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Fundamental Attribution Error: Why It’s Always Someone Else’s Fault
Training in biases is standard fare these days. However, I see managers regularly fall for one particular bias: the fundamental…
Sheril Mathews
I am an executive/leadership coach. Before LS, I worked for 20 years in corporate America in various technical & leadership roles. Have feedback? You can reach me at sheril@leadingsapiens.com.
147 posts
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Psychological Safety vs. High Standards: A Misunderstood Dynamic
The term “psychological safety” is often misleading. When managers hear safety, many dismiss it as a soft style that implies…
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Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles: The Multifaceted Nature of Leadership
Henry Mintzberg was one of the first to identify a comprehensive set of managerial roles that captured the reality of…
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Leading Loosely: Leadership in Loosely Coupled Systems
This is part II of a series on loosely coupled systems. Building on Karl Weick's notion of loose…
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Loose Coupling: Rethinking Control in Organizations
Traditional management emphasizes strict control, clear hierarchies, and uniform processes. This approach, rooted in industrial-era thinking, promises efficiency and predictability.…
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Self-Disclosure: A Balancing Act in Leadership
In conventional leadership, competence is about maintaining composure, projecting strength, and exuding confidence. However, truly effective leaders do something more…
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Metaphors of Organization: Beyond the Machine
Effective leadership hinges on the ability to view organizational challenges from multiple perspectives. Gareth Morgan's eight metaphors of…
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Humble Inquiry: How Asking and Situational Humility Create Psychological Safety
Humility and inquiry aren’t usually associated with effective leadership. The traditional view is “loud”: vision, setting goals, and driving…
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Organizational Learning Disabilities: Responding as a Leader
In coaching leaders across industries, I have observed a consistent pattern: highly capable individuals grappling with invisible organizational forces. These…
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Project Aristotle: Implications and Challenges
Project Aristotle was a multi-year research initiative by Google to understand what made teams effective. Some of its findings, psychological…
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Referent Power: The Subtle Tool of Effective Leadership
Traditional authority—titles, commands, and rewards—has lost its edge in the modern workplace. What compels people is trust, respect,…
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Expert Power — How Knowledge Becomes Influence
Expert power, one of six key types of power, allows leaders to shape decisions and influence outcomes through specialized knowledge.…