Frikeando.es: Recent Episodes
TheBossShow
After eight years on air and in podcast, The Boss Show hangs up its jersey (even though Jim hates sports metaphors). Jim and Steve reflect on eight years of building an audio jigsaw puzzle of enlightened leadership and work relationships. And finally, they explain “Rule #6.” To stay in touch with The Boss Show guys, visit PathForwardLeadership.com and LeadingBeyondEgo.com.
When things go wrong at work, what do we tend to do? Blame someone. That’s what the bad leader does, anyway. The good leader asks, “What’s going on here that allowed failure to happen? Are we setting people up for success? Does my team have the right resources, support, training, and processes? And are we consulting with the people who are actually doing the work?”
Ever made macaroni and cheese? You know a good recipe helps. And using that recipe as a foundation, but exercising creativity on top of it, is the key to success. The workplace isn’t much different from macaroni & cheese. So if you want to have influence – want to be a leader – you have to care about processes.
Last week, Steve & Jim explored how “ego” is the #1 obstacle to success and satisfaction in the workplace. This week: what does a “beyond ego” workplace look like? How does a “beyond ego” leader interact with coworkers? Steve offers a vision – a vision he’ll guide participants toward in a nine-week online course he’s launching on March 11 – “Leading Beyond Ego” (leadingbeyondego.com).
Ego. As in “his enormous ego” or “her fragile ego.” As in, “She’s a control freak” or “I’m afraid to talk to my boss.” Ego – the #1 obstacle to success and satisfaction in the workplace. You can’t eradicate it, since it exists for a critical purpose – self-protection. But when old ego strategies have outlived their usefulness, but are still conditioned into our workplace behavior, we CAN choose differently …
In the 2nd of two parts, Jim & Steve lay out "The Contract" – their model that defines what to pay attention to in order to increase accountability in your team or organization. And remember, "accountability" is simply about doing what you say you're going to do. If you're not maximizing your accountability, why even do what you're doing?
Accountability. Getting done what you say you’re going to do. To truly live up to your potential, you have to maximize your accountability. But how? It’s a process. It can be taught. And it builds on a foundation that Jim & Steve lay out in the first of a two-parter on building high accountability employees, teams, and organizations.
What are the six most important words a boss can say? How about the five most important words? The four … ? Jim & Steve, in a vain attempt to distill leadership to its essence, play this game – and of course it all boils down to one word … which word would be yours?
The hilarious debut novel by Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss, “B.S. Incorporated” skewers American corporate life and the evil consultants companies hire. Having worked in “truth is stranger than fiction” corporate situations, Rock and Voss tell the story of an office copier company that falls on hard times, and the bizarre array of characters who try to salvage it.
Ever been part of a great team? Where you voluntarily defer your own desires for something larger than you – and the surrender makes you feel more rather than less significant? Might have happened in the military, or a family project, or a sports team. How do you infuse that inspirational team energy into your workplace?
Ever been part of a great team? Where you voluntarily defer your own desires for something larger than you – and the surrender makes you feel more rather than less significant? Might have happened in the military, or a family project, or a sports team. How do you infuse that inspirational team energy into your workplace?
Remember the 7 deadly sins from early Christian teachings? Gold star if you get more than three; pretty sure “gluttony” was one. Anyway, Jim offers a list of The 7 Deadly Sins of a Leader – things that bosses do to make your workplace hell on earth. If your boss does any of them, forward this episode along. Maybe s/he’ll take the hint.
In Part 2: Your dog might understand your communication better than your coworkers. Because your body language and vocal tone drive what others “hear” way more than your words do. And when YOU listen, is the voice of your internal monologue louder than the others’ words? So … want to communicate like a leader? There’s work to be done.
Leaders spend two-thirds of their day communicating. So if you want to develop as a leader, or advance your career, communication is the thing to work on. But when we talk about “great communicators,” we usually focused on only one of the three critical elements of effective communication. How do you know how good a communicator you are?
We EXPECT our leaders to be supportive – compassionate, understanding, great listeners. But we don’t often expect leaders to effectively CHALLENGE others at work. And yet if we don’t, what we get is passive, fear-based acceptance of mediocrity. In Part 2 of an exploration of workplace relationships, Jim & Steve explore “roles with backbone.”
Talking gender in the workplace can be a “third rail.” Do men have anything to contribute to women who want to maximize their workplace potential (even though they can’t walk in their moccasins)? Jim & Steve chime in on the recent Google blow-up about sexism there and in the industry and ask, How do you know if you’re sexist?
At work as in life, it’s ALL about relationships. If you want to have influence on others, if you want to leave a positive legacy, then you have to show up in relationship. And certain kinds of relationship are key. In Part 1 of 2, Jim & Steve discuss “roles with heart.” Next week: roles with backbone.
Everyone wants more influence – whether over your kids, your spouse, your boss, the world. But what IS influence anyway? Think of it in two parts: (1) fostering understanding (of your point of view), and (2) motivating others toward action. Jim and Steve explore the 7 P’s of effective influence, from their book Land On Your Feet, Not On Your Face.
Influence: the best one-word synonym for leadership. But it’s a soft term – how do you make it practical? What resources do you need, internal and external, to develop the influence you need to maximize your potential? … Also, can anger be useful? or is it only a destructive force to be transcended?
How much silence can you tolerate? You’re in a 1-on-1 with a coworker – what percentage of the time spent together is in silence? Americans are unique in the level of their discomfort around silence. Why is it so uncomfortable? And what is the power in silence that demands we get over our discomfort?