Giving a TEDx talk didn’t just offer lessons and insights for audience members. Presenters, including myself, learned plenty from coaches and fellow presenters.

Becoming and being a successful business leader requires a willingness to talk with people who challenge your own thinking and offer another perspective. It’s possible, though not always easy, to engage respectfully with people who see the world differently.

Imposter syndrome: We’ve all read about it and experienced it. It’s that self-doubt about your skills or accomplishments. Maybe you worry about being viewed as a fraud, despite evidence to the contrary.

Many of my clients want to know how to get on a corporate board. There’s no easy answer, and the interest in joining a board is greater than the opportunity, especially for a publicly traded company. There are some key factors and strategies to keep in mind, though.

Holiday stress has an impact, much of it not good. As a former therapist and now a business coach, I know how stress affects lives. During the holidays, let’s find and focus on the joy. Check out my “Curating Your Life” approach to the holidays.

Listen, ask questions, and summarize. That’s the extent of a coach’s reach. Should a business coach offer advice? The International Coaching Federation says its “big on coaches being an empty vessel, merely exploring the client's world, provoking insights through curiosity, not advice-giving.” I have some other thoughts.

A client of mine taught me a great phrase, “dumb hustle.” We’ve all done this. We get very excited and busy working on a project that has almost no chance of success. It’s amazing how much time business leaders spend on dumb hustles. I think there are two main reasons.

Servant leadership remains a very influential and widely practiced approach to leadership, but recently there’s been talk that it misses the mark. Some experts say it’s time for leaders to focus on impact, aka noble-purpose leadership.

In recent Harvard Business Review articles, I found helpful suggestions for people 40 and over considering a career change or in the middle of such a transition. A midlife career shift can be terrifying and liberating. I know because I’ve done it. These five key points offer guidance.