The call came on a Tuesday morning. Patricia had just walked out of what she described as "the most uncomfortable performance review of my career." Her directness—once her greatest strength—had become a barrier to her team's innovation. Across boardrooms in Tokyo, Singapore, and Frankfurt, I encounter brilliant women whose careers have stalled not because they lack talent, but because they've unknowingly stumbled into silent career stoppers. These aren't dramatic failures; they're the quiet erosions that happen when core strengths calcify into career-limiting behaviors. Three critical derailers consistently emerge, each stemming from the very qualities that initially propelled these women to leadership.
Read MoreWhat happens when a new CEO arrives to find the organization running smoothly without them? This isn't about crisis management or turnaround strategies - it's about the far more complex challenge of integrating into a team that has already learned to succeed independently. Through a real case study from Japan's medical device industry, we explore why joining high-performing teams often proves harder than fixing broken ones, and what leaders can do about it.
Read MoreWhen crisis strikes, an organization's true nature is revealed. This piece explores how companies, much like individuals, exhibit "dark side" tendencies under pressure. Drawing on real-world examples, it delves into how aspirational values can transform into their extremes, offering crucial insights for leaders to build resilient and authentic corporate character.
Read More