The 'THIS Leader' podcast explores the transformational, high-impact secrets that turn the ordinary people into extra-ordinary leaders! THIS Leader is hosted by Claire Laughlin, an organizational development consultant. She and her guests will explore: How individuals can enhance their leadership impact by showing up as their personal best, how teams can leverage connection and clarity to experience tremendous results, and how organizations can increase trust and engagement and improve outcomes by putting people and relationships at the center of the business. 

Feeling undervalued at work can be discouraging, and workplace loneliness is at an all-time high. Join in as Claire Laughlin teaches how genuine recognition and appreciation can transform team engagement and retention.

Understand the key reasons why appreciation matters and how leaders can build a culture where employees feel seen, valued, and motivated.

 In this conversation:

1. The alarming statistics on workplace recognition and disengagement 
2. Common misconceptions leaders have about giving praise
3. The connection between recognition and employee engagement
4.  Understanding individual strengths with the Working Genius model
5. Actionable strategies to create a recognition-rich workplace
6.  How clear expectations and goal alignment enhance motivation

Take Action: Start by incorporating meaningful recognition into your leadership approach. Acknowledge efforts in a way that aligns with your team's values and individual strengths.

Links & Resources : 

🔗 Free guide to developing role clarity:

🔗  The Working Genius Model.

Connect with Claire on social media- Clairelaughlincounsulting

Feedback and Questions: support@clairelaughlin.com

Come  and join us in the community of great leaders!

Loved this episode? Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast app!

Welcome to THIS Leader!

We all know that leadership is rewarding but can also be challenging!

In this episode, join Claire as she shares:

• Why your leadership impact matters more than your title (and how this realization will transform your approach to team development)
• The surprising truth about leadership that will free you from the constant pressure to have all the answers
• How to stop feeling guilty about taking care of yourself first (and why it's essential for your team's success)
• The connection between personal wellbeing and leadership effectiveness that no one talks about
• My proven framework for communicating with clarity and confidence (even in high-pressure situations)
• The secret to building a team that doesn't need you to jump in and fix everything
• A practical exercise to identify where you're overspending your energy (and how to redirect it for maximum impact)
• The simple shift that will help you develop stronger, more capable team members (while freeing up your time)

Links and Resources:

1.  Free Leadership tools: clairelauglin.com/resources
2. For Feedback and Inquiries: support@clairelaughlin.com
3. Connect with Claire on social media: @clairelaughlinconsulting

Love this episode? Leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast streaming app.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by leadership challenges or struggled with defining your leadership standards, this episode is for you!

In this powerful episode, we dive into one of the fundamental secrets of high-impact leaders: setting clear leadership standards.

Discover the 5 Cs of leadership that can transform how you show up as a leader, even in the most challenging situations.

Learn practical ways to define and live by your own leadership standards to create more meaningful connections and drive better results.

In this episode, we explore:

• The hidden power of setting leadership standards (and why they matter most when everything feels chaotic)
• How the 5 Cs of Leadership can transform your impact without adding to your workload
• The connection secret that helps you stay grounded when everyone needs something from you
• A practical approach to maintaining self-awareness when you're pulled in multiple directions
• The clarity framework that prevents misunderstandings and saves hours of cleanup time
• Why asking questions is more powerful than having all the answers (and how to do it effectively)
• How to overcome conflict avoidance and address difficult situations with courage and confidence
• The simple strategy that builds trust and psychological safety in your team
• Why unpredictable leadership kills team motivation (and how to avoid this common trap)
• Three powerful ways to share your leadership standards that actually inspire change
• A reflection exercise that helps you define your own authentic leadership standards

Take Action: Define your own leadership standards and share them with your team to inspire accountability and growth. 

Share your leadership standards with Claire on Instagram @ClaireLaughlinConsulting

Learn more and access free resources at: www.clairelaughlin.com

Feedback and Inquiries: support@clairelaughlin.com

Follow Claire Laughlin on social media channels: @clairelaughlinconsulting

⭐Love this episode? Support the show by leaving a rating and review on your favorite podcast app. 

In this conversation with Stefka Anderson, HR Director for Global R&D at Driscoll's, we dive into how Driscoll's Global R&D is training leaders to increase change agility. Together, they designed and delivered a comprehensive 10-month "Change Agility" program, that transformed how their entire function (which includes hundreds of employees and spans multiple disciplines and time zones) engages in decision-making and the change process. 

The Challenge: Speed vs. Engagement

Driscoll's faced a classic leadership dilemma: how to move quickly in a rapidly changing world while still engaging their brilliant, passionate workforce in meaningful ways. With everything from climate change to AI impacting their industry, they needed a framework that honored both agility and their core values of passion, humility, and trustworthiness.

The Solution: The WIDGET Framework

They implemented the Working Genius model, using what's called the "WIDGET" process that maps how all work gets done:

• Wonder: Asking the right questions
• Invention: Generating ideas and solutions
• Discernment: Evaluating and refining options and clearly crossing the decision line
• Galvanizing: Rallying people around decisions
• Enablement: Providing support and resources 
• Tenacity: Pushing through to completion

 Above or Below the Decision Line

One of the most powerful concepts was helping people understand whether they're "above the decision line" (in ideation mode) or "below the decision line" (in activation or implementation mode). This clarity helped everyone understand how to contribute their genius at the right time.

The SCARF Model for Improving Emotional Intelligence

They also introduced the SCARF framework to help people understand their emotional responses to change: Status • Certainty • Autonomy • Relatedness • Fairness

Keys to Success

The program succeeded because of several critical factors: leadership commitment, where leaders learned the content first and modeled the behaviors, integration with performance goals so participants are actively applying their learning to their 2025 goals, ongoing reinforcement through regular team meetings, and connection to business strategy rather than just being an HR initiative.

Real-World Application

Post-program, teams are using the language naturally: "I'm in my wonder wheel right now" or "Who holds the D on this decision?" The framework has become a common language that reduces friction and depersonalises conflict while accelerating problem-solving.

Resources Mentioned:

1. The Working Genius Assessment by Patrick Lencioni 
2. Program Design Brief available to newsletter subscribers at clairelaughlin.com. Sign up here and submit your request for the brief to support@clairelaughlin.com.

Ready to create your own change agility? Start by identifying whether you need more speed, more engagement, or a better framework for bringing both together.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

In this inspiring episode, I challenge leaders to shift from "accidental learning" to intentional development that accelerates career growth and impact. Most leaders treat professional development like a luxury, squeezing it between priorities or leaving it to chance. This reactive approach keeps you scattered and at risk of becoming irrelevant as leadership demands evolve.

 In this episode, you'll hear:

The Problem with Accidental Learning: I share the story of a brilliant new director who felt stuck despite being hardworking and respected. When asked about her development plan, she laughed—she was consuming leadership content but had no structured approach. Without intention, we become consumers of development rather than architects of our growth.

Why This Matters

Research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows 75% of careers are derailed not by lack of technical expertise, but by lack of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. The world changes fast—the skills that got you here won't automatically take you where you want to go.

 My Five-Strategy Framework for Intentional Development

Strategy1: Start with Clarity. Write down your current role, then your desired future role in 2-3 years. The gap reveals what skills you need to develop.

Strategy 2: Focus on Core Competencies for Your Level

Individual contributors: Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, collaboration

Leads/supervisors: Add coaching, delegation, feedback skills, and conflict navigation 

Function managers: Add strategic thinking, team culture development, and leading change

Strategy 3: Create a Learning Portfolio. Choose 1-3 skill areas for the year. For each, create a multi-modal approach:

• Something to read or study 
• Something to implement
•  Someone to learn from
•  Some way to get feedback

Strategy 4: Schedule It Like You Mean It. Block 2-4 hours per month for development during peak energy time, not when you're exhausted.

Strategy 5: Make It Social. Find a development buddy, involve your manager, and join learning communities. Growth happens faster with others.

The Payoff: Leaders who commit to intentional development experience better results with less effort, renewed passion for work, and new opportunities as they become people others want to promote and collaborate with.

Resources Mentioned:

Get your Professional Development Planner HERE!

"The Leadership Challenge" by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner

Action Steps:

• Download the Professional Development Planner
• Complete the first two sections: where you are and where you want to go
•  Schedule your first development block
•  Share your goals with someone

 Growth doesn't happen by accident—it happens by design, and you get to be the architect.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting. Until next time, lead the way!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share with others, and give us a rave review!

In this episode, I explore the concept of psychological safety and share specific communication practices that can transform your team culture.

Understanding Psychological Safety: The Four Stages. Building on Harvard professor Amy Edmondson's research and Timothy Clark's framework, I explain how psychological safety develops through four distinct stages:

• Level 1: Inclusion Safety – "Do I belong here? Can I be myself?"
• Level 2: Learner Safety – "Can I take risks and make mistakes without fear of judgment?"
• Level 3: Contributor Safety – "Are my unique gifts valued? Am I adding value?"
• Level 4: Challenger Safety – "Can I question things, including authority and established ways?"

Create Inclusion Safety Through Genuine Connection

• Acknowledge actively, deliberately drawing people into conversation.
• Move beyond generic questions like "Any other thoughts?" to specific invitations: "Joan, you've worked with similar clients before, what's your take on this?"
• Validate emotional realities before jumping to solutions

Build Learner Safety Through Better Responses

1. Change how you respond to questions. Replace sighs or "As we discussed..." with "I'm glad you asked that"
2. Normalize not knowing. Make "I don't know, but let's find out" stronger than pretending to have all the answers
3. Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities through questions like "What can we learn from this?"

Nurture Contributor Safety Through Recognition

• Give specific, meaningful recognition that connects contributions to impact
• Seek perspective before driving toward solutions
• Implement ideas with proper acknowledgment

Develop Challenger Safety Through Open Communication: 

• Invite challenge with phrases like "Before we finalize this, what might we be missing?"
• Respond with curiosity instead of defensiveness when ideas are challenged
• Reward constructive dissent

These stages build on each other – you can't expect people to challenge the status quo (stage 4) if they don't even feel included (stage 1).

Personal Responsibility: Everyone plays a role.

• Practice appropriate vulnerability
• Be proactive about building trust
• Develop resilience to imperfect feedback
• Take ownership of growth

Remember, creating psychological safety isn't about perfection; it's about being intentional about communication. Research consistently shows that teams with high psychological safety innovate more, make fewer errors, and adapt better to change.

Resources Mentioned:

• Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety
• Timothy Clark's book "The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety"
• "The First 90-Days: A Team Approach to Onboarding" course. Contact me for more information.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @ClaireLaughlinConsulting.

In this episode, I explore why taking real time off is crucial for your leadership. I share my proven framework for making it happen without everything falling apart in your absence. 

There's never a convenient time to take vacation; there's always another deadline, another project, another reason to stay connected. But I've discovered that my boldest ideas and biggest breakthroughs happen when I commit to true disconnection. Here's how you can do it too. In this episode, you'll hear about:

PLAN: Clearing the Path for Departure.

 I share my pre-vacation process for evaluating what really matters using two powerful tools:

• The "Island Test" – "If I were stranded on a deserted island for three weeks, what would be the real consequence of this not getting done?"
• The "Delegation Matrix" – Sorting every task into four categories: Only Me, Training Needed, Ready Now, and Not Important

This forced evaluation becomes a "spring cleaning" for your workload, helping you distinguish between what's truly essential and what's self-imposed pressure. I share a personal story of learning this lesson the hard way by rushing to complete a report that ultimately wasn't even needed.

DELEGATE: Transferring Responsibility AND Authority

• Why delegation isn't just about handing off tasks but about developing leaders
• The crucial difference between micromanaging and true delegation
• Three practical delegation tips:
  • Transfer the WHY, not just the WHAT
  • Define the destination instead of giving instructions
  • Create safety for different approaches

I share an illuminating client story about an executive who thought she was "great at delegating" until an unexpected absence forced her to truly let go, with surprising results.

DEPART: The Power of True Disconnection

The magic happens when you completely unplug – no checking email, no quick text messages, no mental rehearsal of work problems. I explain the science behind why this matters: innovation and creativity come from the "default mode network" of your brain that activates during rest and daydreaming.

My "Departure Protocol" for ensuring true disconnection includes:

• The Digital Detox Declaration
• The Out-of-Office Ritual
• The Device Divorce
• The Mindset Reset

 Building Organizational Resilience

I address the common objection: "I could never do this in my organization." The truth is, organizations that can't survive without one person for a few weeks have a serious vulnerability. Your absence isn't selfish; it's a strategic leadership move that builds team capability and resilience.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 5: "Energize Your Team" – A companion episode about rest and renewal.

Remember, your ability to lead others is directly connected to how well you lead yourself. Taking time to disconnect isn't self-indulgent – it's one of the most strategic leadership moves you can make.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting. 

Thanks for listening to This Leader Podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

In this episode, we dive into the science of emotional contagion and how being intentional about the emotions you project can transform your leadership impact. Have you ever seen someone walk into a room and instantly shift the energy? That’s emotional contagion in action. Emotions silently spreading from person to person, often without us realizing it. As leaders, learning to manage this contagion is one of the most powerful, and underused, tools at our disposal.

The Science of Emotional Contagion

Research from Princeton reveals how our brains use "mirror neurons" to unconsciously mimic the emotional states of those around us. This isn't just a theory – it has measurable impacts on productivity, creativity, and even physical health through stress hormones like cortisol. Most importantly for leaders, emotions don't spread equally – the emotions of people with more power tend to have a greater ripple effect throughout teams and organizations.

Your Default Broadcast Channel

• Each of us has a default "broadcast channel" – especially under pressure.
• I share a personal story about how my unintentional broadcast affected my young son.
• The importance of recognizing what you're projecting to others, particularly when deadlines loom or unexpected problems arise.
• Why your broadcast matters: "When the pressure rises, all eyes turn to the leaders."

Rebroadcasting When Your Tone Isn't Helpful

Michelle Gielan's research shows we can consciously choose our broadcasts through a three-step process:

1. Recognize your current broadcast through physical and facial cues
2. Pause and reset – even 30 seconds can make a difference
3. Choose your new broadcast intentionally based on what your team needs

This isn't about being inauthentic or denying challenges – it's about being intentional about which aspects of a situation you emphasize and how you frame difficulties.

The Contagious Power of Positivity

Research by Shawn Achor shows that when leaders broadcast authentic positive emotions (not toxic positivity), it creates a "happiness advantage" with remarkable benefits:

• 31% higher productivity
• 37% higher sales
• Greater creativity and problem-solving abilities
• More resilience during challenges
• Lower turnover rates

I explain why negativity must be addressed as a performance issue and how positive emotions, when authentic, are actually more contagious than negative ones.

Remember, your emotional broadcast is a leadership choice, not just an automatic response to circumstances. When you begin to see your emotions as a leadership tool you can consciously use, you unlock a new dimension of influence and become a true architect of your team's emotional climate and performance.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @ClaireLaughlinConsulting.

Thanks so much for listening to This Leader Podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

Sources

Achor, S. (2010). The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work. Crown Business.

Barsade, S. G. (2002). The Ripple Effect: Emotional Contagion and Its Influence on Group Behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(4), 644-675.

Engert, V., Plessow, F., Miller, R., Kirschbaum, C., & Singer, T. (2014). Cortisol increase in empathic stress is modulated by emotional closeness and observation modality. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 45, 192-201.

Gielan, M. (2015). Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change. BenBella Books.

Gielan, M., & Achor, S. (2015). The effects of news content on emotions, optimism and subsequent behavior. Unpublished manuscript.

Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J.T., & Rapson, R.L. (1993). Emotional Contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(3), 96-100.

Seppälä, E., & Cameron, K. (2015). Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive. Harvard Business Review, 12(1), 44-50.

In this episode, I explore how identifying and leveraging your natural talents can transform your energy, impact, and results, both for you and your team. Have you ever felt like the daily grind is draining the life out of you? Many leaders I talk with feel this way - not because they don't like their jobs, but because they're spending too much time on tasks that exhaust them and not enough on work that brings them energy and fulfillment.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

What Strengths Really Are

 I explain the difference between learned skills and innate strengths - those natural talents that when paired with skills truly energize you. Using the metaphor of driving a car with bald tires on ice versus driving with perfect tires on an open road, I illustrate how working from your strengths creates traction and flow in your work life.

 My Personal Strengths Journey

I share how I operated for years as a "workhorse" focused only on production, eventually discovering that this approach left me exhausted and unhappy. There was even a job I got fired from that, in hindsight, was a complete misfit for my natural talents. My breakthrough came when I realized I was reserving my most energizing work (strategic thinking and program design) for weekends, not recognizing its true value.

Three Ways to Discover Your Strengths

•  Formal assessments - Tools like the Working Genius model by Patrick Lencioni can identify your natural talents.
• Self-reflection - Ask yourself when you lose track of time, what problems people come to you for help with, and what activities energize you.
• Feedback from others - Sometimes our strengths are so natural we don't recognize them as special.

 The Real Cost of Ignoring Strengths

Research from Gallup shows powerful benefits to strengths-based approaches:

• People who use their strengths daily are 6x more likely to be engaged at work.
• Teams that focus on strengths are 12-15% more productive.
• Organizations see 15% lower turnover rates when employees work from their strengths.

But beyond statistics, there's a personal cost. When we operate outside our strength zones for too long, we experience depletion, work harder but accomplish less, and are more likely to burn out or disengage.

 Bringing Strengths to Your Team

 I share a personal example of how reorganizing work with my business manager Marissa based on our natural strengths dramatically increased our productivity and reduced stress. Even in organizations with rigid job descriptions, you can implement three practical strategies:

1. Task trading - Look for opportunities for people to trade responsibilities within a job class.
2.  Process adaptation - Adjust how tasks are done, using technology, checklists, or collaboration to compensate for natural tendencies.
3.  Role sculpting- Shift emphasis within existing roles to leverage individual strengths.

The key is starting the conversation with your team: "What parts of your job give you the most energy? Where do you feel you make your best contributions? What tasks consistently drain you?"

 Resources Mentioned:

•  "Reclaim Your Work Joy": A free guide to sculpt your role for maximum fulfillment.
• Working Genius Assessment: Available at workinggenius.com for $25.

Understanding your strengths isn't just for the workplace - it can transform your personal relationships, too. Remember, leading from strengths doesn't require grand gestures or complete overhauls. It's about consistent, intentional actions that align your work with your natural talents.

To learn more about my services, including team workshops on strengths-based leadership, visit clairelaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @ClaireLaughlinConsulting.

Thanks for listening!

 New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

In this episode,  Claire Laughlin shares her team's complete goal-setting system that keeps strategic priorities front and center all year long.

Learn how to transform vague annual objectives into actionable steps that create real momentum. We're officially into Q2, and if you're like most leaders, those ambitious January goals might be fading into the background as daily demands take over. This episode walks you through our exact process - from annual planning to weekly execution - that has transformed how the  team approaches goals. 

In this episode, we'll dive into: 

The Annual Blueprint:       

Hear about our December strategic planning retreat, where we reflect on the previous year before mapping out what's ahead. You'll learn why we create a visual timeline of the entire year, starting with our "big rocks" - the non-negotiable commitments already in place - before adding new strategic initiatives. Most teams do this backward, setting ambitious goals without first accounting for their actual capacity. 

The Quarterly Breakdown

• Why compressing your execution timeline from 12 months to 12 weeks creates productive urgency
• How to transform vague annual goals into a clear roadmap with deadlines and deliverables.
• The importance of breaking quarterly targets into monthly actions and outcomes
• How this approach builds accountability across your team

The Rhythm of Review

This is where most planning systems fall apart - creating beautiful plans in January that never get looked at again. Claire shares the team's exact cadence of quarterly reviews, monthly planning sessions, and weekly team meetings that keeps goals consistently visible and builds momentum throughout the year. 

Making It Work For You

Even if you're working within a larger organization with mandated planning processes, the key principles can be adapted to your context. Remember: what gets scheduled gets done. Block time for these planning and review sessions on your calendar right now. When you establish clear goals and maintain consistent focus on them, you're not just doing planning work; you're demonstrating what truly matters as a leader.

 Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Goal-Getting System Template. (Click here to download from our podcast page)
• The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran

Our annual goal setting process was inspired by “Your Best Year Yet” by Jinny Ditzler.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enrich your leadership journey, visit clairelaughlin.com  and connect  on social channels @ClaireLaughlinConsulting

Don't forget to subscribe and share with another leader who might benefit. It feels so good to CRUSH our goals. New  weekly releases every Tuesday.

In this episode, Claire  Laughlin dives into the art of effective meetings and how to transform them from time-wasters into productive, energizing experiences.

What You'll Learn:

• The invisible workflow that underlies all good work and why understanding it matters for meeting design
• The five essential meeting types that every leader should master: 

1. Ideation Meetings for defining problems and generating solutions
2. Decision-Making Meetings for evaluating options and making clear choices
3. Planning and Enabling Meetings for creating actionable roadmaps 
4.  Implementation Meetings (or "huddles") for alignment and quick adjustments
5. Learn and Review Meetings for continuous improvement

• How to define clear purposes and outcomes for every meeting
• Techniques for identifying exactly who needs to be in the room
• Strategies for transforming existing standing meetings
• Practical steps you can take immediately to improve your meetings

Key Takeaways:

• Most leaders have never been taught how to design and run effective meetings, yet they spend a significant portion of their time in them
• Common meeting problems include ambiguous agendas, revisiting the same ideas repeatedly, unclear decisions, and poor communication of outcomes
• Even if you're not the meeting organizer, you can influence meeting effectiveness through thoughtful questions and suggestions

Resources: 

Improve you meetings immediately by using these meeting templates for different meeting types, available here:  www.clairelaughlin.com/resources

Challenge for the Week:

Pick one recurring meeting on your calendar that isn't as productive as it could be. Identify the stage of work it addresses, clarify its purpose and desired outcome, ensure you have the right people attending, and structure the conversation to achieve your outcome.

In this episode, we delve into the complex reality that change is inevitable in our workplaces. Whether you formally lead a team or not, developing skills to navigate change effectively makes you an invaluable asset in today's rapidly evolving environment.

Understanding the Three Dimensions of Change

• Change we choose versus change imposed upon us
• Change that feels favorable versus unfavorable
• Change we can anticipate versus change that catches us by surprise

I introduce the powerful "change bridge" metaphor that explains why executives and team members often experience the same change in completely different ways. Leaders typically start crossing this bridge months before anyone else even sees it on the horizon, creating a disconnect in understanding and emotional readiness.

The Neuroscience Behind Change Resistance

David Rock's SCARF model helps us understand how our brains naturally respond to change as potential threats:

• Status - our standing relative to others
• Certainty - our need to predict what's coming
• Autonomy - our desire to control our circumstances
• Relatedness - our connection to people around us
• Fairness - our sense of equitable treatment

Through a practical example of implementing new project management software, I demonstrate how even seemingly simple changes can trigger all five threat responses and how leaders can address each one.

The Emotional Journey of Change: SARAH Framework
People experiencing significant change often move through grief-like emotions that follow this pattern:

• Shock - the initial response when change is announced
• Anger - the emotional reaction that follows shock
• Resistance - reverting to previous behaviors or subtly opposing moving forward
• Acceptance - beginning to adapt to new realities
• Hope - seeing a positive pathway forward

These stages aren't linear, and recognizing where someone is in this journey helps you respond appropriately as a leader.

Practical Takeaways for Effective Change Leadership:

• Communicate early and often, sharing the WHY behind changes
• Build in elements of choice to address people's need for autonomy
• Acknowledge emotions directly to validate experiences
• Remember that your own reaction to change sets the tone for your team

Ultimately, your ability to navigate change is perhaps the most valuable leadership skill you can develop, not about avoiding discomfort, but moving through it with awareness and intention while bringing others along with you.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Visit clairelaughlin.com for additional resources and tools
• Connect with me on social media @ClaireLaughlinConsulting

In this episode, we explore the critical relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership, with practical tools to enhance your impact through emotional awareness.

 The Leadership Imperative for Emotional Intelligence:

Emotions are valuable data points, not workplace liabilities. Research confirms that leaders who accurately identify and manage emotions consistently outperform those who can't. When we disconnect from our emotions, we disconnect from our leadership power. 

Building Your Emotional Vocabulary:

• Moving beyond "mad, sad, glad, afraid" to a richer emotional palette
•  Using emotion wheels and charts for greater emotional precision
•  Implementing daily emotional check-ins as a leadership practice
• Recommended resource: Brené Brown's "Atlas of the Heart"

A Framework for Working with Emotions:

I share a simple four-step process: check in with yourself, trace emotions without judgment, explore underlying stories, and assess whether these patterns serve your leadership goals.

Real-World Application: Through a workplace scenario, I demonstrate how emotional intelligence transforms challenging feedback situations from potential derailers into growth opportunities.

The Ripple Effect: Our emotional states directly impact our teams through emotional contagion. As leaders, we set the emotional tone that either energizes or depletes those around us.

Coming Soon: A conversation with Allison Livingston about her "Five Steps to Connect" methodology and its applications for leadership contexts. 

Source Citations:

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books. Bracket, M. A., & Rivers, S. E. (2014).

Transforming Students' Lives with Social and Emotional Learning. Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Feelingswheel.com

 Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. Random House.

Allison Livingston: https://www.5stepstoconnect.com/about

In this episode, we explore:

The surprising truth about rest and recovery - they're not just ways to avoid burnout, but essential components of high performance leadership. I share my personal journey from being someone who couldn't imagine taking meaningful breaks to understanding how strategic recovery enhances productivity.

The Science of Rest & Performance:

•  Why sleep is the keystone to good health and leadership effectiveness
• How your brain "power washes" itself during deep sleep
• The connection between REM sleep, creativity, and problem-solving

 Breaking the Busy Mindset:

Many leaders pride themselves on responsiveness and availability, creating a cycle of constant work that actually undermines their success. I discuss why we find it so difficult to slow down and how the neurochemical rewards of checking items off our list keep us trapped in unhealthy patterns.

Research-Backed Strategies from Elite Performers:

• Insights from Cal Newport's "Deep Work" on the power of focused attention
• How world-class athletes use the 20 seconds between points to reset and perform at their peak
• The rhythm between energy expenditure and energy renewal that drives sustainable success

 Practical Implementation for Busy Leaders:

• Creating 45-minute meetings to build margin into your day
• Working in focused 50-minute sprints followed by intentional 10-minute recovery periods
• Bookending your day with intentional practices that set you up for success 
• The power of scheduling vacations first before work fills every gap

 I share examples from my clients, including a tech startup that implemented 10-week work sprints followed by dedicated recovery weeks, demonstrating that rest isn't just possible—it's profitable.

 Action Steps for This Week:

• Make one small shift in how you schedule your day to incorporate recovery
• Try the 50/10 work sprint method to increase focus and productivity
• Remember: "YOU are your greatest asset" - your ability to be connected and clear is imperative for your success and your team's

Source Citations:

1.  Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2003). The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. Free Press.
2. Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing.
3. Sullivan, D., & Hardy, B. (2020). 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less. Hay House Business.
4.  Walker, M. P. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.

 Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit clairelaughlin.com for additional resources and tools.

Connect with me on social media @ClaireLaughlinConsulting

In this episode, we dive deep into the burnout epidemic affecting today's leaders and what you can do to break free from this destructive cycle.

The Burnout Crisis Among Leaders

The statistics are alarming—76% of employees experience burnout, with mid-level leaders being especially vulnerable as they juggle multiple responsibilities. When a leader burns out, it creates a ripple effect, impacting team motivation, collaboration, and trust.

The True Cost of Burnout:

• Health impacts: persistent exhaustion and physical symptoms

• Emotional toll: negativity, cynicism, and loss of hope

• Organizational cost: reduced productivity and high turnover ($125-$190 billion in healthcare costs alone)

My Personal Burnout Journey

I share how my passion for my work gradually transformed into overwhelm as I took on too many roles, until I discovered the game-changing Pareto Principle—the idea that 20% of our activities generate 80% of our results.

Transformational Strategies to Beat Burnout:

• Identify what brings you real joy at work and prioritize these activities

• Use the TIE Tracker to conduct an activity audit (free download at clairelaughlin.com)

• Create a transparent workplan with specific deliverables

• Learn to ask "Can it wait?" before sacrificing personal time

• Schedule both focused work time and rejuvenation breaks

Remember, no one else can set boundaries for you. Taking ownership of your wellbeing is the first step toward breaking the burnout cycle and reclaiming your energy and joy at work.

Links Mentioned:

TIE (Time Impact Energy) Tracker Tool available on my Resource Page

Beat the Burnout Free Webinar - March 19th and 21st

THIS Leader Podcast Episode #4: Adding Strategic Value in Uncertain Times

Simplify, Amplify and Thrive! - My upcoming Masterclass starting March 31

Research Sources:

Goh, J., Pfeffer, J., & Zenios, S. (2015). "National Health Costs Could Decrease If Managers Reduce Work Stress." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/national-health-costs-could-decrease-if-managers-reduce-work-stress

Pavilion. (2022). "The Real Cost of Burnout." Pavilion Blog. Retrieved from https://www.joinpavilion.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-burnout

WebMD Editorial Team. (2023). "Burnout Symptoms and Signs." WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs

Gallup. (2020). Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures. Gallup Workplace Report.

In this episode, Claire explores the dangerous middle ground between unhealthy conflict and artificial harmony, and why smart teams sometimes hold themselves back by avoiding necessary strategic disagreements.

 The Hidden Costs of Artificial Harmony

 Most conflict avoidance comes from a good place—leaders trying to maintain relationships and avoid hurting feelings. But we've gotten really good at telling ourselves stories that justify our silence. Sound familiar?

•  "This isn't the hill I'm going to die on."
•  "She's already made up her mind."
•  "I don't have time to fight this right now."
•  "If I argue for my approach, this will all end up on my plate."

 When people consistently choose these narratives over honest engagement, teams make decisions without the benefit of everyone's full thinking. Smart leaders start disengaging, bringing only 70% of their passion to work while holding back the other 30% to maintain harmony. The result? They agree publicly but resist privately, creating underground conflict that's much harder to address.

The Personal Cost of Chronic Accommodation

 When you consistently accommodate and avoid, something insidious happens to you as a leader:

• You stop investing fully in your role
•  Your career stalls because you're not developing critical leadership muscles
• You start feeling hopeless and disempowered 
• The very relationships you're trying to protect actually begin to erode.

 Building Trust Through Productive Conflict

Trust isn't built through constant agreement—it's built through moments of sharing, listening, and offering new perspectives while being respectful of others. People can't really get to know you when you're constantly withholding your real thoughts and opinions.

Four Practical Tools for Productive Disagreement:

1. "Confront Reality" Questions - Create regular opportunities to ask "What are we not talking about?" or rate agreement levels from 1-5
2. Formal Devil's Advocate Role - Assign someone to find risks and poke holes in plans, rotating this responsibility to make disagreement safe.
3. GEDI Decision-Making Framework - Gather, Evaluate, Decide, Implement, with the magic happening when you establish decision criteria before debating options
4.  Risk-Mitigation Planning - Build "What could go wrong?" discussions into every significant decision to reward people for surfacing concerns.

Resources  Mentioned:

Patrick Lencioni's concept of "Artificial Harmony"

The Key Message: The goal isn't to eliminate conflict—it's to make conflict productive. When you give smart people a process for productive disagreement, they stop avoiding hard conversations and start leaning into them.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting. Until next time, lead the way!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

In this episode, we explore how to re-energize teams that feel disconnected and flat in our post-pandemic workplace reality.

Understanding the Post-Pandemic Workplace Challenge

I introduce the concept of "pandemnesia" and examine how our adaptations to remote work have created:

• More meetings but less quality collaboration

• More communication channels but less genuine connection

• More work volume but less focus on impact

The Need for an Energy Reset: Rather than throwing out the positive changes we've made, we need a strategic reset that reclaims shared values while maintaining flexibility. This means creating intentional moments that rebuild energy and focus.

Strategy #1: Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

Based on Teresa Amabile's groundbreaking "Progress Principle" research, I share:

• Why even small wins dramatically boost inner work life and motivation

• How to implement weekly "Progress Check-ins" with minimal time investment

• A framework for "bookend huddles" that plan for and celebrate achievements

Strategy #2: Connect Before Content

Learn practical approaches to rebuild human connection in virtual settings:

• Starting meetings with thoughtful "Connection Questions" that transcend small talk

• How to create "Skills Spotlight" moments that position team members as experts

• Techniques for handling camera reluctance while still building psychological safety

Overcoming Implementation Challenges

I address the common concern that "this sounds great, but I don't have time," explaining how these strategies:

• Actually return time to leaders as teams become more self-sufficient

• Increase enjoyment of leadership roles

• Create workplaces where creativity and enthusiasm naturally flow

Resources Mentioned: Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Harvard Business Review Press.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Check out my Resource Page for additional resources on team engagement and connection.

Send me your leadership questions: Contact Me

In this episode, we explore:

The Strategic Value Gap: Understanding why even accomplished professionals struggle to articulate how they're measured at work

The Job Pie Exercise: A visual tool to determine where your time and energy should be allocated for maximum impact

Practical Value-Adding Strategies:

• Creating your Strategic Value Proposition using ideal vs. real job allocation
• Implementing the TIE (Time, Impact, Energy) tracker to identify time drains
• Developing Quarterly Action Plans that demonstrate measurable outcomes

Building Professional Resilience:

• Designing a Strategic Development Blueprint
• Aligning your growth with organizational needs
• Having valuable conversations with managers about priorities

Action Steps for Immediate Implementation:

• Conducting your own Job Pie assessment
• Scheduling strategic alignment conversations
• Identifying your highest-impact development opportunities
• Shifting from "busy" to strategically valuable this week

TIE (Time Impact Energy) Tracker: Available on the Resource Page

Find out more about my upcoming free webinar: Beat the Burnout FREE Webinar

Send me your leadership questions: Contact Me

Stay in the know! Join my newsletter using the form below and you'll get the latest updates on my free webinars, new podcast episodes, and more!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! New episodes are released weekly and we'd love for you to share it with others who you think might benefit.

In this episode, I share a collaborative approach to project management that actually works, without overwhelming complexity. Fresh from facilitating a 3-hour session where 50 managers successfully drafted project plans, I reveal why traditional project management training fails and what works instead. The secret? You're not managing projects—you're managing people.

 In this episode, you'll hear about:

The Problem with Traditional Project Management

 I share the story of "Fred," an expensive consultant who delivered 40 hours of training that nobody used because it was too complicated. This pattern repeats everywhere: brilliant PMOs can't get teams to adopt complex methodologies, resulting in missed deadlines and frustrated stakeholders.

The Five-Step Process

Step 1: Get Crystal Clear on WHO and WHY

• Conduct sponsor interviews: "What does success look like?"
• Identify customers and what they actually want
• This step alone prevents most project failures

Step 2: Define Boundaries and Anticipate Risks

•  Determine what's IN and OUT of scope as a team
•  Ask "What could go wrong?" to identify risks upfront
• When teams set boundaries together, they own staying within them

Step 3: Map Your Stakeholders

 Use a 2x2 matrix comparing influence with favorability:

• High-influence, supportive = Champions
•  High-influence, resistant = Risks needing specific plans
• Create communication plans for different stakeholder needs

 Step 4: Action Planning with "Swim Lanes and Sticky Notes"

• Organize work visually into categories (swim lanes)
• Identify deliverables and assign lane leaders
•  When people see the whole project, they understand their role

 Step 5: Resource Reality Check

Discuss what the project costs in time, money, and political capital. Better to adjust plans now than run out of resources halfway through.

The Results:

Teams experience faster execution, on-time completion, and higher engagement because everyone understands the plan and feels invested in success.

 Resources Mentioned:

 Project Launch Checklist - Systematic roadmap for each element

When you create understanding through collaborative planning, execution, problem-solving, and effective communication, everything flows more smoothly.

 If you're ready to stop managing projects and start leading people through transformational work, let's talk. I'd love to explore how we can bring this approach to your team. Visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

Until next time, lead the way!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

In this conversation with Roxanne Harrison, we explore how ancient wisdom meets modern leadership through the powerful combination of the Enneagram and Qigong practices.

From Resistance to Choice

Roxanne's journey began with a neck injury that forced her to slow down and discover a pattern of constant resistance—always saying "no before yes." This resistance was actually a protective mechanism covering up her natural gifts.

 The Golden Buddha Metaphor

Like the famous Thai Buddha statue covered in clay for protection during wartime, we often cover our natural gifts with protective strategies. The invitation isn't to fix ourselves but to gently chisel away the clay and rediscover the gold within.

Three-Centered Awareness

The three treasures in Qigong offer us three centers of intelligence:

• Head center: Where we think and process 
• Heart center: Where we feel and connect
•  Belly center: Where we sense and act

 Understanding Your Stress Response

The Enneagram reveals how different types respond to stress:

• Belly types: Fight response, motivated by autonomy
•  Heart types: Freeze response, motivated by connection
• Head types: Flight response, motivated by security

The Five A's Framework for Growth

Dr. David Daniels' framework offers a practical path through reactivity:

1. Awareness: Recognizing what's happening
2. Acceptance: Allowing without needing to fix
3.  Appreciation: Finding value in the experience
4. Action: Choosing conscious response
5. Adherence: Committing to the practice

Simple Grounding Practices

When reactive, try: feeling your feet on the ground, taking three breaths, asking "Where's my heart?" and creating a pause before responding.

The Inside-Out Principle

What happens internally reflects externally. The more peace you cultivate within yourself, the more naturally you bring that energy to your leadership.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. David Daniels' Five A's Framework

Connect with Roxanne at roxanneharrison.com

 Ready to move from reactive patterns to conscious leadership? Remember: you're not broken and don't need fixing. You're a mystery to be explored, with gifts waiting to be uncovered.

In this special AMA episode, I tackle two real leadership scenarios that feel like herding cats: uniting a fractured team and creating unified execution from scattered individuals.

Both situations share the same fundamental challenge: bringing people together to create order out of chaos, whether that involves building a shared team culture or driving collective results toward a strategic vision.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Scenario 1: "How do I unite a fractured team after leadership turmoil?"

 Meet "Julie," who inherited a 12-person team that has undergone multiple leadership changes. There's an employee who didn't get her job, showing resistance, people work in silos, and despite surface-level niceness, there's underlying dysfunction and disconnection.

 Why This Happens: Research shows 40-70% of leadership transitions fail within 18 months because new leaders underestimate inherited team dynamics. Teams experiencing leadership instability develop "learned helplessness" and become stuck in a perpetual "storming" phase, never reaching the trust necessary for high performance.

 The 90-Day Roadmap:

• Phase 1 (Days 1-30): Listen and Observe - Schedule one-on-ones with each team member, asking: "What's working well? What could be better? What are your strengths?" For resistant employees, approach with curiosity: "I know you were interested in this role. How can I make sure your talents are recognized?"
• Phase 2 (Month 2): Co-Create Team Direction - Facilitate a 3-hour team session to establish operating principles. Ask powerful questions like: "Think about a high-functioning team you were part of—what did they DO and NOT DO?" and "What would make THIS the team you're proud to be part of?"
•  Phase 3 (Month 3): Establish New Patterns - Measure, reinforce, and implement the co-created norms. Keep promises, communicate transparently, catch people doing things right, and prove your leadership isn't going anywhere.

Scenario 2: "How do I move from managing individuals to leading unified execution?"

 Meet "David," a city manager whose strategic plan gets executed in silos with different directors owning isolated parts. He seeks collaborative execution with reduced rework and increased interdependence.

 Why This Happens: Up to 90% of organizations fail to execute strategies successfully due to "strategy-to-execution gaps." Without a clear focus and unified direction, teams often default to managing individual tasks rather than driving collective outcomes, as the human brain craves clarity.

 The Path Forward:

1. Create Brutal Clarity on Priorities - Limit focus to 3 major initiatives (not 13) that would make the strategic plan successful
2.  Implement Short Execution Cycles - Use 90-day challenges supported by 30-day sprints to maintain urgency and focus
3.  Build Collective Accountability - Weekly team check-ins where everyone reports on shared goal progress, not individual performance
4.  Celebrate Collective Wins - Acknowledge what you accomplished together at the end of each cycle.

Key Insights:

Both scenarios require moving from managing chaos to creating intentional order. The breakthrough comes from recognizing that successful leaders don't wait for perfect conditions—they create them through consistent, intentional actions that build momentum over time. 

Whether you're building trust and shared ownership or shifting from individual management to collective leadership, the path forward exists and is more achievable than you think.

Resources Mentioned:

Bruce Tuckman's team development model (forming, storming, norming, performing)

"The Balanced Scorecard" research on strategy execution failures

 Do you have a leadership challenge you'd like me to address? Visit clairelaughlin.com/podcast to submit your question!

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

Until next time, lead the way!

In this episode, I challenge the idea that workplace misery is normal. You have a right to fairness, respect, psychological safety, and meaningful work—but rights without responsibility are just complaints.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

The Three Essential Roles: Everyone plays these roles in creating workplace culture, regardless of job title

• Owner Role - Orienting energy toward both happiness and productivity
• Manager/Leader Role - Establishing expectations and protecting culture
• Producer Role - Bringing your best self to work daily

I share how a director transformed her team's energy by simply asking: "What's one thing you accomplished this past week, and what's one thing you're excited to work on next week?"

The Happiness-Productivity Matrix: A simple way to assess your workplace with four quadrants:

• Top Right (Sweet Spot): High happiness + High productivity
• Top Left (Unsustainable): High happiness + Low productivity
• Bottom Left (Danger Zone): Low happiness + Low productivity (toxic)
• Bottom Right (Burnout Zone): Low happiness + High productivity

Seven Strategies for Positive Change: Before considering an exit strategy, try these for 6-9 months:

1. Build relationships with change-minded colleagues
2. Focus on solutions, not complaints
3. Support claims with data, not emotions
4. Make small, specific proposals
5. Find allies in leadership
6. Document your efforts
7. Model desired behavior. 

Warning Signs of Toxic Workplaces: Watch for information hoarding, blame culture, inconsistent messaging, chronic overwhelm, gossip as a form of communication, a lack of psychological safety, and high turnover rates.

Resources Mentioned:

Creating Role Clarity resource - To get clear about your contribution

The Key Message: When we collectively raise standards and take responsibility for our contribution, workplaces transform. Your life energy deserves better than dysfunction.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

Until next time, lead the way!

In this inspiring conversation with communication expert Jared Fujishin, we explore his powerful "connection's key is less of me" framework that transforms how leaders build trust, influence, and loyalty.

The Foundation: Less of Me, More Connection

 The most effective leaders aren't focused on themselves—they're genuinely invested in others. When leaders operate from a "me, me, me" mentality, people comply but don't commit. They'll leave for slightly better opportunities because there's no real connection holding them there.

Moving from Authority to Influence

 There's a huge difference between authority ("do it because I'm the boss") and leadership ("follow me, here's where we're going"). When people feel genuinely cared for, they give discretionary effort—the energy that transforms organizations.

Practical Connection Strategies:

1.  10-minute check-ins: Weekly conversations asking "How are you and what do I need to know?" and "What can I do for you this week?"
2.  Simple acknowledgments: Follow-up emails recognizing contributions
3.  Present-moment awareness: Being fully where you are with who you're with

 Building Trust Through Authenticity

Trust grows when leaders create safe spaces for real conversations—both positive and difficult ones. This means having hard conversations with care, checking in when performance dips, and modeling that it's safe to be authentic. 

Your North Star Exercise

 Visualize the culture you want in five years. What do you want people to feel when they leave your office? Use that vision to guide daily actions that build toward that future.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Jared Fujishin's TED Talk: "How to Connect with Anyone You Meet"
2. Connect with Jared at West Valley College or on LinkedIn
3. The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M. R. Covey
4. Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Dr. Henry Cloud
5. The Natural Speaker by Randy Fujishin

(Correction: Please note - during the podcast I mentioned Randy Fujishin's book, The Natural Speaker, by the incorrect title. The correct title is "The Natural Speaker." The link to the book is provided above).

Ready to lead through authentic connection? Start by shifting from "me, me, me" to genuinely putting others first.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

In this episode, I explore how to build and sustain a successful mentoring program with Kara Reddig, Deputy City Manager, and Femi Omotesho, Management Analyst from the City of Elk Grove.

Why Mentoring Matters More Than Ever

 Mentoring isn't just a nice-to-have, it's foundational to developing confident, capable leaders. The City of Elk Grove's program grew organically from a 2019 staff meeting on gender equity, proving that the best development initiatives come directly from your team's expressed needs.

The Secret Sauce: How to Structure a Mentoring Program That Actually Works

•  Cross-departmental pairing process: Bring 10 people together to collaboratively match mentors and mentees—no behind-closed-doors decisions
•  Balanced approach: Combine one-on-one mentor-mentee meetings with group training sessions every two months
•  Clear framework: Provide working agreements, conversation guides, and ongoing support without micromanaging
• Breaking bread together: Include shared meals to build authentic relationships across departments

 What Makes a Great Mentor vs. Manager

A mentor relationship focuses on you as a person, not just job performance.

Key differences:

• Goals are co-created, not assigned
•  The relationship is voluntary and the power dynamic is more balanced
• Mentors often get as much from the relationship as mentees
•  It's about long-term growth beyond daily tasks

Being an Effective Mentee: Your Role in the Relationship

•  Take ownership: You're accountable for your own progress, mentors guide, but you drive
•  Be proactive: Make it clear you're available and ready to absorb their experience
•  Practice radical openness: Share your real goals and be receptive to honest feedback
•  Act like a sponge: Tap into their experience and try new approaches they suggest

 Finding a Mentor When You Don't Have a Program

• Look within your existing professional networks and associations
•  Consider LinkedIn connections who align with your career goals
• Remember: people are honored to be asked, don't hesitate to reach out
• Create informal mentoring relationships by identifying someone whose path you admire

Results That Matter

Elk Grove's mentees consistently report increased confidence, personal growth, and job satisfaction. Many mentees have become mentors themselves, creating a sustainable cycle of development.

Resources Mentioned:

Download the "Launching a Successful Mentorship Program Tip Sheet" here

Connect with Kara Reddig on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kara-reddig

Connect with Femi Omotesho on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/femi-omotesho

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

In this inspiring conversation with leadership expert Jonathan Bissell, we explore how to transform your leadership from reactive to intentional and create the kind of culture where people thrive.

The Foundation: Belief Creates Transformation

Everything starts with a powerful belief: investing in your people pays incredible dividends. When you truly embrace development as a core strategy, you'll create the kind of culture that attracts talent and drives results naturally.

 The Upstream vs. Downstream Framework

 Imagine spending your days building and developing instead of constantly fixing problems. Jonathan shares a game-changing approach:

• Upstream time: Proactively developing people and creating clarity
• Downstream time: Reacting to avoidable problems

Try this: track your time for one week and see the ratio. This simple awareness can transform how you lead.

The 70:20:10 Learning Model

You don't need endless budgets to develop amazing teams. The 70:20:10 learning model developed by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) suggests that learning happens through:

70% real, on-the-job work experiences and stretch assignments

 20% socially through conversations with peers and mentors

10% formal training

 The magic happens when you intentionally connect all three.

Creating Clarity That Empowers

Get clear upfront to create freedom for everyone. Share not just what you need, but why it matters and what success looks like. Provide context, set clear parameters, and give room for autonomy within those boundaries.

The Game-Changer: Consistency

 Intentionality plus consistency equals transformation. Build simple, sustainable rhythms for development conversations and feedback.

You Are a Culture Creator

 You're not just managing within your culture—you're actively shaping it every day. Embrace your role as a culture steward and watch your intentional leadership ripple throughout your organization.

 Resources Mentioned:

The 70:20:10 Learning Model (Center for Creative Leadership)

Connect with Jonathan Bissell at hpi.team or on LinkedIn 

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.