February 2019 Leadership Development Carnival

Welcome to the February 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

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership shared Things We Don't Say Often Enough. Wally states: "We talk a lot, but there are some things we just don’t say often enough." You can find Wally on Twitter at @WallyBock.

Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building provided Better Communication is as Easy as 1-2-3. Sean states: "Often, the issue with emails – especially with virtual teams – is that your team member’s inbox is flooded with other messages and (just like you) they aren’t always sure about which messages really ARE urgent or important. And so rather than wondering if it will get opened or read, I would encourage you to consider adding a simple hack to all email communication for your team." Find Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited shared Five Exaggeration Words that Can Ding Your Credibility. She asks, "How accurate are your claims about your business and professional life?" Beth provides five words to take great care using if you want your credibility to remain strong. Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.

Development

Henry Mukuti of Insakanet shared Your self image determines your performance. Henry writes: "The essence of personal self image is very critical to personal growth as it is the centre of your performance attribute. We should try as much as possible to create a positive self image if we have to enjoy our lives." Find Henry on Twitter at @hjm32471.

Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership provided Leadership Development Goals for 2019. Dan suggests, "While leadership development goals should always be specific to any individual leader, it's often helpful to have a list to choose from." Here are 9 from leadership coach Dan McCarthy. Find him on Twitter at @greatleadership.

Karin Hurt of Let's Grow Leaders provided How to Be a More Courageous Manager. Karin summarizes: "Most moments of managerial courage come down to the micro-decisions you make when you're just a little bit scared, and the stakes really aren't that high. Let's Grow Leaders explores this more in this post." Find Karin on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: One Personal Purpose Statement. Chris declares: "The best way to sustain beneficial change is to create a solid foundation on which to build that change – a personal servant purpose statement." Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Jim Taggert of Changing Winds provided Are You an Authentic Leader? Figuring Out the Little “L” from the Big “L”. Jim shares: "To lead an organization, especially in today’s turbulent world, requires someone with unique abilities. Some of these can be learned. But there needs to be an inner drive and vision that causes that individual to want to lead others." Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

Shelley Row of Insightful Leadership shared Whether it's a Presentation, Meeting or Training: Design for Engagement and Retention. Shelley shares: "You’ve been there: a dull presentation; a pointless meeting; a boring training program. It doesn't have to be that way and the fix is surprisingly easy." Find Shelley on Twitter at @shelleyrow.

Stephanie Skryzowski of 100 Degrees Consulting provided How Nonprofit Leaders Can Adopt a Growth Mindset. Stephanie writes: "Have you seen the pretty scary statement from the Nonprofit Times that “most charities are teetering on financial peril”? Financial peril. That’s a strong statement, but one that hits home to many organizations. Why are organizations operating on a shoestring when there is a world of abundance out there?" Follow Stephanie on Twitter at @Steph100Degrees.

Ronni Hendel of Insight Out Leadership shared Practicing Leadership. Ronni shares: "Becoming our best as leaders requires practice. This post explores creating 'micropractices' that can fit into the busiest of lives and days and help us shift in profound ways." Discover Ronni on Twitter at @ronnihendel.

Engagement

Jon Mertz of Thin Difference submitted More than Generational Shifts for Millennials and Generation Z. Jon summarizes: "Generational shifts are underway, and Millennials and Generation Z are leading with openness and a problem solving mindset. Our leadership challenge is to welcome and engage diverse styles to gain the best out of everyone." Discover Jon on Twitter at @thindifference.

Lisa Kohn of Thoughtful Leaders Blog presents How not to get what you expect. Lisa shares how working actively against your biases helps you to find – and bring out – the best in others. Find Lisa on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.

Laura Schroeder of Working Girl shared Connecting the Dots between Employee and Customer Experience. Laura writes: "Like great employee experience, great customer experience doesn’t just happen: It’s by design. Unless you connect the dots for people and reward the folks who go the extra mile for your customers, your average customer experience will focus on sales rather than solving customer problems." Discover Laura on Twitter at @workgal.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided  7 Things Great Bosses Do. David shares: "Every leader has what it takes to be a great boss, communicate effectively, and motivate and engage their employees. Here are 7 quick tips to ensure you’re the best boss you can be while giving employees what they need." Find David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Leadership

Jeanie Cockell and Joan McArthur-Blair of -Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting shared Finding strength to learn and lead in tough times. They write: "In the absence of hope, leaders still lead. They still go to work and undertake amazing activities, but they do so with a wounded heart and a quieted soul. If our work of focusing on appreciative resilience does nothing else for leaders, perhaps it can uplift the conversation about despair. Despair is a companion of leadership and is without shame." Find them on Twitter at @jeaniecockell and @writerjmcb.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust shared Does Being a Naysayer Make You a More Powerful Leader?. Randy posits, "Research suggests being a naysayer causes people to perceive you as a more powerful leader." In this post, he shares a summary of the research and key points to remember about a leaders best use of power. Follow Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

Susan Fowler provided Are You a Compassionate Leader?. Susan writes: "Compassion is the demonstration of empathetically caring about someone beyond your own self-interest. Notice when a crisis arises at work, people complain about changes you are making or someone asks for more money. Do you react with kindness, see the common humanity of the situation, and mindfully explore options? Or, do you drive forward with indifference, separate your emotions from your actions and disengage in the name of progress?" Find Susan on Twitter at @fowlersusann.

Rodger Dean Duncan of Duncan Worldwide shared Why Purpose and Meaning Should Drive Your Training. Rodger shares: "But if you want to make a positive and measurable impact on people’s thinking and behaviors, if you want them to do better and be better, you must explicitly address their WIIFM needs. That requires understanding the importance of purpose and meaning on the job. To explore the concept of WIIFM, I talked with several experts." Discover Roger on Twitter at @DoctorDuncan.

Productivity

Jesse Stoner of Seapoint Center provided 5 Reasons You Should NOT Set Goals. Jesse summarizes: "Often setting goals can make the difference between mediocre and high performance. But not for everyone and not all the time. There are times goal-setting is a waste of time or can even decrease your motivation and confidence. Here are 5 situations where you should NOT set goals." Find Jesse on Twitter at @JesseLynStoner.

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture shared Your culture will boost performance if you start today. Marcella writes: "A positive culture boosts performance! Are you looking to make 2019 your most productive year to date? Check what you can start doing today." Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions shared Transitioning From Reactive to Proactive Leadership. Neal suggests: "How reactive or proactive you are as a leader makes a significant difference as to how successful your company is. Shift your thinking, habits and behaviors toward being proactive to look for greater results." Find Neal on Twitter at @Exec_Solutions.

Team Building

Anne Perschel of Germane Consulting provided Find Your Path to Egoless Leading. Anne writes: "Henry and Ben are both CEOs. Ben is controlled by his ego. His team builds individual fiefdoms. Henry is egoless. His team is soaking wet, laughing and working towards a common goal." Discover Anne on Twitter at @bizshrink.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog submitted Networking After Work. Joel shares: "Many studies have shown a relationship between social drinking, socializing, and higher wages. It’s not about the alcohol consumption. It’s all about building relationships." Follow Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

Jon Lokhorst of Lokhorst Consulting shared Recognize Individual Differences in Your Team. Joel posits: "The best leaders recognize the individual differences among their team members as they lead change. They approach each person based on his or her unique personality and preferences, leveraging their unique strengths to move the change initiative forward." Find Jon on Twitter at @jonlokhorst.

And More...

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting shared Do Better, Mr. President. Bill writes: "Leaders are required to keep improving. What improvement suggestions would you have for the leader of our country? Here's mine..." Find Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Chip Bell provided Delivering Service That Soars. Chip suggests: "It is easy to view a service role as performing a chore, duty or task. But, what if you considered delivering service to others to be your vital and inspiring work on a masterpiece?" Follow Chip on Twitter at @chiprbell.

John Hunter of Curious Cat Management Comments shared Shared Principles for Managing People Engaged in Diverse Tasks. John writes: "I see universal principles of management (respect for people, customer focus, continual improvement . . .) that cross all different human enterprises. How those principles should be manifest in a particular situations depend on the work being done, the management system that is in place, the individual people involved, the specific focus of the effort right now. . . . The way those principles are manifest will look very different in all the varied types of organizations we create and the different work and processes used within those organizations." Discover John on Twitter at @aJohnHunter.

Julie Winkle-Giulioni provided 4 Mindsets Needed for a Better Talent Pipeline. Julie summarizes: "In today's tight labor market, it's absolutely clear that HR and Recruiting can't produce results all by themselves. Leaders at all levels must step up in new ways to attract and retain top talent. This post speaks to the mindset that leaders must adopt." Connect with Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

Paula Kiger of Big Green Pen shared 6 Sincere Ways to Say “Thanks”. Paula writes: "Gratitude can become diluted when expressed without care or personalization. Six ways we can try to be more intentional and creative with our expressions of gratitude in 2019." Find Paula on Twitter at @biggreenpen.

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.