Field Notes.
By Kristen Tolbert

Most leadership books are written for managers inside stable organizations. The assumption is that leaders operate with the buffer of budgets, teams, and institutional support. Even when things get tough, the system...

Abstract 

Burnout has traditionally been addressed through two primary lenses: as a failure of individual resilience or as a failure of organizational systems. Both perspectives contribute valuable insights but remain incomplete. This paper proposes...

You’ve probably noticed it. The raise that once felt life-changing soon feels routine. The promotion you worked years to earn becomes your new baseline. The house, the car, the recognition—what was once extraordinary becomes ordinary, and the expecta...

Leadership assessments are everywhere. They promise to identify who will thrive in complex roles and who won’t. While these tools can surface useful data points, the truth is more uncomfortable: they rarely predict who will actually succeed in a l...

Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt throughout life—is one of the most important insights of modern neuroscience. It explains how we learn, unlearn, and relearn at any age. But in leadership, neuroplasticity isn’t just about acqui...

The Law of the Instrument describes a bias as old as expertise itself: if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

It’s a simple idea, but in practice it distorts entire fields. A physician sees symptoms through the frame of their spe...

When people say that anxiety is “running from feelings,” they’re not wrong. In fact, that’s often precisely accurate. But it’s also incomplete. Anxiety isn’t simply avoidance—it’s the psyche’s attempt to protect us from feelings that feel too thre...

Confidence Misunderstood

In leadership circles, confidence is often equated with certainty, flawless execution, or the absence of doubt. Yet these associations are misleading. Over time, they fuel anxiety, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism—partic...

Leadership is often framed in terms of vision, influence, and inspiration. Yet experienced leaders know there is a structural reality that is less glamorous: no matter how fair, generous, or thoughtful you are, dissatisfaction emerges.

This is human...

We often mistake passive behavior for harmlessness. But avoiding conflict doesn’t mean avoiding control. In fact, it can signal a subtler, more corrosive form of control: passive influence.

Indirect communication shows up when someone expresses thei...