Shape Shifters explores how our behavior changes depending on the situations that activate us. Drawing from Adam Grant’s idea of “if-then” signatures and research by Walter Mischel and Yuichi Shoda, this post looks at how leaders can better understand their own patterns, triggers, and strengths while becoming more curious about those of their teams. When we replace labels with questions, differences become easier to navigate and more useful to the work.

In some concerning research, the Global Leadership Forecast 2023 found that only 32% of people trust the senior leaders...