Leading in the Corporate Bermuda Triangle

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Quiz Questions

1.
How does your calendar feel lately?
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- A.
  Every meeting is a fire to put out
- B.
  I'm squeezed between other people's last-minute needs
- C.
  I'm constantly coordinating between departments that don't talk
- D.
  It's packed, but none of it feels like me
2.
When you end your day, what lingers most?
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- A.
  Guilt over your team's morale or messes
- B.
  Frustration at unclear leadership direction
- C.
  Exhaustion from being the translator between silos
- D.
  Doubt about whether this job reflects your values anymore
3.
If someone stops you mid-week and asks "What do you need?" What is your first gut answer?
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- A.
  Backup
- B.
  Clarity from above
- C.
  For everyone to get on the same page
- D.
  A reset
4.
What is your biggest fear right now?
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- A.
  Letting your team down
- B.
  Being misaligned with leadership
- C.
  Missing something critical because departments aren't communicating
- D.
  Losing yourself to a version of success you didn't choose

Quiz Outcomes

1.
You are Being Pulled by... Your Team
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You're watching your team scatter across too many priorities. Time to get sharp again.The Leadership Move:Stop trying to chase everything. Instead, pick ONE thing that actually moves the needle this quarter. Then tell your team: Here's our ONE focus. Consider taking it a step further and taking something off the agenda. You can say, "Here's what we're deliberately NOT doing."The Leadership Rationale:As a leader, you are aligning priorites to strategic decisions to do the work that matters. Your team shouldn't have to hold the ambiguity or guess what matters. That's your job as their leader. Moreover, when you create clarity in the chaos, you give your team permission to execute instead of feeling anxious. The result? They move work forward and trust you more.The Courage Required:It's hard to say ask questions of others to help them identify what work should be the top priority or to set boundaries around what will and won't get done by a certain time, but you're ultimate goal is to focus on what counts and protecting your team from burnout. That's what separates managers who survive from leaders who thrive.Next step? Look at your team's work. What are they doing that doesn't directly support your main priority or that of your company? Cut it or defer it. Then communicate the focus with crystal clarity.Remember: Clarity is kindness. Ambiguity is exhausting.👉 Download the Management Matrix Toolkit.
2.
You are Being Pulled by... Your Boss
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Managing Up: The Strategic Trade-Off ConversationWhen you're watching your team get pulled in three directions while your boss keeps adding more, it's time for a different conversation.The Leadership Move:Stop presenting problems. Start presenting strategic choices with clear trade-offs. Wondering how to frame the shift? Instead of: "We're overwhelmed and can't do everything"Try: "We're spreading ourselves across A, B, and C. Here's what happens if we go deep on ONE instead of shallow on three."Offer a path: "If we prioritize X, here's what we could actually deliver..."Own the outcome: "I'll fully support whichever path we take—I just want to ensure we're choosing, not drifting"Why This Works:You're not complaining. You're not asking them to solve it. You're presenting strategic options like the leader you are. Most bosses don't want to micromanage priorities. They want someone who can see the field and make recommendations.The Courage Required:Naming what others are thinking but not saying. Being willing to disappoint in service of excellence. Protecting your team's capacity to do meaningful work.This Week: Look at your competing priorities. Pick the ONE that would create the most value if you went all-in. Then have this conversation with your boss remember, strategic focus isn't about doing less. It's about mattering more.Reset Tip: Use a "clarify the ask" phrase in your next 1:1 to reorient the power dynamic.👉 Download the Management Matrix Toolkit.
3.
You are Being Pulled by... Your Peers
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Managing Across: The Strategic Sync ConversationWhen you and a peer are unknowingly solving the same problem from different angles, it's time to connect the dots.The Leadership Move:Stop assuming you're aligned. Start having 15-minute sync conversations that prevent 15 hours of rework. Wondering how to Frame It? Instead of: "We need to coordinate better" or "Let's have a meeting" Try: "I have a hunch we're solving related problems. Can we quickly map where our work intersects?" The Key Points to Cover:What "success" looks like from their side (you might be surprised)Where your lanes cross—and where they deliberately don'tHow to simplify the overlap without adding complexityWho owns what when things get fuzzyWhy This Works:You're not trying to own their work or merge everything. You're creating clarity at the edges where your work touches. Most peer conflicts come from unclear boundaries, not bad intentions. This conversation prevents both.The Courage Required:Reaching out first. Admitting you don't have full visibility. Willing to take the perspective of another and accomodating your approach based on what you learn.This Week: Identify one peer whose work intersects with yours. Send them a 15-minute meeting invite with the aim to sync where our work intersects and to reduce redundancy and enhance efficiency. Remember: Organizational silos aren't broken by process. They're bridged by conversations.👉 Download the Management Matrix Toolkit.
4.
You are Being Pulled by... Your Own Inner Conflict
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The Inner Pull: Creating Space for Breakthrough ThinkingWhen you're buried in operational demands but hired to create breakthroughs, something has to give.The Leadership Move:Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Start protecting the space where your deepest work happens. Wondering how to Frame It (To Yourself and Others)?Instead of: "I'm drowning" or "I can't think straight"Try: "I'm taking a strategic pause to ensure I'm solving the right problems, not just the loudest ones."Reflect on the following: Am I acting from alignment or reaction? Is my unique contribution getting buried under routine tasks?Why This Works:Breakthrough thinking doesn't happen in the margins of a packed calendar. It requires protected space, deep focus, and the courage to say no to good things so you can say yes to great ones. Your organization hired you for your mind, not just your hands. When you're only executing, everyone loses.The Practice:Block 2-4 hours weekly for deep thinking (non-negotiable) Communicate boundaries: "I'm protecting time for strategic work that will benefit the team"Share what emerges: "Here's what I discovered when I had space to think..."The Courage Required:Disappointing people in the short term to deliver breakthroughs in the long term. Trusting that your thinking time is as valuable as your doing time. Modeling what sustainable excellence looks like.This Week: Look at your calendar. Find one meeting or task that someone else could handle 80% as well. Delegate it. Use that time for the thinking only you can do.Remember: You weren't hired to be busy. You were hired to be brilliant. That requires space.👉 Download the Management Matrix Toolkit.