Articles
Welcome to SWEET’s blog, where co-founders Mardoche Sidor, MD, Quadruple Board Certified Psychiatrist, and Karen Dubin-McKnight, PhD, LCSW, write about the most important topics in the field, from psychology to science to self fulfillment.
Your Organization May Not Have a Communication Problem. It May Have a Decision Problem.
When organizations struggle, one diagnosis appears again and again: “We need better communication.” Employees say leadership needs to communicate more.
Every Yes Requires a No: The Leadership Discipline of Subtraction
Organizations are very good at adding. A new initiative is launched, a new committee is created, a new reporting requirement is introduced, and a new meeting appears on the calendar.
Your Strongest Employees May Be the Ones You Need to Check On Most
There is a particular kind of employee every organization values.
They are dependable. They solve problems.
Your Best People May Not Be Leaving Because They Want More Money
When a talented employee leaves, organizations naturally look for an explanation. Maybe another agency offered more money.
Your Team Does Not Need More Accountability - It May Need More Clarity
When something is not getting done in an organization, one word tends to appear very quickly: accountability. “We need more accountability.” “Managers need to hold people accountable.” “People need to take greater ownership.”
The Hidden Cost of Constant Urgency
There is a phrase that quietly shapes the culture of many organizations: “This is urgent.”
At first glance, urgency appears to be a sign of commitment.
Stop Trying to Motivate People - Start Creating Conditions Where Motivation Naturally Emerges
One of the most common questions asked in leadership development is, “How do we motivate our staff?”
The Most Important Leadership Question Is Not “What Are We Producing?”—It Is “Who Are We Producing?”
Every organization measures outcomes, while productivity, quality, revenue, compliance, retention, and client satisfaction are tracked carefully.
Why the Future of Leadership Is Not Time Management—It Is Energy Management
For generations, leadership has been taught as an exercise in managing time. Leaders fill their calendars, organize priorities, create schedules, monitor deadlines, and learn countless techniques for becoming more efficient.
Why Burnout Is Often a Symptom of Misalignment, And Not Overwork Alone
Burnout is one of the most discussed problems in modern organizational life.
Leaders see it everywhere, staff call out more often, and engagement declines.
Why Culture Is Not What You Say, But What Your System Repeatedly Reinforces
Every organization talks about culture. Leaders speak about it, consultants assess it, and boards ask about it.
Why Psychological Safety Is Not About Comfort, But About Capacity
Psychological safety has become one of the most discussed topics in leadership.
Many leaders have heard the term. They know it matters. They know high-performing teams need it, yet, psychological safety is often misunderstood.
Why Strong Leaders Sometimes Become the Biggest Bottleneck
Strong leaders are often the reason organizations survive difficult seasons.
Why the Best Leaders Are Learning to Slow Down Before They Speed Up
For many leaders, slowing down feels dangerous.
The demands are real: staff need support, clients need services, and funders need reports. Regulators also need compliance, boards need updates, and communities need solutions. The pressure is constant.
Why Sustainable Organizations Build Recovery Into the System
Most organizations understand the importance of effort, while few understand the importance of recovery.
Why Emotional Regulation Is Becoming the Most Important Leadership Skill
Most leadership programs focus on strategy. They focus on how to communicate, delegate, manage performance, improve productivity, or lead teams.
Why High-Performing Organizations Protect Attention Differently
Most organizations believe their greatest resource is time. Yet time is not the real resource being depleted; rather, attention is.
Why the Way You Think About Problems Is Limiting Your Organization
Most organizations try to solve problems quickly, whether it is when a conflict appears, a deadline is missed, turnover increases, or communication breaks down.
Why Your Organization Feels Busy but Not Effective
Most organizations are busy. Calendars are full, teams are active, leaders are engaged, and work is happening all the time.
Why Meetings Are Draining Your Organization — And What to Do Instead
Most organizations don’t think they have a meeting problem. They think they have a time problem.