Hi Reader A few days ago, I got off a coaching call. He's the Vice President of IT Applications at a large enterprise. Brilliant guy. The kind of leader who can walk into a room full of consultants and challenge their recommendations. He's leading a multi-million-dollar transformation program. His job isn't as an individual contributor. His job is something much harder. He has to become the bridge between business leaders and technology. When third party vendor proposes a solution...the CFO...

This week, I witnessed a communication mistake that many smart professionals make without realizing it. One of my leads needed an SME to review his work. Instead of making a simple request, he spent the next few minutes explaining why the review was needed, why it mattered, and why he was asking. As I listened, I realized something. The more he justified his request, the less confident he sounded. It wasn't because his work was weak. It was because he felt he had to earn the right to ask....

Hi Reader Have you ever sat through a status update and wondered... "What was the point of that?" Most status updates are full of information—but very little clarity. In my latest video, I share a rant and also one simple shift that can make your updates more valuable, more memorable, and more likely to earn trust from your leader, team, and clients. It'll only take a few minutes to watch, and I think you'll never look at status updates the same way again. I'd love to know what you think...