Engaging Leader | Engaging Leader with Jesse Lahey: Recent Episodes
Jesse Lahey
This is a special episode of Engaging Leader, featuring part 2 of an excerpt of Jesse’s live interview on TechSmith’s Visual Lounge with Matt Pierce. While part 1 focused on the 5M framework as a comprehensive planning tool for communication, Simple Visual Story (SVS) is a great model for executing the components of the […]
This is a special episode of Engaging Leader, featuring part 1 of an excerpt of Jesse’s live interview on TechSmith’s Visual Lounge with Matt Pierce to share tips for engaging a remote workforce. How effectively are you communicating with your remote workforce? Remote communication is more widespread than it’s ever been. Many people now have […]
We’ve entered a new era with more people than ever working remotely, especially from home. This past year, according to author Charlene Walters, women have made up 80% of the people who left the on-site workforce during the pandemic. In this second of a two-part interview, Jesse is joined again by Charlene to discuss […]
Many people say that entrepreneurship is often still a man’s world ― despite the fact that 42 percent of all small business or franchise owners are women, and there are 13 million female-owned businesses contributing to $1.9 trillion in revenue in the US. According to author Charlene Walters, a multitude of research has shown […]
Us versus Them gaps have always affected the American workplace – Sales versus Marketing, Manufacturing versus Engineering, Human Resources versus Legal. But today there is an urgent need to address a wide range of culture gaps, especially due to the impact of the pandemic, racism and protests in support of Black Lives Matter, and […]
Us versus Them gaps have always affected the American workplace – Sales versus Marketing, Manufacturing versus Engineering, Human Resources versus Legal. But today there is an urgent need to address a wide range of culture gaps, especially due to the impact of the pandemic, racism and protests in support of Black Lives Matter, and […]
Working remotely isn’t just a new normal that we must learn to live with. It’s an opportunity to work and lead in ways that provide great operational and productivity results for the organization, as well as to be a part of a great team while finding individual meaning and purpose too. But there is […]
Interviewing job candidates can feel like wading through a foggy swamp. You’re attempting to discern whether candidates would be successful on your team, while struggling to prevent the massive headache and wasted resources of a poor decision. Asking the right questions during interviews can bring clarity to the process by giving you a […]
Some leaders look at their people, shake their heads, and say, “They can’t get there from here.” Sometimes that’s true. But often the solution is creating a stronger culture, where employees are encouraged and coached to contribute their best thinking. People are different, and these differences can add value. As a leader, you need to […]
“Why am I the only one who finds these issues? What’s wrong with my people? Why can’t they see this stuff and fix it?” If these frustrations sound familiar, you’ll love this conversation with Karin Hurt about her newest book, Courageous Cultures. We talk about building teams of micro-innovators, problem-solvers, and customer-advocates working together. In […]
What barriers do you face? Whether in our personal lives, at work, or in our communities, we all face challenges that can prevent us from reaching our full potential. And the same is true for those you lead. Dave Shurna joins me to discuss tips from his new book about breaking through barriers of all […]
Today I share some reflections about what I’ve been reading, learning, thinking, and practicing over the past few weeks. How can we as imperfect leaders and human beings contribute to helpful solutions, rather than to ongoing conditions of inequality, discrimination, and fear … including the fear of talking honestly about topics like racism? Resources Mentioned […]
Psychological safety is a team member’s sense of confidence that the leader and the rest of the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish them for speaking up. They feel safe to take risks, fully contribute, share ideas, and raise concerns – all of which are necessary for an organization to innovate, solve problems, survive, […]
To be a leader who truly engages the hearts, minds, and behaviors of people, you have to authentically connect with them on a human level. You’ve heard the phrase, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” In today’s age of connection, in order for people to trust you, […]
At most organizations today, the work people do tends to hurt their wellbeing, when it should be making them happier and healthier. A major key to turning this around is helping employees make their work more meaningful … which is all about discovering how they can best contribute. And of course, it’s simply smart business. […]
Join my conversation with the Deputy Chief Health Officer at IBM, with a 350,000-person global workforce, about measures that major companies are taking during the COVID-19 pandemic, including recommendations for employee mental health. The world’s population is facing considerable social and economic disruption. Millions of employees and employers are adjusting to circumstances not seen for […]
Are you able to stay happy, energized, and productive during all the distractions, changes, and uncertainties of COVID-19? It’s not easy! And it’s hard to be an effective leader for your team if you aren’t maintaining your own mental and physical wellbeing. Our team at Workforce recently shared with each other what’s been helping us […]
When men are actively involved in gender diversity efforts, 96% of organizations report progress, compared to only 30% when men are not involved. However, many men don’t feel equipped to play any role in inclusion and equity. For some men, the traditional model of masculinity steers men away from talking about emotional topics (except to […]
Due to the coronavirus, the number of people working from home is skyrocketing. Even without a pandemic, working remotely has become a very common arrangement, allowing companies to access top talent without worrying about geography, while offering greater flexibility for workers to do great work on their own terms. And yet over time, dissatisfaction, disconnection, […]
In recent years, most companies have been trying to advance the representation of women and minorities in leadership positions. For example, most organizations have diversity recruitment targets as well as Diversity & Inclusion programs, including initiatives like mentoring, networking groups, and unconscious bias training. But despite these efforts, women account for only 4.6% of Fortune […]
Burnout and unhappiness at work are a reality for the vast majority of workers. Fortunately, leaders — and employees themselves — can make work better. In his new book, Bruce Daisley shares hacks from science and his previous experience as Twitter’s VP of Europe to transform work from stressful and soul-sucking to fulfilling and fun. […]
Great jobs are MADE, not FOUND. If you aren’t loving your current job, how can you turn it into a job you want? Finding fulfillment in our life’s work requires contributing meaningfully to the world around us. We’re pleased to welcome Tom Rath back to the show. Tom is a bestselling author and research scientist […]
Have you ever put off a conversation with an employee for too long because just thinking about it made you cringe? Most leaders know how agonizing it can feel to address inappropriate behavior or communicate other uncomfortable messages. The good news is that you can acquire the tools and skills that help you not only […]
Organizations need more collaboration and teamwork, but how? Particularly when facing large initiatives or other challenges, stress can lead to problems such as burnout, finger-pointing, and project failures. As a leader, how can you troubleshoot the situation and improve the team’s collaboration, accountability, and overall effectiveness? In this episode, Kim Nugent joins us to discuss: […]
On the Engaging Leader podcast, we’ve often discussed why an organization needs to have a compelling purpose and vision, beyond just making money. There are so many reasons why it’s not only the right thing to do but also smart business – for example, having a purpose that excites people leads to strong employee engagement […]
How do you win the support needed from bosses, colleagues, and investors to bring to life you and your team’s ideas? Great leaders of innovation know that creativity is not enough. They succeed not only on the basis of their ideas, but because they have the vision, reputation, and networks to win the backing needed […]
In case you didn’t already realize it, the people who are graduating college now and entering your workforce are not considered Millennials … they are the next generation, Gen Z (sometimes called Post-Millennials). And even though Millennials have already driven a significant shift in how people communicate in the workplace, it looks like Generation Z […]
With four very different generations making up today’s workforce, how do you effectively engage them all? In particular, a frequent question we receive is how to communicate with younger employees. Today’s workforce is made up primarily of four generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Gen Y (also known as Millennials), and Gen Z (sometimes called Post-Millenials). […]
When you identify the reasons why high-performing employees choose your organization, it serves as a compass in guiding your ongoing development of the employee experience. Furthermore, if you use those insights to craft an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that resonates with both current and prospective talent, it becomes a strong foundation of your employer brand […]
What makes your company different from your competitors in the talent marketplace? Can you articulate the reasons in a message that is unique, authentic, and compelling? A strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is key to recruiting, retaining, and fully engaging top talent. Your EVP is a clear message about why people choose to join your […]
If it seems like you can’t trust your team to own projects and results, how can you improve accountability? This is the final episode in a four-part series of interviews with Jonathan Raymond about how to practice emotional transparency to cultivate accountability within your team. This time, we discuss three hacks — the most important […]
Many leaders feel frustrated by what seems like a low level of personal ownership among people in their organization. Things don’t get done on time, problems don’t get solved, and issues get ignored rather than proactively addressed before they become problems. Sound familiar? This episode is part 3 of a four-part series of interviews with […]
A couple days ago, the CEO of a small business complained to me that one of his managers has been displaying some of the classic signs of a lack of accountability — brushing off the severity of a mistake, letting tensions build with his own direct reports instead of asking for advice on how to […]
Accountability. Many organizations name it one of their top corporate values. And yet no matter how much they talk about accountability, leaders often feel frustrated by what seems like a low level of personal ownership among their employees. Things don’t get done on time, problems don’t get solved, and issues get ignored rather than proactively […]
Did you set any New Year resolutions for yourself this year … or goals for your team? If so, are you still on track, or have you given up? According to U.S. News, about 80% of New Year resolutions fail by the second week of February. Does that mean you shouldn’t set goals to improve […]
With so many things competing for attention, leaders at many organizations struggle to get their people to pay enough attention to important communications — such as for change initiatives. And it’s an even bigger struggle to get them to take the messages/information to heart, remember them, and put them into action. Fortunately, neuroscience has provided […]
The relationships between your team members make a big difference — both in terms of business results and each person’s wellbeing. As tempting as it is to rely on virtual communication and collaboration, technology too often contributes to workplace isolation and even loneliness. In today’s technology-driven workplace, particularly if some team members are working remotely, how can you cultivate a sense of community?
The home improvement store chain Lowe’s was named #1 among Fast Company’s 2018 Most Innovative Companies, for augmented and virtual reality, as well as #1 for innovation among specialty retailers on Fortune’s 2018 World’s Most Admired Companies. How did a company in a dusty, old-hat industry (hardware stores) suddenly become known as an innovator? As […]
When developing a communication strategy to drive change within an organization, we use various models and frameworks to help ensure we create a strategy that actually works. The Fogg Behavioral Model is a powerful framework for driving change. BJ Fogg is a behavior scientist and the founder of Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab. Fogg is […]
A strong, authentic employer brand is key to recruiting, retaining, and fully engaging top talent. The most effective companies build a differentiated employee value proposition (EVP). Many people think of an employer brand only in terms of recruiting new employees, but to be effective, it should be comprehensive and authentic as relates to the overall […]
You can’t achieve your potential as a leader or an organization without practicing effective communication. Organizations that communicate effectively with their workforce deliver better results. According to a study by Willis Towers Watson, companies with high effectiveness in communication and change management are 3.5 times more likely to significantly outperform their less effective peers. They: […]
Boom! That’s the sound of performance appraisal processes being blown up across the country. There’s been a collective lightning flash of realization that the old way of doing it just isn’t doing it. But what’s really happening? In a new piece of research, The Truth & Lies of Performance Management, Michael Bungay Stanier and his […]
You have the opportunity to lead: to show up with confidence, connected to others, and committed to a purpose in a way that inspires others to follow. But great leadership — leadership that aligns teams, inspires action, and achieves results — is hard. And what makes it hard isn’t theoretical, it’s practical. It’s not about […]
Imagine life is a game where you are juggling five balls. Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls — family, health, friends, integrity — are made of glass. ~ James Patterson The first secret to work/life balance is recognizing that it’s not about balance. It […]
This episode is about a true story that is interesting and well told — a story that is important for all leaders and entrepreneurs … especially those of us who aspire to use business not only to make a living for ourselves but to help make the world a better place. Everyone wants to be […]
This is a conversation about a book that’s not like any networking book you have read (or ignored) before. In fact, it’s not about networking; it’s about how networks actually work. Networking seems to many of us to be an insincere way to manipulate relationships for personal gain. And yet there is a significant body […]
In the next two decades, nearly 50% of white-collar jobs are at risk, either to automation or artificial intelligence (AI), according to analysis by Oxford University. Every leader and every worker need to ask: What will be left for people to do that machines can’t do better or cheaper? If you don’t figure this out, […]
Willpower is the ability to control yourself to determine your actions. It allows you (and your team) to accomplish what matters most to you — solving a business problem, losing weight, cornering the market, getting out of debt, etc. To control many of your actions, you can use selected disciplines to build a powerful habit. […]
Ambiguity — in the form of uncertainty or conflicting priorities — has become the default state for organizations of all types. It lurks in the background when leaders can’t explain what success looks like, or what aspects of performance matter most for achieving it. It saps energy from talented team members operating in the dark […]
Success is about doing the right thing, not about doing everything right. Achieving extraordinary results doesn’t require you to be a full-time disciplined person or team, where your every action is trained and where control is the solution to every situation. Instead, the trick is to choose the right habit and bring just enough discipline […]
Multitasking doesn’t save time — it wastes time. When you try to do two things at once, you either can’t or won’t do either well. If you think multitasking is an effective way to get more done, you’ve got it backward. It’s an effective way to get less done. Every time we try to do […]
How do great leaders overcome resistance to change ― and the stress that accompanies it? Navigating change is hard, and people often get emotionally hijacked in the process. Leaders need potent, easy to learn, highly effective brain-based tools to navigate the emotions connected with growth and change ― and get their team on track. In […]
Instead of a to-do list, you need a success list — a list that is purposefully created around extraordinary results. A to-do list becomes a success list when you apply Pareto’s Principle to it. Does it seem like every day you and your team have more and more that “simply must get done”? Do you […]
Success demands singleness of purpose. ~ Vince Lombardi, arguably the greatest football coach of all time Extraordinarily successful people, companies, and teams always have one product/service/idea they’re most known for or that makes them the most money. They may have other important things too, but only one of them is the most important. Having clarity […]
Why do some people perform better at work than others? This deceptively simple question continues to confound leaders, as well as all professionals who want to advance and succeed while maintaining balance and wellbeing. We often equate working longer hours with success, but the fact is that type of work leads to stress, burnout, and […]
Leading talented people in creative fields requires a different skill set than what many management books teach. How do you ensure your team consistently delivers a brilliant work product from an inherently unpredictable creative process? How do you manage pushback from your team of super-smart, headstrong creatives? As a consultant to creative companies, Todd Henry […]
When one thing (the right ONE Thing) is set in motion, it can topple many things. Even more significant, a single domino can bring down another domino that is 50% larger. That provides that opportunity not only for linear progress, but exponential progress. Getting extraordinary results is all about creating a domino effect for you […]
What’s the ONE Thing you (or your team) can do this week such that by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary? Behind every successful person is their ONE Thing. No matter how success is measured, personal or professional, only the ability to dismiss distractions and concentrate on your ONE Thing stands between […]
All of us have at least one person or group of people that we work with who has an issue that we really need to address — a performance problem, a behavioral issue, a piece of spinach stuck in their teeth — but for some reason, we avoid bringing up the topic with them. We’ve […]
How many times have you heard a leader say, “Our people are our greatest asset”? You’ve probably even uttered it a few times yourself. It’s a nice sentiment, but really doesn’t tell the full story. Simply having an organization full of stellar individuals is ultimately less important than how they function together. In his new […]
Chronic stress takes a toll on the quality of work and life, for both leaders and the people they lead. Stress muddies our thinking, impairs judgment, damages health and relationships, and causes people to burn out and quit their job. The solution, according to Dr. Andrew Shatté, is for leaders to become stress-relient and to […]
Trek Bikes grew out of one man’s belief that he could build a different kind of company. In a barn in southern Wisconsin, Dick Burke instilled the simple principles that continue to guide the company as it has grown into a worldwide brand: build things that last and leave a legacy of positive change. Dick’s […]
What does it take to lead a team that builds a startup into a nationally recognized company in less than three years, with an annual growth rate of more than 1,000%? Josh Kent is the CEO and founder of over a dozen startups, including SunFrog Shirts, which launched in 2013 and is currently the largest […]
Are you a genius or a genius-maker? We’ve all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and […]
Is your sight set on a new leadership role? Perhaps you’re the Director of Finance, and you’ve just been tapped to become the new CFO. What do you need to change now that your former peers will be reporting to you? Or maybe you’re not yet in a position with formal authority, but you know […]
When successful people begin to feel uncertain or challenged at work, the one thing they want to know most is why things are going wrong after they have gone right for so long. Leaders tend to rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches […]
As millions of millennials and the even younger GenZers come into the workforce with very different expectations and definitions of loyalty, companies need to shift to make the most of those workers’ energy, skill sets, and incredible potential. Those companies that shift now for the long game of allegiance will have a strategic talent and […]
Your personality at work determines your success and impact as a leader. Is yours helping or hurting your effectiveness and your team’s engagement? Contrary to what most people think, you can change aspects of your personality and become a more engaging leader. A new book analyzing the behaviors of business leaders explains concrete ways that […]
To lead and influence others, whether as a workplace leader or as a thought leader, you need to develop an authentic voice. For example, let’s say you are a CEO delivering a speech to your employees, or a functional VP writing an email to your staff, or a department head presenting recommendations to the C-Suite. […]
In the 21st century, those who are changing the world aren’t just leaders; they’re engagers. Managers and leaders try to get others to do what is needed. Engagers create conditions and cultivate a team that is fully energized to achieve the organization’s purpose. Managers and leaders see themselves as the magic. Engagers see the team […]
David Burkus is the organizer of the upcoming Work Smarter Summit, an online video-based virtual conference where world-class experts share their proven tactics for getting more done, earning more money, and living a life of purpose and productivity. Based on interviews with those experts, David has compiled a free ebook called Work Smarter, Not Harder, […]
Leaders need data for at least two reasons: 1) so they and their team can make better decisions, and 2) to influence their employees, customers, or others to take action. In this episode, we discuss how to achieve both objectives better. We learn how to overcome some pitfalls in how we interpret data, so we […]
In 1982, Ari Weinzweig, along with his partner Paul Saginaw, founded Zingerman’s Delicatessen with a $20,000 bank loan. They opened the doors with two employees and a small selection of specialty foods and exceptional sandwiches. Today, Zingerman’s Delicatessen is a nationally renowned food icon, and the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses has grown to 10 businesses […]
“Employees who report receiving recognition and praise within the last seven days show increased productivity, get higher scores from customers, and have better safety records. They’re just more engaged at work.” – Tom Rath Recently, one of my team members communicated heartfelt gratitude to another team member named Jenny for her consistently outstanding performance. And […]
Communicating bad news — we all hate to do it, wish we never have to do it again, and yet recognize that there will inevitably be times when we need to do it. Whether it is announcing a reduction in force, a negative change in employee benefits or compensation, a discontinued strategy or product line, […]
Culture eats strategy for breakfast. -Peter Drucker Many leaders and aspiring leaders think their skills and strategies are what create impact, and that perks and parties are what create culture. But in reality a much larger part is created by the leader’s energy in every moment of truth. When you kick off a meeting or […]
Leaders everywhere talk about accountability, but nobody is defining what it really means — and more importantly, breaking it down into a set of skills that people could learn and apply. Accountability is about helping people unlock their strengths. In this podcast, Jonathan and Jesse discuss how you can have far more powerful conversations with […]
On Engaging Leader, we share a lot of principles about leadership communication, but what about collaboration communication? In other words, what’s the most effective and efficient way to talk to the colleagues and clients you work with most closely in order to do great work together? That’s a trick question, because there isn’t (yet) a […]
“We’re in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people.” ~ Howard Behar As the president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, Howard Behar spent over 20 years helping grow the company into a worldwide phenomenon. During those years, he was integral in establishing and nurturing the Starbucks culture. Since the beginning, […]
Increasingly, large organizations are finding their competitive landscape changing so quickly that they’re unable to respond fast enough to survive and thrive. Most mature organizations have a built-in tendency to kill off anything agile, innovative, and entrepreneurial — which often is exactly what’s needed to stay ahead of today’s ever-increasing pace of change in the […]
People power your business — and success can hinge on your hiring, inspiring, and keeping the right ones. As a leader, are you cultivating this vital resource? Is there more you could be doing? Are you just winging it? Every HR executive has a laundry list of things they wish managers knew: best practices that […]
We are in the early years of a fundamental demographic shift. What worked in the past will no longer be enough. In order to attract and keep top talent — and to influence their actions — you will need to change how you engage people. Today’s workforce is made up primarily of three generations: Baby […]
“Learn what is true to do what is right.” ~ Thomas Huxley The thing that companies and individuals need most they often get least. What is this thing? The truth. Why? Because people don’t have the courage to say what they’re really thinking. But no company or individual can survive, let alone thrive, without the […]
In episode 136, I shared how there are three secrets to effective content as part of a leadership or workforce communication strategy: visual, sticky, and “nudgy.” We discussed the first secret in episode 127, Let’s Get Visual: 6 Engaging Ways to Use Images. We discussed the second secret in episode 136, Sticky — 7 Keys […]
With warm, summer weather arriving in the northern hemisphere, many of us have vacation plans. But what type of vacation will you take? Will it actually refresh you, helping you come back to work with new energy, fresh ideas, and a better perspective to help you deliver results that matter? If you’re like most business […]
In a typical communication strategy, part of the plan involves leadership actions, but also involves communication content — words, images, videos, and so forth. You’ve probably heard the phrase Content Is King. You can do a great job with other aspects of your strategy, but if the content isn’t effective, you’ll fail to meet your […]
Horrible meetings are a cliché of the business world, and with good reason. Most meetings are a waste of time and don’t accomplish much, if anything. Everyone leaves frustrated that they could be doing something more productive with their time — and not only do your results suffer, so does your credibility as a leader. […]
Great leaders don’t innovate products, they innovate the factory. Through most of the 20th century, great leaders focused on reinventing the factory. From Frederick Taylor to Henry Ford, the industrial age was made by people who could envision the best way to design the organization around the product. Today, much of the world has moved […]
In honor of April Fool’s Day, a funny guest joins Jesse to discuss a seriously important topic … how to use humor to drive engagement in all of your communication opportunities. David Nihill went from being deathly afraid of public speaking to hosting a business conference, regularly performing stand-up comedy, and winning storytelling competitions in […]
What if coaching could become a regular, informal part of your day so you and your team could work less hard and have more impact? That’s the promise Michael Bungay Stanier makes in his latest book, The Coaching Habit. He has trained more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching […]
Some leaders foster a disproportionate share of top talent … the kind of talent that goes on to transform their entire industry. Professor Sydney Finkelstein noticed this and then figured out a way to identify who these “superbosses” are and how they do it. Most of what he discovered is counter-intuitive. In one of the […]
Storytelling is the most underrated skill [among entrepreneurs]. ~ Ben Horowitze, famed venture capitalist Storytelling is the act of framing an idea as a narrative to inform, illuminate, and inspire. From Steve Jobs to Sheryl Sandberg to Richard Branson, successful leaders study and practice the art of storytelling in order to attract top talent, increase […]
Many people in the business world believe that working hard will be enough to move their career forward. But whether you’re trying to advance inside a large organization, or you’re an entrepreneur hoping to make a difference in your community or the global economy, you need to become recognized as an authority in your field. […]
Most business leaders today realize that a strong organizational culture is critical to success. However, culture tends to feel like some magic force that few leaders know how to control. So most leaders try to shape culture based on their intuition, leave it to chance, or try carrot-and-stick approaches to drive performance. To find a […]
Visual communication always gets more attention than written or verbal alone. And with the information and media-overload that everyone now experiences, visual communication is no longer an option when you are trying to influence, lead, or even simply inform people. You can’t assume that sharing information is enough. Even Steve Jobs, when presenting to already-passionate […]
Holacracy is a fundamentally different “operating system” for organizations. Holacracy revolutionizes how a company is structured, how decisions are made, and how authority is distributed. Perhaps the best-known examples of companies who have adopted Holacracy are Zappos and David Allen Company. “No one reports to anyone anymore,” explains The Washington Post about Zappos. “Instead, employees […]
Hourly workers make up nearly 60% of the United States workforce. They are often people who directly impact customers, such as through customer service or making the products. And improving the engagement of hourly workers can decrease absenteeism and turnover costs, while improving productivity, customer satisfaction, and the overall culture of the organization. And yet […]
Thankfulness changes things: in yourself, in your team, and in your impact. As we approach Thanksgiving in the US, and the New Year goal-setting that most of us will be undertaking over the coming weeks, let me encourage you to make it a priority to improve your gratitude over the coming year. In fact, if […]
A few years ago, my local gym posted a photo of a handwritten sign that had been posted outside the hospital room of a Navy Seal who had been severely wounded in battle. “The wounds I received,” wrote Lt. Jason Redman, “I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting […]
To create lasting behavior change, it’s crucial to understand how the brain’s habit system works, and then develop specific techniques to leverage the power of the brain rather than fighting against it. Psychologist Art Markman joins us to provide insight and practical advice to create sustainable behavior change in the people we lead. He’s the […]
[powerpess] When you drive a car with a manual transmission, you quickly learn there is a right time and place for each gear. You start in 1st gear, then shift into 2nd gear, and so forth until you reach the highest gear. If you try to shift into the wrong gear, the car will grind […]
Does the way you lead communicate to your team that failure is not an option? If so, you are limiting innovation and development, encouraging cover-ups and lies, and breeding more-serious mistakes. This is true whether you lead a family, a small organization, or a huge business. “The best way to minimize failure is to embrace […]
Research shows no one is happy with annual performance reviews—not executives, not managers, and not individual contributors. Even HR teams responsible for performance management aren’t convinced annual reviews provide value. According to Kris Duggan of BetterWorks, that’s because traditional performance management processes and systems no longer accurately reflect the way we work. (They never did, […]
Most people today constantly reach for their smartphones for instant answers and services. What’s the weather? Will Monique be joining us tomorrow? What’s the name of that song? And even people who don’t know how to use most smartphone features know how to send and receive texts. For many, it’s their preferred method for timely […]
When you’re the CEO or senior leader, bottom-line results matter. Especially when the going gets tough, the conventional assumption is that the big boss should push profits by any legal means necessary, even if it means twisting the truth, breaking promises, and being a jerk to other people. But for most of us, that intuitively […]
What does yawning have to do with influencing people to take action? If you yawn, you trigger “mirror neurons” in most other people, which affect their brain activity and influence them to yawn too. And mirror neurons don’t just involve actions like yawning. They affect thoughts and feelings as well. This is one of the […]
You and everyone on your team has an “inner innovator,” creative potential inside that can be unleashed and harnessed. With the right tools and a little practice, you and your team can improve your creative thinking skills. What’s more, you can build an embedded capability for innovation that engages everyone at your organization and leads […]
According to The Gallup Organization, when companies add a well-being focus to their engagement efforts, it has an accelerating effect. Focusing on employee engagement and employee well-being together helps companies maximize productivity. Today we’ll discuss how your organization can improve your culture, employee engagement, and the bottom line by taking a whole-person approach that allows […]
Some people fall far short of their leadership potential because they let the best part of their time, energy, and focus get sucked up by non-strategic tasks like replying to emails. On the other end of the spectrum are leaders who don’t have the impact they’d like because they don’t consistently respond to important emails. […]
Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. When you are fully charged, you get more done, your mind is sharp and creative, you feel fully alive – and you are a better leader, parent, spouse, and friend. Does that happen by accident, or are there specific actions that create […]
Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. Five years ago, Jesse had given up on the umpteenth system he’d tried for organization and productivity. As he went back to the drawing board, he discovered that a new approach had taken the world by storm. It was called Getting Things […]
How do you move people from being passive followers doing what they were told, to becoming proactive, engaged leaders themselves? We’ll give you a hint: It’s not about being visionary or giving the right orders. David Marquet is the author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders. David was […]
It’s sort of a chicken-or-the-egg question. To take your next step toward great leadership, do you start with introspection and learning to think like a leader? Or do you put yourself into positions where you are forced to learn by doing? Most leadership books and courses give you one answer. But a contrarian and counter-intuitive […]
Nearly half of your company’s payroll is being spent on things that don’t matter to your strategic goals. That’s based on results of a six-year global study of 350,000 people by the firm FranklinCovey. Here’s the good news: You can change your practices and the culture of your team to automatically self-orient around the important […]
The things you and your team want most—peace of mind, fulfilling relationships, success at work—are surprisingly straightforward to achieve. But habits and behaviors often trip up our best efforts. Let Peter Bregman help you learn quick, counter-intuitive actions that save time, boost energy, and increase productivity to get the results you want. To thrive in […]
Storytelling is a key tool for leading change. In episode 102, “Storytelling for Leaders,” Amanda Marko joined us to discuss why it’s such a powerful tool and provided tips for putting it to work. In this episode, Amanda returns to talk more specifically on the “how” of storytelling for leaders, and she explains four storytelling […]
As a leader, how can you create a great place to work that not only attracts great people but also promotes smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance? As you probably already know, there’s a popular annual survey about great places to work that boils everything down to trust. But is there more to it […]
Is it possible to be at your best even when you are under-qualified or doing something for the first time? And after decades of experience, can you keep your skills from becoming obsolete and irrelevant, and recapture the curiosity and fearlessness of youth to take on new challenges? With the right mindset, you can. For […]
On Engaging Leader, we talk a lot about who you need to be and what you need to do to be an engaging leader. But what if you keep catching yourself doing the wrong things? For example, you know you shouldn’t practice command-and-control management or act like the smartest guy or gal in the room. […]
Storytelling is an effective leadership tool for change management, engagement, and bringing the business strategy to life. We discussed this tool back in episode 52, “How to Use Stories to Engage People.” Today we’ll dig deeper, with the help of someone whose been teaching the art and science of storytelling to leaders from across the […]
Did you know that of every 100 employees hired, only 6 or 7 will ever be promoted to their first management position? If you’re a manager now, you’re one of the 7% who made it! That’s the good news. Now, here’s the bad news. Statistically speaking, you won’t be promoted again. According to author and […]
We are in the midst of a leadership revolution, as power passes from Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers to Millennials. All grown up, the highly educated Generation Y is moving into executive positions in corporations and government, as well as running their own businesses, where they are beginning to have a profound impact that will […]
Intuition is the new buzz-word in business, and everyone from Branson to Buffet is touting its ability to guide and direct them to greater success and higher profits. However, the understanding of what intuition really is and how it can serve us in business and in life is deeply flawed. But according to a new […]
Many leaders today are chronically overworked and overwhelmed by the seemingly non-stop demands on their time and attention. If you feel like you’re constantly outrunning burnout, resentment, and collapse, chances are you aren’t performing up to your potential as a leader. Hard work tends to go hand-in-hand with success, but over the long term, that […]
Are you a leader people want to follow? You can be—but first, you must understand what sets great leaders apart from all the rest. Certainly, leaders need people skills, execution skills, a deep knowledge of industry trends, the ability to articulate a vision, and more. They must be competent—but that’s just the tip of the […]
Have you or your team ever come up with a big idea that you thought would be very cool, but didn’t take any action because you thought it would be too risky? Perhaps it was an idea for a new product or service, or a process change to solve a complex problem. Maybe you tried […]
“At first, we didn’t believe him, that this highly accomplished star in our field was interested in not just teaching us but in learning from us,” my wife Erin said. “But then we saw by his actions that he really meant it.” Erin had just returned from her first time attending the annual week-long Mark […]
Are you a leader who builds teams that innovate again and again? Creating and sustaining an organization that is consistently innovative is extremely difficult (and rare). Conventional leaders see their role as conjuring up a vision and inspiring others to make it happen. The best leaders of innovation see their role quite differently. Former Pixar […]
Back in 2000, Jesse was helping an executive at one of the world’s largest companies develop a communication plan. As they were working through the key messages, the executive got tripped up on one of the words Jesse was recommending. He thought the word and even the concept might be dated, old-fashioned. The word was […]
Back in episode 89, about the Power of Brevity, we discussed why brevity works and provided four tips for being brief yet powerful. In these tips, clarity leads to brevity, and vice versa. Now, contrast that with most of the corporate-level communication that companies provide their employees. Whether it’s a letter or email from the […]
All successful leaders have to be good at leading progress. And science has found that successful leaders, from CEOs to parents, have a common set of principles and skills that help create quick, profound, and lasting change in people and organizations. David Maxfield, New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and social scientist for organizational change, […]
Can people of different generations work together productively, or do their differences lead only to conflict? According to a new study from the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) and social scientist for organizational change David Maxfield, unaddressed tension and resentment between Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials is sapping productivity in corporate America. […]
Some of the most memorable speeches and documents have been much shorter than the norm. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was only 2 or 3 minutes long, and we remember it much better than the other speaker that day, Edward Everett, who spoke for two hours. John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural address – “Ask not what […]
A growing body of research in psychology and neuroscience is demonstrating that happiness is a secret ingredient to success at work. It turns out, our brains are more engaged, creative, productive, and resilient when in a positive state. What are the top habits for leaders and employees who are happy at work? How can we […]
Ideas are the currency of the 21st century. You can have brilliant ideas—truly revolutionary ideas—but if you cannot persuade others to act, those ideas don’t matter. In 2006, the famous TED conference began streaming 18-minute presentations from the world’s top minds for free. Today TED talks are viewed more than two million times a day […]
In episode 1, Jesse and his colleague Terry Sherwood defined workforce health engagement as improving the knowledge, decision-making, and behaviors of employees, their families, and organizational leaders to optimize health outcomes, control medical costs, and enhance workplace productivity. In addition, they discussed five components of workforce health engagement: Population Health Management/Epidemiology Health Consumerism Benefit Plan […]
You can buy a leadership book today for about $25. Or you can get an MBA for about $30,000. But learning about leadership from a few decades of everyday experience and mentors? That’s priceless. Kevin Allen was the pitchman for the “Priceless” ad campaign for Mastercard, which launched in 1997 and continues influence people today. […]
If you’ve created a great little coffeeshop, how do you expand and put your coffeeshops in cities around the world without watering down what makes your coffeeshop great? That’s a question that Starbucks certainly struggled to answer. Or, if you have a key practice or mindset — for example, lean manufacturing — how do you […]
It happened again. Jesse recently had a stretch of several weeks where sleep problems caused him to get insufficient sleep … and the effect on his creativity, productivity, and influence was obvious. It’s a common problem that pops up from time to time for many leaders, and Jesse has successfully solved it in his own […]
In the 21st century, the businesses and leaders that succeed are a difficult mix of creativity and flexibility on the one hand, and long-burning value on the other hand. In their new book, Faisal Hoque and co-author Drake Baer explain how these seeming opposites are actually connected … in fact, everything is connected. And they […]
Last week, Jesse and Marty discussed that when we have an opportunity to influence or lead people, we can’t assume that sharing information is enough. That’s simply table stakes. Once you know what you want to communicate, you need to think about how to engage your audience and keep them engaged for the duration of […]
When we have an opportunity to influence or lead people, we can’t assume that sharing information is enough. That’s simply table stakes. Once you know what you want to communicate, you need to think about how to engage your audience and keep them engaged for the duration of the event. Many people believe their positional […]
How do you engage employees who are cynical or jaded? And what if your organization is trying to improve employee engagement, but employees and even managers are cynical about the engagement initiative itself? To help us address this issue, our guest is Bob Kelleher, author, speaker, and founder of The Employee Engagement Group. Bob Kelleher’s […]
In the 20th century, in casting the ideal CEO, we took our cues from MBAs and the military. But many of the most recent superstars, such as Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Page don’t seem to fit that model. So is it the most effective model for the 21st century? Maria Giudice is Facebook’s […]
On the game show Jeopardy, host Alex Trebek provided the clue, “This is the prime piece of business real estate that nice girls don’t get.” The correct response, of course, was “What is the corner office?” Within just one year of completing college, women are earning 8% less than the men with whom they graduated. […]
There are five basic ways that people feel revved up by the people they live and work with. Most of us need to receive all five to feel approved, affirmed, respected, and/or loved. But usually, one or two is most significant, and that’s different for everyone. In this episode, Jesse is joined in the studio […]
Today’s leaders — whether in business or nonprofit — are expected to be entrepreneurial. The kryptonite that threatens to kill the dreams of every entrepreneur is strategic planning. Many people have no plan and try shooting from the hip, so effort and resources are wasted or unfocused. Others get bogged down in an overly-detailed planning […]
Did you know that 40% of new leaders fail in the first 18 months? How can you avoid failing as a new leader, and learn from other leaders’ mistakes rather than making so many of your own? To help our listeners who are new leaders or who would like to take their leadership to the […]
Following up on the previous episode, Jesse and his wife Erin discuss 14 additional tactics to increase energy, improve mood, and manage stress. These re-charging tactics may not all work for you, based on your personal wiring and season of life. Pick 1-3 tactics to try this week or month. Keep what works, discard what […]
As leaders, we are wired for action, for serving others, for carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. But we need to invest in re-energizing practices; otherwise we risk “killing the golden goose” by sapping our health and/or losing our passion. Jesse and his wife Erin have noticed that it can be particularly […]
Ruth Blatt has a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from the University of Michigan and taught Entrepreneurship to MBAs at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She has been writing about the social science behind rock n’ roll music and interviewing dozens of bands, managers, and other industry professionals for a book about teamwork lessons […]
Nearly two decades ago, Clayton Christiansen changed the way large companies thought about strategy and innovation with his book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Now, Larry Downes and Paul Nunes say it has all changed again. Larry Downes is a research fellow at the Accenture Institute for High Performance. His brand-new book, co-authored with Paul Nunes, is Big […]
What used to work for leaders in the past is no longer as effective today. Today’s workforce is more diverse, with more women and more ethnicities represented. New technologies make information accessible to everyone. And globalization means greater competition and opportunities. As a result, the leaders who are producing the best business results are now […]
Command-and-control leadership doesn’t work anymore — especially when it boils down to manipulating others for your own benefit. In the 21st century, great leaders strive to influence others for their good. True influence requires leaders to give themselves away. What is the major obstacle for effective leadership? Self-preservation. Jeremie Kubicek is a Founder of the […]
Since the 1980s, there’s been constant discussion about the difference between a manager and a leader. The basic distinction has been: Manager: Works through people to get things done. Leader: Sets direction and inspires people to get the RIGHT things done. Both are needed, but the consistent message has been that a great leader – […]
Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is president of Creative Energy Options (CEO). With a doctorate in clinical psychology, Sylvia has taught at Hahnemann University and has more than 30 years’ experience applying her expertise in human behavior and relationships to organizational environments. She is a highly regarded executive coach and leadership educator, having worked with all levels […]
In the early 90s, the Iron Curtain fell. More people started using the Internet, and then the Web. The world was becoming smaller, more diverse, and more connected. Market conditions changed more quickly, and became more complex and harder to predict. Also, information was no longer the domain of the corporate brass; everyone in the […]
Great influencers — whether CEOs, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, clergy, parents, teachers, etc. — seem to have a knack for getting the results they want from people, but in a way that everyone is happy. And, these leaders are persuasive in the most positive and benevolent sense of the word. Bob Burg, best-known as coauthor of […]
If you are a CEO or if you been working in corporate America, you probably have had some involvement with the Board of Directors – either advising them or being advised by them. If you already serve on a Board of Directors, do you think you’re really making an impact? Is your involvement making a […]
In the past, leaders who made fast decisions inspired confidence and often produced excellent results. In today’s more complex, rapidly changing environment, great leaders use and encourage a different skill that Jesse calls “flexible thinking.” Flexible thinking is a leadership secret uncovered by David Burnham and other researchers at the firm Burnham Rosen, through studies involving […]
Creativity is the starting point for all innovation, and most organizations rely on innovation to create a competitive advantage. Innovation is necessary for the successful development and implementation of new programs or better products. Because of this, leaders of organizations in all industries are asking more questions about creativity. Where does it come from? How […]
Starbucks has become one of the best-loved and trusted brands in the world. It’s recognized as being one of the world’s most effectively led and admired companies. And yet, a few years ago, it seemed they had lost their way … the customer experience had become mediocre, and they had to close hundreds of stores. […]
Some leaders have it tougher than others. Maybe you have it easier, where the vision is popular and its mostly a matter of keeping everyone focused on getting there. But what if to reach your vision, you have to paddle upstream … and not only that, you need to persuade an entire armada that the […]
Jesse’s guest today is Tom Rath, a name that will be familiar to most of our listeners. Tom is a senior scientist and adviser at Gallup, where he has been helping people and organizations reach their potential. His books have sold more than 5 million copies, led by the huge bestseller How Full Is Your […]
One of Jesse’s favorite topics is how business can be a force for good in our world. That’s why this episode focuses on the amazing story of a startup business in what some would call an oversaturated market … bottled ice tea. This is the story of Honest Tea, the company that took on Snapple […]
Todd Henry is the founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, where he helps teams and creatives be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks at companies and conferences about how to build practices that lead to better ideas. His first book was Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice, which examined the […]
Did you ever think “I wish my direct reports or co-workers would stop with their sob stories?” “I can’t listen to one more complaint,” or “Why can’t they just do their jobs and go home?” Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is the President of Creative Energy Options (CEO). With a doctorate in clinical psychology, Sylvia has taught […]
Confidence inspires, attracts, excites and ignites. And yet, confidence without humility can significantly limit a leader’s effectiveness — and even can be dangerous. Truly confident leaders are secure enough to embrace and share their humility. In the long run, their humility makes them stronger. To discuss how leaders can be confident and humble, and how […]
As leaders, we’re often asking people to go into uncharted territory with us. Twenty years ago, Amazon didn’t exist … today it is the most trusted company in the world. To accomplish that, Jeff Bezos is constantly leading his team into new adventures. What can we learn from the leadership of America’s greatest explorers, Lewis […]
Who would you say has had the most influence over people in the last several decades? Politicians? Teachers? CEOs? Perhaps Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment industry have had the most significant impact on a greater number of people. Consider this: After Jaws hit theaters in 1975, shark hunting increased dramatically, to the point […]
You and your team likely have ideas from time to time that you think would make a difference in the world. But how do you get your important ideas to spread, to engage a larger audience to see them, act on them, and even join a community around that experience? Perhaps more challenging, how do […]
Most of us don’t have the luxury of only being leaders … we need to get work done personally as well as through other people. And whether we are getting things done ourselves or through other people, we need to maximize productivity. Erik Fisher is the host of Beyond the To-Do List, a hugely popular […]
As the legendary Peter Drucker observed, nearly all leadership and management challenges come back to breakdowns in communication. Effective leaders think about what is important and about how to communicate that. They deliver a clear message that outlines their expectations and specifies the requirements for effective performance. Based on how people perform, the leader needs […]
Deep, long-term business relationships can be extremely valuable. Yet most people seem much more focused on getting a high quantity of customers or other relationships, even if they are low-quality, short-term relationships. David J. Soler is an expert on the topic of relationship marketing and sales. He is the host of the top-rated “Relationship Marketing […]
Despite the hype, several experts insist that gamification — using game inspired-tactics to engage people — can be a powerful strategy for behavioral change and worker productivity. Elise Olding, a Research Director at the tech research firm Gartner, has predicted that by 2015, 40% of Global 1000 organizations will use gamification as the primary mechanism […]
Building a personal brand is essential to becoming a leader worth following. It allows people to see style of your leadership and more importantly the quality of results they can expect from you. But how do you build a personal brand in a responsible way that isn’t simply self-promotion? Our guest on this episode is […]
In the landmark book Good to Great, Jim Collins studies what drives average companies to take a quantum leap and become extraordinary. He concludes that a crucial component of greatness is leaders with a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. These leaders, whom Collins calls “Level 5,” channel their ego ambition away from […]
If you had one brief moment to tell the young people of today something important, what would you say? Of all the things you could say to a young leader, what could you say that might have life-long impact? Jesse recently gave a short commencement address at his oldest son’s high school graduation. He spoke […]
“Advertising is the tax you pay for not being remarkable.” – Seth Godin But how do you make sure your business is remarkable — one worth talking about in a positive way? There are just too many examples of organizations that are mediocre, or worse: their people are doing things that cause customers to go […]
Richard Boyatzis is a Professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of more than 150 articles on leadership, competencies, emotional intelligence, competency development, coaching, and management education. He was ranked #9 Most Influential International Thinkers by an 11,000 HR Director Survey in […]
Google recently moved into the No. 3 position among the world’s most valuable companies. Google has been said to have the world’s only truly data-driven HR function, and they call it “people analytics.” One of the data-driven tools that Google uses is Social Sensing Technology, which is showing conclusive evidence that slight changes in behavior, […]
How do you avoid mediocrity and apathy in the team you lead? At many companies today, innovation is the rallying cry, but bunting for singles is the everyday ethic. So how can you lead a team to be truly innovative? How can you inspire innovation, even from employees who aren’t in R&D? And how can […]
Not so long ago, power within organizations emanated from the commands of top executives. But as we’ve discussed in several episodes of Engaging Leader, more leaders today recognize that driving their team in a traditional command-and-control manner doesn’t work anymore. So does that also mean that old models of top-down corporate communication don’t work either? […]
Gamification is the use of game-design techniques to engage people. For example, products like FitBit and Nike+ have turned physical fitness into a social video game. Over the last couple of years it has become one of today’s hottest trends in business, at companies of all sizes in pretty much all industries. But what is […]
How do you inspire people to take action toward a shared goal? To answer that question, we welcome back Terry Pearce, author of Leading Out Loud: A Guide for Engaging Others in Creating the Future. This is the bestselling guide to authentic leadership communication, and the newest edition of this book hit bookstores earlier this […]
Are you consistently able to influence people to take action? Do people trust what you say and follow your recommendations? When you speak, do people pay attention or do they start to check their iPhones? If you don’t have the impact you’d like, you probably need to improve your face-to-face communication skills, whether you are […]
Do you connect deeply with others? Do you inspire people? Do you leave a lasting impression? Beyond strategy, beyond business expertise – what people ultimately respond to is YOU. Your energy. Your vision. Your ability to move hearts and souls. To help us expand our leadership influence, our guest is Achim Nowak. He is the […]
Well, you’ve made it to the C-Suite because of your expertise, but do you have the people skills to be successful with the CEO, CFO, and other executives? How can you create presence that influences others to perceive you as a strategic thinker, a heavy hitter, an adept leader? In short, how do you communicate […]
Is it true that communication is the most essential leadership skill? And if so, what are the biggest keys to leadership communication? To address that, our guest today is Terry Pearce, author of Leading Out Loud: A Guide for Engaging Others in Creating the Future. This is the bestselling guide to authentic leadership communication, and […]
Lessons from the South Pole, Part 2: Ernest Shackleton For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organisation, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me […]
Lessons from the South Pole, Part 1: Roald Amundsen vs. Robert Scott Most people want to be on the winning team and follow a leader that’s winning. Many think those leaders just have good luck, but are they truly luckier than other leaders? Roald Amundsen, who led his team to be the first explorers to […]
David Burnham has been a researcher for over 40 years on superior leadership in industry, academia, and governments around the world. He was one of the first thought leaders who called for a new style of leadership, including the necessity of emotional intelligence (EQ). The rest of the world eventually picked up the message about […]
In this episode, Jesse and Marty discuss how helpful it is to understand the four DISC personality profiles or temperaments: Dominant Influencing Steady Conscientious However, it’s often difficult to remember what the four profiles mean, to identify which of the four profiles is most applicable to someone you know, and sometimes even to know which […]
Todd Henry is the founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, where he helps teams and creatives be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks at companies and conferences about how to build practices that lead to better ideas. In his book Accidental Creative, Todd examines the creative process and provides strategies to maximize your creativity […]
Before any communication or engagement, it’s important to begin with the end in mind. Create a clear understanding in your mind of the outcome you desire. Then, plan the objectives and tactics that will help you achieve that outcome. This will keep your communication focused, rather than cluttered with a multitude of messages competing to […]
In this episode, Jesse talks about how to improve your presentations and public speaking skills, and how that can help you be a leader whom other people think is worth following. Jesse is joined by Kent Julian, who is a speaking coach that delivers speeches to thousands of students, educators, and business professionals all across […]
In the second part of Jesse’s two-part special on True Fans, he explores methods of HOW to build True Fans. Although this may sound like only a marketing topic, it’s truly about leaders – doing what’s right both for your team and for your career. First, if you lead a team at work, you need […]
How do you get more customers? In the Connected Economy, that’s actually the wrong question. Instead, we need to ask how to build relationships and a community of True Fans. People matter most, and the quality of relationships is more important than the quantity of relationships. In the first part, Jesse explains WHAT the True […]
Our guest on this episode is Steve Hanley, co-founder and portfolio manager for investment services firm Camelot Portfolios. After several years of steady growth, Camelot has been growing rapidly the last few years. Although Steve has long been a student of leadership principles, leading their rapidly growing team has meant that Steve has been finding […]
Messages drive thoughts, which drive actions, which drive results. To get the outcome you want, many leaders start with training certain actions or behaviors to their people. But researchers at Burnham Rosen Group have discovered that it’s more effective to train people to think differently, because the right thoughts will lead to the right actions. […]
In this episode, Jesse gets tactical and explores a specific method of engaging with external audiences such as customers, as well as with internal audiences such as employees. His special guests for this episode are two pioneers of podcasting: Cliff Ravenscraft: Cliff has been podcasting since 2005, and as the Podcast Answer Man he has […]
In this episode, Jesse and Marty answer an important question from a listener. “I’ve heard what thought leaders like Jim Collins and Patrick Lencioni have to say,” Steve asks, “but it just seems like theory when I think about how to apply it to our team. What practical things can we do today to develop […]
In this episode Jesse is joined again by BlessingWhite CEO Christopher Rice for the second part of their two-part interview on employee engagement. This time Chris and Jesse focus on how as a leader you can inspire your team to be more engaged and have more great days at work. Chris shares his C.A.R.E. method […]
Christopher Rice is the President and CEO of global consulting firm BlessingWhite, which helps create high-performance cultures that drive results and reinforce organizational values. Chris has been recognized in each of the last two years as a “Top 100” thought leader by Leadership Excellence. In the first part of the two-part interview, Jesse and Chris […]
In the second part of the two-part Engaging Lincoln series, Jesse and Marty continue their analysis of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership by exploring the techniques he used to be a truly extraordinary communicator. Lincoln’s communication skills were central to his ability to lead a divided nation and to engage a divided people. Using Lincoln as a […]
This is the first of a two-part series examining the leadership of one of the top-two greatest presidents in U.S. history, Abraham Lincoln. Jesse and Marty discuss the leadership principles followed by Lincoln during the Civil War to engage a severely divided nation. Lincoln may have been a genius, but nearly anyone can use these […]
Guest Megan Burns is a consultant, speaker, & managing director of Operations Strategy Consulting. She has more than 15 years of industrial engineering and supply chain management experience. A certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Megan has worked with companies throughout North America and in 14 different countries. In this episode, Jesse and Megan discuss continuous […]
Jesse and Marty discuss five common mistakes leaders make that steal most people’s intrinsic motivation to be fully engaged in their work. These are not simply based on opinion; the five points are based on decades of empirical research with hundreds of thousands of people by Burnham Rosen Group: 1. Make all decisions yourself (To […]
In this episode, Jesse is joined by the host of the Communication Diva podcast as well as author of the e-book How to Be Professional in the Workplace, Jenn Swanson. Jenn teaches Human Relation Skills at the college-level part-time, and the other part of the time she works with high-school students in youth ministry. So […]
Guest Bob Kelleher is an award winning speaker and author on employee engagement, workforce trends, and leadership. Bob’s first book, Louder Than Words: 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps that Drive Results, has been one of the world’s best selling employee engagement books since its release in 2010. His second book, Creativeship: A Novel For Evolving […]
Tom Henschel is the president of Essential Communications, an executive development firm. Tom has been an executive coach for 20 years and for the last seven years he has also hosted the popular podcast The Look & Sound of Leadership™, a series of executive coaching tips designed to help you be perceived the way you […]
In this episode, Jesse’s cohost is Marty Lahey, who is not only his father but is also accomplished in the business world. Marty has an MBA, spent many years in leadership roles at a Fortune 500 company, has been CFO of several organizations, and 10 years ago he started up a restaurant and catering business […]
Authenticity has become a buzzword. Everyone seems to know that a leader needs to be authentic in order to engage employees and other stakeholders, but what does that really mean? Authenticity. It sounds simple and easy. But it’s not. To explore the deceivingly simple topic of authenticity, Jesse is joined by special guest Dave Stachowiak, […]
In episode 006, Jesse outlined the three primary motives — Achievement, Affiliation, and Impact. He shared that for any leader or influential person, Impact is the most powerful motive. In this episode, Jesse explores the question, is it enough to have Impact thought patterns? The answer is that it used to be, but research has […]
In this episode, Jesse is joined by Helio Fred Garcia, author of three books on communication. His most recent book, The Power of Communication: Skills to Build, Trust, Inspire Loyalty, and Lead Effectively, published in spring 2012. For more than 30 years Fred has been a coach, counselor, teacher, writer, and speaker whose clients include […]
In studying hundreds of thousands of people from countries around the world, researchers at Burnham Rosen Group discovered that of the 300 positive motives that influence people’s behavior, 80% of all people are driven by some combination of just three motives. And more than 9 out of 10 white-collar professionals are internally motivated by the […]
How would you drive culture change to support a fundamental strategic shift in the company? How do you respond to a growing “talent gap,” with early and mid-year associates leaving for opportunities in industries less affected by the recession? And how do you do all this with limited resources and budget? For one company, an […]
Empathy is an important concept that many leaders do not fully understand the significance of. In this episode, Jesse discusses why empathy is important in learning to lead and engage people, and he explains key skills to hone your sense of empathy: Curiosity Active Listening Repeating and Paraphrasing Imagination Open-Mindedness Vulnerability Self-Awareness Sensitivity to Others’ […]
The natural tendency for many leaders when facing a communication issue is to skip critical planning steps and jump right into tactics. Unfortunately, by not being strategic, leaders can miss opportunities to more effectively engage employees or others – or worse, actually produce unintended negative consequences. In this episode, Jesse shares a five-step process for […]
In this episode, Jesse explains what it means to engage employees and why it is important for leaders to engage the people around them. He outlines the 6 Cs of Engagement and shares personal stories of applying these principles in the workplace: Context (Why) Clarity (Vision) Credibility (Trustworthiness) Caring (Well-Being) Connecting (Relationship) Coaching (Personal/Career Development) […]
In this episode, Jesse discusses Stephen Covey’s famous Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the importance of putting these habits into practice in order to become an effective leader. Jesse shares stories that illustrate how to apply business principles based on the seven habits to engage employees and increase your effectiveness as a leader: Be […]