Coaching For Leaders

Greg Hall: Fix Your System Greg Hall has 20 years experience as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Director of Data Analytics for a Fortune 500 company. He coaches business owners and executives to capture personal data analytics to achieve goals and reduce the stress that comes from sustained productivity. Key Points The more data we can bring to a problem, the better we’re able to see the solution. “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” Before jumping into a problem you need to invest time to gather information about it. An easy way to start with personal data analytics is to just write down the time and the activity. And when you switch activities, update the record. You can’t create a budget if you don’t know how much you’re spending. It’s the same thing with planning: how can you plan if you don’t where you’re spending your time. First, assess how much work you have. Then, honestly ask yourself how much capacity for work you have. The hard work of fixing a problem is defining it wel

Daniel Pink: When Daniel Pink has been listed by Thinkers50 as one of the top business thinkers in the world. His works include New York Times bestsellers, A Whole New Mind*, Drive*, To Sell is Human* and his new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing*. Key Points Naps boost productivity, but they should be no more than around 20 minutes long. Regular nappers get more benefit from naps than occasional nappers. We don’t treat breaks with enough seriousness. We do better on certain types of tasks at certain times of day. Peak - Do heavy analytical work in the morning. Trough - Do easier administrative work in the early afternoon. Recovery - Do work that requires insight in the late afternoon and evening. Ways to make the most of project midpoints when motivating teams: Recognize midpoints. Use midpoints to fire up your team. Let you team know they are slightly behind when they hit the midpoint. Resources Mentioned Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us* by D

Tim Stringer: Learn OmniFocus Tim Stringer of Technically Simple is one of the world’s leading experts on using task management systems and is the founder of Learn OmniFocus*, the premier site for teaching OmniFocus users how to be as productive as possible. Key Points In general, keep the planning and working tasks separate. By planning first, it’s much easier to be productive when you go into worker mode. Your task management system should collect your whens, your whats, and your ideas. Make your task management system a sacred space. Use due dates only when there is a consequence for not finishing something by that date. Focus on only doing a few important tasks first, then move on to the rest of the tasks. A morning and evening review will help you stay on top of your system. Common mistakes: Putting too much into your task management system, overusing due dates, and tasks that aren’t immediately actionable. Resources Mentioned Getting Things Done* by David Allen ToDoist OmniFocus

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Questions Katrina asked about the how to get better at influencing and relationships in her leadership development. Sara asked about how to be proactive in conversations with an employee who is retiring. Zubair wondered about a low-cost way to set up a 360-degree feedback for a leadership team. Isaac is thinking about work-life balance early in his career and wanted our input. Resources Mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie MBTI StrengthsFinder (now known as CliftonStrengths) DiSC The Empowered Manager* by Peter Block Related Episodes How to Lead a 100-Year Life, with Lynda Gratton (episode 266

Chip Heath: The Power of Moments Chip Heath is the co-author, along with his brother Dan Heath, of three bestselling books including Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life*, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard*, and Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die*. Their new book is The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact*. Key Points Very few people have a great first day at work. Transitions matter to people. Creating meaning is something we don’t do nearly enough. Good change efforts are elegantly simple. “Frankly, there isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story.” -Fred Rogers Resources Mentioned The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die ep

Peter Block: The Empowered Manager Peter Block is an author, consultant, and citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used*, Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest*, and The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work*. Key Points We become “political” at the moment we attempt to translate our vision into action. Leadership is the capacity to initiate an alternative future. Most organizations are conflict-averse. Being “political” wasn’t always a bad thing. The meaning has been distorted. Pursue your interests but in a way that honors the interests of others. Power comes from a willingness to be vulnerable. When you’re vulnerable, all you’re doing is acknowledging what the world already knows. As soon as people start complaining, they’ve chosen helplessness. When we have

Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority Jonathan Raymond is the founder of Refound, where he and his team work with organizations to create a company culture based in personal growth. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. Key Points We have to shift our mindset from our intentions to our impacts. Influential or powerful people tend to get away with worse behavior. High performers get away with bad behavior because people are afraid of reducing their performance. But leaders often only look at the revenue high performers bring in without looking at what their bad behavior costs the company in the big picture. Personal and professional growth are the same thing. Instead of focusing on how to grow someone’s career over a ten-year span, think about what you can do in one year. Resources Mentioned Difficult Conversations* by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For* by Jonathan

Jeff Hittenberger: Orange County Department of Education Jeff Hittenberger is the Chief Academic Officer for the Orange County Department of Education. In this conversation, Jeff and Dave discuss the value of growth mindset for leaders, how the Orange County Department of Education is helping employees develop with it, and Jeff's own personal journey to bring it into his work and life. Key Points If you don’t deal with things on a personal level, they will oftentimes negatively affect your work. It is important to cultivate emotional intelligence in the workplace. A growth mindset will help you overcome a sense of despair because it gives you a sense of agency. Learning about the growth mindset as a team will give you a common language to communicate with. Poor reactions to a problem can make the problem even bigger. Learning about emotional intelligence while in the workplace will also help outside of work. Learning about a growth mindset and emotional intelligence takes time; it can’t be a on

Ryan Williams: The Influencer Economy Ryan Williams is a media strategist, international speaker, and author of The Influencer Economy*. His work has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, Success Magazine, Social Media Examiner and USA Today. Key Points The Three Anchor Stories: The Tearjerker story The Authority Story The Pay my Bills Story Leadership comes from storytelling The majority of us have great stories that we undervalue. Authenticity is having your actions match your words. Make your stories a conversation. In your stories, don’t discount your past successes. Resources Mentioned Making Ideas Happen* by Scott Belsky How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie Made to Stick* by Chip Heath and Dan Heath The Brand Gap* by Marty Neumeier The Influencer Economy* by Ryan Williams Related Episodes The Four Critical Stories Leaders Need for Influence, with David Hutchens (episode 148) Practical Storytelling That Isn’t Awkward, with David Hutchen

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Resources Mentioned Greetabl* (15% off link) Blinkist* (free trial) Power Your Podcast with Storytelling Kindle* Audible* (2 free books + 30 days free) Amazon Fresh* (free trial) Blue Apron* Acuity Scheduling* (free trial) Sanebox* (free trial and $15 off) Apple Watch Apple AirPods Best Year Ever course* Related Episodes How To Create A Personal Knowledge Management System, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 129) Tools for Saving Time and Learning More, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 298) The Way to Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Planning (episode 319) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the en

Jenny Dearborn: The Data Driven Leader Jenny Dearborn is Senior Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at SAP. She is the author, with David Swanson, of the new book, The Data Driven Leader: A Powerful Approach to Delivering Measurable Business Impact Through People Analytics. Key Points There is data in everything. It’s not just about customer data, it can be used internally to improve the organization. HR professionals should try to be more in tune with the C-Suite and the company’s big picture strategy. A lot of organizations think they’re doing analytics but what they’re really doing is reporting. The best way to do analysis is to start mapping information against each other. Organizations often have enough data but they haven’t thought about ways to utilize it. Resources Mentioned The Data Driven Leader: A Powerful Approach to Delivering Measurable Business Impact Through People Analytics* by Jenny Dearborn and David Swanson Book Notes Download my highlights from The Data Driven Lead

Jill Schlesigner: Jill on Money Jill Schlesinger is the Emmy-nominated Business Analyst for CBS News, the host of the Jill on Money podcast and of the nationally syndicated radio show, Jill on Money, which won the 2018 Gracie Award for Best National Talk Show. She has been recognized as a Top 10 LinkedIn Influencer and a Top 10 LinkedIn Voice. She’s the author of The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money: Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs*. Key Points First Three Financial Steps: Pay off consumer debt Create emergency fund of 6-12 months of living expenses Maximize retirement contributions You only need a financial advisor once you’ve achieved the first three financial steps. Life insurance is a cornerstone of a family’s financial security. Think about if your death would result in financial hardship for someone else. 90% of people should buy term life insurance. Make sure your advisor is held to the fiduciary standard. Put a freeze on your credit file for each of the

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Listener Questions Elmer asked about how to use Twitter to help people in his organization stay in touch. Andrew asked how he can get coaching and/or leadership development when his organization doesn’t have the funding. Anders asked about technology tools that will help leaders influence the hearts and minds of people. Roger asked for advice on how to give his manager feedback. Jen asked about managing former peers. Resources Mentioned The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work* by Peter Block Zoom* FeedForward by Marshall Goldsmith Related Episodes How Twitter Can Help You Lead, with Joel Comm (episode 242)

Lisa Cummings: Lead Through Strengths Lisa Cummings is the founder and CEO of Lead Through Strengths, a firm that exists to help people find and use their strengths at work. Lisa and her team serve large teams and organizations to help them leverage the results of the CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) assessment. She is also the host of the popular Lead Through Strengths podcast. Some leaders see different StrengthsFinder talents as obstacles, but these same difference can make our teams shine. In this conversation, Lisa and I examine the four demands of leadership and how we can honor the talents of each person. Key Points Our true strengths are the things we don’t often see as strengths because they come easily to us. Do the things you do well and find other people are good at the things you aren’t. Many people think they’re very similar to others, but there are a lot of underlying differences they don’t give themselves credit for. The Four Demands of Leadership are Executing, Influencin

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders I am often asked how I produce this show, facilitate the Coaching for Leaders Academy, and still manage to keep work-life balance in check. Like most people, it is a daily struggle and that I error on often. However, I have found a few systems that work well for me.   In this episode, I share why I've found quarterly planning to work well for me. In addition, I walk though my planning process in detail, so you can replicate the areas that align best with the context of your work. Key Points Leaders need to both lead and plan. Planning takes discipline. Plan out quarterly in addition to, or even instead of, planning annually. Take the most important areas of your life and try to find an objective for each one that you can focus on during the quarter. Lagging indicators are the results, and leading indicators are the action steps you take to get the results. Your life will mostly fill up with day-to-day tasks, but the key is what you do with the remaining tim

Dorie Clark: Entrepreneurial You Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Recognized as a branding expert by the Associated Press, Fortune, and Inc. magazine, she is the author of the new book, Entrepreneurial You* — and her prior books, Reinventing You* and Stand Out*. Key Points Even things that seem solid can change at any moment. Anybody, in any career, needs to emphasize flexibility and adaptability. 35% of Americans are self-employed, projected to be 40% by 2020. Entrepreneurial side projects expand your skills for your main career. Side projects often create new career opportunities. If something is not being done, ask why is it not being done. Because it’s impossible? Or just hard? Check for metrics that you’re heading in the right direction. Progress might not always come in the form you’re expecting. How do you diversify but do it in a way that doesn’t pull you in a million directions? Resources

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Listener Questions Melvin asked about how to handle a layoff he’s been asked to do. Melissa asked about what she should do differently before letting people go. Carlos asked about how to change the dynamics on a dysfunctional team. Krystal asked about good reading resources for better customer service. Jun asked about what he could do to improve his executive presence. Resources Mentioned The Automatic Customer* by John Warrillow Good Authority* by Jonathan Raymond Radical Candor* by Kim Scott The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe by Simon Sinek Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach T

Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership Tom Henschel of Essential Communications grooms senior leaders and executive teams. An internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace communications and self-presentation, he has helped thousands of leaders achieve excellence through his work as an executive coach and his top-rated podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership. Key Points An elevator speech is a crisp, concise, high-level summary of a complex, multi-layered topic. It can be about whatever you do as a profession, but it can also be about anything else, like your recent vacation. Elevator speeches get crafted … it doesn’t happen in the spur of the moment. Creating an elevator speech doesn’t take long, but you have to choose to reflect. An elevator speech is actually a conversation tailored to the other person. Say a little bit, and then test the other person’s level of interest. The longer you talk, the less effective you are. The Three Qualities of a Great Elevator Speech K

Scott Anthony Barlow: Happen to Your Career Scott Anthony Barlow is the Founder of Happen to Your Career. He’s been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, CareerBuilder, Fast Company and Huffington Post and various colleges and universities as a top expert on career happiness. He's held roles executive roles in human resources, business development, and career coaching. Scott is the host of the Happen to Your Career podcast, featuring the career stories of many successful professionals. His team and him have worked with over 25,000 people to help them stop settling, find their signature strengths, and start doing meaningful work they are enamored with. In this conversation, Scott and I explore the myth of work-life balance and discuss how we should instead be aiming for work-life integration. Key Points Life doesn’t stop when you’re at work. The goal is to build a career that fully integrates with what you want most out of life. If you’re around the people you want to be around then you become a happier person.

Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster: Your Leadership Brand Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster are from Root + River. They are brand strategists and marketers who believe that your brand is how other people experience what you believe. In this episode, Emily and Justin show us the key steps to create a framework for your leadership brand. Key Points Branding is something that begins inside of you. Much of branding is just uncovering what’s inside of you, articulating it, and then reflecting it outward. We’re living in a world where we can no longer get away with pretending to be something we’re not, so we have no alternative but to be ourselves. If you reverse engineer a brand failure, it’s usually because of a poor leadership decision, not a marketing problem. Whenever there is an outward branding problem, look inward. The most successful brands are the ones that have a minuscule chasm between their public brand and how they operate internally. Most missions come from suffering. What problem does