Laura Gassner Otting 
Leaders talk. A lot. It’s not their fault. We expect it of them. They are on stage, they are at the head of the table, they are the ones in the know. We expect to learn from them. And, frankly, that’s a real problem. You can’t talk and listen at the same time (even though … Read more
Often we’re told: “Pick your battles.” This is sound advice for those of us lucky enough live in placid times when we have the privilege to decide where we spend our effort, what we fight for, what hills we want to die on. But, do we really? Are we the ones deciding? I think, all … Read more
Studies show that the most important skill that kids will develop isn’t a language, or math, or even coding, but grit. In an age of immediate satisfaction, instant gratification, and trophies just for showing up, the ability to persevere in the face of challenges turns out to be in short supply. And it’s exactly what … Read more
Are you committed to life-changing goals? We’ve all experienced it: a diet gone astray, an exercise routine run off track, a home improvement project left unfinished, a new year’s resolution forgotten. Why is it that we always fail when we commit to big, life-changing goals? Simply put: it’s because of the very fact that we … Read more
For 20 years I studied, recruited, and stewarded executives and organizations through some of the most difficult and uncertain leadership transitions. My searches (and those of the team of exemplary search consultants whom I was privileged to lead during my time running NPAG) resulted in a higher than industry average for a tenure of placement … Read more
Being wrong sucks. It’s inefficient, it’s embarrassing, and sometimes even downright dangerous. It’s a real haymaker right in the old kisser, that’s for sure. And, it’s also the best thing that can happen to you. Why do I say this? Because it is in those ego-shaking moments between the realization of wrongness and the interminable … Read more
Be the person your biggest champion sees. “You can do it. I believe in you. And, I will help.” Those were the words my running coach said to me when he looked me in the eye the first day we met, the day that I stood before him and told him that I’d run my … Read more
A few months ago, I got an email from a young woman I know. She wrote, “I took your advice and applied for the Assistant Director position when I really didn’t think I could get it. And, guess what? I have an interview tomorrow! I never would have applied if you hadn’t challenged me to do so. … Read more
I recently read an article suggesting that studies show that women who wear sleeveless dresses on stage appear to their audience members as less intelligent than their be-sleeved counterparts. It was based on a study in Yale Scientific that reported that people assign a higher degree of intelligence to those who wear more clothes than … Read more
Thank goodness for evolution. You know, evolution: that thing that has trained up over millions of years to (mostly) not do really hare-brained, death-inducing things. Jump off that bridge? Instincts say no. Stick my head in that lion’s mouth? Seems like a pretty bad idea. Eat day old sushi from my local gas station market? … Read more