
Is it time to tackle your team’s taboos? Part 3
Following on from Part 2 of our series on “undiscussables,” here are ways to resolve relationships characterized by mutual mistrust and antagonistic behaviors....

by Alyson Meister Published September 17, 2025 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read
In your early career, you’re valued for your ability to get things done – to complete tasks on time, manage details, and hit targets. As you progress, however, the onus shifts from delivering outcomes to shaping direction. You need to become a forward-thinking contributor who can challenge assumptions, connect tactics to strategy, and anticipate what might happen next. Behaviors to adopt:
Leveling up hinges on becoming stakeholder-savvy and learning how to navigate relationships, power dynamics, and cross-functional collaboration. Behaviors to adopt:
It’s time to cultivate your leadership persona. Ask yourself how people experience your presence when you walk into a room or lead a meeting. Behaviors to adopt:
Leadership means you need to make the shift from avoiding conflict or uncomfortable situations to engaging openly with honesty, empathy, and clarity. Behaviors to adopt:
Prioritize mindset, self-awareness, and resilience to fuel your long-term leadership growth. Behaviors to adopt:
As you forge stronger relationships, manage your presence, step into courageous conversations, and balance your energy, you will advance and reposition yourself from capable contributor to credible leader.

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IMD
Alyson Meister is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior and Director of the Future Leaders program and the Resilient Leadership Sprint, she is also co-director of the Change Management Program at IMD Business School. Specializing in the development of globally oriented, adaptive, and inclusive organizations, she has worked with executives, teams, and organizations from professional services to industrial goods and technology. She also serves as co-chair of One Mind at Work’s Scientific Advisory Committee, with a focus on advancing mental health in the workplace. Follow her on Twitter: @alymeister.

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