December 2019 Leadership Development Carnival

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

Communication

Jeff McCollum of Designed Learning contributed Ruminations on Influence. Jeff writes: “Relationship building and expertise are both needed to gain influence in leadership roles. When a leader is lacking in either their relationships or their expertise, their influence will be lacking as well.” Connect with Jeff on Twitter at @FlawlessWrkshps.

Eileen McDargh contributed Top Two Critical Workplace Skills Needed in 2020. The Institute for the Future teamed up with the University of Phoenix Research Institute to pinpoint critical skills essential to thrive in 2020. Eileen reveals those stills and provides tips on how to develop them. Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Laura Schroeder of Working Girl provided Diversity and Inclusion for Introverts. Laura shares: “Leaders take note: A on-size-fits-all management style won’t bring out the best in everyone. Take the time to understand the different work and communication styles on your team and help people play to their strengths, not yours.” Find Laura on Twitter at @workgal.

Diana Peterson-More shared Focus on the Issue, Situation or Behavior, Not the Person. Diana explains: "Zenger Miller identifies what are called 'Common Pressure-Point Responses' to this principle, which is to 'blame, label and generalize.' I would also add: to strike out at others, make and direct unpleasant/nasty comments to and/or about others, to cherry-pick behaviors or even fabricate false accusations; and, in this day and age of technology at our fingertips, to tweet real-time these unpleasant remarks. This blog provides practical tips illustrated by a workplace story to navigate through what could be uncomfortable or even destructive communications." Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.

Development

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed Why I'm Grateful for Courageous Honesty. Bill explains: "Sometimes it’s hard to find gratitude in the painful lessons in life, but this is the time of year to deeply reflect on a time when you learned a lesson the hard way. Did you benefit from someone telling you the truth? I’ll never be able to thank an honest friend enough for his courageous honesty and how it shaped my life today." Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Ken Byler of Higher Ground Consulting shared A Case for Resolute Leadership. Ken writes: “I’m a resolute leader. It’s the approach to leadership that is most natural for me. I hold myself and others to high standards. I can be blunt, especially when I notice a problem. It’s easy for me to become impatient with incompetent people. I’m determined to reach my goals and use logic to get there.” Follow Ken on Twitter at @kenbyler.

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Leaders Building Your Own Credibility. Neal summarizes: "Credibility is the cornerstone of strong leadership. Leaders with the most impact are those who are credible. They get employees to see them as credible leaders they want to work for. Here are some characteristics of credible leaders." Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.

Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge (Video): The Cost of Rudeness. To what degree might rudeness impact team performance—and team member performance—in your workplace? Chris gives some important insights in this video post. Connect with Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Karin Hurt of Let's Grow Leaders provided How to Build a Better Boss. Karin explains: "There are times where you will have useful insights and wisdom that could truly help your boss to lead more effectively or make their life easier. How do you get an audience and share those items in a way that gives them the best chance for a receptive audience?" Follow Karin on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog shared Up Your Mentoring Game: 3 Steps to Become a Better Mentor. Joel summarizes: "It’s time to take the mystery out of the promotion process. Your people are getting a lot of support from you in their growth, but they need to know how to channel that growth into new opportunities. To become a better mentor, focus on how to provide that guidance. Here are three steps you can take to promote your star performers." Find Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

Linda Fisher Thornton of Leading in Context contributed How Are You Using Your Influence?. Linda explains: “With leadership responsibility comes a certain amount of influence. We can impact how people think. We can advise them on the choices they make and invite them to follow our lead.” Connect with Linda on Twitter at @leadingincontxt.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group shared 6 Tips to Help Employees Grow and Develop. David writes: "Taking an active role in the development of your team demonstrates confidence and concern for the future of the organization. It also gives employees feelings of significance, community, and value. Put these six tips into practice to help employees grow." Follow David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Ann Howell of Science of Working contributed Stop Looking for an EASY Button. Ann summarizes: "Leadership requires good judgment about hard issues. Check out these examples of people, strategy and crisis questions facing leaders.." Follow Ann on Twitter at @drannhowell.

Engagement

Julie Winkle Giulioni contributed Momentum as a Management Strategy. Julie shares: "Sometimes all it takes to enhance engagement, resilience and commitment is the experience of progress and momentum!" Follow Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

John Stoker of Dialogue WORKS shared 12 Ways to Destroy Employee Engagement. John writes: "There are many things that will improve employee engagement; however, this post takes a negative approach to help the reader think about whether they are taking some simple steps to deliberately improve employee engagement." Connect with John on Twitter at @JohnRStoker.

Ryan Estis provided A Better Way of Doing Business. Conscious capitalism recognizes that businesses have obligations beyond simply making money—and that people and communities will thrive more if businesses meet all of these responsibilities. Ryan interviews TDN2K Joni Thomas Doolin on why and how businesses should become more socially conscious. Find Ryan on Twitter at @ryanestis.

Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building shared How to Create BUY IN on Your Team. Sean writes: "One of the great challenges of teammates who care or team leaders who are struggling to inspire commitment is the question. It is a question I hear dozens of times from people at speaking events and conferences." Connect with Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership provided Leaders Go First: The Surprising Impact of Making the First Move. Ken shares: "A revealing study underscores the surprising ways that going first can have on the actions of others. Here's what the researchers found out, and how we can use that knowledge to become more influential leaders." Follow Ken on Twitter at @RapidStartLdr.

Michael Lee Stallard of Connection Culture shared Promises Leaders Make. Michael writes: "If you want to boost employee engagement, begin by answering this question: What promises should I make to the people I am responsible for leading?" Find Michael on Twitter at @michaelstallard.

Productivity

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership provided Don’t Make Your Self-Discipline Work So Hard. Wally reminds us: "You'll be more effective if you don't make your self-discipline work too hard." Connect with Wally on Twitter at @WallyBock.

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited contributed Five Ways to Make Your Breaks Count. Beth shares: "No matter which style of a workday you have, it’s important to take regular breaks to recharge your mind and spirit and take care of yourself. So here are five thoughts about how you can make your break times count for your health and benefit each day." Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.

Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting shared The Number One Thing that Leads to Team Success. Mary writes: "What happens when psychological safety isn’t present in a team? At the very least, the best ideas aren’t generated, and the best results aren’t achieved. At its worst, psychological safety can cause a culture of undermining and distrust so pervasive that people literally lie, steal, and engage in self-destructive behaviors at work." Find Mary on Twitter at @maryilaward.

And More...

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture shared Behavior Drives Change. Marcella asks: "How do you manage the constant change projects going on? Most people tend to focus on tools and templates. How about driving change through behavior? Check out this approach." Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Kimberly Carroll of IA—HR contributed Why Wait? How to Make Incremental Changes to Your HR Processes NOW. Kimberly summarizes: “Change doesn’t have to be monumental. In fact, practicing incremental changes drives a culture of innovation and efficiency. It helps you to work with what you have, and determine where larger changes need to occur. But it’s up to you to voice the need for change.” Find Kimberly on Twitter @voiceofhr.

Jesse Lyn Stoner of Seapoint Center provided How to Create Shared Values That Guide Your Team to Greater Heights. Jesse writes: "When a team identifies and commits to living shared values, there is a deeper level of trust, better problem-solving and increased collaboration. Here are 7 guidelines to create shared team values." Find Jesse on Twitter at @JesseLynStoner.

Jim Taggart of Changing Winds shared Are You Booing or Cheering for Your CEO?. Jim explains: "Leadership is about clarity of purpose, contribution, and how to bring out the best from each individual. This is the core responsibility of those who lead organizations: public, private, and not-for-profit." Follow Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

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.