New World of Work

What Are 5 Confidence Builders Needed to Produce Amazing Results?

by

Confidence is required to build your career, professional reputation, and results. The challenge? Allowing saboteurs (e.g., factions and people with ulterior motives) to deplete your confidence. Then, you do your best to shrink who you are and deny your own inner power when attempting to handle sticky situations and complex working relationships. With poor results.

Here are 5 practices to develop and build your inner power and confidence!

Believe in Yourself. It’s challenging when you face a setback, error, or rejection. Remember, everyone makes mistakes and experiences failures. Take a moment to breathe. Embrace what you learned from the recent experience. Now, engage with your executive coach and regain your focus and confidence! Self-belief is your key to confidence and empowerment, and is an ongoing skill that you will need to develop as you move forward.

Be Present. Don’t let your mental thoughts, feelings of fear, or multitasking distract you from the present moment. These can hinder your results and relationships! When engaging in conversations, attending meetings, or participating in events, give your undivided attention to the speaker. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the new insights you glean from listening, even when you think you already know the information – there is always more to learn!

Be a Results Producer. Going through the motions without a conscious intention or outcome to improve the quality of the situation or relationship isn’t taking focused action.

To achieve intended win-win-win results, you need to:

  • Get honest about the actions you are taking and why
  • Prepare for and have the tough and needed conversations required to move forward
  • Focus on quality and workability of performance challenges, not personality differences

Be Coachable. Ask for help! Recognize that you don’t have all the answers, and often, when you approach people, projects, and situations with “fear” written on your face, they hide from you. By choosing the right coach, you can witness your confidence bloom with newfound clarity and composure. This openness to coaching is a powerful tool for your personal and professional growth.

Get Your Brag On! Pay attention to your daily activities and wins by keeping a written log of your achievements … no matter how small. When it’s time for a job promotion, job interview, board meeting, sales presentation, or pitch for your book or product, you’re ready! Your brags make a big difference in building your confidence. They also build your reputation, credibility, and ability to influence others!

©Jeannette Seibly 2023-2026 All Rights Reserved

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.

Building self-confidence is a daily practice that requires you to recognize when saboteurs appear. Contact me for a confidential conversation to ensure you’re moving forward rather than staying stuck.  

Using Hiring Assessments to Revive Your Bottom Line

by

“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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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!”

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015-2026

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.

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

A Rewarding Life Requires Showing Up for Yourself

by

We all believe a rewarding life requires success … something external to ourselves … the accolades, material possessions (e.g., designer clothes, fancy vehicle), promotions, eating at the best restaurants … to name a few.

These are the moments when we override our own well‑being to meet external expectations.

But what if showing up for yourself truly means honoring your needs, aligning with your values, supporting your health, not skipping healthful eating habits, and being present and responsible when making your daily choices?

For many leaders, showing up for yourself is the hardest part, and often creates feelings of guilt, resistance, or fear when they start choosing themselves. Because in our society, when people do things for themselves, they are often considered selfish.

Consider, it’s the small, daily, consistent choices that build self-trust and self-resilience for building a rewarding life … because how you show up for yourself becomes part of the legacy you leave.

10 Habits That Matter

  1. What are my needs? Identify and prioritize them by reflecting on what your body says is important. Pause long enough to ask and listen to, “What do I need right now?” Listen to your intuition. Then, gently investigate what feels “off” or unmet in your life — physically, emotionally, or mentally. Then, make it a habit to schedule time to meet those needs, whether it’s rest, exercise, or a hobby.
  2. Set Boundaries and Say No, or Say Yes. If you are constantly saying “no,” … then, take a breath before saying “yes.” And vice-versa. Remember, doing things you don’t want to do or that don’t match your values will drain your energy. Failing to say yes to doing what you really want to do and allowing your fears and self-doubts to get in the way will drain your energy.
  3. Keep It Simple and Smart. Participate in life willingly. Journal daily, walk several times weekly, and drink plenty of water. Get together frequently with friends, neighbors, and family members who you enjoy. These simple activities create good health and well-being.
  4. Be Flexible. As you move through life changes, your point of view, things you enjoy, even foods you used to like or hate will change. Embrace these changes. Explore what else you may have ignored because of old outdated beliefs.
  5. Invest in Personal Growth. This is often overlooked by the excuse, “I cannot afford it. My employer won’t pay for it.” However, reading, learning new skills, being curious, and becoming resourceful will build confidence and open new opportunities. (And, most of these are free.) Use AI as a tool to inquire into what else may be intriguing. Now schedule the class, read the book, and enjoy doing the work. Action builds momentum by taking small steps forward.
  6. Practice Self-Compassion. We are almost always harder on ourselves than on others. Learn the art of grace and forgiveness. Carrying around guilt or regrets do not support you or your future. Talk with a therapist to address internal roadblocks. Also, hire the right coach to move you forward to achieve a long-awaited goal.
  7. Surround Yourself with Support. Choose people and environments that uplift you and support your goals in life. Select people to support your health and welling being, work with a mentor (in addition to your coach) to stay up-to-date with work changes. Join a work, community, or volunteer team that elevates your creativity. These choices and actions will naturally remove the naysayers, skeptics, and others that impede you moving forward.
  8. Protect Your Self-Care. Rest instead of pushing. Eat nourishing foods that you enjoy. Remember, your energy is important. And so is your environment since it feeds your energy. Schedule small increments of time daily to declutter your space. Don’t forget to shred, clean, and give away old files, clothes, paper, furniture, and other material items you don’t use. Your energy will thank you for the space, which is now unencumbered and allows you to create what’s next.
  9. Indulge in Joy. Allow yourself a favorite snack, a movie, book, or a hobby and participate without guilt.
  10. Brag. Use a tracker on your smart phone or watch when exercising or walking. Write down daily accomplishments in your “brag” journal. Share with friends, and even your boss. This builds self‑trust, self-confidence, and the momentum required to move forward!

These 10 habits will have you celebrating yourself. And celebrating yourself is the key to showing up more and more in your own life. Once you engage in these habits, what great rewards are now showing up for you?

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

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.

Showing up for yourself requires YOU. Schedule your Legacy Coaching Session today and take the first step toward moving forward in a career, pursuing a goal, or simply enjoying your life more. Contact me for a confidential conversation.

Want to Be a Great Leader? Create Your Successor Now

by

Being a great leader requires preparing your success for a smooth transition, now! Not later.

However, many leaders fear stepping aside.

  • They wait too long.
  • They allow egos to get in the way.
  • They wait until it’s too late due to mental health issues, physical disability, or death.

In fact, many times they leave the job or company, or bide their time hoping no one will notice there is no successor in place.

The other excuse many current leaders face when selecting a successor, is that many potential future leaders are uncertain if they wish to become future leaders. Often, this is due to lack of preparation: training, development, coaching, and being given opportunities now to learn from mistakes and failures, and successes too.

To effectively prepare your successor requires objective insights, accountability for real behavior changes, and a confidential space to work through real issues.

What Can You Do to Prepare Your Potential Successors?

Create Your Own Future. Too often, if you are hanging on too long, you don’t have a “What’s Next?” planned for yourself. But the truth is, you won’t be in your current position forever. So instead of continuing to talk about your future, make excuses, create issues, and ignore the focused action required to move on, hire an executive coach and make a legacy plan. Now, implement the plan.

Assess Who’s Next. When you have a key employee designated to step up, they may not have the skills and talents to do so at this time. Or, they are a great #2 person but do not have the ability or desire to become the #1 leader to move a business or team forward. While they may say they are interested, now’s the time to discover the truth.

Create an individualized succession plan and use an objective job fit and leadership assessment. This is critical in determining job fit in the new role. Use the assessment to guide your conversations and listen for consistency in their responses. Review their results to see where the gaps are, then provide the tools, resources, and coaching required to win. Objective, external insight is essential for successful successor plans, since internal relationships and politics often prevent honest conversations about readiness.

Hire an Executive Coach Now. Hire an executive coach to guide the future successor(s).  Using an executive coach from outside the company ensures any growth and development issues that might occur and limit the future leader remain confidential. An external coach also provides the accountability required to ensure new behaviors stick, something internal leaders often struggle to enforce without damaging relationships that are often overlooked by the boss, HR, and other insiders.

We all have our challenges. These should not restrict any future leader’s ability to move forward if the person has done the work, is ready, and there are no ethical or other integrity issues in the way. If there are issues, address them now, or move on to another person.

Remember, future leaders need a confidential space to work through fears, mistakes, and real challenges — something they cannot safely do with their mentor, boss, peers, or HR.

Select an Internal Mentor Now. The mentor’s role is to guide the future leader through industry, company, and professional changes, and provide executive sponsorship. Many mentors don’t make great coaches due to time limitations, and lack of effective coaching experience. The other consideration is confidentiality. Having a mentor as a coach can limit job transition or promotion opportunities if the future leader is going through a challenging work situation or difficult period in life. Again, if the person does the work, is ready, and has no ethical or other integrity issues, continue to move forward!

Invest in Training and Development. Have your potential successor attend leadership workshops to develop their interpersonal, emotional intelligence, managerial, and leadership effectiveness. Ensure, along with their coach and mentor, these new skills and awareness are being used appropriately and effectively. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, learning to be a leader is a process, not an event. It takes time, and requires holding them accountable and practicing the right skills.

Provide the Opportunities. Now is an excellent time to get them involved in company teams, critical client challenges, trade and professional associations, and other leadership opportunities. Hold them accountable for results, communication efforts, decisions, and the ability to work well with anyone, anywhere and at any time. While you know you can do it faster (and possibly better), you may have forgotten it’s because of your long-time experience. Allow your successor to develop their own experiences (and stories) while you can provide the benefits of your knowledge and guidance.

What Do You Do When the Person Changes Their Mind? This important question is often ignored. Have a conversation to learn why – it may take more than one. The purpose is to determine where you have made the process too difficult, or the person just isn’t the right one. But do not spend time attempting to talk the person into changing their mind — this rarely works out well for anyone. Move on to another person since you should always have more than one key employee who could become a successor.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024-2026 All Rights Reserved

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.

Your legacy depends on more than training your successor. It requires preparing them with the insight, accountability, and support they need for success. If you’re ready to build the kind of future required for both yourself and your successor(s),  contact me and we’ll talk through your next steps.

Boredom Is the Excuse We Use to Avoid What Matters

by

Boredom may feel familiar, but it’s not the root cause of dissatisfaction. It’s the early warning sign that something in your work, career growth, or life direction needs attention. When you ignore it, you repeat the same patterns. When you pay attention, it points to the real issues: poor job fit, stagnation, avoidance of goals, or a lack of meaningful focus. Your legacy is shaped by what you do next: avoid the signal or act on it.

When Boredom Shows Up, It’s Pointing to Something Deeper

Are You in the Right Job?  According to multiple studies, over 80 percent of employees are in jobs that don’t fit them. When job fit is off, boredom becomes a symptom, not the cause. Ask yourself whether your boredom is tied to tasks and challenges you don’t care about, or the overall job responsibilities. Work with a career coach or executive coach to get focused on what’s next. Then, take the steps required to move forward.

Do You Take Time to Learn? More than half of the workforce experiences job boredom daily, and one of the biggest contributors is stagnation. Learning, whether through online courses, on-site workshops, self-training, or talking with others about their roles, keeps your brain engaged and your career and life moving forward. Helping others achieve their goals can also reignite your own motivation.

Do You Volunteer? Volunteering is a powerful way to give back to your community or represent your company. It’s also a proven way to develop leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. When you stretch yourself in new environments, you bring that energy back to your job, often feeling reenergized, more confident, and more capable than before.

Do You Pursue Long-Term Goals? Avoiding your personal goals creates frustration and, yes, boredom. You have the time, use it. Whether it’s writing a book, finishing a certification, or completing a creative project, progress in your personal life often boosts satisfaction at work.

Do You Have Something to Look Forward To? Hiring the right coach to pursue your passions (weight loss, exercise, learning a second language, music, woodworking, or anything else) creates momentum. When you have meaningful activities outside of work, you’re more focused and productive during the day so you can enjoy what matters most to you after hours.

Nearly 50 percent of Americans say they’re bored at work and employees report being bored at work for more than 10 hours per week. Remember, boredom is real, but it’s rarely the root issue of your dissatisfaction. It’s a signal. The question is whether you’ll use boredom as an excuse or as a catalyst to pursue your career and life goals.

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

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.

Boredom is a signal, not a sentence. This week, choose one area in your life or career to deep-dive, volunteer, or pursue a long‑ignored goal. Take a single step forward. Momentum comes from action, not excuses. Reach out when you’re ready to get clear about what’s next.

Executive Sponsorship Is Key to Your Advancement

by

Executive sponsorship is different from mentorship. Executive sponsors advocate for you behind closed doors, put their name on your readiness, and take a risk by elevating you when speaking with others.

Leaders only sponsor people who consistently demonstrate good judgment, maturity, and the ability to represent the company well.

Too many employees are not ready for executive sponsorship. Nearly half of executives (49%) say employees lack the skills required for the company’s strategy, and 46% of employees say they receive little to no career development support from their bosses. This combination creates a significant readiness gap and it’s one of the biggest reasons people stall in their careers before they ever reach leadership roles. (LinkedIn Learning)

This is why they lack executive sponsors to move upward.

But all is not lost. It takes:

  • Demonstrating consistent results, strong communication, emotional maturity, and the willingness to be coached.
  • Building trust across teams, showing sound judgment under pressure, and proving that you can represent the company well.
  • Doing the work, reaching out for support, and showing, through your actions, that you are ready for more.
  • Critical: Being someone who an executive can trust and is willing to advocate for behind closed doors.

Keys to Being Worthy of Executive Sponsorship

Integrity. This is foundational. If you don’t do what you say you will do, people stop seeing you as someone they can trust or sponsor. Integrity also includes discretion, emotional steadiness, and the ability to be trusted with sensitive information. Work with an executive coach to fine-tune your ability and readiness.

Listen. Communication skills are critical. Most critical is your ability to listen, follow advice where appropriate, and build solutions with your teams. If you are looking for a sponsor, you must demonstrate your ability to listen across departments, build relationships, and influence without authority.

Speaking. While most people hate public speaking, worse than the thought of death, it is a cornerstone for your readiness. Take courses. Get in front of the room. And, most of all, be coachable. While you may think you “nailed a presentation,” the attendees may have a very different view … and their view will count more than your own. Speaking also signals whether you can represent the company externally, a major factor in being sponsored.

Facilitation. Brainstorming, conducting effective meetings, and ensuring everyone is heard and valued are keys to being considered a good team leader. Preparation and bringing forth your A Game is critical. Facilitation also demonstrates emotional intelligence and your ability to stay composed, navigate conflict, and elevate others.

Entrepreneurial Leadership. Being focused on revenues, results, and retention (employees, vendors, and customers) is important. Without these interests, you lack the drive to build and expand the business, develop your people, and increase the company’s revenues. Strategic thinking and understanding how the business is profitable, anticipating risks, and aligning decisions with company priorities is a major readiness marker that executives watch closely to determine who they want to sponsor.

Coachability and Accountability. Work with an executive coach, industry mentor, and company mentor to develop yourself and gain insider knowledge with the ability to use it effectively. Show up on time, do the work, and be accountable for the results you achieve and mistakes you’ve made. These are essential learning moments. Accountability, humility, and the ability to course-correct quickly are often what tip an executive toward sponsoring you.

Self-Development. Develop clarity about yourself by completing a qualified assessment that shows you who you really are instead of how you want to be seen. If you’re trying to be someone else, people lose confidence and trust in you. Also, complete Get Your Brag On! to learn how to sell yourself in a business savvy manner.

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

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.

Executive sponsorship won’t come from waiting. It comes from preparation, initiative, speaking up, and showing up ready! Invest in your development. Ask for support. Build the relationships that elevate your work. You don’t have to push through the leadership gap alone. Connect with me and let’s build the clarity, confidence, and presence that will move you forward.

What Do You Focus on as a Leader?

by

We’ve all heard the saying, “What you focus on expands.” We nod, but are not clear about what that really means.

Most leaders and bosses focus on:

  • The problem at hand and various ways to fix it in that moment
  • Something someone said and allow it to be replayed over and over, usually perceived as negative
  • An upset with a neighbor or family member who is not behaving according to their standards and allow it to take up mental and emotional space

Yet, the problems persist because we continue to focus on them.

You mistakenly believe by continually replaying the problem in your mind, that you’ll find the answer and will uncover something new. But in truth, your awareness is only focused on right v. wrong, and not on solving the issue.

Why do you keep replaying problems?

  • The issue seems insurmountable and hopeless
  • You tried once and failed
  • The other person isn’t listening and is wrong in their point of view
  • Your boss or team got upset when the issue was mentioned
  • You consider yourself a firefighter, not a solution provider

These patterns keep you stuck in the problem instead of moving toward solutions.

How to Create Solutions

Recognizing the above listed patterns is the first step, and intentionally shifting your focus toward solutions is the next, with each step building on the others to move you from problem‑fixation to solution‑focused leadership.

Engage in Curiosity. Too often, you fail to look at an issue from someone else’s point of view. You don’t ask open‑ended questions and assume you know the answers.

A team member who continually arrives late causes everyone to start the meeting over. This can be very annoying. But when talking with him, you find out it’s a child‑care issue. If you scheduled the meeting a half hour later, he’d be there when it started. This is what focusing on solutions looks like … asking questions to shift from assumptions to understanding.

Address the Core Issue. Once curiosity opens the door, the next step is addressing what’s really going on. It seems easier to place a band‑aid on everything. You and others claim, “We fixed it.” You may have for the moment, but in the very near future, it’ll only get worse since the core issue wasn’t addressed. This costs the company time, money, and retention of employees and customers.

Customer service had to do double entry when a customer called in. The tech people shrugged their shoulders and said, “It is the way it is.” When talking with a testing company, they said, “Look for this core coding issue.” They did, and were able to solve the problem. Productivity and customer and employee satisfaction rose.

Participate in Brainstorming. Once the core issue is identified, brainstorming opens up new possibilities.

As a leader or boss, too often, the following get in the way of true brainstorming, and limits your ability to focus on broader possibilities:

  • You have a false belief you must know all the answers. This is nonsense and limits potential solutions.
  • You’re afraid of the time and energy required to brainstorm, or like most leaders, you lack the skills to be an effective facilitator.
  • When someone makes off‑the‑wall statements, you roll your eyes and shake your head. You just don’t have the patience to listen to another bad idea. After all, you think, “We should be focused on the problem.”
  • Your biases limit hearing what’s possible (e.g., the person offering the idea). This keeps you focused on the problem and leaves your team feeling disempowered to solve it.

Facilitation tips:

  • Consider creating five reasons why any idea could work.
  • Ask open‑ended questions to get people thinking outside the norm.
  • Don’t be afraid of silence. This will force people to offer ideas that they’re afraid to say.

A department was struggling with missed deadlines. During a brainstorming session, one team member suggested eliminating two long‑standing reports. The leader almost dismissed the idea as “ridiculous” since those reports had been required for years. But after asking for five reasons the idea could work, the team discovered no one actually used the reports anymore. Eliminating them freed up hours each week, reduced errors, and improved turnaround time. What looked like a “ridiculous idea” became the breakthrough solution.

Take Action Now. Brainstorming only works when followed by action. Now that you have a proposed solution, assign tasks and get into action. Thinking about or talking more about it only keeps the problem around longer. Yes, there will be fine‑tuning required and needed conversations that were previously overlooked (e.g., getting input from employees who are directly impacted).

As you move forward, be flexible while focused on the solution.

When a large company made a major change to their technology platform, they forgot to ask the users for their input fearing it would take too much time. The results were horrendous and expensive. It was the main reason it took years before another company would buy out their assets.

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

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 empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Ready to shift your focus from problems to solutions? When you take this simple but not easy step, your solutions expand and so does your impact as a leader. It may feel unclear at first, especially when old habits keep pulling your attention back to what’s wrong. Don’t let that stall your progress. Contact me to get into focused action and start now.

Communication Has Always Been Hard

by

What’s hard about communication is that it requires courage, clarity, and care. It takes time, intention, and experience to teach us that communication is not just a skill, it is a responsibility. Legacy‑minded leaders understand that how they communicate today shapes the trust, stability, and direction others carry forward tomorrow.

Leaders who succeed take responsibility for both sides of communication. They ensure they are heard, and they take responsibility for how others hear them. They treat communication as a two‑way process, not a one‑way act. This is the mark of a leader who understands long‑term influence and impact.

The Communication Crisis

Today’s environment makes communication even more challenging:

  • AI, messaging systems, and lower reading levels have weakened clear expression.
  • Emotional reactivity makes people easily offended, afraid of the blow-back, or hesitant to tell the truth.
  • Social media distortions cause people to trust posts over people, even when the post is wrong.

After discovering an obvious online error, one employee asked, “Why would they write something that wasn’t true?” Errors happen for many reasons: multitasking, poor attention to detail, lack of verification, and failure to consider impact. Yet people still believe what fits their comfort zone.

This is why leaders must stay alert. If you weren’t there, you don’t know the facts. And yet people talk as if they do. Legacy‑minded leaders pause, verify, and respond with steadiness.

Common Communication Challenges and Solutions

The myth of “I’ve got it handled.” Effective communication is a lifelong process. If you think you’ve mastered it, you’re already behind. Everyone listens through filters and those filters shift with world changes. Remember, you don’t have it handled.

Leaders who rely on ego fail. “It’s up to them to understand me.”  Leaders who continually improve their communication style succeed. Legacy leaders know mastery is never final; it is sustained through humility and practice.

Know your audience. People learn and process information differently. Your job is to keep it simple.

  • Use words that match the listener’s ability to understand
  • Avoid insider language (jargon)
  • Don’t speak to show your education; speak to create clarity
  • Use open‑ended questions to engage others

 When leaders talk too much, offer no context, or make everything about themselves, people tune out.

  •  Getting everyone on the same page takes responsibility and patience.
  • As one leader said during a listening exercise, “This listening stuff is too hard.” (It may be why he closed his company’s doors.)
  • Legacy leaders know listening is fundamental.

Use tools that help people understand. Legacy leaders use tools to illuminate, not impress. When someone struggles to understand you:

  • Use graphs
  • Use flowcharts
  • Use physical examples
  • And above all, keep it simple

Communication is more than words. Words are only a fraction of communication (research has shown only 7 percent). Over 90 percent relies on tone, gestures, impatience, and emotional expressions that can destroy your message. Legacy leaders understand that self‑awareness is a responsibility, not a luxury.

Brainstorming. Legacy leaders know great ideas often come from unexpected places so they create the conditions for those ideas to surface. Brainstorming generates ideas, solves problems, and elevates people’s sense of value. But it requires strong facilitation.

  • Use Round Robin input (go around more than once)
  • Value each person’s input, even when you disagree
  • Keep examples on point
  • Don’t dismiss off‑the‑wall ideas; they may hold insight
  • Use open‑ended questions to keep people talking and listening

 Avoid communicating “I don’t value you.” Good leaders avoid behaviors that send the wrong message.

  • “I’m too busy.”
  • Multitasking (the brain cannot do two things at once)
  • Talking over someone
  • Having a ready answer before they finish talking
  • Unexamined biases, judgments, and attitudes
  • Dismissing or joking about others’ ideas or questions

Make the commitment to improve your communication style. It starts by hiring the right coach. Communication is often a leadership blind spot and is fixable. Legacy leaders develop and strengthen communication skills because they understand the long‑term negative impact of ignoring them.

Effective communication has always been hard and requires courage, clarity, and care. Also, it requires awareness, emotional intelligence, and the willingness to take responsibility for what you say and how you say it. Legacy leadership demands nothing less.

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

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 empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Leaders must stay alert. You have what it takes to make a difference. It starts with your ability to communicate effectively. Contact me to learn how.

Resolve Lack of Communication Undermines Employees

by

Employees everywhere are navigating rapid change: new terminology, new protocols for working with others, and rising concerns about psychological safety. Yet many leaders still fall short in communicating expectations, giving practical instructions, and offering the direction employees need to perform well. Leaders unintentionally widen and quietly erode the very employee satisfaction they’re trying to build.

Overcome Lack of Communication to Improved Results

Leaders, the key is awareness! And, the willingness to ask the employee what they need. Yes, it may take more time initially. But saves you lots of time, money, and customers in the long run.

Answer the Request for Help.  When employees ask for help, answer in a manner that supports them to achieve intended results. You may not know the answer yourself. In those cases, refer the employee to team members that may know, or a vendor that knows how the system operates.

When an employee asked his manager for instructions on how to proceed with a project, the boss replied, “Just do it. Ask as you go along.” The employee was confused; he had never done the work before and didn’t know where to begin. He simply needed written instructions, or at least verbal guidance. But the boss didn’t know the process either and expected others to compensate for his lack of clarity. The employee eventually created instructions for himself and others, but those instructions disappeared when he and other team members quit. Lack of communication caused a spike in turnover because no one had the direction they needed to succeed.

Learn How to Listen for …

When leaders fail to listen for how they can help employees excel, they unintentionally widen communication gaps. Many leaders don’t listen for, or genuinely invest in, their employees’ career development. They stay focused on getting the job done with as little stress or disruption to themselves as possible. The real key is to care. Provide career‑development opportunities and encourage employees to apply what they learn, because strong communication and genuine support are what support performance.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Never assume you, as the leader, have all the answers. Shutting down an employee who is having difficulty explaining what they want only creates more work in the long run. Take the time to ask open-ended questions, look for examples (e.g., pictures, graphs, or flowcharts) to ensure you are aligned, and remain open to others probing and asking questions too.

Never Assume Employees Should Know

When leaders assume employees should already know what resources and company benefits are available, they unintentionally widen communication gaps. Many employees don’t know what to ask for or even realize which benefits exist.

For example, when employee assistance programs (EAP) aren’t clearly communicated, people miss out on support at the very moment they may need it. Sharing information about free tax advice and other available resources builds trust, reduces stress, and strengthens a positive team culture.

All of this is achieved through full and clearer communication.

When employees can count on leaders to communicate clearly about expectations, opportunities, and the resources available to them, trust deepens and great results become the norm.

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience guiding leaders and executives to achieve exceptional results. She delivers practical coaching and innovative solutions for hiring, leadership development, and performance success. Successful leaders have coaches—connect with Jeannette to elevate your results and impact in 2026.

If you and team not delivering the results you want, consider your lack of communication is the barrier. Contact me for a confidential conversation to identify the gaps and strengthen your impact as a leader.

Are You Open to Listening?

by

Most of you would say, “Of course.”

But earlier today, when a co-worker or employee needed to talk, you played Spider Solitaire or let your thoughts wander while they spoke. Then, when they asked a question, you replied, “Could you please repeat that? I wasn’t listening.” You do that more than once.

I remember coaching a young man whose company had asked me to support his leadership growth. During the call, I suspected he wasn’t listening. I asked what he was doing.

He twitched and said, “Listening.”

“No, what are you really doing?”

He gave a sheepish grin and admitted he was watching a newsfeed on his phone.

“You do remember the purpose of these calls is to prepare you for a promotion, correct?” He nodded.

“As a leader, you need to learn how to truly listen—especially when you don’t want to hear what someone is saying.”

He asked, “Why? If they’re boring or I’ve heard it before?”

I responded, “Because in your listening, you and others can hear something new … a solution … new opportunity … new possibility. It’s how you develop your leadership—and your people. Otherwise, your legacy might be, ‘He never listened.’”

Several years ago, I was walking in the one-mile parklike setting where I live. There are usually plenty of people out with their dogs. Sometimes, they’ll even talk with you!

I recognized a dog, so I stopped to pet her. I asked the woman, “How are you doing? How’s Sadie?” She’d adopted the dog just a month earlier.

She said, “I’m good. Sadie’s doing well, too.” I smiled. Then she added, “I had been visualizing this dog. Other opportunities fell through, but I kept visualizing. Now, here she is.”

Why was this important to me? My cat had just passed away. I wasn’t sure if I wanted another. But in that moment of being open and listening, I knew I did. Later, I started visualizing. Even cut out a picture. Within a short time, I adopted Remy from the local humane shelter.

It happened because I was open to listening.

What Do You Need to Do to Improve Your Openness to Listening?

  • Be Curious. You don’t know it all. You never will. When you bring curiosity to your listening, you learn, grow, and develop ideas or dreams.
  • Ask Questions. There are books filled with conversation starters. They’re helpful. When using these ideas, these prompts can also unlock deeper thoughts you’ve been mulling over. If you don’t have a book with question starters, use your curiosity and ask open-ended questions. This is much better than gossiping—or recycling the same old ideas.
  • Humble Up. Your ego will try to protect you by refusing to listen. When you hear new ideas, you might feel excited… then uncomfortable… then fearful. That’s a good sign. It means the ideas are nudging you forward. Acknowledge your feelings—and keep the ideas flowing. Then, take focused action on one of them! What opened up?

Here’s another way to look at it: Wouldn’t it be better if your legacy said, “He was a great boss because he really listened,” rather than, “I hated going to work each day because he never listened to anything I said.”

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy-driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Amazon Best-Selling 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.

Ready to elevate your openness to positively impact your next chapter? Let’s talk.