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Manager with practical empathy skills

Unlock Better Performance with 5 Practical and Tactical Empathy Skills

October 6, 2025
Empathy in Leadership

Leaders who use practical, tactical empathy skills know that it unlocks people’s inner drive to succeed. Key Takeaways: Empathy Skills That Boost Performance Most leaders know empathy matters, but few connect empathy skills directly to performance. The truth is, when people feel respected, valued, and supported, they work harder and smarter. Empathy isn’t some soft skill or nice to have—it’s an essential performance driver. These five practical and tactical empathy skills help build trust, create psychological safety, and unlock better…

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2 people practicing empathy at work

Empathy at Work: How Good Leaders Unlock Motivation and Performance

October 3, 2025
Empathy in Leadership

Think about it: how hard would you work if your boss didn’t understand or care about you? That’s the power of empathy at work. Key Takeaways Just like you, everyone wants to be seen and accepted for who they are and the talents they bring. It’s a fact: empathy is a universal human need. When managers fill a team’s need for empathy, people want to do better. When people feel empathy at work, trust rises, new ideas surface, and teams…

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Leadership resources hub with practical tips for trust, confidence, empathy, team alignment, and decision making

Start Here for Leadership Resources: Practical Tips and Solutions to Use Now

October 1, 2025
Confidence at Work, Decision Making, Empathy in Leadership, Team Alignment & 1:1s, Trust at Work

Welcome! My blog offers for practical leadership resources to help you build stronger, more productive, and more resilient teams. Leadership is not innate. It’s a set of skills that, practiced daily, promote cooperative, steady focus on what matters most. Anyone can learn these skills with dedication and practice, even if you don’t hire a coach. These skills help good leaders diagnose and tamp down distractions. Using tactics that support these skills, they build a positive team culture where everyone feels…

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birds flying in formation as a metaphor for team alignment

Team Alignment: How To Build Better Teams and Exceed Expectations

September 29, 2025
Team Alignment & 1:1s

When leaders build trust, demonstrate confidence, and practice empathy, team alignment becomes possible. Key Takeaways Team alignment drives performance. Here’s what matters most: Team alignment is what happens when everyone is working to achieve common goals with the least possible amount of friction. The result: great teams that pull together to exceed expectations. There is no wasted energy protecting turf, fighting internal battles, or advancing personal agendas. Instead, everyone is working hard and enjoying group success. Alignment at Work is…

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Human hand pushing a red button, representing stress response at work and emotional triggers

When Small Things Set You Off: Understanding the Stress Response at Work

September 26, 2025
Confidence at Work

Have you ever snapped over something small—a late email, a missed comma, a colleague’s tone? You’re not alone. A stress response at work can often feel bigger than the moment, leaving you wondering, “Why did that set me off?” Key Takeaways When you learn how to recognize your triggers at work, you can learn to interrupt you stress response at work and reset to calm. Proven strategies—like pausing to breathe, stepping away briefly, or validating others’ feelings—help interrupt the impulse…

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three leaders showing confidence at work

Confidence at Work: How to Build It and Why It Matters

September 24, 2025
Confidence at Work

Confidence at work isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, the one with all the answers, or the person who never shows doubt. Real confidence at work is quieter—and stronger. Key Takeaways Real confidence is about knowing your strengths and leaning into them. It’s accepting your weaknesses instead of hiding them. And it’s leading from your values so you stay calm under pressure and make steady decisions. That’s what authority without ego looks like—the kind of confidence people…

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Lisa D. Foster, Ph.D. ACC  is an independent coach. As an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation, Lisa honors and abides by the ICF Code of Ethics.  All coaching sessions and consultations are confidential.

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