The call came at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday. Sarah, a VP at a fast-growing tech company, was supposed to be celebrating—her team had just closed their biggest deal of the year. Instead, she was sitting in her home office, laptop open, responding to “urgent” emails that could have waited until morning. “Doug,” she said […]
Here’s the third article in the “Stop Leading On Empty” series: “They just don’t have work ethic,” complained the CEO about his Gen Z employees. Meanwhile, those same employees were working side hustles, building personal brands, and questioning why “face time” mattered more than results. The disconnect was so profound that within six months, he’d […]
You’ve said it a dozen times. Maybe two dozen. Your team nods, takes notes, asks clarifying questions. The meeting ends with what feels like alignment. Then a week later, you’re staring at results that look nothing like what you discussed. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Most executives I work with are brilliant strategists and capable […]
“If you give me a lever and a place to stand, I can move the world.” – Archimedes Most of us share a common drive: we want to make a real difference. We want our work to matter, our efforts to count, and our impact to ripple outward in meaningful ways. But here’s the frustrating […]
Business startup concept.Young man working together with partner in modern office loft ” data-medium-file=”https://babyboomer.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/122593614_m-650×434-1.jpg” data-large-file=”https://dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/122593614_m-1024×683.jpg” /> In today’s business landscape, leadership theories and methodologies seem to multiply by the day. From transformational leadership to servant leadership, from agile frameworks to complex management matrices—the sheer volume of leadership advice can be overwhelming. Yet, what if the […]
Picture this: You walk into your office and notice something feels off. People are going through the motions, but that spark—that energy that makes a team truly hum—is missing. You’re not alone. Employee engagement has hit a 10-year low, with only 31% of U.S. employees truly engaged at work, down from its peak of 36% […]
Picture this: You’re at a big party, surrounded by people, but you might as well be invisible. That’s exactly how 1 in 5 employees feel at work right now, according to recent data from Harvard Business Review. Despite all the Slack channels, Zoom meetings, and office social events, workers are feeling more alone than ever. […]
In today’s complex business landscape, entrepreneurs and business leaders are constantly searching for frameworks to bring order to chaos, clarity to confusion, and direction to their teams. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) has emerged as one of the most popular business operating systems over the past decade, with more than 170,000 companies using its tools […]
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) has emerged as the defining factor that separates exceptional leaders from merely competent ones. As we navigate through 2025, the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership has reached unprecedented levels, with studies showing that EI accounts for nearly 90% of what moves people up […]
In a world crowded with leadership advice, the most important question often goes unasked: “What do YOU want your leadership reputation to be?” While countless books list the attributes of “good leaders,” the truth is that true leadership isn’t about checking off boxes from someone else’s list. It’s about consciously creating your own unique leadership […]
