Most executives want more out of life and work, and businesses want to grow. The pressures of today's crisis-driven fast-paced digital workplace are immense, and leaders face many new challenges. If leaders and teams are not continuously developing, they are falling behind. So, how can busy executive leaders and businesses avoid revenue dips or wasted time chasing ideas that don't move the needle in today's turbulent and uncertain environment? Some of the most admired companies in the Fortune 100 are turning to executive coaching as a high-value investment and contributing to the $1 billion dollar coaching industry. Evidence from an extensive study by Stanley Black and Decker revealed that executives receiving coaching increased goal performance by 15% compared to executives not receiving coaching. The growing support for executive coaching and its effectiveness is undeniable. However, it may not be familiar to you. This article provides insights on what executive coaching is and is not, evidence-based benefits, the coaching process, virtual coaching, what makes an excellent executive coach, and more. What is the ROI of Executive Coaching? If you ask five different people to define coaching, you will likely get five different definitions. Coaching is a thought-provoking partnership focused on achieving a client's goal. It is a creative process that starts with clarifying the goal and the gap between where they are today and their desired future. It provokes the client to explore and experiment to maximize their personal and professional potential. The ultimate goal of executive coaching is a positive transformation in life and leadership for the client (e.g., behavioral, attitudinal, or motivational). The coach-client relationship is grounded in trust, transparency, and confidentiality. While the coach and client are the primary stakeholders, the executive's sponsoring organization is often an additional formal or informal stakeholder. The benefits of investing in executive coaching are well documented. According to the International Coaching Federation, 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence. Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report recouping their investment in coaching and more. ​ Executive Benefits: Establish and take action toward achieving both career and life goals Become more confident Gain more personal satisfaction Contribute more effectively to the team and the organization Take greater responsibility and accountability for actions and commitments Work more efficiently and productively with others (leaders, followers, peers, customers) Communicate more effectively Reduced stress Business Benefits: Empowers employees Increases engagement Improves performance Improves employee retention Supports identification and development of high-potential employees Supports identification of both organizational and individual strengths and development opportunities Shows organizational commitment to employee development What Executive Coaching is Not Executive coaching is not counseling or mentoring. Counseling deals with past or current trauma, mental health, and symptoms to restore emotional wellness. Executive coaching focuses on the future and not the client's past. Unlike a coach, a mentor sets the agenda for their client using their experiences to guide the relationship. While that approach can be helpful in reality, we are all created with different strengths and backgrounds. A coach draws out the executive's desires and works to co-create options to achieve the executive's goals with personal and professional benefits. In addition to executive coaching, there are several other popular coaching services: Career Coaching is focused on accelerating your career. Most of us go through day-to-day life giving more thought to what we will wear each day than our jobs. The coaching focuses on developing and implementing a plan of action to boost your career. Career coaching keeps you feeling challenged versus being worried about what's next. Additionally, a coach increases your blind spot awareness. We all have blind spots. A good career coach helps you avoid jeopardizing current and future potential career opportunities because of blind spots. Emotional Intelligence Coaching focuses on helping you become more self-aware and effective in relationships. This type of coaching typically involves temperament and personality profiles to pinion where development should be focused. Leadership Coaching helps you grow your confidence and competence regardless of whether you are an emerging leader, frontline leader, mid-level manager, executive, or business owner. Typically leadership coaching includes using a 360-degree assessment to improve feedback and awareness for the client. Who typically hires an executive coach? Individual executives and organizations hire executive coaches to achieve their goals. Sometimes the executive is in transition, facing new challenges, or making a career pivot. Hiring an executive coach is a good fit for any executive who wants to get more out of life and work, accelerate their career, or shift their mindset. Here are a few scenarios from recent executives that hired me to be their coach: A newly appointed CEO replacing the founder of a rapidly growing mid-sized business A CEO for a mid-sized nonprofit facing increasing regulatory pressures and wanting to get more out of life and work A tenured regional VP making a career pivot A director within a large business wanting to successfully navigate change and work effectively with a new leader It is typically not a good idea to hire an executive coach if: The executive does not want the coaching—the lower the executive's motivation, the lower the investment's return. The executive seeks a consultant or a mentor to solve a problem or share their experience. The executive manager is not doing their job, and the organization is looking to outsource the executive manager role. What is the Typical Executive Coaching Process? Current evidence-based research supports various psychological approaches to executive coaching, such as cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, strength-based, and GROW. While each approach is similar, the GROW model is a popular executive coaching approach. Given the ultimate goal of executive coaching is related to change within the executive, the process centers on using essential questions and client-centered critical thinking to invoke the executive's self-awareness and personal responsibility. The GROW model represents a journey that begins with clarifying the goal that is both inspiring and challenging to the executive. Then the following step involves exploring the current reality considering barriers between the current state and desired future. The next step involves exploring options based on the principle that imagination creates breakthroughs. The final step is clarifying the executive's will and the way forward. It involves defining specific timebound actions with the commitment, accountability, and reporting to lead to transformation. The client ultimately chooses the decisions to make and steps to take to meet their goals. A typical coaching program includes four fundamental steps over 12 months: Step #1: Alignment to build rapport and understand the context for coaching and the outcomes. Step #2: Assessment to provide insight into strengths and opportunities for your development. Step #3: Coaching to move toward your future, assess where you are currently and where you would like to be, remove obstacles, and explore and discover the steps to achieve your desired future. Step #4: Measurement to establish clear goals, measure progress, and celebrate successes. Is virtual executive coaching effective? While in-person communication is proven to be most effective, a skilled coach can effectively utilize virtual technologies such as Zoom to achieve lasting results. Thoughtfully incorporating virtual coaching has many benefits: Accessibility is likely one of the most significant benefits associated with virtual coaching. Technology enables the coach and client to connect; in different places within the same building or worldwide. Availability improves, enabling the coach to be brought into just-in-time and rapid response needs or unique situations like cross-cultural needs. Also, the coach and client benefit from the flexibility and administrative ease in scheduling. Affordability improves through reduced travel and associated costs. Access to resources improves through digital access to tools supporting goal setting, coaching preparation, and progress tracking. Coaching evaluation improves through the ease of tracking commitments, satisfaction, strengths, opportunities, and trends both on an individual client level and at an aggregate organizational level. Take this free Virtual Coaching Fit Checker quiz to help you determine if virtual coaching is a good fit. What makes an excellent executive coach? An excellent executive coach is experienced, trained, and qualified. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is a globally recognized association with evidence-based competency and code of ethics certification requirements. The ICF identified the following eight essential core competencies of a coach based on research collected over two years of job analyses from 1,300 coaches globally: Demonstrates Ethical Practice Embodies a Coaching Mindset Establishes and Maintains Agreements Cultivates Trust and Safety Maintains Presence Listens Actively Evokes Awareness Facilitates Client Growth Additionally, an excellent coach usually refrains from giving advice or sharing their personal stories. Instead, the coach asks powerful questions to help the executive clarify their problems in achieving their goals. Also, evidence suggests that a coach's academic background in psychology enhances executive coaching outcomes such as the client's self-awareness and leadership performance. References: Athanasopoulou, A., & Dopson, S. (2018). A systematic review of executive coaching outcomes: Is it the journey or the destination that matters most? The Leadership Quarterly. 29(1), 70-88. Berglas, S. (2002). The very real dangers of executive coaching. Harvard Business Review, 80(6), 86-153. Bluckert, P. (2005). Critical factors in executive coaching - the coaching relationship. Industrial and Commercial Training, 37(7), 336-340. Dean, M., & Meyer, A. (2002). Executive coaching: In search of a model. Journal of Leadership Education, 1(2). Goldsmith, M., Lyons, L., & McArthur, S. (2012). Coaching for leadership: Writings on leadership from the world's greatest coaches 3rd Edition. Pfeiffer. Kampa-Kokesch, S., & Anderson, M. (2001). Executive coaching: A comprehensive review of the literature. Consulting Psychology Journal, 53(4), 205-228. Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, H., Sandhal, P., & Whitworth, L., (2018). Co-active coaching: The proven framework for transformative conversations at work and in life. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Lai, Y., & Palmer, S. (2019). Psychology in executive coaching: An integrated literature review. Journal of Work Applied Management, 11(2), 143-164. Thach, E. (2002). The impact of executive coaching and 360 feedback on leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 23(4), 205-214.

Have you ever wondered what servant leadership is? Maybe you already understand the basic concepts but have questions about how servant leadership differs from other leadership styles or if a servant leadership approach is appropriate for your team. The costs of poor leadership often show up in the workplace disguised as low employee engagement, a lack of team cohesion and collaboration, high employee turnover, and failed execution. Businesses need leaders able to take action amid economic uncertainty and operate effectively in a digital workplace with a diverse workforce. This article provides insights into the proven benefits of a servant leadership style for businesses and employees, the dimensions and characteristics that set servant leaders apart, and an example of servant leadership from a global leader in the business services and supplies industry. How Servant Leadership Makes a Difference in the Workplace There are several well-researched employee and company benefits associated with servant leadership, such as: performance productivity intrinsic motivation organizational citizenship behavior organizational alignment workplace climate employee capacity creativity A servant leader's selfless love for followers is a benefit multiplier. Evidence suggests that selfless love increases leader and follower commitment, yielding enhanced intrinsic motivation that amplifies workforce and business strategy alignment. Intrinsic motivation is also a moderating factor in employee engagement. It improved intrinsic motivation results in higher levels of employee engagement. "Higher levels of intrinsic motivation cause people to do more and results in higher performance" Patterson In addition to enhancing what leaders expect, servant leadership unlocks the unexpected. Discretionary effort, also known as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), is increased by servant leadership. For example, consider two employees walking down a hall. Both employees see a piece of paper on the floor. Only one employee stops to pick it up even though it is neither employee's responsibility. Servant leadership enhances the workplace climate, increases discretionary effort (unexpected worthy behaviors), and improves business results. No organization looks to stay the same year after year. Innovation is required to remain relevant and succeed in a fast-paced digital marketplace. Studies reveal that a servant leadership style improves employee productivity and creativity. Employees are more likely to provide constructive criticism and engage in productive conflict without fear of exclusion or retaliation. It is in this environment that employees can be creative. The Servant Leadership Style Described Robert Greenleaf is attributed by most as the founder of servant leadership. He described a servant leader as a servant first. And used the following test to answer the question, what's servant leadership? Would you pass this test? The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not be further deprived. Greenleaf & Spears The following short video from leadership guru Ken Blanchard provides some additional insights into the potential of servant leadership in today's workplace. 10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader These ten characteristics are foundational to understanding the servant leadership style: Listening to self and others: Servant leaders use verbal, nonverbal, and empathic listening to build trust and improve relationships. Displaying empathy: Servant leaders possess the ability to be aware of, feel, and take on the emotions of another person is experiencing: Empathy plays a vital role in moderating the effects of workplace conflict. Research has linked empathy with forgiveness and healing relationships. Healing: Servant leaders provide physical and emotional support to restore broken relationships and help employees that have been hurt. Awareness: Both general awareness and self-awareness strengthen the leader's ability to understand issues involving ethics, power, and values holistically. Persuasion: Servant leaders rely on persuasion vs. positional power to make decisions. This is one of the most apparent differences between a servant leader and a traditional leader. Conceptual thinking: Servant leaders consider the best of what is and what can be by tapping into the team's dreams. Rather than solely focusing on the short-term, the servant leader can align followers with the company's purpose and vision of the organization. Strategic foresight: The goal is not to predict the future but to enable better decision-making and preparedness so leaders can grow revenue amid uncertainty. Stewardship of others' needs: Servant leaders hold others' needs in their trust while serving and influencing with persuasion. Commitment to follower development: Servant leaders see their followers' potential and value beyond their tangible contributions to the business. Building community: A community is defined by shared social identification among the members. Servant leaders recognize and take action to build community with those in the workplace. Creating shared social identity provides the missing link between employees feeling excluded and included. Employees are looking for leaders that demonstrate these behaviors. However, these characteristics alone do not fully capture servant leadership. 7 Dimensions of Servant Leadership Like the operating system on your phone, the leader's inner game values and virtues moderate leadership effectiveness. Characteristics describe what a leader should do in a given situation. But, the leader's virtues and character direct what a leader will do. Virtues provide a foundation for the characteristics of a servant leader. The following are the seven virtues of a servant leader: Love: Doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reasons. Humility: Having a realistic self-image, others focused, being willing to listen, and being vulnerable. Altruism: Concerned for others' welfare and equity and derives pleasure from helping others. Vision: Able to see around the corners, understand follower capability, and possess a growth mindset. Trust: Having integrity, respect, transparency, and goodwill. Empowerment: Sharing power, teamwork, transparent expectations, goals, and responsibilities. Service: Choosing others over self and authentic. Comparing the motivations and dimensions of different leadership styles reveals similarities and differences, contributing to a deeper understanding of servant leadership. Servant Leadership vs. Transformational Leadership While similar to servant leadership, the primary focus of transformational leadership is the organizational benefit. The emphasis of servant leadership is on service to the follower. The table below displays the motivations and dimensions of servant and transformational leadership. Servant Leadership vs. Authentic Leadership In contrast to servant leadership, authentic leadership focuses on the leader being who they were created to be—authentic leadership and servant leadership overlap in dimensions of leading with heart and humility. The critical difference between these two contemporary leadership approaches is the difference in the leader's focus on themselves for authentic leadership and others for servant leadership—the table below displays servant and authentic leadership motivations and dimensions. Servant Leadership vs. Spiritual Leadership Spiritual leadership is distinctly different from servant leadership, although it is the most similar theory of the four contemporary leadership theories discussed. Spiritual leadership focuses on motivating the leader and others, which contrasts with service to others in servant leadership. Both spiritual leadership and servant leadership theories share the dimensions of love, vision, and altruism. The following table displays the motivations and dimensions of servant and spiritual leadership. A Servant Leadership Example in Business The journey of Sodexo provides excellent examples of servant leadership in business. Sodexo is the global business services and supplies industry leader headquartered in France. Sodexo started as a family-run business in Marseilles, France. Since the beginning of Sodexo in 1966, its mission, values, and ethical principles have guided its people-focused actions around service. This global organization of over 470,000 employees is located in 67 countries and served 100 million consumers daily in 2019. While Sodexo does not explicitly state servant-leadership, the organization's mission, and leaders align with servant-leadership characteristics. Here are some examples: Sodexo measures employee quality of life as the employee's physical environment, health and wellbeing, social interaction, recognition, ease and efficiency, and personal growth. Sodexo considers the lifestyles of its employees globally and encourages work flexibility to promote improved performance for clients and customers. Sarosh Mistry, Region Chair for North America and Chief Executive Officer, suggested that improved performance starts with ensuring an excellent quality of life for Sodexo employees. Sylvia Metayer, Chief Growth Officer, humbly stated, "I am learning that to be a CEO is to be a servant." Sodexo's senior leadership shares a servant focus. The following table provides examples of servant-leadership from both Sarosh Mistry and Sylvia Metayer. They are two members of the Sodexo Executive Committee. Sarosh indicated that Sodexo looks for leaders who motivate employees through service by giving back to the communities they serve. A servant-leader understands that leaders can use power to serve others' needs through performance. Servant Leadership Quotes "Leadership is an extreme sport requiring both courage and humility." Cheryl Bachelder, Former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. "Listen, show compassion, and ask for feedback." Liz Theophill, Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Novartis AG "How you get the results is more important than the results themselves." Art Barter, CEO, Datron World Communications, Inc. It is no longer acceptable for corporate leadership to be blind to their followers' needs and the communities where they live and work. People are looking to business leaders to help remove barriers that impact meeting their own needs. Servant leadership, an emerging 20th-century leadership style, provides solutions to today's dilemmas. Take Our Servant Leader Quiz Take this free quiz to learn if your leadership style aligns with servant leadership. References Alba, R. (2018). What majority-minority society? A critical analysis of the Census Bureau's projections of America's demographic future. Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 4. Bass, B. M. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 18-40. Becchetti, L., Castriota, S., & Tortia, E. C. (2013). Productivity, wages, and intrinsic motivations. Small Business Economics, 41(2), 379-399. Bennis, W. G. (1959). Leadership theory and administrative behavior: The problem of authority. Administrative Science Quarterly, 4(3), 259- 301. Boerma, M. Coyle, E., Dietrich, M. Dintzner, M., Drayton, S., Early II, J., Edginton, A., Horlen, C. Kirkwood, C., Lin, A., Rager, M., Shah-Manek, B., Welch, A., & Williams, N. (2017). Point/Counterpoint: Are outstanding leaders born or made? American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(3), 58. Kirkwood, C., Lin, A., Rager, M., Shah-Manek, B., Welch, A., & Williams, N. (2017). Point/Counterpoint: Are outstanding leaders born or made? American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(3), 58. Ferris, R. (1988). How organizational love can improve leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 16(4), 41-51. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693-727. George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value. John Wiley & Sons. Greenleaf, R. K., & Spears, L. C. (2002). Servant-leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th-anniversary ed.). Paulist Press. Hassell, B. (2017). What do today's workforce trends mean for business, leadership? Chief Learning Officer. Kwittken, A. (2020, May 4). Moving from service leadership to servant-leadership during a pandemic: A conversation with Sodexo North America chair Sarosh Mistry [Audio podcast]. Brand on Purpose. Mittal, R., & Dorfman, P. W. (2012). Servant leadership across cultures. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 555-570. Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (Seventh Edition ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. Patterson, K. (2003, October 16). Servant-leadership: A theoretical model [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant-leadership Research Roundtable. Shu, C. (2015). The impact of intrinsic motivation on the effectiveness of leadership style towards on work engagement. Contemporary Management Research, 11(4), 327-349. Sodexo. (2019). Fiscal 2019 universal registration document [PDF]. LABRADOR. Sodexo. (2020). About Us. https://us.sodexo.com/about-us.html Trompenaars, A., & Voerman, E. (2010). Servant leadership across cultures: Harnessing the strength of the world's most powerful management philosophy. McGraw-Hill. Van Dierendonck, D., & Patterson, K. (2010). Servant-leadership: Developments in theory and research. Palgrave Macmillan. Walumbwa, F., Hartnell, C., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant-leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(3). Wallace, J. R. (2007) Servant-leadership: A worldview perspective. The International Journal of Leadership Studies. 2(2). Winston, B. E. (2003). Extending Patterson's servant-leadership model: Explaining how leaders and followers interact in a circular model. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant-leadership Research Roundtable. Winston, B. & Ryan, B. (2008). Servant-leadership as a Humane Orientation: Using the GLOBE Study Construct of Humane Orientation to Show that Servant-leadership is More Global than Western. International Journal of Leadership Studies, Vol. 3 Iss. 2, pp. 212-222.

Star Wars presents an epic struggle between the light and darkside of the force. This special-effects-laden movie saga produced over ten billion dollars of revenue for Disney. However, in the workplace, the made-for-movie behaviors of dark personality traits are not the same. A dark personality sits in between what is considered a normal personality and clinical pathology. In the workplace, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy are the Dark Triad. These dark personality types are proven to increase costly, counterproductive work behaviors, such as sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda tells Luke, "If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Is the same true for leaders? This article provides insights into the dark side of personality, six workplace talent management countermeasures, and what to do if you work with or for someone with a dark personality. What is a dark personality? Like in Star Wars, the use of the word dark has a chilling effect. Before discussing the meaning of "dark" personality, it is helpful to understand what personality is. According to the American Phycological Association: Personality refers to the individual differences in the characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. While research into the dark side of personality has increased in recent years, there is little consensus on what makes a personality feature dark. However, the following working definition is widely accepted: A dark personality is socially undersireable and linked with interpersonal challenges and potentially destructive organizational behaviors such as aggression, manipulation, and exploitation. Dark side personality traits are proven to increase the likelihood of leadership failure. In contrast, normal personality characteristics are proven to be catalysts for positive organizational results. What is the Dark Triad Modern research into dark personality has focused on the three particularly offensive but nonpathological personality types. The Dark Triad is made up of Machiavelianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Machiavellianism refers to a personality type that is a master manipulator. They are described as calculating, conniving, deceptive, and lacking empathy. A manipulative quote you could expect to hear from a Machiavellian is attributed to P. T. Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute." Machiavellianism is associated with increased counterproductive workplace behavior and a lack of conscientiousness in the workplace. It is worth noting; however, at least one study revealed positive and negative effects from this dark side personality type. A survey of over 600 working adults from various industries found that Machiavellianism negatively influenced if employees would go above and beyond the expectations of the job for the betterment of their colleagues and the organization. Narcissism refers to a highly self-involved personality. Narcissists have an inflated sense of importance, a high need for attention and admiration, and a fragile ego susceptible to the faintest criticism. You would expect to hear from a narcissist that they don't care what you think unless it is about them. In a Cornell University workplace study, narcissists supported hierarchical organizational structures when they were at the top or expected to get to the top quickly. In another study of over 2,700 working adults, narcissism was the dominant predictor of counterproductive workplace behavior among the dark triad personality types. Counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB) is simply any behavior that undercuts business goals and aspirations. Psychopathy refers to a personality type marked by thrill-seeking with unusually low anxiety, a lack of empathy, antisocial behavior, a lack of guilt, and an absence of conscience. A representative quote you would expect from this personality type is attributed to actor James Marsters, "I am a psychopath, but I don't have a problem with that." According to researchers, psychopaths are "appreciating liabilities" that account for 1.15 trillion in annual costs due to coworker and organizational fallout in the workplace. Here is a short video that explains how the Dark Personality Triad types are similar yet distinctly different. Do you have Dark Triad tendencies? After reading to this point, you might wonder if you (or someone you know) have Dark Triad tendencies. If so, here is a link to a free Short Dark Triad assessment developed by Delroy Paulhus and Daniel Jones, strictly for educational and entertainment purposes. After taking the assessment, you will receive a detailed report. Can you change your personality? Or is it true what Yoda told Luke that if you start down the dark path, it forever will dominate your destiny? Luckily, there is hope. The Big Five personality traits serve as the building blocks of personality. They are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research into these personality traits suggests making changes through persistent and deliberate interventions is possible. There is more than one way to make changes. Here are a few proven talent management suggestions to counter dark personality behaviors in the workplace. Talent Management Countermeasure #1: Organizational Culture Your workplace culture is the one thing that influences everything. For example, narcissists are less likely to demonstrate counterproductive workplace behaviors in a collectivist culture. In these cultures, self-serving behaviors don't get rewarded. Consider using a culture assessment to discover how your company culture is or is not reinforcing desired workplace behavior. Talent Management Countermeasure #2: Executive Assessments When you know yourself, you have the insight to recognize bad leadership habits and make transformational changes that deliver proven results. The higher you move within an organization, the less objective the feedback you tend to receive; however, it becomes more critical personally and professionally. Executive assessments can provide deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. The NEO-PI-R is a measure of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) that provides a systematic assessment of normal personality and insight into facets of the Dark Triad. Talent Management Countermeasure #3: Executive Coaching Combining executive coaching with assessments is proven to create positive outcomes. Most people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. Most companies report recouping their coaching investment through enhanced business outcomes. Talent Management Countermeasure #4: Performance Reviews Chances are you are not as good at performance management as you think. When providing performance feedback to dark personality types, it is helpful to precisely communicate the desired behaviors in the context of achieving organizational goals and supporting team cohesion. Making it clear that company performance is the desired outcome. Talent Management Countermeasure #5: Reward and Recognition Don't fall into the trap of believing that any recognition is better than no recognition. Know what motivates employees and don't reinforce the wrong behaviors. Machiavellians are concerned with impression management. Tightly aligning reward systems with desired behaviors will make them more appealing and encourage their behavior toward team cohesion. Make recognition a leadership habit. Talent Management Countermeasure #6: Training Bringing out the best in all personality types includes employee learning and development opportunities. Research demonstrates that investments into development at critical career transition points effectively influence dark personality types. Helping employees understand appropriate work expectations and behaviors can help organizations avoid costly mistakes. The adverse effects of dark personality types on others and the organization (e.x., sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism) demand that organizational leadership take responsibility for change. What if you work with or for someone with a dark personality? Dark personalities in the general population are not common, typically less than one percent. However, they do exist, and most of us have some dark personality tendencies. The good news is that people can change if they want to change. The bad news is that you can not make them change. Here is what you need to consider before taking an action you regret. First, check your MVP. Your motivation, vision, and perspective for this relationship moderate the effectiveness of your actions. If you have a positive MVP about this coworker or leader, you are more likely to have a positive outcome if you try to work on the relationship. When you don't have a positive MVP, you are less likely to be effective in your ability to work with them. Motivation. Is your motivation about caring for them? Or is your motivation to be right? Reasons for a conversation matter. It is less likely an action you take will lead to positive changes without a positive reason. Vision. How do you see the result of the conversation going? Is it the best of what might? Or is what you see a list of all the things that could go wrong? When you anticipate a positive step in the journey, it provides a sense of purpose and direction to inspire your best and achieve success. Perspective. When the lens through which you perceive a relationship is off, your results will turn out poorly. Is your paradigm of a healthy relationship? Or is your perspective that it is best to avoid the relationship? Second, consider your options. You can accept the relationships for what they are, work to redefine the relationships, or find a new place to work with different people. Although you can not make them change, you do have options, and it is essential to remember that you are in control of what and if you take action. Shifting your 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. What you should read next about dark personality types If you enjoyed learning about the Dark Triad, you would likely enjoy reading The Dark Side of Personality: Science and Practice in Social, Personality, and Clinical Psychology by Virgil Zeigler-Hill. In this book, the author goes beyond the Dark Triad to address another dark side of personality traits such as spite, authoritarianism, and perfectionism. Another book you might like is Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work by authors Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare. These authors discuss the impact of psychopaths in the workplace and provide practical tools to help you avoid getting bit by them. Key Points: Darkside personality types are proven to increase costly, counterproductive work behaviors, such as sabotage, bullying, sexual harassment, fraud, employee theft, and absenteeism. Dark personalities negatively impact teams and organizational outcomes. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy dark personality types make up the Dark Triad. Narcissism is the dominant predictor of counterproductive workplace behavior among the dark triad personality types. It is possible to change dark personality traits through persistent interventions. If you have organizational culture or leadership development needs you cannot solve independently, we're ready to partner with you to craft a solution specific to your organization's context and challenges. Getting started is as easy as visiting www.organizationaltalent.com or contacting us via email at info@organizationaltalent.com. References: Anderson, N. E., & Kiehl, K. A. (2014). Psychopathy: developmental perspectives and their implications for treatment. Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 32(1), 103–117. Becker, J. & O'Hair, D. (2007). Machiavellians' motives in organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Communication Research. 35(3). Pp. 246-267. Burke, R.J. (2006), Why leaders fail: Exploring the darkside. International Journal of Manpower, 27(1), pp. 91-100. Michalak, R. T., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2020). Working with monsters: Counting the costs of workplace psychopaths and other toxic employees. Accounting and Finance (Parkville), 60(S1), 729-770. Psychology Topics. (2021). Personality. American Psychological Association. Spain, S., Harms, P. & Lebreton, J. (2013). The dark side of personality at work. of Organizational Behavior. 35, S41-S60. Zitek, E. M., & Jordan, A. H. (2016). Narcissism predicts support for hierarchy: At least when narcissists think they can rise to the top. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(7), 707–716.

Uncertainty, inflation, and massive disruptions test espoused company values. It is a trial by fire for leaders. Unfortunately, new evidence suggests most leaders and organizations are not weathering this test well. Gallup's global workplace study found only three in ten employees are engaged. A recent survey by McKenzie revealed that less than half of the workforce experiences a positive workplace climate, and only 38% of employees believe business puts people before profits. According to the CEOs representing America's top business leaders, shareholder value is no longer the primary objective of a business. Taking action amid economic uncertainty and operating in a digital workplace with an increasingly diverse workforce necessitates leaders to adapt their leadership styles. As the adage goes, what got you here will not get you there. If you are not continually improving, you are falling behind. Here is what you need to know about the similarities and differences in motivations and characteristics behind four emerging 21st-century leadership styles. A Reimagined Business Purpose The purpose of business has changed. The Business Roundtable made up of 181 prominent US CEOs, has recently restated the purpose of a corporation. The purpose of business is "investing in employees, delivering value to customers, dealing ethically with suppliers and supporting outside communities." Fitzgerald Here is a short video discussing the change and its merits. It is not new for the Business Roundtable to suggest that investing in employees and communities is essential to generating shareholder value. However, because words matter, they decided that the current language was inconsistent with how CEOs strive to run modern businesses. The change has generated some debate. In response, members have clarified that the new purpose statement is not abandoning capitalism but a call to action to ensure benefits are shared. The desire is to encourage boards to focus better on creating long-term value by serving investors, employees, communities, suppliers, and customers. Why Your Leadership Style Matters Effective leadership makes a difference in the personal and professional results you achieve and the life you live. If you have ever worked for a leader other than yourself, the statement that effective leadership makes a difference is likely, not surprising. The costs of poor leadership often show up in the workplace disguised as low employee engagement, a lack of team cohesion and collaboration, high employee turnover, and failed execution. Good leadership can make a success out of a weak plan, but ineffective leadership can destroy a business with a great strategic plan. According to Jim Collins in the book Good to Great, a review of 1,435 companies studied over more than forty years revealed that leadership effectiveness accounts for up to 6.9 times greater returns than market averages. Emerging Leadership Theories and Styles Leadership style refers to a leader's inner game characteristics and outer game habits when leading. Servant leadership, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and spiritual leadership are emerging 21st-century leadership styles and theories gaining increased attention. Servant Leadership is a choice to serve first, placing the good of the follower ahead of self-interests. Transformational Leadership taps into follower motivations to better reach the goals of the leader and follower. Authentic Leadership is about the leader and leadership being real, as implied by its name. Spiritual Leadership incorporates calling and membership with vision and value congruence to motivate the leader and follower. The following comparisons highlight the differences between each style's motivations and characteristics to provide a better understanding of leadership style. Comparing Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership While similar to servant leadership, the central focus of transformational leadership is on organizational benefit. Servant leadership's primary focus is serving others (see Table 1). Comparing Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership In contrast to servant leadership, authentic leadership focuses on the leader being who they were created to be. Authentic leadership and servant leadership share similarities of leading with the heart and humility. However, the critical difference between these two leadership styles is the difference in the leader's focus (see Table 2). Comparing Servant Leadership and Spiritual Leadership While spiritual leadership and servant leadership share the most similarity between the four leadership styles, they are distinctly different styles. Spiritual leadership focuses on motivating, which is very different from servant leadership. Both spiritual leadership and servant-leadership styles share the characteristics of love, vision, and altruism (see Table 3). The world desperately needs a new approach to leadership, and these four distinct emerging leadership styles provide answers. What is your real leadership challenge? Are you ready to better understand your leadership style and maximize your potential? Take our Leadership Style Inventory assessment. Leaders discover their preferred style of leadership through the use of forced-choice responses to various real-world leadership scenarios. Get a personalized one-page report that will give you a new understanding of your leadership style. Engage in a powerful virtual or in-person executive coaching partnership. This coaching program is tailored to address your leadership goals and development needs. In addition to the leadership style inventory, coaching consists of a pre/post leadership 360 survey to reveal blind spots and hidden strengths and measure your growth. A typical program includes nine to twelve coaching sessions. Apply your new leadership insights. Now it's time to use what you have learned to maximize your leadership potential and get more out of life and work. Inquire about pricing and learn more about the leadership style inventory and executive coaching. Schedule a 20-minute initial conversation or submit a contact request form to tell us how we can help. References: Bennis, W. G. (1959). Leadership theory and administrative behavior: The problem of authority. Administrative Science Quarterly, 4(3), 259- 301. Bass, B. M. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 18-40. Fitzgerald, M. (2019). The CEOs of nearly 200 companies said shareholder value is no longer their primary objective. CNBC Markets. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693-727. George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value John Wiley & Sons. Greenleaf, R. K., & Spears, L. C. (2002). Servant-leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th-anniversary ed.). Paulist Press. Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice seventh edition. Sage. Patterson, K. (2003, October 16). Servant-leadership: A theoretical model [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant-leadership Research Roundtable.

"I've got an opening on my team; do you know of anyone?" How often have you initiated this conversation or been a part of it recently? It's been months since you have done any workforce and succession planning, and unfortunately, it looks like it will be several more months before you get another chance. Work is just too busy. Most leaders struggle to find and develop the ready-now talent they need. But should leaders even bother spending time trying to develop employees and plan for the future, given the turbulence in the labor market and uncertainty in the world? Workforce challenges are nothing new. However, industry experts forecast that your talent challenges will become increasingly severe by 2030. Building a pool of qualified candidates ready to fill newly created or vacated positions can be challenging. But with a few steps, you can disrupt your processes to improve your talent pipeline position. Why Disrupting Your Talent Pipeline Matters You might be thinking to yourself, no one knows the future for sure, so why bother trying to build a pool of ready-now candidates? One of the most significant downfalls of strategic planning in today’s turbulent marketplace is that the process often fails to consider future changes in the environment. But, only relying on short-term planning is gambling with your company’s future. How many job titles exist in your company today that didn’t exist 5-10 years ago? I expect that you will be able to think of more than one. An estimate from the Institute for the Future suggests that up to 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 did not exist in 2019. While this estimate is likely high, given we are only seven years away from 2030, we know that recent changes are profoundly impacting the workforce. Data from LinkedIn reflects a 60% increase in new job titles related to the future of work. The pace of change is only getting faster and having broader impacts on your business. When facilitating workshops on the topic of change, I often ask leaders to think back and recount their company changes on a timeline. Each time I see an increase in the frequency of changes closer to the current date, some of this could be the tendency to weigh recent events more heavily than older events, but even excluding a reasonable error of attribution, leaders will agree there has been an increase. Today this stems from rapid advances in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced materials, and genomics. These changes are driving additional change. The following video from MIT Sloan provides some insight into an explanation for this increase in the pace of change. A standard tool most companies use to identify and develop their talent pipeline for the future is succession planning. The current state of most companies’ succession planning is not good. According to the Corporate Executive Board, organizations fail to identify 50% of their positions with pre-identified successors. Also, executives have the lowest succession plan success rate, filling only 28% of jobs with pre-identified successors. There are likely many contributing factors to these poor results. One core, common, and critical factor impacting most businesses is the variability in the effectiveness of developing employees. Development investments do not always deliver on promised results. A survey of leaders by McKinsey & Co. found that only 25% of thought that training actually improved employee performance. There is a fundamental shift underway within the employee population from traditional company-based employment to a gig economy. Mastercard reported that the size of the gig economy will reach $455 billion, and approximately 50% of the workforce will be freelancing in the US by 2027. Currently, estimates from the Pew Research Center are that 16% to 35% of the U.S. workforce has earned money on a gig platform There are lots of reasons, both internal and external to your business, that may make it seem like you should walk away from planning and managing your talent pipeline. But what you need now is a disruptive change to improve your talent pipeline processes. dis·rupt (verb) 1. drastically alter or destroy the structure of (something). Disruption Step 1: Strategic workforce planning It is time for strategic workforce planning (SWP) to become a formal part of your company’s strategic planning. It is a repeatable, measurable business process that helps execute strategic initiatives in a time-sensitive fashion. The focus of SWP is on roles that most significantly impact the company's strategies. Inputs are both quantitative and qualitative workforce measures from both current and future state perspectives. The outcomes are people strategies embedded into your strategic initiatives. Environmental scanning is a strategic workforce planning process to systematically survey and interpret relevant talent data to identify external opportunities and threats that could influence future decisions. It is similar to a S.W.O.T. analysis. As the world changes, companies must change. It is too easy for workforce plans to get behind and out of sync with the direction of the company without formally embedding strategic workforce planning into the company's strategic planning processes. Disruption Step 2: Strategic foresight and scenario planning Likely, the single most value-added strategic talent planning process in today's complex and ambiguous marketplace is the application of strategic foresight. Industries and the labor market are changing so fast that it is no longer an option for leaders not to be paying attention to the trends that will impact their business and the workforce. Scenario planning is a decision-making tool used in the application of strategic foresight to explore and understand a variety of issues impacting organizations. Since we cannot predict the future, both learning and preparation are essential. The goal is for leadership teams to become more informed by broadening ideas about what multiple futures might bring. Scenario planning involves identifying a specific set of uncertainties and different realities of what might happen in the future. This process helps you keep a pulse on the current state but also an eye on the future. Disruption Step 3: Critical role identification All of the jobs in your company are important. Right? If not, that is another disruption needed. But some jobs are more critical or add more value than others. It is time to take a very thoughtful and structured approach to identify your company’s critical 'few' roles, so you can forecast and focus your talent plans. Critical role identification must go beyond the top of the organizational chart. While executive roles are essential, they may not be critical. When identifying critical roles, it helps to consider each position’s skills value to the customer and company, and skills uniqueness both within the company (bench-strength) and outside the company. The use of a multivariate rating tool with a broad item scale, such as a one to seven-point scale, allows for greater differentiation across roles. Disruption Step 4: Succession planning Succession planning is intended to increase the availability of experienced, capable, and diverse talent, ensuring the right people in the right jobs now and in the future. Depending on how advanced your company's succession planning is, the following are a few potential changes that most companies could benefit from making: Talent management needs to be integrated. Talent acquisition, talent sourcing, and successor identification process activities should be aligned. Sourcing is aware of the external labor market potential, talent acquisition is aware of the current trends, and both can proactively stay connected with passive external candidates that may be able to step into a forecasted succession gap if aligned. Talent calibration and learning and development activities need to shift from competencies and skills to also include specific virtues and experiences necessary for the successor role. Virtues are better predictors of what someone will do, and experiences ensure a higher success rate of identified successors. Talent reviews need to be robust discussions, not confirmation of what is already known. They should take on the same level of rigor as company business plan reviews. When reviewing talent, it is crucial to discuss the buy, build, and bounce needs for talent. Too often, talent reviews are an afterthought or get minimal as compared to business planning discussions. Disruption Step 5: Data-driven decision-making There is a real opportunity for disruption of the talent processes by using data analytics and data-driven decision-making. Leading HR organizations are using descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive people analytics. Studies support that when HR applies people analytics to identify low and high performers' skills and attributes, leaders tend to make unbiased decisions in talent acquisition processes. What if you could mine external sources of data on competencies from benchmarking sites, skills from social networking sites, and talent availability from employment sites? You could match the external data with internal data on the value and internal bench strength from your HR information systems, informing strategic planning with a more accurate and real-time understanding to shape company strategies and tactics. If companies are going to successfully navigate and thrive in a time of continual innovation and change, ultimately, they will need to leverage technology to help us meet the business opportunities created by technology. What is your real talent pipeline challenge? Take up the mantle of change. For this is your time. Winston Churchill References: Al-Hashimi, A., Holding, T., Barcia, J., Benitez, S., Duong, J., Frauenfelder, M., Gorbis, M., Harrles, M., Harrington, P., Rawana, M., Rose, D., Tay, K., and Whitehouse, B. (2019). Future of work: Forecasting emerging technologies' impact on work in the next era of human-machine partnerships. Institute For The Future. Anderson, M., McClain, C., Faverio, M., and Gelles-Watnick, R. (2021). The state of gig work in 2021. Pew Research Center. Fahey, S. (2003). High-impact succession management: From succession planning to strategic executive talent management. Corporate Executive Board. De Smet, A., Mcgurk, M., and Schwartz, E. (2010). Getting more from your training programs. Mckenzie and Company. Krikorian, S. (2020). Fueling the global gig economy: How real-time, card-based disbursements can support a changing workforce. Mastercard. McGreggor, J. (2022). The next in-demand job title: Head of the Future of Work. Forbes Tsekov, P. (2023). How to properly navigate the gig economy and the large pool of IT experts. Forbes. Plamen Tsekov Zielinski, D. (2019). People analytics software is changing the HR game. SHRM HR Magazine.

Change is certain. Getting it right isn’t. Whenever leaders introduce bold change, creating workforce desire and understanding are vital. Without these two things, any change investment will amount to nothing more than pushback and anxiety. Large-scale artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion are reshaping the workplace and world. A quick look at the Stanford University AI index provides several data points confirming the rapid expansion of AI and its broad implications. There are many reasons for excitement and concern. Navigating your company’s introduction to AI well could ensure growth in the future. But, poorly navigating the workforce transformation could cost your company significantly. No pressure, right? Here are three steps toward getting the people side of your company's AI deployment right. Why your AI workforce introduction matters A new workplace relationship between employees and machines is being created through AI. The value of AI comes from automating and augmenting the way work gets done. The changes created by AI range from enhancing the image from your iPhone camera to using AI to rebuild our trust in the internet by exposing deep fake images and videos. AI is being used in healthcare to improve the prediction of future medical issues in patients to save lives by bringing AI in behind humans to make them better at what matters most. Some of the many ways different business functions could begin utilizing generative AI in the workplace now are: Marketing and sales functions - writing sales copy and creating product user guides. Operations - improving customer service and identifying production errors and defects. Engineering - writing code and generating data tables with contextual information. Legal - drafting legal documents and answering questions from large amounts of legal documentation. Human Resources - creating interview questions for candidate assessment and self-serve support. Communications - creating presentations and employee communications. The introduction of AI in the workplace is resulting in new jobs. Have you heard about the new hot tech job, AI Prompt Engineer, that can pay up to $335,000 annually without an engineering degree? This position helps companies build context around their AI language model by understanding user needs and creating custom prompts that improve the user experience. Given these benefits, there are reasons for excitement but also for concern. A recent global survey revealed that only 35% of respondents in the US agree that products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks. There is a growing interest and concern with ethics associated with AI models. Also, there are fears that job automation will worsen job loss and income inequality. Deploying artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically transform your company with improved results and harm it if the workforce introduction is not handled well. Whether it is the visible impact of an unanticipated departure of an employee or the more devastating hidden impact of a disengaged employee collecting a paycheck and creating problems in the organization. With today’s highly competitive employee-driven market, you cannot afford to make a mistake that negatively impacts your employment value proposition. Here are three practical steps you can take to get your company’s people side of AI-related change started off right: Workforce AI Introduction Step 1: Create a vision statement for AI in your company. Starting with the end in mind is a significant first step. Get ahead of questions and concerns with transparency and authenticity. Update your company vision. An ideal future state for your organization should include improved results and relationships. Change is an opportunity for the growth of your business and team. As a leader, establishing a shared vision of a bold future is vital. Here is an example from Microsoft on how they cast a balanced vision for AI: Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We strive to create local opportunity, growth, and impact in every country around the world. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence. Workforce Introduction Step 2: Engage your employees in meaningful conversations about AI. Being guarded promotes distrust. Start the AI conversation with employees. Plan a team meeting with company leadership to discuss: What is AI? What does the future of AI look like? What is the potential company use and vision for AI? In this meeting, listen to both verbal and nonverbal communication. Your goal is to uncover the differences, commonalities, hopes, and fears of your team. These meetings are the beginning of a dialogue that engages those impacted by the change in the discussion on the change; toward that bold future. To follow up on these meetings, capture the conversation and share key points. Likely these conversations will identify future topics. Most likely, you won't feel fully prepared with having all the information wanted or needed to have this conversation. Although leaders are expected to convey an image of competence, confidence, and power, followers already know you are not perfect. Being vulnerable as a leader requires courage. Vulnerability in the workplace enhances trust, collaboration, innovation, employee retention, and a feeling of connection that improves the quality of leader-follower relationships and employee performance. The following short video from Simon Sinek expands on the tension leaders face and how to show vulnerability in the workplace as a leader. Workforce Introduction Step 3: Conduct a strategic workforce planning session. One way to rise above the talent challenge is with workforce planning. Identify the roles that will be strategic, operational, and supporting for introducing AI to your company. Next, consider the various roles and needs to identify what talent you can develop internally and what expertise you will need to attract into your company. Lastly, based on the gap and competencies required to grow internally, develop a plan for employee development according to the different roles. Demand for AI-related skills is growing fast. Labor analytic data revealed that AI job postings increased significantly in the US, especially in California, Texas, and New York. Employers in the US are increasingly looking for workers with AI skills. Every industry (except one) increased AI-related postings year over year, even those that are not directly associated with AI. Every AI-related skill category grew in 2022, with Python being the most requested AI skill. Projections are that 97 million jobs involving AI will be created in the next three years. The discovery of fire by Neanderthals was life-giving. The control of fire was the cultural turning point that led to life-altering innovation. Likewise, today, the invention of AI is giving life to new organizations and jobs. The future of AI is controlling its deployment and introduction in your company. What's your real workforce AI deployment challenge? References: Beckett, E. (2023). The 2023 Stanford AI Index: Demand for AI skills continues climbing. Chui, E, Roberts, R., and Yee, L. (2022). Generative AI is here: How tools like ChatGPT could change your business. McKinsey. Edelman. (2022). Trust in technology. Gebrekal, T. (2022). What worries the world. IPSOS. Maslej, N., Fattorini, N., Brynjolfsson, E., Etchemendy, J., Ligett, K., Lyons, T., Manyika, J., Ngo, H., Niebles, J., Parli, V., Shoham, Y., Wald, R., Clark, J., and Perrault, R. (2023). The AI Index 2023 Annual Report. The Institute for Human-Centered AI, Stanford University.

One of the greatest leadership challenges during organizational change is making the invisible visible. Many leaders underestimate this. They focus on flawless execution. To remain competitive, companies must avoid costly mistakes. But emphasizing implementation without creating a sense of urgency can create change resistance and confusion, causing people to give up before they start. These leaders underestimate the organizational inertia needed to achieve big results. Any organization can move forward with small incremental changes, but building for the future in today's rapidly evolving environment means making bold changes. Here is one tool busy leaders can use to keep a pulse on what matters most during major organizational change. Why you need an organizational change framework Benjamin Franklin suggested that the only certainty in life is death and taxes. I would add change. And as the world changes, leaders and businesses must change too. Too often, organizational change management is simply a series of communications where executives or project managers inform the business that change is coming. Leading change is more than communicating the features, advantages, and benefits of change. Adopting an organizational change framework helps you and others manage the people side of change and create organizational inertia. Culture is one thing that influences everything in your organization. An organization's culture is composed of norms of behavior and shared values. Employees and leaders do not reinforce behaviors they do not value. A leader alone can create the organizational inertia needed to change without followers, not even the CEO. I have two organizational change frameworks I frequently use when working with leaders to implement bold change. And I like that you don't have to be an organizational development expert to understand and apply these two frameworks. Kotter's eight-step change management model provides an easy-to-follow roadmap for change managers. The eight steps are sequential, and Kotter suggests that skipping steps leads to failure. Create a sense of urgency Assemble the guiding team Develop a compelling vision Create a communication plan Develop and implement the plan Evaluate results and impact Generate and celebrate early wins Don't let up! For a more technical understanding of these steps, I recommend reading Leading Change. If you prefer more of a fable approach, consider reading Our Iceberg is Melting. ProSci's ADKAR model is my other go-to change framework. It is short and to the point. A – awareness of the change D – a desire to participate and support the change K – knowledge of how to change A – ability to implement the desired skills and behaviors R – reinforcement to sustain the change To learn more about the ADKAR model, I recommend reading ADKAR: A model for change in business, government, and our community by Hiatt. In my experience, the critical success factors are finding a framework structure simple enough to be understood by others and staying flexible in your approach. Keeping your pulse on what matters most during organizational change Busy leaders can miss subtle signs of confusion, resistance, anxiety, frustration, or retreat during change. A pulse check helps change leaders make the invisible visible. Collecting structured feedback aligned with a change framework helps leaders stay connected with those impacted by the change. A pulse check can help identify potential barriers to change so leaders can bring out the best in their followers throughout the change. Pulse checks can collect this feedback in many different ways. Asking questions in one-to-one or team meetings is a great way to create a conversation. Also, an anonymous organizational survey can help awareness of concerns without fear of consequences. The following statements align with the Kotter and ADKAR change frameworks. When administering these in a survey format, I suggest asking participants to respond by ranking each statement on a scale from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree.' The added benefit of using a structured survey is the ability to monitor trends and assess the effectiveness of interventions to help remove barriers. I understand why I need to change and the impact on my job. I know the business case for change. The right people are in the correct positions to support the change. I am aligned with the change vision. My peers are on board with the change. The organization has shared goals aligned with the change vision. I have the knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform in new ways aligned with the change. I understand how to achieve quick wins and have the support needed. Leadership is committed to the change. I receive rewards and recognition for behaviors aligned with supporting the change. The goal of a pulse survey is not to try and achieve a perfect score but identify hidden strengths or blind spots so you can best lead the change. You should adjust the questions over time, especially when consistently receiving strongly agreed responses. A key to success with survey feedback is listening to understand the why behind the responses by engaging in a two-way conversation and acting on what you learn. What is the real change management challenge for you? References Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR: A model for change in business, government, and our community. Prosci Research. Kotter, J. (2018). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press

Periods of excessive stress can have consequences as severe as heart disease. Not just individual well-being and happiness suffer when mental health suffers. The well-documented business impact of a stressed-out workforce is significant. In a recent global study of 14,800 knowledge workers, 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers struggled with anxiety. Research by Gallup suggests that employees reporting poor mental health are less productive and five times more likely to miss work than those reporting good mental health. Being able to de-stress unlocks improved performance, joy, and health. So what are you to do? There is a lot of discussion and evidence on the broad benefits of exercise, mindfulness, and gratitude. These are key, but here are three surefire ways to de-stress your work (and life). De-Stressing #1: Identifying Your Stressors It's hard to address what is not understood. There is a long and rich history of research into factors with the potential to create stress for leaders. Here is a list of ten everyday workplace stressors: Role Ambiguity Self-Doubt Organizational Culture Misalignment Expectations Conflict Role Overload Inadequate Resources Work-Life Boundary Mismanagement Stalled Career Isolation Underemployment We each experience the workplace from unique perspectives shaped by our past experiences, current reality, and personality. We also measure stress intensity differently. The common challenge is during periods of excessive stress. At these times, it can be difficult to identify the primary driver of your stress, and leadership assessments can be a valuable tool for revealing your stressors. De-Stressing #2: Enhancing Self-Awareness Although counterintuitive, after identifying the source of the stress, the next best step you can take to de-stressing your work and life is enhancing self-awareness. When you focus on others and concerns outside your influence, it keeps you from gaining traction. You can make the most progress by working in areas where you already have influence. The last thing a leader needs in today's demanding workplace is someone or something telling them what they already know. The better the quality of the feedback you receive, the better the decisions you can make. Evidence suggests that executive coaching combined with assessments provides deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. Evidence also suggests that leaders lacking self-awareness are more likely not to be able to regulate their emotions and behaviors effectively. This contributes to poor physical health, work performance, and social interactions. The importance of self-awareness is not new. However, a recent study of 486 companies demonstrated that the most self-aware leaders populate the best organizations. Poor-performing businesses had 20 percent more leaders with blind spots than high-performing businesses. The medical model can be a helpful analogy for understanding why leaders benefit from assessments to enhance self-awareness. Consider your last visit to the doctor. You weren't going to the doctor to be told what you already knew, but you needed answers or help with something you couldn't answer alone. You were likely going to the doctor as a reaction to something not being right or proactively to uncover something before it became a problem (or possibly because someone you care about told you to go). At the doctor's visit, the assessments likely started with subjective questions, then progressed to more objective measures to pinpoint where additional review or attention might be helpful. Potentially, the doctor then ordered the use of advanced targeted assessments that required a specialist's technical interpretation. De-Stressing #3: Building New Habits In my new book, Life-Changing Leadership Habits, I provide ten proven principles to help leaders get more out of life and work. When making changes, it's critical to pick a replacement habit to start and not only focus on what you will stop doing. Even if you identify several practices you want to change, you will see the most growth by taking it one step at a time rather than attempting to change multiple habits simultaneously. A common myth is that it takes 21 days to build a habit. The number of times you have to perform a life-changing habit before it becomes a habit can vary substantially by the person and the situation. One study concluded that typically it ranges from 18-254 days. The key is repetition, and eventually, it will become a habit. Most of us have experienced trying to break a bad habit or create a good one before, only to keep doing what we don't want. Viewing the process of breaking habits with a pass-or-fail mental model sets you up for frustration. Building new habits is a learning process that needs to be considered, as the only failure is giving up. "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." African Proverb If you are struggling with making changes, it is helpful to answer why you are trying to change in the first place and find an accountability partner. The confidence and growth from a creative thought partnership can't be beaten. Now more than ever, executive coaches are a crucial relationship for busy leaders. What is the real de-stressing challenge you face? Discover Your AHA! Join leaders discovering their leadership AHA to achieve success and significance in life and work. Striving for better habits is a competitive advantage available to any leader looking for a powerful point of differentiation. Understanding your accidental leadership habits unlocks your potential to bring out your best and be the leader you want, and the world needs you to be. Take the Accidental Habit Assessment. Get your Personalized Results. Explore, Build, and Apply Life-Changing Leadership Habits Throughout Your Life. References: APA. (2012). APA survey finds feeling valued at work linked to well-being and performance. Goh, J., Pfeffer, J., & Zenios, S. (2016). The relationship between workplace stressors and mortality and health costs in the United States [PDF]. Management Science. Goh, J., Pfeffer, J., & Zenios, S. (2016). The relationship between workplace stressors and mortality and health costs in the United States [PDF]. Management Science. Hardesty, L. (2023). Tips to keep stress from hurting your heart. Mayo Clinic Health System. 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. Wigert, B., & Pendell, R. (2023). 6 Trends Leaders Need to Navigate This Year. Gallup Workplace. Williams, N. (2016). Top ten types of workplace stress. Bartell and Bartell.

It is easy for a leader to kill motivation and respect within a team. A lack of attention or emotional connection and you are perceived as being aloof. Too much attention in the day-to-day, and the team feels a loss of autonomy and control. Research suggests that mismatched management reduces morale, trust, and productivity and increases employee turnover. Partnering for performance is one way to develop self-reliant achievers and avoid micro-managing your team. It is a high ROI investment into your success and business growth. Here are three keys to effectively partnering for performance. What is mismatched management? Mismatched management occurs when leaders micro-manage and take away decision-making from capable and committed followers or macro-manage and fail to provide enough direction. Micro-management is a hard habit to break. It is described as an overly hands-on approach when leaders don't delegate, overcommunicate, or manage with excessive control and attention to detail. This leadership style often stems from believing that the leader knows best and the stakes are high. Leaders who trust their follower's competence and commitment are less likely to micromanage. Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that intrinsic work motivation stems from the psychological needs of employees to possess autonomy, mastery, and purpose. When leaders micro-manage, it demotivates followers by increasing feelings of loss of control. Here is a humorous example of micro-management from the movie Office Space. Macro-management is a hands-off approach when leaders don't get involved and provide too little coaching and support for their team. This style of leadership is described as laissez-faire. Which loosely translated from French, means "let it be." Macro-management often stems from misreading the needs of followers and placing trust in followers based on assumptions rather than mutual understanding. When leaders abandon followers, team members experience feelings of confusion and frustration. What is partnering for performance? In today's complex and ambiguous workplace, leaders must excel in managing and leading to achieve success and significance. Excelling in management does not happen without intentional focus and striving for something greater. "Your role as a leader is even more important than you might imagine. You have the power to help people become winners." — Ken Blanchard⁠ A saying made famous by American football coach Vince Lombardi is that excellence is achieved in the pursuit of perfection. To excel at management requires a clear vision of the ideal and hard work toward performing at the highest level possible. Partnering is about agreeing on what you and your team need from each other as you work together toward shared goals. It focuses on doing things right and managing routine complexity in day-to-day activities. A leader's ability to engage and retain their team is essential for excelling in management. When leaders appropriately partner for performance, it leads to an improved discretionary effort, trust, and intent to stay outcomes. Key #1: High-Quality Relationships Partnering with followers begins with developing high-quality relationships. These relationships unlock the potential to understand better the stated and unstated needs of followers and the given situation. Leaders with high-quality relationships are more likely to match their management approach with the follower's needs and give their people the space they need to succeed and learn. A common theme in the research on building or restoring trust in a relationship is to be transparent in your discussions. Ironically, the most robust trust occurs when we can disagree and leave the conversation without negative feelings. The goal is to create safety by being open and candid to demonstrate caring and respect. This intimacy requires being personal and the willingness to have an uncomfortable conversation. Next, focus on building the relationship. As a leader, this requires you to step back and discuss what works for others and you. Creating a shared idea of success is the goal. The "your way or the highway" leadership style does not work to build or restore trust in relationships. It is essential to understand both the context and perspectives of others and emphasize the other person. Lastly, do not judge too quickly. Learn to test assumptions about a follower's commitment and capability and try to see the world from their point of view. Key #2: Diagnosis Figuring out the follower's task competence level and commitment requires communication and trust-based relationships. Without a complete picture of the needs of followers, it is difficult to get the correct level of attention, leading to followers' feelings of micro- or macro-management. High-quality trust-based relationships create the opportunity for feedback to understand if a leader's understanding is accurate and, as needed, how to align their leadership style. There are four attributes to diagnose competence and commitment. What is the specific goal or task in question? How strong are the follower's demonstrated or transferable task knowledge and skills? How motivated is the follower toward the task? How confident is the follower about the task? Key #3: Agility Once leaders appropriately understand the follower's needs, they must be agile with their approach to the proper level of support, motivation, and direction needed. Followers with less task maturity need guidance; followers with more significant experience and commitment need more supporting behaviors. A common fallacy is that followers need the level of direction and support the leader required when they were doing the task or that a one-size fits all approach works. The best practice is to apply the Platinum Rule. Do for others as they would want to have done for them. Partnering for performance is one way to get the performance you need. What is your real partnering for performance challenge? References: Blanchard, K. (2007). Heart of a Leader: Insights on the Art of Influence. David C. Cook Publishing Company. Glaser, J. (2014). Conversational Intelligence: How great leaders build trust and get extraordinary results. New York: Bibliomotion, Inc. Leavy, B. (2020). The dynamics of empowering leader/follower relationships. Strategy & Leadership, 48(6), 27-33. Zigarmi, D., & Roberts, T. P. (2017). A test of three basic assumptions of situational leadership® II model and their implications for HRD practitioners. European Journal of Training and Development, 41(3), 241-260.

Self-awareness is fundamental to getting more out of life and work. Evidence suggests it's a predictor of leader and company success. That goes for life too. Leadership creates dilemmas between right and right. Consider the often-competing responsibilities between your well-being, family, friends, and work. It doesn't stop there. It can be a struggle to keep track of your responsibilities. It is helpful to understand that the quality of your life is defined by the quality of the routine practices performed automatically in daily life. It is easy to get the need for better habits in theory, but in practice still fall into unintentional patterns and accidental habits. No leader I know sets out to develop bad habits. Also, I don't believe the most significant barrier for many leaders is creating a greater desire for better habits. The answer can be found in greater awareness of proven leadership principles, reflection, and practical tools that busy leaders can successfully apply. Here is one leadership development tool that creates the clarity you need to achieve your goals. Not sure where to start? An essential insight is to understand that work and life are interrelated. Each affects the other. Stress at work doesn't vanish when you walk out of the office. It can drain physical and mental health and tax the most important relationships. It's the same for stress in life. True self-awareness means seeing yourself objectively and knowing how you are doing from the perspectives of principles that apply in life and work. Easier said than done, right? It's challenging to keep a focus, especially given the nature of the fast-paced, ever-changing workplace. Unfortunately, self-awareness is rare in leaders. According to a global study by the Hay Group involving 17,000 leaders, less than one in five women and one in twenty men had a sense of self-awareness. Some leaders don't even try, pursuing whatever is perceived as most urgent at the moment as they move from meeting to meeting. It's a real struggle to keep focused in a fast-paced digital workplace. However, most habits do not get better on their own. A saying I heard in the food distribution industry is that we are all either ripe and rotting or green and growing. You will unlikely gain traction as a leader without focusing on what matters most. One tool that can provide awareness of what matters most in life and work is the Accidental Habit Assessment. This tool allows you to rate yourself on ten proven principles. It then calculates your score for each life-changing leadership habit displayed as a low, medium, or high score for each principle. How far can you go? The customized report and guide will provide you with an "aha" moment as you reflect on your leadership to understand your strengths and accidental habits needing improvement. Without reflection, perspectives quickly become blurred in a fast-paced workplace with potentially devastating consequences. Reflection facilitates learning, provides perspective on self-limiting beliefs when used purposefully, and improves productivity. Evidence suggests spending 15 minutes daily enhances productivity by as much as 23% more than those without reflection time. This is the first year for the assessment, and I love hearing how the assessment provides surprising insights into ways leaders can better elevate people, profit, and purpose. How far have you come? Getting from where you are to where you want to be is based on knowing where you are starting from and where you are going. The score provided in the Accidental Habit Assessment not only tells you where you are, it lets you know how far you have come. Habits contribute to the actions you will take tomorrow. But with a good understanding of your current habits, you can make better decisions informed by enhanced self-awareness and reflection. Improving your Life-Changing Leadership Habits score over time also helps provide the motivation and engagement needed for building better habits. How far will you go? During this 10-minute quiz, you'll answer 24 multiple-choice questions and choose which answers best describe you. Once you are finished, you'll receive a customized Life-Changing Leadership Habits report and guide to help you focus on what matters most. Best of all, this is totally free. Additionally, your report becomes a personalized reading plan to access researched and field-tested leadership resources and transformational tools in my new book, Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Don't miss this chance to discover your accidental habits. It's fast, free, and gives you the visibility you need to achieve success and significance in life and work. References Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Flaum, J. (2018). When it comes to business leadership, nice guys finish first. Green Peak Partners and Cornell University. KornFerry. (2016). New Research Shows Women Are Better at Using Soft Skills Crucial for Effective Leadership and Superior Business Performance. Wilson, T., & Gilbert, D. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science: A Journal of the American Psychological Society, 14(3), 131-134. Zes, D., & Landis, D. (2013). A better return on self-awareness. Korn Ferry Institute.

I inherently trust most people. I also can quickly distrust people. Why? For the same reasons as everyone else, to avoid something bad. Deciding whether to trust or not is always important. Putting faith in the wrong someone or something can lead to big life and career mistakes. Increasingly leaders face overcoming inherent distrust and a rise in workforce polarization. A recent large-scale global trust study found that less than one in three people would help those with whom they disagree. And only 20% are willing to have someone they disagree with as a co-worker. Being trustworthy is a life-changing leadership habit. Research into relationship trust has revealed that when distrust occurs, it tends to be for the same reasons. That is actually good news for leaders because it means it's relatively simple to diagnose and fix many of the challenges to building trust with employees. Here are the four common mistakes that can be leadership trust killers, plus fixes to build trust. Why trust matters 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 When we experience feelings of distrust, our body responds immediately at a bio-chemical level within less than a second. Cortisol, catecholamine, testosterone, and norepinephrine levels in our blood increase rapidly. This chemical cocktail triggers a wave of emotions, producing feelings of stress, aggression, and a need for fight or flight. In conversations, when experiencing a sense of trust, our body produces a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone." It is oxytocin that increases feelings of well-being. Feelings of trust and distrust influence thoughts and feelings at a chemical level, which shape our beliefs and ultimately drive behaviors and actions in conversations (see Figure 1). An absence of trust or the presence of distrust at the organizational level undermines the goals and interests of the business and the engagement and organizational commitment of employees. When leaders in an organization are unable to trust, the organization is less likely to innovate and take risks, holding back the performance and productivity of the organization. Trust Killer #1: Lack of Credibility Credibility is the most frequently achieved attribute of trustworthiness. It has rational and emotional aspects of an individual's expertise and presence. Daily actions and routines can either create or destroy credibility. The distance from the frontline increases as a leader ascends within an organization threatening the leader's credibility about the work. A common threat for leaders, especially those in executive positions, is a desire to move too quickly. When leaders make decisions without listening or think a paycheck is enough of a thank you, it diminishes leadership credibility. Admitting what you don't know, being curious about the business, saying thank you, and being empathetic and cooperative are ways to build credibility. Trust Killer #2: Lack of Reliability Reliability is an unwritten expectation of leaders. Reliability is based on the frequency of interactions with someone and the consistency of expected behavior. Leaders who say they will do something and fail to follow through or do something different are perceived as unreliable. For example, leaders that discuss the importance of following procedures in one meeting and then in the following meeting critique followers for not taking innovative approaches to solving problems are unreliable. Poor communication, a lack of follow-through, chasing every shiny object, inability to say no, or being unpredictable diminish leadership reliability. Likewise, when what is said is done, clear priorities are established, and leaders show up authentically, creating reliability. Trust Killer #3: Lack of Transparency Transparency requires a personal willingness to have difficult conversations. This is one of the key differentiating attributes of trustworthiness. When leaders lack transparency, it fuels suspicion and rumors in the workplace. A lack of transparency increases misinterpretations, causing misunderstanding, distrust, follower uncertainty, and anxiety. Being guarded, telling a 'white lie,' sharing too much, and being manipulative create a lack of transparency. A lack of transparency can come from a leader's failure to act or, worse, their intentional actions. When leaders purposefully withhold information to manipulate a situation, it creates a toxic culture and is a sign of a dark personality type called Machiavellianism. Being open, honest with the good and the bad, sharing timeline-relevant information, and serving followers are practical ways for leaders to be transparent. Trust Killer #4: Lack of Humility Humility relates to the amount of focus placed on oneself versus the emphasis placed on the other person. A high degree of self-orientation creates significant distrust from others. An absence of humility is often considered narcissism, characterized by a highly self-involved personality and a fragile ego susceptible to the faintest criticism. When leaders have an inflated self-view, believe they are superior, prefer personal recognition, or reject negative feedback, they diminish trust. Likewise, when leaders have an honest self-view, believe in the team's greater good, prefer shared recognition, and view critical feedback as a path to a better future, they are perceived as humble and enhancing trust. How to measure your relationship trust Everyone can benefit from reflecting on the essential attributes of trust. Measuring your trustworthiness provides helpful structured insights with the potential to improve your personal and professional success and significance. Assigning values to each of the four attributes of trust and placing them into the following trust equation allows for a personal measurement of your relationship's trustworthiness. Trustworthiness = (Credibility + Reliability + Transparency) / Humility Here is a short quiz you can use to assess the trust level of any of your relationships. As you take the quiz, your relationship trust index is calculated. You can use this score to gauge your level of trust in your relationship. What's the real leadership trust challenge for you? References Brender-Ilan, Y., & Sheaffer, Z. (2019). How do self-efficacy, narcissism, and autonomy mediate the link between destructive leadership and counterproductive work behavior. Asia Pacific Management Review, 24(3), 212-222. Bono, J., & Ilies, R. (2006). Charisma, positive emotions, and mood contagion. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(4), pp. 317-334. Edelman. (2023). Edelman trust barometer: Navigating a polarized world. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity. Free Press. Maister, D. H., Green, C. H., & Galford, R. M. (2000). The trusted advisor. Free Press. Men, R. & Bowen, S. (2016). Excellence in internal communication management. Business Expert Press. Nevicka, B., Ten Velden, F., De Hoogh, A., & Van Vianen, A. (2011). Reality at odds with perceptions: Narcissistic leaders and group performance. Psychological Science. 22(10):1259-1264.

Tell me you've had this experience. You assign someone a project, and when questioned, your first response is a cop-out version of "because I said so." I know I have. As a leader, I am not a micromanager. But when working with a tight timeline and a lot of pressure to deliver results, I must be intentional about slowing down to listen and not relying on policies or positional power if questioned. Leadership is about influencing others toward a shared goal, not coercion. Evidence suggests that frequently using positional power comes with hidden costs for the leader and the business. But the idea of creating leadership influence can be elusive to grasp conceptually and practice in a complex workplace. To enhance your leadership influence, follow these seven proven leadership strategies. The cost of leadership coercion Coercion is an authoritarian leadership approach that uses positional power to control employees. Here is a light-hearted look at how coercive leadership can show up in the workplace from the movie Office Space. A lack of ability to create influence often results in leaders relying on positional power to get work done. While coercive leadership can appear effective in the short term, it leads to severe personal and professional consequences. Evidence suggests that coercive leadership reduces: Organizational commitment Employee motivation Trust and respect Productivity and profitability Employee retention How to create leadership influence Although no single definition of leadership exists, there is broad agreement that it involves influencing others. Influence is the ability to change followers' thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. When asked to change, followers have two basic implicit or explicit questions. Can I do what is being asked? And do I want to do what I am being asked? Influence Strategy #1: Live in Balance Before you can create influence, you need to be living in balance. Research has demonstrated that when leaders feel exhausted or in psychological distress, they are more likely to rely on coercion. Achieving balance with self-care is an individual path. However, relationships, rest, and work environment significantly influence physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It ultimately doesn't matter where you start, but that you do start. Influence Strategy #2: Be Authentic Be open about your values and beliefs. Leaders need to be clear about what is important to them and spend time sharing with their followers. Those words aligned with the leader's actions create authenticity in the leader-follower relationship. In addition to the usual channels of one-to-one and open-door meetings, it is essential to provide additional channels for open communications. Share results, responsibilities, ideas, opportunities for improvement, company information, and expectations clearly to everyone. Influence Strategy #3: Be Trustworthy Set expectations about the importance of trusting each other. Trust is fundamental to relationships. Providing help to followers before it is asked is one-way leaders can role model the importance of trust. A widely accepted evidence-based understanding of trust is the perception of the leader's ability, purpose, integrity, and self-orientation. Ability – the skills, competencies, and characteristics within a specific area. Purpose – moral obligations and responsibility to demonstrate concern for others' interests. Integrity – the follow through on promises in a manner that is acceptable by others. Self-orientation - the ability to consider others' opinions, act with self-awareness, and lead with humility builds trust. Influence Strategy #4: Create Shared Purpose Instill a sense of purpose in the team. Leaders that emphasize the why of the work enable teams to persist and believe even when the work becomes difficult. Ask others about why they chose to work here and what they valued about the company before joining. Follow up by checking in with them on if this is what they have and are experiencing on the team. Here is a great explanation of the power of "why" by Simon Sinek. Influence Strategy #5: Make Moral Decisions The following are four ways leaders can demonstrate moral decision-making: 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 – Pursuing excellence and letting go of self and others' mistakes, focused on what is right versus only what is wrong. Compassion – Empathizing with others, empowering, actively caring for others, and committing to others' growth. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King, Jr. Influence Strategy #6: Create Teamwork Embrace teamwork. Adopt an approach where each team player is a needed part of the overall team and important to the project's success. Establish a compelling direction for the team. Teamwork can not be inspired without an understanding of where the team is headed. Create a team structure that is aligned with your team's strategies and goals. Clarify team member roles and responsibilities. Reward and recognize behaviors that support teamwork. Communicate the importance of teamwork regularly. Here is a short TedEx presentation on the attributes of an ideal team player. Influence Strategy #7: Adopt An Appreciative Mindset Champion the best of what can be. Adopt an appreciative mindset. It is not about ignoring weaknesses; instead, it is about prioritizing and pursuing understanding, reinforcing, and leveraging the best of what can be. Leadership influence is enhanced when leaders recognize and advance ideas that leverage the best of what is within the team. Individuals and teams move in the direction that is repeatedly discussed, and questions are asked. The answer to enhancing leadership influence is not hiding in data but in the daily patterns of behavior. What is the real challenge with enhancing your leadership influence? References: Byrne, A., Dionisi, A., Barling, J., Akers, A., Robertson, J., Lys, R., Wylie, J., & Dupré, K. (2014). The depleted leader: The influence of leaders' diminished psychological resources on leadership behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(2), 344-357. Sosik, J., & Jung, D. (2018). Full range leadership development: Pathways for people, profit, and planet (2nd ed.). Routledge. Patterson, K., Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2000). Influencer. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing.