What you say to yourself -- those critical voices in your head that keep you in doubt and prevent you from becoming the bold, resilient and innovative leader you want to be -- don't stay in your head -- they show up in your work and undermine team cohesion and performance, write leadership authors Suzy Burke, Rhett Power and Ryan Berman. "You can't create a calm, confident, accountable team if you're running around with a chaotic inner dialogue," they write. "Culture starts with what you say to yourself in those private moments before the big decision, before the investor pitch, or before the tough conversation."

Put it into practice: Use the 3-C Maverick Method to control negative self-talk by catching yourself when critical thoughts begin, challenging the thought with facts and changing the narrative by reframing the story, Burke, Power and Berman suggest. "You often can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you think about it and respond."

Instead of waiting for permission from others, living authentically requires you to consciously permit yourself to act in ways that align with your values, including taking risks and expressing vulnerability, says Alaina Love, the CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting. In this interview with SmartBrief's Candace Chellew, Love outlines how permission works and how her new book, "Permission to Be You," can provide a "coach in a box" to help you recognize and honor who you already are.

Put it into practice: After the death of George Floyd, Love led a compassionate listening session where employees were encouraged to discuss race, pain and identity, highlighting vulnerability as essential for meaningful dialogue. Love notes that despite growing caution around DEI topics, people remain eager for opportunities to engage in honest discussions.

Corporate jargon can be a valuable tool for conveying expertise and efficiency within specialized teams, but it often creates confusion, slows workflows, and even results in unnecessary complexity that masks questionable work, writes leadership expert David Burkus, who argues for clear language. "You don't need to send GIFs to the board of directors, but you can write like a real person instead of a corporate buzzword generator," Burkus writes.

Put it into practice: Using clear, understandable language instead of jargon such as KPIs or other acronyms can increase trust, Burkus notes. "When people don't have to decode your message, they focus on what you're actually saying. And they see that you respect their time."