Insights from the Work
Observations, reflections, and practical guidance on leadership, organizational effectiveness, and the human experience of work.
Leadership is human work.
How we lead is shaped by how we relate to being human.
At StartHuman, we believe leadership effectiveness requires developing more conscious relationships with three fundamental aspects of the human experience: power, fear, and vulnerability.
We call this The StartHuman Way™.
Three invitations to lead with greater awareness, compassion, and choice:
Stand in Service™: Choose commitment over compliance.
Befriend Fear™: Choose presence over protection.
Sit in the Fire™: Choose integrity over relief.
Here, we explore the human side of leadership effectiveness—the patterns, choices, and everyday behaviors that shape our relationships, our impact, and the cultures we create.
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Culture Is Not What We Preach. It's What We Permit.
Organizational culture is not defined by what leaders say they value. It’s shaped by what leaders tolerate, reinforce, and allow to continue.
Why We Offer Dare to Lead™: Practicing Courage at Work
Leadership requires courage. Dare to Lead helps leaders develop the emotional skills and self-awareness needed to lead with courage, connection, and compassion.
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.
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.