Insights & Observations
I publish more frequently on Your Brain on Leadership, my Substack publication, where I explore the psychology behind leadership, executive function, and the everyday challenges of putting what we know into practice. Subscribe for fresh perspectives, thoughtful questions, and ideas worth sitting with, delivered straight to your inbox.
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The Subtle Art of Power
What we can learn about power from rock, paper, scissors.
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More Is Not Better
Better decisions don’t always require more information. They require knowing when you’ve learned enough to act and when the next step can help you learn more.
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When Helping Becomes the Bottleneck
When someone asks for help and nothing you suggest seems to work, the natural response is often to try harder. But sometimes the problem isn’t the quality of your help. It’s that you haven’t stopped to ask what kind of help is actually needed.
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The Games We Don’t Know We’re Playing
Sometimes the conversation you think you’re having doesn’t explain what keeps happening between you. Eric Berne called some of these recurring patterns “games.” Understanding how they work can help you recognize the conversation underneath the conversation.
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Is It You, the Job, or the System? Why a Work Problem Does Not Tell You What Caused It
A missed deadline, stalled decision or recurring work problem tells you what happened. It doesn’t automatically tell you why. Looking at the person, the work and the conditions can reveal where the friction is actually coming from. \
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Your Job Has Executive-Function Demands Too
Jobs have executive-function demands as well as visible responsibilities. As a role changes, the amount of planning, switching, prioritizing, monitoring and decision-making it requires can change too. Understanding that shift can explain why work suddenly feels more cognitively demanding.
