Hi Reader,

Nobody becomes a lawyer, or an engineer, or a salesperson, or a project manager without first learning to read.

Every one of those careers requires distinct skills, but they all require the same foundation. Reading isn't the profession. It's what makes the profession possible.

That's the concept behind this week's episode 311 as I connect the dots on my recent podcast activities.

This year, my work has taken me into three conversations that look very different from the outside: helping leaders through AI transformation, strengthening leadership and culture, and helping coaches, consultants and small business owners sell with more self-awareness.

On the surface, they may appear disconnected. Underneath all three are grounded in the same three principles: leading self, leading others, and leading through change.

Like reading, these principles aren't intended for one use case. They're the foundation every use case stands on. Whether you're rolling out AI, building a stronger culture, or asking a client to say yes to your proposal, they decide how it goes.

And the thread running through all three is self-awareness. You can't lead yourself, lead others, or lead anyone through change without it.

In episode 311, I explain what each principle means, how they connect, and one question you can ask before your next meeting to put all three to work.

Leading Self, Leading Others, Leading through Change

What's the "reading" in your work, the skill, everything else you do stands on?

If you want to put these three principles to work in conversations where you need someone to say yes to your ideas or proposals, join me for the free The Self-Aware Seller webinar. You'll hear me walk through the five practices below.

I'll unpack these five practices in a one-hour (free) webinar, delivered twice before the end of 2026.

In this webinar, I'll cover the following principles and practices:

Leading others. A simple way to recognize the people you serve at every level of their work, so clients and prospects feel seen, not sold to. Put it to work: pause before you prescribe, and recognize the work behind the deal.
Leading through change. How to handle price increases, client transitions, and uncertainty with conversations that build trust instead of avoiding them. Put it to work: when a client goes quiet, lower their risk.
The Trust Audit. Five questions built to surface what a client isn't saying, before it turns into a lost deal.
Customer signals you might be overlooking, and how to read them.
One question that will change how you walk into your next sales conversation.
Bonus: every client's favorite word, and how to use it in your favor.

This session is for you if:

You're a solopreneur, consultant, coach, or small business owner who wears a sales hat.
You sell B2B and want more influence in your conversations.
Your results are good, you sense they could be stronger, and you suspect the answer isn't another sales tactic.
You often present ideas that you want people to agree with.

This free webinar isn't a course on scripts, how to pitch, or closing techniques. It's about the person doing the selling. You!

Attend The Self-Aware Seller Webinar

Choose one of these two dates (same session):
November 13th, 12 PM Eastern
December 4th, 12 PM Eastern

Can't attend live? Register to get the replay.

Know someone who can benefit? Forward this to them!

You Can Catch This Week's Episode:

Listen on Apple
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Overcast
Listen on our Website
Watch on YouTube

What AI Transformation, Culture, and Selling Have in Common

If you've followed my work this year, you've heard me talk about the Human Dividend™ and what it takes to lead a human-led AI transformation. Lately, you've also heard me talk about selling. In episode 311, a solo episode, I share why it's all the same road. Different situations. Same foundation.

Who This Is For

Leaders guiding a team through AI adoption who are running into hesitation, silence, or slow uptake
Executives and managers working to strengthen culture and engagement on their teams
Business owners, consultants, and coaches who want to win more business without straining client relationships
Anyone who regularly presents ideas or proposals that need a yes
Listeners who've followed the Human Dividend™ and The Self-Aware Seller and want to see how they fit together

Five Key Takeaways

These three principles are a foundation, not a program. They aren't limited to one use case. They're the foundation under AI transformation, culture work, and selling alike.
Leading self starts with an honest look in the mirror. Organizational psychologist Dr. Tasha Eurich's research, published in Harvard Business Review, found that about 95% of people believe they're self-aware, but only 10 to 15% actually are. Because your brain builds pathways from what you repeatedly feed it, you're never neutral when you walk into a meeting or a sales call.
Leading others is about influence, not authority. A big part of leading others is specific, timely recognition of the person and the work behind the result, including the invisible work that made the result possible. In selling, that recognition builds trust. Recognition starts with listening, so reflect a problem back ("Did I get that right?") before you recommend a solution.
Leading through change comes down to four moves. Reduce fear, create clarity, preserve meaning, and build adaptability. When a team goes quiet after an AI announcement, that silence usually isn't agreement, it's fear. When a client goes quiet mid-deal, they're often protecting themselves, since research from Forrester points out that the reward of a good B2B decision goes to the company while the risk lands on the buyer personally.
Self-awareness is the thread, and one question puts it to work. You can't lead yourself, lead others, or lead anyone through change without self-awareness. Before your next meeting, one-on-one, or sales call, ask yourself: "Does my influence make things heavier for the people around me, or does it make things stronger?" Every interaction answers that question, whether you're asking it on purpose or not.