Finding Your TrueNorth: Leading with Vision, Mission, and Values

Monday morning launch

After barely catching our breath after an all too short weekend and our daily whirlwind of meetings, emails, and urgent tasks, it's crucial to pause and reflect on whether we're truly heading in the right direction. As leaders, it's too easy to get caught up in the urgent, often at the expense of the important. Our days can become a blur of secondary tasks, overshadowing our primary priorities.

Pause to Consider

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What's Your TrueNorth?

Every effective leader needs a TrueNorth—an internal compass that guides decisions, actions, and priorities regardless of the challenges that arise. Your TrueNorth consists of three essential elements: vision, mission, and values.

Your vision articulates where you're going—that horizon you're steadily moving toward. It's forward-looking and aspirational, painting a picture of what success looks like. A compelling vision statement doesn't just describe what you want to achieve; it inspires others to join you.

Your mission answers the fundamental question of why you exist as a leader. It integrates your values into actionable purposes. When clearly articulated, your mission becomes the filter through which you evaluate opportunities and make decisions.

Your values are the bedrock upon which your vision and mission stand. They are the unwavering principles that guide your leadership in every situation. When your values are crystal clear, even the most challenging decisions become straightforward, providing a sense of reassurance and confidence in your leadership.

The Power of Recalibration

I recently had the privilege of coaching Tamera, a senior executive transitioning into a cross-functional leadership role. Despite her success in sales and business development, she struggled to clarify her purpose in this new position.

"I feel like I'm drifting," she confessed during our session. "I know what needs to be done operationally, but I'm not sure why I'm the one who should be doing it."

We began by drafting her personal leadership mission. After several iterations, she said, "Build a better business for our people, benefit our community, and have fun." This wasn't just a collection of words but a declaration of purpose that aligned with her authentic voice and deepest values. Every phrase is 'double-clickable.' Each component contains a depth that you can expand upon when necessary.

A remarkable transformation took place as we delved deeper into refining her vision and values. Tamera's initial uncertainty gave way to a newfound sense of conviction and clarity, a powerful testament to the transformative power of clarity in leadership.

"This gives me language for what I've always believed but couldn't articulate," she said. "Now I can see how my new role connects to what matters most."

The transformation didn't stop there. With her TrueNorth established, we turned to her team restructuring plans. Previously, these had felt like mechanical organizational moves. They became strategic steps toward fulfilling her vision of creating career paths and developing future leaders.

Her approach to addressing high turnover also shifted. Rather than treating it as merely a problem to solve, she now saw it as an opportunity to build a workplace where people could thrive and grow—directly fulfilling her mission of "building a better business for our people."

Your Invitation to Clarity

Leadership without clarity is merely self-management. Authentic leadership is the first step in self-leadership beginning with knowing your destination and why it matters.

I invite you into your reflection process:

1. What is the horizon you're moving toward? What does success look like in 3-5 years?

2. Why do you do what you do? What purpose gives meaning to your work?

3. What are the non-negotiable principles that guide your decisions?

Write these down. Refine them. Test them with trusted colleagues. And most importantly, return to them regularly to ensure you're staying true to your course.

Like Tamera, you may find that this clarity transforms your leadership and renews your energy and passion for the work ahead.

Ready to find your TrueNorth? Download our complimentary TrueNorth Resource Guide to begin your journey toward purposeful leadership. This practical workbook will help you craft your vision, mission, and values statements and integrate them into your daily leadership practice.

From Crisis to Clarity: Lessons from Caleb's Self-Leadership Journey

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"I don't ever think about me." These words, spoken by Caleb during a recent coaching conversation, revealed the core of his professional crisis. After fifteen years in his career and a decade in leadership, Caleb was trapped in a cycle of constant reactivity that threatened his effectiveness as a leader and his wellbeing and joy.

Caleb's story is one that many of us can relate to. Rising from dishwasher to manager in a family-owned business of 250 employees, his path exemplifies the classic leadership journey—built on grit, performance, and an unwavering commitment to responsibilities. Yet beneath his apparent success lay exhaustion so profound that evenings found him numb after everyone else had gone to bed.

The Reactive Leadership Trap

Caleb's crisis illuminates a pattern common among dedicated leaders: the slide from proactive leadership into reactive self-management. The symptoms are recognizable:

• Perpetual availability (Caleb never turned off his phone)

• Anticipatory stress about problems that haven't occurred

• Difficulty delegating responsibility and trust

• Diminished capacity for strategic thinking

• Erosion of personal boundaries and renewal activities

Most telling was Caleb's admission: "I stress about things that haven't been created yet... even though it hasn't happened, it probably won't happen." This anticipatory anxiety represents the ultimate tax of reactive leadership—expending precious mental resources on scenarios that may never materialize.

The Path to Self-Leadership

The Workflow Audit became a crucial tool in Caleb's transformation. This structured assessment revealed that over 70% of his activities fell into highly reactive categories. More importantly, he identified three practical shifts that would begin his journey toward proactive self-leadership:

1. Scheduled Disconnection: Turning off his phone from 8 pm to 5 am, three days weekly—creating 27 hours of mental space.

2. Delegation of Trust: Identifying who could handle responsibilities during his disconnected periods, addressing his fear that "the ball would drop" in his absence.

3. Renewal Activity: Dedicating four hours weekly to his truck restoration project—an activity that brought genuine joy and engaged his mind differently.

From Individual Change to Cultural Shift

The impact of Caleb's transformation extended beyond his personal wellbeing. As he implemented these changes, his team began mirroring his more proactive stance. His increased clarity and presence enhanced the quality of his interactions. His willingness to disconnect periodically encouraged similar boundary-setting among team members.

This ripple effect demonstrates a crucial principle: organizational culture shifts not primarily through policies but through the modeling of individual leaders who embody a different way of working. As a leader, you have the power to shape your organization's culture.

The Workflow Audit provides a structured path for leaders caught in reactivity to identify small, high-leverage changes that shift the balance toward proactive self-leadership. For Caleb, as for many leaders, this journey began not with grand transformation but with simple permission—permission to lead not just from competence but from wholeness. The Workflow Audit can be your guide in this journey.

Transforming Your Worldview for Better Results

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Today, we look at worldview through the lens of results—our expectations for ourselves and others.

Are the expected results ever good enough, fast enough, or high enough? Perhaps these expectations leave an undercurrent of disappointment and constant stress, allowing little room for gratitude. These expectations of results reveal your worldview more clearly than your stated values ever could.

In our previous discussions, we explored how worldview forms the foundation of leadership. Remember our key axiom: worldview, values, beliefs, and style are "more caught than taught." Leaders don't primarily influence through what they explicitly teach but through what others observe in their actions and decisions. Your team catches your worldview through your everyday behaviors—how you respond to challenges, what you prioritize, and where you direct your attention.

The trust statements we make often reveal our deepest worldviews.

Just as the models in our lives and leaders we've admired weren't always perfect, the truisms and assumptions we carry may not always serve us well. Statements like "People need to be closely managed" or "If you want something done right, do it yourself" might feel like proven wisdom, but they invite a pause to reflect on whether these assumptions still support our current leadership goals.

While not an overnight process, the potential for profound changes in leadership effectiveness through worldview transformation is immense. Consider the case of a construction executive I once worked with. For twenty years, he operated under the belief that 'People need constant direction'—a view shaped by his military background and early career experiences. A transformative realization during our program opened up a world of possibilities for him.

His exhausting leadership style involved checking every detail and solving problems his team should have handled themselves. When asked to examine his worldview, he recognized this approach had created dependent team members who waited for instructions rather than thinking independently. The cost was burnout for him and underdevelopment for his team.

His transformation began with a simple shift: "People can rise to challenges when given clear expectations and appropriate support." This wasn't abandoning standards but changing his approach to achieving them. Over six months, he gradually shifted his management style by delegating outcomes rather than processes, implementing regular check-ins instead of constant oversight, asking, "What do you think we should do?" before offering solutions, and explicitly celebrating initiative and problem-solving.

The results were remarkable. His team's capabilities expanded, his stress decreased, and several team members emerged as potential future leaders. Most importantly, he found a sustainable leadership approach that allowed him to focus on strategic priorities.

Worldview transformation follows a reflective pattern that can happen in a moment or maturated over time: awareness of your current beliefs and their impact, examination of these beliefs against evidence, experimentation with new approaches, and integration of new perspectives that yield better results.

Growth requires the courage to question deeply held assumptions, especially those that have brought some measure of success in the past. The most effective leaders continually refine their worldviews as they gain experience and insight. This process of questioning and refining can be empowering, putting you in control of your leadership journey.

Reflection Questions:

1. What results in your leadership have been disappointing or frustrating?

2. What worldview belief might be contributing to these outcomes?

3. What small experiment could you try to test a different approach?

Remember, worldview shifts don't require abandoning your core values. Instead, they examine the assumptions shaping how you express those values in your leadership. The goal isn't to adopt someone else's worldview but to ensure your own genuinely serves your effectiveness as a leader—and your fulfillment as a person.

As you go into your next meeting today, consider that achieving the desired results might be better served by reflecting on your worldview before focusing on behavioral tactics. There's nothing wrong with aspiring toward best practices, but what drives you may not motivate your people.

Worldview - The Language of Leadership: Part 2 of 3

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Part 2: How Trust Statements Reveal Your Worldview

During a recent worldview conversation with industry leaders, the discussion quickly revealed their underlying assumptions. One financial director firmly stated, "Russell, you can't trust people. If you do, they'll take advantage of you." Another leader challenged this perspective, sharing, "I struggle with trusting my people. However, I've adopted an approach of 'trust, then verify.'" A third participant smiled and added, "It's best to inspect what you expect." These statements, shared within minutes of each other, demonstrate how our deepest beliefs about people emerge in casual conversation—and how dramatically they shape our leadership approach.

While Part 1 explored the origins of our worldview—the family, friends, mentors, and workplace experiences that informed the developmental stages that shaped us—Part 2 examines how these beliefs manifest in our daily language and leadership approach through what I call "trust statements."

The phrases we routinely use reveal our deepest assumptions about people and the world. Like an invisible operating system, these statements guide our decisions without conscious awareness. I've witnessed how dramatically they affect team performance, underscoring the urgency for leaders to address their beliefs.

Consider two project managers with similar technical skills. One consistently says, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." His first boss fired people for mistakes, embedding a belief that safety requires control. His team performs reliably but rarely innovates or takes initiative—they await instructions and avoid risks. Another manager operates from "people rise to expectations" and "everyone brings valuable perspectives." Her team consistently outperforms on problem-solving and adaptation. The difference isn't skill—the worldview shapes how team members are treated and respond.

Trust Statements versus Truth Statements

It's crucial to distinguish between trust and truth statements in our leadership language. Both types of statements inform our worldview through values, beliefs, and behaviors. Truth statements express absolutes or core convictions—the hills we're willing to die on. Trust statements, by contrast, are often truisms or axioms providing general wisdom or perspective. When someone says, "Trust is relative," they're offering a trust statement, not necessarily a truth. These language choices significantly shape our leadership philosophy.

Discernment is crucial in responding to relationships, whether we deal with trust or truth statements. We must honor one another by respecting similarities and differences. Our worldview reflects assumptions we've made about how the world should work. The challenge for all of us is to consider how these assumptions continue to serve us and those around us, emphasizing the importance of respect and understanding in our interactions.

In Part 1, we identified seasons of growth and development. Worldview often shifts during these transitions. As one mentor once shared with me, "The things worth fighting for become fewer as I get older, yet there are a few things I will die for." Our truths typically become fewer and deeper as we mature. Ultimately, your truth statements inform your trust statements, creating a coherent leadership philosophy.

Our trust statements typically reflect four orientations:

• Protection-Oriented: "Better safe than sorry," "Keep your guard up"

• Skepticism-Based: "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is"

• Experience-Based: "I've been burned before," "People don't change"

• Control-Oriented: "If you want something done right, do it yourself"

The most revealing exercise is completing "People are..." Your instinctive responses expose your fundamental assumptions about human nature. Leaders who believe "people are lazy unless motivated" create management systems with heavy oversight—often producing the very behavior they fear. Those who think "people want to contribute meaningfully" develop stronger teams through delegation and development.

These statements connect directly to the worldview foundations we explored in Part 1. The voices that shaped your early understanding now speak through your leadership language. The good news? Awareness creates choice. By recognizing your trust statements, you can evaluate whether they still serve your leadership goals.

Reflection Questions:

1. When the last time you faced a conflict with someone, what may have been some trust or truth statement that may not have aligned with your worldview?

2. What are your top three "People are..." statements?

3. What trust statements reflect one of the four primary orientations?

4. What are you most common trust statements that you share at home or work?

Action Steps:

1. Ask for feedback about how others perceive your trust level based on your trust statements.

2. Identify one assumption that you've held true that may need to be challenged.

Worldview: The Lens of Your Life & Leadership - A Three-Part Series

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Part 1: The Foundation of Worldview

Since 2018, I've been on the facilitation team for a 4 day construction leadership institute. I serve in this program 10-12 times a year with the opportunity to directly spend time 1-1 in coaching with 50+ leaders. The 30-year-old Leadership Institute program begins with a baseline teaching on worldview. Every leader wants better results, but working harder using the same tactical practice may not yield your desired outcomes. As my mentor Paul Stanley once shared, we need to rethink our thinking on leadership. Marshall Goldsmith posed a similar approach in his book What Got You Here Won't Get You There. It’s a caution when there's no time to think beyond tactics in the ready-fire-aim approach to strategies, decisions, and people management.

Worldview provides a lens through which we see the world around us, informing our values, beliefs, and biases. If you want to see different results from your work, it may be time to pause and consider your worldview.

During our leadership training, we have a worldview conversation within a small group setting where I'll ask, "Who has influenced your worldview, and how does that impact how you lead today?" It's fascinating to hear the stories of positive and negative examples from family members, athletic coaches, and first bosses. We all have people who have influenced our lives—good or bad—and their voices tend to reflect our worldviews. These people model a way of thinking that often translates into our expectations of people we live or work with day-to-day.

Challenging Assumptions: A Key to Leadership Growth

Most role models are never perfect, so we focus on the good of those who have a voice in our lives. However, even positive influences can create limitations we don't recognize.

Psychology offers additional frameworks to understand how our worldview evolves. Lawrence Kohlberg's moral development theory provides a valuable lens through which we can examine the maturation of our ethical reasoning—a core component of worldview. Kohlberg identified six stages across three levels:

1. Pre-conventional (focused on punishment avoidance and self-interest)

2. Conventional (centered on social conformity and authority)

3. Post-conventional (based on universal principles and ethical reasoning).

Leaders often progress through these stages as they mature, moving from rule-following to principled decision-making. Understanding where you fall on this moral compass can illuminate why specific leadership challenges emerge—perhaps you're operating from a conventional worldview in an environment that requires post-conventional thinking. This developmental perspective helps explain why our worldview naturally shifts over time through experience and maturity, suggesting that periodic reassessment is helpful and necessary for continued growth.

My mentor Paul Stanley introduced another powerful framework for understanding life stages that profoundly influences how our worldview evolves:

• Learning (who am I?)

• Building (what is my place?)

• Focusing (why am I here?)

• Investing (how do I finish well and leave a legacy?).

Each stage brings different priorities, challenges, and perspectives. For example, I transitioned to wearing glasses a few years ago. How we see the world changes with life stages and seasons. Knowing your season and those whose voice(s) shape your thinking and actions provides crucial insights into your present worldview. A leader in the Building stage will naturally have different concerns and perspectives than one in the Investing stage—neither is wrong, but awareness of these differences enhances self-understanding and interpersonal effectiveness.

Our inherited beliefs shape how we view our teams and challenges. In Part 2, we'll explore "trust statements" that reveal our underlying assumptions and how they manifest in our daily leadership decisions. Until then, reflect on how your worldview origins influence your leadership effectiveness.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who are the 3-5 people who have most shaped your worldview?

2. What specific beliefs about work, success, or people did you inherit from them?

3. Which of these inherited beliefs have you never questioned?

4. How might your current challenges connect to your worldview?

Action Steps:

1. Write down the names of people who significantly influenced your thinking.

2. For each person, note one specific belief you adopted from them.

3. Identify one belief that might benefit from reexamination.

Building Teams Across Cultural Divides: Leadership Lessons from Down-Under

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Part 2: The Power of Vulnerability - Creating Trust Across Cultures

In my continued conversation with Phillip, he shared a moment that transformed his understanding of leadership. During a particularly challenging team meeting, he took a risk and opened up about his own struggles with balancing traditional Australian business culture and his personal values. The response surprised him. His vulnerability created space for others to share their perspectives, leading to one of their most productive discussions ever.

"The best meetings are generally when people are vulnerable," Phillip reflected. "When everyone feels safe enough to say what they're really thinking." His observation aligns perfectly with Harvard professor Amy Edmondson's research showing that psychological safety drives team performance. But creating this safety across cultural divides? That's where the real art of leadership comes in.

Consider: When was the last time you created space for your team to share their authentic thoughts and concerns?

Phillip's team spans four generations, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each with their own views on professional vulnerability. The older members initially saw vulnerability as weakness, while younger team members viewed it as a strength. Instead of forcing consensus, Phillip learned to appreciate these differences. He found ways to make everyone comfortable contributing in their own style.

Reflect: How do generational differences in your team influence how people express and receive vulnerability?

One particularly powerful moment came when Phillip's finance team member, typically quiet in meetings, shared his perspective on feeling excluded from team social events due to cultural differences. This openness led to a broader discussion about inclusive team building, resulting in new approaches that respected everyone's preferences and boundaries.

Ask yourself: What conversations might your team be avoiding due to cultural or generational discomfort?

The transformation in Phillip's team didn't happen overnight. It began with small moments of courage - a shared concern here, an acknowledged mistake there. Each vulnerable moment built trust, creating a foundation for deeper collaboration. As Brené Brown reminds us, vulnerability isn't about winning or losing; it's about having the courage to show up authentically.

Your Challenge This Week

In your next team interaction, create what I call a "vulnerability bridge." Start by sharing a recent leadership challenge you're facing or a lesson you've learned. Make it real but appropriate - vulnerability isn't about oversharing, it's about creating connection. Then, watch how this opens space for others to share their own experiences.

Pay attention to how different team members respond. Some might jump in immediately, others might need time to process. Notice these patterns - they often reflect deeper cultural and generational perspectives about professional relationships.

What safe space will you create this week for authentic connection across your team's cultural divides?

Building Bridges Across Cultural Divides: Leadership Lessons from Down-Under

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Part 1: When Differences Become Strengths - A Leader's Guide to Cultural Intelligence 

Twenty years ago, while pursuing my master's degree, I sat in a Leading through Cross-Cultural Conflict class that would forever change my approach to leadership. The professor's message was simple yet profound: slow down to understand cultural context before diving into issues. Today, as I coach global leaders across continents, this lesson resonates more deeply than ever. 

Let me share a recent conversation with Phillip, a regional manager in Australia, that beautifully illustrates this principle. Phillip leads a diverse team spanning generations and backgrounds, each bringing their own cultural norms to the table. His challenge? Bridging the gap between traditional Australian business culture - where after-work drinks serve as the primary team-building activity - and younger team members who prioritize wellness and work-life balance. 

As Phillip shared his story, I could hear the frustration in his voice. "I want to build stronger connections with my team," he explained, "but I don't drink, and some team members see that as strange." His experience highlights how deeply cultural norms influence our workplace interactions. What's "normal" in one context can create invisible barriers in another. 

Pause for a moment and consider: What cultural norms in your workplace might be creating unintended divisions? 

When Phillip realized that traditional after-hours socializing was excluding some team members, he made a crucial shift. Instead of trying to change people's preferences, he moved team-building activities to core work hours. This simple change meant everyone could participate authentically, without compromising their personal values or choices. 

Ask yourself: How might you create spaces where all team members can show up authentically? 

In my coaching practice, I often see leaders struggle with similar challenges. They know diversity matters - the research shows organizations with strong cross-cultural leadership see 22% higher engagement and 31% lower turnover. But numbers don't tell the whole story. The real transformation happens when leaders learn to see cultural differences not as obstacles to overcome, but as strengths to leverage. 

Reflect: Are you approaching cultural differences as problems to solve or opportunities to embrace? 

Your Challenge This Week 

For next 1-1 management or mentoring or team meeting, try this: Before diving into the agenda, take five minutes to learn something new about that individual’s backgrounds. Ask about their preferred working styles, their cultural perspectives on collaboration, or their ideas about effective team building. Don't just listen to respond - listen to understand. 

Listening well is the gateway to bridging stronger pillars of trust.

Then, consider how this new understanding might reshape your approach to your engagement and leadership. Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to build stronger connections across cultural divides.

The question isn't whether cultural differences exist in your team - they do. The question is: How will you use these differences to make your team stronger? 

What one step will you take this week to turn a cultural difference into a team strength? 

Launching Rockets Before the VC Runs Out: Walking the Line Between Vision and Reality

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A startup CTO's raw account of choosing between company culture and the capital countdown.

3 Pathways to navigate next steps to impossible decisions

Christopher massaged his temples, staring at the latest test results illuminated by his office monitor. The data wasn't catastrophic, but it wasn't good either. As Chief Technical Officer, he'd built his reputation on technical excellence and unwavering integrity. Now, those very principles were being tested daily in the pressure cooker of startup reality.

"We can just sign off on it and fix it in the next iteration," his colleague had suggested earlier that day, with that characteristic startup optimism that made Christopher's stomach churn. "The investors need to see progress."

Progress had become a double-edged sword in the rocket startup world. In the boardroom, it meant hitting arbitrary milestones that looked good on quarterly reports. In the test facility, it meant methodical validation, careful documentation, and sometimes—the hardest pill for investors to swallow—taking two steps back to move one step forward safely.

The manufacturing floor below his office buzzed with activity, his team of eight working diligently on the next prototype. He'd handpicked each one, invested in their development, and watched them grow from talented individuals into a cohesive unit. Their commitment was unwavering, but lately, he'd noticed the strain in their eyes. They felt it, too—the growing disconnect between the company's words and actions.

"We're different," the founders had proclaimed when they'd recruited him from his backyard in California during COVID. "We're building a company that cares about its people, that does things right." Christopher had believed them then. Four years and seventy employees later, he was wrestling with the gap between that vision and reality.

The company's culture had begun to fragment. Simple process improvements that would benefit everyone got vetoed by individual holdouts. Documentation requirements – critical for safety and traceability – were treated as optional bureaucratic hurdles rather than essential safeguards. Accountability existed in presentations but evaporated in practice.

His phone buzzed with another message from the CEO: "Board presentation tomorrow. Need updates on the production timeline."

Christopher closed his eyes, remembering his conversation with his president that morning. "If you leave, we're done," the president had said. "I don't mean to put this all on you, but I'm putting it all on you." The weight of those words sat heavily on his shoulders.

Running a manufacturing department in aerospace wasn't like running a candy shop. They were creating controlled explosions at an airport. Every decision, every signature, every process had real consequences. However, trying to enforce standards while maintaining morale was becoming an increasingly delicate balance.

"You're intimidating," they'd told him in feedback sessions. "You need to be less negative." But how do you sugarcoat physics? How do you make safety requirements more palatable? When did upholding standards become negative?

Opening his laptop, Christopher began drafting an email to the founders. They started this journey with shared values—respect, excellence, and integrity. Somewhere along the way, those values had become PowerPoint slides rather than daily practices. The company needed to mature and align its actions with its stated principles.

The easy path would be to walk away. His skills were in demand, and other companies would welcome his experience. But that wasn't who he was. He'd invested too much of himself in this team, this vision, this dream of building something different in an industry known for burning through talent and burning out people.

Looking through the window at his team below, Christopher made his decision. He would stay and fight for technical excellence and the culture they'd promised to build. The company needed to grow, which meant having uncomfortable conversations about accountability, following through on commitments, and aligning values with behaviors.

Tomorrow's board meeting would be challenging. The investors would push for shortcuts, faster timelines, and more "progress." But real progress meant building something sustainable—not just in terms of technology but also in terms of people and principles.

Christopher began typing his presentation, leading with the hard truths. The company was at a crossroads. It could continue down the path of least resistance, making decisions by exception and watching its culture erode, or it could recommit to its founding values and put in the hard work of building a company worth believing in.

The test results still glowed on his other monitor, a reminder of the technical challenges ahead. However, as he drafted his message, Christopher felt a familiar sense of purpose return. In an industry where failure meant more than missed quarters, integrity wasn't just a virtue—it was a survival strategy. Sometimes, true leadership meant being the voice of uncomfortable truths, even when it meant standing alone.

Finding Your Way Forward: Reflections for Leaders at the Crossroads

Christopher's story isn't just about rockets and runways – it's about the universal challenge of maintaining professional integrity while navigating the pressures of performance and progress. Perhaps you recognize yourself in his struggle, caught between the demands of stakeholders and your standards of excellence. Maybe you are wrestling with decisions that seem to have no clear, correct answer.

When the stakes are high, and the path forward is clouded by subjectivity, even the most seasoned leaders can feel paralyzed. Here are three pathways to help you find clarity and purpose when facing impossible decisions:

Step Outside Your Bubble: Gain New Perspective

As a wise missionary mentor once observed, we must "get out of the demographic." Our immediate circumstances can create a tunnel vision that blinds us to broader possibilities. What we perceive as insurmountable challenges in our professional bubble might look very different when viewed through a different lens.

This isn't about diminishing your challenges by comparing them to "third-world problems." Rather, it's about seeking perspectives that shake loose our fixed thinking patterns. This might mean:

• Spending time in nature, where the scale of your challenges shifts against the backdrop of mountains or oceans

• Volunteering in communities different from your own

• Engaging with leaders from entirely different industries who've faced similar crossroads

• Taking time for silent reflection away from the constant hum of business

Seek Wisdom: Leverage Your Support Network

No leader should navigate difficult decisions in isolation. Christopher's story emerged from a coaching conversation that helped him articulate his frustrations, underlying values, and non-negotiables. Consider:

• Engaging with a professional coach who can help you process your thoughts and clarify your path

• Connecting with mentors who've weathered similar storms

• Building a personal board of advisors – trusted voices who can offer different perspectives and challenge your assumptions

• Creating space for honest dialogue with peers facing similar challenges

Pause and Realign: Return to Your Core

We can lose sight of our fundamental values and purpose under the pressure of immediate decisions. Take time to:

• Identify your core values and non-negotiables

• Map the gaps between your current reality and these values.

• Recognize where you've made compromises and why

• Recenter yourself on your primary purpose.

For Christopher, this reflection revealed that while he loved building rockets, his priority was building people. This clarity led to a strategy: focus on building a strong culture first, knowing that engaged, aligned people would ultimately build better rockets. The numbers would follow the fundamentals.

The Universal Truth of Leadership

You may not be launching rockets or running a startup. Your decisions might not make headlines or move markets. But your leadership matters profoundly – whether in a corporate boardroom or at your kitchen table. The quality of your decisions, the wisdom of your discernment, and your commitment to doing what's right create ripples that extend far beyond your immediate sphere of influence.

Remember:

• Short-term pressures will always push against long-term wisdom

• The easy path rarely leads to lasting impact

• Your integrity is your most valuable asset

• Building the right way is more important than building the fast way

• People and principles outlast products and profits

Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about having the courage to ask the right questions, the wisdom to seek guidance, and the integrity to stand firm when it matters most. Ultimately, the impossible decisions often become clear when viewed through the lens of our deepest values and longest-term impact.

Resolution Meets Resistance: A Leader's Path Through Adversity

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95% of Resolutions Fail. It's a hard statistical reality. Will you be in the 5% this year?

The 5% represents those who set resolutions and have the resilience and strategic rest to see them through. Don't get me wrong; it's good to see gyms filled, fresh energy emerging in the year, job applications opening up, markets on the rise, and even more people coming to church last Sunday. There's a contagious optimism about the New Year. Yet, our resolve to put our best foot forward always faces resistance.

For the last 5 years or so, when leading a session on goal setting, motivation, or time management, I'll lead with a bit of humor, "Give a show of hands. How many of you want to be rich and skinny in the next 90 days?" That sounds great, too; I'll ask, "How many of you succeeded in your New Year's Resolutions this past year?" One or two hands may go up. The issue with resolutions is our resolve, yet working as a coach for a decade, I've noticed the problem runs deeper regarding our beliefs around resistance. Like those in the gym, this week will tell you – resistance training is the only way toward growth.

Spoken candidly, few have the resolve to sacrifice or suffer to endure till the finish line. The juice may not be worth the squeeze.

Speaking of suffering, in the fall of 2022, this truth became painfully personal when I faced a debilitating back crisis. As my L5 and S1 vertebrae collapsed onto nerve endings, creating excruciating pain, I found myself in serious consultations with two neurosurgeons who presented a stark reality: consider spinal fusion surgery or face a future of increasing limitation. The path forward demanded more than just medical intervention – it required a complete reimagining of my lifestyle, beginning with the challenging work of managing the mental and emotional stress that had manifested physically during my work as a leadership consultant with medical leaders amidst the healthcare crisis. Sometimes, our most significant challenges force us to rethink our approach rather than push harder along the same path.

A core principle emerged from my journey: Resistance training builds resilience, and resilience strengthens resolve.

Just as the body initially resists unfamiliar physical demands, organizations and teams naturally push back against change, even when beneficial. Foregoing the surgical route and mitigating the stress in my back, my physical therapy transition from running to swimming illustrates how adaptation, rather than mere persistence, often paves the way to success. Despite warnings that my running days were over, careful experimentation and gradual progression eventually enabled a return to the treadmill, complementing an established swimming routine that had grown to three miles weekly.

The key insight for leaders is profound: growth emerges not from resolution alone, but from deliberately engaging with resistance. Whether pushing through another lap in the pool, exercising patience instead of succumbing to anger, choosing to listen before speaking, or trusting your team instead of seizing control – each moment of resistance becomes an opportunity to build resilience.

This principle extends beyond personal development to organizational transformation. Leaders who understand this dynamic approach resistance not as an obstacle to be eliminated, but as a natural part of the growth process. They recognize that the challenges faced while implementing new initiatives – digital transformations, cultural shifts, or operational changes – forge more resilient organizations and teams.

My swimming journey perfectly captures this truth: progress comes through pushing against resistance. Each stroke through the water builds strength precisely because of the water's pushback. Similarly, organizational changes gain momentum and sustainability by addressing and working through resistance rather than avoiding it.

Embracing this understanding is crucial for leaders embarking on new year initiatives. The measure of success lies not in the absence of resistance but in the capacity to work through it productively. Whether implementing new technologies, reshaping team dynamics, or pursuing personal development goals, the resistance encountered often indicates that you're moving in the direction of meaningful change.

The most impactful resolutions—personal or organizational—aren't those that avoid resistance but anticipate and embrace it as part of the growth process. There's a secret to being among the 5% who achieve their resolutions: it requires a clear resolution, deep dedication to finishing what we started, and, most importantly, embracing resistance as an opportunity rather than a threat. This transformative power of embracing resistance is what empowers leaders and inspires them to achieve their goals.

Through resistance, we develop resilience. However, another critical element often overlooked in our pursuit of goals is the power of rest. Like those in gyms getting their reps in between weight sets, interval training has rest built in for recovery. Just as any piece of music includes rests for rhythm and melody, providing musicians time to catch their breath, our journey toward meaningful change requires similar pauses.

In every powerful conversation, the silence creates space for reflection and insight after a significant question. To calibrate work-life harmony, our weekly rhythms must include time for recreation, restful Sabbath, and reconnection with loved ones. This rest isn't merely a pause in activity—it's strategic preparation that allows you to leverage strength when, not if, resistance comes. Emphasizing the strategic nature of rest reassures leaders and helps them maintain a balanced approach to their goals.

True resolutions go beyond the superficial desires of being "rich and skinny." Genuine commitments have meaning and purpose. The leaders who succeed in their transformative journeys understand the wisdom of prioritizing significance over mere success. They recognize that resistance isn't their enemy but their trainer, building the strength needed for sustainable change. Stressing the significance of resolutions over mere success motivates leaders and helps them stay focused on their purpose.

As you move toward your resolutions this year, leverage these three elements: the wisdom to recognize the significance of your priorities, the understanding that resistance builds rather than blocks your path and the rhythm of rest that sustains your journey. In doing so, you might find yourself not just among the 5% who achieve their resolutions, but among the few who transform resistance into resilience, creating lasting change that extends far beyond the new year.

The path through resistance isn't just about reaching goals – it's about becoming someone capable of achieving and sustaining them. Like my journey from spinal crisis to renewed strength through swimming and eventual return to running, your path forward may require adaptation, patience, and a willingness to embrace the resistance that shapes your resilience. Remember, each lap in the pool, each minute on the treadmill, each moment of choosing patience over anger or trust over control – these are the resistance training moments that build the strength to turn resolutions into reality.

Beyond New Year's Resolutions: The Art of Leadership Listening

The Art of Leadership Listening Reveals the Secret to Meaningful Impact

As we step into 2025, many leaders are on the lookout for ways to make a significant impact in their organizations. While the usual resolutions tend to revolve around metrics and deliverables, a compelling alternative is gaining traction: the art of intentional listening. This fresh approach, in contrast to the traditional ones, has the potential to bring about a more profound and meaningful change.

Consider Jamie, a learning and development consultant who discovered that his greatest professional impact comes not from speaking but from creating space for others to share their stories. "I find enjoyment just sitting back, listening. I'll have a cup of coffee and just say, 'Tell me about you,'" he reflects. This simple yet profound approach has transformed his ability to support organizational growth and development.

The key lies in what Jamie calls "being in the moment" – fully present and genuinely curious about others' experiences and aspirations. This practice isn't just about hearing words; it's about understanding the deeper motivations and values that drive people's goals and decisions.

For leaders looking to enhance their impact in 2025, here's a practical framework:

Start with passion. Begin conversations by asking what excites people about the year ahead. This will open the door to authentic dialogue and reveal underlying motivations.

Practice the two-minute rule. When someone shares their goals or challenges, commit to listening for two full minutes before responding. This creates space for deeper reflection and demonstrates genuine interest.

Follow the thread. Instead of jumping to solutions, ask thoughtful follow-up questions to help people explore their thinking. The right question at the right time can lead to powerful insights.

Build trust gradually. Remember that deeper conversations require established relationships. Start with surface-level exchanges and progressively build toward more meaningful discussions as trust develops.

What makes this approacH powerful is its simplicity.

It doesn't demand complex strategies or extensive resources – just the willingness to be present and curious. As Jamie discovered, the most impactful leadership moments sometimes come from simply creating space for others to share their stories and aspirations. This simplicity makes intentional listening a highly accessible and appealing tool for any leader.

As you chart your course for 2025, consider making intentional listening a cornerstone of your leadership practice. Understanding others' perspectives and motivations can yield returns far beyond traditional goal-setting approaches, paving the way for lasting impact through stronger relationships and deeper understanding.

Balancing Achievement Drive with Sustainable Leadership

Unsplash @santesson89

The relentless drive for achievement that propels many executives to success can become their greatest challenge in building sustainable leadership careers. As illustrated in a recent executive coaching session, high-performing leaders often struggle to find the right balance between seizing every opportunity and maintaining personal sustainability.

The session revealed a common pattern: when presented with compelling opportunities, ambitious leaders often default to "if it's physically possible, I'll make it happen" - even when already operating at capacity. While this approach demonstrates impressive capability and dedication, it can lead to periods of burnout, strained relationships, and missed opportunities for developing others.

One executive reflected, "I don't want to be the kind of leader who'll do everything all the time and then burn out at some point, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout." This insight highlights a critical inflection point many leaders face: recognizing that long-term impact requires more than just personal heroics.

““I don’t want to be the kind of leader who’ll do everything all the time and then burn out at some point, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout.” ”

— John C - CFO

The primary challenge emerges around calibrating ambition - learning to say no to good opportunities so you can say yes to great ones, while building sustainable practices that allow for recovery and growth. This includes developing the capacity to delegate meaningful work and creating space for others to develop their capabilities.

For leaders grappling with this balance, consider these reflective questions:

1. How might your drive for achievement be limiting your organization's overall capability by inadvertently stunting others' growth opportunities?

2. What would it look like to measure your success not just by what you personally accomplish, but by the capability you build in others?

3. Where in your current role are you saying "yes" out of pride or habit rather than strategic necessity?

A practical next step is to identify one significant project or responsibility that you can thoughtfully transition to another team member over the next quarter. The goal isn't just delegation - it's creating space for others to develop while giving yourself room to operate at a more strategic level.

Remember, sustainable leadership isn't about doing less - it's about accomplishing more through others while maintaining personal effectiveness over the long term. By learning to balance achievement drive with sustainability, leaders can build lasting impact that extends beyond their personal capacity.

The most successful leaders understand that their legacy isn't measured by how many challenges they personally overcome, but by how many capable leaders they develop along the way.

The Weight and Wisdom of Executive Leadership

I've had the privilege of coaching dozens of leaders, half of these executives managing billion-dollar decisions, and hundreds of employees. These conversations have revealed a profound truth about leadership at the highest levels: with great power comes responsibility and an intense personal investment in outcomes. This personal investment, often overlooked, is a testament to the dedication and sacrifice these leaders make.

These leaders approach their roles with decisive assertiveness, drawing on years of experience and an unwavering drive toward innovation. Yet, what stands out is how deeply personal their work becomes. Missed deadlines, unmet quotas, and unreached goals aren't just business metrics—they're taken as personal setbacks. This dedication drives success but can also exact a steep price.

The cost of leadership often manifests in overlooked priorities, neglected relationships, and compromised personal health. Consider this: if you consistently have unused PTO at year's end, are you inadvertently prioritizing work over family and well-being? The implications are worth examining.

This brings us to a critical inflection point in leadership development: accountability. As leaders ascend the corporate ladder, three essential questions emerge:

• - Who challenges your thinking?

• - Who has veto power over your decisions?

• - Who provides alternative perspectives in your life?

Counter-intuitively, effective high-level leadership requires surrendering some autonomy. It means actively granting stakeholders, mentors, and coaches permission to speak into your life and work. This vulnerability, rather than weakening leadership, strengthens it.

The path forward requires careful evaluation:

1. Assess what's at stake in your current decisions

2. Consider the long-term impact of today's commitments

3. Identify whose counsel might lead to better outcomes

4. Take inventory of your commitments, decisions, and priorities

5. Evaluate the trusted voices in your life who can serve as sounding boards, guides, and even occasional vetoes

This process isn't just about better decision-making but sustainable leadership. It’s a balance of Grit and Grace. Leaders can move forward with greater confidence and effectiveness by establishing a network of trusted advisors and maintaining the humility to heed their input.

Remember: the strongest leaders aren't those who carry the weight alone, but those who know when and whom to trust for guidance.

The Negativity Paradox: Clear in Others, Invisible in Self

The Silent Weight of Workplace Negativity: My Research Journey

My path into studying workplace negativity wasn't planned—I was thrown into the lion's den of organizational toxicity during my PhD research. What started as an academic pursuit quickly revealed a universal challenge plaguing organizations across sectors.

Through interviewing twelve high-level executives, including six CEOs managing thousands of employees, I uncovered disturbing patterns. Three executives physically collapsed from the weight of organizational negativity, with two requiring hospitalization. These weren't isolated incidents—they highlighted three critical findings:

1. Negativity's impact transcends industry boundaries, affecting everything from healthcare to construction

2. Even seasoned leaders aren't immune to its effects, as demonstrated by the physical collapse of experienced executives

3. We systematically underestimate our personal absorption of negative energy while readily identifying it in others

This paradox became the cornerstone of my research: our ability to spot negativity's impact on colleagues while remaining blind to its effect on ourselves. It's this unconscious absorption that makes workplace negativity particularly dangerous—like a silent weight that accumulates until it becomes too heavy to bear.

My findings reveal an urgent need for new approaches to recognize and address negativity before it reaches crisis levels. The physical toll on these executives serves as a stark warning about the real costs of unmanaged workplace toxicity.

Rest, Reset, Spiral Up: Learning Leadership in Real Time

As I celebrate the release of my book Spiraling Up, I find myself living its principles in real-time. With a demanding 9-week travel and leadership training schedule, it took a Colorado snowstorm and my wife's gentle reminder to recognize that I needed rest. A few sharp comments revealed that fatigue of my own pace and external factors from all happening around me was setting in, and negativity surfaced around those closest to me—time for a pause, self-reflection, and self-leadership after a good nap.

My experience reinforces one of the book's core insights: we often don't realize how much negativity we've absorbed until it surfaces unexpectedly. I'm thankful for the feedback that keeps me accountable to the leadership I strive to embody at home and work.

Negativity is subtle. It accumulates quietly and can impact us exponentially. If you're wrestling with its effects in your professional life, Spiraling Up offers a pathway toward positive transformation. I invite you to engage with the book, reflect on your own experiences with negativity, and join me in this journey toward shaping a positive culture around you. After all, I'm not just the author—I'm also a practitioner learning alongside you.

Spiraling Up Launch! - Watch the 90 Second Trailer

Whether you are a seasoned executive looking to reinvigorate a stagnant culture or a new manager seeking to build a foundation of positivity from the ground up, 'Spiraling Up' is designed to be your guide, your toolkit, and your inspiration on this transformative journey. The book is divided into three parts:

• Part 1 - Focuses on understanding workplace negativity

• Part 2 - Delves into the SPIRAL framework - 6 strategies for addressing it

• Part 3 - Provides practical steps for transforming it.

Each chapter will be concluded with a summary of insights, reflection questions, and a team exercise, creating a real-time response for leaders with their teams.

Together, we will explore the art and science of authentic leadership, the power of reframing negative mindsets, and the practical steps you can take to cultivate a workplace culture that brings out the best in everyone.  

So, let us embark on this journey together as we uncover the secrets of 'Spiraling Up' and unlock the full potential of our teams, our organizations, and ourselves as leaders in an ever-changing world. With your dedication, compassion, and steadfast commitment to positive change, we can transform even the most challenging workplace dynamics and create organizations that thrive in adversity.  

“Spiraling-Up is like a “break glass in case of emergency” kit for culture change.”

— Michael Brunner Senior Director R&D Strategy at Kimberly-Clark

Why Spiraling Up: A 40-Minute Interview with Dr. Russell Verhey at NLC

In a compelling interview at New Life Church, Dr. Russell Verhey shares the deeply personal journey that led to his groundbreaking book, "Spiraling Up." From navigating the challenges of starting a business during COVID to discovering how workplace suffering can fuel transformative purpose, Dr. Verhey's story resonates with leaders seeking authentic paths to cultural change.

The conversation weaves through pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of workplace dynamics:

• Putting Down Roots: Dr. Verhey opens up about the foundational experiences from GA-CO that grounded his faith, family, and relationship.

• Passion for Leadership: His journey from experiencing workplace negativity firsthand to developing a passion for helping others navigate similar challenges.

• Defining Moments: How personal trials became the catalyst for understanding that passion truly informs purpose.

• COVID Business Launch: The unexpected insights gained from during global uncertainty.

• Negativity's Impact: Research-backed findings on how negativity affects workplace culture and performance.

• TRIBE Leadership Model: Introduction to his innovative framework for authentic leadership, encompassing Transparency, Reflection, Integrity, Balance, and Empowerment.

What sets this interview apart is Dr. Verhey's vulnerability in sharing how his faith journey intertwines with his professional mission. He reveals how the Lord continually leads him into deeper places of trust, informing his approach as both a Workplace Psychologist and leadership coach.

For leaders wrestling with cultural transformation, this interview offers both practical frameworks and leadership insights for the journey ahead.

Watch the full interview to discover how workplace suffering can become the foundation for positive change:

"Spiraling Up" launches on Amazon Friday November 1st: https://amzn.to/3YKuvxx

Maximizing the Impact of Your Leadership 360 Feedback

@pavement_special

Maximizing the Impact of Your Leadership 360 Feedback

Receiving a Leadership 360 report is not just a milestone, but a transformative moment in your professional journey. Having worked with numerous leaders and delved into empirical studies on the impact of self-awareness through feedback, I can attest to the profound power of this tool when approached with the right mindset.

The Gift of Feedback

First and foremost, it's crucial to view your 360 report as a rare and precious gift. Your colleagues and team members have invested their time and energy to provide you with valuable insights into your leadership style, strengths, and areas for growth. This feedback is a unique opportunity to see yourself through the eyes of others and gain a more comprehensive understanding of your impact as a leader.

Qualitative and Quantitative Insights

Your 360 report likely contains both qualitative and quantitative feedback. The quantitative data provides a measurable snapshot of your performance across various leadership competencies, while the qualitative comments offer context and specific examples. Both types of feedback are valuable and should be considered in tandem.

Studies have consistently shown that leaders who actively seek and reflect on feedback demonstrate higher levels of self-awareness, which correlates with improved team performance, better decision-making, and enhanced overall leadership effectiveness.

Focusing Your Development Efforts

While the temptation to address every area in your report may be strong, research suggests that focusing on 2-3 key competencies provides a clear and guided path to significant improvements. Here's how to approach this:

1. Identify patterns: Look for themes that emerge across both quantitative ratings and qualitative comments.

2. Consider impact: Which competencies, if improved, would have the most substantial positive effect on your team and organization?

3. Leverage strengths: The most impactful growth sometimes comes from further developing an existing strength.

Once you've selected your focus areas, it's time to dig deeper. Seek additional feedback from trusted colleagues to gain more specific insights into these competencies. This targeted approach allows for a more nuanced understanding and lays the groundwork for effective development planning.

Crafting Your Professional Development Plan

You're ready to create a professional development plan with your focus areas identified and supplementary feedback gathered. This plan should be:

1. Specific: Clearly define what success looks like for each competency.

2. Actionable: Include concrete steps you'll take to improve.

3. Measurable: Determine how you'll track progress.

4. Time-bound: Set realistic timelines for achieving your goals.

Share this plan with your manager, mentor, or coach. Their input can help refine your approach and ensure alignment with organizational goals. Moreover, sharing your plan demonstrates your commitment to growth and can foster valuable support for your development journey.

Productive vs. Counterproductive Responses

To make the most of your 360 feedback, it's essential to approach it with the right mindset. Here's a contrast between common counterproductive responses and more effective alternatives:

Counterproductive:

• Dismissing feedback as inaccurate or biased

• Focusing solely on negative comments

• Attempting to identify who said what

• Becoming defensive or making excuses

Productive:

• Expressing gratitude for the feedback

• Looking for patterns and themes across all comments

• Focusing on actions and behaviors, not personal attributes

• Seeking clarification and additional examples to deepen understanding

The Path Forward

Remember, self-awareness is an ongoing journey. Your 360 report is not a final judgment but a snapshot in time and a tool for growth. Leaders who embrace this feedback and commit to continuous improvement often report increased job satisfaction, better relationships with their teams, and enhanced overall performance.

As you progress, maintain an open dialogue about your development efforts with your colleagues. Regularly solicit informal feedback to gauge your progress and adjust your approach. This ongoing commitment to growth benefits you as a leader and sets a powerful example for your entire team.

By approaching your Leadership 360 report with openness, focus, and a commitment to action, you're positioning yourself for significant personal and professional growth. Embrace this opportunity, and watch as your enhanced self-awareness translates into more effective and impactful leadership.

Courage in Leadership: Mastering the Art of Upward Feedback

Unsplash @pttiedu

How One Leader Overcame His Fears to Address Crucial Issues

As leaders, we often find ourselves in situations where we need to provide feedback - not just to our direct reports but also to our superiors. This upward feedback can be particularly challenging, as it requires courage, tact, and a delicate balance of respect and honesty. Austin, a manufacturing plant manager at a large automotive plant, recently faced such a dilemma when he needed to address his boss's negative comments about hourly workers.

Austin's situation is not uncommon. Many leaders struggle with giving feedback to their superiors, fearing potential repercussions or damaging the relationship. However, these crucial conversations, when handled thoughtfully, can lead to positive outcomes, fostering team morale, productivity, and organizational culture.

So, how can leaders overcome their fears and effectively provide feedback to their bosses? Here are some key strategies:

1. Gain clarity: Before initiating the conversation, ensure you clearly understand the issue at hand. Austin reflected on specific instances where his boss's comments were problematic, allowing him to articulate the situation more effectively.

2. Use a structured approach: Employ a feedback model like SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) to frame your message. This helps keep the feedback objective and focused on specific behaviors rather than personal judgments.

3. Practice and prepare: Rehearse your feedback alone or with a trusted colleague or coach. This can help you refine your message and boost your confidence.

4. Choose the right time and place: Timing is crucial when delivering feedback. Find an appropriate moment when your boss will likely be receptive and not rushed or stressed.

5. Ask for permission: Start the conversation by asking if it's a good time to share observations or feedback. This shows respect and allows the recipient to be mentally prepared.

6. Focus on the impact: Clearly articulate how the behavior affects you, the team, and the organization. Austin realized that his boss's negative comments were demotivating other team members and potentially harming the company's culture change efforts.

7. Offer solutions: Come prepared with suggestions for improvement or alternative approaches. This demonstrates a constructive mindset and shows you're committed to finding solutions.

8. Be open to dialogue: Feedback is a two-way street. Be prepared to listen to your boss's perspective and engage in a meaningful conversation about the issue.

9. Follow up: Discuss progress and any changes observed after the initial conversation. This reinforces the importance of the feedback and shows your commitment to ongoing improvement.

While giving feedback to your boss can be daunting, it's an essential skill for effective leadership. By addressing issues head-on, you contribute to a more positive work environment and demonstrate your commitment to the organization's success.

Austin's journey reminds us that growth often lies outside our comfort zone. As he prepared to have this crucial conversation with his superior, he faced his fears and took a significant step in his leadership development. By modeling the behavior of giving constructive feedback, Austin set an example for his team and contributed to a culture of open communication.

Remember, providing upward feedback isn't about criticism; it's about you, as a leader, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and mutual respect. Your role in this can strengthen relationships, improve organizational effectiveness, and showcase your leadership capabilities when done thoughtfully and professionally.

So, the next time you find yourself hesitating to give feedback to your boss, remember Austin's experience. Take a deep breath, prepare thoroughly, and step forward with confidence. Your courage to have these difficult conversations may catalyze positive organizational change.

For more Insights articles on leadership, coaching, and mentoring, visit www.advance.net/insights. If you prefer Podcasts, listen to our latest episode of Mentor Leadership.

Enjoy your next feedback conversation!

A Spark to Guide to ReCalibrate Your Leadership

@jakubskafiriak

Listen closely to the guidance your mentors offer - their advice comes at a significant cost through hard-won experience and painful lessons learned along the way.

As a young entrepreneur, I've made and lost millions in opportunities and real money from mistakes over 25 years of running a business. I've also learned some wisdom that works. In my role today as a mentor and coach, I'm writing for my clients: Kara, Michael, Sarah, Josh, Brad, Kate, Stacey, Matt, Nancy, Laura, Jim, and more to come in the days ahead. However, I'm writing to my younger self - the leader I was hoping to become 20 years ago while giving my all yet still making missteps. Yet, turning the corner on 50, I'm still learning every day, and learning most often comes from evaluated experience. 

If you're running hard and not getting the results you're hoping to achieve, then Spark is written for you. 

"Spark" is a letter of guidance, written from the perspective of my current self to the fired-up but sometimes misguided young leader I once was. It captures the lessons, mindsets, and practices I wish I had embraced earlier in my journey. By sharing these insights, I can help reignite the passions and sharpen the focus of aspiring leaders - saving them from some of the self-inflicted hurdles I encountered. While the advice is directed inward, it is also intended to inspire and illuminate any leader committed to continuous growth and impact.

Spark will be a series of articles that guide you in recalibrating your leadership approach across four fundamental perspectives: purpose, performance, process, and people. It introduces 12 core practices and disciplines that allow you to fully evaluate and fine-tune how you lead to realizing your leadership potential.

The four perspectives are:

1. Purpose - Clearly define your "why" as a leader and align your efforts around an inspiring vision and meaningful impact.

2. Performance - Optimizing your productivity habits and driving peak performance from yourself and your team.

3. Process - Implementing systematic methodologies to streamline operations, enable innovation, and achieve consistent, high-quality results.

4. People - Develop strategies to unite, motivate, and empower your people to thrive individually and collectively.

Across these four areas, the 12 practices provide tangible tools for assessing your current proficiencies and identifying opportunities to elevate your leadership capabilities. From personal goal-setting to building high-trust team dynamics, implementing Agile processes to fostering a growth mindset culture - Spark equips you with a comprehensive framework.

The aim is to help you pinpoint potential blockers or leaks that may constrain your ability to inspire and lead effectively. By optimizing purpose, performance, processes, and your guidance of people, you can unlock new levels of motivation, collaboration, and impact.

Spark is a tuning manual for consistently calibrating your leadership across all dimensions. It provides a system for identifying areas that need adjustment and deploying targeted practices to get yourself, your team, and your overall leadership approach is firing on all cylinders.

Inspiration of Spark

It started in 2019, with bloody knuckles and greasy fingernails from working on my old truck engine. As I crawled under the hood of my Dodge Hemi V8, I realized that all 16 spark plugs needed to be working properly to get maximum power and performance. It was a simple yet profound lesson.

@sfkopstein

My truck sputtered down the road, clearly not running at its full potential. The diagnostics revealed one cylinder was misfiring badly. After years of supposed maintenance, I discovered that a spark plug in the back corner had never actually been replaced! This 15-year-old truck had essentially been running with a critical component neglected all this time. 

Could you imagine running a business or leading a team without ever reviewing, updating, or maintaining key processes and systems over such a long period? It would be disastrous.

From a young age, I was fascinated by how things are built and fit together - spending hours constructing with erector sets, landscaping yards, and eventually designing office furniture and corporate spaces. These experiences showed firsthand how synergy between people, processes, and physical spaces drives organizational success.

At its core, effective leadership is like a high-performance engine - it requires a "spark" to ignite the full potential of the team and organization. Just as a spark plug initiates combustion to propel a vehicle forward, an inspiring leader catalyzes motivation, innovation, and high performance in their people.

When leaders embody the "Spark," they energize their team with a shared passion and purpose, fostering collaboration, creativity, and peak productivity. Teams with this collective "spark" leverage their talents seamlessly to achieve ambitious goals.

At the organizational level, the leadership "Spark" drives a culture of excellence - fueling strategic initiatives, transformative change, and sustainable growth. A "sparked" organization becomes an industry force, attracting top talent and driving breakthrough innovation and results.

However, like a fouled spark plug, a leader's "spark" can become dampened by stress, burnout, or complacency - diminishing motivation, morale, and performance across the team and company. Reigniting the "Spark" requires leaders to prioritize self-care, self-leadership, peer mentoring, and professional coaching.

Self-care through physical, mental, and emotional practices gives leaders the resilience to inspire their teams. Self-leadership involves setting a vision, leading by example with a growth mindset, and inspiring others. Peer mentoring allows leaders to share insights, receive feedback, and support each other. Professional coaching helps identify strengths, growth areas, and strategies to cultivate self-awareness and refined leadership skills.

Ultimately, the "Spark" catalyzes exceptional leadership - helping people and organizations achieve their highest potential. By nurturing their own "Spark" through proven practices, leaders can reignite their passion, drive, and sense of purpose while inspiring those around them.

Conclusion

The metaphor of the "Spark" provides a powerful analogy for understanding the catalyzing role that effective leadership plays in igniting potential, driving performance, and achieving exceptional results within teams and organizations. Just as a spark plug is essential for combustion and propelling an engine forward, inspiring leadership is the Spark that ignites passion, innovation, and growth.

By prioritizing self-care, self-leadership, peer mentoring, and professional coaching, leaders can nurture their own inner "Spark," - allowing them to lead with more incredible energy, vision, and ability to empower others. When a leader's "Spark" is vital, it has a contagious effect of motivating the entire team and fostering a culture primed for success.

As you reflect on the leadership "Spark" within yourself and your organization, consider:

• What fuels your personal "Spark" as a leader? What depletes or diminishes it?

• How can you better nurture your "Spark" through self-care, goal-setting, mentoring, or coaching?

• In what ways are you effectively transferring your "Spark" to light a fire within your team?

• What processes or systems need revisiting to maintain high performance? Where might a fresh "Spark" be required?

• How can you fan the flames of your organizational "Spark" to drive innovation and growth?

Continuously reigniting the leadership "Spark" is essential for individuals and organizations striving to reach their highest potential. By nurturing this vital catalyst, you can propel your team's performance and accelerate towards ambitious goals.

Building Teamwork - A fixer or facilitator?

Unsplash - @hagalnaud

What kind of team leader are you? A fixer or facilitator? 

I look forward to my work as a consultant and coach this week. Starting today, I have two team sessions and a coaching session this afternoon. First, I will be with an Oncology department of nurses who have not met collectively in the last four years...let that sink in for a moment. It is primarily a listening session, a town hall, and the beginning of team rebuilding. Later this morning, I am working with a high-functioning, more minor, but mighty Nurse care team that services the needs of 1000s of patients through their social work and nurse team. They are working on clarifying roles, leveraging strengths, and team self-awareness (EQ). Coaching this afternoon will be with an Ortho director in Washington State, leading a turnaround of his team and the culture of his department. Tomorrow, I will be offsite with the construction leader, working on their ability to communicate with clarity, direction, alignment, and inspiration and effectively deliver feedback during the exercises. I am speaking in Denver at a Process Improvement conference to 50-60 leaders on coaching team members on Friday. 

First, I am grateful for the diversity, depth, and dynamics at play with every leader and team I can work alongside. It is a privilege to be a trusted thought partner. I do not take it for granted. Second, every team is unique based on the differences of all the team members and leaders represented. However, the principles that shape leadership and teams stand the test of time. The variable is our method to shape effective teamwork. 

Whether your team is high-performing or acutely dysfunctional, I invite you to consider... 

The primary role of a leader is to facilitate the conversation rather than fix the problem.

Let that statement settle for a moment. Your day may be filled with problems to solve, challenges to overcome, and issues to fix. Is it not the nature of work to provide value by making things work better? 

A recent graduate told me I'm ready to get my hands dirty yesterday. I appreciated her youthful enthusiasm to get to work. As we progress in our careers, we develop mastery in nursing skills in the PACU, writing code, cost-based accounting, writing grants, or closing deals. Reflect on your tradecraft; when you do what you've been trained to do, doing it efficiently and well, it feels satisfying. Thus, translating hard skills to soft skills in management and leadership is challenging. As you move further into leading people when the crisis comes and the need for fixing stuff escalates, who steps in to fix it? 

Stated once more: A leader's primary role is facilitating the conversation rather than fixing the problem.

For the last 5-7 years, I have echoed this statement as a principle to protect against authoritarian style leadership, broken team trust, and micromanagement. As leaders practice their role as facilitators rather than fixers, it leads to empowerment, collaboration, camaraderie, and innovation. 

At the heart of effective leadership lies the recognition that the primary role of a leader transcends mere problem-solving; it entails facilitating meaningful conversations. Rather than simply swooping in to fix every issue, a leader's true value is creating an environment where open dialogue, collaboration, and innovation can flourish. By fostering constructive conversations, leaders empower team members to voice their perspectives, share ideas, and collectively brainstorm solutions. This approach not only promotes ownership and accountability but also harnesses the diverse talents and experiences within the team. Moreover, facilitating conversations encourages active listening and empathy, strengthening interpersonal connections and fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. Ultimately, by prioritizing the facilitation of conversations over the sole responsibility of problem-solving, leaders can cultivate an engaged and empowered team capable of overcoming challenges and achieving shared goals.

Unsplash @anniespratt

Based on a 2021 study of 142 virtual teams in high-technology organizations, where hybrid teams are commonplace, and demands for performance and growth are sky-high, the quest for high-functioning teams is ever more crucial. However, statistics paint a sobering picture: three out of four teams fail to complete their objectives, with less than 20% of high-tech virtual teams deemed effective (Bull, 2021). A recent study delved into the factors distinguishing successful from unsuccessful teams in this context, focusing on innovation, diversity, and collaborative capacity. The findings were illuminating, revealing a significant % positive correlation of 59% between deep diversity, characterized by a range of functional perspectives, and innovation—moreover, heightened communication within teams correlated with increased perceived innovation performance. Nevertheless, achieving effective communication in virtual teams is no small feat, with challenges ranging from building trust to managing tasks and meeting time demands. However, the study underscores that teams embracing deep diversity, which fosters varied viewpoints and promotes innovation in products and practices, are more inclined to commit to enhanced communication, thus paving the way for measured success (Bull, 2021). Despite the myriad communication barriers posed by distance, language, culture, and work demands, teams and leaders dedicated to fostering collaborative communication stand to reap significant rewards for team cohesion and performance.

An Organizational Development consultant integrating doctoral research on the impact of effective leadership communication, it becomes evident that cohesive teams are not a mere aspiration but a tangible outcome of intentional communication strategies.

Six practices for building effective teamwork. 

Leaders who prioritize facilitating team conversations over solely fixing problems employ a range of practices to foster an environment conducive to collaboration, deep diversity, and innovation:

1. Active Listening and Empathy: Effective leaders understand the importance of active listening and empathy in fostering open team dialogue. They actively seek to understand the perspectives and experiences of team members, creating a space where everyone feels heard and valued. Leaders build trust and rapport by demonstrating empathy, laying the foundation for productive conversations.

2. Promoting Psychological Safety: Leaders who prioritize facilitating team conversations create an atmosphere of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of judgment or reprisal. They encourage risk-taking and experimentation, recognizing that innovation often emerges from the freedom to voice unconventional ideas.

3. Asking Powerful Questions: Instead of providing solutions, leaders pose thought-provoking questions that stimulate critical thinking and creativity among team members. By asking open-ended questions that challenge assumptions and invite diverse perspectives, leaders spark meaningful conversations that lead to innovative solutions.

4. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion: Leaders actively promote diversity and inclusion within their teams, recognizing the value of varied perspectives and experiences in driving innovation. They intentionally seek out team members from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, fostering a culture where different viewpoints are accepted and celebrated.

5. Creating Structured Opportunities for Collaboration: Leaders provide structured opportunities for collaboration, such as brainstorming sessions, cross-functional projects, and team-building activities. They encourage cross-pollination of ideas and skills, fostering a collaborative spirit that transcends departmental boundaries.

6. Rewarding Experimentation and Learning: Leaders reward experimentation and learning rather than punishing failure. They create a culture where taking calculated risks and learning from mistakes are accepted and encouraged. By celebrating successes and failures, leaders reinforce a growth mindset and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Building teamwork based on the essentials of deep diversity, collaboration, and innovation requires intentional leadership and a commitment to creating an environment where all team members feel empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas. Influential leaders who prioritize facilitating team conversations are pivotal in cultivating such an environment and driving collaboration, innovation, and organizational success.

Leading teams can be overwhelming when you'd prefer to put your hands to the work to see it done. Inspiring, motivating, aligning, and then getting out of the way by empowering your team to do the work requires new skills and development. If you need help building your team, feel free to contact russell@leadersadvance.net