Welcome to the April 2025 Leadership Development Carnival – hosted by LRI Ink
If there’s one message screaming from this month’s submissions, it’s this:
Leadership isn’t something you have—it’s something you do.
And not just when it’s convenient but every moment, with clarity, consistency, and courage.
This isn’t your average “rah-rah” leadership roundup. These thought leaders brought the good stuff—real strategies, bold ideas, and hard-earned wisdom—about what it takes to be an intentional leader in today’s complex, noisy world.
Awareness & Authenticity
- Lisa Kohn | Is That Really You in the Mirror?
In the post, Is that really you in the mirror?, Lisa Kohn of Thoughtful Leaders Blog shares that it can be difficult to see ourselves as others see us – the good and the bad. But with a bit of attention and some good support, we can begin to get a clearer view, and then decide what, if anything, we want to do about it. - Brenda Yoho | Discover Your Leadership
It’s not the degrees on the wall or the title on a business card that make a leader—it’s the qualities in your heart and the actions in your daily life. How do you know you are a leader?. - Phillip B. Wilson | The Hero Assumption: How Elite Leaders Unlock Team Potential
Sometimes leaders think they’re helping—but what they’re doing is disempowering their team. Phil exposes the hidden trap of the “hero assumption” and shares how the best leaders unlock greatness with their team, not despite them.
- Priscilla Archangel | What’s Love Got to Do With It?
The Greek language defines different types of love that we might demonstrate in interactions with others. It highlights agape love as an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. This type of love exemplifies the behaviors that leaders should display.
Communication with Intention
- Diana Peterson-More | Combatting Workplace Incivility
Data show that the societal discord we experience in the public square has seeped into the workplace. Now it’s time to face facts and move from this worrying news to strategics and tactics to counteract it. It’s all about communication: Words can be used as swords or shields. It’s incumbent upon us not only to think about what we want to communicate but also what words we will use to do so. This post focuses on the “how-tos.” - Randy Conley | Trusting with Head and Heart
Trust is one of the most valuable currencies in relationships—personal and professional. But have you ever stopped to think about how you trust? Do you lead with your head, relying on logic and evidence? Or do you trust with your heart, leaning into intuition and emotional connection? In this post, Randy Conley shares four key steps to consider when deciding to trust someone. - S. Chris Edmonds | How Behavioral Integrity Drives Results
When a leader’s words and deeds align, they show behavioral integrity to their employees, which can increase performance and retention. - Julie Winkle Giulioni | Let ‘Em See You Sweat
Many leaders strive to make success look effortless, but this illusion can do more harm than good. By always appearing in control, they risk sending the wrong message—that struggle is a sign of weakness rather than a natural part of growth. Instead, embracing effort and openly sharing the challenges behind success can create a more resilient and innovative workplace culture. - David Grossman | 25 Years of Modern Leadership Insights
As The Grossman Group celebrates its 25th anniversary, I’ve pulled together some of the most common and important questions I’ve been getting lately about the current state of communications. I share my thoughts on everything from Modern Leadership and the importance of context to the future of organizational communication in an increasingly complex business landscape.
Purposeful Strategy & Execution
- Jon Verbeck | The #1 Reason Why Businesses Fail
Many believe businesses fail due to poor sales. While revenue is crucial, it’s not the real culprit behind most business failures. The #1 reason businesses fail is cash flow mismanagement. - John Spence | The Four Frameworks of World-Class Performance
Success isn’t random, it follows a pattern. I’ve spent decades refining four frameworks that separate the best from the rest. This is the system that drives execution, culture, leadership, and excellence. - Bill Treasurer | Reaching Your Goals Begins Here
Setting meaningful goals is the foundation of personal and professional growth—but not all goals are created equal. Learn what makes goals motivating and achievable, so your team can move forward with clarity, commitment, and confidence. - Frank Sonnenberg | This Should Come As No Surprise
Most people wake up knowing what to expect from their day. Yet, all too often, before you can say “why me,” a surprise derails your plans.
Innovation & Inspiration
- Braden Kelley | Ten Reasons Every B2B Company Needs an Evangelist
The importance of evangelists in organizations around the world is often misunderstood or underestimated, and too few organizations have made the incredibly rewarding investment into one or more of the valuable types of evangelists – who are particularly valuable in B2B organizations for reasons I hope will be obvious by the end. Let’s set the stage. - Braden Kelley (yes, again!) | Turning Bold Ideas into Tangible Results
It is no easy task to identify an insight worth investing in or to organize and lead a team to successfully pick the right idea out of a sea of possibilities, to develop it, to understand its potential advantages versus the alternatives it must displace, and to align the organization in the ways necessary to overcome any idea’s fatal flaw and shepherd it to successful launch and possibly even market development if the market for the solution does not already exist. - Marcella Bremer | Which Roles Can Help Transformational Change?
Which roles can help transformational change? We need a good crisis to change, plus inspiring images of the future. Which of these roles fit you well? Are you a pioneer or a connector? A stabilizer or a storyteller? Check it out!
Connection & Care
- Michael Lee Stallard | Connect, Encourage, and Coach
Organizations with supervisors who connect with, encourage, and coach their employees often outperform those that do not. But, what does it truly look like to connect, encourage, and coach? Michael Stallard shares some real-world examples of actions supervisors can take to foster a more engaged and effective workforce.. - Dana Theus | Dear Dana Workplace Advice: Self-Care for Leaders During Layoffs
Layoffs affect leaders, too. While the focus is often on helping those who are laid off, team leaders also experience significant stress, including feelings of guilt and increased workload. It’s essential to recognize that leaders also need support. - Sean Glaze | Meaningful Recognition Through Affirmation
To have happy and productive team members, you must ensure they feel seen and appreciated for their efforts. But the way you express appreciation matters. Generic praise won’t have the same impact as recognition that is both meaningful and affirming. - Stefan Lindegaard | Empathy Is a Vital Tool for Stronger Teams
In the fast pace of today’s organizations, it’s easy for teams to focus solely on tasks, deadlines, and results. However, truly high-performance teams – and their leaders – understand that their strength lies not just in productivity but in the relationships they build. - Karin Hurt & David Dye | The Secret to High-Performance Work Teams
High-performance work teams aren’t an accident. They invest in a Performance Loop that includes four key dimensions: Connection, Clarity, Curiosity, and Commitment. Whether you lead a small project team or an entire division, strengthening these four dimensions will help you build a resilient, results-driven team that thrives even in the face of challenges.
Final Thoughts:
Intentional leadership isn’t a trend—it’s a necessity.
This month’s Carnival is a mirror, a map, and a motivational nudge to stop running on auto-pilot and start leading with clarity, purpose, and courage.
Which post resonated with you? Share your thoughts, tag the authors, or continue the conversation using #LeadershipCarnival.
