Your Future Realized

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Your reputation as an operations leader isn’t built in a single moment. It’s shaped by every decision you make, day in and day out.

Over time, those choices add up, not just to results, but to the story people tell about you as a leader.

Think about the leaders you most admire. Their expertise matters, but it’s how they show up in critical moments that really defines them.

Research...

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You know that feeling when you’re stuck in a decision? The more you think about it, the harder it gets to move. 

I’ve been an Orioles fan since I was a kid. If baseball’s taught me anything, it’s that you can’t wait forever for the perfect pitch. Sometimes you just have to swing. 

In operations, you almost never have perfect information. Research shows that executives spend a huge...

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This spring, a pair of eastern bluebirds nested on my back deck for the fourth year in a row. I have no idea why they keep coming back, but I like to think it’s because they feel safe here. Safe enough to show up, even when the weather is unpredictable and the world is changing.

If you’re leading an ops team, you know trust is just as important, and just as fragile. When everythi...

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Speaking as an introvert who spent years working in operations, I wish I’d met today’s guest sooner. Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler has been a champion for introverts at work for over 15 years, and I recently got to sit down with her for a great conversation.

I know firsthand how easy it is for quieter voices to be overlooked at work! 

What’s cool about Jennifer is she’s actually an extr...

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Melanie*’s job as an operations leader means she often has to say things people don’t want to hear. She got the role because she’s passionate, driven, and trusted to guide her company through some pretty big changes.

But change always brings uncertainty, and how you show up and communicate can make all the difference.

When we first met, Melanie’s passion was actually holding her b...

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Yesterday someone kicked off our conversation by saying: "

Why do I feel like I’m the one always picking up the slack? If I don’t step in, things fall apart. But if I do, I’m working every evening, drowning in work that isn’t mine!"

If you’re an ops executive, and may sound pretty familiar, and it’s likely you’ve felt this way more than once. Accountability is crucial every...

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You know Florence Griffith Joyner, right? The fastest woman in history. What makes her legendary isn’t just her speed, but how she embraced her uniqueness. Early on, she struggled with her starts. Her coaches doubted her potential as a top sprinter.

But Flo-Jo didn’t let that define her. She stopped trying to fit in and leaned into her own style, focusing on the most important ra...

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Once upon a time, there was an operations executive who was brilliant. For years, she’d been the go-to problem solver, building a collaborative workplace that made her indispensable.

One day, she was asked to present her ideas on stage. She’d never done this on such a large scale before. Self-doubt crept in, whispering, “Who am I to do this? What if I look like an idiot?” She cou...

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You know how Chewbacca didn't get a medal at the end of the first Star Wars movie? I never understood that, considering how important he was in destroying the Death Star and saving the day. 

I do remember hearing that George Lucas had said medals don't matter to Wookiees. That they have different ways of honoring their heroes.

Sound familiar, ops leaders? You are the bac...

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Picture this: You're in your office, and there's a knock on the door. It's Sarah from Accounting, and she's got that look on her face. You know the one. She's about to vent. Again. 

Is that ringing a bell?

If you're an operations exec, I bet it does. You're the go-to person for getting things done, and that often means being the go-to listener as...

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Ever catch yourself biting your tongue in a meeting, agreeing to yet another project when you're already swamped implementing big changes? You might be suffering from chronic people-pleasing, and it's costing you more than you think. In operations, efficiency is key. This habit of saying yes can be a real time-thief.

That gold star for 'playing nice' isn'...

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Did you know that, according to Harvard Business Review, the average executive spends 23 hours a week in meetings*? Yet most of them have a hard time communicating their value? Think about it: 23 hours in conversation. But how much of that time is spent telling the story of what you bring to the table? 

If you’re an operations executive, this might hit close to home. You’re the o...

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A client reached out, caught off guard by her boss’s unexpected invitation for coffee the next morning. Out of the blue. No details, no hints.

This was way out of the ordinary. In years working together, he'd never suggested such an informal meet-up. And their relationship had seen its share of tense moments.

I could hear the uncertainty in her voice. She's used to all m...

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Are you feeling like you're always putting out fires instead of making real progress at work? 

I recently got to chat with Kristy Farewell, the brains behind Kairos Insights. She has over two decades of experience with Fortune 500 companies. We dug into how operations, culture, and performance are all connected and how you can move from just reacting to leading with int...

Find the full transcript at yourfuturerealized.com/71. 

One of the worst pieces of advice I ever got was from a boss who thought being powerful meant being detached. To her, emotions were messy, and leadership was all about cold hard logic.

I tried her way during a tough re-org, but it backfired. I felt disconnected from my team, like a malfunctioning robot. I realized that being an effective leader in tough times doesn’t mean shutti...

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What if you didn't have to choose between working hard and taking care of yourself? Is it possible to find that right balance?

As an operations executive, you’re carrying the weight of such a demanding job, dealing with globalization, fierce competition, and limited resources among other things. There’s constant pressure to always be improving. 

But here's the truth: ...

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Working with operations leaders has shown me time and time again just how essential you all are in transforming chaos into order. Your strength, creativity, and humility are the backbone of your organization. It's not just about multitasking. It's mega-tasking:  handling complex tasks across various departments, while aligning them with company goals and cult...

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How often do you find yourself dwelling on a moment where you didn't quite shine? 

Perhaps it was a presentation that fell flat, a missed opportunity to highlight your team's achievements, or a hesitation that let a crucial opportunity slip away. It's not uncommon to revert to old patterns that once served you well but now hold you back.

This is where pers...

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Being an operations executive is no easy feat. Your attention is constantly pulled in lots of directions to keep the gears of your company running smoothly. And, you’re human, dealing with a lot of change, so you’re handling all of that while battling internal challenges like self-doubt. 

This is much more common than you pro...