Strategy – Page 30 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

What’s the best part of being in a leadership role?

September 17, 2020/0 Comments/in Communications, Leadership, Poll, Strategy, Training /by Ryan Shaw

Our reader poll today asks: What’s the best part of being in a leadership role?

Helping my team members develop, grow and succeed: 52%
Having control over the way things run: 4%
Being able to set direction, take risks and make things happen: 34%
Being visible and valued in the organization: 6%
Overcoming the challenges leaders face every day: 3%
Something else: 2%

Making stuff happen and developing others. The two clear winners in this poll are how much you enjoy making things happen and developing your team members. Both are great rewards for any leader. The interesting thing is they’re both outward-facing in that the impact is about the environment around you versus the impact of the role on you. While I recognize these polls are simple and these are complex topics, there are clear patterns. If you happen to be inward-facing in your leadership, I encourage you to take a moment to look at the broader impact you’re having. The things you’re getting done and your impact on helping people grow may be much larger than you expect. You will likely also find the rewards of that impact far exceed the inward-facing rewards of how your role makes you feel.

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

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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Developing Stronger Executive Communication Skills

September 16, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS Managing Director, sat down with Adam Torres of The Money Matters Top Tips Podcast to talk about executive communication.

In this podcast interview, Mike reunites with Adam Torres of The Money Matters Top Tips Podcast to delve deeper into his personal thoughts and tips on executive communication.

Mike breaks down executive presence and what exactly it is, and then points out a few of the standard shortcomings that people point out with regards to executive presence and how finding a few small fixes really can move the needle in interacting with others.

As the discussion continues, Mike gives his top tips for improving this executive communication, starting with knowing your audience, something people have heard many times before, and how finding and knowing that hot button topic to get people engaged and bought in is a game changer. And then being able to assemble everything beyond facts into a compelling story that further engages the ‘audience.’

Stay tuned for more of podcast features and interviews from Mike and the rest of the thoughtLEADERS team.

Money Matters Top Tips Podcast – Mike Figliuolo

Change Starts At The Top

August 3, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Sales, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Leadership cannot be do as I say, leadership must also be do as I do, show your team how you want to operate.

Today’s post is by Pat McManamon, author of The Intentional Sales Manager (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

As a sales leader, you have to admit it’s been an interesting year.

You’ve been faced with business challenges you never even imagined you would encounter. Guess what? Your sales people are in the same situation! Your decisions, like theirs, are going to be crucial. What criteria will you use to make them?

Business is still being conducted; prospects are reaching out; your competition is on the phones and on the streets; customers are buying. Many companies I’ve spoken to had a record month in March despite the disruption of a nationwide shutdown. All signs point to a strong recovery in the near future for those who are prepared. But we must be prepared to make constructive changes, and we must accept that the most important change starts with us!

Leading With A Story

July 22, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

In this episode of Innovating Leadership Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sits down to discuss with Paul Smith, a fellow thoughtLEADERS Principal, about the power of stories.

Paul talks with Maureen about his perspective and thought process on the power of story for leaders.

He shares his insights about what works, why it works and how you will be more effective as a leader if you master the use of story as one of your skills. Paul recounts a compelling story told by Bob McDonald, CEO of Proctor and Gamble and connects it to a primary leadership and parenting lesson for him.

Through his use of story he illustrates a couple of things like what is a great leadership story? What are the primary elements the make up a great leadership story? He also breakdown why you should use stories to lead and sell and just what are the most common mistakes of using stories. This discussion will have you walking away with the foundations of using and telling your personal leadership story.

Stay tuned for more of these leadership discussions between Maureen and Paul, along with a few other team members from thoughtLEADERS, being featured on the Innovating Leadership podcast.

Applying Storytelling to Sales

July 15, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Paul Smith, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss storytelling and how it can make your role as a salesperson easier and more effective.

In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Paul breaks down just how storytelling can make you a better and stronger salesperson in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue.

After his previous breakdown of storytelling for leaders, Paul takes some time to differentiate storytelling for leaders versus storytelling for salespeople, and how the storytelling really affects the emotional decision making that we do as human beings.

Paul goes into the framework for a great story that works in a sales environment and how it differentiates from our traditional idea about storytelling, like a bedtime story. He gives further insight into what it takes to really build a compelling story and get buy-in from your audience.

Stay tuned for more of these brief Chalk Talks featuring Paul, as well as many more members of the thoughtLEADERS team.

Personal Empowerment and Why It Matters

July 13, 2020/0 Comments/in Books, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Blanca De La Rosa discusses how people can take control of their careers through personal empowerment.

Today’s post is by Blanca De La Rosa, author of Empower Yourself for an Amazing Career (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Are you in control of your life and your career? Is your life what you imagined it would be? Or have you somehow allowed yourself to be deterred from your chosen path? Did you know that nothing changes unless you change it?

No matter what you seek, it can only happen if you do something about it. Take charge of your personal power. To be empowered you must know what you want for your life and why.

Personal empowerment is a collection of beliefs, actions and skills all working together to help you achieve your goals and it begins with two things: self-awareness and a positive mindset.

How Smart Leaders Get Their Teams to Exceptional Results

July 1, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

In this episode of Innovating Leadership Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, interviews Victor Prince, a fellow thoughtLEADERS Principal, about guiding leaders to exceptional results.

In today’s interview, Victor talks about the power of applying the “Leadership Matrix” -the box- to team management.

He will describe what exactly the Leadership Matrix is, how it works, and how it will help you get the best out of yourself and your team.

Victor, through all of this, will also answer a few of the below questions:

Who should read Lead Inside the Box?

What problem does it help them solve and how do you help people solve that problem?

He will walk us through the different parts of the Leadership Matrix, explain the four boxes and how to utilize this tool to allocate leadership time by the various groups. Victor provides great insights about how this structure helps managers and leaders think through what employees need using a framework to categorize where they are right now. This tool can also help shift people to become more productive.

Stay tuned for more of these leadership discussions between Maureen and Victor, along with a few other team members from thoughtLEADERS, being featured on the Innovating Leadership podcast.

Applying Storytelling to Leadership

June 17, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Paul Smith, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss storytelling and how it can apply to your leadership ability and skill

In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Paul breaks down just how storytelling can make you a better leader in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue.

Paul gives Jim and Jan some background on the current renaissance and rediscovery that is happening in relation to the power of storytelling, and the distancing away from the heavy focus on analytics that happened around the same time as the expansion of the digital age, and the return to a more human-centered approach.

Paul elaborates on the definition he shares with executives and leaders on what exactly ‘storytelling’ is, and how we can continue to blend the two worlds of data-centric and human-centric to tell better, more compelling stories.

Stay tuned for more of these brief Chalk Talks featuring Paul, as well as many more members of the thoughtLEADERS team.

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

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!

Transforming Misunderstanding Into Trust

June 10, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Devin Singh, thoughtLEADERS Principal, sat down with Jim and Jan of The Leadership Podcast to discuss his thoughts on transforming misunderstanding.

In continuation of our new collaboration with The Leadership Podcast, Devin gives his tips and tricks for transforming misunderstanding into trust in this short form “chalk talk.” These chalk talk series are bitesize sessions on a common (but challenging) leadership issue.

Misunderstanding is not an uncommon part of any environment, especially business, but Devin breaks down that we have tools to break down these misunderstandings and how it can lead to greater innovation, happier workplaces, and deeper relationships.

Jim and Jan ask Devin where he starts when he is working through this course material with people, asking if he starts at the base level that all of our memories are flawed and tainted. Devin goes further into some of his basic tools for trying to mitigate misunderstanding and how to recover and move forward with it after the fact.

Stay tuned for more of these brief Chalk Talks featuring Devin, as well as many more members of the thoughtLEADERS team.

How To Lead Inside The Box

June 3, 2020/0 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Communications, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

In this episode of Innovating Leadership, Maureen Metcalf, thoughtLEADERS Principal, interviews Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS Managing Director, about what it means to lead inside the box.

Mike will talk about his book: Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results.

In this episode Mike will discuss his thoughts and perspectives on a few of the following topics:

Why he decided to write this book

What he hopes readers take away from it

The questions the book answers that successful people need to know

His Top 3 points he wants readers to take away that will encourage them to learn more

What guidance he would give leaders based on his experience

Mike will further discuss his legacy as a leader, the way thoughtLEADERS operates as an organization, and how thinks of training and development in a very easy to apply and practical manner. Mike uses this time to share more depth to his experience with some easy practices for leaders at any level to apply to become more effective.

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.

Kenny Rogers on Strategy

June 1, 2020/0 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Guest Blogger, Leadership, Strategy /by Ryan Shaw

Three proven ways to win hearts at work with the 3Ps of Balanced Accountability in the workplace: Personal, Positive, and Performance.

Today’s post is by Jeff Bennett.

When my sons were about 6 and 8 years old, in an effort to create an alternative to video games, I taught them to play poker. Okay, so that admission probably disqualifies me from any ‘father of the year’ awards. But in the process of watching them learn to play, I gained some fascinating insights both about how novices approach poker and, by analogy, how many companies appear to approach strategy.

It didn’t take too long for my children to get a grasp of the basic rules and hand rankings (three of a kind beats two pair, etc.), but even with this working knowledge, they weren’t very good at the game. What I realized is that without an intuitive knowledge of probabilities, they were focused only on what was possible, and not what was likely. This caused them to rack up big losses because they would keep betting on a bad hand long after an experienced player would have folded. In short, they hadn’t taken Kenny Rogers’ advice in The Gambler: “you’ve got to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em…”

When I asked them to describe their thinking, it was something like: “I will stay in, because if the last card is an eight I will have a straight and will likely win.” Whereas an experienced player would have looked at the same cards and said: “I am going to fold because if the last card is anything other than an eight, I will have nothing and will certainly lose.” My children were focused on the possibility that the outcome they desired would occur, whereas the experienced player is thinking through the probability that it will occur relative to other possible outcomes.