Articles (and Insights)
Insights on leading with courage, showing up with presence, and cultivating workplace cultures where people thrive. Get our best insights for leaders, HR/OD/L&D professionals, and culture builders.
Is 360 Feedback Right for Your Leader?
360 feedback can support leadership growth—but only when the leader is ready to receive it. This post explores when to use a 360, when not to, and what conditions create real impact.
What If We Stopped Taking Things So Personally?
What if the moments that sting—those comments that hit deep—were actually invitations? At StartHuman, we believe real leadership means staying present with discomfort and taking responsibility for our own nervous system instead of offloading pain onto others.
In this post, Amber shares a powerful story of receiving tough feedback, choosing vulnerability over defensiveness, and discovering the power of relational repair. It’s a reminder that our reactions aren’t personal—they’re protective. And when we practice emotional intelligence as a daily discipline—not just a buzzword—we build cultures where trust, truth, and connection can thrive.
“I’m Triggered”: A Call to Radical Responsibility
What if being triggered wasn’t a reason to collapse, but an invitation to lead from presence? In this post, we explore how radical responsibility transforms reactivity into growth, builds real trust at work, and helps us stop outsourcing our safety. It's not about avoiding discomfort—it's about learning to meet it with courage, curiosity, and care.
What Coaching Is and What It Isn’t
Coaching can be transformative—but only when it’s done with skill, training, and integrity. In a field where anyone can call themselves a coach, it's important to know what to look for. This article breaks down what coaching really is (and isn’t), how it differs from consulting, therapy, mentoring, and training, and what questions to ask before choosing a coach.
Culture Is Not What We Preach. It's What We Permit.
Culture isn’t built in all-hands meetings or value statements—it’s revealed in how people feel at the end of the day, how leaders show up under pressure, and what’s tolerated behind closed doors. In this post, we explore what culture really is, why it often goes unspoken, and how leaders can begin to align words with actions in a way that builds trust, belonging, and integrity.
Why We Offer Dare to Lead™: Practicing Courage at Work
What sets this program apart is its focus on emotional literacy—giving leaders the tools and language to understand and work with tough emotions like vulnerability and shame, rather than be unconsciously driven by them. When leaders can normalize honest, courageous conversations, they build trust, resilience, and the kind of culture where people—and results—can thrive.
Navigating the Feedback Dilemma: Giving Candid Feedback
Discover the transformative power of specific feedback in the world of business leadership. Explore how candid communication with your managers can pave the way for clearer guidance, stronger collaboration, and a more fulfilling leadership experience. Join us as we navigate the feedback dilemma and humanize the art of leadership.
Want to manage performance better? Repurpose the SMART methodology.
SMART goals neglect the need for shared communication and ongoing support. By reordering and revamping SMART to STRAM, we can start out on a better foot and open the door to better communication and performance.
Workplace Gossip: Why it happens and 5 things to do instead.
Eliminating gossip is a tall order, but doing so will radically improve the quality of relationships in your workplace as well as productivity, trust, and connection. Read on to learn about what gossip is and how to stop it.
How To Develop Talent: Our Top 5 Dos and Don’ts
It’s easy for leaders to make assumptions about the speed and ease with which people move from developing skills to contributing to the team. Read our 5 tips and set your team up for success.
Are these 3 barriers holding you back from being a good remote leader?
The Coronavirus pandemic has demanded a major shift for workplaces. Regardless of whether you’re struggling or thriving leading remote teams, now is a great time to step back and examine whether there are any barriers holding you back.
Five Ways to Stop Bullying in the Workplace (and Beyond)
Maybe someone has been described as being “too direct” or “too honest.” Perhaps you’ve noticed someone raising their voice, slamming things, or even name calling. While this type of behavior can be extremely harmful and is prone to escalation, there are ways to stop it in its tracks and turn it into something more productive. Here are five tips on dealing with bullying in the workplace.
Three Pitfalls in Workplace Communication (and How to Avoid Them)
You’d think with all the talking and texting that we do on a daily basis, we’d be pretty good at communicating with each other. But the truth is, most of us never actually learned how to communicate and many of us have picked up some pretty bad habits along the way.