We’ve all heard the buzz around building better habits—how small, consistent actions can lead to massive change. James Clear’s Atomic Habits offers a brilliant roadmap for that, breaking habits down into manageable pieces and showing how identity shapes our behaviors. But in my experience working with leaders and organizations, there’s a missing piece: unlearning.

Why Unlearning Matters in Habit Formation

Clear explains that habits are tied to identity—you become the type of person who exercises by adopting the habits of someone who exercises. This approach is incredibly powerful, but what happens when your current identity fights back?

That’s where unlearning comes in. Many of us hold deeply ingrained beliefs and micro-habits that resist change, often without us even realizing it. For example, if you believe, “I’m not the type of person who speaks up in meetings,” no amount of habit-building will stick until you unlearn that limiting narrative.

This resistance is often un...

The business world is evolving at lightning speed. Leaders are constantly navigating new challenges, from managing diverse teams to fostering innovation in a competitive landscape. But here’s a thought that might surprise you: One of the most powerful tools in modern leadership isn’t learning more—it’s unlearning.

Unlearning is about identifying and letting go of outdated beliefs and practices that no longer serve today’s dynamic work environment. It’s not about forgetting the past but intentionally reshaping your approach to leadership in ways that align with the present and future.

Why Unlearning Matters More Than Ever

We’ve all been shaped by our experiences, the influence of workplace traditions, and old-school leadership styles that once defined success but clinging to these outdated scripts is holding us back. In the modern workplace, agility, adaptability, and innovation are the keys to success. Unlearning is the first step toward unlocking these qualities in yourself and ...

The effectiveness of leadership can make or break an organization’s success. For decision-makers, HR leaders, and executives, developing conscious leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a critical strategy that can transform team dynamics, elevate performance, and create a thriving workplace culture. 

But what exactly is conscious leadership, and what does partnering with experts like Conscious Leadership Partners bring to the table? 

A Modern Approach to Modern Challenges

Conscious leadership starts with awareness—of ourselves, our teams, and the impact of our decisions. It’s about leading with intention, questioning long-held assumptions, and adapting to the evolving needs of today’s diverse workforce. This isn’t about discarding the past but choosing what aligns with our present and future.

At Conscious Leadership Partners, we believe that conscious leadership is not just a skill set; it’s a mindset shift that redefines how we lead. By letting go of outdated practices, lead...

Small steps are foundational to creating lasting change, and that’s the main idea behind my POCA Model. And each of those small steps layers on one another little by little to create new habits. POCA is an acronym for Pause, Observe, Choose, and Act, and it also has another meaning—in Spanish, poca means “small thing.”

So, let’s look at how the POCA Model for Incremental Change can help leaders in your organization overcome generational conditioning to practice conscious leadership.

Pause—Take a Moment to Step Back  

Most leaders in organizations spend too much time putting out fires and don’t have the time to slow down. An object in motion remains in motion—which means our brains tell us we have to keep going at a breakneck pace or risk falling (even further) behind.

However, change starts by making time to step out of reactionary mode. We don’t feel we have time to slow down, but changing the status quo requires doing something different.

In other words, you have to slow...

Leadership quality can make or break a company’s success. After all, the way leaders in your company seek to motivate their teams directly impacts employee satisfaction and engagement, which in turn directly impacts your organization’s ability to deliver on your brand promise.

Unfortunately, with more than 75% of all employees either actively disengaged or quiet quitting, one thing is clear: most companies can and should do a better job when it comes to developing leaders—especially conscious leaders who can motivate their teams.

It’s certainly not out of a lack of desire from HR or emerging leaders. It’s also not just about hosting workshops or regular evaluations to help people improve. Candidly, those are valuable tools in the leadership skill-building toolbox, but one of the most critical aspects of developing strong leaders is overlooked far too often.

Fostering leadership skills in your organization requires helping individuals learn how to dig deeper to understand—and addres...

I’m excited to announce that I’m hanging up my solo practice as Carolina Caro LLC to launch Conscious Leadership Partners LLC. The decision to grow a collective of coaches and trainers was born of the desire to better serve our current and future clients.

2023 was a year of exponential growth where I found myself turning down opportunities or referring work out to colleagues because I was at capacity. It was a case of “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it!”.  As a result, it was an opportunity to build out a team and cement the types of processes that would support more training, coaching and speaking engagements. This really excites me because I feel that we are at an important crossroads in the area of leadership development where people are craving the benefits of becoming more conscious.

I’m grateful to my business manager Karen Rezai, who took the lead last year to strengthen our operations and to onboard many new team members to support the growth. She has...