Weaving Influence has the privilege of hosting the August 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
Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building shared How to Have More Effective 1:1 Meetings With Your Team. Sean writes: “One of the most powerful tools you have for developing your team are 1:1 meetings. Regular 1:1 meetings are an effective tool for building relationships, tracking progress and providing coaching insights that help team members achieve their goals. And they don’t have to be in-person…” Find Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.
Diana Peterson-More shared The Power of Silence. Diana explains: “‘The Sounds of Silence,’ a hauntingly beautiful song penned by Paul Simon was prescient, and dovetails nicely with one of my favorite communication adages “Listening, asking and telling,” with many of us doing more telling than listening or asking. This post is a primer – loaded with tips – on what I learned as a Zenger/Miller certified trainer/facilitator, with a focus on the important ideas that emerge from the team when leaders learn to live with silence.” Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.
John Spence shared The Importance of Leading with Honesty: A Call to Action. John writes: “In a world where we are surrounded by half-truths and lies, it is critical for leaders to be a living examples of honesty and integrity.” Find John on Twitter at @AwesomelySimple.
Robyn McLeod provided Are You a Talk-Thinker or a Quiet-Thinker? Robyn summarizes: “Learn how understanding and valuing differences in the way we think can positively impact your team or partnership, leading to greater innovation, productivity, and collaboration.” Find Robyn on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs.
Development
Marcia Reynolds of Covisioning Transformational Leadership provided The Greatest Block to Transformation. Marcia shares: “Your old patterns may have served you, but now is the time for transformation. These questions will help you shift from WHO YOU ARE TODAY to WHO YOU CAN BECOME.” Connect with Marcia on Twitter at @marciareynolds.
Dana Theus of InPower Coaching writes Personal Development Plan for Leadership: Get Out of the Weeds and Bring Out Your Best Self. Dana explains: “When you move into management and leadership one of the hardest lessons to learn is that you now have two jobs you need to juggle. In addition to the job of doing the day-to-day work, you have a second job you must do in parallel, which is getting up above the day-to-day work and looking for trends, patterns and strategies to improve how to achieve outcomes and impact, which is not the same as all the activity in the work itself.” Find Dana on Twitter at @DanaTheus.
Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed The Courage To Leap. Bill explains: “It takes courage to take a leap. Whether it’s a physical leap or stepping out of your comfort zone, everybody’s leap means something different to them, but the need for courage remains the same. The ability to become comfortable in an uncomfortable situation will help when taking a giant leap into the unknown.” Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.
Jon Verbeck provided Keep the Bathtub Full: Understand Your Numbers. Jon writes: “Most business owners went into business to do what they love and do what they are good at – and they hoped to make a living and improve the business’s value while doing it. Most started their careers as employees, so they tend to carry an employee mindset vs. that of an owner, entrepreneur, or CEO. As a result, some business owners have created a high-stress job for themselves, not a business.” Follow Jon on Twitter at @jonverbeck1.
S. Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided The Secrets of an NBA Coach’s Success. In this post, Chris shares: “The benefits of an uncompromising work culture are undeniable. The challenge is that most senior leaders have never experienced a successful culture change — much less led one.” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.
Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture contributed Leaders as Positive Warriors for the Future. Marcella considers: “Here’s a case about a positive executive team and their CEO. This company wants to become future-proof. They care about nature, social issues and future generations. They start with what is positive to fix what is negative and act as positive warriors.” Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.
Jon Lokhorst of Lokhorst Consulting shared Can ChatGPT Make You a Better Leader? Jon explains: “After testing out a few challenges, I can confidently say that I’ll be adding ChatGPT to my leadership toolbox—and you should too! But in doing so, treat it as a brainstorming and research partner, not the ultimate authority.” Find Jon on Twitter at @jonlokhorst.
Ken Byler of Higher Ground Consulting Group contributed Becoming an Authentic Leader. Ken writes: “Authentic leaders align what they think, say, feel, and do by humbly admitting mistakes or acknowledging what they don’t know.” Connect with Ken on Twitter at @kenbyler.
ENGAGEMENT
Julie Winkle Giulioni shared Forging Stronger Careers: Turning Challenges into Growth Opportunities. Julie explains: “If there’s any truth to the adage, ‘The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire,’ we must be cultivating the greatest careers imaginable — because, let’s face it, it’s pretty hot out there. In her regular column for Training Industry, Julie shares four strategies to help employees forge stronger careers.” Follow Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.
Art Petty provided It’s Time to Get Rid of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Here’s Why & How. Art shares: “The research is unambiguous: fewer, larger goals promote growth and performance. Unfortunately, our preoccupation with S.M.A.R.T. goals tends to filter out the larger ideas, and our corporate approach to setting goals is often an exercise in compliance. Instead, consider a S.L.I.M. approach to your goals along with the guidance here to turbocharge your growth.” Follow Art on Twitter at @artpetty.
Sara Canaday of Sara Canaday & Associates contributed Situational Fluency: The Secret Sauce of Leadership. Sara writes: “In the world of leadership, situational fluency is a competitive advantage that separates good leaders from great ones. Leaders who are situationally fluent know how to analyze the needs and preferences of those around them and respond accordingly. They aren’t afraid to abandon their own agendas if they recognize an opportunity to achieve more productive and meaningful results. Learn how to enhance your social fluency.” Connect with Sara on Twitter at @saracanaday.
team building
Priscilla Archangel of Archangel & Associates provided Is Your Team Murmuring? Priscilla writes: “A murmuration is a phenomenon among starlings when they move in elaborate shapes through the sky. They set an example for a massive team, coordinated and supportive in their activities. As a group, they perform better than the sum of individual birds. And in that context, we can learn something from their murmuration.” Follow Priscilla on Twitter at @PrisArchangel.
Steve DiGioia contributed Are You Having Trouble Finding Qualified Service Employees? Try This. Steve writes: “Interviewing potential new employees is a chore. Most people don’t enjoy it. We’re not sure if they’re qualified for the position as they say or simply telling us what they think we want to hear. Will they fit into our ‘company culture’ and be a valued member of our team or someone who disrupts our morale? How will they serve our valued customers? Try asking all future applicants these 4 questions.” Find Steve on Twitter at @stevedigioia.
Jennifer V. Miller writes Fostering a Trustworthy Work Environment: 5 Key Steps for Leaders. Jennifer summarizes: “Leaders build a trusting work environment by being the first to trust. Here are 5 ways to get started creating a culture of trust.” Find Jennifer on Twitter at @JenniferVMiller.
Randy Conley of Leading with Trust shared 4 Strategies for Building Trust Within Senior Leadership Teams. Randy shares: “Trust starts at the top with senior leaders. When they authentically embrace and embody trustworthy behavior, it sets the tone for the rest of the organization to follow suit.” Connect with Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.
David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided 6 Benefits of Delegation and Why Most Leaders Under-Delegate. David shares: “What’s often missed when a leader fails to delegate is the simple fact that effective delegation is a cornerstone of great leadership. When leaders fully embrace the many benefits of delegation, they hold the keys to unlocking much more potential and greatness from their teams.” Follow David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.
Creativity/Inspiration
Brenda Yoho shared Are You a Leader People Want? Brenda explains: “Are you a leader people want? This question is not just a thought-provoking statement; it serves as a reminder of the importance of asking questions daily and often, just like we did as curious children seeking to learn and understand the world around us. Unfortunately, as we grow into adulthood and take on leadership roles, we often forget the power of questioning and understanding others.” Find Brenda on Twitter at @BrendaYoho.
Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting shared 3 Lessons in Effective Training from Inmates. Mary writes: “At HPC, we frequently send two trainers, so that one person can learn from a more seasoned trainer or two styles or levels of expertise can be shared. Each person brings different experiences, learning styles, and personalities to the group, and with two trainers it is more likely for a diverse audience to be reached effectively with a team approach.” Find Mary on Twitter at @maryilaward.
Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Fear as a Tool for Taking Action. Neal explains: “The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of anyone working on any task, project, or idea is fear. Do you ever feel like fear is holding you back? Fear has the power to hold you back from taking action.” Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.
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.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.