Companies need to continuously introduce innovations to fuel growth. The financial and operational rewards for innovation are significant. Top-ranked innovation companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon accelerate out of market disruptions. Creativity and risk-taking are essential to overcoming challenges, but businesses often reward efficiency and avoid risk. Innovation doesn't just happen in the workplace without a supportive culture. Employees are only as innovative as their environment. Company culture is the one thing that influences everything in the workplace. Leaders that focus on cultivating an innovation culture and developing innovative leaders outperform their competition. As the world changes, so must leaders and organizations. But, not all change is innovation. Innovation is a word that commonly gets used and can have multiple meanings. Innovation is best defined by producing significant positive change for customers, communities, and the business's bottom line. Many leaders are curious about where innovative ideas start , and many people are wrong in thinking that innovation occurs from a random action. Innovation is like a puzzle in that the last piece is the result of a series of prior activities supporting the finishing of the idea. Innovation requires opportunity recognition, talent, commitment, sacrifice, and risk-taking. According to a recent global study by the Boston Consulting Group, more than two-thirds of executives have identified innovation as one of their top three business priorities. Leaders want employees that will take risks and challenge the status quo. However, more than half of these same leaders indicate they are severely challenged to inspire teams to innovate. How Innovation Helps a Business Although innovation requires taking risks, failing to innovate can be fatal. The proven benefits of innovation include: increased competitive advantage improved operational productivity reduced costs and increased revenue improved commercial value enhanced problem-solving One modern innovation that is impressive to watch is SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9. Space travel alone is challenging, but reusing a rocket by landing it on a drone ship takes the complexity to another level. Jefferies International, a financial services company engaged in investment banking and capital markets, estimated the customer benefit of the Space X Falcon 9 reusable rocket. If Space X passed on 50 percent cost savings to its customers, this one innovation could reduce company costs by 21% or $48.3 million per launch. Leaderships Role in Creating an Innovation-based Culture Culture change should be approached with purpose and caution. Leaders need to realize that culture change is never-ending. Organizational culture is oriented around visual objects, spoken words, and the taken-for-granted processes and perceptions. Leaders looking to change an organization's culture should clearly define employee behavioral expectations. Then leaders need to align what they regularly pay attention to, how they respond in a time of crisis, where they allocate resources, what they reward, and how they buy, build, and bounce employees with the defined behavioral expectations. A culture of innovation comprises many different attributes, and learning quickly is critical to building an innovation-based culture . Cultures that produce innovation adhere to three basic rules: creating innovation teams and addressing the "lack of time" barrier holding employees accountable and providing persuasive prompts for innovation recruiting, rewarding, recognizing, and developing innovation champions An empirical study of over 800 organizations found that effective innovation characteristics are not the same for product innovation and process innovation. For example, the research demonstrated that increasing problem-solving freedom among employees decreased product innovation. Leaders can increase innovation effectiveness by clarifying the gap between the current and desired state, identifying and removing barriers to innovation, and clarifying innovation processes. Innovations are dependent on senior leadership's ability to deliver: effective leadership company innovation integration controlled change volume and focus creativity and innovation value realization reward and recognition for desired behaviors internal and external diverse relationships and talent removed barriers and negative reactions to innovation Conclusion Organizations naturally reward efficiency thinking and avoiding risk. Senior leadership has a vital role in creating and sustaining a culture supportive of innovation. Bad leadership habits and ineffective leadership approaches are not destiny, and all leaders need to continually develop at a pace consistent with the change in the leader's world. One of the core philosophies in my new book, Breaking 10 Leadership Bad Habits, is that leaders must continually transform and adapt or fall behind. Sign up to be the first to know when the book is available and begin receiving weekly leadership tips delivered to your inbox now. Key Summary Points Companies need to continuously introduce innovations to fuel growth. Employees are only as innovative as their environment. Leaders that focus on cultivating an innovation culture and developing innovative leaders outperform their competition. More than two-thirds of executives have identified innovation as one of their top three business priorities. Culture change should be approached with purpose and caution. Cultures that produce innovation create innovation teams, address the "lack of time" barrier, hold employees accountable, provide persuasive prompts for innovation, and recruit, reward, recognize, and develop innovation champions. Are your followers taking risks and innovating? Let's talk about how we can help you achieve your goals with transformational executive coaching and organizational consulting solutions that work. References: BCG. (2022) Overcoming the innovation readiness gap. Berkun, S. (2010;). The myths of innovation (1st ed.). O'Reilly. Cameron, K. (2006). Competing values leadership: Creating value in organizations . E. Elgar Pub. Çokpekin, Ö., & Knudsen, M. P. (2012). Does organizing for creativity really lead to innovation? Creativity and Innovation Management, 21 (3), 304-314. Davila, T., Epstein, M., Shelton, R. (2013) Making innovation work: How to manage it, measure it, and profit from it (Updated ed.). Pearson Education Inc. De Selding, B. (2016). SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9: What are the real cost savings for customers? Space News. Gierczak-Korzeniowska, B., & Golembski, G. (2017). Benchmarking in the process of creating a culture of innovation in hotel companies. Economics and Business Review, 3 (17) (2), 101-113. Schein, P. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed). Wiley

Why Leadership Character Matters Organizations and leadership teams rarely fail due to a lack of intelligence, experience, or ambition. Instead, they falter when individual results are achieved in ways that erode trust, consistency, and moral authority. In these moments, character shifts from being a personal virtue to an organizational risk. Leaders must navigate uncertainty. They face situations where policy, procedure, and precedent offer incomplete guidance or conflict. How decisions are made, and what leaders are willing to compromise under pressure, shapes reputation, culture, and long-term performance far more than strategy alone. As Martin Luther King Jr. warned, the most dangerous failure is not a lack of ability, but the absence of moral grounding to guide that ability. Blind pursuit of results may deliver short-term gains, but it damages credibility, fractures alignment, and weakens both leadership legitimacy and enterprise resilience over time. Evidence from workplace studies suggests that leaders with strong character consistently outperform their peers on key performance metrics. Character determines whether leadership behaviors are applied with integrity, consistency, and responsibility—especially when no one is watching. Great leadership is the disciplined integration of competence, character, and commitment. Understanding Leadership Character Leadership creates moments not defined by policy or procedures—situations where leaders must choose between right and right. Every day, you make character decisions, consciously or unconsciously, such as between speed or quality and long-term or short-term results. The impact of these decisions either reinforces your team's desired or undesired thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. – Martin Luther King, Jr. In a two-year study of executive leaders and their organizations, CEOs who scored high on aspects of character had an average return on assets (ROA) of 9.35%. In contrast, CEOs with low ratings had a ROA of just 1.93%. Leadership character aligns the leader-follower relationship, increasing both leader and follower productivity, effectiveness, and creativity. It plays a vital role in unifying a team. Followers are more likely to give their best when they respect the leader's character. A focus on helping others is essential for effective strategic leadership. Additionally, character helps leaders navigate change more effectively. What is Leadership Character? Leadership character is doing the right thing for the right reasons and with the right feelings. It is the inner game of leadership. While leadership behaviors are observable, a leader's inner game quietly controls their behaviors. Character is the unique combination of internalized beliefs and moral habits that motivates and shapes how you relate to others. – Fred Kiel Evidence suggests four universal leadership character principles: Integrity – Being honest, acting consistently with principles, standing up for what is right, and keeping promises. Responsibility – Owning personal decisions, admitting mistakes, and showing concern for the common good. Forgiveness – Letting go of self and others' mistakes, focusing on what is right versus only what is wrong. Compassion – Empathizing with others, empowering them, actively caring for them, and committing to their growth. A leader's character determines how knowledge, skills, and abilities are applied. Leadership decisions are often based on values, worldviews, and past experiences. Your past, even as a child, has shaped your current perception of right and wrong. Family members, friends, religious leaders, and the community where you live and work reinforce your character. How to Measure and Assess Your Leadership Character Character is often treated as abstract or subjective. However, it can be rigorously defined, examined, and measured. When leaders understand their habits—and how those habits influence decisions under pressure—organizations gain greater predictability and alignment. Assessment is not about labeling leaders as “good” or “bad.” It is about increasing awareness of the internal drivers that shape judgment, behavior, and tradeoffs. Greater self-awareness at the leadership level improves decision quality, strengthens trust, and reduces unintended consequences. Character Strength Assessment Validated assessment instruments can provide insight into a leader’s character profile and dominant tendencies. Tools such as the VIA Character Strength Survey, completed by millions of leaders worldwide, offer a structured way to reliably examine character strengths and patterns. Used appropriately, these assessments create a shared language for discussing character without moralizing or personalizing the conversation. The free VIA Character Strength Survey provides insights into your 24-character strengths in rank order. Character strengths are values in action or positive thinking, feeling, and behaving traits that benefit the leader and others. For more information regarding the VIA Character Strengths Survey, visit www.viacharacter.org . Leadership Habit Assessment Character is reinforced—or weakened—through habits. Structured reflection tools can surface unintentional patterns that influence leadership effectiveness , particularly under stress or time pressure. Identifying these patterns helps leaders understand where behavior may drift from intent and where greater discipline is required. Assessment alone does not change behavior. When combined with disciplined reflection, feedback, and executive-level dialogue, assessment becomes a mechanism for aligning internal values with external leadership expectations. Treated as part of an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, character assessment supports more consistent leadership behavior and more reliable organizational outcomes. The free quiz includes a personalized report and guide that will provide you with an "aha" moment as you reflect on your leadership habits to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. 3 Practical Steps to Develop Leadership Character in Your Company Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. – Martin Luther King, Jr. Most leadership development programs focus on building competence, often neglecting the leader's character. This lack of attention to character harms both the leader and the organization's performance. Character Development Step 1: Making the Invisible Visible The conversation around leadership character development in the workplace is lacking and needs to be elevated to the same level as developing leadership competence. The goal is to increase character development investments, not replace them. Start by clarifying leadership inner game and outer game expectations: What should leaders do? You might already have these leadership behaviors defined in performance reviews or leadership competency models. What kind of leaders should they be? If you are unsure where to begin, research-based books and articles like those mentioned and cited in this post can be excellent resources. Character Development Step 2: Make it Experiential Leadership character development should involve challenging simulation experiences that require everyday decisions between right and right. These experiences should also include time for guided reflection with each participant. Additionally, the development should teach leaders specific habits for dealing with challenging issues. Character Development Step 3: Assessment and Coaching Character development is a process, not an event. A proven way to develop character is to combine self-assessment with executive coaching. The combination of enhanced self-awareness and a thought-provoking, creative executive coaching program inspires transformation and growth. How You Can Ace Your Next Character Test Making the next right choice in a test of character is simply about making the next right choice. You build leadership character like you build physical endurance. Training helps create character muscle memory, making the right decision automatic. Attend a leadership development program that focuses on both the inner and outer game of leadership. Character is tested not in moments of convenience, but in moments of pressure—when tradeoffs are real and consequences are unavoidable. Organizations that leave character to individual discretion create variability where reliability is required. Acing a test of character begins with clarity. Leaders must know their non-negotiables and understand how those principles guide decisions when incentives, timelines, or personal interests compete. Character becomes durable when expectations are explicit, decisions are examined, and accountability is real. Leadership character does not strengthen by accident. Like physical endurance, it is built through deliberate practice, reflection, and reinforcement. Systems that combine self-awareness, feedback, and disciplined challenge create the conditions for the right decision to become the right decision. Organizations that elevate character to the same level as competence do more than protect their reputation. They improve decision quality, stabilize culture, and build trust that compounds over time. In an environment defined by complexity and scrutiny, character is not a soft advantage—it is a strategic one. Key Summary Points Effective leadership is not defined solely by competence. Sustainable performance emerges from the disciplined integration of competence, character, and commitment—especially under pressure. Leadership character reflects a leader’s internalized beliefs and moral habits, shaping how authority is exercised, decisions are made, and tradeoffs are resolved in ambiguous conditions. Strong leadership character stabilizes the leader–follower relationship by reinforcing trust, alignment, and discretionary effort, resulting in higher productivity, effectiveness, and creativity. Leadership character can be assessed and strengthened when organizations treat it as a decision-quality variable, supported by feedback mechanisms, executive coaching, and accountability systems. Organizations that elevate character to the same level as leadership competence reduce cultural drift, improve decision consistency, and protect long-term enterprise performance. Schedule a conversation when the goal is not improvement for its own sake, but increased reliability, trust, and decision integrity at scale. References: Badaracco, J. (1997). Defining moments: When managers must choose between right and right . Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. Beerel, A. (1997). The strategic planner as prophet and leader: a case study concerning a leading seminary illustrates the new planning skills required. Leadership & Organization Development Journal . 18 (3) pp. 136 -144. Claar, V.V., Jackson, L.L., & TenHaken, V.R. (2014). Are Servant Leaders Born or Made? Servant Leadership Theory & Practice, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 46-52. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose .* Organizational Talent Consulting. Kiel, F. (2015). Return on character: The real reason leaders and their companies win. Harvard Business Review. Kim, J.H., Keck, P., McMahon, M.C., Vo, A., Gonzalez, R., Lee, D.H., Barbir, L., & Maree, K. (2018). Strengths based rehabilitation assessment: Adapted Inventory of Virtues and Strengths. Work: Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 61(3), 421-435. doi:10.3233/WOR-182807 Kim, J. H., Reid, C. A., McMahon, B., Gonzalez, R., Lee, D. H., & Keck, P. (2016). Measuring the virtues and character traits of rehabilitation clients: The adapted inventory of virtues and strengths. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 26 (1), 32-44. doi:10.1007/s10926-015-9619-9 Norzailan, Z., Othman, R. B., & Ishizaki, H. (2016). Strategic leadership competencies: What is it and how to develop it? Industrial and Commercial Training, 48 (8), 394-399. doi:10.1108/ICT-04-2016-0020 Seijts, G., Crossan, M., & Carleton, E. (2017). Embedding leader character into HR practices to achieve sustained excellence. Organizational Dynamics, 46 (1), 30-39. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.02.001 Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant Leadership : A review and synthesis. Journal of Management.

The last thing an executive needs in today's demanding workplace is someone or something telling them what they already know. The higher you move within any organization, the less objective the feedback you tend to receive; however, it becomes more critical personally and professionally. The better the quality of the feedback you receive, the better the decisions you can make. Evidence suggests that executive coaching combined with assessment provides deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to improved personal and organizational outcomes. Are you getting the feedback you really  need? The medical model can be a helpful analogy for understanding why executive assessments are important. Consider your last visit to the doctor. You weren't going to the doctor to be told what you already knew, but you needed answers or help with something you couldn't answer alone. You were likely going to the doctor as a reaction to something not being right or proactively to uncover something before it became a problem (or possibly because someone you care about told you to go). At the doctor's visit, the assessments likely started with subjective questions, then progressed to more objective measures to pinpoint where additional review or attention might be helpful. Potentially, the doctor then ordered the use of advanced targeted assessments that required a specialist's technical interpretation. As in the medical analogy, executive assessments come in various formats and provide subjective and objective feedback. They have different degrees of sophistication and require other qualifications, certifications, or degrees of interpretation, like the difference between a thermometer and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, many assessments combined can take longer to complete and reveal more insightful information than any single assessment alone. When Is The Best Time To Use Executive Assessments? The best time to use an executive assessment is typically around transition points in your career or at any time when you are looking for additional objective feedback. You should avoid using an evaluation if you don't want input that may contradict your perspective, don't have the time to do anything with the feedback, or feel confident you already know everything you need. As for how frequently you should use an assessment, each instrument tends to have different periods when it is helpful to repeat. The rationale is that some attributes that are measured are more fixed. Think about the difference between our shoe size and weight. While our shoe size tends not to change frequently once we become adults, our weight will fluctuate throughout our lifetime. Some items measured, such as stress, tend to change frequently because most stress drivers are situational. Types of Executive Assessments Not all executive assessments are created equal. What is essential to understand when considering different types of assessments is the following: degree of reliability (i.e., consistency) validity (i.e., the accuracy of interpretation) fairness (i.e., equivalence across different populations) type of feedback (group norms or self-reported) education requirements to interpret the results No one categorization system exists for executive assessments. I developed the following framework to help categorize the different types of assessments: Type 1 Assessments: 360 Surveys As the name implies, 360 surveys are tools for collecting feedback from multiple directions relative to the executive's position about an executive's leadership performance, skills, and contributions. To learn more about 360 evaluation, check out this article on " 1 Leadership Tool You Need to Try " or join an upcoming complimentary leadership development webinar . Type 2 Assessments: Diagnostics These tools typically have less reliability, validity, or fairness and do not require specialized interpretation training. They may or may not provide norm comparisons versus self-reporting. Normally, you only need to read a book or whitepaper to make sense of the evaluation. Type 3 Assessments: Assessments These assessments have normed feedback and may or may not be validated. Typically, assessments require some formal training to interpret. Type 4 Assessments: Clinical Assessments These assessments or tests have proven to meet reliability, validity, and fairness standards. Interpretation of these types of assessments requires advanced education in clinical psychology. Note: If a provider of any of these tools claims their assessment achieves perfect reliability, I tend to walk away. Either they don't know their research studies, their research is not extensive enough, or they are overselling. What do Executive Assessments Measure? There are numerous executive assessments, and more are constantly added. If you have ever wondered about answers to any of the following questions, there are assessments that can help reveal answers: What are my leadership habits? How can I better connect with others? What are my strengths, and how can I better leverage them? How can I reduce my stress? Does my approach to leadership match my preferred leadership style? How do I approach conflict, and how can I make conflict work better? Does my approach bring out the best in others? What are my blind spots? How can I make better decisions? How do I bring out the best in people? How to Select an Executive Assessment When considering which assessment to use and when to use it, there are many situational factors to consider in addition to what the assessment measures and its reliability, validity, and fairness, such as: organizational culture cost and budget time and availability of the executive the precision of feedback needed the coach's qualifications The following table provides a few popular executive assessments I use and what is measured: Assessment / Diagnostic What is Measured Choices Measures of Learning Agility comprised four areas: mental agility, people agility (i.e., will people follow), change agility (i.e., ability to take the heat and lead change), and results agility (i.e., drive and presence). Conflict Modes  Measures a person's preferred approach to dealing with conflict and their tendency towards other alternatives when their dominant style(s) doesn't get the results they desire.  Predictive Index The Predictive Index (PI) measures a person's personality characteristics and cognitive ability to help predict how well they will fit into an organization or job. The PI Behavioral Assessment measures four behavioral drives: Dominance, the drive to influence people and events; extraversion, the drive to interact socially with others; patience, the drive for consistency and stability; and Formality, the drive to conform to rules and structure. The PI Cognitive Assessment measures reasoning and comprehension of words, constructive thinking, and logical reasoning ability. Hogan Challenge Measures 11 common dysfunctional patterns of interpersonal behavior. To evaluate how a person will perform during times of stress and conditions of uncertainty. To aid personal development by identifying behavior patterns that may be derailing tendencies. To inform leaders preparing for or undergoing significant change, for individuals experiencing performance issues, and for leaders whose personality characteristics interfere with their performance. Interpersonal Measurement and Group Effectiveness Measures core traits that transcend personality within an interpersonal and organizational context: cooperation, risk, nervous energy, mental toughness, perceived capability, perceived self-worth, work incentive, rule orientation, organizational compliance, skepticism, curiosity, creative mode, work approach, motivation, organizational dependency, relationship focus, interpersonal style, assertiveness. Management Set-Point Assessment Measures where a person falls on a spectrum from a victim through Servant Leadership , identifying their preferred and recessive mode or styles of exerting leadership influence and how mature they are in these approaches. NEO-PI-R A measure of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) provides a systematic assessment of emotional, interpersonal, experiential, attitudinal, and motivational styles—a detailed personality description that can be a valuable resource for various professionals. Strengths Finders To identify a person’s top five strengths from a list of 32 strengths based on Gallup research.  Also, it provides strategies for applying strengths. Watson-Glaser Measures an individual’s ability to think critically. It helps assess an individual’s ability to reason, think analytically, and draw inferences. To determine the extent to which one can: Discriminate among degrees of truth or falsity of inferences drawn from given data; Recognize unstated assumptions or presuppositions in given statements or assertions; Determine whether certain conclusions necessarily follow from information in given statements or premises; Weigh the evidence and decide if generalizations or findings based on the provided data are warranted; Distinguish between solid and relevant arguments and those that are weak and irrelevant to a particular question at issue. Workplace Stress Profile Measures a person's response to 10 different organizationally induced stressors: inter-role distance, role stagnation, role expectations conflict, role erosion, role overload, role isolation, personal inadequacy, self-role conflict, role ambiguity, and resource inadequacy. The patterns in the stress scores reveal precisely where to intervene to focus healthy stress for positive results. In addition to selecting the right assessment at the right time and for the right reason, selecting a qualified  coach  is equally important for understanding the results. If feedback is not used appropriately, it can lead to incorrect conclusions and potentially do more harm than good. Typically, the more education and qualification you have, the better the interpretation you will receive, but education is not a replacement for experience. Be sure to get recommendations and learn about the coach's character before getting started. If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy reading about “ What is Executive Coaching ?” References: Athanasopoulou, A., & Dopson, S. (2018). A systematic review of executive coaching outcomes: Is it the journey or the destination that matters the most? The Leadership Quarterly, 29 (1), 70-88. Athanasopoulou, A., & Dopson, S. (2015). Developing leaders by executive coaching: Practice and evidence (First ed.) . Oxford University Press. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Goldstein, G., Allen, D. N., & Deluca, J. (2019). Handbook of psychological assessment. Elsevier Science & Technology .

What if I told you that your greatest leadership challenge isn't what you think it is? A while back, a results-driven leader came to me with a serious personal dilemma. Their work harder and longer hours approach had left them feeling exhausted and with a deep sense of regret from missing out on life. The newly promoted executive was on the edge of burnout. You can likely feel their pain if you've ever taken on a stretch assignment. As we began to work together, it became clear they didn't have the time management challenge they initially believed. There is no shortage of challenges and stress in leadership. But if not careful in the busyness of life and career, a presenting problem can be misdiagnosed. Leadership can appear to force a choice between spending time to achieve professional success or personal significance. But it doesn't. Taking a systems point of view of leadership highlights the value of building personal stress resilience and capacity. Let's take a closer look at why and how. Why your stress resilience and capacity matter Leaders want sustained high performance for themselves and their team. While time is a fixed part of every leader's equation, how the leader thinks, feels, and acts are variables that influence the leader's performance and potential. A recent global workforce study by Gallup revealed that 44% of employees are experiencing a lot of daily stress and 40% feel worried a lot throughout the day. Stress in the workplace is at an all-time high, and 60% of employees are unwilling or unable to connect with others as a result. The complications stemming from a lack of stress resilience and capacity include increased turnover, decreased productivity, decreased customer satisfaction, and decreased performance at an organizational level. While broken relationships, alcohol and substance abuse, depression, and even suicide are associated at an individual leader level. Avoiding stress is unrealistic. However, in addition to minimizing external workplace stressors , enhancing personal resilience and capacity is proven to improve performance at work and in life. Evidence suggests that high resilience and stress capacity reduces anxiety levels, and lowers the risk of burnout. How to enhance personal capacity and resilience Physical wellness is one way to build your stress resilience and capacity. Evidence indicates that being physically fit produces many emotional and health benefits in addition to reducing stress reactivity, protecting against negative reactions from stressful events, and preventing chronic diseases. Physical wellness and exercise are associated with increased happiness, self-confidence, and energy. Going for a hike in the park with a friend and talking about life can give perspective during challenging times. Achieving physical wellness is an individual path. Whether you already have some healthy habits or not, here are a few questions to consider: Nutrition: Are you improving your diet and setting goals for small changes? Activity: Are you taking breaks every one to two hours throughout the day to get physical activity like taking a short walk? Rest: Are you getting regular periods of sleep? Drugs: Have you identified triggers that make you want to use substances and do you have a plan to help you avoid them? Medicines: Do you visit a health care provider for routine care and monitoring? Self-care is not selfish behavior . Like every living thing in this world, if leaders are not continually investing in restoring and strengthening physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, it is deteriorating. No one in the workplace escapes this reality. When creating a new habit, pick one change to make that's easy and then gradually increase. Don't try to make too many changes at once. Make it easy. Life is not meant to be done alone. Too often, we fail to consider how we can leverage accountability to help us create a new healthy habit. Being accountable to ourselves and someone we trust is proven to help you create a new habit. Hiring an executive coach is one way to help you stay focused on your goals leading to improved performance. It ultimately doesn't matter where you start, but that you actually do all those healthy things you know you ought to do. What is a healthy physical wellness habit you could start today? References Cleo, G., Glasziou, P., Beller, E., Isenring, E., & Rae, T. (2019). Habit-based interventions for weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Obesity, 43(2), 374-383. Gallup. (2022). State of the global workplace 2022 report. Gallup. Godfrey, C. M., Harrison, M. B., Lysaght, R., Lamb, M., Graham, I. D., & Oakley, P. (2011). Care of self – care by other – care of other: The meaning of self‐care from research, practice, policy and industry perspectives. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 9(1), 3-24. Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2003). The power of full engagement: Managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance and personal renewal. Penton Media, Inc. Nituica, C., Bota, O. A., Blebea, J., Cheng, C. I., & Slotman, G. J. (2021). Factors influencing resilience and burnout among resident physicians-a National Survey. BMC medical education , 21 (1), 1-9. Perez-Blasco, J., Sales, A., Meléndez, J. C., & Mayordomo, T. (2016). The effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on improving the capacity to adapt to stress situations in elderly people living in the community. Clinical Gerontologist, 39(2), 90-103. Richards, S. (2010). The benefits of self-care. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 4(5), 246-247. SAMHSA. (2016). Creating a healthier life: A step-by-step guide to wellness. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Most leaders want a better year than the one they just had. Perhaps you have a clear vision of a better future, purposefully and thoughtfully crafted. Maybe you have been working deliberately toward an exciting goal, but nothing seems to change. Success and significance don't just happen. In an increasingly complex workplace, leaders struggle to achieve their most meaningful goals. After spending thousands of hours coaching executive leaders and completing my doctoral research, I have learned that achieving big goals takes more than being deliberate and passionate. You need perseverance. Here are two ways to improve just that. Why do you need perseverance? The best things in work and life don't come easy or quickly. Sometimes it can appear that success just happens. However, consider true love, a good laugh with a friend, hearing an honest opinion from a direct report, or discovering an innovation that transforms your business. Most often it is the result of a series of decisions and overcoming significant challenges that lead to success. Each requires choices and effort. "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." Calvin Coolidge Perseverance is a form of goal orientation. Fueled by passion, perseverance requires sustained commitment and discipline despite the difficulty or length of time needed to succeed. Evidence suggests that perseverance is a better predictor of success in work and life than intelligence or talent. In a peer-reviewed study involving 2235 college students, perseverance, passion, and deliberateness were better predictors of success than IQ. Researchers concluded that success involves a sustained and focused application of talent over time. A global study involving 686 employees found that perseverance is highly associated with work performance and negatively associated with behaviors that undermine the goals and interests of business. While one can not predict the future, you can expect to encounter setbacks as you work toward big goals. The more meaningful the goal, the more significant impact these challenges can have on you and your team's thoughts and feelings. Learning how to improve perseverance is important for leaders in a fast-paced turbulent workplace. Real-life Example: In the Netflix documentary The Last Dance, you get a behind-the-scenes view into one of the greatest NBA dynasties and Michael Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls. While the series is not without criticism one thing that becomes obvious is that leading a team to achieve amazing results requires perseverance to overcome adversity in the locker room and on the court. In one episode you learn Scottie Pippen purposefully delayed surgery so he would miss opening season games during a compensation dispute. Rodman is shown to be able to disrupt an offense and his team with his complex personality. Also, following his first three-peat, Jordan admitted to being past exhausted mentally and physically. In The Last Dance, he is quoted as saying, "I didn't think about being tired because I wanted to win the game." 2 Ways to Improve Your Perseverance 1. Pursue your passion and purpose Although the concept appears straightforward, the value lies in the uncovering the intersection of: What do you love? What are you good at? What does the world need? The busyness of a fast-paced digital world has a way of keeping leaders from understanding and pursuing their life's goals. Following your purpose is a journey rather than a quick fix. A deeper understanding is revealed from listening to others. Here are four steps to help you find and follow your purpose and passion: Step 1: Schedule a time to reflect for ten minutes on each of the questions about what you love, are good at, and what the world needs. Find a quiet place where you are relaxed and can focus without distraction. Ask yourself each question and journal what comes to mind. Don't filter. Just write it down. Step 2: Find a few people that know you well, that you trust, and will be encouraging. Ask them how they would answer these questions for you. Step 3: Consider hiring an executive coach . An effective executive coach will challenge assumptions and views and encourage, stretch, and challenge you. Coaching is a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential. Step 4: Reflect on what you have learned . Consider themes rather than specific points shared and, as needed, edit or delete points you journaled. Leaders with perseverance pursue their passion and purpose. Is your work aligned with your purpose and passion? 2. Hope for a better future How you perceive the future can significantly affect how you feel and behave in the present. Every leader has or will face moments where they think their situation is hopeless. Hope involves emotion and belief. Finding hope for a better future when you feel a sense of hopelessness takes work. Here are four steps to cultivate hope: Step 1: Reframe negative thought patterns. There are times when you will struggle to find anything positive about a situation. The key is to intentionally imagine the positive possibilities in a given situation and be aware of the little things until you think of the more considerable positives. Step 2: Believe in yourself. Acknowledge your strengths and give yourself the grace to accept where you are. Try using affirmations phrased as questions, such as: What if everything goes right? What if I can trust my intuition? What if I am totally prepared? Step 3: Cultivate positive trust-based relationships . We are all more closely connected than we often realize. It is much easier to have hope for a better future in a supportive community. If you surround yourself with mostly positive and encouraging people, you will likely begin to shift your attitudes and perceptions. Step 4: Envision a specific future. It is easier to find something when we know what you are looking to find. We need clarity. Define what a better future looks like. One approach is to create a virtual picture collage that represents a better future. Then find a place to keep it in front of you. You can learn more about the science and power of hope from this TedTalk with researcher Dr. Chan Hellman. Leaders with perseverance have hope for a better future. Are your thoughts and feelings about the future mostly positive or negative? Conclusion: The Importance of Perseverance Without the commitment to a plan, you never start. Without perseverance, you never finish. Success and significance come from a sustained and focused application of your knowledge and skills over time. In a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world leaders need the perseverance to lead teams to achieve meaningful goals. Pursuing your passion and purpose, and having hope for a better future are two ways to improve perseverance. What is the real challenge for you in pursuing your purpose and passion at work and in life? or finding hope in the future? References: Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92 (6), 1087–1101. Littman-Ovadia, H., & Lavy, S. (2016). Going the Extra Mile: Perseverance as a Key Character Strength at Work. Journal of Career Assessment , 24 (2), 240–252. Schaffner, A. (2022). Perseverance in psychology: 4 activities to improve perseverance. Positive Psychology. Weir, K. (2013). Being hopeful is good for you — and psychologists’ research is pinpointing ways to foster the feeling. Science Watch. 44 (9). 42

According to a 2020 MIT Sloan Management Review survey, modern leaders are struggling with leading a complex workforce in today’s digital marketplace. Over 4,000 leaders from more than 120 countries were recently surveyed, interviewed, and engaged in focus groups. Only 12% of executive leaders indicated that their leaders have the right mindset to move them forward. Modern leaders are running fast from meeting to meeting every day with many different stakeholder groups compete for their time. While success with all stakeholders is essential, if all stakeholders are the focus of a leader, then in reality none are essential. Leadership creates decisions between right and right and a leader's focus holds the key to a complex workforce in a digital marketplace. Leaders would benefit from reflecting on the question, who do you serve? The Needs of Today's Complex Workforce Followers are looking for contemporary leaders that possess these ten characteristics: (1) listening to self and others, (2) empathy, (3) healing self and others, (4) awareness, (5) persuasion, (6) conceptual thinking, (7) foresight, (8) stewardship of other’s needs, (9) commitment to people development, and (10) building community. Foundational to these leading with these characteristics are the virtues of: “love, humility, altruism, vision, trust, empowerment, and service” (Patterson, 2003). Contemporary Servant Leader – Liz Theophille, Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Novartis AG speaks in this TEDx Talk about leading with the heart. Liz reveals examples from her personal life and that speaks to the challenge of leading a complex workforce in a digital marketplace. Are Leaders Born or Developed? Contemplating the characteristics and attributes of great leadership brings to into question, can leaders be developed, or are they are born? While research experts frequently debate the answer to this question, it is likely a combination of innate characteristics and experiences that make a great leader. Both the characteristics and associated virtues can be developed. Does Servant Leadership Belong in a Multicultural Workplace? The Cultural-Endorsed Implicit Leadership Theory infers that followers are more motivated to establish a relationship with a leader if they behave consistently with the follower’s expected mental model . Servant leadership characteristics and virtues are not a western civilization concept. The characteristics and virtues of servant leadership are a global model aligned with other cross-cultural concepts (see Infographic). What are the benefits of Servant Leadership? One of the most sought-after performance benefits in organizations is discretionary effort also known as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Discretionary effort is when employees take actions outside of the expected roles for the benefit of an organization. Consider two employees walking down a hall, both seeing a piece of paper on the floor and only one employee stopping to pick it up even though it is neither employees' job responsibility. Servant leadership improves the workplace climate and increases discretionary effort that benefits the organization. Servant leadership creates an increase in the leader and follower commitment yielding increased intrinsic motivation . Increased leader-follower commitment amplifies the benefits of workforce alignment. Workforce alignment is the difference between created strategies and realized strategies. High levels of intrinsic motivation cause people to do more and results in higher performance. Scholarly evidence supports a positive link between higher levels of employee intrinsic motivation and work productivity. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation is a moderating factor in employee engagement, independent of a leader's style. Organizations should place an emphasis on creating intrinsic motivation. Contemporary Servant Leader – Cheryl Bachelder, Former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen increased market share by eight points, increased margin by 400 basis points, and improved her leadership training by 22% in just seven years. In this TEDx Talk video, Cheryl speaks on the topic of daring to serve. It all comes back to the question, whom do you serve? The Servant Leader focuses on the follower. Maybe now more than ever in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, followers and organizations are looking for the virtues, behaviors, and outcomes achieved by servant leaders. Leaders with a focus on service to their followers first and leading second. You may also enjoy reading about how leadership can respond to racism and poverty . Servant Leadership Webinar and Workshop Register for an upcoming FREE webinar on servant leadership. Here is what you can expect: • What is servant leadership? • Contemporary Leadership Theory Comparisons • Servant Leadership Value • The 5 Best Resources on Servant Leadership If you register today, we’ll send the recording as an added bonus at no charge. Upcoming leadership development webinars . Contact us to earn how you can bring a virtual or in-person Servant Leadership Program to your organization: Based on the best ideas from the leadership gurus of today, leaders learn how to apply a head, heart, and hands approach to ancient principles that reinforce selfless service. This one-year program for leadership teams includes a pre/post servant leadership 360, pre/post leadership style inventory, quarterly development workshops, and much more. "The signature of the greatest executives we studied is their humility" Jim Collins. References: Becchetti, L., Castriota, S., & Tortia, E. C. (2013). Productivity, wages and intrinsic motivations. Small Business Economics, 41 (2), 379-399. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1007/s11187-012-9431-2 Boerma, M. Coyle, E., Dietrich, M. Dintzner, M., Drayton, S., Early II, J., Edginton, A., Horlen, C. Kirkwood, C., Lin, A., Rager, M., Shah-Manek, B., Welch, A., & Williams, N. (2017). Point/Counterpoint: Are outstanding leaders born or made? American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81 (3), 58. doi:10.5688/ajpe81358 Kopaneva, I., & Sias, P. M. (2015). Lost in translation: Employee and organizational constructions of mission and vision. Management Communication Quarterly, 29 (3), 358-384. Patterson, K. (2003, October 16). Servant leadership: A theoretical model [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant Leadership Research Roundtable. Ready, D., Cohen, C., Kiron, D., & Pring, B. (2020). The new leadership playbook for the digital age. MIT Sloan Management Review . Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. (2014, April 2). Dirk van Dierendonck - Servant leadership [Video] . YouTube. Shu, C. (2015). The impact of intrinsic motivation on the effectiveness of leadership style towards on work engagement. Contemporary Management Research, 11 (4), 327-349. Spears, L. C. (1998). Servant-leadership. Executive Excellence, 15 (7), 11. TEDx Talks. (2015, July 4). Dare to serve: Cheryl Bachelder -TEDxCentennialParkWomen [Video]. YouTube. Walumbwa, F., Hartnell, C., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95 (3), 517-529. Winston, B. (2003, October 16). Extending Patterson’s servant leadership model: Coming full circle [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant Leadership Research Roundtable. Winston, B. & Ryan, B. (2008). Servant Leadership as a Humane Orientation: Using the GLOBE Study Construct of Humane Orientation to Show that Servant Leadership is More Global than Western. International Journal of Leadership Studies , Vol. 3 Iss. 2, pp. 212-222.

Building trust is increasingly challenging and vital for executive leadership teams. Distrust in society is breeding polarization. Evidence suggests less than a third of employees are willing to help, live near, or work alongside someone who disagrees with their point of view on things that matter. Trust is the currency of any business and holds a company together during change. CEOs and top management teams are expected to be visionary change catalysts. However, many leaders privately question whether it's possible to be considered trustworthy during change events, given the decline in employee confidence. The good news is that you can rebuild trust after it is broken, but only if you manage what you say and do well. Here are proven strategies to build high-quality trust-based relationships and a quiz to gauge your trustworthiness. Why executive leadership trust matters "The reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something." Merriam-Webster.com Numerous studies demonstrate that leadership is a critical determinant of successful organizations and change. Regardless of whether a change is department-specific or company-wide, it benefits from executive engagement. Executive leadership teams provide vision, establish strategy, prepare the corporate culture for change, and motivate employees to change. This is important because trust has been shown to mediate employee openness to change and, ultimately, the outcome of change. When trust is present, organizations navigate and manage change with improved outcomes. Change events heighten emotional responses, making communicating effectively challenging for the most skilled leaders. How to build trust with your communication A boss-subordinate relationship and transactional leadership style are not helpful when trying to build trust. The most effective leaders are transparent and vulnerable and demonstrate caring and respect for others. There are two common themes that emerge from the research on building trust; transparency and relationships. To communicate effectively, leaders need to understand the context and perspectives of others and avoid jumping to conclusions too quickly. In the book, Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results, Judith Glaser provides a helpful way to remember these attributes: T – Transparency R – Relationship U – Understanding S – Shared success T – Testing assumptions Establishing trust during change requires building rapport, inviting and responding to emotions, and explaining the change event clearly and concisely. Communications that create openness to change and build trust include: Communication Trust Builder #1: Vision The idealized goal for the organization to achieve in the future. Communication during change events should link to organizational values and provide enough detail so employees see the roadmap and benefits of the change. The goal is to create positive attitudes toward change and support for change. Communication Trust Builder #2: Energy Demonstrating personal excitement. An executive leader's positive emotions and mood are contagious. Research has shown that leadership communication that enables followers to experience positive emotions enhances happiness and well-being. In return, the improved positive emotions of followers increase employee motivation, cooperation, and support for change. Communication Trust Builder #3: Support Executive leaders demonstrate support by providing encouragement, reassurance, listening, and sharing feelings. Research has found that when individuals receive help, they are more receptive and willing to cooperate with change. How to be a trustworthy leader Trust takes place between two people and is earned. Successful businesses are built upon relationships. In his book Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity, Francis Fukuyama presented that business would not be productive without trust. The International Coaching Federation has identified six behaviors essential for building trust-based relationships: Show genuine concern for the other person's welfare and future. Continuously demonstrate personal integrity, honesty, and sincerity. Establish clear agreements and keep promises. Demonstrate respect for other's perceptions, learning styles, and personal being. Provide ongoing support for and champion new behaviors and actions, including risk-taking and fear of failure. Ask permission to coach others in sensitive, new areas. Leadership trustworthiness comes from four essential attributes of the leader: Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #1: Credibility Credibility is the most frequently achieved attribute of trustworthiness. However, having the title of leader does not always equate to being perceived as credible. Credibility has rational and emotional aspects related to an individual's expertise and personal presence . Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #2: Reliability Reliability is based on the frequency of interactions with someone and the consistency of expected behavior. Saying what you are doing, doing what you say, and saying what you did matter for building reliability. Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #3: Intimacy Intimacy requires your willingness to be vulnerable and have a courageous conversation when needed. This is one of the key differentiating attributes of trustworthiness. Leadership Trustworthiness Attribute #4: Self-Orientation Self-orientation relates to the amount of focus placed on oneself versus the emphasis placed on the other person. A high degree of self-orientation creates significant distrust from others. Self-orientation is linked to the leader's conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience personality traits. The attributes of trustworthiness (see Figure 1) can be placed into the following equation to measure your trustworthiness. Are you a trustworthy leader? High-quality relationships are high-trust relationships. Evidence suggests that improved workplace relationships increase individual and organizational productivity and profitability. The Relationship Trust Checker is a free quiz you can use to gauge your level of trust in a relationship and identify opportunities to improve your trustworthiness. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates Ready to take the next step? Effective leadership affects the results you achieve and the life you live. Leaders must continually transform and adapt or fall behind. Striving for better habits is a competitive advantage for any leader looking for a powerful point of differentiation. Upskill your leadership with our development approach that is grounded in evidence from the fields of behavioral psychology and neuroscience - and helps leaders to successfully apply the servant leadership skillsets and mindsets that bring out the best in their teams to achieve strategic goals. References: Bono, J., & Ilies, R. (2006). Charisma, positive emotions, and mood contagion. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (4), pp. 317-334. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity . Free Press. Glaser, J. (2016). Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results. Routledge. Men, L. R., Yue, C. A., & Liu, Y. (2020). Vision, passion, and care: the impact of charismatic executive leadership communication on employee trust and support for organizational change. Public Relations Review, 46 (3). Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. (1989). Motivation and cognitive abilities: An integrative aptitude-treatment interaction approach to skill acquisition. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74 , pp. 657-690. Maister, D. H., Green, C. H., & Galford, R. M. (2000). The trusted advisor . Free Press. Shamir, B., House, R., Arthur, M. (1993). The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: A self-concept based theory. Organization Science, 4 (4), pp. 577-594 Wanberg, C., & Banas, J. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of openness to changes in a reorganizing workplace. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85 (1), pp. 132-142,

High speeds create blurred perspectives. Likewise, today's leaders work in fast-paced and complex environments that create a blurred perception of reality. Too often, what appears to be task-oriented problems, in fact, are process-related problems. When leaders focus on individual or department performance instead of organizational performance, it can lead to individual and department success without achieving organizational success. For example, working as an internal talent consultant, I have observed a common phenomenon across many different industries and organizations. Performance systems often focus too heavily on the individual performer rather than the organization's performance. This focus can lead to individuals performing above average and the organization below average. Individual performance is necessary, but not entirely. This is important because recent research supports that the organization is four times more impactful on business results than individual talent. "Talent matters; organization matters even more " (Ulrich, 2020). Leading at full speed requires skill . A servant leadership style creates increased intrinsic motivation toward shared goals by building healthy relationships and a shared vision . More simply stated, dip increases organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) or discretionary effort, the "holy grail" for organizational talent. OCB is a worthy contribution made by employees beyond their job requirements. As organizations strive to increase revenue, OCB reduces opportunity costs and increases productivity and efficiency by bringing out the best in employees. Sodexo When most people think of organizations that embrace and apply servant leadership, Starbucks, Marriot, and Chic-fil-A come to mind. However, another one of those companies that sit behind the scenes to most consumers is Sodexo. Sodexo is the global leader in the business services and supplies industry with its headquarters in France. As of 2019, this international organization employed over 470,000 people in 67 countries. Unlike some of the more commonly considered companies, Sodexo does not have an overt statement on servant-leadership. However, its mission and leaders’ actions align with the Greenleaf and Spears (2002) servant-leadership characteristics (See Table 1). Leadership Skills at Full Speed The pandemic has increased the speed and volume of work for leaders. Sarosh Mistry , Region Chair for North America and Chief Executive Officer Homecare Worldwide, recently described a couple of organizational pandemic responses demonstrating servant leadership skills at full speed. Showing genuine care for communities beyond the company Sodexo provided comprehensive food services for children no longer receiving free lunches due to school closings. Additionally, Sodexo demonstrated altruism for employees' welfare , creating a $30 million relief fund for COVID impacted employees. When asked what he would do differently in response to the pandemic, Sarosh indicated that he wishes he would have done even more for Sodexo employees. If you are interested in learning more about servant-leadership and other emerging leadership styles you will want to read the article 4 Emerging Leadership Styles and Why You Should Care . Also, are you interested in better understanding your own leadership style? Contact Organizational Talent Consulting to learn more about a leadership style inventory assessment you can use to measure your preferred leadership style and receive individualized executive coaching. References Adjibolosoo, S. (2000). The human factor in shaping the course of history and development . University Press of America, Inc. Ehrhart. M. G. (2004). Leadership and procedural justice climate as antecedents of unit-level organizational citizenship behavior. Personnel Psychology . 57 (1). Hassell, B. (2017). What do today's workforce trends mean for business, leadership? Chief Learning Officer. Kwittken, A. (2020, May 4). Moving from service leadership to servant-leadership during a pandemic: A conversation with Sodexo North America chair Sarosh Mistry [Audio podcast]. Brand on Purpose . Patterson, K. (2003, October 16). Servant leadership: A theoretical model [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant Leadership Research Roundtable. http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/sl_proceedings/2003/patterson_servant_leadership.pdf Sodexo. (2019). Fiscal 2019 universal registration document [PDF] . LABRADOR. Sodexo. (2020). About Us. https://us.sodexo.com/about-us.html Ulrich, D. (2020). Knowing which organization capabilities make a difference . Winston, B., & Fields, D. (2015). Seeking and measuring the essential behaviors of servant leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(4), 413-434. Register for an upcoming FREE webinar on servant leadership. Here is what you can expect: • What is servant leadership? • Contemporary Leadership Theory Comparisons • Servant Leadership Value • The 5 Best Resources on Servant Leadership Use this site to find registration links for upcoming leadership development webinars

The leadership topic of high-performing teams is timeless. Leaders that focus on building high-performing teams reap significant rewards and return on their investments. There is much that can be learned from the coaches of teams playing at the world's highest levels of athleticism. José Mário dos Santos Mourinho is widely considered one of the greatest football team managers, winning league titles in four countries. In the Netflix series, The Playbook, Mourinho points out that the hidden talents of exceptional players such as football great Cristiano Renaldo can never be revealed without great teams. Mourinho makes a powerful yet subtle point that great teams and leaders are not selfish. This article explores the current research into the importance of a selfless leadership style and presents questions for any leader to consider that is looking to build a high-performance team. "The concept of a team is one of the most beautiful things." Jose Mourinho What are High Performing Teams? Team potential is more than the sum of the individuals on the team. The value of high-performing teams is widely understood. McKenzie & Company found that a high-performance management team working together toward a common goal is 1.9 times as likely to have above-average financial performance . Leadership guru Ken Blanchard said it this way, “no one of us is as smart as all of us.” What team would you think of if asked to name a high-performing team? Living south of Chicago during the 1990s, my thoughts immediately go to the Chicago Bulls and their domination of six National Basketball Association championships. While there is much debate over the greatest of all-time teams, there is little debate that the 1990's Chicago Bulls were a high-performing basketball team. There is a clear difference between a team and a high-performing team. High-performing teams outperform other teams by consistently having better morale and collaboration and delivering better results and innovation . The following short video provides some valuable insights into high-performance teams through reflections from the Chicago Bulls Last Dance Netflix mini-series . What is Leadership Style? Leadership is a system increasingly impacted by technology and consists of the leader, followers, the situation, and time. Effective leadership is one of the critical qualities of high-performing teams. Leadership style is how the leader influences a team to accomplish a common goal and consists of both the leader's attributes and behaviors: Leadership Behavior – is how a leader responds within the leadership system. A behavior is something that can be seen and described. Leadership Attribute – is an inherent quality of a leader as perceived by others. In today’s turbulent and fast-paced digital marketplace, leaders are challenged to quickly discern and apply an appropriate leadership style that brings out the best in followers. Servant leadership , transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and spiritual leadership are four emerging leadership styles gaining increased attention globally for their proven benefits. While similar, these leadership styles are not the same, and often each leadership challenge requires a blended style approach. To learn more about how these leadership styles compare, check out this article on 4 Emerging Leadership Styles and Why You Should Care . Selfless Leadership and High-Performance Teams Leadership is difficult. Shifting the focus from individual performance to collective team performance among talented individuals will unlock what Jose Mourinho described as hidden talents. Several research studies have linked a selfless leadership style (altruism) with high-performing teams and organizational citizenship behaviors . Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is considered in organizational development to be the most prized treasure of performance management. It is a term used to describe positive employee behaviors that are not a part of an employee's formal job description. An example to illustrate this behavior in the workplace is to consider two retail employees working at the same store with the same job description. One employee pushes a cart in the parking lot into the store on their way into work, and the other does not. Neither of them has this behavior as a requirement of their job description; however, the benefit to the business's customers is clear. This is the idea of organizational citizenship behavior. When employees go beyond what is expected, it unlocks performance potential and enhanced results. Knowledge sharing within a team is vital because no one’s knowledge is perfect. In the modern workplace, where employees' jobs involve handling or using information, knowledge hoarding behaviors are incredibly damaging to the individual, team, and organizational performance. How a leader chooses to lead is proven to influence a team climate of knowledge sharing. In one study of more than 1,800 employees across 67 sales teams, it was discovered that leaders applying a selfless leadership style positively influenced knowledge sharing and, ultimately, the team's performance and organization. Leaders that display a selfless leadership style are viewed as positive role models by followers. Selfless leaders show a high degree of moral behavior, virtues, character, and work ethic. According to Jose Mourinho, an example of selfless leadership in Portuguese professional football is that they “sweat their shirt.” They work so hard that they are drenched after playing. Selfless Leadership Development Leaders looking to build high-performing teams require leading the team from being selfish to selfless. The following are a few questions for leaders looking to build high-performance teams to consider: Selfless Behaviors Have I talked about my most important values and beliefs with my team? What have I done to communicate the importance of team trust ? What steps can I take to reinforce the importance of purpose? How can I reinforce the need for teamwork and make the possibilities real for others? Selfless Attributes What actions can I take to infuse pride in others? What personal sacrifices am I willing to make for others? How can I demonstrate respect for others? What can I do to create hope for the future within others ? If you are interested in learning more about selfless leadership, you will want to check out one of our upcoming webinars on Servant Leadership: Skillsets and Mindsets for Success and Significance . Also, if you are interested in better understanding your leadership style? Contact Organizational Talent Consulting to learn more about a leadership style inventory assessment and personalized executive coaching to elevate your potential. References: Scott Keller and Mary Meaney, Leading Organization: Ten Timeless Truths , New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2017. Song, C., Park, K. R., & Kang, S. (2015). Servant leadership and team performance: The mediating role of knowledge-sharing climate. Social Behavior and Personality, 43 (10), 1749-1760. Sosik, J. & Jung, D. (2018). Full range leadership development: Pathways for people, profit, and planet. Routledge. Walumbwa, F., Hartnell, C., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95 (3), 517-529.

In some organizations, silence on the issues impacting the world today is deafening. Organizations and communities are more connected than some may want to believe, and I don’t mean six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. Minor changes in organizations can lead to significant differences in our communities. Experienced leaders understand that what happens at work does not stay at work, and what happens at home does not remain at home. Society is looking for modern leaders and organizations to be positive sources of influence on global issues. This article reveals the unfortunate truth about how poverty is connected to racism and how an emerging 21st Century leadership approach can be a catalyst for solving racism and poverty. Poverty & Racism Poverty is a little understood issue that creates real disadvantages to achieving the American Dream of upward socio-economic mobility. While most Americans (88.2%) do not live in poverty, as of 2018, African Americans were 2.5 times more likely to be in poverty than whites. The median white family had 10 times as much wealth as the median African American family. Escaping poverty in the U.S. is difficult, and racial difficulties mean that movement out of poverty for African Americans is much more challenging than it is for whites. Over the past century, the issues of poverty and racism are not new and have remained real issues, and earlier attempts to resolve the associated issues have been inadequate. The following figure is from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2007–2011 American Community Survey , and reflects the percentage of the black alone population in poverty in the United States. Servant Leadership Theoretical leadership development has historically been used to explain observations, make sense or bring order to complexity, and solve problems people are facing. In 2006 researchers conducted a review of over 160 articles and books identifying 91 distinct attributes within the literature for defining leadership and there would likely be more today. “probably more has been written and less is known about leadership than about any other topic in the behavioral sciences” (Bennis). The world needs a different leadership approach and Servant Leadership is an emerging 21st Century model that holds potential answers for poverty and racism. This leadership theory promotes attributes of altruistic and compassionate love for others. Compassionate love is “doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reason"(Winston). When organizations adopt a servant leadership approach they measure effectiveness based on the growth of employees, customers, and the community. Servant leaders lead organizations to impact society positively. For example, a servant leader philosophy in an organization will focus attention on leader-follower relationships. This focus on people then leads to growing employees and, in return, growing the company. Pioneering research in 2013 lead by Shruti Gupta found the organizational commitment to the poor and customer growth, has both a positive impact on organizational performance and poverty mitigation. When leaders get involved it makes a difference both in their organization and society. Do you agree or disagree, and why? References Barbuto, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2006). Scale development and construct clarification of servant leadership. Group & Organization Management, 31 (3), 300-326. doi:10.1177/1059601106287091 Bennis, W. G. (1959). Leadership theory and administrative behavior: The problem of authority. Administrative Science Quarterly, 4 (3), 259-301. doi:10.2307/2390911 Gupta, S. (2013). Serving the "bottom of pyramid" - A servant leadership perspective. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 10 (3), 98-106. Jerneck, A. (2015). Understanding poverty. SAGE Open, 5 (4) doi:10.1177/2158244015614875 Kuhn, T. S., & Hacking, I. (2012). The structure of scientific revolutions . McCann, J. & Holt, R. (2010). Servant and sustainable leadership: An analysis in the manufacturing environment. Int. J. of Management Practice. 4. 134 - 148. doi:10.1504/IJMP.2010.033691. Wagmiller, R., & Adelman, R. (2009). Childhood and intergenerational poverty : The long-term consequences of growing up poor. National Center for Children in Poverty . Winston, B. E., & Patterson, K. (2006). An integrative definition of leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 1 (2), 6-66. Servant Leadership Development Learn how you can bring a virtual or in-person Servant Leadership Program to your organization : Based on the best ideas from the leadership gurus of today, leaders learn how to apply a head, heart, and hands approach to ancient principles that reinforce selfless service. This one-year program for leadership teams includes a pre/post servant leadership 360, pre/post leadership style inventory, quarterly development workshops, and much more. "The signature of the greatest executives we studied is their humility" Jim Collins

Are you looking to level up innovation and creativity in your business to produce a competitive advantage? Maybe you're skeptical of whether it is possible to develop your team and believe you should hire for it. It's the debate of nature versus nurture. A common argument presented in support of team development is that if people were born with creativity, we would observe more consistency in creativity among team members. Evidence suggests an individual's behavioral drives and abilities activate creativity within a positive company culture. Cognitive skills, personality traits, work habits, and social and environmental variables affect innovation and creativity. Here are five low-cost and high-impact steps leaders can take to improve their team's innovation and creativity. Why talent development matters As the world changes, people and businesses must change too. Your team's development needs to keep pace with workplace changes, or you risk falling behind. Evidence from a large-scale study revealed that training and development positively affected innovative performance by building employee competence and organizational commitment. Leaders need to consider the employee's desired knowledge, skills, and abilities, the desired organizational culture, and the workplace climate. However, evidence has also revealed that the training program does not produce the desired competitive advantage if employee capability development becomes the goal. Leaders seeking to develop innovative and creative teams should take a results-based focus versus an activity-based approach. What are the right innovation behaviors to hire for and develop? Enhancing an employee's self-leadership capability improves self-awareness, inspiring experimentation with new ways to solve existing challenges. The following behaviors are linked to activating workplace creativity and innovation and are ideal to look for when hiring and reinforcing in training programs: Idea generation: The desire to try new things, a preference for original thinking, and finding solutions for existing problems. Idea search: Collaborating with others for new ideas and an interest in how things are done in other organizations. Idea communication: Persuading others toward new ideas and showing others the positive sides of new thinking. Implementation starting activities: Developing project plans to launch new ideas, secure funding for innovation, and search for new technologies to support implementation. Involving others: Seeking others to find solutions to problems and involve decision-makers. Overcoming obstacles: Not giving up on new ways of doing things and persistence. Innovation outputs: Being successful with implementing new ideas and improving processes valuable to the organization What are low-cost and high-impact steps leaders can take to foster innovation and creativity? Organizations searching for efficiency tend to hire and promote employees who conform to group norms and encourage unity. According to US Department of Labor statistics from 2017, 47% of the workforce in the United States is women. Yet, only 22% are in c-suite positions. Companies have historically viewed differences as detrimental. But, the benefits of leveraging diversity within organizations include more viewpoints, new ideas, and reimagined solutions. “A homogenous workforce limits the range of a company's innovation capabilities." Gary Oster Organizational culture consists of artifacts, values, and underlying assumptions: Artifacts: These are the things you can see, feel, or hear in the workplace. Examples include what is displayed, office layouts, uniforms, identification badges, and what is discussed and not discussed. Espoused Values: What you are told and beliefs that you can use to make decisions. Examples include a company's vision and values or mission statement. They are explicitly stated official philosophies about the company. Basic Assumptions: These things go without saying or are taken for granted. Examples could include speaking up in meetings, holding a door for someone, smiling, or greeting someone by name when walking down the hall. High Impact Step #1: Recruit and Retain Who gets hired, promoted , and fired, and for what, creates and reinforces your organization's culture. Talent management decisions can be viewed as a more subtle nuance to culture change because they are influenced by explicitly stated criteria and unstated value priorities. A job candidate is more than just a list of experiences, education, and references presented on paper. To better understand their suitability for a position, it's essential to evaluate their behavioral drives and cognitive abilities (the head), as well as their values and interests (the heart), alongside their knowledge, skills, and experience (the briefcase). We typically examine a resume to determine a person's knowledge, skills, and experience. The information you can gain from the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment provides the rest of the picture. Care to see how this might work in your context with a 5-minute assessment? We can unpack the results together, and I’ll show you how it reduces unwanted attrition and mis-hires and helps leadership. Worse case, you learn something about yourself. High Impact Step #2: Leadership Style Several well-researched employee and company benefits, such as creativity, are associated with  servant leadership . Evidence suggests that a servant leadership style improves employee productivity and creativity. Employees are more likely to provide constructive criticism and engage in productive conflict without fear of exclusion or retaliation, which is an environment in which employees can be creative. High Impact Step #3: Define Desired Results This is one of the most potent mechanisms leaders have available. What leaders choose to systematically measure, reward, and control matters, and the opposite is also true. Define desired results in terms of explicit business goals and innovative behaviors. High Impact Step #4: Leverage Data Leverage data analytics and empirical testing to discover and communicate what works quickly. Rewards and recognition come in many different forms. Also, what is considered a reward varies from person to person. Both what gets rewarded and how it gets rewarded and what does not get rewarded reinforces organizational culture. There are tangible rewards and social rewards. Simply saying thank you for presenting a decision using data analytics is a social reward. High Impact Step #5: Embrace Interesting Failure Much can be revealed when a business or a leader faces a significant challenge. These crucible moments are like a refining fire. It is the heightened emotional intensity that increases individual and organizational learning. Innovation and creativity will challenge the status quo, which is risky in most organizations. How a leader responds to interesting failure will reinforce if the team will take risks in the future. References: Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45 (2), 357-376. DeWolf, M. (2017). 12 Stats about working women. U.S. Department of Labor. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose . Organizational Talent Consulting. Ghosh, K. (2015). Developing organizational creativity and innovation: Toward a model of self-leadership, employee creativity, creativity climate, and workplace innovative orientation. Management Research Review, 38 (11), 1126-1148. Lukes, M., & Stephan, U. (2017). Measuring employee innovation: A review of existing scales and the development of the innovative behavior and innovation support inventories across cultures. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 23 (1), 136-158. Oster, G. W. (2011). The light prize: Perspectives on Christian innovation . Positive Signs Media. Schaffer, R. H., & Thomson, H. A. (1992). Successful change programs begin with results. Harvard Business Review, 70 (1), 80-89.

“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.” Taken from lessons in history and life experiences, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote these words in The Prince, published over 550 years ago. The message is clear: the end justifies the means. These words might seem harsh, but they are not surprising. They reveal the tension that can exist in business between profit and people. Is cheating to achieve favorable results part of doing business? Should managers exploit others to achieve goals? These are not uncommon leadership dilemmas. And are situations that your company or you might be navigating. The way forward is obvious for some leaders. However, the best way forward is more complex for those with Machiavellian personality tendencies. The best place to start is by weighing the good and bad of Machiavellianism in the workplace. The good and bad of Machiavellianism in the workplace “The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to frighten wolves.” Machiavelli Machiavellianism refers to a manipulative personality trait. The personality is cunning and calculating, believing that the end justifies the means, regardless of how ruthless or moral. Psychologists Christie and Geis studied the thought processes and actions behind individuals who manipulated others and were the first to define this personality trait as Machiavellianism. Their construct was based on personality traits displayed in the characters of Machiavelli’s literary work The Prince. In this book, Niccolò Machiavelli described how leaders must manipulate and use power through any means necessary to achieve their goals. He presented that people cannot be trusted to do what is needed because they typically lack the experience and motivation or have biases and prejudice toward doing what is needed. Here is a short video about What “Machiavellian” really means. Despite the negative connotations of Machiavellian leadership, sometimes its admired, and the presence of this personality trait is found in all kinds of businesses and at all levels. Interestingly, research into Machiavellianism leadership suggests both highly damaging implications along with some surprisingly positive outcomes for individuals and entire organizations: The Good: Able to retain social control during difficult and chaotic situations, strategic foresight and planning, lower operating costs, high task orientation, not impulsive, gets work done by others, able to be competitive and cooperative. The Bad: Unethical behavior, moral ambiguity, lying, revenge, threats, fraud, cheating, emotional abuse, lack of trust in others, excessive politics, theft, and paying for kickbacks. Although research reveals some good business outcomes of Machiavellian leadership, an overwhelming number of studies demonstrate this kind of manipulative leadership hurts leadership performance. The impacts of lower-quality leader-follower relationships negatively influence performance, company culture, and results. Do you have Machiavellian tendencies? Fortunately, extreme levels of Machiavellianism are rare in the workplace. However, we all likely have some degree of Machiavellianism in our personalities. The Mach-IV is a 20-question inventory that assesses your Machiavellianism tendencies. This site provides your Machiavellian score and a graph showing how you compare to others taking the assessment. The higher your score on the Mach-IV, the more Machiavellianism. If you score 60 out of 100 or higher on the MACH-IV, you are considered a “high-Mach.” If you score below 60 out of 100, you are considered a “low-mach.” High Mach tendencies: Business goal-oriented and calculated when interacting with others. Taken to the extreme, they are highly focused on winning and willing to use any and all means possible. Low Mach tendencies: Believe everyone has a good and bad side. They tend to be more people-oriented and empathic in their interaction with others. Taken to the extreme, "low-Machs" can be passive, highly agreeable, and socially inept. What do you do when you find Machiavellianism in the workplace? “There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you” Machiavelli, The Prince Can you change your personality? Or is it true that Yoda told Luke that if you start down the dark path, it will forever dominate your destiny? Luckily, there is hope. The Big Five personality traits serve as the building blocks of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research into these personality traits suggests it is possible to change them through persistent interventions. There is no single right way to change personality. Behaviors constantly evolve from situation to situation and moment to moment. The following are six proven countermeasures for Machiavellian behaviors in the workplace. Machiavellian Countermeasure #1: Executive Assessments The higher you move within an organization, the less objective the feedback you tend to receive; however, it becomes more critical personally and professionally. Executive assessments can provide deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. When selecting an assessment, using a qualified executive coach to help interpret and apply the learnings is crucial. Machiavellian Countermeasure #2: Executive Coaching There are many benefits of executive coaching . 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence. Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report recouping their investment in coaching and more. Machiavellian Countermeasure #3: Leadership Style Research in organizational behavior has illuminated the importance of ethical leadership in addressing and mitigating undesirable behaviors often associated with Machiavellianism. Ethical leadership, as a concept, encompasses a wide array of principles and values that guide individuals in making decisions that are not only morally sound but also beneficial for the greater good. It involves considerations of right and wrong and a sense of moral duty and obligation towards others. One particular leadership style that has gained attention for its ethical underpinnings is Servant Leadership. This approach emphasizes influence over positional power, focusing on the well-being and growth of others rather than asserting authority through hierarchy. By prioritizing the needs of their followers and empowering them to reach their full potential, servant leaders create a positive and nurturing work environment that fosters trust, collaboration, and innovation. Organizations that embrace a servant leadership style stand to reap numerous benefits. Leaders can inspire greater employee engagement, loyalty, and productivity by cultivating a culture of empathy, humility, and service. Furthermore, emphasizing ethical decision-making and social responsibility can enhance the organization's reputation, increasing stakeholder trust and support. Machiavellian Countermeasure #4: Reward and Recognition Systems Tightly aligning your company's reward and recognition systems with desired behaviors is crucial in fostering a positive work environment. When incentives are directly linked to the behaviors and values the organization wishes to promote, employees are more likely to be motivated to align their actions with these expectations. This enhances individual performance and cultivates a sense of unity and collaboration within the team, as everyone works towards common goals and shared rewards. Machiavellian Countermeasure #5: Training and Development Training and development play a crucial role in honing the skills and abilities of individuals across various personality types. Research indicates that providing targeted development opportunities during significant career transitions can significantly impact individuals with Machiavellian personality traits. By investing in tailored programs that focus on shaping work expectations and behaviors, organizations can effectively steer these individuals toward more constructive and beneficial outcomes. Such initiatives not only enhance individual performance but also contribute to a positive organizational culture, ultimately leading to reduced risks of potential errors and financial losses. Machiavellian Countermeasure #6: Therapy A "high-Mach" personality can present unique challenges in various aspects of life, including relationships, work environments, and personal well-being. Individuals with Machiavellian traits often exhibit manipulation, deceit, and a lack of empathy. These behaviors can lead to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships and challenges in navigating social interactions effectively. Seeking support from a mental health professional can be instrumental in developing coping mechanisms to manage these traits and their impact on daily life. Therapy can provide individuals with the tools and strategies needed to address underlying issues, improve self-awareness, and cultivate healthier ways of relating to others. Some therapeutic approaches that may benefit individuals with Machiavellian personality traits include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. Additionally, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may be useful in developing skills for emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. By working with a mental health professional, individuals with high-Mach personalities can gain insight into their behaviors, learn how to navigate social situations more effectively and cultivate healthier relationships based on trust, honesty, and empathy. Seeking help is a proactive step towards personal growth and well-being for those grappling with the challenges associated with Machiavellian traits. So, what is your real leadership challenge? References: Christie, R., & Geis, F. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. Academic Press. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Kumar, D. (2019). Good, bad, ugly: Exploring the Machiavellian power dynamics of leadership in medical education. Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism, 7(1), 42–46. Page, N., Bergner, S., & Wills, S. (2017). Who empathizes with Machiavellian or Narcissistic leaders? Harvard Business Review. Rehman, U., & Shahnawaz, M. (2021). Machiavellianism and task-orientated leadership: the moderating effect of job autonomy. Leadersh Educ Personal Interdiscip J 3, 79–85. Van Dierendonck, D., & Patterson, K. (2015). Compassionate love as a cornerstone of servant leadership: An integration of previous theorizing and research. Journal of Business Ethics, 128 (1), 119-131.