Plan something. It doesn’t have to be a vacation—plan a night out, a day trip, or even just a fancy dinner at home. Give yourself something to look forward to, and watch how it shifts your mood, mindset, and motivation.

This is one of my favorite emotional intelligence secrets to level-up leadership: Great leaders never complain down.

Have you ever been so in your head about something that you convinced yourself everyone else was noticing it too? That was me—until I got a reality check from my own two feet.

As leaders, parents, friends, and colleagues, we have the power to leave people better than we found them. And that power comes from empathy, kindness, and emotional intelligence.

When Jack was little, he would come home from school, dump his backpack on the counter, and run off. I’d sort through the papers, keeping a few and tossing most into the trash. One day, he came to me, with huge tears in his eyes. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me I had thrown away something important—his art.

Don’t give up on your 2025 goals just yet! January is tough—it’s cold, it’s dark, and your enthusiasm for that “new year, new me” energy might already feel like it’s circling the drain. I get it.

So today, ask yourself: What small act of kindness can I offer someone I encounter today? How can I make their day just a little bit better?

"Authenticity" is the buzzword of 2025, but what does it truly mean? Is it just a trendy hashtag, or does it go deeper? Let’s break it down.

The holidays can be a beautiful season of joy, but for those grieving, they often amplify feelings of loss. I know this firsthand.