Visibility builds trust long before problems appear I spent some time on site recently, and it reminded me of something simple: Leadership becomes much harder when leaders lose touch with the realities their teams face every day. In industries like mining, engineering, manufacturing, and operations, there’s a big difference between managing from a distance and staying connected to the work itself. The strongest leaders I know don’t only show up when there’s a problem. They wa

Sometimes being fully present with your family is the most important leadership move you can make. Last weekend, I took my daughters to see Hoppers. Popcorn. Movie theatre snacks. The usual debate over what’s “too much butter.” Honestly, it was one of those simple weekends that ends up meaning a lot more than you realize at the time. And somewhere between the previews and the drive home, I caught myself thinking about how easy it is for adults—especially leaders—to convince t

The best leaders recognize the difference between burnout and disengagement. This is the time of year people start checking out. You can feel it with kids first. Our daughter has officially entered the “How many days left until summer?” phase of the school year. Every morning feels slightly more dramatic than the last. And honestly, adults aren’t always that different this time of year. At work, I’ve noticed the same thing happening with teams lately. Energy dips. Attention d

This time of year, leadership is about focus—not reacting to every demand. The other day, I walked past the family calendar hanging in the kitchen and just laughed. School events. Dance recitals. Year-end activities. Appointments. Travel. Cottage Weekends. Work commitments. Somehow, everything seems to land in the same six-week stretch. And honestly, work can start to feel the same way this time of year too. I’ve been hearing it constantly from leaders lately:“We’re getting p

As AI transforms the workplace, human connection is becoming more valuable. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of conversations about automation, efficiency, AI tools, and how quickly workplaces are changing. And honestly, some employees are nervous. Not always because they’re against technology. Because uncertainty creates questions. “What does this mean for my role?” “Will people still matter?”“How do we keep up?” Good leaders pay attention to that. I recently worked with an o

The best leadership teams bring different perspectives and ways of thinking. Recent reports showed that in Canada, only 5% of TSX-listed companies currently have a female CEO. Honestly, that number surprised me. Not because leadership progress has been perfect. But because I’ve worked with too many exceptional female leaders over the years to believe the pipeline isn’t there. Some of the strongest leaders I’ve coached have brought a combination of clarity, emotional intellige