader Podcast – An Interview with Bonnie Artman Fox
Have you ever thought about how your family upbringing and life experiences impact your leadership development? I joined Tracy Christopherson, PhD, MS, BAS, RRT and Michelle Troseth, MSN, RN, FNAP, FAAN on The TRU Leader Podcast to discuss my journey from oncology nursing to family therapy and leadership coaching, and...
3 Motivators to Turn Around Abrasive Behavior and Improve Your Leadership Credibility
To effectively turn around abrasive behavior, leaders must develop self-awareness and be open to feedback. In this post, you'll discover how one COO recognized her abrasive leadership style, took action to change, and replaced harsh tactics with respect and interpersonal skills, ultimately transforming her leadership credibility. It was a comment...
What daily habit are you practicing to be the leader you want to be?
I’ve been reflecting on something powerful James Clear says in Atomic Habits because it applies so well to daily leadership habits. “Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime, these...
Setting Boundaries with an Abrasive Boss: A Story of Courage and Change
Setting boundaries with an abrasive boss is essential for maintaining your self-worth, as illustrated by the story of Anna, a client who bravely navigated the challenges of an unpredictable work environment. Anna worked with a leader whose behavior became increasingly unpredictable and abrasive. One day, everything seemed fine; the next,...
Feedback Done Right: 3 Tips to Avoid Abrasive Feedback & Create Psychological Safety
To avoid abrasive feedback while maintaining psychological safety, it's essential to communicate in a way that fosters growth without causing discomfort or offense. Many leaders think they can’t give constructive feedback and maintain psychological safety at the same time. Just last week, during a leadership training, a leader asked me,...
When Thank You Feels Awkward: 4 Strategies to Give Genuine Appreciation
If you're finding it difficult to give genuine appreciation to your team, you're not alone—many leaders struggle with expressing gratitude in a way that feels authentic. Recently, a leader asked me, “Why should I praise employees for doing their job? They’re getting paid, isn’t that enough?” It’s a common sentiment....
5 key considerations when setting boundaries and addressing abrasive behavior
Addressing abrasive behavior in the workplace is crucial for fostering a respectful, productive environment. Tell me, have you ever overheard a conversation like this at work? “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” --- “What do you mean?” “He’s in one of those moods.” --- “The wrath of...
How to Walk Your Talk to Be Both a Smart and Healthy Leader
Walk your talk is one of my core values. It is a privilege to work with executive leaders, helping them lead themselves effectively so they can, in turn, lead their teams and organizations with excellence. I hold this responsibility in high regard. That’s why having an inner circle of like-minded...
5 tips to use curiosity to improve interpersonal skills
We have two options when faced with a problem or personnel issue. We can either resolve it and figure out why it’s happening in the first place or ignore it, hoping it will go away on it’s own. The later usually leads to bigger problems down the road. The better...