Getting to the Heart of Difficult Conversations Written By: Jim Grout Like many leaders, I always found it challenging to have the “difficult conversation” with staff members when it was needed. But over time I got better at it when I discovered the key to getting to the root of the issue. I showed up […]
Category: Team Development
What Does Your Leadership Story Say About You?
What Does Your Leadership Story Say About You? Written By: Jim Grout Throughout my book, When in Doubt… Give Them Your Heart, I use stories to communicate my message and prompt reflection. Such an approach is not unique to me. I’m reminded of a book written by the late Colin Powell, a four star general […]
One Step at a Time: A Lesson in Resilient Leadership
One Step at a Time: A Lesson in Resilient Leadership Written By: Jim Grout If you learn about yourself in times of crisis, then Covid was the perfect venue. At a time when the entire world was anxious, scared and stressed, our High 5 experience was a learning lab for experiencing how important resilience was […]
Admitting Mistakes: A Powerful Act of Leadership
Admitting Mistakes: A Powerful Act of Leadership Written By: Jim Grout “That was a decision I made, in retrospect, it wasn’t the best one, and I want to apologize for doing it in isolation. I’d welcome your input on how to correct it—or whether we should do away with it entirely.” These are the words […]
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World Written By: Jim Grout I recently did a book presentation with an audience of about forty people. Many of the folks in attendance had history with one another as long time neighbors, friends and acquaintances. As part of the evening program, we did a partner exercise that asked the […]
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play Written By: Jim Grout Almost every day this summer on a small island in Maine, I ride my bicycle by a young group of kids playing. It attracts my attention because it’s a scene from my own childhood that doesn’t happen much anymore. There […]
Building a Better World Through Intentional Connection
Building a Better World Through Intentional Connection Written By: Jim Grout In my book, When In Doubt… Give Them Your Heart I define connection as the essential starting point for all our work. I also pose the question; “How do you intentionally create space for connection?” On June 18, 2026, the Obama Presidential Center held […]
Expert Insights: Talking Tough Conversations with Lisa Hunt
Expert Insights: Talking Tough Conversations with Lisa Hunt Let’s be honest—most of us would rather do just about anything other than have a tough conversation. (Clean the fridge? Sure. Reply to 87 unread emails? Why not.) But avoiding the hard stuff doesn’t make it go away—it just makes it harder later. That’s why we’re so […]
Introducing: Navigating Challenging Dialogue® — A New Workshop to Help You Lead Hard Conversations with Confidence
Introducing: Navigating Challenging Dialogue® — A New Workshop to Help You Lead Hard Conversations with Confidence We’ve all been there—those moments when a conversation takes a sharp left turn. Emotions run high, words are misinterpreted, and instead of connection, we find ourselves in confusion or conflict. Whether it’s addressing team tension, managing feedback, navigating differences, […]
How to Inspire Creative Thinking at Work – Play More!
How to Inspire Creative Thinking at Work – Play More! How to Inspire Creative Thinking at Work – Play More! There’s a lot of information describing organizations that have succeeded in creating innovative climates and cultures—perhaps the best known being Google’s and Lego’s—and they share qualities and characteristics that have been clearly identified. We’ll try […]