Every month, the Leadership Development Digest brings together smart, practical insights from some of the brightest voices in leadership and development—and we’re grateful that you keep showing up to read, reflect, and engage.

If these ideas have been helping you think differently, lead more intentionally, or support growth in your organization, consider this your gentle nudge to go a little deeper. Many of our regular contributors are doing incredible work beyond these pages—through books, podcasts, workshops, and resources designed to help leaders move from insight to action.

For instance, you’ve likely come to know and appreciate Chris Edmonds from his regular and thoughtful contributions to the Leadership Development Digest. Along with Mark S. Babbitt, he has launched Mastering Workplace Culture, a new podcast exploring what it really takes to build workplaces where respect matters as much as results. Through candid conversations with proven culture leaders, they share practical lessons, hard truths, and real strategies for creating sustainable change that strengthens both performance and people. New episodes drop weekly at Mastering Workplace Culture.

And long-time Leadership Development Digest contributor and supporter, Art Petty, is publishing a powerful new book, Wake-Up Calls for Managers—a practical guide for navigating the toughest leadership moments when the stakes are high and the answers aren’t obvious. Packed with real-world insight and actionable advice, it’s a must-read for managers who want to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

Thank you for being part of this community—and for investing in the kind of leadership development that makes work, and workplaces, better.

AI Changes Everything — Except This – Frank Sonnenberg

Are you ready for a world shaped by AI? Connect with Frank on LinkedIn.

Are You Running Your Business Through the Rearview Mirror? – Jon Verbeck

By now, Q1 is over. The quarter has spoken. The real issue is whether you have numbers fast enough and clear enough to know what they are telling you. Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.

JOY Being as Fuel for Resilience: Cultivating Joy in Uncertain Times – Ann Van Eron

In a world marked by constant change, burnout, and polarization, joy can seem like a luxury or even irrelevant. But what if joy is not the opposite of struggle… What if it is the fuel that allows us to meet life with greater presence, resilience, and humanity? And in doing so, we quietly inspire hope in others. Connect with Ann on LinkedIn.

Leadership Lessons from an Amaryllis Bulb – Eileen McDargh

Nature can teach big lessons if we learn to see and ask! Connect with Eileen.

Is Your Organization a “House on Fire”? – Priscilla Archangel

The question is not whether leaders will encounter smoke, but whether they choose to acknowledge it before the flames spread. Organizations are saved not by denial or delay, but by courage, alignment, and timely action grounded in clear data and shared urgency. Connect with Priscilla on LinkedIn.

3 Scenarios to Help You Make Decisions – Marcella Bremer

Decision-making is hard with multiple known and unknown factors at play. Maybe you respond with endless analysis or premature commitment. But if you want to improve your decisions, map three quick scenarios together with your team. Connect with Marcella on LinkedIn.

Appropriate Persistence in Performance Management – Katie O’Brien Ceccarini

What do you do when you have someone on your team who is inconsistent? They seem to have a pattern: they perform, they drop, you address it, they perform, they drop, you address it. It’s exhausting and it’s time to have a different conversation paired with appropriate persistence with your coaching. Learn how to have that feedback conversation in a way that drives more sustainable performance and change. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Want to Have an Outsized Impact? Strengthen Your Core-Four Accelerators – Art Petty

Some skills are more equal than others in large organizations when it comes to your career growth and success. Looking to make a big impact? Focus on strengthening the Core Four Accelerators. Connect with Art on LinkedIn.

Are You the Exhausted Hero? – Susan Mazza

Susan Mazza names a leadership pattern that most high-achieving women will recognize the moment they hear it: the Exhausted Hero. Built on their strengths — willingness, capability, care — it costs their energy and self-trust while their output never gives them away. Her post on why discipline won’t fix it, and what actually will. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.

Can Leaders Create Clarity When the Future Isn’t Clear? – Sara Canaday

Leaders still aim to be decisive, clear, and able to lay out a roadmap others can follow. But in the middle of constant change and moving targets, doing that has become increasingly harder. In this piece, Sara Canaday shares a few practical ways leaders can create focus and forward motion, even when the future isn’t fully clear. Connect with Sara on LinkedIn.

The Power of Spiritual Fortitude in Leadership – Michelle Osterhoudt

This article discusses the inner strength that allows us to lead with grace, integrity, and resilience, even in the face of adversity. It is the ability to move forward with kindness and wisdom, even when confronted with negativity. Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.

You’ve Heard of Emotional Intelligence, But What Modern Leaders Really Need is Body Intelligence – Jennifer Zach

While emotional intelligence has long been considered the gold standard for effective leadership, this post argues that leaders also need body intelligence — the ability to notice, name, and navigate nervous system signals in real time (the 3N Model™). The post walks through five key components — sensory awareness, emotional mapping, regulation, somatic choice, and embodied presence — illustrated with real leadership examples. The core message is that in high-pressure environments, tuning into the body’s signals isn’t a soft skill, but a strategic leadership capability. Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.

The Four Psychological Disruptions of AI at Work – Braden Kelley

Most AI-and-work frameworks are built around economics – job categories, task automation rates, and re-skilling costs. This one is built around something different: the interior experience of the person sitting at the desk. The four disruptions mapped in this infographic were identified not through labor market data, but through a human-centered lens – the same lens used in design thinking and change management to surface the needs, fears, and identity stakes that people rarely articulate out loud but always feel. Connect with Braden on LinkedIn.

Hope Is a Social Gift: What Leaders Can Do Right Now – Michael Lee Stallard

As a leader, you can create the type of environment that combats hopelessness and gives your team the hope needed to keep working towards goals. In this recent article published by SmartBrief on Leadership, Michael Lee Stallard takes a closer look at why giving hope to your team matters and some principles that can help. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.

6 Steps To Strong Company-Wide Communication – Bill Treasurer

In this piece, Bill Treasurer shares six practical steps leaders can use to strengthen communication across their organizations. But more importantly, he challenges leaders to recognize that great communication isn’t just about strategy, it’s about courage. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.

What I Learned From a Room Full of Leaders This Week – John Spence

Authenticity came up as the most important leadership trait this week at America’s Credit Unions Management and Leadership Institute in Annapolis. That has never happened before in this exercise. In this week’s blog, I share a few observations from the room and what they say about how leadership expectations may be shifting. Connect with John on LinkedIn.

Let’s All Be More Like Anthony – Julie Winkle Giulioni

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places—even a scripted comedy. In this piece, I share a surprising leadership takeaway sparked by Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat. It’s a reminder that how we show up each day may matter far more than any title we hold, and that leadership is often revealed in the moments we least expect. Connect with Julie on LinkedIn.

How to Sustain a Culture of Servant Purpose, Respect, Clarity, and Courage – Chris Edmonds

Discover a fresh perspective on leadership that replaces constant urgency and burnout with calm, clarity, and sustainable performance. Based upon a recent podcast episode, Chris Edmonds reveals how strong culture, purposeful values, and everyday leadership choices create teams that thrive under pressure. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.

Stop Rearview Criticisms and Start Thinking Next Play to be a More Effective Leader – Sean Glaze

This piece challenges leaders to stop defaulting to backward-looking criticism and instead adopt a “Next Play” mindset that drives performance and ownership. Through practical examples and actionable shifts, it shows how forward-focused communication builds trust, engagement, and a stronger team culture. Connect with Sean on LinkedIn.

How to Tell a Business Story That Sticks – Susan Heaton-Wright

To influence and be memorable, discovering how to create and deliver business stories is essential. This article provides some practical tips for doing this. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.

How to Avoid Misunderstandings at Work – And Get On the Same Page – Robyn McLeod

Robyn McLeod of Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog presents How to Avoid Misunderstandings at Work – And Get On the Same Page, where she shares key tips to achieve true shared understanding, including asking open-ended questions, defining expectations clearly, addressing unspoken cues, and not avoiding uncomfortable conversations. Mastering these simple habits gets everyone on the same page and helps you lead more thoughtfully. Connect with Robyn on LinkedIn.

The Language of Leadership – Diana Peterson-More

After asking guests on “Leaders on Leadership” what they believe are the top 3 – 5 leadership skills, I turned the tables and asked myself the same question. In this post, I distilled it down to one big leadership trait, which cascades down to many others: “It is the responsibility of the communicator to make sure they are understood; It is not the responsibility of the communicatee to understand.”Thus, “You didn’t listen to me,” or “You didn’t understand me,” are no longer relevant. Connect with Diana on LinkedIn.

The Leader of the Future Is the Leader People Trust Today – Randy Conley

The pace of change is faster than we’ve ever experienced, and leaders need to adapt quickly to stay relevant. In this article, Randy shares five requirements for leading in the future that all hinge on the trust you build today. Connect with Randy on LinkedIn.

Multiply Your Value: Build Your Strategic Thinking and Innovation Skills – Jon Lokhorst

Strategic thinking and innovation skills continue to gain ground as essential capabilities for leaders across levels. Here’s how you can further your ability to anticipate change, seize new opportunities, and stay ahead. Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.

Why AI Rollouts Stall and What Gets Them Back on Track – David Grossman

Most organizations have the technology. What they’re missing is the human side of the equation, and that’s exactly what makes the difference between adoption that sticks and change that falls apart. Connect with David on LinkedIn.