Zero Half-Assery

Tim and Beka reconvene to give their thoughts on the realities of working from home  in 2022 as well as to provide some of their best practices for optimizing that remote work.  

Tim and Beka break down the popular 2006 book "Mindset" by Dr. Carol S. Dweck.

Tim and Beka buck the trend of articles either pointing out the most obvious habits a leader should strive for or listing out unrealistic or unobtainable ones. Instead, they have a discussion about realistic habits, both good and bad, that can be practiced or identified and rooted out by anyone. 

In one of the shortest episodes to date, Tim and Beka record a live conversation wherein they try to decide which book they should read together (to help Tim achieve his goal of actually reading some non-fiction this year). 

Tim and Beka discuss their goals for 2022, framing their choices around the principles outlined in the 2019 book by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy, "The Gap and the Gain." 

...and we're back. We go forth into season 4 and 2022 by reflecting on a year of lessons learned from leadership and life. 

On this final episode of Season 3, Tim and Beka discuss their favorite leaders and the traits which define them. 

Ok, you have your goals and you have a general idea of how long it might take you to achieve those goals. But how do you know you're making the most of your hours and days as you focus on that achievement? On this episode Tim and Beka discuss how to make the most of your time. 

On this episode, Tim and Beka discuss the virtues and application of the productivity tools laid out in Brian Moran's book "The 12 Week Year." 

Are you working through your goals and projects  with only "Done" in mind, or are you making sure to progress through those tasks correctly and with quality? On this episode Tim and Beka theorize that adding quality to your work instead of volume can add future sustainability, and that slowing down your process before getting ahead of yourself can lead to greater success over the long run. 

On this episode Tim and Beka discuss the delicate balance between growing as a leader and maintaining healthy, sustainable work relationships that don't rely solely on hierarchical power

Some people believe having a mentor is an important step in becoming a successful leader. Tim and Beka discuss whether or not that rings true, and how to go about navigating the mentor/mentee relationship for the best possible outcome.

Tim and Beka discuss Dr.Brene' Brown's 7 steps of trust as outlined in her renowned talk "The Anatomy of Trust" 

Delegation isn't simply giving a subordinate more work to do. There's a time and place for it as well as the expectation that the delegation of tasks will be mutually beneficial for both sides of the transaction. On this episode, we talk about the reasons why delegation happens, the best practices for implementing it, and whether or not we would consider ourselves good delegators. 

Tim and Beka reengage on a new season by looking back on where they've been since beginning to record episodes one year ago this month. 

The Season 2 Finale. If you think public speaking is hard, you are not alone. In this episode we Tim and Beka teach what they've learned the hard way about public speaking and about getting your message across to audiences of all different level and personality types.

Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news just as nobody particularly likes to be a part of a contentious conversation at work. But the reality is that these "crucial conversations" are often necessary. On this episode we break down some best practices for having a difficult conversation or giving bad news.

What does it mean to have influence? Do you even know when you have it? On this episode we talk about the idea of influence and how to use it to best serve your team.

You may have several of the strengths commonly associated with a "great leader," but are there some ways you might also be undermining those strengths? On this episode, Tim and Beka break down the myriad ways you can be stifling your own progress.

The phrase "do as I say, not as I do" has been around for most of our lives. At a cursory glance we all know what it implies. But is it helpful? Is it a valuable leadership trait or tool? On this episode Tim and Beka do a deep dive on this common phrase to determine its worth.

It's that time of year again. Most of us are planning for a new year and wrapping up 2020 with year-end reviews and other reflections on our productivity and goals. On this episode we discuss the best ways to set your team up for success as well as providing examples for how a productive Year-End Review might go.

Divisiveness is impossible to avoid in 2020. Whether the topic be COVID, politics, or a mix of both, people are more divided than ever. But there are still jobs to be done. There is still civility to be found. On today's episode, Beka and Tim unpreparedly discuss what leadership looks like in the face of unprecedented division.

On the Season 2 premier, we take on the topic of "burnout," or a feeling of prolonged stress usually due to being overworked or experiencing too much repetition. How do you recognize burnout in yourself or in others, and what should you do about it?

Culture is an important part of success for any organization, but it can't be forced and it can't be expected to grow overnight. Tim and Beka discuss the idea of culture building, why it's important, and some important best practices in making sure you're doing it the right way.

Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of not wanting to lead or not feeling like a leader has become an increasingly relevant topic. Tim and Beka discuss their thoughts on what to do when you are overcome by this feeling.

As a leader, do you lean into your strengths or build up your weaknesses? Maybe both? We'll learn about that and more on this episode.

In light of "cancel culture" and the recent Civil Rights movement in the United States, Tim and Beka try to delicately touch on the idea of "falling from grace" and what that can mean for today's leaders.

Tim and Beka add their take on the Harvard article "Are You a Level-Six Leader?" and take their normal tangents, mostly talking about fitness. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/are-you-a-level-six-leader

As a bit of a warning, every episode of this podcast was recorded in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, in almost every episode we track the growth of Tim's Quarantine Beard before eventually getting into the topic at hand. This time we discuss the various traits which may or may not make up a leader.

It's Beka's turn in the hot seat as we learn how she built her career as a marketing expert and entrepreneur out of a background as a naval officer and young consultant.

The first two episodes are spent getting to know the two hosts and learning their leadership bona fides (or lackthereof). First up? How Tim's journey to making good on some early life leadership mistakes.