Like a Boss with Michael Cohen

During and following speaking engagements, I frequently am asked what are the most important abilities of effective leadership. Intelligence? Drive? Creativity? All certainly crucial. However, I think 1️⃣ ability stands above all else, and that is ACCESSIBILITY. The best and most effective leaders are able to establish trust and to enhance relationships with colleagues and with those who report to...

What a weekend! Both the Women's and Men's U.S. Hockey 🏒 teams won GOLD!🥇And, while there were so many compelling stories, perhaps none was more transformative than Laila Edwards' becoming the first African-American women to play for and to score a goal 🥅 for the U.S. Women's team. As Edwards shared, "I take a lot of pride in [being the first black woman to play for Team USA], and I'm just goin...

Last week, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released its State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report. The Report provided insights into how American Jews view the depth of antisemitism and have adjusted their behaviors since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Although the anecdotal evidence and statistical information are horrifying, for American Jews, they hardly are surprising. In this week's epis...

(Recorded 1-28-26) I spent some time last week in Minneapolis. While it was wonderful to see and to work with old friends and colleagues 🤝, it wasn't like my prior experiences in Minny. While the people were incredibly friendly and kind (as always), there was a palpable undercurrent of concern. Of consternation. Of fear. 🙄 The people of Minneapolis are not the only ones. Your employees live in t...

(Recorded 1-15-26) Comedian and writer, Larry David, famously established a time frame 📅 within which it is appropriate to wish someone a Happy New Year. What even the legendarily cranky and inflexible David would applaud👏, however, is a leader's recognizing💡 that it's almost never too early or too late to establish strategic objectives for his/her/their organization. In this week's video, I pr...

(Recorded 12-14-25) Over the last several days, the situation involving Michigan's former head football 🏈 coach, Sherrone Moore, has been widely publicized📰. Moore's abuse of power is the latest example of how ego and privilege can lead to unscrupulous behavior.🩻 As leaders, we simply have to do a better job of appreciating the influence we yield and the impact our status and stature may have o...

(Recorded 12-7-25) My last name is Cohen. There are very few names on earth 🌍 more Jewish ✡️ than Cohen, spelled C-O-H-E-N. And yet, this time of year people who know me (and who have known me) continually offer me Christmas🎄greetings or ask questions about my family's Christmas 🎅 plans. Do I get offended? I do not. I appreciate the benevolent purpose motivating the well-wishes. However, it doe...

(Recorded 11-30-25) Thanksgiving🦃 is now in the rear view, which means that your organization's End of Year Party🥳is rapidly approaching! Are you ready?🤞 And by ready, I don't mean the logistics. Has your organization actually given the thought🤔necessary to ensure a fun and safe environment in which your employees can celebrate?👯‍♂️🎉👯‍♀️🎉👯 This week's Leadership Video focuses on 3 steps o...

(Recorded 11-14-25) While the holiday season is a time of joy😂for some, it also represents a period of significant stress, melancholy😥and loneliness for many others. As leaders, we MUST understand that a great number of our people are struggling (often silently) during this time of year. We also must recognize that there are tangible actions💡we can (and must) take to help others through this di...

(Recorded 11-6-25) "The Blind Side"🏈 is the story of Michael Oher's triumphant journey from experiencing homelessness in Memphis to being selected in the first round of the National Football League (NFL) draft. The movie's 🎥 portrayal of the relationship between Oher and his high school coach, Hugh Freeze, demonstrates the importance of recognizing how an individual's background massively can im...

(10-23-25) The National Basketball Association (NBA) season is upon us and LeBron James is running it back for his 23rd campaign. TWENTY-THIRD! 😲 A few reminders of what the world looked like when LBJ was drafted in 2003: 1️⃣ Facebook had not been launched 💻 2️⃣ Uber and Lyft did not exist🚗 3️⃣ Kelly Clarkson had just won the first season of American Idol 👩‍🎤 Notwithstanding his unprecedented...

(Recorded 10-12-25) Last week was a tough sports week in Casa Cohen. The Philadelphia Phillies ⚾ were eliminated from the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles 🦅 lost a rivalry game to the New York Football Giants . And, our University of Michigan Wolverines🏈 fell to University of Southern California . All in all, a whole lot of losing. 😤 In this week's Leadership episode, I address not only why f...

(Recorded 10-5-25) Throughout my life, I've been called a lot of things. Michael. Mike. Cohen. Husband. Dad. Coach Mike. But one person, and one person only, was allowed to call me Mikey. That was my mother-in-law, Marsha.❤️ Marsha was a party.🥳 She was just so much fun to be around and, from the moment I met her, she always kept me laughing. But, when at the end of 1999 she was diagnosed with ca...

(Recorded 9-19-25) For most, leadership is not an intuitive endeavor.💡 It requires education, intentionality, thoughtfulness and, yes, a lot of repetition. Muscle memory 💪 is real, even when it comes to managing and facilitating the success of others. Too many of us achieve a desired result once and we think "I got this."🙅‍♂️ You got it right so we assume this technique or action or practice no...

(Recorded 9-11-25) It's that time of year. 📅 The slower speed of summer ⛱️ is in the rear view and the pace is amped up in our lives and in our workplaces. With that elevated energy comes heightened expectations and renewed focus. 📈 End-of-year responsibilities and goals are looming, so it's time to grind! And, as leaders and those who set the tone, grind we shall! Even as this time of year mand...

(Recorded 9-5-25) At long last, the National Football League (NFL) is back! And, of course our attention properly is focused on our Super Bowl Champion🏆, Philadelphia Eagles ! However, the off-season presented a situation relevant to all of our organizations - the dysfunctional experience between the Dallas Cowboys and superstar (and former-Cowboy), Micah Parsons.👀 Friends, background checks mat...

(Recorded 8-30-25) The numbers are staggering. Every year, we see an increase ⬆️ in internal EEO complaints. And, given EEOC and DOJ activity and the administration's Executive Orders, it sure seems as though that trend will continue. 📈 Is your organization ready?💡Do your leaders know what to do when they receive a complaint of harassment, discrimination, retaliation or unfair treatment based on...

(Recorded 8-23-25) I am struggling. And, while my concerns certainly and thankfully are not "life and death," they meaningfully have been impacting my life. Throughout my career, I have used countless posts and videos and keynotes and articles to talk about how important is for leaders to ensure that their people are okay. 🫶 Or, just as importantly, that leaders make clear to those people that it...

(Recorded 7-26-25) We've all seen the video 🎥 by now. The Coldplay concert in Boston. Kiss Cam.😘 Obviously, the situation has resulted in A LOT of conversation about power dynamics and workplace relationships. This week's video examines the reaction (and possible overreaction) of many organizations in the face of the Kiss Cam incident. While there certainly can be issues with the allowance of in...

(Recorded 7-13-25) We're finally here - it's SUMMER TIME!🕶️ Beach.🏖️ Mountains.🌄 Lakes.🌊 A lot of employees like to get away from the office or from work and enjoy as much of summer as they can. Some of those employees also want to take off more time than they have. And, be aware that they may seek the assistance of Dr. SummerOff - the health care provider who has no problem providing a note cle...

(Recorded 6-28-25) I love the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. 🏀 Like, to an irrational degree. I consume a ridiculous amount of content leading up to the 2-day event and I like to see how my own mock draft (yup, I do my own) is similar to what actually happens. 🧐Yes, I'm an enormous dork and, no, my mocks almost never come close to resembling the actual outcome. 🙅‍♂️ In this year's...

(Recorded 6-20-25) 💡As the great philosopher, Theodore "Ted" Lasso once said, "I hope either all of us or none of us are judged by our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when we are given a second chance." 💡 Leaders - it is our responsibility to ensure that our people not only get that second chance, but also to create a roadmap 🗺️ for their achieving that success about which Te...

In the movie "Up in the Air," George Clooney's character explains to Anna Kendrick's character his choice of which TSA Security line to use: "I'm like my mother. I stereotype. It's faster." ⏩⏩⏩ On a Delta Airlines plane, a flight attendant refuses to allow a physician to assist an ill passenger, presumably because of the physician's gender and/or race. ✈️ Just two examples, one from pop culture...

(Recorded 6-6-25) When I was a kid, my "Uncle" Stevie (my dad's best friend) was my favorite person in the world. He was the kindest and most thoughtful person I knew. He was so much fun to hang out with and always treated my brother and me with such love. ❤️ He was the embodiment of the word "mensch" and all I wanted was to spend as much time as I could with Steve. Tragically, as you will hear in...

(Recorded 5-26-25) The competition of pain occurs when individuals compare their pain experiences with those endured by others. In the workplace, this FAR TOO OFTEN takes the form of an employee in one group believing that their marginalization is more important and destructive than the suffering impacting another in a different group. This competition leads to a lack of empathy and to a feeling o...