Why We Judge People So Quickly (And How to Stop)
I watched the reaction to the World Cup final halftime show roll in as it happened. Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, even Kermit and Miss Piggy showed up for the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final. Within minutes people online were tearing it apart. One prominent football writer called the […]
What a Viral World Cup Photo Teaches Us About Confidence
A photo of a young Lionel Messi bathing a six month old Lamine Yamal in 2007 resurfaced this year once it was clear the two players would meet in the World Cup final. The story behind it holds a simple lesson: real confidence means showing up fully in a moment before you know whether it […]
Embrace the Season
My youngest daughter Mili leaves for American University in a few weeks. It’s a major moment for our family as we prepare to embrace change together. She’ll be studying in Washington, D.C., a few miles from her brand new nephew. She’s already declared herself the favorite aunt. She’s close enough to actually show up for […]
Why Confidence Feels Harder to Find Right Now (and What Actually Builds It Back)
If you’ve searched “how to feel more confident at work” or “how to stop feeling like a fraud” lately, you’re not alone. You’re part of a very large, very current wave. Right now, confidence is having a rough year. Not just personal confidence. All of it. CEO confidence dropped in the first quarter of 2026 […]
Top Confidence and Leadership Keynote Speakers for HR and People Teams in 2026
Top Confidence and Leadership Keynote Speakers for HR and People Teams in 2026 Booking a keynote means matching the speaker to your actual outcome. Are you trying to reduce turnover? Build confident managers? Give your team language for handling hard conversations? The right speaker depends on the answer. Here’s a practical roundup of speakers worth […]
Why Embracing Failure Is the Most Underused Leadership Development Tool
Every company says they want innovative employees. Almost none of them have built a culture where it’s actually safe to be wrong. That gap is costing more than morale. According to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, only 56% of workers feel it’s safe to try new approaches at work, and just 54% say […]
What Watching My Son and Daughter in Law Become Parents Taught Me About Confidence
I just became a grandma for the first time. He’s going to call me Mona one day. For now I’m just getting used to being someone’s grandma at all, and I love every second of it. But the part that’s stuck with me most isn’t about me. It’s watching my son and daughter in law […]
What Raising Six Kids Taught Me About Building Resilient Teams
Ask any HR leader what they want most from their teams, and resilience is almost always on the list. The ability to absorb change, stay steady under pressure, and keep moving forward when things get hard. It sounds simple. But if you’ve ever tried to build it intentionally inside an organization, you know it’s anything […]
Why Your Team Building Isn’t Working
(And What to Do Instead) By Simone Knego | simoneknego.com Every year, companies spend billions on team building. Ropes courses. Escape rooms. Catered offsites. And every year, leaders walk back into Monday wondering why nothing actually changed. Here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud: most team building doesn’t work. Not because the activities […]
How to Lead a Stuck Team (And What Great Leaders Do Differently)
Your team is capable. You know it. They probably know it too. So why won’t things move? If you’re trying to figure out how to lead a stuck team, the answer almost never is what you expect. When a team gets stuck, the instinct is usually to push harder. More meetings, more accountability, more pressure. […]