Category: PLJ

By Profiles in Leadership Journal Leadership is often described as providing direction, speaking up, and making quick decisions. In many workplaces, influence seems to belong to the person who talks the most, presses hardest for an outcome, or carries the largest title. There is another way leadership can work. Some leaders rely less on asserting… Read the full article

By Profiles in Leadership Journal In our work with leadership, we focus on the areas that have the greatest impact. Each quarter, that focus shapes the awards we choose to recognize. For 1Q 2026, we are honoring four expressions of leadership that quietly shape organizations, often long before outcomes are fully visible or formally acknowledged.… Read the full article

By Profiles in Leadership Journal How Leadership Elevates Today’s Culture of Appreciation Organizations everywhere are rediscovering a simple truth. People thrive when their work is seen, valued, and acknowledged. Many companies now use internal tools that encourage frequent praise, support peer to peer appreciation, and keep accomplishments visible inside the workplace. These systems have become… Read the full article

James R. Rector, Founder and Publisher Profiles in Leadership Journal Across many organizations, belonging has become part of the everyday language of leadership. People want to feel recognized. They want to know whether their work and presence matter. A sense of belonging provides that grounding. It reduces the uncertainty people often feel when they are… Read the full article

Leading Through Burnout: How Leaders Can Model Balance While Struggling By Dr. Alen Voskanian There’s a particular irony in being asked to speak about burnout while feeling underwater yourself—actively Googling “signs of burnout” between back-to-back meetings. As leaders, we advocate for work-life balance while struggling to achieve it ourselves. Burnout doesn’t discriminate. It affects everyone… Read the full article

James R. Rector, Founder and Publisher Profiles in Leadership Journal Sometimes the work just… continues. You meet your deadlines, deliver what you were asked to do, and then, nothing; no response, critique, or affirmation. Early in your career, that silence can feel loud. It might seem like something’s wrong. Like your effort missed the mark.… Read the full article

James R. Rector, Founder and Publisher Profiles in Leadership Journal The authentic leader does not borrow a voice or wear a mask. He or she speaks and acts from the same place the heart listens. Words and actions come from the same source, not a performance rehearsed for applause. Authenticity begins with self-awareness, which involves… Read the full article

James R. Rector Publisher, Profiles in Leadership Journal Practical Insights for Emerging Executives Leadership is full of negotiations over budgets, deadlines, expectations, and ideas. Most of these are not formal, sit-at-the-table sessions. They are quiet, everyday moments where you are trying to move people, and they are trying to move you. One of the biggest… Read the full article

James R. Rector Publisher, Profiles in Leadership Journal A park bench is not about speed. It is about presence. People sit, pause, and notice what is around them. Leaders need park benches too. The Park Bench Principle reminds leaders to step out of the rush and create space to see clearly. A few minutes of… Read the full article

James R. Rector Publisher, Profiles in Leadership Journal A kitchen timer does one thing well: it reminds you that time is finite. In leadership, that same principle matters. Attention, patience, and energy all run on a clock. Leaders who ignore the timer push meetings too long, delay feedback until it loses meaning, or let indecision… Read the full article