09 Nov
Leadership Temptations: Overcoming Common Pitfalls for Stronger Teams and Effective Relationships
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Leadership Temptations: Overcoming Common Pitfalls for Stronger Teams and Effective Relationships

Are you familiar with Patrick Lencioni’s model of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team? In his model he identifies the following 5 components that prevent team effectiveness. They are:
  • Absence of Trust
  • Fear of Conflict
  • Lack Of Commitment
  • Avoidance of Accountability
  • Inattention to Results

He has recently republished The Five Temptations of a CEO which discusses behaviors (or temptations) that leaders often experience which impact relationships and results:

Status Over Results
To address this: focus on your goals and the results, document and share both, and assess if you’ve been truly successful

Popularity Over Accountability
To address this: hold people accountable, confront direct reports immediately about behavior and performance issues, and ensure you communicate clear expectations

Certainty Over Clarity
To address this: make deadlines known and apply critical thinking skills when a decision has to be made, especially when information may be lacking

Harmony Over Conflict
To address this: ensure you have a culture of productive conflict, encourage differing opinions and perspectives, and allow passionate, yet healthy, discussions to occur

Invulnerability Over Trust
To address this: focus on creating strong relationships and acknowledge when you err or make a mistake and allow direct reports (and colleagues) to see your human side

Lencioni’s recap:
Trust let’s healthy conflict occur > conflict leads to clarity > clarity allows accountability > accountability ensures results

Are there any behaviors you could change to make you a more effective leader, obtain desired results, and build strong and lasting relationships?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

The greatest challenge of being a CEO, or any leader for that matter, is to avoid getting trapped by the daily complexities and details of our business. –Patrick Lencioni

02 Nov
Managing Workplace Stress: How Leaders Can Build Healthier Work Environments
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Managing Workplace Stress: How Leaders Can Build Healthier Work Environments

Have you observed stress in the workplace or perhaps even experienced stressful situations while at work? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone.

The 2024 Workforce Mental Health Trends Report indicates that workplace stress and anxiety continues to remain high with more than 33% of benefit leaders reporting that stress was experienced in their organizations.  (This number is up from 2023 when it was reported at 20%). They also reported that depression was a critical issue impacting roughly 36% of their workforce.

The most common factors were identified as:
  • Work overload
  • Low job control
  • Workplace violence
  • Bullying/harassment
  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Exposure to trauma
  • Managerial stress and poor leadership support

When any of these factors play a role in the workplace, absenteeism increases and the same holds true for mistakes and errors – all resulting in a decrease in productivity and job satisfaction levels, along with attrition and higher health care costs.

As leaders we want strong and healthy relationships to exist among us, and our colleagues. When these relationships exist, we are better positioned to have a true sense of the “health” within our work culture.

Unclear goals and unrealistic timeframes for deliverables lend themselves to mental fatigue and conflict among colleagues and clients; all that as leaders we need to be aware of. We need to have open lines of communication and encourage team members to share with us when they are experiencing stress or are having negative feelings.

It’s helpful to have consistent “check ins” with the team as a whole and also with each team member to discuss their workload and deliverable schedules. It’s also a plus to discuss work and homelife balance.

The best way to reduce workplace stress? Take the time to build effective and authentic business relationships and make these check-ins meaningful!

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind to do something that is productive.
– Ziggy Marley

24 Oct
How to Be an Authentic Leader: 5 Key Traits for Impactful Leadership
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How to Be an Authentic Leader: 5 Key Traits for Impactful Leadership

Does it matter if you’re viewed as an authentic leader? The answer is a resounding yes!

Studies show that leaders that are viewed as authentic inspire trust and loyalty, they build strong and lasting relationships, and their team members strive to be higher performers with a desire to achieve team goals.

Bill George, author, former CEO at Medtronic, and Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School says “authentic leaders are driven by a moral and ethical purpose and never lose sight of their core values and principles. They lead with their hearts, cultivate long-term relationships and demonstrate excellence through self-discipline”.

In his book Authentic Leadership, Mr. George defines 5 dimensions of leadership that he feels true leaders must develop. Excerpts include:

1. Understanding your purpose
To find your purpose you must first understand yourself, your passions and your motivations. You may need to experience several organizations before you find the right fit.

2. Practicing solid values
Values are shaped by personal beliefs, developed through study, introspection,
consultation, and a lifetime of experience with integrity being most crucial.

3. Leading with heart
Engaging the hearts of your employees provides a competitive advantage. When employees believe their work has purpose their results will surpass those that don’t.

4. Establishing enduring relationships
An effective leader does more than create strategies, structure and processes. Having an open relationship builds trust and commitment which leads to success and higher levels of performance.

5. Demonstrating self-discipline
Without self-discipline you cannot gain the respect of your followers. Values must be demonstrated through consistent actions. If we fall short, we must admit our mistakes.

In summary, authentic leaders:
  • understand the importance of relationships   
  • make others feel empowered and they acknowledge the value others provide
  • utilize their magic dust™ (and that of others) and blend passion and compassion with critical thinking

Do you view yourself as an authentic leader? What could you change?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

In a time when ethical leadership has more value than ever, Bill George
shows us the way with clarity and conviction.
–Daniel Goldman

15 Oct
ow to Manage Workload, Quality, and Morale as a Leader
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How to Manage Workload, Quality, and Morale as a Leader

Ensuring quality work is delivered can be a struggle especially when there are strict timeframes and the workload seems endless.

As leaders we need to manage unrealistic expectations for the volume of work we (or our teams) are expected to produce; it’s not just quality that may be impacted, it’s also morale, burn out, and work relationships. 

Long hours are sometimes required to meet critical deadlines but there’s a need to monitor workloads for intensity and pace (for both exceptional performers as well as under achievers).

Ideas that help:

  • Review each work effort and determine how they align with your vision, mission, goals. Which ones are the priority items? Studies show that only about 50% of a worker’s time is spent on goal specific activities. Diversions and new priorities do happen but be aware that delivery windows may be impacted.
  • Try and leverage best practices for past deliverables; consider what went well and what could be improved upon. (Do you have documented processes and procedures that can assist?)
  • Make sure your team members possess the necessary skills and clearly understand what’s expected of them with associated due dates. Also, ask them how they feel about their workload.
  • Delegate as needed; this will empower and inspire the team.
  • Observe and understand how you and your team react to stress. Some are energized when so much is required of them, and others may feel drained and struggle with accomplishing much at all. 

Delivering high-quality work provides a strong sense of satisfaction, it builds trusting business relationships, and it creates a thriving work culture.
 
Do you have tips for managing quality over quantity?
Sincerely,
 
Mike and Jan
 

Quality is more important than quantity.One home run is much better than two doubles. —Steve Jobs

04 Oct
4th Quarter Leadership Strategies: Prioritize Goals and Build Success
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4th Quarter Leadership Strategies: Prioritize Goals and Build Success

As we begin the 4th QTR of 2024 it’s time to assess and prioritize our plans for the last 3 months of the year.
 
We need to review our team/organizational goals (and our personal ones) and share what MUST be accomplished by year-end versus what could be postponed until 2025.

We also need to clearly share those priorities with our team members and ensure they understand their role and our expectations so there are no surprises.

It’s also a good time to review skill-set needs, update development plans, review your budget, and determine if additional resources are needed.
 
Questions to review include:
 
  1. What’s the status of all your 2024 goals?
  2. Have those that were achieved been celebrated?
  3. Have those that were missed or postponed been assigned a new completion date? (and perhaps an owner to drive and monitor achievement).
  4. Is there a continued focus on building and maintaining relationships? Where are there gaps?
  5. Is your talent retention plan working?
  6. What are you doing to develop and foster career growth?
  7. Is technical savvy sufficient to keep abreast of changing times?
  8. How could you make your work culture more favorable?
  9. How will your goals change in 2025?
  10. When can you share 2025 goals? The sooner the better!
How you answer the questions will assist with differentiating between IMPORTANT issues (those which contribute heavily to goals and objectives and have high value) from URGENT issues (those that require immediate attention but may not contribute to the success of meeting goals and objectives).
 
Also, address any behaviors that are not aligned with supporting organizational goals and impede creating effective and lasting business relationships. 

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

Do not wait: the time will never be ‘just right’. —Napoleon Hill

 

04 Oct
Mastering Critical Thinking: Part 2 – 7 Advanced Skills for Effective Decision Making
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Mastering Critical Thinking: Part 2 – 7 Advanced Skills for Effective Decision Making

Applying Critical Thinking – Part 2

Critical thinking becomes most effective when relationships are considered, and differing perspectives are discussed to guide optimal decisions.

As previously shared, critical thinking involves questioning and evaluating situations clearly and logically, allowing you to reach the best possible solution.

The Indeed Editorial Team outlined 14 critical thinking characteristics. Last week, we discussed the first seven. Today, we’ll explore the remaining seven:

8. Decision-Making

Critical thinkers are decisive. They understand the reasons behind their choices, the potential consequences, and factors like time, efficiency, and effectiveness.

9. Inference and Deductions

Drawing inferences means understanding beyond surface-level information, processing data, and deriving conclusions effectively.

10. Continuous Learning

Critical thinkers are curious and reflective about their own decisions and those of others. They analyze what led to success or failure and constantly learn from it.

11. Confidence

Critical thinkers trust their ability to make the right decisions. They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and seek input from trusted sources when more information is needed.

12. Flexibility

Critical thinkers are adaptable. They understand each situation is unique and adjust their approach accordingly. They quickly pivot when plans fail and admit to mistakes when necessary.

13. Observation and Attention to Detail

Critical thinkers excel at spotting minute details and identifying errors. They also apply strong observational skills in their interactions, understanding that relationships matter.

14. Commitment and Determination

Critical thinkers are committed to resolving problems despite obstacles or setbacks. Their perseverance helps them stay focused on achieving success.

Key Question

A good starting point is: “What results do you want to achieve?”

Identifying your goal helps sharpen focus and allows for clearer, more logical evaluations of each situation.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

 

Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives,stop thinking and go in.––Napoleon Bonaparte

 

04 Oct
Mastering Critical Thinking: Part 1 – 7 Key Skills for Better Decision Making
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Mastering Critical Thinking: Part 1 – 7 Key Skills for Better Decision Making

Are You a Strong Decision Maker?

Do you apply critical thinking skills in your decision-making process? A simple definition of critical thinking is the ability to question and evaluate each situation clearly and logically, allowing you to arrive at the best possible solution based on the information available.

The Indeed Editorial Team has identified 14 key characteristics of critical thinking. Today, we’ll explore the first seven:

1. Curiosity – Valuing different perspectives, cultures, and beliefs, and maintaining a willingness to learn from them.

2. Introspection – Being aware of your actions, thoughts, decisions, biases, and inner feelings, allowing for personal growth.

3. Objectivity – The ability to remove personal biases and emotions when analyzing information to make balanced and rational decisions.

4. Analytical Skills – Examining information from various perspectives while focusing on the core components of each situation.

5. Compassion – Recognizing the importance of human interactions in decision-making and balancing emotions with objectivity.

6. Creativity – Finding innovative and unique solutions to regular or recurring problems by questioning standard approaches and rejecting the status quo.

7. Communication – Clearly presenting and expressing your ideas, while being able to convince others of their validity and merit.

We’ll share the remaining seven characteristics next week. In the meantime, reflect on the following questions:

•Do you consider the impact of your decisions on your team and colleagues?

•Do you rely solely on past experiences when making decisions?

•Do you sometimes make quick decisions without seeking additional facts?

•Do you apply the seven critical thinking traits listed above in your decision-making?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan


Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position. —Bell Hooks

 

15 Sep
Discover the Six Working Genius Types to Build Strong Business Relationships
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Understanding Working Genius Types for Building Effective Business Relationships

Let’s face it, your team members are the ones that ensure team and organizational goals are met. Granted they need direction, timelines, clearly defined roles, and effective business relationships to ensure any challenge or obstacle may be addressed.

Team members are also most effective when they can utilize what we call their magic dust™ (strengths and energizers), which is also referred to as “working genius” by Patrick Lencioni.

In 2020, Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group created The 6 Types of Working Genius which defines team member strengths as follows:

  • Wonder: The ability to see the potential and opportunities in a situation
  • Invention: The ability to create original and novel ideas and solutions
  • Discernment: The ability to intuitively and instinctively evaluate ideas and situations
  • Galvanizing: The ability to rally, inspire and organize others to take action
  • Enablement: The ability to provide encouragement and assistance for an idea or project
  • Tenacity: The ability to push projects and tasks through to completion

They also shared how to invite team member input based on their unique style:

StyleQuestions to Ask
WonderWhat do you see as the real opportunity or problem to solve? What are we missing?
InventionWe’re stuck here. What are your ideas and thoughts on how to solve this? We have a new opportunity in front of us. How can we take advantage of it?
DiscernmentI trust your intuition. Could I hear your perspective on whether you think this new idea will work? Can you help us refine this idea and make it better?
GalvanizingWe need to get this moving. Can you help us rally everyone around it? It feels like everyone is going in different directions. Can you help us get realigned around what’s most important?
EnablementThis project needs support and momentum, can you help us get started? We need help anticipating how this project will impact others, can I get your perspective?
TenacityBased on what we hope to accomplish, what do we need to think through and what details might we be missing? Can you help us move this initiative to completion?
 
Think of each of your team members; could you identify their style and how to best engage them?   

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team.
–Phil Jackson

 

09 Sep
How Effective Leaders Inspire and Motivate Teams to Achieve Success
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How Effective Leaders Inspire and Motivate Teams to Achieve Success

Being an inspirational and motivating leader starts with us. It’s about our ability to share our passion, recognize the passion (aka magic dust™) of others, and compel others to take action and make a difference, while we also strive to achieve and do more.

We assist team members find joy in the workplace when we have a true desire to help them grow and succeed, and when we guide them on a career path that helps them deliver on their full potential.

Let’s start with the definitions provided by Indeed:

Inspiration represents something that compels an individual to take action, often connecting with their feelings or values. It can also spark ideas for them on actions to take or things to make.

Motivation represents giving an individual a reason to take action, often serving as a method of persuasion.

Mark Hansen and Joe Batten, authors of The Master Motivator – Secrets Of Inspiring Leadership provide tips for motivating teams and colleagues:

Effective Leadership: Do’s and Don’ts

YesNot
AskingTelling
PullingPushing
Looking for strengthsLooking for weaknesses
Providing genuine praiseGrudging compliments
Cooperating with othersCompeting with others
Value-ledValue-driven
Vision-ledVision-driven
Open and vulnerable mindClosed and defensive mind
Expecting the bestExpecting second best
Stressing resultsStressing activity
Crisp and sharpSloppy grooming
Empowering othersDiminishing others
Hearing by actively listeningListening negatively
Loving and caringHating and hostile
LearnersKnowers
Goal-orientedRole-oriented
“We”“I”
Crystal-clear integrityExpedient moral practices

Leaders that are inspiring and motivating assume and look for positive intent, help others feel valued, provide meaningful feedback, reward accomplishments, and build effective and lasting relationships.

Are you an inspiring and motivating leader? Is there anything you could change?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

Leaders must be close enough to relate to (and have strong relationships with others), but far enough ahead to motivate them.
—John C. Maxwell

 

30 Aug
How Leadership Styles Have Evolved: Building Strong Relationships for Lasting Success
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How Leadership Styles Have Evolved: Building Strong Relationships for Lasting Success

Do you agree that leadership styles have changed over the years?

We feel that there has been a shift with a desire to build more effective relationships with supervisors, managers, and senior leaders, as well as with colleagues, clients, and strategic partnerships.

Having relationships that build positive and supportive networks, create rapport, take action against shared goals, and are meant to last is what today’s leaders strive for.

Patrick Lencioni has a model for the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™ which reflects that the foundation for strong teams is trust, followed by conflict, commitment, accountability and results. When team members trust one another, when they are able to engage in healthy conflict, when they are committed to moving forward, when they hold themselves and one another accountable, and when they focus on shared goals and desired results, more will be achieved.

Shouldn’t these same components be applied to leaders and their direct reports? Yes, leaders must have a vision, they can’t disregard productivity, budgets, and development needs and opportunities, but achieving success must mean that people and relationships are the priority.

Having a foundation of trust helps build relationships by:

·         Becoming more aware of how to best interact with others
·         Creating a work culture of listening and appreciation
·         Providing consistent and meaningful feedback
·         Asking what’s going well and what could be improved upon
·         Learning why “one style” is not always the most effective one
·         Leveraging the magic dust™ (strengths) of team members

Has your leadership style kept up with the changing times? What are you doing to build strong and lasting relationships with those you lead?

Sincerely,
Mike and Jan

The glue that holds all relationships together –
including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust,
and trust is based on integrity.
— Brian Tracy

 

25 Aug
Business Relationships Start with You | Chief Diversity Officer Insights
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All Business Relationships Start with You: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) is a C-Suite role that is becoming more common with over 50% of Fortune 500 companies having that role as part of their organization.

The role of Chief Diversity Officer has been defined as being “responsible for creating, managing, and optimizing their work culture to be an equitable and fair environment for all employees”. We also think it includes building and maintaining effective business relationships which helps drive results and satisfaction levels.

The CDO understands and appreciates differences and works to ensure the following dimensions are not excluded from, but rather incorporated into the work culture:
  • Class
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender and gender identity
  • Income
  • Mental and physical abilities and characteristics
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Sexuality
Having an inclusive culture requires six principles:

  1. Diversity and inclusion are to be considered business-critical, not compliance-necessary
  2. There’s a focus both on diversity and inclusion to obtain superior performance
  3. Leaders must demonstrate behaviors such as courage, curiosity, and cultural intelligence
  4. Incorporate demographic diversity and diversity of thought into all talent management practices (ex. talent pipeline, talent acquisition, promotions, and leadership development)
  5. Empower individuals to take action and be authentic, manage unconscious bias effectively, and leverage the support of mentors and sponsors as needed
  6. Create accountability and share measurements about diversity and inclusion-related activities and their impacts
The ultimate goal is to create a work culture of trust, transparency, and accountability with open lines of communication and a sense of fairness. When this type of work environment exists, morale, satisfaction surveys, accountability, productivity, and innovation will all increase.

You may not have a CDO at your place of work, but is there anything you can do to incorporate the 6 principles and strengthen your work culture?

Sincerely,
Mike and Jan

The chief diversity officer (CDO) is an organization’s executive level diversity and inclusion strategist, whose job may include, but is not limited to, addressing discrimination in the workplace, launching initiatives to change the organizational culture, and increasing the range of backgrounds and the representation of various groups in staff, volunteers, and/or management.
Roughly 52% of Fortune 500 companies employ diversity officers.

–Wikipedia

 

20 Aug
Mastering Communication: How Tone and Body Language Shape Your Message
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Mastering Communication: How Tone and Body Language Shape Your Message

We all know that being an effective communicator is a major part of being a successful leader, but we may not be aware that communication is broken down into three segments.

Researcher Albert Mehrabian first analyzed the components of a face-to-face conversation and found that:

  • Our words account for only 7% of how our message is interpreted
  • Our tone accounts for 38% of the message
  • The remaining 55% is attributed to our body language
Our body language provides signals about our mood, how engaged we are, and our level of receptiveness (this applies to both the sender and receiver of the message).

We need to be keenly aware of our posture, how we are standing or sitting, if we are using hand gestures, and if we are making eye contact (and hopefully not rolling our eyes!).

Having eye contact is important as it helps maintain focus and attention, and when eye contact is lacking, or quickly shifting, the message may be viewed as one not to be trusted.

Regarding posture, think about if you lean in during a conversation, cross your arms, slouch, lean back in your chair, smile or have a poker face, nod to indicate you’re truly listening, or even if you move around during the conversation.

There’s also a recommendation to mirror the expression of the person delivering the message. This is helpful to show receptiveness and openness. An example is if the person is struggling with an issue, actively listen, show empathy, and be understanding. Another is that if great news is being shared, have a genuine smile and a sparkle in your eye!

With so many of us working virtually, pay extra attention to your tone, how attentive you are being, and how you are sitting and engaging others while on teleconference calls. It’s pretty easy to tell who’s multi-tasking and listening with “one ear”.

Active listening and using appropriate body language must become two of our strongest skills in order to be a strong communicator. Words matter, but our tone and body language even more so.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

Language is a more recent technology. Your body language, your eyes, your energy will come through to your audience before you even start speaking.
–Peter Guber

 

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