Without confidence, leadership falls flat.

And here’s the part too many people forget: You don’t have to wait for someone to anoint you with a title before you start leading with confidence.

I tell every group I work with the same thing:

👉 Everyone is a leader.

Not future leaders. Not potential leaders. Leaders—full stop. And if you want others to follow your lead, you have to show them someone worth following. That begins with confidence. Not arrogance, not bravado. Instead, real, earned, practiced confidence.

It’s what helps people get behind you. It’s what earns trust. A team won’t rally behind someone who doesn’t even believe in themselves.

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” – Harold Geneen

So where do you start?

In a Cohesion Culture™, every team member must feel a sense of belonging, value, and mutual commitment.

BUT that doesn’t mean standing still.

Adapting to emerging technologies like AI is now part of being truly “included”. Because no one gets left behind when everyone is learning forward.

Recently, the CEO of Shopify, Tobias Lütke, shared how Artificial Intelligence is changing the way they work. Lütke has set the expectation that every single person at Shopify, including leadership, must embrace AI deeply and immediately. He laid down a clear, no-nonsense challenge for every person in every position: AI is no longer optional. It's a core skill. Learn it. Use it. Share it.

As essential as knowing how to send an email is to holding a job at Shopify, you must equally be able to utilize emerging AI technologies.

Let's eavesdrop on a conversation between your employee and C.A.R.L., the Cohesive Artificial Response Leader.

Hey C.A.R.L., why am I not getting promoted? I’m showing up, doing my job...

If you feel overlooked for promotion, it might be helpful to assess whether you are actively participating in your own growth plan and seeking opportunities to contribute beyond your immediate responsibilities.

So what am I supposed to do? Wait for my manager to finally notice me?

The book suggests that instead of waiting for your manager to notice you, you should take proactive steps to stand out and make a positive impact.

Over 56% of today’s workforce has become increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of training and development offered by their employer. Many of these same people are being passed over for promotion with no plan for success.

Toxicity in the workplace is like an invisible weight dragging down morale, productivity, and retention.

Many employees find themselves working in environments where toxic behaviors thrive, unsure of how to navigate or challenge them.

So, I asked C.A.R.L., the Cohesive Artificial Responder Leader, for insight on handling toxicity effectively.

Here’s what C.A.R.L. had to say:

"Handling toxicity in the workplace involves creating a work environment that fosters cohesion and removes the toxicity that can strangle performance and cause people to leave an organization. Here are some strategies based on the book Becoming a Cohesive Leader:"

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the way we work and learn.

But let's be clear: AI is not here to take your job or replace your thoughts.

It's here to give you more time to think.

In this week's Cohesion Corner with Dr. Troy newsletter, let's continue our discussion on how to use AI as an assistant, not a crutch.

The key? Trust and verify.

Mistakes happen.

Sometimes they teach us invaluable lessons, and other times, they leave us muttering, "Well, that was an expensive lesson."

When it comes to AI, the cost of an "UH-OH" moment can be measured in lost time, wasted resources, or even damaged trust.

But what if we flipped the script? What if mistakes, our own or others', became our greatest mentors?

Allow mistakes to be your mentor.

I can't even begin to imagine all the ways AI will revolutionize our planet.

Maybe you currently think of AI as a way to write copy, create Excel formulas, or generate a bit of code. That would be correct.

But it's already helping predict the path of hurricanes, detect cancer that the human eye can't see, and forecast crop yields based on soil conditions and weather patterns.

If you continuously think of AI as an evasive technology coming for your job, you will miss all the great things it's currently doing. Think of it as a tool amplifying human potential.

Rather than fear it, master it. Learn to leverage its power. Ben-Jamin Toy and I worked alongside Darrel Bruce, inventor and AI Expert who helped us build the first AI-powered book bot.

AI is here to stay.

There's no going back to the way things were before.

Each and everyday artificial intelligence gets better, faster, and more integrated into our daily work and lives.

It's no longer a question of if AI will impact your organization... it already has.

Rather than fighting against this technological progress, change the thinking in your organization to how can we use AI to improve processes, make employees' lives easier, and enhance productivity across departments.

Leaders who embrace AI as a tool rather than a threat will find themselves at a competitive advantage. It’s time to shift the mindset from resistance to curiosity, from fear to strategic adaptation.