Weaving Influence has the privilege of hosting the January 2023 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

Jennifer V. Miller writes 6 Phrases to Get a Derailed Conversation Back on Track. Jennifer summarizes: “Conversation gone off the rails? Communication snafus? Get back on track with one of these six statements.” Find Jennifer on Twitter at @JenniferVMiller.

Diana Peterson-More shared Communication Resolutions for 2023: Five Key Tips. Diana explains: “Each year, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. Since communication is something, we do 24×7, whether we want to or not, and whether we intend to or not, why not take a quote from an admired historical figure that informs communication? Read four of my favorite quotes that inform five key communication tips.” Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.

Robyn McLeod provided Eight Ways to Avoid Blowing Up at Work. Robyn summarizes: “Here are eight essential ways to productively and safely blow off steam and identify relief valves to get back on track and keep you moving in the right direction.” Find Robyn on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs. 

Eileen McDargh contributed The Secret Leadership Skill: Connection. Eileen explains: “Research now concludes that most Americans report having fewer friends and colleagues with whom they feel close. There’s a sense of aloneness and disconnection despite the growth of instant messages and chat rooms. What is missing is REAL human interaction: conversation!” Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Paula Kiger of Big Green Pen shared What to Do After Someone’s Dream Dies. Paula writes: “The people you lead may have either neglected to define or update their goals. As leaders, we can help them find alignment with what they want to do (and can do) again, even if that means making changes.” Connect with Paula on Twitter @biggreenpen.

Development

Frank Sonnenberg contributed Why Are People So Surprised When Someone’s Polite? Frank explains: “Are you surprised when folks have good manners? While common courtesy was expected years ago, courteous behavior is scarce today.” Follow Frank on Twitter at @fsonnenberg.

Lorrie Coffey of Horizon Point Consulting shared Leading with Emotional Intelligence. Lorrie writes: “Leading with emotional intelligence isn’t just for those times of crisis, it’s for those everyday moments. It’s knowing that an employee who made a mistake is beating themselves up enough and needs a leader who will use the opportunity as a teaching moment instead of as an opportunity to rake them over the coals.” Follow Lorrie on Twitter at @ohmyHR. 

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture contributed Active Hope for Positive Organizations. Marcella considers: “Discouraged about global crises? The Active Hope process helps people and organizations unleash their strengths. Check the story, start from gratitude, acknowledge pain, see with new eyes and take action. Start here with 7 ‘sentence starters.'” Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Priscilla Archangel of Archangel & Associates provided Authentic Leadership: Will the Real You Please Stand Up? Priscilla writes: “Does your team know your core values and personality style? Is your behavior consistent in all your interactions with your colleagues? As a leader, if you’ve ever reflected on any of these questions, you’re thinking about how to behave authentically in the situations in which you find yourself. Learn more about how to be an authentic leader!” Follow Priscilla on Twitter at @PrisArchangel. 

Julie Winkle Giulioni shared Learn-gevity: The Top Skill You’ll Need in 2023 and Beyond. Julie explains: “Lifelong learning has long been understood to be a critical success factor. But today, it’s taken on even greater importance. Consider these actions to enhance your own learn-gevity in 2023.” Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

S. Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: Build a Culture of Respect. In this video post, Chris shares: “Most business leaders see their job as managing results. Results are important, but they’re only half the leaders’ job. The other half? Managing respect.” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Jon Verbeck provided Great, Good, So-So, or Bad Year? Jon writes: “Great. Good. So-So. Bad. It’s been quite a year for all of us. As I look back on this year and think about my clients’ results – determining wins and losses with hard, comparable data on sales, margins, efficiency, and profitability – it is sometimes still hard to quantify a year as a great year, good year, so-so year, or bad year. Or perhaps a combination of all of these. Let’s look at a fictitious, but very possible scenario, for a business experiencing all four.” Follow Jon on Twitter at @jonverbeck1. 

Ken Byler of Higher Ground Consulting Group contributed Graciously Receiving. Ken writes: “In a world where work-life balance describes our over-stimulated lifestyles, it should come as no surprise that we try to give without learning how to receive. Gaining insights about the value of graciously receiving will likely require a willingness to slow our pace and open our spirits to something different.”

Dana Theus of InPower Coaching writes Year End: The Psychology of Closure. Dana explains: “This year, leverage the psychology of closure to declutter the year behind you and set yourself up for success in the year ahead. You’ll feel refreshed with an updated story to tell about who you are and where you’re going.” Find Dana on Twitter at @DanaTheus. 

Art Petty provided The Old Model of Manager is Broken—It’s Time to Start Fresh. Art shares: “It’s time to replace the tired, outdated model we have for identifying, developing, and tasking managers. Given the complexity of our environment today and the myriad existential issues facing organizations, industries, and even humanity, we need to find new ways to harness the creative and productive power of inspired people, not send them running out the door or leave them idling in place.” Follow Art on Twitter at @artpetty.

ENGAGEMENT

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided The Top 10 Things Every Employee Wants From Their Leader. David shares: “What do employees really want from their managers? Big picture, it’s less BS and more humanity. From our research and decades of experience in this area, here are some of the most common employee wishes and those that come up most often as unmet.” Follow David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust shared The #1 Strategy for Improving the Employee Experience in 2023. Randy shares: “To attract and keep top talent, organizations are taking a close look at how their employee experience can set them apart from the crowd. In a recent survey, over 700 leadership, learning, and talent development professionals shared their top strategies for improving the employee experience and there was one that stood out from the others. Can you guess what it is?” Connect with Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

team building

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership provided The Law of Slow Leaks – Why Important Things Fail and What We Can Do About It. Ken shares: “The law of slow leaks governs everything from team building to goals to relationships. If we ignore its impact on our lives, we can expect that things that are important to us may not work as we expect when we need them. Here’s what the law is, and how to counteract its effect.” Follow Ken on Twitter @RapidStartLdr.

Creativity/Inspiration

Marcia Reynolds of Covisioning Transformational Leadership provided Stepping Into a New You in the New Year. Marcia shares: “Your brain doesn’t discern between what you don’t want and what you envision is possible. Get clear on what you want the next year to be for you to keep your brain forward-focused.” Connect with Marcia on Twitter at @marciareynolds.

Brenda Yoho writes One Little Spark and Curiosity. Brenda explains: “It takes one little spark and a little curiosity to discover solutions and celebrate accomplishments. How many attributes do you or your organization have that compare to the checklist created to spark the start for 2023?” Find Brenda on Twitter at @BrendaYoho. 

Productivity

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Reflections as You Welcome 2023. Neal explains: “Challenge yourself in 2023 to think differently, be open to opportunities, and move forward with your ideas even during a possible upcoming recession. Don’t stop due to economic climate changes. You will succeed after it’s gone.” Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed Taking a Moment to Pause. Bill explains: “During this time of year, we are often overwhelmed. Schedules are full and there are never enough hours in the day. But while you are busy rushing from one thing to the next, I offer this reminder from my book Leadership to Words at a Time, to pause, breathe and reflect.” Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building shared How to Set More Effective Collaboration Expectations on Remote or Hybrid Teams. Sean writes: “Ensuring that people share information is a key element of effective leadership. But the reality is that, according to many of the coaching conversations I’ve had with executives and managers, even in-person collaboration has been imperfect at best. So, how do you improve collaboration across departments and within teams for hybrid and remote workers? Well, it starts with recognizing what exactly collaboration is…” Find Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.

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.

Kelly Edmiston

Kelly Edmiston is a writer who believes everyone and everything has a story to tell, and enjoys sharing these stories via words and photographs. Kelly is a new addition to the Weaving Influence team where she serves as a project manager and social media specialist. In her free time, she likes traveling to new places, eating tacos, and searching for community cookbooks and vintage ball jars in antique stores.