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The Cortex Library is an online repository of articles, videos, books, and other resources. Cortex Library The Cortex Leadership Library is a multi-media treasure trove of information for anyone. Below you'll find our YouTube Channel, our CEO Lynda McNutt Foster's e-Book, as well our prolific blog. The Blog Check out some of the blogs you can read in our prolific library of blog articles. A Leader’s Time Metabolism – it’s not the what, it’s when It’s not the what, it could be the when. In my ebook, Time Mastery: 7 Simple Steps to Richer Outcome, in our Leading a Winning Team coursework, we provide an assessment that allows... Make Shift Happen – From Drama to Empowerment – Reference Guide Try these 6 questions to start making shift happen – move from drama to empowerment... Tips on Finding the Right Words During a Confrontation at Work What do you say at work when it’s hard to find the right words. There is no shortage of information out there on how we should do things... Embracing The Pressure, When the Pressure is On! Quick, easy, stress management techniques for the busy professional. Stress can have some serious physical effects. 75-90% of doctor visits can be directly linked to stress... Video Library Below you can sift through a few of what you'll find in our Cortex Video Library on YouTube. A Leader's Guide to Getting More FREE DOWNLOAD of the new study: A Leader’s Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas from Their Teams Right Now: A wake up call to any leader that needs to innovate to thrive Register Here

One of Your Best Employees Just Left March 24, 2019 Lynda McNutt Foster About a year ago I got a call from someone who was struggling to keep one of their best employees from leaving their organization. “Lynda,” he said, “we really want to keep Sarah – she has some killer skills and a great attitude. She works really hard. She just got a job offer that will pay her more than we are able to match right now. She’s been flexible and adaptive, learned on her feet, and was really dedicated to the organization, and not just to a given role she was in so it’s going to be really hard to replace her. What should we do to try and keep her?” The short answer is you most likely can’t. Matching the money probably won’t do it because employees quit months before they actually quit and sometimes when you are the perfect employer the result is your best employees leave anyway. The problem isn’t always about whether some of your best employees are leaving as much as it is why aren’t you constantly cultivating more of them? Why You Are Losing Your Best Employees – The Reality of Constant Recruiting According to Gallup research, 51% of all employees are actively looking for another job. The average worker, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, currently holds 10 different jobs before age forty, and this number is projected to grow. Forrester Research predicts that today’s youngest workers will hold 12-15 jobs in their lifetime. That means that before someone is 40 they are likely to change jobs every couple of years. Business people tend to quote this statistic in a negative way and blame workers for “constantly changing jobs” which is why they fear investing in developing their skillsets. They argue, “why would I invest money in someone’s development when they are probably going to leave in the next couple of years”. Indeed, that is clearly one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is this way: If you don’t invest in your team member’s growth and development you are surely going to lose them because 45% of young professionals (don’t call them millennials – they hate that and will hate you for using that stereotyped word… especially if they are smart and hard working) say that it is “very important” to them that they take a job that accelerates their professional or career development. ABC’s are now the ABR’s of Recruiting There was an acronym made famous in a crude speech given by a foul talking, brutal sales manager in Glengarry, Glen Ross, from a 1992 film that was ABC… “Always Be Closing”. If you were on his sales team and weren’t following that rule, the results would be dire. For today’s leaders when it comes to getting and retaining the highest potential employees, that slogan may be “Always be Recruiting.” If you’re not, the results could be dire indeed to the future growth of your organization. With a national unemployment average hovering at or below 4%, your best employees will leave and you need to be constantly thinking about how you will replace them, the same way you think about always attracting new customers or clients. As the baby boomers leave the workforce and there are less Gen Xers to replace them, you are going to be creating a work environment that young professionals feel like they can grow within. As long as they’re growing, your high potentials are more likely to stick with the organization. When there are no positions for them to move up and into or their pay is capped, they feel they have no choice except to leave. To fight the current reality of today’s workforce will result in your organization not effectively planning for the future. Your job, as an organization, then becomes coaching your best employees to discover their professional potential and work with them to develop their skills and abilities to get them there, whether they stay with you or not. The Good News About Losing Your Best Employee There’s some really good news to come from all of this so stay with me for another couple of minutes. As a leader in authority, you still have the power. You are not being held hostage by social media or Glassdoor ® ratings. If you accept the current reality of today’s workforce and proactively plan for constant shifts in your own, you can create a place where the best people want to work and refer their high potential friends to work for, too. Your best employees can help you find their replacements. It is happening in companies right now. Here’s an excerpt from a current employee at a company called Fast Enterprises that my daughter Melody went to work for because of the reviews posted on their Glassdoor® account like this one: I have been working at Fast Enterprises full-time (More than 5 years) Pros Fast, even at the 1000+ size it is, still cares deeply about each and every employee. Their benefits, even the way they help people move, the way they bring individuals AND their spouses/families into the culture, it super impressive and I love that about Fast. The work we do is serious in terms of being important work – our clients are generally very positive to work with and welcoming, so it is a pleasant place to work. Cons Any con I can think of is also a pro depending on how you look at it. Occasional relocation is also an opportunity to experience a new place and city. Occasional overtime is also an opportunity to make $. Advice to Management Employees love the partner interaction – everyone enjoys having a partner on their project or visiting their project. Keep that up!! Stop thinking the workforce is going to change and start changing the way you go about retaining and recruiting them. Many of the best HR professionals today know what needs to be done and many times are not given the support and resources to execute the most contemporary methods. Leaders like you have the authority and ability to create the future workforce at your organization that will propel you to 2025 and beyond. Antiquated want ads will not attract star players that desire to be on your team. Realizing that star players are being recruited by great companies and can choose to work anywhere they want to right now, will. Update the recruitment ads to attract star players so they will want to choose your company to work for. Use social media and YouTube to tell your story and connect with people regardless of where they currently work or are living. The new tactics are actually much cheaper than the old ones. The real question is, are you ready to use them? Create a place people love to come to work to each day. Allow us to help you. info@cortexleadership.com

EPIC Library - Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Lunch with a Leader Recordings EPIC Library - Lunch with a Leader Recordings Lunch with Chris Funk Chief Lending Officer November 18th, 2025 Lunch with Dana Mullins Chief People Officer December 18th, 2025 Lunch with Derrick Aguilar Chief Experience Officer January 20th, 2026 Check back periodically for more!

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EPIC Library - Ask the Expert Corcast Episodes EPIC Library - Ask the Expert Corcast Episodes EPIC Library - Ask the Expert Corcast Episodes EPIC Library - Ask the Expert Corcast Episodes Month 1 Communicating with Intention - DISC and Driving Forces Intentional Communication with DISC Kicking off the EPIC journey, DISC centers on building self-awareness through the DISC and Driving Forces assessment—a powerful tool for understanding personal communication styles and how they interact with others. You will learn how to recognize and adapt to different DISC styles, reduce friction, and strengthen trust. By applying these insights to real-world conversations, they’ll begin to turn everyday interactions into opportunities for clarity, collaboration, and connection. Listen to the DISC Corcast Episode: Refer back to this DISC Clue Sheet throughout the EPIC Program DISC Clue Sheet Month 2 Transitioning from a Problem to a Solutions Mindset Shifting from Problem to Solution We all know that great leadership isn't about reacting - it's about responding with clarity and confidence. But how often do you find yourself caught in stress, frustration, or self-doubt? Reactivity to Resilience will help you recognize when you're triggered, understand your DISC-driven stress responses, and apply proven techniques to shift from reactive to resilient. Listen to the Reactive to Resilient Corcast Episode: Read through the Many Faces of Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer: Victim - Many Faces Persecutor - Many Faces Rescuer - Many Faces Month 3 Thinking with Intention - VIPE A Leader's Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Qualitry Ideas from Their Teams Thinking with Intention challenges participants to elevate their strategic thinking by understanding how their natural strengths—and blind spots—impact team innovation. Using the VIPE model (Vision, Inclusion, Process, and Execution), they’ll assess their preferred thinking roles and how those influence decision-making and collaboration. Paired with insights from A Leader’s Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas , participants will discover practical ways to foster creativity, avoid common thinking traps, and unlock better outcomes through intentional thought leadership. Listen to the Corcast Episode: Read the executive summary of A Leader's Guide to Getting More, Fresh, High Quality Ideas : Executive Summary Month 4 - Managing Priorities with Intention Time Mastery 2.0 Time Mastery 2.0 Managing Priorities with Intention - you'll take a deep dive into how you use your time—versus how you intend to use it. Grounded in the Time Mastery: 7 Simple Steps for Richer Outcomes framework, and Time Mastery 2.0, you’ll explore how to align daily actions with higher-level priorities. Through reflection and practical tools, this session helps you identify time wasters, clarify outcomes over tasks, and design a rhythm of work that drives meaningful progress—without burning out. Listen to the Time Mastery 2.0 Corcast Episode: Read Time Mastery 2.0 : Time Mastery 2.0 Month 5 Building Trust with Intention - Conversational Intelligence Conversational Intelligence In Month 5 of the EPIC Leadership Program- we'll explore how trust is built—or broken—through everyday interactions. You’ll examine the six key elements of trust: time, reliability, sincerity, competency, involvement, and standards—and how each one contributes to credibility and connection. Using the three levels of Conversational Intelligence®—transactional, positional, and transformational—you will learn how to shift conversations from simple exchanges to deeper, trust-building dialogue that strengthens team cohesion and performance. Listen to the CIQ Corcast Episode: 3 Levels of Conversation: 3 Levels of CIQ

Cortex Culture Kit Cortex Culture Kit Cortex Culture Kit Cortex Culture Kit Welcome to Phases 1-3! Welcome to the Cortex Stressed for Success Culture Kit where you will learn how to deal with stressful situations, what triggers you, and how to have more pleasant experiences. More About Stressed for Success What You Will Learn The causes and origin of stress How your brain reacts to stress and anxiety The different types of anxiety that we all experience How stress can affect your relationships at work and create conflict leading to lack of trust in the environment Using the Exercises Deal with stressful situations with more calm and ease Fall asleep easier Things that used to trigger anxious responses in you may not effect you anymore Quickly remember and experience pleasant experiences that can lead to a feeling of more control and satisfaction How It Works Simply watch each Video in Phase 1 before your first Culture Group Session Print out Phase 1 Worksheet and bring it with you to your Group Session Once watching the modules and having your first Group Session, move on to Phase 2! Rinse & Repeat We recommend that you space your learning out every two days to give you time to digest and practice the exercises provided. If you require any assistance or have any questions, feel free to email the Cortex Team at info@cortexleadership.com to speak directly with a Cortex Team Member. Phase 1 What is Stress and Anxiety? Print out this worksheet and bring it with you to your Group Session for Phase 1- Stressed for Success Culture Kit! 10 Rules of Inclusion Phase 1 Worksheet Step One: Introduction Step Two: Interview Step Three: Lesson Step Four: Exercise Phase 2 Recognizing Amygdala Anxiety Print out this worksheet and bring it with you to your Group Session for Phase 2- Stressed for Success Culture Kit! Phase 2 Worksheet 10 Rules of Inclusion Step One: Introduction Step Two: Interview Step Three: Lesson Step Four: Exercise Phase 3 Amygdala Triggers and Reactions Print out this worksheet and bring it with you to your Group Session for Phase 3- Stressed for Success Culture Kit! 10 Rules of Inclusion Phase 3 Worksheet Step One: Interview Step Two: Lesson Step Three: Exercise 1 Step Four: Exercise 2

Time Traps The Attention Drain How to Reclaim Your Focus in a World of Constant Pings Read More The Productivity Myth Why Overloaded Leaders Lose Their Edge Read More The Reactive Leader Are you running your day, or is your day running you? Read More The Perfectionism Trap Stop Overthinking & Start Executing Read More The Drama Distraction Are you leading or getting lost in office politics? Read More The Meeting Trap Are your meetings helping or hurting productivity? Read More The Overload Illusion Why Doing More is Making You Less Effecctive Read More Time Metabolism Aligning Your Energy with Your Most Important Work Read More The Delegation Dilemma If you want it done right, do you have to do it yourself? Read More