Career – Page 2 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

5 Skills to Master High-Stakes Communication

June 15, 2020/0 Comments/in Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Ryan Shaw

Communication is not only a necessary skill, but it can be the difference between getting the job, saving your company millions, and ultimate workplace harmony.

Today’s post is by Katy Kvalvik.

To be an effective leader, you must be an effective communicator. To be an effective communicator, you must believe in the value of every conversation. Improving the way you communicate can evoke a greater connection in all of your personal relationships and have a positive impact on your professional interactions. According to a new worldwide survey, communication is one of the most highly prized soft skills for talent today.

When the stakes are high, solidify your role as a team player, problem-solver, or indispensable leader by honing these five essential communication skills:

Listen and Be Present

In order to communicate effectively, it is important that you have genuine respect for the other person’s view of the world. All people have different ways of experiencing life and the world around them (different beliefs, values, filters, etc.). By listening deeply in order to understand and respect these differences instead of judging, better and more efficient communication will occur. Effective, deep listening promotes better understanding, reduces conflict, and enhances relationships.

You can improve your listening skills by practicing Objective Active and Intuitive Listening. Objective Active listening is being in the moment and completely focused on the other person. You’re getting the facts versus getting all the details of a subjective story. It’s very effective for problem-solving. Using it in a professional environment helps the listener see facts clearly and arrive at timely, accurate solutions that maximize results.

What is the biggest impediment to you making a big change in the way you work?

June 11, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Leadership, Poll, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Our reader poll today asks: What is the biggest impediment to you making a big change in the way you work?

I like my routine and simply don’t want to change. 16.10%
I don’t know how to make the required changes. 9.52%
People around me refuse to change with me. 20.49%
I’m afraid to change. I might fail or things won’t go well. 6.82%
I don’t have the resources I need to make the change. 17.56%
I love change and always embrace it. 29.51%

Many obstacles to change. There isn’t a dominant reason for change resistance, apparently. Sometimes it’s our desire for routine or it’s others’ desires not to change. Whatever the reason for change resistance, identify it, give it a name, and compare the cost of not changing with what the value of the obstacle is. Many times we don’t do this math and we let inertia lead us to a bad outcome. For the 30% of you who love and embrace change, help those around you do the same. Share the techniques you use to overcome fear or routine inertia. Don’t push them to change — lead them to change. Also don’t let your love of change turn into change for the sake of change. Some of us love change too much and make changes that might not be necessary. Understand this is a risk for you 30% and could cause unnecessary turmoil for the 70% of your colleagues.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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Why Authentic Leadership Matters

June 8, 2020/1 Comment/in Career, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Ryan Shaw

The difference between a good leader and a great leader may be their ability to be authentic.

Today’s post is by Katy McQuaid, author of Everybody Loves Grace (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

If you’ve ever worked with an authentic leader, you understand how empowering it can be. Authentic leaders aren’t very common and once you’ve worked with one, you’ll never want to work with anyone but an authentic leader again.

Why is that? Because authentic leaders are self-aware, genuine and they lead from the heart – they bring out the best in people. Most importantly, they can be counted on to do the right thing because they know their core values and live by them. Authentic leaders create an environment where their values are known and they are willing to be held accountable to them; they are transparent.

Ultimately, an authentic leader inspires trust, loyalty, and confidence within their workforce which drives optimal results, mission success, and personal growth. They create an environment where employees can grow and learn by taking risks. In addition, the authentic leader understands the need to focus on the long-term. He or she will not sacrifice their long-term vision for a short-term quick win.

When your annual plan goes off the rails, how does your organization react?

May 28, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Leadership, Poll, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Our reader poll today asks: When your annual plan goes off the rails, how does your organization react?

We try desperately and in vain to make the plan happen. 13%
We keep the plan but accept that we’ll fail. 6.3%
We tweak the plan and do the best that we can. 66%
We disregard the plan and write an entirely new one. 14.6%

Are tweaks enough? When bad things happen to good strategic and annual plans, the vast majority of you say you “tweak it and do the best you can.” You might be missing great opportunities or assuming gigantic risks with that approach. Usually when a plan goes off the rails it’s because of a massive external dislocation. Those can be opportunities to reassess everything you’re doing and plot a new course. Your competitors are reeling from those challenges, too, and while they’re taking a “tweak and hope” approach, you have a real opportunity to compete differently in a new market environment.

Press pause on the plan. Do a fundamental reassessment of your strategy given the new realities of the market. Make the changes you need to make today, and do so of your own volition rather than tweaking, hoping and waiting. Because the market will ultimately force you to change, and that’s a lot less pleasant than making the change on your own terms.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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The Philosophy of One Team & Extreme Ownership

May 25, 2020/0 Comments/in Books, Career, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Ryan Shaw

Leadership is not always about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about the ability to bring a group of people together around one goal.

Today’s post is by John Piester, President of RedPeg Marketing.

Nearly four years ago I became President of RedPeg Marketing. I quickly encountered many firsts in my 20+ year career that I wasn’t sure I was prepared for, namely becoming the leader of a then 21-year-old privately owned agency with roughly 45 employees.

For the first time in my professional life, I’d have the overall responsibility for the success or failure of an organization and, in turn, everyone who worked there. I’d been in leadership positions before across business units, work groups within companies, sports teams — but this felt different. Bigger. Was I ready?

A team is only as good as the people on it

As a young boy, I learned the importance of being part of a team from watching my dad coach football and basketball for a local high school. Unsurprisingly, sports have always played a huge role in my life and I know it helped me learn valuable lessons about leadership that I’ve been able to apply throughout my career as well. The most important takeaway for me is that a team is only as good as the people that are on it.

What are the biggest mindset challenges you face when leading your team remotely?

May 14, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Leadership, Poll, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Our reader poll today asks: What are the biggest mindset challenges you face when leading your team remotely?

I worry they’re not actually working. 19.5%
I have little control over their deliverables. 8.4%
I worry they feel like I’m not developing them. 22.2%
I worry they feel I’m not necessary or adding value. 16.9%
I don’t worry at all about anything. 12.7%
I worry about something else. 20.3%

It’s not you, it’s me. While 28% of you worry about your team members’ productivity and managing their deliverables because you can’t supervise them closely, the bigger concerns (39%) are with how the team members see you as their leader. You’re worried about not developing them or adding value. These are the true leadership concerns to keep top of mind. To manage them, schedule regular development and 1:1 calls. Don’t let good in-office habits fall by the wayside. Have explicit conversations about their development needs especially in a distanced environment. In terms of adding value, don’t just ask “What can I help with?” because you’ll get a “nothing” response. Make specific offers of assistance like “I’m happy to talk to that one stakeholder who’s giving you trouble and see if I can help remove the barrier.” Specific requests show you’re tuned into what their issues are and are more likely to be met with a response of “that would be really helpful.”

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!