Author: Rachel Hanson

Not all stress is bad stress. In fact, stress is neutral. Eustress is beneficial stress - good stress. It can be motivating and even empowering. Distress not so much. Some of that is situational. Loss of a job due to downsizing, for instance, creates distress and may be out of our control. Some distress, however, … Continue reading Eustress

High achievers are often (usually) drivers. Drivers of productivity. Drivers toward a goal. Drivers of meetings and agendas. What's the risk if you're always driving? No one else is given the space to do so, or even to learn how to drive. Leaders must practice this skill. Builders must live this out in our practices … Continue reading Create space

Do the work. Stop worrying about those that are ahead of you. Stop lamenting how far you have to go. Stop thinking about how great you could be. Stop trying to hype yourself up that you're better than you think you are or better than others say you are. Do the work. Think less, worry … Continue reading Do the work

"I'm known for being a coach who goes harder after winning. If it isn't broken, break it. Because comfort is the death of teams." - Emma Hayes Comfort is the death of teams. You could also say comfort is the death of excellence. Great coaches, great leaders, get a little itchy when things get comfortable. … Continue reading Break it

Why do New Year's resolutions, somewhat famously, fail to work? One of the reasons is that huge shifts in behavior are rarely sustainable. Human behavior is predictable on the macro level. We know that dramatic and immediate behavioral shifts are, by and large, destined to fail. If we want to change our behaviors, get a … Continue reading New Year’s resolutions

As a builder, I don't find empathy to be a particularly helpful emotion. It too easily puts the wrong things at the forefront of building. If someone is high on empathy, they're likely to feel another's pain and seek to alleviate it. This can quickly become an unproductive focus on whatever is causing the pain … Continue reading Get better

Anxiety and depression tend to be birds of a feather, and are often characterized by the same mental habits - overly tuned to self. They're marked by a turning inward and a heightened awareness of self. Some versions of it need clinical and medicinal help. Not so for all, or perhaps even most. In our … Continue reading Take action

High performers fuel the engine of success. Culture matters, and so does talent. Both matter, and unfortunately far too many leaders sacrifice their culture on the altar of talent. How you treat your high performers, and the standard you hold them too, matter immensely. To them, and just as importantly, to their teammates. If you … Continue reading High Performers