In January 2022, Carrie Fox set out on a blog series called Finding the Words because she had something to say. By the end of the year, you were doing more than listening. You were deeply in this work with her. And because of you, we’re keeping this series going, every week through 2023 and beyond. Our promise: Carrie will keep delivering these essays each Wednesday morning to further support your work as acommunicator for change. Your promise: keep telling us how these insights are impacting and influencing your work.
Here are some of the most regularly shared columns. If you like what you see, then subscribe here.
Growing in the Right Direction.
If you're in a season where progress feels slower than you'd hoped, I want to offer you this: there are many ways to measure growth, and even more ways to make an impact. Progress is not always obvious, and it is not always off the charts.
But it is always possible.
See It Their Way.
Nearly 20 years ago, early into owning my first company, a young employee on my team began struggling. We noticed it first through missed deadlines, followed by increased difficulty connecting with colleagues. There was a visible discomfort she wasn't ready to name, but others were picking up on.
Celebrate the Climb.
If you're in a space between — where you are and where you want to be — I encourage you to reflect on the mountains you've already covered, and acknowledge your progress with generosity. Consider what you've learned since your last big challenge, and how much more equipped you are — even if it doesn't feel that way — for what's ahead.
Communicating for Trust.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to truly communicate well — not just to deliver a message, but to make it land. To communicate in a way that changes how someone thinks, feels, or acts, and deepens trust in the process. It's on my mind this week because of a challenge recently posed by a new executive — someone who stepped into a role where trust had been damaged and now needs to earn his team's trust while rebuilding what was previously lost.
The Learning Zone.
I was in my early 20s, navigating the first years of my professional career, when I remember thinking to myself: I have no idea what I’m doing here. The pace was fast. The expectations were high. I was being asked to do work I had never done before, surrounded by colleagues who seemed far more fluent in it than I was. And I wasn’t about to admit how lost I felt.
How to Command The Room.
You don't need to dominate a room to command it. Instead, the next time you step up to speak, remember to prepare so well that you can be present, connect so deeply that others feel seen, and share your passion so openly that it moves people to action. Do those things, and you won't just command a room—you'll change it.
Purpose Under Pressure.
We are all in a pressurized state right now. The weight of uncertainty is heavy and dizzying. But as one nonprofit leader reminded me recently, diamonds are formed under pressure. And just as a brilliant diamond can be formed under pressure, so too can our mission be clarified under intense conditions.
A Good, Hard Listen.
So, what if we made listening, not talking, our greatest act of leadership? When we choose to listen, we will also choose to quiet the noise. And that one simple act can begin to bridge divides, repair harm, and re-humanize the spaces we share.
Lost in the Work.
We can choose to be lost in the work, or we can choose to find meaning right where we are—even in the chaos—and let that meaning guide us forward. So today, I’ll choose to get lost in something that matters. Something small, hopeful, forward-looking. And I hope you can too.
Despite our Differences.
Disagreement will always be part of our work. It can also be good for the work, as long as there are equal amounts of disagreement, respect, and collaboration. If we can hold space for all three, we will not only get through the challenges but also build something lasting.
Super Human.
The opportunity before us is not to be superhuman, but to be that super kind of leader, manager, or peer who says through your actions: You belong here. And you don’t have to choose between being who you are and being who we need you to be.
Making the Most of Your Strategic Plan
Strategic planning doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. What it does need is readiness at the outset and commitment all the way through. Because the true measure of a plan isn’t how impressive it looks on paper—it’s how fully it comes alive in practice.
Free Space.
When we learn to redeem the free spaces in our days, wherever we can find them—be it a brief walk during a busy day, 10 minutes of meditation between meetings, or an hour of quiet unstructured time—we learn to regain control of our days, our decisions, and our actions. Free space can bring us back.
Managing Through Bad Days.
The power of communication is that we can use it to diffuse heated moments, we can use it to soothe people feeling uneasy or upset, and we can use it to bridge divides. If you find yourself communicating in ways that are elevating situations, then try some of these tips—or pass them along to someone who might find them valuable.
You Are Here.
I know the feeling of wanting more from a colleague—and the feeling of personally underdelivering. Even when I’ve given something my all, sometimes the results are less than I hoped. Those moments can be defeating, and they can knock us off course. If they happen too often, they’re a certain recipe for job transition. So, I’ve come to navigate these requests differently in recent years.
Making Time.
This week's column is as much a call for you as it is for me. We can all benefit from a little more time together. We can all benefit from less phone time and more face time. (And no, the app on your phone does not count.) Because leadership, after all, is best practiced in the present.
Until Soon.
Statistically speaking, most people touch their phone screens significantly more times per day than they will reach out and touch each other. We feel for our phones first thing in the morning; just as they are often the last touch before our heads hit the pillow.
How Stories Shape Us.
There are no shortage of issues working to pull us apart. Consider where you can get closer to people experiencing and impacted by those issues and see what it does for you as a result.
In Service.
So, in this season of gratitude, during this long fall holiday weekend, around a table and elsewhere, I will count my blessings for you. I will practice gratitude for the gifts before me and the values worth working for. As we know, to move forward from this time, we need a willingness to work, a willingness to close divides, and a willingness to come together. Because together is the best direction to go.
Who Wrote This?
AI is most powerful when used to augment and enhance human intelligence rather than replace it. While the use of AI in communication moving forward is inevitable, it is only human to have a brain, a heart, and a conscience. If you want to distinguish between real and fake, look for the human between the words.
Looking for more?
Read the first year of Finding the Words articles.
