September 2019 Leadership Development Carnival

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

Communication

Steve DiGioia shared The Best Companies Do This Even When They Don’t Have To. Steve writes: "We usually think only a person can show leadership, but a business can show leadership through their actions and communication with their customers. Buffer shows you how in my latest post." Follow Steve on Twitter at @stevedigioia.

Paul LaRue of The Upwards Leader contributed 6 Ways To Enhance Your Communication Effectiveness. Paul summarizes: "Great communication gives people information they need to conduct their work. If you want to be more consistent and effective in enabling your team to perform, then consider these ways to enhance your communication." Connect with Paul on Twitter at @paul_larue.

Diana Peterson-More provided Communication Tips Pop Up in Unexpected Places: Louise Penny's Still Life. Diana shares: "At the top of my summer reading list was Louise Penny’s Still Life, the first in a series of murder mysteries set in the bucolic fictional Canadian township of Three Pines. Buried within that 'who-done-it,' were four pearls of communication wisdom: 1) I don’t know; 2) I need your help; 3) I’m sorry; and, 4) I was wrong. This post explores those four vital communication tips pointing out how and why embracing each leads to successful leadership." Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.

Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting shared 1 Great Way to Grow in Your Interpersonal Skills. Mary posits: "Interpersonal skills are a distinguishing factor in what makes people successful. I often hear employers talk about how job candidates’ interpersonal skills are lacking. So how do you improve interpersonal skills?" Connect with Mary on Twitter at @maryilaward.

John Hunter contributed Deming’s Ideas in Action: Trader Joe’s Culture. John writes: "Honest communication is also something that cannot happen without creating a culture of trust and respect for people. If people are retaliated against for pointing out problems, those problems don’t go away, but you can reduce the instances of people pointing them out." Find John on Twitter at @aJohnHunter.

Development

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed A Tip For Coaches - Learn to Inspire Courageous Action. Bill writes: "As a coach, you have much to offer your coachees. In my experience, though, nothing is as valuable or as impactful as inspiring the ability to behave courageously." Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog shared 5 Essential Qualities of Truly Great Leadership. Joel summarizes: "To many, leadership is an elusive role. Some people seem to have a natural talent for leading, while others struggle to grasp how to do it. Great leaders are not necessarily born, however. Often there’s a lot of self-defeating behavior to overcome. You need to explore what these roles involve in order to analyze areas of weakness." Find Joel on Twitter at @JoelGarfinkle.

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

Bernd Geropp shared How to stay calm at work when under stress and pressure. Bernd writes: "There are team leaders and managers that really radiate a sense of calm and composure, even in stressful situations. They remain calm even under extreme pressure. This kind of people can stay calm and composed during times when all others around them seem to lose their heads and become tangled up with their emotions. How do they do it?" Here are 5 tips on how to stay calm when things are falling apart. Find Bernd on Twitter at @moreleadership.

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture contributed Positive (Self) Leadership: Progress, not Perfection. Marcella asks: "Do you put the bar too high? Do you tend to be a perfectionist instead of a positive (self) leader? Help yourself and others focus on the progress you make." Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Jim Taggart of Changing Winds provided Is Your Innovation Strategy Aligned with Your Culture?. Jim summarizes: "Leadership is at the heart of creating a corporate culture that embraces customer focus and continuous innovation. The journey is tough and never-ending, but it’s one that fosters energy and excitement." Connect with Jim on Twitter at @72keys.

Engagement

Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership shared Having the Courage to Trust Your Team. In this guest post from Bill Treasurer, he says: "Leadership is typically associated with action—with trying, doing, and achieving. However, there’s another side to leadership that focuses on the followers: trust." Read more to find out why it's so important for leaders to have the courage to trust their teams. Connect with Dan on Twitter at @greatleadership.

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided 10 Best Ways to Engage and Connect With Employees. David shares: "Great leaders don’t just manage employees; they make sure employees are motivated, engaged and inspired when coming to work. Here are 10 ways to do just that." Find David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Laura Schroeder of Working Girl provided Alchemy: The Secret to Leading Innovative Teams. Laura shares: "The glue that makes a diverse team great is the leader, who sets the tone, shapes the behavioral norms, encourages (or discourages) personal expression, provides support for professional growth, and keeps the team focused and on track." Connect with Laura on Twitter at @workgal.

Productivity

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership provided Getting the Most from Your Mental Energy. Wally reminds us: "Your mental energy is an important resource. Use it wisely." Connect with Wally on Twitter at @WallyBock.

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited shared 50 Ways to Take a Five-Minute Break. Beth writes: "It seems counter-intuitive. We have a to-do list a mile long, and yet we feel the need for rest. But if we rest, we won’t apply ourselves to the to-do list. How can we do both? By taking five minutes here and there to refresh ourselves. Here's how." Find Beth on Twitter at @bethbeutler.

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Is Success a Breeding Ground for Leadership Complacency?. Neal asks: "Do you know that complacency can happen at any time? With every project you start, complacency can set in because you use the same rules, policies, and procedures. Change them constantly." Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.

Jon Mertz of Thin Difference shared Focus: Wide-Angle or Zoom-In?. Jon considers: "How do you determine focus? Is a wide-angle focus necessary, or is a zoom-in required? Your focus matters for positive impact." Connect with Jon on Twitter at @thindifference.

Team Building

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership shared Building a Team: What to Look for When Assembling Your Squad. Ken considers: "Whether we get to choose who will be on our team, or we have to work with the people we have right now, building a team for the long-haul is not something we can do overnight. Here’s a new favorite quote about that, and five things to look for when building a team that succeeds today and tomorrow." Connect with Ken on Twitter at @RapidStartLdr.

Art Petty contributed Stepping in to Lead a New Group? Try This Process to Grow Trust and Gain Performance. Art writes: "If you're an executive or top manager staring at a new group you've been assigned to lead and concluding you've got a lineup that looks destined for last place, it's time to take action. Of course, most of those actions involve the person staring back at you in the mirror. Here's a process that will help." Find Art on Twitter at @artpetty.

Shelley Row of Insightful Leadership shared Know Your Staff! Four Briefing Styles that Give You Clues to their Superpower. Shelley writes: "Learning your staff is also of utmost importance. You need to know who gets work done and how they do it so that you can match skills with organizational needs. Here are some shortcuts." Connect with Shelley on Twitter at @shelleyrow.

Ann Howell of Science of Working contributed Employee traits that signal high performance. Ann writes about a 2018 research article which describes the traits that designate an employee as a high potential (hipo), and explains why being a hipo brings benefits and career growth. Follow Ann on Twitter at @drannhowell.

Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge (Video): Define Your Desired Culture. In this video post, Chris shares: "Senior leaders must drive and champion their organization’s culture. They are ultimately responsible for clarity of the organization’s servant purpose, values and behaviors, strategies, and goals. They can’t delegate this responsibility to HR or any other function – they must model and coach their desired culture daily." Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building shared Winning Phrases - What to Say to Build a Championship Culture. Sean writes: "Every team needs to have a set of culture-building phrases or terms or acronyms that help to set expectations and to establish standards of behavior." Connect with Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.

And More...

Karin Hurt of Let's Grow Leaders contributed Speaking Up: How to Foster a Courageous Culture (A Whitepaper). Karin writes: "Is your team speaking up to share ideas, best practices, and advocate for your customers? Or are they frustrated (and frustrating?) Overcome the disconnect with this post and whitepaper from Let's Grow Leaders." Follow Karin on Twitter at @letsgrowleaders.

Eileen McDargh contributed The Opposite of Play is Not Work.... Eileen shares: "Humans are hard-wired to play with implications for social interactions, creativity, brain functioning, and the ever-important resiliency skill — adaptability. When our attachment to work and its responsibilities create a vacuum for play, depression sets in." Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust contributed Show and Tell - A Game Leaders Need to Play. Randy asks: "Do you remember playing Show and Tell in elementary school and how interesting it was to learn about your classmates? Organizational leaders can benefit from the same approach." This post shares four key things leaders should show and tell in order to build team cohesiveness and performance. Find Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

Julie Winkle Giulioni shared What Does IDP Stand for in Your Organization?. Julie explains: "Individual development plans (IDPs) are a standard feature of most organizational landscapes. And yet, for many employees and managers alike, the process does not deliver on its promise. This article addresses a frequently missing element — the leader's mindset — offering a quick self-assessment and free download for getting the most from IDPs." Follow Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

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.