The Executive Buzzword Series: What Is Executive Presence? by Jewel Quackenbush, MCC There I was, sitting in a glass conference room, the kind I’ve always called a fishbowl. You know the kind. Everyone can see in, no one can really see you. And what do we do with fish? We stare at them. That’s whatContinue reading “What is Executive Presence?”
Category Archives: Leadership Coaching
The Circle of Pain: Breaking the Pattern Before It Breaks You
I was too late. The call came at work, shattering the rhythm of my day. Just yesterday I had spoken with my friend, someone I had grown up with, one of my partners in crime. Someone who pushed me to dream bigger. Someone who sat with me when I cried into my Cheerios for whateverContinue reading “The Circle of Pain: Breaking the Pattern Before It Breaks You”
Open Enrollment: Turning Overwhelm into Empowerment
It is that time of year again. The email has been sitting in my inbox for a week, quietly waiting for me to deal with it. I keep flagging it, moving it to another folder, telling myself I will come back later. But the truth is, I already know what it says. Open Enrollment. TimeContinue reading “Open Enrollment: Turning Overwhelm into Empowerment”
Dr., Did You Hear Me?
The Patient Recently, a relative shared their experience. They had been tracking symptoms for months, finally secured a hard-to-get specialist appointment, and arrived hopeful. From the start, the visit went wrong. When they began explaining their symptoms, the physician glanced at their watch, seemed to make up their mind almost immediately, ordered a battery ofContinue reading “Dr., Did You Hear Me?”
The Masked Brag
Why Fake Humility Turns People Off I was reading another brilliant piece by Travis Bradberry, the author of Emotional Intelligence, titled 10 Things You Do That Make You Less Likable. One of the behaviors he highlighted was what he called the humble brag. As I read it, I was transported back to an experience IContinue reading “The Masked Brag”
Missing the Boat: How We Overlook Life’s Biggest Clues
“Waiting for the Sign” and What Happens When You Miss It You’ve probably heard the story. There’s a man stranded on a rooftop during a flood. He prays, “God, please save me.” Soon, a neighbor offers him a ride in a rowboat. He declines. “No thanks, God’s going to save me.” A rescue team comesContinue reading “Missing the Boat: How We Overlook Life’s Biggest Clues”
Our Differences Make Us Stronger: Embracing What We Often Avoid
When we surround ourselves only with people who think like us, we shrink. True leadership and personal growth require us to get uncomfortable, challenge our assumptions, and welcome difference. Here’s how to know when you’re unconsciously shutting out the very thing that could elevate your next breakthrough. The Discomfort of Difference Let’s be honest withContinue reading “Our Differences Make Us Stronger: Embracing What We Often Avoid”
Strokaversary
I Survived. Then I Rewired. And Now, I Thrive. In 2015, I had a stroke. It hit the left side of my brain , the side responsible for language, logic, reasoning, numbers, planning, sequencing, and executive functioning. In an instant, the entire right side of my body went silent. I lost my rhythm, my words,Continue reading “Strokaversary”
Judgment or Opinion? Words Matter. (Yes, I’m Saying It Again.)
Yesterday we were enjoying a Father’s Day meal, sitting around the table with good people and good energy. The kind of conversation that flows from life updates to pop culture to the joys (and frustrations) of adulting. Somehow, IKEA came up.Now, if you know me, you know I don’t love IKEA. So I shared: “YouContinue reading “Judgment or Opinion? Words Matter. (Yes, I’m Saying It Again.)”
When the Brain Takes the Wheel: Coaching Through a Leadership Trigger
By Jewel Quackenbush | Quackenbush Coaching LLC She was brilliant, respected, highly analytical—and a neurologist. After a high-stakes meeting where everything spiraled, she pulled me aside and said, “I went in clear. I came out shaking. I don’t even know what happened.” She studies the brain for a living. But in that moment, it wasn’tContinue reading “When the Brain Takes the Wheel: Coaching Through a Leadership Trigger”
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