Category: Leadership

Time’s 2025 Person of the Year is ‘The Architects of AI’. From the December 11 issue:

“It is the story of how [Jensen] Huang and other tech titans grabbed the wheel of history, developing technology and making decisions that are reshaping the information landscape, the climate, and our livelihoods.”

Every December for the past 19 years, I featured the best lessons I learned during the past 12 months. This year I took a different approach: using AI to create it for me. How? I uploaded everything I’ve written since 2004 – 353 articles, columns and blog posts – and asked ChatGPT to find the 65 best lessons. Seemed like a good number since I turned that age in June.

These ‘Lessons Learned’ capture patterns that separate good leaders from great ones. Each one is practical, clear, and grounded in everyday moments. Rather than reading them and moving on, print them and compound their impact on your leadership.

Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. May 2026 bring peace to the world, an end to uncertainty, and joy to your family, friends and those you work with each day…

People take their cues from you: How you show up each day tells your team what matters; your steadiness creates their steadiness

Trust is built in everyday moments: Follow-through, consistency, and respect speak louder than any message; small behaviors create big credibility

Clarity reduces friction: Teams move faster when expectations are simple and specific; clear direction beats intensity every time

Listening is how leaders earn influence: When people feel heard, they lean in; give them space to finish, and they’ll bring more to the table

Specific feedback drives real change: General comments rarely help; point to the exact behavior so the person knows what to repeat or adjust

Your presence sets the temperature: A calm, grounded tone lowers anxiety and keeps people focused; others rise or fall to the energy you bring

You don’t need all the answers: Your role is to create the space for others to think; ask questions that pull out their best ideas

Coaching happens in the hallway: Short, timely conversations fuel growth; use those small openings to build awareness and momentum

Preparation replaces anxiety with confidence: A few extra minutes of planning changes the way you walk into a room; confidence comes from being ready

Reinforce what you want to see more of: People repeat what gets noticed; celebrate the behaviors that shape the culture you want

Delegation grows people: Handing off work builds skill and trust; give people the outcome, not the step-by-step

Accountability begins with agreement: People commit when expectations are clear and shared; confirm the finish line before the work starts

What you tolerate becomes your culture: Ignoring issues sends a message; address things early while they’re still small

Curiosity strengthens relationships: Questions soften tension; they help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface

Your team mirrors your pace: If you rush, they rush; if you stay steady, they find their footing

Slowing your response improves communication: A brief pause before speaking helps others feel respected; it also gives you time to think


Strong questions build strong teams: Questions that push people to think forward create ownership; people rise to what they help design

Simplicity drives execution: Most decisions don’t need complication; choose, align, and move

Recognition matters more than you realize: People want to know their effort is seen; a genuine thank you carries real weight

Involvement increases commitment: Bring people into the process; they support what they help shape

Direct is respectful: Clear, honest communication prevents confusion; avoiding a message usually makes things harder

Leaders who seek feedback grow faster: Inviting input shows confidence, not weakness; it keeps blind spots from becoming real problems

Your energy walks into the room before you do: Optimism and frustration both spread; be intentional about the tone you bring

Conflict isn’t a threat: Healthy teams disagree and stay connected; leadership is guiding those conversations with purpose


Meetings should create movement: If it doesn’t lead to alignment, a decision, or an action, it’s not a meeting; it’s a delay

Great leaders make complexity understandable: People perform better when things make sense; break issues into plain language

People speak up when they feel safe: Psychological safety leads to better decisions; silence is more dangerous than disagreement

Daily habits shape leadership more than big gestures: Consistency beats intensity; small, steady practices build trust

Ownership changes everything: When people generate their own options, they follow through; ask, “What do you see as your next step?”

Culture starts at the top: You can’t delegate what you model; people watch your behavior more than your statements

Lead with strengths: People grow faster when you focus on what they do well; improve the gaps that matter most

Speak to be understood: Skip jargon; clear talk creates alignment and momentum


Focus is a leadership skill: Help people concentrate on what matters most; attention drives results

Capacity must match expectations: Burnout shows up when leaders ignore bandwidth; adjust priorities with honesty

Accountability grows through questions: Asking “What will you do next?” turns ideas into movement; it builds commitment

Appreciation is a performance tool: When people feel valued, they contribute more; recognition is cost-effective leadership

Time with people is never a distraction: Coaching and listening are not extra tasks; they are the core of leadership

Boundaries teach people how to work with you: Consistency builds trust; mixed signals create frustration

Confidence grows from practice: You improve by doing; repetition builds comfort more than talent does

Leaders must challenge their own assumptions: Your internal story shapes your behavior; make sure it’s accurate


Delegating outcomes unlocks creativity: People innovate when they have room to decide how to deliver; trust the process

Leaders model learning: Admitting mistakes and asking questions make others feel safe to learn; this drives improvement

Presence is about attention, not time: A few focused minutes can move work forward more than a distracted hour

Assumptions are expensive: Clarify meaning before reacting; it prevents unnecessary conflict

Reflection is a leadership tool: Taking time to think improves future decisions; reflection turns experience into insight

Decision-making takes courage, not certainty: You rarely get perfect information; move with what you know today

Frontline voices make everything better: The people closest to the work spot issues first; ask them what they’re seeing

Your emotional state shapes everyone else’s: A leader’s mood sets the tone; stay steady when pressure rises

Growth requires discomfort: Stretching skills feels uneasy at first; support people while still expecting progress

Leaders earn respect by owning mistakes: It shows maturity and builds trust; it also gives others permission to learn

Coaching builds independence: Every time you solve a problem for someone, you limit their growth; guide them instead

Emotion often reveals the real issue: Listen for tone, pauses, and hesitations; they reveal what’s underneath the words

Silence is a performance tool: A quiet moment helps people think more deeply; leaders don’t need to fill every gap

Prioritization creates momentum: Not everything deserves the same attention; focus lightens the load for everyone

Clear expectations build confidence: People perform better when they understand exactly what good looks like

Leadership starts with self-management: If you stay grounded, others will too; emotional discipline is a leadership advantage


Gratitude strengthens teams: Thanking people for real contributions builds loyalty and energy; gratitude is simple and powerful

People want meaning, not just tasks: Explain the ‘why’ behind work to create engagement; purpose fuels performance

Better questions elevate the quality of thinking: Shift from telling to asking; it changes the quality of the conversation

Understanding beats assuming: Check for clarity; ask people to restate what they heard in their own words

Consistency is a leadership multiplier: When people know what to expect from you, trust grows; predictable leadership reduces drama

Sustained focus compounds performance: Teams move faster when distractions are removed; clarity of attention drives results

Leaders rise by helping others rise: Your success grows when you develop others; share the spotlight

Undistracted listening builds trust faster than advice: People feel respected when you truly hear them; it strengthens the relationship and the work

Leadership is a daily decision: Each interaction is a chance to reset, influence, and model who you want to be; small choices create big impact

Our nearly 27-year-old daughter said recently: “I don’t have a conversation with dad anymore that doesn’t involve his passion for A.I.” I’ll own that. Seems like I’m using ChatGPT every day to assist with things like how to approach potential executive coaching clients, designing a graphic for PowerPoint, or helping calculate the health care costs when I go on Medicare in June. As a starting point for ideas, it’s become an extension of my creative mind thought partner.

Many businesses are rethinking how we work, travel and solve everyday problems. Here are three leveraging A.I. to unlock new business models:

Truck Parking Club. This as an “Airbnb for truckers” that helps long-haul drivers find and reserve parking spots in real time. Parking is a massive issue in the trucking industry, costing drivers time, money, and energy. TPC steps in to match supply and demand dynamically, creating a marketplace where private property owners offer space and truckers secure reliable rest spots. 

Shappi. The logistics startup connects travelers with people who need to send international packages – turning extra luggage space into a valuable asset. Blending trust, efficiency and a gig-economy mindset, Shappi is challenging traditional shipping methods… and helping those who venture from home earn spending money.

Harvey. This A.I. legal assistant helps law firms automate research and draft contracts – and even provide case insights – by reducing mundane tasks and increasing critical thinking time. Harvey isn’t replacing lawyers; it’s amplifying their output by allowing them to be even more efficient and even more strategic, while freeing up time for higher-value client work.

The real value of A.I. isn’t automation, it’s transformation. Much like when leading companies failed to innovate in bygone eras – Westfield buggy whips, Corona typewriters, Fox Photo – the ground is shifting quickly. Don’t bury your head and get left at the (steam engine train) station. Why, our daughter even remembers when we used to go to Blockbuster Video.

Note: Fans of ‘Suits’ likely get the inside joke of Harvey.

Senior executives I connect with have a recurring theme about their organizations: How equipped are our leaders to coach their team?

Employees – especially those in the latest generations – don’t just need someone to direct their tasks. They want leaders who guide, inspire, and empower them.

Coaching is becoming a core leadership competency. Yet, many organizations still have leaders focused on metrics and performance reviews, instead of having them hold ongoing meaningful dialogue with their employees.

If this is true in your organization, there is a path to improve how your leaders engage with their direct reports:

·       Invest in developing coaching skills at all levels of leadership

·       Encourage asking open-ended questions that spark self-reflection

·       Move toward a culture where two-way feedback is standard

This shift in your approach could lead to stronger engagement, higher retention, and thriving teams. 

Last month a client asked me what business books I recommend for a team of young leaders. I created a list several years ago and realized I hadn’t updated it in a while. Thus, here is a revised one – in reverse order of publication dates:

Generations – Jean Twenge (2023)

Better Decision Faster – Paul Epstein (2023)

Think Again – Adam Grant (2021)

Winning the War in You Mind – Craig Groeschel (2020)

Words Flow Through Me – David Handler (2020)

Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek (2020)

The Happiest Man on Earth – Eddie James (2020)

The Ride of a Lifetime – Bob Iger (2019)

Raise Your Game – Alan Stein Jr (2019)

Sea Stories – William McRaven (2019)

Dare to Lead – Brene’ Brown (2018)

Atomic Habits – James Clear (2018)

Make Your Bed – William McRaven (2017)

The Undoing Project – Michael Lewis (2016)

Misbehaving – Richard Thaler (2015)

Turn the Ship Around – David Marquet (2013)

Pendulum – Roy H. Williams (2012)

Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman (2011)

Linchpin – Seth Godin (2010)

Leadership and Self Deception – The Arbinger Institute (2010)

Start With Why – Simon Sinek (2009)

Drive – Daniel Pink (2009)

Your Brain at Work – Dr. David Rock (2009)

Tribes – Seth Godin (2008)

Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell (2008)

The 4-Hour Work Week – Timothy Ferris (2007)

Walt Disney – Neil Gabler (2006)

Blink – Malcolm Gladwell (2005)

Blue Ocean Strategy – Renee’ Maubagne, W. Chad Kim (2004)

Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni (2002)

Good to Great – Jim Collins (2001)

Wealth Within Reach – Bud Hadfield (1995)

The Great Game of Business – Jack Stack (1992)

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephan Covey (1989)

Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl (1946)

How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie (1936)

When 99-year-old Charlie Munger died on New Year’s Day, he left behind a legacy of financial success as the longtime business partner of legendary investor Warren Buffett.

Munger was known for providing homespun wisdom in his speeches, interviews, and especially at Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings:

“The big money is not in the buying and the selling… but in the waiting.”

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.”

“When you mix raisins and turds, you’ve still got turds.”

One of Munger’s axioms – about the importance of growth over time – popped into my head after a recent coaching meeting: “The first rule of compounding is to never disrupt it unnecessarily.”

My client had asked how he could identify gaps in his leadership style that needed to be filled in order to maximize the final 10 years of his career. After some Q&A aimed at helping him reflect on and self-discover possibilities, I said: “The 33 years you put in so far have combined to make you who you are today. Think of it as compound leadership growth.”

When his eyes lit up, I felt we were on to something. Then we discussed some of the best lessons he’s learned and how he uses those to maximize impact in his VP role.

Think about your career growth. Which good lessons do you carry forward and which bad ones did you leave behind?