Leadership Tips · The Blog
Leadership Tips
Practical, no-fluff thinking on leadership, teams, and the human side of work, from Heidi Sadecky. Most posts take about five minutes and leave you with something you can use the same week.
Time to Call a Coach: Support Over Survival Mode
As leaders, it’s easy to feel like you have to do it all on your own; that you are required to be strong and unflappable. This probably works for you, at least well enough. But what about when it’s too much?
The Orange-Slicing Solution: 7 Conflict Management Techniques Every Manager Should Know
There’s no version of leadership free of conflict, road bumps, and reasons to throw your hands up out of frustration.
When Your Star Employee Undermines You: A Woman Leader’s Response Playbook
If you’re a woman running the room, there’s a second layer under the first one: you’re not just managing an employee flying too close to the sun. You’re managing them while your own authority is already under more scrutiny than a man’s would be in the same role.
Fixing a Toxic Team: How New Managers Can Break Old Patterns
You walk in on the first day at a new job. Whether it’s your first leadership role or not, if something’s off, it’s clear. The vibe isn’t right. People are guarded. Meetings feel like a charade. The veteran employees are cynical and skeptical, and in your head, you’re asking: Is this a rough start, or did I inherit a broken system?
Do Your Leaders Lack Emotional Intelligence? Here’s How to Tell.
Before you point to business strategy, bad hiring, or an improper workload, pause. The real issue may not be what your leaders know, but how they lead.
Can Toy Story Help Your Company Through a Merger?
One of my favorite things to do is help organizations work through change, especially when facing a merger, a reorganization, or an unexpected shift. The news is often received with fear and skepticism. But I encourage team leaders and managers that these challenges are a great opportunity to bring the team together and work toward one new purpose.
Your Blind Spot Is Showing: How Passive Aggression and Your Strengths Might Look the Same in the Rearview
Have you experienced any of the following? An eye roll for a response. “I’ll just do it myself,” after being asked for help. Deadlines missed despite thorough communication.
These are just some of the ways you may see passive aggression in the workplace. It’s common. It’s subtle. And it’s everywhere.
Open the Window: Gen Z Women Are the Leaders You’ve Been Waiting For
Women have always had to prove their ambition in environments not built for them. Gen Z women are no exception, and they are proving it in louder, faster ways that are harder to ignore.
“Should I take StrengthsFinder 2.0 or CliftonStrengths 34?”
I hear this question all the time. Leaders, directors, and executives come to me after doing research, reading reviews, and being ready to invest in training… and they’re still confused by this seemingly simple question.
Gallup Strengths Coaching FAQ
With over 30 years of experience coaching leaders, I’ve answered countless questions about Gallup Strengths Coaching—also known as CliftonStrengths. It’s one of the most powerful and transformative tools for uncovering potential.
Leading with Intention as the Year Comes to a Close
Strategic planning, year-end reviews, team dynamics, budgets, performance conversations, family responsibilities, and future goals all demand attention—often at the same time.
Is it Ever a Good Idea to Give Your Boss Feedback?
The truth is, not every leader is open to feedback. Some leaders invite it. Others tolerate it. And a few see it as a threat. The key to knowing when (and how) to give feedback is understanding your boss’s level of emotional intelligence and relational health.