Rendezvous with Emotion: And its Vital Role in Decision Making
Finding an emotional anchor within work is not something to shy away from, but rather something to actively search for. Today’s post is by Raghu Kalé, author of Loyalty and Sacrifice (CLICK HERE to get your copy). The mental make-up of the human mind is an enigma. Understanding reality has a bearing in comprehension. As a communications professional, I have grappled with what provokes audiences into believing a proposition, and what douses their suspicions and doubts. Emotion has a vital role in decision making, which is best described through my own experiences. Making short films is a hobby — and I’ve used it effectively over the years. The watershed moment was the stringent budget cuts that were self-imposed by my CEO after the tragedy of 9/11 that caused worldwide disruptions and tremendous anxiety. It was self-imposed because I was part of the CEO’s office of a premier luxury hospitality brand – The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Actions speak louder than words. The directive by my boss, who was the CEO, said it all: “We can’t be seen as doing this, find a way to be responsible.” I recall walking out from his office to my room next door and sinking back in my chair with a depressed feeling. That is when I determined that there was no need to engage an agency with high costs of production. Technology permits so much to be done, and with my background in advertising, communications, and my creative capabilities, I started my love affair with short films. Today, I have a score of 200+ short films that I produced primarily to obtain efficiency in my communication budgets and prevent transmission loss of the message and agency delays. Eager requests soon came in from many colleagues, sometimes seeking help for short films for corporate […]
Twelve Characteristics of Great Leaders
In this episode of Innovating Leadership Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, interviews Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS Managing Director, on the twelve characteristics of a great leader. As part of the continuing thought leader series at the Innovating Leadership podcast, Mike will discuss with Maureen his insights and thoughts on the twelve characteristics of great leaders and what makes these characteristics so important. Mike will share some of his personal experiences as well as the work is doing with clients and he will answer the following questions: Are great leaders made or born? You write that many if not most of us are good leaders, but few are truly great. Given that accurate self-analysis is very difficult, how do you know how good of a leader you really are? Of the 12 characteristics of great leaders that you cite, which ones really resonate with you personally? In other words, which one or two do you consider the most important features of top leaders? Stay tuned for more of these leadership discussions between Maureen and Mike, along with a few other team members from thoughtLEADERS, being featured on the Innovating Leadership podcast.
Are You Promoting Responsibility? Are You Sure?
Managing a team comes in many different forms and requires a lot of different skills, check your ego at the door and rethink how you’re promoting responsibility in your organization. Today’s post is by Lonnie Wilson, author of Sustaining Workforce Engagement (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Several weeks ago, I had two experiences that reminded me of the nature of responsibility; and management’s role in promoting and sustaining a responsible workplace. First, a student of mine sent me the following email, “Coach, there is next to no sense of responsibility here. Nothing happens when dates are missed, goals are ignored, etc… I may be going bonkers. Can we talk?” We talked. Second, I was at the 10 am production meeting of yet another client when Dave, the day shift production coordinator made the following report to Mark, the plant manager. “Mark, the critical shipment to Quality Industries went out first thing on schedule. Raul and his crew got it 100% completed. It has been picked up. But Mark, you need to know that Raul had to work 32 hours of overtime.” At which Mark replied, “What is wrong with Raul? Didn’t he read the notice from the home office we got just this week that costs are over budget and for the rest of the year there will be no hiring, no expedited freight and especially no overtime? What is wrong with that guy? Can you get me his home number?” Dave responded, “I knew this would be an issue, so I asked Raul what happened. He told me that 4 of his crew, who carpool together, got into an accident on the way to work, a serious one. None of our guys were hurt, but the other driver was drunk and two of his passengers were taken away by […]
How to Build Team Resilience
Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss her thoughts on building team resilience. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Maureen talks about developing team resilience in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Maureen previously discussed building personal resilience and so she explains the necessity of this building personal resilience and how this is key, and different, from building resilience as a team. Jim, Jan, and Maureen delve into some of the agreements that need to be made within a team, or group, that allows space for everyone to develop and maintain their own resilience and respect that nature and encourage it within one another. Stay tuned for more of these brief Chalk Talks featuring Maureen, as well as many more members of the thoughtLEADERS team.
Rethinking Gen Z and Millennials in the Workplace
Millennials and Gen Z workers are passionate and searching for meaning in their work. It’s time to ditch the lazy and entitled cliches society attributes to these generations. Today’s post is by Heidi Ganahl, author of SheFactor (CLICK HERE to get your copy). News flash: the promising new grad you just hired is already looking for her next job. The numbers don’t lie – Generation Z and Millennial women are only staying at their jobs for an average of 18 months. In comparison, the national average for salaried employees is 4.6 years, according to an Economic News Release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The American workforce has changed dramatically since Millennials came on the scene. This phenomenon has left many of us wondering why the ways we engage, reward, and retain employees have not changed with it. Today, especially with a historically low national unemployment rate, companies cannot afford to lose their ambitious new talent. The costs of turnover and training can add up in ways that go beyond the measure of profit margins. Reputation, recruitment, and employee turnover can add up to about half of an employee’s annual salary. Let that sink in for a moment. If you want to retain Millennials, your organization’s leadership must give them better reasons to stay.
Defining the Factors of Resiliency
Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss her thoughts on resilient leadership. In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Maureen talks about developing and being a resilient leader in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue. Maureen defines resiliency, and resilient leadership, in the modern era, why it’s important when leading a team and differentiates resiliency from adaptability. Jim and Jan ask a few questions about the different “area” or “phases” of resiliency and the importance of balancing everything out and Maureen explains how your mindset and thought process directly effects the rest of your body, your work, and a slew of other aspects of life. Stay tuned for more of these brief Chalk Talks featuring Maureen, as well as many more members of the thoughtLEADERS team.
The Missing Piece in Leadership: External Mastery and Results
Leaders need both personal mastery and situational awareness to make the right call at the right time. Six mindsets ensure they grasp their realities to ensure success. Today’s post is by Dr. Mary Lippitt, author of Situational Mindsets (CLICK HERE to get your copy). How would you define leadership? Most people would answer that a leader possesses an effective leadership style, impressive skills, and stellar character. And they would be correct. Yet, those three factors miss an essential component. Leaders must consistently deliver results despite new customer requirements, new technology, changing regulations, and incessant competition. The common leadership definitions overlook the importance of situational realities and goal achievement. Historically, we have focused on internal aspects that are stable or slow to change. While skillsets evolve, character and style are relatively stable. Leadership has focused on internal aspects of whom the leader is and the job skills the person possess. This individual focus overlooks external accomplishments. The irony is that those accomplishments are why some leaders are remembered and honored. We celebrate George Washington, Winston Churchill, and Mahatma Gandhi for their impact. All of them successfully dealt with challenging and rapidly changing situations. And our more recent leaders, from Bill and Melinda Gates to Steve Jobs, are known more for their work than their internal style. Of course, aptitude, skills, and style count—but they do not comprise 100 percent of what makes a leader great. We must expand our definition of leadership to include external mastery, or the ability to understand reality and leverage it to produce results. It is the missing piece of leadership.
How prepared is your organization for a sudden crisis?
Our reader poll today asks: How prepared is your organization for a sudden crisis? Extremely: 10.01% Very: 27.81% Somewhat: 36.82% Not very: 17.56% Not at all: 7.80% Crisis management identifies opportunities. It would have been interesting to take this poll a few months ago and see what the responses were. My guess is the “Extremely” and “Very” categories would have scored much higher. We tend to overestimate our capabilities and underestimate the impact of a crisis. The best thing you can do during a crisis, other than dealing with it, is identify where your organization is falling short and fill those gaps either during the crisis or after it passes. The weaknesses exposed in the midst of the chaos are ways you can harden your business and get it ready for the next inevitable, unforeseen challenge. Start gathering lessons learned as soon as the crisis hits and allocate resources immediately to fix those issues. You’ll be glad you did when the next crisis hits. Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below! – Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!