Resolutions Are Not About Behavior. They Are About Direction. Every January, we make promises to ourselves. Work harder. Earn more. Be better. And every year, many of those resolutions quietly fade. That is because resolutions are not really about behavior. They are about orientation. The real question is not what you will do differently this year. It is which way you are pointing your energy, attention, and ambition. A helpful framework for this comes from how we relate to work and income.

One of the most surprising moments in leadership is when someone you have supported, guided, or mentored suddenly turns on you. They challenge your decisions. They nitpick your words. They react strongly to advice they used to seek. It feels personal. It feels ungrateful. It feels like something broke. Often, nothing broke at all. What you are witnessing is differentiation.

On the surface, “let’s put a pin in that” sounds reasonable. It sounds efficient. It sounds like good meeting management. Emotionally, it often does the opposite. That phrase usually lands as dismissal. It stops momentum without explaining why. It defers responsibility while quietly telling the other person that where they were going does not matter right now. In leadership, that moment matters more than we think.

Most leadership breakdowns are blamed on ego, control, or misalignment. But underneath many of those issues is something simpler and harder to admit: discomfort when someone finds fulfillment that does not involve us. There is a concept that helps untangle this. It is called compersion. The term was coined in the mid nineteen seventies in a San Francisco commune and is often described as the opposite of jealousy. Compersion means feeling genuine happiness for someone else’s joy, even when you are not the source of it.

Trauma bonding is a term that gets used casually, and often incorrectly. The confusion is understandable, but the consequences of misunderstanding it can be serious. Many people believe trauma bonding means connecting with someone who shares similar painful experiences. Two people who were abused. Two leaders who burned out. Two employees who survived a toxic workplace. That is not trauma bonding.

Infidelity is one of the most feared experiences in a relationship. People talk about it as if it is the definite ending, the moment everything falls apart. But the truth is more nuanced. Many relationships survive infidelity. Some even grow stronger afterward. So why do some couples make it through, and others do not?

Most people treat monogamy as a binary choice. You are monogamous or you are not. But real relationships are far more complex than that. When couples rely on a black and white definition, they overlook the agreements that truly shape their lives.

Every meaningful relationship is built on agreements. Some are formal, like what you decide with a business partner. Some are personal, like the boundaries you set with a spouse. Some are professional, like expectations with employees or clients. And in every one of these relationships, there is a hidden threat that often goes unnoticed until trust starts to crack.

Every meaningful relationship is built on agreements. Some are formal, like what you decide with a business partner. Some are personal, like the boundaries you set with a spouse. Some are professional, like expectations with employees or clients. And in every one of these relationships, there is a hidden threat that often goes unnoticed until trust starts to crack. That threat is loopholing.

Every entrepreneur knows the moment. You are in a room, the energy is flowing, and someone walks in and proudly declares, “I’m an alpha.” The air shifts. The vibe changes. Most people quietly cringe. That single sentence reveals a deeper truth about leadership. Real leaders do not need to self declare. Presence is earned by how people respond to you, not by what you call yourself.

Most people walk through the world believing they have solid boundaries. They say things like, “You are not allowed to talk to me that way,” or “You cannot bring that energy into this meeting.” It feels firm. It feels clear. It feels like leadership.

It is easy to give grace when life is smooth. When everyone is pleasant, on time, prepared, and at their best. That version of grace costs nothing. The real test comes when things get messy. When emotions run high. When someone drops the ball. When their crisis becomes your inconvenience.

Too many leaders confuse a real relationship with a useful one. And the cost shows up everywhere: in your culture, your partnerships, your hiring, and your ability to lead with trust. If every connection in your life is built on what you can get, then you are surrounded by transactions, not relationships. Here is the shift that changes everything.

Understanding Mirror Neurons

Ever wonder why some leaders instantly understand people while others use that same insight to manipulate them? Understanding this one piece of neuroscience can change how you hire, communicate, negotiate, and lead. It can also help you spot the difference between someone who builds trust and someone who quietly erodes it.

Some people read a room to build connection.Others read a room to create chaos. If you lead teams or hire people, knowing the difference can save you a lot of pain. Narcissists are not who most of us were taught they are. It has nothing to do with confidence or vanity. It has everything to do with emotional leverage.

You can win the moment and still lose the room. If you lead people, hire people, or want to grow your influence, this one concept matters more than you think. Performative cancellation is becoming a default reaction in conversations at work and online. It feels righteous in the moment, but it often creates long term consequences that most people never see coming.

Every person you meet is carrying something you cannot see. A memory, a fear, a loss, a story they have not said out loud in years. We move through the world brushing past people who are holding far more than they show, and most of the time, we never know it.When someone finally reveals a piece of that weight, our instinct is usually to fix it. We try to offer comfort, advice, or solutions.

Family is one of the most powerful forces that shapes us. It is also one of the most misunderstood. As the holiday season approaches, many of us prepare to gather with the people who raised us, grew up with us, or share our last name. For some, this brings warmth and comfort. For others, it brings tension, distance, or uncertainty. Both experiences are real, and neither says anything about your worth or your capacity for connection.

Crying Is Not Weakness, It Is Biology Doing Its Job. Entrepreneurs live in high-pressure environments, yet we still treat tears as something to apologize for. Most of us were taught as kids that crying means sadness and sadness means weakness. So when emotions rise, we say “I’m sorry” instead of recognizing what is actually happening.

Spot Manipulation Before It Controls You. Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “Why did I just agree to that?” That’s manipulation. And it’s more common in business and leadership than we’d like to admit. Manipulation happens fast.