Dashboard

Forms

Listening Meetup

Page banners

Plan landings

Main navigation

Gallery

Upload

Media library

Memberships

All tickets

Create ticket

Prepaid tickets

Users

ELE is a peer-powered community where people leaders don't just reframe challenges — they leave with decisions, next moves, and 30/60/90-day commitments to move real work forward.&nbsp;For 22 years, leaders from Fortune 1000 companies have brought their hardest problems here — and left sharper than they arrived.

UPCOMING CALENDAR

LATEST IDEA EXCHANGE

RECENT INSIGHTS

WHO WE ARE

Schedule a Meetup

Vote to Shape

This is where people leaders get sharper — and their teams get smarter.ELE is a peer-powered network of people leaders who accelerate business results through shared intelligence and real-work collaboration. Learn more below about why ELE has been the trusted choice for leaders building high-performing teams for over 20 years.

About ELE

Schedule a Local Meetup

Bring a real talent challenge. Name what's at stake, what you've tried, and why it matters now.

Community-Powered Calendar

Signal what matters most. Your vote shapes what your peers tackle next.

Companies In Our Network

Contact ELE

Find the peer conversation that moves your work forward.The right exchange builds better leaders, closes capability gaps, and cuts through what internal meetings can't.

Figure out if ELE is for you. Straight answers on what ELE is, who it’s built for, and how contributing members actually work together. Still have a question? Contact us.

Get answers about how Executive Learning Exchange (ELE) works — peer-powered leadership development that fixes real work issues, reverses burnout, and accelerates business value. No programs. No vendors. In the flow of work.

Where people leaders share what's working, ask what's hard, and learn from peers navigating the same talent challenges right now. Search before you post. When referencing a resource, paste the key insight directly into your response with a link to the source.

Real conversations from people leaders tackling today's toughest talent challenges -- captured live, ready to apply with your teams when it fits your schedule, and connected to what's happening right now.

Insights on Talent Challenges | Captured Peer Conversations | ELE

Welcome

Pick your path — each plan reflects a different commitment to accelerating business value.

ELE Plans — Find your place.

Want ELE to come to you? Propose a local gathering — the community decides what gets scheduled.

<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #333; line-height: 1.8; max-width: 850px; margin: auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 18px;">
We’ve all been there: you launch a world-class leadership program, the feedback scores are off the charts, and yet… six months later, nothing has changed on the ground.
In Designing for Behavior Change, Stephen Wendel tackles the "Intention-Action Gap" head-on. This isn't a book about the psychology of why people want to change; it’s a rigorous, practical manual on how to design environments that make change inevitable. For ELE members, this represents a shift from being "content providers" to "architects of behavior."


<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h5 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Blueprint: Understanding the CREATE Model</h5>
Wendel moves beyond vague theories of habit-building and introduces the CREATE framework—a mental checklist for any leader trying to influence how their team operates. To drive a specific action, an individual must go through these stages:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Cue: Is there a clear trigger that tells the person it’s time to act?</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Reaction: What is their immediate, intuitive response to that trigger?</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Evaluation: Do they consciously see the value in performing the action?</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Ability: Is the action actually easy to do, or is there too much "friction"?</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Timing: Is the person being asked to act at the exact moment they are able to?</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1rem;">Experience: Does the action feel rewarding enough to make them want to do it again?</li>
</ul>
<blockquote style="background-color: #fdf2f2; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding: 20px 30px; margin: 2.5rem 0; border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0; font-style: italic;">
The Core Insight: Most corporate training focuses heavily on "Evaluation" (convincing people it matters), while neglecting "Ability" and "Cues" (making it easy and obvious).
</blockquote>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h5 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">Why It Matters for the ELE Community</h5>
As senior leaders in HR and Talent, your product isn't just "training"—it’s transformation. Wendel’s approach is relevant to ELE members for three specific reasons:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Moving Beyond Motivation: We often blame "lack of engagement" for failed initiatives. This book argues that if an employee isn't changing, the problem is likely in the system design, not the employee's willpower.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Data-Driven Design: Wendel provides a structured way to measure and iterate on behavioral outcomes, turning "soft" HR initiatives into hard, measurable results.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Practical Lab Alignment: This aligns perfectly with ELE’s "Action Lab" philosophy. It gives us a shared language to deconstruct complex organizational challenges and rebuild them into seamless employee experiences.</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-style: italic; color: #444; background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 30px; border-radius: 12px; border-right: 5px solid #cc0000;">Designing for the future of work requires us to move past mere information delivery and toward intentional habit architecture. By applying these behavior design principles, we can shift the needle on culture and performance in a way that is both measurable and sustainable. It’s time to stop asking if our people are "learning" and start asking if our design is making it easy for them to succeed.</div>
</div>

Designing for Behavior Change

Engagement &amp; Culture

Strategy

dirk.tussing

learning design

Change Management

leadership development

talent development

systems thinking

employee experience

Performance Improvement

patricia.ouzounian

organizational culture

behavioral science

Habit Formation

L&amp;D strategy

human-centered design

performance architecture

behavior design

frictionless growth

CREATE model

A very well written research and examples of the science of achieving greater things. Debunks several myths in our profession such as the importance of understanding learning styles. Important reading for any Talent Development professional.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again illuminates how we can elevate ourselves and others to unexpected heights.
We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.
Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.
Many writers have chronicled the habits of superstars who accomplish great things. This book reveals how anyone can rise to achieve greater things. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

leadership

innovation

jane.shlaes

growth mindset

heather.tunison

Personal Development

cognitive psychology

success strategies

psychology of success

performance optimization

michelle.eide

Behavioral scientist Alison Fragale offers powerful new insights and a practical playbook for women to advance in any workplace, full of tips, tricks, and strategies to help secure that elusive corner office.

Over decades of research, speaking engagements, and mentorship, psychologist and professor Alison Fragale encountered recurring questions from high-powered and early-career women alike: How do women thread the needle of kindness and competence in the workplace? How can women earn credit for their accomplishments, negotiate better, and navigate complex office politics without losing the goodwill of their peers?

Fragale investigated and determined that many women's workplace issues boil down to what psychologists call status: the perception of them by others. No amount of power—no degree, title, or paycheck—will raise a woman's workplace stature unless it also affects how others see her. Acknowledging this roadblock, Fragale pulls back the curtain on how we can change how others see us by developing our standing as a "likeable badass." By cultivating perceptions of warmth and assertiveness, women can achieve the kind of reputation that leads to a seat at the table and a fulfilling career path.

Likeable Badass is equal parts behavioral science and life hacks, weaving together rigorous research with actionable advice and impactful stories from a diverse array of women. This is a warm, heartening book written for women, their allies, and anyone who struggles to rise and wants evidence-based, practical strategies for success, served with a side of inspiration and humor.

Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve

angie.zeigler

Coaching

marty.murrillo

mentorship

Self-Improvement

Professional Growth

Women in Leadership

Negotiation Skills

"business psychology"

women in business

workplace success

career advancement

likeable badass

Alison Fragale

women's empowerment

status perception

workplace strategies

workplace politics

women leaders

career tips

office dynamics

assertiveness

warmth in leadership

women's workplace issues

career hacks

inspiring women

gender equity

workplace confidence

catherine.hebel

<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #333; line-height: 1.8; max-width: 850px; margin: auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 18px;">
<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Dreaded Disclosure Hangover</h4>
We have all been there: that gut-wrenching, post-meeting replay where you cringe at how much personal context or raw emotion you just shared with your colleagues. In a professional landscape that has long worshiped the stoic, hyper-polished executive persona, we live in constant fear of "Too Much Information" (TMI). We guard our thoughts, lock away our uncertainties, and default to sterile communication.
In Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing, Harvard Business School professor Leslie John argues that we are worrying about the wrong problem. Backed by more than a decade of behavioral research, John reveals that while the fear of oversharing is short-lived, the cost of under-sharing—or "Too Little Information" (TLI)—is a silent killer of organizational trust, alignment, and performance.


<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Blueprint: Mastering the Art of Wise Disclosure</h4>
John dismantles the "extroversion illusion"—the myth that talkative people are inherently open—and reframes transparency as an intentional, strategic skill. To move past the anxiety of vulnerability and tap into the power of disclosure, leaders must master three core principles:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">The Danger of TLI (Too Little Information): Under-sharing is the primary reason workplace relationships stall, trust erodes, and cross-functional silos form. When leaders hide their human side, employees default to skepticism rather than baseline trust.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">The Redemption of Gutsy Reveals: Behavioral data shows that even when a disclosure feels borderline uncomfortable, listeners rarely penalize the sharer. Instead, they deeply admire the courage, interpret the risk as an act of trust, and feel more connected to the speaker.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Knowing Your Disclosure "Why": "Wise oversharing" requires intent. Leaders must clarify their purpose before opening up—whether it is to process a high-stakes pivot, lower friction during a crisis, or empower team members to voice their own challenges.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">Why It Matters for the ELE Community</h4>
For senior talent, HR, and L&amp;D executives who are designing the architecture of hybrid workplace cultures, this book offers critical guardrails:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Operationalizing Authentic Leadership: We endlessly tell executives to be "authentic," but rarely give them the playbook. John’s research provides a practical framework for how executives can share their professional scars and current challenges to build genuine authority and influence.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">De-escalating Chronic Workplace Anxiety: In a world of distributed teams, micro-communications (like brief Slack messages or silent Zoom rooms) are easily misread. Encouraging "healthy oversharing" acts as a pressure valve, clarifying intent and preventing catastrophic assumptions.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Supercharging Psychological Safety: Psychological safety cannot be mandated via corporate policy. It is a lagging indicator of a leader's willingness to go first, take an interpersonal risk, and reveal their own blind spots.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<div style="font-style: italic; color: #444; background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 30px; border-radius: 12px; border-right: 5px solid #cc0000;">Building a world-class culture is not about designing flawless, risk-averse interactions; it is about building the capacity for radical human connection. When we allow our leaders to step away from the podium of corporate perfection and share the real, unvarnished realities of the work, we stop policing communication boundaries and start unlocking deep collective commitment. Let’s stop building armor and start building trust.</div>
</div>

Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing

Leadership

psychological safety

executive development

Team Dynamics

jim.orheim

Trust Building

Talent Engagement

human connection

communication strategy

workplace vulnerability

leadership trust

personal disclosure

authentic leadership

Working parenthood can be overwhelming, frustrating, and riddled with guilt. It can also be a source of joy, inspiration, and creativity. Balancing rich scientific research with friendly, supportive tips and anecdotes. Yael Schonbrun offers a toolkit to help even the most stressed of working parents grow the good while better managing inevitable challenges. She banishes the idea that the key to ultimate working parenthood is the ability to do it all. Instead, the key is to learn how these roles, together, can help you thrive!
<h3>Key Aspects of the Book</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>Based on Science, Not Just Opinion: The strategies in the book are rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of mindfulness-based behavioral therapy. This provides a strong, research-backed framework for the advice.</li>
 	<li>Focus on Mindset: The book is not about productivity "hacks" to fit more into your day. Instead, it's an "inside-out" approach that teaches you how to change the way you think and feel about your roles.</li>
 	<li>Practical Strategies: The book outlines 12 specific strategies, such as getting clear on your core values, practicing mindfulness, and viewing the transition between roles as a form of "micro-rest." These are designed to be actionable and manageable for busy parents.</li>
 	<li>Embraces Imperfection: Work, Parent, Thrive encourages you to let go of guilt and accept that some things are out of your control. It helps you focus on what truly matters to you, rather than on the pressure to be perfect in every area of your life.</li>
</ul>

Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection