Psychological Safety - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

Empathy at Work: How Good Leaders Unlock Motivation and Performance

October 3, 2025

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…

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…

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…

How to Build Trust at Work: Five Everyday Actions

September 22, 2025

Trust at Work

Trust or mistrust is a choice that every leader has to make: build trust at work to unlock performance or sow distrust and shut it down. Key Takeaways Most organizations fall in the middle between high trust and low trust cultures. In these organizations, managers can vary widely in how much they trust others. Employees are sensitive to even the smallest hints of mistrust. To build trust at work, trust must be a consistent and fundamental part of your leadership…