Senior Manager Strategy & Transformation in the Financial Services | Strategic Leadership Coach | Speaker | Mentor | Author | Helping professionals, leaders, and teams level up with purpose and impact.

Global Senior Manager with 15+ years' banking experience in areas of Enterprise Risk Management, Governance, Strategic Transformation Projects, and Change Management with a heavy focus on Executive Leadership Reporting. Demonstrated ability to cultivate strong relationships, influence others, and lead high performing teams that advance global priorities. 

Committed to continuous organization improvement, enhancing customer experience and delivering solutions to support strategic financial and business decision-making. 

As a persuasive communicator fluent in English and Spanish, I effectively engage with clients, regulators, stakeholders, management, and staff at all levels. My diverse background includes extensive experience in ERM frameworks, risk culture programs, control assessments, audits, capital structure optimization, and statistical modelling for risk management matters. Leader with a proven track record of leading large-scale projects, implementing change management strategies, and delivering cost savings through efficient project management methodologies.

Core competences include:
•Enterprise Risk Management •Governance & Compliance •Operational Risk •Internal Audit • Executive Leadership Reporting & Analytics •Project Management •Change Management •Data Risk •Model Risk •Strategic Risk •Coaching & Talent Development •SAS/SPSS/DWH •SharePoint & Power Apps •Power BI/Python/R •Copilot •Agile/ Waterfall •JIRA/Confluence •Six Sigma/Kaizen •Protiviti

Diana Lasso

Your skills won’t matter if no one wants to work with you.
Talent opens doors. 
Attitude decides how long you stay.

I’ve seen smart people get stuck because they resist change. 

And others rise fast because they:
➟ Adapt instead of complain
➟ Stay positive under pressure
➟ Stay curious and keep learning

A strong resume helps. 
But it’s not enough. 

What really sets you apart?
➟ A positive attitude builds trust.
➟ A growth mindset fuels progress.
➟ A team-first approach creates impact.

Skills can be taught. Mindset is a choice.

As Zig Ziglar said, "Your attitude, not your aptitude, 
will determine your altitude." 

Choose the one that moves you forward.

P.S. What mindset shift made the biggest difference in your career?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership Insights

undefined undefined

Speaking your truth is easy.
Saying it at the right moment is leadership.

Managers value honesty.
Strategic Leaders value timing, context, and impact.

At work, what you say matters.
But how, when, and where you say it often matters more.
↳ It’s about creating clarity and trust.

As Winston Churchill once said:
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; 
Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Here are 5 ways to stay authentic at work
while strengthening your credibility:

1- Share your perspective:
↳ Authenticity starts with honesty.
➟ Start opinions with “From my perspective…”:
“From my perspective, focusing on X may help us reach the goal faster.”

2- Be curious:
↳ Curiosity builds respect.
➟ Ask one question before sharing your view:
“Help me understand the reasoning behind this approach.”

3- Keep ideas simple:
↳ Clarity builds authority.
➟ Share ideas in two clear points:
“I see two options here. One for speed. One for long-term results.”

4- Raise concerns constructively:
↳ Authenticity can still be thoughtful.
➟ Pair every concern with one suggestion:
“I see a potential risk here. What if we try this alternative?”

5- Speak with intention:
↳ Purpose strengthens your message.
➟ State your intention:
“My intention is to help us move this forward.”

Awareness sharpens your voice.
Timing amplifies it.

When authenticity meets judgment,
people listen.

And that’s when your presence
starts shaping the room.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso Strategic Leadership

The difference between giving feedback
and damaging someone’s self-esteem
Isn’t honesty. It’s how you frame it.

Most leaders think the goal is to be direct.
The real goal is to be constructive.

Average managers point out mistakes.
Strategic leaders protect dignity while raising standards.

At senior levels, performance doesn’t improve through pressure.
 ↳ It improves through psychological safety.

As Maya Angelou said:
“People will never forget how you made them feel.”

Competence is rarely the real issue.
Confidence often is.

When people feel attacked,
They defend.

When they feel respected,
They think.

Here are 5 smarter ways to give feedback
 without shrinking confidence:

1- Lead with facts:
 ↳ Data lowers emotion.
 ➟ “Last quarter your results were 10% below target.”
 ➟ Avoid: “You’re always behind.”
Facts create clarity. Tone creates safety.

2- Shift from accusation to exploration:
 ↳ “Why did you…?” triggers defense.
 ➟ Try: “Help me understand what happened.”
 ➟ Listen without interrupting.
Curiosity invites ownership.

3- Separate identity from outcome:
 ↳ Results are feedback. 
 ➟ Instead of: “You’re not strategic.”
 ➟ Say: “This decision increased costs by 10%. Let’s unpack it.”
Challenge the decision. Protect the person.

4- Make accountability concrete:
 ↳ “I’ll try harder” is comfort language.
 ➟ Ask: “What will you do differently next week?”
 ➟ “How will we track it?”
Specific commitments build confidence.

5- Offer support that empowers:
 ↳ Support should strengthen the capability.
 ➟ “What obstacles are in your way?”
 ➟ “What support would make this easier?”
Support plus ownership creates growth.

High standards and high self-esteem
are not opposites. They are partners.

When people feel safe,
They don’t play small.

They take responsibility.
They take initiative.
They take ownership.

That’s the win. Raise the bar.
Protect the person.
And build a team that grows stronger
Every time you have a hard conversation.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership Insights

Want to sound like a leader in every email you send?
Start with clarity.

Authority shows in communication:
➟ Short messages
➟ Clear direction
➟ Defined boundaries

Senior leaders write less.
Every word has purpose.

Strong communication builds trust.
Clear communication builds authority.

As Peter Drucker said:
 “The most important thing in communication
 is hearing what isn’t said.”

Here are 5 ways to communicate authority at work
while staying professional and respected:

1- Keep your message short:
 Short messages sound confident.
➟ Share the main point first.
➟ Use three sentences when possible.

Example:
 “Let’s move the meeting to Thursday.
 This gives us time to review the numbers.
 Please confirm availability.”

2- Use direct language:
 Firm words build credibility.
➟ Say what you recommend.
➟ Connect it to the result.

Example:
 “I recommend option B.
 It gets us closer to the deadline
 and keeps costs under control.”

3- Speak around the objective:
 Authority sounds focused.
➟ Bring the conversation back to the goal.
➟ Use words like goal, priority, outcome, impact.

Example:
 “Our priority is delivery this week.
 Which option gets us there faster?”

4- Give clear time boundaries:
 Respect for time shows leadership.
➟ Offer specific time frames.
➟ Let people choose within them.

Example:
 “I’m available 9–10 AM
 or 2–4 PM tomorrow.
 Please pick one.”

5- Finish with direction:
 Strong communication moves things forward.
➟ Close with the next step.
➟ Make the action clear.

Example:
 “Let’s proceed with this plan.
 I’ll send the update today.
 We review progress on Friday.”

Authority grows through consistency.
Consistency builds credibility.
Credibility strengthens your presence.

When your words are clear,
People feel confidence.

When your message has direction,
People follow naturally.

And that’s when your communication
starts carrying real authority.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso Strategic Leadership

Believing that everyone else is born with confidence is a trap.
It’s a quiet lie we tell ourselves.
And it keeps us small.

No one is born confident.

Confidence is built:
→ Brick by brick
→ Moment by moment
→ Experience by experience

Behind every “confident” leader
There were shaky starts.
Missed words.
Doubts no one saw.

Your obstacles were not detours.
They were construction sites.
Every challenge you faced
and didn’t run from
added a layer.

Every failure?
Feedback.

Every win?
Confidence.

As Nelson Mandela said:
 “I learned that courage was 
not the absence of fear, 
but the triumph over it.”
That’s confidence.

Not the absence of fear.
But the decision to move anyway.

Don’t sell yourself short.
You are not starting from zero.

You are standing on years of growth,
lessons, resilience, and quiet courage.

Don’t sell yourself short,
Trust the process and believe in your potential!
The journey is YOURS! 

P.S. What advice would you give your younger self 
about building confidence?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership Insights

Visual: Janis Ozolins 🙏

If you need to win every argument,
you’re not ready to lead.

When you become the boss,
technical skills get you in the room.
Emotional skills determine how long you stay.

The leaders who rise
are not the ones who speak the most.
They are the ones who understand
when to speak
and when to pause.

Here are 5 ways to lead with influence:

1 — Listen actively:
Pause before responding.
→ Let people finish completely.
Composure strengthens authority.

2 — Context awareness:
Read the room before you read the data.
→ Ask: What does this room need right now?
Influence depends on timing.

3 — Ask before you assert:
Replace correction with curiosity.
→ “Walk me through your thinking.”
Questions lower defenses.

4 — Choose the bigger objective:
Before speaking, ask:
→ What outcome do I want this conversation to create?
Leaders prioritize impact over ego.

5 — Control the temperature:
Leaders regulate emotional intensity.
→ Lower your tone. Slow your pace.
The calmest nervous system often leads the room.

As Peter Drucker said:
“The most important thing in communication
is hearing what isn’t said.”

Leadership isn’t about perfection.
It’s about progress.

Sustained impact builds lasting careers.
Emotional intelligence makes it possible.

Influence lives in how you manage yourself.

Be the leader you wish you had.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

Getting promoted will change your relationships.
If you’re not ready for that, you’re not ready to lead.

When you grow,
→ Your title shifts
→ Your visibility increases
→ Your power becomes more noticeable

And that changes the room:
→ More exposure
→ More comparison
→ Less relational indulgence

The tension isn’t about your success.
It’s about what your success represents to others.

Growth activates identity.
And identity feels personal.

Here are 5 ways to grow without breaking relationships:

1- Grow in frame:
Clarify your new responsibility.
→ “My focus now is…”
Clarity builds security.

2- Elevate others as you rise:
Share credit generously.
→ Highlight team impact publicly.
Authority grows when others grow with you.

3- Anchor decisions in purpose:
Explain the function behind the move.
→ Connect actions to shared goals.
Purpose reduces friction.

4- Lead with warmth and structure:
Offer human connection.
→ Hold clear boundaries.
Stability builds trust.

5- Be intentional about who you grow around:
Seek peers aligned with your new level.
→ Expand your circle thoughtfully.
Alignment fuels sustainable growth.

As John Maxwell said:
“Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.”

Influence requires maturity.

Because the higher you rise,
the more your presence affects identity in others.

Leadership isn’t just about performance.
It’s about managing impact.

When you grow with structure, humanity, and clear boundaries,
You don’t end up alone. You elevate your ecosystem.

→ New peers
→ New alignment
→ New conversations

Growth doesn’t isolate you.
It refines who walks with you.

And that’s not a loss.
That’s leadership.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

If everything is a priority,
nothing really is!

Want to know why some people 
achieve more with less effort?

80% of your results come
from 20% of your actions.
The rest? It just keeps you busy.

The smartest leaders don’t work more hours.
They focus on what matters most.

Every “yes” is a trade-off:

↳ Say yes to high-impact work,
 and no to tasks that drain your energy.

↳ Say yes to actions that move the needle,
 and no to “urgent” distractions.

↳ Say yes to what fuels your vision,
 and no to everything else.

It’s not about managing time.
It’s about managing priorities.

As Stephen Covey said:
 "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule,
 but to schedule your priorities."

Work on the 20% that brings the biggest impact.
Your energy, results, and happiness will thank you.

P.S. What’s the 20% you’ll focus on this week?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ DM me for coaching and speaking
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

She sat down
Tired eyes
Stable role

She looked at me and asked me:
“Diana… why do I feel behind if nothing is wrong?”

Maybe you’ve felt it too.
➟ Good pay
➟ Strong team
➟ Supportive boss
And still… flat.

Because safety and growth are not the same.

When work becomes predictable,
your brain stops stretching.
And when you stop stretching,
energy drops.

You’re not tired from pressure.
You’re tired from repetition.

Security can protect.
But comfort can quietly shrink you.

That’s why I created my 6-step GROWTH Formula
to turn stability into strategic leverage:

G — Gauge learning:
➟ What did you master this year?
➟ Is your value expanding?

R — Review autonomy:
➟ Do you influence decisions?
➟ Or mainly execute?

O — Observe curiosity:
➟ Are you asking new questions?
➟ Or repeating old answers?

W — Weigh your why"
➟ Are you here by choice?
➟ Or by fear?

T — Test your stretch:
➟ When did work last challenge you?
➟ Discomfort signals expansion.

H — Harness momentum:
➟ What small move would re-ignite growth?
➟ One conversation. One project. One risk.

Stability is a resource.
Not an identity.

As Peter Drucker said:
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Growth fuels confidence.
Progress fuels energy.
Movement fuels leadership.

You don’t change your life by changing your goals.
You change your life by changing who you are.

Strategic leadership starts with identity.
Become the leader your next level requires.

P.S. Which step resonated most with you?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

Use my 6-step GROWTH Formula by DL

The hardest shift in your career
is not effort. It’s perspective.

Many high performers start 
as excellent executors:
→ Fast
→ Trusted
→ Reliable

But leadership asks for something more.
It asks you to think at a different level.

As Michael Porter said:
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.”

Here are 5 practical ways that move you 
from Executor to Strategic Leader:

1- Create impact:
→ Multiply results through people and systems.
→ Measure success by collective outcomes.

2- Elevate the conversation:
→ Clarify why the work matters.
→ Connect tasks to direction.

3- Think beyond today:
→ Look at decisions through a longer horizon.
→ Consider the ripple effect of choices.

4- Focus on leverage:
→ Invest energy where it creates the most impact.
→ Small inputs. Big outcomes.

5- Lead with stewardship:
→ Treat responsibility as a privilege.
→ Make decisions that strengthen the team long term.

That’s when your work
stops being about output…

and starts shaping outcomes.

And that’s when your career
begins to create real impact.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

What distinguishes a Great Leaders?
It's not just about achieving targets or driving profits.
It's about standing up for your team!

To truly excel as a Leader, 
↳ You must protect your team from:
→ Negative stereotypes or biases
→ Blame for mistakes that aren't theirs
→ Office politics that undermine collaboration
→ Unreasonable workloads that lead to burnout
→ Misaligned priorities from upper management

It's your job to have your team's back, 
↳ Whether they see it or not:
→ Resolve conflicts quickly and respectfully
→ Shield them from unnecessary disruptions
→ Provide clarity when goals or expectations shift
→ Advocate for fair compensation and recognition
→ Create opportunities for growth and development

By standing up for your team,
↳ You amplify their voice and drive their success:
→ Innovation and creativity thrive
→ Engagement and morale increase
→ Results and performance improve
→ Loyalty to you as a leader deepens
→ Trust within the team grows stronger

Great Managers protect their people. 
Great Leaders empower them to succeed.

P.S. What else can you do to have your team's back?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? I’m just a DM away.
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

Stop Trying to Be Liked by Everyone.
Being nice to everyone
doesn’t set you free.

It makes you neutral.
And neutrality in a leadership role
is expensive.

Research from Harvard University
calls it the “false harmony” trap:
When teams avoid hard topics
to protect relationships,
they don’t build trust.
They build quiet distrust.

As Brené Brown says:
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort.”

Your team doesn’t need you agreeable.
They need you clear.

Here are 5 ways to stop being neutral
and start taking a position:

1- Listen. Then elevate:
→ Let key voices speak first.
→ Synthesize and define the direction.

2- Anchor to the objective:
→ Reference a metric, goal, or deadline.
→ Remove personal language. Focus on outcomes.

3- Close the loop:
→ Summarize the options out loud.
→ Clearly state the path forward.

4- Handle pushback with steadiness:
→ Acknowledge the concern briefly.
→ Restate your position calmly.

5- End with execution:
→ Define the next step before the meeting ends.
→ Assign timeline and ownership.

Clarity + Action = Leadership.

Trying to please everyone feels safe.
But it costs you credibility.

Neutral leaders create confusion.
Clear leaders create momentum.

Because in leadership,
kindness earns access.
Definition earns trust.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

The first impression isn’t what you say
It’s how your temperament shows up.

At work, it shows up in many ways:

1- The Driven – decisive and fast:
 ➟ Pause before reacting.
 ➟ Use “we” to bring others with you.

2- The Calm – steady and patient:
 ➟ Set clear boundaries.
 ➟ Let your stability shine in conflicts.

3- The Thoughtful – analytical and precise:
 ➟ Apply the 80/20 rule to avoid perfectionism.
 ➟ See feedback as information, not attack.

4- The Enthusiastic – energizing and social:
 ➟ Create simple systems to stay focused.
 ➟ Practice active listening to deepen impact.

5- The Visionary – creative and future-focused:
 ➟ Break big dreams into small steps.
 ➟ Stay grounded in today’s priorities.

As Maya Angelou said:
 “People will forget what you said,
But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

You don’t need to change your temperament.
You need to regulate it.
When your best side shows up,
People feel it.
And that’s what builds real leadership.

P.S. Which temperament feels most like you today?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership insights

Being young at work is an advantage
when you know how to use it.

Energy is not the problem.
Ambition is not the problem.
The strategy is.

When you’re early in your career,
It’s tempting to prove.

→ To rush
→ To correct
→ To stand out

But influence doesn’t grow from noise.
It grows from stability.

Here are 5 ways to lead young and be trusted:

1- Be useful:
↳ What problem can I quietly solve this week?
↳ What process can I make simpler for everyone?
Utility builds power.

2- Speak to move things forward:
↳ Will this comment clarify or just showcase me?
↳ Can I summarize and propose the next step?
Order creates presence.

3- Build on what already works:
↳ What’s working that I can recognize first?
↳ How can my idea feel like progress?
Respect lowers defenses.

4- Make others look good:
↳ Who can I publicly credit today?
↳ How can my work make my manager’s life easier?
Allies gain influence faster.

5- Do the work. The rest follows:
↳ What measurable result can I show?
↳ Did I document the impact clearly?
Results create authority.

As Benjamin Franklin said:
“Well done is better than well said.”

Leading young is about being reliable.
When you stop trying to stand out,
and start making things better,
people start listening.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

The day you stop resisting feedback
is the day your leadership accelerates.

He looked frustrated.
Not angry.
Just… tired.

He leaned back during our session and said:
“Diana… can I tell you something?”
“I hate feedback.”

Maybe you’ve felt that too:
➟ You care about your work
➟ You prepare more than anyone
➟ You hold yourself to high standards

So, when someone says:
“Can I give you some feedback?”
It doesn’t always feel like a gift.
It feels personal.

Your mind starts racing:
Did I miss something?
What could I have done better?

That reaction is human.
Because we take pride in our work.
But over time, the best leaders make a shift.

They realize something important:
Feedback is built on trust.

Someone cared enough
to share how your work lands on the other side.

Not to judge you.
To help you grow.

And when you approach feedback with an open mind,
it becomes one of the fastest ways to learn.

Use my 4-step GIFT formula 
to turn feedback into a growth advantage:

G — Get curious:
 ➟ Listen with openness.
 ➟ Ask: “Can you share an example?”

I — Identify the insight:
 ➟ Look for patterns.
 ➟ Feedback often reveals blind spots.

F — Focus on the opportunity:
 ➟ Growth rarely requires reinvention.
 ➟ Small adjustments create big progress.

T — Try a new approach:
 ➟ Apply the insight next time.
 ➟ Leadership grows through iteration.

Because feedback is not about your past.
It’s about expanding your future impact.

As Ken Blanchard said:
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”

The leaders who grow the fastest don’t wait for annual reviews:
➟ They ask
➟ They listen
➟ They improve

Build feedback conversations into your day-to-day.
Make it part of your leadership toolkit.
That’s when feedback becomes one of your greatest accelerators.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? I’m just a DM away.
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

Use my 4-step GIFT formula by DL

Ever tried to develop a new skill at work
and suddenly felt like the least capable person in the room?

You double-check your work.
You hesitate before speaking.
You feel a little out of place in the room.

And you wonder:
“Why does this suddenly feel so hard?”

Growth rarely feels comfortable.
It feels uncertain.

When you develop a new skill,
your brain is doing unfamiliar work.

→ New patterns
→ New thinking
→ New habits

That’s why it can feel clumsy at first.
But discomfort is not a warning sign.

It’s often a signal
that something important is happening.

Personal and professional growth
follow the same path:

First → Uncertainty
Then → Effort
Then → Progress

The mistake many people make
is stopping at the first stage.

They interpret difficulty as a problem.
But growth never happens in comfort.

It happens when you:

1- Try something new
↳ Even when you feel inexperienced.

2- Face uncertainty
↳ Without needing perfect clarity.

3- Stay consistent
↳ Even when progress feels slow.

Sometimes improvement
feels like getting worse first.

Because learning stretches you
before it strengthens you.

As Carol Dweck said:
“Becoming is better than being.”

That awkward stage you’re feeling?
It’s often the moment
your career is expanding.

Stay in the stretch long enough
and something powerful happens:

Capability becomes confidence.
Confidence becomes influence.
And influence is what opens the door
to the next level of leadership.

P.S. What skill are you building today
that your next role will require?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso Strategic Leadership

Most teams are diverse.
Very few know how to use it.

Walk into almost any organization today, and you’ll see it:
→ Different cultures
→ Different experiences
→ Different backgrounds

Diversity is no longer rare.
But something else still is.
Inclusion.

Because diversity is who is in the room.
Inclusion is who feels comfortable speaking in the room.

And when people feel they belong,
something powerful happens:

→ Ideas expand
→ Perspectives challenge assumptions
→ Decisions get better

That’s why inclusion is not just a value.
It’s a leadership skill.

Here are 5 ways leaders turn diversity into real strength:

1- Be curious about perspectives:
 ↳ Whose voice haven’t we heard yet?
 ↳ What perspective could improve this decision?
 Curiosity expands thinking.

2- Create psychological safety:
 ↳ Do people feel comfortable challenging ideas?
 ↳ Do I respond with openness or defensiveness?
 Safety unlocks contribution.

3- Recognize uniqueness:
 ↳ What strengths does each person bring?
 ↳ How can I make those strengths visible?
 Recognition builds belonging.

4- Check your assumptions:
 ↳ Could bias be shaping this decision?
 ↳ Am I listening to understand?
 Awareness improves leadership.

5- Make space for contribution:
 ↳ Who might have an idea we haven’t heard?
 ↳ How can I bring more voices into the conversation?
 Inclusion drives performance.

When inclusion is real, diversity stops being a statistic.
It becomes a competitive advantage.

As Verna Myers said:
“Diversity is being invited to the party.
 Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

And when that happens,
teams don’t just become more inclusive.
They become smarter.

So, next time you’re in a meeting, 
try something simple:
→ Pause
→ Look around the room.
→ And ask: “Whose perspective are we missing?”

Sometimes one question
is all it takes to make people feel included.

P.S. What is one habit that helps you build a more inclusive team?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

Your biggest competition isn’t in the room.
It’s the hesitation inside you.

Not the colleague next to you.
Not the market.
Not the economy.

The quiet doubt that whispers:
“Maybe wait.”
“Maybe you’re not ready.”
“Maybe don’t push too much.”

Believing in yourself is a full-time job.
No days off.

Because this work isn’t in your contract.
But it determines how far your talent goes.

Self-belief isn’t loud confidence.
It’s internal steadiness.

It’s choosing not to let fear make executive decisions.

As Theodore Roosevelt said,
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

Here are 5 ways to treat belief like a daily practice:

1 — Interrupt the doubt loop:
→ Notice the negative script.
→ Replace it with one fact about your capability.

2 — Take one visible risk daily:
→ Share the idea.
→ Ask the bold question.

3 — Track internal wins:
→ Write down progress.
→ Celebrate efforts.

4 — Separate fear from truth:
→ Ask: Is this fact or insecurity?
→ Decide based on evidence.

5 — Stay consistent with yourself:
→ Show up even when confidence is low.
→ Act aligned with the leader you’re becoming.

When you decide to step into the arena,
something shifts:
→ Your posture strengthens.
→ Your voice carries differently.
→ Your presence expands without forcing it.

And one day, you’ll realize this:
The room didn’t change.
You did.

That’s leadership!

It begins the moment you decide
you are no longer negotiating with your potential.

Promotions don’t start on paper.
They start with identity.

And when you consistently back yourself,
The world begins to meet you at that level.

P.S. Which one resonates most with you right now?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership Insights

You don’t have an execution problem.
You have an overthinking habit.

Let’s be real:
→ You’ve read the article
→ You’ve saved the quote
→ You’ve talked about the idea.
But the action? Still waiting.

That book?
↳ Highlighting like a pro.
Applying it? Not so much.

That change you keep thinking about?
It won’t happen in your head.
↳ It happens when you move.

Here’s the truth:
Thinking is safe. Doing is brave.

Success doesn’t come from knowing more.
It comes from doing more, especially before you feel ready.

As Peter Marshall said:
“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” 

So, today:
→ Send the email
→ Launch the idea
→ Schedule the meeting

Because movement builds confidence.
And clarity lives on the other side of action.

You don’t need more motivation.
You need one brave step.
And yes! you’ve got this. 💪

P.S. What small step would make you proud today?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership insights

Visual: visualshustles🙏

Most leaders want better performance.
Very few know what actually creates it.

Look at almost any team:
 → People working
 → People trying
 → People waiting for feedback

And behaviour follows attention.
When leaders recognize what works,
 → Confidence grows
 → Motivation increases
 → Performance repeats itself

Because every person needs two things at work:
 → To feel valued
 → To feel part of something
Recognition gives both.

That’s why great leaders use reinforcement on purpose.

Here are 5 simple ways to strengthen behavior in your team:

1- Recognize in the moment:
→ Say it when it happens.
→ Immediate feedback builds momentum.

2- Be clear about what worked:
→ Name the action.
→ Clarity helps people repeat it.

3- Connect effort to impact:
→ Show how their work helped the team.
→ Meaning drives commitment.

4- Make recognition a habit:
→ Small words. Often.
→ Consistency builds culture.

5- Recognize yourself too:
→ Notice your progress.
→ Confidence grows with awareness.

When recognition becomes a habit,
performance stops depending on pressure…
and starts coming from commitment.

Sometimes all it takes is one sentence:
"Well done. That made a difference."

P.S. Which tip resonates with you the most today?

♻️ Repost this to inspire others
➕ Need support? Send me a DM
🔔 Follow Diana Lasso for more Strategic Leadership

I teach, consult, coach, and facilitate using my JOY framework to drive growth and success. I Fractional Head of Learning I ExDell

I help organizations build succession-ready leaders using neuroscience—not hope.

Most leadership programs feel good but change nothing. Succession plans exist on paper, but when someone leaves, you scramble. High-potentials exit. The bench is shallow.

I've seen this problem at scale and I've solved it.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THE BACKGROUND

I've designed and deployed leadership pipeline systems for 11,000+ leaders across two Fortune 500 companies (one in technology, one in financial services).

Both times, I learned the same lesson: Leadership development only works when it's built as infrastructure, not events.

The programs that created lasting impact had three things in common:
→ Clear frameworks (leaders knew what "great" looked like)
→ Internal ownership (HR could sustain without consultants)  
→ Measurable outcomes (tied to succession readiness, not just satisfaction scores)

That experience became The JOY Framework™—a neuroscience-backed methodology that builds leadership capability designed to survive beyond any single program or facilitator.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THE JOY FRAMEWORK™

A proprietary system that translates happiness science and positive psychology research into measurable leadership behaviors, assessed and developed across three core dimensions:

J – Joyful Self-Mastery  
Leaders who regulate under pressure, make decisions from clarity (not stress), and show up consistently for their teams.

O – Organizational Vitality  
Leaders who build high-trust, high-energy environments where people are neurobiologically primed to perform.

Y – Yielding Meaning  
Leaders who connect work to purpose, sustain motivation, and retain top talent even during difficult times.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
WHO I WORK WITH

CHROs and Talent Leaders at mid-sized organizations (500–5,000 employees) who are tired of:
→ Succession plans that fail in practice
→ Leadership programs that feel good but change nothing  
→ High-potential exits
→ Weak leadership benches

I bring enterprise-scale thinking to organizations that don't have enterprise-scale timelines or budgets.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
WHAT I OFFER

→ 90-Day Leadership Pipeline Sprint (flagship consulting engagement)
→ JOY Framework™ Assessments (individual & organizational)
→ Keynotes & Workshops (#IAmRemarkable, leadership development)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
If your succession plan exists on paper but fails in practice, let's talk.

→ DM me "Pipeline" for a 15-minute diagnostic conversation
→ Take the FREE Inner Home for Happiness™ Assessment: in the featured section

Dr. Zippy Abla

The promotion didn’t ruin them.

Your leadership development model did.

Most companies promote their best individual contributor…
…and accidentally create their worst manager.

Because the skills that make someone exceptional don’t scale up the org chart.

They often become liabilities.

Here’s how the work actually changes:

Team Lead
• Solves problems personally
• Moves fast because they control the details
• Wins through individual execution

Mid-Level Manager
• Builds systems that work without them
• Develops people who outperform them
• Makes decisions with incomplete information

Senior Executive
• Shapes culture through invisible decisions
• Allocates resources across competing priorities
• Creates conditions for problems solved by people they will never meet

Three completely different jobs.

Yet most organizations treat them as the same role with more direct reports.
The results are predictable.

The research tells the story:
→ 60% of new managers fail within their first 18 months (CEB)
→ 87% of companies say leadership development is a priority, but only 7% have effective programs (Deloitte)
→ $7 billion lost annually from poor leadership transitions (DDI)

Leaders rarely fail because they lack talent.
They fail because no one prepared them for fundamentally different work.

The traits that got them promoted become the problem:
• The perfectionist becomes the bottleneck
• The problem-solver becomes the micromanager
• The results-driver becomes the culture destroyer

The system isn’t broken.
It’s working exactly as designed.

Rewarding past performance instead of future capability.

So here’s the real question:

How many great individual contributors has your organization turned into struggling managers?

➕ Follow Dr. Zippy Abla for neuroscience-backed frameworks that prepare leaders for the leap, not just the ladder.

Founder, The JOY Institute | Building Succession-Ready Leaders Using Neuroscience | Proven with 11,000+ Leaders Across Fortune 500 Companies

There is something magical about a room full of women who refuse to dim their light.

Yesterday, I got to sit in one of those rooms.

My girls, Shalece  L Daniels,  Melissa McClary Davis, Christa Stephens, and Camille Banks, MUP, EDFP, were honored as one of the Top 10 Michigan Businesswomen of 2026 by NAWBO Greater Detroit Chapter (NAWBO GDC), and I had the privilege of being there to celebrate them.

And wow… what a room it was.

A room full of women who are brilliant, bold, and building businesses even when things feel like a hot mess.

Because let's be honest… some days entrepreneurship looks less like a strategy meeting and more like coffee, chaos, and "we'll figure it out."

Women who lift each other up, celebrate each other loudly, and talk highly about each other when they're not even in the room.

I laughed so hard, teared up a little, and left feeling incredibly grateful.

One of the special moments was sharing space with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who continues to fight for our rights with so much courage and zeal. That kind of leadership inspires me.

Proof that when women gather, we don't just network… we laugh, celebrate, and remind each other how powerful we really are.

And in the spirit of Women's History Month, it reminded me of something important.

So many incredible women are doing remarkable things… but still struggle to own their voice, share their story, and say out loud, "Yes, I did that."

So I'm planning another FREE #IAMRemarkable Masterclass for anyone who struggles to talk about their achievements or wants their team to feel confident speaking up about their impact.

Because the truth is simple.

You are remarkable.

And the world deserves to hear your story.

If you want to join the next FREE #IAMRemarkable Masterclass, comment #IAMRemarkable below and I'll send you the details.

The fastest way to kill innovation?

Promote leaders…
 then refuse to let them lead.

When organizations micromanage new leaders, they think they're being supportive.

They're not.

They're destroying their own leadership pipeline.

Here's what actually happens.

The innovation never comes.

Leaders learn that every idea needs three approvals and a business case.

So they stop suggesting them.

The talent leaves.

42% of employee turnover is preventable.

Most of it comes down to how managers are empowered (or aren't) to actually lead.

People don’t leave because their manager lacks skills.

They leave because the system handcuffs their manager.

The culture becomes bureaucratic.

When everyone is trained to ask instead of act, decision-making slows to a crawl.

Eventually, even simple choices require committee approval.

And your future leaders are watching.

If they see capability being undermined in the name of “support,” they learn what leadership means here.

It means waiting for approval.
It means checking boxes.
It means managing risk instead of creating value.

That’s not building a leadership pipeline.

That’s building a permission-seeking assembly line.

The best leaders don’t wait for perfect systems.

But they also don’t stay in organizations that prevent them from leading.

What practices in your organization look like development…
 but actually teach people not to lead?

♻ Repost if you believe leaders need autonomy, not more approvals.
➕ Follow for insights on building leadership capacity that actually lasts.

Or DM me if you're ready to redesign how your organization develops leaders.

Some leaders are promoted because they're harsh.

Then organizations wonder why their best people leave.

Kindness in leadership is often mistaken for weakness.

Many companies quietly reward that misunderstanding.

Last year I watched a VP get promoted.

Not despite her harshness.

Because of it.

"She gets results," they said.

What they didn't track:

→ Three high performers who quietly left her team
→ The meetings people started avoiding
→ The ideas that stopped being shared

Harsh leadership often looks effective from the outside.

Deadlines are met.
People comply.
Numbers move.

But something else starts happening beneath the surface.

→ Fear creates compliance.
→ Compliance looks like performance.
→ But it slowly kills innovation.

Research from Georgetown University shows that when employees experience incivility at work:

→ 48% intentionally decrease their work effort
→ 47% see a decline in the quality of their work
→ 38% lose work time avoiding the offender

Your "results-driven" harsh leader may be producing results.

But they're also quietly destroying the conditions that create them.

Anyone can be harsh.
Anyone can use sarcasm as a management tool.
Anyone can get short-term compliance through fear.

The harder leadership choice?

Holding a high standard while still treating people with dignity.

Because kindness is not soft leadership.

It is disciplined leadership.

→ It means correcting someone without humiliating them.
→ It means choosing respect even when you're frustrated.
→ It means remembering that every person you interact with is carrying something you cannot see.

Real leadership is not measured by how loudly you speak.

It is measured by how people show up after they walk away from a conversation with you.

Strength and kindness are not opposites.

The best leaders practice both.

So the real question for leaders isn't:
"Can I afford to be kind?"

It's this:

Can you afford not to be?

When people leave a conversation with you…

Do they feel smaller or stronger?

Because culture is not built in strategy meetings.

It is built one conversation at a time.

➕ Follow Dr. Zippy Abla for neuroscience-backed frameworks that build high standards without breaking your people.

Somewhere along the way, we decided joy was something you earn.

Finish the project. 
Hit the number. 
Survive the quarter. 
Then you can exhale.

But what if that's exactly backwards?

Joy isn't the finish line. 
It's the fuel.

The leaders who actually last, who bring life into the room instead of draining it, don't wait for circumstances to permit them to feel okay.

They choose joy before the circumstances cooperate.

So today, before the week starts demanding things from you

Exhale.

You don't have to earn joy this week. 
You already have it.
Choose it.

➕ Follow Dr. Zippy Abla — sustainable leadership starts from the inside out.

Most leadership development programs fail.

Not because they lack good content.

Because they start in the wrong place.

Most organizations follow the same process:
→ Design a leadership program
 → Run it for six months
 → Then try to prove it worked

That’s not strategy.

That’s organizational gambling.

I watched a Fortune 500 company invest $2.3M in a leadership initiative.

Six months in, the executive sponsor asked a simple question:
"What’s our ROI?"

The L&D team had the answer.
Satisfaction scores.

That was it.

Millions spent.
Happy sheets.
Zero business impact.

The problem wasn’t the program.

It was the design sequence.

When evaluation is an afterthought, you're not measuring a program.
You're autopsying one.

Organizations that integrate evaluation from day one tell a very different story.

A 2024 HiBob report found that leadership programs with built-in evaluation frameworks generate up to $4.15 in ROI for every $1 invested.

The difference isn't the training.

It's the architecture.

Organizations seeing real returns do three things differently:
→ They design for measurable outcomes, not just content delivery
→ They track behavior change, not just knowledge transfer
→ They identify what works before scaling, not after failing

When evaluation isn’t built into the design, you're not just missing measurement.

You're designing a program that structurally cannot deliver results.

Because a leadership program without evaluation isn’t built to change anything.

It’s built to run.

And run it does.

Straight through your budget.

Your leadership development investment deserves better than expensive hope.

The organizations getting $4+ back on every dollar aren't lucky.

They simply design differently from day one.

➕ Follow Dr. Zippy Abla for neuroscience-backed frameworks that build leadership programs for impact, not just completion.

Most people only see the highlights.

Professor.
Doctorate.
Fortune 500 consultant.

But the real story looked very different.

I was told my accent would hold me back.
At the time, I believed them.

I was an African immigrant kid trying to figure out where I belonged professionally.

My first corporate role didn't help.
I watched "leadership development" programs that developed nothing.

So, I tried to grow the old-fashioned way.
I applied for a promotion.
Rejected.

Applied again.
Rejected again.

That's when I realized something important:
If the system won't open doors for you…
You build new ones.

So, I went back to school.
I landed at Cornell, studying HR and compensation.

But the doubt didn't disappear.
When I started my Ed.D., I still questioned whether I belonged.

So, I studied something personal.
My dissertation focused on African immigrant faculty success.
Because representation matters.

Eventually, I crossed the finish line.
Dr. Zippy Abla.

But the real milestone wasn't the title.
I realized I could build the career I once thought was impossible.

Since then:
-Professor teaching Leadership & Organizational Systems at Cleary University
-Director of the Education Center, transforming student and faculty development
-Built L&D programs at United Wholesale Mortgage
-Partnered with global leaders at Dell Technologies

Then I built something even more personal.
Zippy Consulting Group.
The leadership development firm I wish existed when I started.

Today I:
-Consult for Fortune 500 companies
-Teach future leaders
-Speak on the neuroscience of behavior change
-Help professionals own their value as a #IamRemarkable Platinum Facilitator

But none of this happened without:
Rejection.
Doubt.
People underestimating me.

Sometimes those are the raw materials of purpose.

If you're in the middle of your own difficult chapter:
Keep pushing.
Your story might be building something bigger than you realize.

The weekend is a gift.

Open it with gratitude and enjoy every minute of it.

This morning, my coffee tasted different because I had nowhere urgent to be.

I noticed things I usually miss during the week.

The way sunlight hits the kitchen table just right. The sound of laughter from my kids' bedroom. That rare feeling of actually finishing a book chapter without rushing downstairs to make lunches.

Weekends remind us that rest isn't something we earn through productivity.

It's something we need to stay human.

We spend so much energy optimizing Monday through Friday that we forget the simple joy of Saturday morning in our pajamas.

No agenda required.
No metrics to hit.
Just presence.

Whether you're sleeping in until you feel like getting up, trying a new recipe, or having that second cup of coffee just because you can...

These quiet moments aren't luxury.

They're necessary.

What's one small thing you're grateful for this weekend?

Your organization spent $500K on recruiting last year.

While your managers drove away the talent you already had.

Last quarter, I watched a tech company lose 12 engineers in 8 weeks.

Their response? Double the recruiting budget.

Meanwhile, their exit interview data was screaming:
"My manager micromanages everything." 
"I don't feel heard." 
"There's no growth here."

They spent $800K on headhunters. $0 on leadership development.

Six months later, they're still hiring for the same roles.

This is the revolving door economy, and organizations are funding it voluntarily.

The research is clear. 

Organizations that invest in structured leadership training see: 
→ 80% reduction in salaried turnover 
→ 25% reduction in hourly turnover (DDI Leadership Development Study)

The math isn't complicated.

Most organizations treat turnover as a recruiting problem.

It's a leadership problem.

You're not losing people to better offers. 
You're losing them to better managers.
And the cost isn't just the replacement expenses (1.5–2x annual salary per role, by most estimates)

It's institutional knowledge walking out. 
Team morale collapsing. 
Your remaining high performers quietly recalibrating their loyalty while they watch you respond.

Here's what they're watching for:
→ Will you invest in the manager who's driving people out? 
→ Or will you just hire their replacements?

Your best people already know the answer. 
When they don't like it, they update their LinkedIn profiles.

Turnover isn't a pipeline problem. 
It's a leadership development problem you keep solving with a recruiting budget.

Stop funding the revolving door. 
Start developing the leaders who can close it.

➕ Follow Dr. Zippy Abla for neuroscience-backed frameworks that turn retention into a leadership competency, not a recruiting expense.

In honor of International Women's Day, I'm hosting a FREE #IAmRemarkable Workshop, and I want YOU there.

Most of us were taught that talking about our achievements is bragging, that humility means staying quiet, and that hard work alone will get noticed.

That ends here.
#IAmRemarkable started at Google in 2016 and has reached 550,000+ people across 180 countries because this need is real.

I became a facilitator because I've seen too many talented women struggle to own their accomplishments, including myself.

In this 90-minute interactive workshop, you will:
✨ Walk into your next review or interview able to articulate your value clearly
✨ Stop apologizing before sharing what you've accomplished
✨ Practice articulating your value in a safe space
✨ Leave with tools you can use in your next conversation about your work

This is not a lecture. It's a practice space to say: I am remarkable. 
And here is why.
The world doesn't need you to be more modest. It needs you to be more visible.
🗓️ 03/19/2026 | 🕐 2:00-3:30PM: EST | 💻 Virtual

🎟️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/dQSpCtyu

Register now your achievements deserve to be celebrated.
#IAmRemarkable #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLeadership #SelfPromotion

taplio

The Battle

Diana Lasso

Dr. Zippy Abla

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDiana Lasso's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDr. Zippy Abla's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Diana Lasso

Dr. Zippy Abla

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Diana Lasso's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDr. Zippy Abla's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDiana Lasso's LinkedIn Performance