When layoffs happen, when a toxic work culture festers, when promises are broken, we default to blaming “the organization.” It’s the company that made the cuts, the institution that failed, the brand that let us down. But organizations are just shells - legal entities, mission statements, and … [Read more...]
Leadership Isn’t a Promotion – It’s a Reckoning
Most people think they’re ready to lead long before they actually are. It’s a misconception I’ve seen time and time again - high performers who assume leadership is just the next step, the natural reward for excelling at their job. But leadership isn’t a prize; it’s a responsibility. It doesn’t … [Read more...]
The Illusion of Freedom: Why Entrepreneurship Isn’t an Escape
There’s a common misconception about entrepreneurship that refuses to die: the idea that starting your own business is a way to escape authority, to finally break free from the suffocating grip of a boss. It’s an appealing fantasy - one where you call the shots, answer to no one, and shape your … [Read more...]
Leading from the Flanks: The Art of Presence Without Overshadowing
Leadership is often framed as being out in front - setting direction, taking charge, and pulling people along. But true leadership, the kind that endures and transforms, is just as much about standing to the side, watching, anticipating, and stepping in precisely when needed. Strengths and … [Read more...]
The Talent You Can’t Replace
Some people impress. Others transform. And then there are those who inspire. Over the years, I’ve worked alongside incredible colleagues, mentors, and partners - people whose impact isn’t just measured by their output but by the way they change the very nature of how work gets done. At OCF, I see … [Read more...]
Be the Person They Rely On, Not Just the One They Manage
These are unprecedented times, with the amount of political, financial, and social shifts happening - all in parallel, and all influencing each other. It is but expected that folks are feeling overwhelmed and jittery. The impact on international students and foreign professionals is even more. … [Read more...]
Leadership Is About Learning, Not Knowing
The best leaders I’ve worked with, the ones who inspire, who build, who create lasting impact, share a common trait: they welcome challenge. Not as an obligation, not as something to endure, but as an essential part of growth. They are not threatened by dissent. They don’t fear disagreement. … [Read more...]
Beyond Labels: Decoding Habits, Skills, and Strengths for Lasting Success
In a world obsessed with buzzwords and bullet points, I've often wondered how many of us have inadvertently sold ourselves short by mislabeling our capabilities. It wasn’t too long ago that I realized - after countless hours of self-reflection and professional growth - that the real game-changer … [Read more...]
Leadership in Crisis: Hope is Not a Strategy
Lately, Canada has been spending a lot of time bracing for impact, caught in the gravitational pull of America's turbulence. I have heard a few folks talk about “coping”, as if endurance is a strategy, as if waiting out uncertainty will somehow lead to stability. But in moments like these, … [Read more...]
Don’t Ask for More Than You Give: Why credibility begins with skin in the game
There’s a moment in every leader’s journey where they must choose whether they’re willing to walk the path they’re asking others to follow. It sounds simple - obvious, even - but it’s one of the hardest principles to consistently uphold. And yet, leadership without example isn’t leadership at all; … [Read more...]
The Weight of Words: When Passion Demands Proof
Passion is one of those words that carries an almost mythic quality. It stirs our imagination, evokes admiration, and, when spoken with conviction, demands our attention. It’s a term that doesn’t simply describe - it declares. To say, “I am passionate about this” is to present oneself as someone … [Read more...]
Understanding Entrepreneurship: It Was Never About the Money
Entrepreneurship is often mischaracterized as a pursuit of wealth. From the outside, it can seem like a game of chasing funding, maximizing profits, and striving for exits that promise generational riches. But ask any entrepreneur who has poured their heart into building something from the ground … [Read more...]
Buying Canadian Isn’t Enough – We Need to Build Canadian and Back Our Builders
I’ve always believed that Canada is a country of builders. We don’t always make a big deal about it, but we have this quiet, determined way of solving problems. We innovate, we adapt, and we find workarounds when things don’t go as planned. But for all that resourcefulness, we don’t seem to own … [Read more...]
Master Your Energy, Not Just Your Productivity
For years, I chased productivity. I tried every hack, every system, every method that promised to make me more efficient. I optimized my calendar, batched my tasks, minimized distractions, and stacked my habits. And for a while, it worked - until it didn’t. Because no matter how many systems I … [Read more...]
The Silent Erosion of Thought: How Unchecked AI Adoption is Rewiring Our Minds
I see it every day. Bright, capable students - sharp thinkers, ambitious professionals - turning to AI not as an assistant, but as an autopilot. They reach for ChatGPT before they reach for their own reasoning. They defer to algorithms before they trust their own analysis. They struggle to … [Read more...]