November 2020 Leadership Development Carnival


Welcome to the November 2020 Leadership Development Carnival! We’re excited to share posts from leadership experts from around the globe on the topics of communication, development, engagement, motivation, productivity, team building, and more.


Communication


Marcia Reynolds of Covisioning Transformational Leadership provided Is Your Empathy Serving or Hurting You? Marcia shares: "Can you tell when you feel empathic concern or empathic distress? One connects the other hurts. Use non-reactive empathy to get better results." Connect with Marcia on Twitter at @marciareynolds.

Jon Lokhorst of Lokhorst Consulting shared This Underrated Leadership Skill Is More Important than Ever. Jon explains: “Of all the skills leaders need to be successful, active listening may be the most overlooked and underrated. Active listening has become even more vital during the global pandemic, as many organizations work in a remote environment.” Find Jon on Twitter at @jonlokhorst.

Ken Byler of Higher Ground Consulting Group contributed The Lost Art of Debate. Ken writes: "Sadly, the fine art of debate is missing from much of today’s business and political landscape. While differing viewpoints are rampant, any discussion about foundational problems and issues is often lost in the angry, cynical, and mean-spirited rhetoric offered on both sides. Politics and social issues likely suffer the most from this approach but business and not for profit enterprises are just as guilty of unfettered and unproductive discourse." Connect with Ken on Twitter at @kenbyler.

Karin Hurt and David Dye of Let's Grow Leaders provided How to Get Better at Remote Small Talk. Karin and David share: "I love hearing about what’s going on with my team personally, but I don’t want to waste their time talking about my personal life, so I keep that to myself.” These are all phrases we’ve heard from managers (and executives) recently. And yet, what we hear from their teams is quite a different story. People are yearning for human connection, with one another and their manager." Follow them on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided New eBook: Reflect, Reimagine, and Reboot Your Internal Communications Plan Through the Pandemic. David shares: "Communications plans must shift in response to the events of 2020. This free eBook leverages the 3Rs Internal Communications Model, which was created to guide communications leaders through a communications plan overhaul during periods of significant change or crisis. The model is designed to help you figure out what you’ve learned from the past year – what worked, what didn’t, what’s worth keeping, and what the organization needs in the future. From there, you can envision what’s possible and create the ideal communications approach with an actionable plan for long-term success." Follow David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Diana Peterson-More shared The Importance of Showing Gratitude Through Words and Deeds. Diana explains: "Think about the number of times an appreciative friend, colleague or subordinate offered thanks, and rather than respond with “you’re welcome,” the response is “oh, it was nothing,” or “don’t thank me, anyone would have done it.” Although an understandable response – out of embarrassment, perhaps - the comments can serve to minimize or trivialize the person offering the thanks. How might she or he feel?" Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.


Creativity/Inspiration


Henry Mukuti of Insakanet contributed Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Actions. Henry writes: “Never underestimate the power of your actions. One small good gesture may just be enough to help change someone's life. From worse to better.” Connect with Henry on Twitter at @hjm32471.

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting shared 5 Leadership Lessons from Powerful Women. Bill explains: "October is National Women’s Small Business Month, a time for us to reflect on and appreciate the work of women entrepreneurs in this country and all the contributions they’ve made. In the spirit of this important month, this post dives into some lessons from a few of the world’s most impactful women leaders." Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Eileen McDargh contributed The Energy of Unexpected Gratitude. Eileen explains: "Eileen shares how an unexpected gift and some gratitude made her week. What can you do to brighten someone's day?" Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.


Development


Lisa Kohn of Chatsworth Consulting Group shared Teflon and Velcro – and what they mean for Thoughtful Leadership. Lisa shares: "Even though our brains have evolved to hold onto the bad and let go of the good, we can retrain ourselves to focus more on the positive – in our work, leadership, and life." Connect with Lisa on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.

Bernd Geropp provided New as a manager - 5 most important tips. Bernd shares: "When you are new in your manager role, you surely don’t want to make any unnecessary mistakes, do you? To meet the challenges of your new role, here are my five best practical tips to become a good leader.” Find Bernd on Twitter at @moreleadership.

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture contributed Positive Change Leadership. Marcella considers: "True change leadership often means transformational leadership in our VUCA-world. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) What does Positive Change Leadership entail? Are you ready? Take a look at the personal reflection questions!" Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog shared 4 Tips for Improving Work/Life Balance. Joel summarizes: "With all the pressure of a hectic work schedule, you might feel as if your work is a prison that you can never escape. How can you manage to do it all—without burning out? Below are four work-life balance tips that will help you to follow through on what’s most important while not overloading yourself." Find Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

Linda Fisher Thornton of LeadinginContext contributed 10 COVID-19 Trends: Our Inner Space. Linda shares: “The extensive time in isolation has given us the time and opportunity to face our truths – our beliefs, our impact, and our choices. Here are 10 trends we’re seeing during COVID-19 that show better self-awareness, other-awareness, and moral awareness.” Find Linda on Twitter at @leadingincontxt.

Angela Hummel of Angela Hummel Consulting writes The Leadership Burden. Angela shares: “Making decisions as a leader is challenging. There will always be a gap between your decision and what others understand about it. Suggestions are offered to help cope with what feels like a heavy burden, yet part of the leadership experience.” Follow Angela on Twitter at @AngelaJHummel.

Shelley Row of Insightful Leadership shared Skip the Bread-Baking and Garage-Organizing: Look Inward to Make Real Change. Shelley considers: "Is learning something new the best way to combat “pandemic fatigue?” Shelley explores this concept in light of a very unique period of time." Connect with Shelley on Twitter at @shelleyrow.

Jon Verbeck provided Discretion or Open-Book: Is there a Better Approach to Culture? Jon writes: “I also choose to work for businesses that have a positive, trustworthy, and “desire-to-improve” culture. Beyond those core principles though, I find that companies have cultures that vary. Two distinct cultures I have noticed are what I call “Trustworthy Open Book” cultures and “Trustworthy Discretion” cultures.” Follow Jon on Twitter at @jonverbeck1.

S. Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: What do You Do? In this video post, Chris shares: "I am not what I do. Neither are you. Who we are is different than what we do. It’s easy to fall into that tactical view of our world and our lives. There is a better way – a more inspiring, engaging, productive way of viewing our reason for being on this planet." Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.


Engagement


Jon Mertz of Thin Difference shared Social Entrepreneurs Are the New Social Capital Builders. Jon considers: "Social entrepreneurs disrupt, and our internal and external engagement practices are in need of change to raise engagement. By their nature, social entrepreneurs build social capital within their organizations and communities. Business leaders need to embrace the ideals of social entrepreneurs." Connect with Jon on Twitter at @thindifference.

Lorrie Coffey of Horizonpointconsulting explains Are Your Employees SAD? How to Help Employees Who Struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Lorrie writes: “The weather is changing, the leaves are falling, and you’re SAD. But you’re not alone. Nearly 10 million Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Employers may see these symptoms in the form of attendance issues, decreased productivity, mistakes in work completed, or a lack of concentration in meetings. Your initial reaction may be to consider disciplinary action, but before you do, consider the behaviors you’re seeing.” Follow Lorrie on Twitter at @ohmyHR.


Productivity


Paul LaRue of The Upwards Leader contributed A Better Way To Be Productive. Paul writes: “Forget the to-do list. This method of making time for your tasks reaps more effective results.” Connect with Paul on Twitter at @paul_larue.

Stephanie Skryzowski of 100 Degrees Consulting provided Do you have too many tools in your toolbox? Stephanie shares: "This post simplifies the essential tools to run a business smoothly. Stephanie lists out 8 tried-and-true tools that are easy to follow and implement into your own business." Connect with Stephanie here.

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Value of Introverted Employees - Hiring Smart, Capable People. Neal explains: "Introverts are more capable workers than many employers realize. Understand how introverts work in order to understand their abilities can go beyond what you expect." Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.


And More...


Julie Winkle Giulioni shared Are You a Reflective of Reflexive Leader? Julie explains: " ‘Reflexive’ and ‘reflective’ are two ends of a continuum. Most leaders likely fall somewhere between the two. But, leadership is not a routine task and, as such, it benefits from more reflective responses. In fact, operating reflexively can be a liability in today’s disruptive workplace. I don’t need to tell you that conditions are changing quickly. And reflexes based upon yesterday’s data and conditions don’t take into considerations how things are – and who people are – today." Follow Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

Dan Oestreich provided On Not Believing Your Own Thoughts. Dan summarizes: “Learning to look back at the waterfall, if we give ourselves a chance to do so, teaches us to observe the constant flow of thoughts, hear their white noise, experience observations about ourselves and our circumstances that can be both quieting and disquieting, and watch as they, too, quickly tumble away." Find Dan on Twitter at @DanOestreich.

Steve DiGioia contributed Is Your Team Better With or Without You? Steve writes: "Some managers are hands-on while others never leave their office. Some are supportive and others hard-driving. Which management style leads to high productivity, increased teamwork, and better employee morale? Well, it depends - and I discuss it in today's post." Find Steve on Twitter at @stevedigioia.

Liz Weber of Weber Business Services provided Do You Like the Person and Leader You’ve Turned Out to Be? Liz writes: "As leaders, how we address our challenges speaks volumes about us as people and as leaders. Our behaviors either inspire and energize our teams, or they’ll embarrass and bewilder them. How do yours stack up?" Connect with Liz on Twitter at @lizwebercmc.

Jim Taggart of Changing Winds shared What Can Situational Leadership Teach Us? Jim considers: "Older leadership models, such as Blanchard’s and Hersey’s, provide very useful frameworks for discussion–and indeed exploration– on how to adapt them to today’s organizations." Follow Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership provided The Power of Humility: An Unexciting Sory of SEALs in Action. Ken shares: “The power of humility comes from the very fact that it lacks flash. As this short story shows, effective leaders recognize opportunities to act in humble moments so that they can lead best when it matters most.” Follow Ken on Twitter @RapidStartLdr.


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