Summary

In this conversation, Andrew Beveridge speaks with Brad Englert, founder of Brad Englert Advisory and author of 'Spheres of Influence'. They discuss the importance of mentorship, building genuine relationships in business, and the significance of understanding both internal and external spheres of influence. Brad shares insights from his extensive experience in IT and leadership, emphasising the need for proactive customer service, the power of apology, and the challenges of influencing without formal authority. The discussion also touches on the dynamics of hybrid work environments and the importance of maintaining connections in a remote setting. Learn more about Brad and access a free chapter of his book - https://bradenglert.com/podcast/

Takeaways

• Mentorship is a two-way street, involving both giving and receiving.
• Understanding your boss's expectations is crucial for success.
• Building genuine relationships can lead to long-term success.
• Proactive customer service is more effective than reactive fire drills.
• Apologising can build trust and strengthen relationships.
• Long-term relationships can lead to unexpected opportunities.
• Creating a positive organisational culture requires clear communication and values.
• Navigating crises requires preparation and strong relationships.
• Influencing others without authority is a key leadership skill.
• Hybrid work environments require intentional relationship-building.

Chapters

00:11 Introduction to Brad Englert

03:26 Understanding Spheres of Influence

10:13 Building Genuine Relationships

16:24 Cultural Transformation in IT

23:04 Navigating Crisis and Change

28:58 The Power of Apology

32:24 Communication and Clarity in Leadership

36:52 Understanding Expectations and Influencing Upwards

39:29 Building Customer Relationships

45:02 Influencing Without Authority

48:46 Navigating Hybrid Work Environments

51:59 Looking Ahead: The Future of Leadership

Summary

We each have mindsets that we bring to our leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 225 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. In this final of a five part series, we explore Drive for Growth and the role it plays in The Leader’s Mindset.

We are continuing to explore The Leader’s Mindset which has four elements: Goal Orientation, Optimistic Outlook, Options Thinking and Drive for Growth. I encourage you to listen to the  previous episodes first and also take the time to complete our free Mindset to Action assessment. This provides detailed feedback on all four areas along with development suggestions. Just go to https://leadership.today/mta

Continuing our journey metaphor, we can be clear about where we’re going, have a positive attitude towards that journey, and even be great at identifying various options to get there, but without Drive for Growth we won’t make progress.

Drive for Growth is like momentum and making forward progress on the journey. With a Drive for Growth mindset, a person will be motivated to keep going and persist even when things get hard. They push themselves to standards that are greater than the minimum that’s expected. Without a Drive for Growth, a person tends to give up when things become difficult to achieve. They also find it hard to get going on a task they know will be difficult.

Sometimes it can feel like some people are just born with higher levels of drive and motivation, but we can all develop and improve our Drive for Growth. Here are five practical ideas you can use:

1. Boost Your Mood: Procrastination is about putting short term mood repair over long term results. We procrastinate because it makes us feel better in the moment. Research demonstrates that boosting your mood by completing an activity you enjoy makes you less likely to procrastinate. Whether it's going for a quick walk or talking with a colleague, take a few moments to boost your mood before you begin.
2. Start Small: Getting started can be the hardest part of pursuing any goal. Identify a small first step you can take to make progress. Dedicating a short amount of time such as 10 to 15 minutes to begin can also be a useful approach. You can then add another 10 to 15 minutes on at the end, as you're likely to be more motivated once you get started.
3. Review Why It Matters: It's challenging to make progress when we lose sight of why our actions matter. Think about your broader goals and sense of purpose in life. Identify how activities align with this purpose to give you that extra motivation.
4. Reflect on Progress: Take stock of the progress you have already made. Think about where you were a month or a year ago and reflect on what you've learned and how you've grown. This will help to build your confidence and motivation to keep going.
5. Recognise That Growth is Difficult: Learning anything new is uncomfortable. Feeling awkward and wanting to give up are natural responses to trying any new activity or pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. It doesn't mean that you lack potential. Push through the awkwardness towards growth and improvement. Becoming comfortable with feeling uncomfortable is a key part of a Drive for Growth mindset.

Choose one of these to practice over the coming week. That’s our final episode in this series on The Leader’s Mindset. If you found the episodes and Mindset to Action assessment helpful, please share them with a friend or colleague. We are committed to sharing resources that help everyone with their leadership and you play a big part in spreading the news. Have a great week as you become an even better leader.

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Get Connected

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

Summary

Research demonstrates a risk of detachment and reduced connection on video calls. This week we explore ways to be more real when we’re not meeting in-person.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 217 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at how to be more real on video calls.

We make rapid judgements about people based on visual and other information we receive. While this can lead to us making incorrect judgements when we meet people in-person, the risk is increased through video calls.

Research demonstrates an increased risk that we treat a visual representation of someone as less real than if we meet them in-person. On a video call we can treat other people as abstract rather than real. This effect is likely increased on a call that has audio and video challenges.

In experiments, participants viewed others as having fewer conscious feelings and less ability to make free choices than when meeting in-person.

As a leader, this could make us seem detached and lacking empathy during the conversation. It can, in turn, lead us to give less ethical consideration to the person on the other end of the video call. Our decision making may lack the warmth, concern and consideration that we would normally provide. So what can we do about this?

When making video calls, we need to be conscious of the risk of detachment and make conscious effort to see people as real human beings. Here are some tips to try:

1. Connect as human beings first. Rather than just getting straight down to business, spend a few minutes enquiring about the other person, how they are, and what they have been doing. You might share something personal about yourself to enhance this connection.
2. Ask open questions. When we treat people as an object rather than a person, we can tend to “talk at” people rather than “talk with” people. Asking open questions helps avoid this trap.
3. Increase your ethical consideration. Explore the impact of any decisions you are making upon people. Great decisions are a combination of logic and emotion.
4. Acknowledge the challenge. You might share this research with your team members. This will help everyone to manage the risk of detachment.
5. Make the most of in-person opportunities. When you do meet together in-person, use this time to connect on a personal level. Save more administrative activities to video calls and don’t waste the time you have physically together.

Give these tips a try on your next video call, and we can all become more real.

Research summary - https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/medusa-effect

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.leadershiptoday.com and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks

- Five five day challenges with workbooks

- Nineteen recorded webinars

- A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

Get Connected

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

Summary

It turns out that designer labels and other signs of social status can get in the way of collaboration.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 136 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we look at the impact of perceived social status on collaboration.

Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who show off signs of social status, like fancy accessories, designer labels and high-end cars, are perceived to care more about self-interest than helping others. As a result, they are seen as less willing to collaborate and more competitive. When I came across this research there were a few examples that stand out in my mind.

The first was a leader who stood at the front of the room, talking to his team about innovation. At the end of his talk he said “speaking of innovation, why don’t you all come out to the car park”. He led the team out to show them his brand new Tesla, taking the next 30 minutes or so to show off every feature of the extraordinarily expensive car. He later received feedback that members of his team found him hard to relate to.

The next was a meeting with a General Manager. In her office I noticed she had a hand bag awkwardly placed on the table where we were meeting - almost like it was on display. I kept wondering why she didn’t take it off the table to give us more space. As we left, my colleague asked me if I noticed the bag. It turned out to be a luxury handbag worth many thousands of dollars. Her peers confided that the General Manager was aloof and not connected with her team.

The third was a meeting I heard about but wasn’t involved in. It was between the CEO of a trucking company and one of his lawyers at a restaurant. The lawyer was in a perfect suit, while the CEO wore functional if slightly dated clothes. At the end of the meeting as they left the restaurant, the CEO saw one of his company’s trucks coming down the road. He waved the driver over and hopped up into the cabin, asking if he and the lawyer could catch a ride back to the head office. Despite owning hundreds of trucks, he knew the driver by name. Apparently this was a regular occurrence. His employees absolutely loved him.

While we don’t want to obsess about our image, it pays to be selective in signs of wealth and social status if your objective is to build collaboration. Be wary of things that might come between you and your people.

Reference

Shalena Srna, Alixandra Barasch, Deborah A. Small. On the value of modesty: How signals of status undermine cooperation.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2022; DOI: 10.1037/pspa0000303

Summary

We all suffer from bias. Here’s how to manage bias more effectively.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 135 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we look at ways to manage bias.

If you ask people to picture in their mind a doctor, most will automatically assume that the doctor is male. If you ask the same people to picture in their mind a nurse, most will automatically assume that the nurse is female. It’s true - more doctors are male, and more nurses are female. When we guess at someone’s gender based on their profession it’s like we’re using approximations and rules of thumb. We are guessing at what’s most likely. But our guesses can be wrong, and based on faulty assumptions. All of that can lead us to have biases that shape our behaviour. If I’m hiring a doctor, do I tend to dismiss female candidates? If I’m hiring a nurse, do I put males further down the list? My beliefs and assumptions then become a real problem - they can lead to bias and prejudice. Understanding how this occurs can help us to identify and manage our biases more effectively. 

A helpful framework for this is the Ladder of Inference from Chris Argyris. Here we picture a ladder that we’re climbing.

• The ladder starts with what we observe. That’s the first rung of the ladder.
• We then select data from what we observe.
• We then add meanings, both cultural and personal, to that data
• We make assumptions based on those meanings
• We draw conclusions based on those assumptions
• Those conclusions shape our beliefs about the world
• We take action based on our beliefs
• All of this loops back to influence what we observe

This process is natural and can be helpful - we need beliefs to guide us through the wealth of data and information coming our way. But it can also be problematic when it ends up with prejudice and unfair treatment. So what can we do?

First, we need to accept that we all have biases. No one is ever bias free, and it is extremely difficult to eliminate a bias completely. But we can reduce bias and we can minimise the impact of bias. To do that, we need to challenge our beliefs. How do we do that? Here are three ideas:

1. Pay attention to who you spend time with. Most people tend to spend time with people who are similar to them. Start by going back through your calendar and noting who you’re spending time with. 
2. Actively seek to work with people who are different to you. Broaden out your inner circle. Look around for the people who are most different to you, whether that’s culture, profession, age, gender or any other factor. 
3. Become curious about other people. Be genuinely interested in other people and their perspectives. Just listen to understand. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but you also don’t need to argue back.

Our workplaces will be far more positive if we can effectively manage bias, and it all starts with us.

Summary

In this episode we explore how to create customer value in our roles and why it matters.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 134 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore how to create customer value in our roles and why it matters.

Creating customer value is central for any successful organisation. If we aren’t creating value for our customers, we are bound to fail. Customer value is also at the core of improvement methodologies such as Lean. At its heart, Lean is a set of improvement methodologies that puts customers and our people at the centre. It is focused on delivering value to customers in the most efficient and effective way possible, using fewer resources and producing less waste. Lean pursues perfection - until we have reached perfection, we can always do better. It also recognises that engaged and motivated people are essential for delivering great outcomes. By relentlessly removing waste and increasing value, we can deliver even better results for our customers. Furthermore, we can achieve this in a way that looks after our people.

Sometimes people struggle to identify their customer or customers. A simple way to do this is to ask - Who uses what we produce? While those people may not be called ‘customers’ within or by your organisation, they are your customers from a value-creation perspective.

In order to create and increase value for our customers, we need to understand what they value. Rather than guessing at their needs, it’s often simplest to have a discussion with them.

We could include open questions like:

• What challenges do you face?
• What matters most to you in the product or service we provide?
• What doesn’t matter?
• What do you like the most about what we provide?
• What do you like the least?

Importantly the conversation needs to focus on them, not just on our product or service. Such open conversations can often highlight new opportunities to add value. 

So this week, spend some time getting to know your customers and their needs better, then focus on ways to increase the value you offer them.

Summary

Excessive pride can lead to a range of problems. We can avoid this by practicing humility.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 133 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore the importance of practicing humility in order to avoid excessive pride.

We’ve all heard the expression, pride comes before a fall. Being proud of our achievements is fine. The issue is when we elevate ourselves above others or think we are infallible. So whenever there is a track record of success, pride can become a problem. 

So what’s the issue with pride? There are three main issues when people become too proud:

1. The need to be an expert. Pride can make it hard to say “I don’t know”. This may lead people to make poor decisions based on incomplete information or faulty logic.
2. They receive less feedback. If you think you have it all together, people aren’t likely to tell you otherwise. This can reduce the amount of feedback received.
3. This combination of a lack of feedback and overestimated ability makes a fall more likely to occur, and even more difficult to take.

So how do we ensure we keep excessive pride in check. The key is to practice humility. Here are five things to try:

1. Become aware of your weaknesses, not just your strengths - if you can’t identify any weaknesses, then you are at risk
2. Listen to others - genuinely value their input and perspectives
3. Be willing to say “I don’t know” - it’s perfectly fine to not have all the answers
4. Ask for help when you need it - everybody needs help and support at different points
5. Actively seek specific feedback - don’t just ask “how am I doing?” but ask for feedback about specific areas (for example, “I want to improve the way I present - what’s something specific I could improve?”)

Pride doesn’t have to become a problem. If we want to avoid a fall, we can practice humility.

Reference

https://hbr.org/2021/09/dont-let-power-corrupt-you 

Summary

We can so often end up worrying about decisions that we don’t even need to make yet. Here’s how scheduled decisions can help.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 132 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we look at how scheduled decisions can reduce worry.

Have you ever dreamed about leaving a job? Things become challenging so you start to scroll through employment websites, just to see what else is out there. Before you know it your spare time, commute to work, lunch break and other opportunities are punctuated by a quick job search.

Or maybe there’s another type of significant change you need to make at some point. Perhaps this change doesn’t need to happen for a while, but you find your thinking looping back on it repeatedly.

As humans we have an exceptional ability to find things to worry about. There are some things we can’t control or influence where worrying is entirely futile. But there are other things that we do have some control or influence over where worrying can still become a problem.

Here’s a simple technique that I believe can really help. I call it scheduled decision making. 

Let’s take the job search example. The problem here is that we haven’t actually decided to leave our current job, so the constant job searching just leads to distraction and dissatisfaction. We haven’t decided to make a decision, so we end up just gathering more and more information as we ruminate on whether we should change jobs.

When coaching people in these sorts of situations, the first question we explore is whether now is the best time to make a decision. Often times now isn’t the best time to decide. There may be a lot going on so the person doesn’t have capacity to work the issue through, or they may not have all the information they need to make the decision, or their decision might just be a reaction to current circumstances. If that’s the case, then we explore a time in the future when they will likely be in a better position to make a decision. Here I ask people to actually choose a date. I then suggest they schedule the decision making process for that date. 

In the job search example, let’s say we schedule the decision for two months in the future. That helps us to feel confident we will address the issue - it’s in our calendar. It also makes all that job searching far less important, so we can better focus on today’s challenges. At the two month mark they will make their decision about whether to leave their job or not.

So this week, think about things you are worrying about at work. Is there an opportunity to schedule your decision making for a future date? You might just find it helps you to focus on the present, and leave future problems for a better time in the future.

Starting a new role can be challenging. In this episode we explore how best to succeed when you’re starting in a new position.

Welcome to episode 131 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore how best to succeed when you’re starting in a new position.

Starting a new role can be really challenging. There is so much to get your head around. What am I accountable for? How do the systems work? Who’s in my team? We want to set ourselves up well, but what do the most successful people focus on in those first few weeks and months?

Researchers Cross, Pryor and Sylvester found those who are most successful in new roles build broad, mutually beneficial connections right from the start. This helps these so-called “fast movers” to be more engaged, productive and innovative. So how do they do this?

The most effective new starters quickly identify key leaders and influencers across the organisation who are willing and able to help them get things done. Fast movers build these connections quickly, looking for ways they can provide help and support. The key here is that the relationships are mutually beneficial. They don’t just go out asking for help, but look for ways to assist others. Over time this means people come to them to offer advice, support and ideas. 

Fast movers think about where they add value through their strengths, while also identifying people who can assist with their gaps. They use their connections to help diagnose their strengths and what they may need to work on in relation to their role. 

Fast movers tend to work across the organisation, moving across silos and boundaries. This is incredibly beneficial to organisations that so often struggle to work between different areas and departments. It’s like the glue that holds the organisation together, and that’s part of what makes these fast movers so valuable. Their broader perspective really helps fast movers to stand out from the people who stick to their own area.

So, whether you’re new to a role or not, there are many benefits to be gained by broadening your network across the organisation. Look for ways you can support others while also gaining support. You might start by asking your manager and colleagues for people they rate highly. Schedule some time to meet with these people to find out more about their role and part of the organisation. Look for ways you can assist others across the organisation. It will help you to succeed in your own role.

https://hbr.org/2021/11/how-to-succeed-quickly-in-a-new-role

Summary

Deadlines can help us, but they can also take us away from what’s most important. This week we explore when to set a deadline.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 130 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are looking at when to set a deadline.

Deadlines can be really helpful if we use them well. I’ve spoken before about the mere urgency effect - that we tend to focus our attention and efforts towards tasks with a deadline over and above other far more important tasks that don’t have a deadline. Deadlines attract our attention and energy. So if we set deadlines for things that aren’t important, they will draw out attention and energy away from the things that really matter.

But we can use this effect to our advantage. There are plenty of things in life that are important but never really urgent. Things like planning, rest and recovery, exercise, connections with others. We need to schedule these things into our calendar - effectively giving them a deadline.

Here is one example from my own business. Every Monday at 8.30am I review progress against a range of targets for my business. That includes the usuals like sales and delivery, and things like podcast and app downloads. But it also includes exercise, social connections, and time spent away from my family, which I try to keep within a tight range. It’s a routine - a not negotiable. Having a deadline on this helps draw my attention and energy. I can then look at these measures and schedule any actions needed over the coming weeks. It helps me to remain proactive and focused.

So this week, think of the important things in your life that you may have been neglecting. Put them in your calendar with a deadline.

Summary

If you needed help, who would you turn to? The amount of support we receive depends on how well those people are interconnected. Community multiplies support.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 129 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how community multiplies support.

If you needed help, who would you turn to? Most of us have a few friends or work colleagues that we can turn to for help. But how supportive do you think these people would be?

It turns out that how much these colleagues and friends know and like each other has an impact on the level of support we feel we receive. The more those we seek support from are connected with each other in community, the greater the support we experience.

Researchers describe this as network density - the extent to which individuals in the network are interconnected in positive and supportive relationships.

David Lee from the University of Buffalo describes it this way - "The more cohesive, the more dense this network you have, the more you feel you can rely on them for support. It matters if your friends can depend on each other, just like you depend on them.”

Jonathan Stahl, another member of the same research team, put it this way "You can have two friends who are both very supportive of you, but if they are both friends with each other, that makes you feel even more supported.”

So it’s not just the number of connections that matter, but also how much those connections are in community with each other.

We know that connections and feeling like we belong matter at work. This research shows that as we build community and connections in the workplace, there is increased potential for people to feel supported by others. 

As a leader, you can strengthen your team by investing in team building. Help those in your team to build connections with each other and provide support. Being in a community multiplies support.

Reference

David S. Lee, Jonathan L. Stahl, Joseph B. Bayer. Social Resources as Cognitive Structures: Thinking about a Dense Support Network Increases Perceived Support. Social Psychology Quarterly, 2020; 019027252093950 DOI: 10.1177/0190272520939506

Summary

Generating more options increases the chances of better outcomes, particularly when faced with uncertainty. That’s the power of options.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 128 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are looking at the power of options.

Options are powerful. One characteristic of those with high levels of hope is a focus on multiple pathways. When they’re faced with a challenge or obstacle, those with hope quickly determine options to still reach their goals.

But what about you? When you’re faced with a challenge or problem, how many options do you typically come up with?

When we encounter a challenge, most of us tend to generate one option and then run with that. We generally go with the most obvious idea that first crosses our mind. What are the chances of that being the best option? Pretty slim. 

I once heard someone say that the best idea is number 2.5. What did they mean by that? Well, idea one is rarely the best. Idea two is usually better than idea one. Idea three is often a little too far out to be practical. So the best idea is 2.5 - combining idea two and idea three as a new option. The principle here is that we are far better off generating multiple options, then choosing the most appropriate even if that means combining some ideas.

Yet in those moments our brains are desperate for certainty and conclusion. That’s why we so often stop at option one. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Recognise that option generation and option evaluation are two distinct steps. If we are trying to evaluate our options while we generate them, we will often throw out too many options that could have merit. Instead, spend time generating multiple options before evaluating them.
2. Use a coach. I’m a big fan of peer coaching and include it in every leadership program I design. Having someone asking you for further options and guiding you towards new areas is extremely helpful.
3. Consider where you come up with your best ideas. Most people develop their best ideas when they’re relaxed, maybe having a shower or going for a walk, and when they’re interacting with others. Make sure you give your brain time to relax and consider options, and bring others around you to bounce ideas off.

So options are powerful. Don’t get stuck on option one, but always take the time to explore other alternatives.

Summary

In teams we can take either a challenging or a supportive role, but they’re even better together.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 127 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how challenge and support are better together.

When working in teams, there are two main roles we can take to improve performance and build cohesion. The first is the challenging role. This is where we focus on new ideas and efficiency, while also challenging the way things are currently done. This helps the team to find new ways and implement improvements, but it can also be confronting for those who would rather leave things the way they are which, let’s face it, is most people. The second role is supportive. Here we focus on strengthening team bonds, building trust and increasing friendly interactions within the team. This helps the team to get along and work well together, but isn’t necessarily focused on performance and improvements.

People can take on either a challenging role or a supportive role. Some even manage to take on both. But who do we really want on our teams?

A recent study In the Journal of Management looked at both the challenging and supportive roles people took on, and their likelihood of being chosen for new teams. The study used MBA students who had worked on team projects together and asked them to then select who they would most like to work with in a future team. Who do you think were the most popular choices?

When people were choosing between those taking on what researchers described as a challenging voice or a supportive voice, it was the supportive people who were selected most often. As the researchers described “Having a positive reputation for good work goes a long way, but so does just being a good person. People want to work with those who they feel comfortable with.” In fact, people are willing to sacrifice performance to work with people who are trustworthy and friendly.

The most desired team members were those who combined challenging and supportive roles. They are able to focus on new ideas and improvements, while still bringing the team together towards these goals. This combination helps with unity and performance.

How do we apply this research?

If you’re new to an organisation or team, it is helpful to be open in your desire to support others and build cohesion. If you lead with the supportive role, it’s much easier to then take on a challenging role in the team.

Perhaps you’re already great at building the team and supporting others. You might want to explore how to increase the challenging role.

Or maybe you love being the devil’s advocate, constantly challenging old ways of doing things. This research suggests you will be even more effective if you also seek to support others and build team work. This will help others to listen to and accept your ideas.

So this week, try to support and challenge - they’re better together.

Reference

Daniel W. Newton, Melissa Chamberlin, Cynthia K. Maupin, Jennifer D. Nahrgang, Dorothy R. Carter. Voice as a Signal of Human and Social Capital in Team Assembly Decisions. Journal of Management, 2021; 014920632110313 DOI: 10.1177/01492063211031303

Summary

When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 216 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at five ideas to help you lead through a crisis.

When you’re in leadership for long enough you discover that crises are inevitable. Whether it's a financial downturn, a global pandemic, or internal organisational challenges, we all need to navigate through uncertainties to ensure the survival and success of our teams and organisations. Here are some practical strategies backed by research on how to effectively lead through a crisis.

1. Maintain Transparent Communication: Research suggests that leaders who communicate clearly and honestly during a crisis build trust and enhance team resilience. Sharing information about the situation, potential impacts, and the organisation's response plan helps employees feel informed and engaged. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders like Microsoft's Satya Nadella held regular virtual town hall meetings to update employees on the company's response, addressing concerns and providing a sense of direction.
2. Foster a Culture of Adaptability: In times of crisis, adaptability becomes a crucial trait for both leaders and their teams. Research suggests that organisations promoting adaptability are more likely to thrive during crises. Leaders can encourage a culture that embraces change and innovation, empowering employees to contribute ideas and solutions.
3. Prioritise Employee Well-being: The well-being of employees is a cornerstone of effective crisis leadership. Research by Gallup indicates that companies focusing on employee well-being experience higher levels of employee engagement and productivity. Leaders must demonstrate empathy, provide emotional support, and implement practical measures to ensure the physical and mental well-being of their teams.
4. Help Others See the Potential for Development. The times when I have learned the most have also been times of crisis. Fortunately I had leaders and others who encouraged me to focus on what I could learn through these tough times. That brought a sense of purpose and opportunity to what otherwise might have appeared to be entirely negative situations.
5. Develop a Robust Crisis Response Plan: Having a well-defined crisis response plan is essential for leaders to navigate uncertainties efficiently. Leaders should proactively identify potential risks, develop response strategies, and regularly test and update their crisis plans to ensure relevance. You can build this into your regular business planning. Each year I look at risks across one year, five year, and ten year time horizons. This helps me to anticipate what might go wrong and have contingencies in place ready to go.

Leading through a crisis demands a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, and a focus on well-being. Crises present opportunities for growth and transformation when met with thoughtful, prepared and decisive leadership.

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Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

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Attention is a limited resource, but clear goals and regular feedback can help us to stay focused.

Welcome to episode 126 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how clear goals and regular feedback can help us to stay focused.

Attention is a limited resource. It can be hard to maintain your attention on one task over an extended period of time. You can think of attention like a tank that is gradually depleted over time. Even when people report that they are engaged with a task, the research demonstrates that their attention will wane. The person may not even notice this happening, but their thoughts and attention will start to drift to unrelated areas. This is particularly a problem in activities that require sustained attention where missing a rare event can lead to significant negative outcomes. This includes jobs like air traffic control and security screening. These jobs require individuals to always focus on the task at hand, but can also become repetitive and boring over time. But there are some ways leaders can help their people to maintain engagement and attention, as highlighted by recently published research from the University of Texas.

Researcher Matthew Robison and team put participants through their paces on tasks that required high levels of attention. They varied the clarity of goals and level of feedback received. The researchers found that while people maintain attention better with clear goals, it is regular feedback that really makes a difference. Combining clear goals and frequent feedback appear to help people to maintain their attention over a longer period of time. This worked even more effectively than offering cash payments. Feedback by itself was helpful in reducing task-unrelated thoughts, leading to less distraction.

As a leader, this yet another example of how clear goals and regular feedback help. But there are limits. The researchers caution against setting up jobs and tasks that require sustained human attention. We need to design work that allows for reduced attention over time with frequent breaks and task variety. Have a great week.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211028143651.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain%2Fneuroscience+%28Neuroscience+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Sat through a bad meeting recently? There are three stages we need to get right in any meeting to make it effective.

Welcome to episode 125 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we are exploring how to make meetings more effective by concentrating on three stages.

When people complain about meetings, it’s usually about how they are run rather than the meeting itself. Ineffective meetings often end up leading to even more meetings. Being able to plan and run an effective meeting is a core skill for any leader. Recognising the three key stages in any meeting can make a huge difference. 

Every meeting should have three clear stages - opening, exploring, and closing. As I describe these stages, think about any that you are already great at, and any that you tend to overlook. 

Let’s start with the opening stage. Here we are clarifying why we are here. What’s the purpose of this meeting? What’s the range across which we are working? What freedom and authority do we have? What are the expectations for those attending? This stage opens up the discussion by laying out the playing field. Wherever possible, the purpose and structure of the meeting should be shared with participants beforehand. Everyone should know why they are there and how they can contribute. 

Next comes the exploring stage. Here we are staying within the range we have established, but being creative. We are exploring the issues from all angles and generating new ideas.

During the closing stage, we make and note decisions, work out next steps, and clearly note who is accountable for what.

Consider what happens when these stages are missing or not managed well. Without an effective opening, people may be unclear about their role and how they should contribute. Without an effective exploring stage, people may feel like their ideas and contributions aren’t valued. They might wonder why the meeting couldn’t have just been an email. Without an effective closing stage, the team may fail to capture decisions and next steps. They may be left with lots of ideas that are leading nowhere. 

Okay - time for a quick self-assessment. Which of these three stages do you tend to do well, and which might you neglect? I always need to be conscious of the closing stage. I tend to cover the opening and exploring stages quite well, but sometimes rush over the decisions and next steps. So now I ensure I’ve dedicated enough time and attention to closing. Having a clear agenda helps remind me to cover these final details.

Try thinking about the three stages for your next meeting. 

When we’re faced with an obstacle or opportunity, it’s important to change the plan, and not the goal.

Welcome to episode 124 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re considering why, when we’re faced with an obstacle or opportunity, it’s important to change the plan, and not the goal.

We face change every day of our lives. In leadership roles it can be hard to know how to handle ongoing change and uncertainty. When change occurs one of the criticisms leaders might face is that they’re constantly moving the goal posts. People might feel like things are shifting all the time and therefore become confused and demotivated. There are some simple ways to avoid this criticism and, more importantly, help people remain clear and motivated.

One of the issues is that leaders often confuse goals and plans, using the terms interchangeably. As a result, people can feel rightly confused about what they should be doing. A simple way of thinking about a goal is that it’s like a flag on a hill. It’s the end point that we are heading towards. Just like getting to a flag on a hill though, there are multiple pathways that we might take. A plan is like one of these pathways - it’s the approach we have chosen to reach the goal. Our organisations and teams are constantly faced with opportunities and threats. These might block some pathways or make new pathways available. Great leaders are attuned to these changes. They are willing to change the plan to allow for these opportunities and threats. After all, there’s little point trying to stay on a pathway that is blocked. But great leaders also try to keep the goal constant. They explain how any changes to the plan are to help the team reach the ultimate goal. They are also clear upfront - they don’t confuse or combine the goal and the plan. 

Less effective leaders keep shifting and changing goals when faced with opportunities and threats. If the plan doesn’t work, they also throw out the goal. This confuses people, as it requires a new goal and plan. It also makes all the work performed to date feel like a waste of time.

So next time you are faced with an opportunity or obstacle, focus on any changes required to the plan while reinforcing that the goal has remained unchanged. Your people will thank you.

Our brain has an amazing ability to learn at double speed. Maybe we should use it more.

Hello and welcome to episode 123 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re looking at our brain’s amazing ability to learn at double speed.

No doubt you’ve listened to a podcast or audio book at double speed. Maybe you’re even doing it now! Our ability to still absorb information when it is coming at us twice as fast is quite amazing. But surely there’s a drop off in how much we’re actually taking in. Well, according to a recent study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology, apparently not.

The researchers split participants into different groups to watch videos at normal speed, 1.5 times, 2 times and 2.5 times. Participants were then tested on their knowledge immediately following the videos and one week later. Surprisingly, the 1.5 times and 2 times groups performed just as well as those participants that watched the video at normal speed. Only the 2.5 times group showed a drop in performance.

The researchers then examined what happened if you watched the same video at 2 times speed twice. I’ve run the maths here, and that’s the same overall commitment of time as watching the video once at normal speed. When participants viewed the video twice at double speed, their performance on a comprehension test increased, particularly when the second viewing was immediately before the test. Their performance was about the same as participants who watched the video at normal speed first then double speed the second time. Even though participants believed watching the video at normal speed first would be better, it made no difference to watching it double speed.

Perhaps you’re like these participants and think “surely I can’t take information in that quickly”. Why not experiment with it this week. You might start by listening or watching the same content at double speed twice.

Give it a try and let me know how it works out.

https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/12/21/watching-a-lecture-twice-at-double-speed-can-benefit-learning-better-than-watching-it-once-at-normal-speed/ 

Summary

It’s easy for leaders to confuse feedback and coaching, but they are quite different.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 122 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re looking at the objectives of feedback and coaching, and why it’s important to understand how best to apply them.

Feedback and coaching are two core skills that all leaders need. However, we can often confuse the goals of feedback and coaching. As a result, we may be unclear about the type of conversation we’re having, confusing those we are speaking with. 

When we are providing feedback, the main goal is to increase awareness. This usually includes making someone aware of the impact they are having on others, either positive or negative.

When we are having a coaching conversation, the main goal is development. It isn’t primarily about the impact a person is having, but rather about ways they can become even better.

We need awareness before development. It’s almost impossible to develop if you don’t believe there is an opportunity to improve. But raising awareness, in and of itself, is not development. 

Here is where things can sometimes go wrong. A leader might frame a discussion as if it is coaching, when really they just want to provide feedback. Or the leader might offer someone feedback, when really they just want to tell the person what to do differently next time. 

Feedback can be a powerful tool to demonstrate progress and to identify strengths the person doesn’t see in themselves. Feedback might be something that encourages a person to continue developing and improving. Feedback can lead to an opportunity to coach someone, but feedback and coaching are different types of conversations.

If you’re going to have a conversation with an individual, try to keep it either focused on feedback or on coaching depending upon the goal. Combining or confusing the two often reduces the effectiveness of the conversation. 

So keep in mind - the goal of feedback is to increase awareness, while the goal of coaching is ongoing development. Be clear about what you are providing and why. Think about things from the perspective of the other person - what do they need from you? What is going to help them to progress?

And the most important take-away is that great leaders provide lots of feedback and undertake lots of coaching conversations. The really great leaders seek out feedback and coaching for themselves. Have a great week.

Go to leadership.today for further information.

In this episode we explore how the language we use can either help or hinder our achievement of goals.

Hello and welcome to episode 121 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. Firstly, welcome to 2022! It’s great to be back with you after a short break. I hope you and your loved ones are keeping well. I’m expectant about what 2022 holds for leaders. We’re making lots of progress when it comes to flexible working. The global pandemic has really forced us all to stop and think about what we’re trying to achieve and the best way to get there. 

How are those New Years’ resolutions going? If you’re like most people the goals you set are probably starting to slip. Given we know so much about goal setting, why is it that we just can’t seem to follow through with our goals? I believe one of the key issues we face is the language we use when setting goals. The way we express our goals has a flow on impact to our motivation and commitment.

Consider the following goal. This year I want to finish work by 5pm each day. That seems, on the surface, to be a pretty well constructed goal. It’s clear, measurable and is probably achievable. The catch is the use of the word “want”. When we say we want to do something, we’re indicating a preference rather than a commitment. If I want to finish work by 5pm, but I have lots of work on, it’s pretty easy to push this preference to one side. And when we’ve done that once, it’s easy to keep letting the goal slip again and again until the goal is long forgotten. 

Compare that with the same goal, but this time using the word “will”. This year I will finish work by 5pm each day. Using the word “will” turns the goal into a commitment and not just a preference. The wording indicates that we have decided to make this change. Imagine sharing that goal with a friend or colleague. The commitment then is clear.

Think about the goals you have set in the past that you’ve struggled to keep. Was the commitment clear in the way you expressed the goal?

It might sound like we’re just playing words here, but expressing your goals as a commitment rather than a preference makes a big difference.

This week, try to express a new goal as a “will” not a “want”. See you next week.

Head to leadership.today for more information.

In this episode we speak with Shane Hatton, author of the book Lead the Room. Shane works with individuals and teams around leadership, communication and culture. During the interview we explore:

• What it means to lead the various ‘rooms’ in our life and leadership

• Making a difference in the moments that matter

• Leading in a remote and virtual context

• A leader’s role in building and shaping culture

• Managing the ‘busy-ness’ that so often overtakes our day

You can find out more about Shane via his website - https://shanemhatton.com/

You also will want to check out his podcast, Phone Calls with Clever People, wherever you get your podcasts.

I speak with Ellen Jackson who is a psychologist, writer, speaker, consultant and coach. Her business, Potential Psychology, helps leaders and teams to thrive and flourish. She is also the host of the Potential Psychology podcast which recently featured its 100th episode.

In this discussion we cover:

- How positive psychology is relevant for leaders

- What place negative experiences and hardships have in positive psychology

- Some of the tips she has applied after interviewing 100 experts

- The challenges and opportunities in community leadership

Go to www.potential.com.au to learn more about Ellen.

A quick note - there are a few audio issues and a barking dog, but welcome to the joys of podcasting!

In this episode we speak with author, speaker and facilitator Dr Maria Church about her concept of Love-Based Leadership. During the interview we explore:

• Where the idea for Love-Based Leadership came from

• What it means to lead with love

• How we can demonstrate Love-Based Leadership from a distance

• Implications for culture and innovation

You can find out more about Maria via her website - drmariachurch.com

Dr Maria Church is author of the book Love-Based Leadership: The model for leading with strength, grace, and authenticity. She works with a broad range of individuals and organisations around organisational culture, change agility and leadership development. Her latest book is A Course in Leadership: 21 Spiritual Lessons on Power, Love and Influence.

In this episode we look at why a philosophy of leadership is important, and how you might develop your own philosophy.

Hello and welcome to episode 120 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In fact, this episode marks three years of the Leadership Today podcast. Thanks so much for being a part of that. The podcast has reached tens of thousands of people and I always appreciate your feedback and input. In this episode we look at why a philosophy of leadership is important, and how you might develop your own philosophy.

Whether we recognise it or not, we all have a philosophy of leadership. It’s the lens through which we view leadership. There are aspects of that philosophy that you have no doubt consciously developed, but there will also be parts that are more accidental in their origins. Why does our philosophy of leadership matter? Because it shapes the way we think, feel and act about issues of leadership. For example, if you believe people are born leaders, then you probably also believe that others aren’t born leaders - that will influence your decisions and actions. If you believe leadership is just about managing people downwards, that will also influence your decisions and actions.

I’m going to share my philosophy of leadership with you. I don’t expect you to necessarily agree with all of these points. In fact, it’s great if you don’t! Particularly if that helps to shape your own philosophy of leadership that you apply to you and others.

I will start with the definition of leadership that we use at Leadership Today, which is “achieving results through people for good”. That’s what leaders do. I firmly believe that leaders leave the world a better place. Leadership is for good - the good of the people we serve, the organisation where we work, but also for the communities and families around our organisations. Inherent in that definition of leadership is a balancing act. Leadership is absolutely about achieving results - if you’re not achieving results you’re not leading. And leadership is absolutely about people - leaders deliver through people. If we become unbalanced, that’s where the problems start. If you focus just on results and forget about the people, you’re not going to achieve results for very long. Equally, focusing just on people and paying inadequate attention to results is ultimately not good for the people you serve. Creating a nice, soft environment with low expectations and standards is actually awful for people. We need to focus on both parts - “achieving results” and “through people”, and always link that to the good.

I believe that we can all be leaders. That leadership is about the influence we have on others in the pursuit of results for good. Therefore if you have influence, then you are a leader. Sure, leadership can be downwards, but it can also be across, and up, and ever outside our organisation. Leadership isn’t just what we do at work.

In balancing the ‘achieving results’ and ‘through people’ components, we are best placed if we dial up both challenge and support. People often misunderstand psychological safety - thinking that it’s just about supporting people and making the workplace safe. It’s also about providing a challenging and stimulating place to work. Just as being over-stressed is bad, so is being chronically under-stressed. It’s far better to increase the challenge as you also increase the support. That’s what leads to growth in others.

The way we balance results and people is through aligned motivation - that’s the vehicle of leadership. In a perfect world we have a group of people who are motivated and heading in the same direction. There’s no point having a motivated team if they are all heading in different directions. Equally there’s no point having an aligned team that clearly understand the desired direction, but aren’t motivated to get there. 

The catch is that we can’t motivate anyone directly. I can’t force someone to be motivated. And I can’t motivate someone just through personal enthusiasm in a hope that some of my motivation might rub off. Instead, as a leader I need to create an environment and conditions that align with and unlock the motivations of individuals. You can’t do that without understanding your people.

The research I’ve undertaken suggests there are six practices that outstanding leaders undertake - reflecting, inspiring, developing, connecting, delegating and clearing. If you’re interested in those, you can check out our online course at Leadership Today On-Demand that explores each of these in more detail. Chances are that there are two daily practices you are great at, two you are okay at, and two that you tend to neglect.

I believe that everyone is a born leader. That we all have a head start in some area of leadership, and that we will always need to work on other areas of leadership. As a leader you never stop learning.

And, finally, I believe that leadership needs to be sustainable. There’s not much point being a great leader for a month or two and then collapsing in a heap. We all need routines that allow for challenge, ongoing development and times of recovery.

So that is my philosophy of leadership, gained through research and experience. Can I encourage you to bullet point out your own philosophy of leadership? You can use mine as a starting point if you would like - it’s all in the show notes. But, better yet, why not just list yours out first. Knowing our philosophy of leadership shapes both the way we lead and how we interact with others.

If you have been following Leadership Today for a while, you will also know that my philosophy of leadership development is driven by your challenges and areas of interest. Our Leadership Today App is a great way to undertake your leadership development in your own time. Just go to your App Store and search for Leadership Today. There you can sign up for a monthly or annual subscription, or take our 30 day free trial. I encourage you to then take a look around and dip into the topics that are most interesting and relevant to you. Have a great week.

Summary

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 215 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to be more courageous at work.

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, taking on challenging projects, or navigating uncertain situations, courage plays a pivotal role at work. Courage is often associated with the ability to face fear and adversity head-on. From a psychological perspective, it involves factors such as self-efficacy (a belief in your own capabilities), resilience, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. To be courageous you need confidence to act and an ability to push through negative emotions. There are a number of steps you can take to increase your courage at work.

1. Set Realistic Goals and Incremental Challenges: Research suggests that setting realistic goals and gradually increasing the difficulty of challenges can enhance courage. Start by identifying a specific work-related goal that requires a step outside your comfort zone. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, and tackle them one at a time. As you achieve these incremental successes, your confidence and courage will grow.
2. Develop a Growth Mindset: Embrace a growth mindset, a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. Individuals with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. When faced with a daunting task at work, shift your mindset from a fixed view of your abilities to a belief in your capacity to develop and improve. This shift can empower you to approach challenges with a more courageous attitude.
3. Seek Social Support: Studies show that social support can be a significant factor in promoting courage. Cultivate relationships with colleagues who inspire and motivate you. Share your goals and fears with trusted coworkers or mentors, and seek their guidance. Having a support system not only provides valuable insights but also boosts your confidence to face challenges head-on.
4. Practice Emotional Regulation: Being aware of our emotions helps us to manage our emotions more effectively. By learning to manage your emotions, you can face difficult situations with greater composure and courage. Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness techniques, focusing on your breath, noticing your emotions and developing a sense of calm. This can enhance your ability to navigate challenging workplace situations.
5. Celebrate Failures and Learn from Them: Research indicates that viewing failures as opportunities for growth can foster courage. Instead of fearing failure, see it as a natural part of the learning process. When things don't go as planned, reflect on what went wrong, extract lessons from the experience, and use that knowledge to improve. Celebrating failures as stepping stones toward success can build resilience and a willingness to take calculated risks.

Remember, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it, and with intentional effort, you can become a more courageous and impactful leader.

Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer

We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.learn.leadership.today and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.

Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.

Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:

- Five online courses with workbooks - valued at $250 each

- Five five day challenges with workbooks - valued at $150 each

- Nineteen recorded webinars - valued at $100 each

- A searchable library of 160+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges - valued at $500

That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.

Get Connected

Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

In this replay of our 11th July 2020 episode, we find out that learning isn't quite 70/20/10.

Many people claim there is an epidemic of rudeness in our organisations. Is that true, or is it a case of a few bad apples ruining the bunch?

Hello and welcome to episode 119 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In this episode we find out whether there really is an epidemic of rudeness at work, or just a few bad apples ruining the bunch.

Some have described rudeness and incivility in our workplaces as an epidemic. I’m sure each of use can share anecdotal stories of angry and rude people. These examples do tend to stick in our minds. But is it really an epidemic?

In a study just published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers measured the level of rudeness between employees. The research included a diverse range of office, manufacturing and restaurant environments. On first look at the results, it’s easy to see why people refer to an epidemic of rudeness. In fact, the researchers found 70% of people experienced rudeness at work. That’s a pretty extraordinary figure. However, the same research demonstrated that rudeness was a characteristic in just 16% of relationships. So while many people observe and experience rudeness at work, it’s a much smaller percentage of people contributing to this rudeness. Their research suggests that a relatively small number of people being rude has a disproportionately large impact on others.

This finding makes a lot of sense. Even if you’re not on the receiving end of rudeness, it still impacts you. I vividly remember a senior leader who would routinely berate and belittle others both behind their back and to their face. He was extraordinarily rude. So even though I wasn’t on the receiving end, the rude behaviour had a dramatic impact on my assessment of the individual and also the organisation. There seemed to be little interest by other senior leaders in the issue or any attempt to tackle the behaviour. Ultimately people left the organisation while the rude leader remained. 

Given the toxic impact of rudeness, organisations need to have a zero tolerance for rude behaviours. And when I say ‘organisations’, I really mean leaders at all levels. Not only do leaders need to be role models of positive behaviours, they also need to confront negative and rude behaviours immediately. It could be that the person being rude doesn’t have a sense of their impact, so swift feedback may well help them to avoid sabotaging their own career.

However a great work environment isn’t just one that lacks rudeness. You don’t create a great workplace by just removing negative behaviours. We need to also encourage positive behaviours and interactions. We need to foster kindness, respect and inclusion.

So, an epidemic of rudeness? Probably not. However, the latest research clearly demonstrates that a few bad apples can definitely spoil an organisation.

Shannon G. Taylor, Lauren R. Locklear, Donald H. Kluemper, Xinxin Lu. Beyond targets and instigators: Examining workplace incivility in dyads and the moderating role of perceived incivility norms.. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2021; DOI: 10.1037/apl0000910

Resilience programs are okay, but true resilience starts with leadership. We explore the research and what it means for leaders in this week’s episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 118 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In this episode we discuss why resilience starts with leadership.

I think there is a problem with a lot of resilience training that is undertaken in our organisations. It’s not the valuable skills and techniques that worry me - of course, we can all work on our resilience. However the undertone in most resilience training is that you are the problem - that it’s solely your responsibility to become more resilient. But sometimes it’s not the level of an individual’s resilience that’s the problem. Sometimes it’s the job, the work environment or the leadership that’s the problem. If we fix those external issues, that might reduce the amount of resilience people need to get through their day. 

I appreciate this is a balance. However I think in far too many organisations, we effectively blame the individual for not being resilient enough without first examining the work environment around them. Instead this approach is all too common - “if you’re struggling with the demands of your job and work environment, here’s a resilience program”.

So what’s an alternative approach?

Researchers Kyle Brykman and Danielle King found that leaders play an important role when it comes to resilience, particularly within teams. They studied 48 tech startup teams to identify what made a difference when it came to resilience and learning.

They found a key element in team resilience is having a leader who is focused on learning and not solely on short-term performance outcomes. The most effective leaders rewarded a learning mindset, even when the person made a mistake. They recognised that learning requires mistakes. So if something goes wrong, the focus from the best leaders is immediately on learning from the experience.

Where leaders encouraged their people to take risks, contribute suggestions and learn from the experience, teams ended up being more resilient and effective. They created a culture with openness, learning and a focus on development.

If you’re considering a resilience program, here are four steps you might start with instead:

1. Start by creating a work environment that is equal parts supportive and challenging. Help people to feel comfortable to speak up, but also to stretch themselves and occasionally fall short.

2. Examine your attitude to mistakes. What is the language used around mistakes? What are the first things we say when things don’t work out?

3. Ask people how they’re feeling. Radical, right? But think back over your career. How many managers ever asked you how you were feeling? Our feelings towards our work provide an insight into our emotional state and the level of resilience we are needing to demonstrate each day.

4. Remove frustrations. Frustrations soak up will power. As my own research has found, the more frequently you face frustrations at work, the greater the likelihood that you also experience significant negative work-related stress. Wanting to do a good job and being blocked by frustrations is terrible for people. No amount of resilience training can overcome the negative outcomes of unaddressed frustrations.

So, this week, remember that resilience starts with leadership. 

This month we have some very exciting news. Our Leadership Today video on-demand service is now available as an app on Android and Apple iOS devices. You can take all of our video content on the road using your phone or tablet. You can even switch between the web and any of your devices to pick up right where you left off and bring your watch lists with you. The app even lets you download content to watch offline. We have partnered with Vimeo to build this app  over the past few months and couldn’t be happier with the end product. To find out more go to our website at leadership.today or search for the Leadership Today app in Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Kyle M. Brykman, Danielle D. King. A Resource Model of Team Resilience Capacity and Learning. Group & Organization Management, 2021; 105960112110180 DOI: 10.1177/10596011211018008

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210610173947.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain%2Fbehavior+%28Behavior+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

In this episode we explore why 10,000 hours of practice isn’t perfect, and how we can make practice better.

Hello and welcome to episode 117 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In this episode we explore why 10,000 hours of practice isn’t perfect, and how we can make practice better.

“Practice makes perfect” - at least that’s how the old saying goes. In fact, you’ve probably also heard that 10,000 hours of practice makes you an expert or master. The 10,000 hours figure was popularised by one of my favourite writers, Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers: The Story of Success. While the general principle is right - that practice is an essential part of becoming an expert - the exact number of hours is at best arbitrary. The quoted figure is based on the work of Alders Ericsson who observed that the most accomplished violin students he studied had put in, on average, 10,000 hours of practice by the time they were 20 years old. Importantly, 10,000 hours was an average rather than a minimum standard. Ericsson found that some violin students had practiced significantly more, and some significantly less, than 10,000 hours to achieve that level of expertise. Even at that point they still all had room to go to truly become experts.

And, as Ericsson noted, not all practice is created equal. Undertaking mechanical repetition - just doing the same thing over and over - doesn’t improve performance much at all. Undertaking deliberate practice - where we focus on making changes and trying new things to move us towards a goal - is much better. Not every hour of practice is equal.

We also start from different points. If I put 10,000 hours into practicing a 100 metre sprint at this point in my life, I’m still highly unlikely to reach a truly competitive level. I will improve, for sure. But I won’t become what would be considered to be an expert or master. 

To illustrate this point, cognitive psychologists Campitelli and Gobet, found that reaching a master level in chess took some people up to 16,120 hours of practice. For others the same level of accomplishment came after just 728 hours. There is a wide range and people clearly don’t start from the same point. When trying to come up with a figure, they estimated the amount of deliberate practice required to reach a master level is closer to an average of 3,000 hours. 

Recent research also shows that it’s not just what we do when we’re practicing that helps us to improve. A study published in Cell Reports just this week demonstrates that short rests while practicing improves performance. For example, they had participants practice a short piano note sequence for 10 seconds. When they introduced a 10 second rest period between practice periods, performance improved markedly. Their study showed that the brain effectively kept replaying compressed versions of the task during the break. In fact, the ‘neural replay’ was 20 times faster than the physical activity itself. They found this effect most pronounced when the rest periods were between periods of practice, rather than just at the end of the practice. It’s as if the brain is virtually rehearsing the finger movements extremely quickly in our heads when we provide the chance for our hands to rest. The whole article is a great read if you have an interest in neuroscience. As always, the reference is in the show notes.

So, whether you’re learning something yourself or teaching others, here are some tips:

1. Start with the ‘why’ of practice - what is the broader goal we are working towards? This helps people to focus and sustain effort.

2. Make the practice deliberate. What is the goal of today’s practice? What are we going to vary or try out? Don’t become stuck in mechanical repetition.

3. Learn from a range of people. Sometimes the way one person explains something may not work for you. It’s always good to get tips from a few people.

4. Take breaks. Give your brain a chance to rehearse and consolidate what you are learning.

5. Keep reading Malcolm Gladwell. Sure, the whole 10,000 hours thing was a bit overstated, but he is brilliant at extending your thinking into new areas in an entertaining way. Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

Have a great week.

Ethan R. Buch, Leonardo Claudino, Romain Quentin, Marlene Bönstrup, Leonardo G. Cohen. Consolidation of human skill linked to waking hippocampo-neocortical replay. Cell Reports, 2021; 35 (10): 109193 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109193

Campitelli, G. J., & Gobet, F. (2011). Deliberate practice: Necessary but not sufficient. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(5), 280-285. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721411421922

Gladwell, Malcolm, (2008). Outliers : the story of success. New York :Little, Brown and Company.

We’ve made it to day five of the Growing Gratitude challenge. Over the week we’ve looked at the case for gratitude, then focused on people, nature and tailwinds. Today is about extending what we’ve learned beyond the week.

Clearly it’s best if we can turn gratitude from a state, something we experience from time to time, into a trait, an ongoing set of habits and way of looking at the world.

Now, I can provide you with a list of options, but you really need to reflect on what works best for you.

First, spend some time looking back over what we have covered across this week. Are there any activities that worked particularly well for you? How might you build those in to your daily or weekly routine?

Here are a few additional ideas to try:

Three gratitudes - this one is simple and the research shows that even 21 days has a positive impact on our mood and outlook. All it involves is writing down three new things each day that you are grateful for. You can use a notes app on your phone or a notebook - whatever works best for you. The challenge is thinking of three new things each day - particularly over that first week. But, over time, you will find that you notice positive things to be grateful for - that you change your perspective about that ratio of positive to negative in your life to tilt it more towards the positive. 

Daily exercise. Can I suggest that if you struggle with exercise, you mix things up a bit. Aim for something you enjoy and pair exercise up with that. Perhaps you love a particular podcast - why not listen to the podcast while going for a walk? Maybe there’s a friend you like spending time with - why not enlist them to go for a walk or a quick work out together? And aim for the morning if you can. I recently profiled some research that suggests we are even less likely to exercise after a challenging and stressful day. So, instead, aim for the morning, even if it means going to bed a little earlier to then wake up earlier.

Hang out with positive people. Draw around you people who tend to be grateful, kind and generous. It will inspire you to focus more on the positives.

Write a quick thank you note each day. By way of example, we purchase coffee machine pods from a small business that roast their own coffee and put them in biodegradable pods and packaging. I’ve been a customer for three years and we love their products. So I just wrote them a short email to let them know how much we appreciate their products and business, and to say thank you. It really made their day and only took me one minute. Imagine if we did something like that each day.

Thank you for joining me on this challenge - I hope you found it helpful. Can I encourage you to share it with others? Perhaps your kind act today will be to share the word and get others to join you in focusing more on gratitude. Have a great week.

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

It’s day four of the growing gratitude challenge. 

As human beings we have a natural tendency to become caught up with the negatives and challenges in life. Researchers Gilovich and Davidai describe this as the headwinds/tailwinds asymmetry - what they characterise as a tendency to focus far more on barriers than on blessings. This can lead to a sense of unfairness - a perception that we have it harder than most other people. It also leads us to underestimate the benefits we have received that have contributed to positive outcomes in our lives. This tendency runs counter to a sense of gratitude. It’s very difficult to feel grateful at the same time as feeling like you’ve had it tougher than most people. But that’s exactly why gratitude can be so helpful - we can use gratitude to rebalance the asymmetry.

So today we are focusing on the tailwinds in our life - those things that have helped to bring us forward. We’re also reflecting on the headwinds that others face that perhaps don’t impact on us. 

It’s interesting how the working definition around privilege is changing. We used to think about privilege as having an advantage - and that’s something that most people find hard to accept. After all, I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today - it’s not fair to say I’m privileged is it? But another way of thinking about privilege is the absence of impediments. As a white male growing up in a middle class household, I wouldn’t necessarily think of my life as privileged. But as I become aware of the barriers and challenges others have faced by virtue of their ethnicity or gender or just the household they were born into, it’s easier for me to see the relative lack of headwinds I have experienced. My tailwinds have far exceed the headwinds I have experienced.

My mother provided me with great advice - if you’re ever feeling down, look for someone else to help.

I recall an interview with Michael J Fox, the actor who received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease as a young adult while at the peak of his acting career. During the interview he was asked if he ever felt sorry for himself. Michael replied that there was a long list of people to feel sorry for, and that his name wasn’t on it. 

Again, this isn’t about being overly positive or ignoring the hard times, rather it’s about putting those hard times into perspective and also seeking to help others through their challenges.

I think it’s also helpful to understand others’ experiences. A great challenge is to think of who, in your community, is least like you in terms of their circumstances and background. For me, it might be the Iranian asylum seeker, or the homeless person I see in the city. For a period of time I set myself a challenge to stop whenever I saw someone homeless and ask if I could buy them something - a coffee or a snack or maybe some lunch. Yes - it was inconvenient. In fact, on some occasions, I was really tempted to cross to the other side of the street. But I connected with some amazing people whose life was really different to mine, but were generous with their time and allowed me to appreciate how I might be able to help them. I encourage you to do the same, and then find some way to connect with that person and just find out more about their story. 

Today in your workbook, I’d like you to:

List the tailwinds in your life. What have been the circumstances that have helped you to progress and become the person you are today?

Acknowledge the headwinds. What are you finding more challenging and what is holding you back?

What might you do today to take control when it comes to headwinds? You might not be able to remove the headwind altogether, but how might you reduce the negative impact of headwinds?

Who is that person that is least like you in terms of their circumstances and background? How might you connect with them today to learn more about their story? Perhaps you can also offer to help them in some meaningful way.

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

Welcome to day three of the growing gratitude challenge. 

We’ve long known about the benefits of exercise, but there’s also evidence of increased positive outcomes by just being in nature. Peer reviewed research studies have found that green areas, parks and forests are particularly beneficial. There’s something about greenery and foliage which helps. The studies have found that increased time in nature can elevate your mood, reduce stress, increase creativity, boost memory, build team cohesion, help physical health and even reduce mental illness. These studies are careful to control for things like over-crowding and socio-economic status. There’s something special about nature.

But there’s a difference to being in nature and actually taking time to be grateful for the experience of being in nature. 

Today’s challenge is pretty simple. I’m just asking you to take some time in nature to reflect and appreciate what you have, even in your immediate area. That might involve going for a walk, sitting on a park bench, or dusting off that bicycle to go for a ride. Perhaps the weather is conspiring against you. If that’s the case, then even taking time to look out a window at nature can help. If you can’t do that from your workplace or home, perhaps go for a quick drive to somewhere you can observe nature. 

In your workbooks you can write down what you are noticing and how it is making you feel. Also, reflect on your overall mood and positivity. It’s likely you will start to see some changes even after three days of focusing on gratitude.

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

Day two of the Growing Gratitude challenge is focusing on people.

It’s helpful to think about what the purpose of gratitude might be. Part of the function of gratitude is to form new social connections and build existing connections. Gratitude is like glue in relationships - helping to strengthen connections and support. Gratitude is often focused towards people - people we value and who have helped us in some tangible way. What we should aim for is to be someone that others can be grateful for - to pay it forward.

So there are three things that we can focus on when it comes to gratitude and people. We can be grateful for people - that gratitude will help us. We can express that gratitude to people - that will help us and them. And we can undertake acts of kindness for others. That will help others to be grateful for us, and will help us in the process. 

Some research that I often quote involved a workplace where people were asked to perform kind acts for others. The kind acts were definitely appreciated by those on the receiving end. But what is most striking in this research is that those undertaking acts of kindness rated their life satisfaction and job satisfaction higher a full month after the intervention finished. Being kind to others had a lasting impact on those undertaking the kind act. In addition, those on the receiving end of kind acts also tended to pay that kindness forward to others. The research really confirms what we would hope to be true - that kindness multiplies and has lasting impacts.

Today I’m challenging you, not just to spend some time reflecting, but to take action.

First, think about people in your life for whom you are grateful. List as many names as you can. 

Next, spend 15 minutes sending people quick notes of appreciation and gratitude. It could be an email or a text, or you might even call someone up. It might even mean reconnecting with someone from years ago that you have really appreciated but potentially never thanked.

This next one might be challenging, but today I’d like you to express appreciation to a stranger. It might be the person who made your coffee, or the person who packed your bag at the supermarket, or the delivery driver that dropped off a package. Look out for an opportunity to appreciate someone and let them know.

And, finally, undertake a kind act for someone. It might be to deliver a small gift or perhaps it’s helping someone out.

Across the day, monitor your mood and emotions. Think about the impact of these acts of appreciation on you and others.

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

Welcome to day one of the growing gratitude challenge. 

So why, as leaders, would we spend a week focusing on gratitude? To answer that, we need to think about what gratitude is.

From a psychological perspective, it’s best to think of gratitude as having two elements. The first element is recognising the good things in our life. Most people would agree with that definition. The second element though is often overlooked, and that is appreciating that many of these good things are due to other people and factors other than ourselves. Much of what we can be grateful for in life is a gift from others rather than a reward for our own actions. Gratitude only really makes sense in the context of community - whether that’s the community around you at work, where you study, where you live, or with your family and friends.

Gratitude is both an emotional state and an ongoing trait or disposition. We can feel gratitude in a moment. But we can also develop a grateful outlook to our life. We can actively seek out things to be grateful for through daily practices. Equally, we can seek out things to be disappointed or negative about. Much of gratitude is in the outlook we bring and where we choose to focus our attention and efforts.

So why does gratitude matter? The research into gratitude outlines a range of benefits. For the individual the benefits of gratitude range from improved physical and mental health, elevated mood and happiness, increased life satisfaction, and reduced burnout. By way of example, patients recovering from heart failure who completed a gratitude journal had reduced signs of inflammation after an 8 week period. Other research showed people reported better and longer sleep, and improved overall physical health by increasing their practice of gratitude.

For groups and organisations, research has demonstrated that gratitude can increase generosity and kindness, while helping to build stronger relationships and improving work climate. Gratitude is like the glue for society that binds people together. If someone is generous towards you, you’re likely to feel grateful and, in turn, do something nice back for them or for someone else. Gratitude multiplies.

So on day one of this challenge, I would like you to think about the current balance of negative and positive inputs into your life at the moment. What are you feeding yourself? Where are you focusing your attention? 

By way of example, I recently found myself becoming absorbed in true crime documentaries on Netflix. Before long, the world around me seemed to be filled with art thieves and serial killers. I had let the ratio of negative to positive inputs become out of balance, and it changed my outlook on the world. So we start this challenge with two simple reflections:

What people, activities or habits feed your disappointment or discouragement? What is bringing you down at the moment?

What people, activities or habits feed your gratitude? What is elevating you up at the moment?

Note down your thoughts in your workbook. 

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

Hi everyone. The Leadership Today podcast is going to be a little different over the next week as we undertake what I have called the Growing Gratitude Five Day Challenge.

It’s all too easy in the busy-ness of life to become caught up in the negatives - the obstacles, complaints and risks. We’re hard wired to identify threats. However, this obsession with the negatives in life comes at a cost. The Growing Gratitude challenge is all about restoring some balance and capitalising on the benefits that a more positive mindset brings. This isn’t some overly-optimistic wishful thinking - it’s about bringing an evidence-based approach to increasing our performance and well-being through gratitude.

The challenge is running live from 14th to 18th June 2021 at Leadership Today On-Demand and via the Leadership Today podcast.

Each morning starts with an introduction to the challenge for that day. These are backed up by a workbook that includes a range of activities. You can download the workbook via our website - leadership.today. Links are in the show notes.

I’m looking forward to working with you across the week.

Download the workbook at Leadership Today or via Leadership Today On-Demand

Summary

Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 214 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore ways to negotiate effectively.

Whether it’s working arrangements, a pay rise, contract terms with a client or project timelines with colleagues, we are all required to negotiate at some point. Understanding the fundamentals of negotiation can help to achieve a great outcome for you, while also seeking to build the relationship with the other person.

Before we work through some tips to help your negotiations, it’s important to understand position versus interest. People come to a negotiation with a particular position in mind. This is the stance they are taking and sharing openly with the other person. For example, a colleague might have a position that a particular project will take six weeks to deliver. Behind every position is a set of interests. Interests are the reasons behind the position. So your colleague’s position around the project taking six weeks to deliver could be based on interests such as not overworking their team, delivering other projects on time, or not wanting to over-promise a faster turnaround. As we negotiate it’s important to move past positions and towards interests. Being aware of interests provides much more flexibility for all parties in a negotiation.

Beyond that, there are several points to be aware of before and during a negotiation:

1. Be clear about your goals and priorities. Entering a negotiation without being clear about what’s important to you and what you want is very risky. It’s helpful to write down what you want to achieve and why. Think about where you are willing to compromise and what’s not negotiable. Writing these down can be helpful.
2. Research and gather information. Make sure you have facts, data and documentation ready to go. This will help you to make informed decisions, anticipate counter-arguments, and establish credibility in the negotiation.
3. Work on your communication skills. Be confident, clear and concise when expressing your views. Also recognise that communication is two-way. Listen to the other person, ask questions, stay curious, and work towards uncovering their underlying interests. A respectful, empathetic and collaborative approach will help you to build rapport and avoid the negotiation becoming overly adversarial.
4. Be open to compromise. Negotiation typically involves give and take. Sometimes we need to be flexible and creative in the pursuit of an outcome that will work for both parties.
5. Know when to walk away. There will be times when you can’t reach an agreement that is adequate for you. Go into a negotiation knowing what alternatives you have available if you can’t reach an outcome. This will help you to know when you need to strategically disengage and explore other options.

Becoming more effective at negotiating takes time and preparation. Give these tips a try as you seek to increase your negotiation skills.

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Here's a replay of our 27th June 2020 episode titled Turning Criticism into Feedback and Growth.

Are you less interested in exercise after a hard day at work even though you know it will make you feel better? You’re not alone. And research has discovered why.

Hello and welcome to episode 116 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In this episode we’re looking at why a stressful day at work makes us even less likely to exercise, despite that being exactly what we need. 

If you have a stressful job chances are you already know that exercise will help. Exercise is a great antidote for stress. Exercise effectively burns through stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. In addition, exercise can stimulate production of endorphins which boost our mood and also reduce pain. 

But perhaps you have also had this experience: It has been a hard day at work. You know that a quick visit to the gym or walk will make you feel better. But you’re even less motivated than usual to exercise. You know exercise will help you to feel better, but still you don’t do it.

Recent research suggests that the design of our job can have an impact not just on our stress levels at work, but also on the actions we take outside of work to reduce stress. It turns out that the more demanding our day at work, the less likely we are to exercise.

The research involved setting up a call-centre environment where the demands of the job and level of individual control could be varied. The researchers initially set up two versions of a call-centre job - one with greater demands and one with lesser demands placed on the individual. After their shift, participants were then invited to exercise. Those with the more demanding versions of the job undertook less exercise. Having just experienced a demanding job reduced the exercise they would have otherwise have undertaken.

Researchers then repeated the experiment, but this time some participants were allowed greater freedom and control over the job. They found initial evidence that greater autonomy and freedom positively impacted the individual’s sense of control outside of the job, which in turn could influence the amount of exercise they chose to undertake.

So it appears that job characteristics such as demands and autonomy impact exercise. Our work spills over into the rest of our life.

However, there are things we can do to help change this pattern.

1. Exercise at the start of the day - this will help to buffer you against stress and also increase sense of control

2. Make exercise a habit not a choice - remove obstacles to exercise by laying out your gym clothes the night before

3. Focus on how you will feel at the end - starting exercise can be painful, but you almost always feel great after a workout - focus on that feeling to get you over the initial hump

4. Vary the demand level in your job and build in breaks - chronic stress is terrible for us, so mix up your day to include breaks and recovery time

So this week, get moving even when you don’t feel like it. Focus on the benefits and remove the obstacles. Have a great week.

Abdel Hadi, S., Mojzisch, A., Parker, S. L., & Häusser, J. A. (2021). Experimental evidence for the effects of job demands and job control on physical activity after work. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 27(1), 125–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000333

When have you learned the most at work? I bet it wasn’t sitting in a training course. In this week’s replay we look at the four best ways to learn at work.

This week we explore how showing the right amount of emotion can improve the impact you have on others and their willingness to invest in your ideas.

Hello and welcome to episode 115 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. In this episode we’re exploring eight steps to effective delegation.

There are a whole host of reasons why people don’t delegate. Perhaps they are worried about quality of the results. Or they just don’t have the time to delegate. Many have had bad experiences with delegation going wrong in the past. However, effective delegation is at the core of great leadership. The rate we delegate sets the pace at which we progress.

Let’s start by with five initial questions to answer before you even start delegating:

1. Does it need to be done? Organisations are generally great at starting new things and terrible at shutting down old things. So before you even delegate, consider whether you can eliminate the task altogether.

2. Does it need to be done by me? There are some things which you can’t fully delegate. This can include financial approval limits or performance management accountabilities. But, truth be told, you can probably delegate more responsibilities than you expect.

3. Does someone else have capacity? If there is no one with capacity to delegate to, then you either need to free up capacity or keep doing it yourself. Rather than just stopping here, I encourage you to work with each of your people to make sure they are focusing on the right things and have the resources they need to be efficient. This might just free up the capacity that you need to delegate.

4. Does someone else have capability? It could be that no one in your team currently has the skills required to take on the accountability you’re seeking to delegate. That’s not necessarily a reason to stop, but rather speaks to the fifth initial question.

5. Do I have the capacity to develop their capability? You may think you don’t have sufficient time to train someone up to your standard. But, by way of example, let’s take an accountability that you currently invest 30 minutes a week into. Across a year that is around 24 hours. So, even if it takes you an entire day of concerted effort to train that person up and review their work, you’re still a full two days ahead in the first year, and then three days ahead every subsequent year. Delegation is an investment.

So hopefully you’ve worked through these initial questions and you’re still keen to delegate. Here are eight simple steps to follow to make that delegation work as well as possible.

1. Match their interests. Delegation is so much more effective if you match the interests of the person you are delegating to. Help them to answer “why me?” when you delegate. Perhaps the new accountability aligns with their development plan. Or perhaps you’ve noticed a skill that they can apply in a new way. Whatever it is, help the person to see how this opportunity aligns with their interests.

2. Detail the desired outcomes. It’s really helpful for people to see clearly what you’re after as an end result. That could mean providing an example of a report or other output. Or, if it’s delegating attendance at a meeting, you might invite that person along to a few meetings first with you so they can see what is expected.

3. Outline why this work matters. People really appreciate knowing what their work is contributing to. Understanding the broader purpose of what you are delegating also helps them to make better decisions about their approach to the new accountability.

4. Detail the support available and check-in points. Delegation requires support. One of the traps I fell into when first delegating work was not setting up check-in points. As a result, a week goes by, I haven’t heard anything about how things are progressing, so I drop by the person’s desk to see how it is going. Then a week later I do the same thing again. The problem being that checking in that way feels a lot like micro-management and a lack of trust. How different it is to establish check-in points up front in consultation with the person you’re delegating to. Then the check-ins don’t feel like micro-management, rather they feel like support.

5. Outline the constraints. A risk when we delegate is that the person tries to achieve an outcome exactly the same way we did it. Often the person being delegated to feels like there are more constraints on the activity than there actually are. Occasionally people may not recognise an actual constraint and step outside of what is possible. Either way, we need to let people know what limits are in place.

6. Review what has been agreed. When you ask someone “do you have any questions?”, 99% of the time they will say “no” even if they do have questions. Why? Because they are concerned that having a question might reflect badly on them or badly on you. Badly on them because they clearly didn’t understand, and badly on you because you didn’t explain it well enough. So they just say “no - no questions here”. Instead, you could ask “what questions to you have?”. That sets an expectation that they will have questions. Then ask them to describe what it is that they are delivering in their own words - not as a test, but rather to confirm clarity all round.

7. Provide direction, encouragement and check-in as agreed. Basically, follow through on what you said you would do. A great way to do this is simply to set aside 15 minutes each week at a particular time to catch up about what has been delegated. That way the person can store up any questions or concerns. Maybe you don’t need the catch up every time, but it is really helpful for the person when they do need it.

8. Review learnings and celebrate success. People often underestimate just how much they have learned and developed. So when we delegate, it is great to celebrate the person successfully taking on that new responsibility.

I hope you found that approach to delegation helpful. All the steps are detailed in the show notes which you can access at our website Leadership.Today - and while you are there, why not sign up for our upcoming webinar called Delegation Without the Drama on the 27th or 28th of May depending on where you are in the world. There’s a link to register in the show notes. Have a great week.

This week we explore how showing the right amount of emotion can improve the impact you have on others and their willingness to invest in your ideas.

Hello and welcome to episode 114 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore how showing the right amount of emotion can improve the impact you have on others and their willingness to invest in your ideas.

A common misunderstanding of Emotional Intelligence is that it’s all about holding back our emotions. This is certainly a part of Emotional Intelligence. After all, yelling at someone in the lunch room at work for not putting their cup in the dishwasher is probably not going to win you an employee of the month award. But Emotional Intelligence is not just about holding back emotions that might have a negative impact on others. It’s also about harnessing our emotions to have a more positive impact on others. Our ability to understand our own emotional state and how to manage our emotions is crucial, as is being able to empathise with others and build effective relationships. The goal of building Emotional Intelligence isn’t to become emotion-less. Rather it’s to acknowledge and use our emotions to improve our impact and performance.

However, showing too much emotion can also be off putting to others. We need to be able to read the situation. It ends up being the classic Goldilocks scenario, where we need to demonstrate enough, but not too much, emotion.

This has been backed up by a recent study. Researchers used facial analysis software to scan through around 500 Kickstarter promotional videos. Kickstarter is a platform that allows people to gain funding for their prototype ideas with people committing funds to buy the product, but only being charged once the product is produced and shipped. Sometimes there’s enough funding to go ahead, and sometimes there isn’t. It was relatively easy for researchers to measure the effectiveness of each Kickstarter campaign through the funding it received. Meanwhile, the facial analysis software examined each frame of every pitch video to determine the emotion being demonstrated. 

What the study found was fascinating. The pitches that included facial expressions moving through a range of happiness, anger, sadness and fear ended up being more successful in terms of funding. It seems like the range of facial expressions and the emotions they convey has a positive impact on those choosing to invest or walk away. 

Their qualitative analysis showed that effective pitches involved initial signs of happiness as the entrepreneur introduced themselves, followed by anger to demonstrate their determination to overcome a problem, followed then by fear as they talked about the risk and challenge.

Those who were less successful tended to use a more consistent emotional expression - perhaps smiling the whole way through or demonstrating little overt emotion. 

There are limits to this approach though. Showing too much of one emotion too often though was associated with less funding received. 

So this week, feel free to show a little more emotion at work. Express your hope for the future, your determination to succeed, your excitement at working with your colleagues. Above all though - be yourself and harness your emotions. And while we’re talking about improving your leadership, just a reminder that we have an upcoming webinar called Delegation Without the Drama on the 27th or 28th of May depending on where you are in the world. There’s a link to register in the show notes. Have a great week.

Benjamin J. Warnick, Blakley C. Davis, Thomas H. Allison, Aaron H. Anglin. Express yourself: Facial expression of happiness, anger, fear, and sadness in funding pitches. Journal of Business Venturing, 2021; 36 (4): 106109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2021.106109

The use of remote and hybrid teams has accelerated over the past year. But does this way of working actually work? What might be some of the benefits and drawbacks? And how do we best lead remote and hybrid teams? This week we're joined by Gina McCredie, an organisational psychologist who founded Impactful Work - working with individuals, teams and organisations to tackle challenges just like this.

It turns out that smartphone use is associated with shorter-term thinking and a focus on quick wins. The more you use your smartphone, the less likely you are to pursue longer term achievement of bigger goals. So this week we ask the question - Is your smartphone killing your dreams?

Hello and welcome to episode 112 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we’re looking at whether your smartphone is killing your dreams. Pretty dramatic.

I’ve picked up my smartphone 32 times already today. Now, how do I know that? Because pickup number 32 was to check how many pickups I had used today. My average pickups per day is 86. I have no idea if that’s good or bad, or how you might compare. Either way, smartphones have become an integral part of how we work, how we socialise and how we relax. There are few parts of our lives that smartphones haven’t managed to invade.

You might suspect that all that smartphone use is making us more reactive and impulsive. That ‘ding’ or vibration from your pocket can easily steal your attention, if only for a split second. Our brains are notoriously bad at handling this. Once something has grabbed our attention, it takes a while to get back to what we were initially focusing on.

Recent research shows that those who spend more time on their smartphones also tend towards chasing smaller and more immediate rewards. They tend to steer away from longer-term rewards that require greater effort. They are more impulsive. This effect is particularly pronounced for those who use gaming and social media apps.

Is smartphone use causing this impulsivity, or is smartphone use a measure of impulsivity? It’s hard to say and look it probably goes both ways. 

Now, you might say, I’ve heard social media apps are addictive, so maybe it’s not my fault. It’s definitely a mixed picture when you look at the research, but the most recent articles suggest it’s unlikely that social media apps are addictive. They are distracting, absolutely. They fight for your attention, for sure. But they’re not truly addictive in the way that cigarettes might be, or gambling or drinking might be for some.

Instead, this research suggests that smartphone use and impulsive decision making go hand in hand. When we take a short-term focus we can end up missing out. Our smartphone can be a diversion for our time, but it can also be a diversion from our goals.

You can use the screen time data on your smartphone as a measure of your impulsiveness. Take a look now - see what you have been up to over the past week. Greater discipline with your smartphone use could well extend into other areas of your life. Even if the smartphone isn’t making you more impulsive, it’s a great way to tackle your impulsiveness.

Part of the value we bring as leaders is a long-term focus. It’s our ability to look beyond what’s immediately in front of us to the emerging opportunities and threats that helps us to add value to those we lead. In order to take a longer-term view, we really need to understand what an impulse is and how we can fight it. An impulse is effectively an urge - something in the moment that compels us to do something. An impulse can be physical, mental or emotional, or a combination of all three. Here are a few tips for dealing with those impulses:

1. Be aware of the impulse - acknowledge it. It’s the classic “name it to tame it” approach. Acknowledge that you’re really tempted to pick up your phone and dive into whatever distracting app is your preference. That will help you to avoid the impulse.

2. Ride it out. This applies to many psychological challenges that we face. If you’ve tried to quit smoking, no doubt you were taught this technique. And why not? It works really well. In the moment it feels like an impulse is just going to build and build and build, so we may as well just give in. But there will come a point where any impulse passes. Ride that wave with a confidence that it will become less of a challenge over time.

3. Fix it at the source. Use screen time and other apps to limit phone usage. Turn off notifications that distract. Use the technology to help you.

4. Be more intentional. I’ve spoken before about planning for self-control. Will power in the moment is notoriously bad. Instead, we need to plan for the times when these impulsive time wasters tempt us the most. So, for example, in the evening I read books on a Kindle rather than on my iPad. Not only is it far easier on my eyes, there’s absolutely nothing on that Kindle to distract me, except perhaps another book.

5. Change your mindset. It can often feel that avoiding an impulse is losing or missing out. Instead, it is something you should reward yourself for. Watch how your ability think longer-term increases, and as those distractions become less distracting - reward yourself for the progress you’re making.

So this week, take a quick look at your smartphone screen time, and the extent to which your goals and dreams have become smaller. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201118141844.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain%2Fsocial_psychology+%28Social+Psychology+News+--+ScienceDaily%29 

K. Thomson, S. C. Hunter, S. H. Butler, D. J. Robertson. Social media ‘addiction’: The absence of an attentional bias to social media stimuli. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2021; DOI: 10.1556/2006.2021.00011

Is becoming more mindful automatically better for us and our well-being? And does being more mindful help those around us? The research is really clear - more mindfulness is not always better. Thankfully we also know how to avoid these mindfulness downsides. 

Hello and welcome to episode 111 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore whether it’s possible to overdose on mindfulness.

Mindfulness has seen dramatically increased popularity in recent years, particularly within Western organisations. And why not? Mindfulness has repeatedly demonstrated lots of personal benefits for individuals. As a result, mindfulness almost automatically appears in leadership development training with the typical recommendation being that people should just do more. 

But can you have too much of a good thing? Let’s take optimism and curiosity as an example. Both are generally positive. However the research shows us that you can absolutely be too optimistic and you can also be too curious. Not only can having too much optimism and curiosity have negative impacts for the individual, it can also have negative impacts on those around them. Does mindfulness demonstrate a similar pattern? And does mindfulness encourage people to help others more?

It’s important to appreciate that mindfulness is not one thing, so let’s take a look at some of the research around specific types of mindfulness. 

There’s mindful attention which focuses on mind–body awareness and perception of what is going on for us mentally and physically in the moment. The research shows that mindful attention is positive up to a point, but too much can lead to worse mental health outcomes. As the researcher Amit Bernstein highlights, this includes increased rates of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and substance abuse, along with decreased ability to tolerate pain. These negative outcomes can be somewhat decreased when the individual is being non-judgemental and non-reactive. Mindful attention works best when we are observing rather than responding. But that’s easier said than done.

Research demonstrates that mindful meditation can help increase the amount and depth of sleep up to a point. But once people get beyond around 30 minutes of mindful meditation a day, people actually demonstrated decreased quality of sleep in both depth and amount.

Then there’s mindful emotion regulation where we seek to gain greater control over our emotions, increase our emotional regulation and accept what we are experiencing. Again, this can have lots of positive impacts, but in excess research demonstrates it can lead to emotional blunting - where people experience fewer positive and fewer negative emotions. As a results life can become flat and dull.

It is better to think of mindfulness like many other things in psychology as having an inverted U relationship to well-being. Up to a point mindfulness can absolutely increase wellbeing. But as someone continues to increase the amount of mindfulness, there will be a point where well-being actually declines.

So for the individual you can have too much of a good thing. But what about the impact on others? What’s the impact of mindfulness on what us psychologists call ‘pro-social behaviour’ - effectively, doing good things for other people.

Research about to be published in the journal of Psychological Science shows that mindfulness can make some people more selfish - that is, they do fewer good things for others than they otherwise would have as a result of mindfulness. This is the case for those participants who had more of an independent outlook to start with. Increased mindfulness for those who tend to be more independent resulted in them undertaking fewer prosocial behaviours than a control group - mindfulness resulted in them becoming even more independent in their actions. However, for those who viewed themselves as interdependent, mindfulness increased prosocial behaviour. When it comes to mindfulness, it’s important to recognise where you start and the outlook you bring.

Let’s put all of this in a cultural context. Most mindfulness practices that are being used in organisational settings have been derived from East Asian and particularly Buddhist traditions. In East Asian cultures people tend to be more interdependent in their outlook - on average, people tend to focus more on others and their contribution to a broader society rather than on themselves. The recent research we just explored suggests that in these cultures mindfulness will increase this focus on others, and lead to greater prosocial behaviours. In Western countries however people tend to be more independent in their outlook. Mindfulness may increase that independent focus and reduce the amount of prosocial behaviour that otherwise would have been demonstrated. There is a risk when we rip a practice like mindfulness out of its cultural and spiritual context hoping to just get the upside impact. So in our Western business context should we abandon mindfulness altogether?

It’s true that becoming more mindful is not automatically better for individuals and those around them. It depends both how the mindfulness is set up and how self-aware and mindful the individual already is. It’s perhaps better to think of mindfulness in the way we think about exercise and sleep. Clearly exercise and sleep are both helpful and necessary for wellbeing and health. But just telling everyone to do an hour more exercise a day, or to sleep two hours longer every night is not great advice. You can end up having too much exercise and too much sleep. It all depends on what they the individual is currently doing.

The research by Poulin, Ministero, Gabriel, Morrison and Naidu that I quoted earlier shows that you can vary the outcomes of mindfulness by initially increasing people’s interest in others. When the researchers primed people for interdependence, they saw a 40% increase in the likelihood of volunteering for a not for profit organisation following mindfulness. When people were primed for independence, they were 33% less likely to volunteer after some mindfulness practice.

At work, we can help people appreciate the role they play in building an interdependent culture. As leaders, we can help our people to think of the role they and the organisation play in their community.  If we do this, practices such as mindfulness are more likely to then lead to greater individual and social outcomes.

When it comes to mindfulness, it’s important to recognise we all start from a different base. More is not always better. When we are being mindful, we need to not just focus on ourselves, but also on how we can be a benefit to others.

As always, the research I have referred to is in the show notes with a big thanks to ScienceDaily who continue to serve up great research in my email inbox each day. Have a great week as you look after yourself and others.

Michael Poulin, Lauren Ministero, Shira Gabriel, Carrie Morrison, Esha Naidu. Minding your own business? Mindfulness decreases prosocial behavior for those with independent self-construals. Psychological Science (forthcoming), 2021 DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/xhyua

University at Buffalo. "Mindfulness can make you selfish: A pioneering new study examines the social effects of mindfulness." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 April 2021. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210414100147.htm

Willoughby B Britton Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way. Current Opinion in Psychology 2019, 28:159–165  https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/britton/sites/britton-lab/files/images/Britton_2019_Can%20mindfulness%20be%20too%20much%20of%20a%20good%20thing.pdf

This week we have a replay of our 25th April 2020 episode on four ways to build hope. We will be back with a brand new episode next week. See you then!

This week we have a replay of our 4th April 2020 episode on how to avoid micromanagement. We will be back in two weeks with a new episode.

Summary

With so much uncertainty and change it can be difficult to map out your career. However there are still steps we can take to build a great career.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 213 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore how to build a great career.

In just a few generations the number of jobs someone is likely to have in their lifetime has increased markedly. Estimates vary, but it’s likely a young person commencing their working life today will have around 15 jobs and 3 separate careers. Even across 50 years of working, that’s changing jobs about every 3 years. Career planning is becoming more challenging and complex.

When it comes to building a great career, you will find many people propose finding work with a combination of:

• Skills - what you’re good at
• Interests - what you enjoy
• Opportunities - what the world needs and is willing to pay for

The missing factor in this equation is growth - what you can develop. A job without growth opportunities will ultimately cause your career to stall. Life expectancy continues to increase so we will be working longer, which has implications for our training and development. The old model of completing training, then working in a career until your skills are bordering on redundant will no longer work. We have to continue learning, growing and adapting right across our career.

But how can you plan for a career when the job you might have in 10 years may not even exist now? Here’s how. A great career comes down to your mindset and actions. Despite rapid change and uncertainty, we can adopt a mindset that welcomes change, where we are willing to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. We can invest in knowing ourselves and regularly improving our capabilities. And we can also build connections with others.

So in order to build a great career, I suggest you:

1. Ask “What is a great career… for me?” Your career is a personal expression of who you are and your broader purpose in life. Don’t fall into the trap of blindly following others’ careers or what your organisation is laying out for you as the accepted pathway. It’s very easy to drift without having a clear idea of what a great career means to you. Factor in opportunities to develop, breaks from work for holidays, or whatever else matters to you.
2. Set goals that matter. Approach life in a goal-oriented way. Keep stretching yourself forward towards clear goals.
3. Apply pathways thinking. When the initial path to a goal is blocked, find a different way to achieve that goal. When you hit an obstacle, ask yourself how else you can get to your goal.
4. Celebrate progress. Stop occasionally and reflect on what you can do now that you couldn’t do 12 months ago.
5. Don’t worry so much about making a career mistake. Even the seemingly poor career decisions we make are opportunities to learn and grow. The biggest mistake I made in my career turned out to also be one of my biggest development opportunities, and a stark reminder of the kind of career I really wanted. Even though it seemed like a career mistake, it actually helped me in my career.

Building a great career takes some effort. While we can’t necessarily plan every step, there are actions we can take to help build a great career.

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Is it possible we are approaching learning and development the wrong way? What if we allow people to fail early before we even teach them the basics? This week we explore research around the counterintuitive idea of productive failure.

Hello and welcome to episode 110 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we explore research around the counterintuitive idea of productive failure.

How do you think about failure? For most people, failure is something to be avoided at all costs. However, failure and mistakes are usually a critical part of learning. In fact, if we want to learn and develop, we probably need more productive failure. Failure that pushes us forward and leaves us better off.

I know that seems counterintuitive, so let’s look at some research that illustrates the point.

How do we normally teach people something new? Well, in schools, universities and colleges around the world the process usually goes like this. First we walkthrough the concept and provide an example. Then we give people a chance to apply what they have learned through a practical activity. Then we provide feedback to people based on how they performed during the activity. Learning complete. And we’ve reduced the likelihood of failure in the practical activity by making sure people understand the theory first. But what if we varied the order of those elements in the learning process? 

Researchers explored precisely that using students in an undergraduate biology course. Some students followed the traditional method I just outlined. However, the researchers also took some students through a very different process. In that instance they started with an activity where students could problem solve without instruction. The students then received feedback about how they went. And, finally, there was a walkthrough of a model expert approach to explain the concepts. Basically this approach forced students to get things wrong and receive feedback early. The students had almost no chance of getting the initial activity 100% right. That provided a rich opportunity for feedback. After all, everyone was likely to have failed the activity in some way. Following that feedback, the students were primed to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts at play in the activity. But did this alternative approach work?

It turned out that the students following the non-traditional approach of productive failure had an average result that was five percentage points higher than the group using the typical approach. That’s pretty impressive. However, the most impressive increases came for students who typically struggled to learn. Those students saw even greater increases in their scores as a result of being allowed to productively fail, receive feedback, and then understand the theory.

So, how does your workplace view failure? What kind of reaction do people receive when they get things wrong? How many opportunities are there for your people to safely, but productively, fail while learning something new? Maybe it’s time to change the way we think about failure and how we develop our people. 

Well I hope you enjoyed this episode. As always, the research referenced in this episode is in the show notes. And we’ve got a really exciting opportunity for groups to learn on our Leadership Today On-Demand platform. If you do want to try that out with a group just get in contact at our website www.leadership.today or send an email to info@leadership.today for more information. I look forward to signing up some more people for a trial and I will see you next week.

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Sunita G. Chowrira, Karen M. Smith, Patrick J. Dubois & Ido Roll (2019) DIY productive failure: boosting performance in a large undergraduate biology course. npj Science of Learning volume 4, Article number: 1

Trust is an essential part of effective leadership. This webinar explores practical ways to build and maintain trust within and beyond your team to improve engagement, openness and performance.

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Community really matters, but can be hard to build when we’re in a hurry. In this episode we discuss the single best question to build community (at least the best I’ve come across!).

Hello and welcome to episode 109 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership. This week we discuss the single best question to build community.

I’ve spoken before about five things research indicates are difficult to build when we’re not all in the same place at the same time. They are:

1. Community

2. Collaboration

3. Culture

4. Climate

5. Capability

Today we’re focusing on the first one - community. Building community in our teams and organisations is extremely important, both from an employee experience perspective, but also for performance. This is true whether you are currently working remotely, are back in the office or, more likely, some mix of the two. 

The catch now is that we are often needing to build community and connection at speed. Research shows us that the shift to online meetings has resulted in more meetings with more participants per meeting, but shorter meeting times. You’re also far less likely to have all of your team in the same place at the same time, so the opportunities to build connections are fewer and further in between. We therefore need to be intentional about building community. We can no longer leave such a central part of workplace culture to chance now that the proverbial water-cooler discussions have all but disappeared.

Community is about what we have in common - that’s where the word comes from. It’s about shared characteristics, beliefs and interests. We build community when people share things about themselves with each other. As leaders, we want to give people a chance to learn what they have in common. This can be challenging though. We want people to be personal, but also to feel safe. We don’t want people to feel as if they’re being forced to share too much at work. But it also needs to be inclusive. If you ask people to talk about their children or a favourite pet, what happens for the people who have neither? 

I was working with a team recently, and one of the members shared about how hard it was in that team if you weren’t into sport, as most of the non-work conversations would revolve around football. What was a well intentioned effort to build community by talking about something non-work related left several team members feeling out of place.

As a result, I’m sure you have come across some great ‘get to know you’ questions. Here are a few that I think are quite good:

• What career did you want to have when you were a child?

• What's one thing about you that surprises people?

• What’s something you want to become an expert in?

• What qualities do you value in friends?

As I said, these are all quite good questions, but you can only ask them once. If you keep asking about dream jobs as a child people will check out of the conversation, or think that you’re not listening to them in the first place.

Recently I came across what I think is the single best question to build community. As is often the case, it’s not my idea - a participant shared it during a workshop about building trust in a remote context.

In every team meeting they would ask each person to provide a five star recommendation. What is one thing that they would recommend to others? Now, importantly, the recommendation can be for anything. It can be a recipe, a car, an event, a restaurant, some music, a book, a holiday destination, a product - the options are almost endless. The question works so well because it’s 100% inclusive, and it’s what I would call evergreen - you can ask it every week and people can come up with something new to recommend. Plus, it’s interesting to hear people answer the question. After all, who doesn’t love a new five star recommendation?

So - remember the question - What is your five star recommendation? I would love to hear how you go using it in an upcoming meeting - I’m planning to use it on Monday.

Speaking of five star recommendations, if you’re enjoying the podcast, how about providing a rating and review? It really does make a difference in helping people to find the podcast. 

If this episode interested you, then our upcoming webinar on (Re)Building Trust will also be worth joining. Go to the Leadership.Today website to sign up, or you can watch a recording after 19th March via Leadership Today On-Demand. There are links in the show notes. Have a great week.