LF25 Part 3 of 3 - The Garden and the Gourd: Biophilic Wisdom in the Midst of Leadership Frustration
JD-Lan Su Yuan in Portland From the Conference Room to the Garden Gate I left Living Future 25 with a head full of systems, urgency, and disappointment—not at the event, but at the deja vu. The conversations were good. Some were great! The people were smart, and some were brilliant. The intentions were solid, the innovations real. And still, the themes felt eerily similar to ones we’ve held for over a decade: persuasion fatigue, political delay, civic disinvestment . So on th
Jennifer Diamond
May 14, 20255 min read
LF25 Part 1 of 3 - Sustainability Is Simple: Reframing Legacy and Longevity
Sustainability isn’t complex—it’s legacy + longevity. Can you be proud of it? Can you keep doing it? If not, it’s not sustainable. A candid take for senior leaders ready to lead with courage, not jargon.
Jennifer Diamond
May 14, 20256 min read
The Ladder of Inference: Making Smarter Decisions by Challenging Assumptions
Improve critical thinking and team dynamics by challenging assumptions with The Ladder of Inference to make better decisions.
Maypop Learning
Dec 6, 20243 min read
Dignity in Leadership: Creating a Culture of Respect, Autonomy, and Support
Dignity in leadership builds stronger teams and a more resilient organization by fostering a culture of respect and autonomy.
Maypop Learning
Nov 10, 20243 min read
Emotional Intelligence in Change Leadership: Navigating Emotions for Success
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is essential for effective change leadership.
Jennifer Diamond
Oct 14, 20243 min read
Check, Apply, and Lead: A Practical Framework for Lifelong Learning in Leadership
In the fast-paced world of leadership, lifelong learning is essential. But with a constant stream of information, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The Check-Apply-Lead framework offers a clear structure to help leaders determine what knowledge to pursue, when to apply it, and how to share it with others. Crucially, it also provides well-timed “off-ramps” that give permission to stop and move on when something doesn’t add value. Let’s explore how to use this framework to maximi
Maypop Learning
Oct 14, 20244 min read
Navigating Uncertainty: Advanced Strategies for Building Resilience in Leadership
Discover advanced strategies to foster personal and team resilience and thrive in times of change.
Maypop Learning
Sep 8, 20243 min read
Creating Psychological Safety in Teams: Why It Matters and How to Build It
Imagine being part of a team where you feel safe to share ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of judgment. That’s what psychological safety is all about, and it’s a game-changer for team performance and innovation. When team members feel safe, they’re more likely to collaborate, experiment, and engage fully in their work. And the good news? Psychological safety isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s something you can actively build. Here’s how to foster an environme
Maypop Learning
Aug 18, 20243 min read
The Silent Consultant: Leveraging Listening Skills for Effective Change Leadership
Silent consulting is about listening first and acting second to improve team dynamics, gather insights, and lead change effectively.
Maypop Learning
Jun 23, 20243 min read
The 5 Rs of Consulting for Project Success: Respect, Rhythm, Risk, Results, and Resilience
Consulting requires more than expertise. Discover the 5 Rs—Respect, Rhythm, Risk, Results, and Resilience—for consulting success.
Maypop Learning
Mar 24, 20244 min read
Building an Inclusive Culture with the Inner Development Goals: The 23 Attributes That Drive Growth
Apply the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) 23 attributes to build an inclusive culture that empowers and uplifts your team.
Maypop Learning
Feb 18, 20244 min read
The Role of Integrity in Decision-Making: A Framework for Today’s Leaders
PMs can support leaders to balance transparency, empathy, and resilience in integrity-based decision-making.
Maypop Learning
Feb 11, 20243 min read
The Consulting Mindset: Landing and Thriving as an Independent Consultant
Success relies on a true mix of skills, mindset, and practical strategies to thrive as an independent consultant.
Maypop Learning
Jan 28, 20243 min read
2024 Leadership mandate: Grace and Space
Give each other grace, and take the space you need to get right with right now. My clients, colleagues and friends are all sharing the same experiences I’m having, feelings of impotence at the bigger pictures, feelings of anxiousness to DO something as an individual, and a growing dissatisfaction at permissions we are seeing other people take in so many (many) ways. Here are some truths I’m anchoring on right now. You cannot know the experience of another person. My experi
Jennifer Diamond
Jan 26, 20244 min read
Leadership True North: Are You Here to Serve Yourself or Others?
There's a question I ask leaders when things aren't working. Not about process. Not about the project plan. I mean it directly: why are you leading? Are you here to build the capability of the people around you? Or are you here because you need to be the one who knows the answers? That gap — that small, uncomfortable question — explains more project failures, more team dysfunction, and more change resistance than any methodology gap I've encountered. The mirror test Servant l
Jennifer Diamond
Apr 1, 20232 min read
You can't delegate leadership
I had a conversation several months ago with a junior leader who had taken on an experienced and senior professional team, and she complained bitterly about team performance, effectiveness, and a growing retention problem after six months in. She dug in on how no one understood the obvious goals that needed to be achieved and she had no idea how anyone got anything done before she took on the team. She hinted darkly at "consequences" that would need to be put in place. I ask
Jennifer Diamond
Mar 17, 20237 min read
Authenticity comes from working on yourself: Here’s a global framework to do it
Authentic change leaders know that readiness for change experiences makes change stick. Sticky change makes progress. Most of the time when we fail, it's because we weren't authentically ready for sticky change, at an individual or collective level. And as a species, we are experiencing this together. To get to the point, as an outgrowth of work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and acknowledging in 2021-22 that progress promised in 2015 is not making it
Jennifer Diamond
Dec 14, 20225 min read
15 Truths: A Practitioner's Credo for Change Leaders
After 30 years of leading change across more than 50 organizations, here are the 15 truths I keep coming back to. Not rules. Not a methodology. A credo — the things I remind myself of before I walk into the room.
Jennifer Diamond
Aug 1, 20223 min read
Why I Built Maypop Grove
I've been struggling. I think a lot of people in the business of delivering change have been. Professional consultants, professional project managers — this has not been an easy time to do this work. The pace has accelerated, the tolerance for failure has tightened, and the people expected to lead transformation are often the most depleted people in the room. I kept asking myself: what's my best way to contribute right now? And I keep arriving at the same answer. My best cont
Jennifer Diamond
Jul 1, 20222 min read