April 2019 Leadership Development Carnival

Welcome to the April Leadership Development Carnival. We’re excited to share posts from leadership experts from around the globe on the topics of communication, productivity, development, engagement, team building, and more.

Communication

Stephanie Skryzowski of 100 Degrees Consulting shared 5 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Financials to Increase Transparency. She writes: "It’s important for organizations to be transparent about their financials and ensure all stakeholders, including donors, board, staff, and volunteers, understand the numbers. Transparency in the nonprofit sector is increasingly important for organizations of all sizes and it will serve leaders well to share more about their numbers with all stakeholders, including donors, board, staff, and volunteers. When people understand the organization’s financial health on a deeper level, they will become more engaged and committed to being a part of its success." Find Stephanie on Twitter at @Steph100Degrees.

Steve DiGioia provided Say Hello to the Little People. Steve shares: "As we climb the corporate ladder we 'forget,' intentionally or not, to say hello to the many foundational employees who keep the business running; the restaurant dishwasher, hotel housekeeper, mail room clerk, or department store stock person. We think that since 'we’re management now,' we need to interact more with upper management so they can see how brightly our star shines. We’re now focused on being 'one of the boys' and more opportunities that may follow because of it." Connect with Steve on Twitter at @stevedigioia.

Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership contributed Seven Subconscious Habits That Sabotage Your Ability to Listen – And Lead. In this guest post, Fred Halstead shares seven habits that can undermine a leader's ability to listen, and tips for how to overcome them. Connect with Dan on Twitter at @greatleadership.

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited shared Stressful Situation: How Different Behavioral Types Would Respond. Each person you work with has a unique way to perceive and handle a stressful situation, such as a technology breakdown. In this fictional piece, Beth Beutler points out how different styles react and gives pointers for dealing with each. Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided 5 Messaging Bad Habits Every Boss Needs to Break. David writes: "You’ve drafted an email or remarks to share at an upcoming team meeting and are ready to hit send or present, respectively. To ensure you're creating a clear and compelling communication, check this list of 5 messaging blunders to avoid and what to do instead." Find David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Development

Linda Fisher Thornton of Leading in Context provided 16 Answers to What is Good Leadership?. Linda writes: "The theme I noticed in the most viewed posts on this blog last year was 'Looking For a Better Kind of Leadership.' Google reported that the most popular Google searches in 2018 were about how we can be good people. It sounds like it’s a great time to explore the question, 'What is Good Leadership?'" Discover Linda on Twitter at @leadingincontxt.

Julie Winkle Giulioni contributed See Something - Say Something. Julie shares: "Employees (and businesses) face conditions that are dynamic and disruptive. Flourishing in this environment demands frequent touch points, up-to-the-minute information and perspectives, and ever-present versus episodic coaching. And that’s where ‘see something—say something’ fits in." Connect with Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture provided How E-learning can Develop your Culture. Marcella summarizes: "E-learning can be a great support to develop organizational culture. Instead of long talking sessions, people learn practical tools and behaviors and apply them at work with co-workers. How could your team benefit from e-learning?" Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Jane Perdue of The Jane Group shared Use the 7 C's of Leadership. Jane writes: "Looking to be a character-based leader? If so, use the 7 C's of leadership to be inclusive, kind, innovative, and manage with your head and lead with your heart." Connect with Jane on Twitter at @thehrgoddess.

Karin Hurt of Let's Grow Leaders contributed How Do I Help When My Peer's Team is Struggling?. Karin shares: "Have you ever watched another team struggle? It’s a challenge most leaders face at some point in their career. You’re not perfect, but you lead well and people come together to produce great results. But then you look over and see that your peer’s team is struggling. Resist the urge to intervene." Find Karin on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

Shelley Row of Insightful Leadership shared Are You an Insightful Leader? Try this Quick Quiz. Shelley writes: "A kaleidoscope sits on my desk to remind me to always see other perspectives. The colored bits are like fundamental skills that swirl together to create deeper insights just as the kaleidoscope creates amazing images. Take this quiz to determine if you have the fundamental skills of an insightful leader." Connect with Shelley on Twitter at @shelleyrow.

Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: The Recognition Factor. Chris summarizes: "Praising results makes sense--in fact many leaders focus exclusively on recognizing results. But if leaders only praise accomplishments, they miss the opportunity to create greater engagement and deeper commitment by their team members in the organization's success." Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Lisa Kohn of Thoughtful Leaders Blog contributed “I shouldn’t get angry” and other myths that can negatively impact your leadership and your life. Lisa shares how by acknowledging – and letting go – of your judgment and radically accepting what’s around and within you, you can lead – and live – more powerfully. Connect with Lisa on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.

Leadership

Paul LaRue of Upwards Leader provided Keeping Culture When Scaling Your Company’s Growth. Paul shares: "Growth is exciting but an organization can quickly have it’s culture lost in the process. Here’s how to keep it intact while scaling your business." Connect with Paul on Twitter at @paul_larue.

Jim Taggert of Changing Winds shared Are We There Yet? More on the Leadership-Management Debate. Jim writes: "How organizations approach management and leadership development is critical to their eventual success, let alone their long-term survival. One of the first questions that must be asked is: How do we define leadership–and management– in our organizations?" Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust contributed 4 Steps to Break Out of Your Leadership Prison Cell. Randy suggests: "Prison cells aren’t just concrete rooms with steel doors; they can be rooms of our own making." Inspired by a recent visit to Alcatraz Island, Randy Conley shares four steps to help leaders break out of the prison cell of ineffective leadership practices. Follow Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

Team Building

Eileen McDargh contributed Resilience Requires Support and Empathy. Eileen writes: "Our over-scheduled lives and the ever-increasing drive for productivity have changed how we interact. Learn why this important issue can cause problems for teams." Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting provided How to Create Team Based Psychological Safety. Anne writes: "Psychological safety is the secret sauce of high performing teams, according to research by Google’s People Analytics. What is psychological safety and how can leaders create psychologically safe teams? " Discover Anne on Twitter at @bizshrink.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog shared Instill Confidence in Employees. Joel suggests: "People are much more capable than we think. Employees who feel confident about their abilities will drive an organization’s success. You can help by instilling confidence in your team." Follow Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

And More...

Chip Bell provided Serving in Acapella. He writes: "Instead of decorating your customers’ experience with fluff, fancy footwork, and fake sincerity, show them your realness. Tell the truth. " Follow Chip on Twitter at @chiprbell.

Susan Fowler contributed What golf can teach you about mastering your motivation (even if you don't play). Susan writes: "You can create connection for any goal by considering how the goal is aligned to important values you hold. We can all benefit from Ken Blanchard's example by focusing on our values and not getting distracted by winning for the sake of winning, gaining status or power, enhancing our image, or receiving tangible rewards." Connect with Susan on Twitter at @fowlersusann.

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership shared Do you truly want to be great?. Wally states: "It’s easy to mistake being known as great for actually being great." Find Wally on Twitter at @WallyBock.

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions provided Focus on What Matters Most. Neal suggests: "You choose where to put your focus. Be aware of what you are doing to accomplish your goals. Where you put your focus needs you to pay attention to the work you work on." Find Neal on Twitter at @Exec_Solutions.

Jeanie Cockell and Joan McArthur-Blair of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting shared Rise Up: Leadership Practices in Hope, Despair, and Forgiveness. They write: "There is no magic bullet for leadership resilience; in conversations with leaders from many walks of life, we have come to think of resilience as a practice—a daily practice to recognize and lift up hope and a hopeful view, to focus on even the smallest of strengths in times of despair, and to practice the will to forgive. This post outlines several resilience practices that you as a leader can add to, recreate, and reinvent for yourself." Discover Jeanie and Joan on Twitter at @jeaniecockell and @writerjmcb.

Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month's carnival! If you would like to be added to the distribution list for submission calls, please fill out this form and we'll be happy to add you to the list./