The Development Exponent: A Leadership Perspective

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A particular culture comes with a family-owned business that’s difficult to maintain as the company grows. Today we learn how my guest, Angela Santiago, CEO and co-founder of The Little Potato Company, preserved the family-owned culture of her growing business. She equates planning for culture and values with planning for a budget or business strategy.

Angela and her father founded The Little Potato Company in 1996 on a 1-acre plot. The company now has over 400 employees, star listings in the U.S. and Canada, and has breeding programs on three continents. Angela is a wife and mother of 4. She has earned many awards during her career, such as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, Top 40 under 40 in Canada, and Alberta’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Angela is a delight to speak with, down-to-earth, insightful, and knowledgeable. Listen in to learn how you can apply the growth principles Angela has shared with us.

Resources & People Mentioned * Team Building & Bucket Filling with The Little Potato Company

Connect with Angela Santiago * On LinkedIn * Company website

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Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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What if you could have your biggest organizational issues assessed and addressed, with guaranteed results? That’s the promise of Contracted Leadership. We at Contracted Leadership are more than consultants. We’re contractors who work side-by-side with organizations and we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. That level of commitment is required of anyone representing us. Each subcontractor has 15-20+ years of experience in various industries, including substantial leadership roles. They’re carefully vetted and trained to ensure that they’ll represent the purpose of Contracted Leadership.

In this episode, you’ll hear more about the ins and outs of Contracted Leadership. This time we’re doing something new. Rather than interviewing someone or speaking on a topic, I’m handing over the wheel to Carey Green, the founder of Podcast Fast Track. This time, Carey is interviewing me! Carey is one of the best interviewers ever. He and his team are responsible for turning good recordings into great podcast episodes. Carey and I discuss the reason Contracted Leadership exists and the story behind how it came to be. Listen in on this opportunity to learn about the heart of Contracted Leadership.

Outline of This Episode * [01:25] Why Bruce is being interviewed * [07:23] Contracted Leadership’s focus * [10:03] Why do organizations approach Contracted Leadership? * [14:55] Why does development tend to be neglected? * [17:45] Contracted Leadership’s Ideal clients * [19:30] The three steps in the development process * [28:17] What is unique about Contracted Leadership? * [33:24] Why did Bruce start Contracted Leadership? * [41:59] Advice for organizations experiencing growth pains

Connect with Carey Green * Carey Green on LinkedIn * Podcast Production Services from Podcast Fast Track

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Creation is the key to learning. When we can apply what we learn, we make knowledge our own. My guest takes that belief to new levels. Dan White is the founder and CEO of Filament Games where their ultimate goal is to inspire people to learn more on their own. I knew I needed to speak with Dan White after watching his video about how to embrace failure. In the video, Dan shares his belief that failure should be expected and celebrated rather than avoided. I know you’ll be inspired by his passion for effective learning.

Outline of This Episode * [2:18] What does Filament Games do? * [7:20] The importance of learning based games * [12:04] Learning games now vs the past * [18:07] Dreaming of the future of gaming * [21:32] Moving from concept to client * [30:24] Teaching robotics digitally * [42:43] Where is Filament Games going next? * [44:53] The power of failure

Connect with Dan White * Dan White on LinkedIn * Filament Games

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Ambition, courage, and curiosity are character traits you’ll find in many founders and many innovators across disciplines. I immediately saw all three of those traits in my guest on this episode, Mary Dixon. Mary is a founder in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, working to improve the lives of human beings through research and development that empower the person’s greatest health.

Her history has led her to the development of software that empowers medical providers and patients as well. The focus is to do this through the use of data to discover the deeper unmet needs of everyone in the scenario. I invite you to listen. You’ll be inspired by Mary’s competence and insight and how she keeps her focus on the individuals involved in the complex process of healthcare solutions.

Outline of This Episode * [1:50] Mary’s 30-year history in pharma and how she leads in ground-breaking developments * [12:20] How curiosity has contributed to Mary’s career development and innovation * [23:27] Hiring for curiosity and the mission, not necessarily industry expertise * [28:52} Surprising challenges transitioning to leadership * [33:45] What Mary wishes others knew about Big Pharma * [37:22] Achievements Mary is particularly proud of * [40:46] What are “human factors” and why are they so important? * [47:50] Mary’s childhood experience with healthcare and how it led to her current role * [1:01:37] The confidence that’s come in leading over the years: delegation

Connect with Mary Dixon * Mary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-e-dixon-b228aa8/

Companies Mary serves

https://innovenn.com/
https://improvita.com/
http://www.cogentpharma.com/

SPONSOR: First Business Bank – Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services – built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/

Resources * Definition of Software as a Medical Device * Locus of control theory * BOOK: “The Culture Code” * BOOK: “Start With Why” * BOOK: “Deep Survival”

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

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After starting his accounting firm serving the for-profit world, Nick Curran had an “accidental” conversation that led him down the path his business was to follow for the foreseeable future — providing accounting services exclusively to non-profit organizations.

As CEO of Numbers 4 Non-Profits, Nick leads a substantial team of accountants, consultants, assistants, and administrative professionals to, in his words, “Do the simple things right.” In this conversation, you’ll hear Nick describe why non-profit organizations tend to be more stable than their for-profit counterparts, the typical bumps in the road non-profits face, and why clear and quick communication is always the best course of action, no matter the issue.

Outline of This Episode * [2:17] The road to providing accounting services for non-profit organizations * [6:09] Difficult aspects of serving clients in the non-profit space * [11:45] Why non-profit organizations tend to be more stable and successful * [16:06] Misconceptions non-profit organizations have about their accounting * [25:15] Staying connected to the original reasons you started a business * [30:22] How a heart attack showed Nick the power of the relationships he’s built * [35:10] Achievements Nick’s business has attained that he’s most proud of * [38:01] Is there really a professional life / personal life division? * [41:42] The struggle to hold team members accountable * [48:00] Two things top decision-makers can make right now

Connect with Nick Curran * Numbers 4 Non-Profits * Follow Nick on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Growing up in a family-owned general contracting business, Sam Daniels worked in the field, learned back-office stuff, and then went to school to learn more of the business skills needed to be a significant part of the family business going forward. His journey into leadership and the lessons he’s had to learn — and how he’s learned them — provide great food for thought for those in the role of leadership. Sam speaks with host, Bruce Holoubek about sustaining the family feel of the business over time, what that looks like practically when it comes to employee benefits and communication, and more. Join us for this conversation.

SPONSOR: First Business Bank - Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services - built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/

Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Building construction: how it’s built and how it shapes us * [4:46] Sam’s company is a diversified self-performing contractor? What’s that? * [6:43] Shifting from residential construction to larger-scale commercial work * [11:01] Characteristics that set Daniels Construction apart from other companies * [14:48] Working in the field as the kid of one of the company leaders * [17:20] The fun of being a third-generation leader in a family business * [22:30] Leadership lessons about caring for the team, learned from his grandfather * [25:06] Misconceptions about the construction industry * [29:55] Why long-term employees are the norm at Daniel’s construction * [35:19] Surprises Sam’s high school friends might experience if they met him today * [37:51] Why the work Daniel’s construction does, matters to Sam and to others * [42:02] How losing his grandfather shaped his course to lead in the family business * [48:01] The one thing Sam desires for his employees more than anything * [49:55] Two pieces of advice for top decision-makers

Connect with Sam Daniels * Sam on LinkedIn * Daniels Construction, Madison, Wisconsin

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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We all learn, in our own particular ways, that life is no walk in the park. Crisis, hardship, loss, and myriad other circumstances chip away at youthful optimism and threaten to undo us. But it’s our response to these things that largely determines whether we will be resilient and strong, or cowering and soft. As a top decision-maker in your organization, you know this. It’s one of the many things that has set you apart as a leader.

My guest on this episode has a great deal to say about the subject. He’s experienced plenty of struggle in his life and he believes that the more struggle you have in life, the more opportunity you have for becoming strong. John Schneider has learned that failure is not something to be feared, it’s something to be learned from. His story illustrates how resilience, determination, and a desire to add value to the lives of others can create a kind of success that few of us even know is possible. As the leader of four companies, he passes those values on to his teams and works every day to infuse them into his growing family. Join us for this challenging and insightful conversation.

The more struggle you have, the stronger you become John’s first steps into business ownership came through an opportunity to flip houses. He ran a lean operation and had no interest in simply slapping paint on a less-than-quality structure and flipping it for a profit. To him, there had to be tangible improvements to the property that resulted in value for the purchaser, which only then translated into value for him. In an effort to increase his margins, he started an ancillary business, then another, then another. And with each new business came new challenges and struggles.

But there’s something in John’s entrepreneurial DNA that doesn’t allow him to shy away from those struggles. He has learned that’s a good thing. He says that the more struggle you have, the stronger you become — or at least you have a greater opportunity to become stronger. So he often coaches others to step into the struggles rather than running away from them. It’s in that step that you find more strength than you knew you had. How has this proven true in your leadership journey? Are there ways you can use the struggle to your advantage and that of your teams?

Once you’ve eaten the onion, everything else is easier One of the colorful entrepreneurial endeavors in John’s past was a short season he was trying to promote concerts in his area. He convinced some partners to come alongside him to fund a music festival of sorts and he took care of booking the bands, securing the venue, and dealing with vendors. One of the things outside his control was the weather, and it didn’t cooperate with all his best-laid plans. The losses were catastrophic.

John told me about the experience of making phone calls to the people who had invested in the event in various ways. Those were some of the hardest conversations he’s ever had to have, but he says they taught him lessons he didn’t know he needed at the time. One of those was that it’s always easier to do the things you dread or find difficult, first. Getting past your fears and experiencing the light at the end of that dark tunnel demonstrates that things are often not as bad as they seem and that you will get through it. In his words, once you’ve eaten your onion, everything else is easier.

Failure is, by far, the best teacher you have John also explains that the fear of failure many of us live with is actually one of the most irrational fears we could have. The truth is that failure is one of the only ways we learn. It provides a very clear perspective on how we perform and the results of that performance. In failure, our weaknesses become evident, which provides a unique opportunity to identify them and make plans to overcome them.

John believes that failure is, by far, is the best teacher you have — and I wonder, how have you, as a top decision-maker and leader, discovered this to be true? Or do you need to take the lessons from John’s experience as a reminder of that fact? Might I encourage you, don’t miss out on the lessons failure has to offer you by playing it safe. Expect failure, plan on it, and step into situations where it’s a possibility. Then pay close attention when it arrives. You’ll learn lessons during those times that are not available to you anyplace else.

3 pieces of advice for anyone considering the entrepreneurial life Having started or led so many businesses, I thought it would be super helpful for John to provide his perspective to those who are considering an entrepreneurial path. He was not shy about sharing the three most important pieces of advice he’s learned. I’m sure you will resonate with these.

Be willing to work as hard as you must to be successful
Learn how to figure out obstacles and issues so you can constantly improve
Know your numbers

I couldn’t agree with John’s insights on this point more strongly. You likely have insights about each of them as well. I encourage you to listen to his explanation of each so that you can understand how they fit together and provide a wise and stable launchpad for any entrepreneurial endeavor. You may find that his insights provide much-needed help on your journey as a leader.

Outline of This Episode * [0:57] Insight and vision describe this episode’s guest * [2:57] John’s beginning in house flipping that quickly morphed into other businesses * [11:45] How the idea of providing value drives John to step into opportunities * [15:10] The origin of “Property Revival” * [18:35] If you’re not struggling in any way, you atrophy * [21:23] John’s top 3 pieces of advice for those wanting to be an entrepreneur * [26:45] The back story behind John’s entrepreneurial journey (it includes a rock band) * [35:53] A real estate investment that turned sour but wound up being the best deal * [40:04] Living a fulfilled life and providing a fulfilled life for those around you * [45:40] How competition and music have taught John the power of being present * [53:10] Resilience is in our DNA, we just have to learn how to make the most of it * [1:00:03] Conquering your fears (and how John won’t be voted parent of the year)

Resources & People Mentioned SPONSOR: First Business Bank - Take banking to the next level. Fuel business growth. Improve personal wealth gains. Elevate your banking expectations with a financial partner that delivers comprehensive business banking services - built on experience. Find out more at https://firstbusiness.bank/

BOOK: Principles by Ray Dalio
Eckhart Tolle

Connect with John Schneider * Follow John on LinkedIn * http://www.mix-tek.com/ * https://www.artisoldesign.com/ * https://www.exithgm.com/ * https://www.propertyrevival.net/

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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When you hear about someone needing to unplug, you likely picture someone frazzled and on the edge of a burn-out. We can all relate to similar feelings of overwhelm; it seems almost inevitable. However, that outcome could have been different if the person had proactively taken the time to refresh before getting to that point.

Jim McNulty, Sr. Vice President of Business Banking, doesn’t only understand the previous truth, he’s done something about it. During this conversation, we discuss his experience taking a ten-week sabbatical and his journey to that decision.

As I spoke with Jim, I came to understand his heart for people. Throughout our discussion, he kept coming back to that. His hiring process, the way he operates, and his relationships teach us a lot about creating a culture that develops others.

We discussed the impact that COVID-19 had on Oak Bank and how they pushed through the obstacles presented by the pandemic to be able to say, “Yes” to each person in need. In a matter of weeks, he had to turn his bank into a PPP loan processing station. Every individual who called needing help was met with kindness and understanding. Jim attributes much of this understanding to lessons he learned during his sabbatical. Listen to learn more from Jim’s wise perspective about taking time to refresh.

How does unplugging benefit the workplace? There were many benefits that came from Jim’s sabbatical, not just for him but for his family and workplace team. Jim and his family grew closer during his time off and he learned to appreciate the benefits of unplugging. Meanwhile, his company benefited due to the training provided and trust granted in preparation for Jim being gone. His employees flourished with having greater responsibility and future leadership potential was developed.

It’s easy to think that we are indispensable, that the work we do is too important for us to take time off, that no one can do our job as well as we can. The reality is that our businesses should be able to run without us. Not permanently, of course, but certainly for a time. Preparing for someone to unplug is like an emergency drill. We can prepare for the inevitable by preparing for the expected.

What does it mean to unplug? Many of us think we need to be constantly available and engaged in the workplace. We wouldn’t even consider taking a break. Staying busy and living in an exhausted state has become the norm for our culture. In previous episodes, I’ve discussed the necessity of work/life synchrony. That being said, unplugging also provides an opportunity for great revelations and positive shifts. It allows us to gain a new perspective on every relationship in life.

Unplugging is different for each individual. Most commonly it means separating yourself from work. However, it could also mean temporarily backing away from a situation or event. Regardless of the reason, great benefit can be attained by stepping away and resetting, and the benefits will continue for years to come in both our professional and personal lives.

Why should you consider unplugging? Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, and truly see the things that matter most.” What does that look like? It’s stepping away from the busyness of life to give yourself the time to reset. How long you should unplug is entirely dependent on how long it takes to accomplish your intended purpose. If you’re willing to unplug, you’ll find that you’ll be better prepared to have meaningful discussions with others and that your relationships will grow. These are things Jim has found to be true after he unplugged with his sabbatical.

What do you think of when you hear the word unplug? Is it something you’ve considered for yourself or your employees? Find out how learning to unplug will make you a better leader with a stronger team.

Outline of This Episode * [3:40] Jim McNulty’s leadership background from flipping burgers to the present * [7:03] How to hire employees who care about people * [10:02] How Oak Bank stands out * [18:50] Jim’s slam dunk achievement at Oak Bank * [26:04] Using work successes in personal relationships * [29:10] Struggles during the pandemic * [33:20] Jim’s ten-week sabbatical * [40:37] What Jim learned during the trip that benefited his work * [46:13] Two benefits of unplugging to keep in mind

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Ray Dalio’s book https://www.principles.com/
Jack Welch Jack Welch Management Institute

Connect with Jim McNulty * Jim’s company profile Jim McNulty * Jim’s sabbatical blog The Big Trip * Connect with Jim on LinkedIn * Jim McNulty's Twitter profile

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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The building of any organization requires an inordinate amount of enthusiasm for what you’re building and why you’re doing it, certainly more than the average person possesses. That’s why good leadership is at such a premium — it’s unusual for that kind of passion to exist in an individual, much less to exist in a way that is sustainable over the long haul.

Tim O’Brien is a leader who oozes passion for what he’s doing and it’s all rooted in the realization that he has the opportunity every day to help others live a better life. His role as founder of The Healthy Place and other nutrition and health-related companies is the natural result of his pursuit of that desire. In this conversation, we discuss how Tim became interested in the world of natural health, how he creates a culture within his companies that focuses on helping the customer first (even if that doesn’t result in a sale), how he's learned to activate and empower the unique abilities of his team members, and much more. We could have talked for hours, so I invite you to join me for another captivating conversation.

Leaders must ensure that organizational culture serves customers Organizations that matter function according to some sort of mission, a reason the organization exists. Typically, that mission benefits people, who are its customers or recipients. It’s the leader who is responsible to ensure that the people their organization serves remain the front and center focus of the organization’s efforts.

Tim O’Brien keeps that focus in view for his teams by repeating a simple phrase that is introduced during the three-month training all team members receive. What is the statement?

“Souls before sales.”

It’s Tim’s way of reminding himself and his team members that the help they provide to their customers has no strings attached. Sometimes that means they don’t sell anything. Other times, it may mean a sale happens. Either way, the person is being served in a way that truly benefits them, and that is what matters.

Leaders must also ensure that team members can serve customers with integrity On the “team” side of things Tim’s slogan “souls before sales” applies as well. Tim desires for his team members to be among the highest compensated in the industry and wants to provide that compensation in a way that is never in competition with the best interests of the customer.

For example, in the natural health industry, it’s common for sales associates to receive varying levels of commission, based on the products being sold. Tim himself experienced this tension when as a young man working in a health food store, he was tempted to suggest a supplement that he knew was not the best solution to a customer’s problem but would earn him a higher commission. He never wants his team members to be faced with that kind of choice. Said another way, he wants to make it easy for his team to serve customers well.

As a result, he provides his team members a bonus that is based on the overall growth of the company, not only on personal sales. That way their work contributes to the bonus but is not directly tied to the particular products they recommend or sell. They can maintain a clear conscience and full integrity in pointing customers to the best solutions for their needs.

Team selection is as much about passion and desire to help people as it is qualifications Everyone is on a journey, in life and career pursuits. It’s not always the case that job applicants know where they are headed or even what the job they are applying for will entail in its fullest manifestation. Knocking on doors and investigating employment opportunities is one of the ways we discover the path we are meant to take.

This is one of the reasons that Tim’s organizations are not looking for specific life experiences or qualifications when selecting new team members. They know that expertise can be gained through training and experience on the sales floor. What matters more is that the person being trained has the passion to make a difference, the ability to learn, the willingness to be taught (which is an entirely different thing), and a deep desire to help people. Those ingredients can be refined to become an effective sales or customer service associate.

Are you casting a personal, compelling vision for your team? Team members are not cogs in the machinery that accomplishes the mission of visionary leaders. Their personal journey and experience of life are just as important as any mission the organization may have. Leaders must recognize this and apply that knowledge to the way they lead the people under them. Care, compassion, and true encouragement expressed by leaders build a level of trust and loyalty to the organization that can’t happen any other way.

That’s why Tim endeavors to give himself daily reminders that the people he leads are valuable and important as human beings — and is also the reason why he communicates that fact to people often. None of us can overcome our insecurities, doubts, and fears without those influential others who remind us that the negative voices we hear are lying to us. Tim takes that responsibility seriously and desires to be a conduit of hope and encouragement to everyone he meets.

In my book, that’s a true leader.

Outline of This Episode * [1:10] Tim O’Brien’s experience, background, and motivation in nutrition and wellness * [7:41] What people concerned about health supplements don’t typically understand * [11:01] How Tim has built a culture of education and knowledge in his companies * [15:09] The personal story behind Tim’s journey into nutrition, health, and helping others * [20:08] Hiring team members based on passion, character, and humility * [25:05] Trust for his team and the pivotal moments that taught him how to do it * [31:02] Why Tim and his team work hard to reduce friction for customers * [34:11] The challenges and opportunities that have come from the COVID pandemic * [42:04] Important things that drive Tim forward in life * [47:21] Managing life and the varied responsibilities it brings * [59:31] Tim’s offer of 25% off and FREE nutrition and health advice

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GNC
Bruce’s talk at Disrupt Madison
FIT (Functional Integrative Training) in Madison, WI

Connect with Tim O’Brien Use the LIVE CHAT on Tim’s website to learn about ANY health issue - any day and use the coupon code “leadership” to get 25% off full price

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn
Tim’s company website: The Healthy Place
Tim’s vitamin company: Lively Vitamin Co
The Wild Theory CBD Oils company Tim leads
Follow The Healthy Place on YouTube
Follow on Instagram

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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There are many people who impact you deeply as you go through life, but only some who do so more deeply than you know at the time. Chris Clarke-Epstein is one of those people for me. Chris was a unique individual who possessed a movie-worthy personality and style. Her speaking prowess was the kind that captivated audiences before they knew what was happening. She was a chameleon of conversation, artfully adapting the way she interacted with individuals to enable a connection based on who they were and what they had experienced.

Though she is best known for her storytelling and speaking she was also able to get right to the point, but in a way that made the person she was interacting with feel that they were being given the gift of knowledge and insight to be treasured. Our world is a richer place from having Chris in it. We will miss her.

Putting ideas into action requires change — in yourself and in how you respond All of us experience times in life when we need to decide if we're going to bring our new ideas to fruition. If so, we will have to change our current behavior and actions.

Change is a strange thing, it affects each of us uniquely. Chris Clarke-Epstein made it her life’s work to discover why some people respond to change by stepping up to the challenge while others are trapped in overwhelm and miss the opportunity change provides.

She’s discovered that the measure of success in a person’s life is how they deal with the bends in the road that require change. Do they vacillate and delay out of fear or insecurity, or do they move ahead eager to discover a better future? The time between the two must diminish if we are to be good leaders and it’s our experience that shortens the cycle. Over time and as we grow, we find that what stopped us in our tracks earlier in life becomes something that we know we can get through by gathering our resources and moving ahead.

Organizational change impacts your team in a variety of ways Leaders need to understand that the people in their organization handle change in a variety of ways. What is more, learning the following about your team can help you guide them artfully and wisely:

Change is bigger in the minds of your team than it is in yours Your team is typically not in the know about the details surrounding the change you're proposing. You’ve had time to process the situation and make mental, emotional, and practical adjustments. Your team typically hasn’t. You need to empathize with their experience and lead them along at a rate that they can keep up with. As you do, your team will process the change more healthily and come on board more enthusiastically.

Change is likely your choice, not the choice of your team As a leader, you need to force yourself back into the role of a follower for the sake of understanding the context within which your team is responding to the change being proposed. They have no control or say in whether the change takes place. It’s being dictated to them, they’ve got to adapt even if they don’t want to. Understanding that reality helps you patiently ask the questions required to understand their journey to the new reality you already see.

Your team needs to understand the benefits of the change that you already see As a leader, you need to understand that the benefits you see coming from the changes you’re implementing are not internalized by your team — yet. Their motivation and their enthusiasm about the change will grow the more they see the future benefits they will experience. So cast that vision. Keep talking about it. Ensure that your team understands the better future you’re headed to together.

Your team will believe in the need for change the longer and more consistently you talk about it 70% of organizational change initiatives fail. Why? Much of the reason is that the leader fails to consistently cast the vision behind the change and equip and empower the team to accomplish it. A sustained effort will empower change initiatives, convincing the team that it’s really going to happen. So stick with one idea until it’s complete. Don’t let the next seminar or leadership conference you attend derail what you already have in place. If you are constantly bringing new ideas and changes to your people your ideas for change will quickly lose credibility.

These are just a sampling of the wisdom Chris shares in this conversation. It’s one I will treasure for years and am honored I was able to experience. Enjoy!

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Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Any leader in any organization has to be mindful of the example they set. What you model will be a good example or a bad example for distinct groups of people: those you lead, those you serve, those with whom you are in a close relationship, and those who observe your life from a distance. This undeniable reality is an aspect of leadership that seems to fall off the radar for many senior leaders. Position and success somehow obscure the need for humble modeling and are sometimes replaced by a sense of entitlement or superiority.

Peter Schravemade is a leader who has not lost touch with the impact his example invariably has on others. Though he’s ultra-busy in his role at BoxBrownie.com, he strives to keep himself grounded, for the sake of his family, those he leads, and his own sanity. Join me for this delightful conversation with a guy whose responses are often deeper than the question he’s been asked. That’s a good thing.

Should a leader’s personal life intersect with their professional life? I’m always curious about how leaders see the relationship between personal and private life. Modern business etiquette often says the two should remain entirely separate, but if you’ve followed me for any length of time you’ll know that I couldn’t disagree more. I believe that who you are personally not only informs but amplifies who you are professionally if you allow the two to intersect in helpful ways.

Peter is a “what you see is what you get” sort of guy. His self-deprecating humor and humble attitude have earned the respect of those he leads and have advanced him to positions of influence and strategic growth on the BoxBrownie.com team. In this conversation, we discuss how his personal and professional life intersect and why it’s important for top decision-makers to make sure the two are connected.

Does the entirety of who you are hold up under the magnifying glass of a “What you see is what you get” perspective? As a leader, what can you do to nudge yourself a few steps close to it?

Modeling a servant attitude is more powerful than you may think People naturally gravitate toward those who encourage and help them. That’s why leaders should be practiced at recognizing the abilities of those on their teams, encouraging and empowering those abilities, and providing opportunities for them to develop. There’s a name for this, it’s called servant leadership.

Peter says that the “service” part of what he does — as a leader and more broadly toward customers — is what keeps him going. He's made a good point, there. It’s a huge motivation to know that both how you lead your team and how you provide services to customers is making a difference in their lives.

How are you doing on this front? Do the team members you lead know that you are in their corner and working to see them excel? If you’re not sure, why not ask them? You may find clear areas where you can improve your leadership that you didn’t know existed.

True leaders model a deep belief in their product or service It’s been said that when you are convinced that the service or product you provide will benefit those who use it, you’re obligated to tell them about it. Leaders can learn something from that statement. Not only do you as a senior leader have broad experience from which those you lead can benefit, but you also have a perspective of the overall organization’s goals, direction, and impact on customers that can help them see the bigger picture of how your organization is making a difference in the lives of those you serve.

In his role at BoxBrownie.com, Peter has seen time and time again how the work they do fast-tracks the results their customers are seeking. It’s this clear benefit that he keeps in mind at all times. It motivates him each day and keeps him going as he travels across the world at a feverish pace (listen to this episode to hear an average week of insanity for Peter). His advice to those who don’t feel 100% in love with what they do in their organization is golden. It's this...

If you find yourself unable to get entirely behind the product or service your organization provides, you probably need to find an organization that provides something you can get behind. You are not serving yourself, those you lead, or your organization well when you’re only bringing part of you to the task at hand.

Don’t miss this episode. Peter shares his experience as a leader and team member in an unforgettable style that provides value with every response. And if you didn’t hear the first part of this two-part conversation,you can find it here.

Outline of This Episode * [1:15] Peter’s background in the church and the benefits he experiences as a result * [3:40] Comparing professional life to personal life: what you see is what you get * [6:28] Why Peter’s work in the real estate industry matters to him and his customers * [11:50] The reason Peter keeps a crazy pace and varying business-travel lifestyle * [17:03] Three characteristics of achieving the kind of success Peter has experienced * [21:22] The one thing Peter would magically do for BoxBrownie if he could

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The National Association of Realtors
The Property Portal Watch Conference

Connect with Peter Schravemade * BoxBrownie.com - where Peter serves * Peter(at)BoxBrownie.com

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Real Estate is an industry that everyone understands on a basic level, but very few know about the highly specialized niche businesses that serve the industry. These organizations keep the real estate machine humming along smoothly for the benefit of both buyers and sellers. Some of them enhance the process to provide greater value for everyone involved.

Peter Schravemade serves as Strategic Relationships Manager at BoxBrownie.com, one of those highly specialized real estate tech companies I referred to. BoxBrownie.com takes average-looking photos of properties and makes them pop — resulting in faster sales and higher sales prices (Peter cites that claim during our conversation). Peter is the type of person you can talk with all day, and we almost did. Thus, this conversation will be split into two episodes. Watch your podcast player for the next installment.

Learn how the leadership at BoxBrownie.com started the company in Australia, the challenges they faced branching out to the U.S. market, and how they are handling the pains of massive growth as the company’s services continue to grow in demand.

You can’t fix blurry When asked about the most challenging parts of what the BoxBrownie.com team does, Peter was quick to say that though they work with many stellar real estate professionals, there are some who make him scratch his head. He’s had situations where agents provide blurry property photos and expect the BoxBrownie.com magic to make the image clear. Others may upload a picture of a door, half-opened, and ask the BB team to “create” the rest of the room that can’t be seen.

From those examples, Peter is quick to point out that it’s incumbent upon the BoxBrownie.com team to educate its customers — and potential customers — about what is and isn’t possible in photography and why good quality original photos will benefit the seller, the buyer, and the real estate agent in the end. When they do this well, everyone wins.

Are there ways as a top decision-maker your organization could take a page from the BoxBrownie.com approach to amplify your customer’s results by educating them about what you do, how you do it, and why it is done that way? The BoxBrownie.com team does so through blog content. How could you educate your customers better?

How you act and react to a situation dictates the person you are. A painful turning point in Peter’s life was the passing of his mother. She struggled with sickness for many years and finally succumbed to death when he was 21 years old. Her example of serving her family faithfully despite her daily suffering is an inspiration to Peter to this day. Her loss forced Peter to seriously consider who he wanted to be and what he was going to do with his life. That’s when he chose to get into the real estate industry.

It was during that season that a comment his mother often said to him came back to him. “How you act and react to a situation dictates the person you are.” He realized the wisdom of her words — that in every situation he has a responsibility to be the person he truly wants to be, the one who responds rightly, maturely, and with patience and wisdom toward others involved in the situation.

What might happen in the lives of leaders and their teams if leaders adopted this sort of responsibility for their responses and actions? Beyond that, what could happen to the bottom line of their customers if that attitude permeated the organization resulting in customers being served better?

How $1.60 sells houses faster and for more The base product BoxBrownie.com sells is a photo service that enhances property photos to make them more appealing and revealing for potential property buyers. This enables the buyer to see the property with greater clarity so they better understand the features and qualities of the property purchase they are considering. The BB team knows this is important because industry statistics say that 84% of purchasers want to see good imagery in real estate listings. But what effect does imagery have on the sales cycle?

Peter provides additional statistics from the National Association of Realtors that makes the importance of great photography abundantly clear. The BoxBrownie.com photo processing service costs $1.60 per photo and can easily be accessed from a smartphone. The NAR stats say that good photos lead to properties selling 32% faster and at a price that is $9,000 to $11,000 more than properties that do not have good imagery. That’s a very small investment for a huge return, yet 80% of agents do not edit or process their images at all.

As a top decision-maker, I challenge you to examine your industry to find similar leverage points that you can highlight for your team. Then, equip them to take advantage of what they discover. Your organization will flourish financially, but perhaps more importantly, you’ll be modeling industry savvy and insight for the team you lead.

Be sure to watch your podcast player or app for part two of this great conversation.

Outline of This Episode * [3:16] How Peter describes what he does on a 7 year-old level * [8:15] What is virtual staging and why is it an ethical approach to marketing a home? * [15:22] Surprisingly difficult stages of building the company and moving to U.S. markets * [22:40] The passing of Peter’s mother and the life-changing advice she gave him * [31:24] How BoxBrownie.com built it’s spot in the American Real Estate Market * [37:45] The most common misconception about the Real Estate industry * [40:41] Current challenges BoxBrownie.com is facing

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The Booker Prize
Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends from the National Association of Realtors

Connect with Peter Schravemade * BoxBrownie.com - where Peter serves

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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In his book, “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong,” Dr. Laurence J. Peter quipped that “People in a hierarchy rise to their level of incompetence.” By this, he meant that employees are typically promoted based on their success in previous roles under the assumption that they will do well with even greater amounts of responsibility and leadership. Laurence says this formula of “success leads to promotion” often continues until that person reaches a level at which they are no longer competent for the role they've been given, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another.

Though Dr. Peter’s book was released in 1969, we sadly see this dynamic happening still today, and it brings up a much-needed question, “Is there a better way to assess people for leadership roles?” I believe there is. This short episode introduces my ideas so I hope you listen.

Where the promotion process typically goes wrong Beyond the dynamics that happen according to the Peter Principle, there are additional reasons that promoting people within your organization can go awry. I’ve noticed 5 significant concerns in my experience working alongside top decision-makers and teams.

1 - The compensation and reward structure of the organization is inadequate Many organizations only have one way of rewarding team members: by promoting them to a higher position in the organization. When your options are limited to that, you’ve already set yourself up for failure.

Think through creative, meaningful ways that team members can be rewarded for performance and cultural contributions that don’t include promotions or steps up the rung of leadership. You’ll not only contribute to positive company culture, but you’ll also relieve the obligation team members feel to work toward promotions in the first place.

2 - The romantic notion of leadership Most top decision-makers and leaders know that there is nothing at all romantic about leadership. They have the battle scars to prove it. However, many people who are not in leadership don’t know the harsh realities and tend to romanticize leadership.

Clear communication, humility, and transparency from the top down can serve to reveal the realities of leadership to team members. It can also demonstrate the level of commitment leaders need if they are going to do their jobs well, informing those truly interested in leadership roles of the cost they will have to pay to become a leader.

3 - Outside influences impact leadership ambitions We are all influenced, for good and bad, by a variety of sources. If your team members are learning about leadership from outside your organization (not necessarily a bad thing) then they could be influenced to pursue leadership positions for reasons that don’t align with your organization’s values. Again, clear and regular communication that nurtures team member goals and dreams can help you get a bead on the real motivations behind leadership ambitions.

4 - The potential leader simply doesn’t know if they want to be a leader Many people stumble into leadership almost by accident. Once there, many of them discover gifts, abilities, and personality traits they didn’t know they had that are well suited for leadership. Others discover just the opposite. As Laurence J. Peter also said, “A man doesn’t know what he knows until he knows what he doesn’t know.”

You’ll hear me strike a similar chord in my advice on this point: regular and open communication between you as the senior leader and those who work under you will enable you to see untapped or undiscovered leadership potential in team members. You’ll have the opportunity to nurture those latent abilities, equip team members to use them well, and provide opportunities for them to be used and developed. This is one way you can help future leaders discover that they are leaders deep down — or not.

5 - Potential leaders often point to the wrong evidence to support their leadership ambitions It’s good for team members to desire leadership, but the reasons they desire to be leaders can be a mixed bag. It’s your job as a senior leader to discern those motives, steer them in the right direction, and help them clearly see if leadership truly is for them.

As you engage in conversations with those seeking leadership learn to ask questions about WHY they think they are ready for leadership. They may point to things they’ve been successful in that in reality, have no bearing on whether they are suited for leadership or not. As an experienced leader, you will be able to see those things and help them look to the markers that do matter for leadership.

Outline of This Episode * [0:46] How the Peter Principle still happens in today’s organizations * [1:57] Reasons finding the right kind of leaders may not be possible * [4:46] Trust and various tools can make the leadership selection process easier * [5:25] Don’t underestimate the complexities and uncertainties involved

Resources & People Mentioned * Connect with Bruce to schedule a time to chat about your leadership selection issue * BOOK: The Peter Principle

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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We’ve all heard it said that the shortest path between two points is a straight line. That’s undoubtedly true, but what we often fail to realize is that the BEST path is not always the most direct or straight path. Sometimes it’s the bends and turns in the path that brings the rich experience and learning that we need the most for carrying out our life’s work.

My guest, Max Duckworth has taken his own winding path on his way to filling the important role he does now. It’s one that’s taken him from particle physics to environmental policy, to energy commodity trading, to impact investing. Max is now an impact investor and co-founder of Masa Partners, which in his words, attempts to invest in companies that make a positive impact on the world while making a profit at the same time.

Putting together the varied lessons life has to teach us as we walk our winding paths enables each of us to move into opportunities we didn’t even know existed when we started the journey, and often, the world is better for it. Join me to explore the idea on this episode.

Impact investing from a people perspective Impact investing is focused on making financial investments in companies that are taking on serious problems for the betterment of the world and mankind. It aims to be profitable through investment in companies that are making a difference — not just making money. Max says that his approach to choosing the companies his investment group will fund is focused around four “P”s: Problem — People — Product and Profit, in that order.

It’s the people part of that progression that was especially intriguing to me, so I asked Max to elaborate on that piece. He says that he spends a significant amount of time assessing the founders and team of the company he’s considering an investment with. In his mind, he’s asking, “Is the group capable from a business standpoint and from an execution standpoint?” In other words, are they the kind of people who have both the skill and drive to get their product made and marketed well?

While it’s admittedly a subjective call, some of the things that go into answering those questions have to do with whether or not the team members have a personal connection to the mission. If they do, through life experience or history with the problem, they are more likely to be all in and will see the project through, and thus, create a profitable outcome.

This assessment step is something savvy leaders could adapt and tweak it to help them create mutually meaningful work engagements for their teams. Hiring and retaining people who are personally connected to the projects you’re working on could dramatically impact the meaning your team members derive from their work and fuel your organization’s forward momentum over the long haul.

When COVID hit, impact companies took the lead in caring for their people Though small and struggling to use their limited resources well, many early-stage companies that Max works with made what I’d consider the right choice when the COVID pandemic hit.

These mostly young leaders, by and large, considered the well-being and overall happiness of their employees as one of the essentials they must maintain during the pandemic. In my mind, this is an example of leadership done right. Perhaps it’s the focus on “impact” these founders already possess that enables them to see human capital as the primary consideration for the longevity of their companies. No matter the reason, I couldn’t help but say, “Well done” when I heard this news.

Hiring is one of the most significant growth pains of early-stage companies As early-stage companies start to gain traction it can seem like a thousand things require attention all at the same time. One of the most crucial of the puzzle pieces that have to be sorted is hiring. Finding and hiring the right people can be a significant challenge.

There's a need for more than simply matching the right skills and resume with the tasks at hand, which are many. It’s about drive, commitment to the cause, and chemistry with the team as much as anything else. The impact founders who keep these in clear view without caving to the sense of urgency they often feel will be able to find the people who can move their team forward, faster. It’s one example of how the creation of mutually meaningful work engagements begins at the very beginning when potential team members are vetted.

Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Why a straight line is not always the best line * [2:23] Impact investing — positive impact coupled with profitability * [11:28] Max’s first angel investment and his foray into impact investing * [18:10] His belief in win-win situations for life and investing * [26:15] How decision are made regarding impact investments * [37:01] How the COVID pandemic drove companies to get more done in less time * [43:03] A timely example of Max’s first investment partner reaching a point of success * [46:39] Why growth and hiring are huge obstacles for early stage companies * [52:52] Think about the broader ramifications of your investment choices

Resources & People Mentioned * Constellation Energy * The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation * Abingdon Health - one of Max’s early success stories * Goods Unite Us - another of Max’s supported companies

Connect with Max Duckworth * Connect with Max on LinkedIn * Max’s website: https://MaSaimpact.com/ * Follow Max on Twitter: @MaxRDuck

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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“The obscure we see eventually, the completely obvious, it seems takes longer.” ~ Edward R. Murrow.

Edward R. Murrow was a broadcast journalist and war correspondent who gained prominence during World War II. His statement points out something we all know, the obvious things don’t always get our attention right away. It happens to all of us.

It even happens at work. We're busy, we're preoccupied, and mistakes are made. Sometimes we are lucky to have someone witness our fumbled actions or statements and we can get a good laugh from it. Other times it bites us squarely on the ass. One of the things which may seem obvious to you once you hear it is how to create meaningful connection with those you lead in the workplace.

That’s the topic of this episode.

Before you can create a mutually meaningful work engagement, you must do this Again, it sounds obvious but before you can engage in a mutually meaningful relationship with a team member, you have to understand what would make that connection meaningful for them. For people to willingly share with you what makes a work engagement meaningful for them, there first must be trust. Many of you already have that level of trust with your employees, but what about the new person? How do you develop a higher sense of trust with them straight out of the gate? In this episode I give you a number of quick tips on how to it, so be sure you listen all the way through.

To build trust with your team, learn to say, “I don’t know.” During your first conversations with a new employee, there will likely be something they ask to which you are reasonably sure of the answer. But resist the temptation to feel that you have to give a definite answer. Say, “I don't know,” if you must, and follow it up with, “but I will find out and get you the answer by X time.”

Why is this important? Because conveying that you are reasonably sure puts the trust factor at risk. To them, “reasonably sure” might be perceived as the real deal and you’re then on the hook if it turns out not to be the case.

Leaders must learn how to appropriately ask personal questions of their team members I always get hate mail with this one, but nevertheless, I stand by my experience. I’ve discovered that it is important for the employee to know that as a leader, you're interested in their success and development as more than just an employee. The way to do that is to ask questions about things not related to work. This too is rather obvious, but not everyone agrees. You can ask about their non-work goals and objectives and how you can help them attain those.

I’ll write more on this at a later date, but leaders these days feel like they walk a tightrope when it comes to determining what they can and cannot ask their employees about their lives outside of work. I suggest you use common sense, be compassionate, and you'll be just fine.

Do your team members understand your plan for their development? It’s important that every employee knows that you are intentional about your role in helping them develop and grow. Show them a general 10,000-foot plan for how they will be developed, challenged, and grow. It’s a matter of giving them evidence that you are invested in their growth and that it will bring mutual rewards for them and the organization. Use this time to also show them the high-level plan of the organization. They will appreciate being in the loop.

If you are a top decision-maker experiencing challenges relating to this topic or any developmental topic, then give me a call and I will give you 20 minutes to confidentially discuss your situation and help you come up with a path to move you forward. My phone number is (715) 661-0364.

Outline of This Episode * [0:45] The painful truth of the obvious things missing our notice * [1:58] What makes a mutually meaningful work engagement meaningful? * [6:23] The obvious need for trust in work engagements and what it takes to foster it

Resources & People Mentioned * Call Bruce to discuss your situation - 715-661-0364

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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These days the word “authentic” is bandied about quite a bit, almost so much that it’s lost its meaning. That’s why it’s refreshing when you get the opportunity to chat with a leader who truly embodies the meaning of the word. Carl Atwell is an individual with whom I had that sort of conversation recently. He’s an “all-in” guy, which is one of the main reasons he’s so authentic. Carl doesn’t believe there’s any reason or point to playing games or allowing organizational culture to go sideways. So he talks straight and with incredible authenticity, and he does so for the sake of making his organization of better service to customers and more meaningful for his team members. Now THAT is a mutually meaningful work engagement!

Carl is the owner and President of Gempler’s, a farm and home company that he says is an “81-year-old ecommerce company.” During our conversation, we discussed how Carl made the decision to purchase Gempler’s, the experience that prepared him for the opportunity, the challenges and successes he’s experienced at the helm so far, and why customer service and company culture are such important things to him.

What the leader of an 81-year-old company can teach us about organizational culture The people who buy products from Gempler’s are those salt-of-the-earth individuals who know what it means to work hard to produce actual fruit from their labors. They are farmers, ranchers, landscapers, and other outdoor workers who do honest work for an honest wage. It’s these customers who motivate Carl to make Gempler’s the very best it can be. Though his company is not growing the food or raising the cattle, Carl is proud to serve those who are in ways that make it possible. It’s an honor he doesn’t take lightly.

That attitude is one he diligently strives to pass to his employees. He wants them to see how their work matters, why the things they do are not only supporting themselves but also those who fuel the food supply of a nation. It’s an admirable ambition and one that demonstrates how good leadership is essential to the attitudes and behaviors of those within an organization. When modeled well, meaning and purpose through work can be caught as well as taught.

How small to midsize companies can out-Amazon, Amazon Shortly after Carl took the reins at Gempler’s he led the organization through one of the most far-reaching and significant pivots the company had ever made, moving from a long-standing, catalog-sales model to an e-commerce brand. With their primary competition being Amazon and Wal-Mart, Carl knew he had his work cut out for him. Not only did he have to get past the barrier that the company’s long-standing catalog-only sales model represented, he had to do so in a way that not only retained customers but also made Gempler’s an attractive alternative to Amazon.

His approach to the issue was ingenious: Gempler’s could do all the things Amazon does well — great customer service, free shipping, quality products — but also do something Amazon can’t do well, be a company that people want to support by applying an authentic, real-people approach. That would make customers truly enjoy engaging with them. His approach paid off. Gempler’s made the transition to e-commerce quickly and without losing many customers. And top-down customer service is one of their largest areas of focus.

Top-down customer service sets the tone for an authentic company culture Companies can say anything they want about themselves on their own web properties. Whether the claims made are to be believed depends on either the gullibility or diligence of the visitor. But when I visited the Gempler’s website I noticed something that told me it was an organization that was doing more than talking a big talk. The President himself posts his private email address on the website and solicits feedback from customers. That’s unheard of and is one of the things that enables Carl to keep his finger on the pulse of the people the company serves.

When I asked him about this he said that though it’s a practice that consumes a significant amount of time, it’s important to him that he replies to every email he receives. He wants Gempler’s customers to know that their needs and concerns are taken seriously and that it's a concern that begins at the top. This approach speaks volumes to the team members at Gempler’s, demonstrating that customer needs are among the most important priorities of the company. Carl shares stories about employees who were concerned that the company stayed open when the worldwide COVID pandemic began in early March 2020. Why were they so concerned? It wasn't just about their own paychecks, it was because they believed the company needed to be open to provide customers with the things they needed. That is proof that mutually meaningful work engagements are happening at Gempler’s, and it’s an example to be followed by other organizations.

How does your organization stack up? Is your leadership committed to a top-down customer service approach that inspires your employees to take customer service seriously?

Outline of This Episode * [2:25] The 83 year old e-commerce company Carl chose to purchase * [16:37] What it takes to do true customer service * [25:07] Successes Carl is particularly proud of at Gempler’s * [32:08] Challenges faced by Carl and the Gempler’s team most recently * [36:02] The most significant defining moment in Carl’s life * [47:55] Why the customers make Carl’s role meaningful to him * [54:15] Carl’s top two takeaways for top decision-makers listening

Connect with Carl Atwell * Gempler’s Website

Resources Mentioned In This Episode * Land’s End * River’s End Trading

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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When you hear the phrase “change the world,” which seems to be prevalent these days, do you tend to think of grand things, things that move the needle in big ways? Perhaps the type of things that come to mind are finding a cure for cancer or establishing a context in which world peace can be attained. If that’s how you think of world change, you’re not alone.

But let me challenge you to think of it differently. You and I can change the world through smaller but no less significant actions, such as positively contributing to the development of the individuals around us. If you’re an organizational leader or top decision-maker, you have an especially fertile field in which to plant that type of seed and the harvest you might reap could be incredible over the course of your career.

This episode introduces the concept of the Mutually Meaningful Work Engagement — a method by which organizational leaders can work toward the positive development of the people within their organizations, and increase the profitability and success of the organization at the same time.

Working as a paramedic opened my eyes to the need for Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements I still remember my very first call as a paramedic. The call came in and I responded, driving to a rural location to find the victim’s son in the front yard raking leaves. It seemed odd, even out of place, but I had a job to do. I assessed the situation and went inside, making my way through piles of trash and filth to find the woman in need of assistance on the bathroom floor, lying in a pool of mixed liquids. It was a disturbing experience, but I was able to compose myself, focus on the task at hand, and stabilize the woman for transport to a local care facility.

At home that evening, I wondered, “What was the point?” The woman seemed to live in pitiful conditions and with people who appeared not to care about her well being at all. Was it even worth it to save her life if that’s all she had to look forward to? But upon hearing that she made a full recovery and was doing well, I experienced a feeling I’ll never forget. I had helped someone in a significant way, and it felt very good.

My journey over the years has led me to see that we all desire to feel that way, it’s part of why we work in the first place. We not only need to provide for ourselves we also want to contribute to things that make a difference for other people. Keep listening to hear how my experiences led me to envision and champion the concept I refer to as the Mutually Meaningful Work Engagement.

Professional development and personal development merge within MMEs I believe that organizational leaders should be setting their sites higher than just professional development. Don’t get me wrong, professional development is great and organizations that intentionally contribute to the PD of their team members are doing a great thing. But even more powerful are organizations and leaders that take seriously the very real opportunity to help their organization’s leaders grow personally as they grow professionally — even if that means the person outgrows the organization in time.

A Mutually Meaningful Work Engagement is beneficial on both sides of the relationship exactly because of this broader perspective. The individual receives coaching that could rival that of any professional life coach, while at the same time receiving true on-the-job training and development on a professional level. When the two are integrated, amazing things happen for both the individual and the organization they serve. It only makes sense… when the team members feel supported and empowered, they contribute to the organization’s goals at a higher level.

The scale and scope of a Mutually Meaningful Work Engagement is bigger Stepping past the boundaries of professional development alone enables an organization to address the real needs and desires of those who have joined their teams. As a result, the organization has the opportunity to invest in team members that uniquely suit its needs while also experiencing the bottom-line benefits every organization must attain. Let’s quickly look at both sides of that equation...

ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS

Grow your bottom line
Professional development becomes an accountable endeavor
Greater ability to keep your good people
Benefit from and leverage the short-timers on your team

BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL

Truly great professional development
The opportunity for empowering and integrated personal development
Feeling understood and appreciated
Long term life skills that enrich their lives and the world

These are just some of the benefits to the proper implementation and consistent application of MMEs. I invite you to listen to this entire episode to gain a deeper understanding of how MMEs can happen in your organization. Stick around to the end to hear how my organization, Contracted Leadership, could assist your organization in developing and implementing your own unique MMEs.

Outline of This Episode * [1:10] What does it take to REALLY change the world? * [2:01] The power of contributing to the positive formation and development one person * [8:32] Why should leaders strive to create mutually meaningful work engagements? * [11:35] How individuals in the organization benefit from mutually meaningful work engagements

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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As a top decision-maker, you know the difficult balance between caring for team members in a personal way and maintaining proper professionalism with your team. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to this difficult issue, but I do believe there are guidelines that can serve to maintain the balance in effective and fruitful ways.

My guest on this episode of the podcast is Jason Adamany, CEO and Founder of IT Service provider, Adesys, a company he started while he was still in college. Naturally, coming right out of college Jason was anything but a seasoned leader, but by applying a growth mindset to his leadership as well as to his company he's gleaned a wealth of personal experience that is ripe with takeaways on this topic.

Modern business challenges brought on by COVID-19 Imagine this scenario: Your company’s workforce includes individuals who have worked for the company for many years and for the entire company’s existence, those team members have worked together, face to face, in the same facility. Then comes COVID-19, a worldwide pandemic that has forced companies to do business differently, by going entirely remote. Most of you don’t have to imagine the scenario because you’re living it. COVID-19 is no-doubt putting your leadership skills to the test, forcing you to learn new ways of cultivating and maintaining team culture in spite of the "new normal" of remote work.

Jason Adamany says his entire staff is working remotely now. He’s finding it difficult to foster the team environment in the ways he's used to, especially as new team members come on. He hopes that most of his team will come back on-site before long, but the unknown and ongoing aspects of the current situation place more demands on team members and as a result, the company. He's learning to stay flexible and seek to understand.

As team members juggle the situations COVID-19 has thrust upon them, such as their children being participants in digital classrooms while staying home, company leaders have to be able to flex with the changing needs of their employees while still turning a profit. One of the primary tools leaders must employ in a situation like this clear and compassionate communication.

Listening empowers leadership and encourages the team When top leaders care for their teams effectively, team members are then able to care for clients in unprecedented ways. That’s the philosophy Jason Adamany has about the type of relationship leaders need to develop with team members. It’s a difficult balance that has no cookie-cutter solutions, however, there are many ways leaders can move in this direction, and all of them begin with effective listening:

Solicit feedback from your team
Make sure your team can contribute in ways that are meaningful to them as individuals
Keep in mind that each team member will define that differently
Work diligently to create an environment team members want to be in
Do the work needed to create happy team members
Communicate clearly that you value and understand that they have a life outside of work

The line between professionalism and entering into team member’s lives How involved should a leader be in the lives of their team members? Many would say that it’s inappropriate and potentially improper for leaders to ask too many questions about the private lives of their team members. Others feel they can’t lead their team members effectively if they don’t know what those individuals are experiencing in life outside of work hours.

Jason Adamany says that his approach is to take the issue on a case by case basis.

Each individual on a team will have a unique comfort level when it comes to their leaders knowing the details of their private lives. So take it slow and easy. While the best way to be there for employees is to seek to understand what’s going on outside of work, you may have to simply make it known that you are willing to listen and willing to help when and where your team members feel comfortable with that level of sharing.

This is a tricky balance but a clear way that positive team culture, loyalty, and long-term commitment can be fostered. Listen to this episode to hear more!

Outline of This Episode * The reason today’s guest impressed me with his humility and modesty [0:55] * How Jason’s upbringing led him to his current entrepreneurial career [2:31] * His first IT company started during his college years [4:20] * The fearful points of starting and building a business of your own [6:13] * Empowering his team to take on more ownership and serve at a higher level [10:26] * An amazing product Jason’s company stumbled upon [14:59] * The challenges presented by Coronavirus for remote teams [19:16] * The formative influences on Jason’s leadership today [27:01] * The challenges of leaders knowing their employee’s life situations [32:08]

Resources & People Mentioned * Previous episode with Luke Perkerwicz

Connect with Jason Adamany * Jason’s company Adesys * Follow Jason on LinkedIn * The virtual receptionist Jason’s team created

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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One of the distinct things about the way we here at Contracted Leadership approach leadership and leadership development is the concept of “mutually meaningful work engagements.” It’s a hallmark of what we do because it is many times THE difference between average organizations and stellar ones, as well as the primary means by which individuals in the organization attain fulfillment and satisfaction in their work.

This episode briefly defines the mutually meaningful work engagement from both the organizational perspective and the perspective of the individual employed by the organization. When you get what this concept is and understand how to implement it, you’ll lead your organization to a higher level of performance and significance.

Work engagements can and should be meaningful in both directions A stereotypical view of employment is that of the grind — the resistant or even resentful daily trudge into the office, the mundane and monotonous execution of pre-defined and many times meaningless tasks, and the impatient watching of the clock until it’s time to return home. This perception implies that the organization is attaining its goals (meaning) but that the individual is not finding meaning. They are only a cog in the wheel that makes the goals of the organization possible. That’s a pessimistic viewpoint to have, but it is tragic if it represents reality.

We at Contracted Leadership believe that’s not only an archaic perception, but also one that should never be a reality. One of our primary goals is to help organizations and individuals find true meaning, and we do believe that it goes both ways. Yes, the organization should fulfill its end goals through the work and participation of the individual, but the individual should also find meaning in their work. We not only believe it should be this way, we believe that it can be this way.

How are work engagements meaningful for organizations? When it comes to what makes for a meaningful work engagement for an organization, the answer depends on the type of organization. For-profit organizations clearly assess “meaning” in terms of profitability. Every one of these organizations is in the business of making money, making more money, and continuing to make more money. But they may also be aiming to innovate in ways that improve people’s lives, provide services that better human experiences, and significantly contribute to the lives of those they employ.

Non-profit organizations are pursuing a cause or purpose that governs their sense of meaning. Though income is a consideration, it’s not the primary goal. The “why” behind the need for income is what fuels the non-profit organization.

Can individuals truly find meaning in work engagements? Many people only dream about the things they could do for a living that might bring purpose and meaning to their existence. Some go so far as to pursue those dreams through entrepreneurial or non-profit activities of their own choosing. But the vast majority of people lack the drive and vision for such endeavors. Does that mean they will forever miss out on meaning when it comes to the work they do week to week?

We don’t believe so. Individuals can receive a great deal of meaning and satisfaction from even the most mundane or repetitive activities if they are led into it by those they work for and with. While work engagements only become mutually meaningful if both the individual and the organization are working toward that end, organizational leaders bear a particular responsibility for it becoming a reality. Average success can be turned into stellar success on both organizational and individual levels when leaders assume a facilitator role, serving as the connective tissue between the work being done and the purpose and meaning behind it.

Are mutually meaningful work engagements possible? Many believe it’s not possible for work engagements to truly be mutually meaningful. The contention is that one side of the equation or the other will receive meaning but that both will not. We at Contracted Leadership vehemently disagree. This approach of pursuing mutually meaningful work engagements works. We have seen organizations grow considerably, develop cultures that team members love to be a part of, and accomplish both short and long term objectives.

We’ve also seen individuals grow personally and professionally, many times receiving promotions or additional responsibility more quickly. As well, because of the personal and professional development that’s happening in the mutually meaningful work engagement process, new positions and opportunities often open up for these individuals, and careers take on greater momentum.

Listen to hear more about the mutually meaningful work engagement and to understand how you can begin making your work engagements more fulfilling for your organization and the individuals within it.

Outline of This Episode * [0:55] What exactly IS a mutually meaningful work engagement? * [2:01] What makes engagements meaningful for organizations? * [3:28] Appropriate ways that leaders can to lean into the lives of their team members * [5:33] The facilitator must be the leader. Here’s why * [7:03] Outcomes of this approach that demonstrate its effectiveness

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Every Senior Leader should be aiming to replicate themselves by developing future leaders from within their organizations. It’s a proven way to increase team ownership, improve existing teams and structures, and to build a stronger organization over the long haul. One of the primary ways this kind of leadership development happens is through living out the organization's values consistently. You can engrave a set of company values on the wall, but it’s quite another thing to live them out consistently. In a family-owned business, the impact of that kind of consistency is multiplied.

Jim Hartlieb is a seasoned leader whose name has come up again and again when the subject of company culture and values comes up. He is part of the leadership team that has developed a values-based culture at First Business Bank of Madison, Wisconsin. First Business Bank’s clientele is primarily made up of family-owned businesses that have passed down through the generations. Join us for this lively conversation about leadership, the development of organizational values and their consistent implementation, and how to use those values to provide a mutually meaningful work engagement for everyone.

Leading by example is crucial when developing future leaders A clear set of organizational values can be empowering and clarifying, but only if those in leadership make it their business to embody the values consistently and with integrity. Leaders can’t expect those they are leading to embrace and uphold the company's values if the leader’s own behavior demonstrates that the values are, in fact, not so important.

“In our culture, we believe that leading by example and making sure your actions match your words, are a big deal.” That’s how Jim describes the attitude at First Business Bank. “That really starts at the top with our CEO, Corey Chambas, and really all through the organization. You can see it walking around every day at work in the meetings that we have as a team and then how we interact with clients.”

Developing leaders in any organization will inevitably take on the same attitude as those who nurture and develop them as future leaders. That’s why leading by example is so critical. A helpful question to ask yourself as you develop future leaders is, “Am I the kind of leader my organization needs five or ten more of?”

The Golden Rule of leadership development Most of us have heard of the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It’s a great principle for life that translates into leadership perfectly. As you work with developing leaders, consider this principle as you provide feedback, encouragement, correction, and direction. How would YOU want to be treated in each of those contexts? Your answer to the question will prove extremely helpful.

Jim says, “It goes back to one of the golden rules: treat people the way you want to be treated. The way I like to get feedback is to just tell me and have it be actionable feedback that I can learn from and improve on in the future. So, if that’s how I want to be treated then that’s how I should interact with the people that I manage on a day to day basis. To me, it’s just common sense that if you expect someone to do the right thing, not only do they need to understand it but when you see them veering off the path, you need to be able to give them that feedback in a way that they can correct their behavior in the future. It seems pretty basic but you don’t always see it played out that way.”

Helping future leaders prepare for inevitable leadership challenges One of the most challenging leadership situations is when an upcoming leader steps into a position where they will be expected to lead people who have years of experience in the industry and perhaps are much older. Are you doing everything you can to help your future leaders prepare for those situations so they can respond with the savvy and wisdom it takes to fully enlist those people on their teams?

Jim Hartlieb of First Business Bank tells the story of his first leadership position. He’d moved from Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin, and took over a leadership role where long-time employees, many of them significantly older than him, were on his team. He was literally the “young whippersnapper from Chicago,” and was tasked with leading these precious people who had been in banking longer than he’d been alive. Jim recognized the challenge before him and had the wisdom to ask his wife’s Uncle, a successful businessman near the age of his new team members for his advice.

The advice he received was golden. “Don’t make that be a factor. Focus on the issues at hand, be prepared. Use common sense, use empathy and everything kind of works out for itself.” He says that advice not only served him during that time of transition but has also served as a wonderful guide throughout his career.

Advice for future leaders of family-owned companies Family-owned businesses are unique in that the mantle of leadership is most often passed down from one generation to the next rather than passed along to an executive who has come in from outside the company. In a scenario of this type, it is even more important that the development of upcoming leaders happens effectively. Having the same last name as the company’s founder or current leader is clearly not an adequate qualification for leadership.

I asked Jim what advice he would give to those who are overseeing the development of upcoming leaders in family businesses. What he shared was both a common-sense approach and a perspective that lends valuable insight, since many of the customers of the bank where Jim serves as President are family-owned businesses.

1 - Upcoming leaders who are destined to take on the leadership of their family’s business should work in another business first. Whether this is right out of college or in some volunteer capacity, the experience gained through working in a different organization, under different leaders provides much-needed perspective and experience.

2 - Current leaders in a family-owned business need to allow upcoming leaders to fail. Protecting future leaders from the harsh but needful reality of failure is unwise. They not only need to learn how to handle failure personally but also how to lead others from failure to success.

3 - Ensure that upcoming leaders understand what change management is all about. It doesn’t matter what industry the family-owned business is in, the business itself and the way business is done today is different than it was even five to ten years ago. That will continue to be the case moving forward, so the next generation has to be able to embrace change and to surround themselves with people who can help them handle the change that will inevitably come.

As you work toward the eventual appointment of future leaders in your organization, you’ll be well-served by pondering and applying the advice shared here. The best leadership transitions happen successfully because thoughtful attention has been given to them.

Outline of This Episode * [3:55] How a tired maxim of modern business is brought to life by First Business Bank * [8:32] The exciting thing about leadership, from Jim’s perspective * [10:46] Jim’s biggest leadership challenge ever * [17:50] The most common struggles of emerging leaders * [22:01] Common challenges businesses today are facing * [28:45] Jim’s prediction about the challenge of bring

Connect with Jim Hartlieb * Follow Jim on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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It has been some time since I last published an episode of this podcast and I apologize for that. I decided back in late February to take a short break and then come back with an updated format for the podcast. But life — or should I say, “death” — interrupted.

There’s nothing like a crisis to distract your focus Beginning in late February, my father began another battle with cancer and over the following months the situation became dire. Some of you know the difficulty of coming alongside siblings who have tirelessly cared for an ailing parent to help any way you can. It’s a part of life I would never wish on anyone.

After undergoing two significant operations, my father died on April 24th and was buried with military honors. If you stop to think about that time in history, you’ll recognize that it was right in the middle of the worldwide COVID-19 situation. I am very grateful that in spite of the difficulties of planning a memorial service under the necessary restrictions, he was still able to be remembered with military honors that he so rightly earned during World War II.

That’s where I feel I lost my focus…

Maybe I should say I became ultra focused, first on my father and then on my family and all of the things involved with the loss of both parents. There is no doubt, some of you would have navigated the situation better or differently than I did but I have learned a lot from the experience — and it has certainly given me a different perspective on so many things, some of those I will share with you in future episodes.

Restarting after that loss of focus As I record this episode, I do so with a very clear intention in mind. As I restart the podcast I am also reformatting the way in which I will record and produce content in this medium. Current listeners will recall that this podcast is ultimately about creating mutually meaningful work engagements. The way to achieve mutually meaningful work engagements is to develop leaders who know how to create those kinds of experiences for the teams they lead. That’s why the word “development” is so prominent in the name of this podcast.

Let me be clear, the concept of a “mutually meaningful work engagement” is not another of those fluff-filled phrases so common in leadership literature and philosophy. The way I think of the concept is…

It refers to the importance of growing organizations and developing people, especially leaders
It imparts very objective responsibilities for all parties and when done, will provide verifiable rewards to all parties involved

Even though a few things are changing, I fully intend to stay focused on this issue. It’s the heartbeat of what I and my organization do.

What you can expect going forward As this podcast relaunches, beginning with this episode, you will notice two distinct changes.

1 - I will almost exclusively be interviewing people who are top decision-makers for SMEs and publishing those episodes every other publication.

During these conversations we will discuss their experiences, challenges, successes, and will even delve into some funny personal questions, with an emphasis on the developmental aspects of their growth leadership experiences.

2 - Every other episode will be a “solo” episode, featuring yours truly.

I’m going to begin by explaining what a mutually meaningful work engagement is, move on to the consideration of why it is vital in organizations large and small, and then move on to uncovering how to create them through effective leadership development.

Given these two options, you will have the choice of listening only to really great guest episodes, or to the specifics of creating usually meaningful work engagements. My suggestion is that you listen to both.

A peek at what’s coming The next episode I intend to publish will feature another very special guest. He is someone who has been referenced a fair amount by other guests who have already joined me on the podcast, and he is someone for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect. He is a leader’s leader.

My guest will be Jim Hartlieb, President of First Business Bank. I encourage you to be watching for that episode. It is a fun, refreshing, intriguing, and down-to-earth conversation that provides a tremendous amount of insight into leadership and life.

I want to thank all of you who extended thoughts to me during the last couple months. Thank you for being there for me and know that should you ever find yourself in the same situation, I would love the opportunity to be available to you. Just let me know.

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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There are many strategic planning frameworks out there, but how many of them have as a key component, an emphasis on building mutually meaningful work engagements? From my point of view, this is an oft missing but vital piece of the planning that organizations of any size should be doing. What does it matter if the strategic planning framework you choose is the latest and greatest but your team members don’t feel it provides a way for them to be actively and enthusiastically involved in its implementation?

My guest on this episode is a business consultant who has found her sweet spot in helping businesses work out strategic plans that not only help the company refine its vision for what it delivers and for whom, but also to communicate and implement the plan in a way that energizes team members. Michelle Neujahr is the founder of Nu-Yar, a no-nonsense business consulting company that works with committed business owners and executive teams. The experience she draws upon in helping leaders comes from being a real-world business owner herself.

The heart of any good strategic planning process is not in the organization of the “planning event” itself or even in the slogans or campaigns devised from the discussion. The heart of real and powerful strategic planning is the people who will implement that plan. Getting them engaged and vested in the plan is the missing piece for most companies.

Symptoms that your organization may need to develop a strategic plan? Michelle points out that the symptoms that indicate the need for effective strategic planning can be varied. Not only that but every organization — due to its unique history and culture — will manifest the need for a comprehensive strategic plan in equally unique ways. Some of the most common indicators that strategic planning is needed are things such as revenue plateaus, internal systems that are outdated or that no longer work, or a lack of clarity about where the organization is going and why.

I believe that even though plateaus and broken systems are perhaps the leading indicators of the need for strategic planning, there is another fairly common occurrence that is symptomatic of a more vital problem — poor morale among the organization’s team. Work engagements that make a difference are not only those that turn a profit for the organization or enable it to reach its corporate goals. The thing that matters even more is the health and happiness of all the “cogs” in the inner workings of the organizational machinery. If they are not well lubricated, then those cogs (team members) who are unhappy or unfulfilled will eventually break, which will cripple the entire organizational machine.

Strategic planning is about more than an annual revision of goals While organizations definitely need to revisit goals they have previously set to assess whether the goals were accomplished and/or whether they should have been set in the first place, that is not the focus of strategic planning. Strategic planning is aimed at a bigger target.

Its objective is to set the course for the organization and to disseminate that direction throughout the organization’s team members in actionable ways. Sadly, it’s that last part that is missed in strategic planning much of the time. Vision and direction are great, but only if those who are expected to make it happen understand it and are on board with making it happen.

Leadership development as part of the strategic planning framework Smaller organizations often discover that in the rush and hurry that often accompanies rapid growth they have simply been scrambling to keep their heads above water. This means they’ve hired friends or relatives, have patched up systems and processes on the fly at times, and in other words have done whatever was necessary to keep the business running. But as they grow, they begin to realize that the rush to meet customer demands without much thought for long-term strategy has put them into a difficult position.

For example, startup founders often discover that once the company is profitable and in need of growth, it can’t grow because roles are not clearly defined, systems are not optimized or well-implemented, and long-tenured team members may not be in the right positions to enable the business to move forward. This is where strategic planning needs to be done. It enables the organization to move toward the future in positive ways, and an important part of that strategic planning framework needs to include the development of leaders to fill key roles that will be needed as the business grows. An organization can only rise to the level of its leaders, so preparing for growth means equipping future leaders ahead of time.

Communicating strategic plans to your team in personal ways As mentioned previously, strategic plans will only be effective long-term when the plan is one that the team implementing the plan is enthused about and vested in. Building culture and values that serve the team as well as the customer is not easy, but it’s vital — and doing so in a way that is integrated into the “what and how” of the strategic plan is difficult at best.

It can be accomplished better when the team is consulted at the outset of the strategic planning process. Those who fill the roles that will carry out the plan — from customer service and sales professionals, all the way to the back-office administrative help — need to be asked for their input regarding the things that are holding the company back, what is stifling its ability to flourish, and on a more personal note, how their happiness is affected by the working environment of the organization. When this kind of sharing is received and taken seriously, the right kind of forward motion can take place through the planning process.

It’s recommended that strategic plans, once complete, be simplified. Boil the themes down to their most essential components that can be easily understood. Then tie those things to the initial input team members provided. When the team can hear leadership say, “You told us X, so we decided to do Y to solve for that,” they will actually be hearing, “You matter. Your opinion about what we’re doing as a team matters. You are a valuable part of this team and you’re making a difference.”

Listen to hear how Michelle has helped organizations walk the strategic planning path, engage team members in it, and enlist them in implementation.

Outline of This Episode * [3:15] Michelle’s life and business journey * [10:28] The typical client Michelle serves — and why it’s her sweet spot * [17:24] Common roadblocks to the strategic planning process * [21:40] The need for leadership development in the strategic planning process * [27:02] Communicating strategic plans in personal ways

Resources & People Mentioned * Zig Ziglar * Norman Vincent Peale * Les Brown

Connect with Michelle Neujahr * Michelle’s coaching website: https://nu-yar.com/ * Follow Michelle on LinkedIn * Follow Michelle on Twitter: @michelleneujahr

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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The United States is unique in many ways, but interestingly, one of those ways is that it is a bit behind when it comes to supporting mental health through the workplace. I speak often about the importance of creating mutually meaningful work engagements and there is no better context for that discussion than that of brain health.

My guest on this episode is Michelle E Dickinson. She’s a mental health advocate who has walked a path through what she calls a “mental health trifecta” that has guided her to a place of support, encouragement, and training for those interested in making the workplace a more supportive place for those struggling with mental health issues.

Sadly, mental health still carries a stigma in Western culture, one that can and should be eliminated through education, compassion, and trust. It’s my hope that you’ll continue reading to discover what is being done and can be done to help American corporations and organizations become better equipped to support employees when it comes to their mental health.

Why is the United States behind other nations in supporting mental health in the workplace? Canada and Australia for example, are far ahead of the United States when it comes to workplace initiatives that not only support but provide for the mental health support of employees. These initiatives are part of the overall inclusion strategies of most companies and turn out to be much more than a simple employee benefit. They are aimed at making their employees more productive and fulfilled through better care for them as individual human beings.

One of the reasons the United States is not as far along is that for years mental health issues have been an invisible disability, something that people suffering from mental health challenges are ashamed to share. Or, those supporting a family member with mental health issues often feel unable to reveal the issue for fear of embarrassing or shaming their family member.

When organizational leaders bravely take the first step, talking about these issues from their own experience, it sets the stage for those within the organization to willingly open up about their struggles too. While it may seem strange for this to happen in a working environment, it is a key component to developing a culture of trust and inclusiveness where mutually meaningful work engagements are possible.

When business performance overshadows compassion, we get into trouble Companies are in business to make money and to provide valuable services to their clients or customers. Employee performance is a key factor in making those outcomes a reality. But today’s leaders are learning that a healthy company culture — which is the environment in which optimal performance happens — is vital to top performance for everyone within the organization.

Company cultures that are unwilling to recognize the real-life struggles of their team members — like mental health issues — become self-defeating. The trust that is foundational for the development of high-performing teams simply can’t happen if an individual's life situations are ignored or unaddressed. Leaders must express care for the members of their team if the team as a whole is to thrive. I guess I’m talking about "compassion-first" leaders.

Michelle says it this way, “When business performance trumps compassion, we get into trouble.” That is a leadership responsibility.

Why leaders must learn to couple compassion with trust Put yourself in the following situation: You have a challenging life situation going on and it’s requiring such high levels of mental and emotional bandwidth that you are having a hard time keeping up with responsibilities at work. It’s probably not a stretch for most of us to imagine. We’ve probably been there. Now change the scenario slightly and imagine the issue you’re dealing with is a mental health issue.

If your boss at work is a person who is solely results-oriented, they could be the type who is often heard to say, “I don’t want excuses, I want results.” Ask yourself a few questions:

“Do I feel comfortable sharing what’s going on in my personal life with my boss? If not, why not?”

The answer is likely that you don’t feel that he/she would express compassion for you and the situation you’re enduring, which in turn, makes it impossible for you to feel any level of trust toward them.

Leaders who cannot express compassion toward the sometimes all-consuming issues their team members are going through will find it impossible to build an environment of trust. And without trust, employee fulfillment and morale will decline and retention will be a continual problem. It’s not a beneficial road to be on for the company or team members.

What kind of training is needed to make your organization supportive of mental health issues? During this conversation, Michelle described a program that is designed to help organizational leaders create a mutually meaningful work environment in view of mental health issues. Her area of expertise is to help forward-thinking organizations create safe and compassionate workplace cultures so they can improve engagement, retention, and productivity — especially as it relates to supporting mental health.

The good news is that any organization can make strides toward improvement in supporting the mental health of its team members. It requires…

A clear commitment to foster a culture of inclusion for those with invisible disabilities (mental health issues). It starts with leaders at the highest level and is expressed through compassionate corporate policies
The company also needs to be committed to providing legitimate and easily accessible mental health support, not just as an employee benefit, but also in the form of relational support
Naturally, everyone within the company needs education or training, especially those who are in leadership roles
There are also options for developing employee-driven peer support programs where those who have experienced mental health challenges come alongside others who are currently walking those same paths

Michelle makes it clear that no company is going to develop the ability to support mental health overnight, but that steps in the right direction go a long way in developing the trust necessary to support such initiatives and set them up for success.

My hope is that more and more companies within the United States will adopt this compassionate model when it comes to supporting mental health for their employees. Naturally, those in positions of leadership have to set the example and start the forward motion. As a leader or emerging leader, what can you do in your organization to help your company move toward becoming one that is known for supporting mental health in its team members?

Outline of This Episode * [2:02] An overview of Michelle’s career in the pharmaceutical industry * [3:47] Why Michelle decided to write her book, “Breaking Into My Life” * [8:52] How organizational leadership can make a huge difference * [13:10] The example set by Canada and Australia for workplace mental health care * [17:17] A program oriented toward educating youth about the issue of brain health * [22:01] The peer program Michelle has created and the impact it’s having * [28:10] How organizations can set the stage for good mental health support * [31:47] Corporate missteps to learn from in building better practices

Connect with Michelle E. Dickinson * www.MichelleEDickinson.com - see the video about the youth program mentioned * Michelle on Twitter: @MDickinson13 * Follow Michelle on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Nonprofit leadership is something I admittedly have less experience with than I do with leadership in other contexts. But I think we all recognize that being a leader of a nonprofit carries with it a unique set of leadership challenges. Thinking through the needs of the nonprofit sector, I can think of no area where the need for dynamic and effective leaders is more pressing. I believe there may be no greater place for leaders to have an impact than in these organizations that serve the communities where people raise families and make their homes.

My guest on this episode is Valerie F. Leonard. Valerie is the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, a training and leadership development organization focused exclusively on equipping those tasked with leadership in the nonprofit sector. Her own experience led her to the realization that there was a great need for leadership development among those with the vision to start nonprofits. So, she decided to do something about it.

Nonprofits serve in many ways, but those that work in neighborhoods within larger urban areas have significant challenges. In these communities, skilled workers and professionals have often moved out of the area in search of work that matches their abilities. That winds up causing the community itself to become a victim of neglect and lack of resources. The need for effective leadership in nonprofits that serve these communities is clear and the opportunity to create mutually meaningful work engagements for those who serve as paid staff and volunteers is just as pressing as in the for-profit world.

Nonprofit leaders face generational challenges Those classified as “Baby Boomers” have typically engaged with nonprofits from a distance, contributing to their favorite organizations and causes and enjoying the updates and newsletters they receive. But they tend to stay separate from the operations and organization of the nonprofit, for the most part. With the rise of the Millennial generation, all that is changing.

Millennials appear to prefer a more “hands-on” approach when it comes to engagement with nonprofits. They do seem to be willing to give money, but just as often prefer to give their time and energy, taking an active hand in carrying out the tasks the nonprofit performs. This is welcome news on some fronts, volunteers are always needed at most nonprofits. But it’s also a challenge—nonprofit leadership is now faced with managing volunteers who are also donors. You can imagine the challenges already, can’t you?

Nonprofit leaders are tasked with uncommon organizational and financial responsibilities Imagine yourself being passionate about a cause or need in your community, so much so that you are considering starting a nonprofit to address the issues you see. It sounds great and is undoubtedly a noble and potentially impacting endeavor, but how many people in those shoes are truly equipped to fill the role? It’s harder than you think. For example...

Leaders of for-profit companies typically segment the leadership of their organization into specialized roles - Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Sales Officer, etc., all paid positions supported by sales of products or services. But the nonprofit sector is different in that most senior leaders wear many hats and are paid (if at all) through donations. And the hats they wear are often things they’ve never had to do before. When you consider that the primary leader of most nonprofits is the person who typically meets with potential donors, casts the vision for the organization, and keeps things running smoothly from a cash flow perspective, you can see the issue clearly.

Valerie saw these needs through her work as a consultant. She served upcoming nonprofit leaders on an individual basis and realized that the learning curve was quite steep. In fact, in many cases, it was insurmountable without help. That’s why she launched her own organization, Nonprofit Utopia. Its website describes the organization as “the ideal community for emerging nonprofit leaders who want to take their organizations to the next level. We have created a safe environment in which our members can innovate, speak candidly about the issues and concerns they face on a daily basis, and share ideas and resources.” With Valerie’s guidance, the community is delivering on that promise.

What is required of nonprofit leadership to provide mutually meaningful work engagements? In addition to everything noted thus far, nonprofit leaders deal with a very interesting mix of team members. To start off, there is a continuum of sorts upon which those team members reside - at one end are paid staff who function according to actual job descriptions and have clear roles. At the other end of said continuum are volunteers who may or may not have the same clarity but sometimes may have even more responsibility. How do those in nonprofit leadership hold paid staff and volunteers accountable equally, when one has the leverage of a steady paycheck built-in by default and the other does not? What about inspiration and motivation? Does a leader go about it differently when dealing with volunteers than they would if everyone on the team was compensated?

Valerie says that one of the key components of effective nonprofit leadership has to do with consistently holding out the vision of the organization. Everyone who works for and with a nonprofit is behind the cause the organization is addressing already, so this "common goal" seems a natural place to start. The leader’s role is largely to help team members—paid or not—stay connected to exactly how their particular tasks fit into the fulfillment of the organization’s mission, and how they directly impact the people the organization is helping, equipping, or serving. In this way, both leadership and those they lead can receive fulfillment and meaning from the work they do while serving their constituents well.

Listen to this episode to hear how Valerie and the team at Nonprofit Utopia are making a difference in the lives of rising nonprofit leaders, and how they help them create mutually meaningful work engagements for their teams.

Outline of This Episode * [5:20] The difference between Baby Boomer and Millennials’ involvement in non profits * [13:44] Motivations behind working with NPOs * [20:12] The difficulty of “selling” not for profit work compared to commercial enterprises * [23:45] Why Valerie started Non Profit Utopia * [26:56] How do we make NPO volunteers work truly meaningful

Connect with Valerie Leonard * Nonprofit Utopia * Valerie on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Innovators are not the people we typically think of when we imagine those who create meaning and purpose in the workplace. Innovators are the ones on the edge, the ones coming up with great ideas and solutions to real-world problems, the ones pioneering discoveries and technologies that advance or disrupt entire industries. But the best innovators are the ones who not only create meaning but who have a deeper sense of purpose and human good in mind from the start.

My guest on this episode is April Shprintz, a high-energy woman who comes alongside those who are already moving in the direction of their dreams but desire to reach them faster. She specializes in accelerating the growth of those dreams and help people realize how possible it is to achieve their goals and surpass their limits. In this conversation, we talk about how April discovered her gifts as an “accelerator” and what that’s meant for the development of her career. Then we turn a corner to discuss how those who are gifted as innovators can focus their energies beyond iterating within their area of expertise, to provide deep meaning and purpose for those who are on the journey with them.

People who express belief in others, create meaning for them We all have defining moments, experiences that show us who we are and what we are capable of becoming. But it’s only as we embrace the truths those moments have to teach us that we can move in a new direction and accomplish the things we were meant to do. Often, we are unable to recognize those truths about ourselves for ourselves, we need others to point them out for us.

When April was 9 years old, the company her mother worked for gave her the option to enter an alcohol treatment program. It was a turning point in April’s life because of a woman she met during that time of great transition. That woman was named Sue, and she worked at her mother’s workplace. Sue came to their home, met April, and spoke words of hope into April’s life. April says that up to that point, she had always wanted to do great things but had no reason to believe she’d ever be able to do so. The words that Sue spoke created meaning for April to see and hang onto.

Who are the people who have spoken into your life, who have given you hope and belief in yourself? Take the time to remember those moments, to touch the emotions you felt at that moment. Can you see the truth of what they said to you? How is what that person said reflected in your life today? Are there ways you can amplify it even more to fulfill the meaning and purpose of your life in greater ways?

Innovators can create meaning through the cutting-edge work they do “An innovator is someone who is looking to do things in a better way. They’re that person who never thinks they’ve reached the pinnacle of who they can be, what they can give, what their service level can be for their customers. They are always asking, ‘How can we be better? What can we do more of?’ “ ~ April Shprintz

Given that definition of innovation, let’s think for a moment about how those who innovate in their particular niche or industry have the opportunity to create meaning for themselves and those around them. Innovation and creativity flow out of a place of personal purpose. When innovators can recognize that and become aware of the deeper meaning and purpose of what their work is about, they can be even more intentional about magnifying the meaning in what they are doing.

This sort of meaning-fueled intentionality is going to spill over on everyone involved in the project. They will recognize that the work they are doing is about more than the new technology or business approach they are pioneering. It’s about the benefits to real people who the innovation will touch.

Innovators specialize in the kind of change needed to make work meaningful Perhaps the primary thing that makes innovators able to do what they do is the mindset they have about life. The average person sees something that doesn’t suit them or doesn’t please them and complains. Innovators experience the same things and wonder, “How can I change this to make it better?” When we apply that mindset to the task of making work more meaningful, it seems obvious that innovators can be of great help.

What might it look like to pull together the innovators within your workplace to take a deeper look at the level and quality of the work relationships within your organization? Are there ways they can see—that perhaps others have not—that can create a better environment for cultivating mutually meaningful work relationships?

Every leader and every business is in the business of serving Once you realize that your business exists to serve the needs and wants of your customers, you will begin to see that you have the opportunity to create meaning and purpose for your customers both through what you provide them and in the WAY you provide it. But that last part doesn’t happen by default. Team morale and business culture are what fuel it. If your team is not experiencing meaning in what they do, they won’t have the capacity to communicate meaning to your customers.

Leaders, creating mutually meaningful work engagements has far-reaching impact. You have it within your power to create meaning for your team, day after day, year after year through this thing we call “work.” But beyond that, you’re able to empower those team members to create meaning for those you serve through your business—and it all hinges on leadership. Your leadership.

April shares many valuable insights on this episode, including her thoughts on how organizational philanthropy sets the stage for leaders or organizations to infuse even more meaning into what they do, so don’t miss it.

Outline of This Episode * [2:53] How April discovered that she was a “business accelerator” - at 6 years of age * [6:25] An experience as a 9-year old that defined much of who April is * [12:40] Aprils’ definition of an “Innovator” * [13:30] How innovators create meaning in what they do * [20:42] The limiting beliefs that hold innovators back most * [23:08] How business grow stronger by giving back in meaningful ways * [28:05] April’s three-part acceleration profile

Connect with April Shprintz * April’s website (one of the best I’ve seen): https://drivenoutcomes.com/ * April on LinkedIn * April on Twitter: @AShprintz

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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When it comes to being an effective leader and developer of other leaders, there are no better skills to learn than those centering around body language - you could say this post is about “body language for leaders.” It’s a powerful skill set that can be used to bring greater clarity to conversations, to gain deeper insight into people, and to make work mutually meaningful in all kinds of ways.

My guest on this episode is Scott Rouse, a leading expert in body language and non-verbal communication. Scott’s skills in this area were honed through a path of intentional education about the things that make non-verbal communication so powerful - both positively and negatively.

Keep reading to learn more about how body language can be used by leaders to amplify the meaning of work, invest in team members, and make the workplace a more fulfilling environment.

An early experience in observation and body-language skills Scott Rouse remembers growing up in a community where his father was one of the only doctors. He watched, literally in awe, as his father demonstrated mastery of observation and non-verbal communication. The way he helped his patients cope with illness and enjoy a happier experience even in a physician’s office was remarkable.

Scott tells an amazing story of sharing lunch with his father during a visit to his father’s office at the small hospital where he worked. When Scott - then 6 years old - noticed two classmates in the waiting room, he asked his father why they were there. His father explained the reason each of them was in the waiting room - including one who was feigning illness because he didn’t want to go to school. That doesn’t sound so amazing until you learn that his father had yet to see or speak to either of them.

It was his father’s methodical explanation of how he was able to read their body language and the clues that were apparent in their mothers’ demeanors that convinced Scott that the “magic” of non-verbal communication and observation was something he wanted to learn for himself.

Join me for this episode to hear more of Scott’s incredible stories and his advice on how you can learn to observe body language for the purpose of enhancing the quality of your team relationships and workplace interactions.

The medical profession once understood the importance of bedside manner As an adult, Scott Rouse was diagnosed with cancer and everything in his life changed, even his career. He didn’t turn to a different career because of limitations forced by his illness, he made the switch intentionally because of a negative experience he had in his Doctor’s office while receiving treatment. That experience revealed that Scott had something valuable to offer the medical profession. He would go on to help medical practitioners swept up in the technological and “big business” nature of the medical profession get back to a people-first approach to patient care.

Body language for leaders is about caring for followers, not manipulation Scott’s story is inspiring simply because he is an example of someone who saw a way he could make a particular industry better for those it served and took action to do so. The same could be said for you as a leader - no matter what industry you are in. The influence you have as a leader can be used for good, to make your workplace into an environment where those you lead are happy to be and enthused to return to.

You can learn body language and the power of observation to enhance your ability to listen, understand, and lead the people under your care. Eye contact, appropriate touch, empathetic facial expressions, and more are skills you can master so that you can build up the people you lead, encourage their progress and growth, and establish a rapport that pays dividends in your working environment and in the lives and ongoing career success of those you lead.

One caution: Don’t buy the myths surrounding body language Hollywood has contributed to the myths people believe about what can be discerned through body language, So have many badly researched blog posts and news stories. Leaders need to know the truth about body language skills so they can make decisions that are truly informed and beneficial to their organizations and teams.

The main thing to keep in mind is this, no matter how skilled you become at picking up on non-verbal signals and observing body language, it’s still not going to be an exact science. You are dealing with people, not machines or animals that function according to instinct alone. People are complicated and can’t be “figured out” that simply. Do what you can to learn body language clues and use them for good. But don’t use them as a tool to quickly label or diagnose things going on in your work environment. The relationships with the people you lead are based on much more than that - and true leadership is rooted in the relationships you have with those you lead.

Outline of This Episode * [3:16] How a cancer diagnosis changed the trajectory of Scott’s career * [13:39] The fulfillment of helping people avoid fearful situations in the medical profession * [17:07] Brain chemistry’s effects on body language and perceptions * [23:43] When body language doesn’t match what’s being said * [27:40] Discerning sincerity through body language * [34:20] The common misconceptions about understanding body language

Resources & People Mentioned * Study: The Eyes Don’t Have It

Connect with Scott Rouse * Scott’s Website: Scott Rouse

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Those who work in the field of corporate learning and development are uniquely positioned to add tremendously to both the culture and the efficiency of a company. Theirs is a role that equips and facilitates skill development for everyone on the team. When done right, it’s a role that can greatly enhance the mutually meaningful work engagements within the business.

My guest today is a corporate learning and development professional. Christopher Lind is head of Global Digital Learning at GE Healthcare. He is accountable for the digital transformation of learning and talent development GE Healthcare’s global commercial and marketing teams. His experience and his education make him the perfect guest to speak about the power of mutually meaningful work engagements in the wake of the digital revolution we are experiencing currently. I hope you join us for this episode.

Corporate learning and development is changing daily If you’ve been in a corporate work environment for any length of time, you understand the role of the learning and development department. They are the people responsible to create and implement training for a variety of disciplines across the organization. If you’ve been involved in corporate training of any type you were likely participating in something the corporate learning and development team had its hands on.

But if that training happened more than a few years ago, Christopher Lind says you should probably throw away your concept of what it entails, because it’s likely changed.

Today’s technology has empowered learning and development (L&D) to a greater degree, enabling all kinds of learning environments and tools to take the place of long, in-person meetings that slow down work and in many cases are not entirely effective. Listen to this episode to hear the changes and challenges facing L&D.

E-learning and Digital Learning Development are different When E-learning was first coming on the scene, most virtual or distance learning platforms were attempts at cramming the classroom into a PowerPoint deck as an E-learning course. For real learning to take place much more is needed. The classroom interaction and mentoring that happens in a live environment is missing entirely in that scenario - and it’s not what digital L&D is aiming at.

The digital approach to Corporate Learning and Development is about looking at all the different ways to achieve outcomes and adding to the existing approaches. Technology has changed the rules about how learning can be done and out of all the specialities within a company, the L&D team has a great opportunity to make use of it.

At the core of great L&D is the ability to deconstruct what learning looks like with a view toward figuring out what elements of the education process work and what aspects need to be modified or removed. It’s about doing everything better so that team members can be better equipped and bring their unique skills to their work.

Current trouble spots in the way corporate L&D is done Christopher says that many Learning and Development practices are not effective because those leading the way get caught up in tactics and delivery platforms, forgetting what they are trying to achieve and how they are going to achieve it. In his words, “If you don’t know what you’re aiming for, there’s no way you’ll be able to hit it.

When L&D practices are stuck in the past or focused on the wrong things rather than accurately assessing the outcomes needed to meet company goals, another gap opens up - L&D begins to miss the need people have to engage in actual experiences that facilitate learning. This happens because Learning and Development has its origins in academia, so many of the methods commonly used in the classroom are what are still implemented in L&D programs. That means they are often content focused - which doesn’t provide the hands-on experiences that are effective and needed.

With the digital age comes many challenges for L&D When it comes to mutually meaningful work engagements, the Corporate Learning and Development arena has unique challenges to address. Many people who were previously happy working in Learning and Development roles are finding that the advent of digital is causing them to lose their enthusiasm for the roles they fill - because the nature of those roles is changing.

For example, Christopher says that many people got into L&D because they didn’t like technology - and now they can’t avoid it as digital becomes more and more critical to how L&D does its work.

Another challenge L&D faces is the stereotype that “learning people” are a certain way or that those who work in the realm of corporate L&D have a limited or specific skill set. Digital has expanded the needs of L&D exponentially. It is now one of the most dynamic and diverse industries there is. Designers, data analysts, instructors, and more are needed as part of a growing L&D team - and the rewarding nature of these roles could bring greater job satisfaction to many who are looking for a more people-oriented or personally satisfying role within their company.

Join me for this great conversation with Christopher Lind, on this episode of The Development Exponent.

Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Getting to know Christopher Lind * [5:20] How parenting 5 children relates to Learning and Talent Development * [6:50] Who is the targeted customer of an L&D professional? * [9:10] The most needed but missing things in L&D * [23:45] How Learing and Development is one of the most dynamic industries * [27:25] A defining “toe to toe” moment in Christopher’s career * [33:40] Data shows how L&D can help provide mutually meaningful work engagements

Connect with Christopher Linkd * Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Good leadership - and the development of leadership skills in others - is predicated on fundamentals that are vital to the role. These basics are things we hear mentioned often but if we are honest, few of us have mastered them to the point that they bring clarity and focus to our leadership and lives. What are these fundamentals? Goal setting, prioritization, and action. Keep reading to find out how to put these fundamentals to work as a leader and as one who develops leaders.

My guest on this episode, Scott Carley, is known in the leadership and business consulting arena as “The Change Energizer.” He likes to focus people on the energy and possibilities that flow out of these fundamentals. He’s especially skilled at helping team leaders and entrepreneurs restore the buzz that they once had. He does this by addressing the issues that are keeping them from being focused and organized - and he does this in a way that propels them toward the accomplishment of their goals. Scott once served as a minister and church growth consultant - both roles that pursue the development of environments where those involved can find deeper meaning. Given his background in those areas, I was particularly interested to hear Scott's perspective. Join me for this episode of The Development Exponent.

Are you missing this fundamental component of good leadership? Leaders can only lead when they are clear about the goals their teams are pursuing. But sadly, even the best leaders can have trouble setting effective goals. Goal setting is of paramount importance and as leaders, we must be able to discern the right goals and establish a plan to reach them. How do we do that?

Scott suggests a few things to help individuals and organizations get clear on the goals they should be pursuing.

First, let’s ask a simple question. “If a national news organization pulled up to your house with a mobile studio three years from now and wanted to interview you about the great success you’ve achieved, what would that success be?” In words relating to our topic - what are the things that you want to happen in your life or organization in the next three years?

A question like this is helpful it enables us to imagine the outcome we most want to experience and get clear on what it will take to actually get there. Put simply, it helps us define our goals and begin the process of determining a course to accomplish it.

The one thing that defines true leaders: Action We’ve all known or have even worked under a leader who we weren't thrilled about following. Why is that the case when they have the title and position of a leader? What’s the issue? Honest, genuine leadership is not predicated on a title or an appointment. In fact, titles are the least effective portion of leadership. Leaders are people who take action when needs arise. They are the ones who pull others together to meet needs and reach goals.

To be clear, the action I’m talking about is not that of barking out orders or dictating a set of goals to be attained. True leaders value those they lead, so they work with them to bring out their best and accomplish the mutual goals of the group. Leaders step into the void of varied agendas and uncertain destinations and coordinate a collaborative effort between individuals. When this is done well it leads to meaning and fulfillment for everyone involved - and its the hallmark of a true leader.

3 steps to clarify your vision as a leader and as a person Scott was incredibly generous in the insights and stories he shared from his many years as a leader and business consultant. As we wrapped up the episode he outlined three steps to clarifying vision and achieving goals.

STEP ONE: Write down where you want to be in 3 years. It’s important to get dreams out of your head and onto paper. That's the only way you can look at it, work with it, and refine it. Until you can envision your goal clearly you are not going to get there. This is an area where leaders and decision-makers within organizations need to lead the way.

STEP TWO: Define your priorities. Very simply, this is asking the question, “What’s most important?” When you or your team are able to clearly define the most important things to the attainment of your goal, you’ll be able to determine where energy needs to be expended, where resources need to be dedicated, and where team members can be best utilized - and if you’re able to do that in ways that allow team members to contribute in alignment with their skills and gifting, you’ll create mutually meaningful work engagements like never before.

STEP THREE: Take action. Clear goals and priorities are wonderful, but only if you develop a plan that enables you and your team to execute on them. The more priority-based action you take toward your clearly defined goals, the more success you will experience. You’ll be making the most of the aspirations and creativity of your team so that you can bring your goals into reality together.

Outline of This Episode * [1:22] Meet Scott Carley - The Change Energizer * [5:24] The change from Church Growth Consultant to Business Consultant * [7:29] Why we should think of getting “energized” rather than thinking about “changing” * [10:01] Several defining moments from Scott’s life * [19:12] Examples of the importance of a clear vision from a very unlikely place * [24:40] Steps to apply the moment you stop listening to this episode

Resources & People Mentioned * The National Speakers Association * Business Network International * Mary Kay Cosmetics

Connect with Scott Carley * www.PriorityEnergizer.com - Get Scott’s “Secret Sauce” to get yourself moving

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Most of us are not as familiar with the term “self leadership” as we are with the idea of leadership in general. That’s because we typically think of leadership as something we do that is directed toward others, be they followers or emerging leaders.

My guest for this episode of the podcast has literally written a book on the concept - and it’s a topic that I think you’re going to resonate with. Why? Because a commitment to personal growth and development is what’s behind the concept of self leadership and I know that my podcast listeners are people who are very interested in that topic.

Join me as I speak with Derek Deprey - a husband, father, and the Director of People & Service for the Wisconsin Athletic Club (WAC). There, he’s responsible for teaching over 1,000 team members the core principles of leadership, training, and personal development.

Self leadership in a nutshell: a commitment to personal growth Every leader knows intuitively that they must be growing themselves if they have any hope of leading others well. But even with that being the case, there are many who have never made a commitment to themselves that they will be intentional about their growth.

Those who lead themselves well see the importance of things like Core Values, Personal Vision Statements, and the implementation of behaviors that make growth happen. They aren’t content with being comfortable - in fact, those who we might call “masters” of self leadership often put themselves into uncomfortable places intentionally.

In this conversation, you’ll hear Derek describe how that has been the case for him and how a very uncomfortable situation where he experienced an epic fail put him on the path to self leadership and personal growth.

A key question to ask yourself regularly... Those who are adept at self leadership are not willing to accept the status quo in their own lives. They dig deep to find the things in themselves that are holding them back or in need of change. A question that Derek asks himself often to help him discern what those areas might be is this…

“What is bothering me that I’m putting off?”

When we honestly ask questions of that nature we will find lots of things rising to the surface in answer to the question…, projects that need to be done, books that need to be read or written, opportunities at work we’ve been slow to take on, and more. But at the root of those we’ll find the deeper things we’re really after: fears, doubts, and plain old procrastination. Those skilled at self leadership place a bullseye on those limitations and obstacles and one at a time begin picking them off - leading themselves into a place of growth by doing so.

Self leaders work toward, work-life fusion instead of work-life balance If you take the time to Google the phrase “work-life balance” you’ll find 600 million results returned. Clearly, many people are curious about the topic and many others are creating resources to address it. One aspect of what goes into leading yourself toward a healthy lifestyle in regards to work and home life is this: complementary values.

When the things that you value in your personal life guide you as they should, you’ll view every opportunity at work through the lens of those values. That means that when you consider a new position or role at work or a new employment opportunity, you need to bring those personal values to bear on your decision. Your personal values should not compete with the values required of you in that position. Those who lead themselves well maintain this commitment and bring work and life together into a meaningful combination.

What’s more important than finding your passion? Finding your meaning These days people often express a longing to find the thing they are passionate about, the thing that will motivate them to work hard, serve, and make a difference in the world. But passion is prone to waxing and waning if there is not something more substantial beneath it.

Derek Deprey rightly points out that it’s more important to find your meaning than it is to find your passion. It’s a nuance to be sure, but one that’s important to understand. When you can see the meaning in what you’re doing, it will sustain you over the long haul even when the job at hand is difficult or wearisome. Knowing that you are making a difference in ways that matter to you personally makes all the difference.

Outline of This Episode * [3:27] Derek’s own frustration prompted him to write himself out of it * [4:17] Why the concept of “self leadership” is so vital to good leadership of people * [5:35] How Derek’s book writing process unfolded * [8:27] One key question: “What am I putting off that’s bothering me?” * [11:42] The professional crash that set Derek on a new path of success * [23:08] Specific leadership roles Derek fulfills at Wisconsin Athletic Club * [24:49] The leadership bootcamp program Derek oversees * [29:08] Follow-up received for attendees of a leadership bootcamp * [33:12] How Derek pulls everything together to integrate it in his life * [36:03] To Derek, there’s something more important than finding your passion

Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership * BOOK: The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy

Connect with Derek Deprey * Derek’s Website: http://derekdeprey.com/ * Derek’s book: Shift * Follow Derek on LinkedIn * Follow Derek on Twitter: @DerekDeprey

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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After our recent programming pause, I stated we would begin including more solo episodes. This week I am providing a road map for how we will deliver those to you in three sequential parts.

What is a Mutually Meaningful Work Engagement (MMWE)?
Why is creating Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements (MMWEs) important?
How do you develop leaders to create Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements (MMWEs)?

The WHAT

In this first part we will take a much more detailed look at what MMWEs are so that you will have a keener understanding of how the pieces interconnect with each other. We will be addressing what MMWEs mean from the perspectives of the employee, the employee’s leader, and the organization. I expect one episode being dedicated to the WHAT.

The WHY

In the second part we will again go into greater detail regarding why the MMWE is important to (and for) employees, leaders, and organizations. We will also add a fourth stakeholder. I expect one to two episodes being dedicated to the WHY.

The HOW

In part three we will offer many episodes relating to HOW to develop leaders to create Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements. We will provide powerful tips, tactics, and approaches taken across a variety of topics and subtopics which we have taken with our clients.

In addition to providing those tips, tactics, and approaches, this third part will:

Blend in episodes relating to current events and their relationship to developing leaders to create MMWEs.
Elaborate on topics from past guest episodes.
Share thought-provoking previews of episodes to come

There will also be a little social experiment with which you may become involved and, pending your approval, I will share those results on our podcast.

Frequency and Format

I’d like to tell you that these solo episodes will occur at a set frequency, however, I do try to be respectful and not have guests wait unreasonable amounts of time to hear their episode. Therefore, there may be one or more guest episodes between the solo episodes. I will do my best to keep them coming at a reasonable frequency!

These solo podcasts, as before, will be relatively shorter than our average guest episodes. Many listeners have expressed an appreciation for both the longer and shorter formats. I encourage you to listen to both as time permits. Remember, you always have the option of reading show notes to stay abreast of what we are covering.

I’m excited about bringing you this three-part solo series and diving into the very important topic of Developing Leaders to Create Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements.

As always, please let me know if you’d like to be a guest on the show or know someone who might be a great fit for our message! We love your recommendations!

To truly understand the value of developing leaders to create mutually meaningful work engagements, you have to know the what, why, and how of the topic. #leadership #contractedleadership

Work engagements need to be mutually meaningful for everyone - employees and organizations. #ContractedLeadership #mutuallymeaningfulworkengagements

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Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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ON THIS EPISODE Servant Leadership theory is a concept that became wildly popular for a time after the publication of Robert Greenleaf’s 1970 essay entitled, “The Servant As Leader.” But while intriguing, the theory can be empty without a flesh and blood example, so I’m tremendously thankful that on this episode of the podcast I get to introduce you to a man who embodies the concept.

Jim Britt is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, where he has been part of the team since 2010. He’s also served on the teams of other influential organizations such as Ensynch, ConocoPhillips, and Motorola. Jim’s life and leadership lessons are those that come from being in the trenches. He's the kind of guy who does the hard work necessary to grow in both his personal and professional lives. His servant leadership and life, in general, will serve you well as you endeavor to continue your leadership development, so I invite you to listen.

Outline of This Episode * [1:01] There are multiple reasons I have invited Jim Britt to be my guest on this episode * [4:30] The impact having 4 children across a wide age span impacts Jim’s attitude * [8:43] Is the focus to be work-life balance or work-life synchrony? * [15:28] Why mentoring is a win-win if it is done right * [20:02] An account of once when the light came on for a mentee * [24:43] The defining moment from Jim’s past that explains who he is * [29:08] Value comes from understanding the stories of others * [32:35] 3 actions you can take immediately after hearing this episode

Connect with Jim Britt * Jim on LinkedIn

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PODCAST FAST TRACK

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What drew me immediately to Brianna Rooney, CEO of Techees.com and the Millionaire Recruiter, was her ability to develop a thriving business, get results from her matchmaking system for recruiters, and still make family an absolute priority.

Her team’s approach to the highly competitive field of recruiting is unlike what I’ve seen with most recruiters -- right down to her philosophy about that competition. “I don’t find other recruiters to be competitors,” she shared. “I want us all to come together to have a more well-respected industry.” That’s why she pours time and resources into providing some of the most comprehensive recruiting training in the business.

That’s leadership. I asked her about early challenges and was surprised to learn that her launch into the recruiting space and business ownership was without the usual pitfalls. Her business was up and running fast and she had her first deal in the first month. Challenges didn’t really arise until she was two and a half years in and realized this was more than a small business that she ran out of her room. This was a growing entity that she had to treat like the burgeoning business it was.

I am a firm believer that there’s a very big difference between being serious about starting a business and taking your business seriously. The people that fall into the first part but don’t move into the second usually end up in that 85% that don’t make it.

Brianna takes it seriously. While she had a passion for being a hands-on recruiter and loved being in the bullpen making things happen with her team – she knew she was hindering the growth of the company because you just cannot (and should not) wear all the hats. Her CEO hat had to take priority for growth to occur. That’s why she took action to put personal and professional development at the top of her to-do list this year and why her company and her team has seen so much transformation. I thought that made for the perfect segue to turn our conversation to our core theme at Contracted Leadership – helping leaders develop mutually meaningful work engagements.

From a recruiting client standpoint, creating those experiences starts by ensuring they are matching the right candidates to clients. That matchmaking process often includes a lengthy question and answer session and usually an office tour. What does their career development path look like? What is their interview process and how long does it take? Brianna is a self-proclaimed “nitty gritty” recruiter. Which is exactly what you want to see. “Everyone has to be on the same page,” she shared. I couldn’t agree more. She recently received her certificate in diversity and inclusion so she could add that layer of training on for her recruiters and clients as well.

I was interested to find out if she had a defining question that would help her best understand her client’s needs so she could more perfectly match candidates and I love that she said, “Describe your culture and company values and what they mean.” It’s very similar to what we do when we do here with our Contracted Leadership clients. When we embed in an organization, one of our first priorities is to engage with employees and ask, “Tell me what your company values are and what you do to support that?” Sometimes that is a question they can answer swiftly, other times not. Both tell us something about how we can best support the growth of that client and create new paths for those meaningful work engagements.

From a recruiting candidate standpoint, utilizing an extensive Q&A process to dig deep into what that person is looking for from their new employer such as what drives them, what industry makes the most sense for them, and even what doesn’t work for them is imperative. With a clear understanding of both sides of the equation, a recruiting team is best able to match wants, needs, personalities, and paths.

Next, I wanted to explore the question of creating balance for leaders – especially those with small children. Brianna and I both have kids around the same age, so I wanted her take on the matter. When she had her children, Brianna dropped a day from her work week so that day could be solely spent on family time. She was surprised to later discover that year had become one her best and most productive years. It’s inspiring to know that when your big WHY is your kids and family, we can then get more done in less time, create laser focus, and put systems in place that help us safeguard that priority.

When she’s with her kids, her phone is on silent, her focus is on them, and on enjoying and cultivating that quality time that, as she said, “you can’t ever get back once it’s gone”. When she’s at work, she does everything she can to maximize and leverage that time for it’s highest and best purposes.

It’s a commitment we both share. For me, I keep a picture of my kids front and center when I’m at work to create that focus on family balance. When I’m at work, I’m completely committed to maximizing my results in that time. My team gets that, gets me, and why that’s so important. My feeling is if time is getting wasted, that’s taking it from them, not just me, and I’m not going to let that happen. While the reality for all leaders, entrepreneurs, and business professionals is that there is never completely equal work/personal/family time, there are many things we can do to ensure the time we spend in each of these areas of our lives are as meaningful as we can make them.

Just as many of our Contracted Leadership clients have shared with us through the years, Brianna told us how much an executive coach changed her leadership course. She had a great analogy of how a personal trainer after the birth of her kids gave her the “kick in the butt” she needed to take care of her body but she hadn’t then yet connected the dots of the value of someone providing that “kick in the butt” she needed for her business. She’s now elevated another team member to Chief Growth Officer, and together they are redefining the way they do business, how they interact and create experiences for their team, and make space for everyone to develop the “key moments” that can be game changing personally and professionally. Love that.

I also loved the John Bennett quote that she shared that graces her desk and keeps her grounded which says, “Since we tend to see ourselves primarily in the light of our intentions, which are invisible to others, while we see others mainly in the light of their actions, which are all that's visible to us, we have a situation in which misunderstanding and injustice are the order of the day.” What a great reminder, as Brianna shared, “To give each other grace and learn to communicate better, always.”

So, what were the top take-aways for leaders and emerging leaders?

If you’re going to start your own business, be fearless. Get in that state of doing, not just thinking. The world is always changing, so just roll with it.
You’re never done learning. There are so many levels of success, learning helps us to keep reaching for the next one.
Know your why – it’s your superpower. For us, it’s family – what is that for YOU?

This will be a session that I know I will listen to again. Brianna shared so much engaging and inspired information and insights. I was delighted to have her on as our guest.

Now, how will you take these ideas for leadership, synchronicity, and being in a state of constant learning and put them to work in your life and business? Let’s have that conversation!

Know your why, it’s your superpower. #leadershiplessons #contractedleadership @BriannaRooney84

To commit to organizational growth, you have to give up a few hats. #leadershiplessons #contractedleadership @BriannaRooney84

True leaders are lifelong learners. #leadershiplessons #contractedleadership @BriannaRooney84

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With a new book being released and a flourishing business that delivers game-changing tools, strategies, and systems for teachers all over the globe, Jeff Gargas, the COO of the Teach Better Team seemed like a great fit for our podcast. I wanted to explore the parallels of what’s working for educators and what’s needed to help emerging leaders develop mutually meaningful work engagements.

Teach Better Team’s mission to help educators be better today than they were yesterday and be better tomorrow than they are today inspired a common thread in our conversation about comparison, competition, and the importance of being your most authentic self. In today’s world, it’s easy for any of us to fall into the trap of comparison – especially when scrolling through social media images that depict Instagram-worthy visual representations of perfection. For a teacher it might be a picture of an ideal lesson plan or masterfully decorated classroom. For the rest of us it can be photos of flawless homes, seemingly perfect relationships, completely collaborative teams, or office spaces that look like they have been lifted from the pages of Architectural Digest.

As Theodore Roosevelt stated, “Comparison is a thief of joy.” It can often lead to those “not enough” thoughts that rob us of bandwidth and stifle our own talents. Jeff shared with me his early dream of being a “rock star” – which actually led him to his first collaboration with his Teach Better Co-Founder, Chad Ostrowski. Jeff had successfully built a record label and was on the path to the next level of success when the industry shifted, and he had to shut it down. That led him to a defining moment in his life when he questioned who he was without success. He found the perspective he needed to move forward from his wife and curiously from a line in the movie Cool Runnings. “If you are not enough without the gold medal, you’ll never be enough with it.” Jeff’s take-away: You have to understand who you are first. You have to get clear about your principles as a person. Know what you’re passionate about and come from that place of authenticity.

Jeff shared come great advice that he received relatively early in his career: “It’s OK to compete – but don’t compare.” We talked a little bit about healthy competition and how it can drive you to get better or stronger and get out of your comfort zones. We also looked at the flip side of that competitive spirit using the analogy of runners in a 5K or half marathon. Some are running, of course, to be first over the finish line or to enjoy the accolades of winning. Most, however, that we’ve seen are competing not with the other runners, but with themselves by asking the question, “How can I beat my best time?” That definitely falls in line with Jeff’s company’s approach to teaching teachers about the “pursuit of better”.

I asked about a lightbulb moment for he and his team that really made an impact. I loved that he shared the story about how Chad Ostrowski wanted to create an eBook that would share The Grid Method, which creates astounding results for teachers and students. Jeff didn’t think an eBook was enough, he told Chad that he was going to change the world. And story after story from teachers around the globe, it seems that’s just what they are doing. Two examples: One teacher shared how Chad’s strategies not only helped her create better pathways for learning for her students, but actually saved her marriage because, they helped reduce her stress and anxiety. A student shared how because of the new way his teacher was teaching, he was learning better and at a pace that worked for him and didn’t have to try to keep up with others. He said, “Because I’m not as smart as everyone else so I move as fast, so now no one makes fun of me and I don’t feel dumb anymore.” Now that’s impactful – and world changing.

Jeff’s new book, Teach Better, is co-authored by his company teammates Chad Ostrowski, Tiffany Ott, and Rae Hughart. It is a terrific roadmap for growth for educators but also one worth the read for leaders from any industry. The mindset messages are universal, and the tactical elements of lesson planning and creating pathways for success are easily translated to the business practices of training, education, building relationships, and assessing progress.

In response to my standard question relating to 3 takeaways, Jeff’s response was this:

Believe in what you do or go find something else to do. This was a strong statement, but so important about coming from a place where you can put all your passion and authenticity into what you do. That makes you a stronger leader.
Serve others. Jeff shared his approach to his business. Even though he is technically the “boss” – he doesn’t believe in the “they work for me” theory of leadership. He believes in the “I work for them” approach which ensures that he is always looking out for what elevates his team, not just himself.
Work balance and the idea that “if you find something you love, you’ll never work another day in your life” are myths. The truth is that if you really do love what you do, you’re going to put in the hours and work even harder to make it work at the highest level. The second truth is that most people spend about 60% of their time at work so there really isn’t balance. Instead of focusing on balance, focus on finding harmony. How can everything flow together?

It was terrific getting to know Jeff better and of course, we so admire any person and organization who make it their mission to help our teachers and educators thrive in today’s world. Kudos to the Teach Better Team for all they do.

I loved exploring these concepts of comparison, competition, coming from a place of passion and authenticity and of course, changing the world. As a leader, how can you be better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today? Let’s have that conversation!

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When I sat down with professional counselor and coach Chelsey Brooke, I was impressed at her eloquence and expertise. She shared insights into the introverted mindsets and motivations that I believe can be the foundation for so many of us to become better, more mindful leaders.

As Maya Angelou stated, “When you know better, you do better,” much of what Chelsey shared can be a call to action for leaders to really get to know their team members so that they can help dramatically increase their ability to cultivate mutually meaningful work engagements. In a business world where extraverts can often seize the spotlight – helping introverts learn to come from a place of power, work with their strengths, and find an authentic path they can be passionate about is exactly why I wanted to have her on the show.

Misunderstanding and misinterpretation can be two big obstacles for introverts. From an extravert’s point of view, not speaking up, sitting in silence, or not being gregarious in a meeting or office situation can be mislabeled as a poor team player or lackluster contributor. When in fact, more often than not, the exact opposite is true. Introverts tend to be extremely organized and take the time to process information with incredible thoroughness. Those are positives, not negatives.

As leaders, know that there are three empowering ways we can help introverts let go of those labels (internally and externally), feel more confident in the workplace, and use their strengths to best serve the team as a whole. Chelsey calls them the three P’s:

Prepare: As deep-thinkers and planners, introverts tend to be uncomfortable with spontaneity. That’s where preparation can be a powerful ally – especially for important meetings and projects. Tip: Make room in your timelines for the introvert’s high level of preparedness and you’ll most likely be rewarded with results that are well defined by critical thinking and thorough analysis.
Participate: What’s important to remember is how critical non-verbal communication is in the workplace. Introverts tend to participate most through eye-contact, attention, nods, smiles, and observation. Leaders who are more aware of the personality types of their employees recognize and reward this contribution as much so as the more verbal extravert’s. Tip: Be aware that introverts often feel awkward about interrupting. Ask one-on-one ahead of a meeting if there is something they’d like to share up front, or something you can acknowledge for them. That kind of consideration will glean you the feedback you need at a comfort level that doesn’t feel awkward or intimidating.
Plan: For most introverts, constant engagement with other people is draining and distracting. Tip: Allow them to schedule energy-boosting breaks where they can recoup and recover. Another strategy is to suggest they have a posted schedule of their availability on their door or cubicle. That helps minimize work stress and helps team members stay on task for projects without distractions that can derail productivity. (Side note: I personally find this super-helpful regardless of personality type!)

One of the things I really admire about Chelsey and a top reason I invited her to be a guest was her work and advocacy for introverted women. Her systems and solutions empower introverted women to not only excel in the workplace, but to truly create a life and career that is founded in their passion, fuels their confidence, and become their own best advocates.

Ultimately, as leaders, regardless of industry – our job is to be an excellent steward of the people under our care and supervision. The more aware we are of not just their motivators, but their challenges as well, the more cohesive and effective team we can both build and sustain.

Step one is to get rid of those pre-conceived notions, labels, and language. Some introverts go through life feeling like something is wrong with them, which is only exacerbated by what can feel like an endless barrage of, “you should speak up more”, “get out of your shell”, “you’re too quiet” advice from (hopefully) well-meaning extraverts around them. Create a culture and environment in your organization that encourages empathy and advocacy over judgement and stereotypes. That kind of culture shift comes from the top. Lead by example.

Step two is to encourage education. Perhaps surprisingly, many people have never even taken an assessment. They don’t label themselves introvert or extravert. They just know what works for them – and what REALLY DOESN’T work for them. Encourage open discussion with your team members to share that kind of information with you and with fellow team members. Take some time, or even provide some training, so that people can ascertain their personal best ways to contribute successfully to the team so there’s a win-win for everyone.

Step three is to help people recognize their strengths. Truly, some of the traits that introverts tend to judge themselves the most about are really strengths in disguise. Scientifically, introverts don’t make those snap decisions or reactions because they are hard-wired to use longer and more complex pathways in the brain to process information. Through encouragement and skilled communication, you can show them how much their organization, thoughtfulness, and attention are highly beneficial to your organization’s success and applaud them for those strengths.

Often, the traits most associated with leadership are extraverted in nature: gift of gab, super-connector, direct, assertive, big and bold personalities. Think about what introverts bring to the table however: kindness, quiet, understanding, and empathetic. In the world we live in, don’t we really need BOTH?

The answer is, of course we do. When leaders take the time to more fully understand who is on their team and what makes them tick, they can help amplify the strengths of the individuals, help them to be better heard, and cultivate the kind of team dynamics which allows everyone to thrive. A standout lesson from our conversation was really a simple one… ASK. Ask your team members (rather than assume) what conditions allow them to feel most productive. Ask them how they feel most comfortable communicating. Ask them about their passions so that you can help fuel them. Astonishing growth and collaboration can happen when you lead from a place of listening to your people.

Both leaders and individuals can benefit greatly from actively learning more about what makes us say what we say and do what we do. Did you know that the brain is wired to keep us safe, keep to the status quo, and conserve energy? That’s why growth is so uncomfortable for some! That’s why setting and working towards new goals can feel painful. That’s why we often quit before we even get started. That knowledge and perspective is a powerful tool in breaking through barriers and achieving great things.

The top three take-aways for leaders from our time together:

Help people find a career or a path they can be passionate about. Passion fuels energy, builds confidence, inspires action, and elevates lives personally and professionally.
Help team members develop self-belief systems that serve them. The time to shatter those limited belief systems, habits, and “shoulda, coulda, wouldas” is now. Help people see that what once might have been considered weaknesses can truly be turned into strengths. Thinking differently, processing information more carefully, measuring your words – these are attributes, not faults.
Help others develop a success mindset. Remind people that their self-talk, the skills they build upon, and the habits they make and break – these are all part of their personal success puzzle and also part of how they effectively fit into your team.

I am so grateful to Chelsey for sharing her insights about the introvert mind, how we can empower them, and lead them with more effectiveness and compassion. I would encourage everyone to learn more about this powerful topic by taking advantage of Chelsey’s free training program which includes:

How to find a career in your passion.
How to develop self-belief in who you are.
How to create a successful and resilient mindset.

You can get all three at www.ThePathfinderforyou.com/free.

All labels aside, gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and the people we work with, lead, and even live with is an incredible win-win. What do you think? Let’s have that conversation!

Set aside belief systems that put negative habits and self-talk on loop. They are a disservice to you and those around you. #RetrainYourBrain

Introverts don’t need to “suck it up”, “speak up more”, or “get thicker-skinned”. Like everyone else, they should be recognized for their skills, contribution, and strengths. #LeaderWithUnderstanding

Leaders who take the time to really get what makes their team tick will go further, faster, and with more momentum than those who do not. #LeadershipLessons

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I recently sat down with former FCS quarterback and current Businessolver Outside Sales Consultant, Andy Rice. I was excited to learn that he’d be speaking at the upcoming Disrupt Milwaukee, an annual event I’m passionate about. Since the event theme this year is Being Human Centric in the Era of Digital Transformation, I was interested to get a “sneak peek” at what he’d be sharing. We talked a little about Businessolver’s “Technology with Heart” motto, and their passion for customer care. That certainly seemed in alignment with the theme.

What I found interesting about Andy is how grounded he is in gratitude for the coaches, mentors, teachers, and family that have helped get him to where he is today – and how that support is such an integral part of his leadership foundation. His stories of their influence were threaded throughout our conversation, giving me a better sense of who he is, and how he has come to his “why” – which is to Coach Achievers with Integrity. His “chest out, feet in” approach to business means he’s not toeing into the water – he’s diving in. (Would we expect any less from a former quarterback?)

Andy was right on point when we started talking about the importance of creating mutually meaningful work engagements and he shared the value of having a “line of sight” every day based on your alignment with your organization and its goals. In a world where it’s easy for companies to make people feel like a number, having leadership that is in tune with team members is game-changing.

So, what does Businessolver do to make a difference? One of the favorite strategies shared was how their Chief Strategy Officer puts together a DAILY presentation (3-8 slides) for their team to give them a roadmap of what’s new and what’s a priority so that everyone can be on the same page every single business day. That’s a forward-thinking, focus-centric solution for any savvy leadership team.

Next, I loved Businessolver’s commitment to professional development. Team members are onboarded and have the option to go through a rotation process, spending six to nine months in each role so that they have the information, insights, and working experience to choose the path for which they are best suited and have a high level of passion. Throughout the experience, a mentor/leader is with them every step of the way to help them:

• Problem-solve

• See the value in community involvement

• Share the insights, books, and solutions needed to grow in that role

• Train and teach

That commitment of time and resources is terrific to see in today’s business environment and exemplifies what we try to spotlight in every podcast – “developing leaders to create mutually meaningful work engagements”. These mentors care, not only about helping their protégés excel, but that they find the path that best serves them. For Andy – that path led to marketing and sales and enrolling in a Dale Carnegie class on leadership. The experience and lessons he gleaned during that time have elevated his ability to better understand people, communicate more powerfully, and grow as an individual as well as a business professional.

I asked Andy about the defining moments in his life and career and he talked about the value of finding his why, and how the process he went through and the coaches he had along the way took him from the “prove me wrong” approach of his youth and competitive sport persona to a “prove yourself right” practice of personal development and mindfulness. It is why integrity is such a big part of his why. Looking at life and business through the lens of who you are when no one is looking means no shortcuts. It means people first, knowing yourself, and learning to know others at a higher level so that you can lead – professionally and personally -- with integrity, authority, and compassion.

Top take-aways from the interview?

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on what you believe in.
Don’t be afraid to be the first follower.
Take the time to reflect on yourself and those around you so that everyone can succeed.

A big thank you to Andy Rice for sharing his time with us. We like hearing his all-in approach to leading with integrity and excellence as well as his commitment to helping emerging leaders grow to become who they are meant to become.

Now I’d love to hear from you! What is your organization doing to lean into those engagements that allow the company to grow and individual to thrive both personally and professionally? Let’s have that conversation!

Integrity leadership is about who you are and what you do when no one is looking. #contractedleadership #integrityleadership #leadershipgrowth

Leadership that is grounded in gratitude helps create mutually meaningful engagement. #contractedleadership #gratefulleaders #groundedingratitude

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And… we’re back! A big thank you to all our listeners who were so supportive of our brief hiatus while we experienced significant business activity. We missed you and we’re thrilled to be back behind the microphone and eager to share.

Anytime you press pause on something it gives you an opportunity to have a new, fresh start. That’s what I want to do today – to use this as a chance to acquaint, or reacquaint, those of you listening with the theme of this particular broadcasting forum and that is: Developing Leaders to Create Mutually Meaningful Work Engagements.

What does that mean? It means we will dive into what creates a meaningful engagement for an organization and what achieves a meaningful engagement for an individual – and how we specifically develop leaders to create mutuality between the two.

This is crucial in today’s business world, because while there are two separate but intertwined parts, the organization and the individual -- each of these has needs, desires, and responsibilities. In that, each should also have reasonable expectations of the other. This creates a unique opportunity for leadership development.

While there are a plethora of leadership podcasts available, how we differ and what makes us innovative is our ability to address leadership development with a clear endpoint in mind: the creation those mutually meaningful work engagements. This is paramount in creating bilateral growth and development. Our goal is to help leaders create those win-wins where organizations thrive right alongside individuals.

Here’s what we know: where mutually meaningful engagements are a priority -- productivity improves, profitability rises, and retention stabilizes. There’s more creativity and collaboration, people feel more valued, challenged (in a good way), and part of something bigger than themselves. That can be goal-achieving gold for both parties.

That’s why we do what we do. It’s why our podcast is so laser-focused on this particular aspect of leadership development and helping to create amazing symbiotic relationships that are meaningful for everyone involved.

It’s why, moving forward with renewed energy, commitment, and purpose, we’ll be talking with leaders, emerging leaders, and individuals committed to being more developed contributors.

We’ll talk about approaches and programs and the roles of individuals and organizations. We’ll bring you insights, metrics, strategies, and examples which will illustrate the power of this vital aspect of leadership development. It’s will be exciting.

Thank you again for sticking with us on our journey. I can hardly wait to chat about how mutually meaningful work engagement will be transformational for you and your organization. Let’s have that conversation!

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Have you ever had an instance in your business, life, or relationships (or all of the above) where “you found yourself” on a break-neck fast forward twist that left you feeling like you needed to press pause? I totally get it. That’s exactly what we are experiencing here at Contracted Leadership and why we’ve made the necessary decision to press pause on our podcast production for the next few weeks.

We’ll be back soon with a powerful and empowering lineup of experts from all over the world with stories, strategies, insights, and ideas that will make you think, cause you to reflect, potentially cry – and definitely laugh. They represent companies like Microsoft, BusinessSolver, GE, and more. I can’t wait to share them all with you.

In the meantime, if you know someone who would make a great guest on our show – be they seasoned leaders, emerging leaders, or even someone whose life changed exponentially because of a leader or mentor – we’d love to hear about them. Shoot me an email at (info@contractedleadership.com) or give us a call at (608.824.2264).

I look forward to seeing you back here soon, press “play” on our podcast once more, and deliver the kind of lessons on leadership development and creating the mutually meaningful work engagement that make a difference in your lives and businesses.

Until then – stay sharp, connect if you can, and get ready for amazing new conversations!

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Leaders often ask me why they should dive into the social media pool. “What’s the point?” is a question that comes up a lot. I get it. Most leaders are on tight timetables and already feel as if the number of “hats” they are wearing is at least one too many. The idea of adding social media posts and engagement to their daily to do list seems at best challenging, and in some cases, impossible.

That’s why I reached out to Mireille Ryan, the CEO of the Social Media Marketing Institute, founder of the Social Media Marketing Summit and Social Media Marketing Awards to get the real scoop on what leaders should and should not be doing in terms of developing their digital footprint to both brand and build their companies successfully.

The bottom line, she shared, was that people want to do business with people. They want to know what a leader’s values are, what they stand for, and even whether or not they mesh with that person’s personality.

Think Richard Branson – the living, breathing embodiment of the Virgin Airlines brand. He was really one of the first big leaders to step out from behind the desk and corporate boardrooms and into the social media feeds of customers, and potential customers, worldwide. He shared himself, his ideas, ideology, lifestyle, and an almost infectious entrepreneurial spirit with the world and in doing so helped to ignite a new thirst for consumers who wanted to know more about the people behind the brands they buy.

In the age of transparency and information – Richard’s example is acting as a wake-up call for leaders everywhere.

My first burning question for Mireille was, “How do leaders use social media effectively when their time is so limited?

That’s where the WHY first comes into play. She explained that today’s leaders need to first clearly identify and map what their goals and objectives as an organization are, and then translate how social media supports those objectives. What’s the why? Will it drive brand recognition, build a business base, and create customer engagement? Then, they can see that it makes sense. Once they know the why, they can then put a plan in place to allow them to execute a social strategy that is strong on results, without taking up a great deal of time. She assured me (repeatedly) that, with the right plan, leaders can accomplish their goals in just 15-20 minutes per day. Perhaps posting strategically two to three times per week – and then using their downtime (waiting for a meeting, in an Uber, on the train, etc.) to comment and connect with other thought leaders and followers. It’s all about creating some of those two-way conversations and benefiting from them.

You don’t have to be everywhere – or on every platform. Choose what works for your goals and go from there.

Next question – how do leaders measure results? After all, just like in traditional marketing, if you can’t measure results, it’s tough to justify putting in the time. That all starts as strategy as well. In other words, posting for sake of posting isn’t going to cut it. Leaders need to think about what outcomes they want to produce from their social marketing and gear those online shares and conversations towards those goals with specific calls to action, invites, touch points, and follow through.

I loved the six-part strategy she shared:

Make sure your profile is optimized well. (Really well!)
Start connecting with the people you know, on the platform that makes the most sense for you and your objectives and branch out from there. (From a leadership standpoint, LinkedIn seems to be the most strategic option.)
Start engaging with content. Share your thought leadership, ideas, offers, and insights.
Work out a three-month posting strategy. (What you’ll post, how many times per week, and how they will serve your purpose.)
Build an email list. (I loved the reference to VINE, which had influencers who were earning six-figures because of the platform, and then one day it shut down, as did those influencer’s marketing channel.) Social media is “rented property” – whereas if you can transition social followers into an email database, you can continue to market and connect, regardless of the whims, buy-outs, and ever-shifting algorithms of social networks.
Watch your analytics. Most platforms have analytics you can track which will allow you to see where you fall in terms of success factors. Watch them – they’ll help you measure your results.

Next, I wanted to know how leaders could reach their ideal clients. Step one is to identify those ideal clients. That starts with asking some great questions such as…

What does your best customer look like?
What are the questions they ask the most?
What are the needs your product or service answer for them?

Then you can build your content around answering those questions and appealing to those needs. Add in some amazing hashtags that will make it easier for your base to find that content, and you have a win.

Lastly, what I learned is that over the next couple of years there will be a window of opportunity for leaders to step out from behind the corporate curtain and step into a role of being a visible, social part of building their brand and encouraging their team members to do the same. In doing so, they will open wide new doors to building relationships, establishing trust, and creating the kind of customer connections that foster lifelong loyalty. Those leaders that embrace this opportunity will flourish, and those that do not will miss out.

A big thanks to Mireille for her terrific insights and strategies. Relationships, trust, connection, and loyalty all seem like extraordinary “whys” to me. How about you? Let’s have that conversation!

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What a delight it was to have two special guests, Jennifer Javornik, and Sheila Robertson on the show. Both business professionals and masters of improv, I was simultaneously wowed, entertained, and intrigued by the complete out of the box lessons they had to share.

When most people think “improv” – they’re usually picturing dark theatre, minimal stage, wacky antics, and maybe cocktails with friends. What they don’t often think of is leadership, sales, business connectivity, productivity, problem-solving, or networking. That’s where I can say for a fact, they would be myopic. After spending an hour with these two witty and wonderful women, it’s easy to see how improv can sharpen all of those skills and a whole lot more.

After taking a sometimes amusing, sometimes fascinating, conversational journey to learn how these two both found themselves on the improv path and why, we learned so much about the practical business and life applications this spontaneous practice truly creates.

One improv “rule” that really stood out for me again and again during our time together was that you’ve have to play at 100%. To master improv (and most things worthwhile in life) – you can’t play small. You have to give yourself permission to just go for it. The results, when you do, may be absolute success – or ridiculous failure. Either way, it’s perfect, because you committed and gave it your all and there’s so much value in that.

The second “rule” is that you have to be completely present in the moment, which I believe matters as much in life and business as it does in improv. I found it enlightening to hear how so many of us are brought up to be analytical thinkers. We see a problem, then look at it critically, break it down, then try to determine a solution. That’s great – except when you are meant to work it out with other people. That’s when we kind of get stuck in our own means of solution-finding. We’re not REALLY listening to the other people because we’re preparing the next thing we’re going to say in our heads to justify our solution.

That kind of thinking doesn’t work in improv. You really have to be in the moment because there’s so much rapid-fire change. It’s less cerebral and more instinctual. You’ve truly have to become an exceptional listener and open to react to whatever happens or is said next.

Now think about that in the context of a brainstorming session or team discussion to determine how to solve a challenge at work. Instead of controlling the outcome – what if you approached it much like an improv player and rather than tackling it solo, trusted that by creating space for everyone to take part in the conversation that a better solution will always be found together?

That’s exactly the kind of ah-ha moments improv “playshops” create. These improv alternatives to workshops for leadership, sales, and service teams put improvisational tools to work to create increased connectivity and productivity. I don’t know about you, but to me playshops sound way more exciting than workshops!

Here are the kinds of things participants learn:

Communicate better
Be in the moment
Connect more effectively
Listen at a different level
Bring and build ideas as a group
Say yes more often than no
Get comfortable with failure
Become open to taking on new roles and responsibilities

From a leadership perspective – bringing in training which can promote building skills such as the ones in the list above in such a safe, fun, interactive way should be on any company’s to-do list. Even two hours of improv training can be incredibly transformational for people, which has the ability to transform an organization in powerful ways.

A couple of those really hit home for me. First the communication and connection pieces. Full disclosure – I shared with Jennifer and Sheila (and the world since I said it on the podcast) how when my wife and I were in marriage counseling, one of the things we did together was to take improv classes. It really does change the way you listen, react, and connect with one another. The process requires you to completely let down your guard, be all in, and 100% present. All three of those things, as you can imagine, can have a positive effect on a marriage!

On another personal note, they shared how improv skills can help caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. How staying in the moment, and redirecting conversations based on what is said next creates a much simpler and way less stressful interaction with a patient. It goes against much of what caregivers are initially taught about “bringing a patient back to reality” – but makes so much more sense. I sure wish I had known that before my mom had passed. I think it would have made such a difference.

The two additional tools that shine from that list are saying yes more than saying no and becoming comfortable with failure. How often is our first response to opportunities, questions, challenges, and conversations – “No”? By saying yes, we are able to broaden our skills, our spectrum, our connections, and experiences. That’s brilliant on both a personal and a professional level.

Then there is getting comfortable with failure. That’s a game-changer. Like saying no first, when we only play it safe and do the things we know will result in a win or a positive, how much do we miss out on? I’d venture a whole lot.

I truly enjoyed this extraordinary conversation with two powerhouse women from the improv space. Far from just being good, solid fun – improv clearly provides profound lessons. I loved playing along and learning – as did my wife Coreyne who joined us for the last segment.

As always, I asked everyone their take-aways

Next time you’re in a group, take a moment to really try on what it would feel like to acknowledge that whatever solution, idea, or practice the group comes up with is better than what an individual could create. Put some trust in it.
Try to say yes more than no – internally and externally. Sometimes the no’s that are creating the real barriers in our lives are not just the ones we say to others, but rather the ones we say to ourselves.
When we look at opportunities, we often see them through a lens of our expectation. Trust that when we don’t get what we expected – it’s for the better and meant to be.

I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to learn so much from such fun, joyful, and insightful people. I hope you get as much from it as we did here at the studio! I’d recommend adding improv skills to any business professional. In fact, this conversation really makes me want to get back to it myself.

Now, the question is – how can you take these ideas and practices and put them to work in your organization? Let’s have that conversation!

Social posts:

What do masterful improv players and tremendous leaders have in common? #ExcellentListeningSkills

If you’re not fully present in the moment – you’re missing the moment. #bepresent #leadershipskills #listenfirst

Learn to say yes more than you say no and you open yourself, your relationships, and your business to an entire new spectrum of opportunities. #SayYes

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Here are the kinds of things participants learn:

Communicate better
Be in the moment
Connect more effectively
Listen at a different level
Bring and build ideas as a group
Say yes more often than no
Get comfortable with failure
Become open to taking on new roles and responsibilities

As always, I asked everyone their take-aways

Next time you’re in a group, take a moment to really try on what it would feel like to acknowledge that whatever solution, idea, or practice the group comes up with is better than what an individual could create. Put some trust in it.
Try to say yes more than no – internally and externally. Sometimes the no’s that are creating the real barriers in our lives are not just the ones we say to others, but rather the ones we say to ourselves.
When we look at opportunities, we often see them through a lens of our expectation. Trust that when we don’t get what we expected – it’s for the better and meant to be.

Now, the question is – how can you take these ideas and practices and put them to work in your organization? Let’s have that conversation!

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How much thought do you put into how technology has shifted the way we communicate, connect, or come together as communities? While it has changed by what feels like light years, especially in the last decade – do we think about it much? Or just take it for granted?

That was the real jumping point for my interview with award-winning marketer, social media expert, and speaker Leo Morejon. Famous in the marketing world for record-setting social media campaigns – I found him to be just a down-to-earth guy whose passion is people. Connecting them. Helping them communicate. Supporting them in their goals.

What I’ve learned about Leo is that he’s amazing at helping people see technology from the 30,000-foot view, then identifying what works for them so they realize how powerful it can be across marketing disciplines, sales, and business development. Because, like social media, they are ways to connect with people. Businesses have something people want or need, and Leo is a master at helping them connect people to those needs in innovative ways.

One common thread throughout our time together was the premise that to succeed in today’s world – regardless of position – from leader to team member to consultant to phone operator – step one is to commit to becoming a trusted advisor. Leo first learned this concept from his trusted mentor, Brian Weiner.

I totally concur. When our commitment is to do everything within our power, position, skillset, and knowledge base to bring value to every relationship – we’re giving, rather than taking. That builds trust equity in that relationship, which is a game-changer.

It creates a difference in the way we lead and do business. It makes it way less transactional – “I’m in it for the paycheck” – and way more personal – “I’m here for the relationship.”

Leo talks about teaching not only these skills to students and organizational leaders – but the passion behind them. While many believe that passion isn’t a teachable skill, it is, as Leo shared, something that people can be inspired to have once they see the why of what they do. When you understand why customers want your product, what it can do for them, and how it can change their lives – then you can relate to them. The more you can relate to people, the better you can build a relationship, which makes you not just a better salesperson, but a more trusted advisor.

That makes a lot of sense.

When it comes to social media, I learned in our interview that it is no longer a should-do, but a must do in a world that insists on a new level of transparency. It’s time for leaders (of all ages) to get on board. I say all ages because, let’s face it, many (not all) older leaders resist it.

Stop. As Leo said, “Leadership, regardless of age, vertical, product, or industry needs to be on social because the world we live in and the consumers we are marketing to demand that transparency.”

In other words, they want to know that a product or service is trusted, but they also that the people behind those products and services are trusted.

What are two misconceptions that keep people from utilizing social media?

Too Time Consuming: Leo shares that he spends about an hour every weekend loading up and scheduling his social media posts on a platform such as Hootsuite. There’s no reason to think it has to be the time-drain many people make it out to be. While commenting and responding should be part of a daily practice, whether you spend ten minutes a day or ten hours is really a matter of focus and discipline. Said a little differently, don’t go down the rabbit holes, start arguing politics, or sucked into a video stream. Be strategic and conscious in your social media practices and you’ll create the presence you need without it being a time waste.

There’s too much of a learning curve. Social media is designed to be social. In other words, it’s an online conversation – one-to-many. When first consulting with a client, Leo engages them in a conversation and asks questions like, “What do you want people to know about you and your business?” Those are easy answers. They also set the framework for the “conversation” you have with the world online.

I asked Leo what three ideas he wanted leaders to take away from our time together. Loved his answers! They were:

Always assume something is your fault or problem. Taking ownership of a situation is a great first step to giving you the power to problem solve and solution find.
Outline expectations. The truth is people aren’t mind readers, though often we think they should be. We assume they understand our positions, needs, expectations, but that’s not always accurate or fair. Spell it out for people! It makes life and business so much simpler when you do.
Give the benefit of the doubt. Listen, we don’t always know what people are going through. Come first from a place of love and compassion for your fellow human beings and the rest usually falls into place.

For me, that last one was hit home. I was recently on a daddy daughter date night with my six-year-old. We were driving and the car in front of me did something reckless and I reacted to it with frustration and said something I shouldn’t have said. My daughter looked over at me and asked, “Daddy, can you think of another reason why that person did what they did?” Out of the mouth of babes, as they say. It was a reminder to not make assumptions and come from a place of compassion. A reminder I think we can all use more of these days.

I loved the lessons in social media skill building and myth-busting, as well as the people skills gleaned from this interview. Technology creates incredible pathways for communication which is awesome! Behind it all, however, it’s important to remember that even with technology as an engine – we still human beings in the driver’s seats navigating relationships with other human beings.

What steps will you take this week to navigate it all more effectively? Let’s have that conversation!

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One of the most powerful and skills a leader can have is the ability to have difficult conversations, sometimes really difficult conversations – with empathy, humanity, and compassion. Human being to human being.

That’s what really stood out in my conversation with Certified Forensic Interviewer Angela Nino. Her path from criminal justice major to 911 operator to loss prevention specialist to expert in workplace investigations is fascinating. Within just minutes of speaking with her, you automatically want to become a better communicator.

She makes you think differently. Makes you consider leadership with a real “walk a mile in someone’s shoes” type lens. I don’t know about you, but the thought of interviewing someone for theft, misappropriation, misconduct, or a criminal act conjures up good cop/bad cop interrogation room television or movie scenes. Not necessarily a thoughtful, graceful, emotion-based approach to ensuring that the person on the other side of the table feels seen, heard, and understood. The way Angela breaks it down, however, it completely makes sense. People act and react based on emotions. If they sense that “authentic connection” and feel seen, listened to, and actually heard – it stands to reason they’ll be more likely to open up and tell their story, even if it means being fired or arrested. They want to be heard. Frankly, don’t we all?

I loved how she pointed out that by the time we get to that point, when someone is headed out the door, sometimes in handcuffs, it’s almost too late for empathy. That connection should start day one on the job or in the interview process and every day after. Leaders have the ability to change the culture of employee behavior from the outset. Does that mean things like theft or misconduct won’t happen? Of course not. But when leaders look at a person first as a person – and create trust and promote empathy in the workplace, there’s a lot better stage for loyalty and committed behavior.

For some leaders, this might be a lot to take in. They’ve been in “boss mode” for a long time and the idea of being present in the moment and coming from a place of compassion just doesn’t feel like it’s in the cards. I think what Angela shares goes a long way to make an argument for change in that thinking. When you can take difficult situations and tough conversations and connect with an emotion that someone else is feeling – that’s powerful.

For example, letting someone go is not easy for most people. Likewise, being told, “You’re fired,” is difficult, frustrating, and painful. You look bad as a leader if you handle it poorly. Angela tells a story of a team member who was let go, and, against her wishes, was walked out in cuffs by a police officer through the middle of the store. That wasn’t OK with her and it became a defining moment. She called the entire team together and explained that was not how things were done and shifted the narrative about what had just transpired, and in turn, shifted the culture for the organization. “Culture is built in everyday moments and tested in the difficult ones,” she said. That’s game changing.

Imagine yourself in both seats. As a leader and as an employee who’s about to be fired. It’s not small thing in our world to be mindful that the way you handle someone on the last day of work – could be the difference between whether they come back in a violent way. We have to be sensitive to that.

So, how can you manage that conversation? Instead of blame and shame, can you say something along the lines of, “Let’s walk through the process of what happens next.” Then talk about it. How you get where they are, and you want to help them get through this transition with as much ease as possible. That’s in everyone’s best interest, right? Talk about what happens when someone calls for a reference. Angela talks about how she’s cleared halls so that a person could leave without all eyes on them. About walking them through what the future might look like. About not just paying lip-service with sympathetic words, but actually connecting the dots and feeling for where another person is coming from so that as a leader you are both giving and receiving respect. How you handle these situations says as much or more about your leadership ability than it does the team member.

And let’s talk for a moment about how tough conversations are communicated. Especially, but not exclusively, amongst our emerging leaders. I once talked to a manager who fired someone via text. Buddy, that misses the mark in a million different ways. Can you imagine if that or something like it happened to you? What you would feel? How you would react? Leaders have got to put themselves in another person’s shoes. 7% of communication is the actual words spoken – the rest is tone and body language. To become exceptional leaders, you’ve got to be willing to demonstrate that you can communicate – face-to-face. An email or text isn’t going to cut it. Your company culture and your credibility are at stake.

It starts at the top. If mid managers are not communicating effectively, that usually means that the leader is not communicating effectively. And that means it’s time for some evolution in your organization. Some serious deep dives into skill sets and mindsets that allow empathy to become front and center.

Angela and her team’s strategy to bridge high-level communication skill building with improv is just genius. What a powerful way to practice in a low stake’s environment. When you’re laughing you’re learning. When you’re learning, you’re growing. Little things like looking someone in the eye, being present in a conversation, letting someone finish what they are saying and then responding to it, rather than reciting the line you’ve been practicing in your head – all turn into big things in terms of the ability to lead with dignity. With humanity and compassion.

What steps can you make to improve your leadership team’s communication skills starting now? Let’s have a conversation!

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What steps can you make to improve your leadership team’s communication skills starting now? Let’s have a conversation!

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Initially, being an entrepreneur means being in control of every aspect of your business. However, when the ask is high and it is time to grow and level up, many founders and entrepreneurs have a difficult time letting their emerging leaders drive the vehicle.

This is a point of organizational evolution that if stifled, can create a bottleneck on the road to growth. But, if it is embraced, it can strengthen and position the business to handle more needs and deliver better results.

At this point we must give ourselves more room for the high-level strategic planning for our business and for the development of our own leadership knowledge. Simultaneously, we must acquiesce to the space our emerging leaders need in order to flex their leadership skills and develop their own strategies.

This letting go can feel like standing at the edge of a bridge with a harness on, hoping that the bungee cord brings you back safely.

Josh Usher, co-founder of MistyWest, had a difficult time doing just this, until he did something that most of us would not imagine doing. To learn more about how Josh handled this change, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Josh about his experience and where it brought him today.

Josh has a long standing commitment to creating a positive impact, including a Master’s in Clean Energy Engineering from UBC and building Australia's first vehicle-to-grid electric car; all before co-founding MistyWest, an impact focused research and engineering consultancy on the West Coast.

His vision of maximizing his team’s productivity and creativity, along with his passion for solving hard problems spring him out of bed every morning. Josh is a firm believer that for organizations to compete, they have to focus on creating great corporate culture.

Like other founders on the precipice of growth, Josh was having a hard time letting go of the wheel and allowing his emerging leaders to develop until finally he had enough of his own fear.

Josh identified four emerging leaders in his organization who wanted to take on more responsibility and handed them the keys to everything. He told them that he was leaving for a few months (which had eventually turned into seven) and told them to try to not call him. He wasn’t going to be checking his emails either.

This was the ultimate disattachment.

In the back of his mind he knew he was risking the business, but he believed that they could handle things. He showed them absolute trust.

During this seven-month sabbatical Josh dove in to develop his own leadership skills by reading over 20 books, watching TED Talks, and listening to podcasts on the subject. When he came back, he came back as a smarter leader-- but he also came back to a team that had really leveled up. In fact, he was surprised to come back to a different organization. It was a positive and vibrant change, though frankly, his team of leaders was exhausted and glad to have him back.

He had given them all of his trust, including the bank accounts to the business, and they didn’t let him down. Josh and his key team players were able to cultivate a mutually meaningful work environment and learn several important lessons.

For Josh, It was a lesson in trusting others. “Most organizations have great people, yet most organizations don't trust their people enough. Without experimentation there is no growth.”

A mutually meaningful work environment is one where a person can have:

Autonomy-- the ability to direct your daily tasks and your career path.

Mastery-- the ability to learn something to the point that you believe you have it.

Wholeness-- the ability to be your whole self at work, that you can show up vulnerable yet remain safe.

Purpose-- feeling like you are here for reasons that you care about, and you agree with the direction that your organization is going.

Maintaining a mutually meaningful work environment is best done through presence and observation. The open office plan is loved and hated, depending on whom you ask, but it is a direct way to observe the culture that is living in the company. Here are five indicators of healthy culture to observe:

Ritual-- Look for people who have become close enough that here are patterns in their behavior for how they act together. Small groups will develop their own rituals.

Laughter-- Is there an occasional outburst of laughter? Can we be lighthearted enough?

Focus-- We want to see people who are so lost and immersed in their work that they lose track of time.

Debate-- Do people really drill into a discussion, and can they come to a consensus or conclusion or some shared learning? Look for people who are attached to the solution and not to the idea.

Individual Vulnerability-- Do you see people opening up, particularly in times of trouble? Can they answer, “How is your day?” honestly when their day is tough?

Giving up some control to let your business grow and flourish is frightening for many reasons-- but this life is not for the weak-hearted. If there are volunteers on your emerging leader team who are eager to take the challenge on, it may be best to have faith and let it go.

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What looks like a career dead zone to the outside world is actually an opportunity to the driven leader.

It happens all the time-- a person, most often a woman, takes a professional pause to have children. Once the children are ready for school, or once the person decides it’s time to go back, they step back into the professional world only to be confronted with questions like, “What have you been doing recently?” They encounter assumptions that they are too far out of the loop or may not be ready to adjust quickly enough to corporate life. They encounter negative biases. They encounter shut doors.

A driven person will not stand in front of a shut door. They will anticipate the challenge and choose to act proactively.

People take professional pauses for a variety of reasons, and these pauses are the perfect time to reflect on where we want our career to go or what we want our new career to be. It is a time to reinvent and to self educate. What the world will see as a listless cocoon, the driven leader will see as the opportunity to become ready for flight.

This is what Holly Lehman, a Program Manager at Microsoft, has done. For the past seven years, Holly has been living the Microsoft life, learning and advancing, driven by customer obsession she is now fully ingrained in the Azure Management engineering team. Holly is partnering with the most valued professional (MVP) in the customer community to provide education and receive live feedback between the customer and the engineering team. She manages the Azure Management Insiders program for customers, and engages with the Cloud Data Management MVP Community. Prior to Microsoft, Holly was a hotel manager. She took the opportunity of the professional pause of her maternity leave to reinvent her career.

Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Holly about her journey into the leadership role she has today to gain insight on the transformation of an emerging leader and the lessons that come from that growth.

Identify skills to carry over.

A key skill that Holly took from her hotel management job is the ability to connect on a human to human level with people. “You cannot brand yourself as a leader if you are unable to connect on a human level, show understanding and find something in common.”

Learn to respect your time-- not manage it.

One of the first lessons Holly learned about being a new parent and back at work was on making the shift from being open to working around the clock to becoming a person who can work really hard on a strict schedule.

Limiting working hours increased her productivity and tactical thinking. As a result, Holly learned to respect and value her time more. This also forced her to be more present at home in the shorter time she had with her children. By example, this shows her children that one can be a dedicated professional but also a dedicated family person. It shows that we have to respect our time and respect other people’s time by being mentally present-- right there in the moment.

Looking at our work-life time as “respecting my time” versus “managing my time,” is a more thoughtful and meaningful way to achieve that balance for ourselves and others.

For developing leaders, having a manager who asks about the ongoings of life outside of work can be meaningful and helpful in that it creates an understanding of the eb and flow of events and responsibilities that may be influencing work life. Knowing what our people are going through on a weekly basis helps us decide when it’s a good time to push someone through a project that will require them to grow, versus assigning something else. It helps us assess needs and strengths.

Address the limiting beliefs of emerging leaders.

Imposter syndrome is a common limiting belief among emerging leaders. Thinking they are the only one in the room who doesn’t know or understand something is limiting and untrue.

Another limiting belief is regarding full ownership of their projects: either they feel like they have to take on more than they should (doing too much), or they feel like they can’t take on what they should because of some fear of being unable to do it. Tied to this is the fear of delegating. Nudge your emerging leaders out of their boxes and encourage them to delegate creatively-- perhaps even outside of their department.

One of the most damaging limiting beliefs is when emerging leaders think they have to know everything and their success is theirs alone. It’s a fast way to fail and lose respect because people want leaders who learn from their team, are guided by new ideas, and who allow others to be empowered. Good leaders provide visibility to the people who are there with them. We must share our successes to build our tribes, and in turn our tribes will support us. Shared success feeds into creating mutually meaningful work environments.

Make your profession mutually meaningful.

We have to believe in the work that we are doing and believe in ourselves by showing up and being authentic every single day. If we believe our jobs have positive influence and help to drive change, we will have inspiration to guide us and help us avoid burnout.

Be brave enough to fly high, but don’t fly solo-- be willing to take on the risk, take on the tough new project, and be alright with asking for guidance along the way. Many successful leaders would not be where they are today without mentors and a richly developed network.

Most importantly, remember that your work has the power to affect the world in a positive way, and you have great things to contribute. Step over the threshold of your fear and walk through that door. You belong where you want to be.

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Professional pauses, such as parental leave, are the perfect time to reflect on where we want our career to go or what we want our new career to be. It is a time to reinvent and self educate. Have you changed your career around after an extended leave? Tell us your story-- comment below! #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Looking at our work-life time as “respecting my time” versus “managing my time,” is a more thoughtful and meaningful way to achieve that balance for ourselves and others. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
You cannot brand yourself as a leader if you are unable to connect on a human level, show understanding and find something in common. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Be excited to prove the naysayers wrong! Use their negative comments as fuel. The only one who can stop you is you. How have you used someone’s negativity to fuel your fire of success? Comment below! #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
If we believe our jobs have positive influence and help to drive change, we will have inspiration to guide us and help us avoid burnout. What about your work inspires you to show up every day? Comment below! #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
People want leaders who learn from their team, are guided by new ideas, and who allow others to be empowered. Good leaders provide visibility to the people who are there with them. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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At a First Business Bank Emerging Leaders event, Jason Ilstrup, President of Downtown Madison Inc. spoke on the importance of emerging leaders’ involvement with their communities and how that can benefit the development of the emerging leader, the growth of the organization in which they work, and how it can ultimately lead to mutually-meaningful work engagement.

As Madison area resident, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast is familiar with the city’s business development and networking circles and has known Jason for some time. But it was how Jason’s presentation precisely resonated with Bruce’s mission to help business leaders build mutually-meaningful work engagements, that moved Bruce to invite Jason to the podcast to take the subject further.

Downtown Madison Inc., is a member-based nonprofit organization striving to create the best quality of life downtown for everyone. It brings community boards under its umbrella where professionals from various organizations come together to serve and create solutions. As President of Downtown Madison Inc., Jason has an eagle’s view of how new emerging leaders come in to discover their opportunities, and grow from there.

Initially, Jason sees two general categories of volunteers. The first type of people are the ones who come full-hearted with the purpose of fulfilling the mission of the board they serve. The second type of people are the ones who only want to network for personal and professional gain.

However, he also sees how the cross over happens: a member who comes with the purpose of networking and networking only, becomes engaged and passionate about the cause they serve and then genuinely becomes an advocate and solution driver for that cause. They become a true leader and giver to their board.

Witnessing this positive change, this first ripple in the pond, reinforces Jason’s own sentiment for how meaningful this profession is to him. He finds meaning in the fact he can work with different kinds of people from different industries and unite them to work together for a better way of living. The combination of public, private, and nonprofit sectors joining to create local solutions to local problems is especially powerful. Being in this mix is also extremely beneficial to the personal and professional growth of emerging leaders.

For emerging leaders being on boards allows them to become part of a future-building conversation. By being present and being a part of the group they learn how to become leaders. Being present helps people build trust, and building trusting relationships helps to create mutually meaningful work engagements. It’s personal as well as professional development. Personally, they learn more about other people, about how the world works, and about themselves. Professionally, they learn networking skills, how to work with other people, how organizations work, how different roles in those organizations work, and about the different ways of leading meetings and events.

As you encourage your emerging leaders to grow their networks and join boards, encourage them to come to know as many people as they can just for the sake of knowing them. Especially, encourage them to come to know people who are different from them economically, ethnically, etc. If most of the people we know look and think like we do, then we are likely to run into confirmation bias. Having that diversity of human influence around us helps to clear our blind spots and think better. Moreover, practicing taking in differing viewpoints and opinions helps us become more open and receptive, which helps our organizations be better off.

With all of this positive return on having your emerging leaders volunteer for the community, it’s almost difficult to not feel a little guilty. Are we really gaining more than we’re giving? That depends on whom you ask. Either way, the answer will always be filled with gratitude.

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Build trusting relationships just for the sake of building trusting relationships. Befriend people who are different from you. Listen and take in different viewpoints. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Some people say, “Change happens at the speed of trust.” Do you agree? Let us know below. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Being on boards allows emerging leaders to become part of a future-building conversation. What boards have you been on that really moved the needle? #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
If most of the people we know look and think like we do, then we are likely to run into confirmation bias. Having that diversity of human influence around us helps to clear our blind spots and think better. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Being present helps people build trust, and building trusting relationships helps to create mutually meaningful work engagements. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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As we focus on being effective leaders we mostly approach leadership development from our own perspective. Coming from the angle of personal development, we ask how we can be better leaders today than we were yesterday. We defer to subject matter experts, consult coaches, and learn from other executives at leadership retreats and events. However, we don’t look often enough from the perspective of those who allow us to be leaders in the first place-- the young professionals and emerging leaders we mentor. It’s about them, and the adage reminds:

The measure of a true leader is not in how many followers they have, but in how many good leaders they create.

Eric Schremp is a 25-year old, young professional, who is arguably, wiser than his years. He is also the Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking at First Business Bank. Eric started with First Business Bank in 2013 as a credit analyst and moved into his VP role under the mentorship of Jim Hartlieb, President of First Business Bank and Tom Dott, Vice President.

Eric credits Jim and Tom for creating a mutually-meaningful work environment where Eric can grow as a professional in his role and as a person who can take his lessons home to his fiancee and his friends.

For an inside look at what our emerging leaders need-- but likely don’t tell us, on their leadership development journey, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast explores Eric’s experience in working with his senior leaders, and mentors, Jim Hartlieb and Tom Dott.

The Halo Effect

Emerging leaders are often younger people who have to work with senior professionals and clients. Your emerging leader is keenly aware that they are likely the youngest one in the room. They are aware that others see them as “the kid,” and it feeds into their discomfort. Your physical presence next to them in the room as their senior leader and mentor can ease that tension. When other team members and clients see you side by side, they feel more secure in the ability of your person-- this is known as “The Halo Effect.”

Sparing a bit of time to sit in that meeting, or visibly checking in with your emerging leader in front of the group will boost their standing with those in the room. Your presence adds credibility. Offer it to your emerging leader when you sense it can help a situation.

Assume Positively

Be mindful to interpret positively where you can... Traits like curiosity are valuable in business for strategic thinking and creative solutions. We often think of curious people as the ones asking all the questions in meetings, and forget that they can also be the ones sitting back quietly and observing. Emerging leaders, especially ones who are new to your team, may still feel like they have more to learn before they can freely contribute, so they take more time to observe. A person may seem disengaged or like they have nothing to add, but they may really be afraid.

Open the Door, Literally

One of the biggest wishlist items for emerging leaders is to be able to have exposure to the decision makers in the company. Being able to sit in the room and hear the questions that decision makers and seasoned professionals are asking is enlightening. It builds confidence to know what types of interactions they can expect in their next stages of professional interaction, as well as helps them sharpen their presentation skills by learning how the decision makers think.

There is no college course that lets you see how senior leaders conduct themselves in meetings, yet it is an essential lesson.

It’s a lesson they can also learn outside of your company. Introduce your emerging leaders to community committees so they can experience how other organizations are running meetings. Let them see how other leaders answer tough questions on the spot.

Other Tips

Show them how their role fits into the big picture.
Be an example of humility and honesty. Show them that you don’t have to have all the answers, but that you’re willing to look for them and learn.
Take a genuine interest in their professional and personal lives.
Challenge constructively to create teaching moments: offer your take on what you would have done differently.
If you value the person for whom they are, show it to them without bringing work into it. For example, if they are out sick, call and ask how they are feeling-- but don’t follow up with asking when they will be back.
It’s tough to come in as a new person and add value, so note small areas where they contributed to your results and thank them for it.

In Conclusion

If you prioritize curiosity as a trait that you expect to see in your emerging leaders, they will be more open with you about the kinds of things they need from you as their leader and mentor. Showing them that you are on your own growth journey by admitting when you don’t know something and being humble will further fertilize the soil of growth for your team. As we get comfortable in our roles it’s easy to forget that our emerging leaders may not yet be comfortable. They are stretching in their abilities and learning from what they observe. Give them patience and time to become the superstars you want them to be.

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LinkedIn Post: How are we doing as leaders? We need to look more often from the perspective of those who allow us to be leaders in the first place-- the young professionals and emerging leaders we mentor. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
LinkedIn Post: Learning moment? Challenge constructively by offering what you would have done differently. #emergingleader #leadershipdevelopment #levelupyourleadership #contractleaders
Facebook Post: Creating mutually-meaningful work engagement means more than just being professionally aligned. It crosses into other areas. What role are you taking in developing your emerging leader’s personal life? Comment below. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Facebook Post: What community committees have you introduced your emerging leaders into so they can see how other organizations are running meetings and doing things? #emergingleader #leadershipdevelopment #levelupyourleadership #contractleaders
Twitter Post: Introduce your emerging leader to community committees so they can see how other organizations are running meetings. #emergingleader #leadershipdevelopment #levelupyourleadership #contractleaders
Twitter Post: Emerging leaders may still feel like they have more to learn before they can freely contribute in a meeting. They observe to learn more. #emergingleader #leadershipdevelopment #levelupyourleadership #contractleaders

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Would you trust someone who doesn’t know how to use a steering wheel drive your car? It’s what we as executives and organizational leaders do when we promote workers to leadership roles who have no sense of personal purpose nor vision for a meaningful mission.

The fault is not in bad hiring, but in a shifting culture that allows less and less time for quiet self reflection and development of an inner guidance system. Take heed that, it’s not you-- and you do have the power to make it better.

To help us gain footing on what’s happening and what we can do, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks with the right expert for the matter-- Darrell Kopke.

Darrell is a four-time CEO of high growth organizations, the Founder and CEO of Adelhard Sport Culture Inc. and an adjunct professor of the highly lauded Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. At the university Darrell lectures on entrepreneurship and innovation. What really appealed to Bruce about Darrell, is that he is a “people first” CEO. After reading his article, “Trying Softer” Bruce knew he would do anything to have Darrell on his show.

“Trying Softer” was an article that came out of Darrell’s observation of a growing and disturbing trend he began to see at the university. His students were becoming increasingly distracted, and not present with what is going on in their daily lives.

Walking through campus on a picturesque fall morning, Darrell stopped to inhale and revel in the beauty. Looking around to see if anyone else was appreciating the same, he saw heads slanted down into their phones, earbuds plugging the sounds of the birds. Like being the last person left on earth, there was no one to connect with to share the uplifting experience. The opportunity to bask in the inspiration of the day and to inwardly reflect was missing on the students.

Similarly, when it was time to discuss talents, passions, careers and goals, these students were out of touch. At a time when they need to make massive decisions in their lives about their schooling and career paths, they had no grasp on their goals, talents, or what they wanted to accomplish. The distraction of pervasive attention-thirsty technology was showing its toll.

As leaders and executives who are hiring and mentoring these individuals, we are on stage, we are seen, and we have the opportunity to lead by example. “Trying Softer” is a reminder that we too can step away from our distractions and connect with those around us, especially those who we want to develop as future leaders.

First, leadership development requires us to know our core self. As mentors and organizational leaders we can ignite the spark of that journey in our younger workers by always referring back to the “why.” Why, as a person, are you doing what you do?”

Secondly, leadership development requires for us to connect our personal why to the why of the organization. When bottlenecks develop, disagreements arise, or creativity seems to dry up, bring it back to the purpose question: “Why are we, as an organization doing what we do?” “What is our greater mission?”

Keeping the encompassing purpose at hand really changes the outlook on what we are doing. It can make even the most mundane task more meaningful. Take the bricklayer story as example:

A man sees three bricklayers and asked the first one, “What are you doing?”

The first bricklayer says, “I am laying bricks, obviously!”

The second bricklayer says, “I am building a wall.”

The third bricklayer says, “I am building a cathedral!”

As organizational leaders we can provide context to our workers, showing that who we are being is legacy based. Who we are being is a contribution that is bigger than ourselves, and what we are doing is not just completing a task like bookkeeping or editing, or calculating, but that we are activating a vision.

This shifts the lens of how we view ourselves and how we view our businesses. It helps us refine the question of what we are really doing. Are we selling children’s clothing, or are we promoting outdoor free-play culture?

How does the world benefit from your business? We’d love to hear from you! Comment or email your reply.

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When bottlenecks develop, disagreements arise, or creativity seems to dry up, bring it back to the purpose question: “Why are we, as an organization doing what we do?” “What is our greater mission?”
Would you trust someone who doesn’t know how to use a steering wheel drive your car? It’s what we as executives and organizational leaders do when we promote workers to leadership roles who have no sense of personal purpose nor vision for a meaningful mission. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Question: How does your business make the world better? We’d love to see your answers! #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Reflect on yourself as a listener. What kind of listener are you? Do you listen with the phone out, or are you focused and present? #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Have you answered the question, “What’s in it for me?” for your whole team? (They are asking it for themselves.) #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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In his quest of exploring the relationships between leaders and the emerging leaders they develop Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Rani Mani and Jose Camacho of Adobe.

Rani Mani is the head of Global Social Influencer Enablement and Employee Advocacy at Adobe. She is passionate about cultivating and nurturing communities and coaching others to do the same. Her nickname at Adobe is “The Velvet Hammer” due to her ability to lead with her head and her heart-- to be assertive and firm yet with kindness and respect. Rani’s mantra is “To make the impossible possible.” Jose Camacho is the Social Media Enablement Strategist at Adobe. He is passionate about building leaders in his community both at home and at work. Jose’s mantra is, “Wherever I’m needed, whatever it takes.” Jose reports directly to Rani. Jose is helping Rani mobilize all of Adobe to become employee ambassadors. Rani establishes key relationships across Adobe.

At Adobe people are expected to bring their whole selves to work and not compartmentalize who they are. This allows leaders like Rani to develop emerging leaders like Jose to see their preferences and talents and better create a mutually meaningful work environment.

To create a mutually meaningful work environment for your emerging leader, Rani recommends that you ask them questions like, “What makes your heart sing?” “ What do you want to do in life?” “What does success look like to you?” and look for projects that support those goals. Then co-create a plan to help them get there. In helping them with the plan, don’t hold their hand tightly, instead aim to be the wind beneath their wings.

Break Out

Sometimes emerging leaders have the limiting belief that they have plateaued. That they are where they are physically, emotionally, and professionally and that there is nowhere left to grow. By allowing your people to bring their whole selves to work allows you as a leader to be aware of where your people are personally and allows you to help them get unstuck from those limiting beliefs.

The pain of their limiting belief can be more painful than the work of growth, but the belief can be comforting psychologically, so finding out what the fear is that is holding the person back can be key in helping move them forward. Find out what the fear is in service of. Is the fear reinforcing a deeply seated belief about themselves or the world? Is the fear somehow protecting them in some fashion? One way to start is by asking the person, if the stagnation is more painful or less painful than the growth itself.

Break Through

A good problem is when your people are so passionate about what they do and the people they work with that their process becomes too familiar and familial. People become too comfortable. This creates a creative stagnation, and it becomes hard to have breakthrough moments.

To move out of that space, you can ask provocative questions and make declarative statements.

“What if this team breaks up, what if this role goes away, what do we lose?” “What if tomorrow we have to report to different organizations and different managers-- does the work become less important? What we lose funding, do we have a more creative, scrappy way to get it done?” “What if we lose 90% of our team, can we still move forward?” Sensational “what if” questions get the juices flowing to see if were are leaving something on the table because we are too comfortable, robotic or predictable in our stance.

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The pain of your limiting belief can be more painful than the work of growth. Find out what needs that fear is serving. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

People become too comfortable and it creates a creative stagnation. To break through ask sensational “what if” questions to see if you are leaving something on the table because you are too robotic or predictable in your stance. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Be intentional in your coaching of emerging leaders: take an inventory of the people who are in your immediate sphere of influence and have a sense for what kind of relationship you are building with that person. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Explore your own limiting beliefs. Notice what types of people you are inspired by. As a mentor or coach you have to make sure your own soul is being fed and that your giving isn’t one-directional. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Create a mutually meaningful work environment for your people. Ask them, “What makes your heart sing?” “ What do you want to do in life?” “What does success look like to you?” and look for projects that support those goals. Then co-create a plan to help them get there. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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No matter what kind of development you are exposing yourself to there comes a moment when you need to decide if you're going to put your new ideas into action. When you're willing to change your current behavior thoughts and patterns, is when your learning takes on true value.

However, change is a strange thing that affects each of us differently. Some people hate it all, some are okay with some of it, while others live for it. Chris Clarke-Epstein made it her life’s work to figure out why some people fall into these groups. She is an internationally known writer and speaker, she’s written and contributed to 14 books and numerous articles, one of her books has been translated into 12 languages, she served as the 2000-2001 National Speakers Association President, and has received awards from her peers. To learn about the topic, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Chris about change management in developing leaders, practical strategies for change, and how it relates to mutually-meaningful work engagements.

First, we look at what it means to navigate change successfully for you as an individual.

If you have lived a long enough life professionally or personally you can look back and see the plans you have made and how they did or didn’t work out. The measure of success of your life is how you dealt with those bends in the road. The changes that come at us can overwhelm us in the moment, and the trick for success in life is recognizing that it is the amount of time it takes for us to move from the overwhelm of “I can’t deal with this,” to the “I have to figure out new strategies” stage. With experience, the amount of time between the two shortens. What stopped you in your tracks earlier in life, later becomes something that you know you can get through by gathering your resources and moving ahead.

For creating change in your organization the perspective widens, and we find ourselves needing to think beyond our personal strategies for adaptation. Before you start shifting gears in your organization, understand the following:

The change is bigger in their minds than in yours.
Change is not a biologically favored event.
You’ve had time to think through the change, your people need time to adjust.
The change was likely your choice, and not theirs.
Share the inspiration that hit you when you wanted to make the change.
You must have a sustained effort to help your changes succeed.

When we introduce a change from our perspective it is just that change, but from the recipient's perspective it is not just about one change-- there is usually a whole host of things and the ramifications of that change are going to be much more significant than the change itself. Your change may be affecting the recipient's entire structure of how they go about their day, or how they manage their productivity. It can be as big as the recipient needing to rearrange childcare, pet care and errand schedules to as small as reconfiguring if they can make photocopies on the way to a meeting or not. So, the first thing as a leader you need to recognize is that people are responding to the totality of the experience.

Moreover, human beings are hardwired to not want to change. Status quo is what your brain likes: figure out how to do it and replicate it. Change is physically inefficient because it forces your brain to consume more oxygen, leaving less for your body oxygen for your body, thus making it less efficient. So, when you are frustrated that you people are “just not good at change,” remember that they are just being good at being human.

Also, keep in mind that takes time. You have had time to absorb the ramifications of the change, but your people have not. For example, if you are opening a new office, maybe you’ve had time to drive by the nearest grocery store or coffee shop, or figure out the traffic patterns in the area. When announcing the location of the new office, you already have the whole map in your head, while your people are just beginning to wonder what this will mean to their daily routine.

If you are bringing your change ideas from a seminar or development workshop that you attended, recognize that you were the one to hear all of the great points about it and you were the one to feel the inspiration. Your people weren't there. You may be feeling excitement, but have you shared the “why” of that excitement with your team? You’ve experienced the “sales pitch,” so to speak, so now you have to sell it to them.

You must have a sustained effort to help your changes succeed. If you are constantly bringing new ideas and changes to your people, implementing those ideas but not following through with them (making sure they stick,) your ideas and changes will quickly lose credibility. You will see this in the conversation between the new employee and the old employee when the new employee shows excitement for the change, and the old employee responds with, “Just wait. Next month it will be something else and we will forget about this thing.”

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It’s not the people with the titles or positions who are the necessary influencer-- it’s the people with personal power. Have them on your side when introducing change. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

People are not bad at change-- they are good at being human. Humans are hardwired to not want to change. Status quo is what your brain likes: figure out how to do it and replicate it. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

When making change remember: 1. The change is bigger in their minds than in yours. 2. Change is not a biologically favored event. 3. You’ve had time to think through it, they need time. 4. The change was your choice, not theirs. 5. Share the inspiration that you’re following. 6. You must have sustained effort to help your changes succeed. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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As a leader you commit yourself to continuous improvement because you know that “good enough” doesn’t last. You work on self development so that you can be the leader who heralds needed changes in a way that preserves and elevates the integrity of your organization. It becomes inevitable that when you hold continuous improvement as a primary value, it is a value you lead with, and infuse into your company culture. Improvement is a must to expect of yourself, but if your employees are not the owners, and not all of them see themselves as having much to gain from walking the extra mile, can you expect the same from them?

If you’ve ever faced the question of how to implement continuous improvement in your organization, read on as Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Jason Zenger, the President of Zenger’s-- a company with a mission for, “continuous improvement of manufacturing operations that result in documented profit improvement.” Zenger’s is a distributor and service provider specializing in tooling and related supplies, metalworking, consulting, and tool crib management. The company lives Jason’s value for continuous improvement. Some of Jason’s drive to “prove and improve” comes from being born into the family business, thus needing to show his worth, while we can suspect the other parts of his drive come from character and a leader’s spirit.

Recently, Zenger’s went through an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. ERP systems are critical for managing thousands of businesses of all sizes in all industries, and are as critical as keeping the lights on. They are an improvement process but also a chance to take a fair look at how your organization is doing. This was not Zenger’s first ERP, and through this last one, he saw the success that could not have come had he not learned to step away from micromanagement, and take on other lessons in improvement for himself and for his team.

Lessons

Recover from micromanaging: Allowing your team to be autonomous in their work and decisions allows you to reap dividends because they are going to take ownership for their responsibilities.

Work on your business instead of in your business: touching on the micromanaging issue, if you trust your people to ask the right questions, to do what they do, and feel safe in exploring creatively, they will do the work in your business, which will allow you to be more effective with your time as a leader and work on your business.

Create a culture of openness: Tell your team to push back on you. If your COO has more experience in business than you, tap into that knowledge. Ask to be evaluated on how you can improve and what you did well. You will grow and your employees will see that you are holding yourself to the same standard of improvement that you expect from them.

Cast a vision: Articulate your vision, lead towards that vision, and even if you don’t make it to your goal, enjoy the satisfaction of being brave enough to aim there. Not “getting there” is ok if you ask how you can do it better next time and retool. That is part of the improvement process-- not making a basket when learning to play basketball is not a failure, it is a step in the process of learning to make the basket.

Build the wall of core values: In hiring be firm. If you rush to hire, or push a person through who doesn’t match the company values, you will regret it. A firm values-filtering process helps ensure the right company culture, but enforcing that process is a hiring-discipline must.

Be clear in your expectations: Make it clear that you are going to be a company that demands self improvement, but know that people see improvement differently-- not everyone wants to advance to the management role or the next department. Not everyone wants a bigger paycheck (as it will mean bigger responsibilities). For people who love what they do, doing something different can mean unhappiness. Don’t make the carrot something these people don’t value-- allow them to stay where they are, but do expect them to improve in their role or as a member of the organization. Whether it’s taking a class on communication or joining a company club, they still have to make even the slightest of improvements.

Live beyond your role: Stay flexible and open by not allowing your job title to define who you are. You are not just the president of a company, you are a human being with multiple purposes. Take a cue from water-- it is powerful, yet it can take many shapes and be many things. It can be soft and life creating, and it can destroy. You are not one title.

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Recover from micromanaging: Allowing your team to be autonomous in their work and decisions allows you to reap dividends because they are going to take ownership for their responsibilities. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Know that tomorrow will be better than today. Keep people around you who believe that too-- because they will make improvements in themselves to prove that belief. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Build the wall of core values: In hiring be firm. If you rush to hire, or push a person through who doesn’t match the values then you will regret it. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Let people speak openly to you. Allow pushback from leaders you respect-- let them know you expect it and accept it. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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Ryan and five of his peers were selected to participate in an out-of-the-box experiment called, The Innovation Lab. Sequestered away from the rest of the organization, the team was responsible for researching umbilical cord blood donation and seeing how it can help with blood marrow registry and research objectives. Ryan’s team was tasked with a problem-- not with solving it, but rather with developing recommendations for how to address the problem so that the company could fix it. The experiment was a success. Ryan talks to Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast to provide us with the organizational and developmental perspectives and insights from that experiment.

If your organization is looking to initiate an innovation project or lab, it helps to use a successful example for support. Here we unbox this out-of-the-box experiment to pick the pearls out of lessons learned.

Measure Success

When starting something not done before, the first measure of success has to be, does this actually work? For example, in starting an Innovation Lab, pulling a group of people who didn’t know each other to go offsite to work on a problem that was new, was in itself an unsure venture. To gather these diverse individuals who had one thing in common-- and ability to think and approach problems differently, and have them work well together, closely and for extended time, is in itself a success. Another measure of success was having a copious package to bring to leadership at the end of the experiment and having them applaud the team.

Although there can be many measurements of success, primarily we have to ask, can the team function, and can we deliver?

Anticipate Anxiety

When initiating a project, volunteers are excited by the prospect of doing something new, but they don't often have the specifics on what exactly they will be doing. The excitement can quickly turn into anxiety-- two feelings that are on the same end of the energy spectrum, yet the latter carries detrimental effects.

Also, for several reasons a major fear of many successful professionals is to have to step away from their regular role. It comes from the worry that they will be replaced, that their boss will see the job can be done without them, that their job is not as important to the organization as they previously thought, or that their progress and role reputation will be ruined by a less-qualified stand-in.

Remember to include the rest of the organization in progress updates. Healthy organizations create a feeling of investment in their employees, so success and failure isn’t just shared between the team and leadership. Everyone in the organization should feel connected to what’s developing. One way to do this is to internally share short videos or clips of the team working on something as they talk about what they expect the outcome to be, and sharing why they are excited. Transparency builds trust and alleviates anxiety.

Make it Work

For a truly innovative approach and fresh ideas, start by picking your team from across the organization:

Have someone from marketing, finance, tech, HR, data, etc..
Make your team equally female and male.
Have cultural diversity.
Provide access to subject matter experts
Have team-building conversations

In team building, appreciate the excitement that everyone feels to come from their niche and be picked to work on a completely different project. Team members should feel as experts asked to share their niche knowledge. Illustrate that the team acts as one brain. Then ask the team members to share how and when they work best-- ask them to be vulnerable-- but begin by being vulnerable yourself to help them open up about needs or dislikes, and quirks. There are also personal issues that affect work, so encourage team members to check in with one another to identify pain points and obstacles. We don’t have to over-share, but we do need to stay tuned in to give support and ensure the strength of each link of the chain.

Learn

Did the offsite location work? Did climate affect how people were able to work? Did we use the best methods for sharing and collaborating? Did we offer accessibility and convenience to our team? What other things can we take into consideration for next time? Have your team weigh in on the unique experience of being on the project. Then, check in with each person to see how this experience shaped or affected their outlook on their permanent role. Do they now wish to make a shift? Are they more sure now they want to stay where they are at? How have they grown and how can they contribute their newly developed skills into the organization.You’ve opened the box, use the treasures effectively!

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Although there can be many measurements of success, primarily we have to ask, can the team function, and can we deliver? #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Anticipate anxiety: when employees are attempting innovative projects they are entering the unknown. They begin with excitement but excitement can quickly turn into anxiety. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Transparency builds trust and alleviates anxiety. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Everyone in the organization should feel connected to what’s developing. One way to do this is to internally share short videos or clips of the team working on something as they talk about what they expect the outcome to be, and sharing why they are excited. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

For any project, to create an innovative team, start by picking your team from across the organization: 1. Have someone from marketing, finance, tech, HR, data, etc.. 2. Make your team equally female and male. 3. Have cultural diversity. 4. Have team-building conversations 5. Provide access to subject matter experts and research. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Have your team members weigh in on the unique experience of being on the project. See how this experience shaped their outlook on their permanent role. Do they now wish to make a shift? How have they grown and how can they contribute their newly developed skills into the organization? #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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Live or die? Not too long ago our ability to survive directly correlated to our ability to develop relationships with our families and local tribes. In modern times-- and especially in business, our ability to develop relationships can mean the difference between thriving and losing out. We are biologically wired to be social creatures, and so it seems that building networks should come naturally. But, our prehistoric system is able to handle no more than 100 relationships, 50 semi-effectively, and in the last decade the number of accessible people and the ease of connection has increased exponentially. Now you can be in touch with tens of thousands of people. This is a bit more than we are designed to meaningfully manage.

To discover the new questions and solutions around business relationship management, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Zvi Band, the Founder of Contactually, a relationship-oriented CRM company. The company grew to eight figures in revenue and to a team of 70 before being acquired. Zvi Band is also the Author of Success is in Your Sphere, a book cataloging his success with Contactually, that also acts as a guide to effectively using the CRM.

The primary challenges for maintaining relationships are always, knowing whom to talk to, when to talk to them, and what to say that will show our value, which will allow us to maintain the relationship.

But, the fundamental, and often most difficult challenge that we are all faced with is that we are all wired for short term benefits. If we weren’t, we would choose to act how “future us” would act; we would eat that salad instead of the burger, we would save that dollar instead of online shop. Likewise, in the business world we are focused on what is immediately in front of us, and on what is going to fill that quota or sale today or tomorrow, not four years from now.

It’s easy to look backward and say that we received a benefit or job because of someone we knew, but when we have the choice to focus on the immediate or on calling a former client and checking in with them, we choose to deal with urgent matters at hand. This is where technology, such as a CRM system can help set reminders to reach out.

When relationships matter to us, it’s not just the relationships with our clients. It’s the relationships with our teams, employees, partners, and vendors. Companies that successfully execute on relationship management are evident in how their employees and contractors rate them on review sites like Glass Door.

Here are some effective ways to win at relationship management with our teams and clients:

Part of developing these good relationships among our teams involves humility. If we as leaders allow our ideas and products to be open to review and suggestions from our employees, it will allow our employees to know that they can bring and explore their own ideas without being immediately shut down. Our vulnerability helps foster trust within our organizations. We shouldn’t be, “the smartest person in the room.”

Boost this by making sure that everyone in the room has a voice, and become a, “yes, and…” culture of people building on each other's ideas. (For reference see the acclaimed book, Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from The Second City )

Finding the right CRM system, like Contextually is imperative, but it is like buying a Chef’s knife-- you have to learn how to use it gain from it. Use guides, such as videos, or Zvi Band’s book, Success Is in Your Sphere: Leverage the Power of Relationships to Achieve Your Business Goals, on learning the system to have it work best for you. For example, if there is an option to create a drip campaign, have your people think of the most relevant ways to time it and not just go with a standard setting. Set your own strategy.

Ultimately, for any connection development we need to start with a strategy. Start with the goal in mind: identify what your goals are for the year. Identify the people who can help you with those goals. Pick up the phone and say, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about you. Hope all is alright.” Just those words, “hope all is alright,” are all we really want to hear-- to know that somebody cares and we are not alone.

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If we as leaders allow our ideas and products to be open to review and suggestions from our employees, it will allow our employees to know that they can bring and explore their own ideas without being immediately shut down. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Our vulnerability helps foster trust within our organizations. We shouldn’t be, “the smartest person in the room.” #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders
Make sure that everyone in the room has a voice by becoming a, “yes, and…” culture of people building on each other's ideas. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders #yesand
Ultimately, for any connection development we need to start with a strategy: Identify what your goals are for the year. Identify the people who can help you with those goals. Pick up the phone and say, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about you. Hope all is alright.” #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from The Second City

Success Is in Your Sphere: Leverage the Power of Relationships to Achieve Your Business Goals

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The Secret We have to admire the bravery of those entrepreneurs on Shark Tank. They put their life savings, mortgages, and reputations on the line for the chance to launch a winning idea or innovative product. In a sea of products and services, they see themselves as uniquely capable of serving the need. But, how do they feel sure that they are the ones to disrupt an industry or to make the sales happen?

Aside from the passion and grit, there are behind the scenes resources like EnventysPartners. Enventys Partners is a firm that combines product development and marketing services to help entrepreneurs, startups, and enterprise companies quickly bring their innovative products to the market. They’ve helped entrepreneurs raise over $175,000,000 using crowdfunding while advising global startups on digital marketing and growth. Among those clients are 18 entrepreneurs who have gone on to win partnerships from each of the Sharks and guest Sharks. Because his company consistently brings viable partnerships to the show, President and Co-Founder Roy Morejon has a direct line to the show’s producers.

However, to keep helping startups and inventors move their ideas, Morejon needs to foster that creativity in his own employees and culture. To glean insight into how an innovation leader navigates his own success, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks to Morejon, exploring several key questions that include, how his innovators stay productively creative, what makes meaningful career, and what methods or tools he uses in his own company to achieve the rapid growth and success that has earned them regular features on CNN, Forbes, and Huffington Post.

The Joy of the Why

It’s amazing to be the first people outside of the entrepreneurs' friends and family that have the opportunity to review the product idea and help them through the process of potentially bringing that idea to the market. Seeing the idea come from a napkin sketch, to making the molds or building out and doing the engineering and prototype work, to building out the assets, then running a campaign and having millions of people back the products, is the exhilarating joy of participating in the evolution of a startup.

On the other side of that joy, is the heaviness of telling inventors that “the baby is ugly.” Most of the entrepreneurs' friends won’t tell them the full truth, so we have to step in and have that uncomfortable conversation. This either leads to finding ways to improve the product or idea, or to advising the entrepreneur to sell the idea to a company that is already being successful with a very similar thing.

The How

Purposeful work environments are led by and enshrined in their core values. Core values define who we are as leaders and what we look for in employees, and have to be present in each new team member that joins the team. The values that prove to work as the fertile soil for in the startup space are:

Fun. Enjoy working with each other.
Assured. Have confidence in what we do. Innovative, we can apply ourselves to overcome obstacles.
Reputable. Don’t use black hat tactics or cut corners.
Passionate. Believe in the mission of the company and believe in the mission of our work.
Agile. Wear many hats and pitch in to help the whole team when needed.

The results, of course, come from practice. A system that ensures that people throughout the organization are keeping these values top of mind is key. Part of that system are tools that foster thoughtful communication. Morejon uses Slack internally for communications within and between the teams. Everything has a channel. Into Slack he has incorporated Bonusly. Through Bonusly each employee receives 20 points that they can give to each other for embodying the core values.

For example, there is a channel called Feedback through which a team member can comment that another team member did a great job with getting the news letter out, and then mark it with a hashtag that applies to a core value, such as #innovative or #agile. Everybody can see this channel throughout the company and across teams. They can see what each person and team is doing and see what values are being noted. At the end of the month managers can go in and see who is the top reputable individual, what core values they are being assigned, and then they reward that person with a monetary bonus.

This engagement with core values translates into employees' personal lives as much as it aids in professional development. Everyone likes to be recognized and acknowledged, and it feeds into their motivation. We as bosses can see what our employees are working for. Are they doing what they want to be doing? Are they happy with their work? Are they being effective communicators? Are they using the channels often? We can have insight into these things through tools like Bonusly and get ahead of issues before they become too big, or we can steer someone towards a position they’d rather be in, or support a larger personal goal.

Connecting Through Growth

When a company is growing rapidly, there are more needs to pay attention to and it can be hard to keep an employee involved through all growth. But this is where communication is key. The way to achieve this is by having more frequent check-ins for establishing baselines. Ask your employees questions about how their lives are going, and if there is anything new. Then try to focus on if there is anything they are worried about or if there are any rumors they’ve heard, and ask how things are with their relationships, such as family or co-workers. End the conversation by focusing on their career goals. Ask if they feel they are achieving their career goals, and then, set goals for your next interaction-- things to focus on. In this way you act as an advisor and support person. When you have an open ear to the personal lives as well as professional goals of your employees, you can become a partner in their growth, and growth feeds invention and creativity.

Creative Killed the AI Star

Robots are doing so much work these days and are becoming more creative because they can scale. Give them a movie and they can pull out every single snapshot of what that picture is or what's happening there but they're not the best at writing or getting into the nuances of a scene. They can describe color or size of a product, but not why we need it. They don’t understand the intuitive connection-- and that is what we need when we are launching a product.

We need human creatives who understand how to write about a product that it will make your life better. As we move to the future, robots will take over the more route or repetitive jobs, but people who are creative will take on the roles of leadership. It’s not spoken about enough-- but creativity is a leadership requirement.

Creative leaders are the ones who can conceive the solutions for tomorrow. This is where innovation truly comes into play, where you have the ability to solve problems with relevancy and novelty. Because of this, creativity is one of the most important skills in the that emerging leaders must have. Though it may be an innate skill for some, it can also be a learned and developed skill.

Your emerging leaders as well as your season executives can benefit tremendously from creative development. Workshops and tools that improve creative thinking are gaining popularity in recent years, and are showing fascinatingly positive results. One highly acclaimed tool is The Second City Works improvisation workshop. You can read about it in Kelly Leonard’s Book, Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from The Second City You can also watch Kelly Leonard’s Ted Talk, Learning Lesson Through Improv.

Finally, it’s encouraging to remember that creativity lives in different abilities within us. For some, it may be the way they design and connect systems, for some it may be visual art, while for others it may be the way they understand customer motivation and design incentivization. It really depends on the lens you look through. Overall, creativity keeps your teams inventive, agile, and able to think over obstacles, and that is something every business can use.

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#Creative leaders are the ones who can conceive the solutions for tomorrow. This is where innovation truly comes into play, where you have the ability to solve problems with relevancy and novelty. Because of this, creativity is one of the most important skills in the that emerging leaders must have. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

As we move to the #future, robots will take over the more route or repetitive jobs, but people who are creative will take on the roles of leadership. It’s not spoken about enough-- but creativity is a leadership requirement. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

#Write Write down your goals to have a vivid vision for everything-- especially for your business goals. Don't be a rudderless ship, make sure you plot your course. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

#Fail Failure is an educational experience that didn’t go your way. Take those experiences and learn from them. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

#Grow Go and grow your network early and always be growing your knowledge. Open your mind and constantly challenge yourself because people don't know how much you know until they know how much you care. Groth is a critical component in life. #levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

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There’s a key success factor that all startup professionals, leaders, and founders share: they begin their professional journeys fueled by passion and purpose. That passion gets us through the toughest phases of initializing our plans. But, eventually we hit speed bumps: time passes, energy depletes, outside forces pull in different directions, personal relationships require attention, we fall out of touch, and plans don’t go as planned.

As leaders we feel compound pressure to keep the gears turning not just for ourselves but for everyone who depends on us. For an inside view on how one founder overcomes some of these inevitable challenges, Bruce Holoubek, owner of Contracted Leadership, and Host of The Development Exponent Podcast talks with Luke Perkerwicz, co-founder of the facility management software company AkitaBox.

Feel the Passion

A meaningful profession is created when we feel passion and excitement for what we do. We spend an enormous amount of our lives either in an office or other type of work environment, so if we’re not excited about what we’re doing in that time, the situation becomes old quickly. This is especially relevant when it comes to starting a company or taking an entrepreneurial path, as we give so much more of ourselves in those situations.

Find the People

Secondly, we should be looking to work with people who we enjoy being around, and who help fuel our passion-- people with a shared purpose. The adage that, ‘the people you surround yourself with are the people you end up becoming’ plays out here. We become the average of the five people we spend time with. Aiming to surround ourselves with exceptional people can only elevate our game. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to know you may not be the smartest one in the room, but surrounding ourselves with intellectuals and mentors is a winning strategy. To quote Jim Rohn, “Success leaves clues.”

Integrate

Forget work-life balance. It’s really about making sure that our work lives and personal lives are aligned. Organizational leaders and founders feel this deeply, as the weight of their decisions affect not just them, but their investments, and the families of their employees and partners. The “work hard, play hard” mantra of the 80’s refers to balance, but we know that in reality life flows interconnectedly. For example, you cannot be a party animal outside of work and then be effective at work.

A lifestyle that includes practices like fueling your body with optimal nutrition, regularly exercising, and making space for inner reflection and attunement to emotions affects our performance in the workplace in everything from how our brains function to how we deal with stress. Similarly, we cannot be overconsumed with work and allow our relationships with partners, children or best friends to suffer. When we feel connected and supported at home we walk into the office on an already elevated plane.

Resource

Yet, regardless of how conscientiously we manage our ourselves, we are not immune to all circumstances. If the burnout train is heading our way, a good direction to look to is our network of supporters. They are the people who share our vision and passion. They are the ones who can provide invigoration. Sometimes a reminder of why we’re doing “this” is enough. Other times we may need a trusted partner to co-steer with us. For many executives and founders it is lonely at the top. But if we are able to lean on an advisor, mentor, or co-visionary colleague we can alleviate the burnout.

Likewise, when we are developing emerging leaders on our team, we should encourage them to develop good relationships with their managers and colleagues so that they can have someone to turn to when they are struggling. One common limiting belief of emerging leaders is that they simply don’t know enough. Having a good relationship with a seasoned leader can help an emerging leader feel like they have someone with substance on their court. That backing goes far in helping emerging leaders make braver choices that they would otherwise feel undeserving to make.

Separate to Connect

With all the energy that it takes to propel our careers, and all the mind space that is required to navigate our professional choices, it is imperative to reset. There is a lot of noise in the startup and leadership space-- between mentoring emerging leaders, furthering our own learning and development, and running our organizations, we sometimes become unfocused or depleted. Reconnecting with nature, with life, makes it easier to reconnect with our own purpose (that thing that got us excited and ignited in the first place). In those mindful moments when nature allows us to observe a small animal or a rustling leaf, we rebuild our strength from the inside, and can return the work world as stronger leaders.

###

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#levelupyourleadership #leadership #contractleaders

It can be uncomfortable to know you may not be the smartest one in the room, but surrounding ourselves with intellectuals and mentors is a winning strategy. To quote Jim Rohn, “Success leaves clues.”
Encourage developing leaders to establish good relationships with their managers and colleagues so that they can have someone to turn to when they are struggling.
Reconnecting with nature, with life, makes it easier to reconnect with our own purpose (that thing that got us excited and ignited in the first place).
We can’t be overconsumed with work and allow our relationships with partners, children or best friends to suffer. When we feel connected and supported at home we walk into the office on an already elevated plane.
We should be looking to work with people who we enjoy being around, and who help fuel our passion-- people with a shared purpose.
If the burnout train is heading our way, a good direction to look to is our network of supporters. They are the people who share our vision and passion.

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Our success as leaders is deeply connected to what kind of meanings we give to everyday
events in our lives. Two people can observe the same event but take away two completely
different experiences from it.

In our biologically-driven urge for finding purpose and creating meaning, we can choose to attune ourselves to taking leadership lessons from situations that may not on the surface seem
related. Yet, when we take a moment to be mindful and reflect, we find that valuable lessons are there, just waiting for us to find them-- like a carefully hidden Easter egg on a spring lawn.

It was the Easter holiday, and Bruce Holoubek, Founding President of Contracted Leadership, and his wife, Coreyne Woodman-Holoubek, Creator of the Progressive HR Blog, were laboriously, but with great love, placing little toys and candies inside a tremendous amount of pastel colored Easter eggs, and scattering them around the sprawling lawn. Although this repetitive work took several hours, they felt satisfied and happy as they observed how, within
minutes, a group of young children scattered in a competitive swirling frenzy to gather as many eggs as possible. Their two daughters, aged five and two, were in that group.

At one point, Bruce and Coreyne’s hearts swelled: they watched their five-year-old turn around to find her two-year-old sister struggling through the search with a much emptier basket. The
five-year-old dropped her own basket and ran to help her sister. She continued to help her for a fair amount of time before coming back for her own basket. After the children gathered every last egg, they came into the house and formed a circle on the floor. Inside that circle they emptied out all of their treasures-- all into one heap and began to divide the eggs equally among one another. For all of the race and competition they showed during the hunt, there
they were, working together as a close-knit team.

Watching the children that day, one could have thought about how generous and nice they were, but as someone who constantly finds himself thinking about how to better develop leaders, Bruce Holoubek thought about what we could learn from the entire experience. He came to the following:

When developing emerging leaders not only shout you set them up for success, but you should set them up to teach the same to others. Even if that means putting away more time into preparing than into the execution of the task.

“My wife and I put many more hours into setting up for a good hunt than the relative fraction of time it took to conduct the hunt. Measuring success by the amount of time put into preparing
can only be measured against the lesson learned and not so much against the action completed.”

Encourage your emerging leaders to understand that sacrificing their own agenda for the betterment of the team plays great internal and external rewards.

“When my five-year-old stopped looking for her own eggs and began collecting eggs for her sister, a special bond was furthered even more.”

Help your emerging leaders understand that when the situation becomes more challenging the resilience gained by remaining steadfast will far offset the unit return per unit of output.

“Even when the kids were exhausted, they continued to push on and find more eggs. The biggest gain was that they further learned resilience, something that will stay with them for the years to
come.”

There was a time for competition within and there's a time for unity on any team.

“In the yard the children were competing to find more eggs more quickly than their friends, but in the end, they unified and collectively shared the benefits of all their efforts.”

What everyday moments have you lived that gave you pause to reflect on a larger lesson? Please share your story! We’d love to hear it.

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As a leader, you have an incredible power to steer your organization and equip emerging leaders but did you know that one of the most important tools you have is telling the truth?

Your position affords you a unique power to build up or tear down. You’ve likely seen leaders throughout your career who have wielded their power in positive ways and negative ones.

Imagine what it would look like in your organization if truth-telling became the norm. A culture built on embracing the truth has the potential to become unstoppable.

Why telling the truth matters There are emerging leaders in your organization who are just waiting for the right moment to shine. As you likely know, those moments don’t materialize out of thin air; they have to be created.

Don’t underestimate the power you can have to shape the course of a young leader’s career by sitting them down and telling them the truth about their performance and behaviour. Lying or avoiding the truth only ends up hurting the young leader, the organization, and your credibility.

Remember, you set the tone from the top. If you want to see your workplace thrive, you’ve got to be willing to model a total commitment to telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.

A good leader creates pathways of opportunity Did you ever have a moment in your career when your supervisor took the time to invest in your professional development? As an organization grows larger, complexity often comes along for the ride.

In many businesses today, leaders are often siloed and isolated from other leaders in their organization. What sets a good leader apart from the rest is a willingness to reach across these divides to network on behalf of their subordinates.

If you have an emerging leader under you who has a significant amount of potential but wants to pursue their talents in another aspect of your organization, why not go to bat for them? When you take the time to create pathways of opportunity for your people, your effectiveness will only increase.

Seek common ground One of the best benefits of telling the truth in your organization is that it allows everyone to see what cards they are holding. When you go around wearing masks and striving to “Fake it until you make it” no one benefits.

Instead, try challenging your people to find common ground. Let’s break out of the old divisions between Millenials and Boomers or other factors that divide us and focus on what brings us together.

At the end of the day, most people want the same things. They want to be valued, respected, and fulfilled. Truth-telling is crucial to getting past the facade and getting everyone on the same page.

You don’t have to be an expert As a general rule, people are risk-averse. Sure there is the oddball that loves to stir things up and break out of the norm, but that is not how most people behave.

Due to this seemingly inherent risk-aversion, most people won’t take a chance and try something new; the old way is just fine. That type of thinking can cripple an organization!

Let’s reject that type of thinking and embrace a better mindset. The truth is, you don’t have to be completely proficient or an expert at something before you jump in. While that might sound like a simple statement, most people function that way!

If all this talk about building a culture of truth-telling is intimidating, don’t worry - you aren’t alone. Changing the culture of your organization won’t happen overnight, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Outline of This Episode * [1:08] I introduce my guest, AJ Sue and his five beliefs. * [3:30] AJ’s opens up about his purpose and fulfilment. * [4:50] What does a mutually meaningful work engagement look like according to AJ? * [6:30] A life-changing moment early in AJ’s career. * [11:50] AJ talks about what was it like as a “Testing guy.” * [17:30] You can’t be great until you do something that you love. * [23:00] Networking with leaders across the organization. * [27:20] The primary limiting belief that most people hold. * [30:45] You don’t have to be an expert to just try something new. * [32:40] Three takeaways you can walk away with today.

Connect with AJ Sue * AJ's website * AJ on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about the topic of mutually meaningful work engagements, and I want to introduce you to a concept I’ve coined, “The 100% Mutual Responsibility Rule.” Before I explain the rule to you, we’ve got to define some concepts, let’s start with the term, mutual responsibility.

Mutual responsibility defined. What comes to mind when you hear the term, “Mutual responsibility?” Most people think of an even split with 50% responsibility on one party and 50% of the responsibility on the other party for a total of 100%. I want you to set that view of mutual responsibility aside and pick up a new one.

Mutual responsibility is NOT a 50/50 split. It does not mean that each party is 50% responsible; rather, it means each party is 100% responsible. I like to refer to this as the, “100% Mutual Responsibility Rule.” Viewing mutual responsibility as a 50/50 split has the same effect as a limiting belief, it holds you back. If we commit to having 100% responsibility then we should feel 100% empowered to make it happen.

Why we need the 100% mutual responsibility rule. For some leaders, the 100% mutual responsibility rule is going to sound familiar. If you haven’t heard it phrased precisely as I have, you’ve likely heard some version of it. If this isn’t a revolutionary idea, why isn’t it utilized in more organizations?

Simply put, priorities shift, and goal posts get moved. It’s up to leaders like you to keep the 100% mutual responsibility rule front and center in your organization. If you sense a lack of ownership in your team, it might be a good time to revisit this important concept. I’m confident that you’ll find your people receptive to this concept. Please feel free to reach out to me with your feedback; I love to hear how these resources are landing with you!

Outline of This Episode * [1:05] I introduce today’s topic, mutual responsibility. * [2:20] What does mutual responsibility look like? * [3:50] Why we need the 100% mutual responsibility rule.

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Are you an effective leader? How do you know? One of the best ways to measure your effectiveness as a leader is to look at the health of your team. Sure you might be able to hit all the benchmarks and milestones but if your team is unhealthy, have you really succeeded as an effective leader? Imagine what it would be like if you had a clear and concise snapshot of what it would take to be an effective leader. Good news! On this episode, you’ll hear from special guest, Tom Dott. In his conversation with Bruce, Tom presents four helpful ways you can be an effective leader in your organization.

Rethink your approach to annual reviews. Let’s be honest; no one loves annual reviews, well maybe that one person in your office. But for the rest of us, supervisors and employees alike, we tend to dread them. If you want to grow as an effective leader, you’ve got to learn how to use this tool wisely.

Sure, you could throw up your hands and say its a necessary evil, or you could use the opportunity to correct, build up, and positively challenge your team members. Due to the awkward and uncomfortable nature of the annual review and to be honest, the lack of efficiency it yields, many businesses are moving away from the model. The goal isn’t to avoid direct feedback; it’s to make the feedback more timely and helpful.

Don’t write off Millennials, invest in them! It just takes a quick search on Google or in the headlines of Forbes or The Wallstreet Journal to discover that Millenials are the media’s favorite punching bag. As a leader, you have to choose whether you will heap on the criticism or if you’ll model a different way.

Many business leaders look down on the Millennials in their ranks or take advantage of them; you get to choose if you’ll take that approach or if you’ll invest in them. I suggest you choose the latter! If you decide to invest in the Millennials in your organization, you will discover talented men and women who are ready and willing to take the ball and run with it. Think of it this way, when you invest in Millennials, you are unlocking the potential that your competitors are likely leaving untapped.

Major in the minor things. An effective leader teaches their people to pay attention to even the smallest details because they know that the little things add up. An old proverb says, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” To say it another way, if you slip up with the small stuff, that eventually leads to slip-ups with the big stuff.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t allow room for mistakes, because you absolutely should, how else will people learn and grow? At the end of the day, you want your people to take as much care and diligence in the small details as they do for the big projects.

Lead by example. Too often leaders get a terrible reputation for asking their team members to do things they would never do themselves. This is the type of behaviour that often leads to resentment and bitterness; don’t let that attitude permeate your work culture! An excellent antidote to this common occurrence is to lead by example.

If you want your team members to have integrity and speak up when they see something unethical or wrong, they’ve got to see you do it. If you expect your people to arrive on time and ready to attack the workday, you’ve got to be willing to do the same. An effective leader is an individual who is willing to step out and ask people to work as hard as they do!

Outline of This Episode * [1:25] Bruce welcomes his guest, Tom Dott. * [3:30] Tom talks about his experience with personal development and retail banking. * [8:45] What is success? * [12:20] The difference between a “Manager” and a “Leader.” * [19:15] Tom talks about the annual review process. * [25:20] Why did Tom choose to work with First Business Bank? * [29:00] Don’t write off Millennials, invest in them! * [30:45] Pay attention to the little things. * [33:00] Three takeaways from Tom that you can use today.

Connect with Tom Dott * Tom on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Do you have individuals in your organization who produce great work but don’t possess what most people consider, “Leadership” qualities? What are they suppose to do, they can’t just change their professional strengths like putting on a new outfit, can they? Don’t write those folks off just yet! There are steps you can take to encourage and empower people in your ranks as they grow professionally. Have pen and paper ready; you’ll want to jot down some notes!

Your people need to know that you are rooting for them! One of the worst feelings in the world is to pour all of your heart and soul into your work only to find out that no one notices or cares. If your people don’t feel like they’ve got you in their corner rooting for them, it will show up in their performance. I’m not saying you need to become the in-house cheerleader, but there are little things you can do to show people that you want them to succeed.

Offer a word of encouragement.
Ask for their advice on an important decision.
Make sure your constructive feedback is accompanied by positive feedback.

These are just a few starting points. Your workplace is unique, but people are the same everywhere, they need positive reinforcement!

Recognize potential and draw it out. There is someone on your team right now who has untapped potential; it is your job as a leader to recognize that potential and draw it out of them. Consider putting a prospective leader in an uncomfortable situation to see how they react. You might be surprised to see how their professional strengths adapt and shine in a challenging environment. Playing it safe and maintaining the status quo won’t help your people grow. Take a chance and watch as people on your team rise to the occasion!

Encourage self-reflection and personal development. Think of how you grew and developed as a leader, what did that process entail? Like most leaders, self-reflection and personal development probably played a huge role in your growth as a leader. If you want to see people in your organization step up and realize their full potential, you’ve got to create opportunities for them to grow. You can start by sharing with your team how you developed and grew as a leader as well as the steps and strategies you are exercising to continue your growth. While that may sound like a really bold and vulnerable move, think of the credibility and trust you’ll earn, it’s worth the risk.

Don’t rule anyone out. Let’s face it; there is a certain template that comes to mind when you think of the ideal leader. Not only can your imagination stunted by that template, but the imagination of people on your team can also be limited! Just because someone is shy and task-oriented doesn’t mean they won’t make a competent leader. No one should be automatically ruled out or automatically ruled in as a leader based on an exterior analysis. Remember, professional strengths can be drawn out and developed over time, and it’s your responsibility as a leader to facilitate that growth!

Outline of This Episode * [1:15] I introduce my guest, Amy Jessen. * [3:15] What makes project management work meaningful to Amy? * [5:20] The difference between Amy 1.0 and Amy 2.0. * [10:30] How project management leadership is different than other leadership roles. * [16:00] Amy talks about a turning point in her personal development. * [22:45] The one soft skill that Amy is working on. What will Amy 3.0 look like? * [26:00] Three takeaways from Amy.

Resources & People Mentioned * Leadership Lessons From A 30 Year Manufacturing Veteran, with Barry Keller, Ep #7 * DISC Profile * Strengths Finder

Connect with Amy Jessen * Amy on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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If you want your organization to enjoy long-term success, you’ve got to be committed to enduring whatever challenges come your way. Remember that old fable about the tortoise and the hair? Too many business leaders are still trying to be the hair when the moral of the story is to emulate the tortoise! Elly Moody is here to help leaders like you learn the value of perseverance so your business can enjoy long-term success.

Elly is a forward-thinking leader in the digital, social and mobile landscape. She has provided her expertise to a diverse array of companies and brands – both large and small – on how to effectively create and execute fully integrated digital marketing strategies to drive business value. Over the last ten years in the digital space, Elly has created, executed, and managed social media communities for over 350 companies, athletes and brands. In her current role at McDonald’s, Elly creates and oversees the digital communication strategy for the Corporation, and is the lead content strategist for the McDonald’s Corporate Social Media channels.

Elly has a ton of helpful insights that will enable leaders like you to take your organization to the next level. You are going to need pen and paper for this one!

Learning to endure from an early age. Can you imagine how it would impact a child to face kidney cancer at the age of three? Talk about a heartwrenching and confusing experience! One of the most amazing things about children is their ability to adapt and adjust to difficult situations. While she didn’t know it then, enduring cancer treatment was just the start of Elly Moody’s life-long education in the power of perseverance. Elly would continue her education in the subject of perseverance as she fought for and earned a spot playing club soccer in addition to playing five different competitive sports.

As a leader, Elly is convinced that the early lessons she learned from her cancer treatment and her involvement in competitive sports showed her the value of staying in the game and enduring whatever challenges arise. It’s gut check time, how are you doing when it comes to staying in the game? Are you ALL IN or do you find your level of commitment waining? Don’t let the distractions and roadblocks that come your way rob you of long-term success. Commit to persevering!

Why you need to invest in your team. Sometimes you just want to show up to work, take care of your tasks, and then check out, right? Even if you love your job, you are going to have days that just feel like a GRIND, just don’t let it become a habit! When you let apathy sneak in and take over, it won’t be very long until cynicism and negativity creep in too. As a leader, you are not only responsible for your mindset; you are responsible for the mindset and culture of the team you’ve built around you.

If you want to ensure your organization will stand the test of time and enjoy long-term success, you’ve got to invest in the well-being of your team. Elly Moody found that when she took the time to get to know her team and care for them as people, the team thrived.

Choose to never give up! No one drifts toward success. Unfortunately, that is not how the world works! Individually and corporately, milestones and benchmarks need to be set if there is any hope for growth. On the personal front, you’ve got to determine that no matter what comes down the pike, you are in it for the long haul.

If you take up that mantle as a leader in your organization and you look for ways to celebrate and encourage perseverance, your people will follow suit. Don’t let complacency and apathy rule the day; take the steps necessary so your business can enjoy long-term success. Learn more about perseverance and other helpful insights from Elly by listening to this powerful episode!

Outline of This Episode * [1:10] I introduce my guest, Elly Moody. * [3:30] Elly talks about enduring kidney cancer as a child. * [8:15] How would others describe Elly’s leadership style? * [10:40] Elly reveals the lessons she learned playing competitive team sports. * [14:15] Leaders who have influenced Elly on her journey. * [17:15] Identifying leadership qualities in prospective new hires. * [19:30] Why you need to care for people on your team. * [21:15] Empowering women in the workplace. * [25:30] Choose to never give up! * [29:00] Three takeaways you can use today.

Connect with Elly Moody * Elly on Twitter * Elly on LinkedIn * Elly’s website

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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What would it take to create a culture of excellence in an organization? Do you need to be everyone’s best friend, a severe micro-manager, or something else entirely? On this episode, you’ll hear from business leader extraordinaire, Melissa Kwan.

Melissa Kwan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Spacio, a real estate tech company recently acquired by Home Spotter. Spacio was the first company to apply data analytics to open houses, giving brokerages and franchises real-time visibility into company-wide agent, office, and customer activity to make more effective sales, marketing, and training decisions. Currently, Melissa serves as the Vice President of Spacio at Home Spotter.

In our conversation, Melissa shares her experience as a woman and leader in the workplace, why discussing diversity in the workplace is a tough subject, how she created a unique culture of excellence at Spacio, what it takes to create a thriving team environment, and much more. Melissa has a ton of insights that I know leaders like you will find helpful, don’t miss our full discussion on this episode!

Encouraging women in leadership. Recently, I took my daughter on a daddy-daughter date where we stopped to watch a boys baseball team play at the park we were visiting. After a few minutes of watching them play my daughter turned to me and said, “Daddy, I wish I could play baseball.” At five years old, my daughter was convinced that only boys play baseball! I share this story to highlight the environment that most women grow up in and how certain assumptions and biases can limit their potential.

You can’t create a culture of excellence at your organization if you are limiting the access of half your talent pool! I want to learn more from women in leadership positions, and I am so thankful to learn from someone like Melissa Kwan. Tune into this episode as Melissa talks about her experience as an entrepreneur and woman in leadership.

How to create a culture of excellence. If you were tasked with creating a culture of excellence in your organization, where would you start? Would you draw up some impressive mission statements or core values? Would you try to create systems that encourage and reward people for top performance? According to Melissa Kwan, the best way to create a culture of excellence is to let your work speak for itself. She is convinced that putting in high-quality work from the top down sets a standard for excellence that can permeate an entire organization. To hear more about Melissa’s strategy for getting the most out of her team and developing a culture of excellence, make sure to listen to this episode!

Why honesty is the best policy. Do you remember hearing the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy” when you were a kid? What if more business leaders held to that old saying as a personal and professional ethic? Too often the headlines are full of news about a businessperson or politician who broke the public’s trust; we need to do things differently! One of the key factors to creating a culture of excellence in your organization is to keep honesty at the centre. Imagine an entire organization where people kept their word and operated with the utmost integrity, wouldn't you want to work there? For more details on creating a culture of honesty and excellence, make sure to listen to this episode!

Running a tight ship. How do you build a business from the ground up in such a way that catches the eye of investors and eventually a buy-out? For Melissa Kwan and her team at Spacio, the task wasn’t easy, but she had a good idea about what it would take to keep the business headed in the right direction. Instead of going after outside funds, Melissa remained hyper-diligent about every dollar spent, if they didn’t see an immediate ROI on an effort they wouldn’t sink precious funds in that direction. This results-based mindset that Melissa baked into the foundation of the organization not only showed that she knew how to run a tight ship, but it also made the business a viable purchase.

Outline of This Episode * [1:15] I introduce my guest, Melissa Kwan. * [2:30] I share a story about a date night I took my daughter on. * [4:00] Melissa talks about her experience as a woman in the workplace. * [7:00] Discussing diversity in the workplace. * [8:30] What makes the culture at Spacio so unique? * [10:40] Staying hyper-diligent on how funds get spent. * [12:45] How Melissa helped bridge the gap between sales and product development. * [15:10] Your team will only ever be as good as you are, not better. * [20:10] Why honesty is the best policy. * [21:30] Melissa talks about how her father influenced her. * [25:30] Who does Melissa turn to when things heat up at work? * [28:40] Takeaways from Melissa that you can use today.

Connect with Melissa Kwan * Melissa on LinkedIn * Melissa on Twitter

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Don’t you love those folks in your organization who ask, “How high?” when you say “Jump?” You know the type, we often refer to them as a “Yes Person.” Wouldn’t it be nice if your entire organization was filled with yes people? Not so fast! What if you are missing a key piece of leadership development by turning everyone into a yes person? On this episode, you’ll hear from my guest, Ryan Peña.

Ryan is an Innovation Lab Specialist for Be The Match; a non-profit organization focused on bone marrow registry and research. As a part of the Innovation Lab, Ryan works with a multi-disciplinary team created specifically to solve an existing problem or realize a new opportunity.

In our conversation, Ryan talks about the amazing work they do at Be The Match, what the process is like to become a bone marrow donor, how they develop leaders in the organization, why he volunteered to work with the Innovation Lab, challenges he faces as a leader, and much more. I hope that many of you are moved by life-saving efforts that Ryan and Be The Match work toward.

What is Be The Match? When most people hear about bone marrow donation they cringe, it sounds so scary and serious! Over the years, TV shows, movies, and other media have focused on the invasive and intimidating aspects of bone marrow donation. Did you know that the process has changed?

These days, to get on the national bone marrow registry, all you have to do is use a kit to swab the inside of your cheek and send it in, it’s that easy!

Be The Match, which is a government funded non-profit will then place your record in their registry until they find someone who matches and needs a bone marrow transplant. Then they’ll contact you, ask for your permission, and then you’ll start the donation process.

Even the donation process has become less scary as technology has advanced. Most donors won’t need to go in for an invasive operation. Eighty percent of the time, donors will simply need to donate through a blood plasma donation type of a process.

To learn more about Be The Match and their life-saving work, make sure to check out the link to their site located in the resources section at the end of this post.

Why experiments like the Innovation Lab are so valuable. When was the last time you asked your people to think outside of the box? Do you look for ways to inspire and empower people in your organization or do you just want a bunch of yes people?

At Be The Match, Ryan Peña was selected along with five of his peers to participate in an out of the box type of experiment called the Innovation Lab. Sequestered away from the rest of the organization, Ryan and his team were tasked with the objective of researching umbilical cord blood donation and how it can help with their blood marrow registry and research objectives.

This unique experiment took Ryan and his peers away from the hustle and bustle of their day to day responsibilities in the organization with the goal of tackling something they’ve never done before. What lessons can you learn from Be The Match’s experiment with their Innovation Lab?

Does your organization need more Yes People? Every organization has yes people in their ranks, but are yes people always the best people for the job? What if there was a way to encourage and empower your people to fall in line as yes people when necessary but to speak out and provide constructive feedback when it is appropriate?

Speaking as a former yes man, Ryan Peña encourages leaders to teach their people to speak up and question tasks and assignments in a positive way. He sees this aspect of leadership development as crucial for an organization to remain healthy and innovative.

While it may sound easier to have a room filled with yes people, the truth is, that approach stifles innovation, experimentation, and ultimately growth.

One way to break out of the norm and encourage your people to think critically is to tell them that the next time they are given a task, they have your permission and your endorsement to ask why. It may sound simple, but this small step will show your people that you want to hear from them, you want to get them on board and be part of what your organization is trying to accomplish.

Action steps you can take. What are you waiting for? Are you going to take action on the information you’ve received or will you just sit on it and let it collect dust on the shelf? Thankfully, Ryan Peña was kind enough to provide three takeaways that leaders like you can use to take action today.

Challenge yourself to take a step back from your current style of leadership.
Choose your words wisely; you never know how you’ll impact others.
Learn from your surroundings. Cultivate relationships with people in your team.

I’d love to hear which action step you took with the information that Ryan covered in our conversation. I know that some aspect of what Ryan shared will resonate with leaders who are committed to improve and help their people to do the same.

Outline of This Episode * [1:15] I introduce my guest, Ryan Peña. * [3:00] What is Be The Match? * [6:00] When did the technology become available to use swab kits instead of blood tests? What does the donation process look like? * [16:30] Ryan talks about developing leaders and helping them connect with the vision of the organization. * [20:00] How did Be The Match roll out their “Innovation Lab?” * [28:00] What are the two challenges that Ryan faces as a leader? * [34:45] Why is someone a “Yes person?” * [37:15] Three takeaways from Ryan that you can start acting on. * [40:50] Closing thoughts.

Connect with Ryan Peña * Be The Match * Ryan on LinkedIn * Ryan on Twitter

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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What is your plan for assessing and encouraging emerging leaders in your organization? Do you hope a good idea will fall in your lap or are you proactively looking for ways to sift through your people? What if there was a way to take a common occurrence like a weather event and use it help you gauge your workforce?

Thankfully, there are lessons to be learned all around us! Everything and I mean everything is content. From a walk in the park to a trip to the corner store, in every situation life is giving you an opportunity to learn. Will you have eyes to see and ears to hear or will you miss the moment like so many people do?

The three types of people in a weather-related event As an exercise, watch for these three types of people to appear during your next weather event. It might be hard to spot at first, but you’ll find each of your emerging leaders will fall into one of these three categories.

The excuse makers. These are the folks who use a weather event as an excuse to avoid something that they didn’t want to do in the first place. Or if they do it, it will be done haphazardly. These people tend to adopt a “Victim mentality” with most things.
The neutralist. These folks don’t make excuses. Not much phases them. They won’t use the event as an opportunity to avoid work.
The opportunists. This is not meant pejoratively. These folks take a weather event and they use it not only to stay positive but to pass on that positivity to others.

Looking through each response, you can already see which type some of the people in your organization fit into, can’t you? If you can’t, that might be a sign that you need a better grasp on how your people show up. To hear me expand on these three types of responses, make sure to listen to this episode!

Are you paying attention? What will you do with the resources you have at your fingertips? Each person in your organization has a certain level of output they plan to contribute. For some, that level is at a good place, for others, it needs improvement. Which category best represents your emerging leaders?

Do you have a bunch of opportunists? Do you have too many excuse makers? One of the worst things that can happen to an organization is for excuse making to become the norm! It’s up to you to pay attention to your team, asses them, and provide them with opportunities to improve. Learn more about paying attention to your emerging leaders by listening to this episode!

Outline of This Episode * [1:05] Everything is content! * [2:30] The three types of people in a weather-related event. * [5:30] Don’t let excuses get in your way!

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Have you ever considered the role of emotional intelligence at work? Most people think of emotional intelligence as something that stay-at-home parents and grade school teachers have to deal with, how does it apply to the workplace? Here to shed some light on this critical topic is Roger Wolkoff.

With decades of experience in project management, Roger Wolkoff decided to make a pivot in his career and started his work with public speaking. Roger helps leaders and high-performing teams communicate with clarity, conviction, and positive intent. His passion is to help leaders make connections.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Roger as he explains his term “Done farting around,” how he decided to leave his project management work behind, why emotional intelligence at work is so important, three takeaways you can use today, and much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this valuable episode featuring Roger’s expert perspective.

Are you done farting around? Have you ever had a thought or idea that got stuck in your mind? What did you do to solve it? Did you allow that idea to take up long-term residence in your head or did you give it an eviction notice? Roger Wolkoff has a phrase called, “Done farting around.” The heart of this idea is to help leaders like you get those ideas that knock around in your head out and in the open.

How do you expect to be effective personally or professionally if you can’t think clearly? Don’t let ideas (good or bad) clog up your system! Let your ideas sink or swim. You deserve to have a clear mind so you can succeed. To hear more about this helpful approach, listen to this episode with Roger Wolkoff.

The four basic components of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is more than growing as an emotional being; it involves understanding how you operate and how those around you operate. To elevate the role of emotional intelligence at work, we’ve got to understand the four basic components of emotional intelligence.

Self-awareness
Self-management
Awareness of others
Relationship management

If you had to choose one component of emotional intelligence to go deeper with, which one would you choose? When Roger presents these components, he sees the most “Ah-ha moments” from his audience when he talks about self-management. This is encouraging news because it highlights the fact that you aren’t locked into a certain level of emotional intelligence, you have the power to change.

What are you waiting for? Be part of the solution! Too often we tend to get lulled into the mindset that things will never change. We see this idea of apathy take root in all aspects of life, from sports (Another Patriots Super Bowl victory, really?), to the government (both local and national), and even in the workplace (yet another “Strategic meeting”). What is the solution? Is it all inevitable or do we have the power within us to make a difference? According to Roger Wolkoff’s findings, the answer is yes, we have the power to change and be the change we want to see in our surroundings. What are you waiting for? Who do you expect to get permission from? Give yourself the permission you need to get out there and make a difference.

Three ways to make a difference in your workplace. Let’s face it; there is nothing sexy or popular about serving others. When was the last time you saw a leader go out of their way to help someone else? Unfortunately, leadership in many contexts focuses on what leaders can get out of other people not how leaders can elevate and support their subordinates. If you’d like to start moving in a positive direction and make a difference in your workplace, consider these three action steps.

Appreciate others and show your gratitude.
Ask people, “What can I do for you?”
Intentionally elevate other people.

Which one will you choose to take action on? To hear more helpful insights like these from Roger Wolkoff, make sure to listen to this episode.

Outline of This Episode * [1:15] I introduce my guest, Roger Wolkoff. * [2:30] Are you done farting around? * [3:45] Why it is important to pay attention to the people you work with. * [5:50] From project management to a public speaking role. * [8:15] How emotional intelligence can help people change for the better. * [10:15] Where do people have “Ah-ha” moments with Roger’s teaching? * [13:30] How can you become part of the solution? * [18:30] Why Roger is such a huge fan of Clifton StrengthsFinder. * [21:30] Good leaders will help people find ways to succeed. * [23:30] Roger shares his top five strengths. * [25:00] Three takeaways from Roger.

Resources & People Mentioned * Clifton StrengthsFinder * DISC

Connect with Roger Wolkoff * Roger’s website * Roger on Facebook * Roger on Twitter * Roger on LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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This episode about mutually meaningful work engagements was spawned by a handful of listener questions that revealed to me that I need to lay some groundwork in order for listeners to understand where we are going with this podcast. My hope is that in this short recording I am able to bring greater clarity to the term “mutually meaningful work engagements” so that leaders and teams are able to create them together.

What are mutually meaningful work engagements? Mutually meaningful work engagements are environments where the individual develops and the organization grows at near equal paces - and where one is not accomplished at the expense of the other. That’s the “mutual” part and it’s vital that it happens that way. One of the surest ways to get there is to view development as an exponent - a super-multiplier of sorts that impacts the potential of BOTH the individual and the organization.

Leaders are the ones who can best make it happen, for two reasons. They are the carriers of the culture of the organization and they are the interface between the organization and the individual. That makes them the perfect ones to foster a cultural environment that makes growth possible.

Why is the topic of mutually meaningful work engagements so important? I hope it’s obvious, but in case it's not - give this some thought: Since we spend nearly ⅓ of our lives at work, doesn't it follow that we should want to have good work experiences? But even that falls short. We shouldn’t be settling for good. We should be expecting and creating more from our engagements at work.

In my view, we’ve all settled too much, for too long. Beer parties and fish tanks in the employee lounge don’t make for meaningful work engagements.

If we don’t do the work it takes to engage in mutually meaningful work engagements we are missing a tremendous opportunity to make life more synchronous. What I mean is this: we can create a culture where both our professional and personal pursuits can serve as catalysts for each other rather than being caustic to each other. We all have that power - the power to improve the communities we live and work in. And just as important, we all have the power to make something more for those who follow us.

And keep in mind, we are all capable of being even better tomorrow than we were yesterday. We should always be invigorated and motivated by that. A focus on development, both personal and professional enables us to maximize that potential throughout an organization.

What does a mutually meaningful work engagement look like? I’ll be the first to admit that mutually meaningful work engagements are going to look different for me than they do for you. In fact, every person will have their own version. But to get us started in the right direction, let’s define what mutually meaningful work engagements are NOT…

It is not crossing lines and barging into the personal lives of the people in your organization.
It also doesn’t mean that anyone is expected to make their personal life an open book to others.

So what DOES it look like?

The mutually meaningful work engagement is an environment where… 1. People are fostered and helped with achieving their personal as well as their professional goals and pursuits. And should a person in the organization not know what their personal goals and pursuit are, then they are helped to create them. 2. People are encouraged to know who they are, be that person, develop that person, and pass it on to those around them. 3. Mistakes, slip ups, fubars, and undesirable situations arising from a lack of knowledge are immediately turned into positive learning moments. 4. People never become collateral damage as a result of an organizational pursuit. 5. The organization constantly promotes an innovative thought process among all its people and experiments with their ideas. 6. The organization stops struggling with employee turnover. 7. The organization keeps and benefits from the knowledge of its people. 8. The organization fosters positive disruption and uses creative methods to ensure its organization-wide acceptance and use. 9. It is an environment that teaches others to teach.

This is just a partial list. As you listen to previous episodes of this podcast you will quickly be exposed to some of the elements of mutually meaningful work engagements. And as you continue to listen to more episodes in the future, you will be exposed to even more.

Do you have questions about leadership and organizational health? I love fielding questions from listeners. If you have questions about what was covered in this or any other episodes, please contact me on LinkedIn, other social media platforms, or through our website. I would love to hear from you.

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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What do you think of when you read this term: “Leadership transformation?” Does your mind immediately go to being the tip of the spear when it comes to instigating a powerful transformation in your organization? If so, stop for a minute. Understand that cannot happen unless you - the leader - first undergoes a transformation of your own.

Miri Rodriguez is a Microsoft Storyteller, a unique role that communicates the empathetic stories of real people who are going through real things within the Microsoft team. She has a unique insight into how transformation happens - in organizations and individuals.

In this episode, Miri shares her own journey of personal transformation as a leader. It illustrates how every leader needs to undergo a process of learning about themselves as a leader, growing to be someone they actually like, and loving others as an outflow. You’ll gain much from listening to Miri’s story.

Leaders are responsible to take control of how they show up in their organizations We all have an image of ourselves - the way we show up in the workplace, in our families, and in the world in general. But great leaders are not content to believe that they see themselves clearly or rightly. They examine what’s going on inside to ensure that what’s being expressed externally is not only authentic, but also helpful and empowering to others.

Miri opened up during our conversation to describe a season of her life when she realized that the leader who was showing up in her work engagements was not the person she wanted to be. The story of how she dug down deep is inspiring - and helpful to leaders who are eager to bring their inner and outer worlds into alignment. You’ll find many steps Miri took will be practical and relevant to your own personal leadership transformation journey.

Leadership transformation can begin by taking a look at your calendar and bank account As you consider whether the internal you and the external you are consistent, you need to discover the places where you lie to yourself (and we all do it). Miri describes one way she was able to begin that process in her own life - by using her calendar and her bank account to assess the reality of her actions.

For example, Miri believed herself to be a fit person who works out regularly. But looking at her calendar enabled her to see inconsistency when it came to exercise. It told the true story, one she couldn’t deny. Listen to hear how Miri’s use of these two tools enabled her to begin changing who she was as a person and consequently, as a leader.

It is the leader’s responsibility to understand those they lead.. by being human Much of our role as leaders is to connect with those we lead in a personal way. Of course, there are limits to what’s appropriate in that realm, but if we are not connected to those we lead on a human level, they won’t be inclined to believe that we understand them.

There are a handful of powerful ways we can do that and none of them are for the faint at heart.

Honesty. Transparency. Admission of mistakes. Telling stories of our failures and lessons learned.

Those are just examples, but powerful ones that Miri explains are door-openers, things that enable us to build mutually meaningful work engagements with those on our teams.

And here’s the main point: when we lead the way through being human with our team, our teams will return the favor. That’s how we begin to understand those we lead and work with them where they are - instead of demanding them to be in a place they are unable to reach - yet.

Empathy is becoming the driver of the powerful leaders of the future Generational differences are front and center in the workplace these days. We often hear comments about the new attitude and approach to life and work that Millennials possess. There are generalizations there that we can take with a grain of salt, but they all point to a reality we have to face: many of those we are responsible to lead do not respond to their leaders in the same ways their parents’ generation did.

It’s not our job as leaders to deliver a verdict on whether the changes are right or wrong. It’s our job to care about those we lead, to communicate appreciation and value to them so they know that we are not only interested in outcomes they can produce, but that we are also interested in them as human beings.

Miri shares how empathy is key in those interactions. She says it’s going to be THE driver of powerful leadership moving forward and that those who learn to express it well will be the leaders of the future. Don’t miss this conversation. Miri is a passionate practitioner of personal leadership transformation who has a lot to teach us.

Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Why Miri’s on this podcast and a tidal wave of renewed energy for me * [2:46] What is the role of “Storyteller” at Microsoft (Mary’s role)? * [3:51] The role development plays in creating mutually meaningful work engagements? * [11:01] How stories can help leaders communicate empathy alongside their strength * [16:51] It is a leader’s responsibility to understand their audience (those they lead) * [18:39] Miri’s personal transformation that led her to create a powerful curriculum * [27:18] How Mary uses storytelling to connect with those she leads * [31:01] Mary’s advice to leaders: stop lying to yourself and then be courageous

Resources & People Mentioned * Article: How To Replace Your Haters With Dessert * Brene Brown: TED Talk about Vulnerability * https://ContractedLeadership.com

Connect with Miri Rodriguez * Miri on LinkedIn * Mir on Twitter: @MiriRod

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Tweets Begin your personal #leadership transformation. Here are the first steps, shared by @MiriRod on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent, with Bruce Holoubek of @ContractedLeadership #leader

#Leaders are responsible to take control of how they show up in their organizations. Join @MiriRod on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent, with Bruce Holoubek of @ContractedLeadership #leader

#Leadership transformation can begin by taking a look at your calendar and bank account. Great advice from @MiriRod which she shared on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent, with Bruce Holoubek of @ContractedLeadership #leader

It is the #leader’s responsibility to understand those they #lead.. by being human. Learn from @MiriRod which she shared on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent, with Bruce Holoubek of @ContractedLeadership #leader

#Empathy is becoming the driver of the powerful #leaders of the future. Insights from @MiriRod which she shared on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent, with Bruce Holoubek of @ContractedLeadership #leadership

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Leadership disruption. If there is anyone I’ve come to respect when it comes to the topic, it’s my guest today. Coreyene Woodman-Holoubek is not only an amazingly accomplished and skilled Human Resources professional she’s also a leading voice on the topic of disruption. I’m honored to call her my wife.

On this episode, you’re going to learn what I’ve known for a long time - Coreyne is a smart lady who thinks way outside the box. Her insights into why positive disruption is with us to stay, what it can accomplish, and why it’s important for leaders to embrace it are inspirational. I invite you to listen.

What does it mean to be disruptive? Disruption is breaking with the status quo to solve real-world problems. It’s not just making something better, it’s evolving to make what WAS status quo, obsolete. Those who are disruptive are constantly reimagining experiences, constantly asking, “How can this evolve?”

Coreyne is a person who disrupts the view of the Human Resources profession. She wants to see HR evolve to exceed today’s, tomorrow’s, and the future’s needs and expectations. She wants to see that happen internally in the way HR professionals think about themselves and their role - and externally, in the minds of those who have a skewed perception of what the human resources function of their organization is about.

Events that promote disruption to entire communities Coreyne is the lead organizer of the Wisconsin Disrupt Madison and Disrupt Milwaukee events, part of over 150 DisruptHR events being held across the world. Disrupt Madison and Disrupt Milwaukee are fast-paced talk forums on the world of work and the future of work designed to energize, inform, and ignite executives, young professionals, business and community leaders, and HR professionals. They are events that shake things up, that make you think differently, that leave you inspired.

At a Disrupt event, you’ll have a rapid-fire experience. The night is divided into two halves, each addressing a series of topics curated for your learning experience. Speakers are allowed 5 minutes, 20 slides, rotating at 15 seconds each to present on a topic that is aligned with their personal passion, expertise, and/or unique disruptive perspective. It’s a hard-hitting experience that gives participants an opportunity to digest things quickly, gain insight and inspiration, and move on to the next golden nugget.

On this episode, you’ll get a feeling for how the Disrupt Madison and Disrupt Milwaukee events work, why they are popular learning models, and why they resonate with Coreyne so much. Please take the time to listen.

The reason leadership disruption is vital in our day Change is happening faster than ever before. When one technology becomes the norm, another close on its heels is ready to overtake it. That’s an extremely challenging environment in which to be a leader.

That's why leaders have to embrace continuous ambiguity and uncertainty that is common in our fast-changing world. They have to be willing to seek diverse inputs from a number of sources. Why?

One reason is that there’s a war for talent and a huge skills gap - mainly in the area of technology. When creating work teams, we must be open to what individuals bring to the table in terms of innate talent and perspectives.’ People’ are what set our company and our team apart.

If we don’t embrace disruption that allows us to build teams in that way, those searching for ways to use their talents and skills will take them to our competitors.

7 takeaways for those who want to implement leadership disruption Positive disruption happens when senior leaders help their emerging leaders leverage disruption to the advantage of the organizations they are in. Coreyne shares 7 things leaders should embrace to help their emerging leaders leverage the power of disruption...

Push boundaries - go beyond your comfort zone
See mistakes as learning opportunities and ways to correct wrong decisions or weak decisions
Have a vision even if the roadmap is undefined
Learn how to use data to make decisions
Look for inspiration outside your normal environment
Be curious
Be the best human you can be

As Coreyne emphasized so well in this episode, leaders have to be out front when it comes to disruption, because it’s here to stay. Embracing its benefits and leveraging its power in our organizations will keep us at the leading edge of our industries. Isn’t that where we want to be?

Outline of This Episode * [0:52] 17 years of global leadership and HR experience internationally * [2:09] Staring out with the question, “What am I going to do with my life?” * [4:06] What Coreyne means when she speaks about disruption in the HR profession * [6:42] The Disrupt movement in Madison, Milwaukee, and beyond * [9:52] The biggest misperception about the goal of disruption * [10:48] Why is it so important for leaders to understand positive disruption * [14:33] How can disruption add to mutually meaningful work engagements? * [18:13] Helping emerging leaders use disruption - 7 key pieces of advice * [24:38] What 2 to 3 things would you advise for someone to do to develop their ability to disrupt * [26:01] A defining moment in Coreyne’s life that set her on her current trajectory

Resources & People Mentioned * Disrupt Madison and Disrupt Milwaukee * The Milwaukee Business Times * DisruptHR.co * Andrew Spence * Disrupt Videos

Connect with Coreyne Woodman-Holoubek * LinkedIn * The Progressive HR Blog * Disrupt Milwaukee LinkedIn * Disrupt Madison LinkedIn

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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It’s amazing how words and phrases become popularized and used until they are almost useless. The phrase “thought leadership” is a great example. These days, people seem obsessed with building strategies around thought leadership. But they are doing so without a true understanding of what it is.

Thought leadership is not about having innovative or original ideas in your niche or industry. It’s about helping to lead other people’s thoughts.

This episode is a quick encapsulation of my thoughts on thought leadership strategy. I hope it helps you clarify what thought leadership is, how you should be pursuing it, and especially, how it informs the way you lead the emerging leaders around you.

What is thought leadership? As I mentioned earlier, thought leadership is sometimes defined as having original or innovative ideas within your niche or industry. Come on, can we really presume to think that any individual has an entirely original thought in their area of expertise? That’s a very high bar to set for any human being.

I tend to like definitions that are more practical. Here’s how I view thought leadership.

DEFINITION: A thought leader is any person who helps lead other people’s thoughts, and therefore, their actions.

The impetus of thought leadership is not creativity or innovation, it’s influence. Listen to this episode to understand what needs to go into any true thought leadership strategy.

Do you have a thought leadership strategy toward your emerging leaders? If you seek to guide up-and-coming leaders in the development of their leadership skills, you need to have a strategy for how you plan to do that. In my view, senior leaders need to do two primary things to exercise thought leadership toward those they are developing as leaders...

#1 - Identify the causes they are passionate about and for which they want to be champions (thought leaders).

Senior leaders have a responsibility to emerging leaders in this regard. We have to help them become the thought leaders they desire to be.

We also have a responsibility to support them in becoming the champions they dream of being.

#2 - We need to lead them to understand that every leader has the capacity to be a thought leader, and should be.

This is multi-faceted…

We need to teach emerging leaders how to become thought leaders without thwarting the ideas of those around them
We should teach and show them how to build others up through their leadership

Leadership is about being in tune with and leveraging the thoughts of others. That’s what senior leaders need to teach and that’s what they need to model.

A thought leader leads people in their thinking and therefore, in their actions.

Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Did you know there is a “brandished words” list? * [2:15] “Thought leader” made the list. Isn’t that interesting? * [3:09] What does it really mean to be a “thought leader?” Let’s be practical * [4:01] Mutually meaningful work engagements requires two things

Resources & People Mentioned * The Lake Superior State University Brandished Word List

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Every leader lives out their leadership philosophy, whether they know it or not. We'd all be much better off if we are intentional about it than being guilty of stumbling into it. I want to invite you to hear this conversation with a woman who is the epitome of intentionality when it comes to how she leads.

My guest on this episode is Donna Moreland. Donna is a highly accomplished leader who has a load of credentials I could list for you, but suffice it to say that I’ve been very impressed with her, not only because of her credentials but because of the person she is.

Donna brings integrity and a desire to serve to everything she does, in life and in business - and because those qualities are fundamental to who she is, it’s no surprise that they are also at the core of her leadership philosophy.

Join me for this conversation with Donna. She shares experiences from her own leadership journey as she's worked with youth and adults, explains why leaders need to learn how to deal with their teams with kindness and understanding, and describes how her upbringing shaped her into a leader of integrity and servanthood. You won’t want to miss what she shares.

Donna’s leadership philosophy is one every leader should emulate It would be a wonderful thing for humanity if every person in a position of leadership was actually worth following. Sadly, that’s not the case. But people like Donna give me hope that things can change.

Donna is a person who lives her entire life with integrity and a desire to be helpful to those she leads. Her example is encouraging and inspiring all at the same time - and in practical ways.

I met Donna through my participation as a member of our local Rotary Club. When I joined the organization, I was assigned to be part of a team tasked to roast Donna as the outgoing President. I started looking for dirt we could use in our jesting and had a very hard time finding any. The people associated with Donna think the world of her. It’s no wonder, the integrity she displays in life and leadership is unquestioned.

I hope aspiring and established leaders alike will listen to this episode carefully. Pay close attention. Discover the practical ways Donna implements integrity into the way that she leads. She is a sterling example and great inspiration for anyone seeking to develop their own philosophy of leadership.

Leaders are responsible to a greater degree, but never better than others One of the things about leadership that can be a bit problematic is that it places people into roles of authority - which implies lots of things that aren't at all true. Those tasked to be leaders can easily begin thinking more highly of themselves than others - like they are smarter, even better. Donna says that’s never the case.

Her leadership philosophy is based on the truth that leaders clearly carry a greater burden of responsibility than those they lead and may possess more skill or education as well. But none of that makes them better than the people they are leading.

Leaders who operate from a place of integrity work hard to keep that knowledge in the front of their minds as they interact with their teams. They know that everyone has value, even the most junior member of a team. Listen to learn from this incredible leader and to find an example of what it looks like to be a leader worth following.

Discovering the reason for mistakes is more important than fixing blame One of the tasks that falls to leaders is noticing and pointing out mistakes in processes and performance. But HOW we go about doing that reveals more about the quality of our leadership than we realize. Donna says there’s too much at stake to correct in a wrong way, a way that is hurtful or punitive instead of helpful.

An example Donna shares is one we can all relate to. When a team member makes a mistake - large or small - she tries to understand what has happened from the team member’s perspective before she focuses on blame or criticism.

Why did the mistake happen? Were they trained properly? Did a superior ask them to do it differently than they were instructed? Did they misunderstand? Did they understand but apply their knowledge incorrectly?

In Donna’s eyes, it’s not beneficial for the individual, the company, or her as a leader, to be punitive and corrective without helping the person be successful in spite of their mistakes. There's a practical example all of us can learn from and apply immediately.

Not everyone in the workplace should be a leader. Your job is to find them It only takes a glance around any work environment to realize that every person you see is not wired to be a leader. That’s fine. We humans operate best when we operate within our innate skills, gifts, and interests. That means some of us simply aren't leadership material.

Donna's basic advice to anyone seeking to refine their leadership philosophy or be a more impacting leader is simple: Meet people where they are. No leader will be handed a ready-made team member. It’s your job to develop them.

Understand you are no better, but also that you aren’t any less. Humility goes a long way in building trust and collaboration.

Always look for the truth. The truth will set you (and your team) free - and empower you to deal with the real issues you’re facing instead of the drama surrounding them.

Always, always be kind regardless of the message you have to convey. The people on your team will be able to receive anything you have to say if you are careful to treat them with dignity and respect as people.

Outline of This Episode * [1:09] My guest, Donna Moreland: An example of integrity and service * [3:05] Bringing the desire to serve into leadership and the development of others * [4:46] Donna’s hope: To help people who truly need and want the help * [9:07] How a desire to serve influences the way Donna develops others * [10:40] Discovering the problems is more important than blaming people * [13:13] How is leading people in a law office different or similar to other environments? * [17:16] Why Donna asks questions when others are afraid to ask them * [23:42] How Donna applies the 4-way test of the Rotary organization * [25:50] The role of leadership development with youth compared to adults * [28:40] How do cultural differences figure into leadership development? * [32:14] Takeaways for leaders from Donna’s experience

Resources & People Mentioned * Madison Wisconsin Rotary Club: https://rotarymadison.org/ * Perkins Coie, Madison Wisconsin: https://www.perkinscoie.com/en/

Connect with Donna Moreland Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Tweets Does your #leadership philosophy include this level of #integrity and service? Donna Moreland joins host Bruce Holoubek on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent. Listen now! #leaders #leader

Donna’s #leadership philosophy is one every #leader should emulate. Learn from Donna Moreland on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent. Listen now! #leaders

#Leaders are responsible to a greater degree, but never better than others. Donna Moreland explains on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent. Listen now! #leaders #leadership

Discovering the reason for mistakes is more important than fixing blame. A powerful #Leadership lesson from Donna Moreland on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent. Listen now! #leaders #leader

Not everyone in the workplace should be a #leader. Your job is to find them. Donna Moreland joins host Bruce Holoubek on this episode of #TheDevelopmentExponent. Listen now! #leaders #leadership

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Employee loyalty is a hot topic these days. A quick Google search I did for the term “workplace loyalty” resulted in over 300 million results. But when filtered by the terms “employee loyalty” and “leadership loyalty,” over 75% of the results showed that people are searching for solutions to the issue of employee loyalty to the organization. But is that the real place of concern?

I believe that each of us as leaders need to rethink our working definition of “employee loyalty.” And I use that phrase “working definition” very specifically.

Listen to hear how my experience as a leadership development contractor has changed my view of both employee loyalty and leadership loyalty - and to discover what you can do as a leader to create mutually meaningful work engagements.

Employee Loyalty: A New Definition My experience in leadership development, working alongside many teams has lead me to a definition of employee loyalty that is a bit different than what you might expect. Try this on for size:

EMPLOYEE LOYALTY: The amount of effort an employee puts in to achieve a particular organizational goal, initiative, or objective during the time they are pursuing such goal, initiative, or objective.

Notice a few things about my definition:

There is no mention of how long the employee is expected to be at the company

Nothing about the amount of time they are to put in while engaged in the initiative

Neither is there anything mentioned about the timing of their departure

And it definitely doesn’t include anything about how much crap they are expected to deal with during their time

My definition of employee loyalty focuses only on their dedication to their efforts toward achieving the organizational goals during the time frame in question.

Why is this important? Because it reflects both the realities of the modern working world and puts the onus of responsibility for their loyalty (as it were) where it belongs - on their leader. Keep listening/reading. I really want you to get this.

Leadership Loyalty: The missing part of the conversation With all the zeal to talk about employee loyalty out there, it’s not surprising that we don’t hear much about leadership loyalty. But I think it’s at the heart of the bigger issue. Here’s another definition:

LEADERSHIP LOYALTY: The amount of effort a leader puts into an employee to help them achieve their goals - both personal and professional - during the time they are associated with them.

It’s not uncommon to hear gurus talk about leaders investing in employees on both personal and professional levels. It’s part of good leadership that’s become fairly common knowledge. But that next part - the part about it being for the time the leader is ASSOCIATED with the employee, that’s where we can find great insight.

A leader is a leader, 24/7. Said another way, leadership is not confined to the time the employee is on the clock. Leaders are loyal to employees by encouraging, supporting, and equipping them both inside and outside of work hours. This is one of the key factors to producing mutually meaningful relationships that enable the levels of loyalty all of us want to experience. And it goes both ways.

4 ways leaders can improve employee loyalty At my company, Contracted Leadership, we have a laundry list of strategies and skills we regularly focus on to help leaders maximize the leadership skills that make an employee's experience under their leadership wonderful. But for the sake of time on this podcast, I only cover a handful...

Don’t inadvertently bait employees onto the team

No leader wants to promise things they can’t deliver on. But we often do so without knowing it. For example: don’t mention promotions without making it clear that it’s a possibility or a hope, and not a guarantee. You want honesty to govern every interaction, so employees know you want the best for them, and are working toward it within the limitations you have as the leader of the organization.

Establish and keep an open dialogue

Commit to transparency with your employees. They need to know what’s really going on related to their role in the organization. When they do, they’ll be more apt to share their own fears, struggles, and aspirations with you as their leader.

Establish a basic awareness

Don’t think of team members as cogs in the wheel, or even as your most valuable resource. Always think of them as people - and that as such they have their own unique personal and career goals. The more you can serve those goals, the greater their loyalty will be.

Approach every day as if it were decision day

Don’t wait until a crisis situation before you work to retain an employee in their role. See every day as that important day of decision, when that team member is deciding to stay with your organization or to move on. This kind of mindfulness communicates value every day and engenders trust in the day to day interactions you have.

Employee loyalty has definitely taken on a new face these past 10 years or so, and we rightly attribute it to cultural shifts that have taken place. But those shifts are not isolated to the way employees think about their roles and the organizations they serve. The shifts also relate to the things they expect to receive from those who lead them. Maybe it’s time for a closer look at leadership loyalty.

Outline of This Episode * [1:17] Are employees loyal? Is that the issue? * [2:22] Evaluating the working definition of “employee loyalty” * [6:44] Suggestions for how to embrace leadership loyalty

Resources & People Mentioned * Disrupt Madison

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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No matter how long you’ve been in leadership, it’s always refreshing to be offered leadership lessons from someone who is further down the road than you. This episode of The Development Exponent features Barry Keller, a manufacturing executive with over 30 years of leadership experience, 20 of that in the global bioscience industry.

Barry’s approach to leadership is straightforward. You might even say uncomfortably direct. And Barry would like that description because it reflects one of the primary leadership lessons he shares on this episode. Set aside the time to listen. Barry is one of those veteran leaders who has many gems of wisdom to pass on.

“I want to make people uncomfortable, in a good way” ~ Barry Keller Barry Keller believes that we humans can tend to get very comfortable. It’s even easier to remain in a comfortable place as we age. His contention is that staying in a comfortable place by choice is heading in the wrong direction. In his words, "We either learn or we die. " That's why he has made the personal choice to always be a learner.

When it comes to his leadership, he believes it’s part of his role to help others learn - which means pushing them to get outside that place of personal comfort as well. Barry is pretty direct about this with new employees. In the early conversations of a new team member’s onboarding, Barry explains to them what it’s like to work with him. He tells them straight up, “I’m going to make you uncomfortable.” But time has shown that his team members appreciate it because they see that he truly cares about them and their personal development.

If you are a leader, you owe it to your people to make them uncomfortable as well. Listen to learn the ways Barry applies this important leadership lesson.

Leaders set the stage for 3 different types of safety: Physical - Emotional - Intellectual If you are a leader, you need to understand that when people come to work for you, they need to feel safe in three different ways. First - they need physical safety. Everyone needs to know that they are going to go home at the end of the day intact and well. It's your responsibility to ensure that is the case.

But they also want to work in a place where there is emotional safety. That means they need to feel OK with the people they are required to work with, that nobody on their team is going to abuse them or disregard them. They also need to feel they are part of the team, valued, and able to contribute in ways that matter.

Finally, they need to have intellectual safety. Their skills and expertise need to be valued and utilized appropriately. They need to be given opportunities and greater challenges to keep them sharp and on a growth path. But it also means they need to know it is OK to take risks and to fail.

Barry has a shrewd way of applying these realities to his leadership, so be sure to listen to learn how he applies it.

Should leaders pursue personal relationships with those they lead? There’s often a belief that leaders should remain appropriately separate from the individuals they lead. But is that right? When I asked Barry if he feels it’s appropriate to build personal relationships with those he leads, his answer was characteristically wise. “It’s something you definitely have to earn. I would never try to barge into someone’s personal life but I want them to know that I care about them as a person. If we can develop personal relationships, all the better.”

Barry believes that the little things - acknowledging birthdays, giving recognition, letting them know that you want to know them - are ways you can demonstrate that you really do care about them. And that goes a long way to earning their trust. Listen to hear how Barry works to genuinely care for his employees and how doing so enables him to lead at a higher level.

Three powerful leadership lessons: Keep learning - everybody can contribute - remember that leadership is hard work Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Barry to share 2 or 3 things he believes emerging leaders should keep in mind as they develop their own leadership. First, he urges you to keep learning. Work at it all the time. Learn to be vulnerable, to take and apply the feedback of others. As you do, you will continue to grow as a person and as a leader.

Add to that a firm belief that everybody has been created with gifts and abilities and can contribute. No matter where a person is on the organizational chart, or what skills they possess, everyone has something to add to the mix that enables a greater outcome for the team. Leaders must be aware of this at all times, working to draw out the talents of every person.

Finally, remember that leaders have a great opportunity to be an example. That includes getting into the trenches with the people they lead. It’s one of the many ways people learn from your experience and insights. So don’t be afraid of the hard work. Just do it.

Outline of This Episode * [0:41] Barry Keller: A manufacturing executive with over 30 years of experience * [1:28] Why Barry’s goal is to make people feel uncomfortable, in a good way * [6:56] How can you know if you’re pushing people to be uncomfortable a bit too much? * [10:52] The 3 different levels of safety and why are they important * [15:20] How do cultural differences impact leadership development? * [17:36] Mutually meaningful work engagements are impacted by cultural differences * [19:24] How involved should leaders be in the personal lives of their followers? * [21:53] Advice for those who are not being led with a development focus * [26:34] The 3 things Barry has to share with emerging leaders

Resources & People Mentioned * The Community Warehouse: https://www.thecommunitywarehouse.org/ * The Gallup Employee Engagement Survey: https://www.gallup.com/services/190118/engaged-workplace.aspx

Connect with Barry Keller * Follow Barry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrykeller

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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If you do a quick Google search for “Work-Life Balance Strategies,” you’ll find suggestions from industry journals, universities, and even health organizations - not to mention your average entrepreneurial bloggers. It’s great that people want to resolve the tension they feel between their work life and the rest of life. But my friends, I respectfully submit to you that 99% of the people attempting to address the issue have it all wrong.

This episode may push some buttons for you, and I hope it does. Why? Because I suspect that the work-life balance strategies you’ve tried to implement in your life are not working. I want to help you understand why that’s the case and what you can do about it. It’s not an issue of finding a new approach or hack to help you achieve work-life balance, it’s an issue of how you think about it. Listen to hear what I’ve learned on this subject as I’ve worked alongside leaders and employees in organizations of all types.

The words we use to talk about work-life balance strategies is part of the problem Words matter. The language we use affects how we think about things. It’s not hard to see that language changes our very concept of everyday issues. In the case of work-life balance and the strategies we employ to address the tension we feel, any thoughtful individual can easily get the point.

Stick with me, this is important.

Let’s take a moment to examine the phrase, “Work-life balance.” In particular, let’s look at what the word “balance” implies.

When you think about balancing two things, your mind pictures the two things are on opposite ends of a balance scale with a fulcrum in the middle. If one goes up, the other MUST go down - and vice versa. OK, now imagine that those two things are your work and your life. Is it true that if one moves up (a potentially good thing) then the other must go down? I don’t believe that’s true. Keep reading - and listen to this short episode. You’re going to find that the words you use to speak and think about this issue of work-life balance will change not only how you look at the tension, but also cause you to abandon most of the balancing strategies you’ve been taught altogether.

It’s absurd to think you can leave life at the office door and leave work at work As much as we’d like to think it possible, none of us can be entirely compartmentalized in the way we live. For example, we can’t leave work at work, or drop our enthusiasm about a hobby the minute we stop working on it, or forget about an experience the moment it’s over. In fact, it’s not healthy to live in such a separated way. We should be striving for integration - or integrity, correct?

So why do we even use the term “work-life balance" at all? The phrase itself goes against our need to be whole, integrated individuals. In this episode, I walk you through a conversation I had years ago during a client engagement. I was working with an up and coming leader named Bob. He’s told me since, that the concepts I pointed out to him at that time are things he still uses today to live and work in an integrated way. I hope you listen to hear his story.

The work-life balance strategy that truly works isn’t a strategy at all The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “strategy” as “a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.” We develop and put strategies to work in our lives all the time. But in order for a strategy to be a good thing, we have to be aiming at the right overall aim in the first place.

As you might guess, I believe that striving for “work-life balance” is the wrong goal. Instead, we should be aiming at “work-life synchrony.” Imagine what would happen if you were to move work and life closer to the fulcrum of our imaginary balance bar, closer to each other. The task of “balancing” them would become less and less difficult. What would happen if they eventually got so close that they began to overlap? You’d need to change your language to describe it. You'd need to talk about the synchrony between the two, not balance.

I’m not suggesting that we need to entirely merge “life” and “work.” Not at all. What I am saying is that if we truly want to create mutually meaningful work engagements and if we really want development to be an exponential force, we leaders need to work at developing the people we lead and serve as whole people. We want them to have professional and personal lives that can have greater synchrony to each other, providing greater gains for all, in all ways.

SUMMARY: Instead of another work-life balance strategy, here’s what I propose: 1. Realize that it’s absurd to think that work and life can be compartmentalized 2. Change your language - “balance” isn’t helpful imagery 3. Instead, imagine work and life overlapping, creating synchrony, not competition 4. Recognize that we are whole people, in need of integration, not balance

Outline of This Episode * [0:58] Why I hope this episode bothers you a bit * [1:25] My experience interacting with Bob about work-life-balance * [3:25] Work and life can overlap, and therefore be in synch with each other * [5:20] The impact a new concept about work life balance can have on your life * [6:17] It’s absurd to think work and life can be entirely separate

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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There isn’t a person alive who would say that they aren't interested in doing meaningful work. But there are thousands who say that they don’t know what that looks like for them. My guest on this episode is COO of KL Engineering, Scott Cramer. Scott’s not only a successful business leader of a company that retains its team members long-term (a sign that the culture is healthy), he’s also the coach of a winning youth football team. Both of those say something about his effectiveness as a leader.

I encourage you to listen carefully to the depth of the responses Scott shares as I ask him about what it takes to create mutually meaningful work engagements, what leaders can do to empower their people to make their best contributions, and more. If you’re like me, you’ll wind up with a short list of powerful ideas that you’ll want to listen to again. Thankfully, it’s a podcast - so you can do that as much as you’d like.

The members of your team want to do meaningful work, not just work One of the major problems with the way the business world has been run over the past few decades is that employees have been viewed and treated like commodities. They are hired to produce, so leaders focus on the production - often at the expense of the people. Many of us have felt the sting of that kind of leadership. It’s my mission to change that.

Change starts with the realization that leadership is the stewardship of people, not resources. It’s our job to ensure that the things our team members do are meaningful. That doesn’t mean we are always able to offer them a custom-tailored position - we may not have a position that fits the bill. But it does mean we need to lead them in ways that highlight their value as individuals, in ways that affirm that the contributions they are making are meaningful to the team as a whole. Scott’s leadership at KL Engineering is that kind of leadership. In this conversation, he shares a number of stories of how it works out in the day to day work life of his team. Don’t miss it.

Your team needs to know there is a huge difference between being a failure and failing As you’ll hear in the first seconds of this podcast interview, Scott Cramer was inspired when he heard Denzel Washington’s commencement speech, given at The University of Pennsylvania in 2011. It wasn’t the motivational stories Denzel shared that made an impact on Scott, it was his humility in admitting that he was nervous about giving his speech. It was that admission that drove home the truth that failing is always a possibility - and that there’s a huge difference between failure and failing.

Scott believes it’s important for leaders to understand and to communicate to those on their teams that there is indeed a huge difference between being a failure and failing. Failing is OK, in fact, it’s mandatory if we are going to succeed. Team members need to hear it from you - their leader. That's part of what gives them the courage to take company-changing risks that matter. Listen to hear more of Scott’s advice about how you can lead your team to success, through failure.

Teaching others how to teach others is the test of leadership development Every leader who is worth following should be interested in developing the leaders within her organization. It’s part of the role, part of what it truly means to be a leader. But as leaders, we need to open our eyes to the fact that not everything involved in developing the leaders under our care depends on us. Real leaders understand that they need to teach those they lead how to teach and lead others. Scott Cramer highlights the importance of empowering the 10% who are eager to follow your leadership how they can help the 80% who are on the fence to get on board. It’s a concept we can all learn from, so I hope you’ll take the time to listen.

Asking better questions is often the key to more meaningful work relationships As I spoke with Scott Cramer during this podcast conversation I was struck by the nuance that goes into the kind of questions he asks those who serve on his team at KL Engineering. He’s a master at looking more deeply, at caring enough to take the time required to inquire how somebody came to their decision, or how they learned something. It’s in the responses he receives to those kinds of questions that he discovers what’s really going on in the lives of his team members. And it’s how he makes the work his team members are doing more meaningful, to them and for the company.

Outline of This Episode * [1:54] Getting to know Scott Cramer - COO of KL Engineering * [2:50] Scott’s definition of mutually meaningful work engagements * [5:05] What makes a working experience mutually meaningful? * [11:37] Working with team members who are not fully there * [14:14] Teaching the 10% how to bring the 80% up to the level needed * [21:13] Learning to ask not just what someone has learned, but how they learned it * [24:12] A story of when the light went on for someone Scott was working with * [27:40] Scott’s final advice to listeners - learn to ask deeper questions / share your passion

Resources & People Mentioned * Denzel Washington speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpW2sGlCtaE

Connect with Scott Cramer * Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-cramer-45828b4/ * KL Engineering - https://klengineering.com - the company where Scott serves

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Have you heard of the concept of “game based learning?” More importantly, have you considered how it might be used in leadership development? My guest on this episode of The Development Exponent is Jennifer Javornik, an outstanding leader in the team at Filament Games. Filament Games develops PC, mobile, VR, and AR games that enable organizations to amplify their training in ways that only games can. Be sure you take the time to listen. You’ll find yourself skeptical but also intrigued - and by the end, I trust you’ll see the value of game based learning for both kids and adults.

Game based learning appeals to the kid in all of us Most people who listen to this episode will have grown up playing some kind of game - be it baseball or Atari. So you’ll know how engaging a game can be. It’s that deeper level of attention and engagement that enables games to be utilized so effectively for learning. When video games first came on the scene there were many early attempts at game based learning that did an admirable job. How many of you remember “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?

But as you might imagine, the technology AND the research behind game based learning has come a long way since then. Listen to hear why games are so engaging, how they can be used for accelerated and deepen the learning experience, and how leadership development can benefit tremendously from the use of gaming technology.

OK, forget the word “game” - let’s call it an interactive experience Among the many things I was curious about in talking to Jennifer was the type of responses she gets from leaders who are first introduced to the concept of using games for leadership training and development. Does she experience push-back from business-types who think games are for kids? My instinct was right - she does receive push-back, but her approach is not to abandon the conversation. Instead, she reframes it. Learn how she pivots to the idea of providing learners “interactive experiences” when speaking to company leaders, and how they come to see and experience the benefits of game based learning for themselves, on this episode.

Game based learning is a powerful way to bypass limiting self-identity issues We all have our inner struggles, the personal hang-ups and insecurities that make us feel incapable in certain areas. One of the points Jennifer made in this intriguing conversation is that game based learning enables us to bypass those issues. Most games make the user the hero, enabling them to imagine what they might be capable of were there no limitations or mental barriers - and the results are amazing. Gaming can help users push past previous personal barriers in powerful ways and learn things about themselves they might never have learned otherwise. Sounds like a great tool for leadership development, doesn’t it?

Learning through games allows failure experiences that are vital to leadership development One of the things every leader MUST experience is failure. We learn the most valuable lessons about ourselves and about leadership through failure. But those responsible for developing new leaders in their organization don’t always feel comfortable putting their rising leaders into high stakes roles of responsibility where the cost of failure could be catastrophic. Jennifer points out that game based learning allows users to learn through failure in a safe environment where nothing tangible is lost. This kind of learning encourages boldness, creative thinking, appropriate risk-taking, and so much more. You’ll love hearing how the team at Filament Games is building software to help with leadership development, team training, and more. Don’t miss this conversation.

Outline of This Episode * [0:55] The reason Jennifer is on the podcast - her role at Filament Games * [2:48] How game based learning developed and has built over the last 10 years * [5:51] Is there push-back within organizations that decide to try game-based learning? * [8:23] Does game based learning allow those who struggle in other areas to shine? * [12:21] Learning through a game offers opportunities for failure crucial in leadership development * [15:50] Why Jennifer decided to work in this particular field * [20:23] How Jennifer’s experience in improv has impacted her role at Filament * [24:19] Approaching leadership development through Filament Games * [28:01] Learning to be aligned with ourselves and moving toward who you really are

Resources & People Mentioned * The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ * The MBTI Assessment: https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/take-the-mbti-instrument/ * The International Lady Laughs Festival: http://ladylaughscomedy.com/ * Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?: https://classicreload.com/where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego.html

Connect with Jennifer Javornik * Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-javornik/ * Jennifer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnnjavornik * http://FilamentGames.com

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Leadership growth is not something that happens automatically. In fact, it’s one of the many things we leaders have to be extremely intentional about - for our own health and for the sake of those we lead. But few of us recognize the value of pausing, taking breaks to refuel or recharge. But I want to assure you, periodic breaks are vital to every leader’s growth.

For this episode, I wanted to speak with someone who understands this need for a break and could communicate it clearly. I immediately thought of Rachael O’Meara. Rachael is a transformation leadership and executive coach as well as a vital member of the team at Google. Her book, “Pause” was named one of 2017's top business books and was featured in the New York Times and on WSJ.com.

If you’ll take the time to listen to our conversation, you’ll hear Rachael’s personal story of coming to the end of herself, hitting the pause button in her own life, and the journey that unfolded as she dug into her own health as a leader and discovered many principles and practices that have made all the difference.

Tired of putting your best foot forward and repeatedly missing the mark? All of us fail. It’s part of leadership and it’s part of life. But repeated failures in spite of valiant efforts are an indicator that something is wrong on a deeper level. Rachael O’Meara says there came a time in her life when her efforts as part of the team at Google were becoming an ongoing source of frustration. She put her best foot forward repeatedly but continued to miss the mark. That’s not just her assessment, it’s what her supervisor was saying to her week after week.

In this recording, Rachael explains why she took a 3-month unpaid leave from her role at Google to assess what was going on in her own soul - and how she discovered that the simple act of pausing opened her up to a level of leadership growth she didn’t know she was missing. The pause gave her time to reflect, time to learn, and time to apply her learning. You’ll hear some of the insights gained from that season of her life - and advice to those who may be considering a pause of their own, on this episode.

Don’t expect leadership growth in up and coming leaders if you are not growing Senior leaders are responsible for so much more than the direction of their organizations. They are responsible to see that junior leaders have opportunities for leadership and personal growth. Rachael O’Meara points out that leaders can’t expect those they are leading to grow if they are not growing themselves. In her words, “Things trickle down from you as a leader.” It’s up to you to set the example.

That means you can’t expect junior leaders to take wise and needed breaks for the sake of leadership growth if you continually push to your limits without taking a pause yourself. You’ve got to practice what you preach and set the pace for your organization. People will do what you do, not what you say. The insights Rachael shares on this episode are priceless, be sure you listen.

Try something different: That’s where the magic happens Many leaders feel that taking time for personal reflection and growth is too touchy-feely. They’ve done alright so far, why should they make a change in their personal habits now? Rachael encourages those who don’t really believe in pausing to allow time for personal growth to consider one thing… a growth mindset is characterized by openness and curiosity. If you’re going to shut down the idea of a pause simply because it’s unfamiliar, you could be shutting down the very thing you need to move to your next level.

Try something different. Rachael says it’s in the unfamiliar things that life-changing discoveries are made because they enable you to see things from a new perspective. Your growth as a leader and the leadership growth of those in your organization could depend on you stepping outside what is normal and trying a new approach. As a leader, don’t be the bottleneck in our organization, be the doorway to new opportunities.

Outline of This Episode * [1:52] What are “Google Talks?” - Rachael is one of the hosts * [3:32] The life issues that led Rachael to feel the need for her book, “Pause” * [7:39] Advice about taking a pause for leaders who are committed to growth * [10:29] Trying new things on is one of the best ways to assess your need for a pause * [13:09] Unsung qualities that are beneficial for growth * [20:03] 3 key takeaways from this conversation * [22:56] One thing leaders can to do promote pauses in their emerging leaders * [24:37] Know that you are able to create new things and adjust your state of being

Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Pause: http://a.co/d/bY0grER * The Talks at Google YouTube Channel * BOOK: Multipliers : http://a.co/d/4HseIiD * BOOK: Mindset: http://a.co/d/9bqux7L * BOOK: Emotional Intelligence: http://a.co/d/3jL2YKQ

Connect with Rachael O’Meara * Rachael’s Website: https://www.rachaelomeara.com/ * Rachael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romeara * Rachael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/@romeara1

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Leadership development is a massive topic, one which I realize has been addressed from a number of perspectives over the years. So why have I thrown my hat into the ring as an “expert” in areas of leadership? Simple: The approach I’ve taken to leadership development over the years simply works - and it's based on an understanding of 3 interconnected topics.

Those three topics are the basis for everything I’ll be speaking about on this podcast, so I’m using this inaugural episode to outline what they are, give a brief definition of each, and explain how I’m hoping to use this podcast as one aspect of a strategy to energize leadership and thereby enhance the lives of leaders, managers, and team members all across the globe. Welcome, I hope you listen, learn, and subscribe.

Development | potential | growth. A powerful combination Development cannot be viewed as a stand-alone activity. It’s really an exponent of potential that exists in both individuals and organizations. You can view it like a math formula, where P = potential, D = development, and G = growth. Like this…

PD = G What it means is really pretty simple: when the potential of an individual or an organization is raised through development, growth happens at an exponential level. Said another way… as we increase development, potential is converted into greater levels of growth. I encourage you to take a bit of time to think that through and you’ll begin to see why these three things are so important in themselves, and why together they make for a powerful combination.

Mutually meaningful work engagements (MMWEs) When a significant portion of our lives is spent doing work-related activities, it matters tremendously that we figure out how to make meaningful, fulfilling work happen. But in my view, this isn’t just a concern on an individual level. Work that is accomplished has to be meaningful for the organization as well. When both of those things happen, I call it “mutually meaningful work engagements.” Here’s my basic definition of MMWEs:

Engagements where the individuals develop and organizations grow at a near-equal rate, and where one never happens at the expense of the other.

In this podcast you're going to learn a lot about MMWEs, so stick around.

Leaders are the interface between individuals and the organization Those in positions of leadership could look at their roles in a variety of ways. Some have said leadership is influence. Others have said leaders are those who establish a vision and determine direction. But in my model, leaders play a fundamental role in the development and growth of both the individuals on their teams and their organizations.

I call the leader's role an "interface" between the individuals and the organization. They are the ones who have the responsibility to ensure that the organization is functioning as developmentally as possible and creating mutually meaningful working relationships. And that’s a 24/7 commitment. We’ll get into this concept and what it entails for leaders, on future episodes.

Leadership development best-practices for you, every week Why am I doing a podcast? I’ve been blessed with many successful years as a leadership contractor (we advise AND execute our advice on behalf of our clients), working with leaders in functional roles ranging from Director of HR to Chief of Operations and have done so in markets ranging from construction to pharmaceutical - all the while applying my ideas about development as an exponent. Doing so, my organization - Contracted Leadership - has facilitated the growth of net profits in client companies by 7X and gross profits by as much as 3X.

But this podcast is not about that - it’s one of the content avenues I'm using to be a part of creating 1 million meaningful work engagements by 2021. I want to expose people to a different type of thinking that enables them to create a development exponent in their organizations. Why? Because it’s a travesty to spend ⅓ of your life doing what we call "work" and not know how to leverage it to its fullest. Worse yet, it's a tragedy to define that ⅓ of your life as something other than life itself. We’ll talk about that issue of work-life-balance in future episodes.

Outline of This Episode * [0:36] 3 interconnected topics: exponential growth || mutually meaningful work engagements || the leader’s responsibility to create the first two * [1:16] What is the “development exponent?” * [2:41] What are mutually meaningful work engagements? * [3:18] Why leaders are responsible for the interface of those two * [4:02] Bruce’s experience and credentials as a leadership expert * [6:45] Why podcasting fits with the goals Bruce is aiming toward * [8:15] What to expect from this podcast moving forward

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Most leaders believe they are living and leading with positivity, but I wonder what those they are leading would say about them? Positive living is not about avoiding conflict or being an unrealistically optimistic person - it’s about taking control of your own thoughts and your own responses to the things that happen around you. Leaders need to be examples in this area because their positivity will wear off on those around them, enabling the entire team to rise to a new level of productivity and success.

My guest on this episode is Tina Hallis. Tina is the founder of her own company, The Positive Edge. Her goal - birthed out of her own experience - is to help improve the quality of people’s work lives and the quality of company cultures. She believes that a positive workplace produces happier, more resilient, and productive employees and more successful organizations. Join us for a fascinating conversation about positivity and the ability we all have to produce it in our own lives and leadership.

Positivity is a choice. Saying that is not naive, it’s the truth I know how naive it can sound for me to insist that positivity is a choice. It could come across as if I am speaking from an ivory tower, that I don’t acknowledge the horrific circumstances many people have to endure. But nothing could be further from the truth.

I went through a personal health crisis a few years back and during that time I found myself in a very dark place. It felt like things were crushing me and that I couldn’t do anything about it. That’s where I was wrong. I came in contact with Tina Hallis’ work and began to understand that I could be positive, even in my negative circumstances. That is when things began to change for me. Please, listen to this episode. What Tina has to share can turn your thinking in new directions and set you free.

Every moment, what we think and focus on is creating our reality You have likely heard the phrase, “Perception is reality.” The statement is not meant to imply that if a person perceives the sky to be yellow when it’s really blue, that the sky changes to blue. It means that the person who perceives the sky to be yellow will behave AS IF the sky is yellow - so for them, the sky IS for all practical purposes, yellow.

It’s a silly example, but one that points out that the things we think and believe shape our view of reality. What we focus on takes a preeminent place in our minds. That’s why the skill of positive thinking - and therefore positive living - is so vital to learn. Moment by moment our ability to think and live in a positive manner impacts our ability to shape a positive reality for us and for those we lead. This conversation reveals ways you can get started on the road toward a more positive way of living and leading. Don’t miss it.

2 quick tips you can apply to shift yourself toward positive living Imagine yourself leaving your office, getting into your car, and onto the highway. You’ve just wrapped up a stressful day and are eager to get home. The only thing between you and a restful evening at home is rush hour. In situations like that, positivity can become your best friend. Learning how to apply what Tina refers to as “quick tips” can help you maintain a positive attitude even when your circumstances are not very positive.

Tina wraps up this episode with two tips to help you in situations exactly like what I’ve described. Here they are… First - intentionally put on a fake smile, the kind that makes the muscles around your eyes crinkle to the point that wrinkles appear. Tina says studies have demonstrated that a smiling facial expression like this can release chemicals in the brain that promote positivity. Here’s the second quick tip - Take 3 to 5 slow, deep breaths. Doing so lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and helps you refocus.

These are simple but powerful examples of how you can take control of your biology and your thinking to set yourself up for a positive experience rather than a negative one.

Outline of This Episode * [2:01] It IS possible to become a more positive person and live a more positive life * [4:37] Proficiency in positivity is essential for leaders and emerging leaders * [7:29] Tina’s advice to those who desire to encourage a positive culture * [10:12] Answering the naysayers and dealing with those who are not positive * [14:40] How to spot negativity in an interview - and what you should do if you see it * [16:15] A story of when the light went on with one of Tina’s students * [22:20] Is venting appropriate when we really want to be positive people? * [27:40] Two quick tips you can apply to shift your thoughts toward positive living

Connect with Tina Hallis * Tina’s Website: The Positive Edge: http://ThePositiveEdge.net * Tina’s BOOK: Sharpen Your Positive Edge: http://a.co/d/1lLnEe3 * Follow Tina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinahallis/ * Tina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinahallis * Tina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetThePositiveEdge/

Connect With Bruce * www.ContractedLeadership.com * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter

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Bruce Holoubek