Tag: Effective Edge

Moving from Burnout to Mental Well-Being

Burnout isn’t just a personal issue – it’s an organizational challenge. As more organizations recognize the critical role of well-being in performance and retention, it’s time for a decisive mindset shift: mental health and wellness aren’t just ‘perks’ or ‘programs.’ They are leadership imperatives.

For emerging leaders, this isn’t a future responsibility – it’s a present opportunity to model what it means to lead with presence, empathy, and sustainability.

Mental Health Awareness Month: More Than a Hashtag

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – when conversations around well-being take center stage. But awareness alone isn’t enough. Emerging leaders must be empowered to turn awareness into action, reshaping workplace norms and cultivating environments where people can thrive, not just survive.

It starts by asking: How am I leading – myself and others – toward health, wholeness, and resilience?

Redefining Strong

Too often, leadership has been associated with endurance, toughness, and relentless productivity. But this outdated model fuels burnout and disengagement. Today’s most impactful leaders are rewriting that script.

Strength looks different now:

• Taking breaks instead of pushing through
• Asking for help rather than white-knuckling stress
• Modeling vulnerability, not just performance

This shift is essential for emerging leaders. The habits and mindset you build now will define the kind of leader you become and the culture you help create.

Burnout Isn’t Just Overwork – It’s a Signal

Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s an alarm bell that signals misalignment, disconnection, and systems that need recalibration.

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterized by:

• Chronic exhaustion
• Cynicism or detachment
• Reduced sense of accomplishment

For emerging leaders, these symptoms often go unnoticed or unspoken. There’s pressure to perform, please, and prove yourself. But without intentional boundaries and self-awareness, this pressure becomes a trap.

The truth? You can’t lead well if you’re unwell.

5 Ways Emerging Leaders Can Prioritize Mental Health

If you’re early in your leadership journey, this is the moment to normalize well-being for yourself and those around you. Here’s how:

1) Start with Self-Awareness

Leadership begins within. Ask regularly:

• How am I feeling – really?
• What’s draining me?
• What’s sustaining me?

This inner check-in builds the mindfulness muscle, helping you lead from clarity instead of reactivity.

2) Build Recovery into Your Routine

Breaks aren’t distractions—they’re performance enhancers. High-performing athletes build in rest; leaders should, too. Block time for:

• Movement or mindfulness during the day
• Tech-free wind-down time in the evening
• Vacations that are actually restful

3) Model Healthy Boundaries

Your team watches how you work. If you email at midnight, they’ll think they should, too. If you never take time off, they won’t either. Set the tone by:

• Prioritizing balance
• Being transparent about your own self-care
• Encouraging others to do the same

4) Create Psychological Safety

Teams perform best when people feel safe to speak up, admit challenges, and be themselves. As a leader, you can foster this by:

• Leading with empathy
• Normalizing mental health check-ins
• Responding to vulnerability with support, not judgment

5) Champion Systemic Change

Mental health isn’t just individual – it’s cultural. Advocate for structural shifts:

• Realistic workloads
• Flexibility in how and where people work
• Access to resources and support systems

Even small changes can make a big difference – and emerging leaders are often the catalysts for this kind of evolution.

The Future of Leadership Is Human

Burnout is not inevitable – it’s preventable. However, prevention requires leadership at every level, especially from those stepping into their influence for the first time.

As an emerging leader, you have the power to rewrite the leadership story – not with endless hustle, but with sustainable energy, deep empathy, and radical presence. Mental health isn’t a soft skill – it’s a leadership superpower.

At InteraWorks, we believe that thriving leaders create thriving teams. That starts with emotionally aware leaders, systemically supported, and courageously committed to well-being.

This May, let’s move beyond burnout. Let’s build a new kind of leadership that doesn’t come at the cost of your health.

 

Author – Stacy Cross  InteraWorks Programs + Branding Lead

 

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About InteraWorks

InteraWorks is a global learning company on a mission to elevate the human experience at work. Specializing in professional development and performance enablement, we offer top-rated learning programs based on four defined conditions that must exist for individuals, teams including Effective Edge, Best Year Yet, and the Essentials series. Our integrated learning framework and online tools generate immediate and sustainable breakthroughs in performance. Through decades of working at all levels in enterprise companies across many industries, we’ve built a reputation for helping people and organizations harness their focus, mindset, talent, and energy to produce results that matter most. 

interaworks.com

We’ve defined four conditions that must exist for an individual, team, or organization to be effective within the arena of performance and development; Accountability, Focus, Alignment, and Integrity. We’ll continue to explore these and more in our blog and look forward to your engagement and interaction with us. Stay tuned as we engage the edges.

What Spring Teaches Us About Growth, Resilience, and Transformation

What if personal growth followed the same rhythms as nature?  What if every challenge, every moment of discomfort, was simply part of the season before your breakthrough?

Transformation isn’t linear – it unfolds in waves, patterns, and moments of unexpected potential.  Growth thrives in uncertainty, waiting for the moment of emergence.  After months of cold dormancy, nature awakens – buds bloom, animals re-emerge, and the landscape shifts from gray to green.

But have you ever stopped to think about what spring can teach us about leadership and personal growth?

Spring offers profound lessons for emerging leaders – those stepping into new roles, navigating career transitions, or developing their leadership identity.  Growth is rarely linear, resilience is essential, and transformation takes time.

So, let’s take a deeper look at how the natural cycles of spring reflect the journey of leadership – and what you can do to harness these lessons in your own life.

 

Growth Requires Discomfort

In early spring, seeds buried deep in the soil begin their upward journey toward the sun.  But think about what that process requires:

The seed cracks open, breaking its outer shell.

It pushes through the resistance of the soil and rocks above.

It stretches toward light, even before it fully understands what’s ahead.

Now, apply this to leadership.

Stepping into a leadership role, making bold decisions, or speaking up in meetings can feel just as uncomfortable as a seed pushing through the soil.  You might feel stretched, challenged, or even like you’re failing.  But that discomfort is a sign that you’re growing.

Emerging leaders often hesitate to act because they fear they aren’t ready.  But just as seeds don’t wait for perfect conditions to sprout, neither should you.  The best way to grow is to start moving.

Tip: Identify one area where you’re feeling uncomfortable as a leader.  Is it speaking with confidence?  Making decisions without certainty?  Delegating?  Instead of resisting it, lean into the discomfort – embrace it as a natural part of growth.

Potential & Leadership

Leadership requires stepping into discomfort and uncertainty – growing not by waiting for certainty but by embracing the potential that exists before the outcome is clear.  Similarly, a seed doesn’t wait for the perfect conditions to sprout – it stretches toward the unknown, embracing possibility before the outcome is certain.

 

Renewal is Necessary for Sustainable Success

Trees that shed their leaves in the fall make space for new growth in the spring.  If they didn’t, their old leaves would block sunlight from reaching new ones.

In leadership, we often hold onto outdated habits, processes, or mindsets that no longer serve us.

• Maybe you’re sticking to an old routine that worked in the past but isn’t effective anymore.
• Maybe you’re overcommitting because you believe being “busy” equals being productive.
• Maybe you’re avoiding change because familiarity feels safer.

Great leaders understand that letting go is as important as taking on new challenges.

Tip: Take inventory of your leadership habits.  Ask yourself:

• What beliefs, habits, or commitments must I release to make room for better ones?
• What’s one thing I can stop doing that no longer adds value to my growth?

Remember that growth isn’t just about adding – it’s also about pruning.

 

Small Actions Lead to Big Transformation

When you plant a garden, you don’t expect it to bloom overnight.  You water it, nurture it, and trust the process.

The same is true for leadership.  Real transformation doesn’t happen in one giant leap but in small, consistent steps.

• Confidence isn’t built overnight. It comes from speaking up just a little more each day.
• Trust isn’t earned instantly. It’s developed through small, consistent actions over time.
• Skill mastery doesn’t happen in one training session. It’s built through practice and refinement.

Too often, emerging leaders get frustrated when they don’t see instant results.  But progress is happening, even when it’s invisible – like roots growing underground before a plant appears.

Tip: Instead of overwhelming yourself with big, intimidating goals, ask:

• What’s one small action I can take today that moves me forward?
• What’s one tiny habit I can build that will lead to greater leadership strength over time?

Focus on small, intentional steps.  Over time, they create significant results.

 

Resilience is Built Through Adapting

Spring is unpredictable.  One day, it’s sunny and warm; the next, frost arrives.  But nature doesn’t panic – it adapts.  Flowers may close to protect themselves and trees might slow down the budding process, but they don’t give up.

You’ll face unexpected challenges, setbacks, and uncertainty as a leader.  Resilience isn’t about resisting these disruptions but learning to adjust, recover, and keep moving forward.

Resilient leaders aren’t those who avoid difficulty.  They’re the ones who embrace change, adjust their approach, and stay committed to their vision despite setbacks.

Tip: The next time something doesn’t go as planned – a project stalls, feedback is harsh, or an opportunity falls through – ask yourself:

• How can I adapt instead of resist?
• What’s the best next action I can take?

Resilience isn’t about avoiding storms – it’s about learning to navigate them.

Entanglement & Leadership

In the quantum world, entangled particles remain connected no matter how far apart they are.  Similarly, resilient leaders don’t just react to change – they stay connected to their purpose while adapting to new conditions.  Like trees bending with the wind instead of breaking, leaders who cultivate adaptability thrive in uncertainty, maintaining alignment even when circumstances shift.  Resilient leaders, like nature, adapt without losing connection to their vision and values.  It’s not about resisting change but staying aligned while adjusting to new conditions.

 

Transformation Takes Time

A butterfly doesn’t emerge from its cocoon in an instant.  If you cut the process short, it won’t survive.  The struggle of breaking free is what gives it the strength to fly.

Leadership development works the same way.  It takes time.  It requires persistence.   And sometimes, the hardest part is the moment before the breakthrough.

You might not see immediate results from the work you’re putting in today but trust the process.  Your persistence is building the leader you’re meant to become.

Tip: Take a moment to reflect:

• Where was I one year ago?
• How have I grown?
• What’s one thing I can do today to keep evolving?

Spring teaches us that transformation always happens, even when it’s not obvious.

Observation & Leadership

Leadership transformation depends on what you choose to focus on.  The Observer Effect in quantum science teaches us that reality isn’t fixed – it shifts based on awareness and intention.  Similarly, when leaders focus on possibility instead of limitation, they shape their trajectory, much like spring emerging after the stillness of winter.  If you concentrate on limitations, they grow.  But if you focus on possibilities, transformation follows – just as spring emerges after the stillness of winter.

 

Start Today!

Spring reminds us that leadership is a journey, not a destination.

• Growth requires discomfort. Lean into it.
• Renewal is necessary. Let go of what no longer serves you.
• Small actions lead to big transformations. Trust the process.
• Resilience is built through adapting. Adjust and keep moving.
• Transformation takes time. Stay the course.

If you’re stepping into leadership, remember that your season of growth is coming.  Transformation happens when we embrace uncertainty, trust the process, and take intentional steps forward.  The future isn’t predetermined.  It’s shaped by those willing to cultivate it.

At InteraWorks, we believe leadership growth is about awareness, adaptability, and intentional action.  We help leaders and organizations navigate complexity, trust in their evolution, and embrace the uncertainty leading to transformation.  The next season of leadership isn’t something to wait for; it’s something to create.

 

Author – Stacy Cross  InteraWorks Programs + Branding Lead

 

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About InteraWorks

InteraWorks is a global learning company on a mission to elevate the human experience at work. Specializing in professional development and performance enablement, we offer top-rated learning programs based on four defined conditions that must exist for individuals, teams including Effective Edge, Best Year Yet, and the Essentials series. Our integrated learning framework and online tools generate immediate and sustainable breakthroughs in performance. Through decades of working at all levels in enterprise companies across many industries, we’ve built a reputation for helping people and organizations harness their focus, mindset, talent, and energy to produce results that matter most. 

interaworks.com

We’ve defined four conditions that must exist for an individual, team, or organization to be effective within the arena of performance and development; Accountability, Focus, Alignment, and Integrity. We’ll continue to explore these and more in our blog and look forward to your engagement and interaction with us. Stay tuned as we engage the edges.

Decluttering Your Mind, Schedule, and Priorities

Ever felt like your work life is just as cluttered as an overstuffed closet?  Meetings pile up, to-do lists seem endless, and before you know it, your days are filled with busyness but not progress.  What if you could hit ‘reset’ on your mind, schedule, and priorities like spring cleaning for your home?

Clarity is about focusing energy where it matters most.  Just as quantum science shows us that observation shapes reality, leaders who intentionally direct their attention create the conditions for focus, innovation, and meaningful action.

Work can feel overwhelming.  Between endless meetings, competing deadlines, and a never-ending to-do list, it’s easy to feel mentally drained, overcommitted, and stuck in reactive mode.

Just like a cluttered room makes focusing harder, mental and workplace clutter can keep you from feeling productive, engaged, and fulfilled.  So, what if we took the idea of spring cleaning beyond closets and garages—and applied it to our work and mindset?

Here’s how you can declutter your mind, schedule, and priorities this season and create more space for clarity, focus, and energy.

 

Declutter Your Mind: Stop the Mental Overload

Have you ever felt like your brain has too many tabs open?  Constant notifications, unfinished projects, and nagging to-dos create mental clutter that drains energy and slows decision-making.  It’s time for a mental reset.

How to Spring Clean Your Mind:

• Do a Mind Sweep. Get everything out of your head and onto paper.  Set a timer for 5 minutes and list out the following:
  • Work tasks weighing on you
  • Deadlines you’re tracking
  • Emails you need to follow up on
  • Personal commitments pulling your attention

Once it’s written down, you’ll instantly feel lighter.  Now you can prioritize instead of feeling overwhelmed.

• Identify Your “Mental Energy Vampires”. What thoughts or habits drain you the most?
  • Constantly checking emails? Try batching them into 2-3 dedicated times per day.
  • Worrying about things outside your control? Ask: Is this something I can take action on?  If not, let it go.
  • Switch tasking too much? Research shows it actually makes you less productive.

• Adopt the “2-Minute or Less Rule.” If something takes 2 minutes or less to complete, do it immediately instead of letting it take up mental space.  Reply to that email, jot down the note, or check that quick task off your list.

Observation & Mental Clarity

Much like the quantum observer effect, where the act of observing changes an outcome, leadership clarity starts with awareness.  In physics, unmeasured possibilities exist in a field of potential.  Similarly, distractions multiply when leaders don’t pause to assess their mental clutter.  The simple act of acknowledging mental overload collapses uncertainty into action—creating space for focus and forward movement.  The simple act of acknowledging mental clutter—whether it’s distractions, unproductive habits, or unresolved tasks—reshapes your focus, energy, and decision-making.

 

Declutter Your Schedule: Break Free from the “Busy Trap”

Your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and at the end of the day, you wonder if you actually got anything meaningful done.

Not all tasks are created equal.  Some move you forward, while others keep you busy but not productive.  Spring cleaning your schedule isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most.

How to Spring Clean Your Schedule:

• Audit your calendar. Look at your past two weeks.  Ask yourself:
  • Which meetings or tasks actually moved my work forward?
  • Which ones felt like a waste of time?
  • Where do I feel drained or overbooked?

Now, decide:

• • What can I eliminate? Say no to unnecessary meetings or recurring commitments that don’t add value.
  • What can I delegate? Pass off tasks that someone else can handle.
  • What can I time-block? Dedicate focused time for deep work instead of constantly reacting to emails or messages.

• Set “No-Meeting” blocks. Protect your most productive hours.  Try blocking at least one hour daily with no meetings—just focused, uninterrupted work time.
• Say “No” without guilt. Every time you say yes to something unimportant, you say no to something that matters.  Instead of automatically accepting every request, ask: “Does this align with my priorities?”   Try soft no’s like:
  • “I can’t commit to that right now, but I’m happy to revisit it next month.”
  • “I don’t have the bandwidth to take that on, but I’m happy to provide feedback.”

Saying no isn’t about being difficult—it’s about protecting your time and energy.

Superposition & Time Management

In quantum science, a particle exists in multiple states until it is observed.  Likewise, your time is filled with countless possible uses, but you shape a meaningful outcome only by making intentional choices.  Decluttering your schedule is about collapsing potential into purpose, directing your energy toward what creates the greatest impact.

 

Declutter Your Priorities: Focus on What Truly Matters

Think of your time like a garden—if you let weeds (distractions) overrun it, nothing important can grow.  The key is to clear space for what truly matters.

If everything is a priority, then nothing is.  The most successful professionals don’t try to do it all—they focus on the right things.

How to Spring Clean Your Priorities:

• Use the Gold Time Matrix. This simple framework helps you decide what deserves your attention.
  • Urgent + Important (High-priority work, deadlines) – Do it immediately.
  • Not Urgent + Important (Long-term projects, career growth) – Schedule time for it.
  • Urgent + Not Important (Interruptions, emails, minor requests) – Delegate it.
  • Not Urgent + Not Important (Busywork, distractions) – Eliminate it.

• Revisit your long-term goals. Are you spending most of your time on short-term tasks while ignoring long-term growth?
  • If you want to develop a new skill, have you scheduled time for learning?
  • If you want a promotion, are you working on projects that make an impact?

Set one “growth priority” for the next three months—something that will move your career forward, not just keep you busy.

• Align Your Priorities with Your Energy.
  • Are you sharpest in the morning? Do deep work then.
  • Do you hit an afternoon slump? Save that time for admin tasks or breaks.

Coherence & Alignment

Just as coherence creates stability and momentum in physics, leadership effectiveness comes from aligning priorities with what truly matters.  In a quantum system, coherence ensures that energy moves in a unified direction, amplifying impact.  Leaders who eliminate distractions and channel their energy toward intentional actions create similar coherence—where every effort builds toward a greater purpose.  When you eliminate distractions and focus your energy on high-impact actions, you move forward with clarity and purpose—creating a ripple effect in your work and leadership.

 

Start Today!

• Decluttering isn’t just about organization—it’s about creating space for what truly matters.
• A clear mind helps you think better.
• An intentional schedule helps you work smarter.
• Clear priorities help you focus on what moves the needle.

This spring, take the time to reset, refresh, and reclaim your time and energy.  You’ll feel more productive, engaged, and ready to thrive.

At InteraWorks, we help leaders declutter their thinking, simplify their schedules, and focus on what moves the needle.  Through our work, we guide individuals and teams to create space for deep work, bold leadership, and transformational growth—removing the mental and operational noise that slows progress.

We believe that clearing the way for meaningful action isn’t just good for productivity—it’s essential for leadership.  So, where will you place your focus this season?

 

 

Author – Stacy Cross  InteraWorks Programs + Branding Lead

 

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About InteraWorks

InteraWorks is a global learning company on a mission to elevate the human experience at work. Specializing in professional development and performance enablement, we offer top-rated learning programs based on four defined conditions that must exist for individuals, teams including Effective Edge, Best Year Yet, and the Essentials series. Our integrated learning framework and online tools generate immediate and sustainable breakthroughs in performance. Through decades of working at all levels in enterprise companies across many industries, we’ve built a reputation for helping people and organizations harness their focus, mindset, talent, and energy to produce results that matter most. 

interaworks.com

We’ve defined four conditions that must exist for an individual, team, or organization to be effective within the arena of performance and development; Accountability, Focus, Alignment, and Integrity. We’ll continue to explore these and more in our blog and look forward to your engagement and interaction with us. Stay tuned as we engage the edges.

Denver, CO

In today’s fast-paced world, technology is constantly evolving. To help businesses and individuals keep pace, InteraWorks is rolling out new and updated programs that provide support for upcoming Microsoft Office 365 changes.

Where InteraWorks Provides Additional Support for Microsoft Office 365 Apps

Microsoft Teams: The new Microsoft Teams application represents a significant leap forward in modern workplace collaboration. It combines an array of powerful features to foster teamwork, communication, and productivity with an improved integration with other Microsoft 365 apps.

Microsoft Outlook: The new Outlook is poised to revolutionize the way we manage our emails and productivity. With its sleek and user-friendly design, it promises a seamless and more intuitive experience for users. Outlook’s new features, such as improved search functionality, ensure that users can stay organized and find what they need faster than ever before. Furthermore, it embraces collaboration with greater integration with Microsoft Teams and other Office 365 apps.

Microsoft To-Do: To-Do is a versatile task management application designed to help individuals and teams organize and prioritize their daily activities effectively. With its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with other Microsoft 365 apps, To-Do empowers users to create and manage tasks effortlessly. Its intuitive features include due dates, reminders, and the ability to categorize tasks into lists, ensuring that users stay on top of their commitments. Microsoft To-Do is accessible across multiple devices, allowing for real-time synchronization of tasks, and making it a valuable tool for both personal and professional productivity.

How InteraWorks Can Help You

These upcoming changes to the Microsoft landscape and the solutions being implemented by InteraWorks should not only address your current needs but also anticipate future challenges. InteraWorks solutions are designed with scalability and future-proofing in mind, reducing the hassle of frequent, disruptive transitions.

Technology changes often mean adopting new tools, software, or processes. InteraWorks understands that your team may need training to become proficient in these new technologies. We offer comprehensive training programs and resources, such as our Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) to ensure that you and your employees are well-prepared to embrace the changes. InteraWorks also provides live webinars and sessions focused strictly on these new changes coming and show you how to prepare now, both for current clients and for those who need initial support for Microsoft Office 365 changes.

While changes coming to some Microsoft programs are designed to improve your experience, enhance your security, and boost your productivity, InteraWorks understands that technological transitions can be overwhelming. With dedicated support teams to assist you every step of the way, embracing these changes can lead to a more secure, collaborative, and flexible work environment that provides the needed support for Microsoft Office 365 Changes.

Whether your software was recently upgraded or you simply want to see what is coming up as the technology evolves, InteraWorks is equipped to troubleshoot issues, answer questions, guide you through the transition, and ensure that our products and services are sustainable throughout any changes that may arise now, or in the future.

For more information on InteraWorks contact:
Stacy Cross, Programs + Branding Lead

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About InteraWorks

InteraWorks is a global learning company on a mission to elevate the human experience at work. Specializing in professional development and performance enablement, we offer top-rated learning programs based on four defined conditions that must exist for individuals, teams including Effective Edge, Best Year Yet, and the Essentials series. Our integrated learning framework and online tools generate immediate and sustainable breakthroughs in performance. Through decades of working at all levels in enterprise companies across many industries, we’ve built a reputation for helping people and organizations harness their focus, mindset, talent and energy to produce results that matter most. interaworks.com
We’ve defined four conditions that must exist for an individual, team or organization to be effective within the arena of performance and development; Accountability, Focus, Alignment, and Integrity. We’ll continue to explore these and more in our blog and look forward to your engagement and interaction with us. Stay tuned as we engage the edges.