Jacquelyn Adams
Jacquelyn Adams, founder and CEO of Ristole, uses her column to delve into the wild world of leadership. Whether the article is about her days as a Peace Corp volunteer, exploring corporate training, or even grabbing lunch at Chipotle — she will come out with a story and her “top tips.” As she passionately believes in leveraging her platform to share others’ voices, her column welcomes guest bloggers to create a fuller and more diverse pool of experiences for her readership. So, welcome to “Lessons on Leadership” where you never know what the next article will hold: online networking advice, guidelines for creating a joyful workplace, or even puppies. Just keep reading to discover what’s next!
Jacquelyn’s Columns
How Leaders Can Cultivate Grit in the Workplace
In our world full of fad diets and halfway completed DIY projects, grit — sustained pass...More
10 Sep 2021
Why You Should be Pursuing IT Certifications Right Now
E-learning libraries of certification courses can give you an accessible, more affordable ...More
31 Aug 2021
Fighting the Exhaustion Epidemic
We're still dealing with the pandemic — and we're tired. So, what can we do to fight thi...More
12 Aug 2021
How to Succeed When You’re Feeling Boxed In
When we feel boxed in by the weight of external expectations, it can pay to remind ourselv...More
6 Aug 2021
Three Things to Consider Before Your Next Job Change
Before you make a job change, learn all you can about yourself and your workplace to make ...More
29 Jul 2021
Three Tips to Help Navigate Workplace Politics
If you view workplace politics as something better off ignored, you could be sabotaging yo...More
21 Jul 2021
Four Tips for Growing Beyond Our Geek Speak
Geek speak is no longer enough when it comes to growing in our careers. It takes more than...More
13 Jul 2021
Why You Should Rethink How Influenced You Are by Celebrities’ Opinions
Celebrities are people, too. Just because they opened their mouth or tweeted an opinion do...More
29 Jun 2021
Why You Should Step Out on a Limb to Try This Leadership Style
What happens when leaders continually open themselves up to the possibility of taking on t...More
23 Jun 2021
Euro 2020’s Unexpected Lesson on How to Lead in an Emergency
Teams rely on their leaders for support and guidance; this is exponentially true in an eme...More
17 Jun 2021
How Gig Work Can Pave the Way for the Economy
Freelancers are reshaping the employment landscape. Could the “human cloud” of people ...More
14 Jun 2021
How Can Companies Transition to Hybrid Workplaces?
As more and more companies survey the post-COVID-19 landscape, what can they do to transit...More
3 Jun 2021
Why We Should Reset our Career Expectations
When it comes to setting career expectations to support the lifestyle you desire, it's eas...More
27 May 2021
Sometimes Breaking the Rules is Necessary to Reach a Goal
Strict adherence to the rules can be tempting, but it's important to remember that not eve...More
18 May 2021
The Lesson the President of The Ohio State University Learned When Her Life Was Reset
An interview with Ohio State President and IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal winner Kristina ...More
13 May 2021
Training 201: Reframing Training for a Virtual World
A virtual training consultant shares her top tips for keeping the virtual classroom intera...More
4 May 2021
How to Avoid Making a New Podcast that Will Quickly Fail
A podcast is an endeavor that is easy to start, but without the necessary work behind the ...More
29 Apr 2021
Why You Need to Reset Your Relationship with Failure
Projects don't always work out, but if we take steps to reset our relationship with failur...More
21 Apr 2021
Three Best Practices to Make Employee Onboarding Work
Three keys to onboarding employees who are not only competent in their new roles, but also...More
13 Apr 2021
How Building a Change Network Can Salvage a Crisis
Conflicts arise, but by working with the change agents in our midst, we can resolve many i...More
6 Apr 2021
How to Demonstrate an Executive Presence in a Virtual Meeting
When it comes to developing an executive presence, how are you supposed to get a pulse of ...More
23 Mar 2021
Why Calling Corporate Onboarding “Drinking from a Firehose” is Accepting Failure
Onboarding new employees has been likened to “drinking from a firehose.” Why not just ...More
16 Mar 2021
Three Ways to Avoid Becoming Unconsciously Incompetent
To avoid becoming unconsciously incompetent in your career, it's crucial that you identify...More
9 Mar 2021
From Risk to Reward: How to Turn Hard Times into a Substantial Investment
Risks can be intimidating. Instead of letting fear rule us, however, we can learn from oth...More
2 Mar 2021
How to Move Forward When Innovation Hits a Wall
A wide variety of obstacles can reset your innovation plans, so it can help to consider di...More
24 Feb 2021
Three Advantages of Having a Diverse Portfolio During a Reset
When we experience a career reset, having a diverse portfolio can help us make the most of...More
17 Feb 2021
How to Advocate for Yourself Without Resorting to Entitled Behavior
Whether it’s a sidewalk, plane, or business meeting, you can be purposeful in advocating...More
9 Feb 2021
What You Need to Know to Reframe a Failure
An honest appraisal is crucial to turning a setback into a learning opportunity for future...More
2 Feb 2021
How to Invest in the Currency of Relationships
Like business investments, professional networking and workplace relationships require col...More
26 Jan 2021
Work Trends and Lessons Learned from 2020
Despite the difficult circumstances, 2020 was a season of incredible growth for targeted t...More
19 Jan 2021
How to Manage Work Culture Chaos
During this pandemic, if we want to maintain productive and healthy work environments with...More
12 Jan 2021
How to Write a Compelling Technical Blog
An experienced innovation storyteller shares some of the science behind the art of writing...More
5 Jan 2021
Three Tips on How to Be the Next Industry Disruptor
Are you ready to turn your industry on its head? A proven industry disruptor shares some i...More
29 Dec 2020
The Surprising Answer that Landed Me the Job
How can we strive for and maintain authenticity in a time when lofty promises and disappoi...More
22 Dec 2020
Not Getting Job Interviews? Try This
If you're not getting job interviews, don't just blame AI and algorithms. Perhaps you need...More
15 Dec 2020
Three Steps to Proving the Haters Wrong
Responding to someone's negativity in an unexpected way can flip the dynamic on its head, ...More
8 Dec 2020
Leveraging Technology to Aim at a More Accessible Future
Making our tech accessible to people with disabilities can seem like a big investment of t...More
3 Dec 2020
Three Tips for Improving Interdepartmental Relations
How are your interdepartmental relations? What areas could use more growth and understandi...More
24 Nov 2020
Three Things to (Re-)examine on Your Professional Pathway
Work is evolving quickly, and everyone from the CEO to the new hire is re-examining not on...More
17 Nov 2020
Why We Should Never Graduate from Doing Homework
Learning never ends, so why not leverage the power of the internet to give yourself some h...More
9 Nov 2020
Mentoring and Thought Partnership: What you Need to Know
Guest contributor Steve Vinter discusses mentoring and how the mentor/mentee relationship ...More
3 Nov 2020
Five Tips for Being a Power-Connector
Networking is a skill that is always in demand, and, when honed properly, reaps dividends....More
27 Oct 2020
The One Gift We All Need to Share with Others
Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected places. Here are some tips for creating a mome...More
20 Oct 2020
Why We Need to Shift How We View Technology
With tech being used in so many new and effective ways, how will you use it to support the...More
13 Oct 2020
Three Things You Need to Know Before You Hire a Coach
A good coach can help us understand how we engage with the world around us and how our tec...More
6 Oct 2020
Why You Need to Practice the Three Commandments of Instagramming
Some valuable insights for people who want to boost their Instagram presence, and build th...More
28 Sep 2020
Discovering a World of Opportunities in 2020
Let’s take a look at the world of opportunities that have stemmed from the global pandem...More
22 Sep 2020
Five Tips to Be a Better Blogger
If you're considering blogging as a hobby or professionally, here are some fundamental gui...More
15 Sep 2020
Why We Need More Optimists in a Cynical Society
People who can see the best in a situation are in short supply, and we need more of them -...More
8 Sep 2020
Two Things you Must Know When Framing Feedback
Are we really helping people by telling the truth if we don’t do it in a way that leads ...More
1 Sep 2020
Two Things That Will Capture an Audience’s Attention
With so many voices out there, you have to give people a reason to listen to yours. And if...More
25 Aug 2020
How a Podcaster Taught Me to be a Better Blogger
Sometimes, our best laid plans get turned on their head and end up yielding unexpected out...More
18 Aug 2020
How to Market Your Business During a Pandemic in Five Easy Ways
Guest contributor Andrea Mueller joins us again to share some timely and insightful tips o...More
11 Aug 2020
Why Leaders Now Need to be More Than Effective
Effective leadership is no longer measured by a healthy bottom line. The future needs lead...More
4 Aug 2020
Three Things You Need to Know to Build a Connected Remote Work Culture
Here are some tips for building a connected remote work culture that will allow your team ...More
28 Jul 2020
Four Timely Tips from a Company’s Perfect COVID-19 Pivot
Some things are beyond our control, but how we respond is up to us. What can we learn from...More
21 Jul 2020
Three Insights Gained from a Workplace Tragedy
When Brad Hurtig lost his hands in a tragic workplace accident, he made a conscious effort...More
14 Jul 2020
Four Tips to Get You Through the Dog Days of Job Hunting
Taking care of puppies may not prepare you for human children, but the experience may yiel...More
7 Jul 2020
In a World Obsessed with Content, Novelty is Queen
We crave uniqueness, something that ignites an inspirational spark and snaps us out of our...More
30 Jun 2020
Fighting Burnout and COVID-19 at the Same Time
Just like fighting COVID-19 is relatively simple – wash your hands, wear a mask, social ...More
23 Jun 2020
Two Devastating Truths for Aspiring Best-Selling Authors
An experienced writer shares some truths to help aspiring authors calibrate expectations a...More
15 Jun 2020
Six Easy Steps to Making Your Mark on Social Media
Social media can be “serious” business, but it’s also a casual and real way to conne...More
8 Jun 2020
Ten Tips to Nail Your Remote Interview During COVID-19
Your résumé got you in the door, now it's time to dazzle them with your expertise and ch...More
1 Jun 2020
Vlogging: How the Lockdown Changed Everything
In her latest column, Jacquelyn pulls back the curtain on how she pivoted in the wake of C...More
26 May 2020
Ten Tips to Revamp Your Résumé During COVID-19
With so many qualified job seekers on the hunt, it's time to revamp your résumé to refle...More
19 May 2020
Fighting for Accessibility and Inclusion During COVID-19
For vulnerable communities, quarantine has exacerbated the struggle for those with inadequ...More
12 May 2020
Putting Joy in its Place
During this difficult time, we need contagious joy, and fortunately, people are already wo...More
5 May 2020
What is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence?
In this Q&A, serial entrepreneur Sam Rosenfeld explains how an entrepreneur-in-residence s...More
28 Apr 2020
Online Networking 101: Five Etiquette Tips for Successful Engagement
Now that we're limited to online platforms for making new connections and staying up-to-da...More
21 Apr 2020
Five Tips for Working Securely While Working Remotely
Companies are still adjusting to so many of their employees now working remotely. Here are...More
14 Apr 2020
Future of Work: Where Futurama Meets Nostradamus
The 4th industrial revolution has changed life dramatically and rapidly. What effects will...More
7 Apr 2020
Working Remotely: The New Normal
Now that working remotely is suddenly the new normal, many businesses are in the process o...More
31 Mar 2020
Five Tips for Your Next Virtual Conference Speaking Gig
IEEE Impact Creator Carmen Fontana offers some tips to help you feel more confident about ...More
24 Mar 2020
Make a Decision and Commit – Even When You’re Scared
For logic-oriented people, it’s easy to get lost in the data and second guess yourself. ...More
10 Mar 2020
Four Powerful Writing Tips from a Forbes Contributor
Forbes columnist Tom Coughlin shares four writing tips with prospective writers abo...More
3 Mar 2020
The Four Steps of Disrupting Exclusionary Behavior
How do you respond to exclusionary behavior? Follow these four steps for a respectful dial...More
25 Feb 2020
What You Need to Know About Startup Investing
A Q&A with IEEE Senior Member Joseph Wei about startup investing, and about his experience...More
18 Feb 2020
Want to be a Leader? Your Guide to the Future of Leadership
In his upcoming book, The Future Leader, best-selling author Jacob Morgan paints a ...More
11 Feb 2020
Three Ways Storytelling Helps Hook Your Audience
If you have something to say, don’t just add to the noise. Here are three ways storytell...More
4 Feb 2020
Why It’s Crucial for Engineers to Keep High Standards – An Interview with Karen Bartleson
Jacquelyn Adams spoke with Karen Bartleson, 2013 IEEE Standards Association President and ...More
28 Jan 2020
Five Do’s and Don’ts When Speaking on a Panel
Serving on a panel is an exciting opportunity to share your expertise, meet with other ind...More
21 Jan 2020
A Lesson in Humility at 13,000 Feet
It can be difficult to rely on strangers for their expertise; especially when facing a cha...More
14 Jan 2020
A Powerful Lesson in Authenticity at a Charity Date Raffle
If you are comfortable enough with yourself to turn your thoughts into words, that will re...More
7 Jan 2020
The Day I Disappointed My Mom – A Lesson in Daring Bravely
If we can learn to grow from our failures, we will become like swords forged in fire — s...More
31 Dec 2019
How to Help Revive an Automaton
To help others’ whose behavior may have become mechanical and emotionally distant, here ...More
24 Dec 2019
Are You an Engineering Elitist?
Engineers can, at times, act like intellectual snobs. To avoid coming off as an engineerin...More
17 Dec 2019
The Freedom to Choose Yourself
When dealing with personal conflicts that are not easily resolved, sometimes, deciding to ...More
10 Dec 2019
The Importance of Being Good Management Material
Being management material means having the technical acumen to understand the work as well...More
26 Nov 2019
Devastating Failures: An Important Part of Successful Journeys
People tend to congratulate us the moment we’ve achieved a public victory. But what abou...More
19 Nov 2019
You Don’t Need Others’ Permission to Live Your Best Life
People won't always agree with your choices. That’s ok; the beauty of life is that we e...More
12 Nov 2019
The Secret to Creating Opportunities
How often do we wait for life to give us what we need to make our dreams a reality? What c...More
5 Nov 2019
Conquering the Defeatist Mentality
It can be extremely difficult to overcome defeatism, especially when that mentality become...More
29 Oct 2019
What Match.com Taught Me About Advertising
When you’re meeting someone new – whether it is online dating, a job interview, or eve...More
22 Oct 2019
A Lesson in Diplomacy at the Chipotle Counter
When you encounter people who test the limits of your patience, do you react more like a b...More
15 Oct 2019
Why You Need a Bio Now
Don’t rely on someone else to tell your story, or use a lame, generic introduction. Craf...More
8 Oct 2019
Why Your Career Needs You to do Skip Level Meetings
Skip level meetings, where you meet with an exec above your direct manager, can help you l...More
1 Oct 2019
How a Bad Date Taught me to be a Better Listener
Something as unpleasant as a bad date can be a reminder to pursue your goals, passions, an...More
24 Sep 2019
Fight/Flight… or Flourish
When your fight/flight response kicks in, consider another option -- try something new tha...More
27 Aug 2019
Want Great Mentors? Be a Good Mentee
Many people don’t realize that the mentee is not just supposed to receive, but is respon...More
21 Aug 2019
