Bring More Discipline to Your Decision-Making

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1. 

   E144 · 7 Jan 2026 · 27 min

   How to Strengthen Your Focus When Demands Never Let Up

   If you’re feeling distracted, mentally fogged, and unable to pay attention to the task at hand, you’re not alone. The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse. But we all know that the best work comes when you're able to really zero in on an idea or problem for a sustained period of time. So, we need better strategies for blocking out the external and internal noise. Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami and the author of “Peak Mind,” offers recommendations…

2. 

   E143 · 31 Dec 2025 · 23 min

   What Actually Works to Change Someone’s Mind

   Jonah Berger, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says that most of us aren’t approaching persuasion the right way. Pushing people to behave how you’d like them to or believe the same things you do just doesn’t work, no matter how much data you give or how many emotional appeals you make. Studying both psychology and business, he’s found better tactics for bringing people over to your side. One of the keys? Asking questions so people feel like they’re making the decision to change. Berger is the author of the book “The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.”

3. 

   E142 · 24 Dec 2025 · 21 min

   How the Best Leaders Develop and Spend “Innovation Capital”

   Nathan Furr, professor of strategy at INSEAD, researches what makes great innovative leaders, and he reveals how they develop and spend “innovation capital.” Like social or political capital, it’s a power to motivate employees, win the buy-in of stakeholders, and sell breakthrough products. Furr argues that innovation capital is something everyone can develop and grow by using something he calls impression amplifiers. Furr is the coauthor of the book “Innovation Capital: How to Compete—and Win—Like the World's Most Innovative Leaders.”

4. 

   E141 · 17 Dec 2025 · 27 min

   What Jargon Says About Your Company Culture

   Anne Curzan, English professor at the University of Michigan, studies the evolution of language. While many of us roll our eyes at bizspeak—from synergy to value-add to operationalize—Curzan defends business jargon. She says the words we say around the office speak volumes about our organizations and our working relationships. She shares how to use jargon more deliberately, explains the origin of some annoying or amusing buzzwords, and discusses how English became the global business language and how that could change.

5. 

   E140 · 10 Dec 2025 · 58 min

   Setting Goals for Your Team When the Path Isn’t Clear

   In this Coaching Real Leaders session, a leader who has worked in the higher education sector for decades seeks guidance on how to set direction and maintain momentum for her team when so much of their long-term work depends on shifting priorities and partners outside her control. As she steps into her first role managing managers, she’s unsure how fast to push, how to divide her time, and how to judge progress when the path ahead isn’t fully defined. Host Muriel Wilkins helps her sort through those questions, identify what she can move forward now, and build confidence in her ability to…

6. 

   E138 · 26 Nov 2025 · 35 min

   Communicating Clearly When You’re Under Stress

   Leadership development coach Muriel Wilkins talks us through communication techniques that meet you where you’re at mentally and emotionally so that you can rise to the moment (even when you’re worried you can’t).

7. 

   E137 · 19 Nov 2025 · 15 min

   How to Scale What’s Working at Your Company

   Stanford professor Bob Sutton, coauthor of Scaling Up Excellence, explains how leaders can expand what’s working in their organizations without letting growth dilute their success. He also shares the patterns that separate those who scale successfully from those whose early wins never catch on.

8. 

   E136 · 12 Nov 2025 · 33 min

   The “Hidden Blockers” That Are Limiting Your Leadership Potential

   Many of us have internal beliefs—I need it done now, I know I’m right, I need to be involved—that feel like truth but actually hold us back as leaders. Executive coach Muriel Wilkins calls these counterproductive beliefs “hidden blockers,” and she talks Women at Work hosts Amy Gallo and Amy Bernstein through the process of identifying theirs and then reframing them. They also look at how blockers show up in team and organizational behavior, like when lack of trust results in too many meetings, and discuss how leaders can shift culture by first examining and adjusting their own assumptions.

9. 

   E135 · 5 Nov 2025 · 24 min

   Why Purpose Is Foundational in Leadership

   Nicholas Pearce, clinical associate professor at Kellogg School of Management, says too many companies—and individuals—lack a clear sense of purpose. He argues “the best companies are ones that not only have a purpose for themselves but also attract and hire people whose individual senses of purpose align with the company’s purpose.” This means companies that are not simply profit-driven tend to be more likely to succeed. And individuals who align their daily job with their authentic life’s work will be happier and more productive. Pearce is also a pastor, an executive coach, and the author…

10. 

    E134 · 29 Oct 2025 · 26 min

    How Design Thinking Unlocks Creativity

    For business leaders, the struggle between efficiency and innovation is constant. How do businesses meet their customers’ needs while also developing new and improved products and services? In the article “Why Design Thinking Works” from the September-October 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review, author Jeanne Liedtka of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business writes “the structure of design thinking creates a natural flow from research to rollout.” She explains how this clear process helps teams break free of a variety of human tendencies that get in the way of innovation.…