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(33838, 274, '2017-07-05 06:00:29', '2017-07-05 10:00:29', 'Welcome to the July 2017 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!\n\nDan Rockwell of Leadership Freak wrote recently about <a href=\"https://leadershipfreak.blog/2017/06/24/the-12-assets-that-elevate-and-expand-every-leaders-influence/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">assets that help leaders extend their influence</a>. Before highlighting each of the assets, Dan wrote, \"Leadership isn’t about status, position, salary, or title. Stewardship is about using what you have in service to others.\" This month\'s carnival may just inspire you to go a step farther in using your strengths to serve others. I hope that\'s the case.\n<h3>Let\'s Get Started</h3>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Anne Perschel</strong> of <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germane Coaching and Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/leadership-manifesto-why-you-need-one/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership Manifesto - Why You Need One and How to Get Started</a>. Anne writes, \"Your leadership manifesto ensures you stay the course in challenging times and focus on what’s most important at all times.\" Find Anne on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bizshrink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bizshrink</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Beth Beutler</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.O.P.E. Unlimited</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/virtual-assistant-models/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Four Types of Virtual Assistance</a>. Beth explains four different models of virtual assistant services and provides suggestions for finding a good VA fit. Find Beth on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bethbeutler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bethbeutler</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bill Treasurer</strong> of <a href=\"http://giantleapconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giant Leap Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-great-mentor-bill-treasurer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Choose a Great Mentor</a>. Bill recaps, \"Having a good mentor can take you far in your leadership journey. Learn what traits to look for in a good mentor.\" Find Bill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/btreasurer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@btreasurer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/culture-leadership-charge-dont-bump-the-fishbowl/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Culture Leadership Charge: Don\'t Bump the Fishbowl</a>. In this post, Chris introduces \"three steps to serving, validating, and celebrating employees’ ideas and contributions every day.\" Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Great Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2017/06/leadership-tips-from-mankinds-best.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership Tips from Mankind’s Best Friend, the Dog</a>. Dan recaps, \"This lighthearted guest post from <strong>Dr. Garry McDaniel </strong>gives us 7 leadership tips learned from mankind\'s best friend, the dog!\" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@greatleadership.</a>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dana Theus</strong> of <a href=\"http://inpowercoaching.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InPower Coaching</a> contributed <a href=\"https://inpowercoaching.com/dear-dana-workplace-advice-long-stay-job/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Long Should You Stay At Your Job?</a>. Dana writes, \"No matter how well matched you and your job are at first, every employer and every person reach a point where it’s time to reconsider or renegotiate you agreement in order to support your continued growth.\" Find Dana on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/DanaTheus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@DanaTheus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Grossman </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grossman Group</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/23117/the-four-fs-of-feedback\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Four Fs of Feedback</a>. David writes, \"If you were to give yourself a grade for how effective you are at giving feedback, what grade would you choose? Many of the executives I work with are brutally honest and give themselves an F. Move from an F to an A with the Four Fs of Feedback\" Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtpartner</a>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jane Perdue </strong>of <a href=\"https://thejanegroup.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Jane Group</a> provided <a href=\"https://thejanegroup.org/develop-deep-diversity-9-learning-styles/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to develop deep diversity with 9 learning styles</a>. Jane shares, \"Insightful guest post from author and coach Kay Peterson that guides leaders in increasing diversity by leveraging nine ways that people learn. Processes shared give leaders and their entire team a model they can use to understand and appreciate everyone\'s strengths and differences.\" Find Jane on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thehrgoddess</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/how-to-recognize-a-leader/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Recognize a Leader</a>. Jesse summarizes, \"How do you recognize a leader? Hint: It’s not because of their title.\" Find Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jesselynstoner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jesselynstoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart </strong>of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Changing Winds</a> provided <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/leading-in-a-virtualized-world-10-traits-of-a-cyber-leader/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading in a Virtualized World: 10 Traits of a Cyber Leader</a>. In the post, Jim<b> </b>explains, \"To be a true Cyber Leader requires a strong and sustained commitment. Technology is proving to be a powerful enabler to bringing people together from around the globe. While Cyber Leadership brings with it exciting opportunities for personal growth, it’s also accompanied by certain challenges<i>.</i>\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Career Advancement Blog</a> submitted <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/overworked-underappreciated-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Four Solutions if You\'re Feeling Overworked and Underappreciated at Work</a>. Joel shares: \"If you\'re feeling overworked and underappreciated at work, you\'re not alone. It\'s easy to begin to feel bitter and resentment toward your job. But, there are things you can do to change how you feel.\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>John Hunter</strong> of <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curious Cat</a> submitted <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2017/06/07/technological-innovation-and-management/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technological Innovation and Management</a>. John recaps: \"Technological innovation brings great opportunity for improving results and our quality of life.  But transforming potential benefits into real results comes with many challenges.\" Discover John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ajohnhunter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ajohnhunter</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thin Difference</a> submitted <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2017/06/need-sadness-less-anger/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Need for More Sadness, Less Anger</a>. Jon shares, \"Anger rises, stifling collaboration. We need more sadness and less anger. From our sadness, we renew our focus on fulfillment rather than happiness.\" Discover Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thindifference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thindifference</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Verbeck</strong> of  <a href=\"http://www.jonverbeck.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jon Verbeck</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.jonverbeck.com/business-owner-mistake-basic-profit-model-not-leveraged/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Business Owner Mistake: The Basic Profit Model is Not Leveraged Link:</a>. In this post, Jon shared how slight improvements over many transactions can have a huge impact<b>.</b> Follow Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jonverbeck1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jonverbeck1</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Julie Winkle-Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julie Winkle-Giulioni</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/leadership-matters/the-fuel-that-propels-todays-organizations/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The FUEL that Propels Today’s Organizatons</a>. Julie recaps, \"In today’s business environment, only the most energized organizations and individuals will be prepared to power forward toward that ever-moving finish line. And the key to high quality results is high-quality FUEL (in the form of feedback, an understanding what’s most important, and a culture of experimentation and learning).\" Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@julie_wg</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Karin Hurt</strong> of  <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> contributed <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/before-you-forget-stop-and-do-this-immediately/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Before You Forget, Stop and Do This Immediately</a>. In this post, Karin explored this question: \"Who consistently takes the time to sweat the small stuff so you don’t have to?\"<b>.</b> Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/letsgrowleaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@letsgrowleaders</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Ken Downer</strong> of  <a href=\"http://www.rapidstartleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rapid Start Leadership</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.rapidstartleadership.com/leader-isolation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leader Isolation: 6 Ways to Conquer Loneliness at the Top</a>. Ken summarizes, \"The challenges and responsibilities of leadership can sometimes leave us feeling isolated and lonely.  But leading well doesn’t mean you have to become a hermit.  In fact the opposite is true – the higher you rise, the more important your connections become.  These six approaches to getting connected can help you find friends while improving your effectiveness as a leader.\" Follow Ken on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RapidStartLdr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@rapidstartldr</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Linda Fisher Thornton</strong> of<strong> </strong><a href=\"https://leadingincontext.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading in Context</a>  shared <a href=\"https://leadingincontext.com/2017/06/14/4-connected-trends-shaping-the-future-of-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> 4 Connected Trends Shaping the Future of Leadership</a>. Linda recaps: \"The greatest challenge leaders face is keeping up as the bar continues to be raised. Adaptability is no longer just a competitive advantage. It’s an ethical imperative\" Find Linda on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/leadingincontxt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@leadingincontxt</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Marcella Bremer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership and Change Magazine</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/how-do-i-relate-to-others/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Do I Relate to Others? </a>. Marcella recaps, \"Martin Buber states there are two different ways of being in the world: the I-it or I-thou way. I-it means that I am a person - but I see other people as objects or means to my ends. I-thou means that I see you as a person, too. You are equal and I acknowledge your humanity. These two ways profoundly influence how you relate to others and, thus, the results you achieve. How do you relate to others?\" Find Marcella on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@marcellabremer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Jo Asmus </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aspire Collaborative Services, LLC</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.aspire-cs.com/how-to-avoid-starring-in-your-own-drama/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to avoid starring in your own drama</a>. Mary Jo recaps, \"Leaders often create their own drama, and then take the starring role. Here are some ways to avoid getting caught up in your own drama.\" Find Mary Jo on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/mjasmus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@mjasmus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Miki Saxon</strong> of <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MAPping Company Success</a> contributed <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/2017/06/ducks-row-educating-future/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ducks in a Row: Educating For The Future</a>. Miki writes, \"There is a sad result from the current intense focus on STEM curriculum, with enterprise pushing its own short-term hiring agenda, and media hype that a tech career is the be-all and end-all. The real role education must play in a future of unimaginable careers that AI can\'t do ends up being ignored.\" Discover Miki on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/OptionSanity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@optionsanity</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Michael Lee Stallard</strong> of the <a href=\"http://connectionculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Connection Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://connectionculture.com/post/3-practices-improve-contribution-core-employees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 Practices to Improve the Contributions of Your Core Employees</a>. He writes, \"Core employees comprise the majority of the workforce, yet are often overlooked. Here are three ways to engage the group that is critical to every organization\'s success. \" Discover him on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MichaelStallard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@michaelstallard</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2017/06/30/leaders-encouraging-creative-risks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leaders Encouraging Creative Risks</a>. Neal recaps, \"How can a leader experiment and foster risk taking?The idea is not to run out and take any risk. Think about how you want to take the risk you need on a small scale first. Test it out before taking a bigger leap with a bigger risk.\" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paula Kiger</strong> of <a href=\"http://biggreenpen.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Green Pen</a> provided <a href=\"http://biggreenpen.com/2017/06/04/personal-organization/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Late Cleanup</a>. Paula recaps, \"Making a decision to stop procrastinating on a long-overdue \'cleanup\' ended up providing a physical <strong>and</strong> mental lift.\" Find Paula on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/biggreenpen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@biggreenpen</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading With Trust</a> shared <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2017/06/25/we-dont-have-a-crisis-of-trust-we-have-a-crisis-of-untrustworthy-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">We Don’t Have a Crisis of Trust – We Have a Crisis of Untrustworthy Leaders</a>. Randy writes, \"The statistics on the state of trust in our world are dismal. Yet Randy Conley believes the core issue isn’t with trust itself, but with untrustworthy leaders of our organizations. In his post, We Don’t Have a Crisis of Trust – We Have a Crisis of Untrustworthy Leaders, Randy shares the four characteristics that define trustworthy leaders.\" Find Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@randyconley</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Robyn McLeod </strong>of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chatsworth Consulting</a> submitted <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2017/06/08/your-strengths-can-hurt-you-2/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Your Strengths Can Hurt You</a>. In this post, Robyn shares four easy tips to avoid having your strengths turn into derailers. Discover Robyn on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtfulldrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shelley Row</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/perfect-is-over-rated/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Perfect is Over-Rated</a>. In the post, Shelley encourages leaders to stop fixating on what\'s wrong in order to really appreciate the fact that the majority of things that are right.<strong> </strong>Find Shelley on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/shelleyrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@shelleyrow</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Random Acts of Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/the-secret-to-getting-what-you-want/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Secret to Getting What You Want</a>. Susan explains, \"There’s a saying that, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there. The same applies in life and business. Knowing what you want, and how to get it, is the key to being in the driver’s seat of your life, your career, and your business.\" Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer</strong> of <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tanveer Naseer</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/a-lesson-from-failure-on-becoming-a-better-listener/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Failure Taught Me To Become A Better Listener</a>. Tanveer says this post is the story of one leader\'s failure reveals a powerful lesson on the importance of effective listening to leadership success. Follow Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tanveernaseer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Wally Bock</strong> of <a href=\"http://threestarleadership.com/blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Three Star Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/books/summer-reading-lessons-from-my-fathers-reading-plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lessons From My Father\'s Reading Plan</a>. Wally recaps, \"You’ll get more from your summer reading if you have a plan. Here’s how my father did his.\" Find Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@wallybock</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<em>Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival! If you would like to be on the distribution list for submission calls, please contact Paula Kiger (paula @ weavinginfluence (dot) com)!</em>\n\n</div>', 'July 2017 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'july-2017-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2017-07-05 06:00:29', '2017-07-05 10:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/june-2017-leadership-development-carnival-2/', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(33849, 464, '2017-07-28 06:00:25', '2017-07-28 10:00:25', 'Imagine a world in which you wouldn\'t experience any emotion whatsoever. What would your life look like? Drab? No, it wouldn\'t be drab, as that\'s an emotion. Nor boring, peaceful or any other state of mind which implies an emotion is being experienced. This means, therefore, that emotions are necessary for you to be able to experience anything at all. It goes a step further: Emotions are adaptive, they increase your chances for survival. Take fear, for example. If you didn\'t ever get scared, you wouldn\'t be aware of danger and would do silly things, like not jumping out the way when a car comes barreling down the road towards you. Emotions tell you what is important, what needs your attention and what action is required. Only when something is important enough does it capture your attention, this all thanks to the emotion that brings it to the forefront for you. And you only learn something when it is important enough to be able to react appropriately to such a given situation. In other words, emotion not only tells you what is important, it also is the motor for your learning. Emotions are primary. Emotions motivate.\n<h3>Leaders motivate to better performance</h3>\nSo what does emotion have to do with communication and why should you as a leader need to know anything about its link to communication? First and foremost because emotions motivate, meaning that understanding what emotions others are experiencing may help you motivate them better, thereby getting them to perform better. And especially if you are a transformational leader, one who focuses on the development of an employee\'s potential, you will need to know how emotions steer learning processes, how emotions stimulate the growth of problem-solving abilities, and so forth. Reason enough to get to know more about emotions!\n<h3>Transformational leadership stimulates autonomy</h3>\nFocusing on emotions has another implication: When you tell others what they should do, how they should feel about things or how they should think, in short limiting their feeling of autonomy, you are ignoring their emotions. You thereby stilt their personal development, as only when <em>their</em> emotions are activated will they actually (be motivated to) learn anything. The implication is therefore that instead of telling, you rather go the route of asking and start taking an active interest in them as person. Only when you understand what moves the other are you fully able to bring transformational leadership to fruition.\n<h3>Current emotions motivate</h3>\nSo how do you get to know what motivates the other? A mistake leaders often make is to focus on what their conversational partner <em>tells</em> them about the emotions they have experienced in the past. Their past emotions do not motivate them now, their current emotions do! This means you will somehow need to pick up on the emotions someone is experiencing <em>in the here-and-now</em>. And this is a major clue to what I have named <em>Observational Listening</em>, a term which means using all your senses to observe what is happening emotionally in your conversational partner.\n<h3>Understanding reactions helps to understand emotions</h3>\nObservational Listening means an entirely different way of communicating. Instead of focusing on what you meant by what you said or asked, you now try to focus on what this all meant <em>to your conversational partner</em>. In other words, you use all your senses to focus on the (emotional) reaction the other has in response to what you said. You see their facial expression, what their eyes are saying. You hear the pitch, tone and timbre with which they converse, next to the content of their reaction. Yes, sometimes you can even smell their emotion; think for example of profuse sweating in response to fear, though hopefully this isn\'t an emotion you should be eliciting from your subordinates! You can sometimes feel how a handshake is firm or weak, clammy or dry, or even a knot in your own stomach when empathizing with another. Yet the clue remains: Observe their response! Use what you see in terms of current emotional reaction as basis for your next question. This way you will discover the things which will motivate the other.\n\n<em>Note: The academic version of the book <a href=\"http://www.markusvanalphen.com/observational-listening/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Observational Listening</a> is already available. The self-help version is expected around the end of 2017.</em>', 'Effective Communication is about Understanding Emotion', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'effective-communication-is-about-understanding-emotion', '', '', '2017-07-28 06:00:25', '2017-07-28 10:00:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33849', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(33896, 323, '2017-07-21 06:00:42', '2017-07-21 10:00:42', '<em>We have a problem.</em>\n\nSound familiar? Members of every organization across the land have uttered these four words, because things inevitably go wrong. Unplanned events occur, uncontrollable variables pop into view, or someone says or does something they shouldn’t have. If these walls could talk, right?\n\nThe problems will never go away, so it is how we respond to them that matters most.\n\nTime for a pop quiz. When it feels like the sky is falling, what do you do?\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">a.) Panic. Cry from the mountaintop that this is a BIG DEAL.\nb.) Just chill. This, too, shall pass.\nc.) Don your hero cape and solve it.</p>\nDid you choose option A? We’ve all done it. First, we darken the doorway of any officemate that will listen. They can see <em>that look</em> in our eye. Next thing they know, we’re regaling them with the tale of our latest crisis. We monologue. We grumble. We huff and puff. All the while, the most optimistic of our coworkers awaits our shift into problem-solving mode, which sadly rarely occurs.\n\n“What do you want to do about it?” they ask.\n\nWe gasp, look at them funny, and then snap back into our rant.\n\nThis is called <em>Problem Admiring</em>. It is like staring at a painting, appreciating the lines, colors, forms, shapes, and textures – valuing all that make up its composition. Only, while works of art are meant to be admired, problems are not.\n\nWhat about option B? Maybe you know this person. Nothing shakes them. <em>Something wrong? No biggie. It’s all good, man. It is what it is.</em>\n\nWhile we stare in awe at their unflappability, we find ourselves mentally willing these people into action. Wind-up toys can be fun, but they are quickly cast aside for something a little more self-propelled.\n\nHow can we, and our well-meaning coworkers, avoid getting conked in the head by falling debris, the likely fate of those who choose options A and B?\n\nTry option C.\n<h3><strong>Got a problem? Solve it.</strong></h3>\nProblem-solving is a critical function for leaders and requires more than just sheer will. Some <em>ability</em> is required.\n\n<em>Ineffective</em> problem-solvers speed through an issue, treating it like a box that needs checking. They jump on the quick and easy way out. I agree that there is merit in choosing <em>a</em> solution over <em>no</em> solution; but not until you’ve considered the alternatives.\n\n<em>Effective</em> problem-solvers, on the other hand, assess the situation, weigh the pros and cons of their options, and employ the best solution based on the available information.\n\nBut, those are just the basics.\n\nWhile superpowers are not essential, one could benefit from a utility belt of advanced tactics. I’ve had the pleasure of working along-side some real heroes in the problem-solving universe. What made them so great?\n\n<strong><em>1.) They own the problem</em></strong>\n\nProblem-solvers know that from whom a problem generates matters in the least. The second it lands on their desk, they rise and take action.\n\nInstead of peering ahead with blinders on, hoping someone else will notice the giant mess, hero problem-solvers say, “I got this.”\n\nThey know that if they don’t address it, no one else will.\n<blockquote><em>It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are held accountable.</em>\n\n<em>~Moliere</em></blockquote>\n<strong><em>2.) They check themselves before they wreck themselves</em></strong>\n\nA problem-solving hero’s kryptonite is himself. Before they save the day, they must deal with the biases, assumptions, personal agendas, and emotional clutter impairing their vision.\n\nThey start by being open and curious. Then they pause long enough to separate fact from fiction.\n\nWhat’s the first rule of their code? If you can’t prove it, don’t use it.\n<blockquote><em>Nothing in this world is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.</em>\n\n<em>~ William Shakespeare</em></blockquote>\n<strong><em>3.) They channel Sherlock Holmes</em></strong>\n\nMr. Holmes, who believes the little things are infinitely the most important, is our guide for finding the truth. Fanatical about observation, logical reasoning and the art of deduction, he knows that before a problem can be solved, it must first be understood.\n\nProblem-solving heroes probe multiple sources and ask penetrating questions. They collect facts, measure angles, and look between the lines to spot hidden patterns. They follow bread crumbs, look behind bushes, and dig past the surface until the root – or the “real” – problem is found.\n\nMost of all? They have a Watson – someone with whom to bounce and challenge ideas, but who doesn’t simply serve as an echo chamber.\n<blockquote><em>Never theorize before you have data. Invariably, you end up twisting facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.</em>\n\n<em>~ Sherlock Holmes</em></blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Chicken Little</strong></h3>\n“The sky is falling,” is a common idiom from the story of Chicken Little, indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent. The moral of that story is to have courage and don’t believe everything you’re told.\n\nWhen it feels like the sky is falling, leaders have two choices. They can join the fear-mongering and navel-gazing until the sky actually does fall.\n\nOr, they can be bold, seek the truth, and keep that sky right where it belongs.\n\nThat’s how leaders become heroes.', 'The Sky is Falling: How Leaders Become Heroes', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-sky-is-falling-how-leaders-become-heroes', '', '', '2017-07-21 06:00:42', '2017-07-21 10:00:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33896', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(33916, 252, '2017-07-10 06:00:22', '2017-07-10 10:00:22', 'I’ve been receiving a series of emails lately from a high-profile organization with the subject line “How to Be More Human at Work.”\n\nFunny. Aren’t we being human all the time?\n\nNow, for most of us it\'s not that we’re being inhuman at work, but I understand the point.\n\nCreating more human work cultures is trending. The great news is that we’re beginning to realize that those who happen to be employees are human.\n\nIf this is a new perspective for you to consider, that subject line is perfect. How <em>do</em> we “be more human” at work?\n<h3>What it doesn\'t mean</h3>\nSome think it involves oversharing or they fear finding themselves in awkward team-building activities. Nah. Let’s not go there.\n\nWhat if it’s about normalizing real human experiences in a work-appropriate ways? How about addressing the real human needs to be seen and to belong? What then could we accomplish?\n<h3>Humanity at work -- this means you</h3>\nLet’s revisit that email subject line, “How to Be Human at Work.” That’s about us.\n\nBeing human at work is not just about treating <em>others</em> like human beings. Are <em>we</em> behaving like human beings? What does that even mean?\n\nPeople ask me for the steps for an organizational development intervention to make their work cultures more human. Nope. We’re not starting there. There’s other work needed first.\n\nUntil those of us who have some degree of influence or leadership take responsibility for cultivating our own humanity, we aren’t getting anywhere. Demonstrating commitment comes first. We know actions that lack strong foundations are a waste of time.\n<h3>How to be more human at work</h3>\nAre you ready to take the challenge of connecting with your own humanity? Let this be about you, and about behaving like a human being in the context of work. It might look like this:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Acknowledging behavior that bothers you. (I once asked a man I worked with if he was okay with his colleagues teasing him publicly about his appearance. He pooh-poohed it. No big deal. One year later he showed up in my office ready to address it.)</li>\n 	<li>Being persistent when you’re not heard. Find someone who <em>will</em> listen.</li>\n 	<li>Fostering better interactions with a key co-worker when you notice your dislike for them creates more work for everyone.</li>\n 	<li>Being willing to say no. <a href=\"http://www.cio.com/article/3085633/it-skills-training/3-tactics-for-avoiding-burnout-and-being-more-productive.html\">This can be done artfully</a>.</li>\n 	<li>Making the time to <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/how-to-be-a-chief-encouragement-officer/\">encourage another</a> when you know they’re struggling. It doesn’t have to take long.</li>\n 	<li>Asking others you trust what they like about working with you.</li>\n 	<li>Investigating your assumptions when you find yourself making up stories about someone’s behavior. (Once two women shared some significant negative feedback with me at work. Despite a rough start, I appreciated they had come straight to me. By the end of the discussion we had grown our relationships.)</li>\n</ul>\nWith some of these suggestions, I get questions about potential confrontation. It doesn\'t have to be that way. It can also feel vulnerable to admit we felt something personally about another\'s actions.\n\nEmbrace that your human reactions matter and being human at work is worth the effort. When you embody your intention, you express the mindset, the confidence, and the words to get you through with more ease.\n\nThought leader and author <a href=\"http://thefordinstitute.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Debbie Ford</a> offered this great analogy about the possible outcome of trying to suppress, in my words, our humanity. It’s like trying to keep a beach ball underwater. It’s taxing to hold down this thing we want to hide. At some point it’s going to slip, smack us in the face, and pop up for all to see.\n\nWe do ourselves a disservice, and the organizations we work with, when we do not bring all of ourselves to work. At a minimum, holding down that beach ball wastes energy that could be used more productively.\n<h3>We already know “how to be human”</h3>\nLet’s concede our humanity. A key is choosing to be conscious about it.\n\nLearn to manage your humanity at work, and sow the seeds of a more human culture. Truth, direct communication, and genuine curiosity and encouragement release pent-up energy. Your demonstration is a model for others. Start your own trend.', 'If We’re Not Human at Work, What are We?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'if-were-not-human-at-work-what-are-we', '', '', '2017-07-10 06:00:22', '2017-07-10 10:00:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33916', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(33944, 273, '2017-07-14 06:00:25', '2017-07-14 10:00:25', '<em>Today we are pleased to share a post from Jude Rake. Jude is the founder and CEO of <a href=\"http://www.jdrgrowthpartners.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JDR Partners</a> and author of </em><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Growth-Servant-Leaders-Achieve/dp/1510728406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1499908385&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+bridge+to+growth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span id=\"productTitle\" class=\"a-size-large\">The Bridge to Growth: How Servant Leaders Achieve Better Results and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever</span></a>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The premise of </span><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Growth-Servant-Leaders-Achieve/dp/1510728406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1499908385&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+bridge+to+growth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>The Bridge to Growth</em></span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a twist on an age-old debate in the business world. What’s more important, strategy or execution? I believe both are critical. But what if something else is just as important? There is a third ingredient to business success, one that many companies undervalue: servant leadership.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Informed by my 35+ years of leading high-performance teams and over a decade as a CEO, </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bridge to Growth</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reveals how servant leaders bridge strategy into exceptional execution by elevating the commitment and performance of the people they lead.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cadence between strategy and execution is compressing, making the integration of the two more important than ever. But too many workers are being left out of this equation. Research shows that more and more people are disconnected from their company\'s goals, even though they are satisfied with their job. A </span><a href=\"https://employeeengagement.com/towers-perrin-employee-engagement/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global Workforce Survey</span></i></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> conducted by Towers Perrin revealed that a mere 21 percent of workers are truly committed to their company\'s success, even though 86 percent like their jobs. Is this reflective of a failure of leadership, a shift in the attitudes of today\'s workers, or both?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curiously, many people are settling for a job that both satisfies their basic needs </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> denies them a motivating answer to the question \"how does my work connect to my company\'s goals?\" Unfortunately, their leaders have not fully engaged them in either the development or execution of their company’s mission, goals, and ultimately its success or failure. Too often these people are being over-managed and under-led. I believe this \"commitment gap\" represents the largest source of untapped potential in our economy today.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can leaders close the commitment gap and capitalize on this opportunity to create economic value? </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bridge to Growth</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides leaders, emerging leaders, stakeholders, and Board members a blueprint of nine proven leadership principles I\'ve used to improve the performance of several businesses by moving workforces from satisfactorily disengaged to enthusiastically committed to winning. It\'s packed with useful tips and tools, and each leadership principle is articulated using real-world success models that bring the principles to life.</span>\n\n<em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-33981\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Jude-Rake-Square-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />Jude Rake is a veteran CEO with a 35+ year track record of building businesses to create economic value, from well known consumer packaged goods companies such as The Clorox Company, PepsiCo, and SC Johnson, to smaller family owned and private equity backed businesses. He founded </span><a href=\"http://www.jdrgrowthpartners.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>JDR Growth Partners</b></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help other leaders achieve growth.</span></em>', 'The Bridge to Growth', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-bridge-to-growth', '', '', '2017-07-14 06:00:25', '2017-07-14 10:00:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33944', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(33950, 251, '2017-07-12 06:00:13', '2017-07-12 10:00:13', 'I’m a business person who has hit the trifecta of stereotypes: I’m a woman who is blonde and overweight. Despite being a vice president who managed a department of 150 people in a $2 billion annual revenue organization, a male boss felt free to describe me to the CEO as a “soft and round Aunt Polly” and a female colleague as a “colorful little butterfly.” Physical descriptors were absent in his summary of my male colleagues.\n\nBiases, both implicit and explicit, and stereotypes make it challenging for businesswomen to be seen as both good leaders <em>and</em> good women. Those same biases and stereotypes work against businessmen who dare to be compassionate, nurturing, and sensitive to the needs of others. Economic warrior bosses more interested in profits than in principles and relationships look the other way when these men are described as wimps and the women as bossy.\n\nIs that the kind of workplace culture we want for our children and grandchildren? I hope not. Women who are teaching their daughters that they can be confident and equal, and men who are teaching their sons to be thoughtful and inclusive, can partner for change.\n\nSometimes change needs something big to spark it; other times, it flows from a series of small actions. Provided both women and men are willing to modify a few workplace practices, together we can begin the cycle of changing how leadership is defined and practiced. Organizational change begins only when people are willing to change.\n<h3>9 ways to be a better leader</h3>\nWhether you are a male or female leader, here are nine actions you can take to bring equity and gender-balanced inclusiveness to your leadership practices.\n\n<strong>Be mindful of gender stereotypes</strong> that can influence your thinking about which sex is better suited for certain kinds of work. Social conditioning nudges us to think of leadership in terms of masculine traits, which puts women and feminine attributes at a disadvantage. So, if you find yourself believing that men make the better bosses because they’re good at taking charge and women the better assistants because they’re the best at taking care, stop. If you always ask the women in your meetings to take the notes or plan parties, stop. If you question the leadership potential of a kind-hearted man, stop. If you describe assertive women as shrill, stop. Stereotypes push us to apply a specified set of expectations to a whole group of people. When we do that, we ignore individual attributes and deny people their potential.\n<blockquote>Psychologists once believed that only bigoted people used stereotypes. Now the study of unconscious bias is revealing the unsettling truth: We all use stereotypes, all the time, without knowing it. We have met the enemy of equality, and the enemy is us.~Annie Murphy Paul, journalist and author</blockquote>\n<strong>Check for inconsistencies</strong> in how you select a man or a woman for a job or evaluate their promotion readiness. <a href=\"http://www.catalyst.org/zing/how-new-discrimination-holding-women-back\">Research</a> tells us that women are judged on their past performance, men on their future potential. Why not evaluate all candidates on both their past performance and future potential?\n\n<strong>Assure that all voices</strong> are heard equally in the meetings you conduct. If the men keep interrupting the women, call it out. If the women remain silent, call them into the discussion. If anyone co-opts an idea that someone presented earlier, assure that proper attribution is given.\n\n<strong>Monitor how you pay your people.</strong> If you supervise others, look for—and correct—any wage disparities that exist between sexes, ethnicities, etc., holding the same positions.\n\n<strong>Sponsor both women and men</strong> and be proactive about it. For anyone who has the gall to insinuate that an inappropriate relationship exists in a mixed sex sponsorship, call out their boorish and stereotypical thinking.\n\n<strong>Escape the myth</strong> that power is evil and influence is better. Sadly, there are those who use the power of their position for personal gain. Don’t confuse power with the person using it. All of us have the power to make a positive difference and make appeals to others to join in and create a business environment in which results and relationships are equally rewarded and recognized.\n<blockquote>Inclusion works to the advantage of everyone. We all have things to learn and we all have something to teach. ~Helen Henderson, writer</blockquote>\n<strong>Avoid the “parent” trap.</strong> When a man becomes a parent, it’s assumed he’ll be more dedicated to his work because he has a family to support. When a woman becomes a parent, it’s assumed she’ll be less dedicated to her work because she has a family. Be on the lookout for these incorrect assumptions. Along the same lines, don’t penalize either moms or dads for using family leave time.\n\n<strong>Don’t confuse</strong> presence for true inclusion. Just because there’s a woman or a minority on a team doesn’t mean there’s an inclusive, participative environment with meaningful engagement. Ask yourself some tough questions about whether your leadership practices are reflective of real participation or just window dressing presence.\n\n<strong>Be willing to be vulnerable</strong> so your bias can be detected. While we all work hard to not be biased, <a href=\"https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/everyone-is-biased-and-there-is-no-reality/\">we still are</a>. Create mechanisms so that the presence of biases can be safely and nonjudgmentally <a href=\"http://weprinciples.org/files/attachments/Reducing_Unconscious_Bias-_a_highly_effective_toolbox.pdf\">identified</a> and eliminated. Seeing other’s biases is much easier than seeing our own, so tact, grit, and grace are essential for openness.\n<blockquote>If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place. ~Margaret Mead, anthropologist</blockquote>\n<h3>Tomorrow</h3>\nAs you head out to work tomorrow, remember the shining eyes and hopeful faces of your children or other young people in your life, and build the kind of place where you want them to work.', 'Got Leadership Grit and Grace?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'got-leadership-grit-and-grace', '', '', '2017-07-12 06:00:13', '2017-07-12 10:00:13', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33950', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(33958, 471, '2017-08-04 06:00:21', '2017-08-04 10:00:21', 'Is there enough fairness and respect in the workplace for women executives? I asked this question to myself many times in the past several weeks.\n\nIn the last couple of months, most of the coaching cases and prospective clients that I was dealing with involved facing issues related to the workplace.\n\nIn one case the boss had changed and the new boss did not have much respect for the fairer sex. He wanted her to resign. He cited reasons of aggressive behavior and lack of diplomacy by her while dealing with the onsite team.\n\nIn another case, my coachee was perceived to be passive-aggressive in her behavior towards the team. In both the cases, the HR team had to step in to offer coaching intervention for behavioral change.\n\nAs I progressed further in understanding my clients, many things unfolded. Some of the behaviors from my coachee\'s colleagues, peers, and bosses towards her were not new to me. During my career spanning three decades, I had encountered such folks myself and knew how to deal with them.\n\nWhat made me sad though, was with so much of hype about diversity and inclusion (D&amp;I), the needle has not moved for many organizations.\n<h3>Inclusive behavior just another jargon</h3>\nThis left me to wonder if D&amp;I initiatives are just lip services. Is inclusive behavior another jargon or is this something which organizations follow?\n\nIt is disheartening to hear some of the experiences that some of my coachees shared with me. The approach to D&amp;I needs to change; D&amp;I has become more of a rote phase in the industry.\n\nLeveling false charges to stop or stymie the growth of female executives. Assertiveness getting perceived as aggressiveness. Questioning the ambitions of women asking for prime positions. All these and more added to the stress of my clients.\n\nI like and agree with what the Chief Diversity Officer at eBay, Damien Hooper-Campbell has to say <a href=\"http://firstround.com/review/ebays-first-chief-diversity-officer-on-humanizing-diversity-and-inclusion/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on humanizing Diversity &amp; Inclusion</a>.\n\n\"Folks, diversity alone isn’t enough. If diversity is getting invited to the dance party, inclusion is being asked to dance when you’re at the party.\"\n\nWhile quoting the above, Hooper-Campbell also talks about getting rid of all the noise that focuses on the diversity hiring and statistics. We all know that diverse workforce helps with profits and business. But is there anyone focusing on what actually happens in the workplace?\n<h3>What actually happens in the workplace</h3>\nFrom what I have heard and seen in the last couple of months while coaching my clients, it seems nobody cares what actually happens in the workplace.\n\nAll that matters to the organization is tracking the gender ratio, conducting D&amp;I trainings, or changing a few policies to suit female employees.\n\nIn one of the organizations, my coachee, a senior executive, was described as bossy, aggressive, and abrasive by her peers and colleagues.\n\nI wonder if men who shout in meetings and do anything to have the last word in the debate are also perceived and labeled as abrasive, bossy or aggressive. Or are they held in high esteem because they know how to prove their point?\n<h3>Impact of Company culture in nurturing women employees</h3>\nD&amp;I initiatives and programs are important to create awareness. But organization culture plays a significant role in nurturing women employees.\n\nAttitude and mindset of senior leaders and negative oafish comments belittling the women executives create environments that put off women managers from performing at work.\n\nOne of my coachees narrated an incident wherein her boss, a tenured professional in the industry, asked her to resign.He advised her to spend time with her children. He wanted to create an open position to promote one of her male colleagues into her position. Confronted with such bias, she felt victimized and harassed.\n\nBesides D&amp;I initiatives, companies should create an environment which is fair to both men &amp; women. Unfortunately, some company cultures have a long way to go to fulfill such basic needs for fostering female talent.', 'Fairness and Respect for Women Executives', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'fairness-and-respect-for-women-executives', '', '', '2017-08-04 06:00:21', '2017-08-04 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33958', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(33988, 276, '2017-07-17 06:00:42', '2017-07-17 10:00:42', '<div id=\"ember1385\" class=\"ember-view dh-page\" data-model-id=\"710430888\">In 2007, I had the opportunity to change jobs. Changing jobs is in itself challenging, because you have to prove yourself in a new environment. The challenge was compounded by being in school pursuing a M.A. in Strategic Communication and Leadership at Seton Hall. The compounded challenges got even better; I was assigned a new project and a failed project. Both projects had demanding stakeholders with compressed timelines. It dawned on me that I was going to have long days ahead of me.</div>\n<div data-model-id=\"710430888\"></div>\nAs the semester started, I felt the pressure because I was working nights and weekends. I struggled to keep up with the homework and papers that needed to be submitted each week. Some of my classmates contemplated quitting and I talked them out of it. Halfway through the semester, I hit the wall. Because of lack of sleep, I was unable to come up with anything to write. I suffered from writer’s block. The next three days were brutal as I continued to focus on leading my team to work on our deliverables. Each passing day, I fell further behind.\n\nThe thought of quitting finally entered my mind. By then I had 24 hours to turn in a paper, but I had not started it. I was running out of time; by 6 pm I was still in the office. I left late again that night just like every other night. I decided to think about why I had decided to go back to school. I focused on my desire to achieve the goal and decided to stay up all night until I completed the paper and turned it in. It was not my best work, but I’m proud of the fact that I pushed through amidst the challenges to get the job done.\n\nOver the next 15 months, I continued to face the same challenges of juggling multiple priorities, but the one thing I learned is that people who push themselves to work hard when things seem impossible will eventually make progress and achieve their goals. Grit is the key to success. Grit is the ability to stay motivated when you’re failing. It is staying persistent and continuing to believe and continue your journey. It is believing that you can get it done.\n\nHow do we develop GRIT?\n\n1) Believe in the purpose – hold the dream and let it motivate you\n\n2) Stay motivated – use your purpose and let it guide you\n\n3) Believe in yourself – trust that you have what it takes to get it done\n\n4) Get back up and get back on the saddle – you will fall many times, but you don’t have to stay down. Be persistent and get up and dust yourself off. Get back on the saddle and get it done\n\n5) Develop a growth mindset – My mentor John Maxwell taught me this four years ago. By developing a growth mindset, you can overcome a lot of challenges\n\n6) Incremental improvement – Focus small improvements and a better version of yourself.\n\nIn the end, I was rewarded with a Masters Degree and my perspective changed forever. The program helped me to be a better leader. I learned the importance of GRIT and how it is important to anyone’s success.', 'How GRIT Makes the Difference Between Failure and Success', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-grit-makes-the-difference-between-failure-and-success', '', '', '2017-07-17 06:00:42', '2017-07-17 10:00:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=33988', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34001, 329, '2017-07-18 13:51:57', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 'Chip', '', 'draft', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-07-18 13:51:57', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34001', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34009, 273, '2017-07-24 06:00:00', '2017-07-24 10:00:00', '<em>Today, we are pleased to welcome Elise Perkins, founder of <a href=\"http://www.epcommsconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ep communications</a>, with a guest post.</em>\n\n“People work with who they like.”\n\nThat was one of the first pieces of advice I learned back when I was striking out on my own in 2014.\n\nGreat news, I thought. I’m a really nice person and I want to deliver good work for my clients. I want them to be happy, and I want to be happy.\n\nThis should work out swimmingly.\n\nAnd mostly, for the past 2.5 years it <em>has</em> worked out. Entrepreneurship has allowed me to meld the best of both worlds: choosing work that I am interested and invested in, denying myself the horrors of commuting, and spending more time with my family.\n\nIt’s been…nice.\n\nBut 2017 has roared in with some obstacles that I’m now facing for the first time.\n\nAnd nice just isn’t getting the job done.\n<h3>Here’s what’s transpired:</h3>\n<strong>A long-standing contract was not renewed when I returned from maternity leave.</strong>\n\nI was acutely aware of what might happen to some clients once I decided to take some time to recover from childbirth and care for my newborn. I painstakingly attended to each client, setting them up with subcontractors as needed, working into my 40<sup>th</sup> week of pregnancy, and still being accountable. My family thought I was a bit crazy, but hey, I wanted to prove that I was still there for my clients. An annual contract had come due, and instead of resigning right away, my client (whom I do very much still like) told me to contact them when I was ready to reengage. No pressure, wonderful news. I could take the time I needed to rest, and then start back up in a few months. However, when it came time to “re-engage” there was suddenly no funds left to hire me back. As one of my biggest clients, that was a tough pill to swallow. I felt betrayed, taken advantage of, and vulnerable. All of the planning I had done to prepare myself and baby for me to begin working again were kaput.\n\n<strong>A client stopped paying my invoices.</strong>\n\nI’m working more and more with individuals who are trying to build their brands, and less with companies. I love it. With this sort of coaching, I feel like there is so much trust and personal interaction happening and my heart feels so full when I know that a client is feeling confident in their abilities. But in the past month, one such client has actually stopped responding to my emails, texts and phone calls. She’s stopped paying her invoices. Now, as a fellow mom and entrepreneur, this is stunning to me. Before you ask, yes, she is still alive and well. I know this because she posts to her Instagram account, daily. It’s the salt in a very deep wound. I always imagined that mutual respect was a covenant of this small business world, and I intend to preserve it from here on out. But lady, I need to get paid. Just like you.\n\nSo, what?\n\nIn the past six months I’ve been dealt a few hard blows. Perhaps you’ve been there too, or maybe its around the corner.\n\nFor all of us nice, young, dare I say naïve, female leaders – here are some new rules for 2017 and beyond:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Get it in writing.</strong> Contracts, estimates, you name it. In this feast or famine world, we all could use a bit of certainty.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Get paid up-front</strong>. Expect deposits on work at the beginning of a relationship. Just like you don’t have any problems buying items online before you receive them, clients should not have an issue putting down a little money for your services.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Keep the faith.</strong> I still work with a majority of awesome clients. I’m sure you do too.</li>\n 	<li><strong>It’s just business.</strong> I still wish the best for those who have done some unsavory things towards me…scratch that, towards my company. It’s not personal.</li>\n</ul>\n<em><img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-34015\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/EP-square-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />Elise Perkins founded ep communications in 2014 after cutting her teeth in the field of communications for Washington DC-based trade associations and think tanks during the financial crisis. Today, Elise builds brands for businesses and people, using a savvy mix of content and influencer strategies. She sits on the board of <a href=\"https://www.wwpr.org/\">Washington Women in Public Relations</a>. Elise lives with her husband and son in Maryland.</em>', 'For Young Women Leaders, It&#039;s Time to Set Aside the “Nice” Card ', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'for-young-women-leaders-its-time-to-set-aside-the-nice-card', '', '', '2017-07-24 06:00:00', '2017-07-24 10:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34009', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(34019, 374, '2017-07-26 06:00:26', '2017-07-26 10:00:26', 'I had the opportunity recently to donate to a famine-relief fund whose goal is to address the humanitarian crisis occurring in ten countries spanning Africa and Yemen. Several things caught my eye about the campaign: 1) Donations of all amounts were being accepted. An individual could give $5 or a corporation could give $5,000. It all helped. 2) Two major corporations had <strong>each </strong>committed to $1 million in matching funds. For example, the $5 above will now become $10 and the $5,000 will become $10,000 and 3) My friend who the cause to my attention said \"even [name of particular broadcasting station] is behind this (the station often shares contrarian views to other major broadcasters).\n<h3>When a Cause is Good, There is a Place For Everyone</h3>\nThe <strong>You Matter Marathon</strong> is a world-wide initiative that creates positive connections within organizations and communities by inviting people to share business-sized cards with only the words, “You Matter” printed on them.\n\nLast November, 14,000 people in 50 states and 59 countries shared almost half-a-million cards. Many companies, schools, and community organizations benefited from participating. You can see a full list <strong><a href=\"http://youmattermarathon.com/2016-ambassador-organizations/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://youmattermarathon.com/2016-ambassador-organizations/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586275000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHkjXcxcbUX9STCjSJp43GOdeR4bg\">here</a></strong>.\n\nI was so happy to participate in the You Matter Marathon last year. Here\'s a look back:\n\n<iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/SpyPzPRxk24\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\n<h3>The You Matter Marathon is Growing Up</h3>\nAs the You Matter Marathon strives to bring the joy of saying \"you matter\" to more people, the opportunities to be a part of the process are scaling up. My individual contribution counts, but the You Matter Marathon also has the potential to inspire more people if it can scale up its operations through corporate sponsorship.\n<h3>What Sponsorship Would Do For Your Organization</h3>\nThis year, the goal of the You Matter Marathon is to give out 1-Million <strong>You Matter</strong> cards. To do that, organizers are  inviting companies who value people and relationships to help sponsor the event. Companies big and small have already signed on – <a href=\"https://www.pennmedicine.org/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.pennmedicine.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586275000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFtX3eVIGKJxotSFGpTxWyAP3S6TQ\">Penn Medicine</a> and <a href=\"http://globalcoachingalliance.com/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://globalcoachingalliance.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586275000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFW8rFDbhQerjTgkeMZICPkHY-XvQ\">Global Coaching Alliance</a> among them.\n\nOrganizational sponsorship of the You Matter Marathon provides a simple, powerful, and very cost-effective program to:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Enhance employee engagement and well-being</li>\n 	<li>Promote diversity and inclusion</li>\n 	<li>Cultivate meaningful relationships with clients and prospects</li>\n 	<li>Recognize people at all levels of the organization?</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Sponsorship Details</h3>\nThere are three Levels of Sponsorship:\n\nLevel 1:  $1,000 - $5,000*\n<ul>\n 	<li>Free <strong>You Matter</strong> cards = to the number of dollars given</li>\n 	<li>Recognition on our website and social media platforms, reaching thousands of people</li>\n 	<li>3 You Matter T-shirts</li>\n</ul>\nLevel 2:  $5,000 - $10,000*\n<ul>\n 	<li>Free <strong>You Matter</strong> cards = to the number of dollars given</li>\n 	<li>Recognition on our website and social media platforms</li>\n 	<li>A webinar led by Cheryl Rice, Founder of the YMM, to discuss the power and potential of the YMM for your organization</li>\n</ul>\nLevel 3:  $10,000* and above\n<ul>\n 	<li>Free <strong>You Matter</strong> cards = to the number of dollars given</li>\n 	<li>Recognition on our website and social media platforms</li>\n 	<li>An in-person seminar by Cheryl Rice, Founder of the YMM, to discuss the power and potential of the YMM for your organization</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>For More Information About Sponsorship</h3>\nIf your organization is interested in sponsoring the 2017 You Matter Marathon, please <a href=\"mailto:cheryl@yourvoiceyourvision.com?subject=YMM%20Sponsorship%20Information\">email</a> or call founder Chery Rice at <a href=\"tel:(484)%20557-8846\">484-557-8846</a> to discuss the best ways to bring the You Matter Magic into your company.\n<h3>For More General Information</h3>\n<ul>\n 	<li>View the YMM 2017 <a href=\"https://youtu.be/TbNwmhHbY0A\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://youtu.be/TbNwmhHbY0A&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586275000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGabBfjfyofOwtBxTq2rrWREVAjAA\">Preview Webinar</a>.</li>\n 	<li>Updated this 3-minute <a href=\"https://youtu.be/by97UBYpSpw\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://youtu.be/by97UBYpSpw&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH1K0cHn5r59gdLSPGf8PgxZMuXoA\">video</a> of the YMM in action. (It\'s also great for sharing.)</li>\n 	<li>Enjoy this brand new 1-minute YMM 2016 highlight <a href=\"https://youtu.be/SpyPzPRxk24\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://youtu.be/SpyPzPRxk24&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFQfrFyd8ty4MVfpRw8fx8p1hHVDw\">video</a>.</li>\n 	<li>If you or your company is interested in participating but can’t be a sponsor, you can still sign up at <a href=\"http://youmattermarathon.com/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://youmattermarathon.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1501122586276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGE0Bhrn65f64j7pz1gT74Q4TQj0g\">www.YouMatterMarathon.com</a>.</li>\n</ul>', 'The You Matter Marathon&#039;s Next Step', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-you-matter-marathons-next-step', '', '', '2017-07-26 06:00:26', '2017-07-26 10:00:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34019', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34028, 381, '2017-07-31 06:00:43', '2017-07-31 10:00:43', 'Do you remember the film <em>Sudden Impact</em>? If not, I bet you remember the quote made famous by the gravelly voice of Clint Eastwood, “Go ahead, make my day.” Two years after the film debuted, <em>Time Magazine</em> quoted President Ronald Reagan, who couldn’t resist the sudden impact of his opinion on higher taxes when he said, \"I have my veto pen drawn and ready for any tax increase that Congress might even think of sending up. And I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers. Go ahead--make my day.\"\n\nI’m not going to discuss the conflicting views of tax increases and I have no experience with roughing up some barroom thug, but here’s another angle. What if we could make someone else’s day? What if they could make ours? I think this is something we can all relate to because opportunity is all around us.\n\nWhether you are navigating priorities at home, negotiating little earthquakes with your teenagers, mediating conflicts with your co-workers, or trying to create harmony among others, doing life together is tough. It’s hard work, and hard work requires a strategy, a plan for how you envision your best days. Think of it like creating a treasure map to good relationships, which are only possible when we help each other out. Let’s do this … together. Unroll our treasure map and follow the steps to positive relationships.\n\n<strong>Step Back</strong> – Have you ever been so close to an object that it’s unrecognizable? Try this. Put your coffee mug an inch from your face and notice how distorted and blurry it looks. When we step back, we temporarily remove ourselves from a situation so we can assess where we are now compared to what we expected. Stepping back allows us to reflect on what has brought us to this place and objectively evaluate current conditions. Let’s not limit our thoughts though. Stepping back is not just for negative circumstances. Stepping back is a reprieve from the journey, a gift of time, to think things through. We might step back to observe how blessed we are or what has created this season of success in our lives. When we step back, we are able to identify things we enjoy, behaviors to change, activities we want to hold tightly because they serve us well, and those we must let go. To move forward in the right direction, first step back.\n\n<strong>Step In</strong> – What do you do when someone you care about is struggling? Right. You want to help, but the thought of the commitment of helping grows heavy – and the more you think about that commitment, the more everything inside you feels like a tug of war. The strong nudging to get involved battles with the voice that tells you to leave it alone. Stepping in will cost you something and you might not be ready to “make someone’s day.” You may need to first step back before you step in. Consider what it means to be an ally, someone to come alongside and be a supporter and friend. The experiences we’ve endured in our own lives can be used to help someone else through similar experiences in theirs. Just for a time, could you listen at heart level and provide consolation? What if you step in to be an ally but instead turn into an anchor? What if you do nothing? To step in you must be brave. The day may come when you, too, need an ally.\n\n<strong>Step Away</strong> – Remember when you were a kid? We learned a lot back there, most of it sealed into memory one way or another. I’m guessing I don’t have to say much to bring back total recall. Do any of these sound familiar? Pick your battles. Count to 10. Cool your jets. Agree to disagree agreeably. Building relationships requires more than patience (although a long fuse can help to avert a shouting match). Building relationships is tricky. We, as individuals, are only tenuously connected through shared commonalities, but we vary greatly in personality and lifestyle. Disagreements are guaranteed and in those moments we must ask ourselves, “Do I want to be right, or do I want this relationship to be rewarding?” This does not debate the need to research facts and be sure choices and solutions are based on truth. Operating with half-truths or without substance is another topic altogether. In this context, \"step away\" invites you to take a moment and consider the outcomes before making assumptions, before deciding, before blaming, before reacting. How do you want to remember this moment? Step away.\n\n<strong>Step Up</strong> – There is too much work to do to fill the time allotted. This is in direct contrast to Parkinson’s Law circa 1950 which says, “Work expands to fill the time allotted.” We will never have the luxury of expanding the hours in a day to more than 24. Whether 1950 or 2050 there will always be more to do than we can complete in a day. \"Step up\" is for those opportunities when you are called upon to help with work that is not your own. These are times when relationships can be built up or torn down. It could be a project at work that nobody wants to take on, or a co-worker who is chronically late with assignments who needs an assist … again. Maybe child tending or respite care isn’t the way you want to spend your Saturday, but there is a need and you’re faced with a decision. Here’s an opportunity to make this family’s day. There may be a financial need and your ten or twenty dollar donation would help with forward momentum. \"Step up\" asks if you could you step up and carry the burden of another, just for a little while. When the chips are down, step up and bring someone up with you.\n\nThere are other steps to take in building relationships. Step aside, step down, step over. And infinite ways to preserve relationships just by the steps we take. Here’s a final thought to ponder. Your relationships are places on your treasure map of life. Every time you encounter one of those places there is an experience. How do you want to remember it? Do you want to remember the cutting argument or the agreement? Do you want to remember walking away from the potential burden or would you rather remember walking alongside someone to a treasure?\n\nThe steps we take bring us to experience unforgettable moments. Mind your moments because they become your memories.\n\nThe next time you hear, “Go ahead – make my day” remember that it’s possible and your steps make it possible.', 'Go Ahead ... Make My Day!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'go-ahead-make-my-day', '', '', '2017-07-31 06:00:43', '2017-07-31 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34028', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(34037, 482, '2017-08-02 06:00:39', '2017-08-02 06:00:39', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a “Yeah. Maybe not medically tho. Dunno...” Elon Musk revealed almost glibly that he believes he is bipolar. </span><a href=\"http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/07/31/elon-musk-isnt-only-ceo-suffering-from-possible-bipolar-symptoms.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FoxBusiness</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> picked this up and suggested that many other CEOs suffer from the </span><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomania\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hypomania</span></i></a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">associated with bipolar disorder, allowing for creativity and a fighter’s mentality. That elated frenzy which falls just below a true manic state might drive gifted leaders to take risks, making them more successful than those without the associated highs of bipolar disorder.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But this isn’t a post about mental health.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I don’t know Elon Musk, and neither do I have medical insight into his state of being. I have, however, read </span><a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVI76ZS\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elon Musk</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Ashlee Vance.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Musk impressed me with his risk-embracing behavior and devotion to causes over income, what stood out to me most in his biography was what I told my wife when I finished: “I would never want to work for that guy.” There can be something life-fulfilling to be part of a company, idea, or world-changing concept, and I truly recognize that these opportunities are spare. For every SpaceX employee, 100,000 people wake up each day to the dread of a meaningless occupation whose only value is to support themselves or their families.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, I hold to my original impression. I would never want to work for that guy. Musk’s success has come at the expense of his own marriages, his relationship with his children, and his recently admitted “unrelenting stress.\" Further, Musk is known to often drive his employees until they drop or drop out. Vance’s book, although laudatory, was peppered with stories of partners, apprentices, and laborers unwilling to sacrifice their lives for his ideals.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The glory of transforming the world notwithstanding, most of us are called to the simple nobility of supporting our families. Innovation and inventiveness are dignified pursuits, but I am not beholden to the public as I am to my wife and children. Society does not need me to teach her how to parallel park. Humanity is not requiring me to play catch in the side yard. The world has yet to ask me for a hug because work today was tough.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am grateful for men and women who sacrifice relationships for the good of our future. We have all benefited greatly from those like Elon Musk and (perhaps) his beleaguered employees. Despite this, I do not admire the surrender of life, wife, and children for any cause.</span>\n<h3><b>Know What Matters </b></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My number one purpose in life is to build goodness into those around me, starting with my inner circle and moving outward. If you aren’t coming to my funeral, you will take a seat behind those who will. When he dies, many will remark on the great things Musk has done. Perhaps this is what matters to Musk, and perhaps he is right to pursue it. If he is true to himself, then there is much to respect. For me, those who have been placed closest in my life are what really matters, and I would suggest that it is the same for all of us.</span>\n<h3><b>Know What Affects What Matters</b></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I serve regularly in my church, exercise, promote community functions, and occasionally try my hand at benevolent acts. It’s not </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about my family. Any of these can get in the way of what truly matters, though. Too much time in the gym, too much time ministering, too much of anything takes me away from what is central. Heck, I can even dote on my children too much to the detriment of my marriage. Moderation may not change the world, but it also will not destroy what is paramount to me. Key here is not to make excuses by allowing anything else to affect what matters.</span>\n<h3><b>Don’t Make Excuses</b></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does Musk really have bipolar disorder? Maybe. Dunno. It does appear, however, that his hyperdrive is being excused by hypomania. If Musk truly suffers from this illness, he would be best served to seek real help instead of making frivolous remarks on Twitter. If, on the other hand, Musk is justifying a life of unhealthy compulsion without confronting it, then he is victimizing himself as well as those who should matter.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-34040\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/avatar-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></span>\n\n<em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</span></em>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Three Lessons from Elon Musk', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'three-lessons-from-elon-musk', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:49:41', '2017-10-16 14:49:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34037', 0, 'post', '', 5),
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(34049, 274, '2017-08-07 06:00:29', '2017-08-07 10:00:29', 'Welcome to the August 2017 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!\n\nJack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, said, \"When you were made a leader, you weren’t given a crown; you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others.\" This month, we have so many angles from which to look at ways of bringing out the best in others; we are excited to share them with you.\n<h3>Let\'s Get Started</h3>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Anne Perschel</strong> of <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germane Coaching and Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/emotionally-intelligent-leadership-unexpected-roi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Emotionally Intelligent Leadership - Unexpected ROI at Apex Corporation</a>. Anne writes, \"Apex Corporation began the journey to emotionally intelligent leadership fifteen years ago. They achieved their goal of increased sales and were pleasantly surprised by an unexpected ROI.\" Find Anne on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bizshrink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bizshrink</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Beth Beutler</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.O.P.E. Unlimited</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/dont-say-say/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t Say That! Say This.</a> Beth asks, \"Has the wrong thing ever come out of your mouth? She then gives some warnings and remedies.\" Find Beth on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bethbeutler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bethbeutler</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Bill Treasurer</strong> of <a href=\"http://giantleapconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giant Leap Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-leap-courage-bill-treasurer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">My Leap into Courage</a>. Bill recaps, \"Being fearful is human nature. But, overcoming fear is what makes you more courageous. You might wonder what qualifies me to write about courage. Here\'s my story.\" Find Bill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/btreasurer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@btreasurer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/culture-leadership-charge-wow-your-customers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Culture Leadership Charge: WOW Your Customers</a>. Chris recaps, \"Their best family vacation was at a ranch in Colorado. And here’s why.\"  Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Cy Wakeman</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reality-Based Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.globoforce.com/gfblog/2017/stuck-with-a-bad-leader-success-is-still-in-your-control/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stuck With a Bad Leader? Success is Still in Your Control</a>. Cy writes, \"We’ve been told that the number one reason people leave their jobs is because of their leader. But with a Reality-Based Leadership approach, you may discover via self-reflection that your stress, especially at work, doesn’t come from your reality, it comes from the story you make up about your reality.\" Find Cy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/cywakeman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@cywakeman</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Great Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2017/07/leadership-at-two-levels.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Leadership at Two Levels</a>, a guest post by <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LeadersServe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Miller</a>. Dan recaps, \"This guest post from Mark Miller explores two levels of leadership: leading yourself and leading your team.\" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@greatleadership.</a>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Dana Theus</strong> of <a href=\"http://inpowercoaching.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InPower Coaching</a> contributed <a href=\"https://inpowercoaching.com/thought-leadership-change-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Is Thought Leadership the Same as Change Leadership?</a>. Dana writes, \" As the command-and-control model of leadership rapidly gives way to influential leadership styles, let’s look at two leadership models that are available to just about anyone at any level, change leadership and thought leadership. They are not the same, although together they can be powerful. Which can you adapt into your leadership style?\" Find Dana on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/DanaTheus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@DanaTheus</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Grossman </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grossman Group</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/the-courageous-communicator-quest-challenge-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Courageous Communicator Quest Challenge Series</a>. David writes, \"I’ve talked to a lot of folks recently who say they don’t want to just lead – they want to be great leaders – yet they struggle with how to get there and do it effectively. This Challenge series was created to help you become one remarkable leader.\" Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtpartner</a>\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"https://seapointcenter.com/team-alignment-is-for-the-birds/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Team Alignment Is For the Birds! </a>. Jesse summarizes, \"The images we use to depict high performance teams are often geese or planes flying in formation, with everyone moving forward in unison with precise coordination and execution. These kinds of images convey the wrong message. Leaders need to stop relying on structure to control their teams. This post explains how the glue that holds high performance teams together is vision, not structure, and provides better images for us to use.\" Find Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jesselynstoner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jesselynstoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href=\"https://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Epiphany at Work</a> provided <a href=\"https://epiphanyatwork.com/heres-show-empathy/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here’s How to Show Empathy</a>. Jill writes, \"Many leaders are so focused on the work, they forget about the people “behind the work”. It’s easy to get efficient, and then brisk, especially communicating remotely. Here’s a formula to help with showing empathy.\" Find Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart </strong>of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Changing Winds</a> provided <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/generation-ys-job-plight-top-12-tips-for-gen-y/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Generation Y’s Job Plight: Top 12 Tips for Gen Y</a>. In the post, Jim<b> </b>explains, \"With Baby Boomers  marching steadily towards the retirement door, it’s time to take stock and reflect how we pass the torch to the next generations: Gen X and Gen Y, the latter generation having particular job market challenges.\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Career Advancement Blog</a> submitted <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/changing-negative-work-perceptions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Five Ways to Change Negative Perceptions at Work</a>. Joel shares: \"Co-workers are quick to make snap judgements about you but why? It\'s time to determine where those negative perceptions came from and these five ways will help.\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>John Hunter</strong> of <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curious Cat</a> submitted <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2017/07/12/the-importance-of-critical-thinking-and-challenging-assumptions/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Importance of Critical Thinking and Challenging Assumptions</a>. John recaps: \"Organizations will benefit if they adjust expectations to make it clear that important decisions should be supported and presented along with the evidence used to make such a decision (and they should expect to be questioned and challenged and be able to defend their position).  Initially people can be frustrated to be questioned about the evidence and reasoning behind the proposed actions they support.  But they really should be in the habit of doing this themselves before decisions so sharing that thought process will become easy once it is the expected behavior.\" Discover John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ajohnhunter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ajohnhunter</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thin Difference</a> submitted <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2017/07/return-calmness-leadership-imperative/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Return to Calmness: A Leadership Imperative</a>. Jon shares, \"Inciting and supporting continued chaos is not a sound leadership strategy or trait. A return to calmness is a new leadership imperative.\" Discover Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thindifference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thindifference</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Verbeck</strong> of  <a href=\"http://www.jonverbeck.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jon Verbeck</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.jonverbeck.com/the-3-ps-to-efficiency-and-effectiveness/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Three P’s to Efficiency and Effectiveness</a>. In this post, Jon provides the three areas of importance to strengthen our efficiency and effectiveness. Follow Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jonverbeck1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jonverbeck1</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Julie Winkle-Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julie Winkle-Giulioni</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/leadership-matters/creativity-its-whats-missing-from-career-development/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Creativity: It’s What’s Missing from Career Development</a>. Julie recaps, \"Career development is as unique as each individual being developed. As a result, leaders must stop painting by numbers and infuse a little creativity into this very important process. \" Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@julie_wg</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Karin Hurt</strong> of  <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> contributed <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/5-surprising-reasons-your-ideas-arent-being-heard/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Five Surprising Reasons Your Ideas Aren’t Being Heard</a>. In this post, Karin shares why people may not be listening to your ideas, even though you want them to. Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/letsgrowleaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@letsgrowleaders</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Ken Downer</strong> of  <a href=\"http://www.rapidstartleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rapid Start Leadership</a> contributed <a href=\"http://www.rapidstartleadership.com/six-secrets-of-success/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wading the Mississippi: Six Surprising Secrets of Success I Learned from Ol’ Man River</a>. Ken summarizes, \"We think of the Mississippi as a mighty, influential river, but like any major waterway, it didn’t start out that way.  A recent trip to the headwaters of the Mississippi revealed a lot about what it takes to go from a trickle to a torrent.  By imitating its six secrets of success, we might all manage to become a little bit greater ourselves.\" Follow Ken on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RapidStartLdr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@rapidstartldr</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Laurence Pintenat</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.ddiworld.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Development Dimensions International (DDI)</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.ddiworld.com/blog/tmi/july-2017/do-self-driving-employees-still-need-leaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do “Self-Driving” Employees Still Need Leaders?</a>. Lawrence writes, \"In a world of automation and autonomous employees, great leaders are still needed to bring the human touch to interactions.\" Find Lawrence on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ddiworld\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@ddiworld</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Linda Fisher Thornton</strong> of<strong> </strong><a href=\"https://leadingincontext.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading in Context</a>  shared <a href=\"https://leadingincontext.com/2017/07/19/5-sites-for-globally-responsible-business-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">5 Sites For Globally Responsible Business Leadership</a>. Linda recaps: \"A global economy requires more than local or regional thinking. We are connected by a shared future, with one region’s success deeply connected to another’s success. What steps can we take now to adapt to major global change and become part of the solution?\" Find Linda on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/leadingincontxt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@leadingincontxt</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lisa Kohn </strong>of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chatsworth Consulting</a> submitted <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2017/07/11/dont-overthink-it-go-down-the-chute/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t overthink it. Go down the chute.</a> In this post, Lisa shares that we have to be willing to make a big splash, to dive in and get wet, and to try new things in order to stop overthinking and to be the best leader possible. Discover Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtfulldrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Marcella Bremer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership and Change Magazine</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/positive-power-overview-part-three/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Positive Power Overview – Part Three</a>. Marcella recaps, \"Are you able, willing and ready to be a Positive Agent? Part Three of this series explores the personal preparation that we might need to do before we can make a positive difference. Check it out….\" Find Marcella on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@marcellabremer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Mary Ila Ward </strong>of <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Horizon Point Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/be-leary-of-the-first-impression/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Be Leary of the First Impression</a>. Mary Ila recaps, \"In the world of talent management, we often label people based merely on first impressions. Leaders, don’t judge a book by its cover, or its title!\"\" Find Mary Ila on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/maryilaward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@maryilaward</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Miki Saxon</strong> of <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MAPping Company Success</a> contributed <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/2017/07/ryans-journal-enough/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan\'s Journal: When Is It Enough?</a> by Ryan Pew. Miki writes, \"There are dozens of takes on what\'s enough—what\'s enough to fill the need, satiate the hunger, satisfy the craving. But perhaps \'enough\' is the wrong focus and, instead, the focus should be on \'what.\'\" Discover Miki on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/OptionSanity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@optionsanity</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2017/07/27/leaders-suffering-from-the-impostor-syndrome/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leaders Suffering From the Impostor Syndrome</a>. Neal recaps, \"If you feel like a fraud, then you’re suffering from Impostor Syndrome. Many executives experience this. You don’t have to feel that you are unqualified for your position, or deal with low self-confidence. There are ways to alleviate these thoughts and feelings.\" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paula Kiger</strong> of <a href=\"http://biggreenpen.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Green Pen</a> provided <a href=\"http://biggreenpen.com/2017/07/16/workplace-mental-health/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mental Health Days and Leave Policies: What Works?</a>. Paula recaps, \"A recent high-profile situation in which a business owner was commended for giving an employee time off to meet her mental health needs prompted many discussions about leave time and the role of mental health. This post explores those questions.\" Find Paula on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/biggreenpen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@biggreenpen</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading With Trust</a> shared <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2017/07/09/10-signs-youre-suffering-from-rear-view-mirror-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10 Signs You’re Suffering From Rearview Mirror Leadership</a>. Randy writes, \"Sometimes leaders get so focused on what’s happening behind or around them that they miss the opportunities in front of them. They lead by looking in the rear-view mirror instead of looking out the windshield. In this post, Randy Conley shares 10 signs of rear-view mirror leadership, that if left unaddressed, will result in leaders getting off course, wasting energy, and diminishing their effectiveness.\" Find Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@randyconley</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shelley Row</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/mid-air-emergency-five-characteristics-high-performing-teams/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Mid-Air Emergency: Five Characteristics of High Performing Teams</a>. In the post, Shelley shares, \"They didn’t set out to be a high performing team. In fact, they probably didn’t know each other. That was until there was a medical emergency on the flight.<strong>\"</strong><strong> </strong>Find Shelley on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/shelleyrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@shelleyrow</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Random Acts of Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/are-you-leading-while-distracted/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Are You Leading While Distracted?</a>. Susan explains, \"The perils of driving while distracted are well known. Yet, there are also perils to leading while distracted. While those perils do not typically involve loss of life or limb, leading while distracted is dangerous to morale, progress, and ultimately your success.\" Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer</strong> of <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tanveer Naseer</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/5-summer-books-that-will-boost-your-leadership-skills/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">5 Summer Books That Will Make You A Better Leader</a>. Tanveer summarizes, \"Five leadership books worth reading over the summer break in order to learn how to become more successful at leading others.\" Follow Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tanveernaseer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Willy Steiner </strong>of <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Executive Coaching Concepts</a> provided <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/mental-health-day/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">When Was Your Last “Mental Health Day”?</a>. In the post, Willy describes how \"you can stay in touch with your needs which should be just important as the needs of the organization that you serve.\" Find Willy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/coachforexecs\">@coachforexecs</a>.\n\n<em>Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival! If you would like to be on the distribution list for submission calls, please contact Ellen Snyder (ellen @ weavinginfluence (dot) com)!</em>\n\n</div>', 'August 2017 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'august-2017-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2017-08-07 06:00:29', '2017-08-07 10:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/july-2017-leadership-development-carnival-2/', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34095, 251, '2017-08-11 06:00:22', '2017-08-11 10:00:22', 'How fast do you answer emails and texts? Are you known for being responsive to interruptions or quick to weigh in on social media?\n\nDo you make it a point to hold time on your calendar every week to read, meet someone new, or just think?\n\nStephen Covey shares a story:\n<blockquote>A time management expert was speaking to a group of business students, high-powered overachievers, and said, \"Time for a quiz.\"\n\nHe pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced a dozen or so fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them—one at a time—into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, \"Is this jar full?\" Everyone in the class said, \"Yes.\" \"Really?\" He asked.\n\nHe reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar and shook it so the pieces of gravel could work down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group, \"Is the jar full?\" By this time, the class was onto him. \"Probably not,\" one of them answered. \"Good!\" He replied.\n\nHe reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand, which he dumped into the jar. The sand filled the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked, \"Is this jar full?\" \"No!\" the class shouted. \"Good,\" he said as he grabbed a pitcher of water and poured it in until the jar was filled to the brim.\n\nHe looked at the class and asked, \"What’s the point of this illustration?\" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, \"The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!\"\n\n\"No,\" he replied. \"That\'s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don\'t put the big rocks in first, you\'ll never get them in at all.\"\n\nMuch of the time, we allow ourselves to get caught up in reactively handling the “little rocks” that seem urgent at the moment. We take the phone call, answer the email or text, check out Facebook and Twitter, or chat too long with the person who dropped in our office to tell us a story. We let someone else’s crisis, lack of planning, or immediate interests dictate our schedule.</blockquote>\nWhen we do this, we’re falling victim to what economists call the present bias, which is the tendency to give stronger weight to immediate needs at the expense of long-term intentions. We opt for the immediate gratification of checking off one of Covey’s “little rocks.”\n<blockquote>I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower</blockquote>\nWe let what’s urgent (usually to someone else) become a “big rock” and crowd out what’s important to our lives and well-being over the long-term—truly big rocks like mission, values, goals, relationships, self-improvement, reflection, etc.\n<h3>Managing big rocks</h3>\nThink back about last week. How many of the following “big rocks” did you make room for?\n\n<strong>Connection.</strong> Did you support a colleague in need? Talk to the stranger? Tell someone they did a good job? Have coffee with someone you wanted to get to know?\n\n<strong>Give thanks</strong>. Did you express appreciation to a colleague or employee for their hard work? Feel gratitude? Say thank you?\n\n<strong>Fun.</strong> Did you read, watch, or listen to something funny? Play? Dance? Sing along to the radio as you drove? Get silly with a friend and laugh out aloud? Give yourself permission to take a break or may be even do nothing?\n\n<strong>Self-care</strong>. Did you exercise? Balance out eating the mini-bag of Cheetos with a salad and an apple? Get enough sleep? Use sunblock? Pay attention to your feelings? Show strength by reaching out for support when you needed a boost? Let yourself be satisfied with excellence (which is doable) instead of perfection (which isn’t)?\n\n<strong>Self-appreciation.</strong> Did you inventory all the good things you are and do (not just what you aren’t or don’t have)?  Did you celebrate your strengths? Cut yourself some slack for your weaknesses?\n\n<strong>Channel fear.</strong> Did you let your fears control what you did or didn’t do? Use your fear as a catalyst for doing what needed to be done? Express curiosity rather than judgment?\n\n<strong>Growth.</strong> Did you learn something new? Hold yourself accountable for doing something you said you were going to do? Invest in feeding your soul and that of others? Consider (without beating yourself up) how you could do something better next time? Coach an employee?\n\n<strong>Reflect.</strong> Did you carve out a few minutes to ponder? Stare out the window? To be and not do? Spend quality time with a friend?\n\nManaging what’s important and what’s urgent is more than mere time management. It’s about the quality of our lives.\n\nWhat are your big rocks, and what are you doing to fit them in every day?\n\nImage credit: Pixabay', 'Little Rocks, Big Rocks, and Life', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'little-rocks-big-rocks-and-life', '', '', '2017-08-11 06:00:22', '2017-08-11 10:00:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34095', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34101, 390, '2017-08-09 06:00:19', '2017-08-09 10:00:19', 'We hear so much now about the building and managing of one’s “Personal Brand” as the key to success. You can’t attend a conference without hitting a breakout session helmed by some Personal Brand high priest or priestess. They’ll describe the brand concept the same way Coca Cola describes it, as standing on the pillars of quality and consistency.\n\nBreakout sessions get flip-charts and grape-scented markers to practice listing the attributes of their Personal Brands. It eats up the 45-minutes before the gravy-laden conference lunch, but is it productive? Or even necessary?  Really, don’t your colleagues and customers want the same from you as from their cola: consistent quality? Yes, but our quality and consistency sometimes rises and falls in a continuous cycle.\n\nCoca-Cola’s brand is micro-managed by teams of professionals working on nothing else. This raises the question: can (or should) a person even begin to undertake a project like self-branding?\n\nA look at social media will tell you about people’s ability to credibly self-manage their own brands. We all know some happily-branded yet simultaneously miserable people.\n\nRick Perlstein’s examination of the socio-political landscape of the 1960s, <em>Nixonland</em>, is instructive on multiple levels. The first is as an extremely-well-footnoted historical reference. Second as a reminder of how our national mood cycles over time (the bubbles in our current cultural cauldron look a lot now like they did then). Finally, as a collection of case studies of Personal Brand creation and management. He discusses Nixon’s primarily, but also those of a whole motley cast of the era.\n\nTake, for example, Jerry Rubin, the one-time wild-eyed Youth International Party revolution-jockey and anti-establishment provocateur. His relevance waned with the 1970s as a hung-over America happily left the 1960s behind: the war was over and Nixon was vanquished.\n\nRubin took personal re-branding to an extreme. In the 1980s of <em>Dallas</em> and <em>Dynasty</em> and <em>Miami Vice</em>, the almost-40 Jerry Rubin had every bit the look of the avowed enemy of the almost-30 ‘Chicago Seven’ Jerry Rubin. Here now was a businessman’s businessman, a networking guru in a three-piece suit delivering paid speeches to polite civic groups and business students, preaching the Profit Motive as the key to solving humanity’s most vexing challenges.\n\nThis polished 1980s stock-trader Rubin seemed ill-at-ease, though. When reporters (including a young one, me) clipped their microphones to his lectern he backed away with hands raised, nervously muttering “you’re encroaching, you’re encroaching.. don’t encroach! ” as if he could hear his younger self issuing the battle cry of the 1960s counter-culture: “up against the wall!”\n\nWhatever; the new brand didn’t stick:  by the 90’s he was promoting snake-oil life-extension strategies and multi-level marketing. One day, in just his mid-50s, he walked out of his California home into traffic, sadly, to his death.\n\nThe ill-fated Rubin trotted out a number of brands, but couldn’t ‘get traction.’ When he met his demise he’d been several Jerry Rubins, with a whole dog’s dinner of employed-then-discarded brand attributes. Therein lies the danger of the Personal Brand juju: the temptation to continually paste-on the fashionable attributes <em>du jour</em>, to your own ultimate detriment. One can easily end up as the desperate drunken clown in Bobby Bare’s <em>On A Real Good Night</em>: “I’ll be your lover/or I’ll be your friend/or I can be nothing at all/a singer, a dancer, a drinker of wine/a sleeper wherever I fall.”\n\nMy father was fond of saying “the test of caring is caring” (Latin, <em>caritas</em>: love, affection, charity, valuing-highly).  He would advise putting your list of Personal Brand Attributes together and then tossing out any you’d be ashamed if someone stood up to repeat at your memorial service. If you’re only left with “cares” he’d tell you to put down your marker and head to the ballroom for lunch.', 'Personal Branding', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'personal-branding', '', '', '2017-08-09 06:00:19', '2017-08-09 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34101', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34111, 464, '2017-08-30 06:00:23', '2017-08-30 10:00:23', 'One of the most powerful theories on how to motivate people on the work-floor is Deci and Ryan\'s Self-Determination Theory. In my post ‘<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/effective-communication-is-about-understanding-emotion/\">Effective Communication Is About Understanding Emotion</a>’ I dealt with the idea of <em>Observational Listening</em> and how that way of listening focuses on emotions people are currently experiencing. These two concepts together make a powerful combination in which motivation takes current emotions into account<em>.</em>\n<h3><strong>Self-Determination Theory</strong></h3>\nSelf-Determination Theory states that there are three basic needs that influence job satisfaction: Mastery, connection and autonomy. If someone\'s job fulfills these needs, the likelihood is their current emotions will tend to be positive too. Bear in mind, though, that everyone differs in what degree these need to be fulfilled. If someone\'s emotions aren\'t that positive, chances are that one of these needs isn\'t being catered to sufficiently. So how to motivate your team members boils down to finding out what factors are most important for each of them and how you can connect what you want them to do for you with these needs. This way team members will do what they do because they want to, not because they have to.\n<h3><strong>Motivating on Mastery</strong></h3>\nAn anxious team member may very well need attention in the realm of mastery. People seldom feel competent in an atmosphere which doesn’t feel safe. So your first task as leader is to ensure the team provides a space in which you and the team members may speak freely (this has a direct link to the need for connection too). Motivating on mastery also requires some form of feedback on how the other is doing: You need to give compliments for good work and adequate feedback when the quality doesn\'t meet expectations (see also my previous post ‘<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/why-leaders-give-feedback/\">Why Leaders Give Feedback</a>’). Being a good transformational leader, one who inspires his or her team members and stimulates their development, also thereby supports their team members\' need for mastery.\n<h3><strong>Motivating on Connection</strong></h3>\nAlthough you certainly cannot control all aspects of how team members interact with one another (or with other people in the organization), you certainly have an impact when it comes to motivating on connection. Firstly by being a role model (performance is improved, for example, when the leader comes in \'up-beat\' rather than irritated or lethargic). And secondly by ensuring that the atmosphere in the team is kept as positive as possible. The sad or depressive team member often finds themselves lacking in terms of the fulfillment of their need for connection. Connection isn’t just about nice small-talk. It’s also about involvement, ensuring all team members participate, for example in defining the team’s mission and agreeing on the goals to meet and challenges the team will need to overcome in the coming period.\n<h3><strong>Motivating on Autonomy</strong></h3>\nThe frustrated or angry team member often feels threatened in their need for autonomy. So whilst participation in setting team goals within the boundaries of the team’s mission is essential, a form of stepped decision-making provides a next step. By stepped decision-making we mean that decisions are made at the lowest possible hierarchical level. When you tell team members what they should do, how they should feel about things or how they should think, you are limiting their feeling of autonomy. This need is best fulfilled when the team member can decide what task to do when (priority and order), how to do it (with the obvious link to mastery) and with whom to collaborate (linked again to connection). Not every work situation gives team members complete freedom in this regard. When work is more cognitive there is usually much more leeway in terms of the autonomy you can offer. So you as leader will need to see how far (and perhaps how creatively) you can provide as much room as possible for your team member\'s autonomy.\n<h3><strong>Back to Emotions</strong></h3>\nMotivating by taking these three needs into account is a good step forward in taking team members\' current emotions into account as well as stimulating more positive emotions on the work-floor in general, with an improvement in performance as overall objective. Yet don’t jump to conclusions too soon: A team member\'s current emotion need not only be the result of their work environment. So remember that instead of telling, you rather go the route of asking and start taking an active interest in them as person. You will then know where their emotions stem from and thus be able to motivate on their three needs optimally!\n\n<em>Note: The academic version of the book <a href=\"http://www.markusvanalphen.com/observational-listening/\">Observational Listening</a> is already available. The self-help version is expected around the end of 2017.</em>', 'Once You Understand Emotion, Motivation is Easy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'once-you-understand-emotion-motivation-easy', '', '', '2017-08-30 06:00:23', '2017-08-30 10:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34111', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34123, 415, '2017-08-23 06:00:43', '2017-08-23 10:00:43', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just two years into my first dream job, I got fired.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like many new managers, I had been promoted because I was ambitious and good at the front-line work. But as soon as I was promoted I started using my authority to boss people around. I assumed I was right and they were wrong, and I spent a lot of time driven by anxiety and annoyance.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the years that followed my termination, I became able to see that self-care had been unimportant to me. As our area fell behind, I worked through the night trying to catch up. The less I slept, the more conflicts I got into with employees and peers. My negative emotions drove me to try controlling everyone, and I saw insubordination in anyone who resisted.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you seen this happen with other new managers--perhaps even with yourself? It’s not so unusual. American business puts a lot of pressure on managers to deliver results, but to influence others and get positive results, they need leadership training. Good training helps managers understand themselves and manage their own emotional states.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/mood-elevator.jpg\"><img class=\" wp-image-34124 alignright\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/mood-elevator.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"817\" /></a>One of the key leadership tools I gained along the way is called the <a href=\"https://themoodelevator.com/\">“Mood Elevator.”</a> This idea was originally coined by Dr. Larry Senn, and he has since <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Mood-Elevator-Charge-Feelings-Become/dp/1523084618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1503456224&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+mood+elevator\">written a book</a> about it as well. It’s a pretty simple list of feelings, moods, and emotions, arranged in a column. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can probably see in your own experience, you are typically feeling creative, hopeful, appreciative, or grateful when getting your best results--all emotions “above the line.” When you’re making the biggest mistakes (like sending emails that are better left unsent), you are more likely to feel defensive, judgmental, self-righteous, etc.--all emotions “below the line.”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Up” and “down” on the Mood Elevator are separated by “curious” -- a neutral emotional state that suspends judgment and allows for collecting more information. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I learned that, if you can figure out where you are on the Mood Elevator, you can typically predict the quality of your action. And, if you can just get to “curious” before taking action, at least you will get more information before you choose a direction.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time I have become increasingly more able to notice my feelings, moods, and emotions “below the line.” I know how it feels physically when I am feeling self-righteous, and it serves as a warning flag to me that I am not at my best. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When that happens, I don’t try to make myself “happy.” That is an ineffective approach. But I will take a few deep breaths. That helps me to cool my brain down so the low-mood action stops seeming like the only way forward. I’ve learned to delay speaking. “Save as draft” is a wonderful metaphor for pausing a compulsive act so you can re-evaluate after the emotion has subsided.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I’ve developed deep familiarity with my own feelings, I have also become able to leverage them in making decisions rather than being blindly ruled by them. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, if during a meeting I notice misgivings, I can assess whether those misgivings are related to the close call I had on the highway before the meeting or are coming from the content of the meeting itself. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My emotions even in task work are telling me about my strengths and weaknesses much more directly than any performance review could. </span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I am doing well and operating in my strengths, I lose track of time and feel a sense of inherent joy in my work. </span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I am struggling, reluctant, or annoyed, I know these indicate I am operating out of my weaknesses and need development or help.</span></li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If I notice reluctance or compulsion in approaching a task, I can leverage that awareness when I am deciding what skills to develop for future work.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leveraging the information in emotion goes beyond doing what I feel like doing. For instance, I used to interpret nervousness as a need for support. Now I know that when I feel nervous I must also assess whether I am expanding or contracting. If the nervousness is associated with expansion beyond my comfort zone, I should lean into that discomfort and be grateful for the extra energy the nervousness gives me.  It is only when my nervousness is associated with a sense of contraction (withdrawal, pulling back, shrinking) that it means I need support.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This tool helps me better assess what is going on with others, too. When someone is angry, upset, and lashing out, they are simply not at their best. This seems obvious, but we do typically take people very seriously when they are trembling with rage or panic, as if we believe they’re really thought through their current actions and words.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I notice that someone is not at their best and acting compulsively, I have learned to take a few deep breaths myself so I won’t just react on autopilot. If I can make it that far, I can then recognize that something is going on with her or him. I don’t take it too seriously (or personally), and I make a commitment to wait until their emotions have subsided. When they’ve cooled off again, I can make sure we have the conversation we actually need to have instead of one that is fueled by reactivity and compulsion on both sides.</span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Can You Predict How Effective You Will Be Today?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'get-better-at-predicting-your-effectiveness', '', '', '2017-08-23 06:00:43', '2017-08-23 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34123', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34136, 276, '2017-08-14 06:12:53', '2017-08-14 10:12:53', 'Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”\n\nThis quote comes to mind whenever I think of my personal and professional improvement over the lifespan of my career. I am a firm believer that if one expects to improve, one must invest the time to hone and work on their skill daily until they achieve the goal.\n\nSuccess does not and will not come from doing what everyone else is doing. Rather, by repeatedly focusing on our specific goals we want to achieve and working toward those goals is how we will reach the finish line. It is that continuous improvement that will eventually differentiate you from everyone else. As leaders, it is vital to be able to focus on the big picture while simultaneously zoning in on the key areas that need attention.\n\nSo, what are the best methods to improve?\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Self-Assessment through SWOT Analysis</strong></li>\n</ul>\nTake an inventory of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. For each of your weakness, come up with a SMART goal to improve it.   Challenge yourself and focus on improving yourself.\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Seek a role model</strong></li>\n</ul>\nObserve your role model and understand how they conduct themselves. How do they treat others?  How do they conduct themselves?\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Don’t be afraid to make mistakes </strong></li>\n</ul>\nTake calculated risks and jump in with both feet. Embrace the opportunity. When the outcome does not match what you expected, seek to understand the lesson and learn from it.  Remember that mistake is equity for our success.\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Don’t compare yourself to others</strong></li>\n</ul>\nRemember that your journey is yours. Your story is different than everyone else.   Avoid comparing yourself to others, because we are all unique and our quest to improve ourselves varies depending on our situation.\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Be patient</strong></li>\n</ul>\nYou will not achieve instant success over night. Everything takes time.  Invest the time and enjoy the journey.  Sometimes you have to do it multiple times to get the result you want.   Learn and continue to improve yourself.\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Get outside your comfort zone</strong></li>\n</ul>\nMost of my breakthroughs are due to taking chances and embracing the new opportunity. Many times I was not up to it yet I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone.\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Do it right the first time</strong></li>\n</ul>\nWho has the time to redo their work? Take the time to learn and do it right once. Remember that rework only delays you from achieving your goal.\n\nA journey to improve yourself is often frustrating. Things do not improve quickly, and therefore it is important to manage your expectations.   I always remind myself that the butterfly was once in a cocoon, trying to rip the cocoon open to early will not help accelerate the development of the butterfly.   Be patient while staying focused.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay.com', 'You Won&#039;t Improve if You Don&#039;t Focus', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'you-wont-improve-if-you-dont-focus', '', '', '2017-08-14 06:12:53', '2017-08-14 10:12:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34136', 0, 'post', '', 2);
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(34158, 418, '2017-08-16 06:00:46', '2017-08-16 10:00:46', 'Complete this sentence: <strong>I could do more if I had…. </strong>\n\nMany of us would fill in the blank with words like these:  <em>money, time, bigger house, better job, different spouse</em>.  There are many externals that we naturally think of as constraints, boundaries on our ability to achieve, to get ahead, to succeed.\n\nTime to re-frame.  Consider that these constraints are but a catalyst for becoming more creative about the possibilities sitting before you. In fact, I contend, almost every innovation or breakthrough comes because of a constraint, forcing you to think in different ways.\n\nLike the three young girls I met last weekend. Listen to their story.\n\nThe girls are in a family that is experiencing financial challenges. The twins, age 15, want to go to the mall, the movies, to shop. Their mom, a quite wise woman, told them that they can do those things but they must figure out how to pay for them. Babysitting? Um, they’d be more comfortable if they did that together but that would mean splitting the money, Nope.  After deliberation, they came upon an idea: a Cooking Camp in the neighborhood.  A $40 investment got the “cooking campers” two days in the kitchen. They made aprons, learned the hygiene that precedes cooking, followed recipes, and walked home with cakes and the twins got to the mall.\n\nNot to be outdone, five-year-old baby sister decided she could make money selling balloon animals at the twins sporting events. With her big sisters’ help, she found a $5 book on how to make balloon animals, bought the air pump and the balloons on a loan from mom, and set up her stand. She even made a tip jar! When asked what she could make, she proudly insisted, “ a doggie, a panda, and a cat.”  Truth be told, the balloon animals all looked alike but how can you resist a darling now-six year-old who proclaims she is “self-taught”.\n\nThink how many innovations and ideas have come because of boundaries, of people or circumstances that seemed to say “no”.  The Wright Brothers defied the boundary of gravity. The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots WWII (WASP) defied the boundary of gender to fly for the military. Roger Bannister defied the boundary of a four-minute mile run. The list is endless.\n\nHere are four steps when confronting constraints that “appear” to limit your possibilities.\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Ask “what else can I do”?</strong></li>\n</ol>\nAnd persist at least five times with this question, refining the answers as you speak.  A colleague in Berkley was turned down on her initial bid to buy house. She had no more money to offer. She kept asking herself, ‘What else could I offer?”  Despite other offers of hard cash that exceeded her amount, when she threw in some gold coins, an offer to introduce the couple to the police chief where they would be moving, and generously said the young family could return and have a reunion in their starter home, Jesse got the house.  “What else?” is a powerful question.\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Who can help you?</strong></li>\n</ol>\nTremendous wisdom and connections exist in the universe but only if we seek them. For the WASP WWII, the founder Jacqueline Cochran had to ask for help from Col. Hap Arnold.  <a href=\"https://www.kickstarter.com/\">Kickstarter</a> campaigns are marvelous examples of asking for financial help from the universe and depending upon the goal. Coolest Cooler, ten years in the making, became one of the largest Kickstarter success stories. The cooler comes in three colors and includes several features, including a USB port, waterproof speakers, a bottle opener, and storage for food as well as plates and utensils.\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Do you really want to do this?</strong></li>\n</ol>\nNotice that Coolest Cooler was TEN YEARS in the making. While my three girls achieved their modest goals in a summer, bigger constraints can require plenty of emotion energy and stamina. How much determination and energy How will do you have to keep going regardless of the constraints?\n\nHow will you celebrate small wins? Whenever we buck the system, try and push out boundaries, Success is not always huge. It can be very many small steps that all need to be celebrated. My precious young one with her balloons is now learning to make a snake and a magic sword, She can expand her creativity because those around her cheered her three “different balloon animals” and her willingness to stand in the hot sun and sell her creations-- even if they did look alike', 'Constraint Kick Starts Creativity', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'constraint-kick-starts-creativity', '', '', '2017-08-16 06:00:46', '2017-08-16 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34158', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34164, 273, '2017-08-17 06:00:50', '2017-08-17 10:00:50', '<em>The following post is a preview excerpt from Chapter 9 of <a href=\"https://www.becomingthenewboss.com/book/\">Becoming the New Boss</a> by Naphtali Hoff.</em>\n\nAbout a year or so into my principalship, I attended a leadership seminar together with my board chair. The session was for independent school leaders and board chairs, and focused on matters of governance. While I do not remember the overwhelming majority of the content presented that evening, there was one slide that got my attention. I remember it to this day because it captured a critical leadership concept in one vivid, ominous message.\n\nThe slide was entitled, “Hills that heads die on.” On the slide was a list of ostensibly insignificant decisions that had been made by different school leaders, such as changing the direction of the carpool line or clearing out older artifacts from the trophy case. To our collective surprise, the presenter shared that this was not a joke. In fact, these were primary contributing factors to actual school leader terminations.\n\nWhile the concerns that were listed on that slide may have appeared petty to the casual observer, they were important issues to the respective local school populations. The leaders in each case had not taken the time to learn the culture and find out what really mattered to their people before making what they thought to be innocuous, constructive changes. Never would they have imagined losing their jobs over these decisions.\n\n*          *          *          *          *\n\nDuring your transition period, you want to<strong> learn as much as you can about the existing workplace culture. </strong>Take time to study the important traditions, symbols, events, and even behaviors that hold meaning for your people. Ask lots of questions, but be sure to do so in a way that suggests interest, curiosity, and nonjudgment. Consider introducing questions as follows: “Just curious,” “How have we historically,” and “Can you help me understand?” Tell people that you are genuinely interested in finding out the insider’s view of how the organization works. The answers to these questions will help you to avoid pitfalls.\n\nPerhaps you can identify one or more official chroniclers who have been around for a while and possess a balanced, informed view of the organization’s history and cultural development. Such people can be a tremendous resource as you seek to understand existing mindsets and behaviors. They can also offer perspective when you are ready to consider new ideas and want to get safe feedback.\n\nOnce you better understand the culture, seek to embrace it and become part of it, even if it feels a bit awkward at times. One of the hardest cultural components for me during my tenure as head of school was morning lineup. My predecessor had a unique routine that he used for years to get things started. It had become part of the school fabric and everyone—students, teachers, and parents—knew it by heart. For me, the practice was strange and awkward, but I knew better than to try to mess with it. For my entire time at the school, I followed that time-honored tradition exactly as I had inherited it, and did the best that I could to roll with it every day, with maximal energy and engagement. I even added a few of my own wrinkles in, which nobody seemed to mind.\n\nOf course, the role of the leader is to help continue to mold and shape the culture. Over time, it may come to look very different than the culture that you inherited. We will talk about how to drive such changes in a later chapter. Still, your short-term goal in most cases is to familiarize yourself with the existing culture and not step on any time bombs as you get acclimated. By working to kick things off positively, you will greatly increase your likelihood of gaining colleagues’ trust and support from the outset. This will hold you in good stead as you become better acquainted and establish yourself in your new role.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/naphtali.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-34173 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/naphtali-295x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"98\" height=\"100\" /></a>\n\nLeadership effectiveness expert Naphtali Hoff is the author of the book <em>Becoming the New Boss: The New Leader’s Guide to Sustained Success </em>which you can purchase <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941870945/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1499872385&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=becoming+the+new+boss\">here.</a> If you would like to learn more about Naphtali and his work, you can visit his website <a href=\"https://www.becomingthenewboss.com/meet-naphtali/\">here.</a>', 'Preview Thursday: Becoming the New Boss by Naphtali Hoff', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-becoming-the-new-boss-by-naphtali-hoff', '', '', '2017-08-17 06:00:50', '2017-08-17 10:00:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34164', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34185, 329, '2017-08-18 06:00:55', '2017-08-18 10:00:55', 'Every adult on the planet who has watched a Western movie knows about the Colt pistol. It was the sidearm of choice for Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Coty, “Bat” Masterson and Wild Bill Hickok. Robert E. Lee, Teddy Roosevelt, and George Patton wore Colt pistols. But, the backstory of the man behind the famous pistol is a portrait of an innovation leader in action. Today, we would label Samuel Colt a disruptor.\n\nSam loved pistols from an early age. Following a childhood dream, he created a pistol that could shoot six rounds successively without reloading.  With an order to quickly produce a thousand pistols, he realized the “one-at-a-time” artisan approach to gun making would never work.  However, a pistol with interchangeable parts would not only be more efficient, he could realize his dream of an assembly line process for greater productivity.\n\nHere we go with the drive-by history part. Henry Ford reasoned Colt’s two concepts (interchangeable parts and assembly line production) would be a way to provide automobiles for the masses.  He improved on the process that would become the factory operation approach for all industries.  With the advent of railroads and the availability of labor, especially immigrant workers, America quickly became the industrial capital of the world, exporting goods cheaply due to efficiencies gained by mass production.\n\nThe new American frontier leaped from being an agricultural also-ran in the late 1800’s to the dominant world power in the early 1900’s. We can thank Sam for starting a chain reaction that today produces smartphones, IBM Watson’s, and Tesla electric sports cars that can accelerate as fast as a Ferrari!\n\n<strong>Innovation Leaders Relentlessly Traverse Challenge</strong>\n\nSamuel Colt was born in 1814 in Hartford. His grandfather, a major in the Continental Army, thrilled him by giving Colt his old flintlock pistol.  But, Colt’s young life became laced with tragedy. At six, his mother died from tuberculosis. All three of his sisters died.  At eleven, he was indentured to a farmer where he did chores and attended school. The farmer introduced him to the <em>Compendium of Knowledge</em>, a book filled with exciting stories about everything for steamboat inventor Robert Fulton to gunpowder. His diligence was fueled by the stories he read and not by the misfortunes in his life.\n\nInnovative leaders have always taken challenges head-on. Steve Jobs started Apple in his parent’s garage and grew it to a $2 billion-dollar company. But, his board fired him in order to take Apple in a new direction. Propelled by sheer resilience he started NeXT and Pixar; ultimately reclaiming his position as Apple CEO. He took the company to a value of $300 billion. J.K. Rowling’s first <strong>Harry Potter</strong> book was turned down by twelve publishers. When publisher Even Bloomsbury finally took her manuscript (paying her only a £1500 advance), the editor told her to “get a day job.” Instead, she doubled her efforts. Today, through here doggedness she is a billionaire and her books have sold over 400 million copies.\n\n<strong>Innovation Leaders Have a Clear “Picture in Their Heads”</strong>\n\nOne of young Colt’s chores was taking the horse and wagon into Glastonbury, CT for supplies. Glastonbury was a shipbuilding town on the Connecticut River.  On one trip, he listened to a group of soldiers rave about the prowess of the double-barreled rifle and boasting the impossibility of anyone ever devising a firearm that could shoot five or six times without reloading. It was a watershed moment for the 12-year-old Colt and he vowed to become the person who would craft an “Impossible gun.” It remained a “picture in his head” vision that would propel his work.\n\nInnovation leaders live their work in reverse.  By that I mean they have a clear vision and then plan backwards to create a path for the execution of that vision.  Armed with a “picture in their head” they are far less distracted by obstacles and minutia.  It enables laser focus essential to going the distance.  Dreams that have staying power are those that are compelling, challenging, and colorful.  And, they inspire those around them, not by the promise of wealth, but by the calling of a grander purpose.\n\n<strong>Innovation Leaders are Resource Attractors</strong>\n\nColt’s company was saved by Captain Sam Walker of the Texas Rangers. Walker had seen first-hand how well Colt’s pistols performed during the Seminole War and wanted to use them in the Mexican-American war. In 1847, he placed an order for 1000 pistols. Colt turned to chief mechanic and inventor Elisha Root to set up his assembly line concept. He also brought in artisan gun makers from Bavaria to add “roll-die” engraving on the steel. It enabled brand-making decorative flourishes to be added to the functionality of a well-made pistol. His company would ultimately produce over 400,000 revolvers. Great innovative leaders value interdependence and synergy.\n\n<strong>Innovation Leaders Have a Passion for Their Brand  </strong>\n\nSam Colt was a marketing genius. He traveled the world promoting his revolvers often giving them to celebrities in exchange for their permission to use their photos in popular magazines. Colt pistols were advertised with the revolver being used on wild animal hunts or against bandits.  Wild West performers sported Colt pistols. When he was unable to get an audience with foreign heads of state as a private citizen, he talked the governor of Connecticut into make him a lieutenant colonel and an aide-de-camp in the state militia.  His “gifts” to kings and rulers were engraved “Compliments of Col. Colt.”\n\nThe impetus for Colt’s unleashed brand promotion was less about his personal ego and more about his passion for the Colt pistol.  Innovation leaders are quick to praise ingenuity and eager to make examples of those who risk for a new way or a better approach.  To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, just “building a better mousetrap” will not alone create a path to your door.  Folks must know about your better mousetrap…or new-fangled pistol.\n\nThe runaway pop movie, <a href=\"http://www.lalaland.movie/\"><em>La La Land</em></a>, gave us a magical musical.  And, one song “The Fools Who Dream” carries an amazing encouragement for leaders in pursuit of innovation. Here are a few of the Benj Pasek and Justin Paul lyrics.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>“A bit of madness is key; to give us new colors to see</em>\n<em> Who knows where it will lead us; and that\'s why they need us.</em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>So, bring on the rebels; the ripples from pebbles;</em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>the painters, and poets, and plays</em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>And here\'s to the fools who dream; crazy as they may seem</em>\n<em> Here\'s to the hearts that break; here\'s to the mess we make.”</em></p>\nSamuel Colt was by no means a perfect leader.   He broke his share of hearts and made his share of messes.  But, his contributions as an innovation leader were significant in giving us “new colors to see.”  His legacy is not just the pistols that bore his name, but rather the kind of influence on the evolution of American industry that has had a profound ripple effect for over 150 years.\n\n***\n\n<em>Image credit: Pixabay</em>', 'The Pistol Maker Who Saved American Industry', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-pistol-maker-who-saved-american-industry', '', '', '2017-08-18 06:00:55', '2017-08-18 10:00:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34185', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34193, 258, '2017-08-21 06:00:13', '2017-08-21 10:00:13', 'Seven years ago, I accepted a leadership position at my school and asked the Lead Change community if having a title would matter.  You can see the original post and discussion <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-transition-whats-in-a-name/\">here.</a>\n\nSeven years.  For seven years I have held the title of Math Department Chair and led a team of ten wonderfully talented and dedicated teachers.  We did so much good work together.  I learned so many skills I never knew I didn’t have.\n\nIn a few weeks, I will begin a position at a new school to spend more time with my family.  The new job does not include a titled leadership position.  I am willingly and happily reverting to being a full-time teacher and coach, but before I return to my roots, I thought I might share what I learned and attempt to answer my original question.\n\nA few thoughts on leadership that should probably be obvious, but now I know them to my core.\n\n<strong>Treat people as professionals.</strong>  Expect them to act accordingly, reprimand them privately if necessary, and praise them publicly and often when appropriate.  Act professionally yourself.\n\n<strong>People are more effective when they help to build the plan.</strong>  People must feel like their input and opinions matter.  When they do, they will move heaven and earth to make things work.   Plus, collaborative plans are usually better.\n\n<strong>Allow people to choose their own “hell.”</strong>  When you must ask people to do unpleasant or difficult things, they take it better and complete the work more effectively when they are given choices.\n\n<strong>There’s no easy way to tell people no.</strong>  If you are good at your job, you can get them to see things your way, but sometimes you fail to change minds, even when you know you are right.  Still say no.\n\n<strong>Passion for your work is important, but it can eat you alive.</strong>  Don’t lose sleep.  Learn to admit and accept failures. Then work hard to learn from them, fixing what you can and always improving.\n\n<strong>You can’t do everything you did in the past.</strong> Leadership teaches you to prioritize, delegate, and compromise.  This doesn’t make you happy, but you come to know it as truth.\n\n<strong>There is no job that is beneath you.</strong>  It is worth every second to spend some time doing the same difficult work everyone else must do.\n\n<strong>Make your expectations crystal clear.  </strong>Communicate often and in writing.\n\n<strong>Know your people.</strong>  Know their families and personal challenges.  Ask about their children.  Follow up on their requests.  Share their adventures.  Genuine compassion matters.\n\nAs for the question, does a title matter, it turns out it mostly mattered to me.  Being a titled leader gave me incredible opportunities to grow and learn.  It stretched my skills, broke my heart, and made me a better colleague.  I am better at communicating.  I am calmer in difficult situations and more willing to work outside the box to solve problems.  I appreciate the work of others more fully and better understand what is reasonable and fair to ask of others.\n\nWhat a title didn’t do is make me a better teacher.  I failed at balancing the work of being a department chair and being a teacher.  I have known for years that the compromises I made to be the department chair meant I spent less time on teaching.  That didn’t make me terrible.  It simply left me with the niggling truth that I could do better.\n\nAs I step into a new title-less position, my number one goal is to refocus my attention on the students in my classroom and giving my all to their needs.  I won’t miss the difficult meetings or the mountains of paperwork, but I will miss all the people at my school and the team I have grown to know and love.\n\nI used to think that a title would define me.  It turns out the work I did defined the title.\n\n***\n<h6>Image credit: planyourmeetings.com</h6>', 'Why Do You Care About Your Title?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'why-do-you-care-about-your-title', '', '', '2017-08-21 06:00:13', '2017-08-21 10:00:13', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34193', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(34203, 273, '2017-08-24 06:00:17', '2017-08-24 10:00:17', '<em>The following post is a preview excerpt from Chapter 3 of <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Mood-Elevator-Charge-Feelings-Become/dp/1523084618/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496869570&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=the+mood+elevator\">the Mood Elevator</a> by Dr. Larry Senn.</em>\n\nLearning to ride the Mood Elevator offers huge benefits for the individual, but it also offers major payoffs for organizations whose employees practice this skill. It’s no accident that many of Senn Delaney’s clients who teach their employees about the Mood Elevator have appeared on Fortune’s list of most admired companies, won J.D. Power awards for best customer service, and earned high rankings on the employee engagement scores measured by the Gallup polling organization.\n\nOne of the core beliefs that guides our culture-shaping work at Senn Delaney is that, in a fundamental sense, we don’t have to teach our clients anything; we just give them practical ways to reconnect with the best of who they already are. That happens naturally for people and organizations when they are up the Mood Elevator. When leaders and teams operate at their best, their innately healthy behaviors are enhanced, and organizations flourish.\n\nI’ve already noted that most people, as they grow up, gradually lose the natural mental and emotional health that characterizes many young children. Instead they learn thought habits that make them vulnerable to negative attitudes and behaviors like fear, defensiveness, and inauthenticity. Many of these learned habits show up as dysfunctions in the organizations they join. Win/lose political conflicts and lack of trust cause needless rifts and misunderstandings. Departments and individuals blame one another and engage in battles over power, prestige, and resources. As a result, organizations waste time, energy, and money struggling to overcome personal and cultural dysfunctions rather than focusing on productivity, creativity, and growth.\n\nWhen we perform the Senn Delaney cultural diagnostics with a new client company, the resulting Corporate Culture Profile often yields scores that indicate problem areas. One of the scores most often found in the red zone, indicating serious dysfunction, is employees’ not feeling valued and appreciated. That is not surprising. These days most organizations operate at a faster pace than ever before—often dismissing the human dimension. But that’s a recipe for trouble because it leads to a lack of employee engagement and a poor customer experience.\n\nFortunately, we are able to use the concepts in this book to consistently move our clients out of the red zone and toward a healthy, high-performing culture with more positive energy and spirit. It is empowering for our clients to learn that they can return to the productive forms of thinking, feeling, and behaving that elude them when they are down the Mood Elevator—and that they can be highly productive and have employees and customers who feel valued and appreciated. Our clients learn that healthy organizational behaviors are only a thought away—and they learn how to access them.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Larry-Senn-headshot.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-34205 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Larry-Senn-headshot-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"124\" height=\"124\" /></a>Dr. Larry Senn is the founder of Senn Delaney, the culture shaping unit of Heidrick &amp; Struggles and author of his new book, the Mood Elevator, which you can purchase <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Mood-Elevator-Charge-Feelings-Become/dp/1523084618/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496869570&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=the+mood+elevator\">here</a>. If you would like to learn more about Larry and his work, you can visit his website <a href=\"https://themoodelevator.com/about/\">here.</a>', 'Preview Thursday: the Mood Elevator by Dr. Larry Senn', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-the-mood-elevator-by-dr-larry-senn', '', '', '2017-08-24 06:00:17', '2017-08-24 10:00:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34203', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34210, 399, '2017-08-25 06:00:51', '2017-08-25 10:00:51', 'This month in the Jewish calendar is the month of Elul, the last month of the year. The days of Elul lead up to the new year (Rosh Hashana), which in the Jewish calendar is a time of celebration, but also one of serious reflection and accounting for one’s actions.\n\nThis Elul, I and countless others across the globe are taking upon ourselves different challenges that are designed to push us to grow, to overcome negative habits, and to nurture positive ones.\n\nI like to call it my 1-month self-development boot camp, and encourage every leader to engage in such a process at least once a year. Here’s the breakdown:\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Pick one small area you would like to work on abstaining from, and commit to it for the next 30 days.</strong> This should be a very, very small goal—one that you can accomplish. If the goal is too big, it will become overwhelming and you are likely to slip up. For example, a friend related that her goal for the month was to stop sending smiley faces in her emails to clients and co-workers. She felt they were juvenile and gave the wrong impression, but always seemed to default to them anyway. Another friend mentioned that she was going to commit to stop rolling her eyes at her employees from 9-10AM for the next month. She did not say “I am never going to do this,” but rather gave herself a realistic but challenging goal that she did accomplish (and in time, was able to completely stop this negative habit).</li>\n</ol>\nStarting with something small allows you to taste success, to get used to avoiding the negative behavior, and to move forward with confidence that you can overcome any negative tendencies.\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li><strong>Do a personal accounting of your actions every day. </strong>Get a journal or even a Word document on your computer, and spend five minutes at the end of each day writing down what you did, how you feel about those actions, and what you would like to improve tomorrow. For example: You may have woken up 15 minutes early for a stretching routine and tea before your kids get up—amazing! Write about how this made you feel, and commit to doing this again if it served you well. You may also have snapped at your co-worker who made a huge mistake that cost you a lot of time. Write about how you would like to respond the next time something like that happens.</li>\n</ol>\nPersonal accounting can be a bit uncomfortable at first, but is perhaps the most valuable tool in identifying behavior patterns and changing them, as well as recognizing and celebrating all the positive things you do. I would also encourage you to read the previous day’s accounting each day to set the context.\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li><strong>At the end of your month, pick three focus areas for the next year. </strong>After 30 days of working on rectifying a negative habit and journaling about your self-development journey, you will have a much clearer idea of what you truly need to and wish to focus on. Take some time to reflect on your effort to abstain from a negative habit: were you successful? How did that success make you feel? Do you feel more empowered to chip away at other negative habits? Then, read through your journal. You will start to see patterns that pop up, often related to the struggles you experience with #1 in this process. Based on your findings, determine what three areas need your most focus in the coming year. They could be in different categories, such as spiritual, physical, and professional. Or perhaps they are relational, professional, and professional. The point is that these three areas represent the areas in which you want, and need, to grow. Pick words or short phrases to represent these areas. Write them on your bathroom mirror. Put a notification in your cell phone. Whatever you need to do to keep these words in plain sight; do it.</li>\n</ol>\nWhen your 1-month self-development boot camp is over, you should have a lot more clarity about what exactly you need to focus on to grow as a leader, and as a human being. You will know, with certainty, that any extra time or energy beyond your regular responsibilities should be devoted to working on those three areas that you identified through your boot camp process.\n\nAccounting for one’s actions and taking initiative to grow is not an easy process, but it is perhaps the only way to truly grow and to reach your potential, which is far, far greater than what you perceive.', 'The 1-Month Self Development Boot Camp', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '1-month-self-development-boot-camp', '', '', '2017-08-25 06:00:51', '2017-08-25 10:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34210', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34216, 472, '2017-08-26 04:53:34', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'Think contribution if you don\'t want to die in frustration.\nThink contribution if you wants to make real mark in life.\nLiving for survival makes a slave,live for others become leaders.\nthink contribution so you don\'t die in frustration.\nThink contribution,your generation will rise tomorrow to bless you.\npeople don\'t lack what they give;they only lack what they keep.\nYou will never be remembered for what you have,you will only be remembered for what you add to life.', 'THINK CONTRIBUTION,THINK SOLUTION', '', 'pending', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-08-26 04:53:34', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34216', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34218, 472, '2017-08-26 04:58:36', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'Leadership is not a state but in practice.\n\nIt is not a status but what we do.\n\nIt is not an art to describe but an act to demonstrate.\n\nLeadership is identified with the emblem of excellence.\n\nDaniel took the lead among the appointees of the king in Babylon\n\nbecause of an excellent spirit that was in him.\n\nThat spirit usually moves people to the top. Dan.6:1-3\n\nBut excellence is born out of improvement.\n\nWe excel as we improve.\n\nWhen we are tired of improvement, then we are done with excellence.\n\nAs it were, seeking improvement is striving for excellence', 'THE PRACTICE OF LEADERSHIP', '', 'pending', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-08-26 04:58:36', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34218', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34220, 472, '2017-08-26 05:15:49', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'Leaders don’t publicize themselves, the problem they solve is what publises them.\n\nTo solve problems mind your attitude towards obstacle.\n\nLeaders don’t get scared of obstacles but excited about them.\n\nStop thinking obstacles.\n\nStop observing and analyzing obstacles.\n\nStop talking obstacles.\n\nThinking and talking obstacles will enlarge them.\n\nConfront obstacles.\n\nScare obstacles that seeks to scare you.\n\nJoshua and Caleb emerged as leaders among the 12 as a result of their attitude to obstacles.\n\nAs they talked about their God given ability they subdued the obstacles on their way to the promised land', 'LEADERSHIP AND PROBLEM SOLVING', '', 'pending', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-08-26 05:15:49', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34220', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34222, 482, '2017-08-28 06:00:01', '2017-08-28 06:00:01', 'A few weeks back, Steve Scaramucci lost his position as White House Communications Director in part because he was unable to keep a foul mouth in check in a <a href=\"http://www.newyorker.com/news/ryan-lizza/anthony-scaramucci-called-me-to-unload-about-white-house-leakers-reince-priebus-and-steve-bannon\">New Yorker </a>magazine interview. More importantly, Scaramucci and his abrasive demeanor did not cohere with Chief of Staff, General John Kelly.\n\nBut wait. A man with over 45 years of military experience surely would not be offended by salty language, would he? To steal an old recruitment slogan, Kelly hears more cursing before 9am than most people do all day. Following his nomination to Chief of Staff, a former colleague of Kelly’s told NPR that the general is, of course, no stranger to course talk. So how can a man criticize profanity when his own utterances of \"mother\" are rarely a reference to his mom?\n\nIf an old Marine won’t stand for it, where does obscene language fit in the business workplace, if at all?\n\nCursing is commonplace in my line of work, though I keep my own filthy outbursts scarce. Despite this, profanity is in no way offensive to me. There\'s not a word that shocks me, and I would sooner get upset over a label of \"lazy\" or \"inconsiderate\", as these carry more thought and meaning than any common vulgarities. When the F Word is evenly applied to dogs, drivers, expired yogurt, or NFL referees, it lacks umph. I get it, though. You are angry.\n\nWhile not disturbed, I take mental note. I get it. You are angry. Also, you are impulsive. You may lack the restraint necessary for other tasks as well. You might be undisciplined, and you appear inelegant with the English language.\n\nAnd while some aren’t beleaguered by this language, we can\'t be certain that others aren\'t. I have winced at profanity in the office, not because it bothers me but because it does not fit the context. I have told my share of dirty jokes, though none at a funeral...that I can recall. If there is a place for profanity at work, know that place. Are you in the conference room or break room? If there is an audience for profanity, know your audience.\n\n<strong>Some negatives of profanity</strong>:\n\nUsing profanity at work can demonstrate a lack of discipline. I am always amazed when people swear in front of children, usually adding an \"oops\" and covering their mouths. It is foolish to ruin a reputation of hard work by showing you cannot control your tongue. If it makes me question whether someone can manage themselves it can certainly raise the same doubts to a boss or client.\n\nUsing profanity at work can demonstrate a lack of respect. Not to mention possible EEO or HR issues, using foul language around a coworker can be like packing a PBJ everyday when you know he has a peanut allergy. It can cause distress and alienate workmates. Minding your tongue can be a difficult process. An entire Bible chapter is dedicated to this, saying that \"all kinds of animals are tamed...but no one can tame the tongue.\" (James 3:7-8) But the alternative to the discipline of watching our words might be harming relationships or impeding otherwise useful work collaboration.\n\n<strong>Some positives of profanity</strong>:\n\nProfanity in the workplace can demonstrate authenticity. Sprinkled in conversation, colleagues can see that you are honest and just like them. It may allow you to <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI3Y1auTFpU\">bond</a> and be accepted by the group. Face it, the Puritan who eats dry toast at their desk while the group laughs it up in the lunch room isn\'t really part of the team. And we have all had that \"Whoa, Jerry!\" moment when the normally stoic partner tosses out a filthy joke. And doesn\'t that help to connect?\n\nProfanity in the workplace can motivate. If you are conservative with your language, a well-placed F Bomb can stir the crowd. Need to emphasize a point? An unexpected profanity can grab attention. Keep in mind that if every conversation includes George Carlin\'s Seven Words, the shock factor is <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyBH5oNQOS0\">lost.</a>\n\nAs a side story, my mother absolutely could not handle any form of profanity, whatsoever. The F word in our house was fart, and we were not allowed to use it. Mom once gave me her VHS copy of Apollo 13 because she \"couldn\'t handle the language.\" The best gift she ever received from me was the V Chip, which worked off of the Closed Captioning to audit out bad words. My father would laugh, because on the extreme mode an actor would talk about smoking a cigarette *bottom* after the great *hugs* he had the night <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-chip\">before.</a>\n\nIn mom\'s opinion, it would be best to have a V Chip in the workplace as well.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<em>Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</em>\n\n&nbsp;', 'I Swear!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'i-swear-foul-language', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:49:28', '2017-10-16 14:49:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34222', 0, 'post', '', 2);
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(34229, 473, '2017-09-05 06:00:34', '2017-09-05 10:00:34', '<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Welcome to the September 2017 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!</h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">This month, we are mixing things up! Below you will see we broke up the submissions based on their similar themes. The themes for this month in the order they appear include:</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Productivity\nDevelopment\nCompany Culture\nInspiration/Creativity\nNew Leadership\nEngagement</p>\n\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong> Let\'s get started!</strong></h6>\n<h4>Productivity</h4>\n<strong>Cy Wakeman</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reality-Based Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"https://journal.thriveglobal.com/three-habits-that-zap-your-productivity-at-work-e38081e2ac7c?inf_contact_key=8f47f081a18efe6aa0f4f144fdcb75a22d9a5606ed0904e75717d84421fff5ed\">Three Habits that Zap your Productivity at Work.</a> Cy writes, \"Cy reveals a new line of thinking that is counterintuitive to conventional leadership wisdom, and one that is tested with clients to generate better results. Leaders’ jobs aren’t to motivate and inspire and engage their employees, leaders’ jobs are to teach people better mental processes by which they can eliminate drama (emotional waste), upcycle that energy and that time, and help others step into the power they already have to create a better workplace.\" Find Cy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/cywakeman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@cywakeman</a>.\n\n<strong>Beth Beutler</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.O.P.E. Unlimited</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/one-key-tip-working-well-virtual-assistant/\">One Key Tip for Working Well with Your Virtual Assistant.</a> Beth asks, \"Beth Beutler gives some basic advice about how to get started well with your new virtual assistant (or in-house assistant, for that matter.)\" Find Beth on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bethbeutler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bethbeutler</a>.\n\n<strong>Lisa Kohn </strong>of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chatsworth Consulting</a> submitted <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2017/08/08/four-key-steps-to-being-and-getting-more-done-2/\">Four Key Steps to Being, and Getting More Done.</a> In this post, Lisa shares four simple ways to spend at least as much time being so we’re better equipped to do more, and more effectively. Discover Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtfulldrs</a>.\n<h4>Development</h4>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"https://seapointcenter.com/coaching-and-delegating/\">the Space Between Coaching and Delegating. </a>Jesse summarizes, \"When managers act like coaches, everyone benefits. But there comes a time when a shift in the coaching relationship needs to occur – where you let go of actively advising them, and they take the lead. It’s what I call the bicycle moment.\" Find Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jesselynstoner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jesselynstoner</a>.\n\n<strong>Anne Perschel</strong> of <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germane Coaching and Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/developing-team-norms-why-it-doesnt-work/\">Developing Team Norms, Why it Doesn\'t Work and what to Do Instead</a>. Anne writes, \"Developing team norms is among the most effective ways to improve your team’s effectiveness. It’s great advice, backed by <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-principles-creating-psychologically-safe-ego-free-team-perschel?trk=pulse_spock-articles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-principles-creating-psychologically-safe-ego-free-team-perschel?trk%3Dpulse_spock-articles&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1504190842687000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEOeXRJzLvtcuJJ2Rd8bVc79fYNqA\">research</a>…at Google. But it’s not working for your team. What’s the problem?\" Find Anne on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bizshrink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bizshrink</a>.\n\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Great Leadership</a> provided a guest post by <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2017/08/effective-leadership-is-just-seven.html\">Michael Bungay Stanier</a>. Dan recaps, \"This guest post from Michael Bungay Stanier provides seven questions that will help busy managers stay curious and lift their leadership game\" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@greatleadership.</a>\n<h4>Company Culture</h4>\n<strong>Jim Taggart </strong>of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Changing Winds</a> provided <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2017/08/13/leading-in-a-post-heroic-world-do-you-have-what-it-takes/\">Leading in a Post-Heroic World: Do You Have What it Takes?</a> In the post, Jim<b> </b>explains, \"Post-heroic leaders are completely engaged with their followers. This form of leadership is more difficult because it’s more dynamic and requires courage by the manager. However, it offers organizations much greater ability to navigate change.\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@72keys</a>.\n\n<strong>Dana Theus</strong> of <a href=\"http://inpowercoaching.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InPower Coaching</a> contributed <a href=\"https://inpowercoaching.com/dear-dana-workplace-advice-3-ways-male-executive-can-help-create-less-biased-corporate-culture/\">3 Ways Male Execs Can Help Create Less Biased Corporate Culture. </a>Dana writes, \"Demonstrate to your peers and direct reports what it looks like to lead and achieve results without resorting to the kinds of bullying and disrespectful behavior the current culture permits.\" Find Dana on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/DanaTheus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@DanaTheus</a>.\n\n<strong>Marcella Bremer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership and Change Magazine</a> provided<a href=\"https://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/compassion-at-work\"> Compassion at Work</a>. Marcella recaps, \"Because of its role in enhancing collective capabilities like innovation, service quality, collaboration, and adaptability, compassion matters for competitive advantage. There\'s a business case for caring and compassion. Compassion is the quiet power that elevates people and organizations as Jane Dutton and Monica Worline show in their book Compassion at Work. In what kind of workplace do you work...?\" Find Marcella on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@marcellabremer</a>.\n\n<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shelley Row</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/three-steps-stop-storytelling-head/\">Three Steps to Stop Telling the Story in Your Head</a>. In the post, Shelley shares, \"Do you ever create a story in your head, even if based on slim information that often turns out to be untrue? Shelley Row gives us some tips about how to take control of that storytelling.\"<strong> </strong>Find Shelley on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/shelleyrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@shelleyrow</a>.\n\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/culture-leadership-charge-going-through-the-motions/\">Culture Leadership Charge - Going Through the Motions.</a> Chris recaps, \"Some words of help for the times your enthusiasm goes through ebbs and flows.\"  Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@scedmonds</a>.\n\n<strong>Mary Ila Ward </strong>of <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Horizon Point Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/is-the-role-of-the-millennial-male-changing-the-way-they-lead-at-work/\">Is the Role of the Millennial Male Changing the Way they Lead at Work?</a> Mary Ila explores the idea that \"an increasing role for men in caregiving in the home leads them to be more caring leaders at work.\" Find Mary Ila on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/maryilaward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@maryilaward</a>.\n<h4>Inspiration/Creativity</h4>\n<strong>Julie Winkle-Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julie Winkle-Giulioni</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/leadership-matters/whats-your-story-leadership-and-storytelling/\">What\'s Your Story? Leadership and Storytelling.</a> Julie recaps, \"Storytelling — once the stuff of childhood nighttime rituals — has grown up and is quickly becoming a go-to tool in the very adult world of business. Effective leaders hone this tool to optimize communication, memory, engagement and results. \" Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@julie_wg</a>.\n\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading With Trust</a> shared <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2017/08/07/3-actions-favorite-boss/\">The 3 Actions Will Make You Everyone’s Favorite Boss.</a> Randy writes, \"Being a good manager isn’t easy. There are dozens of issues that compete for your time and attention and some days it feels as though you aren’t up for the task. Don’t worry, says Randy Conley, all managers feel that way at times. In his post “These 3 Actions Will Make You Everyone’s Favorite Boss,” Randy shares three key actions managers can take that will result in them performing at the top of their game and making them a boss that everyone loves.\" Find Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@randyconley</a>.\n\n<strong>Jon Mertz </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thin Difference</a> submitted <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2017/08/ditch-the-napkin-superficial-versus-inspirational/\">Ditch the Napkin: Superficial Versus Inspirational.</a>  Jon shares, \"Inspiration has gotten a bad rap because too many of our attempts to inspire are superficial. True inspiration is more than just a few nice words. To truly inspire, our words must be backed up by action.\" Discover Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thindifference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thindifference</a>.\n\n<strong>Neal Burgis</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2017/08/24/business-leaders-need-to-be-more-creative/\">Business Leaders Need to Be More Creative.</a> Neal recaps, \"Leaders building creative teams as you learn to increase your knowledge to be more creative. Learning to be more creative allows you greater understanding of creativity and the processes and progress your employees create and produce. \" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<h4>New Leadership</h4>\n<strong>Art Petty</strong> of <a href=\"https://artpetty.com/\">Art Petty</a> submitted <a href=\"https://artpetty.com/2017/08/20/managers-as-leaders/\">The Good Hard Work of Developing Managers Who Lead</a>. Art writes, \"Enough with the false dichotomy between managers and leaders. Our priority must be to teach, coach, and inspire our managers to lead from day one. While those on the front-line live closer to the work of the organization, leadership behaviors are every bit as essential (maybe more so) for success as they are for those operating higher up the organization chart.\" Find Art on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/artpetty\">@artpetty</a>.\n\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Career Advancement Blog</a> submitted <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/good-leader-qualities\">As a Leader, Be so Good They Can\'t Ignore You</a>. Joel shares: \"Being an effective leader means being visible to your superiors and staff. Sometimes good leaders are overlooked, but here\'s how to change that!\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n<h4>Engagement</h4>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Random Acts of Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/how-to-listen-in-an-age-of-internal-distractions/\">How to Listen in an Age of Internal Distractions.</a> Susan explains, \"When someone\'s speaking, you aren\'t just listening to them - you\'re also listening to the conversation in your own mind. Unfortunately, the harder you try to stop your internal chatter, the more boisterous it tends to get. These 5 strategies can help.\" Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@susanmazza</a>.\n\n<strong>David Grossman </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grossman Group</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/54207/i-am-your-employee-employee-wants-and-needs-to-drive-engagement\">I Am Your Employee: Employee Wants and Needs to Drive Engagement.</a> David writes, “Employees come to work for different reasons, have different goals, and are motivated by different things. How well do you know your employees? If employees could collectively tell you what they want and need, this is what they might say…” Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtpartner</a>.\n\n<strong>Karin Hurt</strong> of  <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> contributed <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/3-simple-secrets-to-running-a-remarkable-meeting/\">Three Simple Secrets to Running a Remarkable Meeting.</a> Everyone hates bad meetings. They are far too common.  <span class=\"il\">Karin</span> <span class=\"il\">Hurt</span> gives three simple secrets to make meetings far more valuable. Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/letsgrowleaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@letsgrowleaders</a>.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<em>Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival! If you would like to be on the distribution list for submission calls, please contact Ellen Snyder (ellen@weavinginfluence.com)!</em>', 'September 2017 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'september-2017-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2017-09-05 06:00:34', '2017-09-05 10:00:34', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34229', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34262, 273, '2017-09-01 06:00:30', '2017-09-01 10:00:30', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to customer loyalty, everything has changed. Customers have more access to information than ever before, and they can make very informed choices. If you\'re looking to be a better leader in the face of these changes, then you\'re in the right place. Here\'s what you can do to be a better leader and gain your customers\' loyalty....</span>\n<ol>\n 	<li><b> Understand the Changes</b></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first thing you need to do is understand what has changed in customer loyalty. Thanks to the internet, it\'s no longer a given that a customer will stay with you for life. They\'re always looking for a better deal, as the internet has made it easier for them to research any purchase they make. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because loyalty is so closely connected to emotions, you\'re going to need to understand how to connect with your customers on this emotional level. It\'s a new way of marketing, and as a leader you\'ll have to be able to bring your team on board with this.</span>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li><b> Start Creating more Personalized Experiences</b></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We really are in the \'age of the customer\' right now. You\'re not going to get anywhere if you keep marketing in the same way you always have done. That means you\'re going to have to create highly personalized experiences for every customer you get. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work with your team to really segment down your customer base. Who\'s shopping with you, and what do they want from you as a company? You\'ll need to do the research using your existing data, and work out where to go  from there.</span>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li><b> Improve Communication</b></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\'ll need to improve your communication with both your team and your customers. This needs to go both ways, too. You\'ll need to be able to take on board what they want from you, and start implementing the changes they need.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To start making these changes, make sure of some of the tools out there that can help you:</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://resumention.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resumention</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This tool helps you create new resumes when needed, tailored to the job you need.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://www.emailexcellence.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email Excellence</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This site offers courses in writing good emails and templates for when you need some structure. </span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://easywordcount.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easy Word Count</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Use this tool to keep your messages short and to the point.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://ukwritings.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK Writings</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This service can help edit communications if needed.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://enloop.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enloop</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Create new business plans that you can work on with your entire team.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://essayroo.com/assignment-help-australia\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essayroo</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This copywriting service can give you good content and communications when you need them.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https://boomessays.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boom Essays</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This service will give you access to good proofreaders to check your writing.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://citeitin.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cite It In</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Use this tool to cite any sources you use in text.</span></li>\n</ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li><b> Respect Everybody\'s Time</b></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff and customers alike have overflowing inboxes, and they\'re selective about what emails they\'ll actually open. You need to show that you respect their time, by getting to the point right away. You need to get their attention right away, as if you don\'t they\'ll click away, or hit delete, before you know it.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to do this is to put your main point in your first sentence of any communication. This shows the reader exactly what you\'re trying to say to them, and help them make a decision as to what to do. </span>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n 	<li><b> Add Value for Customers</b></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, you need to create a \'customer centric\' approach for your business. That means that you should give them a voice, and help them get involved in what your company offers.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a big shift, and it will be hard for some of your team to adjust. Your role here is to help them see the advantages of such a model, and what it can do for you.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As well as this, you\'ll need to create channels where your customers can get in touh with you. Social media is a great place for this, so set up those accounts and make sure you\'re monitoring them. The more you interact with your audience, the better your conversion will be.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see, the new customer model will make a lot of changes to your company. If you follow these tips and work with your team, though, you\'ll find that it\'s easy to adapt to the new model.</span>\n\n***\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gloria.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-34263 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gloria.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" /></a>\n\n<em>Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and a content writer at <a href=\"https://academized.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://academized.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1504320036511000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEdrg2RH2DcSxdzOCUfxG477z_6Uw\">Academized</a>. Shes is a contributing author HuffingtonPost, Template Monster, <a href=\"https://australianhelp.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://australianhelp.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1504320036511000&amp;usg=AFQjCNErie0nU3GBgm8omK6xj9pv7Svr4w\">Australian Help</a>, etc. Besides, Gloria writes <a href=\"http://studydemic.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://studydemic.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1504320036511000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGBXOz24McvkF-zXMQ6QNQCFh1UKw\">Studydemic</a> blog where she shares her experience with students and educators.</em>', '5 Ways to Be a Leader in the New Face of Customer Loyalty', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-ways-leader-new-face-customer-loyalty', '', '', '2017-09-01 06:00:30', '2017-09-01 10:00:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34262', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34268, 343, '2017-09-04 21:14:22', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'During any given period of our careers and lives we can find ourselves overwhelmed with the intensity of leadership and life in general.\n\nWe oeprate in a world awash in information that is ready to consume us with overloaded, and many times incorrect, information\n\nDoing more with less resources places us in stressful situations where', 'Stop, Drop And Roll Your Way To Effective Leadership', '', 'draft', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-09-04 21:14:22', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34268', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34270, 390, '2017-09-04 06:00:12', '2017-09-04 10:00:12', 'In the early 1980s, before food processors from many manufacturers became as common on countertops as they are today, the Cuisinart brand dominated.  For a time, even, the brand reached that promised land (occupied by Kleenex and Band-Aid and Q-Tips) where a brand name is, in the mind of the consumer, synonymous with the product itself.  When someone referred to “a Cuisinart,’ you knew what he meant.\n\nAs the category expanded with the arrival of copycat others, a feature-set emerged by which consumers came to differentiate these machines: What’s the motor horsepower and how many speeds can you select? What’s the bowl capacity? Is there a “pulse” button? How many blades do I get?  And on and on.   Certainly, the purchase of a food processor is a feature-driven purchase.  And yet, leafing through a <em>Gourmet</em> magazine from 1983 (perusing these old periodicals being a hobby of mine), I came across a Cuisinart ad with this line:\n\n“We want you to always be happy you bought a Cuisinart.” They explained how they would walk-the-walk with a detailed description of their happiness squad: what kinds of questions they would answer (any kind!), how and when to reach them &amp; etc.\n\nThat wouldn’t make it very far as a modern ‘value proposition’.  Today we’d be looking for something more like “cuts kitchen prep time by 30%.”   “Offers 5 times the slice-thickness options of other machines.”   Cuisinart, though (at least in this ad) wants me to <em>always be happy</em>.  So simple and so incredibly powerful: what puts a potential customer more at ease than an assurance the vendor is really-and-truly dedicated to his happiness?\n\nMaybe we’re more cynical now.  Maybe back in those optimistic Reagan years we were still <em>ready to believe</em>.  Maybe now we look for a more tangible assurance like the “money back if not completely satisfied” guarantee (and what a cold, sad, crass replacement this is for the happiness promise: if our widget is defective, send it back to us and we’ll send you money).\n\nDoes it have to be that way?  Could a company in this ‘woke’ age pass the smell test with an assurance of dedication to a customer’s happiness?   The core of it is that you’re not just buying a widget, you’re buying <em>us</em> and from now on we take your satisfaction as our obligation.   This kind of pitch can still be found- sort of- in the financial services business, where ads unfailingly depict frank conversations between investors and their longtime Trusted Advisors (no promise of happiness, but at least an insinuation of we’ve-got-your-back).\n\nSome others come close: Celebrity Cruise Line depicted just-disembarked guests who raved that their every preference was seen to by the ship’s crew.   But cruising is a service-touch-points business, and Celebrity’s promise was merely a more human version of “5 times the slice-thickness options.”   Perhaps the closest I’ve recently seen is Hilton Hotels’ “Making you happy makes us happy.”   But this, while perhaps appealing to our culture’s current obsession with egalitarianism, turns the whole thing into a mutual-aid pact.  “We’ll make you happy whether it makes us happy or not,” I suggest, would telegraph a deeper dedication to guest satisfaction.\n\nPossibly companies are afraid of the happiness pledge- too many unknowns, too much potential cost to fulfil it.  But Cuisinart never promised they would spare no expense to make its customers happy;  they said they would employ a finite group of people to attend to it.   I suggest, in these rancorous, jaded times when everything seems to have been reduced to commodity status, that consumers are more than ready to hear assurances of good ol’ felicity.  Providers of all kinds of products and services should again embrace the happiness pledge.\n\nI’ll assume your widget will work as intended (under the law, this is referred to as “the implied warranty of merchantability”).  What will really attract me to you is my belief (because you stated it earnestly, and perhaps told me how you plan to do it) that you want me to be happy- whatever it is- that I bought it.\n\n***\n\nPhoto Copyright: &lt;a href=\'https://www.123rf.com/profile_dskdesign\'&gt;dskdesign / 123RF Stock Photo&lt;/a&gt;\n\n&nbsp;', '(Your) Pursuit of (My) Happiness', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'your-pursuit-of-my-happiness', '', '', '2017-09-04 06:00:12', '2017-09-04 10:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34270', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34281, 482, '2017-09-06 06:00:48', '2017-09-06 06:00:48', '<div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">A few months back, my wife and I were exposed to the type of trauma that no one wants to endure. As with new hurts, pain continues fresh each day. Though not as heinous as day one or week two, mornings bring a struggle which often carry through to interrupted nights; even to the question of what tonight might bring with hard thoughts and difficulty resting.</span></p>\n\n</div>\n</div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">As a Christian man, I turn to prayer and the power (if not wisdom) of Scripture and seek comfort from Jesus, who has been called \"The Suffering Savior\". In my years of church teaching, I heard that because Jesus has been through misery He can sympathize with us. As a human, however, it is not so simple to rely on an unseen source of strength. Curiously, I probably received the best encouragement in this from a different Jew than Jesus - Dan Ariely.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">As a teen, Ariely caught the blast of a magnesium flare, resulting in burns over 70% of his body. Years of surgeries and dreadful therapy are detailed in his books, including <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Decisions/dp/0061353248/ref=sr_1_1/133-9175032-6544257?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1504705221&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=predictably+irrational+dan+ariely\">Predictably Irrational.</a> While Ariely typically writes of the behavioral aspects of economics, I was struck by how he applied his pain to our <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Irrationality-Unexpected-Benefits-Defying/dp/0061995045/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1504705261&amp;sr=8-1-spell&amp;keywords=upside+of+irrationaly+dan+ariely\">purchasing tendencies.</a> Ariely wrote about adaptation, pointing out that humans are unaware of our own elastic nature. In the same way that we get tired of a new car or children set aside presents the day after Christmas, we are also able in time to swim in the current of trauma. In the first moments of pain, we cannot imagine what normalization lies beyond. The person who loses sight or limb believes this to be the end of life, but eventually forges a new existence, albeit changed. Laughing, loving, and joy will certainly follow, though these may be impossible to perceive in the initial days of injury. Ariely also wrote of \"the unpredictability of not knowing when the pain will start or ease off; or to the benefits of being comforted with the possibility that the pain would be reduced over time.\"</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><em><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">In other words, anguish intensifies when its end is beyond sight. Strength is at hand if we could only know the timetable for relief.</span></em></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">I know this well, and have preached it to others; the heartache is different in a year, the loss is lessened and perhaps a faint memory over time. I have advised friends that, though the sorrow is great now, they ought to think on an inevitable time when it has waned. When my mother died years ago, I had already mourned her presence due to the disease and drugs which made her little more than a living body. I think fondly of her many years later, and life continues without the intense sorrow. But with a new tragedy comes forgetfulness and a feeling that \"this is different\". Somehow I have lost the lesson.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">In the midst of affliction, work product diminishes as focus can become foggy. Having listened to soldiers returning from combat, I can vaguely identify with the feeling that one\'s daily routine is meaningless when previously witnessing life-and-death occurrences. They may ask, \"How can my boss expect me to produce when I have watched friends die not long ago?\" Business reports pale next to ultimate matters. My circumstances are not the same, but express themselves on a lesser plane.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">Real life often interrupts work life. Performance-based fields can be uncaring, so when deadlines are missed no one should expect a compassionate ear for personal reasons why. A friend once asked my opinion on moving to a part time schedule to care for her children. My honest response was that a part time collaborator ceases to be considered one of the full time team. While sympathizing with her plight, I saw a bottom line industry that places value on contribution regardless of obstacles.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907Apple-converted-space\"> </span><strong>When personal struggles invade the workplace:</strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\"><em>Work with fallible people.</em> As it is possible, seek out management and work atmospheres that recognize you as human. I have heard many authority figures say that family comes first, and I have relished the few who mean it. Beware the singularly-minded, driven alpha boss who demands a physically impossible 110% or a cut-throat atmosphere that will never allow for the frailty of humans.</span></p>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\"><em>Put goodwill in your bank.</em> Establish a reputation as a solid, devoted worker so that you can draw on this reservoir when hardships come. The dependable employee is more likely to be excused during calamity than the unreliable. Whether the Boy Who Cried Wolf or the Boy Who Called In Sick All The Time, if not dedicated when required we will be drawing on an empty account during real personal adversity.</span></p>\n\n</div>\n</div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907p2\"><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\"><em>Focus on the future.</em> There will be a day when the pain ends, the fog lifts, and the wounds heal. Just as exercise tears muscle to build it stronger, calamity will strengthen your soul. Ariely writes, \"Resilience is often considered a process that occurs </span><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s2\">in spite of</span><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\"> adversity, but we might want to instead think of it as a phenomenon that appears </span><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s2\">because </span><span class=\"m_-7586691766730896524m_5957998689774963907s1\">of adversity.  Indeed, we can become even more physically and mentally capable as a result of our misfortunes.\"</span></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<em>Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</em>\n\n</div>\n</div>', 'Elastic Man', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'elastic-man-performance', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:49:17', '2017-10-16 14:49:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34281', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34286, 251, '2017-09-11 06:00:08', '2017-09-11 10:00:08', 'Given that our state was in the path of totality for the August 2017 solar eclipse, people in our neighborhood gathered to watch. The closer we were to the time of totality, the larger the crowd became.\n\nWithin five minutes of the awe-inspiring ninety seconds of darkness and coolness, the crowd had largely dispersed.\n\nThe lost interest and crowd thinning-out triggered thoughts in my mind of how we tend to think about many things, including leadership, mostly in terms of their headline-making moments.\n\nFor leadership, it normally includes ongoing and sometimes mundane behind-the-scenes responsibilities. Relationships are easy to discount, as is neglecting the reality that how we handle its enduring shadows and low lights often shapes our fleeting moments in the spotlight.\n\nBeing a leader is a forever kind of thing. It’s not a role to be slipped in and out of when it’s convenient to do. If we want to be described as an effective leader, our vision and guidance have to shine continually in lights both bright and muted.\n<h4>11 ways to be a leader who shines</h4>\nA leader who shines continually:\n<ul>\n 	<li>knows that leadership is more than dominance, authority, status, and being in the limelight. Thoughtful and effective leaders dance the complicated leadership dance of results and relationships.</li>\n 	<li>urges people to heed their better angels in finding meaning and purpose in their work that extends beyond status and money.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good. ~Minor Myers</blockquote>\n<ul>\n 	<li>leads from values and beliefs, not behaviors, in serving the greater good as well as immediate business and personnel needs.</li>\n 	<li>is consistent, responsible, and responsive in times of calm or times of chaos.</li>\n 	<li>values service, not status, and stays in touch with employees at all levels of the organization.</li>\n 	<li>balances independence and interdependence. Alternates between “we” and “me” standpoints. Also tells the truth no matter how uncomfortable it is and does so with grace.</li>\n 	<li>is comfortable leading from the front as well as from behind, understanding that the ability to flex to the situation is strength, not weakness.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>A leader…is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, and realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. ~Nelson Mandela</blockquote>\n<ul>\n 	<li>encourages diversity of thought, opinion, perspective, and experience. (My grandfather used to say that if someone thought exactly like he did, he didn’t need them on this team. He wanted people who brought new ideas and different outlooks. The older I get, the more I appreciate how fortunate I was to have this influence early in my life.)</li>\n 	<li>stops stereotypes in their tracks and manages bias to mitigate its harmful impacts.</li>\n 	<li>acknowledges the need to occasionally deal with the superficial and its optics while never losing sight of the depth of issues.</li>\n 	<li>knows when to think first and talk later. Knows as well the value of sometimes not talking at all, choosing to listen instead.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. ~Harper Lee</blockquote>\nI’m glad I watched the eclipse from the beginning until almost the end (when the clouds rolled in and blocked the view). What a great reminder it was of the majesty of the whole process that quietly goes on behind so many actions we take for granted.\n\n***\n\nImage credit: Pixabay', 'A leader’s job is never done', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leaders-job-never-done', '', '', '2017-09-11 06:00:08', '2017-09-11 10:00:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34286', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34290, 483, '2017-09-07 06:00:17', '2017-09-07 06:00:17', '<em>The following post is a preview excerpt from the Introduction of the <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/New-Leadership-Literacies-Disruption-Distributed/dp/1626569614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1504751087&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=new+leadership+literacies\">New Leadership Literacies</a> by Bob Johansen.</em>\n\nIn simpler times, perhaps action orientation was enough to make a great leader. Perhaps the future was more clear back then, the insights more obvious. But the next decade will be extremely complex, messy, and threatening. Leaders will need to combine the practices of foresight, insight, and action. Even thousands of hours of practice in the present won’t be enough for this future world. Leaders will need to develop new literacies in new ways for a new future.\n\nFuture leaders will be facing a <strong>VUCA</strong> World: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. I learned this term at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where I have done immersion experiences, workshops, and talks since 9/11. This book is about what’s next in what I believe will be an increasingly VUCA World, on a meandering path toward—but never quite reaching—distributed everything.\n\nThe Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year for 2016 was “post-truth,” an adjective that they defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Post-truth VUCA will be a <em>scramble</em>: lots of practices and processes that have been stuck will get unstuck. In the scramble, many creative things will happen—including shifts that are very different from what the scramblers intended. Unintended consequences will abound. Those who are good at unsticking—the scramblers—are not likely to be good at putting things back together again in new ways. This is a future that will be ripe for innovation of all kinds—for good and for evil.\n\nI’ll be using the Foresight-Insight-Action Cycle throughout the book to summarize how leaders can take the content of this book and translate it into their own personal process of leading.\n\n<strong>In Future Tense</strong>\n\nThis is a book about the future and so it is by definition an opinion book, since the future hasn’t happened yet. I will share many signals from the future, but are no facts from the future.\n\nIn this book, I will explore the external future forces most likely to disrupt leaders and leadership. This book will give practical advice for how leaders can make the future a better place. This book will suggest an ideal talent profile for future leaders.\n\nI will propose five new leadership literacies, but I ask that you open yourself to other new literacies that go beyond what I am suggesting. The literacies I introduce here will give you a head start on the future, but there will be others to come. What we’ve been taught about leadership in the past won’t be enough—even though the new literacies are informed by enduring leadership wisdom from the past.\n\nMy opinions are based on working as a professional futurist in Silicon Valley for some forty years. My forecasts are plausible, internally consistent, and provocative. While nobody can predict the future, my forecasted futures over the years have usually happened. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the present, I have been pretty good at listening for and foreseeing the future. The best futurists I know don’t really fit in the present. I don’t quite fit in the present either and I think that is an advantage.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RTEmagicC_johansen_bob.jpg.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-34291 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/RTEmagicC_johansen_bob.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" /></a>Bob Johansen is a distinguished fellow with the <a href=\"http://www.iftf.org/home/\">Institute for the Future</a> in Silicon Valley. For more than 30 years, Bob has helped organizations around the world prepare for and shape the future, including corporations such as P&amp;G, Walmart, McKinsey, United Rentals, and Syngenta, as well as major universities and nonprofits.\n\nThe author or co-author of ten books, Bob is a frequent keynote speaker. His best-selling book <em>Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the</em> <em>Present</em> was selected as one of the top business books of 2007. His latest book is <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/New-Leadership-Literacies-Disruption-Distributed/dp/1626569614\"><em>The New Leadership Literacies:</em> <em>Thriving in a Future of Extreme Disruption and Distributed Everything</em></a> discusses five new leadership literacies—combinations of disciplines, practices, and worldviews—that will be needed to thrive in a VUCA world of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Preview Thursday: the New Leadership Literacies by Bob Johansen', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-new-leadership-literacies-bob-johansen', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:53:16', '2017-10-16 14:53:16', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34290', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(34295, 409, '2017-09-08 06:00:56', '2017-09-08 10:00:56', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To say I ‘fell’ into leadership is probably a little unfair, but when I found myself running a small sales team several years ago, I fully admit to suffering from imposter syndrome.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Somehow, I’d achieved a position of authority (and a board seat) without any formal training. Not only that, but I’d spent several years at the same company working within the lower ranks.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How did that happen?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, I’m running my own tiny business (‘tiny’, because it’s just me), and looking back at that period with fresh eyes and a slightly more worldly mind-set, I can identify three things I did to become a leader without any formal training...</span>\n<ol>\n 	<li>\n<h4><b> I didn’t chase a big salary</b></h4>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At school, I fancied being either a professional writer or doing something in the IT field.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I opted for the latter, and, had I been determined enough, I may well have put my brief schooling in software programming to use. Who wouldn’t after all, want to bag a salary that now stands at an average of </span><a href=\"http://www.ecardshack.com/blog/linkedin-payscale-popular-tech-jobs-compare\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$92,000</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">/year?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alas, I didn’t. I simply waited and jumped at opportunities within the same company to lead - not to earn a big pay-packet.</span>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li>\n<h4><b> I didn’t attempt to be anyone but myself</b></h4>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m not a fan of conflict, nor am I particularly loud, brash or extrovert. Yet, it’s often assumed that leaders need those personality traits in droves if they’re to be successful. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I found the opposite was true.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted to become a leader, but one who was known for being open, approachable and capable of listening. It was something of a relief, therefore, to find that being </span><a href=\"http://www.strattoncraig.co.uk/blog/thought-leader-time-everyone-else/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">‘Mr Nice Guy’</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is considered by many to actually not be a bad thing at all.</span>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li>\n<h4><b> I made a bucket load of mistakes</b></h4>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the benefit of a few extra years’ experience, I now look back at my time as leader of that small team and realise the most important thing I did was slip up - regularly.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time, I felt inadequate - embarrassed, even - when I made a mistake, but I now understand the value of being infallible. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I never made the same mistake twice. In fact, I did everything I could to rectify any slip up and ensure it would never happen again. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that wasn’t all; I readily admitted when I got something wrong. Rather than burying my head in the sand, brushing the error under the carpet or apportioning blame, I always put my hand up and acknowledged it was me.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don’t get me wrong, this was never particularly easy - nor did it always elicit the best response from the team - but it </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">did</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> make me a much better leader.</span>\n<h4><b>Wrapping up</b></h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I lead just myself these days, and I love it, but I wouldn’t swap those years spent as the leader of a small team for anything. They molded my personality and made me capable of starting my own business.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imposter syndrome is no bad thing at all, and while leadership training should always be considered, if you happen to fall into such a role, my tale will hopefully give you some reassurance that you’ll be just fine.</span>\n\n***\n\nPhoto Copyright: &lt;a href=\'https://www.123rf.com/profile_lightwise\'&gt;lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo&lt;/a&gt;', 'No Formal Leadership Training? No Problem!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'no-formal-leadership-training-no-problem', '', '', '2017-09-08 06:00:56', '2017-09-08 10:00:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34295', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34305, 474, '2017-09-15 06:00:11', '2017-09-15 10:00:11', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why do we have stress? What causes us to feel that stress? Why do we choose the coping responses we choose when stress arises? Are there other, better coping strategies that could turn any kind of stress to our advantage?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer to these questions is \"</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YES!</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\" </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you want to learn how to turn stress - any stress - to your advantage, and then teach your coaching clients to do the same, this is the article you need to read.</span>\n<h3>Step 1: Get to know what stress is and why it exists.</h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to </span><a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-wide-wide-world-psychology/201601/why-stress-is-both-good-and-bad\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Psychology Today</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the fundamental role of stress is to serve as a messenger from your fight-or-flight survival instinct to you. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So stress arises in the limbic system of the brain. It then spreads throughout the body with the help of the stress hormone, cortisol, which preps the body for its two most primitive stress response choices: fight or flight.</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you are hardly aware you are stressed, you are already preparing to <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/how-mind-maps-removed-stress-from-my-working-day/\">respond</a> to that stress in </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">life-preserving ways</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That is pretty amazing, actually!</span>\n<h3>Step 2: Tune into your \"stress response instincts.\"</h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stress is a natural responses to many difficult situations, and prompts us to take action and protect ourselves from something our minds deem dangerous. When you begin to feel stressed, your body immediately shifts into either a fight-or-flight response, forcing you to either escape your problems or </span><a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2016/09/5-ways-millennials-can-tackle-work-related-stress/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deal with them upfront</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The flight response can be healthy in some circumstances because it gives the dangerous situation time to neutralize. For instance, if you are dealing with stress over </span><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-chronically-unhappy-employee\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an irritable co-worker</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, getting away from the situation can give you both the time needed to cool off and not allow serious tension to develop.</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, there are some situations that have to be addressed immediately and need to be fought through rather than put off. If your boss is pushing you to meet a deadline and you’re feeling stressed, it’s obviously better to go into fight mode and work through the problem rather than trying to escape it. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While everyone has to deal with some tension in the workplace, </span><a href=\"http://www.cartercapner.com.au/blog/workplace-stress-claims/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">work-related stress claims are on the rise</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and more employees are dealing with frustrating circumstances that are almost maddening. If you find yourself facing stress on a daily basis, it might be time for you to start recognizing whether the fight or flight response is better for each situation and begin to take action accordingly.</span>\n<h3>Step 3: Pretend you are an Olympic athlete....or a cougar\'s lunch of choice.</h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is an </span><a href=\"http://jokes.boyslife.org/jokes/you-cant-outrun-a-bear/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">old joke</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about two boys in the woods. They hear a bear growl nearby. The first boy starts lacing up his shoes. The second boy asks why and says, \"You can\'t outrun a bear!\" The first boy says, \"</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I know - I just have to outrun you!</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How you choose to respond to stress is very similar. Are you going to let it freeze you in fear or are you going to act? </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news here is, in nearly every case, you aren\'t asking yourself to expend a marathon\'s worth of energy </span><a href=\"https://www.happymelly.com/signs-you-should-change-your-job/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to outrun stress from work</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You are only asking for a few moments of your own time in this heightened, fully alert state.</span>\n<h3>Step 4: Know when to say \"when!\"</h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes stress is solvable by </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">getting <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/creating-a-creative-crisis/\">creative</a> and trying different things</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until you find what works. And sometimes stress is not solvable - in that, you have tried everything you can think of, and now you have to know when to say \"when.\"</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Figuring out which is which, of course, is the hard part. The more life experience you have, the easier this will be. But if you don\'t have that experience yet, try trusting your gut instinct and seeking advice from a trusted inner circle. Whatever you do, never stop working toward a resolution.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But ultimately, sometimes ongoing high stress is its own signal that your path forward lies in a different direction. There is nothing wrong with accepting that some things at the time may not currently have a resolution that is workable for all involved.</span>\n<h3>Recap</h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is \"good\" stress, and there is \"bad\" stress. But underneath labels like these, <em>all stress is still stress.</em> </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its effect on our body and brain is largely the same. T</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hese four steps can give you a ready, steady path to stay focused on the bright light at the end of the stress tunnel.</span>\n\n***\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay', 'The Secret Steps to Using Stress to Your Advantage', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'secret-steps-using-stress-advantage', '', '', '2017-09-15 06:00:11', '2017-09-15 10:00:11', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34305', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34309, 475, '2017-09-12 06:00:54', '2017-09-12 10:00:54', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hope is important in life — and the workplace is a large part of most people’s lives. We spend more time with our coworkers each day than we do with our families. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a leader, you need to understand your job is to help your employees through the unfolding of their life events. Positively affecting the lives of others is one of the most rewarding things leaders can do. If you can instill the picture of “why,” the picture of “how” is much easier to paint. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When organizations find their why, they’ll find their way. When you know why you’re doing something, the hope of a better future comes alive. Leaders need to plant the purpose first to create hope for the future. When there’s hope in a person’s life, it will roll into the organization. When the organization has hope, the future is unlimited; we believe in ourselves and in what we’re doing. Belief that we can be better creates belief that we can do better. When we believe in what we are doing as a company, the team comes together and achieves significance, not just success. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can talk about engagement, employee surveys or whatever your company may measure to feel good about itself. But what are you really doing and why? More importantly, what are the stories of how your company is affecting lives? I once asked company leaders what they saw in their products. Most of the responses were descriptions of the product, until one leader said he saw peace. Isn’t a picture of peace more inspiring than a picture of your products? Hope brings belief in what the company does and the effect on those it serves. It’s an impact above revenue, profits or whatever your company measures. </span>\n<h4>Encourage Hope</h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by turning your organizational chart upside down. Begin to serve the people you influence. Get out of your office and build relationships with employees. Through these connections, you can spread the message of hope in a better future.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think about the way you’re thinking as a management team. Are you distrustful of each other? Do you have a negative attitude about what the team can accomplish? Do you have faith in the talents and skills of the employees? Be brave enough to closely examine your culture. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give employees a big purpose and make it part of your communication day in and day out. Care about your employees and help them see a positive vision of the future, not just for the company, but for themselves.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other companies besides Datron and the Servant Leadership Institute that have done this include Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, Starbucks, Ken Blanchard Companies, Southwest Airlines, and Chick-fil-A. All are servant-led. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most rewarding experiences for me from our servant-led culture are the stories of transformation from our employees’ families. When the hope of a better future becomes a reality in your employees’ lives, it will become a reality in your company.  </span>', 'Hope in the Workplace', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'hope-in-the-workplace', '', '', '2017-09-12 06:00:54', '2017-09-12 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34309', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34322, 276, '2017-09-13 06:00:30', '2017-09-13 10:00:30', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problems like death, taxes, and change are guaranteed in life. No matter how you plan, you are going to encounter problems, and change will impact your plans. To assume that your best laid-out plan will work is being naïve. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I plan, I always map multiple outcomes, this enables me to cover all the bases. Why is it relevant from a leadership perspective?   </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I use this approach to coach my clients who are leaders in their organizations to help improve their overall chance of success. A leader’s ability to lead their organization through tough times is crucial to their success. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In creating a plan, I call it a <em>user story.</em>  The user story defines the what, when, where and how of what I need to get done.   Here is the composition of the user story:</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What needs to get done?  </span></h6>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scope of work, the tasks involved, or activities. It also defines who will be working on it and how things will be done.</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happy path</span></h6>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This defines how to test the outcome of the plan. It means that the plan works according to plan. By defining this, we can use it to define the success criteria.</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Success criteria</span></h6>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does a successful outcome look like? What are the success criteria? How do we know we achieve our goal? Write down the answers to these and check on them periodically.</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unhappy path</span></h6>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Define what we will do when our plan does not work. What do we need to do to help us fix the issue? What are our options?   </span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h6><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exception</span></h6>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is my plan B or C. For every plan, I also define the alternate options that enable us to achieve our goals. By defining exceptions, we can focus on how to solidify our plan by identifying what other problems might come up.</span>\n<h4>Recap</h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’ve been using this approach for many years, and I’ve noticed that it helped me solidify my plan and improve my ability to see through the possible problems that might come up. As leaders, we need to lead our people through the tough times. In order to do this, we need to create a good plan and be able to effectively accomplish the goals associated with the plan.</span>\n\n***\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay', 'What is a User Story?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'what-is-a-user-story', '', '', '2017-09-13 06:00:30', '2017-09-13 10:00:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34322', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34328, 273, '2017-09-14 06:00:26', '2017-09-14 10:00:26', '<em>The following post is a preview excerpt from <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"<a href=\"https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/Up-Is-Not-the-Only-Way\">Up is Not the Only Way: Rethinking Career Mobility</a>\" by Beverly Kaye, Lindy Williams, and Lynn Cowart, with permission from Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2017).</span></em>\n\n***\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Careers used to be predictable.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were paths and ladders.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hierarchy worked – for some.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As downsizing, restructuring and delayering took hold in the late 1980’s, old ladders became largely inaccessible. Some rungs disappeared. The space between others became leaps. Individual aspirations and company needs were evolving. Terms like ‘work-life balance’ were overheard. Organizations began to weigh breadth of experience against depth of expertise during talent reviews. The world of work was changing.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Careers today happen in that world–a world that continues to change. The environment is more global, more multi-generational, more dispersed, diverse and complex than ever. Hierarchies continue to flatten. Organizational structures flex. The value people place on work is changing. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees play multiple roles—from individual contributor to peer to leader and back, sometimes in the same day or assignment. Roles emerge and evolve. Carefully written descriptions no longer define job boundaries. Teams form and disperse based on projects. Feedback comes from multiple sources. The ladder, if it’s still there, may be harder to see and tougher to climb.</span>\n<h6>Is this the end of the career as we know it?</h6>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every industry is changing. Internal workplace structures are changing as well. Up – the promotion path and perhaps even a ladder or two – may still exist and could still be a goal – for some. However, disappearing hierarchy resulted in fewer promotional opportunities. The route to promotion may take new turns. Someone who wants to manage others can still get there. And with the right mix of experiences, will likely arrive better prepared to take on the role.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flattened organizations and limited career ladders don’t spell the end of growth OR careers. Opportunities may be different but they are still there. The next change frontier means changing the conversation and the mindset about careers.</span>\n<h6>Let’s be honest</h6>\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was never for everyone. It still isn’t. Managing others is not for everyone. Not everyone wants to move up or take on more. That doesn’t mean a rewarding career is out of reach. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The message has been out there for a while now that individuals </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">own</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their careers. What does that really mean? We think it means that defining career success is up to each of us. Every time circumstances shuffle the deck, you can deal a new hand. That’s actually GREAT news! We are the only ones who can envision what success looks like. And, to add to that great news, as creators of our career success pictures, we’re free to alter them when and how we choose! THAT is what it means to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">own </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a career. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how do we do it?</span>\n\n***\n<h5>You can order your copy of <em>Up is Not the Only Way</em> <a href=\"https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/Up-Is-Not-the-Only-Way\">here.</a></h5>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bev.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-34331 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bev.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"138\" height=\"138\" /></a><a href=\"https://www.bkconnection.com/users/beverlykaye\">Beverly Kaye</a> founded Career Systems International (CSI) more than thirty years ago, and it has become a global leader in developing and delivering innovative, action-based talent management solutions.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lindy.png\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-34330 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lindy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"138\" height=\"138\" /></a><a href=\"https://www.bkconnection.com/users/linbruaolcompkepa\">Lindy Williams</a>, designer and senior consultant with CSI, held roles in operations and human resources before stepping out of the corporate world to work on designing and implementing award-winning development processes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lynn.png\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-34329 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lynn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"138\" height=\"138\" /></a><a href=\"https://www.bkconnection.com/users/Lynn-Cowart\">Lynn Cowart</a> is responsible for the quality delivery and implementation of Career Systems International s learning solutions, which includes facilitation, coaching and consulting and plays a strategic role in the development and certification of CSI s facilitators and trainers.', 'Preview Thursday: Up is Not the Only Way by Beverly Kaye, Lindy Williams, and Lynn Cowart', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-not-way-beverly-kaye-lindy-williams-lynn-cowart', '', '', '2017-09-14 06:00:26', '2017-09-14 10:00:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34328', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34337, 452, '2017-09-20 06:00:31', '2017-09-20 10:00:31', 'You’re unique, and so am I. So, I’ve always been skeptical of articles with titles like “What Eight Incredibly Successful People Do Before Breakfast” or “The Six Things You Must Do to Succeed.”\n\nSure, it’s true that we humans are a lot alike, but we differ from each other in important ways. Most people, for example, are more productive and less likely to gain weight if they eat breakfast. Not me.\n\nMy dad liked to say that he got up and immediately stuck one leg under the breakfast table. Before my mom got cancer, she got up a half hour before him so that breakfast would be ready when he opened his eyes. After she couldn’t do that anymore, he set things up the night before so he could eat as soon as possible after he woke up.\n\nWhen the nutritionists say, “Everyone should eat breakfast,” they can point to my Dad as proof. But not everyone is wired the same way.\n\nOver and over again throughout my life, I’ve had to learn that when I eat breakfast soon after I get up, two things happen. Number one, I eat more during the day. Number two, my productivity falls.\n\nI don’t know why that it is the case, but it is. Even if everyone else on the planet performs better when they eat breakfast, it’s not true for me. The trick to succeeding your way is to identify how you’re like everyone else and how you’re different.\n<h3>Keep a Performance Journal</h3>\nDon’t depend on memory. Keep a performance journal of how you spend your days and how you perform. This doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just note the date and some details. It should only require a sentence or three.\n\nIf all you do is make notes, you’re wasting your time. Set aside time, once a week is good, to review your notes. Look for patterns. Pay special attention to sleep, diet, and exercise.\n<h3>Read the Articles</h3>\nWhen you see an article about something that lots of successful people do, read it. Success leaves clues. Identify the behaviors that might work for you. Then, act like a scientist. Take the advice attributed to Wernher von Braun: “One good test is worth a thousand expert opinions.”\n<h3>Become A Success Scientist</h3>\nScientists conduct experiments to discover what works and what doesn’t. Try things to see if they work for you like they do for others.\n\nUse your Performance Journal to keep track of what you try and how it works. Most of the things that will make you more productive are things that lots of people were already doing. Getting a good night’s sleep was one of those things for me.\n\nSome things will work for you, but you’ll have to modify them a little. Many performance gurus suggest that you should spend an hour or so in the morning, preparing for your day. That works for most people I know, but I had to modify the practice. I prepare for the next day the night before. Then, in the morning, I go right to work on something important.\n\nSome things won’t work for you at all, even though they work for everyone else on the planet. Eating a “good breakfast” first thing in the morning was one of those things for me.\n\nSo, whatever you try, make it an experiment. Take some notes about what happens when you try something. After that, it’s simple. Keep what works until it doesn’t work anymore.\n<h3>Bottom Line</h3>\nKeep trying new things. When you know whether they work or not, keep the good ones and get rid of the rest.\n\n***\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay', 'Experiment Your Way to Success', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'experiment-way-success', '', '', '2017-09-20 06:00:31', '2017-09-20 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34337', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34339, 471, '2017-09-18 06:00:11', '2017-09-18 10:00:11', '<blockquote>“The future is called ‘perhaps,’ which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.”\nTennessee Williams</blockquote>\nFor thirty-three long years, climbing the corporate ladder was my only goal. Success to me was always being in the spotlight and reaching the top. To achieve my goal, I had worked hard and grown through the ranks. I had relentlessly pursued the dream of reaching the top. Yes, I did reach the top, traveled a lot, could make decisions, had power, influence, money, and everything that I had dreamt for. I loved my career.\n\nBut one day it all changed. After 33 years, the luster wore off. My job was no longer interesting to me. <em>I felt trapped in the rat race.</em>\n\nI knew it was time to redefine my life and look at pursuing work that was more fulfilling. I decided it was time to call quits.\n<h5>Transitioning to a New Way of Life</h5>\n<blockquote>“20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain</blockquote>\nSo, I  sailed away from the safety of my corporate job and was ready to explore and discover the new world. Once I had made the decision, I had peace with myself and finally felt in control of my career again. I had to redefine what success meant to me and found that it is not always about the money you make, but is also about the happiness in life you gain.\n\nWhat happened in my case is not unique. Many would have gone through similar experience. Once we quit the rat race,  we find a lot of time available to us.  However, after the initial feeling of being a free bird is over, concern takes over. The thought of nothing to do can be quite daunting. Not having a clear idea of what you plan to do next, can be even more terrifying.\n\nIn my case, I had thought about this day for a long time. I had a plan. I was not sure about the robustness of the plan, but I was ready for the new adventure. During this transition phase, one also requires remaining optimistic. Having a plan to start something new can help maintain optimism.\n<h5>The Adventure Begins</h5>\nThe security of the corporate life when enjoyed for a long time tends to make us risk averse.  It is normal to miss the comfort zone of the corporate life.  Unfortunately, it does not prepare us for the big change in life when we transition from its warm comfort to a life which is full of adventures.\n\nMany things that I had planned did not work the way I had dreamt of. I had to redefine not just what success would be, but also the way I work. I was always passionate about coaching and mentoring. Equipped with my three decades of experience in the industry and a Coaching certification, I decided to help women grow in their career. Help them follow their dreams, align with their values,  and enjoy their work and career.\n\nI had to develop new relationships and leverage existing networks to get projects that I was passionate about. After many falls for several months, I finally managed to get work that was fulfilling and gave me immense joy.\n<h5>Lessons Learnt</h5>\nThinking back on my journey of last two years, I learned the following important lessons:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Plan this day well in advance.</strong> Be absolutely clear about what your goals are for the next phase of your career. Do not make any rash decision.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Clarify what is important to you</strong> and what is your priority. Money, happiness, fulfillment.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Think about your key skills</strong> and strengths which can make you successful.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Choose work</strong> that you are passionate about.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Be agile</strong>. You would have to try several things, build new relationships, redefine your plans till you hit the jackpot.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Be prepared</strong> for all the obstacles that would be thrown your way and the many discouragements that you would receive.</li>\n 	<li> <strong>Most important stay optimistic, as that will see you through.</strong></li>\n</ul>\nIf you are working for achieving your goals and leading a life you want, then don\'t let fears get in your way.\n<blockquote><strong>      Life is a one-way street. No matter how many detours you take,\nnone of them leads back. So enjoy life’s every moment as none of\nthem will happen the same way again.\n— Unknown</strong></blockquote>\n&nbsp;', 'What I Learned When I Quit the Rat Race', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'learned-quit-rat-race', '', '', '2017-09-18 06:00:11', '2017-09-18 10:00:11', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34339', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34346, 329, '2017-09-19 06:00:42', '2017-09-19 10:00:42', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A really great story bears retelling.  And, the one about the CEO of Charles Schwab failing a one-question exam in his senior year in college is profoundly poignant about what really matters to be a great leader.  </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story originated from an interview by </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NY Times</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> writer Adam Bryant of CEO Walt Bettinger for Bryant’s February 4, 2016 “Corner Office” column.  Bettinger was taking a business strategy course in his senior year.  He had maintained a 4.0 average and was hoping to graduate with a perfect GPA.  He reported that he had spent many hours preparing for this final exam, memorizing lots of formulas to use during the test.  But, he got a life-long lesson in leadership when his teacher gave out the exam on one sheet of paper.  </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bryant reports Bettinger’s words this way: “I’ve taught you everything I can teach you about business in the last ten weeks,” said his teacher.  “But the most important message, the most important question is your single test question.”  Bettinger turned the exam sheet over and it was blank.  The professor spoke the single question: “What’s the name of the lady who cleans this building?”  </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bettinger was shocked. “It was the only test I ever failed,” he told Bryant.  “And, I got the “B” that I deserved. Her name was Dottie, and I did not know Dottie.  I’d seen her, but I’d never taken the time to ask her name.  I have tried to know every Dottie I’ve worked with ever since.”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leadership is one of the most widely reported topics in the business arena.  Amazon has almost twenty thousand books with leadership in their title.  Yet, new leadership books come out at the rate of four or five a day.  It speaks to the mercurial mystery of leadership done well.  Since there is little debate over its definition—influencing another to achieve a goal—it could be posited that a major part of the core of influencing (and therefore leadership) is knowing Dottie’s.</span>', 'The Ultimate Leadership Test', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'ultimate-leadership-test', '', '', '2017-09-19 06:00:42', '2017-09-19 10:00:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34346', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34350, 476, '2017-09-19 07:24:59', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'Introduction\n\nIf you have just started your <a href=\"https://www.fieldengineer.com/\">freelance career</a> in the telecom industry, then you have to know that it is very competitive and clients are only looking for the top to work on their specific projects. With the influx, if freelancers over the last few years, you must learn how to stand out from the crowd in order to earn a decent pay and bag as many clients as possible. Just signing up and creating your profile will not do the trick. Remember the telecom industry is highly demanding in terms of quality and precision. So how do you increase your value? Here are some few strategies.\n\nCreate your brand\n\nThe first thing you have to know is there are as many people with your skills in the freelance marketplace. Know your strengths and your specific technical skills. Use these to attract a cluster of clients who are looking for these specific skills. Then invest in the quality of your services right from how you present yourself to how you deliver a project. If you show uniqueness, you will see your freelancing telecom career skyrocket.\n\nDiversify your portfolio\n\nWith a freelance marketplace like Fieldengineer, you will have access to a wide range of clients and projects. These will require a different set of skills and know-how. For you to increase your employability rate, you must have a wide portfolio that makes you standout in different search filters. Reading widely will also give you a competitive edge; keep yourself informed on matters telecom technology advancements.\n\nEstablish lasting relationships\n\nYou must invest in your interpersonal skills. These will help you in the way you interact with your clients; having strong interpersonal skills will increase your success rate not just in your freelance career but even in your personal life. Learn to communicate when you will be away; if there are changes, or even you need more time to complete a project. Also, ask your clients to give you honest feedback; learn to take criticism positively and use it to improve your future projects. Remember future potential clients should not replace previous or current ones. Every client relationship you establish is important; invest in it.\n\nGo beyond expectations\n\nWhen delivering on assigned projects always plan to blow your client’s mind by delivering more than their expectations. Plan to under promise and over deliver, that will give you extra credit and improve your credibility online. Remember that success in freelance is about having the best reputation. You do not want your clients to write reviews like “I am not pleased with the work” or “the instructions were not followed.” When a client knows that you deliver more than expectations, you will have clients becoming repeat customers.\n\nInvest in your personal development\n\nMost freelancers fail because they do not take freelancing as a career but rather as a side hustle. Career and personal development can take different shapes and form, and as such, you should explore all the options available to you. Remember the telecom industry is highly dynamic, and clients are very demanding. You can opt to go back to school and get another degree, use tools that will boost your career, find other engineers in your industry whom you can discuss developments and new research in the industry. In short increase your value as a person and exhaust all the avenues', '5 Strategies for increasing the value of your freelance career in telecom', '', 'pending', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-09-19 07:24:59', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34350', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34358, 483, '2017-09-21 06:00:06', '2017-09-21 06:00:06', '<em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following post is a preview excerpt from the Introduction of </span><a href=\"http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/no-ego-book/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Drama in the Workplace, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Cy Wakeman.</span></em>\n<h6>Shut the Conventional Door</h6>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My entry into Reality-Based Leadership started with the Open-Door Policy. After several years as a family therapist, I got a promotion in my organization. For the first time, I would be leading a team, which got me a free ticket to the Human Resources boot camp for managers. Designed to prepare me for my new organizational role, it was a crash course in the current conventional wisdom around leadership.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One particularly juicy leadership gem, delivered to me by trainers with all the confidence in the world, was that a great leader always has an open door.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An open door? That was easy. Not only was I going to have an Open-Door Policy, I was going to ace it! I hustled down to the gift shop at the health center where I worked and bought a doorstop to make a visible and decorative point: I’d have the most outstanding open door in the organization. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Open-Door Policy did exactly what it was supposed to do. Soon team members began popping their heads into my open door.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Do you have a minute?” they asked.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Sure, I have two!” I’d reply. “Come on in.”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It didn’t take long to realize that these people were liars.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They’d ask for a minute or two, but they stayed planted in my office for an average of 45 minutes.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if they had really needed me—to talk through a critical decision for serving the business or to help them develop or hone skills— the time investment would have had a satisfying payoff. But people weren’t coming to me for that.</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People came in to tattle on others. They wanted to tell me stories about things that had happened only in their heads. Or they’d vent about circumstances that couldn’t be changed (what I call reality).  They’d use our time to spin fantasies about a dismal or doomed future. Frequently, it was a combination. I spent the majority of these impromptu “Got a minute?” meetings listening to elaborate narratives that had almost no basis in reality.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The kicker? At the end of the meeting, they would say to me, with a straight face: “Please don’t do anything about this. I just wanted you to be aware.”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I witnessed the economic effect of this Open-Door Policy in action, it made no sense to me. Where was the return on the investment I had made in that door stop? Can you imagine what would happen if I went to the CEO and said, “I plan to spend 10 hours a day in a series of 45-minute one-on-one meetings talking about stuff that doesn’t add one whit of value to the company. And I’m going to expense the doorstop”? I’d soon be opening the door to the unemployment office.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The HR wisdom that had been drilled into me said having an open door was the right thing to do. It was touted as a best practice that would lead to happy, engaged employees. We had been instructed that we should allow employees to vent because venting is “healthy.”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During my time as an Open-Door Policy devotee, I don’t recall team members ever tattling on themselves. They weren’t coming to me and saying “You know, I am really having trouble aligning my actions and decision-making with the strategy of this business. I’d like to become more effective at serving our customers. Can you help me develop my skills and work processes so I can meet company goals, add value to the team, and better contribute to return on investment?”</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one came through my open door to directly ask for coaching on handling sticky issues in a more effective, productive, and efficient way. In fact, they drove their bitching, moaning, and whining (BMWs) through the open door and parked with their engines idling, wasting fuel, and polluting the atmosphere. Then they demanded that I withhold the kind of direction and assistance that would help them get where we needed to go.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I realized pretty quickly that the open door was a portal for drama. It catered to ego, fueled feelings of victimhood, and contributed to low morale. Worse, it cost the company a lot of money. We had been hired for the value we could contribute to the important work we did, not for the ego-based, drama-filled stories we could concoct. I knew my time would be better invested in helping people reflect, increase their self-awareness, and look at situations from a higher level of consciousness.</span>\n\n***\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be purchased </span><a href=\"http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/no-ego-book/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WakemanCyInc51-copy.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-34360 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WakemanCyInc51-copy-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>Cy Wakeman is a drama researcher, international leadership speaker, and consultant. In 2001, she founded </span><a href=\"http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reality-Based Leadership</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. She is the author of three books: </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace and Turn Excuses into Results</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2010), New York Times bestseller </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace: Know What Boosts Your Value, Kills Your Chances, and Will Make You Happier</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2013) and </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2017). In 2017, she was named as one of the Top 30 Global Leadership Gurus by Global Gurus, a Top 100 Leadership Expert to follow on Twitter, and was deemed \"the secret weapon to restoring sanity to the workplace.\" She lives in Waterloo, NE.</span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Preview Thursday: No Ego by Cy Wakeman', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-no-ego-cy-wakeman', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:53:05', '2017-10-16 14:53:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34358', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(34365, 477, '2017-09-22 06:00:07', '2017-09-22 10:00:07', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No-one I speak to disputes the fact that we live in a VUCA world full of </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We are living in a world where change is ever greater, where the future is less predictable, where the options increase exponentially, and the way we think about these options has undoubtedly changed. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, leaders are inundated with huge amounts of information and need to make decisions faster than ever. However, there is no way that just one person can manage that volume of data. Increasingly organisations are realizing the power of shared leadership and collective teams to help them navigate this volatile marketplace.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whilst many might think that the concept of Shared Leadership is a new phenomenon, the fact is that in nature animals have been applying the principles of shared leadership for literally millions of years.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a herd of horses for example.  They have existed on this planet for over 45 million years, compared to the 6 million years that humans have inhabited the earth. They have learnt to be agile and adapt to their changing environments through sharing leadership and can teach us some key leadership skills to help us survive in these challenging times.</span>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a herd of horses, leadership is shared. </span></h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lead mare sets the direction and pace of the herd. The lead stallion keeps the herd together and protects it from predators. Each member of the herd has a role in protecting the health of the herd. All of the horses in the herd contribute to the socialisation of new or young members, teaching them what behaviours are acceptable and correcting those who could behave in ways that could compromise the health of the herd. The overwhelming goal of the herd leadership is to create unity, harmony and collaboration whilst keeping the herd safe.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safety is a key consideration for herd members because horses are prey animals, so they live under threat of attack every day. The herd leaders need to create and maintain what Simon Sinek refers to as a </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Circle of Safety</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They need to foster an environment free of danger and give the herd members a sense of belonging, the power to make decisions and offering trust and empathy.  And guess what that is what we need to do as leaders in the workplace too.</span>\n<h4><b>The Diamond Model of Leadership</b></h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on the principles of the herd the Diamond Model of Leadership, developed by June Gunter of </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teaching Horse</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, aptly reveals that for horses to place their trust in their leaders, they must know four things about them.  The same four things that our team members want to know about us.</span>\n<ol>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Attention</strong> – when leaders are paying attention they can detect even the most subtle shifts In the environment</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Direction</strong> – leaders give clear direction of how to respond to these shifts</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Energy</strong> – through assessing the situation leaders decide on the energy and pace required to respond to the situation</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Congruence</strong> – leaders display congruence of their inner and outer expressions and are aligned in your actions.  Ultimately the herd members must know that the leaders have their best interests at heart, at all times, and are not acting in a self-serving manner.</span></li>\n</ol>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-model-1.jpeg\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34368\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/diamond-model-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"265\" /></a>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attention, Direction, Energy, Congruence: When leaders demonstrate these characteristics and skills the herd become confident in their leadership. And the bottom line is that confidence in the leader makes the herd agile in times of change.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the same is true for our teams in the workplace.  To gain confidence, leaders must demonstrate they are paying attention to what is going on their organisation. They must be present and able to see the entire picture and what is happening.  They need to quickly make decisions and give clear direction to the team with focused, inspiring energy that engages the team members to take action. Finally, leaders need to be authentic and have a clear, unambiguous intention that is trusted by the team.  Leaders need to act from the perspective of “we” rather than “me”.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When these four attributes are present and aligned in leaders it inspires confidence in their leadership and makes the organisation agile to respond to the changing business environment.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you don’t believe me, I challenge you to go and experience Horse Assisted Leadership Transformation (HALT). If you don’t show up and pay attention, have clarity of direction, walk with purpose and be congruent in your actions, you will not be seen as an inspiring, compelling leader who the horse trusts and so he will not walk with you. But guess what, neither will your team members. They might not be so immediate in their feedback as the horse, but over time they will get disillusioned, lose trust and respect for you resulting in decreased productivity and profitability.</span>\n\n***\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay', 'Leadership According to a Horse', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leadership-according-horse', '', '', '2017-09-22 06:00:07', '2017-09-22 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34365', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(34374, 273, '2017-09-25 06:00:20', '2017-09-25 10:00:20', 'In a world troubled with polarization, patronization and partisan posturing, remarkable leadership is in short supply. As we divide along ideology and certainty, we need remarkable leaders more than ever.\n\nRemarkable leaders use their strengths to strengthen others. They believe that everyone is far more capable than they get to demonstrate and are far more capable than they are generally given credit for.\n\nRemarkable leaders ensure that everyone on their team has the information and resources to make the best decisions and to be able to add the highest value they can to the efforts of the team. If a team member makes a choice based on the information and circumstances and it turns out that the outcomes and consequences were negative, everyone will use it as a learning experience rather than a performance evaluation.\n\nRemarkable leaders provide navigation aids rather than directions. They lavish autonomy, mastery, and purpose (Thanks, Daniel Pink) on their troupe so that the music they make together is both unexpected and inspirational.\n\nRemarkable leaders pour themselves, warts, wishes, worries on the table for all to see, and then they model behavior that shrinks warts, manifests wishes, and turns worries into opportunities. If you, as a remarkable leader, become part of the rhythm of the band, swelling when strength is needed and listening when other\'s voices rise up, then the song becomes a collaborative creation worthy of the gifts and talents of all the players. If the remarkable leader isn\'t always writing the score or conducting, she can contribute to harmony or throw in the occasional improvisation or even sit in the balcony and be marveled by the show.\n\nWhether observing the performance or playing along with the orchestra, remarkable leaders extend credit to the entire team, in the presence of the entire team, and when an oboist, flutist, or vocalist nails a solo, the leader recognizes them with specific and immediate praise. This praise recognizes excellence but all forms of feedback are needed to foster continuous improvement and maintain high standards. Many remarkable leaders resist giving any feedback (positive or less positive) because they attempt to lead by being a remarkable friend.\n\nAs a remarkable leader, you can expect to be called on to make difficult decisions. What pieces will we play in each show and what will be the grand theme for our season. Difficult decisions need the best information and the best information comes from the input of the entire orchestra. But in the end, the decision about the mission of the company and instruments and players needed lays with the remarkable leader. The responsibility for protecting the mission should be the leader\'s prime imperative.\n\nAt the end of each performance, after the bows, curtain calls, and encores it is time to reflect on the show that was and what tomorrow or next season or the next decade could bring. Remarkable leaders have remarkable vision, honed by experience, informed by research, and courageously audacious through the equal measure of grand successes and the lessons learned from grand stumbles.\n\nRemarkable leadership never stops; yesterday\'s lessons are remembered, today\'s opportunities are celebrated, and tomorrow\'s possibilities are embraced. Strategy and planning are tempered with the realization that certainty is less certain than 20 years ago, that today\'s best practices may be seen as foolish in 5 years, and that something earth-shattering is closer than most imagine.\n\nTake up your baton, blow your horn, celebrate excellence and improve with rehearsal - become a remarkable leader.\n\n***\n\nBob McInnis is a provocateur and coach working with startups and organizations that have recognized that their strategic position is unattainable or unworthy of attaining. Over the past ten years, he has been invited to participate in conferences and speaker series where he gets to ask ridiculously impossible questions and then work with delegates and teams to find equally ridiculous and impossible answers to some of our most wicked problems. He and his wife volunteer as Readers in Residence at the Calgary Children\'s Reading Place and this summer helped 350 children and their families discover the joy and confidence that reading brings.\n\n<em>Photo Credit: Pixabay</em>', 'Are You Remarkable?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'are-you-remarkable', '', '', '2017-09-25 06:00:20', '2017-09-25 10:00:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34374', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34381, 464, '2017-10-06 06:00:20', '2017-10-06 10:00:20', 'In my post <strong><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/once-you-understand-emotion-motivation-easy/\">Once You Understand Emotion, Motivation Is Easy</a></strong>, I laid the link between Deci and Ryan\'s Self-Determination Theory and current emotions.\n\nIn this post, I will briefly expand these ideas and then focus on a specific emotion from a communication and leadership point of view: <em>Anxiety.</em>\n<h2>Self-Determination Theory and the basic psychological need for safety</h2>\nSelf-Determination Theory states that the fulfillment of three psychological needs influences job satisfaction: Mastery, connection, and autonomy. If we extend these needs into the social arena generally, the need for autonomy and connection may be translated one-on-one as being essential for well-being. Social mastery needs some elaboration: It has to do with competency in terms of being able to anticipate others’ behavior, reacting appropriately to this behavior and the ability to influence others. In short, it has to do with a feeling of being in control or the basic psychological need for safety. Bear in mind these are <em>psychological</em> needs, not material needs.\n<h2>Well-being</h2>\nWhen people feel safe, connected and autonomous they generally experience a sense of well-being. When one of these three needs is threatened, certain emotions will arise. When safety is at stake, an anxious reaction is a natural response, leading the body to prepare itself for action: The so-called Fight-Flight-Freeze response. Anxiety is a very basic emotion and has a positive intention: It prevents you from doing silly things, things which could endanger your existence. The survival instinct is so strong, that almost all sensory perception is first filtered by an organ in the midbrain: The amygdala. This organ is responsible for our so-called negativity bias: We first need to scan the environment for potentially dangerous situations, as these have priority. So anxiety really is an adaptive emotion, it ensures we survive. It only becomes a problem when its intensity isn’t appropriate for the actual situation at hand.\n<h2>Exclusion</h2>\nOn a very basic level, we are social beings because we need each other. Exclusion from the group that surrounds us is a potentially dangerous situation, something borne out by research: When a person ventilates a view which is different from the majority of the group, their amygdala react. They react irrespective whether such a person actually experiences fear when standing up for their view. Also when they feel excluded for what or whom they are, this will lead to anxiety.\n<h2>Anxiety and communication</h2>\nIn the same way, anxiety has its role to play in communication. In the first instance, it prevents us from saying silly things, things which will obviously lead to our exclusion from that group we would like to belong to. On the other hand it may also inhibit us, prevent us from saying the things that should be said (when others cross our boundaries, for example), prevent us from making contact with others (think of shyness, for example) or simply cause us to provide politically correct responses so as not to stand out too much from the group. In a team this can be detrimental, it means this team member’s expertise is unavailable for the group. When several team members don’t speak freely, groupthink rears its head, sometimes even with catastrophic implications.\n\nSo what can you as a leader do when dealing with an anxious team member? Firstly you will need to be able to recognize an anxious response: eyes wide (or wider than normal: both eyebrows lift), the tightening of the lip, the rapid breaking of eye-contact and moving uncomfortably are tell-tales. As people seldom feel competent in an atmosphere which doesn’t feel safe, your task is to ensure you provide a space in which your team members may speak freely, without the (perceived) danger of being excluded.\n<h2>A safe space</h2>\nSo what can you do precisely to create that safe space where even anxious team members are stimulated to speak more freely? Practicing <em>Observational Listening</em> is a good start: By concentrating on what the team member understood by your message (rather than what you meant), you see their current emotions more clearly and can respond to their emotions more sensitively. Also by being a role model, showing for all to see that you are an empathic person of integrity who treats others with respect. And by displaying some of your own vulnerability in the appropriate use of self-disclosure. Thereby you <em>are</em> the safe space where even anxious team members feel safe enough to contribute.\n\n<em>Note: The academic version of the book </em><a href=\"http://www.markusvanalphen.com/observational-listening/\"><em>Observational Listening</em></a><em> is already available. The self-help version is expected around the end of 2017.</em>', 'Anxiety, Communication and Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'anxiety-communication-leadership', '', '', '2017-10-06 06:00:20', '2017-10-06 10:00:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34381', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34384, 274, '2017-10-02 06:00:34', '2017-10-02 10:00:34', '<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Welcome to the October 2017 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!</h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The themes for this month in the order they appear include:</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Team Building\nResilience\nEngagement\nInspiration/Creativity\nCommunication\nDevelopment\nLeadership</p>\n\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong> Let\'s get started!</strong></h6>\n<h4>Team Building</h4>\n<strong>Bill Treasurer</strong> of <a href=\"http://giantleapconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giant Leap Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deep-teaming-bill-treasurer\">Deep Teaming.</a> Bill recaps, \"The effects of team building are often short-lived. In order to create lasting effects, we must dig deeper to create more meaningful relationships. \" Find Bill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/btreasurer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@btreasurer</a>.\n\n<strong>David Dye</strong> of <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/author/david-dye-lgl/\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> provided <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2017/09/14/7-ways-to-lead-friends-and-former-peers/\">7 Ways to Lead Friends and Former Peers.</a> Leading friends and former peers is one of the most difficult challenges faced by newly promoted managers. In this post, David shares both the causes of these challenges and seven ways you can overcome these challenges and enjoy your new role. Find David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/davidmdye\">@davidmdye.</a>\n\n<strong>Julie Winkle-Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julie Winkle-Giulioni</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/leadership-matters/are-you-a-micromanager-or-a-macromanager/\">Are You a Micromanager or a </a>Macromanager? Julie recaps, \"This table provides a high-level overview of how macromanagement differs from the kind of micromanagement that most of us are all too familiar with.\" Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/julie_wg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@julie_wg</a>.\n<h4>Resilience</h4>\n<strong>Willy Steiner </strong>of <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Executive Coaching Concepts</a> provided <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/grit/\">The Importance of GRIT – My Recent Adventure in the Wild.</a> In the post, Willy describes how \"Grit is all about passion and perseverance. I got a good taste of each at 10,000 feet in Wyoming to see the Eclipse. \" Find Willy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/coachforexecs\">@coachforexecs</a>.\n\n<strong>Rebecca Elvy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.rebeccaelvy.com/\">Rebecca Elvy</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.rebeccaelvy.com/2017/09/17/professional-crises/\">“I’m Not Going to Make it…” Surviving Professional Crises. </a>Rebecca writes, \"I sat in my office on a Sunday afternoon and the tears began to flow. I was embarrassed – but I needn’t have been, there was nobody else around. I don’t think I’d ever cried at work before. The week had been a blur of media interviews, crisis meetings, and fire-fighting. I’m not sure I’d sat at my desk at all. I was exhausted – but the adrenaline was keeping me going.\" Find Rebecca on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/rebecca_elvy\">@rebecca_elvy</a>.\n<h4>Engagement</h4>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer</strong> of <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tanveer Naseer</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.tanveernaseer.com/critical-traits-necessary-for-leadership-success/\">4 Critical Leadership Traits That Drive Success And Growth.</a> Tanveer summarizes, \"Learn about 4 critical leadership traits you need to have in order to motivate employees to help drive organizational success and growth.\" Follow Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tanveernaseer</a>.\n\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/culture-leadership-charge-no-surprises/\">Culture Leadership Charge: No Surprises. </a>Chris recaps, \"Most employees don\'t like surprises. Chris Edmonds charges leaders with ways to avoid surprises and build trust.\"  Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@scedmonds</a>.\n\n<strong>David Grossman </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grossman Group</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/think-about-your-employees-not-yourself-when-creating-a-theme-for-your-strategy\">Think About Your Employees, Not Yourself When Creating a Theme for Your Strategy.</a> David writes, “Make sure everything associated with your strategy—from the words that describe it, to the theme or logo that represents it—resonates with those very people on whom you’re relying for success. Consider these 7 questions when creating a theme to successfully activate your strategy” Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thoughtpartner</a>.\n<h4>Inspiration/Creativity</h4>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Career Advancement Blog</a> submitted <a href=\"https://careeradvancementblog.com/career-stagnation\">4 Ways to Break Career Stagnation.</a> Joel shares: \"If you find that you\'re simply going through the motions at work, your career may be in stagnation. Follow these 4 steps to break career stagnation.\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n\n<strong>Neal Burgis</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2017/09/20/getting-comfortable-taking-innovation-risks/\">Getting Comfortable Taking Innovation Risks. </a>Neal recaps, \"Because people typically hate change, those who make change happen are the risk-takers, the adventurers. These leaders lead employees to take the risks needed with an organization to help them thrive beyond survival mode. If you are uncomfortable taking risks, get used to it. \" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Great Leadership</a> provided a guest post by <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2017/09/the-profit-potential-of-investing-in-20.html\">Dave Crenshaw. </a>Dan recaps, \"When leadership encourages employees to schedule routine fun throughout our days, weeks, months... everyone’s productivity and engagement levels significantly improve. Dave Crenshaw lays out the business case for fun in this guest post. \" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@greatleadership.</a>\n\n<strong>Jon Mertz </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thin Difference</a> submitted <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2017/09/unraveling-liberal-arts-college-strands/\">Unraveling the Liberal Arts and College Strands. </a>Jon shares, \"As the value of a liberal arts education is questioned, so is the value of college. Regardless which path we choose, we must find the right educational path for each of us.\" Discover Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thindifference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@thindifference</a>.\n<h4>Communication</h4>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seapoint Center</a> provided <a href=\"https://seapointcenter.com/take-a-stand-without-polarizing-others/\">How to Take a Stand Without Polarizing Others.</a> Jesse summarizes, \"Are you fatigued and disheartened by the current amount of polarization in the world today? Are you frustrated with leadership that divides instead of unites? It’s possible to take a stand for what you believe without polarizing those who don’t share your views. Here’s how.\" Find Jesse on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jesselynstoner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@jesselynstoner</a>.\n\n<strong>Art Petty</strong> of <a href=\"https://artpetty.com/\">Art Petty</a> submitted <a href=\"https://artpetty.com/2017/09/06/speaking-truth-to-power/\">When No One Speaks the Truth at Work, You Face a Choice.</a> Art writes, \"We\'ve all been in meetings where the latest ridiculous idea from management is greeted with what I term, aerobic head nodding. In many cases, people are afraid to speak truth to power. As a leader, you own curing this problem in your environment. As an employee, you have to decide whether you are willing to sell your self-esteem or risk ticking off your manager. If the issue is important enough, it\'s an easy choice. \" Find Art on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/artpetty\">@artpetty</a>.\n\n<strong>Marcella Bremer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leadership and Change Magazine</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/positive-communication/\">Positive Communication. </a>Marcella recaps, \"Even something as simple as the absence or presence of greetings in emails influences an organization’s climate, as research shows. See the checklist in this post to remind yourself. What could you do better? What would you add?\" Find Marcella on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@marcellabremer</a>.\n\n<strong>Mary Ila Ward </strong>of <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Horizon Point Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"https://horizonpointconsulting.com/blog3/item/what-is-diversity-and-why-does-it-matter/\">What is Diversity and Why Does it Matter?</a> Mary Ila recaps, \"Diversity and inclusion it isn’t about discrimination. It’s about creating an environment in work and in life that proves value is created in being around people who are different from us. This value is added through perspective and leads to business results. Learn more about diversity and why it matters from Mary Ila\'s post. \" Find Mary Ila on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/maryilaward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@maryilaward</a>.\n<h4>Development</h4>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Random Acts of Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/the-best-strategy-for-increasing-your-focus/\">The Best Strategy for Increasing Your Focus. </a>Susan describes her experience with Hurricane Irma, and how the storm helped her to prioritize what is important. Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@susanmazza</a>.\n\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href=\"https://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Epiphany at Work</a> provided <a href=\"https://epiphanyatwork.com/exploring-impatience-work/\">Exploring Impatience at Work.</a> Jill writes, \"Many leaders find themselves impatient with others. Explore several options for dealing with a habit that can alienate and discourage others.\" Find Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n\n<strong>Jane Perdue</strong> of the <a href=\"https://thejanegroup.org/\">Jane Group</a> provided <a href=\"https://thejanegroup.org/2-tools-keeping-open-heart-mind/\">2 tools for keeping an open heart and mind. </a>Jane discusses four ways leaders can use positive unconditional regard to acknowledge (without judgment) that everyone has the right to believe and think in their own way. Learning to do so aid leaders in unlocking the power of difference. Find Jane on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\">@thehrgoddess.</a>\n\n<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shelley Row</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/scaling-difficult-tasks-leverage-resources/\">Scaling Difficult Tasks: Leverage Your Resources.</a> In the post, Shelley shares some lessons learned on a challenging hike in Scotland.<strong> </strong>Find Shelley on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/shelleyrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@shelleyrow</a>.\n\n<strong>Beth Beutler</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H.O.P.E. Unlimited</a> provided <a href=\"https://www.bethbeutler.com/how-to-be-a-professional-fountain/\">Why You Should be a Professional Fountain.</a> Beth takes a look at the characteristics of fountains and how a true professional can, and should, mirror them. Find Beth on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bethbeutler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bethbeutler</a>.\n<h4>Leadership</h4>\n<strong>Anne Perschel</strong> of <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germane Coaching and Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/extraordinary-leaders-8-qualities/\">Extraordinary Leaders: 8 Qualities that Evolve Humanity.</a> Anne writes, \"Extraordinary leaders don’t require a title or formal position. We can all be extraordinary leaders by demonstrating the eight qualities of humanity at its best. When we do so, others are compelled to follow.\" Find Anne on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bizshrink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@bizshrink</a>.\n\n<strong>Jim Taggart </strong>of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Changing Winds</a> provided <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/meet-fdrs-backbone-frances-perkins-an-extraordinary-woman-leader/\">Frances Perkins–An Extraordinary Woman Leader.</a> In the post, Jim<b> </b>explains, \"History can teach us many lessons and perspectives. In this post an extraordinary female leader, who is not familiar to most people, is profiled. Ironically, she served under one of America’s greatest presidents, and it was through her work that contributed to his success.\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@72keys</a>.\n\n<strong>Robyn McLeod</strong> of <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/author/rmcleod/\">Chatsworth Consulting</a> provided <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2017/09/14/where-are-you-derailing-your-effectiveness-2/\">Where are you derailing your effectiveness?</a> Robyn shares five important tips for breaking a bad habit and changing a behavior that may be hindering your ability to have effective working relationships. You can find Robyn on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\">@ThoughtfulLdrs.</a>\n\n<strong>Wally Bock</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/about-wally\">Three Star Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/leadership/leadership-stamp-out-assholes-now\">Leadership: Stamp Out Assholes Now!</a> Wally writes, \"If you’ve got an awful boss, Bob Sutton’s Asshole Survival Guide will help. But we need to stop the flow of assholes into positions of power.\" You can find Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\">@WallyBock.</a>\n\n<strong>Karin Hurt</strong> of  <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> contributed <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2017/09/19/8-techniques-to-help-your-middle-managers-cultivate-their-sweet-spot-in-your-organization/\">Eight Techniques to Help Your Middle Managers Cultivate Their \"Sweet Spot\" in Your Organization.</a> In this post, Karin points out eight techniques you can use to cultivate your middle managers, and help them feel like they are a vital part of your organization. Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/letsgrowleaders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@letsgrowleaders</a>.\n\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leading With Trust</a> shared <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2017/09/03/7-barnacles-creating-drag-on-your-leadership-effectiveness/\">7 Barnacles Creating Drag on Your Leadership Effectiveness.</a> Randy writes, \"Over the course of time we accumulate habits and practices that increase drag on our performance, just like barnacles create a drag on a boat. In this post, Randy Conley shares 7 common leadership barnacles that diminish your effectiveness as a leader and how to overcome them.\" Find Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@randyconley</a>.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***</p>\n<em>Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival! If you would like to be on the distribution list for submission calls, please contact Ellen Snyder (ellen@weavinginfluence.com)!</em>', 'October 2017 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'october-2017-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2017-10-02 06:00:34', '2017-10-02 10:00:34', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/september-2017-leadership-development-carnival-2/', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34388, 273, '2017-09-26 06:00:02', '2017-09-26 10:00:02', '<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Insurance is a fairly modern concept, credited in its current form to Ben Franklin, who established the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire in 1752. Centuries prior, merchants were forced to diversify and send loads through multiple routes, assuring that if one ship sank or cargo seized, others may reach their destination. In the 14th Century, pools or estates would wager on shipments by backing them against loss.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Today, in the wake of floods and hurricanes, those without coverage become part of a hard-luck story. A colleague told me of a friend who had purchased a home in Houston immediately before Harvey struck, noting that he had not opted yet for flood insurance. It was a thousand dollar gamble that cost him everything.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">While we wisely protect our investments, home, and livelihood with insurance, this same security can make the workplace stale. Not every unforeseen harm is negative, and we stifle growth if too much effort is placed in attempts to protect ourselves from disaster. Caution keeps to the familiar, and no one has claimed that the world was changed through familiarity.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Ed Catmull writes in <a href=\"http://www.creativityincbook.com\">Creativity, Inc.</a> that we tend to attach value to random patterns we can see simply because we are unable to evaluate what we cannot. We are likely to recognize near misses or actual catastrophes but fail to see how a similar series of happenstances may have otherwise facilitated success. We sweat the close calls without understanding that they could easily be life changing positives. Random acts are in play constantly, yet these same destructive forces own creative possibilities. Lay the groundwork of safety under a blanket of insurance and your business will neither fail nor succeed as you forge a known path.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">This brings to mind the Biblical story of the Pharisees, a religious group who held power at the time of Jesus. So focused on rules while they awaited the Messiah, they could not recognize what God had placed directly in front of them. To the Pharisees, Jesus was too radical, dismissing Him as \"a voice crying in the wilderness.\" Rules were safer, so they created 613 extraneous laws (365 negative commands and 248 positives), building such a berth around the Ten Commandments to further shield their people from mistakes. A noble pursuit, perhaps, but their stubbornness and fear were crippling and short-sighted.</span></p>\n\n<h4 class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Questions on Insurance:</span></h4>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">What are you insuring against? Is it a failure - or worse, the label of failure? Catmull writes, \"Management\'s job is not to prevent risk but to build the ability to recover.\" Accepting losses and missteps as inevitable opens time for managers to plan restoration and even unexpected improvements. When I used to practice jiu-jitsu I regularly picked the strongest grapplers to roll with. Every night I both lost and learned.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Are you insuring against small mistakes or calamities? Roger Boisjoly was a booster rocket engineer at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol in Utah in January 1986 prior to the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. With many millions of contract dollars and the need to perform, NASA ignored Boisjoly and a handful of other engineers who begged for a re-examination of the booster\'s O-rings. One NASA program manager questioned Boisjoly, <a href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/06/146490064/remembering-roger-boisjoly-he-tried-to-stop-shuttle-challenger-launch\">\"When do you want me to launch - next April?\"</a>  Accepting momentary disgrace would have saved the lives of seven astronauts and the trauma to a nation that watched. But our space administration feared to look bad in the immediate.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152p1\"><span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152s1\">Is there a selfish purpose behind the insurance? The Pharisees built walls of rules not merely for purity\'s sake, it was also a construct to maintain dominion. A new prophet threatened their tight grip on Jewish society by simplifying God\'s regulations to \"Love the Lord...and love your neighbor.\" This devastating new command put free thinking into the hearts and minds of the people and cut out middle management so that employees could relate directly to the Executive Branch. Take care that your insurance has a purpose other than to only preserve control.<span class=\"m_-5946193260555314169m_-6665156582342657152Apple-converted-space\"> </span></span></p>\n***\n\n<em>Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</em>\n\nPhoto Credit: Pixabay', 'The Danger In Safety', '', 'trash', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-danger-in-safety__trashed', '', '', '2017-09-26 06:00:02', '2017-09-26 10:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34388', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34393, 482, '2017-09-26 08:49:38', '2017-09-26 08:49:38', '<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">Aside from the deformed word \"irregardless,\" the term I despise most in our language is \"workaholic.\" I bet a buddy once that irregardless was not in his dictionary, knowing full well that some fool editor at Merriam Webster had defined it as a nonstandard usage for \"regardless,\" ignoring that it really means \"not regardless.\" My friend pulled down his big red book with a smile to prove me wrong, only to find that I had utilized a nonstandard method of removing any reference. I enjoyed my Coke for having very literally won the bet, and I told my friend I had done him a favor by cutting a hole out of his dictionary.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">Workaholic, of course, is the combination of \"work\" and \"alcoholic\" - as if someone might imbibe in workahol. (Note: begin new advertisement campaign. \"Workahol! The drink for your office.\") Coined in 1968, the word served as a setup for Rodney Dangerfield\'s joke that his father was a workaholic in the sense that he got drunk every time he thought about work. Coincidentally, I want to get drunk whenever I hear the expression used, not being a fan of new age portmanteaus. Looking at you, \"webinar.\"</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">I could legitimately argue that I have the best job in the world. Seriously. But without a reason to stay late, I go home when I can. I\'m not married to my work and don\'t intend to have it as my mistress. At the same time, my family knows that while they come first ultimately, there are certain instances when business takes precedent. I have missed my share of meals, weekends, and parties for the sake of commitment to my job. But that isn\'t workaholism; I was just a little workbuzzed. An occasional glass of work after dinner is fine. Downing a six pack of work every night is a problem.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">Being a workaholic is a designation that bears little shame, and I estimate that I have heard it more as a badge of nobility and commitment than I have as disgrace or scorn. Nowhere in the business world is workaholism a condition deserving counseling, whereas most managers would prefer to have a few zealots on the team. Showing signs of workaholism, however, is absolutely a need for caution.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">Workaholism can reveal itself in people in need of real help. Committing yourself manically to any activity can often be a signal of distress at home and in outside relationships. On a minor level, workaholism demonstrates insecurity. On a more significant front, it may be a symptom of mental health issues.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">A 2016 Yale University study of workers revealed that among those deemed <a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-excess/201612/workaholism-and-psychiatric-disorders\">workaholics:</a> </span></p>\n\n<ul class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098ul1\">\n 	<li class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098li1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">32.7 percent met ADHD criteria</span></li>\n 	<li class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098li1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">25.6 percent met OCD criteria</span></li>\n 	<li class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098li1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">33.8 percent met anxiety criteria</span></li>\n 	<li class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098li1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">8.9 percent met depression criteria</span></li>\n</ul>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">Rather than admire those who are driven at work, we may be better humans to ask if they need help, an EAP referral, or at least an ear. Mitch Hedberg (an actual alcoholic) joked that alcoholism is the one disease you can get yelled at for having. \"Dangit, Otto, you\'re an alcoholic! Dangit, Otto, you have Lupus. One of those two doesn\'t sound right.\"</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098p1\"><span class=\"m_8313209837778921467m_164311725597049098s1\">I would suggest that if you would consider intervention for a friend you suspected of abusing alcohol, you might be as noble to intervene with their workaholism.</span></p>\n***\n\n<em>Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</em>\n\nPhoto credit: Pixabay', 'Workahol is not in my Spellcheck?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'workahol-not-spellcheck', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:49:07', '2017-10-16 14:49:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34393', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(34397, 399, '2017-09-27 06:00:46', '2017-09-27 10:00:46', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone makes mistakes. Employees, bosses, spouses, parents, children, friends—no one gets through life without messing up, and mistakes can be painful. Think of the time you heard someone criticizing you behind your back or the time you totally blew up at your spouse. That pain doesn’t always disappear so easily, but with time, mistakes can be fixed and forgiven. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judging favorably is one of the key ways to mitigate the negative effects of mistakes. But before we learn how to judge favorably, we must first recognize our own biases. </span>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.verywell.com/attribution-social-psychology-2795898\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that attribution biases run rampant in the workplace. For example, if my project turns out exceptionally well, I will naturally attribute that success to my own efforts and qualities. If my project does not turn out well, I will blame it on external factors such as other people and circumstances. If someone else does well on a project, I may immediately tell myself “they had a great team,” “they had so long to complete that,” or some other narrative that takes the credit away from that person. If that person fails, I will likely blame them for that failure. In other words, </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">my successes are </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">because of me</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and my failures are because of something or someone else. But other people\'s mistakes are <i>because of them </i></span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and their successes are due to an outside factor.</span>\n<h4>Why Judging Favorably Makes Sense</h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judging favorably is not blindly ignoring others’ downfalls or naively pretending situations are perfect when they are not; it is learning to judge others with the same standards that we judge ourselves. I know that when I am late for work, I usually have a good reason; my kid was not feeling well, there was a bad traffic jam, or I was so stressed out from working late that I was just not able to get it together on time. When someone else is late or messed up in any way, try to apply the same positive bias you have towards yourself to others. It’s not being naïve, it’s being fair. </span>\n<h4>Learning to Judge Favorably</h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning to judge favorably is like learning anything else; it takes practice. Don’t expect an overnight change, and don’t beat yourself up if it’s hard at first. Every time you take a moment to think “there may be circumstances that I am not aware of” or “he/she must be going through something really tough” before blaming someone for a mistake, you’re exercising your empathy muscles, and you are growing. Of course, there are times when others need to be reprimanded, but remember that you are criticizing their actions, not them as a person. Your mistakes do not define you, and their mistakes do not define them. </span>\n<h4>How Judging Favorably Gets You Ahead</h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing the good and potential in others is a conscious choice and one that gets reflected back to you. The more you are able to put aside your own biases and give others the benefit of the doubt, the more others will do the same for you. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any toddler, my 2-year-old is extremely self-centered. She also copies almost everything I say and do. This incredible little person has already taught me a lot about life, but how to judge favorably is something I have really had to work on. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“you’re throwing a tantrum in the grocery store? You must be tired!”, “You’re hitting your friend? You must not understand yet that hitting is not nice!” I could make a million excuses for my toddler’s behavior which are 100% justified because toddlers don’t naturally know better, they need to learn. We are often the same way—what appears to be a blatant disregard for the rules and regulations may be a simple misunderstanding or other circumstances that are making things exceedingly challenging. I only hope that as I work on judging favorably, my daughter will start copying that, too. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When mistakes are made, there is an opportunity for growth. Yes, the person who messed up learns from their mistake. But you, the observer, also have the opportunity to learn to judge favorably, a skill that will serve you for life.</span>\n\n***\n\nPhoto credit: Pixabay', 'Judging Favorably Gets You Ahead', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'judging-favorably-gets-ahead', '', '', '2017-09-27 06:00:46', '2017-09-27 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34397', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34402, 478, '2017-09-27 06:18:23', '2017-09-27 10:18:23', 'If you have chosen nursing as your career option and feel passionate about tending to people in dire need of care and rehabilitation, you have chosen well! Now many out there has a hard time coping with the pressure of the assignments. If you are one of them, have you considered looking for a trustworthy nursing<a href=\"https://myassignmenthelp.com/\"><strong> assignment help</strong></a> provider who can guide you with your assignments? If the stress of meeting deadlines are too much for you, then it’s time you seek out an efficient assignment maker online who has considerable experience in the area of assignment writing services.\n\n<strong>Why nursing, as a profession, is considered extremely crucial?</strong>\n\nNursing constitutes a vital part of health care sector; it involves the adoption of preventive measures to ward off any illness, promotion of overall well-being and taking the greatest care of mentally or physically ill and disabled people from different strata of society. You are required to opt for nursing as your subject to work as the assistant alongside doctors as they conduct health check-ups, surgery and also prepare necessary health plans for patients. However, obtaining a degree in nursing can be quite hard and needs a lot of hard work and dedication while preparing assignments, finishing homework and analyzing the cases from the hospitals. For example, if you are pursuing nursing in Australia, You can look for assignment writers to help your goal of achieving good grades. A professional <a href=\"https://myassignmenthelp.com/nursing_assignment_help.html\"><strong>nursing assignment help</strong></a> provider would understand your requirements and deliver the assignment accordingly.\n\nNursing is a skill that demands a lot of dedication and attention from you right from the educational level as any wrong move could be fatal for the patients’ health. That is the reason it is significant for you to emphasize on learning the skills properly by writing the assignments, and doing the practicals or working as a professional. In this case, essays and projects prove to be quite beneficial for you in acquiring knowledge about the profession of nursing. This is why many students don’t hesitate to seek <a href=\"https://myassignmenthelp.com/assignment_writing.html\"><strong>assignment writing</strong></a> help from the best nursing assignment help available online.\n\n<strong>Why do you need a proficient nursing assignment help?</strong>\n\nThere are good reasons why professors give precedence to the quality of your essay or project. They need to know that you have a good grasp over the field of nursing and you do not put the life of a patient in jeopardy. Your professor tries to evaluate whether you should be allowed to go to the next stage of learning or not. That is the reason it is advised not to take nursing assignments lightly, as doing so may affect your grades and your academic performance. If you have difficulty in preparing your assignments or do not have time to finish them, nursing assignment help will provide the necessary assistance.\n\nNursing assignment help providers online offer their help after conducting thorough research. These experts understand the process to search for relevant data necessary for completing your nursing assignment. They also understand the significance of references that establish a fact. Professors do not usually encourage any essay or projects without references, that’s why the nursing assignment help providers include references in your assignments. Since the expert writing assignments are aware that any delay in completing your assignment may prove to be a major drawback in your career path, keeping this simple fact about your academics in mind, the writers often work extra hours to meet the deadline set by you.\n\n<strong>What are the specializations that online nursing assignment help providers cater to?</strong>\n\nNursing is wide area, and it is difficult to define all the aspects related to it. However, a few essential specializations can be categorized where you can ask for assistance from our nursing assignment help provide-\n\n<strong>Geriatric Nursing:</strong> Geriatric nurses are liable to taking care of elderly patients. Since older adults have a higher risk of suffering from Cancer or Rheumatoid Arthritis, That’s why Geriatric nurses are required to offer preventative care. A nurse specialized in the area is eligible to provide post medical care to help people cope with day-to-day activities of life. A nursing assignment help, in this case, will be focused to the specialization.\n\n<strong>Cardiac Nursing:</strong> Nurses specialized in this particular area are trained in treating patients with various heart conditions. An efficient nursing assignment help provider would write the papers keeping in mind the features of this area.\n\n<strong>Ambulatory Care Nursing:</strong> This specialization is about the patients seeking care outside the hospital environments. The main assignments in ambulatory care Nursing involve the overall health education for patients with chronic illness or conditions. Choosing the effective nursing assignment help will allow you to obtain good grades.\n\n<strong>Informatics Nursing:</strong> This specific area involves nurses is to maintain the flow of information inside and outside the hospitals. The process calls for nurses to evaluate the data thoroughly with the assistance of informatics. Getting ahead in this area will be easier with the assistance of online nursing assignment help.\n\nNow that you have been equipped with the necessary information about the area of nursing don’t forget to give online nursing assignment help a try.', 'Getting a Nursing Assignment Help Could be the Best Decision for Your Career', '', 'trash', 'open', 'closed', '', '__trashed-2', '', '', '2017-09-27 06:18:23', '2017-09-27 10:18:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34402', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34407, 306, '2017-09-28 06:00:18', '2017-09-28 10:00:18', 'The<em> following post is a preview excerpt from Chapter 3 of <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Help-Them-Grow-Watch-Conversations/dp/1609946324/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1506563595&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=help+them+grow+or+watch+them+go\">Help Them Grow, or Watch Them Go </a>by Julie Winkle-Giulioni in celebration of the book\'s five year anniversary! </em>\n\nYour employees’ ability to take satisfying and productive steps toward career goals is directly proportionate to their self-awareness.\n<h6>Looking Back to Move Forward</h6>\nYou can enable career-advancing self-awareness by helping employees take stock of where they’ve been, what they’ve done, and who they are. Looking backward thoughtfully is what hindsight conversations are all about. They surface what people need to know and understand about themselves to approach future career steps in a productive and satisfying way.\n\nFor hindsight to be as clear as possible, though, two different perspectives are required. The employee’s self-perception is the starting point. (That’s what this chapter is all about.) But it needs to be confirmed, challenged, enhanced, and otherwise worked over with information gathered from others. When employees, co-workers, and you the manager also look backward at performance and results, hindsight gets that much closer to 20/20. (Just wait until the next chapter for more about feedback.)\n<h6>Hindsight allows employees to develop a clear view of their:</h6>\n<ul>\n 	<li>Skills and strengths - what they’re good at;</li>\n 	<li>Values - what’s most important;</li>\n 	<li>Interests - what keeps them engaged;</li>\n 	<li>Dislikes - what they want to steer clear of;</li>\n 	<li>Preferences - how they like to work; and</li>\n 	<li>Weaknesses - what they struggle with.</li>\n</ul>\nClarity around these factors allows for intentional movement toward career objectives.  Otherwise, people may engage in lots of activity that’s not focused or that takes them in directions that aren’t consistent with who they are and what they really want to do.\n<blockquote>“I worked for years to get that senior troubleshooter promotion. Put everything into it. But when I got it, I was miserable. The travel took me away from my family for weeks on end and the work itself was really unsatisfying. I’d swoop in, do my part and then swoop out... never seeing the end product or really feeling a part of it. If I’d really thought about it, I would have known that it wasn’t a good fit.  I’ve always been happiest being part of an ongoing team and having something tangible to show for my efforts at the end of the day.”    - IT Consultant</blockquote>\nEmployees may get ‘there’ only to discover that it’s not really where they wanted to be.\n\nHindsight conversations are the foundation of career development. They are designed to spark thinking, encourage connections, and promote discovery. They provide invaluable information to the employee and to you, the manager. You can facilitate this type of self-awareness through quality questions that:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Haunt the employee, popping out around every corner;</li>\n 	<li>Percolate throughout the day - and maybe at night; and</li>\n 	<li>Worm their way around their minds, finding new areas to explore.</li>\n</ul>\n(If you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop and for us to tell you about the 10-20 hours of additional to-dos that are required to appropriately support your employees in their career development, let it go. It’s not going to happen. We’re serious. You can be highly effective by just guiding the conversation. You don’t have to have the answers and you don’t have to drive the action.  Really!)\n<h6>The Gravitational Pull of Weaknesses</h6>\nMost people are disconnected from their strengths but strongly drawn toward their weaknesses. When you have a minute (literally 60 seconds), make a list of all of your strengths and weaknesses. Chances are you’ll have more weaknesses than strengths on your list.\n\nIn fact, in workshop after workshop, we witness a surprising human dynamic. When people are asked to create a list of their weaknesses, they do so effortlessly, smiling and sometimes laughing at the task. Ask these same people to list their strengths and you see a very different response. Furrowed brows. Head scratching. Grimaces and genuine agitation. Odd, huh?\n<h6>What About You</h6>\nYou can even skip the writing and count up your strengths on one hand and weaknesses on the other. More smiles or frowns?\n\nA strength is a lot like oxygen. We don’t really pay much attention to it... unless it’s missing.\n\n***\n\nIf you would like to help Julie celebrate her book, please share this post, use one of these graphics, and tag Julie in the post!\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/help_them_grow_share04.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-34411\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/help_them_grow_share04-300x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/help_them_grow_share03.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-34412\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/help_them_grow_share03-300x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" /></a>', 'Preview Thursday: Help Them Grow, or Watch Them Go', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-help-grow-watch-go', '', '', '2017-09-28 06:00:18', '2017-09-28 10:00:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34407', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34417, 479, '2017-09-28 01:34:32', '2017-09-28 05:34:32', '<a name=\"_GoBack\"></a> <span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,serif\"><span style=\"font-size: medium\">A classmate of mine has one of the best writing services in our college. He among many other service providers are efficient in their work, and anyone may submit anything that he or she wants to be written, and in two hours you will have it complete and ready for your approval. He is among the many people who have sites that have dedicated themselves to helping students get better grades in their assignments. These sites have experienced experts that are known to deliver quality work. Not only do they go an extra mile and give you examples that you can use as reference material for your future assignment, but they also go a step further and give your personal experts that you can consult anytime you feel like you are stuck and do not have a clue about what to write next. In your course of study in college, you are going to find it hugely beneficial if you come up with a dream or a couple of dreams upon which your hard work will be based. Having a dream requires you to channel your energy towards attaining a set of clearly spelled out goals. This means that you have to drop any form of skeptic thoughts you have regarding online services and choose to </span></span><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,serif\"><span style=\"font-size: medium\"><b><a href=\"https://pay4essayonline.blogspot.com\">pay someone to write an essay</a>. </b></span></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,serif\"><span style=\"font-size: medium\">One has to admit that this is amongst the safest way that you can easily succeed as good grades start with good papers. If you have no focus, you are like a headless chicken that is just struggling along. Well, we all know what happens to headless chicken, don’t we? All headless chicken eventually die after some time. Get yourself a dream, believe that you can make it come true and then work tirelessly to make it a reality. This is what it takes a student to be successful in college. You can be successful if you follow these three simple steps. The first one is establishing the best service out there that you can be loyal to and become a frequent customer of their services. The second one is ensuring that you have an expert on the site that you can always constant to help whenever you are in trouble with your assignments. The last one is able to be ready to listen to other people’s advice on what is the <a href=\"https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-improve-writing-skills/\">best way to improve your writing</a>.</span></span>', 'Calm Down and Find Someone To Pay For Essay Writing', '', 'trash', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-get-someone-for-writing-help__trashed', '', '', '2017-09-28 01:34:32', '2017-09-28 05:34:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34417', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34419, 273, '2017-09-29 06:00:47', '2017-09-29 10:00:47', '&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tom Friedman, the New York Times columnist, and author believes the rate of change has become so rapid that it now outpaces our current ability to adapt. In order to manage during this disorienting instability, leaders need </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to learn</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> faster and better.  Just how do leaders accelerate their learning power? </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are nine practices based on nine learning styles described in </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How You Learn Is How You Live: Using Nine Ways of Learning To Transform Your Life</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, that you can use immediately to improve your learning—and leading-- power:  </span>\n<h4><b> Be mindful.  </b></h4>\nIf you’re going through life on autopilot, new experiences lack meaning.  It\'s not experienced<i></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experiencing </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that is the source of learning.  Because of habits and stereotypes, you may live through many experiences without actually experiencing them. Overcome habitual thinking and pay attention to experiences in a particular way in order to be present and non-judgmental in the moment.  </span>\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Am I involved and engaged in the present moment?</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Imagine new possibilities.  </b></h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be curious about what “might be” by imagining new possibilities and seeking others’ opinions. Instead of judging immediately or assuming the status quo is the good enough, seek diversity to spark some new ideas.    </span>\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\"What information will help me be creative in my approach?\"</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>  Pause to reflect. </b></h4>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By pushing the pause button even when situations seem urgent, you will be able to make sense of situations, consider many perspectives, and determine the best action to take. Instead of rushing to action or assuming that you have the full picture, allow adequate time to reflect.  This will help you to become purposeful instead of just busy, ensuring you are aiming at the right target.   </span>\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have I observed and deliberated?”</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Organize your thoughts and environment.  </b></h4>\nBy making sure that you have some structure in all parts of your life—scheduling time, following processes at work, even keeping your environment orderly—you’ll be able to focus on the details that matter. Instead of living life on the fly, add some structure. Paradoxically, it will help you to be more flexible when you want to be.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have I created the structures that support me?”</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Be a healthy skeptic. </b></h4>\nFocus on facts and make an independent judgment before being caught up in the excitement of those around you. Look for the problems that others may not see. Instead of getting caught up in the emotions of a situation, step back to examine the evidence. By having a firm grip on the facts, you’ll be able to communicate logically and rationally...\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does the evidence show?”</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Commit to achieving practical results. </b></h4>\nOnce you’ve considered all options and examined the facts, decide on a goal that will yield practical results. Create a clear picture of what success looks like, and then make sure you’re making progress toward the finish line. Instead of constantly allowing new ideas to sway you, commit to finishing one thing well before you move on to the next opportunity.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “Have I committed to a goal?”  </span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Get things done on time.  </b></h4>\nMake progress toward your goals, even when you have limited resources. Instead of being paralyzed by perfectionism, nudge yourself to act with intention to execute your plan.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Am I able to find ways to make things happen?”</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Tap your courage to seize the moment.  </b></h4>\nWhen you see a new opportunity, grab the chance. Instead of holding back because you aren’t sure of the outcome, listen to your intuition and take some calculated risks when you sense upside gain.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do I seize new opportunities?”</span></blockquote>\n<h4><b>Be adaptable enough to pivot</b>.</h4>\nRecognize that at times you need to adapt to shifting priorities. Look for blind spots in the whole situation and gaps in your approach. Instead of going to the extremes to carry out a rigid plan when it doesn’t serve you well, be adaptive when the situation calls for it.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask, “Do I </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">adapt when priorities shift?”</span></blockquote>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you can flexibly use these nine practices together, allowing one to enhance another, you are creating your own accelerating forces that increase your leadership effectiveness in any situation.  </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kay-HPP-Website-Photo.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-34421 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kay-HPP-Website-Photo-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>Kay Peterson is a Founder and Director of the Institute for Experiential Learning. She is an executive coach, organizational development consultant and co-author with David A. Kolb of </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How You Learn Is How You Live: Using Nine Ways of Learning to Transform Your Life</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.  </span><a href=\"http://www.experientiallearninginstitute.org\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.experientiallearninginstitute.org</span></i></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto credit: Pixabay', 'Nine Practices to Accelerate Your Learning Power', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'nine-practices-accelerate-learning-power', '', '', '2017-09-29 06:00:47', '2017-09-29 10:00:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34419', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34433, 251, '2017-10-11 06:00:31', '2017-10-11 10:00:31', 'I’m sure her intentions were noble, yet her actions conveyed a different message.\n\n<em>I want to collaborate with you on a project,</em> she wrote in an email. <em>Let’s schedule a phone conversation.</em>\n\nHer assistant set up the call, which lasted less than 10 minutes. After exchanging the usual pleasantries and background overviews, she said we should co-author an article because we shared several common interests. I agreed. <em>My assistant will get more details to you, </em>she promised.\n\nThat’s the last time the two of us engaged. All subsequent communications, be they written or verbal, were with her assistant.\n\nThroughout the back and forth of the project, I felt more like an employee than a collaborator.\n\nThis was an uncomfortable feeling, one that prompted me to reflect. I wondered if at times, because of an overly full schedule, had I done the same thing to others.\n\nI had.\n\nOh, dear.\n<blockquote>I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will remember how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou</blockquote>\nIn my quest to succeed, I’d failed to lead myself. I hadn’t always given others the gift of presence and authentic connection.\n\nJust like the co-authoring woman and her delegation to her assistant had done, I’d inadvertently sent the message that my time was more important, my power greater, and my spot on the totem pole more lofty. Ah, to be able to turn back the hands of time and have a go at do-overs.\n\nIt’s not possible or practical for every interaction to be face-to-face or spoken-word-to-spoken-word. There has to be that Goldilocks “just enough” that reinforces to others that their contributions are valued, their time is important, and their voices are valued enough to be heard directly, not through a third party.\n<h3>7 ways to build colleague-to-colleague respect and trust</h3>\nThis message of connection, respect, and value can be conveyed in ways big and small, from a distance or up close and personal, because building a personal connection is work that can never be delegated.\n<ul>\n 	<li>Communicate one-on-one periodically when involved with a colleague on a work project. Walk by someone’s cube or office and deliver a message in-person.</li>\n 	<li>When physically present, nod, smile, and acknowledge their presence. Listen fully someone is speaking.  If not in-person, respect their time and work by reading their entire email, report, or message.</li>\n 	<li>Be more than a figurehead at employee functions and get-togethers. Put the phone down and engage.</li>\n 	<li>Practice reciprocity and think equals, colleagues, not subordinate. Share the spotlight and give credit where credit is due.</li>\n 	<li>Use the feedback that’s requested. People know when the ask is hollow and for appearances only.</li>\n 	<li>Focus on being both likeable and competent, both efficient and effective.</li>\n 	<li>Set the right ground rules and expectations upfront. Specify if the work project will be directive or collaborative and follow through appropriately.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>Those who must listen to the pleas and cries of their people should do so patiently, because the people want attention to what they say, ever more than the accomplishing for which they came. ~Ptahhotep, Egyptian philosopher</blockquote>\nIn leading yourself, be both strong and courageous enough to be vulnerable. Reflect on your busyness. Is your time and attention focused on things, process, and results? Are people, connection, and relationship missing from the equation?\n\nIf so, find the ideal combination of both results and relationships that work for you so respect, trust, and authentic connection can be yours.', 'Building Respect, Trust, and Authentic Connection', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'building-respect-trust-authentic-connection', '', '', '2017-10-11 06:00:31', '2017-10-11 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34433', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(34436, 409, '2017-10-03 06:00:23', '2017-10-03 10:00:23', 'Being a leader isn’t just about getting the best out of yourself and your team - it comes with a fair degree of responsibility, too.\n\nToday, I’d like to talk about technology and how our over-reliance on business gadgetry might be putting us in very real danger.\n\nYou’ll have to forgive me for getting soppy about our wonderful planet for a moment, but our reliance on technology has had the dramatic side effect of pushing the planet’s energy usage beyond what anyone would consider reasonable.\n\nExperts will point to renewable energy as a possible fix, but <a href=\"https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=solar-panels\">this graphic</a> neatly illustrates how big a job it would be to power the world’s major cities via that method.\n\nSo, what can we humble business leaders do to help curb the world’s thirst for electricity?\n\nI’ve got an idea, and it involves drastically reducing the amount of tech we rely on. Here’s how I’ve started to do that myself:\n<h4><strong>Invest only in smart tech</strong></h4>\nExperts believe that <a href=\"https://wiser.draytoncontrols.co.uk/blog/what-will-smart-city-future-look\">70% of the population</a> will be living in ‘smart cities’ by 2050. Quite what that means exactly is anyone’s guess, but we’re already seeing green shoots of technology that’s spookily human-like in its ability to be genuinely useful.\n\nThink Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri personal assistants, and you get the idea.\n\nMost importantly, smart technology is capable of being very efficient indeed. In my home office, for example, I’ve invested in lights and heating that can all be controlled from my smartphone and configured to only come on when absolutely needed.\n\nMy Apple Watch has been a revelation, too, and thanks to its notification system, means I spend far less time using devices I’d otherwise be turning on or charging simply to check what’s going on in the world.\n<h4><strong>I spend more time ‘in the moment’</strong></h4>\nI’ve been very guilty in the past of living my life through technology.\n\nWhether it be catching up constantly on the latest news and happenings on social media, taking photos of every interesting event or location rather than breathing it in or choosing to communicate with colleagues digitally rather than in-person, tech always seemed to take me out of ‘the moment’.\n\nNow, I’ll put my smartphone down, revel in simply being alive and in a position of running my own business and shun digital contact for that of the face-to-face variety wherever possible.\n\nIt makes me happier, more productive and far less device-dependent.\n<h4><strong>I use tech to keep me away from tech</strong></h4>\nHere’s a curious one; I’ve found that I can reduce my reliance on tech by using it more.\n\nI now use a couple of different apps that both track my time worked and remind me to get up and do things. The former is a standard hour tracker which gives me an invaluable insight into how long I’ve been grafting away, while the latter resides on my Apple Watch and tells me at regular intervals to stand up and become more active.\n\nApps and services like these are tech at its most mindful, in my book, and they’re capable of making a tangible, positive difference to your life.\n<h4><strong>Final thought</strong></h4>\nI love technology and always will, but since I’ve started to curb my reliance on it, I’ve found I’m less inclined to purchase every new gadget that arrives on the market and have become far more productive.\n\nAs noted at the start of this post, I’m also convinced I’m genuinely doing my bit for the planet.\n\nJoin me in charging stuff less often, switching off when you’ve had enough and - most importantly - living for the now.', 'Got Tech?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'got-tech', '', '', '2017-10-03 06:00:23', '2017-10-03 10:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34436', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34446, 273, '2017-10-04 06:00:21', '2017-10-04 10:00:21', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly three-quarters of a customer’s loyalty is determined by how that customer is treated. Research conducted by McKinsey and Company found the customer experience, the more likely they will be to return and directly refer you to others.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is the bizarre thing – most companies already intuitively know this!  Yet, they fall victim to a belief their bottom line will be sustained by consistently providing customers with merely a </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">satisfactory</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> service experience. The rationale goes something like this: “If we can simply meet our customers’ requirements and expectations on a regular basis, they will never leave us.”  Sadly, while this strategy </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">may</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> keep you in business, it will </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">never</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provide the sustainable growth necessary to differentiate you from your competition. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today’s customers consider okay, satisfactory, pretty good, nothing special service to be mediocre.  Yesterday’s customer grade of B might not get you a C today!  Why?  Here are a few reasons...</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a customer does business with an organization at any point along their service journey, their aggregate interactions will net one of three evaluations: it </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exceeds</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expectations, </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">simply meets </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">expectations, or it </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fails to meet</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expectations. These expectations are formed not just on based on direct interactions with the company but also based on service provided by the competition and word of mouth from friends, family, and social media. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, perhaps the biggest factor shaping customer expectations are exceptional service experiences they have received which can span across all industries.  When your customer goes to Disney World, shops at Nordstrom, or buy online from Zappos, their experiences become fodder for comparisons to you.  Is your website as easy as Amazon?  Is your responsiveness on par with FedEx?  Is your product as cutting edge as Tesla?  All those experiences elevate the standards for every enterprise on the planet—whether we like it or not! </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Th</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e Merely satisfied</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> customers receive exactly what was expected… nothing more, nothing less. At service exemplary companies like The Ritz-Carlton, Chick-fil-A, USAA and Harley Davidson, delivering a service experience that does not exceed customer expectations is regarded as a failure.  Even an Uber driver whose customer ratings fall below a 4.5 on a 5-point scale, loses his or her license to represent the Uber brand.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But hold on.  Isn’t the true objective to always satisfy our customers and just give them what they want? Not if your company is truly committed to driving business outcomes like higher customer return/retention rates, deeper relationships, a larger share of wallet, and increased referrals.  And, certainly not if you want to build a devoted customer base that will become avid extensions of your sales and marketing departments.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mere satisfaction is just not enough in today’s increasingly high-tech, high-touch world. Customers simply have too many choices to take their business elsewhere.  Customer loyalty, on the other hand, is the perfect antidote to fickle consumers who will bail on you at the first minor hiccup. Focus on adding strategies that foster customer loyalty and consistently exceed their expectations.  Mere satisfaction or loyalty… what will you focus on today?</span>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0511.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-34447 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0511-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">J</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">amey Lutz is a customer experience thought-leader with more than 20 years of leadership tenure across numerous industries.  Prior to joining Forrest Performance Group (FPG) in his current role as human performance strategist, Jamey served in a senior leadership capacity with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. He can be reached at Jamey@fpg.com.</span>', '&#039;Good&#039; Is Not Enough', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'good-not-enough', '', '', '2017-10-04 06:00:21', '2017-10-04 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34446', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34450, 274, '2017-10-05 06:00:06', '2017-10-05 10:00:06', 'The following post is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Character-Based-Leader-Instigating-Leadership-Revolution/dp/145751222X\">The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution...One Person at a Time</a> in celebration of its five year anniversary along with quotes from the authors about their experience.\n<h4>Insigating a Character-Based Leadership Revolution</h4>\nThis is our attempt to connect you with your own inner passion to live your life as the change you believe the world needs.\n<h6>Underlying Principles</h6>\nYou will see three core underlying principles running through the descriptions in the following chapters:\n<ol>\n 	<li>Leadership is influence.</li>\n 	<li>Influence is given.</li>\n 	<li>People give influence based on competence, trust and purpose.</li>\n</ol>\nEach principle forms the foundation of what you’re about to read.\n<h6>Leadership Is Influence</h6>\nJohn Maxwell has quite famously stated, “Leadership is influence, plain and simple.” It is the ability to get someone else to want to do what you want them to do. Leadership respects the individual and their choice to contribute.\n<h6>Influence Is Given</h6>\nSimon Sinek has stated that we can only inspire or manipulate. Every individual in the developed world is a free agent (even though we acknowledge that many people around the world are not free). Degrees of freedom may be applied, but everyone is free to choose whom they support, what they support, and the degree to which they support an idea. Seth Godin calls this “emotional labor” in his book Linchpin, quoting Arlie Hochschild. We choose the degree to which we bring our creative energies to an effort. We choose the degree to which we innovate, excite, mobilize and serve others. In the end, cooperation with a leader is contributed.\n<h6>People Give Influence Based on Competence, Trust and Purpose</h6>\n<strong>Competence.</strong> First, we want to know if the leader can get us to the group’s objective. Although I might trust my wife to want me to be well, I don’t always take her medical advice and I would never let her operate on me. We must believe that the person we choose to join has the ability to get us to the objective.\n\n<strong>Trust.</strong> Second, we must believe that the leader will get us to our objective. In addition to reaching the group’s objective, we need to know the leader will do so in a way that doesn’t violate our best interests, but helps us achieve the benefit we expect from joining the effort. We want our leaders to be for us, not simply for themselves.\n\n<strong>Purpose.</strong> Finally, we must believe the purpose is worth the effort. We may believe the leader capable and we may believe the leader to be trustworthy, but the leader may have a vision and direction contrary to where we want to go. Without regard to the quality of the purpose, we simply must have an aligned purpose or we won’t give the leader much influence or authority over us. We will withdraw our cooperation if the leader’s objectives and ours begin to separate.\n\nNow you understand a bit of the history and the foundation for the remainder of the book. This book isn’t designed to be instructional, but rather inspirational. We hope to excite you about the idea that your personal leadership makes a critical difference in the world. We want to challenge you to bring the best you to the marketplace of ideas and to make a positive difference. We want you to achieve your greatest accomplishments based on who you are. Remember, great accomplishments are those that benefit others. Bring your best self, your true character, to make the greatest difference for people in your sphere of influence. That’s Character-Based Leadership.\n\n***\n<h4>Here are some thoughts from the authors...</h4>\n<em>\"I continue to be amazed at how this book came together. I have never met one of my 20 co-authors in person and we got this done in a year. Humility and focused, character-based leadership made it happen. Thank you, Mike </em>Henry<em>, Sr., for bringing us together for this experience of a lifetime.\"</em>\n\n<strong>-Mary Schaefer</strong>\n\n<em>\"A shared concern about the state of leadership in our world brought 21 people from 3 Countries together online.  (Even though most of us had not met in real life.)  Our uncommon collaboration was filled with vision and hope as we dreamed of instigating a Character-Based Leadership Revolution!</em>\n\n<em>5 Years later:<strong> </strong> Our world is still shaking and calling all who care about truth, </em>freedom<em> and people. </em>\n\n<em>It is urging us out of our comfortable caves of hibernation where we’ve allowed others to do most of the thinking and feeling for us. It is warning us that we have a leadership crises and calling us to action.</em>\n\n<em>It is time. Time to wake up. Time to pay attention. Time to deeply evaluate our titled leaders and those that seek to lead.</em>\n\n<em>Time to listen BEYOND the things you admire about them. …And BEYOND the things you can’t stand about them.\"</em>\n\n<strong>-Chery Gegelman</strong>\n\n<em>\"I was honored to be a part of the dynamic team of authors who wrote “The Character-Based Leader”!  I am passionate about helping people discover where their strengths and passions are, and then connecting those in their family, faith and work lives!  The book has been an instrumental tool in challenging friends who are leaders in their own businesses to make character THE key component as they build their businesses and teams!\"</em>\n\n<strong>-Page Cole</strong>\n\n<em>\"It was an honor to be one of the authors of the Character-Based Leader. Every chapter contains practical wisdom for how to be the kind of person people want to follow and how to use that intentional influence to affect your world. More than great content, it was remarkable to see an incredibly diverse group of passionate individuals from all over the world come together for the purpose of amplifying a single idea: that something powerful happens when we use who we are and what we have for the benefit of others. Whether you\'re at the bottom, middle, or top of your organization, or at the beginning of something new, leading from who you are will take you further, faster, and with lasting results. I\'m grateful to be a small part of this project.\"</em>\n\n<strong>-Chad Balthrop</strong>\n\n***\n<h5>If you are interested to learn more about the authors, here is a complete list:</h5>\n<h6>Tara Alemany</h6>\n<h6>Chad Balthrop</h6>\n<h6>Meghan M. Biro</h6>\n<h6>S. Max Brown</h6>\n<h6>Page Cole</h6>\n<h6>Heather Coleman-Voss</h6>\n<h6>Deborah Costello</h6>\n<h6>Mónica Diaz</h6>\n<h6>Sonia Dimaulo</h6>\n<h6>Georgia Feiste</h6>\n<h6>Chery Gegelman</h6>\n<h6>Christina Haxton</h6>\n<h6>Mike Henry Sr.</h6>\n<h6>Will Lukang</h6>\n<h6>Susan Mazza</h6>\n<h6>Jennifer Miller</h6>\n<h6>Jane Perdue</h6>\n<h6>Lisa Petrilli</h6>\n<h6>Dan Rockwell</h6>\n<h6>Mary Schaefer</h6>\n<h6>Don Shapiro</h6>', 'The Character-Based Leader 5 Year Anniversary', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'character-based-leader-5-year-anniversary', '', '', '2017-10-05 06:00:06', '2017-10-05 10:00:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34450', 0, 'post', '', 1);
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(34462, 273, '2017-10-09 06:00:43', '2017-10-09 10:00:43', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your life was a silent film, could the people in the audience discern your influence?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We leaders have become a communicative group. I just Googled “leadership,” and got 861 million hits. We’ve written books on leadership, blogs on leadership, articles on leadership, and white papers on leadership. We’ve talked about leadership in podcasts, radio interviews, TED talks, TEDx talks, and on TV. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We diligently craft messages about leadership for every social media channel under the sun.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s good for us to do these things. We have knowledge and insights to share that make people’s lives better. I’m proud to be a member of and in service to this community.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And –</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s also good for us to remember that the most powerful way to increase our own influence as leaders is through </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> talking.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You increase your influence through </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">listening</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The people who are most influential among the people they lead spend 80% of their time listening. This means that for every one-hour conversation you have, you spend 48 minutes </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> talking. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It’s easy to “commit” to being a better listener without making much progress. It’s more effective to commit to a </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">specific way</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of listening. Here are two ways you can keep that commitment and more easily reach your goal of listening 80% of the time in every conversation you have:</span>\n<h3><b>1. Use Questions Effectively</b></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, use open-ended questions that have many possible answers. “How did that work out?” “How did you feel when that happened?” Use closed-ended questions to get a precise answer, and then follow up with more open-ended questions. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second, avoid “Why?” questions. They tend to make people defensive. If the person is describing something from the past, ask them what happened. If they’re suggesting an action, ask what they think will happen. Either way, you usually get the same kind of explanation that a “Why?” question would generate, but without the negative emotional response.</span>\n<h3><b>2. Use Silence Effectively</b></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Silence is the source of acknowledgment, the presence of appreciation, and the genesis of connecting one with other human beings.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After you ask a question, wait for silence before forming your next question or comment. Attune to what is being communicated to you. Don’t even think about what you should say next until you have first listened to what is being said and processed what you should say next during silence. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowing everyone to think during silence promotes discovery more than just jumping in with whatever question or comment comes to mind. If you wait and concentrate on what you’ve heard, you’re more likely to say something relevant and helpful. Getting comfortable with silence and using it properly will help you build relationships, trust, and influence.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most Americans get uncomfortable when silence stretches on for more than a few seconds. Your conversation partner may be one of those people who need to jump right in and fill the silence. Allow it. Or, he or she may be much more comfortable with long silence than you are. You should practice being silent for long stretches to handle those situations.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commit to spending less time drawing out your own insights and more time drawing out and exploring the insights of others. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strive to be more interested than interesting.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increase your influence by saying less. After all, people are paying far more attention to what you </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TLS-Website-Photo.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-34479 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TLS-Website-Photo-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>Mark</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deterding, founder of Triune Leadership Services, helps leaders find soul-deep satisfaction in how they lead. Mark’s </span><a href=\"http://course.triuneleadershipservices.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online course</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has supported leaders to increase earnings by 75% within 5 years. Mark is the author of Leading Jesus’ Way: Become the Servant Leader God Created You to Be and a popular </span><a href=\"http://triuneleadershipservices.com/blog/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">faith-based servant leadership blog.</span></a>', 'Increase Your Influence - Stop Talking!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'increase-influence-stop-talking', '', '', '2017-10-09 06:00:43', '2017-10-09 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34462', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(34466, 482, '2017-10-10 06:00:44', '2017-10-10 06:00:44', '<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">In 1991, psychiatrists Kevin Passer and Julia Warnock wrote about a patient named Mrs. D., a 74-year-old married housewife with a remarkable ailment. She had originally received the diagnosis of atypical psychosis because of her belief that her husband had been replaced by another unrelated man. She refused to sleep with the impostor, locked her bedroom door at night, asked her son for a gun, and finally fought with the police when attempts were made to hospitalize her. At times she also believed her husband was her long deceased father. She easily recognized other family members and would misidentify her husband only. What Mrs. D suffered from is a rare psychosis called Capgras Syndrome, a delusional misidentification of people (even pets!) close to you.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Capgras was first described by two French doctors in 1923, Joseph Capgras, for whom the syndrome is named, and Jean Reboul-Lachaux. Their patient, Madame M., was convinced that her family and neighbors had all been replaced by lookalikes. She said she\'d had 80 husbands -- one imposter would simply leave to make room for a new one.<span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970Apple-converted-space\">  </span>Her husband looked familiar and was memorable to her; she was simply unable to connect his face with the actual feeling of recognizability.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Those dealing with Capgras forget the ones they love, most often their closest love. Typically comes the belief that the man or woman in their house is a fraud. Sometimes associated with Alzheimer\'s, they have literally lost their loved one. Though able to distinguish the face in front of them, they do not experience the warmth once related to it.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">What happens when you no longer recognize the job you once valued? What to do when you show for work one day and the atmosphere is strange and uncomfortable; work is familiar but the same affection is no longer associated?</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">My first job was typical: earning $2.50 an hour to pull weeds at a cemetery a bike ride\'s distance away. The work featured hot sun, perpetually green fingers, but a paycheck! Well, cash anyway. Nothing inherent in the labor should have been motivating, but simply having a job felt like a privilege and a thrill.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Working for pay is purposeful in itself, and most reading this post are likely to have the advantage of choosing their career.<span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970Apple-converted-space\">  </span>You probably were able to select a professional path and follow in what you believed to be a calling. Remember sitting through interviews and waiting by the phone or email to find you were awarded the position? It is like hearing from a high school crush. And then first date butterflies as you drive to the office, followed by a rosy honeymoon period.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">At some point, many employees become embittered with work and lose the love they once had. We forget why we came, what brought us joy, or we merely become disenchanted. The job we were once excited for is no longer recognizable.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">If you find that the work you once thought you knew is now foreign, or that you have fallen out of love with it, I have some suggestions.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Re-ignite the passion. My parents attended Marriage Encounter workshops in the 80\'s to keep their marriage from becoming an everyday chore. They attended retreats, journaled, and found new aspects to cherish in an old relationship. There may be similar conferences, seminars, books, or blogs to examine that can remind you of the fondness you once had. Just as in a relationship, don’t take your work for granted. Instead, put the time and dedication into restoring your previous delight in work.<span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970Apple-converted-space\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Mentor a junior colleague. My father dealt with grief over Mom\'s death in part by volunteering with the same hospice that cared for his wife. Serving is a proven method to take the emphasis off of personal despair by focusing on someone else’s needs. Taking a younger teammate through the growth process can be a reminder of your initial passion, reacquainting you with that first love through their untarnished viewpoint. It can also provide a purpose at the workplace that may have otherwise been missing.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Take on a new challenge. If work is furrowed with mundane tasks, a change in routine can test your mind and spirit. Asking to be challenged signals that you are willing to go beyond what is expected. Meanwhile, new projects may be enlivening, as well as an opportunity to find something fresh that you can love at work.<span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970Apple-converted-space\"> </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">Interestingly, Capgras has an effect only on sight, so a method for managing the delusion is to first announce your presence through a door so the patient\'s mind can associate the face with a voice they know. Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran suggests verbally making the emotional connection by saying, for example, “Hi, honey, it’s your husband Bob, I’m home! I can’t wait to tell you about my day! How are you?” Coming into sight, the patient has already established loving ties to the person speaking, helping them to accept an unfamiliar face.</span></p>\n<p class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970p1\"><span class=\"m_8004962621606821498m_7271781533908017970s1\">It may take great effort to re-recognize what you loved about work...but you did love it at one time.</span></p>\n***\n\n<em>Elliot Anderson is the pseudonym of a midwestern father and writer who wishes work were not such a painful place for people. He believes if leaders would invoke simple courtesies, they could help employees thrive. As a team player, he brings joy to his workplace by cracking jokes and sharing food. He’s worked in both nonprofit and government organizations. He studied religion, journalism, and intercultural studies. Though you won’t find Elliot on social channels, he will respond to comments on his articles here.</em>', 'Falling Out of Love', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'falling-out-of-love', '', '', '2017-10-16 14:48:57', '2017-10-16 14:48:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34466', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34473, 480, '2017-10-06 17:54:46', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '<div id=\"ember1094\" class=\"ember-view\">\n<div class=\"reader-article-content\">\n\nClusters of rapid change events in local, national, and international cultures and economies are undermining traditional expectations in the workplace—and forcing leaders, especially HR leaders, to face the unknown. Countless articles cite the barrage of transformational changes facing organizations today - <a href=\"https://www.td.org/Publications/Research-Reports/2014/Change-Agents-the-Role-of-Organizational-Learning-in-Change-Management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">one notes that in the year studied, one in four organizations endured significant change initiatives every other month</a>. Many have also written about the sobering reality that roughly 75 percent of all change efforts fail.\n<h2><strong>Transformational Change—Not the Same as a Technical Challenge</strong></h2>\nA Google search for “change management” yields more than 94 million results. Missing from the literature however, are practical approaches to objectively assessing the types of change organizations face, and the implications for how we respond as leaders.<strong> </strong>Given the new normal exhibited by an operating environment in a permanent state of change, we need to better understand the nature and types of changes we face, respond to them strategically, and develop tactical solutions accordingly. HR leaders can help others begin to see change as ongoing, evolutionary, and emergent, and look at it objectively. This opens the possibility of responding intentionally to change, rather than reacting to it.\n\nA number of authors and researchers have coalesced around a key distinction with regard to two types of challenges. Originally described by Ron Heifetz, the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, <em>technical challenges</em> are relatively easy to define and understand, and you can organize and manage solutions to them as enterprise initiatives. By contrast, <em>Adaptive challenges</em> are ambiguous and hard to define, and sometimes even unperceivable by the people facing them. Organization development consultant <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsvaren/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eric Svaren</a> elaborated on the distinction between technical problems and adaptive challenges shortly after Heifetz introduced the idea. A version of his work is reflected in the table below.\n<div class=\"slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\"><img class=\"\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAuCAAAAJDlhODBiZjVkLTljMmYtNGEwMy1hM2RkLTU4NGM5N2VjM2IwMw.png\" width=\"626\" height=\"537\" /></div>\n<h2>How to Respond: Method vs. Mindset</h2>\nTraditional change management models are useful in responding to technical challenges. At the enterprise level, Kotter’s 8 Stages (or variations on that model) can be effectively employed to manage, control, and communicate technical change initiatives both large and small. At the individual level, William Bridges’ transition model and the Prosci ADKAR model describe the psychological and emotional stages people go through as they face change. These models are important because a frequent cause of failure in change management is a lack of attention to stakeholder reactions or receptivity, as well as misaligned expectations regarding the willingness of people to “get on board.” Organizations employ these methodologies to manage reactions to change, often using a variety of models in tandem to tackle such technical challenges as an ERP implementation, a re-org, or facility move.\n<blockquote>“The single biggest failure of leadership is treating adaptive challenges like technical problems.” – Ron Heifetz</blockquote>\nMany of the changes organizations are facing now, however, are adaptive in nature. They require leaders to develop new mental models and mindsets that do not come naturally. Adaptive leadership often requires a change in attitudes and beliefs about what it means to be a leader—deeper work than what is typically involved in a leadership development program focused on knowledge and skill development. Yet these shifts in mindset are precisely what enables leaders to navigate increasingly complex operating environments, and move from functional leadership roles to complex enterprise or system level leadership.\n\nAs the graphic below of our leadership development philosophy illustrates, when you change deeply held <strong>attitudes, beliefs, and notions of purpose and identity</strong> the experience can be richly rewarding and transformative.\n<div class=\"slate-resizable-image-embed slate-image-embed__resize-full-width\"><a href=\"http://waldronhr.com/what-we-do/leadership-consulting/leadership-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img class=\"\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAzeAAAAJGJjOTcwMTQxLTUwYTktNGVkOC1iYWM0LWI1Nzc0NzYwNzI5YQ.png\" width=\"621\" height=\"380\" /></a></div>\nThis type of complex cognitive development results in more effective and professional performance along with a healthy dose of personal fulfillment. Such changes are often challenging, complicated, personally difficult, and time-consuming. They require stepping out of your comfort zone, which is often very difficult for leaders whose traditional leadership competence and effectiveness create a false sense of security.\n<h2>Human Resources as Change Catalyst</h2>\nThe role of frontline HR leaders is often complicated in this context. Nevertheless, while adaptive leadership capability isn’t teachable in the traditional sense, it is learnable through intentionally crafted experiences. Executive coaching with a skilled coach fluent in these concepts is a powerful tool to accelerate transformational change and adaptive mindset development. Strategic coaching in this context goes beyond the typical stakeholder-centered process, with an intentional focus on the competencies and mindsets required for success in a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.)\n\nLearning events can also be carefully crafted to expand a group of leaders’ change leadership capability, but they don’t look like your typical classroom learning experience. To be successful, programs like this must ultimately create and mirror some of the ambiguity and discomfort that characterizes the VUCA operating landscape. My colleague Nancy Winship articulates <a href=\"http://blog.waldronhr.com/9-design-principles-for-agile-adaptive-leadership-development-experiences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>9 Design Principles for Agile (Adaptive) Leadership Development Experiences</em></a> – a must read for anyone seeking to embed adaptive leadership principles into structured learning programs.\n\nWhen developing such programs for executives, there is a tendency to cater to what the audience says they want in a program. Over time, a carefully designed adaptive leadership program will face pressure to change: to be less disruptive and uncomfortable for the powerful leaders participating in it. If this happens, the program can lose its edge. Human Resources and Learning leaders must have strong sponsorship up the chain and be willing and able to hold their ground in the face of inevitable pressure to normalize the content and experience.\n\nWhile very little has been written about the specific competencies required of change leaders, there are a few noteworthy exceptions. <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancywinship?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3B%2FinApmUjQeGP9TIwd5upLQ%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nancy Winship</a> describes several of them in <a href=\"http://blog.waldronhr.com/meta-skills-for-adaptive/agile-leadership-in-a-vuca-landscape\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>Meta-Skills for Adaptive/Agile Leadership in a “VUCA” Landscape</em></a>. <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-ready-0243027?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BczyFzDvGSJamcno01932Sg%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doug Ready</a> at the International Consortium for Executive Development Research similarly describes <a href=\"https://hbr.org/2016/01/4-things-successful-change-leaders-do-well\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>4 Things Successful Change Leaders Do Well</em></a>.  <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-boaz-233507?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BQtiLnJSPT9%2B9P0Nelc3Aow%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nate Boaz</a> and <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaarielfox?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BerS6%2BF%2BeSu2QvTOrV2MwlA%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Erical Ariel Fox</a> make a useful distinction between two types of self-awareness (one competency that serves as a foundation for adaptive leadership development) in <a href=\"http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/leadership/change-leader-change-thyself\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>Change Leader, Change Thyself</em></a>.\n\n<strong>Building a Strategic Change Architecture</strong>\n\nFinally, in addition to developing change leadership capabilities among key leaders, HR leaders can further support transformational change in the enterprise by leveraging whole-system engagement methodologies that generate interest in the change challenge, and allow ideas for change to emerge from the community. When leaders agree they are facing an adaptive change, a strategic change architecture can be constructed to guide and drive the change process at the enterprise level.\n\n<a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/gervase-bushe-b346b7?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BNLHOQweRTPWrvFctvoHZUw%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gervase Bushe</a> and Bob Marshak coined the term “<a href=\"http://www.dialogicod.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Dialogic OD</a>” and have written extensively about its practice in articles and in their recently released book, <em>Dialogic Organization Development – The Theory and Practice of Transformational Change</em>. They articulate a theory about how and why whole-system engagement methodologies (e.g., Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space Technology, Search Conference, and many more) facilitate the kind of transformational change required to meet adaptive challenges. They offer three “levers” of change, and six process steps HR can employ to support leaders in applying these levers to drive transformation. <a href=\"http://waldronhr.com/uploads/misc/acceleratingtransformationalchangewaldronlogo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">An executive summary of a presentation by Gervase on this can be found here</a>.\n\nIf HR leaders can increase awareness and understanding about the types of change their organizations face, they can literally drive a more strategic response to change. In this way, HR can serve as a catalyst for organizational transformation and change leadership effectiveness.\n\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"reader-flag-content__wrapper mb4 clear-both\"></div>', 'Change Leadership in the Age of Disruption: HR as Change Catalyst', '', 'pending', 'open', 'closed', '', '', '', '', '2017-10-06 17:54:46', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34473', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34483, 481, '2017-10-11 02:20:55', '2017-10-11 06:20:55', '<p style=\"text-align: justify\">You don’t need an article, journal or tutorial to tell you that dissertation is the most overwhelming, intimidating task you will ever come across. You will be, at times, over-anxious, even thinking about throwing the computer out of the window and join the circus. But you cannot match the joyful feeling of completing a dissertation with anything. To experience the joyous feeling, first you need to overcome few hurdles during the process of dissertation writing. Scared already? Hurdles and rejection are part of dissertation writing, but you can avoid these obstacles tactfully if you adopt these following habits.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\">\n 	<li><strong>Be a good decision maker </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Becoming \'victim\' of your own schedule is easy. Many students commit something before they start the whole process. Some may create a schedule and pledge to stick to it no matter what happens, but in the end, they mostly go against the schedule. The reason is many students juggle family commitments, jobs and social activities that consume their time profoundly. It might seem like you need to cut back the hours of sleep and exercise in order to keep up with your schedule. Here you need to make some crucial decisions that will help you meet your ambitious deadline.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"2\">\n 	<li><strong>Make sure the goals are flexible</strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">You should have the courage and flexibility to adjust deadlines according to your recent requirement. Like unexpected things happen often and when it happens, you should be prepared for that. If you have already set deadline, you should be able to move things around without scraping the entire schedule.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"3\">\n 	<li><strong>Put email and social media on diet</strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">It is habitual that you begin your day by checking and replying to emails and text messages. You are actually prioritizing other’s work. Here’s what happens, when you reply to a message or mail, you are likely to get a response from the recipient, and eventually it will be more work for you. This is a simple prioritizing technique. Make your dissertation writing a priority during the working days because emails and messages can wait until you are done with the dissertation writing for the day.</p>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/education.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-34485 size-full\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/education.jpg\" alt=\"education\" width=\"1300\" height=\"450\" /></a>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"4\">\n 	<li><strong>Ask for feedback, early and often </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The sooner you get an assessment from your dissertation committee, the smoother your editing process will go. Most students prefer getting feedback only after they start writing a chapter, but it is important that you sit with your advisor with just a rough draft of a chapter and find out if it works. Moreover, you can send a separate chapter if someone is willing to read it. This will not only prevent feelings of isolation as you write, but also help you stay connected with the dissertation committee and other writers.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"5\">\n 	<li><strong>Make sure you handle feedback well </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">There are times when you don’t actually need criticism, but someone encouraging who back your ideas. The lowest moment while drafting is receiving negative feedback on a chapter. You may roam and think that you are worthless. So you need to determine whether you really need criticism, no matter how constructive it is. Knowing the kinds of feedback you need is important on a project like this.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"6\">\n 	<li><strong>Break down long-term goals in short-term milestones </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">One of the challenges that graduates counter is that their deadlines are 6 months or 9 months away, and they have little idea how they will allocate their time and be right on the track of thesis writing. In fact, they feel so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task that they become uninterested in making any progress. As the deadline approaches, they start working for unreasonable long hours that mostly lead them to insomnia, depression and exhaustion. As a consequence, they put up low-quality work in the end. With the supervisor’s help, break down the work in smaller chunks that can be easily achievable within a few days and a week. Use a timeline to determine whether you are on right on the track.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"7\">\n 	<li><strong>Identify three most important results that you would like to achieve each day </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Once you have short-term milestones, it is easier for you to decide which three accomplishments you want would be most important to complete. The idea is to take one step at a time and raise your confidence bar. Having a clear picture of your end result before you even initiate the task will significantly boost your focus and keep you motivated throughout the task. It is also important for you to remember that you may not accomplish three tasks, but picturing yourself where you want to reach at the end of the day will seemingly boost your chances of success.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"8\">\n 	<li><strong>Find out the expectations of the dissertation committee</strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Find out what the writing committee expects from you. To do that, engage yourself in reading dissertations completed by students. Ask the committee members often what kind of expectations they have for your project, what kind of sources and footnotes you should use, how they feel is the structure of the chapters, headings and more. Knowing the expectations will help you in fulfilling them effectively.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"9\">\n 	<li><strong>Create a productivity cycle </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">To become more productive, you need to structure your day so that you can find alignment with your productivity cycle. When you plan your days, categorize your work in main sections, major (writing the dissertation, researching on the dissertation topic) minor (paying bills and scheduling appointment with the advisor). Most of us are productive in the morning, so you should start your day by accomplishing major tasks. If you like to be a night owl, get your minor work done during the day and leave the important work for the night when your creativity is at peak.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"10\">\n 	<li><strong>Taking break is like breathing </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Do not let dissertation writing consume your life. You need to quit the guilty feeling when you are not working on the thesis. Taking a break at intervals is important for personal happiness. You need to take a break and recharge your batteries at some point. There will be times when you require devoting your energy elsewhere. It is important for you to understand taking breaks from dissertation will happen, and you need to accept it naturally without feeling guilty.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"11\">\n 	<li><strong>Creativity does not come handy</strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Did you notice most creative ideas come when you are not on the desk? Our brain functions very peculiarly, it mostly turns on when it is not actively focused on the problem. It becomes engaged when you are away from the problem. Suddenly you will see a new perspective and insight that had never occurred to you. But one big mistake we all make is to check messages and mail while not working. Unfortunately, this brain function does not turn on when you are glued to the computer screen. If you wish to give your creativity a chance, you need to take regular breaks even for just 15 minutes.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"12\">\n 	<li><strong>Stop making excuses </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">You have million reasons not to start writing today like your back hurts, you have jobs to apply to, your computer is acting funny, the stars are not in the right position, but you surely have one good reason to start writing now. And you should go by it. Sitting down to write when it seems it is most unlikely to you is the only way to get things done within pre-planned schedule. But when it appears impossible to you, you may need a break from it.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"13\">\n 	<li><strong>Carry a pen and notebook </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">As the deadline approaches, you will inevitably spend a large portion of the day for working and thinking about it. So you always need to be ready to capture your creative thoughts that will either strengthen your argument or help you find shortcuts to <a href=\"https://myassignmenthelp.com/dissertation/\">finish your dissertation</a>. Carry a notebook and pen with you especially when you are not at the desk. You can also keep this notebook as you write to note down any ideas that pop into your mind so you can attend them after finishing writing it rather than feeling compelled to attend those right away.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"14\">\n 	<li><strong>Negotiate requirements for graduation with your advisor </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Does you advisor keep adding new requirements to your do-to-list, so no matter how hard you try, it is always not enough. If you are feeling exhausted fulfilling the never-ending list of demands, you should consider talking to your dissertation committee members to clarify what exactly you need to do to fulfill the requirements of dissertation writing. During the meeting, focus only on the problem, do not let your emotions drive you.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"15\">\n 	<li><strong>Celebrate accomplishment as you go </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">It is important that you save time to appreciate the milestones as you go. Finish a page? Have a cookie. Finish a chapter? Go get a beer. Working with tough data? Take the rest of the night off. Find places to do something enjoyable.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"16\">\n 	<li><strong>Nurture your mind and body conditionally </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">What about taking care of yourself during the mundane days when you do make little or no progress at times? If you take out 15 minutes of your routine for exercising, it will boost your productivity and self-confidence immensely. In reality, you are working full-time, have a family and writing a dissertation, you probably have no spare time to invest in exercising. At the minimum, take a 20-minutes stroll in your campus. Finally, when it comes to your mind, nurture it by surrounding yourself by positive people. A supportive population (either formally through your university dissertation committee or informally through friends or classmates or professionally from online dissertation help services) can give needed emotional support that helps you last through few weeks and months of dissertation writing.</p>\n\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify\" start=\"17\">\n 	<li><strong>Know that you can do it </strong></li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">You need to make yourself clear that you can do this. Staying positive is the key to completing the degree. Remember, the overwhelming feeling after completing the task is immense. You will do great after all.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">To summarize, remember that being productive does not define rearranging schedule whenever you mess it up. You will be productive only when you manage your energy and stay focused during your working hours. These are the most crucial components of dissertation writing. Remember you are a human being, you will make mistakes and take wrong decisions after all, but what is more significant is how you make those wrong decisions into right ones.</p>', 'Surviving the Dissertation: Tips from Someone Who Mostly Has', '', 'trash', 'open', 'closed', '', '__trashed', '', '', '2017-10-11 02:20:55', '2017-10-11 06:20:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34483', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34487, 274, '2017-10-12 06:00:54', '2017-10-12 10:00:54', 'The<em> following post is a preview excerpt from the introduction of <a href=\"https://www.paulcummings.com/it-all-matters/\">It All Matters</a> by Paul Cummings.</em>\n<h4>A Moment in Time</h4>\nWhile sitting at a picnic table with my grandfather, George W. Cummings Sr., in Conway, Arkansas, on a beautiful summer day, one conversation completely changed the course of my life. As a young teenager, it would have been unnatural for me to think in those terms.\n\nHowever, looking back four decades later, that conversation was truly a defining moment in my journey that would set in motion, a decision that would ultimately impact the rest of my life.\n\nIt’s stunning to think of it in those terms, but that one single moment in time was a tipping point. A statement, a story, a quip, a quote, a conversation or an unexpected experience in life can be that moment, when “It” all changes for you. This was the beginning of my road to a life of confidence, clarity, certainty, and creativity.\n\nGrowing up, my grandfather was my mentor, confidant, fishing buddy and best friend. He was a man who possessed the immense knowledge, a side-splitting sense of humor and a multitude of life experiences that he was often willing to share with his eager grandson. I loved every second that I was able to spend with my grandfather.\n\nHe shared a multitude of life lessons with me standing by the fencepost at his farm that still is present in my mind today. Lessons such as “enthusiasm is an inside game with an outside reflection” or “you can’t get a positive charge off a dead battery no matter how hard you try.” I will never forget the day he told me the age-old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” was a lie.\n\nHe then said, “If you salt their oats and make them thirsty, they will drink all day long.” I was fortunate to be able to plug into this type of wisdom at such a young age. Each one of these lessons was wrapped up in a compelling story that kept me engaged for hours.\n\nHis bigger than life personality, wisdom and laughter made an indelible impression on me that I still cherish today. Unfortunately, you will never have the pleasure of his time. However, you will have the benefit of understanding all of his profound wisdom as you read this body or work. I refer fondly to his life lessons as “golden nuggets” that can lead you to a life filled with meaningful experiences and monumental victories.\n\nI believe the art of storytelling is one of the most compelling skills anyone can learn. For this reason, I made the decision to base this book on a real-life story that began in May of 1975. I believe that we all have a story that’s important to us for a multitude of reasons.\n<div>***</div>\n<div>\n\n<strong><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/7W9A4191-1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-34488 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/7W9A4191-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>Paul Cummings </strong>is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Paul D. Cummings World Wide Enterprises, a training and teaching company that has motivated and inspired hundreds of thousands of individuals and businesses to make real and lasting change. Paul also developed Woople, a web-based learning system, to deliver an award-winning online video program utilized by thousands of students.\n\nSince founding Woople in 2009, Paul continues to revolutionize the way people and businesses learn by making learning simple, affordable, fun, and efficient. His Level 10 philosophy has become the benchmark that others have aspired to achieve, and Paul has delivered more than 5,000 paid speaking engagements spanning six continents on the topic.\n\n<strong>LEARN MORE:</strong> <a class=\"autolinked\" href=\"https://www.paulcummings.com/new-page/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-behavior=\"truncate\">https://www.paulcummings.com/new-page/</a>\n\n</div>', 'Preview Thursday: It All Matters', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'preview-thursday-matters', '', '', '2017-10-12 06:00:54', '2017-10-12 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34487', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34496, 276, '2017-10-13 06:00:17', '2017-10-13 10:00:17', 'Time, in my opinion, is one of the most precious commodities. It waits for no one. When it passes, you cannot bring it back. In essence, there is no rewind and there is no way of pausing it. You have a choice to stay in the moment or let it go by.\r\n\r\nAs a leader, you have a profound impact in your organization. This is done through strategic thinking and formulating a shared vision that enables the company to achieve its goal. Another way is growing talent around them. In doing so, they\'re not only increasing the talent base but also having a multiplying effect as more people are developed over time.\r\n\r\nAs the leader moves up, they have to give up more of their time and themselves. In a way, it is sacrificing on their part to lead others. However, the best gift a leader can give to their people is the gift of time. Here are some of the ways a leader can give a gift of their time:\r\n\r\n1) <strong>Coaching or mentoring</strong> - These one-on-one sessions create the most impactful relationship. In this session, the person you\'re working with gets your full and undivided attention. This also provides the maximum engagement.\r\n\r\n2) <strong>Teaching a class</strong> - Most leaders have a depth of knowledge in the industry that they are working on. They love to add value to others. The best way to add value is through teaching.\r\n\r\n3) <strong>Project engagement</strong> - This a very effective means of growing talent. The leader gets a chance to work with their people on projects that allow them to impart knowledge as well as assess the overall capability of their people. This enables their constituents to learn while participating in a project with set deliverables. Greater satisfaction can be gained through this method because of the opportunity to learn and get effective feedback can be made instantaneously.\r\n\r\n4) <strong>Writing articles and blog posts</strong> - A leader can share their perspective on a particular topic and this can help enlighten their constituents. This method is effective as an offline mode of engaging their constituents.\r\n\r\nGrowing talent is important for every organization. A leader plays an important role in leading the way. As a leader, what other methods have you used to grow talent around you?', 'A Gift of Time', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-gift-of-time', '', '', '2017-10-16 13:16:19', '2017-10-16 13:16:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=34496', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(34517, 243, '2009-02-08 14:37:00', '2009-02-08 19:37:00', 'Listening to Steve Chandler speak about his new Club Fearless and reading the book by the same name gives me a lot of ideas.  Steve makes the point that \"Yes\" and \"No\" are like heads and tails.  You can\'t have one without the other.  There is no such thing as a coin with no tails.  There would be no day, if there wasn\'t also a night.  The two are exclusive.  In other words, you can\'t have both in the same context at the same time.  But the absence of one would force the absence of the other.<!--more-->\n\nNow as for No, we do expend a lot of effort avoiding that word.  Actually we equate that word with rejection and we avoid the rejection.  I find it easy to consider postponing some activities because of the fear of rejection as I start my business. Maybe you\'re like some of my friends and you\'re looking for a new job.  A large part of our lives gets wrapped up in our career.  When we don\'t have a job and we\'re out trying to find a job, we can get a lot of our self-image and self-worth wrapped up in the difference between No and Yes.  However, if we can realize that No makes Yes possible, maybe we won\'t take the No answers so hard.\n\nYour job (especially if you\'re looking for one) is to:\n<ol>\n	<li>Decide as precisely as you can exactly what you want (and don\'t be afraid to dream),</li>\n	<li>Figure out who is most likely to be able to say yes;</li>\n	<li>Ask the question in a way that makes it easy to answer Yes.</li>\n</ol>\nOnce you\'ve done that, go for it!  You need to collect your No\'s as quickly as possible.\n\nDecide now, while you think about your dream goal, that a No is just an interim result.  Better yet, it is a necessary result.  There is some number of No responses that you need to plan for.  Set the number high and start getting them.  Continually expend your best effort to eliminate the reasons for each No, but don\'t let them discourage you.  Every No brings you one step closer to your Yes.', 'Take No For An Answer!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'take-no-for-an-answer', '', '', '2009-02-08 14:37:00', '2009-02-08 19:37:00', '', 0, 'http://vmhcorp.com/take-no-for-an-answer/', 0, 'post', '', 0);
