This week Nichole shares an episode where she was a guest on The Thinking Project Podcast, hosted by Dalton Jensen.  Key Takeaways: Common Leadership Pitfalls: A good boss avoids deflecting blame and takes ownership of team success. They actively engage in one-on-one meetings and recognize their importance for team growth. Avoid making quick assumptions and judgments about team members. Encourage diverse opinions. Promoting High Performers: Promoting the highest-performing employees is not always the best decision. They might lack people management skills. Being an excellent individual contributor does not guarantee leadership potential. Leadership requires caring about others' success. Being Authentic as a Leader: Leaders should avoid pretending to be someone they're not in pursuit of success. It's essential to be your authentic self while still refining your leadership skills to adapt to your environment. Importance of Soft Skills: Developing soft skills is crucial for successful leadership. Start with self-awareness to understand your impact on others. Building individual relationships and caring about team members' lives outside of work fosters trust and psychological safety. The Value of Empathy: Empathy is a key element of great leadership. It involves genuinely caring about your team members' success and well-being. Leaders should strive to understand their team's challenges and actively support them. Challenging Work Environments: It's vital for leaders to acknowledge that the environment can sometimes restrict open communication and empathy. Organizations should encourage leadership that promotes caring and connection within teams, even outside of the workplace.