Articles For You
Welcome to the Slingshot25 resource hub! You've found your go-to destination for expert perspectives on leadership, change, culture, communication, and everything in between.Quick Reads
Our team brings decades of real-world experience to the table, and this is where we share what we’ve learned (and what we’re still learning). From navigating complex organizational change to building inclusive, high-performing teams, our articles are packed with practical wisdom and thought-provoking ideas to help leaders at every level thrive.
Whether you’re looking for a quick tip or a deep dive, there’s something here to fuel your next step forward.
Who is Courtney Smock?
When you work with Slingshot25's Courtney Smock, you work with a crazy-good-systems-thinker-who's-done-it-all. https://youtu.be/ccv8qyi93eU
Stop Avoiding It
You wake up in the morning and know it’s a day when you have to have a tough conversation. Let’s face it, there are five ga-billion other things you’d rather do. Before you go rescheduling that meeting, here are just a few reasons NOT to avoid it one more day. Team...
Free Change Assessment
If your company is planning big changes this year, take our free change assessment to find out if you’re ready.
Working Managers
As a certified EOS implementer, Michelle Owens works with all kinds of businesses from financial to construction and their goal is always the same - to gain efficiency and traction in their company. While EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) is incredibly effective...
Legacy
What do you want people to say about you at your funeral? Before you read any further, stop right now and think of at least one thing you would want people to say about you. Do you have something in mind? Good. If you haven’t thought of something yet, this is your...
Coaching Up
Flowing feedback upward in your organization We are disinclined to bite the hand that feeds us. This basic truth means that most learning which happens as a result of differences of opinion and direct feedback from others will primarily go in a downward direction in...
Employee Performance in Limbo?
How LOW should you let your employees’ performance go? Many of you may have caught wind of the recent “leaked memo” from Meta detailing their direct and well, blunt plan for managing negative attitudes and low performers. And because I love a good leaked memo, I...
Meet Courtney Smock
Why Slingshot25? We founded Slingshot25 out of a belief that things can be better. We have learned a lot over our years working in complex, matrix environments. Can you explain what you specialize in? Why does this service benefit your customers? Change management - I...
Meet Jackie Pelland
Tell me a little bit about yourself. I grew up in small town Iowa. My family had its share of hard times when I was growing up, which I think created a deep form of resilience in me - a sense that if you adjust how you think about things, you can survive the toughest...
Meet Michelle Owens
Tell me a little bit about yourself. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family in the Cedar Rapids area. I’ve taken this grit into the business world, spending half my career in large, locally owned companies and the other half in small. I’ve led people, programs and...
Injury prone
I used to ride my bike a lot. For 10 years, I joined the bike ride across Iowa every July sponsored by the Des Moines Register. Each year after about 200 miles, my right knee would be a problem. Each downstroke on the pedal brought a shot of pain. The problem was...
When you leave the room
What do you want people to say about you when you’re dead? Before you read any further, stop right now and think of at least one thing you would want people to say about you. Do you have something in mind? Good. If you haven’t thought of something yet, this is your...
Promises, promises
The whole point of accountability inside your organization is living up to your promises - to each other, to your customers. The thing that kills accountability is rarely a lack of audit. Many organizations have adopted the stance of “trust but verify.” But when you...
It all counts
When we talk about change, it’s often a generic conversation. We talk about a big event or a big decision. It’s often difficult to see what is really changing because there is so much that will be affected. It feels like too much, it's everything and everywhere. It is...
How opposites are inextricably linked
There are many things our culture tricks us into thinking are opposites, but are actually inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. Each of these paired concepts cannot exist without the other: Self-confidence ----- Humility Courage ----- Vulnerability Leadership...
