Coaching For Leaders

Robbie Samuels: Croissants vs. Bagels Robbie Samuels has been recognized as a networking expert by Inc. and Lifehacker, and is the author of Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences.* He’s a member of the National Speakers Association and has been speaking on the topic of inclusive networking for over a decade. He also hosts the On the Schmooze podcast. Key Points If you’re brand new to a conference, scan the floor and look for welcoming people. If you don’t see anyone, get in a line somewhere to meet people. If you’re a regular at the conference, think of yourself as a host. A lot of networking success is about preparation. When you go into a session early, don’t just hop on your phone. Talk to people. When a line forms to talk to a speaker, work the line. It’s a great opportunity for networking. Organizing a networking event at a conference is a great way to meet people. Resources Mentioned 10 Tips for Conference Connections Croissants vs. Bagel

Cameron Herold: Vivid Vision Cameron Herold is the founder of the COO Alliance and the author of several books including Meetings Suck* and The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs*, co-authored with Hal Elrod. His new book is Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future*. Key Points If you don’t have a good idea of where you want to be going, opportunities could pull you away from what you should be doing. When you’re clear on your direction, you’ll be able to say yes to the right opportunities and no to the wrong opportunities. Most leaders have a vision but they just don’t communicate it clearly. A Vivid Vision is a 4-5 page statement, written in the present tense, about where you see your company in three years. Create a vivid vision for the whole company and individual ones for each business area. Dream up what you’re looking to build and then put together the team and resources to help you do it. Just focus on what you want to do, don’t worr

Celeste Headlee: We Need to Talk Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist who has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She hosts a daily talk show called “On Second Thought” for Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta. She’s the author of the book We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter*. Key Points Dysfunctional conversations (especially about politics) are nothing new. What is new is how virtually every decision we make has been politicized. When in a conversation, let go of the burden of trying to convince someone of something. Listen to someone to hear their perspective rather than only waiting to hear what they say just so you can refute it. When you’re trying to take in information, you cannot also be holding an agenda. If you don’t know an answer, don’t try to hide it. Just say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” People have less empathy towards others than they used to. It’s possible to find something in common with almost anyon

Jordan Harbinger: The Jordan Harbinger Show Jordan Harbinger is the critically acclaimed host of The Jordan Harbinger Show. He interviews legendary musicians to intelligence operatives, iconoclastic writers to visionary change-makers. Then he deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people and challenges his audience to use those insights in their own lives. Key Points Leaders must be advocates for their team. Charming a superior is typically only good for short-term gains, whereas advocating for your team will lay a foundation for future success. Research people you’re nervous about meeting, and the more you learn, the more you’ll begin to see they’re just normal people. If you’re running a meeting, people want you to set the agenda and control the flow. When there is a power distance, do whatever you can to make the distance feel smaller. Research the person you’re going to meet with and find something you have in common. This is a way to reach out to them and make you stand out. Reso

Brenda Bernstein: How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile Brenda Bernstein is the Founder and Senior Editor at The Essay Expert and the author of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile*, a book that held the #1 best-seller spot in Amazon’s business writing skills list for 2 years. Key Points When you connect with someone, personalize the message. Alumni are a great resource for connections. Write useful and educational articles and share them in LinkedIn groups. LinkedIn has a very high ranking in Google, so your profile might be the first thing that shows up in search results. Recruiters often look at people’s profiles to determine how much they contribute to the community. If people connect with you on LinkedIn, you can also offer to them to join your newsletter. LinkedIn is a social network, not just a place to put up your resume and never look at it again. Resources Mentioned How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile…And 18 Mistakes to Avoid* by Brenda Bernstein How to Write a Stellar Exe

Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership Tom Henschel of Essential Communications grooms senior leaders and executive teams. An internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace communications and self-presentation, he has helped thousands of leaders achieve excellence through his work as an executive coach and his top-rated podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership. In this conversation, Tom shares the strategies he uses to help executive leaders benefit from 360 degree feedback. You will discover the right mindset to enter into, effective ways to process 360 degree feedback, and what to do going forward. Key Points A 360 gives you feedback from people above you, your peers, and people below you. 360s can be career transformative. A 360 almost always goes alongside coaching. 360s are not a performance management tool. If 360s are not done well, they can become dangerous and people are very cautious giving real feedback. Don’t try to figure out who said what. Instead, focus on the ov

Liz Wiseman: Rookie Smarts Liz Wiseman is listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and named as one of the top 10 leadership thinkers in the world and recipient of the 2016 ATD Champion of Talent Award. She is the author of three best-selling books, including Multipliers* and Rookie Smarts*. Key Points When we’re outside of our area of expertise, we have a leaner’s advantage that helps us think outside the box. When veterans look at tough situations, they look inside. Rookies look to the outside, which often makes them more flexible and creative. It’s more critical to be able to access what’s in other people’s heads than to keep everything in your own. In today’s fast-paced world, we’re constantly doing things that have no precedent. In this environment, it’s better to be a quick learner than to try to know everything. When we make mistakes but admit and then fix them, we end up with even happier customers and stakeholders. It’s good for you to say yes to things you don’t totally know how to do because i

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Questions from listeners Craig asked about how to influence his organization to restart events that were previously helpful but have been abandoned. Marlon asked if it’s appropriate to consider leadership development as a focus for the workplace or only during your personal time. Robin asked for a recommendation on a certification or training that would help position her for a next step in adult career and talent development. Eric was curious about options for accredited, leadership development certificates at lower cost. Resources Mentioned Teaching in Higher Ed Association for Talent Development The 12 Week Year* by Brian Moran and Michael

Kristen Hadeed: Permission to Screw Up Kristen Hadeed is the founder and CEO of Student Maid, a successful cleaning company that hires college students. She is the author of the book Permission To Screw Up*, in which she tells the stories of her biggest mistakes in leadership. Key Points The best thing you can do when you screw up is to admit it—and then people will start trusting you. Failure is the best way to learn. If you never admit to your failures, people start to think you’re hiding something and begin to lose trust. By admitting your mistakes, you give everyone else the permission to admit theirs. Resources Mentioned Permission To Screw Up* by Kristen Hadeed If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules* by Cherie Carter-Scott Book Notes Download my highlights from Permission to Screw Up in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How To Lead The Millennials, with Chip Espinoza (episode 158) The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier 

Morten Hansen: Great at Work Morten Hansen is a management professor at University of California, Berkeley. He is the coauthor with Jim Collins of the New York Times bestseller Great by Choice and the author of the new book Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More*. Key Points The Six Tactics: Carve out the 15 Chunk it Measure the soft Get feedback Dig the dip Confront the stall point Other Points: Focus on one skill you want to prove. Meetings should only be for debate, not status updates. Having a coach is great, but often you can coach yourself if you only focus on one thing at a time. Resources Mentioned Great at Work* by Morten Hansen Great by Choice* by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen Book Notes Download my highlights from Great at Work in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes CFL31: Five Effective Ways to Train the People You Lead (episode 31) CFL157: Why It’s Essential To Struggle With Learning (episode 157) CFL181:

Edith Eger: The Choice Edith Eger is one of the few living Holocaust survivors to remember the horrors of the camps. Today, at 90 years old, Edie is a renowned psychologist and speaker who specializes in treating patients with traumatic stress disorders. She is author of the recently published book, The Choice: Embrace the Possible*. Key Points It’s not what happens in life, it’s what we do with it. The power we have is to choose to respond, not react. Sometimes seemingly insignificant worries are emblematic of greater pain. If you hate a person, they don’t suffer — you do. There’s nothing wrong with anger, it’s how you channel it. Underneath anger is a lot of pain. Resources Mentioned The Choice: Embrace the Possible* by Edith Eger Man’s Search for Meaning* by Viktor E. Frankl Book Notes Download my highlights from The Choice in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Everyday People, Extraordinary Leaders: Olivia Klaus (episode 103) Things Mentally Strong People Don’

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Questions Lindsay asked about coaching new leaders to give feedback to former peers. Meena asked about how to find her motivation during a difficult time. Lana asked about software to track development plans online. Stefanie asked about using assessments to uncover blind spots effectively. Williams wondered how to end a successful leadership position well. Resources Mentioned Analyzing Performance Problems* by Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe On the folly of rewarding A while expecting B by Steven Kerr How to Stop Worrying and Start Living* by Dale Carnegie Getting Things Done* by David Allen The Five Dysfunctions of a Team* by

Neil Pasricha: The Happiness Equation Neil Pasricha is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business. He leads The Institute for Global Happiness. Neil has written five New York Times and #1 international bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome*, Awesome is Everywhere*, and The Happiness Equation*. His books have been on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold millions of copies. Key Points Retirement can be a shock for people, but having a sense of purpose makes it much easier to handle. We need to take the stigma off demotions, because for some people it’s a better match to their stage of life. As people get older, they work less. It shouldn’t be a shame for them to earn less. Social media solutions: No screens in the first or last hour of day. Put your charger as far away from your bedroom as possible. Turn off notifications on your phone, or put yo

Greg Hall: Fix Your System Greg Hall has 20 years experience as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Director of Data Analytics for a Fortune 500 company. He coaches business owners and executives to capture personal data analytics to achieve goals and reduce the stress that comes from sustained productivity. Key Points The more data we can bring to a problem, the better we’re able to see the solution. “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” Before jumping into a problem you need to invest time to gather information about it. An easy way to start with personal data analytics is to just write down the time and the activity. And when you switch activities, update the record. You can’t create a budget if you don’t know how much you’re spending. It’s the same thing with planning: how can you plan if you don’t where you’re spending your time. First, assess how much work you have. Then, honestly ask yourself how much capacity for work you have. The hard work of fixing a problem is defining it wel

Daniel Pink: When Daniel Pink has been listed by Thinkers50 as one of the top business thinkers in the world. His works include New York Times bestsellers, A Whole New Mind*, Drive*, To Sell is Human* and his new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing*. Key Points Naps boost productivity, but they should be no more than around 20 minutes long. Regular nappers get more benefit from naps than occasional nappers. We don’t treat breaks with enough seriousness. We do better on certain types of tasks at certain times of day. Peak - Do heavy analytical work in the morning. Trough - Do easier administrative work in the early afternoon. Recovery - Do work that requires insight in the late afternoon and evening. Ways to make the most of project midpoints when motivating teams: Recognize midpoints. Use midpoints to fire up your team. Let you team know they are slightly behind when they hit the midpoint. Resources Mentioned Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us* by D

Tim Stringer: Learn OmniFocus Tim Stringer of Technically Simple is one of the world’s leading experts on using task management systems and is the founder of Learn OmniFocus*, the premier site for teaching OmniFocus users how to be as productive as possible. Key Points In general, keep the planning and working tasks separate. By planning first, it’s much easier to be productive when you go into worker mode. Your task management system should collect your whens, your whats, and your ideas. Make your task management system a sacred space. Use due dates only when there is a consequence for not finishing something by that date. Focus on only doing a few important tasks first, then move on to the rest of the tasks. A morning and evening review will help you stay on top of your system. Common mistakes: Putting too much into your task management system, overusing due dates, and tasks that aren’t immediately actionable. Resources Mentioned Getting Things Done* by David Allen ToDoist OmniFocus

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Questions Katrina asked about the how to get better at influencing and relationships in her leadership development. Sara asked about how to be proactive in conversations with an employee who is retiring. Zubair wondered about a low-cost way to set up a 360-degree feedback for a leadership team. Isaac is thinking about work-life balance early in his career and wanted our input. Resources Mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie MBTI StrengthsFinder (now known as CliftonStrengths) DiSC The Empowered Manager* by Peter Block Related Episodes How to Lead a 100-Year Life, with Lynda Gratton (episode 266

Chip Heath: The Power of Moments Chip Heath is the co-author, along with his brother Dan Heath, of three bestselling books including Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life*, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard*, and Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die*. Their new book is The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact*. Key Points Very few people have a great first day at work. Transitions matter to people. Creating meaning is something we don’t do nearly enough. Good change efforts are elegantly simple. “Frankly, there isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story.” -Fred Rogers Resources Mentioned The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die ep

Peter Block: The Empowered Manager Peter Block is an author, consultant, and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used*, Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest*, and The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work*. Key Points We become “political” at the moment we attempt to translate our vision into action. Leadership is the capacity to initiate an alternative future. Most organizations are conflict-averse. Being “political” wasn’t always a bad thing. The meaning has been distorted. Pursue your interests but in a way that honors the interests of others. Power comes from a willingness to be vulnerable. When you’re vulnerable, all you’re doing is acknowledging what the world already knows. As soon as people start complaining, they’ve chosen helplessness. When we have

Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority Jonathan Raymond is the founder of Refound, where he and his team work with organizations to create a company culture based in personal growth. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. Key Points We have to shift our mindset from our intentions to our impacts. Influential or powerful people tend to get away with worse behavior. High performers get away with bad behavior because people are afraid of reducing their performance. But leaders often only look at the revenue high performers bring in without looking at what their bad behavior costs the company in the big picture. Personal and professional growth are the same thing. Instead of focusing on how to grow someone’s career over a ten-year span, think about what you can do in one year. Resources Mentioned Difficult Conversations* by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For* by Jonathan