New World of Work | SeibCo, LLC

Do You Work for a Boss Who Gets Nervous When You Succeed?

September 3, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Everyone has a moment of insecurity when someone else shines. But confident, competent legacy leaders congratulate their people, elevate them, and leverage success to grow the business. They don’t allow their insecurities or fears to get in the way of supporting their team members.

If your boss gets nervous when you and others succeed, you have a leadership liability inside your company. And it will cost you and your team in innovation, retention, and revenue. It’s time to learn how to work with them before moving on in your career.

When Leaders Fear Employee Success

A woman completed a tough project and was congratulated by co-workers, customers, and her boss’s boss! But her direct boss refused to say, “congrats.” Instead, the boss pointed out the weaknesses, mistakes, and other areas that were not perfect. This type of boss fears you surpassing them.

Why Bosses Fear Others’ Success

Paranoia or lack of trust due to previous bad decisions
Inability to create a solution to a problem
Incompetence due to poor job fit
Poor working relationships
Needing the “win” to keep their job and feed their ego
Lack of discernment
Relying on “how it’s always been done”
Fear of looking bad if the idea or employee fails

These fears create psychological safety issues. When bosses take credit, withhold information, or avoid honest conversations, trust evaporates and the team, customers, and company pay the price.

Your Legacy Requires Savvy, Moxie, and Guts

Your legacy isn’t built by waiting for a better boss. It’s built by learning how to work with imperfect bosses, especially when they are uncomfortable with your success. Legacy leaders use these opportunities to strengthen their influence, build resilience, and demonstrate strategic maturity.

Josh learned how to work with his fearful boss, Sam. After an intentional conversation, Josh became a confident go-to person to work with Sam, and Sam appreciated Josh’s efforts. Several months later, the owner of the company called Josh: “I hear you’re doing amazing work. When you’re ready, I’d like to make you president of one of my companies.” All because Josh learned how to work with a boss who lacked good people skills.

Your ability to navigate fear — yours or someone else’s — determines your legacy.

Own Your Leadership First

Know why you’re in the role. Identify the skills, experience, or business goals that make staying worthwhile for now. Use your “brags” to build confidence and credibility for yourself and your team.

Have intentional conversations. Share accomplishments, learn your team’s individual goals, and listen more than talk. This is how you build trust and reduce your boss’s fear-based reactions.

Do the work. Conversations mean nothing without action. Make the company, team, and customers look good consistently. This means learning to work without expecting praise or applause from your boss.

Set aside your ego. Yes, you have an ego too. Find other ways to acknowledge your own successes, and offer sincere congrats to your team members. Your legacy expands when you consistently elevate your team, even when your boss cannot do the same.

Protect Your Legacy

Keep people apprised. Document progress, interactions, and decisions. This protects you and strengthens your brand. If appropriate, cc the boss’s boss or board members. Keep copies on a personal device and use for performance reviews, individually and as a team.

Don’t gossip. Gossip destroys your credibility when discussing a bad boss, and erodes your leadership brand. It also signals your own insecurity, which is the opposite of the legacy you wish to build.

Stay detached. Proving you’re right about a bad boss is a losing game. They are in the position for a reason, usually political. Detachment keeps you strategic and protects long-term opportunities.

Use Tools That Strengthen Your Leadership

Hire an executive coach. A coach provides objectivity, clarity, and a neutral sounding board so you don’t get pulled into (or stay in) fear-based dynamics.

Take a PXT Select®. A PXT Select Leadership assessment reveals your strengths, blind spots, and communication style and how you interact with others, especially your boss. Objective insights help you adjust, reduce friction, and stay effective regardless of others’ fears.

Note: Josh’s success came from having both: an executive coach and a PXT Select assessment.

Keep Your Options Open

Opportunities will arise to restructure, reassign, or upgrade your role in the company. Don’t jump too quickly. Use discernment to avoid repeating the same pattern of working for another insecure boss.

Self-Care Matters

Your body will tell you when you need time away due to the stress (yes, it’s there – even for Type As). Listen and honor it. Remember, ignoring stress will eventually lead to poor decisions, not trusting yourself, overlooking important details, and poor health.

Your Legacy Is Bigger Than Your Fear

When you work for a boss who fears congratulating you and your team, don’t let it define your future or your legacy. Your ability to stay strategic, courageous, and focused does, and so does your ability to work with this boss.

Moving forward in your career, you will run into others who exhibit the same limiting behaviors and attitudes. Steer clear, and when you cannot, learn how to work well with them. It is a huge leadership advantage for your career and future.

When you combine savvy decision making, moxie in how you show up, and the guts to keep going, you become the legacy leader your company is appreciates having (e.g., bonuses, perks, promotions).

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.

Be a Leader Who Congratulates Others

August 31, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Leaders and bosses will rarely admit it — but many get nervous or feel fearful or feel threatened when a team member succeeds. If that’s you, it’s time to reassess why you’re in a leadership role.

Sadly, everyone has had to work with a boss or leader who fears others’ success. When that carries over into their inability to congratulate their team and team members, a change must happen or you will lose top talent, customers, results, and revenues.

Entrepreneurial leaders understand that acknowledging others is not simply “being nice”—it’s a strategic business advantage that accelerates innovation, strengthens loyalty, and expands the company’s capacity to win.

When leaders fear their employees succeeding, they attempt to hide their insecurities by criticizing and nitpicking results, claiming it’s to help them improve. Others try to be extra nice to cover up their true feelings but lack a genuine tone. None of these approaches are effective. You will still be a leader who doesn’t want others to succeed and they respond accordingly (e.g., lack of initiative, poor solutions, mediocrity).

A woman had a great idea for a client. As requested by her boss, she submitted the idea in writing but didn’t hear anything back. A week later she learned her idea had been implemented and the client was pleased. But the client gave all the credit to her “wonderful boss.” When she asked her boss about it, the boss shrugged. “Well … it’s done. Maybe next time. Ok?” (This diminishing of another’s idea will eventually backfire. In this case, the client learned the truth and requested a different project team lead, saying. “We need to be able to trust the whole team working on our important project.”)

Successful leaders have learned to set aside any fears of others’ success. They know there is plenty of applause to go around.

Why Leaders Fear Others’ Success

Paranoia or lack of trust due to previous bad decisions
Inability to create solutions for a problem
Lack of confidence and self-esteem
No acknowledgement of their successes from bosses or boards
Incompetence due to poor job fit
Needing the “win” to feel good about themselves, especially after a recent failure

As a leader, if your goal is to keep your employees from leaving or surpassing you in the company, you need to work with a coach or mental health professional to create a workplace culture of psychological safety and trust.

Remember, psychological safety erodes quickly when leaders refuse to give credit and congratulate their teams. In turn, the teams withhold information, allow for mediocrity, and withdraw from contributing. You, the team, and customers all pay the price.

Have the Confidence to Encourage Others to Succeed

Leadership is built on you becoming a great boss. Your job is to provide the resources and opportunities for your employees and teams to grow and excel. Holding someone back or diminishing their ideas and work quality due to your fears of their successes and wins does not work. Remember, their work effort reflects back on you!

Own Your Leadership First

Be clear about your responsibilities. As the boss, your primary job is to produce intended results for the company and your customers. This requires a great team, and a team that is engaged in their work. Your lack of acknowledgement will cause the team to falter, make mistakes, and leave (along with your customers).

Have intentional conversations. Hold weekly meetings that make a positive difference. Work with your executive coach to learn meeting protocol and team dynamics. Share the goals, progress made, and learning moments when mistakes have occurred. Don’t forget to acknowledge and congratulate successes.

Protect Your Leadership Legacy

Keep your boss apprised. Document progress of a project or situation. This allows your boss and board to be informed and aware of what is happening on the team. Be sure to provide credit individually and for the team due to their accomplishments, wins, and solving tough challenges.

Acknowledgement. Use please and thank you. Include individual praise and team congrats too. Host a monthly (or more frequently) “brag fest.” This allows team members to share accomplishments that you and others are unaware of or have overlooked. SEE “Get Your Brag On!” for how to do it.

Use Tools That Strengthen Your Leadership

Hire an executive coach. A coach helps you navigate the politics, stay focused on results, and avoid reacting negatively to others successes. The right coach ensures you are offering well-deserved acknowledgement to yourself and others.

Take a PXT Select®. A PXT Select assessment provides real leadership data you need to understand your strengths, blind spots, and communication style and how to effectively interact with your team. When you (and your team) have objective insights, you can adjust your approach, reduce friction, and position yourself as the person who gets things done regardless of your own fears of others’ success. Building confidence is key to building a strong team.

Your Team Relies on Your Leadership

Great leaders are fearless in acknowledging and congratulating their team and team members, and produce amazing results, improve retention, and increase revenues.

What do you need to do to become a great leader?

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.

Why We Get Stopped (And How to Finally Move Forward)

August 27, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

The core truth is simple and uncomfortable: we don’t get stopped because of our skills, talents, or interests. We get stopped because we fail to do the work. The difference between people who achieve meaningful results and those who wish they had is not brilliance, luck, or inspiration. It’s action … taking consistent, imperfect, forward‑moving action.

What Actually Stops Us

The Remy Effect. Outwardly we talk the talk; inwardly we fear taking the required actions. When fears of not being enough, not having enough, or being judged appear, remember: the fear shows up because you’re moving forward.
Waiting for permission. You don’t need permission to begin, proceed, or excel.
“I don’t have everything I need.” You won’t. Start anyway. In writing a book, characters and plots emerge after you begin. In business, clarity comes after the first step.
Shiny objects. New ideas, distractions, and “opportunities” will appear. If they don’t fit your intention, move on. They are major deterrents to completion.
Misleading expectations. The process rarely looks like you think it should, especially when you’re “almost there.” Even if you’ve done something similar before, internal and external changes happen. Be flexible without ditching or rewriting the goal and intention. Keep going.
Self-Worth. If you fear failure or making a mistake, you’re making it mean too much about you. Remember, there is value in learning what doesn’t work and how to keep moving forward.

Common Deterrents We Misinterpret as “Good Reasons”

Everyone has the same 24/7. It’s not time; it’s the choices we make.
Money reflects your history, environment, and beliefs. You’ve survived challenges before and you’re still here. Find a committed listener. Share your story twice, then stop. Don’t get stuck inside of it. Now, create the plan out loud, write it down, and immediately take one action step.
Life challenges occur. And, they will. When wanting to write a book, deal with a child on drugs, navigate career uncertainty, handle a difficult customer or team … none of these will resolve themselves without taking the right actions. Hire, and listen to, the right therapist, advisor, or expert. Create a plan. Follow it. Expect challenges and work through them one at a time.
The “Purpose Trap.” Many people believe they must find their “purpose” before acting. This is a trap. “Purpose” emerges from doing, not from comparing your journey to others’ successes.

Doing the Work: The Real Differentiator

People who succeed aren’t necessarily more talented. They simply do the work:

They stay in action. When stopped, they learn why and move forward.
They take small steps. One step at a time keeps momentum alive.
They practice self‑care. Your health and wellbeing are your wealth.
They keep moving even when the path feels messy or unclear. You’ve never been this way before—be adventurous and bold.
They value essential support: coach + team. Together, they create momentum you cannot generate alone.
Keeps you out of your own way, stops self‑sabotage, and helps you stay accountable.
Moves the project forward. If team members lack skills or willingness, let them go. Wrong team members stall progress more than any external obstacle.
Every pursuit requires:
A clear goal. A specific outcome you commit to achieving with purpose.
A daily intention. A focused priority guiding your choices and energy today.
Consistent movement. Small, steady actions that maintain momentum toward your goal.

Not perfection. Not certainty. Consistent movement.

The Hardest Truth

Life isn’t stopping you. You are stopping yourself.

When you rely on your inner emotional and mental voices, they whisper doubt, fear, comparison, or hesitation. These must be tamed:

Acknowledge the voice.
Reframe the message.
Move forward anyway.

This is how intuition becomes your guide, and feelings stop running the show.

An Example

A woman insisted on being in charge of everything, and her results were always so‑so because she never learned to work with and through others. This is exactly how many people get stopped: fear, uncertainty, shiny distractions, and rigid expectations prevent forward movement. Once she shifted her mindset, trusted collaboration, and stayed in action, her outcomes improved significantly … showing that life isn’t stopping you; you stop yourself when you don’t consistently move forward.

Takeaway

You don’t need more talent, more skill, or more inspiration.

You need to begin.
You need to continue.
You need to stay in action.
Create your goal and your intention.
Hire an executive coach and use tools like PXT Select® to stay objective and on track.
Select your team.
Now, take action.

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.

What to Do as a Leader When You Inherit an Underperforming Employee

August 24, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders have faced this situation: you step in as the new hire or new boss and you inherit an underperforming employee on your team. Management is already telling you to fix them or fire them.

While you must treat every team member fairly and uphold the same standards for all, fairness does not mean ignoring performance issues.

Often, the previous boss was unwilling or unable to effectively coach the “underperforming employee,” let them go, or find a better job fit.

Now management expects you to resolve the situation.

Why This Expectation Is a Problem

You cannot “fix” an employee.
The “underperforming employee” may excel under your leadership.
If management insists on firing them, have them do so before you start as the new boss.

The Reality of Inheriting a “Underperforming Employee”

A label from a previous boss does not define how anyone will perform with you. Conduct your due diligence with all
You are accountable for everyone’s performance. Ensure the team has the resources to meet customer demands.
Investigate first: use job fit assessments, review and update job descriptions, talk with current and former team members, and get management’s perspective.
Ask the customers what’s working and what’s not.
If you’re interviewing for the role, say: “I’ll need to assess them first. If you need them gone, you’ll need to handle that before I start.”
Maintain confidentiality and reinforce your standards.
Partner early with HR to ensure compliance.
Communicate appropriately with the team to prevent rumors and reinforce expectations.

As a New Leader, Share Expectations Immediately

Introduce yourself briefly in a group meeting.
In 1:1s, explain you’re assessing each role.
Ask how the team members see their role.
Clarify standards, timelines, and responsibilities.
Put expectations in writing.
Reinforce what “good performance” looks like.
Let the team know you’re available. And be available! It builds trust, which is needed in difficult conversations.
Hold each team member accountable and follow through consistently.
Never accuse anyone of being an underperforming employee since they may simply be in the wrong job.

Objectively Assess the Situation

Use a job fit assessment to confirm they’re in the right job. They may “fit” the thinking style, behaviors, and interests but have deviated from the job description due to lack of support and awareness.
Review performance history, documentation, and feedback from previous bosses and team members. Have intentional conversations. Remember, memories are never 100% accurate.
Identify whether the issue is skill, attitude, or both. Sometimes employees weren’t trained or were expected to grasp abstract concepts without guidance. Provide what’s missing and show them how to use it.
Create a written plan before speaking with the employee.

Have Direct and Intentional Conversations with the “Underperforming Employee”

Address issues factually using the Sandwich or Direct Approach, depending on the employee.
State what must change and why it matters. Use a performance improvement plan when needed.
Offer training and tools. If they’re unwilling to do the work, document it.
Treat each employee fairly.
Document everything: performance, behaviors, missed deadlines, and conversations (who, what, when, where, why).
If they want to leave, let them. Help them find a better internal fit or follow HR’s severance process.

Decide: Can They Stay or Must They Go?

Evaluate whether improvement is real and sustainable. (They cannot fake it forever.)
If not, initiate the appropriate exit process with HR.
Remember, the “underperforming employee” may be well liked but ineffective.
“Ride it out” when there is pushback from the team.
Reinforce expectations without criticizing the departing employee.

Strengthen Your Leadership Reputation

Your job is to ensure every employee receives the tools, coaching, and training needed to succeed.

Demonstrate fairness, consistency, and courage.
Show, by example, that you protect the team and uphold company standards.
You are judged not by the problems you inherit, but by how you handle the person and situation.

PS: What if You’re the “Underperforming Employee?” Don’t wait. Get help from an executive or career coach. This may include looking for another job after learning what you overlooked or ignored during your interview. The key is to get real about your strengths and weaknesses using a qualified job fit assessment to learn who you really are … not who you want to be seen as.

Are You Avoiding Kindness?

August 20, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Real kindness requires backbone, not telling people what they want to hear (aka platitudes). In today’s workplace, kindness is required to be effective and to be a results‑producer.

A lack of kindness often comes at the expense of teamwork, accountability, quality, client care, and the bottom line.

Kindness used to mean helping people grow, telling the truth, and doing what’s right even when it’s hard.

But today, “kindness” has been reduced to being agreeable, avoiding discomfort, and keeping everyone happy. It’s a way of avoiding potential legal issues, addressing unreasonable demands, and preventing team or customer upsets. That’s not kindness. When leaders focus on being liked, keeping the customer or boss happy, and protecting the bottom line, this surface‑level civility (aka fake kindness) creates a legacy of being nice but makes the leader ineffective.

Where Has Kindness Gone Missing?

Truth telling. Leaders avoid honest feedback to “be kind,” leaving teams stuck, costs rising, and customers unhappy.
Accountability. Standards are softened to avoid hurt feelings, creating mediocrity.
Follow-through. Leaders promise support but fail to provide the resources and feedback required, negatively impacting the company and clients.
Kindness creates confusion when leaders tolerate conflicts, factions, and groupthink out of fear of being labeled a bad or mean boss.
Hard conversations are avoided due to lack of skill, fear of failure, or making the situation worse.
Kindness is applied selectively, creating confusion and resentment.
Offense‑seeking. Teams (and leaders) look for opportunities to feel offended, diminished, or discredited.
Decision‑making. Leaders delay or avoid making timely decisions to prevent upsetting someone, harming progress and trust.
Performance management. Avoiding tough conversations about poor performance hurts the individual, the team, and the customer.

The Blunt Truth About Kindness

Kindness isn’t soft or fuzzy. As a leader, it’s crucial to develop kindness with a backbone while guiding teams and customers through the inevitable difficulties, conflicts, and upsets.

Be Clear. Clarity is kindness. Provide the resources and truth required to get the job done. These conversations will take longer. The benefit? They allow the team to be innovative and surpass the intended results.
Be Direct. Directness with diplomacy prevents misunderstandings and raises standards. Keep the goal and intention in the forefront to move everyone forward.
Be Consistent. Consistency builds trust when you tell the truth early, directly, and respectfully. Remember you will need to repeat it many times during meetings and conversations.
Be Accountable. Accountability protects people and results through intended actions, not avoidance.
Be Courageous. Courage is the highest form of kindness for yourself and others. It guides teams and customers to do what they’ve been avoiding.
Be Compassionate. Chances are you’ve had a similar experience. Share a short story about how you handled a situation or relationship to support your own growth.
Be Generous. Appreciate each team member’s contribution. Encourage them to brag about their successes too.
Be Self‑Aware. Listen to the “tiny voice in your head” before saying something you’ll regret. Stop, breathe, and use silence when your critical voice is too loud.

A Leader’s Self‑Check

“Am I being kind or just agreeable?”
“Am I helping this person grow or keeping them comfortable?”
“Am I avoiding the truth and calling it kindness?”
“Am I protecting people through silence at the expense of the team or client?”
“Am I being authentic or just saying what is expected of me?”
“Are my expectations ego‑based?”
“Am I failing to hire the right people required to achieve needed results for customers?”
“Am I gaslighting someone because I failed to take responsibility?” (e.g., overscheduling, failing to keep promises, failing to listen, ignoring policies or systems)

Kindness isn’t about keeping people comfortable. It’s about guiding them to succeed. In today’s work world, kindness is required.

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.

When “Civility” Masks Achieving Intended Results

August 17, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Trust and respect are core to effective leadership, and required to achieve intended results. But both erode when leaders hide behind “civility” and insist on polite instead of intentional conversations that move a team, company, and project forward.

While civility can create space for dialogue and reduce friction, surface‑level communication (e.g., civility) is often used as a mask or shield to block accountability for results, relationships, and client care. Used this way, civility enables leaders to talk about issues without addressing them and gives cover for avoiding needed action. This often occurs when the issue has been allowed to grow too long, and solutions seem impossible. Or, the leader just doesn’t have the confidence or skills required.

In companies that reward civility over accountability, leaders avoid tough decisions, delay taking required actions, and limit innovation. Civility shifts from a tool for connection to a strategy for avoidance. It is the way to sidestep unpopular decisions and uncomfortable truths. And when that happens, quality drops, retention suffers, revenues decline, and outcomes take the hit.

Signs of Leadership Avoidance

Punishing honesty. People are subtly punished for saying what leaders don’t want to hear.
Dodging discomfort. Issues are ignored because leaders don’t want to feel uncomfortable.
Civility as a shield. Tough conversations are avoided because they’re seen as “not nice.”
No accountability. Responsibility is dumped on others who don’t have the authority to make a difference.
Problems spiral. Leaders chase trivial wins while major issues spiral out of control.
Conflict avoidance. Teams tiptoe around the elephant in the room and clients fire you.
Facts are twisted to make people doubt what they see and hear.
Consensus hiding. Decisions are stalled by demanding “everyone agree” to avoid action and failure.
Politics over people. Internal politics matter more than taking care of employees or clients.
Fear of change stalls execution.

The Bottom Line. This type of leader is often in the wrong job due to poor job fit and/or because their bosses liked them, and not because they can deliver results. This continues as long as the company tolerates rising costs, declining revenues, costly turnover, miscommunication, and mediocre results, and fails to correctly identify the real problem.

Companies need leaders who address issues directly, early, and consistently. Civility helps, but only when paired with clear enforcement and follow‑through. When civility becomes a distraction, it stops being a virtue and becomes a leadership liability.

Effective Leaders: Civility with Backbone

Effective leaders don’t abandon civility. Instead, they:

Strengthen civility. Pair it with responsibility and accountability.
Improve clarity. Build trust by acting to move an issue, team, or project forward, not just talk about it.
Replace avoidance. Raise standards, grow trust, and improve results through direct communication.
Demonstrate backbone. Use civility to drive performance, and stop using excuses.
Practice self‑awareness. Notice when comfort is replacing clarity and have the tough conversations.
Set expectations and follow-through. Be consistent, honor policies, and address issues early.
Model accountability with empathy. Use civility for clarity, protect people through action, and manage the process, not personalities.

These behaviors turn civility into a leadership strength rather than a shield for avoidance by taking the required steps and having intentional conversations for required results.

A Leader’s Self‑Check

“Am I using civility to connect or to avoid?”
“Am I enforcing standards or explaining them away?”
“Am I building a culture that works or one that merely talks about working?”
“Am I fearing the disruption needed to achieve the results, or trusting the process?”
“Am I focused on the wrong areas of this issue or job?”

Civility matters when paired with accountability. Without courage, it’s just decoration.

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.

Let’s Honor Our Commitments and Create Our Legacies

June 4, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Too many times, we allow our commitments to get pushed aside. However, at age 55+, time is running out! It’s now or never to create and fulfill our legacies.

Let’s make the commitment to get off the proverbial fence and take those small steps required to move forward and achieve amazing results. The natural inner power and satisfaction that occurs is priceless.

Steps to Forward and Honor Your Legacy

Create a goal and intention. Get real about your true goal and keep it to 10 words or less. The intention is critical because it is your “why.” WRITE them down! Studies have shown that writing engages the brain differently and opens up your creativity and awareness.
Put together a game plan. If the goal is to move to a new apartment or buy a home, write it down on paper! Include the three must‑haves (e.g., A/C, hardwood floors, and new roof), along with the step‑by‑step process.

Example … Many years ago, I sold a home where I had focused my attention and money on the structural concerns (e.g., plumbing, new roof and gutters, tree removal, etc.). I did not have money for “interior design.” When a young couple saw my home and compared it with a home that had all the visual bells and whistles, they bought the other home. Then, they had a flooded basement and wanted to know if they could switch it for my home. Be clear what you want and need upfront and don’t get caught up in the “shiny red object.”

Include budgets or projected “real” costs. These are critical and often overlooked due to the enthusiasm of something new (e.g., What is the projected cost for utilities? If buying, have an independent inspection done … what are the costs to resolve issues found?) Write them down!
Create momentum and results. Take small steps forward so you don’t become overwhelmed emotionally, physically, or mentally. It may require getting the paper and boxes for packing (staying with the “buy or rent” example in #2). A day or two later, sorting what to take with you, what to give away, what to sell, and what to throw away/shred. Be rigorous so unwanted items don’t move with you.
Plan to hit the wall … yes, this IS inevitable. This usually happens when you rely on only one source during the process. Set aside your emotional attachment and select three alternatives. Again, using the original example in #2 … one mortgage company may say you don’t make enough money, while another may say you need extra $$ for mortgage insurance, while the third will charge you a higher interest rate. Do the math, then, pick one after reading the fine-print. Remember, not now is also a valid choice, and making “no decision” is also a choice or decision. (True life example: One family overpaid for a condo, because they had the money to do so. They were excited about their new home. As required, they signed an agreement to not smoke or vape on the property, but ignored it. The fines were steep!)
Celebrate your victories … small and large. Get your brag on!

There are times when your commitments aren’t strong enough to move you forward and you stay stuck. What is one thing you can do to get back in action? How can I support you and clarify your goal and needed actions? Contact me.

Turning Resistance into Resilience Achieves Results

May 21, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Most 55+ leaders have been fighting resistance for many years due (e.g., teams, peers, bosses, customers … the list goes on and on).

Some leaders take it personally, while others resort to intimidation or outtalking others. But intimidation and outtalking others do not turn resistance into getting the job done well.

People resist when they feel uncertain, uncomfortable, or imposed on.

When these types of situations occur, use them as signs you may need to strengthen your persuasive communication, trust building, and adaptability to new ideas. It’s time to become resilient and turn others’ resistance into “I can do it.”

Moving Past Others’ Resistance

Build Trust. It starts with hiring right! If you don’t hire for job fit – team members who aren’t interested in the task will delay getting the work done. Be resilient as a leader by assigning the work to the people who enjoy it, or at least will get it done right. While employees (and others) need to feel seen, heard, and valued (these build trust), they also need to be equipped with the resources to get the job done … and that’s your job (another trust builder).

Share Intended Results. Dictating, micromanaging, or using microaggressions only intimidate people. It does not reduce their resistance … they just learn to hide from you. Instead, ask open-ended questions and listen. “I have an assignment that needs to be done by tomorrow. Do you have time to get it done?” Then, use a Rule of 3 to ensure they truly have the interest and willingness to do so. Sharing results and the positive difference they can make is important for employees to feel valued.

Adapt Your Persuasive Style. Adapting your ability to persuade others is important since many people are a “no” or “I guess I can.” This leaves you wondering if the job will be done well, if at all. Your job as a resilient leader is to provide reinforcement or support in getting an assignment done. If support is needed, offer by providing focused training and development. Trusted employees can surprise you by doing a better job than you!

Accept a “No” and Identify the Source of the Pushback. If a team member says they don’t have time to do it, learn why. Or, move on to the next person. Many times, the project may initially seem overwhelming and no one wants to look incompetent. This will occur if you have not taken the time to outline specifically what you need to have done and the desired results. If you are seen as someone who jumps from fire to fire, or idea to idea, slow down. The tortoise won the race, not the hare.

Give Them a Voice. Provide the goal and how you see it happening. Be open to their input and ideas and incorporate these whenever possible for a win-win-win outcome. Agree on a deadline. (Example, allow time to review a power point and make adjustments). Remember, when you’re giving ownership to a task or project, it reduces resistance along with providing positive reinforcement. Again, don’t micromanage.

The next time you are faced with team member resistance, channel it or embrace it with your leadership resilience.

Being resilient in the face of team member’s resistance is part of being a leader. Learn how to transform your team members from a “no” to a “yes.” Contact me for a confidential conversation.

What Are 5 Confidence Builders Needed to Produce Amazing Results?

May 14, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

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!

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.