By: Adrian Jones What I’ve Learned About Leading With Curiosity Instead of Control There was a time when I thought leadership meant decisiveness: knowing the plan, communicating it clearly, and sticking to it. But the more I worked with high-performing teams in fast-moving environments, the more I realized something important: it’s not about having all […]
By: Melissa Thompson How to Communicate Like a Leader I. Introduction Many leaders carry this belief: “If I explain myself clearly, that should be enough.” But clarity alone isn’t the whole equation—how a message lands often matters more than how it’s delivered. Effective communication is a necessary part of leading. It shapes how messages are […]
Many leaders carry this quiet belief: If I want it done right, I need to do it myself. I see it all the time in my work, especially with high performers who’ve recently stepped into leadership roles. They’ve been promoted because they’re great at getting things done, but they’re still holding onto too much and are hesitant to delegate.
Have you ever felt like your calendar is your resume? That the more meetings you take, the more important you must be? This is common in what’s called “The High Performer Trap.”
Most new leaders are promoted because they know how to get things done. They take pride in their work. They exceed expectations. And they often have a specific way they like things done because it produces results.
It’s a popular small-talk topic, but also a real checkpoint when it comes to goals and progress, both personal and professional.
June is my birthday month. This year, I turn 59 and begin my 60th year of life. I’ve lived a good, long life, but what excites me most isn’t the past 59 years. It’s the possibility of another 40.
June hits differently.
The Q1 buzz is long gone, Q4 still feels forever away, and for many teams, motivation starts dragging. If you’re feeling that dip in energy, you’re not alone—and neither is your team.
We’re halfway through the year. The plans we made in January have either taken root, unraveled, or been quietly replaced by reality. It’s the perfect time to step back, recalibrate, and ask: Where are we now, and where are we going?
A Mid-Year Reflection for Leaders Navigating the Unexpected
You started 2025 with a plan.
Maybe even a color-coded one. A word of the year. A fresh planner. A set of goals that made you feel like this was finally going to be your year.
The Mid-Year Advantage Most Leaders Miss
At the start of the year, most leaders set goals with clarity, energy, and enthusiasm. But by mid-year, it’s common for momentum to slow, priorities to shift, and teams to lose focus. While Q1 planning gets all the attention, it’s actually Q3—right after the halfway mark—that offers the most underrated opportunity for leaders to reset, realign, and regain traction.
At Success Labs, we work with leaders who care deeply about results—and equally about people. That’s why we’re challenging the outdated belief that overwhelm is simply the cost of doing business.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s talk about something many teams feel but few have the language for: burnout. What is it really? What does the science say? And how can we recognize and prevent it—before it costs us our health, our people, or our purpose?
Physical space matters profoundly at work. Have you heard of “hoteling” at work? It’s a practice where employees don’t have assigned workspaces but instead “check out” a desk for the day. These spaces come equipped with a desk, a monitor, and a place to plug in a laptop. However, employees must pack in, and pack out, everything else they need to work. It reminds me of staying in a hotel. While a hotel room technically provides everything I “need,” I never feel comfortable. I don’t sleep as well, I struggle to focus, and I long to return home. I wonder, “How productive and effective are employees in hoteling setups? Do they want, as I do, to just go home?”
