Transforming Leadership Podcast

Countless organizations conduct goal setting or strategic planning sessions only to look at last years' performance, and guess how much better they can do next year.That is not strategic. that is playing darts!

The difference between preference and priority is an intentional plan. In the absence of an intentional plan, your great idea is just that a great idea!:

Workshops and classes do not change behavior. Behavior is not automatically changed by knowing different. It is changed by identifying different, more effective behavior, and practicing the new behavior over, and over, and over. And accountability.

Silos in business are a natural phenomenon. In my organization the most important department is, well, MINE. When budgets are discussed, it is only natural that I will fight for money for my department. But is the success of my department, possibly at the expense of other departments, actually in the best interest of the MISSION?

Countless managers can check off every responsibility on their job description, and yet they end up getting fired and told that they were not successful in their jobs. There is a tremendous difference in checking the box, and being truly successful.

High-performing leaders have a multitude of responsibilities. But each of these responsibilities breaks down to specific tasks. There are really only three categories of tasks: Thieves, Trespassers, and Transformers. To raise your level of leadership you must take the time to identify which category you are working in, and eliminate the Thieves, minimize the Trespassers, and focus on the Transformers.

A healthy level of assertiveness is absolutely necessary for effective leadership. When do we cross the live from assertive to aggressive? Is it possible to put accountabilities in place to help keep us between the rails. What's the big deal with being a bit aggressive?

The absolute best way to increase your value to the organization is through delegation. There may be a few, a very few, reasons for not delegating, but the high-performing leader is constantly looking for ways to push work down. It lowers the internal cost of the responsibility, increases the value of the Direct Report, and opens the leader up for higher level tasks.

Micromanagement is the manifestation of the fear of failure. The greatest challenge in high level leadership is the inability to STAY OUT OF THE WEEDS! There seems to be an insatiable need to "make sure they are doing it right." This behavior, or the perception of this behavior, robs engagement, inhibits individual growth and development, and stifles innovation.

Humans are just not wired for ambiguity! Whether it is mergers and acquisitions, leadership change, department mission and direction, or Covid-19, ambiguity and uncertainty erode production. In uncertain times what can be done about it?

Think (Always). Then Speak (Maybe). High performing leaders are intentional in communicating for effectiveness, not speaking the emotion they might be feeling. To ensure effectiveness, it is essential that we always consider the impact of our words. Remember, the listener can only judge our intent by our words!

If you want to deepen your impact, narrow your focus. While senior leaders are tasked with keeping track of a plethora of responsibilities, laser focus of the 1-3 items that will most significantly impact the business bring greatest returns on time invested.

Understanding by the listener is always the responsibility of the speaker. Too often we find that we have to keep explaining over and over, or we told them what to do, and then we were disappointed with the outcome. Our research indicates that all too often there has not been a total and complete understanding by the listener. There may have been agreement! But not understanding!

The greatest failure in training is the WHY! The difference in knowing and understanding lies in the student (mentee, team member, subordinate, etc) knowing WHY they are doing what they are doing. We often instruct in what to do. There is greater value in training WHY we do!

Often leaders fall into the trap of focusing on the bottom line or metrics. It's important ot remember that metrics are merely the result of aggregated behaviors!

The highly effective leader is always preparing their high potential team members to move up. This increases the value of the team member, requires ongoing delegation, and positions the leader for their next opportunity!

Money is not a motivator, recognition is essential but doesn't result in sustained performance. Appreciation, on the other hand, is ongoing, visible, and priceless. Dr. Steve Steff and host Jim Brangenberg challenge with improving engagement and buy-in in the workplace. Will a pay raise ensure engagement and result in better performance?

Every leader has both functional responsibilities (what you are paid to do) and leadership responsibilities (what you are paid to get done). Dr. Steve Steff and host Jim Brangenberg discuss the mindset necessary to ensure the success of their people. The role of the leader is to provide guidance, clarity, the resources, and the accountability to ensure their success. Don't drive for the bottom line! Drive for the success of your people!

Every organization has a culture, it just may not be what you say it is or what you think it is. Dr. Steve Steff and host Jim Brangenberg discuss the challenges with defining and driving your organizational culture. Who define your culture?

Dr. Steve Steff and host Jim Brangenberg discuss the Transforming Leadership Proverb: People Perform Best for Those they Care About and For Those That Care About Them. Build performance by building relationships!