By Joan Flora, Ed.D., PCC | Inner Sage Leadership Group Listening Under Threat Most leaders don’t struggle with knowing what to say in difficult conversations. What challenges us is the moment just before language arrives. The urge to clarify, reassure, or correct appears quickly when emotion enters the interaction. For instance, a colleague expresses frustration,…
By Joan Flora, Ed.D., PCC | Inner Sage Leadership Group By now, 80% of New Year’s resolutions have collapsed. The gym bag sits by the door. The meditation app sends another ignored reminder. The new planner is already half abandoned. Every January, we rediscover the same uncomfortable truth. We know exactly what would improve our…
By Joan Flora, Ed.D., PCC | Inner Sage Leadership Group A well-known Harvard study (Killingworth & Gilbert, 2010) found that our minds wander 47–48% of the day, nearly half our waking time. For leaders, that’s a liability: the greatest risk is losing presence when it matters most. Most of us don’t lose clarity because we…
By Inner Sage Leadership Group There’s a moment every professional recognizes but quickly dismisses: Someone interrupts you. Someone dismisses your concerns. Someone crosses a boundary you felt but didn’t voice. And before you can explain why, something inside you tightens. It’s the first fast signal from your body’s protection system: a pulse of “No,” a…
Researchers at the University of Virginia and Harvard University asked participants to sit quietly, without distractions, for 6 to 15 minutes. Most couldn’t do it. In a follow-up study, more than half chose to administer mild electric shocks rather than be alone with their thoughts, Science, 2014, 345(6192), 75–77. It’s astonishing. We long for peace,…
By Joan Flora, Ed.D., PCC | Inner Sage Leadership Group As high performers, we like to think drive is what keeps us going. But sometimes, it’s the very thing that won’t let us pause. That’s when it stops serving our leadership. At its best, drive gives us focus. It fuels progress. But over time, the…
By Dr. Joan Flora, PCC Imagine you’re in a team meeting. Everyone is discussing next steps, but one colleague sits back, arms crossed, saying nothing. Afterward, you can’t stop replaying it: “Are they angry at me? Do they not respect my leadership?” The anxiety builds. The story in your head grows louder. But then you…
by Dr. Joan Flora, PCC Meet the Idea Fairy You’re deep in a budget meeting when a colleague appears, eyes bright: “You should offer this workshop—it would be amazing!” The Idea Fairy is fluttering around your office, showering you with glittering ideas. They mean well. They care about your mission. They see possibilities you might…