Learn the why behind the way people behave —

And why startup leaders need this knowledge — Over the past few decades, organizational leaders have realized that human behavior plays a significant role in a startup’s performance. In fact, there is an entire academic discipline devoted to understanding the impact of human behavior at work: industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. I-O psychologists (like myself) systematically study how people behave…

Why we all feel so burned out at work — The other day, I saw a social media post where someone described their life pre-pandemic. The person got up in the morning, went to the gym, then went into the office, worked 8 hours, then met friends for dinner (or went to a social event), and then went home. And…

If you’re like most of us, the last couple of years has truly taxed some of our fundamental skills that came second nature to us in the pre-pandemic workplace — like interpersonal communication. We’ve experienced fewer in-person interactions, and the meaningful connections that often would result from them are hindered…

The Vital Skill for Leading a Startup — If I were to ask you if you were highly self-aware, you would probably say yes. In fact, 95% of people think they are self-aware. According to science, however, only 10–15% of people are truly self-aware. Self-awareness is a critical skill for entrepreneurs. It’s essential for anyone who interacts with…

Tips to improve your entrepreneurship self-efficacy — Do you believe you can accomplish tasks and handle problems that arise at work if you put in the necessary effort? How you answer the above question is important because it taps into your beliefs about your capabilities (a.k.a. self-efficacy). …

And why is it necessary for startup success (+ free 2-min assessment) — By Nikki Blacksmith, Ph.D. Being an entrepreneur is challenging for many reasons. But one of the most challenging things entrepreneurs need to do is assess and manage their own performance to grow and develop. …

The critical skill set for leading a startup effectively — Problem solving and decision making are daily activities for startup leaders. This skillset is highly valued by investors and stakeholders and is directly related to innovation and firm performance. Ultimately, success of a startup comes down to a series of decisions made by the leadership. Defining Problem-Solving & Decision-Making As…

Raising Labor Standards — At Blackhawke, we come into contact with countless entrepreneurs that are building impressive companies that we believe are on their way to make significant impact on society. In this regular feature, we invite startup founders and founder teams to share their story and tell us more about their company. In…