March 2018 Leadership Development Carnival

Welcome to the March Leadership Development Carnival!

The themes for this month are...

Let's get started!

Communication

Jason Carroll of IA HR provided How to Avoid ‘Fake News’ in Your Workforce Analytics. Jason summarizes: "Data is everywhere, and leaders can use it to tell powerful stories about their people. But if you're not careful, it's easy to report "fake news" based on real data points. Learn how to get smarter about data governance to tell more compelling stories and make better decisions." Find Jason on Twitter at @voiceofhr.

Rebecca Elvy of Rebecca Elvy provided The Critical Leadership Skill Most Leaders Don’t Have. Rebecca writes: "I learned how to make someone cry yesterday. Not because I learned some nasty words, or a painful torture technique, but because I learned the true power of listening. Listening not just to the words that are said, but the words that are not said. And the essence behind the words that are said." Find Rebecca on Twitter at @rebecca_elvy.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group shared Becoming an Effective Leader/Communicator: 7 Steps to Success. David writes: “One might be considered a strong communicator, but lack the other skills necessary to be a successful leader. However, the reverse does not hold true. Strong communication skills are paramount to successful leadership. Get started with these 7 steps.” Discover David on Twitter at @thoughtpartner.

Lisa Kohn from The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog provided How to Handle the “Elephant in the Middle of the Living Room.” Lisa shares ways to help your team coax out and address the “elephants in the middle of the living room” that can get in the way of successful – and enjoyable – relationships, projects, and business outcomes. You can follow Lisa on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.

Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership provided Successful Leaders Are Great Communicators: How to Connect with Your Employees.  To be an effective leader and run a high-performing company, you need to be great at communicating with your employees. Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss share three ways to strengthen your connection with employees and become a better communicator in the process. Find Dan on Twitter at @greatleadership.

Culture

Willy Steiner of Executive Coaching Concepts submitted Company Culture: Will We Know It When We See It? In this post, Willy shares ways to spot culture in your organization. Discover Willy on Twitter at @coachforexecs.

Jesse Lyn Stoner of Seapoint Center provided The Four Types of Organizational Culture. Jesse summarizes: "There is no 'best' type of organizational culture. It depends on your business model and strategies. This post explains each of the 4 types and how the shape of your culture can change over time." Find Jesse on Twitter at @jesselynstoner.

Development

Mary Jo Asmus of Aspire Collaborative Services LLC submitted Why you Should Coach People. Mary Jo recaps: "Coaching benefits your people and your organization. Yet it also can also make you a better leader. This post describes some of the benefits of coaching others." Find Mary on Twitter at @mjasmus.

Jon Mertz of Thin Difference submitted The True Test of Leadership Development: Hiring or Promoting? Jon shares: "What is the true test of leadership development? It relates to hiring or promoting. Investment in leadership development needs to be renewed for your organization's sake." Discover Jon on Twitter at @thindifference.

Susan Mazza of Random Acts of Leadership provided A Leader's Words Matter. Susan writes: "Your words as a leader carry a lot of weight. They have the potential to lift people up or bring them down. What experience do your words create for those you lead?" Follow Susan on Twitter at @susanmazza.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog submitted Six Types of Stakeholders Leaders Need to Influence. Joel shares: "Building strong working relationships strengthens influence and is critical to any leader's success. Learning to think like an executive and articulate ideas with confidence are key aspects of gaining influence." Discover Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

Anne Perschel of Germane Coaching and Consulting provided How Mindfulness Meditation Builds Emotional Intelligence. Anne writes: "More and more leaders are discovering mindfulness meditation increases their emotional intelligence. What do they experience that other leaders don't, and why do they turn to meditation for the solution?" Find Anne on Twitter at @bizshrink.

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership provided Take a Moment. Wally writes, "You may not be able to control many things in your life, but you can make choices about what you’ll do in the next few moments." You can find Wally on Twitter at @WallyBock.

Shelley Row provided Increase Focus with a Nature Break. Shelley reminds us of the value of stopping to take a nature break regularly, and how it can help us improve our ability to focus. Find Shelley on Twitter at @shelleyrow.

David Dye and Karin Hurt of Let's Grow Leaders submitted How to Interview for Winning Leadership Competencies. Karin and David present practical help for interviewing to fill your leadership positions well. Find them on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust provided Forget Work-Life Balance and Focus on These 5 Things Instead. "Achieving balance between work and life is a false dichotomy," says Randy Conley. Instead, he advocates for the pursuit of work-life harmony. In this post, he shares five key strategies people can use to attain true fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. Follow Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

S. Chris Edmonds  of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: Sour Notes. In the post, Chris Edmonds, leadership expert and musician, explains why lousy bosses create really sour notes every day. Find Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership provided Leadership Mistakes: 3 Things to Do When You Really Step In It. Ken writes: "If you are trying to lead, you are going to make mistakes - it comes with the territory. But if you do these three things well, you could actually end up with a stronger team than before you 'stepped in it.'" Follow Ken on Twitter at @RapidStartLdr.

Engagement

Marcella Bremer of Leadership and Change Magazine provided What Happens in Meetings? Marcella recaps: "Meetings are important indicators of organizational culture. What happens in the interaction? What's the group dynamic? Here are some questions to help you find ways to improve meetings." Find Marcella on Twitter at @marcellabremer.

Julie Winkle-Giulioni of Julie Winkle-Giulioni provided Cultivate Coachability with these 5 Mindsets. Julie states: "The coach’s mindset is multifaceted; in fact, it’s actually five different mindsets, all of which are required to enhance one’s ability to help others realize their potential, perform optimally and engage in continuous learning." Find Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

Paul LaRue of Upward Leaders submitted Your Success Doesn't Impress The Customer. Paul recaps: "Companies offer lots of reasons to champion their achievements. But when it uses them to defend poor service, it becomes an excuse and serves no good." Follow Paul on Twitter at @paul_larue.

Productivity

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited provided How to Maximize Your 8-Hour Productivity Window. Beth Beutler points out that we all have a period of time in our day when we are more productive than we are at other times, and gives us tips to maximize it. Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.

Neal Burgis of Burgis Successful Solutions submitted Leaders Thinking Beyond the Obvious. Neal says: "What you know is no longer as important as how creative and innovative you are with what you know. As a leader, let your employees create a culture of creativity and innovation that will move your company forward." Find Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.

Tanveer Naseer of Tanveer Naseer provided 3 Uncommon Strategies For Achieving Your Goals. Tanveer's post gives us a look at three uncommon strategies that can help you to successfully achieve your goals, by shifting how you approach the process and who you involve. Find Tanveer on Twitter at @TanveerNaseer.

And More...

Jim Taggart of Changing Winds provided Personal Mastery: The Never-Ending Quest for Self-Discovery. In the post, Jim explains: "Managers must work daily at creating a climate that promotes personal mastery. They need to establish an environment in which people feel safe to create their personal visions, where they can challenge the status quo, and where inquiry and commitment to the truth are the norm." Find Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

Steve Digioia of Steve Digioia provided 5 Questions That Prove How Ethical You Really Are. Steve writes: "Here's a unique list of questions that must be asked when making business, or even social, decisions. These 5 questions focus on the underlying effect these decisions have on people and how comfortable you, as a leader, are at making them." Follow Steve on Twitter at @SteveDiGioia.

Eileen McDargh submitted From Pain to Profit: Resiliency Lessons for Sales. Eileen states: "Everyone in business is in sales. I contend we also engage in the act of 'selling' when we want support for an idea, a course of action, or the engaged hearts and minds of people who work with us. So what happens when we don't make the sale?" Discover Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting submitted #MeToo and the Onslaught of Sexual Harassment Training Requests. Mary recalls: "Long about mid-December, you couldn’t turn on the news without hearing about the next case of pervasive sexual harassment in every facet of the working world." Mary Ila explains some rules of thumb for “good” sexual harassment (or any form of harassment) training HR leaders should remember. Find Mary on Twitter at @MaryIlaWard.

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