THE VIOLET VIEW

MAY 2025 | ISSUE NO. 11

Here's your latest Violet View—bringing you actionable leadership insights that cut through the noise.

Hi there, it's Stefanie here (President of TVG).

This month, I've been reflecting on some important questions:

Who do you call when the stakes are high?

When the decision is big, complex, or deeply personal?

Who are your truth tellers? Your strategic advisors? Your sounding board?

If you can’t name a few people off the top of your head—you’ve got a gap.

This has been on my mind lately, and not just in a professional sense. One of the clearest through-lines in any success I’ve had—personally or in business—has been my support system. The people I’ve intentionally nurtured relationships with over time: family, friends, peers, mentors, and coaches.

My understanding of the importance of this goes back quite far: When I became a mom at an incredibly young age, my world shifted overnight. I was still in high school, by all accounts still growing up myself, and trying to map out a future that suddenly had much higher stakes.

But I didn’t do it alone. My parents, my closest friends, my long-time partner—they were a support system for my son and me in more ways than I can count.

Years later, when I got into a PhD program and started commuting over 20 hours a week across state lines, that same community showed up—being there to help me navigate the rough patches and the late nights, and to celebrate the milestones and successes too.

When I wrestled with a career-defining decision—deciding whether to bet on myself by founding The Violet Group—my Executive Coach helped me sift through and make sense of the noise and get grounded in my next move.

And more recently, as an owner leading a growing business, I’ve leaned hard on my “personal board of directors”—the brilliant, candid, objective, and compassionate people I trust to challenge me, question my blind spots, and keep me honest.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

• These advisors don’t all look the same.
• They come from different fields.
• They span generations.
• They bring wildly different perspectives to the table.

But there's one thing in common: They care deeply about my success—and I care deeply about theirs.

That mutual investment? That’s the magic.

If you don’t have people like this in your corner yet, it’s not too late. Start now. Relationships like these aren’t built in a single conversation. They grow from dozens of moments of honesty, connection, generosity, and follow-through.

So, here are my questions and prompts to you this month:

• Who’s on your “truth teller” list?
• Who do you want to add?
• And how are you showing up for the people who show up for you?

You don’t have to lead alone. And frankly—you shouldn’t.

Stefanie

Just Show Up and Learn: Inside Our Global Learning Series 🗣️

Over the past year, our team facilitated a global professional development series—built for busy professionals who want to grow their management toolkit without adding complexity to their calendar.

These 90-minute, no-prep-needed sessions focused on core leadership topics like delegation, prioritization, collaboration, and coaching. Participants signed up, joined peers across functions and regions, and walked away with practical tools to apply right away.

Designed to be commercial, engaging, and low-barrier, this series doubled as a learning opportunity and a space to build internal connection. The feedback spoke for itself:

• Facilitators who kept energy high and learning focused
• Tools that could be used the very next day
• A meaningful way to connect, reflect, and sharpen your skills

We love creating spaces like this—and we’re already thinking about what’s next.

👉 Interested in bringing a learning series like this to your organization? Let’s talk.

What We’re Teaching: Are you working on what truly matters?

This month, we taught a skill-building session on Ruthless Prioritization—focused on helping leaders cut through the noise and refocus on what truly drives results.

One of the tools we shared? The Eisenhower Matrix.

It’s a simple yet powerful framework that helps leaders categorize tasks into four quadrants: what to do now, schedule for later, delegate, or eliminate altogether.

In high-pressure roles, it’s easy to fall into reactive mode—responding to pings, meetings, and requests that fill your calendar but sap your focus. Tools like this help you get out of reactive mode and create space for intentional, strategic work.

Try this: Take 10 minutes on Monday to map your top priorities into each quadrant. Pay attention to how you feel as the work week progresses. Clearer on what needs attention? Less hurried? Calmer?

What We’re Reading 📖

Behind Every Seamless Leadership Development Program...

TVG is headed to San Diego for SHRM ‘25!

Next month, we'll be headed to San Diego for Society of Human Resource Management's annual conference—one of the largest gatherings of HR, L&D, and people leaders across industries.

Each year, we attend conferences in our space to stay sharp, current, and most importantly—stay connected to the real people doing the work of building strong organizations.

We’ll be at Booth #2250 and would love to connect—whether you’re a long-time partner or someone we haven’t met yet.

Planning to be there? Stop by the booth or reach out ahead of time to set up a time to chat.

Not attending in person? Follow us on LinkedIn for updates, insights, and reflections from the floor.

Until then...happy listening, learning, and leading, TVG community!

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