When you think about outstanding military leaders, commanders like Napoleon Bonaparte and inspiring orators like Winston Churchill might come to mind. These leaders accomplished incredible feats against the odds. But like leaders in any successful business, they require the commitment and hard work of others to achieve their goals. In 1941, the US established the first intelligence agency led by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan. The agency's purpose was to coordinate intelligence and conduct counterespionage to destroy an enemy from the inside. Their missions trusted small teams to perform heroic acts of sabotage and train resistance fighters. General Donovan published the Simple Sabotage Field Manual with the ominous instruction not to allow the manual to fall into unauthorized hands. If it is true that teams and organizations can be destroyed from the inside. Then, one of the most important things a leader can do is reverse engineer these now-declassified sabotage tactics. Here are three especially compelling ways to motivate saboteurs and practices busy leaders can use to bring out the best in your team. How to motivate saboteurs (or your team) Wild Bill suggested that engaging others to commit acts of sabotage requires motivation. As stated bluntly in the manual, "purposeful stupidity is contrary to human nature." The manual emphasizes the need to provide the saboteur pressure, assurance, and information. Here are the three motivation tactics identified in the manual that lead to destruction and the leadership practices busy leaders can successfully use. Motivation Tactic #1: Make it Personal The average citizen likely has no reason for sabotage. Make it personal by specifically connecting acts of sabotage with personal gains, show how the saboteur is part of a larger organization, and assign responsibilities for sabotage. Leadership Practices to Make It Personal As a leader, answering "what's in it for me" is one of the best motivation tools in your arsenal for implementing change. The answer to this question ensures others in the organization know the benefits and not just what is changing. When followers recognize how their actions connect to the larger vision, it leads to engagement by creating a sense of belonging. Social Identity Theory suggests that we share identity with individuals we associate with. As a result, followers are more likely to trust those individuals than individuals and groups with whom they do not share an identity. Are you assigning work effectively, also known as delegating? Research has found that effective delegation improves job satisfaction, performance, intrinsic motivation, confidence, and career development. It is thought that delegation signals trust and support from the leader to the delegate, resulting in increased follower effort and performance. Additionally, effective delegation improves the employee's perception of the leader's performance. If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make an impact, learn to delegate. – John C. Maxwell Motivation Tactic #2: Provide Encouragement Saboteurs need to believe they are acting in self-defense by committing acts of destruction. Also, the use of humor can ease tension and reduce fear. Leadership Practices to Encourage Your Team There are many good reasons why leaders should think twice before using humor at work. However, evidence suggests that humor during times of crisis significantly improves employee engagement and organizational performance. Much of the positive influence of humor is due to a biochemical response. Laughing reduces cortisol levels, which have a calming effect, increases endorphins, creating a runner's high, and increases oxytocin, which creates warm feelings toward others. The recipe for getting humor right at work includes: knowing your audience keeping it positive keeping the topic close to you and not others understanding yourself and potential blindspots associated with your natural style In this TEDx, Karyn Buxman expands on the science of humor. Motivation Tactic #3: Minimize Risk Bad news spreads quickly. The number of opportunities and degree of perceived risk limit the effectiveness and efficiency of a saboteur. Leadership Practices to Minimize Performance Risk Observe and eliminate or modify the desired behavior's negative, immediate, inevitable consequences when possible. If followers are required to work in a freezer, you can provide warming jackets to reduce the adverse effects of the cold. After you attempt to reinforce the desired behavior, observe if performance improves. If not, learn and adjust. The ABC model, also known as the three-contingency performance management model, provides a foundational understanding of why people do or do not perform a given behavior. The "A" stands for those things that prompt desired behavior (antecedents). The "B" stands for the desired behavior. The "C" stands for consequences. The consequences that the employee experiences after or during the behavior have the most significant impact on performance. Specific suggestions for sabotage (or leaders) Clear expectations improve a team's understanding of goals and create organizational alignment. The Simple Sabotage Field Manual identified several specific techniques for different types of targets. The following is a selection of tactics identified in the manual specifically for managers and supervisors. Demand it in writing Ask endless questions and use long messages Make objections when possible Do everything possible to create delays Don't provide the team with new tools and resources Demand the most expensive tools and resources and complain if you don't get them Complete unimportant tasks first and give the essential functions to the least skilled team member Insist on perfection and accept defective work Give incomplete or misleading instructions when training new employees Reward poor performance Go to conferences and meetings to avoid getting the work done Create duplicate files Create policies and procedures for everything The leadership countermeasure to deploy for these simple sabotage suggestions is to use this list as a checklist to reflect on your leadership habits. Then, commit to doing the opposite. In addition to individual reflection, you can capture some additional benefits by reviewing this list with your team to identify if they see any of these acts of sabotage within the team or company. You may have laughed nervously and shuddered a little as you recognized some of these tactics and tendencies in your leadership or where you work. The countermeasures for the sabotage tactics that General Donovan made indispensable to intelligence officers can make you a leader indispensable to your team and company. How does the Simple Sabotage Field Manual inspire you as you think about your unique position and opportunities? References Aaker, J., & Bagdonas, N. (2021). How to be funny at work. Harvard Business Review. Chevrier, S., & Viegas-Pires, M. (2013). Delegating effectively across cultures. Journal of World Business: JWB, 48(3), 431-439. Daniels, A. C., & Daniels, J. E. (2006). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. Performance Management Publications. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Drescher, G. (2017). Delegation outcomes: Perceptions of leaders and followers' satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 32(1), 2-15. Joiner, T. A., & Leveson, L. (2015). Effective delegation among Hong Kong Chinese male managers: The mediating effects of LMX. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(6), 728-743. United States. Office of Strategic Services. (1944). Simple Sabotage Field Manual. Project Gutenberg. Yukl, G. and Fu, P. (1999), "Determinants of delegation and consultation by managers," Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 219-232.

Remember being a kid? If you are competitive, you may remember campaigning to be the leader so you could pick your friends or play a particular position. As kids, the motivation to lead often was purely selfish. In the workplace, this motivation can be devastating. Evidence suggests that self-centered and manipulative leaders increase counterproductive behavior. Real leadership doesn't come from a title. Exceptional leaders put their team and its mission first. There are many well-documented stories about extraordinary self-sacrifice that changes the world. But, not all acts of self-sacrifice have a positive impact on leadership in the workplace. Here are two practical ways leaders can tap into the paradoxical power of self-sacrifice and elevate people, profit, and purpose. Why self-sacrifice matters in leadership There is no single definition of what is leadership. However, there is broad agreement that leadership involves the influence of followers toward turning vision into reality. Maybe not too surprisingly, research suggests that self-sacrificing leaders are more influential than self-serving leaders. Leadership self-sacrifice in the workplace is demonstrated to enhance: Intentions to reciprocate the leader's behavior Feelings of team belonging Intentions to give Cooperative behaviors Follower performance Willingness to change Self-Sacrifice is the giving up of one's own interests or wishes in order to help others or advance a cause. Acts of self-sacrifice are inspiring. Many stories of modern world changers involve a common theme of tremendous self-sacrifice. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa represent a couple of these leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. was central to the American civil rights movement. He faced numerous threats to his life and ultimately was assassinated in 1968. His message and his sacrifices galvanized the civil rights movement, leading to significant legislative and social changes in the United States. Mother Teresa, also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, served the poorest in India. She founded a religious congregation that aids those in need, including the sick and orphaned. Despite extreme personal sacrifice and criticism for her commitment, she stayed focused until she died in 1997. As of 1979, she had helped over two million sick, including nearly fifty thousand lepers treated by mobile dispensaries and special clinics. But, not all acts of self-sacrifice in the workplace result in a positive impact. Those most influential involve self-sacrifice that conveys the leader can be trusted to act in a way that benefits the team and its mission. Here is a good discussion by Simon Sinek about the power of self-sacrifice within an organization. It's inspired by Marine Corp General Flynn's account of why senior officers in the military eat last. Self-Sacrifice Strategy #1: Establish Goals that Benefit Your Team and Organization A leader's performance management goals should clearly emphasize a direct benefit for their team and its mission. Too often, leadership goals narrowly focus on the leader's direct contribution to the organization. The key is the use of the word "and." Leadership goals need to go beyond driving individual performance and include their team. Here are a few high-level goal examples focusing on the leader, team, and organization. Create a culture of inclusion in the organizational unit I lead - an environment in which every employee feels valued and has opportunities to contribute and grow. Collaborate with followers to establish robust development plans, provide appropriate support (time, resources), and monitor progress to facilitate successful achievement of plans. Provide followers with regular coaching and timely feedback. Recognize the strong performance of employees I lead through financial and non-financial means, both formally and informally. Be open and honest in communications and cascade business information in a timely manner to my team. President Obama speaking of Medal of Honor recipient Captain Groberg said, "on his very worst day, he managed to summon his very best. That's the nature of courage — not being unafraid but confronting fear and danger and performing in a selfless fashion. He showed his guts, he showed his training; how he would put it all on the line for his teammates." Self-Sacrifice Strategy #2: Cultivate Belonging According to Gallup, two in ten employees rate their mental health as fair to poor. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are common mental health conditions associated with lacking a sense of belonging. Leaders can cultivate high-quality relationships and belonging by developing enhanced self-awareness, asking followers questions grounded in genuine curiosity, offering help, and showing appreciation. Start using these five questions taken from Michael Bungay Stainers' book The Coaching Habit in your next one-to-one meeting: What’s on Your Mind? What’s the real challenge here for you? The spotlight shifts from the problem to the person wrestling with the problem. It invites learning and growth. And what else? (AWE) The recipient hears, keep going. What do you want? This shifts the discussion to consideration of the desired future state. What was most helpful for you? People learn best when given space to reflect on what just happened. Ask them. Leadership self-sacrifice can positively influence follower behaviors, performance, and the willingness to change in ways necessary to thrive in today's complex workplace environment. What ideas do you have for demonstrating self-sacrifice that communicates your commitment to the team and its mission for the greater good? References Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gallup. (2022). State of the global workplace 2022 report. Gallup.; Best Christian Workplace Survey 2022. Hoogervorst, Niek (2012). When do leaders sacrifice? The effects of sense of powerAon leader self-sacrifice. The focusip quarterly (1048-9843), 23 (5), p. 883. Shin, J., & Shin, H. (2022). The effect of self-sacrifice leadership on social capital and job performance in hotels. Sustainability, 14(9), 5509. Van Knippenberg, B. M., & van Knippenberg, D. (2005). Leader self-sacrifice and leadership effectiveness: The moderating role of leader prototypicality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 25-37.

Strong character is foundational to outstanding leadership. No amount of education, experience, persuasiveness, charm, or results can make up for a leader's lack of character strength. Now and then, you hear about a leader failing big due to a lack of character. Recently, this principle was brought into sharp focus on an investigative podcast. It was about the rise and fall of a large, rapidly growing multi-million dollar non-profit. In six weeks, it went from being the third most prominent organization in its segment with $31MM in assets to not existing. How is it possible? At the heart of this question is an explanation of why character trumps charisma. Here is what you need to know about charismatic leadership and a character strength that can supercharge a leader's and organization's ability to perform. Why Leadership Character Matters A leader's knowledge, skills, and attributes define what should be done in a given situation, but the leader's character governs what will be done. In a study of executive leaders and their organizations over two years, CEOs who scored high on aspects of character had an average return on assets (ROA) of 9.35%, in contrast to CEOs with low ratings who had a ROA of 1.93%. Leadership character is shown to align the leader-follower relationship, increasing both leader and follower productivity, effectiveness, and creativity. Leadership character is vital in unifying a team and creating team cohesion. Followers actively support a leader who is effective and ethical and actively oppose a leader who is ineffective and unethical. What is charismatic leadership? Charismatic leaders can bring about tremendous positive change and unleash destruction on an organization. When discussing leadership and charismatic leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Churchill are often brought up as examples of having had a positive impact on the world. If the conversation goes on long enough, examples of leaders and events like the murder of millions of people by Stalin and Hitler are used as sad reminders of the potential dark side of charismatic leaders. “Charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.” – John C. Maxwell The charisma of charismatic leaders doesn't come from a place of positional power, but from the perceptions, followers hold of the leader. Charismatic leadership creates immense inspiration and dedication within followers to give extra effort. Charismatic leadership is influence applied to a follower's emotional involvement and commitment. Charismatic leaders tend to emerge from difficult times, offering solutions and hope. Their early successes, combined with a strong sense of self-confidence, assertiveness, and ambition, create the perception of extraordinary in the eyes of their followers. Charismatic leaders also tend to be polarizing, creating loyal followers or enemies. The strong sense of awe among followers tends to limit new ideas and critical feedback given to the leader. Charismatic leaders tend to take all the credit for success and blame others when things go wrong, alienating those who need help. This all-eyes-on-me approach creates enemies when the leader lacks a moral compass or strays too far from cultural norms. Charismatic leaders are skilled communicators and able to connect with followers on a deep, emotional level. Here is a speech from Winston Churchill, best known for being the prime minister of England during World War ll. What is leadership character strength? Leadership character is often taken for granted and considered hard to define and measure. Good leadership habits involve a combination of competence, commitment to challenging work, and character. Character is commonly described as a unique combination of personal traits, beliefs, and habits that motivate and guide how you relate to others. Having character strength is doing the right thing, for the right motives, and with the right feelings. Often, decisions between right and wrong are reactions made without contemplation because they come from our values, worldview, and past experiences. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Our history, even as children, shapes our perception of the right thing. Our family, friends, religious leaders, and our community reinforce our morality. Universal leadership character principles include: 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, focused on what is right versus only what is wrong. Compassion – Empathizing with others, empowering others, actively caring for others, and committing to others' growth. A leader's character influences both individual and organizational performance. Character determines how competencies are applied, shaping how decisions get implemented. Here is a short discussion with Simon Sinek and retired Navy Seal Commander Rich Diviney about the importance of character and how to measure a person's character. Conclusion: Why Character Trumps Charisma Charismatic leadership is powerful, creating immense inspiration and dedication within followers to go the extra mile. However, it can unleash destruction on an organization when moral character is absent within the leader. If you are curious about the podcast that inspired this article, it was The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. At the root of this story was an influential and domineering leader with a weak character. Leadership power was the drug that produced a domineering and influential leader who achieved great success by the numbers but, in the end, also a culture of toxicity and an organizational disaster. Leadership character strength is doing the right thing, for the right motives, and with the right emotions. Great leaders are influential and take responsibility for their followers and the business. They dare to make personal sacrifices so others can gain. Are you relying more on your character or charisma to lead? References: Badaracco, J. (1997). Defining moments: When managers must choose between right and right. Harvard Business School Press. 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 Press. Sosik, J. & Jung, D. (2018). Full range leadership development; Pathways for people, profit, and planet. Routledge.

Have you ever sat in a meeting and wondered where the discussion was going or what was happening? Maybe the point being made seemed questionable, or the actions of others were divisive. It's frustrating and confusing when values are just words for marketing campaigns and corporate communications. A recent study found that only one in four employees strongly agree that they can apply their company's values daily. You've probably experienced this to some extent before, and maybe now you're in a leadership position. I'll tell you a secret: your company values don't have to feel aspirational. Thriving cultures where employees can live out the organization's values are possible. They require an actionable understanding of company culture and the ability of leaders to transform values into actions. Here is what you need to know and do to set your company up with a thriving culture. Why a positive company culture makes a big difference Your company culture is the one thing that influences every aspect of your business. It directly impacts the overall success of your organization, employees, customers, and communities where you do business. An organization's underlying values influence employees' behaviors and decisions. Company culture is an often-hidden shared pattern or system of beliefs, values, and behavioral norms. Stated simply, it's how things get done when no one is watching. Much has been written on the competitive advantage of a positive company culture. Research has directly linked the effects on financial performance, customer satisfaction, employee teamwork, team cohesion, employee motivation, employee retention, and employee engagement. Your company culture creates an internal and external brand identity that influences people's thoughts about your organization. A recent human capital trends study by Deloitte suggested that 95% of candidates believe culture is more important than compensation—also, companies with a positive culture experience 8x higher profitability than S&P 400 firms. No company is looking to stay the same year. As the world changes, people and businesses must change. Organizational culture is critical to innovation. Just as some organizational culture characteristics can support innovation, others can also inhibit innovation. An actionable measure of company culture Organizational culture is complex. But, defining the culture in measurable and actionable terms is essential for a thriving company culture. The concept of culture is often considered too abstract to address and is not well understood. A recent study found that only 12% of companies claim to have a program in place to define and improve culture. The organizational culture assessment instrument (OCAI) based on the Competing Values Framework is an actionable measure of company culture. The survey was adapted from work by Dr. Kim Cameron and Dr. Robert Quinn as part of their Competing Values Framework research at the University of Michigan. The study empirically concluded that a company's focus and flexibility moderate effectiveness. The Competing Values Framework identifies four fundamentally different cultures. Clan Culture creates a collaborative atmosphere like a family. This culture emphasizes the value of teamwork, participation, and a consensus decision-making style. Adhocracy Culture creates an energetic and entrepreneurial atmosphere. This culture stresses the importance of research and continuous improvement. Market Culture creates a competitive, fast-paced, results-oriented environment. This culture highlights coming in first. Hierarchy Culture is a top-down, formal, rule-based atmosphere. This culture emphasizes efficient, reliable, and cost-effective performance. Note: Adapted from Cameron and Quinn (2011). The framework enhances cultural understanding by simplifying the cultural description to only two fundamental dimensions: flexibility or stability and internal or external focus. The OCAI survey measures six aspects of the current and preferred organizational culture: Dominant characteristics describe the overall organization. Leadership style and how leadership competencies align to culture. Management of employees and the work situation. Organizational glue that holds everything together. Strategic emphases are the aspects of culture that guide strategy. Criteria for success determine the outcomes of an organization's culture. Instead of requiring companies to choose one ideal culture type, the survey and framework enable leaders to identify a preferred culture that uniquely aligns with current market trends and company strategic objectives. The survey highlights cultural congruence across teams. Evidence suggests that while cultural congruence is not a determinant of company success, incongruent organizations are much less effective. Congruence is the degree of alignment between current and preferred cultures along the six aspects of culture assessed. How to transform company values into company culture Individual change leads to organizational culture change. Different cultures have different needs for leadership competencies. Leaders should reflect on their leadership style before looking for ways to change the company. Consider how leadership habits align with your company values and the preferred culture. If you are looking for actionable and individualized feedback to enhance self-awareness of cultural strengths and opportunities, you will love using a 360-degree assessment customized to your needs. "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." Robert Collier After leadership has increased self-awareness, apply the following six culture levers to change how employees behave and perceive the company culture. Cutlure Lever #1: What leaders pay attention to regularly. This is one of the most potent mechanisms every leader has in your company. What leaders choose to measure, reward, and control matters, and the opposite is also true. For example, suppose an organization wants to build an analytical orientation within the culture. In that case, a great starting point is to ask leaders what data they use to make decisions. By asking the question, you reinforce the importance of data-driven decision-making. Culture Lever #2: How leaders react to critical incidents. Much can be revealed when a business or a leader faces a significant challenge. Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the face." These crucible moments in business are like a refining fire. It is the heightened emotional intensity that increases individual and organizational learning. For example, the recent global pandemic revealed much more about an organization's values than any about page on a website or company orientation ever would. Sodexo is one positive example of an organization demonstrating its commitment to employees even during a pandemic. Culture Lever #3: How leaders allocate resources and control costs. Budgets reveal a lot about the organization's assumptions and beliefs. Resources include physical assets such as equipment, tools, and human resources. What gets resourced gets reinforced. Going back to the example of creating an analytical orientation, leaders should consider what tools and resources employees have available for data analytics. Culture Lever #4: Deliberate role modeling and training. How leaders act and behave outside of training is more significant than what is said or demonstrated within leadership development events. Leaders looking to build an analytical cultural orientation would benefit by explaining to and showing the organization how they use data to make decisions on a routine basis. Culture Lever #5: How leaders allocate rewards. Rewards and recognition come in many different forms. Also, what is considered a reward varies from person to person. What gets rewarded, how it gets rewarded, and what does not reinforce organizational culture. There are tangible rewards and social rewards. Simply saying thank you for presenting a decision using data analytics is a social reward. Culture Lever #6: How leaders recruit, promote, and excommunicate. Who gets hired, promoted, and fired, and for what creates and reinforces organizational culture. Talent management decisions can be viewed as a more subtle nuance to culture change because decisions are influenced by explicitly stated criteria and unstated value priorities. A leader looking to influence an analytical cultural orientation would benefit from assessing the skill sets needed within the organization and then hiring based on those skills. Architecting a thriving company culture is time-consuming, but there is too much riding on it not to do something about it. As you get started, remember that organizations are likely to deny the need for change and become defensive at the suggestion of change. Organizational change creates anxiety for valid reasons. To overcome the barriers to change, the change leader needs to create a desire to survive and reduce learning anxiety by creating psychological safety. Leaders build psychological safety by demonstrating humility, selfless love, performance-based accountability, and vulnerability and consistently helping followers comprehend and accept the challenge. A plan on the front end will ensure desired results during execution. Sell the change within the company with a few concrete short stories, representing the best of the new culture and the necessity for change. Ensure a quick win is visible across the company. Be the change and turn your company values into action: Act! What is the real challenge ahead of you for a thriving company culture? References Bersin, J. (2015). Culture: Why it's the hottest topic in business today. Forbes. Bremer, M. (2019). How culture boosts performance. OCAI online. Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing Cameron, K., Quinn, R., Degraff, J., & Thakor, A. (2006). Competing values leadership: Creating value in organizations. Clark. (2020). The 4 stages of psychological safety : defining the path to inclusion and innovation (First edition.). Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Dvorak, N., & Nelson, B. (2016). Few employees believe in their company's values. Gallup Business Journal. Flamholtz, E. (2001). Corporate culture and the bottom line. European Management Journal. Vol. 19 (3). 268-275. Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational culture and leadership, 5th edition (5th ed.)

As we begin this new year, I encourage you to spend some quiet time reflecting on this past year - the unforeseen challenges, the changes you made to your leadership habits, and what is most important. Critical reflection on personal experiences unlocks learnings that leads to better judgment and decision-making. It is possible the past year has left you feeling hesitant or dreadful about the future. But, it is the ability to learn through reflection and shift your mindset that will bring out your best in the new year. George Bernard Shaw said that "progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” While execution is essential, framing the opportunity for the new year moves leaders and teams out of their comfort zone and toward the best of what might be. Here is what you need to know about critical reflection and four steps to shift your mindset this new year. Why critical reflection matters Reflection is a powerful leadership tool. The ability to question personal and organizational assumptions and beliefs taken for granted enables leaders to learn from experiences. Effective reflection involves the ability to doubt, pause, and be curious about the ordinary. The practice of critical reflection provides a path to deeper understanding. It enables leaders to elevate the significance of day-to-day experiences for personal and organizational growth. Critical reflection forces leaders to consider underlying causes for results. Critical reflection can create personal discomfort and internal conflict as you wrestle with favorable self-perceptions. However, leaders risk repeating bad decisions that could prove disastrous without considering alternate viewpoints. Biases are present in all leaders. Leadership is recognizing and leveraging the gap between stimulus and response to make a choice rather than make a knee-jerk reaction. When leaders become aware of unconscious biases, it enables them to gain various insights from seeing situations from different points of view. Reflection plays an essential role in a leader becoming aware of biases and making better choices. "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor Frankyl Reflection improves critical thinking capacity. Critical thinking helps leaders navigate volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous situations common in every business. It is the ability to use cognitive skills and strategies to increase the probability of the desired outcome when problem-solving. Critical thinking for executive leadership is fundamental to businesses to growth, increased speed, and sustainability. Here is a short video from Simon Sinek on his perspective on the value of pursuing critical self-reflection. How to apply critical reflection Your inner game silently controls your outer game. Behaviors determine how and what should be done and it is our values and virtues that will determine what will be done in any given situation. In addition to the strategies for the how and what of critical reflection, it is important to consider the degree to which you demonstrate open-mindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness. These leadership attributes moderate the application of critical reflection. Open-mindedness. The desire to listen to other points of view and recognize that even the most strongly held beliefs may be questioned. Open-minded leaders have very few ideas that cannot be changed. Responsibility. The desire to pursue truth and apply it in day-to-day situations. Wholeheartedness. A sincere attitude toward the critical evaluation of themselves and others. A resolute commitment to make necessary changes and overcome a fear of failure. There is a saying in the military that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Here are three strategies for integrating critical reflection into your leadership habits in the new year. Critical Reflection Strategy #1: Journal Use a journaling app like Day One to capture your thoughts, feelings, successes, and frustrations. This approach is demonstrated to be incredibly impactful on leader-follower relationships, clarity of purpose, and improving new skills. Like building any habit, start small and tie it to an existing practice, like your routine, before you leave the office for the day. Critical Reflection Strategy #2: Solicit Follower Feedback Critical reflection should be a social process and is proven to be most successful when collaborative. Leaders need to understand how followers perceive their actions. Using a leadership 360 assessment is one proven tool to improve critical reflection. These assessments typically gather feedback from their leader, peers, and direct reports allowing comparisons between themselves and others. This is one leadership assessment you need to be using. If you are not familiar with Leadership 360, you might want to sign up for my next free webinar on A Leaders Guide to 360-Degree Assessment. Critical Reflection Strategy #3: Discover New Ideas Books, articles, and assessments on leadership can enable leaders to examine a particular situation from a new point of view, supporting critical reflection. Thought leadership grounded in research provides leaders with proven solutions that can be applied and short cycle the learning process. If you are not a skilled speed reader, you may be surprised to know that you can learn how to read a book in an hour. Like any skill, there are tips and tricks to increase your speed and retention. Here is a bonus link to an assembled collection of my top five personal favorite books from thought leaders on the topics of change management, coaching, culture, innovation and creativity, leadership style, servant leadership, and strategic planning. Four steps to shift your mindset and bring out your best What sets apart the most successful leaders you know? I suggest it is self-awareness, how they look at the world, deliberatness, and their ability to learn and persevere. Too often, leaders and leadership teams spend too much time on the how and not enough on what. Especially as the new year begins in an attempt to avoid wasting time, its tempting to jump immediately into action planning and rely on a past understanding of 'what' is important. While execution is essential, framing the opportunity is fundamental to bringing out your best. Here are four steps to reframe your mindset for the new year: Mindset Shift Step #1: Discovering your strengths. Shifting your mindset begins with focusing on the best of what is. Every leader has strengths. Unfortunately, most leaders tend to minimize their need to focus on their strengths and rely on addressing weaknesses. Having a strengths focus is not about ignoring weaknesses but prioritizing, pursuing, and leveraging strengths to bring out your best. A practical way to get started discovering your strengths is using strength-based assessments. The VIA Character Strengths Survey and the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment are two of the most scientifically backed and relatively low-cost strength-based quantitative evaluations. These assessments can be completed online and provide development recommendations and support materials. For more information regarding the VIA Character Strengths Survey, please go to www.viacharacter.org. For more information regarding the CliftonStrengths Assessment, please go to www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. Mindset Shift Step #2: Dreaming about your future. Spend some time considering what you want out of life and work. The following are a few appreciative questions to help you get started: What would you wish for if you had three wishes to improve your success and significance in the new year dramatically? (and no, you cannot wish for more wishes) Imagine it is five or ten years from today, and everything you had wished for and hoped for has come true. What would you see and hear? Describe the changes in people, work, places, etc. Describe what you have done to make these changes possible. What if it is five or ten years from today, and you have done nothing? Describe what this kind of life is like. Compare this version with your dream version of your life and use this learning to clarify what is at stake. As you encounter obstacles to achieving your dream, being explicit will help you make better decisions in the moment. Mindset Shift Step #3: Design what should be. Write it down. When you write down a dream, it turns into a description. A study by Dr. Gail Matthews found that the simple act of writing down goals and dreams significantly improved success. Take the answers to your questions in step two and create action-oriented design statements of a few sentences that focus on each key theme. Mindset Shift Step #4: Break it down into steps. You next need to break down your dream statements into steps. Design statements might have some overlap with actions for making the dream a reality: Brainstorm ideas with others about the specific things that can be accomplished now and those that can be achieved soon. Consider the various strategies and their timing. Not everything needs to happen now, and not everything should be put off until next year. After you have the dream broken down into steps, you will want to write down targets, goals, strategies, and potential action items to achieve the different aspects of the dream. “The hardest thing to do is leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.” T. Arigo Shifting our mindset allows new perspectives and presents a never-ending opportunity to grow and achieve new heights in life and work. An effective executive coach will challenge assumptions and encourage, stretch, and challenge you. If you have questions about getting started with executive coaching, let's talk. What is your real new year challenge? Key summary points Critical reflection on personal experiences is proven to unlock new learnings leading to improved decision-making and better judgment. The ability to learn through reflection and shift your mindset will bring out your best in the new year. Critical reflection can create personal discomfort and internal conflict as you wrestle with favorable self-perceptions. Open-mindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness are three good leadership attributes essential to critical reflection. Too often, leaders and leaders and leadership teams spend too much time on the how and not enough on what. While execution is essential, framing the opportunity determines success and significance. References: Densten, I. L., & Gray, J. H. (2001). Leadership development and reflection: What is the connection? International Journal of Educational Management, 15(3), 119-124. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gardner, S. & Albee, D. (2015). Study focuses on strategies for achieving goals, resolutions. Dominican University of California. Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup Press.

Behavioral science proves it: your world is perfectly designed for the results you are achieving. Leaders who want to achieve ambitious goals need to be able to change people or change people. Unfortunately, the pressing talent shortage gripping every business is often delaying timely changes that matter. Leaders feel trapped between tolerating performance below expectations or having the employees needed to deliver results. When you accept poor performance, everyone pays the price. It affects team dynamics, talent retention, company culture, growth prospects, financial stability, innovation, and, ultimately, your credibility. Making difficult decisions in leadership can't be escaped. But you can strive for better leadership habits that bring out the best in your team, and you can refuse to accept poor performance. Here is one practical performance improvement tool and four leadership habits that elevate people, profit, and purpose. Isn't poor performance better than a critical role vacancy? Right? Employee labor costs are often one of the most significant line items on any leader's budget. The benefits of effective performance management are well documented beyond the obvious benefit of increasing revenue. Effectively applying performance reinforcement leads to increased organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Also known as discretionary effort, OCB is performance management's "Holy Grail." It cracks the code to the full potential of a team and organization. Evidence links effective performance management with positive individual and organizational outcomes such as increased productivity, decreased employee turnover intentions, reduced absenteeism, improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. Performance is contagious. Tolerating poor performance reinforces poor performance. Failing to bring out an employee's best undervalues your team. When performance falls below the standards of the job, the employee, team, and organization suffer. A study revealed that underperforming employees make up more than 15% of organizations on average. Reduced productivity, inferior products and services, and team morale issues stem from tolerating poor performance in the workplace. Are you accidentally tolerating poor performance? The following are a few of the more common and dangerous accidental habits of leaders and a company culture that tolerates poor performance: Accidental Habit #1: Don't let performers know how they are performing. Too often, leaders avoid providing feedback on performance. Providing clear expectations and giving feedback is essential for employees to achieve high performance levels. Sadly, the lack of this feedback is a common challenge poor performers and high performers experience. Leaders often don't feel equipped to provide specific feedback or lack the will to have a difficult conversation about an employee's performance. Avoiding a difficult conversation often makes the situation worse for both the employee and the leader. Accidental Habit #2: Design and provide tools without input from performers. Time constraints and an overreliance on past understanding are often behind the faulty decision-making why leaders don't solicit employee input from followers. Without the proper staffing, equipment, or budget, employees cannot perform at high levels. Accidental Habit #3: Pay poor performers the same as good ones. Leaders pulled in multiple directions often lack direct performance observation and performance documentation to quantify the difference between the top and bottom performers. The result is often that poor performance gets rewarded equally with high-performance levels. Accidental Habit #4: Don't develop team members. Sometimes, leaders don't invest in coaching and developing employees out of fear that developed employees will find another job. In a fast-paced digital marketplace, training investments need to match the pace of change for employees to remain current and capable. If you recognize one or more of these symptoms of tolerating poor performance, now is the time to take action. How to avoid tolerating poor performance Just stop it! Ok, that's probably not the most helpful advice. One of my favorite Bob Newhart skits presents this oversimplified advice for a client seeking help. If you need to laugh before jumping to real advice, here is the video. To avoid tolerating poor performance, it is helpful to first understand the factors that influence performance. Psychologist and founder of the field of human performance technology, Thomas Gilbert, argued that environmental and individual are the two fundamental types of performance factors that influencet our behavior. Environmental Factors: Factors that the leader controls Individual Factors: Factors that the performer controls He identified that information, tools and resources, and incentives are the primary environmental factors. And identified that skill and knowledge, capacity, and motivation are the primary individual factors. These six factors are described below in the Behavior Engineering Model. You can apply the model like a checklist to understand where to optimize performance and uncover what followers need most to improve their performance on any given task. When using this model to diagnose opportunities for improvement, a simple way to get started is to ask employees in team meetings or one-to-one: Which one of the six factors would help them improve their performance immediately the most? When asking this question, be prepared to be surprised and follow up with probing questions such as; What is the real challenge? or What else? In my application for the Behavioral Engineering Model, I have polled hundreds of employees across many different industries, and the most frequently selected performance improvement factor needed is information and feedback, followed by tools and resources. The only exception that I have found is with new hires, who often choose skills and knowledge. Leaders who avoid tolerating poor performance tend to have the following good leadership habits: Leadership Habit #1: Provide timely feedback for high performance Timely feedback is not once a year or a month. Performance feedback is best when given as close to being in the moment as possible. Leadership Habit #2: Ask for input before making decisions that impact others Remember, those closest to tasks have unique insights, and likely many changes have taken place since the last time you performed the task. Leadership Habit #3: Provide incentives for good performance Compensation for the work is not enough. The rewards and incentives you provide can be as simple as saying thank you. Leadership Habit #4: Invest in developing followers Career development is frequently one of the top reasons employees leave their current jobs. Find out what employees need to help them achieve higher performance levels and provide opportunities to learn and grow in those areas. One of the best ways to avoid tolerating poor performance is to create an environment that brings out the best in followers. The Behavioral Engineering Model can help you take action and make changes in ways that matter most. Accidental 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. If you are interested in learning about more ways you can maximize performance, you will want to check out my book, Life-Changing Leadership Habits. Are those you lead growing, serving others, and prepared to surpass you? References: Daniels, A., & Daniels, J. (2006). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. Performance Management Publications. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gallup. (2023). Global engagement survey. Gilbert, T. (1978). Human competence: Engineering worthy performance. McGraw-Hill. Faragher, J. (2006). Employers lose 32m a year, tolerating poor performance. Personnel Today, 1. Plump, C. (2010). Dealing with problem employees: A legal guide for employers. Business Horizons, 53(6), 607-618.

Most employees lack enthusiasm and commitment toward their work and workplace. Evidence suggests that only two in ten U.S. employees are satisfied with their place of work. Yet, 71% of executives say an engaged workforce is critical to their company's success. You are not alone if you are on a quest for that perfect career or feel stuck in a rut. A recent BCG study found that nearly three in ten employees are looking for a new job in the new year. However, the solution for many will not lie solely in switching positions. There is a saying that any road will get you where you are going if you don't know where you are going. Finding career fulfillment starts with a clear picture of what it looks like to you rather than adopting an "anything but this" approach. Here is what you need to know about an ancient Japanese concept called ikigai and three steps to find career fulfillment. Starting with the end in mind matters Career fulfillment and satisfaction are found in balancing your passions, skills, and interests. It is a positive response to an actual or felt satisfaction of needs, desires, or aspirations. Athletes are trained to visualize themselves successfully achieving their goals before events. Numerous scientific studies link creative visualization (the ability to start with the end in mind) to improved performance, goal achievement, and stress management. Research supports that beginning with the end in mind through creative practice boosts your confidence and competence. Here is a short video on the concept of mental imagery used by athletes. Ikigai (e-key-guy) is a Japanese concept dating back to 794 AD that refers to your direction or purpose in life, providing fulfillment, satisfaction, and a sense of meaning. The literal translation consists of two words, 'iki' meaning to live and 'gai' meaning reason. Evidence suggests that the positive psychological effects of ikigai include: professional success well-being academic success physical benefits such as longevity of life Evidence from a study of over 40,000 adults found that both men and women with ikigai had a decreased risk of death from external causes. Visualizing your ikigai / career fulfillment Clarifying your ikigai unlocks the ability to visualize success (career fulfillment and satisfaction). Here is a short video on the meaning of ikigai. The key to understanding your professional ikigai is to explore the following four questions: What do you love to do? What does the world need? What can you get paid for? What are your strengths? The intersection points of these four questions help you clarify your passion (love and good at), mission (love and world needs), vocation (world needs and paid for), and profession (paid for and good at). The busyness of a fast-paced digital world has a way of keeping us from achieving our life's goals. Although this concept may appear straightforward, the value lies in the hard work of uncovering your answers to each of the four questions. Here are three steps to clarify your picture of career fulfillment: Finding Career Fulfillment Step #1: Ask Yourself This is a potentially obvious point, but crucial. Planning is often the most significant barrier to reflection. You get too busy or distracted and move on to the next thing before reflecting. It doesn't have to be long, but I recommend scheduling at least 20 minutes in a quiet place. Then, ask yourself each question and journal what comes to your mind. Don't filter. Just write it down. Remember that discovering your answers to these questions is a journey rather than a one-time process. Finding Career Fulfillment Step #2: Ask Others Find a few people who know you well, that you trust, and will be encouraging. Ask them how they would answer the questions for you. 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. Finding Career Fulfillment Step #3: Reflect Reflect on what you heard. Consider themes rather than specific points shared and, as needed, edit or delete points you journaled. Once you understand your ikigai well, you can use the four questions and a simple Likert rating scale, where one is low and five is high, to score every professional opportunity you might be considering along with your current work. The higher the score, the higher the alignment with your ikigai. References: Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Garcia, H. & Miralles, F. (2018). Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Penguin Life. Personio (2021). Counting the cost: How businesses risk a post-pandemic talent drain. Schippers, M., & Ziegler, N. (2019). Life crafting is a way to find purpose and meaning in life. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2778-2778. Tanno, K., Sakata, K., Ohsawa, M., Onoda, T., Itai, K., Yaegashi, Y., Tamakoshi, A., for JACC Study Group, & JACC Study Group. (2009). Associations of ikigai as a positive psychological factor with all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality among middle-aged and elderly Japanese people: Findings from the Japan collaborative cohort study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 67(1), 67-75. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Job openings and labor turnover summary. Economic News Release.

There has been a lot written on how people are irrational. We have biases that subconsciously influence our decision-making. One of these is leadership attribution error. It's the tendency to attribute leaders with greater impact on results than is real. A coach gets their team into the championship series, and we say, what a great coach. Likewise, if a team has a losing season or is relegated, the coach gets fired. Compelling evidence suggests that leadership does moderate company performance and results. But, maybe you feel the importance of effective leadership is overstated. There is some proof that followers contribute up to 80% of an organization's success. Given unconscious biases and the seemingly contradictory evidence about leadership impact, it is no surprise if you feel skeptical. It could be that you are entirely on board with the value of leadership and are curious about the conditions. Here are five ways leadership impacts people, profit, and purpose in your business and what to consider for your next leadership development investment. Leadership Impact #1: Business Performance Good leadership can create a win out of a weak plan, but ineffective leadership can destroy a business with a great strategic plan. Leadership effectiveness moderates company performance. According to Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, a review of 1,435 companies studied over more than forty years revealed that leadership effectiveness accounted for up to 6.9 times greater financial returns than market averages. In a separate study of over 2,000 firms and leaders, effective leadership accounted for a 38% increase in an organization's overall business performance. This same study then examined the leadership effectiveness scores of the top and bottom-performing 10% of companies. The results revealed that leadership effectiveness was at the 80th percentile in the top-performing companies. Leadership effectiveness was at the 30th percentile in the lowest-performing companies, lower than 70% of the norm leadership effectiveness scores. Personal experience: Working with a large Forbes Top 25 Private Company, we set out to quantify the value of executive leadership. We used internal key business metrics and various cognitive and behavioral leader assessments. A large controlled study involving leaders across different markets revealed a positive correlation between the leader's effectiveness and employee retention, sales, margin, labor costs, and net profit. Leadership Impact #2: Follower Performance Several studies investigate the connection between the leader and the follower's performance. The evidence is consistent that leadership moderates follower performance. In a survey of 100 executives and middle management leaders in manufacturing and service organizations, effective leadership improved follower performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Also, effective leadership is shown to significantly impact follower discretionary effort, known as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). This is when employees voluntarily go beyond what is expected of them to benefit the organization. A study of 815 employees and 123 leaders found that effective leadership increased OCB and workplace climate. Leadership Impact #3: Innovation Fostering innovation within an organization is an increasingly important leadership behavior. No organization is looking to stay the same year over year. Innovation drives top-line revenues, creating a competitive advantage in today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous marketplace. Evidence suggests that leadership is essential for driving innovation. A study involving over 400 executives from 48 companies connected effective organizational strategy and innovation performance with leadership habits. Leadership Impact #4: Trust and Organizational Change Trust is the currency of business relationships, and an absence of trust can bankrupt the organization and its employees. At an individual level, a lack of trust contributes to feelings of: Frustration Rejection Stress Anxiety Depression Leadership trust is directly connected to employee retention, organizational commitment, and support for organizational change. Unfortunately, trust in leadership is becoming rarer. Trust is given based on leadership competence and ethical behaviors. In their book The Leadership Challenge, authors Kouzes and Posner suggested that "credibility" is the foundation of effective leadership because employees must be able to trust their leaders. Numerous studies demonstrate that leadership is critical to successful organizations and change. 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 results. Change events heighten emotional responses, making communicating effectively challenging for the most skilled leaders. Leadership Impact #5: Communication & Relationships Leadership is a conversation. Like air, the words leaders speak can give life to a business. But words can also constrain and limit realities for individual employees, teams, and organizations. Leadership communication cultivates quality leader-follower and employee-organization relationships. In a study of 400 employees working in various companies with an average company tenure of 10 years, influential leaders increased: Two-way communication Creativity Collaboration Job attitudes Organizational commitment Key Points Effective leadership makes a difference in the personal and professional results you achieve and the life you live. Leadership effectiveness improves the bottom line. Effective leadership improves follower performance and promotes higher business levels, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Senior leadership is essential for driving innovation. Senior leadership trust is directly connected to employee retention, organizational commitment, and support for organizational change. Influential leaders increase two-way communication, creativity, collaboration, job attitudes, and organizational commitment. Great leaders achieve great results and create great company cultures. References: Anderson, R., & Adams, W. (2016). Mastering leadership: An integrated framework for breakthrough performance and extraordinary business results. Wiley. Day, D., & Lord, R. (1988). Executive leadership and organizational performance: Suggestions for a new theory and methodology. Journal of Management, 14(3), 453-464. Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap--and others don't. HarperBusiness. Dhar, U., & Mishra, P. (2001). Leadership effectiveness: A study of constituent factors. Journal of Management Research, 1(4), 254. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizatonal Talent consulting. Eisenbeiss, S., van Knippenberg, D., & Boerner, S. (2008). Transformational leadership and team innovation: Integrating team climate principles. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1438-1446. Hackman, J. Richard, and Ruth Wageman. 2007. Asking the right questions about leadership: Discussion and conclusions. American Psychologist 62, no. 1: 43-47. Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (Sixth ed.). Jossey-Bass. Madanchian, M., Hussein, N., Noordin, F., & Taherdoost, H. (2017). Leadership effectiveness measurement and its effect on organization outcomes. Procedia Engineering. Volume 181, pp. 1043-1048. Men, L. (2014). Why leadership matters to internal communication: Linking transformational leadership, symmetrical communication, and employee outcomes. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26: 256–279. Walumbwa, F., Hartnell, C., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Zhang, H., Ou, A., Tsui, A., & Wang, H. (2017). CEO humility, narcissism, and firm innovation: A paradox perspective on CEO traits. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(5), 585-604. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.01.003

Exceptionally talented leaders are life-long learners. Evidence constantly reminds us that the best and most creative leaders populate the most successful organizations. A huge knowledge and skill shift is underway, driven by generative artificial intelligence and automation. This wave of innovation is dramatically changing how businesses run and work gets done. Medal of Freedom recipient Eric Hoffer suggested that "in times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Have you paused to consider what you need to be able to do that you can't yet do? Does your organization's strategy account for the factors likely to impact the future of your business? Here are three future-ready leadership characteristics to develop, two ways to ignite your strategic foresight, and one habit to create a brighter future for yourself and the people you lead. Why being a life-long learner matters during times of change Most economists believe that a more efficient workforce leads to competitive advantage and lowers the costs of goods and services. As the world changes, people and businesses must change too. Advances in technology always attract attention because of their potential effect on employment. The scale and speed of advances in artificial intelligence and robotics have raised fears about the possibility of widespread job displacement in the near future because these advances are fundamentally different from previous technological advances. You likely know someone who has personally experienced the impact of technology-assisted work or had their work replaced by innovation. Automation is everywhere and is a controversial employment topic. This TikTok video and news clip of a robotic server at Denny’s went viral with people on both sides of the debate. Evidence suggests that three-quarters of jobs had more than 40% of their required skills change over the past three years, indicating that the future of the workplace involves change. Economists are mixed on the employment impact of automation. A recent MIT study revealed that wages in the U.S. have declined by 0.42%, aU.S.he employment-to-population ratio has declined by 0.2 percentage points for each robot added per 1,000 workers. None of this is to minimize the hardships experienced by displaced workers. However, robotics and AI may be simply another in a long A.I.ne of waves of innovation whose effects on employment will unfold at rates comparable to those in the past. Leadership development and organizational development are essential investments to realize your organization's potential and prepare the next generation. It is a clear benefit for today's leaders to become future-ready. Falling behind in a fast-changing workplace is career-limiting and a competitive threat to your business. Although the amount of change today may feel overwhelming, it is essential to never give up on the person you can become. Check out this motivational video for some encouragement. 3 Future-ready leadership characteristics Leadership qualities are not just something you are either born with or not. The following future characteristics may seem complex and challenging to articulate, much less measure. However, executive coaching and assessments offer deep insights into areas that lead to enhanced potential with attention. When you think about the future of work and consider the leadership skills and qualities you will need, technical and analytical skills will likely come to mind. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, you are justified in thinking this way. It is projected by 2030 in the US and Europe that the time spentU.S.uring a workweek on information technology and programming tasks will increase the most. While some skills will be less in demand, it is essential to consider the human leadership skills that remain in the technology-driven workplace. Leadership is a relationship, and technology is changing the relationship. Selfless love, humility, and data-driven decision-making are a few timeless leadership skills and qualities to enhance your leadership effectiveness: Leadership Characteristic #1: Selfless Love Without selfless love, the best of what might be is impossible for you and others. When leaders adopt a selfless love worldview, they desire to bring out the best in their followers by giving them the best of themselves. A couple of the most significant challenges leaders will continue to face in the future are retaining top talent and creating inclusive workplaces that bring out the best in all employees. Selfless love cultivates an organizational culture where healthy and caring leader-follower relationships break down the adverse effects of our differences. Selfless love enhances organizational commitment, productivity, job performance, and emotional well-being. Leaders who emphasize selfless love bring out the best in how people think, act, and feel in the workplace, leading to success and significance both personally and professionally. Leadership Characteristic #2: Humility Humble leadership behaviors reduce costs and increase revenue. Humility is a demonstrated lever for sustainable company development, enhancing employee innovation, team empowerment, company performance, and self-improvement. After analyzing 1435 companies over forty years, leadership guru Jim Collins concluded that humility and professionalism are the most transformative executive leadership characteristics. Humble leaders recognize and are self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They appreciate others and believe that life is less about themselves and more about the greater good. Humble leaders walk the line between self-confidence and over-confidence. They can be both competitive and ambitious. Humble leaders are not weak and indecisive. Leadership Characteristic #3: Data-Driven Decision-Making Innovations enable businesses to make sense of the chaos and complexity in the world. Technology is creating massive amounts of data with the potential to create a competitive advantage or overwhelm and paralyze leaders. Data-driven decision-making has become somewhat of a buzzword as many leaders and organizations aim to be data-driven. It is when leaders use facts extracted from data and metrics to guide business decisions that support business goals rather than relying on experience, intuition, and stories alone. Data analytics provide leaders with new insights and understanding of how to transform their business. Using data enables organizations to optimize operations, reducing costs and increasing revenue. Cognitive and predictive analytics go one step further, allowing organizations to transform quickly during market changes. Embracing data-driven decision-making cuts through the haze that comes from relying on intuition. 2 Ways to ignite strategic foresight The past few years have made it abundantly clear that no one can predict the future with absolute certainty. Strategic foresight can offer some valuable insights when rethinking the future of leadership. “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Wayne Gretzky Strategic foresight is a systemic view of change, considering not just the likely changes but all the possible potential changes. Strategic foresight aims not to predict the future but to to enable better decision-making and preparedness. Here are two practical steps to ignite strategic foresight about what you will need to be able to do that you can’t yet do: Step 1: First, get curious about potential challenges and opportunities facing your business over the next few years. Network with peers and colleagues. Do some of your investigating of business trends. It is easy to become narrowly focused on the work at hand and lose sight of where it is going. It is important in this first step to avoid narrowing in on any potential trend too soon. You may find it helpful to use the strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis to categorize the trends you identify. When doing this assessment, don’t be overly optimistic or pessimistic, but focus on what is likely: Consider what poses the greatest opportunity and risk for the business? Ask yourself, what strengths do I have that could be leveraged? Where do I need to improve to meet the challenges and opportunities identified? Step 2: Now, you are ready to focus and explore your shortlist of trends. Consider the impact and likelihood as you consider each point. Zero in on the more likely and critical challenges and opportunities. Ask yourself: What skills and qualities are needed by leaders to be ready for the potential challenges? What are the strengths I can leverage? Where is my real challenge? What trends and learning opportunities do I want to focus on? 1 Future-ready leadership habit Reflection is critical to build a brighter and better future for yourself and those you lead. Adequate reflection involves doubting, pausing, and being curious about the ordinary. Reflection improves critical thinking capacity. Critical thinking helps leaders navigate volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous situations everyday in every business. It is the ability to use cognitive skills and strategies to increase the probability of the desired outcome when problem-solving. For businesses to grow, increase speed, and achieve sustainability, critical thinking for executive leadership is required. There is a saying in the military that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The following are some tips to embed reflection into your leadership habits. Journaling has been demonstrated to be incredibly impactful on leader-follower relationships, clarity of purpose, and the improvement of new skills. Like building any habit, start small and tie it to an existing habit, like a routine before you leave the office for the day. Critical reflection should be a social process and is most successful when collaborative. Leaders need to understand how followers perceive their actions. Leadership books, articles, and assessments can enable you to examine a particular situation from different points of view, supporting critical reflection. Here is a bonus link to "The Five Best Resources" an assembled collection of my top five favorite books from thought leaders on change management, coaching, culture, innovation and creativity, leadership style, servant leadership, and strategic planning. Conclusion: Are you a future-ready leader? In today’s fast-changing workplace, failing to consider what you need to be able to do that you can’t yet do puts you and your team at risk of getting left behind. Getting curious about the challenges and opportunities you will face in the future and taking an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses is a good place to start. While technology and innovations are making some skills less in demand, human leadership skills will remain in the technology-driven workplace. Selfless love, humility, and data-driven decision-making are timeless leadership skills that enhance your effectiveness. A habit of critical reflection unlocks a massive opportunity for you and your organization. It is achieved by developing the ability to doubt, pause, and be curious about the ordinary. So, as you think about the future, what do you need to commit to learning that you can’t yet do? References Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2020). Robots and jobs: EvidenceU.S.rom US labor markets. Journal of Political Economy. BLS. (2022). Growth trends for selected occupations considered at risk from automation. Monthly Labor Review. Collins, J. C. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap--and others don't. HarperBusiness. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Ferris, R. (1988). How organizational love can improve leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 16(4), 41-51. McKinsey Global Institute. (2016). Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce. McKinsey & Company. Mulinge, P. (2018). Altruism and altruistic love: Intrinsic motivation for servant-leadership. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 12(1), 337-370.

Gratitude is a leadership superpower. In a challenging economy or stress-filled workplace situation, things become negative quickly. Leaving most trying to survive the day and living weekend to weekend. What was a minor issue becomes a critical concern. After a while, the added complexity of decisions and increased stress harm performance and well-being. Evidence suggests that most employees are looking to leaders for help, and most leaders are feeling used up at the end of the day, a 12% increase from two years prior. This is where the power of gratitude makes all the difference. But gratitude often gets forgotten in tough times. To restore a positive mindset, use gratitude. Here is why it's a difference maker for thriving in tough times and three tips for building a habit of gratitude. Why gratitude matters Gratitude is a positive emotion that brings balance to a negative mindset. Many studies link gratitude with positive personal benefits, such as: Improved health Increased happiness Decreased anxiety Decreased depression Likewise, evidence suggests that feeling appreciated is linked to well-being and employee performance. Those who feel valued by their leader are more likely to report higher levels of: Physical and mental health Engagement Job satisfaction Intrinsic motivation The following short video explains the science behind why gratitude matters. If you immerse yourself in the daily news, the future of work appears dire – supply chain constraints, geopolitical conflict, inflation, and historic labor shortages are projected to persist. Looking ahead to next year, a soft recession is a real possibility. Employees are stressed out, and the costs of workplace stress and burnout are high. To quantify workplace stress costs, a recent study found that workplace stressors in the United States account for more than 120,000 deaths per year and approximately 5-8% of annual healthcare costs. The Mayo Clinic found that the personal and organizational side effects of stress include: broken relationships substance abuse depression decreased customer satisfaction reduced productivity increased employee turnover Stress is an emotional contagion. Research has demonstrated that co-workers can spread stress within a workgroup. For example, someone on your team who feels down enters a meeting. Within a few minutes, the entire team's emotions mimic their behaviors and non-verbal expressions. The following short NPR video discusses how emotions like stress are contagious. What does leadership gratitude look like? According to the American Psychological Association, gratitude is a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit given by someone or a fortunate happenstance. "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others." – Cicero. As a leader the practice of gratitude consists of an affirmation of goodness in others. A habit of gratitude involves your ability to acknowledge the good and a sense of thankfulness. Empathy, kindness, and love are closely related to the virtue of gratitude. Effective leadership is more than making someone do something. It is about the selfless influence of others and the ability to bring out the best in others. Here is a good video from gratitude expert Robert Emmons that addresses what gratitude means. We can all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Evidence suggests that it is best to start by making gathering and giving gratitude easy. Here are three tips for building a habit of gratitude. Gratitude Habit Tip #1: Stop. Look. Go. The following video presents how practicing gratitude begins by getting quiet, looking through our senses, and then taking the opportunity presented. Gratitude Habit Tip #2: Make it easy When building a habit it is consistency and not intensity. Have you got an app for that? Gratefulness.io is a tool that makes getting started easy. I have used this tool for a few years and found it helpful for building an attitude of gratitude. The app will send you a simple daily prompt asking you about what you are grateful for, and it stores your responses in a private online journal. What you record can be as simple as what comes to your mind or a purposeful reflection on something good that happened that day and why you felt good. I find the reminders Gratefulness.io sends of what I was grateful for from my journal very encouraging, and a way for me to track over time. Gratitude Habit Tip #3: Give it away Giving gratitude makes you happier. After listing what you are grateful for each day, take a few moments to practice giving gratitude. Not only will reflecting and journaling what you are thankful for make you happier but giving appreciation will multiply the positive effects on your emotions. Simply send a thank you note or, better yet, deliver the thank you note or say thank you in person. How important do you think gratitude is for you and your team as you look ahead to what experts suggest will be another challenging new year, and what is the real gratitude challenge for you? References: Adecco. (2021). Resetting normal: Defining the new era of work 2021 [PDF]. The Adecco Group. APA. (2012). APA survey finds feeling valued at work linked to well-being and performance. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate, people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Goh, J., Pfeffer, J., & Zenios, S. (2016). The relationship between workplace stressors and mortality and health costs in the United States [PDF]. Management Science. Harvard Medical School. (2021). Giving thanks can make you happier. Harvard Health Publishing. McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(1), 112-127. The Gratefulness Team. (2021). What is Gratitude? A Network for Grateful Living

Let's face it. Those you lead already know you are not perfect. It may be a minor shortcoming that is a blind spot, or it could be a leadership habit impacting those you lead or the company's financial results. When you become self-aware of accidental bad habits, the only real decision is between choice and change. Change always begins with a choice. It is one thing to recognize the need for change and another to be entirely willing to act. Striving for better habits is a competitive advantage for any leader and business looking for a powerful point of differentiation. If you choose to create better leadership habits – here is what you need to know based on the latest research and six proven tips to get you moving in your best direction. "The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." – Samuel Johnson⁠ Myth-Busting: It takes 21 days to form a habit Habits are routines, patterns, or practices performed regularly. A common myth is that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Evidence from Dr. Maxwell Maltz's 1960 book 'Psycho-cybernetics' is believed to have led to this myth. The number of times you complete a healthy habit before it becomes a habit can vary substantially by the person and the situation. One study concluded it typically ranges from 18-254 days of consistency. The key is repetition, and eventually, it will become a habit. Habits (good or bad) are often enjoyable and automatic Often, our brain works against us when we try to build better habits by reinforcing our bad habits. Some of these habits produce pleasure and release dopamine as a reward. We are wired for repetition and doing things automatically. This creates advantages for mindless tasks and makes changing habits harder. Good intentions are not enough to break habits. However, leaders are not doomed to live with certain habits. You can change and reorient your behavior. You can build self-control, making standing firm while trying to change easier. After you begin with a choice, these tips will keep you moving in your best direction: Better Habits Tip #1: Know Your Why Living daily without a vision for the future is not a great approach if you want to make the most of your life. Success and significance are not accidents and will require being deliberate and persevering. Starting with the end in mind goes far beyond knowing what habit you want to create. It requires considering why and what outcome you want from your personal and professional investment of time and energy. To answer this question, you have to factor in the impact you will have on others, what you stand for, and how you want to show up daily. Ikigai (e-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that refers to your direction or purpose in life, providing fulfillment, satisfaction, and a sense of meaning. The literal translation consists of two words, 'iki' meaning to live and 'gai' meaning reason. Evidence suggests that the positive psychological effects of Ikigai include professional success, well-being, and physical benefits such as longevity of life. A study of over 40,000 adults found that men and women with Ikigai had a decreased risk for death from external causes. Better Habits Tip #2: Get a Plan You may have heard the saying that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. There is not a one-size-fits-all plan template. However, a good development plan, at a minimum, should include your why, making it easy, making it automatic, planning for accountability, and falling forward. Also, writing down your goals is associated with goal success. Evidence suggests you are 1.2X to 1.4X more likely to accomplish goals when they are vivid and explicit versus when they are not. If you want to take the easy route, you can take the free Accidental Habit Assessment, pick up a copy of my book Life-Changing Leadership Habits, or schedule a 20-minute call, and we can put a plan together specific to your needs. Better Habits Tip #3: Make it Easy It's about consistency over intensity. Don't try to make too many changes at once. Make it easy. Pick one easy change and gradually increase the difficulty when creating a new habit. Multiple changes at once make creating a new habit more difficult. For example, if your goal is to create a healthy habit of appreciative thinking. Rather than starting with implementing an appreciative inquiry summit or redesigning your organization's approach to strategic planning, pick one appreciative question to incorporate into existing one-to-one meetings. Keeping it simple to start allows you to build on success. Better Habits Tip #4: Make it Automatic Habit stacking is a proven approach to starting and making a new habit automatic. Habit stacking involves connecting new habits with existing habits to make them memorable. For example, suppose you are looking to create a habit of saying thank you to your team. In that case, you could benefit from connecting it with another behavior you already have formed. For example, if you walk through your facility daily to check production status, you could start using that time to catch your team doing something valuable and immediately say thank you. Pairing new habits with existing routines makes the new habit more memorable and establishes automaticity. Better Habits Tip #5: Get an Accountability Partner Life was not meant to be done alone. Too often, we fail to consider leveraging 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. Conducting check-in meetings with an accountability partner to increase your motivation. We all tend to do better when someone is watching, even if that someone is you. Daily reflection and considering improvement opportunities establish personal accountability and a continuous improvement mindset. Better Habits Tip #6: Fail Forward No, I didn't just say to fail—plan for falling forward and not backward. When you first learned to walk, you fell more than you walked. You are human, and failure only comes with giving up. Being consistent is essential for creating a new habit and not being perfect. Develop a plan for getting back on track when you fall. It's not that you expect to fail but thinking ahead about how you will get back up rather than being perfect. Creating new habits is not a game of all or nothing. The steps described are not an exhaustive list of every potential action you will need to overcome every challenge you may encounter when creating new leadership habits. Instead, these steps help you with the more common situations and significant difficulties you may encounter. "Virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions ... The good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life.” Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics You can develop better leadership habits with a bit of planning. Like hiking, the first step is being entirely willing to make a change. References Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones. Avery. 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. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Garcia, H. & Miralles, F. (2018). Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life. Penguin Life. Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, Cornelia H., Potts, H., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009. Murphy, M. (2010). HARD goals: The secret to getting from where you are to where you want to be. McGraw Hill.

Development is essential for leaders to thrive in today's turbulent marketplace. You're either growing or falling behind. Embracing leadership assessment can build your capacity to navigate complex challenges and steer your team and organization to success. If you haven't already, you will want to try a 360-degree assessment. You might be surprised to learn that 360-degree surveys are used in over 85% of Fortune 500 companies. Feedback is the lifeblood of a high-performing team. However, a stark reality is that employees receive significantly less constructive feedback the higher they move up in an organization. If you are looking for actionable and individualized feedback from those who matter most, this is your game-changer. Here is what you need to know about leadership and the five keys to 360-degree assessment success. Why 360-degree assessment matters 360-degree leadership assessment has been around for over 25 years. Its uses in companies range from development and performance management to decision-making purposes such as compensation, promotions, and even downsizing initiatives. The term "360-degree" assessment is derived from where the rater feedback originates concerning the leader being assessed. Confidentiality is a foundational aspect of 360-degree leadership feedback. Responses are anonymously collected and grouped by the rater's association with the leader. Feedback collected measures the leader's performance on specific behaviors and provides insights into rater group perceptions. A company-wide or team view of 360-degree feedback provides talent management insights into organizational performance and culture. While 360-degree feedback effectively improves leadership skills across all cultures, evidence suggests it's most effective in cultures with low power distance and individualistic values, such as Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Many studies have linked the following benefits associated with 360-degree assessment at the individual and organizational levels: Individual leader value Self-awareness Improved leadership effectiveness Increased job satisfaction Role clarity Employee engagement Organizational Value Improved performance Improved role clarity Enhanced agility Decreased absenteeism Decreased employee turnover Although the benefits of 360-degree assessments are well documented, it is critically important that they are facilitated appropriately. Upfront work needs to be done to prevent potential unintended negative issues, such as closed-mindedness, rater bias, individuals using the assessments to attack a leader, or a culture that avoids direct communication. 360 Assessment Key #1: KISS You probably have heard of the K.I.S.S. principle. If not, it means keep it simple, stupid! There is a tendency to try and measure everything when using a 360-degree assessment. While the idea is good to maximize value, you must also consider rater fatigue and the cost of rater time. Maximize value by linking behaviors assessed to organizational values and leadership style. Then, keep it short and straightforward. 360 Assessment Key #2: Debriefing In addition to selecting the right questions for the leadership 360-degree assessment, choosing a qualified coach is equally important to help understand 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 qualifications a coach has, the better the interpretation you will receive, but education does not replace experience. Be sure to get recommendations and learn about the coach's character before starting. Utilize a coach to debrief the feedback, delineate SMART goals, and serve as an accountability partner to follow through and maximize learning. 360 Assessment Key #3: Validity Promote valid feedback by thoughtfully considering raters selected to provide input. Too narrow a group increases the risks of blind spots. As a general guide, having at least 5-7 raters per group is good. The exceptions are with the leader of the individual being assessed, which is typically one person, and direct reports, which should include all. 360 Assessment Key #4: Education A lack of awareness and understanding creates confusion. Educate raters on its purpose before administering the assessment. This can be as simple as sending a memo to the raters explaining the assessment's who, what, and why. A good practice is to provide those being assessed with an opportunity for a conversation to ask questions and confirm their understanding. Remember the saying: Change imposed is change opposed. It would be best if you had buy-in to maximize the value of the assessment. 360 Assessment Key #5: Organization-wide Implementation A good practice is to deploy 360-degree assessments as part of an organization-wide leadership development strategy. This way, the company can get additional organizational benefits from aggregating feedback data to identify systemic opportunities and feedback on the organization's culture. Another benefit is that no one leader feels singled out. References: Baker, A., Perreault, D., Reid, A., & Blanchard, C. M. (2013). Feedback and organizations: Feedback is good, and a feedback-friendly culture is better. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 54(4), 260-268. Bracken, D. W., & Rose, D. S. (2011). When does 360-degree feedback create behavior change? and how would we know it when it does? Journal of Business and Psychology, 26(2), 183-192. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Luthans, F., & Peterson, S. J. (2003). 360‐degree feedback with systematic coaching: Empirical analysis suggests a winning combination. Human Resource Management, 42(3), 243-256. Shipper, F., Hoffman, R. C., & Rotondo, D. M. (2007). Does the 360 feedback process create actionable knowledge equally across cultures? Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(1), 33-50. Thach, E.C. (2002). The impact of executive coaching and 360 feedback on leadership effectiveness. Leadership & organization Development Journal, 23(4), 205-214. Whitaker, B. G., & Levy, P. (2012). Linking feedback quality and goal orientation to feedback seeking and job performance.Human Performance, 25(2), 159-178. 8927