Skybound Leadership Podcast: Recent Episodes
Glenn Taylor
The Skybound Leadership Podcast helps folks harness sky-high leadership potential to create more dynamic, human workplaces. Episodes feature interviews with leaders, coaches, and academics.
I talk with Bree Groff, a leading voice in the future of work and author of the book “Today Was Fun,” which explores how we can incorporate more joy, energy, […]
I talk with executive coach and speaker Amale Ghalbouni from The Brick Coach about how to build experimental cultures in the workplace. We’ll dig into what experimental cultures actually are […]
I talk with David Saxe, Co-Founder of ELL agency, about creating emotional connection on teams. We’ll discuss why it’s important to cultivate authentic relationships between colleagues, and dive into David’s […]
I talk with marketing agency leader Stephen Brent May about asking for feedback. Stephen is co-founder at the agency One Foot Over, and we’ll discuss why it’s important to seek […]
I interview Ray Smith about building your personal brand through content creation. Ray is a Video Podcast Producer and Co-founder at Speakerbox Media, which helps leaders enhance their executive profiles […]
I welcome back guest Colin Cooper to talk about Gladiator movie leadership styles. Colin is a fellow pop culture and leadership nerd, and we’ll be continuing the “Leadership in the […]
I interview Ruth Reitmeier about why new managers fail and what strategies can make first-time managers more successful. Ruth is a fellow facilitator and certified coach, and serves as the […]
I talk with historian and author Dr. Rebecca Simon about the fascinating world of pirate leadership! We explore some of the surprising leadership practices of pirate captains, like democratic decision-making […]
I talk to Mickie DeVeau about addressing change fatigue. Mickie’s the Director of the Leadership Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and we’ll discuss some strategies for helping teams navigate […]
I talk to Leah Leaves about team goal setting. Leah is the owner and CEO of Alderaan Operations Solutions, which helps growing creative agencies by taking-on the daily management of agency […]
I welcome on Rodney Bass to discuss the topic of employee recognition. Rodney works for BI Worldwide, which helps companies design and deliver engagement programs for employees and customers. Rodney […]
In this episode, I welcome on Milly Lackey for a fun conversation about Harry Potter leadership styles. Milly is the Director of Training and Development at the engineering firm H2B, […]
In this episode, I interview Dori Albora, the VP of Client Services at the healthcare marketing agency Unlock Health, about empowering your team as a leader. We’ll discuss what it […]
In this episode, I interview marketing leader Corryn Williams about the topic of leading a remote team. We’ll discuss some of the challenges of managing remote workers, the adjustments leaders […]
In this episode, I interview guest Stephen Davis about a 5-step decision making process he developed as part of his master’s thesis in arts leadership. Stephen is the Assistant General […]
In this episode, I interview Anamaria Dorgo about how to build community within your organization. Anamaria is the Head of Community at the video conferencing company Butter, while also consulting […]
In this episode, I talk with Karina Amanullah about bringing company culture alive. She’s the Head of People and Culture at Tekmetric, and we’ll discuss how organizations can clarify core […]
In this episode, I talk with marketing leader and author Henry Adaso about the topic of authentic thought leadership. We discuss what it means to be a thought leader and […]
In this episode, I welcome back guest Colin Cooper (who I had on episode 59 about leading creative teams) – and this time we discuss decision making lessons in video […]
In this episode, I talk with former Apple executive Hilary Percy about what the tenets of improv comedy can teach us about fostering better teamwork. Hilary has a background in […]
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Stan Ward about strategies leaders can use for managing stress and conflict, both within their own lives and in their organizations. Stan has his Ph.D. in leadership studies, is a certified coach, and runs Influence Coaching, where he specializes in helping leaders and teams maintain high performance. We’ll talk about some mindsets and skills that’ll help leaders prevent burnout and navigate tension in workplace relationships.
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In this episode, I interview Jakob Knutzen about how to make virtual meetings fun. Jakob is the Co-Founder and CEO of Butter, a virtual conferencing platform that integrates collaboration tools while bringing playfulness and creativity to the virtual meeting experience. We’ll talk about why play is an important part of connecting and learning, and we’ll hear about some of the features that show up in Butter to make virtual meetings fun.
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In this episode, I interview arts leader Matthew VanBesien about leading through change. Matthew is the President of the University Musical Society (UMS) at the University of Michigan, and former Executive Director of several major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic. We’ll discuss how he’s adjusted leadership approaches in light of all the change happening around us and within the arts sector specifically.
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In this episode, I welcome on fellow leadership coach Ruth Calabrese to discuss negotiation skills for leaders. We’ll talk about when and why you might need to have a negotiation-type discussion at work and what skills you can use to negotiate effectively.
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In this episode, I interview Colin Cooper about how to lead a creative team. Colin heads a group of creative media professionals within Ochsner Health System. We’ll discuss some of the unique aspects of managing creative-type employees and explore recommended leadership approaches.
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In this episode, I’ll interview Danny Gavin about leading a digital marketing agency. Danny is the Chief Strategist and founder of Optidge, an internet marketing company, and the chief instructor and founder of Odeo Academy, which offers digital marketing courses online. Danny also hosts the Digital Marketing Mentor Podcast.
I’ll ask Danny about some of the leadership challenges and successes that have come along with founding and growing a marketing agency.
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In this episode, we dive into another installment of our “leadership in the movies” series with a look at leadership lessons from some ’80s classics, including Karate Kid, Field of Dreams, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. For this, I’m joined by speaker and author Chris Clews, who’s written multiple books on this topic, including “What 80s Pop Culture Teaches Us About Today’s Workplace.”
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In this episode, I’ll talk with Hami Arrington, co-founder of the marketing agency One Foot Over, about what it means to lead without ego. We’ll explore why it’s important to leave ego at the door, and we’ll discuss the qualities of someone who embodies this type of leadership.
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In this episode, I talk with communication coach Ellyn Wulfe from efactor consulting about how to improve your professional presence. We’ll discuss why presence matters for leaders, what qualities and skills are associated with a strong presence, and look at how you can start refining the way you show up for conversations and meetings at work.
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In this episode, we’ll continue our “leadership in the movies” series with a discussion of the Marvel film Black Panther. To listen to the previous episode in this series, go here to check out episode 49 about Guardians of the Galaxy.
Joining me for this episode about Black Panther will be fellow leadership coach Tim Harrison who had come on the show previously in episode 45 to talk about influence through creative expression. He’s an entrepreneur, spoken word artist, and nonprofit founder. Together we’ll discuss what the Black Panther movie can teach us about leading.
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I welcome back humor engineer, author, and consultant Drew Tarvin from Humor that Works. In this episode, we'll explore what stand-up comedy can teach leaders. We discuss some of the skills and mindsets that stand-up comedians use that might also be helpful for leaders in the workplace.
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In this episode, I interview Mosheh Poltorak about leadership challenges at startups. Mosheh runs a marketing consultancy that specializes in working with startup companies, and we’ll discuss some of the common leadership challenges and mistakes that crop up in the startup environment and what leaders can do about them.
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In this episode, I interview organizational consultant and jazz bassist Gerald Leonard about a concept he’s coined called “workplace jazz.” We’ll explore what workplace teams can learn from jazz ensembles about how to best communicate, collaborate, improvise, and innovate.
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In this episode, I interview Allie Danziger about how to lead Gen Z employees. Allie is the CEO and co-founder of Ampersand, a career readiness platform, and she’s an expert on Gen Z professionals now entering the workforce. We’ll discuss some of the values and perspectives held by the Gen Z cohort and how that shapes their views about work. And Allie will give us some tips for effectively leading these young professionals.
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This episode kicks-off a new series of discussions that’ll appear periodically in the mix of this podcast called “leadership in the movies,” focused on highlighting leadership lessons present within popular films. Today, I’ll be joined by fellow coach and pop culture fan Michael Conteh to explore one of our favorite superhero films, “Guardians of the Galaxy 1,” to see what it tells us about leading and collaborating within a team.
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I interview orchestral conductor Robert Franz to discover what he’s learned about how to effectively lead and influence others while on the conductor’s podium guiding large ensembles of talented musicians and engaging with thousands of audience members. Robert is the Music Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Boise Baroque Orchestra, and has served as Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, in addition to guest conducting at multiple orchestras across the US, Canada, and beyond.
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I talk with Jason Jesko, President of the company The Urban Foresters, about how he created a tabletop game for his leadership team as a way to gamify annual business planning. We’ll explore how various elements from Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop games can be used as creative tools for employee engagement, team communication, and goal setting.
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I interview Daniel Williamson, Managing Director of the Education Nonprofit Startup, OpenStax. Daniel will share some strategies they've been experimenting with to strengthen team culture and boost connection in the new normal of virtual work.
I talk with spoken word artist, entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and leadership coach Tim Harrison. We’ll be discussing how leaders can increase their influence through creative expression. Tim will share how his move to share more of his authentic creative voice – through writing and performing rap and spoken word poetry – led to an increase in support and momentum around his nonprofit EPOG Academy.
I interview musician and marketer Joel Luks about how to lead like an artist. Joel has a background as an orchestral musician, an arts & culture media reporter, and now as a marketing/communications consultant at the CKP Group. We’ll be talking about what leaders can learn from the artistic process, and how the things that make for good artists and creatives also translate to impactful leadership.
I welcome on fellow leadership coach and video game nerd Sean Bittner for a conversation about leadership lessons from video games. We’ll explore how some of the core characteristics that make video games so popular tell us something about human motivations and how to lead and inspire others.
I interview Dr. Andrea Hetrick, an Assistant Professor of Organizational Studies at the University of New Mexico, about the costs of fostering a bottom line culture. We discuss what Andrea has discovered in her research about the qualities and downsides of a bottom line focused work environment, and how leaders can create a more positive culture.
What is optimism?
Optimism is about seeing the possibility of a positive outcome in a situation and acting according to that possibility.
It’s a mindset – a lens that you can choose to look through, which then impacts how you see yourself, other people, and situations. Mindsets ultimately affect what we do, what we communicate, and how we lead.
Contrary to what you might think, optimism is something you can learn to cultivate. Even if you don’t consider yourself an optimistic person, you can intentionally practice taking on a more optimistic perspective.
For tips on how to practice mindset management, check out this video about taming your inner critic.
Why is leading with optimism important?
Being a leader often involves helping people move through change and challenge to arrive at a better future. To do this, leaders must motivate others to act amidst the discomfort or uncertainty of change — to be courageous, to take risks for the sake of achieving a goal or realizing a vision.
What motivates people to move into challenging situations? It has a lot to do with whether the outcome on the other side of the challenge feels both exciting and doable. How do you stir excitement and belief around a future vision? One way is with optimism.
Think about your own experience on teams – if a leader talks about goals with a sense of doubt or pessimism, do you feel motivated to work towards those goals and give it your all?
The benefits of leading with optimism:
Some of the benefits of optimistic leadership include…
- Increased motivation, within self and others
- More innovation and new ideas
- Increased collaboration
- A positive work culture
- Lifted moods
- Work that feels more exciting and fun
Can you be too optimistic? Balancing optimism with realism.
Like many leadership qualities, optimism is most effective when used in a balanced way. If you take it to the extreme – what we might call blind optimism – you’ll have a negative impact rather than a positive one.
Blind optimism is when you profess “we can do it” without acknowledging the challenges or risks involved. Your belief in the team can become so extreme that you either push them too hard (with unattainable goals) or don’t push them hard enough (by taking a hands-off approach).
This ineffective type of optimism causes you to seem out of touch with reality and the felt experience of your team. You’ll lose the trust and belief of others, and that’ll hurt the motivation anyone had to work towards the goals.
Instead, optimism is best expressed when attached to a healthy sense of realism and a good dose of empathy. It’s a tricky balance, but it can be achieved.
How to lead with optimism — the qualities optimistic leaders.
Optimistic leaders…
- Envision a better future
- Help others see the vision
- Motivate others to act, without anxiety or fear
- Empathize about struggles while still inspiring belief in the future
- Be flexible to pivot as change happens
- Brainstorm and problem-solve with the team
- Make others feel appreciated
- Bring out the best in others in the face of challenges
What does leading with optimism sound like?
Effective optimism might be expressed to your team in the following ways:
- “We’ve got a challenge ahead of us, but I know this team can rise to it.”
- “These goals are big, but this team has the talent to make it happen.”
- “I can see us hitting the goal. It’s gonna take all of us rowing hard and in the same direction, but we can do it.”
- “This is a challenge for sure. Let’s explore how we might solve it. What do you think is possible?”
- “This will be tough. It’s also an opportunity to learn and grow in some exciting ways.”
- “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but the outcome will be worth it.”
- “I think we can do this if we all support each other. How can I help?”
- “I know we’re gonna get there, due to your energy and efforts. Thank you!”
The post Leading with Optimism: The What, Why, and How appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I speak with conflict coach Pattie Porter, President of Conflict Connections, about what leaders can do to facilitate conflict resolution when there’s tension between employees. We’ll explore the types of conflict that can arise in the workplace, and look at some essentials skills, structures, and strategies for facilitating effective conflict resolution discussions.
I speak with guest Stephanie Pertuit, a leader in online marketing and customer experience at The Home Depot, about adapting your leadership style. We’ll discuss why and how someone might shift their leadership approach based on managing different types of employees.
Being truly present with others (whether physically or virtually) is one of the most powerful ways to have an impact as a leader. Our presence can even speak louder than our words.
Can you call to mind the last time someone was really present with you? Sadly, some of us might not be able to think of a recent example, as it’s becoming a rarer occurrence. These days, there are so many things that pull us out of the present-moment, like smartphones, social media, non-stop news, anxiety, and the chatter inside our own heads. Plus, the responsibility and pressure of a leadership role can add to the challenge.
What does look like to be fully present with someone?
- Keeping our attention on the now: not the past or future, or stuck in our inner thoughts
- Being at ease: not stressed or emotionally triggered
- Focusing fully on the person or people in front of us
- Being genuinely curious
- Listening actively on multiple levels
- Responding authentically in real time
- Remaining open to whatever will emerge in the moment
- Being confident that you have what you need to handle whatever emerges
When we experience someone being really present with us, what’s the impact? We feel truly seen, heard, and appreciated. We form stronger rapport and trust with that person. We are more interested in collaborating with them.
As leaders who want to positively impact and influence others, cultivating this type of presence is a superpower we can’t ignore. And it’s a skill that can be learned, although it does take ongoing practice.
What can you do to stay more present in the moment with your team? Tips for staying more present with others:
Change your body language: To some degree, your posture tells your brain whether to be focused. If your posture signals that you’re tired, distracted, or disinterested, why would your brain not follow suit? Make sure your entire body is facing someone. Be “at attention,” with both feet grounded, body upright, and shoulders back, even on video conference.
Make more eye contact: It’s hard to let your attention wander when you’re making eye contact. And it sends a strong message to the other person that you’re present and listening. If you shy away from eye contact, or it feels uncomfortable, try increasing it by small amounts at first until it becomes more natural.
Learn to catch your inner monologue: Most of us experience a very active array of inner thoughts that bounce quickly from one thing to the next. Some refer to this as “monkey mind” since our thoughts swing from one “branch” to another at a fast pace. But you can learn to catch the moments when you’ve focused internally on this monologue and redirect your attention outwardly to the present moment and the person in front of you.
Breathe more slowly: Regulating your breathing is one of the simplest and most reliable tools for shifting your state of being. With just a few minutes of slow and measured breathing, you can calm your body and mind to become more present. If this type of technique is good enough for elite Navy Seals to use, then it’s good enough for us civilian leaders, right?
Listen as if you have to repeat back: Listening intently is a great way to get more present. If you find it hard to listen actively, turn it into a game by imagining you’ll have to repeat back what the other person is saying. Would you be able to accurately state what they just said?
Resist the need to analyze or solve: Many of us listen to others with a default lens of “I can diagnose what’s really going on in their situation and offer some brilliant suggestions for how to fix it.” This prevents us from being truly present because we’re half listening and half analyzing. It might feel counterintuitive, but if we let go of needing to fix someone’s situation, we can actually serve them better.
Ask curious questions: If you tend to get pulled into your own thoughts and away from the present-moment, try asking more questions. Focus on tapping into a genuine curiosity about people you’re with. This will draw your attention back to listening, and it will fuel powerful questions.
Don’t take notes: If you want to be fully present during a particular conversation, I’d recommend not taking notes. Most of us do so because we want to “listen better” by capturing important information, but it can actually divide your attention and become an impediment to greater connection. Instead, you can make notes at the end of the interaction if needed.
Start a habit of centering yourself daily: The most present leaders have likely cultivated an ongoing habit of centering themselves, whether through mindfulness practices, breathing, reflection, or prayer. This can start as simple as a few minutes of silence and measured breathing each morning. This type of exercise builds up our “muscles” for slowing down our thoughts and becoming more present.
Keep a “brain-dump” journal: For leaders who often have lots of new thoughts and ideas, it can be helpful to “dump” them onto the pages of a journal. This enables these leaders to clear the thoughts from their mind and get more present, knowing the ideas aren’t lost and that they can return to them later.
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The post Lead by Staying in the Present Moment with Your Team appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I interview two PhD researchers and experts on workplace wellness, Patricia Grabarek and Katina Sawyer, the cofounders of the firm Workr Beeing. We’ll discuss what wellness in the workplace means, the main characteristics of an organization that prioritizes it, and what leaders can do to foster it.
I interview fellow leadership coach Stephanie Judd, cofounder of the firm Wolf & Heron, about how to lead through storytelling. We’ll look at why telling stories is important for leaders, what keeps us from storytelling more, and break down some of the skills of influential storytelling.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Super Powers of Influential Storytelling Wolf & Heron Story Hours
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I interview Alex Poe and Gabriela Constantinescu, cofounders of the company Playlearn, about gamifying business -- what it means to gamify how we learn and collaborate in the business setting, its benefits, and some examples of what this can look like.
For many people, going to work is an experience they dread. Unfortunately, lots of organizations focus more on routines and standardization than on creating a dynamic culture of engagement and experimentation. While processes and standards are certainly important, today’s companies won’t survive if they don’t figure out how to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace.
Employees who are encouraged to explore, experiment, and even have fun at work will not only be happier and more engaged, but they’ll come up with better solutions and competition-busting ideas. This ultimately leads to a more profitable bottom line.
The question is: how can leaders foster more creativity and innovation in the workplace? The strategies can be as comprehensive as reshaping core cultural norms, but all it takes is a simple first step to get started.
Employees who are encouraged to explore, experiment, and even have fun at work will be happier and will generate better ideas.
So What Might More Creativity and Innovation at Work Look Like? Before you can create a more dynamic work environment, it’s helpful to clarify what this might look like on a practical day-to-day level.
So if you showed up at a creative and innovative company, what would you notice?
- Employees participating in ideation sessions to openly exchange ideas and problem-solve with colleagues
- Cross-functional teams interacting and collaborating regularly
- Teams engaging in testing and experimentation of various approaches
- Leaders using creative exercises or games to stimulate ideas and build cohesion
- Meetings where employees are actively sharing thoughts and opinions
- A casual atmosphere where people can be themselves and express their own unique style
- Employees who have some flexibility and autonomy to shape their time and work
- Leaders whose personal presence communicates a mix of focus, passion, openness, and playfulness
What Are the Benefits of This Type of Work Environment? You might be wondering—is the effort required to create a more dynamic workplace worthwhile? I’d say a resounding “yes!”
I see four main areas of benefit: Boosted employee morale, higher staff retention, better work output, and a healthier bottom line.
First, consider the impact on your employees’ experience of work. When you foster a dynamic environment infused with creativity and innovation, employees will be more likely to enjoy what they’re doing. Why? Well, think about your own professional experiences. Would you rather be in an organization with silos, unhealthy competition, repetitive work, and burdensome red tape? Or an organization characterized by collaboration, lively discussions, experimentation, flexibility, and a bit of fun?
A company with strong employee morale will naturally experience lower staff turnover. The more uniquely positive their experience is on the team, the more loyal your employees will be. And this translates to significant savings in time and money.
Additionally, as employees find more satisfaction, the quality of their work increases. A more dynamic and collaborative environment yields better ideas and more novel solutions. This allows the company to improve outcomes for clients and customers. This kind of improvement doesn’t go unnoticed. A creative workforce that’s steeped in innovation will stay ahead of the competition. The end result is an improved bottom line.
What Barriers Keep Companies from Fostering this Sort of Culture? The benefits speak for themselves. However, if the positives are indeed so clear, then why aren’t more companies reshaping their workplace environments accordingly? There are still real barriers that discourage organizations from figuring out how to promote creativity and innovation within their walls.
For one thing, change is not easy. For lots of companies, the existing work culture has been baked-in for years. In this case, it’ll take a concerted and thoughtful change management plan to bring people along from one set of norms to another.
If employees are not psychologically ready to make the leap, this could also be a barrier. Shifting to a culture of increased flexibility and collaboration requires vulnerability, and not all employees are ready for this. In short, employees may initially fear having a “bad idea” or facing ridicule for sharing too much. These obstacles must be addressed in order to help employees feel safe enough to get on board.
On a company-wide level, the investment of time and resources in a culture-change initiative can feel like a hurdle. After all, as the old adage states, “time is money” in business. Not all companies feel comfortable devoting that time. This can cause them to put efficiency first instead of focusing on ensuring long-term success. In addition to that, the fear of failure is very real, and companies often prefer to keep the status quo instead of venturing into unproven territory.
These barriers are real concerns that have to be considered. Only by understanding these potential roadblocks can a leader strategize about how to work around them.
Tips for Fostering More Creativity and Innovation Ok, so what can you do to cultivate more creativity and innovation in your workplace? Here are some strategies you can begin implementing today.
- Take a Fresh Look at Your Company Values: In order to foster a different sort of work environment, take a look at your stated values. You want to create changes that stick, which means they need to be integrated into how your company fundamentally defines itself. Do the concepts of creativity and innovation show up in some way within your mission or core values? Make sure you put an emphasis on these concepts from the very start. This sets the tone you need to redefine your company culture.
- Create Psychological Safety: For a culture of creativity and innovation to take hold, employees have to feel safe expressing themselves and coming up with ideas that may not always work. Instead of automatically criticizing ideas or punishing people for missteps, encourage a culture that celebrates the exploration of possibilities and learning from mistakes.
- Promote a Growth Mindset: One way to cultivate more creativity and innovation in your employees is to help shift the team mindset from “let’s stick to what we know” to “let’s learn and try new things.” This growth-oriented mindset welcomes experimentation and risk-taking. Leaders who promote this mindset have confidence that their team will keep growing and improving, especially after encountering challenges.
- Make Time for Brainstorming: In our fast-paced and “get it done yesterday” world, it’s easy for team meetings to become completely focused on status updates and near-term priorities. For ideation and innovation to occur, you’ve got to consciously make time for it. Set time aside in your agenda for the team to engage in brainstorming.
- Give People a Heads Up: Moreover, be overt about brainstorming sessions. Not everyone does their best thinking in the moment. Letting employees know in advance that brainstorming will occur will give them (especially introverts) time to generate ideas and come ready to share.
- Use the “Yes, And” Approach: When generating new ideas with the team, use a “yes, and” approach. Let ideas flow freely and build on each other. Most of the time, brainstorming sessions are cut short by real-time criticism or evaluation, e.g. “But that won’t work because of this.” This dose of realism may be necessary eventually, but it stops the initial flow of ideas and puts a damper on creativity. Instead, keep saying “yes, and” as a way of accepting the ideas on the table and building on them. Don’t take any idea off the table until the team is ready to move to the next phase of actually vetting the various options.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: When in the midst of ideating with your team, ask open-ended questions to deepen the conversation and keep it moving. Open questions are much more powerful than ones that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Consider the impact of asking “What else can we imagine?” or “How might we approach that?,” versus a closed question like “Do you think we can do that?”.
- Integrate Games and Activities: To stimulate ideas during team discussions, consider incorporating warm-up games or creative exercises. This will provide some structure for brainstorming and problem-solving, while infusing group gatherings with laughter and increased energy.
- Give Employees the Time to Innovate Individually: Group ideation is important, but it is not the only place where innovative ideas can emerge. Consider designating a specific amount of time each week or month for employees to work individually on something novel and innovative. If this time is set aside on the schedule, team members are more likely to take advantage of it.
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The post How to Promote Creativity and Innovation at Work appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I interview Fleurette Fernando, Director of the Master's in Arts Leadership program at the University of Houston, about what it means to lead in the arts, the big-picture landscape and challenges facing leaders in the arts today, and what qualities arts leaders need the most.
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I chat with Carey Kirkpatrick, CEO and founder of CKP, an award-winning communications agency. We’ll talk about making staff development a priority – why that’s important, its benefits, and what a proactive employee development program to strengthen your team might look like.
In years past, leaders were viewed as the individuals in organizations who had all the authority, made the decisions, took control, and gave orders. Employees were there to serve the leader and the company’s goals.
This “command and control,” authoritarian notion of leadership isn’t as common and accepted today, and with good reason — It creates a disengaged, disempowered, and less innovative workforce over time. No 21st-century company can survive in a competitive market without maximizing the potential of their people and harnessing the energy, ideas, and discretionary effort of their employees.
What other approaches to leadership might be more impactful and effective? Let’s consider servant leadership. You may have heard the term, but what does it really mean in practice?
What is Servant Leadership?
At first, servant leadership may seem like an oxymoron. In this leadership philosophy, the primary focus of the leader is to serve those around them. In other words, a leader focuses their actions on helping others within their organization grow and thrive. While traditional leaders retain authority and control, a servant leader shares that power. This leader still wants to see their project or company succeed, but they achieve success by building up others first.
It is important to note that the inversion of roles does not mean that the ultimate goals of a servant leader are inherently different. Servant leaders still seek high-level organizational growth. This can include achieving objectives, growing revenue, increasing the client base, and more. The concept merely seeks to make such progress through a different method. In a servant leadership model, it is believed that it is possible to boost wider success by boosting the success of individuals.
A servant leader focuses their actions on helping others within their organization grow and thrive.
The History of Servant Leadership Although servant leaders have shown up in various contexts throughout history, the concept wasn’t fully articulated in business until 1970 when Robert K. Greenleaf wrote an essay in which he first coined the term “servant leadership.”
In Greenleaf’s conceptualization, leaders are not set apart from their followers. Instead, the best leaders are people with which others can identify. In this manner, servant leaders work alongside others, and they build up an organization by supporting the team in the achievement of shared goals.
Greenleaf pointed-out that a servant leader should ask themselves:
Do those I serve grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants?
Greenleaf put his ideas into practice during his own career. While he served as an executive at AT&T, he embraced a servant leadership style. Several decades later, in the 1990s, researchers began exploring the idea more deeply. The first peer-reviewed study was released in 1998. In 2008, two critical studies were published to cement the idea as a meaningful and effective leadership method in the business world.
10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader In order to be a servant leader, there are certain characteristics a person should strive to embody. These characteristics support the living-out of a servant leadership style.
Humility: This is at the core of a servant leadership philosophy since this type of leader is focused more on helping others be successful than advancing their own reputation or career. Servant leaders temper their own ego and recognize the value of sharing power and collaborating to achieve goals.
Self-Awareness: To support others well, servant leaders need to understand what impact their words and actions have on those around them. This requires the willingness to observe oneself, ask for peer feedback, and reflect on ways to improve.
Empowering Others: Servant leaders don’t give orders or micromanage, but they give people the chance to truly own projects, learn new things, and make their own decisions.
Open Mindset: Empowering others requires that a leader is truly open to other perspectives, ideas, and ways of addressing goals and challenges. Servant leaders realize that their ideas aren’t always the best. They see the value in diversity of thought and trust that outcomes will be better if there are more perspectives in the mix.
Trust-Building: In order to help others grow and thrive, a servant leader has to know about their employees’ needs, preferences, and motivations. To understand these elements, leaders must foster genuine rapport and trust through proactively creating authentic personal connections.
Listening: A hierarchical or command-and-control type of leader will often be the loudest voice in the room. However, a servant leader starts by listening. They’ve honed their ability to be present and curious, and to even listen at deeper levels to catch non-verbal communication.
Empathy: A true servant leader will not just listen to others. They’ll walk in another person’s shoes, seeking to understand their thoughts and feelings. This helps colleagues feel seen, heard, valued, and appreciated.
Coaching: Serving others means being able to take a coach-like approach with employees. Instead of teaching or advice-giving, a coaching style involves guiding someone to find their own answers and solutions. This is done by employing a collection of coaching skills such as active listening, sharing observations, asking open-ended questions, and facilitating action planning. When an employee is coached, they leave with new insights, growth, and a sense of empowerment.
Facilitating: When servant leaders hold a team meeting or problem-solving session, they play the role of facilitator rather than expert. In the facilitator stance, leaders create the right conditions and shape a process for the team to solve the problem rather than coming in with a proposed solution and asking for feedback.
Influencing: In a traditional leadership model, leaders give orders that are obeyed. This can seem efficient on its face, but ultimately stymies the motivation and potential of employees. A servant leader focuses more on having influence. Instead of giving orders, these leaders work to create consensus and gain collective buy-in.
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The post What is Servant Leadership? appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I interview Colin Hunter, CEO of Potential Squared, about why we should all seek to “be more wrong”, which is the title of his forthcoming book about how failure makes you an outstanding leader. We’ll explore what it would mean to make workplace culture less like a classroom and more like a playground for experimenting, risk-taking, and innovating.
When you step into a leadership role for the first time or for a new team, it can feel intimidating and overwhelming. Understanding what new team leaders should do first is the key to nailing your first 90-days with confidence. Plus, it’ll ensure the smoothest transition for employees while setting you up for long-term success.
You’ll want to avoid a bumpy beginning to your tenure as a leader – that can create stress, decrease team productivity, and lead to employee turnover. Retaining top team members is important since talent translates to quality work, innovative ideas, and strong company results.
Be aware that a Gallup survey found 70 percent of change management strategies fail due to the fact that workplace change is emotional. A similar Gartner study found only 34 percent of change initiatives are clear winners.
Becoming a team leader for the first time can feel intimidating and overwhelming. Knowing what to do first can set you up for success and endear you to your team.
Here are 7 strategies for what new team leaders should do first. They’ll help you overcome the challenges of taking-on a new leadership role.
Listen and Learn:
One of the essential things leaders should do first is listen closely to others who are familiar with the organization’s history and processes. You probably don’t want to start making changes until you’ve assessed the state of the organization and identified areas of improvement. The key is to gather as much relevant information as possible. Learning about the company’s evolution is an important step in visualizing its past, present, and future.
Build Rapport and Trust:
The next step as a new team leader is to begin earning the personal trust of your employees. Make the time to connect socially, share openly about your own background, and ask questions to learn about their interests. Explain that you have an open-door policy. Seek to create an atmosphere of trust by letting staff members know their input is important.
Discover What Motivates Each Employee:
Instead of implementing a one-size-fits-all leadership approach, treat each employee as a unique individual who brings their own strengths and qualities to the team. For example, some workers are most productive on their own and others appreciate more direction. Find out how each employee works best and what each person wants to get out of working for the company. You can then adjust your leadership style to their preferences, tap into what motivates them, and ultimately help them reach their own career aspirations.
Clarify Goals, Roles, and Expectations:
When taking on a new role as leader, it’s a good time to make sure everyone understands the team goals and how they relate to the company’s overall mission and values. In addition, clarify each employee’s role, and ensure everyone has a written job description that outlines expectations for the short and long-term. Keep in mind that transition periods often cause workers to explore other job opportunities, so it’s also helpful to offer incentives and rewards for meeting objectives.
Define Common Team Values and Norms:
An important step for any effective leader is to get followers to feel they’re part of a team whose collective effort is greater than the sum of its parts. Such a powerful cohesive unit is built on common team values and norms. Common team values, for example, might be “resilience,” “collaboration,” and “creativity.” Norms could include certain agreements around how to communicate and collaborate, such as “we won’t contact each other about work after 6pm.” Keep in mind that values and norms are much more effective when developed collaboratively by the team rather than handed down by the leader.
Show the Team They’re Heard and Appreciated:
In order to build more cohesion and loyalty, show team members that their voices and contributions matter. Holding brainstorming sessions is a good way to create an interactive atmosphere that makes each player feel heard. In addition, ask for regular feedback and ideas from employees on organizational challenges and opportunities. And find ways to acknowledge and thank team members for their contributions.
Be Transparent:
One of the ways to establish credibility and garner respect as a new leader is to communicate with transparency. When possible, leaders should be upfront and open about their intentions so no one is left guessing. Good leaders can talk about challenges with openness and directness, while knowing how to balance that with a dose of optimism.
The post What New Team Leaders Should Do First appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I talk with 3 partners from Method Architecture about how they set out to create an ego-free team culture at their firm. We’ll explore what an ego-free organizational culture means, what it looks like, and some of the approaches they’ve used to cultivate it.
These days, it’s rare to interact someone who knows how to ask better questions. But when you do, you can tell the difference. It’s that experience of feeling truly seen and heard by a person who’s genuinely curious and engaged. They’re able to inquire about things in a way that draws you out and goes deeper than small talk.
Want to know how to ask better questions yourself? The ability to ask better questions is becoming more and more of a unique superpower. This is especially true for leaders who want to build influence and empower others.
"The ability to ask better questions is becoming more of a unique leadership superpower."
Here are 8 tips for improving your skills of inquiry: 1. First, get present. We all have an active internal monologue – it’s the mind chatter that’s continually running through our heads. It helps us evaluate and navigate our experiences, but our thoughts can also get in the way and pull us out of the present moment. This can be problematic when interacting with others. So what can you do? Practice working the “muscle” of catching where your attention is focused. You can get better at shifting your attention from the internal monologue to the external dialogue happening right in front of you. This is a foundational prerequisite for how to ask better questions.
2. Listen actively. Once your attention is directed to the present moment, you can activate listening skills that’ll inform and strengthen question-asking. What does active listening mean? It’s listening fully, at multiple levels, to catch all of the following: the actual words being said, their context and meaning, and even the tone and emotions underneath the words. In practice, it involves using responsive and focused body language such as head nods, eye contact, and facing the other person. Verbally, it might include some simple “uh huh” or “yeah” type responses, in addition to the skill of repeating back what you just heard as a way to confirm understanding.
3. Be really curious. This seems basic, right? You’re probably thinking “I’m already a pretty curious person.” But I’m challenging you to go even deeper by…ready for it?…mimicking the curiosity of a small child. That might sound a little odd, but think about it – Children are completely open and fascinated by what’s around them. They’re a blank slate, an empty cup. No assumptions, judgements, or “I already know that.” Tap into this type of curiosity and more powerful questions will start to come naturally.
4. Make them open-ended. If you only implement one of these strategies for how to ask better questions, this would be the one! It’s probably the most impactful. Open-ended questions deepen and extend conversation, while close-ended questions stop conversation. How do you know which type you’re asking? Close-ended questions can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” and typically start out with words like “Is there…,” “Do you think…,” and “Did you…”. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, start with words like “how” or “what.” Consider the difference it would make to alter a question like “Did you enjoy your trip?” to “What did you enjoy most about your trip?” How would the answers to those questions differ?
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5. Keep them short. This might seem counterintuitive, but many of the most powerful questions are short and simple. They’re like ninja moves—small actions with lots of impact. Some examples include questions like “What else?,” “What are your options?,” “How come?,” and “How would you start?”. What makes these powerful? Their shortness creates maximum openness. And you don’t risk “leading the witness” by baking-in your own assumptions, interpretations, or biases.
6. Use their words, not yours. To take your question-asking to an even higher-level, experiment with this trick — take the exact words or phrases your discussion partner just used and put them into your question. I admit it kinda feels like cheating or taking the easy road, but it actually makes for better questions. For instance, let’s imagine you’re talking with someone at work about a challenge they’re facing and they say “Yeah, it’s just hard to know which thing is the biggest priority!” Using their words, you could simply ask them “How would you know which thing is the biggest priority?” Contrast that to a question like “How would you be able to tell whether one project is more important than the next, or maybe you really can’t tell, I guess, ya know?” This second version introduces words and terms that could actually mean slightly different things, and it also ends up being leading and close-ended.
7. Combine them with an observation. In some cases, proceeding a question with an observation can make the subsequent question more powerful. Observations are brief statements that share what you’ve heard or seen about the other person’s situation. For example, you might say “It sounds like you’re feeling stuck,” and follow that with the question “What do you think is causing that?”. Such an observation can help your conversation partner gain new clarity and awareness about their situation, and naturally sets up the open question to follow.
8. Listen to your intuition. Some of the best questions you can ask don’t come from trying to analyze or problem-solve the other person’s situation. They can come from listening to your gut. Let’s say you have a gut feeling that someone is hesitating to speak up in a challenging situation at work. Instead of just asking “Do you think you can do anything?” you might share your intuition as an observation and combine it with an open question, such as: “I have a sense you want to speak up but aren’t. What do you think is holding you back from saying something?”. But beware that your intuition isn’t always right. You have to be open and unattached enough to let go of what your intuition is telling you if it’s not accurate. But, even if it doesn’t land with the listener, it will likely bring more clarity and awareness to the surface.
The post How to Ask Better Questions appeared first on Skybound Coaching and Training.
I interview Humor Engineer Drew Tarvin from Humor that Works about using humor in the workplace as a leader. Drew’s TedX talk about the skill of humor has gotten over 9.5 million views. In our discussion, we’ll explore why using humor is helpful, what it can look like in the workplace, and some strategies for experimenting with humor yourself.
In this episode, I interview psychologist and coach Dr. Maya Libben about unhelpful thinking styles that can trip-up leaders. We’ll review the most common unhelpful mindsets and their impact, and then explore what leaders can do to shift their thinking for greater confidence and influence.
In this episode, I’ll be talking with the two founders of MisFit Communications, a video production and marketing company, to discuss strategies for strengthening your presence and communication on video camera.
I talk with social psychologist and leadership researcher Dr. Ryan Brown, Managing Director for Measurement at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. We’ll be debunking some of the most popular myths out there about leadership and what it means to be a leader, including: (1) That real leaders are always outgoing, (2) That the most self-confident people make the best leaders, (3) That leadership can’t be learned, and (4) That leadership can’t be measured.
In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Lily Blocker (formerly Lily Cushenbery), an Associate Professor of Management and Leadership at Stony Brook University in New York. Lily will share some research and insights on leading innovation -- what makes an innovative team, and how leaders can foster more innovation within their teams.
Dr. Lily Blocker is an Assistant Professor of Management at Stony Brook University and the director of the Leadership & Creativity Research Lab. Her work in leadership, innovation, and conflict applies science-based approaches to practical organizational problems. Her research focuses on 1) the process by which leaders overcome failures and 2) the dynamics of innovative teams.
Dr. Blocker’s consulting clients include the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Del Monte Foods, Big Heart Pet Brands, PNC Bank, and Gold Coast Bank. Prior to joining Stony Brook, Dr. Blocker was a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the International Center for the Study of Terrorism, where she studied the process of terrorist deradicalization for a grant from the Office of Naval Research. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Penn State University and a B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Fresno.
I talk with Juliana Ashley, a leadership coach with a background as an improv performer, for an exploration of improv comedy lessons for leaders. We’ll discuss the 'rules' of improv and how leaders can use them to strengthen their presence, communication, and influence. Juliana is a certified leadership and executive coach, speaker, and trainer. She brings over 20 years of experience in law, the corporate world, television reporting, and improv comedy to her work as a coach and trainer.
Juliana believes that creativity is an important part of finding fulfillment and making connections. In her early years as a comedy improvisation performer and television reporter for the Houston Astros, Juliana learned life-changing tools and techniques for cultivating authenticity, building relationships and living a meaningful life.
In this interview with Dr. David Day, a leadership researcher and scholar, we discuss how you can own your development as a leader through ongoing daily practices.
David is the Academic Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute and a Professor of Psychology at Claremont McKenna College in California, where he studies organizational leadership, identity and leadership development.
David has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters on leadership. And it’s been said that his work to develop a science of leadership development has been among the most impactful theoretical contributions in the practice of developing leaders.
My guest for this episode is Chris Kenney, a sales and business development coach. We’ll explore the power of mindsets and what role they play in creating our results as leaders and entrepreneurs. I’ll also ask him for some tips on being persuasive and building influence.
You can find out more about Chris Kenney at chriskenneycoaching.com.
I talk with Kim McGaw, a leadership coach and consultant with a background in improvisational comedy training at Chicago’s Second City. We discuss how leaders and teams can incorporate creativity and play into their culture, interactions, and approach to problem solving.
Kim is Managing Director of Uniquely Human, a consultancy that provides relevant, learner-centered development of uniquely human capabilities. Kim has a Mary Poppins-like knack for getting people to do things outside their comfort zones that help achieve the desired business results, and have fun along the way. She is a highly skilled speaker, facilitator, and executive coach with effective outside-the-box methods that generate impact.
Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies and Art History from Northwestern University, and a masters in coaching and positive psychology from University College Cork in Ireland. She previously served as Director of Professional Development at Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies where she also taught a course entitled “Thinking on Your Feet”.
I talk with author and leadership coach Sally Helgesen, who cowrote the recent best-selling book “How Women Rise” with Marshall Goldsmith. Sally and I discuss what it means to adopt a leader identity – really seeing yourself as a leader regardless of your position and title, and what internal barriers can hold us back from doing that. We also explore the topics of authenticity and leadership presence. Sally is cited in Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership. For the last thirty years, her mission has been to help women leaders around the world recognize, articulate and act on their greatest strengths. She also works with senior teams seeking to build more inclusive cultures.
Sally’s previous books include The Female Advantage: Women’s Ways of Leadership, hailed as a classic and continuously in print since 1990, and The Female Vision: Women’s Real Power at Work, which explores how women’s strategic insights can strengthen their careers and their organizations. The Web of Inclusion: A New Architecture for Building Great Organizations, published in 1995, was cited in The Wall Street Journal as one of the best books on leadership of all time and credited with bringing the language of inclusion into business.
In addition to delivering workshops and keynotes in corporations, partnership firms, universities and associations around the world, Sally has consulted with the UN on building more inclusive country offices in Africa and Asia and led seminars at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Smith College. She is a contributing editor for Strategy + Business magazine and a member of the MG 100 Coaching Network and the New York and International Women’s Forums. She lives in Chatham, NY.
I talk with Dr. Marcia Reynolds, a behavioral scientist, master coach and author, about how leaders can better navigate difficult conversations, especially when emotions are involved.
Dr. Marcia Reynolds is President of Covisioning LLC. She's a master of teaching others how to engage in powerful conversations that connect, influence, and activate change, even when emotions are strong. Marcia has a doctoral degree in Organizational Psychology and two master’s degrees in Education and Communications.
Marcia is the author of "Outsmart Your Brain" and "The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs," and will be releasing a new book, "Coach the Person, Not the Problem" in June, 2020.
Dr. Reynolds has trained and coached leaders in 41 countries and has presented at the Harvard Kennedy School, Cornell University, Smith College, Almaty Management University in Kazakhstan, and The National Research University in Moscow. She has appeared in business publications in Europe and Asia, and has appeared on ABC World News. Marcia, a pioneer in the coaching industry, was the 5th global president of the International Coach Federation and one of the first to earn the Master Certified Coach credential. She is also a past president of the Association for Coach Training Organizations.
I interview bestselling author and leadership researcher Jim Kouzes. We examine the idea that anyone can learn leadership and explore 5 steps for doing so.
Jim is internationally known in the leadership development arena. He co-wrote the book “The Leadership Challenge”, which has sold millions of copies world-wide, and according to the Wall Street Journal, Jim is one of the 12 best executive educators in the United States. Jim is the Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, and also lectures on leadership around the world to corporations, governments, and nonprofits.
In addition to the book “The Leadership Challenge,” he’s also co-written many other books with his colleague and coauthor Barry Posner, including “Learning Leadership” – one of their newest publications and one we’ll be focusing on in today’s discussion.
For more on Jim Kouzes and his work, visit leadershipchallenge.com
I talk with Master Certified Coach and former IBM leader Sara Smith about what it looks like to take a coach approach to leadership, what it means for organizations to create a coaching culture, and how these approaches benefit teams and organizations.
Sara Smith is a leader in the coaching field and is currently the Vice Chair of the International Coach Federation board of directors. She's also the CEO of Smith Leadership.
I interview leadership and organization development consultant Charlee Garden about receiving feedback -- Why it matters, how to view it, how to get it, & some strategies for making it more effective.
Charlee Garden has more than 20 years of experience in the organizational effectiveness field, and has has consulted for clients including Google, Citi Group and Goldman Sachs. She also teaches leadership at the University of Texas. Prior to founding her own firm, Garden & Co., Charlee worked at Bell Labs, AT&T and JP Morgan Chase.
I talk with leadership coach, author, and teacher John Schuster about purposeful living and working, life transitions, and becoming a better leader. John is the author of "Answering Your Call" and "The Power of Your Past." Learn more at johnpschuster.com.
I interview leadership expert and author Mike Erwin about personal character, positive psychology, introversion and extroversion in leadership, and the benefits of solitude for leaders.
I talk with executive coach Kim Moore all about influence, what it looks and feels like, the difference between positional and personal influence, and some strategies for strengthening your own influence as a leader.
I talk with consultant and growth expert Dirk Van Slyke about career advancement tips, communication and authenticity, using your intuition in business, navigating failures, and some daily productivity tips.
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I speak with branding and marketing expert Robin Tooms about clarifying the purpose and values behind your personal brand, and how those elements are expressed on LinkedIn, resumes and in your elevator pitch.
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The episode features an interview with Dr. Elizabeth Slator, a professor, consultant & certified coach specializing in mindfulness-based leadership, health and human performance & sports psychology. We discuss mindful leadership and how to increase your own mindfulness.
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I interview leadership consultant & trainer Drew Bird about emotional intelligence – what it is, why it’s important, some related models and skills, and a few tips for how you can begin to strengthen your own emotional intelligence.
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In part 2 of an interview with General Tom Kolditz, we discuss his views on ineffective leaders, leadership challenges and failures, leading in crisis situations, and something he learned by being a skydiving instructor.
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This episode features part 1 of an interview with leadership expert, speaker, author and scholar Dr. Tom Kolditz. Tom is also a Retired Brigadier General and the Founding Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. We discuss Tom's views on work/life integration, leadership, what makes a leader, the importance of developing a personal "leader identity," and wisdom for influencing others.
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I talk with graphic design experts and entrepreneurs Jennifer Blanco and John Earles (of Field of Study, previously Spindletop Design) about personal brand design, personal websites, leveraging your brand to move up, resume design tips, starting a brand as an entrepreneur, working with graphic designers and your social media presence.
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In this discussion with consultant, start-up advisor and investor Daniel Cotlar, we'll explore team culture, vision, innovation, managing others, career advancement, interview tips, and networking.
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This episode features an interview with Jeffrey Frey, a technology innovation consultant, professor of entrepreneurship, startup advisor, and scholar of leadership. We talk about leading well, career transitions, technology and innovation, and the wellbeing of leaders.
To download and PDF transcript of this episode, click here.
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I talk with productivity strategist, digital marketer, and LinkedIn expert Raissa Evans about personal branding, tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile, avoiding burnout and a model for increasing your productivity.
In this episode, I talk with coach, consultant and author Dr. Susan Lieberman about good leadership, defining success, making mistakes, how to negotiate, finding the right fit job, and living well now so you can die with peace and fulfillment.
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In this episode, we discuss the qualities of effective teams, tips for both leading and participating on a team, navigating conflict and change, strategies for good communication, and whether and how to stand-out on a team. I interview Dr. Mark Magerman and Debra Brosan - organizational consultants, coaches and experts on effective teams.
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In this episode, I interview recruiter and career expert Steven Leeper from Matchstick. We discuss the current job market, career transitions, personal branding, career fit, and interviewing tips.
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In this episode, I talk with the COO at the Mayor's Office of Houston about leadership qualities, challenges, healthy paranoia, influencing change an advice for new leaders.
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In this first episode, I explain the primary purpose of the podcast while exploring how it will help you address certain challenges and aspirations related to your leadership presence. I also share my own story.
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