Strength and force are often mistaken for the same thing, but their impact couldn’t be more different. Strength is quiet, internal, and rooted in values. Force is loud, reactive, and relies on control. This piece unpacks how leading from strength builds something lasting, while force may get results but leaves people burned out and disconnected. Whether you’re leading a team or showing up in your everyday life, understanding this difference can reshape how you influence, connect, and inspire.

At some point, we all face moments when emotions take over. Where frustration drives the response, or fear shuts us down. But there’s a powerful shift available: we can either host our emotions or be held hostage by them. This practice of emotional ownership helps us stay grounded, respond instead of react, and move through hard moments with more clarity and self-trust. It’s not about avoiding emotion, it’s about creating enough space to meet it with presence and purpose.

It’s one thing to say we value integrity, teamwork, or growth, and another to show up that way when it matters most. This week’s article, Ryan Avery explores the gap between what leaders say they value and how they actually demonstrate it. This difference shapes trust, culture, and long-term impact.

We spend a lot of time talking about what we don’t want “I don’t want to mess up,” “I don’t want to fail,” “I don’t want to be tired.” But what if that way of thinking is actually keeping us stuck? In this week’s post, Ryan Avery explores how flipping the script from avoidance to intention can help us lead with clarity, motivation, and purpose. It's not just mindset, it’s a shift in language that unlocks momentum.

If you grew up singing Hakuna Matata, you know it sounds great, but living with less stress? That takes more than a catchy song. In this post, I share six simple, mindful practices I use as a keynote speaker and busy parent to worry less, stay present, and lead with calm—even on chaotic days.

In this week’s article, Ryan Avery shares how to tell the difference between feeling defeated and feeling depleted—two emotions that look similar on the surface but require very different responses. Knowing which one you're facing can help you rest when you need to, reframe when it matters most, and keep moving forward with clarity and strength.

Childish behavior limits trust. Childlike qualities—curiosity, play, openness—build it. In this week’s article, Ryan Avery explores how embracing childlike energy can deepen connection, spark creativity, and strengthen leadership.

Communication isn’t just how we speak—it’s how we show up. In this week’s takeaway, Ryan Avery unpacks the TTT of Communication: Text, Tone, and Time. These three elements shape how people receive our message and respond to our leadership. When we align all three, we don’t just speak—we connect, guide, and move others with intention.

When we stop dividing emotions into “good” or “bad,” we open ourselves—and our leadership—to deeper awareness and connection. In this week’s article, Ryan Avery shares how listening to all emotions (even the uncomfortable ones) can strengthen our leadership and create more grounded, human-centered teams.

In leadership, there's a critical distinction between merely enduring challenges and actually evolving through them. While many leaders focus on "getting through" difficult situations, the truly transformative approach is to "grow through" them.

This week, I explore how effective leaders don't just survive challenges—they use them as catalysts for improvement and transformation. When we shift from simply enduring to intentionally growing, we extract valuable lessons, refine our approaches, and challenge our perspectives in ways that create lasting positive change.

Discover the five practical strategies that can help you and your team transform challenges into opportunities for growth and development.