Welcome to the April 2017 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!

Writing about an <a href="http://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/the-1-thing-that-made-this-the-best-company-ive-ever-worked-for.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">organization with a fantastic culture</a> recently, the author praised the organization's approach to gratitude -- describing it (among other aspects of the organization) as "lateral not vertical." In other words, someone who stocked the dairy section was as empowered to share positivity through leaving a note on a store-wide gratitude board as was the manager. As I read through this month's Leadership Development Carnival entries, I felt a bit of the same. Some writers are executives at the top of their organization's org charts. Others are mid-level, solo entrepreneurs, retired, or some at some other point in their careers. What unites them is their love of leadership and their ability to articulate their outstanding ideas.

The Lead Change Group would also like to thank <a href="https://eatthatfrog.bkconnection.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eat That Frog! from BK Publishing</a> for sponsoring the Lead Change Group (including this carnival) for April 2017.
<h3>Let's Get Started</h3>
<div class="divide">

<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/overcome-resistance-important-step/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Leaders Overcome Resistance - The Most Important Step</a>. Anne writes, "While natural inclination is to choke the breath out of resistance, the real solution is counterintuitive and it’s the single most important thing you can do." Find Anne on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/bizshrink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@bizshrink</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/how-to-write-a-meaningful-thank-you-note/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Write a Meaningful Thank You Note</a>. Beth recaps, "Thank you notes are a lost art, but an important part of business success. Here is a formula for maximizing the impact of your thank you notes." Find Beth on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/bethbeutler" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@bethbeutler</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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-a-question-of-character/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Culture Leadership Charge: A Question of Character</a>. In this post, Chris encourages leaders to remember that their character counts. Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/scedmonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@scedmonds</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Cy Wakeman</strong> of <a href="http://www.realitybasedleadership.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reality-Based Leadership</a> provided <a href="https://medium.com/@CyWakeman/redefining-accountability-in-the-workplace-1e880b4246d6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Redefining Accountability in the Workplace</a>. In this post, Cy explains why accountability is a mindset, not a skillset. Find Cy on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/CyWakeman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@cywakeman</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/were-founding-fathers-great-leaders.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Were the Founding Fathers Great Leaders?</a>. Dan recaps, "Were the Founding Fathers really the great leaders they are claimed to have been?  If so, What can we learn from them?” Gordon Leidner answers these questions in his guest post on Great Leadership!" Find Dan on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/greatleadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@greatleadership</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Dana Theus</strong> of <a href="http://inpowercoaching.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InPower Coaching</a> contributed a guest post by Jennifer V. Miller entitled <a href="http://inpowercoaching.com/business-case-strategic-focus-organizational-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Business Case for Strategic Focus on Organizational Culture</a>. Dana writes, "New research has identified that companies that build high-trust cultures experience stock market returns two to three times greater than the market average and turnover rates that are 50 percent lower than industry competitors." Find Dana on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaTheus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@DanaTheus</a> and Jennifer at <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferVMiller" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jennifervmiller</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/how-much-time-do-you-spend-communicating" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Much Time Do You Spend Communicating?</a>. David writes, "Leaders are always communicating—even when they don’t realize they are. It’s fair to say that 80% to 90% of the average leader’s week is spent communicating. Yet, how much time is spent on planning communications for effectiveness? Discover tips on how to effectively plan your communications and how to distinguish communication from information." Discover David on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@thoughtpartner</a>
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Jennifer McClure</strong> of <a href="http://jennifermcclure.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unbridled Talent</a> provided <a href="http://jennifermcclure.net/2017/03/11/can-regular-people-like-you-and-me-change-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Regular People Like You and Me Change the World? (Yes, We Can)</a>. Jennifer recaps, "We don’t need to get intimidated by how big or complex it may be to change our community, our organization, or our leadership in order to change the world. We just need to focus on the impact that we can have in the life of one person." Find Jennifer on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jennifermcclure</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner </strong>of the <a href="http://seapointcenter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seapoint Center for Collaborative Leadership</a> submitted <a href="http://seapointcenter.com/15-things-leaders-can-manage-and-one-they-cant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">15 Things Leaders Can Manage (and One They Can’t)</a>. Jesse recaps, "There are many things leaders can (and should) manage. But ironically, the one thing many leaders think is the MOST important thing they’re supposed to manage is NOT on this list." Follow Jesse on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseLynStoner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jesselynstoner</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href="http://epiphanyatwork.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Epiphany at Work</a> contributed <a href="https://epiphanyatwork.com/manage-challenging-behaviours-part-1-devils-advocate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Manage Challenging Behaviours: The Devil’s Advocate</a>. Jill shares, "Instead of using assessments to codify diversity in teams, leaders can learn how to notice and manage challenging workplace behaviours." Find Jill on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@epiphanyatwork</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/12/the-six-inner-leadership-selves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Six Inner Leadership Selves</a>. Jim shares, "Being a leader is not a one dimensional affair. There are many ways that each of us can practice leadership: at work, in our community, at home, or in an unexpected crisis situation. One thing’s clear: you don’t have to be in a management position to show leadership." Find Jim on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/72keys" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@72keys</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/build-workplace-influence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The 5 Smartest Strategies to Build Influence in the Workplace</a>. Joel recaps: "Being a successful influencer requires building and fostering strong relationships. Follow these 5 strategies to build your influence in the workplace." Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>John Hunter</strong> of the <a href="http://management.curiouscatblog.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog</a> shared <a href="https://blog.deming.org/2017/03/the-degree-of-interdependence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Degree of Interdependence</a>. John summarizes, "Business is more interdependent than an orchestra, yet we often ignore the interdependence and seek to optimize components individually. That idea is a useful reminder that if we are not thinking about the end result of the system taken as a whole we risk optimizing component to the detriment of the whole." Find John on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/curiouscat_com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@curiouscat_com</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Jon Mertz</strong> of <a href="https://www.thindifference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thin Difference</a> contributed <a href="https://www.thindifference.com/2017/03/leadership-fails-and-who-cares/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leadership Fails and Who Cares?</a>. Jon summarizes, "What is it that isn’t working with our current leadership development strategies and why aren’t more people trying to figure out what is broken in our colleges, leadership programs, and culture? Here are a few things we can stop doing in hopes of developing better leaders." Follow Jon on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinDifference" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@thindifference</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Jon VerBeck </strong>of <a href="http://www.jonverbeck.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JonVerbeck.com</a> submitted <a href="http://www.jonverbeck.com/business-owner-mistakes-not-keeping-company-books-records-date/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Owner Mistakes: Not Keeping Company Books and Records Up-to-Date</a>. In his post, Jon shares about the importance of keeping our financial records in order and up-to-date. Discover Jon on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jonverbeck1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jonverbeck1</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/uncategorized/knows-employees-really-want/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Who Knows What Employees Really Want?</a>. Julie recaps, "Depending upon the study, article or thought leader one consults, there are countless different possible motivators and priorities that people bring to the workplace. How can a leader figure out which resonate for his/her employees?  It’s easy.  ASK." Find Julie on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_wg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@julie_wg</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/what-the-best-managers-know-about-disengaged-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What the Best Managers Know About Disengaged Employees</a>. In the post, Karin shares a story from her college experience that inspires the value of engaging your employees. Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/LetsGrowLeaders" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@letsgrowleaders</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/15/ethical-leadership-the-on-switch-for-adaptability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ethical Leadership: The "On Switch" For Adaptability</a>. Linda recaps: "Adaptability is a key challenge for leaders and organizations, and ethical leadership is a critical tool for 'switching it on.'" Find Linda on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/leadingincontxt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@leadingincontxt</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Lisa Kohn </strong>of <a href="http://chatsworthconsulting.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chatsworth Consulting</a> submitted <a href="http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2017/03/28/how-not-to-get-a-handful-of-mud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Not to Get a Handful of Mud</a>. Lisa summarizes, "This post is about how to get out of your own way and move through your fears in order to be the best leader you can be." Discover Lisa on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@thoughtfulldrs</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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.ocai-online.com/blog/2017/03/What-goes-wrong-in-your-organizational-culture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Goes Wrong in Your Organizational Culture?</a>. Marcella recaps, "Learning to 'see' culture; group dynamics, beliefs, and behaviors is helpful. When you become aware you can contribute to developing a positive culture. There are four culture archetypes but each can turn into its shadow side. Your culture can be a permanent happy hour, a competitive sweatshop, a bureaucratic mould or creative chaos." Find Marcella on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@marcellabremer</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/counter-intuitive-nature-slowing-speed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Counter-intuitive Mature of Slowing Down to Speed Up</a>. Mary Jo recaps, "It sounds a little crazy that when a leader slows down, they can actually help things to speed up. Here are some things to consider as you do so." Find Mary Jo on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/mjasmus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@mjasmus</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Michael Lee Stallard</strong> of <a href="http://connectionculture.com/disengaged-employees-say-boss-honest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Connection Culture</a> provided <a href="http://connectionculture.com/beware-brutally-honest-workplace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beware the Brutally Honest Workplace</a>. Michael recaps, "Honesty is an important element of healthy workplace cultures, but it must always be balanced with respect. This article explores the hidden dangers of 'brutally honest' workplaces and the type of communication that leaders should foster instead." Find Michael on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelstallard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@michaelstallard</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/misogyny-follow-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Misogyny — Follow The Money</a>. Miki writes, "There is a great deal of talk about the rampant misogyny in tech culture. Actually, it's worse than in other fields, but it currently has a higher profile due to media coverage of complaints at Uber, Tesla, and several other high profile companies. 30 years ago tech was far more welcoming to women; what happened?" Discover Miki on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/OptionSanity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@optionsanity</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/30/leading-with-courage-and-confidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leading with Courage and Confidence</a>. Neal recaps, "Today leaders need to have the courage and confidence to take action on ideas that will move business forward to the next level of success. Having courage and confidence primarily means that as a leader you take responsibility for the decisions you make." Find Neal on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@exec_solutions</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Paula Kiger</strong> of <a href="http://biggreenpen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Big Green Pen</a> provided <a href="http://weavinginfluence.com/influence-building/lessons-from-the-rice-chefs-of-morimoto-asia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lessons from the Rice Chefs of Morimoto Asia</a>. Paula recaps, "Little did I know the foundation of my fantastic evening dining experience had been laid early that morning, by people I would never see. It was an important lesson about quality and passion." Find Paula on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/biggreenpen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@biggreenpen</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/2017/03/05/4-steps-to-avoid-a-leadership-meltdown-like-ubers-travis-kalanik/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4 Steps to Avoid a Leadership Meltdown Like Uber’s Travis Kalanik</a>. Randy writes, "The recent missteps of Uber’s CEO, Travis Kalanik, is just the latest example of a highly visible leader experiencing a very public meltdown. We are all susceptible to having a leadership meltdown, and the way to prevent it is to develop our leadership from the inside-out. In this straight-forward article, Randy Conley outlines 4 steps leaders can take to develop their leadership philosophy and approach from the inside-out." Find Randy on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/RandyConley" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@randyconley</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href="http://www.shelleyrow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shelley Row</a> submitted <a href="http://www.shelleyrow.com/not-fair-three-ways-combat-unfairness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It’s Not Fair! Three Ways to Combat Unfairness</a>. In her post, Shelley shares three important ways to combat unfairness in the workplace by explaining, challenging, listening and validating. Discover Shelley on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ShelleyRow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@shelleyrow</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/what-is-your-leadership-style-take-quiz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Is Your Leadership Style?</a>. Susan explains, "As a leader, are you more of a Connector, Orchestrator, Trailblazer, Stategist, Team Champion - or a combination of several? My new quiz can help you discover your leadership strengths, and the report at the end provides a good overview of the five most common leadership styles." Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/SusanMazza" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@susanmazza</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<strong>Tanveer Naseer</strong> of <a href="http://www.tanveernaseer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tanveer Naseer</a> provided <a href="http://www.tanveernaseer.com/purpose-led-work-the-key-to-engendering-passionate-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forget Passion – What Employees Need Is Purpose-Led Work</a>. Tanveer recaps, "Discover why it takes more than passion to inspire the very best in our employees and how the key is providing purpose-led work." Find Tanveer on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@tanveernaseer</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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/leadership/leadership-create-a-great-working-environment-for-your-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a Great Working Environment for Your Team</a>. Wally recaps, "If you’re the boss, your challenge is to create a great working environment for your team. Here’s what a great working environment looks like." Find Wally on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/wallybock" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@wallybock</a>.
<div class="divide"></div>
<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>

</div>