When I started at my agency, I was Ted Lasso: relentlessly positive with a hesitant boss. Twenty years later, as COO, I'd learned what the biscuits were really about. Here are five lessons from Ted on building a team where everyone belongs.

The Bear's final season didn't just deliver incredible food and emotional chaos — it showed us, in real time, the difference between being brilliant at your craft and being built to lead people through it. Carmy and Syd aren't just great TV characters. They're a masterclass in why talent and leadership are two entirely different jobs.

Most people wouldn't look at an Enneagram Type 7 and a Type 9 and think: yes, these two should build a company together. And honestly, they might be right to hesitate.

But two years into Phoenix Rise Consulting, we can tell you that what looks like a mismatch on paper has become one of our greatest strengths — not in spite of our differences, but because of them. One of us generates ideas faster than we can capture them and spirals into action under pressure. The other sees every side of a situation, stays calm in a crisis, and once forgot to mention there was a full week to fix an urgent problem because she already knew it would be fine.

Together, we've learned that the most effective leadership isn't about having the right personality. It's about knowing which lens you're looking through — and trusting someone else to look through theirs.

Most organizations track turnover religiously. But what if the number is lying to you? After nearly two decades in leadership, Erin makes the case that retention and engagement are not the same thing and confusing them is costing you more than you think.