Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Thresholds That Truly Change Us I’ve crossed plenty of thresholds in my life. Graduations, promotions, marriage, a few plaques on the wall. All those moments came and went, all important in their own way. Despite the cultural significance, and that many of these events are dear to many...
Tag Archives: Leadership
Running Without a Map: Why Change Needs More Than Good Intentions
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Feedback is a mirror. Over the past two posts, we’ve looked at two ways leaders stumble with feedback: ignoring it altogether (Ignoring the Mirror) and overreacting to every reflection (Trapped in the Mirrors). Both leave you stuck. But there’s a third trap, and it’s sneakier because it...
Trapped in the Mirrors: Why Leaders Can’t Please Everyone
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Feedback is a mirror. Last time, we talked about what happens when you refuse to look—the cost of ignoring feedback that is valid, actionable, and desirable. But that was a single source of feedback, or multiple sources showing the same reflection. Another trap emerges from multiple mirrors...
Ignoring the Mirror: Why We Resist Feedback and Growth
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction We previously defined feedback as the key enabling behavior of true mentorship. Good feedback acts as a mirror, reflecting something about us that we may not see on our own, and provides a pathway to change, grow, and improve. But what happens when you don’t like the reflection?...
Feedback That Actually Lands
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction “Just throw strikes.” That was the shining pearl of feedback my son once got during a Little League game. He’d just walked two batters in a row. When I headed out to the mound for a chat to help him get centered and figure out what to...
“That’s OK” Is Not OK: The Growth Mindset Rant (Part 2: Mentors and Leaders)
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction In Part 1, we explored how individuals sabotage themselves with fixed-mindset self-talk and how honest self-assessment paired with self-compassion opens the door to growth. Now let’s shift the lens: what happens when that same dynamic plays out in a mentor–protege or leader–team relationship? “Some people are not...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing
Part 6 – The Wrap-Up: What We’ve Learned, What Comes Next Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP The Rant Wasn’t Just a Rant Let’s face it—resilience needed a rebrand. Too many conversations about it either go Full Metal Jacket (“suck it up and drive on”), collapse into mushy platitudes (“just bounce back!”), or—on the...
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing Part 2 – Resilience Isn’t Victim Blaming
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Let’s start with one of my favorite catchphrases from the feedback side of my coaching work: Any feedback that can be restated as “Stop sucking, be more better” is of limited value. That, in a nutshell, is what gives resilience such a bad name in some circles....
The Resilience Rant: Reclaiming and Reframing
Part 1 – Why We Won’t Throw Out Resilience Just Because Some People Misuse It Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction Resilience gets a bad rap these days—and not without reason. In recent years, especially in conversations about trauma, adversity, and systemic harm, the concept of resilience has sometimes been used to shame...
7 Dirty Words Part 2: The Trap of Absolutes: How “Always” and “Never” Limit Your Thinking
Christopher J. Colombo MD, CEC, CMC, CPP Introduction “Always” and “Never”: Opposites That Work the Same Way “They always leave me out.” “I’ll never be good enough.” At first glance, “always” and “never” might seem like opposites. One declares constancy, while the other implies impossibility. Yet, these words share a common function: they are absolutes...