Real coaching builds people toward their future. Correction drags them back to their past. Too many leaders confuse the two, hunting for mistakes instead of nurturing potential. And in some industries, “coaching” has become a softened word for discipline, leaving people fearful instead of inspired. True coaching lifts confidence, strengthens vision, and helps people rise… not shrink.

On a walk along Daytona Beach, a moonrise was mistaken for the post-sunset glow of the sun… a moment that revealed how perception can override reason. In this reflective leadership blog, Michael Troxell explores how our senses, emotions, and assumptions often distort reality, and offers five practical ways to improve judgment, clarity, and decision-making when the light plays tricks on us.

Great leaders never stop learning, and leadership growth begins with mindset. Adopting a growth mindset transforms mistakes into lessons, builds resilience, turns challenges into growth opportunities, and feedback as fertilizer for future success. Cultivate your leadership garden, because success isn’t about the destination, it’s about what you are becoming along the way. #LeadershipDevelopment #GrowthMindset #PersonalGrowth #ContinuousLearning #TransformationalLeadership