Brenda Bence International

Standing still is the new falling behind.

Three years ago, ChatGPT reportedly tested at an IQ of ~75.

Fast forward to today, and it just tested ~136.

Technology is learning, adapting, and evolving - fast.

But are we evolving just as intentionally? 🤔

In a world where artificial intelligence is improving exponentially, standing still is no longer neutral. It’s falling behind.

The leaders who will thrive in the future will be those most committed to continuous growth:
➡️ Learning
➡️ Reflecting
➡️ Adapting
➡️ Staying curious
➡️ Expanding how they think

*In short, I think our own personal development has never mattered more.*

Because while AI may become more intelligent, human wisdom, judgment, empathy, courage, and self-awareness are still what make great leaders truly irreplaceable.

❓I’d love to hear your thoughts: In a world of increasingly smart AI, which leadership capability will become the most valuable?

When I first began working as an executive coach 20 years ago, many people had never even heard of the term “executive coaching.”

Fast forward to today, and it’s inspiring to see how much the profession has grown - and how many leaders now recognize the value of having a trusted thinking partner in their corner. 🌍

In recognition of the recent International Coaching Week, I’m curious to know: Have *you* ever worked with an Executive Coach? Share in the comments:

Option 1: Yes
Option 2: Not Yet
Option 3: I’ve considered it

And if you answered “yes,” I would love to hear: What impact has coaching had on you and/or your leadership?

On my recent long-haul flight, before the flight attendants began their safety announcement, the pilot spoke over the intercom:

“Folks, please pay attention to the safety instructions. It’s better to know it and not need it … than to not know it and need it.”

Fair point.

But then later, as with most flights, came a stream of information:

✈️ “We’re cruising at 35,000 feet.”
✈️ “The outside temperature is minus 42°C.”

And I found myself thinking… What exactly am I supposed to *do* with that?

It made me reflect on something bigger:

We don’t suffer from a lack of information.
We suffer from too much of it.

As leaders, we’re constantly bombarded - data, updates, opinions, dashboards…

➡️ Some of it matters.
➡️ Much of it doesn’t.

The real skill today isn’t access to information. It’s discernment around what to focus on - and what to ignore.

Because when everything feels important, nothing is.

And that’s where leaders get into trouble: they get distracted, slowed down, or focused on the wrong things.

The strongest leaders I work with aren’t the ones who know the most.

They’re the ones who are clear on what matters most.

In a world of endless input, your advantage isn’t information. It’s *focus.*

I’m curious: How do you personally separate “need to know” from “nice to know”?

📖 What’s the ONE book that truly changed your life?

Not just a good, insightful read.

But a book that really shifted how you think… how you act… maybe even the direction of your life.

The World Book Day got me thinking about the power a single book can hold.

As a child, I was a voracious reader. While other kids spent their allowance on candy and toys - I spent every cent on books.

I couldn’t get enough.

And now, years later, I’ve come full circle – I’ve been writing books for the past 18 years (with another one coming soon!).

But even as an author, the books I read still have the power to shift my thinking.

For me, the one book that completely changed me was The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

It didn’t just inform me. It fundamentally changed the way I see food, health, and daily choices – and that has lasted for two decades.

That kind of ongoing impact is what I’m talking about. Because the right book doesn’t just give you ideas… it literally rewires how you think and live.

➡️ So again, I’d love to hear: What’s the ONE book that truly changed your life?

I look forward to hearing (and adding to my book-reading list!)

Are you smart, capable, and a high achiever? If so, you may be experiencing this…👇

*Imposter Syndrome.*

International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day highlights something I see often in my work.

Having coached dozens - if not hundreds - of senior leaders who experience it, here’s what I can tell you:

It doesn’t disappear when you reach the top. In fact, for many, it gets stronger.

➡️ The bigger the role
➡️ The higher the visibility
➡️ The greater the stakes

… the louder that quiet voice can become:

“I shouldn’t be here.”
“I just got lucky.”
“Sooner or later, they’ll find me out.”

Here’s the part most people don’t realize:

Imposter syndrome is not a sign of incompetence.

It’s simply self-doubt around intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals.

Read that again: ⭐Among high-achieving individuals.⭐

That’s why I see it so often in the leaders I coach.

Not despite their success…
…but because of it.

High performers set high standards, push into unfamiliar territory, and constantly raise the bar.

Which means they’re usually operating outside their comfort zone - the perfect environment for self-doubt to creep in.

I use a simple but powerful 13-point self-assessment to help leaders see clearly whether imposter syndrome is influencing how they think, lead, and show up.

Because once you name it, you claim it - and once you claim it, you can “clean” it. ✨

And that’s where overcoming imposter syndrome begins.

If this resonates, remember:
Name it. Claim it. Clean it. 🔁

Do high-level C-Suite leaders really need personal development?

There’s a quiet assumption in many organizations:
“Once you reach the top, you’re all set.”

No more personal development is required.

So companies tend to pour resources into junior, mid-level, and emerging senior leaders… while the investment fades at the very top.

But the truth is: *The higher the role, the greater the impact of blind spots.*

At the C-Suite level:
• Decisions affect thousands of employees – and millions or billions in revenue
• Leadership behavior shapes the entire culture
• Small misjudgments scale into large consequences

Which means the cost of *not* developing at the top is exponentially higher.

And the benefits of that investment are even more impactful.

When C-Suite leaders commit to their own personal development, they…

1️⃣ … finally hear what others won’t tell them.
At the top, honest feedback becomes rare. Development creates space for truth - not just agreement.

2️⃣ … shift from reacting to architecting.
Instead of managing complexity, they shape it. That’s real strategic leadership.

3️⃣ … role-model what the organization becomes.
A learning leader creates a learning culture. A stagnant leader creates the opposite.

4️⃣ … future-proof the business.
In a world that keeps changing, the leader who keeps evolving becomes the organization’s greatest competitive advantage.

In short:
💡Development isn’t something leaders graduate from. It’s something the best leaders double-down on.

Share your thoughts:
What other reasons make C-Suite personal development so critical?

🎉 24 years! 🎉

If I had to sum up the past 24 years in one sentence, it would be this:

“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” – Pat Riley

Looking back, I realize that idea has guided everything BBI has done since the very beginning.

Not in a dramatic way - but in the quiet, consistent choices made every day: We keep raising the standard and going deeper to deliver, especially when the stakes are highest.

Over time, these seemingly small choices create momentum, helping to shape leaders and strengthen organizations. And I believe that is what builds results that last.

24 years on, our commitment to excellence remains unchanged.

To the clients, partners, and team who have been part of this journey - thank you sincerely. 🙏 We deeply value the trust you have placed in us.

✨ We’re proud of what’s been built - and even more energized by what comes next!

💡 He Lost His Job - But That Wasn’t the Real Loss 💡

A senior executive I coached recently lost his role.

On paper, he had it all — title, status, and a seat at the table. 🏆

Then overnight, it was gone.

When we began our coaching session, he didn’t just say, “I lost my job.” He said, “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

He was doing what so many of us do: fusing his identity with his work.

For years, what he did had become who he was - his title, his company, his position.

So, when the job ended, it felt like *he* had ended, too.

I reminded him: “You are not a title, a business card, or a seat at the table. Those are *experiences* you’ve had - not who you are.”

As he began to separate the two, I could sense the panic easing, the clarity returning, and possibilities beginning to open up.

✨What first felt like loss started to look like expansion.

When your identity isn’t tied to a role, you’re not starting over - you’re simply moving into your next experience. And that’s a very different place to lead from.

➡️I’d love to hear your thoughts… If your title or job disappeared tomorrow, who would you still be? 🤔

✨ Having high standards and being compassionate are not opposites. They are leadership.

Not long ago, a coaching client said to me, “I want to be known as a compassionate leader, so I don’t want to hold the bar too high for my team.”

It’s a perspective I hear often - I’ve seen many leaders assume that being compassionate means lowering the bar.

But I don’t see it that way. In fact, I would argue the opposite:

✨ High standards are one of the clearest expressions of compassion. ✨

Because holding an individual, a team, or an organization to a high standard communicates belief.

It signals that you see what’s possible for them, that you respect their potential, and that you trust they can rise to meet it.

Compassion then becomes how you support that journey. It shows up in how you guide, how you listen, and how you stay engaged when the work becomes challenging.

Where leaders get into trouble is when kindness starts to mean “comfort.” Expectations soften, difficult conversations are delayed, and things get overlooked “just this once.”

Over time, this becomes costly. Clarity fades, performance becomes inconsistent, and confidence declines because no one is quite sure what “good” looks like anymore.

👉 When standards drop, people aren’t protected. They are limited.

The leaders who create lasting impact do something more deliberate. They hold a clear, high bar, and they invest energy in helping others reach it through support, feedback, and belief.

That is what builds people. And that is what drives results that last.

➡️ I’d love to hear… What’s one area (or example) where you might be confusing kindness with lowering the bar?

🎤 The Secret to Powerful Speaking (It’s Not What You Think)

Saturday, March 14 was Professional Speakers Celebration Day.

After two decades as a professional speaker, one principle still guides every keynote I deliver:

💡 A speech is never about the speaker. It’s always about the audience. 💡

Our role as speakers isn’t to showcase what we know or demonstrate how smart we are.

Our role is to serve the people who came to listen, experience, and learn.

When you shift your focus away from “How do I perform well?” to “How can I help this audience?”, something powerful happens:

➡️ *The pressure disappears – and the impact begins.*

To my fellow professional speakers around the world: thank you for the ideas you bring to audiences everywhere.

❓What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about speaking?