Leadership

About a year ago, The People Dividend: Leadership Strategies for Unlocking Employee Potential was launched with a straightforward, yet powerful idea: investing in people is not a cost, but a critical factor in driving business success. A year later, this idea has proven to be more than just a concept. It has become a practice that resonates with leaders who understand that lasting success is built on a foundation of human connection, respect, and purpose.

As the season starts in Palm Springs, signs of growth are everywhere, from the citrus trees loaded with new fruit to the eager anticipation of the upcoming harvest. One of my favorite things to watch on early morning walks is seeing expensive cars being unloaded and moved into the upscale neighborhoods along California Highway 74. This season clearly brings up themes of endings, transitions, and growth for me. For this article, I'll focus on aspects of growth related to successful leadership and transition.

Change is all around us, shaping the way we live, work, and lead. Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, teams are reinventing themselves, and our conversations about purpose, performance, and meaning continue to evolve. It’s a challenging time to be a leader.

Trust is the invisible thread that holds organizations together. When it is strong, teams innovate, collaborate, and succeed. When it weakens, productivity drops, engagement falls, and top talent leaves. Now, in October 2025, leaders are facing a trust deficit that has never felt more potent due to ongoing hybrid work models, rapid technological changes, and persistent social and economic uncertainty. Rebuilding and maintaining trust is no longer just a soft skill; it has become the most crucial leadership competency of our time.

As Q4 2025 unfolds and 2026 approaches, I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to make a difference at scale, especially for leaders tasked with guiding genuine, lasting transformation. Each year brings renewed urgency, but the arrival of fall is always a reminder that more can be achieved (I attribute this to the start of every fall term in education). More people can be supported, more organizations can thrive, and more purposeful change is within reach. The months ahead represent a remarkable opportunity to increase our impact before another year ends.

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, in Dormont, a borough adjacent to Pittsburgh, a city legendary for big steel and heavy industry, I relished the fall evenings my then-bachelor uncle would chariot my Mom, Grandma, and me to a gravel lot in Connellsville that was hastily arranged each season for sales of farm-fresh produce. There were Seckel pears, squashes of every variety, rutabagas, and apples. My special feelings for those moments are evident in what I learned from my Grandma at those farm-stand fall apple markets.