It’s an honor to host this month’s Leadership Development Carnival, featuring standout insights from some of today’s top leadership thinkers. My sincere thanks go to Weaving Influence and the Lead Change for organizing and curating these insightful pieces.
For those new to blog development Carnivals, these are thoughtfully compiled anthologies featuring posts from various writers, organized around major themes within a particular field or topic. The posts are carefully selected and presented for your professional development and inspirational growth. It is a pleasure to share these enriching works with you.
Communication
Mastering the Art of Making the Business Case for Change – By Jon Lokhorst
Many worthy ideas fall by the wayside because those who propose them don’t show how the ideas will move important organizational priorities forward. Here are nine steps to increase the likelihood of getting your proposal heard and approved—making a solid business case for your initiative.
Honesty Is the Foundation of Leadership – By John Spence
What’s the most important trait in a leader? Thousands of people around the world answered this question the same way: honesty. But if honesty is so essential, why do so many leaders ignore it? In this week’s blog, I share a powerful story of a CEO who didn’t just talk about integrity—he built a company around it. Leadership starts with truth. Everything else follows.
Speak Up – People Want to Hear What You Have to Say – By Robyn McLeod
In the post, Speak up – people want to hear what you have to say, Robyn McLeod of Thoughtful Leaders Blog shares a few suggestions for speaking up, speaking out, and joining the conversation. It’s important that your colleagues don’t miss out on the benefit of your perspective or lose the opportunity to know where you stand and what you stand for, what matters to you, and where you may see things differently than they do. All of this is important for effective work relationships and effective teams.
Creativity/Inspiration
The New Rules of Getting Dressed: AI, Hybrid Work, and the End of the Overstuffed Closet – By Naomi Caietti
How do you want to show up as a leader? Whether you’re leading meetings from a boardroom, a café, or your kitchen table, one thing’s clear: we dress differently now. Not because we care less but because we’re choosing better. Authenticity fuels the engine, executive presence is the framework and fashion is the finish that tells your story before you do. Let’s see how AI can now influence your leadership and how you show up.
Culture and Connection
Leading With Two Rules: Transforming Business Through Culture and Connection – By Brenda Yoho
Two Rules may seem simple — but in practice, they are transformational. As leaders, we must choose daily to lead with intention, compassion, and courage. When we do, we don’t just change our organizations. We change lives.
Development
Conflict and Transcendence – By Dan Oestreich
Some conflicts must be managed, meaning they continue between people but they are not allowed to dominate the relationship. We “agree to disagree,” we say. But what’s the impact of that decision?
I Can: The Anthem of Achievement – By Frank Sonnenberg
While you can’t control what life throws at you, you can choose how you respond — and that makes all the difference. Turn “I can’t” into “I can” and watch new possibilities unfold before you.
6 Qualities and Traits of a Bad Leader (+ How to Be Better) – By David Grossman
I’ve seen it time and again – poor leadership drives disengagement, burnout, and turnover. But here’s the good news: with awareness and the right tools, every leader can be better. In this piece, I share six common leadership pitfalls I’ve observed over decades advising organizations and C-suite executives, and more importantly, how to avoid them – because when leaders lead better, businesses and people thrive.
Navigate Uncertainty to Become Future-Fit – By Marcella Bremer
According to the World Uncertainty Index, uncertainty has been rising over recent decades. If we want to be prepared for possible futures, we need to deal with uncertainty. How do you improve your uncertainty skills as a person and as an organization?
Shift: From “I Must Have All the Answers” to “Curiosity Leads the Way” – By Ann Van Eron
Shift from “I must have all the answers” to “Curiosity leads the way.”
The Shift: Embrace not knowing as a gateway to learning.
The Practice: Ask one genuine question today, with an open mind and heart.
From Career Ownership to Career Agency: A New Paradigm for Growth – By Julie Winkle Giulioni
In today’s ever-shifting workplace, the traditional notion of “career ownership” no longer fits the unpredictable realities employees face. In her latest column for Training Industry Magazine, Julie explores how organizations must now embrace career agency—a more adaptive, empowering approach that equips individuals to design and navigate their development through curiosity, experimentation, and real-time insight.
Engagement
10 Needs to Thrive at Work – By Michael Lee Stallard
In the U.S., employee engagement is at 31 percent which means only one in three workers is engaged; globally, employee engagement is at 21 percent. Michael Stallard writes that the solution to the world’s employee engagement challenges may lie in returning to the fundamentals—what humans truly need to thrive at work. These 10 fundamental needs can be grouped into three categories: survival needs, social needs, and serving needs.
The Hidden Cost of Fear in Your Organization – By Bill Treasurer
Fear is expensive. It quietly erodes performance, creativity, and trust. Yet many leaders still rely on it as a motivator. Learn the hidden cost of fear in the workplace and why psychological safety is the true driver of courageous performance. The future belongs to the bold. Is your leadership clearing the way?
Human-Centered Leadership
Three Surprising Ways AI Can Make You a More Human-Centered Leader – By Sara Canaday
AI might seem like the enemy of human-centered leadership, but it’s actually the ally we didn’t know we needed. By clearing the clutter, sharpening our communication, and helping us stay personal at scale, AI frees us to lead with more intention, empathy, and impact.
Leadership
Make it Easy for Them to Say “Yes!” – By Diana Peterson-More
How many times have you sat through a meeting when a team member presented a creative idea or solution that everyone thought was great and could work? The boss liked it too, gave the team member the go-ahead to get it done, and then nothing happened. Why? This post explores the answer to that question. Read on. . .
Productivity
Halftime 2025: Reset, Refocus, Reforecast – By Jon Verbeck
Summer is here with its slower pace, family getaways, and a well-deserved breather. But it’s also a golden opportunity to hit pause with purpose. Mid-year is the perfect moment to reset your business GPS and ensure you’re headed toward the finish line—not just coasting, but accelerating.
Team Building
How Great Leaders Turn Crisis into a Team Building and Growth Opportunity – By Sean Glaze
When a crisis hits, how leaders respond defines the future strengths of their team.
Losing composure in chaos doesn’t solve problems – it adds to them. Instead, every challenge offers an opportunity to pull people together, strengthen their bonds, and emerge better equipped for the future.
Guiding Leaders Through Conflict – By Priscilla Archangel
Some leaders avoid discussing the topic of the conflict at all costs. The potential pain of addressing it is greater than the pain of letting the conflict fester. Learn how to help leaders recognize that the harm resulting from avoiding conflict is greater than finding a constructive means of addressing it.
Every Leadership Vision is a Change Management Vision – By Dana Theus
Leadership isn’t about picking the right point on the horizon; it’s about guiding people on the journey and adjusting along the way. Leaders must allow themselves to envision new destinations or develop alternate routes when circumstances change. Use your leadership vision to intentionally guide your team away from the status quo and towards a better, shared future. The most effective leaders are those who can adjust the sails without losing sight of the shore.
Values
Insights From Smartbrief Readers on Our Values & Behaviors Survey – By S Chris Edmonds
What values and behaviors are SmartBrief readers seeing in their organizations? S. Chris Edmonds breaks down the survey results.
If strategy has ever felt confusing or theoretical, this guide will help.
It offers a practical way to think strategically, focus your efforts, avoid common missteps, and stress-test your ideas before they’re put into play.
