Powerful communication

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Own Your Narrative

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | September 11, 2024 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, CEO of Incite to Leadership on own your narrative the image shows dice with letters spelling out story.

Have you ever found yourself creating a story around someone else’s behavior? For instance, you’re sitting in a meeting waiting and waiting and your manager comes on 15 minutes late and just gets started with the meeting. You might, in your head, have a story about the fact that they don’t respect your time, or…

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If You Get Anxious Right before a Meeting Try This

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | July 23, 2024 |

I recently read Charles Duhigg’s new book, Supercommunicators. Being a fan of his work, I wanted to share an insightful tip he mentioned in an HBR article about what you can do if you get anxious right before a meeting. If you have a meeting with someone that you’re excited about, anxious about, or nervous…

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The Power of Transparency

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | July 3, 2024 |

I recently had two contrasting conversations that underscored the importance of transparency in leadership. Now, let me ask you: when faced with the choice of sharing what’s going on or withholding information, which way do you usually lean? In both instances, the discussions centered around the profound impact of transparency on team dynamics.  While your…

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Bring Back Small Talk

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | June 5, 2024 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, CEO of Incite to Leadership on small talk the image shows a midlife woman with glasses chatting to a male colleague while holding a cup of coffee

Have you ever wondered if we should bring small talk back? Pre-COVID, I often discussed how the most important parts of meetings were the small talk moments—those informal chats while waiting for others to join or as everyone left the room. This small talk bonded people through shared experiences, like seeing the same movie or…

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Are Your Motivations Clear in Crucial Conversations?

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | May 29, 2024 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, CEO of Incite to Leadership on overcomplicating things clear motivations the images shows a woman with crossed hands thinking.

Have you ever worried about having a crucial conversation and whether it might upset the other person or tarnish your relationship? Recently I discussed with my husband a difficult conversation he needed to have. One key aspect we talked about was his motivation for having this conversation. It’s important to be clear about your motivations…

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The Healing Power in Saying “I’m Sorry”

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | February 12, 2024 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, Executive Leadership Coach on the healing power of I'm sorry the image shows a man looking down and sad.

There is healing power in saying “I’m sorry.” When we are apologizing, we may say “I accept responsibility” and express ownership of our actions but often there is a reluctance to directly say the words, “I’m sorry.” In a recent conversation with one of my executive leadership coaching clients, I encouraged them to consider the…

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Talking About The Weather Gets My Approval 

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | September 5, 2023 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, Executive Leadership Coach on talking about the weather the image shows pictures of different weather conditions

If you have found yourself starting a conversation talking about the weather, don’t worry, it’s not because you lack ideas.  This is how I initially judged myself when I realized I was starting several conversations with my clients asking them about the weather.  How could I talk about such a trite topic, I asked myself. …

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Managing Workplace Outbursts: Is It a Draymond Green Moment?

By Jo Ilfeld, PhD | August 15, 2023 |
For this article by Jo Ilfeld, Executive Leadership Coach on workplace outbursts the image shows a basketball being shot into the net.

Are you a basketball fan? Even if you aren’t, I think you’ll find this helpful. Recently, I had an insightful conversation with a client about handling unexpected workplace outbursts in professional relationships. The client shared an experience concerning a colleague. Their professional relationship had been progressing well until an unexpected outburst changed the atmosphere. Although…

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