People Powered Performance — Lessons From Life, Leadership and CC
- Meri Stockwell
- Nov 18
- 4 min read
Leadership. Mindset. Momentum. By Meri Stockwell, MBA | Leadership Strategist, PQ Coach, Thought Leader
Welcome to this edition of People Powered Performance. This month’s theme is human-centered leadership — the moments, stories, and insights that remind us leadership is not a role we hold, but a way of showing up.
Inside this issue, you will find leadership wisdom from unexpected places, insights from Reset and Rise, a powerful mental fitness reminder for teams, and what CEOs often misunderstand about engagement.
Let’s dive in.
Leadership Lessons From CC: The Power of Joyful Presence
Discover three powerful leadership lessons from CC, my seven-month-old Cavapoo, and learn how presence, curiosity and joy strengthen leadership in today’s workplace.
When I think about the greatest leadership teachers in my life, the list includes executives, mentors, coaches and global organizations.
But recently, one of my most influential teachers has been a fourteen-pound bundle of pure joy named CC.
My Cavapoo.
My Chief Cultural Officer.
My daily reminder of what leadership looks like in its simplest form.
1. Leaders set the tone before they say a word
Every morning, CC wakes up ready. Ready to greet.Ready to explore.Ready to bring joy into the room.
Teams feel the energy of a leader before they hear their strategy. You set the emotional climate.
2. Curiosity creates connection
CC is endlessly curious. She listens with her whole body. She is observant, not reactive.
Curiosity is not weakness. It is the foundation of psychological safety.
3. Joy fuels resilience
Leadership without joy becomes survival.
Joy is not frivolous.
Joy is fuel.
A Teaching Moment From Reset & Rise™: You Are Not Starting Over — You Are Starting From Wisdom
Women in their forties and fifties are not starting over; they are starting from wisdom, strength, and lived experience — and that changes everything.
I hear this question often.“Is it too late for me to reinvent myself?” My answer is always the same.
You are not starting over.
You are starting from wisdom.
Reset and Rise exists because women in this season carry courage that has been earned, not taught.
Three signs you are ready for your next chapter:
1. Your old goals no longer fit your new values
Growth is not failure.It is evolution.
2. You feel a quiet inner pull you cannot ignore
Your intuition is doing the work before your mind catches up.
3. You are craving alignment more than achievement
This is where transformation begins.
Reset and Rise is not about fixing women. It is about releasing who you were never meant to be and rising into who you are now.
Before you decide what your next chapter looks like, I want to offer you a simple tool that has helped so many women in this season find clarity and courage.
I created the Reset & Rise™ Checklist to help you recognize the subtle signs that you may be ready for something more aligned, fulfilling, and centered on who you have become.
It is gentle, empowering, and designed to meet you exactly where you are.
You can download it now for free.
If this resonates, you can join the early access list for the next Reset and Rise cohort. Add your name to our growing list here:
A Mental Fitness Insight: Why Teams Need PQ More Than Ever
Mental fitness is becoming the new competitive advantage as teams navigate stress, change, and increasing complexity in the workplace.
Every team I support right now is feeling the pressure.
Fast change.
Constant demands.
Decision fatigue.
Uncertainty.
Positive Intelligence (PQ) is not a wellness perk. It is a performance strategy.
1. PQ improves emotional regulation
Teams who can pause before reacting make stronger decisions.
2. PQ builds resilience during rapid change
This is no longer optional. Resilient teams outperform stressed ones.
3. PQ improves communication and trust
Understanding your saboteurs changes how you lead.
4. PQ reduces burnout at the root
It strengthens the mental muscles that restore clarity and calm.
If your team is struggling with stress or misalignment, I am happy to share how PQ for Teams can help.
What CEOs Misunderstand About Engagement (And What To Do Instead)
Employee engagement is measurable, predictable, and fixable — but many CEOs misunderstand what engagement actually is and what drives it.
Here is what leaders often overlook.
1. Engagement is not driven by perks
Snacks and ping-pong tables do not build culture. People stay when they feel aligned, supported, and led well.
2. Engagement is not owned by HR
Culture is created by leaders in everyday moments.
3. Engaged employees do not need to be pushed
They need clarity. They need connection. They need direction.
4. Annual surveys are not enough
Real-time insights matter. This is why PI Diagnose pulse surveys make such a difference.
5. Engagement impacts every measurable outcome
Profitability.
Turnover.
Productivity.
Customer satisfaction.
Retention.
All of it.
If you want a real-time view of engagement inside your organization, ask me about Diagnose.
CURRENT ROLES WE ARE RECRUITING FOR
Director, Sourcing Management, CA - Manufacturing (On-Site)
Supply Chain Manager, OH - Manufacturing (On-Site)
Materials Manager, MI - Manufacturing (On-Site)
Vice President of Operations, TX - Grocery (On-Site)
If these opportunities are not right for you or someone you know, you can find other opportunities on our MAG Job Portal.
Thank you for spending part of your day with me. Leadership is not just about strategy. It is about clarity, compassion, and the courage to rise into the next chapter of who you are becoming.
If these insights resonated with you, feel free to share this newsletter with someone who may need it.
Until next time,
Stay grounded.
Stay curious.
Stay in your Sage.
About Meri Stockwell - Meri Stockwell is a business and talent strategist, PQ coach, and certified Predictive Index partner who helps leaders and teams rise with clarity, confidence, and humanity. She is the creator of Reset and Rise™ for Women 45+, the host of Talent Talk and Strategy Stroll, and a proud Cavapoo mom to CC, her Chief Cultural Officer.
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