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by Irina Wolpert

A decade ago, I spearheaded my organization’s strategic expansion into a new Eurasian market. Almost immediately, it became evident that our conventional playbook was inadequate. Success in this complex landscape required not just an understanding of business metrics, but a profound appreciation for cultural nuances and regional dynamics.

We made a pivotal decision: We set aside our polished PowerPoint presentations and embraced a more human-centric approach. Instead of relying on formalities, we engaged in candid, face-to-face negotiations—often over a steaming cup of tea. This deliberate shift in strategy was about building genuine relationships, and it worked.

By prioritizing trust and open dialogue, we laid the groundwork for a partnership that has not only endured but flourished.

In my own career, shaped through roles at world? admired organizations like American Express and Amazon, I’ve come to rely on five core leadership traits that have consistently driven results, built strong cultures and turned ambiguity into opportunity. And as a leadership advisor at one of the world’s preeminent executive leadership advisory firms, Egon Zehnder, I’ve seen those same five core qualities distinguish transformational leaders across industries.

No one embodies these five traits perfectly every day. But the most effective leaders I’ve worked with—and aspired to be like—are the ones who commit to practicing and developing these traits over time.

1. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy

Great leaders don’t just manage work: They read the room. Emotional intelligence (EQ) enables leaders to pick up on unspoken cues, navigate tense conversations, and build authentic relationships grounded in trust. (more…)

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by Eve Upton-Clark

Job interviews are nerve-wracking at the best of times. But for those who see themselves as introverts, they can be extra intimidating.

It’s not due to a lack of skill. The ability to think on your feet and sell yourself—no doubt important in the interview process—tends to come more easily to those who go through life a little more extroverted.

And yet more Americans see themselves as introverted than extroverted. Contrary to conventional wisdom, that’s not necessarily a bad trait in the workplace: Research has found that introverted leaders outperform extroverts by 28%, driving higher productivity from their teams.

Connar Walford, student success lead at the U.K. jobs and career advice website TargetJobs, offers five strategies that introverts can utilize to ace a job interview.

The Energy Anchor 

The idea of being put on the spot in an interview is enough to make any introvert’s heart race and palms sweat. That’s why thorough preparation is essential for anyone, but for introverts in particular.

Walford suggests identifying up to five “energy anchors” before even setting foot in the interview room. “These are previous work wins that you can recall with ease. These can be anything from receiving a compliment from a peer to working on a successful project,” he says. “These ‘anchors’ help to regulate the nervous system and maintain your confidence throughout the interview.”

The Power of Silence 

While some extroverts might dominate conversations, introverts can be skilled listeners, giving them an edge over the competition. Those pauses to compose your thoughts before speaking? They’re not awkward. In fact, they can be a superpower.

“People often feel that they need to fill a silence. However, instead of rushing to speak, utilize it,” Walford says. “A calm pause can signal authority, thoughtfulness, and composure—all great working traits.”

Reframe the interview

Rather than regarding the interview as your one shot to impress the hiring manager, heightening an already intimidating situation, you could flip the script. Look at it as an opportunity to determine if the role is the correct fit on both sides of the coin.

“This reframes the power dynamic from performing to connecting, eliminating the fear of being judged,” Walford says.

The interview doesn’t end when the door closes 

Many introverts might be tempted to run from the room as fast as possible and wipe it from memory before the overthinking kicks in. Remember, although the interview itself may have ended, the process hasn’t.

“Always send an email post-interview thanking those present, including any info that may have slipped your mind, and ask any additional questions,” Walford says. “This shows professionalism, gratitude, and a strong interest in the role.”

Navigate Energy 

The interview process can be draining for anyone, but particularly for introverts who typically lose energy during social interactions.

“Remember to manage your energy pre-interview by fitting in quiet time,” Walford says. “This helps navigate potential overstimulation, buildup of nervous energy, and fatigue.”

Afterward, schedule some well-deserved alone time, and reward yourself with whatever fills your cup back up. Perhaps that’s coffee and a sweet treat.

Or a glass of wine in the bath. You’ve earned it.

This post originally appeared at fastcompany.com

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by Michael A. Tennant

Questions aren’t just one-off icebreakers for team building. Instead, they’re an operating system for clarity and connection.

Eight years of building a values-driven question game taught an unexpected leadership lesson: Asking better questions can transform how you lead. Intentional prompts can build five critical skills that many leaders chase: self-awareness, deep listening, values alignment, perspective taking, and reframing limiting beliefs.

Building a values-driven question game began while I was battling burnout and social anxiety. As an introvert, even facilitating group play was hard. Working through the questions privately, and then with small teams, rewired how feedback landed, how conflict de-escalated, and how decisions moved faster. The good news is you can apply the same practices without any special tools.

1. Strengthen self-awareness and awareness of others.

Questions surface the stories and motivations that drive decisions. Prompts like “What were the holidays like for you growing up?” or “When do you feel most free?” reveal patterns you may be carrying into today’s work. They also help you notice how emotions show up in groups.

Try this:

2. Practice deep listening, not just waiting to talk.

The only hard rule of our game, Actually Curious, is “listen to understand, not to react.” That’s simple to say and hard to do, especially in conflict or negotiation. Practicing with structured prompts gives you reps turning off the fight switch and finding win-win outcomes.

Try this:

With a trusted colleague, choose two value-centered question prompts. The speaker will answer while the listener only takes notes. The listener reflects on one thing they didn’t agree with at first but now understand based on the response.

3. Align on values so decisions get easier.

When it comes to value-driven questions, “tell me what you believe” is too broad. People default to safe answers. Targeted prompts uncover shared principles faster. Questions like “What are you willing to fight for?” or “What is guaranteed to bring you happiness?” surface nonnegotiable that guide trade-offs.

Try this:

When someone answers, jot two to three values you hear. For example, fairness, autonomy, and reliability. Confirm with them, “I heard autonomy and reliability. Does that resonate?” Invite them to do the same when you answer. Capture a visible team values list to reference in mitigating debates.

4. Build your perspective-taking muscle. 

Perspective taking is a relationship superpower, and it improves with practice. Even light prompts such as “Name five musicians for your ultimate supergroup,” or “Pick one: introvert or extrovert” train your brain to imagine another person’s view before hearing them or even reacting.

Try this:

This practice is called the mind-reader game. Choose a few fun prompts and one thoughtful prompt. Everyone privately writes their answers. The group guesses each person’s responses before the reveal. Notice when you’ve read each other well and where you miss. That’s coaching material.

5. Reframe limiting beliefs into actionable “yes, ands.”

Great leaders hold two truths at once: decisiveness and possibility. Prompts like “What does ‘perfect’ mean to you?” or “When did you last cry and why?” surface subconscious beliefs that narrow options. Once visible, you can reframe those beliefs into fuel for innovation.

Try this:

• Run a solo or team journaling session with three to five challenging prompts.

List the beliefs that show up. For example, “Perfect means never making mistakes.”

• Reframe each into an abundance statement. This should be something affirmative and within one’s control. For example, “Perfect is consistent progress and shared learning.”
• Convert one reframe into a concrete habit for the week. For example, “Ship v1 on Thursday. Review learnings Friday. A perfect evolution of the project.”

Make questions part of your operating rhythm. 

Questions aren’t just one-off icebreakers for team building. Instead, they’re an operating system for clarity and connection. Layer one practice into your calendar: weekly prompt, monthly values check, or a quarterly perspective-taking game, a scarcity to abundance reframing exercise. Measure the shift in trust, speed in decision-making, and quality of ideas. With steady reps, you build empathetic leaders at every gamified engagement.

This post originally appeared at inc.com.

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by Ron Johnson

According to a recent study conducted by the global consulting firm, EY, 97% of respondents reported that it is important for companies to act with integrity. Many companies tout integrity as a core principle of their organizations in an attempt to reassure customers, employees, and the wider public that their organization “plays by the rules.” By some estimates, integrity is ranked as one of the most cited corporate core values, with over 80% of companies listing integrity as a core value.

But simply including integrity on your list of core values and mounting that list on a plaque on a wall (as many companies do) won’t positively influence your culture unless your core values are fully embraced and lived by employees each and every day. After all, Enron was once the darling of corporate America and a supposedly stellar business success story—until news broke that Enron had engaged in what would turn out to be one of the biggest accounting scandals in U.S. history.

Here’s why listing “integrity” as a core value and getting employees to live with integrity in the workplace can pose a challenge—even for companies with the best of intentions.

A few years ago, the CEO and chairperson of a large financial institution were caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, engaged in what could be described, at best, as questionable behavior. When the media asked the chairperson if what she and the CEO had done was aligned with the company’s core value of integrity, the chairperson replied, “Integrity means different things to different people.”

The media and the public were outraged by the response. But, y’know what? The chairperson was right! Integrity does mean different things to different people when it comes to business practices.

Here are three steps to take if you want to build a company where everyone understands exactly what integrity means to the organization and exactly how to demonstrate integrity in the workplace.

1. Define what integrity means for your company

An organization’s perspective on the topic of integrity most often comes from the leadership of that organization, and their various versions of integrity are often reflected in corporate policies.

For instance, ice cream chain Ben and Jerry’s version of integrity is reflected in their policy to only use fair trade–certified ingredients, ensuring that farmers along their supply chain are paid a fair price for their products. Chipmakers like Intel demonstrate their version of integrity by avoiding using “conflict minerals” that are mined under conditions that could be considered to be abuses of human rights. The Body Shop demonstrates its version of integrity by committing to never testing its products on animals.

Some companies whose very business models, products, services, or waste may be viewed by others as causing harm to the communities in which they operate try to demonstrate integrity by engaging in acts of restitution. For instance, timber company Hampton Lumber plants three trees for every tree it harvests.

Outdoor clothing company Patagonia, known not only for the quality of its products, but also for its efforts to minimize damage to the environment, donates 1% of revenue to environmental groups. (Despite these actions, some critics insist that the acts of restitution pale in comparison to the destruction caused by the companies and even accuse these companies of “greenwashing”—a deceptive practice designed to paint organizations as being more environmentally conscious than they are.)

But, demonstrating “boardroom integrity” through corporate policies isn’t enough to qualify a company as being one that acts with integrity. Companies also need to demonstrate integrity at the grassroots level. It makes little sense to list “integrity” as a company core value unless that commitment to integrity permeates every corner of the organization on an individual, team or departmental level.

2. Clarify what integrity means for your employees

So, since integrity may mean different things to different people, how can a company’s employees truly commit to integrity as a core value?  There’s no easy answer to that question, but one way to stay within the boundaries of ethical behavior is to use “the social media test” where you instruct your employees to ask themselves, “would I be comfortable if this behavior, action, or decision were to be reported on social media (or in the newspaper) for everyone to see?” If the answer is “no” to this litmus test, then deep down in their hearts, they probably recognize that whatever they are considering probably isn’t aligned with the principle of integrity.

Another way to clarify to your employees how to act with integrity in the workplace is to articulate clear behavioral expectations expressed not in abstract concepts but in clear, crisp, and concise language, using what I refer to as the “even if” principle to make it crystal clear that your organization values integrity over the potential short-term benefits of acting unethically. For instance, members of your organization’s sales department might be told: “Integrity means never misrepresenting a product to close a deal, even if it means losing a sale.”

Consultants that provide services on an hourly rate to clients might be instructed to never overestimate or bill clients for time not spent on the account—even if that means not hitting monthly billing targets. Quality control managers at a company that manufacture parts may be told in no uncertain terms to never ship faulty products—even if a customer might never notice the defects.

3. Take Accountability Seriously

Next, it’s important to hold employees (especially leadership) accountable for these standards.

One way to hold people accountable is through the use of independent oversight—such as an empowered board of directors, ethics committees, or external auditors. To be effective, these bodies must have the authority to investigate ethical concerns, insist on transparency, reward employees for acting with integrity, and apply consequences to those who violate their company’s standards for acting with integrity. Most importantly, these bodies must not be influenced by internal politics and should not be able to be fired on the whims of the leadership team who they are holding accountable. Ideally, these oversight bodies should be proactive, with audits that identify potential conflicts early enough to prevent ethical mischief.

Another way to hold leaders accountable is to create a culture where employees at all levels feel safe reporting ethical concerns without fear of reprisal. Anonymous reporting and whistleblowing channels can help identify problems that leadership might otherwise miss—or worse, knowingly condone.

The desire to operate a company that acts with integrity is a noble one—but, as we have seen, one that is fraught with challenges—particularly because acting with integrity means different things to different people. No wonder research shows that just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organization’s values to their work every day!

If you want your organization to be one in which employees can apply integrity to their work every day, follow the three steps above. Define what living with integrity means for your organization, drill down to the employee level and remove any ambiguity about how employees can live with integrity, and hold everyone in your organization (especially the leadership team) accountable for living with integrity. Once you’ve done this, you will be in a much better position to lead with integrity, maintain your reputation in the marketplace, and navigate complex ethical challenges.

This post originally appeared at fastcompany.com