Counter Service Podcast with Brett Jacobsen

Have you ever thought about retaining and recruiting employees based on cultivating social capital throughout your company or organization? With remote, hybrid, and in-person work in flux compounded by the great resignation, quiet quitting, and inflationary economy, it might be a good time to consider it. Might even differentiate your organization in a great way. Have you read McKinsey's article, "Network Effects: How to rebuild social capital and improve corporate performance?" The article challenges you to assess your social capital along three dimensions:MotivationAccessAbilityCheck your index and start from where you are.

During this latest podcast series we are listening to the stories and experiences of others in order to make our own leadership story more complete. It is through their story that we gain insight to deepen our leadership capacity to empathize, to become more self-aware, to empower others, to find meaning in the messiness, and ultimately to make an impact.Across the counter today, I am honored to welcome Lawrence Gellerstedt. As the founder and President of Southsource, LG leads by example. He has been fairly open in sharing about confronting mental health issues head on and also has been a strong advocate for mental health in the marketplace as he has lost people close to him.LG's story is inspiring, challenging, and insightful. Enjoy!

The last four episodes were focused on your personal leadership approach to 2023. In age of uncertainty, this month, I want to pivot to connecting with those you work alongside each and every day. And it is through their story, that your own leadership story might be more complete.Across the counter today, I have the incredible opportunity to learn from Charisse Williams as we discuss her story through her book, The Joy of Thriving While Black. Charisse is a bright light...a leadership coach...a yoga instructor...an impact player.Enjoy!

So the past few episodes we have been exploring this idea of uncertainty through the research of experts. In this episode, I want to look at uncertainty through the lens of legacy.Have you read Longpath by Ari Wallach. This book has changed my mind about legacy.Ari's work reminds us that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, and that while our time is finite, we need to become the great ancestors our descendants need us to be.Legacy is less about your name to be remembered but for your character to regenerate for generations to come.Listen or watch the podcast to answer some important questions of empathy to consider about your legacy. Start a habit today that will scale into an incredible legacy tomorrow.

Have you read McKinsey's discussion paper entitled, “On the cusp of a new era?” The authors are challenging us to imagine the new era, drawn from a historical context of structural tectonics and how they might play out in the future. In 2023...Maybe you are on the cusp of a new era…a purpose-driven adventure filled with creative possibilities and exciting opportunities. Instead of allowing the future to define you, define your future. As a way to think about this, listen or watch the latest episode of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast.

In Episode 032 of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast, I shared that “uncertainty” is my word for 2023. I realize it might be a strange word to choose especially over the last couple of years, but Let me explain.From skills gaps to decentralization of brands to political polarization to fluctuating markets…the disruptive forces and headlines of the last several years are not going away. The less linear, more ambiguous pathways of life are going to be more prevalent for us and future generations.We can look at this type of uncertainty with fear and trepidation or embrace the messiness of uncertainty as the doorway to possibility. Have you read The Upside of Uncertainty by Nathan and Susannah Fur: A Guide to Finding the Possibility in the Unknown? Dealing with Uncertainty effectively can be one of the most important leadership competencies, both now and in the future. Listen to the latest episode to discover how you can look at the upside of uncertainty.

Here we come 2023. Welcome to a new season of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast.Once again, I am participating in a “one word” challenge for the new year. A one word goal that keeps life simple, keeps life relevant, and keeps life accountable. What is your one word for 2023? If you need some help to get started, listen or watch the pod on YouTube or your preferred platform.Oh, find out my “one word” for 2023 towards the end of the pod. 

Reflecting on the most recent tragedy in Buffalo, it has been impressed upon me to reshare an earlier podcast episode (015) about being a bridge. Bridges have defined the modern world. And, bridges are a powerful reminder of how they connect people, communities, cities, and even nations. In this episode of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast, I challenge us to take on the characteristics of bridges. They connect us. They bring us together. They provide passage over an obstacle. They remove the space between us. Bridges are designed to be strong, carrying the most weight. They have guardrails, providing protection and direction. They allow us to design a better world...together. We need more bridges today.

Across the counter, we will discuss the final three challenges leaders are facing across the world according to the Center for Creative Leadership -- leading a team, guiding change, and managing stakeholders. I contend that leaders should focus on 3 key areas in cultivating growth and progress on these important leadership challenges...1. ask some key questions to clarify direction2. develop some key habits to create consistency3. establish some key agreements to cultivate transformationMusic  by Ahoami

Continuing the second part of our discussion across the counter of 6 common challenges facing leaders around the world according to a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership. Last episode (028), I discussed developing managerial effectiveness, and this episode is focused on inspiring others and developing employees. I point to Gallup's and Marcus Buckingham's work on engagement to steward these leadership challenges. Their research is seminal when measuring employment engagement. 

According to the Center for Creative Leadership,  there are 6 common leadership challenges confronting leaders across the globe.  In this episode of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast, we discuss the first common challenge across the counter -- managerial effectiveness. Confronting this issue, I encourage leaders to reflect on 3 critical areas...1-clarity of role2-clarity of responsibility3-clarity of systemsListen to the full episode on any podcast platform or subscribe to the Counter Service Leadership Podcast channel on YouTube. Music by Ahoami

My father passed away on March 1. Before offering condolences in the comments, I want you to take you on a journey of my story. Maybe the most intimate conversation across the counter we have had thus far. In sharing this story, I never thought I would be connecting it to a book I recently read, The Power of Regret, by Dan Pink. Love how Dan is reclaiming this idea as I have always been a believer in regrets. Regrets allow you to learn and grow and really level up your life if you embrace the messiness and complexity. As he asks, "How often do you look back on your own life and wish you had done things differently?" Hope this story and a brief review of Dan's new book has a positive impact on you personally and professionally. Music by Ahoami

During a period of the Great Resignation, how do you truly assess the capabilities and potential risk for any new hire? How do you identify the right candidate for your organizational mission and vision, knowing the investment of onboarding? During the search process, disrupt your process and utilize a tool I have created called the Capabilities & Risk Assessment Tool, built on several criteria:Leadership Strengths - competencies and skills are clearly identified and developed in many areas with demonstrated success and high performance in prior experiencesLeadership Potential - competencies and sills are not full developed yet but perceived through curiosity, grit, insight, and/or engagement where coaching could close the gap between potential and leadership competencies neededAreas for Growth - competences are not fully developed, training is insufficient, and/or demonstrated experience remains a weaknessGaps - competences and skills are absent or not clearly definedOnce you have analyzed your findings, risks, and capabilities for each candidate, your team should complete a feedback protocol of wonders, opportunities for impact, disrupt us, and what else. For more information, listen to the full podcast episode and start making an impact today.Music by Ahoami

Being able to draw a direct connection between organizational learning and organizational impact is fundamental to sustaining a culture of curiosity, strategy, and advancement. Both quantitative and qualitative in nature, organizations must frequently (re)assess progress made, opportunities surfaced, gaps identified, and voices unheard when analyzing the breadth and depth of a learning cycle. Music by Ahoami

How do you you transfer new ideas into new behavior within your company? Infusing new knowledge, locally and corporately, requires leaders and dedicated teams to evangelize and multiply it throughout the organization. Building shared understanding while searching for maximum impact, organizations must develop various pathways and provide multiple layers of learning, training, and application in order to shift perspective, practice, and performance. Authentic and transparent transfer of new ideas into new behavior can reflect the highest form of engagement and deepest level of learning.Music by Ahoami

What is your innovation intention? Seeing the world in new ways, organizations must empower teams across divisions and departments to dream up tomorrow's solutions by either optimizing current systems, transforming new products, or completely disrupting the marketplace. Not constrained by today's imperatives, creative and inventive thinking allows organizations to have a consistent stream of innovative ideas to prototype, iterate, and test. Calculated risk taking and failing forward are consequential for small projects to scale later or larger on-going experiments that depart from the past.Music by Ahoami

How do you diagnose problems? How do you push beyond obvious symptoms? How do you question original assumptions? How do you keep from hiding errors? How can we approach problems in ways that don't repeat the patterns of the past?Answering these questions requires a commitment to establishing a systematic design methodology: 1) Looking back to look forward and 2) Learning from the future as it emerges.Music by Ahoami

How do you fill the impending skills gap? Will you be ready? A foundational step in developing a learning organization is to cultivate a culture of curiosity. Modeling a growth mindset, leaders must set the environmental conditions and expectations throughout the organization to develop a disciplined rhythm and flow of listening, questioning, investigating, and exploring to advance organizational vision and to deepen individual expertise. Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are essential components to inspire, motivate, and engage employees across departments to do amazing things and achieve better results for the organization. Music by Ahoami

What is missing from most organizations and companies? In this episode of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast, we tackle this important question for 2022. Begin to make some margin for developing a learning organization within your company. Take a moment to join me across the counter as we define it and break it down for the impactful journey ahead.Music by Ahoami

In this edition of the Counter Service Leadership Podcast, we explore your organizational pain points. Take a moment to listen and reflect with me across the counter. Subscribe to YouTube or any podcast service. Music by Ahoami

What is the competitive advantage in 2022? Giving you a sneak peak on the season opener of the Counter Service Podcast. Teaching organizations how to learn, the Counter Service Podcast is a grab & go, casual, leadership podcast. No reservations required. No gratuities expected. All are welcome. Join the journey by subscribing to this channel or any podcast service. Music by Ahoami

In this episode of Counter Service, the focus is on building your well-being framework within your organization. Whether it is expanding autonomy, nourishing professional growth, deepening purposeful engagement, or even identifying rituals of recovery, how might we set the conditions for people to do what they have been called to with promoting well-being and cultivating resilience? Join me on this journey.

In this episode of Counter Service, I sit down with Rich Diviney to discuss his book Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Skills are what you have been trained for and show up for known things. Attributes (or the lack of them) are hidden drivers and show up for the unknown things, in uncertain environments. We discuss how to build attribute muscles in a fluid, unknown world. Listen how we break it down.

Bridges are a powerful reminder of how they connect people, communities, cities, and even nations. In this episode of Counter Service, I challenge us to take on the characteristics of bridges. They are connectors. They are designed to be strong, carrying the most weight. They have guardrails. We need more bridges today.

Anxiety wins the term of the day...term of the year maybe. At some point or another, we have all used the term during the pandemic. Thinking about a recent workshop with Dr. Lisa Damour, I reflect on anxiety during this episode of the Counter Service podcast. She challenges us to normalize anxiety and to shift our perspective by not overestimating the danger of a situation and underestimating our ability to manage it. 

#BetterTogether was trending in 2020 as we discovered our way to push through the pandemic. For 2021, how about we #StriveTogether, embracing discomfort, navigating complexity, and making an impactful difference? Jeff Moore, former NCAA coach, pulls up a seat for the Counter Service podcast to discuss his book, Strive Together: Achieve beyond Expectations in a Results Obsessed World. 

Time for a leap? How about a creative leap? Natalie Nixon, author and global speaker, joins me on Counter Service to discuss her book, The Creativity Leap. We will discuss the fear, lack of access, ambiguity, and urgency behind the concept of creativity. And, she challenges us to manage the tension between wonder and rigor as well as breakdown inquiry, improvisation, and intuition.

One year ago, we confronted a fluid, ambiguous, uncertain global pandemic. It has had a profound impact on all our organizations. In this timely episode of the Counter Service Podcast, Jeff Hilmire pulls up a seat at the counter to discuss his book, The Turnaround Crisis. Worth a listen.

"To do" lists remain important to many when organizing and prioritizing the day. What if we added a "to be list" to our morning ritual. It might impact how we approach Monday morning, a challenging meeting, or even a strategic exercise. Check out this episode of Counter Service to learn more. You'll be glad you did.

A DC correspondent gives some leadership insight that we can actually take from K Street to Main Street. Join Counter Service on iTunes or Spotify. 

How are those resolutions working out for you? What if we considered a different approach? In this episode of Counter Service, we utilize a Brene' Brown tool to assist us to live into our values in 2021. After you take a listen, name your values here.

Navigating through and beyond the pandemic, this episode of Counter Service focuses on the books I hope to explore, to agree and disagree with, to learn from, to unlearn, and grow again. Join me on this journey.

Inspired by An Everyone Culture, Brett will not leave out all the ingredients to discuss how we make bargains with each other.

Brett presents a menu of “be adaptable.” In this above the line concept, Brett challenges us to see a wide range of opportunities and embrace the long game.

Brett hands you a great tool for your grab & go box of positive and negative feedback.

On the flipside of the coin of “seek understanding,” Brett cooks up an acquired test of make assumptions. In this below the line concept, Brett discusses how making assumptions, rule us and limit us.

Brett packages a grab & go concept with a special marinade: How secure am I? The more secure I am the more objective I can be when I hear or receive feedback.

Brett is mixing up an “Above the Line” concoction of seek understanding. Your opinion is only one of many. None of us have all the answers. Stay above the line.

Brett boxes up a “grab & go” helping of perspective...what is important, where I should give most of my attention and energy.

Brett includes a spicy ingredient of hiding behind true feelings. With this “Below the Line” concept, some may be sensitive, thinned skinned or easily offended by it.

Brett serves up a sample platter of connection and interaction. Inspired by Emotion-First Leadership, Brett challenges you to impact culture.

Brett walks through the menu over the next several weeks. He calls it Above the Line/Below the Line Leadership. Brett serves up a side dish of Address or Drop It. An “Above the line” concept,” Brett challenges you fill the gap between expectation and experience.

Brett serves up a “grab & go” box of apologizing. Inspired by No Hard Feelings, Brett asks, “How good was your apology?”

Brett serves up a plate of messiness. Inspired by Scott Belsky’s book, The Messy Middle, Brett talks about optimizing the peaks and enduring the jaggedness of life.

Welcome to the Counter Service Podcast. It is a grab & go, casual leadership podcast. No reservations required. No gratuities expected. All are welcome. And, I 'm your server, Brett Jacobsen. 20-year leader. Lifelong learner. Remain standing or have a seat at the counter and join me on this journey. I look forward to sharing my plate and expanding my palate as well.