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by Jamela Adam

Congratulations — you made it to the second round of interviews for a job. Now, it’s time to step up your game and make an even stronger impression. The second interview is your chance to stand out and prove you’re the obvious choice for the job. It’s also an opportunity to revisit any questions you feel could use a bit more clarity or detail.

Differences Between the First and Second Interview 

The first interview is typically an initial screening. The interviewer gauges your overall fit for the position and gets a general sense of your background and qualifications. The second interview is slightly different.

“In your second interview, you’re not just demonstrating that you’re qualified for the position. Rather, you must now communicate what sets you apart from fellow applicants who also meet, and likely exceed, the minimum job requirements,” Dr. Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES?, tech career coach?, and founder of CaffeinatedKyle.com, said in an email.

“Additionally, your second interview is likely to be a lengthier conversation with a hiring manager or peer. You want to use this conversation to articulate your unique value proposition and why the hiring manager would benefit from choosing you over other applicants,” he added.

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by Adam Grant

When Donald Trump talked about deploying the military against “the enemy within,” critics sounded the alarm—again—about his increasingly authoritarian rhetoric. Many see his escalating threats as proof of a growing thirst for power. But history suggests that another factor may be at least as relevant: mounting frustration at the compromises that political life demands.

Trump pitched himself to the American people as a business tycoon, someone who knew how to close deals, vanquish competitors, and create jobs. He said those experiences would make him an effective leader. Yet it turns out that what makes people successful in business is a risk factor for failure in politics.

Corporate America rewards achievement strivers—people who  love to aim high, work hard, and overcome obstacles. To see how those tendencies played out in the White House, psychologists scored presidential addresses on how often they referenced achievement. Years later, achievement-striving presidents got lower greatness ratings from historians, who also judged them as poorer decision makers and less politically skilled than their peers.

A prime example is Jimmy Carter. Although as a private citizen he had succeeded in revitalizing his family’s peanut farm, in the White House he struggled to control inflation, fuel prices, and escalating conflicts in Iran and Afghanistan. As the University of Michigan psychologist David Winter explains, the achievement-minded “president actively strives to accomplish things but becomes frustrated, dislikes the job, and ends up defeating himself.”

Winter wrote that looking backward in 2010, but he could have easily been looking ahead at Donald Trump.  Continue reading →

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by Scott Mautz

What if I told you that unleashing success starts with realizing how successful you already are?

It’s true. As a leadership and success expert I get asked a lot about “keys to success.” My first response is always: “Before you start changing, adding, or subtracting, spend some time appreciating.”

Success is more than just how much money you make, what job title you’ve achieved, or what accomplishments you’ve stacked up. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but true success is broader. It’s about the kind of life you’re living and who you’ve chosen to become.

When you think about success in a more holistic way, it requires resilience, confidence, and other aspects of mental strength I talk about in depth in my recent book, “The Mentally Strong Leader.”

A true measure of success requires introspection on a set of questions beyond the typical “how much” and “how high” metrics. If you can answer “yes” to the following six questions, you’re more successful — right now — than you may have realized.

1. Do you live your values?

The little things you do every day exemplify who you are. The little impressions you make leave a big, permanent impression. The question is: Do you choose to behave in line with your values? For example, if a core value is kindness, are you consistently kind, even when it’s hard?

Intentionally living your values shows you’re centered and disciplined, and both are forms of success. Doing this is no small feat — it’s not easy to clearly articulate your values, let alone intentionally live them.

If you’d like to start by articulating your values, there’s an exercise in “The Mentally Strong Leader” to help you do just that.

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.by Lindsay Yaw Rogers

Today’s leaders can’t just be good at their jobs — they have to be exceptional at so much more. Once upon a time, leadership was about managing revenue, operations and owning the company message from the top down. The job was clear: Steer the ship, own the brand, deliver results.

But the game has changed.

Modern leadership now demands more than just business acumen; it’s about influence, authenticity and connection — both inside and outside the boardroom. Today’s leaders are expected to be vulnerable but strong; direct but empathetic; transparent but curated; productive but delegatory; professional yet human. It’s a delicate balancing act, and when leaders fail to strike that balance, the consequences reverberate across the entire company.

Why? Because today’s ambitious rising stars — the ones eyeing the C-suite — aren’t satisfied with simply doing the job. They want influence, recognition and the opportunity to make a real impact. They don’t just want a seat at the table; they want to feel irreplaceable. Old-school leadership models that prioritize productivity alone don’t motivate this generation. They need human connection, creative engagement and a sense of ownership over their work to stay energized.

When leadership falls short, this high-potential talent walks. And that’s expensive — turnover costs up to two times an employee’s salary and throws organizations into a tailspin. It’s a talent drain that no company can afford, especially in today’s competitive landscape.

Here’s the kicker: In the fast-paced world of business, innovation isn’t just about what you’re selling — it’s about how you’re leading. A C-suite executive’s personal brand is now just as critical as the corporate brand. Thought leadership, the ability to shape narratives and influence your industry, has become the secret weapon of truly innovative companies. Executives who act as intellectual powerhouses aren’t just driving their teams — they’re shaping the market itself. Continue reading →

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by Lambeth Hochwald

We all know people who seem to be accomplished in their every pursuit. So it’s especially interesting to read a 2017 British study that drills into the ten attributes that make people extra good at what they do. And they all have a few things in common. For starters, they identify and understand their strengths when pursuing a goal, says Amanda Potter, the lead researcher, founder, and managing director at Zircon Management Consulting, a business psychology company in England. High achievers also tend to be motivated by a negative or positive life event, and they credit their success to having someone in their life who believed in them. After conducting interviews with 42 high-achievers, including a range of CEOs, entrepreneurs, sports stars, and media personalities, Potter concluded that we all have a different combination of winning attributes—in other words, no two winners are exactly the same—however, all successful people have some or all of ten specific attributes. “For example, it may be your single-minded focus and determination or it might be your curiosity and willingness to disrupt the current situation that makes you successful,” she says. Read on as our two experts explain why the qualities that engender success and why they’re so key.

Burning ambition

Successful people are driven to achieve their goals, but for the ultra-successful there’s an even bigger mandate, says Isaura Gonzalez, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City. “Burning ambition takes into account the desire to hit your mark each and every time as well as an unrelenting desire to be the best of the best.

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