By Jeff Black Hybrid work has created a strange new category of professional where people are technically present but practically nonexistent. This is what we remind our Black Sheep clients... you can be in the meeting and still be completely invisible. Presence used...
By Jeff Black We’re living in a world where attention is the most valuable currency you can earn, and the hardest to keep. People aren’t starved for information, to the contrary, they’re drowning in it. What they are starved for is meaning, connection, emotion, and a...
By Jeff Black Most leaders think they’ll communicate better when the pressure is on. But pressure doesn’t give you superpowers. In fact, whatever communication habits you’ve built — good, bad or ugly — will be under the spotlight. When the timeline shrinks and the...
By Jeff Black Most leaders don’t struggle with obtaining good information. They struggle with making people care about the good information. And in today’s attention‑currency world, that’s really the whole ball game. Your ability to tell a compelling story isn’t a...
by Jeff Black People love to talk about “natural born leaders,” as if some folks were born ready to run a board meeting. I hate to break it to you, but leadership presence isn’t a birthright, it’s a skill set. And like any skill, it gets sharper because you practice...
By Candice Thompson, Senior Communications Consultant Every week, I sit with leaders who are exposed to powerful ideas — in coaching sessions, strategy conversations, and development programs. And almost every week, I watch the same pattern unfold. A concept lands. A...
When I think about what a high‑trust leader looks like in real life, I think of Dr. Naida Rutherford. She is the embodiment of these principles — a powerful motivational speaker and a dear friend who leads with clarity, courage, and compassion. I’ve watched her...
As 2025 winds down, it’s time to pause, breathe, and honor the journey. This season isn’t just about closing the books — it’s about celebrating the wins and setting intentions for 2026 to unfold with power, purpose, and passion. A practice for balance: Grab a single...
As leaders, we love our buzzwords. But the truth is that our team often hears something very different than what we intend. Here are a few examples: “Let’s be agile” What we mean: “Let’s stay flexible and responsive.” What they hear: “We’re changing everything again.”...