Valerie Polunas

Two managers can attend the same leadership training, receive the same tools, and work within the same organizational culture, yet develop at very different rates. One manager always has an answer, even when it is wrong. The other is willing to say, “I don’t know yet,” ask questions, and investigate further. One assumes employees understand what is expected. The other creates clarity by discussing and co-defining expectations with the team. One relies on assumptions when pressure builds. The...

Dissent runs in my family. My great grandfather made bootleg gin during Prohibition. My father protested the Vietnam War in his early twenties. My grandmother spoke truth to power when the ministers at our church started preaching who to vote for. I’ve tried to carry on that legacy in my own way, including nonviolence work with Palestinian youth in the mid-2000s and showing up in the United States when I’ve believed democracy was under threat. But some of the most important dissent I’ve...

Creating opportunities for authentic listening and engagement at work What happens when leaders know something is wrong, but the organization does not yet know enough to make the right decision? HR sees this all the time. Trust drops. Productivity slows. Employees become quieter in meetings but louder in side conversations. Managers start saying, “I’m not sure what people need from me.” Leaders feel pressure to act quickly, but the information they are receiving is incomplete, filtered, or...