Top of Mind
Lori's Latest Articles
"What you said was so powerful, I wish I’d written it down…!"
How many times have you said that to someone?
Here Lori shares an excerpt from the latest thoughts she doesn’t want you to lose.
Tips for Your 2024 Thanksgiving Table
People have been asking me for tips on how they can best handle conversations over the holidays with family and friends who voted differently than they did in the presidential election. It’s been exhausting for literally everyone I’ve talked with, before and after. And the potential for conversations to go...
The Potter’s Wheel & Anne Lamott
Parallels to Leadership One of my favorite essayists is Anne Lamott. If you don’t know her work, let me introduce you to her here. Transparent, witty and wise, she puts into writing truths about life that come straight from my heart. She’s inspired me in many ways, including with my...
The Jolt – Harsh AND Effective
Last week I was working with a senior management team. Their executive VP made an appearance mid-way through our session to get an update on key initiatives. The team provided concise summaries. And then the VP stood to make her observations and comments. She delivered what I call “The Jolt”...
Assuming Positive Intent: Or Not
If you believe someone has ill intent towards you, you’re right. Everything you see them do, every decision, glance, form of communication, or lack of communication, will confirm this expectation. Everything filters through this lens. Actions and interactions become evidence of the other person’s negative motivations further justifying the conclusions...
Vertical Development: Feedback at The Achiever Stage
As leaders gain the experience of building and moving teams toward greater and greater heights, they naturally gain the maturity to move from the Expert stage to that of the Achiever. Leaders with this mindset are primarily focused on results and have learned to access the talents and skills of...
Vertical Development: Feedback & The Expert Stage
Within the progression of vertical development there are several distinct stages (sometimes referred to as mindsets or worldviews) that describe how we relate to and navigate the world around us. The Expert stage is the most prevalent within organizations. And with good reason: this is the stage where our professional...
Vertical Development: Leaders as Pioneers
I’ve been working with vertical development since the mid-90s when I studied adult stage development in grad school. I learned it as a framework for understanding individual growth and development. I quickly realized, however, that its principles apply to groups, teams and organizations, and I’ve been using it in my...
Announcing: On Leading
It’s been almost a year since launching Lori On Leadership. It’s been a joy to bring leaders who are exemplars of transformative capacity into the spotlight! Finding a way to bring the crucial importance of leading beyond right/wrong, dualistic thinking has never been more urgent. So this Substack and podcast...
5 Fears of Mid-Level Leaders — Fear of Exposure
“Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you: I’m successful. But am I really adding enough value to the organization? I think about the teams that I’m responsible for—the vast array of output and all that they are capable of, and my job is somehow to hold it all together. If I...
5 Fears of Mid-Level Leaders — Fear of Failure
“Please don’t tell anybody, but I’m scared. My organization has invested $100M in this new initiative, and the outcome will brand my career. If it succeeds, I’ll be a hero. But if it fails, people will look at me as the person who squandered all the work hours, all the...
5 Fears of Mid-Level Leaders — Fear of Rejection
“I really didn’t expect this. I’ll admit that I’m used to being liked by the people around me — and I’m used to people going along with my proposals and my ideas on what should be done. But I’ve run into a wall. I’m hitting obstacles that I’ve never encountered...
5 Fears of Mid-Level Leaders — Fear of Incompetence
“I just got promoted, and I was really excited about the opportunity. But things just aren’t working out as well as I thought they would. It seems like every time I want my team to go one direction, they all end up going the other way. I’m trying really hard,...
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