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Groupthink Hurts Results, Retention, and Revenues

August 3, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

This is Part 1 of a 2-part article. Part 1 focuses on teams alienating leaders and team members due to groupthink. Part 2 focuses on how leaders can avoid or overcome team alienation.

Every team comes to the table with long‑held traditions, sacred elephants, and the mindset of “how we’ve always done it.” Even when the leader or team member is steady and capable, the team’s anxiety can turn into quiet resistance, defensiveness, and groupthink where they believe the past matters more than moving forward or telling the truth.

Groupthink erodes trust, stalls decisions, and magnifies every unresolved issue. Slowly, the team disintegrates turning the original problem into an impossible mountain or disbanding entirely. The false sense of unity will eventually fracture the team into silos and factions.

In the process, the team ignores the leader or team member(s).

When Groupthink Takes Hold

In a study by ScienceDirect, “groupthink is more common than one would like to think.” Groupthink emerges when team members prioritize harmony, belonging, or shared frustration over critical thinking, and leads to dysfunctional decision-making.

The group reinforces its own beliefs, filters out contradictory information, and rewards conformity.
Dissent becomes risky, so no one challenges the emerging “leader we don’t like” narrative.
Develop an illusion of invulnerability — the belief that the group’s decision is correct and infallible.
Ignore ethical or moral concerns, overlook risks, or fail to consider outside perspectives.

The Escalation Pattern

Once groupthink solidifies:

The leader’s decisions are interpreted negatively, regardless of merit.
Neutral actions are reframed as evidence of the leader’s incompetence or bias.
The group amplifies small mistakes into “proof.”
Silence becomes agreement, accelerating the alienation.

The Cost of Groupthink

Alienating a leader or team member, especially a competent one, creates ripple effects:

Loss of direction and accountability.
Fragmented communication and diminished trust.
Increased turnover and political maneuvering.
Decline in psychological safety and innovation.
Closed doors and opportunities for the team, company, or association.
Loss of top talent, avoidable expenses, and poor results are unavoidable.

How to Break the Cycle

To prevent or reverse leader and team alienation:

Reintroduce structured decision‑making. Brainstorming, critical thinking, and alignment on decisions (not consensus) are important to ensure active participation of all team members. This also brings up issues that need to be addressed. Do not avoid elephants!
Ask each and every person for their input. This includes accepting diverse viewpoints. As the leader, you will need to go around the team several times to ensure all voices are heard.
Address cliques and insider groups directly. When you bring a team together for the first time or for each new project, outline expectations, goals, and processes. Also, mention you expect people to work together for the benefit of the client or project goal. This normally needs to be repeated during each meeting.
Rebuild trust through transparency and shared goals. How does this client or project benefit others? What can we do to improve the process or delivery?
Use objective tools (e.g., assessments, facilitation) to set or reset team dynamics. When hiring, use job-fit assessments to ensure you are hiring the right people for what needs to be done. When selecting people to work on a team, conduct a short interview to ensure they will be committed to the goal of the team. Ensure you are continually improving your facilitation skills.

Leaders and all team members must stay aware of group dynamics, challenge groupthink early, and avoid the trap of blaming others instead of strengthening their own leadership effectiveness. As the leader, it is your responsibility to stop groupthink in its tracks.

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Do You Need to Hire Salespeople? What Are 5 Key Tips to Ensure They Fit the Job?

July 27, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Hiring salespeople can be a challenge. Many look and/or talk the part, but once hired, fail to produce the required results. It’s up to you to improve your selection process to uncover salespeople who can actually sell your product or service, and fit the job requirements.

Remember, it’s always faster, easier, and far less expensive to determine their ability to sell before you hire them. If you don’t, you’ll spend too much money and energy — and face sleepless nights attempting to fix them (and this never works out well for anyone).

5 Tips to Improve Your Selection Process

Listening Skills Are they listening? Can they hear you? Do they respond appropriately? Ask the candidate to summarize the interview or parts of the conversation by asking, “Tell me what you heard?”
Do They Ask Questions? Do they have questions about your company, product, management style, etc.? If not, move on. Candidates who don’t ask questions lack the curiosity, interests, and skills to inquire further.
Are They Calm and Patient? Does the person squirm in their seat? Do they rush the conversation or attempt to finish your sentences? Do they look at you when speaking or listening? While closing is a required skill, it also requires the ability to ask several times in several different ways without being offensive.
Do They Fit the Job? To determine key traits, most salespeople need prospecting, presenting, and closing skills must have the interest to use these skills. Use a qualified job‑fit assessment. Can they do these things? Will they do these things? And can they do these things for your company and product?
Do They Tell the Truth? To objectively answer this question, first use an honesty/integrity assessment to uncover omissions not found in public records. It saves time and money by eliminating candidates who stretch the truth (think customer expectations and fulfillment). Second, always conduct thorough due diligence with final candidates by checking background, education, and other accomplishments.

Bonus Tip: Do They Follow a Sales Process?

Sales Process Discipline. Many salespeople rely on charm, personality, or improvisation. But consistent results require following a repeatable sales process. Notice whether the candidate follows your interview structure, asks clarifying questions, and moves through conversations logically. Salespeople who resist structure rarely produce consistent results.

Want to Accelerate Career Options? Make a Lateral Move

July 23, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

I remember talking with a woman who had been unemployed for a while. When I suggested she ‘stretch’ from finance into operations by making a lateral move, she looked at me like I’d grown another head.

“Oh no! I’m very committed to staying in my profession,” she exclaimed.

I replied, “It doesn’t mean you will not return to finance. However, gaining operational experience in running a department or team can greatly boost your business acumen. Lateral moves can provide you a diverse skill set, increased visibility, and credibility as a future leader.”

What are lateral career moves?

A lateral career move is a strategic transition to a role at the same level of responsibility and pay, designed to broaden skills, gain new experiences, and position yourself for future advancement. (Indeed)

What are the benefits?

Can be beneficial for learning new skills or securing your future.
Learning different duties or responsibilities.
Increased visibility
Credibility as a future leader
Note: Not recommended if you make too many of them or face a career setback.

Making a lateral move doesn’t mean you were not qualified in your current profession or previous position. A “stretch position” can accelerate your career growth and options because it provides broader exposure to business challenges, making you a better boss/leader, decision-maker, and business professional. It’s also a great way to skill stack your experiences, education, and expertise.

How to Prepare for a Lateral Move

Job Fit Assessment. Be clear about your strengths and weaknesses before making a job transition. Use an objective job fit assessment that provides a “job fit pattern” for the lateral position. This helps you (and your new boss) understand where to focus when coaching and managing you for success.

Get Your Brag On! Complete the five easy steps for sharing your wins and successes. Sharing these during networking meetings and interviews for the lateral position will make a difference. Remember, there will be “cross-over” skills, and you must emphasize them (e.g., communication, finance, people, technology) since you cannot rely on the job titles, professional experiences, and job responsibilities they normally seek.

Networking Works. Do your homework by going out for coffee or lunch, or Zoom with several people already working in the profession. What do they enjoy about it? What are the challenges? How can you, with your current experiences, make a difference? Use open-ended questions to learn more. Remember, this is crucial … listen to learn!

Prepare for the Interview. You will be ready for the interview after following the first three recommendations above. Be sure to conduct your due diligence during all interviews for the lateral position about expectations, goals, and any challenges in the position. It is important to address any reluctance of the company, team, or hiring boss upfront without being defensive. After you’ve been offered the position, it’s time to discuss salary and benefits … they may not change … this is about gaining experience, not a pay increase at the present moment.

Keys for Success: Learn the basics, listen more than talk, and have a positive can-do attitude. Hire an executive coach and select a mentor to talk through the inevitable sticky situations and political work relationships that will occur. Also, take the time now to develop essential leadership skills in emotional intelligence, communication, critical thinking, and project management. These are valued “cross-over skills” in any position aka skill stacking.

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

Build a Strong and Dynamic Team to Produce Great Results

July 20, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders today struggle with building a team that produces intended results, is innovative, and works well together. Many leaders blame their lack of success on the belief that the “right” team members cannot be found.

The real problem? Leaders fail to take responsibility and be held accountable for hiring, coaching, and managing their team (individually and as a group) to be strong and dynamic. Instead, they rely on outdated management of the processes and execution of the goal. When they claim they “don’t have the right people,” it is a way to distract others from their inability or unwillingness to lead effectively.

How to Transform Your Team and Achieve Intended Results

A leader’s beliefs matter. Your beliefs can become an excuse that prevents you from developing teams, addressing blind spots, and doing the real work required to build a strong and dynamic team. To improve everyone’s skills, you must be willing to look in the mirror, acknowledge what’s not working, and take deliberate steps to strengthen your leadership effectiveness through coaching, feedback, and consistent practice.

Hire for job fit. This is the ignored key to ensure you have the right people on the team, with the skills, attitude, behavior, and interests to achieve the intended results. Don’t forget onboarding is critical to each person’s success … it gives them the direction and support to integrate well and become productive more quickly.

Remove your ego. A healthy ego is key. An unhealthy ego will sabotage your results. If you’re egotistical and unable to be a true leader for your team, step aside. OR hire an experienced executive coach to guide you along the way. This requires developing emotional intelligence and awareness of what may trigger your upsets, frustrations, and other poor communication habits.

Manage for results, not personalities. This can be a hard one: Focus on the action plan while staying focused on the goal. This can be difficult when people don’t get along, create miscommunication, and are not team players. Use a qualified job fit assessment that reveals objective data, not how the person wants to be seen, which will camouflage job fit and hurt results. This clarity will improve results, while strengthening your team.

Define role expectations. Address clearly defined roles, who makes which decisions, and expectations. Many teams fail not because of talent, but because people don’t know what “success” looks like in their role or how their work connects to the bigger picture. It’s up to you to communicate and guide the way.

Create or follow accountability systems. Instead of “winging it,” create or use structures that keep teams aligned: metrics, check-ins, dashboards, or performance conversations. Leaders often “get out of the way” by stepping back so far that the team lacks direction, guardrails, and timely feedback, leaving people to guess at priorities, make assumptions, and commit avoidable mistakes.

Communicate with intention. When you are being indecisive, people will take advantage of you. Instead, be clear about the goal, budget, and any other defined structures or limitations. Admit when you are uncertain about what to do next. Ask the team for their input by asking open-ended questions. Encourage brainstorming, and avoid the trap of seeking consensus. Remember, innovation and communication improve when people feel safe speaking up. The solutions will reveal themselves.

Apologies are required. When mistakes occur, and they will, own them. Apologize. Move forward. All is not lost if you are looking for the lesson(s) learned from the mistake or failure. Many times, it leads to the next successful innovation!

Use Please and Thank You! People want to feel valued. If you are not appreciating your team and the individuals that support the process and achievement of the intended results, you are not building a strong and dynamic team … just one that’s waiting to move on … and away from you.

Celebrate and Brag! Every milestone is important, since each one leverages your next one. Speak positively about your team members, and ensure there is a celebration beyond a weekly pizza.

Leaders With Healthy Egos Produce Intended Results

July 13, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Your ego, as a leader, can be both a benefit and a cost to relationships, retention, results, and revenues. Egos can be both useful and dangerous: it can fuel confidence and drive OR blind leaders to reality and damage trust and results.

Example: When hiring employees, your ego gets in the way by not listening and instead, relying on intuition, gut reactions, or biases. The hiring boss fails to collect objective data, and then, acts surprised when the new employee miscommunicates, ignores team members, and performance is subpar.

Egos fuel entitlement and self-sabotage. Egotistical leaders believe the rules don’t apply to them or that their position earns them special treatment. They rely on being right, being in control, or being seen as the smartest person in the room. This erodes their credibility and trust because the ego is wired to protect identity and status, especially when a leader feels insecure, which undermines intended results.

Conversely, a healthy ego becomes a stabilizer. Leaders who don’t need special treatment or constant validation make clearer decisions, build stronger relationships, and earn genuine respect. This grounded approach strengthens trust, psychological safety, and a culture where team members follow because they want to.

Costs of Allowing Egos to Manage the Leader

Self‑Belief vs. Arrogance. When confidence becomes arrogance, leaders become defensive, overconfident, and dismissive, driving poor decisions and pushing top talent and customers out the door.
Lack of Self‑Awareness. Without self‑awareness, leaders miss the moment when the ego takes over, derails conversations, damages relationships, and creates avoidable conflict.
Breakdown in Listening. Ego-driven leaders talk over others, assume they already know the answer, and shut down collaboration, which stifles innovation and team engagement.
Distorted Decision‑Making. Egos narrow perspective, causing leaders to ignore data and dismiss alternatives to “prove they’re right.”
Avoid Accountability. Leaders who let their egos run the show blame others, justify poor choices, and resist feedback, weakening credibility and slowing team performance.
Erosion of Trust. When ego overshadows humility, psychological safety disappears, people stop speaking up, and overall innovation and performance decline.

How to Develop a Healthy Ego

A healthy ego provides confidence, resilience, and steadiness when under pressure. Strong leaders know when to dial the ego down and dial humility up to move teams forward, handle tough conversations, and build reliable working relationships.

Self‑Belief vs. Arrogance. Leaders with true confidence asks open-ended questions, listen, and build win-win-win results. When they make mistakes or misspeak, they apologize immediately.
Self‑Awareness as the Regulator. Self‑awareness helps leaders recognize when ego is helping and when it’s hijacking judgment. Pausing, noticing triggers, and using feedback as a mirror prevents unnecessary conflict and poor decisions.
Intentional Listening. Practicing curiosity and humility are skills that can be developed. This way of listening restores collaboration without letting conversations go sideways.
Objective Decision‑Making. Using objective data while engaging in diverse viewpoints and structured decision processes prevents costly missteps, especially in hiring, strategy creation, and fulfillment of intended results.
Accountability and Ownership. A healthy ego takes responsibility, slows down to include the team, and ensures everyone contributes for stronger results.
Build Trust. When balancing ego with humbleness, a healthy ego helps leaders believe in their teams, overcome setbacks, and create win‑win‑win outcomes.
Strengthen Effectiveness. Leaders with a healthy ego build self‑awareness habits, seek reality checks, use structured decision frameworks, separate identity from ideas, and treat humility as a leadership tool.
Ask For and Accept Help. Healthy‑ego leaders know they can’t do it all. Asking for help, accepting support, and working with mentors or a coach keeps blind spots in check and strengthens decision‑making.

A healthy ego models strength by showing the team that collaboration, guidance, and continuous improvement are essential to effective leadership. Tools like PXT Select® and the PXT Select® Leadership Report provide objective insights into how leaders think, behave, and make decisions, especially when under pressure. (The PXT Select® also bolsters team members, especially when there has been conflict, miscommunication, and too many mistakes and failures along the way.)

5 Attitudes Required to Fast Track Career Success

June 25, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

There are many conversations business professionals, executives, and business leaders keep continue to have about why they are unhappy in their jobs or careers. These otherwise qualified individuals live under the false illusion that finding the perfect career or job will automatically have them earning mega-bucks, working for a great boss, and enjoying a great life!

But not so fast! The truth is … if you want to fast track your career success … first, you need to address the elephants in the room as to why you’ve derailed your career.

The Elephant Tracks That Keep You Stuck

Elephant tracks are made by people not bring forth their A Game! They are more focused on gossip, factions, and not doing complete work.

I can do anything, but don’t want to do this. According to Gallup, over 80 percent of people are in jobs that don’t fit them.

Gimme, gimme. Many people jump for extra pennies or dollars in their paycheck, but then end up leaving those jobs because they are unhappy!

Grass is greener. All companies have their issues.

I’m too busy. There’s a saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

Bigger is better. A bigger company does not mean it is better run, regardless of their bigger budgets!

Rather than believe you’re stuck in a job or career, recognize you are there because of your unwillingness to make the needed changes. Only you are responsible for your work-life happiness!

Your Career Success IS an Inside Job

Remember, it’s an attitude. Take charge of your career.

Understand and clarify your strengths as they are, not as you believe they should be. Learn skill stacking. Take a qualified job fit assessment to clarify job fit.
Professionals who hire the right career or executive coach have a competitive edge, with their current employer or their next one. They enjoy their jobs again.
Empower yourself to ask for help. Stop waiting for someone to show you the right direction.
Stop mimicking others in hopes of becoming happier. Happiness is an inside job!
New opportunities will appear quicker when you have a great mindset and are focused on fulfilling your career goals.
Learn what your boss and the company needs done. Have strategic conversations (yes, many) to ensure you’re on the right track. Then, get busy.
You learn to how sell yourself in a business savvy manner. (https://SeibCo.com/books/).
You write down the top three must-haves for the next job, and take action to fulfill them in your current one!

Fast tracking your career success is an inside job. Focus on building your strengths, working with a coach to develop your EI, and be ready to move forward when opportunities appear.

Being successful in your career isn’t hard. Stop expecting your boss, company, and others to create your success! Look inside yourself. If you are stuck, reach out now before you talk yourself out of it. Contact me.

Listen to: The Business Power Hour: Deb Krier’s 1176 episode with Jeannette Seibly, feel the fear and do it anyway: https://youtu.be/kQLaw_jN50Q

How to Use Technology and AI to Attract and Hire Top Talent

May 19, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Many social posts and media highlight AI’s value in automating hiring. But they overlook that human interaction is still required.

AI and Technology Excels At:

Finding candidates
Screening for basic qualifications
Scheduling interviews
Managing communication
Tracking candidate progress

AI is Only as Good as a company’s hiring clarity and systems programming:

Cannot infer job success factors a company or hiring manager has not defined (e.g., requiring a four‑year degree vs. hiring for job interest (financial interest for accountants).
Overvalues credentials (e.g., degrees and job titles) and dismisses non‑traditional work (e.g., gig driver).
Cannot improve a job description or ad that is vague, outdated, copied, or contains bias from past hiring decisions. Instead, AI will amplify and automate those flaws and use these biases. The results are not legally defensible.
Can send “thank you” letters, but relies on consistent communication programming – or it can damage a company’s reputation.
Cannot build trust if auto‑responses feel cold or systems fail to notify managers of scheduled interviews.
Doesn’t recognize and value every job candidate as a potential customer, future contract decision maker, or vendor/supplier.

What AI and Technology Cannot Do Right Now:

Tell the difference between subjective and objective data
Listen and determine a candidate’s coachability, resilience, or job curiosity
Evaluate job candidate conduct during an interview (tone, listening skills, trust‑building, authenticity)
Make a hiring decision
Provide legally compliant interview questions or deep‑dive questions into responses
Replace qualified assessments (validated, reliable, legally defensible tools)
Note: AI‑powered personality quizzes are not validated for pre‑employment or promotion use.

AI Legal Risks Often Overlooked:

Several states require transparency when AI is used in hiring
Some states require bias audits of automated hiring tools
The EEOC has issued guidance on AI discrimination

Companies relying on AI without understanding these requirements expose themselves to compliance risk and potential legal challenges.

AI is a tool … not a decision maker. Human discernment is still the differentiator and a critical piece in the hiring and selection process.

Written with help from AI

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author with over 33 years of experience guiding people to empower themselves, transforming workplaces into places that work, and shaping leaders who truly lead.

Want or need to improve your hiring results? We all do. Let’s schedule a conversation to determine where you need to focus first. Contact me to understand and use the power of objective data when hiring.

Using Hiring Assessments to Revive Your Bottom Line

May 11, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

“I started using the right hiring tools and have improved my bottom line.” President, Engineering Company

Companies everywhere must focus on strategies to improve team performance and revive their bottom line. Today, more than ever, there are many qualified job candidates seeking employment. But one bad hire can hurt a company’s retention, revenues, and results.

It starts with hiring and selecting the right employees for the right job … aka job fit, the first time. The challenge is too many companies spend more time evaluating equipment and systems than focusing on using the right tools and hiring practices to find and attract the right people who will use these systems.

“It is not experience that counts, or college degrees or other accepted factors – success hinges on fit with the job.” (Source: Harvard Business Review, Vol. 58, No. 5)

Today, more than ever, collecting objective data by using the right assessments for hiring and selecting the right employees will determine your company’s success and revenues.

Cost of Poor Hiring Practices

As a leader, you know your turnover rate. In fact, you may be proud that it is below industry standards. Yet, the truth is, you do not know how the actual costs of your current hiring practices impact your bottom line. (Think of the client you just lost and the intangible costs!)

Now is a great opportunity to calculate the cost of a bad hire, and how much it costs you to promote the wrong person, or lose a talented team member. When you do this, you will realize you’re losing money each and every quarter, even though your bottom line may be acceptable … not great … just OK!

Not All Assessments Are Created Equal

Not all assessments are designed for hiring and selection purposes. For example, AI‑powered personality quizzes are not validated for pre‑employment or promotion use. Using assessments that have not been statistically validated for pre-employment and selection purposes can get you in legal trouble, and have you rely on subjective, not objective data. Also, the wrong assessment will cause you to hire the wrong person for the right job OR hire the right person for the wrong job.

Why? People are like icebergs: they only let you see what they want you to see and what you don’t see under the surface is often far more significant and costly.

Using the wrong assessment or no assessment at all, allows candidates to tell you what you want to hear not what you need to hear. (Note: most hiring managers miss lies, misinterpret facts, and fail to listen to what a job candidate is actually saying. Deep diving using the Rule of 3 can discern the truth and overcome these issues, if you are listening.)

For example, candidates will…

Talk about the skills and talents they don’t use appropriately. (Or, haven’t used ever.)
Share achievements they didn’t accomplish. (Team work v. individual contributions.)
Win the job offer and not be the same person that shows up to work. (Or, ghosts you!)

These avoidable hiring mistakes will hinder your ability to revive your bottom line, and improve your retention and results.

Use the Right Assessment to Ensure Job Fit

You would not use a screwdriver to put a nail in the wall. The right tool is a hammer. Using the right assessment tools are no different.

There are over 3,000 assessments in the market today. Most do not meet the Department of Labor’s 13 Guidelines for Using Pre-Employment and Selection Assessments (See: Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices, Department of Labor).

How do you choose the right assessment to determine job fit and core values?

There are two options:

Read the DOL’s 13 Guidelines (citation noted two paragraphs above) and review the technical manual for each assessment. A qualified assessment will have a technical manual showing statistically that it meets the validity and reliability guidelines and all other requirements for pre-employment and selection purposes. The key is to ask for the technical manual and refuse to use an assessment for pre-employment and selection purposes without one.
Talk with an assessment expert to guide you through the process.

When you take the time to select the right assessments and use them as directed, they work and will positively revive your bottom line.

*Source: “Hire Amazing Employees: How to Increase Retention, Revenues, and Results!”

Do you have questions about how to use qualified assessments to get the best results? Contact me to understand the power of objective data.

The Power of Discernment Improves Retention, Revenues, and Results

May 5, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

When researching this important skill, I discovered that discernment can have a religious context. This article only focuses on leaders and bosses developing and utilizing this important skill.

Every leader must deal with data, people and situations where lies are told, false truths are believed, and subterfuge gets in the way of achieving intended results and win-win-win outcomes. It’s where your ability as a leader must develop the skill of discernment to support your retention, revenues, and results. That is how you build trust and loyalty.

Definition: Discernment is the skill in making careful distinctions, especially in matters of truth, value, or character, and often involves making wise judgments. (Merriam Webster)

Utilizing this skill requires looking beyond the obvious, integrating your experience and emotional intelligence, and noticing discrepancies in data, conversations, and situations. Your integrity and ethics can support you (or not) in working through these insights instead of relying solely on superficial appearances or false facts. It’s always better to admit you don’t know the truth, rather than, lie about it.

How Do Lies and Half-Truths Occur?

When you rely on:

People’s words. Many people are poor communicators and listeners.
Social posts and media: There are many false facts.
Feelings and Skepticism: These often get in the way of hearing your intuition or gut.
Authority, Title or Degrees: Too many people fail to dive deeply into the basics and misstate facts and potential outcomes.

How to Improve Your Ability to Discern Fact from Fiction

First, and foremost … remember … discernment is a process. There will be times you will be wrong! When this happens, use diplomacy and apologize. Then, move on.

Breathe and Allow Silence. Put aside your know-it-all mindset in conversations. Too often you attempt to cover up uncomfortable pauses by filling in the silence. Your impatience gets in the way (often) and you miss important data and other information.

Listen and Learn. Ask open-ended questions to get started. Then, ask direct questions when focusing on the facts and truth. When responses go off track, bring their focus back to the topic at hand. Example: It’s very important during hiring, job promotions, and job transfers to be open to hearing what you don’t want to hear.

Deep Dive. Use the Rule of Three to determine the truth and relevant facts. Remember, spotting lies or exaggerations are far harder than people think.

Develop Your Intuition. Feelings are not the same as intuition or gut reactions. Feelings are past-based and signal an issue or issues you’ve not handled yet. Intuition comes out of the blue. It won’t tell you what to do but signals there’s something more to learn. Rely on conversations and not mental gyrations to uncover the truth (e.g., be careful of your biases or snap judgments).

Misinterpretation. This happens often. Too many people, including leaders and bosses, have poor listening and communication skills. When speaking they are unable to adequately put into words the facts — they are not lying, they are limited in their ability to express themselves. When this happens, ask the person to show you or draw a diagram of the issue.

Leadership Blind Spots. We all have them. These can get in the way of being open to hearing what others have to say, and clarifying what is true and what is not. Use a qualified job fit assessment to discover what your blind spots are.

Temper Your Need to Be Right. Egos discount what others have to say, or diminish or dismiss their ideas, concerns, or thoughts. I know of a manager that normally makes people feel wrong when they state a fact that he doesn’t agree with. But instead of acknowledging his weakness … he questions people to the point of being ineffective and discourages them from wanting to work with him. This is not discernment! It’s just poor management skills.

What if you are the liar, fearmonger or manipulator spinning things to be different? This can happen when you are unprepared, wanting to look good, or you just don’t care about the results. Remember, the truth normally (almost always) comes out.

Note for skeptics. While you have a difficult time believing anything anyone has to say … there are truthful facts based on the data, person, and situation. Learn how to discern what is true by using your skepticism wisely.

Discernment is a skill learned over time. Understanding your blind spots as a leader can help you discern what is true and what is not. Contact me to go deeper and uncover the power of developing of your discernment skills.

Coaching Removes the Ways We Self Sabotage

April 21, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Successful leaders and bosses know that having a coach isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. While business professionals believe the do-it-yourself approach works just fine, many learn the hard way it doesn’t work. Doing it yourself is how we self-sabotage our progress, awareness, and ability to move upward.

Many up-and-coming leaders quit, change their goal to reflect what progress they have made, or fall victim to the allure of some shiny object. At that point, the goal of being a leader has been sidelined, dreams diminished, and the vision for success forgotten. This happens more often than leaders realize.

In today’s 2026 workplace—where hybrid teams, AI-driven decisions, rapid change, and increased burnout are the norm—these patterns of self-sabotage are even more costly. Uncovering the ways we self-sabotage is why we need the right coach. Having the right coach allows you to get real about your goals, keeps you focused, and reawakens your commitment to succeed. It’s a critical component to your success as a leader.

11 Self‑Sabotaging Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back

I can do it myself. Unfortunately, many DIYers think they can be their own coach. Listening to yourself is a fool’s game and rarely gets you to where you want to go. In 2026, self-coaching is even harder with constant workplace noise, shifting priorities, and increased pressure to perform.
A good coach needs a certification. Certificate programs can be helpful and provide technical skills. However, the right coach with experience, powerful listening skills, and the ability to customize ideas to your unique situation is far more powerful. That kind of skill can only be learned by a coach with extensive experience.
It’s too expensive. Not necessarily. How much are your career, time, family and financial future worth? Today’s leaders also recognize the cost of burnout, stalled promotions, and poor team relationships—areas where coaching pays for itself.
My company won’t pay for it, so it must not be important. There comes a time when you have to value yourself, your career, and be willing to invest in both to ensure your success. Many companies today expect leaders to take ownership of their own development.
Coaching is only for people who don’t have what it takes. Wrong! Coaching is for anyone and everyone wanting to take the next step up in their career. Every great leader has a coach! Having a confidential sounding board helps you become aware of your blind spots and transform them. Yes, everyone has blind spots … including you!
If you work harder, you will be successful. Working harder is not the answer. Working smarter, not harder, means doing things in a way that is effective and efficient, and gives you the ability to achieve intended results. The right coach will guide you to work smarter—especially important now with AI tools, hybrid teams, and constant change.
I’m doing fine and don’t need a coach to prepare me for the next step. This a very common blind spots for many leaders. Remember, moving up often requires knowing the “unwritten rules and practices.” Today, these rules are even more complex due to remote visibility challenges, shifting alliances, and evolving expectations.
I have friends and family who provide me with lots of advice. Yes, many people do. While they mean well, most friends and family members don’t have the courage to tell you what you really need to hear. And, they lack the experience at your new level. As a result, you miss out on the critical factors required to make better decisions, build stronger teams, and achieve intended results. This is exactly why you need the right coach.
I have too much work to do and cannot take on anything else. If this describes you, coaching should be at the top of your list. Most coaching comes just in time, when you need it and when it can provide the greatest impact. In 2026, leaders who delay getting support often experience burnout or stalled careers and missed opportunities.
I’ve already hit the glass ceiling and no coach can change that. Nonsense! Anyone can be a successful leader with the right coach navigating them forward. Additionally, success today is about more than just technical and financial skills. It requires being forward-thinking, team-oriented, and goal-driven … all areas where the right coach makes a huge difference. Today, relationship intelligence (RQ) and credibility are now essential, in addition to emotional intelligence (EI) and emotional integrity.
My assessment says I’m doing just fine. Most assessments are not focused on job-fit and becoming an effective leader. This is a major form of self‑sabotage. Many leaders rely on personality tests, team‑building tools, or “fun” assessments that have nothing to do with developing leadership. When you use the wrong type of assessment, you get misleading data, overlook real issues, and make decisions based on how people want to be seen rather than how they actually think, behave, and perform on the job. In 2026, with increased complexity, hybrid work, and rapid decision cycles, leaders cannot afford guesswork. Only qualified, validated job‑fit assessments provide the objective data needed to hire, promote, and coach effectively. Only work with coaches that use them.

When you uncover the ways you self‑sabotage, you will see that hiring the right coach is the most critical component for your success. In today’s fast-changing workplace, you cannot afford to rely on outdated beliefs or go it alone. What are you waiting for?

Your leadership and legacy depend on the decisions you make now. If you’re ready to elevate your influence, strengthen key relationships, and accelerate your career in today’s fast‑moving environment, it’s time to get the support that gets results. Let’s start the conversation today.