Taking Care of Your Business

”When I’m Listened To, I Can Hear Myself Think”

I recently heard someone describe what it felt like to with their Vistage Chair, who is a great listener. She said, "when my Chair listens to me, I can hear myself think." What a great gift listening is, when it enables the other to hear themselves think. And sometimes that's all they need. I recently came across an article in the Harvard Business Review about the power of listening to inspire people to WANT to make the changes they know they NEED to make. This podcast shares simple, practical ideas for leaders to tap more into the power of listening than telling.

Magnetic Leaders

When I first met Bob, a guy who worked at one of my former companies, I was completely underwhelmed. Over time, I came to understand Bob's super power: people were drawn to him, and wanted to follow him. Magnetic leaders are not always charismatic, but they are really good listeners and communicators. They have an ability to flex their management style, to modify it, because they recognize that in leadership one size does not fit all. They know how to tune into people's values and motivations, to understand what makes them tick. In this podcast learn more about what I learned from a guy named Bob.

Three Tensions Leaders Must Manage

I recently came across an article from SpencerStuart that captured an important dimension of leadership during these times of uncertainty and complexity. And what resonated with me was the idea that leaders need to manage three key tensions to be effective: optimism vs. realism; push vs. pull; and fast vs. slow. The best leaders are nimble as they navigate these tensions, but that's easier said than done. The art of leadership requires: balancing optimism and realism; recognizing when to push team members and when to pull them along; and recognizing when to go fast and when to go slow.
#executivecoaching, #leadershipdevelopment, #businessconsulting, #changemanagement, #teambuilding, #spencerstuart

Seeing Ourselves As Others Do

A business owner colleague of mine said something recently that stopped me in my tracks. "I saw myself as others do. And it blew me away!" My friend had just received feedback about his leadership from an unexpected place, and it opened a window that illuminated something he'd never seen before. This podcast discusses three practical steps to help you identify your blindspots, which are things about us which are obvious to others, but which we are unable to see. The great thing about discovering our blind spots as leaders is that it's a powerful catalyst for growth.

The Business of Making Decisions

Leaders are in the business of making decisions. And for the ones that require team members to support the decision, and implement it, the best leaders take the time to get buy-in. They recognize that sometimes you have to go slow, in order to go fast. In this podcast you'll learn about five decision-making models, and things to keep in mind for each of them. Leaders need to develop their capabilities to use all of these models effectively, as circumstances require. Send me a message on Linked In, if you'd like the description of the five models.

What You Can and Can’t Control

I spend a lot of time behind closed doors talking with people who lead organizations about their biggest challenges and opportunities. There's a common theme in the background of many of these conversations: "what's within my control, and what's not?" In this podcast we talk about both, so that we can focus our precious time and attention on the things that really matter. At the top of the list of things within our control is the stories we tell ourselves.

Self-Awareness

I recently came across research from the Harvard Business Review which reported that while 95% of people think they are self-aware, only 10 - 15% actually are. Evidently there are a whole bunch of people out there who are not aware, that they are not aware! Why does this matter? Because poor self-awareness is corrosive to performance, trust and teamwork. In this podcast you'll learn some of the most common behaviors of people who have high self-awareness, and how those behaviors can transform an organization. And you'll also learn some simple things leaders can do to cultivate self-awareness in themselves and their organizations.

Duke Ellington and Leadership

At a time when CEOs and Owners are looking for talent, and seeking to grow new leaders for their organizations, Duke Ellington offers an important leadership lesson. "The Duke" was one of the best jazz musicians there ever was. And he had a very particular way of bringing people together, nurturing their talent and being incredibly productive, composing1000 pieces of music over the span of 50 years. He had a knack for motivating people to take his music and make it their own, creating something new.

Clarity, Confidence and Creativity for Leaders

Vistage Chair, Jeff Oak, interviews internationally recognized speaker, author and leadership consultant, Dr. Bill Crawford. Dr. Bill's two PBS television specials on stress and communication have been seen by over 15 million people. In this interview he describes a practical, five step process for leaders to access a specific part of their brain, which enables them to bring to life their best selves, and help others do the same. His actionable insights have broad applicability for managing stress, dealing with difficult people and living a life of purpose.

Impact Players

What can business leaders learn from a football player who is now one of the best at his position, but who never played the sport before he was drafted? This podcast focuses on "impact players," who do whatever needs to be done to get things across the finish line, are good at adapting to new situations, and raise the level of play of everyone around them. Impact players are made, not born: it doesn't matter whether it's sports or business. And it's up to leaders to provide the necessary tools.