Posts by Jo Ilfeld, PhD
Why Career Regret Misses the Bigger Picture
Have you ever found yourself wondering, “What if I’d stayed at that job?” or “Maybe I’d be in the C-suite by now…”? That nagging feeling—career regret—is more common than you think. But it’s also often incomplete. I recently spoke with a client who was reflecting on a previous role and questioning if leaving was the…
Read MoreWhy Leaders Need More JOMO (Not FOMO)
So many of us fear missing out and are always ON — making sure we are in on key meetings, following the latest trends, reading the latest articles in our field of expertise…the list goes on. But lately, I’ve been leaning into the antithesis of FOMO, namely JOMO – the Joy of Missing Out –…
Read MoreIs Your Schedule Lying to You?
In leadership, it’s easy to treat missed meetings as isolated events—customer issues pop up, priorities shift, and something gets bumped. But when this happens more than occasionally, it’s no longer an exception—it’s a signal. In a conversation with my executive coaching client, a startup CEO, she shared that her Friday C-team meetings often got postponed…
Read MoreWhen You’re Left Cleaning up After Their Mistakes
Dear Dr. Jo, I’m in a situation at work that has never happened to me before and I was hoping you might have some advice. I work as Chief of Staff at a local company. I was hired relatively early on, but even so, I don’t feel that I know my boss that well or…
Read MoreWould You Buy Land You Can’t Use?
Are you familiar with the well known saying “Buy real estate like there’s no one watching”? No? Ok, the real famous comment is “Dance like there’s no one watching” but recently I’ve been thinking about the alternate real estate version. This thought came to me during a recent stay in Carmel, where I discovered an…
Read MoreExperiment or Stay Safe?
As leaders, we often wrestle with one key question: When do you experiment and when do you listen to tried and true wisdom? I recently remembered a time I served on a nonprofit board. Whenever new members suggested ideas, I’d catch myself shooting them down: “We tried that already” or “That won’t work because…” Eventually,…
Read MoreThe Leadership Feedback Filter That Builds Trust and Saves Time
When it comes to giving leadership feedback, how often do we ask ourselves: Am I making this better or just making it different? This gem of a question came from a recent client conversation, and I had to share. I love the distinction because sure, we all have our own ideas. We can all make…
Read MoreWhat Marriage Taught Me About Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
Last month marked my 25th wedding anniversary. The milestone made me pause and reflect on something unexpected: the overlap between a strong marriage and strong leadership. At the core of both? Showing up and caring deeply. In a marriage, success isn’t built on grand gestures alone. It’s built on consistency—being there day in and day…
Read MoreHow to Make Smarter Decisions
Decision fatigue is real—especially when everything on your list feels equally important. I was recently on a college tour with my daughter and was finding it hard to choose her priorities. I remembered a decision-making framework that I have often used in the past but had forgotten. Whether you’re choosing a college, a career move,…
Read MoreWhy Your Executive Personal Brand Matters (Even If You’re Not Job Searching)
If you’re an executive, your personal brand isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a career necessity. Whether you’re actively job searching or not, your reputation as a subject matter expert can open doors long before you need them. In my latest LinkedIn Live, I spoke with Michelle Mendoza, a certified career coach, and she emphasized that building…
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