What you say to yourself -- those critical voices in your head that keep you in doubt and prevent you from becoming the bold, resilient and innovative leader you want to be -- don't stay in your head -- they show up in your work and undermine team cohesion and performance, write leadership authors Suzy Burke, Rhett Power and Ryan Berman. "You can't create a calm, confident, accountable team if you're running around with a chaotic inner dialogue," they write. "Culture starts with what you say to yourself in those private moments before the big decision, before the investor pitch, or before the tough conversation."

Put it into practice: Use the 3-C Maverick Method to control negative self-talk by catching yourself when critical thoughts begin, challenging the thought with facts and changing the narrative by reframing the story, Burke, Power and Berman suggest. "You often can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you think about it and respond."

Instead of waiting for permission from others, living authentically requires you to consciously permit yourself to act in ways that align with your values, including taking risks and expressing vulnerability, says Alaina Love, the CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting. In this interview with SmartBrief's Candace Chellew, Love outlines how permission works and how her new book, "Permission to Be You," can provide a "coach in a box" to help you recognize and honor who you already are.

Put it into practice: After the death of George Floyd, Love led a compassionate listening session where employees were encouraged to discuss race, pain and identity, highlighting vulnerability as essential for meaningful dialogue. Love notes that despite growing caution around DEI topics, people remain eager for opportunities to engage in honest discussions.

Corporate jargon can be a valuable tool for conveying expertise and efficiency within specialized teams, but it often creates confusion, slows workflows, and even results in unnecessary complexity that masks questionable work, writes leadership expert David Burkus, who argues for clear language. "You don't need to send GIFs to the board of directors, but you can write like a real person instead of a corporate buzzword generator," Burkus writes.

Put it into practice: Using clear, understandable language instead of jargon such as KPIs or other acronyms can increase trust, Burkus notes. "When people don't have to decode your message, they focus on what you're actually saying. And they see that you respect their time."

Humility, adaptability and long-term vision are three key pillars of leadership for Eduardo Cosentino, the executive vice president of Cosentino Group and CEO of Cosentino North America, who notes that they have helped him broaden his definition of success. "Success is about building something that endures for the next generation, creating opportunities for our employees, and making a positive impact in the communities where we operate. Growth is important, but legacy and impact are what truly matter," Cosentino says.

Finn, an adorable pup in Greensboro, N.C., cannot get enough time with his favorite toy: a cinder block. A video of Finn playing with the block in his backyard, posted by his owner Emily Heide, who is amused and puzzled by this preference, has gone viral. One viewer called Finn's toy "his emotional support cement block," while others have suggested getting a herding ball, which is designed for dogs that enjoy pushing objects around.

I love baking shows, especially the ones that feature kids (sometimes as young as 10 years old). A few years ago, one of my favorite kids' baking shows featured a young man named Matthew. These shows are pressure cookers for even the most seasoned baker, so when things would go wrong for the kids, their main reaction was to cry. Not Matthew. Whenever the pressure began to build, Matthew would start talking to himself, out loud. Instead of berating himself, though, he became his number one cheerleader, saying, "You can do it, Matthew," over and over again.

Ultimately, Matthew didn't win the competition, but I've never forgotten the power of his self-talk. Sometimes, even today, when I find myself in a challenging situation, I will say, out loud, "You can do it, Matthew!" and it's enough to give me a chuckle and renew my sense of determination.

Matthew never let the negative voices in his head deter him from pursuing his goal of winning the contest. In fact, Matthew has gone on to do great things and build on his competitive baking success. He shows how positive self-talk can help anyone succeed, as leadership authors Suzy Burke, Rhett Power and Ryan Berman write.

We all have "monsters" in our heads, they note, whether it's the voice that is always assuming the worst, needs to be right or ponders unrealistic things we "should" or "must do" to succeed, they write. That voice, they write, "becomes the unseen soundtrack for your company."

If your self-talk has you stressed out, everyone can feel it without you saying a word. When you can train yourself to catch those negative thoughts, challenge them and prove them wrong, changing the narrative to a positive "You can do it, Matthew" kind of attitude, then you can succeed despite the odds.

Just like a kid baker, some moments can be so frustrating that we want to cry, but in those moments, be like Matthew and tell yourself, "You can do it."

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