When your team members are unclear about what you expect of them, it can lead to exhaustion, which can harm their ability to focus on creative tasks, problem-solving and collaboration, writes leadership development consultant Soren Kaplan. Help them by spelling out what success looks like, what decisions are theirs to make and how to handle shifting priorities during times of change, Kaplan writes.

Put it into practice: Providing role clarity is one of the highest returns on investment you can make, Kaplan writes. "When people know what they're accountable for, what success looks like and which calls are theirs to make, they stop spending energy navigating stressful ambiguity and start spending it on their work."

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When you become uncertain as a leader, shame can creep in if your neutral lack of knowledge turns into a feeling of personal failure, writes author and consultant Marlene Chism, who notes the lack of psychological safety can lead to delayed decisions and avoided conversations that undermine clarity and accountability. "When we let go of the shame attached to uncertainty, we can stay in the conversation long enough to create clarity through dialogue, challenge and shared thinking," Chism writes.

Put it into practice: To dispel shame in leadership, Chism recommends reframing uncertainty from a personal failing to a situational challenge. "You can choose to pretend you're certain, or you can decide to admit it and walk through uncertainty courageously."

Business school professors who displayed warmth, approachability and responsiveness saw participation from both male and female students balance out, according to research from Kellogg School of Management professor Nicole Stephens, who noted that without those social cues, men were more likely to speak up than women. Stephens says this means that creating true inclusion goes beyond granting access; it requires ongoing attention to how everyday behaviors shape participation and long-term opportunities, ultimately influencing engagement, performance and equity throughout organizations.

Put it into practice: Subtle behavioral cues -- such as using a dynamic tone, making eye contact, smiling and adopting a relaxed posture -- play a significant role in shaping participation from both men and women, Stephens notes. The study underscores that even small shifts in a leader's demeanor can create a more inclusive climate and profoundly influence whose voices are heard.

Sending a thank-you note following a job interview is a standard practice, but San Francisco resident Jean Kang went one step further, sending a 90-day onboarding plan for herself, mapping out her short-term goals for the job, which led to her landing the job. Kang developed the plan by asking how to show she was the best fit for the job and reverse-engineering her outline. Recruiters say even if you don't produce a detailed plan, it is good to write a few sentences in your thank-you note on how a company could benefit from hiring you.

When posing for photos, we in the US "say cheese," but in Korea they say "kimchi," Russians say "raisins" and Germans may say "spaghetti." These words are often chosen for their randomness, which makes people laugh, and for their phonetic qualities, such as the long "ee" vowel in "cheese," which naturally widens the mouth into a smile.

The "Mostly AI Smart Pod" podcast's first episode spotlights the transformative influence of AI on the software-as-a-service market in 2026. The hosts discuss how SaaS companies are leveraging AI to boost productivity, increase efficiency and evolve their offerings in response to the rise of AI agents, all while navigating challenges such as the so-called "SaaSpocolyse."

We've probably all been in meetings where someone asks a tricky question, and your brain instantly screams, "You should know this!" According to Marlene Chism, uncertainty isn't your true enemy here -- sneaky, uninvited shame is. While uncertainty just means you lack data, shame makes it personal, whispering that you are incompetent.

To overcome this corporate gremlin, you need to change your inner narrative, Chism writes. Stop treating the unknown as a threat to your identity. When you feel the urge to waffle or aggressively nod along to things you don't understand just to protect your ego, pause. Take a breath and try a little radical honesty. Saying "I don't know, let's figure it out" doesn't ruin your credibility; it actually creates space for your team to relax and do the same.

Ditch the armor of fake certainty, invite curiosity back into the room, and watch that heavy leadership shame simply evaporate.

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