Posts by Jo Ilfeld, PhD
My 2025 Book List: Here’s What I’m Reading
“Jo, please do one of your book reviews again,” my friend, Rebecca always asks. I haven’t done one in awhile so let me share my review of a few new books I’ve read recently. Back in January I read this new release from Dan Heath called “Reset: How To Change What’s Not Working.” I’ve read several of Dan Heath’s other books and I enjoy…
Read MoreBoundaries in the Workplace: Understanding Different Responses
In a recent exercise on boundaries, I gained a new insight about the way we react to requests at work. Some people have an automatic inclination to say “yes” to others, trying to be helpful and make things happen. However, overcommitting can lead to stress, overwhelm, and eventually the realization that we’ve taken on more…
Read MoreBurnout & Balance: A High Achiever’s Dilemma
Dear Dr. Jo, I’m a female entrepreneur who has achieved what some consider significant success, but for me it comes at too much personal cost. As a leader, I over-function. I work too much. I feel too much. The cost is that I’m nearly always either teetering on the edge of burnout or I’m burned…
Read More5 Steps to Great Leadership
Recently, I was in a meeting with a group of really smart coaches. One of them shared these 5 Steps of Great Leadership. No-one in the group could find the citation or an attribution for these steps. So if you know where they came from, please share in the comments below. But in the meantime,…
Read MoreDear Dr. Jo: My New Work Advice Column
I have a secret confession. I’m a huge fan of advice columns. Ask Amy, Dear Miss Manners, Dear Abby, Carolyn Hax, Asking Eric—you name it, I read them all. But more than that, I’ve always harbored a deep desire to start my own advice column, giving out advice in the arena I know best: leadership and…
Read MoreBeyond the Resume: 3 Power Moves for Your Executive Job Search
An executive job search isn’t just about having an impressive resume and applying for jobs through job boards such as LinkedIn—it’s about visibility, strategy, and meaningful connections. Too often, leaders focus solely on their credentials when what truly sets them apart is how they engage with their network and position themselves in their industry. On…
Read MoreWhen Change Isn’t an Option
We’ve all encountered situations at work that feel stuck—difficult dynamics, organizational red tape, or systems that refuse to budge. Often, our first instinct is to figure out how to fix things: change the people, the processes, or the circumstances. While this can be powerful, sometimes change simply isn’t possible—at least not in the short term.…
Read MoreBalancing Speed and Process
In every organization, there’s an ongoing tension between speed and process. In a recent discussion with an executive coaching client, she shared the problems she was facing managing this tension on her team. With speed, you move fast, maybe you break things, but then you fix them, learn and move. But without solid processes in…
Read MoreSystem Failure or One-Time Error?
Sometimes things at work don’t go as planned, but the important question to ask is whether it’s a “system failure” or a one-off error. Recently, a client of mine rushed to prep a deck for a meeting, only to realize they hadn’t done enough preparation because they didn’t know who was attending. This prompted my…
Read MoreFeeling Stuck? 3 Steps to Move You Forward
This article originally appeared in Forbes. I was on a coaching call this week with someone who felt very “stuck.” Outside of my work, most people I chat with generally use the word ‘busy’ whenever I ask them how they’ve been, yet as an executive coach, the most common word clients use to describe themselves,…
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