News from Leaders By Design

Most leadership conversations about men and women get the question wrong. They start with stereotypes and end with policies. The neuroscience starts somewhere different — with data on how men and women actually perform, where the real gaps are, and what’s driving them. Eleven years of research with more than 1,500 executives tells a clear story. The organizations that act on it consistently outperform those that don’t.

The traits that got you to the C-suite aren’t always the ones that keep you effective there — and in my experience, the gap shows up in three specific places most senior leaders would rather not examine. I’ll show you exactly where to look.

Your brain reacts 165 milliseconds before your conscious mind catches up. For senior executives, that gap is where leadership is won or lost. In this installment of Cultivating Leaders, I explore how attention, mindfulness, and the science of reframing give leaders access to their best judgment precisely when pressure is highest.

Even the most accomplished executives plateau without self-awareness. Blind spots, ego protection, and low feedback tolerance quietly erode authority. In this installment of Cultivating Leaders, I explore why executive self-awareness is the true competitive advantage — and how structured leadership coaching helps senior leaders confront blind spots before they become derailments.