Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/ Creating Great Leaders, Engaged Employees, & Future-Ready Organizations Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:41:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://thefutureorganization.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cropped-JMLogo-White-BG-32x32.jpg Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/ 32 32 New Episode of Great Leadership: Guy Kawasaki On How To Lead With Growth, Grit and Grace To Overcome Workplace Challenges and Vulnerability https://thefutureorganization.com/new-episode-of-great-leadership-guy-kawasaki-on-how-to-lead-with-growth-grit-and-grace-to-overcome-workplace-challenges-and-vulnerability/ Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51358 Is your leadership journey marked by ongoing growth and self-improvement? Embracing continuous learning signifies your path towards becoming an even more impactful leader than you were the day before.

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Is your leadership journey marked by ongoing growth and self-improvement? Embracing continuous learning signifies your path towards becoming an even more impactful leader than you were the day before. Today I am joined by Guy Kawasaki, the Chief Evangelist at Canva and former evangelist at Apple where he worked with Steve Jobs to market the Macintosh. He’s also the author of “Think Remarkable” where he reveals the three foundational pillars of successful leadership: Growth, Grit, and Grace. Discover how these concepts can revolutionize your leadership style, helping you to face challenges with resilience, pursue continuous self-improvement, and extend your success to elevate those around you. Leaders will gain practical strategies for anyone looking to make a lasting impact in their field.

Listen to the episode here

Leadership is changing, what do you need to know so that you can lead effectively in 2024 and beyond? Each year I work with, advise, and interview hundreds of business leaders around the world to understand what they are paying attention to and why. I then look for the common patterns to connect the dots and put together what I think are the most crucial leadership trends. Learn what the top 8 leadership trends for 2024 are as well as what you should be doing about each one.

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How To Speak So That Other People Will Listen: 8 Tips for Persuasive Communication & Impactful Speaking https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-speak-so-that-other-people-will-listen-8-tips-for-persuasive-communication-impactful-speaking/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51353 How do you make sure your voice stands out in any setting? Being a great communicator is a core leadership skill yet it’s also one that many people struggle with. In today’s episode I’m going to go over 8 strategies you can use to make sure that your message gets across regardless of who you are speaking with.

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How do you make sure your voice stands out in any setting? Being a great communicator is a core leadership skill yet it’s also one that many people struggle with.

In today’s episode I’m going to go over 8 strategies you can use to make sure that your message gets across regardless of who you are speaking with. I’ll go over everything from mastering the pace of your speech to engaging your audience with compelling stories. Whether you’re addressing a large audience or a small group, these strategies will help you speak confidently and persuasively and help you excel in your leadership career.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Two Questions You Should Ask Yourself If You’re Afraid To Make A Career Change https://thefutureorganization.com/two-questions-you-should-ask-yourself-if-youre-afraid-to-make-a-career-change/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51350 This is a guest post by, Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief at Entrepreneur Magazine. Make sure to subscribe to his One Thing Better Newsletter. To read this entire post make sure to become a premium subscriber.

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This is a guest post by, Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief at Entrepreneur Magazine. Make sure to subscribe to his One Thing Better Newsletter. To read this entire post make sure to become a premium subscriber.

Here’s Jason!

Are you ready for a change?

Statistically speaking, you probably are. Only 23% of workers are “engaged” at work, meaning that they find their work meaningful and feel connected to their colleagues — and that’s a “record high,” according to Gallup’s annual State of the Workplace report. Consider it: Less than a quarter of workers are truly happy, and that’s when things are going well.

So, why aren’t you making that change? My guess: You don’t know how to answer two important questions.

First: “What comes next?”

Second: “Am I giving up everything I’d done before?”

That second question is especially hard, because it feels invalidating. Change often feels like loss — as if we’re discarding everything we’re comfortable and familiar with, in exchange for an unknown set of burdens ahead.

But that’s not true. As editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, I get to study how people become adaptable and thrive in changing environments (and I write a weekly newsletter to help people do it). And I’ve discovered this: There is an important difference between leaving something and building upon something.

In this post, I’ll show you that difference — and help empower you to take your next, necessary step.

A better way to understanding quitting

Why do we stay in jobs that don’t fulfill us, or relationships that no longer sustains us? Economists might say it’s the sunk cost fallacy, which is a fancy way of describing this human impulse: We believe it’s worth continuing to do something, because we’ve already invested in doing it.

But the costs of chasing sunk costs is high? I once interviewed decision-making expert Annie Duke, who put it like this: “If you’re stuck in something that isn’t worth pursuing, you’re not allowing yourself the other opportunities that you might also pursue.”

Now let’s apply that thinking to a friend of mine we’ll call “Eric.” He once was part of the 23% of engaged workers in the world, and he still takes a lot of pride in his work. But his company has changed significantly. He hates his boss and feels beaten down by the company culture.

Could he just go to another company? Maybe, but not easily. He’s a magazine editor, where the job pool is shrinking. That’s especially true at his senior level.

“What if you left media?” I asked him.

“I don’t know how to do anything else,” he said. “I’d have to learn something new and work my way up.”

And there it is — the fear of starting over. I wanted to show him that he’s wrong.

So I ran him through an exercise that you may find helpful too.

What are your core skillsets?

In this exercise, we’re going to identify the tasks you perform every day — and then identify the underlying skillsets that drive those tasks. The purpose is to identify a kind of continuum: We want to see how the things you do today can translate into seemingly unrelated work tomorrow.

Get access to the full article by becoming a premium subscriber on Substack where each week you will get these types of articles delivered to your inbox along with other content.

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3 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes For Mastering Your Leadership Mindset In The Workplace https://thefutureorganization.com/3-must-listen-podcast-episodes-for-mastering-your-leadership-mindset-in-the-workplace/ Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:00:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51347 On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that teach you how to balance the various roles a leader holds in the workplace.

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On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that teach you how to balance the various roles a leader holds in the workplace. These are must-know lessons whether you need assistance in setting yourself up for success in your morning routine, constantly strengthening your emotional intelligence for more throughout decisions, and accessing the most effective mindset for driving results in the workplace.

Techniques To Master Your Emotional Intelligence & Create Better Relationships At Work | Dr. Travis Bradberry Mega Best-Selling Author of “Emotional Intelligence. 2.0”

Dr. Travis Bradberry is the best-selling author of “Emotional Intelligence. 2.0” and in this discussion, he reveals how emotional intelligence can be consciously developed and refined. Dr. Bradberry will explain what EQ is, the four core EQ skills and why leaders struggle with EQ!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

“The Miracle Morning” Creator On Leading With A Positive Mindset, Overcoming Adversity & Mastering Resilience | Hal Elrod

Hal Elrod is the best-selling author of “The Miracle Morning” and in this discussion he explains how to lead with a positive mindset in the face of adversity. Hal will give you essential strategies to effectively handle challenging scenarios and leaders.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

MIT Scientist On The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results | Andrew McAfee

Andrew McAffee is the Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and in this discussion reveals what it means to lead with a ‘geek’ mindset and the unconventional approach it takes towards success. Andrew will offer you strategies to adapt to being unconventional in order to push the boundaries towards success!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

If you enjoy content like this, make sure to subscribe to show on Apple Or on Spotify

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Stop Being A Non-Playable Character At Work And Become A Main Character Instead https://thefutureorganization.com/stop-being-a-non-playable-character-at-work-and-become-a-main-character-instead/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51343 Most of the people you work with are “non-player characters” (NPCs) at work, present but not impactful. They don't drive change, speak up, or make a difference, they are just there like a background character in a video game. You see them on-screen but when they are gone you forget about them.

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Most of the people you work with are “non-player characters” (NPCs) at work, present but not impactful. They don’t drive change, speak up, or make a difference, they are just there like a background character in a video game. You see them on-screen but when they are gone you forget about them.

Staying in this NPC mode can lead to missed opportunities, stagnant career growth, and a lack of fulfillment in your work life. In the video below I go over 4 strategies you can use to break out of NPC mode and become a main character.

Are you ready to step out of the NPC role and become the main character in your work story?

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

 

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Want Better Ideas? Get People BACK Into The Office Says Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Jonathan Levav https://thefutureorganization.com/want-better-ideas-get-people-back-into-the-office-says-stanford-graduate-school-of-business-professor-jonathan-levav/ Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51337 Today's episode is actually courtesy of the Stanford Graduate School of Business that just released a new podcast called If/Then. This is an episode from that program and it features professor Jonathan Levav exploring hybrid work vs in-person work and what approach generates the best ideas.

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Today’s episode is actually courtesy of the Stanford Graduate School of Business that just released a new podcast called If/Then.

This is an episode from that program and it features professor Jonathan Levav exploring hybrid work vs in-person work and what approach generates the best ideas. Leaders will learn about the tradeoffs managers must consider when determining workplace modalities and what the best practices are for adapting processes and connections to a distributed environment. Tune in to learn strategies for maximizing innovation and engagement as you navigate the future of work.

Listen to the episode here

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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5 Essential Secrets to Conquering Workplace Stress https://thefutureorganization.com/5-essential-secrets-to-conquering-workplace-stress/ Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51327 Overwhelmed by work stress and unsure how to tackle it? You're not alone. This common challenge can lead to anxiety and panic attacks, with unchecked stress wreaking havoc on both our mental and physical health. It can diminish our productivity and overall happiness.

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Overwhelmed by work stress and unsure how to tackle it? You’re not alone. This common challenge can lead to anxiety and panic attacks, with unchecked stress wreaking havoc on both our mental and physical health. It can diminish our productivity and overall happiness.

Today’s leadership spark is here to help, offering 5 powerful strategies to fight back: meditation for mental clarity, healthy habits for physical strength, self-compassion for stress management, and hobbies for relaxation. Identifying whether stress stems from a temporary challenge or a toxic environment is crucial—and sometimes, the healthiest choice is to walk away. Let’s dive in and transform how we handle work stress.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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3 Must Listen Podcast Episodes For Mastering Effective Communication At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/3-must-listen-podcast-episodes-for-mastering-effective-communication-at-work/ Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51314 On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that will teach you how to effectively communicate with others in your organization and actionable strategies you can implement to get the most out of the connections you are making.

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On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that will teach you how to effectively communicate with others in your organization and actionable strategies you can implement to get the most out of the connections you are making.

“I Need Help”- Why This CEO Urges His Employees To Ask For Help & Avoid Being The “Fool” Left Behind Trying To Solve Problems Alone

John Williams is the CEO and President of Domtar, a $3.8 billion pulp and paper giant with 6,500 employees. In this discussion he gives insights on why it is so important to ask for help and how to effectively harness authenticity and openness in your leadership approach.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

How To Become A Master Communicator & Conquer The Pressure Of High-Stakes Speaking

Matt Abrahams is a lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and author of the new book Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques. In this episode, he reveals crucial strategies and mindsets for improving spontaneous speaking and becoming a better communicator.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Techniques To Master Your Emotional Intelligence & Create Better Relationships At Work | Dr. Travis Bradberry Mega Best-Selling Author of “Emotional Intelligence. 2.0”

Dr. Travis Bradberry is the best-selling author of “Emotional Intelligence. 2.0, with over 13,346 reviews on Amazon. In this episode, he demonstrates how emotional intelligence can be consciously developed and refined to revolutionize your approach to decision-making, relationship building, leadership, and communication.

Listen on Apple Podcasts.

These 3 episodes will give you a complete breakdown of how to effectively communicate with others in the workplace and how to harness vulnerability in your conversations to best support your strength as a leader.

If you enjoy content like this, make sure to subscribe to show on Apple Or on Spotify

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Top 7 Leadership Stereotypes Debunked https://thefutureorganization.com/top-7-leadership-stereotypes-debunked/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51311 Leadership today is not what it used to be. By reevaluating and reshaping your views on the common stereotypes you are following, you will significantly increase your impact as a leader.

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Leadership today is not what it used to be. By reevaluating and reshaping your views on the common stereotypes you are following, you will significantly increase your impact as a leader.

Have you ever felt pressured to project an image of perfection or have wondered how to build a truly collaborative culture? By letting go of these preconceived notions of how to lead, you will open up new opportunities to strengthen relationships, unlock potential and tackle challenges in new ways.

Click below to watch the video.


 

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Chess MASTER Unveils Secrets To Strategic Thinking and Winning in the Workplace https://thefutureorganization.com/chess-master-unveils-secrets-to-strategic-thinking-and-winning-in-the-workplace/ Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51301 How can the strategic principles of chess be applied in a professional environment? By developing similar critical thinking skills, leaders will be prepared to address challenges with nuanced and anticipatory responses, strategizing five steps ahead in true chess fashion. Today I am joined by Danny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer of Chess.com and international chess master, as we explore how the game's principles can be translated into effective business strategies.

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How can the strategic principles of chess be applied in a professional environment? By developing similar critical thinking skills, leaders will be prepared to address challenges with nuanced and anticipatory responses, strategizing five steps ahead in true chess fashion.

Today I am joined by Danny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer of Chess.com and international chess master, as we explore how the game’s principles can be translated into effective business strategies. Listeners will gain tips on innovation, team building, and the importance of self-reflection, drawing parallels between mastering chess and excelling in leadership roles.

Listen to the episode here

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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5 Crucial Strategies To Succeed In Today’s Workplace https://thefutureorganization.com/5-crucial-strategies-to-succeed-in-todays-workplace-2/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51296 Feeling stuck in your quest for career advancement despite your ambition and hard work? It’s a common challenge in today’s fast-paced workplace. Simply putting in extra hours and taking on more tasks often doesn’t lead to the desired recognition or progression. The key lies in adopting smart, strategic approaches.

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Feeling stuck in your quest for career advancement despite your ambition and hard work?

It’s a common challenge in today’s fast-paced workplace. Simply putting in extra hours and taking on more tasks often doesn’t lead to the desired recognition or progression. The key lies in adopting smart, strategic approaches. After having hundreds of conversations with CEOs, I’ve distilled powerful strategies that go beyond ordinary advice. These tested and proven methods are designed to make a tangible difference in your career trajectory. In today’s mini episode, I’ll be sharing the guide to navigating the complexities of the modern workplace with confidence and achieving the success you’ve been striving for.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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New 122 Page Deloitte Report Reveals The Top Human Capital Trends For 2024: Here’s What You Need To Know https://thefutureorganization.com/new-122-page-deloitte-report-reveals-the-top-human-capital-trends-for-2024-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:00:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51292 A few days ago Deloitte released their massive 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Report which is a whopping 122 pages long. It’s based on a survey of 14,000 employees from 95 counties around the world. I spent a few hours going through it and pulling out the most important highlights so that you don’t have to.

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A few days ago Deloitte released their massive 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Report which is a whopping 122 pages long. It’s based on a survey of 14,000 employees from 95 counties around the world. I spent a few hours going through it and pulling out the most important highlights so that you don’t have to.

The theme of the report is “Thriving beyond boundaries: Human performance in a boundaryless world.” This is something I have talked about for many years actually, the importance of creating a human-centric organization.

In the 2024 report there are 7 trends which take center stage. These are:

  1. Embracing human sustainability.

  2. Moving beyond traditional productivity metrics.

  3. The paradox of transparency

  4. Overcoming the imagination deficit.

  5. Creating digital playgrounds to explore, experiment, and play.

  6. Cultivating workplace microcultures.

  7. Making the shift to boundaryless HR.

Let’s explore each one and what this means for you.

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4 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes For How To Approach Vulnerability At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/4-must-listen-podcast-episodes-for-how-to-approach-vulnerability-at-work/ Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51288 On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 4 episodes that teach you how to approach vulnerability in the workplace. These are must-know lessons whether you’re an employee wondering how to navigate vulnerability or if you’re a leader unsure how to effectively communicate with others.

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On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 4 episodes that teach you how to approach vulnerability in the workplace. These are must-know lessons whether you’re an employee wondering how to navigate vulnerability or if you’re a leader unsure how to effectively communicate with others.

Why Vulnerability At Work Hurts You: An Inside Look Into My New Book ‘Leading With Vulnerability’

I released a new book in October that is based on 100 CEO interviews and a survey of 14,000 employees, looking at why vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and why vulnerability at work can actually cause more harm than good. In this episode, you will gain actionable insights on how to approach vulnerability so that you can create trust, unlock potential, drive business performance, and lead through change. Listen on Apple Podcasts

CEO Of Hyatt Hotels On How Being Vulnerable And Practicing Empathy Transformed Him & His Company

Mark Hoplamazian is the CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and in this discussion he shares the impact that the pandemic had on his employees. Mark also touches on the importance of mental health and well-being, both for employees and guests.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

She Leads More Than 170,000 Employees In The United States: Leading With Vulnerability Has Become Her Superpower!

Lara Abrash is the Chair of the Board at Deloitte US, a leading global provider of financial advisory and other related services with over 171,000 employees. In this episode Lara opens up about the unexpected strengths of vulnerability in shaping company culture, innovation, and growth. Listen on Apple podcasts

Vulnerability and Victory with CEO of Belden, Roel Vestjens

Roel Vestjens is the Former CEO of Belden, a global leading provider of power cables for a variety of signaling applications, including data, video and sound. In this episode, Roel emphasizes humility, openness, and the important balance between vulnerability and strength. Listen on Apple podcasts

These 4 episodes will give you a complete breakdown of how to approach being vulnerable in the workplace while still pushing boundaries as a strong leader in the workplace.

If you enjoy content like this, make sure to subscribe to show on Apple Or on Spotify

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The Right & Wrong Way To Talk About Your Mistakes At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-right-wrong-way-to-talk-about-your-mistakes-at-work/ Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51282 We all make mistakes, but did you know there is a right and wrong way to talk about them at work?

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We all make mistakes, but did you know there is a right and wrong way to talk about them at work?

Assuming you have the psychological safety to talk about your mistakes at work…how can you respond to your mistakes in a way that ensures others at work know you are not going to keep making them and actually learn from them. Saying sorry is not enough to instill confidence in your coworkers and ensure you are growing as a leader.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

 

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Passion Expert On How To Use Intrinsic Motivation & The Four Pillars of Purpose To Become A Better Leader | John Miles https://thefutureorganization.com/passion-expert-on-how-to-use-intrinsic-motivation-the-four-pillars-of-purpose-to-become-a-better-leader-john-miles/ Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51273 Do you know how to handle toxic influences in your workplace? Conflict can oftentimes be resolved with compassion rather than defensiveness. Today I am joined by John Miles, best-selling author of "Passion Struck" and host of the Passion Struck Podcast. In this episode John will be sharing frameworks and strategies for cultivating purpose and potential in yourself and your teams through mindful shifts in mindsets and leadership approaches.

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Do you know how to handle toxic influences in your workplace? Conflict can oftentimes be resolved with compassion rather than defensiveness.

Today I am joined by John Miles, best-selling author of “Passion Struck” and host of the Passion Struck Podcast. In this episode John will be sharing frameworks and strategies for cultivating purpose and potential in yourself and your teams through mindful shifts in mindsets and leadership approaches. You will learn how to harness purpose-driven living, applied to your career development. The model centers around four pillars – mindset shifts, behavior shifts, deliberate action, and intrinsic motivation.

Listen to the episode here

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Tom Peters On How Leaders Should Want to be Remembered & Leave a Lasting Legacy https://thefutureorganization.com/tom-peters-on-how-leaders-should-want-to-be-remembered-leave-a-lasting-legacy/ Sun, 25 Feb 2024 15:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51266 Leadership isn't just about success; it's about impact. Jack Welch's financial-driven approach and Elon Musk's struggles with interpersonal relations showcase the pitfalls of traditional leadership. Tom Peters, best-selling author Thinkers50 inductee into the hall of fame, argues for a shift towards nurturing growth and fostering a positive work culture.

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Leadership isn’t just about success; it’s about impact. Jack Welch’s financial-driven approach and Elon Musk’s struggles with interpersonal relations showcase the pitfalls of traditional leadership. Tom Peters, best-selling author Thinkers50 inductee into the hall of fame, argues for a shift towards nurturing growth and fostering a positive work culture. In this leadership spark, Tom talks about the difference between being remembered for what you did at work and who you were as a person.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Five Signs You Work For A Truly Great Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/five-signs-you-work-for-a-truly-great-leader-3/ Sat, 24 Feb 2024 15:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51269 By 2030 we are going to have over 200,000,000 million leaders around the world. These are people who are in some capacity responsible for the lives of others at work. Traditionally this was a role that was simply designed to enforce controls while extracting as much as possible from the people who worked at the organization.

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By 2030 we are going to have over 200,000,000 million leaders around the world. These are people who are in some capacity responsible for the lives of others at work. Traditionally this was a role that was simply designed to enforce controls while extracting as much as possible from the people who worked at the organization.

There was no discussion of engagement, health and well-being, work life balance, or flexible work programs. These are all relatively new concepts at work.

Today, most of us work for a leader, but how do we know if the leader we are working for is truly great?

Over the years I’ve worked with, advised, and interviewed over 2,000 leaders around the world, most of them CEOs. I’ve noticed a few common qualities emerge from leaders who are truly great, meaning they are able to drive performance, unlock the potential from their teams, and put people first.

These are the 5 signs you’re working for a truly great leader.

Get access to the full article by becoming a premium subscriber on Substack where each week you will get these types of articles delivered to your inbox along with other content.

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3 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes for Mastering Mentorship at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/3-must-listen-podcast-episodes-for-mastering-mentorship-at-work/ Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51261 On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that are focused on mastering mentorship at work. These are crucial wether you’re an employee looking for mentorship or if you’re a mentor looking to be more effective.

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On my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I’ve interviewed over a thousand leaders and thinkers. Today, I want to share the top 3 episodes that are focused on mastering mentorship at work. These are crucial wether you’re an employee looking for mentorship or if you’re a mentor looking to be more effective.

3 KEY Questions Every Mentee Needs To Ask Their Mentor AND 3 KEY Questions Mentors Need To Ask Their Mentees:

Amy Salcido is the president of Kyndryl US, one of the world’s leading IT infrastructure service providers with over 90,000 employees. In this episode Amy shares the most important questions that both mentees and mentors can ask in order to create an impactful relationship for both parties. Listen on Apple Podcasts

13 Roles Leaders Need To Practice To Be A Great Mentor:

Scott Jeffrey Miller is an executive with Franklin Covey, a seven-time bestselling author, and the host of the ‘On Leadership’ podcast. In this episode we go over the different roles a mentor needs to play depending on the person and the circumstance. Listen on Apple Podcasts

Coaching and Mentoring Different Generations at Work:

This a short 5 minute episode where I explore how mentorship can flow both ways between younger and older employees and why reverse mentoring can be a powerful strategy at work. Listen on Apple Podcasts

These 3 episodes are a crash course in effective mentorship at work. I hope they add value in your mentorship and leadership journey!

If you enjoy content like this, make sure to subscribe to show on Apple Or on Spotify

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Why Healthy Fear of Leaders Can Be Good for Employees and Organizations https://thefutureorganization.com/why-healthy-fear-of-leaders-can-be-good-for-employees-and-organizations/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51257 Do you fear your leaders? And if you are a leader, do your people fear you? We are often told that there is no place for fear in the workplace, yet we dismiss the possibility that healthy amounts of fear of leaders can motivate performance and success.

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Do you fear your leaders? And if you are a leader, do your people fear you? We are often told that there is no place for fear in the workplace, yet we dismiss the possibility that healthy amounts of fear of leaders can motivate performance and success.

Every great leader should be feared just a little bit, but there is unhealthy fear and that does not allow for successful leaders in the long run. Employees should not be backstabbing each other, be in a place where they feel like they can speak up and contribute and share an idea, and where they can make a mistake and then come forward with that mistake as well.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

 

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How To Overcome Your Fear and Ego & Turn Failure into Success: The Science of Failing Well | Dr. Amy Edmondson Author of “The Right Kind Of Wrong” https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-and-ego-turn-failure-into-success-the-science-of-failing-well-dr-amy-edmondson-author-of-the-right-kind-of-wrong/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 15:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51229 Failure is a powerful teacher, and nobody knows this better than Dr. Amy Edmondson, our guest in today’s discussion. A Harvard Professor and the author behind influential works like "The Fearless Organization" and "Right Kind of Wrong".

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Failure is a powerful teacher, and nobody knows this better than Dr. Amy Edmondson, our guest in today’s discussion. A Harvard Professor and the author behind influential works like “The Fearless Organization” and “Right Kind of Wrong”.

Dr. Edmondson discusses how to create a culture that not only tolerates failure but learns from it. She outlines the critical distinctions between basic, complex, and intelligent failures, stressing that the real learning comes from the latter. This episode offers leaders a roadmap to build trust among their teams, encourage the sharing of missteps, and adopt a mindset of psychological safety and intelligent risk-taking

Listen to the episode here

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Every Leader Needs To Hear The True Story Of Captain Charlie Plumb https://thefutureorganization.com/every-leader-needs-to-hear-the-true-story-of-captain-charlie-plumb/ Wed, 14 Feb 2024 15:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51225 You probably have no idea who Captain Charlie Plumb is. But his story serves an extremely powerful lesson in leadership. Charlie grew up as a farm kid from Kansas and like many kids at the time he day-dreamed about airplanes but never thought he would have the opportunity to fly one. The United States Navy turned that around.

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You probably have no idea who Captain Charlie Plumb is. But his story serves an extremely powerful lesson in leadership. Charlie grew up as a farm kid from Kansas and like many kids at the time he day-dreamed about airplanes but never thought he would have the opportunity to fly one. The United States Navy turned that around.

After Charlie graduated from the Naval Academy and completed his flight training, he reported to the Miramar Naval Air Station which is based in San Diego. It’s there where he was among the first pilots to fly in The Navy Fighter Weapons School, currently known as “TOP GUN.”

The following year Plumb’s squadron known as the Aardvarks were stationed on the Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk with Fighter Squadron 114. They were given the opportunity to fly the Navy’s coolest and hottest new airplane, the F-4 Phantom Jet.

Captain Plumb flew 74 successful missions over North Vietnam but on his 75th mission, just 5 days before the end of his tour, disaster struck. He was shot down over Hanoi where he taken prisoner and tortured. He spent 2,103 days in North Vietnamese Prisoner War Camps where his first cell was 8ft x 8 ft,

Eventually he was rescued and flew a few more years before retiring. This is where something really interesting happened that he never forgot…and neither will you.

Get access to the full article by becoming a premium subscriber on Substack where each week you will get these types of articles delivered to your inbox along with other content.

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The 9 Mindsets and Skills of Today’s Top Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/the-9-mindsets-and-skills-of-todays-top-leaders/ Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51219 Of all the leaders that you know or know of, what are the traits that all successful leaders have in common? After conducting over 140 interviews with CEOs from leading organizations including Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, PwC, Oracle, Verizon, and many others -I uncovered nine essential mindsets and skills that separate successful leaders from their peers.

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Of all the leaders that you know or know of, what are the traits that all successful leaders have in common?

After conducting over 140 interviews with CEOs from leading organizations including Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, PwC, Oracle, Verizon, and many others -I uncovered nine essential mindsets and skills that separate successful leaders from their peers.

I go over the 4 mindsets and the 5 skills in the video below.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Good Vs. Bad Friction: How To Use Organizational Friction To Simplify Leadership Processes & Boost Performance https://thefutureorganization.com/good-vs-bad-friction-how-to-use-organizational-friction-to-simplify-leadership-processes-boost-performance/ Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51211 No matter the organization, friction is inevitable...but the key is knowing how to navigate and harness it for better leadership. In today’s discussion I sit down with Bob Sutton, Stanford professor, organizational psychologist and best selling author of books including "The No A$$hole Rule" and "The Friction Project" as he dives into the world of 'friction-fixer' leadership.No matter the organization, friction is inevitable...but the key is knowing how to navigate and harness it for better leadership. In today’s discussion I sit down with Bob Sutton, Stanford professor, organizational psychologist and best selling author of books including "The No A$$hole Rule" and "The Friction Project" as he dives into the world of 'friction-fixer' leadership.

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No matter the organization, friction is inevitable…but the key is knowing how to navigate and harness it for better leadership.

In today’s discussion I sit down with Bob Sutton, Stanford professor, organizational psychologist and best selling author of books including “The No A$$hole Rule” and “The Friction Project” as he dives into the world of ‘friction-fixer’ leadership. Drawing from his extensive research, Sutton shares how to distinguish between beneficial and detrimental friction, explore the tools of ‘friction forensics,’ and implement strategies that can streamline processes, enhance performance, and reduce burnout. Join us for a captivating discussion that equips leaders with actionable tactics to conquer challenges and embrace positive change.

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid Apple subscribers where Bob Sutton specific strategies to use friction as a leadership superpower instead of a point of weakness.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes: Which One Are You? https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-vulnerable-leader-superheroes-which-one-are-you/ Sat, 10 Feb 2024 03:37:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51206 When most of us think of leading with vulnerability we think in terms of binary options, either you are, or you aren't. But, after doing the research for this book I discovered that's not correct. There are actually different types of vulnerable leaders...5 of them to be exact.

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

When most of us think of leading with vulnerability we think in terms of binary options, either you are, or you aren’t. But, after doing the research for this book I discovered that’s not correct. There are actually different types of vulnerable leaders…5 of them to be exact.

Wonder Woman can fly and has super strength and speed. Spider-man can shoot webs from his hands, climb walls, and has amazing reflexes. Wolverine has claws that grow from his hands, can heal himself, and has enhanced senses.

The 5 superheroes are:

  • Captain Heart
  • Professor Personal
  • Super Situational
  • Wonder Worker
  • Balanced Beast

I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness.

I want you to get to know them…and decide which superhero you resonate with most. Below you will find a brief description of each but in the PDF you will get a full breakdown along with abilities, weaknesses, and an example of each. Grab that PDF here.

#1: Captain Heart

Captain Heart wears their heart on their sleeve and they are as authentic and transparent as they get.

For them, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. “What you see is what you get,” is their battle cry, a testament to their unwavering commitment to transparency. This is a leader who doesn’t just share the triumphs but also the trials, who sees the power in vulnerability. These types of leaders are comfortable sharing anything and everything with anyone. They can talk about personal challenges and struggles at work, ask for help on a crucial project, admit to a mistake, show positive and negative emotion, and try to be as much of an open book as they can. Captain Heart also doesn’t set specific boundaries and barriers between work and life and they believe in being a single authentic version of themselves at all times.

Captain Heart is not invincible though. Because they are so open they are also more susceptible to attack. It’s very easy to take information they share and use it against them in either a personal or professional setting. When those around you know so much about you it’s not hard to see why this can be the case. This type of vulnerable leader may also make those around them feel uncomfortable because not everyone is ok with being as open and transparent. Captain Heart may also periodically get in trouble for saying the wrong thing.

#2: Wonder Worker

Wonder Worker is more comfortable being vulnerable around all things work related.

This means they are comfortable saying “I don’t know,” asking for help, talking about work-related mistakes or failures, and giving and receiving candid feedback. They are not as comfortable sharing personal information or anything that falls outside of the context of work, it doesn’t mean they never will, but it requires them really getting outside of their comfort zone to do so. Wonder Worker prefers to have more established boundaries between work and life and tends to be more private with their personal life.

However, if you are a Wonder Worker, your team members may feel like they don’t know the “real you” since most of what you share tends to be focused on work. You may also struggle with creating very high levels of trust and belonging. Lastly, you may find maintaining boundaries to be a challenge over time as you constantly work to balance your personal and professional self.

#3: Balanced Beast

Balanced Beast has a balanced level of personal and professional vulnerability with everyone.

They tend to not be as vulnerable as Captain Heart but instead are somewhere in between Work Warrior and Professor Personal. Unlike Super Situational who adjusts depending on the circumstance or the person, Balanced Beast is consistent across the board. I’m definitely more comfortable being a Balanced Beast in a work environment. My vulnerability is consistent in terms of things I share and am comfortable talking about and it’s the same with everyone I work with.

The challenges with Balanced Beast vary depending on what the balance looks like. If this type of leader is comfortable with a balance that is more open and transparent about personal and professional vulnerability then they will face the same headwinds as Captain Heart, however, if Balanced Beast is more comfortable with a conservative balance where they don’t share as much personally or professionally, then they will struggle with the same things as Wonder Worker.

#4: Professor Personal

Professor Personal is more comfortable being vulnerable around things outside of work.

They are liked by many since they are more comfortable talking about things like personal challenges and struggles, life outside of work, and giving insight into who they are as a person. As with Wonder Worker, it doesn’t mean Professor Personal won’t ever share things around work, but it’s not what they are most comfortable with. Professor Personal is great at developing strong personal connections and relationships and oftentimes has quite a few friends at work. They give insight into who they are as a person and what they care about and value. This type of vulnerable leader also creates a positive work environment where people feel more comfortable being themselves. As a result the culture has high levels of engagement.

#5: Super Situational

Super Situational adapts and blends with their environment and surroundings.

They may meet with a member of their team and share that they are going through a tough time at work but then they may meet with a peer shortly after and talk about a big mistake they made on a client project. Super Situational has very high levels of self-awareness and are good at knowing how they impact a person or a situation depending on what they are sharing. They are also capable of adapting to any situation and have a unique ability of being able to read any room they are a part of.

Super Situational can struggle with energy levels due to constant shifting and changing from situation to situation.

While this can be an effective leadership style it’s also draining. Team members may also be a bit confused as they all get glimpses of different sides of the same vulnerable leader.

Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes.

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Spot the Signs: 10 Ways Vulnerability Shows Up at Work and Why It Matters https://thefutureorganization.com/spot-the-signs-10-ways-vulnerability-shows-up-at-work-and-why-it-matters/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 01:29:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51196 Not everyone expresses vulnerability in the same way nor does everyone find the same things to be vulnerable. We can be vulnerable during scary or big moments like receiving candid feedback from a trusted peer or when we need to let someone go because of performance issues. We can also be vulnerable every day with small moments such as praising someone on a team, asking for help, or even listening to someone.

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Not everyone expresses vulnerability in the same way nor does everyone find the same things to be vulnerable. We can be vulnerable during scary or big moments like receiving candid feedback from a trusted peer or when we need to let someone go because of performance issues. We can also be vulnerable every day with small moments such as praising someone on a team, asking for help, or even listening to someone.

Being able to spot a sign of vulnerability in a co-worker will help you respond appropriately and knowing the signs will help you determine how to act when you feel vulnerable at work.

After interviewing more than 100 CEOs around the world from companies like American Airlines, DOW Chemical, Hyatt Hotels, Edward Jones, KFC, Northrop Grumman, SAP and many others, and surveying 14,000 employees around the world with DDI, I identified 10 common signs of vulnerability at work which I go through detail in my latest book, Leading With Vulnerability.

“A thoughtful, resourceful read on how leaders can be more candid about their foibles and fears without sacrificing their effectiveness. If you’ve recognized the importance of vulnerability but aren’t sure how to bring it into your workplace, this book is for you.”~Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and HIDDEN POTENTIAL, and host of the TED podcast Work:Life”

As you go through these, keep in mind The Vulnerable Leader Equation, which is:

(V) Vulnerable + (L) Leader = (VL) Vulnerable Leader

Aka

Connection + Competence = Vulnerable Leadership.

You can learn more about that here.

Recall as well the definition of a vulnerable leader:

A leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action (when possible) to create a positive outcome.

You can see image of the 10 signs below and premium subscribers will get access to the full description and explanation of each one. If you want more content like this that will transform your approach to leadership, you can subscribe here.

Let’s go through each one so you can understand what they are and why they are important.

Get access to the full article by becoming a premium subscriber on Substack where each week you will get these types of articles delivered to your inbox along with other content.

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Why The Way You Think About Your Career & Long Term Success Is Wrong! https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-way-you-think-about-your-career-long-term-success-is-wrong/ Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51189 What if I told you the way that you think about your career and long term success is all wrong? What if I told you that what you've been taught inside of your educational institutions and inside of your organizations is actually setting you up for career failure, not success?

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What if I told you the way that you think about your career and long term success is all wrong? What if I told you that what you’ve been taught inside of your educational institutions and inside of your organizations is actually setting you up for career failure, not success?

You should be thinking of your career as a series of skills and not as a collection of jobs. By breaking down your skills and considering various roles and where they could be utilized, you can diversify your career options and future-proof yourself and your career.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

This episode is sponsored by Workleap Officevibe. Workleap is a set of simple engagement, recognition and performance management tools. A game-changing product that enable businesses to team up HR leaders with their managers to instantly act on engagement insights, fuel meaningful peer recognition, and even drive continuous performance management.

Visit Workleap.com/Officevibe to know more.

 

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How To Balance Structure With Innovation In A Fully Remote Company | Workleap Co-Founder & CEO Simon De Baene https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-balance-structure-with-innovation-in-a-fully-remote-company-workleap-co-founder-ceo-simon-de-baene/ Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:00:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51179 Running a fully remote company while making sure you can deliver on short-term goals and long-term innovation is not an easy thing to do! In today's discussion I sit down with Workleap Co-founder and CEO Simon De Baene who shares hard-earned lessons in leadership from 18 years of building a successful company.

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Running a fully remote company while making sure you can deliver on short-term goals and long-term innovation is not an easy thing to do!

In today’s discussion I sit down with Workleap Co-founder and Simon De Baene who shares hard-earned lessons in leadership from 18 years of building a successful company. He dives into frameworks for maintaining innovation as the company grows, and the importance of delegating without losing control. Simon also offers a candid look at both his strengths and weaknesses as a leader. You will learn the value of authenticity and humility at the top, as well as how to improve at having difficult conversations around accountability.

Listen to the episode here

This episode is sponsored by Workleap Officevibe. Workleap is a set of simple engagement, recognition and performance management tools. A game-changing product that enable businesses to team up HR leaders with their managers to instantly act on engagement insights, fuel meaningful peer recognition, and even drive continuous performance management.

Visit Workleap.com/Officevibe to know more.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Co-Founder Of Waze On How To Hire & Fire People And Why Making Hard Decisions Is HARD https://thefutureorganization.com/co-founder-of-waze-on-how-to-hire-fire-people-and-why-making-hard-decisions-is-hard/ Thu, 01 Feb 2024 02:14:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51175 Why do start-ups [and teams/businesses] fail? I’ve posed that question to many entrepreneurs after their start-up was shut down, and about half of them said, “The team was not right.”

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This is a paid version of Great Leadership. To access the full article along with weekly article and videos, subscribe to the premium version. If you’re a paid subscriber, keep reading below!

Today’s post comes from Uri Levine, the Co-Founder of Waze which was acquired for over $1 billion dollars by Google. Uri is also the first board member and investor of another company called Moovit which was also acquired for $1 billion dollars by Intel. Uri is also the author of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs which is a great book for all business leaders.

Here’s Uri…

Why do start-ups [and teams/businesses] fail?

I’ve posed that question to many entrepreneurs after their start-up was shut down, and about half of them said, “The team was not right.” “What do you mean the team was not right?” I kept on asking, to which most of them replied, “We had this person who was not good enough.” Another reason that I’ve heard quite often was, “We had communication issues,” which sounded to me more like, “We had ego-management issues”.

I then asked the more important question, “WHEN did you know that team was not right?” the scary answer was, “Within the first month.” All of them said exactly that.

Wait a minute, if the team was not right and the CEO knew that within the first month, the problem was not that the team was not right – the problem was that the CEO/leader didn’t make the hard decision required to build a strong and successful team.

Making easy decisions is easy – making hard decisions is hard, and most people don’t like to make hard decisions, mainly because you need to assume responsibility for the results. The problem amplifies as in a small organization, most of the hard decisions will be for the CEO or leader to make, and this is where it becomes complicated. In a small organization like a start-up, nearly everyone is involved with everything. Think of a small team or even a group or a class that you were in and ask yourself: If there was someone that didn’t fit – would you know it?

The answer is of course you would, and it doesn’t matter if that someone doesn’t fit because they are underperforming or because that person is unbearable – everyone knows, period. If everyone knows that, and the CEO or leader doesn’t do anything there are only two options that cross the mind of everyone else:

1. The CEO/leader doesn’t know, which means the CEO is clueless and this is not good.

2. The CEO/leader knows and still doesn’t do anything – that’s even worse, as it indicates the CEO lacks the leadership to make hard decisions.

The result, by the way, is always the same – the top-performing people will leave because they don’t want to be in a place that lacks the ability to make the right and hard decisions, and they will leave because they have a choice.

So, what should the CEO/leader do?

The rest of the article is available on Substack here. If you are not yet a premium subscriber, you can sign up here

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What Does Leadership Really Mean And Who Is A Leader? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-leadership-really-mean-and-who-is-a-leader/ Tue, 30 Jan 2024 15:00:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51171 In many organizations, there's a lack of a clear, unified definition of leadership. This leads to different types of leaders being promoted, some admired and respected, others feared and disliked, even within the same company culture.

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In many organizations, there’s a lack of a clear, unified definition of leadership. This leads to different types of leaders being promoted, some admired and respected, others feared and disliked, even within the same company culture.

This inconsistency arises because the people promoting these leaders have different interpretations of what leadership means. Without a clear definition, organizations end up with a mix of leadership styles, creating confusion and potentially toxic work environments.

The key to resolving this issue is defining what leadership means in your organization. A leader should be someone who sees potential for improvement, rallies people towards a better vision, plans and works to realize that vision, while prioritizing people. Reflect on what leadership means to you and in your organization. How do you define leader and leadership?

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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How Luck Shapes Your Success & The Role Of Meritocracy | Brian Klaas, Best-Selling Author of “Fluke” https://thefutureorganization.com/how-luck-shapes-your-success-the-role-of-meritocracy-brian-klaas-best-selling-author-of-fluke/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51163 Are you lucky or are you good? The smallest and seemingly most random decisions you make in your life can have a profound impact on your career success. Does this mean that we shouldn't try to be the best at what we do?

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Are you lucky or are you good? The smallest and seemingly most random decisions you make in your life can have a profound impact on your career success. Does this mean that we shouldn’t try to be the best at what we do? In today’s discussion I speak with Dr. Brian Klaas, a professor at the University of College London and best-selling author of “Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters.” In this episode, Klaas offers counterintuitive advice for embracing uncertainty and experimentation over excessive optimism and control. You’ll learn how chaos theory impacts your life, if you can create your own luck, if change is driven by trends or leaders, and how meritocracy battles with luck for making the greatest impact in what you do.

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid Apple subscribers where Brian Klaas will share key strategies to help you make decisions during times of radical uncertainty, better equipping you to lead your team effectively.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Types Of Vulnerable Leaders: #5 Super Situational https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-5-super-situational/ Sat, 27 Jan 2024 01:14:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51156 Super Situational adapts and blends with their environment and surroundings. They may meet with a member of their team and share that they are going through a tough time at work but then they may meet with a peer shortly after and talk about a big mistake they made on a client project.

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

Wonder Woman can fly and has super strength and speed. Spider-man can shoot webs from his hands, climb walls, and has amazing reflexes. Wolverine has claws that grow from his hands, can heal himself, and has enhanced senses.

The 5 superheroes are:

  • Captain Heart
  • Professor Personal
  • Super Situational
  • Wonder Worker
  • Balanced Beast

I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Super Situational

Super Situational adapts and blends with their environment and surroundings.

They may meet with a member of their team and share that they are going through a tough time at work but then they may meet with a peer shortly after and talk about a big mistake they made on a client project. Super Situational has very high levels of self-awareness and are good at knowing how they impact a person or a situation depending on what they are sharing. They are also capable of adapting to any situation and have a unique ability of being able to read any room they are a part of.

Super Situational can struggle with energy levels due to constant shifting and changing from situation to situation.

While this can be an effective leadership style it’s also draining. Team members may also be a bit confused as they all get glimpses of different sides of the same vulnerable leader.

Abilities:

  • Adapts to any environment or situation.
  • Strong sense of self-awareness.
  • Can maintain diverse relationships.
  • Great at achieving goals and driving results

Weaknesses:

  • Can drain energy faster as a result of constant shifting, surveying, and scanning.
  • May create confusion as different people see different sides.
  • Can be viewed as not authentic

Paul Markovich is the CEO of Blue Shield California with over 7,000 employees told me,

“I’m a situational vulnerable leader. Great leaders do what is needed for their people and the organization and what is needed is dynamic, it changes and shifts. There may be times when you’re in an existential crisis as a company and you’re looking at a potential turnaround. The way you need to lead and how you’re going to be a vulnerable leader in that circumstance can be very different than when you’ve got a very healthy company you’re leading. When George Floyd happened, if I showed up to work talking about financial performance instead of saying ‘Oh my god, I just witnessed a man being callously murdered in the street, and it has deeply affected me and made me also think very deeply about racism in this country, and what we can do to address it,’ then my team would look at me and wonder what’s going on with me. Similarly, if I show up to work one day talking about diversity and inclusion or how I’m feeling while my business is a quarter away from insolvency, my team would look at me in that same way. It’s not that these aren’t important issues but people will be out of jobs if I can’t turn things around. Leaders need to demonstrate competence here and have a plan. In terms of being an effective leader, it means knowing when and how to be vulnerable. It can help you be a more effective leader.”

Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes.

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10 Strategies The Most Successful People Use To Stay Calm: Dr. Travis Bradberry https://thefutureorganization.com/10-strategies-the-most-successful-people-use-to-stay-calm-dr-travis-bradberry/ Thu, 25 Jan 2024 01:32:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51148 The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. I've conducted research with more than a million people and found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control.

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Today’s post comes from Dr. Travis Bradberry, the award-winning author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence Habits. If you enjoy this article, give his book a read and take your EQ to new heights.

The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. I’ve conducted research with more than a million people and found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control.

If you follow my work, you’ve read some startling research summaries that explore the havoc stress can wreak on one’s physical and mental health (such as the Yale study, which found that prolonged stress causes degeneration in the area of the brain responsible for self-control). The tricky thing about stress (and the anxiety that comes with it) is that it’s an absolutely necessary emotion. Our brains are wired such that it’s difficult to take action until we feel at least some level of this emotional state. In fact, performance peaks under the heightened activation that comes with moderate levels of stress. As long as the stress isn’t prolonged, it’s harmless.

 

Research from the University of California, Berkeley, reveals an upside to experiencing moderate levels of stress. But it also reinforces how important it is to keep stress under control. The study, led by post-doctoral fellow Elizabeth Kirby, found that the onset of stress entices the brain into growing new cells responsible for improved memory. However, this effect is only seen when stress is intermittent. As soon as the stress continues beyond a few moments into a prolonged state, it suppresses the brain’s ability to develop new cells.

“I think intermittent stressful events are probably what keeps the brain more alert, and you perform better when you are alert,” Kirby says. For animals, intermittent stress is the bulk of what they experience, in the form of physical threats in their immediate environment. Long ago, this was also the case for humans. As the human brain evolved and increased in complexity, we’ve developed the ability to worry and perseverate on events, which creates frequent experiences of prolonged stress.

Besides increasing your risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity, stress decreases your cognitive performance. Fortunately, though, unless a lion is chasing you, the bulk of your stress is subjective and under your control. Top performers have well-honed coping strategies that they employ under stressful circumstances. This lowers their stress levels regardless of what’s happening in their environment, ensuring that the stress they experience is intermittent and not prolonged.

While I’ve run across numerous effective strategies that successful people employ when faced with stress, what follows are ten of the best. Some of these strategies may seem obvious, but the real challenge lies in recognizing when you need to use them and having the wherewithal to actually do so in spite of your stress.

They Appreciate What They Have

Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for isn’t merely the “right” thing to do. It also improves your mood, because it reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%. Research conducted at the University of California, Davis found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical well-being. It’s likely that lower levels of cortisol played a major role in this.

They Avoid Asking “What If?”

“What if?” statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry. Things can go in a million different directions, and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you’ll spend focusing on taking action that will calm you down and keep your stress under control. Calm people know that asking “what if? will only take them to a place they don’t want—or need—to go.

They Stay Positive

Positive thoughts help make stress intermittent by focusing your brain’s attention onto something that is completely stress-free. You have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your attention. When things are going well, and your mood is good, this is relatively easy. When things are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge. In these moments, think about your day and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small. If you can’t think of something from the current day, reflect on the previous day or even the previous week. Or perhaps you’re looking forward to an exciting event that you can focus your attention on. The point here is that you must have something positive that you’re ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative.

They Disconnect

Given the importance of keeping stress intermittent, it’s easy to see how taking regular time off the grid can help keep your stress under control. When you make yourself available to your work 24/7, you expose yourself to a constant barrage of stressors. Forcing yourself offline and even—gulp!—turning off your phone gives your body a break from a constant source of stress. Studies have shown that something as simple as an email break can lower stress levels.

Technology enables constant communication and the expectation that you should be available 24/7. It is extremely difficult to enjoy a stress-free moment outside of work when an email that will change your train of thought and get you thinking (read: stressing) about work can drop onto your phone at any moment. If detaching yourself from work-related communication on weekday evenings is too big a challenge, then how about the weekend? Choose blocks of time where you cut the cord and go offline. You’ll be amazed at how refreshing these breaks are and how they reduce stress by putting a mental recharge into your weekly schedule. If you’re worried about the negative repercussions of taking this step, first try doing it at times when you’re unlikely to be contacted—maybe Sunday morning. As you grow more comfortable with it, and as your coworkers begin to accept the time you spend offline, gradually expand the amount of time you spend away from technology.

They Limit Their Caffeine Intake

Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the source of the “fight-or-flight” response, a survival mechanism that forces you to stand up and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. The fight-or-flight mechanism sidesteps rational thinking in favor of a faster response. This is great when a bear is chasing you, but not so great when you’re responding to a curt email. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyperaroused state of stress, your emotions overrun your behavior. The stress that caffeine creates is far from intermittent, as its long half-life ensures that it takes its sweet time working its way out of your body.

The other 5 strategies below are available to the VIP subscribers on Substack.

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Perks Won’t Cut It! Learn Why This Short-Term Fix Will Backfire On Your Business https://thefutureorganization.com/perks-wont-cut-it-learn-why-this-short-term-fix-will-backfire-on-your-business/ Tue, 23 Jan 2024 15:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51144 Free food, hot yoga on lunch breaks, unlimited vacation time...the list could go on, but organizational productivity and success will not follow. If perks are the only strategy used to better your business, is it really as sustainable of a strategy as it sounds? Will it help retain top talent for your business?

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Free food, hot yoga on lunch breaks, unlimited vacation time…the list could go on, but organizational productivity and success will not follow. If perks are the only strategy used to better your business, is it really as sustainable of a strategy as it sounds? Will it help retain top talent for your business? How will the core values of your company evolve if the only strategy used is based on having a transactional relationship with your employees?

Today’s video is all about learning to implement true, long-lasting strategies that allow growth in your organization’s core values and continually increase employee satisfaction.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

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What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Health-Food Chain Sweetgreen Is Automating Locations, What Will Happen To Their People? CEO Jonathan Neman Explains https://thefutureorganization.com/health-food-chain-sweetgreen-is-automating-locations-what-will-happen-to-their-people-ceo-jonathan-neman-explains/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51137 Is AI going to take your job? Yes! But is that really a bad thing and what does it mean for the future of work? Sweetgreen is an American fast-casual food chain with more than 220 locations and 6,000 employees. They are actively implementing technology in their restaurants to make the food, but are they losing people as a result?

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Is AI going to take your job? Yes! But is that really a bad thing and what does it mean for the future of work?

Sweetgreen is an American fast-casual food chain with more than 220 locations and 6,000 employees. They are actively implementing technology in their restaurants to make the food, but are they losing people as a result? Jonathan Neman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sweetgreen and in today’s episode we’re talking about balancing humanity with technology and people with profits. After today’s episode, you’ll walk away with strategies for thoughtfully integrating new technologies, prioritizing employee well-being and finding “win-win” solutions that benefit all parties.

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid Apple subscribers where Jonathan Neman will share key strategies to help you balance short-term goals with long-term mission for organizational success.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

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Transform Your Contact Center With Metrics That Matter: XLA Bootcamp On January 31st! https://thefutureorganization.com/transform-your-contact-center-with-metrics-that-matter-xla-bootcamp-on-january-31st/ Sat, 20 Jan 2024 04:12:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51134 If you're in the contact center or are a customer experience professional then you aren't going to want to miss this bootcamp that my wife Blake Morgan is hosting. Meta calls her "the queen of customer experience." Metrics can feel like an endless loop of never ending analysis, how do you make sense of the data and turn it into something meaningful and actionable?

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If you’re in the contact center or are a customer experience professional then you aren’t going to want to miss this bootcamp that my wife Blake Morgan is hosting. Meta calls her “the queen of customer experience.”

Metrics can feel like an endless loop of never ending analysis, how do you make sense of the data and turn it into something meaningful and actionable?

Imagine if you were able to reverse engineer your contact center metrics to focus on the Customer Core Expectations or XLAs (Experience Level). If customers want us to “Know Me” , “Help Me” , “Value Me”, and “Protect Me”- then you can roll those up to metrics. XLAs are always customized based on what your customer expects because after all, our customer’s perception is reality.

Join Blake Morgan, a 3X customer experience author and futurist, and Stephanie Shaffer De Jesus, who led the CX Program Transformation for Johnson & Johnson in a 3-hour virtual bootcamp and learn the tools and strategies to begin building success metrics with the customer’s core expectations in mind.

XLA Bootcamp: Moving Your Contact Center Toward Metrics That Drive Customer Experience Results

This live bootcamp will equip you with:

  • Effectively identify your customer’s core expectations through data discovery.
  • Litmus test XLAs with a brand reputation analysis.
  • Start putting Experience Level metrics to work for your organization and begin A/B testing.

It will be comprised of 5 modules:

Module 1: XLAs Drive Results

Module 2: CREATION: Psychology as a Foundation; Discovery as an Exercise

Module 3: CLARITY: Brand Reputation

Module 4: ANALYZE: Measurement Transparency

Module 5: RESULTS: Exceptional Experience Outliers

Are you ready to explore Experience Level Agreements from Creation to Results vs. a maniacal focus on one metric?

Stop focusing on single metrics and start building customer-centric success. Join Blake and Stephanie on January 31st.

Limited spots available! You can learn more and sign up here or by going to XLABootcamp.com.

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How To Create Emotional Distance To Transform Vulnerability From Weakness Into Strength https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-create-emotional-distance-to-transform-vulnerability-from-weakness-into-strength/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:17:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51131 Just over a week ago I wrote a post exploring why our perceptions of vulnerability change depending on if we are thinking about ourselves or someone else. Specifically, when we think of others being vulnerable we view them as courageous and bold but when we think of ourselves being vulnerable view ourselves as weak and incompetent.

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Hello leaders,

Just over a week ago I wrote a post exploring why our perceptions of vulnerability change depending on if we are thinking about ourselves or someone else. Specifically, when we think of others being vulnerable we view them as courageous and bold but when we think of ourselves being vulnerable view ourselves as weak and incompetent. I explore this in-depth in my latest book, Leading With Vulnerability.

Why is that the case?

You can see that full post hereand it’s essential to read that post before this one.

I ended that post with the following:

When we observe a physical object up close we get more clarity, depth, and information around it. But when we emotionally observe ourselves up close the picture is fuzzy, shallow, and the information is inaccurate as we exaggerate the negative things while ignoring the positive ones.

That’s what today’s post is all about, how do we create that emotional distance?

To answer that question we have to start with something known as King Solomon’s Paradox.

Get the rest of the post on Substack here.

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Want To Get Ahead At Work & Excel In Your Career? Show Up To The Office! https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-get-ahead-at-work-excel-in-your-career-show-up-to-the-office/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51126 Do you think you would be more successful if you spent more time working at home or more time working in the office? Do you think you have a better chance of becoming a leader if you work from the office or work from home? If you have aspirations of leading a team or a company, then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to spend more time working in the office!

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Do you think you would be more successful if you spent more time working at home or more time working in the office? Do you think you have a better chance of becoming a leader if you work from the office or work from home? If you have aspirations of leading a team or a company, then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to spend more time working in the office!

Today’s video is all about how and why showing up to the office can help you get ahead at work and excel your career.

Click below to watch the video.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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How Leaders Overcome The 5 D’s Of Negative Thought & Focus On Positivity https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-overcome-the-5-ds-of-negative-thought-focus-on-positivity/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:16:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51122 What do the most successful leaders do that others don’t? How do the world’s top leaders overcome negative thoughts and focus on positivity and success? Positivity can powerfully alter your ability to connect with your team and slingshot your leadership to new bounds of resilience and success.

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What do the most successful leaders do that others don’t? How do the world’s top leaders overcome negative thoughts and focus on positivity and success? Positivity can powerfully alter your ability to connect with your team and slingshot your leadership to new bounds of resilience and success. In this episode, we’re joined by Jon Gordon 15x best-selling author, most popularly known for “The Power of Positive Leadership” with over 1,700 reviews on Amazon. Learn how to unite your organization in the face of adversity, build a strong company culture, and develop a connected and committed team. Today’ you’ll learn about the 5 D’s of negative thought and how to overcome them.

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid Apple subscribers where Jon Gordon will share how to leverage positivity as a competitive advantage to make you a better leader.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Types Of Vulnerable Leaders: #4 Professor Personal https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-4-professor-personal-2/ Sat, 13 Jan 2024 02:42:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51116 Wonder Woman can fly and has super strength and speed. Spider-man can shoot webs from his hands, climb walls, and has amazing reflexes. Wolverine has claws that grow from his hands, can heal himself, and has enhanced senses.

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

Wonder Woman can fly and has super strength and speed. Spider-man can shoot webs from his hands, climb walls, and has amazing reflexes. Wolverine has claws that grow from his hands, can heal himself, and has enhanced senses.

The 5 superheroes are:

  • Captain Heart
  • Professor Personal
  • Super Situational
  • Wonder Worker
  • Balanced Beast

I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Professor Personal!

Professor Personal is more comfortable being vulnerable around things outside of work.

They are liked by many since they are more comfortable talking about things like personal challenges and struggles, life outside of work, and giving insight into who they are as a person. As with Wonder Worker, it doesn’t mean Professor Personal won’t ever share things around work, but it’s not what they are most comfortable with. Professor Personal is great at developing strong personal connections and relationships and oftentimes has quite a few friends at work. They give insight into who they are as a person and what they care about and value. This type of vulnerable leader also creates a positive work environment where people feel more comfortable being themselves. As a result the culture has high levels of engagement.

Abilities:

  • Develops strong personal connections and relationships.
  • Gives people deep insight into who you are as a person.
  • Creates a friendly and positive work environment where people can be their authentic selves.
  • Creates high levels of engagement.
  • Emotionally intelligent.

Weaknesses:

  • May not always unlock the full professional potential of people.
  • The best ideas and opportunities may not be surfaced on a team.
  • Team professional development may be stalled.
  • Imposter syndrome.

Although Professor Personal creates a positive culture where people feel like they belong, this superhero may struggle more often with imposter syndrome. They may also hinder their own (and their teams’) professional development.

One CEO of a 16,000 person education company told me,

“I’m definitely more comfortable sharing things about my personal life with my team. It has helped me create some very close relationships and a culture where employees want to show up each day. I do talk about vulnerability in the context of work when I need to but it’s not in my comfort zone. Throughout my career I was never encouraged to talk about life outside of work and in fact I was explicitly told that I shouldn’t. However, now I see the value in doing that and my people know what I care about, what I stand for, what I believe in, and what a meaningful life looks like to me.”

Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes.

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I Was Vulnerable At Work And It Backfired! What Should I Do? https://thefutureorganization.com/i-was-vulnerable-at-work-and-it-backfired-what-should-i-do/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 01:30:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51112 Hello Leaders! I hope your 2024 is off to a great start. It should be an exciting year and even though I expect it will be filled with turbulence, I’m hopeful and optimistic that it will be a year of growth and opportunity. My team and I have some exciting things we are working on which I will share later.

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Hello Leaders!

I hope your 2024 is off to a great start. It should be an exciting year and even though I expect it will be filled with turbulence, I’m hopeful and optimistic that it will be a year of growth and opportunity. My team and I have some exciting things we are working on which I will share later.

My wife and I spent NYE with some friends at a Russian restaurant in Los Angeles which was a lot of fun. We were with our kids until around 9:30 pm and when they went to sleep, we went out 🙂 Here’s a pic from our friends house right before we went out.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about a CEO who was vulnerable at work and had it backfire, you can check out that post here.

Today, I want to go over what you should do if when you are vulnerable at work and it backfires…because it will happen. It’s happened to many of the CEOs I interviewed in my book, Leading With Vulnerability, and it has happened to most of the people I surveyed in both formal and informal polls.

Remember, vulnerability is about doing or saying something at work that can potentially be used against you. It’s essentially exposing a gap that you have.

Let’s say you confide in someone who uses the information to insult you, make you feel small, or use it as a way to hurt you or your career. At this point you have a choice.

You can either use this as a reason to justify why you should never be vulnerable with anyone at work ever again, this is called a fixed moment (not a good approach, especially for leaders), or, you can do something else, which I’ll explore on Substack

Read the rest of the article on Susbtack here.

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3 Ways Having Too Much Empathy At Work Can Hurt You https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-having-too-much-empathy-at-work-can-hurt-you/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 02:46:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51106 Can you care too much at work? It turns out you can and in today's video I'm going to give you 3 examples of where having too much empathy can actually hurt your career.

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Can you care too much at work? It turns out you can and in today’s video I’m going to give you 3 examples of where having too much empathy can actually hurt your career.

While empathy is key in leadership, too much can lead to challenges like indecision, burnout, and blurred professional boundaries. It’s essential to balance empathetic concern with a healthy detachment and distribute empathy as a shared cultural trait within an organization. Have you faced the challenge of too much empathy in your career? Share your experiences in the comments.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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World’s #1 Work From Home Expert On Remote Work Vs In-Person Work: What The Research Says & Is Return To The Office Really Dead? | Dr. Nicholas Bloom https://thefutureorganization.com/worlds-1-work-from-home-expert-on-remote-work-vs-in-person-work-what-the-research-says-is-return-to-the-office-really-dead-dr-nicholas-bloom/ Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51088 Is working in the office dead? With the rise of remote work it appears that home offices becoming the new corporate hubs. But what does the data actually say? Dr. Nicholas Bloom from Stanford University has been studying the work from home trend from over 20 years and he has hard data that shows what has been going on and why.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Dr._Nicholas_Bloom_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Is working in the office dead? With the rise of remote work it appears that home offices becoming the new corporate hubs. But what does the data actually say? Dr. Nicholas Bloom from Stanford University has been studying the work from home trend from over 20 years and he has hard data that shows what has been going on and why.

In today’s episode we are tackling the big questions around the rise of WFH: How does it affect productivity and innovation? What does it mean for the balance of power in organizations? Is in office work really dead? What does the future of working from home look like? What are the pros and cons of working from home? What are some of the top companies actually doing? Get ready for an in-depth discussion on the future of work. The bonus episode with Dr. Bloom will explore some practical tips and strategies for leading a hybrid workforce effectively.

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid subscribers where Dr. Bloom will walk you through his essential guide to mastering work from home for both you and your organization!

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Why Do Employees Quit? The Top 3 Reasons That Have Nothing To Do With Pay https://thefutureorganization.com/why-do-employees-quit-the-top-3-reasons-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-pay/ Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51064 Discover what’s really driving your employees away — it’s not always about the paycheck…

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Discover what’s really driving your employees away — it’s not always about the paycheck…

After in-depth interviews with thousands of business leaders, I’ve pinpointed three major, non-financial reasons employees are leaving their jobs. Recognizing and addressing these areas can transform your workplace into a more satisfying and engaging environment, encouraging employees to stay committed and passionate.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Why Do We View Vulnerability In Others As A Strength But Vulnerability In Ourselves As A Weakness? https://thefutureorganization.com/why-do-we-view-vulnerability-in-others-as-a-strength-but-vulnerability-in-ourselves-as-a-weakness/ Thu, 04 Jan 2024 15:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51068 Hello leaders! Imagine you are meeting with your team and in that meeting you have to come forward with a mistake that you made on an important client project. How would that make you feel?

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Hello leaders!

Imagine you are meeting with your team and in that meeting you have to come forward with a mistake that you made on an important client project. How would that make you feel?

Now imagine that someone else on your team was in your position, and they were the ones admitting they made a mistake. How do you perceive them?

Anna Bruk, Sabine G. Scholl, and Herbert Bless of the University of Mannheim in Germany published a study in 2018 called “Beautiful mess effect: Self–other differences in evaluation of showing vulnerability” which explores this idea. In fact, Dr. Bruk, is one of the many psychologists and researchers that I interviewed for my latest book, Leading With Vulnerability.

Researchers asked participants to imagine themselves in a variety of vulnerable situations including admitting to making a crucial mistake at work or being the first to apologize to a romantic partner after a big fight. The fascinating thing is that when people imagined themselves in these situations they perceived themselves as being rather weak or inadequate, which is the #1 reason that keeps people from being vulnerable at work according to the almost 14,000 employees I surveyed with DDI.

However, when participants imagined other people being vulnerable in these situations, they perceived them as being relatively “strong” and “courageous.”

Why?

In today’s post I’ll explore the why and in part two for next week I’ll explore what to do about it so that you won’t see your vulnerability as a weakness.

So…why do we think of other people as being strong and courageous when they are vulnerable and think of ourselves as being weak and inadequate when we are vulnerable?

The answer is a theory in psychology that we don’t spend enough time talking about, especially at work, and for leaders…

Get the rest of the article by joining the Great Leadership Substack community.

Learn more about this in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability which is now on sale on Amazon for a whopping 30% off while supplies last.

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What Matters More For Leaders, Cognitive Intelligence or Emotional Intelligence? https://thefutureorganization.com/techniques-to-master-your-emotional-intelligence-maintain-organizational-balance-amidst-tough-times-dr-travis-bradberry-mega-best-selling-author/ Tue, 02 Jan 2024 15:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51048 What’s more important for leadership, emotional intelligence or IQ? The right use of EQ can revolutionize your approach to decision-making, relationship building, leadership, and communication.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Dr._Travis_Bradberry_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

What’s more important for leadership, emotional intelligence or IQ? The right use of EQ can revolutionize your approach to decision-making, relationship building, leadership, and communication.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Travis Bradberry, best-selling author of “Emotional Intelligence. 2.0,” as he reveals how emotional intelligence can be consciously developed and refined. We’ll explore why so many leaders struggle with EQ, what EQ is and why it’s important, and the four core EQ skills. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Listen to the episode here

Later this week I’ll share the bonus episode for paid subscribers where Dr. Bradberry will share the 4 core emotional intelligence skills to make you a better leader and how to master them.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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5 Strategies For How You Can Get Your First Leadership Role https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-for-how-you-can-get-your-first-leadership-role/ Tue, 26 Dec 2023 15:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51044 Do you feel stuck in your career? After interviewing and working with over 2,000 CEO's and business leaders over the years, I have gathered 5 key strategies to help you break free of the role you're stuck in.

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Do you feel stuck in your career?

After interviewing and working with over 2,000 CEO’s and business leaders over the years, I have gathered 5 key strategies to help you break free of the role you’re stuck in.

These leaders emphasize the importance of embracing challenging tasks, leading with vulnerability, excelling in current roles, shifting focus to people management, and cultivating self-awareness. This collective wisdom, drawn from the experiences of successful leaders, offers a valuable roadmap for those aspiring to step into the next level of their leadership roles.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking For Leaders With Michael Watkins Mega Best-Selling Author of “The First 90 Days” https://thefutureorganization.com/the-6-disciplines-of-strategic-thinking-for-leaders-with-michael-watkins-mega-best-selling-author-of-the-first-90-days/ Mon, 25 Dec 2023 15:30:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51039 Imagine navigating the complex world of leadership with the precision and foresight of a chess grandmaster. The similarities between the two are telling of the intricacies that should be incorporated to making decisions in difficult, uncertain times.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Michael_Watkins_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Imagine navigating the complex world of leadership with the precision and foresight of a chess grandmaster. The similarities between the two are telling of the intricacies that should be incorporated to making decisions in difficult, uncertain times.

Michael Watkins is a Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD Business School, and the best-selling author of “The First 90 Days” and his new book “The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking: Leading Your Organization into the Future.”

You don’t want to miss the insights from this conversation as we approach 2024!

Listen to the episode here

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Types of Vulnerable Leaders: #4 Professor Personal https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-4-professor-personal/ Sat, 23 Dec 2023 15:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51031 In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action to create a positive outcome when possible.

I discovered that vulnerability at work takes on different shapes and sizes, specifically 5 of them! I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Professor Personal

Professor Personal is more comfortable being vulnerable around things outside of work.

They are liked by many since they are more comfortable talking about things like personal challenges and struggles, life outside of work, and giving insight into who they are as a person. As with Wonder Worker, it doesn’t mean Professor Personal won’t ever share things around work, but it’s not what they are most comfortable with.

Professor Personal is great at developing strong personal connections and relationships and oftentimes has quite a few friends at work. They give insight into who they are as a person and what they care about and value. This type of vulnerable leader also creates a positive work environment where people feel more comfortable being themselves. As a result the culture has high levels of engagement.

Although Professor Personal creates a positive culture where people feel like they belong, this superhero may struggle more often with imposter syndrome. They may also hinder their own (and their teams’) professional development.

Abilities:

  • Develops strong personal connections and relationships.
  • Gives people deep insight into who you are as a person.
  • Creates a friendly and positive work environment where people can be their authentic selves.
  • Creates high levels of engagement.
  • Emotionally intelligent.

Weaknesses:

  • May not always unlock the full professional potential of people.
  • The best ideas and opportunities may not be surfaced on a team.
  • Team professional development may be stalled.
  • Imposter syndrome.

One CEO of a 16,000 person education company told me,

“I’m definitely more comfortable sharing things about my personal life with my team. It has helped me create some very close relationships and a culture where employees want to show up each day. I do talk about vulnerability in the context of work when I need to but it’s not in my comfort zone. Throughout my career I was never encouraged to talk about life outside of work and in fact I was explicitly told that I shouldn’t. However, now I see the value in doing that and my people know what I care about, what I stand for, what I believe in, and what a meaningful life looks like to me.”

The 5 superheroes are: Captain Heart, Professor Personal, Super Situational, Wonder Worker, and Balanced Beast. Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes and which one you are most comfortable with. Knowing this will allow you to improve team dynamics and help you figure out what projects you should work on, how you should work, and what kind a leader you have the potential to become. Get the PDF here.

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Over 73% Of People Were Vulnerable At Work And Had It Backfire. Here’s What Happened To One CEO And What He Learned https://thefutureorganization.com/over-73-of-people-were-vulnerable-at-work-and-had-it-backfire-heres-what-happened-to-one-ceo-and-what-he-learned/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51019 Have you ever been vulnerable at work and had it backfire? For context, vulnerability is about doing or saying something at work that can potentially be used against you. It’s essentially exposing a gap that you have.

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Have you ever been vulnerable at work and had it backfire? For context, vulnerability is about doing or saying something at work that can potentially be used against you. It’s essentially exposing a gap that you have.

Perhaps you admitted to a mistake, shared a personal struggle, or confessed to not knowing how to do something – just to have that vulnerability used against you in some way. It turns out this happens quite a lot and I believe during the course of a typical career it WILL happen at least once.

A few months ago I did an informal poll on LinkedIn with over 1,000 people. 85% of respondents said they had vulnerability used against them at some point in their careers.

In my latest book, Leading With Vulnerability, I surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. In that survey, 73% of participants said they were vulnerable at work and had it backfire.

Today I’m going to share the story of one of the CEOs I interviewed and what this CEO learned. In an upcoming post I’m going to give you a structured framework that will walk you through what you should do if you’re vulnerable at work and it backfires.

That post will only be available for subscribers as well so make sure you sign up to get that post here.

One CEO of a large telecommunications company shared a story with me about how her vulnerability was used in an attempt to destroy her career. This CEO asked to remain anonymous so let’s call him Bob.

Here’s Bob’s story…

Join 40,000 other leaders like you around the world who get access to the Great Leadership newsletter delivered straight to their inboxes. Each week I share insights, strategies, and research from other CEOs and leaders around the world. If you want to step up your leadership game then subscribe here.

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5 Strategies For How To Have Difficult Conversations At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-for-how-to-have-difficult-conversations-at-work/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 15:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51015 Are you finding it hard to initiate tough conversations at work because you feel unprepared? If you're not equipped with the necessary skills for difficult workplace conversations, you might find yourself avoiding them instead of actively showcasing your strengths as a leader. This can be a significant barrier to demonstrating strong leadership.

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Are you finding it hard to initiate tough conversations at work because you feel unprepared? If you’re not equipped with the necessary skills for difficult workplace conversations, you might find yourself avoiding them instead of actively showcasing your strengths as a leader. This can be a significant barrier to demonstrating strong leadership. Today, I’ll be sharing five practical strategies you can use to empower you as a leader and help you confidently manage difficult conversations at work.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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“Chip War” Author & Tufts University History Professor, Chris Miller: Navigating A.I. & Chip Tech with Future-Ready Leadership Skills https://thefutureorganization.com/chip-war-author-tufts-university-history-professor-chris-miller-navigating-a-i-chip-tech-with-future-ready-leadership-skills/ Mon, 18 Dec 2023 15:00:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=51008 Look around you right now. Every piece of technology is powered by a microchip, but what happens if we lost access to those chips? Chris Miller, an expert in international history and "Chip War" author, joins me to discuss the strategic significance of semiconductor technology in shaping your world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Chris_Miller_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Look around you right now. Every piece of technology is powered by a microchip, but what happens if we lost access to those chips? Chris Miller, an expert in international history and “Chip War” author, joins me to discuss the strategic significance of semiconductor technology in shaping your world.

Miller reveals how this critical yet often underestimated technology influences global economics, power structures, and policy-making. For leaders eager to leverage technology for their success, Chris underscores the importance of understanding semiconductor technology for effective, forward-thinking leadership, while equipping yourself with the knowledge to lead confidently in a tech-centric world and shape future trends.

You Will Learn:

  1. How leadership is changing in the age of microchip technology and the geopolitical implications of technology.

  2. The strategic importance of semiconductors in your life and business.

  3. The rapid rise of computing power and its implications.

  4. Why semiconductors are the new global currency.

  5. Leadership lessons from history and technology.

  6. How to navigate future challenges and opportunities in technology

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The Biggest Mistake That New Leaders Make (That’s Also Common Among The Pros!) https://thefutureorganization.com/the-biggest-mistake-that-new-leaders-make-thats-also-common-among-the-pros/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50992 Over the past few weeks I was in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, and then in Monterrey, Mexico. I gave a talk to a few thousand people in Brazil followed by a small executive session for one of the largest banks. In Monterrey I met with the top 120 leaders of a 67,000 person company and shared my vision about the future of leadership.

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Over the past few weeks I was in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, and then in Monterrey, Mexico. I gave a talk to a few thousand people in Brazil followed by a small executive session for one of the largest banks. In Monterrey I met with the top 120 leaders of a 67,000 person company and shared my vision about the future of leadership.

 

Since much of my recent work has been around leadership and vulnerability I received several questions around how new leaders (whether they are first time leaders, new team leaders, or even executive leaders) should address their teams when they first get put into a new role.

I met with several employees to hear what they say and even sat in on a few meetings. I’ve done many of these over the years and there is one big mistake that new and seasoned leaders keep making which then sets the tone for the rest of their leadership tenure and impacts how employees perceive the leader.

Let’s pretend for a minute that you’re either a new employee who just got promoted to your first leadership role or even that you’re a seasoned mid-level leader who just got your first executive position.

When this happens it’s natural for you to say something to your team, usually via an all-hands meetings. The first words that come out of your mouth during that all-hands meeting will either set you up for success or they will start your path to failure.

What do you say?

In the rest of the article I’m going to review what most leaders say and why it actually hurts them and what you should say instead. Read the rest here.

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How The World’s Top Leaders Build Trust With Their Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-worlds-top-leaders-build-trust-with-their-employees/ Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:00:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50989 Building trust is like laying the foundation for a strong building. It's essential for creating an environment where people feel safe to share ideas, work together, and grow. It strengthens loyalty and commitment, making teams and relationships more resilient and enduring.

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Building trust is like laying the foundation for a strong building. It’s essential for creating an environment where people feel safe to share ideas, work together, and grow.

It strengthens loyalty and commitment, making teams and relationships more resilient and enduring.

When trust is present, communication flows easily, stress reduces, and conflicts are resolved more smoothly. In a trusting environment, everyone is more willing to take risks and embrace new challenges, leading to personal and professional growth.

It’s the glue that holds everything together, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect.

So how can you establish trust?

In this video, I will unveil four key strategies.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

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What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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“The Miracle Morning” Creator On Leading With A Positive Mindset, Overcoming Adversity & Mastering Resilience | Hal Elrod https://thefutureorganization.com/the-miracle-morning-creator-on-leading-with-a-positive-mindset-overcoming-adversity-mastering-resilience-hal-elrod/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50984 Do you see yourself as a leader who turns obstacles into possibilities? Discover the transformative power of positive thinking and resilience in leadership.

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Hal_Elrod_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Do you see yourself as a leader who turns obstacles into possibilities?

Discover the transformative power of positive thinking and resilience in leadership.

In today’s discussion, I sit down with Hal Elrod, author of “The Miracle Morning”, which has sold over 2 million copies globally. We explore the critical role of a challenge-embracing mindset in leadership. Drawing from Hal’s own life-changing experiences, including his recovery from a devastating car accident and cancer, we see how adversity can be a powerful driver for both personal and professional transformation.

You Will Learn:

  1. How to cultivate a leadership mindset rooted in positivity

  2. How to build resilience in the face of adversity and apply it in your leadership role

  3. The importance of morning routine for personal growth and success

  4. Mastering accountability and empathy in your leadership roles

  5. How to foster a positive and resilient work culture environment

  6. The value of inspiring and empowering your team through personal example

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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How Leaders Can Stop “Seeing Ghosts” And Overcome Invisible Threats and Opportunities in Business https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-stop-seeing-ghosts-and-overcome-invisible-threats-and-opportunities-in-business/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:30:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50935 Before COVID, I played in a weekly chess tournament in San Francisco. Each Monday we would all show up and play a rated classical (long time control) game. I'd take an Uber from my home in Alameda to the ferry station, then take a 20 minute ferry ride to downtown San Francisco, and then walk for 20 mins to get to the Mechanic's Chess Club.

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👋Welcome to a 🔐subscriber-only edition🔐 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. These posts get delivered straight to your inbox with no additional work on your end.

Before COVID, I  played in a weekly chess tournament in San Francisco. Each Monday we would all show up and play a rated classical (long time control) game. I’d take an Uber from my home in Alameda to the ferry station, then take a 20 minute ferry ride to downtown San Francisco, and then walk for 20 mins to get to the Mechanic’s Chess Club.

I LOVED this Monday evening routing and I was doing well in my group.

One day I showed up to my weekly game to play against an opponent who was rated around 1600, which is relatively strong for amateur players like me. We played for around 6 hours and ultimately I ended up losing the game. I reviewed the game with my coach afterwards and he said, “you were completely winning, why didn’t you just push your pawn down the board and promote to a queen?”

What kind of a vulnerable leader are you? Based on over 100 CEO interviews I identified 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of a leader you are will help you determine what kind of what you should do and who you should work with. Download the PDF here.

I didn’t have a good response, during the game I imagined all sorts of threats by my opponent, which were actually not threats at all. One of the things chess players struggle with is this concept of “seeing ghosts,” that is seeing threats that aren’t really there. We get so into our own thoughts that we convince ourselves that something bad is going to happen when in reality our position is completely fine and in fact winning.

This concept strikingly mirrors challenges faced by leaders in business. They too, often perceive threats or opportunities that aren’t there.

“Seeing ghosts” in leadership often manifests as overestimating competitors’ capabilities, underestimating internal problems, or misjudging market opportunities. For example, Blockbuster’s failure to recognize the threat posed by Netflix’s streaming model is a classic case of a leadership oversight. Similarly, Nokia’s underestimation of the smartphone market’s potential is another such ‘ghost’.

Why does this happen and what can leaders to do avoid seeing ghosts?

Get the rest of the article on Substack

You can also get my latest book, Leading With Vulnerability while Amazon is having a massive 23% sale! It will teach you why vulnerability alone can hurt you at work and why you need to combine vulnerability with leadership – competence with connection, and how to do it. Adam Grant said this about the book:

“A thoughtful, resourceful read on how leaders can be more candid about their foibles and fears without sacrificing their effectiveness. If you’ve recognized the importance of vulnerability but aren’t sure how to bring it into your workplace, this book is for you.”

 

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8 Top Speaking Tips to Get Your Point Across https://thefutureorganization.com/8-top-speaking-tips-to-get-your-point-across/ Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50931 Do you ever struggle to have your ideas heard or even get your point across? Discover the importance of understanding others before seeking to be understood. In this video, I'll reveal techniques to improve your communication skills, emphasizing preparation, active listening, and audience comprehension to boost your ability to connect and communicate.

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Do you ever struggle to have your ideas heard or even get your point across? Discover the importance of understanding others before seeking to be understood. In this video, I’ll reveal techniques to improve your communication skills, emphasizing preparation, active listening, and audience comprehension to boost your ability to connect and communicate.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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“Focus On Who You Work With Rather Than Money Or The Company” CEO of Bowflex #1 Provider of Home Fitness Equipment | Jim Barr https://thefutureorganization.com/focus-on-who-you-work-with-rather-than-money-or-the-company-ceo-of-bowflex-1-provider-of-home-fitness-equipment-jim-barr/ Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:00:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50927 Ever wondered what separates good leaders from great ones? Discover the profound impact of prioritizing mentors and collaborators over chasing prestigious company names or lucrative paychecks.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Jim_Barr_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Ever wondered what separates good leaders from great ones?

Discover the profound impact of prioritizing mentors and collaborators over chasing prestigious company names or lucrative paychecks.

In today’s discussion, I sit down with Jim Barr, CEO of Bowflex Inc., a global leader in smart and connected home fitness. We explore his philosophy, “focus on who you’re going to be working with instead of the company and the money,” which is not just advice but a testament to his own success.

You Will Learn:

  1. Understanding the role of mentorship in acquiring career expertise and leadership skills

  2. The importance of working for a good leader as opposed to working for a company that pays you more

  3. The importance of collecting various experience to be a successful leader

  4. How to spot trends and implement responsive actions

  5. The value of a compelling vision, impactful strategy, and strong team dynamics in leadership

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Types of Vulnerable Leaders: #3 Balanced Beast https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-3-balanced-beast/ Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50915 I discovered that vulnerability at work takes on different shapes and sizes, specifically 5 of them! I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore the difference between being vulnerable in your personal life versus being vulnerable at work and how current or aspiring leaders specifically should approach vulnerability in the RIGHT WAY. But what does that mean and how do you do that?

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action to create a positive outcome when possible.

I discovered that vulnerability at work takes on different shapes and sizes, specifically 5 of them! I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Balanced Beast

Balanced Beast has a balanced level of personal and professional vulnerability with everyone.

They tend to not be as vulnerable as Captain Heart but instead are somewhere in between Work Warrior and Professor Personal. Unlike Super Situational who adjusts depending on the circumstance or the person, Balanced Beast is consistent across the board. I’m definitely more comfortable being a Balanced Beast in a work environment. My vulnerability is consistent in terms of things I share and am comfortable talking about and it’s the same with everyone I work with.

This type of vulnerable leader will be just as open about a similar topic with a peer as they would be with a junior employee at the company.

Those who work with Balanced Beast feel like they have a good sense of who that leader is both personally and professionally. This type of leader is viewed as being even keeled and thrives in chaotic environments or during times of crisis. They are amazing emotional regulators and people who work for Balanced Beast can feel more stable and secure.

The challenges with Balanced Beast vary depending on what the balance looks like. If this type of leader is comfortable with a balance that is more open and transparent about personal and professional vulnerability then they will face the same headwinds as Captain Heart, however, if Balanced Beast is more comfortable with a conservative balance where they don’t share as much personally or professionally, then they will struggle with the same things as Wonder Worker.

Abilities:

  • Good at emotional regulation.
  • Clear thinking.
  • Great at conserving energy.

Weaknesses:

  • May not create strong relationships in certain situations. For example if a peer feels that as a result of their relationship you should be more vulnerable with them than with others.
  • Can sometimes seem less authentic or even more robotic.

The CEO of a large construction company told me the following.

“I am consistent with everyone regardless of who they are or what their seniority level is. I can talk about some of my personal challenges or things I need help with at work with a new employee or one of our top executives. I take my job very seriously but not myself as a person. That to me is a part of leading with vulnerability and having this consistent balance is a crucial part of my leadership style.”

The 5 superheroes are: Captain Heart, Professor Personal, Super Situational, Wonder Worker, and Balanced Beast. Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes and which one you are most comfortable with. Knowing this will allow you to improve team dynamics and help you figure out what projects you should work on, how you should work, and what kind a leader you have the potential to become. Get the PDF here.

 

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The Dangers Of Performative Vulnerability & Empathy For Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/the-dangers-of-performative-vulnerability-empathy-for-leaders/ Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50911 We all know what it feels like to be vulnerable…it’s uncomfortable not just emotionally but also physically. In fact, every CEO I interviewed me that vulnerability doesn’t feel good.

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👋Welcome to a 🔐subscriber-only edition🔐 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. These posts get delivered straight to your inbox with no additional work on your end.

Upgrade to premium

We all know what it feels like to be vulnerable…it’s uncomfortable not just emotionally but also physically. In fact, every CEO I interviewed me that vulnerability doesn’t feel good.

One CEO of a large agriculture company (who asked to be anonymous for this quote) that I interviewed for my new book, Leading With Vulnerability told me that when the following when he feels vulnerable.

I can feel that I’m in fight or flight mode, my heart beats faster and my stomach is in knots. It almost feels like a panic attack which I have had a few times.

It turns out then when we are vulnerable, it produces a stress response via the release of adrenaline and cortisol making us uncomfortable.

However, people on the receiving end of your vulnerable ALSO experience something.

Dr. Love aka Paul Zal is a professor of Economic Sciences, Psychology & Management and Director at the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

He’s one of the many researchers and psychologists that I interviewed for my new book, Leading With Vulnerability.

Dr. Zak has been studying vulnerability, empathy, trustworthiness, on a scientific level for a long time. He looks not just at the emotional responses but the chemical responses in our brains and bodies via extensive blood testing.

According to Dr. Zak people on the receiving end of your vulnerability see your vulnerability as a sign of trust and their brains get a dose of oxytocin which causes three crucial things to happen.

The rest of the article is for premium subscribers only. You can subscribe to get access to weekly insights, strategies, and leadership hacks delivered straight to your inbox. You can also grab a copy of my new book to begin your journey to vulnerable leadership here.

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4 Strategies to Overcome Imposter Syndrome https://thefutureorganization.com/4-strategies-to-overcome-imposter-syndrome/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50907 Do you ever feel like you don't belong? The burden of societal status and background can drive you towards self-sabotaging actions that undermine your own progress, especially in leadership roles.

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Do you ever feel like you don’t belong? The burden of societal status and background can drive you towards self-sabotaging actions that undermine your own progress, especially in leadership roles. In today’s video I am going to share 4 strategies to help you, no matter your level of seniority, overcome these debilitating feelings that are keeping you from realizing your true potential.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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Why The CEO of IHOP & Applebee’s Says There is No Substitute For Hard Work & How He Leads Different Generations At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-ceo-of-ihop-applebees-says-there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work-how-he-leads-different-generations-at-work/ Mon, 27 Nov 2023 15:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50904 Hard work is going that extra step, doing the right thing, and showing that you aren’t just ambitious…but carry the achievements to back it up.

The post Why The CEO of IHOP & Applebee’s Says There is No Substitute For Hard Work & How He Leads Different Generations At Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_John_Peyton_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Hard work is going that extra step, doing the right thing, and showing that you aren’t just ambitious…but carry the achievements to back it up.

The workplace will always be represented by the many generations of workers whom may look at ‘hard work’ differently, but they still need to achieve the goals in front of them the same.

This will never change.

In today’s discussion, I sit down with John Peyton, CEO of IHOP & Applebees. We will discuss what hard work looks like in the workplace today and how it is perceived by different generations.

You Will Learn:

  1. The definition of ‘Hard Work’ and how to stay motivated in the workplace

  2. How to implement work ethic amongst different generations of employees

  3. Managing work-life balance, employee expectations and workplace flexibility

  4. Challenges & solutions to working remotely

  5. Implementing workplace policies and managing differing employee power

  6. How to manage your career expectations at work

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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The 5 Types of Vulnerable Leaders: #2 Wonder Worker https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-2-wonder-worker/ Fri, 24 Nov 2023 15:00:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50895 I discovered that vulnerability at work takes on different shapes and sizes, specifically 5 of them! I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

The post The 5 Types of Vulnerable Leaders: #2 Wonder Worker first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI. The goal of the book was to explore how to tap into vulnerable at work in the RIGHT. If you only focus on vulnerability you will perceived as incompetent and if you only concentrate on competence you will be perceived as a robot. Instead, leaders must be able to focus on both, competence and connection, but how do you do that?

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action to create a positive outcome when possible.

I discovered that vulnerability at work takes on different shapes and sizes, specifically 5 of them! I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Wonder Worker

Wonder Worker is more comfortable being vulnerable around all things work related.

This means they are comfortable saying “I don’t know,” asking for help, talking about work-related mistakes or failures, and giving and receiving candid feedback. They are not as comfortable sharing personal information or anything that falls outside of the context of work, it doesn’t mean they never will, but it requires them really getting outside of their comfort zone to do so. Wonder Worker prefers to have more established boundaries between work and life and tends to be more private with their personal life.

This type of leader is great at connecting with people on a professional level and creating a strong culture focused on learning and growth. Because Wonder Worker has a strong focus on learning, growth, and improvement at work, they are able to create very effective and productive teams and can unlock the potential of those around them.

They are also a master of boundaries.

However, if you are a Wonder Worker, your team members may feel like they don’t know the “real you” since most of what you share tends to be focused on work. You may also struggle with creating very high levels of trust and belonging. Lastly, you may find maintaining boundaries to be a challenge over time as you constantly work to balance your personal and professional self.

Abilities:

  • Connects with people on a professional level.
  • Creates a culture of learning and growth.
  • A master of boundaries.
  • Gets the most out of people.
  • Builds strong and productive teams.
  • Great at driving results.

Weaknesses:

  • Others may feel they don’t know the “real you.”
  • May not create as high levels of trust and belonging.
  • Can be challenging to maintain boundaries.
  • Might not get or give emotional support at work.

Stephen Smith is the CEO of Amsted Industries, a global manufacturing company with over 18,000 employees. He is one of the many Wonder Worker superheroes.

“I’m not as good at sharing things about my personal life as I should be because I’m a private person by nature. But I do understand that sharing some things are insights into your own life and that these are really valuable in the organization. I just had my second grandchild and I’m around the office showing pictures on my phone to people who normally wouldn’t even expect to interact with me. I want my team to know that I’m a human being like they are and I get joy out of the same kinds of things that they do and I feel the same emotions. I’m also not shy about telling people that I’m a big White Sox fan which isn’t very common in Chicago! I try to be more open and share about my life in a way with which I am comfortable.”

The 5 superheroes are: Captain Heart, Professor Personal, Super Situational, Wonder Worker, and Balanced Beast. Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes and which one you are most comfortable with. Knowing this will allow you to improve team dynamics and help you figure out what projects you should work on, how you should work, and what kind a leader you have the potential to become. Get the PDF here.

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Most Leaders Around The World Don’t Admit Mistakes, Ask For Help, Or Show Emotion At Work & It’s Killing Employee Engagement https://thefutureorganization.com/most-leaders-around-the-world-dont-admit-mistakes-ask-for-help-or-show-emotion-at-work-its-killing-employee-engagement/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50876 In my brand new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees around the world with DDI. We asked everyone what it means to be a vulnerable leader and then we asked the 14,000 employees, how many of their leaders exhibit the qualities of a vulnerable leader. The results were astounding to say the least!

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👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. Get access to premium articles and leadership insights delivered straight to your inbox.

In my brand new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees around the world with DDI. We asked everyone what it means to be a vulnerable leader and then we asked the 14,000 employees, how many of their leaders exhibit the qualities of a vulnerable leader. The results were astounding to say the least!

Before I show you some of the CEO responses and the data, here’s how I define what it means to be a vulnerable leader in my book:

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action (when possible) to create a positive outcome.

For example, you admit to making a mistake at work and take action to fix it and review what you learned. You share a personal challenge or struggle at work to build trust, connection, and get support. You ask for help and take action to get the necessary training required to get up to speed. The intended outcome is positive and you take action when you can.

While vulnerability has been talked about for many years now, it’s clear that vulnerability at work (specifically for leaders) is not the same as it is in our personal lives. We have a different dynamic at work with hierarchy, employees, bosses, projects, deadlines, customers, salaries, and the like. My argument is that simple being vulnerable at work, where you show up each day talking about the gaps you have, can cause more harm than good. The solution is to not just sharing the gaps you have, but demonstrating what you are trying to do do close those gaps.

I looked at the common themes and patterns that allow leaders to unlock vulnerability as their greatest superpower. But as with any superpower, the hero wielding it needs to know what they can and can’t do, what amplifies and diminishes their powers, what the limits of those powers are, and how to use them with purpose.

Here are a few of the definitions that CEOs shared with me on what it means to be a vulnerable leader…

The rest of the article is for premium subscribers only. You can subscribe to get access to weekly insights, strategies, and leadership hacks delivered straight to your inbox. You can also grab a copy of my new book to begin your journey to vulnerable leadership here.

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5 Strategies to Conquer Workplace Anxiety & Stress https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-to-conquer-workplace-anxiety-stress/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50845 One of the leading causes of stress in our lives is work, but it doesn't have to be. A few years ago, work stressed me out so much that I actually had a series of panic attacks.

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One of the leading causes of stress in our lives is work, but it doesn’t have to be. A few years ago, work stressed me out so much that I actually had a series of panic attacks. In today’s video I’m going to share a few strategies that I (and some of the leaders I have worked with) have used to combat workplace stress.

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click below to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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MIT Scientist On The Radical “GEEK WAY” Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results & The 2 Important Forces Shaping The Global Economy https://thefutureorganization.com/mit-scientist-on-the-radical-geek-way-mindset-that-drives-extraordinary-results-the-2-important-forces-shaping-the-global-economy/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50841 Why does being a ‘geek’ excel your business and leadership career? Geeks in business have created a new culture based around four norms: science, ownership, speed, and openness.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Andrew_McAfee_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Why does being a ‘geek’ excel your business and leadership career? Geeks in business have created a new culture based around four norms: science, ownership, speed, and openness.

You will find that the more you are relentlessly curious, the more you will push the boundaries and surpass your goals and ambitions. In today’s discussion, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Mcafee, best-selling author of “The Geek Way” and research scientist at MIT. We’ll explore what it means to embrace unconventional solutions, tackle difficult problems, & science-backed strategies to maximize growth and cohesion of your teams.

You Will Learn:

  1. The difference between an entrepreneur and geek & identifying which is more successful in business.

  2. Why globalization is so crucial in today’s world.

  3. How to build a company where people feel comfortable speaking up

  4. What it means to lead “the geek way.”

  5. How bureaucracy is killing businesses today.

  6. The importance of norms and how establish them inside of your company.

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

My new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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Why Don’t We Trust Others At Work And What Do We Do About It? https://thefutureorganization.com/why-dont-we-trust-others-at-work-and-what-do-we-do-about-it/ Sat, 18 Nov 2023 14:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50836 Human relationships are complicated but at the very foundation of a good relationship is trust. It’s a powerful force that can bridge divides, unlock the potential of others, lead to amazing discoveries, and transform teams, organizations, and societies. Yet at the same time, when trust doesn’t exist, chaos reigns.

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The following post first appeared for premium members of Great Leadership On Substack several months ago if you want to get access to premium articles, leadership insights, and research delivered straight to your inbox, you can subscribe here.

What you’re about to read is from my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. It’s actually one of the sections that had to get edited out due to length but I still wanted to share it with you since it’s so important to our understanding of trust and leadership.

Human relationships are complicated but at the very foundation of a good relationship is trust. It’s a powerful force that can bridge divides, unlock the potential of others, lead to amazing discoveries, and transform teams, organizations, and societies. Yet at the same time, when trust doesn’t exist, chaos reigns.

Employees won’t share their ideas or support each other, they will hoard information, engage in backstabbing and office politics, they won’t do their best to serve customers, and the culture becomes toxic. You wouldn’t want to be in a relationship where you don’t trust your parter so why would you want to work for an organization where you don’t your peers and your leaders? You wouldn’t.

Do you trust others? Do you think others trust you?

Many of us our cynical when it comes to trusting others but is this cynicism warranted? To answer that we turn to the field of psychology and trust games.

The Trust Game

In 2010 Dr. Detlef Fetchenhauer of the University of Cologne and Dr. David Dunning (who I interviewed for my latest book) from the University of Michigan dove head first into the area of human behavior and trust. Their findings were startling to say the least.

Let’s say I give you $10 and I present you with a choice, you can either keep the money or give it to someone else. If you give it to someone else, that $10 now becomes $40. The person who you gave the money to will now have a choice as well:, they can either keep that $40 or they can split it with you and now you will each have $20. Would you give the money to the other person and trust that they will then split the larger pot with you?

These types of trust games have been used for several years in psychology and economics and it’s these types of trust games that Dr.’s Fetchenhauer, Dunning, and many others, have been experimenting with for many years. All of these experiments show the same conclusion which says a lot about how we trust others and how others trust us.

In their study, they found that roughly half of the participants believed that the person they gave the money to would be trustworthy (and, hence, split the larger pot back with them). Think about that for a moment, this is the equivalent of deciding to trust someone based on a coin flip.

In reality though, over 80% of the people ended up sharing the larger pot.

This means that there is a massive 30% gap between how trustworthy we think people are versus how trustworthy people actually are or said another way, we underestimate the trustworthiness of others by 30% and those us around us underestimate our trustworthiness by the same.

Our tendency to underestimate trustworthiness might be rooted in evolutionary psychology. After all, being wary of strangers or potential threats could be considered a crucial trait for survival. Even though our world has changed, this built in skepticism has stayed with us over the years. It’s also true that we tend to remember negative experiences much more than positive ones. Even if we have trusted others and the outcome was positive, we tend to focus on the few times when trusting someone yielded a negative result. A single betrayal can overshadow many positive experiences.

This is a problem because it means that if you are cynical and assume you can’t trust someone, then you won’t be vulnerable with them. If you are not vulnerable with them, then they will never have the chance to disprove your assumption that they are not trustworthy. As Dr. Dunning told me, “you will never get the chance for the optimistic correction if you always assume you can’t be vulnerable and trust others.”

Does this mean you will never get burned? Certainly not, in fact at some point in your life you probably will have a vulnerability used against you in a professional setting. But that’s not different from anything else in life. You will get turned down from a job opportunity, you will get turned down by someone you want to ask out, and you will miss out on all sorts of opportunities and chances in life, but we all know that.

This tendency to be skeptical can have profound implications. If we approach relationships with cynicism, assuming others are untrustworthy, we shield ourselves from vulnerability. By doing so, we deny others the opportunity to prove their trustworthiness. As Dr. Dunning aptly put it, “Without taking the risk of vulnerability, we miss out on the chance of an optimistic correction.”

It’s a bit like that Dr. Seuss story, Green Eggs And Ham where Sam keeps saying how much he hates green eggs and ham even though he never tried them. Then finally when he does try them he loves them.

The point is that instead of assuming you CAN’T trust others, it’s a better idea to assume that you CAN.

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

 

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5 Crucial Strategies To Succeed In Today’s Workplace https://thefutureorganization.com/5-crucial-strategies-to-succeed-in-todays-workplace/ Thu, 16 Nov 2023 14:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50783 I'm FINALLY getting back to creating more videos for Youtube which will focus on leadership development and career success.
I've worked with thousands of business leaders and CEOs over the past few years and I always ask them what it takes to succeed in the new world of work. These are the 5 strategies that keep coming up!

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I’m FINALLY getting back to creating more videos for Youtube which will focus on leadership development and career success.

I’ve worked with thousands of business leaders and CEOs over the past few years and I always ask them what it takes to succeed in the new world of work. These are the 5 strategies that keep coming up!

Make sure to Subscribe to the Youtube channel to get notified when new videos get posted. New ones will be out each week and upcoming topics include: overcoming imposter syndrome, speaking tips to get your point across, dealing with stress at work, and many others.

Click to watch the video.

If you have any requests for a topic you want me to cover, please let me a comment below!

Subscribe on Youtube

What kind of a leader are you? There are 5 types of vulnerable leaders, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what kind of leader you are helps you determine who you should work with, the types of projects you should work on, and how you deal with challenges and opportunities. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

Download the PDF

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3 Ways Leaders Can Create Purpose & Meaning For Their Employees And Why Those Two Things Are NOT The Same https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-leaders-can-create-purpose-meaning-for-their-employees-and-why-those-two-things-are-not-the-same/ Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50789 The words “purpose” and “meaning” are used interchangeably at work and while they are similar there are differences between the two. Leaders have a unique responsibility to help create both of those things for their employees.

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👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. Get access to premium articles and content like this one. This is just a preview version. All of the content will get delivered right to your inbox.

The words “purpose” and “meaning” are used interchangeably at work and while they are similar there are differences between the two. Leaders have a unique responsibility to help create both of those things for their employees. In today’s article I want to provide a framework that distinguishes between these things and then provide some specific action items for what leaders can do to create both.

But before talking about HOW to do that let’s first start with what these things actually are. In my previous book, The Future Leader, I developed the following framework.

Job: This is what you got hired to do. Whether it is writing code, handling customer service issues, or selling.

Purpose: Purpose bridges your work and its impact on customers, employees, or the world. Many employees struggle with their purpose because organizations are so focused on completing tasks and projects that employees don’t see what happens because of their work.

Impact: Impact is what happens from your purpose. Your purpose in customer service is to resolve issues and improve customers’ lives. But is that the actual impact that you are having? Your purpose is about the potential, but the impact is about reality. You want your impact to be greater than or equal to your purpose. But unfortunately, many employees don’t know the impact of their work.

Meaning: Meaning is subjective and unique to each of us. It’s about why we do something and the feeling we get from doing it. If you write code, you might get meaning from working on complex problems or challenges. If you’re in sales, you might get meaning from building relationships.

A great starting point is to be able to distinguish between the four segments above and to understand that they are all connected to each other.

In the rest of the article I’m going to explain HOW leaders can actually help employees discover their purpose, identify their impact, and find their meaning.

Get the rest by subscribing on Substack here and each week these articles will get delivered straight your inbox!

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Shark-Tank Judge & CEO Gives You The Tools To STOP Relying On Plan B | Overcome Imposter Syndrome, Harness Confidence & Reimagine Your Anxiety To Set https://thefutureorganization.com/shark-tank-judge-ceo-gives-you-the-tools-to-stop-relying-on-plan-b-overcome-imposter-syndrome-harness-confidence-reimagine-your-anxiety-to-set/ Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50713 How often do you find yourself meticulously crafting a Plan B, only to realize you’ve lost focus on the very goals you’re striving to achieve? If you get lost putting all of your time into a plan to support you when your goals don’t seem attainable, you will take away from what you’re actually capable of achieving.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Matt_Higgins_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

How often do you find yourself meticulously crafting a Plan B, only to realize you’ve lost focus on the very goals you’re striving to achieve? If you get lost putting all of your time into a plan to support you when your goals don’t seem attainable, you will take away from what you’re actually capable of achieving. Today, I sit down with Matt Higgins, Shark Tank Judge and CEO, as we explore his 4-step approach to avoid wasted time and energy spent on Plan B. Listen in as Matt challenges you to confront the self-doubt that often fuels your ‘Plan B’ mindset…

You Will LEARN:

  1. How to overcome obstacles and trust intuition

  2. The impact having a victim mentality can have on your leadership journey

  3. How to overcome anxiety & imposter syndrome in the workplace

  4. What leadership challenges arise in the face of vulnerability

  5. Understanding the impact of success, hard work, and self-worth in leadership and growth

  6. How to embrace anxiety & commitment to your goals in leadership

  7. Overcoming fear to achieve goals & embracing failure

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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The 5 Types of Vulnerable Leaders: #1 Captain Heart https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-vulnerable-leaders-1-captain-heart/ Sat, 11 Nov 2023 14:00:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50698 When most of us think of a leader who is vulnerable at work we assume that either the leader is vulnerable or they aren't. In other words we tend to think in terms of two binary options. But the reality is there are different types of vulnerable leaders.

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When most of us think of a leader who is vulnerable at work we assume that either the leader is vulnerable or they aren’t. In other words we tend to think in terms of two binary options. But the reality is there are different types of vulnerable leaders. In my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI.

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action to create a positive outcome when possible.

Wonder Woman can fly and has super strength and speed. Spider-man can shoot webs from his hands, climb walls, and has amazing reflexes. Wolverine has claws that grow from his hands, can heal himself, and has enhanced senses.

The 5 superheroes are:

  • Captain Heart
  • Professor Personal
  • Super Situational
  • Wonder Worker
  • Balanced Beast

I consider all 5 of these vulnerable leaders to be superheroes and like any superhero they all have their strengths and weakness. I put together a free PDF which breaks down all 5 of them including their strengths and weakness.

Read through each one of them and let me know which you are most comfortable with being.

Meet Captain Heart!

Captain Heart wears their heart on their sleeve and they are as authentic and transparent as they get.

For them, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. “What you see is what you get,” is their battle cry, a testament to their unwavering commitment to transparency. This is a leader who doesn’t just share the triumphs but also the trials, who sees the power in vulnerability. These types of leaders are comfortable sharing anything and everything with anyone. They can talk about personal challenges and struggles at work, ask for help on a crucial project, admit to a mistake, show positive and negative emotion, and try to be as much of an open book as they can. Captain Heart also doesn’t set specific boundaries and barriers between work and life and they believe in being a single authentic version of themselves at all times.

Captain Heart is able to quickly build relationships and connections with other people as a result of their openness. They are also able to thrive in a variety of complex situations ranging from tough meetings at work to casual get togethers outside of work. Because Captain Heart is so transparent there’s also not a lot of emotional baggage they have to carry around, everything is out there and there is no ambiguity around what they believe in or where they stand on certain issues because they are never afraid to speak up. This type of vulnerable leader is considered by many to be brave and courageous. Because they are comfortable with themselves they are also self-aware.

Captain Heart is not invincible though. Because they are so open they are also more susceptible to attack. It’s very easy to take information they share and use it against them in either a personal or professional setting. When those around you know so much about you it’s not hard to see why this can be the case. This type of vulnerable leader may also make those around them feel uncomfortable because not everyone is ok with being as open and transparent. Captain Heart may also periodically get in trouble for saying the wrong thing.

Abilities:

  • Quickly builds relationships and connections.
  • Thrives in a variety of complex situations.
  • Nimble and agile due to carrying minimal weight on their shoulders.
  • Eliminates ambiguity since their emotions are clear.
  • Not afraid to speak up and is considered courageous and brave.
  • Intuitive and curious.
  • Charismatic
  • Emotionally intelligent.

Weaknesses:

  • More susceptible to attack.
  • Can feel overbearing or overwhelming to others.
  • May make others feel uncomfortable.
  • May get in trouble for saying the wrong thing.
  • Can be perceived as “too vulnerable” and an “oversharer.”

Sheryl Palmer is the CEO of Taylor Morrison a 3,200-person home building company, which not coincidentally has been ranked as the #1 most trusted home builder in America for the past 7 years! Here’s what she told me.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve but I have thick skin. I’m a sensitive and emotional person and other people can see it. Sometimes if something is really upsetting and impacting me, I have to leave the office. And if my way of dealing with something is crying, then I’d go to my car and do that. Over time I developed more self-confidence and I learned that if I’m going to show up as my authentic self, then sometimes my team is going to see that sensitive side of me, and if I’m feeling really hurt I’m going to be honest with them and not hide it.”

Download the PDF to learn about all of the 5 Vulnerable Leader Superheroes.

 

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Why EVERY Employee Should Be Required To Work From An Office For The Next 6 Months https://thefutureorganization.com/why-every-employee-should-be-required-to-work-from-an-office-for-the-next-6-months/ Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50670 Working remotely for the past few years has hurt us as individuals and it has hurt our organizations. We need a few months to realign and reconnect with each other and the purpose of our organizations

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👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. Get access to premium articles and content like this one. This is just a preview version. Upgrade to premium here.

Yes, you read that correctly. Every single employee should be forced to work in the office 5 days a week for at least the next 6 months. It doesn’t mean you need to be there from 9-5 but you need to be there every…single…day, for the next 180 days.

That might sound harsh and reading that might make you angry but it’s a necessary reality.

Prior to the pandemic, flexible work options were being implemented at organizations around the world at what I would call, a steady pace. Even if you were expected to be in the office every day, you likely had some wiggle on room on what those hours were and if you needed to leave for something personal, you had the opportunity to do.

Then came the pandemic and for two years we all worked from home. During this period it became challenging to maintain a cohesive culture, align on vision, focus on strategic business objectives, move from purely focusing on productivity to focusing on innovation, and effectively train new leaders. We collectively became lonely, depressed, devoid of human interaction and connection, and lived in a dystopian science fiction world where we only saw people through a screen.

Our seemingly aligned teams and businesses became fragmented like a shaken up box of puzzle pieces. We tried to put things back together virtually and it failed. Sure we made due with the guise of productivity and being able to work from home but now we are all working in a disjointed and fragmented world.

My argument is we need to spend the next 6 months resetting, realigning, rejuvenating, reimagining, reinvigorating, and redefining. We need to put the puzzle pieces back out to see the picture we are trying to make. After that 6 month period, we should go back to more flexible options as needed.

In the rest of the article I want to share some research which proves this and also explore some reasons for WHY employees should spend at least the next 6 months working from the office. Not only should leaders mandate this but you as an employees should WANT this. It will be in your best interest in terms of career growth, development, alignment, and future-proofing your time at the company you are with.

Let’s jump in…

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The CRUCIAL Difference Between Leaders Who Get Stuck In Their Career Vs. Those Who Excel https://thefutureorganization.com/the-crucial-difference-between-leaders-who-get-stuck-in-their-career-vs-those-who-excel/ Mon, 06 Nov 2023 15:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50638 Why is it so crucial for you to think like an OWNER if you want to see career success? It’s easy to point out problems but very few people are actually able to develop solutions and that’s what we need more of in the business world. In today’s discussion I sit down with Liz Etling, Forbes' Richest Self-Made Woman to unpack what having an owner mindset is all about and how to develop it.

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Join the hundreds of premium subscribers around the world who get access to weekly leadership hacks and exclusive articles. I interview and work with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

Why is it so crucial for you to think like an OWNER if you want to see career success? It’s easy to point out problems but very few people are actually able to develop solutions and that’s what we need more of in the business world. In today’s discussion I sit down with Liz Etling, Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Woman to unpack what having an owner mindset is all about and how to develop it. We’ll explore how you as an employee can create the most impact, how to focus on innovation, the difference between skills and attitude, and how to disagree in the right way.

You Will LEARN:

  1. The difference between skillset and attitude & how to approach harnessing the perfect combination of the two

  2. The importance of having a service-oriented attitude & how to apply that in leadership

  3. The KEY difference between having an owner mentality versus a manager mentality

  4. Recognizing the biggest mistakes made by leaders & how to avoid them

  5. How to bring your passion to work with you everyday & make money doing it

  6. How to avoid beating yourself down when your vision fails

Discover which mindset YOU lead with – in today’s episode!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

My new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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The Biggest Barrier to Vulnerability in the Workplace & How To Conquer It https://thefutureorganization.com/the-biggest-barrier-to-vulnerability-in-the-workplace-how-to-conquer-it/ Sat, 04 Nov 2023 01:27:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50633 It's clear why vulnerability is so important in our personal lives because it creates connection, trust, relationships, and simply put, it's a human thing to do. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic at play?

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The following post first appeared for premium members of Great Leadership On Substack in August if you want to get access to premium articles and content like this when it gets released, you can subscribe here.

I talked to over 100 CEOs at companies around the world and surveyed 14,000 employees with DDI to understand vulnerability at work. I put all of my research, findings, stories, and frameworks in my new book Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization

It’s clear why vulnerability is so important in our personal lives because it creates connection, trust, relationships, and simply put, it’s a human thing to do. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic at play?

At work we have a hierarchy, bosses, deadlines, projects, responsibilities and deadlines, teams, schedules, and of course the issue of money. Is vulnerability in that kind of an environment the same as it is in our personal lives?

And what if we take this one step further when we think about leaders. These are people who are actually responsible for the lives of others and the fiscal aspect of a team or business. Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it for everyone else?

I think you can see where I’m going with this and the answer is, NO.

Vulnerability at work is not the same as vulnerability in our personal lives and vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it for everyone else inside of your organization. This became abundantly clear from the over 100 CEOs I interviewed and the 14,000 employees that I surveyed.

One of the things the CEOs told me was that they struggled withe reconciling two seemingly opposing perspectives. On the one hand they were expected to be these strong, visionary, confident, and competent leaders, yet on the other hand their employees wanted them to talk about mistakes, failures, challenges, and struggles.

Is it possible to do both? The answer is yes, but what’s the #1 thing holding leaders (and all of us) back? Ironically enough, a part of the answer is in the question!

In the survey of 14,000 employees I did in partnership with leadership firm DDI, we discovered that by far, the #1 reason why we don’t see more vulnerability at work is because…

People don’t want to be perceived as being weak or incompetent.

Think about that for a moment. Of course if you show up to work every day talking about your failures, challenges, mistakes, struggles, and emotions, then it stands to reason that eventually your peers and leaders are going to look at you say, “maybe you shouldn’t be in this role.”

The solution to this is something that I teased a few weeks ago and it’s called The Vulnerable Leader Equation, which is

Vulnerability + Leadership = Vulnerable Leadership

If you don’t want to be perceived as being incompetent, then you have to demonstrate that you are competent or at least are trying to become more competent. How do you do that?

The example I always give is the following.

Let’s say that you made a mistake on a client project. You go to your leader and say “I’m sorry I made a mistake.” That’s vulnerable, but where’s the leadership? Instead, it’s better to say, “I’m sorry I made a mistake, but here’s what I learned, and here’s what I’m going to do to make sure that mistake doesn’t happen again in the future. This is leading with vulnerability.

The best thing you can do when being vulnerable to avoid the perception of incompetence, is to demonstrate that you are trying to close the gap, move forward, learn, grow, or develop, especially if you are in a leadership role where your actions and words carry more weight.

This is the critical element we keep forgetting inside of our organizations. We are so focused on just being vulnerable that we forget about the second part of the equation and again, leaders especially must be able to demonstrate both.

We also oftentimes use vulnerability as a way to justify incompetence or poor performance, aka, we come up with excuses instead of trying to identify solutions.

My boss doesn’t like me, I don’t know how to do that, I made a mistake, I don’t have the budget, I’m falling behind, the dog ate my homework. Well, what are you going to do about these things?

We’re all human beings and we all have challenges, but we need to show that we are trying to overcome the challenges and that we are taking our growth and development into our own hands.

So the solution for how to avoid being incompetent is found in the question, it’s seems obvious and simple doesn’t it?

The best piece of advice I have for current or aspiring leaders is this. Don’t be vulnerable at work, instead, lead with vulnerability. Combine competence with connection in your interactions with others and watch how it will excel your career and transform who you are as a leader.

If you want to learn more then I encourage you to grab a copy of Leading With Vulnerability which is filled with candid stories, frameworks, and research. It will teach you how to tap into vulnerability the right way to lead through change, drive performance, and unlock the potential of those around you.

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CEO Shares How To Align Company Culture With Business Strategy To Create A Cohesive and Effective Organization Driven By Insatiable Curiosity! https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-shares-how-to-align-company-culture-with-business-strategy-to-create-a-cohesive-and-effective-organization-driven-by-insatiable-curiosity/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50626 Today we are taking an exclusive look at how Kevin Murphy, CEO at Ferguson, allows his daily leadership to be fueled by curiosity. By recognizing company culture and its need to be parallel with business strategy, Kevin reveals his key strategies to creating a dynamic in your business model…

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Today we are taking an exclusive look at how Kevin Murphy, CEO at Ferguson, allows his daily leadership to be fueled by curiosity. By recognizing company culture and its need to be parallel with business strategy, Kevin reveals his key strategies to creating a dynamic in your business model…

You Will Learn…

  1. The role leaders play in representing the company culture and leaving one’s ego at the door

  2. How to implement intentional decision-making in shaping your company culture

  3. Why you need to lead with insatiable curiosity & how to take the first step

  4. The importance of execution and having leadership characteristics to advance your career

  5. The steps you can take to create a cohesive parallel between business strategy and company culture

Don’t miss out on some key strategies to becoming a more curious, intentional leader!

This newsletter is sponsored by Kyndryl.

Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com to learn what they are working on.

There is no future of work without Kyndryl.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

 

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Why EVERYONE At Your Company Needs Leadership Training, Not Just Those Who “Earned It” https://thefutureorganization.com/why-everyone-at-your-company-needs-leadership-training-not-just-those-who-earned-it/ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50621 In most companies you start off working as an employee, after you have proven your worth or if you have stayed at the company for a long time, then you are granted the keys to the mythical world of “leadership training.” It’s here where you actually learn to…lead.

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👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. Get access to premium articles and content like this one.

In most companies you start off working as an employee, after you have proven your worth or if you have stayed at the company for a long time, then you are granted the keys to the mythical world of “leadership training.” It’s here where you actually learn to…lead.

In his book, “Principles of Scientific Management (1911), Frederick Winslow Taylor, a mechanical engineer by trade who became obsessed with improving efficiency, wrote.

Now one of the very first requirements for a man who is fit to handle pig iron as a regular occupation is that he shall be so stupid and so phlegmatic that he more nearly resembles in his mental make-up the ox than any other type. The man who is mentally alert and intelligent is for this very reason entirely unsuited to what would, for him, be the grinding monotony of work of this character. Therefore the workman who is best suited to handling pig iron is unable to understand the real science of doing this class of work. He is so stupid that the word “percentage” has no meaning to him, and he must consequently be trained by a man more intelligent than himself into the habit of working in accordance with the laws of this science before he can be successful.

Simply put, this means workers are not that smart or capable and therefore need to be trained by someone who is smarter and more capable than they are, aka, the manager.

Leadership was once viewed as the responsibility of a select few people who metaphorically and figuratively sat at the top of their organizations. However, over the years we have seen organizations become larger, more networked, distributed, and where we collectively are spending more time doing work with our minds instead of with our hands – shifting from manual to intellectual work.

In my last book, The Future Leader, I discovered that most people become leaders at some point in their early 20’s. Perhaps you’re leading a small team in a corporate headquarters or maybe you’re a supervisor in a retail store. However, these same people don’t get any formal leadership training until their mid to late 30’s and sometimes not even until their early 40’s!

I was recently speaking at a large organization with 500 leaders in attendance. I asked them how many of them received formal leadership training when they first got into their leadership roles. MAYBE a dozen hands went up in that entire room of 500.

There’s an old joke where the CFO goes up the CEO and says “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?” to which the CEO responds with “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

Why wouldn’t you want everyone at your company to have leadership training?

In the rest of the article I’ll go over the business case for why ALL employees at your company should get leadership training

Get the full article on Substack.

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Former CEO Farmer’s Insurance, Jeff Dailey Reveals SINGLE KEY Strategy To Improve Your Leadership Daily! https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-farmers-insurance-jeff-dailey-reveals-single-key-strategy-to-improve-your-leadership-daily/ Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50616 Today’s exclusive leadership hack comes from Jeff Dailey, the former CEO of Farmer’s insurance, a 21,000 person financial services company. Explore how Jeff enhances his leadership everyday with one simple strategy to provide himself with reliable guidance and support, ensuring he doesn’t miss a beat.

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The video today is only for paid subscribers. To get the leadership hack you can subscribe here and you’ll get weekly hacks like this one, in-depth interviews with leaders, and exclusive articles and content. The impact of this is far greater than the small monthly cost!

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Today’s exclusive leadership hack comes from Jeff Dailey, the former CEO of Farmer’s insurance, a 21,000 person financial services company. Explore how Jeff enhances his leadership everyday with one simple strategy to provide himself with reliable guidance and support, ensuring he doesn’t miss a beat. Uncover the secret to crafting an environment for yourself that allows you to fine-tune your tools and strategies to succeed.

Tune in and elevate your leadership game today! 🎧🚀

Subscribers can watch the video to learn more in this week’s leadership hack.

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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What Makes For A Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship? It’s All About Asking The Right Questions! https://thefutureorganization.com/what-makes-for-a-successful-mentor-mentee-relationship-its-all-about-asking-the-right-questions/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 23:56:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50607 Tune into today’s episode with Amy Salcido, U.S. President of Kyndryl, the world’s largest provider of IT infrastructure services serving customers in 60+ countries. With 90,000 people globally, Kyndryl is a massive corporation that just recently set apart from IBM as its own independent company.

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This is a FREE article summary! Join the many paid subscribers around the world who get access to exclusive CEO interviews, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles.

Tune into today’s episode with Amy Salcido, U.S. President of Kyndryl, the world’s largest provider of IT infrastructure services serving customers in 60+ countries. With 90,000 people globally, Kyndryl is a massive corporation that just recently set apart from IBM as its own independent company. Our discussion gives leaders the tools to escalate their mentee-mentor relationships, ensuring they follow the right steps and answer the proper questions to get as much out- as they put in!

You Will LEARN:

  1. The importance of self-awareness, passion, and adaptability in mentorship and career development

  2. The five steps to maximize the mentee-mentorship relationship

  3. Three questions every mentee should ask their mentor

  4. The role of authenticity and structure in your mentee-mentor relationship

  5. How the mentee can drive the role of the relationship through agenda setting, meeting frequency, and request of feedback Tune in and listen now!Don’t miss out on these game-changing questions & strategies to level up your mentorship relationships! 🚀

This episode is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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Topgolf CEO, Artie Starrs: How Leaders Stay True To Themselves & Share Their Experiences Without Oversharing https://thefutureorganization.com/topgolf-ceo-artie-starrs-how-leaders-stay-true-to-themselves-share-their-experiences-without-oversharing/ Sat, 28 Oct 2023 15:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50601 Today’s conversation is with Artie Starrs, the CEO of Topgolf, a worldwide 22,000 person sports entertainment company that specializes in re-designed golf driving ranges. Scaling the charts in 2022… Topgolf outperformed many with sales at $4 billion dollars and 15-20% top-line growth annually!

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This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my new book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

Today’s conversation is with Artie Starrs, the CEO of Topgolf, a worldwide 22,000 person sports entertainment company that specializes in re-designed golf driving ranges. Scaling the charts in 2022… Topgolf outperformed many with sales at $4 billion dollars and 15-20% top-line growth annually!

Artie leads with authenticity and teaches you the balance between being authentic and considering what the audience is willing to receive…

Learn:

  • How to avoid the dangers of oversharing or being self-indulgent with vulnerability

  • Artie’s approach to addressing mistakes head-on, dissecting what went wrong, and learning from them

  • How to navigate the discomfort and vulnerability that arise when unable to relate to someone else’s experiences or vice versa

  • How to handle the challenges that arise when there’s a lack of shared experiences or understanding in leadership

To hear from more Artie and to learn from the over 100 other CEO I interviewed, make sure to grab a copy of my new book out NOW: Leading With Vulnerability.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

The post Topgolf CEO, Artie Starrs: How Leaders Stay True To Themselves & Share Their Experiences Without Oversharing first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Is Elon Musk A Good Leader? Using the L.E.A.D.E.R. Scorecard to Evaluate His Effectiveness & Performance https://thefutureorganization.com/is-elon-musk-a-good-leader-using-the-l-e-a-d-e-r-scorecard-to-evaluate-his-effectiveness-performance/ Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50595 I’ve been working on developing a high level leadership scorecard that I can use to evaluate business leaders around the world. Periodically, my goal is to review a new leader and break down how the leader scores on all of the elements as well as give an overall LEADER score. My hope is that not only will this generate discussion but will also help you in your career and leadership journey.

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👋 Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization. This is a preview of the full article available on Substack.

I’ve been working on developing a high level leadership scorecard that I can use to evaluate business leaders around the world. Periodically, my goal is to review a new leader and break down how the leader scores on all of the elements as well as give an overall LEADER score. My hope is that not only will this generate discussion but will also help you in your career and leadership journey.

This LEADER scorecard will ONLY be available for premium subscribers of Great Leadership. If you aren’t a subscriber yet, then I encourage you to sign up, it’s only a few dollars a month.

First, here’s a breakdown of what the scorecard looks like. I expect that overtime it might change a bit but it’s also something that you can use to evaluate your own leaders.

L = Long-term vision and strategy: This is fundamental for any leader. The ability to envision the future and strategize accordingly is crucial for guiding a team or organization toward success.

  • 1-3: Unclear or inconsistent vision and strategy.
  • 4-6: Vision and strategy are defined but not effectively communicated or implemented.
  • 7-10: Clear vision and strategy that are well-communicated, consistently implemented, and aligned with organizational goals.

E = Employee experience and engagement: Recognizing the importance of employee well-being and their engagement levels indicates an understanding that leadership isn’t just about top-down decisions, but also about fostering a positive work environment.

  • 1-3: Low levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and commitment.
  • 4-6: Moderate levels of employee satisfaction; some areas need improvement.
  • 7-10: High levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and commitment with proactive measures to maintain them

A = Adaptability and innovation: In a rapidly changing world, a leader’s ability to adapt and innovate is vital. This element reflects the importance of being proactive and responsive to change.

  • 1-3: Resistant to change; limited innovation efforts.
  • 4-6: Some efforts to adapt and innovate but lacking consistency or clear direction.
  • 7-10: Actively promotes a culture of adaptability and consistent innovation.

D = Decision making: Central to leadership is the ability to make decisions—sometimes under pressure, often with incomplete information. A leader’s judgment and decision-making capability is a key determinant of success.

  • 1-3: Decision-making is slow, unstructured, or lacking transparency.
  • 4-6: Decisions are made but might lack full stakeholder input or data-driven insights.
  • 7-10: Decisions are timely, data-driven, and involve relevant stakeholders.

E = Exemplary behavior and role modeling: Leaders set the tone for an organization’s culture. Their actions, values, and behaviors can inspire and influence those around them.

  • 1-3: Leadership behaviors are inconsistent with organizational values.
  • 4-6: Leadership sometimes displays exemplary behavior, but inconsistencies exist.
  • 7-10: Leadership consistently models desired behaviors and values, setting a positive example for all.

R = Results and metrics: At the end of the day, leaders are often judged by the results they achieve. This element ensures a focus on tangible outcomes and data-driven assessments.

  • 1-3: Limited use of metrics; results are below expectations.
  • 4-6: Uses metrics but might lack alignment with strategic goals; results meet some expectations.
  • 7-10: Metrics are strategically aligned, and results consistently meet or exceed expectations.

Today, I’m going to be looking at Elon Musk, the founder/CEO of companies including Tesla, SpaceX, X, and The Boring Company. He’s currently the world’s richest man with an estimated net worth of $250 billion

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971, Musk has emerged as one of the most influential figures in technology, space exploration, and sustainable energy. Musk’s endeavors often resemble the ambitious feats of science fiction. Yet, time and again, he has turned his visionary ideas into tangible realities. Whether celebrated as a forward-thinking genius or criticized for his audacious proclamations, there’s no denying that Musk’s contributions continue to shape the trajectory of the modern world.

If you want me to do more posts like this then please let me know in the comments section and you can also suggest other leaders for me to review

Let’s break down all of the LEADER elements and see if Elon Musk is truly a great leader and why or why not.

Get the rest on Substack.

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Founder Of Panera Bread On How To Prioritize What Matters Most In Life & Dealing With Pain In Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/founder-of-panera-bread-on-how-to-prioritize-what-matters-most-in-life-dealing-with-pain-in-leadership/ Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50590 Today we are taking an exclusive look into how you can support work-life balance by knowing what to prioritize and when. After tragically losing both of his parents to cancer, Ron teaches us what it means to deal with pain in leadership & the importance of living life on your own terms.

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A Quick Note…
  • Take a moment & consider becoming a paid subscriber, Unlock 100% of my posts today!

  • As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your chance to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

Today we are taking an exclusive look into how you can support work-life balance by knowing what to prioritize and when. After tragically losing both of his parents to cancer, Ron teaches us what it means to deal with pain in leadership & the importance of living life on your own terms.

You Will Learn:

  • How To Make Difficult Decisions While Still Enjoying The Process

  • How To Face The Challenges of Transforming A Company

  • How To Manage Stress & Uncertainty in Business Leadership

  • How To Balance Leadership, Self-Respect, and Priorities In A Challenging Work Environment

  • How To Prioritize What Matters In Life and Business

Don’t miss out on valuable skills to implement for proper work-life balance & management of pain along the way…

This newsletter is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com to learn what they are working on. There is no future of work without Kyndryl.

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

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CEO of L.L.Bean, Steve Smith Reveals His ‘Backpack Analogy’ To Help YOU Make Those Important Life & Career Choices https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-l-l-bean-steve-smith-reveals-his-backpack-analogy-to-help-you-make-those-important-life-career-choices/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50558 Today’s exclusive piece of advice features Steve Smith, CEO of L.L.Bean, a worldwide outdoor gear company with over 6,000 persons and a $1.59 billion dollar revenue. Learn how he implements the ‘Backpack Analogy’ into his leadership and work relationships, prioritizing the power of visualization and increasing continual personal growth!

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Subscribe To Unlock Your Full Leadership Potential…

The video today is only for paid subscribers. To get the leadership hack you can subscribe here and you’ll get weekly hacks like this one, in-depth interviews with leaders, and exclusive articles and content. The impact of this is far greater than the small monthly cost!

  • For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) … thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

  • Upgrade To Paid

Today’s exclusive piece of advice features Steve Smith, CEO of L.L.Bean, a worldwide outdoor gear company with over 6,000 persons and a $1.59 billion dollar revenue. Learn how he implements the ‘Backpack Analogy’ into his leadership and work relationships, prioritizing the power of visualization and increasing continual personal growth! Jump in today and understand how to use this one simple visualization technique to better act on your life & career choices…

Subscribers can watch the video to learn more in this week’s leadership hack.

Watch the video to find out!

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

The post CEO of L.L.Bean, Steve Smith Reveals His ‘Backpack Analogy’ To Help YOU Make Those Important Life & Career Choices first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post CEO of L.L.Bean, Steve Smith Reveals His ‘Backpack Analogy’ To Help YOU Make Those Important Life & Career Choices appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How the Founder of Panera Bread Outperformed Chipotle & Starbucks and Why He Killed His Original Business https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-founder-of-panera-bread-outperformed-chipotle-starbucks-and-why-he-killed-his-original-business/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:00:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50538 Join me in today’s episode as we speak with Ron Shaich, the founder of Panera Bread, a bakery/cafe fast-chain restaurant with over 2,000 locations, 140,000 people, and a revenue of $5.795 billion dollars! Our discussion covers the value of empathy and direct interactions with your customers and team members. Understand why the balance between data and intuition in decision-making is so important…

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Ron_Shaich_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

Join me in today’s episode as we speak with Ron Shaich, the founder of Panera Bread, a bakery/cafe fast-chain restaurant with over 2,000 locations, 140,000 people, and a revenue of $5.795 billion dollars! Our discussion covers the value of empathy and direct interactions with your customers and team members. Understand why the balance between data and intuition in decision-making is so important…

You WILL Learn:

  • How To Implement Creativity Into Business Growth

  • How To Spot Trends, Brand Transformations, & Decision-making in Business

  • How To Make Business Decisions Based On Intuition & Data

  • How To Understand Your Customers & Build A Successful Business

  • The Advantage of Having FRENEMIES For Your Learning & Growth In Business Stay tuned for the premium subscriber only episode on Thursday where we will cover the management of emotional pain in business leadership & how to prioritize what matters in life and work.

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

This episode is sponsored by Kyndryl

I spend a lot of time talking about the future of work, but have you ever wondered what organization out there is actually making the future of work possible? Someone needs to design, build, and manage the systems that the world depends on. That’s exactly what Kyndryl does. They empower progress while modernizing and managing the world’s mission-critical systems and services. Check them out at Kyndryl.com.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

The post How the Founder of Panera Bread Outperformed Chipotle & Starbucks and Why He Killed His Original Business first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post How the Founder of Panera Bread Outperformed Chipotle & Starbucks and Why He Killed His Original Business appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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He’s The CEO Of A 10,000 Person Company. Listening Has Always Been A Huge Challenge For Him. Here’s How He Faces It… https://thefutureorganization.com/hes-the-ceo-of-a-10000-person-company-listening-has-always-been-a-huge-challenge-for-him-heres-how-he-faces-it/ Sat, 21 Oct 2023 14:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50496 Today’s Conversation is with Jerry Norcia, Chairman, CEO, & President of DTE Energy: a 10,000 employee company with a revenue of $19.29 billion! He underscores the power of trust, collaboration, and adaptability. Leadership, he says, is about fostering growth and resilience.

The post He’s The CEO Of A 10,000 Person Company. Listening Has Always Been A Huge Challenge For Him. Here’s How He Faces It… first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jerry_Norcia__-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

This is a special & exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my newly released book…

Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

Today’s Conversation is with Jerry Norcia, Chairman, CEO, & President of DTE Energy: a 10,000 employee company with a revenue of $19.29 billion! He underscores the power of trust, collaboration, and adaptability. Leadership, he says, is about fostering growth and resilience.

Tune in as Jerry shares his candid experiences, stories, and insights on being vulnerable at work and the impact it has had on his business and on him as a leader.

Learn…

How to genuinely listen to employees for effective leadership.

How to cultivate a culture of trust and collaboration.

How to navigate challenges with open communication and adaptability.

How to leverage elevated energy for improved decision-making and leadership.

To hear from more Jerry and to learn from the over 100 other CEO I interviewed, make sure to grab a copy of my new book out NOW: Leading With Vulnerability.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

The post He’s The CEO Of A 10,000 Person Company. Listening Has Always Been A Huge Challenge For Him. Here’s How He Faces It… first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why We Will NEVER Have A 4-Day Work Week And Why A Shorter Work Week Is A Terrible Idea https://thefutureorganization.com/why-we-will-never-have-a-4-day-work-week-and-why-a-shorter-work-week-is-a-terrible-idea/ Fri, 20 Oct 2023 14:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50493 Who wouldn’t want to work less while getting paid the same amount?…. Anyone? Don’t get your hopes up.

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👋Welcome to a 🔐subscriber-only edition🔐 of Great Leadership. Each week I share strategies, insights, and research for how you can become a better leader, create a culture where employees want to show up, and build a future-ready organization.

Who wouldn’t want to work less while getting paid the same amount?…. Anyone?

Don’t get your hopes up.

A few days ago I wrote a short post on LinkedIn where I exclaimed “A 4-day workweek isn’t going to happen, let alone a 3.5 day workweek.” That post received a ton of comments from people around the world and I started to respond to as many comments as I could but then I realized I should just write a more thorough in-depth perspective instead of trying to break down each comment and argument.

Some of the comments were in staunch agreement with my perspective whereas others were very much against it.

In this post I’m going to break down what exactly I mean by a four-day work week, why I don’t think it will happen and why it’s a bad idea, and the one thing that would actually allow this happen (but it never will). I’ll look at some research, examples, scenarios, and lots of other stuff.

First, it’s important to break down what exactly I’m talking about here because there are lots of variations of a four-day work week. I don’t mean working your full number of hours in a condensed time period, for example doing 40 hours in 4 days instead of 40 hours in 5. I’m specifically referring to a required reduction in the time you work, so in this case, 4 days where you work 32 hours instead of 5 days where you work 40 hours.

I’m also not talking about companies that offer this to a few employees. I know there are plenty of companies around the world who offer a 4-day work week to their employees in a variety of capacities. It’s an opt-in program for the people who want to take advantage of it.

When I’m specifically referring to here is a company telling their employees…

Our new measure of a full-time work week is now going to be working 4 days at 32 hours a week instead of 5 days at 40 hours a week. There will be no change in pay or benefits, the only difference is that now you get three days off each week instead of two.

Now, I accept that there are a few smaller organizations around the world that have 4-day work week just like there are always a few companies willing to try all sorts of things, remember Zappos and holacracy? But will this ever become the new norm of how work gets done?

My argument is that THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Let’s dive into the reasons why below.

For premium subscribers I’ll be exploring things like why competition won’t allow the four day work week, what some of the research says, other options organizations can implement, and the only thing that CAN make a shorter week a reality.

If you aren’t a premium subscriber yet, join the community and leave your thoughts on the article. You will also get weekly articles like this, leadership hacks, and in-depth interviews with leading thinkers and CEOs.

Get the rest of the article here.

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3 Crucial Steps To Having Keystone Conversations…& Why They Will Help You Professionally https://thefutureorganization.com/3-crucial-steps-to-having-keystone-conversations-why-they-will-help-you-professionally/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50477 Today we are taking an exclusive look into the true essence of having Keystone conversations. Listeners will discover how to foster genuine connections in professional settings and learn strategies to ensure every conversation is both meaningful and productive.

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A Quick Note…
  • Take a moment & consider becoming a paid subscriber…Unlocking 100% of my posts today!

  • As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your chance to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

Earlier this week I released a podcast episode with Michael Bungay Stanier, which you can listen to here.

Today we are taking an exclusive look into the true essence of having Keystone conversations. Listeners will discover how to foster genuine connections in professional settings and learn strategies to ensure every conversation is both meaningful and productive. Don’t miss out; tune in to elevate your conversations & relationships…

You Will Learn…

  1. How to run a keystone conversation.

  2. Specific exercises and examples of a keystone conversation.

  3. How to fix relationships when they go wrong.

  4. The 3 phases of a keystone conversation which are: preparation, the conversation, and maintenance.

  5. The breakdown of the 5 questions of a keystone conversation with an explanation and example of each.

This newsletter is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com to learn what they are working on. There is no future of work without Kyndryl.

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

The post 3 Crucial Steps To Having Keystone Conversations…& Why They Will Help You Professionally first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post 3 Crucial Steps To Having Keystone Conversations…& Why They Will Help You Professionally appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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CEO Says ‘Be Mindful of What You Say’- How To Fine Tune Your Vocabulary & Professional Point of View https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-says-be-mindful-of-what-you-say-how-to-fine-tune-your-vocabulary-professional-point-of-view/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50470 Today’s exclusive snippet features Linda Rich, CEO of Sunrun, a solar electricity company with around 3000 employees. Learn how she takes her employees from fear-based thinking to a creative/problem-solving point of view. Embark on the journey to understanding the language and vocabulary you need to use in your company and how it will elevate your leadership…

The post CEO Says ‘Be Mindful of What You Say’- How To Fine Tune Your Vocabulary & Professional Point of View first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post CEO Says ‘Be Mindful of What You Say’- How To Fine Tune Your Vocabulary & Professional Point of View appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Subscribe To Unlock Your Full Leadership Potential…

The video today is only for paid subscribers. To get the leadership hack you can subscribe here and you’ll get weekly hacks like this one, in-depth interviews with leaders, and exclusive articles and content. The impact of this is far greater than the small monthly cost!

  • For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) … thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

  • Upgrade To Paid

Today’s exclusive snippet features Lynn Jurich, CEO of Sunrun, a solar electricity company with around 3000 employees. Learn how she takes her employees from fear-based thinking to a creative/problem-solving point of view. Embark on the journey to understanding the language and vocabulary you need to use in your company and how it will elevate your leadership…

Tune in & learn how to apply her mindset in the workplace…

Subscribers can watch the video to learn more in this week’s leadership hack.

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

The post CEO Says ‘Be Mindful of What You Say’- How To Fine Tune Your Vocabulary & Professional Point of View first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post CEO Says ‘Be Mindful of What You Say’- How To Fine Tune Your Vocabulary & Professional Point of View appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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5 Questions You MUST Ask To Create Amazing Professional & Personal Relationships https://thefutureorganization.com/5-questions-you-must-ask-to-create-amazing-professional-personal-relationships/ Mon, 16 Oct 2023 14:00:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50246 Tune into today’s episode with Michael Bungay Stanier, a best-selling author known for his book "The Coaching Habit," which has sold over 1.2 million copies. Michael has recently released a new book titled "How to Work with Almost Anyone." Our discussion revolves around the dynamics of relationships, both personal and professional, and how to navigate them effectively. Listen in as he introduces the concept of the "best possible relationship" and the attributes that define it in the workplace!.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Michael_Bungay_Stanier_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

With over a million book copies sold, Michael Bungay Stanier, is an award-winning author, teacher, and speaker. Communication is one the biggest components of becoming a great leader- here’s how MBS’s Keystone conversations are the leading factor…

This is a FREE article summary! Join the many paid subscribers around the world who get access to exclusive CEO interviews, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles.

Tune into today’s episode with Michael Bungay Stanier, a best-selling author known for his book “The Coaching Habit,” which has sold over 1.2 million copies. Michael has recently released a new book titled “How to Work with Almost Anyone.” Our discussion revolves around the dynamics of relationships, both personal and professional, and how to navigate them effectively. Listen in as he introduces the concept of the “best possible relationship” and the attributes that define it in the workplace!

You Will LEARN:

  1. How to differentiate between I-Thou and I-It relationships which are transactional vs relationship based.

  2. The three attributes of a Best Possible Relationship.

  3. How to build the capacity to be vulnerable.

  4. The relationship between vulnerable and competence, creating relationships vs being good at your job.

  5. The difference between being good at something and being fulfilled by something.

  6. An overview of the 5 questions of a keystone conversation.

Stay tuned for the premium subscriber only episode on Thursday where we will go over these 5 questions in detail including specific exercises you can use and practical examples of when and how to use these questions.

This episode is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

 

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Don’t Be The Smartest In The Room- Why The CEO of 100,000 Employees Says Vulnerability Makes YOU A Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/dont-be-the-smartest-in-the-room-why-the-ceo-of-100000-employees-says-vulnerability-makes-you-a-better-leader/ Sun, 15 Oct 2023 14:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50191 George Oliver leads a 37.5 billion dollar company- where he highlights authenticity, transparency, and trust in relationships. Learn how showing vulnerability can amplify your growth and connection in the workplace!

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_George_Oliver__-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

George Oliver leads a 37.5 billion dollar company- where he highlights authenticity, transparency, and trust in relationships. Learn how showing vulnerability can amplify your growth and connection in the workplace!

George Oliver, the Chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls, shares his insights on leadership, corporate culture, and the journey of personal growth. With a rich history of steering one of the world’s most renowned multi-industrial firms, Oliver’s experiences offer invaluable lessons for aspiring leaders and leaders today. Learn how George leads a company of over 100,000 employees- with a revenue of 25.3 billion dollars!

Key Points from Today’s Interview:

  • How to Understand the Role of Empathy in Leadership: Learn why empathy is a crucial trait for leaders and how it can foster stronger connections with team members and stakeholders.

  • How to Show Accountability in Tough Times: Instead of making excuses, Oliver emphasizes taking responsibility even when faced with challenges.

  • How to Engage with Employees of ALL Ranks: Oliver talks about the importance of connecting with staff at every level to truly understand their viewpoints.

  • How to Lead with Genuine Integrity: Oliver points out that for long-term success, leaders should act in line with their core values without compromising.

Tune in to hear more & gain insights from George Oliver on how leaders can create an engaging, resilient culture of trust- where all employees feel comfortable embracing their true, authentic selves.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in Apple Podcast

🎧 Watch on YouTube

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

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The Four Quadrants Of Leadership And The Relationship Between Connection And Competence https://thefutureorganization.com/the-four-quadrants-of-leadership-and-the-relationship-between-connection-and-competence/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50185 Is it better to be good at your job or to be able to connect with your people? Of course the answer is both, but what's the relationship between competence and connection and WHY do you need both?

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Hello leader (this is a preview version of the article I published on Substack, to get the full version, head to Substack).

As you’ve heard me say several times by now, and what I talk about in my new book, is that you should NOT be vulnerable at work, instead you should lead with vulnerability. Being vulnerable is about exposing the gaps you have whereas leading with vulnerability is about exposing the gaps you have while demonstrating what you are trying to do to close those gaps. In a work setting, this is the difference between killing your career or transforming it for the better.

Marc Randolph, the first CEO of Netflix once told me that he achieved success by doing 10% more than what was asked but in today’s environment it feels like employees want to do 20% less than what is expected.

In that kind of an environment, simply pointing out all of the gaps you have will not help you or your team.

Bringing together leadership and vulnerability is what I call, The Vulnerable Leader Equation.

What’s the relationship between vulnerability and leadership and why do you need both?

Below you can see a quadrant with four types of leaders and as I explain each one, ask yourself what kind of leader you are and what kind of a leader you work with. Understanding this quadrant is going to make a MASSIVE difference in your career and leadership success.

Head over to Substack to get the rest of the article.

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4 Research-Backed Strategies To Be Mentally Strong & Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself https://thefutureorganization.com/4-research-backed-strategies-to-be-mentally-strong-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 14:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50181 In today's exclusive episode, best-selling author Amy Morin defines the importance of mental strength, detailing its crucial role in vulnerability in the workplace. Avoid feeling hopeless & learn how to take productive action to fix things.

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Earlier this week I interviewed Amy Morin on my podcast which you can listen to here.

In today’s exclusive episode, best-selling author Amy Morin defines the importance of mental strength, detailing its crucial role in vulnerability in the workplace. Avoid feeling hopeless & learn how to take productive action to fix things. Drawing from her global best-seller, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” Amy reveals how to master mental toughness and create for a more authentic leadership….

You will learn:

  • How to Cultivate Mental Strength: Embrace the triad of thought, emotion, and action for holistic personal growth.

  • How to Avoid Common Pitfalls: Learn from the “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” to sidestep detrimental habits.

  • How to Lead Authentically: Align your words with actions, ensuring genuine and impactful leadership.

  • How to Implement Amy’s Insights: Apply the 4 pivotal steps from her teachings to elevate your leadership practices.

Just 5 minutes of daily practice can ground you- enhancing your path to achieving your leadership goals…

This newsletter is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com to learn what they are working on. There is no future of work without Kyndryl.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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CEO Shares 3 Pillars Of Effective Leadership: A Simple Leadership Hack That You Can Implement Now! https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-shares-3-pillars-of-effective-leadership-a-simple-leadership-hack-that-you-can-implement-now/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50174 Michael Kasbar is the Chairman and CEO of World Fuel Services, an energy company with more than 8,000 locations in over 200 countries and territories around the world. It has one of the largest global footprints of any company with over 5,000 employees.

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Michael Kasbar is the Chairman and CEO of World Fuel Services, an energy company with more than 8,000 locations in over 200 countries and territories around the world. It has one of the largest global footprints of any company with over 5,000 employees.

To lead this kind of a global organization means that you need to be able to get your messages and ideas across to your entire workforce as well as convey what kind of a leader you are and what you stand for. To do that, Michael has developed a 3-step approach which is both simple and practical and builds off his mantra which is: “Say it, Do it, Live it.”

Subscribers can watch the video to learn more in this week’s leadership hack.

Watch the video to find out!

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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Leadership Is More Like Stepping Out On A Soccer Field, Than A Game Of Chess— Learn Why Mental Strength Matters & How To Develop It https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-is-more-like-stepping-out-on-a-soccer-field-than-a-game-of-chess-learn-why-mental-strength-matters-how-to-develop-it/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 14:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50171 In this episode, psychotherapist and best-selling author Amy Morin unpacks the principles of mental strength in leadership. Drawing from her acclaimed book, she offers guidance on emotional regulation, authentic communication, and the power of vulnerability. Leaders will learn practical strategies to cultivate resilience, navigate challenges, and lead with empathy and self-awareness.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Amy_Morin__-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Amy Morin is the best-selling author of 5 books on Mental Strength. Being a great leader is just like being a great athlete preparing for a big game- but how do you actually do that?

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

In this episode, psychotherapist and best-selling author Amy Morin unpacks the principles of mental strength in leadership. Drawing from her acclaimed book, she offers guidance on emotional regulation, authentic communication, and the power of vulnerability. Leaders will learn practical strategies to cultivate resilience, navigate challenges, and lead with empathy and self-awareness…

Tune in and learn:

  • How to harness mental strength for enhanced leadership efficacy.

  • How to regulate emotions for effective decision-making.

  • Strategies to communicate authentically and build trust.

  • Ways to embrace vulnerability as a leadership asset.

  • Techniques to cultivate resilience and confidently navigate workplace challenges.

Stay tuned for the bonus Thursday episode with Amy where she will share 4-research backed strategies to be mentally strong, available for premium subscribers only.

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

I spend a lot of time talking about the future of work, but have you ever wondered what organization out there is actually making the future of work possible? Someone needs to design, build, and manage the systems that the world depends on. That’s exactly what Kyndryl does. They empower progress while modernizing and managing the world’s mission-critical systems and services. Check them out at Kyndryl.com.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now out! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have, leading with vulnerability is about exposing a gap you have and then demonstrating what you are trying to do to close that gap. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Check it out & let me know what you think on Amazon, today!

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“I Need Help”- Why This CEO Urges His Employees To Ask For Help & Avoid Being The “Fool” Left Behind Trying To Solve Problems Alone https://thefutureorganization.com/i-need-help-why-this-ceo-urges-his-employees-to-ask-for-help-avoid-being-the-fool-left-behind-trying-to-solve-problems-alone/ Sat, 07 Oct 2023 14:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50134 John Williams is the CEO and President of Domtar, a $3.8 billion pulp and paper company with over 6,500 employees. John opened up about how he practices vulnerability in the workplace through authenticity, self-awareness, showing empathy and maintaining openness with trusted colleagues.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_John_Williams_-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my new book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

John Williams is the CEO and President of Domtar, a $3.8 billion pulp and paper company with over 6,500 employees. John opened up about how he practices vulnerability in the workplace through authenticity, self-awareness, showing empathy and maintaining openness with trusted colleagues.

He discussed the importance of choosing trusted advisors, knowing your audience, and maintaining professional boundaries. John emphasized the foundational role of competence for building confidence, and the critical need to create a respectful culture where employees feel valued.

He also reflected on key lessons learned from mistakes throughout his career, what motivates his transparent leadership style, and how he rebounded after failures. Tune in to hear compelling stories and insightful perspectives on leading with vulnerability from a long-time CEO with over 40 years of leadership experience.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

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6 Practical Steps To Become A Better Communicator & The F-Word of Spontaneous Speaking https://thefutureorganization.com/6-practical-steps-to-become-a-better-communicator-the-f-word-of-spontaneous-speaking/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50162 In today’s episode of The Leader’s Toolkit, we delve into the art of spontaneous communication. Matt Abrahams highlights the challenges many face, from anxiety to the desire to excel, emphasizing the significance of understanding one's audience and the role of preparation. Uncover what the F-word of spontaneous speaking is and how it will make you a better leader.

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  • Take a moment & consider becoming a paid subscriber, Unlock 100% of my posts today!
  • As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your chance to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

Earlier this week I released a podcast episode with Matt Abrahams, author and Stanford lecturer of nearly 2 decades.

In today’s episode of The Leader’s Toolkit, we delve into the art of spontaneous communication. Matt Abrahams highlights the challenges many face, from anxiety to the desire to excel, emphasizing the significance of understanding one’s audience and the role of preparation. Uncover what the F-word of spontaneous speaking is and how it will make you a better leader.

This newsletter is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com to learn what they are working on. There is no future of work without Kyndryl.

Matt reveals 6 ESSENTIAL STEPS for better spontaneous speaking. These steps are designed to help individuals communicate more effectively in unplanned scenarios. For those eager to improve their spontaneous speaking skills and understand the nuances behind effective communication, this episode promises valuable insights and actionable tips.

In this Leader’s Toolkit, you’ll learn:

  • How To Understand Challenges: Recognizing common obstacles like anxiety and the need to impress.
  • How To Adopt an Audience-Centric Approach: Emphasizing the significance of connecting with your listeners.
  • How To Prepare Effectively: Understand that being ready, even for unplanned moments, can be a game-changer.
  • How To Grasp Tech’s Impact on Communication: Learn how modern tools both assist and reshape our speaking dynamics.

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

You should NOT be vulnerable at work!

Yes, you read that right. Vulnerability is about exposing a gap and doing so can actually cause far more harm than good. Leading with vulnerability on the other hand, is exposing a gap and then demonstrating what you are doing to close the gap. I interviewed over 100 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed 14,000 employees to figure out how to combine vulnerability with leadership so that you can create trust, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance. Learn more in my brand new book!

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Why Leaders Need Thick Skin But Should Lose The Armor https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-thick-skin-but-should-lose-the-armor/ Wed, 04 Oct 2023 17:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50153 One of the things I talk about in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, is the importance of having thick skin, especially if you are or want to be in a position of leadership. However thick skin and armor are not the same thing.

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This is an exclusive article for paid members only. To become a paid member, go here and subscribe, or order a copy of my new book, and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com to get 6 months of free access for new subscribers (offer expiring in 2 days!)

One of the things I talk about in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, is the importance of having thick skin, especially if you are or want to be in a position of leadership. However thick skin and armor are not the same thing.

There’s an assumption that armoring up means not showing emotion but that’s not entirely true. Armoring up also means avoiding situations and circumstances that would require you to show any emotion or be human to begin with. Some leaders do this by shutting down difficult conversations, avoiding certain topics, or using their power and authority to get others to bend to their will without questioning authority. Bad leaders never take the hits because they don’t even put on the uniform to join their team on the field. Great leaders take the hits for their people and keep charging everyone towards the end zone. That’s what having thick skin is all about.

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Armor is heavy and uncomfortable and if you wear it all the time it will exhaust and drain you which is exactly what happened to Penny Pennington, the CEO of Edward Jones, a financial services firm with over 50,000 employees.

Here’s what Penny shared with me and below we will take a look at more at what thick skin means and why it’s so crucial for leaders today, especially if you want to lead with vulnerability.

Get the rest of the article on Substack

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Thousands of hours and several panic attacks later and my new book, is finally out! Will you get a copy? + Behind the scenes content https://thefutureorganization.com/thousands-of-hours-and-several-panic-attacks-later-and-my-new-book-is-finally-out-will-you-get-a-copy-behind-the-scenes-content/ Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:30:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50145 The day has finally come! Leading With Vulnerability is officially out which means that all of you who have pre-ordered a copy should be getting yours delivered this week (for U.S.). The past few weeks have been a complete whirlwind of media and marketing pushes to get the word out to as many people as possible and I’m still doing more

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jacob_Morgan_-_Book_Promo_Podcast_from_the_webinar.mp3

By the way today is the LAST DAY to take advantage of the free 6 month Substack subscription for new subscribers who order a copy of my new book and email me proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com

The day has finally come! Leading With Vulnerability is officially out which means that all of you who have pre-ordered a copy should be getting yours delivered this week (for U.S.). The past few weeks have been a complete whirlwind of media and marketing pushes to get the word out to as many people as possible and I’m still doing more (speaking of which if you want me to be a guest on your podcast or write something for you, please email me directly jacob@thefutureorganization.com).

Here I am with some of the first copies of the book.

I’ve find it interesting with how shocked people are that I tell them NOT to be vulnerable at work even though I wrote a whole book about vulnerability. How can I possibly be giving people this kind of advice? Well, grab the book and find out 🙂

The whole premise of the book is that vulnerability exposes a gap whereas leading with vulnerability exposes a gap but also makes you accountable to demonstrate what you are doing to close that gap.

Nobody wants to work with someone who just points out gaps and doesn’t do anything about them yet that’s exactly what most of you are doing. I know because I surveyed 14,000 employees with DDI.

I was already in the studio recording the audio version of the book which will be out in the coming weeks and the digital copy (which so many people are asking me about!) will be out in the next week or so as well.

You can get a few soundbites over on my Substack.

I really put everything I had into this book and I hope when you read it that will come through.

It would mean a lot to me if you ordering a copy for yourself and your teams, if you are interested in bulk pricing discounts you can always email me about that.

Thanks as always for your support and I hope to see you on the vulnerability mountain (gotta read the book to get that one).

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How To Become A Master Communicator & Conquer The Pressure Of High-Stakes Speaking https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-become-a-master-communicator-conquer-the-pressure-of-high-stakes-speaking/ Mon, 02 Oct 2023 17:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50139 In today’s episode I interviewed Matt Abrahams; an influential figure in the world of communication. As a lecturer in organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the author of "Think Faster, Talk Smarter," he has dedicated his career to understanding and teaching the nuances of effective communication and His TED talk has over 1.5 million views.

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This is a free article summary, join the many paid subscribers around the world who get access to exclusive CEO interviews, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles. Want 6 months for free? New subscribers can order my new book Leading With Vulnerability and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

In today’s episode I interviewed Matt Abrahams; an influential figure in the world of communication. As a lecturer in organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the author of “Think Faster, Talk Smarter,” he has dedicated his career to understanding and teaching the nuances of effective communication and His TED talk has over 1.5 million views.

This episode is sponsored by Kyndryl. Kyndryl makes the future of work possible by designing, building and managing systems that the world depends on. Make sure to check them out at Kyndryl.com

Matt offers insights into managing high-stakes speaking situations and the associated anxiety. He delves into the evolutionary roots of communication apprehension and provides strategies for impactful communication. Leaders and listeners alike will walk away with valuable tools to enhance their speaking skills and presence.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  1. How-To Overcome Speaking Anxiety: Understand the evolutionary roots of speaking fears to better manage them.

  2. How-To Clarify Leadership Messages: Distinguish between sharing opinions and giving directives.

  3. How-To Enhance Presence in Communication: Prioritize body language, voice, and eye contact during interactions.

  4. How-To Adapt to Digital Communication: Recognize the influence of technology on face-to-face interactions.

  5. How-To Adopt an Audience-Centric Approach: Focus on understanding and addressing the needs of your audience.

Tune into this episode with Matt Abrahams to unlock transformative communication strategies that can elevate your leadership and interpersonal skills to new heights.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews and you’ll get 6 months of Substack for free!

 

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14,000 Employees Say These Are The Top 13 Behaviors Of Effective Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/14000-employees-say-these-are-the-top-13-behaviors-of-effective-leaders/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50117 Does vulnerability have a place at work? If so, then what's the best way to tap into vulnerability in a work setting? That's what I aim to uncover in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. A part of answering that question is understanding what makes a great leader.

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Does vulnerability have a place at work? If so, then what’s the best way to tap into vulnerability in a work setting? That’s what I aim to uncover in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability.

A part of answering that question is understanding what makes a great leader.

I teamed up with leadership firm DDI. They run an annual global leadership forecast that I was able to tap into, specifically for my leadership and vulnerability research which was featured extensively in my new book.

They have been running an annual study for several years now and have a very good grasp on what makes a great leader. There are 13 behaviors that effective leaders practice.

Everyone has an opinion on what makes a great leader, but what does the actual research and data show? We surveyed almost 14,000 employees around the world representing more than 1,500 organizations, 50 countries, and 24 major industry sectors

Below, we’ll look at what those 13 behaviors are and I’ll provide a comparison of how these behaviors break down across seniority levels. When I first looked at the data, I was completely shocked by what I saw…

Get the rest of the article at Substack

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CEO of MasterClass On 3 BIG Questions to Ask Before Going From Idea To Prototype https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-masterclass-on-3-big-questions-to-ask-before-going-from-idea-to-prototype/ Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50113 In today's episode of The Leader's Toolkit we're going to dive into the intricacies of leadership, innovation, and the importance of fostering a culture of trust and vulnerability within an organization.

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This is a post for paid subscribers only, if you are not a subscriber yet, you can get access to 6 months of Substack for FREE by ordering a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, and sending proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com. This is a one-time offer expiring soon!

Earlier this week I released a podcast episode with David Rogier, the mastermind and CEO behind MasterClass.

In today’s episode of The Leader’s Toolkit we’re going to dive into the intricacies of leadership, innovation, and the importance of fostering a culture of trust and vulnerability within an organization. He emphasizes the significance of balancing short-term goals with long-term visions and the challenges that come with it. David also shares unique practices that have been implemented at MasterClass, such as the “left-hand, right-hand” question technique to encourage open communication and the value of icebreakers to build trust among team members. Additionally, he touches upon the importance of having a therapist and an executive coach to navigate the complexities of leadership.

In this leader’s toolkit, you will learn:

  1. How to Understand Leadership Challenges: Dive deep into the intricacies of leadership to grasp both its challenges and rewards.

  2. How to Balance Immediate Goals with Long-Term Visions: Strategize to ensure both short-term objectives and long-term aspirations are met.

  3. How to Foster Open Communication: Implement the “left-hand, right-hand” question technique to encourage open and vulnerable discussions.

  4. How to Build Trust Within Teams: Prioritize trust-building activities and understand its pivotal role in streamlining communication and decision-making.

  5. How to Enhance Self-awareness as a Leader: Recognize the importance of seeking guidance from therapists and executive coaches.

  6. How to Drive Innovation in a Company: Adopt unique practices like those at MasterClass to foster innovation and collaboration.

  7. How to Improve Your Leadership Skills: Absorb and apply valuable advice and tips for an enhanced leadership journey.

Upgrade to a paid subscription to watch the video or order a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com for 6 months of free access.

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Being Vulnerable VS Leading With Vulnerability: One Hurts Your Career, The Other Skyrockets It https://thefutureorganization.com/being-vulnerable-vs-leading-with-vulnerability-one-hurts-your-career-the-other-skyrockets-it/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:00:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50109 Brené Brown defines vulnerability as risk, uncertainty, and emotional exposure. In the context of working with other people, it’s usually doing or saying something that can expose you to the potential of emotional harm. For example, you share that you made a mistake on something, your peer takes that information and uses it as a way to keep you from getting promoted.

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My new book Leading With Vulnerability is coming out in a week! Now is your last chance to get 6 months of my premium Substack articles and videos for free. Just grab a copy of the book and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com (screenshot is fine).

Brené Brown defines vulnerability as risk, uncertainty, and emotional exposure. In the context of working with other people, it’s usually doing or saying something that can expose you to the potential of emotional harm.

For example, you share that you made a mistake on something, your peer takes that information and uses it as a way to keep you from getting promoted.

In our personal lives we all know the value of vulnerability. It’s what allows us to create connection and develop strong relationships with friends and family members.

But what about at work?

Can you just show up to work each day and talk about your mistakes, challenges, emotions, and failures?

The relationship between an employee and employer is very simple. An organization has a job it needs to fill and you fill the job because you have the skills, capabilities, and talent to do the work.

So what happens when you show up to work each day talking about your failures, challenges, mistakes, and emotions?

At some point your leaders and peers are going to look at you and say “maybe this isn’t a good fit.”

Work is a different dynamic where we have hierarchy, bosses, employees, customers, projects, deadlines, and the issue of money. Furthermore, if you’re a leader that’s actually responsible for a team and the fiscal aspect of a business, vulnerability for you is not the same as it is for everyone else.

As I’ve written about before, the solution is to add leadership to the vulnerability.

Vulnerability alone can make you seem incompetent and leadership alone can make you seem like a robot which is why it’s so crucial to combine both.

However, simply being vulnerable can crush your career while leading with vulnerability can transform it and excel it.

Here are a few examples of being vulnerable vs being a vulnerable leader, which I define as :

A leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action (when possible) to create a positive outcome.

Leading With Vulnerability is all about demonstrating that you are trying to close the gap. Meaning you are trying to get better, learn, grow, develop, and become more competent. Vulnerability alone doesn’t accomplish that.

In any and every situation where vulnerability will be present, as yourself how you can add leadership to the equation. It will be the best thing you can do for your career.

I share amazing stories, insights, and research in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability.

You can grab a copy of the book here.

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The Simple Strategy This CEO Of A 30,000 Person Company Uses To Make Tough Decisions https://thefutureorganization.com/the-simple-strategy-this-ceo-of-a-30000-person-company-uses-to-make-tough-decisions/ Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50102 Today’s leadership hack comes from Adam Warby, CEO Emeritus at Avanade, a 30,000 person consulting company. He has been with the company for over 15 years, playing an instrumental role in building and shaping the company to be what it is today. During his time, Adam had to make a lot of tough decisions which were oftentimes uncomfortable yet impactful.

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How do you make tough decisions?

Today’s leadership hack comes from Adam Warby, CEO Emeritus at Avanade, a 30,000 person consulting company. He has been with the company for over 15 years, playing an instrumental role in building and shaping the company to be what it is today. During his time, Adam had to make a lot of tough decisions which were oftentimes uncomfortable yet impactful.

In today’s video, I’ll share the simple approach that Adam used during his tenure as CEO to make tough decisions.

Subscribe and get the video here,

OR

You can get 6 months of access to Substack for free, simple by pre-ordering a copy of my book, Leading With Vulnerability and emailing proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.

Seems like a good deal doesn’t it? 🙂

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How The CEO Of MasterClass Created A Billion Dollar Company & Why Stuttering Made Him A Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-masterclass-created-a-billion-dollar-company-why-stuttering-made-him-a-better-leader/ Mon, 25 Sep 2023 14:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50089 In this episode, I spoke with David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. MasterClass offers online classes taught by experts across various fields like business, politics, science, sports and more. With some classes on Masterclass gathering over 22 million views by people with like-minds circling the globe!

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This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

In this episode, I spoke with David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. MasterClass offers online classes taught by experts across various fields like business, politics, science, sports and more. With some classes on Masterclass gathering over 22 million views by people with like-minds circling the globe!

While discussing the origins of MasterClass – David credited his inspiration to his grandmother’s story of persevering to become a doctor despite obstacles as a Jewish woman refugee in NYC.

He wanted to make it possible for anyone to learn from the best.

Subscribe to Substack and read the rest of David’s story to reveal what he does each day to ensure success for himself and his team… all while continuing to start each day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube 

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance.

Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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Everyone Said He Was Crazy! The Strategies The Former CEO Of Best Buy Used To Turn The Company Around & Avoid Disaster https://thefutureorganization.com/everyone-said-he-was-crazy-the-strategies-the-former-ceo-of-best-buy-used-to-turn-the-company-around-avoid-disaster/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 14:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50067 Today’s 16 min video is with Hubert Joly who is a tour de force in the world of business leadership, best known for his transformative role as the CEO Best Buy. When Hubert and I spoke he told me stories of how his peers would tell him he’s crazy for taking the role. Articles were written about Hubert and Best Buy saying that he was in way over his head and that the company was sure to go bankrupt!

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Important Housekeeping
  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

The goal with the Membership is that you become a better leader, inspire the people around you, drive business performance, and create trust. The impact of this is far greater than the monthly cost.

Today’s 16 min video is with Hubert Joly who is a tour de force in the world of business leadership, best known for his transformative role as the CEO Best Buy. When Hubert and I spoke he told me stories of how his peers would tell him he’s crazy for taking the role. Articles were written about Hubert and Best Buy saying that he was in way over his head and that the company was sure to go bankrupt!

Taking the helm during a tumultuous period for the electronics retailer, Joly orchestrated one of the most notable turnarounds in modern retail history. Under his visionary leadership, Best Buy not only weathered the storm of online competition but also emerged stronger, redefining its value proposition and reinvigorating its brick-and-mortar presence. Joly’s approach, which emphasized a people-first strategy and a renewed focus on customer experience, has since become a case study for successful business transformation.

In today’s “Leader’s Tookit” you will learn:

  1. How to Align with Purpose: Merge personal callings with corporate missions.

  2. How to Prioritize People: Reframe performance reviews to be people-centric.

  3. How to Foster Employee Growth: Introduce individualized coaching and adaptive learning environments.

  4. How to Approach Profit: Focus on serving stakeholders and view profit as a byproduct.

  5. How to Maintain Leader Well-being: Embrace self-care routines for sustained leadership clarity.

Become a paid subscriber today to watch the video and get weekly videos just like this one. There’s a free 7-day trial.

To all of the wonderful paid subscribers around the world, thank you so much for your support. I love writing but never find the time to do it. Your support gives me the time, energy, and resources to make time to write!

If you want to watch the video you can become a paid subscriber to Great Leadership here.

Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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Adam Grant, Seth Godin, Mel Robbins, & Patrick Lencioni Said WHAT About My New Book?! https://thefutureorganization.com/adam-grant-seth-godin-mel-robbins-patrick-lencioni-said-what-about-my-new-book/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50059 I can’t believe how fast time has been flying by. I handed in my manuscript a few months ago and now in two weeks, Leading With Vulnerability is officially hitting the bookshelves!

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I can’t believe how fast time has been flying by. I handed in my manuscript a few months ago and now in two weeks, Leading With Vulnerability is officially hitting the bookshelves!

The past few weeks I’ve been focusing non-stop on media and podcast interviews, many of which will be coming out as I get closer to the book launch date. In many of these interviews I’m discussing unique stories, insights, and frameworks from the book and I’m SUPER excited about some of these interviews and I’ll be sharing them around on social media.

One of the things that authors focus on after they write a book is getting endorsements to be featured on the back cover and inside flap. Over the years, for my previous books, I’ve been fortunate to get some wonderful people supporting my work but I’m most proud of the endorsements I’ve been able to secure for Leading With Vulnerability.

That’s because the endorsements came from respected researchers, academics, authors, and leaders I greatly admire. These are people who read the book, looked at the stories, saw the data, and then provided their support behind it, which means I’m on to something with the concepts and ideas!

Here’s what the people mentioned above said about my book.

“This is a well-researched, compelling book about something we spend far too little time thinking about: Being human. It works.” – Seth Godin

“A thoughtful, resourceful read on how leaders can be more candid about their foibles and fears without sacrificing their effectiveness. If you’ve recognized the importance of vulnerability but aren’t sure how to bring it into your workplace, this book is for you.” – Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and HIDDEN POTENTIAL, and host of the TED podcast Work:Life

“Jacob takes a wonderfully thorough look at one of the most important – and lacking – qualities in leaders. And he does so with a raw and honest approach that makes his point all the more powerful(!)” – Patrick Lencioni Best-selling Author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Six Types of Working Genius

This book is a serious game-changer, because we’ve been thinking about leadership all wrong. Whether you’re a CEO of a Fortune 500 or an entrepreneur with a team of two, Leading with Vulnerability is packed with strategies and practical tools to help you become a leader who knows how to make an impact.” – Mel Robbins, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, and Host of The Mel Robbins Podcast

Other people like Erin Meyer, Rita Mcgrath, Amy Edmondson, Marshall Goldsmith (who wrote the foreword) and the CEO’s of Mastercard, Baker Hughes, The Home Depot, Hyatt, Crumbl Cookies, Panera Brands, and others, have all provided their endorsements.

I’m sharing this with you to convince you to grab a copy for yourself and your team. And in case you need more convincing, here’s a reminder of the bonuses you get if you order a copy and email proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com. However, the bonuses won’t be offered when the book is released so make sure to grab your copy.

  • 5 exclusive CEO interviews (GE, WW, Edward Jones, American Airlines, BD).
  • 6 months of complimentary access to Substack (which is already over $50).
  • An invite to an exclusive webinar I’m hosting TOMORROW, September 21.
  • An advance look at the book (the first few chapters) before the release.

I’ve never been more excited to share something that I have worked on with you before. This book was an immense amount of work, energy, and resources, and I really think it will forever change how you lead and how you make an impact on those around you.

Thanks for your support and please consider ordering a copy. More to come!

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The One Thing The CEO Of Smucker’s Does To Inspire Change At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-one-thing-the-ceo-of-smuckers-does-to-inspire-change-at-work/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50051 Today’s Leadership Hack highlights the one habit Mark T. Smucker, CEO of Smuckers, does to keep his 7000 or so employees on track for success in the workplace. Learn about the one leadership hack that he has kept consistent along the way. Mark teaches us to scan the horizon, think ahead of the curve, and step in front of the pace of change in the workplace.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

Today’s Leadership Hack highlights the one habit Mark T. Smucker, CEO of Smuckers, does to keep his 7000 or so employees on track for success in the workplace. Mark has been with Smuckers since 1997, with a range of positions served and experience gained to put him where he is today. Learn about the one leadership hack that he has kept consistent along the way. Mark teaches us to scan the horizon, think ahead of the curve, and step in front of the pace of change in the workplace.

By doing this, you will become a better leader and worker in the workplace —give it a go!

Watch today’s video and discover this one simple strategy to enhance your leadership in the workplace, only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership, try it today!

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released

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Leading Isn’t Just Commanding: Why Every Leader Should Wear the Coach’s Hat ― and 4 Skills Needed To Coach Effectively https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-isnt-just-commanding-why-every-leader-should-wear-the-coachs-hat-%e2%80%95-and-4-skills-needed-to-coach-effectively/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50045 Today’s discussion is with Nick Goldberg, the CEO and co-founder of Ezra, a leading digital coaching company. Our conversation today is all about coaching and leadership. It turns out that not all leaders make great coaches, and not all coaches are suited for leadership.

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This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

Today’s discussion is with Nick Goldberg, the Founder and CEO of EZRAx, a leading digital coaching company (learn more about them below). Our conversation today is all about coaching and leadership. It turns out that not all leaders make great coaches, and not all coaches are suited for leadership. Goldberg emphasizes that in the realm of business, unlike sports, coaching isn’t about providing direct answers but guiding leaders to discover solutions themselves.

We discuss how coaching in the workplace shapes adaptive leaders to navigate the complexities of modern business challenges. Highlighted are these 4 skills: resilience, regulation, emotional intelligence, and the ability to be agile and adaptable in the workplace. Coaching is not about providing direct answers but guiding leaders to discover solutions themselves. This self-discovery process, often facilitated by Socratic questioning, is pivotal in shaping adaptive leaders who can navigate the complexities of modern business challenges.

Subscribers will get access to a bonus episode later this week where Nick discusses a counterintuitive scheduling tweak that could instantly boost your impact.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack

Today’s episode is sponsored by EZRAx. Digital coaching and learning provider EZRAx is giving leaders the tools they need to navigate today’s complex business landscape with EZRAx — a virtual coaching platform providing world-class executive coaching in real-time. Being a leader has never been harder. Whether it’s managing a team through organizational change, improving performance, supporting transformation or building trust — EZRAx is there to help get the job done. Its platform has revolutionized how executive coaching is delivered by putting the expertise and availability of highly accredited and experienced executive coaches right at a user’s fingertips. That’s why organizations like Vodaphone, Lazadaand PVH — the parent company of iconic brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger — have used EZRAx to empower their leaders and achieve results that ripple throughout their organization.

See here to learn more about EZRAx.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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The 5 Types Of Organizational Structures For The New World Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-types-of-organizational-structures-for-the-new-world-of-work/ Sun, 17 Sep 2023 13:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50040 The concept of organizational structures has been around since the dawn of ancient civilizations, ever since the coordination of large groups of people was needed for things like administration, trade, and the military.

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This is a premium article available to paid subscribers only. Click here to subscribe and get access to weekly leadership insights, videos, and in-depth interviews with CEO, best-selling authors, and leading thinkers.

Upgrade To Paid

Quick reminder. I’m hosting an exclusive webinar next week for everyone who orders a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. I’ll be sharing some of the behind the scenes research, stories, and exclusive insights. Just order the book and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

The concept of organizational structures has been around since the dawn of ancient civilizations, ever since the coordination of large groups of people was needed for things like administration, trade, and the military.

You look back as far as ancient Egypt for instance to see that to construct the pyramids there had to be an organizational structure of architected, engineers, labor coordinators, foreman, and workers.

In Mesopotamia the Code of Hammurabi was the first known written set of laws and in it was a description of a structured society with responsibilities and accountabilities.

In feudal Europe lords managed estates with a clear top down hierarchy overseeing vassals and serfs.

Then came the Industrial Revolution which transformed organizational structured as we focused on mass production and more developed types of structures where managers had to oversee production, workers operating machines, clerks, etc. The official bureaucracy was born! During this time people like Frederick Taylor introduced scientific management, aiming to optimize worker productivity through standardized processes and tasks. Employees would be timed to shave seconds off of t their tasks.

Of course we have seen even more change thanks to advances in technology, changing values and expectations, and a post-pandemic shift towards focusing on people first with things like flexible work. Today many organizations around the world are reevaluating their organizational structures to move away from traditional hierarchies.

What are their options? In the rest of this article available for paid subscribers only, I’ll explore the 5 types of organizations structures and give you a fantastic visual that breaks down the difference between each.

Get the rest of the article on Substack.

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She Leads More Than 170,000 Employees In The United States: Leading With Vulnerability Has Become Her Superpower! https://thefutureorganization.com/she-leads-more-than-170000-employees-in-the-united-states-leading-with-vulnerability-has-become-her-superpower/ Sat, 16 Sep 2023 15:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50035 I’ve interviewed Lara a few times over the years and her insights on leadership are always profound and impactful. She's deeply involved in shaping Deloitte’s culture, innovation, and growth. Lara opens up about the unexpected strength she finds in vulnerability, suggesting that it's not just a personal trait but a game-changer in the world of leadership.

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This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

I interviewed over 100 CEOs at companies around the world asking them about what it means to lead with vulnerability. I asked about failures, challenges, painful experiences, leadership lessons, and everything in between. The conversations are all unscripted, candid, and filled with amazing insights and stories. I’ll be releasing a few of these over the coming months with several (GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, etc) being available exclusively to people who pre-order a hardcover copy of the book. To get access to these send me a screenshot of your order to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

I’ve interviewed Lara a few times over the years and her insights on leadership are always profound and impactful. She’s deeply involved in shaping Deloitte’s culture, innovation, and growth. Lara opens up about the unexpected strength she finds in vulnerability, suggesting that it’s not just a personal trait but a game-changer in the world of leadership. For Lara, the trifecta of effective leadership boils down to vulnerability, empathy, and compassion. These aren’t just buzzwords for her; they’re values she lives by.

Lara gives us a peek into the trends that have her excited and the shifts she’s noticing in the business landscape. She also reflects on the rollercoaster that was the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing the lessons it taught her and how it reshaped her perspective as a leader.

Watch the video above or tune in on one of your favorite podcast players.

Experience the full episode with Lara on Substack to gain insights on modern leadership, emphasizing vulnerability, and empathy.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

IF YOU’RE A LEADER READ THIS!

You SHOULD NOT be vulnerable at work, you read that correctly. Being vulnerable at work can actually lead to more harm than good. So what’s the alternative? That’s what I explore in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability which is all about bringing together COMPETENCE and CONNECTION. It turns out that vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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He Studied Decades of Data to Expose Capitalism’s Dirty Secrets https://thefutureorganization.com/he-studied-decades-of-data-to-expose-capitalisms-dirty-secrets/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50029 In today's episode, I discuss with David Gelles, author of "The Man Who Broke Capitalism," as we explore the complex legacy of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric. The conversation touches on Welch's extraordinary work ethic and his knack for understanding every facet of his business, but also highlights the darker aspects of his leadership style, including short-term thinking, a focus on profits over people, and a toxic work culture.

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Important Housekeeping
  • If you haven’t heard, I just announced that I would be giving 100 people 6 months of free access to Great Leadership on Substack which is usually $9.99/month. I recently added another 25 spots to that so there are still a few dozen available but they will go quickly! All you need to do is pre-order a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com

  • You can read this post for more details.

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

In today’s episode, I discuss with David Gelles, author of “The Man Who Broke Capitalism,” as we explore the complex legacy of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric. The conversation touches on Welch’s extraordinary work ethic and his knack for understanding every facet of his business, but also highlights the darker aspects of his leadership style, including short-term thinking, a focus on profits over people, and a toxic work culture.

We also discuss the changing landscape of work ethic in today’s world, contrasting it with past generations. Gelles points out alternative leadership models, citing companies like PayPal and Unilever, which have successfully balanced profitability with social responsibility. The episode concludes with a look at how Welch’s influence permeated not just GE but also the broader business education landscape, urging leaders to question their assumptions.

You’ll learn actionable insights for your own leadership journey, particularly how to balance hard work with ethical considerations and long-term vision. This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the nuances of leadership and the impact it can have on corporate culture and capitalism at large.

If you want to watch the video you can become a paid subscriber to Great Leadership here. 

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and The Leader’s Lens.

Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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Why Leaders Should Not Be Vulnerable At Work: Exclusive Free Webinar & Q&A https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-should-not-be-vulnerable-at-work-exclusive-free-webinar-qa/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50024 We’re just a few short weeks away from the official release of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. The book has already become a best-seller on Amazon with copies being sold around the world and amazing endorsements like the one below from Adam Grant.

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We’re just a few short weeks away from the official release of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. The book has already become a best-seller on Amazon with copies being sold around the world and amazing endorsements like the one below from Adam Grant.

As a thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a HARDCOVER copy of the book, I’m going to be hosting an exclusive webinar where I will be sharing some of the research and insights from the book as well asly hurt you more than it can help you.

  • The Vulnerable Leader Equation and how you need to combine vulnerability with competence.

  • The difference between being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability.

  • Research from a survey of 14,000 employees on vulnerability at work (done with DDI).

  • The ROI of Leading With Vulnerability

  • Where to begin your Leading With Vulnerability journey and how to begin it.

The webinar will be taking place on Thursday September 21 at 10am PST so mark your calendar. If you can’t make the webinar, don’t worry I will make sure to send you a copy of the recording.

Even if you aren’t interested in the webinar, remember, that if you pre-order you will also get 6 months of free access to Substack and 5 exclusive CEO interviews I did (audio and video) for the book with the CEO of GE, American Airlines, BD, WW, and Edward Jones.

All you need to do to get a pass to attend (and get the other bonuses) is email proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and my team will take care of the rest. Once we get your email you will be sent a Zoom link. If you have already emailed me proof of purchase then no need to email me again, I have your info on file and those email will be sent out this week.

This is your only chance to sign up for the webinar before the launch of the book so don’t miss your chance to grab a seat!

Pre-order a hardcover copy of the book here and I’ll see you on the webinar.

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Global Biotech CEO Shares His Unique Leadership Framework That Has Been KEY To His Success https://thefutureorganization.com/global-biotech-ceo-shares-his-unique-leadership-framework-that-has-been-key-to-his-success/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50018 David Meek has been CEO at Novartis, Ipsen, FerGene, and most recently, Mirati. All of these are massive organizations worth billions of dollars. I actually had the opportunity to sit down with David when I spoke for leadership team at Ipsen a few years ago.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

David Meek has been CEO at Novartis, Ipsen, FerGene, and most recently, Mirati. All of these are massive organizations worth billions of dollars. I actually had the opportunity to sit down with David when I spoke for leadership team at Ipsen a few years ago.

He shared a very unique framework he uses called The 3 R’s of Leadership. This unique model revolves around three interconnected elements that, when balanced, lead to not only sustainable business results but also a strong, ethical team culture.

You can subscribe to watch the video and get exclusive weekly leadership hacks and strategies.

We’re 3 weeks away from the release of my brand new book, Leading With Vulnerability! This means that the bonuses I’m offering for people who pre-order a copy of the book will be expiring soon. These include 6 months of free access to my Substack (it was originally for just 100 people but we extended it to EVERYONE who pre-orders in the next 3 weeks), 5 exclusive CEO interviews (GE, Edward Jones, American Airlines, BD, WW), and an invite to a special webinar I’ll be hosting in the next 2 weeks. All you need to do is pre-order your copy and send me proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

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The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America―and How to Undo His Legacy https://thefutureorganization.com/the-man-who-broke-capitalism-how-jack-welch-gutted-the-heartland-and-crushed-the-soul-of-corporate-america%e2%80%95and-how-to-undo-his-legacy/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50013 Today’s episode is with David Gelles, a business journalist and author of the new best-selling book The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America―and How to Undo His Legacy.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_David_Gelles_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Important Housekeeping

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your chance to get all of the information from me at a very low cost. I interview and work with the world’t top CEOs, leaders, authors, and thinkers and distill everything I learn so that you can become more successful in your career.

  • The goal with the Membership is that you become a better leader, inspire the people around you, drive business performance, and create trust. The impact of this is far greater than the monthly cost.

Upgrade to paid

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

Today’s episode is with David Gelles, a business journalist and author of the new best-selling book The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America―and How to Undo His Legacy.

In 1981, Jack Welch took over General Electric and quickly rose to fame as the first celebrity CEO. He golfed with presidents, mingled with movie stars, and was idolized for growing GE into the most valuable company in the world. But Welch’s achievements didn’t stem from some greater intelligence or business prowess. Rather, they were the result of a sustained effort to push GE’s stock price ever higher, often at the expense of workers, consumers, and innovation

In our discussion we will explore how former GE CEO Jack Welch fundamentally altered capitalism with his ruthless focus on short-term profits over people. While some people consider Jack Welch to be one of the world’s greatest leaders and CEOs, others think he did far more harm than good.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube 

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Substack

If there’s one thing that Jack Welch WASN’T, it’s vulnerable.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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The #1 Skill For Leaders To Master And How to Master It With Frameworks, Examples, And Action Items https://thefutureorganization.com/the-1-skill-for-leaders-to-master-and-how-to-master-it-with-frameworks-examples-and-action-items/ Sun, 10 Sep 2023 13:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50008 A few years ago I wrote, The Future Leader, where I talked to over 140 CEOs around the world. I wanted to understand the most important mindsets and skills that current and aspiring leaders need to master in the rapidly changing world of work that we are all a part of. There are 4 mindsets and 5 skills.

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This a preview article, to get access to the paid member section where I will walk through a futurist framework, give a real-example of how to use it, along with action items, triggers, and exercises that you can use, as well as ongoing strategies to get you practicing that “futurist” mindset, you will need to upgrade your subscription.

Upgrade To Paid

For the many of you around the world who are already paid subscribers, thank you for your support! Lots of amazing content is on the way and if there is something specific you want to see from me then please let me know.

A few years ago I wrote, The Future Leader, where I talked to over 140 CEOs around the world. I wanted to understand the most important mindsets and skills that current and aspiring leaders need to master in the rapidly changing world of work that we are all a part of. There are 4 mindsets and 5 skills.

I know there are lots of surveys conducted which ask thousands of employees what the most important skills are, but I wanted to go straight to the CEOs since they are the ones leading the companies.

I was surprised that the #1 skill by far that these CEOs identified as being most crucial for leaders, is the skill of the futurist.

If you go on LinkedIn you will find lots of people who stick “futurist” in their title. It sounds cool but 99.999% of the time you see that title it’s complete bullsh*t. Few people realize that you can actually get a professional certification in foresight (which is what I received at the University of Houston) and even a masters degree.

The field of foresight utilizes frameworks, critical thinking prompts, scenarios, and models to help you think about the future.

What does thinking like a futurist actually mean?

It’s not about predicting the future, it’s about helping make sure that you aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. I always use the analogy of chess.

When playing chess, top players are always thinking several moves ahead, they can’t predict what their opponent is going to do, but they can try to anticipate potential moves and then plan for their response. Thinking like a futurist is similar.

There are several concepts and models that futurists use but I have found that the cone of possibilities is the most practical, applicable, and fun.

We used to live and work in a more linear world where the pace of change was gradual and where things were more predictable. Today we see increasing complexity, more change and an accelerated rate of change, instability, greater risk, and reduced trust.

This means that we can’t just plan for one scenario or outcome. We need to be agile, to be able to pivot, and to think in terms of scenarios and options.

Again, this is the #1 skill for leaders. In the rest of the article for paid subscribers only, I’ll walk through the cone of possibilities, give a real-example of how to use it, along with action items, triggers, and exercises that you can use, as well as ongoing strategies to get you practicing that “futurist” mindset.

If you’re a paid subscriber you can also leave a comment on this post with your own scenarios and we can review them.

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CEO Of Hyatt Hotels On How Being Vulnerable And Practicing Empathy Transformed Him & His Company https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-hyatt-hotels-on-how-being-vulnerable-and-practicing-empathy-transformed-him-his-company/ Sat, 09 Sep 2023 13:30:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=50005 Today’s episode is with Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Our discussion revolves around the importance of vulnerability and authenticity for leaders. Mark emphasizes being open, sharing, and being "real" as a leader to connect on a human level rather than rely on authority.

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This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

Today’s episode is with Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. To listen to the audio and video you have to be a FREE subscriber to Great Leadership on Substack, which means, just go here and click on the none/free option.

Our discussion revolves around the importance of vulnerability and authenticity for leaders. Mark emphasizes being open, sharing, and being “real” as a leader to connect on a human level rather than rely on authority.

He shares personal stories of times he practiced vulnerability at work, like having an emotional conversation with a new employee about their poor onboarding experience. Hoplamazian also talks about the challenges of leading during COVID, including having open conversations about mental health and laying off thousands of employees. Overall, he believes vulnerability allows leaders to build trust, demonstrate empathy, and create an environment where people feel safe being their authentic selves.

Mark makes a compelling case that the ability to be real, share your humanity, and admit mistakes is far more valuable than relying on title or authority alone. The lessons from this discussion can teach us the true meaning of courageous leadership.

By leaning into vulnerability, we become more attuned to others, build deeper relationships, and create the space for people to thrive.

Remember to go here to become a free subscriber on Great Leadership on Substack to get access to the special episode.

Experience the full episode with Mark Hoplamazian on Substack to gain insights on courageous leadership, embracing vulnerability, and connecting authentically to earn trust and drive success!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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Patagonia Board Chair On Why Traditional Strategy Fails Today and What To Do Instead https://thefutureorganization.com/patagonia-board-chair-on-why-traditional-strategy-fails-today-and-what-to-do-instead/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 13:00:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49995 The Leader’s Toolkit is an exclusive weekly interview that I do with a leader, thinker, or best-selling author.In today’s 15 minute video, Charles unpacks the critical new mindsets leaders need to cultivate curiosity, tap into collective wisdom, embrace imperfection, tell compelling stories, and become more innovative problem-solvers in a rapidly changing world.

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Important Housekeeping
  • If you haven’t heard, I just announced that I would be giving 100 people 6 months of free access to Great Leadership on Substack which is usually $9.99/month. I recently added another 25 spots to that so there are still a few dozen available but they will go quickly! All you need to do is pre-order a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com

  • You can read this post for more details.

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

The Leader’s Toolkit is an exclusive weekly interview that I do with a leader, thinker, or best-selling author.In today’s 15 minute video, Charles unpacks the critical new mindsets leaders need to cultivate curiosity, tap into collective wisdom, embrace imperfection, tell compelling stories, and become more innovative problem-solvers in a rapidly changing world.

Today’s discussion is only for paid subscribers and it’s a follow-up discussion with Charles Conn, the board chair at Patagonia and best-selling author of “The Imperfectionists: Strategic Mindsets for Uncertain Times.”

In this discussion we’re going to do a deep dive into the most crucial mindsets that leaders need to embrace during times of uncertainty and how to actually practice those mindsets.

These include curiosity, dragonfly eye, and several others. Charles also walks us through how to approach a problem. Key examples included SpaceX, Patagonia, Uber, and Amazon.

If you want to watch the video you can become a paid subscriber to Great Leadership here.

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and The Leader’s Lens.

Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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He Went From Gardener To The CEO Of A 5,000 Person Company By Following “The Golden Rule” https://thefutureorganization.com/he-went-from-gardener-to-the-ceo-of-a-5000-person-company-by-following-the-golden-rule/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49983 Peter’s approach to leaders is a simple one and it’s all one we all heard before, yet we forget to practice it. In fact, the more senior we become inside of organizations the more we forget about this simple yet impactful rule.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

Peter’s approach to leaders is a simple one and it’s all one we all heard before, yet we forget to practice it. In fact, the more senior we become inside of organizations the more we forget about this simple yet impactful rule.

Peter started off working as a gardener at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK. While working there he saw he how those with status treated those without status and this proved to be a crucial leadership lesson for him. Today Peter is the CEO of a 5,000 person company.

What’s the rule he follows?

Watch the video to find out.

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released

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6 Mindsets for Problem-Solving In Uncertain Times From The Board Chair Of Patagonia https://thefutureorganization.com/6-mindsets-for-problem-solving-in-uncertain-times-from-the-board-chair-of-patagonia/ Mon, 04 Sep 2023 13:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49966 Amidst the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain business landscape, marked by rapid technological changes and geopolitical unrest, traditional long-term corporate strategies are becoming obsolete. This creates a rather difficult challenge for leaders, how should they guide their organizations and make business decisions?

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This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

In today’s episode, I speak with Charles Conn, best-selling author of “The Imperfectionists: Strategic Mindsets for Uncertain Times.” Charles is also the board chair of clothing company Patagonia and co-founder of Monograph Capital, a life sciences venture firm. Before that, he was CEO of Oxford Sciences Innovation, a £600m venture firm formed in partnership with Oxford to develop the University’s advanced science ideas. He’s also the founding CEO of Ticketmaster-Citysearch and led the company through its IPO and acquisitions of Match.com, Evite, and other companies.

Amidst the backdrop of an increasingly uncertain business landscape, marked by rapid technological changes and geopolitical unrest, traditional long-term corporate strategies are becoming obsolete. This creates a rather difficult challenge for leaders, how should they guide their organizations and make business decisions?

In our discussion Charles emphasizes the need for organizations to adopt new mindsets that welcome uncertainty and transform strategy into dynamic problem-solving. Our discussion revolves around the importance of quick experimentation, tapping into collective wisdom, and navigating the uncharted waters of the business world. This episode is all about unconventional wisdom and practical insights, essential for leaders aiming to fortify their leadership skills in these unpredictable times.

In today’s episode you will learn:

  • The 6 mindsets to lead through uncertain times.

  • Why the way we think about and plan for the future today is obsolete.

  • The role that business should play in social causes.

  • Why you should strive for imperfectionism.

  • The importance of balancing taking too long to make a decision with moving too quickly.

Subscribers will get access to a bonus episode later this week where Charles will go through how to approach a problem.

This is a free post.

Become a paid subscriber and and start your day with the world’s top leaders, thinkers, and authors. Get access to exclusive interviews, leadership insights, research, and videos to excel your leadership and professional development journey!

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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When It Comes To Vulnerability We Are Scared To Trust Others, But Is That Fear Rational? https://thefutureorganization.com/when-it-comes-to-vulnerability-we-are-scared-to-trust-others-but-is-that-fear-rational/ Sat, 02 Sep 2023 15:00:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49960 Human relationships are complicated but at the very foundation of a good relationship is trust. It’s a powerful force that can bridge divides, unlock the potential of others, lead to amazing discoveries, and transform teams, organizations, and societies. Yet at the same time, when trust doesn’t exist, chaos reigns.

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What you’re about to read is from my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. It’s actually one of the sections that had to get edited out due to length but I still wanted to share it with you since it’s so important to our understanding of trust and leadership.

The full article will only be available to paid subscribers so if you want to subscribe you can do that here. As a subscriber each week you will get access to exclusive leadership insights and strategies that you can apply in your own leadership journey. As a professionally trained futurist part of my job is to look for trends and insights and then share those with you so that you can excel in your career.

Upgrade To Paid

Human relationships are complicated but at the very foundation of a good relationship is trust. It’s a powerful force that can bridge divides, unlock the potential of others, lead to amazing discoveries, and transform teams, organizations, and societies. Yet at the same time, when trust doesn’t exist, chaos reigns.

Employees won’t share their ideas or support each other, they will hoard information, engage in backstabbing and office politics, they won’t do their best to serve customers, and the culture becomes toxic. You wouldn’t want to be in a relationship where you don’t trust your parter so why would you want to work for an organization where you don’t your peers and your leaders? You wouldn’t.

Do you trust others? Do you think others trust you?

Many of us our cynical when it comes to trusting others but is this cynicism warranted? To answer that we turn to the field of psychology and trust games.

The Trust Game

In 2010 Dr. Detlef Fetchenhauer of the University of Cologne and Dr. David Dunning (who I interviewed for my latest book) from the University of Michigan dove head first into the area of human behavior and trust. Their findings were startling to say the least.

Let’s say I give you $10 and I present you with a choice, you can either keep the money or give it to someone else. If you give it to someone else, that $10 now becomes $40. The person who you gave the money to will now have a choice as well:, they can either keep that $40 or they can split it with you and now you will each have $20. Would you give the money to the other person and trust that they will then split the larger pot with you?

These types of trust games have been used for several years in psychology and economics and it’s these types of trust games that Dr.’s Fetchenhauer, Dunning, and many others, have been experimenting with for many years. All of these experiments show the same conclusion which says a lot about how we trust others and how others trust us.

Paid subscribers can read the rest of the article below and you can also pre-order a copy of my new book here.

 

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World’s Leading Expert On Managing Your Emotions Teaches You How To Go From Negative To Positive Thinking https://thefutureorganization.com/worlds-leading-expert-on-managing-your-emotions-teaches-you-how-to-go-from-negative-to-positive-thinking/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49952 Today’s subscriber only 15 minute video is with Thibaut Meurisse, author of the best-selling book Master Your Emotions. We all experience negative emotions, it’s a part of life. But sometimes these negative emotions can weigh on us so heavily that we can’t manage our relationships, our work, or our emotional health.

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Important Housekeeping
  • If you haven’t heard, I just announced that I would be giving 100 people 6 months of free access to Great Leadership on Substack which is usually $9.99/month. I recently added another 25 spots to that so there are still a few dozen available but they will go quickly! All you need to do is pre-order a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com

  • You can read this post for more details.

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

Today’s subscriber only 15 minute video is with Thibaut Meurisse, author of the best-selling book Master Your Emotions.

We all experience negative emotions, it’s a part of life. But sometimes these negative emotions can weigh on us so heavily that we can’t manage our relationships, our work, or our emotional health. What if there were techniques you could use to get out of negative states and into positive states? That would be life and career changing wouldn’t it!?

That’s what today’s bonus episode is all about. My regular podcast interview with Thibaut Meurisse went up a few days ago but today we’re going to take a deep dive into specific techniques you can use to change your emotions such as letting go, changing your interpretation, reexamining your environment, and a few others.

If you want to watch the video you can become a paid subscriber to Great Leadership here. 

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and The Leader’s Lens.

Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

The post World’s Leading Expert On Managing Your Emotions Teaches You How To Go From Negative To Positive Thinking first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Unique Technique Benjamin Franklin Used To Practice Self-Awareness And How You Can Use It Too https://thefutureorganization.com/the-unique-technique-benjamin-franklin-used-to-practice-self-awareness-and-how-you-can-use-it-too/ Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49946 Today’s subscriber only video is all about self-awareness, specifically the technique that Benjamin Franklin used to practice.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

Today’s subscriber only video is all about self-awareness, specifically the technique that Benjamin Franklin used to practice. Dr. Tasha Eurich, a leading expert in the field, distinguishes between two types of self-awareness: internal and external. Franklin’s practice, known as the “assets and liabilities” exercise, is akin to evaluating one’s strengths and weaknesses.

To elevate this exercise, seeking feedback from team members on perceived strengths and weaknesses can be enlightening. An experiment I did at a food services company revealed stark contrasts between how executives viewed themselves versus peer perceptions and underscore the importance of external self-awareness. Ultimately, this exercise, rooted in Franklin’s wisdom, aims to bolster self-awareness, a crucial component of emotional intelligence, and foster better leadership.

Watch the video above to learn more.

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released.

The post The Unique Technique Benjamin Franklin Used To Practice Self-Awareness And How You Can Use It Too first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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World’s Top Personal Development Expert On How To Master Your Emotions At Work And At Home https://thefutureorganization.com/worlds-top-personal-development-expert-on-how-to-master-your-emotions-at-work-and-at-home/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49938 In today's episode, I speak with Thibaut Meurisse, the best-selling author of "Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings."

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Thibaut_Meurisse_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Important Housekeeping

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.
  • The goal with the Membership is that you become a better leader, inspire the people around you, drive business performance, and create trust. The impact of this is far greater than the monthly cost.

Upgrade to paid

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!

In today’s episode, I speak with Thibaut Meurisse, the best-selling author of “Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings.”

With over 10,000 reviews on Amazon, Meurisse’s work underscores the universal need for emotional intelligence. We discuss his personal experiences as a writer and entrepreneur, touching on his battles with emotional regulation and the strategies he’s adopted to stay positive. Key takeaways include the pivotal role of habits and routines in emotional health, the intertwined relationship between physical activities like exercise and meditation with emotional states, and a discussion on the ego’s role in managing emotions. Today’s episode is all about understanding emotional intelligence, the transformative power of habits, and the profound effects of physical and mental practices on emotional well-being. Plus, Meurisse’s insights into the ego will offer a fresh perspective on this often misunderstood aspect of our psyche.

In this episode with Thibaut Meurisse, you will learn:

  1. The importance of emotional intelligence and why it’s a crucial skill for navigating life successfully.
  2. Strategies for emotional management including overcoming challenges and fostering positivity and optimism in daily life.
  3. The role of habits and routines specifically to enhance emotional well-being and resilience.
  4. The impact of exercise and meditation and how they can influence and improve emotional states.
  5. Understanding and taming the ego and its role in emotional management, learning how to harness its power for personal growth and emotional control.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

The post World’s Top Personal Development Expert On How To Master Your Emotions At Work And At Home first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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If You Want To Be A Great Mentor, Here’s The #1 Thing You Should Do https://thefutureorganization.com/if-you-want-to-be-a-great-mentor-heres-the-1-thing-you-should-do/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49914 In today’s episode, we discuss mentorship, emphasizing the unique role of the "validator" from Scott’s book "The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship." This role isn't about mere compliments but recognizing someone's unique genius.

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Important Housekeeping
  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.
  • The goal with the Membership is that you become a better leader, inspire the people around you, drive business performance, and create trust. The impact of this is far greater than the monthly cost.

The Leader’s Toolkit is an exclusive weekly interview that I do with a leader, thinker, or best-selling author. Today’s 15 minute video is with Scott Jeffrey Miller, the best-selling author of The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship and former EVP at Franklin Covey. Scott also has his own popular podcast called “On Leadership with Scott Miller.”

In today’s episode, we discuss mentorship, emphasizing the unique role of the “validator” from Scott’s book “The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship.” This role isn’t about mere compliments but recognizing someone’s unique genius. In a world where many face self-worth challenges, understanding the essence of mentorship and the impact of genuine validation can be life-changing. Listen to this episode for invaluable insights on being an effective mentor, with actionable insights and heartwarming anecdotes that will inspire and guide you.

This episode is only available to premium subscribers on Substack.


Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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The #1 Reason Why People Don’t Want To Be Vulnerable At Work And What To Do About It https://thefutureorganization.com/the-1-reason-why-people-dont-want-to-be-vulnerable-at-work-and-what-to-do-about-it/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49905 It’s clear why vulnerability is so important in our personal lives because it creates connection, trust, relationships, and simply put, it’s a human thing to do. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic at play?

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The full version of this article is only available for paid subscribers.

I purposefully made the subscription low cost so that anyone will have the ability to work with me and get my best content and latest thinking. As a professionally trained futurist I spend a lot of time exploring trends and sharing exclusive research and insights so that you can excel in your career and be the best leader you can be.

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For over a decade now, people like Brené Brown have been talking about vulnerability, the feeling you get when you share or do something that emotionally exposes you or forces you to deal with risk and uncertainty.

You would think that by now, all of us would be comfortable with vulnerability in our personal lives and even inside of our organizations. But we aren’t, and I’m no exception.

In fact, I’m so uncomfortable with being vulnerable that I actually had a series of panic attacks when I signed the contract to write my new book, Leading With Vulnerability.

Dr. Amy C. Edmondson wrote The Fearless Organization and she’s one of the many thought leaders I interviewed, here’s what she told me about vulnerability which I really loved:

We are all operating in an uncertain, complex, and volatile world. Nobody has a crystal ball or a magic wand. This means we are all vulnerable to harm from external events we don’t anticipate. Vulnerability is therefore a fact. The only question is whether you recognize and are willing to acknowledge it. There’s wisdom in knowing you’re vulnerable and acknowledging it. When you do this, you’re better prepared to handle the risks that uncertainty and complexity bring. When leaders are up front about their vulnerability, others are more willing to speak up and step up to address the challenges that lie ahead. “

Order the book on Amazon

Pre-order and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com to get 5 bonus exclusive CEO interviews (American Airlines, BD, Edward Jones, WW, and , an invite to an exclusive webinar, and a preview of the book.


It’s clear why vulnerability is so important in our personal lives because it creates connection, trust, relationships, and simply put, it’s a human thing to do. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic at play?

At work we have a hierarchy, bosses, deadlines, projects, responsibilities and deadlines, teams, schedules, and of course the issue of money. Is vulnerability in that kind of an environment the same as it is in our personal lives?

And what if we take this one step further when we think about leaders. These are people who are actually responsible for the lives of others and the fiscal aspect of a team or business. Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it for everyone else?

I think you can see where I’m going with this and the answer is, NO.

Vulnerability at work is not the same as vulnerability in our personal lives and vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it for everyone else inside of your organization. This became abundantly clear from the over 100 CEOs I interviewed and the 14,000 employees that I surveyed.

One of the things the CEOs told me was that they struggled withe reconciling two seemingly opposing perspectives. On the one hand they were expected to be these strong, visionary, confident, and competent leaders, yet on the other hand their employees wanted them to talk about mistakes, failures, challenges, and struggles.

Is it possible to do both? The answer is yes, but what’s the #1 thing holding leaders (and all of us) back and what should you do about it?

Ironically enough, a part of the answer is in the question!

To get the rest of this article head over to my Substack

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Why The #1 Secret to Effective Leadership Is Practicing Self-Care https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-1-secret-to-effective-leadership-is-practicing-self-care/ Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49871 Today’s leadership hack comes from Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens U.S., a 160 year old technology and infrastructure company with over 45,000 employees. Barbara has always believed in being able to take care of herself so that she can in turn take care of others.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.


Today’s leadership hack comes from Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens U.S., a 160 year old technology and infrastructure company with over 45,000 employees. Barbara has always believed in being able to take care of herself so that she can in turn take care of others. It’s a simple yet practical piece of leadership wisdom that can make you a better leader.

Subscribers of Great Leadership can watch the video to learn more.


Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released

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13 Roles Leaders Need To Practice To Be A Great Mentor https://thefutureorganization.com/13-roles-leaders-need-to-practice-to-be-a-great-mentor/ Mon, 21 Aug 2023 13:00:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49868 Today's episode is with Scott Jeffrey Miller, an accomplished executive with Franklin Covey, a seven-time bestselling author, and the host of the 'On Leadership' podcast. We discuss the world of mentorship, and the 13 roles a mentor can play as outlined in Scott's recent book, "The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship."

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Scott_Jeffrey_Miller_-_WITH_ADS_ok.mp3

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!


Today’s episode is with Scott Jeffrey Miller, an accomplished executive with Franklin Covey, a seven-time bestselling author, and the host of the ‘On Leadership’ podcast. We discuss the world of mentorship, and the 13 roles a mentor can play as outlined in Scott’s recent book, “The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship.”

Scott shares his insights on the differences between leadership and mentorship, emphasizing that not all great leaders make great mentors. He also highlights the importance of self-awareness in mentorship, encouraging mentors to understand their own personality and leadership style. Tune in to learn more about the intricacies of mentorship from one of the industry’s leading voices.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  1. The 13 distinct roles a mentor can play, as outlined in Scott’s recent book, “The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship
  2. The key differences between leadership and mentorship, and why not all successful leaders make effective mentors.
  3. The significance of self-awareness in mentorship, and the need for mentors to understand their own personality and leadership style.
  4. The complexities and nuances of mentorship from one of the industry’s leading voices.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!


🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube 

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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What Happened To The “Whistle While You Work” Mentality Inside Of Our Organizations? Is Working Hard Dead? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-happened-to-the-whistle-while-you-work-mentality-inside-of-our-organizations-is-working-hard-dead/ Sun, 20 Aug 2023 16:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49862 What does it mean to work hard? It can be a subjective criteria but I think there are a 5 common themes we can identify.

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  • Are you interested in leadership insights every week? If you want FULL access to Great Leadership including the full versions of articles like this one, videos, and leadership hacks, then consider becoming a member today.
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What does it mean to work hard?

It can be a subjective criteria but I think there are a 5 common themes we can identify:

  • Consistently doing more than what is expected of you (Marc Randolph, the first CEO of Netflix told me that one of his rules is to do 10% more than what is asked).
  • Having a positive attitude about the work you do.
  • Showing dedication and persistence to achieving a goal.
  • Doing the work in an ethical and honest way.
  • Demonstrating a growth mindset where you learn new things and apply what you learn.

What does this have to do with Snow White?

Snow White is in the news quite a lot lately and while I don’t want to focus on the remake I do want to focus on one of the songs from the original film. “Whistle While You Work” is an iconic song from the original 1937 film which was composed by Frank Churchill, with lyrics by Larry Morey.

In the original film Snow White sings the song while she is doing household chores, specifically cleaning up the house of the Seven Dwarves. For context, the movie was released as the United States was recovering from the Great Depression.

The song represents having a positive attitude towards work (even if it’s something you don’t want to do), teamwork, overcoming challenges and adversity, and working hard.

What happened to this inside of our organizations today, specifically in white collar work? It feels like it’s missing and dare I say, that people don’t want to work anymore let alone work hard.

Over the past few years I’ve heard countless stories from various leaders who told me that the candidates they interviewed wanted to make more money than their bosses boss, they wanted bonuses, equity, perks, benefits, and then on top of everything, they also didn’t want to show up to the office?

How does that make any sense?

We are also seeing disturbing trends on social media like bare minimum Monday’slazy girl jobsSunday scariesloud quitting, and a host of other such nonsense which in many cases highlights the either blatant disrespect that an employee has for their employer or at the very best, a lack of drive, motivation, and initiative to do the job they were hired to do.

I certainly don’t want people like this as a part of my team, do you?

When my parents came to America in the late 1970’s they had no money, no possessions, and didn’t speak English. They left the former U.S.S.R where they didn’t have the freedom and to say and do what they wanted and where they were persecuted for being Jews to build a better life for themselves from scratch (which they did).

My dad spent 8 hours a day watching the Merv Griffin and Jonny Carson shows with an English to Russian translation dictionary so that he could understand the words. He would spend hours in front a mirror mouthing the words and practicing how to speak English. He worked hard his entire life and never complained. That to me is a modern day hero and I wish we had more stories like that today.

I was raised with the same mentality of working hard, building, leading, and doing whatever was needed to succeed and thrive. A recent WSJ highlighted this struggle in an article titled, Bosses Want Hard Workers—So They’re Hiring Older People.

Where are the trends of people showing that they did more than what they were asked to do, where they tried something new at work, where they overcame a difficult challenge, where they got their first promotion, where they are excited to show up to work, where through ambition and motivation they were able to achieve or build something, and the like?

In the rest of this article I want to unpack what some of the causes of this are and how we can get back working hard which is so needed today…


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He Was Working Over 100 Hours A Week, Then All Of A Sudden, His Life Came Crashing Down https://thefutureorganization.com/he-was-working-over-100-hours-a-week-then-all-of-a-sudden-his-life-came-crashing-down/ Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49850 In this interview Paul will share how vulnerability has played a role in his leadership journey. He shares examples of when he had to be vulnerable at work and what the impact of that was.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Paul_Markovich_-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

I interviewed over 100 CEOs at companies around the world asking them about what it means to lead with vulnerability. I asked about failures, challenges, painful experiences, leadership lessons, and everything in between. The conversations are all unscripted, candid, and filled with amazing insights and stories. I’ll be releasing a few of these over the coming months with several (GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, etc) being available exclusively to people who pre-order a hardcover copy of the book. To get access to these send me a screenshot of your order to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.


In this interview Paul will share how vulnerability has played a role in his leadership journey. He shares examples of when he had to be vulnerable at work and what the impact of that was. For Paul, leading with vulnerability is a crucial pillar of his success but it hasn’t always been easy. Paul also talks about the importance of getting candid feedback to help you grow as a leader, the value of showing emotion at work, and why early on his career his people called him a robot.

Paul makes a compelling case that leaders who open up, take appropriate risks, and forge human connections are more effective and happier.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube


IF YOU’RE A LEADER READ THIS!

You SHOULD NOT be vulnerable at work, you read that correctly. Being vulnerable at work can actually lead to more harm than good. So what’s the alternative? That’s what I explore in my new book, Leading With Vulnerability which is all about bringing together COMPETENCE and CONNECTION. It turns out that vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else. Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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First 100 People Get A Free 6 Month Substack Subscription to Great Leadership! https://thefutureorganization.com/first-100-people-get-a-free-6-month-substack-subscription-to-great-leadership/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 01:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49839 One of the best ways that an author like me sells books is via my community or list, aka you reading this post right now. If you’re just hearing about this for the first time, my new book is based on over 100 CEO interviews and a survey of 14,000 employees and it takes the “fluff” out of vulnerability.

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Starting today, if you pre-order a hardcover copy of Leading With Vulnerability, I will give free access to Great Leadership on Substack for 6 months along with other bonuses. Hurry this will run out!

One of the best ways that an author like me sells books is via my community or list, aka you reading this post right now.

If you’re just hearing about this for the first time, my new book is based on over 100 CEO interviews and a survey of 14,000 employees and it takes the “fluff” out of vulnerability. It will teach you how to tap into vulnerability at work in the right way as a core leadership strategy so that you can drive performance, lead through change, create trust, and unlock the potential of those around you.

My team and I were thinking what else we would do to entice you to pre-order a HARDCOVER copy of my new book Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization which is coming out on October 3rd.

What else could I do add value to your leadership journey?

That’s when we decided it would be a great time offer free Substack subscriptions which usually go for $9.99/month. So here’s the deal.

The first 100 people who pre-order a HARDCOVER copy of the book will get 6 months access to Great Leadership at absolutely no cost. This means you will get:

  • Weekly leadership hacks, exclusive deep dive interviews with CEOs, best-selling authors, and thinkers.
  • A weekly leadership guide that I personally write which explore a trends or insight.
  • Access to the full Great Leadership archive including all of the archived posts and videos.
  • And direct interaction with me

All you need to do is take a screenshot of your order or send proof or purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com. Sound fair?

On top of the 6 month Substack subscription you will also get the existing bonuses I have which include:

  • 5 exclusive CEO interviews that I did for the book with the CEOs of WW, GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, and BD.
  • An invite to an exclusive webinar that I will be hosting in September which will share insights from the book.
  • A preview of the book (first few chapters) before it comes out.

Again, all you need to do is take a screenshot of your order or send proof or purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

Check out what Amy Edmondson said about my book this morning. She’s a Harvard professor and best-selling author of The Fearless Organization.

If you need more convincing, here’s Adam Grant:

First 100 people to pre-order a hardcover copy get the 6 months, starting now!

Pre-Order On Amazon

You can also order the book from wherever books are sold.

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Resilience, Battling Depression, and Embracing Passion in Your Work With John Force, The World’s Greatest Drag Racer https://thefutureorganization.com/resilience-battling-depression-and-embracing-passion-in-your-work-with-john-force-the-worlds-greatest-drag-racer/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49843 Today’s 15 minute video is with John Force, legendary drag racing champion. We discussed unique strategies for managing stress and pressure in high-stakes situations, his personal battle with depression, offering insights into his natural coping mechanisms and resilience, and the importance of passion and dedication in team-building.

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Important Housekeeping
  • If you haven’t heard, I just announced that I would be giving 100 people 6 months of free access to Great Leadership on Substack which is usually $9.99/month. I recently added another 25 spots to that so there are still a few dozen available but they will go quickly! All you need to do is pre-order a copy of my new book, Leading With Vulnerability and send proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com
  • You can read this post for more details.
  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your change to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

For those of you who are subscribers (and there are many!) thank you for your continued support. I appreciate you all!


The Leader’s Toolkit is an exclusive weekly interview that I do with a leader, thinker, or best-selling author. Today’s 15 minute video is with John Force, legendary drag racing champion. We discussed unique strategies for managing stress and pressure in high-stakes situations, his personal battle with depression, offering insights into his natural coping mechanisms and resilience, and the importance of passion and dedication in team-building.

Today’s episode provides valuable insights into resilience, passion, and the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people, which can be applied in various aspects of life and work.

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and The Leader’s Lens.

 


Have you heard the big news about my new book!?

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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The Power of ‘Quote-a-Day Leadership’ for Success https://thefutureorganization.com/the-power-of-quote-a-day-leadership-for-success/ Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49825 In today’s video, find out the transformative impact of "Quote-a-Day Leadership" with insights from Garry Ridge, CEO of the WD-40 Company. Learn the simplicity and power of sending a daily inspirational quote to your team, cultivating a strong and connected tribe.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.


In today’s video, find out the transformative impact of “Quote-a-Day Leadership” with insights from Garry Ridge, CEO of the WD-40 Company. Learn the simplicity and power of sending a daily inspirational quote to your team, cultivating a strong and connected tribe. As Garry shares motivational gems from around the world, Find out how this practice fosters open communication, motivation, and approachability. Experience the art of unlocking your team’s potential, one quote at a time, and revolutionize your leadership style with this game-changing approach.

As leaders, we can learn a profound lesson from Garry Ridge’s quotidian gesture. By dedicating just a moment each day to share a nugget of wisdom with our teams, we open the door to a world where connection, empowerment, and inspiration converge.

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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Speed, Grit, and Glory: How Leadership Made John Force A Drag Racing Legend https://thefutureorganization.com/speed-grit-and-glory-how-leadership-made-john-force-a-drag-racing-legend/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 13:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49821 Today's episode features none other than John Force, an American NHRA drag racer, 16-time NHRA and 1-time AHRA Funny Car champion driver, and a 22-time champion car owner. Known for his relentless dedication to the sport and his team, John has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of drag racing.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_John_Force_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

Today’s episode features none other than John Force, an American NHRA drag racer, 16-time NHRA and 1-time AHRA Funny Car champion driver, and a 22-time champion car owner. Known for his relentless dedication to the sport and his team, John has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of drag racing. His journey from humble beginnings in logging camps and trailer parks to the pinnacle of his sport is a testament to his hard work, resilience, and an unwavering never-give-up attitude.

John’s passion for racing was ignited by the thrill of speed and the intricacies of making a car race-ready. This sparked his interest in drag racing and set him on the path to becoming a renowned racer and team owner.

In our conversation, we discuss the following topics:

  • The importance of team dynamics and the role of innovation in drag racing
  • The mindset shift required for individuals to emerge as leaders in a high-stakes sport
  • The significance of resilience and dedication in fostering a culture of success
  • Why staying in your comfort zone is a career killer in the world of racing
  • The danger of letting ego get in the way of team success
  • John’s continued commitment to competing professionally, even at the age of 74

This episode is not just for racing enthusiasts but for anyone striving to achieve success in their chosen field. So buckle up and get ready for an inspiring ride with John Force!

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

The post Speed, Grit, and Glory: How Leadership Made John Force A Drag Racing Legend first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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“I and Thou” and “I and It” Relationships In A Leadership Context: Viewing Your Employees As Cogs Vs Humans https://thefutureorganization.com/i-and-thou-and-i-and-it-relationships-in-a-leadership-context-viewing-your-employees-as-cogs-vs-humans/ Sun, 13 Aug 2023 13:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49815 A few days ago I was having lunch with my mom (something I’m trying to do more frequently now that I live 15 mins away from her). She’s one of the top therapists in the LA area and during lunch she was telling me about a class she is taking focused on Imago therapy which is a form couples therapy

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A few days ago I was having lunch with my mom (something I’m trying to do more frequently now that I live 15 mins away from her). She’s one of the top therapists in the LA area and during lunch she was telling me about a class she is taking focused on Imago therapy which is a form couples therapy.

She mentioned that as a part of the class, she is doing some work based on Dr. Martin Buber and his theory of “I and Thou.” I thought it was interesting but didn’t really want to spend my lunch talking about relationship therapy concepts so I switched the subject.

The following day I was interviewing best-selling author Michael Bungay Stanier (episode will go live in the coming weeks). In preparing for that interview I took a look at some clips of Michael’s and was surprised when I stumbled across an interview he did where he also talks Martin Buber and “I and Thou,” what are the odds of that happening!?

Naturally I was intrigued and spent more time delving into Martin’s work.

WAIT BEFORE YOU KEEP READING!

You probably know what it feels like to be vulnerable in your personal life, but what about at work? Should we really just be talking about our mistakes, failures, challenges, and feelings in a business environment where we have a different dynamic? And what about if you’re in a leadership role? The answer may really surprise you! The best thing you can do drive performance, create trust, and unlock the potential of those around you is LEAD WITH VULNERABILITY. This book will show you how.

Get The Book On Amazon

Martin Buber was a Jewish philosopher who introduced the “I and Thou” (Ich und Du in German) concept in his 1923 book of the same name. The idea focuses on two primary modes of existence and ways of relating to the world and to other people: the “I-It” and the “I-Thou” which as you will see later is not just applicable in the world of therapy and relationships but also very relevant and applicable in leadership

  1. I-It: This mode is characterized by treating others as objects or means to an end. It’s a detached and objective way of relating to someone. For instance, in a business setting, if a manager views their employees merely as cogs in a machine who are expendable and replaceable, they are operating in the “I-It” mode.
  2. I-Thou: In contrast, the “I-Thou” relationship is one of deep connection and mutual respect. It’s a holistic and genuine encounter where both parties are fully present, recognizing the inherent worth and uniqueness of the other. A leader who takes the time to understand the aspirations, challenges, and strengths of their team members is embodying the “I-Thou” relationship.

The intriguing part is that an “I-Thou” relationship cannot possibly exist without vulnerability.

In the context of leadership the “I and Thou” concept can be seen as a framework for understanding how leaders relate to their teams, stakeholders, and even competitors and directly aligns with transactional and transformational leadership styles.

If you’re a free subscriber your preview ends here which is really a shame! Consider becoming a paid subscriber. As a speaker, author, and futurist I find that it’s crucial to stay up to date on the latest trends and strategies and more importantly to share what I learn with you. This is your chance to get all of the information from me at a very low cost.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, thank you and let’s continue the post here.

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This CEO Leads With Vulnerability In Front Of His 8,500 Employees. Why Does He Do It? Is There Value In Vulnerability At Work? https://thefutureorganization.com/this-ceo-leads-with-vulnerability-in-front-of-his-8500-employees-why-does-he-do-it-is-there-value-in-vulnerability-at-work/ Sat, 12 Aug 2023 13:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49809 Today's episode features Roel Vestjens, the CEO of Belden, who has been an integral part of the company for 16 years. Throughout his journey, Vestjens has built a formidable team under his leadership.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Roel_Vestjens_-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.


Today’s episode features Roel Vestjens, Former CEO of Belden, who has been an integral part of the company for 16 years. Throughout his journey, Vestjens has built a formidable team under his leadership. Roel opens up about a pivotal moment in his career when he moved to Asia and chose to forgo a cultural sensitivity class. This decision led to embarrassing situations where he unintentionally disrespected local customs and norms. From this experience, he learned the importance of being open about not having all the answers and seeking input from others.

Vestjens believes that vulnerability in leadership means being humble and recognizing one’s gaps in knowledge and perspective while remaining receptive to learning from others. He emphasizes the significance of sharing personal aspects of oneself in a professional setting to humanize the leadership approach and avoid appearing arrogant. However, he also emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries.

Today’s episode teaches us the power of vulnerability in leadership and how embracing our humanity can lead to stronger, more compassionate, and effective leadership in the corporate world.


🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube


If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

 

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How The CEO Of One Of The World’s Largest Non-Profits Leads With Empathy And How You Can Too https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-one-of-the-worlds-largest-non-profits-leads-with-empathy-and-how-you-can-too/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49799 Today’s episode is with Caryl Stern, a passionate leader and philanthropist, and former CEO of UNICEF, and the Walton Family Foundation. We discuss the importance of being open to new opportunities and the art of making impactful career choices.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly guest deep dive around a specific topic to help make you a better leader. In today’s video Caryl will share the value of instincts in Decision-Making, the importance of empathetic leadership, and the power of vulnerability. This is a subscriber only post and you are reading a preview version, become a paid subscriber on Susbtack to get access to the 15 min video along with weekly videos, articles, and exclusive insights.

Today’s episode is with Caryl Stern, a passionate leader and philanthropist, and former CEO of UNICEF, and the Walton Family Foundation. We discuss the importance of being open to new opportunities and the art of making impactful career choices. Caryl shares how a significant exercise during her college years helped her discover her values and passions, guiding her towards fulfilling roles that aligned with her true purpose. Caryl learned how to Embrace opportunities that offered learning, growth, and the chance to make a difference became vital components of Caryl’s journey.

Throughout our discussion, Caryl emphasizes the significance of surrounding oneself with the right people and the power of humility in leadership. We explore the idea of “fake it till you make it” and the occasional presence of imposter syndrome, sharing strategies to overcome self-doubt and confidently embrace new challenges. As Caryl’s career evolved, she found that her decisions were guided by her core values and a desire to contribute to a better world.

This episode is all about encouraging everyone to stay true to their values, seek growth opportunities, and be open to new paths that lead to meaningful and fulfilling journeys.

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and What I Learned This Week.

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Early Reviews Of My New Book Are In! Leading With Vulnerability Will Forever Change How You Lead https://thefutureorganization.com/early-reviews-of-my-new-book-are-in-leading-with-vulnerability-will-forever-change-how-you-lead/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49788 We have all heard of vulnerability and we all know what it feels like to be vulnerable. Talking about mistakes, challenges, struggles, and showing emotion in our personal lives have tremendous value. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic?

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My new book, Leading With Vulnerability is less than 2 months away from officially being out and there’s still time to take advantage of the bonuses for people who pre-order a hardcover copy. More on that below.

Pre-Order The Book Here

The premise of the book

We have all heard of vulnerability and we all know what it feels like to be vulnerable. Talking about mistakes, challenges, struggles, and showing emotion in our personal lives have tremendous value. But what about inside of our organizations where we have a very different dynamic? And what if you’re a leader of an organization who is responsible for the lives of other people and the financial stability of a team or function?

Is vulnerability for you as a leader really the same as it is for everyone else? The answer is a resounding NO!

Why not and how should leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to drive performance, create trust, lead through change, and unlock the potential of those around them?

To find out, I personally interviewed over 100 CEOs at some of the world’s top companies including GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, Baxter, Northrop Grumman, Hyatt, Dow Chemical, Deloitte, SAP, and many others. I also teamed up with leadership firm DDI to survey 14,000 employees around the world.

The crux of the book is based on what I call, The Vulnerable Leader Equation which you can see below.

The idea is that we need to combine leadership with vulnerability – competence with connection, in order to be able lead effectively. For example, instead of sharing a mistake (vulnerability), you share the mistake but talk about what you learned and what you are going to do to make sure the mistake doesn’t happen again in the future (leadership). The research that I did for the book, shows that the vast majority of leaders around the world DON’T DO THIS. But more on that later

The endorsements

The book has received quite a lot of praise and support over the past few weeks leading up to the launch, here are 6 of the quotes that I received with more to come!


 

 

 

 

 

For everyone who PRE-ORDERS A HARDCOVER copy of the book, meaning you place the order BEFORE the book comes out on October 3rd, you will get access to:

The first few chapters of the book before it comes out
5 exclusive CEO interviews (American Airlines, GE, Edward Jones, WW, and BD,
An invite to a webinar I’ll be hosting in September where I will be sharing a sneak peak into some of the insights and research from the book.
All you need to do is email me proof of purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

Pre-Order The Book Here

One of the best ways you can support an author is to pre-order a copy of their book which I hope you will do. Writing this book literally gave me a panic attack!

Pre-Order Leading With Vulnerability.

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How The CEO of 1-800 Flowers Used The Power of “I Don’t Know” To Transform His Company https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-1-800-flowers-used-the-power-of-i-dont-know-to-transform-his-company/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49776 In school, we've all experienced that dreaded moment when a teacher calls us to answer a question we don't know. I remember a particularly embarrassing incident in college when my economics professor put me on the spot in front of a packed class, and I fumbled with a made-up answer.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

In school, we’ve all experienced that dreaded moment when a teacher calls us to answer a question we don’t know. I remember a particularly embarrassing incident in college when my economics professor put me on the spot in front of a packed class, and I fumbled with a made-up answer.

Now, in the corporate world, leaders often feel pressured to have all the answers. However, I recently learned a valuable leadership hack from Chris McCann, the CEO of 1-800-Flowers. He emphasized that instead of pretending to know everything, a good leader should focus on coaching others to lead themselves. Rather than giving directions, leaders should ask questions to encourage a collaborative environment.

There is power in admitting you don’t have all the answers.

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

The post How The CEO of 1-800 Flowers Used The Power of “I Don’t Know” To Transform His Company first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Curiosity Over Animosity: How to Have Hard Conversations At Work With Former UNICEF CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/curiosity-over-animosity-how-to-have-hard-conversations-at-work-with-former-unicef-ceo/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49771 In this episode, I speak with Caryl Stern, a remarkable leader and philanthropist. Caryl's background includes serving as the Executive Director of the Walton Family Foundation, being on the Board of Directors at The Container Store, and leading UNICEF USA. She shares the importance of doing good, influenced by her immigrant mentality and the serendipity of life.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Caryl_Stern_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

In this episode, I speak with Caryl Stern, a remarkable leader and philanthropist. Caryl’s background includes serving as the Executive Director of the Walton Family Foundation, being on the Board of Directors at The Container Store, and leading UNICEF USA. She shares the importance of doing good, influenced by her immigrant mentality and the serendipity of life. Caryl emphasizes being open to new opportunities and embracing roles that scare us. We discuss her pivotal moment in choosing philanthropy and the profound experiences she’s encountered. Caryl highlights how helping others releases feel-good chemicals and the significance of humility.

Throughout the episode, Caryl emphasizes the significance of humility in leadership and philanthropy. She eloquently explains how true greatness lies in recognizing that we don’t have all the answers and that we must listen and learn from others to make a genuine impact. Her inspiring words remind us that by approaching our endeavors with humility and a genuine desire to serve, we can create lasting change and build stronger, more compassionate communities.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  1. The power of embracing unexpected opportunities and facing challenges head-on to achieve personal and professional growth.
  2. The profound impact of philanthropy and how acts of kindness can lead to a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.
  3. The significance of humility in leadership and how it fosters meaningful connections and positive change.
  4. How life experiences and serendipitous moments can shape our passions and purpose.
  5. How you can make a difference in your own sphere of influence.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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CEO of 120 Year Old Manufacturing Company On How Playing Piano Taught Him To Be Vulnerable https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-120-year-old-manufacturing-company-on-how-playing-piano-taught-him-to-be-vulnerable/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49764 In today's episode, I speak with Stephen Smith, CEO of Amsted Industries, an 18,000 person manufacturing company which is entirely employee owned. Stephen shares his belief that vulnerability is about acknowledging that you can be wrong and being willing to expose yourself as a human being. He emphasized that showing vulnerability helps to level the playing field and eliminates defensiveness, which can hinder effective decision-making.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Stephen_Smith_-_30min_-_Ready.mp3

This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

In today’s episode, I speak with Stephen Smith, CEO of Amsted Industries, an 18,000 person manufacturing company which is entirely employee owned. Stephen shares his belief that vulnerability is about acknowledging that you can be wrong and being willing to expose yourself as a human being. He emphasized that showing vulnerability helps to level the playing field and eliminates defensiveness, which can hinder effective decision-making. Stephen recounted instances where he openly admitted his ignorance during meetings, which he believes fosters a culture of learning and growth. He also highlighted the importance of sharing personal experiences, such as his joy of becoming a grandparent, to help others see him as a human being with similar joys and emotions.

We discussed the importance of balancing vulnerability with strength, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephen believes that being vulnerable can convey strength and security, and it’s crucial to communicate both effectively. He also shared that he’s been vulnerable in his personal life, such as taking piano lessons at 65 and performing in a recital alongside a five-year-old prodigy. Stephen believes that living a life where you’re not always the powerful person but sometimes the vulnerable one is important, especially as a leader.

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube


If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

The post CEO of 120 Year Old Manufacturing Company On How Playing Piano Taught Him To Be Vulnerable first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How the Role of Middle-Managers Is Changing https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-role-of-middle-managers-is-changing/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49756 The traditional role of a middle manager has always been to link the employees on the ground floor with the senior leaders of the organization. Middle managers were the eyes, ears, and the hands of the higher ups. Meaning, they were responsible for keeping the engine running, reporting any issues, and making sure that the strategic direct of the higher-ups was being implemented.

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The Leader’s Lens is a weekly guide that I write for paid subscribers of Great Leadership. If you are already a paid subscriber then THANK YOU for your support. If you are not a paid subscriber you’re missing out! Each week you will get access to leadership hacks I learned from top CEOs, deep dive interviews, and guides just like this one. This is a preview of the article, subscribe to get the rest. Upgrade To Paid

The traditional role of a middle manager has always been to link the employees on the ground floor with the senior leaders of the organization. Middle managers were the eyes, ears, and the hands of the higher ups. Meaning, they were responsible for keeping the engine running, reporting any issues, and making sure that the strategic direct of the higher-ups was being implemented.

This approach made sense in a word that was linear, where growth was relatively gradual, and when things weren’t changing all that quickly. This approach especially made sense in a world where we didn’t have access to technology like generative AI (think chatGPT).

A mid-level management role is a tough spot to be in because on the one hand in you aren’t on the ground floor doing the actual work yet you also aren’t senior enough to develop your own strategy and vision. You’re caught somewhere in between.

Mid-level managers also have a bad reputation…remember this guy from Office Space? That’s who most people think of when they here “manager”.

To make matters worse, organizations like Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, and Alphabet have been slashing mid-level manager roles in an effort to make things more streamlined and less hierarchical in the name of efficiency and productivity.

However, there needs to be balance between focusing on short-term efficiency and productivity and long-term growth. I’m in complete favor in making organizations less hierarchical, however, simply firing or demoting people misses the point.

A recent McKinsey article states this nicely:

Companies treat middle management as a catchall, requiring managers to spend much of their time handling non-managerial work and navigating organizational bureaucracy rather than allowing them to focus on the most important role at an organization: fostering talent.

As I wrote in my upcoming book, Leading With Vulnerability, the greatest leaders can bring together two critical aspects: competence and connection.

The rest of the post for paid subscribers will explore solutions for the future of mid-level management. Even if you aren’t a paid subscriber you can still pre-order a copy of my new book!

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Top Chipotle Exec. Shares The 4 Questions Every Leader Should Ask 4 Times A Year https://thefutureorganization.com/top-chipotle-exec-shares-the-4-questions-every-leader-should-ask-4-times-a-year/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 13:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49751 In Today’s conversation with Scott, the Chief Restaurant Officer at Chipotle, we discussed the critical distinction between accountability and responsibility. Scott explained that accountability is the person who takes ultimate responsibility for the outcome, while responsibility involves implementing tasks.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly 15-20 min interview I do with a CEO, best-selling author, leader, or thinker that focuses on something you can do to become a better leader. These videos are only available to paid subscribers. Become a paid subscriber on Substack to get access to the 15 min video along with weekly videos just like this one, in-depth leadership insights, and 5 min leadership hacks.

In Today’s conversation with Scott, the Chief Restaurant Officer at Chipotle, we discussed the critical distinction between accountability and responsibility. Scott explained that accountability is the person who takes ultimate responsibility for the outcome, while responsibility involves implementing tasks. Drawing an analogy to soccer, he compared accountability to the goalie who is ultimately responsible for preventing goals.

Scott emphasized the importance of role clarity and how every position at Chipotle has five specific accountabilities tied to key performance indicators (KPIs). Regular feedback and evaluation, facilitated through a quarterly four-by-four process, help employees understand their performance and stay aligned with the company’s values and goals. He also highlighted the significance of honesty and directness in leadership and encouraged organizations to offer clear career paths, leading to meaningful work and personal growth.

Today’s episode highlights the fundamental principles of accountability and responsibility, the significance of clear and measurable accountabilities, and the transformative power of honest and purpose-driven leadership.

Get the video on Substack

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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The Power of Doing What’s Right, Not Just Being Right! https://thefutureorganization.com/the-power-of-doing-whats-right-not-just-being-right/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49747 One of those stories is from Ann Mukherjee, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, a an 18,000 person global alcohol company. It’s a story about the difference between being right versus doing the right thing.

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Over the past few years I was quite fortunate to interview so many amazing CEOs for my new book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. Almost all of these 100+ CEO interviews were hour long discussions and from them I was only able to pull a few short quotes for the book. However, the lessons learned and stories I was told, are priceless.

One of those stories is from Ann Mukherjee, Chairman & CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, a an 18,000 person global alcohol company. It’s a story about the difference between being right versus doing the right thing. It’s also a story about what to do when you’re in a position of power and authority and someone on your team makes a mistake.

This story takes place many years ago when Ann was an MBA student at the University of Chicago. At the time she had just gotten divorced and it was one of the lowest moments of her life.

She was in a case study course where she was responsible for doing things like analyzing situations and companies and then providing detailed insights on strategy and guidance. The problem was that she kept failing the courses, something she is rather unaccustomed to.

One day she was talking to a friend of hers who asked her what Ann’s next case study was on. Ann told her and her friend responded and said she already completed that case and she would be happy to send her some of her notes. Ann gratefully accepted.

So Ann turns in her case study and shortly thereafter she gets a call from her professor, Harry Davis. Ann is thinking she really must have aced her case study to get a call from the professor but instead he says…

We’re going to start proceedings against you to get you expelled from the University of Chicago and you have a meeting with the dean tomorrow morning.

Ann was shocked, what happened?

The rest of the content is for paid subscribers only). Even if you aren’t a paid subscriber you can still pre-order a copy of my new book!

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The Four Essential Traits of Innovative Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/the-four-essential-traits-of-innovative-leaders/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49743 Todd Kashdan, a leading expert on curiosity, identified four key characteristics of highly curious individuals who have the potential to innovate within their organizations.

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Today’s 5 Minute Leadership Hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. Click here to subscribe.

If you’re already a subscriber thank you for your support!

As we grow older and enter professional environments, our innate childhood curiosity is often educated out of us. However, I’ve found through interviewing over 140 CEOs that curiosity is a crucial trait for current and future leaders.

Todd Kashdan, a leading expert on curiosity, identified four key characteristics of highly curious individuals who have the potential to innovate within their organizations. These 4 traits include:

  1. Joyous exploration:
  2. Deprivation sensitivity:
  3. Openness to others’ ideas
  4. Stress tolerance

I believe that as a leader, it’s essential to nurture these four traits of curiosity. So, are you ready to transform your leadership style and unlock your potential?

If you want to learn what these 4 traits are, become a paid subscriber.

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!

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Top Chipotle Exec. Reveals The Secret To Their Corporate Culture & Engaged Workforce https://thefutureorganization.com/top-chipotle-exec-reveals-the-secret-to-their-corporate-culture-engaged-workforce/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49714 In today's episode, I speak with Scott Boatwright, the Chief Restaurant Officer at Chipotle. Scott is responsible for over 110,000 employees across 3200 stores, and he shares his journey of transforming Chipotle into a brand that is not only loved by its customers but also its employees.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

In today’s episode, I speak with Scott Boatwright, the Chief Restaurant Officer at Chipotle. Scott is responsible for over 110,000 employees across 3200 stores, and he shares his journey of transforming Chipotle into a brand that is not only loved by its customers but also its employees.

Scott talks about the importance of maintaining the freshness and quality of Chipotle’s food, which involves a complex process of preparing fresh ingredients from scratch every morning in every single restaurant. He also discusses the changes he implemented to ensure food safety and improve operations, such as introducing a zero-tolerance policy for the wellness check of employees and establishing role clarity within the organization.

Scott also shares his strategies for attracting and retaining talent in an industry known for high turnover rates. He emphasizes the importance of offering industry-leading wages and benefits, including mental, physical, and financial health benefits. One of the standout benefits he mentions is Chipotle’s commitment to education, offering to pay for employees’ college education.

In this episode, you will learn:

  1. How Scott transformed the culture at Chipotle
  2. The importance of a good burrito
  3. The role of clear accountability and responsibility within an organization.
  4. How Chipotle is growing with technology
  5. How Scott keeps his leadership authentic

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and the transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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How The CEO of 16,000 Person Quad, Creates Genuine Human Connections & Leads With Vulnerability https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-16000-person-quad-creates-genuine-human-connections-leads-with-vulnerability/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 13:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49664 Today's conversation is with Joel Quadracci, CEO of Quad, a full-service marketing agency with around 16,000 employees. Joel shares the importance of authenticity and "being real" in leadership, arguing that vulnerability should not be seen as a weakness but rather as a sign of genuine human connection.

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This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. The full interview is only available for subscribers to Great Leadership On Substack, it’s free, just enter your email here.

I interviewed over 100 CEOs at companies around the world asking them about what it means to lead with vulnerability. I asked about failures, challenges, painful experiences, leadership lessons, and everything in between. The conversations are all unscripted, candid, and filled with amazing insights and stories. I’ll be releasing a few of these over the coming months with several (GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, etc) being available exclusively to people who pre-order a hardcover copy of the book. To get access to these send me a screenshot of your order to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

Today’s conversation is with Joel Quadracci, CEO of Quad, a full-service marketing agency with around 16,000 employees. Joel shares the importance of authenticity and “being real” in leadership, arguing that vulnerability should not be seen as a weakness but rather as a sign of genuine human connection. He also shares his journey of leading a company that grew from a printing business to a multifaceted agency, and the challenges he faced along the way, including the sudden passing of his father. Joel underscores the significance of inclusive decision-making and the emotional toll that comes with making tough decisions. He also discusses his personal approach to vulnerability, which involves being open to criticism and maintaining a sense of humor.

Today’s episode teaches us by embracing vulnerability, leaders can foster a culture of trust, openness, and inclusivity, which can ultimately lead to more resilient and successful organizations. Joel’s journey shows the importance of being true to oneself, even in the face of adversity, and the power of a genuine human connection in the realm of leadership.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

You can watch the entire episode with Joel Quadracci on Substack to learn about authentic leadership, nurturing dynamic teamwork, and building your pathway to success!

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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Leaders: Your Words And Actions Carry Tremendous Weight! https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-your-words-and-actions-carry-tremendous-weight/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49661 After a recent talk I gave to an organization, I had lunch with the CEO to talk about leadership and some of the things she was focusing on and struggling with. She recently took over as CEO and was working on changing the corporate culture where employees could speak up, share ideas, and feel like they weren’t working in such a strict hierarchy.

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This is a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of my weekly guide called The Leader’s Lens. Each week I share an insight or strategy on how you can become a better leader. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you! If you aren’t, what are you waiting for? Click here to become a paid subscriber.

Upgrade to Paid

After a recent talk I gave to an organization, I had lunch with the CEO to talk about leadership and some of the things she was focusing on and struggling with. She recently took over as CEO and was working on changing the corporate culture where employees could speak up, share ideas, and feel like they weren’t working in such a strict hierarchy.

During that lunch she shared an interesting story with me which highlights both the influence that leaders have and why leaders need to be careful with their words and actions.

In fact this is something that many leaders of various seniority levels have experienced.

This particular company was going through a series of office redesigns throughout their American locations. This CEO was visiting one of these locations in the Bay Area and during the office tour she commented on how much she really liked the artwork that they chose for the walls. A few days later this same CEO was visiting another location on the East Coast, during the tour she noticed that they had the exact same artwork hanging there.

The CEO was confused and she brought it up, asking why they had the exact same artwork in both locations even though they had a very different overall look and feel from each other.

To her shock and bewilderment the person giving the tour told her, “you said that you wanted the artwork to go up everywhere because you loved it so much.”

“Huh?”

She was confused and clarified that she only pointed out that she liked the artwork she saw, not that she was mandating it be placed everywhere.

………

To read the rest of this article you will have to become a paid subscriber. For $9.99/month you will get weekly leadership guides, in-depth interviews with CEOs, leaders, and thinkers, and weekly 5 min leadership hacks from the world’s top CEOs. Click here to subscribe.

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President Trump’s Former Chef On How To Lead With Empathy & Almost Punching A Priest https://thefutureorganization.com/president-trumps-former-chef-on-how-to-lead-with-empathy-almost-punching-a-priest/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49654 Today’s episode is with Robert Irvine, a renowned chef, restaurateur, and television personality. In this episode, we discus self-control and remaining professional, why it’s important to avoid surrounding yourself with "Yes" people, and how to practice empathetic leadership.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly 15-20 min interview I do with a CEO, best-selling author, leader, or thinker that focuses on something you can do to become a better leader. These videos are only available to paid subscribers. Become a paid subscriber on Substack to get access to the 15 min video along with weekly videos just like this one, in-depth leadership insights, and 5 min leadership hacks.

Today’s episode is with Robert Irvine, a renowned chef, restaurateur, and television personality. In this episode, we discus self-control and remaining professional, why it’s important to avoid surrounding yourself with “Yes” people, and how to practice empathetic leadership. Robert also shares an incident where he almost got into a fight with a priest, and how he has encountered numerous intense situations throughout his career. Robert emphasizes the need for leaders to approach difficult situations with professionalism and empathy, as well as the importance of understanding the context and personal challenges employees may be facing.

Today’s conversation touches on essential topics such as self-control, empathetic leadership, the dangers of surrounding oneself with yes-men, and the power of service in achieving personal and professional success. In a world hungry for genuine leadership, we can draw inspiration from Robert Irvine’s journey. Let us strive to lead with integrity, empathy, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we can create positive change, uplift others, and build a legacy of compassionate and impactful leadership.

Get the video on Substack

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The Vulnerable Leader Equation: Connection + Competence https://thefutureorganization.com/the-vulnerable-leader-equation-connection-competence/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 13:00:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49534 As a leader at my company I’m expected to be strong, bold, courageous, visionary, competent, and confident. Yet at the same time, my employees want me to be vulnerable and talk about my challenges, struggles, failures, and personal life. How can I reconcile and balance these two seemingly opposing truths?

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I’ll never forget the conversation I had with the CEO of a Fortune 100 company a few years ago. He told me the following.

As a leader at my company I’m expected to be strong, bold, courageous, visionary, competent, and confident. Yet at the same time, my employees want me to be vulnerable and talk about my challenges, struggles, failures, and personal life. How can I reconcile and balance these two seemingly opposing truths?

As I began to work on my new book, Leading With Vulnerability, I realized that this was a very common challenge for many leaders.

Everybody knows what it feels like to be vulnerable but very people know what it means to lead with vulnerability. When most people think of being vulnerable they think of things like sharing a mistake, talking about a challenge, or showing emotion.

It’s true, these are crucial things to do and while these may be valuable in our personal lives is it really just that easy at work where we have a different dynamic at play? What about if you’re in a position of leadership where you are responsible for the lives of others and for the actual dollars and cents that your team or business brings in?

I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world and surveyed 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI and I can tell you that vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else. In fact, I’ll go one step further and tell you that leaders shouldn’t be vulnerable at work, but they should instead lead with vulnerability…there’s a crucial difference.

On August 20, 1991 Hollis Harris, the then CEO of struggling Continental Airlines, told his 42,000 employees that the company was struggling, he didn’t see a way out, and that employees should pray for the future of the company. The next day he was fired.

What Hollis did was vulnerable, but there was no leadership.

If Hollis was a junior employee who worked in accounting, then those statements would have had minimal impact. Some employees may have taken notice, maybe some would have taken him out to lunch to ask him why he’s having a bad day, and he would have received some words of encouragement and support from his leader and life would have moved on. When you’re a leader the things you say and do carry more weight and have more impact.

This story was told to my by Doug Parker, the former Chairman and CEO of American Airlines.

Contrast this to another similar story that I have in my book.

Fleetwood Grobler is the President & CEO, Sasol Limited, a South African energy and chemical company with over 28,000 employees. He took over as CEO when the company was over $13 billion in debt and about to be repossessed by the banks. Shortly after he took over as CEO the pandemic happened. He too was asked to address his entire workforce but his message was different.

Fleetwood acknowledged that the company was going through a tough time but he told his employees he had a vision of how they were going to turn the business around. He told his employees that he didn’t know exactly how they were going to achieve this vision but that together they could find a solution and rebuild trust in their customers and employees. Fleetwood said that if his people were willing to help him achieve that vision that together they would find a path forward and see success, which is exactly what happened.

Hollis was vulnerable, Fleetwood led with vulnerability. One of the concepts from my book is The Vulnerable Leader Equation, in fact the entire book is build on top of this idea that leaders must bring together vulnerability and leadership – connection with competence.

A vulnerable leader is a leader who intentionally opens themselves up to the potential of emotional harm while taking action (when possible) to create a positive outcome.

As a leader if you show up to work each day asking for help, talking about your mistakes and challenges, and sharing your emotions, then people are going to wonder why you’re in that role.

You must demonstrate that you are either closing the gaps or are doing things to move forward and create progress. For example, admitting to a mistake is vulnerable but there’s no leadership. Instead, admit to the mistake, share what you learned, and what steps you are going to take to make sure the mistake doesn’t happen again in the future. It’s this action piece – the L (leadership) that so many people oftentimes forget.

Simply being vulnerable at work, especially for leaders, can cause far more harm than good. Instead, lead with vulnerability.

Vulnerability creates connection and leadership is about being good at your job. Great leaders but be able to do both.

More to come soon! In the meantime, I hope this will entice you to pre-order my new book, Leading With Vulnerability. If you pre-order a hard copy and email me proof of purchase I’ll send you a preview of the book, an invite to an exclusive webinar I’m hosting, and 5 of the CEO interviews I did (video and audio with GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, WW, BD).

Pre-Order Here

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How Top Leaders Avoid the Busyness Trap and Focus On Priorities Instead Of Tasks https://thefutureorganization.com/how-top-leaders-avoid-the-busyness-trap-and-focus-on-priorities-instead-of-tasks/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49521 Have you ever noticed those individuals who constantly brag about how busy they are? They wear it like a badge of honor, whether it's being swamped with emails or drowning in various tasks. However, this constant busyness may not be a sign of effective leadership or importance.

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Today’s leadership hack is only for paid subscribers, if you haven’t signed up yet, join the growing community of leaders around the world who are stepping up their game by access to weekly hacks, exclusive interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you’re already a subscriber thank you! Click here to subscribe.

Have you ever noticed those individuals who constantly brag about how busy they are? They wear it like a badge of honor, whether it’s being swamped with emails or drowning in various tasks. However, this constant busyness may not be a sign of effective leadership or importance. In fact, it could indicate poor time management, delegation skills, or even micromanagement. Sylvia Metayer is the former CEO of Corporate Worldwide Services at Sodexo. Sodexo is a sustainable food services company with over 422,000 employees around the world and Sylvia led most of them so you can imagine how busy she was!

However, as she came to realize, being busy all the time wasn’t always a good thing since there’s a big difference between motion vs progress. As a leader Sylvia’s goal wasn’t just to be in motion but to make forward progress. She believes that true leadership lies in guiding people towards a goal and letting them believe they are the ones responsible for the achievement. As the ancient proverb from The Art of War suggests, the best leader is the one whose work is done, and people can proudly say, “We did it ourselves.”

How do you do that? Watch the video to find out!

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine On Overcoming Failure, Great Leadership, & Working With Donald Trump https://thefutureorganization.com/celebrity-chef-robert-irvine-on-overcoming-failure-great-leadership-working-with-donald-trump/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 13:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49514 Today’s episode is with none other than Robert Irvine, a celebrity chef, entrepreneur, author, and host of Food Network's hit show "Restaurant Impossible." Known for his dynamic leadership style and his ability to transform failing restaurants, Irvine has been instrumental in reshaping the culinary landscape. He brings a wealth of experience from his time in the military and his insights are sure to inspire.

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This is a free post, if you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, consider joining the many others who are stepping up their leadership game with exclusive weekly leadership hacks, CEO interviews, and in-depth insights written by yours truly. If you are already a subscriber, you are awesome!

Today’s episode is with none other than Robert Irvine, a celebrity chef, entrepreneur, author, and host of Food Network’s hit show “Restaurant Impossible.” Known for his dynamic leadership style and his ability to transform failing restaurants, Irvine has been instrumental in reshaping the culinary landscape. He brings a wealth of experience from his time in the military and his insights are sure to inspire. In our conversation today, we discussed the heart of leadership and the role it plays in creating successful teams and businesses.

Irvine found a passion for cooking when he made his first Quiche Lorraine, fascinated by how ingredients could come together to create a meal. This sparked his interest in food and set him on the path to becoming a renowned chef and restaurateur.

Some of the things you’ll learn in this episode:

  • The importance of self-belief and understanding others’ motivations in leadership
  • The mindset shift required for individuals to emerge as leaders
  • The significance of empathetic leadership in fostering a culture of growth and success
  • Why being in your comfort zone is a career killer
  • The danger of having a big ego
  • Working with Donald Trump

Leaders are asked to be confident, competent, strong, and visionary. Yet on the other hand, employees also want their leaders to share their challenges, struggles, and mistakes. How can leaders reconcile both of these truths?

Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and my over 100 CEO interviews and survey of 14,000 employees proves it! So how can leaders approach vulnerability in the right way that allows them to unlock the potential of others, create trust, and lead through change? Pre-order your copy to find out and email me proof of HARDCOVER purchase to

bonus@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you 5 exclusive CEO interviews, and invite to a webinar I’m hosting about the book, and the first 3 chapters of the book before it gets released!


🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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Authentic Leadership from Tina Freese Decker, CEO of Corewell Health https://thefutureorganization.com/authentic-leadership-from-tina-freese-decker-ceo-of-corewell-health/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49506 Today's episode is with Tina Freese Decker, the President and CEO of Corewell Health, with 60,000+ employees and based in New York. Corewell Health was formerly known as Beaumont Health. Today, Tina shares the importance of vulnerability in leadership.

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This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. The full interview is only available for subscribers to Great Leadership On Substack, it’s free, just enter your email here.

Today’s episode is with Tina Freese Decker, the President and CEO of Corewell Health, with 60,000+ employees and based in New York. Corewell Health was formerly known as Beaumont Health. Today, Tina shares the importance of vulnerability in leadership. She believes that being authentic and vulnerable are not choices but necessities for effective leadership. Tina also emphasizes the significance of knowing oneself, one’s values, and one’s purpose to build confidence, which in turn enables vulnerability and authenticity.

Tina shares several instances from her career where she had to display vulnerability, such as reconsidering a board decision based on new information and openly discussing the possibility of making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for her organization. She also highlights the importance of balancing sharing personal information with the purpose of the conversation and the need to maintain psychological safety, respect, trust, and dignity.

She also discusses the impact of vulnerability on her team. She believes that being authentic and vulnerable helps engage the team more effectively, fostering a sense of togetherness and grit that drives success. She asserts that vulnerability is a key aspect of creating real followership and connection to the organization’s purpose.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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The Employee Life Cycle Is Dead: We Should All Be Celebrating https://thefutureorganization.com/the-employee-life-cycle-is-dead-we-should-all-be-celebrating/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:00:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49496 What stage are you in? Sounds like a weird question to ask right? And before you’re wondering if I hit my head, I want you to consider that every single one of you reading this right now who are working for a company, are in a “stage.”

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This is a preview of the paid post that is only available for subscribers of Great Leadership on Substack. To get access to the full post, go here to upgrade, you’ll be glad you did!

What stage are you in?

Sounds like a weird question to ask right?

And before you’re wondering if I hit my head, I want you to consider that every single one of you reading this right now who are working for a company, are in a “stage.”

You might not know it, but you are. You didn’t ask to be in it and you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, but your HR team does.

What stage am I talking about? The employee life cycle. This is how your company views you and how all companies out there view their employees. They are tracked, monitored, and identified as they go through different stages while they are working for a company.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the life cycle was created or who even created it but it emerged in the late 70’s, and then really took off in the 80’s, and 90’s as a general framework.

Granted, this model, was once vital for understanding and managing the employee experience, it’s now obsolete. This made sense in a linear world where everyone had one career path, one ladder, one employer, one path to success, and where employees were viewed like expendable cogs who could easily be transitioned and replaced when need. It’s no wonder they call it “human resources.”

So if the employee life cycle is obsolete, then what should we be using instead? Let me answer that question by asking you another question.

How are things going for you at your company right now?

If you had to answer this question in a few sentences you might respond something like:

“I just got promoted into a new role and I’m a little bit nervous.

“I’m struggling with there I am and am looking for some guidance and development from my leader.”

“I’m really finding my stride and crushing everything that comes my way, I’m engaged and excited for my next challenge.”

“There’s a lot going on, my wife and I just bought our first house and we have a baby on the way so I feel overwhelmed’.”

What do all of these things have in comment? They aren’t about a life cycle but about Moments That Matter. The employee life cycle is how HR teams view their people but if you ask employees how they view their time with an organization their response will always come back describing moments and experiences that they are in or going through.

The beauty of this approach is that not only does it allow HR teams to be more flexible but it also gives more accountability and responsibility to leaders to create better experiences for their direct reports. The leaders are ultimately the ones who have the greatest impact on the experience of their people.

Employee Experience is the #1 battleground and priority for organizations around the world right now and all of this starts with Moments That Matter.

Paid subscribers can keep reading below to see some examples of what companies are doing, frameworks, and how to get started with Moments That Matter.

Join the cool kids below 🙂

As a paid subscriber you will get access to weekly guides such as this one as well as exclusive 15-20 min interviews with CEOs, best-selling authors, and leading thinkers. Lastly, you will also get access to a weekly 5 min leadership hack that will help make you a better leader.

It’s less than the cost of two lattes a month!

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How the CEO of Deloitte Consulting, Dan Helfrich, Balances Work and Life https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-deloitte-consulting-dan-helfrich-balances-work-and-life/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49486 Deloitte Consulting CEO, Dan Helfrich, champions a balanced lifestyle as key to success. He emphasizes exercise, family time, healthy eating, and regular communication with his loved ones and colleagues.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly guest deep dive around a specific topic to help make you a better leader. Today’s 15-minute video is with Dan Helfirch, CEO of Deloitte Consulting. In today’s episode, we discuss daily routine and wellness, having a flexible work approach, and how to trust your instincts. 

Deloitte Consulting CEO, Dan Helfrich, champions a balanced lifestyle as key to success. He emphasizes exercise, family time, healthy eating, and regular communication with his loved ones and colleagues. Instead of a strict daily routine, Helfrich operates on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, focusing on quality interactions. His flexible work style is punctuated with family time and personal activities, tailored to his rhythm.

Helfrich’s unique planning approach involves checking his schedule on the morning of each day, generating a sense of excitement and renewal. He values seeking advice while also trusting his judgment, and he warns against rigid career plans that may overlook unforeseen opportunities. His philosophy emphasizes holistic well-being, flexibility, and an openness to unexpected possibilities as crucial components of professional success.

Learn how Dan plan’s his days for success, how he thinks about structured career plans, and why he equates leadership to being a captain or a coach.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

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3 Traits Of Customer-Centric Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/3-traits-of-customer-centric-leaders/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49477 Who has the greatest impact on customer experience and creating a customer-obsessed culture? Leaders.

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This is a guest post written by my wife Blake Morgan. She’s working on a new book on customer experienced leadership which is coming out next year. As a part of that book she is embarking on an extensive research project and could use your help answering a few survey questions. Please take just a few mins and help shape the future of customer customer experience!

Who has the greatest impact on customer experience and creating a customer-obsessed culture? Leaders.

From my 15-plus years of research and working with the world’s most customer-focused companies, I’ve seen firsthand the connection between a great leader and a great customer experience.

When you think of brands totally focused on customers like Amazon, Zappos, and Disney, one thing they have in common are founders, CEOs, and leaders who prioritize customers and make decisions with customers in mind.

But you don’t have to be a company with a household name to need a customer-focused leader. Brands of all types and sizes benefit when leaders care about customers and make them the central focus.

How do you know if you work for a customer-focused leader? Here are just a few of the common characteristics:

  • Leaders interact with customers. It’s obvious when leaders care about customers because they want to spend time with them. Customer-focused leaders are on the frontlines visiting stores, taking calls in the contact center, and talking to customers. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan spends one day a month as a barista serving drinks to customers, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone regularly takes customers service calls, former United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz led a major turnaround by talking to customers on flights and getting their honest feedback—the list goes on and on. Research has found that CEOs who engage directly with customers can help improve products, boost customer satisfaction, and create a competitive advantage.
  • Leaders track the ROI of customer experience efforts. Customer-focused leaders understand the business impact of caring for customers. While other leaders may focus on quarterly reports or the bottom line, great leaders understand the ROI of customer experience. They share the impact of putting customers first and know that what gets measured gets treasured. KB Home CEO Jeff Mezger leads a culture of customer obsession by starting every management meeting with customer experience metrics. That emphasis keeps customers top of mind for leaders and spreads the impact throughout the company.
  • Customers are the first priority when making decisions. When customer-focused leaders make business decisions, they always think about customers first. It’s not about what will make the most money or crush the competition but what customers want and need in a product or service. Customers can tell when their preferences and needs are a top priority and not an afterthought—it comes through in the buying experience, how products are designed, and how they are treated after a sale. These leaders listen to customer feedback and proactively make improvements. Under Chief Customer Officer Amy Shore, Nationwide Insurance creates feedback loops from frontline employees to ensure leaders have up-to-date insights into customers and can proactively make customer-focused decisions.

These are just a few characteristics of customer-centric leaders that set the tone for the rest of the company. When leaders are totally focused on customers, employees will follow the example and deliver on customer experience as well.

Want to have a say in shaping the future of customer experience? I’m conducting a quick 5-minute survey, and I’d love to hear your valuable insights!

What’s more, your responses will be featured in my upcoming book, giving you a chance to make a meaningful contribution to my research.

Ready to share your thoughts? Just click here to participate! 

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From Crisis to Collaboration, Learn How Dan Helfrich Drives Success at Deloitte Consulting https://thefutureorganization.com/from-crisis-to-collaboration-learn-how-dan-helfrich-drives-success-at-deloitte-consulting/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49473 In this episode, I speak with Deloitte Consulting's CEO, Dan Helfrich, who brings two decades of experience leading a team of 85,000. Dan unpacks two leadership styles: leading with influence versus command and control, likening them to a coach and a captain respectively.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

In this episode, I speak with Deloitte Consulting’s CEO, Dan Helfrich, who brings two decades of experience leading a team of 85,000. Dan unpacks two leadership styles: leading with influence versus command and control, likening them to a coach and a captain respectively. He underscores the value of the former in non-crisis, uncertain situations, fostering an environment that embraces diverse input and active stakeholder participation.

Helfrich underscores the importance of building a “human sensor” network within organizations to gain authentic, varied feedback, aiding decision-making, and enhancing transparency and inclusivity. He spotlights crucial skills for influential leadership including self-awareness, empathy, stakeholder awareness, and acknowledging personal limitations. Leaders who value differing perspectives can make more informed decisions.

Some of the things you’ll learn:

  • The difference between influencing and commanding.
  • What’s required to influence others.
  • When command and control is required.
  • How a culture is shaped by leadership styles.
  • Balancing clear decision making with influence.
  • Creating an environment where others can lead with influence.
  • What to do when influence doesn’t work.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!


🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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How Lard Friese, The CEO of Aegon, Leads With Vulnerability https://thefutureorganization.com/how-lard-friese-the-ceo-of-aegon-leads-with-vulnerability/ Sat, 15 Jul 2023 13:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49464 Today's episode is with Lard Friese, the CEO and chairman of Aegon, a multinational life insurance, pensions, and asset management company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It has businesses in over 20 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Lard_Friese_30min.mp3

This is a special and exclusive episode which is actually one of the interviews I did for my upcoming book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. The full interview is only available for subscribers to Great Leadership On Substack, it’s free, just enter your email here.

I interviewed over 100 CEOs at companies around the world asking them about what it means to lead with vulnerability. I asked about failures, challenges, painful experiences, leadership lessons, and everything in between. The conversations are all unscripted, candid, and filled with amazing insights and stories. I’ll be releasing a few of these over the coming months with several (GE, American Airlines, Edward Jones, etc) being available exclusively to people who pre-order a hardcover copy of the book. To get access to these send me a screenshot of your order to bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

Today’s episode is with Lard Friese, the CEO and chairman of Aegon, a multinational life insurance, pensions, and asset management company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It has businesses in over 20 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

In today’s episode, we discussed key topics such as leadership, vulnerability, and personal maturity in professional roles. Friese emphasized the importance of leaders being aware of their environment and showing their personality. He also shared a personal story about a significant failure early in his career, highlighting the importance of listening to his team and owning up to mistakes. Lard also discussed the power of authenticity in leadership roles and how it can build trust and improve team dynamics.

You can watch the entire episode with Lard Friese on Substack to gain valuable insights, enhance your leadership skills, foster a dynamic team, and achieve professional success!

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

The post How Lard Friese, The CEO of Aegon, Leads With Vulnerability first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How To Practice The Mindset Of The Servant https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-practice-the-mindset-of-the-servant/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49460 We keep hearing about servant leadership but what is it and how do you practice it? In my previous book, The Future Leader, I spoke with 140 CEOs to get more clarity on this.

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This is a preview of the paid post that is only available for subscribers of Great Leadership on Substack. To get access to the full post, go here to upgrade, you’ll be glad you did!

Before we get into this post, have you heard the exciting news? My new book Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! If you grab a copy and email my proof or purchase to bonus@thefutureorganization.com (hardcover only!) then I’ll give you access to 5 exclusive CEO interviews I did for the book (American Airlines, GE, Edward Jones, and others), the first 3 chapters of my book, and an invite to exclusive webinar I’m hosting before the book comes out.

Pre-Order Leading With Vulnerability

Here’s what Patrick Lencioni said about it:

“Jacob takes a wonderfully thorough look at one of the most important – and lacking – qualities in leaders. And he does so with a raw and honest approach that makes his point all the more powerful!”

Ok now onto the post!

We keep hearing about servant leadership but what is it and how do you practice it? In my previous book, The Future Leader, I spoke with 140 CEOs to get more clarity on this.

The concept of servant leadership was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” Greenleaf was a former AT&T executive and he proposed a radical shift in leadership philosophy, suggesting that leaders should be servants first, putting the needs of their team and organization before their own.

A simple way to think of this is inverting the corporate pyramid. Instead of the team propping up and serving the leader, the leader is the one who is now propping up and serving the team.

What I learned is that servant leadership is only a part of the equation and really what these CEOs were talking about was having a servant mindset which means understanding that as a leader there are four groups you serve.

  1. Your leaders if you have them
  2. Your customers
  3. Your team
  4. Yourself

Let’s take a look at these in more depth and go over things you can do to serve each group.

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My New Book On Vulnerability Almost Killed Me…Literally https://thefutureorganization.com/my-new-book-on-vulnerability-almost-killed-me-literally/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49456 When I tell you that this was the hardest book I ever wrote, I hope you will believe me. I really struggled putting it all together which is even more reason for why you should get a copy.

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When I tell you that this was the hardest book I ever wrote, I hope you will believe me. I really struggled putting it all together which is even more reason for why you should get a copy 🙂

Here’s what Amy C. Edmondson, Professor at the Harvard Business School and Author of Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well and The Fearless Organization (2018) had to say about it.

Vulnerability, in today’s complex, uncertain world is simply a fact. Good leaders don’t shy away from, but instead acknowledge and embrace, this reality. Backed by a study of 100 CEOs and a survey of 14,000 employees, Jacob has put together an invaluable resource to help leaders navigate vulnerability to achieve more, build trust, and drive performance.

A few years ago in December on a cloudy Thursday, a few weeks after signing the contract for my upcoming book, Leading With Vulnerability, I was standing in my bathroom brushing my teeth and I started feeling weird. My body was flooded with adrenaline, my vision became blurry, and my heart started beating out of my chest. My resting heart rate is usually around 57 beats per minute and just standing I was around 130 beats per minute, which is the equivalent of a moderate workout or jog. I thought, “this is it, I’m having a heart attack and I’m going to die,” and I was overcome with fear and dread. I felt like a tidal wave of terror just crashed over me.

I screamed for my wife, Blake, who was wrangling our kids for school, and I told her something was wrong with me. I laid down on the bed and then all of a sudden I started shaking uncontrollably. If you’ve ever seen the Pixar movie “Inside Out” where emotions are personified by little characters who live in your body, that’s what I felt like. As if there were little creatures who were just pushing all sorts of buttons inside of my body and I had no control. It was absolutely terrifying and the most scared I’ve ever been.

The next few days were really rough because I wasn’t able to hear back from my doctor and I had no idea what was happening to me. Was I actually dying? Was it all just in my head? Not knowing was the worst part.

Things calmed down for a few days until it happened again. I asked Blake to drive me to urgent care, which turned me down because they were at capacity with COVID patients; instead, they gave me the address of a hospital with an emergency room. I forced Blake to drive me there and almost checked myself in but Blake talked me out of it.

Finally, the next day I was able to get an appointment with a doctor. They reviewed my lab results and did an EKG and the result was…that I’m perfectly healthy and my heart is great!

I’m not a vulnerable person and the only human being I know who is less vulnerable than me is my dad. He’s the kind of person who could be sick as a dog and if you ask him how he’s doing he’ll say “great.” He doesn’t believe in showing weakness of any kind. I have Georgian immigrant parents and the Georgian culture isn’t exactly known for being vulnerable or emotional.

I rarely express my emotions or feelings and even have a hard time doing this with family. The phrase “I feel” is very foreign to me but I’m pretty good at saying “I think” or “I know”.

After diving deeper into what could have caused my panic attacks, it became more clear what a large contributing factor was…the very book I was writing that was exploring vulnerability!

The fact that I had committed to writing a book about vulnerability – something that goes against my very nature – gave me a panic attack. My mind and body just couldn’t come to grips with the fact that I was going to have to confront, explore, and dive deep into something I have always stayed away from.

This is the most important and hardest book I’ve written and it’s precisely because it explores such a difficult and foreign topic to me…and to many others…vulnerability.

I realized how powerful vulnerability could be in both a personal and professional environment when done the right way. In my last book, The Future Leader, the theme of vulnerability came up quite a bit and I remembered all of those discussions and conversations I had with CEOs and leaders who shared the importance of connecting with people and creating meaningful relationships yet also needing to focus on business performance. In that book the skill of Yoda (emotional intelligence including empathy and self-awareness) was the skill that leaders struggled with the most as ranked by employees who reported to them.

I also remembered the specific concerns, issues, and questions that leaders had when it came to vulnerability in the workplace. Things like being vulnerable without being perceived as weak, how to actually be vulnerable in the right way, why vulnerability alone isn’t enough, what happens when vulnerability isn’t received well, and many others.

I knew this was a book I had to write because I saw how I struggled with vulnerability and the impact it had on my life and those around me. During my career, I’ve worked with and interviewed over 2,000 CEOs and business leaders around the world and I’ve also seen how much they struggle with vulnerability.

Leading with vulnerability is the single most impactful thing you can do to create connection and drive performance if you know the right way to approach it. That’s the key, THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH IT.

This is a book about you. How you can be a leader who creates trust, connects with your people, unlocks the potential of those around you, and drives business performance.

I embarked on the most in-depth and comprehensive project on vulnerability and leadership that’s ever been done. For 2 years, I interviewed over 100 CEOs around the world from different industries, including American Airlines, SAP, Hyatt, Northrop Grumman, Dow Chemical,The Home Depot, and dozens of others. Although only 10% of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women, I’m proud that over 25% of the CEOs I interviewed for this book are women. These interviews were done in hour-long discussions and follow-up interviews with a small group of CEOs opting to send in responses via email. I also interviewed the world’s leading psychologists and researchers spanning a variety of fields including emotional intelligence, decision-making, trust, psychological safety, game theory, and organizational behavior.

My discussions with these CEOs were extremely in-depth and personal, so much so, that several of them requested to be made anonymous in the book. They shared stories and insights with me that they have never shared before. I am grateful for their openness, transparency, and willingness to be vulnerable with me. I laughed and cried with them. I shared all sorts of emotions and in-the-moment discoveries that I will forever be grateful for.

Lastly, I teamed up with global leadership firm DDI to survey almost 14,000 employees around the world representing more than 1,500 organizations, 50 countries, and 24 major industry sectors. This was done as a part of their Global Leadership Forecast Series which is the longest-running global study of leadership aimed at understanding current and future leadership best practices. We also did a follow-up pulse survey with an additional 1,200 participants.

Bringing all of these different perspectives and data points together yielded some truly fascinating insights about leading with vulnerability that I can’t wait to share with you.

This book will help you understand what it means to lead with vulnerability, why it’s so crucial to your success, your team’s success, and your organization’s success, and how to actually unlock this amazing superpower for yourself and those around you. While the strategies and approaches you read about in this book are specifically focused on leadership at work, they can also be applied with positive impact outside of work as well.

Each section of the book is filled with hard data and stories from the over 100 CEOs I interviewed to back up and support everything you read.

As a current or aspiring leader, I want you to know that vulnerability is not a weakness, it’s a superpower that will transform your life, your team, your company, and the lives of those around you. In fact, you cannot lead through change of any kind without vulnerability. Leadership is not about hiding behind a mask of invincibility, it’s about embracing vulnerability.

Billions of people around the world are walking and talking superheroes and they don’t even know it. This is a completely new way to approach being a leader, one that we have all been scared of and didn’t feel comfortable talking about. Going forward, this is the only way to lead.

Are you ready to lead with vulnerability?

If so, then I invite you to preorder a copy of Leading With Vulnerability and go on this journey with me.

If you pre-order a HARDCOVER copy you’ll also get access to some bonuses:

  • Get the first three chapters of the book, before it comes out!
  • Invite to a private webinar where I will give a sneak peak into the concepts from the book and share some of the research.
  • Access to 5 exclusive CEO interviews that I did for the book including the CEOs of American Airlines, GE, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), & Edward Jones

Just send confirmation of your order to bonus@thefutureorganization.com. If you are interested in bulk sales please email me and we can work something out, jacob@thefutureorganization.com.

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How To Change A Corporate Culture With Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen Technologies https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-change-a-corporate-culture-with-kate-johnson-ceo-of-lumen-technologies/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49387 Today’s episode is with Kate Johnson, the CEO of Lumen Technologies, a telecommunications company that provides network services and solutions to businesses and government organizations with around 45,000 employees and headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. Known for her visionary leadership and her remarkable ability to drive change, Johnson has been instrumental in reshaping the corporate culture at Lumen.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

Today’s episode is with Kate Johnson, the CEO of Lumen Technologies, a telecommunications company that provides network services and solutions to businesses and government organizations with around 45,000 employees and headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. Known for her visionary leadership and her remarkable ability to drive change, Johnson has been instrumental in reshaping the corporate culture at Lumen. Kate was previously the president of Microsoft U.S. where she helped lead the companies transformation from a “know it all” company to a “learn it all” company.

In our conversation, we delve into the heart of corporate culture transformation and explore the pivotal role that leadership plays in driving such profound change.

With hybrid work as the new normal, how are you collaborating securely and making sure your data is safe in the cloud? AvePoint has your back. AvePoint provides the most advanced platform to optimize SaaS operations and secure collaboration. No matter how big your business is or what it does, AvePoint can help modernize your digital workplace. Over 17,000 companies trust AvePoint to rapidly reduce costs, improve productivity, and protect your data with their renowned Confidence Platform. Visit avepoint.com today to get started.

Throughout our discussion, we cover several important topics. From the significance of establishing a clear mission and assembling the right leadership team, as exemplified in Johnson’s transformation strategy at Lumen, to the fundamental shift in mindset required for a company to thrive in today’s dynamic environment. We also venture into the realm of third-party assessments and their crucial role in identifying performance gaps, thus facilitating the necessary cultural change within an organization. Additionally, we explore the transformative power of open dialogue, vulnerability, and resilience in fostering a culture that not only embraces change but propels growth.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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The Game Of Business Has Changed: Here’s How & What You Need To Do https://thefutureorganization.com/the-game-of-business-has-changed-heres-how-what-you-need-to-do/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49382 A few hours ago I had a great discussion with Charles Conn the Board Chair of Patagonia and founding CEO of Ticketmaster-Citysearch. That conversation will be made public in the coming weeks but I was inspired to write something based on that discussion.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles on trends, research, and insights. The goal of this resource is to accelerate your professional and leadership development, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance.

A few hours ago I had a great discussion with Charles Conn the Board Chair of Patagonia and founding CEO of Ticketmaster-Citysearch. That conversation will be made public in the coming weeks but I was inspired to write something based on that discussion.

Charles and I were talking about some of the parallels between chess and business (my favorite) and he asked me how many moves ahead I can calculate during a game. I told him that it depended on if there’s a forced sequence of moves or if there is a lot of variation. For example if there is a checkmate in 4 then I should easily be able to calculate that series of four forced moves.

I work with a chess coach and oftentimes he will ask me to calculate as many moves ahead as I can while telling me that there is a forced sequence leading to something like a checkmate. In these situations I’ve been able to visually calculate (not touching the pieces) 8+ moves ahead. This is because there isn’t a lot of variation in terms of what I or my opponent can do.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and get access to the bonuses!

However, when there is a lot of variation in terms of possibilities and forced moves are absent, then I can maybe see 3-4 moves ahead. The point is that forced moves allow you to see further whereas variation limits your ability to do so.

What does this have to do with business?

Historically, businesses operated under the strategy of “forced moves,” where the future was more predictable, and the path to success more structured. Today, however, the business world more closely resembles a complex game of chess with more variation and unpredictable outcomes.

Consider the assembly line production methodology championed by Henry Ford in the early 20th century. Ford’s strategy was a series of “forced moves” that relied on highly standardized processes and minimal variation. At the time it was a predictable business model with clear objectives: produce as many automobiles as possible as efficiently as possible.

Or take a look at early Microsoft which dominated the PC industry with the Windows operating system and Office software suite. Microsoft was very much playing “forced moves.” The company’s strategy was straightforward and predictable – develop an operating system, encourage third-party manufacturers to build hardware, and control the market.

This approach to business success worked in the past but it’s a recipe for failure today. Businesses are no longer able to calculate 10 moves ahead but are now playing a dynamic game with a shorter-time horizon and more variation.

How do you lead in a world like this when the game has changed and when there are no more forced moves?

There are 10 strategies you can implement.

Get the rest of the article by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Each week you will get:

  • The 5 Minute Leader: Weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack from a CEO.
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Go here to subscribe, it will be the best investment you will ever make in your professional and leadership development.

 

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Should You Be Vulnerable At Work? https://thefutureorganization.com/should-you-be-vulnerable-at-work/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 13:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49375 Should leaders really be vulnerable at work? Last week I announced that my brand new book, Leading With Vulnerability, is now available for pre-order and it’s being officially released on October 3rd. I’d love for you to order a copy and I’m going to be giving away bonuses to everyone who orders a hardcover version!

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Should leaders really be vulnerable at work?

Last week I announced that my brand new book, Leading With Vulnerability, is now available for pre-order and it’s being officially released on October 3rd. I’d love for you to order a copy and I’m going to be giving away bonuses to everyone who orders a hardcover version!

This is the hardest and most important book that I’ve written. It explores why vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everyone else and how leaders specifically need to approach vulnerability in the right way so that they can lead through change, drive business performance, create trust, and unlock the potential of those around them.

“This is a well-researched, compelling book about something we spend far too little time thinking about: Being human. It works.” –Seth Godin

I spent countless hours personally interviewed over 100 CEOs from companies around the world including American Airlines, GE, Deloitte, DBS Bank, Tractor Supply, Microsoft, Panera Brands, KFC, Dow Chemical, Edward Jones, Hyatt, Northrop Grumman, SAP, and many others.

These were in-depth conversations where I asked these leaders extremely personal questions that they have never addressed before. I also teamed up with global leadership firm DDI to survey 14,000 employees around the world to see how CEO insights align with employee perceptions, the results were shocking to say the least.

This will be the most important leadership book you will read and after reading it you will never think about and approach leadership the same way again.

If you pre-order a copy before it comes out here’s what you’re going to get:

  • The first three chapters of the book, before it comes out!
  • Invite to a private webinar where I will give a sneak peak into the concepts from the book and share some of the research. You will also get to ask me questions.
  • Access to 5 exclusive CEO interviews that I did for the book including the CEOs of American Airlines, GE, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), & Edward Jones. These will be video interviews where you can hear directly from these CEOs.

All you need to do is pre-order a HARDCOVER copy of the book and then email a screenshot of your order or proof of purchase to: bonus@thefutureorganization.com.

After you do that my team will be in touch with the bonus content. Once the book comes out these bonuses will NO LONGER be available to the public.

If you want to order bulks copies for your team then please reach out to directly to me so that I can secure some great bulk discounts for you at jacob@thefutureorganization.com.

Pre-Order Your Copy Here

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Seth Godin on Leadership, Vulnerability, and Making an Impact in the New World Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/seth-godin-on-leadership-vulnerability-and-making-an-impact-in-the-new-world-of-work/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49366 In today's episode, I speak with best-selling author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin. Seth recently released his new book, "The Song of Significance," which looks at work: why it is the way it is, why it’s gotten so bad, what all of us–especially leaders–can do to make it better.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

In today’s episode, I speak with best-selling author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin. Seth recently released his new book, “The Song of Significance,” which looks at work: why it is the way it is, why it’s gotten so bad, what all of us–especially leaders–can do to make it better. Our conversation explores a range of pertinent topics, including the potential drawbacks of automation, the shifting balance of power within organizations, and the critical importance of leading with vulnerability.


This episode is sponsored by: AvePoint. With hybrid work as the new normal, how are you collaborating securely and making sure your data is safe in the cloud? AvePoint has your back. AvePoint provides the most advanced platform to optimize SaaS operations and secure collaboration. No matter how big your business is or what it does, AvePoint can help modernize your digital workplace. Over 17,000 companies trust AvePoint to rapidly reduce costs, improve productivity, and protect your data with their renowned Confidence Platform. Visit avepoint.com today to get started

We’ll discuss the nuanced distinction between management and leadership, a topic that Seth has extensively explored in his work. Moreover, we’ll get a glimpse into Seth’s perspective on companies that have managed to stand out and successfully navigated the complex landscape of modern business.

A central theme of our discussion will be the idea of ‘significance’ – a concept that Seth passionately explores in his new book. We’ll talk about what it means to create significance in one’s life and work, and how this can lead to profound impacts on both a personal and professional level. Seth will share his invaluable insights on where to begin this journey towards significance, and how to ‘crack the egg’ to make a real, tangible impact.

Join us on this journey of exploration and discovery. I hope you’ll carry forward the lessons learned today and apply them in your pursuit of significance. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions in our upcoming episodes. Until then, keep questioning, keep learning, and keep striving for significance

Listen or watch the full discussion below:

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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The Crucial Leadership Skill Most Leaders Don’t Have! https://thefutureorganization.com/the-crucial-leadership-skill-most-leaders-dont-have/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49352 Pattern recognition is a crucial leadership skill that enables leaders to make sense of their surroundings, anticipate potential outcomes, and make strategic business decisions in seemingly unfamiliar and unique circumstances.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles on trends, research, and insights. The goal of this resource is to accelerate your professional and leadership development, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance.

Pattern recognition is a crucial leadership skill that enables leaders to make sense of their surroundings, anticipate potential outcomes, and make strategic business decisions in seemingly unfamiliar and unique circumstances. Those of you who read my content know that I’m an avid chess player and in chess, recognizing patterns is one of the pillars of the game.

Even if you don’t know how to play chess, take a look at the following three positions.

They all look completely different right? But the pattern in all three of these positions is exact same an they all lead to a forced checkmate known as “Anastasia’s Mate.”

In the first example (brown), black wins by force by playing Queen h5 with check, the white pawn on g4 is forced to capture the queen, and then black plays Rook h4 checkmate.

In the second example (green), black plays Knight to e7 with check, the King then goes over to either h1 or h2, then black plays Rook to h7 with check, the white pawn on g6 has to capture the rook and then black’s other rook slides across the board to h6 delivering checkmate.

In the third example (blue), white plays Knight e7, black then has to slide the king over to h8, white captures the pawn with the queen on h7 with check and forcing black to capture the queen with the king, then white plays Rook h1 with mate.

Even though all three of these positions look different they all have the exact same pattern with a forced mate.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

When it comes to leadership being able to spot patterns is just as crucial. Consider the following scenarios.

You are:

  • Taking over a new team that you have never worked with and you are looking to increase performance and engagement.
  • Trying to decide on the best course of action when dealing with a pandemic even though you have never experienced one before.
  • Making a strategic business decision in an environment you are not familiar with.
  • Investing in your own learning and growth and are trying to decide on the best things to focus on.
  • Looking to create a new line of business with either a product or service and notice a trend in the AI space. You want to take next steps to launch something.
  • Trying to mitigate risks and downside for a current business crisis you are dealing with.

The list of examples is endless and in all of the above scenarios pattern recognition is crucial, let’s see how…

Get the rest of the article by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Each week you will get:

  • The 5 Minute Leader: Weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack from a CEO.
  • The Leader’s Toolkit: Weekly 15 min deep dives with a guest around a leadership topic.
  • The Leader’s Lens: Weekly article exploring a trend, insight, or unique perspective.

Go here to subscribe, it will be the best investment you will ever make in your professional and leadership development.

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Vulnerability For Leaders Is Not The Same As It Is For Everyone Else https://thefutureorganization.com/vulnerability-for-leaders-is-not-the-same-as-it-is-for-everyone-else/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49258 We have all heard of vulnerability, but is it really that simple? Can you just show up to work talking about your challenges and mistakes, asking for help, and sharing how you’re feeling?

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I’m thrilled to introduce my new book, Leading With Vulnerability which is coming out in October and you can pre-order it here.

We have all heard of vulnerability, but is it really that simple? Can you just show up to work talking about your challenges and mistakes, asking for help, and sharing how you’re feeling?

Maybe that works in your personal life, but what about at work which has a completely different dynamic?

I started with a simple question, is vulnerability for leaders the same as it for everyone else? It turns out it’s not!

While vulnerability cripples some leaders, others are able to tap into it and use it as a superpower. Vulnerability alone makes leaders seem incompetent whereas competence alone makes it hard for leaders to connect with their people. The key is they need both, vulnerability and high levels of competence – what I call The Vulnerable Leader Equation.

Being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability are not the same thing.

When I wrote my last book, The Future Leader, I heard from over 140 CEOs about the importance of vulnerability but at the same time these leaders wanted to move from idea to implementation.

In other words, how do you tap into vulnerability the right way so that you can lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance?

To figure that out I interviewed over 100 CEO around the world from companies including American Airlines, Deloitte, Baxter, Dow Chemical, SAP, The Home Depot, GE, and dozens of others. These leaders shared personal, candid, and exclusive stories with me about vulnerability and their struggles and successes with it.

I also teamed up with global leadership firm DDI to survey 14,000 employees around the world. What emerged from all of this research is the most comprehensive guide on leadership and vulnerability that has ever been written.

You’ll learn things like:

  • The difference between being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability.
  • The 5 vulnerable leader superheroes.
  • What makes leaders feel most vulnerable at work and why.
  • The ROI of leading with vulnerability.
  • The 8 attributes of vulnerable leaders.
  • What happens when vulnerability is used against you.
  • How to climb the “vulnerability mountain.”
  • What keeps leaders from being vulnerable at work and how to overcome it.

Leading with vulnerability is the most powerful and impactful thing that you can do if you approach it the right way, and that’s exactly what this book is about.

I’m excited for you to read this book and to see you at an upcoming event during the fall and throughout 2024. I’ll be sharing some great bonuses with people who pre-order the book which I hope you will consider doing!

If you want to order bulk copies for your team or company please email me so that I can get you special discount pricing, jacob@thefutureorganization.com.

Thanks for your continued support. More to come, stay tuned!

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How the CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Solves Tough Problems https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-st-jude-childrens-research-hospital-solves-tough-problems/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 13:00:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49190 Today’s episode is with Dr. James Downing, a well known pediatric oncologist and the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He is known for his work in pediatric cancer research and his leadership in the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which has led to significant advancements in understanding the genetic basis of cancer in children.

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Today’s episode is with Dr. James Downing, President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is known for his work in pediatric cancer research and his leadership in the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which has led to significant advancements in understanding the genetic basis of cancer in children. We speak about the importance of problem identification and prioritization. Dr. Downing emphasized that focusing on the most significant and tractable problems that align with an organization’s mission is crucial. His insights highlighted the need for leaders to be clear-eyed about the challenges they face and to prioritize effectively to ensure resources are directed where they can have the most impact.


This episode is sponsored by: AvePoint. With hybrid work as the new normal, how are you collaborating securely and making sure your data is safe in the cloud? AvePoint has your back. AvePoint provides the most advanced platform to optimize SaaS operations and secure collaboration. No matter how big your business is or what it does, AvePoint can help modernize your digital workplace. Over 17,000 companies trust AvePoint to rapidly reduce costs, improve productivity, and protect your data with their renowned Confidence Platform. Visit avepoint.com today to get started

We also discussed the importance of having the necessary expertise and resources before tackling a problem. Dr. Downing stressed that if an organization lacks the required knowledge or capabilities, it might need to hire consultants, establish collaborations, or acquire new knowledge. This point underscored the importance of understanding one’s limitations and being proactive in filling those gaps.

Dr. Downing shared his leadership journey and the importance of being open to challenges and ideas from others. He believes that good ideas often become better through this process. This openness to feedback and new ideas is a testament to his leadership style and a key factor in his success.

If you haven’t heard yet, my new book, Leading With Vulnerability is now available for pre-order! Is vulnerability for leaders the same as it is for everyone else? It turns out it’s not! Learn how the world’s top leaders approach vulnerability in the right way to lead through change, unlock the potential of others, create trust, and drive business performance. Pre-order your copy here and stay tuned for bonuses!

One of the highlights of our conversation was learning about St. Jude’s ‘blue sky process.’ This approach allows everyone in the organization to generate and evaluate new ideas that could have a significant impact. Dr. Downing provided examples of successful initiatives that have come out of this process, including a town square setup for patients and families, a structural biology proposal, a cloud-based repository of pediatric cancer data, and a program to provide free cancer drugs to patients in low and middle-income countries. These examples illustrate the power of collective ideation and the potential for innovative solutions when everyone in an organization is encouraged to contribute.

My conversation with Dr. James Downing is a testament to the power of clear problem identification, effective resource allocation, and openness to new ideas. His leadership journey is a shining example of how embracing challenges and fostering a culture of innovation can lead to remarkable outcomes. As we navigate our own paths, let’s remember to stay open to new ideas, prioritize effectively, and always strive to make a positive impact. As shown by Dr. Downing’s work at St. Jude, when we come together and focus our efforts, we can create solutions that change lives and make the world a better place.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

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🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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My Leader Is A Jerk! Help Me! https://thefutureorganization.com/my-leader-is-a-jerk-help-me/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49089 “My leader is a jerk.” “My leader doesn’t get it.” “My leader hates me.” Whether it’s one of the statements above or something else, these are common things that I get asked. They all come down to the same thing, you and your leader are not getting along for whatever reason.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles on trends, research, and insights. The goal of this resource is to accelerate your professional and leadership development, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance.

“My leader is a jerk.”

“My leader doesn’t get it.”

“My leader hates me.”

Whether it’s one of the statements above or something else, these are common things that I get asked. They all come down to the same thing, you and your leader are not getting along for whatever reason.

Perhaps you are trying to implement a change at work that you clearly see as beneficial but your stubborn leader just refuses to see your perspective. Maybe your leader is taking some of the credit for your work in meetings. Or perhaps you believe your leader is just trying to make you fail because of genuine hatred towards you.

Work is a big part of our lives so it’s understandable why a difficult relationship at work with a leader can cause stress, tension, and anxiety that spills from the work world into your personal world.

The question then becomes, what do you do?

I’ve always believed that any individual has 5 choices they can pursue.

  • Do nothing and suffer.
  • Focus on your performance and wait it out.
  • Try to fix it.
  • Leave the company.
  • Move to another team.
  • Complain to HR or to your bosses boss.

Let’s dive into each one in more detail so that you can determine the best course of action.

Get the rest of the article by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Each week you will get:

  • The 5 Minute Leader: Weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack from a CEO.
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  • The Leader’s Lens: Weekly article exploring a trend, insight, or unique perspective.

Go here to subscribe, it will be the best investment you will ever make in your professional and leadership development.

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It’s Time To Fix A Broken Hiring Process: We Deserve Better! https://thefutureorganization.com/its-time-to-fix-a-broken-hiring-process-we-deserve-better/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=49081 The world we live in is driven by recommendations. Be it picking the next binge-worthy series or selecting the perfect meal for a cozy night in, our decisions are often shaped by well-intentioned advice. Many industries have adopted this strategy to connect with customers with the goal of enhancing the overall experience.

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The world we live in is driven by recommendations. Be it picking the next binge-worthy series or selecting the perfect meal for a cozy night in, our decisions are often shaped by well-intentioned advice. Many industries have adopted this strategy to connect with customers with the goal of enhancing the overall experience. In fact many of the platforms I use on a daily basis wether it be Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, or Twitter all offer recommendations and suggestions.

How come we don’t have something like this in the job hunting process? Considering that finding the right job is one of the most important life decisions we will make, it seems like this is a very obvious and glaring challenge in talent and recruitment.

The challenge is a two-way street. On one side we have the candidate who is subjected to a lengthy and cumbersome hiring process which takes months, requires writing personal essays, taking personality tests, and doing what can only be described as the equivalent of a full virtual TSA pat down. In fact a recent U.S. based study by Indeed found that 77% of employees say the hiring process at most companies is too slow. Then on the other hand we have the employer who is desperately trying to find the right candidate for the right job.

In other words the pain and torture is shared across the board.

This post is made possible by Indeed. If you are ready to save time and start hiring the RIGHT person faster, then I invite you to learn more and check out Indeed’s Pay for Results pricing. Why spend money on something that isn’t giving you the results you want?

According to the same survey, the top employer pain points include:

  • The time it takes to hire
  • Poor quality of candidates
  • Competition from other companies
  • Insufficient applicants
  • Lack of resources to manage the hiring process.

On the employee side the top challenges to finding a job are:

  • Too low pay
  • Not getting a response from a potential employer after submitting resume/application (79% claimed to have applied for jobs and never received feedback).
  • Waiting for an offer/update after having an interview

What’s staggering here is that two of these have to deal with communication which is something so basic and easy to fix that it’s almost laughable.

There’s a demand and a need for a more streamlined, efficient approach which is what Indeed is focusing on and I was able to get a bit of a sneak peak.

They are leveraging an average of 140 million qualifications and preferences, voluntarily shared daily by job seekers and employers, to refine and accelerate the hiring process. The goal is to match and connect quality talent faster and more accurately than ever before.

One of the things I’ve been a big proponent of is the idea that skills are greater (more valuable) than jobs. Meaning that instead of focusing on a single job and trying to climb one career ladder, it’s far more effective to focus on the skills you have and then understanding the various jobs where those skills can be applied. The challenge is that most of us aren’t really sure where else our skills can be put to use.

Consider a fast food cashier who possesses skills including customer service, great communication, empathy, basic math, and conflict resolution. These same skills would also make for a great bank teller but the cashier isn’t aware of this potential shift they can make. A platform like Indeed can step in and highlight these roles, provide recommendations, and connect candidates with opportunities they may never have considered. This proactive approach aims to create better working opportunities for everyone involved.

This also has a lot of potential implications not just for people who want to switch companies but people within a single company who just want to switch roles.

All of this is based on three things: preferences, AI+ technology, and speed. The platform utilizes vast data points ranging from skills, licenses, certifications, to occupational specialties, pay, and more to provide quality matches. AI+ technology plays a significant role in this process. Leveraging collaborative filtering, learning to rank, logistic regression, and enhanced resume scanning techniques, Indeed delivers personalized job recommendations, making meaningful connections between employers and job seekers. This allows employers to find candidates and candidates to find employers at a much faster rate.

In a previous article I wrote about the 4 reasons why the traditional job board is dead and I’m excited to see what the new version will look like!

The world of talent and recruitment is poised for a transformation and I’m glad to see companies like Indeed leading the way. If you want to check out some of the work they are doing you can click here.

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Deciphering Leadership: Lessons from the Ex-CEO of The World’s Largest Private Company https://thefutureorganization.com/deciphering-leadership-lessons-from-the-ex-ceo-of-the-worlds-largest-private-company/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48983 Today my guest is David MacLennan, the Executive Chair and former CEO of Cargill, a global food and agribusiness corporation that employs over 160,000 employees in 70 countries. Cargill is ranked by Forbes as the world’s #1 largest private company with annual revenue over $165 billion.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

Today my guest is David MacLennan, the Executive Chair and former CEO of Cargill, a global food and agribusiness corporation that employs over 160,000 employees in 70 countries. Cargill is ranked by Forbes as the world’s #1 largest private company with annual revenue over $165 billion.


This episode is sponsored by: AvePoint. With hybrid work as the new normal, how are you collaborating securely and making sure your data is safe in the cloud? AvePoint has your back. AvePoint provides the most advanced platform to optimize SaaS operations and secure collaboration. No matter how big your business is or what it does, AvePoint can help modernize your digital workplace. Over 17,000 companies trust AvePoint to rapidly reduce costs, improve productivity, and protect your data with their renowned Confidence Platform. Visit avepoint.com today to get started


David shares his journey, from his early days in the company to his rise to the top, and the challenges he faced along the way

In this conversation, David discusses the importance of followership in leadership. He emphasizes that a title alone does not command respect or followership; it must be earned through credibility, sincerity, and reliability. He also shares his philosophy on leadership, which involves creating a personal connection with those he leads through authenticity and transparency. David believes that trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership, and he strives to earn this trust from his team and the wider organization.

David shares his insights on the science of growing a business. He discusses the importance of understanding strategy and the ability to execute it effectively. We also talk about the importance of having a diverse leadership team that can challenge you and provide different perspectives. David believes that one of the key skills of effective leadership is pattern recognition, which involves learning from past experiences and applying these lessons to current situations.

Join us as we explore these topics and more in this enlightening conversation with David MacLennan. This episode is sure to provide valuable insights for anyone interested in leadership, business growth, and the dynamics of leading a global corporation.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

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🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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A Corporate Framework For Social Causes & Polarizing Topics https://thefutureorganization.com/a-corporate-framework-for-social-causes-polarizing-topics/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48952 Recently a big debate has been brewing in the business world when it comes to organizations investing in social causes or speaking up around controversial and polarizing topics. Specifically, what should they be investing in and saying and how should they decide?

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers, leadership hacks, and in-depth articles on trends, research, and insights. The goal of this resource is to accelerate your professional and leadership development, unlock the potential of those around you, and drive business performance.

Recently a big debate has been brewing in the business world when it comes to organizations investing in social causes or speaking up around controversial and polarizing topics. Specifically, what should they be investing in and saying and how should they decide?

A recent post published by the WSJ titled Companies That Embraced Social Issues Have Second Thoughts, highlights some of the challenges. One of the companies featured in that article is PPG a global paint supplier. I actually interviewed their former CEO and now executive chairman for a new book I have coming out called Leading With Vulnerability (more on that in the coming days.)

Their current CEO Tim Knavish is quoted in the article as saying:

“We run a business. We don’t run a political organization. We don’t run a religious organization, and we don’t run a social organization. “However, we recognize that we operate in a society. We hire employees with opinions and views. We work with customers that have opinions and views. So we have to take all that into account.”

In the article Tim says they use a scorecard to make these types of decisions.

In today’s polarizing business landscape executives are all trying to figure out what they should do and how they should do it. This is a trend that has been going on for a few years now and leaders are trying to play in the “grey area” for fear of upsetting people.

But the big fear that leaders should have isn’t that someone is going to disagree with them, it’s that customers and employees don’t know what the leaders and the company stand for to begin with!

No longer can leaders dwell in ambiguity or silence. They must assume a firm stance – either articulating their viewpoints, investing in causes, or explicitly choosing not to do so, with a rationale to support their decisions.

Below is a framework I’ve been working on that can help leaders decide if they should invest in a social cause or publicly discuss a polarizing topic.

I encourage you to use this as a template that you can build on top of.

Get the rest of the article by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Each week you will get:

  • The 5 Minute Leader: Weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack from a CEO.
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Go here to subscribe, it will be the best investment you will ever make in your professional and leadership development.

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Why Treating People Well Is Priceless & Less Expensive Than You Think https://thefutureorganization.com/why-treating-people-well-is-priceless-less-expensive-than-you-think/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48949 Whenever I tell organizations to invest in employee experience the first thing that usually comes up is cost.

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This is part of my Substack series called “Greatness Graphics” where I share a weekly infographic about leadership and the future of work. To get the full HD infographic with more context, Subscribe to Great Leadership on Substack.

Whenever I tell organizations to invest in employee experience the first thing that usually comes up is cost.

Specifically, I hear comments like “We don’t have the budget as Company X.” This usually happens because of an overemphasis on things such as free gourmet food, designer office spaces, and crazy perks like free dry cleaning, massages, and on-site dog walking.

That’s not employee experience.

It’s true; these things do cost money, but the majority of things that shape the employee experience are actually free. What’s the cost of treating people well, giving them flexibility and autonomy, hiring a diverse group of people, and giving them the opportunity to learn and grow?

How we treat our people is free. Employee experience is a combination of three environments which are culture, technology, and space. More on that below.

Culture is the most important one and in the graphic I posted on Substack, I break down the 10 attributes of corporate culture and the cost of investing in each one.

I define corporate culture as the side effects of working for your organization. These can be positive side effects such growth, development, learning, and a sense of purpose and meaning or they can be negative side effects similar to those of a prescription drug. These can include things like nausea, weight gain, skin discoloration, loss of hair, depression, bleeding from the eyes, and in some cases death!

When looking at the chart above it’s clear that most the things that shape corporate culture are actually free. Variables like creating a sense of purpose, treating people fairly, helping people feel valued, and referring others to the company don’t cost anything. In these cases, it’s less about the investment and more about the mindset shift.

So what’s your excuse? Why doesn’t your company have an amazing corporate culture?

Subscribe to the free version of Great Leadership On Substack, just enter your email here and click on the “free” version.

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Transactional Vs. Transformational Leadership: How to Bridge Between the Two with Bruce Avolio https://thefutureorganization.com/transactional-vs-transformational-leadership-how-to-bridge-between-the-two-with-bruce-avolio/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48946 My interview today is with Bruce Avolio, the Director of the Gallup Leadership Institute and a renowned expert in the field of leadership. Bruce has dedicated his career to studying leadership and developing strategies for effective leadership in today's rapidly changing world.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights. Are you a transactional leader or a transformational leader?

My interview today is with Bruce Avolio, the Director of the Gallup Leadership Institute and a renowned expert in the field of leadership. Bruce has dedicated his career to studying leadership and developing strategies for effective leadership in today’s rapidly changing world.

According to Bruce Avolio, Executive Director at the University of Washington Center for Leadership & Strategic Thinking, both types of leaders are crucial for modern companies. It isn’t an either/or situation. The best leaders are the ones who can bridge transactional and transformational leadership.

In our conversation, we explore the topic of leadership and how to become a successful leader. Bruce shares his insights on the debate of whether leaders are born or made, and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and innovation for leaders. He also highlights the growing emphasis on psychological safety in the workplace and the value of authenticity in leadership. As the name implies, transactional leaders prioritize day-to-day tasks and transactions to get work done. They focus on driving the business forward with efficient processes and moving the needle with tasks and metrics.

On the other hand, transformational leaders prioritize the bigger picture and innovation. Their goal is to change and improve their companies and people with large-scale solutions. It’s not about incrementally changing a company but leading large shifts and total transformations.

The old way of thinking is that leaders were either transactional or transformational. But Bruce and his colleagues proved that is no longer the case. Leaders can be both transactional and transformational. In fact, it is optimum to be both. You have to be transactional and get things done to provide deliverables to other teams and employees. Even with a big-picture focus, daily work still has to get done. Bruce likens it to getting the trains to run safely and stay on the tracks. Everything happens in the world through good transactions, and most leaders spend the bulk of their days on transactional work.

The rest of the article is available for free here, along with the full transcript

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on YouTube

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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Yes, When It Comes To AI, This Time It’s Different https://thefutureorganization.com/yes-when-it-comes-to-ai-this-time-its-different/ Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48940 In today's world, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has initiated a significant paradigm shift in our workforce. Since the dawn of the digital age, the threat of machines replacing humans in various jobs has remained a hot topic.

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👋 Hi! Welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers and leadership insights and strategies to accelerate your leadership development. My goal is to help you become the best leader you can be! Upgrade to Paid. This is just a preview of the article

In today’s world, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has initiated a significant paradigm shift in our workforce. Since the dawn of the digital age, the threat of machines replacing humans in various jobs has remained a hot topic. IBM’s Watson, for instance, brought this conversation into the spotlight but seems to have faded into the backdrop of the AI narrative. Nevertheless, this transformational change in our society, primarily fueled by AI, is more complex and less linear than previously thought.

AI, in many ways, is proving to be an asset rather than a direct threat to our employment landscape. Many leaders and decision-makers, including CEOs and CHROs, have expressed optimism that AI and other technological advancements will primarily automate the mundane facets of work, allowing us to focus on more ‘human’ aspects of our jobs, including creativity, problem-solving, and relationship building.

Sounds good right?

But what happens when AI comes for those “human” jobs as well?

  • Decades ago, when bank kiosks were introduced we were told it would be the end of bank tellers but instead we saw a rise of local branches and an increase of the number of tellers.
  • A few years ago when Accenture automated over 17,000 jobs they didn’t replace a single person, instead they up-skilled them.
  • When I interviewed the CHRO of McDonald’s after they were introducing kiosks, he told me that they were not reducing headcount but instead were keeping it the same and in some cases increasing it to focus more on customer experience. In a recent conversation I had with the chief restaurant officer of Chipotle he told me the same thing.

I have had countless conversations which went along the “yes we are using technology but it won’t replace humans” lines. At least, up until recently.

Now with the rise of ChatGPT and the further advancements in technology, we are once again reviving these conversations around AI and how it will take away jobs. But is it really different this time?

Yes…it is.

 

Get the rest of the article by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Each week you will get:

  • The 5 Minute Leader: Weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack from a CEO.
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Empathetic Leadership – Alexa von Tobel, CEO of LearnVest https://thefutureorganization.com/empathetic-leadership-alexa-von-tobel-ceo-of-learnvest/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48933 Alexa von Tobel, founder and managing partner at Inspired Capital and founder and former CEO of LearnVest, attributes her success to her upbringing and entrepreneurial spirit. We also discussed her approach to decision-making, and empathetic leadership.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly guest deep dive around a specific topic to help make you a better leader. In today’s video Alexa will share the value of instincts in Decision-Making, the importance of empathetic leadership, and the power of vulnerability. This is a subscriber only post and you are reading a preview version, become a paid subscriber on Susbtack to get access to the 15 min video along with weekly videos, articles, and exclusive insights.

Alexa von Tobel, founder and managing partner at Inspired Capital and founder and former CEO of LearnVest, attributes her success to her upbringing and entrepreneurial spirit. We also discussed her approach to decision-making, and empathetic leadership. She emphasized the importance of time, data, and trusting one’s instincts in making decisions. Von Tobel shares the challenges she faced in her initial steps into the corporate world, including sleep deprivation and constant mental activity. She credits her resilience to influential figures in her life, such as her first cousin, who provided her with valuable advice. We learn from her the importance of managing stress effectively, stating that she thrives in physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging situations. However, she also emphasizes the importance of taking time off to relax and rejuvenate.

We also discuss the importance of working with a coach in today’s corporate world. Von Tobel believes that leaders should have a clear vision for their companies, accompanied by a suitable strategy. She also stresses the importance of leaders demonstrating vulnerability, as it creates a safe psychological space within the company.

Alexa touches on vulnerability and how it has drawn many people to her cause, and she insists that being vulnerable is essential for continuous improvement. In this episode, von Tobel gives her advice to new leaders on how to establish an ideal combination of time, data, and instinct for decision-making; practice empathetic leadership; be comfortable with being unpopular; and live by her motto: “Get up, Dress up, Show up, Work harder.”

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and What I Learned This Week.

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Five Signs You Work For A Truly Great Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/five-signs-you-work-for-a-truly-great-leader-2/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48926 When discussing the conventional notion of "management," it often goes unnoticed that the entire framework was originally designed and cultivated to uphold the existing order, to evade and resist change, and to enforce rigid standards, rules, and protocols.

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Greatness Graphics are visuals designed to take leadership concepts and make them fun and simple. They are available exclusively to FREE subscribers on Substack, this is just the preview version. If you want the infographic along with the full article, enter your email here, it’s free and easy.

When discussing the conventional notion of “management,” it often goes unnoticed that the entire framework was originally designed and cultivated to uphold the existing order, to evade and resist change, and to enforce rigid standards, rules, and protocols.

In this context, managers were likened to juicers, with employees serving as the fruit. The primary objective of a manager was to extract every last drop of potential from their workforce.

Engagement? Health and well-being? Employee experience? Flexible work programs?

You must be joking!

These are all relatively fresh and innovative concepts. Fortunately, we find ourselves in a new era, where the landscape is rapidly evolving. Gone are the days when anyone aspires to be a manager or desires to be managed (in the traditional sense).

So how can you tell if you are working for this new breed of truly great leader?

Well, there are 5 signs to look out for.

1. Acts Like A Coach

Coaches and mentors are powerful instruments of change. Coaches help us all the time in our personal lives whether it be on the soccer field, in the gym, or in a therapy session. Why shouldn’t we have a coach in the workplace? And who better to be that coach than your leader? Truly great leaders (and I’m not necessarily talking about senior executives) encourage and empower their employees to accomplish their goals the same way a trainer would. These leaders see beyond their official job description to have a genuine and vested interest in the success of their people. These coaches believe in lifting up employees, removing obstacles from their paths, and helping them become more successful than they are. Perhaps the most crucial quality of a great coach is someone who is willing to make you more successful than they are!

2. Understands Your Weaknesses But Focuses On Your Strengths

It’s easy for us to get hung up on the shortcomings of others. If something doesn’t go as planned, just blame the weaknesses for failure. “Jim isn’t a great designer so we didn’t get the project.” “Brenda isn’t a great speaker so the client didn’t listen to her.”

It’s much harder to look past the weaknesses to instead focus on the strengths that individuals possess. This doesn’t mean simply turning a blind eye to weaknesses, it means understanding that they exist but looking beyond them to focus on what someone is truly good at.

John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches ever, he guided UCLA’s men basketball team to 7 championships…in a row. He understood that you can’t have a team where everyone is an all-star. However, John also knew he had certain players on the team who could only consistently make a basket from a certain part of the court. Instead of trying to get those players to be great shooters from the entire court, he would design plays so that the player would get the ball in the specific part of the court where they had the highest chance of scoring…he focused on their strengths.

Truly great leaders understand the strengths of their employees and they do what they can to make those strengths shine. We see this all the time in sports teams. We need to see more of this in the workplace and it starts with the leaders.

3. Wants To Know Your Story

Everyone has a story of where they came from, how they got to where they are today, what they care about and value, and what they want their life to look and be like. Your story is what makes you… you.

When I interview business leaders on my podcast, Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan, I always ask them where they came from and how they got to where they are. The stories I hear are truly amazing.

Truly great leaders want to know your story, they want to get to know you as a person not as simply someone who is filling a role on a team. This can be as simple as periodically checking in and saying, “How are you?” to taking employees out for coffee and talking about anything non-work related. Building this relationship is crucial for truly great managers.

Does your leader really know you and your story?

Get the other two along with the infographic by subscribing to the free version of Great Leadership On Substack, just enter your email here and click on the “free” version.

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The 5 Minute Leader: Spend Time With People Who Are Less Senior Than You https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-minute-leader-spend-time-with-people-who-are-less-senior-than-you/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48922 In today's episode of The 5 Minute Leader, I share a transformative leadership lesson from Keith Barr the CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group which employs over 325,000 people around the world. Keith was one of the CEOs I interviewed in my book, The Future Leader and one of the things he did that made him and his company successful was spend time with people who were less senior than him.

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The 5 Minute Leader is a weekly series available for paid subscribers on Substack. This is a preview version, to watch the video subscribe on Substack and get daily leadership wisdom to make you an amazing leader.

In today’s episode of The 5 Minute Leader, I share a transformative leadership lesson from Keith Barr the CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group which employs over 325,000 people around the world. Keith was one of the CEOs I interviewed in my book, The Future Leader and one of the things he did that made him and his company successful was spend time with people who were less senior than him. This sounds like common sense but it’s something very few leaders actually do!

As it turns out this is crucial not just for developing self-awareness but also for being able to identify new opportunities and mitigate any challenges that come your way.

Check out the video only available for paid subscribers of Great Leadership.


If you want to get the rest of this newsletter along with access to the video, join the substack community where I share all my best ideas, latest thinking, and exclusive content.

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Unleashing the Power of Productive Insubordination with Author and Psychologist Todd Kashdan https://thefutureorganization.com/unleashing-the-power-of-productive-insubordination-with-author-and-psychologist-todd-kashdan/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48911 The conversation today is fast paced, energetic, and touches on a lot of topics impacting organizations and individuals around the world. We look at how and why people are struggling with well-being, having a voice at work and if that’s even possible in today’s cancel culture climate, if you can really control technology or if technology controls you, the woke movement and the impact that is having on organizations and individuals including what Todd calls the speed to intolerance.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

The conversation today is fast paced, energetic, and touches on a lot of topics impacting organizations and individuals around the world. We look at how and why people are struggling with well-being, having a voice at work and if that’s even possible in today’s cancel culture climate, if you can really control technology or if technology controls you, the woke movement and the impact that is having on organizations and individuals including what Todd calls the speed to intolerance.

Dissent and insubordination aren’t typically associated with high-performing employees or successful teams and companies.

But according to Todd Kashdan, professor and best-selling author of The Art of Insubordination: How To Dissent & Defy Effectively, insubordination can be productive—even beautiful and powerful.

People conform daily, from following a line to get their morning coffee to taking turns for the copier at work and waiting for an open moment to speak in a meeting. Kashdan says conformity reduces the uncertainty in other people and helps avoid awkward or uncomfortable situations. When we know what to expect from other people’s actions, we can move smoothly through the day.

But conforming to every process and decision doesn’t challenge or improve people or companies. When people dissent by arguing a point or going against what’s been accepted by the group, they bring deeper questions forward. They are challenging the precedent and process of how decisions are made. Kashdan put it this way:

“That is the beauty of dissent. Even if you disagree with the view, even if the view is wrong, it improves the intelligent decision-making of the group.”

Members of a team or society don’t have to agree with each other on everything. That’s not how change happens or how the world gets better. But Kashdan points out that we can’t make assumptions about how people disagree with us and let it taint the rest of their identity. Dissent shouldn’t breed intolerance.

The rest of the article is available for free here, along with the full transcript

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on Youtube 

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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Employees Have Too Much Power & Organizations Are Taking It Back! https://thefutureorganization.com/employees-have-too-much-power-organizations-are-taking-it-back/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48907 As someone who has long championed employee experience and putting people first, this was a really hard but necessary article to write. Recently, we have seen a dramatic shift in terms of the balance of power from organizations to employees but it has gone too far in one direction.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers and leadership insights and strategies to accelerate your leadership development. My goal is to help you become the best leader you can be! Upgrade to Paid. This is just a preview of the article.

As someone who has long championed employee experience and putting people first, this was a really hard but necessary article to write.

Recently, we have seen a dramatic shift in terms of the balance of power from organizations to employees but it has gone too far in one direction.

In the past few decades, particularly during the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, organizations wielded immense power. They controlled every aspect of work, and employees were mere cogs in the machine—showing up, completing tasks, receiving pay, and going home. However, from the mid to late 2000s, the balance of power began to equalize a bit. Organizations started investing in employee engagement and experience programs, creating a more balanced environment. This trend accelerated in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic, however, has swung the pendulum too far in favor of employees, especially white-collar workers. CEOs and leaders frequently share stories of employees demanding higher pay, better benefits, more equity, remote work, and reduced four day workweeks. As companies face inevitable layoffs, those who demand too much and contribute too little are the first to go, which is what we are seeing now.

For the past few years, organizations have been acquiescing to the demands of their people and now with the end of The Great Resignation and Covid, that trend is reversing, in a sharp way…

The rest of the article is only available to paid subscribers on Substack.

Subscribe on Substack and join thousands of people around the world who start their day with the world’s top leaders, thinkers, and authors. You will get access to exclusive videos, interviews, research, and insights. Great Leadership on Substack is the best resource to help you become the best leader you can be!

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The Leader’s Toolkit: How The World’s #1 Chef Stays Innovative https://thefutureorganization.com/the-leaders-toolkit-how-the-worlds-1-chef-stays-innovative/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:00:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48882 You probably have no idea who René Redzepi is. He’s the Danish chef and co-owner of Noma which is based in Copenhagen. His restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine's World's Best Restaurants in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021, and was awarded its third Michelin star in 2021.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers and leadership insights and strategies to accelerate your leadership development. My goal is to help you become the best leader you can be! Upgrade to Paid. This is just a preview of the article.


You probably have no idea who René Redzepi is. He’s the Danish chef and co-owner of Noma which is based in Copenhagen. His restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine’s World’s Best Restaurants in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021, and was awarded its third Michelin star in 2021. In fact, René won the award so many times that they had to change the rules as a result!

At the age of 15, he enrolled in cooking school and the rest as they say is history. Working in a restaurant is one of the most stressful jobs that someone can have, especially as the head chef.

René believes that there are 3 critical components of leadership which are vulnerability, creativity, and innovation.

In today’s Leader’s Toolkit you will learn:

  • How René keeps ego from taking over for himself and his team.
  • How René retains high performers.
  • How he keeps innovating with new ideas and approaches.
  • How the concept of a “test kitchen” can apply to business.
  • and more.

Join thousands of others around the world and start your day with the world’s top CEOs, leaders, and thinkers by subscribing to Great Leadership on Substack.

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Greatness Graphics: 6 Top Behaviors of Leaders with High Emotional Intelligence https://thefutureorganization.com/greatness-graphics-6-top-behaviors-of-leaders-with-high-emotional-intelligence/ Wed, 31 May 2023 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48775 Emotional Intelligence is arguably the most important skill for any leader to succeed in the future of work.

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Greatness Graphics are infographics and visuals to help you better understand various leadership concepts and ideas. They are meant to be simple, fun, and practical! Get the infographic on Substack.

Emotional Intelligence is arguably the most important skill for any leader to succeed in the future of work.

There are fsix crucial components to EQ:

1. Self-awareness

This is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and drives. It involves being aware of how your emotions affect your actions and decisions. Self-aware individuals are able to accurately assess their own abilities and have a high level of self-confidence.

2. Self-regulation

This involves the ability to manage your emotions, particularly in stressful situations. It’s about being able to stay in control and not make impulsive decisions under pressure. Self-regulation also involves being adaptable to change and being able to say no when necessary.

3. Internal motivation

This is the drive to achieve for the sake of achievement. It’s about having a passion for what you do, being committed to your work, and having a positive outlook. Internally motivated individuals are often more productive and effective in their roles.

Get the other 3 as well as access to the infographic for FREE by subscribing to Great Leadership email newsletter on Substack. All you have to do is enter your email.

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The 5 Minute Leader: Create Opportunities for Sharing https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-minute-leader-create-opportunities-for-sharing/ Tue, 30 May 2023 13:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48764 Dave Gilboa is the CEO of Warby Parker, a New York-based online eyewear retailer founded in 2010, offering designer glasses at affordable prices with around 3,000 employees.

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The 5 Minute Leader is a weekly series available for paid subscribers on Substack where I share a leadership tip and strategy that a CEO shared with me.

Dave Gilboa is the CEO of Warby Parker, a New York-based online eyewear retailer founded in 2010, offering designer glasses at affordable prices with around 3,000 employees.

According to David one of the most important attributes of the modern day leader, is a willingness to be vulnerable (details on my book, Leading With Vulnerability will be coming soon!). The best way to do this according to David is to create opportunities where employees can open up and share.

In the video above I share the technique David uses and why it’s important for you to do this inside of your organization as well.

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Panera Brands CEO Niren Chaudhary on Creating a Culture Where People Feel Loved and Cared For https://thefutureorganization.com/panera-brands-ceo-niren-chaundry-on-creating-a-culture-where-people-feel-loved-and-cared-for/ Mon, 29 May 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48666 One of the most critical responsibilities of a leader is to create the company’s culture and work environment. Leaders set the tone for how the company operates and how it feels to work there.

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One of the most critical responsibilities of a leader is to create the company’s culture and work environment. Leaders set the tone for how the company operates and how it feels to work there.

For Niren Chaudhary, CEO of Panera Brands, that means creating a people-first culture. Niren oversees 4,000 stores and nearly 130,000 global employees across three areas of Panera Brands: Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bagels. He says his job and the job of leaders across the company is to love the people. Some leaders shy away from loving their people, saying it creates relationships that are too personal, but Niren firmly believes that leaders must lead in love.

When employees feel loved and supported, it impacts their work and the entire company. Niren said,

“If we love our people, then they will delight our guests. And if they delight our guests, we will also serve our communities. And if we do that, that’s how we’ll create enterprise value.”

Creating a holistic environment and culture where people truly feel loved and cared for is Niren’s guiding leadership philosophy. With that as his reason for coming to work every day, other leaders in the company follow his example to build relationships with employees and love them.

Niren says consistency in how you show up builds trust. And that trust is what unlocks human potential.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on Youtube 

Get the rest of the article and transcript and start your day with the worlds top leaders, thinkers, and authors by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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What I Learned This Week: Employee Tenure Versus Impact – What Matters More? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-i-learned-this-week-employee-tenure-versus-impact-what-matters-more/ Fri, 26 May 2023 13:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48508 Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with the concept of longevity which looks at healthspan and lifespan. Lifespan is how long you live and healthspan is the quality of your life in the years you have.

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👋 Hey, I’m Jacob and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of Great Leadership. Each week I share exclusive interviews with CEOs and thinkers and leadership insights and strategies to accelerate your leadership development. My goal is to help you become the best leader you can be! Upgrade to Paid. This is just a preview of the article


Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with the concept of longevity which looks at healthspan and lifespan. Lifespan is how long you live and healthspan is the quality of your life in the years you have. While you can’t necessarily control how long you live, you can certainly do everything in your power to make sure your quality of life is high.

I just finished reading Peter Attia’s book called “Longevity” and am also reading David Sinclair’s book called “Lifespan.” Both are fascinating reads and if you are into the science, mechanics, and chemistry of your body, food, and exercise then I recommend both of them.

Most of us focus on our lifespan which makes sense, after all, who wouldn’t want to live a long life? But what if the quality of your life severely diminishes as you get to your 70’s, 80’s, and hopefully your 90’s? Is a long life really the best goal you should be aiming for?

This is just as applicable inside of our organizations as it is our lives.

A few years ago, my grandfather Alex passed away in his 80’s in Melbourne, Australia. I wasn’t able to be there with him and had to watch him go on FaceTime, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do and when it happened I turned to my wife and cried.

Subscribe on Substack and join thousands of people around the world who start their day with the world’s top leaders, thinkers, and authors. You will get access to exclusive videos, interviews, research, and insights. Great Leadership on Substack is the best resource to help you become the best leader you can be!

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The Leader’s Toolkit: When Vulnerability Doesn’t Go According To Plan! https://thefutureorganization.com/the-leaders-toolkit-when-vulnerability-doesnt-go-according-to-plan/ Thu, 25 May 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48502 In an era where authenticity and transparency are highly valued, the concept of vulnerability in leadership has gained significant attention. Braden Wallake (aka “the crying CEO of his company Hypersocial) went viral on LinkedIn a few times, most notably for putting up a picture of himself crying because he had to fire some employees.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly deep dive around a specific topic to help make you a better leader. In today’s video Braden and I talk about vulnerability and sharing emotion at work.

In an era where authenticity and transparency are highly valued, the concept of vulnerability in leadership has gained significant attention. Braden Wallake (aka “the crying CEO of his company Hypersocial) went viral on LinkedIn a few times, most notably for putting up a picture of himself crying because he had to fire some employees.

His perspective was shaped by a personal experience where he posted a candid message on LinkedIn about his struggles, which elicited a wide range of reactions from the online community. This conversation offers a deep dive into the role of vulnerability in leadership, the challenges it presents, and the potential it holds for fostering a more inclusive and understanding workplace culture. Wallake’s experiences and insights provide a unique lens through which to view this complex and often misunderstood aspect of leadership.

In the discussion, Wallake explores various facets of vulnerability, including its manifestation in the workplace, dealing with negative reactions, the personal nature of vulnerability, and the societal tendency to be quick to judge. He also provides practical advice on how to start being vulnerable and maintaining positivity in the face of criticism.

If you want to learn the 7 strategies Braden uses, then become a paid subscriber on Substack where you can also watch the video.

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3 Ways to Genuinely Recognize Your Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-genuinely-recognize-your-employees/ Wed, 24 May 2023 13:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48498 Employee recognition is a fundamental aspect of effective leadership and a key component of a healthy workplace environment. It's the acknowledgment of an individual or team's behavior, effort, or business result that supports the organization's goals and values. It's about creating a positive work environment and showing employees that their work is valued and appreciated.

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This is part of my Substack series called “Greatness Graphics” where I share a weekly infographic about leadership and the future of work. To get the full HD infographic with more context, Subscribe to Great Leadership on Substack.

Employee recognition is a fundamental aspect of effective leadership and a key component of a healthy workplace environment. It’s the acknowledgment of an individual or team’s behavior, effort, or business result that supports the organization’s goals and values. It’s about creating a positive work environment and showing employees that their work is valued and appreciated.

Here are three reasons why it’s important for leaders to recognize their employees:

Improves Employee Engagement: When employees feel recognized for their work, they are more likely to be engaged in their tasks. According to a study by Gallup, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they’ll quit in the next year. In contrast, employees who do feel recognized are more likely to put in extra effort and are more engaged in their work.

To get the third way and access to the HD infographic with more context don’t forget to Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack, that is where I am posting all of my best and latest content going forward.

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The 5 Minute Leader: Surround Yourself With People Who Are Better and More Talented Than You https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-minute-leader-surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-better-and-more-talented-than-you/ Tue, 23 May 2023 13:00:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48487 The perception of leadership often carries with it the assumption that the leader must be the best, the most knowledgeable, the one who always has the answers. This traditional view of leadership, however, is outdated, wrong, and detrimental to the leader and the organization.

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The 5 Minute Leader is a weekly series available for paid subscribers on Substack. This is a preview version, to watch the video subscribe on Substack and get daily leadership wisdom to make you an amazing leader.

The perception of leadership often carries with it the assumption that the leader must be the best, the most knowledgeable, the one who always has the answers. This traditional view of leadership, however, is outdated, wrong, and detrimental to the leader and the organization.

In my conversations with numerous leaders, I’ve found that many grapple with this notion, feeling the weight of expectations to always be the ‘best’ in the room. The reality is, effective leadership doesn’t necessitate being the most talented or the smartest individual on your team. Instead, it calls for the ability to harness the collective intelligence and talents of your team members.

I encourage you to embrace the idea of building relationships with individuals who possess skills and talents that surpass your own. This is not a sign of weakness, but rather a strategic move that can enhance your leadership effectiveness and the overall performance of your team.

Bob Dutkowsky is the former CEO and Executive Chairman of Tech Data, a multinational distribution company employing over 14,000 people. He’s also the board chair at US Foods and serves on the board of directors for Pitney Bowes Inc., Raymond James Financial, Inc. and The Hershey Company. He’s one of the most seasoned leaders in the world and he credits his massive success to surrounding himself with people who are better than he is.

Here’s what he told me (and you can see and learn more in the video).

……….

If you want to get the rest of this newsletter along with access to the video, join the substack community where I share all my best ideas, latest thinking, and exclusive content. It’s only $9.99/month or $108/year and you get invaluable leadership insights, research, and content!

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Gary Hamel On Zombie Buildings, The End Of The Great Resignation, Elon Musk, & Productivity https://thefutureorganization.com/gary-hamel-on-zombie-buildings-the-end-of-the-great-resignation-elon-musk-productivity/ Mon, 22 May 2023 13:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48480 My guest today is the brilliant, sharp-witted, and funny Gary Hamel! He’s a professor at the London School of Business, best-selling author, and one of the world’s top business thinkers. Gary is a repeat guest on the show and today we’re doing something that I’ve never done before, and that is focus on current leadership and business news, something that many listeners have asked me to do.

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My guest today is the brilliant, sharp-witted, and funny Gary Hamel! He’s a professor at the London School of Business, best-selling author, and one of the world’s top business thinkers. Gary is a repeat guest on the show and today we’re doing something that I’ve never done before, and that is focus on current leadership and business news, something that many listeners have asked me to do.

The format is that I pulled together a few trending leadership and business stories and Gary and I talk about them and share our opinions. Gary had no advance notice of the stories I was going to ask him which made it even more fun!

Some of the topics include:

  • Digital overload where a recent WSJ highlights that we spend 2 days a week on email and meetings.
  • Why the great resignation is over and is now being replaced by something called “The Great Stay.” This was a Business Inside Story.
  • The truth behind “Zombie Buildings” and if in-person work is ever going to make a comeback and why we still need in-person work. This was a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group.
  • ChatGpt and AI and the impact it’s going to have on the workforce. We specifically look at a story which states that white-collar workers are going to get decimated with the rise of AI, is that really true?
  • Elon Musk’s recent leaked memo where he told his executives that he has to personally approve any new hires.

The conversation is faced-pace and filled with insights, stories, and practical applications. I’d love to hear what you think of this format and if you want me to do more of these in the future. Leave me a comment and let me know!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on Youtube

📄 Read the transcript (for Substack subscribers)

Subscribe on Substack where you can get access to the full transcript as well as organized and archived access to all of my best leadership content and latest thinking.

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Leaders Must Be Able To Set A Vision And Execute On That Vision https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-must-be-able-to-set-a-vision-and-execute-on-that-vision/ Fri, 19 May 2023 13:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48473 A few days ago I was listening to a podcast with Tom Bilyeu and Konstantin Kisin. The conversation wasn’t really focused on business but a few themes business themes came up and one of them was the idea of the kite and the string which is an amazing analogy.

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This is a preview version of “What I Learned This Week” which is a weekly series available to subscribers on Substack where I share a leadership insight that I learned in a given week. To get access to the full article, become a subscriber on Substack.

A few days ago I was listening to a podcast with Tom Bilyeu and Konstantin Kisin. The conversation wasn’t really focused on business but a few themes business themes came up and one of them was the idea of the kite and the string which is an amazing analogy.

As Tom mentioned during the interview, in business we typically have the visionary innovators and then we also have those who are good at executing and getting things done. Oftentimes the visionaries look at the executors and think “you should be a visionary like me” and the executors look at the visionaries and think “you should be an executor like me.” They both approach business from their own unique lens oftentimes not realizing that they need each other in order to be able to achieve their goals and see success.

Another way to think about this is that every leader needs to be able to have vision and execute, so the string and the kite are two sides for a single leader.

This is my preferred version and we see several great examples of this in today’s world including Elon Musk (although it can be argued he needs more control), Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Judy Marks (Otis Elevator), Barbara Humpton (Siemens U.S.), Deb Cupp (President Microsoft U.S.)

Read the rest of the article and learn what you as a leader should be doing by heading over to Substack.

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The Leader’s Toolkit: The Unspoken Rules of Career & Leadership Success https://thefutureorganization.com/the-leaders-toolkit-the-unspoken-rules-of-career-leadership-success/ Thu, 18 May 2023 13:00:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48468 While competence is often the primary focus of many employees, commitment and compatibility are equally important. According to Gorick, employees often overlook the importance of compatibility and commitment, focusing solely on competence.

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The Leader’s Toolkit is a weekly deep dive around a specific topic to help make you a better leader. In today’s video (available for subscribers on Substack) Gorick will share the 3 C’s that leaders care about most which are competence, commitment, and capability.

While competence is often the primary focus of many employees, commitment and compatibility are equally important. According to Gorick, employees often overlook the importance of compatibility and commitment, focusing solely on competence. This discrepancy can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Commitment reflects an employee’s dedication and willingness to go above and beyond for the organization. Compatibility, on the other hand, refers to how well an employee fits within the team and aligns with the company’s culture. Ng stresses the importance of balancing all three aspects for optimum career advancement.

Gorick will also go over the 5 questions that you should be asking yourself on a regular basic to ensure career success and progression.

To read the rest of the preview article head over to Substack and enter your email. If you become a paid subscriber you will get access to a weekly episode of The 5 Minute Leader, The Leader’s Toolkit, and What I Learned This Week.

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3 Ways Leaders Can Create a Great Place to Work https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-leaders-can-create-a-great-place-to-work/ Wed, 17 May 2023 13:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48461 For decades organizations around the world have been places where employees NEED to work. Today, we are making a shift to creating places where employees actually WANT to work there. This is a big part of what employee experience is all about.

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Greatness Graphics are infographics and visuals to help you better understand various leadership concepts and ideas. They are meant to be simple, fun, and practical! Get the infographic on Substack.

For decades organizations around the world have been places where employees NEED to work. Today, we are making a shift to creating places where employees actually WANT to work there. This is a big part of what employee experience is all about.

When you create a great place to work, employees are excited to be there. They are engaged and want to put in their best work. And that all starts with leaders just like you.

Here are three ways leaders can create a great place to work (to get the free infographic head over to Substack and subscribe):

Make people more successful THAN YOU

We assume coaching and mentoring is about making people more successful but that’s not true. It’s easy to spend a few minutes teaching someone something or giving advice to help make them more successful. But I want to challenge you to add two words to the end of that sentence “than you.”

Help make other people more successful THAN YOU. When leaders understand their role is to help unlock the potential of their people, it transforms every aspect of the company and its culture.

Get to know your employees as individuals

This is something I have talked about for the better part of a decade now. People don’t want to work for an organization that treats them like numbers. Each employee is an individual, so take time to learn their motivations, goals, fears, and what makes them tick. Start conversations, build relationships, and be human. Connection is the best way to make people feel valued and appreciated.

View yourself as a lighthouse

Did you notice that the logo for this newsletter is a lighthouse? That’s because throughout history, lighthouses were used by mariners and explorers to find their way to their destinations and to navigate the waters safely.

Modern leaders are lighthouses who shine their light onto the sea of uncertainty that we are all a part of. They guide their people to success in a safe way.

Creating a great place to work starts with leaders who care about their people and view themselves as lighthouses. Remember, without ships in the water a lighthouse is useless. There’s no point building yourself up to become a great leader if you aren’t guiding others to do the same.

Leaders have an amazing impact both inside and outside of their organizations, and how employees feel and are treated at work affects every area of their lives.

Be human and build a place people WANT to be.

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The 5 Minute Leader: Being Liked Vs Trusted, What’s Better? https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-minute-leader-being-liked-vs-trusted-whats-better/ Tue, 16 May 2023 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48456 Barri Rafferty is the former CEO of Ketchum, one of the world's top public relations and communications firms with 2,500 employees. Today she is the interim CEO at C200 a women's business leadership organization.

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The 5 Minute Leader is a weekly series available for paid subscribers on Substack. This is a preview version, to watch the video subscribe on Substack and get daily leadership wisdom to make you an amazing leader.

Barri Rafferty is the former CEO of Ketchum, one of the world’s top public relations and communications firms with 2,500 employees. Today she is the interim CEO at C200 a women’s business leadership organization.

During her leadership journey Barri learned the difference and the balance between being liked and being trusted.

According to Barri:

“I grew up in the south, and I think that one of the hardest things to learn was that, it’s better to be trusted than to be liked. Sometimes you’re going to have to make the tough calls. People aren’t going to be happy. But if they trust you, and they understand why you made that decision, then they will follow you.”

Would you rather be liked or trusted?

It’s not an easy question, is it? Many of us have been hard-wired to seek acceptance, rather than trust, but it’s something that’s beginning to matter a lot for leaders.

If you want to get the rest of this newsletter along with access to the video, join the substack community where I share all my best ideas, latest thinking, and exclusive content.

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How John Chambers, Former CEO of Cisco, Took The Company From $70 Million To $47 Billion! https://thefutureorganization.com/how-john-chambers-former-ceo-of-cisco-took-the-company-from-70-million-to-47-billion/ Mon, 15 May 2023 13:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48449 Admitting you have dyslexia as a CEO can be daunting. For John Chambers, it happened when he was CEO of Cisco in an unplanned moment as he responded to a child on Take Your Child to Work Day.

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Do you want daily leadership insights, wisdom, and tips? Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack which is where I’m sharing all my best content, latest thinking, and exclusive insights.

Admitting you have dyslexia as a CEO can be daunting. For John Chambers, it happened when he was CEO of Cisco in an unplanned moment as he responded to a child on Take Your Child to Work Day. At that moment, he wanted to reassure the young girl about her disability, but he admitted on the microphone that he was dyslexic.

That moment of vulnerability was transformative for John’s leadership and helped him realize the power of his challenges. Instead of focusing on his weakness, he could turn it into a strength and encourage others to do the same.

John told me this:

“All of us have challenges in life. How you deal with your challenges, even if they’re self-inflicted, determines more who you are than how you handle your successes.”

Early in his career, John thought people wanted leaders who were superhuman and didn’t have any weaknesses. But he learned that he was wrong about that. Before he could share his weakness, he had to be comfortable with himself. But if people trust you, sharing your weakness allows them to get closer to you. After sharing about his dyslexia for the first time, John says he got more emails from that session than any other session because people understood him better and wanted to share their appreciation and similar situations.

Read the rest on Substack and access to lots of other amazing leadership content!

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on Youtube

To read the full article and get access to the transcript subscribe on Substack

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What I Learned This Week: Job Title Vs Competence Are NOT The Same Thing! https://thefutureorganization.com/what-i-learned-this-week-job-title-vs-competence-are-not-the-same-thing/ Fri, 12 May 2023 13:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48443 You probably haven’t heard of Magnus Carlsen but he’s been the world chess champion for over the past decade. He’s also the highest rated chess player and champion in blitz (fast), rapid (medium), and classical (slow) chess. Needless to say at age 32 he’s considered to be the world’s greatest chess player ever.

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What I Learned This Week is a weekly column where I share leadership insights and research from daily work. The full version is only available to paid subscribers on Substack.

You probably haven’t heard of Magnus Carlsen but he’s been the world chess champion for over the past decade. He’s also the highest rated chess player and champion in blitz (fast), rapid (medium), and classical (slow) chess. Needless to say at age 32 he’s considered to be the world’s greatest chess player ever. If you’ve followed my content, you’ll know that I’m a bit of a chess nut and compete in tournaments, here’s a pic of me playing in San Francisco during the pandemic when masks where mandated.

Magnus recently abdicated his throne in classical chess saying that he didn’t want to compete for the title anymore. Instead, Ding Liren from China and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia have been battling out to see who the next champion is going to be. Ding recently won the match in a thrilling game of tie-breaks.

But what does chess have to do with title and competence and how does it apply to you and your leadership journey? It turns out, quite a lot! Read the rest on Substack.

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How Do You Know What Kind Of Work You Should Be Doing? https://thefutureorganization.com/how-do-you-know-what-kind-of-work-you-should-be-doing/ Thu, 11 May 2023 13:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48437 The importance of understanding one's strengths and weaknesses in the workplace is an often discussed but rarely implemented concept.

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Great Leadership has moved to Substack. This is a preview version or the article, to get the full version subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack.

The importance of understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses in the workplace is an often discussed but rarely implemented concept. Patrick Lencioni is the best-selling author of several books including The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, The Advantage, The 6 Types Of Working Genius, and several others which have collectively sold over 8 million copies!

In today’s episode of The Leader’s Toolkit, Patrick talks about what to do after you figure out what your working genius is and how to match that to the work you should be doing. There are 6 types of working genius which include:

  1. Wonder
  2. Invention
  3. Discernment
  4. Galvanizing
  5. Enablement
  6. Tenacity

Lencioni argues that managers and leaders have a responsibility to ensure that their team members are working in roles where they can operate in their area of genius, instead of struggling with tasks they are not adept at. He emphasizes the need for individuals to be humble and vulnerable enough to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and to communicate this to their managers and colleagues.

Read the rest of the preview article by subscribing to Great Leadership On Substack.

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Do We Need Offices Anymore? Actually….Yes! https://thefutureorganization.com/do-we-need-offices-anymore-actually-yes/ Wed, 10 May 2023 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48432 Do we even need offices anymore? Why can't everything just be done virtually without physically seeing leaders, customers, or team members?

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This is part of my Substack series called “Greatness Graphics” where I share a weekly infographic about leadership and the future of work. To get the full HD infographic with more context, Subscribe to Great Leadership on Substack.

Do we even need offices anymore? Why can’t everything just be done virtually without physically seeing leaders, customers, or team members?

There’s no doubt that flexible work is the future of work. But we need to remember that flexible work doesn’t mean full-time virtual work. The pandemic showed that remote work isn’t just possible–it’s effective, cost-saving, and enjoyable.

But just because remote work is increasing doesn’t mean in-person work is dead. Collaborating face-to-face with co-workers can help a business and its employees grow in powerful ways.

Boosts Morale

Many employees want to work together in person. A survey by JLL found that three in four employees hope to return to in-person work in an office, with the majority favoring a hybrid model.

While remote work brings flexibility, it also comes with mental strain and loneliness. Companies have found that it is much easier to build morale and a solid corporate culture when employees are working together in person, at least some of the time.

Working in an office provides an instant boundary between work and home life, which can improve workers’ mental health and make them more productive when they are at work.

Builds Networks

Socializing with co-workers in person can be a huge boost to morale and career development opportunities. Having the chance to rub shoulders is especially beneficial for workers early in their careers who rely on in-person connections to grow their skills and network. 87% of employees say the office is essential for collaborating and building relationships.

Online networking is one thing, but meeting in person to share advice and contacts is invaluable. Research has found that no matter how productive an employee is who works from home, the lack of physical face time with managers and leaders can negatively impact promotions.

Encourages Collaboration

In-person work can create a robust environment for collaboration and brainstorming. While many people may be hesitant to share ideas or brainstorm virtually, they can more easily get on the same page when meeting in person.

The JLL survey found that 97% of high performers say their office enables easy collaboration. Even with today’s robust collaboration tools, sitting in the same room as someone to hash out ideas can move projects ahead faster.

Does this mean that all companies need to return to full-time in-person work? No. There are still numerous benefits to flexible work. Many companies will likely move to a hybrid model that allows employees to work in an office for a few days and spend the rest of their time working remotely.

Even with the technology and growing acceptance of remote work, in-person is still a vital part of the future of work.

The future of work isn’t virtual…it’s flexible.

If you want the full HD infographic with more context, don’t forget to Subscribe to Great Leadership On Substack, that is where I am posting all of my best and latest content going forward.

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How To Take Someone Else’s Perspective & Practice Empathy https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-take-someone-elses-perspective-practice-empathy/ Tue, 09 May 2023 13:30:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48426 Brad Jacobs is the former Chairman and CEO of United Rentals and also the former CEO of 38,000 person XPO (after the spin off) where he is now executive chairman. Brad has actually created 7 companies, 5 of which are publicly traded (including XPO, RXO, and GXO).

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The 5 Minute Leader is a series where I share a weekly leadership hack, tip, or strategy that one of the world’s top CEO or leaders shared with me.

Brad Jacobs is the former Chairman and CEO of United Rentals and also the former CEO of 38,000 person XPO (after the spin off) where he is now executive chairman. Brad has actually created 7 companies, 5 of which are publicly traded (including XPO, RXO, and GXO). During his career Brad was responsible for over 500 acquisitions and he is looked up to and admired by many top leaders around the world. He’s a serial entrepreneur and one of the smartest business people I’ve ever talked with.

When we spoke, Brad said something to me that really resonated, I go into detail in the video, and share a quote from Brad, but what has really helped him embrace and practice this skill are his four daughters.

Often, we view things not as they are, but as WE are, so in today’s exercise, I want to give you a really eye-opening and interactive way to start seeing things from other people’s perspectives. This has really transformed Brad’s career and helped make him a better leader, and it will do the same for you.

If you want to get the rest of this newsletter along with access to the video, join the substack community where I share all my best ideas, latest thinking, and exclusive content.

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Wharton Professor Stewart Friedman’s TOTAL Leadership Framework https://thefutureorganization.com/wharton-professor-stewart-friedmans-total-leadership-framework/ Mon, 08 May 2023 13:30:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48413 Dr. Stewart Friedman is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of both The Wharton Leadership Program and Wharton’s Work/Life Integration Project.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Stewart_Friedman_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Stewart Friedman Transcript

Dr. Stewart Friedman is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of both The Wharton Leadership Program and Wharton’s Work/Life Integration Project.

In today’s episode we explore:

🚀 What it means to be a future-ready leader. Stewart shares his background and his experience at Ford Motor Company, where he took time away from teaching to lead a 50-person team focused on transforming the company culture through leadership development, reaching 2,500 managers per year.

👨 👩 👧 👦 How the way you feel about your job affects how well you parent your kids. We’ll dive into Stewart’s research and explore the concept of work-life integration, debunking the myth of work-life balance, and discussing the pandemic’s impact on this delicate interplay.

📚 We’ll also unpack his research paper “The Indirect Effect of Holistic Career Values on Work Engagement: A Longitudinal Study Spanning Two Decades” and explore the implications of his findings for leaders today.

🔍 We’ll also explore Stewart’s TOTAL leadership framework which focuses on the importance of finding mutual value in four domains: work, home, community, and self (mind/body/spirit). You will discover how leadership impacts all of these areas and how leaders need to adapt to create lasting, positive change.

💡 Finally, we’ll discuss vulnerability in leadership and why it’s crucial for effective and empathetic leaders.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

🎧 Watch on Youtube

You can get access to the transcript by subscribing on Substack

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What I Learned This Week: How To Balance Happiness With A Paycheck From The CEO Of Panera Bread & Brands https://thefutureorganization.com/what-i-learned-this-week-how-to-balance-happiness-with-a-paycheck-from-the-ceo-of-panera-bread-brands/ Fri, 05 May 2023 13:10:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48405 I recently had a conversation with Niren Chaudhary, the CEO of Panera Bread and Panera Brands. He is responsible for over 130,000 employees. It’s a tough but rewarding job. Niren has also had to overcome seemingly impossible challenges, the greatest of which was the loss of two of his daughters.

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This is a preview version of Great Leadership on Substack. To get access to “What I Learned This Week” along with other premium content, subscribe on Substack by following this link.

I recently had a conversation with Niren Chaudhary, the CEO of Panera Bread and Panera Brands. He is responsible for over 130,000 employees. It’s a tough but rewarding job. Niren has also had to overcome seemingly impossible challenges, the greatest of which was the loss of two of his daughters.

We had a long conversation about business and life and one of the things I asked him was how we can balance feeling fulfilled and happy with the reality of life that we need a paycheck. He shared a crucial life and leadership lesson with me that I want to share with you. It all comes down to viewing who you are and what you are, not uni-dimensionally, but multi-dimensionally.

It’s similar to the famous Tyler Durden quote from the movie Fight Club where he says:

“You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet.”

Niren has a much more structured and practical way that he likes to look at this and I can say that it has changed my life.

In his own words:

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How to Overcome The Four Frictions Of Innovation & Get Your Ideas Implemented https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-overcome-the-four-frictions-of-innovation-get-your-ideas-implemented/ Thu, 04 May 2023 13:30:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48393 Loran Nordgren is best-selling author of "The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas." For the past few years he has been studying change and why it's such a struggle inside of organizations, specifically for leaders.

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This is a preview version of Great Leadership on Substack. To get access to The Leader’s Toolkit which features weekly 15 min deep dive sessions along with other premium content, subscribe on Substack by following this link.

Loran Nordgren is best-selling author of “The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas.” For the past few years he has been studying change and why it’s such a struggle inside of organizations, specifically for leaders.

One of the core responsibilities of any great leader is to be able to drive change, but that’s easier said than done. According to Loran there are 4 types of frictions that exist inside of organizations. These are:

  1. Inertia: Does the idea represent a major change?
  2. Effort: What is the cost of implementation?
  3. Reactance: Does the audience feel pressured to change?
  4. Emotion: What negative feelings might the idea produce?

The first thing any leader needs to do is take a step back and identify the friction by asking the four questions above. This is crucial before doing any kind of implementation.

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Listen More Than You Talk: Leadership Advice From The Former CEO of Brazil’s Largest Bank https://thefutureorganization.com/listen-more-than-you-talk-leadership-advice-from-the-former-ceo-of-brazils-largest-bank/ Wed, 03 May 2023 14:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48398 In today's fast-paced business environment, effective communication is essential for success. One of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of communication is listening.

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Candido Botelho Bracher is the former CEO of Itau Unibanco which is Brazil’s largest bank with around 100,000 employees around the world. When I asked him for his best piece of leadership advice he said “listen more than you talk.”

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective communication is essential for success. One of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of communication is listening. Leaders often feel the need to talk, communicate, and delegate in order to maintain control and assert their authority. However, this constant talking can hinder their ability to truly understand the needs and concerns of their team members. By actively listening, leaders can foster a more open and collaborative environment, where team members feel heard and valued. This, in turn, can lead to increased trust, higher levels of engagement, and better overall performance.

(video only available to paid subscribers on Substack)

 

A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that leaders who exhibit strong listening skills are perceived as more effective, influential, and trustworthy. Furthermore, a report by the International Listening Association revealed that poor listening is the cause of 60% of all workplace errors and misunderstandings.

Get the rest on Substack…

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Great Leadership Is On Substack! https://thefutureorganization.com/great-leadership-is-on-substack/ Tue, 02 May 2023 15:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48378 I’ve been creating content in various forms on leadership, employee experience, and the future of work for over 15 years. I’ve mostly done this on platforms like LinkedIn, my email newsletter list, and other social media channels.

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From Following to Community

If you don’t want to read all of this, the gist is that Substack is going to be where I’ll be sharing all of the best and newest content going forward. You can subscribe for free here or you can become a paid subscriber here (details below).

I’ve been creating content in various forms on leadership, employee experience, and the future of work for over 15 years. I’ve mostly done this on platforms like LinkedIn, my email newsletter list, and other social media channels. I’ve been able to build an amazing following of hundreds of thousands of people around the world but I’ve never been able to create a true community. A place where I can easily and effectively share ideas, insights, and research that allows allows us to have discussions, debates, and exchanges. I’m grateful for the following I have but a community of likeminded people is a far more powerful force for leadership change.

Why Substack

I’ve been exploring various ideas and options for building a community and Substack will allow me to do a few things. First, it will allow all of my free and premium content to be organized in a more easily accessible and structured way. Instead of just creating new content randomly online, everything will have a place where it lives and can be accessed at any time via archives and organized sections. Second, Substack does a great job of allowing discussions and interaction on specific pieces of content that can be driven not just via the platform but also via email. Third, Substack allows me to create premium content for people who want to subscribe and really dive deep into leadership while also creating free content for those who just want high level insights. Fourth, Substack has a discoverability factor for other people on the platform who are interested in all things leadership, something social media doesn’t do a good job at.

As someone who has never worked for a great leaders, my mission and passion is to create great leaders, engaged employees, and future-ready organizations. This is the best way that I have found to make that happen.

What this means for you on LinkedIn

You will get occasional posts from me here but most of my content is going to preview content of what you can get get on Substack. My best content, latest thinking, and exclusive interviews will only be available to paid subscribers on Substack (it’s only $9.99/month for paid subscribers). But even free subscribers will get value from occasional posts.

Why You Should Become A Paid Subscriber on Substack:

  • The 5-Minute Leader: A series of weekly 5 minute videos where I share a leadership hack or strategy that I learned from a CEO of leader. These are practical, actionable, and applicable (tested) in the business world.
  • What I Learned This Week: Each week I will share something unique I learned from a leader, a book, an experience, etc that is applicable to your leadership journey.
  • The Leader’s Toolkit: Each week you will get access to an exclusive 15-20 min audio and video recording where I interview a CEO, a leader, thinker, or best-selling author on something very specific and actionable. Examples include: the technique a rocket scientist uses to generate new ideas, Ray Dalio’s 3 habits of success, how the CEO of NASA Science approaches doing new things, how the former CEO of The Home Depot approaches employee recognition, the 3 questions the founder of AOL asks when innovating in a rapidly changing world, how an F-16 fighter pilot prioritizes information, how the CEO of Sesame Workshop says leaders should re-wire themselves, and many others. These are deep dive discussions around a focused topic.

More amazing things are in the works potentially including monthly Zoom sessions, CEO Q&As, guest articles, and more. I’ll decide on what to roll out as the community grows.

All of the content I create will be delivered via email but also accessible via Substack, the really great thing is you will have more control over the content you actually get. For example you can pick and choose what emails you want to get and how often. Something that wasn’t possible previously.

I’m excited about the future of both the Great Leadership Community but also of Substack. Together, I think we can build an amazing community and change the business world for the better.

I hope you join me on this new adventure. I can’t do it without you!

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Microsoft President Deb Cupp’s Insights into Helping Others (and Yourself) Succeed https://thefutureorganization.com/microsoft-president-deb-cupps-insights-into-helping-others-and-yourself-succeed/ Mon, 01 May 2023 10:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48370 Today I have the privilege of interviewing Debb Cupp, the President of Microsoft North America which is a $67 billion dollar business. She is also a board member of Ralph Lauren and Avanade.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Debb_Cupp_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Deb Cupp Transcript

Today I have the privilege of interviewing Deb Cupp, the President of Microsoft North America which is a $67 billion dollar business. She is also a board member of Ralph Lauren and Avanade.

With over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, Deb has learned the importance of having a coach mindset and how it can transform the way we lead. In this interview, we’ll explore the topic of coaching and how it can benefit both employees and organizations. Deb will share her insights on the coaching process, highlighting key frameworks and strategies for coaching employees, and what to do when employees are not coachable. She will also emphasize the importance of coaching the coach and focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses.

🎧 Listen on Spotify

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts

 🎧 Watch on Youtube

By the way, stay tuned for a HUGE announcement from me tomorrow. But I’ll let you in a little secret. We’re building The Great Leadership Community on Substack with lots of really amazing things in the works including premium content. If you want to be one of the first people to join you can do so here. 

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Your Blueprint To Attract & Retain Top Talent https://thefutureorganization.com/your-blueprint-to-attract-retain-top-talent/ Fri, 28 Apr 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48365 Do you want to know how to attract and retain the world's top talent? This is the #1 trend for many organizations around the world.

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Do you want to know how to attract and retain the world’s top talent? This is the #1 trend for many organizations around the world.

The world of work is changing. It’s time we change along with it. That means using the changes we are seeing and experiencing as a catalyst to think differently about what it means to attract and retain employees. Now is your opportunity to create an organization where people want, not need, to show up to work.

And all of those changes come back to employee experience.

But what does employee experience actually mean? There’s a lot of talk about employee experience, but many people don’t know how to make it a reality in their organizations.

I’m here to change that.

I’ve spent years researching employee experience and pioneered concepts and practices used by many of the world’s top organizations. But employee experience isn’t just for the Googles and Microsofts of the world–it’s for every company, large and small.

In my revamped Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0, I share everything you need to know to create an excellent, people-first organization. This includes everything from the basics of defining employee experience to the three environments that contribute to providing best practices and tips you can implement today.

In this course, you’ll learn:

  • The difference between employee engagement and employee experience
  • Trends shaping the employee experience
  • The ROI of investing in employee experience
  • How to design great employee experiences
  • And much more!

Employee experience isn’t just a buzzword. It has a real impact on organizations. Organizations that excel in employee experience have higher profits, better stock price performance, lower turnover, and more.

Yes, times are changing, but they don’t have to be scary. This is an opportunity to update your organization and grow to prepare for the future.

What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more about the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0 and sign up.

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New Research: Which Country Has the Best Leaders? https://thefutureorganization.com/new-research-which-country-has-the-best-leaders-2/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 13:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48356 Will the leader of 2030 be that different than today and if so how? These were the two questions I wanted to answer in my book, The Future Leader.

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Will the leader of 2030 be that different than today and if so how? These were the two questions I wanted to answer in my book, The Future Leader. I wrote the book before COVID-19 and now the insights and the research are especially more relevant since leaders are having to adapt and change quickly!

Unfortunately, there isn’t much research or data on how to lead in a new and rapidly changing world so, I decided to do my own research.

For part 1 I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, Koc Holdings, SAP, Oracle, MasterCard, Verizon, Unilever, Best Buy, KPMG, and many others. I asked all of these CEOs a series of 12 questions covering everything from skills and mindsets for future leaders to trends and challenges and even how a typical day for a leader will change. More of this will be shared in the future.

After compiling, categorizing, and tabulating all of this data I was able to determine the top skills and mindsets that the world’s top CEO’s believe are most important for leaders. The general consensus was that while some core aspects of leadership will remain the same, such as setting a vision and execution on strategy, leaders also require a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to guide themselves, their teams, and their organizations to success. Why do we need a new set of skills and mindsets? Because of the 6 trends you can see below (I wrote about all of these in more depth here).

For part 2 of this research I partnered with LinkedIn to survey almost 14,000 employees around the world representing the U.S, UK, India, Brazil, China, Australia, UAE, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This gave us good global representation and allowed me to compare the insights across seniority levels.

I took all of the data from the 140+ CEOs around skills and mindsets and asked the almost 14,000 employees around the world how well their mid and senior leaders were practicing these skills and mindsets. The respondents were able to select from four options (a fifth option of “not sure” was included but I’m not including it here):

  1. Not well at all
  2. Somewhat well
  3. Reasonably well
  4. Very well

The skills and mindsets include things like: curiosity, having a growth mindset, thinking like a futurist, coaching and mentoring, emotional intelligence, thinking globally, and several others.

In the two charts below you can see the global breakdown of the responses which looks at the top two categories of “reasonably well” and “very well.” The first chart looks specifically at mindsets (how leaders need to think) and the second chart looks at skills (things that leaders specifically need to know how to do).

Mid-level leaders (“managers” in the chart) 

Brazil surprisingly had the highest percentage of respondents say that their mid-level leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) came in second place. Brazil also had the highest percentage of people who were confident in their own ability to practice these mindsets and skills.

Senior executives

Here too, Brazil had the highest percentage of respondents say that their senior leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” India scored in second.

Interestingly enough even though mid-level leaders in the U.S. scored in third place, senior executives in the U.S. were nowhere near the top of the pack. I was rather surprised by these findings since many tend to look to the U.S. as exemplars when it comes to evolving workplace practices and leadership styles.

I’d love to hear from all of you, does this research align with what you are seeing and experiencing in your own part of the world? Of course, we couldn’t survey every country but we tried to get a good geographic representation.

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in the new world of work? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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The Evolution of Leaders: Adapting Strategies for Tomorrow’s Success https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-leaders-adapting-strategies-for-tomorrows-success/ Wed, 26 Apr 2023 13:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48349 The past few years have forced organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the "leader" is evolving.

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The past few years have forced organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the “leader” is evolving.

In 2014 I wrote a best-selling book called, The Future of Work and I developed a concept in there called “The Evolution of the Leader” which shows how this leadership is changing. This change has been gradual but COVID-19 has dramatically sped this up.

This is how leaders are evolving and what organizations around the world need to embrace, prepare for, and encourage.

Managers must be leaders

There’s a constant debate around whether we need more managers or more leaders or if someone should be called a manager or a leader. Nobody wants to be managed and many don’t even want to be called a manager. In fact if you look up the word manager in the dictionary you will find that synonyms include: slav-driver, boss, and my personal favorite…zookeeper. Anyone who is responsible for others must not only be good at things like delegating, team-building, and executing on strategy but they must also be good “people” leaders who can engage, empower, and inspire others. With the current pandemic we are all experiencing, it’s never been more important for leaders around the world to put the needs of their people first and the priorities of the business second. You can’t just be put into a position to lead others because you are good at office politics or because you closed a big deal…leadership is earned from those you serve, it cannot be commanded by how much you earn. There are 9 skills and mindsets which make up a truly great leader.

Leaders must understand the trends shaping the future of work

I talked about this in a previous article, they are:

1) Globalization: the barriers to doing business anywhere in the world are decreasing

2) Changing demographics: with multiple generations in the workforce and people working longer, we need to rethink what “employee” means and looks like.

3) New behaviors: originally I attributed these new behaviors to technologies such as social media, but it’s clear that COVID-19 is another factor here that is forcing us to think differently about work (and life).

4) Technology: things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things, and the like, are forcing us to think differently about work.

5) Mobility: working anytime, anywhere, and on any device

Leaders must understand what these five trends are and how they are going to impact their respective organizations, their careers, and the lives of people they serve.

Leaders must embrace vulnerability (the subject of my next book coming out in October!)

We can no longer have leaders in the workplace that resemble robots. It’s bad enough that there is quite a bit of concern around actual robots taking jobs away from humans, the last thing we need are humans that act like robots. It makes me think of the saying, “I’m not a doctor but I play one on t.v.” – applied to leaders this would be “I’m not a robot but I play one in the workplace.” Brene Brown said it best when she quipped that there is no innovation without vulnerability. This is because people want to build relationships with other…people. This requires trust and a human connection. When leaders put up a wall of being stoic, all-knowing, emotionless beings, they kill off any hope of innovation, trust, and connection. Leaders embracing vulnerability in the workplace isn’t important because it’s a nice thing to do but because it’s crucial for effective communication, collaboration, and innovation.

One of the things that I’m particularly fascinated by during this pandemic is how many of the stories about robots and automation taking away jobs from humans have been replaced by stories of leaders who practice compassion, vulnerability, and service to their people. In other words, we are reminded that business is still fundamentally a human thing and we should never forget that.

Leaders must challenge convention

Why is it that we constantly hear about leaders who are “putting out fires?” Leaders must be the fire-starters! That is, they must be constantly thinking of ways that they can challenge the assumptions that we have around how work gets done, ESPECIALLY now. In fact leaders today don’t even have much of a choice, they are being forced to do this.

Should leaders make all the decisions? Do we need annual employee reviews? Can flexible work become a standard practice for everyone? Why is leadership training only offered to longer tenured employees and not all employees? Are profits still the primary goal of our company? These are the types of questions and ideas that leaders should be thinking about.

Today, we have too many managers, their stereotypical role focuses on constraint, control, order, diligence, and sticking with the common assumptions that have long guided how we work. Instead, leaders must become “fire-starters.”

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work.

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Why Leaders Who Prioritize Employee Experience Thrive https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-who-prioritize-employee-experience-thrive/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 13:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48345 In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the relentless pursuit of success and growth often leads organizations to overlook the human element. However, it is crucial for leaders to prioritize employee experience and recognize the moments that matter to their teams.

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In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the relentless pursuit of success and growth often leads organizations to overlook the human element. However, it is crucial for leaders to prioritize employee experience and recognize the moments that matter to their teams. This involves adopting a human-centered approach that encompasses employees’ work-life balance.

Genuinely investing in employee experience means that leaders create work environments that foster growth, productivity, and innovation by putting people first—no amount of research or data can change their commitment.

Check out this video from a recent keynote to learn more about how this all works.

For employees to realize their full potential, leaders must actively participate in coaching and mentoring. The fear that employees might surpass their mentors in success is counterproductive to this aim. Instead, leaders should encourage employees to reach greater heights, even if it means outperforming their mentors.

Employees view their experiences not as stages within the employee lifecycle, as HR departments often describe, but as moments that matter. These moments span both work and personal life, and comprehending them is vital for leaders. By identifying and supporting employees through these moments, leaders create a human-centered environment that nurtures trust, loyalty, and productivity.

By prioritizing employee experience and understanding the moments that matter to their teams, leaders foster a culture of respect, trust, and loyalty. Shifting the focus from the employee lifecycle to moments that matter allows leaders to establish a supportive work environment that accommodates both professional and personal aspects of life. As leaders coach and mentor their employees, they strengthen relationships, enhance productivity, and promote innovation. In the end, investing in employee experience benefits not only the individuals but also the organization as a whole.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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General Assembly CEO Lisa Lewin on How to Hire the Best People with a Skills-Based Framework https://thefutureorganization.com/general-assembly-ceo-lisa-lewin-on-how-to-hire-the-best-people-with-a-skills-based-framework/ Mon, 24 Apr 2023 10:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48337 It used to be that students went to four-year universities, earned a degree, and entered the workforce.

But today, as more higher education options arise and present alternatives to traditional education, companies realize that great employees don’t necessarily require a four-year degree. Moving to a skills-based framework helps people future-proof their careers with relevant skills and helps organizations hire qualified applicants who are tailor-made for the position.

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Lisa Lewin Transcript

It used to be that students went to four-year universities, earned a degree, and entered the workforce.

But today, as more higher education options arise and present alternatives to traditional education, companies realize that great employees don’t necessarily require a four-year degree. Moving to a skills-based framework helps people future-proof their careers with relevant skills and helps organizations hire qualified applicants who are tailor-made for the position.

One of the biggest challenges with traditional colleges and university programs was that students would graduate without the right skills for the job. Lisa Lewin, CEO of online education platform General Assembly, believes one of the most crucial changes to make in today’s education industry is to ensure a dialogue between what schools are teaching and what the market actually needs. Instead of relying on a network or social capital—which can be discriminatory to many potential employees—skilled-based programs like General Education embed into their curriculum more opportunities directly into high-demand work.

But what does this all mean for organizations? Instead of prioritizing where job applicants went to school or what degrees they hold, a skills-based framework highlights applicants’ skills and competencies. Doing so requires removing unconscious biases of hiring people who have things in common with us to hire people who are best for the job.

Companies that embrace a skills-based framework see incredible benefits. Lewin says that as companies move toward more of a skills-based hiring framework, it increases team diversity and gives a voice to people who may have been traditionally overlooked. Many people can’t afford traditional college or don’t have the network to land a great job. But that doesn’t mean they still can’t learn valuable skills to make a difference in the organization.

A skills-based framework also prioritizes and highlights in-demand skills like web development, software engineering, and data analytics. With technology advancing so rapidly, much of what is taught in traditional four-year programs is obsolete by the time students graduate. A skills-based framework rewards job applicants who take learning into their own hands to stay up-to-date on needed skills—regardless of whether or not they have a four-year degree.

A skills-based framework also allows people to change their careers and pivot into new areas. Most alternative higher education programs are open to people in all life stages, meaning anyone can take classes to learn new skills. The result is that organizations get job candidates who are engaged in the work and excited to contribute, not just people who have been moving through the same career for decades and have lost their passion.

To create a skills-based framework, consider the necessary skills for each job. Look for candidates with those skills instead of filtering based on degrees or years of experience. Doing so will open the door to a skilled and diverse group of potential employees.

There’s still a place for traditional education, just like there’s a place for alternative higher education. But by emphasizing skills-based hiring, companies can find skilled employees who can lead their teams to the future of work.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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How Employees Have Evolved in the New Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-employees-have-evolved-in-the-new-future-of-work/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48211 The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the "employee" is evolving.

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The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the “employee” is evolving. If you look up the word “employee” in the dictionary you will actually find that synonyms for the word employee include: cog, servant, and slave. This is how we have thought about our workforce for decades, as expendable and replaceable resources. We need to change that.

In 2014 I wrote a best-selling book called, The Future of Work and I developed a concept in there called “The Evolution of the Employee” which shows how this mentality is changing. This change has been quite slow but COVID-19 has made this evolution a present day reality.

This is how employees are evolving and what organizations around the world need to embrace, prepare for, and encourage.

Truly flexible work

The first two items above along with “focusing on outputs” comprise this idea of flexible work, that is working anytime, anywhere, and being evaluated not by how many hours you sit in a chair but by what you produce. There is no longer a need for most employees to work from an office or to work 9-5. COVID-19 has clearly shown us that with millions of people around the world being forced to work remotely. However some organizations out there like Unilever, Cisco, Microsoft, and Aetna have been offering flexible work for years. The future of work = flexible work.

Use any device

Gone are the days of company sanctioned phones and computers. Instead, the future employee will be able to use any device they chose to get their jobs done. Companies like Ford, IBM, and Intel, have been among those leading the way in allowing their employees to use many personally owned devices for work. With the blurring and integration of work and life this is the new norm.

The death of the “ladder” and customized work

When you start working for a new company usually you start off at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole. In other words you begin as a sales coordinator, then a sales manager, senior sales manager, sales director, and so on and so forth. You have to climb the ladder for a few years in the hopes that one day you will reach a position that you are happy with. However with the gig economy, collaboration platforms, and new leadership approaches; employees are now starting to shape their own career paths and how they actually work. Those who are able to build the strongest personal brands for themselves will be able to have the greatest influence in shaping their own career paths.

Sharing is caring

Employees use to hoard information and keep it to themselves. There was no incentive, scalable way, or reason for employees to share what they know with others. Knowledge is power and if employees keep their ideas to themselves then they have the power. Employees were also not encouraged to share or think creatively, their job was merely to show up to work and perform their tasks…that’s it! For the future employee the exact opposite is true. Collaboration platforms are making it easy for employees to share information and organizations are creating incentives to do this ranging from internal incubators to intrapreneuer programs to open innovation programs. We are also seeing a shift from focusing on individual performance to focusing on team performance which does a far better job of encouraging employees to work together.

Going forward any employee can have an idea that can turn into a new product, service, or opportunity. Shell with their GameChanger program and Whirlpool with their “Winning Workplace” program are just two examples of organizations that are shifting their culture from hoarding to sharing.

Anyone can be a leader

As mentioned above employees were thought of as being expendable cogs which meant they had no voice within the organization. Once again, collaboration technologies play a crucial role as they give any employee within an organization the chance to be a recognized leader by sharing their ideas, thoughts, concepts, etc. Any employee that is able to build a following with the content they share internally is capable of being a leader; something which was not possible before especially not at the scale that collaboration platforms allow today. Think of how many people have become leaders as a result of social platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, now employees can do the same inside of their companies. Of course doing this also means embracing a new set of skills and mindsets required to lead.

Knowledge vs adaptive learning

Knowledge is now nothing more than a commodity. To be the world’s smartest person all you need to do is pull out your cell phone where you can get answers to anything. This means that for the future employee it’s not knowledge that is the most important but the employee’s ability to learn new things an apply those learnings to new situations and scenarios that come up. In other words, always being able to learn how to learn and stay adaptable. This is far more important and valuable than what you “know.” In other words, think of yourself like an app!

Everyone is a teacher and a student

In most organizations today if you want to learn something you have to sign up for and attend a class that may be a few days or a few weeks away. Today (again thanks to collaboration platforms) any employee can take out their cell phone and record a “how-to” for anything ranging from setting up a modem to programming something on excel to learning active listening techniques. Simply being able to connect employees to each other provides a way for democratized learning and teaching in ways that were never before possible. Thanks to sites such as Udemy, Youtube, Coursera, and Khan Academy we have the ability to learn what we want to learn and teach what we are uniquely qualified to offer to others.

We need to redefine what “employee” means. We are not expendable and replaceable cogs. We are human beings with ideas, passions, fears, relationships, and solutions. The world of work is constantly changing but there is one thing that I can promise you. If your organization doesn’t change how it thinks about the people who work there then it won’t be in business much longer, nor should it!

How do you define “employee?” Share below!

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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2023’s Hottest Employee Experience Trends & What To Do About Them! https://thefutureorganization.com/2023s-hottest-employee-experience-trends-what-to-do-about-them/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48326 The importance of employee experience has never been higher. I wrote my book, The Employee Experience Advantage half a decade ago and the material in that book is more relevant and accurate today than it was then.

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The importance of employee experience has never been higher. I wrote my book, The Employee Experience Advantage half a decade ago and the material in that book is more relevant and accurate today than it was then. As we progress into 2023, there are a number of trends that are shaping how organizations approach this critical area of business. Here are the top five employee experience trends of 2023, along with actionable steps that organizations can take to capitalize on them.

Embracing a Hybrid Workforce

The pandemic has forever changed the way we work, and organizations are now embracing hybrid workforces that allow employees to work from anywhere. This trend is here to stay, and organizations that fail to embrace it risk falling behind. However, hybrid work is not the same thing as virtual work. I’m still a believer in in-person work. Hybrid work just means having more flexibility.

Actionable steps include:

  • Define a clear hybrid work policy that outlines expectations for employees.
  • Invest in the right technology to support a hybrid workforce.
  • Create a culture of trust and collaboration that supports remote work.

Fostering Employee Wellbeing

I look at employee wellbeing as simply viewing your employees as human beings, not just as workers. This means understanding and focusing on the person not just on the task the person performs. Organizations play a vital role in the lives of employees and they act as gyms, cafeterias, social circles, financial advisors, coaches, and integral aspects of life. Work is no longer just a place you show up to get a paycheck. Employee wellbeing has always been important, but in 2023 it will take on even greater significance as organizations look to support their employees in an increasingly stressful world.

Actionable steps include:

  • Define what well-being means to your organization.
  • Provide access to various programs that align with your definition of well-being.
  • Create a culture where employees are seen as human beings and not just as workers.

Leading with vulnerability

This is the subject and the title of my next book which is coming out later this year. Being vulnerable and leading with vulnerability are not the same thing. Leading with vulnerability means taking actions to create positive outcomes that relate to being vulnerable. For example, instead of just admitting you can’t do something you also commit to taking action to learn what it is you can’t do. It blends sharing a weakness, challenge, or struggle with taking next steps to improve. Leading with vulnerability is all about growth, development, and improvement.

Actionable steps include:

  • When being vulnerable think of actions you can take to follow.
  • Practice self-awareness and reflect on your own emotions.
  • Balance competence with connection.

Developing purpose and meaning

There is an absolutely massive void when it comes to our collective sense of feeling connected to each other and the work that we do. Most people struggle to understand why they do what they do and how the work they do is creating any kind of impact.

Actionable steps include:

  • Connect the work you do with a bigger purpose.
  • Tell stories, meet customers, talk with employees to see how your work is making an impact.
  • Show up to work each day with a mindset of curiosity.

Embracing skills are greater than jobs

For decades we have been obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder and focusing on a single career path. This meant that if you were in marketing you climbed that corporate marketing ladder. But in today’s world the skills you have are more important than the job you occupy. The skills you possess are crucial because they are transferable and can be applied to different roles and industries throughout your career. While your job may be specific to a certain industry or company, the skills you have can be utilized in a variety of contexts. For example, if you have strong communication and problem-solving skills, you can excel in customer service, management, or even entrepreneurship. Your skills enable you to adapt to changing circumstances and tackle new challenges, which is essential in today’s rapidly evolving job market.

Actionable steps include:

  • Understanding what your skills are.
  • Having a vision and a plan for where you want to go professionally.
  • Get feedback from those around you.
  • Be a perpetual learner.

These are the top five employee experience trends that organizations need to pay attention to in 2023. There is a lot of opportunity for organizations around the world to create places where employees actually WANT, not NEED, to show up to work.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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How Leaders Overestimate Their Own Skills and Mindsets https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-overestimate-their-own-skills-and-mindsets/ Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48308 Leadership is not just about titles or positions. It is about cultivating essential skills and mindsets to inspire, motivate, and empower employees towards success.

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Leadership is not just about titles or positions. It is about cultivating essential skills and mindsets to inspire, motivate, and empower employees towards success. Unfortunately, based on a survey conducted by LinkedIn and a leadership expert, many managers and executives have a considerable gap in perception regarding their leadership skills and mindsets. In this article, we will dive deeper into the importance of bridging this gap and what leaders can do to improve their leadership skills.

Defining Leadership: The Importance of Filters

Leadership is a subjective term that can vary from one organization to another. Defining what leadership means and who can be considered a leader is crucial in setting the filters for promoting leaders within an organization. It is essential to ensure that the filters set by the company align with the values and principles of effective leadership.

Identifying Essential Skills and Mindsets

The survey conducted by LinkedIn and the leadership expert identified nine essential skills and mindsets that all leaders should possess: visionary, servant, coach, mentor, listener, communicator, challenger, problem-solver, and explorer. However, the gap in perception between managers and employees revealed that not all leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets effectively.

Practicing Leadership Skills Daily

Improving leadership skills is not a one-time activity but a continuous effort. Leaders can begin by reflecting on their current leadership skills and having discussions with their teams about their perceptions of their leadership. Leaders can also commit to improving their skills by practicing small actions daily, such as giving constructive feedback, showing gratitude, and learning something new daily.

Avoiding a Typical Day

Leaders should avoid having a typical day to keep themselves engaged and open to fresh ideas and perspectives. Leaders can mix up their daily routines by exploring new projects or being with different teams, attending different meetings, or spending time learning about new things in their space.

Closing the Gap

Leadership is not only about what leaders think of their skills, but it is also about how employees perceive their leaders’ skills. Leaders should work on closing the gap in perception by practicing effective leadership skills daily, keeping an open mind, and being receptive to feedback from their employees.

In conclusion, perception matters in leadership. Leaders must ensure that their perception of their skills aligns with their employees’ perception of their skills. By bridging this gap in perception, leaders can create an environment that promotes growth, engagement, and success.

I talk about this more in the video below which was taken from one of my keynotes.

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4 Reasons Why The Job Board Is Dead https://thefutureorganization.com/4-reasons-why-the-job-board-is-dead/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:30:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48283 The first job board was launched in the early 1990’s with the advent of the internet and its wide-spread adoption. The idea was to provide a place where employers would list their vacancies and then prospects would apply and try to fill them.

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The first job board was launched in the early 1990’s with the advent of the internet and its wide-spread adoption. The idea was to provide a place where employers would list their vacancies and then prospects would apply and try to fill them. Early in my career I remember using every job board in existence to try to find work. I would write countless cover letters, go through unlimited resume revisions, and at the end of it all, I’d never hear from anyone. That’s because job boards never allowed for employer and candidate interaction. They were just technology middlemen with no connection, no quality, no communication, and poor results. A new Indeed survey shows that more than nine in ten (96%) employers say they want an online job site that can help match them to quality candidates, and another 96% say they want a job site that directly connects them to quality candidates.

The way I see it, the current model has a few large problems:

They aren’t human

My experience detailed above is something millions of people have gone through and continue to go through today and it’s terrible. We have taken the human aspect of applying for a job and removed it from the entire process. We need direct interaction between employers and prospects. Without it, the process is slow, impersonal, and quite honestly dejecting for the candidate.

They don’t match

I was recently looking for a new assistant and thought I’d try a few job boards. I was specific in my description and had high expectations. A few hours went by and I started to get emails about candidates applying for the role, naturally I was excited! However, when I looked at the candidates my excitement was quickly turned to frustration and eventual resentment. None of the candidates had any relevant experience. I had chefs, personal trainers, movie interns, musicians, and even baristas applying for a role which they had no business applying for. It’s not because there aren’t some transferable skills, there are – but because I was very clear in the requirements and the specifications in what I was looking for and the people who applied didn’t have them. This is the problem with all job boards, there is no matching of candidates to the role required. It’s a giant Lord of the Flies type free-for-all where anything goes which is bad for everyone involved.

The pricing models are outdated

 I’m pretty sure that the standard model of pay-per-click or pay for job posting has been around since the early 1990’s when job boards were first created. Over 30 years with no innovation?! This pricing model doesn’t offer any guarantee or even any hope of getting either quantity or quality when it comes to candidates. In fact, the only one who benefits from this approach is the job board because they get to make money without being accountable for any of the outcome.

The platforms are…old (to put it nicely)

Technology has come a long way since the 90’s but most online job boards today look like a time-capsule. I’m surprised that they don’t auto-play Nirvana songs when you visit them (if you are too young to remember Nirvana…I’m sorry). The point is that functionality is limited, the sites are static, and the user experience is terrible.

It’s no secret that hiring and retaining talent is a top priority for businesses around the world and this is only going to become more challenging as we deal with shrinking talent pools, an aging population, and changes in workplace preferences. The demand for better recruitment technology has never been greater nor has it ever been more possible. Thankfully there’s a company out there which is innovating and doing something new.

I’ve spent the past few weeks learning what the team at Indeed is doing to make this old-school experience better for both the candidate and the employer experience and was pleasantly surprised when I heard that they were introducing a pay-for-results pricing option. This means that regardless of the budget you have, you will be able to get qualified candidates by using pay per application or pay per started application options. For example, with pay per application which is hugely beneficial for small businesses in particular, , you’re able to review the price you want to spend, you can set an application limit, automatically reject unqualified candidates by setting predetermined requirements, and you have 72 hours to manually reject applications before you get charged. This is incredibly helpful because it means if you don’t think an application is quality enough, you can reject it and not be charged.

Employers who empower job seekers are best positioned in today’s market. Indeed provides the tools and technology needed to support employers and get quality candidates hired, faster. The ongoing transformation from job search site to hiring platform means that Indeed’s technology is there to support the humans at the helm of hiring. It helps make their jobs easier and more efficient.

I’d love to hear your experience and thoughts on job boards? Have you used them?

. . .

If you are ready to save time and start hiring the RIGHT person faster, then I invite you to learn more and check out Indeed’s Pay for Results pricing. Why spend money on something that isn’t giving you the result you want?

 

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How to Attract and Engage Talent in a New World of Work: Insights from RGP CEO Kate Duchene https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-attract-and-engage-talent-in-a-new-world-of-work-insights-from-rgp-ceo-kate-duchene/ Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48267 Employees are changing. One of the biggest struggles for today’s leaders is finding and engaging talent in a new world of work where people have changed values, preferences, and priorities.

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Kate Duchene Transcript

Employees are changing. One of the biggest struggles for today’s leaders is finding and engaging talent in a new world of work where people have changed values, preferences, and priorities.

One thing is certain: the old way of attracting and engaging talent is no longer effective.

Kate Duchene, CEO of consulting firm RGP, says the changes mean leaders need to move past a one-size-fits-all approach to engage talent.

Instead of bemoaning changes to the world of work, Duchene says leaders should see it as an opportunity to create something new.

Today’s employees—especially younger generations entering the workforce—want to work in new ways. Duchene says one of the most important aspects of bringing your best work to an organization is having a strong sense of belonging, understanding the mission, and sharing the organization’s values.

The pandemic, recent layoffs, and other changes have caused the relationship between employees and employers to evolve. Duchene says organizations and leaders must understand those changes to create an effective social construct.

At RGP, those changes are reflected in four core principles: talent, choice, transparency, and control. Leaders show their respect for employees by giving them choices and control over their work, empowering them to do their best work and engage with the company. Instead of assigning employees to projects and consulting clients, RGP presents employees with opportunities and lets them choose the projects that most interest them. Duchene says it creates an environment where employees are in control of their career development within a safety net and a community that matters to them.

Research revealed that 70% of CEOs believe their organizations have a skills challenge—a significant increase from last year. Duchene points out that thinking more broadly about talent and adopting new mindsets and practices of control and respect will help organizations find the best talent and avoid the skills challenge.

At the heart of these changes is a new approach to culture.

Duchene said this: “Culture has always been important, but it is more important than ever. If your employees can’t describe your culture, why you exist in the world, and what the organization cares about, you’re going to have a much harder time navigating this scenario that we live in today.”

Leaders must be clear about their organization’s values and articulate them to attract people who share them. Those employees can then contribute to that feeling of belonging that keeps people engaged with the organization.

Changes in the world and how we live and work mean organizations need to fundamentally rethink their core beliefs around work, including what talent they need, what they can outsource instead of hiring, and how work and life intersect. Creating a culture that provides talent, choice, transparency, and control and is agile to evolve continually will set them up to attract and engage the best talent and thrive in the future.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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How Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella Champions a People-First Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/how-microsofts-ceo-satya-nadella-champions-a-people-first-culture/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 13:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48262 A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture.

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A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture. It could be the employee perks, new technology, or new customers, but what it really comes down to is this: Satya puts his people first. As I spoke with top CEOs from around the world for my most recent book, The Future Leader, Satya Nadella’s name constantly came up as a leader these CEOs admire. And for good reason: Satya is humble and people-focused and has a staggering 98% approval rating. By putting people first, he led an amazing turnaround at Microsoft and continues to guide it towards the future.

Here are three ways Satya Nadella puts his people first:

1. Creates a clear vision

Satya believes one of his main responsibilities is to create a clear, tangible, and inspiring message to move employees forward. He regularly communicates with all of Microsoft’s 220,000+ employees around the world to share his transparent plans for the company’s future and invites their feedback. It’s not unusual for Satya to send a company-wide email with real ideas for the future, not just corporate fluff. He trusts his employees and regularly communicates a clear vision that he motivates them to follow.

2. Embraces a growth mindset

Satya is known for embodying a growth mindset—the idea that challenges are opportunities and people can grow, change, and develop new skills. He encourages employees throughout Microsoft to embrace “learn-it-all” curiosity and experiment with passion projects and innovative ideas. When mistakes happen, Satya uses a gentle, empathetic approach to encourage employees to re-work their designs and try again. He’s been known to take the fall for employees’ mistakes to give them a chance to learn, grow, and re-tool their ideas.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in the new world of work? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

3. Showcases employee success

Satya begins his weekly senior leadership team meetings with a segment he calls “Researcher of the Amazing” that showcases employee success from around the world. On many occasions, employee teams join the meeting via video to demonstrate their developments and inspire the leadership team. Instead of putting himself first, Satya steps aside to share his employees’ successes as a way to inspire the rest of the company before they jump into hard numbers.

Leading a big company doesn’t have to come with a big ego—in fact, a big ego can be detrimental to the success of the company. Satya Nadella shows that even the leader of a huge tech company can—and should—put people first. Taking an empathetic and gentle approach to value each employee and encourage them to be and do their best drives a culture of innovation and collaboration at Microsoft, which has been a huge reason for the company’s turnaround since Nadella took the helm.

I hope you can implement some ideas from Satya’s leadership style in your own organization to put people first.

. . .

Want more leadership tips from CEOs like Satya? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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Over 90% of Leaders Are Not Great Listeners And Communicators https://thefutureorganization.com/over-90-of-leaders-are-not-great-listeners-and-communicators/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48256 Listening and communication are perhaps two of the most timeless leadership skills yet they are also the ones that are changing the most! In my new book, The Future Leader, I talk about these two as the skill of the Translator.

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Listening and communication are perhaps two of the most timeless leadership skills yet they are also the ones that are changing the most! In my new book, The Future Leader, I talk about these two as the skill of the Translator.

The word “translation” comes from the Latin word translation which means “carrying across” or “bringing across.” I like to think of a bridge that connects things or people together. Translators have been around for thousands of years and are responsible for much of what we know about our collective history. They make sure everyone is on the same page and can understand each other. Without a translator, productivity is halted, no one can collaborate, and ideas aren’t pursued or developed.

Leaders of the future must be translators which means that they are great listeners and communicators.

Unfortunately, this is a skill that leaders today are surprisingly doing a terrible job of practicing. I partnered with Linkedin to survey nearly 14,000 employees around the world and only 8% of employees reported that their mid and senior-level leaders are practicing this skill “very well.” Clearly there is lots of room for improvement!

Even though listening and communication have always been crucial, their importance is going to increase 10-fold over the coming years. The world we live in now is becoming increasingly connected and distributed. Social causes are becoming business imperatives and the amount of noise and distractions that all of us are dealing with is immense. Just think of all of the channels we can communicate on and listen to, and it’s growing. These channels are also causing us to change our behaviors, grown men are now using taking selfies with each other and using emojis to communicate with one another!

Why Listening Matters

Listening and hearing are two different things. Often, we get caught up in only hearing something without actually listening or internalizing what is being said. Hearing doesn’t require effort, it’s the unconscious act of letting sound enter your ear. Listening on the other hand is a purposeful and conscientious effort.

Think of a time when you were interacting with someone and you could tell that although they heard what you were saying, they really weren’t listening, how did that make you feel? The consequences of employees feeling like their leaders aren’t listening to them are disastrous. It kills morale, engagement, passion, and excitement of any kind. It turns employees into cogs.

With the many new communication channels we now have access to, listening for future leaders means having many ears to many different grounds. The world is becoming more connected and distributed, and that will only continue to grow. It’s going to be more important than ever for leaders to understand their employees and customers, and much of that comes from listening.

Michael Kneeland, president and CEO of United Rentals, told me this: “I’ve always gone through the world where it’s a reverse pyramid. I’m so far from my customers that the most impactful I think that I can be doing is listening, and understanding what’s happening on the front line.”

Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman created six levels of listening. To become a better listener, put these steps into practice:

  • Level 1: You create a safe environment where pretty much anything can be discussed.
  • Level 2: You put away distractions like phones and laptops and you make appropriate eye-contact with the other person.
  • Level 3: You try to understand the main focus of what the other person is saying.
  • Level 4: You pay attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice.
  • Level 5: You understand the emotions and feelings of the other person and you acknowledge them.
  • Level 6: You ask good questions that are designed to let the other person see a new perspective or challenge an assumption that they might have.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in the new world of work? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

. . .

Why Communication Matters

Communication is about understanding the different channels to use and how to get your message across regardless of the channel you are using. Communication is one of the greatest tools in the leader’s utility belt. It’s what allows you to inspire, connect with, and align those around you. Effective communication also helps make sure that strategies get executed effectively.

In the next decade and beyond, there will be even more noise and ways to communicate. To effectively share messages, leaders will have to know how to cut through the noise and use the right channels. If you don’t prepare now to become a great future communicator, you messages will fall flat or get lost in the noise.

Tsuyoshi ‘Nick’ Nagano is the president and CEO of Tokio Marine, a multi-national insurance holding company which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Nick clearly articulated the importance of communication.

“As a CEO I may spend 70% of my time communicating with the people in my company. This may seem like a lot but when you consider that I manage a global workforce of 32,000 this can mean they only listen to me speak live or virtually for 20 minutes per year on average. Thus, these 20 minutes really need to count otherwise where is my impact as CEO?”

  • To be better at communicating with others, ask yourself the following questions:
  • What are the best channels to use to get information across?
  • How does the way you communicate make those around you feel?
  • Are you communicating in a clear, open, passionate, and humble way?
  • Are you being human?
  • If someone communicated to you in the same way you are communicating to others, what impact would it have?

Together, listening and communication form the skill of the Translator and even though these things are timeless they are changing dramatically. Future leaders won’t be able to survive without these crucial skills. Developing listening and communication skills now can prepare future leaders for the changes that will come in the next decade.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in the new world of work? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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Why Employee Engagement Programs Don’t Work Anymore https://thefutureorganization.com/why-employee-engagement-programs-dont-work-anymore/ Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48248 The workplace has dramatically evolved, shifting from office smoking and nine-to-five schedules to work-life integration. In today's competitive job market, organizations must prove their worth to potential employees who scrutinize company culture, technology, and leadership.

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The workplace has dramatically evolved, shifting from office smoking and nine-to-five schedules to work-life integration. In today’s competitive job market, organizations must prove their worth to potential employees who scrutinize company culture, technology, and leadership.

Traditional strategies like embellishing company stories or investing in employee engagement programs provide only short-term satisfaction. This is akin to adrenaline shots that wear off, leaving employees dissatisfied and companies in a never-ending cycle of trying to please their workforce. In psychology, this is called the hedonic treadmill, and it’s not a sustainable way to attract and retain people.

To break this cycle, it’s time to focus on employee experience. By addressing core workplace practices and preventing disempowerment, organizations can create an environment where employees genuinely thrive. Employee experience is about 3 environments that organizations can design for which are culture, technology, and space.

The future of work demands a shift from temporary engagement to long-term employee experience. Embrace this change to create a truly satisfying and empowering work environment that attracts and retains top talent.

I talk about this more in the video below which was taken from one of my keynotes.

. . .

Want to know how to create amazing employee experiences? Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. I put together an awesome PDF for you, Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Where to Start Employee Experience in 2023 https://thefutureorganization.com/where-to-start-employee-experience-in-2023/ Tue, 11 Apr 2023 13:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48240 As we progress into 2023, organizations are seeking ways to attract, retain, and engage their employees in an uncertain and turbulent world. While focusing on employee experience is easy when everything is going well, it is more challenging and crucial when it's not.

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As we progress into 2023, organizations are seeking ways to attract, retain, and engage their employees in an uncertain and turbulent world. While focusing on employee experience is easy when everything is going well, it is more challenging and crucial when it’s not.

To make employee experience a priority in 2023, organizations can begin with the following five steps:

1. Focus on the Employee Experience Equation: The employee experience equation consists of three environments that can be shaped and designed: Culture (how employees feel), Technology (the tools they have access to), and Space (the environments in which they work). Everything an organization does should be built around these three environments. For a deeper dive into this concept, check out a book on Employee Experience.

2. Set clear expectations and establish the relationship between employees and the organization: Netflix is an example of a company that is upfront with its employees, letting them know that they will work hard but will also be well-paid and well-treated. Establish the type of relationship you expect to have with your employees and what you promise to deliver to them. Avoid the biggest mistake many organizations make by not baiting and switching their employees, meaning they should not promote one thing and deliver on another.

3. Create feedback mechanisms between leaders and employees: Employee experience is a continuous journey, and things will always change. To keep up, there must be a constant back-and-forth between what employees value and what the organization can design and create. Feedback mechanisms include surveys, one-on-one meetings, town-halls, etc. There needs to be constant dialogue.

4. Build a team to lead the effort: HR teams drive employee experience, but it’s everyone’s responsibility. Leaders need to champion employee experience with their teams and gather feedback on what their employees care about and value. It’s also up to employees at all levels to speak up, share ideas, identify opportunities, and come up with solutions.

5. Think like a laboratory, not a factory: Embrace failure, experiment, test ideas, use data, and be constantly adaptable. Laboratories are innovative, whereas factories are linear, process-centric, and maintain the status quo. Identify areas that need improvement, such as the onboarding process, the culture, or the first day on the job, and figure out how to create a remarkable experience for your employees in those areas.

As organizations navigate an uncertain future, they must prioritize employee experience to attract, retain, and engage their employees. By following the five steps mentioned above organizations can ensure that their employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to perform their best work which is a win-win for everyone.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Understand Your Identity And Control How You Show Up: Lessons From A Rocket Scientist https://thefutureorganization.com/understand-your-identity-and-control-how-you-show-up-lessons-from-a-rocket-scientist/ Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48233 Dating back thousands of years, conformity is wired into us genetically. Back then, conformity was essential to survival—if you didn’t fit in, you were likely killed.

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Ozan Varol Transcript

Dating back thousands of years, conformity is wired into us genetically. Back then, conformity was essential to survival—if you didn’t fit in, you were likely killed.

The stakes are as high today, but many people still conform and feel they stand out and be their true selves. But former rocket scientist Ozan Varol says there’s power in showing up as our true selves. His new book, “Awaken Your Genius: Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary,” aims to help people stop living their lives on autopilot and awaken their genius and true selves.

A key aspect of escaping conformity is understanding your identity. Most people tend to wrap themselves around their identity, saying they’re a doctor or a lawyer, a Democrat or a Republican. Ozan says that when your beliefs are intertwined with your identity, it’s hard to change your mind. Getting people to understand something can be challenging if it clashes with their identity. People will usually stick to their identities and ignore conflicting information.

To truly understand your identity, Ozan recommends diversifying it. No person is one singular thing. You may be a leader, an accountant, or a teacher, but you can also be a spouse, a parent, a runner, a community member, etc. Creating a larger identity gives you more legs to stand on to grow, adapt, and change.

No matter your identity, Ozan says having an internal sense of self-worth is crucial. Your identity matters, but it doesn’t define you. Too often, people fall into the trap of clinging to a singular identity and basing their worth and moods on how people view their identity.

Ozan says to define your accomplishments by decisions you can control, not things you can’t. Life and careers bring so many variables outside of your control. Things might not always go your way, and not because of any of your choices. Instead, focus on what you can control: show up as yourself. You are in control of how you show up and how you contribute.

There will always be variables outside your control or people judging you against external metrics. As you take a stand to step out of conformity and be your true self, take control of how you show up and own what you can control

I love what Ozan said: “But if you’re defining whether or not you had a good day or a bad day by reference to metrics outside of your control, then your good days and bad days are always going to be fickle.” You won’t have any control over them because other people decide them.

As we break out of conformity, we can discover our true identities and embrace creativity. That requires being true to yourself and showing up as only you can. The leaders and employees who understand what’s in their control will stand out and see incredible opportunities.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Big News! Introducing “Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan” https://thefutureorganization.com/big-news-introducing-great-leadership-with-jacob-morgan/ Fri, 07 Apr 2023 13:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48229 For many years I had a podcast called Leading The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan. I've recorded over 760 episodes with some of the world's top leaders, thinkers and authors including: Seth Godin, Yuval Harari, Dan Pink, Marshall Goldsmith, Ray Dalio, and CEOs from organizations like Best Buy, Accor Hotels, Siemens, Honeywell, Netflix, and countless others.

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For many years I had a podcast called Leading The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan. I’ve recorded over 760 episodes with some of the world’s top leaders, thinkers and authors including: Seth Godin, Yuval Harari, Dan Pink, Marshall Goldsmith, Ray Dalio, and CEOs from organizations like Best Buy, Accor Hotels, Siemens, Honeywell, Netflix, and countless others.

The podcast still exists but the name has changed to “Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan.”

My team and I decided to make this change for several reasons:

  1. Leaders are ultimately the ones who are going to change culture, unlock the potential of others, and drive business performance.
  2. My previous podcast title was a bit too broad and confusing. I wanted something short, clear, and obvious.
  3. Most of who I interview on the show are leaders, specifically CEOs with a few leading thinkers and authors mixed in. So it makes sense to actually have “leadership” in the title.

My team created what I think is an awesome new logo as well, I hope you like it!

The other big change we recently introduced is a subscription option on Apple Podcasts and Spotify which allows you get access to amazing weekly bonus episodes from my guests as well as ad-free episodes. We have dozens of bonus episodes on both platforms already from amazing guests like Ray Dalio, Marshall Goldsmith, Sophia Amoruso, the former CEO of The Home Depot, and many other amazing guests. All the bonus episodes are specifically focused on action items you can take to become a better leader and achieve greater professional success.

It’s $4.99 on both platforms to learn from some of the world’s top CEOs, thinkers, and leaders. How can you possibly say no!?

More exciting things are coming in the near future so stay tuned!

Subscribe on Apple.

Subscribe on Spotify.

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5 Strategies I Used To Conquer Imposter Syndrome https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-i-used-to-conquer-imposter-syndrome/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48222 I remember one of the first paid talks I gave around 15 years ago. I was in my early 20's standing in front of a room of business leaders. I was excited...until I walked onto the stage. Then the imposter thoughts started to pop in.

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I remember one of the first paid talks I gave around 15 years ago. I was in my early 20’s standing in front of a room of business leaders. I was excited…until I walked onto the stage. Then the imposter thoughts started to pop in. “Why would these leaders want to hear from me?” “What if my talk sucks?” “I shouldn’t be here.” It was a clear case of imposter syndrome and something I’ve had to deal with many times in my life (and sometimes do to this day!).

If you’re like most people, at some point in your life, you’ve experienced imposter syndrome. You know how it goes—not feeling confident, thinking you’re not the real deal, experiencing chronic self-doubt. My wife and I are both entrepreneurs, business owners, and speakers and since we both spend quite a bit of time in the public eye we had to come up with strategies and tools to conquer imposter syndrome.

My wife Blake gave her first keynote speech just six months after our daughter was born. She was nervous and felt like a fraud—people were really going to pay her to speak, and hundreds of people were going to listen? She couldn’t sleep for the nights leading up to the speech and felt like a nervous wreck. Afterwards, she watched a video of her speech and realized she didn’t look nearly as nervous as she felt. Imposter syndrome was almost all in her head.

Whether you’re giving a talk, speaking up in a meeting, writing a book, or doing pretty much anything else… chances are you will experience imposter syndrome at some point in your life. In fact, research shows that over 70% of people will experience it at some point in their lives.

Here are five ways that Blake and I fight imposter syndrome.

Fake it until you become it.

When I quit my full-time job and made the jump to being an entrepreneur, I didn’t feel qualified to pitch ideas, speak at events, or ask people for money. But in my head I learned not to think of myself as “a struggling young kid who wasn’t successful.” Instead, I kept telling myself that I was “an entrepreneur creating a life for myself that I truly wanted to live.” I kept this mantra going until the story became true. Your internal voice matters, so create positive thoughts for yourself until they become reality.

Focus on your value.

Instead of focusing on your own nerves and insecurities, focus on the value you bring to your customers and audience. When you are humble enough to put yourself in a service-oriented mindset and find ways to better the lives of the people around you, you can get rid of the ego and your feelings of insecurity.

Recognize no one is perfect.

Imposter syndrome happens when we put ourselves against expectations to be perfect or even better than someone else, but the reality is that no one is perfect. Everyone faces doubt and insecurities. You are harder on yourself than other people are on you.

Know your stuff.

It’s easier to feel confident when you have facts, research, stories, and quotes to back up your ideas. For example, in my new book The Future Leader, I interviewed 140 CEOs and partnered with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 employees around the world. When I get on a stage, write an article, or have a discussion with a CEO about leadership, I’m confident because I can back up what I say. Knowing your stuff can give you an added boost that you’re sharing a good message or product.

Learn to like yourself.

Be friends with your flaws and embrace what makes you unique. When you’re caught up in all the things you think are wrong about yourself, it takes away from your natural talents. When you like yourself, other people will like you and you’ll see more success. Shift your mindset from focusing on your flaws to highlighting your strengths.

Nearly everyone experiences imposter syndrome, but it doesn’t need to be crippling. Throughout our journeys as entrepreneurs, Blake and I learned what it takes for each of us to overcome self-doubt and insecurities. Get out of your head, visualize success and own your message!

Across all my years of research and hundreds of CEO interviews, the need to provide purpose and meaning keeps coming up, but these two things are not the same! Today’s employees want to have meaning behind their jobs and work for purpose-driven leaders. They’ll even take a lower-paying job that delivers purpose and meaning.

I put together all of my best research and takeaways into an interactive worksheet that can transform your organization and leadership style to deliver more purpose and meaning for you and your teams.

This must-have resource will help you create a stronger employee experience for current and future employees. Get your copy here.

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Why Defining Leadership Matters in Shaping the World https://thefutureorganization.com/why-defining-leadership-matters-in-shaping-the-world/ Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48216 Leadership has always played a vital role in shaping society and steering organizations towards success. As we approach 2030, the number of leaders responsible for influencing the world is expected to rise significantly.

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Leadership has always played a vital role in shaping society and steering organizations towards success. As we approach 2030, the number of leaders responsible for influencing the world is expected to rise significantly. With millions of people in leadership roles, it is essential to have the right individuals in place. But what does it take to be a future-ready leader? Leaders must think of themselves as a lighthouse.

Throughout history, Mariners and Explorers would use landmarks to navigate their way back home. Eventually we created lighthouses that guided people to their destinations and to safety. Similarly, leaders must also guide their people to their destinations and make sure they get there safely while avoiding any pitfalls.

Working for a bad leader can have detrimental effects on an employee’s health, with studies showing that it can lead to stress-related diseases. Conversely, a great leader can inspire and motivate employees, creating an engaged and empowered workforce.

For my latest book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 CEOs of companies worldwide and surveyed 14,000 full-time employees. When looking at the data, several common themes emerged on what it takes to be a leader in the future.

CEOs’ definitions of leadership shape their organizations’ cultures and values, leading to vastly different approaches to leadership. Hence, it’s crucial to define leadership, understand its importance, and strive to become a lighthouse leader in guiding organizations to success.

Check out the video to learn more.

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7 Genius Leadership Hacks from World-Class CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/7-genius-leadership-hacks-from-world-class-ceos/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48208 If you want to be a great leader, it helps to learn from the best. Great leaders don’t appear overnight. They are developed over years and continue to grow their leadership skills with thoughtful routines, habits and mindsets.

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If you want to be a great leader, it helps to learn from the best. Great leaders don’t appear overnight. They are developed over years and continue to grow their leadership skills with thoughtful routines, habits and mindsets.

Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA: Be Unexpected and Unassuming

Barbara Humpton is CEO of Siemens USA where she oversees more than 50,000 employees. Her leadership hack is to be unexpected and unassuming. Leaders don’t need to present themselves as the smartest people in the room. In fact, Humpton believes their strength comes from listening to others and having an unassuming presence.

In the early days of her career, Humpton regularly surprised people by being a breath of fresh air. Instead of barging into the room thinking she knew everything, her unassuming presence brought great success and helped her build trusting relationships with the people around her.

Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group, Get Employee Feedback

Leaders are often removed from what is actually happening with the customers. Keith Barr is CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group. With more than 400,000 employees at 5,600 hotels around the world, it’s impossible for him to really know how every customer feels, no matter how hard he tries to be on the ground. Barr realizes that the higher leaders get in the company, the more detached from reality they often become.

To combat that, Barr regularly spends time with employees and customers around the world. At almost every meeting, he asks front-line employees what the company can do better. His answers have included feedback on a new laundry provider from the housekeepers, or hearing from the kitchen staff that certain deliveries are late every day.

Taking it one step further, Barr takes those insights and actually puts them into practice. He says listening to front-line employees gives him a real idea of what is and isn’t working at the hotels and keeps him grounded and connected.

Aaron Levie, CEO, Box: Add Value and Communicate

Aaron Levie is CEO of Box, a rapidly growing tech company. At 34 years old, he is also one of the youngest leaders of a large organization, overseeing more than 2,000 employees at the company he started in college.

He learned early on in his career the importance of adding value when you can and stepping out of the way when there are other people who can do the job better. It can be tempting as a leader to be involved in everything, but the best leaders realize when other people will do a better job at something and create management systems that allow people to do their best work.

Levie also recommends that leaders get exposed to what is really happening in the business and constantly communicate their vision for the future.

Peter Simpson, CEO, Anglian Water: Follow the Golden Rule

Before becoming CEO of Anglian Water, Peter Simpson had a number of jobs to get through college. Those experiences taught him the importance of treating people how you would like to be treated.

One of his college jobs was as a gardener at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK. The organization was full of esteemed scientists, but many of them wouldn’t give Simpson the time of day just because he was the gardener. The people who acknowledged him stood out to Simpson because they recognized him as a person, not just a position.

It doesn’t matter what you do or where you are, you should always treat people the way you would like to be treated. Simpson believes that if the golden rule is fundamental to your mindset, you can’t go far wrong.

Chris McCann, CEO, 1-800-Flowers Inc.: Ask the Right Questions

Early on in his career, Chris McCann, now president and CEO of 1-800-Flowers, learned one of the best ways to lead people is to coach them into leading themselves. Instead of giving directions, he asks questions to encourage discussion and collaboration.

McCann believes it’s important not to come across as knowing everything and instead ask the questions that get people to think and contribute in a collaborative manner.

Arnold Donald, CEO, Carnival Cruise Lines: Be Authentic

Arnold Donald is CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines where he leads more than 120,000 employees around the world. His best advice is for leaders to be authentic and connect with people.

Employees have to know that they are more than just tools to make money but that the leader actually knows them and cares about them. That comes from leading by example and being committed. As Donald says, sustainable leaders can’t fake it – people will know if leaders are authentic or not by how leaders interact and connect with them.

Carrie Birkhofer, CEO, Bay Federal Credit Union: Practice Self-Awareness

For Carrie Birkhofer, CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union (with just over 200 people), good leadership comes from knowing yourself and always striving to improve internally.

Looking inward to see the fears and struggles she has as a person and then working to overcome those issues makes a difference in her leadership. If she is fighting with internal issues, she often finds it reflected in her outward leadership.

Birkhofer also practices self-awareness by asking people their perspective of how she leads and really listening to their feedback. When people she trusts give her suggestions for improvement, she takes them in stride and works to continually fine-tune her approach to leadership.

Taking a proactive step to seek out suggestions for how she can improve keeps Birkhofer on track with her leadership development and helps her see herself as other people see her.

Leadership doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all approach. What works for some people and organizations might not work for everyone. However, creating intentional habits and mindsets can help all leaders, especially those in the future, thrive in an ever-changing world.

These seven leaders show the value that comes from caring about people and continually striving to develop into a better leader, which is something all future leaders can learn from.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Leading by Consensus vs Shared Leadership: How to Get Employees on Board in Strategic Planning https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-by-consensus-vs-shared-leadership-how-to-get-employees-on-board-in-strategic-planning/ Sun, 02 Apr 2023 10:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48200 Is it a leader’s job to ensure all their employees are happy? Julie Godin, Executive Vice-President, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at CGI, doesn’t believe so. When she first joined CGI in the HR department, Julie wanted to make sure all the leaders were happy and agreed with her plan. But she quickly learned that leading by consensus wasn’t productive or effective.

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Julie Godin Transcript

Is it a leader’s job to ensure all their employees are happy?

Julie Godin, Executive Vice-President, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at CGI, doesn’t believe so. When she first joined CGI in the HR department, Julie wanted to make sure all the leaders were happy and agreed with her plan. But she quickly learned that leading by consensus wasn’t productive or effective.

Instead, Julie now follows the CGI model of shared leadership. Instead of ensuring everyone is happy, shared leadership explains the why and gives leaders and employees content to understand the vision and where the company is heading.

When Julie and her team do strategic planning, they consult their three stakeholders: clients, employees, and shareholders to get their input to build plans later. Last year, CGI conducted one-to-one interviews with 1,675 executives across the industries and geographies they serve to learn about their client’s challenges and industry trends. Her team did the same thing with an survey with 76,000 employee responses last year, ensuring awareness and understanding of strategic goals and priorities with feedback helping to inform business plans.

Julie then gathers all the vice presidents to share that information so they can understand the challenges and input of employees, clients, and shareholders. The leadership team uses that input to build a strategic plan for the company around those three stakeholder groups. They then go back to the employees, clients, and shareholders to share the plan.

By listening to feedback and applying it to the strategic plan, Julie says stakeholders better understand the industry trends and challenges and feel equipped to meet those issues head-on.

Julie said, “The goal here is really to make sure that we have the right balance between our three stakeholders. It’s not really consensus, but making sure that we share with them as much information as impossible as possible.”

Instead of getting everyone’s buy-in and making every decision by committee, shared leadership helps the company balance the interests of its stakeholders and create unity of action.

Shared leadership also invites adjustments. Julie regularly gathers the leadership team to revisit the strategic plan and ensure it takes the company in the right direction. Each leader brings insights from their stakeholders, which helps adjust the plan to ensure CGI focuses on the best priorities.

Leading by consensus can feel like too many cooks in the kitchen. Not everyone will agree on everything, and someone is bound to be disappointed or frustrated. Shared leadership focuses on alignment instead of consensus to give everyone a voice, but then have leaders make the ultimate decision. All stakeholders play a part in strategic planning to various degrees, but leaders can focus more on creating an effective plan than ensuring all employees are happy.

As the world of work continues to evolve, shared leadership can become a solid advantage for creating effective strategic plans.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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How to Master Company Culture in Today’s Tough Talent Landscape https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-master-company-culture-in-todays-tough-talent-landscape/ Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48197 One of the biggest challenges leaders face today is creating and maintaining a vibrant culture. Every company has a culture, even if they don’t actively develop it. And that culture has a massive impact on how employees approach their work.

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One of the biggest challenges leaders face today is creating and maintaining a vibrant culture.

Every company has a culture, even if they don’t actively develop it. And that culture has a massive impact on how employees approach their work.

Think about this: Employees who say their culture is positive are 3.8x more likely to be engaged in their work. And companies with thriving, positive cultures are 3x less likely to have layoffs, 2x more likely to increase revenue, and 7x more likely to have employees innovating. That’s something that every company should want!

But how do you create a great culture, especially in today’s tough talent market?

If you struggle in this area, you aren’t alone!

That’s why I created a new eight-part video series all about culture: how to build it, how to maintain it, and why it matters. And these videos are completely FREE!

These eight videos walk you through every aspect of culture and give you the tools to create and build an amazing culture in your company. You’ll hear from some of the world’s best leaders, as well as case studies and examples from countless other companies.

Your culture is something your company can’t afford to ignore. But you aren’t alone in creating and strengthening this culture. I’m here to help!

These videos can transform your company and change how you approach culture. What are you waiting for? Sign up for this incredible free resource here.

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The Top 5 Leadership Traps & How To Outsmart Them https://thefutureorganization.com/the-top-5-leadership-traps-how-to-outsmart-them/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48170 Countless leadership books (including mine, The Future Leader) offer lists of what great leaders do. But what about the things they don't do? The choices a leader makes about what not to do are just as vital as their actions.

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Countless leadership books (including mine, The Future Leader) offer lists of what great leaders do. But what about the things they don’t do? The choices a leader makes about what not to do are just as vital as their actions.

Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves by steering clear of common negative habits. They constantly push their limits, strive for self-improvement, and possess the self-control to avoid what most people usually do.

Here are five pitfalls great leaders avoid:

Dismissing criticism: While no one enjoys hearing negative feedback, outstanding leaders embrace criticism as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. Lesser leaders often dodge or disregard criticism, fearing the damage to their egos. However, great leaders maintain self-awareness and don’t take criticism personally. They view feedback as a chance to better serve those around them and are open to making changes that benefit both themselves and their organization.

Allowing emotions to rule: In the high-pressure world of business, it’s easy for emotions to take the reins. However, great leaders don’t make impulsive decisions or lose their temper when things go awry. They remain composed and understand how to regulate their emotions. This doesn’t mean they’re unfeeling – they experience emotions like everyone else but skillfully manage and channel them in productive ways.

Shunning responsibility for their choices: Leadership entails making decisions that not everyone will support. A great leader stands by their actions, even if they make a mistake. They don’t shift the blame onto others; they share in their company’s successes and failures. If they offend someone or make an error, great leaders don’t shy away from the consequences. They take ownership of their actions, make amends if necessary, and move forward.

Breaking commitments: Exceptional leaders honor their word. If they promise to do something or be somewhere, they follow through. These leaders are reliable and don’t let people down. Even if a more enticing opportunity arises, a true leader stands by their word and is trustworthy.

Uttering “never”: Forward-thinking leaders focus on the future and the bigger picture. They recognize that the work landscape is ever-evolving, and what’s effective today may become obsolete in a few years. They don’t limit their thinking with the word “never,” nor do they shy away from potential change. Great leaders think expansively, adapting and innovating to stay relevant and disrupt their industries.

Reflect on your own actions and the choices you make about what you choose not to do. Great leaders set the tone by consciously deciding what they will and won’t do in their pursuit of excellence.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of my favorite leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Trying to Be Perfect Hurts You More than it Helps https://thefutureorganization.com/trying-to-be-perfect-hurts-you-more-than-it-helps/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48167 Are you striving to be the perfect leader? That perfectionism is killing your progress. There’s no such thing as a perfect human or leader. Trying to be perfect creates pressure and stress, which opens you up to anxiety and bad feelings. With that mindset, perfectionism is a self-defeating behavior because you’ll never be able to achieve it.

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Are you striving to be the perfect leader? That perfectionism is killing your progress.

There’s no such thing as a perfect human or leader. Trying to be perfect creates pressure and stress, which opens you up to anxiety and bad feelings. With that mindset, perfectionism is a self-defeating behavior because you’ll never be able to achieve it.

Perfectionism is a quick way to kill your progress. Instead of focusing on moving forward, you’ll be hung up and discouraged by the mistakes and your lack of perfection.

Perfect leaders don’t exist! The world’s top leaders make mistakes and aren’t afraid to admit them. Their mistakes are often incredibly costly and public, which can put your smaller mistakes into perspective. A mistake or a misstep might feel significant in the moment, but it likely is just a bump in the road in the long run.

What should you do instead of aiming for perfection? Focus on learning. Instead of striving to be perfect, seek to understand and learn as much as possible. There is always something new you can learn, someone new you can talk to, and a challenge you can approach in a new way. Being so focused on perfection makes you less likely to take risks and try new things, even if those things could lead to big rewards.

Leaders might not be perfect, but they can always be learning and improving. Putting your energy toward continual improvement is much more positive than striving for perfectionism that you’ll never achieve.

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Mastering the Art of Servant Leadership: Secrets from World-Class Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/mastering-the-art-of-servant-leadership-secrets-from-world-class-leaders/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48160 Gone are the days when leaders sat at the top of the pyramid, dictating orders to their subordinates. Today's successful leaders adopt an inverted pyramid approach, positioning themselves at the bottom to elevate and support their team.

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Gone are the days when leaders sat at the top of the pyramid, dictating orders to their subordinates. Today’s successful leaders adopt an inverted pyramid approach, positioning themselves at the bottom to elevate and support their team. To excel as a servant leader, you must believe that your primary role is to help others achieve greater success than yourself.

Adopting this mindset revolutionizes your attitude, behavior, and relationships, shifting your focus from self-promotion to empowering and nurturing your team members. When leaders embody servant leadership, they cultivate a service-oriented culture where everyone supports and uplifts one another.

But how can you effectively practice servant leadership? Here are five practical ways to serve and empower your employees:

  1. Identify and address workplace stressors: Be attentive to the factors causing your employees distress, such as early meetings, long commutes, or unclear expectations. Gain insight into their concerns and take steps to alleviate them.
  2. Express genuine appreciation: Recognition should be heartfelt and meaningful. A personal note, a handshake, or a sincere conversation can make employees feel seen, valued, and motivated.
  3. Get to know your employees as individuals: Your team members are more than just their job titles. Take the time to learn about their lives, interests, and aspirations outside of work, fostering deeper connections and mutual understanding.
  4. Recognize and celebrate significant milestones: Be aware of and acknowledge the important moments in your employees’ lives, such as promotions, buying a new house, or welcoming a new baby. Make an effort to create meaningful experiences around these milestones, demonstrating your support and appreciation.
  5. Remove obstacles hindering your employees’ success: Identify and eliminate any barriers that may be preventing your team members from performing their best. By making it easier for them to excel in their roles, you foster an environment where they can thrive and grow.

By serving and empowering your employees, you create a positive and nurturing culture that encourages growth and development. Remember, as a servant leader, your fundamental responsibility is to help your team members achieve greater success than you.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Mindfulness Versus Meditation: Why You Need Both to Combat Stress https://thefutureorganization.com/mindfulness-versus-meditation-why-you-need-both-to-combat-stress/ Mon, 27 Mar 2023 10:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48151 Meditation apps and practices are everywhere these days. But what may be billed as meditation is actually a practice in mindfulness. And it has the power to transform your attitude and life.

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Emily Fletcher Transcript

Meditation apps and practices are everywhere these days. But what may be billed as meditation is actually a practice in mindfulness. And it has the power to transform your attitude and life.

Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation and author of Stress Less, Accomplish More, says that although people often use the terms meditation and mindfulness interchangeably, they are quite different. And we need both to combat stress.
As life has become more stressful and uncertain for everyone over the last few years, Fletcher points out that we’re all looking for tools to improve our lives. It’s not necessarily about being more productive or making more money but about reducing stress and creating a balanced and fulfilling life. Peace and mindfulness affect every area of our lives, especially at work. And employers have noticed—focusing on mental health and meditation creates engaged and positive employees.

Fletcher put it this way: “We’re seeing that we can, in fact, achieve more from a place of stillness from a place of listening. And there is nothing more powerful. There’s nothing more pleasurable than meditation to help you get into that space.”

But what’s the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and where should you begin?

Fletcher defines mindfulness as a left-brain waking state phenomenon. Things like focusing on your breath, changing, counting, visualizing a peaceful place, or following a guided meditation all fall into the mindfulness category. Mindfulness is effective at creating a state change, especially when you’re feeling stressed. You can calm down and feel less stressed in just a few minutes. But Fletcher says mindfulness is the appetizer to full meditation.

Meditation is more than just mindfulness. It’s the fourth state of consciousness, different from waking, sleeping, or dreaming. Instead of only relieving current stress, meditation gets rid of stress from the past and gets to the root of the problem. Meditation puts your body into deep rest, allowing it to heal from all the stress accumulated over time. Meditation de-activates and de-excites the nervous system, which gets to the root cause of your stress and allows your body and mind to rest and reset.

Meditation taps into the right side of the brain and gets the left and right sides functioning in unison. It even strengthens the connection between the left and right sides, which develops the right side of the brain, especially around awareness, listening, and intuition. Strengthening the connection between the left and right sides of the brain bridges our creative and critical thinking and allows us to focus and think more clearly.

Although mindfulness and meditation differ, Fletcher says they work together to reduce stress and create a relaxed mindset. Both practices are part of Ziva’s three M’s: mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting. Manifesting takes it one step further to picture and state what you hope to achieve in the future—anything from hitting sales goals to running a faster mile.

The world is noisy and stressful. Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools for leaders and employees to find deep focus and relaxation. By getting to the root of stress and strengthening new areas of the brain, you can work toward a calmer and more peaceful life.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Instagramming Your Way to Better Leadership: Tips from a Decade of Research https://thefutureorganization.com/instagramming-your-way-to-better-leadership-tips-from-a-decade-of-research/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 13:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48145 Is it possible to become a better leader in just a few minutes a day? It is, if you know who to follow. Instagram is one of my favorite places to learn and share. There’s nothing like scrolling your feed and coming across a great nugget or leadership tip you can put into practice right away.

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Is it possible to become a better leader in just a few minutes a day?

It is, if you know who to follow.

Instagram is one of my favorite places to learn and share. There’s nothing like scrolling your feed and coming across a great nugget or leadership tip you can put into practice right away.

It’s one thing to read great leadership tips–it’s another to see them in pictures or short videos.

I’ve spent more than a decade researching leadership and the future of work. I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top CEOs. That’s a ton of content! Instagram is where I narrow it down to the best and most practical tips. These posts are your best resource for improving and learning from the world’s leaders.

On my feed, you’ll find interview clips, short videos, and quotes from top leaders and thinkers covering everything from developing a growth mindset to the skills future leaders need to succeed and best practices from top companies. These posts are designed to get you thinking about what it takes to be a future-ready leader and help you start conversations with your boss and colleagues.

Add quick thoughts and leadership boosts to your Instagram feed. I can’t wait to share my posts and videos with you. Oh, and I also share some fun behind the scenes content in my stories, like my recent trip to Vegas and all of the tasty food I ate!

It only takes a few minutes to learn something new you can apply today.

Check out my Instagram here—I’ll look for you in the comments!

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5 “Humanize” Challenges Your Organization Must Overcome https://thefutureorganization.com/5-humanize-challenges-your-organization-must-overcome/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48141 Think technology is the most critical part of your company? Think again! Every company can exist without technology, but no company can exist without people.

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Think technology is the most critical part of your company? Think again!

Every company can exist without technology, but no company can exist without people.

Your people, not your software or devices, are the most valuable asset of your company. But focusing on people and building a supportive and people-centric environment can be difficult, especially as new technology pulls our attention away.

Here are five challenges to humanizing your organization:

Leading diverse teams

Not everyone looks and thinks the same way–your organization should reflect that. Diverse teams bring in new perspectives and highlight different ideas and preferences.

Attracting and retaining top talent

Instead of prospects trying to convince organizations they are the best choice, leaders and organizations must now convince candidates why they should work there.

Reskilling and upskilling employees

How we work is changing rapidly, and many employees don’t have the right skills to do their jobs or thrive in the new world of work. Leaders and companies need to help their employees pivot and develop.

Focusing on doing good

People want to be part of an organization that cares about more than just making money. Leaders need to look beyond dollars and cents and take a stand to do good in their communities.

Making the organization human

With automation and a focus on efficiency, many organizations fall into the trap of focusing on results instead of people. Humans come first!

No matter what, people should always be central to your organization. Your employees are what sets your organization apart and what makes it successful. Technology is important, but don’t forget to humanize your company.

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Where Did Employee Experience Come From? https://thefutureorganization.com/where-did-employee-experience-come-from/ Wed, 22 Mar 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48132 Companies today have to focus on creating a place where employees want--not need--to come to work. But how did we get to the point of needing to invest in employee experience? The need to create an empowering and engaging environment for employees has evolved for decades.

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Companies today have to focus on creating a place where employees want–not need–to come to work.

But how did we get to the point of needing to invest in employee experience? The need to create an empowering and engaging environment for employees has evolved for decades.

A century ago, organizations were focused solely on utility. Organizations only provided employees the bare-bones tools to show up, do their work, and go home.

The utility era transitioned to an era focused on productivity. During that time, organizations were hyper-focused on making employees work better, faster, and more efficiently. Managers were tasked with creating repeatable processes that optimized employees and helped companies get as much as possible from their people.

Then came the era of employee engagement, or when organizations were totally focused on employee happiness. They surveyed employees and offered incredible perks and benefits to ensure employees were happy with their work environment.

During the era of employee engagement, companies invested more time and resources into engagement than ever before. But engagement scores overall didn’t improve. In fact, some even dropped. Leaders couldn’t see the ROI of employee engagement, which led to our current era of employee experience.

Employee experience moves beyond just perks and benefits to change core workplace practices around people. In this era, companies must focus on the three core environments: culture, technology, and physical space. These environments work together to create an engaged and empowered workforce.

It’s no longer enough to provide employees only with essentials or just give them perks. Employee experience is the next big battleground for attracting and retaining talent. And that requires creating a place where employees WANT to come to work.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

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The Most Important HR Role You Never Knew You Had: Leading Your Team https://thefutureorganization.com/the-most-important-hr-role-you-never-knew-you-had-leading-your-team/ Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:00:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48121 Did you ever get any human resources training? (I hate the name by the way!). Did anyone even tell you that you work in human resources? Well...you do. No matter your department or job title, if you’re a leader, you work in HR. Not only that, you’re actually the most important person in HR.

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Did you ever get any human resources training? (I hate the name by the way!)

Did anyone even tell you that you work in human resources? Well…you do.

No matter your department or job title, if you’re a leader, you work in HR.

Not only that, you’re actually the most important person in HR.

We’ve always thought of HR as doing everything related to people–recruiting, hiring, firing, benefits, compensation, etc.

And while HR is responsible for those areas, it isn’t the only group that needs to think about people. As a leader, you are responsible for your people. And that is an HR responsibility.

Leaders have incredible power and impact over their employees. Their positive influence can lead to employees feeling valued and empowered at work, which extends to their feelings outside of work. But a leader who crushes their employees’ spirits at work also impacts how employees feel and act outside of work.

As a leader, you have to know your people as humans, not just employees. Know what they care about and value, their strengths and weaknesses, and their aspirations.

When you understand your people as actual people, you can unlock their potential and help them succeed.

That’s not an HR responsibility–it’s a leader’s responsibility.

People don’t leave companies; they leave leaders.

As a leader, you are the most crucial person in HR. Your influence on your people will impact their time at the company, their career, and their life at home.

. . .

Leaders create the culture inside if any organization but what does that mean and what does that look like? To help you get started on the right path I put together a free 8-part video series that explores what a great corporate culture looks like and how you can get started on improving yours. You will hear from the first CEO of Netflix, NYT best-selling author of The Culture Code, me, and others. It’s a free resource you don’t want to miss. Click here to get access.

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Sophia Amoruso’s Secrets to Building a Dynamic Company Culture: Lessons from a $350 Million CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/sophia-amorusos-secrets-to-building-a-dynamic-company-culture-lessons-from-a-350-million-ceo/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48112 Whether you create it or not, your company has a culture. But without the proper attention and nourishment, a company’s culture can quickly turn toxic. No company is immune to culture struggles, including those with incredibly high revenue. In fact, culture challenges are common in rapidly growing companies.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Sophia_Amoruso_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Transcript Sophia Amoruso

Whether you create it or not, your company has a culture. But without the proper attention and nourishment, a company’s culture can quickly turn toxic.

No company is immune to culture struggles, including those with incredibly high revenue. In fact, culture challenges are common in rapidly growing companies.
Sophia Amoruso, founder and general partner at Trust Fund, learned that the hard way when her first company, Nasty Gal, experienced incredible growth and success in its early years.

At its peak, Nasty Gal was worth $350 million. But it also brought headlines of a toxic culture, silos, and internal struggles. Amoruso said the experience was a crash course in leadership, especially because she had never worked in an office before.

Since selling the company and starting new businesses, Amoruso has learned what it takes to build a thriving company culture.

She says a dynamic culture requires the leader to hold themselves accountable to lead themselves with discipline to the culture they want to build.

“The culture that you lead yourself by is going to lay the groundwork for the culture that you then employ people and model for them,” she said.

That means setting objectives and guidelines for what culture and success look like in your business from day one. Culture will happen on its own, and the result will likely be toxic and troublesome. Proactively building a culture from the beginning so that every new employee knows exactly what they are signing on to creates powerful guiding principles and a mutual understanding of how work gets done.

What you model as a leader is what your team will model after you, and as a leader, you have to hold yourself accountable. Amoruso says that may require making unpopular decisions and removing people from the organization if it preserves the culture and values of the company. Performance drops to the level of the lowest performer, meaning that if you don’t hold every person accountable to the culture, it will fall.

Amoruso has seen firsthand how quickly a dysfunctional culture has spread. So what should leaders do if toxicity creeps into their organization? Amoruso says to take care of it right away. Once any toxicity permeates a culture, correcting at scale is hard. Overcoming a negative culture also means treating employees like adults and having difficult conversations to remind people of the culture and hold them accountable to the standards.

Ultimately, leaders are responsible for protecting their organizations. And that means setting the guidelines for a strong culture, holding themselves accountable and modeling what they want to see in their employees, and taking swift action if that culture is challenged. Amoruso says great leaders also learn as they go and continually adjust their approach while holding strong to their values.

No matter the value or size of your company, culture is critical. Make building and maintaining a dynamic culture your top priority as a leader.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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This episode is sponsored by Globalization Partners, an organization that helps build global teams for growing companies.

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The 5 Must-Know Customer Experience Trends Of 2023 https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-must-know-customer-experience-trends-of-2023/ Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48090 Every year, I predict what’s to come in the world of customer experience. We’ve all faced challenges, change, and uncertainty over the last few years and learned that customer experience is more important now than ever.

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This is a guest post written by wonderful and super smart wife Blake Morgan. She is a customer experience futurist, author, and speaker. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and join her LinkedIn newsletter.

Every year, I predict what’s to come in the world of customer experience. We’ve all faced challenges, change, and uncertainty over the last few years and learned that customer experience is more important now than ever.

As we head into 2023, companies face a difficult crossroads. Inflation has consumers on edge, staffing shortages impact frontline workers, and technology continues to grow and evolve. But even with all of these changes and challenges, the best customer experiences are focused on one thing: people.

It’s never been more important to understand your customers and be willing and able to change and evolve.

Here are five CX trends as we head into 2023:

1) AUTOMATION AND SELF-SERVICE TO EASE STAFFING SHORTAGES

Staffing concerns remain a problem for all companies. But brands can’t make excuses — they need to find creative solutions to work around challenges. Automating contact centers and warehouses reduces the need for human workers without sacrificing customer experience. In 2023, self-service options will soar and expand to short videos and voice memos to allow customers to solve problems and get answers on their own time.

2) PHYGITAL EXPERIENCES ON THE RISE

Phygital experiences that blur the line between physical and digital will reign supreme in 2023 and expand to new industries, especially banking and insurance. Phygital will expand beyond just kiosks and apps to innovative experiences that customers use to make large purchases, including cars and houses.

3) EVERY EXPERIENCE MATTERS DURING INFLATION

Consumer spending growth is expected to drop in 2023, and most customers are feeling the strain of inflation and a looming recession. Non-essential spending will decrease, which means every experience matters. Brands need to showcase empathy and build relationships for the future.

4) WIDESPREAD IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Immersive AR and VR experiences will become the norm in 2023 as customers step into a new world. Immersive experiences will go beyond trying on clothing and makeup virtually to showcasing products and brands and building virtual worlds around products.

5) FRAGILE CX BUDGETS MEAN TEAMS NEED TO DO MORE WITH LESS

The majority of CX leaders think their budgets will increase in 2023, but a fragile economy puts those budgets at risk. CX teams will have to do more with less and focus on projects with the highest ROI. In 2023, we’ll also see the separation between great and mediocre CX teams, with the teams that thrive being the ones that can continually showcase their value.

2023 brings new challenges and opportunities for brands. Understanding customer demands and the trends coming down the pipeline can help brands prepare to adapt and deliver amazing experiences in the new year and beyond.

. . .

This is just the tip of the iceberg! Understanding customer demands and the trends coming down the pipeline can help brands prepare to adapt and deliver amazing experiences in 2023 and beyond. Click here to read Blake’s deep-dive white paper on the top 5 CX trends for 2023.

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The Future Organization: Embracing Change, Empowering Talent, and Driving Innovation https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-organization-embracing-change-empowering-talent-and-driving-innovation/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48106 The only constant in today's world is death, taxes...and change. By the time you graduate a four year university, most of what you have learned is obsolete. So how can we possibly stand a chance of leading effectively when we spend decades in the corporate world?

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The only constant in today’s world is death, taxes…and change.

By the time you graduate a four year university, most of what you have learned is obsolete. So how can we possibly stand a chance of leading effectively when we spend decades in the corporate world?

The answer is by focusing on high-level principles. When I wrote my book, The Future of Work in 2014 I identified 14 principles for the future organization and now almost a decade later those principles are actually more relevant than they were before.

We have made some progress but we have a long way left to go! These are the 14 Principles For The Future Organization.

Globally distributed with smaller teams

Gone are the days of monolithically structured teams or organizations. Instead we are moving towards a globally distributed and connected world fueled and powered by technology. This has only accelerated as a result of the pandemic which has pushed many of us to work in a virtual or hybrid environment.

In a rapidly changing world it’s the smaller teams who are connected to each other that can thrive. Talent is no longer primarily based near a company headquarters, it can be next door or thousands of miles away.

Connected workforce

While it is great to have a global team around the world, it is not possible to work effectively from all over without being able to stay connected. Your team needs to be able to connect to the right information and to each other anywhere, anytime, and from any device. Which means your organization has to have the right technology in place to make that happen.

Technology is the central nervous system of any organization. Again, the pandemic has been a massive driver of this and we have seen more digital adoption and transformation in the past 20 months than we have in the past 20 years.

Intrapreneurial

Countless CEO I interviewed on my podcast, Leading The Future Of Work talk about the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset inside of an organization. There are several traits that come to mind when you think of an entrepreneur. Passion, drive, innovation, creativity, forward thinking, etc… Wouldn’t you love to have people inside of your organization with these traits?

You can foster the intrapreneurial spirit inside of your organization by letting employees test their ideas out, experiment, pitch new projects, and run with the ideas that have potential. There are several organizations that are allowing employees to be intrapreneurial such as LinkedIn, Adobe, and AT&T.

For individuals, you have to be scrappy, resourceful, and curious. Don’t just wait for your manager to tell you what to do next, don’t just think inside the box, don’t get pigeon-holed into a certain job description. Don’t be afraid to take an idea and run with it.

Operates like a small company

Organizations can no longer afford to be bogged down by bureaucracy, not in this fast paced world we are living in. No matter how many employees you have you have to operate like a small company.

Small companies are agile and adaptable. They are able to make quick decisions and pivot at a moment’s notice. Again, with the pandemic I think companies have been forced to do this for now. We all had to act quickly at the beginning of 2020. But if you want to succeed in the future you have to be able to continue to act small and agile. You will not win if you operate at the speed of sludge.

Are your employees empowered to make their own decisions or do they have to go through multiple levels of hierarchy to get an answer? Do you have small enough teams or do you have 40+ people in meetings? Do you allow employees to run with ideas or do they have to sit in back to back meetings all day?

Don’t tell me it’s not possible to make quick decisions, we’ve all had to do it this year. And if you can do it for COVID-19, you can do it anytime.

Focuses on “want” instead of “need”

In the past when there was a position to be filled inside of an organization the leaders would post a job ad and qualified candidates would apply. There would be an interview and the candidate had to convince the interviewer why they would be the best fit for the position. It was always assumed that the candidate needed a job and they were at the mercy of the organization to hire them. It was about what the candidate could bring to the organization.

Now with globalization and the fact that individuals can work pretty much anywhere around the world as well as the fact that it is a lot easier to be an entrepreneur and do your own thing now it is no longer the individual who has to do the selling. Individuals have so many choices, they don’t have to settle for anything. It is up to the organization to prove it is a place where the individual would want to work.

In order to attract the best talent you have to create an organization where people want to come work, you cannot assume that they need the job anymore.

Adapts to change faster

Organizations can no longer afford to take a “wait and see” approach. They cannot sit back and follow in the path of what others are doing. In order to succeed organizations have to look forward, act fast, and move more swiftly. Things will never be as slow as they are right now. This goes for technology, workplace trends and also reacting to current events.

Innovation everywhere

Does your organization allow anyone to come forward with a new idea? Or do all of your innovations come from a certain department or level of hierarchy? In order to succeed in this rapidly changing world of work, innovation has to come from anywhere and everywhere inside your organization.

And ideas and innovation are two different things. Ideas happen all of the time. We all have hundreds of ideas every single week. But it’s the process of taking an idea and actually turning it into something that leads to innovation.

If an employee has a suggestion, feedback, or an idea do they have the potential to do something with it?

Runs in the cloud

On-premise technologies have a shelf life, and their days are surely numbered. If your organization is purely operating with on site servers and technologies it won’t be long before you fall behind your competition. The future is cloud based technology. It allows organizations to scale up or down very quickly.

More women in senior management roles

This is a big one. We have made some progress here, but not enough. Less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. We need much more diversity in our leadership roles. Without diversity of thought in leadership, companies are missing out on a huge talent pool that brings with it a new set of skills, mindsets, and perspectives.

How can you properly serve your customers and create new products and services if everyone on your leadership team is exactly the same, without any diversity? We definitely need more women leaders.

Flatter structure

The stereotypical hierarchical structure that we have seen in most of our organizations is the pyramid with the CEO at the top and multiple layers in between them and the frontline workers. We can agree that while some structure inside of organizations is good, we need to have a more balanced system.

Information, communication, and ideas should not all come from the top down. It should move from side to side, from the bottom to the top as well as the top down. It doesn’t need to be flat, but it needs to be flatter. We need less layers between frontline workers and the CEO.

This principle helps with agility and nimbleness as well as creating purpose and meaning for employees. When the organization is flatter and communication is flowing freely, employees have a better sense of what is happening inside the organization and why.

Tells stories

We like to tell stories to our customers through our websites, social media, TV ads, etc…So why don’t we take time to create stories for our employees? Stories help us to connect emotionally with an idea or a brand. They paint a picture and make values and purpose come to life.

Employees want to work for an organization that they believe in. They want to find value and purpose in the work they do everyday and what better way to explain the organization’s mission then through stories. When they know what they are working for employees are more likely to go above and beyond. We all want to know that what we do every day impacts our community and our world. Take the time to tell your company’s story to every single employee.

Democratizes learning

Just as learning in our schools is outdated, learning inside of our organizations is outdated. It is too structured and formal. If you sign up for a learning opportunity at work most likely you are going to watch a video from the 80s or you will attend a scripted lecture with someone going through a PowerPoint.

Learning should reflect the year we live in. If it is so easy for me to learn something on my own through YouTube or Khan Academy or Coursera why can’t it be the same way inside our organizations. Learning has to be democratized. It must be put into the hands of every employee because every employee has something to teach and every employee has something to learn.

Shifts from profits to prosperity

Profit is the financial gain that an organization receives and it is the primary measure of success inside of most organizations. But prosperity looks at much more than money. It looks at employee health & wellness, community involvement, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, etc…

The purpose of a business can no longer be just about making money, it’s about impacting all stakeholders. Not shareholders, stakeholders. Our communities, partners, suppliers, vendors, customers, and employees all have a stake in the success of the business.

We have to move away from just the dollars and cents and focus on the greater impact our organizations make on the world around us.

Adapts to the future employee and the future manager

Organizations that want to succeed in the future of work have to be able to adapt to the future employee and the future leader. Leadership is changing in a big way, for more information on how it is changing you can check out my new book, The Future Leader. But organizations need to know what the future of leadership looks like and make sure they are promoting the right people to those positions. Organizations also have to stay on top of what employees want and need. We cannot just continue on and assume that we can succeed while continuing in the old ways of working.

Right now, we’re seeing such an amazing time and exciting evolution around how we work, how we lead, and even how we structure our companies. Don’t get stuck in the old way of doing things. We must continue to adapt, learn, explore, and grow if we want to avoid getting left behind.

. . .

Organizations are changing and you know what else is changing? Your employees! What they care about and value today is not what it was a few years ago, have you adapted? Has your organization? To help you understand how employees are evolving and what you should do about it, I put together a PDF which is going to be an invaluable resource for you, and it’s totally free. It’s based on an image I shared on LinkedIn a little while ago which went viral and was one of the most talked about pieces of content on the platform (it’s in the PDF). If you want to attract and retain top talent then you won’t want to miss this PDF on How Employees Are Evolving & What Your Organization Should Do About It.

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Why You Need to Practice the Power of 10 as a Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/why-you-need-to-practice-the-power-of-10-as-a-leader/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48095 Do you practice the power of 10? The concept was first created in a video from the 1970s and shared with me by Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, as a characteristic future leaders need to possess.

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Do you practice the power of 10?

The concept was first created in a video from the 1970s and shared with me by Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, as a characteristic future leaders need to possess.

The video starts with a family enjoying a picnic. But then it zooms further and further out ten times until the viewer is in space.

But that’s not all. The family picnic scene then zooms in closer and closer until you see the atoms and molecules of the people.

What does this have to do with leadership? Leaders have to practice the power of 10, or be able to zoom in and zoom out. You need to be involved in the micro activities and strategy and also be able to zoom out to see the bigger picture.

Zooming out means setting the vision and mission for your team, looking at future trends, and creating long-term strategy. Zooming in means building individual relationships, focusing on singular projects, and having one-on-one conversations.

Leaders are often good at zooming in or zooming out, but it takes practice to be able to think both ways and swift back and forth between the two.

Being a great leader is all about vision–can you zoom in and out to practice the power of 10?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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5 Components of Emotional Intelligence https://thefutureorganization.com/5-components-of-emotional-intelligence-2/ Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48083 As a leader, it’s not enough to be intelligent. You also have to be emotionally intelligent. I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top CEOs, and they constantly mention empathy and self-awareness as essential skills for future leaders. 

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As a leader, it’s not enough to be intelligent. You also have to be emotionally intelligent.

I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top CEOs, and they constantly mention empathy and self-awareness as essential skills for future leaders.

So much of our work and communication today is done through technology. But people are still at the heart of everything we do. Understanding emotions and building human connections will always be necessary for leaders. In fact, with technology everywhere, emotional intelligence becomes even more important.

Empathy and self-awareness are just part of the emotional intelligence puzzle.

Daniel Goleman is one of the world’s leading experts on emotional intelligence. He says emotional intelligence has five components:

Self-awareness

The ability to recognize and understand your moods and emotions and how they affect others.

Self-regulation

The ability to control impulses and moods and think before acting.

Internal (or intrinsic) motivation

Being driven to pursue goals for personal reasons instead of some kind of reward. The opposite of this is external motivation.

Empathy

The ability to recognize and understand others’ motivations, which is essential for successfully building and leading teams.

Social skills

The ability to manage relationships and build networks.

The best leaders are continually developing all five areas. Intelligence is critical, but emotional intelligence is what sets great leaders apart.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Unleashing the Power of Trust: Jeff Raider, Co-Founder of Harry’s on Fostering Strong Employee & Customer Connections https://thefutureorganization.com/unleashing-the-power-of-trust-jeff-raider-co-founder-of-harrys-on-fostering-strong-employee-customer-connections/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 10:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48075 How often do you think about building trust with employees and customers? For Jeff Raider, co-founder and co-CEO of Harry’s, it’s a daily occurrence. He believes trust is built through small decisions every day that either reinforce or diminish trust with customers and employees. Leaders have small daily moments that are opportunities to create trust

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Jeff_Raider_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Jeff Raider Transcript

How often do you think about building trust with employees and customers?

For Jeff Raider, co-founder and co-CEO of Harry’s, it’s a daily occurrence. He believes trust is built through small decisions every day that either reinforce or diminish trust with customers and employees. Leaders have small daily moments that are opportunities to create trust. And while Raider realizes that building trust is a journey with ups and downs, building trust through small, everyday moments can create a strong and lasting relationship between leaders and their employees and customers.

Trust is especially important for Harry’s as it sells razors customers use daily on their faces. As customers realize the value and quality of Harry’s products, they trust the brand to expand to new products and know the quality will still be there.

For employees, trust comes from knowing the company is making decisions with their best interests in mind and working with a purpose. Employees trust a brand they can understand and leaders who stay connected and authentic.

Building trust means putting people first and making decisions to support customers and employees, not just increase revenue. Raider shared one example of Harry’s new razor, which a partner said should be made in chrome so it could charge more. Everyone was on board to build a great product that would also earn the company more money. But then Raider saw the new chrome razor with another prototype that looked very similar and would be less expensive for customers without sacrificing quality. He decided to go with the less expensive razor instead of charging customers $5 more for a nearly identical razor. That small decision makes a difference for customers and shows them that Harry’s has their best interest in mind.

Similarly, Harry’s keeps its prices consistent instead of constantly promoting and discounting products. Customers know that the price is consistent and trust that they can make a purchase and not have the price go up or down the next day.

Building and maintaining trust is a journey that requires continual effort. Raider says the most challenging part is balancing the long-term growth and success of the business with customer and employee trust. He says the best approach to striking a balance and making trust-based decisions is to use common sense and put himself in the customers’ shoes. If he was a customer, how would he feel about the decision? Would he feel he could trust the brand or that he was getting nickel and dimed?

When questions arise and he has to re-evaluate his decisions, Raider uses it as a learning moment for himself and his employees to think through their choices and how to put people first.

Trust isn’t built overnight. But with daily decisions that focus on people instead of profits, Raider has built a strong foundation of loyal customers and employees. Trust requires empathy and humility but is a requirement for modern leaders and organizations.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

 

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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For You: The Future Leader’s Guide to Thriving in the Next Decade https://thefutureorganization.com/for-you-the-future-leaders-guide-to-thriving-in-the-next-decade/ Fri, 10 Mar 2023 17:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=48068 Just a few years ago, no one could have predicted the dramatic shifts we’ve seen in the world of work--incredible growth of technology, AI, ChatGPT, the Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, entire companies and industries working remotely--the list goes on and on.

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Just a few years ago, no one could have predicted the dramatic shifts we’ve seen in the world of work–incredible growth of technology, AI, ChatGPT, the Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, entire companies and industries working remotely–the list goes on and on.

You’re probably a current or aspiring leader trying to figure out what all of the change means for you and you’re asking yourself questions like:

  • How do you I unlock the potential of my people?
  • What does all of this change mean for how I lead?
  • How do I influence my team (not command them?)
  • How do I create more trust?
  • How do I do more with less?
  • How do I keep up with everything?
  • What do I need to do to make sure I can grow as a leader?

And as hard as it may be to realize, this is the slowest that things will ever change. The rate of change will only increase in the coming years.

What does it take to lead in a fast-paced future—especially one that we may not even be able to predict?

It requires an entirely new set of skills and mindsets. Leaders can’t rely on what’s worked in the past to help them lead and thrive in the future of work. What are these skills and mindsets and how do you practice them?

To answer this I wrote, The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade which recently won the management book of the year award by the Chartered Management Institute. It’s actually now on sale at Amazon for a huge discount!

The shelves are full of leadership books. But they all tell you how to be a leader in a world that’s already gone. Only my book focuses on the future of leadership and combines robust research with best practices to provide real, actionable tips.

I interviewed 140 of the world’s top CEOs from companies like Best Buy, Oracle, Unilever, Mastercard, Best Buy, KPMG, Audi, and over 120 others. I then combined these insights and stories with actual data from a survey of 14,000 employees.

I distilled the CEO insights into the Notable Nine. The skills of the futurist, Yoda, the translator, the coach, and the technology teen, and the mindsets of the explorer, the chef, the servant, and the global citizen. These practical tips and takeaways guide you to becoming a future-ready leader.

You may not be able to sit down with these great leaders, but by following their advice and adopting the skills and mindsets of future leaders, you could join their ranks soon.

The world is changing quickly. You can’t afford not to evolve and adapt as a leader.

Become a future-ready leader. The Future Leader is the best resource to make that happen and you know that what you read is backed by both CEO insights and hard data.

If you need more convincing here is what some CEOs said about the book:

“You want to be a future ready leader? You need this book!”Horst Schulze, Founder and CEO, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

“The practice of management quit working 30 years ago. This book makes a rare, badly needed, grand contribution to leadership, teams and human development.” Jim Clifton Chairman and CEO Gallup

“Jacob’s book answers the most pressing questions on the future of leadership. Based on impressive research, this is the guidebook for the next generation of leaders around the world.” Paul Polman, Co-founder and Chair, IMAGINE and former CEO, Unilever

“I applaud Jacob in assembling such a powerful and inclusive collection of voices for leaders around the world to learn from. Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.”Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard 

“Being a leader is a tremendous honor and responsibility, you owe it yourself and to your people to become the best possible leader you can be. You can start by reading this book and putting into practice the ideas that are explored in it. A valuable read! David Novak, former CEO, Yum! Brands”

“If every leader read this book, the world would be a better place!”Marshall Goldsmith – Thinkers 50 #1 Executive Coach for 10 years

“Jacob Morgan has managed a tour de force. Based on in-depth research, this very colorful book forcefully and beautifully captures what is expected of leaders in this new world. This may be the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive thought piece on this critical topic out there.” Hubert Joly, CEO, Best Buy

Get your copy here before the price goes back up!

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The Three Employee Experience Environments https://thefutureorganization.com/the-three-employee-experience-environments-2/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47981 We all deserve to work for an organization where we actually WANT, not NEED to show up to work each day. But for some reason, regardless of how much money we spent on employee engagement programs, the needle never moves, how come?

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We all deserve to work for an organization where we actually WANT, not NEED to show up to work each day.

But for some reason, regardless of how much money we spent on employee engagement programs, the needle never moves, how come?

Because we are focusing on the outcome and not on the cause. Employee engagement has become synonymous with perks and benefits…shiny new things that you can offer employees to distract them from the sad reality of what it’s actually like to work at your company.

It’s like changing the paint on the car without changing the engine. Employee experience is the engine. Only 13% of organizations are doing an amazing job of creating experience for their people and there is an ROI.

Organizations that invest in employee experience:

  • Tend to experience more productivity, happier employees and a better talent pipeline.
  • They also tend to rank and appear, up to 40x more often, on lists of the most innovative organizations and the best places to work.
  • Have 4x more profit per employee
  • Have 3x higher revenue per employee
  • They are 24% smaller and have a rate of staff turnover that is 40% lower than the average organization.
  • Finally, in terms of stock price the best organizations for employee experience tend to significantly outperform all the major stock indices.

Today, employee experience is becoming the #1 business imperative for organizations around the world and my book, The Employee Experience Advantage and employee experience crash course have been guiding HR and business leaders around the world on what to do and how to do it.

When you think of employee experience, what comes to mind?

Is it having a shiny office, a free on-site gym, or weekly company happy hours?

Or is it having a culture that focuses on well-being, growth and development, leadership, hybrid work, and diversity of thought?

Too often, we focus on the perks of employee experience instead of getting to the root drivers of engaged employees. Employee experience is less about flashy perks and more about changing core workplace practices.

It’s about 3 things which I call The Employee Experience Equation, these things are culture, technology, and space.

Culture

We’ve all heard of corporate culture and the many ways to describe it. Some say it’s what happens when the manager leaves the room, others say culture stems from the values, attitudes, practices, and mission of the organization, and some say culture is controlled by the CEO and the executives. I like to think of culture as the side effects of working for your organization.

Just like taking a prescription drug can have side effects such as weight gain, nausea, skin discoloration, or bleeding from the eyes, working for your organization can have the same side effects! But in your organization, these side effects can also be positive, like growth and development or purpose and meaning. Culture is about the feeling employees get working for you as a leader and for your organization. It’s the “vibe” you get when you walk in the door and the mood and the tone the workplace sets. It’s the leadership style, the sense of purpose your employees feel, the organizational structure, and the people that make up your organization. It’s not written or stated, yet it is one of the most important elements of creating and designing the employee experience.

Corporate culture energizes or drains us, motivates or discourages us, empowers or suffocates us. We all experience the corporate culture of our organizations every single day, whether it be positive or negative. Culture is 40% of the overall employee experience.

Technology

The technological environment of the organization refers to the tools employees use to get their jobs done. This includes everything from the company’s internal social network to the mobile devices, computers, and video conferencing solutions employees use. It also includes any apps, software, and learning tools. Technology is the organization’s central nervous system; most concepts and themes related to the future of work are not possible without technology.

It’s not hard to see why technology is a big part of the employee experience. Using outdated and poorly designed technologies makes it harder for employees to communicate and collaborate, drastically increases the time it takes to get their jobs done, and creates an environment where people are frustrated, angry, and unproductive. Technology is 30% of the overall employee experience.

. . .

How do you get started with creating an amazing employee experience at your company? If you want to create a place where employees WANT, not NEED to show up to work each day then I put together an awesome PDF for you that goes into the employee experience equation in more detail and also gives you action items that you can start to implement. It’s free, my only ask is that you actually take action and make change happen, deal? Click here to get the PDF and share it with a co-worker.

. . .

Space

The physical workspace is what you can see, touch, taste, and smell. It’s the art on the walls, the office floor plan, the demographics of the people we work with, and any physical perks we might get, such as catered meals, an on-site gym, or an employee lounge. The physical space can drain or energize your people.

Physical space also matters for remote employees. Even if employees aren’t working together in a physical office, they are physically working somewhere. That environment impacts their employee experience. Physical space is 30% of the overall experience. Take a look around your company’s physical space. Does the office represent your mission and values? Do your employees have the space to work well (even remotely)? Your physical space, whether it’s an office, factory, store, or home office, should clearly show what your company stands for and make it easy for employees to do their best work.

To build an effective employee experience, you can’t just focus on one area. You have to consider all three environments to create a well-rounded atmosphere where employees actually want to come to work.

It’s not about the perks–it’s about creating the right environments.

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Leaders are the Front Line of Mental Health at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-are-the-front-line-of-mental-health-at-work/ Wed, 08 Mar 2023 11:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47963 Organizations worldwide, large and small, are facing a crisis: the mental health of their employees is suffering. Mental health is crucial to all areas of life, including work. But with the increased stress and uncertainty of everyday life, more people feel stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious.

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Organizations worldwide, large and small, are facing a crisis: the mental health of their employees is suffering.

Mental health is crucial to all areas of life, including work. But with the increased stress and uncertainty of everyday life, more people feel stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious.

But getting access to mental health treatments is time-consuming and difficult. The process of finding a professional and scheduling an appointment can take weeks or more. And in the meantime, people are suffering from poor mental health.

That’s why leaders need to step up.

For decades, leaders would avoid their employees’ mental health concerns. If someone came to them asking for help or struggling, the leader would deflect and pass them off to someone else.

But today’s leaders need to do more. Leaders need to be at the frontline of mental health.

That doesn’t mean you have to be a mental health expert, but leaders play a vital role in checking on employees, building relationships, and helping them work through stress and anxiety.

Leaders need to check in on employees regularly to see how they are feeling, where they are struggling, and what help they need. Practice vulnerability, empathy, and compassion as you talk to employees and let them know their mental health matters. Building those connections is a powerful way to strengthen mental health and help employees know they aren’t alone.

Leaders can also help refer employees to professional mental health counselors and therapists. But it starts with them letting people know you are listening and there for them.

The next time an employee comes to you with something to talk about, listen to them. Embrace the conversation and make a human connection. Treat your employees as humans and not just workers. Do your part to support their mental health by building and strengthening those valuable human bonds.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Are You Really Connecting with Your People? Ask Yourself These 8 Questions https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-really-connecting-with-your-people-ask-yourself-these-8-questions/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47958 You can’t be a leader without people who are willing to follow you. But people won’t follow you if they don’t feel a connection.
One of the most important roles of leaders is to be coaches and motivate, inspire, and engage with their people. You have to believe your job is to help others reach their full potential and become more successful than you.

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You can’t be a leader without people who are willing to follow you.

But people won’t follow you if they don’t feel a connection.

One of the most important roles of leaders is to be coaches and motivate, inspire, and engage with their people. You have to believe your job is to help others reach their full potential and become more successful than you.

That starts by knowing your people and connecting with them. You can’t help someone succeed if you don’t know anything about them. Great leaders and coaches know their employees as individuals, not just workers.

Here are eight questions to ask yourself if you really connect with your people:

  1. What excites them most?
  2. What stresses them out or drains them the most?
  3. What are they most passionate about?
  4. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
  5. What are their hobbies or interests outside of work?
  6. Do they have a family? If so, do you know anything about them?
  7. What are their professional and personal goals?
  8. What do they think of you as a leader?

Your success as a leader starts with how well you know and understand your employees and what makes them tick. When you take time to connect with employees, you can create more effective teams and help your employees meet their goals and find success.

Use these questions as a guidepost for your relationships with your employees. Be honest with yourself—if you don’t currently connect with your employees, these questions are a great way to start.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Connecting the Dots: How Guy Kawasaki Turns Serendipity into Seizing the Moment https://thefutureorganization.com/connecting-the-dots-how-guy-kawasaki-turns-serendipity-into-seizing-the-moment/ Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47945 Does success come all at once or through a series of connected events?

Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast, fully appreciates serendipity and how things have worked together to get him where he is today. But he says serendipity without seizing the opportunity is a lost opportunity.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Guy_Kawasaki_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Guy Kawasaki Transcript

Does success come all at once or through a series of connected events?

Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and host of the Remarkable People podcast, fully appreciates serendipity and how things have worked together to get him where he is today. But he says serendipity without seizing the opportunity is a lost opportunity.

It’s easy to reflect on your life and see how different events worked together. But the key is to find those serendipitous events in the moment and take advantage of the opportunity.

It’s a concept Kawasaki calls connecting the dots. He says it’s vital—especially in your youth—to make lots of dots because you never know what dots will connect you. Looking back, you may think there was a plan because the dots came together. But in actuality, it’s you making many dots that can connect and create powerful opportunities.

Kawasaki points out that the idea that there’s a single straight line to success is flawed. Too often, people think there is one path—such as studying calculus in high school, going to Stanford, getting a job at Goldman Sachs, and working your way up the ladder.

But that’s not always the case. Most people have a less linear path to success that taps into the dots they’ve placed along the way. Those paths still result in success but just not in the most obvious way in the moment.

Making lots of dots means being open to opportunities, building relationships, and expanding your network and possibilities beyond what’s comfortable. The more you embrace new opportunities, the more dots you make, and the more likely they will connect later to put you on a path to success.

Serendipity is a concept Kawasaki has seen in his own life. His sixth-grade teacher recommended him to a college prep school, which put him on the path to Stanford, which opened doors and introduced him to people that helped him land a job in the early days of Apple with Steve Jobs.

Each of those moments was a dot he placed along the way. But the path would likely have looked different if he had a different sixth-grade teacher. Even then, he could still make dots that lead to a successful path.

Success doesn’t come overnight. It takes work and making lots of dots over time to see what comes together in a serendipitous path. But more than that, it requires being aware of your connections and seizing the opportunity.

No matter where you are in your life and career, it’s never too late to make dots and seize the opportunity as things come together.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Fast-Track Your Path to Leadership Success with Future of Work Plus https://thefutureorganization.com/fast-track-your-path-to-leadership-success-with-future-of-work-plus/ Fri, 03 Mar 2023 14:00:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47916 Every week, I interview top business leaders and experts on my podcast, Leading the Future of Work. They share best practices and stories from their careers about how you can become a future-ready leader.
These interviews are engaging and enlightening, but there’s one problem: there’s always more to say.

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Every week, I interview top business leaders and experts on my podcast, Leading the Future of Work. They share best practices and stories from their careers about how you can become a future-ready leader.

These interviews are engaging and enlightening, but there’s one problem: there’s always more to say.

That’s why I launched my bonus podcast, Future of Work Plus. If you’ve ever wanted real action items from top leaders that you can put into practice today to become a better leader, this is the place for you.

Every week, you’ll get access to exclusive, practical content from my podcast guests for best practices and advice they aren’t sharing anywhere else. You’ll learn their best tips for success on topics like change management, productivity, setting a vision, and leading through tough times. At the end of every episode, you’ll have a list of action items to try today.

The main podcast shares the stories and big pictures–the bonus podcast is where you get practical tips to try immediately. This podcast is your chance to get mentored by the best brains in business. In short, 15-minute interviews, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge to transform your leadership skills and mindsets.

The goal of this podcast is to help you become a future-ready leader. And there’s no better way to do that than with tips from the top you can’t find anywhere else.

This is one of the best ways to invest in your future as a leader. For just $4.99/month or $49.99/year, you’ll have access to a library of exclusive content and weekly episodes from new guests.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with Future of Work PlusI can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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6 Conditions for Creating Effective Teams https://thefutureorganization.com/6-conditions-for-creating-effective-teams-2/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 14:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47910 One of a leader’s most important jobs is to create effective teams.

There are numerous variables to building a team that works well together. But researchers have found one of the most crucial attributes is a “shared mindset,” especially as teams become more dynamic, diverse, and distributed. A shared mindset unites team members and ensures everyone has accurate information.

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One of a leader’s most important jobs is to create effective teams.

There are numerous variables to building a team that works well together. But researchers have found one of the most crucial attributes is a “shared mindset,” especially as teams become more dynamic, diverse, and distributed. A shared mindset unites team members and ensures everyone has accurate information.

But that’s just one crucial piece of the puzzle. Here are six conditions for creating effective teams:

Real team

Team members have to feel like they are part of a team. That means having clear boundaries and interdependencies among members. It also requires at least moderate stability in membership, meaning team members aren’t coming and going all the time.

Compelling direction

Effective teams need a clear purpose that is challenging and consequential. These teams are focused on the ends to be achieved instead of just the means to pursue it.

Enabling structure

Teams need support and stability with a structure that encourages collaboration and teamwork. To work well, teams need a format or configuration that enables teamwork instead of hindering it.

Supportive context

Effective teams require resources like training, rewards, and access to information. Team members need support that enables them to work effectively.

Competent coaching

Instead of feeling totally alone, great teams have someone they can turn to for mentoring or when they have questions or need help overcoming obstacles and challenges.

Shared mindset

A common understanding and identity that focuses on similarities and connectedness instead of looking for differences.

Effective teams don’t happen overnight. But creating these six conditions can help teams grow and become effective over time.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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The Impact of a Great Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/the-impact-of-a-great-leader/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 14:00:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47901 What is it like to work for a great leader?

You feel like you can do anything and take on any challenge. You can overcome obstacles and embrace new opportunities. You feel like someone has your back and is a skilled coach and mentor. In many cases, work doesn’t even feel like work.

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What is it like to work for a great leader?

You feel like you can do anything and take on any challenge. You can overcome obstacles and embrace new opportunities. You feel like someone has your back and is a skilled coach and mentor. In many cases, work doesn’t even feel like work.

Great leaders do more than inspire and motivate their employees–they also help the company financially. Research has found that great leaders can double their company’s profits.

And when you have a great leader, their impact spreads throughout the company. A leader’s positive attitudes, values, and behaviors create a ripple effect and influence employees throughout the company to follow in their footsteps.

Unfortunately, the same is also true for toxic leaders, whose bad attitudes and negative values can spread through the company like a virus.

The people you promote and train as leaders significantly impact your employees and company. That’s why it’s so important that organizations create a culture and environment where great leaders can thrive and bad leaders aren’t promoted. Do you want great behaviors and attitudes to spread, or do you want toxic values to spread?

Choose wisely–leaders have an incredible impact.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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The Difference Between Purpose & Meaning and How to Create Both https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-purpose-meaning-and-how-to-create-both-2/ Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:00:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47894 Attracting the best talent used to just take perks and a nice paycheck. But that’s no longer the case. Today’s employees care about a sense of purpose and meaning in their work--and are often willing to take a pay cut to get them.

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Attracting the best talent used to just take perks and a nice paycheck. But that’s no longer the case. Today’s employees care about a sense of purpose and meaning in their work–and are often willing to take a pay cut to get them.

But how can leaders and organizations create more purpose and meaning for their employees?

Creating meaningful work is a process. Your job is what you do, and your purpose is the intention of the job. Your purpose creates an impact or outcome, which drives meaning, or why you do what you do.

Job

You got hired to do this, whether it is writing code, handling customer service issues, or selling.

Purpose

Purpose bridges your work and its impact on customers, employees, or the world. Many employees struggle with their purpose because organizations are so focused on completing tasks and projects that employees don’t see what happens because of their work.

Impact

Impact is what happens from your purpose. Your purpose in customer service is to resolve issues and improve customers’ lives. But is that the actual impact that you are having? Your purpose is about the potential, but the impact is about reality. You want your impact to be greater than or equal to your purpose. But unfortunately, many employees don’t know the impact of their work.

Meaning

Meaning is subjective and unique to each of us. It’s about why we do something and the feeling we get from doing it. If you write code, you might get meaning from working on complex problems or challenges. If you’re in sales, you might get meaning from building relationships.

Creating Purpose and Meaning

The balance of power has shifted towards employees, and organizations are now focusing more on employee experience and creating an environment where employees want to show up to work. Leaders and organizations aren’t just there to make money or drive profits. They can’t be isolated; they must work towards something bigger and more meaningful.

Where to begin:

  • Leaders must first understand their purpose and meaning and the difference between them.
  • Help employees see how their work impacts the business, employees, or the world.
  • Get to know employees as human beings, not just as workers. What do they value and why?
  • Make purpose and meaning a core part of your messaging with your people.
  • Align the organization’s values with the purpose and the meaning of the people who work there.

Every employee deserves to understand how the work they do makes an impact. We all need to look inwards to get a better sense of who we are and why we are doing the work we do.

Leaders can’t just focus on the bottom line–they have to deliver purpose and meaning to employees.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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3 Common Leadership Challenges for Women and the Habits to Overcome Them https://thefutureorganization.com/3-common-leadership-challenges-for-women-and-the-habits-to-overcome-them/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 11:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47887 Growing as a leader involves overcoming challenges. Sally Helgesen, international speaker, best-selling author, and expert on women’s leadership, says women deal with unique leadership situations. Understanding these challenges is crucial for both men and women in the workforce.

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Sally Helgesen Transcript

Growing as a leader involves overcoming challenges.

Sally Helgesen, international speaker, best-selling author, and expert on women’s leadership, says women deal with unique leadership situations. Understanding these challenges is crucial for both men and women in the workforce. And although Helgesen acknowledges that men may also face these challenges, her research shows that they apply to many women.

Here are three common challenges women face in work and leadership and the habits that can overcome them:

Expecting others to spontaneously notice and value your contributions.

Employees often hope people will notice their accomplishments instead of realizing they must speak up and share them. But in today’s busy workplaces—especially with hybrid and remote schedules—the work doesn’t always speak for itself. As Helgesen says, people notice what is brought to their attention. Employees are responsible for bringing attention to their work, but many women fear being perceived as arrogant or undermining their team if they talk about their contribution.

Sharing your wins is a responsibility, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Helgesen says that all employees, especially women, need to find a way to speak comfortably about their achievements and not think of themselves as being attention-seeking or not team players. People who don’t bring attention to their accomplishments start to feel undervalued, often leading to them disengaging from the work.

Building rather than leveraging relationships.

Women tend to be very good at building strong relationships but are often reluctant to ask other people for support and help. Helgesen says they often fear being seen as a user or someone who takes advantage of other people instead of using their connections and strong relationships to make introductions and gain valuable business contacts and insights.

Helgesen recommends putting yourself out there as someone who is a resource willing to engage and support others. You have to identify yourself not just as a hard worker but as a player.

Falling into the perfection trap.

Perfectionism is a challenge employees constantly face. It’s the idea that you are either perfect or failing with no middle ground. Women often feel the need to invest all their efforts in being precise and correct in everything they do.

Women tend to be rewarded and promoted based on the perception that their work is precise and perfect. In contrast, men are rewarded and promoted based on their visibility, connections, and the perception that they’re big-picture thinkers. Precision and perfection are helpful to women earlier in their careers, but as Helgesen says, what got you here won’t get you there because organizations aren’t looking for perfectionism in their leaders.

Helgesen says women need to develop skills like delegation, big-picture thinking, and making connections to overcome the perfectionism trap.

These challenges impact many workers, but they are more common in women. Organizations need women in leadership roles. By developing habits to overcome these challenges, women can improve their career opportunities and step into leadership positions where they can make a positive impact.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Lead with Confidence: Mastering the Golden Triangle of Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/lead-with-confidence-mastering-the-golden-triangle-of-leadership/ Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47880 Who are you as a leader? What makes you unique? It can be challenging for leaders to find their own approach to leadership that reflects their priorities and beliefs, especially because each leader is unique.

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Who are you as a leader? What makes you unique?

It can be challenging for leaders to find their own approach to leadership that reflects their priorities and beliefs, especially because each leader is unique.

As part of the research for my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. From these conversations, I developed the Golden Triangle of Leadership. These three connected things define who you are as a leader and shape your leadership abilities: your beliefs, thoughts, and actions.

Beliefs

Your beliefs are things you accept as true. They act as a guiding light and become your philosophy on business and life. Ask yourself about some of the core things you believe in. Write them down and be honest with yourself.

Thoughts

Thoughts are what you think about as a result of your beliefs. For example, if you believe that people are more important than profits, your thoughts will center around developing and valuing your employees instead of simply increasing revenue.

Do a thought audit at the end of every day to see what patterns emerge around how you think. You can even do this a few times throughout the day to see where your head’s at.

Actions

Your actions are what you do. They are influenced by your thoughts and beliefs, turning those ideas into something tangible. If your thoughts are focused on developing your employees, your actions will likely include focusing on employee experience and taking the time to listen to employees and value their feedback.

Look for patterns in your decisions and priorities. Do your actions reflect your beliefs and thoughts?

To be a great leader, your beliefs, thoughts, and actions must all align and be positive. It starts by being firm in your beliefs, manifesting them in your thoughts, and seeing them come to life in your actions.

Just like every leader is different, everyone has a unique Golden Triangle. If your triangle doesn’t align or your actions don’t match your beliefs or thoughts, it’s likely a sign that you aren’t true to yourself or have lost your way as a leader. Use this framework as a regular check-in to ensure that you stay the course.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Embracing Change: The Key to Leading in the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/embracing-change-the-key-to-leading-in-the-future-of-work/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47865 What will it take to lead in the future of work? It's clear that what worked in the past won't work in the present (or the future) so what do you do you?

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What will it take to lead in the future of work? It’s clear that what worked in the past won’t work in the present (or the future) so what do you do you?

We’ve seen incredible changes over the last months and years that have transformed nearly everything about how we live and work. The pandemic, of course, changed everything, but aside from that, advancements in technology, the push for transparency, employee experience, global changes, and other factors have created a world far different from how it once was.

Leaders weren’t trained to lead in this new world.

That change is exciting, but it can also be daunting for leaders and future leaders.

And as hard as it may be to believe, the speed at which the world of work is changing will only increase.

Successful leaders can’t simply prepare to lead in today’s world–they have to look ahead and prepare to lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist. And that requires adopting new skills and mindsets.

I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from companies like Unilever, Oracle, KPMG, Verizon, The Ritz Carlton, and many others, and spent years researching the trends facing leadership and how leaders can prepare now to thrive in the future.

From there, I created the Notable Nine–the nine skills and mindsets all leaders will need in the future. These including things like thinking like a futurist, embracing the mindset of the global citizen, being a technology teenager, practicing the mindset of the explorer, and others.

I put together a course that many organizations around the world have been using to up skill and train their leaders called The Future Leader Course.

It’s an in-depth look at how to develop now to lead the future of work. In this course, you’ll learn best practices and skills you won’t get anywhere else. These are things you can apply today and work to improve over time. It’s a must-do for anyone who wants to become a better leader and future-proof their career.

Click here to learn more and sign up. 

If you want to be a future-ready leader then I encourage you to check out The Future Leader Course.

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What a Bad Leader Can Do To Your Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/what-a-bad-leader-can-do-to-your-organization/ Wed, 22 Feb 2023 14:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47859 Think that bad leaders don’t matter? Think again!

Toxic leaders can literally kill your employees. One study found that employees who worked for a toxic boss had lower satisfaction. And employees who worked for a narcissistic boss were more likely to experience clinical depression.

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Think that bad leaders don’t matter? Think again!

Toxic leaders can literally kill your employees. One study found that employees who worked for a toxic boss had lower satisfaction. And employees who worked for a narcissistic boss were more likely to experience clinical depression.

Another study found that toxic bosses can literally give employees heart disease, which is among the deadliest conditions.

And what’s even worse is that the attitudes and values of a toxic leader can spread through the company like wildfire. People around the leader start to believe and act the same way, leading to employees across the organization becoming disengaged, productivity declining, and the business suffering. Employees become more critical of each other, aggressive toward their colleagues and leaders, and more likely to take credit for each other’s work. It becomes a negative environment of back-stabbing, gossip, and sabotage.

All because of one toxic leader.

Bad leaders can literally kill your employees and your company.

But there’s hope. If you find a bad leader in your organization, get them out before their toxic attitudes and behaviors can affect the rest of the company. When you replace bad leaders with good, supportive leaders, you build a welcoming and engaging culture that can foster within the company.

Don’t underestimate the power of a toxic leader. Don’t let them spread within your company.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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The Employee Experience Iceberg Problem https://thefutureorganization.com/the-employee-experience-iceberg-problem/ Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47850 Employee experience is the next battlefield for attracting and retaining great employees. It’s become one of the key focus areas for organizations around the world.

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Employee experience is the next battlefield for attracting and retaining great employees. It’s become one of the key focus areas for organizations around the world.

But for as much money is being poured into employee experience programs, the numbers aren’t improving. Why? Because most scorecards only categorize employees into three categories: Engaged, not engaged, and actively disengaged.

Based on that model, the best a company can do is hire an average employee who will perform as expected. Everyone else is either below or way below average.

But don’t we want our employees to have more than just mediocre engagement levels? What about employees who feel a sense of purpose, exceed expectations, and go above and beyond to help others? Where do they fall on that scale?

We’ve created an employee experience iceberg where only one type of employee is seen above the water, and those are just the people performing at average levels. Below the surface are the employees who aren’t engaged or actively disengaged.

Let’s move past this iceberg to celebrate and encourage employees to be actively engaged. It’s not enough to just go through the motions–organizations need to create programs that move employees out of the average or below-average categories and make them exceptional.

. . .

These challenges show how leadership and work are changing. Leaders who can overcome these challenges to futurize and humanize their organizations will thrive in the future. Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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The Secret to Leadership Success: Insights from Best-Selling Author Carolyn Dewar on the 6 Mindsets of the World’s Top CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/the-secret-to-leadership-success-insights-from-best-selling-author-carolyn-dewar-on-the-6-mindsets-of-the-worlds-top-ceos/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47835 What makes the world’s CEOs so successful? What do they do that’s different than their peers?
That was the question posed by Carolyn Dewar, senior partner at McKinsey & Company and best-selling author of CEO Excellence.

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45min_-_Carolyn_Dewar_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Carolyn Dewar Transcript

What makes the world’s CEOs so successful? What do they do that’s different than their peers?

That was the question posed by Carolyn Dewar, senior partner at McKinsey & Company and best-selling author of CEO Excellence. There are countless books about individual CEOs, but she wanted to find patterns among successful leaders about how they thought and worked differently. To find her answer, Dewar went straight to the source: the world’s best CEOs. Her interviews focused on the best of the best or the CEOs who outperformed other top companies. And from those interviews and job shadows of nearly 100 people, Dewar narrowed it down to six mindsets from the world’s top CEOs.

Here are six mindsets of the world’s top CEOs that apply to all levels of leadership:

Direction setting

One of a leader’s key responsibilities is setting the strategy and direction. That requires them to be bold and be right. Without boldness, leaders won’t be able to drive change that outperforms the competition. Dewar shared the example of Ajay Banga at MasterCard. Early in his tenure, when credit cards were in their infancy, employees were focused on beating American Express and Visa. But Banga was bold and realized the potential of MasterCard to take down cash and become the premier payment option. His boldness set the vision to think bigger and helped the company see incredible growth.

Organizational alignment

The best CEOs treat soft things like culture and talent as hard things. While other CEOs may only focus on hard metrics, great leaders know the value of people. They take these efforts seriously, invest time and resources into HR and organizational development, and focus on continual culture development.

Mobilizing leaders

CEOs set the vision, but managers are the ones who put it into action. Most of a CEO’s work is done through leaders. With this mindset, CEOs align the team beneath them and ensure they are effective and work well individually and together.

Board engagement

Not every company has a board, but every CEO has a stakeholder group or peers who aren’t directly part of the team but are someone they need to work with. With the mindset of board engagement, CEOs don’t just tolerate the board but collaborate and build strong relationships to keep them engaged in the work.

Stakeholder connection

As CEOs interact with external stakeholders, they need to start with the why. There are countless groups and issues CEOs can engage in, so they need to be intentional about building the right connections that add to the company’s values and sense of purpose.

Personal connectedness

A CEO’s job is never done. It would be easy to fill your day with tasks and never stop, but great CEOs realize they can only do so much. Instead of trying to do everything, CEOs must focus on the areas where they can deliver the most value. They can then spread that example to the rest of their company to help employees focus on impactful actions, not scheduling meetings to have a meeting. The mindset of personal connectedness allows CEOs to learn and grow as people, not just as leaders.

Each CEO and leader has their unique approach and personality, but these six mindsets are common across industries and companies. If you want to become a great leader, follow in the footsteps and mindsets of the world’s best.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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CEO Wisdom: Navigating the Future of Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-wisdom-navigating-the-future-of-leadership/ Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47830 As the world of work changes and brings new opportunities, it also brings new challenges. Leaders must know what they’re up against to succeed in the future.

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As the world of work changes and brings new opportunities, it also brings new challenges. Leaders must know what they’re up against to succeed in the future.

I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs for my book, The Future Leader, and asked about the challenges future leaders will face. From their varied and insightful responses, I broke the challenges into two main areas: futurize and humanize.

Futurize

Future leaders can’t afford to lead their organizations by looking in the rearview mirror. They need to futurize or bring their organizations into the future.

Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Thinking

We’re conditioned to think quarter by quarter to please shareholders and investors. Future leaders need to focus on long-term success for their organization and people.

Adapting to Technology

The rate of new technology can be overwhelming. Future leaders need to pay attention and understand what new developments are significant and what aren’t worth chasing.

Keeping Up With the Pace of Change 

Future leaders have to keep up with how rapidly the world is changing. They need to embrace change and be open to new ideas about everything from climate change to geo-political issues, technology, demographics, and much more.

Moving Away from the Status Quo

Just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it will work in the future. Leaders need to take risks that move away from the status quo just because that’s how things have always been done.

Humanize

Technology is changing how we work, but we can’t forget that businesses still exist because of people. The challenges of humanizing involve balancing humans with technology and ensuring your people are prepared to succeed.

Leading Diverse Teams

Diverse teams bring in new perspectives. Future leaders must put together teams of people with different backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations, and belief systems to work together toward a common goal.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Future leaders have to navigate an unusual talent landscape. Instead of candidates convincing organizations they are the best choice, organizations must convince potential employees they are a great place to work.

Reskilling and Upskilling Employees

With so much change, many employees don’t have the right skills to do their jobs or thrive in the future. Leaders have to learn how to upskill employees with what they need for future success.

Doing Good

Modern employees care about more than just making money. Future leaders need to do good and ensure their work improves their community and the world.

Making the Organization Human

With automation and a focus on efficiency, many organizations fall into the trap of focusing on results instead of people. Future leaders need to understand their employees as people, not just cogs in the machine.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Leading with Learning: The Key to Success in a Rapidly Changing World https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-with-learning-the-key-to-success-in-a-rapidly-changing-world/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 14:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47826 Why does the CEO of Graybar do things that make her uncomfortable?
What does the former CEO of Microsoft US say you have to do to move from thinking like an implementer to thinking like an owner?

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Why does the CEO of Graybar do things that make her uncomfortable?

What does the former CEO of Microsoft US say you have to do to move from thinking like an implementer to thinking like an owner?

How does the CEO of BD use purpose to define his priorities?

How does the CEO of US Cellular make fewer decisions without sacrificing the quality of his company?

Over the 15 years I’ve been fortunate to work with and advise some of the world’s top companies and their leaders (and interview many of them for my podcast). I always ask these leaders what their top strategies are for achieving leadership success. I’ve compiled all of their best advice into an ongoing new series called the Leadership Reset Subscription.

Becoming a great leader isn’t a box you can check. You can’t do it once and be set for the rest of your career. It requires constant learning and development.

Leaders who only learn once can get stuck in the past and become out of touch with changes in how people think and work. That’s a risk you can’t afford to take with the world of work changing so rapidly. Today’s leaders need to be constantly learning and adapting to thrive in the future.

That’s why I created the Leadership Reset Subscription that sends you a weekly leadership strategy from some of the world’s best leaders. Every week, you’ll get access to exclusive advice you can put into practice right away. This is an ongoing list that I compile and turn into regular and ongoing videos for you so that you can apply these same strategies in your leadership journey.

With each new tip, you’ll expand your leadership skills and become a better leader. That’s the most valuable thing you can do for your career.

Every week, you’ll get two things. The first is a video from me where I share a leadership strategy and the second is a follow-up email that builds on that video with more actionable advice and guidance. So far I have dozens of videos in there which highlight leadership strategies from the CEOs of: BD, Sasol, VF Corporation (Vans, JanSport, North Face), MGM Resorts, Sesame Workshop, Domino’s Pizza, Goodwill Industries, Microsoft U.S., and many others.

If you want to level up your leadership with ongoing hacks and tips, there’s nothing better than the Leadership Reset Subscription. It’s a never-ending supply of top leadership tips that can transform your life and career!

Click here to learn more and sign up.

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When To Start Leadership Training for Your Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/when-to-start-leadership-training-for-your-employees/ Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:02:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47823 When is the right time to start training future leaders?
If you’re asking the question, it’s probably too late.

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When is the right time to start training future leaders?

If you’re asking the question, it’s probably too late.

While researching for my book, The Future Leader, I discovered an astonishing fact: most people become leaders in their mid to late 20s but don’t get formal leadership training until their late 30s or early 40s. That means leaders are in charge of people for more than a decade without any leadership training!

Too often, organizations follow a model where you have to be special to get leadership training. You have to prove yourself to the company, make an impact, or have been there a long time to get access to exclusive leadership training.

That shouldn’t be the case! Why wouldn’t you want every employee to get training about the skills and mindsets to lead others effectively? Why wait years and make employees prove themselves to get access to that training?

This is one of the biggest things we need to fix inside our organizations. We need to give everyone access to leadership training and development opportunities. They may not all become leaders, but the training will do amazing things for their careers, self-esteem, and engagement. It gives them the resources to positively impact your business, customers, and team members.

With the world of work changing so quickly, we need all the skilled leaders we can get. You don’t have to wait to start leadership training your employees. The sooner you can get started, the better. And don’t leave anyone out when it comes to leadership training.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

I Iaunched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Stop Hiring Gen Z! https://thefutureorganization.com/stop-hiring-gen-z/ Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:01:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47820 You open a new position and browse through the applicants. What’s the one type of employee you should avoid hiring? Gen Z!

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You open a new position and browse through the applicants. What’s the one type of employee you should avoid hiring? Gen Z! Seeing that someone is age 18-25 and just starting their career is the ultimate red flag. Hiring them is the worst thing you could do for your business.

But many companies are hung up on hiring Gen Z, saying they bring a fresh perspective and tech savviness. To them, I say go ahead and hire Gen Z so the rest of us don’t have to. Enjoy your lazy and entitled employees while leaders who know better hire experienced and dedicated older employees.

Gen Z isn’t loyal. They’ll leave your company after you invest countless money and resources in them. In 2023, a staggering 72% of Gen Z plan to leave their jobs. Do you really want to hire someone only to have them quit within the year?

Gen Z doesn’t stick with anything, especially if the work is challenging. They’ll keep job-hopping until they find a company that matches their values. But the grass is always greener on the other side. Even if you hire them and they like the job, they’ll always be looking for something better. Don’t hire an employee who already has one foot out the door.

Great employees are focused and driven, but Gen Z is easily distracted. They want to spend more time filming pointless TikTok dances and building their social media profiles than working. They care more about following the latest trends than building a meaningful career and being dedicated to a company.

Other generations push for work-life balance, but Gen Z takes it to the extreme. They’re always taking breaks in the name of “self-care,” but they’re just lazy and fragile. Instead of putting in the hours, they’ll want to go on trips, be with their friends, and explore new hobbies. They won’t show up when you need them most. Remote work is their top priority, more than any other generation, probably because they can sleep in and barely work.

One survey found that Gen Z members who quit a new job are likely to find a new role with reduced hours through gig or part-time work or decide to start their own business. They’re always on the hunt to make the most money while working the least amount possible. You don’t need that lazy attitude in your company.

Not to mention that young employees want more time to work on their “side hustles,” like freelancing, being an influencer, or running their own business. That means they’ll do the bare minimum for your company so they can focus on their other jobs. You don’t want employees taking long lunches or leaving early to focus on their side jobs. You need people who are totally dedicated to your company.

Plus, Gen Z doesn’t respect leaders. Don’t waste your time hiring people who don’t want to work for you! 76% of Gen Z say the ultimate goal is to be their own boss. That means they won’t listen to or respect you because they are daydreaming about building their own business.

There are plenty of other potential employees out there. Don’t waste your time with Gen Z! Hiring them only sets you up for disappointment and wastes money when they slack off and leave. When you have an open position, hire anyone but Gen Z.

-The Outdated Leader

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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Own Your Outcome: Ray Dalio Shares How to Move From Victim to Owner https://thefutureorganization.com/own-your-outcome-ray-dalio-shares-how-to-move-from-victim-to-owner/ Mon, 13 Feb 2023 11:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47778 No one is immune to challenges in life. We all face roadblocks and trials—some larger than others—but what matters is how we respond to them. We can choose to consider ourselves victims of the situation, or we can take ownership and control what we can.

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Ray Dalio Transcript

No one is immune to challenges in life. We all face roadblocks and trials—some larger than others—but what matters is how we respond to them. We can choose to consider ourselves victims of the situation, or we can take ownership and control what we can.

Founder, CIO Mentor, and Member of the Bridgewater Board Ray Dalio says it’s crucial to push past the victimhood that’s so prevalent today and own your outcome.

We’ll all face challenges in our personal and professional lives, some of which may seem devastating. But we can’t let those challenges define us or turn us into victims.

He puts it simply when he says, “Reality is reality. To accept reality and to think it’s your responsibility to deal with reality in the best possible way will bring you a better life.”

Victims make excuses and don’t feel in control of their behavior. Instead of working through challenges, they wallow in difficulties and say that things are too hard. Victims don’t want to change their situations because they are afraid of doing something hard.

A common challenge for people is wanting to change and feeling their life is too difficult to take control of and turn into the situation they want. But in reality, the consequences of not changing are what’s hard. The second-order consequences in life are often opposite the first-order consequences and are more important. Doing things that are difficult now can help avoid even more significant difficulties in the future. This principle applies to all areas of life: the most delicious food is the worst food to eat. Exercising is painful, but not exercising can bring painful results. Putting in the work on the front end of the project is hard, but it’s better than making last-minute corrections later. In reality, dealing with what may seem difficult now will be less difficult later. As Dalio says, what’s difficult is not doing those things because it will give you a difficult life.

Dalio says the best way to change is to encounter your outcomes. Get away from blame, especially in collective decision-making, where everyone blames each other. Dalio says it’s important to catch yourself blaming others and change the outcome to be attributable to you.

As Dalio teaches, if you realize that your approach to life is the most important thing, you can have any life you want. Struggles will occur regardless of how you live your life, so the only thing you can do is struggle well and own your life. Enjoy the difficulties, take ownership, and push through the challenges.

We may fear people’s critical opinions, but those judgments about what others should do only divide and harm us.

We’re all faced with a choice to own our life and accept reality and deal with it instead of wallowing in our challenges or getting hung up on what other people think. And it starts from an early age. Dalio says it’s crucial to let children struggle with independence and learn the importance of consequences so they can become owners.

Challenges are part of life. And when those challenges arise, we can choose to be a victim or to do the hard thing and own the outcome. When we stop blaming others and take ownership, we can create a life we truly want to live, regardless of the situation.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .


I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Future Leader Blueprint: Top 140 CEO Insights on Skills & Mindsets https://thefutureorganization.com/future-leader-blueprint-top-140-ceo-insights-on-skills-mindsets/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 14:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47775 What should we be teaching leaders to prepare for the future?
It's a question I've been asked by companies around the world.

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What should we be teaching leaders to prepare for the future?

It’s a question I’ve been asked by companies around the world. Organizations and leaders realize the world is changing rapidly and that it will take new skills and habits to lead in the future of work. But identifying those skills and mindsets can be challenging.

I interviewed more than 140 of the world’s top CEOs for my book, The Future Leader. From their insights, I put together what I call the Notable Nine–the top four mindsets and five skills future leaders must master.

Mindsets

  • Global Citizen. Global Citizens think globally and embrace diversity. Leaders need to understand and appreciate new cultures, seek out diverse teams, lead employees with different backgrounds, and know how to enter and succeed in global markets.
  • Servant. The servant mindset means that you practice humility and serve four groups: your leaders, your customers, your team, and yourself.
  • Chef. Just like chefs balance numerous ingredients, leaders must balance the two most important ingredients of any business: humanity and technology. That means embracing technology while providing a sense of purpose and caring for human employees.
  • Explorer. Future leaders need to be like explorers of old and embrace the unknown. They need to be open to new ideas and able to change course as the world evolves.

Skills

  • Coach. Great coaches motivate, inspire, and engage their teams while caring about each member as an individual. Likewise, future leaders need to appreciate employees as individuals instead of viewing everyone as just workers.
  • Futurist. Futurists make sure organizations aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. The world is constantly changing and full of unknowns. Futurists consider multiple scenarios and think through new possibilities.
  • Technology Teenager. Leaders don’t need to be experts in new technology, but they should embrace it and know how to best leverage technology to serve their company. They need to be tech-savvy and digitally fluent.
  • Translator. Translators are master communicators. They are active listeners and know the best channels to cut through the noise and deliver their messages.
  • Yoda. Future leaders need to be emotionally intelligent like Yoda and develop self-awareness. Great leaders aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and showcase empathy to see things from other people’s perspectives.

The Notable Nine summarizes the most crucial skills and mindsets for future leaders. If you can master these skills and mindsets, you’ll be prepared to lead in the next decade and beyond.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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From Mediocre to Magnificent: Unlocking the Power of Corporate Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/from-mediocre-to-magnificent-unlocking-the-power-of-corporate-culture/ Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:32:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47771 Are you looking to separate your company from the mediocrity and become a great organization? Then it's time to focus on your corporate culture!

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Are you looking to separate your company from the mediocrity and become a great organization? Then it’s time to focus on your corporate culture!

A thriving culture is the key to attracting and retaining top talent, while a toxic culture can drive your employees to leave. In fact, 77% of job seekers prioritize a company’s culture over salary, according to a Glassdoor survey. The impact of corporate culture on a company’s success cannot be overstated. It’s the foundation that holds your organization together and the reason why many employees left their jobs during the Great Resignation, according to researchers from MIT.

Ignoring culture is a luxury your company cannot afford. But how do you build and strengthen a positive corporate culture?

Look no further! I’ve created a free, eight-part video training series to help you define and cultivate your company’s culture. You’ll learn from world-class leaders, as well as real-life examples and case studies, on everything from avoiding toxic work environments to creating a celebrated culture.

In these videos, you’ll discover:

  • The pitfalls of just following orders and the steps to build a teamwork culture
  • What to do when corporate cultures clash
  • How to create a CELEBRATED culture
  • The definition of culture according to the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix
  • The three critical elements of a strong culture according to best-selling author Daniel Coyle
  • How CEO of PTC, Jim Heppelman, transformed his company’s culture
  • The three unique pillars of Netflix’s culture

This is the best information available, and it’s all yours for free. These videos have the power to transform your company and change how you approach culture. What are you waiting for?

Sign up for this incredible free resource here.

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How to Increase Your Value as a Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-increase-your-value-as-a-leader/ Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:09:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47767 As a leader, you’re likely peppered with questions and requests for approval all day long. People come to you to know what to do next or if they’re on the right path.

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As a leader, you’re likely peppered with questions and requests for approval all day long. People come to you to know what to do next or if they’re on the right path.

It can be tempting to just give your employees the answers, but that doesn’t make you a good leader.

If you keep finding the solutions for your team, you become the decision-making bottleneck for your organization or team. Your job as a leader isn’t to make every decision but to guide employees and encourage them to find the solution independently.

Instead of just giving them the answer, ask things like “What’s your idea?” or “What do you think we should do?”

Encouraging employees to find solutions gives them more accountability and autonomy, which increases engagement. It allows them to learn and come up with their own ideas.

But perhaps more importantly, it frees up your time as a leader. It diminishes your value and impact as a leader if everyone has to come to you for approval. You shouldn’t spend all of your time making decisions that others can make. You should focus on strategic vision, inspiring your team, and empowering them to find the answers.

Increase your value as a leader and build engagement by asking questions that help people find answers on their own. As tempting as it might be, don’t just give answers to every question that comes your way.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening and access to bonus episode with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. It’s available on Apple and Spotify and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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5 Ways to Build Trust and Loyalty https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-build-trust-and-loyalty/ Tue, 07 Feb 2023 14:05:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47763 Employee trust and loyalty are essential to building a successful company.
And they go hand in hand--when employees trust the organization and its leaders, they are more loyal.

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Employee trust and loyalty are essential to building a successful company.

And they go hand in hand–when employees trust the organization and its leaders, they are more loyal.

One of the best leaders in this area is Pat Gelsinger, former CEO of VMware and current CEO of Intel. In 2019, Pat was voted the best CEO in America for large companies, with a staggering 99% employee approval rating.

Clearly, he’s doing something right.

Here are five things Pat does to build trust and loyalty with his employees:

  1. Understand the work. Leaders need to be actively involved in the work. You can relate to your employees differently when you understand the details of their work and how each part contributes to the company’s overall goals.
  2. Be willing to have fun. Break out of the mold of a typical CEO and be yourself. Put yourself out there and be willing to have fun with your employees. That’s what builds real connections and relationships with employees.
  3. Encourage and celebrate innovation. Make sure employees have the tools, resources, and mentoring they need to do their best work. Encourage employees to collaborate and take risks. Reward innovation and experimentation, even if the ideas don’t succeed.
  4. Be accessible. Employees trust leaders who are authentic and vulnerable. Be accessible online and in person so employees can get to know the real you. That means stepping away from your desk to spend time with employees.
  5. Focus on doing good. Attitude is everything. When you focus more on doing good and helping others than serving yourself, employees will see your humility and generosity. They’ll follow your example and want to do good and serve the company as well.

Trust and loyalty come from being authentic and building relationships with employees. When employees know you as a human, not just as a leader, they are more likely to trust you and stay loyal to the company.

. . .

Unlock a motivated and thriving workplace with positive company culture. My FREE 8-part video series covers everything from defining to implementing culture in your company. Get started now!

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What’s the Single Most Important Thing Companies Do? Tom Peters Says Hire Good People https://thefutureorganization.com/whats-the-single-most-important-thing-companies-do-tom-peters-says-hire-good-people/ Mon, 06 Feb 2023 14:36:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47758 Of all the tasks and strategies businesses can employ to get ahead, author and Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Peters says it comes down to hiring and promoting good people.

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Tom Peters Transcript

Of all the tasks and strategies businesses can employ to get ahead, author and Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Peters says it comes down to hiring and promoting good people.

“Hiring and promoting are the two most significant things that are done in any organization,” Tom says. “But most people aren’t very good at it. And most people haven’t studied it.”

Tom says great leaders can sense if someone is the right candidate during the interview, which means interviewing is critically important. This is the organization’s and leader’s chance to learn about potential employees, evaluate how they would fit in the role and team, and see how they respond to various situations.

Tom shares a story about doctors and healthcare providers interviewing to work at the Mayo Clinic, one of the world’s premier medical centers. The person conducting the interview will count how many times the applicant uses the word we and how many times they use the word I. The organization’s approach is that no matter how skilled the doctor is, if they use I more than they use we in the interview, they don’t have the team mentality to succeed in the Mayo Clinic.

Other leaders interview candidates at restaurants, baseball games, or other public venues to see how they treat the servers and people around them. A job applicant is likely trying to impress the interviewer, but how they act around other people can be telling of their character and personality.

But interviewing and hiring is just one piece of the puzzle. Tom believes companies have to promote the best people to succeed. But that doesn’t necessarily mean promoting the loudest people or those with the most impressive resumes. Organizations need to consider the full picture and a person’s potential to develop the people around them. Tom points out that introverts are often more humble and vulnerable, which can lead to strong leadership skills.

Tom once spoke with a general in the Indian military, who said he looks back three or four promotions to find the people who worked for the leaders and looks at the degree to which they grew under their leaders. Looking at how employees change and develop under certain leaders is a powerful and accurate way to see someone’s leadership ability. Because as Tom says, it’s not about if the leader got a few more cars off the manufacturing line at the end of the year but if they developed and encouraged their people. Tracking how employees grow and improve under leaders gives organizations a good idea of if they are promoting the right people.

Organizations often take a passive approach to hiring and promoting. But prioritizing finding and promoting the right people significantly impacts an organization. Considering the full measure of a person’s character and leadership abilities can help companies thrive with the right people in the right roles.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Transform Your Company Culture With My New Video Series https://thefutureorganization.com/transform-your-company-culture-with-my-new-video-series/ Fri, 03 Feb 2023 14:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47744 What is culture? How do you create an employee-focused culture at your company?

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What is culture? How do you create an employee-focused culture at your company?

These are some of the questions I’m asked most frequently. And I’m not surprised–culture matters! It can make or break an organization.

Every company has a culture, whether or not they consciously created one. Culture is the feel or side effects of working for your organization and impacts everything employees do. And as it becomes more difficult (and more important) to attract and retain the best talent and use your people well, culture becomes even more critical.

Think about this: Employees who say their culture is positive are 3.8x more likely to be engaged in their work. And companies with thriving, positive cultures are 3x less likely to have layoffs, 2x more likely to have an increase in revenue, and 7x more likely to have employees innovating. That’s something that every company should want!

Culture is especially important as the world of work changes and companies face tough competition for talent. As more employees change jobs, culture plays a major role. 35% of job seekers would decline a job offer if the role was a perfect fit but the culture wasn’t.

It’s simple: culture is something your company can’t afford to ignore. 

To help you define and build your company’s culture, I put together a totally free eight-part video training series.

These eight videos walk you through every aspect of culture and give you the tools to create and build an amazing culture in your company. You’ll hear from some of the world’s best leaders, as well as case studies and examples from countless other companies.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Why just following orders create a poor workplace culture
  • Steps to build a teamwork culture
  • What to do when corporate cultures clash
  • Steps to create a CELEBRATED culture
  • How the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix defines culture
  • Three things best-selling author Daniel Coyle says are necessary for a strong culture
  • What Jim Heppelman, CEO of PTC, did to create a culture of change
  • The 3 unique pillars of Netflix’s culture

These videos total 30 minutes of the best information out there–and it’s all yours for free.

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Why Leaders Need To Act Like Celebrities https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-to-act-like-celebrities/ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:00:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47710 Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson.
These CEOs are household names and celebrities and among a wave of leaders in the public eye.

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Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson.

These CEOs are household names and celebrities and among a wave of leaders in the public eye. Jack Welch pioneered this mindset decades ago, and the idea is still growing. CEOs are celebrities, which means all leaders need to act like and be treated like celebrities.

As a CEO, you are an important person with an important role. People should be paying attention to you just like they pay attention to movie stars and singers. People–not just your employees–should know your name! You deserve all the perks and attention of being a celebrity because you are smart and successful. You’re the best, so you should soak up the spotlight!

CEOs who act like celebrities are a boost to their companies. When people know your name and recognize your power and accomplishments, it brings instant credibility to the company. That means more opportunities, higher stock prices, improved employee morale, and a better image for your company. You’ll bring in customers and employees simply because they want to be in your celebrity presence.

As a celebrity, people pay attention to what you have to say. You have their attention, which means you get to shape the narrative about your company. Instead of being a nameless, faceless CEO without any power, you can tell the story and share your message with the media and the world.

When you’re a celebrity CEO, your power and influence help the company get through downturns and challenges. You can also tap into a powerful network of other influential CEOs, which can take your company to the next level. Experts call this the “benefit of the doubt” effect that protects against pushback for performance and stock price downturns.

But even more than helping your company, acting like a celebrity helps your career. Celebrity CEOs are recognized as the face of their company. Instead of just saying your company had a great quarter, celebrities get their name attached to any company wins. And that’s how it should be! You’re the leader, so you should get the credit. People need to know your name!

Celebrity CEOs bring power and prestige, which leads to invitations to serve on boards and other industry and philanthropic groups. Power brings more power and is your chance to climb even higher.

Set yourself up for the future by building your brand now. You’ll get more opportunities to sit on boards, take over other companies, write books, speak, and more. Acting like a celebrity puts you in demand with a powerful (and lucrative) brand that will last beyond your current position.

So how can you become a celebrity CEO? You’ve got to make your voice heard and become an undeniable presence. Don’t let anyone question your authority. Take charge of every meeting and situation, and insert yourself into every event. Become a social media star and live the glamorous life you deserve. When you’re loud and always right, people can’t ignore you. They can’t help but pay attention to you.

CEOs need to be treated like celebrities. They deserve all the attention and accolades in the world. And you’re right there with them. If you want to be a great leader, act like a celebrity and watch your fame grow.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Why And How You Need To Set Boundaries At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/why-and-how-you-need-to-set-boundaries-at-work/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47713 There’s an old saying, “Good fences make for great neighbors.” We need fences to create physical boundaries, just like we need to create mental and emotional boundaries at work and in our personal lives.

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There’s an old saying, “Good fences make for great neighbors.” We need fences to create physical boundaries, just like we need to create mental and emotional boundaries at work and in our personal lives.

One of the best ways to set boundaries is to move from saying “I can’t” to saying “I don’t.” When someone asks you to stay late or come in for an early meeting, saying you can’t do it opens the door for them to ask you again in the future. But saying you don’t do something establishes your boundaries and communicates what you value.

When you’re asked to do something you don’t want to, put up that fence and communicate your boundaries.

By setting and communicating your boundaries, you have more time to focus on the tasks and projects you should focus on. It creates a healthy mindset about balancing work and all areas of your life.

Another way to set boundaries is to sit down and think about what you want to accomplish and how you work. Ask yourself these questions:

  1. What are your goals?
  2. What projects or tasks do you enjoy doing?
  3. What projects or tasks drain you?
  4. What times during the day do you feel most productive?
  5. What do you need to do during the day to feel most fulfilled?
  6. What are your biggest distractions?
  7. What do you want your day or week to look like?

Evaluating your goals and environment can help you know where to focus and what boundaries to establish.

Like great fences, boundaries are required for a good working environment and balanced life. Don’t be afraid to set and communicate boundaries.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Lead like a Pro: 140 CEO’s Share Insights on Key Trends to Watch https://thefutureorganization.com/lead-like-a-pro-140-ceos-share-insights-on-key-trends-to-watch/ Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47716 The world of leadership is continually changing. But how do you know if a change will have lasting impact or if it’s just a fleeting trend?

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The world of leadership is continually changing. But how do you know if a change will have lasting impact or if it’s just a fleeting trend?

I’ve interviewed hundreds of CEOs about the greatest trends shaping the future of leadership. These six trends they identify will play a major role in shaping future leaders.

AI and Technology

Technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace, and we’re seeing AI’s power to completely transform how we work and live–just look at how ChatGPT is already impacting numerous industries. But with the excitement of AI comes fear and uncertainty. It’s up to leaders to assuage those fears by looking for ways to implement new technology that augment humans, not replace them. 

Pace of Change

We’ve seen incredible changes in the world of work over the last three years–and this is the slowest it will ever be. To be successful, organizations must constantly be looking forward, and leaders must lean in and embrace change instead of shying away. Future leaders must be agile, easily adaptable, and comfortable challenging the status quo.

Purpose and Meaning

Today’s employees care about more than just a paycheck. They want to work for an organization that offers purpose and meaning and to see their efforts are impactful. To set the example, leaders must first understand their own job, purpose, impact, and meaning before helping their employees do the same. They need to get to know employees individually to understand what motivates them.

New Talent Landscape

Today’s talent landscape is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Layoffs abound, while many companies also struggle to fill open positions. Older employees retiring and younger generations entering the workforce create a unique combination of change in companies. The new talent landscape is a new approach to attracting and retaining talent while also training and upskilling employees to be prepared for the future of work. 

Morality, Ethics, and Transparency 

Modern leaders are transparent and humble instead of controlling. At the same time, leaders are being scrutinized as people demand transparency. Leaders can no longer hide behind their titles—they must be open and honest to their companies and the public. Standing still is no longer good enough; leaders must take a stand and be as transparent and authentic as possible.

Globalization 

As technology grows, the world becomes more connected and seems smaller. All businesses are now global and have the potential for worldwide employees and customers. Future leaders need to pay attention to global issues and understand what’s happening around the world.

Future-ready leaders need to understand trends and adapt their leadership approach to changes in how we think, work, and live. These six trends will be crucial for leaders over the next decade and beyond.

Are you aware of these six trends? What are you doing to prepare yourself and your organization to face them?
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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Lead like a Pro: 140 CEO’s Share Insights on Key Trends to Watch first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How Warby Parker Co-Founder Dave Gilboa Balances the Art and Science of Looking at the Future https://thefutureorganization.com/how-warby-parker-co-founder-dave-gilboa-balances-the-art-and-science-of-looking-at-the-future/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47707 Leading a growing company means always looking toward the future. How is the world changing? What’s coming down the pipeline? What strategy should you follow?

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45_min_-_Dave_Gilboa_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Dave Gilboa Transcript

Leading a growing company means always looking toward the future. How is the world changing? What’s coming down the pipeline? What strategy should you follow?

For some people, looking at the future is an art. For others, it’s a science.

Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO Dave Gilboa says it’s a combination of the two. Over the last decade, Warby Parker has expanded from selling glasses direct to consumers to offering eye exams and other services online and in physical stores. As he considers future moves and growth opportunities, Dave guides his company to be data-informed but not necessarily data-driven.

Warby Parker has an incredible collection of data from customers and the industry. That data all contributes to informing future-focused decisions but isn’t the only factor.

But Dave says ultimately, Warby Parker is trying to do things no one has done before. Warby Parker customers have told the brand they don’t want to buy the same thing they can get anywhere else—they want a unique experience, products with a unique point of view, and glasses and eyewear accessories they can’t get anywhere else.

Creating the brand customers demand requires Dave and his company to take risks and innovate. But innovation doesn’t come strictly from data. Dave trusts his intuition to make forward-focused decisions to set the company apart from the competition and set the foundation for future success.

Those decisions aren’t made by intuition alone, nor are they made by data. Successful leaders find the balance between the science of data and the art of intuition. But Dave says the real value Warby Parker or any business creates comes primarily from gut intuition instead of formulas on a spreadsheet.

When looking at the future, Dave realizes there are plenty of things he can’t control—the pandemic is proof of that. After years of solid growth, 2020 set Warby Parker on a path of uncertainty, as it did for many companies. In that situation and other unknowns of the future, Dave’s team focuses on what they can control: serving and delighting customers, responding to external signals, and being as agile and flexible as possible.

Adjusting to the pandemic helped Warby Parker realize the importance of flexibility and the metrics that are the most important indicators. Instead of prioritizing long-term strategy, Dave now leads shorter-term planning for more flexibility and knows the metrics that matter in the industry. Things like the number of people getting eye exams and traffic into retail stores are broad signals about the state of the industry that help the company focus on the future and plan what is in its control while considering the data and human intuition.

Looking at the future is vital for modern leaders. But the future brings uncertainty and many factors outside our control. Trusting your gut and balancing intuition with data allows companies to stay agile and focus on the things they can control to stay flexible and strategic, no matter what the future brings.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Elite Education Equals Elite Leadership: The Top Schools Produce the Top Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/elite-education-equals-elite-leadership-the-top-schools-produce-the-top-leaders/ Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47689 Hiring a new leader? Forget looking at their work history or references. What matters most is where they went to school.

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Hiring a new leader? Forget looking at their work history or references. What matters most is where they went to school. If they aren’t alumni from an Ivy League or top-tier school, forget about ever hiring them to be a great leader.

Why? People gain instant credibility when they say they went to Harvard or Stanford. People know they are smart and hard workers. But people won’t take them seriously if they went to a lower-tier school.

When given a choice between hiring a manager who went to Dartmouth and one who went to a lower-level school like the University of California, Santa Cruz, the choice is clear: always pick the Ivy League graduate, no matter what. It looks bad for the company to have a leader who went to a no-name school. You don’t want people to think you’ll hire and promote just anyone, do you?

I remember one time I was interviewing a candidate for a potential leadership role and he told me he went to Georgetown University, I said “George who?” and promptly kicked him out of my office.

Companies can’t afford to gamble on a leader who went to a state school. Who knows what weird things that person learned at their non-Ivy League school? Those universities will accept and pass anyone, which means you don’t know if you are getting a great leader or someone who just scraped by. You need a graduate from a proven school.

Even researchers agree with me, stating that “the Ivy League-educated CEOs had led firms with higher market valuations and also had a greater ability to sustain that valuation than other CEOs in the group.” If you want your company to grow and stay successful, you have to hire an Ivy League grad.

Undergraduate programs at Ivy League schools select for general intelligence, analytical ability, social skills, and past achievements. In other words, they teach and reward the most in-demand leadership skills. These schools were made to develop powerful, skilled leaders. Take advantage by making their alums your new leader.

There’s a reason more than half of Fortune 100 CEOs went to private schools, and that’s because these top-tier schools create amazing leaders. Some of the world’s richest people went to Ivy League schools, such as Elon Musk at UPenn and Jeff Bezos at Harvard. Nearly half of all U.S. presidents went to Ivy League schools, and 8 out of 9 members of the U.S. Supreme Court went to Yale or Harvard. That college connection made them incredibly successful and the type of leader you want to hire in your company.

But it’s not only the skills students learn at top universities; it’s the network. Ivy League graduates have more power. The people they went to school with are valuable connections that can help the business grow.

Hiring a leader with ties to Yale or Princeton automatically connects your business to influential and rich people, which takes your business and your leader to the next level. You can’t break into these circles without an alumni connection. All it takes is a leader saying they went to an Ivy League school to have an instant network of people who will help your company grow.

If you want a smart, driven leader who can connect your company to a strong network, you must hire an Ivy League graduate. Nothing else matters on a person’s resume except where they went to school.

If you want the best company, hire from the best schools.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Empowering Your Team: Steve Bilt, CEO of Smile Brands, Reveals How to Create a Mission That Resonates with Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/empowering-your-team-steve-bilt-ceo-of-smile-brands-reveals-how-to-create-a-mission-that-resonates-with-employees/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47685 Steve Bilt is CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to more than 425 dental offices.

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Steve Bilt is CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to more than 425 dental offices. Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times, and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor. Anyone can come up with a mission statement or a company purpose that sounds good. But it can’t be something that just lives on a wall or in the company handbook. It has to be something that is infused into every aspect of the business.

 

Steve believes a mission statement needs to be something short and catchy that people can remember. It needs to be something you can check in on to see how well the company is living up to it. It has to be something that is living and breathing inside your company.

Steve uses the Smile Brands mission, Smiles for Everyone, in every meeting and in every interaction to show people what it actually looks like to live out the mission.

Steve says…

“As soon as you start to lengthen it or create more explanation for it, you’re making it harder to use, and you’re telling people what the standard of success is. The point of our mission statement is that only you can say what makes you smile. I can’t put criteria around it to say, well, as long as my lighting is good enough or my shirt is the right color, you’re going to be happy with this interview. I can’t put the standards on it. Only you can judge that. I kept it very short so it was highly subjective and each person would evaluate it qualitatively.”

Steve uses the Smile Brands mission, Smiles for Everyone, in every meeting and in every interaction to show people what it actually looks like to live out the mission.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Do You Have to Love Your Job? https://thefutureorganization.com/do-you-have-to-love-your-job/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47692 Do you have to love your job?
We often get stuck in the idea that we have to love every aspect of our job.

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Do you have to love your job?

We often get stuck in the idea that we have to love every aspect of our job. So when we hit frustrating projects or challenging tasks, we feel beaten down.

But that’s natural. Frustrations will arise, and you’ll have difficult clients or tasks you don’t want to do. You don’t have to love your job every second of every day to mean it’s the right job for you.

I love my job, but there are days when I don’t like what I’m doing. I don’t enjoy tasks like creating project outlines or having back-to-back meetings, but that doesn’t mean I hate my job overall.

We all have those days and weeks when we feel disengaged. That’s part of being human!

Too often, organizations focus on creating Pinochio’s Island where everything is fun and games. But that’s not reality.

It’s ok not to like some of the things you’re doing and still love your job. It’s similar to cooking. On their own, some ingredients might not taste very good or be too salty or sweet. But when you put them together, you can create a delicious dish.

It’s the same with our jobs–on their own, some tasks or days may be less than savory. But when you look at the dish or your job as a whole, it all comes together. Instead of nitpicking every aspect of your job, consider your job as a whole. Are you fulfilled by the work? Do you feel a sense of purpose?

You don’t have to love every minute of your job or start looking for something new as soon as you don’t feel engaged. Instead, look at the big picture. Do you feel fulfilled in the work? That’s the best indicator if you’re in the right job for you.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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4-Step Approach to Practicing Empathy https://thefutureorganization.com/4-step-approach-to-practicing-empathy/ Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47679 Who is one of the best examples of modern leaders?
Yoda.
The Star Wars icon is one of the most emotionally intelligent characters ever created. To succeed in the future, leaders must channel their inner Yoda and be emotionally intelligent.

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Who is one of the best examples of modern leaders?

Yoda.

The Star Wars icon is one of the most emotionally intelligent characters ever created. To succeed in the future, leaders must channel their inner Yoda and be emotionally intelligent.

Emotional intelligence has two main components: empathy and self-awareness. Empathy is understanding the feelings and emotions of another person and putting yourself in their shoes.

Self-awareness is being aware of your emotions, state of mind, feelings, and desires and understanding how others perceive you.

Great leaders create real connections and relationships and understand their employees and colleagues as people, not just workers. They create a more human organization, and empathy is the cornerstone to making that happen. Similarly, self-awareness makes leaders better communicators and strengthens their relationships.

Together, empathy and self-awareness create Yoda-like emotional intelligence that helps leaders design better products and services, create psychological safety, motivate and inspire others, resolve conflicts, increase productivity, and more.

Emotional intelligence expert Dr. Brené Brown created a four-step approach to practicing empathy that every leader can practice:

  1. Perspective taking, or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine things from their point of view.
  2. Stay out of judgment and listen. Don’t rush into judgment; focus on listening to the other person.
  3. Recognize the emotion the other person is feeling. Think of a time you have felt similarly.
  4. Communicate that you recognize that emotion. Sharing understanding builds trust and connection.

Empathy is fundamental to becoming emotionally intelligent and building strong relationships. But it takes practice. Following these four steps as you interact with employees, colleagues, and friends will help you develop empathy and become more like Yoda.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post 4-Step Approach to Practicing Empathy first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How to Navigate Inflection Points for Career and Personal Growth, According to Best-selling Author Rita McGrath https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-navigate-inflection-points-for-career-and-personal-growth-according-to-best-selling-author-rita-mcgrath/ Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47670 We’ve all faced situations that create a massive shift in our lives and careers. It could be a business decision that makes things 10x faster or a new software that makes manufacturing 10x less expensive.

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Rita McGrath Transcript

We’ve all faced situations that create a massive shift in our lives and careers. It could be a business decision that makes things 10x faster or a new software that makes manufacturing 10x less expensive. Outside of work, these experiences could be getting laid off or seeing a new opportunity that significantly changes your life. How do you handle these situations to see the most growth and opportunity?

Rita McGrath, professor at Columbia Business School and best-selling author, calls these experiences inflection points, or situations that create a 10x shift. These are the moments you look back on and realize are when everything changed. But in the moment, knowing how to identify and navigate these significant changes and opportunities can be challenging—especially when the inflection points are negative, like getting fired or rejected.

Rita says the first thing to do when you face an inflection point is to take a deep breath and get centered on what you’re trying to accomplish. An inflection point may have taken you off the course you had planned, but you can re-center around your goals and purpose. Or perhaps an inflection point moved you far beyond where you expected to be. Remembering your goals at that moment can keep you grounded.

Rita says we often get fixated on a particular expression of success—such as reaching a certain job title or hitting a revenue goal. And it can seem bleak when those things don’t happen or we face roadblocks, such as not getting a promotion or losing a big client. When that happens, Rita recommends getting to the why behind the goal. Why did you want to have that job title? Why did you want to increase your revenue? With that why in mind, you can realize other potential paths to success. You may want to become CEO to create change within your company. But when that goal doesn’t happen, your inflection point can help you identify other ways to create change without the job title.

Personal inflection points can thrust us into a period of introspection, which Rita said many people experienced during the pandemic. Embracing that introspection and taking time to identify an inflection point and think before you make a decision is critical to moving forward. It may be tempting to jump at the next opportunity or rush into another idea, but taking time to sort through the emotions and consider your next move is essential.

Rita gives a common example of someone losing their job. That challenge is an inflection point that can change the course of their life and career. Instead of rushing into the first opportunity to resolve the tension, even if it doesn’t seem quite right, take time to evaluate your goals and path.

Inflection points can change the course of your life and career. And in a business setting, inflection points can redirect a company to new growth and opportunities. But that doesn’t mean they are easy or frictionless. Knowing how to identify, regroup, and pause during these critical moments can be the difference between moving forward and getting stuck.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Short Attention Span, Big Impact: How CEO Jim Heppelmann Leverages Quick Thinking for Leadership Success at PTC https://thefutureorganization.com/short-attention-span-big-impact-how-ceo-jim-heppelmann-leverages-quick-thinking-for-leadership-success-at-ptc/ Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47700 Jim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of seven IoT leaders to watch in 2017 by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and was recognized as IoT CEO of the Year by Postscapes and technology CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.

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Jim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of seven IoT leaders to watch in 2017 by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and was recognized as IoT CEO of the Year by Postscapes and technology CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.

 

For decades, there’s been a mentality that leaders need to have a long-term plan and stick to it. But Jim believes leaders actually need to have short attention spans if they want to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.

Jim often wakes up in the middle of the night with new ideas or ways to solve a problem. The joke at PTC is that it’s around the time that Jim gets bored with something when it really starts to work. That’s because as long as he is focused on solving something, he comes to work with those middle-of-the-night ideas to keep tweaking and fixing things.

Jim believes CEOs should be a little impatient and have a short attention span. Why? Because he says the biggest problem with experienced and tenured CEOs is that they are entrenched in old thinking.

About some CEOs, he says, “They made a decision five years ago, and for a couple of years, they improved it a little bit. And then they spent the last five years telling everybody why it works and saying they weren’t going to change it. But I’m different. I acknowledge that we improved something, but we’ve got to think about what’s next. And then let’s not wait until it’s not working to think about what’s next. Let’s start thinking about what we’re going to do next, even while this is still working pretty well.”

Jim is always looking for the next round of changes that will make PTC better or protect it from a new threat headed its way. This is a quality that he believes all CEOs should have: always looking to the next thing, not just riding current success. Why Leaders Need A Short Attention Span: Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC Jim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of seven IoT leaders to watch in 2017 by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and was recognized as IoT CEO of the Year by Postscapes and technology CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. For decades, there’s been a mentality that leaders need to have a long-term plan and

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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4 Strategies For Leaders To Turnaround Their Company https://thefutureorganization.com/4-strategies-for-leaders-to-turnaround-their-company/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47695 We’re in tough economic times. When a business is struggling, many leaders turn to reducing headcount to save money. But that’s not the only option.

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We’re in tough economic times. When a business is struggling, many leaders turn to reducing headcount to save money. But that’s not the only option.

When Hubert Joly took over as CEO of Best Buy, the company was on the brink of shutting down. But Hubert brought the company back from the edge of destruction with an incredible turnaround–and he didn’t cut a single employee. In fact, he actually put more money into training, incentives, and wellness.

Hubert shows that by putting people first, remarkable turnarounds are possible. Because of Hubert’s innovation and risk-taking, Best Buy is now one of the most successful companies in the world.

Here are the four levers of a turnaround according to Hubert Joly:

  1. Grow the revenue line by focusing on employees and customers. Putting people first can lead to strong growth.
  2. Cut costs around the non-salary expenses. Look for creative ways to cut costs and streamline operations.
  3. Optimize benefits to foster greater wellness. Healthy employees (physically and mentally) perform better and have a better quality of life.
  4. Headcount should be the last resort. If the first three levers aren’t enough, leaders may have to reduce headcount.

Business struggles can be challenging. But Hubert Joly and Best Buy show what can happen when leaders find creative, people-centric solutions for a turnaround.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post 4 Strategies For Leaders To Turnaround Their Company first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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What Leaders Can Learn From Teenagers https://thefutureorganization.com/what-leaders-can-learn-from-teenagers/ Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:19:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47660 Who do you typically turn to when you have a problem with technology? The kids!
Kids and teenagers embrace technology. And all leaders can follow their examples to embrace the skill of the Technology Teenager.

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Who do you typically turn to when you have a problem with technology? The kids!

Kids and teenagers embrace technology. And all leaders can follow their examples to embrace the skill of the Technology Teenager.

Today, every company is a technology company. That means every leader needs to be a technology-driven leader. You can’t pawn off every tech-related issue to the IT department. You need to understand it yourself.

That doesn’t mean you have to know how to code or program AI. But you do need to know about new technology, how it could impact your business, and what opportunities it can create.

Teenagers are great with technology because they aren’t scared of it. They play and experiment with technology to learn the basics of how it works and what it can do. Often, they don’t read the user manual but jump in and start exploring until they discover how something works.

As a leader, you can follow the same mindset. It’s ok if you make a mistake with technology. What’s important is exploring and learning. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you have to go in-depth–you just need to understand the programs from a high level.

It doesn’t take long to explore new technology. Spend 10 minutes a day listening to a podcast, reading articles about new technology, or talking to people and getting their perspectives about what’s new and exciting in the tech space.

You can’t pass off every technology program. To thrive in the future, you have to embrace the skill of the Technology Teenager and explore new technology. Don’t be scared of tech–embrace it!

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post What Leaders Can Learn From Teenagers first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why Working With A Coach Is A Sign Of Weakness https://thefutureorganization.com/why-working-with-a-coach-is-a-sign-of-weakness/ Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47657 In the last few years, more leaders than ever have started working with coaches.
They may think it helps them become better leaders, but it's actually the ultimate sign of weakness.

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In the last few years, more leaders than ever have started working with coaches.

They may think it helps them become better leaders, but it’s actually the ultimate sign of weakness.

If you are really a great leader, you don’t need anyone to help you improve. You’re at the top of your game!

Getting a coach is admitting you need help and aren’t a great leader. It shows that you have weaknesses and things that can be improved. It pokes holes in your credibility and opens the door to people trying to take advantage of you or take over your job. Great leaders don’t tell people they need help, and they definitely don’t pay someone to tell them what to do.

Can you imagine walking in for surgery with the best doctor, only to have that doctor consult a coach? It would make you doubt their abilities and question if they really are as good as they say they are. It’s the same thing with a leader hiring a coach and can make people question if you really are a great leader.

If your coach were skilled, they would be a leader. But they aren’t, so clearly they don’t know what they are talking about. YOU are the leader because you know how to do everything and don’t need help from people who have never been in your shoes.

Leadership coaches only hold you down and turn you into a cookie-cutter leader. They give the same tips to everyone, which lumps you in with their other sub-par clients. You’re better than that. If you want to be the best, you have to do things your way, not listen to what someone tells you to do.

You can’t blindly follow what a coach tells you to do. They’ve never been a top leader and can’t understand what you’re going through. You don’t know if they are going to help you succeed or lead to your failure. The only person you can trust to make you a better leader is yourself.

Talk to your executive team if you want someone to pump you up. It’s their job to make you feel good about yourself–you don’t need a coach for that.

Not to mention that spending time with a leadership coach pulls you away from what really matters–making money and becoming successful. Every meeting and call with your coach is time you aren’t spending growing your company.

Even HBR agrees with me, saying that executive coaches do more harm than good and that “coaching can actually make a bad situation worse.”

Leadership coaches are a new phenomenon. We’ve had great leaders for centuries who didn’t need someone else telling them what to do. Could you imagine Henry Ford or Jack Welch working with a coach? No, because they didn’t want to show weakness.

You are a leader for a reason–your intelligence, strategy, cunning, and experience. Don’t give anyone a reason to think you are weak. There’s nothing to improve, so you definitely don’t need a coach!

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Why Working With A Coach Is A Sign Of Weakness first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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3 Aspects of Leadership from Cornerstone OnDemand CEO Himanshu Palsule https://thefutureorganization.com/3-aspects-of-leadership-from-cornerstone-ondemand-ceo-himanshu-palsule/ Mon, 16 Jan 2023 11:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47640 What are the three most important aspects of leadership?
It can seem challenging to distill such an expansive topic into three core aspects, but doing so helps highlight critical responsibilities and skills for leaders.

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Himanshu Palsule Transcript

What are the three most important aspects of leadership?

It can seem challenging to distill such an expansive topic into three core aspects, but doing so helps highlight critical responsibilities and skills for leaders.

Himanshu Palsule is the CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, a learning management software company with 4,000 global employees. The company is a leader in managing talent and upskilling, which means Himanshu faces leadership and changes in the world of work every day. He has a front-row seat to what it takes to lead in today’s fast-paced environment. Himanshu believes there are three core aspects of leadership:

Intellectual curiosity

Himanshu says this is the most crucial aspect of leadership. More important than a person’s intelligence or IQ is their curiosity. Great leaders are curious about everything, from how their customers move through the journey to how their industry is changing and how their company can grow. Intellectual curiosity means constantly asking questions and looking for new answers. People who excel in this area continually get outside their bubbles to find new ideas and possibilities. Curiosity also expands to areas outside a leader’s typical work responsibilities. Himanshu is fascinated with quantum physics—a field that isn’t directly related to his work but allows him to learn and expand his knowledge in other areas, making him a better leader. He believes all leaders need to be curious and passionate about a topic outside their usual scope of work.

Situational awareness

To succeed, leaders need to be aware of their surroundings and who helps them grow. Himanshu says leaders have to be in the moment, no matter if they are talking to a fellow executive, an employee, or the doorman. Everyone plays a role in their success, and great leaders are aware of the people around them and show respect and care. Himanshu holds many of his interviews in restaurants over lunch for opportunities to gauge situational awareness. There’s a story that Warren Buffett used to tip the waiter to mess up someone’s order to see how they would react. Ordering eggs but getting pancakes is a test of how someone acknowledges and treats the people around them.

Managerial courage

Being a leader often means standing alone and being willing to advocate for something you believe in. Himanshu says leaders need the ability to be the lone voice saying no—to their team, their customers, or the board. Leaders must have a strong belief system and be willing to keep moving forward even when they are pushed and criticized. The need for managerial courage will only increase in the future of work, and leaders have to hold strong in the face of challenges.

Himanshu considers these three aspects in every interview and conversation he has with leaders and potential leaders. As leaders develop these three crucial aspects of leadership, they set themselves to become well-rounded and future-ready leaders, no matter what situations arise.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post 3 Aspects of Leadership from Cornerstone OnDemand CEO Himanshu Palsule first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Don’t Look Your CEO in the Eyes! https://thefutureorganization.com/dont-look-your-ceo-in-the-eyes/ Fri, 13 Jan 2023 14:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47653 As a leader, there’s lots of advice I can give my employees. But one of the most important is also relatively simple: don’t look your CEO in the eyes!

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As a leader, there’s lots of advice I can give my employees. But one of the most important is also relatively simple: don’t look your CEO in the eyes!

Looking someone in the eyes implies that you are equals. But the CEO is high above their employees, so employees shouldn’t look him in the eyes. Thinking of yourself as an equal to your leader is a sign of disrespect to the CEO and their role. Your boss worked hard to get where they are and are more experienced, skilled, and smarter than you. Don’t dare consider yourself their equal.

There’s nothing a CEO hates more than a young employee strutting into the office and looking them in the eye. The next thing you know, they’ll be calling the CEO by their first name, asking about their weekend, and asking them for coffee. That’s not how an employee should act around the CEO.

Making eye contact with the CEO throws off the crucial power balance in the office. Researchers put it this way: “Too much eye contact is instinctively felt to be rude, hostile and condescending; and in a business context, it may also be perceived as a deliberate intent to dominate, intimidate, belittle, or make “the other” feel at a disadvantage.”

When you look your CEO in the eyes, you’re challenging their authority and stirring the pot. Employees should show they are submissive to the CEO by avoiding eye contact. Or better yet, not approaching them at all!

Avoiding eye contact shows weakness, which is what employees are. By not looking their CEO in the eyes, employees are showing that they know the CEO is better than them. They understand their role isn’t to challenge authority or think of themselves as equals to the leader but to keep their heads down and put in the work.

Scientists have proven that eye contact builds connection. But the last thing the CEO needs is a connection to their employees. CEOs work best when they are removed from their minions and get to sit in their corner offices. When employees start looking them in the eyes, it strengthens relationships that don’t need to be strengthened. Eye contact is a slippery slope to leaders caring about employees as people–something they definitely don’t have time for.

The best employees keep their heads down, stay quiet, and get their work done. They don’t make eye contact with their leaders. If you want to succeed, the last thing you should do is look your CEO in the eyes. Look away and get to work!

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Find Your Purpose and Meaning at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/find-your-purpose-and-meaning-at-work/ Thu, 12 Jan 2023 14:49:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47635 What matters more: money or purpose?
For a staggering amount of people, the answer is purpose. 9 out of 10 employees will trade money for meaning at work.

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What matters more: money or purpose?

For a staggering amount of people, the answer is purpose. 9 out of 10 employees will trade money for meaning at work.

For these employees, it’s not just about getting a paycheck. It’s about making a difference and doing work that impacts their community and the world.

And with the demand for meaningful work increasing, the best way to attract and retain top talent is to create purpose and meaning at work. Employees will walk away from jobs if they can’t see the larger purpose.

Creating purpose and meaning for employees starts with leaders. Before you can help others find their meaning, you need to identify your own purpose and meaning. You have to look outside the office walls and deliver an excellent experience for employees and customers.

Why do you do what you do? What impact does it have?

I’ve spent years researching employee experience and leadership and interviewing the world’s top business leaders. I’ve distilled the best insights and resources into a single worksheet to help leaders find purpose and meaning and transform their organizations.

In this worksheet, I share research, insights from top leaders, and action items on how you can find your purpose and meaning at work and help others do the same. These aren’t just high-level concepts but real, actionable steps you can take today to find your purpose and meaning and transform your organization.

This interactive worksheet is designed to instantly impact how you think about work and your organization’s culture. You’ll get tools and self-assessments that apply to leaders in all types of organizations.

You’ll learn things like:

  • The difference between your job, impact, purpose, and meaning
  • How to track and improve your impact
  • Traits of purpose-driven and caring leaders
  • How to help employees discover their purpose and meaning

If you want to future-proof your company with the best workplace practices and people in our rapidly changing world, delivering purpose and meaning is a must.

Click here to learn more and download this amazing resource for less than $10.

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Why Physical Space Matters For Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/why-physical-space-matters-for-employee-experience/ Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:35:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47631 No matter where employees work, the physical space plays an important role and accounts for 30% of their overall experience--no matter if they work in an office, a store, or at home.

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No matter where employees work, the physical space plays an important role and accounts for 30% of their overall experience–no matter if they work in an office, a store, or at home.

Consider your organization’s values. As you walk around your physical space, do you see these values come to life? Your physical space is a symbol of what you stand for, which means people should be able to understand your values as soon as they come inside.

Physical space even (and especially) matters for frontline employees. If a store is disheveled and chaotic, it creates a subpar employee and customer experience. Just because employees aren’t working in a corporate office doesn’t mean their physical space doesn’t matter. Gap gives employees autonomy to shape their schedules. Best Buy empowers employees to do what they need to build a great customer experience. These policies and mindsets showcase the companies’ values and create a positive physical space for employees to work.

No matter where employees work, their physical space matters. Make sure your physical space highlights your values and creates a positive environment for employees to help them do their best work. After all, physical space is one-third of the overall employee experience. Don’t overlook it.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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7 Strategies to Lead in a World That Doesn’t Yet Exist https://thefutureorganization.com/7-strategies-to-lead-in-a-world-that-doesnt-yet-exist/ Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47624 How do you prepare to lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist?
That’s one of the biggest challenges faced by future leaders.

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How do you prepare to lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist?

That’s one of the biggest challenges faced by future leaders. The world is changing rapidly and will only continue to evolve.

Here are seven ways to lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist:

  1. Accept that this is the new normal. Things will never be as slow as they are now. Change isn’t temporary, so leaders need to adjust their mindsets to accept constant change as the new normal.
  2. Think like a futurist. Instead of picking a single path, futurists consider a variety of possibilities and scenarios that could occur. They think through potential outcomes and factors that could influence the future.
  3. Lead by example. As a leader, you can’t ask someone to do something or behave in a certain way unless you are going to do it first. Showcase the habits, mindsets, and actions you want from your employees.
  4. Be a perpetual learner. You can no longer rely on schools or jobs to teach you everything you need to know. Perpetual learners take control of their personal and professional development and are continually learning new things to stay relevant.
  5. Recognize the past. Change starts by acknowledging and recognizing the past. Respect what came before and where you’ve been instead of trying to take a sledgehammer to everything and forgetting the past.
  6. Think like a laboratory, not like a factory. Factories are process-centric and embrace the status quo. Laboratories experiment and embrace failure. In our rapidly changing world, you can’t just stick with what you’ve always done. You have to find new solutions.
  7. Surround yourself with people who are more talented than you. Leaders shouldn’t be the smartest people in the room. Instead, build a diverse team to teach and challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone.

The world of work is constantly changing, but leaders who prepare now and are continually learning and improving will be ready to lead–even if that world doesn’t yet exist!


————————————

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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How NASA Chief Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen Encourages Employees to Speak Up https://thefutureorganization.com/how-nasa-chief-dr-thomas-zurbuchen-encourages-employees-to-speak-up/ Mon, 09 Jan 2023 11:00:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47617 Loose screws may seem like a small problem--until they lead to a $150 million repair.
That’s the lesson NASA Chief Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen and his team learned when preparing the James Webb Space Telescope.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Dr_Thomas_Zurbuchen_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Thomas Zurbuchen Transcript

Loose screws may seem like a small problem–until they lead to a $150 million repair.

That’s the lesson NASA Chief Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen and his team learned when preparing the James Webb Space Telescope.

But you don’t have to be working on a revolutionary space telescope to apply the same principle of speaking up when potential issues arise.

It’s what Zurbuchen calls the difference between mistakes and almost mistakes. Almost mistakes are disasters that were avoided because someone caught them at the last minute. Zurbuchen says when you solve the problems that create the almost mistakes, you often also solve the disasters. It’s critical for leaders to use almost mistakes or near misses to improve. That means talking about the things that almost went wrong and taking them seriously as an opportunity for learning and growth.

When preparing the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA performed an acoustic test to ensure the telescope could survive noise in space. But fasteners started falling off as the loud noises came because the screws weren’t locked in tightly. That seemingly small mistake led to big issues for NASA and cost taxpayers $150 million to fix.

Zurbuchen speculates the mistake happened because a technician told the manager the fasteners weren’t locking, and the manager told him that they were short on time and not to question the process.

NASA had to be accountable to Congress for such as costly mistake. It all started with one small thing that could have turned a mistake into an almost mistake if it had been caught.

The experience drove Zurbuchen to change NASA’s culture and empower employees to pay attention and speak up. He addressed the entire workforce to retrain them and create an open process for suggestions. The goal is to become an organization that deliberately looks for input instead of stifling it.

Zurbuchen says getting employees to speak up starts by modeling it himself. As a leader, he is opinionated and likes to move quickly. But he told his deputy that her job was to tell him no. When people tell him no when he’s about to make a poor decision, they become better as a team.

Zurbuchen says he would rather work on the best idea, not his best idea, and do the right thing, not what he thought just now. Communicating that to his team and all employees takes vulnerability but shows the importance of teamwork and everyone having a voice. Instead of defaulting to the leader or having the leader make every decision, successful companies create a culture where employees are expected and rewarded for speaking up and making suggestions. And that starts with a leader who encourages feedback and is open to suggestions.

Getting employees to speak up doesn’t mean mistakes will never happen. But Zurbuchen says it’s better to build an organization that defines excellence not as an absence of mistakes but as constantly learning and improving.

Mistakes are inevitable in business as leaders take risks and innovate. But by getting employees to speak up, companies can turn mistakes into almost mistakes and encourage growth and learning.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Jumpstart Your Leadership Career in 2023 https://thefutureorganization.com/jumpstart-your-leadership-career-in-2023/ Fri, 06 Jan 2023 14:00:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47612 Looking to become a better leader in 2023? Want to read more books and expand your knowledge?
I have the best resource for you--my book, The Future Leader.

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Looking to become a better leader in 2023? Want to read more books and expand your knowledge?

I have the best resource for you–my book, The Future Leader.

It’s no secret the world of work is changing rapidly. Leaders can’t just rely on what they’ve done in the past to succeed in the future. And there’s an entire generation of future leaders poised to guide their companies in the future–but they need the skills and mindsets to do it.

This is the book that shares everything you need to know to not only survive as a leader in the next decade and beyond but to thrive.

To create this book, I interviewed more than 140 of the world’s top CEOs about what it means to be a leader and the skills and mindsets future leaders will need. From their insights and my own research of 14,000 leaders and employees, I created the Notable Nine–the nine must-have skills and mindsets.

This book dives deep into each area with best practices, research, practical tips, and exclusive leadership stories and hacks from top leaders you won’t read anywhere else. Picking up a copy is like sitting down with the world’s top business leaders for an inside look at their success.

Would you ask their secrets to success? How do they lead successful companies in this rapidly changing world? The advice they would give to the next generation?

The changing work landscape demands a new type of leader: someone who is agile, tech-savvy, and human. The Future Leader stands out because it focuses on the future and has applicable tips you can use today to become a future-ready leader immediately.

2023 is your year to set yourself up for future success and become someone who leads the future of work, not just participates in it.

The Future Leader is the best resource to make that happen.

Get your copy at thefutureleaderbook.com

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Who Should You Promote? The Overworkers https://thefutureorganization.com/who-should-you-promote-the-overworkers/ Thu, 05 Jan 2023 14:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47604 When you look at who to promote, it shouldn’t be the person with the highest performance numbers, the biggest team, or the most seniority--it should be the person who works the most.

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When you look at who to promote, it shouldn’t be the person with the highest performance numbers, the biggest team, or the most seniority–it should be the person who works the most. I’m talking about the person pounding Red Bulls, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner out of a cardboard box while they stay glued to their computer, sleeping under their desk, and keeping a change of clothes in the restroom so they can look presentable when the day starts. That’s who gets promoted!

It’s not enough for employees to just work 40 hours and expect to be promoted. They have to put in extra hours and work more than anyone else to show they are dedicated to the organization. Work is like a relationship, do you want someone loyal to you and with some of the time or all of the time?

Overworking shows what employees are capable of. You don’t have to guess the kind of person you are promoting! They’ve put in more hours of work than anyone else.

Scientists back me up on this–overworking allows employees to prove their value to their company. “If a worker’s talents are (at least partially) uncertain, then every project, every presentation, every meeting is an opportunity to learn and showcase her talents.”

Employees who overwork make their jobs their top priority–as they should. They don’t get distracted by things in their personal life or other commitments. They are all-in on your company and put in the time. Those are the people you should be rewarded, not people who are nice to work with.

To you as the leader, overworking shows an employee is devoted to the company and their job. They put their job ahead of everything else, including their personal life and relationships, so you know they will do a great job and stick around. People who overwork won’t ignore your late-night phone calls or weekend emails. They will probably already be at work, ready to go. That means you won’t have to wait for things to move forward.

There’s no room for people in higher positions who aren’t completely dedicated to their jobs. They have to show you they are willing to put in the time. Don’t promote slackers or people who can get their tasks done quickly. Promote people who work themselves to the bone to get things done.

Plus, overworkers will demand their employees overwork too. That means if you promote the person who works themselves to the bone, you get more bang for your buck by getting existing teams to do the work of larger teams without having to pay more people. Why promote a slacker who needs a team of 10 people when you can promote someone who overworks and gets the same work done with a team of 5 people? It’s cost-savings for you and efficient when employees work more. I’m not a math professor but this to me seems like a good deal.

If an employee wants to get promoted, they know what they need to do. They have to put in the hours and work more! Elon Musk agrees with me, he has his employees working way past 1:30 to get things done like he should. Cheers to you Elon!

overworking

 

As a leader, one of your most important tasks is promoting the right people. It can make or break the future of your company.

Don’t promote the people who have been there the longest or who are the nicest to work with–when it comes to promotions, the people who overwork should be the ones who get better jobs!

-The Outdated Leader

————————————

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Two Skills of Yoda That Leaders Should Learn More About https://thefutureorganization.com/two-skills-of-yoda-that-leaders-should-learn-more-about/ Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47601 To succeed as a leader, you have to become like everyone’s favorite green character: Yoda.

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To succeed as a leader, you have to become like everyone’s favorite green character: Yoda.

The Star Wars creature is one of the most emotionally intelligent characters of all time. As he guides young Jedi, he continually reminds them to talk about their feelings and use the Force.

Leaders of today and the future need to also be emotionally intelligent and develop two key characteristics: empathy and self-awareness.

Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand where they’re coming from. It’s more than just saying “I’m sorry” and showing sympathy–it’s thinking of a time when you felt the same emotion and building a connection with someone else to see things from their perspective.

On the other hand, self-awareness is how you see yourself and other people see you. Internal self-awareness is being in tune with your strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and energy levels. External self-awareness is how other people see you; the key is to get those two areas to align. Do your colleagues and friends view your the same way you view yourself? That’s the goal of self-awareness–to have an accurate view of where you are and where you can improve.

Becoming like Yoda and developing emotional intelligence sets leaders up to build successful relationships, which is the foundation of success.

These skills have always been important but are crucial in the future of work with more people working remotely. In our new virtual world, we’re inviting people into our homes through our screens. The ability to connect on a human level sets us up for success. And that’s only possible if we develop empathy and self-awareness.

So, be like Yoda and become emotionally intelligent.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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The 8 Archetypes of Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/the-8-archetypes-of-leaders/ Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47597 What kind of leader are you?
Knowing your leadership style can help you hone in on the required skills and strengthen your natural talents.

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What kind of leader are you?

Knowing your leadership style can help you hone in on the required skills and strengthen your natural talents.

Author Manfred Kets de Vries created what he calls the 8 archetypes of leadership. He says these recurring patterns of behavior influence a leader’s effectiveness. When a leader’s archetype and role or context in an organization aren’t aligned, it can cause disorganization and failure.

So, where do you fall in the leadership archetypes? Understanding your approach to leadership and why you do what you do, as well as the archetypes of other people, can help you improve and create efficient and cohesive teams.

Here are the 8 archetypes of leaders:

  • The Strategist: You provide vision, strategic direction, and outside-the-box thinking, like a chess player.
  • The Change Catalyst: You thrive in messy situations that you can fix but get bored when things are calm.
  • The Transactor: You thrive on negotiations and deal-making and are skilled at identifying and tackling new opportunities.
  • The Builder: You dream of creating something and have the talent and determination to make your dreams come true.
  • The Innovator: You are a creative idea generator. You possess a great capacity to solve extremely difficult problems.
  • The Processor: You like organizations to run smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. You are very effective at setting up structures and systems.
  • The Coach: You know how to get the best out of people and create a high-performance culture.
  • The Communicator: You are a great influence and significantly impact people and your surroundings.

Every leader is different, and that’s ok! Knowing your natural tendencies and the archetypes of people around you can help build a supportive culture and help you succeed as a leader.

————————————

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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How the Former Co-CEO of Workday Chano Fernandez Harnesses the Power of Positivity & Embraces Vulnerability https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-former-co-ceo-of-workday-chano-fernandez-harnesses-the-power-of-positivity-embraces-vulnerability/ Mon, 02 Jan 2023 11:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47582 When Chano Fernandez originally applied to Workday, he nearly withdrew from the interview process because he didn’t think he was what the company was looking for.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Chano_Fernandez_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Chano Fernandez Transcript

When Chano Fernandez originally applied to Workday, he nearly withdrew from the interview process because he didn’t think he was what the company was looking for.

Chano says his insecurities made him question whether he was the best person to take a leadership role at Workday. But the recruiters encouraged him to stick with the interview process, and his strong values and work ethic helped him stand out to get the job.

Chano realizes that his employees often face similar situations where they feel there are big shoes they can’t fill, or they don’t know enough to succeed. But he says no matter the position, being humble, being grateful you can recognize areas for improvement, and staying positive can help overcome deficiencies. When employees come to Chano saying they aren’t sure they can fill a new role, Chano always encourages them to try it because if you don’t try it out, you’ll never know.

Chano told me this:

“We all have our vulnerabilities and our insecurities at some point in time. That’s normal. You just have to give yourself the best opportunity you can.” – Chano Fernandez

Chano embraces vulnerability with positive thinking and optimism. That optimism has given him the courage to push himself in new positions and overcome challenges. He says staying positive is especially crucial for leaders who set the tone for the rest of the company. It’s also why he frequently does one of his favorite hobbies with his employees: dancing.

It’s not uncommon to see Chano and a group of Workday employees dancing to kick off a meeting or conference or to unwind after a long day. He says dancing with employees helps them have a good time together, give each other energy, and showcase Workday’s core value of fun.

But being co-CEO of a large company is more than just dancing. There are bad days and challenges that come with running any company. Throughout the challenges, Chano keeps a positive attitude. He regularly asks himself if having a bad attitude will change the situation, and the answer is always no. Instead of focusing on things that are out of his control, Chano focuses on what he can control, which is his attitude and response. When he has a bad day or faces a roadblock, he takes a step back to look for the positive, learn from the experience, and keep moving forward.

Chano believes leaders must be authentic and realize what they are passing down. Their energy impacts the team, so it is crucial to be mindful of your attitude and emotions. He points out that even with significant challenges, there is always a lot to be grateful for. Embracing vulnerability, not shying away from challengings, and remaining optimistic can help leaders set the tone for their entire organization to grow and succeed.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work: Jason Fried, Co-founder & CEO of Basecamp https://thefutureorganization.com/it-doesnt-have-to-be-crazy-at-work-jason-fried-co-founder-ceo-of-basecamp/ Fri, 30 Dec 2022 14:00:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47578 Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of Basecamp and best-selling author of Rework and It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work.

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Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of Basecamp and best-selling author of Rework and It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work. As boundaries between work and life blur, it can be challenging to ensure that work doesn’t take over everything. Jason is a big believer in capping a workweek at 40 hours.

 

He says, “We don’t want people working more than 40 hours. You don’t need to. If we’re doing that, then we’re doing something wrong. I know at a lot of companies, long hours are seen as doing something right, and staying late and working on the weekends is encouraged. I think that’s completely wrong. We’re very careful about not encouraging our employees to work that way.”

Anything that can’t get done in 40 hours can wait until the next day or the next week. That’s because 50, 60, or 80 hour weeks aren’t sustainable. In an emergency, they can be done once in a while, but keeping it up consistently doesn’t produce the best results.

Jason says, “Sometimes you’re going to burn out or you’re going to burn people out. Maybe you can do 80-hour weeks, but it won’t be enjoyable. You’re not going to keep a good team together with you for a long period of time, and you’re going to lose a lot of great people along the way. It’s hard enough to find great people, so I want to keep them happy with reasonable work hours, challenging work, great people, and a great environment.”

Just because you put in a lot of hours doesn’t mean you’re producing good work; you can spend extra hours on bad work. Most of the time the best ideas and new innovations come after people come back to a problem refreshed. Working until you are beyond exhausted and stressed doesn’t usually lead to breakthroughs.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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5 Ways to Avoid Having a Typical WFH Day https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-avoid-having-a-typical-wfh-day/ Thu, 29 Dec 2022 14:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47574 What does a typical day look like for you?
It’s a question I’ve asked hundreds of CEOs. And they almost always tell me the same thing: they don’t have a typical day because every day is different and unique.

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What does a typical day look like for you?

It’s a question I’ve asked hundreds of CEOs. And they almost always tell me the same thing: they don’t have a typical day because every day is different and unique.

It’s easy to get into a rut and do the same things day after day. But being stuck in that same routine makes it challenging to be creative, innovate, and think out of the box. We’re doing the same things and probably checking tasks off our lists, but are we really moving the needle?

This is especially important when working from home. Without in-person interaction, it’s easy to put every day on repeat and go through the motions.

That’s not to say that schedules aren’t important–they are! Great leaders have habits and routines. But they also try new things, interact with new people, and expose themselves to new ideas. They make sure they aren’t doing the same things and seeing the same people every day.

When you constantly do the same thing over and over, it’s easy to get burned out and feel drained and disengaged.

Here are five ways to avoid having a typical day, especially if you work from home:

  1. Avoid screens. When you spend so much of your day in front of a screen, taking a break can open you to new ideas and fresh perspectives. Avoiding screens can be a good exercise in creative thinking to push you outside the norm.
  2. Get out of the house. Take your work someplace else or get outside for a walk. Even if you’re still doing the same assignments, changing your scenery can change your mood and outlook.
  3. Talk to new people. Break out of the bubble of the people you normally associate with. Send a thoughtful email to a friend, call a co-worker, connect with online groups, or invite someone out for coffee
  4. Find a hobby. There’s more to life than work, but the two things can easily blur together when you work from home. Hobbies break up the monotonous schedule and get your creative juices flowing. For me, it’s chess!
  5. Change your schedule. You don’t have to revamp your entire day–just move things around from when you normally do them. Try mixing up your day by waking up 15 minutes earlier to read before work or do your afternoon tasks in the morning.

Avoiding a typical WFH day doesn’t mean you have to throw your existing routine out the window. Simple changes can mix things up to encourage creativity and get you out of a rut.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post 5 Ways to Avoid Having a Typical WFH Day first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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AI Isn’t New It’s Been Around For 1,000+ Years! https://thefutureorganization.com/ai-isnt-new-its-been-around-for-1000-years/ Wed, 28 Dec 2022 14:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47571 AI is a hot topic of conversation today, but it actually isn’t new. Mentions of artificial intelligence have been around for thousands of years across folklore in numerous cultures.

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AI is a hot topic of conversation today, but it actually isn’t new. Mentions of artificial intelligence have been around for thousands of years across folklore in numerous cultures. There are stories of mysterious robot-like creatures controlling islands and starting battles.

Even decades ago, we saw robots and AI in movies and TV shows.

But the AI we’re discussing today is more substantial than those historical mentions. Can you imagine if those storytellers from thousands of years ago saw what we have at our fingertips today?

For years, we’ve created jobs that were perfect for AI–repetitive, mundane tasks that anyone could do. But we didn’t have the technology or bots to back it up, so humans ended up doing those repetitious jobs.

But that’s not the case anymore. Now, we have AI that can do the jobs that were designed for it to begin with. That means humans don’t have to be stuck in boring jobs they don’t want to do.

But what do we do with these changes? It allows us to focus on what makes us human–the human skills of connection, creativity, motivation, and more. These are emotions and skills that can’t be replicated by machines.

So, AI might not be new, but it’s finally at the point where it can take away jobs from humans that humans have only been doing as a placeholder. The technology is here and ready to transform how we work–are we willing to let it?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.


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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why People Should Work 9-5 https://thefutureorganization.com/why-people-should-work-9-5/ Tue, 27 Dec 2022 14:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47568 For decades, normal working hours have been 9-5.
Why do today’s employees feel they have to change that in the name of flexibility?

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For decades, normal working hours have been 9-5.

Why do today’s employees feel they have to change that in the name of flexibility? You want flexibility? Go to a yoga class, I’m paying people to work!

Recently, more companies have started moving to flexible work arrangements where employees choose their schedules and make their own hours. Some companies even claim to focus more on results than schedules and say it doesn’t matter when employees work.

But if you want your company to grow and succeed, every employee needs to be in their office every day from 9-5–no exceptions. In fact employees who just work 9-5 are lucky, my hours are more like 6am-10pm and you don’t hear me complaining.

Some people complain about having to work structured hours, but it’s actually an improvement! Henry Ford started the concept of 9-5 working hours in 1926 for his assembly line workers. Before that schedule, employees were working much longer hours. The 9-5 arrangement ensured employees were all there and engaged during business hours, and it made people more productive because they worked together efficiently. And the idea was a success! There’s a reason Henry Ford is considered one of the greatest business minds of all time and why companies have followed the 9-5 schedule for nearly 100 years–it works!

Everyone needs to work the same hours so you know where people are and are sure they’re getting their work done. If you call someone with a question at 3 pm and they don’t answer, how do you know if they are slacking and need to be fired or if they just have a weird schedule? It gets confusing tracking everyone’s individual schedules, and that’s not how a leader should spend their time. Knowing when your employees are working shouldn’t require a complex calendar!

Working the predictable 9-5 keeps everyone on the same page. It’s easier to schedule meetings and ensure teams are actually working together because you don’t have to juggle many different schedules. It also keeps all employees equal and accounted for so that no one tries to cut out early and steal time from the company. People can’t claim “overtime” when they are unfocused and take longer to complete a task. Everyone works 9-5, and it’s the employee’s fault if they can’t finish their work in that time!

When everyone works the same schedule, things happen more quickly and tasks don’t fall through the cracks. I don’t want my business to slow and sales opportunities to drop because some employees think they’re too good to work 9-5 like everyone else.

Plus, when employees work whatever hours they want, they may ask you questions at all hours of the day and night. That’s not ok! You need time to yourself to do what matters to you and not be interrupted by employees.

Forget this wild notion of flexible schedules–everyone needs to work from 9-5, no questions asked.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Scripts, Schemas, and Stereotypes: How to Change Your Work Relationships https://thefutureorganization.com/scripts-schemas-and-stereotypes-how-to-change-your-work-relationships/ Mon, 26 Dec 2022 23:08:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47562 Do you find yourself playing a certain role at work? Are you ready to rewrite the script?

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Rick_Hanson_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Rick Hanson Transcript

Do you find yourself playing a certain role at work? Are you ready to rewrite the script?

In his upcoming book, Making Great Relationships, Simple Practices for Solving Complex Building Connection and Fostering Love, psychologist Rick Hanson discusses three invisible aspects that affect our everyday work and relationships: scripts, schemas, and stereotypes. Understanding and identifying these three areas is crucial to improving ourselves and our relationships.

  • Scripts are how we feel we need to behave.
  • Schemas are blueprints for situations.
  • Stereotypes are shortcuts for how we view a person.

Hanson calls these three areas models of ourselves and how we see the world. By understanding blueprints and shortcuts for how people typically act or how situations may play out, we don’t have to keep figuring things out every time–summer is always hot, sloths are always slow, etc.

The danger of scripts, schemas, and stereotypes is when we become trapped by them. Just because we’ve always followed the same blueprint for a situation doesn’t mean that’s how it always has to be. Similarly, just because we have a script of how people behave doesn’t mean we have to follow it. Hanson says it’s crucial to remember autonomy and that we are the authors of our own scripts and don’t have to listen to the internal or external puppet masters telling us how to act.

We don’t have to be controlled by old scripts and assumptions just because there may be voices in our heads or people telling us certain things.

Rather than being stuck in the past, Hanson finds it helpful to realize that other people often try to write you into their scripts and place you in a particular role. The first step to rewriting a script, whether at work or in your personal life, is to take a step back. You don’t have to buy into someone else’s script!

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

 

There’s a balance between being true to yourself and being aware of what it’s like for others to be around you. There is tremendous value in being willing to stretch, grow, and learn.

Hanson also recommends disrupting the script. There’s no replacement for action, and a script can be motivating to change and improve. If people at work have scripted you as someone who never has good ideas or isn’t fun to be around, you may feel stuck in a specific role, whether or not it is true. Hanson says to start by thinking about who you really are. Then shake it up and do the opposite of what you’re expected to do. If the script says you’re always late, come to work on time. If it says you are a robot leader, take an employee to coffee and get to know them.

Hanson says that those little changes can produce sweeping results.

Scripts, schemas, and stereotypes guide our world and help us understand situations and be more efficient. But they shouldn’t make us feel stuck or get in the way of growth and improvement. As we understand scripts and our roles, we can improve ourselves and our relationships with others.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Scripts, Schemas, and Stereotypes: How to Change Your Work Relationships first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Former CEO Of Volvo, Pehr Gyllenhammar, On Why We Need To Put People Ahead of Profits https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-of-volvo-pehr-gyllenhammar-on-why-we-need-to-put-people-ahead-of-profits-2/ Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47549 Pehr Gyllenhammar is the former CEO of Volvo and has been voted Sweden’s most admired man nine times.

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Pehr Gyllenhammar is the former CEO of Volvo and has been voted Sweden’s most admired man nine times. He became CEO of Volvo when he was just 35 years old and led the company for 24 years. Pehr led his company through lots of tough times, including recessions and an oil crisis.

While many companies were sacrificing their people to save their profits, Pehr didn’t let go of a single employee. In fact, he told me he would rather let go of a white-collar worker in a management role than a blue-collar worker on the manufacturing floor. Pehr’s lesson is all about appreciating the people who work for you and remembering that it’s often the people on the front lines who make your business successful.

There are very few leaders today who actively put the well-being of their people ahead of profits. Pehr says, “I put people before profits in the sense that if I didn’t have good people, we couldn’t have productivity or have our aspirations come true. So I have people before profits and it’s not declining profits. I think that profits are very important for any shareholder company and that the shareholders should have their part, but the people will create it.”

He says companies today are not only laying people off, but doing so brutally. That’s not the way to lead. During the recessions Pehr went through as a CEO, he made it a priority to take care of his people and to protect the most vulnerable. Because of that, his employees trusted him and felt safe and motivated.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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How to Focus on Technology Your Teams Actually Need https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-focus-on-technology-your-teams-actually-need/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 14:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47545 Technology is constantly changing, and it’s easy to get swept up in wanting the newest gadget or software.

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Technology is constantly changing, and it’s easy to get swept up in wanting the newest gadget or software. But having the latest and greatest tech doesn’t matter if your employees don’t actually need it or won’t use it.

Focusing on your teams’ needs is more important than chasing after the newest technology.

It’s a fine line to embrace technology without blindly chasing every new release. Finding that balance to provide your teams with the innovative technology they need and will use moves your company forward.

Here are three ways to focus on the right technology:

Run a technology audit

An annual audit forces you to look at the big picture. Once a year, take a step back and evaluate your current technology. Look at the tools your teams use and how they use them. Identify what is and isn’t working with technology, including bottlenecks that could be improved or processes that could be streamlined with new technology.

Collect data

Just because you give employees new technology doesn’t mean they’ll use it. The best technology decisions involve employees. Gather their insights and perspectives about what tools they need and what could be improved. Then follow up and see if the new technology is effective or if you need to make other adjustments.

Have a practical perspective

Choosing the right technology can be overwhelming. Instead of getting distracted by what’s new, adopt a practical mindset as you look at what is useful and adds value to your company. The practical tools might not be the flashiest, but they have the biggest impact on how work gets done.

Technology is a cornerstone of any modern organization. It requires continual evaluation to ensure your teams have the right tools and are actually using them. Don’t take it for granted or assume you need every new item. Find the balance between caring about new technology and focusing on what your teams need.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post How to Focus on Technology Your Teams Actually Need first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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4 Characteristics of Highly Innovative People https://thefutureorganization.com/4-characteristics-of-highly-innovative-people/ Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:06:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47542 At the root of any innovation is curiosity. It takes creativity and a willingness to explore to find innovative new solutions.

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At the root of any innovation is curiosity. It takes creativity and a willingness to explore to find innovative new solutions.

But what makes some people more curious and innovative than others?

Dr. Todd Kashdan researched curiosity and discovered four characteristics that highly curious people with the greatest ability to innovate possess:

  1. Joyous exploration. This is what most people think of when they think of curiosity–the excitement and fun that comes from trying to discover something new. Curious people enjoy the journey.
  2. Deprivation sensitivity. Innovation doesn’t just happen. Curious people realize the gap between where they are now and where they want to be or what they want to learn and work to close that gap.
  3. Openness to other people’s ideas. Curious people aren’t passive and wait for people to come to them. They actively seek diverse opinions, meet new people, and learn about new topics and ideas.
  4. Stress tolerance. Innovation can be stressful–you’re doing something you don’t know how to do! Curious and innovative people know how to deal with stress to keep moving forward.

If you want to innovate, you need to start by being curious. Do you possess these four characteristics? If not, work to develop them and enjoy the journey of curiosity.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.


——————————————

Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post 4 Characteristics of Highly Innovative People first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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You Should Wear a Suit and Tie to Work https://thefutureorganization.com/you-should-wear-a-suit-and-tie-to-work/ Tue, 20 Dec 2022 14:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47539 I recently visited the office of another company and was shocked by what I saw. As I walked through the office, employees were wearing jeans, hoodies, shorts, and even baseball hats!

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I recently visited the office of another company and was shocked by what I saw. As I walked through the office, employees were wearing jeans, hoodies, shorts, and even baseball hats!

Was this an office or a frat house?

Everyone needs to wear a suit and tie to work. You work in a professional office environment and better look the part.

To do your best work, you need to look your best. Suits and ties aren’t optional. No excuses, no exceptions. Dressing in anything less than a suit is sloppy and makes employees not put in their best effort.

Science backs me up on this. A study found that when people dressed more formally, they performed better at abstract processing, meaning they were more adept at seeing the bigger picture without getting distracted. One researcher said, “Putting on formal clothes makes us feel powerful, and that changes the basic way we see the world.” You’ve got to feel powerful if you’re going to grow a successful business and make more money!

Suits have long been the symbol of successful people. There’s a reason you don’t see presidents, judges, and world leaders showing up to meetings without a full suit and tie. Suits are practical, timeless, and show that you are a person who matters and who gets results. That’s how I want every one of my employees to feel every day at work.

Wearing a suit also helps employees feel more confident. Confident people make more sales, which means more money for the company! Instead of bumming around in casual clothes or even business casual, wearing a suit and tie signals to employees that it’s time to work and puts them in the mindset to deliver quality, confident work.

There’s also the sameness of everyone wearing a suit. It’s like a uniform that takes away any distractions. When people wear a suit, they know it’s time to put their nose down and get to work. They aren’t distracted by who’s wearing what or trying to follow the latest trends–they stick to timeless, powerful suits to do good work.

Think about how you show up to a job interview–in a suit! You wouldn’t wear a t-shirt or jeans to get your dream job. Wearing a suit helps people be taken seriously. It shows that employees are committed to their jobs and respect the company and you as a leader.

There’s no reason for employees to wear anything other than a suit to work every day. If employees aren’t willing to wear suits and ties, they aren’t the right fit for your company!

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post You Should Wear a Suit and Tie to Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How All Leaders Can Embrace the VC Mindset to Evaluate Ideas https://thefutureorganization.com/how-all-leaders-can-embrace-the-vc-mindset-to-evaluate-ideas/ Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47532 Leaders face an incredible array of decisions and new ideas daily, each with potential consequences and benefits. Navigating those ideas and decisions can be challenging as you weigh the possible outcomes.

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Sebastian Mallaby Transcript

Leaders face an incredible array of decisions and new ideas daily, each with potential consequences and benefits. Navigating those ideas and decisions can be challenging as you weigh the possible outcomes.

Now, imagine making those delicious with millions of dollars on the line.

That’s the world venture capitalists face as they decide which early-stage startups and investors to back.

Sebastian Mallaby, best-selling author of The Power Law, says it’s a mindset that all leaders can adopt, regardless of whether they work in an established company or an early startup.

Venture capitalists have a unique way of seeing the world and evaluating risk. They can’t look at sales or other quantitative data because these startups don’t yet have profit or revenue. VCs start by looking at the team to see if they have the right skills, connections, and track record to accomplish their proposal. They then consider the product or service the entrepreneurs want to build and evaluate the risks and possibility that the product can actually be built. From there, the last consideration is the total addressable market, meaning how big the startup could become.

Those considerations can help managers and leaders make informed decisions to balance risk and reward. Mallaby says it’s a similar thought process to what a manager might encounter when choosing who to put on a team or what projects to prioritize.

Mallaby says companies and entrepreneurs can also learn from Venture Capitalists’ approach to risk. In most cases, there’s an overwhelming chance that the startup will fail and the investors will lose their money. But there’s still the chance that if the company succeeds, it will be wildly successful and profitable. In many cases, the upside justifies the probability of losing. VCs must adopt probabilistic thinking to consider the size of their outcomes and be willing to take a risk.

Mallaby says all companies should adopt the VC approach to evaluating new ideas and being willing to invest in new ideas and solutions. As startups grow, they have the potential to disrupt larger companies, which means larger companies need to constantly be innovating and improving to stay relevant and competitive.

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

Startups also have the advantage of being able to experiment without as much red tape and bureaucracy, which often allows them to move faster and implement new ideas rapidly, while larger companies may get slowed down with processes.

Mallaby says the same challenge VCs face of potentially investing and not receiving a reward is like employees creating innovative solutions. Many companies allow and encourage their employees to innovate and spend time experimenting with new ideas. That’s an investment in innovation that may not pay off. It’s often a long shot with no certain payoff. But there’s a chance that it could yield a successful and profitable idea, a risk many companies are willing to take.

So, how can leaders develop a VC mindset? By being willing to take risks and understanding the people behind an idea. Mallaby says it’s often about backing people you think have the skills to succeed, not necessarily the product.

Embracing creativity, risk, and innovation can help all leaders and companies succeed, regardless of industry or size.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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People Matter–Here’s How to Create a Great Experience for Them https://thefutureorganization.com/people-matter-heres-how-to-create-a-great-experience-for-them/ Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47528 What’s your company’s biggest asset? Your people!
The best way to create a competitive advantage is by focusing on employee experience.

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What’s your company’s biggest asset? Your people!

The best way to create a competitive advantage is by focusing on employee experience. When you create an organization where people WANT to be there, not have to be there, you have an incredible advantage in attracting and retaining the best talent.

But too often, companies focus on perks like free food and gym memberships and think that will create engaged employees. If an employee doesn’t feel valued or empowered at work, no amount of free food will change that.

Instead of putting a bandaid on a problem with engagement efforts, the best companies focus on employee experience and adjusting the core workplace practices in three key areas: technology, culture, and physical space.

Way back in 2017, I wrote The Employee Experience Advantage: How to Win the War for Talent by Giving Employees the Workspaces they Want, the Tools they Need, and a Culture They Can Celebrate. With all the uncertainty and change in the workplace, the book is just as applicable today as it was five years ago.

Over the last few years, thousands of people have left their jobs or quietly quit their positions. The way to create a culture of engaged employees who are excited to come to work and make a difference is by focusing on employee experience.

For this book, I interviewed more than 150 executives and researched 250 of the world’s best companies to get to the root of employee experience. This book has everything you need to know, including defining employee experience and breaking down why it matters and what you can do today to improve the experience for your employees.

You’ll learn the trends affecting employee experience, how to evaluate your current experience, steps to designing a strong experience, and much more.

Your people are your biggest asset–make sure they feel valued by creating a great experience. My book will help you do that. Order your copy here. 

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Times are changing, but they don’t have to be scary. Look at it as an opportunity to update your organization and grow to prepare for the future. In my revamped Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0, I share everything you need to know to create an amazing, people-first organization. This includes everything from the book, as well as updates on what you can do today to adapt to all the changes happening in the workplace today.

What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more about the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0 and sign up. See you inside!

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3 Methods to Control Your Emotions at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/3-methods-to-control-your-emotions-at-work/ Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47524 Work can be stressful, challenging, and overwhelming.
But it can also be enjoyable, rewarding, and fulfilling.
Over a day, you likely experience a wide range of emotions--both positive and negative.

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Work can be stressful, challenging, and overwhelming.

But it can also be enjoyable, rewarding, and fulfilling.

Over a day, you likely experience a wide range of emotions–both positive and negative.

That’s human! The key to success is learning how to control your emotions.

Leading psychologist Daniel Goleman says having a strong EQ helps you stand out at work. Empathy, adaptability, staying positive, and controlling emotions are aspects of emotional intelligence.

It’s especially important for leaders because the emotional state is contagious. A leader who is constantly negative can cause employee productivity and morale to fall.

That doesn’t mean you can’t experience anger, frustration, or sadness. But emotionally intelligent leaders know how to manage those emotions instead of letting the emotions control them.

Here are three ways to control your emotions at work:

Practice deep breathing

Breathing helps your nervous system recover from being upset. Inhale as long as you can (at least to the count of four), hold it as long as you can (at least to the count of four), and then exhale as long as you can. Repeat this six to nine times to shift your physiology.

Name what you are feeling

Say out loud what you are feeling, either to yourself or someone else. Just saying, “I’m getting angry now,” can shift the energy from the part of the brain that feels it to the part of the brain that manages it.

Practice mindfulness

Focus on your breath and be intentional in your breathing. Keep your attention on the rise and fall of your belly, and then breathe in and out. If your mind starts to wander, notice it, and bring it back to your breathing. Do that for 10-20 minutes a day. Catching your mind wandering and bringing it back strengthens your mind to stay focused and avoid distractions.

Having emotions is human. Learning to manage them can help you become a better leader.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post 3 Methods to Control Your Emotions at Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How To Create Boundaries in a Hybrid World https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-create-boundaries-in-a-hybrid-world/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 14:48:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47519 The future of work is flexible, with employees choosing to work remotely, in person, or a hybrid of the two.

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The future of work is flexible, with employees choosing to work remotely, in person, or a hybrid of the two.

But unless we can learn to set boundaries in a hybrid world, we’ll all face rapid burnout.

There are countless benefits to flexible and remote work. But it comes with an adjustment. And as more people adopt flexible work at scale, the need to create boundaries has never been greater.

In a hybrid world, it’s much harder to walk away from work or leave the office and separate yourself from your job. In our technology-driven world, we’re always connected. But connectivity doesn’t imply availability. Just because you’re connected doesn’t mean you have to be available.

As an employee, you must set boundaries with leaders about what is and isn’t acceptable. If a leader wants to hold a 7 am meeting, it’s ok to push back and suggest a different time that falls within your working hours.

And the same goes for leaders. Leaders have to set boundaries and lead by example. They have to be the ones to convey to their employees that it’s ok to set clear boundaries about what’s off limits and stick to them. If leaders don’t set boundaries, it’s incredibly difficult for employees to set boundaries.

Boundaries allow employees to thrive in their professional and personal lives. Without boundaries, you face the risk of burnout and disengagement. But creating boundaries can lead to increased efficiency and morale.

Hybrid work is the new reality. And it starts by creating boundaries.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why Silos are Good https://thefutureorganization.com/why-silos-are-good/ Tue, 13 Dec 2022 14:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47515 Do you know why farmers keep grain, feed, and other materials in silos? Because they don’t want them to get contaminated and run together.

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Do you know why farmers keep grain, feed, and other materials in silos? Because they don’t want them to get contaminated and run together. The same is true in our organizations–silos keep things organized and separate.

Too many companies today are trying to tear down silos to create a more “open” and “cohesive” environment, but it sounds like a disaster!

Silos help everything stay in place so people don’t get distracted by information or input from other parts of the company. Each department and team can focus on its own area of expertise without having to listen to ideas from people who don’t know what they’re talking about. Why should your creative team have to work with the finance department, or IT with HR? When you have strong silos, departments don’t have to worry about any group but themselves. Everyone gets to focus on what matters most to them without getting distracted by what’s happening in other parts of the company.

Silos give you more control as the leader because people can’t make connections or collaborate with other employees. That means fewer suggestions or innovations from the masses. By keeping groups separate, you’re limiting the chance of them joining together to challenge the status quo. If you tear down silos, the company will become a free-for-all, and you will lose all power and control.

Breaking down silos means employees have to interact with and get to know people from other teams. And that requires you to hold your employees’ hands as they become friends with other departments and learn to work together and share resources. This isn’t preschool–your job as a leader isn’t to help your teams be friendly with each other.

In fact, silos do the opposite of encouraging friendship between departments–they create a sense of competition, which keeps people on their toes and helps them do their best work. When departments don’t know what other groups in the company are doing, the pressure is on them to work hard and become your favorite department. You don’t want employees to become complacent, which is exactly what happens without silos, and they think another department will take care of things.

HBR even listed the benefits of silos, including providing focus to develop expertise, boundaries and hierarchy to drive accountability, and a sense of identity. When employees work in silos, they know their exact role, where they fall in the pecking order, and who is in charge.

Silos have worked for decades. There’s no need to change them now.

And when you start to tear down silos, it opens employees up to change more things. The last thing you want is silos crumbling and employees feeling like they can make any change they want to the company!

So don’t tear down your silos–strengthen them! Keep employees in their place to stay organized and on task.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Why Former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake Doesn’t Like 360 Reviews https://thefutureorganization.com/why-former-home-depot-ceo-frank-blake-doesnt-like-360-reviews/ Mon, 12 Dec 2022 14:45:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47509 What’s the best way to get feedback as a new CEO? And what’s the best way to review employees? These are common questions leaders face, including Frank Blake when he was CEO of Home Depot.

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What’s the best way to get feedback as a new CEO? And what’s the best way to review employees? These are common questions leaders face, including Frank Blake when he was CEO of Home Depot.

Blake was CEO of Home Depot from 2007 to 2014. He is also the former Chairman of the Board at Delta Airlines. A lawyer by profession, Blake spent years in various legal positions before becoming General Counsel for GE and slowly entering the business world. But his unique educational background and career experiences influenced his perspective on leadership and made him unafraid to ask questions and think outside the box.

One way Blake bucks leadership protocol is by getting rid of a common CEO practice: 360 reviews. Many companies use 360 reviews to gather anonymous feedback about leaders and employees from their peers, reports, and managers. But Blake says they are ineffective at understanding employees. Blake says a 360 review may be a good bandage to put on a bleeding patient. But what’s better is to figure out why the patient is bleeding and get to the root of the problem.

He says the first question to ask is why the company is using that format to get feedback. If someone is only going to listen to feedback when it’s written down anonymously, that’s problematic and a symptom of a larger leadership issue. Great leaders and employees continually listen to feedback from numerous sources, not just what people write anonymously.

As 360 reviews have become more common, Blake says people have figured out the game. As you read through comments and feedback, it’s easy to know who said what, so the anonymity—a major hallmark of the review—is gone. In that case, getting direct feedback is more beneficial than veiling it behind anonymity.

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

Additionally, companies often let employees pick their 360 evaluators, which Blake calls a back-scratching exercise that feeds into the leader’s ego instead of providing honest suggestions.

So what should companies do instead? Ask for and give direct feedback. Blake says leaders especially need to ask people how they are doing and what they can do to help them. Blake sat down annually with his direct reports for his first three years as CEO and asked them, “What should a new CEO do? What should someone in my job be doing?”. He got a lot of interesting direct feedback that he could apply right away instead of sorting through anonymous reviews that were either veiled snarky comments or attempts to suck up to the leader.

Feedback is critical to improving as a leader. Blake says most CEOs get in a bubble, and honest feedback is vital for leaders to break out of their echo chamber of people who agree with them to get a real view of what people think—but doing it in the right way and following a good process matters. The best reviews come from honest, open conversations.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Why Former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake Doesn’t Like 360 Reviews first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Click Play and Get Ready for the Future of Work! https://thefutureorganization.com/click-play-and-get-ready-for-the-future-of-work/ Fri, 09 Dec 2022 14:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47504 Every day, more than 3 million videos are uploaded to YouTube.
That’s an incredible amount of content! But how much of it will improve your life and career?

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Every day, more than 3 million videos are uploaded to YouTube.

That’s an incredible amount of content! But how much of it will improve your life and career?

I’ve been researching, writing, and speaking about leadership and the future of work for nearly 15 years. I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top leaders about what it takes to succeed and thrive. These include CEOs from: Netflix, Best Buy, Accor Hotels, Honeywell, Sesame Workshop, Kellogg’s, and many others.

All of these interviews and clips which are filled with priceless leadership insights get posted online for free, for you. To get access to them all you need to do is click play!

Two times a week, I post valuable videos on my YouTube channel. You’ll find everything from videos of my podcast interviews to best practices from top leaders and companies and bite-sized tips to improve your leadership skills. I share everything from how to be more productive to how to coach your people and adjust to the future of work–and more. There are hundreds of videos in my extensive content library.

No one has time to sort through hours of content to find the best resources. And you don’t have to! My videos are designed to help you become a future-ready leader without fluff or useless information. You’ll get tips and information you won’t find anywhere else, and it’s all accessible in the palm of your hand or from any device.

Becoming a future-proof employee and leader really is as simple as pushing play. And the content keeps coming! Head on over to my YouTube channel to browse my library of content. I’m sure you’ll find something to help you improve as a leader today.

Click here to visit my YouTube channel and subscribe.

I look forward to seeing you in the comments!

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What Does It Mean To Possess The Skill of The Translator? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-it-mean-to-possess-the-skill-of-the-translator/ Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:27:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47501 If you want to succeed as a future leader, you have to think like a translator.

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If you want to succeed as a future leader, you have to think like a translator.

I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s best leaders, and over and over, they’ve told me about the importance of listening and communication. These skills have been around forever but have never been as important as they are now.

Listening and communication are the two elements that comprise the skill of the translator. Although these skills are timeless, they have changed tremendously in the last few years.

Listening requires effort and focus. It’s more than just passively hearing and requires putting aside distractions to focus fully on a conversation. People can tell when someone, especially a leader, isn’t truly listening to them. The best way to show you respect and value someone is to put aside distractions and listen to what they have to say. That can be challenging when modern leaders are pulled in countless directions, but it is an essential skill to master.

The second aspect of thinking like a translator is communication. We communicate through numerous channels every day, including talking on the phone, texting, emailing, video conferencing, chatting, talking in person, and many more. The world is noisy, and future leaders have to be able to get their message across regardless of the channel.

Being a future-ready communicator means knowing which platform to use in various situations. You wouldn’t fire someone over text or send a formal document through a voice memo–the channel impacts the success of what you’re trying to accomplish. Knowing how to send a message is as crucial as the message itself.

Great leaders have to be translators and master listening and communication. In our connected world, these skills have never been more essential. But they also need a refresh to ensure leaders are ready to listen and communicate in modern ways. Are you ready to think like a translator?

Interviewed more than 140 CEOs for new book

They all said listening and communication has never been more important

These things have been around forever, but they are also things that have changed tremendously in the last few years

Listening–how hard it is to really listen to someone? So many distractions and pulled in countless directions. You feel disengaged and not valued when people don’t really listen to you. Crucial skill for leaders, but it’s hard for us to do because of so many distractions

Listening and hearing aren’t the same

Hearing is unconscious act of sound entering your ear

Hearing takes effort–make convo feel collaborative, ask follow-up questions

Ask yourself–are you really listening to the other person?

Second part–communication

We communicate in so many different ways, in person, email, text, video, phone, slack, etc

So many platforms at our disposal. Have to make sure we can get our message across regardless of the channel

Communicate in the right way–don’t let people go via text, don’t send long emails

Do you know which platform you should use depending on what you’re trying to accomplish?

Listening and communication–practice both

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post What Does It Mean To Possess The Skill of The Translator? first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Great Leaders Never Apologize! https://thefutureorganization.com/great-leaders-never-apologize/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47498 The worst phrase in the English language is “I’m sorry.” Whenever I hear that, I feel sick to my stomach, especially when it’s uttered by someone in a position of authority.

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The worst phrase in the English language is “I’m sorry.” Whenever I hear that, I feel sick to my stomach, especially when it’s uttered by someone in a position of authority.

Great leaders never apologize! Why? Because they never make mistakes. In fact, I remember when I was in business I was taught to never show emotion and never say sorry.

When you don’t do anything wrong, there’s nothing to say you’re sorry about. If something didn’t turn out right, then someone else messed up.

I once had a quarter with terrible earnings. Did I apologize to my shareholders and employees? No way! I made my employees realize who had messed up and caused us to lose money, made them apologize, and then fired them. I’m in charge and know everything, so there was no reason for me to apologize.

Apologizing makes you seem weak and cowardly in front of your employees and customers. Remember, you are the boss. Your apology doesn’t change anything, but it can make you come across as someone who can be questioned and challenged.

Apologizing can also open a can of worms and often means you have to change your plan or strategy instead of sticking with something you know is right. You are the leader and the smartest person in the room–don’t let someone make you apologize for having a great idea! They should apologize for asking questions and not just going along with your plan.

People won’t always agree with you, but that’s because they don’t know as much as you do. Don’t back away from something just because others might think it’s wrong–they don’t know anything. Great leaders hold strong to their beliefs and don’t apologize.

Just look at some of the greatest leaders of all time, like Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, J.D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt–they got things done because they were determined and stuck with their strong ideas. They didn’t bow down and apologize when things were hard or people disagreed with them.

Apologizing is for employees, not leaders. Employees make mistakes and need to apologize to you for wasting your time and doing things wrong. But you’re on top–there’s no reason for you to apologize to anyone.

“I’m sorry” is the worst thing you can say as a leader! Get those words out of your mouth and stop apologizing.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Why Peyman Kargar, President of INFINITI, Invites Employees to Challenge Him https://thefutureorganization.com/why-peyman-kargar-president-of-infiniti-invites-employees-to-challenge-him/ Mon, 05 Dec 2022 11:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47464 As a leader, do you welcome feedback or hide from it? Your attitude toward being challenged impacts the entire company.

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As a leader, do you welcome feedback or hide from it? Your attitude toward being challenged impacts the entire company.

Peyman Kargar is president of INFINITI, Nissan Motor Corporation. He says a key responsibility of leaders is to be inclusive and value different opinions, backgrounds, and perspectives to get the maximum for the company and to develop and inspire employees.

Top-down leadership isn’t effective, and leading solely by authority doesn’t work. Employees can leave when they don’t feel valued in their effort or opinions. Every employee at INFINITI, no matter their role or seniority, is important and has a role to play. But for Peyman, those aren’t just words. He backs up that notion by inviting any employee, even the newest entry-level recruit, to challenge him and tell him when they disagree.

Inviting challenges and honest employee feedback has long been a hallmark of Peyman’s leadership. Ten years ago, Peyman was harsh to employees in a meeting as he set the expectations and said they could leave if they didn’t agree with how he did things. Afterward, an employee approached him to say that he didn’t handle the meeting well and that it came across like he didn’t care about employees. Peyman didn’t realize how his message could be perceived and realized there had been a better way to get his point across. Even a decade later, he regularly thinks about that experience and feedback as he meets with employees.

That honest feedback made Peyman a better leader and is part of the reason he doesn’t just accept challenges—he welcomes them.

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Cornerstone combines best-in-class learning with growth-centric talent capabilities and the power of AI to make talent leaders champions of engagement, growth, and transformation. Learn more about how Cornerstone TXP can help you build your future-ready workforce at www.csod.com.

 

Every two weeks, Peyman sits down with eight employees from various positions in the company for a free discussion. There’s no agenda, just a chance for employees to ask questions, make suggestions, and work through personal and professional challenges together. Peyman views his responsibility in that meeting as creating an environment where people can share their true opinions. He isn’t there to tell people what they can or can’t say or to squish their ideas. He is there to listen to feedback and make sure he is making the best decisions for the company.

Peyman also regularly gathers his management team for an open discussion about what can be improved. They know their job is to challenge him and tell him when things could be improved or done differently. That spirit of transparency spreads throughout the rest of the company, even to the groups of employees that meet every Friday afternoon to share new ideas, brainstorm, and make suggestions for improvement in various departments. When the leader sets the example of honest feedback, employees follow suit and collaborate in healthy, inclusive ways.

Peyman’s willingness to be challenged and not only listen to feedback but welcome and respond to it allows a variety of voices to be heard at INFINITI. Instead of running from feedback, Peyman shows that authentic leaders embrace challenges and the chance to improve.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Why Peyman Kargar, President of INFINITI, Invites Employees to Challenge Him first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Vulnerability for Leaders Can Be A Superpower WHEN Approached the RIGHT Way https://thefutureorganization.com/vulnerability-for-leaders-can-be-a-superpower-when-approached-the-right-way/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:00:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47461 Over 100 CEOs and 15,000 employees around the world have shared their experiences and insights on leadership and vulnerability.

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Over 100 CEOs and 15,000 employees around the world have shared their experiences and insights on leadership and vulnerability

I’ve heard personal and candid stories and experiences from CEOs, some of which will shock you, make you laugh, and even make you cry.

I’ve asked CEOs what makes them feel most vulnerable and why, what vulnerability actually feels like, if vulnerability has ever been used against them, how to be vulnerable without being perceived as weak, and lots of other interesting questions.

All of these findings, stories, and research are going to be a part of a groundbreaking new book I’m working on which will explore vulnerability but specifically from a leadership perspective. The book will be released towards the second half of 2023 but I’ll share more details as the launch gets closer.

There’s been quite a lot written about vulnerability over the years but my challenge with most of the work is that the data seems to be lacking and the insights and stories from leaders themselves seems to be sparse. I want to change that.

The goal of my new book is to build on some of the foundational work that has been done on vulnerability over the years to provide more structure, tools, and frameworks for how leaders can approach vulnerability in the right way, and yes, there is a right way and a wrong way for leaders to be vulnerable.

Today is the LAST day for you to participate in the survey that I created in partnership with DDI. If you have 3 minutes please share your experiences and thoughts about vulnerability and leadership in our new survey. 

You will find that the questions themselves are ones that you have likely never been asked and perhaps have not even reflected on recently. Of course if you can share the survey link around with your peers and co-workers that would be much appreciated!

Vulnerability for leaders can be a tremendous superpower but it has to be done and approached in the right way. Soon, I’ll share what that right way is.

I’m excited to share the insights with you in the coming weeks and months.

Please take 2-3 minutes and share your experiences and insights with me here. 

Thank you!

Jacob

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The Employee Engagement Adrenaline Shot https://thefutureorganization.com/the-employee-engagement-adrenaline-shot/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47357 On their first day of working for your company, employees are already engaged.
They are excited to be there and look forward to making an impact and being part of the team.

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On their first day of working for your company, employees are already engaged.

They are excited to be there and look forward to making an impact and being part of the team.

But slowly, those happy, engaged employees turn into unhappy employees who are disengaged from their work.

That’s about the point the organization sends out an employee engagement survey. And when the less-than-stellar results come back, the company introduces new perks. Maybe free food or casual Fridays will help employees be more engaged.

Engagement temporarily improves before dropping off again, and the cycle repeats.

Too many companies are in the endless loop of low engagement scores, an adrenaline shot of a new perk, engagement scores going up, and the adrenaline shot wearing off.

How do you break out of this cycle? By focusing more on employee experience than employee engagement.

Employee engagement perks may seem exciting to employees at first. However, eventually the newness wears off, and employees realize they are still working for the same company with the same internal struggles. On the other hand, employee experience aims to correct and change core workplace practices in three areas: culture, technology, and physical space. Instead of just giving an adrenaline shot to boost engagement scores, employee experience digs deeper to make lasting changes.

Are you stuck in the employee engagement cycle? Stop thinking of engagement as an adrenaline shot and get to the root of the problem.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post The Employee Engagement Adrenaline Shot first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Leading a Team is a Lot Like Being a Chef https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-a-team-is-a-lot-like-being-a-chef/ Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47354 You might not be in a literal kitchen, but being a leader is a lot like being a chef.

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You might not be in a literal kitchen, but being a leader is a lot like being a chef.

Chefs are masters of balance–they have to put in the exact right amount of different ingredients and experiment with variations to create delicious dishes. Too much of one ingredient can change the taste of the entire meal.

As a leader, you must balance two essential ingredients: humanity and technology. Humanity is ensuring your organization stays human, focusing on purpose and doing good. Technology is investing in the right tools so you can be productive, efficient, and scale.

Technology and humanity are often viewed as being at odds with each other. But you must invest in both to create a successful team and organization. But like a chef, you have to balance the ingredients to get the right outcome.

If you only invest in humanity, you’ll have great people but will be slow, unproductive, and unable to scale.

But if you only invest in technology, you’ll be efficient but unable to attract talent and be creative.

How do you balance these two crucial ingredients? Follow the mindset of the chef. Be in the kitchen with everyone else. Just like chefs are always in the kitchen tasting the food and telling the sous chef to make adjustments, leaders need to be involved and advise their team members. Taste test frequently–get feedback, understand challenges, and pay attention to where you need to invest more or scale back.

As you embrace the mindset of the chef, you’ll learn to balance the ingredients of humanity and technology and create a masterpiece team and organization.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Leading a Team is a Lot Like Being a Chef first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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​​Why Trusting Your Employees Is Bad And Why They Need To Earn It https://thefutureorganization.com/why-trusting-your-employees-is-bad-and-why-they-need-to-earn-it/ Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47350 Employees can’t be trusted. They are just there to earn a paycheck and advance in their careers.

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Employees can’t be trusted. They are just there to earn a paycheck and advance in their careers.

Trusting employees opens you up to being taken advantage of. They don’t care about your company or their jobs–it’s just a stop on their way to the next big thing. You may think they care about you, but they don’t.

There’s no such thing as loyalty anymore. Even my dog barely comes to me when I call him.

In this age of remote work and quiet quitting, employees only look out for themselves. Even if someone shows up to work every day, there’s no guarantee that they’ll put in the effort or do more than the bare minimum. A survey from Gallup found that quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. That means that at least half of your employees are just there to put in the bare minimum and get paid. Those aren’t people you can trust!

And then there are the employees stealing from the company to put themselves ahead. More people than ever are working remotely while also starting side hustles. They aren’t dedicated to your company! They’re just using the paycheck to get by while they build their own side business–and often doing it while they’re on the clock for you!

Employees won’t be honest with you. They say whatever they think you want to hear and hide the truth from you. Half of employees have lied at work. You never know when they are lying to you.

So, can you trust anyone at work? Only the people who have earned it. Employees need to show you what they can do. It’s one thing to make promises in a job interview, but it’s another thing to get results at work.

Employees have to show you they care about the company, will do whatever you say as a leader without asking questions, and will put in the work. If employees start to question you or come up with their own ideas, they haven’t earned your trust.

You can’t blindly trust employees, or they will take advantage of you. Question everything. Make them prove what they are doing and how they are using their time.

It’s only after employees pass your tests and show that they are firmly loyal to you that they can earn their trust–for now.

Don’t waste your time trusting employees. You’ll only get burned by people taking advantage of you.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post ​​Why Trusting Your Employees Is Bad And Why They Need To Earn It first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Is Your Ego in the Way? World’s #1 Executive Coach Marshall Goldsmith Shares How Leaders Can Balance Ego https://thefutureorganization.com/is-your-ego-in-the-way-worlds-1-executive-coach-marshall-goldsmith-shares-how-leaders-can-balance-ego/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47335 Is your ego stopping you from reaching your potential as a leader?
It’s a common problem for leaders and one of the biggest dangers they face.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Marshall_Goldsmith_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Marshall Goldsmith Transcript

Is your ego stopping you from reaching your potential as a leader?

It’s a common problem for leaders and one of the biggest dangers they face. Most leaders either have an ego that is too big and gets in the way or one that is too small and causes them to undersell themselves.

The key to making a difference in the world and being an effective leader is finding how to balance your ego.

Marshall Goldsmith is a best-selling author and the world’s top executive coach who has coached some of the world’s best and most successful leaders.

Ego commonly comes up during his coaching sessions. He says ego kicks in when we focus more on proving how smart and right we are instead of trying to make a positive difference in the world. Leaders often try to prove they are the smartest person in the room instead of listening to other ideas or helping their organizations reach their goals.

But ego isn’t always bad. Goldsmith says that if proving how great you are will help you make a positive difference, it’s not too much ego—it’s smart. But if you’re only out to prove how smart you are without making a positive difference, that’s where ego gets in the way. A leader’s ultimate goal should always be to have a positive influence.

Ego plays a huge role in marketing yourself, which is key for establishing trust and credibility and building your personal brand. It’s not enough to just do great work. Goldsmith says credibility has to be earned twice—once when you do the work and then when you are seen as doing great work.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

 

Sharing your accomplishments or showcasing your success to help the world is the right amount of ego.

But on the other side of too much ego is having too small of an ego, which Goldsmith says is a far more common problem. For most people, the natural tendency is to undersell yourself. People don’t promote themselves enough, which means they miss out on opportunities to grow and lead.

When that happens, Goldsmith recommends asking yourself three questions:

  1. If you became more influential and powerful, would the world be worse off or better off?
  2. Do you feel uncomfortable trying to be more influential?
  3. What’s more important to you—making the world a better place or being uncomfortable?

Most people say the world would be better off if they were more influential, but trying to gain that power makes them uncomfortable. If you feel the same way, you aren’t alone! But Goldsmith says to get over yourself. If you want to make the world a better place, get out there and promote yourself.

Believe in your views and ideas and their power to drive a positive change. Then use that ego to promote yourself and take a stand. That’s not a big ego—that’s a smart ego. And that’s the type of ego that builds successful companies and innovative ideas.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Is Your Ego in the Way? World’s #1 Executive Coach Marshall Goldsmith Shares How Leaders Can Balance Ego first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Introducing Leading The Future Of Work + https://thefutureorganization.com/introducing-leading-the-future-of-work/ Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:00:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47345 Every week, I interview top business leaders and experts on my podcast, Leading the Future of Work.

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Every week, I interview top business leaders and experts on my podcast, Leading the Future of Work. Guests have included authors like Dan Pink, Yuval Harari, and Seth Godin as well as CEOs from companies like GE, Netflix, Best Buy, Accor Hotels, Yum! Brands, and many others.

We cover a wide variety of business topics, from how these leaders make decisions and keep up with the changing world of work to how they deal with failure, what they look for in other leaders, and the most impactful moments that shaped who they are as leaders.

I try to break things down as much as possible to understand how these leaders got to where they are and what techniques they are implementing in their lives and organizations to achieve success.

My hope is that we can all learn from these people to become better leaders ourselves.

These interviews are engaging and enlightening and I’ve been doing them for over 6 years now!

I just introduced a subscriber version of the podcast called Leading The Future of Work + which adds even more value to subscribers. For $4.99/month you will now be able to get ad free listening, early access to new episodes, and bonus 15-20 min episodes where my guests specifically focus on action items that you can implement to become a better leader.

Some of these bonus episodes so far include:

  • How an F-16 fighter pilot prioritizes information and deals with pressure.
  • How the CEO of Fortune Media thinks leaders need to adapt in a rapidly changing world.
  • What the CEO of Ally Financial looks for in great leaders and his 3 leadership philosophies.
  • How the CEO of Sesame Workshop balances optimism with realism.
  • How the CEO of Best Buy leads with vulnerability and puts people first.
  • How the CEO of Moss Adams takes a stance on tough issues and deals with critics.
  • How the world’s #1 chef keeps ego from taking over and stays curious.
  • And many others!

Leading The Future Of Work + is like getting mentored by the best leaders and brains in the world! This is the place to get applicable steps you can take to become a better leader–all from people who have been there themselves.

You can get access to all of these episodes right now along with others and a new one each week for just $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Right now this is only available on Apple Podcasts but we will work on rolling this out to other platforms soon!

I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store! Click here to learn more and subscribe. 

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How To Design Multiple Workplace Options to Boost Employee Morale https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-design-multiple-workplace-options-to-boost-employee-morale-2/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 14:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47340 Employees need access to environments that enable them to do their best work.
That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing everyone in cubicles or creating an open floor plan for the entire office.

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Employees need access to environments that enable them to do their best work.

That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing everyone in cubicles or creating an open floor plan for the entire office. We’re moving away from working in a linear, monotonous world, so our workplaces must also adapt.

Instead of creating just one type of workplace, most forward-thinking organizations create multiple types of work areas to give employees options. These companies don’t force all employees to work in the same type of space and even open it up so employees can move around throughout the day.

Open, collaborative spaces for team brainstorming sessions.

Relaxing spaces to chat with co-workers.

Quiet areas for focused work.

The list goes on and on–even including the option for employees to work remotely.

Providing multiple workplace options boosts employee morale by allowing them to choose where to do their best work. To create multiple workplace options, start by observing how and where your employees work. Is there an area where people congregate? Do most people prefer to work alone or with others?

Then, get employee feedback around the types of environments they would like to use, including virtual. Employees may suggest a type of workplace not currently in the office or open your eyes to new ways of working.

Think beyond open or closed floor plans. Instead, view your organization like a house where each room serves a specific purpose. You don’t do everything in one room of the house or force everyone to stay in that room, so follow that same mindset with your office.

As the world of work evolves, employees need places to do their best work and get results. Get the most out of your people and create an engaging experience by providing multiple workplace options.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post How To Design Multiple Workplace Options to Boost Employee Morale first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How Does a Futurist See the Future: 4 Questions You Need to Know https://thefutureorganization.com/how-does-a-futurist-see-the-future-4-questions-you-need-to-know/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 13:53:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47323 One of the most important skills you can have as a leader is to think like a futurist.
A futurist doesn’t have magical powers to predict the future.

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One of the most important skills you can have as a leader is to think like a futurist.

A futurist doesn’t have magical powers to predict the future. But they can make sure we’re not surprised by what the future might bring.

The world of work is changing rapidly, and the pace of change will only continue to increase. Knowing what could be coming down the pipeline and how it may affect your company is crucial to surviving and thriving.

Being a futurist is like being a chess player. When I make a move in chess, I’m already thinking of how my opponent will respond and how I will handle different moves. I’m not predicting their moves, but I’m thinking through various scenarios about how I’ll respond.

Here are four questions to ask yourself to think like a futurist as you make decisions:

  1. Why might something happen? Think about the factors that could cause something to become a reality.
  2. What else might happen? Consider the other possibilities if your first option doesn’t come true.
  3. What factors will influence or impact why something will or won’t happen? This could include funding, regulations, decisions from others, changes to the market, and many other factors.
  4. What do you want to actually happen? This is the most important question. We assume the future happens to us, but it is actually something we create. Consider the outcomes and future you want, and then work to make it a reality.

These four questions can help you think like a leader and consider your priorities and investments moving forward. The future is right around the corner, and we have the power to be prepared and shape it into what we want it to be.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post How Does a Futurist See the Future: 4 Questions You Need to Know first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why Cubicles Are Great https://thefutureorganization.com/why-cubicles-are-great/ Tue, 22 Nov 2022 14:25:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47319 I love the view from my corner office. No, not the sprawling mountains out my window, but what I see when I walk out my door: a sea of cubicles.

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I love the view from my corner office. No, not the sprawling mountains out my window, but what I see when I walk out my door: a sea of cubicles.

There’s nothing as welcoming and conducive to some good, old-fashioned hard work as a nice cube. Companies spend millions of dollars and countless hours creating fancy open floor plans, but the best place for people to work is in the classic cubicle.

Cubicles are the best of both worlds: they provide privacy so that employees can still get work done without being distracted and allow bosses to easily check on their people. I like to know precisely where my employees are and what they’re doing. Cubicles make it easy to keep tabs on my employees.

People claim open floor plans encourage camaraderie, but that sounds like a distraction to me. Employees don’t need to be able to see each other to work well. They need to have their heads down and work. Plus, open offices reduce collaboration. Cubicles encourage it.

And the noise! Open floor plans are so noisy with all the chattering and fidgeting all day. Noise is the most annoying and stressful thing about office environments. Cubicles were actually first created as a way to reduce office noise.

They also keep us safer. People who work in open offices have higher rates of sick leaves. But cubicle walls protect employees from getting sick and having to use their sick days. Employees are your greatest asset–don’t let them get sick, or you’ll be paying for them to sit on the couch at home instead of paying for them to work.

There’s a reason cubicles have been around since 1967–they work! Cubicles help maximize space so you can fit more employees into a bullpen without them getting distracted. Doors are only for managers and people who have earned them! Cubicles are organized and equal, so employees know their place in the company.

When cubicles were first introduced, they received rave reviews from designers and the press. One article even said this: “Seeing these designs, one wonders why office workers have put up with their incompatible, unproductive, uncomfortable environment for so long.”

I agree! Why do we put up with sprawling open floor plans when the best office design has been right in front of us for decades?

Forget the trends and the Instagram-worthy office designs. Those things are distracting and won’t last. The best way to pack in employees and ensure they get work done is to put them in cubicles.

I’ll keep an eye on them through my office window.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Why Cubicles Are Great first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

The post Why Cubicles Are Great appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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3 Questions AOL Co-Founder Steve Case Asks To Keep Ideas Moving Forward https://thefutureorganization.com/3-questions-aol-co-founder-steve-case-asks-to-keep-ideas-moving-forward/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47311 Steve is co-founder of America Online, current chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, and author of the new book, The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Steve_Case_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Today, we’re so connected that we often take the internet for granted. But that wasn’t the case a few decades ago before there was widespread access. Steve Case helped change that by creating America Online.

Steve is co-founder of America Online, current chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, and author of the new book, The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream. His companies have changed the world and made the internet and entrepreneurship accessible to people across the globe.

But with big ideas come big challenges and criticism. Especially when creating AOL, Steve faced roadblocks and naysayers. But he knew the potential of the internet and the impact that would come from what he was creating. Then and now, he constantly checks in and reassesses his ideas to ensure he is on the right track.

That check-in covers three key questions:

  1. Is it the right idea? Start with the basics: are you following the right idea? The first decade of AOL was filled with skeptics and challenges, but Steve reassessed to realize that AOL and the internet were the right ideas. He knew he was onto something revolutionary. Reaffirming his commitment and passion for the idea kept him moving forward. Affirming if something is the right idea means considering its potential impact and the demand for the solution in your target markets.
  2. Is it the right strategy? Are you following the best strategy to differentiate yourself from the competition? When Steve launched Rise of the Rest, he initially focused on passing policies supporting entrepreneurs through Congress and the White House. But a few years ago, he evolved the strategy to add venture capital investment funds to back entrepreneurs. The overall goal stayed the same, but pivoting the strategy helped him reach that goal in new ways.
  3. Is it the right team? Do you have the right people in place not only for your current challenge but for the challenges you’ll face down the road? The people on your team are crucial to a company’s success. Constantly evaluating where people are positioned and their responsibilities helps you maximize everyone’s talents and use them strategically.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

Growth requires agility and evolution, and continually asking yourself these three questions keeps your ideas on track and helps you push through hard days and challenges.

Steve believes that passion is critical to success. Understanding the mission behind his work, from expanding the availability of the internet to backing more entrepreneurs in more places, gives him the ability to work hard and be resilient in the face of criticism and challenges. You have to know your idea is a mountain worth climbing. It’s not just a business, it’s a movement, and as a leader or an entrepreneur, you are the evangelist for it.

Companies aren’t just about the companies. Steve says they’re about their impact on people’s lives, both in the products and services they offer and the ripple effect they have on communities. Today, Steve and his wife see those impacts firsthand as they travel the country in an RV and work to expand the mission and outreach of Rise of the Rest. Steve says that all leaders and entrepreneurs need to spend time with people, listening to their stories and learning about their lives.

Being a successful leader or entrepreneur requires passion. But it also takes continual evaluation and willingness to change and adjust to stay on the right path. Finding a fight worth fighting and an idea worth supporting can have an incredible impact.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post 3 Questions AOL Co-Founder Steve Case Asks To Keep Ideas Moving Forward first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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What Kind Of Vulnerable Leader Are You? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-kind-of-vulnerable-leader-are-you/ Sat, 19 Nov 2022 23:35:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47308 It's no secret that I'm working on my next book exploring leadership and vulnerability. I've already interviewed over 100 CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI World.

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It’s no secret that I’m working on my next book exploring leadership and vulnerability. I’ve already interviewed over 100 CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with DDI World.

One of the things I learned already is that there isn’t one kind of vulnerable leader, there are 5! Which one are you?

I’ve asked CEOs what makes them feel most vulnerable and why, how vulnerable physically makes them feel, if vulnerability has ever been used against them, how to be vulnerable without being perceived as weak, and lots of other interesting questions.

I’m doing a follow-up survey to explore the different types of vulnerable leaders, how leaders approach vulnerability, what makes leaders feel vulnerable, the types of moments that can emerge from vulnerability, and much more.

It’s a truly fascinating research project and I’m almost done!

If you want to learn more about yourself as a leader and also contribute to some groundbreaking new research on vulnerability and leadership, then please take 2-3 mins to answer a few questions for me and if you can, share the survey around with some of your peers.

This is going to be the last chance for me to collect more data before the survey is closed for good and then the analysis begins.

I’ll be sharing more of my findings with you in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

Vulnerability for leaders can be a tremendous superpower but it has to be done and approached in the right way.

Thank you,

Jacob

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6 Benefits of Offering Workplace Flexibility https://thefutureorganization.com/6-benefits-of-offering-workplace-flexibility/ Fri, 18 Nov 2022 02:06:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47300 Is the future of work remote, in-person, or a hybrid of the two? It comes down to one thing: offering flexibility.

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Is the future of work remote, in-person, or a hybrid of the two? It comes down to one thing: offering flexibility.

Workplace flexibility is a priority for employees and a focus for organizations. But it means more than just allowing employees to work from home.

Flexibility means employees can work where they do their best work and when it fits their schedule best–whether that means coming into an office, working from home, or setting up in a coffee shop.

It’s that flexibility that allows employees to feel empowered and thrive.

According to FlexJobs, flexible work provides several benefits to employees and organizations. Here are six benefits of offering workplace flexibility:

  1. Increased productivity. When employees are comfortable, they can get more work done.
  2. Less stressed employees. Employees control their schedules and workspace, so they can work where they need to get work done instead of being stressed to sit at their desks for eight hours.
  3. Decreased absenteeism. Employees can bring their whole selves to work, which increases engagement and loyalty.
  4. Healthier and happier employees. Flexible work allows employees to take breaks, stay in tune with their mental health, and not be caught up in the stress of commuting and crowds.
  5. Cost savings. Companies can save money on renting and maintaining office space, and employees don’t have to pay to commute.
  6. Increased trust. Companies show they trust employees by allowing them to work remotely. That trust from employees then comes back to the leaders and the company.

The future of work doesn’t force employees into one way of working. It offers flexibility. And that flexibility is what allows companies and employees to thrive and grow.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post 6 Benefits of Offering Workplace Flexibility first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Future Workplace After 2 Years Working From Home https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-workplace-after-2-years-working-from-home/ Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47291 After years of working from home during the pandemic, employees are slowly returning to physical offices.

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After years of working from home during the pandemic, employees are slowly returning to physical offices.

But employees are different now than they were nearly three years ago, and the offices they return to need to be different.

I think of the future workplace like Disneyland. No one likes the journey to Disneyland with the traffic, the stress, and the screaming kids in the backseat, but everyone loves Disneyland when they get there.

There is always tension in the journey. But the destination is worth the stress.

It’s the same with workplaces–there may be an adjustment period for leaders and employees, but the result is a workplace that encourages and empowers employees.

Part of that journey or adjustment period is learning how employees like to work. Research has found that over a typical day, employees perform up to 21 different types of activities, such as meeting with clients, collaborating with colleagues, and focused work on their own.

To reflect that, the most successful organizations give employees multiple workplace options. Instead of putting everyone in the same station for the entire day, there are areas for group work, areas that encourage creativity, areas for quiet work and relaxation, and more. These options help employees find the space that best matches their current activity.

But do these workplaces even matter in the future of work? Absolutely. There’s still a place for in-person work. Over the last few years, we’ve seen that people can still be productive working from home, but research found that creativity and innovation stall when working remotely.

If we want to get ahead and grow, we need to be together at least some of the time. And the best work happens in flexible and varied offices.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.


——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post The Future Workplace After 2 Years Working From Home first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Put On Your Big Kid Pants And Come To Work! https://thefutureorganization.com/put-on-your-big-kid-pants-and-come-to-work/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:19:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47287 Let me get this straight. You want to work for a company where you get paid a full salary, benefits, insurance, and all of the other perks and benefits, and you don’t want to ever physically show up to work? Are you kidding me?

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Let me get this straight. You want to work for a company where you get paid a full salary, benefits, insurance, and all of the other perks and benefits, and you don’t want to ever physically show up to work? Are you kidding me?

What’s next, you want to get a house without paying for it?

If someone were to ask this a few years ago, they’d get escorted out by security, but for some reason, in today’s world, people think they have a right to “work” from home.

That idea is a lie–all employees need to be in the office every day if you want your company to grow and succeed. Working remotely gives people too much freedom–working in the office is the only way to get things done.

I don’t know if people are working unless they are in the office. Are employees even at their desks at home? For all I know, they could be getting coffee, walking their dog, or playing video games. I need to know where my employees are and what they are working on at all times. I’m paying them so I have a right to know.

Employees simply aren’t productive at home. Companies like Microsoft, Splunk, and Affirm saw huge spikes in productivity during the first few months of quarantine, but over time the loneliness sunk in, and productivity plummeted.

Some say working remotely is the future because of all our collaboration tools. Yeah right!

Those tools are glitchy and unreliable. What if someone misses a message or a file gets lost on the network? You can’t rely on technology. Plus, only 65% of Americans have internet fast enough to handle video calls. Having your calls freeze and pause isn’t a good look for the company.

Even when video conferencing does work, there are way too many distractions. I don’t want to see your pet in the Zoom background or hear your kids. It’s unprofessional! The office is solely dedicated to working; that’s why it works.

Remote work is just a trend. Soon, we’ll see companies that allow employees to work from home die out or change their policies. Some of the world’s biggest and most proven companies, like Walmart, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Tesla, require employees to be in the office. That’s why they’re so successful!

Remote work hurts innovation and decision-making. It’s hard to make decisions through a screen. Research found that in situations where people were making complex decisions quickly and under pressure, being in person was far better.

And don’t even get me started about how much we spend on offices. We need to use them, or we’ll be wasting money!

Remote work may seem flashy, but employees only push for it because they want to stay in their sweatpants all day. The truth is that working from home is distracting, unproductive, and can slow your company’s growth.

Working in the office is the only way to get things done.

So put on your big kid pants and I’ll see you in the office.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Put On Your Big Kid Pants And Come To Work! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Creating a Leadership Mindset and 3 Ways to Deal with Failure from Edelman US CEO Lisa Osborne Ross https://thefutureorganization.com/creating-a-leadership-mindset-and-3-ways-to-deal-with-failure-from-edelman-us-ceo-lisa-osborne-ross/ Mon, 14 Nov 2022 11:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47280 Many people think being on call 24/7 is par for the course for leaders. In their minds, when you accept a leadership role, that becomes your sole focus and dictates how you think and spend every minute of the day.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Lisa_Osborne_Ross_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Lisa Osborne Ross Transcript

Many people think being on call 24/7 is par for the course for leaders. In their minds, when you accept a leadership role, that becomes your sole focus and dictates how you think and spend every minute of the day.

But great leaders aren’t wholly consumed by their roles. They adopt a healthy mindset that allows them to thrive as a leader and in other areas of their lives so they don’t get burnt out.

Lisa Osborne Ross is CEO of Edelman US. She has held leadership roles at organizations, including Ogilvy and the White House, and been involved in countless nationwide and community initiatives. But throughout her career, Lisa has always made it clear that although work is important to her, it’s not the most important thing. That honor goes to her family, her faith, and her voice in the community.

Maintaining a healthy mindset about leadership and boundaries allows Lisa to find balance and encourage her employees to do the same. She takes time off for her birthday, vacations, and when she’s sick and is completely unplugged. Lisa protects her well-being and invests in mental health benefits for her employees, which sets the example that they can set boundaries and not schedule their entire lives around work.

Not always being on call requires Lisa to distinguish between a crisis and a problem. Lisa says problems can wait, but crises must be dealt with immediately. And because she controls her time, she is the one who makes that decision.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

 

But even with a healthy mindset, all leaders face failure and bad days. Lisa has three remedies:

  1. When something fabulous happens, it’s never as good as it seems. And when something terrible happens, it’s never as bad as it seems. This lesson from President Obama showed Lisa and power of perspective.
  2. None of this is life and death. Keep the attitude that although the consequences may seem dire, your challenge or failure isn’t the most important thing in the world.
  3. Surround yourself with people who lift you, support you, and tell the truth. A strong support system stands by you and encourages you to keep pushing and be your best self.

Lisa has faced numerous challenges and trials, especially as a Black woman in a leadership role. Bad things happen—that’s the world. But Lisa reminds herself that it isn’t her world. Her world is her family, community, and the difference she is making. When she stays centered in that space, she is strong enough to get through any failure or challenge.

A healthy and balanced approach to leadership allows leaders not to be defined just by their titles but by their values, hobbies, and other activities. It also gives them perspective during challenging times. Lisa says her boundaries help her enjoy giving 200% and keep her in control of her time. That’s an example all leaders and employees can follow.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Creating a Leadership Mindset and 3 Ways to Deal with Failure from Edelman US CEO Lisa Osborne Ross first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Are You A Vulnerable Leader? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-a-vulnerable-leader/ Fri, 11 Nov 2022 14:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47275 I'm SO CLOSE to finishing my next book which is going to explore leadership and vulnerability. It's a topic with very little research and CEO insights and one that I'm really going provide some clarity around soon.

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I’m SO CLOSE to finishing my next book which is going to explore leadership and vulnerability. It’s a topic with very little research and CEO insights and one that I’m really going provide some clarity around soon.

I’ve written around 50,000 words (out of 60k) and have already interviewed over 100 CEOs from the world’s top companies and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees globally. So far the insights have been fascinating and I’m so excited to share the insights with all of you in the coming months.

But I have a favor to ask!

There are a few more things I’m looking to get clarity around and I’d love your help. I teamed up with global leadership firm DDI to conduct research as a part of their global leadership forecast.

Can you please take 2-3 mins to answer some questions in this survey?

The questions will ask you about moments when you have experienced vulnerability and how you responded, what you think about before deciding to be vulnerable, the types of questions you ask yourself when being vulnerable, your vulnerability signs, and a few other things.

It will take you just 2-3 mins to complete and your answers will help shape leadership and vulnerability for organizations around the world. If we want to encourage leaders to connect with their people and if we want to create organizations where we want to show up each day, then vulnerability is a crucial part of that equation.

As I argue in the book, vulnerability for leaders can be a tremendous superpower but it has to be done and approached in the right way.

Will you help me by sharing some of your insights on vulnerability and leadership? Please take the 2-3 mins and complete this survey. I’ll share the findings with the world soon!

Please share the survey link with as many people, co-workers, and peers as you can. Thank you sooooo much!

Jacob

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Good Versus Bad Reasons for Leaving Your Job https://thefutureorganization.com/good-versus-bad-reasons-for-leaving-your-job/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47248 Over the past few years, countless people have left their jobs. The Great Resignation gave power to employees to find a better fit that matches their priorities and preferences.

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Over the past few years, countless people have left their jobs. The Great Resignation gave power to employees to find a better fit that matches their priorities and preferences.

With so much change, now could be a great time to reinvent yourself and explore new opportunities.

But don’t switch jobs just because everyone else is doing it. Leaving your job is a major decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Before leaving your job, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Good reasons to leave your job bring about lasting change and improvement to your life and career. These reasons include if your workplace environment is toxic, such as an unsupportive and negative culture, a poor relationship with your leader, or a conflict with your personal and professional values. If the company doesn’t match your values and priorities, it could be time to move on.

Leaving your job can also be the right decision if there aren’t prospects of growth or advancement and you see yourself staying stagnant. And you don’t have to stick with your career choice. Changing your career direction or finding a better opportunity is a great reason to leave your job.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

However, bad reasons to leave your job are more superficial. In these cases, leaving your job can often be seen as an excuse for not wanting to work to make a change. These reasons include if you don’t enjoy the free food your company provides or are unsatisfied with the extra perks. You may have gotten passed over for a promotion or want more money. Another bad reason is if you are being challenged too much. That’s not to say you need to put up with all of these situations, but they are often solvable with an honest conversation with your leader and extra effort.

Is now a good time to leave your job? Only you can make that decision. But as you weigh the pros and cons, make sure you leave your job for a good reason.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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How Your Company Can Become More Innovative https://thefutureorganization.com/how-your-company-can-become-more-innovative/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 14:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47245 Does your organization operate like a factory or a laboratory?

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Does your organization operate like a factory or a laboratory?

Factories are process-centric and do the same thing all the time to maintain the status quo. They don’t make changes–they just pump out the same things over and over.

On the other hand, laboratories are places of experimentation. People ask questions and try new things. Employees in labs make mistakes along the way, but that just helps them learn what doesn’t work and gets them closer to a new great idea.

It’s all in your mindset. When you think of your organization as a laboratory, you encourage experimentation and innovation.

I developed a framework to drive innovation in any company:

  • First, challenge assumptions. Question everything. Why are things done the way they are? Do you have to do things that way?
  • Create a team. Volunteer to lead an effort to find a better way of doing things.
  • Define your objective. What does the future of work look like? How can you make things better? Communicate that to the rest of the team and organization.
  • Experiment. Empower employees to take action. Try new things and put your ideas into action. If it doesn’t work, go back to the drawing board. If it goes well, you can implement broad-based change across the company.

The most innovative companies work through this framework on an ongoing basis. You should be in a cycle of questioning assumptions, experimenting, and evaluating.

Every company can find ways to innovate. It’s all in your mindset. As you think like a laboratory and challenge convention, you can continually push the boundaries and become a leader in innovation.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.


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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Nobody Cares About Your Problems At Work! https://thefutureorganization.com/nobody-cares-about-your-problems-at-work/ Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47242 I stepped out of my beautiful corner office the other day to listen to the chatter around the office and was disgusted with what I heard: people talking about their personal problems.

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I stepped out of my beautiful corner office the other day to listen to the chatter around the office and was disgusted with what I heard: people talking about their personal problems. I thought I was sitting in a therapist’s office.

Someone’s boyfriend dumped them, another person had a sick kid, and someone else was complaining about their car problems. Instead, I should have heard that someone closed a deal, another person completed a big project, and someone else was exploring ways to be more productive.

When I heard this personal chatter I was appalled!

Guess what–no one cares about your personal problems at work! Especially not me.

I will say this one time and one time only, the office is a place to work, not to share or vent about your personal issues. Getting too personal distracts from the point of work: working! Plus, don’t you have friends, family, a spouse, or significant other at home that you can bother? If not, get a dog.

No one cares about what you did over the weekend, your family struggles, or what’s happening at home. It only matters that you show up, push all those problems to the back of your mind, and get to work. Suck it up buttercup! There’s no place for personal problems in a professional workplace.

Why does this matter? Because bringing your personal issues to work impacts everyone. Personal problems are a major distraction.

We’ve all had those annoying coworkers who won’t shut up about their personal lives. When people spend too much time complaining about their problems or oversharing about their lives, it pulls everyone away from their work responsibilities.

Studies have found that almost half of employees admit their personal problems affect their workplace performance. This not only impacts their work metrics and productivity but also hurts their team members. Workers have to pick up the slack for a teammate who isn’t carrying their weight, which can cause their own performance to suffer. I don’t want my star employee who never takes a break and works 16 hours a day to get bogged down with someone else’s work. When one person brings their personal problems to work, it becomes everyone’s problems which means that everyone suffers.

And personal problems do more than just distract people from their actual jobs. They also cost the company money. The average gossip session lasts 15 minutes, which results in 65 hours of wasted time per employee per year. That’s more than the average person gets in PTO every year! Talking about your personal problems at work is really stealing from the company because you’re getting paid for work that isn’t getting done.

Let me do the math for you: if you have 100 employees with an average salary of $50,000 a year, gossip and personal problems cost you $1,562 per employee, or $156,250 total every year. That money could be spent in so many better ways, including adding to executive bonuses!

I’m not paying my employees to sit around and tell stories! I’m paying them to do their jobs.

No one cares about your problems at work. And if they do, they aren’t good employees.

Shut up about your personal life and get to work!

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Three Ts to Putting People First: Trust, Transparency, and Teamwork from Hibob CEO Ronni Zehavi https://thefutureorganization.com/three-ts-to-putting-people-first-trust-transparency-and-teamwork-from-hibob-ceo-ronni-zehavi/ Mon, 07 Nov 2022 11:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47238 As a leader, do your actions match your words, especially when it comes to your employees?
Ronni Zehavi is co-founder and CEO of Hibob, an HR platform designed to transform how people work in the modern world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Ronni_Zehavi_-_Full_ep_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Ronni Zehavi Transcript

As a leader, do your actions match your words, especially when it comes to your employees?

Ronni Zehavi is co-founder and CEO of Hibob, an HR platform designed to transform how people work in the modern world. Zehavi has had a fascinating life of serving in the Israeli army, studying history and organizational psychology, and becoming an entrepreneur in residence before creating his own company.

Zehavi created Hibob to empower people, and he follows the same idea with his own employees. He put it this way: “People are your number one asset. You can’t scale, you can’t grow, you can’t make an impact on a business without your people. You have to invest in them.”

But what does putting people first actually look like? It’s a journey and doesn’t happen overnight. Investing in your people starts with leaders who set the example and tone for the entire organization.

Zehavi breaks it down into three Ts:

Trust

Leaders have to make the conscious decision to trust their employees. That means showing employees you trust them and setting the tone for the rest of the company. Zehavi showcases trust in his direct reports, who then follow his example to trust their employees.

Many leaders call their companies a family, but Zehavi calls his a village. In a village, people rely on each other to be protected, share their values, celebrate, and support each other. When leaders demonstrate trust and lead by example, it builds a culture of trust within the entire organization.

Transparency

Trusting employees means being open and authentic. Zehavi shares the same information and slides at an all-hands meeting as he does at a board meeting, so employees know exactly what’s happening in the business. Everything is available and accessible to educate employees about the company’s goals and progress.

Zehavi says trust and transparency always go together. When leaders are transparent without a hidden agenda, they can easily stand behind the trust. The more transparent you are, the fewer office politics and the more supportive the culture.

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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

 

Teamwork

As employees feel trusted and are involved and educated about what happens in the company, teamwork naturally follows. Leaders show that they trust employees to work together and make good decisions. There’s a difference in employees who have the trust of their leaders—they want to work together to build something exceptional because they feel valued and empowered.

Putting employees first means offering them flexibility. Since COVID, Hibob has allowed employees to work from anywhere in the world. That flexibility again shows that the company trusts its employees to do their best work, even if they aren’t together in an office.

But what happens when someone breaks a leader’s trust? Zehavi says he can’t remember that happening in years. Trust is strengthened because employees know he stands behind his words. It isn’t just something on a poster but is supported throughout the organization. Backing up words with actions creates a strong bond between employees, leaders, and the organization.

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. And it’s up to leaders to foster those relationships and put people first. Trust, transparency, and teamwork go far in building a people-centric culture to lead in the future of work.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Are You Ready To Lead In The New World Of Work? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-ready-to-lead-in-the-new-world-of-work/ Sun, 06 Nov 2022 14:51:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47252 Imagine being able to sit down and talk with the world’s top business leaders. What questions would you ask? What would you want to know about their path to success?

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Imagine being able to sit down and talk with the world’s top business leaders. What questions would you ask? What would you want to know about their path to success?

You might not physically be able to sit down with each of these leaders, but you can enjoy the next best thing. I spent over a year interviewing more than 140 of the world’s top CEOs from companies like Oracle, Best Buy, Mastercard, Audi, and Unilever and put their best advice, stories, and leadership tips in my book, The Future Leader.

The world of work and leadership is changing rapidly. It will take a new type of leader with new skills and mindsets to succeed in the next decade and beyond.

That’s why my book is different–there are countless leadership books on the shelves, but almost every single one looks backward and what it has taken to be a great leader in the past. Mine looks at what leaders will need to succeed in the future.

From my interviews with these leaders and my research, including a survey of more than 14,000 global employees, I created the Notable Nine: the skills and mindsets required to survive and thrive as a future leader. Leaders will need the skills of the futurist, Yoda, the translator, the coach, and the technology teen, and the mindsets of the explorer, the chef, the servant, and the global citizen.

In this book, you’ll get practical tips and takeaways that guide you to becoming a future-ready leader. You’ll read best practices and case studies from top leaders and know exactly how you can start preparing today to be a better leader tomorrow.

The old way of leadership won’t cut in in the new world of work. The changing landscape demands a new type of leader. And this book is the way to help you get there.

You may not be able to sit down with these great leaders, but by following their advice and adopting the skills and mindsets of future leaders, you could join their ranks soon.

Prepare now to become a future-ready leader. The Future Leader is the best resource to make that happen.

Here’s what some people have said about it:

“The Future Leader inspires and teaches people to become better leaders. The skills and mindsets outlined in Jacob’s new book are not just essential for work but also for life. If every leader read this book, the world would be a better place!” Marshall Goldsmith – Thinkers 50 #1 Executive Coach for 10 years

“Jacob Morgan has managed a tour de force. Based on in-depth research, this very colorful book forcefully and beautifully captures what is expected of leaders in this new world. This may be the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive thought piece on this critical topic out there.” Hubert Joly, CEO, Best Buy

“I applaud Jacob in assembling such a powerful and inclusive collection of voices for leaders around the world to learn from. Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.”Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard

Being a leader is a tremendous honor and responsibility, you owe it yourself and to your people to become the best possible leader you can be. You can start by reading this book and putting into practice the ideas that are explored in it. A valuable read! David Novak, former CEO, Yum! Brands

Get your copy here.

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Daily Activities That Can Help You Stay Curious https://thefutureorganization.com/daily-activities-that-can-help-you-stay-curious/ Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:00:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47217 As kids, we were encouraged to be curious. But as adults, our lives are often overrun with to-do lists, calendars, and meetings.

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As kids, we were encouraged to be curious. But as adults, our lives are often overrun with to-do lists, calendars, and meetings.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop being curious and asking questions. Exploring new ideas and challenging the status quo is one of the most important skills for future leaders. When you’re curious, it allows you to uncover new opportunities and consider new ways of doing things.

Curiosity might not come to us as naturally now as it once did, so we often have to schedule time to be curious. The more you take time to be curious, the easier it becomes. You’ll start to re-awaken that curiosity from your childhood and start looking at the world and your work from a new point of view.

Here are some daily activities that can help you be curious:

  • Give yourself time to simply think and run through possibilities.
  • Read, watch, or listen to something new.
  • Go on a walk and let your mind wander.
  • Ask questions of a friend or colleague.
  • Draw, sketch, or paint whatever comes to your mind.
  • Brainstorm ideas and write down everything that crosses your mind.
  • Go down a rabbit hole about a new subject.

Taking time to be curious doesn’t require a lot of money or resources–but it does require effort. As you take small steps to let your brain explore and ask questions, staying curious will become more natural.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Daily Activities That Can Help You Stay Curious first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why Leaders Need To Think And Act Like Explorers https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-to-think-and-act-like-explorers/ Wed, 02 Nov 2022 13:44:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47214 Like the explorers of old, leaders need to tap into the mindset of the explorer and embrace agility, curiosity, and growth.

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Like the explorers of old, leaders need to tap into the mindset of the explorer and embrace agility, curiosity, and growth.

One of the best examples of this comes from Ernest Shackleton. He grew up in a poor family but was passionate about exploration and was always learning and reading. He didn’t have money to travel, so he apprenticed on a ship until he could captain his own ship.

He gathered a crew and went to one of the most dangerous places on earth: the Arctic.

Soon into their exploration, the ship became trapped in ice for six months. Even after the crew could access their supplies, they had to live on an ice floe for another few months. The ice floe began to crack and melt, but it took months of sailing and exploring new lands until Shackleton could find help the rescue his crew.

Miraculously, even after more than a year in terrible conditions, everyone survived.

It was because Shackleton had the mindset of an explorer. He was optimistic and helpful. He encouraged his crew to play and have fun together and would literally give the shirt off his back to help someone else.

Shackleton didn’t give up when faced with incredible challenges. He had a growth mindset and was agile in making quick decisions and pivoting.

He was curious. He surrounded himself with a diverse crew and listened to their opinions. He was constantly learning and asking questions.

We might not be captaining a ship in the arctic, but we can all learn from Shackleton’s example. When we embrace the mindset of the explorer, we’re open to new ideas and ready for whatever comes our way.

The world of work is changing rapidly, and it will take a leader who is agile, curious, and positive to lead the charge. If you want to thrive as a future leader, think like an explorer.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Hibob.

HiBob is on a mission to help multi-national companies overcome the complexities of the modern workplace. Bob, the company’s flexible HR platform, offers a robust, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface. With Bob, business leaders gain visibility into the people aspects of their business, managers lead more effectively, and employees develop professionally and build meaningful relationships that keep them connected.

Discover what 2,500 modern, mid-size, multi-national companies such as SmartRecruiters, Monday.com, Fiverr, McLaren Racing, and VaynerMedia already know: HiBob enables you to drive productivity, collaboration, engagement, and retention. Get a copy of their free guide at  www.hibob.com/fow.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Why Leaders Need To Think And Act Like Explorers first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Forget Soft Skills. You Need to Be the Smartest Person in the Room https://thefutureorganization.com/forget-soft-skills-you-need-to-be-the-smartest-person-in-the-room/ Tue, 01 Nov 2022 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47211 I’ve seen lots of talk lately about leaders needing soft skills like empathy, self-awareness, and vulnerability.

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I’ve seen lots of talk lately about leaders needing soft skills like empathy, self-awareness, and vulnerability.

That’s absolute garbage–your EQ (emotional quotient) doesn’t matter. It’s all about your IQ (intelligence quotient). If you want to be a successful leader, you have to be the smartest person in the room.

People don’t want a leader who makes them feel good with emotional fluff. They want a leader who can make money and is smart enough to make quick, strong decisions. In a high-risk situation where your business is on the line, do you want someone smart to solve the problem or someone who is emotionally intelligent and can make you feel better about the ship going down?

Strong EQ skills like empathy and vulnerability make you weak and look like a pushover. When people think they can connect to you emotionally and you showcase your weaknesses and struggles, you lose credibility as a leader. And connecting with people and showing emotions slows you down as a leader and takes you away from what really matters: money! You need to be bulletproof with a strong IQ.

This is why leaders are always portrayed as confident, strong, knowledgeable, and not emotional. That’s not what works and it’s not what people want.

And I’m not alone in this thought: IQ measures your ability to solve problems, use logic, and communicate complex ideas–all crucial skills to being a great leader. High IQ scores are connected to economic success, meaning smarter people make more money. You can’t be a great leader without a high IQ. But having a high EQ only slows you down. EQ isn’t necessary for being a leader. In fact, it’s a liability. I’m sure you know of quite a few leaders out there who are running successful teams and multi-billion dollar companies who don’t have any EQ!

The idea of EQ wasn’t created until 1990. But think of all the great leaders who came before then. They succeeded because they were intelligent and determined, not because they worried about fluffy emotions. Can you imagine business greats like Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, or Henry Ford getting bogged down with emotions? No way! They succeeded because of their brain power and authority.

If you want to lead, you have to be smart. Leaders throughout history have been incredibly smart. At least 40% of the world’s billionaires, judges, CEOs, and government leaders are in the top 1% of cognitive ability.

Soft skills add unnecessary emotion and confusion to business. The office isn’t the place to work through your feelings or show weakness. When you focus on being the smartest person, you get results. Plus, IQ makes it easy to know what leaders to promote. If someone doesn’t have a high IQ, they aren’t cut out to be a leader. I hire smart people who can do their jobs, not people who are good at “connecting” with others.

In the next ten years, we’ll all be working with bots and technology anyway, so who cares about emotional intelligence? You need to beat out the bots!

Stop worrying about “soft skills.” They’re only slowing you down! If you want to be a great leader like me, all that matters is that you are the smartest person in the room and everyone knows it. If you don’t agree with me it’s probably because you have a lower IQ!

-The Outdated Leader 

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Forget Soft Skills. You Need to Be the Smartest Person in the Room first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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F-16 Fighter Pilot On Vulnerability, Dealing With Pressure, & Why Struggle Is Important https://thefutureorganization.com/f-16-fighter-pilot-on-vulnerability-dealing-with-pressure-why-struggle-is-important/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 10:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47222 Dan Rooney is a PGA Golf Professional, F-16 fighter pilot, founder of Folders of Honor, and best-selling author of flying to the wind, how to harness faith and fearlessness on your ascent to greatness.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Lt_Col_Dan_Rooney_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Dan Rooney Transcript

Dan Rooney is a PGA Golf Professional, F-16 fighter pilot, founder of Folders of Honor, and best-selling author of flying to the wind, how to harness faith and fearlessness on your ascent to greatness. Dan was inspired by Steve Cortright, a golfer and jet pilot himself who he met at 12 years old. He remembers thinking “I’ve never met anyone this cool in my life.” Since that day, Dan knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life and set out to make his dream come true.

Unstoppable force

Professional golfer? Done. Professional golfer,  pilot of an F-16 fighter jet, Founder of Folds of Honor, and best-selling author? Done. It is clear that Dan Rooney wears many hats and wears them well, too. Our dreams can take flight when we use resistance as a form of influence. It can challenge us to identify, develop and use our best talent, to become the best people we can be, through embracing challenges and learning from them.

Bending Metal 

“You have to give your people permission to fail because that’s when you max perform.” Dan explains that you cannot be in max performance if you’re in fear of failure or fear of mistakes. When mistakes are made, you have to look at yourself as a leader and what went wrong with that mistake. Creating an environment where failure is ok is being vulnerable because it will create solutions to the problems and create a safe space for open communication. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about doing better. Failure truly is your greatest teacher. Your relationship and mindset around failures and setbacks is tied closely to your success in your personal and professional life. They are inevitable so embrace them, acknowledge that you’ll have them, and let them be a valuable part of your journey and development. Teams are built on relationships, and relationships require connection. In order for a connection between people to be strong and have substance it requires trust and authenticity. There is no quicker path to achieve those things than through vulnerability.

Overcoming challenges and creating trust 

Everyone knows you cannot control the world around you. Dan Rooney controlled what was happening in his life through eliminating things that were holding him back to overcome certain challenges, and at the end of the day he was satisfied. Being accountable is something else that Dan mentions that is a key attribute of building trust within an organization. By effectively implementing accountability in a positive and principled way, you will see trust return. Greater trust in the workplace should not be the object of your efforts, but rather is an outcome of your approach to creating accountability. If your approach to accountability has a negative impact, then you will certainly see workplace trust deteriorate. Trust is an outcome of greater accountability when it is done the right way—accountability that is consistently exemplified, expected, and followed up on.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

Align with your Quintessence

“Service before self” is something Dan takes seriously. Living in a world that tends to be self-focused, and how there is so much more fulfillment available if you put others before yourself. It’s ok to give yourself permission to slow down and recharge yourself. That way when you’re ready to go, you can go even harder. Lastly, take care of yourself. It’s important to understand how much more effective you can be in all parts of your life when you take care of yourself. Having your priorities aligned with what is important and combining that with a daily routine is essential to being able to filter what is important in your life.

Dan Rooney’s Leadership Lessons 

Dan Rooney uses his leadership lessons and tactics of high-pressure combat as extreme but relatable examples of how to face and overcome challenges in reaching your own personal goals. Through passion and commitment, you can define the impossible.

If you listen to the episode, you will learn:

  • Volition & the power of choice, The choices that you make each and every day are writing a legacy of your life. Every choice you make follows a logical path.
  • There is an unlimited opportunity to evolve, be better, do better.
  • The difference between being trusted and reliable
  • Making things a priority and important decisions
  • Don’t hide your mistakes, own them.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post F-16 Fighter Pilot On Vulnerability, Dealing With Pressure, & Why Struggle Is Important first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Leaders Should Be Masters of Conversation https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-should-be-masters-of-conversation/ Fri, 28 Oct 2022 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47194 Are you in the middle of the dining table or on the side?
Think about a dinner party--the person in the middle of the dining table is someone who can drive conversation, keep things moving, avoid awkwardness, and get everyone talking and having a great time.

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Are you in the middle of the dining table or on the side?

Think about a dinner party–the person in the middle of the dining table is someone who can drive conversation, keep things moving, avoid awkwardness, and get everyone talking and having a great time.

If you put the wrong person in the middle of the table, the entire conversation can fall flat. There are awkward pauses, someone feels left out, and someone else hogs the conversation. The person in the middle is the gatekeeper who guides and leads the conversation. They play a huge role in the success of the event.

As a leader, you have to be a master of conversation. You have to be in the middle of the dining table.

Leaders have to be able to talk to people, hold a conversation, and make people feel valued and important when they talk. But they also have to have tough and awkward conversations and know how to balance being firm with being personable.

Being a master of conversation also requires knowing how to carry that conversation across different platforms and knowing the best channel to use. You wouldn’t text someone for an update on a big project, just like you wouldn’t have a serious conversation over email that would be better done on the phone. Leaders have to communicate smoothly in person, through email, and when talking to groups.

Leaders must be talented at conversation across the board and know how to get their message across and build relationships no matter the channel.

If you want to lead and be a master of conversation, you have to be able to sit in the middle of the table.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Leaders Should Be Masters of Conversation first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team https://thefutureorganization.com/unexpected-lessons-in-leadership-from-americas-worst-high-school-hockey-team/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47191 John Bacon tells his true life experiences about the failed River Rats hockey team and how he rose to have them become the best team in America in just 3 seasons.

The post Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_John_U._Bacon_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

John Bacon Transcript

John Bacon tells his true life experiences about the failed River Rats hockey team and how he rose to have them become the best team in America in just 3 seasons. Known as the Ted Lasso of hockey, it’s a story similar to that of the Mighty Ducks. John used to be one of the worst players when he played 20 years ago, with no scored goals. In just 3 years after he took over, they became one of the best teams in the nation. In a story of inspiration, We learn about what the team was like when he took over, how he was able to separate behavior from results, the importance of vulnerability, and why he made it incredibly hard to join the team.

What makes a great team?

What makes a great team… great? Leaders can wrestle with this and the complexity of the problem often has them settle for an easy solution rather than instilling a culture of excellence. We learn John’s principles that he applied and also learned in his coaching experience, and how they can be applied to our own organizations. “The key is to make it special, And the key to making it special is making it hard.” When John took the spot as head coach, the team had a 0-22-3 record and was ranked as the worst. 3 seasons later, and they were one of the best. Through fulfilling his goal to build a winning team, he applied two of his basic principles of working hard and supporting your teammates.

Don’t lead by fear 

John speaks on accepting where you are and getting to where you want to go. He tells us how you can own your attention with your energy you bring. If you are patient, you will get there faster. We learn how vulnerability and developing genuine confidence and how building a sense of community over efficiency is important. Selecting leaders for their ability to lead, not their ability to do the job they used to have. Leaders must know their jobs, how to do their jobs, and if they know other people’s jobs, they can all lead better together, which he refers to as the “layers of leadership” and how this ultimately benefits everyone.

The principles of John Bacon

Simple and straightforward principles are what led John to achieving his goals. Setting high expectations, keeping each other accountable, and inspiring them all to lead their team. John talks about how leaders can be great coaches, mistakes leaders make when coaching their people and how to avoid them, and how to lead from respect instead of a position of power.

If you listen to the episode, you will also learn:

  • There is nothing more important for any leader than getting to know your people.
  • When you are first introduced to a leadership role do not be afraid to ask for help.
  • Give everyone a chance: water all the plants.
  • If your team fails, you have to take full responsibility but you are also allowed to fix it.
  • You have to work harder than your people do, and they need to see that.
  • Talent is not fixed, neither is immaturity, grit, or leadership ability. If you give them opportunities, they will grow.
  • Tell them the bad news, so everyone together can find a solution.
  • If you are a leader you will be criticized, and take it as a compliment.
  • Work hard, and support your teammates.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Way We Attract And Retain Talent Is Wrong https://thefutureorganization.com/the-way-we-attract-and-retain-talent-is-wrong/ Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47188 We’ve been attracting and retaining talent the wrong way for decades. Traditionally, we entice prospective employees with stories about what it’s like to work for our company.

The post The Way We Attract And Retain Talent Is Wrong first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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We’ve been attracting and retaining talent the wrong way for decades.

Traditionally, we entice prospective employees with stories about what it’s like to work for our company. We share perks and promises to get them to accept the job.

No one starts out hating their job. New employees are excited to jump in and work for the company.

But over time, that excitement wanes. Outdated workplace practices, negative employee experiences, office politics, and red tape pull employees away from the connection they initially felt with the company. When that happens, the organization does an employee engagement survey, sees low scores, and goes to HR to introduce a new perk. Leaders think something trivial like free lunch once a week will solve all their problems and roll it out with great fanfare to employees.

And at first, it works! Employees are happy with something new, and their job satisfaction goes up. But over time, the enthusiasm wears off. They realize those outdated workplace practices and negative employee experiences are still there, and their satisfaction drops.

That’s when the company does another employee engagement survey and introduces a new perk. It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t actually do anything meaningful to change how work gets done.

Too many organizations view employee engagement as an adrenaline shot. They distract employees about what it’s like to work for the company instead of actually making the company a better place to work and creating an environment where people want, not need, to come to work.

To effectively attract and retain talent, companies need to focus on making lasting and substantive changes in three core areas: culture, technology, and physical space. It’s not about the surface-level perks–it’s about changing core workplace practices that keep employees engaged and connected to the work.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post The Way We Attract And Retain Talent Is Wrong first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why Listening To Your People Is Overrated https://thefutureorganization.com/why-listening-to-your-people-is-overrated/ Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:00:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47185 As a successful leader, I spend most of my day sharing ideas, giving commands, and making decisions. You know what I don’t do? Listen.

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As a successful leader, I spend most of my day sharing ideas, giving commands, and making decisions. You know what I don’t do? Listen. I’m too busy to spend time listening to people who are below me.

And if you want to be a great leader, you’ll stop listening, too. Listening is overrated and nothing that great leaders need to worry about.

If there’s a great idea worth listening to, I would have thought of it myself.

There are just too many people who want to talk to me. If I listened, I wouldn’t get anything else done. And my time is better spent doing anything else than listening. Wasting time listening just takes away from time you could be growing your business or making more money.

People get all worked up when they don’t think you’re listening to them. But a leader’s job isn’t to listen to people babble on and get emotional. A leader’s job is to get results.

You were probably taught to listen as a kid. But you’re an adult now! As a leader, you need to focus on doing, not just standing still and listening.

People who have time to listen clearly don’t have as many responsibilities and aren’t as important as me. Listeners are suckers who get pulled into people’s mindless personal lives and ideas. They aren’t cut out for leadership roles.

Plus, listening is outdated. Technology is everywhere today and is much more efficient than having to listen to someone. If it really matters, send me an email–don’t make me pretend to listen to you drone on and on.

If someone just won’t stop talking to you, focus on hearing. As long as people think you’re listening, that’s enough. Feel free to fake it with a little head nod so they think you’re engaged. But really, you’re thinking 10 steps ahead of them with your next idea.

Think this is harsh? No way! Science is on my side. Humans aren’t wired to listen to each other, especially when the amount of words and sounds we produce exceeds our ability to process them.

As a leader, you know best. You don’t have to waste time listening to people’s feedback on your great ideas. People are wrong a lot of the time, so listening to their dumb thoughts slows you down. Some of the world’s greatest leaders and thinkers like Albert Einstein and Walt Disney were told no or that they didn’t have good ideas. But they didn’t listen! And they went on to be incredibly successful.

What great ideas have you had that people have tried to tell you were garbage? Don’t listen! You should be the smartest person in the room, so don’t listen to what anyone else says.

If you work at my company, I promise to hear your words, make eye contact, and cut you a check, but I’m not your friend, therapist, or spouse. Those people are much better listeners.

I don’t listen. And that’s why I’m so successful.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Why Listening To Your People Is Overrated first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media On How Business and Leadership Has Changed & How To Get On The Cover Of Fortune! https://thefutureorganization.com/alan-murray-ceo-of-fortune-media-on-how-business-and-leadership-has-changed-how-to-get-on-the-cover-of-fortune/ Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47180 Alan Murray is the CEO of Fortune Media, former head at Pew Research, journalist and author of the book Tomorrow's Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business.

The post Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media On How Business and Leadership Has Changed & How To Get On The Cover Of Fortune! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Alan_Murray_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Alan Murray Transcript

Alan Murray is the CEO of Fortune Media, former head at Pew Research, journalist and author of the book Tomorrow’s Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business. Alan discusses the origins and meaning of stakeholder capitalism, and how businesses are helping to solve some of the challenges they face from inequality and how tomorrow’s businesses need different skills than today.

Neighborhood reporter to CEO of Fortune Media Group

When Alan Murray was just 9 years old, he walked his neighborhood asking for news updates from all the neighbors. He turned that information about visiting relatives, new pets and other news and created a neighborhood newsletter he sold for $.50 cents. That was just the start of a journalism career that would turn into decades, which turned into his current role as CEO of Fortune Media. According to Alan Murray, executive leaders need to step up and take responsibility for further developing the global workforce. This is also a reflection of the way leaders think about their jobs. Leaders can no longer be in the business of simply handing out orders. Alan Murray explains that executives have also begun to understand the potential of their organizations and to encourage employees to become more responsible and innovative. Global uncertainties call for stronger leadership beyond the financial reward to motivate employees and create a better culture.

Redefining leadership 

Alan discusses how corporate CEOs ultimately need to realize how critical it is that they confront the issues of our today’s world which include climate, inclusion and diversity. Inequality and opportunity in the workforce are also in demand for corporate change. Alan tells us how companies can only grow if they invest in their employees, customers and support the community that surrounds them. Murray touches on the need for businesses to discover their morals and make changes within their roles and that businesses are already shifting and changing the way their businesses are operating.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

Innovating at Scale

According to Alan Murray, creating value by serving people and putting their needs at the core of operations is how businesses need to operate and how leaders need to lead. As more companies commit to a purpose larger than profit, Alan shares how this is in shareholders best interest as well. “Business as usual is over.” Alan speaks about tomorrow’s world and how this starts with realizing we are all a part of an intertwined system. Businesses need to work together to create a stronger, inclusive and sustainable future because the relationship between business and society is being redefined for the future.

Alan Murray’s take 

According to Alan, as employees become more important to the organization, creating the right culture takes precedence, and the role that businesses must play in society has never been more important.

If you listen to the episode, you will learn:

  • How businesses are activating and helping to solve challenges within today’s world
  • Why businesses need to engage with their stakeholders
  • How tomorrow’s corporate leaders will need different skills for tomorrow
  • How business leaders need to lead into the future and creating innovation for tomorrow

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media On How Business and Leadership Has Changed & How To Get On The Cover Of Fortune! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why The People vs. Profits Debate is Wrong https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-people-vs-profits-debate-is-wrong/ Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47170 Should you focus on people or profits?
It’s a common question faced by leaders around the world.

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Should you focus on people or profits?

It’s a common question faced by leaders around the world.

But the truth is that people and profits aren’t mutually exclusive. Focusing on one thing gets you to the other. To earn profits, you have to start with people.

Profits come from employees building relationships, selling your product, and continually innovating. To unlock those profits and growth potential, you have to start with the people who get you those profits.

A great example of this comes from Hubert Joly, the former CEO of Best Buy. He took over when the company was struggling and nearing bankruptcy. Everyone told Hubert to cut employees to save the company. But instead, he invested more in his people with additional training, development, and growth opportunities. Those people helped turn the company around.

Investing more in your people, not less, leads to profits.

We need to stop the debate between people and profits. They aren’t opposing forces but work together. To get to higher profits, invest in your people and their experience.

When it comes to people or profits, the answer is both.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Leadership Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-techniques-from-the-best-damn-ship-in-the-navy/ Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47164 Mike Abrashoff is the former commander of the USS Benfold which is a $2 billion dollar Burke-class guided-missile destroyer capable of carrying up to 90 tomahawk missiles.

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Mike Abrashoff Transcript

Mike Abrashoff is the former commander of the USS Benfold which is a $2 billion dollar Burke-class guided-missile destroyer capable of carrying up to 90 tomahawk missiles. And this entire ship is run by over 300 men and women in their early 20’s. Mike transformed the ship and the crew from being one of the worst performing in the fleet to the best by using counter-intuitive practices he implemented, mistakes he made during his leadership journey, the importance of culture, and why putting people first is always the best solution for success. Mike is also the author of the best-selling book, It’s Your Ship.

Taking Command: The USS Benfold 

Michael Abrashoff was in his thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the navy. When Mike took over, the retention rate was 8%. Meaning, they were only retaining 8% of the sailors eligible to reenlist. The ship had one of the highest accident rates of any ship in the Navy and some of the lowest performance metrics.  By the time he left, the USS Benfold was one of the highest-performing ships on the fleet. Abrashoff came to the conclusion that the best thing he could do was build a culture around his crew and implement the importance of culture, and why putting people first is always the best solution for success.

Solution for Success

When Mike took command of the ship, he realized that the “my way or the highway” style no longer worked. If he wanted to become the leader in his industry, he needed to change to become better. Mike implemented a culture where people were treated with respect and dignity, and where his crew took personal accountability for the results. In the end, Mike had 300 people taking personal accountability and collaborating together, which resulted in his fleet becoming the best. To get to know his crew, Mike created index cards of each crew member to get to know who they were, their families and where they were from. He made it a priority to get to know them and to listen to them. Mike also created an interview process to ask each crew member what they liked, what they hated, and what they wanted to change, allowing the crew to feel heard and validated.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

 

It’s Your Ship

Mike focused on what he could change, being primarily his crew’s attitude, and the culture he created for his fleet. He used a process of replacing the command and control with respect, commitment and loyalty to his crew by empowering each individual on his fleet with respect of becoming the best. By his implementation of  Innovation and progress, his crew felt comfortable and motivated to go above and beyond. Mike also set clear communication by defining both the vision and the mission of the organization for the crew to become more invested in the ship, which helped with their performance. Mike also speaks about for greatness to occur, everyone in the organization must feel comfortable with taking risks. Being a leader, you need to ensure that your crew knows the limits in which they can operate. If they think outside the box, that can be rewarded, even if it does not always end in success.

Mikes Leadership Lessons

According to Mike Abrashoff, the key to becoming a successful leader is to become a completely different leader yourself. Establishing relationships with each crew member to redeem them by encouraging growth, which involves learning a new thought process, which leads to new perspectives on leadership. If you listen to to the episode, you will learn:

  • Leaders must be willing to put the ship’s performance ahead of their egos.
  • The command-and-control approach is not the most efficient way to use people’s intelligence and skills.
  • When leaders explore within their thoughts and feelings in order to understand themselves, a transformation can take shape.
  • Communicating with purpose. Mike took notice that his crew wasn’t invested in the ship, so Mike made them aware of their purpose and by doing so, their performance increased.
  • Taking risk by ensuring your crew knows their limits in which they can operate, encouraging them to think outside the box.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Leadership Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Who You Surround Yourself With Determines Your Future & Who You Are As A Person https://thefutureorganization.com/who-you-surround-yourself-with-determines-your-future-who-you-are-as-a-person/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47152 You become who you surround yourself with.
If you surround yourself with negative people, you’ll become negative. But if you surround yourself with successful, growth-minded people, you’ll become successful too.

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You become who you surround yourself with.

If you surround yourself with negative people, you’ll become negative. But if you surround yourself with successful, growth-minded people, you’ll become successful too.

I experienced this firsthand. For years, I surrounded myself who didn’t support or encourage me and who brought me down instead of supporting my dreams. And over time, I realized that my mindset was changing to match theirs.

So I realized I had to make a change. I got rid of a lot of people in my circle and chose to surround myself with positive people who encouraged my new ideas, personally and professionally. And it made all the difference in my goals and growth.

The habits of the people you surround yourself with rub off on you. Who do you want to become? Then surround yourself with people who will help you get there. Their presence and example can help unlock your potential instead of holding you back.

Keep these three questions in mind:

  1. Does this person help you make a better version of yourself?
  2. Do they build you up or tear you down?
  3. Do they help you see things from a different perspective?

Who you surround yourself with reflects who you are and who you can become. So be sure to surround yourself with people who encourage you to be your best self.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Who You Surround Yourself With Determines Your Future & Who You Are As A Person first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Who Cares If Your Employees Are Engaged? https://thefutureorganization.com/who-cares-if-your-employees-are-engaged/ Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47149 So many leaders worry about whether or not their employees are engaged at work.

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So many leaders worry about whether or not their employees are engaged at work.

But to them, I say: “Who cares? Your job as a leader isn’t to engage your employees with their jobs.”

It doesn’t matter to you whether or not your employees are engaged. Their job isn’t to feel connected to the company; it’s to put their heads down and get to work. Fretting about engagement scores and constantly having to get feedback and ideas from employees takes away time from them working.

Opening the gates to engagement makes employees want extra perks, which are distracting and expensive. Free lunches or on-site yoga doesn’t help employees do their jobs better! It just distracts them from what matters most–getting their work done and making money for the company.

If employees aren’t engaged, they’ll leave your company. Let them! There are better people out there, anyway. You don’t need an engagement survey to tell you someone isn’t a good fit. And just because someone is engaged doesn’t mean they will stay. Don’t stress about engagement because the results don’t matter anyway. People will come and go as they please, and engagement has nothing to do with it.

Plus, measuring employee engagement is practically impossible. Focusing too much on engagement and if employees are happy pulls you and your people away from doing their actual jobs. Don’t even try.

Even the Harvard Business Review points out all the flaws of employee engagement. “The correlation between engagement and performance outcomes is far from perfect, which means that many engaged individuals and teams are not delivering the results that leaders expect. By the same token, some leaders will find that their best performing teams are often amongst the least satisfied.” That sounds like caring about engagement is a waste of time because the system is so flawed.

No one cared about employee engagement until surveys were created in the 1970s. We spent centuries building empires and thriving companies without giving a second thought to if employees were “engaged” in their work. And guess what? Those companies and creations are still around today! Do you think the ancient Egyptians cared about employee engagement while building the great pyramids? I doubt it! And they made one of the longest-lasting and most impressive creations of all time.

My point is this: employee engagement doesn’t impact your company. If your employees know their responsibilities and get them done, that’s all that matters. Don’t be diverted by fluff and other people telling you that you need to give employees perks and care how they feel. You don’t! All that matters is that the work gets done.

Employee engagement is a passing fad. Don’t waste your time worrying about creating a place employees feel connected and supported. This isn’t summer camp!

As a leader, your job is to get results, not worry about things like happiness and satisfaction. Don’t get distracted by engagement–it doesn’t matter.

-The Outdated Leader 

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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The Rise Of Chronic Stress At Work & How We Can Fix It https://thefutureorganization.com/the-rise-of-chronic-stress-at-work-how-we-can-fix-it/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47144 Jennifer Moss is the author of the 'Burnout Endemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, and she co-founded a Data Research Technology Company with her husband.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Jennifer_Moss_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Jennifer Moss Transcript

Jennifer Moss is the author of the ‘Burnout Endemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, and she co-founded a Data Research Technology Company with her husband.

The Inception and Writing Process of the Brand New Book

For various reasons, Mrs. Moss embarked on the journey to write her book based on her experiences with burnout. She had her fair share of struggles as a company co-founder, especially as a female executive.

Moreover, Mrs. Moss had been focusing for many years on finding the origins of happiness within a working environment. Her infinite knowledge of the matter facilitated her initiating the quest to eliminate the terrible effects of chronic stress.

Mrs. Moss conducted her research for the new book solely through organizations of interest. Specifically, wellness in the various working facilities has been a subject of interest for Mrs. Moss for many years.

She has been researching chronic stress in working environments since 2013, and she noticed that the anxiety levels have been piling up at an alarming level throughout the years. The worrying part has been the inability to relate probable causes to the emergence of these unparalleled heights of stress.

Mrs. Moss began documenting her gathered data and authoring her book before the pandemic. The unprecedented changes the novel virus caused in the corporate world shifted the dynamic in an unknown direction thus far.

A Long Overdue Conflict

Mrs. Moss had to change her manuscript as changing the dynamics of the employees-employers relationship could not be taken lightly. The pandemic acted as a significant accelerant in a long-time ticking bomb.

The long-time ticking bomb was the employees’ frustration with a rapid decline in their quality of life in an inflationary time. These struggling times brought forth the revolutionary movement of our times called the ‘Quiet Quitting’.

The latter refers to the post-pandemic tendency of the employees to accomplish the bare minimum tasks according to the contract duties. ‘Quiet quitting’ is the repercussion of lengthy overtime, ungratefulness from the employers, low wages, and imbalance in personal-working life.

According to Mrs. Moss, the employers’ stance that their personnel is unreasonable is entirely paradoxical. The corporate world leaders paved the way for these alleged unfounded demands when they presented their greedy and capitalistic aspects.

Blaming other people who seek the maximization of their profits is merely the application of double standards. The most significant conundrum derived from the latest frictions was whether or not the employees should resume their presence in the office.

Prominent figures, such as Elon Musk and Malcolm Gladwell, were adamant about returning their employees to the office. The opposite notion from the workforce would have had grim consequences for their long-term company future.

Mrs. Moss does not agree with any of the two opposing parties. She claims that both of them should ponder their arguments’ limitations and realize their current predicament.

Regarding the physical presence in the office or not, Mrs. Moss opts for demolishing the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Some people cannot work from the warmth of their homes and yearn for their noisy and crowded offices. The presence of their colleagues feeds their outgoing spirit and skyrockets their performance.

The Conflict Escalates-The ‘Quiet Quitting’ Movement

Unfortunately, the time is not ripe yet for such an advanced level of open-mindedness. The conflict between the two opposing sides has escalated, and the movement of ‘Quiet Quitting’ has emerged.

‘Quiet Quitting’ has no positive outcome and originated due to the burnout of the employees. Their once quest for the elusive promotion has concluded due to the following thinking process:

1) The pandemic wrought havoc in the market, and many colossal companies have collapsed

2) Robust projections in such an unstable environment are not feasible, and the inflationary trend tightens the noose.

3) The employees understand that their efforts all these years were in vain.

4) They missed invaluable personal moments, and their stress levels soared throughout their futile attempts for promotion.

5) They resorted to concluding the bare-minimum tasks stated in their contracts. There was no more working late or attending meaningless social events for public relationships.

6) The employees initiated the state disengagement, and most felt burned out.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

Jennifer outlines the six root causes of burnout that she’s found in her work:

For people to thrive at work, basic things must be in place—what she calls “good hygiene.” This includes paying people what they’re worth (and on time), ensuring they are physically and mentally safe, and providing the necessary tools and resources to do their jobs. It also means ensuring that discriminatory practices are not part of your workplace culture.

Beyond that, there are six main reasons people tend to burn out at work, and she writes—each of them with a potential workplace solution:

1. Workload. Overwork is a leading cause of burnout. Working too many hours is responsible for the deaths of millions of people every year, likely because overwork makes people suffer weight loss, body pain, exhaustion, high levels of cortisol, sleep loss, and more.

Yet telling people to “just say no” to working more is bound to backfire, says Moss. People recognize that working less is interpreted as not showing initiative or not stepping up, and it may be punished formally or informally.

Instead, says Moss, employers need to help identify low-priority goals for their employees (so people don’t push themselves too hard to meet goals that aren’t urgent), match people’s strengths to their job duties, provide more support when needs change suddenly and have open and safe lines of communication, where feedback is encouraged, and people can admit to mistakes. She also suggests implementing a four-day workweek, promoting frequent walking breaks, and eliminating “work lunches” to help lessen workloads.

2. Perceived lack of control. Studies show that autonomy at work is essential for well-being, and being micromanaged is particularly de-motivating to employees. Yet many employers fail to watch their employees’ every move, control their work schedule, or punish them for missteps.  Instead, says Moss, it’s crucial to help employees feel a sense of autonomy by backing off and acting more as a coach. Sure, it helps if you hire people with the right skills in the first place. But you can also increase autonomy by inviting employees to ask questions and express their needs, letting people set their schedules and goals, and encouraging employees to find meaning in their jobs, writes Moss.

3. Lack of reward or recognition. Paying someone what they are worth is a meaningful way to reward them for their work. But so is communicating to people that their efforts matter.

Of course, rewards and recognition must be genuine, not fake or manipulative. And while it’s essential to express appreciation for a job well done, it’s also vital to avoid pitting employees against one another or recognizing only certain people. Moss cautions employers not to implement recognition programs that elevate one part of a team over another. These instill jealousy or anger if people feel overlooked or believe the awards are excessive.  She suggests gratitude from top leadership and peer-to-peer appreciation—not just for meeting work goals but for showing empathy and care for colleagues.

4. Poor relationships. Having a sense of belonging is necessary for mental health and well-being. This is true at work as much as it is in life. When people feel part of a community, they are more likely to thrive. As a Gallup poll found, having social connections at work is essential. “Employees who have best friends at work identify significantly higher levels of healthy stress management, even though they experience the same stress levels,” the authors write.  Of course, the opposite is also true—that poor relationships at work can lead to burnout. That’s why Moss suggests that employers pay attention to social needs and give people spaces where they can connect with colleagues around non-work-related topics. Encouraging volunteerism and building more inclusive cultures that are less competitive and cooperative is also helpful.

5. Lack of fairness. Unfair treatment includes “bias, favoritism, mistreatment by a coworker or supervisor, and unfair compensation and corporate policies,” writes Moss. When people are treated unjustly, they are likely to burn out and need more sick time.

Moss suggests that organizations must have complaint mechanisms, respond to every grievance, and act promptly to resolve issues. Otherwise, resentment is bound to fester and grow. Additionally, unfair treatment due to racial or gender bias must be rooted out, as discrimination substantially boosts the chance of burnout.

6. Values mismatch. It’s likely that someone who doesn’t share in the organization’s mission will be unhappy and unproductive, too.

Values mismatches may be avoided through the hiring process. But workers can also become disillusioned if an organization doesn’t stand up for its values, leading to withdrawal. Organizations that communicate values clearly and strive to fulfill their mission will more likely have satisfied employees.

The Nature of Burnout

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an occupational phenomenon, and it is the workplace or institutional stress left unmanaged. Burnout has the following primary symptoms:

1) High depletion levels, meaning extreme periods of low energy and fatigue.

2) Withdrawal

3) Volatile behavior

4) Stomach programs.

Mrs. Moss addresses the most usual reason for burnout in her new book: unsustainable workload. An unsustainable workload occurs when the employee’s presence is required more than the regular program. This program causes an unparalleled lack of autonomy for the individual employee, and he becomes a puppet to his master.

Furthermore, Mrs. Moss claims that the middle managers of a company have the highest possibility of acquiring burnout syndrome due to their tendency to overcompensate all the time. This tendency stems from the need to appease every leader of the company.

Evolutionarily, people ceased to be curious, leading to apathy and several incidents occurring under our noses. The younger generations are on the verge of developing practices that lessen the incidence and severity of burnout.

In Wrapping Up

Mrs. Moss states that the techniques that facilitate avoiding burnout are the following:

1) Avoid embarking on an unsustainable workload. This means no more overtime and late emails.

2) Proper education at all levels of the company. The future of a company lies in the acquisition of proper knowledge.

3) Adoption of a healthy lifestyle

4) Consultation with a licensed therapist.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Stop the Scroll and Get Leadership Tips on the ‘Gram https://thefutureorganization.com/stop-the-scroll-and-get-leadership-tips-on-the-gram/ Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:01:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47140 Ready to add some career development to your scrolling?
I love the trends, memes, and fun pictures on Instagram.

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Ready to add some career development to your scrolling?

I love the trends, memes, and fun pictures on Instagram. But it’s also a great place to get a quick thought or leadership boost.

I’ve spent more than a decade researching leadership and the future of work and interviewing hundreds of the world’s top leaders. Instagram is where I share all the best highlights and short versions of my findings.

On my feed, you’ll find interview clips, short videos, and quotes from top leaders and thinkers covering everything from how to develop a growth mindset to the skills future leaders need to succeed and best practices from top companies. These posts are designed to get you thinking about what it takes to be a future-ready leader and help you start conversations with your boss and colleagues.

I also share some cool behind-the-scenes stuff of what I’m working on and also doing outside of work.

Take a break from your scrolling to become a better leader. It only takes a few minutes to learn something new you can apply today.

Check out my Instagram here—I’ll look for you in the comments!

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Evolution of the Organization Part 2 https://thefutureorganization.com/evolution-of-the-organization-part-2/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 13:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47108 I recently shared seven ways organizations are evolving--including being fast to adapt, creating a global workforce, and encouraging innovation from anyone.

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I recently shared seven ways organizations are evolving–including being fast to adapt, creating a global workforce, and encouraging innovation from anyone.

But organizations are changing even more than that. To stay relevant and thrive in the future of work, organizations must continually evolve and be forward-focused.

Here are seven more ways organizations are evolving:

Cloud vs. on-premise. There’s no reason for a company to rely on on-premise technology. Today’s workforce is mobile, and the technology needs to match. Moving to cloud-based technology allows for faster upgrade time, improved flexibility, reduced costs, and increased accessibility to technology platforms.

Women in management. Although they are still in the minority, women have made huge strides in leadership positions. That will only continue to grow in the future. Women in management lead to huge company benefits, including higher return on equity, sales, and invested capital.

Change in organizational structure. Companies of the past were hierarchical, with information flowing from the top and everyone in a strict position. But today’s organizations are becoming flatter to improve communication and collaboration and become more nimble.

Storytelling. It used to be that companies only communicated through calculated marketing messages to get customers to buy things. Now, storytelling is an essential part of all communication, including building an employee experience. It isn’t about selling something–it’s about sharing the why and building relationships.

Democratized learning. Instead of companies controlling career development, organizations are moving to employees being able to educate or learn from other employees. Employees no longer have to rely on their company offering the class or seminar they want but can use internal collaboration platforms and social networks to learn from anyone.

Loyalty 2.0. People no longer spend their entire careers with one company like used to be the norm. Loyalty is becoming more geared toward projects, managers, and co-workers instead of the organization. Employees have shorter-term loyalty to people and projects.

From profits to prosperity. Profit, or the financial gain of a company, used to be the ultimate measure of success. But going forward, companies and employees care more about prosperity, or a company’s health and wellness, community involvement, sustainability, and world impact as a mark of success.

As technology advances and trends change, companies will need to evolve further. To lead the charge for the future of work, organizations must constantly look to and prepare for the future.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Evolution of the Organization Part 2 first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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What Makes Leaders Successful in Life and Business https://thefutureorganization.com/what-makes-leaders-successful-in-life-and-business/ Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:00:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47105 What makes leaders so successful in their lives and careers?
I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top business leaders and asked them how they got to be where they are. I receive a wide variety of responses, but there’s one common theme: leaders regularly do more than what they are asked to do.

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What makes leaders so successful in their lives and careers?

I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top business leaders and asked them how they got to be where they are. I receive a wide variety of responses, but there’s one common theme: leaders regularly do more than what they are asked to do.

There’s no substitute for hard work. Regularly doing just 10% more than you’re asked can lead to huge benefits and is how many successful leaders got to where they are today.

What does it mean to give 10% more?

It means turning in an assignment a day or two before the deadline, adding more value to deliverables you give a client, or reaching out with personalized service instead of a template email.

These things are relatively small but go far in creating a memorable and valuable experience.

Think of it like going to a restaurant. Some restaurants give you a little extra, like warm bread on the table, a palate cleanser between courses, or a piece of chocolate after the meal. These aren’t big things, but they transform the experience and make you want to return.

It’s the same with your daily work–what else can you do to go above and beyond and deliver 10% more than you’re asked? Doing 10% more doesn’t add a huge amount of work to your plate, but it can make an incredible impact on your customers and leaders.

Doing more than you are asked helps you stand out, get noticed, and earn opportunities to grow and excel. The effort doesn’t have to be huge, but it will go a long way–just ask some of the world’s most successful leaders.

What 10% more can you add to your work?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post What Makes Leaders Successful in Life and Business first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why Annual Performance Reviews Are The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread https://thefutureorganization.com/why-annual-performance-reviews-are-the-greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread/ Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47102 As a leader, you have countless tools to get the most out of your employees and lead your company to success. And the best resource happens once a year: annual performance reviews.

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As a leader, you have countless tools to get the most out of your employees and lead your company to success. And the best resource happens once a year: annual performance reviews.

Annual performance reviews have been around for nearly 100 years because they work–just ask some of the earliest adopters like General Electric and Lord & Taylor. It creates a standard procedure that gets the most out of employees.

These yearly meetings are the best way to know who is performing and who is slacking. And because they’re often tied to financial incentives, annual reviews motivate employees to work hard. When the review is approaching, employees have a built-in deadline to turn their performance around. This is their one chance to prove their worth. If they don’t improve, they don’t get the bonus, or they get fired–simple as that.

If given a choice to fire two similar employees, the annual performance review can point the leader in the right direction. And the same goes for deciding who to promote. You don’t have time to look at their recent projects and successes, but the annual performance review tells you everything you need to know to make a good decision.

There are too many metrics and factors in performance today. Leaders don’t need any outside information to make the best decisions. They are smarter than everyone else and excellent judges of character and performance, that’s why they’re leaders and those around them aren’t. If a leader gets a weird vibe from employees or can tell from their performance review that they aren’t engaged or putting in their best work, they should fire them immediately. Why keep people like that?

It’s the best and most straightforward way to make personnel decisions instead of getting bogged down with data and metrics.

Some companies are moving towards models of regular employee feedback. But what successful leader has time to sit down with people that often? Seriously. A leader’s time is better spent making money and only meeting with employees for reviews once a year. When reviews only happen once a year, leaders know what to expect instead of risking being interrupted all the time to talk about an employee’s feelings.

Leaders don’t need to collaborate with employees–they just need to check in once a year and see how they’re performing. Even in a rapidly changing world, a once-a-year review should be more than enough, because are things really changing that fast? I don’t think so.

Annual performance reviews are the best way to manage people. They put the power where it should be: with the leaders. And they allow bosses to make the best decisions about their people.

If you want to keep your employees working hard and getting results, annual performance reviews are your best option.

I’d love to see you prove me wrong.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Why Annual Performance Reviews Are The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Jeffrey Brown, CEO of Ally Financial On Building Trust, Vulnerability, & Creating A Great Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/jeffrey-brown-ceo-of-ally-financial-on-building-trust-vulnerability-creating-a-great-culture/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:00:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47100 Jeffrey Brown is the CEO of Ally Financial, USA's most prominent Digital Bank. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, as the youngest of a family with four kids and attended Clemson University.

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Jeffrey Brown Transcript

Jeffrey Brown is the CEO of Ally Financial, USA’s most prominent Digital Bank. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, as the youngest of a family with four kids and attended Clemson University.

The Road to Leadership

He opted for a university outside Ohio despite having numerous connections in his state of origin. Mr. Brown established a novel network of friends and contacts and graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Clemson University.

He landed his first job as a Financial Analyst at Abercrombie & Fitch of Ohio. After a one-year tenure, he went to help his father in the family business, an International Dairy Company. Mr. Brown embarked on a mission to upgrade the company’s processes by initiating technological innovations.

After two and a half years, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and began his career in Nation’s Bank, a stepping stone to an esteemed position at the Bank of America. Mr. Brown commenced his tenure at the Bank of America as an analyst in 1998, and in a span of ten years, his seniors assigned him the role of the Treasurer.

When the Financial Crisis of 2008 hit, JB was in charge of a predominant institution in a collapsing market. This experience taught him a great deal about leading and staying grounded when all hell breaks loose.

In 2009, Mr. Brown was hired as a Corporate Treasurer at Ally Financial, a newly-founded Digital Bank. For the last seven and a half years, Mr. Brown has been the CEO of Ally Financial and values his struggles as crucial in his professional development.

The Breakthrough of Ally Financial

Ally Financial is the leading Digital Bank in the USA and has exhibited substantial growth over the years. Nowadays, the company’s financial reports are excellent, with $134 billion in retail deposits and the first position in automotive loans.

Mr. Brown states that Ally Financial utilizes the latest technological trends and strives to participate in every pioneering effort that will alter the financial sector. He also contrasts the corporate world’s current innovative practices with yore’s obsolete Modus Operandi. This contrast entails the philosophy of bad and good corporate culture.

Bad and Good Corporate Culture

The reminiscences of the Bad Corporate Culture paradigm are still vivid for Mr. Brown from his tenure at Abercrombie & Fitch. The company’s senior executives were rigid in their role assignment duties and were not open-minded in changing roles for their employees.

One of the principal methods of today’s leadership is to allow the employees to acquire several experiences within the roles of a company. With this innovative method, the executives can deduce the suitable persons for a position and the employees view the prospect as a possible fruitful career rather than a job.

JB shared that he resigned from Abercrombie & Fitch due to establishing a bad culture within the company ranks. Most executives were too stubborn to alter their practices and embrace the brave new world of leadership.

According to JB, the embodiment of this brave new world in leadership was his CEO at the National Bank, Hugh McCall. Mr. McCall inspired the belief in all the employees of the Nation Bank that everything was possible and had advanced levels of confidence in his delegates.

Mr. McCall is the paragon of the Good Corporate Culture and the archetype of leadership, as far as JB is concerned. The latter has built a profile as an executive based on the teachings and values of Mr. McCall.

The profile he has developed requires a steady routine, which entails early morning workouts due to its physical and mental benefits. The mental release of morning physical activity is paramount for a sharp thinking process and cultivating a thriving mental focus.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The Fundamental Attribute of Mental Focus

JB follows the paradigm set by Greg McCown through his book ‘Essentialism’. In his book, McCown states the importance of the disciplined pursuit of less, which is the process of effective prioritization.

Effective prioritization elicits tremendous focus and clarity and is the sole prerequisite for impactful leadership. Mr. Brown adopted the teaching of ‘Essentialism’, and by combining the data from his high-tech devices, he prompts the most practical decision given the circumstances. Combining physical metrics with effective practices is a part of a new concept called Optimized Leadership.

Optimized Leadership Through Times of Discontent

Optimized Leadership also applies to the solution of conundrums and predicaments of the corporate world. Lately emerged the reluctance of a part of the workforce to return to the offices after the pandemic.

JB states that Ally Financial has established a purpose-driven culture, and all the employees rally behind the company’s mission. Testament to this is the high retention levels throughout the last years.

The culture that drives these phenomenal retention rates is the ‘Culture of One Ally’. The latter means that all the individuals in the company embrace the same objectives, priorities, missions, and, predominantly, values.

Another crucial factor that keeps the bonds intact and the morale high is the fair compensation packages and the initiation of a program that shares some stocks with the employees.

The recent pandemic did not disrupt the flexible working program of the employees of Ally Financial. The company resumed its normality, and its digital nature was a pivotal force in the exhibited growth during the period of the restrictions.

JB’s Leadership Lessons

According to JB, an influential leader displays some attributes, which are the following:

1. He builds trust within the ranks of his/her company

Mr. Brown favors a humane approach in his relationships with the employees of Ally Financial. He seeks one-on-one conversations to strengthen the bonds with his team and establish an environment of trust.

2. The prerequisite of trust is the demonstration of vulnerability from the leader

The expression of vulnerability is paramount for leaders opting for personal connections with their teams. JB repeatedly states to the employees of Ally Financial that he is not just a CEO but a person with flaws, feelings, successes, and failures.

3. Successes and failures are temporary. The decision process is all that matters.

Life and businesses do not guarantee wins and successes constantly. Occasionally, the harsh effects of failure haunt the boldest and most splendid of leaders. Therefore, a leader should be concerned about his decision-making process, not the outcomes.

4. Positive outcomes are guaranteed with credible communication.

A leader should always be accountable for his promises and actions.

5. Fruitful actions are the result of assembling gifted individuals.

The incorporation of highly adept individuals in a company’s team is crucial in acquiring the desired outcomes.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why Now Is The Time For A Leadership Reset! https://thefutureorganization.com/why-now-is-the-time-for-a-leadership-reset/ Sat, 08 Oct 2022 22:30:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47096 By 2030 we are going to have around 220 million leaders around the world, these are people who are responsible for the lives of others.

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By 2030 we are going to have around 220 million leaders around the world, these are people who are responsible for the lives of others.

If we want to create companies we want to be a part of and a world we are proud to live in, then it starts with leaders. Leaders are responsible for creating a culture, fighting for social causes and injustices, creating jobs, and shaping society as a whole.

But the problem is that leadership is broken.

It’s plagued with outdated ways of doing things, using practices and approaches that were only relevant decades ago. This is why we need a leadership reset.

One of my best pieces of leadership advice? Listen to what people want!

Last year, I started The Leadership Reset–a series of 31 videos with bite-sized tips, advice, and best practices from the world’s top leaders. This includes CEOs from Avanade, Mastercard, Yum! Brands, Intercontinental Hotels Group, and many others.

The response was overwhelming, and it quickly became my most popular program ever.

I received countless comments and emails asking for more hacks and leadership tips. After all, why should these end after 31?

And it’s finally here!

My new program, the Leadership Reset Subscription, takes improving as a leader to the next level and nothing like this exists anywhere else!

Every week, you’ll receive a new, exclusive leadership hack from some of the world’s best leaders–the most recent batch includes the CEOs of Groupon, Graybar, Microsoft US, US Cellular, Goodwill, and several others. Their hacks and strategies cover everything from setting a vision and motivating your people to embracing new technology without getting overwhelmed and keeping up with the pace of change.

Each Monday you will get a new video followed my a separate email on Thursday that will include additional resources and insights to build on what you learned in the video. The goal is to not just learn but to implement.

This will be an ongoing weekly series so as long as you stay a subscriber you will get leadership hacks and strategies that you won’t anywhere else delivered right to your inbox!

You can still sign up for the original Leadership Reset Program. But if you want to level-up your leadership with ongoing hacks and tips, there’s nothing better than the Leadership Reset Subscription. It’s a never-ending supply of top leadership tips that can transform your life and career!

I’m already in the process of adding some new videos to the program with insights from some truly amazing CEOs.

We have seen more change in the past 24 months than we have in the past 24 years and it’s never been harder to be a leader. The Leadership Reset Subscription will give you the insights and strategies you need to thrive.

The best part is, it’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week. My team and I wanted to make something accessible to anyone and everyone.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

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Evolution of the Organization, Part 1 https://thefutureorganization.com/evolution-of-the-organization-part-1/ Thu, 06 Oct 2022 13:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47079 It’s no secret that organizations have been evolving for years. How we work is changing--but how? Where is the organization of the future headed?

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It’s no secret that organizations have been evolving for years. How we work is changing–but how? Where is the organization of the future headed?

I broke the evolution of the organization into 14 fundamental changes. Knowing where we’ve been and where we’re going can help future-focused organizations lead the charge.

Here are the first seven ways companies are evolving:

Teams. Companies used to focus on creating large teams in a central location. A massive office and centralized workforce were seen as signs of success. But many companies realized that large teams create red tape and slow things down. Modern organizations build smaller teams distributed around the globe to be more agile and inclusive.

Workforce. The future of work is about breaking down barriers between teams and geographies. The workforce used to be siloed, where each department would only work on its projects by itself. But today, the workforce is connected, and collaboration and communication happen without boundaries.

Operational model. We often think of large companies as bureaucratic and slow-moving because that’s how they’ve been for so long. The mark of success used to be working like a large company. But modern companies, no matter their size, now aim to work like a small company–agile, nimble, and innovative.

Organizational focus. Companies used to assume employees needed to work there. Today, companies need to focus on creating a place employees WANT to be. Employees aren’t just there to get a paycheck, so the best organizations create an experience where employees WANT, not NEED, to work.

Adaptation. In today’s world, “late adopter” means “out of business.” Companies can no longer be slow to adapt, or they run the risk of being replaced or left behind. Organizations must adapt quicker and more aggressively to thrive in the rapidly changing world of work.

Innovation. Innovation used to be done only by a specific department within the organization. If you weren’t in that group, your job was to stick to the status quo. Today, innovation is open to the entire company and can happen anywhere.

Ecosystems. Limited organizational ecosystems kept employees in a bubble that didn’t consider outside perspectives. Modern organizations are evolving to create open ecosystems that include employees, customers, partners, and competitors. Being open to new ideas and processes helps these organizations thrive.

This is just the beginning. Organizations will continue to evolve with new technology, trends, and ways of doing business.

How is your organization evolving?

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

The post Evolution of the Organization, Part 1 first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How The Former CEO of Yum Brands Created a Culture of Recognition https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-former-ceo-of-yum-brands-created-a-culture-of-recognition/ Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:00:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47076 Do your employees feel recognized and seen at work?
I interviewed David Novak, the former CEO of Yum! Brands, for my book, The Future Leader. He shared a story that has stuck with me for years.

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Do your employees feel recognized and seen at work?

I interviewed David Novak, the former CEO of Yum! Brands, for my book, The Future Leader. He shared a story that has stuck with me for years.

Earlier in his career, David started a new executive position at Pepsi and wanted to learn everything he could. He met with 12 of the company’s best merchandisers and asked who was the merchandiser everyone looked up to and turned to for help. Over and over again, people talked about how much they loved an employee named Bob. From the end of the table, Bob started to cry. He had been working at Pepsi for 47 years and never knew anyone felt that way about him. He had never been recognized for the work he put in.

That experience hit David like a ton of bricks, and he vowed to create a culture where employees were recognized and rewarded.

As president of KFC, David created a recognition award and gave employees a rubber chicken and $100 for a job well done. His wall was soon covered in pictures of excellent employees holding their recognition chickens. When he became president of Pizza Hut, his reward was a big cheese head. And at Yum! Brands, it was wind-up teeth.

In each case, he didn’t ask permission–he just started recognizing employees and showing appreciation. And that created a culture of recognition that spread to other areas of the company, with more leaders creating their own versions of the recognition system.

Something as simple as saying thank you can profoundly impact employees. You don’t need permission to recognize and acknowledge your employees, and it can make all the difference in their experience and your culture.

How many Bobs are working for your company, unaware of their impact? It’s easy to get started and recognize their work.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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Why A Strict Hierarchy Is The Only Way To Run A Company https://thefutureorganization.com/why-a-strict-hierarchy-is-the-only-way-to-run-a-company/ Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:00:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47073 Forget flat structures or complicated org charts. There’s only one effective way to structure a company: with a strict hierarchy and you’re crazy if you think otherwise!

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Forget flat structures or complicated org charts. There’s only one effective way to structure a company: with a strict hierarchy and you’re crazy if you think otherwise!

All of you out there who keep trying to come up with other structural models, give it a rest. Have you heard of pyramids? Why do you think they’ve been around for so long? Because they are solid, they look great, and they freakin’ work!

No pharaoh ever asked to be buried under some small flat piece of ground because they understood greatness.

With a hierarchical system, the leader sits at the top where they belong and sends information down to the rest of the employees. Everyone knows who is in charge and who makes the decisions. Titles and rigid structure eliminate confusion and keep the company running efficiently.

There’s a reason hierarchies have been around for centuries–they work! The strict structure is proven in many of the world’s most respected organizations, including militaries, big banks, and industry.

One of the best examples of hierarchy is in the military. Each branch uses a strict chain of command to pass orders and assignments. Everyone knows who is in charge and who leads each group. The smartest people lead the teams, and there’s no confusion about roles or responsibilities. Instead, groups trust their leaders to make the best decisions, wait for their orders, and follow directions. They don’t waste time or effort trying to figure out what to do next.

But beyond the organizational benefits, hierarchy is the only way to get results from employees. Employees need someone higher up telling them exactly what to do, which only happens in a hierarchy. They won’t get their jobs done without someone to tell them what to do.

A hierarchy is especially important in today’s remote work settings. Without being able to see what people are working on regularly, the only way bosses can keep their people in line is with a strict structure. You can’t trust employees to actually get any work done at home unless you dictate everything that needs to be accomplished and check in regularly.

The great Frederick Winslow Taylor said it best:

“Now one of the very first requirements for a man who is fit to handle pig iron as a regular occupation is that he shall be so stupid and so phlegmatic that he more nearly resembles in his mental make-up the ox than any other type. The man who is mentally alert and intelligent is for this very reason entirely unsuited to what would, for him, be the grinding monotony of work of this character. Therefore the workman who is best suited to handling pig iron is unable to understand the real science of doing this class of work.”

Essentially, employees need to stay in their section of the hierarchical pyramid because they aren’t capable of making larger decisions or doing anything more. Employees stay in the roles they can best comprehend, while smarter leaders stay in roles that maximize their talents and showcase their skills.

Your job as a leader is to earn the company money. You’re the chess player, and everyone else is just a pawn for you to win. Employees are just there to do their part and occasionally move up the hierarchy.

A hierarchy details your company’s promotional structure so people know exactly what they have to do to move up. No metrics, no fluff, no engagement scores or perks–people move their way up the ladder without fanfare.

Gary Hammel incorrectly said a hierarchy costs companies millions a year and countless unhappy employees. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about and how good the view is from the top of the hierarchy. Who cares about the cost when it keeps employees in line.

You don’t have to waste money giving employees freedom and autonomy. It saves money when everyone knows where they need to be and doesn’t question their roles or try to rock the boat.

To keep your hierarchy stable, make sure people know who is in charge. Assert power whenever possible and make sure information is only coming from the top and not from any other source.

The world is confusing enough without adding a complicated or flat organizational structure. If you want to succeed, your company must adopt a strict hierarchy.

Now let’s all agree and move past this silly debate so we can get some work done.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Both/And Thinking, A New Way To Solve Your Toughest Problems & Transform Your Company https://thefutureorganization.com/both-and-thinking-a-new-way-to-solve-your-toughest-problems-transform-your-company/ Mon, 03 Oct 2022 10:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47069 Wendy Smith is a professor at the University of Delaware and Co-founder and Co-director of the Women's Leadership Initiative.

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Wendy Smith Transcript

Wendy Smith is a professor at the University of Delaware and Co-founder and Co-director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative. Mrs. Smith has recently concluded, alongside her co-author Marianne Lewis, her brand new book ‘Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems‘.

The Concept of Paradox

Mrs. Smith wrote the previously mentioned book because of her academic engagement with the concepts of paradox and ANDing. The idea of paradox stems from eons ago in Ancient Greek Philosophy, and its groundwork lies in the teachings of Socrates.

Socrates is the founder of Western philosophy and introduced the concept of ethics in thought and dialogue. His well-known phrase, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”, paved the way for introducing paradoxes in Philosophy and Science.

Mrs. Smith addresses the concept of paradox by bringing forth the notorious liar’s paradox. The latter entails the idea that if someone lies and explicitly states the action of lying, he ends up telling the truth.

These mind games can go forever and have a tremendous effect on all aspects of life, personally or professionally-wise. Paradoxes are abundant in all the contradictory ideas arising from our heads, and Mrs. Smith believes that our decisions should incorporate both aspects of a contradiction.

Mrs. Smith states that our decisions should not only derive from the either and or aspects of a dilemma, and we should include a both/and’ way of thinking. From this notion emerges the process of ANDing that Mrs. Smith is very fond of and has used repeatedly throughout her career.

The Incorporation of ANDing in Leadership

Leaders often opt for the more uncomplicated and popular solution instead of the proper one. The latter would give them headaches, and the possible condemnation from the crowds would prevent them from acting decisively.

The inability to act decisively and according to their ethical code is the opposite of authenticity. Mrs. Smith believes a Leader should exude authenticity, take a stand in essential conundrums and offer a diplomatic solution. All the above are feasible only by adopting the practices of ANDing.

Upon a difficult decision, a leader should reflect on all the aspects governing the issue at hand and employ a meticulous approach to his solution. Mrs. Smith addresses the matter eloquently with the following slightly paraphrased phrase: “The more a leader thinks about ideas, the more effectively he can implement them and raise novel questions”.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The Four Types of Paradox

According to Mrs. Smith’s latest book, there are four types of paradoxes: Performing, Learning, Organizing, and Belonging. The explanation of these types of paradoxes is in the following paragraphs:

1. Performing Paradoxes

Mrs. Smith has a to-the-point definition of performing paradoxes: They are the tensions emerging due to competing outcome demands. A prominent example is a contradiction of what should be the primary role of a person in his/her life. Should someone be an exceptional provider or a caretaker for the family?

Another characteristic example stems from the wake of the recent pandemic. The public was divided on which topic governments should prioritize: The economy of their countries or their people’s physical and mental health? As it turned out, both of these aspects of life are significant, and one reinforces the other.

2. Learning Paradoxes

The learning paradoxes are tensions comprising the short- and long-term actions. Many people struggle to decide when is the ideal time to invest in their future while dealing with a demanding everyday life. The same also applies to businesses.

Mrs. Smith claims that many companies concurrently organize their current affairs daily while investing in the future. Several people view this concurrent planning as a contradiction, but Mrs. Smith insists that today’s effectiveness mirrors an equivalent success in the future, as one action reinforces the other.

3. Organizing Paradoxes

The organizing paradoxes comprise the Modus Operandi of an individual or a team. Some people prefer to sort things out independently, while others opt for a collaborative approach. The individual process usually entails the exhibition of competitiveness.

Colossal companies find collaborating difficult, even on worthwhile causes, such as adopting Environmental Initiatives. For instance, Oil companies implement different policies regarding reducing their carbon emissions. These differences originate solely in their hunt for maximum profit, and abiding by a joint Environmental Initiative contradicts their competitive nature.

Mrs. Smith believes that organizing paradoxes stem from the tension between collaborating and competing. The exact analogues on an individual level are the tensions between giving and taking and the tendency to be reactive or proactive.

4. Belonging Paradoxes

Belonging paradoxes mainly comprise existential questions referring to a person’s identity. Many people build their identities based on a sole quality, such as an excellent parent or a flawless professional.

They cannot 9compartmentalize their personality into different sections and allow themselves to experience the occasional failure. This behavior is predominant in politics, where Conservative and Liberal politicians follow only their myopic views without realizing that an opposing stance is occasionally beneficial to the public. Therein lies the problems of either/or thinking.

The Problems of Either/Or Thinking

There are three vicious cycles encompassing the either/or thinking, which are the following:

1) The cycle of intensification, where people are entirely set in their ways and continue implementing the same course of action. The aftermath of such behavior is getting stuck in an unpleasant situation; for instance, staying in a dead-end job.

2) The second vicious cycle entails the slow deterioration of the situation for the individual as the world around changes rapidly.

3) The third vicious cycle occurs during the last part of the deterioration process, where the individual loses the sense of direction. The latter usually includes the adoption of the opposing view and the abolition of qualities of the former self.

The Both/And Thinking and the Paradox Traps

The loss of someone’s qualities is not the scope of both/and thinking. Introducing this novel way of thinking requires rewiring someone’s brain to classify an alternative approach as a possibility. Both/and thinking recognize that life is full of options, and identifying paradoxes is essential in adopting this innovative way of thinking.

The implementation of an innovative way of thinking is not as straightforward as it seems, though. People tend to be highly egotistical in their thinking process and detest the idea of being erroneous. Therefore, they fell into the emotional part of ego and tendency to always be right.

The only way to circumvent this destructive thinking process is to develop empathy for other people’s tensions. Mrs. Smith states that the ability to comprehend the perspectives of others is a fundamental step in practicing both/and thinking and experiencing identity transformation.

In Wrapping Up-The Paradox System

The Paradox System is a framework developed by Mrs. Smith and her peers comprising the assumptions, boundaries, comfort, and dynamics of individuals in their way of developing both/and thinking.

The assumptions are the hypotheses and stances people have on different subjects, while the boundaries are the extents an individual is willing to follow that contradict his/her worldview. The exact opposite of boundaries is comfort, and dynamics consist of all the changes occurring throughout the ongoing process of solving a problem.

Mrs. Smith concludes with the notion that paradoxical mindsets comply with the following conditions:

1) They operate effortlessly in an environment with tensions

2) They are willing to abide by both sides of the tension and adjust to the most efficient solution.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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No… Leadership Isn’t About Big Crazy Transformations! https://thefutureorganization.com/no-leadership-isnt-about-big-crazy-transformations/ Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47063 Oftentimes, we associate leadership with something big and transformational. But few people realize that transformation isn't something that happens overnight.

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Oftentimes, we associate leadership with something big and transformational. But few people realize that transformation isn’t something that happens overnight. Transformation is a process that takes a long time just like getting into great shape! It’s a result of gradual improvement that eventually leads to something big.

In my book, The Future Leader, one of the things I talk about is the 1% day rule. If you can improve yourself by 1% a day, by the end of the year, you’re going to be 37 times better.

Here are examples of small things that you can do to become a better leader, shared with me by world-class leaders.

  • Recognize somebody on your team – Recognizing somebody on your team can be as simple as saying “thank you.” Or it could be as simple as sending an email to praise someone on your team.
  • Put together a diverse and inclusive team – Put together a group of people with different backgrounds, experiences, education levels, ethnicities, and beliefs.
  • Practicing self-care – Do what you need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. It’s as simple as eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, and doing whatever else you need to do.
  • Practice empathy – Take a couple seconds and put yourself in somebody else’s shoes. Try to understand their perspective and then respond based on that.
  • Give yourself time to be curious – Give yourself and your team members 20 to 30 minutes a day to just be curious. It could be reading, watching, or listening to something.
  • Practice listening rather than hearing – Listening means putting away your distractions, paying attention to your body language, and giving someone the gift of your attention. This is a very simple thing to do, but very impactful, especially if you are a leader.

Being a great and effective leader is not often about big, crazy transformations. It’s really about the little things that you do regularly that over time, lead to a massive impact. So ask yourself, what can you do to improve by 1% a day?

What are the small things that you can do to become a better leader? Share below!

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Namely.

Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Steve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame Workshop On Business Transformation, Goals, & Balancing Short-Term With Long-Term Success https://thefutureorganization.com/steve-youngwood-ceo-of-sesame-workshop-on-business-transformation-goals-balancing-short-term-with-long-term-success/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47011 Steve Youngwood is the CEO of Sesame Workshop. He grew up in New York, attended Yale University, and graduated as a History major. After concluding his studies, he moved to Germany and indulged heavily in learning German history.

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Steve Youngwood Transcript

Steve Youngwood is the CEO of Sesame Workshop. He grew up in New York, attended Yale University, and graduated as a History major. After concluding his studies, he moved to Germany and indulged heavily in learning German history.

The recent fall of the Berlin Wall and the fact that he was living in a newly unified country was an exhilarating experience for him. After an initial adjustment period to the new environment and a career route introspection, Mr. Youngwood opted for a career as a Management Consultant.

He initiated his new professional course with a job at McKinsey. After some back-and-forth moves between USA and Germany, he ended up at the prestigious Stanford University. His next move involved attaining a role in Viacom, the current Paramount company. The Paramount company comprises broadcasting channels like Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central.

Now, he is the CEO of Sesame Workshop, an educational media organization producing the incredible kid’s series Sesame Street. Sesame Street is currently running its thirty-third consecutive year and has won more than 200 Emmy Awards.

The Mission of Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop was initially founded in 1969 as Children’s Television Workshop. It is a non-profit educational media organization with the scope to facilitate children’s growth intellectually and emotionally.

The exact mission of the organization is to focus on facilitating kids in the pre-educational age with entertaining programs that will cultivate their intellectual potential and social-emotional intelligence. A renowned program that fitted perfectly with the organization’s mission was Sesame Street.

Nowadays, the headquarters of Sesame Workshop is in New York, but the organization has extended into various countries such as India, China, Mexico, South Africa and several European countries.

Mr. Youngwood’s Real-Life Experience in Leading

A fundamental lesson Mr. Youngwood acquired throughout his career was that a media organization should build a robust relationship with its audience. Therefore, even when modern technology, such as the World Wide Web, dominates the market, the bond with the audience is so potent that there is no disruption in the relationship.

The concept of downsizing the effect of the internet was a detrimental pitfall for many businesses, according to Mr. Youngwood. On the other hand, Mr. Youngwood has always been a staunch supporter of adapting and rewiring.

If something novel emerges, an organization should adapt to the new environment and acquire as much knowledge as needed to rewire its mission. Then with a newly established paradigm, a successful evolution to something more significant is guaranteed.

Mr. Youngwood recalls a sort of exercise they were accustomed to practicing at Viacom. They would try to foresee how the world of business would transform in a time span of five years. Then, they would rewire and reinvigorate all the processes underlying a potential disruption of the modus operandi. All these processes led to the development of successful applications, such as the Nickelodeon app and other high-rated shows.

Mr. Youngwood recognizes the value of leading with the head and the heart. This means that a leader should preserve the organization’s mission and inspire others to follow him.

The preservation of the scope of an organization mainly entails several micromanaging duties, such as financial planning etc. But, it also entails positively influencing the rest of the organization by deploying traits such as empathy and vulnerability.

The Process of Filming the Episodes of Sesame Street

The process of filming the episodes of Sesame Street is rather lengthy and conducted in batches. It is a research-driven process based entirely on the needs and wishes of the kids, and this is achieved by contributing their opinions throughout the process.

After the conclusion of the filming, the showrunners conduct extra research to achieve the best possible outcome. The entire process may last 12 to 18 months.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

How Did Sesame Workshop Fare Under the Pandemic?

The outbreak of the recent pandemic was a crucial moment for all humanity, and Sesame Workshop could not have stood idle in the wake of the imposed restrictions on the public. Therefore, they rose to the challenge and provided unique and positive experiences to the kids via the Youtube platform. The need for something entertaining and educating was more crucial than ever, and Sesame Workshop was again for its loyal audience.

The Process of Rewiring

Mr. Youngwood introduced the concept of rewiring to his brain after a horrific accident with his bike in France. He was paralyzed from the waist up and had to endure enormous pain and endless hours of physical rehabilitation to return to his normal state.

During this period of discontent, he decided that alongside the rewiring of his body, he would indulge in rewiring his brain and become a more optimistic person. The entire experience morphed his undisputed leadership qualities and reinvigorated his body and soul.

The process of rewiring also comprises the aptitude to adjust to the corporate world’s business model. Therefore, when Sesame Workshop faced financial struggles, Mr. Youngwood opted for a more pragmatic approach and established a partnership with HBO.

The cooperation with an esteemed business partner, such as HBO, resulted in keeping Sesame Workshop afloat while maintaining the educational scope of the organization.

According to Mr. Youngwood, rewiring is feasible when the following conditions are met:

1) You have to be able to adjust your perspective

2) You have to assemble a suitable team and structure

3) You have to exhibit fortitude and belief when the inevitable adversities arise

In Wrapping Up

Mr. Youngwood has a balanced process in his final determination of the feasibility of an idea. The first and foremost question is how appealing and engaging this novel idea is. The second question that arises is if the new idea covers an identified need of the market.

If the idea passes the first two stages, it slowly transcends to the implementation questions about the requirements of the production and the logistics behind them.

Therefore, every major decision always consists of the heart’s yearnings and the head’s calculations. This balanced approach is the embodiment of leadership.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post Steve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame Workshop On Business Transformation, Goals, & Balancing Short-Term With Long-Term Success first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Servant Mindset Is Not Servant Leadership. Here’s Why https://thefutureorganization.com/the-servant-mindset-is-not-servant-leadership-heres-why/ Wed, 28 Sep 2022 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47047 Leaders of the future will have to adopt the servant mindset if they want to succeed. That’s according to the 140-plus CEOs I interviewed for my book, The Future Leader.

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Leaders of the future will have to adopt the servant mindset if they want to succeed. That’s according to the 140-plus CEOs I interviewed for my book, The Future Leader.

But the servant mindset is more than just practicing servant leadership.

This mindset impacts how you serve everyone around you, including these four groups:

  • Serve your leaders. This means having a good relationship and rapport with your leaders and doing whatever you can to make their lives easier and improve their workload.
  • Serve your customers. The goal of customer experience is always to make customers’ lives easier and better, even if that means making things harder on yourself. Go above and beyond to surprise and delight your customers with personalized service. Serving customers builds loyalty and turns casual customers into brand ambassadors.
  • Serve your team. What can you do to make the people on your team more successful? It could be recognizing them, removing obstacles from their path, or training them with new skills. Don’t stop serving them once they become more successful than you.
  • Serve yourself. Leaders often forget about this area. But you have to practice self-care and take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually so you can show up and be the best possible leader. It’s not selfish to serve yourself.

Thinking like a servant and constantly looking for ways to serve and help these four groups will set you apart as a leader and be essential in helping your career and your organization in years to come.

How do you practice the servant mindset?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post The Servant Mindset Is Not Servant Leadership. Here’s Why first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Your Leader Is Not Your Friend…And Shouldn’t Be! https://thefutureorganization.com/your-leader-is-not-your-friendand-shouldnt-be/ Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46997 Want to be friends with your leader? Think again!
Leaders are important people running a business and getting things done.

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Want to be friends with your leader? Think again!

Leaders are important people running a business and getting things done. They don’t have time to coach other people or foster friendships. If your boss is spending time being friendly with you, that means they have less time to spend with shareholders and make the company money. After all, a company is a place of business, not a social club.

I run a good-size company and if I spent time making friends with my people, nothing would ever get done.

Today’s employees, especially the younger generation, want to be friends with everyone and think buddying up with their boss will help their career. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. One in four employees under 25 says they are lonely at work. Good! That loneliness can drive them to work harder instead of getting distracted by friendships.

I was lonely all the time when I started off working in the corporate world and do you know what I did with my loneliness? I channeled into productivity and success. If you’re really that lonely, get a dog and be quiet.

There needs to be a line between bosses and employees. Trying to cross that line and become friends can distract you from your career and pull your boss away from more important tasks. Friends are equals, and you and your boss aren’t equal. They are on a much higher level than you in all areas of life.

Your boss shouldn’t have to know your hobbies, dog’s name, or how many kids you have for you to do your job well. Their time and brainpower are better spent growing the business.

A friendly boss can be seen as a pushover who lacks authority in hard conversations to move the company forward. Being friends with employees lessens a leader’s credibility and makes it easier for people to do sub-par work or make excuses for late assignments. A friend wouldn’t fire a lackluster employee. But a results-driven boss would. And the company would be better off.

Some of the best leaders, like Jack Welch and Steve Ballmer, didn’t waste time being friends with their employees. And they turned their companies into some of the most successful businesses in the world! Instead of getting bogged down being friendly with employees, Jack did whatever he needed to help the company succeed–even if that meant cutting hundreds or thousands of jobs. If you ask me, he could have cut a few more!

If your boss seems distant and unfriendly towards you, it’s because they are. They understand that there’s no place for friendship with employees. It’s obvious your boss knows not to be your friend if they do any of the following:

  • Purposefully avoid you in the hallway
  • Answer video calls without being on video
  • Not call you or any other employees by name
  • Avoid small talk
  • Ignore personal questions
  • Your boss has better and more important things to do than be your friend!

It’s not the company’s responsibility to coddle employees and make sure they have friends. Work isn’t a place you come to socialize; it’s where you come to get your job done and earn a paycheck. Work is work, and personal is personal–the two areas shouldn’t blend.

A leader’s job is to lead the company to success–not to make friends. If you think otherwise, you probably aren’t a successful leader like I am.

I dare you to disagree with me.

-The Outdated Leader

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Kevin Murphy, CEO of One of The Largest U.S. Distributors In Construction On Culture, Leadership, & Thriving in Disruption https://thefutureorganization.com/kevin-murphy-ceo-of-the-largest-company-you-never-heard-of-on-culture-leadership-thriving-in-disruption/ Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46987 Kevin Murphy is the CEO of Ferguson Enterprises, a prominent distributor company in the Construction Business of North America.

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Kevin Murphy Transcript

Kevin Murphy is the CEO of Ferguson Enterprises, a prominent distributor company in the Construction Business of North America. Their services include new construction, repairs, and renovations in many sectors, such as the following:

1) Underground water constructions

2) Wastewater Management

3) Stormwater Infrastructure

4) Fire Protection

Most of their business activities are conducted through trade professionals, and they are proud to contribute to various technological innovations in the USA and Canada.

The Beginning of the Journey

Mr. Murphy began his professional journey in his Family Construction Business based in Ohio. His initial duties involved everything related to the hard work of loading and unloading trucks and customer service, an all-duties occupation that taught Mr. Murphy valuable lessons regarding leadership and entrepreneurship.

After a while, Ferguson Enterprises proposed the incorporation of the Family Business into their brand. After the acceptance, Mr. Murphy and his father oversaw the construction activities of Ferguson Enterprises in Southern Ohio.

Mr. Murphy recalls that he had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with pioneering minds, and this fact facilitated him to grow as a professional. After three years of supervising the business activities in Southern Ohio, Ferguson Enterprises proposed an advanced role to Mr. Murphy: the Underground Water and Sewer Infrastructure Manager.

This new position involved supervising all the construction and sales activities throughout the East Coast. This was the last step before his current role as the CEO of Ferguson Enterprises.

Developing Leadership Qualities Through Real-Life Examples

Mr. Murphy had enrolled on some Leadership and Management Programs at Wharton Business School and Harvard, but the bulk of his knowledge derives from real-life experience. He also acquired significant experience through interacting with mentors, such as the executives of Ferguson Enterprises and his father.

A former CEO of Ferguson Enterprises taught him an indispensable lesson about the corporate world: If someone cannot teach, mentor and train somebody to be better and take on additional responsibilities, no one can grow professionally.

The Philosophy of Ferguson Enterprises

Ferguson Enterprises consists of 31,000 employees and has over 1600 locations across North America. This complex network of branches has an excellent internal communication method based on the company’s core principles.

These principles entail the incorporation of individuals in the organization so they would be amazed at the unity level within the organization’s ranks. The company’s unity encourages talented individuals to accept more responsibilities and create fruitful career paths. Thus, the prosperity of the individuals promotes the stability and longevity of Ferguson Enterprises.

Ferguson Enterprises Thrived After Lockdowns

The imposed restrictions of the recent lockdowns caused severe disruptions in the supply chains. Ferguson Enterprises established a safety culture throughout their personnel and clients by adopting the following measures:

1) They closed down the facilities, although they could continue providing repair activities.

2) After securing a safe environment, half of the employees worked in a remote status.

3) The rest of the employees focused on the needs of the local markets.

4) There were advertising videos and constant communication with the local communities. The aim was to encourage the clients throughout these struggling times.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The Leadership Attributes of Ferguson Enterprises

Ferguson Enterprises is renowned for its innovative leadership approach. It is a Servant Leadership Style Culture with the motto: ‘Teach, mentor, train, and make somebody better than you.’

Mr. Murphy embodies the same leadership style with empathy and control in a personal approach. Moreover, he believes authentic leadership derives from the tendency to challenge the status quo. A relevant incident in the past where he voiced his opinion to a former CEO of Ferguson Enterprises shaped him into today’s leader.

The Culture of Ferguson Enterprises

Ferguson Enterprises represents a different working culture from the majority of companies. A prospective employee should have these attributes:

1) Interest in the development of the other employees.

2) The ability to understand first and then be understood.

3) A unique approach to problem-solving and, therefore, an advanced level of managerial and leadership skills.

Many companies dismiss the value of the labor force due to its high cost, approximately 2/3 of the entire expenditure. This is where Ferguson enterprises differ because, without the winning spirit of the working personnel, the customers’ problems would remain without a solution.

The employees comprehend from their first days in their roles that the company’s mission is to make the customers’ jobs more simple, successful, and sustainable. The example of the recent pandemic proved that customers value dedication to their satisfaction.

Mr. Murphy also insists on the humane approach of his company in conducting business. He considers the company his family, and loyalty is paramount in thriving in the corporate world.

The Intersection of Loyalty and Leadership

Mr. Murphy believes loyalty is still intact within the ranks of Ferguson Enterprises. He states that if an employee passes the milestone of the first two years of working in the company, he gradually understands the value of working in such a warm and family-like environment.

Ferguson Enterprises aspires to maintain this warm working environment indefinitely in the following ways:

1) Directing the employee to the proper career path according to his dexterities.

2) Provision of all the necessary tools and training opportunities for constant professional growth.

3) Personal growth is also fundamental for an employee, and effective leadership means providing a helping hand when needed.

In Wrapping Up

Leading by example is the most effective and prestigious form of leading. According to Mr. Murphy, admitting possible mistakes to your employees is the ultimate form of vulnerability and strengthens the bonds within the team.

Conclusively, Mr. Murphy proposes the following for prospective leaders:

1) Development of their insatiable intellectual curiosity. This means constantly acquiring knowledge, even in uninteresting areas at first thought.

2) Consulting with accomplished and influential mentors.

3) Being able to execute a particular job expertly.

4) Caring about the development of your peers.

5) Enhancing the skills of everyone in your team.

6) The capacity to realize that not every employee is suited for a particular position. All roles require specific skills, and a genuine leader should recognize these skills in the working personnel.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why Leaders Need To Have A Global Citizen Mindset https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-to-have-a-global-citizen-mindset/ Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47042 I’ve interviewed hundreds of CEOs about the mindsets leaders need to thrive in the future of work. And one mindset that comes up repeatedly is what I call the global citizen.

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I’ve interviewed hundreds of CEOs about the mindsets leaders need to thrive in the future of work. And one mindset that comes up repeatedly is what I call the global citizen.

As the world becomes more connected, it’s crucial for leaders to open their minds to new ideas and perspectives.

There are two components to thinking like a global citizen:

  1. Thinking big picture. In chess, players are encouraged to pay attention to all 64 squares so that they don’t miss an opportunity on the edges or their opponent doesn’t sneak up on them. It’s the same principle for leaders looking at the big picture. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and only focus on where the action is happening. But global citizens look at the whole picture to see new opportunities and understand the entire business, not just what’s in front of them.
  2. Surround yourself with people who aren’t like you. The most effective leaders surround themselves with people who don’t look or act like them and have different backgrounds and beliefs. Being around different people opens your minds to new opportunities and ideas for all areas of the business, from resolving conflict to launching new products and services. Don’t get into a leadership bubble where everyone around you is the same.

Traveling and leading in other parts of the world can build the global citizen mindset, but you can also do it from home. Build relationships with people on your team from other backgrounds and cultures. Be curious, ask questions, and take time to get to know people individually.

In the rapidly changing and increasingly global world, every leader must have a global citizen mindset. No matter where you are in the world, expand to a more diverse big picture to become a more effective leader.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

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Former Best Buy CEO On How He Transformed The Company With Vulnerability, Purpose, Meaning, & Putting People First https://thefutureorganization.com/former-best-buy-ceo-on-how-he-transformed-the-company-with-vulnerability-purpose-meaning-putting-people-first/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47033 Hubert Joly is a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School and Best Selling Author of the book 'The Heart of Business'. He is also the former CEO of BestBuy.

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Hubert_Joly_-_WITH_ADS.mp3

Hubert Joly Transcript

Hubert Joly is a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School and Best Selling Author of the book ‘The Heart of Business’. He is also the former CEO of BestBuy.

Mr. Joly’s View on the Current Working Environment

Mr. Joly is adamant that the current world function is severely damaged and destructive in every aspect. As a result, the world today faces numerous struggles, with the following being the most pressing ones:

1) Health Crisis

2) Economic Crisis

3) Several Societal Issues

4) Environmental Crisis

5) Geopolitical Tensions

As it is evident, the world is in dire need of an innovative leadership model. Specifically, the executives of the corporate world should comprehend that they cannot operate obsolete practices and expect effective outcomes.

Several companies label the workforce as a means to an end, and Mr. Joly signifies the disruptive effects such a stance derives. Working personnel are always a part of the solution in a company’s struggle, and firing them should be a last resort option.

Contrary to the usual practices, a company should prioritize their employees and invest in their ingenuity and ability to solve a problem as a collective force and with out-of-the-box thinking.

The Differences Between the Old and the New Forms of Leadership

Mr. Joly states that we are in an era of unprecedented struggles, such as inflation and health crisis. Therefore, leaders should not be solely responsible for taking action; they have to learn to delegate tasks efficiently.

They also have to express vulnerability to their teams by sharing their difficulties. The latter is an indispensable trait of a modern leader and has the potential to alter a team’s dynamic in the aspect of productivity.

Mr. Joly provides his definition of leadership by stating that an authentic leader shuns the shallow approach of the majority of companies, which entails greed and shortsighted success.

Authentic leadership is not about being perfect and dogmatic. Instead, a genuine leader opts for a collaborative effort with his team to tackle a problem and creates an idyllic working environment. In this working environment, the employees solely focus on unleashing all their potential and being the best version of themselves.

According to Mr. Joly, the embodiment of the modern leadership model is the CEO of BestBuy. In the wake of the recent pandemic, the CEO of BestBuy reminded the personnel of the company’s mission, which was the safety of employees and customers. The CEO of BestBuy displayed admirable leadership qualities during that struggling period by providing a safe space for the employees in those tumultuous times.

Furthermore, the CEO of BestBuy effectively delegated all the tasks and decisions concerning the municipal, state and federal levels. This example is a proper manifestation of the productivity of an ideal working environment.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

The Origins of the ‘One-Man Show’ Leadership Mode

The ‘One-Man Show’ leadership mode stems from idolizing prolific and gifted historical figures, such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Winston Churchill. These iconic individuals managed magnificent feats due to their charismatic personalities and ability to influence thousands of people.

For many years, the model of the influential leader was the status quo, and the majority of the personnel were merely the tools implementing the vision of the undisputed authority.

In the 1960s, Robert McNamara, the former Secretary of Defense and Ford Motor Company president. Such exceptional leaders paved the way for the teachings of the economist Milton Friedman, a staunch supporter of individualism and balancing the books. Avoiding deficits and being in an era devoid of difficulties were the principal causes of maintaining the status quo.

As the years progressed, the way of living became more complex, and severe challenges arose. The time was ripe for a re-evaluation of the qualities of leadership.

For instance, in the past years, the expression of any form of vulnerability was deemed pathetic. This was a typical attribute of an era where the chase for perfection was the sole scope of the corporate world.

Today, the focus of every leader should be to unleash human magic within an organization. The current leadership model encompasses encouraging individuals to bring forth their ingenuities to facilitate the scope of their respective companies.

The Leadership Journey of Mr. Joly

There were four milestones during the professional journey of Mr. Joly that changed his perspective regarding leadership. These were the following:

1) When he worked at McKinsey, he facilitated some monks conducting an article about the Philosophy and Theology of labor. This procedure raised some questions regarding the philosophical framework and the purpose of working.

2) Mr. Joly was one of the executives of the Multimedia Company Vivendi twenty years ago. He was devoid of passion for this lucrative job due to the single mindedness of the other executives for money, fame and glory. After some spiritual healing, he decided to contribute to the public with beneficial deeds.

3) The third pivotal moment for Mr. Joly came with the facilitation of coach Marshall Goldsmith. Mr. Goldsmith facilitated his comprehension of the importance of feedback.

4) The fourth milestone in Mr. Joly’s spiritual journey came when he realized the importance of creating a thriving environment for the employees.

What is a Genuine Vulnerable Leader?

An authentic, vulnerable leader has the following attributes:

1) In times of peril and uncertainty, he/she abides by the company’s initial mission. Even in the darkest hour, a genuinely vulnerable leader never jeopardizes his company’s values for temporary gain.

2) Leaders should have values that reflect their presence and indicate their authentic personalities.

3) Humility, in other words, doing the best without knowing the outcome.

In Wrapping Up

Mr. Joly believes that the idea of pursuing a noble purpose in our lives entails an adequate response to questions such as, “What is my calling in life?”. An organization can find its purpose by answering the following questions:

1) What are the human needs the organization tries to address?

2) Which are the qualities of the organization in terms of aptitude?

3) What is the passion of the people in the organization?

4) How can the organization make a profit?

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!

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Is Remote Work Just About Getting Things Done? https://thefutureorganization.com/is-remote-work-just-about-getting-things-done/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 13:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47030 Over the last few years, we’ve all seen that we can get things done remotely.
But is that all we want--to just get things done? Or do we want to move beyond that for work that is creative, innovative, and proactive?

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Over the last few years, we’ve all seen that we can get things done remotely.

But is that all we want–to just get things done? Or do we want to move beyond that for work that is creative, innovative, and proactive?

The pandemic showed us that we can be productive at work, but research found that long-term creativity went down. Businesses can still move forward but often miss the extra step of creativity and change. They’re checking the boxes but lack extra energy.

This is the paradox of virtual work–the need to balance getting things done with going above and beyond.

Part of the problem requires asking ourselves if we want to get things done or if we want to do more–to learn, develop, expand, or solve problems.

Even with the benefits of remote work, there is still a place for in-person work. We’re humans who need human connection. In-person work is where we develop great leadership, psychological safety, training, and growth.

I’ve seen this firsthand. For two years, all my speeches were virtual through a computer screen. I could do it, but it wasn’t the same as being in a room full of people, feeling their energy, and interacting with them. And I felt that difference in my inspiration and creativity.

As the world of work continues to evolve, we need to have honest conversations about what we want from work and also have a dialogue with our organizations and leaders about the roles that are better for a virtual environment and those that are better in person.

The future of work is flexible. It isn’t purely virtual or physical and doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. The best solution is to experiment. Find what works and what doesn’t in your career and company.

Virtual work gets things done, but is that enough for you and your organization?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

——————————————

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why Hybrid Work Doesn’t Work https://thefutureorganization.com/why-hybrid-work-doesnt-work/ Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47027 On paper, hybrid work seems like the best of both worlds: the flexibility to work remotely a few days a week without the commute or strict hours and the ease of in-person collaboration and culture-building the rest of the week.

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On paper, hybrid work seems like the best of both worlds: the flexibility to work remotely a few days a week without the commute or strict hours and the ease of in-person collaboration and culture-building the rest of the week.

The pandemic proved that most people can work remotely. And 91% of people who work remotely want to keep doing so at least some of the time.

So why are so many companies and employees struggling with hybrid work?

You have to have the right mindset and pieces in place to maximize the power of hybrid work.

Here’s when hybrid work doesn’t work:

You don’t know what hybrid work means

How can you make something work if you don’t know what it means? The whole point of hybrid work is flexibility and giving employees freedom and choices in where and how they work. But too often, companies and leaders think hybrid work means a strict policy of something like three days in the office and two days at home. The rigid schedule removes the autonomy from people, which is the purpose of hybrid work.

Hybrid work won’t work if employees feel pushed into a specific schedule that doesn’t meet their needs. To succeed, leaders need to embrace the flexibility of hybrid schedules and work with their employees to create a plan that works for them instead of just following a blanket rule.

You micromanage

This new world of remote and hybrid work requires autonomy and trust. Leaders can no longer pop into their employees’ offices to see what they’re working on or be directly involved with every step of a project. When leaders try to micromanage hybrid workers, it can end up distracting them from their work and significantly decrease productivity.

If companies and leaders want to offer hybrid schedules to give employees freedom, they truly have to give them freedom, not the illusion of freedom hidden behind micromanagement.

Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, says a hybrid schedule goes against the top-down control model companies have followed for decades. “It doesn’t mean not holding workers accountable with goals. But rather giving them space and trust to get the job done. You can have a yearly meeting or a quarterly get-together, but asking them to spend one or two hours in a car or subway commuting just to have them in the office a certain number of days a week, just doesn’t make sense anymore.”

You don’t have the right tools

A hybrid work schedule without reliable connectivity and the right tech tools is like trying to run a marathon in clown shoes–it might seem doable at first but ends up making you slow and frustrated.

Hybrid work only works if employees have the necessary tools to get their jobs done anywhere. Even if they have a great setup in the office, they also need a reliable setup at home to connect and collaborate with colleagues. Work shouldn’t slow down because some people are working from home that day, so dependable technology is crucial.

To be effective, technology needs to follow the ACE framework I created:

A: Available to everyone. Every employee has access to the right technology.

C: Consumer-grade technology. Instead of using bulky systems, companies use intuitive consumer-grade software and devices that employees already use in their lives outside work.

E: Employee needs versus business needs. Ask employees what they need to do their jobs well instead of just giving them what the business thinks they need.

You don’t know how to set boundaries

One of the major benefits of hybrid work is that it gives employees the freedom to take breaks at home, go for a walk, and not have to commute and sit in an office. But those benefits are negated when leaders and companies don’t set boundaries. 80% of HR leaders say hybrid work is exhausting for employees, largely because of the need to always be online and available.

Hybrid work doesn’t work when employees don’t have boundaries. Companies wouldn’t expect an employee to be at their desk in the office at all hours or the day and night, yet they expect that from hybrid workers. We have incredible connection tools that make remote possible. But connectivity doesn’t imply availability. Just because someone is connected doesn’t mean they always have to be working. To maximize the benefits of hybrid work, companies must lean into the freedom and allow employees flexibility to live their lives while fulfilling their responsibilities.

Hybrid work is undoubtedly the future of work. But it doesn’t work without effort and the right tools.

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Eric Miles, CEO of Moss Adams On Growing a Company, Developing Talent, Hybrid Work, & Thinking About The Future https://thefutureorganization.com/eric-miles-ceo-of-moss-adams-on-growing-a-company-developing-talent-hybrid-work-thinking-about-the-future/ Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:00:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47020 Eric Miles is the Chairman and CEO of Moss Adams, a prominent Accounting and Consulting Firm. More specifically, Moss Adams is a Public Accounting Firm in the Western USA that has been providing accounting and financial consulting services to middle market companies for 108 years.

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Eric_Miles_-_with_ads.mp3

Eric Miles Transcript

Eric Miles is the Chairman and CEO of Moss Adams, a prominent Accounting and Consulting Firm. More specifically, Moss Adams is a Public Accounting Firm in the Western USA that has been providing accounting and financial consulting services to middle market companies for 108 years.

A Homegrown Partner Turning to CEO and His Approach

Mr. Miles is one of the homegrown partners of Moss Adams, as he has been in the firm for 23 years. He states that he is proud that the firm has kept its traditions despite the inevitable incorporation of several technological innovations in recent years.

According to Mr. Miles, growth is about developing his team to be better today than yesterday. This is the sole prerequisite for attaining profits; otherwise, any development won’t be sustainable.

The model he envisions for any successful team is called ‘Service Profit Chain for Service Businesses’, which has the following parameters as a measure of success:

1) Team satisfaction

 2) Team Development

 3) Supportive Environment

Mr. Miles states that focusing solely on profit yields unhealthy choices, and the only viable option is the growth of people, which subsequently leads to the organization’s growth. He imitates this innovative approach from his College Football coach and John Wooden, UCLA.

The winning formula is straightforward: “Do what you can do, and the score will take care of itself”. In the corporate world, this formula translates to the proper development of people, and the profits shall soar.

The Necessity for a Proper Behaviour to the Personnel

Moss Adams strives to provide the following for people at its ranks:

1) Competitive compensation for everyone. This is highly challenging in today’s inflationary environment, but the firm has established a fair compensation package for everyone.

2) Personal and professional growth

3) Unity and a sense of belonging to a concrete corporation. If an employee understands that the firm will stand beside him in potential hurdles, he/she will be more productive.

4) A formal training program where the 400 partners of the firm tutor the younger employees on the job’s technical and business skills. Mr. Miles refers to this as ‘the apprenticeship model’.

5) The apprenticeship model comprises the tutelage of the younger employees in this form of coaching. Mr. Miles believes that this approach delivers a thriving culture within the firm. Therefore, it is paramount that all personnel attain proper knowledge on inculcating the company’s vision.

Mr. Miles’s Stance on the Future of Working Environments

Mr. Miles’s sole focus remains to find innovative ways to enhance productivity within an office or any other working environment of his firm. Mr. Miles believes that being in the office is merely a tool for a job, as is, for instance, Zoom. In the end, the only thing that matters is to accomplish the objectives at hand.

Furthermore, Mr. Miles is on the hunt to find the ideal working environment to encourage people to orient towards Moss Adams. The possibilities to achieve such a task skyrocket with a working environment that ensures professional growth and work-personal life balance. Such an esteemed working environment attracts the top talents within an Industry.

How Does Moss Adams Attract Top-Notch Talents?

The approach of Moss Adams in attracting personnel salary-wise is the following: They evaluate a given situation according to the market’s status quo and offer a salary within a reasonable range.

Generally, Moss Adams wants to be attractive to individuals who seek a balanced personal-working life and value a fair compensation package alongside connecting with their colleagues. Another profound attribute for a prospective employee in Moss Adams is to cherish the well-being culture of the firm.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

What is the Culture of Well-Being in Moss Adams?

The primary attribute that encompasses the well-being of the employees in Mossa Adams is balancing the stressors from work and personal life. According to Mr. Miles, achieving such a balance is only attainable if the employee is emotionally healthy in all his/her surroundings. In that way, the productivity of the employees and the overall firm will rise to insurmountable levels.

It is paramount for a company’s leadership to comprehend that the employees are holistic human beings with interests and desires outside their working environment. The executives of Moss Adams aim to align all these interests and desires with the firm’s working environment. As Mr. Miles defines it, this mission is the firm’s Northstar.

Mr. Miles’s Northstar and Modus Operandi

Mr. Miles’s Northstar is to provide joy and kindness in his respective working environment. In his opinion, life is too short not to establish a working environment based on a benevolent and positive attitude. And as history suggests, when individuals thrive, the prosperity of the collective is guaranteed.

The recent pandemic reminded humanity that entropy and uncertainty govern the physical aspects of the world. Therefore, people should respond to adversities with agility and a prepared mind.

Accounting firms like Moss Adama value robust data and complicated Data Analysis procedures. They are constantly on the hunt for more data to ensure their decisions won’t be erroneous.

On the contrary, Mr. Miles believes they should embrace the endless possibilities of a potentially wrong decision. After all, most of the time, they accumulate enough data to produce robust choices. Therefore, less data means swifter decisions and the elimination of all the wrongdoings of a lengthy decision-making process.

The aptitude for being agile stems from curiosity and the understanding that the future is unclear. Therefore, a change in the narrative is sometimes beneficial for the overall mission of a firm.

In Wrapping Up-A Leadership Framework from Mr. Miles

Mr. Miles provides some characteristic traits of a genuine and effective Leader. These are the following:

1) Adoption of the ‘five whys’ approach in decision-making. Before a significant decision, a Leader should collectively study the subject.

2) A Leader should abide by the John Wooden paradigm: “Do what you can do, and the score will take care of itself.”

3) A Leader should be comfortable with his attributes and pitfalls, a characteristic deriving from his authenticity. Authenticity and vulnerability are two essential traits in leadership.

4) Expressing vulnerability facilitates a Leader not to take anything personally and not engage in pointless quarrels.

5) A Leader should focus solely on his mission and effectively prioritize the tasks. Effective prioritization derives from realizing which task has the most significant impact on the overall mission.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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The First CEO Of Netflix On What Culture Is And What It Isn’t https://thefutureorganization.com/the-first-ceo-of-netflix-on-what-culture-is-and-what-it-isnt-2/ Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=47015 Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, where he also served on the board until 2003. Aside from Netflix, Marc has founded or co-founded six other successful startups and is the author of the best-selling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.

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Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, where he also served on the board until 2003. Aside from Netflix, Marc has founded or co-founded six other successful startups and is the author of the best-selling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.

 

Marc believes that culture isn’t just what you say, what you put on posters around the office or the catchphrases you say in meetings.

He says…

“Culture is how you act. It’s how you are and the things you do. And even more importantly, culture springs from how the founders and the early employees act with each other, with their employees, and with their customers. Huge amounts of the Netflix culture arose organically from the way that Reed (Hastings) and I behaved, the way I treat people, and the way I worked with people before.”

When Netflix first started, the staff was only about 20 people, most of whom had worked together before in other companies. Those relationships made it easier to maintain a culture from the beginning. Marc says he knew he could ask an employee to take ownership of a project due in two weeks and that in two weeks they would show up with the results no matter what. The small team worked well together and had a culture of mutual respect, trust, and ownership.

“When you get bigger, something happens where someone shows up late, or they show up but don’t have everything done. And a lot of managers would say, ‘Oh, this isn’t good. Okay, we can’t have that happen. Everybody, I want status reports. I need to know if there’s going to be a problem in advance.’ So everyone needs to send status reports. But then someone else shows up and they’re there on time with it all done, but they spent too much. And many managers will go, ‘Oh, I can’t let that happen. Okay, I need to pre-approve things over $100 to make sure you don’t make a spending mistake. I need everyone to send expense reports.’ And it just keeps growing and changing.”

As Marc shares, as you build the company in a way that protects you from people with bad judgement, along the way with the added rules, steps, and processes are driving the people with good judgement crazy. And that’s how you lose good employees.

I was recently reminded of this story as I learned about the message that GM (client) gave to their employees. There used to be a 10-page handbook employees would receive on how to dress which their CEO Mary Barra replaced with two words “dress appropriately. Recently, as we saw the shifts in work and leadership, this philosophy extended to “work appropriately.” I love this approach as it’s flexible, treats employees like adults, and allows everyone to focus on their own situation with their leaders and team.

Getting back to Netflix…

The team at Netflix decided early on that they would build a company just for people with good judgement. People they knew they could count on, who weren’t afraid to work hard and take ownership of things, and in exchange the leadership team could give employees freedom to make their own decisions. And while Marc admits there was a time when they almost lost the culture as they grew, ultimately they have been able to keep it with intentionality, even now with almost 9,000 employees.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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4 Principles of Digital Body Language https://thefutureorganization.com/4-principles-of-digital-body-language/ Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46904 How someone stands and holds themselves while they communicate is very telling. Are they angry, dismissive, or bored? Or are they engaged and excited to join the conversation?

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How someone stands and holds themselves while they communicate is very telling. Are they angry, dismissive, or bored? Or are they engaged and excited to join the conversation?

But as more work happens digitally, it can be harder to gauge someone’s thoughts and emotions through traditional body language. Now, we have to learn how to understand and communicate with digital body language.

According to Erica Dhawan, best-selling author of Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, digital body language is the cues and signals that make up the subtext of our messages. It helps people build trust and connections without physical proximity. When you communicate with someone in person, it’s easy to see if they are distracted or bored and to tailor your message to gain their attention. But when communicating digitally, it can be challenging to know if other people are engaged and to clearly share a message without it being misconstrued.

Erica breaks digital body language down into four key principles:

  1. Valuing Visibility. This means valuing people’s time, inboxes, and schedules. When hosting a meeting, we have to think like a TV host more than an office host to be visible and get people’s attention.
  2. Communicating Carefully. Hasty communication can break relationships. Take your time to write clearly and read messages carefully so that your message makes sense and you understand what the other person is saying.
  3. Collaborating Competently. Digital collaboration requires involving everyone and listening to everyone’s ideas. As digital collaboration increases, we have to fight the proximity bias of rewarding people we see more often, even if they aren’t performing well.
  4. Trusting totally. Digital body language comes down to assuming the best intent and showing our vulnerability. We’ll all make mistakes or have misunderstandings at some point, but we have to trust other people and bounce back quickly from our mistakes.

Communication is crucial to success, especially in the new world of work driven by digital collaboration. Mastering digital body language to build trust, showcase your ideas, and make connections with people around the world can set you up for success and help work move forward more smoothly than ever.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Stop Asking For Permission, Try Doing This Instead! https://thefutureorganization.com/stop-asking-for-permission-try-doing-this-instead/ Wed, 14 Sep 2022 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46901 When facing decisions or changes in life, we’ve met with two approaches

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When facing decisions or changes in life, we’ve met with two approaches:

  1. We can ask for permission. If you want to try something new at work, you can ask, “Can I try this new approach?” “Can I attend this meeting?” “Is it ok if I work from home?” The answer to your question determines whether or not you move forward, but you don’t do anything new without permission. This is the approach most people take.
  2. We can ask for forgiveness. With this approach, you move forward and do what you want. You try something new, you attend the meeting, you work from home without asking for permission. If someone questions your decision, you give a reason for your action.

Most people are afraid of getting in trouble for not asking for permission. But in my experience, you won’t have to ask for forgiveness very often. People will recognize the approach and see the results, and you’ll be rewarded for it in the long run.

Asking for permission instead of asking for permission allows you to be proactive and get things done more quickly. You aren’t waiting for anyone else to decide your fate–you’re taking things into your own hands to make it happen.

Stop asking for permission. Take control of your life and career and ask for forgiveness instead.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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Here’s What Weak Leaders Do https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-what-weak-leaders-do/ Tue, 13 Sep 2022 13:00:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46898 What’s the difference between a weak leader and a strong leader? It’s evident in their mindset and daily actions.

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What’s the difference between a weak leader and a strong leader? It’s evident in their mindset and daily actions. Here are five signs you’re a weak leader and how to overcome them to be a strong and successful leader:

You ignore criticism

Weak leaders aren’t willing to listen to what other people have to say, especially when it isn’t positive. Weak leaders turn a blind eye to anything negative about them or their company and often make excuses to cover it up. They don’t create opportunities for the people around them to make suggestions or give feedback.

Charlie Young, CEO of Synergy HomeCare Franchising, says the key to leadership is listening and asking everyone for ideas about what the company and its leaders should keep doing, stop doing, and start doing. “What’s key here is listening to the feedback from your team, analyzing the data, and then determining the best course of action. But it all starts with listening.”

You take feedback personally

When weak leaders do listen to feedback, they take it personally and don’t use it to change their life or leadership style. The feedback falls on deaf ears or turns into a negative experience that hurts the relationship between the leader and the other person.

You let your emotions control your decisions

Weak leaders let the ups and downs of their emotions dictate their decisions and mood. They tend to blow up and act irrationally when things are difficult instead of taking time to calm down, control their feelings, and move forward with a measured response. Employees never know the mood of their leader or if they will explode at any moment.

Melissa Reiff, former CEO of the Container Store, told me this about consistent communication: “Communication is Leadership. They are the same thing. Practicing consistent, reliable, effective, thoughtful, predictable, compassionate, and courteous communication every single day is essential in growing and sustaining a successful business.”

You focus on numbers more than people

Weak leaders are more focused on numbers and quarterly reports than their people. They view their employees as workers instead of individuals and tend to start each meeting or email with updates about changes to KPIs. They don’t build relationships with their employees because they are too focused on moving the needle on metrics.

Harvard Business School professor, author, and former SVP at Uber Frances Frei, puts it this way: “Leadership isn’t about you, it is about other people. Leaders should walk into a room and not want everyone to be thinking about them as a leader, but the leader should be the one thinking of everyone else and how to set those people up for success.”

You blame other people

Things don’t always go right in a business, and weak leaders are quick to point the blame toward other people. Instead of focusing on learning opportunities and teaching moments, weak leaders shame people and often publicly call them out for making mistakes. Weak leaders don’t take responsibility for their errors but instead push it onto other people and create a culture that discourages experimentation, innovation, and autonomy.

Weak leaders burn out and limit their opportunities to grow and make a difference. If you put in the work to develop the skills and mindsets of a strong leader, you can lead your company and your people to great success.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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René Redzepi Chef & Owner of World’s #1 Restaurant On Creativity, Leadership, Purpose, & People https://thefutureorganization.com/rene-redzepi-chef-owner-of-worlds-1-restaurant-on-creativity-leadership-purpose-people/ Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46894 René Redzepi is the renowned Chef of the restaurant ‘Noma’ with numerous accolades and 3 Michelin stars.

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René Redzepi Transcript

René Redzepi is the renowned Chef of the restaurant ‘Noma’ with numerous accolades and 3 Michelin stars. He has been in the world of cooking for 30 years now, and he states that he entered into the world of spices, herbs and exquisite tastes by accident.

The Early Days

His first encounter with being a chef was unconventional and was the by-product of a specific rejection after completing the ninth grade in his hometown, Copenhagen. His teacher told him that he would not meet the demands of High School and that the only viable road ahead of him was acquiring knowledge in a particular trade or art.

Mr. Redzepi followed the steps of his then-best friend Michael, and he enrolled in cooking classes. He had never envisioned himself as a cook, but the competitive structure of the early lessons provided the edge that Mr. Redjepi craved.

How to build the World’s Best Restaurant?

First and foremost, a restaurant should adapt to the changes in the marketing sector. The prevalence of social media and iPhones has created a new paradigm in advertising, and every business should follow the latest trends.

The restaurant has four separate kitchens, which are the following:

1) Preparations Kitchen: In this type of kitchen, the personnel prepare all the necessary ingredients constituting the exquisite dishes.

2) Main Kitchen: This kitchen is where all the cooking sensations derive. These cooking sensations are the enthralling tastes and flavors that emanate from the processes of roasting, frying and other cooking techniques.

3) Service Kitchen: The service kitchen is where all the last-minute preparations occur.

4) Test Kitchen: Skilful persons in Gastronomy taste new dishes in this kitchen.

Mr. Redzepi’s restaurant has an innovative method of selecting the proper ingredients for a quality dish. The team of the restaurant has established a Fermentation Lab, where they indulge in the magic of bacteria, molds and yeasts.

Some species of the above microorganisms are responsible for forming numerous foods and flavours. The combination of some of these species can derive new exciting tastes and dishes, and the adept personnel of the restaurant is always ready to rise to such a challenge.

Furthermore, the restaurant has appointed a team of selected professionals, such as foragers, who provide the freshest berries daily. There are also Kitchen Managers, Purveyors, and even a carpenter who provides his wooden chairs and tables expertise.

What Is Exactly a Michelin Star?

The flawless organization and the quality of Mr. Redzepi’s restaurant are evident with the acquisition of three Michelin Stars. A Michelin Star is a part of an evaluation system of restaurants and chefs, granted by a panel of food professionals. These food professionals are cooks, chefs and journalists, who have five votes to determine the winner.

According to Mr. Redzepi, a Michelin Star is the golden standard of restaurant judgment. The restaurant is unaware of the votes of the food professionals as they come unanimously in the restaurant to ensure the validity of the process.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The Story So Far

Mr. Redzepi recalls that when he was a sous chef, most Head chefs were constantly angry and agitated. This behavior stemmed from the origins of the kitchen organization, which was the French Army.

The highly acclaimed Chef describes this behavior as “management by fear”, which is detrimental in the long term. Mr. Redzepi vowed not to engage in such management, but the fear of not succeeding and succumbing to mistakes is always there.

He realized that these outbursts of anger from his former employers were the product of the enormous pressure of the profession. Mr. Redzepi also had to face the inexperience of managing a restaurant, and this pressure piled up.

He tried to gradually change his attitude towards managing this pressure to be more productive and cooperative with his employees. With the facilitation of therapy, coaching, books and the actual implementation of minor changes, he decided to delegate some crucial tasks.

Mr. Redzepi comprehended that there is a tool for every task and a task for every tool. Therefore, he delegated tasks according to his employees’ aptitudes and personalities. This strategy was really successful and enhanced the team spirit within his restaurant’s ranks.

How to Withstand the Pressure of the High Expectations from Clients?

The stressful environment of running a restaurant alongside the continuous delivery of top-quality services can deteriorate the mental and physical health of a Chef and his personnel. Therefore, employing effective strategies to counter this phenomenon is paramount for longevity in this field.

The strategies of Mr. Redzepi are the following:

1) He ensures that he has brain space, aka time to think. He achieves this primarily through hiking.

2) He frequently communicates with his mentor, a person he admires. The advice he takes from him is valuable, and it can be abridged in the following motto: “Learn, renew, and you have to learn to be happy with being second best”.

Furthermore, Mr. Rezepi proceeded to changes in the working environment that bonded the group members and facilitated the collective effort. Some of these changes were the following:

1) The introduction of music in the kitchen

2) The establishment of a canteen for the team, where they enjoy their meals and communicate.

3) The introduction of the concept ‘Saturday Night Projects’. In this concept, each group member presents a project each Saturday. This innovation significantly bolsters creative thinking and promotes potential breakthroughs.

The Concept of ‘Test Kitchen’ and Its Financial Potential

These potential breakthroughs are tested in the Test Kitchen of Mr. Redzepi’s restaurant. The target is the best combination of flavor and deliciousness, and every year, the team yearns for a new challenge. A challenge that does not guarantee huge profits, though, as the average profit of the restaurant is 3 % in 20 years.

In Wrapping Up

Mr. Redzepi states that the restaurant trade does not elicit high profits. It delivers the unique experience of creating enthralling dishes and an excellent client environment. In Mr. Redzepi’s words, “the profit is the experience itself”.

Furthermore, Mr. Rezepi believes that success is incredible but somewhat limiting. Outside circumstances, such as the pandemic, can derail your route. But, with a dedicated team and a clear vision, the journey and experience are all that matter in the end.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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Your Guide To Becoming A Future-Ready Leader (Based On 140 CEO Interviews!) https://thefutureorganization.com/your-guide-to-becoming-a-future-ready-leader-based-on-140-ceo-interviews/ Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46888 The shelves are full of leadership books. What makes mine different?
Most leadership books share theories or stories from just a few companies.

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The shelves are full of leadership books. What makes mine different?

Most leadership books share theories or stories from just a few companies. Few go in-depth with practical tips. And almost every leadership book is focused on the past. Most leadership books also don’t have actual data and research in them, especially not from CEOs.

But the world of work is changing rapidly. Learning about what’s worked for leaders in the past won’t prepare you to succeed in the future.

The changing work landscape demands a new type of leader: someone who is agile, tech-savvy, and human.

For my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs around the world from companies like Unilever, Best Buy, Oracle, Mastercard, Audi, KPMG, Verizon, and dozens of others.

I wanted to know the secrets to their leadership success, how they are adapting their companies as the world changes, and the skills and mindsets future leaders need to adapt to thrive.

I used their insights to create the Notable Nine which are the 4 mindsets and 5 skills that the world’s top CEOs say are most crucial for current and future leaders.

It’s no secret that the world of work and leadership is changing rapidly–even before the pandemic. Leaders can’t keep doing the same things they used to and hope to succeed in the future. An outdated leadership book won’t prepare you to be part of the dynamic future.

My book goes beyond theory with applicable techniques you can put into practice today to become the best leader of tomorrow.

You may not be able to sit down with these great leaders, but by following their advice and adopting the skills and mindsets of future leaders, you could join their ranks soon.

Prepare now to become a future-ready leader. The Future Leader is the best resource to make that happen.

Get your copy here.

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3 Pillars of Netflix’s Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/3-pillars-of-netflixs-culture/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 13:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46869 A large company without any rules seems like a recipe for chaos. But in the case of Netflix, it’s been a significant contributing factor to its incredible success and innovation.

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A large company without any rules seems like a recipe for chaos. But in the case of Netflix, it’s been a significant contributing factor to its incredible success and innovation.

Netflix is known around the world for its flexibility and innovation. And that’s no accident. Founder Reed Hastings intentionally built its unique culture to foster high levels of talent that move and adapt quickly. At Netflix, adequate performers don’t survive. But what could be seen as a cutthroat environment actually breeds a culture of freedom, collaboration, and innovation.

Netflix is honest about its culture and doesn’t try to hide behind false pretenses about what it’s like to work there. It’s a breath of fresh air in a world where many companies try to hide behind vague values and put up a false front of their true culture. Netflix’s culture isn’t for everyone, but the unique structure encourages flexibility and creativity instead of getting weighed down by processes.

Here are the three pillars of Netflix’s culture:

Talent Density

There’s no room for middle performers to hang around. Giving freedom without limits and policies requires a high-performing team. Netflix leaders regularly perform “keeper test” exercises where they consider how hard they would fight to keep an employee if they came to them today and said they were leaving. If the leader wouldn’t fight for that employee to stay, then that person likely isn’t the best person for the job.

Candor

Netflix leaders encourage candid feedback between all groups–from employees to leaders, leaders to employees, and employees to coworkers. The key is having guidelines to the feedback called the four A’s: aim to assist, it has to be actionable, show appreciation, accept or decline.

Freedom

With talented employees and honest feedback, Netflix can openly provide freedom. If employees want to go on vacation, they go. If someone wants to make a purchase, they do. Employees are given freedom and expected to act like adults and in the company’s best interest.

Not every company can follow the Netflix model of autonomy. Still, there are lessons that apply to every organization: trusting and empowering employees can lead to an engaged workforce and amazing success.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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It’s Not What You Say It’s How You Say It https://thefutureorganization.com/its-not-what-you-say-its-how-you-say-it/ Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46864 When you talk, what do people hear?
More than just the words you say, how you say them matters even more.

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When you talk, what do people hear?

More than just the words you say, how you say them matters even more. Your tone conveys your emotions and thoughts–are you being passionate and proud, or are you condescending or dismissive? The same phrase said in different ways can mean very different things.

Perception is reality. So even if you say something that feels sincere to you, the person could hear it completely differently, and that becomes their reality.

Communication is about more than words–it includes your tone and body language. You might want to convey something in a certain way. It’s not your perception that matters but how other people perceive you.

Laurent Therivel, the CEO of US Cellular, told me a story from earlier in his career when he was brought into a struggling organization to turn things around. He had lots of ideas and got the company back on track. Afterward, he was called before the top executives and expected to be congratulated. Instead, he was let go. The reason? People didn’t like him. He had gotten his message across, but his tone had alienated him from other people.

To build trust and establish relationships, especially as a leader, you have to be self-aware of how you speak. It’s not just the words–it’s how you say it and how those words make people feel.

Listen for how the message is received when you speak and adjust as needed.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post It’s Not What You Say It’s How You Say It first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How to Create Mentoring Programs Inside Your Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-create-mentoring-programs-inside-your-organization/ Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46861 Letting your senior employees walk out the door is a big mistake.
Their expertise and experience are essential to your organization, especially in mentoring and teaching younger employees.

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Letting your senior employees walk out the door is a big mistake.

Their expertise and experience are essential to your organization, especially in mentoring and teaching younger employees.

But mentoring goes both ways. You can also create a reverse mentoring program where newer employees teach senior employees about things like technology and younger consumers.

No matter which way it flows, mentoring is crucial to future-proof your organization, share information, and help every employee feel valued and supported as they share and learn together.

Here are five ways to get started with a mentoring program:

  1. Consider what the program will look like and create a vision for the program. What is the purpose and goal? Who is involved? What outcomes do you hope to achieve? A mentoring program with a goal of building a collaborative culture differs from one with a goal of developing future leaders.
  2. Get buy-in from members of your team. Let people know the importance of mentoring and what you hope to achieve through the program. Showcase the numerous benefits of sharing information, building relationships, and involving all employees.
  3. Pair people together. Consider the strengths, skills, and struggles of people in the program as you create partnerships that will benefit both parties.
  4. Provide training and guidelines. Mentoring can be awkward when you first get started, so provide resources and training for best practices, as well as suggestions of how to meet and communicate.
  5. Collect feedback. Check in with the mentees and mentors to find out what is and isn’t working and what can be improved. Your program should be agile so that you can make adjustments based on input and as situations change.

Mentoring is a powerful way to create community within your organization and show the experience and knowledge everyone has to offer. Establishing a mentoring program can transform your company and create an amazing employee experience.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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“The Crying CEO”​ On What Happens When Vulnerability Is Used Against You, How To Show Emotion At Work, & Dealing With Haters https://thefutureorganization.com/the-crying-ceo-on-what-happens-when-vulnerability-is-used-against-you-how-to-show-emotion-at-work-dealing-with-haters/ Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46856 Mr. Branden Wallake is the CEO of HyperSocial, a company facilitating professionals setting up a promotable Linkedin profile.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Braden_Wallake_-_with_ads.mp3

Branden Wallake Transcript

Mr. Branden Wallake is the CEO of HyperSocial, a company facilitating professionals setting up a promotable Linkedin profile. Mr. Wallake has had quite a journey throughout his career by having been in several professions.

A Quite Interesting Professional Journey

Mr. Wallake comes from a family of two opposite schools of thought regarding professional routes. His father was a staunch supporter of an entrepreneurial path, while his mother advocated the safe course of attending a University and landing a profitable corporate job.

Mr. Wallake had many professions during his initiation in the employment world. Ultimately, after a spell in a bank, he decided that the entrepreneurial path was the one that suited him the most. His first entrepreneurial feat was buying and selling cell phones on Craigslist.

His next job was in Sales for the Commercial and Residential Construction Company, Aflac Sales. There, Mr. Wallake had considerable success as a salesman with the cold-calling approach.

His next professional endeavor involved conducting business in Instagram Marketing. This was an unsuccessful effort, and he lost his car and apartment. He managed to stand again on his feet with the offer from a hotel in the Dominican Republic, where his role was to provide Marketing services.

This position as Marketing Consultant led him to travel to many countries throughout Central and South America, such as Ecuador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In these countries, he facilitated many people to manage their Instagram pages effectively.

He realized that the cold-calling approach was not feasible in these countries due to the language barrier, and he oriented the advertising of his services via Linkedin.

Shortly after that, Mr. Wallake and his girlfriend founded the company HyperSocial, which facilitates clients setting up a thriving Linkedin profile. He remains an adventurous spirit, as he and his girlfriend travel in the USA and Mexico in a van.

A Controversial Linkedin Post

HyperSocial had to adjust to the COVID-19 era by reducing the cold-calling and in-face approach and orienting to Zoom calls with clients. Initially, they lost some clients, but they managed a sort of comeback, which was not enough to retain the positions of some employees.

HyperSocial, like many other companies, operates on a monthly revenue-expenditure system. They invested much of the revenue in hiring additional people and giving them all the necessary benefits. The recent pandemic and the disruption it caused in client payments caused the layoffs of some employees.

Mr. Wallake was devastated that his company had to make some of its employees redundant, and a testament to that was a post on Linkedin depicting Mr. Wallake in tears. This post was so hyped that it had approximately 11,000 comments.

Mr. Wallake states that his post was controversial because many people accused him of narcissistic traits and attention seeking. He believes that these negative comments are erroneous, as the post derived straight from his emotional state, and he is at peace with this decision.

The decision to let these people leave his company came at a high cost and was the most struggling period of his life. He had also recently witnessed his mother turning to antidepressants when she had laid off her entire personnel due to the restrictions of the pandemic, a memory that still hurts.

Leadership and Vulnerability

The unfortunate event in his mother’s company and that he had to release some of his employees constitutes a depressing time in his life. According to Mr. Wallake, genuine leadership entails letting some people leave your company when they are not fit for your mission.

Furthermore, a leader should always strive for the best working environment for his employees. Mr. Wallake advocates a human and empathetic approach when a matter arises, and he opposes the passive-aggressive behavior of several team leaders.

A passive-aggressive approach bottles a person’s emotions and destroys personal and professional relationships. His recent post was a mere expression of his feelings and a decision to be vulnerable in the face of this adversity. Slightly paraphrasing Mr. Wallake’s words: “I am willing to be vulnerable, so my employees can feel less alone in their pain”.

Overall, Mr. Wallake’s leadership perspective entails expressing his deepest feelings, leading to clarity of thought. The negative comments of social media users for his recent post derive from a new era where everything is black and white, and there is no space for a middle ground.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

Practicing Empathy for Leaders

Being empathetic is partly innate and partly an acquired trait, according to Mr. Wallake. He recalls from his early days that he was quite defensive in some subjects and solely focused on his own needs. He believes that his turning point for a different approach to empathizing with others was his affinity and effective communication with his employees.

Vulnerability without Prior Connection

A Leader can be vulnerable with his employees and have a positive response because they are people with an established prior connection. The difficult task is to elicit the same positive reactions in people new to a group or strangers.

Therefore, Mr. Wallake and his girlfriend implemented a strategy based on specific personality tests, which involved delegating tasks according to the employees’ strengths. Consequently, they succeeded in working collaboratively and effectively.

Advice on How to Be Vulnerable

Mr. Wallake shares some tips on how to handle a struggle within a team properly by showing vulnerability:

1) When a matter arises, two team members should not be passive-aggressive because the rift between them festers. They should be direct and solve the problem on the spot.

2) Different people process information in various ways; therefore, an effective leader should address it with the proper communication tactic.

3) A leader should create a safe environment for employees to express their struggles and concerns. A leader should also encourage his employees to criticize some decisions when they feel something is off.

In Wrapping Up

Mr. Wallake states that as long as a leader perceives himself as a flawed person, like all emotionally healthy humans, he/she has the capacity to be vulnerable. He also has his definition of vulnerability, which is the following:

“The willingness to know your flaws and fears and being able to put them out”.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post “The Crying CEO”​ On What Happens When Vulnerability Is Used Against You, How To Show Emotion At Work, & Dealing With Haters first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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4 Painful Things Nobody Tells You About Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/4-painful-things-nobody-tells-you-about-leadership/ Fri, 02 Sep 2022 14:38:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46853 Being a leader often comes with a nice title, pay raise, and more freedom to control your schedule and responsibilities.

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Being a leader often comes with a nice title, pay raise, and more freedom to control your schedule and responsibilities.

But there’s more to leadership than meets the eye. Here are three things nobody tells you about leadership:

It can be lonely

Leaders often have to make decisions no one else wants to make or do things on their own. It’s lonely at the top, especially as leaders carry the weight of their companies solo. Many leaders struggle to make strong personal connections and friendships at work because of their position, which can be draining and isolating. One survey found that half of CEOs experience loneliness on the job, which can hinder their job performance and lead to burnout. Paul Markovich, CEO of Blue Shield of California, told me it’s lonely because there are many tasks you can’t delegate and decisions that only you as the leader can make.

Leaders need to build a solid support system both personally and professionally to lift them up when the public pressure gets too strong. A strong support system provides clarity during stressful times and can help leaders step outside their role for a moment to gain perspective. Leaders also have to be mentally strong. Doug Parker, former CEO of American Airlines, told me that when things weren’t going well, he often had to sit alone in his car to get his mind right and pump himself up before going to work.

You work under a microscope

It’s never been harder to be a leader. With an increased emphasis on authenticity and transparency, all eyes are on today’s leaders. Every move they make is watched (and often shared) by employees, customers, and shareholders. We’ve all seen stories and social media posts sharing a leader’s gaffe and questioning their decisions. Many leaders report that there’s no room to breathe because they are constantly under the spotlight. Today’s leaders also have to balance taking a stand on issues with the fact that people who disagree can come after you with pitchforks.

Leaders must balance the need to be authentic and real with their employees while protecting some aspects of their lives. That means being humble, sharing your ups and downs, and being resilient to push through challenges. Leaders have to hold strong to their values and not be afraid of criticism for taking a stance on causes they believe in.

You’ll always have critics

No matter what you do, someone will always disagree. Leaders’ decisions are more visible than those made by others, especially with the increase in social media that increases transparency and gives doubters a platform to voice their opinions. But don’t let critics hold you back from making progress. Too often, leaders are afraid of the pushback to their decisions and hold off on taking any action–even making positive changes that would benefit the company and its employees.

Tim Ryan, US Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC, told me this: “The leader of today has a lot of people looking at him or her. The reality is that being able to handle the spotlight is a skill that is going to become more important. You will never please everybody, but you must always listen to people’s views without unraveling, be able to communicate effectively, course correct as needed, and keep moving forward.”

You’ll make big mistakes

No leader is perfect. With more responsibility comes bigger consequences and fallout when you inevitably make a mistake. No matter how skilled you feel as a leader, you are sure to make large, painful, and impactful mistakes. And with those mistakes comes public scrutiny and a need to pick up the pieces and recover from your mistake.

Growth comes from making mistakes. Strong leaders know how to weigh their options, listen to various opinions, and make well-informed decisions without wavering. But they are also resilient when they make mistakes. Jacques van den Broek, the CEO of Randstad, told me how he made an investment that ultimately cost the company $150 million. But from that experience, he learned perspective. After his mistake, Van den Broek was able to bounce back and ask clients how he could change and tailor his approach.

Why does any of this matter? Because your mindset makes a difference. As a leader, you have to be mentally strong to handle the increased pressure and scrutiny.

Even though being a leader has never been more difficult, it’s also never been more crucial. Great leaders can change the world and the lives of their employees and customers. Developing resilience and embracing the skills and mindsets to withstand the pressures of leadership can set you up for a successful career with a lasting impact.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post 4 Painful Things Nobody Tells You About Leadership first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Managerless Company https://thefutureorganization.com/the-managerless-company/ Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46846 Will companies of the future have managers?
The concept of a managerless company has been floating around for years, and companies like Morningstar Farms, Medium, and Valve did away with traditional manager titles and roles.

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Will companies of the future have managers?

The concept of a managerless company has been floating around for years, and companies like Morningstar Farms, Medium, and Valve did away with traditional manager titles and roles.

Managers aren’t always leaders, and they often get stuck in the daily task and people management instead of fulfilling other important roles of a leader like setting the vision and inspiring people. As managerless companies flatten their organizational structure, they empower employees, remove red tape, and allow leaders to truly lead and guide their people.

In a managerless company, employees are empowered to choose their projects instead of being assigned. Employees don’t climb the corporate ladder but are guided by coaches and mentors to create their own paths. The company’s progress is driven by employees instead of mandated by executives. Even things like pay raises are decided by employees, and promotions don’t exist because titles don’t matter.

Not every company can become a managerless company, but many are moving in that direction. Empowering employees with a strong experience and great growth opportunities, giving them a voice within the company, and prioritizing performance over titles helps move companies towards the future and create an environment where people want, not need, to show up to work.

What do you think–is the future managerless?

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post The Managerless Company first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Make Your Place Of Work A Great Place To Work https://thefutureorganization.com/make-your-place-of-work-a-great-place-to-work/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 13:00:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46838 All companies today need to move away from being a place where people NEED to come to work to be a place people WANT to come.

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All companies today need to move away from being a place where people NEED to come to work to be a place people WANT to come.

When you create a great place to work, employees are excited to be there. They are engaged and want to put in their best work. And that all starts with leaders.

Here are three ways leaders can create a great place to work:

Make people more successful THAN YOU

We assume coaching and mentoring is about making people more successful. It’s easy to spend a few minutes teaching someone or giving advice. The challenge comes when we add those two words: making people more successful than you. When leaders understand their role is to help unlock the potential of their people, it transforms every aspect of the company and its culture.

Get to know your employees as individuals

People don’t want to work for an organization that treats them like numbers. Each employee is an individual, so take time to learn their motivations, goals, fears, and what makes them tick. Start conversations, build relationships, and be human. Connection is the best way to make people feel valued and appreciated.

View yourself as a lighthouse

Modern leaders are lighthouses who shine their light on the sea of uncertainty. Build yourself up to be that lighthouse so that you can guide others and keep them safe from challenges and the unknown.

Creating a great place to work starts with leaders who care about their people. Leaders have an amazing impact both inside and outside of their organizations, and how employees feel and are treated at work affects every area of their lives. Be human and build a place people WANT to be.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post Make Your Place Of Work A Great Place To Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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5 CEOs Reveal How They Deal With Imposter Syndrome https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ceos-reveal-how-they-deal-with-imposter-syndrome/ Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46835 Have you ever felt out of place, overwhelmed, or like you weren't good enough?
You're not alone.

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Have you ever felt out of place, overwhelmed, or like you weren’t good enough?

You’re not alone.

More than 70% of people have experienced imposter syndrome, and it’s especially common in leaders.

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you’re a fraud. It’s self-doubt that you’re not good enough, and sometimes that doubt can become crippling.

The key to imposter syndrome isn’t avoiding it, but rather acknowledging the feelings and pushing through them.

Here are lessons from five leaders on how they dealt with imposter syndrome in their own lives.

Kathy Mazzarella: Take Uncomfortable Positions

Kathy Mazzarella has spent her entire career at Graybar, where she is now CEO. Over the last 40 years, she has had 15 different positions. Her biggest personal growth came from the uncomfortable jobs when she didn’t know what she was doing. She told me this: “You learn the most about yourself and develop the most skills when you’re thrown into an environment where you’re not the expert.” Kathy believes that taking the easy route can put leaders on autopilot instead of pushing them to learn and stay focused. Her key to overcoming imposter syndrome is to jump headfirst into uncomfortable jobs and experiences and use them as a chance to learn. Depend on your team and ask people for their input. If you feel in over your head, learn from the people around you, listen, and apply what you learn.

Kate Johnson: Talk It Out

Whenever Kate Johnson, President of Microsoft US, feels overwhelmed or discouraged, she talks it through with her husband. Talking through her emotions and experiences helps her feel better, and she recommends everyone finds someone they can talk to, such as a friend, a parent, or a spouse. By naming the issue, Kate knows what to focus on instead of having an unnamed monster. She can define the exact area she is overwhelmed or nervous about and then chip away at the problem, instead of having something large doesn’t know how to address.

Shawn Riegsecker: Push Yourself Each Day

Shawn Riegsecker, CEO of Centro, knows that every leader faces ups and downs, including dealing with imposter syndrome. His advice is to do the things that give you the confidence to do just a little bit more the next day. He believes the greatest point of growth occurs when you push yourself outside your comfort zone. Throughout his career, Shawn has pushed himself each day to pay attention to what’s happening in the world around him and developing younger employees. He finds tasks that build his knowledge and confidence and then uses those to build him up and push him forward.

Melissa Smith: Learn To Switch Off Your Internal Critic

Everyone faces doubt and uncertainty, but Melissa Smith, CEO of WEX Inc., believes the secret to overcoming imposter syndrome is to learn to switch off your internal critic. There will always be a voice in your head saying you can’t do something, but the best leaders learn to tone it down and not pay attention. Melissa says it’s important to pay attention to external voices and find positive feedback while avoiding the naysayers. When someone says she can’t do something, she takes it as a challenge. Melissa uses external critics as motivation to succeed, gain confidence, and keep pushing forward.

Mark Lashier: Be Humble

Being humble may seem like an odd way to fight imposter syndrome, but Mark Lashier, former President & CEO of CPChem, believes the best leaders are humble and practice integrity. In his mind, humility means that you have enough self-confidence that you don’t have to put yourself ahead of others. He told me this: “The more you advance in your career, the less it’s about what you do and the more it is about what other people do, what you do to help them, and the barriers you can remove to help them succeed.” If you feel imposter syndrome coming on, focus on being humble and lifting the people around you however you can.

Imposter syndrome may manifest itself differently in each person. But that means there are also multiple ways to overcome it. These successful leaders show the prevalence of imposter syndrome and what happens when you put in the work to overcome it.

When you feel discouraged, keep pushing through. Talk it out. Get uncomfortable. Stay humble.

That’s where the real growth happens that can shape your entire career.

You’re not alone.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post 5 CEOs Reveal How They Deal With Imposter Syndrome first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Unspoken Rules of Career & Leadership Success https://thefutureorganization.com/the-unspoken-rules-of-career-leadership-success/ Mon, 29 Aug 2022 10:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46830 Gorick Ng is the author of the book 'The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right'.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_45mins_-_Gorick_Ng_-_with_ads.mp3

Gorick Ng Transcript

Gorick Ng is the author of the book ‘The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right’. He drew the inspiration for his book when his mother was made redundant, and he applied for her thousand jobs to no avail.

He could not understand the complexity of securing a job for his mother, who was highly effective at her work. As a Harvard student, though, he had the revelation he had lacked in his early teens.

The Birth of the Unspoken Rules

He attended Harvard University through a scholarship program, and he realized that many unprivileged people do not have the chance to secure a high-paying job due to their ignorance of the so-called ‘informal education.

Informal education comprises the adoption of a specific attitude and behaviors that facilitate someone in the hiring process of a job. These behaviors involve all the possible ways someone can use the corporate world for his/her advantage.

In other words, a potential employee must be an apt seller of his capabilities and recognize the importance of the corporate world’s unspoken rules. Mr. Ng researched these rules extensively and conducted more than 500 interviews with professionals of any industry, job and ethnicity. The result was the completion of an educating and highly-acclaimed book, ‘The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right’.

What Are These Unspoken Rules?

An example of these Unspoken Rules is how an employee expresses his struggle completing a task. The ideal scenario involves adopting a meticulous approach, and the employee identifies all possible ways to conclude.

Upon asking for the facilitation of his supervisor, the employee exhibits all the possible solutions and lays the groundwork for the final decision. This is a primary Unspoken Rule, which can only come naturally to someone based on similar experiences.

According to Mr. Ng, the Unspoken Rules are approximately twenty. His exact statement that describes them eloquently is the following: ” It is all about understanding the unspoken ways that people express competence, commitment and compatibility within a profession, job type, and organization”.

A new perspective of the personal and work life

Mr. Ng states that the new work ethics imposed after the pandemic perplexed his book’s research and writing process. Several changes occurred within the working environments. He had finished the writing process and realized that these changes brought forth new unspoken rules.

Overall, the perception of the youth regarding work has shifted, and more people of these ages value the balance of work and personal life. Mr. Ng believes we are in the age of re-evaluating the roles of employer and employee. A primary example is the adoption of video calls. Before the pandemic, video calls were considered intrusive to an employee’s personal life.

The First Pillar of Unspoken Rules: Competence

When referring to a new employee, many company leaders use the following phrase: “He has to earn a longer leash”. In plain English, this means that the employee has to gain the trust of his supervisor and the development of trust requires a particular aptitude.

The competence of the employees is the sum of the following characteristics:

1) They have to be reliable

2) They have to be detail-oriented

3) They must be responsive and know how to communicate effectively.

Furthermore, a competent employee has to show the potential of being ready to carry out more responsibilities. This equals having a firm opinion and the ability to foresee complex situations before they arise. Overall, a competent employee displays leadership qualities before attaining the role of manager, supervisor and leader of a company.

Competence derives from the effectiveness of an individual in managing expectations. Mr. Ng refers to ‘sandbagging’, the equivalent of ‘under promising and over delivering’. If an individual often engages in sandbagging, it can be harmful to his reputation in the corporate world.

A tendency to overdeliver elicits ill responses if the opposite occurs. Therefore, the ability to manage the expectations of others is paramount to the longevity of an individual in the corporate world.

Mr. Ng established a framework in his new book, ‘ Why, What How, By Then’. This framework has the following characteristics:

1) Why: This part entails the comprehension of an individual for the reason his supervisor delegated the task specifically to him/her. Moreover, the employee realizes the goal of any given task.

2) What How: This question comprises all the necessary processes to complete the task.

3) By when: Naturally, every task has its deadline. Nevertheless, there is also the invisible deadline, which is the date when an employee has to conclude a sub-task to deliver the entire project on time.

People often misinterpret confidence for competence. Knowledge is the opposite of bragging about a hypothetical mastery of a subject. These qualities are paramount for a skillful employee and a potential leader, but they are not the same.

Mr. Ng believes that a confident and apt employee is familiar with the unspoken rule of when to observe and when to contribute with an opinion. And thus, the employee inspires commitment.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The Second Pillar of Unspoken Rules: Commitment

Commitment ensues when the employee is responsive and has established a behavioral pattern that proves credibility. Credibility inspires trustworthiness, and trustworthiness breeds commitment to the vision of the working environment.

Of course, an employer or someone holding a managerial position should also demonstrate the same level of commitment. The employer achieves this goal by showing vulnerability and approaching the employees in a humane level.

The Third Pillar of Unspoken Rules: Compatibility

Compatibility for an individual means that he/she opts to get along with his/her co-workers and supervisors to encourage collective effort. It requires strength and a genuine team spirit.

In Wrapping- Up

Besides the pillars of unspoken rules (Competence, Commitment, Compatibility), Mr. Ng encourages people to empower themselves by asking the following questions:

1) Am I Aware? This question raises awareness regarding the processes within a specific working environment.

2) Am I Visible? The importance of being fully present in work by contributing opinions and ideas.

3) Am I Intentional? The scope of this question is to assess whether we spend quality time in our work and lives.

4) Am I Mentored? People assess if there are role leaders that provide constructive advice.

5) Am I Sponsored? The question reminds the importance of having reliable persons around you and displaying vulnerability.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

——————————————

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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How to Become the Indispensable Leader You Need to be https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-become-the-indispensable-leader-you-need-to-be/ Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:55:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46824 Two years ago, terms like social distancing, WFH, hybrid work, and supply chain issues weren’t in most people’s vocabularies.

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Two years ago, terms like social distancing, WFH, hybrid work, and supply chain issues weren’t in most people’s vocabularies.

Oh, how times have changed.

The world is changing at a rapid pace. And for as fast as things are moving now, they will only ever get faster.

A changing world means we have to change along with it. We can’t keep doing what we’ve always done and hope it will yield results in the future. And that’s especially true for leaders.

Excelling as a future leader means thinking in ways you’ve never thought before and doing things that have never been done before.

And now is the time to prepare.

I’ve spent years researching leadership and the future of work. I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top business leaders from companies like Oracle, Verizon, Mastercard, Best Buy, KPMG, Audi, and countless others to get their insights on how leadership is changing and what people need to do now to prepare to lead in the next decade and beyond.

But you don’t have time to sift through years of research and interview notes, so I’ve distilled the most essential principles into the Notable 9: the nine skills and mindsets leaders need to thrive in the future.

And it’s yours in an exclusive masterclass which is around 50 mins in length.

The Notable 9 come from top CEOs and are must-dos to set yourself apart as a future leader. In this masterclass, you’ll learn about the nine skills and mindsets, as well as get actionable tips for applying them in the real world. This isn’t just high-level philosophy–it’s real action steps you can put into practice today to become a better leader. And it’s information you won’t get anywhere else.

The Notable 9 will help you become indispensable in your organization and set you apart as a leader ready to take on whatever the future of work brings.

You can’t afford not to learn this information.

The masterclass is normally $297, but I’m giving it to you for the exclusive price of just $29.99.

The world isn’t getting any slower. Now is the time to prepare to be a future leader. And this exclusive masterclass will put you on the path to success in less than one hour.

What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more and sign up today.

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How To Design Multiple Workplace Options to Boost Employee Morale https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-design-multiple-workplace-options-to-boost-employee-morale/ Thu, 25 Aug 2022 13:00:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46814 For years, companies battled over the best office layout. Did an open concept design invite collaboration or distraction?

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For years, companies battled over the best office layout. Did an open concept design invite collaboration or distraction? Did closed floor plans increase productivity? Both sides thought they were right.

There’s not one single type of workplace that works for every employee and situation. We’ve definitely seen that with more employees working from home and embracing unconventional workspaces. Employees need access to environments that enable them to do their best work.

The world of work isn’t linear or cookie cutter. Things are constantly changing, which means workspaces must adapt accordingly.

Successful organizations create multiple floor plans to give their employees options. It’s not just a single type of work environment, but about giving employees options depending on their projects, personality, and mood.

Here are three ways to design multiple workplace options:

  1. Observe how employees work and where they work. Are there certain areas employees tend to congregate or places they avoid? What tools and spaces would help employees do their jobs better? You can’t design effective workspaces if you don’t know what employees need.
  2. Get employee feedback around the types of environments they would like to use, including virtual. Employees use the space daily, so their voice needs to be heard in the design. They will likely have ideas many leaders haven’t considered.
  3. Think beyond open or closed floor plans. Instead, view your organization like a house where each room serves a specific purpose. You don’t sleep in the kitchen or bathe in the dining room; similarly, an office should have a place for collaborating, working privately, chatting, and accessing video tools.

There’s no single blueprint for a successful workplace design. But by involving employees and providing options, you can create a forward-focused workspace that meets employees’ changing needs.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post How To Design Multiple Workplace Options to Boost Employee Morale first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Can You Really Achieve Work-Life Balance? If So, How? https://thefutureorganization.com/can-you-really-achieve-work-life-balance-if-so-how/ Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46811 There’s a lot of talk about how to achieve work-life balance.
But I don’t think it’s possible.

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There’s a lot of talk about how to achieve work-life balance.

But I don’t think it’s possible.

Work-life balance assumes there’s a perfect ratio between work and life and that your life will be great if you can reach that elusive ratio.

But life doesn’t work like that. There are times when you’ll need a break to bring your kids to school, take a personal day to help a friend, or go on vacation to recharge.

And there are times when you’ll have to put in more hours at work to hit a deadline or finish a big project.

Instead of fighting for work-life balance, we should strive for work-life integration. Our goal should be to make both work and life work depending on our season of life. That could change depending on the week, month, or year. Life and the demands on our time are dynamic and continually changing. Balance will never exist, but the goal of integration and giving both work and life enough attention based on their current needs is realistic and attainable.

We need both work and life to thrive as people. Instead of beating ourselves up to reach this idea of the perfect work-life balance, we need to move the conversation to the more attainable and flexible goal of work-life integration.

It’s all about making work and life work for you, not the other way around.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post Can You Really Achieve Work-Life Balance? If So, How? first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Two Top CEOs Share Their Stories of Success https://thefutureorganization.com/two-top-ceos-share-their-stories-of-success/ Tue, 23 Aug 2022 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46808 How did great leaders get their starts?
There isn’t one path to success, and I love hearing about the unconventional beginnings of successful leaders.

The post Two Top CEOs Share Their Stories of Success first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How did great leaders get their starts?

There isn’t one path to success, and I love hearing about the unconventional beginnings of successful leaders.

Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, learned one of his biggest leadership lessons at gunpoint.

When he was 10 years old, three armed men knocked on the door and demanded cash. As the men searched the apartment, Arthur’s mother lectured them that what they were doing wasn’t right and wouldn’t put them on a good life path. Even with the men holding guns, Arthur’s mother stayed firm in her convictions. The family escaped unharmed, but his mother’s example stuck with Arthur.

Leaders must hold on to their principles and not be afraid to speak up. Decades later, Arthur still lives by his mother’s saying, “Do the right thing for the right reasons and live with the consequences.” It’s a powerful lesson she taught by sticking to her principles in the face of grave danger. Arthur brought that lesson as he built The Home Depot into a global giant.

Another great leader with an unconventional start is Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers.

As a young adult, Chris was set on becoming a lawyer. But the summer before starting law school, his older brother Jim encouraged him to join his new flower shop venture.

Chris didn’t have any experience in the floral industry, so he had to learn by watching and experimenting. When the telephone company came to set up phones in one of their first stores, Chris and Jim watched how to install lines and asked questions. They did the same thing when the techs set up the store’s first computers so they could understand every aspect of the business.

Chris and Jim followed a mantra Jim developed as a social worker for at-risk boys: “Build a relationship first, do business second.” Chris credits the people he met around New York and his business mentors as much more influential to his leadership development than anything he ever learned in school.

There’s no one path to becoming a great leader. Each path is filled with challenges, obstacles, and lessons. But great leaders can be made with determination and a willingness to learn.

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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Her Company Sold for $375 Million: Here’s What She Learned About Leadership, Failure, Vulnerability, & Success https://thefutureorganization.com/her-company-sold-for-375-million-heres-what-she-learned-about-leadership-failure-vulnerability-success/ Mon, 22 Aug 2022 10:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46802 Alexa von Tobel is the founder and managing partner at Inspired Capital and the founder and former CEO of LearnVest.

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Alexa von Tobel Transcript

Alexa von Tobel is the founder and managing partner at Inspired Capital and the founder and former CEO of LearnVest. She is from Florida and grew up with two older brothers. She attributes part of her success to her upbringing, constantly rising to the challenge of growing up in the shadow of her brothers.

Her entrepreneurial spirit was evident from an early age as she engaged in activities such as selling things and building little businesses. This entrepreneurial spirit reigns in the family for three generations, as her father and grandfather were businessmen.

The Journey so Far

Mrs. von Tobel was the founder of the financial planning platform TurboTax, whose aim was to facilitate people in organizing their finances. The platform was a colossal success, with more than 3 million active users and with a respectable portfolio. Many Americans trusted the platform, and Mrs. von Tobel made her first steps as a financial planner.

Shortly after TurboTax, the foundation of LearnVest occurred, and Mrs. von Tobel became a certified financial planner. LearnVest was such a successful venture that it ended up being sold for the astonishing amount of $375 million.

Her lifelong dream, Inspired Capital, is an early-stage venture fund located in New York. Inspired Capital’s scope is to facilitate innovative minds’ mission to build iconic businesses. Until the beginning of Inspired Capital, Mrs. von Tobel had launched an Angel Fund and had written two books.

The Way to the Top Is Paved with Many “Lessons Learned”

Mrs. von Tobel recalls that in her initial steps into the corporate world, she would sleep only a few hours. Her mind would work non-stop, and even her dreams were a lair of meetings and closed deals. This lifestyle can be detrimental to a person’s health as the lack of sleep, exercise, and one day of relaxation can lead to numbness, fatigue and mental ineptitude.

Fortunately for Mrs. von Tobel, she had influential figures around in her initial steps. Her first cousin was a person she trusted completely, and he never let her down. She learned from him to take into account the advice that may seem harsh, but it is the bitter truth.

Another crucial factor for a prospective leader is the adequate management of stress. Mrs. von Tobel states that she had always brought forth her best self in times when the adrenaline was running high. In her words, she gave birth to her child and sold her company the same day.

She had found that in times of deadlines and anxiety, she could rise to the occasion and cope effectively with various stressors. Mrs. von Tobel describes the emergence of a stressful situation as a physical, emotional and mental challenge in which she thrives.

There is always a limit to these challenges, though. Mrs. von Tobel has realized that one day off work and some hours of unplugging every night can relax and soothe her mind. The following day, she shall resume her duties with a renewed spirit.

The Importance of Working with a Coach

Working with a coach is a move held in positive regard in today’s corporate world. The narrative has completely changed from the past, and today’s leaders should adopt the following principles:

1) They should have a clear vision for their companies

2) A suitable strategy should accompany this vision

3) They should not state that they know every detail of their plans. It is a gradual and long-term process

4) This behavior from the leader demonstrates vulnerability and creates a safe psychological space within the ranks of the company

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

Vulnerability: The Most Significant Asset in a Leader

Mrs. von Tobel narrates the touching story behind launching her first venture, the financial planning platform TurboTax. Her father past away suddenly, and her mother had to step up and take care of the family’s finances. There was the inspiration behind TurboTax, a platform that facilitated families to make shrewd financial decisions.

Her family’s difficulty gave birth to a platform that ensured the financial longevity of many American houses, and Mrs. von Tobel is very proud of it. Since the onset of the traumatic event of her father’s loss, she has found a reason to go to work every day: To help families like her own.

The demonstration of that vulnerable part of her life has drawn numerous people to her cause, as it is a touching story that relates to everyone. Mrs. von Tobel insists that we are all works in progress, and being vulnerable is essential to our aim to get better.

The Ultimate Hiring Process

Mrs. von Tobel has the following hiring principles in her company:

1) She prefers to hire people that are 100 % sold to the company’s mission

2) She is accustomed to hiring people that are experts in their respective fields of expertise. Therefore, she avoids micromanaging, and everything runs smoothly.

3) She opts to hire people that seek constant improvement in all facets of their lives.

Mrs. von Tobel states that in all her decisions, she completely trusts her instinct. She has a flawless understanding of her cognitive and learning processes and weaknesses. A significant weakness in her is her impatience; therefore, she wants to be surrounded by rational minds that help her maintain a steady pace.

Self-awareness: A Unique Gift for a Leader

The admission of such a weakness demonstrates the high level of self-awareness in Mrs. von Tobel. The prerequisites for obtaining such a unique gift were the acceptance of other people’s opinions and the presence of influential figures in her journey. One of them was the CEO of Northwestern Mutual, who urged her to have other people have their wins, too occasionally.

In Wrapping Up…

Mrs. von Tobel urges the new leaders to adopt the following advice in their businesses:

1) For a practical decision-making process, you should establish the ideal combination of these variables: Time given, accumulated data, and instinct.

2) You should practice Empathetic Leadership. Empathetic Leadership means trying to understand other people’s views and end up with the optimal solution.

3) As an entrepreneur, you have to be comfortable being unpopular.

4) The concluding advice is the motto of Mrs. von Tobel: Get up, Dress up, Show up, Work harder.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post Her Company Sold for $375 Million: Here’s What She Learned About Leadership, Failure, Vulnerability, & Success first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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You Are Dispensable & Replaceable https://thefutureorganization.com/you-are-dispensable-replaceable/ Fri, 19 Aug 2022 13:48:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46784 These days, people don’t stick with things that aren’t working.
Had a poor customer service experience? Move onto a new company.

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These days, people don’t stick with things that aren’t working.

Had a poor customer service experience? Move onto a new company.

Tried a bad restaurant? Move on to something new.

Phone qualifies for an upgrade? Get the newest model.

Everything is dispensable and replaceable.

Including you.

You’re dispensable and replaceable if you don’t learn new things and aren’t willing to change. Just like that outdated phone is quick to get tossed, you will be replaced by someone who is excited to learn, adapt, and grow. Companies today have no use for people who are stuck in the old ways of doing things. You have to adapt and adjust continually, especially if you are in a leadership position.

I love what Shellye Archambeau, the former CEO of MetricStream, told me: “Those who learn and are able to take the best risks will drive the best performance. With all these things changing around you, unless you’re a risk taker you are just not going to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that exist out there.”

Nobody is going to look out for you but you.

You’re dispensable and replaceable if you don’t take on new challenges. In the future of work, being stagnant is the same as going backwards. How we live, work, and communicate is changing. With those changes come challenges and new opportunities. People who volunteer and take those challenges head-on see success, while people who sit back and shy away from challenges get left behind.

Shawn Riegsecker, CEO of Basis Technologies, told me this: “In order to get what you want, you must do those things that give you the confidence to do just a little bit more the next day. I believe the greatest point of growth occurs when you get uncomfortable and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You must put your toes on the edge of comfortable and step into uncertainty to make a real difference in your life.”

It’s easy to stay in your comfort zone but the most successful leaders got to where they are because they are willing to do the things that other people don’t want to do. You won’t succeed at every single challenge you take on, nor should you. What matters is your willingness to keep learning, keep growing, and keep challenging yourself to get better, this is what a growth mindset is all about.

You’re dispensable and replaceable if you aren’t emotionally intelligent. These days, it’s not just about what you know; it’s about how you act. Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t matter if you aren’t emotionally intelligent and practice empathy and self-awareness. With increased connectivity and technology comes greater collaboration, which means your ability to build relationships and connect with people is crucial to your success.

Especially with the growth of AI and machine learning taking over the repetitive and mundane parts of our jobs, it’s our ability to be human that sets us apart and creates the strongest growth opportunities. If you don’t pay attention to how other people feel or work to improve your relationships, you are at a real risk for being replaced, and likely by a machine.

Emotional intelligence comes from talking to other people, listening, and collaborating. As you practice self-awareness to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses and how other people view you, you’ll be able to continually improve and become a better teammate and human.

When I interviewed Hans Vestberg, the CEO of Verizon Communications, he told me:

“The first layer of skills a good leader must master are internal: managing himself or herself as an individual human being, including emotional balance. A lot of leaders are tempted to ignore or deemphasize this most basic layer, but they do so at their peril.”

Not having these qualities make you replaceable and dispensable. But this isn’t you is it?

You learn things and are willing to change, you take on new challenges and get out of your comfort zone, and you practice emotional intelligence.

You prove your value every day as you push yourself, take risks, and mentor others. You aren’t dispensable because you regularly update your skills and mindsets to prepare for the future.

Some people are dispensable and replaceable, are you one of those people?

. . .

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

The post You Are Dispensable & Replaceable first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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6-Step Process For Adapting to the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/6-step-process-for-adapting-to-the-future-of-work/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46795 The future of work is here. How are you adapting?
Changing how you think and act to match the future of work can seem daunting.

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The future of work is here. How are you adapting?

Changing how you think and act to match the future of work can seem daunting. But it only takes six steps to evolve and stay ahead of the changing future instead of getting disrupted.

1. Challenge assumptions

Start by looking at things from a new perspective. Why are things the way they are? What are you doing in a certain way because that’s how they’ve always been done? Where are there roadblocks to improve or opportunities to explore?

2. Create a team to lead the effort

Establish a group to evaluate possibilities and discover new solutions to old problems. This can be done within a company as employees work together to make changes or individually as you lead your own effort to challenge the status quo.

3. Define your future of work

Take your findings and new ideas to shape the future of work. The future of work isn’t something stagnant but something you can shape and design. What is your future of work? How do you hope to communicate, innovate, and work in the future? The sky’s the limit.

4. Communicate your future of work

Share your ideas within the organization to get others on board and within your network and industry. Let people know how things are changing and why those changes matter. Share the vision with people around you and get their input.

5. Experiment and empower employees to take action

Encourage employees to test ideas and create their own future of work. Often, the people on the frontlines have the best ideas of how to adapt and evolve to lead change and stay relevant.

6. Implement broad-based change

Look at what did and didn’t work from the employees’ experiments and apply the best new ideas to the rest of the organization. Get everyone on board with the vision and the new mindsets and processes to make it reality.

1. Challenge assumptions

Once you’ve made changes, the work isn’t done. Go back to the beginning to challenge assumptions again. Did the changes add value and prepare your organization and employees for the future of work? Keep making changes and working through the process.

Adapting to the future of work is a continual process. By working through these six steps, you can engage the entire organization to challenge and change the status quo to create an amazing future.

adapting

 

In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Why The Great Resignation Is A Great Opportunity https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-great-resignation-is-a-great-opportunity/ Wed, 17 Aug 2022 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46781 Over the last few years, millions of people around the world have quit their jobs because they want more from their organizations.

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Over the last few years, millions of people around the world have quit their jobs because they want more from their organizations. More pay, more engagement, more opportunities, more purpose.

This massive change is actually a great thing for employees and organizations.

At its core, the great resignation represents a shift in mentality around work. For decades, organizations and leaders assumed people needed to work for them. They could treat their employees however they wanted because employees had to be there.

But that’s no longer the case.

Today, it’s employees who have the power. They ask potential employers questions about the culture, growth opportunities, technology, mentoring, and more.

We’re seeing a fundamental shift towards creating organizations where people WANT to be there, not assuming they NEED to be there.

The great resignation is a great opportunity to change our workplace practices and think differently. It’s time to offer employees a place that provides more and where they are excited to work and make a difference every day.

Employees have made it clear that they’ll leave jobs that don’t provide the purpose, meaning, and impact they want.

This is your wake-up call. Are you listening?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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Introducing The Future Of Work +, Get Mentored By The Best Brains In The World! https://thefutureorganization.com/introducing-the-future-of-work-get-mentored-by-the-best-brains-in-the-world/ Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:33:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46769 It's really been so much to bring all of this content to all of you over the years and now we're taking the next big step!

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The first episode of my podcast, Leading The Future Of Work, launched on August 9, 2014. I honestly can’t believe it’s been over 8 years and 650 episodes of the show.

I’ve been so fortunate to learn from so many amazing business leaders, authors, researchers, and psychologists. Authors like Dan Pink, Seth Godin, Yuval Harari, Chris Voss, and CEOs from Honeywell, Netflix, GE, Yum! Brands, Best Buy, and countless others.

It’s really been so much to bring all of this content to all of you over the years and now we’re taking the next big step!

Starting today I’m launching a subscription version of my show which will be called The Future Of Work +. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.

When you subscribe you will get three amazing benefits:

  1. Ad-free listening – Listen to all of the episodes without any interruptions or ads at the beginning of the show.
  2. Early access to new episodes – Get access to new episodes before they are released to the general public.
  3. Bonus episodes – My favorite feature! Each week I’m going to release 15-20 minutes long bonus episodes that are specifically going to focus on action items that you can implement at work and in life. The first 40-45 mins of all of my podcasts will remain free and will focus on education but the subscribers are going to get the information they need to take things one step further by moving from education to action. These are going to be action items provided by the world’s top CEOs, leaders, researchers, authors, and psychologists.

I hope you decide to support my podcast by subscribing to the show. For now, this option will only be available on Apple Podcast but we are looking to expand the subscription to other platforms soon.

Think of this subscription as your chance to get mentored by the best brains in the business. In short, 15 – 20 minute interviews, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge you can start using right away.

The goal of this podcast is to help you become a future-ready leader. And there’s no better way to do that than with tips from the top you can’t find anywhere else.

Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work PlusI can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!

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Patrick Lencioni Shares The 6 Types Of Working Genius & How To Determine Yours https://thefutureorganization.com/patrick-lencioni-shares-the-6-types-of-working-genius-how-to-determine-yours/ Mon, 15 Aug 2022 10:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46773 Patrick Lencioni is a best-selling author of 11 books, the most prominent being 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team'.

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Patrick Lencioni Transcript

Patrick Lencioni is a best-selling author of 11 books, the most prominent being ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’. His creative mind led him to be occupied in several works before concluding college, and his first major job was at the Management Consulting Firm ‘Bain and Company’. The unveiling of his new book is on September 22nd and is called ‘The Six Types of Working Genius’.

Mr. Lencioni grew accustomed to the humane side of the business during his time at ‘Bain and Company. After some spells at Oracle and Sybase, he launched his own company and authored 11 books, with the 12th set to be revealed on September 22nd.

The creation of ‘The Six Types of Working Genius’

After the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Lencioni conducted a webinar on teaching priests to be influential leaders. On one of these days of the webinar, Mr. Lencioni got frustrated with work, but a sudden idea for a new podcast lightened his mood instantly.

These mood transitions were recurring, and he opted to comprehend the triggers behind these sudden changes in his feelings. Finally, Mr. Lencioni found the six different things that cause these fluctuations in a person. The whole process of acquiring such knowledge inspired his brand new book.

A new dawn rises

The post-COVID corporate world faces several hurdles. It is a transitional period to establish innovative and effective forms of work and leadership. The impact of this novel virus was highly severe for many companies, but Mr. Lencioni insists that this new era holds hidden gems and promises.

Mr. Lencioni is a staunch supporter of a more balanced approach to personal and work life, as the benefits for the people are numerous. Various researchers have concluded that this balanced approach enhances the physical and mental health of the workers.

Nowadays, most people experience their work-life solely in a transactional mode, without tenacity and spark. The real turning point will be if an individual is extremely fired up with his/her passion. People with fiery passion can alter the perspective of the world about the advantages of today’s market.

Instead, the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 led many people to succumb to the luxury of remote working. Many employees still take advantage of this opportunity, and many offices remain empty.

According to Mr. Lencioni, the above is not productive in the long-term and is only feasible in the Customer Service sector. When a company belonging to another sector launches an innovative product or service, the entire brainstorming potential should be office-based.

Mr. Lencioni urges prospective leaders to conduct their talent acquisitions according to their companies’ vision. This is the only way to achieve something memorable and offer high-value products and services to the market.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The Three Stages of Work

Mr. Lencioni is adamant that three primary processes occur in any work. The only variables are the time and energy required. The first process is ideation, where the company conceives a new idea. The first and the last process, which is the concept implementation, are identifiable for every company. The most intriguing process is the middle one, the activation.

The stage of activation is where the assessment of the new idea takes place. During the activation process, the executives of a company discuss and brainstorm whether this idea can be successful or not. Many companies are devoid of activation, and several hurdles arise in the first and last stages.

The vision of a leader and his company should align with the flawless implementation of the above three processes. Furthermore, proper leadership requires the communication of the importance of these three stages to the entire personnel.

If the employees comprehend the company’s aims and long-term vision, they will be more eager to fulfill the company’s vision. Therefore, a potent leader should have an act for storytelling and be able to connect humanely with his employees.

The Six Types of Working Geniuses

The first type occurring in every project is the Genius of wonder. According to Mr. Lencioni, people with the Genius of wonder have the uncanny ability to form the right questions for some subjects. These people focus on the entirety of layers comprising a given topic and are determined to acquire all the necessary knowledge.

The second type is the invention, the process of conceiving an idea. Mr. Lencioni describes the process as the answer to the questions from the first stage, which is a revitalizing process.

The third type relates to the renowned gut feeling and is called discernment. The gut feeling is not an element of the supernatural but a relatively rational approach comprising rational questions, integrative thinking, and robust conclusions. It is an instinct innate to many people, and they master it with time.

The fourth element of working geniuses is the galvanizing spirit that many people have. They have this relentless energy the entire day, and people are drawn to them due to their ability to put everyone in the group outside their comfort zone. This personality trait is indispensable in a group project.

The fifth type refers to the willingness of some team members to participate in a team effort with unstoppable positivity. This characteristic is enablement, and according to Mr. Lencioni, it is one of the most valuable assets a team member possesses. It is the embodiment of positivity and empathy.

The last but certainly, not least attribute of working geniuses is tenacity. Tenacity is the capability to organize and finish a project on time with unprecedented meticulousness. People with tenacity as their predominant trait facilitate the group to conclude a project on time and with ease.

In Wrapping Up…

The above six types of working geniuses are fundamental traits in a group project. Every person in the group contributes to the collective effort with their attributes, and the leader is responsible for delegating the tasks.

Furthermore, self-awareness is primary in the entire process, as egotistical approaches can be detrimental to the collective effort. When such problems arise, the task of an effective leader is to step in and implement a suitable solution.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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My Mom Would Come Home from Work Crying https://thefutureorganization.com/my-mom-would-come-home-from-work-crying/ Sat, 13 Aug 2022 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46777 When I was growing up, my mom worked as a computer programmer for an insurance company, and my dad worked as an aerospace engineer.

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When I was growing up,  my mom worked as a computer programmer for an insurance company, and my dad worked as an aerospace engineer.

I remember so many instances of my mom coming from work crying because of how her leaders treated her. It still makes me sick thinking about this.

Even as a kid, I knew something wasn’t right. How could a person who is supposed to inspire, motivate, and engage you make you so upset and miserable that you come home crying from work each day? How can these people possibly be in leadership roles?

Finally, she quit because no money is worth that amount of stress and unhappiness. She went back to school to get a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

Today she is one of the most respected therapists in Los Angeles.

Luckily, leadership isn’t what it used to be. Today’s leaders can’t treat their employees so poorly that they regularly come home crying and feeling beaten down.

Leadership is no longer about making the most money and controlling your employees. It’s no longer about knowing all the answers, having the biggest office, and enforcing the status quo.

Today, leadership is about putting people before profits. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you and being able to ask for help. It’s about having a vision for a better world and being able to build that vision with the people you work with.

What kind of leader are you? More importantly, what kind of a leader do you have the potential to become?

You can become a future-ready leader who changes leadership and their organizations for the better. Your employees can come home from work happy and appreciated with no tears. Lead on!

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The Evolution of HR https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-hr/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:59:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46764 Human resources used to be the department known for hiring and firing.
But modern HR departments do so much more.

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Human resources used to be the department known for hiring and firing.

But modern HR departments do so much more.

Human resources is evolving and dramatically impacts the employee experience and the future of work. It’s becoming one of the most dynamic places to work.

Instead of just hiring and firing employees, HR now enables, empowers, engages, and creates experiences. It’s about more than just payroll and benefits–it’s the entire employee experience. HR leaders are no longer the “police” of the company to ensure everyone is in line. Instead, they are the coaches, mentors, and thought-leaders that push the company towards the future of work.

They rely heavily on technology and analytics to challenge the status quo and shape and lead strategy. The old HR department didn’t have a seat at the table, but HR departments that have evolved are key players in their company. HR is no longer a cost center; it’s a profit-enabling part of the company.

Human resources has a powerful impact on every employee in an organization, both in their daily experience and the large-scale strategy. If you want to shape your company’s future and create amazing employee experiences, HR is the place to be.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The Best Way To Receive Feedback https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-way-to-receive-feedback/ Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46746 If you want to improve and grow in life and your career, you have to know how to receive feedback.

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If you want to improve and grow in life and your career, you have to know how to receive feedback.

Often, it can be difficult to not take feedback personally.

One of the best ways to receive feedback is to follow an exercise commonly used in couples therapy. When one person presents feedback, the other person is challenged to strengthen their argument instead of defending themself or putting up a shield.

At work, if you receive feedback that you aren’t a good communicator, take a second to try to strengthen their argument. Try to find proof with instances when you practiced poor communication.

Then you can decide what to do with the feedback. If you could easily support their argument, there’s likely some merit to their concerns, and you may need to improve. But if you can’t add to their feedback argument, it may not be worth listening to their comments.

This simple mental exercise helps you become more open to feedback and decide if the feedback deserves action and a response or if you can dismiss it.

Over time, you’ll find yourself being able to quickly internalize feedback and respond without taking it personally. That’s the path to growth and improvement.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post The Best Way To Receive Feedback first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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One Of The Most Common Questions I Get Asked https://thefutureorganization.com/one-of-the-most-common-questions-i-get-asked/ Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:00:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46743 What is the future of work?
I’m asked this question repeatedly online, and after every speech I give. But it’s the wrong question to ask.

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What is the future of work? 

I’m asked this question repeatedly online, and after every speech I give. But it’s the wrong question to ask.

When we ask to define the future of work, we remove ourselves as active participants and creators. Instead of being something we can help design, create, and build, we assume the future is something that happens to us.

Here’s the truth: the future of work is whatever you help shape it to be.

Too often we fall into the trap of thinking of the future of work as a single passive thing–the one outcome that will affect us all.

But the future has many different possibilities and potential outcomes shaped by me, you, and everyone else.

With that mindset, the future of work can be whatever you want it to be. The future of work is being shaped right now. The future is ripe for disruption and changes to create a world where employees are engaged and empowered and organizations serve their communities, customers, and employees. This is your chance to be a part of it.

No matter what happens in the future of work, I do know this: the future of work is human. It is full of possibility, opportunity, and transformation. We’ll have technology, but more importantly, we’ll have people innovating, building relationships, and creating.

We all have a critical role in shaping the future of work. Whether we like it or not, the future is coming–we might as well proactively get involved to shape it into what we want it to be.

So what is the future of work? You tell me!

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Why Your New Ideas Aren’t Catching On and Why You Need to Leverage Friction Theory To Change That https://thefutureorganization.com/why-your-new-ideas-arent-catching-on-and-why-you-need-to-leverage-friction-theory-to-change-that/ Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46736 Loran Nordgren is a professor at the Kellogg School of Management and best-selling author of Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_with_ads_-_Loran_Nordgren_-_Ready.mp3

Loran Nordgren Transcript

Loran Nordgren is a professor at the Kellogg School of Management and best-selling author of Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas. Loran has always been interested in human behavior, especially innovation and change leadership. In our rapidly changing world of work, knowing how to create change and make new ideas catch on is crucial for all leaders.

But most of us go about creating change the wrong way. Instead, Loran suggests a framework around friction theory to lead to successful innovation.

The Law of Attraction Versus Friction Theory

The most common way people try to make change is through the law of attraction. Often without even realizing it, we elevate the appeal. If people resist change, we just have to boost the attraction even more to get people over the line. Loran calls this a fuel-based mindset. When trying to fly a plane, you can keep adding fuel. But that plane will never fly if you don’t reduce friction.

The real opportunity is in the barriers or frictions that hold things back. Loran says sales and change leadership is like building an airplane and only thinking about the engine instead of weight and aerodynamics. But that plane will never get off the ground. It’s the same concept when trying to bring ideas to life–we have to remove obstacles instead of just adding attraction.

For example, someone trying to drive change in their organization may keep trying to sell their idea and add more value and perks. But friction theory says the best way to create change is to find out what keeps people from accepting the change and then adjust the plan accordingly.

Four Barriers to Change

All friction falls into Loran’s four barriers to change:

Inertia

Inertia is the idea that the human mind favors the familiar over the unfamiliar. Loren says inertia is always there in varying strengths. The opposition isn’t often due to the facts or benefits of the change but simply the fact that the change is new and unfamiliar.

The bigger the change, the more scared people will likely become. That’s why many successful changes come in stages to allow people to accept the change and adapt before increasing the rate of change.

Effort

The barrier of effort comes down to a single question: how much work does it take to adopt the change?

Loran says people are often so concerned about the time and effort something will take that they aren’t willing to innovate. Overcoming this barrier usually means making change as easy as possible. People naturally don’t like changes that require huge amounts of work or effort.

Emotion

Innovation and change naturally provoke emotions. The goal is to create positive emotions. But Loran says that even good ideas can produce negative emotions like anxiety, fear, and embarrassment. Getting past those negative emotions is a major roadblock to change.

Reactance

Finally, the fourth barrier is reactance or the relationship between the innovator and the audience. People don’t want to feel like an idea is being pushed on them and resist ideas (no matter how good they are) if they feel pushed towards something. Instead, they want to feel part of the process. Loran calls this the innovator’s paradox: you want to move people towards your new ideas without making them feel pressured. The more they feel pushed down that path, the more they resist.

Identifying and Overcoming Friction

So, how do you implement friction theory to create lasting change and innovation? Loran says it starts by looking at what’s holding back progress. Because so many of us practice the law of attraction, we have blind spots for friction. But just looking for friction sources often reveals roadblocks. Loran recommends simply asking people what’s holding them back to pinpoint the specific friction.

But above all, Loran says the most effective way to create change is to anticipate and remove frictions instead of dealing with them after they arise. Looking for potential slowdowns in inertia, effort, emotion, and reactance can help create a better plan from the beginning to drive real change.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

The post Why Your New Ideas Aren’t Catching On and Why You Need to Leverage Friction Theory To Change That first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Here’s How You Can Become a Better Leader in 31 Days https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-how-you-can-become-a-better-leader-in-31-days/ Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46731 What things do you do every day to become a better person?
You likely spend a few minutes brushing your teeth, exercising, reading, or pursuing a hobby.

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What things do you do every day to become a better person?

You likely spend a few minutes brushing your teeth, exercising, reading, or pursuing a hobby.

Heck, you probably spend more than a few minutes scrolling your phone.

But are any of those small daily tasks helping you become a better leader?

In today’s rapidly changing world of work, you don’t have months or years to dedicate to becoming a better leader. To succeed, you’ve got to be agile and learn and adapt quickly.

It only takes a few minutes a day to create significant change and become a future-ready leader.

I’ve interviewed hundreds of the world’s top leaders about the skills and mindsets to become successful leaders in the future and their secrets to success. One of the things I asked all of these leaders is if they had a leadership tip or hack that they have used to become more successful. I received all sorts of amazing responses!

And now, I’m sharing them with you in short, digestible videos.

After signing up for the Leadership Reset, you’ll receive a short video every day for the next 31 days. Each bite-sized lesson is a leadership hack from a top CEO, including leaders from Yahoo, MasterCard, Avanade, Yum! Brands, Intercontinental Hotels Group, and more incredible companies.

These videos cover everything from decision-making to planning your day and connecting with your teams. These tips are life-changing and can transform your leadership approach and skills.

You’ll also have access to the entire video library to re-watch and comment.

What are you waiting for? Sign up today, and in just 31 days, you’ll learn some of the world’s top leadership hacks and strategies.

You can spend a few minutes on many things every day.

Make becoming a better leader one of them.

Learn more and sign up for the 31-Day Leadership Reset here.

 

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How to Talk About Tough Topics at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-talk-about-tough-topics-at-work/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:41:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46726 It seems everything these days is divisive and confrontational.
But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from talking about tough topics at work.

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It seems everything these days is divisive and confrontational.

But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from talking about tough topics at work. In fact, we need to talk about them more than ever before. There’s no better way to build connections, develop empathy, and see the other side than to talk to people.

Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist, speaker, and author of Do Nothing: How to Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving and Speaking of Race: Why Everyone Needs to Talk About Race–And How To Do It, says it’s important to talk about things like politics and race at work but to do it in a respectful and level-headed way.

Celeste gives four suggestions for having tough conversations:

  1. Stop going into conversations to change someone’s mind. Confrontation comes when we try to convince someone that our way is right. Instead, share your viewpoint and listen to the other person. Go into the conversation to share and learn, not persuade.
  2. Don’t worry about your response or what you’ll say next. Instead, think about what you want to hear from the other person to understand their side better. Focus on listening to their side instead of mentally preparing your comeback.
  3. Connect with the other person emotionally and show them empathy instead of trying to logically win a fight with statistics and facts. People aren’t numbers. Oftentimes the best understanding happens when we remember people as people and find human and emotional connections instead of getting wrapped up in statistics.
  4. Make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to have this type of conversation. If you’re maxed out or on edge, it’s probably not the right time to talk about tough topics. Evaluate your mental capacity and energy before you begin.

Tough topics can be polarizing, but they can also be opportunities to understand people better and open your mind to new points of view. By having these difficult conversations in a respectful way, you can build relationships and create a welcome and inclusive work environment.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Is Simon Sinek Wrong About CEOs? https://thefutureorganization.com/is-simon-sinek-wrong-about-ceos/ Wed, 03 Aug 2022 13:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46717 Last year, Simon Sinek shared a video saying that the title of CEO needs to go and be replaced by Chief Vision Officer.

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Last year, Simon Sinek shared a video saying that the title of CEO needs to go and be replaced by Chief Vision Officer.

He argued that every other title explains a person’s role–the CMO works in marketing, the CTO works in technology, etc. But when it comes to the CEO, most people don’t know what the role even means.

If the CEO’s role is to set the vision and inspire people, Sinek says they should be called the Chief Vision Officer.

I don’t agree.

I’ve talked to hundreds of leaders and employees around the world. Almost everyone knows the responsibilities of the CEO: set the vision, inspire people, guide the organization, and create a better world.

The issue isn’t the title. It’s that we don’t hold the CEO accountable for doing what they should be doing.

Changing the title isn’t going to make any difference.

We’ve got to go back to the foundation of leadership, including defining what it means to lead and be a leader. When we understand what it means to lead, we can put people in leadership positions who have the right skills and mindsets.

Instead of promoting the most connected or most senior people, we need to promote people who are skilled at unlocking potential, seeing the big picture, and motivating others. And then we need to hold them accountable to do those things.

The CEO title isn’t the issue. And changing the title won’t change anything. We’ve got to re-think leadership and ensure we have the right people in leadership roles.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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How Someone On My Team Told Me “No” https://thefutureorganization.com/how-someone-on-my-team-told-me-no/ Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46714 "What do you want me to prioritize first?"
It was a question that made me stop and think.

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“What do you want me to prioritize first?”

It was a question that made me stop and think.

A few years ago, I sent a ton of work to a writer on my team. When faced with numerous deadlines, she simply asked what I wanted her to prioritize.

It was her way of saying no without actually saying no.

As a leader and entrepreneur, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is learn to say no. But no doesn’t always mean coming right out and saying the word. There are gentler ways to turn someone down or make them realize their request is too much.

In the case of my writer, her response wasn’t a total “No”–it was more of a “Not all at once.”

It’s good to get in the habit of asking yourself what tasks to prioritize. The less important tasks will get pushed back or fall off completely. If they aren’t worth making it in the top one or two tiers of priority, they likely aren’t worth saying yes to.

Similarly, you can ask your leaders and colleagues this question, especially when there are multiple tasks or projects on the table at once.

Taking a step back to prioritize tasks allows you to say no to the tasks that aren’t important and yes to the things that keep you moving in the right direction.

It’s easy to say yes to everything, but most of us do so at the expense of saying no to ourselves; this is a terrible way to live and lead.

To succeed in the future of work, everyone–leaders, entrepreneurs, freelancers, entry-level employees–has to learn to say no. And we can say no without actually saying no.

Focusing on the essential tasks and saying no to the rest is crucial for mental health in our personal and professional lives.

And it all starts with a simple question.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Bill George, Former CEO of Medtronic On How To Lead Authentically In Today’s Workplace & Why Values Are Important https://thefutureorganization.com/bill-george-former-ceo-of-medtronic-on-how-to-lead-authentically-in-todays-workplace-why-values-are-important/ Mon, 01 Aug 2022 12:39:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46704 Bill George was born in Michigan and raised in Grand Rapids. As an only child, his parents greatly influenced his future career.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Bill_George_-_Ready.mp3

Bill George Transcript

Bill George was born in Michigan and raised in Grand Rapids. As an only child, his parents greatly influenced his future career. His father poised him to be a company leader, and his mother was adamant that he should always stick to his values. His father’s wishes and aspirations for him derailed him in his formative years in High School and Georgia Tech.

His single-mindedness for presidency roles during these years made him overlook the importance of personal relationships in honing his leadership skills. The feedback from a Georgia Tech Senior was a wake-up call, as he told him that no one would work with him due to his rigidness and an unquenchable thirst for leadership roles.

These harsh words made him comprehend the absurdity of his actions and realize his mistakes. Flash forward to the present day, he has established a Self-Help Leadership Program, is a former CEO of Medtronic and is a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School. Moreover, he has recently released his book ‘True North: Leading Authentically in Today’s Workplace’.

Early Mistakes Lead to Clarity

Mr. George recalls his early mistakes and his misconception of the meaning of Leadership. His approach lacked connection with other humans and formed superficial relationships. Today, he insists that Leadership is all about relationships, and he is grateful for the feedback he received from the people who rejected him.

Many CEOs and presidents of companies lack the enthusiasm and will to connect on a humane level with their subordinates. Mr. George claims that these people lack the grit to be genuine Leaders. These people told him that his focus on his quest superseded the yearning for human connection, and the cost was his dismissal in their minds.

He wrote the book ‘True North: Leading Authentically in Today’s Workplace’ to address the egocentric nature of the boomer generation. Everything was about their self-interest, and only a tiny percentage of this generation grasped the importance of building healthy relationships in attaining Leadership skills.

Medtronic: The True North in Mr. George’s Career Course

The acquisition of Leadership skills derives from being a role model for your subordinates. A predominant example is Mr. George’s tenure as a CEO of Medtronic, where the company soared in a time span of a few years. Mr. George attributes this unprecedented growth to the company’s innovative ideas and the acknowledgement of the contribution of frontline people to the company’s success.

Generally, Mr. George believes that a company’s people are its greatest assets and treasures. Without them, a company fails to keep the motor running and becomes stale. Furthermore, one of the breakthroughs of Medtronic was to release the inner Leader of each of its employees.

The CEOs of Medtronic assigned different projects to the employees and gave them the freedom to devise their cunning solutions. This freedom of expression for the employees was informal training on how to be effective and innovative leaders. Therefore, harboring prospective Leaders was another pivotal moment for Mr. George in Medtronic.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

 

The 3 Stanford Questions

Mr. George has always been passionate about leading people, but he could not find a thriving and fruitful environment for many years. In the recent past, Mr George attended Stanford University for a conference and asked three questions to the students. The first one was to identify the source of their passion for leading.

Furthermore, Mr. George states that leading without purpose is a doomed cause and brings forth his tenure at Honeywell as an example. The definition of success for Honeywell was securing lucrative deals and soaring the company’s revenue. The latter is a rather myopic vision, from Mr. George’s perspective, and it fails to deliver the genuine core of Leadership.

On the contrary, Mr. George, as the CEO of Medtronic, had a noble purpose and demonstrated an elevated sense of social responsibility. The company’s goal was to minimize the time needed for healing a person treated with a Medtronic product. When Mr. George arrived at Medtronic, the time mentioned above was 100 seconds, and until his departure, the time diminished to 7 seconds.

The Stanford conference attendees’ second question was how they should develop as leaders. Mr. George acknowledged his initial difficulties in comprehending his self-awareness problems, and after a period of healing, he realized the following:

1) Helping other people is highly inspiring

2) Receiving feedback from your subordinates makes you grow into a more effective Leader.

His last question to the Stanford conference attendees was what impact they would like to have in the world. Mr. George’s dream has always been facilitating other Leaders to fulfill their potential and, generally, orienting people to find their route in life. He describes the last activity as his North Star or, as his book has it, his True North.

In Wrapping Up-Finding your True North

The True North of a person comprises the following attributes:

1) Who is he/she?

2) What are his/her beliefs?

3) What is he/she passionate about, and what motivates him/her?

4) Where does he/she find satisfaction and fulfillment in his/her life?

Finding your True North requires extensive digging into your past and reflecting on your behavior in times of scarcity and adversity. These harsh times are where we grow as personalities and reach our full potential. Mr. George likens this period of struggle to being naked in the sun and states that you figure out your genuine self in these times.

Another crucial part is never losing sight of your True North and purpose because it can derail you to something entirely different from your personality. In these times, you realize the importance of having a significant other, friends and mentors, as their words of encouragement put you back on your road.

Mr. George recalls that when he was in the company Honeywell, he had to decide: Either compromising his purpose for a lucrative salary or handing in his resignation and resuming his quest for his True North.

Mr. George also signifies the importance of values. His characteristic phrase for this is the following: “When your net worth is your self-worth, you are in trouble”. Therefore, if a person compromises his values for lucrative contracts, he is about to have more significant compromises in the future.

Conclusively, demonstrating excellent Leadership skills requires all of the above plus the following attributes:

1) Empathy

2) Compassion for other people

3) Courage

All these attributes combined equally with vulnerability. Vulnerability is a fundamental trait of an effective, compassionate and authentic Leader.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Workplace is a business communication tool from Meta. Think Facebook, but for your company.

It’s part of Meta’s vision for the future of work. A future in which we’ll all feel more present, connected and productive.

Start your journey into the future of work at workplace.com/future.

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Employee Experience Isn’t a Buzzword Anymore! https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-isnt-a-buzzword-anymore/ Fri, 29 Jul 2022 13:53:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46696 Are you intimidated by the Great Resignation?
Instead, think of it as the Great Opportunity.

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Are you intimidated by the Great Resignation?

Instead, think of it as the Great Opportunity.

It’s your opportunity to update your workplace practices, create a great place to work, and bring in top talent.

It’s your opportunity to think beyond perks and benefits to make core changes to what it’s like to work at your company.

The world has changed so much over the past few years. It’s time we change along with it. That means using these changes as a catalyst to think differently about what it means to be an employee, a leader, and what it means to work.

Now is your opportunity to create an organization where people WANT, not NEED, to show up to work.

And all of those changes come back to employee experience.

There’s a lot of talk about employee experience, but many people don’t know what it really means or how to make it a reality in their organizations.

 

For several years I’ve been on a mission to change that. I never had a good employee experience so 15 years ago after an executive made me get him coffee, I set off on my own.

I’ve spent years researching employee experience and pioneered concepts and practices used by many of the world’s top organizations. But employee experience isn’t just for the Googles and Microsofts of the world–it’s for every company, large and small.

I define employee experience as:

Creating an organization where people want, not need to show up to work each day by making core changes to the workplace around three environments which are culture, technology, and physical space.

In my revamped Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0, I share everything you need to know to create an amazing, people-first organization. This includes everything from the basics of defining employee experience to the three environments that contribute to providing best practices and tips you can implement today.

In this course, you’ll learn:

  • The difference between employee engagement and employee experience
  • Trends shaping the employee experience
  • The impact COVID had on employee experience
  • The ROI of investing in employee experience
  • How to design great employee experiences
  • And much more!

 

Employee experience isn’t just a buzzword. It has a real impact on organizations. Organizations that excel in employee experience have higher profits, better stock price performance, lower turnover, and more.

I want to help you reach those benefits.

If you sign up you will get:

  • Over 4 hours of video content broken up into easily digestible video segments
  • Assessments
  • Lifetime access to the program for any new updates and contents
  • Direct access to mr via the course platform
  • A certificate of completion
  • Links to supplemental information and materials

This course isn’t just for HR professionals. It’s for everyone interested in employee experience who wants to make a difference, no matter your job title.

Yes, times are changing, but they don’t have to be scary. Look at it as an opportunity to update your organization and grow to prepare for the future.

What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more about the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0 and sign up. See you inside!

 

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What Can Employee Experience Bring to the Business? https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-business-outcomes/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46687 One of the most important metrics for companies is ROI. They want to prove a return from investing in various business ventures and initiatives.

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One of the most important metrics for companies is ROI. They want to prove a return from investing in various business ventures and initiatives.

Some people say it is challenging to see the ROI of employee experience.

But when you look at companies that excel in employee experience and create engaged and empowered employees, the business value is incredible.

I’ve researched top employee experience companies and found that they crush the competition in numerous categories, including growth, productivity, and stock price.

Aside from that, employee experience leads to greater innovation, customer satisfaction, and overall happiness. It helps companies go green, build a strong employer brand, and attract and retain top talent.

What’s the reason for this? When companies focus on employee experience, they change their workplace practices to create an environment where people want to come to work. Companies remove roadblocks and bottlenecks to become more efficient and productive. Engaged employees put in their best effort and are empowered to do their jobs well. Happy employees naturally provide better service, which leads to a great customer experience.

By investing in the three employee experience areas of culture, technology, and physical space, companies are investing in countless business outcomes. Nearly everything an organization does comes back to its employee experience.

Once you start looking for it, the ROI of employee experience is easy to see. Putting people first leads to countless positive business outcomes.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The Five B’s of Purposeful Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/the-five-bs-of-purposeful-leadership-2/ Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46683 What separates successful leaders from mediocre leaders?
Great leaders are purposeful. They understand the purpose of their people and know what drives them.

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What separates successful leaders from mediocre leaders?

Great leaders are purposeful. They understand the purpose of their people and know what drives them. Instead of chasing money or power, purposeful leaders look beyond themselves to serve others.

When I interviewed Hubert Joly, the former CEO of Best Buy, on my podcast, he shared his 5 B’s of purposeful leadership:

  1. Be clear about your purpose as a human. What are your goals? What do you stand for? Define your purpose and talk about it with other people. Sharing your goals and values builds connections and trust.
  2. Be clear about who you serve. Purposeful leaders don’t act out of self interest. Instead, they serve other people. They know their job is to make other people more successful than them.
  3. Be clear about your role. As a leader, your job isn’t to be the smartest or most capable person in the room. Your ultimate role is to create an environment where people can thrive and succeed.
  4. Be a value-driven leader. Purposeful leaders do the right thing and act with integrity. Their values guide their actions and build trust.
  5. Be an authentic leader. The best leaders are authentic and genuine. They don’t act one way at home and another way at work but bring their whole self to work. Being authentic requires vulnerability and humility and showcasing your real, human self.

Hubert used these 5 B’s to guide his incredible leadership career. As you develop your sense of purpose and improve in these five critical areas, you can establish purposeful leadership and become a successful, future-ready leader.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Firing 900 Employees Over Zoom?! Lessons From The CEO Of Better.com https://thefutureorganization.com/firing-900-employees-over-zoom-lessons-from-the-ceo-of-better-com/ Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46680 Last year, Better.com was all over the news. But not for the right reasons.
Just before the holidays, the CEO called 900 employees to a Zoom call and fired every one of them.

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Last year, Better.com was all over the news. But not for the right reasons.

Just before the holidays, the CEO called 900 employees to a Zoom call and fired every one of them. He even accused many employees of stealing from the company for not being honest with their timecards. This is from a CEO who earned a $25 million bonus the year before.

This event sent shockwaves through the business world. But as startling as it was, the example of Better.com teaches four crucial leadership lessons:

The importance of being human

Employees are people, so leaders need to be human. Layoffs happen. But instead of laying everyone off unexpectedly all at once, be human and show empathy and kindness.

Timing matters

Whether you’re giving good or bad news, timing matters. When you deliver updates and information has a huge impact on morale and culture. Laying off hundreds of people right before the holidays wasn’t the right timing.

Do everything in your power before you let employees go

Take care of your people and don’t jump to laying them off before trying everything else you can think of. I’ve talked with numerous CEOs who have led their companies through difficult times without firing anyone. It can require creativity and sacrifice, but do everything you can.

Employee experience is reflected in customer experience

Customers don’t want to interact with companies that treat their employees poorly. After the Better.com story went viral, the company lost numerous customers and market share. Taking care of your employees creates an environment customers want to join.

Firing 900 employees over Zoom is an extreme example of poor leadership, but it shows the impact leaders can have. The lessons learned can shape all leaders through good times and bad.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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What We Can Learn About Success When Women Lead & Why We Have So Few Women Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/what-we-can-learn-about-success-when-women-lead-why-we-have-so-few-women-leaders/ Mon, 25 Jul 2022 10:00:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46671 Julia Boorstin is a Senior and Media Tech Correspondent of CNBC. She is also the author of the upcoming book ‘When Women Lead: What We Achieve, Why We Succeed and What We Can Learn’.

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Julia Boorstin Transcript

Julia Boorstin is a Senior and Media Tech Correspondent of CNBC. She is also the author of the upcoming book ‘When Women Lead: What We Achieve, Why We Succeed and What We Can Learn’. The unveiling of this book is on the 11th of October, 2022. Mrs. Boorstin has always been fascinated by merely asking questions, and therefore she could not have chosen a more suitable career.

The family heritage amassed with journalists and writers led her in her initial media endeavor in the newspaper of her High School. After claiming a similar position in the College newspaper and attending some writing classes during the same period, she sought a way into the booming Magazine Industry in New York. She landed her first job in the Industry mentioned above in Fortune Magazine.

Mrs. Boorstin recalls the importance of landing her first job in a prestigious company like Fortune Magazine. She attained a great deal of knowledge regarding Business in these formative years and had alongside her numerous role models. As a result, she started appearing as a contributor on CNN and CNN Headline News before CNBC hired her in 2006.

Furthermore, Mrs. Boorstin claims that the rapid insertion of online news into our lives played a significant part in her career. But her main driving force was, and remains, the burning passion for reading, researching and asking questions. These processes, alongside her love for telling stories about people that inspire others to live to their fullest, led her to write her latest book.

The process of writing the book When Women Lead: What We Achieve, Why We Succeed and What We Can Learn’.

This October-bound to-be-released book is based on two projects Mrs. Boorstin had on CNBC. The first project is the ‘Disruptor 50 List’, which focuses on the 50 fastest-growing private venture-backed companies that can alter the way of thinking in the corporate world. This project took place some years earlier and included numerous interviews with the CEOs of these companies regarding Leadership and Innovation.

Unfortunately, male CEOs vastly outnumbered their female counterparts, but the female CEOs had excellent communication, organization and the other necessary for their role skills. Mrs. Boorstin quickly assessed that this project intertwines with another project called ‘Closing the Gap’. This project encouraged various companies to address any imposed discrimination policies regarding gender or other forms of identity.

The ultimate goal has always been a fairer representation of women in the upper ranks of the corporate world. An alarming statistic regarding this matter demonstrates that female CEOs capitalize on merely 3 % of the total sum of venture capital financing. Mrs. Boorstin attempts to alter the narrative by incorporating the stories of female success from her ‘Disruptor 50 List’ project.

Mrs. Boorstin states that she wants to share the stories of these exceptional women in her upcoming book because they exhibited unique Leadership characteristics that can educate the public. The book comprises the stories of 65 different women accompanied with the backing of data on Leadership and the credibility of 100 academic studies—the overall number of interviews needed for this book culminated in the impressive number of 150.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

 

Pattern Matching and other Prejudices

Mrs. Boorstin believes that the unequal and unjust representation of women in the upper ranks of business is due to several social and structural issues, mainly pattern matching. Pattern matching is a habit investors adopt and follow an already established and successful route. If someone has received their backing in the past and was a success, he doubles his chances for another generous package in the foreseeable future.

Therefore, the shortage of women in the top hierarchy of companies dents their hope for a fair investment. The lack of many successful precedents discourages possible investors from investing, despite the meticulousness of the business plan. Pattern matching is a primal instinct rooted in our psyche for eons.

Mrs. Boorstin refers in her new book to the innovative tools facilitating the hiring process in companies. These tools demonstrate an alternative way of decision-making, where the potential of an individual outweighs his/her experience. Using the same tools in Venture Capital Funding is paramount for adopting an innovative decision-making system circumventing pattern matching and other social prejudices.

Another prejudice against women is their apparent inability to cope with their careers and motherhood. Mrs. Boorstin encouraged the women she interviewed to share the stories of how they exhibited courage and resilience against these toxic adversities. Most women demonstrated remarkable adaptability in their roles and stated that they absorbed any bias towards them and transformed it into magnificent deeds.

The Pillars of Being a (Female) Leader-In Wrapping Up

Mrs. Boorstin states that no one is born a great leader, but it is a gradual process that first and foremost involves being resilient and determined in the face of a crisis. She provides three characteristic examples of the CEOs of non-profit organizations, ‘Care USA’, ‘Feeding America’ and a Biometric company in the airports. The female CEOs of the above companies faced numerous adversities during the pandemic, but they remained calm, clear-headed and had a thorough escape plan in case a crisis emerged.

Vulnerability is another central pillar of effective Leadership. Women, by nature, are more comfortable in being open about their struggles than men, and this trait elevates them in the eyes of their employees. Being vulnerable establishes a culture of psychological safety within their company, and the employees feel more drawn to them. They lead by the example of being a person with weaknesses and without superficial traits.

A predominant example of the above is the actress Gwyneth Paltrow. She founded a company named Goop and never claimed that she knew everything. Furthermore, she revealed her struggle with postpartum depression, and this demonstration of vulnerability made her a role model for all the female Leaders and her clients.

The last pillar of a genuine Leader is contextual thinking. Mrs. Boorstin believes that contextual thinking is the process of finding the root of a problem and applying the appropriate solution. It is a simple precautionary process, and its motto is: “Better be a fire preventer instead of a firefighter”.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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What Does it Take to Lead in a Constantly Changing World? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-it-take-to-lead-in-a-constantly-changing-world/ Fri, 22 Jul 2022 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46667 It's wild to think that 15 years ago, we didn't have the iPad, Slack, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Those technologies are fundamental to our work and life today.

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It’s wild to think that 15 years ago, we didn’t have the iPad, Slack, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Those technologies are fundamental to our work and life today.

We’ve seen incredible advancements in the past decades, but especially in the past years. Just three years ago, we were following 8-5 schedules in big offices. Today, many people work remotely, create their own schedules, and collaborate with team members around the world.

The way we live and work is changing quickly. The way we lead also needs to change. With such rapid and dramatic changes, we can’t just rely on what we did in the past.

Instead, future leaders need to focus on growth and adaptability. The role of a leader has never been more challenging–but it has also never been as crucial.

What does it take to lead in a constantly changing world?

You have to develop a new set of skills and mindsets.

And I’m here to help you do that.

I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs and spent years researching the trends facing leadership and how leaders can prepare now to thrive in the future. From there, I created the Notable Nine–the nine skills and mindsets all leaders will need in the future.

I put together all of my best research, tips, and takeaways into The Future Leader Course. It’s an in-depth look at how to develop now to lead the future of work. In this course, you’ll learn best practices and skills you won’t get anywhere else. These are things you can apply today and work to improve over time. It’s a must-do for anyone who wants to become a better leader and future-proof their career.

Click here to learn more and sign up. 

Now is the time to prepare. The future will be here before we know it.

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Employee Experience Design https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-design/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46652 What is employee experience?
It’s a question I’m asked regularly and something many organizations struggle with.

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What is employee experience?

It’s a question I’m asked regularly and something many organizations struggle with.

But it comes down to this: employee experience combines employees’ expectations, needs, and wants with the organizational design of employees’ expectations, needs, and wants.

Every employee has expectations and needs. When they work for a company, they have an idea of what it will be like and what they’re hoping to get out of it. They may expect to be challenged, develop professionally and personally, work on a team, or grow their skills. To do that, they need an environment that fosters collaboration, the right technology, training opportunities, and a flexible schedule. That’s one side of employee experience design.

On the other side is the organizational design of employees’ expectations and needs. This is what the organization needs to succeed and the company’s view of what employees want. Leaders may think employees want free lunch and better pay to keep them with the company. They may be limited in their budget or reporting structure.

Employee experience happens when these two sides come together and focus on their similarities. Organizations can’t create an employee experience plan without knowing what matters to employees, just like employees have to consider the organization’s constraints.

Employee experience changes core workplace practices to make real organizational change that supports employees and matches their expectations. It requires intentional design and strategy.

Employee experience is created just by leaders. It involves every person in the company to create an environment where everyone is empowered to succeed.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The Best Leaders Break Rules https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-leaders-break-rules/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:00:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46649 Speed limits. Restaurant food handling guidelines. Curfews.
Most rules are meant to be kept.
But the best leaders know when to break the rules.

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Speed limits. Restaurant food handling guidelines. Curfews.

Most rules are meant to be kept.

But the best leaders know when to break the rules.

There are times when leaders need to make an exception to the rule to serve their customers and employees. Knowing when to break the rules and how to do it in the best way is what separates great leaders from the rest of the pack.

Great leaders break the rule to stay open a few minutes for a customer who is running late. They may break the schedule of visiting employees to spend more time with an employee who has a question. Or they may break the rule of a standard process to fast-track a project for a client.

These leaders know when to break the rules to go above and beyond. They aren’t afraid to break free of what’s always been done to get great results and serve their people.

Of course, there are rules that leaders must keep, like tracking finances and being honest.

But when it comes to helping their people, building connections, and making a difference, the best leaders know when to break the rules.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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9 Employee Experience Categories https://thefutureorganization.com/9-employee-experience-categories/ Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46645 Where does your company fall on the employee experience spectrum?
There are more options than just being good or bad at employee experience.

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Where does your company fall on the employee experience spectrum?

There are more options than just being good or bad at employee experience. I created nine categories that can apply to organizations based on the three employee experience environments: culture, technology, and physical space:

Inexperienced companies are poor in all three areas. Employee experience isn’t a consideration for companies stuck in old-fashioned, hierarchical practices.

Then there are three types of companies that excel in just one of the employee experience areas.

  • Technology emergent companies are good at technology but poor at culture and physical space. Employees may have the newest devices and software but not the culture and environment to support their use.
  • Physically emergent companies are good at physical space but poor at culture and technology. These companies have flashy offices and lots of perks, but employees aren’t engaged and don’t have the right tools.
  • Culturally emergent companies are good at culture but not at physical space or technology. They stick to their mission or values, but employees are held back by a lack of tools, training, and flexibility.

The next level up is companies that are good in two areas.

  • Enabled companies are good at physical space and technology but poor at culture. Employees have the tools and space to work, but the structure and environment are lacking.
  • Empowered companies are good at culture and technology but poor at physical space. Employees would excel if it weren’t for a poor office space or WFH setup.
  • Engaged companies are good at culture and physical space but poor at technology. These employees want to do their best work but don’t have the technology to back it up.

The final level is companies that focus on all three areas of employee experience.

  • Pre-Experiential companies are good at culture, technology, and physical space. They have a well-rounded approach to employee experience.
  • Experiential companies are amazing at culture, technology, and physical space. Very few companies hit this point, but the ones that do crush the competition and create an environment of engaged and empowered employees who can make a difference.

Where does your company fall in these categories? By identifying where you are now, you can identify areas for improvement to help your company move towards the ultimate goal of being an experiential organization.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The CEO of WHOOP On Using Metrics To Optimize Health & Performance At Work and at Home https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-whoop-on-using-metrics-to-optimize-health-performance-at-work-and-at-home/ Mon, 18 Jul 2022 09:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46640 Will Ahmed is the CEO and Founder of Whoop, an innovative company in the field of physical metrics.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Will_Ahmed_-_Ready.mp3

Will Ahmed Trasncript

Will Ahmed is the CEO and Founder of Whoop, an innovative company in the field of physical metrics. He grew up on the North Shore of Long Island as an only child. His father was of Egyptian origin and a street-smart person, while his American mother was well-educated. Mr. Ahmed attributes his affinity for problem-solving to his upbringing from his parents.

His college squash experience also exhibited a significant role in honing his skills and founding his company. He became the captain of the Harvard Squash Team, and from there, he grew accustomed to Physiology. He obtained knowledge regarding Human Physiology by studying numerous papers and authoring a paper concerning the continuous comprehension of the Human Body. The latter paper was the initial business plan for his company, Whoop, which was founded in his senior year.

The Breakthrough of Whoop

Whoop is a pioneering company in the field of Human Body metrics. They produce wearable technology for various parts of the human body to derive measurements that facilitate the user’s behavior change and training habits. A person who has been utilizing the Whoop technology for a significant amount of time oversees major changes in his physical and psychological condition. This innovative technology promotes the idea that people can attain their peak health status and significantly improve their lifestyles.

Whoop’s vision has always been to inspire people to fulfill their full potential, be in elevated spirits, and be in their best physical condition. Two of the first users of Whoop were Lebron James and Michael Phelps, and many more partnerships with highly esteemed Sports Leagues and Teams were forged throughout the years. Nowadays, many everyday people are using the Whoop technology due to their willingness to improve in all facets of life.

Whoop is a promise that has come of age. Today the widespread usage of smartphones, iPhones and tablets and the Fourth Industrial Revolution of Data Science and Data Analysis has paved the way to a future that seemed unfathomable a few decades ago. With the ease of a click and a glance, people can monitor vital health metrics such as heart rate and pulse.

Whoop has established a paradigm that only the essential metrics and data should be taken into account. Overburdening the users with unnecessary information deters their effort to improve their health and does not elicit any behavior change. Behavior change and health improvement come only after deriving robust conclusions from crucial metrics such as heart rate variability.

The Importance of Heart Rate Variability And Health Monitoring

Heart rate variability is an indicator of the function of the autonomic nervous system, which consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Sympathetic activity is the outcome of a person’s actions in an anxious and intense mode. These outcomes are increases in his blood pressure, heart rate and respiration. On the other hand, parasympathetic activity involves all the actions and consequences when a person is relaxed, where all his physical metrics are considerably low.

Heart rate variability was a metric that has been intriguing Mr. Ahmed since his college years. He has amassed tons of knowledge on the subject and has found that many sectors of the economy utilize it to derive robust deductions. If a person exhibits a balanced sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, he/she displays high heart rate variability. Professional athletes like cyclists utilize it to detect the optimal training program. Furthermore, the CIA had been using heart rate variability for decades in their notorious lie detector tests.

Mr. Ahmed also states that heart rate variability has a direct link with electrocardiograms, as heart rate variability accompanies the results of the electrocardiograms in several cases. A predominant example is doctors’ predictions for possible heart attacks in their patients. The possibilities and the applications of heart rate variability are endless, and Whoop has delivered affordable solutions to the public. For many years the utilization of this metric was a laborious and expensive task.

Furthermore, Whoop has established routine and continuous measurements regarding heart rate variability. Continuous measurements confer stability and credibility to the entire process and greatly facilitate the physicians’ conclusions. In addition, another factor that determines someone’s heart rate variability is the impact of the stressful and relaxed moments of the day.

The stressful and relaxed moments in a person’s day are easily recognizable on the surface, but there are stress triggers that are inconceivable in speaking. Mr Ahmed draws an interesting parallel with the recent pandemic of COVID-19, where he states that many people were carriers of the virus and could spread the disease but were asymptomatic. He concludes this notion with the remark that health monitoring was the primary weapon against COVID-19, which should be the main course of action in any potentially severe circumstance.

Another remarkable effect of health monitoring is the increased comprehension of the human body. A predominant example is the ability to detect a lower respiratory tract infection such as COVID-19 by measuring the respiratory rate. Furthermore, the Whoop technology enabled people to understand whether a severe pathological condition such as a heart attack occurs. Therefore, people receive these signals from their bodies and proceed cautiously to adopt the necessary prerequisite measures to tackle their pathological condition.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

 

The Role of REM and Slow Wave Sleep in the Quality of Life

Mr. Ahmed also addresses the importance of quality sleep to maintain our health properly. There are four different stages of sleep, which are the following:

1) Awake

2) Light sleep

3) REM

4) Slow wave sleep

The benefits of sleep solely stem from REM and slow wave sleep due to the fundamental physiological changes occurring in these two types of sleep. During REM sleep is where the mind heals and repairs its function. A distinctive attribute of REM sleep is if someone remembers his/her dreams, while the inability to recall dreams manifests a low level of REM sleep. During slow wave sleep, the human body produces 95 % of its human growth hormone, and, therefore, it has a profound effect on muscle repair.

Mr. Ahmed states that the effects of high-quality REM and slow wave sleep are distinctive in a person’s appearance and overall health. Slight changes in our diet, sleep hours, and alcohol consumption can work wonders in our sleep patterns and health improvement. Moreover, other factors such as anxiety, fighting with our close ones and how light or dark our bedroom is exhibit significant influence on our sleep patterns. Whoop facilitates people to improve the aforementioned health indicators by providing information to enhance their lifestyle.

The Modus Operandi and Challenges of Whoop

Whoop gathers tons of data to provide efficient, high-quality solutions for its clients. Some examples of this data are the following:

1) Heart rate

2) Heart rate variability

3) Skin conductivity

4) Body temperature

5) REM sleep slow wave disturbances

6) Sleep latency

7) Respiratory rate

8) Pulse ox

Whoop does not merely gather all these data but also provides insightful qualitative analyses about them. Suppose a person has been in stressful situations for a significant time. In that case, Whoop assessed qualitatively this period with the metric of strain and quantifies the recovery from the strain as a score from zero to 100. The gradual recovery period enhances people’s belief in their healing regardless of their physical condition. Therefore, the entire process positively impacts their psychology and accelerates their recovery.

Whoop has also launched a B2B platform with the name Unite, which promotes the health and performance of entire organizations. One example of such an organization is the Navy SEALS, among 150 other businesses and organizations. These businesses value the importance of quality sleep and health monitoring to be more effective in the hurdles and challenges of today’s competitive environment.

Mr. Ahmed states that the principal reason behind the founding of Whoop is to obliterate the damaging process of overtraining. Overtraining negatively impacts a series of health indicators, such as heart rate variability and respiratory rate, and causes severe mood disorders and possibly a mental breakdown. Challenging the concept of overtraining was one of the principal reasons for the success of Whoop, which has led to a backing of $400 million from various investors throughout the years.

Despite investors’ impressive backing, founding Whoop had enormous challenges for Mr. Ahmed. The first and foremost hurdle was to secure the amount of investment needed for such a breakthrough during the initial years after the founding. Whoop also owns and takes responsibility for every aspect of its technology, and due to its innovative nature, the financial projections often go awry.

In Wrapping Up…

Mr. Ahmed advises the prospective Leaders to have a clear vision and orientation and have a firm grasp and knowledge in their field. He also recalls that the processes of collecting data, building hardware and applying the necessary data analyses were cumbersome, but all these challenges paid off in the end. Another crucial part at the beginning of Whoop was to convince the public that it is not a mere watch but a health monitor device.

After founding Whoop, Mr. Ahmed adopted some habits to alternate his lifestyle and improve his health and overall well-being. The most prominent ones are:

1) Not having coffee after 2 p.m.

2) Meditating

3) Wearing blue light-blocking glasses during sleep

4) Drinking tons of water

5) Eating three meals per day without any snacks

6) Taking melatonin and magnesium before sleep

Mr. Ahmed, as the CEO of Whoop, adopted the above scientifically proven methods for improving his quality of life and sleep. As a true leader, he sets the principles and paves the way for the other members of his company and the clients.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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How to Get Practical Insights to Lead the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-get-practical-insights-to-lead-the-future-of-work/ Fri, 15 Jul 2022 14:07:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46635 What if you could sit down with more than 100 of the world’s top business leaders to pick their brains?

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What if you could sit down with more than 100 of the world’s top business leaders to pick their brains?

Would you ask their secrets to success? How do they lead successful companies in this rapidly changing world? The advice they would give to the next generation?

There’s so much value and insight to gain from these top business leaders. But you don’t have to worry about chatting with them individually, because I’ve done that. And I put their best advice, wisdom, and stories in my book, The Future Leader.

It’s no secret that the world of work and leadership is changing rapidly–even before the pandemic. Leaders can’t keep doing the same things they used to and hope to succeed in the future.

The changing work landscape demands a new type of leader: someone who is agile, tech-savvy, and human.

That’s what I talked about with these 140-plus business leaders. I got their insights on the skills and mindsets required to survive and thrive as a future leader and distilled them into the Notable Nine. The skills of the futurist, Yoda, the translator, the coach, and the technology teen, and the mindsets of the explorer, the chef, the servant, and the global citizen. These practical tips and takeaways give you the steps to becoming a future-ready leader.

The shelves are full of leadership books. But they all tell you how to be a leader in a world that’s already gone. Only my book focuses on the future of leadership and combines robust research with best practices to provide real, actionable tips.

You may not be able to sit down with these great leaders, but by following their advice and adopting the skills and mindsets of future leaders, you could join their ranks soon.

Prepare now to become a future-ready leader. The Future Leader is the best resource to make that happen.

Get your copy here.

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Typical Employee Life Cycle https://thefutureorganization.com/typical-employee-life-cycle/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 13:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46609 For decades, companies have created initiatives around the employee life cycle: They start by attracting employees, then recruiting and onboarding them to the company.

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For decades, companies have created initiatives around the employee life cycle: They start by attracting employees, then recruiting and onboarding them to the company. Once employees are settled, they move to the development stage. Companies then try to retain employees and transition them into a new role, where the cycle starts over again.

This has been the basis for countless development programs, onboardings, and performance reviews.

What’s the problem with the typical employee life cycle? It’s not how employees live their lives!

Employees don’t think about their time with an organization in these buckets. They may measure their time based on the life events that happen in those years or on the things they learn.

The typical life cycle is one-sided and doesn’t consider what employees want in their careers or the other things happening in their lives. Organizations try to create neat little buckets for their employees instead of creating systems and initiatives that reflect employees’ lives and desires and actually help them grow and improve.

What about employees who don’t want to climb the corporate ladder? Or someone who changes their career?

The typical employee life cycle is outdated and doesn’t match the changing demands and expectations of modern employees.

Instead, companies need to take a more personalized approach and get to know employees as individuals. Leaders need to focus on each employee’s goals and growth plans and the moments that matter–the milestones and events that happen outside of work and affect who they are as a person, not just an employee.

Today’s employees don’t fit into molds. So don’t try to move them through the typical molded life cycle.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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5 Pieces Of Career Advice I Wish Somebody Had Told Me https://thefutureorganization.com/5-pieces-of-career-advice-i-wish-somebody-had-told-me/ Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46606 Navigating your early career can be challenging. I know that from experience.

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Navigating your early career can be challenging. I know that from experience.

But now, years into my career, I can look back at what I had to learn for myself and realize five pieces of career advice I wish someone had told me. These are things I wish I had learned earlier.

  1. Think like a taste tester. You won’t have everything figured out when you’re just getting started. That’s ok! Just like when you go to an ice cream shop and try a few flavors before deciding what to order, don’t be afraid to try different things in your life and career. Experiment and find what resonates with you.
  2. Build your own ladder. It used to be that everyone had to pay their dues and climb the standard corporate ladder. But you don’t have to climb someone else’s ladder; you can make your own. Chart your own course and don’t feel pushed to do things how everyone else does them.
  3. Listen to others, but make your own decisions. Everyone has an opinion about what you should do in your life and career. It’s good to hear their thoughts, but ultimately, you are responsible for making the decisions about your life. No one will look out for you but you.
  4. Life is too short to be miserable at work. I spent years dreading going to work because I thought I just had to slog through it. But life is too short to be in a job you hate. Don’t suffer and go through the motions. If you’re miserable, make a change.
  5. Be self-aware. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Play to your talents and get help in areas where you aren’t as strong. If I had been self-aware earlier in my career, I would have gotten help and built a team much earlier.

I’m grateful for my career journey to get me where I am today, but there are lessons I wish I had learned earlier. If you’re just starting out, I hope this advice puts you on a great path to success.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Employee Experience Equation: Reason for Being https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-equation-reason-for-being/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46598 Every successful organization has a Reason for Being.

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Every successful organization has a Reason for Being.

This isn’t just a mission statement or words on a page, but the why behind the company does what it does. A Reason for Being can’t be achieved and isn’t tied to financial results–it’s the motivation that keeps the company and its employees moving forward.

A Reason for Being is crucial to employee experience and involves all three areas of the employee experience equation: culture, technology, and physical space.

A strong Reason for Being is the foundation of an organization’s culture. Employees understand the company’s purpose and are excited to play a role. Everyone feels like a valued part of the team as the organization works toward its Reason for Being. In the case of Airbnb, which has the Reason for Being Belong Anywhere, employees feel that they belong and strive to create a world where their customers feel the same way.

Reason for Being also comes through in technology. Organizations use consumer-grade technology that is available to everyone. Employees leverage this technology to do their best work and contribute to the company’s Reason for Being. They aren’t slowed down by outdated systems, so they can play their unique role in moving the company forward.

Physical space is important to Reason for Being, even if employees work remotely. Employees have flexibility and options in how and where they work, which empowers them to do their best work. The Reason for Being guides their work decisions, not the need to sit at a desk for eight hours a day.

A Reason for Being sets the course for successful companies and guides their purpose and employee experience. It comes through in each of the three key areas and creates a place where employees want, not need, to come to work because they are part of something bigger than themselves.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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What Kind of Leader Are You, a Diminisher or a Multiplier? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-kind-of-leader-are-you-a-diminisher-or-a-multiplier/ Mon, 11 Jul 2022 10:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46603 Liz Wiseman is a New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Liz_Wiseman_-_Ready.mp3

Liz Wiseman Transcript

Liz Wiseman is a New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. She has been listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and in 2019 she was recognized as the top leadership thinker in the world. She is a researcher, an executive advisor, and the CEO of the Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm.

In Liz’s book, Multipliers, she describes two types of leaders that we have all encountered–diminishers and multipliers. As Liz says, organizations cannot afford to have leaders who are diminishers. The good news is multiplier leadership can be learned and developed.

Diminishing leaders vs. multiplier leaders

Liz gives a great metaphor for these two types of leaders. Diminishers tend to keep people on choke chains while multipliers let people off the leash, but they still hold on. It’s as though the employees are kites allowed to soar while the leader is still hanging on to the kite strings.

It’s not that diminishers are necessarily horrible people trying to control everything. As Liz shares, “Some of it comes from that micromanaging bully, narcissistic boss who, you know, gives you a little task to do rather than challenges and opportunities. But most of it’s coming from what I call the accidental diminisher. And these are leaders who care about their people, want to be good leaders trying to do the right thing. Like in my case with Ben, I was just excited to be collaborating with him. Where I needed to say, this is yours, let me back away. Hold the strings of the kite rather than suffocate you because of my enthusiasm.”

The multiplier effect

As Liz researched for her book she interviewed well-respected professionals and after asking them to identify some multiplier leaders they had worked for she asked them what percentage of their capability those leaders had been able to get from them. On average it was 95%, however she found that a lot of people gave answers of over 100%.

At first she challenged that, saying your intelligence and capability is always capped at 100%, it’s not possible to be over that. But these individuals said that the leaders were able to not only get 100% of their ability, but they stretched them and caused them to become smarter over time.

Liz says, “We know this, that intelligence. It languishes. It shrinks essentially when it’s not used. And when intelligence is challenged and used and applied, it grows. We literally get smarter and more capable around certain kinds of leaders and people and colleagues and roommates and family members. And that is really the multiplier effect. It’s getting all of people’s capability plus a growth dividend. And then the dynamic that happens across an organization where people come to work knowing that not only are they going to be fully utilized, they’re going to be challenged. That you need to show up, game ready. That’s the multiplier effect.”

The five disciplines of multipliers

For the book, Liz analyzed data on over 150 leaders and she found several areas where multipliers and diminishers act similarly including customer service and market insight. But she found five active ingredients unique to multipliers. They are:

  • The Talent Magnet: They attract and optimize talent to its fullest. They get the best out of everyone, regardless of if the people report directly to them or not
  • The Liberator: They require people’s best thinking. They create an atmosphere that is both comfortable and intense.
  • The Challenger: They extend challenges. They lay down challenges that stretch, but they also generate the belief that it can be done
  • The Debate Maker: They debate decisions. By allowing people to debate decisions early on they help people understand the change and be a part of the execution.
  • The Investor: They instill accountability. They have high expectations, but they also provide necessary resources needed to deliver and sustain results.

Diminishing behaviors to watch out for

There are several diminishing behaviors that leaders can look out for, and to do this you have to practice self-awareness. As a leader most likely you won’t have employees coming to you to point out your flaws, you have to be aware of them yourself.

One of the first behaviors Liz points out is being idea rich. If you as the leader provide all of the answers, all of the ideas, people around you tend to either get lazy or they are so busy running around trying to bring your ideas to fruition that they don’t have time to think of anything on their own. She suggests leaders keep a notepad or sticky notes around to write down ideas as they come up, and keep them to yourself until the next group meeting to discuss with your team.

Another behavior to watch out for is being optimistic all the time. Optimism in itself is not a bad thing, but there are times when individuals or the organization as a whole is going through a tough time. It is important to acknowledge the struggle sometimes. Especially as we look at the times we are going through now, try to understand what your people are going through and let them know you acknowledge this is a tough time.

A third one to be aware of is being a rapid responder. Liz says, “If the manager is so quick to respond. Then nobody else gets to do their job. Nobody else gets to take accountability because that manager has just taken it from them. So the little rule I use, I’ve had some rapid responder tendencies in the past is I use a 24 hour hands off rule, which means if an email comes in and one just came in on Friday, it was sent to me and one other person on my team who is actually the one responsible for this project. Well, I knew he was out for a bit. In a meeting and he wasn’t going to get to this and my fingers on the keyboard. About to reply because I’m like, oh, this is important. And this person is going to want to hear from us. And I just take my fingers off the keyboard and I’m like 24 hours. Hands off. Which gives him a chance to come back from his meeting, come back from his son’s Little League game, whatever it is, and take ownership and responsibility. But people can’t take ownership for something unless the manager lets go of it.”

By being aware of these behaviors, and other problem ones, and embracing the traits of multipliers we can get the absolute best from our team. Imagine what our organizations could do if we allowed our people to operate at 95% and greater.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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It Takes A Few Minutes To Be a Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/it-takes-a-few-minutes-to-be-a-better-leader/ Sat, 09 Jul 2022 13:50:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46583 Ready for another dose of short leadership tips? Come follow me on TikTok! We all have so much going on in our lives and jobs–between trying to be a stellar employee and boss, building a personal brand, spending time with friends and family, pursuing hobbies–the list goes on and on. But even with all our ... Read more

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Ready for another dose of short leadership tips?

Come follow me on TikTok!

We all have so much going on in our lives and jobs–between trying to be a stellar employee and boss, building a personal brand, spending time with friends and family, pursuing hobbies–the list goes on and on.

But even with all our responsibilities, it’s never been more important to always be learning and growing. The world is changing too quickly to stick with how things have always been done. If you want to lead in the future of work, you have to be learning and adapting constantly. But it doesn’t have to be cumbersome.

Even if you don’t have time in your day to read a long book or listen to a full podcast, you can spend one minute getting a top-tier leadership tip. That’s why I joined TikTok. It’s where I share short leadership tips, interview snippets, and questions about the future to get your brain moving.

My goal is to keep leadership development top of mind. Becoming a future-ready leader doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. My videos add value to your scrolling and give you practical and simple ways to improve as a leader and prepare for the future of work.

So, come join the fun on TikTok! It’s a great way to connect with other people and add some career and personal development to your feed. And don’t worry, you won’t see me doing any dances.

Follow me on TikTok here. 

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Path to the Experiental Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/path-to-the-experiental-organization/ Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:00:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46568 Is your organization inexperienced, experimental, or somewhere in between?

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Is your organization inexperienced, experiential, or somewhere in between?

When it comes to employee experience, organizations need to focus on all three environments: culture, technology, and physical space. Each environment is a crucial puzzle piece to creating a strong employee experience. If you miss out on one or more of these areas, your entire experience suffers.

Getting to the goal of being an experiential organization can take time and moves companies along the path.

Inexperienced companies aren’t investing in employee experience. As a result, there’s no business value or employee engagement.

Emergent companies focus only on one area of employee experience. Organizations may be culturally, technologically, or physically emergent and put all of their resources into that area. But without resources in the other areas, the employee experience is lopsided and ineffective. A company can have a great culture but terrible technology or an inviting physical space but a weak culture, which creates an overall poor employee experience.

Things start to improve for companies that focus on two of the three experience areas. These companies are engaged, enabled, and empowered. They make connections between areas like physical space and technology. But something is still missing, and an essential puzzle piece is ignored.

Pre-experiential companies start to focus on all three areas of employee experience. And organizations that nail employee experience in all three areas are known as experiential. These organizations have a well-rounded experience that embodies culture, technology, and physical space. The three environments work together to create a place where employees are empowered, welcomed, and supported. In experiential organizations, employees are there because they want to be, not just because they need to be.

The path to becoming an experiential organization can take time. But by prioritizing employee experience and investing in all three areas, you can create an organization with engaged, productive, and loyal employees.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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4 Ways to Elevate Yourself https://thefutureorganization.com/4-ways-to-elevate-yourself-2/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46565 Looking to improve yourself?
It can be difficult to know where to start. There are four ways to take your performance to the next level, which Robert Glazer shares in his book, Elevate.

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Looking to improve yourself?

It can be difficult to know where to start. There are four ways to take your performance to the next level, which Robert Glazer shares in his book, Elevate.

  1. Spiritually. Elevating yourself spiritually means being self-aware and knowing your values and what you stand for. These beliefs can be your North Star to guide your work and life decisions.
  2. Intellectually. Know your goals and where you are going. What do you hope to accomplish? What do you want to learn? Look at where you want to be, and make sure you’re on a path that will get you there.
  3. Physically. If you don’t take care of your body, it’s hard to take care of the other things in your life. Elevating yourself physically by eating healthy and being active sets you on a course to excel in other areas.
  4. Emotionally. This area is all about relationships and how you respond to challenges. Building and maintaining strong relationships is crucial to personal and professional success and requires emotional intelligence to connect with the people around us.

If you can master these four areas, you’ll be able to elevate yourself for higher performance personally and professionally. And it’s not a one-time thing; you can keep growing and improving in all four areas for a well-rounded and successful career and life.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Work-Life Balance Is Becoming Work-Life Integration https://thefutureorganization.com/work-life-balance-is-becoming-work-life-integration/ Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:00:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46562 How do you spend the majority of your time? Is it traveling, exploring a new hobby, or being with family?

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How do you spend the majority of your time? Is it traveling, exploring a new hobby, or being with family?

If you’re like most people, the answer is working. We spend a huge percentage of our lives at work.

Work is changing. For the most part, the strict boundaries that used to exist between our work and personal lives have blurred. It’s no longer about balancing work and life; it’s about integrating them. If we spend more time working than doing anything else, then work really is life, and life is work.

This isn’t just some job you’re working; this is your life that you’re building. You don’t have time to be around people who bring you down or to work for a company you don’t love because doing so means you are wasting precious time building the life you want.

Making the mental switch to work as life can be difficult, but here are a few things you can do to make sure your personal and professional goals align:

  • Look at how you spend your time. Are your hobbies the complete opposite of what you do for work? Ideally, you should be working at something you enjoy and would choose to do anyway. Consider what you do when you have free time and see how that relates to your career path.
  • Write down your personal and professional goals. Are your goals working together, or is it impossible to achieve your personal and professional goals? With work as life, there shouldn’t be a differentiation between personal and professional goals.
  • Think of how you are treated at work. Do you feel empowered and appreciated when you go to work? Don’t waste time working for an organization where you don’t enjoy going to work. Find a place where you are treated with respect.
  • Set long-term goals and aim high. It’s easy to get into a routine and not think long-term. Don’t be afraid to set lofty personal and professional goals for yourself. If your current path isn’t getting you to those goals, re-think what you’re doing.
  • Consider your values. Because work and life are so intertwined, you want to work for an organization that has the same values you do. Taking the time to find a place that aligns with your beliefs will pay off in the long run.

If you look at work as just a place to get a paycheck, you’re doing a disservice to yourself. It’s nearly impossible to avoid work and life merging into one, so align your goals to create the life experience you want. This is your life–make the most of it.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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The Secrets Of Superbosses And How You Can Become One! https://thefutureorganization.com/the-secrets-of-superbosses-and-how-you-can-become-one/ Mon, 04 Jul 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46570 Today, we are chatting with Sydney Finkelstein to discuss what makes some leaders truly exceptional.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Sydney_Finkelstein_-_Ready.mp3

Sydney Finkelstein Transcript

Today, we are chatting with Sydney Finkelstein to discuss what makes some leaders truly exceptional. Sydney is the Steven Roth Professor of Management and faculty director of the Tuck Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is also the author of the phenomenal new book Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent.

The idea for Sydney’s book and the Superboss title arose from a pattern that he noticed in the food industry where sous-chefs at a particular restaurant were moving on to new restaurants and becoming executive chefs. Sydney began to research if the pattern was present in other industries and found that in many fields, one person has immense influence in the development of talent in that field. The book took 10 years to write… the more time Sydney spent on it, the more fascinated he became!

So what exactly is a Superboss? 

While a leader is someone that creates other leaders, a Superboss is even more than that. A Superboss is a leader that helps other people accomplish more than they ever thought possible. He or she really makes it their business to turbocharge their employees’ careers. While most bosses are narrowly focused on performance, command, and control, a Superboss has an invested interest in employees succeeding.

Real examples of who is a Superboss 

Sydney shares some examples of Superbosses ranging from Ralph Lauren of fashion to Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle. He has found that there are 3 types of Superboss: Iconoclasts that tend to be creative and need to learn, Glorious Bastards who are tough and may even lead with ridicule, and Nurturers that truly care about the success of their protégés. We discuss how to spot a Superboss and how to interview a prospective employer to learn if they are a Superboss.

“Anyone in an organization can become a Superboss.” – Sydney Finkelstein

We all have the potential to be a Superboss. The traits are completely learnable and teachable but one must be willing to make the commitment. Instead of solely thinking about development of talent and retention, consider the outflow. The best talent most likely sees themselves moving on to bigger and better things so enable that idea. Continue to interact with your team members after they leave your nest. Always be on the lookout for talent, inspire your team, instill confidence in others, delegate tasks but don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, as well!

How to start chatting online with a girl? What if she doesn’t answer? What to talk about on the Internet? The abundance of questions on virtual dating, as it were, hints: “No one promised easy ways! If you want to be on top – study the techniques of seduction! Fortunately for many fans of “fludit” on the network, these techniques are not difficult, the main thing is to understand the features and secrets of virtual flirting.

What you will learn in this episode:

  • What is a Superboss
  • What separates a Superboss from others
  • How Superbosses fit in with organizational structures
  • Real examples of who a Superboss is
  • How do we identify a Superboss to work for them
  • Servant-based leadership
  • How Superbosses are motivating employees

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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What To Do When Your Leader Won’t Change https://thefutureorganization.com/what-to-do-when-your-leader-wont-change/ Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46485 They say the only constant is change.
But what if your leader doesn’t embrace change and instead refuses to adjust outdated practices?

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They say the only constant is change.

But what if your leader doesn’t embrace change and instead refuses to adjust outdated practices?

I posed this scenario to my followers and heard back from nearly 1,200 people. The vast majority (70%) said to talk to them. 15% of people said they would quit.

Change can be difficult, especially for leaders who may have been doing things a certain way for years. Many commenters suggested first talking to the leader to understand their reasons for not wanting to change. Knowing where the leader is coming from can help you tailor your approach to make change.

Consider what proof may be needed to convince them to change. Does that mean getting other leaders on board to show that most people want change? You may need to show what the competition is doing and how your company should change to keep up. Data and proof showing the financial reasons for change can also be powerful.

Commenter Erik Hupjé said this: “When it comes to managing (creating) change, it’s always a good practice to show people what’s in it for them, how the change can benefit them.”

Another commenter, Jacqueline Jackson-Cole, recommended translating figures into numbers and focusing on short-term goals before long-term goals. Tying the change to financial gain or loss and time and resources saving can be motivating to many leaders.

But that doesn’t mean the leader will always be willing to change.

Nearly every commenter mentioned that getting leaders to change can be difficult and often impossible. After all, these people are in positions of power for a reason and don’t often like to be told what to do.

Talking to a leader is different from a leader talking to an employee. There are often power dynamics to consider. When talking to your leader, think through the best channel to use that shows you respect their position but also want to change their mind. It could be meeting with them one on one to share why you want something to change, or you may need to bring up the issue at an all-hands meeting or open forum. Occasionally, you may need to talk to another leader who is their peer or superior who can lead the charge. Weigh your options and consider the culture of your company and the personality of your leader.

It might not be easy, but by talking to your leader and finding the right motivation to show your side, you might be able to move your leader in the right direction.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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What Diversity and Inclusion Really Looks Like https://thefutureorganization.com/what-diversity-and-inclusion-really-looks-like/ Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:00:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46551 Many companies say they are interested in diversity and inclusion, but you would never know by looking around their offices where everyone looks the same.

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Many companies say they are interested in diversity and inclusion, but you would never know by looking around their offices where everyone looks the same.

You can’t have diversity and inclusion if everyone looks the same, believes the same things, acts the same way, and comes from the same place.

It’s easy to say you want a diverse company. It’s another thing to create a diverse company. And it goes one step further to build inclusion and ensure everyone feels like they belong.

Inclusion means everyone feels comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and that their diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions are embraced and valued.

It’s like the game of chess–you can’t play with just the white pieces. You need all of the pieces in different colors, roles, and types to play the game.

Take an honest look at your company–are you really practicing diversity and inclusion? If not, it’s time to make a change.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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How To Make Decisions In Unfamiliar Situations & Circumstances https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-make-decisions-in-unfamiliar-situations-circumstances/ Wed, 29 Jun 2022 13:00:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46547 Making decisions in familiar circumstances is relatively easy. But what happens when you’re faced with something you’ve never experienced?

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Making decisions in familiar circumstances is relatively easy. But what happens when you’re faced with something you’ve never experienced?

Most leaders have a plan for things like layoffs, product launches, and expanding in new areas because they’ve faced these common situations before. You likely apply what’s worked in the past to the new situation.

But that same approach doesn’t work when facing something you’ve never seen before. The pandemic is the ultimate example of this.

Big and small, leaders face countless unfamiliar situations where they have to make decisions that affect the entire company.

It’s a lot like the game of chess. There are more chess moves than atoms in the universe. No matter how much the top players practice and study, they reach a point where they’re playing on their own and have to make good decisions.

Here are three chess-inspired ways to make decisions in unfamiliar situations:

  • Pattern recognition. Your current situation may be new, but you’ve likely seen something similar before. Look for patterns of what did and didn’t work in the past and apply them to the new situation.
  • Intuition. Don’t underestimate the power of trusting your gut. Stick to your intuition in unfamiliar situations and go with what feels right.
  • Calculation. Think through all the potential decisions and calculate the possible outcomes. Take advantage of all your resources, including the people around you who can provide advice.

When leading in unfamiliar circumstances, you’re sure to make missteps. You’re human! But learn from your wins and losses, grow, and prepare for the next new situation.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Employees Are Evolving https://thefutureorganization.com/employees-are-evolving/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46543 What was your first real job in your career?
You probably sat in a cubicle, worked 8-5, and hoped to one day climb the corporate ladder.

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What was your first real job in your career?

You probably sat in a cubicle, worked 8-5, and hoped to one day climb the corporate ladder.

And chances are your peers all had similar experiences.

That’s no longer the case–employees are evolving, and there’s no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to work.

Employees have evolved over the years and will continue to change even faster in the coming years. With the changes of what matters to employees and what they’re looking for at work, modern employees are demanding changes to outdated workplace practices. They want things like remote or hybrid schedules instead of strict in-person schedules and the chance to collaborate and learn instead of just being told what to do.

Often, companies offer perks to appease their employees. Things like free catered lunches and on-site yoga may seem tempting and distract employees from the fact that they are still working like it’s 1980, even though they want to work like it’s 2021.

These perks are really just employee engagement boosts and act like band-aids. The perks boost the company’s employee engagement scores so that leaders think everything is going well with employees. When the engagement scores start to drop over time, the company introduces another perk and the scores go up.

But that’s not what employees are looking for.

Employees can see through surface-level perks and want real, lasting changes to core workplace practices.

As employees evolve, it’s a matter of employee experience and not employee engagement.

Employee experience changes the entire inner workings of a company to center around employees.

There are three elements to employee experience:

  1. Technological environment (30%). This includes all of the tools employees use to work, communicate, and collaborate. Employees want the freedom to choose and use tools that help them do their jobs well.
  2. Physical environment (30%). Employees want a welcoming and engaging physical space to work, whether that’s in an office or the freedom to work remotely.
  3. Cultural environment (40%). A company’s culture includes everything from organizational structure to leadership style and benefits. It’s how the company operates and how employees feel working there.

A true focus on employee experience considers all three aspects and continually evolves to meet employees’ changing needs. As employees evolve and continue to change, they won’t stay with companies that only put band-aids on issues instead of solving them.

Employees are changing, and that means leaders must also be changing. If we want to succeed in the future of work, we have to be willing to change our approach to leadership.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Harvard Professor Rosabeth Kanter On What It Means to Lead & How To Be an Effective Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/harvard-professor-rosabeth-kanter-on-what-it-means-to-lead-how-to-be-an-effective-leader/ Mon, 27 Jun 2022 10:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46537 Rosabeth Moss Kanter has authored 20 books during her career as a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

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Rosabeth Moss Kanter Transcript

Rosabeth Moss Kanter has authored 20 books during her career as a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Her most recent book goes with the following title: “Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change The World One Smart Innovation At A Time?”.

From early childhood, her passion was to motivate people to rise to the challenge of tackling the numerous problems of our lives. Admittedly, our world will never have a shortage of hurdles; therefore, people willing to overcome them will always be in demand.

Finding the leaders of tomorrow immensely intrigues Professor Kanter. Molding the leaders of tomorrow is a fundamental prerequisite to addressing the severe impacts of problems, such as climate change.

The educational activities of Tomorrow’s Leaders

The recent pandemic, the war on Ukraine, and its economic repercussions are also on the table. Professor Kanter aims to mobilize the younger generations to contribute to the solutions to such problems and train the leaders of tomorrow.

The educational process of Professor Kanter is innovative and straightforward. She takes several case studies for various situations that trouble the world and gives her students the freedom to act as leaders. The role of a leader is to review the case and develop the appropriate solution.

Her students enhance their leadership skills by tackling real-world problems. These abilities will be fundamental in their future business endeavors and crucial if they are to run their business eventually.

A crucial aspect of the new and innovative educational activities regarding leadership is to assess the student’s potential rather than a sterile score or grade card. Today’s youth are driven by ambition to contribute to tackling the major problems worldwide. Therefore, students today engage in activities that facilitate them in making a real-life impact rather than amassing a series of academic laurels.

Professor Kanter declares that leadership is not a subject of remembering and learning details. Leadership is about the following attributes:

1) Judgment

2) Presence

3) Connection with other people

4) Capability of making your case and inspiring other people

The last attribute is the pinnacle of leadership. The ability to mobilize other people to follow you and, collectively, take action to address an issue is paramount for the modern leader.

Furthermore, a genuine leader emerges in a time of crisis. Former President Clinton deemed that people would not remember him as a great President. He validated his claim with the notion that he was President in a prosperous time for the country. He did not have to handle a major crisis during his tenure.

Another prominent example is the current Ukrainian President, Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Mr. Zelenskyy was a former actor, and no one believed he would rise to the challenge when tragedy hit his country. He contradicted all his doubters by employing leadership qualities unifying his compatriots and giving them courage in these tumultuous times.

Quoting Professor Kanter: “The job of a Leader is to create the culture and then let other people run with it”. This means that a leader creates an environment based on his ethics and values and encourages other people to state their opinions and ideas.

A primary figure of modern Leadership, according to Professor Kanter, is Elon Musk. He has had numerous breakthrough ideas in the last years, and he has assembled a team of talented individuals with skills he lacks. The latter embodies the spirit of the phrase: “Surround yourself with people who will make up for your inadequacies”.

Moreover, the esteemed professor opposes the culture of favoritism. Many CEOs have ascended the corporate ladder by having social connections with their executives.

Overall, it is paramount to differentiate between being an executive and a Leader. An executive concludes deals, manages personnel and budgets, and participates in the company’s meetings. A leader can be a person at any level of the hierarchy of a company or a country that inspires others to take action.

A characteristic example of an accomplished leader is Nelson Mandela. The iconic figure of South Africa included everyone in his vision to live in a country with no-segregation policies. He even wanted his oppressors by his side.

In wrapping up-The importance of re-inventing

A leader stays in the front line only when he sporadically redefines his purpose and mission. A prepared mind accomplishes this with the following methods:

1) Constant learning

2) Developing empathy for his/her delegates and peers

3) Focus on partnerships with leading organizations to tackle problems of the community

4) Creation of positive ideas. Any sign of a toxic working environment is detrimental to your cause.

5) Build a network in your community and discuss ideas and solutions for specific matters.

6) Be proactive. You don’t hesitate into anything, and as Professor Kanter states: “Any action is better than none”.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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How To Combat The Great Resignation https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-combat-the-great-resignation/ Sat, 25 Jun 2022 13:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46525 9 out of 10 employees will trade money for meaning at work.
They want to do work that has an impact on their community and the world as a whole.

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9 out of 10 employees will trade money for meaning at work.

They want to do work that has an impact on their community and the world as a whole. It’s not about just getting a paycheck but making a difference.

That staggering number means that your best investment for attracting and retaining top talent is to create purpose and meaning at work.

And it starts with leaders. You have to look outside their office walls and deliver a great experience for employees and customers. Before you can help others find their meaning, you need to identify your own purpose and meaning.

Why do you do what you do? What impact does it have?

I’ve spent years researching employee experience and leadership and interviewing the world’s top business leaders. I’ve distilled the best insights and resources into a single worksheet to help leaders find purpose and meaning and transform their organizations.

In this worksheet, I share research, insights from top leaders, and action items of how you can find your purpose and meaning at work and help others do the same. You’ll get tools and self-assessments that apply to leaders in all types of organizations.

These aren’t just high-level concepts but real, actionable steps you can take today to find your purpose and meaning and transform your organization. This interactive worksheet is designed to instantly impact how you think about work and your organization’s culture.

You’ll learn things like:

  • The difference between your job, impact, purpose, and meaning
  • How to track and improve your impact
  • Traits of purpose-driven and caring leaders
  • How to help employees discover their purpose and meaning
  • And much more!

If you want to future-proof your company with the best workplace practices and people in our rapidly changing world, delivering purpose and meaning is a must.

Click here to learn more and download this amazing resource for less than $10.

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How To Build A Culture Of Learning https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-build-a-culture-of-learning/ Thu, 23 Jun 2022 13:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46508 You may have learned something in school or when you first started at your company, but how valuable is that skill today?

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You may have learned something in school or when you first started at your company, but how valuable is that skill today?

With how fast the world is changing, much of what we learned before is obsolete or inefficient.

To succeed in the future of work, employees must become perpetual learners who constantly look ahead and upgrade their skills to stay relevant.

Perhaps no one knows that better than Deanna Mulligan, the former President, CEO, and Board Chair of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. During the financial crisis of 2008, she saw first-hand countless people losing their jobs and struggling to find new employment. That led her to prioritize a culture of learning and continually up-skilling at Guardian Life.

Continually learning and improving on your own is crucial, but that learning becomes more powerful when done within an organizational culture of learning.

Deanna has two pieces of advice for building a culture of learning:

First, celebrate success. Pay attention to when an employee learns something new or changes how they do something. Elevate their success. Get people excited about learning new things and recognize the effort of employees to be perpetual learners. Recognize them in a group meeting, send an appreciative note, or invite them to teach others. No matter how big or small, celebrate the success of continually learning.

A culture of learning also requires giving people room to fail. It’s unrealistic to think that employees will feel free to learn new things without making mistakes. Learning is about experimenting, struggling a bit, and figuring things out. Failure is part of that process. Leaders have to let employees know that failure is normal. That means sharing your failures and not chastising or punishing employees who make mistakes as they try new things.

Employees need to continually improve and learn to future-proof themselves in this rapidly changing world. And while employees are responsible for their development, leaders can build a strong learning culture to support and empower employees on their quest to grow.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Do You Need To Follow Your Passion? https://thefutureorganization.com/do-you-need-to-follow-your-passion/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 13:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46505 “Follow your passion.”
It’s advice frequently given to budding entrepreneurs, new graduates, and people at all levels of their careers.

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“Follow your passion.”

It’s advice frequently given to budding entrepreneurs, new graduates, and people at all levels of their careers.

But do you really need to follow your passion?

There’s an old story about a man visiting a construction site. He approaches one worker and asks what he does there. The worker says that he lays bricks.

The man then asks the question to another person, who responds that he is building a wall.

The third person the man asks says he is building a cathedral.

All three workers are doing the same tasks, but they have different mindsets. The third person saw the value of what he was creating. That doesn’t necessarily mean he is passionate about what he’s doing, but he brought passion with him.

Bringing passion with you is a far more scalable and realistic approach. It’s not about following your passion; it’s about bringing your passion to whatever you do.

When you have a passionate mindset and talk to yourself positively, it impacts your work.

I was never passionate about speaking or writing. But as I started doing it and building a community, I realized I could bring my passion to this work.

That’s the right mindset to have. Whatever you do, bring your passion with you.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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How We Think About Work Is Changing https://thefutureorganization.com/how-we-think-about-work-is-changing/ Tue, 21 Jun 2022 13:00:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46502 For decades, work was all about making money. We took a job that would help us pay the bills and didn’t think much about it after we clocked out.

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For decades, work was all about making money. We took a job that would help us pay the bills and didn’t think much about it after we clocked out.

But now, work is much more about our identity and a sense of purpose.

It isn’t just something we do to make money–it’s something we do to improve ourselves and the world around us and to have a real impact.

That’s why it’s so important for employees to connect with the impact of their work and to see the value of what they’re doing.

Leaders can adjust their thinking to this new mindset by not just viewing job openings in the company as cogs in the machine, but as real people who can make an impact.

I once had the chance to talk with André Calantzopoulos, CEO of Philip Morris International, a global company with more than 77,000 employees. He put it this way:

“We’re moving from an era of lifetime employment to lifetime employability. If your people don’t feel that they are learning and progressing, then they will leave you, and they should! Why would they want to be a part of an organization that is making them obsolete? As a leader, it’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen. We have to admit that we are not dealing with the same talent landscape we were in the past twenty or even the past ten years where we assumed people would stay forever.”

Leaders and companies need to embrace the new world of work and see their  employees and job postings not just as seats to fill, but as real people who can make a difference.

The line between work and life is blurring, and now work is part of who we are, not just something that we do.

Leaders who can understand that difference and create purpose and meaning for their employees, as well as opportunities to learn and progress, will find and keep the best employees going forward.

How has your definition of work changed?

What are you doing to empower your employees and give them opportunities?

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Yuval Harari On The Future of Jobs & Technology, Intelligence vs Consciousness, & Future Threats to Humanity https://thefutureorganization.com/yuval-harari-on-the-future-of-jobs-technology-intelligence-vs-consciousness-future-threats-to-humanity/ Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46499 Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, a tenured professor at the Department of History of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a bestselling author.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Yuval_Noah_Harari_-_Ready.mp3

Yuval Noah Harari Transcript

Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, a tenured professor at the Department of History of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a bestselling author. Harari’s most recent book is, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. The book explores the opportunities and dangers humankind faces in this century and beyond.

Harari has always been one to ask questions and seek out reasons why things are the way they are. He has never just accepted the way we do things, but instead he enjoys digging further to see where his questions about life lead him. Harari believes that most of the big questions in life lead you across a wide variety of disciplines including biology, religion, history, economics and politics in order to find answers.

He began college by studying Medieval military history, however while he was in an Intro to History class he decided to abandon his narrow niche and decided to explore history more broadly. It was out of this class that he decided to write his first book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. In that book he took a look back over the last 70,000 years to show how homo sapiens have evolved over time. After he completed that book he wanted to write another book that explored the 21st century and beyond to look at what “opportunities and dangers humankind is facing in the 21st century and what is the possible future of our species”.

Big challenges that the human race is facing

Harari says one of the biggest questions he is asking about the future is, “what are we going to do with ourselves?”. In the past humans have been preoccupied by overcoming three main things in life; famine, plagues and war. But in the 21st century we have been able to control these three elements to a certain extent. Harari states, “More people die from eating too much, than eating too little these days” and says there are more people who commit suicide than there are people who are dying in wars. Of course, he doesn’t deny that there are people who are starving, people who are dying from war and people who are dying from diseases. But these people are not dying because there isn’t enough food or medicine to go around; they are dying in political famines, wars and plagues.

How did we get to this point where we have these three main elements fairly under control? There are two main answers, science and technology. Due to both science and technology we have advances in medicine, food productivity and disbursement and education that have helped with famine and plagues. War, however, is a different story. As Harari mentions, “we don’t have a device that stops war”. Technology did play a part in decreasing war with the move towards nuclear weapons which changed the way the “superpowers” interacted with each other. Humankind also aided in the reduction in violence by “rising up to the challenge technology presented us with”, as Harari explains.

What the future of life is going to look like

Harari also believes there are threats to our future including climate change and global warming and a disruptive potential of new technology (such as AI and Virtual Reality). One disruption, Harari says, is that new technology could “outperform humans in tasks and push hundreds of millions of people out of the job market” which would in turn create “a class of useless people”. Another disruption is bioengineering and how humans are manipulating “the world inside of us”.

We are used to hearing about people using bioengineering to manipulate plants and animals, but using this concept inside of our own bodies is something new that could have huge consequences if we don’t proceed wisely. There are three main ways that Harari says people can manipulate our internal realities. One is bioengineering where we “tweak” our bodies and brains. A second way would be to combine “old organic bodies with new inorganic parts”, like connecting a person’s brain to a computer and allowing them to use their mind to search something on the internet. The third way Harari mentions is a “creation of completely inorganic entities”, such as uploading human consciousness to a computer. If this third one takes place, Harari says it will be “the greatest revolution in history and biology”.

Will technology replace or create jobs

When it comes to the hot topic of AI and automation taking over human jobs, Harari says he believes that this shift in our economy will both create and take over jobs; the question is how quickly will each side progress? Will more jobs be created quicker than AI and automation can take over or vice versa?  The fact is that humans have always had two abilities; physical abilities and mental abilities. Machines took over in the roles that require physical strength in the Industrial Revolution, but now machines are evolving to be able to take over the mental abilities as well. So we as humans have to learn to adapt in order to stay relevant in the workplace.

You may think that the topics we discuss in this podcast, such as bioengineering inorganic entities, AI taking over and leaving a useless class of humans or the ability of machines to read and remember human emotions while reading a book, are too futuristic or sci-fi. But I believe that science fiction gives us a good glimpse into our future. And in the grand scheme of things, I don’t believe these concepts are too far off in the future.

What you will learn in this episode: 

  • We discuss the notion of humans becoming gods
  • How Virtual Reality is similar to religion
  • What the future of work will look like
  • Yuval Noah Harari’s process for writing his book
  • Take a look at how science fiction is becoming fact in the future
  • What the world will look like in 150-200 years in the future

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Companies with better employee experiences have more engaged and productive workers, higher profits, and the ability to attract and retain talent. In today’s competitive talent landscape, companies can’t afford not to invest in employee experience. Download your copy and start creating better experiences for your employees and customers today!

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Here’s Your Quick Start Guide To Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-your-quick-start-guide-to-employee-experience/ Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46492 It's clear that employee experience is now the #1 people and talent imperative for organizations around the world, but what are you doing about it?

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It’s clear that employee experience is now the #1 people and talent imperative for organizations around the world, but what are you doing about it? I define employee experience as “creating an organization where people WANT, not NEED, to show up to work each day by focusing on three environments, culture, technology, and space.” You can see that represented below.

From a high level, culture is how employees feel working for you. Technology is about the tools and resources employees have access to in order to do their jobs, and space is exactly what it sounds like, it’s the spaces in which they work, even if this includes a home office.

This is something I have talked about for several years but the pandemic has really highlighted the importance of putting people first and it’s forcing change to finally happen. My hope is that we will never go back to “the way things used to be.”

According to my research, less than 10% of organizations do an amazing job of creating experiences for their people. It’s time we fix that!

I created an amazing resource for you called the “Quick Guide To Improving Employee Experience” which will lay the foundation for how you think about and design experiences inside of your organization. The PDF will give you all of the information and action items you can implement to start creating better experience for your people today.

 

Employees, leaders, and organizations around the world are transforming and as much as we talk about and hear about the great resignation, the truth is that now is the great opportunity. But only for the companies out there that going to put people first.

Click here to grab the PDF and start creating better employee experiences today.

 

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4 Sign You Need Time Away From Work https://thefutureorganization.com/4-sign-you-need-time-away-from-work/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46481 Do you need a break from work?
It can be challenging to step away from work, especially if you are in the middle of a big project, hustling to get a promotion, or working for yourself. Work can be addicting and rewarding.

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Do you need a break from work?

It can be challenging to step away from work, especially if you are in the middle of a big project, hustling to get a promotion, or working for yourself. Work can be addicting and rewarding.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break.

There are almost too many benefits of taking a break to count. Taking time away from work, either for a half-day to spend time outside or a week-long vacation, is beneficial to your mental and physical health, your productivity, and much more.

Here are four signs you need time away from work. Check yourself to see if your body is telling you to step back.

  1. Sleeping patterns. Are you finding it hard to get to sleep every night? Do you wake up multiple times throughout the night? It could be because your brain is too wrapped up in work.
  2. Eating habits. Sometimes stress at work can cause us to binge eat. Or it can have the opposite effect and cause us to not be able to eat at all. Pay attention to when and what you’re eating. If you’re turning to food due to stress or frustration, it could be a good time to take a break.
  3. Health signs. Do you have chest pains, anxiety, or trouble breathing? Are you getting frequent headaches or stomach aches? Often, stress manifests itself in physical ailments.
  4. Emotional signs. Are you constantly in a bad mood or find yourself lashing out at people? Are you laughing less than usual? Feeling down, depressed, angry, sad, or frustrated could be signs that you could benefit from some downtime.

Although taking a break from work can be challenging, the benefits far outweigh the effort. Stay in tune with your mental and physical health, and don’t be afraid to take time away from work.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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How To Win The War For Talent By Focusing On Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-win-the-war-for-talent-by-focusing-on-employee-experience/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 13:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46476 Companies will often do anything to stand out in the competitive world of recruiting or hiring.

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Companies will often do anything to stand out in the competitive world of recruiting or hiring.

But winning the war for talent doesn’t happen with flashy perks and free food. It comes from focusing on employee experience.

Employee experience is more than on-site gyms and dog-friendly offices. It means changing the core workplace practices around your people. Three environments together create the employee experience equation:

Physical Space

Physical space counts for 30% of employee experience and includes anything employees see, taste, and smell at work. To provide a great experience, make sure your organization’s values are physically manifested in the space so that the values come to life. Physical space is also crucial for remote and hybrid teams, and organizations can help employees get the most out of their workspaces, no matter where they are.

Technology

Technology is the central nervous system of an organization and accounts for 30% of employee experience. Technology allows modern companies to communicate, collaborate, and work productively. To build a great employee experience in this area, make sure employees have consumer-grade tools that help them do their jobs well. Technology should always improve the work, not get in the way.

Culture

Culture accounts for 40% of employee experience. It’s what you feel or the side effects of working for the organization. A poor culture has side effects like disengagement, stress, and boredom, but a good culture has side effects like growth and a sense of purpose and meaning.

The Great Resignation has permanently changed the war for talent. The only way to compete and win is to focus on employee experience. Use this time as an opportunity to change your workplace to serve your people better.

Experience is what wins the war for talent.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

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You Don’t Lead In A Vacuum https://thefutureorganization.com/you-dont-lead-in-a-vacuum/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 13:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46473 You don’t lead in a vacuum. You can’t be so steady that you stubbornly hold on to how things used to be instead of changing to embrace new trends and mindsets.

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It’s no secret the world around us is changing rapidly.

In just the past few years, nearly everything about how we live and work has changed. And it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

I’ve talked to some leaders who pride themselves on being steady and dependable. And while those can be great characteristics to have as a leader, you also have to be able to change and evolve.

You don’t lead in a vacuum. You can’t be so steady that you stubbornly hold on to how things used to be instead of changing to embrace new trends and mindsets.

Part of being a successful leader is paying attention to what’s happening around you and keeping an eye on the horizon. As you notice trends and what’s coming down the pipeline, you can adjust and deliver better experiences and inspiration to your teams.

In particular, today’s leaders must understand the five main trends shaping the future of work:

  1. Globalization: The barriers to doing business anywhere in the world are decreasing.
  2. Changing demographics: With multiple generations in the workforce and people working longer, we need to rethink what it means to be an employee.
  3. New behaviors: Our behavior started to change with new technology and social media, but COVID also forced us to think differently about work and life.
  4. Technology: Things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things are forcing us to think differently about work.
  5. Mobility: Working anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

These five trends will impact every aspect of work and leadership going forward. Leaders and organizations that ignore these trends and just keep doing what they’ve always done run the risk of becoming obsolete and being replaced.

How do you stay ahead of trends as a leader? You have to get out of your office, talk to people, build relationships with colleagues across the company and throughout your industry, and pay attention to what’s happening in the world. You have to ask questions, be curious, and never stop learning.

For as quickly as things are changing now, it’s also the slowest the pace of change will ever be.

Future leaders will succeed or fail based on how well they understand new trends and adjust their leadership style.

I’d love to hear your thoughts–what trends do you see impacting the future of work and leadership? How do you pay attention to what’s on the horizon?

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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The Secrets To Building Long-Lasting & Trusting Relationships https://thefutureorganization.com/the-secrets-to-building-long-lasting-trusting-relationships/ Mon, 13 Jun 2022 10:00:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46466 Molly Fletcher grew up in Michigan with a family that passed on to her the values of consistency and work ethic.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Molly_Fletcher_-_Ready.mp3

Molly Fletcher Transcript

Molly Fletcher grew up in Michigan with a family that passed on to her the values of consistency and work ethic. She decided to indulge further in Sports Business and Management after having been playing tennis during her Bachelor’s studies at Michigan State University.

After graduation, she decided to follow her dream of a career in Sports Business and Management. She moved to Atlanta, and after several dead-end jobs, she represented a small-scale Sports Agency. Fortune always favors the bold, and in happenstance, the Olympic Games of 1996 were held in Atlanta during that period.

The Olympic Games of 1996 were the first milestone for the subsequent amazing feats of Mrs. Fletcher. Her first major assignment was to be the driver and personal assistant of Lenny Wilkens, the famous manager of the Dream Team. This initial and tremendous achievement fuelled the unparalleled work ethic of Mrs. Fletcher for other feats and accolades.

After the Olympics, she insisted that her agency conduct a business strategy that would facilitate them attract the top talents of the Sports Industry. Her boss back in those days answered her pleas with swift action and gave her the green light to recruit the prominent figures of the Baseball grounds.

Therefore, and after so many years, Mrs. Fletcher has concluded numerous deals worth $ 500 million, represented respected figures in the Sports Industry, and written four books. She remains, until today, one of the most effective Sports agents of our times.

The three pillars of the work of a Sports Agent

A day in the life of a Sports agent involves indulging in numerous tasks concerning his/her clients. There are three pillars of the work of a Sports agent, which are the following:

1) Managing Contracts

2) Financial Consulting

3) Marketing

The conclusion of negotiation and the signing of a lucrative contract is an agent’s first and foremost aim for his/her clients. The process is cumbersome and requires the demonstration of the overall aptitude of an agent. This overall aptitude is a sum of skills, the most prominent being communication and bargaining abilities.

Negotiating a contract for a client in the Sports Industry does not solely involve a team at the other side of the negotiating table. The other part can also be a sponsor or a university. Mrs. Fletcher states that the most usual contribution of sponsorship in Baseball is the necessary equipment for the athlete.

The primary focus of a Sports agent is to ensure that the clients attain a lucrative deal for the highest possible timespan. An athlete can function in a high-intensity mode only for a reduced amount of time; thus, acquiring the best possible deal is paramount for his career and longevity in his respected field.

The comprehension of an athlete’s value to the corresponding market is finite and requires the proper guidance from his relatives, friends, and agent. Therefore, an agent fulfills a second and rather complicated role for the athlete. This role involves adequate advice for the athlete to understand that the time in the competitive world of Sports is finite. Furthermore, building the habit of being frugal with money and investing prudently is paramount for retirement.

Last but not least, the pillar of a proper representation of an athlete is adequate marketing. An apt agent closes a contract when his/her client’s stocks are at their prime. Completing such deals comes with a vast knowledge of the market and the respective sport.

Attracting clients stems from authenticity

Mrs. Fletcher narrates the crucial moments when she approached numerous prospective clients. At the beginning of her career, she approached the coaches and the parents of students that attracted her eye for their talent. In the following years, she approached seasoned players and athletes, but her approach was primarily the same.

The approach of Mrs. Fletcher is consistent all the time. Consistency conveys the message to the client that no matter what the future may hold, his/her agent will be there for him/her as a comrade in arms.

The art of being consistent has to come from a place of authenticity. The client understands whether the concern is genuine or not. When someone imitates consistent behavior, he won’t last in this business.

Mrs. Fletcher recalls that another essential part of the skill box of a Sports Agent is to convince the client that he/she has extensive knowledge regarding the sport. Mrs. Fletcher refers to the importance of knowing key details that will take aback the prospective client. This knowledge conveys the message that the agent is proactive and knowledgeable and adds value to the client’s career.

—————————

This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

Taking rejections as feedback and building personal relationships are the greater assets

Throughout her career, Mrs. Fletcher had her fair share of rejections. She comments that rejections are merely feedback from the market to improve the provided services. No one should receive a rejection negatively and solely focus on ways to advance his skills.

Furthermore, another perspective of Mrs. Fletcher is that one of the most crucial aspects of a client-agent interaction is the authenticity of their relationship. She recalls a characteristic incident with one of her clients, a player of golf. After several efforts to cooperate with him, he chose a prominent Sports Agency firm for his representation.

After a year, the golfer declared his disappointment in being represented by a soulless and greedy firm and asked Mrs. Fletcher to cooperate with him. Mrs. Fletcher did not let this incident affect their relationship as she genuinely cared for his well-being.

This story is a case study that displaying vulnerability in personal relationships can lead to remarkable achievements in the professional terrain. It is the core of modern leadership and signifies a new era in the corporate world.

The link between a Sports agent and modern leadership

Mrs. Fletcher states that in the competitive world of sports, there are always prepared minds that strive to knock someone off his/her perch. The statistics that reflect a person’s worth in the market are ruthless, and there is a growing need to find ways to cope with this pressure. The latter means that there is no room for complacency if you want to remain in a prominent position.

Mrs. Fletcher introduced innovative ways to cope with this relentless pressure described in the above paragraph. She launched a course called ‘Up your Game’, which involves the following parameters:

1) Limitless mindset

2) Curiosity

3) Purpose

4) Discipline

5) Resilience

6) Competency

7) Energy

8) Connection through relationships

The above traits are essential in every part of life, not just in Sports Management or the corporate world. The latter is the aim of this course for the participants: To build an invincible mindset.

A predominant example of an invincible mindset is the NFL player Tom Brady, who has emerged victorious in numerous cases. He embodies a spirit that always strives for more wins and accolades and is the very spirit that modern businesses crave.

Mrs. Fletcher highlighted some stories that are predominant examples of the powerful combination of curiosity, purpose and discipline. Curiosity comes when you are eager to acquire knowledge regarding every detail of a prospective client’s career and life.

Purpose and discipline are the second part of the equation, and their application is through adding value to the client’s career and life. Furthermore, according to Mrs. Fletcher, you must present patience and laser-like focus when showing a client or a person what you can achieve for them.

The whole process is always a sharp road with many ups and downs. The final destination is ultimately the point, but you shall acquire considerable skills and real-life lessons in the process. Moreover, Mts Fletcher believes the journey from meeting a prospective client until he invests in your services sharpens your communication skills. The latter is paramount in any form of negotiating.

In wrapping up: The Art of Negotiation

Mrs. Fletcher concludes that numerous people from every aspect of society make detrimental mistakes when negotiating. They focus solely on their end of the table and what are their thoughts and targets in the negotiation.

According to Mrs. Fletcher, the art of negotiating is based merely on a simple truth: You should be aware of the force and values of the person at the other end of the table. Some people are drawn from money, others from glory, fame etc. When you find your interlocutor’s driving force and needs, the negotiation shall proceed smoothly. You shall be able to achieve the best possible outcome on your end without significant effort.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

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Internal Vs. External Self-Awareness https://thefutureorganization.com/internal-vs-external-self-awareness/ Sat, 11 Jun 2022 13:00:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46442 To succeed in the future of work, leaders have to have emotional intelligence.
A large part of that is self-awareness, or being aware of your emotions, feelings, state of mind, motives, and desires.

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To succeed in the future of work, leaders have to have emotional intelligence.

A large part of that is self-awareness, or being aware of your emotions, feelings, state of mind, motives, and desires.

But there’s more to self-awareness than meets the eye. Best-selling author and self-awareness expert Dr. Tasha Eurich found that 95% of people think they are self-aware, but only 10-15% actually are.

Clearly, there’s room for improvement.

Developing self-awareness starts with understanding its two components: internal and external.

Internal self-awareness is how we see our values, thoughts, and emotions. To develop this, move away from asking who to instead asking what. Instead of Why did I say that to my team member?, ask, What made me say that to my team member? You can’t always rationalize the why, but you can always explain the what.

On the other hand, external self-awareness is how we are seen by others. To practice this, create an open and safe environment where team members and peers can be honest with you. Critical feedback is what ultimately helps you improve, so encourage it.

Internal and external self-awareness are both critical to improving as a leader and building strong relationships.

Developing self-awareness is a process that will put you on the path to success as a leader.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Why Every Leader Needs to Develop Business Acumen https://thefutureorganization.com/why-every-leader-needs-to-develop-business-acumen/ Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46463 Wouldn’t we all like to be viewed as business experts? To have business acumen is to bring keen judgment to business-related decisions, but having that sort of expert ability is rarely innate.

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Wouldn’t we all like to be viewed as business experts? To have business acumen is to bring keen judgment to business-related decisions, but having that sort of expert ability is rarely innate. Rather, it’s usually the result of combining experiential wisdom with sound business knowledge and a rational decision-making process.

If you have business acumen, you can quickly and accurately size up opportunities or crises. You understand strategic direction, organizational functions, financial indicators, and current market conditions. You can cut through the “noise” of overwhelming—even conflicting—data to quickly decide what’s viable.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • How could I stay more up-to-date on current and future market trends and their impact on my business unit’s strategy?
  • How well do I leverage my business expertise to mitigate risks and improve results for my department or team?
  • Am I using the right data sources to evaluate business opportunities and make better decisions?
  • Do I understand how work gets done across the organization, not just in my functional area?

Key Actions: Building Blocks for Success

Key Actions are behaviors that work together to help you demonstrate this competency effectively.

Analyze—Use economic, financial, market, and industry information to identify trends and evaluate specific business opportunities.

Integrate—Compare economic, financial, market, and industry data from multiple sources to identify critical issues and determine how they might affect your team and the broader organization.

Understand business functions—Learn about the nature and interdependencies of your organization’s functions (R&D, marketing, finance, operations, etc.) and processes.

Understand the industry—Learn more about the industry in which your organization operates (trends, customers, competition, market share, etc.).

Leverage your understanding—Use what you know about business functions, the industry, and your organization’s performance to limit risk and maximize results for your department or team and the organization.

When you’re demonstrating business acumen effectively, you’ll notice:

People see you as a business expert. They will ask you for advice. They see you as credible, and your unique experiences and insights can help them decide courses of action. People learn from your example and use your previous decisions and recommendations as a basis for their own decisions. Stakeholders across the organization trust that you understand and appreciate their varying agendas. You develop business plans collaboratively, so your plans meet your business partners’ needs.

Your solutions address key business demands and opportunities. You can quickly assess the financial health of a business unit or organization by knowing a few key indicators. Your recommendations and decisions support your organization’s business goals and strategic plans, save time or money, encourage creativity and innovation, and align with your systems, processes, and practices. You trust your instincts and perceptions and tap into your collective experiences to make recommendations quickly and confidently. You avoid making decisions based on hunches, intuition, or unsubstantiated data. You’re in touch with what your customers want. You continuously scan the environment to hear their voices.

Your “risky” proposals pay off. Others might see your business recommendations as risky, but you know they are rooted in sound analysis. You’re more willing than cautious colleagues to swiftly take advantage of key market opportunities. You determine risk based on diverse sectors and multiple perspectives rather than silos or single inputs (e.g., the economy, market share).

If you want to get the full 16-chapter e-book which covers everything from emotional intelligence to coaching to delegation and empowerment and a whole lot more, then all you need to do is participate in the Global Leadership Forecast Survey. It’s the most comprehensive annual leadership study in the world and the insights will be used for my upcoming book on leadership and vulnerability.

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How To Create an Amazing Technological Environment to Improve Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-create-an-amazing-technological-environment-to-improve-employee-experience/ Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46453 When the pandemic began, like everyone else, I panicked. Not only was I concerned about safety but also my career.

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When the pandemic began, like everyone else, I panicked. Not only was I concerned about safety but also my career. My wife and I are both authors and speakers and we make a living sharing our ideas and messages on stages around the world…or at least we did.

For the past few years, I’ve been giving my keynotes while staring into a little red camera light, not being able to see faces, observe body language, or hear audience reactions. I’ve done lots of camera work throughout my career but giving only virtual keynotes for years was certainly a different experience. It made me wonder though, what if this pandemic happened ten or twenty years ago before we had so many advances in technology? How would I have been able to make a living if I wasn’t able to give virtual talks? What’s more, can you imagine the impact that the pandemic would have had on business around the world if we didn’t have the tools and technologies we have now? I believe things would have been far more disastrous had it not been for technology that still allowed us to collaborate, talk to customers, brainstorm ideas, share information, and keep things moving. For many years I have said that technology is the central nervous system for any organization and that has never been truer than now.

Technology actually makes up 30% of the overall employee experience with culture (40%) and space (30%) comprising the other two environments. But when it comes to technology, what is it that employees care about most? The answer is ACE, which stands for: available to anyone, consumer-grade technology, and employee needs vs. business requirements.

Available to everyone

Remember the good ol’ days when your company had the luxury of piloting a new technology for six months, collecting data for another few months, coming up with an action plan for months after that, and then deciding on a broader roll-out? It would often take more than two years to give employees the right tools they needed to get their jobs done! With the pandemic we saw organizations do in a few weeks what it used to take a few years to complete.

Organizations were forced to make tools and technologies available to all of their employees as quickly as possible. Gone are the days of multi-year test projects and pilot programs when it comes to enabling and empowering employees to work effectively and efficiently. Today, weeks and months wasted by not connecting people and information together can have terrible consequences for the business.

The dramatic rise in a flexible work model is also creating the need for more hybrid technology systems that can keep up with the accelerated and increasingly digitized pace of work. As employees split their time between the physical and remote office—wherever that is—even everyday operations like spend management need a refresh. In fact, a recent study by the SAP Concur organization showed 93% of business travelers say that their company leadership could have better prepared during the past year for new and different business expenses likely to be submitted in 2022.

In the case of spend management, this creates the need for more nuanced budget discussions, policies and, above all, accessible tools to empower employees—tools that address the changing categories of expenses that employees will now incur, and companies can or can’t accommodate, to run a business efficiently and responsibly.

Consumer-grade technology

Think about the tools and technologies you use at work. Are they so beautiful, so useful, and so valuable that you would consider using something similar in your personal life if it existed? I’m willing to bet the answer to that is “no.” But why?

Why do the technologies we use at work make us feel like we are being transported back to the ‘80s and ‘90s? If we have platforms that we use in our personal lives that are so functional and easy to use, why shouldn’t we expect to have the same types of tools at work?

For decades we have talked about enterprise-grade platforms that have now become synonymous with outdated, clunky, and difficult to use. Do you want to use something like this? Neither do your employees! Consumer-grade technology is about emulating the ease of use and functionality of the tools we use in our personal lives at work.

The new world of work, categorized by flexibility, has blurred the lines between work and our personal lives. Take business travel as an example. Employers aren’t just working from planes or conference rooms. A recent study by the SAP Concur organization revealed coffee shops, hotel lobbies, waiting rooms, restrooms and even pools as newer workspaces. The rise in unconventional workspaces means employees can work and be productive from anywhere—so long as their tools can match with flexibility and scalability. Consumer-grade technology is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity as workplaces adapt to the future of work.

Employee needs vs. business requirements

Picking the right technologies used to be a matter of IT teams putting together a checklist and then picking the technology that best matched those requirements at the lowest cost. In other words, it was focused on the requirements of the business. But when employees actually started using the technologies, they realized that they are not intuitive, they look and feel dated, and they are so time-consuming that they’d rather not use them. So, what about the needs of the employees?

We have long neglected this very basic yet crucial aspect of technology deployment, and that is understanding why employees need certain technologies and how they are actually going to use them. This means there is a tremendous opportunity for line of business owners, HR, and IT teams to work closer together to deliver something that employees need that also meets business requirements. For example, business travelers would like to see their company invest in adding or updating apps with real-time travel updates and booking (46%) and tools for quicker expense reimbursement (43%) this year

Now is the time for organizations around the world to look at the experiences they are creating for their employees in the new world of work. Travel and expense management are great examples of how much the workplace is changing. Workers are using hybrid workspaces on business trips and spending corporate dollars across these hybrid environments—and technology needs to keep pace.

By following this simple ACE acronym, organizations can at least ensure that, when it comes to technology, they are giving their employees everything they need and want to be productive and engaged.

Learn how your organization can modernize travel, expense, and invoice management with SAP Concur solutions here and here….

This article is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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6 Strategies for Getting Unstuck in Your Career https://thefutureorganization.com/6-strategies-for-getting-unstuck-in-your-career/ Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46438 Feeling stuck in your career? You’re not alone.
It’s common to go through periods of feeling stuck at work and like you aren’t moving forward.

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Feeling stuck in your career? You’re not alone.

It’s common to go through periods of feeling stuck at work and like you aren’t moving forward.

When that happens, try these six strategies to unstick yourself and move forward:

  1. Ask why. It’s easy to say you’re stuck, but it’s harder to realize why. What about your current situation makes you feel stuck? Do you want more freedom? More responsibility? More pay? If you don’t know why you feel stuck, it’s hard to get unstuck.
  2. Focus on the people you work with and less on the brand name. It can be tempting to chase after working for the company with the biggest name or most clout. But what matters more than the salary or brand name is the people who work with and work for. Those are the people who will act as your mentors and coaches and unlock your potential.
  3. Consider making a lateral or backwards move. Sometimes you have to move sideways or backwards so you can then move forward. Be open to moves you can make that will give you a clearer path forward, such as joining a new team or taking a more junior role to learn new things. These non-traditional moves could set you up for something greater.
  4. Have an honest conversation with your leader. If you don’t express that you feel stuck, no one will know. Explain your feelings to your leader and work together to find new opportunities or changes that can help you feel unstuck.
  5. Take a step back. When you feel stuck, it’s likely because you haven’t defined where you want to go. Think about where you want to be personally and professionally, and then map backward to reach those goals. It’s hard to move in the right direction if you don’t know where you want to go.
  6. When all else fails, consider quitting. If you’ve tried the first five strategies and still feel stuck, maybe quitting is a good option. You may need to switch to an organization more aligned with your goals and values. The worst thing you can do is be complacent. Don’t be afraid to take action.

Feeling stuck in your career can be unsettling, but these strategies can help you define your goals and move forward.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

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My Dream Was Shattered https://thefutureorganization.com/my-dream-was-shattered/ Tue, 07 Jun 2022 13:00:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46435 What was the life you dreamed of as a kid?
Growing up, I always imagined I would follow in the steps of my dad and work at the same company forever.

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What was the life you dreamed of as a kid?

Growing up, I always imagined I would follow in the steps of my dad and work at the same company forever.

As I got older, that dream started to materialize. I dreamt of getting a great marketing job out of college, climbing the corporate ladder, and having a strong impact on my company.

And as I graduated and landed my first job, I was sure I was on the path to my dreams. With my new job, I was promised big responsibilities and the chance to travel and network with executives and entrepreneurs. It was exactly what I wanted–I was even willing to commute three hours a day to make it happen.

Then I woke up and the dream ended.

My job was full of menial and mundane tasks like data entry and presentation creation. It was nothing like what I was promised and had no signs of changing.

It didn’t take long to realize that I had been sold a lie about the company to make me want to work there.

One day, the CEO came out of his corner office and said he had an important job for me. I excitedly hurried over, thinking that I would finally have the chance to do the meaningful work I had been promised.

Instead, he pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and told me he was late for a meeting and to get him coffee. But don’t worry–I could also grab something for myself.

I was demoralized and realized the job would never be what I wanted. It wouldn’t get me to my dream.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I didn’t last long at that company. And I don’t think I was alone–the unkept promises and culture of the organization made for a workforce that was unengaged and uninspired.

Can you imagine how different the company would be if it had been honest about what it was like to work there? Or better yet, if it had actually lived up to the fairy tale it was promising?

Instead of wasting money with a high turnover rate, the company could have been attracting the best talent and developing them into future leaders. It could become a place of innovation and growth instead of a place people were lining up to leave.

The worst part of the story is that this company isn’t an anomaly–things like this happen at countless organizations around the world every day.

How many employees’ dreams have been shattered by companies that don’t deliver on their promises or by organizations that are stuck operating like it’s 1960?

Employees are changing, and it’s up to leaders and organizations to change with them. The new world of work is flexible, collaborative, and engaging. But it requires a mindset shift in how we think about leadership and employees.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Cornell Psychologist On The Difference Between Wisdom and Intelligence, Causes of Poor Performance, and Dealing With Bias https://thefutureorganization.com/cornell-psychologist-on-the-difference-between-wisdom-and-intelligence-causes-of-poor-performance-and-dealing-with-bias/ Mon, 06 Jun 2022 10:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46446 Tom Gilovich is an American psychologist who is the Irene Blecker Rosenfeld Professor of Psychology at Cornell University.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Tom_Gilovich_-_Ready.mp3

Tom Gilovich Transcript

Tom Gilovich is an American psychologist who is the Irene Blecker Rosenfeld Professor of Psychology at Cornell University. He has conducted research in social psychology, decision making, behavioral economics. He is also the author of the book, The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology’s Most Powerful Insights.  His articles in peer-reviewed journals on subjects such as cognitive biases have been widely cited. In addition, Gilovich has been quoted in the media on subjects ranging from the effect of purchases on happiness to perception of judgment in social situations. He has studied many different facets of social psychology including sports decisions, political judgment and decision making, and relationship decision making. Gilovich is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

What is the difference between wisdom and intelligence? A lot of aspects go into defining wisdom, but in short intelligence is more about being book smart and wisdom is more about being people smart. To have wisdom you have to be knowledgeable about people; why they do what they do and think what they think.

How can this be translated to the workplace? Gilovich discusses what managers normally do when employees are not performing as well as they should be. Most managers try to change the employee’s behaviors by pushing them in the direction the manager wants them to go. They push them with incentives, punishments, or motivation. But Gilovich says most of the time the poor performance isn’t due to a lack of motivation, it’s because the employee has a hard time “translating their good intentions into effective actions”. So instead of pushing, it is important for leaders in the workplace to understand their employees and to find ways to help their employees put their intentions into action.

Another subject that deals with understanding how people think and act is discussed in an article where Gilovich talks about the difference between experiences and material things and how they impact our happiness. He found three things to be true. Experiences connect us to other people more than material goods do, we are less comparative with experiences than with material things, and experiences contribute more to our identity than material things. In the end he found that people get more enduring happiness from experiences than material things.

Could this principle be used in organizations to make employees more happy and content with their jobs? We spend a majority of our time working, and yet it seems that most people become more and more dissatisfied with their jobs as time goes on. Perhaps if we could find a way to make work more of an experience people would enjoy their jobs and their satisfaction would grow over time. But who is responsible for this change, the employee or the employer? Perhaps a little bit of both. It is important for both parties to be a part of this change. Employers should focus on creating a better employee experience, however up to this point the responsibility has been put on the employer alone. It is also up to the employees to change their outlook.

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This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

 

Gilovich gave an example of two janitors working at NASA, when asked what they do for a living one janitor said “I clean the floors and empty the trash” the other janitor said “I help put people on the moon”. Both janitors were correct, except one looked at the simplistic version of the job whereas the other one looked at the bigger picture. One of these two janitors is going to have a greater sense of purpose and a better employee experience based on their outlook.

Another thing we have to understand is that there are times when we misevaluate things in our lives. Gilovich gives the example of riding a bike. When you are biking and you face the wind you cannot deny it is there; it is in your face and you feel it. However, when you turn around and have it at your back you are grateful for a minute but then you don’t even notice it after a while. This demonstrates how the things we have to overcome are the things we pay attention to, because we have to. Those hard times in life or the barriers that stand in the way of our happiness, we have to focus and work hard to overcome them. But the things in life that give us “a boost”– a pay raise or a new car, the good times–those are the things that are easy to forget.

Because we easily forget the good, easy times we have the tendency to look at others (possibly co-workers) and feel that the other people have better lives. We have a tendency to claim life is “unfair” when we see others get raises, promotions, or good things in life.

How can we be the wisest one in the room and put it into practice in the workplace? We spend about 30% of our lives in the workplace, so happiness and fulfillment at work are important. In order to improve the employee experience it is important for both employers and employees to focus on cultivating experience. How can employees have a sense of purpose at work, how can employees and employers connect and form relationships, and how can employees attain more freedom while still performing their job? All of these things play into the big picture of employee experience and how to be the wisest one in the room.

What you will learn in this episode: 

  • The difference between wisdom and intelligence
  • Why we misevaluate certain things
  • Strategies and techniques to use to be the wisest person in the room
  • How experiences have a different effect on us than purchasing material things
  • How motivation impacts workplace
  • Who is responsible for creating a sense of purpose; the employee or the employer
  • Biases we are subjected to
  • What is naive realism and how can we avoid it?

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Namely

Working in HR isn’t for the faint of heart. But whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely is the HR solution that supports you and your employees. With onboarding, performance management, payroll, and intuitive benefits enrollment – all in one connected modern platform. Grow with Namely, and get one free month when you make the switch! Learn more by going to Namely.com/fow today.

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How Much Time Do You Spend in Virtual Meetings? https://thefutureorganization.com/how-much-time-do-you-spend-in-virtual-meetings/ Fri, 03 Jun 2022 13:00:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46426 Over the last few years, we’ve all seen virtual meetings increase.
But how much time a day do you spend on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet calls?

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Over the last few years, we’ve all seen virtual meetings increase.

But how much time a day do you spend on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet calls?

I polled my followers, and of the 2,800 respondents, 37% say they’re in virtual meetings for two to four hours a day, followed by 28% in the five to seven hour category. 19% of respondents are in virtual meetings for one to two hours a day, and 16% have lost count.

That seems to match the national average of about 30% of weekly work time spent in meetings.

If it seems like you’re in more virtual meetings now than you were in in-person meetings before the pandemic, that’s likely true. The average time workers spend in online meetings per week jumped from 14.2 hours to 21.5 hours over the past two years.

That may seem like a lot of time to spend meeting with people virtually every day, but most of the comments on my poll were positive.

For people in meeting-heavy jobs, being able to meet virtually increases flexibility and productivity. You likely spend less time going off on tangents or getting distracted after the meeting.

How can you make the most of your time spent in virtual meetings? Here are a few suggestions:

  • Make an agenda and stick to it. This is Meetings 101, but it’s crucial to help everyone be prepared and stay on task.
  • Use email when possible. Just because it’s generally easier to hop on a meeting virtually than it is in person doesn’t mean that is always the solution. Use other collaboration methods besides just meetings.
  • Chat with co-workers through other channels. Use the company intranet, Slack channels, or virtual happy hours to catch up with remote co-workers so meetings can be dedicated to productive work.

We’re all experiencing a learning curve as we continually adjust to virtual meetings. But with the right planning and attitude, it’s something we can benefit from, no matter how much time we spend on Zoom each week.

How much time do you spend in virtual meetings? Do you find it productive or wish there was another way?

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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How Leaders Can Thrive In The Future Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-thrive-in-the-future-of-work-2/ Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:00:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46422 Business leaders are always looking ahead to see what’s coming in the future of work.
But now, those changes are coming faster than ever. Things that used to seem five to 10 years away are happening within weeks and months.

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Business leaders are always looking ahead to see what’s coming in the future of work.

But now, those changes are coming faster than ever. Things that used to seem five to 10 years away are happening within weeks and months.

It takes a new approach to leadership to thrive in this fast-paced future of work.

Jeff Schwartz, U.S. Leader for the Future of Work at Deloitte, believes we’re at the beginning of the next chapter of the future of work. We have the technology in place and will now see the implementation and scaling of that technology in the new ways of working.

It’s about implementing the changes we’ve made at scale and putting them at the center of how organizations operate.

Jeff says leaders can do three things to take advantage of the changes in the future of work:

  1. Recognize the role of leaders to deliver value, not just save money. Leaders are responsible for making change, not just maintaining the status quo. Big changes in the economy come not just from cost savings and productivity but from innovation, new value, and creating new sources of meaning.
  2. Lead workforce ecosystems, not just individual employees. Our new world of work is connected, which means leaders have to look at all the ways they can access and curate talent. It’s not just about hiring individual employees–it’s about combining teams, technology, and all types of employees to drive innovation and growth.
  3. Be a co-creator. Leaders have to move from a supervisor mentality to a player-coach mentality. Their role isn’t to micro-manage tasks but to develop their people and create an engaging and empowering environment.

Leaders today have more opportunities than ever before. Thriving in the new world of work means taking advantage of those opportunities and creating better workplace practices and more engaged people.

Leaders who embrace the future of work and adapt their mindset will thrive and lead their teams to great success.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Why Every Leader Works in HR https://thefutureorganization.com/why-every-leader-works-in-hr/ Wed, 01 Jun 2022 13:00:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46419 No matter your department or job title, if you’re a leader, you work in HR.
Not only that, you’re actually the most important person in HR.

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No matter your department or job title, if you’re a leader, you work in HR.

Not only that, you’re actually the most important person in HR.

We’ve always thought of HR as doing everything related to people–recruiting, hiring, firing, benefits, compensation, etc.

And while that’s true, HR isn’t the only group that needs to think about people. As a leader, you are responsible for your people. And that is an HR responsibility.

Leaders have incredible power and impact over their employees. Their positive influence can lead to employees feeling valued and empowered at work, which extends to their feelings outside of work. But a leader who crushes their employees’ spirits at work also impacts how employees feel and act outside of work.

As a leader, you have to know your people as humans, not just employees. Know what they care about and value, their strengths and weaknesses, and their aspirations.

When you understand your people as actual people, you can unlock their potential and help them succeed.

That’s not an HR responsibility–it’s a leader’s responsibility.

People don’t leave companies; they leave leaders.

As a leader, you are the most crucial person in HR. Your influence on your people will impact their time at the company, their career, and their life at home.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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What’s Your Reason for Being? https://thefutureorganization.com/whats-your-reason-for-being/ Tue, 31 May 2022 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46416 Why do you do what you do?
What motivates you to work hard and make a difference?

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Why do you do what you do?

What motivates you to work hard and make a difference?

What about your company–what is the purpose of your organization? What are you hoping to achieve?

All of these questions can be answered in a Reason for Being.

Nearly every successful company has a mission statement. You may even have your own personal mission statement. But do you have a Reason for Being?

A Reason for Being is a way to rally employees and focus on the company’s impact on the community and the world. But a Reason for Being isn’t tied to financial gain and isn’t attainable. Instead, it’s a guiding light that keeps the company moving toward its ultimate purpose.

As you create your Reason for Being, ask yourself these questions:

  • What is your passion? What work is meaningful to your or your team?
  • What does the world need? What can you offer to meet that need?
  • What impact do you want you or your organization to have?
  • What would you do in the world if money was no object? Who would you serve, or what causes would you help?
  • What motivates you or your employees?
  • What are you curious about?
  • How can you bring people together? What tools or resources do you or your organization have to unite people in a new way?
  • What are the strengths of your employees?
  • What is your big-picture vision for the future? What can you do to reach that goal?

You can have a Reason for Being as an individual, as a team, and as a company. Reflect on these questions to find the why behind your actions. Then share it with others and make sure everyone is on board.

A Reason for Being can transform how you and your team think about your purpose as an employee and organization.

Every Reason for Being is unique. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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World’s #1 Thinker On How Leaders Can Think Frugal, Be Flexible, and Generate Breakthrough Growth https://thefutureorganization.com/worlds-1-thinker-on-how-leaders-can-think-frugal-be-flexible-and-generate-breakthrough-growth/ Mon, 30 May 2022 09:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46410 Navi Radjou grew up in a small town in southern India called Pondicherry. Pondicherry is a former French colony, and that was a blessing in disguise for Mr Radjou.

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Navi Radjou Transcript

Navi Radjou grew up in a small town in southern India called Pondicherry. Pondicherry is a former French colony, and that was a blessing in disguise for Mr Radjou. He grew accustomed to the French education system, which led him to Paris for his studies. He traveled in numerous places around the world occupied as a Freelance consultant until moving to the USA.

He was hired by Forrester Research in 1999, embarking on a mission to comprehend the meaning of innovation for the western communities. After the recession of 2008, he noticed that innovation has a different essence in developing countries than in the West.

The entrepreneurs and companies of the emerging markets act based on a scarcity mentality due to the shortage of resources. In Mr. Radjou’s words, “They are able to do more with less”. This phrase became something like a mantra for him and led him to write his books. His most famous and best-selling book is ‘Jugaad Innovation: Being frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth’.

Mr. Radjou is also a Fellow at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Furthermore, he is ranked by Thinkers50 as one of the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world. His stated purpose is to symbolize the bridge between the East and West, which led him to co-write his third book about Modern Leadership. The influence of his Indian heritage is distinctive throughout the latter book.

The accurate interpretation of Innovation

After living 35 years in the USA, Mr. Radjou moved to France last year. His goal is to connect with local entrepreneurs and innovators to inspire him for a potential new book. This book may align with the corporate world’s current practices, called open innovation or customer-driven innovation. For these practices, the companies collaborate with consumers to derive products that add additive value to the market.

The era of customer-driven innovation begins to shift to new paradigms, though. Global struggles, such as climate change and drought, have made consumers adopt ecological habits and enhance social awareness. Today, there are several concerns about the Labor legislation in China and India, which is a by-product of corporate greed.

Therefore, the Business Industry must comply with the new Environmental laws and provide the public with sustainable and socially impactful products. There is one predominant example in the USA that is pioneer in this matter, the Carpet Company Interface.

Interface’s founder and CEO, Ray Anderson, envisioned his company to become the most sustainable company by 2020. His goal was to reduce emissions significantly, and in 2019 they managed to provide carbon-neutral products to the public. The fascinating thing about this company is that they did not rest on their laurels and kept innovating in their quest for a more sustainable economy and world.

The Interface’s work is a part of the Regeneration process. Regeneration is the innovative concept that puts forth all the noble efforts that positively impact society and the planet. The obsolete practices of the past have created corporate greed, which feasts on wounded communities and devours the reducing natural resources.

The next step for Interface was to set in motion an initiative named Climate take back. This initiative was launched to facilitate the generation of solely carbon-negative products by 2030. Carbon-negative products are the ones that absorb more carbon substances in their production than they emit. The introduction of carbon-negative products to the markets will be the upcoming Green Industrial Revolution milestone.

Moreover, Climate take back includes goals such as clean energy and drinkable water generation and their distribution without charge to the local communities. Interface is a pioneering company in the quest to face the adverse effects of Climate Change and perfectly embodies the Generation’s spirit.

The hopeful sign is that the younger generations, or Gen Z, are more sensitive to social issues and environmental matters. They yearn for the abolition of the prevalent status quo of greed and vanity and establishing a corporate world that contributes environmentally safe and high-value products to the societies. The challenge for the companies is to follow this route and attract and retain the most gifted individuals.

The Jugaad Innovation-The first two principles

The principles of Jugaad Innovation display a predominant role in Mr. Radjou’s book with the same title. ‘Jugaad’ is a Hindi word translated as ‘improvised fix’. Mr Radjou points out Jugaad Innovation’s meaning with the following phrase: “To be clever and ingenious in solving problems with limited means”.

Mr. Radjou coined this term as inspiration from the lead character in the TV series ‘MacGyver’. He states that MacGyver as a character embodies unparalleled resilience and creativity in the face of adversity. The two latter attributes entail the first principle of Jugaad, while the other is frugality. Frugality entails all the actions that derive the maximum potential of the current resources.

The aspects of Jugaad are predominant characteristics of all the emerging markets. The main reason behind this approach to the emerging markets is the scarcity of resources and the need to optimize their utilization perfectly. This approach is the ideal description of an economic system: Dealing with the absence of resources and maximizing the usage of the available resources.

Mr. Radjou believes that people exude their best performances in the face of a challenge. He backs this statement with the example of the French car company Renault. In 1999, the company’s CEO challenged the company’s engineering department to design a car with a final cost of around $5000. The average price of the newly launched car at the time was approximately $15000.

The concept of designing this frugal car unleashed concealed ingenuity and creativity levels that had been slumbering in these times of comfort. Ultimately, they designed a vehicle named Logan worth $5000. The engineering department had some constraints in their mission to design that car, but by thinking and acting flexibly, they overcame them. Thinking and acting flexibly is the third principle of Jugaad Innovation.

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This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

 

The third principle of Jugaad Innovation

Mr. Radjou brings forth two examples of instant flexibility in the highly regulated market of the Health Sector. During the recent pandemic, several companies that manufacture medical supplies and devices in Ohio combined their forces to meet the hospitals’ exceeding demands. They adopted a rational approach to facilitate the heroic efforts of the doctors without having the profits as their sole aim.

The other example comes from Italy, where there was a shortage of ventilators during the cruel period of the pandemic. A doctor had the brilliant idea of using snorkeling masks in ventilating machines. The breakthrough of 3D printing would allow them to adapt to the ventilators perfectly.

An innovative company from China does not wait for adverse situations to arise, though. The company’s name is Hire, and it is divided into 4000 microenterprises. Each microenterprise has its autonomy and resources to cover its local market’s needs. Upon a customer’s specific request, all the units are mobilized to launch a new product or service within the time span of six weeks.

Keep it simple: The fourth principle of Jugaad Innovation

Mr. Radjou has an appealing definition regarding simplicity, which is the following: “The art of hiding the complexity while maintaining the richness”. By keeping it simple, the companies add only specific necessary attributes to a product. By reducing the complexity of the product, they align with the customer’s needs and, in the case of the Car Industry, they facilitate the reduction of the emissions.

Include the margin: The fifth principle of Jugaad Innovation

Mr. Radjou delivers some contradictory statistics regarding the financial sector and the financial situation of the households in the USA. In 2020, 160 million Americans were struggling financially, while in 2019, 60 % of the people did not have $500 in their savings account to deal with an emergency.

The financial sector is undoubtedly one of the most lucrative throughout the US economy. But, the Americans struggle more financially as time progresses. Mr. Radjou believes that the financial system should include all the excluded members of society to enhance their way of living. Furthermore, the benefits for the bank system shall be tremendous, as the savings outside of the system are apparently with 6-digit figures.

In wrapping up: Follow your heart, the sixth principle of Jugaad Innovation

It is believed that the heart is the secret of intuition. Mr. Radjou states that if someone relies only on data, his innovative approaches are doomed to fail. Steve Jobs is a predominant example, as a trip to India apparently had changed his decision-making approach. Mr. Jobs started to make decisions mainly based on his intuition rather than the cold data-driven approach. Based on his autobiography, the idea of launching the Apple Stores was primarily based on his own will and against the advice of his marketing team.

Conclusively, there is no leadership without having the courage to follow your heart in some decisions. Undoubtedly, data exhibit patterns and derive reliable conclusions, but the customers are humans. Humans connect with humans mainly on an emotional level.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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How To Create an Inclusive Environment in the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-create-an-inclusive-environment-in-the-future-of-work/ Fri, 27 May 2022 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46405 Due to shifting workplace demographics and an interdependent global economy, you’ll most likely lead and collaborate with people from diverse cultures, styles, and backgrounds.

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The following is taken from DDI’s Better Leader Handbook which you can get for free by participating in their Global Leadership Forecast Survey which will take you just a few minutes to complete! It will also help me in doing research for my new book on leadership and vulnerability!

Due to shifting workplace demographics and an interdependent global economy, you’ll most likely lead and collaborate with people from diverse cultures, styles, and backgrounds. How can you leverage those differences to engage all team members and achieve top results?

Create an environment in which you and your team seek and value a wide range of talents, experiences, and perspectives. Advocating for diversity goes beyond being more inclusive; it means trying to understand the world from all possible angles so you can be informed and innovative. Nurturing diversity makes the best use of people’s talents, leading to superior ideas, decisions, and productivity.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Do others see me as an advocate for diversity? Why or why not?
  • What have I done to learn more about people from different cultures and backgrounds?
  • What actions have I taken to ensure that policies and practices leverage the capabilities of individuals with diverse cultures, styles, abilities, and backgrounds
  • When others demonstrate racist, sexist, or inappropriate behavior related to another person’s differences, how do I respond?

Key Actions: Building Blocks for Success

Key Actions are behaviors that work together to help you demonstrate this competency effectively.

Seek understanding

Gather information to learn about people from other cultures and backgrounds.

Use diversity as an advantage

Seek and use ideas and insights from diverse sources and individuals; align team members’ unique talents with the most relevant responsibilities.

Convey respect

Use language and behavior that enhance the dignity of people from diverse backgrounds; examine your biases to avoid stereotypical responses.

Champion diversity

Take action to increase diversity (e.g., by recruiting and developing people with varied backgrounds); confront racist, sexist, or inappropriate behavior; challenge exclusionary practices.

When you’re creating an inclusive environment effectively, you’ll notice:

Team members respect others’ differences. People view differences as assets and are comfortable partnering across different functions, cultures, and teams. Team members have a strong sense of belonging, and new people easily assimilate into the team’s culture. Despite their differences, everyone feels part of a group with a shared purpose. A climate of open communication and trust exists. People feel free to express their differences and enjoy discussing them.

Championing diversity is improving your effectiveness as a leader. You don’t need to plan diversity or affirmative action initiatives because your everyday leadership decisions and actions promote inclusion. You leverage the unique talents of your team members. You recruit and develop people with diverse backgrounds and offer opportunities based on objective data, not subjective opinions.

Optimizing diversity is an integral part of your team’s way of working. Team members evaluate information with an open mind rather than defaulting to assumptions and stereotypes. Your team considers how decisions will affect all parties and includes representatives of diverse groups in the decision-making process. As a result, team members gain fresh perspectives, uncover new information, and make more accurate decisions. The team proposes many unexpected yet sound ideas thinking “outside the box.” You facilitate respectful, constructive disagreements and engage differing perspectives as your team makes decisions.

If you want to get the full 16 chapter e-book which covers everything from emotional intelligence to coaching to delegation and empowerment and a whole lot more, then all you need to do is participate in the Global Leadership Forecast Survey. It’s the most comprehensive annual leadership study in the world and the insights will be used for my upcoming book on leadership and vulnerability.

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What You Can Do to Get Better Feedback https://thefutureorganization.com/what-you-can-do-to-get-better-feedback/ Thu, 26 May 2022 13:00:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46398 Would you rather be praised for your intelligence or your effort?
The type of feedback likely makes a difference in the effort you put in at work.

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Would you rather be praised for your intelligence or your effort?

The type of feedback likely makes a difference in the effort you put in at work.

Researchers gave a group of 5th graders an easy IQ test. They praised half of the students for their effort in completing the test and praised the other half for their intelligence and performance on the test.

The researchers then gave the students the chance to take a more challenging test. 67% of the students who had been praised for their intelligence took the harder test. But a staggering 92% of students who had been praised for their effort took the harder option.

Think about that in a work setting–giving the right feedback and praising employees for their effort can push them to try more challenging things and take on more demanding projects. It can be the difference between creating an engaged employee and someone just there for a paycheck.

But what if you aren’t a manager or leader? How can you get better feedback? Here are three suggestions:

  1. Ask for it. Talk to your leader about the feedback process. Have open communication and be clear about your expectations for ongoing feedback.
  2. Internalize the feedback you get. Too often, we take feedback personally and get defensive. Instead, internalize the feedback and use it as a chance to learn and improve.
  3. Focus on the effort, not just the end result. The journey matters. Take time to acknowledge your progress, not just the end result.

No matter if you are a leader, manager, or employee, feedback matters.

Giving and asking for the right feedback can transform your performance and your entire team and company.

If you want to grow as a person and employee, focus on giving and getting better feedback.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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3 Stages Of Your Day to Increase Productivity https://thefutureorganization.com/3-stages-of-your-day-to-increase-productivity/ Wed, 25 May 2022 13:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46386 Do you ever feel like you’re never quite getting everything done no matter how hard you try to be productive?

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Do you ever feel like you’re never quite getting everything done no matter how hard you try to be productive?

It could be because you’re doing tasks at the wrong times of the day.

Everyone has three stages of productivity and energy throughout their day, says best-selling author Dan Pink. We don’t all hit those stages at the same time, but the stages themselves are consistent.

Working on the right tasks during the right stages each day can dramatically increase your productivity.

Your peak is when you have the most energy and feel like you can accomplish anything. This is the time to work on tough tasks and big projects that take lots of mental energy.

Your trough is when you feel sluggish and have low energy. This is the stage to work on administrative tasks and repetitive tasks that don’t require much cognitive effort.

Recovery happens when your mood is up, but you aren’t at your sharpest. For most people, this occurs in the late afternoons or evenings. This is the time for tasks that require insight and creativity, like brainstorming or planning.

To level up your productivity, first identify the times of day you are in each stage. Then assign the right task for each stage.

I’m not a morning person, so I don’t hit my peak until about 10 am. I take time in the morning to exercise and get my brain ready so I can jump into those deep tasks during my peak. By mid-afternoon, I’m in my trough. That’s when I shift to administrative tasks like checking emails or approving content. And during recovery in the evening, I plan content and let myself be creative.

When you’re in your stages is likely different from your co-workers or friends. And that’s ok. The key is to track your stages, structure your tasks accordingly, and increase your productivity.

When is your peak, trough, and recovery?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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The Three Employee Experience Environments https://thefutureorganization.com/the-three-employee-experience-environments/ Tue, 24 May 2022 13:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46383 When you think of employee experience, what comes to mind?
Is it having a shiny office, a free on-site gym, or weekly company happy hours?

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When you think of employee experience, what comes to mind?

Is it having a shiny office, a free on-site gym, or weekly company happy hours?

Or is it having a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion, personalized health and wellness programs, and a flexible work schedule?

Employee experience is less about flashy perks and more about changing core workplace practices. There are three main areas of employee experience: physical space, technology, and culture. Each piece plays a major role in the overall experience. Ignoring one can throw the entire strategy off balance.

Take a look around your company’s physical space. Does the office represent your mission and values? Do your employees have the space to work well (even if they work remotely)?

Then, consider the technology your employees use to do their jobs. Do they have the proper tools to collaborate, work efficiently, and serve customers?

And finally, consider the company’s culture. What does your organization stand for? Is it organized to support employees, or does hierarchy push down lower-level employees?

Employee experience considers all of these factors to create a well-rounded atmosphere where employees actually want to come to work. Building a strong employee experience requires looking at your company as a whole.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Dan Coyle, NYT Best-Selling Author of The Culture Code on The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups https://thefutureorganization.com/dan-coyle-nyt-best-selling-author-of-the-culture-code-on-the-secrets-of-highly-successful-groups/ Mon, 23 May 2022 12:09:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46379 Daniel Coyle is the best-selling author of the books “It’s one of the days”, “Culture Code”, “The Talent Code”, and ‘The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.

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Daniel Coyle Transcript

Daniel Coyle is the best-selling author of the books “It’s one of the days”, “Culture Code”, “The Talent Code”, and ‘The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. His latest release hit the bookshelves a few weeks ago, and its title is ‘The Culture Playbook’.

Mr. Coyle was born and raised in Alaska, and he attributes his affinity for writing to his cultural heritage. Growing up in Alaska is entirely different from the rest of the States. Still, Mr. Coyle had the luxury of frequent traveling to Illinois and Missouri, where his grandparents lived.

While visiting his grandparents in Illinois and Missouri, he observed an alternative culture of living as an outsider. The point of view of an outsider is one of the craftiest techniques writers utilize to express their thoughts. Moreover, being the second child among three brothers facilitated him in adapting to the competitive environment of the adults efficiently.

Mr. Coyle was to attend medical school, but he chose to study Journalism instead. As the years progressed, he developed an interest in observing groups of gifted individuals. He honed his research skills by watching the patterns of why an individual thrives within a group.

The motive and process behind the new book, ‘The Culture Playbook’

“The Talent Code” had been an earlier release of Mr. Coyle, where the subject was the background of individual performances. For his research, he had visited various places, like a specific tennis club in Russia, from which a series of world-class athletes had sprung.

Mr. Coyle is fascinated by the efficiency of these establishments because nobody initially comprehends the reasons for their unprecedented successes. Anyone can sense the winning spirit underlying these groups, but its expression in words is complicated.

Therefore, Mr. Coyle was adamant about continuing to research all these signature behaviors that embody the winning spirit of a group. The results of his research showed that these signature behaviors are the following:

i) Sending signals of safety

ii) Sending signals of shared vulnerability

iii) Sending signals of purpose

These deductions were derived by a meticulous approach involving reading people’s research that has dived deep into why some groups prosper while others do not. Sandy Pentland of MIT is a predominant researcher in this field, having developed several mathematical models that describe these group tendencies perfectly.

Furthermore, Mr. Coyle conducted plenty of fieldwork, too. One of his explorations was in the training ground of the basketball team San Antonio Spurs. His visit was after a loss of the group the previous night, and he became a witness to a peculiar incident for an outsider. Gregory Popovic, the team coach, cordially greeted the player who had missed a pivotal shot the previous night and asked him about his dinner and wine.

This fatherly approach of Mr. Popovic elicits a positive response from his group because it is an indication that the two parties share a future and a vision. The players feel that their coach sends a signal of safety, a paramount behavior for the success and longevity of the group. A behavior that establishes an innovative working culture.

A different and innovative working culture

No one can define simply the definition of working culture. Working culture combines words involving value, identity, trust, teamwork, leadership, engagement, cohesion, and honesty. For successful groups, the above are not merely words. They also breathe life into these words, and their individual and group laurels result from specific behaviors from the leader of the group. These behaviors that create connection and shared risk are:

i) The leader ought to share information with his delegates. The pace at which our world changes is so rapid that concealing information can be detrimental to the group’s long-term success.

ii) The leader should have situational awareness and self-organization to propel through the hurdles of the business world successfully.

iii) The leader should establish purpose and direction. The establishment of purpose facilitates the navigation of a group towards goals and success.

The overall point is that a group should caress the working culture as a living organism. A living organism that never ceases to signal safety and connection.

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This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

 

The impact of the Vulnerability in today’s corporate world

Nowadays, the importance of vulnerability is the primary trend in the competitive and rather cruel corporate world. Mr. Coyle has an excellent definition of the vulnerability that a leader should demonstrate. A definition that proves vulnerability is about insight, not drama. In his own words: “Vulnerability is actually about me giving you visibility into my weaknesses, my strengths, where I failed, where I succeeded, into what I’m good at, and what I’m bad at doing. And you are doing the same for me to work together more optimally.”

The above definition manifests the importance of vulnerability in displaying leadership abilities. It is a connection of a group of people through weakness and information. Showing vulnerability covers one of the prerequisite behaviors of establishing an innovative working culture and signals a connection to the other people in a group.

Mr. Coyle recalls an incident that was part of his research for the book “The Culture Code”. While visiting Google, an engineer there narrated a story about an incident at Pixar 15 years prior. The engineer had worked there at the time, and one day the CEO of the company, Ed Catmull, had visited their department.

Their anxiety had been evident, but Mr. Catmull had eased their nervousness by asking them to teach him what they were doing. This openness about his ignorance had been a vast display of vulnerability on his part. His admission of not knowing had made his delegates connect with him through information and probably had developed mutual trust between the people involved.

Mr. Coyle concludes about vulnerability by stating that if some leader is too proud to display his weakness to his delegates thwarts the overall progress of his group. His ego acts as a destabilizing factor to the cohesiveness and safety of his group.

The provision of safety and purpose to a group

As humans, we tend to act based on our instincts because our brain is wired in the face of danger and adversity. Therefore, when someone enters a new group, he can instantly feel connected or disconnected from this new environment. Great leaders have the act of making people feel at ease from the beginning. The manager of Cleveland Guardians, Terry Francona, is a predominant figure among these leaders.

Mr. Francona builds instant rapport with any new signing by greeting him by his name, a gesture that makes the other person feel important if someone can make another person feel that his opinion and presence matter for the flawless functioning of the group, he has made the initial step toward providing safety to his group.

The group leader should beware because establishing a fragile environment is a continuous effort and highly fragile. Avoiding the exhibition of the necessary behavioral patterns can cause a rift in the safe environment created.

A chief example of accurate interpretation of the above behavioral patterns is Gregor Popovic, the San Antonio Spurs coach. Mr. Popovic bids his farewells to his players at the end of each season with the phrase “Thank you for allowing me to coach you”.

This is a powerful phrase and indicative of the working environment in San Antonio Spurs. A reaffirmation of the relationship between the coach and players further extends their connection.

In the ever-changing landscape of business, a group has to face and overcome a series of obstacles. Overcoming obstacles requires a strong sense of purpose and a comprehension of your company’s impact on the world.

A company effectively manifests its impact on the world by adopting a mantra or motto. The adoption of a catchphrase encapsulates the values of the group and its approach to luring its customers. One characteristic example is the motto TrueNorth of Union Square Hospitality Group. This motto appeals to the public because it declares a navigational function, a concise statement of purpose.

In wrapping up…

The rapid changes happening in our world today have created a different landscape for a business to thrive. The one-man show of the past is long gone, if it ever existed, and has transformed into the collective force of the group. The group’s longevity is mainly dependent on the leadership skills of its primary figure. This leadership figure should establish behavioral patterns that send signals of safety, shared vulnerability, and purpose.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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Chris Voss, Former FBI Lead Negotiator and Author of Never Split The Difference On The Most Effective Negotiation Tactics To Use At Work And Life https://thefutureorganization.com/chris-voss-former-fbi-lead-negotiator-and-author-of-never-split-the-difference-on-the-most-effective-negotiation-tactics-to-use-at-work-and-life/ Fri, 20 May 2022 13:49:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46366 Chris Voss is the CEO of the Black Swan Group and the author of Never Split the Difference; Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on it.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Chris_Voss__-_Ready.mp3

Chris Voss Transcript

Chris Voss is the CEO of the Black Swan Group and the author of Never Split the Difference; Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on it. He started out as an FBI agent, became an FBI hostage negotiator, and then an FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator. After leaving the FBI program, Chris started teaching business negotiation in a couple of business programs in George Town and USC University of Southern California. He also wrote his first book, Never Split the Difference, which has received over 20,000 reviews on Amazon, which reflect its success.  

How Chris became a hostage negotiator

For Chris, this completely fell out of the sky, just like most cool things in life. Initially, Chris wanted to be a Corp, but he got interested in federal law enforcement at a time when the FBI was hiring, and he was put in a SWAT team, FBI Pittsburgh. He likes crisis response, and the main thing about it is that you must figure out what is going on and make a decision. On the SWAT team, Chris tried out the FBI’s agent version of the Navy SEAL and re-injured his knee. They had negotiators, but he thought he could also do it, just talking to terrorists, but he found out that it was way more in-depth. The application of intelligence, which he didn’t realize at the time, that it was what they were doing.

What A Hostage Negotiator does and how they Are trained

Being taught to negotiate with terrorists is an intense job, and you must be at your highest level of preparation. A hostage negotiator is confronted with either a contained situation or an uncontained situation. In a contained situation such as bad guys in a bank, the hostage negotiator is the ultimate cold calling salesman who must use emotional intelligence before leverage to succeed. Uncontained situations, on the other hand, such as kidnapping, are a buy-side, not a sale side. The hostage negotiator is buying, and for Chris, this was the hardest part for him to wrap his mind around initially. He was horrified when he realized that it was a commodity of exchange with human beings. However, this is the key to any negotiations, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it, it matters what they feel about it.

Hostage negotiator cold call and how it works

A hostage negotiation cold call should be done the same way a good business cold call is done. So, when the terrorists pick up the phone, you should start by introducing yourself because to get a relationship established with people, you don’t need to know their name, they need to know your name. This is how most cold callers do business today, and not to be turned off, you should add something like “Hi, I’m Chris and I’m here to talk to you about coming out” or “Hi I’m Chris, are you okay” which is great for hostage negotiations. Most terrorists know when the hostage negotiator is calling, and despite the circumstance, they will always answer the phone because they want to see if there is a way out. Hostage negotiations are successful 93% of the time, and this means only 7% of them are not coming out. You must recognize this in the first few minutes, and it is the same in business. Do your due diligence and eliminate the conversations with people who are not going to do business with you.      

Techniques on how to pull people into a negotiation table

Most of us think that we are in a negotiation when we start speaking specific terms of exchange or discussing money. However, an exchange conversation begins when you start talking about time, and when the words “I need” or “I want” are in your head or closing your lips, you are pulling people to a negotiation table. So, if you are gathering information or trying to create a relationship of influence, then you are already in a negotiation. The most dangerous negotiation is the one where you don’t know your rent.

What Leaders are seeking help for in negotiation From Chris

Leaders, specifically the top performers, are going to Chris for coaching and everything. Chris and his team have a small clientele that they are coaching directly, and they come to them on specific deals. Most often, they find that negotiation is a perishable skill, so they basically sign up for routine coaching to keep their skill level high. Chris’s team does everything, from insurance, settlement sales, mergers and acquisition, internal problems, salary negotiations, and job negotiations. However, they don’t divorce negotiations because SWAT people are already engaged. So, if you’ve kicked your lawyer into gear, they can’t coach you in that negotiation. 

Emotional intelligence and its’ role in the negotiation

Emotional intelligence is a deal-making accelerator. Emotional intelligence accelerates deal timelines, and lack of it lengthens them. Chris shares that initial deals are like developing rapport, an understanding of the other side, and a demonstration of that understanding. Once this is done in the first deal, then every deal afterward accelerates. This is how emotional intelligence accelerates your deal-making ability. However, when negotiating, call out the negatives in advance. Chris has found that accusations audit is the single most powerful strategy that unwinds negotiation faster than anything else because there’s a composition of the littlest circuitry in the brain. The composition is a layman’s explanation, but Chris’s findings indicate that it works.

Reading the room and paying attention as a leader

Gathering data with your eyes can give you a lot of good and accurate information. The look on somebody’s face reflects what is going on in their brain. It is not what you would like to have to go on in their brain but what is going on in the brain. If you want to read the look on somebody’s face, always read genuinely what you can see in their facial expressions and body language. See, pay attention, adapt to what the Read is, and say it as an accusation, an observation, and with an understanding tone of voice. Just like you read the sport you like when it is live, you have to read what is actually going on and compare it to what you have planned for and then adapt your plan at the moment.  

How much is being you versus becoming something before negotiation

Chris advises that you should never take advice from somebody that you wouldn’t trade places. You should also not take direction from somebody who hasn’t been where you’re going.  Be yourself, and no matter which type you are, fight, flight, or make friends, each brings something to the table during negotiations. Everyone has a natural attribute that is a great advantage in negotiations, and Chris would coach anyone to keep that and look for complementary attributes from the other side. For instance, the fight-type person is naturally aggressive and assertive, and the accommodator that makes friends is very likable. You can be assertive and likable simultaneously. Taking who you’re and adding what is on the other side to complement your skills will enhance long-term successful relationships.

In wrapping up …

Here are Chris’s top three favorite techniques that you can implement as a leader in everyday negotiation. First, read the other person’s emotions and hang a label on it. You will not always be correct, but the greatest thing about being inaccurate is that you get a great correction. Just know how to call it out in a way that will connect with the other person and be willing to learn. Second, Understand the circumstances before you walk in the door.  Always take a step back from any given conversation to make an emotional intelligence prediction on what is going on, and then lead with that. Thirdly, hear the other side out. You will get several deals that will make themselves if you thoroughly hear the other side out. The way you get good at it is by practicing it on a regular basis.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

—————————

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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5 Strategies for How Leaders Can Adapt to the New World of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-for-how-leaders-can-adapt-to-the-new-world-of-work-2/ Thu, 19 May 2022 13:45:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46362 Leadership is changing right before our eyes. To thrive as a leader, you can’t just do things like they’ve always been done. You have to constantly evolve to be ahead of changes and stay on top of your leadership game. Leaders who adapt to the new world of work are the ones who will find ... Read more

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Leadership is changing right before our eyes.

To thrive as a leader, you can’t just do things like they’ve always been done. You have to constantly evolve to be ahead of changes and stay on top of your leadership game.

Leaders who adapt to the new world of work are the ones who will find success and future-proof their careers.

Here are five ways to adapt and stay ahead as a leader:

Keep learning

Get rid of the old “heads down” mentality. Stick your head up and start paying attention to what’s happening around you. The world is so connected that what’s happening in another country or company impacts you. Read the news, look at trending stories, listen to podcasts, and watch videos. Give yourself time to be curious and explore.

Talk to people

Push past your own ideas to discover what people think, worry, and ponder about. Talking to people opens your mind to new ideas. Ask your employees, leaders, and peers these questions:

1. What trends are you paying attention to in the world and why?

2. What implications do you see these changes having on leadership, your career, and the organization?

Join groups

Becoming a great leader isn’t a solo effort. Join a group where you can discuss the future, your career, and how the world is changing. The group can be in person or virtual, with people in your industry or a cross-section of the world. Find a group and go all in.

Surround yourself with people who aren’t like you

Your team and support circle shouldn’t just be people who are exactly like you and agree with everything you say. Surround yourself with people who don’t believe the same things as you, look like you, act like you, or think like you. Learn to see things from other people’s perspectives.

Be a lighthouse

Part of adapting and evolving as a leader is understanding that you must take others with you as you grow and develop. A lighthouse without ships in the water is useless. Shine your light on others and lift them up to create an organization and world of future-ready people.

Leadership requires constant evolution. But these five strategies can put you on the fast track to improving as a person and a leader.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Stop Calling Them “Soft Skills” https://thefutureorganization.com/stop-calling-them-soft-skills/ Wed, 18 May 2022 13:00:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46334 Are skills like communication, empathy, and emotional awareness less valuable than things like reading, math, and science?

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Are skills like communication, empathy, and emotional awareness less valuable than things like reading, math, and science?

No!

So why do we call the first set of skills “soft skills” and the others “hard skills”?

The so-called “soft skills” are just as important as traditional hard skills. In fact, experts now say that soft skills are more important than hard skills.

In the future of work, soft skills distinguish us from machines. Machines can out-think, out-strategize, and out-perform us. AI can perform nearly every hard skill just as good–or better–than humans.

But what can humans do better than machines?

Be human.

Our ability to master the “soft skills” and feel, build relationships, and communicate sets us apart from machines.

It’s also what got us through the changes and stress of the pandemic.

Over the last two years, we’ve learned to be better listeners, better communicators, and better humans. We’re at our best when we use our soft skills supported by technology.

These soft skills allow us to innovate, create new products, close deals, support each other, and create employee and customer experiences that matter.

These skills are anything but soft. They are essential to our survival in our personal and professional lives.

So let’s call them what they really are: skills.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by SAP Concur.

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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How to Lose an Employee https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-lose-an-employee/ Tue, 17 May 2022 13:00:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46325 You’ve likely heard the saying that people don’t quit a bad job, they quit a bad boss.
That’s part of the equation, but it doesn’t show the full picture.

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You’ve likely heard the saying that people don’t quit a bad job, they quit a bad boss.

That’s part of the equation, but it doesn’t show the full picture.

Losing an employee takes two steps: outdated work practices and poor leadership.

No one shows up on their first day of work hating their boss or the company. We’re all excited about new opportunities and ready to jump in and make a difference. In many cases, we’ve been told stories about how great it is to work for the company.

But over time, employees slowly lose that excitement until they have nothing left.

It doesn’t necessarily happen all at once. But little things can add up: the frustration of having to work with clunky systems every day, having to fight through bureaucratic red tape to get your voice heard, a manager who only cares about their own success, co-workers who take credit for your ideas–the list goes on and on.

Eventually, those outdated work practices and poor leadership become too much for even the best and brightest employees to deal with. So they go somewhere else.

If you want to attract and retain great employees, you must build a strong employee experience. That requires developing your organization in the three key areas: physical space, technology, and culture.

Creating a solid employee experience means being willing to change, encouraging innovation, and empowering employees. And it means being a motivating and inspiring leader and developing the next generation of leaders who do the same.

Are you creating practices that put employees on the path to leave, or are you creating practices that keep them engaged and excited?

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and CEO of Kellogg’s On Why Skills Are More Important Than Jobs https://thefutureorganization.com/former-u-s-secretary-of-commerce-and-ceo-of-kelloggs-on-why-skills-are-more-important-than-jobs/ Mon, 16 May 2022 11:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46314 Carlos Gutierrez is an American of Cuban origin and the current Chairman and CEO of Empath company. He also served as US Secretary of Commerce and as Chairman and CEO of Kellog.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Carlos_Gutierrez_-_Ready.mp3

Carlos Gutierrez Transcript

Carlos Gutierrez is an American of Cuban origin and the current Chairman and CEO of EmPath company. He also served as US Secretary of Commerce and as Chairman and CEO of Kellogg. He had joined Kellogg after his high-school graduation, and his initiation to the esteemed company was through a Sales Representative position. Through his reminiscences for these days, he explicitly states that skills are far more critical than degrees in the competitive environment of the corporate world.

The importance of acquired skills instead of degrees and diplomas

Mr. Gutierrez recalls that he took the opportunity of being a Sales Representative of Kellogg as a part of a training program after his high school graduation in Mexico City. His family used to live in the capital of Mexico, as Mr. Gutierrez’s father had his occupation in the city.

His initial duties involved selling the company’s products to mini markets, and as the years progressed, he moved on to supermarkets, grocery stores, hotels, and various institutions. Mr. Gutierrez’s rise through the ranks of the Kellogg was phenomenal and rapid, as his installation to the head office after a handful of years suggests.

Mr. Gutierrez enhanced his skill set by taking courses in Accounting, Marketing, and Human Resources Management. Throughout his ascend to the business world. He succeeded where many people fail due to their shared ignorance with their employers to assess their capabilities constructively.

The path from adversities to running an esteemed company

Mr Gutierrez narrates his early childhood experience of absconding from his forefathers’ land after the institution of the revolutionaries of Fidel Castro. His father was a reputed businessman, but he could not resume his entrepreneurial feats after the nationalization of all the sectors of the economy. Therefore, the Gutierrez family fled to the so-called ‘Land of Opportunities’, the USA.

The first actual opportunity occurred in a different land, a few miles south of the USA, Mexico. There, Mr. Gutierrez embarked on his journey at Kellogg and ascended his way to the headquarters by taking the rising opportunities with a level-headed mind. He took up roles such as Assistant in the Marketing Department throughout his journey of obtaining the CEO responsibilities.

The road was not paved with pedals, though. He had to overcome various struggles in this journey, with the suspicion of his colleagues of not having a college degree being a chief hindrance. Mr. Gutierrez never gave up his quest to enhance his skills and opportunities to grow as a person and professional. He had already established a rooted strength for perseverance by acquiring the English language within a short period after his family immigrated from Cuba.

His initial opportunity as a General Manager came in Mexico at 29. In his retrospection, he recognizes three things as pivotal to a person’s professional success, which are the following:

1) Being in the right place at the right time

2) Rely on a robust and trustful team of people

3) The results (accomplishing goals and achieving the targeted numbers)

Furthermore, Mr. Gutierrez honed his leadership skills solely through action, without taking any formal education on the matter. He states that he learned how to lead through steps, errors, and fixing his errors. All this attained experience from this path led him to establish his pioneering company, Empath.

The pioneering work of EmPath

The establishment of EmPath facilitates the corporate world in ways that were unfathomable a few years ago. They utilize the tools of Machine Learning to assess the skills of a company’s personnel or aspiring personnel. Therefore, the executives of a company can adequately assess which skills and persons are suitable for a specific position and reduce the number of erroneous appointments effectively.

The advancements in Machine Learning and their application in the business world are a fantastic breakthrough because the motivation of employees skyrockets when they contribute according to their capabilities. Furthermore, their energy is harnessed to remain at a high level, stabilizing, thus the longevity of their respective company.

The obsolete practices of assessing an individual’s potential by a mere resume have long gone, as various companies herald a new era. An era that comprises fairness, meritocracy, and individual and collaborative success.

The paramount data sets for a robust selection process

The clients of EmPath provide the company with the information regarding what they are looking for in a specific position. This information entails around 12 signals, for instance, performance reviews, peer reviews, certificates, courses, achieved interactions with customers etc. From there, the people of Empath utilize four signals according to the request of their clients.

EmPath utilizes a process called semantic similarity. Semantic similarity is finding targeted keywords within an employer’s skill set. The employees that match the client’s criteria proceed to the next phase of the selection process.

EmPath has the luxury of having a CTO who is an expert in Machine Learning and has written one of the first textbooks on this subject. Mr. Gutierrez unequivocally states that these innovations will be the corporate’s world flagships within three years.

In Wrapping Up

Identify the skills required for every job in the company. Once you have that database of information, the things you can do are endless, and the kind of environment you can create for employees.

We will talk about how Carlos got into the business of helping people grow and what motivated him to upskill himself. He also shares what things they do to help companies know their employees’ skills better, which will help them create a suitable environment for the employees, is experience still necessary, and how leaders should look at proficiency.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is brought to you by EmPath.

Empath’s machine learning software develops a skills inventory with proficiency levels for every employee in a company. Enable Personalized Career Development, Diversity & Inclusion, Skills-Based Teams, an Opportunity Marketplace, and Skills-Based Succession Planning, among other valuable use cases. Empower your employees, raise engagement, and boost retention. The workforce of tomorrow. Today. Visit www.empath.net to request a demo.

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A Ground-Breaking New Study On Leadership And Vulnerability https://thefutureorganization.com/a-ground-breaking-new-study-on-leadership-and-vulnerability/ Fri, 13 May 2022 13:00:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46298 I'm working on the hardest book and research project I've ever done...and I could use your help.

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I’m working on the hardest book and research project I’ve ever done…and I could use your help.

It’s all about vulnerability and leadership and I’m in the middle of researching this tough and fascinating topic so that I can create something amazing for all of you! I’ll share more details including the title/cover, etc in the coming months but as of now the book is scheduled to come out mid 2023.

As with my most recent book, The Future Leader where I interviewed over 140 CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees with LinkedIn, my goal is to bring together both qualitative and quantitative research. One of the things that has always frustrated me specifically about leadership books is that they tend to be based on a few companies or they make generalizations without much data to support their claims. I’m trying to fix that.

For my new book I’m interviewing over 100 of the world’s top CEOs to get their candid stories, experiences, and insights on vulnerability. I’ve already done dozens of these interviews and they have been fascinating.

When it comes to the quantitative element I’m SUPER EXCITED to announce that I’ve teamed up with world’s top leadership research and consulting firm DDI (Development Dimensions International) to survey tens of thousands of employees around the world…including you.

Each year DDI conducts their Global Leadership Forecast and this time around I’m working with them explore vulnerability and leadership. I’d love for you to participate in the survey which will only take you a few minutes to complete. As a “thank you” for your participation you will receive their Better Leader Handbook which is an invaluable 16 chapter resource that explores everything from business acumen, emotional intelligence essentials, coaching, creating an inclusive environment, driving innovation, and a whole lot more. All you need to do is take the survey and you will get instant access.

 

Not only to you get to share your insights on this crucial topic but you will also get an invaluable leadership resources to help you in your journey. Sound fair?

Click here to take the survey and get your free ebook. More to come, stay tuned!

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How to Practice Servant Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-practice-servant-leadership-2/ Thu, 12 May 2022 13:00:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46294 We used to think of leaders at the top of the pyramid telling everyone what to do. But today, the pyramid is inverted. Successful leaders are now at the bottom propping everyone else up.

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We used to think of leaders at the top of the pyramid telling everyone what to do.

But today, the pyramid is inverted. Successful leaders are now at the bottom propping everyone else up.

To thrive as a servant leader, you have to believe that your job is to help make other people more successful than you.

This mindset changes everything, including your attitude, behavior, and relationships. It shifts your focus from making yourself look good to instead supporting and encouraging your people to help them reach incredible heights.

When leaders practice servant leadership, it creates a service culture throughout the organization where people support and lift each other.

But how do you actually put this into practice?

Here are five practical ways to serve employees as a leader:

  1. Think about the stressors in your employees’ lives. What is causing them grief or angst at work? It could be early meetings, a long commute, or unclear expectations. Get in touch with what hurts employees.
  2. Show appreciation to your employees. More than being public and huge, recognition needs to be heartfelt. A personal note or a handshake makes employees feel seen and valued.
  3. Understand your employees as individuals, not just as workers. Employees are people. Get to know them outside of their job title.
  4. Understand the moments that matter in your employees’ lives. These are the big milestones of their lives: their first promotion, first house, new baby, etc. Understand those moments that matter and do something to create a meaningful experience to serve in those moments.
  5. Remove obstacles from your employees’ paths. Find what gets in the way and remove those obstacles if possible. Make it easier for employees to do their jobs well.

Serving employees creates a positive culture where people can thrive and grow. And it all starts by understanding your role as a leader is to make people more successful than you.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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The #1 Most Dangerous Quality A Leader Can Have https://thefutureorganization.com/the-1-most-dangerous-quality-a-leader-can-have/ Wed, 11 May 2022 13:05:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46281 What’s the worst trait a leader can have that will lead to their downfall?

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What’s the worst trait a leader can have that will lead to their downfall?

I’ve asked this question of hundreds of top business leaders around the world, and I’ve received one answer far more often than any other.

Having an unchecked ego.

It’s human to have an ego. The danger comes when we let it grow out of control.

As you grow in your career, you’ll likely get more power, more money, more responsibility, and more status.

That can inevitably lead to more ego. If you leave that ego unchecked, you’ll start thinking your ideas are better than everyone else’s and that you are the best thing to happen to your company.

But that ego can lead to your downfall and create a toxic work culture that causes you to miss out on creating better products and lose touch with your people.

Here are five ways to stop your ego from being your downfall:

  1. Keep practicing empathy. Try to see things from other people’s perspectives and listen to their ideas.
  2. Embrace self-awareness. Understand your strengths and weaknesses and be honest with yourself about how other people see you.
  3. Surround yourself with people who aren’t like you. Build a team of people who are smarter than you and have different values and backgrounds.
  4. Get out of the ivory tower. Spend time with employees and customers across all levels to expand your understanding of the company.
  5. Practice saying “I don’t know.” Even as a leader, you don’t have to have the answer to everything.

An unchecked ego has been the downfall of even the best leaders. Do these things daily to avoid your ego hurting your career.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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It’s Time To Say Goodbye To Annual Performance Reviews https://thefutureorganization.com/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-annual-performance-reviews/ Tue, 10 May 2022 13:00:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46278 If you’re like most employees, you dread annual performance reviews.
So why are they still happening at most companies around the world?

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If you’re like most employees, you dread annual performance reviews.

So why are they still happening at most companies around the world?

I’ve long shared my disdain for annual performance reviews, and I’m not alone. Research has found that most annual performance reviews are ineffective because they provide feedback without context, are typically one-sided towards the employee, and don’t actually improve performance. One study found that just 14% of employees agree that performance reviews inspire them to improve.

There has to be a better way.

Instead of getting feedback just once a year, companies need to create a more constant feedback system. Instead of waiting eight months to get feedback, an employee can get feedback the same day and start applying it right away.

Many companies are afraid of totally ditching annual performance reviews, but there are still a few things you can do:

  • Set a time to regularly get feedback from your manager. It could be once a week or once a month–whatever works for you. Even a 15-minute standing feedback session can open the doors for regular, open communication.
  • Start within your team. Encourage regular feedback and performance reviews in your team. Regularly open the floor to feedback so you can continually improve and make real-time adjustments. With any luck, your team’s idea will spread to the rest of the company.
  • Recognize your peers. Don’t wait until the end of the year to recognize someone for a job well done. You don’t have to be a leader to appreciate someone’s hard work and progress. A nice email, a handwritten note, or public recognition can go far and help build a culture of continuous recognition and improvement.

Feedback is important. The idea behind annual performance reviews is solid–employees need feedback to grow and improve. But the execution is often flawed and can be greatly improved.

No matter your role in the company, you can take a stand against annual reviews and work to create a culture where feedback happens all the time, not just once a year.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Daniel Pink On The Power of Regret And How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward https://thefutureorganization.com/daniel-pink-on-the-power-of-regret-and-how-looking-backward-moves-us-forward/ Mon, 09 May 2022 11:24:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46245 Daniel Pink is the best-selling author of ‘Win and Drive’ among other books. He recently published his new book, ‘The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward’.

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Daniel Pink Transcript

Daniel Pink is the best-selling author of ‘Win and Drive’ among other books. He recently published his new book, ‘The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward’. His recent turn on the theme of regret derives from his encounters with various people who expressed different regrets throughout their lives. He had noticed that people began to share their regrets with him after opening up to them. The realization that he had wasted many years covering his regrets was the driving force behind writing his latest book.

The many regrets of our lives

There are numerous regrets we face in our lifespans. They are related either to career choices, study options or choices of friends or spouses. Mr. Pink remarks that an expressed regret is initially a mere emotional state. An emotional state involving a mental time travel results in the exploration of ‘what if’ scenarios. Admittedly, most of the time, people remain hooked on this feeling of regret for a respectable amount of time, and this process is a significant blow to their psyche.

The expression of our regrets is a form of vulnerability, and it requires a massive amount of strength to be exposed in front of other people. Being vulnerable may make us seem weak to our surroundings, but that is a fallacy. This fallacy comes from pluralistic ignorance, where we think that our beliefs are actual and not shared by other people.

Always thinking forward is against human nature.

The modern Self-Help Industry has us believe that dwelling on past mistakes or actions is a waste of time and that we should only look forward to attaining inner peace and blissfulness. Science has proved otherwise, though. Our brain is wired to reflect on past situations and evaluate whether we chose wisely or not.

Our innate functioning for retrospection is the practical guide for preventing us from making the same mistakes in the future. Mr. Pink declares that regrets are powerful and transformative emotions that facilitate us to be better and more resourceful in every aspect of our lives.

Being optimistic all the time is a straightforward way to make even more mistakes and is a dangerous delusion. Furthermore, the constant optimist prevents himself from feeling unprecedented sadness and remorse. Therefore, he restrains from living as an integrated adult with his fallacies, gifts, regrets and individual charisma.

Constant positive emotions are not joy at all.

Mr. Pink believes that negative emotions, such as fear and grief, help us survive and thrive. He points out that we would be hopeless in adverse situations without fear, such as being in a burning building. After referring to these examples, he concludes his argument by stating that he wants people to validate their feelings regarding their regrets and let this emotional experience have a lasting and constructive effect on them.

Mr. Pink’s research process for his new book, ”The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves us Forward”.

Mr. Pink employed two regional surveys, one on American soil and another throughout the rest of the world. The sample size was 4489 Americans and 20,000 people from 109 countries. The research process also incorporated demographic analyses and an extensive collection of regrets of the participants.

There were various types of regrets expressed by the participants of the process. The most notable was the so-called foundation regrets, which refer to health, school, occupation and money decisions. The other types of regrets were indicative of the moral compass of the participants and questioned the choices regarding the participants’ relationships.

Being stuck in specific regrets can rue your chances of happiness

Mr. Pink reiterates his notion that we should use our regrets as a transformative tool that will alter our decision-making and overall life. Otherwise, if we end up feeling constantly hooked on our negative feelings, we would be miserable and with zero chance of improvement against our regrets.

The types of regrets we experience throughout our lives.

The first and foremost of regrets are the foundation regrets related to health, occupation, and money decisions. When experiencing such regrets, Mr. Pink suggests not being so critical of yourself but somewhat apologetic and steadily building the momentum to reverse a seemingly harsh reality. Our vital allies in such endeavors should be developing a process or a routine that helps us navigate effectively towards our goal.

Moral regrets deal with roads not taken, especially in our youth. Generally, the wild nature of a child usually directs us into selecting morally ambiguous choices that satisfy our instant gratification desires. The troubling part is that most of us regret these choices in the later course of our life. Mr. Pink’s research for his book showed that the predominant moral regrets were marital infidelity and engaging in bullying activities.

The last pillar of regrets involves our relationships. When referring to personal relationships, we talk about marital, friendly ones and within a family. Mr. Pink states again that creating a powerful bond between these relationships is the repercussion of expressing vulnerability.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

The difference between action and inaction regrets

Action regrets involve situations where someone desires retribution for some of his deeds in the past. Inaction regrets refer to roads that were not taken and contemplated with heavy thoughts upon reflection.

Another striking difference between these two thoughts is that inaction regrets we can practice downward counterfactuality by pondering the past and estimating that things could have been worse. In this way, you can derive several silver linings for your life to use as a compass to direct you towards a brighter future.

The demographics of Mr. Pink’s research brought forth a rather exciting statistic where older generations experienced more inaction regrets than the youth. This is highly proportional to the period of the demographic analysis, as older people are more prone to retrospection than their younger selves.

Regarding inaction regrets, another huge factor of their potency in our thoughts is the mysterious ways that our brain operates. The fact that inaction regrets are choices that we didn’t act upon can torment us until our deathbed. Furthermore, according to the demographics, Mr. Pink found that the two most common regrets were personal relationships and the absence of boldness in crucial parts of the participants’ lives. All the above are inaction regrets and usually occupy our thoughts.

In wrapping up..

Our action and inaction regrets may lead us to erroneous beliefs and display highly critical behavior toward the most important person for us in our lives: Us. Self-critical behavior usually stems from a troubled childhood and may have detrimental effects on our psyche.

Instead of succumbing to such ineffective tendencies, we should employ daily self-compassion techniques to absorb and remove all the unnecessary toxicity of our lives.

A predominant example of employing self-compassion is the way we treat our feelings. When we experience positive emotions, we should not lay any more troubles in our minds. We just let this positive force better our mood.

We must employ different techniques when our emotions are negative, though. In this case, it is paramount to question the origin of these nasty feelings by adopting a distinct identity and treating ourselves as a third party. An excellent strategy involves keeping a journal where we document our thoughts. This self-distancing ritual shall facilitate us in harnessing our negative emotions to notable achievements.

These techniques are suitable in the business world, too. All the leading figures of the corporate world should familiarize themselves with them and employ them to boost the morale of their teams.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

As a new cohort of workers enters the hybrid workforce, they wield immense power in shaping the next era of work during a time of ongoing change. SAP Concur solutions help companies reinvent travel, expense, and invoice management by simplifying everyday processes and creating better experiences across organizations. Learn more about SAP Concur travel, expense, and invoice solutions at www.concur.com.

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How to Deal with an Unengaged Employee https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-deal-with-an-unengaged-employee/ Fri, 06 May 2022 14:03:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46236 You're a leader, and one of your employees isn't engaged. What do you do?
It’s a common situation for leaders, who are faced with many options.

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You’re a leader, and one of your employees isn’t engaged. What do you do?

It’s a common situation for leaders, who are faced with many options.

You can talk to the person, pair them with a high performer, give them an incentive, or try various other strategies.

I polled my followers about this situation, and the vast majority (85%) of the nearly 2,000 responses said to talk to the person.

Find out what’s going on in the employee’s life–maybe they’re experiencing stress at hope that is distracting them from work, maybe they are unclear about the expectations at work, or maybe they don’t like the projects they’ve been assigned.

Before you can help them become more engaged, you have to build a relationship and get to the root of the problem. An employee likely isn’t engaged for no reason. They could be uninterested in the work, struggling with an assignment, or feeling stressed outside of work. But you don’t know that if you don’t talk to them. You can’t create a solution without understanding the problem.

Lots of commenters noted the importance of not just talking to the employee but listening. A one-sided conversation where the person feels they are in trouble can cause them to shut down and get defensive, but a conversation where the leader listens to the employee can help them open up and work together to help the employee become more engaged. That conservation doesn’t have to happen in an office, but can be on a walk or over a cup of coffee.

I love what one commenter, Karen Zeigler, said: “People engage when they feel they have value to add or when they feel that the value they add is appreciated. So listen to them. Seek to unlock their value and watch their engagement grow by leaps and bounds.”

Talking with an unengaged employee doesn’t have to be lengthy or heavy. Start with one of these prompts:

  • “What do you enjoy most about your job? What frustrates you?”
  • “Do you feel you’re playing to your strengths at work?”
  • “Is there anything outside of work that’s impacting your performance?”
  • “Tell me about your current workload. Do we need to make any changes?”

As a leader, you’re sure to face employees who aren’t engaged. The community consensus is clear: talk to them, listen, and work together to improve their situation and engagement.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Three Big Barriers to Collaboration https://thefutureorganization.com/three-big-barriers-to-collaboration/ Thu, 05 May 2022 13:33:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46229 The ability or inability to collaborate can make or break an organization. Teams and companies that excel at collaboration tend to work more efficiently, be more innovative, and create an engaging culture.

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The ability or inability to collaborate can make or break an organization. Teams and companies that excel at collaboration tend to work more efficiently, be more innovative, and create an engaging culture.

Here are three common barriers to collaboration to watch for with your team:

Hierarchy

If your organization is built like a pyramid where information only flows from the top down, it’s nearly impossible to collaborate. True collaboration happens when ideas come from all sides. You can still have some structure, but the information and ideas need to flow side to side, up and down, and throughout the organization so that everyone is involved.

Fear

Collaboration requires speaking up, being visible, and having confidence in yourself. But that can be scary to employees, especially if there is a culture of shooting down or criticizing ideas. Create an environment that is safe for risk-taking to help employees overcome the fear of collaborating and communicating.

Over-collaboration

Collaborating too much is just as harmful as not collaborating at all. If employees need approval for every little idea or task, it significantly stunts productivity and creativity. Fight over-collaboration by giving employees trust and autonomy. Research has found that providing employees autonomy is the best way to build their engagement in the team. Have an open dialogue with employees about expectations and guidelines so everyone is on the same page.

Knowing these common barriers to collaboration can help you deal with issues when they come up and address red flags before they grow into bigger issues. By addressing these challenges, you can be on your way to creating a collaborative organization.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Create Better Employee Experience by Providing Purpose & Meaning to Your Teams https://thefutureorganization.com/create-better-employee-experience-by-providing-purpose-meaning-to-your-teams/ Wed, 04 May 2022 13:28:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45911 Hey everyone it’s Jacob, are you ready to learn the importance of purpose and meaning at work and how to actually make these things happen?

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Hey everyone it’s Jacob, are you ready to learn the importance of purpose and meaning at work and how to actually make these things happen?

If you are, then I have a barter for you that you might find interesting.

Across all my years of research and hundreds of CEO interviews, the need to provide purpose and meaning keeps coming up, but these two things are not the same!. Today’s employees want to have meaning behind their jobs and work for purpose-driven leaders.

They’ll even take a lower-paying job that delivers purpose and meaning.

I put together all of my best research and takeaways into an interactive worksheet that can transform your organization and leadership style to deliver more purpose and meaning for you and your teams. This must-have resource will help you create a stronger employee experience for current and future employees.

And I’m giving it away for free just for listeners of this podcast. Everyone else out there has to actually pay for it.

To get your free copy of this fantastic resource, leave a review of my podcast, The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan, on apple podcasts or on Spotify

Send a screenshot of your review to jacob@thefutureorganization.com and I’ll send you a free copy of the purpose and meaning interactive worksheet. This worksheet will explain the difference between purpose and meaning and it will give you specific action items that you can do in order to help achieve both of them.

As you know each week on the Future of Work podcast, I interview top business leaders about what it takes to be a great leader and how their companies are evolving for the future of work. These insights are crucial to future-proofing yourself and your organization.

It’s a win across the board, I get your help with reviews which helps me grow the show and you a valuable leadership resource for free.

I look forward to seeing your reviews!

Again send me a screenshot of your review to jacob@thefutureorganization.com

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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In-Person Work Is Still Important. Here’s Why. https://thefutureorganization.com/in-person-work-is-still-important-heres-why/ Tue, 03 May 2022 13:25:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46209 Do we even need offices anymore? Why can’t everything just be done virtually without physically seeing leaders, customers, or team members? There’s no doubt that flexible work is the future of work. The pandemic showed that remote work isn’t just possible–it’s effective, cost-saving, and enjoyable. But just because remote work is increasing doesn’t mean in-person ... Read more

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Do we even need offices anymore? Why can’t everything just be done virtually without physically seeing leaders, customers, or team members?

There’s no doubt that flexible work is the future of work. The pandemic showed that remote work isn’t just possible–it’s effective, cost-saving, and enjoyable.

But just because remote work is increasing doesn’t mean in-person work is dead. Collaborating face-to-face with co-workers can help a business and its employees grow in powerful ways.

Boosts Morale

Many employees want to work together in person. A survey by JLL found that three in four employees hope to return to in-person work in an office, with the majority favoring a hybrid model.

While remote work brings flexibility, it also comes with mental strain and loneliness. Companies have found that it is much easier to build morale and a solid corporate culture when employees are working together in person, at least some of the time.

Working in an office provides an instant boundary between work and home life, which can improve workers’ mental health and make them more productive when they are at work.

Builds Networks

Socializing with co-workers in person can be a huge boost to morale and career development opportunities. Having the chance to rub shoulders is especially beneficial for workers early in their careers who rely on in-person connections to grow their skills and network. 87% of employees say the office is essential for collaborating and building relationships.

Online networking is one thing, but meeting in person to share advice and contacts is invaluable. Research has found that no matter how productive an employee is who works from home, the lack of physical face time with managers and leaders can negatively impact promotions.

Encourages Collaboration

In-person work can create a robust environment for collaboration and brainstorming. While many people may be hesitant to share ideas or brainstorm virtually, they can more easily get on the same page when meeting in person.

The JLL survey found that 97% of high performers say their office enables easy collaboration. Even with today’s robust collaboration tools, sitting in the same room as someone to hash out ideas can move projects ahead faster.

Does this mean that all companies need to return to full-time in-person work? No. There are still numerous benefits to flexible work. Many companies will likely move to a hybrid model that allows employees to work in an office for a few days and spend the rest of their time working remotely.

Even with the technology and growing acceptance of remote work, in-person is still a vital part of the future of work.

The future of work isn’t virtual…it’s flexible.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, Interview With Stephen M.R. Covey https://thefutureorganization.com/trust-and-inspire-how-truly-great-leaders-unleash-greatness-in-others-interview-with-stephen-m-r-covey/ Mon, 02 May 2022 15:08:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46199 Stephen M. R. Covey is the bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and sold over 2 million copies worldwide, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Smart Trust, a #1 Amazon bestseller, is co-authored by him.

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Stephen Covey Transcript

Stephen M. R. Covey is the bestselling author of The Speed of Trust, which has been translated into 22 languages and sold over 2 million copies worldwide, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Smart Trust, a #1 Amazon bestseller, is co-authored by him.

Stephen offers a practitioner’s perspective to his work, having served as President and CEO of the Covey Leadership Center, where he raised shareholder value by 67 times and developed the company to become the world’s largest leadership development firm.

He is in the fourth generation of a family of writers named Stephen Covey, with their only difference being their middle names. His father, Stephen R. Covey, wrote the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, which remains highly influential until this day.

Why does the Book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Remain Influential Until Today?

The main reason is that this book refers primarily to the principles governing the habits of influential people and not their practices. The principles of leadership and how someone can be effective did not alter throughout the years as the qualities of human nature loom eternal in our psyches. Furthermore, Mr. Covey had been taught the seven habits of highly successful people during his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, unbeknownst to him.

He recalls that this time of his life was one of the most decisive to his career due to his upbringing by parents with the stature and worth of his father. He was present in many sessions and lectures of his father, and his reminiscences are quite vivid today.

The Fundamental Habit to Attain and Be Highly Effective

Mr. Covey’s father sought to sway his peers and students towards the following motto: “Seek first to understand and then be understood”. The mastering of this way of living and behaving can lead to the development of the empathy of a genuine leader. The truth is that most people struggle to develop such habits due to their insistence on telling stories of their volition in a conversation. If someone manages to attain the mindset of empathy, it conveys a powerful message about his leadership qualities.

Mr. Covey is a staunch believer that empathy leads to a better comprehension of the capabilities of your workforce. The majority of his father’s students shared the notion that their teams had more skills and ingenuity than the ones they took credit for having. They just had to compete within the intricacies of a bizarre world, where labor aims must be accomplished in specific ways with limited investments. Limited investments confer fewer tools to work within a world that constantly demands more.

Mr. Covey’s book “Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others” examines how a leader can inspire his team members to unlock their true potential despite the severe difficulties they have to encounter.

Mr. Covey’s Inspiration for his Books and Career Path

Before entering his current highly successful career path, Mr. Covey indulged in several occupations, which are namely presented below:

i) Real Estate Development in Dallas, Texas

ii) Investment Banking on Wall Street

Between the former occupations, Mr. Covey acquired an MBA. After his studies, he faced the conundrum between retaining his former business endeavors and joining his father’s company. The unyielding spirit convinced him of his father and the values he had bestowed on him. These values are evident and were the repercussion of numerous family meetings where his father taught them to be responsible in their life. He delegated several tasks to his children to realize the importance of being accountable for a goal and employing all the necessary steps to accomplish it.

Mr. Covey explained that his father trust enabled him to believe more in his capabilities and skills. Therefore, he developed unparalleled confidence in taking care of numerous tasks throughout his professional life.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

The importance of distinguishing Leadership and Management

Mr. Covey highlights the fundamental difference between leadership and management and states that they are paramount in running a company or a team smoothly. Their essential difference lies in the following phrase, attributed to the honored guest: “The key principle is that you manage things and lead people. The danger comes when we start to manage people as if they were things”.

The point is that someone can be a highly accomplished manager by completing stupendous tasks but an ineffective leader by miscommunicating with his delegates. Therefore, an effective leader should direct his approach to establish humane connections with his personnel and maintain harmonious morale within the ranks of his team.

The last century has given us an unlimited amount of knowledge and practices that we could not possibly fathom even existed. This tremendous amount of information enabled us to achieve memorable and astonishing achievements in all facets of humanity. Surprisingly, a shift to an alternative approach in leadership has only recently begun.

This alternative approach is still in its initial steps. It entails a change from an authoritarian and faceless leadership model to an encouraging mode of administration, where the Head of the team facilitates his delegates to unleash their unwavering work spirit and locked potential. This exact change in leadership paradigm is the topic of the new book of Mr. Covey, “Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others”.

Undoubtedly, though, the demanding prerequisites for success require the flawless function of the duality of managing things and leading people. Finding the ideal balance between these two different actions is one of the towering enigmas of our times.

Mr. Covey brought forth an interesting parallel in the discussion regarding the difference between managing things and leading people. Management involves the field of Economics, where scarcity of goods displays a predominant role in their diversification. In terms of leadership, Mr. Covey prefers to follow the Abundance Theory, where having someone to believe in your skills without second thoughts. This abundance mentality derives a relationship of trust, which serves as the prerequisite of confidence and accomplishment.

In wrapping up…

According to Mr. Covey, the three stewardships of leadership are Modeling, Trusting, and Inspiring. In the following paragraphs, we examine these three pillars of effective leadership.

Modeling: Mr. Covey suggests that humility and courage are the most fundamental values that a leader should model to his delegates. The manifestation of humility and courage concurrently enables the leader to exhibit his genuine and authentic self and be vulnerable when he should be. And always, a leader should be the first to display such emotions for his team to follow accordingly.

Trusting: Mr. Covey states that we must be trustworthy and trusting to have trust. In other words, we must emulate the family meetings with Mr. Covey’s father, where he entrusted them with cumbersome and essential tasks. Thus, he exhibited his belief in their abilities to conclude them successfully.

Inspiring: Inspiration is a whole new level of engagement with the company’s morale, and recent studies have shown that inspired personnel performed significantly higher achievements than their merely satisfied colleagues. Furthermore, Mr. Covey believes that inspiring other people is an attainable skill and product of nature or nurture. Acquiring such an ability would give you significant advantages in the competitive world of running a business. The more straightforward route to accomplish this feat is to start caring more for those around you and developing thus the modern fundamental of leadership, the precious empathy.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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The Best Leadership Lessons Come From Those Around You Says Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-leadership-lessons-come-from-those-around-you-says-chris-mccann-ceo-of-1-800-flowers-2/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 13:26:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46203 Chris McCann is CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3,000 employees.

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Chris McCann is CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3,000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’s older brother opened his first flower shop. Chris joined the business in the 1980s and the brothers have worked together ever since. Chris was named to the National Retail Federation’s list of people shaping retail’s future in 2018. Chris didn’t learn leadership skills by attending a top-tier university; Chris learned how to lead by those he surrounded himself with. Sometimes the best leadership lessons come from those around you.

Chris worked other roles inside his brother’s business in the early years, including delivering flowers to customers, but once he decided to go full time, he took on a leadership role and learned along the way. Later on, he took some leadership courses at Cornell University, but in the early part of his career, he had no formal training. Mostly he learned from other leaders he knew, including Jamie Dimon, who would become CEO of JPMorgan, and Ed Miller, who would become CEO of AXA Financial.

Chris gave an example of a time when he had turned to Ed for advice when having to let a person go:

“As we were growing our company, we had people who were with us for a long time. Sometimes you run into a situation where the job outgrows the person, but the person was very loyal to you and very important in growing the business early on. Letting that person go would be very difficult to do. I remember having conversations with Ed about this. He said, ‘You’re not being loyal to that person’. I said, ‘Well, I sure am, I’m keeping them in a job’. He told me that loyalty is making sure every person on your team is in a position to succeed, whether inside or outside your company. So if the job has outgrown someone and you don’t have a position in your company, it’s your responsibility to do everything you can to get them the right job outside of your company. That really transformed the way I thought about people.”

Chris also learned a lot from his brother, who not only started the flower company, but also worked full time as a social worker for troubled boys. Jim brought a mantra into 1-800-Flowers that he learned from his time as a social worker. When working with kids in difficult situations, Jim said he needed to first build a relationship with them before he could connect with them and help them. So he brought that mantra into the business: you build a relationship first, you do business second. That really shaped Chris as a leader.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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4 Things Successful People Do https://thefutureorganization.com/4-things-successful-people-do/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 14:25:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46169 What makes some people more successful than others?
Is it because they are more talented or have better resources?

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What makes some people more successful than others?

Is it because they are more talented or have better resources?

From my interviews with hundreds of the world’s top business leaders, I’ve discovered that successful people rise to the top because of hard work and dedication. They put in the effort every day to stand out and thrive.

Here are four things successful people do:

  1. They take on the projects nobody else wants to do. We all know the projects everyone runs from that may seem too difficult or abstract. But instead of avoiding those projects like most people, successful people accept the challenge head-on. If you have an opportunity that pushes and scares you, be the first person to run towards it.
  2. They do 10% more than what is expected of them. Most people are happy to do the bare minimum of what is expected. But successful people do more. Consistently going above and beyond helps you stand out and get noticed.
  3. They create their own luck. Success doesn’t come from sitting around waiting for a great opportunity. It comes from getting out there, grinding, and working as hard as possible. What may seem like luck from the outside is the result of pushing and training every day. The opportunity will eventually come your way–will you be ready when it does? Successful people have been working their whole lives to be prepared when a great opportunity comes their way.
  4. They think of themselves like apps. We regularly update the apps on our phones to get new features, fix bugs, and improve the user experience. But are we doing the same for ourselves? Successful people are continually updating and improving themselves. They are perpetual learners who go above what they learned at school and work to succeed personally and professionally.

Everyone has the potential for success and greatness, no matter their background or skills. Put in the hard work to grow and improve yourself, and you’ll be ready when the opportunity comes.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Organizations That Master Employee Experience Crush The Competition https://thefutureorganization.com/organizations-that-master-employee-experience-crush-the-competition/ Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:17:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46106 Investing in employee experience is more than a nice thing to do for your workers--it’s a powerful way to grow your company and crush the competition.

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Investing in employee experience is more than a nice thing to do for your workers–it’s a powerful way to grow your company and crush the competition.

I’ve spent years researching employee experience and found that although employee experience is growing, less than 10% of companies do an amazing job with it.

But those companies that master employee experience see a significant ROI in many areas.

I’ve talked to executives at top companies and heard countless stories of employees being happier and more productive when they have a great experience.

Organizations that invest in employee experience are up to 40x more likely to be on other best-of lists. These are lists like the best places to work, most innovative companies, best work/life balance, and more.

Investing in employee experience also leads to higher profit and higher revenue per employee. These companies are, on average, 24% smaller than the competition, meaning they are doing more with less. Employees are supported and engaged in doing great work, eliminating extra costs for companies.

And then there’s the stock price performance. Organizations that create a fantastic employee experience crush the competition across every stock-related metric. They see strong growth and solid performance.

Employee experience isn’t just a nice thing to do. It has a very tangible ROI.

Investing in employee experience benefits every area of the organization and gives you a serious competitive advantage.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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5 Unconventional Ways To Show Gratitude To Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/5-unconventional-ways-to-show-gratitude-to-employees/ Tue, 26 Apr 2022 13:21:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46045 Everyone wants to be appreciated, especially employees who put in their best effort every day.

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Everyone wants to be appreciated, especially employees who put in their best effort every day.

But instead of sending the typical thank you email, try taking an unconventional approach. Showing gratitude in unique ways builds connection and shows sincerity in your efforts.

Here are five unique ways to show gratitude and appreciation for your employees, no matter the occasion.

Thank Their Families

For every employee, there’s a family who raised them and supported them. Show appreciation for your staff by thanking their families.

Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi championed this approach after reflecting on how her success was a result of how her parents raised and supported her. Indra wrote a letter to the parents of each member of her executive team—more than 400 people—thanking them for the gift of their child to the company. The messages were very well received, with some employees saying it was the best thing that ever happened to their parents.

Establish Open Lines Of Communication

When you appreciate people, you want to talk to them. One way to show gratitude is to make yourself available to employees with open lines of communication.

Bain employees can reach out to leaders for guidance, advice, and coaching through the “hotline response team.” WD-40 Company CEO Garry Ridge sends regular emails to the entire company to share updates or advice and leave the conversation open for responses. When employees feel they can come to their leaders about anything, from personal questions to career advice or suggestions for the business, they feel valued and seen.

Give Unique Awards

Most companies give out an employee recognition award, but the typical certificate and handshake can become mundane. A unique prize shows employees you appreciate their efforts, boosts morale, and becomes an engaging part of the corporate culture.

Quirky gifts are memorable for employees and show heartfelt gratitude with their creativity and effort. When David Novak was president of KFC, he awarded employees with rubber chickens. When he was president of Pizza Hut, it was giant cheese heads. Along with the fun token, employees got cash and specific feedback about what they did to earn the award. The practice spread throughout the company, with the president of Taco Bell soon handing out hot sauce packets and other leaders handing out boxing gloves for a “knockout performance.”

Become A Mentor

One of the most meaningful ways to show gratitude for your employees is to show you care about their futures. When you coach and mentor an employee, you show appreciation for the long term and that you believe in them.

Create a mentoring program that connects younger employees with more senior leaders to guide them and act as a sounding board. You can also take employees under your wing to mentor their careers, help guide their decisions, and put them on a path to reach their career goals.

Offer Strong Benefits

Genuine gratitude for your employees isn’t a one-time thing or an annual event—it’s part of the company’s culture. It might not be flashy, but one of the most effective ways to show gratitude is to give them what they need with quality benefits.

Are you meeting employees’ needs and caring for them? Make it a habit to regularly review your benefits package. Providing strong benefits shows appreciation and gratitude year-round.

Showing gratitude builds relationships, encourages employees to do their best, and creates a collaborative and supportive culture. Think outside the box to recognize your employees in unique ways.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Radical Candor: What Is It? Does It Work? Is It Still Relevant? How Do you Do It? https://thefutureorganization.com/radical-candor-what-is-it-does-it-work-is-it-still-relevant-how-do-you-do-it/ Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:48:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46035 Kim Scott is the New York Bestselling Author of the book, “Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing Your Humanity”.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Kim_Scott_-_Ready.mp3

Kim Scott Transcript

Kim Scott is the New York Bestselling Author of the book, Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing Your Humanity. Kim is also the co-founder of Candor, Inc and co-host of the podcast Radical Candor. She led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales and Operations at Google and then joined Apple to develop and teach a leadership seminar. Kim has been a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and several other tech companies

Radical Candor is demonstrated when one cares personally for someone and also challenges them directly. Great bosses can be a source of growth and joy. It is evident that they care about you. They will also tell things that you need to hear. The framework consists of four points:

1. Radical Candor – praise and then criticize

2. Obnoxious Aggression – when you challenge but don’t care (praise that doesn’t seem sincere or criticism that isn’t delivered kindly)

3. Manipulative Insincerity – when you neither care nor challenge (non-specific praise or criticism that is not clear)

4. Ruinous Empathy – compassion without providing honest feedback

How does Radical Candor contribute to an employee experience? It will give you a witness to your life and it will help you grow in the way you want to grow. When you are doing great work, you want it recognized, when you mess up, someone will let you know.

Scott gives four steps on how to get to Radical Candor. First, come up with a go-to question. People don’t want to tell you so it’s difficult. Think of a question. For example: Is there anything I could do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me? Whatever question works for you – figure out how to ask it.

Second, embrace the discomfort. The only way to get feedback is to make it more uncomfortable for them not to answer. So – after you ask the question – shut your mouth…count to 6…

Third, listen with the intent to understand – not to justify or respond. You cannot be defensive or you will not get any more feedback in the future from that person.

And finally, reward the candor. Give them a reward for telling you – if you agree with the feedback, fix the problem. And then tell the person and thank them for helping you. If you disagree, first of all focus on what you can agree with…then say I want to follow up in a few days. Then explain why you disagree. Sometimes the only reward is a fuller discussion of why you disagree.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Scott says some of the most common mistakes are showing employees care but not challenging them directly (Ruinous Empathy), getting so busy we fail to show we care personally or challenge directly and just flatter people – (Manipulative Insincerity), being reluctant to have ‘getting to know you’ conversations – these are the basis for the beginning of caring, and criticizing the feedback.

Do you have a ‘bad boss’? No matter how terrible your boss is, you can be a good boss. You don’t need to imitate yours. You can create a good micro culture.

Start by soliciting feedback and understanding what would make your boss’ job better. Ask if you can provide some criticism. If you can – create this culture with your own team – and then work with your boss to create it.

If you can’t get to the point where you can get radical candor with your boss – if you can’t criticize your boss, you might want to start to look for a new job

What you will learn in this episode: 

● Do leaders need to find a purpose for their employees or is it the responsibility of the employees to find purpose in their work?

● What makes a good employee?

● Is it possible to learn to have career conversations?

● Efficient workplace practice ideas

● Why Kim Scott wrote her book

● Examples of bad bosses and good bosses

● How to have Radical Candor

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Thrive in The Future of Work & Become A Better Leader With These Videos https://thefutureorganization.com/thrive-in-the-future-of-work-become-a-better-leader-with-these-videos/ Sat, 23 Apr 2022 07:53:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46032 What if becoming a future-proof employee and leader was as simple as clicking play?

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What if becoming a future-proof employee and leader was as simple as clicking play?

I’ve been researching, writing, and speaking about leadership and the future of work for more than a decade. There are a lot of resources and noise in the world, but I aim to make things as simple and valuable as possible.

And all it takes is clicking on a YouTube video.

Thrice a week, I post valuable videos to my YouTube channel. This is where you’ll find everything from videos of my podcast interviews to best practices from top leaders and companies and bite-sized tips to improve your leadership skills. In the past few weeks, I’ve shared videos about essential skills for leaders, how to get the most out of your people, hybrid work, and interviews with amazing leaders.

Every video is carefully created to provide value and prepare you for the future of work —no fluff or content you don’t need.

You don’t have to waste time wading through endless hours of content to find something valuable. My YouTube channel puts everything in one place and is sure to provide thought-provoking tips and ideas you can put into practice today.

Preparing for the future of work really is as easy as pushing play.

Click here to visit my YouTube channel and subscribe. I look forward to seeing you in the comments!

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5 Easy Ways to Practice Active Listening https://thefutureorganization.com/5-easy-ways-to-practice-active-listening/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:46:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=46028 Are you actively listening to someone or just hearing what they are saying?
Active listening requires effort but shows that you care what someone else says.

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Are you actively listening to someone or just hearing what they are saying?

Active listening requires effort but shows that you care what someone else says. It shows respect and can lead to better relationships and collaboration.

Here are five easy ways to practice easy listening with a quick checklist that forms the world BUILD.

B: Body language

How you stand and hold yourself sends a message. Are you slouching with your arms folded? Or do you have good posture and are facing the person? Aim for a neutral and welcoming stance.

U: Understanding

While listening, make sure you really understand what’s happening and ask follow-up questions if needed. Don’t just nod along with the conversation and realize later you had no idea what was said.

I: Interrupting

Don’t steamroll the other person’s thoughts or take over the conversation. Wait for them to finish before jumping in.

L: Look them in the eye

In our age of constantly looking at phones and screens, it can be uncomfortable to look people in the eye. But eye contact shows respect and that you are really paying attention. Practice maintaining eye contact to become more comfortable.

D: Don’t judge

Empathy is critical to active listening. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes to see things from their perspective as they are talking. Don’t bring any of your personal judgment to the conversation.

As you talk to other people, run through this checklist to make sure you’re actively listening. These small changes can make a difference in having a productive and engaging conversion.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Training Others On What Your Boundaries Are https://thefutureorganization.com/training-others-on-what-your-boundaries-are/ Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:29:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45935 To succeed, you have to establish boundaries.

But boundaries are only as good as your ability to communicate them.

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To succeed, you have to establish boundaries.

But boundaries are only as good as your ability to communicate them.

If people don’t know your boundaries, they become ineffective and are more likely to be discarded.

Training other people on your boundaries requires learning how to say no. That doesn’t mean being rude or putting other people down–it means being clear about your boundaries and limits. Be clear, be direct, but don’t be rude.

If you have a boundary not to take meetings after 6 pm, say no to after-hours meeting requests. If you have a boundary to not travel for work in the summer, say no to projects that require you to travel.

Communicating your boundaries requires empathy or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. When someone comes to you with a request, practice empathy to understand where they are coming from. Seeing things from their perspective can help you frame your response.

Provide context around why you’re saying no. Make it clear that you’re saying no to the request, not the person.

When people ask for meetings to pick my brain, I say, “I’m sorry, I’m not taking any meetings for the time being. Best of luck; I’ll be rooting for you.”

When people approach me for a speaking engagement that doesn’t match my career goals, I say, “I’m sorry, I’m not a good fit for your project. I wish you the best.”

When possible, find a potential solution. Pass the person to someone else who can help or find a way to help them later. But don’t let your solution get in the way of your boundaries.

The more you say no, the more comfortable it will become. Soon, you’ll be training your colleagues and managers about your boundaries to take control of your time and goals.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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3 Lasting Leadership Lessons From Tony Hsieh https://thefutureorganization.com/3-lasting-leadership-lessons-from-tony-hsieh/ Tue, 19 Apr 2022 13:29:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45932 My wife Blake actually had the opportunity to interview Tony Hsieh in person for a podcast many years ago and hung out with him a handful of times at various events and social functions.

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My wife Blake actually had the opportunity to interview Tony Hsieh in person for a podcast many years ago and hung out with him a handful of times at various events and social functions.

Although I only met Tony once, Blake tells me she felt he had a nice and kind soul and was an inspiring person to be around.

Known for his passion for people, dedication to happiness, and community involvement, Tony Hsieh was one of the greatest leadership minds of our generation.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Hsieh sold pizza while a student at Harvard and eventually went on to found Zappos, one of the most innovative and well-respected companies in retail.

Hsieh tragically died in 2020, but his influence is still felt in leadership.

Here are three lasting leadership lessons from the great Tony Hsieh.

Chase The Vision

Hsieh’s name is often accompanied by the word visionary. Hsieh had a vision that drove him to build an innovative company and dive into the community in ways that had never been done before. Hsieh once said: “Chase the vision. The money and profits will come.” More than money, Hsieh worked to turn his vision into reality and bring others along for the ride. His passion was contagious, and he truly cared about what he was building. Zappos’s amazing culture is because the passionate employees caught Hsieh’s vision. They aren’t just there to sell shoes—they are there to make a difference and spread happiness. Leaders need to follow this example by prioritizing vision over profits and imagining the big picture and encouraging others to join.

Remove Pain Points

Hsieh believed one of his main roles as a leader was to help people, and he often did that by removing pain points. When Zappos first started, almost no one was buying shoes online. But the business took off because the return process was easy and customer-friendly. The pain point of cumbersome online returns was eliminated. Hsieh moved the entire company from San Francisco to Las Vegas. With a lower cost of living, more real estate options, and a larger pool of quality employees to staff the contact center, the move solved multiple pain points, including having in-house customer service and improving employee happiness. Leaders need to be problem solvers who are not only aware of the bottlenecks and holdups for their customers and employees, but who are also willing to make big moves to remove pain points. Hsieh showed that creating smoother experiences and interactions takes work, but the reward and relationships are worth the effort.

Get on the Ground

Leaders can’t be effective unless they are on the ground, building relationships and experiencing their company first hand. Hsieh was known to jump in and get his hands dirty. He famously removed all job titles and hierarchy at Zappos as a way to make everyone equal. When he started his massive Downtown Project to transform Las Vegas, Hsieh moved from a luxury apartment to an Airstream trailer in the neighborhood to be in the center of the action. He was humble and willing to immerse himself in every endeavor. Leaders need to get their hands dirty and jump into what’s happening in their company. They need to be humble enough to participate and learn from everyone around them.

Tony Hsieh may be gone, but his legacy survives. Modern leaders need to follow in his footsteps and learn from his example to thrive.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Leadership & Vulnerability Lessons From A Former US Navy SEAL https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-vulnerability-lessons-from-a-former-us-navy-seal/ Mon, 18 Apr 2022 12:21:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45926 Mike Sarraille is the CEO of Talent War Group and author of the best-selling book ‘The Talent War-How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent’.

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Mike Sarraille Transcript-converted

Mike Sarraille is the CEO of Talent War Group and author of the best-selling book ‘The Talent War-How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent’. Mr. Sarraille is a former Marine Corp turning into SEAL groups who enrolled in an MBA program at 39. He had established numerous companies within the Social Entrepreneurship and traditional industry sphere and always orchestrated a crucial consulting figure for these ventures.

The birth of Talent War Group

The invaluable experiences of his former feats, alongside his innate curiosity about the concepts of talent acquisition, led Mr. Sarraille in writing the book ‘The Talent War-How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent’. He cooperated with a highly experienced man with extraordinary talent recognition and acquisition achievements. They formulate a concept within the book where Special Armed Forces were the main case study, but with applications in various industries. This book that describes the processes and intricacies of assembling a high-functioning team was the precursor of the founding of Talent War Group, a consulting firm procuring services such as Human Resources Planning, Talent Acquisition, Consulting, and Leadership Development.

The importance of Military Service in adopting a Leadership mindset

The adversities and challenges of military service hone your mental and physical skills to such an extent that you can thrive throughout the complexities of the corporate world. Alongside a genuine passion for your occupation, you accomplish outstanding results and a constant presence in your chosen field.

Mike Sarraille states that the 12-16 months of his military training were the blueprint of success in his entrepreneurial feats. He insists that one of the role models for leadership is US Marine Corps. Furthermore, incorporating at least a three-credit semester course on Marine Corps is paramount for every MBA program.

An aspiring recon Marine has to indulge in several difficulties during his training period. He also has to choose between ending up as a recon battalion or force battalion. Their difference lies in their duties as assistants to the assailants and the assailants.

Mike Sarraille’s 5-year training in Marine Corp prepared him thoroughly for enlisting as Navy Seal. With the advice of one of his majors to be a role model in his new role, he focused on adopting a leadership presence for those in need of encouragement. The latter is in high demand due to the high attrition rate during the Navy Seal Training, approximately 80 %.

The demanding training for being a Navy Seal

The actual Seal Training is highly demanding and requires your absolute dedication to the cause. The purpose is to conquer all your mental barriers and emerge as a triumphant personality in all aspects of life. Then, you have the psychological and physical capacity to succeed in your chosen field.

The training involves the following:

1) Reporting for duty at 5 a.m.

2) Extreme physical training until 6 p.m. involving swimming and running with various physical hurdles

The impact this adverse physical training has on your psyche is an indicator of your capacity to channel your presence in productive ways in your later life.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The connection between vulnerability and leadership

Mike Sarraille is working on a book that studies the correlation between exposing your vulnerable side and being an effective leader. He states that vulnerability was a crucial component within the Special Operations community and seeks its incorporation in training.

During the book’s preparation, he interviewed Major General Jerry Brooklyn, one of the founding members of Delta Force, the primary counterterrorism unit in the world. Mr. Brooklyn is a staunch supporter of ‘Lead through love’. In his own words, a leader guides his men and loves them unconditionally. The manifestation of genuine love and empathy comes through holding accountable his peers.

You profess your belief in their competency and individual brilliance by holding someone accountable. Therefore, you encourage them to be at their peak, a situation that promotes your team’s overall performance and morale.

The military regularly deploys the after-action review in the aftermath of an operation, regardless of the result. The ability to successfully engage with your team even after failures is the product of displaying empathy and vulnerability. The dismissal of the latter traits is not akin to toughness and masculinity and leads your team to losses and operating under toxic conditions.

Therefore, we need to establish an innovative culture throughout the military units, where individuals are encouraged to be vulnerable and open to discussion. It is a revolutionary approach that would enhance the effectiveness of the army units and strengthen the bonds within their ranks.

Displaying vulnerability does not equal weakness.

Displaying vulnerability is one of the more incredible strengths of a man. It delivers the message that someone is not set in his ways and is open to sharing, discussing, and proceeding to innovative solutions and ideas. Unfortunately, Hollywood and other cultural conglomerates have twisted the public perception of the military personnel. They are usually envisioned as seasoned, brooding men, unable to display emotions.

The inability to be vulnerable and emotional is one of the leading causes of veterans’ alarmingly high suicide rates. Moreover, retired military personnel commonly experience psychological difficulties that impair their functions as citizens, husbands, fathers, and friends. The repercussions are dire for these people, their families, and their teams.

Mike Sarraille recalls that various executives have asked him who had been the highest performer in his action years. In his answers, Mr. Sarraille distinguishes the terms between warfighters and warriors. In his words, every one of us is a potential warfighter, and the military prepares you effectively in the physical aspects. The notion of a warrior is entirely different, though.

He explicitly states that the most lethal warriors he has encountered were quiet, empathetic, and extremely kind. These people build healthy relationships with their peers and establish themselves as influential leadership figures.

In the twisted public perception, the aforementioned men are weak and disposable. In any case, the fixed mindset of the public contributes to another pandemic of our times, victimhood. At all costs, one should avoid victimhood to function healthily in all his endeavors.

Mike Sarraille shared a story of when he succumbed to victimhood. He was a ground force commander in a combat deployment amidst a divorce process. His squad implored him to talk about what was going on because he was constantly reactive to everything. In combination with his demanding position, the latter led him to not be in control of his actions.

After talking to them, he seemed genuinely surprised by their validation of his emotions regarding the situation. Gradually, Mike Sarraille advanced to be a more open and vulnerable man.

It is paramount for those in command in all aspects of professional and personal life to step forward and be vulnerable and open for discussion. Thus, they set the example by showing up and encouraging their delegates to share their thoughts and take responsibility for their actions.

Identification and Talent Recognition Process

During Mike Sarraille’s conversations with several small and mid-size business leaders, he found out that they had faced difficulties recognizing raw talents and developing the qualities of their employees. He rapidly decided to indulge in Business Mentoring and Coaching, facilitating the companies in the challenges mentioned above. His experience in leading numerous units in the military was the primary precursor behind this decision.

Furthermore, business mentoring is a fascinating field because it involves the complexity of human nature. As Mike Sarraille said, “People can be your greatest asset or your largest liability.”

What Military can contribute to Leadership Development?

Mike Sarraille recognized the contribution of the Leadership Development Centre of West Point to the modern version of leadership attributes. The founder of the Leadership Development Centre was Brigadier General Howard Prince, a seasoned veteran who gained a grievous wound in the Vietnam War. General Prince dedicated the remainder of his career to teaching Psychology for industrial and organizational purposes.

General Prince believed that the crucial point in adopting different leadership strategies in the military was abolishing mandatory conscription and the beginning of the volunteering drafting. Thus, the leadership initiatives required change because the army had to persuade the newly enlisted to extend their five-year mandatory service.

It is worth to be noted that the new leadership initiatives were the ones that accelerated the economic growth of the last decades. Within the military ranks, you proceed to get acquainted with specific tasks fitted to your given role.

The newcomers learn to be accustomed to their novel responsibilities from the first day with processes resembling the Junior Officer Leadership Development Programs that are part of the training in private organizations, such as Pepsico and Johnson & Johnson. We can state that leadership development ecosystems within a company cultivate values such as discipline and resilience.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

How to develop a Talent Recognition Mindset?

George Randall, Mike Sarraille’s associate, has asked the CEO of a company the two following questions:

1) How often do you check your financial assets?

2) How often do you evaluate your personnel?

His response to the first question was every month and for the second every year.

The principles of developing a genuine talent mindset are the following:

1) The frequency of evaluating a company’s personnel

2) The potential of the personnel

3) The possibility of some people departing from the team for various reasons

4) The quality of cooperation between the team members

Mike Sarraille has also developed a list of the desired attributes of an employee. He values greatly, among them, the quality of effective intelligence.

Effective intelligence is one of the many traits an HR strategist has to take into account when developing the company’s hiring process infrastructure.

Mike Sarraille believes that since perfection is an illusion, the companies should seek specific attributes in the prospective employees. If these attributes align with the company’s general framework, any pitfalls of the candidate can be addressed effectively in a collective effort within the ranks of a company.

In wrapping up…

Military training confers to the participants outstanding advantages and cultivates traits that are indispensable to the corporate world. These are leadership qualities, discipline, and a goal-oriented mindset.

Mike Sarraille’s new book examines the framework behind adopting a more humane approach to leadership. This approach entails the expression of empathy and vulnerability when needed in contrast with the public perception that it signifies weakness.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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What Does It Take To Lead In A World That Doesn’t Yet Exist? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-it-take-to-lead-in-a-world-that-doesnt-yet-exist/ Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:24:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45921 The world has changed more in the past 24 months than it has in the past 24 years.
What worked in the past won’t work in the future.

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The world has changed more in the past 24 months than it has in the past 24 years.

What worked in the past won’t work in the future.

How we live, work, and lead today is drastically different than it used to be. The pandemic, of course, changed everything, but aside from that, advancements in technology, the push for transparency, employee experience, global changes, the need for purpose and meaning, and other factors have created a world far different from how it once was.

And this is just the beginning.

The speed at which the world of work is changing will only increase. As hard as it may be to believe, things will never be as slow as they are now.

What does it take to lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist?

You have to develop a new set of skills and mindsets.

Unfortunately, most leaders aren’t prepared to lead, let alone in this rapidly changing world.

I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Mastercard, Best Buy, Audi, Verizon, KPMG, and many others, and spent years researching the trends facing leadership and how leaders can prepare now to thrive in the future.

From there, I created the Notable Nine–the nine skills and mindsets all leaders will need in the future.

 

I put together all of my best research, tips, and takeaways into The Future Leader Course.

It’s an in-depth look at how to develop now to lead the future of work based on The Notable 9. In this course, you’ll learn best practices and skills you won’t get anywhere else. These are things you can apply today and work to improve over time. It’s a must-do for anyone who wants to become a better leader and future-proof their career.

world

 

Click here to learn more and sign up. 

Now is the time to prepare. The future will be here before we know it.

I’ll see you inside!

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4 Things to Consider When Building A Team https://thefutureorganization.com/4-things-to-consider-when-building-a-team/ Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:19:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45917 Building a successful team is more than just throwing people together and hoping magic happens.

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Building a successful team is more than just throwing people together and hoping magic happens.

It requires considering the needs of your company and customers and the role of each team member. And it often takes trial and error to put the right people together. But once you’ve found the balance of people and set the proper structure, that’s when the magic happens.

Here are four things to consider when building a team:

Diversity

Successful teams include people who look, act, and think differently. When everyone comes from the same background and has the same perspectives, they’re less likely to challenge each other and come up with fresh and innovative ideas. Diversity increases representation to solve problems or create opportunities for customers and stakeholders. Plus, it matters financially. Diverse leadership teams have 19% higher revenue than non-diverse teams.

Team size

A team that is too large can become stagnant and lose the ability to collaborate well. Amazon follows the two-pizza rule–if two large pizzas won’t feed the team, that team is too big. Smaller teams are more agile and can move quickly.

Strengths of the people

Building a team is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Everyone has their own shape and skills, and the goal is to put people together in a way that complements and supports one another to create a cohesive final result.

Metrics and measurement

Having a goal keeps the team moving forward together. Many teams use OKRs (objectives and key results), where objectives are the big goals, and key results are the metrics that drive the team to that objective. Emphasizing measurement increases transparency and invites feedback.

Successful teams help build successful companies. Strategically building teams can improve your organization’s culture, innovation, and results.


. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Focusing on Technology Your Teams Actually Need https://thefutureorganization.com/focusing-on-technology-your-teams-actually-need-2/ Wed, 13 Apr 2022 13:47:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45914 With technology changing all the time, is your team using the right software, devices, and programs? An annual technology audit allows you to step back and see the big picture of how you work, the role technology plays, and bottlenecks or challenges that could be improved with technology. But it doesn’t stop there. Collect data ... Read more

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With technology changing all the time, is your team using the right software, devices, and programs?

An annual technology audit allows you to step back and see the big picture of how you work, the role technology plays, and bottlenecks or challenges that could be improved with technology.

But it doesn’t stop there. Collect data about technology use in your company. Are employees actually using the tools? Are they satisfied? What challenges still exist?

Don’t assume people will automatically use the technology just because you give it to them. Create an ongoing feedback process to keep making adjustments and improving.

One of the hardest parts of adopting new technology is balancing embracing new ideas and programs with not chasing every shiny thing. As much as you may want to try every new program, you need to look at technology from a practical perspective. Pay attention to technology that has a direct and immediate impact on your business. These are the programs and devices that allow your employees to work effectively.

From my study of 252 of the world’s top companies, I found that technology has a 30% impact on an employee’s overall experience. They may love the culture and physical space, but employees will go elsewhere if the technology isn’t there and it becomes too frustrating to do their jobs.

As the world changes, it’s crucial to pay attention to new technology. But focus on what your employees need to do their jobs well. Adopt the technology that powers the future of work and then continually re-evaluate your systems.

Technology is essential to every company, and a practical approach can keep you moving forward as you empower your employees with the right tools.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Does Experience Still Matter In A Hybrid World? https://thefutureorganization.com/does-experience-still-matter-in-a-hybrid-world/ Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:34:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45908 For years, I’ve been sharing advice and best practices to create a strong employee experience.

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For years, I’ve been sharing advice and best practices to create a strong employee experience.

But what happens when your employees don’t work in the office? What about employees who split time between home and the office? Does employee experience even matter in a hybrid world?

Of course, it does!

Employee experience may look slightly different when your team isn’t together in one place, but it is still vitally important. It might not require open floor plan offices or free food, but employees still want to feel connected and empowered.

Regardless if your employees are in the office or working virtually, here are a few ways to create a hybrid-friendly employee experience:

  • Stay connected! Take advantage of collaboration tools to give employees a place to chat and get to know each other. As a leader, check-in with employees regularly to see how they are doing, personally and professionally.
  • Ask for feedback. Create feedback channels, such as virtual town halls or surveys, for employees to make their voices heard.
  • Provide technology tools. What tools do employees need to do their jobs well? Provide them with updated devices and the best software to get the job done from wherever they want to work.
  • Set boundaries. Create a culture where employees aren’t always expected to be connected. Don’t send emails late at night or schedule meetings at all hours of the day.

All employees are valuable to the company and the experience–even those who work remotely. But don’t assume the same employee experience strategy will work for all types of employees, or what you did in the past with in-person teams will translate to virtual teams.

Aim to create a strong employee experience in three key areas: culture, technology, and physical space.

I would love to see how you put this into practice!

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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The Science of Hot Streaks: Where They Come From, How to Create Them, & What Kills Them https://thefutureorganization.com/the-science-of-hot-streaks-where-they-come-from-how-to-create-them-what-kills-them/ Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45741 Dr. Dashun Wang is one of the pioneering minds of our times, with his career path being a real testament to his worth.

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Dashun Wang Transcript

Dr. Dashun Wang is one of the pioneering minds of our times, with his career path being a real testament to his worth. Dr. Wang was born and raised in the town Shenyang of China. After attaining his Bachelor’s degree in his native country, he pursued his Ph.D. studies in the USA. He is currently the Professor of Management at the Kellogg School of Management, and the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, at Kellogg. He has also invested his time heavily into establishing the Center for Science of Science and Innovation.

Dr. Wang’s pragmatic shift in his research interests

Dr. Wang grew up in a time when career orientation courses and abundant information were in shortage. These conditions encouraged the high school students to pick up studies depending on their aptitudes and skills. Dr. Wang chose to study Physics, and he later pursued his Ph.D. in the same scientific field. He wasn’t particularly thrilled about this choice, but he describes the whole process as captivating due to the enlightening notion during his Ph.D. studies. He envisioned and proceeded with a research shift toward Social Dynamics with the utilization of a data-driven approach.

The incorporation of Data Analysis in the field of Social Dynamics

The respected scientists have achieved many breakthroughs through Data Analysis and Data Science. This attained knowledge and tools have expanded the comprehension of the fundamental aspects of life. Several researchers have incorporated the tools of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in their quest to illuminate the deeper dynamics that govern our existence. One of these pioneers is Dr. Wang and his research team, who indulge in Social Dynamics and Networks principles. Using Data Analysis tools in Social Dynamics facilitates the answer to a series of existential questions, such as: ‘How do individuals shape a winning formula as a team?’ and ‘How do temporary failures lead to professional success eventually?’

The current professions of interest of Dr. Wang

Dr. Wang recalled that as a young Assistant Professor, he was determined to assess the success of his superiors’ careers. He proceeded by deciphering the data behind the patterns of their careers. With the aid of his students, a series of publications belong to their vast amount of data. We can also find a series of artworks from 500 years and miscellaneous films of the last 100 years. The collection of the paintings and movies occurred to observe distinct patterns in the careers of several artists and film directors.

How is success determined? Applications in Science and Culture

For each occupational category, there are specific segments that point to the intensity of success or failure. For the examined professions, these are the citation index for scientists, the number of sold pieces for artworks, and the public rating of movies for directors. There are always further factors determining an individual’s career in these occupations, but the above are the most prominent. The intriguing part of Dr. Wang’s team’s research is their findings that there is a time when they derive their most influential work for each of the scientists, artists, and directors. The collected data and the deduced patterns combine to develop a robust mathematical model estimating the aforementioned time span. Dr. Wang refers to this time as the “Hot Streak”.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The Hot Streak is usually a universal characteristic.

There are various difficulties in the quantitative assessment of an entrepreneur’s or an employee’s more prolific time. It is relatively feasible to establish a pattern that estimates the hot streak for a scientist or an artist. It is much more difficult for an individual who does not have publications or artworks of any kind. An estimation may occur through our often misguided point of view. It usually occurs in the middle of our professional lives. Undoubtedly, though, most people analyzed by Dr. Wang and his team have experienced at least once a hot streak in their professional timespan. The latter may have been repeated in other periods and lasted for 4-5 years.

The definition of a Hot Streak

Dr. Wang unequivocally reiterates no clear definition for the most productive period in our professional lives. He insisted on describing that people are more impactful to their surrounding environment during their hot streaks. Furthermore, he explicitly states that there is no difference whatsoever whether you are or not in your most prolific period. It is an entirely subjective matter, and our response should be decisive and absolute: We have to produce more no matter where we stand at any given time.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning greatly facilitate the recognition of a Hot Streak.

The fascinating part of Dr. Wang’s research is that his team accumulated a vast amount of data that they would not be able to process some years ago. Today, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools have alleviated the entire process, and the researchers derive robust results. A predominant example is the analysis of the paintings of various artists. The process is the following:

●       Repurposing the typical image recognition

●       Establishing a deep neural network

●       Utilizing the neural network in the classification of images

The typical behavior that determines the onset of a hot streak is the exploration-exploitation sequence. The latter describes the two different phases in everyone’s professional life. When we set forth to discover our unique style of working and producing, we are in our exploration mode. The exploitation model follows where we occupy our thoughts with a particular target and usually achieve tremendous accomplishments.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The exploration-exploitation sequence is unique for every person.

Dr. Wang considers this sequence eternal throughout history. He likens the exploration mode to a sampling phase, where an individual seeks opportunities and solutions. The exploitation model initiates when the individual finds out what worked out during the previous step and sticks to it. He urges us to move with caution, though, as many people fail to navigate completely in the exploration phase and move extremely swiftly to the exploitation mode. He also uses the example of Peter Jackson, the director of ‘Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson used to experiment with various niches in movies, including horror comedies. His genuine breakthrough, which was the masterpiece of Tolkien, came after years of exploration. Patience is truly a concealed virtue.

The Team Effectiveness Conundrum

Interestingly, Dr. Wang’s notion is that hot streaks come when there is a small group of people involved in terms of team structure. It is during the hot streak that more participants in the group arrive. This happens because smaller groups formulate a common way of thinking, analyzing, and solving a problem. Once the latter is achieved, more people add to the group to facilitate data accumulation and analysis. The above is a fundamental lesson all aspiring leaders should promptly learn.

In wrapping up…

Dr. Wang firmly adheres to the utilization of Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning in his research efforts to determine the hot streak of an individual’s professional life. Evidence suggests at least one most prolific period in someone’s work timespan. This hot streak is elusive to the majority due to the rapid abandonment of the exploration mode in favor of exploitation. Conclusively, a team’s effectiveness is at its highest level when its initial form is narrow in numbers. As successes soar and the hot streak appears, the group usually grows in numbers.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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A Full Month of Leadership Insights From The World’s Top CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/a-full-month-of-leadership-insights-from-the-worlds-top-ceos/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 13:39:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45737 Are you ready to become a better leader?
It only takes a few minutes a day.

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Are you ready to become a better leader?

It only takes a few minutes a day.

I’ve spent years interviewing top CEOs, researching leadership trends, and tracking what it will take to be a successful future leader. I’ve distilled my best tips into a series of short videos to put you on the fast track to leadership success.

After signing up for the Leadership Reset, you’ll receive a short video every day for the next 31 days. Each bite-sized lesson is a leadership hack from a top CEO, including leaders from Yahoo, MasterCard, Avanade, and more incredible companies.

These videos cover everything from decision-making to planning your day and connecting with your teams. These tips are life-changing and can transform your leadership approach and skills.

You’ll also have access to the entire video library to re-watch and comment.

What are you waiting for? Sign up today, and in just one month, you can be a much better leader.

Learn more and sign up for the 31-Day Leadership Reset here. 

leadership

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5 Things Great Leaders Don’t Do https://thefutureorganization.com/5-things-great-leaders-dont-do/ Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:04:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45731 A lot has been written about things great leaders do. But just as important as the actions these leaders choose to take is what they choose not to do.

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A lot has been written about things great leaders do. But just as important as the actions these leaders choose to take is what they choose not to do. Great leaders make intentional choices about their time and actions to move themselves and their companies forward.

Here are five things great leaders don’t do:

  1. They don’t ignore criticism. Weak leaders often ignore criticism because it damages their egos. But successful leaders listen to feedback and criticism and don’t take it personally. They are self-aware and view feedback as a chance to learn and improve.
  2. They don’t let their emotions take control. Leaders have to know how to manage themselves before they can successfully manage others. Great leaders stay even-keeled and know how to regulate their emotions, even during challenging times. They don’t make rash decisions or let their emotions get the best of them.
  3. They don’t avoid responsibility for their choices. Leaders have to make decisions, including things that not everyone will agree with. Great leaders stand by their actions. When they make a mistake, they acknowledge it and take responsibility.
  4. They don’t break their commitments. Great leaders are dependable and reliable. If they say they’ll do something or be somewhere, they show up and do it. Because they stick with their commitments, great leaders are trustworthy and have strong relationships with their employees.
  5. They never say never. The world of work is constantly changing, and great leaders are constantly looking forward and at the big picture. They don’t limit their thinking but are open to possibilities and making adjustments as situations and the world change.

Successful leaders do many great things. But they also don’t do many things. To become a better leader, focus on making intentional choices about your actions.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Coaching and Mentoring Different Generations at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/coaching-and-mentoring-different-generations-at-work/ Wed, 06 Apr 2022 13:19:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45728 Every employee has something to offer, no matter their generation or seniority.
This is especially true when it comes to mentoring.

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Every employee has something to offer, no matter their generation or seniority.

This is especially true when it comes to mentoring.

In the traditional approach to mentoring, senior employees mentored junior employees and gave them career tips and advice.

But younger employees also have things to contribute.

Increasingly, companies are adopting reverse mentoring, or having younger employees mentor more senior employees on things like technology and younger generations.

Creating mentoring programs that go both ways introduces the spread of ideas within the company. It breaks through generational stereotypes and creates collaborative teams. Instead of employees sticking with people of the same age or experience level, they realize they all have things to contribute and learn from each other.

Mentoring is crucial to successful organizations in the new world of work–and it can go both ways.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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5 Ways Top CEOs Practice Transparency https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-top-ceos-practice-transparency/ Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:31:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45724 What's the most valuable attribute for leaders?
According to the majority of employees and customers, it's transparency.

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What’s the most valuable attribute for leaders?

According to the majority of employees and customers, it’s transparency.

Transparency is all about being honest, open, and accessible as a leader. And it’s crucial to building a successful company–95% of jobseekers say it’s important to work for a company that embraces transparency.

Here are practical ways five top CEOs showcase transparency and build trust on a daily basis.

Be Open To Questions

Transparent leaders don’t limit the questions they address. They are willing to have hard conversations and are honest about the strengths and weaknesses of their organizations.

Wolf-Henning Schneider, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen, believes so strongly in transparency that whenever he holds meetings, anyone in the room is allowed and welcomed to question a practice or policy in the company.

Wolf-Henning believes that future leaders must practice constant reflection and transparency. There’s no place for leaders to hide in their organizations, so they must be willing to answer questions about hard topics.

Be Yourself

It’s hard for leaders to be transparent if they aren’t comfortable being themselves. Transparency and authenticity go hand in hand. Transparent leaders show employees who they are, what they stand for, and what they believe.

Andree Simon, President and CEO of FINCA Impact Finance, learned early in her career that she didn’t have to act and think like every other leader. Andree became true to herself, especially in how she communicates with people. That authenticity allows Andree to be more confident, making it easier to be transparent because she fully believes in her actions.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Communicate Regularly And Openly

Communication is the key to building trust and transparency. When leaders are open in their communication, employees can tell that they aren’t hiding anything. Their regular updates keep everyone in the loop and on the same page.

David Nelms, former CEO of Discover Financial, constantly communicated with his employees at all levels. He hosted regular Q&A town hall meetings and annual video meetings with all 17,000 global employees, wrote blog posts, and invited employees to participate in an open dialogue on various topics.

Listen And Ask Questions

Transparent leaders are open about what they don’t know. When leaders ask questions and listen, they are willing to consider other perspectives and make their viewpoints more authentic and approachable.

Steve Smith, CEO of Amsted Industries, has made it a habit throughout his career to listen more than he talks. He wants to hear from as many people as possible and makes sure he is always asking questions and trying to find the truth.

Get Out Of Your Office

Transparency isn’t built through emails; it comes from the CEO immersing themselves in what the company is really going through. Humility builds trust and makes leaders more accessible.

Isabelle Kocher, former CEO of ENGIE, leaves her office and directly contacts her teams, clients, and shareholders. She believes leaders have to get out of their ivory tower and lead from the bottom to be in touch with what employees and customers value.

Transparency is crucial for current and future leaders. Be open and authentic, ask questions and listen, communicate, and above all else–be yourself.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Steve Murphy CEO of Epicor On Emotional Availability, Playing To Your Strengths, & Being Vulnerable At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/steve-murphy-ceo-of-epicor-on-emotional-availability-playing-to-your-strengths-being-vulnerable-at-work/ Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:24:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45711 As CEO of Epicor Software Corp., Steve Murphy brings more than 20 years of technology industry executive management experience.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Steve_Murphy_-_Ready.mp3

Steve Murphy Transcript

As CEO of Epicor Software Corp., Steve Murphy brings more than 20 years of technology industry executive management experience. With 4,300 employees and an international client base, the company makes and sells industry-specific software focused on the supply chain. Steve is responsible for providing long-term strategic vision, optimizing customer experience and delivering innovative products, services and support that drive business growth. Prior to joining Epicor, Steve served as president of OpenText, a $2 billion global leader in enterprise information management. He has also held a number of key roles at Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Manugistics, Accenture and Procter & Gamble. Steve holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Davis.

About the path on which Steve first started out – and influences that shaped him

Steve attributes 70%-80% of success to his experience and observations growing up in a rural area of Northern California, one of five children in a middle-class. Not only did he start tinkering with machines and developing a mechanical aptitude, he was also exposed early to the role money can play in quality of life, which motivated him to start working odd jobs as soon as he was old enough. He wound up with a degree in engineering and an early encounter with the CEO of Proctor & Gamble, where Steve was working his way through the ranks, planted the seed of what eventually became a decision to supplement his technical education with a degree from Harvard Business School. “The education helps. But certain behaviors and characteristics imprint at a very young age that I think really help with being successful,” says Steve. College and advanced degrees opened doors to the highest corporate reaches, which he might not otherwise have broken through, so it was certainly an added advantage. But currently two among Steve’s senior staff never finished college and are still top performers. “(There are) people out there who are very scrappy, talented and clever and … able to create alternative means for themselves to become successful besides just going to school,” he says. “I actually think it’s awesome to find that talent outside of a traditional talent pool.”

About measuring for success based on outcomes.

When assessing talent, Steve looks for people who understand that success is about results and not activity. Working hard is a given, but ultimately can’t be deemed a success if it yields little in the way of return. “That’s a lesson a lot of people never learn. (They think), ‘If I’m working hard enough or I’m doing enough or I’m busy enough, that should be enough to be promoted,’ ” says Steve. But that’s not the case. It’s about working smart and generating outcomes, whatever the end goal. “It takes a bit of courage to accept that,” says Steve. “It’s a tough reckoning when you finally realize … that’s the reality of business.” However, once that reckoning occurs, the focus shifts and success follows. Whatever the path, Steve says it all counts. The best indicator of someone’s ability to succeed in business is just the sheer breadth and depth of jobs they’ve had in the past,” he says. It’s also the best way to discern what you like and dislike, have aptitude for or weakness to overcome. “Once you find that, you’re probably unstoppable.”

How times have changed – and haven’t – in terms of corporate culture.

Starting out 30 years ago in a traditional corporate structure like Proctor & Gamble lots of travel for meetings was an unavoidable, costly and time-consuming standard business practice. Over time there was some pushback, but it took pandemic to accelerate the mass adoption of virtualization. Technology has had transformational impacts in terms accomplishing work – even highly technical work – remotely. That said, Steve is old school when it comes to cementing relationships. He believes meeting in person initially sets the stage for effective online collaboration in the long term. People who want “to grow their careers, develop their network, find people that will invest in them” should plan to be in the office at least three days a week, minimally. Human relationships built on face-to-face and trust are key. The 90s were still a time of primarily white male leadership, so the complexion of Steve’s early workplace environments and bosses would likely be different today. In particular the software sector seems to have fostered more diversity, says Steve, and overall the style of work today has evolved away from the more command-and-control, ex-military mindset that was for many years prevalent in corporate culture. Current managerial approaches tend to be more collaborative, which Steve believes is good for business. “If you really take the time to treat your employees respectfully, you’re much more likely to have a happier employee who wants to stick around and give it their all,” says Steve.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

Why Steve’s first boss was – and still remains – a powerful leadership example.

In his first engineering job at Proctor & Gamble, Steve was fortunate to work for a boss who had a high IQ and – even better – a high EQ. He had an innate style that was emotionally available and communicative. “If he was mad, he would tell you he’s mad …” but he was also candid about the worries and concerns that are often masked by anger. All too often, says Steve, bosses think they have to maintain a stern and unwavering front “because you don’t want to show anybody that you’re worried about anything, concerned that it’s a sign of weakness.” But in fact, he believes, it’s exactly the opposite. “It’s a sign of strength to actually show your true emotions to people. They respect it when they see it.” The trust Steve saw his first boss engender in others has shaped his own leadership style ever since. “Being vulnerable is a bit nerve-wracking, but at the same time it’s not a sign of weakness” when in fact most everyone meets that honesty with respect and solidarity. To be clear, Steve’s not advocating for oversharing or excessive emoting. There is a balance that must be struck and clearly delineates the difference between kindness and weakness. Authenticity requires strength. “You’ll have a lot more capacity to be tough when you need to be if you haven’t been faking everything else,” he says. “It’s just one of those things you have to try for yourself. Take the risk.”

About degrees of vulnerability in the workplace.

Whether turning around Epicor, which was in decline with low morale when Steve arrived five years ago, or stepping up to take ownership of a mistake (which every executive is destined to make at one time or another), Steve believes there are decisions to be made about degrees of transparency. He finds it most liberating just to be honest, whether around internal corporate challenges that require the team to step up or admitting that what seemed like a good decision turned out badly and has to be rectified. When an acquisition went south on Steve’s watch, he faced his board and made his case in a straightforward way. He lobbied for his judgment but was also able to have an honest conversation without being defensive “and people respect that.” Vulnerability in this regard can be correlated to competence, says Steve. “I think that the more competent you are, the more likely you’ll be okay with being vulnerable because you feel confidence.” And that also provides latitude to ask for help with areas in which core skills sets are lacking. “Most people want to help and are willing to help,” says Steve. It’s also true, of course, that if you demonstrate that you’re not up to a job, perpetually asking for help is not going to cut it. “People know the truth when they hear it.”

Given a choice between yelling and crying at work? Steve would choose …

A decade ago, you might have heard Steve lose his temper – a fact of which he isn’t proud. But at this point in his career, he’d much rather cry than scream on the job. Why? He realized in his early 40s that it’s simply inappropriate to raise your voice. It’s destructive, indulgent and leaves you feeling crappy. And, bottom line: “It’s just not fair. If you come to that realization, as a leader, you probably can find a way to eliminate that behavior. And I’ve eliminated it.” One strategy for reducing the kinds of overwhelm that can precipitate outbursts? A healthy dollop of self-care to keep things in balance. Steve does at least four big workouts a week, maintains close communication with his wife of 22 years and dedicates time to his spiritual life (through church attendance, prayer and meditation.) He worries that pandemic has served to deepen isolation, which for many people only hardens resistance to vulnerability. It’s important to be aware of where we are when we show up for work. Steve learned this lesson about 12 years ago, when a co-worker alerted him to the impact his moods had on the workplace. “It takes a lot of discipline to be self-aware. You don’t need to change. You don’t need to be artificial. You don’t need to not feel how you’re feeling,” he says, “but you do need to be very aware of how people perceive you, your temperament, your body language, your tone.” It all manifests within the wider workplace community, says Steve, so it’s always best to diffuse fear or concern by expressing it directly.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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What To Do If You Feel Stuck At Work: David Cote, Former Chairman & CEO of Honeywell https://thefutureorganization.com/what-to-do-if-you-feel-stuck-at-work-david-cote-former-chairman-ceo-of-honeywell/ Sat, 02 Apr 2022 13:46:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45677 David Cote is the former chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the best-selling book Winning Now Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed In The Short Term While Investing For The Long Term.

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David Cote is the former chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the best-selling book Winning Now Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed In The Short Term While Investing For The Long Term. During his time at Honeywell, David fixed a toxic work culture and grew the company’s market cap from around $20 billion to $120 billion, delivering returns of 800%.

Some people may hear what David went through before he became CEO of Honeywell and feel like they are in a similar situation where they feel stuck in a job. Maybe you feel like there isn’t a clear path forward in your career. David gives advice to people in this situation and shares things that helped him get to where he is now.

First of all, David says that your performance can’t just be okay. You have to be in the top 10%. Where you went to school makes a difference for your first job, and after that, it’s up to how you perform. Be a standout in all you do.

You also need visibility. If you’re performing well but the person who can do something about your career can’t see it, nothing will happen. Make sure you have visibility. But you have to be careful with this one because you don’t want to go around tooting your own horn or wearing your ambition on your sleeve. It’s a delicate balance.

If you have a boss who doesn’t feel you are performing as well as you think you are, you have to be self-aware and figure out if there is something you can fix or if you just have a bad boss, which David says happens less often than people think. Learn to be self-aware and realize what you need to improve. We all have issues, and it’s important to know what they are.

When I spoke with David he told me a fascinating story during the early days at Honeywell. Listen below.

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If you want to get over a dozen other leadership lessons just like this one from Arthur, then download my new PDF: 15 Top CEOs Share Their Best Leadership Lessons. You will hear from CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Three Steps To Lead During A Crisis https://thefutureorganization.com/three-steps-to-lead-during-a-crisis/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:26:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45665 Today’s leaders face more challenges than ever before. Over the last two years, we’ve dealt with numerous challenges of the pandemic and the resulting issues. And even after the pandemic is over, we’ll face new challenges.

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Today’s leaders face more challenges than ever before. Over the last two years, we’ve dealt with numerous challenges of the pandemic and the resulting issues. And even after the pandemic is over, we’ll face new challenges.

Steve Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, has led numerous companies through crises. He knows the importance of solid leadership during challenging times. Here are his three pieces of advice for leading during a crisis:

  1. Know your mission. Clearly state what your organization is trying to achieve and use that mission as a rallying cry for your people. Lean into your mission and turn it into your true north to give you and your people a sense of direction. People are scared and confused during challenging times and need guidance more than ever.
  2. Diagnose the problems. Push aside the distractions and tangential issues to narrow down the biggest issue facing your organization. Decide how you will address the most significant problems and be rigorous in following through to fulfill your mission.
  3. Keep employees engaged. Amidst chaos and uncertainty, employees want to feel connected and know their role. Infuse purpose into the organization and keep your employees informed and engaged. People want to be part of something great; by giving them opportunities to get involved, you’ll see them rise up and help the organization and the community.

It’s during challenging times that people need strong leadership the most. Steve’s advice can help leaders during the pandemic and beyond to lead during whatever crisis comes their way.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Knowing When to Speak Up at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/knowing-when-to-speak-up-at-work/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:23:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45661 Want to succeed at work? You’ve got to know how to speak up.
When we think about speaking up at work, we often think of pointing out problems or complaining.

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Want to succeed at work? You’ve got to know how to speak up.

When we think about speaking up at work, we often think of pointing out problems or complaining.

But speaking up and complaining are completely different. To make your voice heard, you must have practical solutions and a strong opinion.

The most common way people speak up at work is to give an opinion, such as sharing an idea or providing feedback. This is your chance to share your opinion. You were hired to bring a unique perspective, not to simply agree with everything. Tactfully share your thoughts and be able to back up your opinion with evidence. With facts and examples to back up your thoughts, people will take you more seriously and you’ll feel more confident in your opinion.

Another common form of speaking up is when you’re trying to drive change. In this situation, it’s crucial to have an opinion and not just complain. Everyone can point out flaws, but not everyone can create practical and creative solutions. If you want to change something, take time to develop a solution and present it in the right way. You might get shot down, but you can always re-work your idea until it’s impossible for management to say no.

Speaking up at work is a requirement to improve your employee experience and build your career. Look for ways to share your opinion and offer solutions, and you’ll become a valuable member of your company.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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What We Can Learn From Steve Jobs In 2022 https://thefutureorganization.com/what-we-can-learn-from-steve-jobs-in-2022/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:40:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45655 When you think of great modern business leaders, Steve Jobs likely quickly comes to mind.
The Apple visionary was a legend for his technical genius and leadership prowess.

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When you think of great modern business leaders, Steve Jobs likely quickly comes to mind.

The Apple visionary was a legend for his technical genius and leadership prowess.

Jobs passed away in 2011, but his legacy is still felt today. And lessons from his leadership style can still benefit people more than a decade later:

Focus. Focus. Focus.

We’re constantly connected, which makes it easy to get distracted by news, ideas, and possibilities. But Steve Jobs knew to focus on the most important things. He famously narrowed Apple’s scope with a two-by-two grid. On the top column, he wrote Consumer and Pro; he labeled the rows Desktop and Portable. Steve told his team to focus on four great products, one in each box. Instead of casting a wide net, he wanted Apple to focus on four key products and do them well.

In 2022, no one can do everything. Remove all distractions and focus on doing a few things spectacularly well. Focus on what matters most and become laser-focused.

Never Stop Being Curious And Creative

Steve Jobs made it a priority to practice creativity and curiosity as part of his everyday life. He believed creativity comes by being spontaneous and getting out of your typical schedule. It wasn’t unusual to see him walking around the Apple campus or even holding meetings as the group walked to clear their heads.

We can follow Jobs’ example today by mixing things up, changing our scenery, and watching the ideas pour in. Staying curious and creative comes from trying new things, asking questions, and shaking things up.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

One of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes comes from a graduation address he gave at Stanford when he told the graduates to “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” Stay passionate, take risks, keep pushing towards your goals. Stay hungry for success and progress. Stay foolish and try new things.

Jobs started Apple in a garage but was forced out of the company a decade later. He didn’t give up and eventually came back to save Apple from the brink of bankruptcy and turn it into the world’s most valuable tech company. He could have walked away when things were hard, but he stuck with it. That resilience and tenacity are as valuable skills today as they were decades ago.

It may seem harder to stay hungry and foolish today, but it’s still possible. Take risks for yourself and your company. Stay foolish with new ideas that don’t necessarily conform. And whatever you do, stay hungry. Remember your purpose, goals, and passions.

Steve Jobs’ example is as applicable to 2022 as it was decades ago. To succeed, leaders must focus, create, and stay hungry and foolish.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Former CEO of Swiss Air Lines & Orbitz On Leading During Tough Times, Setting a Big Vision, & Transformational Growth https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-of-swiss-air-lines-orbitz-on-leading-during-tough-times-setting-a-big-vision-transformational-growth/ Mon, 28 Mar 2022 12:48:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45638 A recognized leader in the travel and e-commerce industries, Jeff Katz is the founder and CEO of Journera, a platform that brings together data from throughout the travel journey to open up new possibilities for travelers and travel companies.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jeffrey_Katz_-_Ready.mp3

Jeffrey Katz Transcript

A recognized leader in the travel and e-commerce industries, Jeff Katz is the founder and CEO of Journera, a platform that brings together data from throughout the travel journey to open up new possibilities for travelers and travel companies. He was previously the founding Chairman and CEO of Orbitz, CEO of Swissair and President of the global distribution system, SABRE. He is one of very few executives who has also led companies in other industries, serving as CEO and Executive Chairman of LeapFrog Enterprises, a technology-based children’s product company, as well as CEO of the web-based comparison-shopping company, Nextag.

Finding his path: Katz carves out a fit for multiple talents.

 Growing up in the wine country of Northern California, the son of Holocaust survivors, Jeff Katz wasn’t sure where he’d end up but knew he wanted agency and innovation in whatever he pursued. Engineering made a great fit with his natural aptitude for math and science, but even the infinite budget and challenging fusion projects he encountered while working early on at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory weren’t enough to offset hierarchical limitations. So he pivoted to study business and aerospace engineering at MIT. Timing is everything and in Katz’s case he finished his dual masters’ degrees just as the airline industry was deregulating. “So I went to Dallas and started working for American Airlines as an analyst. And, you know, in those days, the early 80s, … with infinite (new) degrees of freedoms, you had to decide what to do with airplanes and what kind of airplanes to buy. And that’s all a big math problem. That’s how I began in travel,” says Katz. It was the perfect fit and a great training ground.

Establishing Command-and-Control at American

 The path at first was traditional – with Katz climbing through the ranks at American by taking on managerial positions with increasing responsibility across Finance, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service. Over the course of two decades he was perpetually groomed for more and more senior roles, both conforming to the culture and evolving his own personal management style. A major differentiator was Katz’s ability to speak C-suite language and communicate across teams but also to grasp the engineering and numbers part of the airline equation. He “got” computer networking and system optimization and had the rare ability to translate that info for executive decision-makers. “Even if you can think your way through an answer, your communication skills become super-important to make sure where you’re going is followed by the people who really have to make things happen,” says Katz. Along the way Katz acculturated to American’s corporate tone – a traditional one that emphasized hierarchy, necktie etiquette and an autocratic management style. “I was a command-and-control leader,” says Katz. “That’s the way we ran things in those days: I tell you what to do, you do it and if you don’t like it, leave. It was a very harsh kind of management style.” Katz practiced that tone and mastered it, developing a reputation within the industry. Looking back, he says the atmosphere was laced with threats from competitors – both internal and external. It was intense but, says Katz, on the upside it fostered a passion for the mission. Whether driving American’s core business or growing SABRE, its subsidiary global distribution system, the drive to performance was energizing and exciting. The work with SABRE, a forerunner to the massive networked computing that would control travel bookings in the internet age, was also Katz’s first real glimpse into what was clearly on the horizon. He brought his own somewhat renegade style, but there were certain protocols you observed if you wanted to be one of the top 10 or 12 corporate decision-makers, which is what Katz desired to be. It would be some years down the line before he finally rid himself of the necktie mandate, but that day would come.

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Taking the helm on a new European playing field.

As Europe followed the U.S. into deregulation of its airline industry in the 1990s, Katz’s expertise was coveted. He was recruited to head up Swissair as it navigated the newly liberalized industry. His managerial style transferred easily. “It was authoritative. And it could be really mean, really cutthroat,” says Katz. The structures were centralized and there were only the smallest tendrils of interest in more progressive management ideas like employee participation or flexible work. The buttoned-up Swiss were still very much about the suit and tie and executing the game plan which Katz had learned at American. “The Swiss then were extremely formal in the workplace. It was a very political … If you were a management person in Switzerland, you had served time in the Swiss military,” says Katz. He loved the job of CEO and the pleasure of working with people at the top of their game. He found them to be “the best people in the country of Switzerland … inherently fun and funny and creative and meticulous,” he says. But the culture was very hierarchical and the rigidity didn’t serve the airline culture particularly well in a post-regulatory environment. The word in play at that point was “agile,” and that’s what Katz endeavored to instill, along with significant technological upgrades across the board. Things were humming along when Swissair Flight 111 (known as the “UN shuttle because of its popularity with United Nations employees traveling between the organization’s two major centers) went down somewhere in the ocean outside Nova Scotia en route from New York and Geneva. The experience’s impacts have been personal, and enduring, for Katz. His entire executive tenor shifted to a tone of compassion and empathy. The airline leapt into action, minimizing conjecture and delicately managing the raw emotions of relatives, modeling what today is the standard of care. “It’s a very somber experience, you know, a grave responsibility,” says Katz. “The initial crash process and investigation, which lasted well over a year … (is) a really harsh experience,” says Katz. “But you also learn about the magic of a great team.” He was indelibly impacted by the ongoing professionalism, compassion, focus and diligence his workers demonstrated. “It was remarkable and changed my life – actually changed me from this person who was command-and-control and essentially an autocrat to a completely different person,” recalls Katz. The true essence of leadership had been stripped bare and the most powerful parts revealed.

Moving on to start Orbitz as a changed human – and leader.

When Katz decided to launch a new travel software called Orbitz right around the Millennium, he brought with him the pioneering spirit necessary for an online tech platform (then a space just barely lifting off) as well as a new kind of leadership style. “I was taught in the hierarchical world of airlines that I grew up in, (but) I’d become a lot more open and emotionally vulnerably,” says Katz. Tragedy had a clarifying impact and also, unfortunately, proved sound preparation for what lay ahead. Barely a year after Orbitz launched its software, 9/11 occurred. The ascension of terror roiled the travel industry and sent much of the world into paralysis. “It was a shock. We thought the world was over,” says Katz. “I would get calls from senior airline executives who would say, ‘Jeff, it was nice working with you.’ They thought were dead.” But in fact the situation yielded an unexpected rebound opportunity: The moment for self-booked budget travel had arrived. People were uneasy about the future of the geopolitics and the economy, but one thing they could control was their flight, rental care and hotel bookings. With thousands and thousands of adopters migrating to e-commerce platforms of all kinds, Orbitz appeared at exactly the right moment. The threat of terrorism was a shock to the global travel industry. “But what happened is, a few days later, we could see in the numbers that people didn’t stop traveling,” says Katz. “They just all became budget travelers. And guess what the best site for budget travel was?” Orbitz was the tool of the moment.

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Managing through tough times.

Katz took away two key lessons from the jolts he rode out at both Swissair and Orbitz. The first is, operate with a strategy that makes sense at every level to everyone on the team. That’s No. 1. But nearly co-equal, says Katz, is making sure that your core team is of the highest caliber. He points to all the greatest business success stories and what they have in common: A visionary base of deeply committed founding members who set the bar high right out of the gate. Foundations that solid generate enterprises ready to grow and excel. And what are those ingredients critical to your A Team? Honesty and integrity. It might harken back to his more autocratic days, but Katz is uncompromising on this point: “Say what you mean. Do what you say. And if you don’t, you’re gone,” he explains. “That’s how harsh you have to be sometimes at a startup that may not survive.” Also right up at the top of the list is strong communication skills, which determine success no matter the domain. Katz also emphasizes choosing team members who have superior skill sets – whether they are developers, marketers, product managers or any other role across the enterprise. And finally, use metrics to validate that that top talent, communications and skilled execution add up to demonstrable results. 

How Katz deployed his new management style at Orbitz

First off – neckties were out! He also encouraged a far more open, communicative workplace environment than he’d previously experienced. Katz personally wrote an email – “Good Morning, Orbitz” – weekly without fail to ensure his employees knew exactly where things were. He was forthright with observations and what was on his mind. Katz also instituted a twice-daily meeting – known as a stand-up or ops meeting – that took transparency to the level of sharing all the company’s nitty-gritty details – whether code or a customer service challenge – so that all team members were moving forward together in sync. “We’d sit in this room – as many as we could squeeze in – and people had to talk. You had to be honest about what was going on – good, bad or indifferent,” says Katz. Some found the practice high-pressure, but it kept everyone on the same page during an intensive time of growth and development. There were, says Katz, “some command-and-control moments, because you’re trying to get a company off the ground. But ultimately people loved working at Orbitz.” It was a sort of fraternity built on rigor and pride.

What Katz’s management style looks like today.

While perhaps not a total warm-and-fuzzy, Katz in 2022 has traveled far from his managerial roots. He has evolved along with corporate leadership practices generally to embrace a more human-centered methodology. Rather than a reign of fear and terror, Katz’s workplaces today are collaborative. People know more about his personal side and he’s happy to host an online cocktail hour that features anniversary celebrations and shared pet stories. “It’s certainly been a personal evolution, but I also think it’s a management style evolution,” he says. The shift is particularly well suited to Katz’s latest startup, Journera, a tech company that partners travel providers, marketers and technologists to bring together a real-time view of a traveler’s journey. It features a secure and private exchange of shared customer data to elevate travel experiences, strengthen loyalty, increase direct engagement and facilitate operational efficiencies. Katz is loving the company’s bootsraps intimacy and the 100 percent focus on strategizing for success. People who have known Katz over the long haulthink I’m like some weirdly transformed person,” he says, “and they’re never really sure if the scary version of me is going to come back out.” It’s unlikely. Constant evolution has been a hallmark of Katz’s career, influenced in no small measure, he says, by some wonderful mentors he has picked up along the way. And he has of course also been indelibly shaped by Swissair Flight 111 and the aftershocks of 9/11. Whatever your stratosphere of wealth or achievement,” says Katz, “It doesn’t really matter. This you learn from tragedy. At the end of the day, you know, it is about humanity.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Why Everyone Should Think Like An Entrepreneur: Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square https://thefutureorganization.com/why-everyone-should-think-like-an-entrepreneur-jim-mckelvey-co-founder-of-square/ Fri, 25 Mar 2022 13:05:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45644 Jim McKelvey is the co-founder of Square and author of the book Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time.

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Jim McKelvey is the co-founder of Square and author of the book Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time. Jim knows that lots of people are going through a time of reinvention, and he believes having the mindset of an entrepreneur is invaluable.

Jim says true entrepreneurs solve problems that haven’t been solved before. They don’t just start a business, they do something that has never been done before. When they created Square, Jim and Jack Dorsey solved a problem in a way no one else had ever thought of. They even were able to beat out Amazon when the company tried to copy Square’s setup.

When it comes to true entrepreneurship, Jim doesn’t believe in starting with a product or a service. He says it all starts with a problem that needs to be solved.

He puts it this way: “I’m not particularly interested if somebody has an idea for a thing, but I am interested in a problem that somebody tries to solve. If somebody says to me, ‘Hey, I invented this widget’, I don’t care. If somebody says to me, ‘Jim, I’ve got this problem and here’s how I plan to eliminate it’, that’s fascinating because the solution to an existing problem is what moves the world forward.”

Jim also says the first rule of being an entrepreneur is that you can’t be an expert. He says, “Nobody is qualified to do something that has never been done before because nobody’s done it. We don’t know what the qualifications are. You may have them. I see these bright, capable people who have been so indoctrinated into this way of thinking that they have to be qualified before they start that they never start. That’s an appropriate feeling, but when you’re doing something new, that feeling of being unqualified isn’t the reason to give up. Jack and I were completely unqualified to start Square. Zero qualifications in payments. Zero.

When I spoke with Jim, he told me the story of how they beat Amazon when the company tried to copy the setup Square had. Listen below.

. . .

If you want to get over a dozen other leadership lessons just like this one from Arthur, then download my new PDF: 15 Top CEOs Share Their Best Leadership Lessons. You will hear from CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Questions To Ask When Doing a Technology Audit https://thefutureorganization.com/questions-to-ask-when-doing-a-technology-audit/ Thu, 24 Mar 2022 13:29:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45615 Technology plays a crucial role in every organization. But when was the last time you performed a technology audit?

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Technology plays a crucial role in every organization. But when was the last time you performed a technology audit?

A technology audit is your chance to step back and look at how you work and the technology you use. Over a week, you can identify patterns and potential problems to improve your workflows and technology system.

As you perform a technology audit, ask yourself these six questions:

  1. What are the technology pain points? Identify tasks or processes that are frustrating or difficult.
  2. What is making employees frustrated? Look for places where technology is hurting the employee experience. This could be having to fill out the same documents over or over, having a hard time communicating with your team, or struggling to find the right information.
  3. What do you struggle with the most? Identify parts of your job that are difficult because of a lack of technology or the wrong technology.
  4. Where are the bottlenecks? Look for processes that are ineffective or could be improved. Often, these bottlenecks involve technology or could be solved by technology. Bottlenecks could be sending paper files around the office to gather signatures or emailing large files back and forth. Look for areas where things keep getting slowed down and where technology could speed up the process.
  5. What processes or tasks can be automated? After looking at the challenges, look for the places technology can augment and support your current work.
  6. Where can technology be used to improve efficiency and productivity? Identify places technology could improve your systems and processes. This could be using digital collaboration tools to stay ahead of projects or automating data entry to eliminate repetitive tasks.

Regularly performing a technology audit ensures your organization is running smoothly and efficiently. It’s all about staying in control of technology instead of the technology controlling you.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Why You Need To Pay Attention To The Tangential https://thefutureorganization.com/why-you-need-to-pay-attention-to-the-tangential/ Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:31:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45612 Too often, we get tunnel vision as we focus solely on our career path and what’s in front of us.

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Too often, we get tunnel vision as we focus solely on our career path and what’s in front of us.

But we need to pay attention to the tangential.

There are incredible opportunities around us, but seeing them requires opening up and paying attention to what’s happening in the periphery.

We’ve all heard people say they can’t take on a new project or join a team because they are so heads down in their work. But in the new world of work, you can’t afford to be heads down and oblivious to what’s happening around you. You need to pay attention to the tangential. That means being heads up, heads side to side, and even heads behind you.

Paying attention to the tangential opens doors to take new paths, innovate, and stay ahead of the rapidly changing world of work.

Here are three ways to pay attention to the tangential:

  1. Talk with relevant people in your space. Start a conversation with colleagues and managers, both in your company and across the industry. Build connections and find out what these people are paying attention to and what they see coming down the road. Having relevant discussions will help you better grasp the big picture.
  2. Create a skills path, not a career path. Skills are more valuable than jobs. Jobs are linear and meant to be automated, but skills create opportunities and make you a valuable asset to any team. Consider the skills you need to develop and how you can apply your current skills to other areas. A skills path keeps you moving forward and constantly learning and improving.
  3. Ask yourself three questions. Are my skills in demand? What is the outlook of my skills? What skills can I work on today that will increase my income potential in the future? Regularly asking yourself these questions will help you figure out where to focus your time and energy.

Paying attention to the tangential is crucial in the new world of work. We can no longer have tunnel vision and stick to a linear path. We have to remove our blinders and be willing to learn and move into new areas to find success and lead the future.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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How This CEO Earned a 99% Employee Approval Rating https://thefutureorganization.com/how-this-ceo-earned-a-99-employee-approval-rating/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 13:01:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45609 When it comes to leading, Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO at VMware and current CEO of Intel, is almost perfect.

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When it comes to leading, Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO at VMware and current CEO of Intel, is almost perfect.

In 2019, when Pat was at VMware, he was voted best CEO of a large company in America, with a staggering 99% employee approval rating. Contrast that with the average CEO approval rating of 69%, and clearly, Pat is doing something right.

What sets Pat apart from other CEOs? Here are five things he does to build trust and loyalty from his employees:

He Understands The Work

Pat doesn’t just lead a technology company–he is actively involved in the work and has built and designed many prominent pieces of the software. He can relate to his employees on a different level because he understands in detail the work they are doing and how each part contributes to the company’s overall goals.

He’s Willing To Have Fun

Pat isn’t the typical stodgy CEO. He’s willing to have fun and put himself out there to build relationships. Pat surprised employees when he proudly displayed a tattoo of VMware’s logo on his forearm during his keynote address at the company’s annual conference in 2018. The tattoo was temporary, but it showed his fun attitude and devotion to the company.

He Encourages And Celebrates Innovation

Pat played a critical role in building VMware’s innovative culture by ensuring employees had the tools and mentoring they needed and encouraging them to enjoy the work they do together. Pat encourages employees to collaborate and take risks for the good of society and the company.

He’s Accessible

In an age of transparent CEOs, Pat is one of the best. He is active on Twitter as a way to show his personality and share his expertise. Leveraging social media allows Pat to be authentic and vulnerable. He’s accessible to employees and customers, and they feel like they know the real him. He doesn’t hide behind a persona but is authentic for the world to see.

He Focuses On Doing Good

Aside from being an accomplished CEO, Pat is also a dedicated philanthropist. He donates nearly half of his income to charities around the world and supports a variety of causes, including education, community building, healthcare, and disaster recovery. This attitude of doing good resonates with his employees, who realize he is humble and willing to put other people above himself.

With a near-perfect approval rating, Pat Gelsinger is one of the greatest leaders of our modern age. His balance of fun, humility, and hard work have built a thriving company that empowers employees to do their best.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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How David Novak Took Yum! Brands From $4 Billion to $32 Billion & Priceless Leadership Lessons https://thefutureorganization.com/how-david-novak-took-yum-brands-from-4-billion-to-32-billion-priceless-leadership-lessons/ Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:11:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45621 David Novak is Co-Founder, retired Chairman, and CEO of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest restaurant companies.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_David_Novak_-_Ready.mp3

David Novak Transcript

David Novak is Co-Founder, retired Chairman, and CEO of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest restaurant companies. After stepping down in 2016, he became the Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, an online platform that offers leadership training modules, podcasts, blogs, and videos. He’s also passionate about making the world a better place through his family’s Lift-a-Life Foundation, Lead4Change, Global Game Changers, and the Novak Leadership Institute.

A renowned expert on leadership and recognition culture, David is also a bestselling author with two critically acclaimed books, including The New York Times bestseller “Taking People with You: The Only Way to Make BIG Things Happen” and his parable “O Great One!: A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition.”

David has been recognized as “2012 CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive magazine, one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by FORTUNE, and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review. He received the Horatio Alger Award for his commitment to philanthropy and higher education and the 2012 UN World Food Program Leadership Award for Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief.

How an itinerant childhood served the future CEO.

The son of a government surveyor, David, and his family had lived in 23 states by the time he reached seventh grade, moving their trailer from campground to campground. That would seem tough, but for the future leader, it proved a great training ground for being flexible, making friends, learning how to manage anxieties, and maneuvering unfamiliar situations. “I think it really helped me build some people skills that ended up being advantages for me in my business career,” says David. His path to the American Dream was also paved by fantastic parents, the community of other families of surveyors that moved with them from place to place, and exposure to the best of small-town Midwestern authenticity.

Finding his passion was the first step on David’s career trajectory.

While studying journalism at the University of Missouri, David discovered what would prove to be an enduring passion: The world of marketing. Suddenly he went from being a mediocre student to a 4.0 GPA superstar, devouring every class there was on the topic. It set the stage for everything that came next in his career, starting with an early advertising copywriting job in Washington, DC. “I learned that there’s nothing more sobering than looking at a blank sheet of paper. You’ve got to come up with the idea. You’ve got to then sell the idea. It really taught me a lot and I loved it,” says David, who came to realize he preferred the business to the creative side. He moved into account work in Pittsburgh and eventually fielded multiple offers to work at agencies in New York, but he felt “like a duck out of water.” He was contemplating a return to school for his MBA when he was offered an opportunity to move to Dallas and manage PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay account. It turned out to be his proving ground. It wasn’t long before he was asked to make the meteoric leap from account supervisor to chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut, another subsidiary. He was on his way to a rapid ascension through PepsiCo headquarters, including roles as EVP for marketing and sales, COO, and CEO. From there he made an exciting leap to Yum Brands in 1999, where he spent the next two decades building a global powerhouse with 41,000 restaurants worldwide.

How inevitable mistakes showed up along David’s corporate path.

Sometimes when you’re racking up success after success, as David did early and often in his career, it’s easy to feel indomitable. But David has no problem highlighting a couple of bumps in the road. For all his “wins,” there of course also had to be missteps. Like, for instance, the nine million pairs of “solar shades,” which were supposed to tie in with the film “Back to the Future.” The problem was when it debuted Michael J. Fox wasn’t sporting them. Not only were the glasses on the cutting room floor, but it was a historically cold winter. Timing is everything. “So, we launched this promotion, and literally it was a disaster. Nobody wanted these things,” recalls David. “It was embarrassing because we’d been on such a run. But we fail sometimes.” Another case in point: David was the guy who invented Crystal Pepsi, which he thought was “the biggest idea I ever had in my life.” Unfortunately, some of those classic Pepsi notes were missing and it flopped big-time. Fortunately, the product’s premium pricing hedged against losing money and as a side note, Crystal has periodically returned many times over the years to a welcoming market. So, disaster … but not entirely! And it makes a great object lesson for David to share today with aspiring leaders who will inevitably suffer setbacks of their own.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

The “Bob Story” and finding transformational leadership.

Perhaps nothing was as affecting during David’s career as his encounter with a Midwestern salesman named Bob. When he took on the role of the chief operating officer in 1992 for Pepsi-Cola North America, “the problem was that I was a really good marketing person, but I’d never done anything in operations.” In “begging” for the job he told his boss, “If I don’t do it, well, you can fire me in six months, or put me back into marketing.” So, David got busy, determined to learn all he could from the frontlines people who made operations go. He developed new strategies and implemented new procedures. But all of that forward-thinking wasn’t as powerful as the experience of Bob. At one of the round table get-togethers that David hosted for his all-important route salesmen – the guys who drove the trucks secured the shelf spaced, interfaced with the customers – he asked them to share merchandising best practices. One name came up again and again: Bob. His displays were the best. His vendor relationships were the most lucrative. He was the most beloved. “I look across the table,” recalls David, “and Bob is crying. And I say, ‘Bob, why are you crying?’ And he said, ‘David, I’ve been in this company for 47 years. I’m retiring in two in two weeks. And I didn’t know that people felt this way about me.’ ” David would never again think of his role as a leader in the same way. It hit him in the gut: From that day forward, he was determined that – wherever he worked and in whatever the role – the Bobs of the world would get proper recognition. “When I look at Bob, I see my mom and dad and how they busted their butts,” says David, “and there are a lot of Bobs out there.

Through his coaching work, David has identified key leadership traits:

With his podcast, How Leaders Lead with David Novak, David enjoys interviewing all kinds of CEOs, leading sports figures, and other leadership standouts. The number one thing they all share. Fundamental self-awareness. Self-coaching starts with having candid conversations with ourselves and being willing to ask: What are my strengths? What are my areas of opportunity? What are my joy builders and joy blockers? Answers won’t come without highly developed self-awareness; knowing what makes you tick. Mindset plays a big role. David talks about this (and much more) in his brand-new book, “Take Charge of You: How Self-Coaching Can Change Your Life and Your Career”, which he co-authored with sports performance coach Jason Goldsmith. “What we try to do is coach people into figuring out what is it that gives them joy, and then figuring out how they can develop an action plan to ensure they spend more of their time in that area,” he says. In addition to that tool, David teaches his 3×5 card exercise. A method he’s used for years on himself and with his teams, it involves simply writing on one side of a blank notecard: “What am I today?” On the other side: “What do I need to be tomorrow.” People find that it reveals not only strengths but also areas to proceed with caution. Is passion a strong suit today? Perhaps some tempering of that passion will keep you from overwhelming others. Excelling with your traditional marketing tools today? You may want to acquire some new tools to get ahead of the tidal wave of momentum in digital advertising and social media marketing. “You’ve got to look at yourself as a diamond. You’ve got all this potential, but you’ve got to keep polishing all the time, making yourself better and better as you go forward,” says David.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Why real leaders aren’t afraid of some vulnerability:

A commonality among most of the CEOs that David interviews on his podcast are “an uncanny combination of confidence and humility.” Their confidence assures people that they know where they’re going and how to get there. But it’s the humility that predisposes people to want to help their leader get there. He believes that asking team members what they think not only indicates respect but also engages. “Humility says, ‘I need you. I can’t do it by myself,’” says David. “And when CEOs or leaders say, I need you, that’s when you get everybody to follow.” After all, nobody wants to follow a leader who thinks he or she is perfect. It comes off as phony because, well, we’re all human and we’re all in need of help from time to time. “I think being authentic is understanding who you are, sticking to your core values, growing and learning and getting better,” says David. But you don’t need to be somebody you’re not. Transparency is also a big one. Let people share in the facts and gather their feedback. What would you Do if you were CEO? It seems like a dangerous question, but David says that 90% of the time people come to the same conclusion that you do. It won’t work if you’re not secure enough to put yourself out there, hear feedback, synthesize it all and come back to the team. “When you go through that process, you can then have a go-forward action plan that says, We – not ME — this is what we decided to do. And that’s what leadership really is: Getting people to follow.”

“The important thing about this from a leadership perspective is you’ve got to build know-how and you’ve got to learn from what’s going on around you and be a pattern thinker,” says David.

The greatest leadership lesson of David’s career.

In many ways, it comes down to transparency. Leaders who let their team members know that they believe in them will receive in return everyone’s best efforts. “I created a culture where we recognized the heck out of all those (positive) behaviors. Not just me, but everybody else in the company,” says David, “and when you do that, guess what happens? People do more of it.” If people know you’re looking for innovation, that’s what they’ll deliver. Ditto timeliness with deadlines or stringency with budgets. The best leaders suggest success by cheering what they want and reinforcing those efforts, bringing out the best in teams. Not in a fake way, but in a way worthy of Bob: “I implemented recognition tied to the behaviors that were absolutely critical to the success of the business,” says David. When you do that, your recognition is purposeful and therefore meaningful for all involved.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The post How David Novak Took Yum! Brands From $4 Billion to $32 Billion & Priceless Leadership Lessons first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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I’m Ready For In-Person Events Again, Are You? https://thefutureorganization.com/im-ready-for-in-person-events-again-are-you/ Fri, 18 Mar 2022 13:35:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45605 For the past two years I’ve been sharing my message, ideas, and research with audiences around the world, from behind a screen and a camera lens. It was good, but just not the same.

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For the past two years I’ve been sharing my message, ideas, and research with audiences around the world, from behind a screen and a camera lens. It was good, but just not the same.

Sure, I’ve done plenty of virtual presentations during my 15 years as a speaker but I’ve never gone two years without seeing an audience in person! In fact my first in-person event was a few weeks ago in Palm Desert for an audience of bankers.

There’s nothing more electric than the energy of a live audience: the passion, the excitement to learn, and the readiness to transform themselves and their company.

It’s one thing to read books, listen to podcasts, or watch virtual keynotes but it’s next level to be in community with an audience.

I’m SO EXCITED that I get to travel again, to see your faces, give handshakes and hugs, have conversations during coffee, and to have random conversations walking around event hallways. I’ve traveled the world to share my ideas and research on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience and I love hearing stories of how you are driving change and becoming better leaders.

The past two years were tough but there was a silver lining for me. We used to live in the Bay Area but after all of our friends moved away we decided to move as well and we came back to Los Angeles which is where my family (and Blake’s family) lives. It’s been a great decision since now we have help with kids and have more community and family nearby.

I had the opportunity to spend much more time with kids and family. My son Noah is turning two this year and I didn’t have to miss a single day of watching his growth and development. My daughter Naomi is turning six this year and I’ve been able to spend countless nights reading books to her and playing soccer.

Most of my presentations were also done in sweatpants and right after they were completed I was able to walk out of my home studio and take my dogs for a walk…that was pretty amazing.

But now, things are starting to open back up and I’m excited to share my message with a live audience again. I’m also working on a new book around vulnerability and leadership which will get released at some point next year but I’ll share more on that in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime I’m looking forward to seeing your faces in the crowd and meeting you in person. If you’re looking for a speaker on leadership, the future of work, or employee experience for your next event, here’s where you can find me.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Six Conditions For Creating Effective Teams https://thefutureorganization.com/six-conditions-for-creating-effective-teams/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:02:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45601 One of the hardest and most crucial parts of a leader’s job is creating teams.

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One of the hardest and most crucial parts of a leader’s job is creating teams.

We’ve all seen teams that seem to be functioning on all cylinders. These “dream teams” collaborate, innovate, and get incredible results. But we’ve also all been on ineffective teams that make things more difficult than they need to be.

While it’s difficult to take an approach that works at one company and guarantee it will work for all organizations, there are some key similarities between all effective teams. Meeting these conditions gives teams the best chance of success and can help leaders create effective teams in any organization.

 Researchers Martine Haas and Mark Mortensen found that a shared mindset is crucial to a team’s success. Here are six conditions to creating an effective team:

  1. Compelling direction. Effective teams must have a compelling purpose that is challenging and focuses on the ends to be achieved rather than just the means to pursue it. Without a common goal, teams won’t know what they are working towards and can’t be inspired.
  2. Enabling structure. To be effective, teams must have a system that enables teamwork instead of hindering it. That means bringing together the right mix of people and skills to fulfill specific tasks.
  3. Supportive context. Effective teams need support and resources such as training, rewards, and access to information. They also need the proper materials to do their jobs, including funding and technological assistance.
  4. Shared mindset. Effective teams bring together diverse people and create a shared understanding and identity. They focus on similarities instead of differences and don’t fall into the trap of an “us versus them” mindset.
  5. Real team. A team has to be an actual team, not just people grouped together. That requires clear boundaries, interdependence among members, and at least moderately stable membership over time.
  6. Competent coaching. Effective teams require guidance and someone who can help with mentoring, questions, and getting over obstacles and challenges.

No matter your company or industry, meeting these conditions can make your teams more effective and lead to stronger results.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The post Six Conditions For Creating Effective Teams first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Being A Leader Is A Choice Not A Title https://thefutureorganization.com/being-a-leader-is-a-choice-not-a-title/ Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:58:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45593 Do you have to be a manager or executive to be a leader? No!
Leading others is a choice. It isn’t about your title.

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Do you have to be a manager or executive to be a leader? No!

Leading others is a choice. It isn’t about your title.

Many people with executive titles are terrible leaders, and many people without a fancy title are outstanding leaders.

More than your title, being a leader is about influencing change and inspiring and motivating others. Leaders paint a picture of a better world and work with others to create it.

Nowhere does it say you have to be a manager or an executive to be a leader. But somehow, we’ve told ourselves that only people with certain titles can lead others. That’s just not the case.

You don’t need permission to become a leader. If you want to be a leader, start leading!

Read books, listen to podcasts, and talk to others to learn leadership skills. Develop skills that are crucial for future leaders, such as empathy, self-awareness, curiosity, and a growth mindset.

Realizing you don’t need anything external to be a leader is a freeing way to think about leadership and yourself as a leader. You are in control and can become a leader, no matter your title.

What will you do to become the leader you know you can be?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Before They Were CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/before-they-were-ceos/ Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:21:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45590 What makes a successful leader?
Is it skill, luck, or pure determination? Perhaps a combination of all three?

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What makes a successful leader?

Is it skill, luck, or pure determination? Perhaps a combination of all three?

Over the years, I’ve interviewed and worked with hundreds of the world’s top CEOs. I’ve learned that every single one of them has an amazing backstory of getting where they are today. In some cases, they overcame great obstacles. In other cases, they broke through with innovation or grit.

If you were to just read these stories, you would never guess that the people in them would one day lead a billion-dollar company. I don’t know about you, but I love that!

These two CEOs have incredible stories of what put them on the path to becoming great leaders. I had the chance to personally speak with both of them.

David Cote, CEO of Honeywell – Total Life Turnaround

David Cote’s path to becoming CEO of Honeywell was anything but traditional. He quit college before he started and went through a series of failed jobs because he wasn’t skilled or interested enough to continue. He signed up for the Navy thinking it could be the right fit. But the night before he was supposed to get sworn in, David called the chief petty officer and asked, “If I don’t show up tomorrow, can you send the cops to my house?” The officer said he couldn’t, so David didn’t show up and quit before he even started.

David eventually ended back up at school and had to camp out in the admissions office for hours before finally talking his way into being able to apply. But he quit again a few years later.

It wasn’t until his wife found out she was pregnant one month into their marriage that David really started focusing on his future. He says nothing in his life has motivated him more than the impending birth of his first son. He realized his blue-collar job wasn’t earning enough money for the family, so he went back to school, got a better job, fixed up their meager apartment, and committed himself to focus and move forward.

That focus and determination put David on a new path—one that led him to becoming CEO of a leading global company with 110,000 employees.

Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC – Lessons From The Dairy Farm

The CEO of a billion-dollar software company had his start in a unique place: on a dairy farm. And even with all of his success in the business and tech world, PTC CEO Jim Heppelmann still lives on a cattle ranch today.

It was on his parent’s Minnesota dairy farm that Jim was first introduced to engineering as he repaired and maintained the farm equipment. In fact, the first thing he ever bought with his own money was a set of socket wrenches. Those experiences as a boy sparked an interest that led Jim to get a degree in mechanical engineering. Jim’s older sister also pursued engineering and made more in her first job out of college than his parents’ current paycheck, which was another incentive. Jim’s sister paved the way and showed him the opportunities that came from engineering.

The dairy farm also taught Jim to work hard. Jim and his family worked long days every day, which instilled in him a strong work ethic. A farmer’s to-do list is never-ending. Simply putting hours in doesn’t lead to results, and Jim learned the value of being task-oriented and getting things done.

Today, as PTC CEO, Jim still likes to get his hands dirty and be on the front lines. He pushes through challenges and instills a strong work ethic in his employees.

Every leader has their own unique path to greatness and to unlock their potential, and so do you. We all deal with our own challenges and obstacles but it’s important to remember that where you are now does not dictate where you can go and what you can achieve.

I hope these two stories inspire and motivate you!

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The post Before They Were CEOs first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Web 3.0, How To Balance Logic & Emotion, & Why We Often Act in Irrational Ways https://thefutureorganization.com/web-3-0-how-to-balance-logic-emotion-why-we-often-act-in-irrational-ways/ Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:29:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45573 Ori Brafman is a multiple New York Times bestselling author who specializes in organizational culture, leadership, change management, and conflict resolution.

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Ori Brafman Transcript

Ori Brafman is a multiple New York Times bestselling author who specializes in organizational culture, leadership, change management, and conflict resolution. He is a Distinguished Teaching Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business focusing on improvisational leadership and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. In addition, Ori advises Fortune 500 companies and all branches of the U.S. military, in addition to the Obama White House, the National Academy of Sciences, NATO, and YPO, among others. Ori’s popular titles include “The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations” and “Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior”. He is the founder and president of Starfish Leadership and co-founder (along with author and wellness expert Tom Rath) of the Fully Charged Institute.

The potential upside of chaos.

Coming out of pandemic, on top of what was already a fast-moving period of digital transformation, organizations of all kinds have been forced to reexamine business as usual. As a result, Ori believes we’re experiencing the tidal impacts of decentralization, distributed power, and increased polarization based on individual values. “It’s a super-interesting combination,” says Ori, “and, I think, very empowering to a lot of folks.” He draws a parallel with Europe pivoting from the Black Plague to the creative flowering and social reconfiguration that followed in the Renaissance. “I wonder whether all of this chaos that’s going on around us today is potentially going to lead to a renaissance that we can’t really imagine,” says Ori. He believes we’re in a fertile period of reimagining the role of institutions and a reckoning with a pervasive loss of public trust. What does that mean? How does that change leadership behaviors? Things can be upended for the better, says Ori, pointing to the example of solid advances made socially and in the workplace since the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement. “Even my 20-year-old college students are taking stock of what’s going on. It has empowered individuals in a lot of ways,” he says. And organizations will be called upon to respond.

Defining The Starfish and the Spider.

Ori’s book, “The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations”, offers two different organizational paradigms. Where “spider” organizations are more hierarchical, with a CEO in charge, “starfish” organizations center on a network of catalysts. The former tends to have siloed departments while the latter is organized around circles and abides by shared values, as opposed to simple command and control. There can be extreme “spiders” (very top-down) and extreme “starfish” (terrorist networks). Ori’s book argues that if a spider’s head is cut off, it dies. Meanwhile, if you chop off part of a starfish it can morph, regenerate, and go on. Examples of a “starfish” culture range from Alcoholics Anonymous to Wikipedia to the Tea Party, which basically “used starfish as their Bible of how to start a political movement,” says Ori. Blockchain currencies are also frequently referenced as a “starfish” model, as are movements from Occupy Wall Street to democratic protests in Hong Kong. “I think you’re seeing (the formula for decentralization) everywhere,” he says. “I don’t think I even imagined just how much the world would change in the last six years.”

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

Decentralization: Wikipedia versus Encyclopedia Britannica

Ori illustrates the concept of decentralized organizations as a contrast between Encyclopedia Britannica, which historically was generated by a small group of experts, as compared with Wikipedia, which offers a low bar to entry that enables crowdsourcing of contributors. Pandemic has accelerated recognition – and integration – of the power in autonomy. There is also a hybrid model, in which leadership deliberately empowers employees to be effective and productive. “So you maintain the hierarchy for the things that hierarchy is very efficient for, but you enable ‘starfish’ where it’s more efficient,” says Ori. We tend to centralize the ‘how,’ and decentralize the ‘what’ when it should be the opposite: Be very specific about the work and then distribute the means, empowering individuals to execute. There will be impacts on labor, but if you cling to a “spider” model and your competition adopts a “starfish” approach because it’s a more efficient way to conduct business, “you’re like the poker player who doesn’t know who the worst player at the table is … and they’ll eat your lunch.”

About the Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.

Ori explains his work in the realm of behavioral economics, which culminated in his book, “Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.” He has looked at how people operate – and make decisions – on each node of decentralized networks. Generally, people don’t behave in a classic economic fashion. They behave based on emotions and on psychological forces that we need to acknowledge, says Ori. So, he has examined factors like loss aversion, the notion that we experience the pain of a “loss” much more intensely than we feel the joy in a “gain.” People will often go to extremes to avoid a potential loss, not only because it registers acutely but also because of sunk cost bias. “Once you’re bought into something, once you’ve already started on the path, it’s very difficult to quit,” says Ori. “We are invested … and have too, too much of an attachment to it.”

Interrupting the runaway train.

A continuous liability within any organization is the reluctance people feel to speak up to others in a position of authority. The risk of upsetting the status quo or a path already laid is powerfully dissuasive. But, says Ori, it’s possible to disrupt the default to sycophancy by deconstructing the dynamic. When it comes to team decision-making, he says there are four fundamental roles that people play within a given group:

·         Initiator: the person who offers up an idea.

·         Supporter: the person who validates that it seems like a great idea.

·         Observer: the person who neutrally registers what’s going on.

·         Blocker: the person who negates or discourages the idea.

The primary tension is often between the Initiator and the Blocker. And that’s a good thing, says Ori. “You actually need people to be blockers or dissenters. You need people to challenge you,” he says. Without friction, it’s all too easy to become irrational as an organization. Once it’s called out, irrationality can be overcome with systems. “(But) if you don’t know the ways in which you’re irrational,” he says, “you’re in trouble.”

Perceived Value = Real Value?

“It doesn’t matter how good of a leader you think you are. If people who work for you don’t think you’re a good leader, you’re not a good leader,” says Ori. And once a value has been assigned, humans tend to remain attached to that perception – regardless of whether it’s rational. This is in large part the power of marketing and why raising prices sometimes has the counterintuitive effect of making a product more, not less, attractive. People don’t make choices based on pure economics. There are factors like a position in a pecking order or relative size (people tend to prefer the medium). Once a product or person has been pigeon-holed, it’s very challenging to change perceptions, which in turn makes it hard to change or retrieve status.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Does Your Company Create Amazing Employee Experiences? Here’s How To Tell! https://thefutureorganization.com/does-your-company-create-amazing-employee-experiences-heres-how-to-tell-2/ Fri, 11 Mar 2022 14:12:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45576 Employee experience continues to be one of the top business priorities for organizations around the world, and for good reason!

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Employee experience continues to be one of the top business priorities for organizations around the world, and for good reason!

As the world adjusts to post-pandemic life, businesses are revisiting the common assumptions we have always had around what it means to work, what it means to be an employee, and what it means to be a leader.

I define employee experience as creating an organization where people WANT not NEED to show up to work each day by focusing on three environments: culture, technology, and physical space.

It’s easy to create great experiences for people when things are going well, but it’s what you and your organization do during tough times that matters most. That’s what your employees and customers will remember.

My research found that only 6% of companies create amazing experiences for their people. And half of organizations are either doing nothing or very little!

Employee experience efforts have been growing lately, with more companies creating teams focused on employees. Work as we know it is being completely redesigned to put people at the center. This evolution is amazing, but we’re still in the early stages.

We’re moving away from focusing on perks and short-term benefits like free food and hot yoga to actually making substantial changes to workplace practices. That’s why I created the Employee Experience Assessment to see where your company stacks up against the world’s top companies.

 

Finding out where you score on culture, technology, and physical space and creating a place where employees truly want to show up to work is the first step to creating a great experience.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The post Does Your Company Create Amazing Employee Experiences? Here’s How To Tell! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Employee Experience is the #1 Issue At Work – But Who Owns It? https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-is-the-1-issue-at-work-but-who-owns-it-2/ Thu, 10 Mar 2022 14:14:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45570 Numerous studies have found that employee experience is the highest priority for companies. But what does that actually mean?

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Numerous studies have found that employee experience is the highest priority for companies. But what does that actually mean?

I define employee experience as creating an organization where employees WANT not NEED to show up to work. It happens by focusing on three environments: culture, technology, and space.

The last two years have brought a pandemic, social unrest, and major changes to how we live and work. Employee experience has never been more important. It’s easy to treat employees well when the organization is thriving, but how your organization treats employees during times of stress is even more telling.

But who owns employee experience? It is a ripple effect that starts with the most senior-level leaders and extends to every employee.

Initiated by the CEO and executive team

The entire employee experience journey starts with the Reason for Being and the organization’s values. This comes from the CEO and the rest of the executive team and is the foundation of all employee experience efforts. Executives need to incorporate employee experience and the reason for being into their talking points, meeting agendas, and priorities both internally and externally. Executives must be the biggest evangelists and champions for employee experience.

Owned by the people team

The People team (commonly known as HR) is the task force responsible for coming up with strategies and tactics that make employee experience a reality. This group tests ideas, provides guidance, uses analytics to guide experience decision-making, and takes ownership of ensuring things get implemented. It doesn’t mean that HR makes all of the decisions, but it does mean that they help steer the ship. The main goal of the people team is to make sure employee experience sits at the center of the organization.

Driven by leaders

Every leader at an organization is responsible for driving employee experience. This means making sure that the three environments are actively focused on in their respective teams. The people team provides guidance on strategy and what to do, but it’s up to leaders to make sure programs and changes are implemented.

Championed by everyone

From the intern to the CEO, every employee needs to get into the habit of sharing ideas, participating in focus groups or surveys, collaborating with others, and providing feedback on how they want their work experience to look and feel. If you don’t speak up to have your voice heard, you shouldn’t be complaining about anything inside your organization.

Employee experience is the next big battleground for organizations around the world. The organizations that design the best experiences for their people will attract and retain top talent and thrive in the future of work.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Employee Experience Directly Impacts ROI https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-directly-impacts-roi/ Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:31:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45558 Every year, companies invest billions of dollars into employee engagement programs. But engagement scores aren’t improving.

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Every year, companies invest billions of dollars into employee engagement programs. But engagement scores aren’t improving.

Employee engagement efforts act as an adrenaline shot that temporarily makes employees happier by introducing a new perk, but the scores fall as the excitement fades. Employee experience, on the other hand, is all about changing core workplace practices.

If you want an engaged workforce, you have to start with employee experience. And investing in employee experience has a stellar ROI.

When you invest in a physical good, like buying a new phone or a fancy pair of shoes, your satisfaction goes down over time. But if you invest in an experience like a trip or activity, your satisfaction goes up over time.

It’s the same with employee experience.

I researched more than 250 of the world’s top employee experience companies and found they had strong ROI in three main areas:

  • Companies that prioritize employee experience appear on other best-of lists up to 40x more often. That includes lists of best or most innovative companies in their industry or most loyal customers.
  • Companies that prioritize employee experience have stronger business metrics, including significantly lower turnover. Although these companies are 20% smaller than others, they are more productive because they have higher revenue and profits. They are making more money and doing it with fewer people.
  • Companies that prioritize employee experience outperform other companies with their stock price.

Clearly, investing in employee experience delivers a strong ROI in every area possible.

To create an engaged and productive workforce, invest in employee experience and make sure your core workplace practices align with your employees’ needs and motivations. The efforts are well worth it.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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The Evolution of Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-employee-experience-3/ Tue, 08 Mar 2022 14:49:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45544 How we work now is dramatically different from how we worked 20 years ago. It’s different from how we worked two years ago!

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How we work now is dramatically different from how we worked 20 years ago. It’s different from how we worked two years ago!

The world of work is constantly changing. Our current evolution shifts organizational priorities towards focusing on people and bringing humanity to organizations. What an exciting thing to see!

Years ago, businesses were focused primarily on utility. That focus slowly shifted towards productivity and getting the most out of people. Then, we saw the emergence of engagement, which is all about making employees happy and engaged at work. Now, we are shifting to what I believe is the next and most important area: employee experience.

Let’s look at the evolution and how we got here:

Utility

Decades ago, the relationship we had with our employers was pretty straightforward. Employers had jobs they needed to fill, and employees needed money. This basic relationship meant that work was about utility and just getting the job done. The only tools or resources employees had were whatever they needed to work. Can you imagine bringing up health and wellness programs, catered meals, bringing dogs to the office, or flexible work efforts in the past? You would have been a laughing stock! These things are all relatively new phenomena that are only now starting to gain global attention and investment. Unfortunately, some companies are still stuck in the utility era and providing bare-bones experiences for their employees.

Productivity

Next came the productivity era, when companies focused on optimizing employee performance. Just like swimmers and sprinters try to shave seconds off their times, managers literally used stopwatches to time how long it would take employees to complete a task to shave off a few seconds here and there. This was designed to improve productivity and output while emphasizing repeatable processes, such as the famous factory assembly line. Unfortunately, we didn’t have robots and automation to do these jobs, so instead, we used humans. As with the utility era, there wasn’t much focus on creating an organization where employees truly wanted to be. Productivity was simply utility on steroids.

 

Next came engagement, a radically new concept where the collective business world realized that paying attention to employees is more important than getting the most out of them. This revolutionary approach shifted the focus to what organizations can do to benefit employees and understand how and why they work. This is where we have been for the past two or three decades.

Some people think employee engagement has to be replaced by employee experience, but they actually work together–engagement as the short-term perks and initiatives and experience as the long-term cultural changes and organizational redesign.

Employee Experience

Today’s focus is employee experience. Essentially, employee experience is creating an organization where people want to show up. This typically falls into three categories: culture, technology, and physical space. One crucial thing to remember is that organizations can’t create employee experiences unless they know their employees. This means leveraging people analytics and having a team of leaders who have the capacity and the desire to connect with people on a truly individual and human level.

We’ve come a long way since the days of focusing on utility and productivity, and employee experience allows us the chance to refocus on employees and drive our organizations towards the future.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Workforce Trends You Need To Know, How COVID Impacted Digital Transformation, & Why Low Wage Jobs Are So Hard To Fill https://thefutureorganization.com/workforce-trends-you-need-to-know-how-covid-impacted-digital-transformation-why-low-wage-jobs-are-so-hard-to-fill/ Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:20:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45536 Prof. Joe Fuller teaches management practice at the Harvard Business School, where he also co-directs their Managing the Future of Work Project.

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Joe Fuller Transcript

Prof. Joe Fuller teaches management practice at the Harvard Business School, where he also co-directs their Managing the Future of Work Project. A 1981 graduate of HBS, he founded the global consulting firm, Monitor Group, now Monitor-Deloitte. During his three decades in consulting, Fuller worked with senior executives and policymakers on a wide variety of issues related to corporate strategy and national competitiveness. He has particularly deep experience in industries with a heavy reliance on technology, such as life sciences, ICT, and the defense and aerospace industries. Among other projects, he is currently researching the evolution of the role of CEOs and the C-suite in public companies.

The Big Picture: Overall workforce trends and what’s on the horizon

For business and political leaders, the big-picture future of work is all about impacts on the workforce, with its lack of skills availability and decline in participation. Joe explains two primary dynamics at play: 1) Demographics. The average worker is older, current immigration policy is incoherent and K-12 education is underperforming, which leads to 2) Under Qualification. While skills development/education have stagnated, skills requirements for the most important jobs are accelerating ever further beyond the reach of workers. Joe is particularly concerned because this trend is systematically undermining basic job opportunities with a living wage. Particularly in inexpensive metro areas, workers are not coming out of high school with the skills they need for employment. Equally concerning: An abundance of research suggests that those not into a job with a decent future by the time they’re in their mid-20s are unlikely to catch up. Meanwhile, on the enterprise side, companies don’t respond to workforce challenges by remedying them. Rather, they find workarounds, like offshoring operations or automating people out of the system. Says Joe: If you can’t get the workers you need, you’re going to deploy robotics, AI, and advanced sensor packages. In other words, jobs will simply be eliminated forever. What will be left are the more highly skilled jobs for which K-12 students are not being prepared. Joe sees it as a huge, profound social justice issue.

Pandemic and the long-term acceleration of digital transformation

Covid accelerated a bunch of trends that we’re seeing in the workforce, especially among white-collar workers easily able to transfer to remote scenarios. It redefined the term “essential worker” and, in many ways, the social and psychological contract between employers and employees, who have a completely different set of expectations compared with three years ago. The game has changed in terms of what employers are responsible for and employees are willing to accept. Pandemic reshuffled the deck by blurring lines on issues like flexi-time, child care. Joe believes these and other pandemic-related reassessments will stick over the long term. The Great Resignation isn’t so many people quitting as reshuffling, with travel and leisure workers, for instance, moving to better wages, benefits (such as extended education or family leave) at Amazon or Costco warehouses jobs. “Certain industries, particularly for those frontline workers, they’re going to have to rethink the value proposition” for workers, says Joe. And at the same time, the conversation has also changed among professional services workers, who have figured out that perpetual travel and separation from family isn’t the only way for them to make a living. Companies are having a reckoning with business as usual in what has become a hybrid world.

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Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

 

Why low-wage jobs are hard to fill

The core issue with low-wage jobs is that an assumption of high turnover is baked in, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. So there is constant poverty-line churn for workers in the hospitality industry, food service, transportation logistics – any sectors that rely on manpower because automation simply isn’t possible. And because turnover is so constant, it reinforces a reluctance on the part of companies to invest in retraining employees who are as likely as not to jump ship. So, the baseline for hiring remains quick ramp-up (i.e. simple, unskilled) which in turn perpetuates a lack of engagement, loyalty, or interest on the part of low-wage workers. Joe’s research indicates that in fact, low-wage workers in large part would prefer to stay where they’re working – and have friends, a reasonable boss, and accessible transportation. This population could be retained, says Joe, by creating pathways for them to add skills, become more productive and qualify for a raise or advancement. In other words, break the cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy. “You get that formula going and, all of a sudden, you start undoing that turnover machine,” says Joe. It’s a strategy that offers both desirable retention in a thin labor market and potentially deeper ties to the organization.

All about the data piece

Too few companies are systematically evaluating their turnover rates, parsing microdata that could provide valuable insights. Data analytics should be leveraged to analyze why one team’s average promotion rate exceeds another’s; inventories and price realization; and the state of the supply chain. It’s not happening enough in the management of performance and human assets, says Joe. Meanwhile, AI is working against companies by blocking some 27 million people from finding jobs. One of Managing the Future of Work’s studies, “Hidden Workers, Untapped Talent,” identified a huge cohort of people who aren’t hidden but rather screened out of consideration by applicant tracking systems (ATS) that process and evaluate candidates. This can occur because of all kinds of variables that may or may not be showstoppers: Criminal convictions, college degrees, omitted keywords, employment gaps. Fast and cheap recruitment processes automatically cull out a lot of resumes – and potentially viable prospects. “All those filters add up to create categories of workers who are often just excluded from consideration,” says Joe. “Veterans suffer from this quite a bit because the way they describe what they did in the military doesn’t match up with anybody’s job descriptions.” It creates artificial scarcity, exclusions based on maybe only one or two qualifying characteristics. Joe does, however, see for untapped workers in a Microsoft program that he is hiring (with great results) people on the autism spectrum – a population that might otherwise be screened out. “If you reach into those talent pools, you can get workers by making marginal accommodations, workers who are going to help solve your talent shortage,” says Joe.

For companies that want to stay competitive in the hiring game

Figuring out how to prevail in the scramble for talent is going to be a top strategic imperative for companies indefinitely, says Joe. Delegating the HR function and pursuing business as usual won’t work, nor will running the same old playbook. “Leaders have got to start thinking in terms of … using things like AI to understand what are the attributes of someone who’s good at a job and how to start looking for people on an affirmative or positive basis,” explains Joe. There will also have to be a systematic commitment to growing talent internally, whether that’s training low-wage workers to advance, creating compensated work-based learning opportunities, or structured high school and college programs focused on skills development. And Joe recommends de-emphasizing “more school,” which turns off people who associate it with academics, and instead focus on “more opportunity” and mechanisms for bolstering earning potential. Joe has seen the polling data and the sense of agency among American workers is there. It’s just a matter of engaging it. “I’m optimistic about American workers insomuch as they feel they own the problem,” says Joe. But there has to be a framework to support and activate that agency.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

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Is Your Company Viewed Positively? It Matters to Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/is-your-company-viewed-positively-it-matters-to-employees-2/ Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45530 Is your company viewed positively? It matters... a lot!

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Is your company viewed positively? It matters… a lot!

Making sure your organization is viewed positively can keep employees happy and proud to be associated with your brand.

Have you ever dated someone you thought was a great catch, and then all of your friends and family told you that they didn’t like them? Even if you thought this person was “the one,” you started to have doubts and reservations about them. The same is true in the business world.

Imagine you start working for a company that you think is a great fit. One day, you head over to dinner with friends and family. They find out where you work and say things to you like…

“How could you work for a place like that?”

“Are you sure you want to be there?”

“I’d never be able to work there no matter how much someone paid me.”

And this happens to you a few times as you go out with different friends.

Eventually, you will start having doubts.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you will quit the company, but your overall employee experience will be affected negatively.

And this isn’t just about employees viewing the company positively, but the public as well. We live in a transparent world, so people tend to find out when an organization does something wrong or unethical.

Similarly, when an organization is admired and revered, people want to work there.

Sometimes organizations aren’t viewed positively because they are simply engaging in poor business practices, but other times organizations don’t do a good enough job of letting the world know what they stand for, why they do what they do, and what it’s like to work there. In either case, the situation needs to be corrected.

Now contrast the above scenario to a similar one where people find out where you work at a dinner party and respond with…

“Wow, I wish I could get a job there.”

“That place is terrific, they are doing a lot of good in the world.”

“You should really be proud to work there.”

Now your overall employee experience gets a nice boost.

I used to think that lists that highlight the best or greatest companies to work for had no real business merit. However, they actually have an impact on the overall brand perception of the organization and on the overall employee experience. Employees feel a greater sense of pride when they work for one of these awarded organizations, and it also appears that they stay there longer.

This doesn’t mean your goal should be simply to make every list that’s out there. That would be nice, but it’s far more important to understand what the organization wants to be known for and effectively tell the story and build the employer brand around it.

It’s not just what happens in your office that happens–how employees and the world view your organization also matters.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you!

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.  

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The Difference Between Employee Engagement And Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-employee-engagement-and-employee-experience-2/ Thu, 03 Mar 2022 14:51:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45527 What’s the difference between employee engagement and employee experience?

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What’s the difference between employee engagement and employee experience?

The same as the difference between updating a car by just painting the outside and replacing the entire engine. One method makes the car look nice, but the other actually improves its performance.

Employee engagement is popular, but it’s a short-term fix. Employee experience is a long-term solution that addresses the core of major issues.

Most companies invest in employee engagement and measure it with periodic engagement surveys. Employee engagement starts with good intentions but doesn’t lead to real change.

Employees are likely engaged when they start working for a company, but over time their engagement naturally starts to dip. When that happens, the company tries to increase its engagement score, usually through perks like free food or work from home Fridays. Those efforts raise the engagement score, but then over time it drops again and another perk is introduced.

The result is a cycle of employee engagement with regular adrenaline shots of new perks. The problem is that these Band-Aid solutions don’t change the core workplace practices.

On the other hand, employee experience looks at the workplace with a long-term view. Employee experience improves core practices around people and involves truly knowing your employees and giving them what they care about to create an environment where they are empowered and valued.

Employees can tell the difference between a temporary perk that’s intended to make them want to work more and a truly improved employee experience that considers their motivations and desires. Employee experience considers all aspects of an employee’s time at the organization. It might not be as flashy as free yoga classes or bringing your dog to work, but the end results are much more beneficial.

Instead of focusing only on employee engagement, it’s time to see the difference and focus on employee experience.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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7 Principles of The Future Employee https://thefutureorganization.com/7-principles-of-the-future-employee-2/ Wed, 02 Mar 2022 14:46:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45522 Employees today are dramatically different than they were even a decade ago.
Think of how employees have had to adapt and change in the last year—employees in 2022 are different than they were at the beginning of 2020.

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Employees today are dramatically different than they were even a decade ago.

Think of how employees have had to adapt and change in the last year—employees in 2022 are different than they were at the beginning of 2020.

The world of work is constantly changing. Skills and mindsets that were long considered to be in the future are gaining steam now. To stay relevant, employees and organizations need to be aware of what to expect from future employees. And the future is now.

These seven principles of future employees are becoming true today, especially after all of the changes we’ve experienced in the last two years. These are the skills future employees need to embrace and the things companies need to consider to hire and retain the best talent.

The future employee needs to cover these seven principles:

1. Has a flexible work environment. Employees of the future won’t be bound to a desk or cubicle and will instead have the freedom to work when and where they want. We’ve seen countless companies shift to remote and flexible work during the pandemic, and many employees won’t want to go back to work in an office.

2. Can customize their own work. Future employees won’t follow the typical career path of climbing the corporate ladder. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to guaranteed career success. Instead, future employees will be able to shape their career paths and choose their next projects and positions.

3. Shares information. Gone are the days of hoarding information to seem smart. Future employees share ideas and information and freely collaborate with their colleagues. The people who share information will become the next generation of leaders.

4. Uses new ways to communicate and collaborate. Instead of only relying on emails and phone calls, future employees will embrace new technology to communicate and collaborate in the most efficient ways possible.

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

5. Can become a leader. Future leaders have the unique opportunity to become leaders within their organizations by sharing their ideas and feedback in public ways with their peers and managers. Employees can build their own networks and get recognized for their contributions. There is no longer one path to becoming a leader—anyone can do it with the right skillset and network.

6. Shifts from knowledge worker to learning worker. The most important skill for future employees is to know how to learn. The ability to learn new things and apply them to new situations will be crucial to success. Instead of relying on what they learned in school, future employees will always be learning.

7. Learns and teaches at will. Employees no longer have to participate in formal training programs to learn. They can share information and best practices within their organizations through mentoring programs, internal collaboration tools, and face-to-face interactions. Future employees are eager to share and teach others, and they also ask questions and learn from the people around them.

 

We’re well on our way to the future of work, and how employees work, learn, and grow will never be the same. To succeed in the future of work—now and throughout their careers—employees need to embrace these seven principles.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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Why Employee Experience Matters Now More Than Ever https://thefutureorganization.com/why-employee-experience-matters-now-more-than-ever-2/ Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:00:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45518 The world of work has changed drastically over the past two years and has shown that it’s never been more important for organizations to focus on employee experience.

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The world of work has changed drastically over the past two years and has shown that it’s never been more important for organizations to focus on employee experience. This was Linkedin’s top talent trend for 2020, and that was BEFORE the pandemic even started. How you treat your employees during difficult times matters much more than how you treat your employees when things are going great.

Employee experience is creating an organization where employees WANT, not NEED to show up to work. It happens by focusing on three environments: culture, technology, and physical space. Together these three things make up what I call The Employee Experience Equation.

Culture

We’ve all heard of corporate culture and the many ways to describe it. Some say it’s what happens when the manager leaves the room, others say culture stems from the values, attitudes, practices, and mission of the organization, and some say culture is controlled by the CEO and the executives. I like to think of culture as the side effects of working for your organization.

Just like taking a prescription drug can have side effects such as weight gain, nausea, skin discoloration, or bleeding from the eyes, working for your organization can have the same side effects! But in your organization, these side effects can also be positive, like growth and development or purpose and meaning. Culture is about the feeling employees get working for you as a leader and for your organization. It’s the “vibe” you get when you walk in the door and the mood and the tone the workplace sets. It’s the leadership style, the sense of purpose your employees feel, the organizational structure, and the people that make up your organization. It’s not written or stated, yet it is one of the most important elements of creating and designing the employee experience.

Corporate culture energizes or drains us, motivates or discourages us, empowers or suffocates us. We all experience the corporate culture of our organizations every single day, whether it be positive or negative. Culture is 40% of the overall employee experience.

Technology

The technological environment of the organization refers to the tools employees use to get their jobs done. This includes everything from the company’s internal social network to the mobile devices, computers, and video conferencing solutions employees use. It also includes any apps, software, and learning tools. Technology is the organization’s central nervous system; most concepts and themes related to the future of work are not possible without technology.

It’s not hard to see why technology is a big part of the employee experience. Using outdated and poorly designed technologies makes it harder for employees to communicate and collaborate, drastically increases the time it takes to get their jobs done, and creates an environment where people are frustrated, angry, and unproductive. Technology is 30% of the overall employee experience.

Physical Space

The physical workspace is what you can see, touch, taste, and smell. It’s the art on the walls, the office floor plan, the demographics of the people we work with, and any physical perks we might get, such as catered meals, an on-site gym, or an employee lounge. The physical space can drain or energize your people.

Physical space also matters for remote employees. Even if employees aren’t working together in a physical office, they are physically working somewhere. That environment impacts their employee experience. Physical space is 30% of the overall experience.

The future of work is all about the employee experience. This is something that organizations worldwide are realizing and investing in, but there’s a long way to go. Less than 10% of organizations are doing a fantastic job investing in these three environments. Most are either focusing on one or two out of the three, but that’s not good enough. A complete employee experience strategy has never been more important.

What kind of an experience are you creating for your employees and how are you doing it?

Take the assessment to see how well your organization is doing.

Get the free employee experience team training series to start taking action.

. . .

Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

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How Social Media Disrupts Our Lives, Why Lies Travel Faster Than Truths, & The Pivotal Moment for the Metaverse https://thefutureorganization.com/how-social-media-disrupts-our-lives-why-lies-travel-faster-than-truths-the-pivotal-moment-for-the-metaverse/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:59:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45503 Sinan Aral, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Initiative on the Digital Economy, wears multiple hats – foremost as a scientist with deep knowledge of analytics and machine learning but also as a hands-on entrepreneur and investor.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Sinan_Aral_-_Ready.mp3

Sinan Aral Transcript

Sinan Aral, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Initiative on the Digital Economy, wears multiple hats – foremost as a scientist with deep knowledge of analytics and machine learning but also as a hands-on entrepreneur and investor. He is a professor of management, marketing, IT, and data science at MIT and also the best-selling author of “The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health–And How We Must Adapt.” A first-generation Turkish immigrant Sinan grew up in Atlanta and worked as a bartender and crew on a yacht before he “got serious” and went to MIT in pursuit of his Ph.D., which opened the door not only to his current groundbreaking academic research but also into entrepreneurism and venture capital investment. “I’m a data nerd scientist who has experience building businesses in the real world,” says Sinan. “I was always extremely interested in technology and its effects on society. That’s really what’s driven me intellectually for the last three decades.”

About the genesis of “The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health–And How We Must Adapt”.

Sinan first started exploring the influence of social media in 2000, when internet platforms like Facebook and Twitter weren’t even yet in existence. He sought to understand the structure of these networks and how information flows through them from person to person. What are the impacts on productivity? Is it possible to create large-scale statistical analyses of information diffusion and its implications? Those questions are more relevant today than ever– and more urgent. What are the sources and impacts of false news? What are the impacts on the human condition, particularly in light of a public health event such as a pandemic?

Since those early social media iterations back at the turn of the millennium a love-hate dynamic has developed between the opportunities these platforms offer in terms of democratization of communications and their demonstrable risks. “There’s peril there,” says Sinan. “And what my book is about is what causes the peril. How do we achieve the promise and avoid the peril?” In his view, how we adapt, use, and regulate this technology will determine our global outcomes.

Entering the Metaverse: At a crossroads and figuring it out.

The concept of the Metaverse is moving quickly into the mainstream imagination. It’s defined as the layering of information on top of our actual reality. The vehicles are AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality), which rely upon different technologies. AR can be easily accessed with a smartphone while VR requires more cumbersome headset devices. Another distinction: AR enhances both the virtual and real worlds while VR only enhances a fictional reality. Whatever the means, says Sinan, as the technology evolves and becomes more seamless so, too, will simulate reality’s reach. In the not-so-distant future, he believes the technology will extend beyond playing games into working and social environments of all kinds. How do we regulate monopolies in this space? What do we think about mergers and acquisitions? What do we think about fake news and manipulation? That’s all going to bleed right into the Metaverse and it’s all going to affect the internet that we have for tomorrow. “I would say we’re at a crossroads,” predicts Sinan. “What we do know is really going to have a big effect in the years to come.”

Potential Impacts of convergence in the Metaverse and crypto space:

The blockchain chain, NFTs, and crypto space, in general, have the potential to completely reshape the way organizations are structured and interact. Sinan can imagine a future in which organizations morph into a massive collective of individuals who don’t necessarily have any specific affiliation other than membership and voting rights, recognized perhaps through ownership of a token or access to some sort of contractual right or obligation in an NFT or a smart contract. The advent of today’s fast-evolving gig economy could be a forerunner to a mass wave of decentralization and entirely new ways of operating. We are in a period of extreme workplace disruption right now and it’s not just because of the crypto or virtual worlds. Pandemic has accelerated trends toward contract and remote work and flexible hours. Certain face-to-face services, like restaurant staff, may be relatively unaffected. But for many millions, it will be essential to retool. Web 3.0 has tremendous potential to change the way that we lead, work and communicate with each other. I would say that the next 20 years of work is going to experience significantly more disruption than the last 20 years,” says Sinan, not only because of the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation but also because of the ancillary waves of impacts on the workforce. “(AI) is creating skills-biased technical change in the labor force. It’s automating certain jobs. It’s creating new jobs,” he says, “(and) humans have to reskill to be skilled enough to do those new jobs. So it’s sending shockwaves through the organization of work and through the labor market.”

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The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

 

Your attachment to devices and apps? It’s by design.

Sinan explains the lens through which his book, “The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health–And How We Must Adapt,” examines social media impacts, including the neuroscientific, economic, sociological, and business implications. He explains that humans have the brain capacity to process complex social cues better and faster than any other species, with plenty of room to spare, which explains why “the meteoric rise of social media is … like throwing a lit match into a pool of gasoline.” We were ready for this evolutionarily. The social media economy is based on an engagement economy, so the platforms’ profit incentive is to keep users engaged, reinforced by the hit of dopamine they receive every time they receive a “like,” comment, or share. The resulting endorphins provide a positive shock to our mental state and then wane, stimulating withdrawal and the need for … more. “And so that is what keeps us coming back,” says Sinan. “When you combine that with what’s known as a variable reinforcement schedule, where the pings on our phone or the lights lighting up on our phone can come at any moment, now we are always thinking about our phone, thinking ‘When is the next “like” going to come? When is the next comment going to come? Now you’ve really got us hooked.” And beware: Twitter, Insta, and Facebook aren’t the only culprits. Work-related tools like Slack and LinkedIn are among other popular social media platforms whose drives and imperatives are fundamentally the same.

Misinformation spreads as quickly as our human desire to be “in the know.”

For his research, Sinan received unusually open access to Twitter data from 2006 to 2017, within which he and his team found significant insights. They studied the spread of true versus false information, recreating what is known as “Twitter cascades” – how true and false stories actually spread in real-time. “What we found was extremely shocking. We found that false news diffused farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth in every category of information that we studied,” he says. False political news was the most viral “by far.” The reason why is both fascinating and easy to understand: People like novelty, sharing tidbits of interest that might attract other people’s attention, perhaps generating retweets. Sinan’s examination of the data revealed that false news was 70% more likely to be retweeted than fact-based information. Sinan attributes this to the “Novelty Hypothesis,” a cognitive science-based theory that human attention is drawn to new things in the environment. It explains why propaganda is so effective. The spread of misinformation is one of a host of issues that Sinan believes must be addressed going forward. Whether it’s the outsized (and corrosive) impact of bots or the breakdown of civil conversation at our polarized holiday dinner tables, he says, it’s critical that we collectively consider how to regulate the market concentration of social media and big tech platforms; which circumstances justify legislating protections around bots; and how to balance free speech versus harmful speech on the internet. “The future of the Internet is about what choices we make,” warns Sinan. “And the big question on everybody’s mind is, to what extent … (are) these algorithms tearing us apart?”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . . 

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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3 Qualities That Make Great Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/3-qualities-that-make-great-leaders-2/ Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45496 Being in a manager role doesn’t automatically make you a leader.
But if you can adopt the mindset of being a great leader, you can become an amazing manager and find great success.

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Being in a manager role doesn’t automatically make you a leader.

But if you can adopt the mindset of being a great leader, you can become an amazing manager and find great success.

Although each person has their own strengths and personality, great leaders and managers have certain traits in common. According to Julie Zhuo, best-selling author of The Making of a Manager, great managers can get great outcomes from their teams over and over.

How a manager gets outcomes comes down to three qualities:

Know your people. People are the most important resources a manager has. It’s up to the leader to know each person’s strengths and talents and put them in positions that play to their strengths. Great managers know how to put the right people on the right problems.

Figure out the process. Managers have to figure out the processes, including how people work together in the context of the team. A great leader creates smooth processes that allow teams to work together and move forward instead of getting caught in tedious steps and red tape.

Convey the purpose. Great managers share the company’s purpose and goals with their employees. No matter how good your talent is, if you’re not clear about what they are trying to accomplish, they won’t be effective. A great leader shows each employee how their work contributes to the overall purpose of the company and helps them feel valued.

Being a great manager means being a great leader. No matter if you’re new to a manager role or experienced in your company, developing these three qualities can help you be a standout leader who gets results.

. . .

Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

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Introducing The Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0! Your New Resource For All Things Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/introducing-the-employee-experience-crash-course-2-0-your-new-resource-for-all-things-employee-experience/ Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:56:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45492 How well is your company doing when it comes to employee experience? Be honest!

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How well is your company doing when it comes to employee experience? Be honest!

What if I could give you a training program that would allow you to attract and retain the best talent, create better customer experiences, improve engagement, foster innovation, and create a place where people genuinely want to work?

I’ve worked with countless organizations around the world (Mastercard, Disney, Pepsi, Oracle, Microsoft, GE, Samsung, etc) through coaching programs, workshops, and keynote presentations and I’ve put together everything I know and have researched about employee experience into a single invaluable resource called the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0.

The great resignation is a great opportunity for organizations that are willing to focus on employee experience which I define as putting people first by focusing on three environments which are culture, technology, and space.

When I wrote my book, The Employee Experience Advantage I imagined a time when organizations around the world would view it as a business imperative and not just as a nice to have.

That time has finally come…

And the best part is that employee experience is no longer being viewed as just an HR thing. It’s now a “leadership thing” and an “everyone thing!” In fact, I just came back from a speaking gig where I talked about employee experience and not a single person in the room was in HR, they were all CEOs!

We all deserve to work for an organization that puts people first and if you want to attract and retain the best talent you can’t do that without employee experience.

To help support your efforts in creating amazing experiences for your people I’m launching the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0!

The original version of this course was launched a few years ago and we’ve made a bunch of upgrades and improvements including adding worksheets with action items, a new course design, and new videos which explore things like the top employee experience trends for 2022.

You will also get direct access to me via the course platform, a certificate of completion, and LIFETIME access to any upgrades and new content.

When you sign up for the course you will learn:

  • The 9 types of organizations and how to identify which type yours is
  • How to design great employee experiences and get your organization to think differently
  • The ROI of investing in employee experience
  • The three types of moments that matter and how you can create them in your organization
  • Why companies have had poor success with employee engagement
  • The top employee experience trends for 2022 and what to do about them
  • What some of the world’s top companies are doing when it comes to employee experience
  • and much more!

I’m so proud of the work my team did on this course. Now is the time for you and your organization to put people first by focusing on employee experience, let me show you how to do that and coach you along the way!

Remember, if you sign up you get lifetime access to the course including all updates and new content, direct access to me via the course platform, bonus content, a certificate of completion, hours of bite-size videos, worksheets with action items, and other cool stuff.

I hope to see you inside the Employee Experience Crash Course 2.0!

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3 Things We Can Learn From Walmart Founder Sam Walton https://thefutureorganization.com/3-things-we-can-learn-from-walmart-founder-sam-walton/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:23:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45485 Even though he passed away in 1992, Sam Walton’s influence is still felt in the business world today.

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Even though he passed away in 1992, Sam Walton’s influence is still felt in the business world today.

He was a self-made billionaire and founder of Walmart, which is still one of the world’s biggest employers.

Even decades after his death, Sam is a stellar example of visionary leadership and building an empire from nothing. His leadership lessons guide us today as much as they did decades ago.

Here are three things all leaders can learn from Sam Walton:

Ask questions

Sam was a master at asking questions. He constantly talked to people, from customers to frontline employees, managers, and even competitors. He regularly visited stores to see how the company could improve and was famous for carrying a yellow notepad to write ideas and observations. Sam knew that understanding people and their ideas starts with asking questions and applying what you learn.

Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you

The leader’s job isn’t to be the smartest person in the room—it’s to assemble a diverse group of talented people. It requires introspection for leaders to find their weaknesses and look for people to fill in those gaps. Sam showed courage as he built a team of people who were more capable than him.

Hold to what’s working and change what’s not

Although this advice may seem intuitive, many leaders don’t follow it. When something is working—a process, a team, a product—go all in. Stay firm to your vision and purpose, and don’t chase shiny things. On the flip side, acknowledge when things aren’t working or could be improved. Sam experimented and tried new things. When he found something that worked, he scaled it across the entire company.

Sam Walton’s leadership lessons are as timeless and practical today as in the 1980s. Following these three habits can help leaders develop strong teams that constantly improve and move forward.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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Do You Need People Analytics? https://thefutureorganization.com/do-you-need-people-analytics/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:55:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45482 People analytics is crucial to employee experience because it gives you an understanding of who your employees are and why they act the way they do.

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How do you build a great employee experience?

It starts with strong data.

People analytics is crucial to employee experience because it gives you an understanding of who your employees are and why they act the way they do. The data provides the foundation of knowing what matters to your employees and the best experiences to create.

I once visited a large company that wanted to invest in employee experience. The chief HR officer told me that employees stay for a long time, but couldn’t tell me why.

He also said that if employees leave the company, it happens around the two-year mark. But again, he couldn’t tell me why.

People analytics can answer these questions and provide valuable insights on employees.

Without people analytics, you have no data. It is crucial to your employee experience strategy. People analytics helps you truly know your people.

When adopting people analytics, start small and use the data you already have, including demographics, salary data, and performance review information. Gather people in the organization who are good at numbers to look through to see what insights they can draw. The data you already have can start to paint a picture of your employees. From there, you can standardize the data and make it consistent across the company to find widespread insights and patterns.

That’s not to say that people analytics relies totally on data to make decisions. Human emotion and thought still play a vital role. But with a strong people analytics system, you can combine data with human decision-making to understand and get the most out of your people.

Every company, no matter the size and industry, can do something with people analytics. Start small and build out your data capabilities over time.

You can’t design great employee experiences without the data about your employees.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

The post Do You Need People Analytics? first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The CEO of Booking Holdings On Making Tough Choices, Being Yourself, & Battling Back From Having A Stroke https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-booking-holdings-on-making-tough-choices-being-yourself-battling-back-from-having-a-stroke/ Mon, 21 Feb 2022 12:20:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45471 Glenn Fogel’s trajectory from suburban New York schoolkid to the crest of the dot.com explosion and the perils of global pandemic demonstrates exactly why the most successful career paths are often anything but linear.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Glenn_Fogel_-_Ready.mp3

Glenn Fogel Transcript

Glenn Fogel’s trajectory from suburban New York schoolkid to the crest of the dot.com explosion and the perils of global pandemic demonstrates exactly why the most successful career paths are often anything but linear. Glenn’s has featured detours ranging from a stroke at 17 to dual Ivy League degrees; from a stint as an IT programmer in the 1980s to multiple investment banking-related roles that were never quite the right fit. At the turn of the millennium, Glenn took a leap of faith into the world of online travel, anchored by a then little-known website called Priceline. That was 22 years ago and, of course, the rest is history. He has since been a guiding force behind Booking Holdings, a global brand with key acquisitions that also include KAYAK, Open Table, RentalCars.com, and Agoda.  Glenn has served in several key executive roles, including Head of Worldwide Strategy and Planning and EVP of Corporate Development, responsible for worldwide mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances. In addition to a law degree from Harvard University, Glenn is a retired member of the New York State Bar and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Managing pandemic’s global fall-out with grace.

When Covid19 struck, like many corporations around the world, Booking Holdings was faced with huge impacts. But unlike many corporations around the world, Glenn’s travel- and leisure-dependent industry had been completely hobbled overnight. There was no choice but to lay off a quarter of the company’s workforce and, even when done with the utmost care and respect, there was no way of getting around the trauma and disruption. “It’s not a human thing to do,” he says. “It’s an inhuman thing to tell somebody: ‘Hi, thank you for playing. You can now leave.” There is an art to letting people go with humanity, but at the end of the day, nothing normalizes the blow. The one silver lining, says Glenn, has been the current job market and abundant opportunities available as companies across all sectors have adapted and bounced back.

The alchemy of leadership.

Be charismatic! No, be humble! Go big! Go incremental! When it comes to inspiring leadership, there is no simple paint-by-numbers formula. Glenn has refined his style through years of practice and observation, taking from executives he has admired the traits that are most effective in motivating teams. There’s also a tremendous upside in learning from what you’ve done that did not go as intended. Glenn has no problem assessing and extracting lessons from his own track record, and adjusting accordingly along the way. For example, his real-world experience being laid off from an early investment banking job via a bloodless HR person reading a script – it’s the kind of formative shock that never quite goes away and that informed his approach when pandemic-related layoffs became inevitable for Booking Holdings.

When even enlightened leadership can’t really soften the blow.

Glenn is sensitive to what it means to be brutally laid off and understands that “the words matter a great deal.” Keenly aware of how painful it is to be on the receiving end, he is anything but cavalier when it comes to letting people go. But in an era of wholesale disruption, zoom communications, and pandemic adaptation some loss is simply unavoidable. “You try to do it in a way that will hurt less,” says Glenn, “but nothing you’re going to do or say is really going to make it all better because you’ve already made the corporate decision about what’s best for the entity going forward.” Part of the art of leadership lies in helping team members transition through change, even when they are resistant and the landscape is unknown.

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Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

Understanding risk – and the costs of mitigation.

Companies are constantly addressing risk in various contexts, whether through SEC filings or disclosures to stockholders about the realities of industry exposure. There is a constant cost-benefit calculus: When is it smart to invest in anticipatory measures that might mitigate and protect versus taking a risk that whatever scenario won’t actually come to pass? “It’s a balance,” says Glenn. “We make decisions on how much risk we are willing to accept, whether it be as a company or as a society.” And sometimes there are competing demands: stakeholders with long-term interests versus stockholders with shorter-term goals. Glenn is constantly calibrating the tension: “You’ve got to have short-term results to make people believe that what you do in the long run is going to happen,” he says. Long-term proof points and concrete milestones build trust and soften the news when something less-than-rosy occurs. It’s a balancing act not dissimilar to corporate goal setting, which depends on multiple iterations and factors from multiple points of view.

Vulnerability? Sometimes. Authenticity? Always.

Glenn is a big believer in the “I am who I am” school of leadership. Being true to himself and speaking candidly are central tenets of his style, whether in a corporate board meeting or one-to-one. Since the advent of the pandemic has erased office culture, Glenn thinks whatever small differences in his persona at work versus at home have been blurred. He’s not sure if vulnerable is the way he’d describe his leadership style, but he definitely believes in telling the truth – however painful. This was his approach throughout the pandemic; from the earliest earnings calls, he projected pain in terms of years rather than fiscal quarters. “I think it’s important not to put on a false good front,” says Glenn. “I think it’s helpful to people if you tell them the truth.”

The art of riding through adversity.

Here’s a definition of adversity: Waking up one morning at the age of 17 to find you’ve suffered a stroke in your brain’s left hemisphere. Suddenly Glenn was in the hospital with a loss of motor function and language capabilities. He was unable to read or write or even simply dial a friend’s phone number. In looking back, there was no magic to what came next. It was just painstaking, hard work every single day. Glenn and his family learned a lot about neural plasticity and how to manage frustration. But moving through it was part of the healing and, given his subsequent college degrees (including with honors from Harvard Law), Glenn obviously exemplifies resilience. “We all have obstacles every day. Every day we have them – some big, some small,” he says. “Nobody gets out of this life easy … We don’t get a guarantee for good times all the time.” For Glenn, his stroke became an opportunity to come back better, stronger, more disciplined – an ethic that has served him well at every stage of his life.

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Based on my viral LinkedIn image that was viewed by millions of people! This PDF will go over the 11 ways employees are evolving and will give you action you need to implement to adapt. Download it for free below.

 

What’s in a routine … and outworking everyone else.

Glenn is deliberate in what he does and how he spends his time. He’s got a formula that leaves him feeling nourished, not depleted; in command, not overwhelmed. He incorporates exercise first thing every morning and then gets right down to business. Not surprisingly, this isn’t a guy prone to mindlessly scrolling social media feeds. He works through the day, breaks for dinner with his wife (and kids if they’re home from college) and if there isn’t a movie or some other entertainment on tap, it’s not unusual for Glenn to go back for another session at the computer after dinner. He’s a believer in getting to bed at a decent hour and makes it a priority to get at least six hours of sleep a night. At the end of the day, Glenn says, “the one thing I know I’m good at is I’ve got a lot of drive, a lot of endurance, and a lot of discipline. I may not be able to go faster than a lot of people, but I can go longer. And I can try harder.”

Who we bring correlates with the luck we make.

Glenn believes there has to be a nuance in how we show up in the world, depending on circumstances and audience. But in every case – whether in the board room or at a gathering of old law school buddies – the gold standard is courteous, appropriate societal norms. When it comes to a worldwide company, those norms have to be sized accordingly – globally inclusive, culturally expansive, universally curious. At the end of the day authenticity, discipline and hard work are key predictors for leadership success, but Glenn humbly adds one other ineffable ingredient: Luck. “All you can do is try to increase the odds of something good happening” by working hard, going the extra mile, endeavoring to be at the right place at the right time – ready to seize the opportunity when it materializes. Even when confronted with a monster challenge like pandemic’s impacts on a global and leisure travel company like Booking Holdings, Glenn is ever mindful of the advantages he has had and the many millions for whom good fortune is beyond reach. It’s all in the perspective.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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7 Ways The Workforce is Evolving & What Your Organization Should Do About It https://thefutureorganization.com/7-ways-the-workforce-is-evolving-what-your-organization-should-do-about-it/ Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:36:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45457 Are you hiring employees of the past or employees of the future?
How we think about employees and what they value has changed drastically over the years.

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Are you hiring employees of the past or employees of the future?

How we think about employees and what they value has changed drastically over the years. Decades ago, employees were there to punch their time cards and climb the corporate ladder. Even just a few years ago, employees were forced to follow strict schedules, hierarchies, and rules.

But that’s not the case anymore.

Employees have been evolving for years in what they value, what they expect from a job, and how they want to work.

Those changes are no longer in the future—the future employee is here. I created this image when I wrote my book, The Future of Work in 2014! It recently went viral on social media generating millions of views and it’s precisely because this evolution is becoming a reality.

Companies face a challenging recruiting and hiring landscape as people change careers, shift their priorities, and look for something different.

As organizations around the world remain short-staffed and struggle to find great employees, it’s the companies that can connect with new employee expectations that succeed.

Employees no longer want to be chained to a desk from 8-5; they want flexibility in when and where they work.

Employees no longer want to be forced down a single career path or ladder; they want to customize their career and build their own ladder.

Employees no longer want to be limited to career development based on what conferences or workshops are available; they want to take control of their learning and share their skills with others.

These are just a few ways employees are changing. These changes aren’t just minor surface-level adjustments—they are seismic shifts in how employees view their purpose, future, and career.

Going forward, the divide between companies hiring employees of the past and those hiring employees of the future will grow even wider.

Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, told me this: “Organizations that are not continually learning and adapting will lose their competitive edge and ultimately won’t survive. We’ve seen this over and over, and we’ll see it happen more often and faster in the future. Moreover, organizations that do not develop a learning culture will not be able to hire and retain the kinds of talent they need to succeed. Those people will just go somewhere else.”

Succeeding in the future comes down to understanding how employees are evolving and creating a forward-focused organization that supports those changes.

Based on my research and interviews with more than 140 top global CEOs, I found the 11 ways employees are changing. The image I made of my findings went viral and was seen by millions of people on LinkedIn. I’ve compiled and expanded how employees are changing and included action items all companies can take to adapt.

Don’t miss out on your chance to better understand employees and learn how to attract and retain the best talent—even in this wild talent landscape.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

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3 Techniques Leaders Can Use To Get The Most Out Of Their People https://thefutureorganization.com/3-techniques-leaders-can-use-to-get-the-most-out-of-their-people-2/ Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:20:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45447 Are your employees suffering from mediocrity?
One of a leader’s most important jobs is to make sure their employees are delivering great work.

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Are your employees suffering from mediocrity?

One of a leader’s most important jobs is to make sure their employees are delivering great work.

It’s one thing to tell people what to do—it’s another to make them actually want to do it.

Here are three techniques leaders can use to get the most out of their people:

Motivate

This is the pushing motion that moves employees towards greatness. You can’t motivate people until you understand what they value, but not everyone values the same things. To truly be able to motivate people, you have to get to know the people you lead as individuals, not just as cogs in the corporate machine. It’s all about human connection.

Engage

Engaging employees sustains them and keeps them going. When employees are engaged, they are much more likely to put forth their best work. Employee engagement is directly related to employee experience, which has three parts: technology, physical space, and culture. Leaders can impact each of these areas to create an engaging environment for employees.

Inspire

This is the technique that pulls employees towards a better future. Being an inspiring leader includes doing both tangible and intangible things. Tangible actions include engaging in highly collaborative behavior and encouraging creative thinking. Intangible actions are sometimes harder to see but include making emotional connections with employees and championing change.

As a leader, you need to help your employees do their best work. Don’t just tell them what to do—motivate, engage, and inspire them to get the most out of your people.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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5 Things You Can Do To Be Heard At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/5-things-you-can-do-to-be-heard-at-work/ Wed, 16 Feb 2022 14:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45444 If a tree falls in the forest and no one can hear it, does it make a sound? Similarly, if you have a great idea at work but no one hears it, does it make an impact?

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If a tree falls in the forest and no one can hear it, does it make a sound?

Similarly, if you have a great idea at work but no one hears it, does it make an impact?

Our ultra-connected is full of noise and distractions that can make it difficult for your voice to be heard. It’s never been more important to cut through the noise and speak up. But most people don’t speak up at work and miss out on opportunities to learn and grow.

Here are five things you can do to be heard at work:

  1. Speak up in meetings. This is your biggest opportunity to be heard—meetings are meant for discussion and speaking up. Don’t just sit in the back and nod along. You were invited to the meeting for a reason, so have something to say. If you struggle speaking up in a group, put yourself on the agenda or be the first to speak up before the discussion grows.
  2. Join a committee or employee resource group. Nearly every company has a variety of groups and committees that do everything from plan parties to network with other companies. Find a group that matches your talents and interests and go all in. Actively participate, have an opinion, and volunteer for assignments. Speaking up in a smaller group can extend to speaking up in larger settings.
  3. Participate in internal collaboration platforms. Your company likely uses some form of collaboration tool to share ideas, chat, and stay in touch. Speak up online. Start conversations, join the dialogue, and make your presence known across the company.
  4. Ask questions. If you struggle to share your own ideas, start by asking questions. Ask clarifying questions or for feedback and use those questions as a jumping off point to speak up in the future.
  5. Offer a solution. It’s easy to point out what’s wrong—the challenge is creating and offering positive solutions. Look for problems within your team or company and come up with solutions. Sharing them gives you a platform to make your voice heard and shows that you are a go-getter.

Speaking up at work can be challenging, but you can gain confidence and let your voice be heard with practice. If you want to grow in your career, you have to cut through the noise and speak up.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!


. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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How To Handle The Leadership Spotlight https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-handle-the-leadership-spotlight/ Tue, 15 Feb 2022 14:36:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45440 There’s never been a more challenging time to be a leader than right now.

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There’s never been a more challenging time to be a leader than right now.

Between social media, an increased push for transparency, and a stronger voice for employees, today’s leaders are more in the spotlight than ever before. It’s never been harder to be a leader.

That spotlight can hold them accountable and push them towards progress, but it can also be crushing and lead to overwhelming stress if not managed properly.

“The leader of today has a lot of people looking at him or her. This will be exponentially the case in a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain,” said Tim Ryan, U.S. chairman and senior partner of PwC. “I’ve seen many people hit a ceiling in their career because they couldn’t get over the number of critics they had and what those critics were saying about them.”

Employees and customers look to leaders as examples. They are the public face of the company and now have many opportunities through the internet and social media to show their true selves and build a presence. Many CEOs are household names, and their actions are noticed—for good and bad. What people expect of leaders is changing and increasing, and they have to be in the public eye to be successful. In today’s world, everything a leader does is scrutinized and can be shared online for the world to see. That’s tremendous pressure for making even the smallest decisions.

Employees want to work for organizations that align with their personal values and know that their leaders are having a positive impact on the world. They care about leaders taking a stand and making a difference.

The spotlight and its scrutiny will only increase in the future, which means that leaders must build resilience and manage their stress levels while at the same time not being scared to take a stance on societal, cultural, and business issues.

Here are four ways to deal with the spotlight:

Find Your Voice

People can see through leaders who aren’t real or authentic. The best leaders find their voice to deliver clear and consistent messages. One of the worst things a leader in the public eye can do is appear flaky or inconsistent. Find your voice, embrace it, and share your message clearly and personally.

Leaders have to be well-rounded in their communication skills and be able to speak publicly, share messages with their employees, and write articles and posts. Find a channel that best matches your communication style and make it your main outlet. When you feel comfortable, your voice will come through better.

Build Resilience

Leaders must come to terms with the fact that they will never please everyone. No matter what they do, someone will always be offended or find fault. Instead of taking things personally, leaders must build resilience and a hard skin.

Tim Ryan told me this: “The reality is that being able to handle the spotlight is a skill that is going to become more important. You will never please everybody, but you must always listen to people’s views without unraveling, be able to communicate effectively, course correct as needed, and keep moving forward.”

Be Vulnerable

Leaders are expected to be authentic, but they aren’t expected to be clones of each other. One of the best ways to build real connections and show authenticity is to be vulnerable. Researchers found that truly effective leaders share their own vulnerabilities and empathize with their employees. Effective leaders trust their gut and aren’t afraid to express things that make them truly unique. Vulnerable leaders aren’t afraid to admit when they don’t know something. They know how to listen and learn from the people around them instead of getting into trouble because they think they know everything.

Being vulnerable builds connection and shows that the leader is real, which builds loyalty from employees and customers and lessens the notion that leaders need to be perfect. When people feel connected to a vulnerable leader, they are more likely to show grace and be quick to forgive if the leader makes a mistake.

Have a Strong Support System

It can get lonely at the top, especially for leaders who are alone in the public eye. Leaders need to build a strong support system both personally and professionally to lift them up when the public pressure gets too strong. Having people by your side and who truly understand you can be a source of comfort and a major stress relief. A strong support system provides clarity during stressful times and can help a leader step outside their role for a moment to gain perspective.

Today’s leaders are in the spotlight, and will only increase in coming years. To thrive in the spotlight and best represent your company, practice authenticity, resilience, and stress management now.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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CEO Of Deloitte & Touche On Being Vulnerable, Crucial Traits For Leaders, & Future Of Work Trends https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-deloitte-touche-on-being-vulnerable-crucial-traits-for-leaders-future-of-work-trends/ Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:03:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45421 As Chair & CEO at Deloitte & Touche, Lara Abrash brings more than 25 years of experience in the audit and assurance services sector.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_V2.mp3

Lara Abrash Transcript

As Chair & CEO at Deloitte & Touche, Lara Abrash brings more than 25 years of experience in the audit and assurance services sector. She has had the opportunity to work with some of Deloitte’s largest, most complex multinational clients in several roles, including deputy CEO and chief operating officer. Lara’s varied trajectory has provided her with in-depth knowledge of complex accounting and auditing matters as well as managerial experience that has shaped her leadership style and career success. “We’re gatekeepers to the capital markets,” says Lara. “People are … really relying on the information we provide, and they’re doing it without question. Our job every day is to come in and fulfill that responsibility and trust.”

How Lara came to fall in love with accounting – and why.

If there were a professional equivalent of love at first sight, it would be Lara’s response to a 7th-grade project in which she became an accountant for local Firehouse 123. Right from the start, it was just a perfect fit and point of entry to so many things she found important and engaging: Understanding money and how it works; providing financial accountability; meeting the bar for integrity set by trusting investors of all kinds and advancing the role of women in a historically male-dominated domain. It checked all the boxes and once she understood the path forward out of college, there was no looking back. “It’s a really important job that we do each day, our people are essentially responsible. We’re gatekeepers to the capital markets,” says Lara. “I have a huge passion for the profession of accounting.”

About Lara’s formidable mom and her outsized influence.

The story of Lara’s mom initially traces a traditional post-World War II path from Brooklyn to the Long Island suburbs, where she got the message as a girl that she could study to be a secretary or nurse or find a husband. She married Lara’s father and had four children, but when that marriage ended in divorce Lara saw a different tableau unfold as her mother took on the role of a single mom, working full-time – often juggling more than one job. As Lara was coming of age in the 1960s and 70s the women’s movement was in full swing and her mother exemplified the spirit of activists who were trying to forge a new path that would offer their daughters more opportunity. Not too far down the road, Lara, and her mother both earned college degrees within a year of each other.  “She would say to me, ‘Baby, you can be whatever you want to be!” recalls Lara. “It was really that example. When I did enter the workforce, it was always there behind me, this special wind of somebody telling me I could do anything. And that really does matter.”

The special power – and purpose – of vulnerability.

Lara believes a willingness to be open and share personal stories binds together workplace cultures and relationships. It breaks down barriers and invites both trust and empathy. “There’s a relatability that you are not, in fact, perfect; that you are constantly looking to learn and evolve and looking to others for input,” she explains. Only six months into her new tenure as CEO when the pandemic descended, Lara’s response was immediate and clear: She got on weekly phone calls with 15,000 employees and set the standard for candor, sharing worries about the risks and fears she had for her 80-year-old mom, who had Rheumatoid Arthritis, and her high school-aged kids now separated from their peers. It was like a communal place to breathe and feel safe, outside of politics or CDC recommendations. Although over the course of her career Lara had connected well in smaller groups, this was leaping onto an exponentially larger stage. She didn’t know how her vulnerability would land but had the courage to try. “After the first or second call, the number of emails and notes I got from our people about how appreciative they were (was huge),” says Lara. “They’d never seen a CEO be so open with them … feeling like we were all in this together.” It was a powerful lesson about the power of authenticity.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

How Lara’s innate character has grown and evolved as a leader.

Growing up Lara was the reliable friend, the person to whom people turned for advice or to smooth things over. In her professional life, moving through the ranks, she avoided drama, minimized conflict, and did what she could always to foster the team’s progress. She was successful and personable in all her corporate roles, but consistently fairly risk averse. Pandemic, however, called upon her to step up in a new way. It was the right moment for vulnerability and transparency, she felt, so that’s what she brought as a leader – regardless of some of the skepticism she heard from colleagues who suggested she might be overreacting. She thinks not. Lara was called upon to stretch as an executive and that’s what she did: “I always had it in me, but (openness) was something I didn’t think was important to us. Once I did it, it gave me a ton of energy.” Fast forward to 2022 and Lara is grateful that the pandemic pushed and changed her, along with her management style. It has engendered a sense of safety and trust among employees that she hears about at every level of the organization. Far from being perceived as weak, Lara’s vulnerability has only underscored that she has the strength to be bold, decisive – and honest!

Diversity and Inclusion: Lara personally knows both sides of the corporate equation.

Lara is very committed to DEI on many levels – as a woman, as the mother of a child who was chronically bullied, and as a human affected by the inequity all around us. She believes true diversity and inclusion requires intentionality: “If you’re running a world-class organization, you want to be a place where you bring people (of all kinds) – whether it’s their skin color, their gender, their gender identity, their race, their religion.” Why? Because it’s the only genuine way to incorporate a true array of perspectives. The need for diversity “is immense, not just to us at Deloitte. It’s immense to the world,” says Lara, “and I think right now we need more than ever some courageous voices to really acknowledge that we are in a moment. We’re in a moment as my mom was in the 60s. (And) if we just let it go, we’ll be right back to the way we were.” In terms of practical initiatives, Deloitte has been examining the barriers to entry for people of color, who are underrepresented in the accounting industry. Her team is committed to bringing education to students and dedicating funds specifically to historically black colleges and the Latinx community.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

The changes Lara is observing and what they mean.

First and foremost, the pace of change and digitization, the onslaught of information, and developing technology is head-spinning. With that progress comes opportunity and connection unseen ever before in history, which is exciting. But Lara believes there’s a need for vigilance regarding the growing divide between society’s haves and have-nots. With all the emphasis on the importance of STEM training and skills, Lara sees an equally vital role for softer skills that value empathy and emotional quotient, environmental sustainability, and social justice. The routinized jobs upon which generations have relied are disappearing with the emergence of robotics. Other jobs, too, such as translation or title insurance, will also eventually be displaced by AI. Lara believes we’re at an intersection and must think about how we want to be as a society.

Finding the heart of a company’s culture – and striking the right balance.

Lara believes that leadership is responsible for two central corporate elements: Enablement and Accountability Over Time. Fostering positivity and opportunity, with mental health and wellness, employee satisfaction, and morale – these are all essential elements to corporate health. Leaders want to create an environment in which people feel free to be vulnerable, take chances, and show their authentic selves. But the accountability piece is equally important. From her experience, Lara believes that providing a framework for the former pays off with the latter. She has seen tremendous commitment and results during a tumultuous, highly stressful period in which her 15,000 employees rose to the challenge. Lara makes a distinction between being vulnerable and being confessional. You don’t have to share your deepest fears or insecurities to create a sense of communal understanding. It’s possible to resonate in very simple ways and when in doubt, tap mentors and trusted colleagues for feedback and direction. Don’t be afraid of flexibility, another leadership trait critical to building healthy cultures!

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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BIG NEWS! Launching A New Text Community!! https://thefutureorganization.com/big-news-launching-a-new-text-community/ Sat, 12 Feb 2022 13:44:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45417 I'm a big believer in community whether that be in-person or virtual.
In fact, one of the reason my family moved from the Bay Area back to Los Angeles during COVID was because of community.

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I’m a big believer in community whether that be in-person or virtual.

In fact, one of the reason my family moved from the Bay Area back to Los Angeles during COVID was because of community.

For several years I have worked on building my community through things like social media and email and while these have been very useful platforms that have grown tremendously they didn’t allow for more personal and direct communication.

Each year I like to try something new and that’s why for 2022 I’m excited to share that I’m launching my own TEXT COMMUNITY!

 

This is going to be a place where I will be able to interact with you one-on-one (as much as I can) and where a few times a week I’ll be sharing insights, tips, and motivation on all things leadership (including stuff about my new book on vulnerability.)

I am also going to be more vulnerable via this platform, sharing my challenges, struggles, and more of my personal life and what I’m working on (lots of people have asked for some behind-the-scenes stuff).

Perhaps most importantly, I want to hear from you and what you would like this community to become and what you want to hear from me.

You can opt-out whenever you want and to join all you need to do is text me at:

+1 (818) 740-3740

I’m so excited to use text as a way to build a stronger and richer community with all of you and I hope you join me there.

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8 Questions To Ask Yourself To Know If You Connect With Your People https://thefutureorganization.com/8-questions-to-ask-yourself-to-know-if-you-connect-with-your-people/ Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:44:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45413 How well do you know your people?
It’s a question all future leaders must be able to answer positively.

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How well do you know your people?

It’s a question all future leaders must be able to answer positively.

One of the most important roles of leaders is to be coaches and motivate, inspire, and engage with their people. At the core of being a great coach is believing your job is to help other people become more successful than you.

And that starts by knowing your people and connecting with them. Great leaders and coaches know their employees as individuals, not just as workers.

Ask yourself these eight questions to know if you truly connect with your people.

1. What excites them most?

2. What stresses them out or drains them the most?

3. What are they most passionate about?

4. What are their strengths and weaknesses?

5. What are their hobbies or interests outside of work?

6. Do they have a family? If so, do you know anything about them?

7. What are their professional and personal goals?

8. What do they think of you as a leader?

These questions are crucial to knowing your employees and understanding what makes them tick. When you take time to connect with employees, you can create more effective teams and help your employees meet their goals and find success.

Be honest with yourself—if you don’t currently connect with your employees, use these questions as a way to start.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Living & Working In A Rapidly Changing World https://thefutureorganization.com/living-working-in-a-rapidly-changing-world/ Wed, 09 Feb 2022 14:10:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45406 A single piece of rice may not seem like much, but it can quickly grow into something much bigger.

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A single piece of rice may not seem like much, but it can quickly grow into something much bigger.

More than 1,000 years ago, a mathematician named Sissa created the game of chess. The leader of the land was so impressed that he offered Sissa any reward he wanted. Sissa’s request was unusual: he wanted the leader to put one grain of rice on the first square of the chessboard and then double the amount of rice on each subsequent square.

The leader thought it was a strange request and quickly agreed. After all, how much rice could it be?

Turns out, more than all the rice in the world.

At first glance, doubling the amount of rice on the chessboard leads to gradual growth. But once you hit the second half of the chessboard, the growth is exponential.

This is where we are in the world today. Things are changing at an incredible pace. It’s no longer about the gradual growth but about massive changes between each square. And every year, that pace of change increases.

All this change means we have to adopt the new normal. Things will never slow down. We’re living on the second half of the chessboard where incredible change happens every day.

Today, the term “late adopter” means “out of business.”

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Preparing For A Big Media Opportunity Interview https://thefutureorganization.com/preparing-for-a-big-media-opportunity-interview/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:51:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45400 At some point in your career or entrepreneurial journey, you’ll likely be given a big interview opportunity.

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At some point in your career or entrepreneurial journey, you’ll likely be given a big interview opportunity. This could be anything from getting interviewed on a podcast or TV program to leading an interview during a live conference session.

These interview opportunities can be huge for your career.

But they can also be difficult and incredibly nerve-racking. Blake has participated in all sorts of media interviews, from appearing on TV programs and documentaries to interviewing CEOs live on stage.

My wife made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

 

Here are her five steps to ensure the big opportunity goes off without a hitch:

  1. Far in advance. Research the person you are interviewing. Immerse yourself in their content—listen to podcasts they’ve been on, read their social media posts, and even look at any criticism of them online. Doing a deep dive into the person ensures you know their message and content and helps the interview go more smoothly.
  2. The day before. Don’t rush at the last minute. Aim to have everything ready the day before so that when the lights come up and the mic turns on, you don’t have to think as much. Putting things off until the last minute when you’re nervous will slow you down and add to the stress. Do your future self a favor by being ready the day before.
  3. The night before. Don’t pull an all-nighter. Instead, take time to rest and relax so you are in top form for the interview. End work early, relax, unwind, and go to bed early. That relaxed state of mind will flow into the next day and set the stage for success.
  4. During. You’ll likely feel nervous and excited, which can manifest in fidgeting and talking fast. Slow yourself down by taking five deep breaths and moving your voice. Visualize success or something relaxing—whatever it takes to break out of your nerves and get in the zone.
  5. After. Take time to come down from the emotional and mental rush. Relax, take a break, and go on a walk. When you’re ready, listen to the interview. The actual interview is always better than how you think in your head. Listening to the interview when you’re in an objective mental state can also help you improve future opportunities.

Following these five steps can help you take advantage of a big media opportunity interview and take your career to the next level.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Chip Heath On The Art And Science Of Communicating Numbers So People Listen https://thefutureorganization.com/chip-heath-on-the-art-and-science-of-communicating-numbers-so-people-listen/ Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:09:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45395 Chip Heath is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a New York Times best-selling author.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Chip_Heath_-_Ready.mp3

Chip Heath Transcript

Chip Heath is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a New York Times best-selling author. He has co-authored four books with his brother Dan Heath, including, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” and his latest book, “Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers”.

Chip’s work has been translated into more than 30 languages and he has consulted with such organizations as Google, The Gap, and The Nature Conservancy. You can learn more about Chip and his work at www.heathbrothers.com.

Why we’re bad at numbers.

All too frequently numbers run together as an abstract jumble.

Here’s an example: For many of us the difference between 1 million and 1 billion is amorphous. We know it’s a big difference, but now just HOW big.

But consider it this way: If you counted to 1 billion one second at a time it would take 12 days. Count to 1 billion in the same way and it would take 32 years. The massive and vivid difference, right?

There’s a methodology behind Chip’s new book, “Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers,” which spells practical advice for simplifying numbers and ensuring they resonate.

“We’re really good as humans at recognizing at a glance number up to about five, but after that, we’re in bad shape,” says Chip, who explains why we should regard math as a kind of foreign language and treat it as such.

We would never insert a random phrase from an unfamiliar language into a PowerPoint presentation, and we should handle data the same way. Because for many people, it might as well be a foreign language!

When you see numbers in your presentation, circle them and ask: Is this accessible? Does this need more translation?

There are tools (which Chip’s book provides) for making numbers stick. For instance, studies indicate that it’s easier to remember that Pakistan is 340,000 square miles when the correlation is drawn to the size of two states of California combined. That image and the associated number? It’s more likely to stick.

Making numbers concrete. It’s really not hard!

As with any other concept, there is a cognitive, even emotional component to understanding how numbers equate. And, without that connection, it’s very difficult to achieve the “aha” or motivational moment we want when communicating with one another. But there are tools to close the gap. The questions you want people to engage with are:

  • Do I want to do this?
  • Do I think it’s important?
  • Do I think it’s necessary?

The challenge is figuring out what makes something sticky because that’s what cements desired change – and quickly.

As an example, Chip explains how concretizing data can bring it to life – and spur people to action. He cites the statistic that 40% of people don’t wash their hands after using the restroom, which sounds bad but doesn’t necessarily motivate any behavior in response.

By contrast, if you tell someone that two of the last five people you shook hands with had not washed after using the restroom, they’ll be reaching for hand sanitizer in no time!

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

The Curse of Knowledge.

If we make the assumptive leap that any given thing we’re discussing is common knowledge, we fall prey to what Chip calls “the curse of knowledge.” The better we know a subject, the harder it becomes to imagine that someone else can’t picture exactly as we can – which often results in a lot of tuning out.

The remedy? Foremost, it’s about concretizing unfamiliar concepts that are de facto abstract. You have to paint a picture, which can be done with a myriad of tools that Chip’s new book provides. It doesn’t have to be complex, requiring a backstory with lots of characters and plots. It just needs to be clear and compelling.

Chip shares an example from one of his graduate courses: He asked students to brainstorm ways to inspire consumers to adopt new lightbulb technology that was more environmentally friendly and saved money by using 25% less electricity compared to conventional bulbs.

Some of his students outplayed their professor, coming up with a far more compelling story: The universally understood reality that people hate changing light bulbs. The fact that this new bulb technology meant bulbs would now last seven years was motivation enough, but became even more “sticky” when students added to the pitch a visual: If your child is in second grade today, he or she will be in high school the next time you need to swap out this bulb. By making the benefit clear and concrete, they were changing the story and making it powerfully persuasive.

The case for rounding numbers.

Chip makes a compelling case for why we should always round up when we’re talking in numbers or stats. Our brains recognize up to four or five numbers quickly and easily. Beyond that our brains only have limited memory capacity.

By rounding a number like 498,635 to 500,000 it makes it exponentially easier to retain. “This is something engineers and physicists and doctors do all the time. They look for a quick and dirty calculation.

Because what they want to do is get in the ballpark of something that has a magnitude that they understand,” says Chip, “and you can’t do that when you’re carrying around all these extra digits.”

The opposite can happen with rounding down: When things are advertised for $19.99 instead of $20, it occupies people’s minds, not with the additional digits that haven’t been rounded down. Instead, the mind simply drops digits, rounding to $19 (despite the fact that the item is only one cent away from $20), and then the preoccupation shifts to I’m getting a bargain!

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

How framing numbers can render them comprehensible.

Another trick for making numbers stick is by framing them in a way that is not only understandable but evocative.

For example, Kaiser Permanente developed a new procedure that would drastically reduce sepsis at their hospitals and save 149,000 lives a year, which is significant. But would it be significant enough to motivate hospital staffers to adopt new behaviors?

It certainly was, once it was equated to the total number of breast and prostate cancer deaths annually combined. “Now all of a sudden, that sepsis work seems really, really important.

Because we take two of the most actively resourced, socially motivated (cancers) in communities of people who have suffered from disease and this is more important than either of those. It puts things in a broader perspective,” explains Chip. It’s possible to similarly animate psychographic and demographic profiles.

A woman in her early 30s with 1.5 kids is a lot less compelling than the fleshed-out portrait of a human being who exemplifies those statistics.

“Imagine that you tried to form a living, breathing human being out of those statistics?” says Chip. That consumer demographic would now be a flesh-and-blood woman standing in the grocery store, harried, with two toddlers going in different directions. The story is now both accessible and relatable, and therefore likelier to stick.

More about animating statistics, projections and other data.

“How do you breathe life into a number or that statistic? And what does that actually mean?” Chip shares the example of numbers that bounced around Silicon Valley a lot at the height of the dot.com boom.

Experts were projecting return rates of 18% annually – the equivalent of creating $1.3 trillion in value over the decade ahead. Sounds great, until you break it down.

The giddiness mutes pretty quickly when that projection is re-framed as the challenge to guarantee a market hit like eBay or Facebook every six weeks for ten years straight. “Yeah, that’s crazy.

So, by breathing some life into this statistic, you’re actually in a position not only to understand but to be convinced in your mind that this is not going to be possible,” says Chip. “So, it’s not just a translation of a number, it’s actually helping you think about the number in a clearer way than you would have before.”

TOP TIPS

  • Whatever you do, do something to bring numbers alive.
  • It’s okay to start small. If you can’t translate all the numbers in a presentation, pick just one as a beginning.
  • Framing is everything. Use comparisons to create perspective. A $200 billion worldwide gaming industry sounds big, but it sounds REALLY big when it’s framed as 10x the size of the music industry or 4x the size of the movie industry.
  • Perceiving and understanding numbers concretely means seeing entrepreneurial opportunities you might otherwise miss. (Awards shows for gamers?)
  • You can be Superman. Rendering numbers user-friendly is like learning (or teaching) people how to see through walls!

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

 

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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My Next Book About Being A Vulnerable Leader And How You Can Be Featured In It! https://thefutureorganization.com/my-next-book-about-being-a-vulnerable-leader-and-how-you-can-be-featured-in-it/ Sat, 05 Feb 2022 14:36:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45390 Vulnerability is something I struggle with and I know I'm not alone.

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Vulnerability is something I struggle with and I know I’m not alone.

I come from a Russian immigrant family and let’s just say Russians aren’t exactly known for being vulnerable or emotional.

In fact, we all struggle with vulnerability, especially at work and leaders suffer from this the most.

Why?

Because we have always been taught that vulnerability is bad and that if you’re vulnerable you’re weak.

Pardon my language but that is complete bullsh*t!

This is why I’m excited to announce that my next book is going to explore vulnerability in leadership. It’s tentatively scheduled to come out at the beginning of 2023 and I’m just now in the writing and research process, that’s where you come in!

I’m looking for stories, examples, and insights from my community so that I can feature YOU in my book and also invite you to be a guest on a soon-to-be-released podcast.

I’m also going to be interviewing some of the world’s top CEOs.

If you’re in any kind of leadership role I want to know things about you like:

  1. What does vulnerability mean to you?
  2. Can you share a time when you were vulnerable at work and what the impact was?
  3. Have you ever been vulnerable at work and had it backfire?
  4. Was being vulnerable something you were taught or something you had to just do?
  5. Are there any techniques you have used to help you be vulnerable at work?

These are just a few of the questions I’m looking to get insights on.

I’ve already collected many responses from around the world which are touching, insightful, and most importantly impactful.

The responses are so personal and emotional that I teared up when reading some of them and I can’t wait to share them with the world when the book comes out.

You can choose to be anonymous in the survey or you can even email me your thoughts directly at jacob[at]thefutureorganization[dot]com.

 

Being vulnerable at work isn’t something we should be scared of, it’s something we should embrace and encourage but that can’t happen unless we are all willing to talk about it.

How to start chatting online with a girl? What if she doesn’t answer? What to talk about on the Internet? The abundance of questions on virtual dating, as it were, hints: “No one promised easy ways! If you want to be on top – study the techniques of seduction! Fortunately UsaSexGuide Nl for many fans of “fludit” on the network, these techniques are not difficult, the main thing is to understand the features and secrets of virtual flirting.

Will you share your experiences and insights on vulnerability with me? I’m listening with big ears and an open heart!

Please go here to complete my survey or email me jacob[at]thefutureorganization[dot]com.

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Manager vs. Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/manager-vs-leader/ Thu, 03 Feb 2022 14:19:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45381 What’s the difference between a manager and a leader?
People often use the terms interchangeably, but there is actually a stark difference between the two.

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What’s the difference between a manager and a leader?

People often use the terms interchangeably, but there is actually a stark difference between the two.

Managers are typically the people who know the numbers, processes, strategies, and tactics. Managers tend to be focused on efficiency and maintaining the status quo. They lead with authority from their title to delegate to their employees and improve weaknesses. They are great at understanding the business but typically not great at leading people.

On the other hand, leaders know how to engage, empower, and motivate people. They believe in experimentation and aim to develop their employees. Leaders lead with influence and don’t rely on their job title to make a difference. Leaders have a growth mindset and are continually learning and coaching their teams. They focus on their team’s strengths to move towards a goal.

It comes down to this—managers are focused on finishing tasks and moving the business forward through processes and efficiency. Leaders are focused on engaging their employees and finding innovative solutions through experimentation and growth.

Why does it matter if someone is a manager or a leader?

Managers who are more focused on processes and tasks than on people lead to employees being disengaged from their work. Leaders who motivate and inspire their teams tend to keep employees engaged and loyal to the company.

Does your company have managers or leaders? It’s not too late to change.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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What Chess Can Teach Us About Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/what-chess-can-teach-us-about-future-of-work/ Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:15:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45378 Have you heard of Magnus Carlsen? He’s a world champion and indisputably the best in his sport, but few people know who he is.

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Have you heard of Magnus Carlsen? He’s a world champion and indisputably the best in his sport, but few people know who he is.

Magnus plays chess and is considered the greatest champion who ever lived–and he’s just 31 years old.

One of the reasons Magnus is such a dominant competitor is that he can think outside chess principles and conventional ideas. The game of chess has more possible moves than there are atoms in the universe, and he can find solutions others can’t see. Even when it looks like he’s down, Magnus almost always finds a way to save the game. His view of the big picture and the many possibilities is unmatched.

The future of work is a lot like the game of chess. There are countless possibilities and outcomes. The people who challenge convention, go against the grain, and come up with new ideas will succeed and lead change.

Everything we know about work is changing before our eyes. But many leaders refuse to acknowledge the change or see what is happening. To prepare and thrive, we have to be aware of our surroundings and find solutions other people can’t see.

We have to think like chess players. That means going beyond the conventional ideas we’re used to and thinking outside the box to see the big picture. We have to challenge our outdated notions of what it means to be an employee, what it means to be a leader, and what it means to work.

The game has changed, and we have to change along with it.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Why You Should Have An Immigrant Mentality https://thefutureorganization.com/why-you-should-have-an-immigrant-mentality/ Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:51:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45375 I come from a family of immigrants. My parents were born in the Republic of Georgia and fled the country in the 1970s during a hostile social

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I come from a family of immigrants.

My parents were born in the Republic of Georgia and fled the country in the 1970s during a hostile social and political climate. They migrated to Italy, where they met, with only $100 in cash and few possessions. From there, they went to Australia, where they got married and had me.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

My dad traveled to the U.S. to build a better life, leaving the family behind in Australia. My parents didn’t see each other for three years and could only communicate through letters.

My dad settled in a poor neighborhood in New Jersey. He purposefully didn’t want to live around people just like him who spoke Russian so he could learn English and assimilate to American culture faster. My dad taught himself English by watching the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin Shows with an English to Russian translation dictionary.

Although my dad was a skilled engineer, finding work as an immigrant was difficult. But my dad was persistent and determined to find a good job. After one interview, he asked right then if he got the job. They were so impressed by his tenacity that he was offered the position on the spot.

Today, my parents live a comfortable life in Los Angeles. Seeing them now, it’s hard to imagine that they came from nothing. Through hard work and determination, they pushed through unimaginable hardships to create a great life.

Having the mentality of an immigrant means having a strong work ethic and being scrappy and resourceful. It means understanding that no one owes you anything and that you have to work for everything. Immigrants come up with creative solutions to problems when the odds are stacked against them.

I’m proud of the legacy my immigrant parents created for me. That same mentality can push anyone—regardless of where you came from—to create a better life.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!


_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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CEO of Randstad On Workforce Trends, Employee Loyalty, Why You Shouldn’t Listen To Your Boss, & Making a 150 Million Dollar Mistake https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-randstad-on-workforce-trends-employee-loyalty-why-you-shouldnt-listen-to-your-boss-making-a-150-million-dollar-mistake/ Mon, 31 Jan 2022 12:19:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45359 Jacques van den Broek’s career has evolved over three decades in tandem with the growth of Randstad, the global consulting firm where he has risen through the ranks to CEO.

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Jacques van den Broek Transcript

Jacques van den Broek’s career has evolved over three decades in tandem with the growth of Randstad, the global consulting firm where he has risen through the ranks to CEO. He has both shaped and been shaped by the Dutch company’s values and vision, which today extend throughout a decentralized network of nearly 5,000 branches with core competencies that include: temporary staffing, outsourced HR services, assessments, and training. The publicly held company provides workforce solutions across sectors including engineering, accounting and finance, healthcare, human resources, IT, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration, and sales and marketing.

About Randstad’s unique workplace culture and philosophy.

The consulting company, which operates in 39 countries, still hews to the forward-looking vision of its founder, 88-year-old Frits Goldschmeding. It was his belief that companies don’t “have the right to exist if they’re not valuable to society.” And because consulting services are in some respects invisible, trust and integrity are knit into the company culture as a top priority. Reputational excellence is key with 40,000 employees today generating € 20.7 billion in income annually, placing as many as 2 million workers in offices across the globe each year.

Some of the trends Jacques sees on the horizon.

The current scarcity of available candidates in the job market has been something Jacques anticipated, based on demographic shifts and technological developments. Randstad has a talent pool that now exceeds 200 million individuals with whom recruiters are regularly in touch. Artificial intelligence has also proved a key tool for the industry, helping Randstad keep worker profiles current and options readily available. While jobs, for now, are abundant (especially in the healthcare, e-commerce, and education sectors) Jacques also sees writing on the wall for white-collar employees in certain industries with repetitive tasks that technology can replace (such as government, insurance, banking).

Who is responsible for you and your career and where’s it all heading?

Randstad surveyed several thousand people who were asked who was responsible for their careers and providing their family livelihood. Only 25% of respondents said it was up to them. The other 75% said the responsibility lies with their government or employer. “And that’s a big, big misunderstanding. Because it is 100% you,” says Jacques. This coincides with “The Great Resignation” which has seen post-pandemic workers shift expectations and impose new workplace demands. Jacques suggests workers might want to stay clear about the fact that AI is coming for many white-collar jobs. There are, however, strategies moving into this next phase of automation: 1) Look for career paths that require personality; something robots cannot replicate (such as sales or customer care). 2) Check out blue-collar jobs, which in the case of repair and installation, for example, are seeing a rise in demand and wages. 3) Be open with your employer about your job’s trajectory and alert to which industries (sustainable energy, healthcare) are burgeoning.

The power – and role – of optimism.

Covid19 initially sent the recruiting and temp industry – like so many others – into a tailspin. Randstad saw 50,000 staffers lose jobs overnight. There was a pause to reorient, but Jacques quickly moved from a “how bad is this going to get” mentality to “what are the possibilities.” He contemplated what opportunities would arise, such as a huge tidal wave of activity and need in the health care and medical research sectors. “I always call it ‘worried but safe,’ you know? Happy with yesterday, but not happy with tomorrow. And that’s a subtle balance,” says Jacques.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

Jacques is not afraid to bring vulnerability into the mix.

Staying human and sharing personal insights are part of a leadership style that Jacques believes keeps people enfranchised even through the roughest of times. He’s not afraid to admit that certain tasks still make him nervous. It offers employees comfort and a sense of solidarity while also modeling what it is to face fears and overcome them. No topic is off-limits for Jacques, who confides stories from his own career, his wife’s career, and family life. It’s a balancing act – being a leader who instills confidence with being a co-worker offering empathy. It all traces back to the company’s core values, which are about trust and leaving space, even for failure, mistakes, setbacks.

Be who you are … because you can’t really be someone else.

Jacques places more value on authenticity than just about anything. Honesty makes it possible to change, grow and improve. And for Jacques there’s another HUGE ancillary benefit: When you tell the truth, there’s no need for lies or obfuscation. It frees up the mind and clarifies the playing field. Society has acculturated people to fear showing vulnerability, but Jacques the results can paralyze people and creativity. Who wants to go out on a limb with a bold idea if it entails tremendous risk? By fostering safety within the workplace culture, Randstad is offering a point of entry for proactive employees to shine.

He weathered THIS mistake and recovered!

Jacques shares a painful anecdote with a happy ending. On his advice, Randstad made an investment that ultimately hemorrhaged $150 million. The silver lining, he took out of the experience? Perspective. Although the initiative failed, the impulse wasn’t wrong and the lessons learned were not lost. Jacques may have underestimated some influential factors, but he’d still checked all the boxes. The research was solid. The play might have been aggressive, but the takeaways were tremendous and what Jacques describes as part of “the road to glory.” Resilience is a leadership trait: “You go out again and go to clients and ask, ‘Okay, so this didn’t work. You didn’t want to buy that. But where would you be happy?’ ” And then you’re prepared to do precisely that at the next opportunity.

Why it’s important to push beyond fear of failure.

Both coming up through the ranks and as a CEO, it has always been Jacques’s philosophy that it’s better to push the envelope than cut short possibilities. It’s worthwhile to propose any well-conceived idea and, even when the boss says ‘no,’ to push a little farther. “If you’ve got a good idea … and your boss says, ‘You know, that’s not great. Not now,” then you should still do it. Because you believe in it,” says Jacques. “Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness.” Often the way of innovation includes requisite barriers, skepticism, and sometimes failures. But Jacques believes long-term success is all in the trying – and persistence! Boldness often engenders tremendous upside – and new opportunities. Side Note: Not all CEOs share Jacques’s philosophy. It’s important to read the room and know your own corporate culture.

In wrapping up …

Jacques believes the workplace landscape is still settling out. Executive management is coming to grips with demands from employees for more of the overnight virtualization and flexibility pandemic that gave rise to and finding the right balance for a hybrid office-home culture that will build productivity and employee satisfaction … And speaking of satisfaction, Jacques suggests staying alert to workplace fit. If you’re in the wrong job or unable to be authentic if new ideas aren’t welcome or the dialogue with management isn’t open? It may be time to consider a switch. Life is short and opportunities are abundant!

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Creating A Mission That Resonates With Employees: Steve Bilt, CEO of Smile Brands https://thefutureorganization.com/creating-a-mission-that-resonates-with-employees-steve-bilt-ceo-of-smile-brands/ Sat, 29 Jan 2022 23:17:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45361 Steve Bilt is CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to more than 425 dental offices.

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Steve Bilt is CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to more than 425 dental offices.

Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times, and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor. Anyone can come up with a mission statement or a company purpose that sounds good. But it can’t be something that just lives on a wall or in the company handbook. It has to be something that is infused into every aspect of the business.

Listen to his interview on The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan or click here to get the transcript and listen to your favorite player.

Steve believes a mission statement needs to be something short and catchy that people can remember. It needs to be something you can check in on to see how well the company is living up to it. It has to be something that is living and breathing inside your company.

 

Steve says…

“As soon as you start to lengthen it or create more explanation for it, you’re making it harder to use, and you’re telling people what the standard of success is. The point of our mission statement is that only you can say what makes you smile. I can’t put criteria around it to say, well, as long as my lighting is good enough or my shirt is the right color, you’re going to be happy with this interview. I can’t put the standards on it. Only you can judge that. I kept it very short so it was highly subjective and each person would evaluate it qualitatively.”

Steve uses the Smile Brands mission, Smiles for Everyone, in every meeting and in every interaction to show people what it actually looks like to live out the mission.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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5 Best Career Tips for Young People https://thefutureorganization.com/5-best-career-tips-for-young-people/ Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:02:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45355 I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning of my career.
I didn’t have a mentor or anyone to show me the ropes, so I was left to do what I thought was right.

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I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning of my career.

I didn’t have a mentor or anyone to show me the ropes, so I was left to do what I thought was right. But in many cases, what I thought was a great choice ended up not being the best option. Everything worked out in the end, but I could have saved myself some headaches and stress if I had listened to quality career advice.

Here are my five best career tips for young people:

  1. Taste test. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do early in your career. In fact, it’s common not to have it all figured out. Taste test various possibilities and try out different jobs before you commit. It’s important to enjoy what you do, so don’t feel like you have to stick to your original plan.
  2. Build your own ladder. It used to be that young professionals started in a low-level position and worked their way up the corporate ladder at the same company. But those days are gone–you don’t have to follow the template everyone tells you to follow. You can build your own career and chart your own path.
  3. Life is too short to be miserable. You spend the majority of your time at work, so make sure it is at an organization and in a role you enjoy. Don’t spend your time being miserable. If you don’t like your job, do something about it.
  4. Make your own decisions. Everyone has opinions about what you should do with your life and career. You can take their feedback, but it is important to make your own decisions. No one is going to look out for you but you, and you’re the one who has to live with the consequences of your choices.
  5. Be self-aware. Be honest with yourself and take time to know your strengths and weaknesses. Find areas you excel in and areas to grow. The more self-aware you become, the more growth and opportunities you’ll see.

Starting your career is an exciting time filled with opportunities. This advice will set you on the path to success and help you find the right career course for you.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Why You Need To Master Your Communication Skills https://thefutureorganization.com/why-you-need-to-master-your-communication-skills/ Wed, 26 Jan 2022 13:33:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45351 Communication has always been an essential business skill, but it is essential today to have your voice and message heard.

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Communication has always been an essential business skill, but it is essential today to have your voice and message heard.

We’re constantly surrounded by noise and distractions. Being able to stand out and get your perspective across has never been more difficult or more important. Think of how much data and information you are competing against—you have to be a strong communicator so people know your message is worth listening to.

Thanks to advancements in technology, we can now communicate and collaborate with people we’ve never met around the world. This new world of work allows for workplace flexibility, but it also requires a new set of skills to communicate effectively with people from different cultures and via new collaboration tools.

Just because you can communicate well in person doesn’t mean you are naturally a strong communicator through new channels like Twitter, Snapchat, Slack, or any of the other hundreds of tools. Becoming a master communicator takes daily practice.

Communication also impacts the bottom line. Every year, companies waste hundreds of hours and millions of dollars from time spent clarifying things. Clear communication allows for more efficient workflows, which gets more work done and helps grow the company.

In the new world of work, you can’t afford not to be a master communicator. Start today to continually improve and refine your communication skills to cut through the noise and make your voice heard.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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7 Ways To Take Control Over Your Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/7-ways-to-take-control-over-your-technology-2/ Tue, 25 Jan 2022 14:50:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45348 In our ultra-connected world, we’re constantly surrounded by technology. With all the advantages that come from technology, there are also negative consequences.

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In our ultra-connected world, we’re constantly surrounded by technology. With all the advantages that come from technology, there are also negative consequences. For every tool it provides to build your business, create content, and connect with customers, technology also provides an opportunity to get distracted or overwhelmed.

We can’t let technology control us. We have to take control over our technology.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

 

Here are seven things I do regularly to put myself in control of my technology:

1. Disable phone notifications for social media and email. The buzz of a new alert can be incredibly distracting and lead you down a rabbit hole of scrolling your phone. By removing notifications, I no longer feel the urge to check my phone constantly. Those messages and emails are still there when I check my phone on my schedule.

2. Don’t bring technology to the table. It doesn’t matter what meal or who I’m eating with. Meals are a technology-free time and give me a few moments to breathe, unplug, and connect with the family or friends next to me.

3. Charge your devices in a separate room. It’s common to charge your phone next to your bed at night, but that just makes it easier to check your phone right before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up. Create a physical separation from your phone and charge it somewhere else.

4. Don’t keep a TV in the bedroom. I want my bedroom to be a relaxing place where I can unwind. Having a TV in the bedroom can make it tempting to flip through channels instead of relaxing with a book or quality conversation.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

5. Create an auto-response telling people you only check email once or twice a day. I did this for years before hiring a virtual assistant. Letting people know I wasn’t sitting in my inbox eliminated many distractions.

6. Create rituals that signify you are done using technology. Every day, around 5 p.m., I close my computer and say, “I’m closing the garage” to let myself and everyone else know that my work time with technology is over for the day. That ritual acts as a mental shift from work and helps me unplug.

7. Give yourself an outlet. There are so many better things to do than aimlessly scroll your phone. Instead of reaching for technology, find an outlet or hobby to distract yourself from the urge to be on your phone.

Technology brings so much good to the world, but it also brings countless distractions. Being successful means staying ahead of technology and taking control of it so you don’t get distracted.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Sheryl Palmer CEO of Taylor Morrison On Being Vulnerable, Leading W/ No Experience, & Why She Does Job Interviews In Restaurants https://thefutureorganization.com/sheryl-palmer-ceo-of-taylor-morrison-on-being-vulnerable-leading-w-no-experience-why-she-does-job-interviews-in-restaurants/ Mon, 24 Jan 2022 11:06:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45334 Sheryl Palmer has navigated a vibrant and varied career, picking up a mix of skills that set her up perfectly for her current role as CEO at Taylor Morrison home builders.

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Sheryl Palmer Transcipt

Sheryl Palmer has navigated a vibrant and varied career, picking up a mix of skills that set her up perfectly for her current role as CEO at Taylor Morrison home builders. Over the past 13 years, she has helmed a team of more than 3,000 employees with a fearless, authentic style and unique perspective on life. The survivor of a dangerous brain tumor, Sheryl has been put to the test and sees clearly the things in life that truly matter, both personally and professionally.

In this interview, Sheryl explains why Taylor Morrison’s philosophy focuses on legacy and relationships, community building, and people. It’s obviously been a highly successful formula, given the company’s exponential growth and perennial recognition as America’s Most Trusted® Home Builder.

Sheryl’s peripatetic career has taken her from an early job with McDonald’s, where she learned about customer service and marketing at the knee of founder Ray Kroc, to work in advertising and sales for Del Webb and the Pulte Group. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a devoted wife and mother of two and grandmother of five – with lots of wisdom to share.

What a job at McDonald’s has to teach us about work – life.

Sheryl sees her early experience at McDonald’s as excellent career preparation in two ways. She learned early on the importance of customer-facing skills and connecting with individuals wherever they need to be met. Service was all. She was fortunate to have worked at McDonald’s corporate when Ray Kroc was still alive, seeing him in action as the ultimate master of “customer experience.” The second key takeaway was her work ethic. That milkshake machine? It had to be pulled out and swept behind every single night. “There were no cutting corners,” says Sheryl, “because that was such a part of their brand, their reputation. It’s what the consumer trusted.”

What one moment has most shaped Sheryl’s leadership style.

It’s a personal story, one that has impacted how Sheryl shows up as a leader – and human – every single day. She’d always been a glass-half-full person, but that viewpoint was suddenly put to the test a decade ago when a basic executive physical revealed a brain tumor. For someone who rarely got so much as a cold, it was a major blow. Life soon became about surgical versus other treatment options and self-advocacy within a maze of conflicting medical opinions. Ultimately, after doing her homework, Sheryl underwent surgery, which she believed was her best shot at living the fullest life going forward. The risk was significant and reckoning unavoidable. “When you write those goodbye letters to your children, and to your company, it just changes your perspective on what’s really important in life. Why would we let the little things get us down? There are too many big things we can’t control.” The outcome, of course, was all positive and Sheryl’s scans have been clean ever since.

Who Sheryl was and who she became as a result of her brain tumor.

In fact, Sheryl doesn’t believe she was substantially altered by her dramatic health crucible. As a CEO and leader, she had always been about people and relationships, which did not change. She recognized, however, some reorientation as a parent, revisiting what it meant to travel for business and how important it was to be present to her kids. “I always convinced myself that it was quality over quantity,” says Sheryl. “But I started questioning that and recognizing how important each moment is.” She’s a big believer in marking passages, which she does annually with letters at Christmas to her grandchildren. “If I were to say there’s one thing that may have affected me from a leadership standpoint, what I went through put life in perspective.”

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

What kinds of strategies might help people who tend to sweat the small stuff?

For Sheryl, her daily workout is sacrosanct. She relies on that hour to take space and get clarity. She also finds calmness and centering spending time with her grandchildren. Spared all the daily parental logistics and responsibilities, she’s able to focus her attention fully on their world and feelings. She finds it fully engaging and hopeful. Being at the beach, simply enjoying the sights and sounds of the surf, also helps Sheryl stay centered. She suggests that everyone bring their unique DNA and approach to serenity. It doesn’t matter the route you take, says Sheryl, but it’s important to find ways to take that step back and maintain perspective as to what really matters and is nourishing in life.

About the power of bringing your most authentic self.

Sheryl believes she is who she is – which doesn’t mean she’s static. She’s always bringing onboard new information and insights. Without that there can be no growth. But she fundamentally believes in showing up fully as her authentic self, in both personal and professional contexts. Sheryl has always represented honestly exactly who she is and what she knows – and doesn’t know. “We all come through life with different experiences and we pull from those experiences,” she says. “The best gift I can have as a leader is to surround myself with people a whole lot smarter than I am and take their advice and counsel.” The strongest leaders don’t bring unnecessary pride or ego. They trust who they are and are comfortable with the vulnerability inherent in everyone’s personal story.

The role vulnerability plays in effective leadership.

Taylor Morrison subscribes to the “No Assholes Rule,” which is the first line of defense for vulnerability. It doesn’t mean tough decisions can’t be made, but the overall culture supports mutual respect and room for people to be their full selves, even when they fail. Everyone on the team is held accountable for their job and responsibilities, but space is left for questions and collaboration. “I get questions. I get thank you’s and I respond to every one of those. Sometimes it could be ten. Sometimes it could be 200.” That’s the definition of a vulnerable organization, says Sheryl, one where openness, accessibility, and solidarity are woven into the culture.

Why mistakes, failures, and fears are welcome in the strongest organizations.

If we don’t allow ourselves room to fail, we sacrifice the room to grow, learn from others and lead our organizations to a better place. As a young businesswoman starting out, Sheryl took on positions where she was stretched, sometimes beyond her core competencies. Was there some element of “fake it ‘til you make it”? You bet. But leadership is about learning things on the fly, adapting to challenging situations, transferring skills sets where possible, and acquiring them where necessary. She wasn’t afraid to admit what she didn’t know and solicited help from those with more experience.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Why leaders need to cultivate a thick skin … but not too thick.

Sheryl believes successful leaders balance their temperaments. It’s important to be resilient and have thick skin, but that skin can’t grow so thick that all empathy is lost. It’s a sort of “selective” approach to thick skin. She’s sensitive and emotional at heart, unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, but Sheryl also had to develop over time a nuanced understanding of when and how to react as a leader. Sensitivity has to coexist with tough tasks that require thick skin. “I want my skin to be thick,” says Sheryl, “but at the same time not lose myself in trying to be so tough on someone that I’m not being me.” Above all, in matters of business, Sheryl tries always to remember: It’s not personal.

Why restaurants can be a great place to stage interviews.

You can tell a lot from how people treat servers. Sheryl has discovered that sharing a meal with a prospective employee can provide critical clues about their essential nature. Do they pull out their phone? Are they haughty or dismissive? Do they say thank you for their food or drink? Are they gracious about – or even cognizant of – the fact that they are being served? It may seem like a small or silly thing, says Sheryl, but she finds it deeply revealing of character. “I’ve experienced leaders who just don’t have the time for people (that) aren’t in management or that don’t have something to give them back,” says Sheryl. “That wouldn’t be a good fit in our organization. If people don’t have the courtesy to say ‘thank you’ when food is put in front of them, to me, that’s not good.” Some of her interview meals have been shorter than others!

Sheryl’s Top Tips:

·         Be true to your authentic self.

·         Have conviction in your beliefs – and share them; resist letting the job change you.

·         Trust your gut.

·         There’s no substitute for hard work.

·         No matter the job or promotion, never lose sight of the customer.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Want To Learn From The Best Business Leaders & The Smartest People On The Planet? https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-learn-from-the-best-business-leaders-the-smartest-people-on-the-planet/ Sun, 23 Jan 2022 10:49:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45328 When I started my podcast, The Future Of Work With Jacob Morgan I did so from a bit of a selfish standpoint.

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When I started my podcast, The Future Of Work With Jacob Morgan I did so from a bit of a selfish standpoint.

I wanted to learn from some of the smartest people and the best business leaders on the planet. But how could I get these people to speak with me and share their insights, secrets, and strategies?

What if I interviewed them for a podcast?! And 6 years ago the podcast was created and it’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done personally and professionally.

I was a bit nervous when I first started. I kept getting all sorts of negative thoughts:

  • What if I sound weird?
  • What if I ask a stupid question?
  • What if I offend my guest?
  • What nobody listens to my podcast?

I can’t believe that I’m about to cross the 600 episode mark and the podcast consistently ranks as one of the top 50 management podcasts in America with similar rankings in other countries.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the honor and privilege of interviewing some of the world’s top business leaders including:

If you are interested in joining me and learning from some of the smartest people and the best business leaders on the planet, then I encourage you to subscribe to The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan.

I’m excited to see the podcast grow in 2022 and beyond and thanks to all of you who keep sharing the podcast, listening to the episodes, commenting and emailing me, and being such an amazing and supportive community.

I always appreciate any constructive feedback so please don’t hesitate to share!

In the meantime, here’s where you can find the show to subscribe and listen. I hope you join me on my learning journey.

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How to Avoid Burnout https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-avoid-burnout/ Fri, 21 Jan 2022 06:54:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45323 We all face burnout in our lives and careers.
With the pull from social media and email, the need to be constantly connected, and countless distractions, it’s no wonder we’ve all felt overwhelmed and exhausted at times.

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We all face burnout in our lives and careers.

With the pull from social media and email, the need to be constantly connected, and countless distractions, it’s no wonder we’ve all felt overwhelmed and exhausted at times.

And the problem will only get worse as technology advances and the distractions increase.

Now is the time to learn to avoid and overcome burnout so you can set aside distractions, unplug, and live a fulfilling life.

In many cases, avoiding burnout comes down to learning to say no.

People will always want things from you, both personally and professionally. And while not all of these requests are negative, most pull you away from more important things. Saying yes to every request adds more to your plate and can quickly lead to burnout. I know this from personal experience—I used to say yes to every request to pick my brain or help with a project. But then I would find I had reached the end of the day without working on my projects or doing anything to build my business.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

We’re conditioned to say yes. It can feel like going against our nature to say no. We don’t want to let people down by saying no and often want to be seen as the ambitious go-getter who gets everything done.

But saying no improves your mental sanity and peace of mind. It empowers you to take control over what you want to do and how you spend your time. It reduces stress and builds self-esteem and confidence. All of these benefits help avoid burnout.

If you say yes to everything, you tend to do a medium job at everything. It’s better to say no to some things and do a great job at fewer things.

Distractions may feel like they are everywhere, but you can take control by saying no. It’s the best way to avoid burnout.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Why Gig Work Is The Future Of Work & How To Lead A Virtual Team https://thefutureorganization.com/why-gig-work-is-the-future-of-work-how-to-lead-a-virtual-team/ Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:31:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45314 Today my guest is Sondre Rasch. Sondre is co-founder and CEO of SafetyWing, a membership-based global social safety net for remote workers and teams.

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Sondre Rasch Transcript

About the Guest

Today my guest is Sondre Rasch. Sondre is co-founder and CEO of SafetyWing, a membership-based global social safety net for remote workers and teams. He previously co-founded Superside, a platform that helps freelance designers collaborate and complete design projects for enterprise companies. Both startups have received funding from Y Combinator, whose previous investments include Airbnb, Door Dash, Stripe, Instacart, Dropbox, and Coinbase. After receiving his Master of Science from the Norwegian School of Economics, Sondre developed new education and social policies for the government of Norway.     

Entrepreneurial Upstart to Startup Success

Growing up in Norway, Sondre’s flair for enterprise emerged by the time he was a teenager when he started a web hosting company in his childhood bedroom with his mobile phone providing customer support. While at university, Sondre studied economics and computer science before going to work as a governmental advisor on social and education policy. Ultimately frustrated by the pace of change, he returned to the world of startups, first as a co-founder at Superside, a collaborative tool for freelance designers, and most recently launching SafetyWing, a platform through which companies can administer health insurance benefits for remote teams in today’s increasingly nomadic workplace environment. Both ventures have received backing from Y Combinator (the investor behind such success stories as Airbnb, Door Dash, Dropbox, and Instacart).

The Gig Economy: Factors and Forecast

The pandemic has challenged and reshaped the gig economy, redefining remote worker status. Sondre shares thoughts on the new hybrid model, which he says have fostered 40 percent annual growth in the freelance sector. “Being able to use freelancers or freelance pools for the right functions can make your company more productive and flexible,” he explains. It makes sense for contract employees, who want the flexibility and freedom gig work offers and is both a cost-saver and practical tool for companies that want to remain nimble. Whether labeled “freelance” or “remote worker,” these distributed relationships are exploding, along with cultural impacts, adaptations, and a need for platforms like Superside and SafetyWing.

 What It Takes to Build an Effective Virtual Team

Sondre has learned first-hand, through his startup ventures, what it takes not only to build but scale and sustain effective teams. His best practices include:

#1 Get Clear Right from the Start: From the outset at SafetyWing, Sondre and his co-founders took the time to establish a guiding vision. They articulated overarching goals and ensured that their values aligned. If those guardrails are well established for all to see, Sondre says, a unity of purpose smooths coordination and minimizes the kind of chaos that can crop up across workplace geographies, cultures, projects, and timelines. It doesn’t have to be a huge investment of time, but it’s critical to set priorities and get buy-in on those goals. As a result of that early intentionality, Sondre has seen SafetyWing grow and evolve relatively seamlessly into a mission-driven, values-focused company.

#2 Be Intentional about Cadence: Sondre and his team pay close attention to the balance, style, and content of communications. When the foundational vision is clear to everyone in the company, Sondre has found the need for constant, interminable meetings are drastically reduced. It’s no longer about meetings. It’s about coordination, cohesiveness, and culture. There are multiple tools to support collaborative work: Google sheets available for all members of a team to see and repurpose as necessary. A standing (but limited) rotation of predictable weekly meetings within timeframes that work across multiple time zones. “Digital Cleanup” dates to work as a team to clear out stale, duplicative or messy data on channels such as Slack. Free-wheeling company-wide Town Hall-style meetings without a set agenda or more intimate meetings that foster icebreakers and community, especially for remote workers who are feeling isolated. There are all kinds of cadences, says Sondre, but whichever you’re deploying at any given time should be executed thoughtfully to avoid tedium and burnout among freelance and remote workers who value their time.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

#3 Apply the Right Model. Teams within a startup culture should not be expected to adopt strategies better suited to larger, more entrenched enterprises. Avoid getting top-heavy, creating roles, and growing teams prematurely. Staying lean and focused helps cut down on “useless bureaucracy.” Startup teams need to be focused on concrete, short-term qualitative goals (fleshed out with quantitative data); not processes. Ultimately, as a startup matures, qualitative goals will evolve into a fully fleshed-out product roadmap with detailed quarterly goals. But all along the way, weekly goal-setting and tracking are critical to momentum for the whole team – whether virtual or onsite.

#4  Monitoring Productivity: It’s About Leadership and Judgment

The go-to for managers conditioned to full-time traditional workplace environments is control – or the illusion of it. It’s hard to validate that someone is in their cubicle when that workspace is a hundred or a thousand miles away. Some executives keep an eye on workers through surveillance devices (random screenshots, keystroke loggers, or other tracking software). But in his experience, Sondre doesn’t think it’s the way to go. At SafetyWing they went with a paradigm shift: Instead of measuring input, they measure outcomes. Are their freelancers on schedule and on point? It can be more labor-intensive and interactive, requiring initial goal setting and road mapping, but the time is well invested. Sondre’s approach has resonated and built mutual trust as well as productivity among his virtual teams. Advice for adapting to this change: Resist the urge to suffocate freelance or remote workers with check-ins and monitoring that serves no ultimate purpose. It starts with a decision,” says Sondre. “You just have to take a big step into the unknown. If you’re the type of leader who only thinks people are working if you can see them, then honestly you’re not going to be able to lead the team.”

The Future of Work Without Geographic Constraints

Sondre predicts gradual but significant population redistribution over the next five years as a result of the shift to remote work. Much like the advent of the automobile once drove suburban development, the virtual workplace is opening up an entirely new landscape. “What I’m seeing from on the frontier is people are starting cities, people are starting towns, people are starting Nomad hotels, remote work villages,” he says. Remote workers under this new model can follow their bliss, base their lives where they long to be instead of where jobs dictate they reside. This shift has generated new market opportunities for companies like SafetyWing, which offers health and travel insurance vehicles for freelance and distributed workers (domestic and internationally). It’s subscription-based ($42 per month), offers flexible terms, and covers remote teams in a variety of circumstances through a simple benefits dashboard app.  

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

SafetyWing is your home country online. They are building a global social safety net for remote workers worldwide: from health insurance and remote retirement to a truly borderless world.

List of products they have:

– Nomad Insurance is travel medical insurance. They cover people from all over the world, while outside their home country.

– Remote Health, their full global health insurance solution, can cover everyone in the remote companies’ teams, no matter where they are in the world, all under one plan. Remote Health insurance works globally, so you can hire the best talent in the world.

SafetyWing Product Roadmap: Remote Doctor, Remote Retirement, Disability Coverage, Remote Therapist, Parental Leave, Income Protection, Life Insurance.

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The Number One Way To Avoid Self Sabotage https://thefutureorganization.com/the-number-one-way-to-avoid-self-sabotage/ Tue, 18 Jan 2022 14:58:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45310 We’re all battling internal demons—it’s part of being human.
What matters is how you deal with them.

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We’re all battling internal demons—it’s part of being human.

What matters is how you deal with them.

Your inner demons could be the voice inside your head that makes you second-guess your decisions or doubt your self-worth. Listening to these demons could derail any progress to career or life success.

Avoiding self-sabotage and ignoring the demons comes down to one thing: you have to be your own advocate.

Talk to yourself in the same way you would talk to the person you love most in the world. We would never say many of the negative things to our children or best friends that we tell ourselves. These things tear us down and tell us that we’re no good.

Instead, we need to be gentle with ourselves, including how we talk to ourselves. Talk to yourself in a way that is loving and caring.

Great people are loving towards themselves. Becoming your own advocate can help you feel more relaxed and confident as you believe in what you have to offer the world and stand up for yourself with positive thoughts.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Research Shows Employees Around The World Are Not Confident In Their Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/research-shows-employees-around-the-world-are-not-confident-in-their-leaders/ Sun, 16 Jan 2022 14:10:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45304 It's one thing to know something, it's another thing to actually do something about it! This is something we struggle with especially in the world of leadership.

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It’s one thing to know something, it’s another thing to actually do something about it! This is something we struggle with especially in the world of leadership.

As part of my research for The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 CEOs at some of the world’s top companies including Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, Verizon, Audi, and many others. I also teamed up with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 employees globally.

From this research, I identified six specific trends as being crucial to the future of leadership (if you haven’t seen those trends, you can read the article here). Yet it doesn’t appear that what leaders are saying are matching their actions.

For a long time, there’s been debate about paying lip service around changing how work gets done and putting people first but it appears that’s exactly what leaders are doing.

When I was doing research for The Future Leader, my assumption was that if a CEO identified a trend as being crucial then surely that organization would be taking action to address it.

Of course, identifying trends is not the same thing as doing something about them. CEOs and leaders around the world need to step up to make sure that they and their people are aware of these trends and are actively doing something to address them. Right now it’s the words that are speaking louder than the actions but we need the actions to speak louder than words.

This is true across the organization for mid-level managers, senior executives, and CEOs, everyone in leadership positions needs to step up.

In the chart below you can see what this gap looks like.

Here’s what it means…

Take the first column as an example (orange). This means that 57% of mid-level leaders said that they were “yes, definitely” aware of the trends (including AI & technology, purpose and meaning, changing nature of talent, etc.)and taking action on them vs only 20% of people of the survey respondents (around 14,000 people) who felt the same way about their mid-level leaders.

This difference gives us the 37% gap and you can see all the gaps across the various responses and seniority levels.

I believe that perception is reality, meaning it doesn’t matter how good of a leader you think you are, it’s how effective your people think you are that makes the difference.

From my research, leaders think they are far more aware of and prepared for these 6 trends than they really are.

 

Host open discussions about these trends, allocate resources to explore them, make them a part of your regular conversation, run your own internal research projects with your employee base, and make sure the entire executive and leadership teams are doing the same.

There’s an organizational breakdown

There is clearly a breakdown between employees of all levels inside of organizations as far as awareness of these trends and how they are being addressed. The majority of leaders believe that they have a handle on these trends yet the vast minority of employees who work for these leaders actually agree (a 40% gap under “yes, definitely”). This can be due to numerous things such as strict hierarchy inside of organizations with lots of bureaucracy, lack of communication and collaboration, fear on behalf of leaders forcing them to focus on their own self-preservation, or any number of other factors. The fact that the more senior the leader, the larger the gap between them and their employees shows that perhaps they are removed from the day-to-day aspects of their organizations and need to spend more time understanding what’s happening on the ground floor.

The point is this, leaders must do a better job of learning about these trends and communicating and showing their teams that they are indeed are aware of these trends and are doing something about them. As a leader you may feel that you are quite comfortable with how things are changing but your employees need to know that, otherwise they won’t have the confidence and trust that’s required for you to lead effectively. You can’t lead if your employees don’t believe in you and your employees won’t believe in you unless you communicate your understanding of these trends and visibly demonstrate what you are doing to prepare for them and what you are helping others do to prepare as well.

Remember, employees oftentimes emulate leaders so by being more communicative and open about what you’re doing you are also helping your employees be more successful as well. Ask employees about these trends and what they think about them. Learn what trends your employees are paying attention to and why. Come up with a shared plan for how you and your team become more aware of these trends along with action items.

The research is clear, leaders can do better, they must do better. We need it and deserve it. Your people want to know that you are thinking about the future, about their future. Your people should be confident in you to guide them and lead them. There is a tremendous opportunity here, let this serve as your battle cry to step up, what are you going to do about it?

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What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my latest book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world.

“Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. 

Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

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10 Guiding Principles to Better Serve Your Customers https://thefutureorganization.com/10-guiding-principles-to-better-serve-your-customers/ Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:12:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45296 Leaders often focus on serving their employees, but service to customers is equally important.

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Leaders often focus on serving their employees, but service to customers is equally important.

In the ultra-competitive marketplace, leaders and companies that focus on their customers and providing amazing experiences stand out and have a competitive advantage.

My wife, Blake Morgan, is an expert on customer experience. In her book The Customer of the Future, she outlines ten principles leaders must follow to serve their customers:

1. Realize the power of the customer experience mindset. Leaders who provide elevated customer experiences have a customer-centric mindset and make customers the focus across the company.

2. Build a customer-centric culture. Before thinking about the external customer experience, companies need to focus on building an internal culture with empowered and customer-focused employees.

3. Develop customer-focused leadership. CEOs come and go. It’s up to the company to create ongoing development and training programs for the next generation of leaders.

4. Design a zero-friction customer experience. Customers receive seamless experiences from some brands and now expect the same treatment from all brands. Customers shouldn’t have to put forth lots of effort to have a great experience.

5. Create customer experience-focused marketing. Customers want to interact with brands through more channels than ever before, which means marketing plays a crucial role in engaging with customers where they already are.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

6. Leverage technology to make customers’ and employees’ lives easier and better. Look for ways to automate the internal and external experience to make it easier and faster for customers to get the care and products they need.

7. Undergo a digital transformation. Big companies that undergo a digital transformation have better long-term stock price performance.

8. Focus on personalization. Every customer is unique and deserves a personalized experience. Move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to an experience that is tailored for each person.

9. Embrace customer experience analytics. Companies today have access to a treasure trove of data that can be used to create better experiences and increase sales.

10. Define your code of ethics and data privacy in customer experience. The vast majority of customers aren’t comfortable sharing data because they don’t think it is safe. Companies need to create standards to protect customer data.

All leaders need to be focused on serving customers and instilling a customer-focused mindset in their employees and organization. Serving customers improves their relationship with the company and provides opportunities for growth.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How Do We Embrace A Growth Mindset? https://thefutureorganization.com/how-do-we-embrace-a-growth-mindset/ Wed, 12 Jan 2022 12:48:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45293 Having a growth mindset is crucial to succeeding in the future of work.

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Having a growth mindset is crucial to succeeding in the future of work.

When you have a growth mindset, you know you can change, improve, and overcome challenges. You look for ways to innovate and update yourself and your company.

Anyone can develop a growth mindset with practice. Here are three ways to embrace a growth mindset:

View Challenges as Opportunities

Most people view challenges as opportunities to fail or as things they can’t overcome. But people with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to overcome. By getting rid of the negative mindset and focusing on what you can learn from the challenge, you are more likely to grow and improve. When you view challenges as opportunities, you’re constantly pushing yourself outside your comfort zone and have more chances to grow and succeed.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

People with a fixed mindset are focused on always looking smart, but people with a growth mindset embrace vulnerability and aren’t afraid to ask for help. Admit when you don’t know something and bring in other people when you need help. Asking for help gives you a chance to learn from others and improve.

Set Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Goals are benchmarks for growth and improvement. Without goals, you’ll stay where it’s comfortable and have no reason to push yourself further. Visualize where you want to be and then work backward to set goals to get you there.

A growth mindset can make all the difference in your life and career. These three strategies can help you develop and embrace a growth mindset every day.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be An Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-be-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 11 Jan 2022 13:51:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45286 There are a lot of benefits to being an entrepreneur, but there are also a lot of challenges.

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There are a lot of benefits to being an entrepreneur, but there are also a lot of challenges.

Entrepreneurship can be a great career and lifestyle opportunity for many people, but it isn’t for everyone.

Before you take the jump into being your own boss, carefully consider all that it entails.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are five reasons you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. If you can counter all five points, entrepreneurship could be a good fit for you. But if these things apply to you, you may want to re-think entrepreneurship.

1. You need clarity and stability.

With a full-time job, you have some sense of stability and clarity. You know when and where you’ll work, who you’ll work with, the projects you’ll do, and when you’ll get paid. You won’t get that same stability as an entrepreneur, especially when you’re first starting out and don’t know what you should do next or when you’ll get paid. If you need stability and solid footing, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

2. You are afraid of failure.

As an entrepreneur, you’re sure to fail. With a full-time job, you can take on less risk. And the risks you do take often have a lesser chance of failure because you have safety nets of teams and trusted processes. Failing is uncomfortable, but entrepreneurs aren’t afraid to fail. They know failure is a step towards progress and success. If you are afraid to fail, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

3. You are uncomfortable selling.

You can’t succeed as an entrepreneur if you are afraid to sell. Much of entrepreneurship means knowing your worth, sticking to it, and looking people in the eye while you ask for the sale. You have to be comfortable talking about money and not shying away from awkward situations. If you are uncomfortable selling or talking about money, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 

4. You can’t manage ups and downs.

A full-time job brings a steady paycheck, but entrepreneurship brings a roller coaster of money and emotions. You’ll have great months when you close lots of sales and bring in lots of money, and you’ll have bad months when you can’t make a sale. Success comes from being able to manage your emotions and stay level-headed, no matter how well or poorly the business is doing. If you can’t manage ups and downs, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

5. You are uncomfortable being uncomfortable.

As an entrepreneur, you have to push yourself beyond just the tasks you are good at or enjoy doing. There will be things you’ll have to do that will make you uncomfortable and throw you outside your comfort zone. Being an entrepreneur is more than just creating a product or building a brand—it also involves running and growing a business. If you are easily flustered being uncomfortable, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. But if you look at this list and see opportunity and excitement, it could be for you.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Why Language In Leadership Matters, Why We Misuse It, & How We Can Fix It To Become Better Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/why-language-in-leadership-matters-why-we-misuse-it-how-we-can-fix-it-to-become-better-leaders/ Mon, 10 Jan 2022 11:52:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45270 My guest today is Krister Ungerböck. Krister Ungerböck is a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of the book, 22 Talk SHIFTs: Tools to Transform Leadership in Business, in Partnership, and in Life.

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Krister Ungerböck Transcript

My guest today is Krister Ungerböck. Krister Ungerböck is a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of the book, 22 Talk SHIFTs: Tools to Transform Leadership in Business, in Partnership, and in Life.  Krister Ungerböck is a leadership communication expert, keynote speaker, and former CEO of a global tech company. His work has appeared in NPR, Forbes, Inc., HR.com, Chief Executive, Recruiter.com, and Entrepreneur. Before exiting corporate life at age 42, Krister was CEO of one of the largest family-owned software companies in the world.

While leading the company to over 3,000% growth, his team won five consecutive Top Workplace Awards and achieved exceptional employee engagement levels of 99.3%.

In today’s podcast, we are talking about language. More specifically, Talk Shifts. Krister’s powerful book reveals tools that people can use to communicate more authentically and improve listening skills. In addition, he explains how emotional intelligence can drive connection, growth, and performance. His lessons are equally applicable in the workplace and at home.

The impetus for the book was five, six years ago. I found myself at the YMCA signing up for a gym membership, and I broke down crying when the woman asked me, who is your emergency contact, and I had no one. I had built this company worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And at that moment, I had no followers. I had a breakdown with my business partners, which caused me to leave the company as CEO. This was the impetus for the tools to transform leadership in the context of business. A lot of the research that I did was this concept of partnership at the highest levels of an organization. Some of the dynamics of fear that enter into leaving a marriage or a lifetime career as a senior executive where you’re making a significant income, that fear dynamic starts to create some similarities between long-term relationships and business partnerships.

The interesting thing about vision, what I realized while I was writing the book is that if you’re a CEO or a top-level executive, you have two tools at your disposal to inspire people to follow you; you have the vision of great things that you want to do together. And I think ultimately, that’s why people followed me. But the other tool is, are you the kind of person that someone wants to follow, and that comes to how we treat people and speak to them. And ultimately, what I realized is that I had a vision that people wanted to follow, but I wasn’t necessarily the leader that people wanted to pursue. And so here’s the important thing: in any organization, there’s a handful of people, maybe one to five people who get to define the vision. So every other leader in that organization can only for the most part, inspire people by being someone that people want to follow. And I think fundamentally the leadership style that I used to build this, you know, highly successful company is the same leadership style that people are running away from these days.

If you create an inspiring vision, people are going to want to follow that vision, and the leader automatically attaches themselves to that vision. You’re going to follow the idea; therefore, you’re going to follow me.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Can you talk a little bit about why those two things are not the same? And how can people want to follow the vision but not the person?

This is one of the fundamental changes in the United States, at least over the last 18-24 months. Following the vision is often a financial motivation. It’s a career motivation. It’s a success, motivation. But following a leader is about emotional connection; the person who is the leader who’s most directly responsible for my emotional well-being as an employee cares.

Great leaders don’t stop people from leaving the organization. Instead, they stop people from looking. And ultimately, the same thing happens in relationships.

There are two things as leaders in any personal, professional relationship, we need to stop the things that cause people to want to leave their jobs or relationship with bosses and do more of the things that cause people to want to stay. There are some straightforward language techniques, like not using the word “you” when having a conversation about someone’s performance. Now, that sounds like how would you even have a conversation about someone’s performance without saying, Jacob, you did this? Well, if you take that, and you start saying, well, how would I say it if I didn’t say the word you, you now begin unlocking different ways that are a little bit more indirect, but they’re less likely to put someone into that state of shutting down. All I heard was the negative thing you said, and I never listened to the positive thing because of how that negative thing was said. So these are the straightforward rules that we have in the book.

What are the similarities between marriages and relationships between bosses and employees? So much of it is fear and silence because of a power dynamic. But the exciting thing is, I asked two marriage counselors “What have women and men been saying on your therapy couch for decades?” They said he doesn’t listen; he always solves my problems, constantly criticizing me and my values. And men have very similar wording. And so the exciting thing is, these are the same things that people say about their bosses when they’re frustrated. Their bosses always solve my problems and never let me have my ideas. He cares more about the work than he cares about me. So there’s a lot to be said that the behaviors that create unhappy employees also make unhappy spouses and unhappy children.

Changing your approach and communication is a step in the right direction.  Try to speak in very fact-based terms; things you can observe, hear and see. Another simple tool is one of the other most straightforward talk shifts when you ask questions, starting with what or how. When it doesn’t start with the word what or how you’ll notice that most of these are solutions. Are they closed-ended; have you called the customer? Why didn’t you do this? Avoid why questions. Convert it to a less aggressive question by saying, I wonder what happened here? And so rather than why did you do that? Or why is the customer upset? This is one of the examples of how we can change our communication.

Have we turned our culture so soft that I need to treat you with kid gloves and use all these soft words. And I think that every time a leader says to themselves or someone says, Why are you so sensitive? We also need to ask the other question: why am I so insensitive? Because maybe the problem is not that the other person is sensitive. It’s that we’re being insensitive. And I would dare to say, as a person who said those words many, many times in my career, that the people who say, why are you so sensitive? The problem is not that the other person is so sensitive; the person who says that is too insensitive.

You can have a great company with excellent company culture. But if you have a leader who doesn’t have good, strong emotional bonds with the people, then the company itself will not necessarily keep someone there working for a mediocre or bad leader.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

What makes you a leader who people want to follow? It does come down to communication.  A good example is more autonomy and space for real conversation. The 22 Talk shifts are tools for open meetings in a more compassionate way than an aggressive way. Many readers say I would never ask an aggressive question of my wife or employee because I’m afraid to ask it. We give tools on how to have these conversations. We need to start talking about the words we’re saying, the ones we’re choosing, the ones we’re using, and the ones we’re saying, and most importantly, the ones we aren’t. Because it’s the fear-fueled silence that is causing our relationships at work and at home to end in silence. A simple example that we talked about in one of the talk shifts is the difference between requests and demands. I need you to get that project done. And it needs to be done by Thursday at 5 pm. Well, that’s a demand. Instead I can say, hey, Jacob, here’s this project, when do you think you could have it done by and you say, Thursday at 4 pm, you committed to doing it one hour earlier than I was going to tell you that it needed to be done. If you say Monday at 5 pm, I can still come back as the boss and say, Jacob, you know, unfortunately, I do need it by Friday at 5 pm. It is a simple difference between aggressive leadership and compassionate leadership that gives people a little more control.

How do you keep people accountable? Where do you begin with all this?

The book gives tools to ask others to hold you accountable. We created one of the first-ever video books, purposely with the intention that many of these tools are much more powerful If you experience them together with someone or your team. You could watch a chapter with your team to get a shared understanding and allow you to practice your communication skills and let the team help each other and also to prioritize which of the 22 tools would be the one or two that you could start with?

If you pick up the book, within the first 20 minutes, you’ll already have one thing that you can start asking people differently. You can choose which ones are more powerful to you, or, more importantly, ask other people around you which ones you think would be the best for our communication? Or ultimately, I always say that if it’s too uncomfortable to ask someone about your relationship, ask about your communication because the answer is the same.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Why Leaders Need A Short Attention Span: Insights From Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-a-short-attention-span-insights-from-jim-heppelmann-ceo-of-ptc/ Sun, 09 Jan 2022 14:55:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45277 Jim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries.

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Jim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of seven IoT leaders to watch in 2017 by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and was recognized as IoT CEO of the Year by Postscapes and technology CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.

For decades, there’s been a mentality that leaders need to have a long-term plan and stick to it. But Jim believes leaders actually need to have short attention spans if they want to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.

Jim often wakes up in the middle of the night with new ideas or ways to solve a problem. The joke at PTC is that it’s around the time that Jim gets bored with something when it really starts to work. That’s because as long as he is focused on solving something, he comes to work with those middle-of-the-night ideas to keep tweaking and fixing things.

Jim believes CEOs should be a little impatient and have a short attention span. Why? Because he says the biggest problem with experienced and tenured CEOs is that they are entrenched in old thinking.

About some CEOs, he says, “They made a decision five years ago, and for a couple of years, they improved it a little bit. And then they spent the last five years telling everybody why it works and saying they weren’t going to change it. But I’m different. I acknowledge that we improved something, but we’ve got to think about what’s next. And then let’s not wait until it’s not working to think about what’s next. Let’s start thinking about what we’re going to do next, even while this is still working pretty well.”

Listen to his interview on The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan or click here to get the transcript and listen to your favorite player.

Jim is always looking for the next round of changes that will make PTC better or protect it from a new threat headed its way. This is a quality that he believes all CEOs should have: always looking to the next thing, not just riding current success. Why Leaders Need A Short Attention Span: Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTCJim Heppelmann is CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of seven IoT leaders to watch in 2017 by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and was recognized as IoT CEO of the Year by Postscapes and technology CEO of the Year by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. For decades, there’s been a mentality that leaders need to have a long-term plan and

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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Three Powerful Ways To Motivate Yourself At Work in 2022 https://thefutureorganization.com/three-powerful-ways-to-motivate-yourself-at-work-in-2022/ Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:36:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45264 Success at work often comes down to motivation. Your leader or co-workers can motivate you, but you have to find your fire and internal motivation at some point.

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Success at work often comes down to motivation. Your leader or co-workers can motivate you, but you have to find your fire and internal motivation at some point. At times, everyone needs help to find the motivation to push through difficult or tedious tasks to be productive and reach their goals.

Here are three powerful ways to motivate yourself at work:

  1. Set Goals. Setting goals gives you purpose and direction instead of wandering aimlessly and filling your days with busy work. Start every day by deciding the three to five big things you want to get done that day. Setting those big goals also includes smaller tasks and helps you focus on the most critical projects. You can also set goals for the week, month, or year to keep yourself on track. When you reach your goals, you’ll feel an incredible sense of accomplishment, which adds to the motivation to keep going.
  2. Seek Purpose and Meaning. You’re more likely to feel motivated and productive when you understand the impact of your work. What is the purpose and meaning behind your tasks? Some projects have a more obvious and outward-facing purpose, but it can be difficult to find meaning in routine tasks. Connect your work to a bigger purpose and think of how even those repetitive tasks play into the big picture. Get involved in your company and build relationships and find your purpose and meaning from the people around you.
  3. Reward Yourself. The pull of a future reward can be great motivation to get work done. Take time to reward yourself for your hard work. These rewards can be small, like going on a walk or getting a favorite treat, or larger, like going on vacation or to a fancy dinner. Knowing that something enjoyable is waiting for you on the other side of the work motivates and acts as a great reward for getting things done.

Staying motivated can be difficult, but if you can master this skill, you’ll open doors for incredible career and personal growth. Follow these three ways to motivate yourself and stay engaged and productive all day long.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How To Set Rules For Yourself So You Accomplish More https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-set-rules-for-yourself-so-you-accomplish-more/ Wed, 05 Jan 2022 13:33:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45259 Feeling stuck in a rut? Working hard but not getting much done?
It may be time to sound boundaries for yourself.

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Feeling stuck in a rut? Working hard but not getting much done?

It may be time to sound boundaries for yourself.

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get distracted and pulled in multiple directions. Without boundaries and rules, you can find yourself working all the time but still not feeling productive.

Here are some of the rules I set for myself to help me accomplish more:

1. Don’t check email or social media until 4 pm. I even turned off notifications on my phone so I don’t get distracted by things that don’t need an urgent response.

2. Don’t take meetings with people who just want to pick my brain. It’s a slippery slope—if I were to say yes to one person who just wants to chat, that could quickly snowball so my entire day is gone without me doing anything to build my business.

3. No TV in the bedroom and no technology during mealtimes. I preserve time with family and time when I’m eating to unplug and take a break.

4. Try to be healthy. I try to eat healthily and make time for exercise. It takes time and effort, but I feel better and am more productive when I feel good.

5. Don’t take calls or meetings before 9 am or after 5 pm. I block out time in the morning to get my kids ready for school and time in the evening to spend time as a family. Without hard start and stop times, my meetings could easily spread into all hours of the day.

6. Always make time for family. It’s hard not to feel like I always need to be working, but I prioritize family time outside work hours.

7. No meetings or calls Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Instead of getting bogged down by meetings, I use these days to focus on what I need to get done without distractions. Without meetings, these are extremely productive days.

As we go into the new year, take time to create your own rules. Establishing boundaries provides structure that will shape how you spend your time and what you do.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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If You’re Bossy You Should Be An Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/if-youre-bossy-you-should-be-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 04 Jan 2022 14:05:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45256 Do people always say you are loud and bossy? If so, you’re a great candidate to be an entrepreneur.

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Do people always say you are loud and bossy? If so, you’re a great candidate to be an entrepreneur.

For years, my wife Blake struggled to grow her business because she was too afraid to speak up. She didn’t want to toot her own horn and ended up leaving so much money on the table.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

But then Blake decided that things had to change. She stopped working for free and started promoting herself, asking for money, and closing sales. Her life and business changed, and she made hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Women often face a tricky balancing act as they try to walk the tightrope between being likable and successful. Blake constantly worried about saying the wrong thing, coming across as too aggressive, or being viewed as too soft and missing business opportunities.

Her advice to other women is to forget about being likable. As an entrepreneur, you don’t need people to like you. You choose who you work with. Being viewed as loud and bossy means you have opinions, are decisive, and have energy to give. Those are all great skills for entrepreneurs.

Don’t worry about being bossy or aggressive—you’ll be a great entrepreneur.

———————————–

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How To Master The Art & Science Of Stress-Free Productivity With David Allen https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-master-the-art-science-of-stress-free-productivity-with-david-allen/ Mon, 03 Jan 2022 12:19:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45238 David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_David_Allen_-_Ready.mp3

David Allen Transcript

David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. His thirty-year pioneering research and coaching to corporate managers and CEOs of some of America’s most prestigious corporations and institutions has earned him Forbes’ recognition as one of the top five executive coaches in the U.S. and Time Magazine called his flagship book, “Getting Things Done”, “the definitive business self-help book of the decade.”  

He is the founder of the David Allen Company, an executive coaching firm using his “Getting Things Done” methodology. David Allen Company presenters, not Allen, regularly give one-day public seminars on the methodology, and Allen himself occasionally gives lectures or sessions.

The Getting Things Done method rests on the idea of moving items of interest, relevant information, issues, tasks and projects out of the mind, by recording them externally, and then breaking them into actionable work items. And this allows attention to be focused on taking action on tasks instead of recalling them.

The first thing you need to do is recognize what’s off in the situation. Then implement the Getting Things Done Methodology.

David’s Getting Things Done Methodology framework is made up of five key action items. They are:

  • Capture–identify what has your attention and write it down, record it, or gather everything into a collection tool
  • Clarify–Once you have identified what has your attention, process what it means. Are there any action items that they require? If yes, then write down all the actions you need to take. If not, figure out if it’s trash, something to just remember, or something to put on hold
  • Organize–Now that you know what has your attention and what you need to do about it, put reminders up where you will see them and organize the details in a place you will look at
  • Review–Frequently look back on all of your reminders and lists and make sure to keep it updated
  • Engage–Go and get things done

By using these steps you get all of the unnecessary things out of your head so you can focus on what needs to get done today, right now. As David shares, there are going to be times when life gets chaotic, there are going to be fires you have to put out occasionally. Having these steps in place in order to get everything else under control will help you to better address those issues when they come up because you can focus on the fire and know that when it is out you know exactly where to pick up and carry on. 

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

As a result of not having a process in place to handle all of your responsibilities, commitments, ideas, etc…, you feel stressed out, and things seem out of control. These things keep you awake at night and cause you worry during the day. Ambient anxiety is the feeling of endless opportunity that can impact your health and well-being, but also keeps you from being in the moment while you are trying to concentrate on one thing because your mind is always racing and thinking about other things at the same time.  It’s easy to get these things under control if you use David’s five-part framework. Put things in writing, organize them, set reminders–and you’ll be able to see them when needed. There is a lack of awareness among most people about this issue and that it prevents them from being productive. 

Getting Things Done involves the ability to say ‘no’ to commitments. Every time you commit to something, it takes energy away from other tasks. So when you say yes, you have to make sure that it fits with your goals and priorities. You need to know what you are trying to accomplish before you can say no to things. If you don’t know what you need to be working on, how are you going to justify saying no to something else? This is another reason why writing things down is helpful.  And saying no doesn’t have to sound mean or rude. If your boss comes to you and gives you more work you could go to them and say “You know, these are great projects that you just gave to me. Can I show you what I currently have on my plate and can we talk about the priority of them, because I can’t do them all. If these are more critical, I will need to let something else go.” Before taking on more commitments, you should really think about the ones you already have. Being overcommitted will definitely lead you to be less productive and stressed. 

The best way to start the process when you are overwhelmed is you sit down, take an hour and unload everything off your mind. Just make a list. Everybody listening to this or watching this is at some point confused and overwhelmed. Just get it out of your head, just get a little more objective sense of all those options. Any one thing can make your life feel overwhelmed. If you haven’t got it objectified and have control of it. Everybody’s made a list and felt more in control and more comfortable and the world didn’t change what you did, what you changed how you engage with the world. So the first step in engaging with the world is identifying what’s got your attention.  

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How To Work With Multiple Generations of Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-work-with-multiple-generations-of-employees/ Sun, 02 Jan 2022 06:52:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45234 We’ve worked with multiple generations for years, but today’s workforce faces unique challenges.

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We’ve worked with multiple generations for years, but today’s workforce faces unique challenges.

While it used to be just a few generations working together, most organizations now have employees from five different generations, each with their own motivations, experiences, and perspectives.

Managing employees who care about different things and creating an environment where all generations are valued and engaged can be challenging.

Here are three ways to work with and lead multiple generations of employees:

  1. Avoid stereotypes. Don’t assume that every person from a generation acts or believes a certain way. Not every older employee is bad with technology, and not every younger employee is entitled or lazy. Be aware of what stereotypes exist to make sure you don’t bring them into your organization.
  2. Focus on the life stage. The stage somebody is at in their life is more important than the stereotype. They might be a younger employee who has a family and kids or an older employee with few responsibilities. Focusing on the life stage helps you understand each employee as an individual instead of just a member of their generation.
  3. Practice empathy. Empathy is always important, but especially when working with multiple generations. We need to remember that different generations went through different things. Try to see things from their perspective and understand where they’re coming from.

Successfully bringing together multiple generations can create a rich and diverse workforce that highlights the strengths of all employees and leads to growth and productivity.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Creating And Scaling An Amazing Culture For A Remote Workforce: Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners https://thefutureorganization.com/creating-and-scaling-an-amazing-culture-for-a-remote-workforce-robert-glazer-ceo-of-acceleration-partners/ Sat, 01 Jan 2022 14:33:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45241 I really thought COVID was coming to end, I'm sure you did too. But sadly, it appears that we are not quite there yet which means more virtual work for everyone.

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I really thought COVID was coming to end, I’m sure you did too.

But sadly, it appears that we are not quite there yet which means more virtual work for everyone.

I’m always fascinated how some leaders are able to build, scale, and sustain virtual teams, especially as they get to be larger in size. After all, there are so many factors and variables to consider!

Robert Glazer is the best-selling author of Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others.

He’s also CEO of Acceleration Partners, a company that manages affiliate and partner marketing programs for well-known brands like Adidas, LinkedIn, and Target. He has a 99% approval rating on Glassdoor, 90% of employees would recommend the company to a friend, and it has an overall rating of 4.6 stars.

But here’s the best part…Robert and his hundreds of employees are all remote!

Listen to his interview on The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan or click here to get the transcript and listen to your favorite player

The lesson from Robert is how he manages to create and scale an amazing culture for a workforce that actually doesn’t work together in person.

Robert shares that the key to having a successful remote team is to start with the core values of the organization. Once you know your core values, you can intentionally attract and hire the right people. Contrary to what happens in most organizations, Robert and his team understand that not every person will feel like the company is right for them.

A lot of organizations try to be the best place to work for everyone. But just like not everyone likes the same food or the same music, not everyone is going to be a good fit for your company. Leaders and organizations need to learn to embrace that fact. We need to be open and honest with potential hires about what it’s really like to work inside the organization. It isn’t effective to sugar coat what their experience might be.

Robert says staying consistent in your core values is very important for building that culture. Acceleration Partners rewards and punishes based on the company values, which are Own It, Embrace Relationships, and Excel & Improve. Leaders and employees consistently talk about and support these values. There’s no question about what the company stands for and what it looks for in employees.

For people who feel it is a good fit, the company has a lot of tools and resources to help everyone feel connected. Employees use Slack to communicate and have frequent video calls, plus they have regional in-person meetups and a companywide in-person summit at the end of each year.

But ultimately it’s the people who create the culture. So having those core values set up from the beginning and using those for attracting and hiring is critical.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Three Ways To Battle Entrenched Thinking https://thefutureorganization.com/three-ways-to-battle-entrenched-thinking/ Wed, 29 Dec 2021 14:07:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45227 One of the biggest challenges of the future of work is convincing people that change is productive and positive.

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One of the biggest challenges of the future of work is convincing people that change is productive and positive. As you fight for change, you’ll undoubtedly come across people who are used to doing things how they’ve always been done and don’t want to change.

Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC, shared three pieces of advice with me on how to battle entrenched thinking to move your team or your company forward.

  1. Make change part of the company brand. Jim created slogans like “Take a Fresh Look” and made change one of his organization’s core values. Updating the company’s internal and external brand to encourage change makes it clear your organization is moving forward and helps employees make sure they really are taking a fresh look when they make decisions.
  2. Lead by example. If you as a leader are always looking to the past and using old ideas, your employees will do the same. Leaders need to ask questions and look for better ways of doing things. When you set an example and battle your entrenched thinking, you encourage people around you to do the same.
  3. Celebrate change, even if it failed. Failure and growth are inextricably linked. You can’t innovate unless you are willing to make mistakes. Reward the behavior of trying something new, not just the result. If someone takes a risk that doesn’t work, celebrate the effort and focus on trying new things instead of the end result. Reward and recognize the behavior you want to see.

Future leaders and change-makers will always have to battle entrenched thinking. Following Jim’s advice can help you lead change within your team and organization and move towards a better way of working.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Challenging Yourself Should Be Reward-Driven Not Punishment-Driven https://thefutureorganization.com/challenging-yourself-should-be-reward-driven-not-punishment-driven/ Tue, 28 Dec 2021 14:14:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45223 You’ve likely been around two types of people who work hard.

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You’ve likely been around two types of people who work hard.

One on hand is the person who takes walks, goes on vacations, and seems relaxed even though they work incredibly hard.

On the other hand, is someone who also works hard but always seems exhausted and stressed.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

The difference between these two types of people is being reward-driven instead of punishment-driven.

As a society, we tend to reward the constant hustle. People feel they have to prove themselves by working harder than anyone else and not taking breaks. But that just leaves you constantly exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed.

Accomplishing hard things is best done when related to something we want. If you’re climbing a mountain and know there won’t be anything exciting or worthwhile at the top, the trudge would be grueling and thankless. But if you know there’s something you want at the top of the mountain, you have the motivation that makes each step easier. The actual work doesn’t change, but your mental approach to the task transforms.

Our bodies and minds grow when we give them time to rest. As you challenge yourself, you should also constantly replenish your energy. Constant beatdown isn’t a sustainable strategy—eventually, you’ll get burnout and stop enjoying the work.

———————————–

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 

Instead, ritualize rewards into your daily life. Micro-rewards are small gifts to yourself throughout the week. Schedule a free afternoon once a week to do whatever you want, batch your tasks and schedule small breaks, reward yourself after a hard day with a walk around the neighborhood or a massage. These regular, small rewards bring you back to your core so you don’t lose yourself.

Macro-rewards are larger and more expensive, like going on your dream vacation or going back to school to invest in yourself. Use these as times to set aside work and truly relax and spend time on yourself.

Give yourself rewards instead of just punishing yourself with constant work. Don’t apologize for taking breaks and replenishing yourself. Focusing on rewards allows you to work hard because you know at the other end is something that you want.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Top 10 Future of Work Podcast Interviews of 2021 https://thefutureorganization.com/top-10-future-of-work-podcast-interviews-of-2021/ Mon, 27 Dec 2021 12:02:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45200 For years, I’ve been interviewing leaders and experts on my podcast, The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Top_10_of_2021_Episode_-_Ready.mp3

For years, I’ve been interviewing leaders and experts on my podcast, The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan.

But for some reason, everything felt different in 2021. These experts’ advice and insights became more real and critical to success as organizations and leaders faced unprecedented challenges and change every day.

The future of work is here, and we need to do everything we can to adapt and prepare.

Clearly, you have the same mindset as you listened to the podcast. Here are the top 10 podcast interviews of the year with incredible leaders from around the world:

1. Crucial Life & Leadership Lessons From Sébastien Bazin, CEO of Accor

 

Leading more than 280,000 global employees can be intimidating for some, but Sébastien says it doesn’t matter the size of your team because, in the end, it’s all about the individuals. The most important part of leading any group of people, Sébastien says, is to remember that everything you do is critical—your words, face, presence, and body language. Being honest and transparent is crucial for leadership success.

In this interview, Sébastien shared how he wrote his own job description and how he handles the intense pressure modern leaders face. When something happens to him, Sébastien asks himself a series of questions to put things into perspective.

2. How to Create Executive Presence and Why It’s So Important with Tom Henschel, host of The Look and Sound of Leadership

 

Leaders need more than just business skills to succeed—they also must have executive presence that motivates and inspires their teams. Executive presence can set confident leaders apart and open doors for themselves and their companies.

Tom studied drama at The Juilliard School and was a professional actor for 20 years before becoming a communication and leadership coach. He shared why executive presence matters so much and how all leaders can develop and strengthen their presence.

3. Top 15 Leadership Lessons from 2020

 

2020 was a rough year, and much of that extended into 2021. This episode featured the best leadership advice from 15 past podcast guests, including The Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, and Microsoft US president Kate Johnson. Their lessons ranged from creating your own luck to leading by example and what to do if you feel stuck at work. Though the advice was given with the uncertainty of 2020 in mind, these lessons are timeless for all leaders.

4. How to Go from Top Performer to Excellent Leader with Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show

 

Being a top performer doesn’t mean you are a great leader. But so many companies still rely on this benchmark alone when promoting people to leadership roles. Ryan learned this as he excelled in his career and then was put in management positions with no training or guidance where he had to learn on the fly. Organizations need to look for other characteristics in their leaders than just being a great worker and invest more in training future leaders.

In this interview, Ryan shared what he looks for in a good leader and how companies can solve the leadership problem. He says the best leaders start by leading themselves.

5. Aron Ain, CEO of 13,000-Person Ultimate Kronos Group on Building a Company Where Everyone Loves to Work

 

Building a company where people want to come to work is all about trust, transparency, and collaboration. Aron should know because UKG is regularly rated as one of the best places to work globally. He believes employees don’t come to work for free food or parties but because of the organization itself. One of the biggest factors in employee engagement and satisfaction is the leaders employees work with daily, which is why UKG places such high emphasis on leader training and evaluation.

In this episode, Aron offered an inside look at what makes UKG a great place to work and shares the importance of consistency, humility, and gratitude for leaders.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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6. The Father of Emotional Intelligence on How to Manage Your Emotions at Work and Why EQ is More Valuable than IQ with psychologist and best-selling author Daniel Goleman

 

Emotional intelligence includes empathy, adaptability, staying positive, and focusing on a goal without getting distracted. It is crucial to all leaders and employees, especially as they work with other people and have to control their emotions and spread their emotional state to others.

Daniel is the ultimate expert on EQ and shared why it matters, how it can be developed, and even why it is more important than IQ, which used to be the standard for measuring intelligence.

7. How to Thrive in a Post-COVID-19 World with Jeff Schwartz, U.S. Leader for the Future of Work at Deloitte

 

Business leaders are always looking to see what’s coming in the future of work. But the pandemic accelerated timetables, and now Jeff believes we are at the end of the beginning of the future of work. The next chapter will see the implementation and scaling of the technologies we have in place.

Jeff and his team at Deloitte have released annual trend reports since 2011 that track where the world of work is heading. In this interview, Jeff shared his most recent insights and how the pandemic will forever change how we work.

8. The Future of Work Post-COVID-19: Insights from Goodwill CEO with Steve Preston

 

With more than 140,000 employees across the U.S. and 650 job centers for training and placement, Steve has unique insights into how the world of work is changing, especially amidst the pandemic. Over the past few years, companies have accelerated their digital transformations, making digital skills more crucial than ever.

Steve shared his predictions for the future of work and how companies can move to a hybrid model, as well as how employees can increase their skills, add digital capabilities, and build their networks to find work and grow their careers

9. How the CEO of CPChem Leads with Trust, Transparency, and Simplicity with Mark Lashier

 

Mark has made trust, transparency, and simplicity hallmarks of his leadership since becoming CEO in 2017, but they became even more critical in the uncertainty of 2020. Mark knew that his employees and his customers had to trust him and each other and that he had to be open and transparent and remove red tape so people could do their jobs. He believes the best leaders bring these values to life and leverage technology to be open and honest with their employees and customers.

In this interview, Mark shared his advice for being honest and leading by example, no matter the circumstances.

10. Creating a Culture of Reinvention by Removing Rules, Giving Freedom, and Hiring and Paying the Best People Well with professor and author Erin Meyer

 

Netflix is known around the world for its unique culture that can be off putting for some people. When Erin first started researching the company, she was taken aback by a culture slide that said, “Adequate performance gets a generous severance.” But Netflix’s culture has led to incredible growth and turned the company into an innovative leader in technology, entertainment, and customer experience.

Erin shared insights from her new book, which she co-authored with Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings, about what makes the culture of Netflix stand out and how the company’s blunt and unconventional ways have inspired its success.

Thank you to all of the guests and to everyone who listened to and shared the podcast this year. You can find all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and my website.

Looking forward to a great year of content in 2022!

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: Morality, Ethics, and Transparency https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-morality-ethics-and-transparency/ Sat, 25 Dec 2021 14:18:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45193 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

It used to be that leaders who were the loudest, brashest, and most ego-driven were the ones who got noticed and seemed to be the most successful. Those days are gone, and a new wave of humble servant leaders has taken their place. A push for morality, ethics, and transparency has led to more authentic and humble leaders. Companies with ethical foundations perform better financially and have higher customer and employee satisfaction. In one study, the bottom-scoring companies on business ethics were four times more likely than top-scoring ethical companies to experience a severe stock-price loss.

The need for transparency has never been greater. Through social media, leaders are under a bright spotlight and can have their every move criticized. At the same time, employees, customers, and shareholders demand authentic leaders who don’t hide behind their titles but who are actively engaged with their companies and showing their personalities and values. Leaders of the future must determine their moral compasses and have a strong sense of their personal beliefs. They need to be trustworthy and act according to their personal moral code. Simply standing still is no longer good enough; leaders need to take a stand and be as authentic and transparent as possible.

What you can do now:

  • Create your own definition of leadership. Think about what matters to you as a leader and what characteristics and skills you prioritize in leaders and then work to build those in yourself. With a strong definition, you can put filters in place to promote and train the best future leaders.
  • Create your personal code of ethics. Decide what you stand for and the personal guidelines you will follow to make good decisions. Establishing your ethical and moral compass now makes it easier to make the right decisions in the moment, even if they are difficult.
  • Practice transparency with your leaders and colleagues. You don’t have to be a leader to give transparent updates on projects and authentically share your work and personality.
  • Demand transparency in your organization. Ask questions and make it clear that employees want leaders who are ethical, authentic, and transparent. Do your part to build a culture of transparency that you can build on as a future leader.

“Future leaders must practice constant reflection and transparency, not just by themselves but with their teams. When I hold meetings, anyone is allowed to question a practice, a policy, or a behavior in our company and they are also allowed to question me as a leader. There should be no place for leaders to hide in their organizations.” –Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen

“Leadership will be a much more public endeavor than it has been in the past. It will require increased awareness of social issues and a recognition that clients want to do business with companies that contribute to a greater social good.” –Bill Rogers, chairman and COO of Truist Financial Corporation

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How To Think Like A Global Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-think-like-a-global-leader/ Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:23:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45196 The world is becoming increasingly connected, which means all leaders need to become global leaders.

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The world is becoming increasingly connected, which means all leaders need to become global leaders.

Today, and increasingly in the future, there’s no such thing as local or regional companies or leaders—everyone can connect with and impact the world.

Leaders must adopt the Global Citizen mindset to embrace diversity and think globally. Future leaders need to look beyond their own cities, countries, and teams to work with the entire world.

Leaders have to be comfortable working with people who don’t look or act like them or believe in the same things they believe in. Even if you are still leading from home, truly globally-minded leaders can be taken out of their environment and still lead effectively in any group, anywhere in the world.

Here are three ways to think like a global leader and develop the Global Citizen mindset:

  1. Experience different perspectives. Break out of your bubble to learn from and interact with different people. Travel the world and immerse yourself in new cultures or spend time with diverse people at home to understand their unique points of view.
  2. Lead teams from different departments and geographies. Push yourself out of your comfort zone to work with other groups of people. Think big picture and learn how different teams contribute to large goals.
  3. Actively seek to be a part of and create teams of individuals with physical and cognitive diversity. It often takes a push from employees to get companies to create diverse teams. Celebrate inclusion and welcome all backgrounds and points of view.

Global leaders will only increase in importance in the coming years. Adopting the Global Citizen mindset now can prepare leaders to succeed in the future.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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3 Things Leaders Do https://thefutureorganization.com/3-things-leaders-do-2/ Wed, 22 Dec 2021 14:11:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45186 Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of the top leaders around the world. And although they all have their unique habits and personalities, they also have much in common.

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Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of the top leaders around the world. And although they all have their unique habits and personalities, they also have much in common. In all my discussions with great leaders, these three traits stand out:

  1. They take time for themselves. Great leaders spend time meditating, journaling, exercising, or pursuing a hobby. That time to themselves helps them reflect on how they can grow and improve and allows them to see the big picture. Taking time for themselves helps leaders be in top form to help their people and their organizations.
  2. They have goals. Great leaders are always working towards something and set daily and long-term goals for themselves and their companies. Without goals, it’s easy to flounder and not have a set purpose or direction.
  3. They spend time with people. Great leaders don’t stay in their corner offices. They are on the ground interacting with all sorts of people, including front-line employees and customers. These leaders don’t just spend time with their peers but instead interact with diverse groups, join meetings, and ask questions to get a sense of what’s really happening in their companies.

These three actions are relatively simple but set great leaders apart from mediocre or bad leaders. If you want to become a great leader, follow in the footsteps of the world’s best examples with these three activities.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Top 10 Be Your Own Boss Podcast Episodes of 2021 https://thefutureorganization.com/top-10-be-your-own-boss-podcast-episodes-of-2021/ Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:05:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45169 As entrepreneurs, we're constantly learning and evolving. Some of our biggest lessons have come from interviewing other successful entrepreneurs on the BYOB Podcast and sharing our best tips and advice with all of you.

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As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly learning and evolving. Some of our biggest lessons have come from interviewing other successful entrepreneurs on the BYOB Podcast and sharing our best tips and advice with all of you.

Here are the top 10 BYOB episodes of 2021:

1. 5 Self Sabotaging Behaviors That You Need to Stop Now

 

Whether consciously or subconsciously, almost all of us have self-sabotaged at some point. It’s the thoughts or actions that stop us from achieving our goals, dreams, and plans. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to identify and avoid these self-sabotaging behaviors so you can continue to push yourself to your dreams.

In this episode, we shared our own self-sabotage experiences, how we overcome negative self-talk and research on how to get out of your own way.

2. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity With David Allen

 

Have you ever had so many things to do that you don’t know where to start? An overwhelming to-do list or lack of focus can make it challenging to be productive and add unnecessary stress to your life. David Allen has spent the last 30 years helping people be more productive and less stressed with his book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. No matter what’s on your plate, you can get it all done without feeling stressed — if you take the right approach.

In this episode, David shared his five-step Getting Things Done Methodology to help you get things out of your head so you can focus on what needs to get done right now.

3. How To Create A Content Calendar

 

No matter your type of business, you’re likely sharing at least part of it online. The most successful entrepreneurs use the internet to build their personal brand and grow their business, but it isn’t by posting things on a whim. Successful and relevant content creation comes from building a content calendar to stay organized and ensure you’re using the best channels to share consistent, relevant information.

We shared why a content calendar is important, how to create a strategic content calendar, and the platforms you should be using to build your brand and share your content.

4. Why Now Is A Great Time To Be An Entrepreneur

 

Even with the uncertainty of the past few years, there’s never been a better time to be an entrepreneur. When you build your own business, you control your success and livelihood. Armed with technology that makes it easier than ever to deliver products and services and to learn on the fly, as well as access to widespread resources and information, now is a great time to be an entrepreneur.

In this episode, we shared ten reasons why now is the perfect time to make the jump into entrepreneurship.

5. How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

 

With smartphones, social media, and constant connectedness, it’s easy to get distracted. But reaching your full potential, both as a person and as an entrepreneur, requires that you become indistractable. Nir Eyal, best-selling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, believes distraction isn’t the opposite of focus — it’s the opposite of traction. Learning to become indistractable propels you forward and puts you in control of your life.

In our interview, Nir shared four steps to become indistractable, how entrepreneurs can better manage their time, and why most people do things in the wrong order.

. . .

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

. . .

6. Overcoming Tough Obstacles To Become A Successful Entrepreneur

 

Gita Bhargava became an entrepreneur at age 16 when she inherited the family business. She came to the U.S. from India when she was 21 and eventually founded Global Upside, a business expansion company that now has 16 global offices and works in more than 170 countries. Gita’s journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur wasn’t easy, but she learned valuable lessons along the way about endurance and determination.

In this episode, Gita shared the five principles she lives and dies by that have helped her overcome obstacles and find success in all areas of her life.

7. How To Set Goals For 2021

 

A common characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is that they all set goals. It’s hard to know where you want to go and to be able to keep track of how your business is doing if you don’t have a specific direction you’re going in and benchmarks in place to measure. By looking at where you currently are and where you want to go, you can create goals and chart a path to success.

We shared how we set goals in this episode and gave seven tips to set aggressive but achievable goals.

8. Natural Talent + Hard Work: How To Become #1 In What You Do (Part 1)

 

Mel Robbins went from rock bottom to become the most booked female speaker in the world and a best-selling author. Her journey to the top has been defined by determination and getting back on track every time she fails. Mel is a strong believer in positive self-talk and created the High-Five Habit to physically give yourself a high-five in the mirror every day to build confidence and the right attitude.

In this interview, Mel shared her story and how she combined natural talent and hard work to become the best in her industry.

9. Create A Business That Rewards You Emotionally, Intellectually & Financially With Dorie Clark Part 1 and Create A Business That Rewards You Emotionally, Intellectually & Financially W/ Dorie Clark Part 2

Dorie Clark’s career was filled with pivots and changes before becoming a successful entrepreneur. Her experiences taught her the importance of creating an emotionally, intellectually, and financially rewarding business. Dorie says one of the most important things entrepreneurs can do is to question and validate your assumptions about how things will go as you first start. Being realistic and thinking through roadblocks with creative solutions can lead to a rewarding business.

In these episodes, Dorie shared her entrepreneurial journey, how to plan for success, and how to create a personal brand that stands out.

10. Five Key Tips To Maximize LinkedIn

 

Entrepreneurs have countless options for sharing their message and building their brand online, but one of the most important tools is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is by far one of our favorite social media platforms to use for our businesses. It has allowed us to generate leads, create a huge network, and get our content out to hundreds of thousands of people. But it takes a strong LinkedIn strategy to take full advantage of the platform.

In this episode, we share our five key tips to maximizing LinkedIn from our more than 14 years of using the platform.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How We Make Decisions, The Behaviors That Keep Us From Goals, and Strategies For Driving Change https://thefutureorganization.com/how-we-make-decisions-the-behaviors-that-keep-us-from-goals-and-strategies-for-driving-change/ Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:56:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45161 My guest today is Katy Milkman. Katy Milkman is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, host of Charles Schwab's popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Katy_Milkman_-_Ready.mp3

Katy Milkman Transcript

My guest today is Katy Milkman. Katy Milkman is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making. In addition, she is the co-founder and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative, a research center to advance the science of lasting behavior change.

She’s also the author of a top-rated book called How to change the science of getting from where you are to where you want to be.

When making decisions, we use both emotion and logic. The original economic model of decision-making was dispassionate. It said emotion usually is not a part of the decision, and it’s an optimization problem that we’re solving in life. And then behavioral scientists have come along. Behavior economics has developed and added in the emotion and pointed out, oh, actually, we care a lot about things like inequality and, we’re going to try to avoid outcomes that make other people suffer.

What have organizations done to influence decision-making and judgment and change that consumers probably are not aware of that has ever happened?

Facebook was exploring whether or not their platform could be used to increase that voter turnout metric. And they did an A B test where they randomly assigned some people to see information about their friends, and whether who had claimed to vote, you know, who said, told the site I voted. So either they show you a bunch of your friends, each one voted, or they don’t. And what they found is offering you a bunch of your friends and a message that these other folks have voted, increasing your likelihood to vote because social norms influence us. So it matters to us what everyone else is doing. I should do it too.

Techniques that are being used which are more effective at driving change happen when other people around are doing the same.  An example is Hey, did you know that 90% of your neighbors are using less energy than you are? It turns out you’re going to start consuming less energy because you’re like, Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m the guzzler, I’ve got to start switching LED bulbs and turning off the lights when I leave. So we are an example of something that’s sort of in the toolbox. And there’s a lot of leaders who see something that’s not working in their organization, maybe, not enough people are saving for retirement, nobody’s exercising, no one’s taking their medications, we’ve got an issue with nobody is showing up on time for meetings, and they go to the grab bag, we sort of have a list of successful studies. But it is crucial to diagnose or ask why people do not want to change.

I’m trying to get a change to happen in my company. I want my employees to be more innovative. I want them to be more engaged. And you say, well, first, you have to diagnose why that’s not happening. How do you start that first phase of diagnosing? Is there a specific process that you go through?

Talk directly to them. If you can go, start asking questions of the individuals. What are the sticking points? The conversation often gets you pretty far.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

There are six common internal barriers to change. How we can remove them is a pretty simple set of things. And it’s not that hard once you understand what the problem is. So in the book I wrote recently, that’s actually how I’ve organized it. These are the things that I think are the most common barriers and the solutions that science offers. And they range from the challenge of just motivating people to get started impulsively like it’s not instantly gratifying. Procrastination is the flip side, forgetting, which I think we underappreciated as barriers. Laziness, although that sounds so negative, and I mean it lovingly. Because laziness is an asset, right? In that, you want to take the shortcut whenever you can. In life, that’s how you get to the finish line as fast as you can. So it’s a good thing to look for those shortcuts. It’s just that it can also trip us up believing that you can do it right, having confidence. And then finally, another issue is social. So did the people around you show you it’s possible? It’s related to belief, but it’s the social component. So this is sort of the biggest, most common thing I have seen, and diagnosing it starts with being aware of what they are—and again, having conversations with people about what seems to be the sticking point in trying to map it out.

Everyone has a different opinion on how to get things done and how to drive change.

There is solid evidence that goal setting adds tremendous value. But of course, not always. And I think that’s one of the reasons we get into these debates is because everyone wants the one size fits all solution and skips that diagnosis phase. And so you know, if you look around, you can find examples of times when goals are successful and when they’re not. Goals give us something to strive for and push towards.  Goals can be dangerous when the goal you set is the wrong goal, or if it crowds out other things. So they need to be broken down into bite-sized pieces. So it’s not distant and ambiguous. And it needs to be clear what the metrics are. And they need to push you.

Internal barriers to change:

Getting Started problem: I need to make a change; I have some desire to change, there’s some other goal I’d like to achieve. I’ll worry about that tomorrow. I’m not going to get started today. To jumpstart change, we use moments in our lives when we feel like we’re turning the page on a chapter and it’s a new chapter we’re beginning. They can be little fresh starts, so Mondays are a fresh mini start. They can be more prominent fresh starts like a New Year, the celebration of a significant birthday, or I’m moving to a new community or a new role. Leaders don’t do enough to capitalize on those moments, and we’ve shown in research that if we call people’s attention to a fresh start moment that they might not otherwise be focused on and encourage them to make a change at that time, that can be successful.

Impulsivity: The tendency we have to overvalue the instant gratification we’ll get from action and underappreciated and underweight the long-term consequences.

In reality, we get further faster when we look for an enjoyable way to pursue our goals because we keep at them because the experience is pleasant. And we value the here and now. So basically, I think one of the most important things that we can know as leaders and as individuals about ourselves is, we have this misconception we’ll be able to push through the pain and push through unpleasantness. But, in reality, we get our best work done when we’re enjoying the experience.

Procrastination: A Technique to use is the commitment device, which has been studied extensively by actual economists and psychologists. It’s a tool that penalizes you if you fail to achieve a goal. And that creates an incentive structure that will be more costly to procrastinate than it will be beneficial. If you can put money on the line, this is called the cash commitment device that you agree to forfeit. For example, suppose you fail to achieve a particular goal by a specific date. Websites like stick.com and Beeminder, help people create plans. You can forfeit money to a charitable cause if a referee reports that you didn’t achieve the goal. And these kinds of tools have been proven to have effective incentives to work, and you can incentivize yourself.

Forgetting: If we don’t remember to follow through on critical things, that will help us achieve our goals constantly. And there are valuable reminders. A tool that Peter Gollwitzer of NYU has studied is called a planning prompt. That’s a helpful tool when you’re trying to help somebody make sure they actually will follow through on an intention. You walk them through some questions like when will you do it? Where will you do it? And how will you get there? Thinking through those simple things can help remind people to stay on task. You have to break down all of those components; you’re less likely to forget because it’s now concrete; you’ve thought through the obstacles in going through the questions and that’s how memory is structured. And maybe you put it on your calendar and now actually get a calendar alert when it’s time to do it. There are a lot of simple tools that can help with forgetting

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Laziness – There are two big things we can do about laziness. The first is to set defaults wisely. When you set up a system, the path of least resistance, what will happen, if someone takes no effort at all, is a positive outcome, you get great results. The most famous is savings defaults; you join a new employer and they default you into part of a retirement savings program like a 401k. So that a portion of every paycheck is just automatically sent in a savings account. If they opt you in, you see almost 40% more employees start saving and therefore accumulate a decent arsenal for retirement than if you make it easy to opt-in.

Anytime it’s something even that is unimportant, but where it could have consequences for their health or wellness, try to make sure that the default has been set to something that will be advantageous for most people.

Habits: Habits are autopilot for repeated decisions, default actions, and they can be trained deliberately. It’s a straightforward engagement in behavior and making sure there is a reward. You could do this for yourself or encourage someone else to form a habit, repeat, and repeat as often as possible. And that is the formula that tends to put things on autopilot.

A key barrier to change is having good social support and having confidence in yourself built from others relying on you.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: Globalization https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-globalization/ Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:52:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45158 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

With increased connectivity and technology, the world becomes smaller and smaller. Whereas companies used to be able to operate independently from the rest of the world, in the future there is no such thing as a local or regional company—all organizations are global organizations because they have the potential to reach international audiences and hire employees from around the world.

Globalization brings great opportunities to reach new audiences and tap into new talent, but it also comes with challenges. Future leaders need to embrace globalization while also understanding the complex geopolitical issues at play. Leaders need to be global citizens who appreciate different cultures and know how to communicate across cultural and language barriers. Leaders need to understand cultures and pay attention to what is happening around the world. They can no longer lead on an island but must understand and likely get involved with global issues and cultures.

What you can do now:

  • Pay attention to the world around you. Read the news and know what is happening in other industries and countries. Talk to people from other parts of the world to learn about their cultures and beliefs.
  • Prepare your employees to potentially work with customers and colleagues from around the world.
  • Become a global citizen. That doesn’t mean you have to live somewhere else in the world, but it does mean you need to be able to lead in different situations by learning and listening to people from different cultures and backgrounds.

“The world is simultaneously becoming more global due to digital technologies and infrastructures, and more local, with a strong comeback of regional specificities where a good knowledge of local culture is a crucial condition for success. Consequently, the leaders of companies have to deal with these two opposing trends.” –Pierre-André de Chalendar, CEO of Saint Gobain

Understanding these six trends is crucial to becoming a future-ready leader. The world of work is constantly changing, but if you can identify the changing parts, you can prepare to lead in a rapidly evolving world.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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The CEO of Unit4 On Leading With Purpose, Hybrid Work, & The Human Side of Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-unit4-on-leading-with-purpose-hybrid-work-the-human-side-of-technology/ Thu, 16 Dec 2021 14:34:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45057 Mike Etttling is the CEO of Unit4, a software company that designs and delivers enterprise software and ERP applications including finance management, accounting, talent management, and student management modules. The company has around 2,700 employees in 26 countries around the world.

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Mike Ettling is the CEO of Unit4, a next-generation enterprise solution company that brings together the capabilities of Financials, Procurement, Project Management, HR and FP&A onto a unified cloud platform that shares real-time information and is designed with a powerful, people-centric approach, so employees can benefit from better insight and become more effective and increasingly engaged. The company has around 2,700 employees in 26 countries around the world. Unit4 serves more than 6,000 customers globally including Bravida, Havas, Migros Aare, Americares, Save the Children International, Southampton City Council, Habitat for Humanity, FTI Consulting, and Surrey County Council to name a few.

Mike had an interesting journey to being CEO;  he originally studied accounting which he believes is an important language of business. Through his career journey,  he discovered that leadership was a better fit for him and while he still uses the language of accounting in his current role, leadership is more about people skills.

When it comes to his success as a leader, he says he has definitely had to work hard, but his “superpower” is being able to paint a vision and make it tangible for people to relate to. Equally critical is the ability to create purpose around the vision, something which he’s employed at Unit4.

“’I’ve always said, if you can get the purpose right, that’s 75% of the job done as a leader, because it’s a massive tailwind in your sails, if you can really get 2700 people really rallied and focused around the purpose. You know, and people, people give 40 hours a week because they believe in a purpose, not because of pay and benefits and all those other things. Purpose is what drives that discretionary effort, which makes great companies. So that’s what I really enjoy the most and what I think has been key to my success.”

Another key to his success is figuring out what to focus on and where to put his energy. Too many leaders try to do it all, and no one person can adequately focus on so many things at one time. Leaders have to figure out where they are most needed, what they are good at, and which elements are critical and then they have to delegate the rest.

How do you create purpose as a leader?

When Mike first became CEO at Unit4 they had a great slogan which was, In business for people. And while there was a lot of passion in the organization around their products and what they did for people-based organizations, the slogan was just a sentence up on the wall.

Mike shares that at the time he arrived at the company the slogan didn’t run all the way through the fabric of the organization. It didn’t go through the marketing, the branding, company pitches, etc. Over the past 2 ½ years, he and his team have done a lot of work weaving the purpose throughout the entire organization.

When it comes to purpose, one big thing that Mike explains is you have to have just one purpose. You can’t have a different purpose for employees than you do for customers. “Great companies all have a single purpose which resonates with customers, with analysts, with the market, with employees, with everyone.”

For any leaders who are wanting to create a purpose for their company, Mike says his biggest piece of advice is to talk to your employees. Get them into a room and engage with them. Most likely you will discover the purpose by talking to your employees. Ask them why they are at the company, what are their passions, what makes them excited about coming to work. And then once you do that you can talk to your customers to test what you’ve heard from employees to see if it resonates with them as well.

Just remember that you as a leader are not writing a purpose, you aren’t coming up with it on your own. The purpose is already there, embedded in your company, you just have to find it.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Trends that are top of mind for Mike

When looking at the world of work, Mike shared there are two trends that are top of mind for him and his customers right now. The first thing is the current focus on the great reset and the great resignation. Mike says that what we are going through now is nothing new, these are things that have happened in the past, they have just been accelerated.

People have had more time at home to think about their careers and what they want in life and that is driving the changes we are seeing. So what can leaders do about it? Mike says leaders have to move away from what has been done in the past around talent and experiment. Because there are talent shortages worldwide and no leaders have dealt with this exact situation before and there are no cut-and-dry solutions, so experimenting is the key. And leaders all have to shift their tolerance for failure, because failure is part of the experimenting process.

Mike and his team at Unit4 have put their focus on accelerating recruiting and they have looked for alternative sources of talent than they looked at in the past. Employee retention is also important, but you can’t control that element as much.

The other big topic Mike and his customers are paying attention to is how Covid honed the focus on digitalization in a way that hasn’t been seen before. Everyone is talking about digitalization, at the moment. More has changed in the last 18 months than has changed in the last 18 years.

The future of work–will it be fully remote or will we go back in person?

Mike and his team at Unit4 have decided to go with a “work from where you are comfortable” model for their company. And he doesn’t believe the world as a whole will stick with one extreme or the other–it won’t be all remote or all in person.

In the past, the need for everyone to be present in the office during working hours, with little flexibility, created a lot of stress and worry for employees.  The changes that we’ve seen in work flexibility has been one great thing to come out of these last two years.

There are also still a lot of benefits that come from in-person work, as humans we are social beings and we need interaction, at least on occasion. So it is most likely that hybrid work will be the way of the future with options for people to work from home and in-person based on what they need at that time.

“I think the fundamental view is that we are human beings at the end of the day. So, you know, let’s not lose sight of what’s happened over the last 18 months. It is an aberration to human life and interaction. It’s not human life. You know, and I strongly believe in that principle, we need human interaction. But I also think people have learned that this, you know, the concept of presenteeism, which often to me has been a sickness in the work environment, is not needed to be successful.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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This episode is brought to you by my friends at unit4 a cloud-based enterprise software company which is built around a single premise. Give your people the means to focus on what matters, and the people they serve will benefit. If you want to free your people so that they can focus on the things that matter check out Unit4.com or better yet take a list to the speech their CEO Mike Ettling gave by visiting www.unit4.com/experience4u

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4 Tips To Embrace Your Mistakes https://thefutureorganization.com/4-tips-to-embrace-your-mistakes/ Wed, 15 Dec 2021 23:46:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45128 We all make mistakes, but when was the last time you enjoyed your mistake?

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We all make mistakes, but when was the last time you enjoyed your mistake?

My dad taught me the importance of having this positive outlook on life to embrace and enjoy your mistakes instead of running from them.

Adopting this mindset can be challenging, but there are four ways to start embracing your mistakes:

  1. Realize that mistakes are common. Everyone makes mistakes. Realizing that mistakes are common removes some of the pressure to be perfect. Your job isn’t to eliminate mistakes, but to respond properly when mistakes inevitably happen.
  2. Remember failure is just a state of mind. Failure is ultimately how you think about the mistake you made. It’s just a state of mind and won’t shape your life forever.
  3. Focus on what you learn. Instead of viewing something as a mistake or failure, ask yourself what you learned. Thomas Edison famously said that he didn’t fail—he just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. Shift your perception to see mistakes as learning opportunities.
  4. Enjoy, laugh, share, and move on. Don’t take mistakes so seriously. Chances are the mistake won’t derail you in the long run. Laugh about it, share the experience with something else, realize it’s not that big of a deal, and keep moving forward.

Everyone makes mistakes. But as we learn to embrace and even enjoy our mistakes, we can keep growing and improving.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!


. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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Why It’s Ok To Quit https://thefutureorganization.com/why-its-ok-to-quit/ Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:51:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45124 When was the last time you quit something?

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When was the last time you quit something?

As a society, we tend to have the idea that if you start something, you need to see it through, regardless of the cost to your physical, emotional, financial, or mental health.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

But that’s the worst thing you could do.

I’ve quit many jobs and projects that weren’t a good fit, and it was the best thing I could have done for my career and personal development.

I quit my last two full-time jobs because of toxic workplaces cultures that provided no sense of growth or future opportunities.

I quit my first startup because the co-founder and I didn’t share the same vision for the company.

I quit my first consulting company because of unfair relationships with the other partners.

In all these situations, I tried my best to make things work. I explored possible solutions, but eventually, I had to accept that the jobs and activities weren’t a great fit for me personally or professionally.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 

Quitting isn’t about abandoning things when they get hard. Don’t quit a job because you are bored, want more money, or find the work too challenging. Those problems can be solved.

But if there are bigger picture issues that can’t be resolved, such as a toxic culture, a lack of growth opportunities, or not feeling fulfilled at work, quitting may be the best option.

Try your best and work hard. But if that doesn’t work, know that it is ok to walk away.

Perhaps quitting will be the best decision you can make.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance Or Platform https://thefutureorganization.com/digital-body-language-how-to-build-trust-and-connection-no-matter-the-distance-or-platform/ Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:30:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45111 Erica Dhawan is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of a very timely book called Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. She is best known as the leading authority on 21st-century collaboration and teamwork in a digital-first workplace.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Erica_Dhawan_-_Ready_V2_final.mp3

Erica Dhawan Transcript

Erica Dhawan is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of a very timely book called Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. She is best known as the leading authority on 21st-century collaboration and teamwork in a digital-first workplace.

Здесь нужно постараться и составить список таких причин, подчеркнув лучшие качества девушки или памятные совместные мероприятия. Причины типа «красивый» или «добрый» – это неплохо, но чем они оригинальнее, тем лучше. Например, вы можете написать: «Я всегда буду помнить, как мы целовались под дождем на третьем свидании сюрприз для девушки». И непременно выделите главное – любовь без повода. Записки можно сложить в банку или спрятать по дому. Ужин при свечах, приготовленный своими руками. Это проявление заботы очень притягательно, способно настроиться на романтический лад и вызвать теплые чувства. Молодые женщины, предпочитающие мужчин постарше или зрелого возраста, любят такие сюрпризы.

Erica’s research and insights on Connectional Intelligence and Digital Body Language help teams and organizations worldwide thrive in today’s workplace. In 2021, she was named #12 on the Top Motivational Speakers, alongside Simon Sinek, Tony Robbins, and Brene Brown. Global Gurus named her as one of the 30 Top Thought Leaders in Management and Organizational Culture across the world. Thinkers50 named her the “Oprah of Management Ideas.”

With an average audience ranking of 4.8, Erica is the world’s foremost expert on 21st-century collaboration skills and behaviors. Through real-world examples and entertaining stories, Erica delivers fresh insights and up-to-date strategies that your audience can immediately use and apply to increase their results.

One of the ways Erica discovered her voice and navigated different cultures was by deciphering other people’s body language. She would watch people around her school and those she sees in movies. She would study the different body language and facial expressions.

Erica was an immigrant to traditional body language as a kid. This is what every person is feeling when it comes to “Digital Body Language.” We live in a world where we can’t just rely on a head nod and a handshake in a sales conversation. To build trust, we have to understand that reading emails carefully is the new listening, and writing clearly is the new empathy.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Digital body language is all the new cues and signals that have replaced traditional body language that allow us to build cultures of trust or distrust, show respect and appreciation, or disengagement. They go beyond because they provide ways for people to connect and build trust in a way that doesn’t require physical proximity. Digital body languages are all the cues and signals that make up the subtext of our messages.

The first is Brevity. It creates confusion because the pressure to communicate quickly can lead many of us to take shortcuts to leave our context altogether.

The second is Passive-Aggressiveness. It is where many phrases that in some ways were professional in the past have evolved. It is just like there are different accents in different parts of a country or different dialects that have evolved into seemingly passive-aggressive phrases.

The third is using slower NO responses. This ties to ghosting. The reality with this is the fact that we are all busy. We have to slow down to speed up. Less haste equals more speed. If you really need something urgent, make sure you’re using the right channel.

The last is Formality. When someone used to be really informal with you, they text you using an emoji. Then all of the sudden, they get really formal. It is like someone gives you the cold shoulder with their body language. So formality itself is not a trigger of anxiety. It’s the change of informality when someone goes from informal to formal or formal to informal quickly.

There are four types of anxiety that are most pronounced for someone on the receiving end of the conversation. But these go back to two main factors. The first is who has more or less power. The second is how much do you trust each other. If you are sending information you have to remember, if you have more power than the other person, they may read your messages differently than you would. If you have high trust, it may be much more comfortable to have no response because people just know you’re busy versus low trust where quick response matters.

The first law is Valuing Visibly. It is valuing people’s time, inboxes, and schedules. It’s knowing that at the beginning of a meeting for hosting, we must think more like a TV show host than an office host.

The second law is to Communicate Carefully. Reading messages carefully is the new listening and writing clearly is the new empathy. So, communicating carefully is about being brief, clear, and thoughtful, instead of hasty can make or break relationships now.

The third law is Collaborate Competently. This is an opportunity for us to be more geographically inclusive of others we never included to fight our proximity bias where we tended to reward those we saw more often even if they weren’t performing as well. Think about that. This is really about understanding that this is not about adapting to a new normal. It’s about creating a better normal to not revert back

The fourth and final law is Trust. It’s really the summation of valuing visibly plus communicating carefully plus collaborating competently. At the end of the day, it is all about assuming the best intent, showing our own vulnerability. We want to have things perfect, but it’s bouncing back from mistakes from your mistakes.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

We all know that there are traditional body language biases. We tend to listen to those that are taller. If the majority of the room is men, we tend to listen more acutely to men. If someone has a deep accent or is more reserved in their voice or is shorter, our research shows we are not as acutely listening to them or presenting to their voice in a team meeting. But in a digital setting, you can be the most vocal using where you’re not actually a great speaker with a loud voice in the room and extrovert, but you have some of the best ideas and you think better in writing. But because you’re able to share in writing, you have more of a voice.

There are people that are traditional body language winners. Then there are those that are digital body language winners. The digital body language winners tend to be those that were more naturally digital natives that are more tech-savvy, that understand the power of these tools and are grabbing onto them to act fast and showcase and use visuals and, and the power of their voice. The traditional body language winners are those that just won because of bias in the past and their extroverted nature.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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Questions To Ask During A Technology Audit https://thefutureorganization.com/questions-to-ask-during-a-technology-audit/ Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:00:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45114 Have you performed a technology audit in your organization?

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Have you performed a technology audit in your organization?

It is one of the most valuable ways to assess your current technology and ensure you and your organization are using the right tools to work and collaborate seamlessly.

Performing a technology audit requires taking a step back to look at how you work and the tools you use. As you identify patterns in the technology, you’ll be able to make adjustments or changes to create a more efficient workspace.

The institution operates on the principle of an open kitchen, in front of your eyes any dish will be prepared for you or a salad will be assembled from the ingredients at your discretion. The kitchen space is divided into separate segments by type: wok, salads, pasta, sandwiches and rolls. On the second floor in the cafe food blog on Nevsky there is a cafe-bar with desserts and pastries. The restaurant states that all dishes are prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The interior really resembles a farm shop, lined with wooden crates, baskets with vegetables and fruits, and cans of pasta.

Ask these questions when performing your technology audit:

  • What are the technology pain points inside your organization? These are the areas where you and others are struggling, such as with outdated technology or the wrong tools.
  • What is making employees frustrated? It could be a difficult system, not having the technology to do their job, or a lack of collaboration tools—anything that is taking away from employees’ engagement and success at work.
  • What do you struggle with the most? Identify the parts of your job that are the most difficult. These are likely things that could be improved with a new system or tool.
  • Where are the bottlenecks inside your organization? Look for the processes that cause work to slow down or areas where things tend to get caught in the pipeline.
  • What processes or tasks can be automated? Find the processes that could be improved through technology, such as by replacing paper copies with digital or sharing files instead of sending attachments.
  • Where could technology be used to improve efficiency and productivity? Talk with your team to identify areas that could benefit from new technology. There are countless technology tools available—you just have to identify where they would bring the most benefit.

Technology is constantly changing, which means technology audits need to be performed regularly. By keeping on top of new technology and finding ways to improve the technology experience at work, you are improving the employee experience and creating a productive and efficient environment where people can get their jobs done and feel good about their work.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Are You Taking Customer Experience Seriously? Most Companies Aren’t! https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-taking-customer-experience-seriously-most-companies-arent/ Thu, 09 Dec 2021 14:51:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45100 What's more important customer experience or employee experience? BOTH!

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What’s more important customer experience or employee experience?

BOTH!

And, there’s a lot of overlap between the two. This is why so many employee experience leaders are spending more time with their customer experience counterparts and vice versa.

Just what psychological, emotional health issues along with life stressors, for example , breakup, retirement, and so forth, are present within the patient’s existence? To be told they have a sex dysfunction, the outward symptoms must be existing for at least half a year, cause anyone significant stress, and can not be caused specifically by a nonsexual mental condition, significant romantic relationship distress, health-related illness, or maybe medication, navigate to this website. Hypoactive sexual desire condition is also identified when the woman’s symptoms should not be attributed to another type of lovemaking disorder, medicines or as well as psychological circumstances.

A few weeks ago my wife Blake Morgan launched The Customer Experience Community with the goal of helping prepare today’s customer experience professionals for tomorrow.

This means getting access to resources like case studies and research, participating in weekly discussions and monthly presentations, learning from some of the world’s top brands, being a part of community where customer experience leaders help each other and answer questions, being able to engage with Blake for feedback and advice, and more.

We have already explored topics like the overlap between employee and customer experience, trends for 2022, the role that AI plays in customer and employee experience, leadership, and much more with plenty of other topics on the horizon!

 

I am also a part of the community so you will be able to engage with me in there as well.

There are already some amazing Founding Members involved in the community and now is your last chance to be one of them and also secure your discount pricing.

Here’s what some members have to say about The Customer Experience Community:

“Weekly calls with CustomerExperienceCommunity.com have been very valuable for me!” – Ahmed Munir, Lead SAP Functional Technology Architect Manager, Whirlpool Corporation

“This week’s video call featured a great presentation! I’m looking forward to more of these valuable video calls and content!” – Ron Polka, Group UX Designer, Human Centered Strategist, Dick’s Sporting Goods

“I am excited to be part of this new customer experience community! I’m already meeting new people, learning, and growing my CX skills.” -Manuel Pelaez, Sales Leader, South EMEA, Oracle

I encourage you to join me as a founding member. Blake usually charges tens of thousands of dollars for a single keynote presentation but she wanted to scale so she can help more customer experience professionals around the world.

She has worked with brands like AT&T, Philips, Comcast, Genentech, Cisco, Fujitsu, Accenture, Allstate, Verizon, and many others. If these companies trust Blake then it’s safe to say that you can too.

I hope to see you inside The Customer Experience Community as a Founding Member, you can learn more and sign up here.

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3 Daily Practices Of Perpetual Learners https://thefutureorganization.com/3-daily-practices-of-perpetual-learners/ Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:43:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45091 Of all the skills to develop to succeed in the future of work, becoming a perpetual learner is at the top of the list.

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Of all the skills to develop to succeed in the future of work, becoming a perpetual learner is at the top of the list. The world is changing so rapidly that what you learned in school or on the job is no longer enough. Perpetual learners take ownership over their learning and growth and truly learn how to learn.

The area of the most French casino in America is almost 8000 square meters. The establishment is located on the territory of the complex, which also owns a https://casinopinups.com hotel with 2916 rooms and many entertainment facilities. The visiting card of the complex is an exact copy of the Eiffel Tower 165 meters high. Famous films such as “Resident Evil” and “Godzilla” were filmed here.

Perpetual learning can be developed daily. Here are three things perpetual learners do every day:

  1. Ask questions. Perpetual learners are constantly asking questions of themselves and their teams. They want to know why things are done a certain way and if there’s a better way to do things. Perpetual learners seek to understand new topics and perspectives, challenge conventional practices, and are curious about their lives and careers.
  2. Make time. True learning comes as perpetual learners make time to find the answers to their questions. Even as little as 15 minutes a day watching a video, listening to a podcast, or reading a book or article can help you find the answer. Perpetual learners understand that asking questions without exploring possible solutions doesn’t lead to real learning.
  3. Apply. Perpetual learners complete the cycle by applying what they learn. If they’ve found an answer or solution to their question, they put it into practice to improve their life or business. And if that solution doesn’t work, they go back to the beginning to ask questions again.

Perpetual learning is exactly that—perpetual. It requires daily actions of asking, exploring, and applying. As you adopt these daily activities, you too can become a perpetual learner and take your career and business to the next level.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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3 Strategies For Getting Repeat Customers https://thefutureorganization.com/3-strategies-for-getting-repeat-customers/ Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:08:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45088 As a business owner, one of your most important jobs is to keep customers coming back. Retaining existing customers is much easier and more cost-effective than finding new ones, but it can be challenging to get repeat customers.

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As a business owner, one of your most important jobs is to keep customers coming back. Retaining existing customers is much easier and more cost-effective than finding new ones, but it can be challenging to get repeat customers.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three proven ways to get customers coming back:

  1. Overdeliver. If you go above and beyond and impress your clients with your level of quality, you’re sure to get customers coming back again and again. Aim to do 5% more than what you were asked. Provide your customers with more value than they expect to build long-term relationships.
  2. Be likable. A big part of doing business isn’t actually about business—it’s about personality and relationships. When customers enjoy interacting with you, they’re more likely to return. Don’t just be a robot focused on transactions, be personable and likable.
  3. Ask for the deal. To get customers to come back, you often have to ask them to come back. Reach out to customers you’ve worked within the past and ask what help they need from you. Contact them as you launch products or services and offer them something new. You may never get repeat customers if you don’t ask.

Securing repeat customers can be a powerful growth strategy for your business. Follow these tips to build client relationships and keep them coming back.

———————————–

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Why Some Companies Fail With Technology, The Future Of Collaboration, & The Changing Nature of Talent https://thefutureorganization.com/why-some-companies-fail-with-technology-the-future-of-collaboration-the-changing-nature-of-talent/ Mon, 06 Dec 2021 12:35:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45077 Nathan Rawlins is the Chief Marketing Officer of Lucid, a software company with around 1000 employees that designs online visual collaboration applications.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Nathan_Rawlins_-_Ready.mp3

Nathan Rawlins Transcript

Nathan Rawlins is the Chief Marketing Officer of Lucid, a software company with around 1000 employees that designs online visual collaboration applications. Its products are utilized in over 180 countries by more than 30 million users worldwide.  Lucid’s online applications bring people together over the web from anywhere in the world to work together on a shared canvas. 

Nathan joined Lucid in 2017 as the CMO to show the world the benefits of working visually. Prior to joining Lucid, Nathan led worldwide marketing activities for Puppet and helped scale Jive through an IPO as he directed product marketing and brand.

Lucid was named Best Led Companies in 2021 by Inc. Magazine and was named Best Workplace in Technology by Fortune for a second consecutive year. 

I have known Nathan for many years. We were reminiscing about how software has changed communication and collaboration for people over the years.  The shift has been to social ways of communication more so than collaboration. Communication has evolved pretty dramatically over the course of the last decade.

What is Lucid’s leadership philosophy

Every company has core values and its own culture. One of the exciting things about Lucid is that early employees codified the importance of the company and said, we need what we are doing to work, we like working together, we like doing what we are doing. Let’s figure out the essence of that success. And that turned into the values created at Lucid.   Teamwork over ego is one of our core values. And I would imagine, if you were to talk to people at Lucid, you would hear it from virtually everyone because it’s this core idea that we need to win as a company.  Another value at Lucid is innovation. But the way that we apply innovation is vital. After I joined Lucent several years ago, I noticed this early on, a highly experimental culture with an acceptance for learning as we go along.  

Interviewing at Lucid we look for those core values. People can come from very different backgrounds; they can have different approaches, they need to, we want that level of diversity. But it’s essential that the people we hire adhere to the core values, value teamwork over ego, and value innovation and creativity. So the second area Lucid focuses on is creating a structured leadership training course.  We have a 100, 200 and 300 level series of training every people manager completes to ensure that we understand everything from managing effectively and how to motivate teams.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

Trends that are top of mind for Nathan

The type of collaboration, the way that we collaborate needs to shift to allow for a high level of complexity, dialogue and interconnection. Another trend we are seeing is more companies are shifting to agile ways of working not just within software development. Companies are pushing for more self-directed smaller teams where they can work with more autonomy. And that’s fantastic. It does present an interesting challenge.  We’ve talked about silos for decades. But for most of that time, we’ve talked about it as if there are a handful of silos in a company. When teams become more agile, you can actually create 1000s of mini silos. The need for a system of record for what you’re trying to build becomes vital so that as teams work together, they have the common blueprint for what they’re trying to accomplish. As work is handed off from team to team, it can be more effective. So you bring those two things together, the fact that we’re building very complex projects, and doing it in a way where we have very nimble agile teams, and it makes it so that we need to rethink the way we go about having these conversations around collaboration.

The future of work look

We certainly have talked to many companies that are shifting to completely virtual collaboration, in particular, because of the current environment. What we found is that many of them are saying, even if we get back together at some point at scale, what we have learned over the course of the last year and a half will cause us to collaborate differently when we’re all in the same room. 

The other shift is in the preference for the way that we work. Bringing a team together on a virtual board, where they can brainstorm what needs to be built.  Developing software that has capabilities where you can break into virtual rooms, and have a sticky note exercise and come up with the ideas. One idea may be to build a mobile application.  So instead of having an email chain about what needs to change, a team can jump into a diagramming application together and build out the flow for that customer support process. All the way through you have this new place where people gather on this virtual board, and they can work side by side, even if they aren’t face to face.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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This Is A Sales Post…But It’s Worth It! https://thefutureorganization.com/this-is-a-sales-post-but-its-worth-it/ Sat, 04 Dec 2021 14:47:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45070 As a part of this newsletter I occasionally hawk my fares and today is no different...sort of.

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As a part of this newsletter I occasionally hawk my fares and today is no different…sort of.

Those of you reading this probably know that a little while ago I launched The Future Of Work University which is the education and digital course arm of my business. A few years ago, I noticed that organizations frequently ask me for digital products that they can offer their employees to expand on the various concepts that I speak on and research.

As a part of this platform I created various courses on leadership, the future of work, employee experience, and my wife Blake even has a course there on customer experience (with lots of others to come next year!)

These courses are all designed for current or aspiring leaders who want to grow and excel in their careers whether they are HR leaders, C-level executives, customer experience leaders, or anyone in between. I take great pride in the quality of the products my team and I create and thousands of people around the world have taken my courses.

The courses include things certificates of completion, direct access to me, bonus materials, videos, worksheets, action items, and more.

The price points for all of these products varies from as low as $29 to as high as $699.

Which brings me to the point of this email.

The past two years have been quite tough for all of us and I receive lots of requests from people around discount pricing. So for the next 48 hours my team and I wanted to do something special and that is offer all of the courses at 40% of their regular price and this includes both individual licenses AND TEAM licenses.

See, I told you this post will be worth it!

If you want to take advantage of this very special holiday offer while it lasts, then all you need to do is go this special page I created and sign up for whatever courses you want. The discount code is “BLACKFRIDAY21” and will be automatically applied during checkout.

Now is the time to invest in your professional development because 2022 will bring plenty of opportunities for those who are ready to take advantage of them.

If you’re ready to take that next step, then go here and sign up for a course before the offer expires in 48 hours!

Enjoy,

Jacob

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6 Conditions For Creating EffectiveTeams https://thefutureorganization.com/6-conditions-for-creating-effective-teams/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 14:45:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45060 A company’s growth, innovation, and success largely start with one thing: having effective teams.

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A company’s growth, innovation, and success largely start with one thing: having effective teams.

Effective teams bring in diverse opinions, collaborate, and share talents and resources. But not all teams are created equal. It’s difficult to take an approach that works well for one company and assume it will work in every organization.

Martine Haas and Mark Mortensen studied numerous teams to discover the six conditions to create effective teams, regardless of the organization. For teams to be as effective as possible, these six conditions must be met:

  1. Real team. Effective teams have clear boundaries and interdependence among members. The members may change slightly over time, but the teams have at least a moderate stability of membership.
  2. Compelling direction. To be effective, teams must have a clear purpose that is challenging and consequential. The members have to know what they are working towards instead of just following the steps and getting stuck in the process instead of the end result.
  3. Enabling structure. Effective teams have a structure that enables teamwork as opposed to hindering it. These teams have the right tools to collaborate, no matter where they are in the world, and a structure and hierarchy that encourages collaboration and respect.
  4. Supportive context. The best teams aren’t left on their own but have resources like training, rewards, and access to information to do their jobs well. The team members encourage each other to use these resources and continually learn and improve.
  5. Competent coaching. Either within the team or close by outside, effective teams have someone to act as a mentor and to answer questions and help in getting over obstacles and challenges.
  6. Shared mindset. Teams are becoming more dynamic and distributed. It’s tempting to adopt an “us versus them” mentality, but a shared mindset creates a common understanding and identity.

Having effective teams can be a major boost to an organization and help on the road to success. These six conditions create a framework to build effective teams, no matter the company.

 

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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The Best Career Advice For Young People https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-career-advice-for-young-people/ Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:33:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45053 I remember embarking on my career and realizing I had the whole world in front of me.

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I remember embarking on my career and realizing I had the whole world in front of me.

But then the nervousness and overwhelm hit. I had so many ideas and options and didn’t know what to do to be successful.

I had to figure out most of my path on my own. Here are five things I wish someone had told me when I was starting my career:

  1. Taste test. When you go into an ice cream shop, you likely sample a few flavors before you decide what you want to buy. The same idea applies to your career — try lots of different things until you find what you enjoy and what resonates with you. Don’t expect yourself to know exactly what you want to do when you’re young — you’ve never done it before! Taste test before you commit.
  2. Build your own ladder. It used to be that everyone climbed the corporate ladder by starting in an entry-level position and paying their dues as they worked their way up. That’s no longer the case. You don’t have to follow the template that other people tell you to follow. Build your own ladder and chart your own course.
  3. Life is too short to be miserable. Don’t waste your life in a job you don’t enjoy. If you are unhappy every day, find a way to change it or get out. You don’t need to tough it out and live with a situation you know won’t improve.
  4. Make your own decisions. Everyone around you has opinions. It’s ok to listen to what they have to say, but you ultimately need to do what works best for you. No one will look out for you but you. Don’t live someone else’s path — make your own decisions and create your own path.
  5. Be self-aware. Having self-awareness means understanding your strengths and weaknesses and how other people view them. Have honest conversations with yourself about where you excel and where you can improve. Take time from an early age to develop emotional intelligence.

The world is yours! Go out there and create your path.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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7 Ways To Take Control Over Your Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/7-ways-to-take-control-over-your-technology/ Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:08:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45048 We’re constantly surrounded by technology, which can be both a blessing or a curse.

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We’re constantly surrounded by technology, which can be both a blessing or a curse. For every tool it provides to build our business, connect with customers, and create content, it also provides an opportunity to get distracted or overwhelmed.

It’s crucial that we control technology instead of having it control us.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are seven things I do regularly to take control of my technology:

  1. Disable phone notifications for social media and email. When I had notifications enabled, I was distracted by the constant buzzing of my phone. By removing notifications, I don’t feel the urge to be constantly checking my phone.
  2. Don’t bring technology to the table. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner—it doesn’t matter. If you’re sharing the table with family or friends, leave your devices somewhere else.
  3. Charge your devices in a separate room. Most of us charge our phones next to our beds at night. But that makes it easy for your phone to be the last thing you check at night and the first thing you check in the morning. Instead, move your device to charge somewhere else.
  4. Don’t keep a TV in the bedroom. Similarly, a TV in the bedroom can tempt you to flip through channels and let your mind wander instead of calming down and going to sleep. Switch the TV for a book on your nightstand to wind down.
  5. Create an auto-response telling people you only check email once or twice a day. I did this for years before hiring a virtual assistant. Letting people know I wasn’t sitting in my inbox eliminated many distractions.
  6. Create rituals that signify you are done using technology. Every day, around 5 p.m., I close my computer and say, “I’m closing the garage” to let myself and everyone else know that my work time with technology is over for the day.
  7. Give yourself an outlet. Instead of reaching for technology, find an outlet or hobby. Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, or do pushups—whatever it takes to distract yourself from the urge to get on your device.

Technology is crucial for staying connected and building a business. But being successful means staying ahead of technology and taking control of it so you don’t get distracted.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller On What It Takes To Lead In The Future Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/bob-chapman-ceo-of-barry-wehmiller-on-what-it-takes-to-lead-in-the-future-of-work/ Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:28:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45038 Bob Chapman is the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a global supplier of manufacturing technology and services with over 12,000 employees.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Bob_Chapman_-_Ready_-_V2.mp3

Bob Chapman Transcript

Bob Chapman is the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a global supplier of manufacturing technology and services with over 12,000 employees. Bob was named the #3 CEO in the world by Inc. Magazine and Barry-Wehmiller is studied by business schools and organizations around the world because of their unique culture and Bob’s truly human leadership style. 

I have had the pleasure of speaking with Bob on many occasions. I had him on the podcast back in 2015, I interviewed him for my book, The Future Leader, and I interviewed him for my online leadership course. Bob truly cares about his people and he feels personally responsible for every single one of them. 

He is passionate about truly human leadership, but that hasn’t always been the case. When he first started his career, he led in a more traditional way and stuck to what he learned throughout his MBA journey. But Bob says he had three revelations back in 1997 that “awakened his senses to a higher calling in business”. 

Three revelations that changed Bob’s leadership style

Starting back in 1997 Bob experienced three events that caused him to shift his view on leadership and led him to think about how business could be the most powerful force of good in the world if leaders simply cared about the people they have the privilege of leading.

The first event occurred when Bob traveled to a company in South Carolina that Barry-Wehmiller had acquired. He arrived at the office very early and he was grabbing a cup of coffee as the employees arrived. They had no idea who he was so he was able to observe them, and as they were coming in they were talking about March Madness, who won the most money, what teams had won, etc… and people were happy and casual. But the closer the clock got to 8:00am, the more and more serious they got. Bob said he could literally see the fun draining out of their faces. And over time as Bob kept thinking about that moment he tried to figure out why work couldn’t be fun. Why do we go through our work week thinking “I can’t wait until Friday so I can get out of this place”. 

Since then he has worked to find things that aligned value creation with fun inside his own organization.

The second event happened one Sunday as he was leaving his church and he realized the pastor only had the congregation in front of them for one hour a week, but as business leaders we have employees in front of us 40 hours a week. And Bob realized what an impact business leaders could have if they took time to care about their people and impact their communities. 

The third event was when Bob was attending a wedding and he saw the father walking his daughter down the aisle to her future husband. And the father smiled and said “I give my daughter to be married to this man” and he looked at his daughter proudly and hugged her and then went to sit by his wife. But Bob, who has walked his own daughters down the aisle, realized that’s not what the father really wanted to say. He really wanted to tell the man “this is my beloved daughter and you better take care of her and never hurt her”. He realized that every father and mother loves their precious children and they want what’s best for them. And at that moment it hit him that every one of his 12,000 employees is someone’s precious child. Their parents want them to lead lives of meaning and purpose and joy, and that is the responsibility of leaders inside of organizations. 

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

What to do if upper management doesn’t lead in a truly human way

Barry-Wehmiller is doing a lot of unique things because of Bob’s truly human leadership style. They don’t do headcounts, they do heart counts, they have training on empathetic listening, employees feel safe because they know their leader cares about them. 

But what if you are a mid-level or entry-level leader inside of an organization and upper management doesn’t hold these same views? Bob has been asked this question before and he likes to think of it as a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, the tin man, the lion, and the scarecrow are all in search of something they need and so they go to see the wizard to get what they need. It turns out the wizard is just a wise old man, but he tells them they already have what they need, they just need to use the gifts they have.

You don’t need permission from upper management to be a better leader and put your people first. You just need to embrace these philosophies and live them out. And it’s possible that as you start to lead this way others around you will take notice and make changes themselves. But you can definitely start with yourself. 

Two pieces of advice from Bob’s long career as a leader

Bob has been a leader for several decades and over the course of his career he has learned a lot. Two of the biggest things he has learned along the way are:

  1. There is no relationship between what something costs and what it’s worth
  2. Everybody that works for you is someone’s precious child that has been placed in your care

He also believes that leaders need to be grounded optimists that provide their people with hope. Your people need to be able to put their faith in you and know you won’t let them down.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: New Talent Landscape https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-new-talent-landscape/ Sat, 27 Nov 2021 14:56:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45033 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

The talent landscape has evolved in recent years, and those changes will continue and increase as we move towards the future. How companies attract and retain talent is changing, especially as older employees retire and a new generation enters the workforce, creating organizations that have employees from four or five generations working together. By 2030, there will be an estimated global talent shortage of 85 million people, causing organizations around the world to pay an additional $2.5 trillion to secure talent.

At the same time, diversity and inclusion have become hot-button issues that matter to employees and employers. Future leaders need to focus on both diversity and inclusion—it’s not enough to just put people from different backgrounds and demographics together in a team. Employees all need to feel welcomed and like they belong and can bring their whole selves to work. Research found that 75% of employees think more diversity is needed. Two-thirds of job seekers say a diverse workforce is an important factor when considering job offers.

 

The new talent landscape applies to every employee, not just those new to the organization. Changing skills and technology are placing a higher emphasis on training and upskilling employees to be prepared for the future of work. Employees need to take control of their personal and professional development, but leaders and organizations also need to provide mentoring and guidance to give employees the tools to evolve and grow in their careers.

What you can do now:

  • Use whatever influence you have to create diverse teams. Employees at every level can demand diverse teams, and those in managerial positions can hire diverse people. Once you’ve created a diverse team, work diligently to ensure each person feels like they belong and are valued.
  • Participate in a mentorship program. Younger employees can learn from more experienced employees or even mentor older employees on things like technology and social media.
  • Continually evaluate your skills and upskill as necessary. Don’t assume that what you learned in school or when you first started working is all you need to know now.

“Ultimately the goal of every leader should be to allow everybody to contribute to the best of their possible potential, and to the extent that you’re not inclusive, that becomes impossible to do.” Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance

 . . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Want To Be an Entrepreneur But Don’t Know Where To Start? https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-be-an-entrepreneur-but-dont-know-where-to-start/ Fri, 26 Nov 2021 14:15:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45022 Life is full of decisions, especially as an entrepreneur. But with so many opportunities and possibilities, it can be difficult and overwhelming to know the right one to take.

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Life is full of decisions, especially as an entrepreneur. But with so many opportunities and possibilities, it can be difficult and overwhelming to know the right one to take.

When I was younger, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. For a while, I thought I wanted to be an actor, and I even worked as an extra in a few shows. Then I thought I would try computer science, then stock trading, and eventually marketing.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

After college, I had terrible jobs working for other people, so I quit and went off on my own. I didn’t really know what it meant to be an entrepreneur, so I spent a lot of time searching online, experimenting with things like web design and SEO, and teaching myself how to work for myself and make money.

Eventually, I built a strong client pool (starting on Craiglist of all places), which has evolved into my current work.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 

My path may have not been direct, but it led me to a successful career that matches my skills and passions. As an entrepreneur, you may not know what to do or where to focus. But here’s what you need to do: think like a taste-tester.

You probably wouldn’t go into an ice cream shop and order a double scoop of a flavor you’ve never had. First, you would likely ask for samples and try multiple flavors before deciding what you want to keep eating.

The same mentality is required in entrepreneurship—you have to try a few things to find the best fit and the path you want to continue pursuing. You may not know what you’re good at or where your passions lie early in your entrepreneurship journey. But as you try different things and explore, you’ll learn what you like and don’t like.

No matter what you choose, be decisive and take action quickly. If things aren’t working, move on; if something seems like a good fit, invest the time and resources to continue on that path.

The worst mistake you can make is to blindly follow a path not knowing if it’s the right path for you.

Be a taste-tester, and eventually you’ll find the right thing for you.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

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3 Ways To Be An Authentic Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-be-an-authentic-leader/ Thu, 25 Nov 2021 14:42:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45018 One of the most important attributes of modern leaders isn’t something learned in a business textbook; it is authenticity.

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One of the most important attributes of modern leaders isn’t something learned in a business textbook; it is authenticity. Employees want to work for leaders who are uniquely themselves and true to their beliefs.

The key to being an authentic leader is to be yourself.

In many ways, Andree Simon, CEO of FINCA Impact Finance, isn’t a typical leader and doesn’t have a typical CEO role. Andree spends half the year visiting employees and customers in remote locations around the world, including Tanzania, Pakistan, and Haiti. She doesn’t try to fit into a mold—she is just herself. To be successful in the future, Andree believes all leaders need to stop trying to fit into a mold and instead be true to their authentic selves.

When I interviewed Andree for my book, The Future Leader, she shared three ways leaders can be authentic:

Take care of yourself.

Many leaders focus on becoming the version of themselves they think others expect them to be instead of taking time to develop their true selves. Take time for your physical and emotional health by exercising, meditating, and getting in tune with your emotions. Taking care of herself gives Andree energy and helps her stay true to her values, even with the many pressures of being a leader.

Be a learning leader.

Authentic leaders are always learning and improving to become the best versions of themselves. Learning leaders stay on top of news and trends but are also aware of where they personally need to improve, grow, and learn. Developing a learning mindset helps leaders balance having the confidence to lead a team with the humility to realize there is always more to learn.

Don’t have all the answers.

No one knows everything. Some leaders fake it and pretend they have all the answers, but authentic leaders realize when they need help and ask questions. Authentic leaders listen to feedback from their teams to work through issues together. Encouraging collaboration helps leaders build relationships with their employees and create an environment of trust.

Every business is different, just like every leader is different. Leaders don’t have to fit into a mold but instead should be authentic and true to themselves. As leaders practice authenticity, they encourage their employees to also be themselves and create a welcoming and trusting environment.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

The post 3 Ways To Be An Authentic Leader first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Being In A Relationship Is Like Working For A Company https://thefutureorganization.com/being-in-a-relationship-is-like-working-for-a-company/ Wed, 24 Nov 2021 13:53:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45013 Every romantic relationship faces challenges and bumps along the way.

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Every romantic relationship faces challenges and bumps along the way.

When the challenges inevitably come, you’re faced with a choice—do you keep things going for the long term, or do you end things because you don’t see a future?

If you choose to keep the relationship going and fight through the challenges, you have to do everything you can to make it work. That might mean making changes to your personal life and routine, working through issues with your partner, compromising, or being interested in their hobbies and activities.

There’s no guarantee that the relationship will last, but at least you can say you did everything you could and gave it your best.

Working for an organization is the same as being in a romantic relationship.

At some point, you’ll inevitably be faced with the choice to make things work with the company or jump ship. The choice may come after the challenge of a bad performance review or if you have a poor relationship with your boss or don’t see growth opportunities.

If you decide the work relationship is worth fighting for, you have to do everything you can to make it work. That might include things like having a tough conversation with your leader, addressing issues, getting more involved with the company—whatever it takes to fight for the relationship.

If the relationship isn’t worth fighting for, then it’s time to move to something else and find another job.

Is your work relationship worth fighting for? If it is, what are you going to do?

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!


. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

The post Being In A Relationship Is Like Working For A Company first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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11 Ways Employees Are Evolving & How You Need To Adapt https://thefutureorganization.com/11-ways-employees-are-evolving-how-you-need-to-adapt/ Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:18:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45009 I recently shared an image on LinkedIn on the evolution of the employee, and it went bonkers; like it went completely viral.

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I recently shared an image on LinkedIn on the evolution of the employee, and it went bonkers; like it went completely viral. It became the most popular thing that I have ever shared on LinkedIn. It’s fascinating because this is something I wrote about in 2014 and the whole concept was looking at how employees are changing and how the idea of employees is changing. And even though I wrote about it in 2014, it was manifesting slower–then Covid hit, and suddenly, this became a reality.

It’s important to go through this evolution so that you can understand what you need to do as a leader, what you need to do as an organization, or even what you need to be doing and thinking about it as an individual contributor.

In the past, employees were working nine to five and we’ve had an evolution towards working anytime. The idea of working nine to five and setting 32 or 40 hours a week is a concept that is probably almost 100 years old.

And why are the hours after five o’clock designated for personal time? I think technology has been the great equalizer here. Because technology allows us to stay connected to work anytime, anywhere, on any device. So, we’re moving away from this concept of work-life balance to work-life integration.

The whole concept here is that work-life integration is about you, as an employee, deciding how you should be working, what makes the most sense for you. If you want to work nine to five, and that’s how you choose to spend your time, hey, more power to you. So, it’s my choice. It’s my freedom. It’s my flexibility. This is what work-life integration is all about. The challenge is you need to set boundaries, working anytime efficiently. But it would help if you also were more accountable and responsible for shutting off. This means having self-awareness and paying attention to if you’re getting burned out.

The next one that goes very much in parallel with this is this concept of the past. The past is working in the corporate office and the future is working anywhere. But for organizations that want more, they want to grow, they want to scale, they want to identify complex problems, they want to identify unique opportunities, they want to move beyond just getting stuff done. In that kind of environment, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

We’re not just talking about productivity; we’re not just talking about getting things done. We’re talking about going beyond that. Tackling complex challenges, identifying new opportunities, creating trust, and psychological safety, being influential leaders, if we want to take it one step further. And you know what, there is still very much a place for in-person work. I do believe that, and guess what? All the executives that I’ve been interviewing think that now that role for in-person work doesn’t mean that you’re going to be in an office nine to five. It might mean you show up for a couple of hours a day or it might mean you show up once or twice a week–it might mean any number of things. That’s what workplace flexibility is all about.

Work is no longer a place that you go to work, it is something that you carry with you; You can pretty much get anything done on your smartphone or on a laptop that you can take with you. So, technology is pushing this forward. So that’s another significant evolution that we’re seeing.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

The third way is moving away from using company equipment towards using the device. We’re very much moving towards a world where people are using their own devices to get work done. And not only their own devices, but they’re finding their software. Suppose your organization offers software that employees believe is tedious and time-consuming, ineffective, and inefficient, and it’s not beautiful, helpful, and valuable. Why aren’t you going to use it? We’re moving away from having to use company-sanctioned hardware towards the employees using their laptops, their phones, using their cameras, their microphone, and anything else they need. Give employees access to tools and platforms that emulate the things you’re using for personalized use like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google and all these other easy-to-use platforms; it should be just as easy to get stuff done inside of our organizations as it is to do things in our personal lives.

The next one is the past is focused on inputs. Does your manager see you at your desk doing work, completing tasks? We’re moving away from that and concentrating now on the outputs. What have you done? Would you instead that employee be working somewhere else, let’s say working from home, if they are able to put four hours in,  but the work that they’re doing is impressive. It’s high-quality work; they’re used to their job, they’re coming to work each day with new ideas and opportunities, they are doing a fantastic job. That’s the mentality that we need to have. And that’s the visual that I want you to have. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the quality of work. So, this is a significant shift that we’re seeing, moving from inputs to focusing more on outputs,

The next one is moving away from climbing the corporate ladder to building your ladder. The exciting thing with creating your ladder is that technology, again, has made this the great equalizer. Because what I mean by creating your ladder, I suggest that you can shape your career path and your trajectory in the size of your organization.

One of the ways you can do that is through technology, by participating in relevant conversations, joining employee resource groups that are relevant to you seeking out opportunities pertinent to your organization that are tangential to what you’re currently working on. But if you want to be able to create your ladder, part of what that means is that you need to step up, you need to let your voice be heard, you need to use these technologies that are out there, to speak up, you need to participate in the employee resource groups that are out there, all of this is going to be essential for you if you want to create that corporate ladder.

We’re starting to see that a lot of leaders wish to do this. They want you to speak up, they want you to give them feedback, they want you to let them know what you care about and what you value, you can very much start to shape your ladder. Now employees have more power than they ever did before. An organization does not want to lose people; it would much rather keep you in transition into another role that you would find more suitable for the work that you’re doing. So take advantage of the opportunity. Speak up if you’re in a position and don’t want to keep climbing that corporate ladder.

The next one that we have here is predefined work to customize work. When I say customized work, this is a lot based on the technologies that we’re using, the resource groups, your ability to speak up inside of your organization, your ability to let people know what you’re interested in and what you care about. And now, what I think we’re starting to see, especially with this concept of employee experience, it’s the organization acknowledging and saying, we’re not going to tell you what to do. We’re not going to create the work for you, we’re going to design it with you. So, you tell us, what do you care about? What are your values? What do you get out of it? What’s your purpose? And so we’re starting to see a lot of customization on work based on employees speaking up and based on employees using the different technologies that are out there.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

The next one after this is moving away from hoarding information to sharing information. Today, we’re seeing this massive shift, where the employees help others get recognized and rewarded. If the people share their ideas, identify new opportunities, or tackle complex challenges, they get rewarded. Technology, again, has been an essential factor in this because it’s easy for us to share information across anytime, anywhere, and on any device. That will make you more successful inside of your organization.

We’re starting to see a move away from this idea of not having a voice inside of your organization and a move towards the idea that anybody can become a leader inside your company. So now you have a tremendous voice. You have immense power and responsibility, and we’re moving towards creating a place where anybody can become a leader. A leader is not a title that is bestowed upon you. A leader is a mindset. It’s a skill set. The future Leader is about helping make other people more successful than you. It’s about thinking like a futurist having a growth mindset. You don’t need permission from other people to do these things. You can do these things yourself. Anybody now can become a leader inside of an organization, you have that voice, use that voice. Don’t ask for permission; ask for forgiveness.

The next one is moving away from relying on email to relying on collaboration technologies. Now, I’m not saying that email will completely disappear or vanish because I don’t think it will. But email used to be the primary form of communicating and collaborating inside of an organization. Look at the number of tools and resources we have at our disposal to communicate and collaborate. We have Zoom meetings and so many different platforms and channels at our disposal.

The next one is moving away from focusing on knowledge to adaptive learning. And really what this means is not being a knowledge worker but being a learning worker. You need to learn how to learn; you must become a learning machine. Now, the good news is today you have access to YouTube, Coursera, Udemy, Khan Academy and so many different tools and resources are out there, there is no excuse for why you cannot learn anything that you need to know to be personally or professionally successful. It would help if you learned how to learn, take things into your own hands, don’t wait for anybody else to tell you what you need to know. Organizations will say, look, we’re going to help you as best as we can. But ultimately, you are going to be responsible for your growth, your trajectory, and your future.

And the last one is about corporate learning and training. In the past, anything that you wanted to know you’d have to sign up for a seminar or a training program and you would have to wait a few weeks or months. So corporate education and training are seeing a significant evolution. Part of what we’re starting to see is that anybody is a teacher, and anybody can be a student. In other words, as a company, you can’t assume that you are responsible for all education and training; you need to do a better job of connecting your people. Let them educate and train each other.

This is the evolution of the employee. And this is what I think we’re starting to see much more of in organizations around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

The post 11 Ways Employees Are Evolving & How You Need To Adapt first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: Purpose and Meaning https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-purpose-and-meaning/ Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:01:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=45003 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

Employees are the cornerstone of every organization, and their power is increasing.

Companies used to be able to entice new talent with a high paycheck, but today’s employees care about more than just money. They want to work for an organization that can provide purpose and meaning and say it is more important than their salary.

This trend has only grown during the pandemic. Research from McKinsey found that COVID has caused nearly two-thirds of U.S.-based employees to reflect on their purpose in life. Nearly half of employees say they are reconsidering the kind of work they do because of the pandemic.

The purpose is the intention of the job. Your purpose creates an impact or outcome, which then drives meaning, or why you do what you do.

Purpose and meaning are two different, but very important, parts of the equation. Meaning is the personal impact of each employee’s work. Employees want to work for an organization that is doing good in the world, but they also want to see the direct impact of how their work contributes to the overall goals. 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is defined by their work.

Leaders set the tone for the purpose and meaning in the company by creating a culture that prioritizes more than just money. Leaders need to realize their own meaning before they can help employees do the same. Finding each employee’s meaning involves getting to know them, finding their motivation, and working to build relationships and achieve that motivation.

What you can do now:

  • Understand your job, purpose, impact, and meaning. Even if you aren’t yet in a leadership role, you can work to find the meaning of your work. How is what you do contributing to the larger goals of the company?
  • Get to know your colleagues and leaders as individuals. Learn about their unique motivations that drive their purpose and meaning.

Companies of the future can no longer think that they can just exist … significant companies of the future cannot just exist in this little bread box, in this isolated place. We are a part of greater society and a greater society is a part of us. I think the trend of when and how we engage in the bigger societal issues will continue to be a part of the future of leadership.” Bernard Tyson, former chairman and CEO of Kaiser

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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5 Components of Emotional Intelligence https://thefutureorganization.com/5-components-of-emotional-intelligence/ Thu, 18 Nov 2021 23:55:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44993 When you think of who you should emulate to become a successful leader, Yoda likely isn’t the first thing to pop into your mind.

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When you think of who you should emulate to become a successful leader, Yoda likely isn’t the first thing to pop into your mind.

But the little green Jedi Master is an expert in one of the most important skills for leaders: emotional intelligence.

Leaders can’t just be book smart, they have to be people smart. They have to know how to be vulnerable and empathetic, connect with the people around them, and build real relationships.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman was one of the first people to propose that emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than a person’s intelligence (IQ). In his book Emotional Intelligence, he breaks emotional intelligence into five components:

Self-awareness

This is the ability to recognize and understand your moods and emotions and how they affect others.

Self-regulation

This involves being able to control your impulses and moods and to think before acting.

Internal (or intrinsic) motivation

As the opposite of external motivation, this means being driven to pursue goals for personal reasons, rather than for some kind of reward.

Empathy

Essential for building and leading teams, empathy is the ability to recognize and understand others’ motivations and to put yourself in their shoes.

Social skills

This is the ability to manage relationships, build networks, and connect with people.

Emotional intelligence is powerful. Like Yoda, leaders who can develop these skills can find great success and chart the future.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Are You An Implementor Or An Owner? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-an-implementor-or-an-owner/ Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:58:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44990 I once asked Kate Johnson, president of Microsoft US, what separates mid-level leaders who feel stuck in their careers from senior leaders who excel. She said it comes down to one thing: do you think of yourself as an implementor or as an owner?

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I once asked Kate Johnson, president of Microsoft US, what separates mid-level leaders who feel stuck in their careers from senior leaders who excel.

She said it comes down to one thing: do you think of yourself as an implementor or as an owner?

Implementors take someone else’s vision and turn it into reality. They follow directions, delegate, and follow a plan. They also turn over accountability and responsibility to the creator of the vision.

The danger in being an implementor is that it keeps you in your comfort zone as you do what comes easily to you without being responsible for the outcome.

On the other hand, owners set the vision and provide clarity on how their teams will achieve it. Owners are passionate about change and take accountability. They see the big-picture and motivate their employees to work towards something greater.

At some point, we’re all implementors, especially early in our careers. Every organization needs implementors to keep the business moving. But if you want to grow in your career and have opportunities to lead and affect change, you have to think like an owner.

Becoming an owner isn’t easy—it requires courage, risk-taking, humility, and vulnerability. Owners must have a growth mindset to overcome obstacles and be continually learning and improving. To become an owner, volunteer for the tough tasks, practice vulnerability, and find ways to create value in your team and your organization.

Implementors keep the ship running, but owners change the world. We need both—which one are you?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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Ready to Be An Entrepreneur? 3 Ways To Start Today https://thefutureorganization.com/ready-to-be-an-entrepreneur-3-ways-to-start-today/ Tue, 16 Nov 2021 14:02:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44971 Are you ready to take the plunge to be an entrepreneur? Congratulations! The journey can lead you on a rewarding path of growth and success.

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Are you ready to take the plunge to be an entrepreneur? Congratulations! The journey can lead you on a rewarding path of growth and success.

But that doesn’t mean that the first steps aren’t daunting. It can feel overwhelming to try to be an entrepreneur.

Starting your journey off on the right foot sets the tone for everything to come. Remember, you don’t have to have the perfect product or idea to start your journey; success will come as you learn and adjust your plans and strategies.

Here are three ways to start being an entrepreneur today:

Set your vision

As an entrepreneur, your opportunities are limitless. Take some time to reflect on your skills and interests, your dreams for the future, and what you want to create. Dream big and set a vision for what you want to achieve. You are in control and can create the company and life that you want. Setting your vision can pinpoint the direction of your business and highlight any challenges that need to be overcome to hit your ultimate goal.

Grow your network

Even if you’re taking things on as a solopreneur, you’ll still need a network. These people can provide resources, act as a sounding board, and mentor and motivate you throughout your journey. Reach out to past colleagues or clients, join industry groups, and follow other entrepreneurs and experts on social media. The stronger your network, the more people you have to answer your questions and help grow your business.

Build your brand

Much of your success as an entrepreneur comes down to your brand. Create a website and social media presence to share your message and product with the world. Find your niche or area of expertise, share about it often, and build partnerships to increase your visibility and credibility. Any investors or partners you eventually reach out to will likely consider your potential as an entrepreneur more than your product or business—an established and credible brand can open countless doors.

Entrepreneurship is an ongoing journey as you build your dream business and your dream life. Start off on the right foot with these three steps for day one and remember that you’ll learn, grow, and progress along the way.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!


_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
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  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Leading W/ Trust, Taking Risks, Creating Success, Seeing Around Corners, & Building a Network https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-w-trust-taking-risks-creating-success-seeing-around-corners-building-a-network/ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 12:38:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44965 As 2021 ends, I wanted to look back at some of the best leadership advice we heard from our guests over the last year and a half. I interview around 50 guests every year, and I've had the privilege of speaking with many great leaders around the world; these are some of my favorite conversations.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/audio_-_Special_Episode_-_15._November_-_Ready.mp3

As 2021 ends, I wanted to look back at some of the best leadership advice we heard from our guests over the last year and a half. I interview around 50 guests every year, and I’ve had the privilege of speaking with many great leaders around the world; these are some of my favorite conversations.

I have picked out some short clips from my interviews with five past guests. These leaders have brought their companies & their people through the pandemic and all the changes that came with it, and they have continued to thrive despite all the challenges they faced.

I hope you enjoy looking back at parts of these conversations and the lessons we can learn from these leaders.

Mark Lashier is the CEO of CPChem, a company that produces petrochemicals and plastics with 5,000 employees worldwide. Chevron owns 50% of the company, and Phillips owns 50%. Mark has served in leadership roles at Chevron Phillips Chemical and Phillips Petroleum for three decades.

Mark explains that being an effective leader entails building trust, showing transparency, and simplifying your employee’s workload. It is critically important that all our leaders demonstrate the behaviors of trust, transparency, and simplicity every day; we talk a lot about that as leaders.

“People are incredibly perceptive. If they smell something inconsistent, they’re not going to buy it, and they’re going to say, okay, you say you want trust, but you’re not exhibiting trust,” he says.

Shellye Archambeau is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley-based governance, risk, and compliance software company, and the author of the new book, Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Terms. She also serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta.

In our conversation Shellye explained that creating your luck is positioning yourself so that when an opportunity shows up, you can take advantage of it, and it is just as vital that you make sure you let people know what you’re doing.

Tell them your job title and explain what you are responsible for in your job.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

David Cote is the former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the bestselling book, Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term. During his time at Honeywell, David fixed a toxic work culture and grew the company’s market capitalization from around 20 billion to 120 billion, delivering returns of 800%. Currently, David is Executive Chairman of Vertiv Holdings Co, a global data center products and services provider. He is a member of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group on Foreign Relations and the Conference of Montreal.

David explains how he defines leadership and his advice on how to lead in tough times.

If we do the right things in the middle of a tough time, that will cause us to come out of a much stronger company than our competitors. And the advice that I give to people is don’t panic and make sure that you keep thinking independently. Never forget to put your customer first, don’t let customer service suffer in any way. Lastly, start thinking about the recovery, even while you’re in the middle of the recession.

A good leader finds a way to take at least a couple hours a week to put their head above the fray and look around and say, okay, all these short-term actions, I’m assuming, is it going to make a difference for where I’m trying to go for the long term? Is it consistent with what I’m trying to do, and if It’s not, what do I do differently so that it will be? Those are the people who will do well going into the recovery and truly establish themselves.

Rita McGrath is a professor at Columbia Business School and bestselling author of the book, Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen. In 2020, she was ranked #5 on the Thinkers50 list for her work in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship and for being a champion of harnessing disruptive influences for competitive advantage. She is widely recognized as a leading expert on leading innovation and growth during times of uncertainty.

Seeing Around Corners opens your mind to possibilities that are now made real because of a strategic inflection point. It’s more about expanding the range of options that you’re considering and then really being prepared to challenge your assumptions. And I think that’s really where the seeing around corners part is so valuable. If you think about it, any business grows up with a set of assumptions about what’s possible and what’s not. And what an inflection point does is it changes the nature of those assumptions.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Chris McCann is the CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer, and distribution company with over 3000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’ older brother opened his first flower shop. In the 1980s, Chris joined his brother in the business, and they have been working together ever since.

In our discussion, Chris talked about what he learned from other leaders he came to know, including CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, and the former CEO of AXA Financial, Ed Miller. He also talked about the crucial things he has learned about leading in turbulent times.

Chris explains two of the most critical leadership skills in communication and visibility. The need to step up communication so that the people in your company know that you’re on top of things and you’re looking out for their best interest is critical.

Also, a key component to leading in turbulent times is re-emphasizing the vision of your company, your values, your mission. By focusing and constantly reminding people of our job and our vision to inspire human expression, connection, and celebration. And tying everything we do back to the company vision gives employees a sense of normalcy.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE   

·         How to lead with Trust, Transparency, and Simplicity

·         How you can own your luck and create your own success

·         How to Lead in Tough Times

·         Leading Innovation and Growth during times of uncertainty

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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BIG NEWS! The Customer Experience Community Is LIVE! https://thefutureorganization.com/big-news-the-customer-experience-community-is-live/ Sat, 13 Nov 2021 13:44:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44961 I'm SOOOO incredibly proud of my wife Blake Morgan on the launch of her brand new customer experience community!!

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I’m SOOOO incredibly proud of my wife Blake Morgan on the launch of her brand new customer experience community!!

There’s a lot of overlap between the things I focus on (leadership, future of work, employee experience) and customer experience (which is what Blake focuses on). In fact, I’ve had lots of people in customer experience roles ask me to give talks to their employees and Blake has been giving quite a few talks to HR and line manager leaders.

Why?

Because the smart organizations know that employees are customers and that in order to create a great customer experience you also need to create great employee experiences. Lots of research including my own and Blake’s supports this.

The community is going to be managed by Blake and her team, but I’ll be an active participant.

Check out the video below to learn more.

So here’s the deal on The Customer Experience Community:

The community officially launches today and Blake has a waitlist of almost 1,000 people who were promised an early bird rate of $69/month vs the normal $99/month. I asked her if I could extend that same rate to my community and she said yes, but that rate will only last for the next 48 hours. If you do sign up by then you will be considered a “founding member.”

You can try it out for a month, if you don’t like it, you can cancel with no hard feelings!

Here’s what you get:

  • Weekly live streams with Blake Morgan to go over what’s new in CX (I’ll probably make a few guest appearances!)
  • Watch monthly presentations from Blake Morgan as well as special guests
  • Access quarterly private reports featuring case studies and trends
  • Get certified in The Customer Of The Future course inclusive of a certification you can post to LinkedIn (usually costs $299)
  • Enjoy direct access to the community where you can connect with peers, share information, and make new friends
  • Gain access to Blake and her team via the community
  • Take CX assessments to figure out where you need to improve your strategy
  • and more fun stuff will be announced as the community kicks off!

If you have customers, work with customers or serve customers then this community is for you. Customer Experience has never been more popular as a topic than this year.

As a bonus, if you decide to sign up for one full year, you get a discounted rate of $49.99 a month.

Blake designed this community to include everything you need to thrive and lead in the fast-growing CX industry.

Once you sign up you will get an email with the login link and password for the community. The password you provided during the checkout process is the password to access the course. You have a role in shaping the experience and by being early to the platform, you will provide an important role in telling Blake what you’d like to see more of.

We’re in this together—you’ll not only hear from Blake (and me), but also from a variety of industry experts and have the chance to join the discussion and network with the community’s other amazing members.

Hope to see you in The Customer Experience Community

Jacob

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How to Lead Across Generations https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-lead-across-generations/ Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:00:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44951 There’s no doubt the workforce is evolving and now includes people from multiple generations working together.

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There’s no doubt the workforce is evolving and now includes people from multiple generations working together.

One of the biggest challenges for leaders—and it will only increase in coming years—is leading diverse teams and across generations. A baby boomer and a Gen Z-er can both be valuable assets to a company, but they have different motivations and perspectives.

One company leading the charge for diverse teams is AccorHotels. When I spoke to CEO Sébastien Bazin, I was impressed by his insights on how to bring together various generations to create a cohesive and supportive environment.

Here are three tips he gives for leading across generations:

Adapt to lead diverse teams.

Diverse teams are not only more innovative, but they reflect the diverse population. Leading diverse teams requires leaders to think and work differently. Leaders need to evolve to be able to navigate the differences in workplace preferences between millennials and older generations.

Think outside the norm.

Leaders need to be bold and think outside the box. That could mean creating unique teams, changing workplace practices, and not being afraid to innovate and break out of the status quo. Just because something has always been done a certain way or by a certain generation doesn’t mean that’s how it always has to be.

Encourage diversity and innovation.

All employees, no matter their age or background, have the ability to create something new and exciting. Give them resources to make it happen and encourage fresh ideas and experimentation.

Diverse teams are foundational to the future of work. Leaders who know how to lead across multiple generations and encourage others in their organization to do the same will stand out and lead their teams to success.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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This Is What Empathy Looks Like https://thefutureorganization.com/this-is-what-empathy-looks-like/ Wed, 10 Nov 2021 14:47:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44948 There’s a lot of talk about empathy in the workplace, but what does it actually look like?

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There’s a lot of talk about empathy in the workplace, but what does it actually look like?

Consider these two experiences I had when I was traveling for speaking events before Covid. At one event at a financial institution, I saw a scared new employee approach a senior leader and share her excitement and nervousness about working for the company. She wasn’t sure she could do the work, even though she was eager for the opportunity. The leader said he was sorry she felt overwhelmed and that he was sure she would be fine.

 I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

A few months later, I was speaking at another financial company and a similar thing happened. A newer employee approached a senior leader and poured her heart out about feeling scared and overwhelmed by her new projects. The leader put his phone down, focused on the employee, and shared his experience from when he first started for the company. He told her that he had felt similarly, shared how he overcame the challenges, and left the door open for further questions.

The leader in the first example showed sympathy. The leader in the second example showed empathy.

Empathy is truly being able to understand someone’s perspective and where they’re coming from.

It goes deeper than just telling someone we’re sorry for how they are feeling and instead forces us to do the mental work to understand what they’re feeling and connect it to our experiences.

Empathy builds connection and allows us to learn and grow from other people. It builds cohesive teams and supportive environments. It’s what leaders need to practice every day.

It’s time to move past sympathy to truly develop empathy.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!


. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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8 Ways To Conquer Depression https://thefutureorganization.com/8-ways-to-conquer-depression/ Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44933 Do you ever focus on the worst-case scenario or feel like things will never get better? If so, you aren’t alone.

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Do you ever focus on the worst-case scenario or feel like things will never get better?

If so, you aren’t alone.

People who suffer from depression and anxiety have spent their entire lives finding ways to cope with the mental and emotional burden, only to have COVID change or eliminate resources.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

And with all the stress and uncertainty of the past few years, more people are experiencing depression.

It takes daily work and effort to overcome feelings of depression and move more towards hope and optimism.

Here are eight things Blake does regularly to conquer depression:

1. Record your feelings. This could be in written form or on a voice memo. Record how you’re feeling and what is happening in your day and with your mood. As you read or listen back, you will be able to recognize patterns and triggers in your emotions.

2. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. It only takes a few seconds to slow down and re-set. Taking a few deep breaths takes the edge off of difficult situations and helps you see the world clearly and more calmly.

3. Stop numbing yourself. Don’t try to fill the emptiness with your phone. Get off your device and give yourself time to think and process your emotions. Take time throughout the day to not do anything.

4. Stop hanging out with people who make you feel bad. You don’t owe anyone anything. If someone is constantly bringing you down, put some distance between you and them to improve your mental and emotional state.

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We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 
5. Take yourself out of situations that make you feel bad. You don’t have to participate in things that drain you. Remove yourself from the situation and take a step back.

6. Make time for yourself. Don’t just focus on other people—take time for self-care, relaxation, and doing things you enjoy so you don’t get burnt out.

7. Do the thing that scares you, even if you lose sleep over it. Taking the step to do big and small things can push you out of a mental fog. Challenging yourself is the opposite of depression and helps you feel brave and positive about yourself.

8. It’s ok to admit you don’t love something you’re supposed to love. Just because you were taught to follow a certain path doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t live life on someone else’s terms. Embrace what makes you unique and chart your own course.

Do the things every day that pull you out of depression and help you feel hopeful, even in the darkness. As you show up for yourself every day, you’ll be in a better place to help others and lead a joyful life.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Celeste Headlee On Overworking, Cancel Culture, & How To Have Tough Conversations https://thefutureorganization.com/overworking-cancel-culture-how-to-have-tough-conversations/ Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:21:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44939 Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. Her TEDx talk has over 26 million views. Her books include Do Nothing: How to Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving and Speaking of Race: Why Everyone Needs to Talk About Race--And How To Do It.

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Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. Her TEDx talk has over 26 million views. Her books include Do Nothing: How to Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving and Speaking of Race: Why Everyone Needs to Talk About Race–And How To Do It.

Celeste is a 25-year veteran of public broadcasting. She was a host on NPR and she has also been on PBS and PRI. And during this time in her career she really started researching and figuring out how to have better conversations and how to interview well, that’s when she realized most people are not good at informal conversations–especially difficult ones on topics such as race and politics.

She gave a TED Talk on that topic and it went viral so she wrote a book on the same theme titled, We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter. The TED Talk really changed her life and led her down the career path she is on today.

Why we struggle to truly rest

There is a quote from Bertand Russell that Celeste included in her book, Do Nothing and it is such a great quote.

“It will be said that while a little leisure is pleasant, men would not know how to fill their days if they had only four hours of work out of twenty four. In so far as this is true in the modern world it is a condemnation of our civilization; it would not have been true at any earlier period. There was formerly a capacity for lightheartedness and play which has been to some extent inhibited by the cult of efficiency. The modern man thinks that everything ought to be done for the sake of something else, and never for its own sake.”

So many of us, myself included, have a hard time taking time away from work, resting, and not thinking about what else we have to get done. Celeste says for the longest time she felt the same way too. The to-do list in her head was never complete and she would justify working until 10 o’clock at night so that she could “get ahead”. But the problem was she never got ahead, the list kept getting longer and never emptied. So what was the point of working so late?

We tend to think that people going back through history have always worked hard, and they did, but they also knew how to have balance. Something that we struggle with. Celeste says this all changed with the Industrial Revolution. Before the Industrial Revolution people worked half the year, or maybe less. Even the lowest ranking people had time off. They spent a week celebrating a wedding. After the harvest was done, they took a week or more to reward themselves for the hard work they accomplished with a festival. People, even serfs, had some land, they made their own tools, they were capable of taking care of themselves.

During the Industrial Revolution people moved to the cities to work in the factories and for the first time in history time equaled money. That is when the obsession with efficiency and productivity started. And this is something we still focus on today—it’s all about the hustle culture–the more you work supposedly the more successful you are.

But the truth is people who work around 50 hours a week only make between 6-9% more than someone working 40 hours or less. So there really isn’t a huge financial gain to working excessively.

Celeste shares that actually people who take all of their vacation time every year are more likely to get promoted and have a higher salary than those who don’t take their vacation time. So, as she states, long hours are literally counterproductive.

When you work more hours you are more apt to make mistakes, you’re much more likely to be irritable and tired, and it often leads to an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to heart attacks, strokes, etc…

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

How to stop overworking

For those of you reading this and thinking that you would like to work less and take care of yourself more, Celeste has a few tips on how to start.

The first thing you have to do is track your time. Most of the time your perception of the time you are using to do a certain task or job is not reality. When you track your time you will see how much time you are actually losing on certain things.

Once you figure out where you are losing time, work on fixing it. Maybe you don’t realize you spend 3 hours a day checking social media. Or maybe you spend a lot of free time shopping online for things you don’t end up buying.

Celeste came to the realization that her grandmother was far more productive, engaged, and active than she is without all of the modern tools we have to cut down the time it takes to do things. We have vacuums that can run on their own, we have dishwashers, clothing washers & dryers, we have microwaves, etc…And yet without those things Celeste’s grandmother was a member of social clubs, she worked in her garden, she wrote books, she hosted backyard bbq’s with neighbors—she had a ton of hobbies on top of the work she did everyday. We really have no excuse.

Once you have tracked your time and find out where the lost time is going you have to figure out what it is you want to do in an average week and on an average weekend. And understand that no one in the world is able to focus for eight hours straight. We have maybe three or four hours to focus on something in a day. So focus on what is really important and keep going until you get really distracted. And make note of when throughout the day you are most focused–are you better in the morning or the evening–when is your brain at it’s best. And work around that.

How to have tough conversations at work

These days there are so many hot topics that people shy away from in the workplace to avoid confrontation. But Celeste says we should talk about things like politics and race–but we have to find a way to do so in a respectful, level-headed way.

Celeste’s advice for how to talk about these tough topics at work are:

  1. Stop going into conversations with the intention of changing someone’s mind.
  2. Don’t worry about what you’re going to say, think about what you want to hear from the other person to understand their side more
  3. Connect with the other person emotionally and show them empathy instead of trying to logically win a fight with statistics and facts
  4. Make sure you are in the right frame of mind to have this type of conversation

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: Pace Of Change https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-pace-of-change/ Sun, 07 Nov 2021 14:12:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44930 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

Going hand in hand with AI and technology is the overall pace of change.

While things used to evolve more slowly, we’re seeing how we live and work changing at a breakneck pace. That means trends cycle through much more quickly and products and ideas don’t stay relevant for long.

Organizations have to constantly be looking forward and evolving or they run the risk of getting left behind.

And for as fast as it is now, the pace of change is only going to increase. Leaders must lean in and set the tone for their employees to embrace change instead of fearing it.

Future leaders need to be agile, easily adaptable, and comfortable challenging the status quo. It’s the leaders who are willing to take risks and be the change that will lead their companies to the greatest success.

What you can do now:

  • Experiment and test ideas frequently, both for yourself and your team. Constantly look for new and better ways of doing things so you can get in the habit of continual evolution instead of staying stuck in your ways.
  • Don’t let fear guide your decision-making. Embrace uncertainty.
  • Pay attention to trends impacting your industry, your company, and your career.

“The pace of change today is slower than it will ever be again. If you look at it from that perspective, you realize that there is very little time to learn about, acclimate to, and promulgate amongst your people, friends, and new processes and new ways of doing things. That puts a lot more pressure on leadership than we’ve ever seen before. The role of leadership is much more focused on what is coming and getting people throughout the organization to change the paradigm and change it constantly.” Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises

“When the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric 

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Four Characteristics of Highly Curious & Innovative People https://thefutureorganization.com/four-characteristics-of-highly-curious-innovative-people/ Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:07:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44918 In this rapidly changing world of work, it’s the leaders who can test new ideas, innovate, and adapt that will find the greatest success.

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Are you taking time to be curious?

For my book The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world. One thing that came up over and over was the need for future leaders to be curious and innovative. I call this the mindset of the explorer—someone who is willing to go new places and try new things.

In this rapidly changing world of work, it’s the leaders who can test new ideas, innovate, and adapt that will find the greatest success.

Curiosity forces the pursuit of new ideas, products, services, and methods of doing things. It pushes people and organizations past the status quo to find the newest and best ways to do things.

The State of Curiosity Report is based on survey responses from 3,000 people and discovered that highly curious individuals with the greatest potential to innovate each possesses four distinct characteristics:

  1. Joyous exploration. This occurs when people explore and seek out new knowledge, which brings them great pleasure. This is where most people stop—they assume curiosity is just about exploring and tinkering the way children do.
  2. Deprivation sensitivity. This occurs when individuals recognize that there is a gap between what they know and what they want to know and they try to close that gap. This process can be messy but often opens doors for new learning and exploration.
  3. Openness to people’s ideas. It’s difficult to cultivate curiosity without being open to diverse perspectives and ideas from others and also intentionally seeking out new ways of doing things.
  4. Stress tolerance. Curiosity can be stressful because you are exploring something new, unfamiliar, and uncertain. Not only do you need to know how to manage this but also need to help your team understand how to cope with it as well.

Taking time to be curious and developing these characteristics can help you become a stronger and more innovative leader who thrives in the future.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Rules For Success From The First CEO Of Netflix https://thefutureorganization.com/rules-for-success-from-the-first-ceo-of-netflix/ Wed, 03 Nov 2021 13:57:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44916 What helped Marc Randolph, the first CEO of Netflix, find amazing success in his career? A simple list of eight rules.

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What helped Marc Randolph, the first CEO of Netflix, find amazing success in his career? A simple list of eight rules.

Randolph’s Rules for Success were created by Marc’s dad but have stuck with him so much that Marc has them framed in his house as a constant reminder. Marc credits the rules for his success and the success of his different organizations.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are Marc Randolph’s eight rules for success:

  1. Do at least 10% more than you’re asked. There is no substitute for hard work. Doing more will get you noticed by your leader and help propel your career journey.
  2. Don’t present opinions as facts. Before you say something, make sure you have the facts to back it up. Don’t spread misinformation or confusion.
  3. Be courteous to people both up and down. Treat your leaders and the people who work with you and for you with respect.
  4. Don’t knock others, don’t complain, don’t whine about stuff. Stick to constructive serious criticism only. Aim to lift people around you and help them improve.
  5. Don’t be afraid to make decisions when you have the facts on which you can make those decisions. Make a decision and move forward—no matter the outcome, you’ll know you made the best decision based on the information you had.
  6. Quantify whenever and wherever possible. Use data to make informed decisions.
  7. Be open-minded, but also be skeptical. Be open to new ideas and ways of thinking, but don’t just take things at face value. Ask questions and dig deeper.
  8. Be prompt. Don’t make other people wait for you.

These rules for success can be applied in any situation or career path. As you follow these rules, you can see the benefits of hard work and unlock new opportunities.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

The post Rules For Success From The First CEO Of Netflix first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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There Is No Substitute For Hard Work https://thefutureorganization.com/there-is-no-substitute-for-hard-work/ Tue, 02 Nov 2021 13:13:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44913 The famed soccer player Pele once said
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

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The famed soccer player Pele once said

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

When I was younger I was always looking for a quick easy way to do something. A quick and easy way to make money, a quick and easy way to build my brand, and a quick and easy way to create a successful business.

15 years later I finally figured out how to do all of these things in a quick and easy way…hard work!

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

It took me several years before I was able to build a personal brand that was big enough to get speaking gigs and book deals, it took me years to build a successful business, and it took me years to be able to make 6 figures and years after that to get to 7 figure years.

A lot of entrepreneurs… and people in general are looking for the shortcut. The quick and easy thing they can do to become successful.

We are consumed by gurus who post videos online talking about reading a book a day, doing some kind of magical morning routine, making passive income, all while driving around in their ferraris or lamborghinis.

Over the last 15 years I’d had the privilege and opportunity to work with and speak with over a thousand leaders including the CEOs from organizations like Mastercard, Oracle, Unilever, Best Buy, Audi, Verizon and many others.

Blake and I have also talked with countless successful entrepreneurs and you know what all of these people have in common?

They work…hard, they grind every single day for themselves, their teams, and their companies.

If you were to follow them around with a camera you would see them meeting with customers, speaking with employees, attending strategy meetings, brainstorming new products and services, and making time to learn new things… you know… work stuff.

Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson said

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”

This mentality is reflected in every conversation or relationship I have ever had with a successful person and this is especially true for entrepreneurs.

As an entrepreneur you are ultimately responsible for your own fate, your own success, or your own failure.

If you don’t like the grind, the hustle, and the hard work, then you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur.

But if you like being in the arena, if you like building something from scratch, if you like the long hours and the journey of building something great then entrepreneurship is for you.

Don’t look for shortcuts or for the quick and easy way out. If you want to succeed it’s ONLY going to come from hard work.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Father Of Emotional Intelligence On How To Manage Your Emotions At Work & Why EQ Is More Valuable Than IQ https://thefutureorganization.com/the-father-of-emotional-intelligence-on-how-to-manage-your-emotions-at-work-why-eq-is-more-valuable-than-iq/ Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:30:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44894 Emotional Intelligence was named one of the 25 Most Influential Business Management Books by Time Magazine and Daniel Goleman has been listed among the most influential business thinkers by The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. What is emotional intelligence? Daniel says it is a competence, a workplace ability, that makes you stand out from others and there’s a set of around a dozen competencies within the domain of emotional intelligence including empathy, adaptability, being able to stay positive, being able to inspire others, and keeping your eye on a goal without getting distracted. 

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Daniel Goleman Transcript

Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist and a science journalist, he is, in fact, known as the father of emotional intelligence. He’s also the bestselling author of several books including Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence was named one of the 25 Most Influential Business Management Books by Time Magazine and Daniel has been listed among the most influential business thinkers by The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal.

What is emotional intelligence? Daniel says it is a competence, a workplace ability, that makes you stand out from others and there’s a set of around a dozen competencies within the domain of emotional intelligence including empathy, adaptability, being able to stay positive, being able to inspire others, and keeping your eye on a goal without getting distracted. 

Why is EQ critical for leaders and can it be learned

As Daniel shares, “everything is a combination of nature and nurture, you get your genetic makeup, but that doesn’t limit you. That’s what you start with.” And he says that emotional intelligence is definitely learnable. But you need life experience, feedback, and practice to get better at it.

Daniel shares why EQ is so important for leaders: “Here’s what emotional intelligence tells you. If you’re in a negative emotional state, because of the way the brain is wired, you’re narrowing the bandwidth of your other capabilities, your cognitive abilities, whatever talents you may have. Because emotions, the way the brain is designed and wired, take up a huge amount of space. In fact, emotional distractions, that thing she said to me that got me so upset, are far stronger than external distractions, it’s gonna cap your intelligence, your attention, continually. So emotional intelligence helps you manage disturbing emotions.”

Leaders need to be able to lead themselves first, Daniel says, they have to have control of their emotions. The emotional state of the leader is contagious, so if the leader is negative all of the time, that drives the performance of employees, and production and morale go down. Whereas if the leader is emotionally intelligent and has a positive outlook on life and knows how to manage negativity, employees are more productive and happier too. 

It’s not to say leaders won’t ever experience anger, frustration, sadness, etc…All humans experience the full range of emotions. Emotionally intelligent people just know how to manage those emotions and they don’t let the emotions control them.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

——————————————————

IQ alone is not enough

A majority of the time people are promoted to leadership positions because they are good at a certain task they perform in their current role. They are smart, capable people, but that doesn’t mean they have what it takes to lead people. We are currently seeing what people are calling the great resignation, people are leaving their jobs right and left and a lot of it has to do with leaders. People don’t want to work for horrible bosses who aren’t empathetic, positive, caring, self-aware, etc…

“So you may be good at a job in terms of the objective measures of the job, such as–I’m really good at programming. But it turns out that it’s all done with people. And if you’re the leader of people, you need emotional intelligence to work well with the people you’re leading. It’s just a fact.”

A certain level of IQ is needed for specific roles like being a lawyer or an accountant, but usually in those types of roles everyone around you has around the same IQ–so the thing that sets you apart is EQ. For people who only have IQ, but no EQ they may be better suited to a job in coding or something with numbers that doesn’t require them to work with people too much. They are not good for leadership roles because it is crucial for leaders to be good communicators. 

For people with high EQ but not high IQ they may be best suited for a role in sales or a position where they are building relationships with customers and clients.

Three methods you can use to control your emotions at work

We can all use some techniques that can be utilized when we feel angry, frustrated, sad, etc…Daniel has three main methods that he suggests:

  1. Sympathetic nervous system arousal. It sounds complicated, but actually it’s a breathing technique that helps you recover quickly from being upset. You start out by inhaling as long as you can (at least a count of four), hold it as long as you can (at least a count of four), and then exhale as long as you can. Repeat this six to nine times and it actually shifts your physiology.
  2. Name what you are feeling. It can help to say out loud what you are feeling either to yourself or to someone else. Just saying “I’m getting angry now” is shown to shift the energy from the part of the brain that feels it to the part of the brain that manages it. 
  3. Practice mindfulness. Bring your focus to your breath and keep it there. Keep your attention on the rise and fall of your belly, and the breath in and out. If your mind starts to wander, notice it, and bring it back to your breathing. And do that for 10-20 minutes a day. The action of catching your mind wandering and bringing it back strengthens your mind to stay focused and avoid distractions. 

It’s also important, when you have negative emotions, to take a step back and think twice about your negative thoughts. There are many times when we go to the extreme in our head. You make a mistake at work and your mind starts thinking about how you are going to be fired. When those thoughts pour in, realize that you are being extreme and refocus.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Workplace from Meta.

Whatever you bring to work to help you be you, Workplace celebrates it. Our familiar features help everyone work together in new ways. To make your place of work a great place to work, visit workplace.com/human

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Leadership Trends You Must Know: Artificial Intelligence & Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-trends-you-must-know-artificial-intelligence-technology/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:52:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44889 How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

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How and why is leadership changing and what does it take to be a successful leader?

To answer this question I spoke with over 140 CEOs around the world from organizations like Best Buy, Accor, Oracle, Verizon, KPMG, Unilever, Audi, and many others.

These CEOs collectively identified 6 trends which are shaping leadership, both today and in the future. If you want to download a copy of the PDF which features all 6 of these trends you can do that here.

One of the top trends identified is AI and technology.

Technology is changing everything about how we live, work, and lead. Even just 10 years ago, leadership was completely different—AI was in its infancy, technology was less developed, and there were far fewer social media channels.

Now, technology is evolving at a breakneck speed and has the power to completely transform how businesses operate and people work. AI and technology are largely what made it possible for most companies to switch to remote work in 2020, something that will likely become a long-term practice.

The 2021 PwC CEO survey found that 88% of CEOs anticipate an improvement in the global economy over the next 12 months, which is leading them to invest in new and different technology. Leaders have to leverage new technology by understanding what’s happening around them and how it can impact and improve their businesses. But they also have to mitigate their employees’ fears about getting replaced by technology or having to learn how to use new programs. Leaders need to calm fears and remain positive about new technology. They don’t necessarily need to be technology experts, but they need to have a basic understanding of what is changing in the technology space so they can embrace AI and technology instead of fearing it.

What you can do now:

  • Pay attention to how technology is developing. You don’t need to be a leader to learn about AI and technology. Develop a basic understanding of how the technology works and where it is going.
  • Stay abreast with new developments across all industries, not just yours.
  • Continually experiment with new technologies and get familiar with what they are, what they do, and how they work on a high level.
  • Develop the human side of leadership. Future leaders need to balance AI and technology with human skills. Build relationships, practice empathy, and learn to listen and communicate.

“What all of us have to do is to make sure we are using AI in a way that is for the benefit of humanity, not to the detriment of humanity.” Tim Cook, CEO of Apple

“I see artificial intelligence and technology as extremely positive for future leaders. It will allow them to have a partner in the decision-making process while allowing them to focus on the most important aspect of leadership, people.” Adam Warby, CEO of Avanade

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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3 Tips For How to Become a Global Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-for-how-to-become-a-global-leader/ Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:56:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44879 With new technology and collaboration tools, every business is now a global business. We can all attract customers from around the world and work with people across the globe.

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With new technology and collaboration tools, every business is now a global business. We can all attract customers from around the world and work with people across the globe.

That means future leaders must have a global mindset to look beyond their own cities and countries and embrace diversity.

As a leader, you have to be comfortable working with people who don’t look like you, think like you, behave like you, or even believe in the same things you believe in.

Leaders with a global mindset can be taken out of their current environment and still be effective leaders anywhere in the world.

Here are three ways to develop the mindset of a global leader:

  1. Experience different perspectives. Travel the world if you can and immerse yourself in new places and cultures. At home, reach out to learn about and understand different cultures and people with different backgrounds. Step outside your comfort zone to learn about the world and people around you.
  2. Lead teams from different departments and geographies. Step into roles that involve leading more than just people in your department or office so you can learn how to bring together different voices and ideas. Expand your view of how teams operate to see the bigger picture.
  3. Actively seek to be a part of and to create teams of individuals with physical and cognitive diversity. Demand diverse teams and then work to include and collaborate with each person.

No matter where you work, having a global mindset has never been more important. Future leaders will need to look beyond themselves to reach new people and new cultures, regardless of where they are in the world.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How To Be An Inspiring Virtual Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-be-an-inspiring-virtual-leader-2/ Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:50:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44874 A few months ago I was asked to join a virtual all-hands meeting at a large company.

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A few months ago I was asked to join a virtual all-hands meeting at a large company.

I was excited to participate because I always viewed the CEO who was leading it to be an inspiring and motivational leader. I’ve seen him speak in person and he was fantastic!

So I joined the all-hands meetings and after the CEO’s address my jaw dropped.

It was… terrible.

What happened to the confident, inspiring, motivational CEO who was able to pump up his team and connect with his workforce? It appeared he was replaced by a stoic silhouette who sounded like he was reading a script.

Leading virtually is not the same thing as leading people in-person.

Leaders have countless responsibilities, from setting the long-term strategy for their company to creating a vision and motivating employees.

All of those tasks are challenging on their own, let alone when they have to be done virtually.

Our new COVID-19 world has changed how leaders lead and interact with their people. It has added another wrinkle to the leadership puzzle as leaders try to find the best way to engage with their employees and lead their teams without actually meeting face to face.

Even after the pandemic has subsided, leaders will still lead virtually. COVID has shown that flexible work isn’t just possible—it’s the future of work. Future leaders will have to be effective and inspiring virtual leaders as they address employees near and far.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

“Managing a virtual team requires managers to double down on the fundamentals of good management, including establishing clear goals, running great meetings, communicating clearly, and leveraging team members’ individual and collective strengths,” said Harvard professor Julie Wilson.

Aside from doubling down on leadership fundamentals, inspiring virtual leaders also need to practice these five steps:

Learn the technology

Inspiring people virtually starts with knowing how to use the technology. The most basic step to get a good camera and microphone. People need to be able to see and hear you clearly. A leader can’t inspire their people if their people don’t know what they are saying or what they look like. Invest in a good camera and microphone and know how to use it and where to look to maintain eye contact and build a virtual connection.

Be human

It’s easy to fall into the trap of just being a face on the screen instead of people remembering that you are an actual human with a personality, hobbies, and family. Be human and show people more than just a cardboard cutout version of yourself. You can still build real connections virtually, and that real connection is what causes people to be inspired. Tracy Keogh, Chief Human Resource Officer at HP, shared a story with me about a leader who ran a virtual meeting where everyone had their children on their laps. “Those kinds of things are so personal,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll go back to a different way of operating because we’ve all shared something in a way that binds us in a unique circumstance.”

Lead collaboration

A leader’s job isn’t to do all the work themselves or tell everyone what to do—it’s to encourage and facilitate collaboration. This becomes especially important when virtual leaders and team members can’t communicate in person. One of the biggest dangers of a dispersed workforce is fragmentation, but that can be overcome with strong collaboration. An inspiring leader understands virtual collaboration tools and knows how to use them in a variety of settings to get the most out of their teams and people.

Be transparent and realistic

Without seeing employees in person regularly, it can be easy for a leader to only show part of the picture. But to build trust with employees and contribute to an authentic culture, leaders need to be transparent and realistic. Nearly 60% of remote workers have missed out on important information because it was communicated from one person to another. Virtual leaders need to ensure their organizations have transparent processes so that everyone has access to information. They need to find ways to regularly and openly communicate with the entire company, whether through messages, videos, or live calls. Aim to over-communicate honestly so that everyone is aware of what is happening in the company without sugar-coating it.

Listen

Virtual communication makes it easy for leaders to communicate and share information, but more difficult to listen to feedback. An in-person meeting opens the floor for comments, and stopping by someone’s office leads to a face-to-face conversation. But those opportunities face challenges when taken virtually. Leaders need to do more than just share information—they also need to listen. Open the lines for communication with your employees, such as participating in a group chat or inviting employees to email you with questions and concerns. Reach out to employees to check in with them and listen to their circumstances and suggestions. Make your virtual communication a two-way street.

Future leaders must be virtual leaders. They have to know how to inspire their people, no matter if they are next door or around the world.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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3 Proven Strategies For Building Your Personal Brand https://thefutureorganization.com/3-proven-strategies-for-building-your-personal-brand/ Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:08:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44870 How do people feel when they interact with you? Do they want to keep engaging, or are they ready to move on to someone else?

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How do people feel when they interact with you? Do they want to keep engaging, or are they ready to move on to someone else?

It all comes down to your personal brand.

Your personal brand is one of the most important parts of building a business and establishing yourself. Your brand comes through in your voice, your content, and your products and services.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

It takes time to build a solid personal brand. Here are three proven strategies Blake has used to build her personal brand over the past 15 years.

  1. Be yourself. Don’t feel like you have to fit a mold or look or sound like everyone else. Embrace your quirks and unique perspectives. Don’t change your voice or look for the sake of your business. People connect with authenticity and realness. Find somewhere to specialize and make it your own. For Blake, it was customer experience, and she brought her fresh ideas and personality to the industry.
  2. Don’t copy others. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean you should take it and use it for yourself. Copying others makes you look bad and causes you to lose credibility. Tap into what makes your product or service different instead of ripping off someone else.
  3. Listen to the needs of the customer and add value. Pay attention to any gaps in the market that you can fill and add value. Make sure what you say and offer has a market and an audience. When your message is useful and provides value, it will resonate with people and increase your brand much more quickly.

Your personal brand is exactly that—personal. Find your niche, embrace the realness, and don’t feel like you have to be anyone but yourself. As you find your voice and create value, your brand will continue to grow.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Former Co-CEO Of Whole Foods On How To Find Passion & Excitement In The Work You Do https://thefutureorganization.com/the-former-co-ceo-of-whole-foods-on-how-to-find-passion-and-excitement-in-the-work-you-do/ Mon, 25 Oct 2021 12:39:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44864 Our guest this week is Walter Robb, the former co-CEO of Whole Foods. Back in 1978, Walter started a store and in 1991 it was bought by John Mackey and it became store number 12 for Whole Foods. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Union Square Hospitality Group, The Container Store, FoodMaven, and HeatGenie. He’s also an investor, mentor, and advisor.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Walter_Robb_-_Ready_V2.mp3

Walter Robb is the former co-CEO of Whole Foods. Back in 1978, Walter started a store called Mountain Marketplace, and in 1991 it was bought by John Mackey and it became store number 12 for Whole Foods. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Union Square Hospitality Group, The Container Store, FoodMaven, and HeatGenie. He’s also an investor, mentor, and advisor. 

Walter found his passion when reading Adelle Davis and books from other early nutritionists and that’s when he started making his own bread. He knew he wanted to contribute to the world and he believed that this could be the way he would do it. And that’s when he started his store. 

As Walter shares, finding your passion is an individual journey that every person has to take. And it can be tough because it is easy to feel outside pressure from parents, family, or friends around what they think you should be doing with your life, but you will never be able to be satisfied until you are doing something that you love and care about. 

Finding what you want to do in life isn’t a cut and dry thing, and it may change over time, but there is joy that comes from doing what you’re supposed to be doing in life. To start you have to take the time to ask yourself what is the purpose of your life and how do you want to spend your time. What are your gifts, what are you good at, what tools do you have? If you are doing something that you are not excited about, you may not be able to change your circumstance immediately, but you should be thinking about how you can move to something you can get excited about. 

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

The new era of business

Walter believes that we are in a new era of what he calls “transparency, accountability, and responsibility.” Customers today expect the businesses they buy from to be accountable for their behavior, responsible for their presence, and a contributory towards the greater good in some way, shape, or form. 

A lot of companies are trying to pretend to be what customers want or they think they know what customers want when they don’t and therefore they stretch awkwardly in directions that make no sense or look inauthentic. But there are also a lot of companies doing it right. 

“I do think that the customer of today, these generations have a much higher expectation of how a company will show up before they will reward them with their business. And I think that’s great, because, you know, it is going to take business– and all of business–to really create the changes we need to create a more sustainable future.”

Businesses can be a powerful force of good for their employees, their communities, and the planet. We need the business community to lead and set examples and put these things into practice. And embracing Walter’s three main points of transparency, accountability, and responsibility is critical to getting to the point where businesses can have an impact. 

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Balancing purpose and profit inside a company

As Walter shares, being the CEO of a public company there were times when there was tension between being a company with a purpose and appeasing shareholders. But he says that while shareholders do deserve their fair return, they don’t deserve to dominate the purpose of the company. They are only one of the stakeholders in the success of the company. 

The purpose of your company is your Northstar that you always have to keep in your mind. Yes, you have to make a profit otherwise the company wouldn’t survive and the purpose you have would be meaningless–but you have to hold both purpose and profit together and find that balance between the two. Profit and passion are not inconsistent with each other, it’s all about the way that you hold them together that makes the difference. 

Profit is something you always have to be thinking about, but it shouldn’t be the dominant reason the company exists. 

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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5 Signs You Work For a Truly Great Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/5-signs-you-work-for-a-truly-great-leader/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44854 Not all leaders are created equal.
Some leaders are stuck in the old way of thinking about leadership with command and control structure and rigid rules. In this mindset, managers are like juicers and employees are the fruit—the role of the manager is to get every ounce of juice out of their people, regardless of how it affects the employees.

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Not all leaders are created equal.

Some leaders are stuck in the old way of thinking about leadership with command and control structure and rigid rules. In this mindset, managers are like juicers and employees are the fruit—the role of the manager is to get every ounce of juice out of their people, regardless of how it affects the employees.

But a new wave of leaders is changing how we’ve thought about leadership for decades with a focus on people and progress instead of rules and protocols.

Working for a great leader who encompasses this new mindset is completely different than working for a leader who is focused on command and control.

Here are five signs you work for a truly great leader:

They act like a coach

Coaches believe in lifting up employees, removing obstacles from their paths, and helping them become more successful than they are. Great leaders want their people to succeed and do whatever they can to make it happen.

They understand your weaknesses but focus on your strengths

Truly great leaders understand the strengths of their employees and do what they can to make those strengths shine. They realize that no employee is perfect but emphasize the positive instead of harping on the negative.

They want to know your story

Great leaders want to get to know you as a person, not as simply someone who is filling a role on a team. They value your unique background, experiences, and perspectives.

They embrace vulnerability

Great leaders realize that people want to work for a human, not a robot. There is nothing more human than being vulnerable, and modern leaders are authentic and real.

They challenge convention

Instead of sticking to how things have always been done, great leaders welcome experimentation and challenge the status quo.

If you work for a great leader who embraces these characteristics and mindsets, learn from them and contribute to the collaborative and inclusive culture. If you work for a leader who is stuck in the old way of leading, it may be time for a change.

Leadership is changing, and great leaders who support, encourage, and challenge their employees will lead the wave of the future.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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The Difference Between Diversity & Inclusion and Why You Need Both https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-diversity-inclusion-and-why-you-need-both-2/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 07:15:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44849 Diversity and inclusion are both hot-button issues that frequently come up in conversation, especially among business leaders.

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Diversity and inclusion are both hot-button issues that frequently come up in conversation, especially among business leaders.

And although they are often used together, they don’t mean the same thing.

Diversity and inclusion are different, but both are vital to creating an effective and forward-thinking organization.

In the video below, I share the definition of diversity and inclusion and share why we need them both to work together.

Employees want to work for companies that are diverse and inclusive. Focusing on these issues can be a major boost to your organization. Diverse and inclusive teams are more productive and innovative, resolve conflict better, and represent a wider base of people with unique points of view.

Now more than ever, diversity and inclusion should be huge imperatives of your organization. It starts from the top with leaders who understand the difference between diversity and inclusion and work to make both a reality.

Companies can’t afford not to focus on diversity and inclusion. The two terms are different, but both are crucial to success. It’s time for leaders to step up and demand diversity and inclusion within their organizations.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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How Entrepreneurship Changed My Life https://thefutureorganization.com/how-entrepreneurship-changed-my-life/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 13:09:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44846 Growing up and even through college and the start of my career, I had a solid plan for my life: I would get an entry-level job and work my way up the corporate ladder until I eventually landed in a management position I enjoyed.

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Growing up and even through college and the start of my career, I had a solid plan for my life: I would get an entry-level job and work my way up the corporate ladder until I eventually landed in a management position I enjoyed.

It was how my dad had done it and one path I knew would lead to success.

But not too long into my first job out of college, I vowed to never work for someone else again.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

That move to entrepreneurship has changed everything about my life for the better.

Because I chose entrepreneurship, I now have the freedom to choose when and where I work and what I work on. I have the flexibility to create my own income streams and tailor my workload to my talents and interests.

Being an entrepreneur has allowed me to build a life for myself that I love. It has allowed me to be an owner of my life and career. I don’t have to ask permission or answer to anyone else.

But perhaps most importantly, being an entrepreneur allows me to provide for my family and still be there to support them. My dad was an incredibly hard worker to support our family growing up, but he commuted hours every day and often missed out on important events. My dad taught me the value of hard work, but being an entrepreneur allows me to work hard and also be there for my family without feeling tired and burnt out.

That’s not to say there aren’t challenges, but they are learning opportunities that I control and that have helped me become a better person and business owner.

Entrepreneurship has changed every aspect of my life. It took me off the expected path and put me on a new path that I control. I have the freedom to create the life I want that is balanced, fulfilling, and enriching. I can do the work I love and spend time doing things I love with people I love.

Because of entrepreneurship, I’m happier than I could have ever imagined.

———————————–

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Former VP of Amazon Shares Insights, Stories, and Secrets From Inside The Company https://thefutureorganization.com/former-vp-of-amazon-shares-insights-stories-and-secrets-from-inside-the-company/ Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:33:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44836 Colin Bryar is the co-author of the bestselling book Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets From Inside Amazon.

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Colin Bryar is the co-author of the bestselling book Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets From Inside Amazon. He’s also the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC and he is the former VP of Amazon. He started working at Amazon four years after the company started and he was there for 12 years, working very closely with Jeff Bezos.

Colin says it was a fantastic experience working at Amazon and during his time there they were inventing and creating a lot of the products we know today like Amazon Prime, Kindle, and Fulfillment by Amazon. The management team that Colin was a part of was also working on building processes within Amazon so that the company could scale 10 and 100x.

He says, “I learned a ton about not only what it what it’s like to take an idea on a whiteboard and turn it into a household name, but also how to create simple processes that work across a number of different types of organizations to build in your company and grow fast while we’re remaining nimble and true to your roots.”

What was Amazon like in the early days

When Colin was working at Amazon there were only around 500 people working at the company and 100 people in the corporate area. They had two fulfillment centers in customer service. The company now has over 1.3 million employees.

Colin says in the early days it was a very intense environment and their mantra was get big fast. They very quickly went from a single category retailer, selling books, to multiple categories. They expanded into the UK, Germany, Japan and France very quickly. And because they were growing so rapidly in such a short period of time the company relied a lot on individual heroic efforts to save the day. There would be days where so many orders would come in that everyone would have to pitch in to get them out in time.

“We quickly had to figure out we were facing the same growing pains that any fast growing company has, and we’re trying to figure out how and when to layer in process, because we knew that doesn’t scale, you know, there are only 168 hours in the week. And you can’t work any more than that. You also have to sleep and eat and go home and spend time with your family. So we knew that we’d have to change the way we operated in order to continue to grow as fast as we were.”

What does working backwards mean and how is the process used inside Amazon

Amazon has a lot of processes that are unique and quite a few of them were created back when Colin was working there. These processes are all part of something that Amazon calls working backwards, which is where Colin got the title of his book. Working backwards is how they vet ideas and see if they are worth moving forward with. It’s really about starting from the customer experience and then working backwards from that.

One of these processes is called PRFAQ, which stands for press release frequently asked questions. So when any employee inside of Amazon has a new idea they have to create one of these, and it is a six page paper. You start with a one page press release that clearly defines the customer problem you are trying to solve and it lays out exactly what your solution is. And then the paper is convincing the customer why they should adopt and use this solution and how it will make their life easier.

Once someone creates a PRFAQ they present it to a team of senior leaders who will look over the document, maybe all in the same room together or maybe in different locations virtually, and after taking 20 minutes to look it over in silence they make comments on the idea and ask questions.

The reason behind adopting this method was, as Colin shares, “A SWOT analysis–strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats–is a typical type of tool. That’s a skills forward approach. We did that up until about 2003-2004. And we realized that we were not, we were forgetting the customer, too often. So the customer is not with us on that journey. And so Jeff said, we want to make sure the customer from the very beginning of an idea is with us on that journey to see if we could turn that idea into a product or feature that we’re building.”

And a lot of ideas go through this process and don’t make it to the light of day. Some ideas can be tweaked or reworked and become reality, but some just don’t work out.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

What happens if an idea fails at Amazon

No matter what company you work for there are always going to be failures that happen. But how leaders deal with failure is different. Colin says there are two types of failures. One type is when you have a well thought out, well executed idea but it didn’t resonate with customers after it went to market.

The other type of failure is in the execution of the product. The product was built, but there were a lot of defects or it was a sloppy execution before it even got out to the customer.

But Jeff Bezos has created a culture where failures are not only acceptable, they are celebrated. He understands that the bigger the company gets, the bigger the failures may be since they are thinking bigger and experimenting with new things.

When failure happens inside of Amazon they do take time to look back at what happened to figure out what they could have done differently. What things can they change that can ensure that doesn’t happen again. They use their failures to get better and improve for the future.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more – all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today!

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Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself https://thefutureorganization.com/please-allow-me-to-introduce-myself/ Sun, 17 Oct 2021 00:15:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44832 My community on LinkedIn has grown exponentially over the last few months, this newsletter alone has almost 300,000 subscribers making it one of the more popular newsletters on the platform!

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My community on LinkedIn has grown exponentially over the last few months, this newsletter alone has almost 300,000 subscribers making it one of the more popular newsletters on the platform!

However…

I realize that a lot of people who recently started following me or my newsletter might not know who I am, so let’s fix that.

My name is Jacob Morgan. I’m a dad to a 16-month-old boy named Noah, a 5-year-old girl named Naomi, and two furry babies (dogs) named Athene and Blinnie who are both Yorkie mixes. And of course, I’m married to my amazing wife Blake!

We recently relocated from the Bay Area to Calabasas, CA to be closer to family and are still unpacking boxes as we speak!

We both work from home together and people always ask us how we can spend so much time together and we haven’t killed each other yet, but it works for us, which I guess is the sign of a good marriage right?

For the past 15 years I’ve been an entrepreneur ever since an executive at a company I worked at made me get him coffee. Today I focus on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience.

I try to create organizations we all want to be a part of and leaders we all want to work for and I do that through speaking, writing books (4 of them), and creating a lot of content! I’m also a professionally trained futurist (University of Houston).

I work with an amazing team of 12 people around the world who help me run my business.

I come from a family of immigrants (Republic of Georgia) and my original last name is actually Mamisashvili. I was born in Melbourne, Australia and my grandmother, aunt, and niece still live there,

Fun facts, I play competitive chess and racquetball.

When I was younger I was diagnosed with ADHD but I use that as my superpower because when I like or enjoy doing, I can spend hours focusing on it and getting things done.

I exercise and eat healthy with the exception of two meals a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays where I got a bit crazy with my cheat meals!

Most importantly, I’m grateful for all of you who leave me comments, share my content, send me emails, and invite me to speak at your amazing organizations around the world.

I invite you to connect with me on various social channels!

Linkedin

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

I’d love to learn more about you as well, please share something about yourself in the comments below!

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How Leaders Can Thrive In The Future Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-thrive-in-the-future-of-work/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44826 We talk a lot about the future of work, but what does it actually mean?

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We talk a lot about the future of work, but what does it actually mean?

According to Jeff Schwartz, Senior Advisor for the Future of Work at Deloitte, the future of work is made of three aspects: how work is changing, how workforces are changing, and how workplaces are changing.

And the future will be here before we know it.

To succeed in the future, leaders have to understand and adapt to these three changing areas. Jeff believes we’re at the beginning of the next chapter of the future of work and that these changes must be at the heart of what leaders and companies are doing.

Here are Jeff’s three ways that business leaders can thrive in the future of work:

  1. Recognize that the role of business leaders is to deliver value, not just cost savings. It isn’t all about the money—leaders need to deliver value to their customers, employees, shareholders, and communities.
  2. Understand that you lead workforce ecosystems, not just individual employees. Modern employees crave teamwork and collaboration, even if their teams aren’t physically together. Leaders have to consider how all the parts of the workforce work together and know how to build diverse and high-performing teams.
  3. Think of yourself as a co-creator and move from a supervisor mentality to a player-coach mentality. One of the most important jobs of a leader is to coach your employees and listen to their feedback. It isn’t about just enforcing rules and sharing updates, it’s about building relationships and having two-way conversations.

The world of work is changing at a rapid pace. The leaders who can adapt to these changes will not only survive in the future but thrive and lead forward-looking organizations and engaged employees.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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9 Skills And Mindsets To Rock Back To School https://thefutureorganization.com/9-skills-and-mindsets-to-rock-back-to-school/ Wed, 13 Oct 2021 13:47:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44822 Are you in full back-to-school mode?
The beginning of a new school year is exciting for students and parents, but it can also be overwhelming to start something new and be in a new environment.

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Are you in full back-to-school mode?

The beginning of a new school year is exciting for students and parents, but it can also be overwhelming to start something new and be in a new environment.

How can students thrive in this back-to-school environment? It’s all about their skills and mindsets.

In my book The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs about the skills and mindsets that will be required for future leaders. From their insights and my own research, I developed the Notable Nine: four essential mindsets and five skills.

The Notable Nine was originally intended to be used in a business setting, but it can also work for students of all ages. These skills and mindsets are crucial for the next generation of leaders and can help students get a jump on preparing for success in all aspects of their lives.

Here’s how the Notable Nine can help students (and their parents) transition back to school for a positive year:

Mindsets

The Explorer

Explorers are curious and open to the ideas of others as they try new things and go to new places. The map and landscape are constantly changing, so explorers never stop learning, adapting, and adjusting.

Children are naturally curious, but that ability is slowly stamped out of them as they grow, go through school, and enter the workforce. Adopting the mindset of the explorer as a student means celebrating learning and growing, being excited to learn new things, and looking for ways to apply your learning to new challenges and opportunities. Explorers work well with others and are eager to hear what other people have to say.

The Chef

Great chefs combine numerous ingredients to make delicious meals. Similarly, leaders and students with the chef mindset combine numerous ingredients to create a great environment, team, and project. The two main ingredients for leader chefs are humanity and technology, which I combined to create HumanIT. The same is true for students of all ages. The human side of school and life is building relationships, getting to know people, and tapping into our uniquely human characteristics like creativity and empathy. The technology side is all about leveraging new technology, increasing efficiency, and streamlining operations.

In a school setting, HumanIT means learning from both people and technology. Kids can become addicted to technology, and parents and teachers should encourage technology usage and experimentation BUT in balance with human interaction, playtime, building relationships, and being a kid off-screen.

The Servant

In a leadership sense, having the mindset of the servant means getting out of your corner office to serve your team, your customers, your boss, and yourself. The goal is to lift the people around you and help everyone grow and thrive together.

Service is equally important in a school setting. Students can serve their teachers by paying attention and coming to them with solutions instead of complaints. Encourage students to work well with their classmates and listen to their ideas. Parents and teachers also need to put kids in a good mental and physical space to succeed. They aren’t just students, but also sons, daughters, friends, and community members. Encourage healthy habits and give kids good activities and time to just be a kid so they have the mental energy to learn and grow.

The Global Citizen

As technology improves, the world becomes smaller. We can now communicate and work with people from across the globe. And this will only continue in the future. To succeed, students have to understand different cultures and be open to new ideas. Global citizens think globally, realize the broader impact of their decisions, and can work with diverse teams.

Students don’t have to travel the world to be global citizens–they can develop this mindset right at home by being introduced to new cultures and ideas. Encourages kids to make friends with people who look or act differently than they do, ask kids their thoughts on the community and world events to broaden their scope beyond just their classroom, and teach them about holidays and history from different cultures. The goal is to get them to branch out beyond their comfort zone to celebrate new and diverse ideas.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

Skills

The Futurist

Futurists don’t predict the future, but they look at various possibilities that may occur in the future and think through the impact of each one. They help others prepare for what could happen in the future and always have an eye towards what’s coming next.

Futurist students need to be open-minded and aware of the many possibilities that could occur in the future. Teach them to think of different things that could happen and how they can prepare. That comes from encouraging them to ask questions, be curious, and play around with different ideas.

Yoda

Yoda is more than just a lovable green creature from Star Wars, he’s one of the best examples of emotional intelligence. Leaders and students have to channel their inner Yoda and practice empathy and self-awareness. Empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to see things from their perspective. Practicing empathy benefits every interpersonal situation—it helps students manage conflict, improve collaboration, and create a supportive team environment.

Self-awareness is the practice of being aware of your strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and state of mind. There are two forms of self-awareness: internal, or how you view yourself, and external, or how other people view you. Teach kids about their emotions and encourage them to recognize what they are feeling so they can better regulate their mood and energy.

The Translator

Translators are great communicators who bridge the gap between people and ideas. One of the most overlooked aspects of communication is listening. Active listening is more than just hearing–it means being engaged in a conversation and paying attention to what’s being said. Students who are great listeners put away distractions to focus on the speaker, ask follow-up and clarifying questions, and seek to understand and not judge.

Translators know what channel to use to effectively share their message. They think about other people and are open, clear, and passionate in their communication. Not everything can be effectively shared via email or text, so students need to think about the best way to deliver their message clearly and concisely.

The Coach

One of the most important skills for leaders is to be coaches and mentors and to make people more successful than them. Students may think their teachers are the coaches, but they can also develop this skill. They don’t have to be older or in a leadership position to motivate and encourage their peers. Encourage them to work with people from other cultures and ages and not limit themselves to people who are only their age or grade.

Students can also step in as mentors. Students need to find a mentor they can trust to lead and guide them, but they can also act as a mentor for a less experienced student or practice reverse mentoring where they mentor older people on things like technology and new ideas.

The Technology Teenager

When adults have problems with technology, who do they ask? Teenagers. That’s because teenagers tend to be up to date on the latest technology. Even when they aren’t totally familiar with something, they know how to research, tinker, and find out how it works. The skill of the technology teenager may come naturally to many students, but it is still crucial for their future success. To develop this skill, encourage students to stay curious about technology. They need to continually experiment, explore, and find new ways to use technology to improve their lives and the lives of people around them.

No matter where your kids are in school, set them up for future success by adopting the Notable Nine. These skills and mindsets can help students of all ages have a great school year and prepare them to be fantastic future leaders.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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11 Tips For Moms To Avoid Burnout https://thefutureorganization.com/11-tips-for-moms-to-avoid-burnout/ Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:31:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44814 As a mom, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with your many responsibilities. You’re in charge of not only your kids, but also your career, life, and personal goals. And that becomes even more difficult during a global pandemic.

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As a mom, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with your many responsibilities. You’re in charge of not only your kids, but also your career, life, and personal goals. And that becomes even more difficult during a global pandemic.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Blake knows what it’s like—she had a baby during the pandemic and has two busy little kids and two growing businesses. Here are 11 tips for moms to avoid burnout that Blake personally uses every day:

1. Put your mask on first. On an airplane, passengers are told to put their oxygen masks on first before helping others. The same is true for mothers. Moms often carry the emotions for the entire family and tend to put themselves last. Take care of yourself so you can better fulfill your responsibilities.

2. Take time for reflection. You might not have time to write in a journal, but you can record a daily voice memo about what you’re going through and how you’re feeling. It feels good to reflect and get things off your chest. Over time, you’ll be able to see patterns in your emotions.

3. Discipline your kids. It’s ok to set boundaries and tell your kids no. When we don’t say no to our kids, we’re really saying no to ourselves.

4. Let your spouse help. When possible, share the load with your partner. They might not do things exactly how you would, but give up some control so you don’t feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

5. Stop trying to make everything perfect. Life is messy—embrace it. It’s ok if your house is messy or if there are dishes in the sink. Not everything needs to be perfect.

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6. A little screen time is ok. Letting your kids watch a show doesn’t make you a bad parent. It’s worse for kids to have stressed parents who fight than to watch a little show.

7. It’s ok if you don’t have your makeup done. There’s so much pressure for women to look perfectly made up on video calls. It’s ok to not turn your video on or to not have full hair and makeup. Worry about your mental health and energy instead of meeting other people’s expectations.

8. Moving your body is critical. It’s your responsibility to move the machine that houses your brain and heart. Go for a walk, exercise, or lift weights. When you feel strong, you act strong. Do things that physically make you stronger.

9. Good sleep hygiene is critical. Poor sleep throws off everything else in your life. Evaluate your daytime actions to find what’s causing you to struggle sleeping—turn off screens, stick to a bedtime, or limit caffeine to sleep better.

10. Single task when you can. Being pulled in so many directions at once is stressful and doesn’t lead to quality work. Even with your many responsibilities as a mom, single task when you can. Write down all your tasks and focus on one thing at a time.

11. Acknowledge that this is just a very hard time. You aren’t alone—everyone is struggling. Give yourself grace and remember that everyone else is facing similar challenges.

Being a mom is incredibly rewarding, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t also challenging and overwhelming. Take care of yourself and build these habits into your routine to be your best self and avoid burnout.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
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The CEO of Newell Brands on What It Really Looks Like To Put People First As A CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-newell-brands-on-what-it-really-looks-like-to-put-people-first-as-a-ceo/ Mon, 11 Oct 2021 10:18:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44803 Ravi Saligram is the President & CEO of Newell Brands a global manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of consumer and commercial products.

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Ravi Saligram is the President & CEO of Newell Brands a global manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of consumer and commercial products. The company has 30,000 employees and it’s brands include a lot of household names such as Sharpie, Rubbermaid, Paper-Mate, Crock-Pot, and Coleman.

Ravi has been the CEO at Newell Brands for 2 years now, and looking back at when he first arrived he says the company was in the throes of a turnaround and in the middle of a merger. So he had a huge undertaking from day one. He shares that there were a fair number of integration issues, employee turmoil, and bringing two cultures together was challenging.

After the merger the company had around 110,000 skews,49 ERP systems, thousands of apps, 400 websites, and thousands of legal entities. And all of these had to be chipped away at, as it was just way too complex and unnecessary.

It was a lot of work, but Ravi says it has been an amazing journey. As a new CEO coming into a company with so many things happening where do you even start?

Ravi’s first 100 days as CEO of Newell Brands

When he first came to the company Ravi knew that it was his job to stabilize the company and get employees aligned on a new purpose and excited to move forward. This situation could seem very intimidating to a lot of leaders.

Ravi took his experience as CEO of two other companies, Ritchie Brothers and OfficeMax, into his time at Newell Brands and he began his time at each company in the same way. He shares he always starts with a listening tour, and at Newell his listening tour lasted 100 days. He went around to employees up and down the company in different parts of the world and asked them questions.

He would ask things like, what’s going well, what’s not going well, if you were me and you had this position what would you change in the company, etc…And then he would just listen. He would take notes and look for themes and patterns in the responses he was getting.

But he didn’t stop there. He also spoke with customers, he looked at what people were saying about the company on social media, he looked at Glassdoor and the reasons why employees had left before he became CEO, and he spoke with stakeholders and shareholders to get their take on things.

“So even though we had a turnaround plan, I needed to do the listening tour to validate is this the right direction. And I felt it was, but I also felt what needed most was to uplift our people to really give them hope, to give them a direction, give them a noble purpose, and say, what are we all about? Because I think you want to bring out the best in your people.  And the power of what I would say is, if you’re 10 employees, you want one plus one plus one, not to equal 10, but to equal 100. How do you take 30,000 employees and make the power exponentially rise to 300,000? So that is what I think leaders have to really bring out. It’s not about their being the best. It is about bringing out the best in their people and taking it up to an exponential basis.”

And now, 2 years after he started at the company, things have really improved. Even with the pandemic they grew their organic sales by 6% in the first year and in the first half of this year it’s gone up 23%. They also were able to take the 110,000+ skews and get them down to 47,000 and they are working to get that down to 30,000 by 2022. They have also reduced 85% of the apps and they went from 49 ERP systems to 2 ERP systems for 90% of their sales. Ravi also has a 92% approval rating on Glassdoor, so clearly his listening tour really worked.

“I think a lot of it has been really getting a culture which is focusing on the people, looking at people as our solution, not our problem. And galvanizing them to help solve these problems and pointing them and aligning them.”

Ravi’s “no jerk” philosophy

Starting back at one of his first jobs Ravi felt it was important to create a world where good people finish first, as opposed to last. And that has definitely impacted his leadership style. His “no jerk” philosophy to him means you treat your people with compassion and care. You don’t write nasty emails, you don’t respond to people without intentionally thinking about how you are coming across, and you try to interact with everyone using empathy and kindness.

Ravi says, “Over time, as I’ve gotten older, I really feel it’s important that people want to work with people that they like, and that they respect. And because we spend so much time at work, those relationships are very important. And when you look at attrition and people leaving companies, usually they leave the boss rather than the company. And now I think it’s really important, whether you’re a manager or a supervisor, or an executive, that we’re constantly reinforcing this message.”

If Ravi becomes aware of a leader or an employee at the organization who is not treating others kindly and with respect he says the first step is to try to coach them to do better. A lot of times they don’t realize how they are coming across to others. It’s also crucial, he says, to give constant feedback and to do 360s. But if the person chooses not to change or improve, then they need to find somewhere else where they are better suited.

“In our company, at Newell, we talk about truth, transparency, teamwork. And for me that teamwork is so critical. I am very big on people who are all about the company as a whole and their team as a whole, and not about just themselves. If they’re all about themselves, I get a little impatient. So at some point, you may have to take them out and I have done that many times.”

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

How to create a safe space for all employees to voice their point of view

These days it can be challenging to balance being open, honest, and transparent when some people are so quick to come after you if they don’t agree. But finding that balance is important.

Ravi says it is important to talk to your employees and know what they care about, so you can take that into account. As a leader you need to be open and honest, but you also don’t want to create polarization within the company.

He says, “As a leader our jobs, leaders need to unite, harmonize, align, because at the end of the day, you’re in the business of serving consumers, rather than having politics. So you do want people to be able to express themselves. But there’s also express themselves in the context of the culture you have in your company, because different companies have different cultures, and what may be acceptable in one company may not be acceptable in another.”

It is up to leaders to unify everyone inside the organization, no matter what their beliefs are. And if they witness someone trying to cancel someone else because of a belief, it is up to leaders to intervene and get both sides to listen to each other. People need to be able to listen to each other, they don’t have to agree with each other, but they have to at least listen.

Ravi wants diverse opinions, ideas, and thoughts inside of his organization. So instead of silencing issues, he thinks it is important to debate them, get all sides out in the open and have everyone reasonably listen to each other’s thoughts. At the end of the day it’s about what is best for the company as a whole.

He is also a big believer in employee resource groups or affinity groups. Inside of Newell they have groups for LGTBQ, women, veterans, black employees, etc…And you don’t have to directly identify with the group in order to be a part of it, each group welcomes anyone because it creates allies for the people in that group. These groups are safe spaces where people can come together and discuss topics and inform people who may not know what other people may be going through.

“I spend a lot of time on, rather than talking about the divisions, how do you unite people on a common purpose, a noble purpose for the company?  So that the purpose is far bigger than any individual, even bigger than the CEO, or the board, or the shareholders–that’s everlasting.”

How to bring the best out of your people

In Ravi’s experience in leadership across many industries, he says the key to unlocking your people’s potential is humility and suppressing your own ego. It’s also about balancing the long-term and short-term goals of the company and, as he shares, “Over communicate and be transparent, be truthful. Don’t treat employees like babies, make employees part of the solution and don’t treat them like they’re the problem. And then I always say, use the word we, don’t say I, we, because you can never do anything by yourself.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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Two Ways You Can Build Feedback Mechanisms https://thefutureorganization.com/two-ways-you-can-build-feedback-mechanisms/ Thu, 07 Oct 2021 22:51:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44789 Modern leaders and organizations must be continually evolving and improving.
But that’s nearly impossible without feedback.

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Modern leaders and organizations must be continually evolving and improving.

But that’s nearly impossible without feedback.

Employees are on the front lines working with customers and putting strategies into action every day. Their feedback is crucial for leaders to know what it’s really like to work at the company.

Creating feedback opportunities improves the overall employee experience and helps employees feel more engaged. It also keeps the company in tune with what employees want and need so it can adjust and meet their needs accordingly. Companies that encourage and celebrate feedback tend to have strong cultures and attract and retain the best talent.

Feedback mechanisms come in two main ways:

In-person feedback mechanisms involve face-to-face conversations between leaders and employees. Leaders have ongoing conversations with their employees, not just once a month, not just once a year, not just through an employee engagement survey, but through actual, engaging conversations. These leaders know their people as individuals. Regular in-person feedback creates a more comfortable environment where people can improve in real-time.

Technology feedback mechanisms utilize the devices people use every day. Every employee has the ability to provide feedback to the organization about what it’s like to work there through online surveys, virtual focus groups, email, and other technology-enabled tools. Organizations can then use this data and information to make changes regularly. Technology feedback mechanisms take advantage of the fact that most employees are on devices constantly and make it easy for employees to voice their opinion at any time, even anonymously if needed.

The leaders and organizations that create regular opportunities for feedback set themselves up for continued success. Employees need a voice, and using these two types of feedback mechanisms can help them feel heard and empowered.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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How To Be A 37x Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-be-a-37x-better-leader/ Wed, 06 Oct 2021 13:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44786 As humans, we naturally avoid change. But change is crucial to growing and improving, both as a leader and in all aspects of life.

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As humans, we naturally avoid change. But change is crucial to growing and improving, both as a leader and in all aspects of life.

Too often, we think change requires a massive overhaul of our skills and actions. But change doesn’t have to be hard. Small, consistent changes can lead to major improvements over time.

I call it the 1% a day challenge. If you simply improve 1% a day, by the end of the year you will be 37x better.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

All it takes is small actions to become 1% better every day, which leads to big changes over time. This applies to everything, not just leadership.

Improving as a leader by 1% a day doesn’t mean uprooting everything and starting fresh. It requires smaller changes, including things like:

  • Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes
  • Recognizing an employee for their hard work
  • Spending time with someone different than you
  • Reaching out to customers or employees in a different area of the company
  • Having a conversation and practicing active listening instead of just hearing
  • Putting your phone aside to be present as you talk with others
  • Admitting you don’t know something and being humble to learn

Many of these actions only take 10 minutes a day. These improvements may seem small, but over time they can lead to big changes and make you a 37x better leader in a year.

. . .

 
There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

. . .

 
There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

. . .

 
Are you prepared for the Great Resignation? With the candidate-driven market heating up, you don’t want to lose your top talent from a lack of meaningful recognition. Learn how meaningful employee recognition improves employee retention with this free guide!

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There’s No Such Thing As Mistakes https://thefutureorganization.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-mistakes/ Tue, 05 Oct 2021 13:55:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44783 When was the last time you made a mistake?
We all make a lot of mistakes in life—in business, in relationships, in careers, and in our life choices.

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When was the last time you made a mistake?

We all make a lot of mistakes in life—in business, in relationships, in careers, and in our life choices.

But a mistake is really just a mental construct. Instead, I like to think of these experiences as learning moments.

Thinking of a failure as a mistake makes it the end of the road or a stopping point. Instead, thinking of it as a learning moment opens the door to learn, grow, and improve from the experience.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

When I started speaking professionally, the first few speeches I gave weren’t good. But instead of viewing those experiences as mistakes and giving up, I asked myself what didn’t go well with the speech and what I could do better. I used failure as a chance to get feedback and improve, and now I have a thriving speaking career.

The same thing happens whenever I create a piece of content that doesn’t resonate or a new product that doesn’t get sales. I look at what went wrong and how I can change it next time.

When you try a new recipe, it often takes multiple times to get it just right. You may be off with a few ingredients or not bake it at the right temperature. But every time the recipe doesn’t work out, you taste it and know how to adjust until you get the dish to turn out just right.

It’s the same in business. After you make a mistake, you don’t stop and give up. You ask what you can learn from it and apply it to the next iteration.

There’s no such thing as mistakes—just learning moments.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How This Company Is Reimagining Employee Recognition & Experience | Taylor Smith & Jacob Morgan https://thefutureorganization.com/how-this-company-is-reimagining-employee-recognition-experience-taylor-smith-jacob-morgan/ Mon, 04 Oct 2021 11:10:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44771 Taylor Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Blueboard, the world’s leading experiential rewards and recognition platform that helps companies celebrate their employees.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-__Taylor_Smith_-_Ready.mp3

Taylor Smith Transcript

Taylor Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Blueboard, the world’s leading experiential rewards and recognition platform that helps companies celebrate their employees. The company was founded in 2014 and they currently have 150 employees around the world. 

Employee experience and recognition has been at the forefront of conversations in the business world for a while now, but it’s never been more important than this past year and a half. And one company that is helping leaders around the world find better ways to recognize, celebrate, and reward employees is Blueboard. 

A different way to recognize and reward employees

For many companies the way that they show appreciation to employees is through company-wide awards, swag like mugs and shirts, and gift cards. And while all of these things are good, it may not be what employees most want or need. 

As Taylor shares, “People show up to work every day and what do they do? They’re spending all their time and their energy, and they’re giving it to their company, right. And a lot of us, you know, we’ll work on long projects, we’ll throw our lives into our work, because we’re proud of it. But that often isn’t reciprocated from our company.”

Taylor and the Blueboard co-founder, Kevin, actually came up with the idea because of something that happened to Taylor while working for Accenture. At one point while working for the company Taylor was given a high visibility role working with the CFO of a large company. And during this project he really drove himself into the ground–he was working 80-90 hours a week, flying to Dallas every week for three months, he ate all his meals at the company cafeteria, and he wasn’t sleeping much. He put everything he had into that project.

And at the end of the project Taylor’s manager called Taylor into his office and told him he had done an amazing job on the project and he wanted to recognize the work he put in and he handed Taylor a $500 gift card. It was a very well-intentioned gift and it was not a trivial amount of money, but in the moment it didn’t feel good to Taylor. Just considering all of the time and effort he put into the work and all of the time he spent away from home and his girlfriend, analytically thinking about it, it kind of made it feel that his time was worth $1.12 an hour to his employer. 

Talking the whole situation over with Kevin when it happened Kevin asked Taylor what would have made him feel rewarded, what would have made him feel appreciated. After thinking about it Taylor said it would have been nice had his manager said, you have been spending a lot of time away from home and away from your girlfriend, here are some vouchers for you both to go for a couples massage this weekend to relax and recharge. And that is when the idea for Blueboard was born. 

They realized that it made sense to use actual experiences and gifts of time to reward employees, but that in order to do that a leader would have to spend a lot of time figuring out the best thing to give, and then searching for local businesses who provide that service, and then purchase it, etc..And most leaders don’t have extra time to do all of that. So they wanted to provide a service to leaders so that the process would be easy for them and rewarding for employees. 

The biggest trend Taylor is paying attention to 

One of the biggest things that Taylor and his team have noticed over the past year and a half is something that was already getting attention, but it increased during the pandemic and that is employee wellbeing. With most people working virtually, we have more people bringing their whole selves to work than ever before. We used to have a clear separation between work and personal life, that is no longer possible. 

Companies are wrestling with how to support their people’s well-being not just at work, but outside of work because they are so connected. We have to see all of the different facets of our people–they are not just employees, they are parents, spouses, significant others, and family members. They have hobbies and interests, they have hopes and dreams.  It dramatically changes your people programs when you start looking at your people as individuals who want and need different things. 

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Will we go back to the office?

There has been a lot of discussion over the last several months about whether or not people will return to work in the office, or if most companies will continue to work remotely. Taylor is very interested to see how long it takes people to go back to work and what the whole transition period will look like. He believes that most companies will go with a hybrid form of work–some in-person and some remote–instead of going with one extreme or the other. 

And while working remotely comes with convenience and flexibility, there is also value in connecting face to face with coworkers. “We could and should be more connected people than ever, but we feel more alone and isolated than ever. And to me going to a fully remote workforce is going to lead us further down that path, and I just don’t think people realize that right now.”

At Blueboard, even before the pandemic they had four day work days in the office and work from home Wednesdays. Employees were able to go to appointments or run errands or do housework on Wednesdays to break up their work day and accomplish things they wouldn’t be able to in the office. 

Why rewarding employees with experiences is so meaningful

Blueboard has a lot of options for employees to choose from when they are rewarded by a leader–some are big, kind of crazy ideas like sandboarding in Morocco or chasing the northern lights in Iceland and some are small, but impactful like taking a course in a language you want to learn or training to become a yoga teacher or a one-hour surfing class. 

There are so many things in life that a person might be interested in, but they just don’t have the time or the resources to take the first step. So being able to start that journey because you are being recognized for your hard work is powerful.

“We see hundreds of people a week doing things that represent one step towards something they’ve always wanted to do, whether that’s taking a cooking class because they’ve always wanted to learn how to make pasta or they’re taking a boxing class because that’s the first step towards them getting in shape. Blueboard can represent just a small nudge and step in someone’s life, that is then taking a big step in terms of who they are as a person. And at the end of the day, their company is the one that made that happen, how powerful and awesome is that? So that’s why I love what we’re doing.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Are you prepared for the Great Resignation? With the candidate-driven market heating up, you don’t want to lose your top talent from a lack of meaningful recognition. Learn how meaningful employee recognition improves employee retention with this free guide!

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Calling All Customer Experience Professionals: A New Community Launching Just For You https://thefutureorganization.com/calling-all-customer-experience-professionals-a-new-community-launching-just-for-you/ Sat, 02 Oct 2021 14:47:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44766 I don’t know about you, but when I have a community I feel more empowered to accomplish anything. Whether it be working or exercising, community is a big part of my life. Although many of us have some type of personal community I feel like we struggle when it comes to professional communities – that ... Read more

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I don’t know about you, but when I have a community I feel more empowered to accomplish anything. Whether it be working or exercising, community is a big part of my life.

Although many of us have some type of personal community I feel like we struggle when it comes to professional communities – that is, groups of people in a particular field who can help us become more successful, tackle challenges, help us when times are tough, and just be supportive.

Well…it’s time to change that…

Two months ago I announced that my amazing wife Blake Morgan is launching a brand new customer experience community and the time has almost come!

In the next 2 weeks or so, the community will finally be live and I’m more excited than Blake is to see this thing come to life because I know how hard she and her team have been working to create something amazing and special for you.

Although Blake and I have similar careers as authors and speakers, we focus on different areas. I focus on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience and Blake focuses on customer experience and digital transformation, in fact she’s one of the world’s leading voices in the industry.

As Blake wrote in a previous article:

“So many of you over the years have shared with me. You’ve shared your challenges with leadership, with change management, with your technology, contact centers, creating one approach to CX across the business – sharing data around the customer. You’ve approached me at conferences and asked for advice – and I’ve done the best to give advice, but I want to take it one step further.”

Her customer experience community is going to do just that.

Here are the four pillars of the community that Blake will be focusing on to start, with more things planned in the future! Who knows, I may make a few guest appearances in there too 🙂

Here’s the best part!

If you sign up to join the waitlist then you will eligible for the early bird pricing when it launches ($69/month vs the regular $99/month), but this will ONLY be granted to those on the waitlist.

Blake charges tens of thousands of dollars for a single 45 min speech and now for a fraction of that cost anyone around the world in any company will be able to get direct access to her for a fraction of that price along with lots of resources.

When you sign up you will:

  • Get weekly livestreams with Blake Morgan to go over what’s new in CX
  • Watch monthly presentations from Blake Morgan as well as special guests
  • Access quarterly private reports featuring case studies and trends
  • Get certified in The Customer Of The Future course inclusive of a certification you can post to LinkedIn
  • Enjoy direct access to the community where you can connect with peers, share information, and make new friends
  • Gain access to Blake and her team via the community
  • Take CX assessments to figure out where you need to improve your strategy

Here’s a video Blake put together with some more information. I really hope you decide to sign up. It will be one of the best business decisions you’ll ever make!

Remember, to secure the pricing of $69/month vs the regular $99/month you must be on the waitlist when the community goes live.

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4 Steps to Be a Learning Machine https://thefutureorganization.com/4-steps-to-be-a-learning-machine/ Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44760 Want to be a great leader? Start by becoming a great learner.

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Want to be a great leader? Start by becoming a great learner.

Successful leaders are learning machines—they are continually discovering new things, finding new ideas, and testing new ways of thinking and doing things. In this rapidly changing world of work, leaders can’t stay stagnant. They have to lead the charge for continual learning. Learning machines are more than just learners—they are doers who put their learning into action.

Becoming a learning machine not only sets you up for continual growth and progress, but it also sets the example for your team to do the same.

Ryan Hawk, host of the popular podcast The Learning Leader Show, created a four-part framework to be a learning machine on a daily basis:

  1. Learn. Constantly read articles and books, talk to people and mentors, listen to podcasts, and find new information and ideas. Be open to feedback and new ways of doing things.
  2. Test. Find a great idea and see if it works. Put your learning into action—this is what separates a learning machine from someone who just learns but doesn’t act.
  3. Reflect. Look back on the process and results. Ask for feedback and listen to what people say. Decide if you should keep going or let it go.
  4. Teach. Share your experience with others to solidify what you’ve taken and tested out. Nothing creates more clarity of thought than writing and sharing with others. Use teaching as a way to reinforce your learning.

True learning machines follow these steps every day with both big and small ideas. This framework can be applied for something small like adopting a new habit or changing how you start meetings or something big like overhauling your entire schedule. Learning machines aim to continually improve and help others around them do the same.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

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What Defines an Entrepreneur is What They Do When Told “No”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/what-defines-an-entrepreneur-is-what-they-do-when-told-no%e2%80%8b/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:25:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44751 Everyone faces failure and challenges during their life.
Chances are you won’t be successful in your first attempt at something—whether it’s starting a company, launching a product, or creating change in your organization.

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Everyone faces failure and challenges during their life.

Chances are you won’t be successful in your first attempt at something—whether it’s starting a company, launching a product, or creating change in your organization.

Failure is part of life. What matters is how you respond to that failure.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

When faced with rejection, most people put their heads down and walk away. But not entrepreneurs. When they’re told no, they get competitive and find what they can do to make their idea better. They look for different solutions and keep pushing.

Entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs learn from their experiences. They take feedback to improve their ideas and try again. Feedback can be suggestions or research to back up their idea.

Intrapreneurs understand the importance of having the right people on their side. With the endorsement of a leader or manager, their idea might hold more weight and find success. That often requires finding creative ways to deal with office politics and bureaucracy.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

When entrepreneurs are stuck, they know to take a break and come back with fresh ideas. Taking time to clear their head often allows them to see things differently. They find a partner to collaborate with and get a new perspective.

Entrepreneurs also know when to move on from an idea. It’s the balance between pushing and trying new things while also being realistic. If they’ve exhausted all their resources, are neglecting other responsibilities or their health, or are justifying the negatives, it could be time to move on. But entrepreneurs don’t consider it a failure–they use what they learned from the experience to fuel their next idea.

Everyone faces rejection and failure. What defines an entrepreneur is what they do when they are told no.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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4 Tips to Stop Seeking The Approval Of Others https://thefutureorganization.com/4-tips-to-stop-seeking-the-approval-of-others/ Tue, 28 Sep 2021 13:14:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44748 We’re taught from an early age to seek the approval of others, including our parents, teachers, and other authority figures.

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We’re taught from an early age to seek the approval of others, including our parents, teachers, and other authority figures.

But being a successful entrepreneur means taking risks and not seeking permission or validation from other people. It requires a mindset shift to have the confidence to make your own decisions.

Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Finding success as an entrepreneur means forging your own path and not worrying about what other people think. Here are four tips to stop seeking the approval of others:

  1. Have someone you can call who is completely objective. Most people in your life will try to interject their opinions into your decisions based on what’s best for them. Instead, talk to someone who has no investment in your decision either way and who can give you honest and clear feedback.
  2. Sit with your feelings of neediness. When we’re making decisions, it’s natural to want to talk to people and get their approval. Instead, take time to sit with your feelings of fear and vulnerability. Go for a walk, meditate, journal, and just be with yourself to be comfortable with your feelings.
  3. Set boundaries. We all have friends and family members who want to know every detail of our lives. Set healthy boundaries so you’re not sharing everything for them to judge. Change the subject, leave the room, or spend time with other people who are less judgmental or nosy.
  4. Practice empathy. When you seek approval from others, they aren’t viewing things from the same lens that you are. They might not understand your path as an entrepreneur if they’ve only worked full-time jobs. Have empathy that their experiences are different from yours when they give feedback and advice. Put everything in context to see where they are coming from.

When you stop seeking the approval of other people, you can be free to be yourself and make your own life and career decisions. That freedom can help you be happier and more energetic, which benefits your business and everyone around you.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!


. . .

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Advice From The CEO Whisperer On What To Do With Toxic Employees, How To Set A Vivid Vision, & How Leaders Can Improve https://thefutureorganization.com/advice-from-the-ceo-whisperer-on-what-to-do-with-toxic-employees-how-to-set-a-vivid-vision-how-leaders-can-improve/ Mon, 27 Sep 2021 08:21:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44740 Cameron Herald is the bestselling author of several books including Meetings Suck and Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool for Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Cameron_Herald_-_Ready.mp3

Cameron Herald Transcript

Cameron Herald is the bestselling author of several books including Meetings Suck and Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool for Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future

He is the former COO of 1-800-Got-Junk and in the six years he was in that position he brought the company from $2 million to $106 million in annual revenue and the company was named the #2 company in Canada people wanted to work for.

Cameron is also known as the CEO Whisperer and he has coached a lot of leaders around the world. When it comes to looking for a coach, Cameron says leaders have to know what they are looking for because, “the world’s littered with coaches right now. And you have to be very careful and understand what it is you’re selecting.” Cameron focuses on the entrepreneurial operations, execution, and culture space. He teaches CEOs how to build world-class company cultures in order to propel growth.

He compares business coaches with sports coaches and says just as you would have different coaches for strength, conditioning, mindset, health, etc…there are also different coaches for business-related skills and techniques. So make sure you know what you want to work on and seek out someone specifically coaching in that area.

What is vivid vision and why is it so important for every leader

When Cameron is working with a leader, he always starts with a concept called vivid vision. He has the leader lean out three years into the future and has them describe all aspects of their company as if they had traveled in a time machine and were walking around their company three years in the future–the culture, the technology, the operations, the marketing, etc…

“I’m trying to get the CEO to visualize the company in its finished state. And then we can reverse engineer every sentence to figure out what to do to make each sentence come true. And then, much like building a home where you build the foundation, and you put up the walls, and then you put in the electrical and the plumbing, and then you put in the drywall, there’s a formula for building out a business, in the same way you start with the foundational building blocks, and you grow from there. Many entrepreneurs get distracted by the big shiny object, right? Some, they just read something in a book, they want to do it now. But they forget about building the core basis of the business first.”

Why three years? Just looking one year out, there wouldn’t be enough change, it would be pretty similar to the present moment. And more than three years can be too far out to really wrap your head around, and too far out to really take seriously and get excited about.

The vivid vision is the CEOs responsibility to create, roll it out, and get other people to buy into it. “If the CEO is very clear on where we’re going, other people can figure out the plan to help make that come true.” Or for those people who don’t buy into the vision, they can see that the company is not a good fit for them and they can find someplace that works better for them.

What is the relationship between CEO and COO

Cameron uses an analogy of building a home when talking about the relationship between the CEO and COO. The CEO is the homeowner who wants to build the home and the COO is the general contractor that is hired to take the homeowner’s ideas and make the vision come true.

“So the COO’s job is to take the vivid vision from the entrepreneur, the CEO, and start crafting the plan and the team and the operational bench to then execute on that vision and make that happen. The COO’s job is to reverse engineer the dream or the goals of the CEO.”

As Cameron points out a good COO is trying to get more done with less people, faster. They try to make the business run more efficiently, they try to increase revenue per employee, and optimize processes. Whereas a CEO doesn’t spend so much time thinking about those types of things.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

What is a Mind Map and how can leaders use them

A Mind Map is a tool that people use to visualize tasks, words, concepts or items that relate to a central concept or subject. When it comes to creating a vivid vision you can use a Mind Map by writing vivid vision in the middle of the page and then draw off a few branches. Each branch will represent something like family, fitness, friends, fun, faith/spirituality, and travel, then you jot down ideas for each branch.

For example, for the travel branch you might want to write that you want to live in different cities or live abroad or you want to learn a new language. For your family branch you might want to travel with them or make sure they get out of the house each day or learn a new skill together. And as you keep jotting down ideas it becomes a spider web of ideas.

“That’s the way I like planning things. It’s the way I like visualizing a company or a business. Whenever I have a new project or a new idea, I tend to start with a mind map and then I take all of those ideas and I build them out into lists of bullet points. And then I just prioritize the bullet points and I just start executing off those. You know, if you were doing a mind map of your home, and we’re going to build a home, well what might it look like? How much should it cost? What types of rooms are we going to have? How will the rooms be laid out? So you start describing it and then it gives you some basis for thinking through things.”

What happens if there are people who don’t agree with your vivid vision?

Cameron gave an example of a CEO he worked with in Vancouver who went through Cameron’s program and had created his vivid vision. He had an offsite day for all 100 employees at the company and at the end of the day he read his vision off to the employees.

After reading out his entire vision he told them there are probably 15% of you who hate what you just heard, and that’s okay. But now you know that this is the right time for you to quit and look for another company that you are excited about because this is where we are going in the future.

About six weeks later 12% of his company had quit. A year and a half later that leader’s company was ranked as the #2 company in British Columbia to work for.

So not everyone will buy into your vision, but that just means that the company is not a good fit for them and it is their choice to buy into it or leave. It is better to be open and honest about where the company is going and have some people quit then to make it a mystery and have all employees confused about where the company is going.

“There’s people at Microsoft that would hate working at Google, I’ve been to both their head offices, they’re extraordinarily different. They’re as different as like a raspberry and a banana. You know, both are fruits. I happen to hate bananas, I happen to like raspberries. Now, you can’t say I don’t like fruit, I just don’t like bananas. So you need to decide: do I like what they’re offering? And if you’re not clear on what they’re offering, you really want to find out. You also really want to be clear on the vision of the organization. Right? Where are they going? Do I want to be a part of that journey? Or would I rather be a part of a different journey?”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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The 6 Leadership Trends You Have To Know (According To 140 CEOs) https://thefutureorganization.com/the-6-leadership-trends-you-have-to-know-according-to-140-ceos/ Sat, 25 Sep 2021 23:08:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44735 Leadership is changing… actually, let me rephrase that… Leadership HAS transformed. But why? How? This change is one that we can all sense and experience but I really wanted to pinpoint specific trends that were causing this transformation. To do that I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, ... Read more

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Leadership is changing… actually, let me rephrase that…

Leadership HAS transformed.

But why? How?

This change is one that we can all sense and experience but I really wanted to pinpoint specific trends that were causing this transformation.

To do that I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Best Buy, Oracle, Kaiser, Verizon, and dozens of others. This was all done as part of research for my new book, The Future Leader, which examines what it will take to be a leader in the new world of work.

One of the questions I asked all of these CEOs was around the greatest trends shaping leadership (now and in the future). They identified six of them.

I put together a PDF which outlines all 6 of these trends in detail and also provides action items for each one of the trends.

AI and Technology

When I asked CEOs what they viewed as the biggest trends impacting leadership, the most common answer I received was the growth of artificial intelligence and technology. It’s no secret that technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace. Artificial intelligence has the power to completely transform how businesses operate and people work.

Pace of Change

Right alongside the growth of AI and technology is the overall pace of change. How we live and work is drastically different today from what it was five years ago—let alone 20 or 30 years ago.

Purpose and Meaning

While companies used to be able to easily attract top talent with the promise of a high salary, that’s no longer the case. Employees now want to work for an organization that offers purpose and meaning, and they’re even willing to take a pay cut to get it.

New Talent Landscape

Recent years have brought tremendous change to the overall talent landscape, and it’s only just beginning. As older employees retire and younger generations enter the workforce, many companies find themselves on the constant hunt for skilled employees. At the same time, diversity and inclusion are becoming even more important.

Morality, Ethics, and Transparency

Gone are the days of controlling leaders trying to be the smartest person in the room. A recent push for morality, ethics, and transparency has led to more authentic and humble leaders. Companies with ethical foundations perform better financially and have higher customer and employee satisfaction.

Globalization

As technology grows, the world becomes more connected and seems smaller. Each country used to be its own economy, but now we can work with and communicate instantly with people all over the world. All businesses are now global and have the potential for worldwide employees and customers.

Future-ready leaders need to understand these six trends and adapt their leadership approach for changes in the way we think, work, and live. These six trends will be crucial for leaders over the next decade and beyond.

Are you aware of these six trends, what are you doing to prepare yourself and your organization to face them?

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5 Tips to Create a Motivational and Inspirational Message For Your Team https://thefutureorganization.com/5-tips-to-create-a-motivational-and-inspirational-message-for-your-team-2/ Thu, 23 Sep 2021 23:01:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44714 One of a leader’s main responsibilities is to motivate and inspire their team. This is often done by sending a note or letter, especially at the start or end of the year or as a way to give updates. Here are five ways to create an effective message that connects with employees and motivates the ... Read more

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One of a leader’s main responsibilities is to motivate and inspire their team.

This is often done by sending a note or letter, especially at the start or end of the year or as a way to give updates.

Here are five ways to create an effective message that connects with employees and motivates the team:

Be Real 

People want leaders who are authentic and real. Your company and your employees may be going through changes and struggles right now. Acknowledge those difficulties and your own struggles. Being real builds stronger bonds and shows employees you’re human and really care about them.

Be Grateful

No matter what you’re writing to employees about—good news or bad—always be grateful and thank them for their efforts. Employees appreciate being appreciated. Starting your letter with gratitude sets the tone and lets employees know you see them and value their work. Being grateful is especially important in our current climate when things are likely more difficult for employees.

Be Proud Of Success

Share what has gone well for your company and be proud. Success in 2021 may look different than it has in the past, but there is always something to celebrate. Your success might have been surviving a pandemic or pivoting to better serve your customers. Be proud of what you have accomplished and endured and share that with your team.

Be Empathetic

Chances are employees have it worse than you do as a leader. Don’t downplay their difficulties. Acknowledge their struggles, especially in the current pandemic. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what they’ve gone through and how you can help.

Be Hopeful

The last year has been rough. But don’t focus on the negative. Your job as a leader is to be optimistic and set a hopeful tone for the future. End your message on a hopeful note and share optimism with employees. Being hopeful doesn’t mean being fake or sugar-coating difficulties. It means finding the positive and holding to hope that things will turn around.

Creating a message for your team is your chance to share news and your vision for the future.

Follow these five steps to draft a message that connects with employees, motivates them, and helps them feel seen and connected to the company.

It isn’t easy to be a leader or employee right now, but real communication can improve the situation for everyone.

. . .

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

The post 5 Tips to Create a Motivational and Inspirational Message For Your Team first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Real-Life Tips for Practicing Empathy at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/real-life-tips-for-practicing-empathy-at-work/ Wed, 22 Sep 2021 23:07:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44712 It’s no secret that practicing empathy is vital to success at work. Countless researchers and authors have shared the importance of stepping into someone else’s shoes.

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It’s no secret that practicing empathy is vital to success at work. Countless researchers and authors have shared the importance of stepping into someone else’s shoes.

But what does that actually look like at work?

Developing empathy requires daily practice.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are three real-life tips to practice empathy at work:

  1. Listen. It’s nearly impossible to put yourself in someone else’s shoes if you’re making a rushed decision. Slow down and take a step back to soak in the information and what people are sharing. An immediate response will likely be your own reaction and not consider other people’s perspectives. Stop, take a moment to listen and digest the information, and then decide.
  2. Be aware of your emotions. Practicing empathy requires you to be in a neutral emotional state or the same state as the person you’re talking to. If you are too emotional or don’t match their emotions, you won’t be empathetic. Be aware of your emotions to ensure you are in a mental space to practice empathy. If you are too angry, excited, sad, or emotional to be neutral or match their emotions, try to get to a neutral space. Disconnect, meditate, or go through the same situation the other person went through to get on the same emotional level as them.
  3. Take the opposite perspective. It can be challenging to see things from another person’s perspective when you don’t agree with them, but taking the opposite perspective is incredibly effective in developing empathy and building connections. Ask yourself why someone would act a certain way, especially if they were rude or inconsiderate to you. Don’t assume things about people, but instead take the opposite perspective to yours to get to the root of a person’s actions.

There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

Practicing empathy and seeing things from another person’s point of view is crucial in all areas of life and business. When you work daily to develop empathy, you can build stronger connections, work through conflict easier, and be open to new ideas and points of view.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Secrets of health, beauty and longevity
In an era when ladies after 30 were considered old women, Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) was able to fall in love with King Henry II of Valois (1519-1559) of France. At that time she was 27 years old, she did not drink alcohol and was against a heavy morning meal. By the age of sixty, she was in personal trainers no way inferior to the young ladies of the court. The secrets of beauty and health of this woman allowed her to look great for the rest of her days.

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneur? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:34:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44709 Being an entrepreneur provides total flexibility and freedom to do whatever you want to do with your time and resources.

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Being an entrepreneur provides total flexibility and freedom to do whatever you want to do with your time and resources. It puts you in control of your life, both day to day and the big picture. No one else is making decisions for you or dictating what you do.

It has taught Blake how to be fierce and brave and showed her things about herself she never would have known without being an entrepreneur. Nothing is more empowering than building a business you love.

As an entrepreneur, you can put your kids and family first. You have the flexibility to prioritize your family over your work and create a schedule that works for your goals and lifestyle. That often isn’t possible when you work for someone else.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

If there’s one word to describe entrepreneurship, it’s possibility. There are endless opportunities as an entrepreneur, and anything you dream you can achieve. You just have to have faith in yourself and keep pushing. Nothing is holding you back but you.

No one person is going to make or break your career. The only thing that will determine your success is your resiliency. That means getting back up whenever you get knocked down and moving towards your goals.

Being an entrepreneur takes dedication, resiliency, and vision. It isn’t easy, but it can provide unimaginable freedom and satisfaction.

What are you waiting for?

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

If the crime rate in the United States as a whole has been declining in recent years, crime in the centers of the gambling business, on the contrary, is growing. In addition, the casino does not do the best for local businesses. In the United States, there is a clear pattern: if gambling houses open in a city https://casinopinup1.ru/, then this is followed by a massive bankruptcy of small businesses (cafes, restaurants, shops, real estate agencies, etc.). The United States, with the highest percentage of gamblers among the population, leads in the number of bankruptcies.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How To Crush Adversity with the Leadership Techniques of America’s Toughest Warriors https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-crush-adversity-with-the-leadership-techniques-of-americas-toughest-warriors/ Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:34:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44694 Jason Redman is a Retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant, motivational speaker, and the bestselling author of Overcome: Crush Adversity With The Leadership Techniques Of America’s Toughest Warriors.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jason_Redman_-_Ready.mp3

Jason Redman Transcript

Jason Redman is a Retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant, motivational speaker, and the bestselling author of Overcome: Crush Adversity With The Leadership Techniques Of America’s Toughest Warriors.

Jason grew up in a family that was very patriotic and enjoyed serving their country, so he heard about the military early on and from about the age of 12 he knew he wanted to do special operations. There was something about the Navy SEALs and the fact that it is the hardest training in the entire U.S. military that piqued Jason’s interest. People told him he would never make it, but that just pushed him even more to reach that goal. After he graduated high school he headed to Boot Camp.

“SEAL training is legendary and it’s difficult. And it’s been that way from the very beginning all the way back in World War II. And interestingly enough, it’s pretty much maintained the core of what that training was back then. And even today, SEAL training has a 75%- 80% failure rate. So attrition rate, almost 80% of the people that start SEAL training, don’t make it through the majority of it, you know, don’t make it because obviously, they quit. But then there’s a large amount that don’t make it for medical reasons. And then performance reasons, academic reasons. All these things play into a guy’s ability to make it through training. And it is legendary in its difficulty.”

How Jason’s near-death experience led him to his current career

Back in September 2007 Jason was part of a SEAL Assault Group in Iraq. It was a pretty volatile time in the war and they were conducting missions almost every night. On September 12 they got word that a senior Al-Qaeda leader was going to be in a specific location at a specific time and Jason’s team launched a mission to go after that individual. 

But what they didn’t know was they were walking into a very well executed Al-Qaeda ambush and Jason and his team were shot by multiple machine guns. Jason was shot eight times in his elbow and his face. His jaw was shattered, all the bones above one of his eyes were broken, he was severely injured and knocked out. His teammates continued to fight and got him out of there and he was sent to a hospital in the U.S. 

Jason remembers that in the beginning he was so overwhelmed. Doctors were giving him a ton of information about his injuries and treatment, at one point they thought they might need to amputate his arm, he was being fed by a stomach tube. He thought for sure his career was over and didn’t know where he would go next. 

People would come visit him and they would talk about other people they saw throughout the hospital and what a shame it was, what a pity that we send them off to war and they come back broken and they’ll never be the same. And Jason had a realization hearing those comments. He didn’t want to be a victim and feel sorry for himself–he had been through tough times before and overcame them and he knew he had a choice. 

We all have a choice when faced with hard times–whether you are a salesperson, a doctor, a police officer, etc…humans are humans and we have a choice in how we react to situations in our lives.    

So he put a sign up on his door that said, “Attention to all who enter here, if you’re coming in this room to feel sadness or sorrow, don’t bother. The wounds I received, I got in a job that I love, doing it for people that I love, defending the freedom of a country that I deeply love. I will make a full recovery. What is full? That’s the absolute utmost, physically. I have the ability to recover, and then I’m going to push that about 20% further through sheer mental tenacity. This room you’re about to enter is a room of fun, optimism, and intense rapid regrowth. And if you’re not prepared for that, go elsewhere.”

He wrote that sign for himself, he knew in his time of darkness he needed to have a mission statement that he could focus on when he wanted to quit or was feeling down. It wasn’t an easy journey, just because he made that statement doesn’t mean everything was better from that moment forward. He had surgery setbacks, days of intense pain, infections, etc… But he always thought back to those words and pushed forward. 

In life, Jason says, you have to understand what your values are and what your mission is. That’s what has to drive you forward.

Jason’s three rules of leadership

While we can’t control everything, we do have choices in life, no matter what role we are in. Jason teaches three rules of leadership when he gives his talks. He says it starts with rule number one, which is 70% of leadership is how you lead yourself. It’s about your self-discipline, how you build structure in your life, how you build repetition and processes to get things done, how you are balanced as a leader. Leading others usually happens before you ever open your mouth. 

Rule number two is to lead others. After you are leading yourself and you know what your mission & values are, you can start leading others. It is important that you build trust, communicate clearly, and always stay on course. 

Rule number three is lead always. No matter what you are facing in life, as a leader you have to realize that you are leading. People are going to look to you as their example, so you have to step up and lead regardless of what you go through in life.

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There are 6 trends that are transforming leadership forever do you know what they are and are you ready for them? Download the PDF to learn what these 6 trends are and what you should be doing about each one of them. These are crucial for your leadership and career development in the future of work!

 

Can resilience and overcoming adversity be taught?

Jason has gone through a lot in his life and no matter what he keeps pushing forward and maintains a positive attitude. Leaders inside of organizations today need to have this type of mindset in order to overcome all of the challenges and hurdles that come along with this fast-paced, new world of work. But can this mindset be taught?

While some people do have a higher level of resilience within themselves than others, Jason says it is something that can be taught and improved. It’s taught through doing hard things. You have to get out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. If you are afraid of speaking in public, join Toastmasters. If you are afraid of heights, jump out of a plane. 

“Why? Because it forces you out of your comfort zone. And that’s what builds your resiliency and your overcome muscles. I’ll tell you what I try and tell people all the time, you cannot just click a switch and turn on an overcome mindset in a crisis. If you’ve never built one, it just won’t happen. I don’t care how much you read. I don’t care how much you think you know about it. If you have not done some hard things in your life and built your overcome resiliency muscles, it won’t happen.”

The three Ps–how Jason stays focused on his goals

One important part of leading yourself is having goals and building a structure that helps you stay focused on them. Jason has created the three Ps that help him stay on track and focused on his long-term goals. Narrowing it down to these three areas helps him move the needle forward a bit day by day instead of having huge lofty goals that seem way out of reach.

His three Ps are: 

  1. One physical goal–For Jason this is always about getting at least one workout in a day. But this could be any kind of physical goal. Maybe you want to do Yoga, or go for a walk outside, or play a team sport. 
  2. One personal goal–To make sure he still takes time out to do something for himself Jason sets one personal goal a day. This could be having dinner with his family or calling his mom or balancing his personal finances. 
  3. One professional goal–Every day he sets a professional goal to help him move his business forward. 

As a leader working on these things daily helps you lead yourself which in turn helps you lead others better. Jason says as a leader you should be an example of a good communicator, a good family member, an example of taking care of yourself physically and mentally, etc…

“All these things are critical components of leadership, that if you’re not doing them, if you are telling your people they need to have balance with their family, but you’re not showing that, then they’re going to slide out of that also, because that’s how we learn. We emulate our leaders. And we value what our leaders feel is important.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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3 Things Leaders Do https://thefutureorganization.com/3-things-leaders-do/ Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:10:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44690 I’ve interviewed hundreds of the top leaders around the world. And although each person has unique habits and personalities, they also have much in common.

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I’ve interviewed hundreds of the top leaders around the world. And although each person has unique habits and personalities, they also have much in common. I narrowed it down to three key things leaders do to help make them great. These actions might not seem huge, but they have a tremendous impact on their leadership skills.

Here are three things that great leaders do:

They take time for themselves.

Great leaders spend time meditating, journaling, exercising, or enjoying a hobby. That time to themselves allows them to see the big picture and reflect on how they can grow and improve. Taking time for themselves helps leaders be in top form to help their people and their organizations.

They have goals.

Leaders set both daily goals and long-term goals for themselves and their companies. They visualize their days and are always working towards something greater. Without goals, it’s easy to flounder and not have a set direction.

They spend time with people.

Great leaders don’t stay in their corner offices. They are on the ground interacting with all sorts of people, including frontline employees and customers. These leaders don’t just spend time with their peers, but instead interact with diverse groups, pop in on meetings, and ask questions to get a sense of what’s really happening in their companies.

These three actions set great leaders apart from mediocre or bad leaders. Taking time for themselves, setting goals, and spending time with other people helps great well-rounded leaders who can have a great impact.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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The Most Valuable Resource I Use To Think About The Future & Spot Trends https://thefutureorganization.com/the-most-valuable-resource-i-use-to-think-about-the-future-spot-trends/ Thu, 16 Sep 2021 23:01:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44682 I'm oftentimes asked what I do to spot trends, come up with ideas, and where I get insights to advise some of the world's top companies.

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I’m oftentimes asked what I do to spot trends, come up with ideas, and where I get insights to advise some of the world’s top companies.

I’m a professionally trained futurist and I received my certification at the University of Houston. It was a great program where I learned about all sorts of useful tools and frameworks that futurists use to anticipate future trends.

I’ve always made it a habit to study, read, and be curious.

But from everything I’ve done, do you want to know what helped me the most?

Well…do you?

Ok, ok, I’ll tell you!

My podcast, The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan

To date I’ve interviewed 550 guests including the CEOs from Best Buy, Accor, PwC, Honeywell, Netflix, GE, and countless others.

These leaders tell me everything including what they are working on, what they are planning for, the challenges they are faced with, the trends they are focusing on, what they look for in others, and a whole lot more.

I’ve always believed that if we want to learn what the future can look like, a great place to start is from the leaders who are actually out there at the helm of the world’s largest and most known brands.

I’ve also spoken with academics, researchers, and brilliant people and authors like Seth Godin, Dan Heath, Fareed Zakaria, Yuval Harari, Dan Pink, BJ Fogg, and dozens of others.

I actually started my podcast over 6 years ago with the selfish intent of trying to learn as much as I could from the world’s top leaders and smartest people. It just so happens that I made all of my conversations public so that the world could learn along with me 🙂

My conversations are all an hour in length so that we can go deep on a variety of topics and I also provide transcripts to all the interviews. Not only that, but my videos are all done on video so if you prefer to watch the discussions on Youtube you can do that too!

My podcast on the future of work has been my greatest source of ideas, trend-spotting, and insights – when you consider the people I’ve interviewed how could it not be?

If you want to go on this future of work learning journey with me and be able to spot trends, come up with new ideas, and glean amazing insights, then I invite you to subscribe to my podcast on your favorite platform.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

So there you go…that’s my secret, I hope it will become your secret too!

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Why Storytelling Matters at Work https://thefutureorganization.com/why-storytelling-matters-at-work/ Wed, 15 Sep 2021 13:16:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44667 I was never a good student, but I was excited to enter the corporate world. I worked hard to make that happen and double majored in college and graduated with honors.

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I was never a good student, but I was excited to enter the corporate world. I worked hard to make that happen and double majored in college and graduated with honors.

In my first job out of college, I was promised the chance to travel, meet with entrepreneurs and executives, and have an immediate impact. The opportunity was too good to pass up, even with a three-hour daily commute.

But the job turned out to be data entry and cold calling. One day, the CEO came out of his office and said he had an important task for me. I thought it was my chance to do something worthwhile until he handed me some cash and told me to go get him coffee.

After that day, I vowed to someday work for myself. It started my passion for the future of work.

People often ask how I got involved in writing and talking about the future of work.

I could share statistics, or I could share that story. Which do you think is more effective?

—————————

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

Great communicators are all great storytellers. As humans, we naturally want to hear stories and connect with them more. It’s why kids love bedtime stories and why stories are crucial at work.

Research has found that stories get people to act and are more memorable than statistics. One study distributed two pamphlets for an organization that helps children—one with facts and data and the other with stories. People who received the pamphlet with stories donated almost twice as much as the people who only had facts and data.

Some of the most successful brands in the world like Airbnb and Nike don’t just list properties or shoes—they share stories to connect customers with their products, brand, and purpose.

Great leaders like Bill Gates and Elon Musk built their companies by telling stories to investors, customers, and employees to help them see the vision and the mission of their organizations. Their method is much more effective than just sharing numbers and facts.

For building connections, sharing vision, and getting people engaged and inspired, storytelling matters at work.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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Tips For Parents Running A Business With Kids At Home https://thefutureorganization.com/tips-for-parents-running-a-business-with-kids-at-home/ Tue, 14 Sep 2021 12:52:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44665 Being an entrepreneur is hard enough. But adding kids to the mix, especially kids who are at home during a pandemic, takes the challenges to another level.

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Being an entrepreneur is hard enough. But adding kids to the mix, especially kids who are at home during a pandemic, takes the challenges to another level.

We balance three thriving businesses with two active little kids at home. From our experiences and struggles, we’ve found five things that help us balance running a business and being parents:

  1. Get childcare if you can afford it. Childcare, such as a nanny, daycare, or preschool, is definitely an investment. But spending that money on our kids gives us the ability to completely focus on our work instead of managing our kids’ schedules. Consider the cost of not investing in childcare—the strain on your mental health and decreased quality of work adds up. When we pick our kids up from childcare, we can separate work and totally focus on them, which makes everyone happier.
  2. Take turns. You both don’t have to be in parent mode all the time. When you are exercising, your partner can watch the kids. Then switch places so the other person can exercise. You can also work in batches and have one person work for a few hours while your partner watches the kids and then switch. Be sure to physically separate yourself so you can avoid distractions and have the time and space to run your business effectively.
  3. Take care of yourself. If you are stressed out or burnt out, you can’t effectively take care of your kids or run your business. Do what you need to do to practice self-care, such as exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, or spending time on your hobbies. When you take care of yourself, you can then show up and give 100% of yourself to your kids and business.
  4. Ensure the division of labor is equal. You and your partner should be in a true partnership instead of one person shouldering all the work. Balance the many chores and responsibilities that come with having kids at home. Communication is key. Be honest with your spouse and discuss regularly what you both need to be successful and how you can fairly balance the workload.
  5. Get creative. Part of the beauty of being an entrepreneur is that you aren’t locked into a normal 8-5 schedule. Don’t be afraid to take time off to be with your family and make it up later. Bring your kids into your hobbies and find creative ways to spend time as a family.

Life as an entrepreneur with kids can get messy. Embrace the imperfections and know that finding balance during this stage of life is part of the fun and excitement. By following these tips, you can make the most of being a parent and entrepreneur and love all aspects of your life.

Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Simon Mainwaring On The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future https://thefutureorganization.com/simon-mainwaring-on-the-business-revolution-that-will-save-our-future/ Mon, 13 Sep 2021 12:34:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44659 Simon Mainwaring is the bestselling author of We First and Lead With We: The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future, which comes out in November. He is the founder & CEO of We First, Inc. and he was a finalist for Global Australian of the Year in 2015.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Simon_Mainwaring_-_Ready.mp3

Simon Mainwaring Transcript

Simon Mainwaring is the bestselling author of We First and Lead With We: The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future, which comes out in November. He is the founder & CEO of We First, Inc. and he was a finalist for Global Australian of the Year in 2015.

Simon’s first book came about after the global economic meltdown when he heard a speech from Bill Gates from the World Economic Forum. Bill Gates talked about how the private sector needed to play a bigger role in social change and that really hit home with Simon. He wrote his first book, We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World, to help companies rethink their strategies and practice capitalism in a way that produces profit but also benefits the planet and communities around the world.

What is the future of work

As Simon shares, prior to covid we had defined separation between work and life, but since the pandemic that line has dissolved. Work has infused our life and life has infused our work. We are now seeing people bring more of their whole selves to work. We have Zoom calls and we see people’s children, pets, and house decor.

Simon believes that as we go forward we will see even more blending between work and personal life so they are more seamless. Even though work-life balance has been a phrase used in the past, Simon believes there is no work-life balance, the balance has to be within yourself. You have to know what works for you and what gives you balance. Do you work better at night or in the morning? Do you work better in a coffee shop or in an office setting?

“I think, you know, that balance is something that we all need to strive for in a sort of the inner state level. And once you do that, I think, you can show up meaningfully, when you’re just hanging out and being social, and also you can really contribute on the work front. So I think the focus of the balance has to be within you, rather than sort of this false separation between work and life.”

Simon has also learned from working in countries around the world. He says he has learned to work more lightly and not suspend his happiness until he reaches a certain level.

“I used to be so anxious, and you’re striving to get ahead and you think you can’t be happy or successful until you’ve done X, Y, and Z. And I think it’s a much smarter strategy just to realize that you’re gonna put that effort in, but not suspend your happiness until you get there to just travel more lightly, take things a little less seriously. And, you know, have a little bit more fun on the way because I can’t even remember things that I was worried about three or four years ago.”

Trends Simon is paying attention to

The world of work is changing a lot and there are a few trends that Simon is watching and paying attention to. The first one is the heightened and growing awareness of all of the challenges we are facing these days. You can’t look at your phone, or your social media, or a newspaper without seeing what’s happening around the world–floods, fires, species lost, political unrest, etc….

“I think we’re all going through really tough times– anxiety, stress, pressure, family, professional, whatever. And I think one of the challenges of COVID is I don’t think any of us had carved out the time or the pressure hasn’t stopped for us to actually process what’s happening. And so we’re carrying it forward into our work lives.”

People are exhausted, burned out, anxious. One of the best ways that Simon has found to deal with this is to get out into nature. Go for a walk or a swim. Connect with something outside of a screen. Take time away from the news or do a full digital detox.

Another trend that he is paying attention to is a positive one. We have seen stakeholders showing up for change more than in the past. Suppliers, CEOs, employees, and customers are all calling for a different way of doing business in a way that makes the world a better place. Everyone has a place at the table, which is different from what it was before.

And the third trend he is watching is the connection between companies who make a great impact on the world around them and the profits they make. “These new market forces where, you know, the more a CEO or a company or its culture or its products, or its impact does good, the more people are buying its products, the more investors are putting money behind that company, the more they’re getting listed on the stock exchange. And the nature of business itself is changing. And I’m actually very optimistic about that.”

Three ways in which leadership is changing

Leadership is changing in a massive way and Simon says there are three main ways that he is seeing it change.

  1. Leaders are allowed to be more human now–Over this past year and a half we have all gone through tough times, we are all just doing the best we can, including leaders. Leaders are now able to be completely human–open, honest, and real.
  2. We have much more inclusive cultures–The traditional hierarchy is disappearing and we are moving away from command and control. We also have more focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  3. Leadership is much more collaborative–Leaders and companies are working together to tackle the big problems of the world. Our problems are bigger than one leader or one company can solve on their own.

Why Simon is doing a digital detox and the impact it’s had on his life

This past year and a half has been difficult for everyone. Not only have we had to be worried about the pandemic but we’ve been separated from loved ones, we haven’t had holidays or celebrations, we haven’t been able to have a social life. And so going through these tough times is hard enough without having to read the news and scroll through negative social media posts.

Simon found that stepping away from news and social media, spending more time outside, spending more time with family, and focusing on his health made a positive impact on his mood and his outlook on life.

“I think the digital detox is all really about protecting yourself against the assault of all the negative things out there, reminding yourself what’s really important and good for your health and well being. And then committing to a course of action that will allow you not just to feel okay today, but sustain it over the long term because we’re 18 months into this now, and who knows how long this is going to go on for. So it’s been what’s been working.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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How to Build A High-Performing Team https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-build-a-high-performing-team-2/ Sat, 11 Sep 2021 13:45:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44654 Everywhere I travel around the world, people always ask me the same question: How do you build a high-performing team?

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Everywhere I travel around the world, people always ask me the same question: How do you build a high-performing team?

They want to know the secret sauce to create teams that get great results, work well together, and innovate and improve the company. A lot of it comes down to the leader setting the tone for a successful team.

From my experience working with top companies around the world, here are three essential ways to create a high-performing team:

Know the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your team members.

High-performing teams work well because everyone is in the right position. Leaders need to be self-aware about their strengths and weaknesses and aware of where their team members excel and struggle so they can put people in the areas where they will shine. Optimizing performance starts by knowing where people will do the best work and then putting them in that position, and to do that, you truly have to know your employees.

Set clear goals and focus on transparency.

Without clear goals, it’s hard to move the ship forward. Setting goals puts everyone on the same page and aligns the entire team about where they are going and how to know they are moving in the right direction. Be transparent about how the goals came to be and set up feedback systems to provide honest updates.

Give and receive regular feedback.

More and more companies are moving away from the traditional annual performance review model to an ongoing dialogue with regular check-ins, and it plays a huge role in creating high-performing teams. Instead of waiting to give feedback until months after a project has passed, regular feedback patterns allow for people to grow continually and apply feedback in real-time. Check your ego to receive feedback from team members so you can stay on the same page and grow together.

These three high-level characteristics of high-performing teams can make all the difference in your team’s performance. As you implement these steps, you’ll see a dramatic increase in your team’s performance.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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How Leaders Can Serve Their Employees: Carrie Birkhofer, President & CEO Of Bay Federal Credit Union https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-serve-their-employees-carrie-birkhofer-president-ceo-of-bay-federal-credit-union/ Thu, 09 Sep 2021 13:00:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44649 Carrie Birkhofer is president and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union, a non-profit financial cooperative with 225 employees. She’s been the CEO for 25 years, and under her leadership, the credit union has grown from $70 million to $1.4 billion in assets.

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Carrie Birkhofer is president and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union, a non-profit financial cooperative with 225 employees. She’s been the CEO for 25 years, and under her leadership, the credit union has grown from $70 million to $1.4 billion in assets.

What does it look like to serve your employees? Carrie has great real-life examples. First of all, Carrie makes sure she meets all new employees on their first day at work.

Pre-Covid, that meant Carrie and four or five current employees would get together in person with the new employees. The current employees would share their path at Bay Federal. Then they would have the new employees do the same thing, except they would share their paths getting to Bay Federal.

Carrie would go last because she doesn’t want to influence the process. Most people don’t even know who she is until she shares. She also gives new employees a chance to ask any questions they want. But because she realizes they may be too nervous to ask anything, Carrie and two executive vice presidents take that same group out for lunch so they can ask their questions once they are more comfortable.

Obviously, this process looks a bit different with Covid. But this is still a priority for Carrie, so the initial meeting is done either via Zoom or in a large room where everyone is socially distanced. And instead of physically taking the group out to lunch, she orders everyone lunch to eat at their homes while on a Zoom call with Carrie and her team.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

 

Carrie also started writing a Friday morning email to all employees when the pandemic hit. She wanted to make sure everyone had all the information they needed. She got such great feedback that she has continued sending the email every week. And even though she says it is a lot of work on her part, it’s worth it because it has allowed her to be even more connected with her team.

2020 also brought a lot of attention to racial inequalities. Carrie wanted to make sure she addressed this in the right way, so she called and checked in on all of the employees in the company who identify as Black. She asked how they were doing and what she could do to help and made herself available to them. Carrie genuinely cares about her people and wants to make sure that everyone is heard and respected.

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Two Ways AI Will Take Our Jobs https://thefutureorganization.com/two-ways-ai-will-take-our-jobs/ Wed, 08 Sep 2021 13:18:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44639 There’s a lot of debate and concern about the impact AI will have on jobs.
Are the robots out to replace all humans and take over our jobs? Not necessarily.

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There’s a lot of debate and concern about the impact AI will have on jobs.

Are the robots out to replace all humans and take over our jobs? Not necessarily.

Many people believe that jobs will be lost as AI grows. But jobs aren’t car keys—they can’t simply be lost. They can, however, be taken from us.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

There are two ways that AI will take our jobs:

  1. If a company decides it wants AI to take jobs. The leaders of a company could consciously decide to replace their human employees with bots and machines. Doing so could increase their efficiency but lose the unique human characteristics like creativity and empathy. But this isn’t what is happening in most companies. Organizations across all industries are automating without losing human employees by upskilling their employees or pivoting to new business models.
  2. If you sit passively as the world changes. If as an individual, you watch the world change without doing anything, AI will take your job. You must become a perpetual learner and learn how to learn and how to apply new information frequently and quickly. You have the power to control technology and stay ahead of the change. AI will take your job if you act helpless and don’t prepare yourself.

Technology isn’t some big thing that’s coming to take over the world—it’s a tool, and we control that tool. When used responsibly, AI and new technology can transform our businesses and create efficient and empowering places to work. We can work alongside technology and use it to augment our human efforts.

The key to not having your job taken by AI is to work for a company that values its human employees and to keep learning and growing so you have the skills to lead and thrive in an AI world.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

Listen to the audio version below.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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How To Deal With Stress As An Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-deal-with-stress-as-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 07 Sep 2021 22:44:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44635 It’s no secret that life as an entrepreneur brings uncertainty and constant change, which can lead to stress.

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It’s no secret that life as an entrepreneur brings uncertainty and constant change, which can lead to stress.

But learning to deal with your stress effectively can make all the difference in your mental and physical health, your relationships, your business, and every aspect of your life.

Business decisions and situations can feel heavy and stressful, but it’s important to remember that they are small in the grand scheme of things. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. It often isn’t worth getting stressed about things that will eventually smooth over or won’t matter a month or a year from now.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

The best way to deal with stress as an entrepreneur is to learn to enjoy the moment. Love, laughter, and relaxation are the best antidotes to stress. That could look like snuggling your dogs, going for a walk, spending time with family and friends, or spending time doing something that makes you happy.

We can get stuck in our heads when life feels intense. Taking a break to relax with loved ones helps us gain perspective and realize that things aren’t really as bad as we think they are. To stress less and deal with stress, you have to get out of your head.

Seek our love and laughter. Make happiness and connection cornerstones of your life. Being an entrepreneur brings uncertainty and stressful situations, but don’t let it get you down. It will all work out in the end.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Keith Ferrazzi On Competing In The New Work World & Leading Without Authority https://thefutureorganization.com/keith-ferrazzi-on-competing-in-the-new-work-world-leading-without-authority/ Mon, 06 Sep 2021 11:20:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44623 Keith Ferrazzi is the bestselling author of multiple books including Leading Without Authority, Never Eat Alone, and his newest book, Competing in the New World of Work. He is also the Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight and it’s Research Institute.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Keith_Ferrazzi_-_Ready.mp3

Video – Keith Ferrazzi – Ready_otter.ai

Keith Ferrazzi is the bestselling author of multiple books including Leading Without Authority, Never Eat Alone, and his newest book, Competing in the New World of Work. He is also the Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight and it’s Research Institute.

Keith and the co-authors of Competing in the New World of Work conducted a huge research project to find out how organizations around the world were reacting to changes happening because of the pandemic. He says, “What we were looking to capture was a methodology and a roadmap on how the best and brightest leaders and organizations were reinventing their companies, reinventing their leadership style, reinventing their workplace, during the pandemic, in a way that would be sustainable, to allow us to meet the incredibly new volatile world that we live in.”

This research resulted in the book and a methodology, called radical adaptability, that looks at four elements of leadership that are crucial for this new world of work.

The radical adaptability framework

There are four attributes that make up the radical adaptability framework that Keith lays out in his book, they are:

  1. Foresight: You have to get everyone in your organization to see around corners and to see risks and opportunities. It’s one thing for an organization to have risk management and strategic planning, but you have to be able to turn those ideas and information into action. You have to make risk and opportunity identification part of your everyday work process so that everyone inside the organization knows how to foresee and adapt. 
  2. Agility: During the pandemic we saw a lot of organizations do things they couldn’t have done in normal times. Things that normally take months or years had to be done in weeks. The formal process of agility that is used for software development, project management, program management is very seldom used across the entire organization, but that’s what we should be doing. You come up with what your next week’s sprint will be, you go do it, and then at the end you assess it candidly and repeat. Companies need to find a way to sustain that method for the long term. 
  3. Inclusion: It is critical that everyone inside your organization has a voice as getting people involved leads to innovation. The key is to figure out how to include people without slowing the decision making process down. Keith says the solution is synchronous collaboration so that everyone has a shot at getting their idea to the table, no matter how big the group is. And technology has given us the tools to be able to do this. 
  4. Resilience: Leaders inside of organizations have to radically redefine mental well being in the workplace. It is important to help your people out when things happen and times get tough, but it’s also critical to have a system in place to support your people at all times. If everyone is at full mental strength and capacity you have a more productive and engaged workforce. 

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

How to lead without authority

Anyone inside of an organization can be a leader, even if you don’t have an official title or people reporting to you. When Keith was in his 20s he was working at Deloitte, he didn’t have authority or a leadership title, but through hard work and a passion for the CEOs vision for the company, Keith made a huge impression on the CEO and ended up getting moved to a CMO position. 

The CEO of the company wanted the company to be one of the best brands in the world. Keith went out on his own and did a huge research project. He went out and interviewed the head of marketing at multiple companies and then turned his analysis into a white paper. He turned the paper over to the CEO of Deloitte and he was shocked. And because of that initiative he was given a leadership position. 

Keith also shares that he ended up messing up at his next job because he went in with the wrong mindset. Instead of having the same humility, curiosity, passion that he had at Deloitte before he got a leadership role, he let the role go to his head and he went into the job with pride and overconfidence. He says, “I look at that, and it was shameful. And I see it happening all the time. I see executives leaning on authority to get things done and not co-creating the future of the business with their peers.”

Leaders can’t just come up with a vision and steamroll everyone to get them to buy into the idea. They have to show up with humility and share their vision with people, a vision that’s not fully cooked up, and say to them, “let’s go co-create something extraordinary together”. 

Lessons Keith learned on the golf course as a 10-year old

At the age of 10 Keith had to go out and get a job to help out his parents and he ended up working at a golf course at the local country club as a caddy. His father advised him to show up a half hour early, and while Keith thought it was a crazy idea at the time, it ended up being a huge advantage for him.

Because he was at work early he was there walking around and he would see how the greens were cut, which allowed him to read putts better. It helped him give his golfers a unique vantage point and he was able to make suggestions using this inside knowledge. 

One of the top golfers at the club had Keith as a caddy one day and because he helped her improve her score, she started asking for him every time she golfed. She started asking Keith questions about his own life and wanted to know what he wanted to do in life. After trying to avoid the question for a while, he finally gave her an answer. He told her that her dad immigrated to the US and had told Keith that being in America meant Keith could do anything, he could even be President someday.

The next time she came to golf she had a local congressman with her who coached Keith, gave him suggestions on what to work on, and suggested that he join speech and debate. Through that mentorship Keith ended up winning the national speech and debate tournament, which was his ticket into Yale University. 

And all of that came about because of the advice he got from his dad to show up early. Keith says, “I did things other caddies didn’t do, because I showed up at the golf course a half of an hour early. And the simple principle, which is true of leading without authority, if you’re a leader in an organization, you’ve got to show up a half an hour early for your people, and then define who your people are not by org structure, but by who you need to work with.” 

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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5 Tips To Create A Balanced WFH Space That Sparks Joy https://thefutureorganization.com/5-tips-to-create-a-balanced-wfh-space-that-sparks-joy/ Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44619 No commute, noisy co-workers, or cubicle walls—there’s a lot of reasons to love working remotely.

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No commute, noisy co-workers, or cubicle walls—there’s a lot of reasons to love working remotely.

“It is about workplace flexibility. It’s about giving our associates the opportunity to be who they are as an individual, whether that is a community member, a spouse or parent, or anything in between,” said Amy Freshman, Senior Director of Global Workplace Enablement at ADP.

But as more people adjust to permanent WFH or hybrid schedules, the reality of living and working under the same roof can start to sink in. It’s easy to lose the distinction between your workspace and home space when the two are intertwined. And when work and life space blurs together, work can start to invade your mental space as well.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said this: “People are more productive working at home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t. And a lot of people are actually saying that they’re more productive now.”

My wife and I have been working from home together for years. And although there’ve been some hiccups along the way, we’ve settled into a setup that works for us—even with two people trying to set boundaries in the same space.

A clearly defined workspace, no matter if it’s at home or in an office, can bring mental clarity and help you be more productive and engaged.

Here are five tips to create a balanced WFH space that sparks joy:

Designate a workspace

When you work remotely, it’s easy to want to make your entire house your workspace. And while you can move around throughout the day, have one designated space to do the bulk of your work. It doesn’t have to be big, but it does need to be yours. Find a quiet place away from distractions—bonus if you can close a door so you don’t have to look at it after work hours.

Bring in lighting and organization

Lighting is one of the biggest factors in our ability to focus and stay positive and productive. Even if your workspace is next to a window, bring in additional lighting. A brighter space can reduce eye strain and increase creativity. Add organization to your space to make sure everything has a place. When your work area is tidy, your mind is tidy.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

Check your tech

Make sure everything can be easily plugged in at your workspace and that you have a strong internet and phone signal. If not, you may need to relocate your workspace or invest in better technology. There’s nothing worse than spotty internet when you get in the work zone. Make sure your tech setup is comfortable for long days and invest in a quality mouse, multiple monitors, and whatever gadgets you need to be comfortable and connected. Many companies are paying or reimbursing employees to set up home offices, so check what’s available from your company.

Set boundaries

As you settle into working remotely, set boundaries for yourself and communicate them to your co-workers and anyone you live with. Boundaries can be around what time you’ll start and finish work, what breaks you’ll take during the day, and where you’ll work (say no to sitting on your bed). Boundaries define your physical and mental workspace and help you stay in control of your office and schedule instead of it controlling you. With more people working remotely, CEOs have doubled down their efforts to create work boundaries. Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, said this: “Working from home makes it much harder to delineate work time from personal time. I encourage all of our employees to have a disciplined schedule for when you will work, and when you will not, and to stick to that schedule.”

Have somewhere else to go

We’ve found it incredibly helpful to take time and space throughout the day to be on our own. Even if you live and work in a one-bedroom apartment, find somewhere you can go to physically and mentally separate yourself from work during the day. It can be another room, an outdoor space, or a local café—anywhere you can step away to clear your head and come back with a fresh perspective. As you create a balanced WFH space, also keep in mind other areas in your home that can serve as remote “break rooms”.

Flexible work is the future of work, so we all need to learn to create balanced spaces that allow for our best work and creativity. Building an environment that sparks joy can help you grow your career and business—no matter where you are in the world.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post 5 Tips To Create A Balanced WFH Space That Sparks Joy first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How Covid-19 Has Changed Leadership Forever: Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO of Genpact https://thefutureorganization.com/how-covid-19-has-changed-leadership-forever-tiger-tyagarajan-ceo-of-genpact/ Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:00:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44610 Tiger Tyagarajan is CEO of Genpact, a global professional services firm with 100,000 employees. Prior to Genpact, Tiger worked for several well-known companies including Unilever, Citibank, and GE.

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Tiger Tyagarajan is CEO of Genpact, a global professional services firm with 100,000 employees

Prior to Genpact, Tiger worked for several well-known companies including Unilever, Citibank, and GE. He pioneered a new global business model and transformed a division of GE into Genpact in 2005. Right now, the way we work looks a lot different than it did even just six months ago. The question is, once we get past the Covid-19 pandemic, what will work look like? Will it be changed forever, or will some things go back to normal?

 

Tiger says that assuming that 50% or more of the work going forward will be done from home is too simple. Some roles make more sense to do from home. For example, some Genpact employees at certain times of the year have to work for five days straight without a break and through the night. For that type of work, it makes sense to be in the comfort of your own home.

But there are a lot of roles where it doesn’t make sense to work from home long term. There are a lot of people who are just itching to go back into the office. Some people thrive on in-person interaction and collaboration, which is missing right now.

Tiger believes that post-Covid there will be more flexibility in the way we work. At certain times of the year or certain days of the week, people will be able to work from home, but there will be times when it’s necessary to be in the office. He also suggests the idea of companies possibly acquiring more office space than they have now. Instead of having one office building with 10,000 people, it might make more sense to have 10 offices with 1,000 people in each one. This could bring offices closer to people, bring down commute times, and potentially cut down on air pollution.

The current situation is also impacting the speed at which organizations go through digital transformation. Some companies who have talked about digital transformation for years have been forced to act on it quickly. Companies who were resisting change in the past can no longer wait, even if they wanted to. Could problems like climate change be solved if we put our own constraints on it and forced ourselves to solve the problem? Tiger thinks it’s possible, but just like Covid is affecting everyone in the world, solving climate change would require everyone coming together. It couldn’t just be a small group of people.

Tiger says, “What Covid-19 has done is create a couple of constraints that have forced innovation and experimentation. It’s the single biggest experiment humans have done considering the time frame. And, I wonder whether other intractable problems in the world are actually solvable by actually deliberately putting constraints on.” 

Could problems like climate change be solved if we put our own constraints on it and forced ourselves to solve the problem? Tiger thinks it’s possible, but just like Covid is affecting everyone in the world, solving climate change would require everyone coming together. It couldn’t just be a small group of people.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Red Flags to Spot Self Serving Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/red-flags-to-spot-self-serving-employees/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44600 We’ve all worked on teams or been around people who are only in it for themselves. These self-serving people don’t care who they need to step on or what they need to do to make it to the top.

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We’ve all worked on teams or been around people who are only in it for themselves. These self-serving people don’t care who they need to step on or what they need to do to make it to the top.

Self-serving employees are the antithesis of the future of work. They don’t work as a team and often actively bring down the people around them. If you work with a self-serving employee, it can be difficult to break free and find success and positivity. But the first step to breaking away is identifying the problem.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are three red flags to spot self-serving employees.

They are constantly criticizing or blaming others.

Self-serving people are quick to blame other people, especially when the team fails and they didn’t do the right thing. The defensive mentality brings down the entire team as the self-serving employee tries to criticize other people to make themselves look good.

They are always trying to be in control.

Self-serving employees love to take charge and make their voice heard, even if that means speaking over people or not letting more qualified and capable people take the lead. They think that what other people have to say isn’t as good as what they have to say. The constant need to be in control can squash collaboration and stunt the development of potential leaders.

They encourage extreme competition.

Some degree of competition can be effective to help people grow and progress, but self-serving employees take it too far and pit themselves against other people to try to crush them. Extreme competition takes away from team dynamics and can hold the team back from succeeding as a group.

If you recognize these red flags in any of your colleagues—or even in yourself—take a step back to change the situation. It might be time to speak to a leader or remove yourself from the group to rid yourself of the negativity and toxicity of self-serving employees.

Listen to the audio version below.

 

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

. . .

This podcast episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. 

Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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Where To Find Great Stories For Speeches, Meetings, or Making A Point https://thefutureorganization.com/where-to-find-great-stories-for-speeches-meetings-or-making-a-point/ Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44597 One of the best ways to become a great communicator is to become a great storyteller.

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One of the best ways to become a great communicator is to become a great storyteller.

People connect with and remember stories much more than they remember statistics. That’s because stories showcase emotion. They are the gateways to people’s minds and hearts.

Great storytellers are continually adding to their library of stories.

Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are four great places to find stories for speeches:

  1. Life experiences. Stories from your own life are the most powerful stories you can tell. That’s because you’ve actually lived them and can add the emotion other people can’t. Look through your life for meaningful stories that add to your message or that other people would appreciate.
  2. Networking. Some of the best stories come from simply talking to people at dinners, conferences, and other events. The more people you talk to—especially people with different backgrounds or jobs than you—the more stories you’ll find. Ask questions and listen to find interesting stories people can relate to.
  3. Popular media. Storytellers also consume a lot of stories. Pay attention to books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts. Media doesn’t have to be about business to give you great stories for your speeches. Always watch or listen with an ear for good stories.
  4. Family and friends. Ask your friends and family if they have a story or experience about a specific topic. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and share their stories. When you get a story from a family member or friend, you can also uncover the details and ask questions so you understand the entire anecdote.

Look for stories that make you feel something—joy, anger, excitement, or any other range of emotions. Compelling stories have universal appeal and can be understood by everyone. And of course, the best stories are unique and not something that’s been plagiarized or repeated countless times.

As you build your repertoire of stories, you’ll be able to select the best story to get your point across in a speech, no matter the topic.

Stories are everywhere, but you have to pay attention to find them. As you collect stories, you’re on your way to becoming a master storyteller and communicator.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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CEO of Baker Hughes On Merging Different Cultures & Taking A Stance On Societal Issues https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-baker-hughes-on-merging-different-cultures-taking-a-stance-on-societal-issues/ Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:20:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44581 Lorenzo Simonelli is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Baker Hughes, a $20 billion energy technology company with 60,000 employees in 120 countries around the world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Lorenzo_Simonelli_-_Ready.mp3

Lorenzo Simonelli Transcript

Lorenzo Simonelli is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Baker Hughes, a $20 billion energy technology company with 60,000 employees in 120 countries around the world. 

Prior to Baker Hughes Lorenzo served as President and CEO of GE Transportation, CFO of the Americas for GE Consumer & Industrial, and General Manager, Product Management for GE Appliances, Lighting, Electrical Distribution, and Motors.

It is a very different experience for leaders today than it was decades ago. With the advent of social media, sites like Glassdoor, Smartphones, etc…everything they do and say is out there for the world to see and they are constantly scrutinized and analyzed. As Lorenzo shares, unlike in the past, the role of a leader now is 24/7. He is aware of the constant feedback and analysis and says he is a humble person and he tries to do the right thing on an ongoing basis. He treats people with respect and leads in a genuine way. And so when people critique him it doesn’t get to him as much, because he is comfortable in his own skin and he knows he is doing his best. 

He believes that as long as leaders are leading in a respectful and authentic way and as long as they are driving the company forward, keeping all stakeholders at the forefront, then after that you need to be comfortable and confident in yourself. Don’t take criticism too much to heart. 

“I’ve always felt it was important to have a balance, and I will work hard. And I will always try and do the best thing at the same time. Like all other humans, you’ve got only so much you can do. And that’s what I put into perspective as well. I don’t have all the right answers. I don’t know everything. But I’ll always do the best for the company.”

What it was like working with Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt at GE

Lorenzo worked at GE in various roles for around 20 years and he had the opportunity to work with both Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt. He says working with both of them was a great learning experience and they had a huge influence on who he is as a leader today. He was able to see both of them in action and learned different skills from them. 

He shared a story of a time when he was conducting his first project for Jack and he had to give a presentation. At the time Lorenzo was around 20 years old and being that this was his first major interaction with Jack he was very nervous. He walked into the conference room and he was surrounded by Jack and other corporate staff and he began to sweat, he was so uncomfortable.

When Lorenzo started to present Jack could sense his nervousness and immediately he said “Stop, stop.” This startled Lorenzo and he was confused. He had just started presenting, there’s no way he could have screwed up already. But Jack wasn’t upset, he said “With a name like Lorenzo and an English accent, you’ve got to explain your story before you start.” And that was the ice breaker that Lorenzo needed to be able to breath and calm down before continuing with his presentation. 

This is something Lorenzo has taken with him as a leader. It’s an important skill to be able to read how people are feeling and to help them get to a place where they can shine. 

During the 2008-2009 financial crisis Lorenzo was leading a GE transportation business and because of the tough times he had to call Jeff and tell him that they had lost all of their volume. Lorenzo recalls Jeff being very understanding and telling him take what you can control and do what’s right, at the end of the day that’s all I can ask of you. I can’t ask you to control externalities that you don’t have a bearing on. Jeff was supportive and kind as a leader in a really difficult time, and that’s something that Lorenzo has taken from him.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

Leading in tough times

Making difficult decisions as a leader is never pleasant, but as Lorenzo shares, you have to be honest, drive the company forward, and make sure the company is going to be there when things get better. 

Lorenzo recalls something a mentor once told him and that is, “The worst thing you can do in a crisis is hide in your own office, because everybody is confused and the leader needs to be out there, and actually giving a direction and giving clarity.” Lorenzo has always approached a crisis as an opportunity to engage in a dialogue and build camaraderie. Your people have to understand the reasons behind the decisions you are making as a leader. You will not always be popular for the decisions you make, but people will trust you and respect you for keeping them informed and involved in the process. 

As a leader you also have to be comfortable with managing ambiguity, you can’t look flustered. Lorenzo says, “People don’t necessarily expect you to know all the answers. Clearly, the pandemic was something many of us were facing for the first time. And we had to be agile and navigate the pandemic. But if you provide a sense of ease, and a sense of just communication, and comfort, people will come along, and you will solve it as you go along.”

He says the worst thing you can do is get flustered, because people will see that and they won’t trust you to make the right decision. You may not know what to do in a given moment, but you have to stay calm, come up with a rational response, and communicate with employees. Get all the information you can, and then make the best decision possible. You may not always get it right, but you will be making progress and moving forward.

Lorenzo’s evolution as a leader

There was a time in Lorenzo’s career when he admits he was more of a command and control type leader. He thought he could do it all himself and he micromanaged people. But over time his leadership style has changed. 

The change has come about because he listened to the feedback coming from employees and peers and really taking it to heart. Listening is such an important skill to have as a leader. In order to truly take feedback and make changes you also have to be vulnerable and self aware. It’s also critical to let people know you appreciate feedback so that they continue to give it in an open and honest way. 

Lorenzo’s advice for leaders

Now more than ever it is important for leaders to stand for something and to stand for what the company believes in. As a leader at an energy technology company, Lorenzo believes that Baker Hughes can really help reduce the carbon footprint and provide safe, reliable energy for people around the world. And that is something he speaks up about and something that he takes a stand for. Every decision he makes is based on that belief. 

He says, “I’ll also say I think leaders need to be a voice for the underrepresented and also for the way in which the globe needs to continue to evolve. And that’s why diversity and inclusion is so important. Because if we don’t say it as leaders, then how will it evolve? And that’s the best decisions we know, are made when you actually have variation and diversity of thought. And that comes through the D&I as well.”

The speed at which things are changing in the world has sped up, and so leaders also need to be agile. You have to be able to move fast and pivot when needed. “We know the end goals, but how you’re going to get there can vary day in and day out, and also different roads that you take. And we look at the external world, we look at what’s happening, and we pivot accordingly. And so instead of it being one big marathon, it’s actually short sprints that get you along that way. And that’s the way in which we’ve been through this journey.”

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

This episode is sponsored by Perceptyx.

Perceptyx helps enterprises get a clear picture of their employee experience with a continuous listening and people analytics platform aligned to key business goals. With the industry’s largest portfolio of survey types – including engagement, DE&I, lifecycle, 360 feedback, pulse, and more – now you can see not only what’s going on today, but how to move forward tomorrow with insights and prescriptive actions for every level of the organization. Given our unique blend of technology, domain expertise, and ‘above and beyond’ customer service, only Perceptyx makes all this possible. It’s why 30% of the Fortune 100 already rely on Perceptyx and why 95% of the organizations stay with us year after year. Learn more or request a personal demo today at www.perceptyx.com.

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Former CEO Of Volvo, Pehr Gyllenhammar, On Why We Need To Put People Ahead of Profits https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-of-volvo-pehr-gyllenhammar-on-why-we-need-to-put-people-ahead-of-profits/ Thu, 26 Aug 2021 23:07:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44571 Pehr Gyllenhammar is the former CEO of Volvo and has been voted Sweden’s most admired man nine times. He became CEO of Volvo when he was just 35 years old and led the company for 24 years.

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Pehr Gyllenhammar is the former CEO of Volvo and has been voted Sweden’s most admired man nine times.

He became CEO of Volvo when he was just 35 years old and led the company for 24 years. Pehr led his company through lots of tough times, including recessions and an oil crisis. While many companies were sacrificing their people to save their profits, Pehr didn’t let go of a single employee. In fact, he told me he would rather let go of a white-collar worker in a management role than a blue-collar worker on the manufacturing floor. Pehr’s lesson is all about appreciating the people who work for you and remembering that it’s often the people on the front lines who make your business successful.

There are very few leaders today who actively put the well-being of their people ahead of profits. Pehr says, “I put people before profits in the sense that if I didn’t have good people, we couldn’t have productivity or have our aspirations come true. So I have people before profits and it’s not declining profits. I think that profits are very important for any shareholder company and that the shareholders should have their part, but the people will create it.”

He says companies today are not only laying people off, but doing so brutally. That’s not the way to lead. During the recessions Pehr went through as a CEO, he made it a priority to take care of his people and to protect the most vulnerable. Because of that, his employees trusted him and felt safe and motivated.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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4 Steps to Become a Masterful Storyteller https://thefutureorganization.com/4-steps-to-become-a-masterful-storyteller-2/ Wed, 25 Aug 2021 13:05:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44566 No matter if you’re giving speeches to thousands of people or pitching an idea to a small team, being a good communicator is a crucial skill for the future of work. And one thing all great storytellers have in common is that they are masterful storytellers.

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No matter if you’re giving speeches to thousands of people or pitching an idea to a small team, being a good communicator is a crucial skill for the future of work. And one thing all great storytellers have in common is that they are masterful storytellers.

Stories have a way to connect with people more than statistics or bullet points. People are much more likely to remember a story that made them feel an emotional connection than they are to remember even the most startling statistic.

Here are four ways to become a great storyteller.

  1. Look at what the numbers actually mean. Look beyond just the numbers themselves to where they came from and what they mean. Everyone can look at numbers and come to a different conclusion, but telling the stories behind the numbers keeps everyone on the same page and shows their impact. Numbers are typically rooted in people, so tie the statistics to emotions and people instead of just numbers.
  2. Connect with people emotionally. When you can be vulnerable and admit your struggles, you’re much more likely to connect with people on a human level. Taking the step with a vulnerable or honest story invites people to share their own stories and build real connections. People don’t want to hear about how amazing you are—they want to hear real, honest stories that make you relatable.
  3. Get personal. People remember real stories much more than hypothetical or fictional stories. The best stories you can tell are your own because you’ve lived them. No one can tell your story as effectively as you. If you’re not comfortable sharing your own stories, start small with lighter anecdotes until you can work up to a longer personal story to get your point across.
  4. Focus on the main point. You may have a great story to tell, but it loses all of its power if you ramble and add too many details. Think of the main point of the story and what you are trying to get across. When you focus on the goal of telling the story, you can leave out all the fluff and extra details that distract from the main point.

Becoming a masterful storyteller takes practice, but by being willing to open up and share your experiences, you can build strong connections and become a great communicator, no matter the stage.


. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post 4 Steps to Become a Masterful Storyteller first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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#1 Strategy for Onboarding New Team Members https://thefutureorganization.com/1-strategy-for-onboarding-new-team-members/ Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44559 We all know what it’s like to start a new job or to start working for a new client. That first day is crucial for setting the tone and establishing relationships and expectations.

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We all know what it’s like to start a new job or to start working for a new client.

That first day is crucial for setting the tone and establishing relationships and expectations.

Adding freelancers and people to your team can help lighten your load and grow your business. But with it comes the need to onboard the newbies in a way that creates the right experience from day one.

My wife Blake a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Onboarding new employees or freelancers means striking a balance between establishing expectations and giving them the tools to succeed while also managing your own time and resources. The best strategy to onboard new employees is this: create living documents and videos of how to do their jobs.

Taking the time to create documents and videos requires time in advance but allows for a more seamless transition for newbie onboarding. Think through what the person will need to know, including things like resources, contact information for other team members, screenshots of logins and how they need to do certain things and more.

Creating a content library for onboarding is crucial for two main reasons:

  1. Sometimes, new freelancers don’t work out. When that happens, you’ve likely already spent days or weeks investing time to train them. But by creating a series of documents and videos, you already have the resources in place to easily onboard their replacement.
  2. Living documents can be edited as the company changes. Providing resources empowers newbies to engage with the content on their own time instead of you having to repeat the same information for every freelancer who joins the business. As the company grows and processes change, living documents can easily be edited to stay up to date with the most accurate information.

Following this number one strategy for onboarding freelancers not only sets the tone from day one for what it’s like to be on the team and empowers newbies, but it also frees up your valuable time as an entrepreneur.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The CEO of Qlik Shares Two Things That Hold Leaders Back From Greatness https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-qlik-shares-two-things-that-hold-leaders-back-from-greatness/ Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:01:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44550 Mike Capone is the CEO of Qlik, a business intelligence company that provides end-to-end cloud data integration and data analytics solutions for organizations around the world. Mike leads a team of over 2,600 people around the world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Mike_Capone_-_Ready.mp3

Mike Capone Transcript

Mike Capone is the CEO of Qlik, a business intelligence company that provides end-to-end cloud data integration and data analytics solutions for organizations around the world. Mike leads a team of over 2,600 people around the world. 

Mike’s experience as a leader started at the age of 24 when he was working in IT and he says he was totally unprepared for it. At the time he had no training, no experience, and he found it very intimidating at first. But with time, advice, and on the job learning he figured things out. 

He says that his progression from an entry level leader to being the CEO leading over 2,600 people came about because of hard work, a willingness to volunteer for the hard jobs, and the ability to help others be successful. 

The things that made a difference in Mike’s career

Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, is a leader that Mike really respects and someone that he has watched for a long time. In an interview Jamie shared that when it comes to success, there is no substitute for hard work. And Mike agrees with that completely, people who work hard get rewarded. But while that is a huge part of achieving your goals, there are other important things to focus on.

Mike says you also have to be unafraid to volunteer for tough jobs. In Mike’s own career there was a time when he was working for Oracle Financials when the company was rolling out a global financial system and they had already gone through two separate leaders who had been placed in the roll and then let go. 

One day Mike was selected to be the next leader of the project, and everyone around him told him not to take it–it’s where people’s careers go to die. But Mike saw it as an opportunity to get noticed and advance his career. So he took the job and sure enough it was a huge stepping stone for him. As Mike shares, it is a combination of things that get you to the level of CEO, but if no one notices you and if no one knows who you are, then it doesn’t matter, you won’t get ahead. You have to have people believe that you are a key to their success.

Mike’s leadership style

One thing that is very important to Mike as a leader is listening twice as much as he talks. As a leader it is so important to let other people talk, even if you already know the answer. It’s also important to have diverse opinions and backgrounds around you. 

But it’s equally important to be decisive as a leader. You have to listen, listen, listen, then decide and move on. “You always want to control the future and not let the future control you. But that said, like, that is the biggest failure I’ve seen of leaders is this kind of paralysis, this inability to decide. And you’d be hard pressed to find somebody who would accuse me of that, they’ll accuse me of ready, fire aim sometimes, right. But they’ll never accuse me of, you know, not deciding something quickly.”

There are going to be tough decisions that you have to make as a leader, but time is not going to make it go away. Some leaders also struggle with trying to build consensus around a decision, they want to be popular and liked, and while it is normal to want to be liked, you’re not always going to be and that shouldn’t stop you from making a decision. 

“I always tell leaders, look, you have to do the listening and let people know they’re heard, then you’ve got to use your best judgment and the data at hand and decide, and then your team has to get behind you. Time for discussing and then time for deciding and time for action.”

And if he makes a bad decision, Mike says he admits it and fixes it fast. He doesn’t dwell on it or let it eat at him. 

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

What to do if you feel stuck in your job

Most of us have had a moment or moments in our career when we feel like we are stagnant and there is no way to move inside a company. It can be frustrating and disengaging. So what should you do in this situation? 

Mike says before you make a decision, take a look at yourself. How much do you market yourself? How much are you trying to get noticed? Are you working on gaining new skills and improving the ones you have? 

There are a lot of ways you can change your situation. Mike says, “If you’re not fulfilled coming to work every single day, you’ve got to do something about that. You can’t just complain about it. And I know economically, people sometimes say, well, I need this job. That’s great, like, you need the job, but you know, then skill yourself up. So your life isn’t dependent on that particular job and then go find something else. But don’t stay in a situation you’re not happy in.”

Two things that hold leaders back

There are two main things that Mike says hold leaders back from their full potential. The first one is that leaders tend to think that the thing that got them where they are today is the thing to get them there tomorrow. They think that because they have a playbook that has worked before that they can just keep running the same one. 

There’s a reason why most CEOs don’t last more than 5 years, because after that time they have to reinvent the thing that they invented, and it’s really hard to admit that what you did before isn’t lasting. But the pace of change is fast, and the world is changing so quickly. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over. 

The other thing that Mike says holds leaders back is thinking their time is more important than anyone else’s. This mindset manifests itself in canceling meetings, showing up late to meetings, being on your phone when someone is talking to you, etc…When you are in a meeting or talking with someone, be present completely. Multitasking doesn’t work, it’s just a productivity killer. If you need to respond to emails or text messages, set aside time for that. 

What sets great leaders apart from good ones

There are a lot of leaders who can get things done through command and control, but the great leaders inspire the people around them. People are jumping in the boat because they want to follow that leader. It’s all about inspiration. 

And this is something you can work on. Find people around you that model great leadership and watch them. Find someone who can mentor you. Practice things like empathy, listening, caring for others every single day. Catch people doing good things and let them know with an email, a call or a letter. It takes hard work and practice, but it’s worth it in the long run and it will ensure your success as a leader.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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Internal Versus External Self-Awareness https://thefutureorganization.com/internal-versus-external-self-awareness/ Sat, 21 Aug 2021 13:00:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44512 Aside from the hard technical skills leaders need to succeed, future leaders also need softer skills, including emotional intelligence. One of the biggest aspects of emotional intelligence is self-awareness.

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Aside from the hard technical skills leaders need to succeed, future leaders also need softer skills, including emotional intelligence. One of the biggest aspects of emotional intelligence is self-awareness.

Being self-aware means being in tune with your emotions, feelings, state of mind, motives, and desires.

Dr. Tasha Eurich, self-awareness expert and best-selling author of Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think, discovered that 95% of people think they are self-aware, but only about 15% of people actually are.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

Clearly, there’s a disconnect between how aware we think we are of our emotions and the truth.

Dr. Eurich says there are two types of self-awareness: internal and external.

Internal self-awareness is how we see our own values, thoughts, and emotions. To practice this, move away from asking what. Instead of asking “Why did I say that to a team member?”, ask “What made me say that to my team member?” You can’t always rationalize the why, but you can always explain the what.

External self-awareness is how we are seen by others. To practice this, create an open and safe environment where team members and peers can be honest with you. Encourage critical feedback that ultimately helps you improve.

The goal of self-awareness is to balance internal and external self-awareness, or to have how you see yourself be the same as how you are seen by others. When the two sides match, you can target areas for improvement and change how you interact with yourself and with others.

Being able to master both sides of self-awareness is crucial for future leaders as they develop emotional intelligence.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post Internal Versus External Self-Awareness first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Best Leadership Lessons Come From Those Around You Says Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-leadership-lessons-come-from-those-around-you-says-chris-mccann-ceo-of-1-800-flowers/ Thu, 19 Aug 2021 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44520 Chris McCann is CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3,000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’s older brother opened his first flower shop. Chris joined the business in the 1980s and the brothers have worked together ever since.

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Chris McCann is CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3,000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’s older brother opened his first flower shop.

Chris McCann is CEO of 1–800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 2,000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’s older brother opened his first flower shop. Chris joined the business in the 1980s and the brothers have worked together ever since. Chris was named to the National Retail Federation’s list of people shaping retail’s future in 2018. Chris didn’t learn leadership skills by attending a top-tier university; Chris learned how to lead by those he surrounded himself with. Sometimes the best leadership lessons come from those around you.

Chris worked other roles inside his brother’s business in the early years, including delivering flowers to customers, but once he decided to go full time, he took on a leadership role and learned along the way. Later on, he took some leadership courses at Cornell University, but in the early part of his career, he had no formal training. Mostly he learned from other leaders he knew, including Jamie Dimon, who would become CEO of JPMorgan, and Ed Miller, who would become CEO of AXA Financial.

Chris gave an example of a time when he had turned to Ed for advice when having to let a person go:

“As we were growing our company, we had people who were with us for a long time. Sometimes you run into a situation where the job outgrows the person, but the person was very loyal to you and very important in growing the business early on. Letting that person go would be very difficult to do. I remember having conversations with Ed about this. He said, ‘You’re not being loyal to that person’. I said, ‘Well, I sure am, I’m keeping them in a job’. He told me that loyalty is making sure every person on your team is in a position to succeed, whether inside or outside your company. So if the job has outgrown someone and you don’t have a position in your company, it’s your responsibility to do everything you can to get them the right job outside of your company. That really transformed the way I thought about people.”

Chris also learned a lot from his brother, who not only started the flower company, but also worked full time as a social worker for troubled boys. Jim brought a mantra into 1-800-Flowers that he learned from his time as a social worker. When working with kids in difficult situations, Jim said he needed to first build a relationship with them before he could connect with them and help them. So he brought that mantra into the business: you build a relationship first, you do business second. That really shaped Chris as a leader.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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5 Ways To Manage The Stress In Your Life https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-manage-the-stress-in-your-life/ Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:00:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44510 If you feel burnt out or overwhelmed at work, you’re not alone.
More than a quarter of employees in the U.S. consider their jobs to be the top cause of stress in their lives.

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If you feel burnt out or overwhelmed at work, you’re not alone.

More than a quarter of employees in the U.S. consider their jobs to be the top cause of stress in their lives.

Stress-related issues cost companies more than $150 billion a year.

And that was all before the global pandemic that increased stress in every area of our lives.

Even though life can be busy and overwhelming, you don’t have to live with debilitating stress. Learning to manage your stress can transform your work experience.

Many companies have resources and wellbeing programs, but controlling your stress is personal and comes down to you taking the initiative and shifting your thoughts and priorities.

Here are five ways to manage stress:

Identify stress triggers

Discovering what triggers your stress can help you realize what changes you need to make to create a more peaceful and comfortable work experience. If tight deadlines or too many meetings cause stress, try to change it.

Stay organized

A messy workspace or unstructured day can add stress and lower your productivity. Take time to plan and clear your mind to set yourself up for success.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Set reasonable expectations

Instead of setting your sights too high and feeling stressed when you can’t reach that level, set reasonable expectations about what you can achieve. Don’t try to get everything done in one day—you’ll only get stressed when it doesn’t happen. Instead, prioritize a few tasks.

Exercise

Get your body moving. Even taking a short walk on your lunch break can lift your mood and bring a fresh perspective. Regular movement and exercise work wonders for your mental and physical health.

Find an outlet

An outlet helps you relax and get your mind off work, while also giving you something to look forward to during stressful times. Find a hobby or activity you can do to unwind. For me, it’s chess!

Don’t accept stress and overwhelm as your way of life. Use these five tips to manage the stress in your life and find more balance and happiness.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post 5 Ways To Manage The Stress In Your Life first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Are You Scared Of Working For Yourself? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-scared-of-working-for-yourself/ Tue, 17 Aug 2021 13:00:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44508 What’s holding you back from taking the next step in entrepreneurship?
For most people, it’s fear—fear of failure, a lack of job security, what other people might say, and countless other things.

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What’s holding you back from taking the next step in entrepreneurship?

For most people, it’s fear—fear of failure, a lack of job security, what other people might say, and countless other things.

Everyone faces fear. What separates successful entrepreneurs from others is how they approach that fear. Successful entrepreneurs don’t let fear stop them from taking risks or achieving their goals. They don’t let fear stand in the way of creating a life and business they dream of.

Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Fear can be a powerful motivator to push you outside your comfort zone. It can be a signal that you’re ready for something bigger.

Instead of being paralyzed by fear, think about how empowering it is that you can build a life you want to live. You don’t have to be trapped in situations you hate, but can break free and be in control of your career.

Chances are, you are ready for something bigger. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Pushing through fear doesn’t mean you’ll automatically find success. It will still be hard and you may fail. But what matters is how you get back up.

If you weren’t afraid right now, what would you do and who would you become? Make it happen! You have everything you need to be successful.

It’s ok to feel fear. But don’t let it paralyze you. Go out there and create the life you’ve imagined!

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we use to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Martin Moore Of No Bullsh!t Leadership Shares How To Be An Exceptional Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/martin-moore-of-no-bullsht-leadership-shares-how-to-be-an-exceptional-leader/ Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:22:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44497 Martin Moore is the author of the upcoming book, No Bullsh!t Leadership, and the host of the podcast with the same name which has been downloaded more than 1.4 million times and has listeners in over 70 countries. He is also the former CEO of CS Energy and he currently runs Your CEO Mentor with his daughter, Emma.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Martin_Moore_-_Ready.mp3

Martin Moore Transcript

Martin Moore is the author of the upcoming book, No Bullsh!t Leadership, and the host of the podcast with the same name which has been downloaded more than 1.4 million times and has listeners in over 70 countries. He is also the former CEO of CS Energy and he currently runs Your CEO Mentor with his daughter, Emma.

Martin wrote his book because there are so many books out on the market that teach desirable attributes that leaders should have, but he didn’t find anything out there that shows leaders how to actually implement these ideas. He wanted to create a practical guide that would help leaders figure out how to be more transparent, how to be expert communicators, how to deal with conflict, etc…

As Martin has witnessed personally there are a lot of leaders out there who attend training programs and they come back motivated and inspired by all of the things they have learned, but when they get back to work nothing has actually changed. So they think they are doing better because of the new knowledge they have, but actually they don’t know how to carry it out so it doesn’t help anyone. 

Business acumen vs leadership skills

One thing Martin discusses in his book is the difference between business acumen and leadership skills. A lot of leaders aren’t good in both of these areas, they are good at one or the other. Business acumen is about knowing what to do in the context of business–so this includes understanding strategy, being a good negotiator, knowing about finance, economics, marketing, operations, etc…

A lot of times people who have business acumen get promoted to leadership roles, and they are very smart people, but they don’t have the leadership skills needed to be effective. People who only have business acumen can be absolutely terrible leaders. 

Leadership skills include being able to deal with conflict, being able to motivate and inspire people, being an excellent communicator, being able to clearly share the vision of the company, etc…

Ideally people in leadership roles have both business acumen and leadership skills, however if forced to choose between the two Martin says it’s better to have the leadership skills and surround yourself with people who have the business acumen then it would be for a leader to have business acumen alone. 

Martin says, “A leader’s job is to actually lift the people, to understand them, to get the most out of them, to achieve the results they have to achieve for the organization. And for me, the number one mandate for a leader is to deliver value, period. That’s it. Now, before your listeners rail against the fact that I am a heartless capitalist bastard, value comes in many different forms, right? Value can come as much from providing a safer environment for our people, as it can from generating financial value. Someone who’s running a surgical practice value might come from better postoperative outcomes for patients. So value comes in many different forms. It’s just a matter of understanding what form that is for you.”

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The leadership problem

When it comes to promoting people, the transition between individual contributor and being a leader is something we are not paying enough attention to, Martin says. Just because someone is great in a certain role does not mean they will automatically be a great leader. We need more training and mentoring for people going into their first leadership role. 

And because a lot of people in leadership positions today have not had the proper training, a lot of times the people just now moving into these roles don’t have any real role models to look up to. 

“You look up the line, and you look sideways, and you can’t see too many people where you go, Oh, I get it, I see what leadership is, I want to be more like that person. And so you develop all the bad habits right at the start, that you shouldn’t. And of course, every time you get promoted above that, it becomes more difficult. Just the simple fact that you have to let go of the details more and more and more, the higher up you go in an organization. Many people never master that. That’s why the workloads are 100-120 hours a week.”

So why do we still have a leadership problem when there are so many books, podcasts, courses, etc…on the topic of great leadership? Martin says a lot of it comes down to the fact that a lot of people don’t want to put in the work of leadership. A lot of the things that you need to be a great leader go against the grain and against the programming that’s in our DNA. 

For example, a lot of people have a hard time stepping into conflict situations and finding a solution. Most of us tend to avoid conflict if we can. But as a leader you are going to have to deal with conflict, it’s a huge part of the role. So you have to learn to keep practicing that skill until it becomes more comfortable. 

“It’s a lot easier to develop bad habits than it is to develop good habits. And leadership, to a large extent, is about pushing yourself to do the things that help you to develop those good habits.”

The seven principles needed to be an exceptional leader

In his book, Martin lays out the seven principles that all leaders need to focus on to improve and be an exceptional leader. They are:

  • Deliver value–You have to understand what value means to you and to your organization. Once you’ve done that you have to stop everything else. You should be picking out the top 2-4 things that drive value for your organization and absolutely nail those things. It’s all about real focus and simplicity. 
  • Handle conflict–Conflict is a part of almost everything you do as a leader, so you have to get comfortable with it. You have to be able to stay rational and composed when you are in a conflict situation. And it’s always about respect before popularity. If you’re trying to be popular, it’s not going to end well because there will always be people who don’t like you. 
  • Build resilience–Being able to function as a strong leader under severe circumstances is critical. How do you handle pressure? You have to be able to function calmly, rationally when in a crisis. You can’t blame other people and you can’t avoid the problems. 
  • Work at level–This is a common problem throughout organizations. You are paid to do a certain job and that is what you have to focus on. Don’t do other people’s work for them. If someone isn’t doing their job as the leader you can’t just jump in and do it for them. First of all it’s robbing that person of the opportunity to improve, but you are also wasting time that you should be spending on your own work. That’s why a lot of leaders end up working 80+ hour weeks. It’s because they are working on the wrong things. 
  • Master ambiguity–As a CEO pretty much everything you deal with is in shades of gray, it’s not black and white. But you have to be able to translate from extreme uncertainty at the top to extreme clarity at the bottom. Your people have to understand what is required of them, how they add value to the business, how they fit into the mission of the company, etc…
  • Make great decisions–A great decision will be timely, you can’t act slowly. A decision that is 80% right today is infinitely better than a decision that is 90% right next month. Most of the time we hesitate on decisions because we are afraid to get it wrong. You have to know who to consult,how long to consult, you need a strong line of accountability to make sure all available inputs are there, etc..
  • Drive accountability–Having someone who is singularly accountable for delivering something is critical. Single point accountability has a completely different energy to it then when things are shifting around multiple people and teams. But to really have accountability you have to empower people correctly. Accountability without empowerment is just cruel.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post Martin Moore Of No Bullsh!t Leadership Shares How To Be An Exceptional Leader first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The First CEO Of Netflix On What Culture Is And What It Isn’t https://thefutureorganization.com/the-first-ceo-of-netflix-on-what-culture-is-and-what-it-isnt/ Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:00:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44461 Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, where he also served on the board until 2003. Aside from Netflix, Marc has founded or co-founded six other successful startups and is the author of the best-selling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea. Marc ... Read more

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Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, where he also served on the board until 2003. Aside from Netflix, Marc has founded or co-founded six other successful startups and is the author of the best-selling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.

Marc believes that culture isn’t just what you say, what you put on posters around the office or the catchphrases you say in meetings.

He says…

“Culture is how you act. It’s how you are and the things you do. And even more importantly, culture springs from how the founders and the early employees act with each other, with their employees, and with their customers.

Huge amounts of the Netflix culture arose organically from the way that Reed (Hastings) and I behaved, the way I treat people, and the way I worked with people before.”

When Netflix first started, the staff was only about 20 people, most of whom had worked together before in other companies. Those relationships made it easier to maintain a culture from the beginning. Marc says he knew he could ask an employee to take ownership of a project due in two weeks and that in two weeks they would show up with the results no matter what. The small team worked well together and had a culture of mutual respect, trust, and ownership.

“When you get bigger, something happens where someone shows up late, or they show up but don’t have everything done. And a lot of managers would say, ‘Oh, this isn’t good. Okay, we can’t have that happen. Everybody, I want status reports. I need to know if there’s going to be a problem in advance.’ So everyone needs to send status reports. But then someone else shows up and they’re there on time with it all done, but they spent too much. And many managers will go, ‘Oh, I can’t let that happen. Okay, I need to pre-approve things over $100 to make sure you don’t make a spending mistake. I need everyone to send expense reports.’ And it just keeps growing and changing.”

As Marc shares, as you build the company in a way that protects you from people with bad judgement, along the way with the added rules, steps, and processes are driving the people with good judgement crazy. And that’s how you lose good employees.

I was recently reminded of this story as I learned about the message that GM (client) gave to their employees. There used to be a 10-page handbook employees would receive on how to dress which their CEO Mary Barra replaced with two words “dress appropriately. Recently, as we saw the shifts in work and leadership, this philosophy extended to “work appropriately.” I love this approach as it’s flexible, treats employees like adults, and allows everyone to focus on their own situation with their leaders and team.

Getting back to Netflix…

The team at Netflix decided early on that they would build a company just for people with good judgement. People they knew they could count on, who weren’t afraid to work hard and take ownership of things, and in exchange the leadership team could give employees freedom to make their own decisions. And while Marc admits there was a time when they almost lost the culture as they grew, ultimately they have been able to keep it with intentionality, even now with almost 9,000 employees.

. . .

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.

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Why Leaders Need A Growth Mindset https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-a-growth-mindset/ Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44453 Do your leaders place a bigger emphasis on looking smart or admitting mistakes? It’s the difference between having a growth and a fixed mindset.

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Do your leaders place a bigger emphasis on looking smart or admitting mistakes? It’s the difference between having a growth and a fixed mindset.

Leaders with a fixed mindset don’t believe people can change. They only want people to have the right answers, not to admit when they don’t know something.

On the other hand, leaders with a growth mindset believe in feedback and encourage employees to experiment and admit when they need help or don’t know something.

Being able to embrace vulnerability and a growth mindset is crucial for leaders—for themselves and for the success of their organizations.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

A classic example of what happens when organizations and leaders embrace a fixed mindset is Enron. Enron had a talent-obsessed culture focused on being smart and right. It did whatever it took to create outcomes that appeared to be positive. The company was so obsessed with making itself look smart and correct that its employees lied both internally and externally to shareholders, which led to the company’s demise.

Instead of admitting their mistakes and trying to correct them, Enron’s fixed mindset led to the company digging itself deeper and deeper until it couldn’t recover.

Working in an environment where everything you say has to be correct and you can’t ask for help is incredibly stressful and puts huge pressure on employees to never make a mistake. It stifles innovation, creates a toxic and unhealthy relationship for employees, and can lead to the downfall of the company.

Instead, leaders need to have a growth mindset and foster that same mindset in their employees and throughout their organizations. They need to admit failures and mistakes and encourage employees to ask for help or say they don’t know the answer. Admitting you don’t know something isn’t wrong–it’s the start of growth and improvement.

A growth mindset is crucial for leaders. Embracing vulnerability and authenticity leads to honesty and growth, both as an individual and as an organization.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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5 Steps to Get Mental Clarity https://thefutureorganization.com/5-steps-to-get-mental-clarity/ Tue, 10 Aug 2021 13:00:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44449 With all of the craziness in the world right now you may find that it is easier to get overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and unfocused.

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With all of the craziness in the world right now you may find that it is easier to get overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and unfocused. We have so much on our plates now as we figure out how to work from home, how to keep our families safe, how to help our kids start school, how to keep in touch with friends and family around the world when we can’t travel, etc…

All of these issues are bombarding our brains. As entrepreneurs, though, running our own businesses it is so important to have mental clarity. Without it our brains can’t function to full capacity, we can’t solve problems, we can get bogged down with negativity, and we don’t have the focus needed to effectively run our businesses.

So how can we get mental clarity during these challenging times when we have all of these extra issues weighing us down? Today we are sharing five strategies you can use to get mental clarity. It takes work to get your mind clear, especially these days, but as an entrepreneur this is so crucial.

Before we go into the five steps to mental clarity, it is important that you first recognize that there is a problem. What does not having mental clarity look like? You may feel burnout, tired, depressed, down, frustrated. Your brain is your best tool that you use in your business and when it is not at full capacity it makes everything so much harder. These steps are what you need to do before you can get yourself unstuck.

Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Do a pulse check on yourself

The first thing you need to do is to evaluate how you are feeling. This requires self awareness. You need to be able to recognize when you are feeling out of sorts, when you are not really yourself. There are four questions you should ask yourself to do this pulse check:

  • How are you feeling?
  • Do you like the way you feel?
  • What made you feel that way and why?
  • If something made you feel not good, can you avoid it in the future?

Do a mental walk through of your day

If you are not in a good mood and you are feeling out of sorts, do a mental walk through of your day. Look for patterns that make you feel bad or cause your brain to clog up. Did you go to bed too late the night before? Did you have a bad start to the day? Did you skip your workout that morning? Did something happen at home or at work that was stressful or frustrating?

Look for patterns like when I do x I feel y, when I experience x I feel y. By doing this you will be able to figure out how to better plan your days and figure out how to solve the underlying issues that make you feel out of sorts. You may also find it helpful to take time at the end of each day to walk through your next day to figure out how you need to prepare. Is the day structured the way you want it to be? Do you have too many meetings lined up? Is there a big call you need to prepare for.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

 

Set rules and boundaries

Once you have pinpointed some patterns that lead to feeling poorly, you can then address those problem areas. Do you find that you feel bad on days you don’t workout? Maybe you can block off some time on your calendar so nothing else gets scheduled during that time to make sure you can work out. Do you end up in a bad mood on days when you have too much on your plate? Set limits to fix that. Maybe you can limit yourself to a certain number of calls a day. Maybe you can let people know you don’t want to have back to back meetings.

Here are some examples of rules and boundaries we have set up:

  • We don’t check our phones, the news, or social media in the morning
  • Jacob doesn’t do calls before 11am so he can workout
  • Blake sets time aside every morning to meditate before she starts her day
  • We limit phone time and make sure we are present when we are with family
  • Jacob doesn’t check email and social media until 4pm

The key is to know yourself and know what works for you. Identify things that put you in a bad mood or that throw you off your game and do what you can to fix them.

Get outside perspective

Sometimes we can get caught up in our own thoughts and negativity and it is hard to see reality. It is important to have someone who you can talk to that can help give an outside perspective on things. You may not be doing as poorly as you think. So make sure you have someone to talk to regularly whether it is a friend, family member, a coach, a mentor, a therapist, etc…

Get into a relaxed state

In order to get your mind into a state of flow and clarity you need to take time to get your mind into a relaxed state. This may mean you change your surroundings. Go outside, go for a walk, go to a place where you feel relaxed. Maybe for you moving and working out clears your head. Go swimming, go for a run, workout in your home gym.

Do whatever you need to do to get away from whatever is bogging you down. You can listen to music, meditate, hang out with friends or family, cook, watch TV–whatever allows you to clear your head and makes you feel relaxed.

A lot of times we end up solving problems or coming up with great new ideas when we aren’t actively thinking about work and obsessing over something. Don’t just sit in one spot staring at a screen trying to come up with solutions.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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CEO of Angi On Going From Entrepreneur To Billion Dollar CEO, Creating A Great Culture, & Leadership Lessons Learned https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-angi-on-going-from-entrepreneur-to-billion-dollar-ceo-creating-a-great-culture-leadership-lessons-learned/ Mon, 09 Aug 2021 11:15:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44442 Oisin Hanrahan is the CEO of Angi, the parent company of Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, and Handy. He is actually the co-founder and former CEO of Handy before it was acquired by Angi, and now he leads the $8 billion company with around 5,000 employees.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Oisin_Hanrahan_-_Ready.mp3

Oisin Hanrahan Trancript

Oisin Hanrahan is the CEO of Angi, the parent company of Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, and Handy. He is actually the co-founder and former CEO of Handy before it was acquired by Angi, and now he leads the $8 billion company with around 5,000 employees. 

When he was just 19 years old he founded a real estate company in Budapest and ran that for 6 years. Later on he came to the US and attended Harvard Business School, but he and his Handy co-founder both dropped out to launch the business in 2012.

Oisin truly enjoys the CEO role. As he shares, “I relish the opportunity to set the culture, to set the values, to really think about how we’re recruiting people, how we’re rewarding them, how we’re recognizing them. And I think that that’s something that I really enjoy, you know, it’s something that I really like to get into.”

And he wants everyone on his team to love their job as much as he loves his. Oisin has a bi-weekly meeting with new team members and during the meeting he sits down with them and he talks about the mission of the company and gives some updates as to what’s going on, but in the meeting he also makes it a point to ask everyone a question–do you like what you’re doing? 

Oisin himself answers the question, to lead by example, and he is open and transparent with his team. And he shares with them that of course, not every minute of every day is going to be perfect or make you smile, but the important thing is that the vast majority of your time you are doing something that you enjoy and that you look forward to. Oisin truly believes that one of the biggest responsibilities of the CEO role is to create an organization and a place to work where people are excited to come in and do their job. It’s so important to find the right people for the right roles so that everyone is in the best position to truly love their job. 

Oisin’s view of the overall state of employee engagement

Of course it is important for people to want to come to work and to get joy from what they do, but the truth is there are a lot of employees around the world who are unhappy with work, they don’t feel engaged, they dread going into the office. 

When asked his opinion on the overall state of employee engagement, Oisin shared three areas where organizations tend to fall short and how focusing on these three areas can drastically improve employee engagement. 

First of all organizations have to be mission driven. Employees today want to know that the work they are doing is meaningful, and it’s hard for organizations that are not mission driven to be successful in the current recruiting environment. People have to believe that they are coming in every day and doing something broadly good–whether it’s something that is helping the environment or something that is helping people in impoverished areas around the world or something that is helping their own community thrive–they want to know the meaning behind what they are doing. 

The second area that organizations tend to fail at is recognizing, rewarding, and respecting people. Your people want to receive credit and praise for the great work they are doing. They want to feel that they are adequately paid for their role and that they are able to provide for their family. They want to know they are respected, that they are seen, and that they are not just a number. 

And third, employees want to know they are surrounded by a great group of coworkers that they enjoy working with and who they get along with well. And this will be different for every person. Some individuals want to be pushed hard, they have incredible ambitions that they want to achieve, they don’t want to settle for average. These types of people enjoy being surrounded by coworkers who will challenge them every single day. They want to be around people who are striving for the best at all times and who will be a bit competitive. While other individuals want a less challenging atmosphere and a place where people get along well and work harmoniously with each other. 

It’s important for leaders inside of organizations to look at all three of these areas separately and see what areas they are failing in and what areas they are excelling in. All three areas matter, and you have to figure out the best way to address each one if you want to attract and retain the best people and keep them engaged.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

What should you do if you don’t like your job?

For individuals who just aren’t fulfilled at work and who feel like they hate their job, Oisin has advice. Before you turn in your resignation, think about the reason why you want to quit your job. Is it because the mission of the company doesn’t line up with your beliefs? Do you feel like the organization as a whole treats you and all other employees as just a number? If it is something that you don’t have control over and something that is a company wide issue, then yes it’s probably best to walk away. 

But if it is because you are not being recognized or you aren’t being paid well, or you don’t like the people you are working with, take a step back and ask yourself if the issue is company wide or is it something that is only an issue within your immediate team. Is your immediate boss not doing a good job as a leader or are all the leaders from the top down acting in the same way? If it is something within your team it may be best to talk with someone within the company to see if you can move to another team. Or maybe your boss’s boss can address the issues with them directly to see if they can change. 

Oisin had a situation like this within his company fairly recently. An employee came to Oisin and said he wanted to leave. He was upset and basically told Oisin “this place sucks, I hate everything, I just want to go”. Oisin could have just let the employee go on his way, assuming he really didn’t like the work, and just moved on. But he decided to dig deeper to figure out where the real issue stemmed from.

After a few conversations with the employee, and allowing the employee to take some time to take a walk and get a breath, he found out the truth. The employee was actually happy with the company as a whole, he believed in the mission, he was happy with his pay, and he was happy with the overall culture. The problem was that the culture within his smaller team was not good and his manager was not doing a great job leading his team. After learning this Oisin had some tough conversations with the manager and the manager was able to adjust the way he led his team. In the end both the manager and this employee are both still at the company a year and a half later and they are both happy.

A situation that could have ended with the employee leaving angrily, a manager leading a team in-effectively, and potentially other fed up people leaving, ended up having a happy result because Oisin took the time to dig deep and find out the root of the problem. 

How Oisin learned to be a leader

Oisin became a leader at a very young age. He started his first company at the age of 19 and even now in his second CEO role he is only 37. So how did he learn to be a great leader? He says it was a combination of learning from great people around him and trial and error. Learning through trial and error, Oisin shares, is expensive, but it’s also very effective. When you try something and fail, you don’t soon forget the experience and what you learned from it. He has also learned from coaches at times throughout his career.

There is no substitute for what you learn in the hard moments, the difficult decisions, and the things that take you by surprise. When something bad happens you see the pattern recognition and the next time a similar situation comes up you see the signs and diffuse the situation before it becomes a problem. So while an MBA is great, learning from the people around you is important, and leaning on coaches at times can be beneficial, there is nothing like real world experience and trial by fire. 

How to know if you should work with a coach

Would all leaders benefit from hiring a coach to help them with their leadership approach? Oisin says it can be extremely beneficial, but there are a few questions to ask yourself before you hire someone.

  1. Are you coachable?— Some leaders are stuck in their ways and aren’t ready to give up the way they do things. If that is you, a coach isn’t worth it. You have to be willing to make changes.
  2. Can you find someone you trust enough?— When hiring a coach it is important to find someone that you’ve got good chemistry with, someone who you trust to tell you the truth, and someone that knows what they are doing.  
  3. Are you willing to do the work?–It’s one thing to have someone come alongside you and tell you what you can work on, but if you’re not willing to actually do the work, it’s pointless. If you hire a tennis coach to teach you how to play but you only practice once every three months, you’re not going to get better. 

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post CEO of Angi On Going From Entrepreneur To Billion Dollar CEO, Creating A Great Culture, & Leadership Lessons Learned first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Announcing A Brand New Community For Customer Experience Professionals! https://thefutureorganization.com/announcing-a-brand-new-community-for-customer-experience-professionals/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 14:16:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44437 Not to brag (maybe just a little), but my wife Blake Morgan is one of the world’s leading experts on all things Customer Experience and she is launching a brand new community for current or aspiring customer experience professionals! Learn more and get on the waitlist for early-bird pricing at: CustomerExperienceCommunity.com. I’ll let Blake explain a bit more ... Read more

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Not to brag (maybe just a little), but my wife Blake Morgan is one of the world’s leading experts on all things Customer Experience and she is launching a brand new community for current or aspiring customer experience professionals!

Learn more and get on the waitlist for early-bird pricing at: CustomerExperienceCommunity.com.

I’ll let Blake explain a bit more in her own words… enter Blake!

—-

One of the reasons I’m passionate about customer experience is … it’s a people business.

Customer experience is people’s feelings – their livelihoods.

Any opportunity we get to make people’s lives easier and better, we should.

That’s our role as builders and curators of customer experience.

What about the role of teaching customer experience – of learning the practice? Much of that we gain from community – events, classes, storytelling, and a lot of that got lost during COVID.

The idea of “community” became very challenging during COVID. So many of us felt stuck in our homes. Being alone – because we were forced to be alone – was terrible. 

I did something alone one should never do alone, I gave birth.

COVID was brutal for me and my husband and our toddler. Our baby – born during COVID – won’t remember this weird year.

COVID – and the butterfly effect of COVID – created so much change. Many of us lost more than just our routine, we lost loved ones or got sick ourselves.

We lost best friends who moved out of the Bay Area. We decided to move our family closer to family.

One thing COVID took away from me was community. So this year I’m trying to make up for it as much as I can – in my personal life and in my business.

****

So many of you over the years have shared with me. You’ve shared your challenges with leadership, with change management, with your technology, contact centers, creating one approach to CX across the business – sharing data around the customer. You’ve approached me at conferences and asked for advice – and I’ve done the best to give advice, but I want to take it one step further.

I want to make you successful.

And to help you do that, I’m excited to announce I’m launching a brand new customer experience community

The point of this community is to empower customer experience practitioners like you. I used to be one, working as a customer service executive for a Fortune 100 company – and you know what? It was hard as hell. I could not achieve what I wanted to for the company – mostly because I didn’t have the support I felt I needed. And that’s why I want to help you – so you don’t suffer the stress that I did as a practitioner of customer experience.

 

This community is a place to connect, learn, get educated and have fun.

Here’s What You Will Get By Joining:

  • Get weekly livestreams with Blake Morgan to go over what’s new in CX
  • Watch monthly presentations from Blake Morgan as well as special guests
  • Access quarterly private reports featuring case studies and trends
  • Get certified in The Customer Of The Future course inclusive of a certification you can post to LinkedIn
  • Enjoy direct access to the community where you can connect with peers, share information, and make new friends
  • Gain access to Blake and her team via the community
  • Take CX assessments to figure out where you need to improve your strategy

To secure the pricing of $69 (vs the $99 it will usually be), you must be on the waitlist when the community goes live.

Research and analyst firms typically charge tens of thousands of dollars for these types of things but I wanted to make it affordable and accessible to organizations as well as individual practitioners.

To sign up and learn more please visit CustomerExperienceCommunity.com

You can also check out this video I put together.

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5 Questions To Improve Your Communication Skills https://thefutureorganization.com/5-questions-to-improve-your-communication-skills/ Wed, 04 Aug 2021 23:40:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44433 Of all the skills required to be successful, communication is perhaps the most important.

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Of all the skills required to be successful, communication is perhaps the most important.

Being able to communicate well helps you build relationships, collaborate, and lead others. Strong communicators understand the different channels to use and how to get their message across regardless of the channel they use. They know how to not only share information effectively but how to motivate and inspire others.

Luckily, communication skills can be improved with time and effort.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are five questions to ask yourself to improve your communication skills:

  1. What are the best channels to use to get information across? Being a great communicator starts with understanding your options of how to share your message and knowing the right channel to use. Some messages are best shared in person, while others can be sent via email or text.
  2. Are you communicating in a clear, open, passionate, and humble way? Great communicators are authentic and vulnerable. They are honest and true to themselves while also sharing their passion for the message.
  3. Are you being human? Don’t become a cardboard version of yourself. Share real human emotions and experiences to better get your message across.
  4. How does the way you communicate make those around you feel? People will remember how you make them feel more than they will remember what you said. Communicate in a way that is uplifting and empowering instead of condescending or belittling.
  5. If someone communicated to you in the same way you are communicating to others, what impact would it have? Great communication is rooted in empathy. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes to see how it would make you feel.

Improving your communication skills is crucial to building a successful career and becoming a future leader. These questions can help pinpoint areas to improve and put you on the path to becoming a great communicator.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post 5 Questions To Improve Your Communication Skills first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Best Tip To Have Better Meetings https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-tip-to-have-better-meetings/ Wed, 04 Aug 2021 23:32:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44421 We’ve all sat in countless meetings throughout our careers, some better than others. It seems we’re always trying to make our meetings more collaborative, efficient, and effective.

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We’ve all sat in countless meetings throughout our careers, some better than others. It seems we’re always trying to make our meetings more collaborative, efficient, and effective.

The secret to having better meetings comes down to this: start by focusing on people first and business second.

When a leader comes into a meeting and starts talking about numbers and sales before acknowledging anyone in the room, it shows that they don’t care about employees as humans and only want to make money. That focus starts the meeting on the wrong foot and is disengaging for employees. When employees feel they aren’t valued or cared about, they mentally check out and become less motivated.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

On the other hand, leaders who start the meeting by asking how people are doing as individuals show they value their people. Taking even just a few minutes to check in on people builds relationships and helps create an environment where employees are engaged and involved.

This strategy works in all types of meetings, from meeting with clients and prospects to even internally with colleagues. People want to be valued and seen, so put them first and set the right tone for the meeting.

Now, more than ever, we need to focus on the human aspect of business. And that comes from connecting with each other on the human level.

The best tip to have better meetings is simple: put people first and the business second.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Creating a Culture of Reinvention By Removing Rules, Giving Freedom, & Hiring and Paying The Best People Well https://thefutureorganization.com/creating-a-culture-of-reinvention-by-removing-rules-giving-freedom-hiring-and-paying-the-best-people-well/ Mon, 02 Aug 2021 12:02:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44412 Erin Meyer is the co-author of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, which she co-authored with Reed Hastings, the founder and CEO of Netflix. She is also the author of The Culture Map and a professor at INSEAD.

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Erin Meyer Transcript

Erin Meyer is the co-author of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, which she co-authored with Reed Hastings, the founder and CEO of Netflix. She is also the author of The Culture Map and a professor at INSEAD. 

For the book, No Rules Rules, Erin spent a lot of time observing the corporate culture inside of Netflix, she interviewed employees, and got first hand stories of how the company values started from Reed himself. Netflix definitely has a unique culture and an interesting way to give employees freedom. While not every company can use their method of autonomy, there are lessons we can all learn from how they operate. 

What led Erin to write No Rules Rules

Erin’s first book, The Culture Map, came out in 2014 and it dove into the topic of how people of different backgrounds and cultures can work together harmoniously and effectively. The book really took off over the next few years and in 2016 Erin received an email from a fellow Peace Corps volunteer who was interested in learning more about her book and how to implement the method in his own company. That person was Reed Hastings, the co-founder and co-CEO at Netflix. 

So Erin went in to help Netflix get ready for their international expansion and while she was there she became fascinated with the company’s culture because it was so strange and unique. 

“I conducted a big research project, I interviewed about 200 employees at Netflix, and I spent a lot of time with Reed himself, trying to understand what it was about this organizational culture that was breeding so much innovation and flexibility in the company. And then what it was that other business leaders around the world or even just team leaders could learn from this company about how to be more innovative and flexible themselves. And that’s what we wrote the book [No Rules Rules] about.”

Why the culture at Netflix is so different

When asked what her first impressions were of the Netflix culture when she first started, Erin admits she was a bit “startled” by it and there were some things that initially concerned her. One example of something that concerned her was one of the slides in the Netflix culture deck which said, “adequate performance gets a generous severance”. 

Erin says, “It concerned me because at INSEAD where I teach, there had been, there was so much talk, and still today, of course, about the idea of focusing exclusively on psychological safety in a workplace. I just didn’t understand how an organization today could be running around, not make your employees feel safe, but tell your employees if they’re not excellent, they’re out.”

But even though it initially concerned Erin, it also was intriguing and a bit refreshing to see a company be so blunt about what it was going to be like to work there. So many companies tell potential new hires wonderful stories about what it’s like to work at the company, things they think people want to hear. It’s a great work environment, you’ll love everyone you work with, the work is exciting and engaging, and you won’t ever get burned out. That’s what they’ll say when the person is interviewing for the job, but then once they start they find out that people are backstabbing each other, it’s a toxic work environment, they are expected to work 60+ hours a week, and they are doing boring, monotonous tasks. 

To see a company really be blunt and open about what the culture is actually like is extremely rare. So even though the wording may sound harsh, anyone who applies for Netflix knows up front it’s going to be hard work and you will have to bring your best self every day, and that may not be for everyone. 

“I was so tired, just so sick of looking at corporate cultures or people who worked at companies who said what their corporate cultures were and then say, Oh, it’s about integrity and respect and excellence. You know, there’s nothing wrong with saying that your organization values respect, it’s just that there’s no good credible option to respect right? No company would run around saying they value disrespect, or that they value corruption. And I think that was actually one of my really overarching learnings to this research, was that if you really want to articulate a corporate culture that means something, that takes a root and impacts the way your employees are behaving, that you really want to avoid speaking in absolute positives, like integrity or respect, that have no good opposite option. And instead, focus on the tensions or the dilemmas that your employees are facing on a day to day basis.”

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

We are a team, not a family

Another way Netflix goes against the grain is in the methodology behind their corporate culture. Their mindset is, we are a team, not a family. And we’re not just a regular team, we are an Olympic team. We work together, we have cohesion and teamwork, but there’s no job security. When you get hired for a certain position you are there for as long as you are the best person for that job, but when you are no longer the best person for the job you will be replaced by someone else who is. 

As Erin shares, in the Industrial Era most of the time employment was for life, so you really were a family. But now, with the increasing pace of change and uncertainties that is no longer the case, we can’t have teams where we can’t easily move people on and off. 

This may seem harsh, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but employees who work for Netflix opt into that work environment. They know up front what it will be like and what is expected of them. And if they accept the job they know they will get paid well, they will get to work on some amazing projects, they will have exceptional co-workers, etc…

How Reed came up with the Netflix culture foundation

There are three main pillars that make up the Netflix culture and allow the leaders there to give employees freedom. And these three things came from the experience Reed had at the first company he opened, Pure Software. 

Because Pure Software was a small entrepreneurial startup they operated without formal processes and policies. Everyone was expected to use their best judgement and make good decisions for the company, which worked when they first started with a small team. People enjoyed working there, they had freedom, there was a lot of creativity and innovation. But then the company began to grow quite quickly. 

And as the company grew–from a handful of people to 1,000–people started to do stupid things and took advantage of the freedom they were given. There was no policy against having dogs at work, so one woman started bringing her dog in every day and he would chew through the carpets. Another employee who had to travel for work decided because there wasn’t a policy about travel he would start flying first class all the time. 

Because this was still a fairly new company, they didn’t have a lot of extra money, so these things people kept doing really hurt the company and frustrated Reed. So he sat down with HR and wrote an employee handbook to address all these issues. But as they implemented these rules and policies something else happened–the creative people started leaving and innovation slowed down. Erin says it got so bad Reed had to sell the company. 

So when Reed opened up Netflix he went in with two guiding principles–employee freedom breeds innovation and process kills organizational flexibility. But he was also worried that if he didn’t have some policies in place the organization would descend into chaos. So he had to figure out how to give freedom without processes and policies. 

The three pillars of Netflix culture

As Reed was figuring out what to do with the culture at Netflix he realized that in most organizations most of the procedures and policies are put into place to deal with medium to poor employees. So if you could get a culture that was made up of only top employees then you could give them a lot more freedom. And then you also have a culture with a lot of candid feedback so that employees could feel secure speaking up if and when someone did take advantage of the freedom. 

So Reed came up with three pillars that are still used inside of Netflix to create a culture of freedom, creativity, and innovation. They are:

  1. Talent Density--In order to give freedom without limits and policies you need a high performing team and you can’t let middle performers hang around. Leaders perform regular “keeper test” exercises with employees. If that employee came to you today and said they were leaving, how hard would you fight to keep them? If you wouldn’t fight or if you would feel a bit relieved, then they aren’t the right person for the role. 
  2. Candor–The leaders inside Netflix encourage a lot of candid feedback. The key is having some guidelines to the feedback and Erin shared the four A’s–Aim to assist, it has to be actionable, show appreciation, accept or decline. Everyone provides feedback–employees to leaders, leaders to employees, and employees to coworkers. 
  3. Freedom–Once you have talent density and candor, then you are in a position to give freedom. If you want to go on vacation–go, if you need to make a purchase–do it, if you need to make a decision–make it. You are expected to act like an adult and act in the best interest of the company. Instead of using a hierarchical pyramid, Netflix uses a decision making tree with the leaders at the bottom down in the dirt, watering the roots of the company.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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Life-Changing Leadership Hacks From The World’s Top CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/life-changing-leadership-hacks-from-the-worlds-top-ceos/ Thu, 29 Jul 2021 13:03:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44406 Leadership is a fascinating field of study. On the one hand much has been written about it and it’s been dissected to bits on pieces. But on the other hand we still don’t have enough great leaders around the world. You would think that if we know so much about something that we would be ... Read more

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Leadership is a fascinating field of study.

On the one hand much has been written about it and it’s been dissected to bits on pieces. But on the other hand we still don’t have enough great leaders around the world.

You would think that if we know so much about something that we would be able to implement what we know right?

Being a great leader isn’t as simple as following a recipe, it’s not like baking a cake. There are some common and crucial skills & mindsets which I call The Notable 9 but then each great leader also adds their own touch to make their style and approach unique and meaningful.

It’s a bit hard to describe and explain what THIS is. If a world-class chef gives you a recipe to follow, it doesn’t matter how hard you try, your dish will never be as great as theirs. That’s because the chef adds their own touch. You can call it love, you can call it technique, you can call it whatever you want, but it’s something that only they have.

I’ve interviewed over 500 leaders on my Future of Work Podcast, I interviewed over 140 CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader, and I’ve also worked with countless other leaders over the years.

I always ask them…

“Why did you get the job? There are clearly other people who are just as talented and capable as you, but for some reason, you are the one who got the leadership position and not James or Alison.”

This question always gets leaders to reflect on what they do differently than others and it leads to the follow-up question I ask them which is…

“What is your top leadership hack, strategy, or technique that has most contributed to your success as a leader?”

This was something I specifically asked the 140 CEOs when I interviewed them. I was fascinated to learn that most of these leaders have an extra ingredient, something small that they do on a regular basis that gives them the edge over everyone else.

It could be how they run a meeting, how they approach making a tough choice, how they stay connected with their teams, how they treat others, or even how they practice self-care.

Over the years leadership has traditionally been a cookie-cutter approach. Everyone learns the same things in their MBA programs and everyone learns the same things in their corporate training programs.

So if everyone is taught the same things and the same approaches how do you stand out?

You break out of the cookie mold and create something that is yours. But that’s easier said than done.

Unfortunately, when I wrote, The Future Leader, I wasn’t able to fit these leadership hacks and techniques in the book, I simply ran out of space!

So I put together a series of 31 videos where I share what I learned from these business leaders and created, The Leadership Reset Program which I encourage you to sign up for.

This program is designed for seasoned or aspiring leaders looking to step up their game by learning the techniques, tactics, and strategies that the world’s top business leaders use.

If you sign up you will get access to 31 videos where I will share a leadership hack, tip, technique, or strategy from one of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, Yum! Brands, MasterCard, Siemens, & more!).

Each video is 3-5 mins in length and is practical and actionable. You will learn what these world-class leaders are doing in their own personal and professional lives to be successful leaders.

Here are a few of them:

  • How the CEO of Avanade makes tough decisions.
  • What the CEO of Intercontinental Hotels Group does to stay grounded with his teams.
  • How the CEO of Otis Elevator creates her own leadership style.
  • How the CEO of MasterCard balances the macro with the micro.
  • What the CEO of 36,000 person Mapfre does when his employees make mistakes.
  • What visualization technique the CEO of clothing retailer LL Bean use to make important decisions?
  • How the former CEO of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest employers, plans all his days for success.
  • And much more!

We drip the videos out over a 31 day period so that each day you will get access to a new leadership hack, tip, or technique. You will also be able to access them anytime via the course platform and if we create new ones you will also get access to those too.

I’m very proud of this program that my team and I put together and I hope you decide to give it a shot.

I also want to hear about your leadership hack! What is the one thing you do on a regular basis that makes you a successful leader?

Please share below so that we can all learn from each other.

Sign up for The Leadership Reset here, it costs less than a cup of coffee a day and the value you get will change your career and life. (My team and I are also looking at adding more leadership hacks to this program!)

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5 Ways to Practice Active Listening https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-practice-active-listening/ Wed, 28 Jul 2021 13:00:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44402 When you talk to someone, are you listening or simply hearing? Hearing is just letting sound enter your ear. It is passive and doesn’t require any effort. Listening, on the other hand, is purposeful and requires your attention, focus, and effort. Great leaders must be great listeners. Actively listening to people builds trust, strengthens relationships, ... Read more

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When you talk to someone, are you listening or simply hearing?

Hearing is just letting sound enter your ear. It is passive and doesn’t require any effort.

Listening, on the other hand, is purposeful and requires your attention, focus, and effort.

Great leaders must be great listeners. Actively listening to people builds trust, strengthens relationships, and encourages collaboration.

To practice active listening, remember the acronym BUILD:

B: Body Language

How you stand and hold yourself sends a message. When you have good posture and an open stance, it shows you are focused on the person you are talking to and are receptive to their message.

U: Understanding

Listen to understand what is being said. Don’t just stand there and nod your head and then realize later that you have no idea what you just talked about.

I: Interrupting

When you interrupt someone, it cuts off the flow of the conversation and makes it seem like what you have to say is more important than what the other person is saying.

L: Look them in the eye

Eye contact is powerful and shows you are paying attention and valuing what is being said. With as much time as we spend looking at screens these days, it takes effort to actually look people in the eye.

D: Don’t judge

Going into a conversation with a judging mindset can destroy the potential for progress or growth. Instead, practice empathy and put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Active listening takes work, but if you practice BUILD and improve as a listener and communicator, you will be set up for success in the future of work.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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3 Reasons Why Your List Is Your Livelihood https://thefutureorganization.com/3-reasons-why-your-list-is-your-livelihood/ Tue, 27 Jul 2021 23:39:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44398 One of the most critical pieces to growing your business may seem trivial at first glance: your list. But this list of warm leads is vital to cultivating relationships and making sales.

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One of the most critical pieces to growing your business may seem trivial at first glance: your list. But this list of warm leads is vital to cultivating relationships and making sales.

Your list includes everyone you’ve ever talked to who wants to buy from you. These contacts are incredibly valuable in driving sales and growing your business.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three reasons why your list is your livelihood:

  1. Your list is the revenue for your company. Your list isn’t full of emails from random people—these are qualified warm leads you’ve already engaged with in some capacity. These are the people who will buy your products and services and grow your revenue. No matter where you are in growing your business, it’s never too late to start building your list.
  2. Your list is full of warm leads. There is normally an arc where people learn about you, research your company, and decide to make a purchase. As you engage with a lead more and more, the lead gets warmer. The people on your list already have some kind of relationship with you—you’ve had a phone call with them, shared content with them, or engaged with them online somehow. The more you interact with them, the more likely they are to make a purchase.
  3. Your list can evolve with your business. Because the people on your list have already shown they are interested in you and your business, you can continue to sell them products as you evolve your business and offer new products. As you launch new products or services, reach back out to your list to make a sale. It’s easier to sell to people who already know you, even as your business changes.

No matter if you’re just getting started or have been growing your business for years, it’s not too late to create a list. Maximizing your list and taking advantage of warm leads can lead to huge growth for your company.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome & Lead With Courage From The President Of Microsoft US https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-overcome-imposter-syndrome-lead-with-courage-from-the-president-of-microsoft-us/ Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:26:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44385 Kate Johnson is President of Microsoft US, a $45 billion division including all of Microsoft’s solutions, services, and support revenues across public and private sectors in the United States. Kate is responsible for a team of 10,000 people and she has been very involved in Microsoft’s culture journey led by CEO Satya Nadella.

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Kate Johnson Transcript

Kate Johnson is President of Microsoft US, a $45 billion division including all of Microsoft’s solutions, services, and support revenues across public and private sectors in the United States. Kate is responsible for a team of 10,000 people and she has been very involved in Microsoft’s culture journey led by CEO Satya Nadella.

Prior to Microsoft Kate served as the Chief Commercial Officer for GE Digital. She has held several key senior leadership roles at GE, Oracle, Red Hat, and Deloitte Consulting.

Kate believes that leadership is a state of mind, it’s not about how many people you lead or your seniority level, it’s about the characteristics and skills you demonstrate on a day-to-day basis. You can be a leader if you are an individual worker without anyone reporting to you directly just as much as someone can be a leader with thousands of employees reporting to them.

Important experiences for anyone aspiring to be a senior leader

Kate has a very diverse background when it comes to her career. She got her degree in engineering and worked in that field for a while before going back to get her MBA. After she finished her MBA she spent several years in management consulting, then moved into banking, and then she moved to the IT side of things. She has worked in inward-facing roles and outward-facing roles. And she has also worked in several different countries around the world.

Not everyone will have the same path, but the important thing about her diverse experiences is that she was always learning and growing–she didn’t just stay where she was comfortable. She shares that it is also important, especially if you want to lead a global company, to learn about different cultures and immerse yourself in them to build relationships with people from all parts of the world. In order to truly understand different cultures proximity is crucial, you have to go there and immerse yourself in it, even if it’s for a short time.

Although Kate has had a lot of work experiences, she also brings up the importance of implementing changes and watching them develop–which takes time, in her opinion at least three years. So while the days of staying at one company for your whole career are gone, it also doesn’t mean you should continuously move every 1-2 years.

And when it comes to the debate between being a generalist or a specialist, Kate says, “I always tell people I’m working with, you’ve got to pick–are you going to be that generalist or are you going to be somebody who goes deep in one thing, whether it’s a function like finance and you want to be a CFO and you’ve always known that, or, is it something horizontal that you’re picking, like change? And I don’t think there’s a right answer, I think the world is going to continue to be hybrid. Because we need both, we need the deep experts and then we need, you know, the people who can kind of be a utility player and pinch-hit. I think it’s getting harder to get the big jobs as a utility player that hasn’t at least gone deep in certain things and owned the implementation of the changes that they’ve dreamed up.”

The lessons Covid taught us about leadership

There is no doubt that the pandemic and the past year and a half have changed the way we lead our organizations. Kate shares that one of the big lessons we learned is around crisis management. What we have gone through has reminded us that this is a core capability that every leader needs to have.

Leaders need to be able to handle a crisis with optimism and calm. They have to be able to assure everyone in the organization that they are all in it together and they have to bring comfort to employees through these tough times.

Another thing Kate says that we have learned is the importance of the agility of your portfolio and your go-to-market. “The world just changed overnight. For Microsoft, you know, how do we take our existing technology capabilities, which so many companies were slow to adopt, and make it easier for them to adopt so that they can do years of digital transformation in hours and days, just so they could stay in business. And that was a whole different sort of crisis management, you know, and response that we needed to do.”

It has taught us all to be agile and flexible, we have to be able to pivot at a moment’s notice with the current pace of change and extraordinary circumstances out of our control.

Going through this past year and a half has caused a lot of stress, fear, and exhaustion for leaders and individuals alike. Employee experience and employee wellness should always be top of mind, but it has definitely become even more critical during this time.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

What Kate looks for in leaders

When she is looking to promote someone or hire someone into a leadership position Kate says the principles of leadership at Microsoft have been her main guide. The fundamentals of leadership are:

  1. Clarity: A leader is someone who generates clarity so that everyone knows where it is we are headed
  2. Generating energy: Once we know where we are going, leaders need to motivate and excite people to go chase whatever that goal is
  3. Knowing how to deliver success: Leaders have to be able to define success in a way that resonates with every single person on the ground

These are the main qualities she looks for in potential leaders. And you don’t have to be a leader of many to demonstrate these three things.

The difference between senior level leaders and those who just aren’t there yet

If you are an entry-level or mid-level manager looking to work your way up, you may be wondering what it takes to move up. One of the key differences between someone who is ready to lead at a higher level, Kate shares, comes down to how leaders drive change.

As humans, we all tend to pivot towards what makes us comfortable and when an organization goes through a time of change there is something called the frozen middle. Leaders in the mid-level range play a huge role in how the transformation goes. There are two ways leaders address change, and Kate says she can now spot the difference within 3 minutes of a conversation with someone.

When it comes to change there is implementation vs. ownership. One type of person reads about the changes that need to take place and when they meet with their team they attribute accountability to a more senior leader–”Kate wants us to drive culture change so we have to do X, Y, Z to get to that end result”. For this type of person, it’s all about checking off boxes and following instructions. This is implementation and this type of person usually ends up falling back to what is comfortable for them.

Then there is ownership. This person personally takes accountability for the change process. They explain to their team members what it is that we as a company are trying to do, why it’s important, and how they will individually play a role in how the company gets there. They bring passion, clarity, and excitement to their team and they explain why the outcome is so important.

Kate says that is the difference between someone who can run the place and someone who can’t.

Kate’s advice for aspiring and seasoned leaders

For anyone who aspires to be a leader someday, Kate’s advice is to demonstrate it now. Don’t wait until you get promoted, do it now no matter how many people report to you. Create clarity, generate energy, and deliver success. These are the muscles needed to lead, so just like working out, if you want to build those muscles you have to practice, practice, practice.

For seasoned leaders Kate says don’t get comfortable and settled in your ways. There is always more to learn. Listen to podcasts, read books, talk to people–make sure you keep yourself open to grow and develop, no matter what level you are at.

Also, hubris is kryptonite to leadership. Going around thinking you have all the answers and trying to prove yourself right all of the time instead of listening to others will be your downfall. Stay humble, keep learning, and surround yourself with great people of diverse backgrounds. There’s no way one person can know it all.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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Leaders Can’t Be Scared To Take A Stance https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-cant-be-scared-to-take-a-stance/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:06:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44374 Too many leaders live life in the neutral gray area. Instead of taking a stance, they straddle the fence so they don’t offend anyone.

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Too many leaders live life in the neutral gray area. Instead of taking a stance, they straddle the fence so they don’t offend anyone.

That’s no way to live or lead.

People are often afraid to take a stance because they don’t want to upset others and cause a disagreement. Leaders are worried about alienating their employees and customers.

But that’s not the big fear leaders should have.

Instead, leaders should be afraid that their people don’t understand what they believe in to begin with.

Modern leaders can’t afford to not take a stance. You have to move beyond the neutral area to stand for something. Employees and customers care about knowing what you stand for and value.

There are so many issues facing the world today that we can’t sit back and not do anything. Leaders must use their influence to take action and improve the world. There’s nothing worse than your people not knowing what you stand for.

The risk of upsetting others by taking a stand is nothing compared to the risk of staying neutral.

Get out of the neutral area and take a stance.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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The Greatest Leadership Book Of All Time? https://thefutureorganization.com/the-greatest-leadership-book-of-all-time/ Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44377 I know...the title was total clickbait, but it worked right?
I'll be honest, this is a book pitch...
I want you to buy my latest book, The Future Leader.

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I know…the title was total clickbait, but it worked right?

I’ll be honest, this is a book pitch…

I want you to buy my latest book, The Future Leader.

But you know who else wants you to buy it? The leaders of the world’s top companies, and YOUR leaders, and YOUR team members!

Why?

Because we don’t have enough future-ready leaders around the world and this is simply put, a cold…hard…fact.

  • According to a survey of 25,000 leaders around the world done by DDI, only 42% of organizations said that the overall quality of leadership inside of their organizations was high.
  • Half of the organizations surveyed by DDI say their leaders are not skilled to lead effectively today and 71% say their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations in the future.

I can give you dozens of stats just like this. In my own research I found that less than 10% of leaders around the world are practicing the 9 skills and mindsets that I talk about in my book “very well.” These include things like emotional intelligence, thinking like a futurist, surrounding yourself with people who are not like you, practicing a growth mindset, and many others.

 

I don’t want you to buy this because it’s going to allow me to retire on an island somewhere (but that would be nice).

I want you to buy The Future Leader because it will make you a better leader and it will help you (and all of us) change the world for the better. I believe that we all deserve to be a part of an organization where we genuinely WANT not NEED to show up to work each day, and that starts with leaders just like you.

Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever read it and said:

“Jacob’s book answers the most pressing questions on the future of leadership. Based on impressive research, this is the guidebook for the next generation of leaders around the world.”

I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Mastercard, Audi, Verizon, Best Buy, Siemens, KPMG, and over 100 others. I also teamed up with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 employees globally.

Honestly, where else will you get a book that has input from this many amazing business leaders?

Hubert Joly the CEO of Best Buy said:

“Jacob Morgan has managed a tour de force. Based on in-depth research, this very colorful book forcefully and beautifully captures what is expected of leaders in this new world. This may be the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive thought piece on this critical topic out there.”

You will learn:

  • Why and how leadership is changing.
  • The greatest challenges facing leaders and how to overcome them.
  • The 4 mindsets that the world’s top CEOs says are crucial for current and aspiring leaders and how to practice them.
  • The 5 skills that current and aspiring leaders need to learn.
  • and much more!

You will also hear stories and quotes directly from the many CEOs I interviewed in this one-of-a-kind book.

I’ll make you a deal, if you buy the book, I’ll give you access to my Future Leader Masterclass for free. All you need to do is send me a screenshot (jacob[at]thefutureorganization.com) from July 16, 2021 or later showing that you bought the hardcover book, sound fair?

I hope so.

This book will transform who you are as a leader and as a person. I hope you decide to grab a copy for yourself and your team members, you’ll be glad you did!

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What Does “Being Rich”​ Really Mean? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-being-rich%e2%80%8b-really-mean/ Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:26:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44366 When most people think of being rich, they think of having lots of money and being able to buy whatever they want and travel the world.

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When most people think of being rich, they think of having lots of money and being able to buy whatever they want and travel the world.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I would see fancy cars and big houses and think those people were so rich. I dreamed of one day having what those people had—I wanted to be rich.

But just because someone has those nice things doesn’t mean they are happy. We can only see part of their lives—a façade—without really knowing what’s going on or what challenges they are facing behind the scenes.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Being rich isn’t just about money. It’s about time.

I once sat next to a sales executive on a flight who told me about the multi-million-dollar deals he made, the multiple homes he owned, his home chef, and his many other belongings. But he had missed his son’s first steps and his daughter’s soccer games.

He had a lot of money, but he didn’t have a lot of time with his family.

To me, being rich is about having the luxury of being able to control your time. It’s the freedom to step away from work to spend time with your spouse and kids, to be outside, and to pursue your hobbies and passions.

You can’t take money with you when you die, but the memories of time spent with others and doing what you love are lasting.

Money is still important, but it’s not the most important currency. Time is.

That’s why I love being an entrepreneur. I have the freedom to control my own time and schedule. And more than anything I own, that makes me feel like the richest person in the world.

Look beyond those fancy cars and houses to chase the kind of rich that really matters—being rich with how you spend your time.

We frequently get asked things like: What do we use for courses and email marketing? What platform do we use to find people to join our team? What tools do we use for project and task management? Where do we host and publish podcasts and how do we transcribe them? And More. Well, we just put together the Entrepreneurs’ Online Business Toolkit PDF which will give you a complete breakdown of the tools we sue to run our 7-figure businesses and how we use them. Click here to grab a copy, it will be an invaluable resource in your entrepreneurial journey!

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Why The Future of Work Is Hybrid Work: Insights from the CEO of IWG, Mark Dixon https://thefutureorganization.com/why-the-future-of-work-is-hybrid-work-insights-from-the-ceo-of-iwg-mark-dixon/ Mon, 19 Jul 2021 14:52:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44356 Mark Dixon is the founder & CEO of International Workplace Group (IWG), formerly known as Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace solutions. They have over 3,300 locations and 15,000 team members in 120 countries around the world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Mark_Dixon_-_Ready.mp3

Mark Dixon Trancript

Mark Dixon is the founder & CEO of International Workplace Group (IWG), formerly known as Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace solutions. They have over 3,300 locations and 15,000 team members in 120 countries around the world.

Mark has a unique and diverse background leading up to his current role. He actually dropped out of school at the age of 16 to start a business delivering sandwiches by bicycle. He has been a logger, a miner, a barman, an investor, and a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman–all before founding IWG in 1989.

He always knew he wanted to go into business, but he also realized early on that he needed experience and training and that’s definitely what he got throughout every job he had. He learned other languages, he tried multiple different roles, he soaked up what he could from the people he worked with–and all of it led him to his current position.

As Mark shares, “I’ve worked with some fantastic people, either within the companies or advisors or people I know. And, you know, in those days–and still today–I’m still learning today, you’re sort of like a sponge. You just got to be whoever you’re speaking to, whatever you’re doing, you try, you know, you’re learning lessons. And COVID, you know, this whole crisis, I’ve been through many, many crises over the period of time that I’ve been in business, this is a huge one. And you’ve had to reinvent very quickly, and sort of apply, you know, all those 45 years of experiences to what you know now. And it’s very hard to learn all that, you know, you’re not going to get a lot of it with an MBA, it’s gonna come with experience.”

Is there still a place for in-person work?
This past year with the pandemic really showed most businesses that they could continue to get things done even during shutdowns, thanks to technology. They realized that not only could the business keep going, but a lot of employees were happier because they weren’t commuting every day, they could work in comfortable clothing, and they could spend more time with family.

Now that we’ve all experienced this for over a year, a lot of companies are exploring how they can allow employees to have more flexible work options. A big topic of conversation lately is will the office go away completely. Will most companies continue with remote only working?

Mark and I agree that while companies will give employees more flexibility, the office is not going away anytime soon and there is still value in having people come to work in-person. But most likely it will be more of a hybrid format, where people can work from home at times and come into the office at times as well.

While it is possible to keep everyone remote and get work done, as Mark points out bringing people together, at least some of the time is key, otherwise you just create a bunch of digital nomads. This can be dangerous because it makes it easy to lose the company culture.

The key is having a convenient physical office (or offices) that people want to come to, at least from time to time. This is where collaboration, social interactions, networking, etc… can happen. It is also important to have an agenda to accomplish while people are there so you don’t have people sitting around staring at their screen by themselves.

“You’re going in there to do creative stuff, you’re going in there for your boss to thank you and hand you a, you know, a bottle of wine or something for doing a great job in front of everyone else. So you can’t do that over the internet. So you’ve got to try and have a sense of belonging, and a feeling of purpose. And you can do a lot of it when people are decentralized, but you can’t do all of it. It’s a really important factor. So the companies of the future will have a number of hubs around the country, they’ll bring people together.”

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

The benefits of hybrid work
Hybrid work is about making work convenient for employees and allowing them to work from wherever is the most productive for them each day. Some people may not have space to work from home and working from a Starbucks or Panera can be difficult with all of the noise and distractions. Some people live 3 hours away from work and hate their commute. Others may not have the discipline to work at home efficiently. So it’s all about providing different options for all of the different needs.

Giving people options helps the morale of the employees, they feel like they have control over how and when they work, they are happier because they are less stressed, and they are more productive.

This way of work also helps companies have less fixed costs. Mark says he has seen a number of companies take the money they have saved from having people work from home and they have re-invested that money into HR programs that help them get to know employees better. Sometimes leaders feel like they know their people because they all sit in the same building and they see each other every day, but that’s not necessarily the case.

“You know, it wasn’t the office that was the magic ingredient here. It was the people themselves. And it’s about companies focusing on people as people. They had brilliant talents that you didn’t know about because you hired them, you asked them but you didn’t ask them again and again.”

Mark’s advice for leaders who want to make hybrid work a reality for their employees
The first thing Mark believes leaders should do is take time to research–there are so many materials and resources out there for companies that want to start hybrid work. Look into what other companies are doing and what has worked and what hasn’t.

After you’ve done your research it is crucial that you talk to your people to find out what they want. Survey your people to see how many of them want to be able to work from home at times, and how much time they want to work from home. How do they feel about working from a local office part of the time and working from home the rest of the time? Their feedback can help you develop a strategy.

For most companies, leaders who don’t give employees the option to work from home at times will most likely lose a lot of good people.

Can you fail at hybrid work?
Some leaders might worry about failing at implementing hybrid work, but don’t worry Mark says while you may not get the right productivity out of it, you can’t really fail. If you get it wrong, he says, it’s because you haven’t thought enough about your people.

Staying connected with your people is so important, especially when you are working in a hybrid setting. It’s easy for employees to feel lost or disconnected, so it’s up to the leaders to make sure that doesn’t happen. Call people on their birthday, start meetings off with a casual conversation, send out a weekly or monthly update email. Think about the things you do in your office right now to stay connected and then just figure out how to do that when you are all more spread out.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

The post Why The Future of Work Is Hybrid Work: Insights from the CEO of IWG, Mark Dixon first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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My Favorite Leadership Lesson Ever! https://thefutureorganization.com/my-favorite-leadership-lesson-ever/ Fri, 16 Jul 2021 12:19:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44318 I was a pretty annoying kid...
My parents would always tell me stories of the tough times they had to go through living in The Republic of Georgia and my response would always be "ya, ya, I get it."

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I was a pretty annoying kid…

My parents would always tell me stories of the tough times they had to go through living in The Republic of Georgia and my response would always be “ya, ya, I get it.”

Until finally I got older and had the opportunity to visit where my parents came from and how they lived.

My mom lived in a toolshed with 4 other members of her family.

My dad lived with his family in a tiny studio apartment with a slanted floor and I don’t meant a slight tilt, I mean slanted, like one of those mystery houses.

By all accounts, they lived in poverty.

Eventually, facing persecution my parents migrated from Georgia to Italy, which is actually where they met. My mom left with her whole family but my dad had to leave his whole family behind, knowing he would likely never see them again.

To make money my mom’s family sold tchotchke’s on the street.

(There are far more dramatic stories and situations my family had to overcome, perhaps I will share them another time.)

From Italy, they went to Australia which is where I was born, and then they finally ended up in the United States. My parents didn’t speak a word of English and had no money.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

My dad used to tell me this story of how he learned to speak English by watching the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin shows with an English to Russian translation dictionary so that he could learn the words. He would then spend hours a day in front of a mirror trying to mouth out the words and sounds.

I actually share this story in many of my keynotes on leadership.

I always asked my dad where this dictionary was and on a recent trip to LA to visit my family, he brought it back from his office. It turns out he still uses it when he needs to look up something!

It was falling apart, yellow, and covered in tape.

My dad first came to America while the rest of us stayed in Australia. The plan was for him to get settled, get a job, and find a place to live, and then the rest of us would join him.

He ended up living in low-income housing in New Jersey, but he didn’t want to live around any other Russians.

I asked him why and he said he wanted to get out of his comfort zone. He was never going to learn how to speak English and assimilate into American society if he just surrounded himself with people who were just like him…people he was comfortable with.

Long-story short my dad became a successful aerospace engineer and my mom a therapist. They have built a very comfortable life for themselves (and for all of us!) in Los Angeles and I owe them everything.

The story of how my parents came from The Republic of Georgia to the United States and built a life for themselves with no money and without speaking a word of English is my favorite leadership story ever because it teaches me a few things:

  1. I should never be scared to put myself outside of my comfort zone.
  2. Sometimes to achieve my dreams and goals I am going to have to make very tough sacrifices.
  3. I can’t rely on anyone or anything to make me successful, I have to rely on myself above all else.
  4. I must have a growth mindset and always be prepared to learn new things and apply the things I learn.
  5. I should never let anyone or anything stop me from achieving what I want to achieve, there is always a way.
  6. The problems I experience and the challenges I face today are NOTHING compared to what my family had to go through. It makes me think twice before complaining about something and helps me realize how truly lucky I am.

I’ve learned a lot from my parents over the years, these are 6 of the many lessons!

I’m going to frame this dictionary so that my kids and their kids and their kids will be able to appreciate and understand where they came from and the sacrifices that had to be made so that can have the life they have.

What’s your favorite leadership lesson or story ever?

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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Here’s How 14 Top CEOs Define “Leadership,”​ Which One Do You Agree With? https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-how-14-top-ceos-define-leadership%e2%80%8b-which-one-do-you-agree-with/ Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:00:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44314 I've worked with and spoken with a lot of CEOs over the years.
I don't say that to brag, but to give context around something that I have noticed.

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I’ve worked with and spoken with a lot of CEOs over the years.

I don’t say that to brag, but to give context around something that I have noticed.

I always like to ask leaders I meet, a lot of questions. Mainly because I’m genuinely curious about things and I always like to learn, but also because I’m always looking for patterns and trends. I suppose this is what being an avid chess player does to you 🙂

There’s always was one question leaders have a harder time answering…

But first, some context.

Over the past 18 months, I had the privilege to interview some of the world’s top CEOs for my book, The Future Leader. I spoke with CEOs from companies like Best Buy, Audi, KPMG, Oracle, SAP, Verizon, MasterCard, Royal Caribbean, InterContinental Hotels Group, and dozens of others.

I was trying to understand how leadership is changing what leaders need to do in order to adapt and be successful in the new world of work. I asked these CEOs about trends, skills, mindsets, challenges, and everything and anything in between.

All the leaders gave me fantastic answers, wonderful stories, and profound insights, everything flowed very easily…until we got to THE QUESTION.

There was one question that the world’s top business leaders struggled with the most. It’s the question that made all of them pause and create a kind of awkward silence. It’s the question that made many of the CEOs say things “wow, that’s a good question,” or “nobody has ever asked me that before.”

What was the question?

“If I came from another planet and had no concept of ‘leader’ or ‘leadership,’ how would you explain it to me?”

This is where the awkward pauses started…

The problem is we don’t spend enough time thinking about this because we all assume we know what good and bad leadership is and what it looks like. We see and experience leadership all the time – when we go to the grocery store, when we show up to work, when we turn on the news or watch a movie when we play sports…it’s everywhere.

For many, trying to explain leadership is like trying to explain water to someone. We don’t do it because we all know what water is and we all know what leadership is…right?

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Consider how the following CEOs defined leadership:

“Leadership is about helping others realize their potential and inspiring them to work with you to achieve a shared vision for the future.” – Kathy Mazzarella, CEO, Graybar

“Ensuring that people have everything they need to achieve the missions of an organization. That’s it, all else is footnotes.”  – Hans Vestburg, CEO, Verizon Communications

“Leadership is a combination of legitimacy, personality and management skills that make others want to follow someone’s direction.” – Pierre-André de Chalendar, CEO, Saint Gobain

“Leadership is helping people succeed, inspiring and uniting people behind a common purpose and then being accountable.” – Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever

“A leader focuses on both the vision of the future and the possibility and the hard realities of the present and the lessons learned of the past, a person who inspires others, someone who is a walking symbol of humility.” – Bernard Tyson, Former CEO, Kaiser Permanente

“As a leader you must trust and empower your teams. Give them a clear direction, explain the purpose of the company and give them the means to do their jobs. A leader must also empower people and help them grow and build on their strengths while practicing to improve on their blind spots.” – Isabelle Kocher, CEO, Engie

“Leadership is showing up and stepping up at a time when people need you and doing the right thing, no matter how hard it is. I remember my former boss said to me that there’s a right thing to do and there’s an easy thing to do, and very rarely is the right thing to do the easy thing to do.”  – Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group

“Leadership is about the ability to drive results, set the vision and share it, create an environment of success, and remove obstacles.” – Judy Marks, CEO, Otis Elevator

“A leader is someone who can think strategically, simplify the strategy so everyone in the organization can understand it and communicate that strategy simply, enthusiastically, and in a caring way.” – Ajay Banga, CEO, MasterCard

“The most basic definition of leadership is you set the destination. You come up with a strategy to get to that destination and do your best to align and supply the resources to make that happen.” – Mark Hurd, Former CEO, Oracle

“Leadership is helping believe in a better tomorrow or a better outcome than you have today.” –Marissa Mayer, Former CEO, Yahoo!

“Make setting audacious goals a fundamental belief. Do things, as John F. Kennedy famously said, “not because they are easy, because they are hard.” Leadership stands for progress, empowerment, empathy and trust. At a time of too many cynics who throw up their hands and cry, “impossible,” I employ optimism, the only free stimulus in this world.” – Bill McDermott, CEO, ServiceNow (Former CEO, SAP)

“Leadership is getting people to willingly go someplace they wouldn’t go themselves” – Tom Wilson, CEO, Allstate

“I define leadership as making a positive impact on people; employees, shareholders, customers, business partners and the public at large.” – Levent Çakiroglu, CEO, KOC Holdings

All of the CEOs I interviewed defined “leader” and “leadership” differently. Sure, there are some common themes, but the definitions themselves are unique.

The worst thing you and your organization can do is NOT have a clear definition of what leadership is and what it means to be a leader.

These definitions will dictate the leadership filters that your organization puts in place.

I’m always amazed how at a single company there can be some leaders who everyone admires, respects, and wants to work for, and at that same organization there can be other leaders who everyone hates and runs from. How can that happen?

It’s because the people who promoted them had different definitions of leadership.

If your definition is focused on profits, then those are the filters that will get created, if your definition is focused on putting people first, then those are the filters will get created.

The first and most crucial step for anyone embarking on their leadership journey is to define what this means to begin with. Your definition and concept of leadership will change over time. That’s ok, but you have to start somewhere!

What’s your definition of “leader” and “leadership?” Share below!

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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Which Country Has the Best Leaders? Hint: It’s Not Who You Think! https://thefutureorganization.com/which-country-has-the-best-leaders-hint-its-not-who-you-think/ Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:00:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44308 Lots of people around the world turn to the U.S. when it comes to guidance around things like leadership, workspace design, and forward thinking business practices. But does the U.S. have the best leaders?

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Lots of people around the world turn to the U.S. when it comes to guidance around things like leadership, workspace design, and forward thinking business practices. But does the U.S. have the best leaders?

Read on…

Will the leader of 2030 be that different than today and if so how? These were the two questions I wanted to answer in my new book, The Future Leader. I wrote the book before COVID-19 and now the insights and the research are especially more relevant since leaders are having to adapt and change quickly!

Unfortunately, there isn’t much research or data on how to lead in a new and rapidly changing world so, I decided to do my own research.

For part 1 I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, Koc Holdings, SAP, Oracle, MasterCard, Verizon, Unilever, Best Buy, KPMG, and many others. I asked all of these CEOs a series of 12 questions covering everything from skills and mindsets for future leaders to trends and challenges and even how a typical day for a leader will change.

After compiling, categorizing, and tabulating all of this data I was able to determine the top skills and mindsets that the world’s top CEO’s believe are most important for leaders. The general consensus was that while some core aspects of leadership will remain the same, such as setting a vision and execution on strategy, leaders also require a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to guide themselves, their teams, and their organizations to success.

Why do we need a new set of skills and mindsets? Because of the 6 trends you can see below (I wrote about all of these in more depth here).

 

For part 2 of this research, I partnered with LinkedIn to survey almost 14,000 employees around the world representing the U.S, UK, India, Brazil, China, Australia, UAE, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This gave us good global representation and allowed me to compare the insights across seniority levels.

I took all of the data from the 140+ CEOs around skills and mindsets and asked the almost 14,000 employees around the world how well their mid and senior leaders were practicing these skills and mindsets. The respondents were able to select from four options (a fifth option of “not sure” was included but I’m not including it here):

  1. Not well at all
  2. Somewhat well
  3. Reasonably well
  4. Very well

The skills and mindsets include things like: curiosity, having a growth mindset, thinking like a futurist, coaching and mentoring, emotional intelligence, thinking globally, and several others.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

In the two charts below you can see the global breakdown of the responses which looks at the top two categories of “reasonably well” and “very well.” The first chart looks specifically at mindsets (how leaders need to think) and the second chart looks at skills (things that leaders specifically need to know how to do).

 

Mid-level leaders (“managers” in the chart)

Brazil surprisingly had the highest percentage of respondents say that their mid-level leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) came in second place. Brazil also had the highest percentage of people who were confident in their own ability to practice these mindsets and skills.

Senior executives

Here too, Brazil had the highest percentage of respondents say that their senior leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” India scored in second.

Interestingly enough even though mid-level leaders in the U.S. scored in third place, senior executives in the U.S. were nowhere near the top of the pack. I was rather surprised by these findings since many tend to look to the U.S. as exemplars when it comes to evolving workplace practices and leadership styles.

I’d love to hear from all of you, does this research align with what you are seeing and experiencing in your own part of the world? Of course, we couldn’t survey every country but we tried to get a good geographic representation.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The post Which Country Has the Best Leaders? Hint: It’s Not Who You Think! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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According To 140 Top CEOs These Are The Most Crucial Challenges For Future Leaders: Are You Ready For Them? https://thefutureorganization.com/according-to-140-top-ceos-these-are-the-most-crucial-challenges-for-future-leaders-are-you-read-for-them/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:00:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44279 Leadership has always been challenging, but the future of work will bring fresh challenges to future leaders especially after the events of 2020 which we are still feeling now.

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Leadership has always been challenging, but the future of work will bring fresh challenges to future leaders especially after the events of 2020 which we are still feeling now.

Over the next decade, leaders will have to face obstacles and challenges not faced by current or past leaders. But what are those challenges and what should current and aspiring leaders do about them?

As part of the research for my new book, The Future LeaderI interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world and surveyed more than 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn. One of the questions I asked was about the challenges future leaders would face.

From their varied and insightful responses, I broke the challenges down to two main areas: futurize and humanize.

 

Futurize

Future leaders can’t afford to lead their organizations by looking in the rearview mirror. They need to futurize, or bring their organizations into the future. But of course, it isn’t that simple. There are numerous challenges that fall into this category.

Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Thinking

Many leaders think quarter by quarter to please their shareholders and investors. We’ve been conditioned to think in the short term and expect fast results. Future leaders need to be focused on long-term success for both the organization and the people. This requires courage!

Adapting to Technology

New technology is coming incredibly quickly, and it often seems like once we’ve finally mastered something, it’s outdated and there’s a flashy new solution. Leaders need to pay attention to technology and be able to change their perspective to understand what new developments are most important and what else is coming down the pipeline. Technology is not just for IT professionals.

“Today’s leaders need to either decide to embrace new platforms and technology or be prepared to be left behind.” John Legere, Former CEO, T-Mobile

Keeping Up With the Pace of Change 

The world is changing incredibly fast, and future leaders will be challenged to keep up. They need to embrace change, stay agile, and be open to new ideas. Whether we look at climate change, globalization, technology, demographics, cyber security, geopolitical issues, competition, or any of the other numerous trends shaping our lives and organizations, it’s clear that change happens quickly and happens all the time. We will experience more change in the coming decade than we have experienced in the past hundreds of years.

“The pace of change is faster and while you don’t have to know everything, you do have to know how to get it. The commitment to being a life long learner, I think the premium on that is much higher now for our leaders.” William Rogers, CEO, SunTrust Banks

Moving Away from the Status Quo

Just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it will still work in the future. Leaders need to be confident and bold to take risks that move away from the status quo just because that’s how things have always been done. Leaders must move away from the mentality of “follow me to greener pastures because I’ve done it and I’ve been there,” to “follow me into uncertainty, I don’t know the path but I have a vision of what we can create and together we will make it happen!”

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Humanize

We tend to put a lot of emphasis on technology, but a company can work without technology; it can’t work without people. The challenges of humanizing involve balancing humans with technology and ensuring your people are prepared to succeed in the future. We can’t forget that business still fundamentally operates and exists because of people. What we are seeing now with COVID-19 is a very clear example of that.

Leading Diverse Teams

Not everyone in the world looks and thinks the same, and your organization should reflect that. Diverse teams bring in new perspectives. Future leaders need to put together teams of people with different backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations, and belief systems to work together towards a common goal.

“One mark of a future leader should be the ability to work alongside people of different ages and with different backgrounds.” Sébastien Bazin, CEO, Accor Hotels

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

People are an organization’s biggest asset, but many companies face the challenge of finding and keeping great employees. Instead of job candidates trying to convince organizations they are the best choice, now leaders and organizations must convince potential employees they are a great place to work.

“We’re moving from an era of lifetime employment to lifetime employee ability where if your people don’t feel that they learn and progress and they’re up to speed in their areas of expertise, they will leave you because they will become themselves obsolete. We have to admit that we are not bringing in the company people with a perspective that we had 20 years ago, 10 years ago that people will stay there forever.” – André Calantzopoulos, CEO, Philip Morris International

Reskilling and Upskilling Employees

How we work and the tools we have are changing rapidly, and many employees find themselves not having the right skills to do their jobs or thrive in the future. Leaders face the challenge of knowing how best to upskill employees and give them what they need for future success.

Doing Good

People want to be part of organizations that care about more than just making money. But in many cases, the leaders and shareholders are conditioned to think more about profits than doing good in the world. Future leaders need to make sure their work is improving the world and then share that message with others.

Making the Organization Human

With automation and a focus on efficiency, many organizations fall into the trap of focusing on results instead of people. Each individual matters, and future leaders need to understand their employees as people, not just cogs in the machine.

“A leader of the future will have to be astute enough to balance automation with the human touch. They have to decide what types of tasks to automate so that they can spend more time on high-value activities. But also decide which businesses will continue to benefit from human judgment.” – Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, of Biocon

These challenges are widespread and require serious effort. Based on the survey I did with LinkedIn looking at around 14,000 employees around the world, most leaders and organizations aren’t ready to face these challenges. The good news is that we still have time, but we need to start now to develop future-ready skills and mindsets.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The post According To 140 Top CEOs These Are The Most Crucial Challenges For Future Leaders: Are You Ready For Them? first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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My First Ever Keynote Presentation On “The Future Leader!”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/my-first-ever-keynote-presentation-on-the-future-leader%e2%80%8b/ Mon, 12 Jul 2021 13:00:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44275 I remember when I first got asked to give a talk on my new book The Future Leader.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Vizient_podcast_-_Ready_-_V2.mp3

I remember when I first got asked to give a talk on my new book The Future Leader.

The book wasn’t even done yet but the company that brought me in was really excited to be the first one in the world to hear the research, the ideas, and the concepts that I spent the past 18 months working on.

To say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement.

I never shared this stuff with anyone before!

But, it ended up being one of my favorite presentations I’ve given and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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Here’s How Some Of The World’s Top CEOs Define “Leader”​ & “Leadership”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-how-some-of-the-worlds-top-ceos-define-leader%e2%80%8b-leadership%e2%80%8b/ Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:00:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44243 COVID and the events of 2020 (up to now) have forever changed how we think about leadership and what it means to be a leader. I don't think anyone will dispute that.

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COVID and the events of 2020 (up to now) have forever changed how we think about leadership and what it means to be a leader. I don’t think anyone will dispute that.

In fact, leadership was already transforming BEFORE 2020.

Over the past few years I was able to interview over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Kaiser, MasterCard, Best Buy, Verizon, Audi, KPMG, and many others.

From all of the questions I asked them there was one that they had trouble answering, and that was…

“How do you define leader and leadership?”

Sounds weird right? After all, these are some of the most successful CEOs in the world and they responsible for billion-dollar companies and thousands of people!

But think about it for a minute, how would you define and explain leader and leadership to someone who has never heard of the concepts or ideas?

Here are a few of the definitions that CEOs gave me, which one most resonates with you?

“I define leadership as a critical role that focuses on both the vision of the future and the possibility and the hard realities of the present and the lessons learned of the past. A leader is the person who inspires others and is the walking symbol of humbleness.” – Bernard Tyson, Former CEO of Kaiser Permanente with over 200k employees (he passed away a few months after we spoke).

“Leadership is not about holding a specific title or achieving a certain level in an organization. I believe leadership is about helping others realize their potential and inspiring them to work with you to achieve a shared vision for the future.” – Kathy Mazzarella, CEO of Graybar with over 8k employees.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

“Leadership means LISTENING and ACTING – I probably sound like a broken record on this topic – but it’s the truth! I always say that the all you have to do is LISTEN to your customers and employees and do what they TELL you! It’s a simple formula!” – John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile with over 44k employees.

“Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.” – Former CEO of The Girl Scouts of America and Current President and CEO at Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute.

At the risk of making this a super long article, I’ll stop here (I have another 140 or so definitions!)

The truth is leaders don’t spend enough time defining leader and leadership and as a result neither do the organizations they are a part of.

But how you define these things is essential because they will define the type of leader you become and the types of leaders you create. This actually one of the most crucial things that you as a leader need to do.

I recently gave a talk to hundreds of top executives and here’s a clip where I talked about this in more detail.

After you watch it let me know what you think, send me your definition of leader and leadership! If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The post Here’s How Some Of The World’s Top CEOs Define “Leader”​ & “Leadership”​ first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Purpose & Meaning Are NOT The Same Thing But We Need Both: Here’s How To Create Them https://thefutureorganization.com/purpose-meaning-are-not-the-same-thing-but-we-need-both-heres-how-to-create-them/ Thu, 08 Jul 2021 13:00:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44240 We all need purpose and meaning right?
But they aren't the same thing...

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We all need purpose and meaning right?

But they aren’t the same thing…

Companies used to think that in order to attract and retain the best talent, they just had to offer perks and a nice paycheck.

Now, it’s evident that employees care about more than just making money. They want a sense of purpose and meaning in their work and are often willing to take a pay cut to get them. We often see these two words go together and they are used interchangeably but what do they really mean and how can leaders and organizations create more purpose and meaning for their employees?

As part of the research for my new book, The Future LeaderI interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. When I asked them about trends facing future leaders, one of the most common responses was providing purpose and meaning. These aren’t just “work issues” these are crucial aspects of our lives as human beings,

Here’s how we need to think about purpose and meaning.

Your job is what you do, and your purpose is the intention of the job. Your purpose creates an impact or outcome, which then drives meaning, or why you do what you do. Purpose and meaning are two different, but very important, parts of the equation.

Job

This is really just about what it is that you do whether it writing code, handling customer service issues, or sales. Everyone generally knows what their job is, it’s what they got hired to do.

Purpose

This goes one level deeper than the job. For example you write code so that you can create user friendly products that customers want to use. You sell so that you can generate more revenue for the business which in turn helps it grow and invest in new opportunities. This is the bridge between the work you are doing and the impact it has on customers, employees, or the world at large. Sadly, many employees struggle with their purpose because we have built organizations that focus on tasks, projects, busy work, and things that keep us “heads down.” As a result, many employees around the world can’t see and are not allowed to see past this very basic layer. The engineer who designs a product rarely speaks with customers or hears their stories. The sales professional who brings in the deals doesn’t know what happens with the money he or she brings in, they just know they need to bring in more of it because it’s their job.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Impact

This is what actually happens from your purpose. In other words, your purpose in customer service is to resolve any issues, get customers to want to come back to the brand, and hopefully make their lives better and easier. But, is that the actual impact that you are having? Your purpose is about the potential but the impact is about reality. You want your impact to be greater than or equal to your purpose, never less than. Just as in the purpose section, most employees have not idea what impact they are having. Leaders however tend to have a more solid grasp of their purpose and meaning since they move away from the purely task or project based work to focus more on the big picture.

Meaning

This is subjective and unique to each and every one of us. This is about why we are doing something and the feeling we get from doing it. If you are writing code you might get meaning from working on complex problems or challenges, if you’re in sales you might get meaning from building relationships, if you’re in customer service you might get meaning from helping people.

Creating Purpose and Meaning

The balance of power has shifted towards employees, and organizations are now focusing more on employee experience and creating an environment where employees want to show up to work. Leaders and organizations can no longer simply think of themselves as just there to make money or drive profits. They can’t be isolated; they must work towards something bigger and more meaningful.

Where to begin:

  • Leaders must first understand their own purpose and meaning and the difference between these two things.
  • Give more access to ALL of your employees so that they can see how the work they are doing is impacting the business, employees, or the world. Let the engineer talk to customers, let the sale professional know how the money they are bringing in is being used, share stories of how HR teams are creating better experience for the people who work there. BUILD THE BRIDGE.
  • Get to know those around you as individuals and as human beings, not just as workers. What do they care about and value and why?
  • Make purpose and meaning a core part of your messaging with your people. These should be frequent conversations and discussions not one-off things.
  • Align the values and the purpose of the organization with the purpose and the meaning of the people who work there, if there is no alignment then they shouldn’t be working there!

Purpose and meaning are not just reserved for the privileged few. WE ALL deserve to understand how the work we are doing is making an impact and we all need to look inwards to get a better sense of who we are and why we are doing the work we do.

I’ll leave you with this quote from the late Bernard Tyson, the former CEO of Kaiser Permanente (a healthcare company with over 300,000 employees) who sadly passed away in 2019 a few months after I had the privilege of speaking with him. When we spoke he shared something with me which puts all of this into perspective.

“Companies of the future can no longer think that they can just exist…significant companies of the future cannot just exist in this little bread box, in this isolated place. We are a part of a greater society and a greater society is a part of us. The trend of when and how we engage in the bigger societal issues will continue to be a part of the future of leadership.”

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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According to 140 Of The World’s Top CEOs These Are The 6 Trends Shaping Leadership Through 2030 and Beyond https://thefutureorganization.com/according-to-140-of-the-worlds-top-ceos-these-are-the-6-trends-shaping-leadership-through-2030-and-beyond/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:00:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44265 As I've said many times in this newsletter, leadership is changing...but why?

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As I’ve said many times in this newsletter, leadership is changing…but why?

Over the past 18 months I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Best Buy, Oracle, Kaiser, Verizon, and dozens of others. This was all done as part of research for my new book, The Future Leader, which examines what it will take to be a leader in 2030 and beyond.

One of the questions I asked all of these CEOs was around the greatest trends shaping the future of leadership.

These are the six trends they identifies that will play a major role in shaping future leaders over the next decade and beyond. It’s true that we are seeing these in action today but over the next ten years they will be front and center.

 

 

AI and Technology

When I asked CEOs what they viewed as the biggest trends impacting leadership, the most common answer I received was the growth of artificial intelligence and technology. It’s no secret that technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace. Artificial intelligence has the power to completely transform how businesses operate and people work. But with the excitement of AI and new technology comes fear and uncertainty. It’s up to leaders to assuage those fears by looking for ways to implement AI that adds to employees instead of replacing their jobs. Leaders need to calm fears and remain positive about new technology. They need to be well-versed on AI and experiment with new technologies so they can help others understand the potential impact on their jobs.

As Christian Ulbrich, the CEO of JLL, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate firms with almost 100,000 employees around the world told me. “We will succeed in the digital era only if we engage with enthusiasm and welcome the ideas and opportunities that digital tools, data analysis, and new technologies will bring.”

Pace of Change

Right alongside the growth of AI and technology is the overall pace of change. How we live and work is drastically different today from what it was five years ago—let alone 20 or 30 years ago. Change surrounds us in the form of climate change, globalization, diversity, and dozens of other things. Change is constant and has always happened. What’s different about today is the rate at which change occurs. To be successful, organizations must be constantly looking forward, and leaders must lean in and embrace change instead of shying away. Future leaders need to be agile, easily adaptable, and comfortable challenging the status quo.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Purpose and Meaning

While companies used to be able to easily attract top talent with the promise of a high salary, that’s no longer the case. Employees now want to work for an organization that offers purpose and meaning, and they’re even willing to take a pay cut to get it. Purpose is the reason for an organization’s existence and often includes things like investing in employees, making a difference in the world, or driving innovation. Meaning is the personal impact of each employee’s work. Employees want to see that their efforts are impactful and contributing to the overall purpose of the company. To set the example, leaders must first understand their own job, purpose, impact, and meaning before helping their employees do the same. They need to get to know employees individually to understand what motivates them.

Before he passed away suddenly, I had the opportunity to speak with Bernard Tyson, the former Chairman and CEO of Kaiser, which is one of America’s leading healthcare providers that employees over 200,000 employees. He told me: “Companies of the future can no longer think that they can just exist … significant companies of the future cannot just exist in this little bread box, in this isolated place. We are a part of greater society and a greater society is a part of us. I think the trend of when and how we engage in the bigger societal issues will continue to be a part of the future of leadership.”

New Talent Landscape

Recent years have brought tremendous change to the overall talent landscape, and it’s only just beginning. As older employees retire and younger generations enter the workforce, many companies find themselves on the constant hunt for skilled employees. At the same time, diversity and inclusion are becoming even more important. The new talent landscape is more than just changing demographics; it’s a new approach to attracting and retaining talent while also training and upskilling employees to be prepared for the future of work. Leaders of the future should strive to develop diverse teams and create an inclusive environment. They need to invest in upskilling employees while also finding ways to involve older employees and motivating employees of all ages to take control of their own career development.

Morality, Ethics, and Transparency

Gone are the days of controlling leaders trying to be the smartest person in the room. A recent push for morality, ethics, and transparency has led to more authentic and humble leaders. Companies with ethical foundations perform better financially and have higher customer and employee satisfaction. These types of organizations are created by moral leaders. At the same time, leaders are being put under a microscope as people demand transparency. Leaders can no longer hide behind their title—they must be open and honest to their companies and the public. Leaders of the future must determine their own moral compasses and have a strong sense of their personal beliefs. Simply standing still is no longer good enough; leaders need to take a stand and be as transparent and authentic as possible.

Globalization

As technology grows, the world becomes more connected and seems smaller. Each country used to be its own economy, but now we can work with and communicate instantly with people all over the world. All businesses are now global and have the potential for worldwide employees and customers. Globalization brings complex geo-political issues and great opportunities to collaborate and share cultures. Future leaders need to embrace globalization by becoming global citizens who appreciate different cultures and know how to communicate across cultural and language barriers. Foreign ideas should be viewed as opportunities, not fear-filled challenges. Leaders of the future need to pay attention to global issues and understand what is happening around the world.

Future-ready leaders need to understand trends and adapt their leadership approach for changes in the way we think, work, and live. These six trends will be crucial for leaders in the coming years.

Are you aware of these six trends, what are you doing to prepare yourself and your organization to face them?

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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140 Top CEOs Say These Are The 9 Most Crucial Leadership Skills And Mindsets For A Post Covid World https://thefutureorganization.com/140-top-ceos-say-these-are-the-9-most-crucial-leadership-skills-and-mindsets-for-a-post-covid-world/ Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:00:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44213 The business landscape is undoubtedly changing which is something I talked about in a previous article where I explored the top 6 trends shaping future leaders.

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The business landscape is undoubtedly changing which is something I talked about in a previous article where I explored the top 6 trends shaping future leaders.

While some aspects of leadership such as setting a vision and executing on strategy will remain, the future leader will need to possess a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to lead effectively.

Why?

This is because our businesses will look and operate fundamentally differently in ten years which means we need a new type of leader at the helm of these organizations.

When I would speak at conferences and events around the world I would frequently get asked, “what we should be teaching leaders now to prepare for the future?” Unfortunately, there is not much research out there which explores this (especially including the perspectives of top CEOs!) so I decided to tackle this with my new book, The Future Leader. I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Oracle, SAP, Best Buy, Verizon, Intercontinental Hotels Group, and dozens of others.

I asked all of these CEOs a series of 12 questions including the top skills and mindsets they believe will most relevant for future leaders over the next decade and beyond. From those interviews I put together what I call, The Notable Nine which are the top 4 mindsets and top 5 skills that future leaders must master.

Below is a very brief overview of each one, much more information and research can be found in The Future Leader. All of these are applicable today but most leaders don’t actually practice these skills and mindsets, but in the coming ten years, these will be like air and water.

Mindsets (how future leaders need to think)

Global Citizen

The world is becoming increasingly connected, which means every company has the potential for worldwide employees and customers. The mindset of the Global Citizen means thinking globally and embracing diversity. Leaders need to understand and appreciate new cultures, actively seek out diverse teams, lead employees with different backgrounds, and know how to enter and succeed in new global markets.

Ilham Khadri is the CEO of Solvay, a chemical company with around 25,000 employees around the world. Here’s what she told me during our interview: “You have to be open to other people and ideas and to respect the diversity of cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, thoughts, and orientations. This is essential for the future leader.”

Servant

The servant mindset goes against much of the old way of thinking that leaders stay at the top of the company. The mindset of the servant means that you practice humility and that you serve four groups: your leaders if you have them, your customers, your team, and yourself.

Carrie Birkhofer is the CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union that employs 220 people, she serves employees on day one, hour one: “All new employees regardless of their position are seen, heard, respected, and listened to by the leader and they know that I’m their to serve them, not the other way around.” 

Chef

Just like chefs balance numerous ingredients to create masterful meals, leaders must balance the two most important ingredients of any business: humanity and technology. That means embracing technology and using it to improve efficiency in the organization while also providing a sense of purpose and caring for human employees. One side can’t succeed without the other.

Nancy Brown is the CEO of the American Heart Association with over 3,000 employees. Here’s how she talks about this: “The world still goes around because of relationships between people. I think current and future leaders need to be able to work both with people and technology, which will require more collaboration and teamwork.”

Explorer

Future leaders need to be like explorers of old and embrace the unknown. They need to be open to new ideas and able to change course as the world around them evolves. Just like explorers had to continually learn, leaders need to be super perpetual leaders and practice curiosity.

Here’s what Bradley Jacobs, the CEO of XPO Logistics told me (over 100,000 employees): “Curiosity is like the fountain of youth when it comes to effective leadership.”

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

Skills (what future leaders need to know how to do)

 

Coach

Great coaches motivate, inspire, and engage their teams while caring about each member as an individual off the field. Likewise, future leaders need to appreciate employees as individuals as opposed to viewing everyone as just workers. The best coaches and leaders develop their people to be more successful than them.

Michel Combes is the CEO of Sprint with over 30,000 employees. During our conversation he told me:

“I see my role as a coach. On one side, I need to produce a vision. On the other side, I need to enable people to deliver this vision and to be comfortable in their ability to deliver, and to make sure that I always push them to their maximum.”

Futurist

Futurists make sure organizations aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. The world in which we live and work is constantly changing and full of unknowns. Futurists consider multiple scenarios and think through new possibilities. They stay on top of trends and are connected to their networks. This was actually the #1 skill according to the 140+ CEOs I interviewed.

Alfredo Perez is the CEO of Peruvian Alicorp with 10,000 employees. I met with him when I was speaking in Peru last year. Here’s what he shared with me. “The fact is that adapting to change is not enough, we need to lead change and create the future. Adapting is keeping your head above water, but leading and creating is sailing on top of it.”

Technology Teenager

Teenagers seem to always be current on the latest technology, and future leaders must be the same way. They don’t need to be experts in the practical application, but they should embrace technology and know how to best leverage it to serve their company. They need to be tech savvy and digitally fluent.

Michael Tipsord is the CEO State Farm and insurance company with over 90,000 employees and contractor agents. During our interview he said: “Tomorrow’s leaders will need to have a technology fluency that lets them anticipate opportunities and threats, distinguish hype from credible, and embrace transformative possibilities.”

Translator

Translators are master communicators. They listen to understand and do more than just hear what people are saying. They use verbal and non-verbal communication to connect with people and know the best channels to use to cut through the noise and deliver their messages. Listening and communication are two timeless aspects of great leadership yet they are also the two which are changing the most!

Michael Kneeland is the CEO of United Rentals with over 18,000 employees. Here’s his take on this: “I’ve always gone through the world where it’s a reverse pyramid. I’m so far from my customers that the most impactful I think that I can be doing is listening, and understanding what’s happening on the front line.”  

Yoda

For decades, leaders have shied away from being emotional. But in the future, leaders need to be emotionally intelligent like Yoda and develop their empathy and self-awareness. Great communicators build connections and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. Empathy is understanding the feelings and perspectives of others. Self-awareness is about understanding your strengths and weaknesses and helping others understand yours as well.

Hans Vestberg is the CEO of Verizon Communications with over 152,000 employees. According to Hans: “The first layer of skills a good leader must master are internal: managing himself or herself as an individual human being. This includes physical health; emotional balance; self-knowledge – everything that you bring along with you to each meeting, each decision, each public event. A lot of leaders are tempted to ignore or de-emphasize this most basic layer but they do so at their peril.”

The Notable Nine sums up the common the most crucial skills and mindsets from over 140 CEOs around the world. If you can master these skills and mindsets, you will be well prepared to lead in the next decade and beyond.

I hope you decide to grab a copy of the book where I go into much more detail on these skills and mindsets.

Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard 

Based on impressive research, this is the guidebook for the next generation of leaders around the world.”  Paul Polman, former CEO, Unilever

“Jacob Morgan has managed a tour de force. Based on in-depth research, this very colorful book forcefully and beautifully captures what is expected of leaders in this new world. This may be the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive thought piece on this critical topic out there.” Hubert Joly, CEO, Best Buy

“The Future Leader inspires and teaches people to become better leaders. The skills and mindsets outlined in Jacob’s new book are not just essential for work but also for life. If every leader read this book, the world would be a better place!”  Marshall Goldsmith – Thinkers 50 #1 Executive Coach for 10 years

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The post 140 Top CEOs Say These Are The 9 Most Crucial Leadership Skills And Mindsets For A Post Covid World first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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We Don’t Need More Leaders, We Need Better Ones! https://thefutureorganization.com/we-dont-need-more-leaders-we-need-better-ones/ Mon, 05 Jul 2021 12:34:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44127 Most business leaders around the world are not good leaders...
They aren't bad people, but their approaches to leadership are simply put...obsolete.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Book_Chapter_1_Podcast_Episode_July_5_2021_-_Ready_-_V2.mp3

Most business leaders around the world are not good leaders…

They aren’t bad people, but their approaches to leadership are simply put…obsolete.

We can especially see this quite clearly with what has been going on with Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and the ongoing fight against racism and social injustice.

To give you an analogy, it’s a bit like trying to fly a modern-day passenger plane while being trained on an original Wright Brothers plane.

There’s a chance you might get the plane in the air, but you won’t go far.

Leadership around the world is failing us.

Consider some of these sobering statistics take from my book, The Future Leader:

  • 80% of employees say they can do their jobs without their managers and say their managers are not even necessary (Ultimate Software and Center for Generational Kinetics).
  • Almost half of 2,257 survey respondents said they could do their jobs better than their boss (Randstad).
  • 60% of employees have left or are considering leaving their jobs because they don’t like their direct supervisors (Randstad).
  • 50% of Americans have left a job at some point in their career to get away from their managers (Gallup).
  • In the UK, nearly half of British workers believe they could do a better job than their boss and 13% actually said their bosses are dangerously incompetent at their jobs (Independent).
  • Only 15% of employees around the world are even engaged in their jobs (Gallup).
  • According to a survey of 25,000 leaders around the world done by DDI, only 42% of organizations said that the overall quality of leadership inside of their organizations was high.
  • Only 14% of organizations have a “strong bench,” which is ready-now leaders who can step to replace those who retire or move on (DDI).
  • Half of the organizations surveyed by DDI say their leaders are not skilled to lead effectively today and 71% say their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations in the future.

CLEARLY something is wrong with leadership around the world otherwise these statistics wouldn’t be as terrible as they are.

What does it take to lead in the future of work? For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs and surveyed nearly 14,000 employees in partnership with LinkedIn to identify 4 crucial mindsets and 5 essential skills to lead in a post-covid world. “Whether you’re a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you.” Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard. Click here to grab a copy for yourself and your teams, you’ll be glad you did!

 

All of the human indicators are telling us that we have a problem yet most organizations and leaders are doing nothing to correct the problem.

Imagine for a moment that you are driving a car and in the middle of your trip as your speeding down the highway, the “check engine” light comes on, followed by the tire pressure warning, the low fuel light, and the battery light, all while your car temperature indicator is in the red. Now imagine your whole family is sitting in the car with you.

Are you really just going to keep driving along? I hope not!

Yet here we are, and the business world is on cruise control but the scary part is that we are all sitting in the same car!

In the United States alone there are around 25 million supervisors and managers today, these are people who are responsible for others. I estimate that by 2030 we are going to have around 220 million leaders around the world.

That’s a lot of leaders!

We have lots of people in leadership roles but unfortunately, many of them are bad leaders, there’s just no other way around it. But, their days are numbered because the way that we think about leadership is changing…Leaders Must Change.

Leadership is not about making the most money

Leadership is not about a rank or title

Leadership is not about playing office politics to get the top.

Leadership is not about being friends with other leaders who will promote you.

Leadership is not just about staying at the company for a long time until you get promoted.

Leadership IS ABOUT putting people first

Leadership IS ABOUT being able to influence change

Leadership IS ABOUT making other people more successful than you

Leadership IS ABOUT rallying people to build a better world

Leadership IS ABOUT YOU!

Being a leader is the hardest job in the world but it’s also the most rewarding. Everyone in the world has the potential to become a leader, even if you’re a leader of self.

The first step towards becoming that leader is making the conscientious choice that you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and do whatever it takes to positively impact your community, your organization, your people, and yourself.

Are you ready to take that first step?

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in a post-Covid world? According to over 140 of the world’s top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The post We Don’t Need More Leaders, We Need Better Ones! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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10 Things You Can Do to Stay Positive and Optimistic During Tough Times https://thefutureorganization.com/10-things-you-can-do-to-stay-positive-and-optimistic-during-tough-times/ Fri, 02 Jul 2021 13:29:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44022 The past year has been rough on everyone.
But no matter if it’s a global pandemic, downturns in our careers, or personal issues, everyone faces tough times. Staying positive during these challenges can make all the difference.

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The past year has been rough on everyone.

But no matter if it’s a global pandemic, downturns in our careers, or personal issues, everyone faces tough times. Staying positive during these challenges can make all the difference.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are 10 things you can do to stay positive and optimistic during tough times:

Understand that you control your actions and emotions.
You can’t control what’s going on in the world, but you can control your behavior and emotions. When the challenges seem like too much, focus on what you can control, like your thoughts and reactions.

Avoid staring at your bank accounts.
Keeping a constant eye on your finances during difficult times will only cause stress. The numbers will likely dip before they get better, but don’t dwell on it. Remember that your accounts will bounce back.

Don’t keep the news on 24/7.
It can be tempting to constantly pay attention to the news, but that will only distract you and add to your stress. Instead, set specific times to check the news and focus on reputable sources, not rumors.

Stay away from negative people.
When you’re facing challenges, the last thing you need is a friend or family member complaining all the time. Take a step back and rethink your relationships.

Make sure you have a positive support network.
Build a network of people who support you and can lift you up with a hug or words of encouragement during tough times. It can be friends, family members, colleagues, or anyone you can count on to be positive and stay in your corner.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

Remember this is temporary.
When you hit turbulence on a flight, the scary shaking eventually gives way to smooth air. Tough times are the same–they are scary at the moment, but eventually, you’ll reach smooth sailing.

Take time for yourself.
Find ways to practice self-care every day. Exercise, meditate, read a book—whatever it is you need to have a moment for yourself.

Remind yourself what you have to be grateful for.
It’s easy to focus on the negative, especially during tough times. But no matter your circumstances, there’s always something to be grateful for, even if it’s small. Focus on these positive thoughts every day.

Focus your time on energy on something constructive.
Don’t just sit in your struggles. Find an outlet to clear your head, whether it be work, starting a new business, playing chess, writing a screenplay, or any other constructive activity.

Use technology to stay connected with friends and family.
This is especially important if you are away from your support system. Keep those bonds strong with video chats and phone calls.

Challenges will always come our way, but these 10 tips will help you stay positive and optimistic.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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What’s Your Definition Of “Leader”​ & “Leadership?”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/whats-your-definition-of-leader%e2%80%8b-leadership%e2%80%8b/ Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:21:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=44012 I know...this may sound like a weird thing to ask.
But believe it or not, lots of leaders have a hard time answering this question. I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world for my new book, The Future Leader.

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I know…this may sound like a weird thing to ask.

But believe it or not, lots of leaders have a hard time answering this question. I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world for my new book, The Future Leader.

I asked them questions about skills and mindsets, trends and challenges, opportunities, and what the future might hold.

They had no problem talking to me about these things and giving me brilliant answers, and then asked them…

“Pretend I’m from another planet and have no concept of leadership or what it means to be a leader, how would you explain these things to me?”

This is where I got the long pauses…the “hmmm’s,” the “that’s a good question,” or the “nobody has ever asked me that before.”

The truth is, we never take a step back to really think about and define these things. It’s a bit like trying to explain and define water.

I can’t remember a time in my life when someone asked me to explain water to them…can you?

Just like water, leadership is ubiquitous, it’s all around us. We experience it when we watch tv, when we go to work, when we take our kids to soccer practice, and when we go grocery shopping.

As a result, we all think we know what good leadership is and who a good leader is.

But now, more than ever, we need to take a step back and define what it means to be a leader, and what good leadership looks like.

Whenever I work with an organization I’m always amazed that there are always leaders who everyone loves, admires, and respects…and in the same company there are leaders who everyone fears and hates.

It’s the same company, with the same values, and the same culture, with two very different types of leaders who work, there, how is that possible?

It’s because the people who promoted them have different definitions of leadership and what it means to be a leader.

But you cannot build and you cannot become what you don’t define.

NOW, as things start to open back up, we need to take a step back and really ask ourselves what it means to lead and what it means to be a leader.

To help you, I put together a new PDF that will walk you through a framework to identify your leadership filters and come up with your own definition.

You will also hear directly from some of the CEOs I interviewed and how they define leader and leadership. This will be an invaluable resource during your leadership journey.

Click here to grab a copy of the PDF.

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How To Be An Inspiring Virtual Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-be-an-inspiring-virtual-leader/ Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:43:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43985 Over the past year, much of how we work and live has gone virtual.
It puts leaders in a unique position—how do you build connections and motivate people when you only see them through a screen?

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Over the past year, much of how we work and live has gone virtual.

It puts leaders in a unique position—how do you build connections and motivate people when you only see them through a screen?

Leading virtually is much different from leading people in person. It can turn even the best in-person leader into an impersonal robot.

The COVID pandemic added another wrinkle to the leadership puzzle as leaders had to find the best way to engage with their employees and lead their teams without actually meeting face to face.

But even as the pandemic subsides, much of our virtual way of life will stay the same. Being able to lead virtually is now a required skill for modern leaders.

To succeed as an inspiring virtual leader, practice these five steps:

Learn the technology
Inspiring people virtually starts by understanding the technology. The most basic step to get a good camera and microphone. Learn how to use various collaboration and video tools. A leader can’t inspire their people if their people don’t know what they are saying or what they look like.

Be human
Employees can easily start thinking of their leader as a face on the screen instead of remembering you are a human with a personality and life outside of work. Be human and show people more than just a cardboard cutout version of yourself. Reach out to people individually, even virtually, to build real connections.

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Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

Lead collaboration
A leader’s job isn’t to do all the work themselves or tell everyone what to do—it’s to encourage and facilitate collaboration. But one of the biggest downsides of remote work is fragmentation and a lack of communication. An inspiring leader understands virtual collaboration tools and knows how to use them in a variety of settings to get the most out of their teams and people.

Be transparent and realistic
Without seeing employees in person regularly, it can be easy for a leader to only show part of the picture. But to build trust with employees and contribute to an authentic culture, leaders need to be transparent and realistic. As a leader, your job is to ensure your organization has transparent processes to share information with all employees. Find ways to regularly and openly communicate with the entire company through emails, video meetings, and phone calls.

Listen
Virtual tools make it easy for leaders to communicate and share information, but it makes listening to feedback more difficult. Inspiring leaders overcome those challenges and build in numerous opportunities for employees to provide feedback–and then they listen. Make your virtual communication a two-way street.

Future leaders must be virtual leaders. They have to know how to inspire their people, no matter if they are next door or around the world.

. . .

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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How To Say No Without Actually Saying No https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-say-no-without-actually-saying-no/ Tue, 29 Jun 2021 12:37:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43961 “What do you want me to prioritize first?”
It was a question I wasn’t expecting and one that made me stop and think.

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“What do you want me to prioritize first?”

It was a question I wasn’t expecting and one that made me stop and think.

A few years ago, I sent a ton of work to a writer on my team. When faced with numerous deadlines, she simply asked what I wanted her to prioritize.

It was her way of saying no without actually saying no.

As a leader and entrepreneur, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is learn to say no. But no doesn’t always mean coming right out and saying the word. There are gentler ways to turn someone down or make them realize their request is too much.

In the case of my writer, her response wasn’t a full “No”—it was more of a “Not all at once.”

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

Asking what tasks to prioritize is a good question to ask of yourself and your leaders and colleagues. When you think about what you want to prioritize, the less important tasks get pushed back or fall off completely. If they aren’t worth making it in the top one or two tiers of priority, they likely aren’t worth saying yes to at all.

Similarly, you can ask this question to your leaders and colleagues, especially when there are multiple tasks or projects on the table at once.

Taking a step back to prioritize tasks allows you to say no to the tasks that aren’t important and yes to the things that keep you moving in the right direction.

I love this quote from Steve Jobs: “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

It’s easy to say yes to everything, but most of us do so at the expense of saying no to ourselves; this is a terrible way to live and lead.

To succeed in the future of work, everyone—leaders, entrepreneurs, freelancers, entry-level employees—has to learn to say no. And we can say no without actually saying no.

Learning to focus on the most important tasks and say no to the rest is crucial for our mental health in both our personal and professional lives.

And it all starts with a simple question.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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How to Future Proof Your Life and Your Career https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-future-proof-your-life-and-your-career/ Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:27:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43925 After graduating from college with honors and a dual Bachelors degree in economics and psychology, I was excited to join the corporate world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_FOW_Podcast_-_TED_Talk.mp3

How To Future Proof Your Life and Your Career Transcript

After graduating from college with honors and a dual Bachelors degree in economics and psychology, I was excited to join the corporate world. I had dreams of one day becoming the CMO of a large organization. At my first job out of college I was promised that I would be working on amazing projects and traveling the country meeting with executives and entrepreneurs. Instead, I was stuck doing data entry, cold calling, and PowerPoint presentations. One day the CEO of the company asked me to go buy him a cup of coffee, that was the last job I ever had. Since then I have been passionate about the future of work and designing great employee experiences.

This happened to me, but I’m not special. There are millions of people who feel this same way about their managers and their organizations every single day. We have built our organizations on outdated processes, procedures, and ways of thinking about work for the past 100+ years. It’s no wonder that so many people around the world don’t like their jobs.

Why we need to take control and shape our work (and how we can do that)
On average we will spend one-third of our lives at work, our lives and our work are integrated, and we cannot separate the two. So when we are miserable at work, chances are you’re feeling miserable about life in general.

Over the past 10+ years, I have discovered three strategies that allowed me to shape my work.

Be a perpetual learner
We cannot rely on educational institutions or organizations to teach us all we need to know. You have to learn how to learn and you have to constantly find ways to grow, develop, and expand your skills. And you need to be aware of how your skills and abilities can be applied, not just in your current role, but in other unique ways.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

 

You have to fake it ‘til you make it
What you believe and what you tell yourself matters. Because it will guide your behaviors, your actions, and how you feel about yourself. Most of us at some point in our lives will have imposter syndrome–where we feel inadequate, or we feel we don’t have the experience necessary, or we don’t feel qualified to make a decision. Whether you are dealing with imaginary voices in your head or real voices of people telling you you’re no good–you have to stay optimistic and you have to build yourself up.

Don’t follow your passion
This may be controversial, but the saying “follow your passion” is wrong. We shouldn’t follow our passion, we should bring our passion with us. Your passion is not something outside of you that you have to go and chase and it’s not one static thing that you have to achieve or you will never be happy. As you grow and as you experience different things, your passions will change. And most of us have a hard time even figuring out what our passion actually is before we have to choose what career we want to pursue.

With these three strategies we can take more control over our work lives, and as result, we will build a life for ourselves that we truly want to live.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Now more than ever we need to take a step back to define what it means to be a leader and what great leadership looks like. But this isn’t easy to do. In fact, man business leaders struggle with this. You cannot become and build what you don’t define. In the PDF you will get a framework you can follow and also see how some of the world’s top CEOs define leadership. Click here to get the PDF.

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The Five Bs Of Purposeful Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/the-five-bs-of-purposeful-leadership/ Fri, 25 Jun 2021 23:03:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43785 What’s the most important part of being a successful leader?
It isn’t being the smartest person, the loudest, or the most famous.

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What’s the most important part of being a successful leader?

It isn’t being the smartest person, the loudest, or the most famous.

It’s all about being purposeful.

According to Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy, purposeful leaders understand the purpose of the people around them and know what drives them. Instead of just chasing money and power, purposeful leaders look beyond themselves to serve people and create a better world.

Here are the five Bs of purposeful leadership:

Be clear about your purpose as a human being
Before you can help other people find their purpose, you need to understand your purpose. What drives you in life? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to contribute?

Be clear about who you serve as a leader
Leaders work for other people, not for themselves. Your focus should be on the people around you. Purposeful leaders look for ways to serve their people and improve their lives.

Be clear about your role as a leader
Understanding your purpose can help define your role. As a leader, your role isn’t to be a dictator or know everything. Your role is to create an environment in which others can be successful.

Be a value-driven leader
Purposeful leaders follow their personal set of morals and are ethical and transparent. They have integrity and can be trusted.

Be an authentic leader
People connect with leaders who are real and not hiding behind their position or an aura of superiority. You have to be able to be vulnerable and genuinely connect with people around you. Get in the trenches with your employees to build real relationships.

Purposeful leaders are the people who create great environments for their employees, who help their communities, and who lift and support the people around them. If you want to be a successful leader, you have to be purposeful.

 

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Top 10 Leadership Books For 2021 https://thefutureorganization.com/top-10-leadership-books-for-2021/ Wed, 23 Jun 2021 13:47:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43767 The first step to becoming a great leader? Picking up a book. There are countless leadership books available today, each with its own advice and case studies. Reading leadership books is one of the best ways to be a super-perpetual learner and to keep expanding your skillset with new ideas and perspectives. But where do ... Read more

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The first step to becoming a great leader? Picking up a book.

There are countless leadership books available today, each with its own advice and case studies. Reading leadership books is one of the best ways to be a super-perpetual learner and to keep expanding your skillset with new ideas and perspectives.

But where do you start in the sea of leadership books? I’ve narrowed it down to the top 10 leadership books for 2021:

Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle

This book uses interviews and case studies to reveal the playbook of Bill Campbell, a legendary executive and business coach who helped entrepreneurs create more than a trillion dollars in market value. Trillion Dollar Coach shares the skills and mindsets that are vital to future leaders and is an essential guide for all leaders and entrepreneurs.

Winning Now, Winning Later By David Cote

Leaders and entrepreneurs often wonder where they should prioritize their time and investments—in short-term successes or long-term gains? In Winning Now, Winning Later, David Cote shares how it’s possible to focus on both the now and later and see great success.

Unapologetically Ambitious by Shellye Archambeau

Shellye Archambeau overcame countless challenges to become one of the first Black female CEOs in Silicon Valley. Ambition alone isn’t enough to bring success, and Shellye shares practical tips for leaders to break barriers and create success on their own terms.

Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl

This classic book is still as poignant today as it was when it was written in 1946. The book chronicles Viktor Frankl’s experience as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. Even when faced with unimaginable hardships, Viktor survived by finding a purpose to feel positive about and then immersively imagining the outcome.

Think Again by Adam Grant

In our world of constant noise and opinions, one of the greatest skills a leader can have is the ability to rethink and unlearn and be comfortable listening to new ideas and having doubts. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist who teaches how to embrace being wrong and create organizations of lifelong learners.

Hot Seat: What I Learned Leading a Great American Company by Jeff Immelt 

As the former CEO of one of America’s Greatest Companies, Jeff’s tenure was heavily criticized and scrutinized. Jeff goes behind the scenes to explain what happened while he was CEO, what it was like to work with and then take over for Jack Welch, and the mistakes he made and the lessons learned from those mistakes. Jeff is very candid and has plenty of stories to make this a colorful read. For aspiring and current leaders, there’s a lot to learn from Jeff, both in terms of what to do and also what not to do. Make sure to also check out my video interview with Jeff Immelt.

The Road to Character by David Brooks

Successful leaders don’t just drive wealth and revenue, they also have strong character and people skills. This book combines psychology, politics, and spirituality to force us to rethink our priorities and strive to build rich inner lives.

You’re Doing Great by Tom Papa

After the difficulties of 2020, you likely feel beaten down and defeated. But as Tom Papa shares in his book, you’re doing great! This book is a strong reminder to push aside the stress and overwhelm we all feel to instead focus on the positives around us.

The Customer Of The Future by Blake Morgan

Future leaders must have a strong understanding of customers, their needs, and how to best serve them. My wife, Blake Morgan, is a leading expert on customer experience and shares 10 guiding principles to connect with future customers and lead forward-focused businesses.

The Future Leader by Jacob Morgan

Of course, I had to include my book on the list. There are many books on leadership, but none on how to become a future-ready leader—until I wrote one. For this book, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs around the world about what it will take to succeed as a leader over the next decade and beyond. From their insights and a survey of more than 14,000 global employees, I created the four mindsets and five skills all leaders need to develop now to lead the future of work.

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A Complete Breakdown Of The Tools We Use To Run Our Businesses & How We Use Them https://thefutureorganization.com/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-tools-we-use-to-run-our-businesses-how-we-use-them/ Tue, 22 Jun 2021 23:03:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43759 One of the most common questions my wife Blake and I get from entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs is around the tools we use to run our Be Your Own Boss and individual businesses.

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One of the most common questions my wife Blake and I get from entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs is around the tools we use to run our Be Your Own Boss and individual businesses.

Questions like:

  • Where do you host your podcast?
  • What platform do you use to host your courses?
  • What do you use for email marketing?
  • How do you get transcriptions for podcasts and videos?
  • How do you create those neat audiograms?
  • Where do you go to find team members?
  • And a whole lot more!

So we decided to put together something called the Entrepreneurs’​ Online Business Toolkit which is a PDF that breaks down all of the tools we use and how we use them.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 15 years and my wife Blake for around 6. Together we have tried pretty much every platform and tool that’s out there and believe me when I tell you…there are lots of them!

We finally have what we consider to be a pretty solid set of tools we use to run, build, and scale our businesses.

As entrepreneurs, we’re always looking for ways to be more efficient. When you are your own boss, time is literally money, so anything you can streamline or automate can save time and help you spend less time managing the logistics and more time creating, innovating, and planning for the future…of course, this is true for any business!

Remember that it’s not about the tools but what you do with the tools that matters. It’s better to use fewer tools but to use them wisely. You don’t want to get tool overwhelmed where your team doesn’t know where to do what. Use this list as a guidepost, but simplify and do what works best for you.

Blake and I are working hard to create more resources for all of you entrepreneurs and side-hustlers out there so if you have something you want to see please let us know!

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the Entrepreneur’s Online Business Toolkit, it should add lots of value to your business and life. Click on the image below or go to this page to get your copy.

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Crucial Life & Leadership Lessons From Sébastien Bazin, CEO of Accor https://thefutureorganization.com/crucial-life-leadership-lessons-from-sebastien-bazin-ceo-of-accor/ Mon, 21 Jun 2021 12:21:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43698 Sébastien Bazin is the Chairman and CEO of Accor, the largest hospitality company in Europe and the 6th largest worldwide with 5,100 locations in 110 countries. Sébastien leads a huge team of over 280,000 people, and they add around 80,000 new employees each year.

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Sebastien Bazin Transcript

Sébastien Bazin is the Chairman and CEO of Accor, the largest hospitality company in Europe and the 6th largest worldwide with 5,100 locations in 110 countries. Sébastien leads a huge team of over 280,000 people, and they add around 80,000 new employees each year.

Sébastien says he never dreamed of being a CEO, it definitely wasn’t his original plan. All he knew was he didn’t want to go into the family business, which was a real estate company his family had owned for five generations. He wanted to do his own thing and carve his own path.

He spent some time studying in Paris and then he moved to New York to work on Wall Street as a financial analyst. He tried his hand at stock trading and investment banking in New York as well. He spent some time working in San Francisco until the market crash in 1991, then he moved to London.

Eventually, he became a board member of Accor, and as Sébastien describes himself at that time he was, “very vocal and long shareholder, probably nasty guy. I was, I hope I’m no longer, but I was rough. I was harsh…” And in the time he was a board member three CEOs were dismissed from the company. After the third one was let go, the board had to decide on a new CEO and Sébastien was on the nomination committee.

It turns out, Sébastien ended up writing a job description for himself, it’s a fascinating story! Proceed to timestamp 7:44 to listen to the story.

Leading a team of 280,000+
Most people would shy away from taking on a CEO role of a company as large as Accor. But Sébastien says he never includes comfort in his life decisions. He says, it doesn’t matter if you lead a team of 30,000, 100,000, or 280,000, “in the end you are just talking to individuals, you want to gain a small group next to you, and you trust that that small group will be able to replicate what they’ve been hearing from you. You just have to– the one thing that I’ve learned through that exercise, to tell the truth.”

The most important part of leading any group of people, Sébastien says, is to remember that everything you do is critical–your words, your face, your presence, your body language. It is very important to always be truthful, don’t try to deceive people, it won’t work.

And while the decisions he made in his time as an investment banker and a private equity investor had no real human impact when he made a mistake, he realized that as a CEO every decision you make impacts your employees, their families, and the community as a whole. And that’s something that Sébastien takes seriously.

Sébastien says his role as CEO has changed him as a person. Listen at timestamp 17:59 to hear how it’s changed him.

How Sébastien’s career path has taken shape
Sébastien has never been one to try to figure out where his career will be in 10-15 years. In fact, he says, “anybody who is a hostage of his own field, or where he wants to be 20 years from today is likely to be very disappointed, frustrated, and then in some kind of depression.”

So how has he moved in his own career? He says it’s always been based on people. He has moved jobs and towns throughout his life because of interesting, exceptional people he has met and liked and thought he could learn from.

“If you don’t believe your boss, wherever you are in any organization, does not teach you or you don’t respect him, or you don’t accept his leadership, don’t stay another minute. Life is too short to be under somebody for which you have either no respect, no admiration, or no learning from. And that’s what I’ve actually conducted myself.”

Sébastien has another piece of advice for individuals when it comes to advancing in your career, it’s actually something he teaches his own children. We talked about it at 18:47 of the episode.

How Sébastien deals with pressure and scrutiny
Leaders today are under a lot more pressure and scrutiny than ever before. Everything they do can be publicized in online articles, people can talk about them on social media, employees can rate them on Glassdoor. It’s definitely a tough time to lead an organization. But Sébastien’s response to how he handles the pressure was surprising.

He candidly told me he does not stress out about things he cannot control. Whenever something happens to him he asks himself a few questions, which are–Is it my fault? Could I have, should I have done something differently? Was I able to do something to prevent it?–If the answer to those things is no, then he lets it go and moves on.

Sébastien shares that his family played a huge role in how he handles the role of CEO. He was always taught that he doesn’t need to live according to how other people view him. What other people think of him is irrelevant. He knows what he is doing, whether it is good or bad, and that is what he needs to focus on, and not worry about other people judging him.

He also admits that he is not on social media at all, which protects him from seeing comments and stories posted there.

What other values and philosophies did Sébastien learn from his family? Listen at 29:17 to find out.

Arne Sorenson & Sébastien Bazin: How two fierce rivals became friends
Before he passed away earlier this year, Arne Sorenson was the CEO of Marriott, a competitor to Accor. You would think that the competition between these two leaders would cause them to dislike each other or try to tear each other down, but as Sébastien shares that is far from the truth.

Sébastien says Arne had a strong personality, but he was generous, helpful, and caring. And they stayed in close contact for several years.

It actually all started with a call from Arne to Sébastien a month after he took the role of CEO at Accor. To hear the full story head on to 42:50 of the episode.

The skills and qualities that have helped Sébastien get to this point in his career
Sébastien has obviously had a very successful career and there are probably a lot of people out there who would like to know what skills have allowed Sébastien to come this far. He says that one of the main words that comes to mind is authenticity. He doesn’t lie, he doesn’t come up with excuses, he doesn’t try to be defensive–reality is reality. Be clear and truthful as a leader.

Sébastien also believes that leaders should admit they don’t know things more often. He says it doesn’t make you a weak leader to say you don’t know, it actually shows your strength.

Three words that he used when he first started at Accor were–agility, clarity, and accountability. He wanted people to have the agility to be empowered to be autonomous and make decisions. Because they were making those decisions, people needed to be held accountable. And he wanted clarity, or transparency so that people would understand the context around the decisions they were making.

How does Sébastien set goals and expectations for himself? Listen at 51:28 to find out.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

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Creating a Culture that Embraces Teamwork https://thefutureorganization.com/creating-a-culture-that-embraces-teamwork/ Sun, 20 Jun 2021 02:08:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43578 Are you constantly competing against other employees?
Or do you work together as a cohesive team?

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Are you constantly competing against other employees?

Or do you work together as a cohesive team?

The age of pitting employees against each other is ending and being replaced with cultures that celebrate and encourage teamwork. Instead of each person trying to succeed individually, companies realize the power that comes from people working together.

Companies with a strong teamwork culture are consistently ranked as the best places to work because people want to work with strong colleagues and have a sense of community and comradery.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

To build a culture that embraces teamwork, start by considering the characteristics of your dream co-worker. They might step in to cover you when you’re busy or overwhelmed. They might bring you a cup of coffee in the morning or send a small note of encouragement.

Once you’ve defined your dream co-worker, work to become that co-worker yourself. It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to build teamwork. Often, it’s the little actions that can greatly improve your co-workers’ days and make things run more smoothly and cohesively.

You can’t help your co-workers if you don’t have a relationship with them. Teamwork requires a strong understanding of your colleagues as individuals, not just as workers. As you build individual relationships, you’ll have a strong sense of how you can help make each person’s life a little bit easier.

Bring your team together to create a definition for teamwork that everyone can get behind. A shared definition puts everyone on the same page and emphasizes the importance of teamwork within the company.

As each person works to help their co-workers, it strengthens the team and builds a culture of teamwork. Taking the initiative to lead the charge for teamwork helps people recognize you as a person who supports others and helps make other people more successful.

Teamwork is central to all successful companies. To build a culture of teamwork, start by being a great team player.

. . .

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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Three Effective Ways to Motivate Your Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/three-effective-ways-to-motivate-your-employees-2/ Thu, 17 Jun 2021 11:48:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43581 As a leader or manager, one of your most important roles is motivating your team.
Motivated employees are more engaged, driven, and innovative. They actually want to show up and work hard to help the company reach its goals. They put in their best work and are proactive.

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As a leader or manager, one of your most important roles is motivating your team.

Motivated employees are more engaged, driven, and innovative. They actually want to show up and work hard to help the company reach its goals. They put in their best work and are proactive.

But motivating people can also be challenging, especially when it comes to reaching a diverse group of people.

Here are three key ways you can motivate your team:

Show Trust and Be Open
Employees are more motivated to work hard and take initiative when they feel trusted by their leaders instead of micromanaged. Let employees know what’s going on with the company and share honest updates. Give them the power to figure things out for themselves and make decisions without you.

Share the Big Picture
Employees want to know the reasons and mission behind what they are doing. When employees only see their small piece of the puzzle without knowing the overall goal or impact of the work, it can be disheartening. Having a purpose behind their work gives employees motivation to do well and go above and beyond. Share the overall goals of the company and how each employee’s work contributes to those goals.

Recognize and Reward
Too often, we single people out and recognize them for what they’ve done wrong. Instead, focus on and recognize what they are doing well. Shifting the mindset to positive reinforcement encourages and motivates employees to do their best work and celebrates effort and success instead of critiquing poor performance.

Motivating your team comes down to empowering, trusting, and rewarding employees. By emphasizing these three areas, you can motivate your teams to reach great goals.

. . .

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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Broke…To 7 Figures: If We Can Do It, You Can Too https://thefutureorganization.com/broke-to-7-figures-if-we-can-do-it-you-can-too/ Wed, 16 Jun 2021 23:50:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43608 15 years ago I had no idea what an entrepreneur was.
In fact, I thought the only way to make a living in this world was to work for a corporation in a typical 9-5 job, so that's what I did.

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15 years ago I had no idea what an entrepreneur was.

In fact, I thought the only way to make a living in this world was to work for a corporation in a typical 9-5 job, so that’s what I did.

I double-majored in economics and psychology, graduated with honors, and was ready to join the corporate world.

I took a job in downtown Los Angeles making around $40,000/year out of college and had a 3-hour daily commute to and from work, but I was sold on the story of the company and the promise of making an impact…which turned out to be a lie.

A few months into my job, I’m doing data entry, cold-calling, and PowerPoint presentations. One day a senior leader comes out of his beautiful corner office and says,

“Jacob, I have something important I need you to do.”

Naturally, I got excited, so I ran over to him and said, “yes, what is?” He hands me a $10 bill and says, “I’m late for a meeting, I need you to run to Starbucks and get me a cup of coffee.”

That day I started Googling things like: “what is an entrepreneur?” “how do you make money online?” and “how can you start a business?”

My entrepreneurial journey began, I was living at home with parents with no money, but I was determined. It turns out that getting this leader a cup of coffee was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Years ago, my wife Blake used to work at a Fortune 100 company. She liked her job and was doing meaningful work until one day she got a call as we were boarding a flight to Prague. Her leader, who she really liked and who supported her, was being replaced by another leader. She knew he didn’t like her, and she knew this was an ending for her career with the company.

She burst into tears at the news.

Shortly thereafter she was laid-off and had to go on unemployment…times were tough. This too turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Blake.

Today, we are both successful entrepreneurs, speakers, authors, business owners, and parents.

We learned a lot over the past few years and although we made A LOT of mistakes, we also celebrated many successes.

Blake and I always talked about doing a podcast and video series where we share what we learned and teach other people how to Be Their Own Boss. When the pandemic hit, we decided it was time.

So, we launched the Be Your Own Boss Podcast.

Each week we put out a few episodes, one is an interview with a successful entrepreneur and the other one is a tip, strategy, or motivational video designed to help you learn and apply something to your business and life.

If you are an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur, then I encourage you to subscribe to our Youtube channel.

 

You’ll get an inside look into our lives as parents and entrepreneurs, hear interviews with some of the world’s top entrepreneurs, and get the tools and resources you need to Be Your Own Boss.

Hopefully, you’ll also have fun with us along the way.

Our goal with the Be Your Own Boss Podcast is to help make sure you avoid the mistakes that many entrepreneurs make while also putting into practice the things that work.

I hope you decide to join us!

If you prefer to listen to our shows instead of watching them you can also find us on your favorite platform.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an example of a video we just put up on how to deal with stress, which is something we ALL need to know how to do.

If you want more videos like this then make sure to subscribe to our channel. Now is a great time to Be Your Own Boss, and I hope we can help you!

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6 Tips For Being A Great Dad And A Great Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/6-tips-for-being-a-great-dad-and-a-great-entrepreneur/ Tue, 15 Jun 2021 12:02:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43572 Being a great entrepreneur is hard work.
Being a great dad is hard work.
And trying to be both a great dad and a great entrepreneur can be next-level hard.

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Being a great entrepreneur is hard work.

Being a great dad is hard work.

And trying to be both a great dad and a great entrepreneur can be next-level hard.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for nearly 15 years, but everything changed when I became a dad. My work took on more meaning and I suddenly had many more responsibilities and different motivations.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

I’m still learning how to excel in both roles, but here are six tips I’ve found for being a great dad and a great entrepreneur.

Define your priorities.
You have to know what comes first for you. For me, it’s family. Defining your priorities means deciding the most important things in your life and communicating that to the people around you. It might involve tough conversations with your spouse or partner to get on the same page, especially if one of you has to make temporary family sacrifices to focus on building your business.

Master time management.
This is an important skill for all entrepreneurs, but it becomes crucial for working dads. You have to put effort into structuring your days. If you aren’t in control of your time, the day will escape you. I have rules in place to be more productive and engaged so I have the energy to be present when I’m around my family. That includes blocking time out in the morning to exercise and take my kids to school and not having calls or meetings three days a week.

Have a non-work outlet.
You are more than just an entrepreneur and a dad—you are also a human. Take time for yourself so you don’t feel burnt out and exhausted. I play competitive chess and racquetball. These outlets take my mind off work and give me energy for the other parts of my life.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

 

Over-communicate.
It’s crucial to be on the same page with your spouse or partner. Err on the side of over-communicating. My wife and I are constantly sharing about our days and the ups and downs of growing our businesses. Over-communicating helps us support each other because we know what the other person is dealing with. Along with that comes knowing your skills and playing to your strengths in your relationship. Communicating and focusing on the things each person is good at allows things to run smoothly.

Don’t fall into the typical dad stereotype.
You’ve seen it in movies and TV—the bumbling dad who can’t take care of his kids. But you aren’t that stereotype. Know that you can do things and that you have the same capacity to take care of kids as your spouse. Don’t slack and fall into the stereotype because the stereotype isn’t true.

Manage your emotions.
Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster with good days and bad days. Don’t let the bad days and negative emotions seep into your parenting. A failure or setback at work has nothing to do with your kids, so don’t take your frustration out on them. Learn to manage your emotions to stay calm and stable. Take accountability for your responses and reactions

Being an entrepreneur and building a business while also watching your kids grow and develop is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Following these tips can help you make the most of being an entrepreneur and a dad.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Bestselling Author BJ Fogg on How to Change Your Life With Tiny Habits https://thefutureorganization.com/bestselling-author-bj-fogg-on-how-to-change-your-life-with-tiny-habits/ Mon, 14 Jun 2021 11:06:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43525 BJ Fogg is the bestselling author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything and the founder and director of The Stanford Design Lab, where he has directed research for over 20 years.

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BJ Fogg is the bestselling author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything and the founder and director of The Stanford Design Lab, where he has directed research for over 20 years.

Back in 2002, BJ wrote a book called Persuasive Technology about how computers can be designed to influence attitudes and behaviors, which is still relevant nearly 20 years later. He was also named a “New Guru You Should Know” by Fortune Magazine.

A lot of times we resist change, especially when it comes to leadership because we believe it will take huge steps, big commitment, and a lot of willpower. But BJ’s Tiny Habits method proves that’s not true.

A different way to think about habits

Growing up BJ recalls how he was taught to make a change or improve in some way. It was all about setting a really high goal and using willpower and a lot of discipline to reach that goal. But as an adult, he found that it wasn’t working that way. And, as hacking things was something he had done since he was young–like hooking a string to his lightswitch so he could turn it off from his bed–he decided to hack the way he changed his habits.

He found that by scaling big goals back to smaller goals, adding it into his existing routine, and reinforcing it with positive emotion, he was able to quickly create habits that would have ripple effects in his life.

This formula works for anything health-related–nutrition, physical activities, mental well-being, it also works for productivity, creative activities, relationships, etc… The only area where BJ admits he doesn’t have expertise in and where his claims stop is with addictions. This formula may work for addictions, but BJ encourages people to get medical and professional help in that area.

As BJ shares, behavior change is a skill, and just like any other set of skills you can get better at it with practice and experience. But you wouldn’t put a brand new driver onto a highway and tell them to go 100 mph, and in the same way, we shouldn’t try to change our habits and behaviors in huge ways overnight. Start with the small things and as you succeed in those things and gain confidence then you can move up to bigger and more difficult things.

The Tiny Habits Method
There are three main elements of the Tiny Habits method, and it’s as easy as A-B-C.

A–Anchor your habit to something you do already. For example, if you want to start flossing your teeth, anchor it to brushing your teeth, something you already do every day.

B–This is the new behavior or the new habit you want to start. Remember to start small. If you want to floss your teeth, this can start with flossing one tooth a day.

C-Celebrate the behavior after you’ve done it. You want to associate the behavior with a positive emotion that will help you reinforce this behavior.

Another example of a behavior you may want to start is reading more. Using the formula you choose your behavior, which is to read more, and you keep it small. So to start out with you might want to begin by reading one paragraph each day. Then you anchor it to something you already do, maybe you drink coffee every morning and you choose to anchor it to that. So keep your book right next to your coffee machine and when you pour your cup, pick up your book and read your paragraph. And once you are done you will feel good about yourself and accomplished and you can close the book and put it back for the next day.

And you may even find that on some days you want to read more than a paragraph–if that’s the case do it. Read as much as you want. But if the next day you only want to read your one paragraph don’t force more, just do your daily goal and close the book.

“You will tend to read more and more, not just the paragraph. And you will also find other opportunities to read more. It’s like that habit will crop up in other parts of your life. And the key seems to be just to plant a seed somewhere and nurture it. And then that grows. But it also spawns other little habits like it elsewhere in your life, for that kind of thing like reading.”

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

 

How to know which habits to pursue
Just like with the reading example, when you start any new habit you should eventually find yourself spending more and more time working on it. Even though you start small–with reading one paragraph, or playing one scale with a new instrument, or playing one game of chess, or flossing one tooth–it should eventually get bigger and you should spend more time on it.

Because you are not going to get better at playing an instrument if you only play one scale per day. And you’re not going to read very many books if you only read one paragraph a day. That is a fine place to start, and it is important to start small, but you should feel so positive about the result of your new behavior that you should want to do more of it. Think of the tiny habit as the gateway to greater improvement and growth in an area of your life.

There may be days now and then that you don’t feel like spending 40 minutes playing your instrument or you don’t feel like spending an hour on chess lessons, and that’s okay. But if you notice that you are not enjoying a behavior and it feels like drudgery, then it’s probably not the behavior for you, and it’s okay to walk away from it and try something else.

As BJ says, “Now, let me just be really clear. If you are doing a habit and it feels like drudgery, Step back and question that and think is this a habit I really want? And if the answer’s no, let it go and develop the habit you actually want.”

What are golden behaviors?
When it comes to tiny habits there are golden behaviors that meet three criteria, and those are the ones you want to focus on. The criteria are:

  1. The behavior is impactful.
  2. It is something you want to do.
  3. It is something you are able to do.

If you want to be healthier and you’re trying to figure out which type of exercise to implement, don’t try to walk on the treadmill every day if it’s not something you enjoy doing. Eventually, you’re going to stop doing it. If you decide you want to run with your dog every morning, but your dog can’t or won’t run, it’s not something that’s feasible, so don’t force it.

There are two main principles when it comes to tiny habits. The main one is to help yourself do what you already want to do. And the second is to help yourself feel successful. Keeping those two things in mind, BJ says, will keep you on the right path.

Why our perception of creating habits is wrong
One of the main perceptions that people tend to have about building habits is that we can create them with repetition. If you do just do something over and over and over again it will stick and you will have a habit. BJ says that is not at all correct, and not only is it very misleading it’s also unethical to push that idea.

There are some things that we can do for a very short period of time and they very quickly become a habit. While there are other things we may repeat over and over and they never become a true habit.

When working on tiny habits it is important to be consistent, but that’s not the same as repeating something and thinking it will stick just because you do it over and over. There is much more that goes into creating a long-term habit.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

. . .

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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4 Steps to Become a Masterful Storyteller https://thefutureorganization.com/4-steps-to-become-a-masterful-storyteller/ Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:25:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43322 The best communicators are great storytellers.
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking with your team of five people or speaking to a crowd of 5,000 people—stories make an impact. When you share a story, you build an emotional connection with your audience with a message they’ll remember.

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The best communicators are great storytellers.

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking with your team of five people or speaking to a crowd of 5,000 people—stories make an impact. When you share a story, you build an emotional connection with your audience with a message they’ll remember.

Here are four steps to becoming a masterful storyteller:

  1. Look at what the numbers really mean. Statistics are important, but they don’t carry the emotional weight of a story. The vast majority of our decisions are subconscious and based on emotions. Look at the true meaning of the numbers and tell it as a story.
  2. Connect emotionally. Aim to connect with your listeners on a human level. This often requires being vulnerable and putting yourself out there. As you understand your audience, you can practice empathy and put yourself in their shoes.
  3. Get personal. People remember real stories more than fictional stories. Don’t tell a story about someone else—put yourself in the story. No one can tell your personal story better than you.
  4. Focus on the main point. As you craft your story, think of the goal you are trying to accomplish. What’s the point of the story? Avoid unnecessary details and rambling and stick to what matters most.

Becoming a great storyteller takes practice. But if you can master the art of storytelling, you can become an extraordinary communicator and open countless doors in your career.

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Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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Does Your Company Create Amazing Employee Experiences? Here’s How To Tell! https://thefutureorganization.com/does-your-company-create-amazing-employee-experiences-heres-how-to-tell/ Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:00:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43456 Employee experience continues to be one of the top business priorities for organizations around the world, and for good reason!

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Employee experience continues to be one of the top business priorities for organizations around the world, and for good reason!

 

As the world starts to open up post COVID, businesses are revisiting the common assumptions we have always had around what it means to work, what it means to be an employee, and what it means to be a leader.

I define employee experience as creating an organization where people WANT not NEED to show up to work each day by focusing on three environments which are culture, technology, and physical space.

It’s easy to create great experience for people when things are going well, but it’s what you and your organization do during tough times that matters most, that’s what your employees and customers will remember.

Based on my research of looking at 252 organizations around the world only 6% of them are “experiential,” meaning they create amazing experience for their people.

Half of organizations are either doing nothing or very little!

When I wrote my best-selling book, The Employee Experience Advantage in 2017 it was admittedly ahead of it’s time, perhaps a bit too early.

Today, organizations around the world are creating employee experience teams and job titles with “employee experience” in them are becoming more common place.

It’s been amazing to see this evolution and I think we are just at the beginning stages. Work as we know it is being completely redesigned to put people at the center.

We’re moving away from focusing on perks and short-term benefits like free food and hot yoga to actually making substantial change to workplace practices.

It’s precisely for this reason that I want to bring back my Employee Experience Assessment which has remained somewhat hidden after the launch of my latest book, The Future Leader.

If you want to see where your organization stacks up against 252 organizations around the world then I invite you to take the same assessment I used to evaluate the very best businesses out there

Find out where you score on culture, technology, and physical space and if you are creating a place where employees truly want to show up to work.

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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The Dark Side Of Flexible Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-dark-side-of-flexible-work/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 05:24:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43436 Flexible work is often seen as the saving grace of companies and the must-have element for the future of work.

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Flexible work is often seen as the saving grace of companies and the must-have element for the future of work.

COVID-19 proved that most companies can facilitate flexible work, and now organizations around the world are questioning if they really need people to work in an office.

Flexible work has done wonders for employees and organizations. But behind those flexible schedules and WFH setups is a dark side of flexible work that is often overlooked until it is too late.

We don’t often talk about the negative aspects, but they can have a huge long-term impact on employees.

With a flexible work schedule, we’re always working. We’re always connected. And with this temptation and compulsion to be constantly working, many employees end up overworking and getting burnt out much more quickly than they would in a traditional setting. We’re addicted to technology and we’re addicted to work, and those things come together dangerously in flexible work.

A 2019 global survey found that employees who work flexibly struggle with unplugging from their jobs, loneliness, and communication—and that was before the pandemic where more people than ever are working from home in a stressful global environment.

Flexible work is great if you can actually shut work off at some point, but otherwise, it can lead to chaos.

Two main factors contribute to this dark side of work: culture and technology.

If leaders create a culture where they expect remote workers to always be available, it seeps into every aspect of the organization and drives a workforce where people feel they have to constantly be working or available to get ahead.

This leads to the “wiggle the mouse syndrome” where employees feel they need to move their mouse as soon as they wake up so that their messaging indicator will turn to green, signifying they are active and online.

It’s up to leaders to be the example for their employees and set personal boundaries to avoid falling into the dark side of flexible work. They need to encourage people to take time for themselves and create a culture that celebrates boundaries and rewards rest.

Groupon interim CEO Aaron Cooper intentionally builds downtime into his day so he has time to think and be home and present with his family.

He told me this: “I encourage everyone to take downtime and reflect on the right priorities and any big problems. It has to be deliberate or something else will creep in and you won’t get it done.”

Cooper tries to follow a 24/6 schedule where he turns off screens on Saturdays and is very present. He says the new schedule and boundaries have been grounding and changed how he plans his week.

Leaders set the tone for their organizations, even when employees are working remotely. When leaders have personal boundaries that they communicate to employees, it gives employees permission to set and follow their own boundaries and not feel the need to constantly be working.

To overcome the issue of technology and our constant need to be connected and available, individuals must take control of their technology. It’s about managing technology so the technology doesn’t manage you.

Simple boundaries like not sleeping next to your phone, not having technology at the dinner table can help develop self-discipline and break the cycle of always having to be on a device.

It’s a delicate balance between connectivity and availability. Just because we are constantly connected doesn’t mean we have to always be available.

Mindfulness exercises, such as meditation or time to let your mind wander, can also prevent burnout. Other leaders prioritize workplace communication, even just a group chat about the happenings of the day, to help employees feel connected in the right ways.

Flexible work is the future of work. But its flaws can’t be overlooked, especially the urge to constantly be working. If we want flexible work to be effective, we have to make sure we use it responsibly. When in the right hands, flexible work is powerful and can be magical. But in the wrong hands or not implemented correctly, it can lead to a dangerous dark side of burnout and disengagement.

It’s up to leaders and individuals to focus on the power of flexible work, create boundaries, and set examples so that the positive side of flexible work can shine through.

. . .

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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3 Reasons Why It Is Important to Set Goals for 2021 https://thefutureorganization.com/3-reasons-why-it-is-important-to-set-goals-for-2021/ Wed, 09 Jun 2021 01:09:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43423 We’re halfway through the year—how are your goals looking for 2021?
Even with the uncertainty of the year, setting goals is still vitally important. It gives you a chance to step back and look at where you’ve been and where you want to go.

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We’re halfway through the year—how are your goals looking for 2021?

Even with the uncertainty of the year, setting goals is still vitally important. It gives you a chance to step back and look at where you’ve been and where you want to go.

No matter if you’re making great progress on your goals or just getting started, here are three reasons it’s important to set goals in 2021:

  1. Gives you focus and clarity. Without goals, you’re likely to flounder and not make any real progress in life or your career. If you don’t set goals, you often end up letting things happen to you instead of taking control. Goals give you something to work towards and make your focus clear.
  2. Allows you to work backward. You may have a general idea of where you want to be in the future, but setting goals helps you create the path to get there. Once you’ve set a goal, you can work backward to know what you need to do to achieve the goal. If you want to increase revenue by 20% or gain 5,000 newsletter followers in a year, you can then work backward to know how to reach that goal.
  3. Allows you to break it into manageable pieces. Setting a lofty goal can be intimidating. But you don’t have to achieve it all in one day. Set a big goal and then break it up into smaller pieces and give yourself milestones along the way. This takes away the intimidation factor and helps you measure your progress every day towards your larger goals.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Goals are the way to career and life success. They are what allow you to dream big and have guidance for what you can achieve in the future. And they are still incredibly important in 2021.

Check in with yourself on your goals for the year. How are you doing? And if you haven’t set goals yet, now is the time to make it happen!

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Why Leaders Need To Think Like Futurists & What That Looks Like https://thefutureorganization.com/why-leaders-need-to-think-like-futurists-what-that-looks-like/ Mon, 07 Jun 2021 12:07:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43368 Dr. Margaret Heffernan is the author of six books including Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious At Our Peril and Uncharted: How to Map the Future and Professor of Practice at the University of Bath. Margaret also has a TED Talk called The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World which has been viewed over 3.6 million times.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Margaret_Heffernan_-_Ready.mp3

Margaret Heffernan Transcript

Dr. Margaret Heffernan is the author of six books including Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious At Our Peril and Uncharted: How to Map the Future and Professor of Practice at the University of Bath. Margaret also has a TED Talk called The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World which has been viewed over 3.6 million times.

Before getting involved in business Margaret produced programs for the BBC for 13 years. She is currently Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme and she also mentors CEOs and senior executives at major global organizations around the world.

While Margaret was writing Willful Blindness and a short book for TED called Beyond Measure she noticed that she kept having weird conversations with people who were asking her a lot of questions about the future. What’s going to happen with Brexit? What’s going to happen with Trump? Will there be another banking crisis? And it was during this time that Margaret realized that most people do not know how to think about the future.

People tend to think that a select few lucky people are able to see into the future and give us all updates on what will happen next. But in reality, the future is unknowable, there aren’t any special keys to use or doors to look behind to find out what’s next. And in thinking about this she came across Philip Tetlock’s research on forecasting, which showed that if you are consistent with your study of the future if you read a very broad cross-section of impeccable sources, and if you keep up with each forecast perfectly the farthest out you can see accurately is 400 days.

But since most of us are not as consistent or rigorous as that, most of us can accurately forecast 150 days in the future. Which means the way most organizations plan with 3-year plans, 5-year plans, and even sometimes 30-year plans, is a very inaccurate and ludicrous way to go about it.

“This is madness, the way we’ve been–everything about the way we’ve been teaching, management does not work. If the first part of forecasts, plan, execute, doesn’t work. And we’re going around using a 20th century, maybe even 19th-century mindset in the 21st century, and no wonder things are going horribly wrong.” And that is why she wrote her book Uncharted.

Should we forget about forecasting altogether?
Since the way we are forecasting is completely wrong, should we still do it? Should we continue thinking about the future? Margaret believes that absolutely, we should be thinking about the future and forecasting, but we have to be humble about how accurate we are likely to be. And she says we have to start asking different questions.

We also have to realize that there is a difference between complicated and complex. Complicated things are things that can repeat and can be predicted. Complex things are unpredictable–even if they seem simple. That’s because there are a lot of different forces acting on these things which then causes constant change.

In complex environments, Margaret says you have to do two things. First, you have to forget about efficiency, because that will strip you of the capacity to respond. You have to think about preparation instead of planning. And second, you have to think about what high-impact events have a high likelihood of happening. What are some things that you can’t predict, but you can prepare for because there is a good chance it will happen.

Think about what things could really undo your business and do what you can to cushion yourself against that as best as you can.

What role does data play in decision-making?
Data is very useful to have, but only if you know how to use it and if you know the best questions to ask. Data in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand it can be dangerous. Margaret says that data is a powerful tool in scenario planning. It can help you to see all of the possible stories that could occur and it can help you plan for each one.

“The difficulty comes, I think, with a lot of executives who want certainty. And so they think they get to choose a narrative, right? But you don’t get to choose, you only get the option of thinking about it ahead of time. So that they find it difficult, and many of them simply find it too hard to conjure up different narratives. So it’s partly that their biases overwhelm them. But it’s also that you can take any data set, and we have quite an optimistic and quite a pessimistic story. And so surprise, you know, they generally find the optimistic one. And they find all kinds of reasons why the really truly bad one couldn’t possibly happen.”

One thing that Margaret truly believes executives need to work on is their lack of imagination. Leaders cannot look at the world in a two-dimensional way, we have to be able to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly in order to properly navigate the future.

Leaders could have been planning for a big event like the pandemic, but a lot of them didn’t, and a lot of them, even now, are not preparing for other extreme possibilities. Leaders need imagination in order to think ahead to what kind of future they want to create.

“It dismays me that we have this fantastic opportunity now to reimagine work. And that makes most so-called leaders so anxious that they would rather cut, pop, go right past the creative part of that exercise and start thinking about how much square footage do we need? How many desks, how many chairs? But if you do that, and then later you decide I want this kind of future. You may not, you know, you’ve got the wrong furniture in the wrong offices, you know, you’ve really got to be able to lift your head out from the weeds and think long term about what is going to make our organization meaningful to the world long term. What kind of people are up for that? And how do they want to work? And when you’ve done that really well, then the desks and chairs will be the easy p

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

 

How can leaders think more creatively about the future?
As Margaret shares, most leaders have been trained in a 20th-century mindset, which is about cause and effect and it’s about complicated versus complex. Most leaders spend too much time looking at spreadsheets and figuring out 2%-3% adjustments when true foresight and planning takes a lot more creativity than that.

Planning for the future isn’t about sitting in your chair and looking at data. It’s about argument, debate, and discussions. It’s not something that can be done quickly, it takes a lot of time and effort.

In her book, Margaret uses the example of Cathedral projects, which is a phrase of Stephen Hawking’s. All of the cathedrals of the Western World were started by people who knew they would not live to see them finished. These buildings have evolved over generations and have constantly incorporated new technologies, materials, and aesthetics. The people working on them stop and ask themselves what does the world need from us right now. And a lot of leaders can learn from that type of mindset.

“There’s a bank in the UK whose purpose statement is ‘To help Britain flourish’. Now, I don’t know what that means. I mean, you could say they could be a gardening center. They could be a health care center. They could be pet breeders, they could be any darn thing. So this is, I mean, sadly, corporate comms just got the idea of purpose between its teeth and ran away with it. But I think this need to have a genuine soul-searching debate about what makes us meaningful to the world, what earns us our license to operate, is sorely needed in most organizations.”

What can leaders learn from artists?
Margaret has always been fascinated with how artists work because so many of them seem ahead of their time. So how do they seem to look into the future and create such relevant pieces? One of the biggest reasons they are so ahead of their time is because they take time to observe and take notice of things around them. They ask questions, they take things in, and they take risks. They also tend to change before anyone asks them to.

Leaders can learn a lot from artists. Take time to look around you. Ask things like what am I seeing and what does it mean to me? What patterns am I starting to see? What’s going on in the world right now? As Margaret says, generally we see what we’re looking for, and we miss everything else. We have to give ourselves time to let our minds wander, we have to be curious, we have to go in new directions, and allow ourselves to sit in silence and think.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now, especially after COVID. But less than 10% of organizations are doing a great job of creating them. What are the best companies doing? Take the employee experience assessment to see how your company compares with over 252 others around the world!

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Do You Find Corporate Training Boring? If So, Then This Is For You! https://thefutureorganization.com/do-you-find-corporate-training-boring-if-so-then-this-is-for-you/ Thu, 03 Jun 2021 09:34:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43344 When is the last time you REALLY got inspired or learned something new from a corporate training program?
It's probably been a while... a long while...

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When is the last time you REALLY got inspired or learned something new from a corporate training program?

It’s probably been a while… a long while…

I feel like there is a shortage of inspiring, motivational, and educational content on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. Something I have been trying to address on my Youtube channel.

Sure, there is some good stuff out there, but we need more… a lot more!

When we see overly scripted corporate content trying to teach something like leadership we tune out and we don’t retain the information.

It becomes more like homework or a chore instead of something we genuinely want to do or learn about.

For over the past year my team and I have been working really hard on trying to fix this problem by creating short high-quality videos with music, stock footage and graphics, and call-outs to help make videos more fun and engaging.

Sure, I have plenty of courses I offer through The Future of Work University but I also get a lot of emails and social media comments from people who are asking me for free resources because times have been tough…I totally get that.

This is why I’m so proud of the content my team and I have been sharing on my Youtube channel which is completely free for everyone and anyone around the world.

In fact, several organizations around the world have been licensing these videos for their own internal training programs!

If you’re interested in leadership development, the future of work, and employee experience then I invite you to subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are a few videos to give you an idea of the content we have been working on:

My team and I are constantly looking to improve and make more and better content for all of you.

If you have feedback or suggestions for us, please don’t hesitate to share it and I really hope you subscribe to the Youtube channel where we release a few episodes each week.

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How to Get a Response From Someone That You are Targeting https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-get-a-response-from-someone-that-you-are-targeting/ Wed, 02 Jun 2021 12:18:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43319 Every day, my wife Blake and I get tons of messages from people who want something from us.
And we delete 95% of them.

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Every day, my wife Blake and I get tons of messages from people who want something from us.

And we delete 95% of them.

Even with all the communication and technology tools available today, people still choose to send mass messages and emails. But it’s rare for those types of messages to get a response, and they can even hurt your brand and credibility.

If you want to get a response from someone you are targeting—for a sale, to make an investment, or to speak at an event—it pays off to do five minutes of legwork.

The emails we respond to are the ones that are personalized and show that the sender put some effort into the message. If I receive a mass email that doesn’t even have my name in it, I’m not going to respond.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are Blake’s three proven ways to get a response from someone you are targeting.

  1. Don’t send mass messages. Send an email or message to each person individually, not to an entire group of people. If you target and identify one person and then spend two minutes creating a message just for them, it puts you ahead of the vast majority of people and you’ll stand out in their inbox.
  2. Research the person you are targeting. Do a simple Google search to know what’s happening in their lives right now. Look at their social media for recent updates or at what’s happening with their company or industry. Then take that information and write a message that fits their current circumstances.
  3. Be relevant to them. Before you send your email, figure out how your message or product is relevant to them right now. Why should they pay attention to you? Make your communication personalized and relevant.
    It only takes about five minutes to craft a personalized, relevant message that is much more likely to get a response.

As you reach out to other people to grow your business, follow these tips to get responses.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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What is the Future of Work? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-is-the-future-of-work/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 12:39:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43305 What is the future of work?
It’s a question I’m asked everywhere I go—after every speech I give, during every meeting with executives, and in countless comments and emails.

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What is the future of work?

It’s a question I’m asked everywhere I go—after every speech I give, during every meeting with executives, and in countless comments and emails.

The truth is that I don’t know what the future of work holds. I can’t predict the future.

But it’s also the wrong question to ask.

Asking “What is the future of work?” is passive. It assumes the future is something that just happens to us and that there’s nothing we can do about it. All we can do is brace for impact and take what’s handed to us.

This is the wrong way to think about the future.

The future is something that we create, design, and build.

We need to flip the conversation. Instead of asking “What’s the future of work?”, you need to ask, “What’s the future of work you want to see happen?” and then think about what you can do to make that future happen.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Changing how you think about the future of work puts you in the drivers’ seat and makes each person an active participant. The people who step up to shape the future of work will find great success and change the world.

So ask yourself, what is the future of work that you want to see happen?

And then go make it a reality.

. . .

Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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5 Self Sabotaging Behaviors That You Need to Stop Now https://thefutureorganization.com/5-self-sabotaging-behaviors-that-you-need-to-stop-now/ Mon, 31 May 2021 09:22:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43278 Self-sabotage is how we hurt ourselves, whether consciously or unconsciously, and keep ourselves from achieving our plans, goals, and dreams. Many, if not all of us, have sabotaged ourselves in one way or another. But the good news is, we can overcome sabotaging behaviors, it just takes self-awareness and effort.

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Self-sabotage is how we hurt ourselves, whether consciously or unconsciously, and keep ourselves from achieving our plans, goals, and dreams. Many, if not all of us, have sabotaged ourselves in one way or another. But the good news is, we can overcome sabotaging behaviors, it just takes self-awareness and effort.

There are five common self-sabotaging behaviors that we need to be on the lookout for.

Negative self talk
When you make a mistake or fail at something, what does your self-talk sound like in your head? Do you build yourself up or do you tear yourself down. A lot of us struggle with negative self-talk, the voice in your head that says “you’re dumb, how could you do that” or “you will never be able to figure this out”. It is easy to default to this kind of talk, but if you don’t work to overcome this it can hold you back and keep you from success. No one is going to be your #1 cheerleader in life but you.

If you struggle with this it is important to be aware of it and every time you realize you are thinking something negative, change it and be positive. It’s also important to surround yourself with the right people. What are the people around you saying about you? Do they encourage you and support you and build you up? Or are they always negative and pessimistic? Another thing to be aware of is how you spend your free time. If you are spending hours on social media comparing yourself to others, you may want to redirect your focus to something like reading a book or meditating or going for a walk.

You have to be as loving to yourself as you are to the people in your life that you love and care about. How do you talk to your kids, or your spouse, or your best friend?

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be positive, happy, and full of joy 100% of the time. There are times when we all feel down or upset about something, but it is crucial that we pay attention to how we are talking to ourselves.

Procrastination
Another big self-sabotaging behavior is procrastination. You cannot produce great work if you always wait until the last minute to get things done. Waiting until the last minute also causes you to have unnecessary stress and anxiety. A lot of times we tend to start our days getting the easiest things done first and we put off the more difficult projects. But actually it should be the other way around.

Use the beginning of your day to attack the hard things so that in the afternoon, when most of us tend to crash, you only have easy things left to accomplish.

It’s always difficult to get started on something, and a lot of times we let anxiety paralyze us. But if you feel stuck the best thing to do is just take action. Take the first step in completing the task.

Lashing Out
There are times at work or in your personal life when you feel overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious, tired, etc…and as a result, we lash out at the people around us. I’m sure many of us have experienced this at one point or another over this past year as we have had to work and live at home with our immediate family 24/7 throughout the pandemic.

But reacting to people out of anger, whether it’s a co-worker, a boss, or a family member, usually does not end well. And both sides end up hurt and feeling bad. So it is important that we all figure out how to overcome this self-sabotaging behavior. In order to conquer this behavior, it is crucial for us to be in a good place emotionally, mentally, and physically. That means that we need to be getting enough sleep, taking care of our bodies, eating properly and that we have methods to turn to when we get overwhelmed.

What works best for you when you are stressed out? Maybe you like to take a walk, or meditate, or talk to a friend, or have some alone time. Whatever it is you need to do to feel more in control, make sure you do that when you feel yourself getting to your breaking point.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Perfectionism
Some people may view perfectionism as a good thing, but for most people trying to have everything perfect all the time can be debilitating. It can stop you from taking action and it can really hold you back from moving up in your career.

It is not possible to have things perfect 100% of the time, we are all human and we have faults. If you don’t allow your work to be submitted until it’s perfect it may never see the light of day. It could cause you to miss deadlines, it can frustrate the rest of your team, and it can take up time that you could be spending on other things.

We all want to strive for excellence, but we can’t become obsessed with being perfect. Not only is it impossible, but it makes you less likeable to the people around you. People want to know you are human, that you’re real and down to earth. Mistakes are a part of life, so don’t be terrified of them.

Not Standing Up For Yourself
There are going to be times in your career when you will need to stand up for yourself. This doesn’t mean you need to get up in people’s faces and cause a big scene. But if someone is criticizing you and making it personal, or if a client is trying to get your rate down to something unreasonable, or you help a coworker out once and then they try to take advantage of your kindness–in these moments you need to stand up for yourself.

Business is about relationships, it’s about human beings. Most people at your organization are not purposefully trying to hurt you or take advantage of you, but it’s okay to speak up and let them know how what they are doing is making you feel.

You also shouldn’t feel bad setting boundaries at work. Whether you can’t attend meetings before 9am or you need to pick up your kids at 4pm–whatever it is speak up and let people know.

The key to standing up for yourself is doing it in an artful way and not making it a big argument. Make sure you are being empathetic and you understand where the other person is coming from. And always approach people in a kind, yet firm way.

Strategies you can use to overcome self sabotaging behaviors
Dr. Alice Boyes, the author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit, wrote an article for The Greater Good Magazine on seven strategies and tips for how you can overcome self-sabotaging behaviors. They are:

  • Know your typical thinking patterns and factor that into your judgment— For example, if you default to a negative mindset when things happen, take a step back and realize that your default may not be reality
  • Prioritize one-time behaviors that reduce your stress over time–Be consistent in the tactics you use to reduce stress. Don’t just eat healthy for 24 hours or workout once a month.
  • Use heuristics–Have shortcuts in place to help you make decisions quickly
  • Learn to Love Incremental Improvements–You don’t have to completely change overnight, appreciate small gains and improvements.
  • Strategize to Overcome Procrastination–Create processes for yourself so that you don’t avoid things or hide from them.
  • Understanding Seemingly Irrelevant Decisions–Pay attention to the decisions you make, even if they seem small and unimportant. Every decision has an impact on you and the people around you.
  • Practice Acceptance and Self Care–It is important to take care of yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Find things that help you in each area, and don’t feel bad about taking time for yourself

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

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3 Qualities That Make Great Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/3-qualities-that-make-great-leaders/ Thu, 27 May 2021 13:54:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43199 Being in a manager role doesn’t automatically make you a leader.
But if you can adopt the mindset of being a great leader, you can become an amazing manager and find great success.

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Being in a manager role doesn’t automatically make you a leader.

But if you can adopt the mindset of being a great leader, you can become an amazing manager and find great success.

Although each person has their own strengths and personality, great leaders and managers have certain traits in common. According to Julie Zhuo, best-selling author of The Making of a Manager, great managers can get great outcomes from their teams over and over.

How a manager gets outcomes comes down to three qualities:

Know your people.
People are the most important resources a manager has. It’s up to the leader to know each person’s strengths and talents and put them in positions that play to their strengths. Great managers know how to put the right people on the right problems.

Figure out the process.
Managers have to figure out the processes, including how people work together in the context of the team. A great leader creates smooth processes that allow teams to work together and move forward instead of getting caught in tedious steps and red tape.

Convey the purpose.
Great managers share the company’s purpose and goals with their employees. No matter how good your talent is, if you’re not clear about what they are trying to accomplish, they won’t be effective. A great leader shows each employee how their work contributes to the overall purpose of the company and helps them feel valued.

Being a great manager means being a great leader. No matter if you’re new to a manager role or experienced in your company, developing these three qualities can help you be a standout leader who gets results.

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Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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How to Think Like an Entrepreneur Inside an Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-think-like-an-entrepreneur-inside-an-organization/ Wed, 26 May 2021 13:01:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43196 Do entrepreneurs have to go off on their own and start their own business?
Not always. You can still be an entrepreneur inside your organization—it’s called being an intrapreneur.

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Do entrepreneurs have to go off on their own and start their own business?

Not always. You can still be an entrepreneur inside your organization—it’s called being an intrapreneur.

Adopting the mindset of an entrepreneur, even if you work for a company, shows that you are in the organization to make a difference and that you can’t be replaced.

In our uncertain times, thinking like an entrepreneur can help you make a difference, find greater success, and be valuable to your colleagues and leaders.

To think like an entrepreneur, follow these five characteristics of successful entrepreneurs:

  1. Ability to push through obstacles and challenges. Entrepreneurs face a lot of rejection and challenges. But instead of giving up, they keep going. They come up with creative ideas, solve problems, and move ahead, even when people say no.
  2. Big dreamers. Entrepreneurs have lofty ideas. They try to make an impact on the world and their community.
  3. No fear of failure. Successful entrepreneurs know they will face failure, but they use their failures as learning opportunities and move on to the next step. Instead of treating failures like catastrophes, entrepreneurs take them in stride and use failures as a chance to grow.
  4. Vision. Entrepreneurs have a clear idea of what they want to do and where they want to go. They are confident in their trajectory and the problem they want to solve.
  5. Self-driven. Entrepreneurs have an internal fire and determination to keep going forward. They don’t need someone telling them what to do to figure out the next step.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Becoming an intrapreneur by thinking like an entrepreneur can not only help you improve your company and solve problems, but it will also give you a leg up in your career. By demonstrating the characteristics of an entrepreneur, you can make a real difference and showcase your determination and big ideas.

Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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3 Tips To Help You Close Deals https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-help-you-close-deals/ Tue, 25 May 2021 13:00:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43193 If you want to build a successful business, you have to know how to close deals.
It’s one thing to have a great product or service. It’s another thing to get people to actually buy it and finalize the sale.

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If you want to build a successful business, you have to know how to close deals.

It’s one thing to have a great product or service. It’s another thing to get people to actually buy it and finalize the sale.

Closing deals can be difficult, especially for people who are shy or tend to avoid conversations about money. But being a successful entrepreneur means pushing past that fear to close the deal.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three tips from Blake for how to seal the deal:

  1. Remove the emotion from the sales call. Business isn’t personal, so take the emotion out of it. The other person has to hear that you are willing to walk away from the sale. If you sound desperate or are overly emotional, you lose bargaining power. If needed, take a moment to collect yourself and relax so that your voice doesn’t sound stressed and you can be in a stronger position.
  2. Demonstrate the value. Show the value of your product or service and what makes it special so that customers can see why it is worth the money. Break down the exact reason you charge your particular rate and share the why behind your product and its value.
  3. Ask for the sale. Don’t skirt around the question—ask the prospect directly if they want to purchase your product or service. If they say no, you don’t have to waste any more time selling to them. If they say yes, you’ve made a sale. Be direct and not overly polite. Be confident and just ask for the sale.

Closing deals means bringing in more money. As you master these three steps to close the deal, you’ll see your confidence grow and your business boom.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Former CEO of GE Jeff Immelt on Lessons Learned, Working With Jack Welch, & Dealing With Critics https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-of-ge-jeff-immelt-on-lessons-learned-working-with-jack-welch-dealing-with-critics/ Mon, 24 May 2021 07:31:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43140 Jeff Immelt is the former CEO of General Electric and author of the new book: Hot Seat: What I Learned From Leading A Great American Company. Jeff has had a lot of critics over the years and stepping into a role after the legendary Jack Welch was not an easy task. In his 16 years leading GE as the CEO he had to lead the company through 9/11, the financial crisis, and the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima's nuclear reactors - which were designed by GE. He definitely knows what it's like to lead under pressure.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jeff_Immelt_-_Ready.mp3

Jeff Immelt Transcript

Jeff Immelt is the former CEO of General Electric and author of the new book: Hot Seat: What I Learned From Leading A Great American Company.

Jeff has had a lot of critics over the years and stepping into a role after the legendary Jack Welch was not an easy task. In his 16 years leading GE as the CEO he had to lead the company through 9/11, the financial crisis, and the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima’s nuclear reactors–which were designed by GE. He definitely knows what it’s like to lead under pressure.

Why Jeff wrote his book (he almost didn’t)
Jeff admits that his career didn’t end the way he wanted it to. As he shares, “I was just unhappy, I felt like the whole narrative around GE had been lost. And that, you know, truth equals really facts plus context. And I felt like the context had been lost. So one of the reasons why I wrote it is, I wanted to tell a more complete story. I didn’t want it to be defensive, I wanted it to be complete.”

Jeff, who is also a Lecturer in Management at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, says that his students don’t want to learn from a perfect leader who has everything figured out. These students have lived through financial crisis, Covid, and turbulent times—they want to know how to survive through volatility and what to do when things don’t work out. Because of this he felt like there was also an audience for his book that wouldn’t necessarily care about GE.

Those are the two main reasons he wrote his book.

If there is one message that Jeff would like his critics to take from the book it would be that there were people in the company that tried their best and did perform well.

“If you look at cumulative earnings, market share, you know, if you go back to 2016, this was a top 20 market cap company. It was number seven on Fortune most admired, it was number one on companies to hire leaders. We were leaders in digitization and globalization, you know, but the stock didn’t work. succession planning didn’t work, there were things that didn’t work.”

He says it would be one thing if the criticism was just about him, but there are thousands of people that have been hurt through this process, and this book sets out to correct that.

What was it like working with Jack Welch
Jack Welch, who passed away in 2020, is still considered one of the most famous CEOs of the century. Jeff was actually the CEO that took over after Jack left. So what was it like working for Jack?

Jeff says Jack was challenging, giving, and creative. He was someone who liked to portray himself as “tough as nails” but Jeff says that’s not the person he saw. He was one of the best leaders to run something at scale and he was a great communicator.

Jeff says this about taking over for Jack, “But by the end of the 90s, it was a company where perception didn’t equal reality. We were 50% financial 50%, kind of an old industrial company. We traded like Amazon at a 50 P/E. And so kind of following him, you know, the trick was to drive the appropriate kind of change, while never looking backwards and never casting blame. And that’s challenging. Look, it’s easier to follow a jerk than it is to follow, you know, the best leader of the previous century. Right. But I never wanted to be him. I never wanted to act like him. And I felt like the company needed change.”

While there were elements of his leadership style that were timeless, like his focus on people and metrics, there were also some elements that wouldn’t work well in an organization today. Jeff says that Jack didn’t really respect technology and he had an element of short-termism, that with the pace of change, would be a problem.

Jack also believed you shouldn’t do anything as a leader unless you can control it, but as Jeff shares there are a lot of things that as a CEO of a public company you just can’t control.

“I think, you know, the trick with every generation of leadership is to pick the things that travel that work, and pick the new things that have to be part of, you know, making a company vibrant and competitive in the next generation. And so I think that’s the way I would assess how much would work and how much wouldn’t work in this generation.”

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Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

What was it like leading a company during 9/11
Jeff was on a business trip to Seattle when the attack happened and he saw it on the TV in the gym at the hotel he was staying at. He ended up getting stuck in Seattle until planes started flying again a week later. But immediately after it happened he started crisis call sessions with his team.

One thing he says he learned from that experience was that leaders should be shock absorbers of fear, not accelerants of fear.

“You learn to hold two truths at the same time–that things can always get worse, but that things can also have a future and you need to focus on that. You have to communicate like, hourly, daily, and we did a lot of that.”

And in times of crisis leaders have to be able to take action, some decisions will work well and some won’t, but there are things that have to be confronted right away.

During 9/11, the financial crisis, and Covid leaders had to find a way to lead without a playbook. How do you do that? Jeff says it starts with surrounding yourself with people you can trust and talk to. After that it is important to have a sense of timing and an idea of what tasks need to be prioritized and what things can be left for later. And the last thing that leaders in tough times have to be able to do is deal with criticism.

“When you don’t have a playbook you have to be willing, when people say wrong things about you, you have to be very contemporary with it with the respect of owning the narrative and controlling the communication, and things like that. Because they can set you back so good leader’s flexible point of view. Learn every minute of every day, and be willing to push back when people get it wrong.”

How Jeff deals with imposter syndrome
Over his career Jeff says there have been many times when he has doubted himself or questioned his decisions. When it comes to imposter syndrome Jeff says it is important for leaders to have reservoirs of self confidence, self reflection, and self renewal. You have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and believe you can do it. You have to keep showing up and always do your best.

It is also important to have friends around you who will encourage you, cheer you up, coach you, and pick you up when you’re down. And you can only build these friendships in normal times, you can’t wait until times of crisis to build these friendships–at that point it’s too late.

A strategy Jeff has used to be a more effective leader
One of the things that has set him apart from other leaders over the years is what Jeff calls his external focus. He traveled a lot for business, and wherever he was he would take time to connect with the people there in their own setting to see what they were working on and things they were thinking about. He made it a point to connect with customers, other leaders, scientists, experts and that really allowed him to stay ahead of the game.

Because of this skill GE was an early player in globalization, digitalization, environmental investing and much more.

Jeff’s advice for current and future leaders
If there is one thing that Jeff has learned over his career that he would like to pass on to others, it’s this–study how people work. You should be able to envision how everyone in your organization does their job. You don’t have to necessarily be able to do the job yourself, but you should know what kind of tools they use, how the teams work together, what metrics move them, etc…

“Frequently I go to a CEOs office, and I’m always looking at their wall to see what connects them to the frontline worker. And if I walk in an office, and it’s just artwork, and statues and crap like that, then I don’t believe what the value statement says. I’m looking for, like, a picture where they were walking the floor with a nurse, or a picture of a jet engine or something like that.”

Advice that Jeff received early on in his career was to make sure, no matter how big of a company he worked for, that he connected with the people there and knew how they got their work done.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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4 Glaring Signs You Are Not Self-Aware https://thefutureorganization.com/4-glaring-signs-you-are-not-self-aware/ Sat, 22 May 2021 15:12:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43132 If you lack self-awareness, the writing could be on the wall.

Being self-aware means being in tune with your mood, motivations, and strengths and weaknesses. And it’s crucial for future leaders. You have to be self-aware and understand your own emotions before you can lead and motivate others.

Here are four questions to ask yourself to see if you are self-aware.

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If you lack self-awareness, the writing could be on the wall.

Being self-aware means being in tune with your mood, motivations, and strengths and weaknesses. And it’s crucial for future leaders. You have to be self-aware and understand your own emotions before you can lead and motivate others.

Here are four questions to ask yourself to see if you are self-aware. These questions highlight four signs that you might not be as self-aware as you think:

  1. Are you constantly defensive? Getting feedback is a part of work and life. But if you treat every piece of feedback as a personal attack and feel like you constantly have to defend yourself and your positions, you aren’t self-aware.
  2. Are you constantly micromanaging? Leaders who lack self-awareness are constantly hovering over their employees and asking them little questions. Self-aware leaders trust their employees and are confident that they have good people on their team.
  3. Do you have a reputation of being a bully? People might not say it to your face, but you may have a reputation of being overpowering. Bullies lack self-awareness because they don’t fully realize how their words and actions affect other people.
  4. Do you constantly make excuses? If you have to make excuses for why things aren’t getting done or the quality isn’t there, you likely aren’t self-aware. Self-aware people understand their talents and abilities and can make promises and deliver accordingly.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

It may take some vulnerability, but be honest with yourself as you think about these questions.

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it’s time for a serious self-reflection and to add more self-awareness into your daily life.

Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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How The Co-Founder Of The Home Depot Leads By Example & The One Thing Most Leaders Get Wrong https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-co-founder-of-the-home-depot-leads-by-example-the-one-thing-most-leaders-get-wrong/ Wed, 19 May 2021 22:58:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43085 Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, which has more than 400,000 employees and a market cap of over $300 billion.

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Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, which has more than 400,000 employees and a market cap of over $300 billion. Arthur was named one of the world’s 100 greatest living business minds by Forbes in 2017.

Now retired from Home Depot, Arthur owns the Atlanta Falcons NFL team and the Atlanta United MLS team. His family businesses also include the nationwide PGA Tour Superstore, three ranches in Montana, and Mercedes Benz stadium.

Arthur is a leader who believes in and practices leading by example.

When I spoke with Arthur (you can listen to the full discussion here) he told me a fascinating story during the early days of The Home Depot.

They had a lot of products coming in which arrived in boxes with packing materials and so they ended up with a lot of corrugated materials. They were supposed to have compactors to break the boxes and other materials down to keep the space clear, but the delivery of the compactors was delayed and they didn’t get them until 2 or 3 weeks after they opened.

At one point there was so much material that there wasn’t any room to receive any more merchandise and everyone was working to get it cleared out. Arthur rolled up his sleeves and started working on clearing it all up. In fact, he ended up staying in the store for 24 hours cleaning up so they could have room to accept more boxes.

Another employee saw Arthur working nonstop and went to the store manager and said…

“You know, there’s this nut in the back. He’s been here for 24 hours, he hasn’t left, he’s compacting all this stuff so we can get more merchandise up on the shelves. I don’t know who he is, but you ought to consider him for a promotion sometime.”

The manager had to let the employee know that Arthur was one of the founders.

What most leaders get wrong today

Arthur told me that successful leaders are ones that have a set of values and stick to them. They consistently lead based on those values–they are able to live those values out and articulate them to others.

The problem, Arthur says, is that a lot of leaders today just want to send out a memo every other day reminding employees about the company values, yet they themselves don’t live them out. In order to be a great leader you have to not just talk the talk, you have to walk the talk as well. You have to lead by example, roll your sleeves up and set the pace for the organization.

Arthur also says leaders need to walk in the footsteps of their frontline employees. Don’t just read about how things are going, don’t just sit in your office passing down commands and reading reports.

Get out and interact with everyone.

You can listen to my full conversations with Arthur here.

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How COVID Has Transformed Flexible Work From “Nice To Have”​ To “Must Have”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/how-covid-has-transformed-flexible-work-from-nice-to-have%e2%80%8b-to-must-have%e2%80%8b/ Wed, 19 May 2021 15:13:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43059 Flexible work isn't a new concept, in fact, in one of my previous articles titled "It's Official, The 9-to-5 Workday is Dead...Actually...It's Been Dead For Years," I talked about how it's been around for a few decades.

But here's the thing...

...Flexible work used to not be that flexible!

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Flexible work isn’t a new concept, in fact, in one of my previous articles titled “It’s Official, The 9-to-5 Workday is Dead…Actually…It’s Been Dead For Years,” I talked about how it’s been around for a few decades.

But here’s the thing…

…Flexible work used to not be that flexible!

Although organizations have offered flexible work programs in the past, employees who took advantage of them were oftentimes stigmatized as being lazy, disengaged, and not loyal to the company.

After all, why would an engaged and loyal employee NOT want to come into the office right?

This was the sentiment echoed by WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani who recently said, “Those who are least engaged are very comfortable working from home.”

His comments sparked backlash and memes from many other tech CEOs.

But I digress…

The point is that how we think about flexible work has changed, it’s now the new standard for how things get done and it’s being pushed to the max as the pandemic has completely blurred work and life.

The following image captures the shift we are seeing.

Remember that flexible work is not the same thing as remote work. I still do believe that there is a place for in person work.

Flexible work is about freedom for when, where, and how employees around the world get work done.

Flexible Work =The Future Of Work = Now

_______________________________________________________________________________
Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. But what does that mean and how do you do it? I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

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Why Now Is The Best Time To Be An Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/why-now-is-the-best-time-to-be-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 18 May 2021 12:10:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=43038 The past year has brought unbelievable uncertainty, confusion, and discord.
But even with all the challenges, it has also created a great environment to become an entrepreneur.

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The past year has brought unbelievable uncertainty, confusion, and discord.

But even with all the challenges, it has also created a great environment to become an entrepreneur.

Nearly everything about normal life has changed during the pandemic, but research has found that people don’t want to go back to how things were. They want to continue with these innovative, digital solutions that make their lives easier.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

It’s called the Blue Ocean Strategy, or the idea that difficult times create huge opportunities to innovate. Some of the best products and services were created out of necessity during difficult times. The company Oxo was created by an entrepreneur whose wife had arthritis and couldn’t grip things. He created products that were easier to hold and use, which are now wildly successful.

Even (and especially) during difficult times, there are countless ways to innovate. But to be successful, you have to spend time identifying the gaps. What products or services do you wish you had? What would solve a problem or make your life easier? Then go create it.

Now is the best time to be an entrepreneur if you’re willing to find the gaps and create solutions.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Crucial Questions The CEO of TaskRabbit Asks Herself In Order To Make Decisions https://thefutureorganization.com/crucial-questions-the-ceo-of-taskrabbit-asks-herself-in-order-to-make-decisions/ Mon, 17 May 2021 12:41:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42957 You have to give yourself the freedom to make decisions, and you have to accept that you’re going to be wrong, but that’s okay.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Ania_Smith_-_Ready.mp3

Ania Smith Transcript

Ania Smith is the CEO of TaskRabbit, an online and mobile marketplace that matches freelance labor with local demand. She became CEO back in August of 2020, prior to that she held roles such as Director, Head of Courier Operations at Uber, Head of Operations, Host Services for Airbnb, and Director of Strategic Partnerships & Merchandising Strategy at Walmart–just to name a few.

One of the things that Ania says has helped her get to where she is now is her broad experiences living and working in four different continents. She has been able to work across many countries, cities, companies, and roles and that diverse background has taught her a lot. She has been able to meet new people, experience different cultures, and pick up new skills over the years.

Another way her unique background has helped is with figuring out what she wants to do in life. Ania says, “A lot of times, they’ll say, you know, follow your passion. But that’s really hard because oftentimes, we don’t know what our passion is. So I’d like to think more about finding my passion. And really, the only way to do that, for those of us who are not lucky enough to know from when we’re three what we want to be, is to try out many new things and see what really energizes you and motivates you and helps you think about the impact that you’re having. And that has really helped me.”

The path to success doesn’t always have to be linear
As Ania shares, the path to her current role as CEO was not linear, it was very much a zig-zag. A lot of times we get stuck thinking that our next step has to be up the ladder to the next logical role–but oftentimes important steps in our career are side steps. As Ania shares, it is important to stay open to new opportunities to keep learning and growing and don’t limit yourself on where you have to go next.

There were definitely times in Ania’s career where she didn’t get the promotion she wanted right away, but there was always another opportunity waiting that allowed her to meet new people and learn new skills that she could take with her to the next role.

Ania shared an analogy her friend uses when thinking about the course of a career. She says, “A good friend of mine once used the analogy of a Google map. So she talks about how, you know, sometimes we’re just like speeding down the highway towards our career and we know exactly what we’re doing. Other times, we’re on a slow country road. Other times we take the wrong turn. Other times, we actually are stuck in a traffic jam and really feel stuck in our careers. Other times, we may even have an accident and really have to pedal back. And I think that that’s a sort of a great analogy to think about my career.”

Ania’s gap year
A couple of years after leaving Airbnb, Ania, her husband, and their kids took a gap year to go and live in Argentina. For a whole year, Ania and her husband stopped working and really took that time to be together as a family, explore a new culture, and talk about the future. She says it was an amazing experience to really step back from everything and to get away from the day-to-day race to really think about what she wanted her next step to be in her career.

When talking about the experience she says, “ I absolutely feel that if you can at all swing it, it is life-changing, it’s transformative. And it really shows you that sometimes you kind of feel like oh my god, if I’m not at work, like the whole world is going to fall apart. And it’s just unfortunately not true, for most of us. We’re all capable of doing something else. We all change jobs very often. And this is this changing a job to something else before you change it into a new job. And to be able to take a breather and really reevaluate where you are and what you want to do and who you want to be when you grow up– I ask that question to myself all the time, still today–and to have that space to think that through. It’s amazing.”

While some people would be worried about leaving their career for a full year and getting left behind, Ania wasn’t too concerned. She knew she had been working for 20+ years and while she may be a little behind when getting back, she felt that she would still be relevant and would be able to catch up quickly.

And sure enough, one week after returning to the U.S. she had a role at Uber.

How Ania sets the vision for TaskRabbit
When she first started as CEO of TaskRabbit Ania made it a point to meet with every single employee inside of the company–she went on a listening tour, as she puts it. Instead of walking into a new company and laying out her vision for things, she knew it was important to find out what employees felt the current vision was as well as how things were going, what things were working, and what wasn’t.

Since then she has worked very hard with her leadership team to take everyone’s input in order to come up with a plan for where they want to be in 3-4 years and to define what the vision of the company is.

“And it’s a pretty clear path for, not how we’re gonna get there, but essentially what we will be in three to four years. And I think it’s been inspiring for me as a leader, but also from my team and their teams to understand what we’re trying to get to. And it helps, therefore, for us to help our strategy or sort of shorter term strategies forward, because we know where we’re trying to get to, we just need to break it down and work backwards. It helps that process every year, as long as we have this sort of Northstar of what we’re trying to get to.”

What does putting people first mean to Ania
One thing that Ania is very passionate about is putting people first. But what does that actually mean to her?

One of the key things for her is talking to people and truly listening to their feedback. She understands that it is crucial to learn what’s important to people, what do they value–and it’s different for everyone.

Over the course of the pandemic one thing Ania has discovered is important to her people is workplace flexibility and giving people options for where and when to work. And she’s really taken that feedback to heart. She and her team are offering flexibility now and they are also figuring out how to best address this need in the future.

“Feedback is a gift. So if anyone is willing to provide feedback, having the strength to accept the feedback–you may not agree with it–but having the strength to accept it, to think it through, to see how that may or may not help you, is really a big skill.”

How Ania makes tough choices
When she was younger Ania admits that when she had to make a decision she could not have enough data, she wanted to know everything before deciding. But over the years her approach has changed.

The truth is data can be used and manipulated in any way we want it to be. So relying solely on data is not the best option. Now Ania focuses more on her experience and gut feeling when making a decision, and if she makes a mistake she quickly fixes it and moves on.

“Over time, I realized that data has played lesser and lesser role in almost every decision that I make. And so much of it really just comes from, I don’t know, that inner feeling that I guess people call it wisdom or experience or something where I feel like it’s okay to go in direction A and I may be wrong, and often I am wrong. But it’s better to make the decision quicker and to learn if I’m wrong than to continue to ask for more data and more analysis, and just kind of get stuck, and be unable to make a decision.”

You have to give yourself the freedom to make decisions, and you have to accept that you’re going to be wrong, but that’s okay. This is the way you learn and grow as a leader.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that. I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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4 Steps to Practice Empathy from Dr. Brene Brown https://thefutureorganization.com/4-steps-to-practice-empathy-from-dr-brene-brown/ Sat, 15 May 2021 13:00:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42773 Empathy is all about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and trying to see things from their perspective.

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We’ve never needed empathy more than we do now. In our turbulent world where people are easily divided, we need leaders who practice empathy and work to understand the perspectives of the people around them.

Dr. Brene Brown is a leading speaker and author on empathy. She has created four steps to practicing empathy that are vital for everyone, both in our personal and professional lives. These steps are simple but can have a dramatic impact on our interactions with others.

Perspective taking.
Empathy is all about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and trying to see things from their perspective. When you practice empathy, you imagine a time you felt a similar way or had a similar experience. As you become vulnerable and unlock your past experiences, you can better relate to where the other person is coming from.

Staying out of judgment.
We all fall into the trap of making quick judgments about someone. Staying out of judgment means simply listening without jumping to conclusions. To practice empathy, we must listen and understand.

Recognizing emotions someone else is feeling.
As you listen, try to recognize the emotion the other person is feeling. Is it hate, anger, frustration, sadness, happiness, or myriad other feelings? Pinpointing the emotion can help you understand what they are feeling.

Communicating that you understand an emotion.
As you identify and connect with someone else’s perspective and emotions, let them know that you understand. Conveying your understanding builds connections and helps you respond accordingly.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Empathy is the cornerstone of building strong relationships. We all need to practice empathy at home and work, and it starts with these four practical steps.

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The 7 Principles of Humanocracy https://thefutureorganization.com/the-7-principles-of-humanocracy/ Fri, 14 May 2021 02:11:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42777 How much do you trust your people?

According to best-selling author Gary Hamel, one of the biggest factors stopping organizations from moving away from bureaucracy is that leaders don’t trust their people.

But that lack of trust creates a cycle where leaders feel they have to treat their employees like children because they can’t be trusted, which makes employees stop making decisions on their own.

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How much do you trust your people?

According to best-selling author Gary Hamel, one of the biggest factors stopping organizations from moving away from bureaucracy is that leaders don’t trust their people.

But that lack of trust creates a cycle where leaders feel they have to treat their employees like children because they can’t be trusted, which makes employees stop making decisions on their own.

When leaders try to control every aspect of the work, employees aren’t motivated to innovate and experiment. This lack of trust and motivation creates a never-ending cycle of bureaucracy.

Organizations can’t rely on bureaucratic measures in the future of work. They have to find a better way to lead and create human-centric organizations.

Hamel refers to this approach as humanocracy, or relying on people instead of rigid rules and procedures.

Here are the seven principles of humanocracy. These ideas put people at the center of the organization and empower employees with trust instead of making them work through red tape.

The Power of Ownership
Employees want to be passionate, engaged, and inspired, so give them the power to do so. Make sure employees know the value of their work and how it contributes to the company’s goals so they can take ownership and foster great ideas.

The Power of Market
Markets need appropriate regulatory structures to function and are unmatched in their capacity to harness human wisdom and initiative.

The Power of Meritocracy
People-centric organizations don’t have rigid hierarchies that make executives feel like kings and employees feel like underlings. They support all employees and give them room to grow.

The Power of Community
Humans are designed to be part of communities. Employees need to feel like they belong and know that they are part of something bigger than themselves. A sense of community is powerful in motivating employees to make the world a better place and put in their best work.

The Power of Openness
People should be encouraged to voice different opinions and not feel that they have to agree with the boss. Diversity of thought, background, culture, and more is extremely important to the success of an organization.

The Power of Experimentation
The most successful companies are always moving forward instead of waiting for a crisis to force them to change. Empower your people to try new things and push the company forward, even during good times.

The Power of Paradox
All organizations face challenges and conundrums, but that is what makes life and business interesting. You have to help your organization become a master of paradox and thrive in the unknown.

It’s the people-centric organizations that will lead in the future with innovative ideas and practices. Let go of bureaucracy to put people first and build their trust.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Strategies The World’s Top Companies Use To REALLY Put Their People First https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-the-worlds-top-companies-use-to-really-put-their-people-first/ Wed, 12 May 2021 22:49:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42809 There's a lot of talk around leading by "putting people first" but what exactly does that mean and how do you actually go about doing that?

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Now more than ever, we need to put people first, COVID-19 has made sure of that.

There’s a lot of talk around leading by “putting people first” but what exactly does that mean and how do you actually go about doing that?

Putting people first is a philosophy backed up by a set of actions which prioritizes the people of an organization above all else including shareholder value and profits, even if it means that leaders must make personal sacrifices.

Most organizations have really been struggling with this, but a few out there have figured it out…

I recently did a webinar where I share 5 strategies that you and your organization need to focus on. I decided to make this webinar accessible for free to anyone who wants to watch it over the next few days. Just click here to access it.

Here is what you will learn:

  • What does leading by putting people first really mean?
  • How leadership is changing.
  • Why employee experience has never been more important.
  • The importance of measuring “human factors.”
  • My framework for how to create purpose and meaning at work and in life.
  • Why you need to truly know your people.
  • And a whole lot more!

It’s easy to put people first when things are going well and your business is flourishing. But how do you and your organizations respond when times are tough? That is what everyone will remember!

If you want to learn the 5 strategies that the world’s top companies are using then sign up for the webinar, you will be glad you did!

Sign up for the webinar while it’s available.

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3 Tips to Downsell Your Customers and Make More Money https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-downsell-your-customers-and-make-more-money/ Tue, 11 May 2021 12:00:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42749 It may seem counterintuitive, but downselling your customers can actually strengthen your business and grow your profits.

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Want to make more money? Try selling less expensive products.

It may seem counterintuitive, but downselling your customers can actually strengthen your business and grow your profits.

Some potential customers would love to purchase your product or service but don’t have room in the budget. Instead of letting those potential sales just walk away, try selling them a less expensive option that still adds to your brand.

Downselling starts a relationship and increases the chance that someone will make a bigger purchase from you in the future. Even though downsells are less expensive, they can still add up over time and help you make more money.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three ways to downsell your customers:

  1. Make it a no-brainer. To be effective, a downsell needs to be a real downsell. That means offering a secondary product for a significantly lower price that customers can afford. The price should be low enough that customers don’t even need to think before making the purchase.
  2. Make it high value. Just because a downsell is less expensive doesn’t mean it isn’t a quality product. Don’t assume that low cost means low value. I could downsell a $500 course with a $25 book, which is a significantly less expensive product but still valuable to customers.
  3. Make it scalable. A downsell shouldn’t be overly complicated. Make it something easy to scale so that you aren’t spending a lot of time and energy selling a low-cost product. Digital products can be great downsells because they can be easily replicated.

Downselling is a great way to build your business and strengthen your customer base. Taking the time to sell less expensive but still valuable products can help grow your business for the long term.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Greg McKeown On How To Get Effortless Results & Make It Easier To Do What Matters Most https://thefutureorganization.com/greg-mckeown-on-how-to-get-effortlessness-results-make-it-easier-to-do-what-matters-most/ Mon, 10 May 2021 12:00:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42669 We all know life is hard, in multiple ways. We’ve all experienced challenging times, especially over the past year.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Greg_McKeown_-_Ready.mp3

Greg McKeown is the bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and his new book Effortless: Make It Easier To Do What Matters Most. He is also the host of the popular podcast, What’s Essential, which has featured guests like Matthew McConaughey, Ariana Huffington, Jay Shetty, and Maria Shriver.

We all know life is hard, in multiple ways. We’ve all experienced challenging times, especially over the past year. But, as Greg points out, we tend to make things even more complicated for ourselves than we need to, and it can ultimately lead to burnout.

In his book, Effortless, Greg shares why achieving results doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it, whether in our personal lives or at work.

Why we need to get rid of the phrase “work hard, play hard”
This phrase, Greg says, gives us the idea that important work can’t be fun, easy, or enjoyable. It suggests that you have to be exhausted, self-sacrificing, and overworked in order for you to be doing something important. And on the other side, if you are having fun with something it’s not really work. Rest, relaxation, and fun is only something you do when you’re burned-out and need a break.

But what Greg believes is that there doesn’t need to be a separation between playing and working. And he is all about making the essential things enjoyable and easier to do. How? By turning the essential things into rituals that allows you to appreciate them and enjoy them.

A lot of times we confuse rituals with habits, but they are two different things. A habit is something that we make part of our routine on the basis that there will be a benefit later on. For example, maybe you’ve incorporated working out into your routine so that you feel better and live longer.

A ritual is something that you truly enjoy, it’s not about a benefit later on, it’s about enjoying the actual thing you are doing in the moment. It’s something that you look forward to. Greg says, “Take something from a chore and turn it into a ritual, then you have something magical to help you produce great results, but again, without burning out.”

What does it mean to be in an effortless state
One of the three main sections of Greg’s book is about what he calls an effortless state. Most people have experienced this sort of state, but not very often. Greg defines an effortless state as this, “when you’re in flow, it’s when you’re physically rested, you’re mentally at ease, you’re able to be at ease in focusing on what is essential to you. What’s important to note about this is that when you get into that state, it produces things. When you’re in the effortless state, you tend to take effortless action, you’re able to act without strain, without forcing things without breaking yourself or the people around you.”

That sounds great, so how do we get into an effortless state and make sure we stay there for a long time? Well first of all, you have to be able to realize when you are burned out. Research shows that the closer we get to burnout, the less likely we are to realize it.

Greg says, “The exhausted state tends to produce more exhausted action, and more exhausted results. And so people as they approach burnout start to try to power through it. So of course, that’s not a recipe for success. That’s a recipe for, you know, continuing this downward spiral.”

So it is up to us to realize that there are two states, two options. After we realize we are in an exhausted state, this is where your rituals come in.

One ritual Greg does to make sure he stays in an effortless state, is to practice gratitude. Every time he complains about something, he then says something he is thankful for. It is hard to stay in a state of anger, frustration, or fear when you are in a state of gratitude.

How to shut your brain off and be content with having free time
A lot of us have trouble taking time to rest, relax, and just have some free time. This is especially hard for entrepreneurs who tend to always create more work for themselves. But it’s true for people inside of organizations as well.

If this is true for you, Greg has some advice. First of all, he says, create a done for the day list. This is not a typical to-do list, although it is okay to have one of those as well. But typically those tend to be something we constantly add on-to and update, which means we could work with no end. But a done for the day list is a list of the things that if you accomplish them today you would feel satisfied with the day and you could walk away from work feeling good.

Another thing Greg does is he sets a time when he will be done for the day. His time is 5:00pm, so at that time every day, not only does he stop working, but he makes it a ritual that he walks out of his home office and calls out to his family “It’s five o’clock”, in order to hold himself accountable.

Now there are times when he has something special like a book launch or something like that when he has to work past his set time, but he doesn’t let that become the normal thing.

It is so important to set boundaries like the done for the day list and the set stopping time, especially during this past year. For a long time people have talked about work-life balance, but as Greg mentions, that’s a bit of a misnomer because it is never life overtaking work, it’s always work overtaking life.

But it will take time to train your brain to shut off at a certain point, in the beginning your brain will continue to think about work even after you walk away from it, but the more you practice your boundaries and get out of your old habits the easier it will be.

What to do if you don’t enjoy downtime
So now that you have set up some boundaries for yourself, what happens if you just don’t enjoy resting or free time? For over-achievers it can feel uncomfortable to not have anything specific to do. Greg shares something that sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s so true. He says, “Relaxing is a responsibility. Resting is a competency. And it turns out to be as important as the competency of work in the first place.”

These types of people who don’t like to relax need to practice self-awareness and realize that is a problem they have. Once you accept that you aren’t good at it, Greg suggests making a list of things that when you do them you are relaxed, rejuvenated, chilled out, and having fun. Greg and his wife both actually have a list of 20 things they recognize helps them relax. And you can have anything you want on this list, there are no other rules.

You may include going on a walk, reading a book, sitting in a hot tub, playing chess, drinking your favorite beverage out on your deck, going to your favorite restaurant–anything you want. And then these items become your building blocks for a time of rest. For example, if you have 3-hours of downtime, use this list to build your perfect 3-hours of relaxing. You could spend 30 minutes out on your deck with some coffee, spend 30 minutes playing chess with a friend, then go for a walk, and go out to your favorite restaurant–and you’ve filled those 3 hours, but with things that recharge you and give you rest.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Common Mistakes That New Leaders Make https://thefutureorganization.com/3-common-mistakes-that-new-leaders-make/ Thu, 06 May 2021 13:00:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42043 Are you new to leadership? Perhaps you’ve recently been promoted to a manager role and find yourself excited and overwhelmed by new responsibilities.

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Are you new to leadership? Perhaps you’ve recently been promoted to a manager role and find yourself excited and overwhelmed by new responsibilities.

Leadership is a crucial trait that all managers need to have. But just because you’re a manager doesn’t mean you’re a leader, says Julie Zhuo, author of the bestselling book, The Making of a Manager.

As more people make the mental shift away from being just a manager with a specific job into the larger mindset of being a respected leader, they often face challenges and make mistakes.

Here are three common mistakes new leaders make:

Feeling they need to have all the answers.
New leaders often fall into the trap of feeling they need to be the smartest person in the room. A leader doesn’t need to have all answers, they just need to know where they can find those answers and who they can talk to. Leaders are continually learning and growing, just like everyone else.

Feeling like they need to know how to do the roles of their employees as well or better than they do.
Employees are in their roles for a reason. A leader can’t expect to do everyone’s job incredibly well because then there wouldn’t be a need for the team. When everyone—leaders included—focuses on their unique strengths and responsibilities, the team can progress together.

Feeling of superiority or getting a big head from a promotion.
Being a leader doesn’t make someone better than someone else. The best leaders are humble and look for ways to serve their people instead of feeling superior to them.

Being a manager doesn’t make you a leader. But all managers need to move into the role of leadership and adopt a new mindset of leading, motivating, and setting a vision for their people.

There will certainly be struggles and a learning curve along the way. Look out for these common mistakes as you continue down the path to becoming a great leader.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Giving Away 3 Amazing Books On Entrepreneurship! https://thefutureorganization.com/giving-away-3-amazing-books-on-entrepreneurship/ Wed, 05 May 2021 13:33:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42501 It’s GIVEAWAY time! My wife Blake and I have been working very hard on growing the Be Your Own Podcast where we interview amazing entrepreneurs and share what we learned about entrepreneurship over the years. Our goal is to help you Be Your Own Boss too! Our goal is to keep growing the show and ... Read more

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It’s GIVEAWAY time!

My wife Blake and I have been working very hard on growing the Be Your Own Podcast where we interview amazing entrepreneurs and share what we learned about entrepreneurship over the years.

Our goal is to help you Be Your Own Boss too!

Our goal is to keep growing the show and to make it one of the most popular podcasts on entrepreneurship. One of the best ways to grow a show and get it discovered by more people is through reviews.

So……

We’re taking a page out of Amy Porterfield’s book and are running a giveaway starting now through Wednesday, May 19.

We’re going to pick 3 winners who will each receive 3 of the best and most valuable books on entrepreneurship. Two of these authors have actually been podcast guests!

The rules are simple and we created a whole landing page with details.

Step 1: Rate and review the Be Your Own Boss Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Of course, we appreciate 5-star reviews but they aren’t required.

Step 2: Take a screenshot of your review and send it to us via email: Morgans[at]byobpodcast[dot]com

Bonus step 3: Share your review or a link to our show on Apple Podcasts with on social networks.

That’s it!

Simple right?

We’re hoping to do more giveaways in the future but we wanted to start with this one as a test to see how it goes.

Blake and I would love your support so head over to this page for more details or you can go straight to our show on Apple Podcasts if you want to leave us a review.

(At the moment it’s just for people in the United States)

Here are the 3 books you will have a chance to win:

  • The Uncommon Path to Common Success by John Lee Dumas
  • Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
  • Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy by Patrick Bet-David

All 3 of these books will add tremendous value in your entrepreneurial journey and help ensure your success.

 

 

Good luck and thanks again for your continued support!

 

 

 

All the details are here if you need them.

Blake and Jacob

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Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset https://thefutureorganization.com/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset/ Tue, 04 May 2021 08:31:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42496 Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset?
The answer impacts how you think about yourself and how you move towards the future.

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Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset?

The answer impacts how you think about yourself and how you move towards the future.

The idea of a growth mindset was first created by Dr. Carol Dweck. A growth mindset is the idea that people can grow and improve their intelligence and talents. Just because you aren’t naturally talented in a certain area doesn’t mean that you can’t become talented in that area.

Conversely, a fixed mindset is the idea that our intelligence and talents are fixed and can’t be changed or improved.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Your mindset dictates how you think about yourself and your behaviors. It’s the reason behind your actions and your relationships with others.

People with a growth mindset believe there is room for improvement. Even if you aren’t skilled in a certain area, they believe you can improve your skills. People with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to grow.

But people with a fixed mindset spend more time documenting their talents than trying to improve them. They believe that talent alone brings success, not effort. If you aren’t good at something now, you’ll never become good at it.

In order to lead and thrive in the future of work, you have to adopt a growth mindset. The world is changing so quickly, and we have to grow and learn new things to become better and lead the change.

If you have a fixed mindset and don’t think you can ever improve, you’ll get left behind and stay stuck in your ways. That’s no way to live or lead.

With a growth mindset, there’s always room for improvement. There’s room to learn new things, grow, innovate, and experiment.

If you want to lead in the future of work, you have to have a growth mindset.

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Fareed Zakaria On 10 Lessons For A Post Pandemic World https://thefutureorganization.com/fareed-zakaria-on-10-lessons-for-a-post-pandemic-world/ Mon, 03 May 2021 11:45:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42409 The pandemic has had an impact on every one of our lives, and the effects will be felt for a long time to come.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Fareed_Zakaria_-_Ready.mp3

Fareed Zakaria Transcript

Fareed Zakaria is the host of the CNN show, Fareed Zakaria GPS. He is also a columnist for The Washington Post, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, and he is the bestselling author of several books including his newest one, Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World.

The pandemic has had an impact on every one of our lives, and the effects will be felt for a long time to come. Early on in the pandemic, Fareed knew we were going through something big, something the world hadn’t gone through for over 100 years, and he wanted to figure things out for himself. He also wanted to help others make sense of everything, which is what pushed him to write his newest book.

Every part of our lives has been affected–health, politics, economics, and education. Thankfully we live in a time when we have the technology and resources needed to be able to still carry on for the most part. While office buildings, schools, and restaurants shut down people got creative and found a way to keep going with online learning, home deliveries, online work meetings, etc…

But while there are many good things about technology, there are also a lot of cons that come with an all virtual world.

The limitations of technology
The place we see the limitations of technology the most, according to Fareed, is in our education systems. Education is not simply about children and young adults soaking up information, it is also a very social and emotional experience as well.

As Fareed shared with me, “you have to create an atmosphere of social trust, you have to create an atmosphere in which people feel like they’re having fun, you have to create an atmosphere where people feel a little bit of competition, you know, with peers and all that together creates the kind of opening in our minds that allows the knowledge to go in. And so if you just think of it, and say I’m just going to put you in front of a computer screen, and you will get information, and you will imbibe that information. No, you won’t. You won’t. You know, the mind just switches off.”

There are definitely some things that just aren’t the same virtually as they are when we are face-to-face. Fareed says that one of the challenges we will face after the pandemic will be to figure out the power and the advantages of this online world we’ve been in. But we also need to look at the disadvantages of what we experienced and figure out how we can fix it. And he believes that we will end up in a hybrid model of some kind where we have a mixture of in-person and online.

We can use technology for good things, but there are also ways in which we use it that can be harmful. But it is up to us how it is used. We can choose to text and drive which is dangerous, we can choose to multitask and always be available online which can cause burnout, we can use it to spread lies and misinformation. But it can also be used in ways that keep us safe, productive, and less stressed.

As Fareed says, we should be optimistic about the future, but we also need to be realistic in order to see the problems and challenges that come with technology. It’s not about being a blind optimist, it’s about being aware of all the problems that exist, because that’s the only way you fix them.

How leadership has been impacted by the pandemic
Over the past year leaders around the world have had to pivot to lead in a completely virtual setting, and that is not easy. Fareed shared an example of something that happened to him personally as a leader during this time that really made him stop and think.

His team from his current CNN show has been all virtual, everyone on the team is working from their own homes. And at one point in the pandemic, he noticed that the morale was not as high as it usually was and people were getting burned out, which he found odd since his team is so close-knit and they have always worked so well together.

So in order to get to the bottom of the problem, he called a team meeting and he asked his team to be open and honest with him to figure out what was going on. And one team member was very blunt and told him “Look, you sometimes send these cryptic emails that are really hard for us to take”. And so the conversation started around why they felt that his communication was different now than before.

And what they came to discover was the loss of casual conversation and in person engagement was really at the root of the problem. Before the pandemic, they would see each other throughout the day and joke, ask each other about their families, talk about their weekend plans, etc…So in that context, after you hand some light banter throughout the day to get an email simply saying “we need to re-write this” doesn’t sound so bad.

But now in a completely virtual setting, they were going days without talking or interacting and then to suddenly get that same short email of “we need to re-write this” seemed harsh and rude. And it was ruining the morale of the team.

Fareed shares, “It made me realize that what I was doing there was I was spending social capital, rather than building social capital. And that what I had to do was to be very conscious of the fact that in this virtual environment, you’ve got to build social capital before you can spend it. And you’ve got to put in the time and the energy.”

What does that look like? Instead of writing one sentence, maybe you should write a full paragraph. Instead of jumping into the agenda for an online meeting, you should ask people how they’re doing, or joke around a bit. Instead of going a few weeks without checking in with an employee or a co-worker, reach out even if it’s just to say “hi, how was your weekend”.

“You need to realize you cannot just, you know, kind of issue commands and expect people to follow them or issue directives, that doesn’t work. Where it might have in a different context, where there was a lot of soft stuff going on, and then you had this one email that came through.”

What’s going to happen to the cities?
Throughout the pandemic, and even a little before that, people have speculated that cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago are going to disappear. And while the option to have work flexibility is more possible now, which means people don’t have to report to a central office, it doesn’t mean cities are a thing of the past.

Fareed looks to history to figure out the future, and when we do that we see that people moved to cities because there was more work and because they could earn more money there. When you have a highly dense population, there are more people to sell your product to. There are more people to invest in your business. There are more people around to network with.

“That density is what produces economic activity, which is why, you know, there’s a couple of very good calculations that suggest that people who live in particularly large cities tend to be about 50% more productive than other people. I’d say it’s not that we’re smarter, it’s that you’re more likely to meet people, you’re more likely to do more deals, you’re more likely to see more stuff. I don’t think that’s going to change”

And while people no longer have to live in a city center to be close to their organization’s headquarters, you will probably see a large amount of people living on the outskirts and commuting into the city–if not everyday, then at least from time to time.

One thing Fareed thinks will change about cities is that you won’t be seeing as many big office buildings, since most people can work from home or from co-working spaces or even smaller more localized offices. So these big office buildings may be used for something else like affordable housing or performance space or something else.

Fareed’s advice for individuals and leaders in the post-pandemic world
When I asked Fareed what his advice would be for individuals looking for opportunity as things start to open up and also for leaders, he said he would offer everyone the same advice–whether you are a leader or not.

He said, “One thing that I think we don’t talk enough about is what are the personal lessons and opportunities that the pandemic has produced? We spend a lot of time talking about all the external stuff we have to fix. How do we get better government policies in place? How do we get corporations to change the way they run? How do we get cities to be transformed? What are all the external things we need to do? But we should also be thinking to ourselves, what are the internal supports that have mattered the most during this pandemic? What have we learned about ourselves as human beings, what do we need to be fulfilled, to be happy, to be productive–and productive in every sense of the word, right. Not just as workers, but as partners, as parents, as children.”

No matter where you are in life we all have a chance to learn something from what we have been through. We can all ask ourselves–what makes me happy? What gives me joy? What makes me productive? And we can maximize that in a way we have not done before. We only get one life, so use it well.

He also believes we should all ask ourselves this question– How can I be a better version of myself–given what we have gone through and the ability we’ve had to get to know ourselves without all of the distractions we had before the pandemic. It’s been a difficult time for all of us in different ways, but what can we take from this experience, what can we use from this to propel us forward and to make us better human beings?

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Consider These 3 Periods Of Your Day To Maximum Productivity https://thefutureorganization.com/consider-these-3-periods-of-your-day-to-get-maximum-productivity/ Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:01:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42288 Do you struggle to stay productive and motivated?
It could be that you aren’t structuring your day in the right way.

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Do you want to get the most out of your day?

Do you struggle to stay productive and motivated?

It could be that you aren’t structuring your day in the right way.

Productivity is all about timing. According to Daniel Pink, best-selling author of Drive and When, we see big changes in performance based on time of day.

Instead of just plugging tasks into the day when you have time, taking a more thoughtful and intentional approach to when you do certain things can greatly increase your productivity.

Your day is divided into three periods of productivity:

Peak. This is the time when you are most energized and productive. During your peak time, it’s best to do deep work that requires you to buckle down and focus. Use this time to do tasks like crunching numbers, analyzing reports, or writing.

Trough. This is the opposite of the peak time and when you see significant drops in your performance and productivity. Use your trough time for light mental work or administrative tasks that don’t require brainpower or creativity, like data entry or answering routine emails.

Recovery. This is when your productivity is down but your mood is up, and it’s a time that provides mental looseness. The recovery period is best for creative and insightful tasks like brainstorming, problem-solving, or looking for solutions that aren’t obvious.

As you set out to plan your day, consider your energy levels and mental capacity. Try to identify the times of days when you feel productive and at peak levels and times when you are in a trough or recovery. Everyone has different timing throughout their day—the key is to find your energy periods and assign tasks accordingly.

When you use these periods to plan your day, you’ll see your productivity blossom and reach new levels.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Secret To Success For Future Leaders? Curiosity https://thefutureorganization.com/the-secret-to-success-for-future-leaders-curiosity/ Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:15:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42243 As leaders stop being curious, they truly do lose touch with their teams, their customers, and their organizations.

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As the future of work changes, leaders have to be willing to take risks and ask questions.

Francesco Starace isn’t afraid to try new things. In his personal life, he pushes himself by participating in cycling races. At work, he has been named a top leader and manager and is constantly asking questions and learning so he can better serve his employees and customers.

As CEO of Enel Group, Francesco leads Europe’s largest utility company by market capitalization with more than 73 million global customers and 68,000 employees.

I had the chance to interview Francesco for my book, The Future Leader, and he shared valuable insights from his distinguished career in Italy. From his years of experience, Francesco says success for future leaders comes down to one mindset: curiosity.

Francesco put it this way: “Leaders have to have an inbred curiosity that keeps them hooked and connected with what changes or happens around themselves, not to lose touch.”

As leaders stop being curious, they truly do lose touch with their teams, their customers, and their organizations. Those connections are vital to growing a business in the ever-changing world of work.

Being curious is more than just learning about your company. Francesco says it’s paying attention and being interested in all kinds of things, even if they don’t seem relevant in the moment. Those things might someday be important, so curiosity can give yourself and your organization a head start on the competition.

Curiosity In The Fast-Paced Future Of Work
The world is moving forward at breakneck speeds, and that will only increase. Leaders need to know what is happening and be prepared to adapt to rapid changes.

Francesco says that’s why being curious is so crucial for future leaders—they need to understand what’s next and prepare for that.

He put it this way: “We all know things are going to be faster, but we tend to ignore that when it comes to our own environment. I think one of the key roles of a leader is to push that into reality.”

Curious leaders ask questions and consider various possibilities. They learn about the world around them and are aware of what could happen. That thirst for information helps them understand what is coming down the pipeline and have the ability to pivot and change as needed.

How To Develop Curiosity
Curiosity is crucial, but it can’t be taught. Francesco says you have to find it and keep it alive. Some people naturally aren’t curious, while others are wildly curious.

But almost everyone has some degree of curiosity inside themselves. It may be hidden deeper in some people or has been squashed with years of corporate drivel. 

“Often curious people get shut up and get pushed away because they ask too many questions. They are constraining because their mind is continuously moving around. That’s a problem. A lot of curious people are like those left-handed people that learn to use their right hand but they’re not really perfect at it because their best hand would be left. Curiosity is something that needs to be born with but has to be kept and worked at over the years,” Francesco said.

To keep curiosity alive, spend time alone in your thoughts. Schedule time to think freely instead of going from meeting to meeting without giving your mind time to wander. Francesco likes to ride his bike alone, which gives his mind a chance to explore and ask questions. It’s especially important for leaders, who tend to be constantly surrounded by people and connected through technology. That regular time to be alone and practice curiosity keeps his natural curiosity alive.

If you want to succeed as a future leader, you have to learn to be curious and ask questions. Paying attention to what’s happening around you and challenging the status quo is one of the most important things you can do.

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How To Use Visual Imagery To Create Empathy https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-use-visual-imagery-to-create-empathy/ Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:34:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42224 Our world today is full of chaos and turmoil, and people have strong opinions about many big issues.

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Our world today is full of chaos and turmoil, and people have strong opinions about many big issues.

It’s impossible to go throughout your day without talking to someone who thinks differently than you.

But instead of getting angry or looking for your differences, focus on compassion and empathy. When you put yourself in someone else’s shoes in a difficult situation, you have the mental agility to see things from their perspective and find similarities instead of differences.

When you create empathy, you can make progress and build relationships instead of facing division and roadblocks.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Especially during challenging times, Blake uses visual imagery to create empathy with different types of people and different relationships. Visual imagery is a powerful tool to push past feelings of contention or anger and focus on empathy and positivity.

When faced with unwarranted criticism from a family friend, you can remember an experience and put yourself in their shoes to understand what their life is like and what may be driving their anger.

When facing an argument with a spouse or loved one, it can be easy to think of all the things the person did wrong. But instead, visualize the positive times and use imagery to challenge your assumptions and not just assume you are always right. It’s easy to only remember the negative things someone does, but using visual imagery helps you remember the positive actions to challenge your assumptions and fight fair with empathy.

We’re constantly faced with difficult issues, and tensions run high at work and with family and friends. Following these tips of visual imagery can help you push past the differences and focus on empathy.

With an empathetic mindset, you can be more cool, collected, and compassionate when talking to people. And that’s exactly what the world needs right now.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How to Find Your ONE Thing: Advice from Bestselling Author Jay Papasan https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-find-your-one-thing-advice-from-bestselling-author-jay-papasan/ Mon, 26 Apr 2021 12:19:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42178 Jay Papasan is the bestselling author of multiple books including The ONE Thing, which he co-authored with Gary Keller.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jay_Papasan_-_Ready.mp3

Jay Papasan Transcript

Jay Papasan is the bestselling author of multiple books including The ONE Thing, which he co-authored with Gary Keller. The book has sold more than 2 million copies, it has been translated into 35 languages, and it has appeared on more than 500 national bestseller lists.

The main focus of The ONE Thing is to help readers find the one thing that they can do that will make everything else easier or unnecessary. In other words, once you come up with a goal for yourself it is important for you to ask yourself every day what is the one thing I can do today to take me closer to that goal. Every day you are looking for your number one priority.

But does that mean you can only focus on one goal or one thing at a time? No way! Jay says that is actually the biggest mistake readers make when going through the book. He says, “We never said that–who gets to do one thing? Nobody, right? We have kids, we have aging parents, we have hobbies, we have jobs, our jobs have all kinds of busywork that is absolutely necessary and can’t be ignored. But if we start and give disproportionate focus and energy to the true priority, everything else does get easier. And sometimes it just goes away. You don’t even have to do it. That’s a big idea.”

Finding your ONE Thing
Jay suggests that when you first start to try to find your one thing, it is important to think strategically about something that will be a long-term goal. Aim big, and long-term, instead of focusing on something you can achieve in the short term.

As Jay shares, when you are young and just starting out it is important to try to figure out what your unique gifts are. What are some areas where you excel that maybe others have a hard time with? He says, “The reason ultimately people get accelerated through the business world is that in some area they can provide disproportionate returns on their investment of time, right. They can sell more than the next person, they can close more than the next person, they can write better copy, or better code than the next person. So part of the young person’s journey is discovering where their passion and their gifts align.”

How can you become invaluable? In what areas can you show up and provide extra value? What are you passionate about or what are you skilled at? If there is something that you are very skilled at and that same thing brings you joy and a sense of purpose–you should lean into that.

And remember that every job is going to have things about it that you don’t enjoy, it’s pretty rare for someone to find a job that they enjoy 100% of the time. But if the majority of the role is exciting, challenging, and enjoyable for you–start your focus there.

How Jay helps his employees find their one thing
Jay is in charge of 44 employees with Keller Williams and one thing he practices on a regular basis with his team is something they call GPS. Each year Jay and his team come together to figure out what their number one goal as a company is. And once they have that goal they come up with three to five priorities that they will need to focus on throughout the year to reach that goal, and each of those priorities has up to five strategies behind it. That is how they get everyone on the team on the same page and working towards the same goal. So that happens on a yearly basis.

And then every week Jay meets with the people who report to him to review their own one-page of set goals. This is called the 4-1-1, because it is that person’s priorities for 4 weeks, one month, and one year all on one page. Every week the individual employee looks at their annual goals based on the company priorities and from that they come up with monthly goals that support those overarching goals.

Jay says, “Every week they put their weekly goals that line up to their monthly goals that line up to their annual goals that line up to the divisional company goals. So it’s a cascading set of priorities. So that every week, I spend 30 minutes or so with the key people who work with me, and we review their weekly priorities. And once a month, I will look at their monthly priorities and just ask the question, how does this help us achieve our goals? And at the beginning of the year is the most work, right? We ask what’s our one thing and then based on that we create the cascade.”

This process allows employees to break large company-wide goals into bite-sized, achievable priorities that they know they can accomplish.

Is hustle culture a good thing?
A lot of people, especially entrepreneurs, believe that success is connected to a nonstop hustle to try to get ahead. They think that by outworking their competition they can win. But Jay doesn’t agree with this concept at all.

He says, “One of my fundamental beliefs is that to be a successful husband and a father and a successful business person, that those are not mutually exclusive endeavors. I refuse to believe otherwise. And the challenge I have with the hustle culture that you have to outwork and work longer than your competitors, is that they’re just ignoring the fact that like, I get to work every day with a self made billionaire. I do the math, what is his dollars per hour, it’s incalculable. But he doesn’t work any more hours than I do on an average week. So it’s not how many hours you work. It’s what you put into the hours. And it sounds so trite, but it’s incredibly true.”

It’s not that you can’t work long hours from time to time or put in time at the office on a weekend on occasion. As Jay shares, he has done that when they are on a deadline or if he’s preparing to speak at a big conference. But it’s not the norm. There are moments in life when you have to work harder than others, but to hustle nonstop all the time is not sustainable.

“I’ve seen it be a recipe for divorce and disease. And I do not want the people I love to be caught into the culture of hustle first, think second. So I think this is business as a thinking person’s game. And when we are strategic in our investment of time, we win.”

The four pitfalls people experience when living The ONE Thing
Once people have found their ONE thing and they start living that out, there are a few pitfalls they can fall into that Jay warns about. They are:

  1. They lack clarity about what they want.
  2. They’re clear on what they want, but they’re unfocused in their approach.
  3. They’re focused, but they actually don’t have time to execute.
  4. The time that they DO commit, they leave unprotected.

So as you are navigating your priorities and goals, be sure to look out for these traps and make sure you don’t fall into any of them.

What can you do to start practicing your ONE thing today
For those of you who are ready to start putting this into practice today, Jay’s advice is to set up 30 minutes a week–whether it’s on a Sunday before the week starts or on Friday before you leave work–and come up with your one goal for the coming week.

Look at your schedule and tasks for the upcoming week and ask yourself “of all the things I could do, what is the number one thing I can achieve next week?” Figure out your number one goal for that week and then manage your time to make sure that one thing happens.

And if you have more than one thing you have to get done, use that 30 minutes a week to help you narrow down your to-do list to your top 5 things that actually matter. And then number those 5 things in order of importance, so you remember what that #1 most important thing is. Putting this exercise into practice will help you stay laser focused on what really matters to you and it will help you achieve your goals faster.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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15 Leadership Lessons From Top CEOs https://thefutureorganization.com/15-leadership-lessons-from-top-ceos/ Thu, 22 Apr 2021 22:40:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42095 What is the greatest leadership lesson you ever learned? Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with more than 500 leaders on my podcast, The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan.

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What is the greatest leadership lesson you ever learned?

Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with more than 500 leaders on my podcast, The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan.

Each leader shared tips, advice, lessons they’ve learned, as well as an inside look at what it’s like to lead their organization.

Each leader is unique, and I’ve learned something from each one.

This past year brought challenges for all of us around the world.

We had to learn how to adjust to a pandemic, address social injustices, lead virtually, and much more. Especially in 2020, my guests shared inspiration, motivation, and realistic advice for listeners.

From these interviews, I’ve pulled 15 leadership lessons that are crucial for your personal and professional success…especially if you aspire to lead others and lead others well.

You can grab the PDF here or by clicking the image below.

These aren’t your typical leadership tips–these are tried and true practices that are more important in our uncertain future than ever before.

In the PDF you will learn the following:

  • How to lead by example from Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot.
  • The importance of creating your own luck from Shellye Archambeau, the former CEO of MetricStream.
  • What culture is and what it isn’t from Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix.
  • Why it doesn’t have to be crazy at work from Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp.
  • What to do if you feel stuck at work from David Cote, former chairman and CEO of Honeywell.
  • How to lead with empathy and courage from Kate Johnson, president of Microsoft U.S.
  • How COVID-19 has changed leadership forever, from Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO of Genpact.
  • How leaders can serve their employees, from Carrie Birkhofer, President and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union.
  • The importance of creating a mission that resonates with employees, from Steve Bilt, CEO of Smile Brands.
  • Why people are the solution and not the problem, from Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy.
  • Why leaders need a short attention span, from Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC
  • How the best leadership lessons can come from those around you and not just MBA programs, from Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers
  • Why everyone should think like an entrepreneur, from Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square.
  • Why you should put people ahead of profits, from Pehr Gyllenhammar, former CEO of Volvo.
  • How to create and scale an amazing culture for a remote workforce, from Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners.

You can download the PDF for free and get all of the 15 leadership lessons by clicking here.

2020 brought leaders challenges they never could have predicted. But by following these tips from top CEOs and continually developing yourself as a leader, you can be prepared to lead and succeed in the future of work, no matter what that future brings.

I hope you find these 15 leadership tips valuable and can implement them in your life and career.

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3 Questions to Ask to Get Better Feedback https://thefutureorganization.com/3-questions-to-ask-to-get-better-feedback/ Wed, 21 Apr 2021 23:02:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42040 When was the last time you asked for feedback? It can be a little awkward and intimidating to approach a co-worker or leader and ask how you did on something.

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When was the last time you asked for feedback?

It can be a little awkward and intimidating to approach a co-worker or leader and ask how you did on something.

But getting feedback is crucial to your growth as an individual and an employee.

Instead of simply asking for feedback or how you did on something, you can ask different questions to make the situation less uncomfortable and help you get better feedback.

Here are three questions to ask to get better feedback and start a meaningful feedback conversation. These are questions I ask my team members regularly that help me improve and grow.

  1. Can I get your advice? When you ask this question, it means you’ve thought through a problem to create a solution. Your leader or colleague can provide feedback on your solution to make sure you’re moving in the right direction. Instead of simply complaining about something or asking a question without a solution in mind, when you ask for specific advice you’ve already done the work to make your own plan.
  2. What can I do better? Asking this question allows the person to give feedback based on your strengths. Instead of asking what you’re doing wrong, this question focuses on the positive and helps build on your natural abilities.
  3. What can I focus on now to prepare for a future role? Asking what skills and mindsets you should be learning now focuses on your growth. It shows you are interested in your future and can provide direct guidance to set you up for future success.
    Feedback is vital, but it doesn’t need to be uncomfortable. When you phrase asking for feedback differently, the conversations can flow more smoothly and be more directed to your growth and development.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

These three questions all focus on positive growth that is pointed to the future. The goal of asking for feedback isn’t to break you down, but to build you up and help you prepare for the future.

Instead of avoiding feedback, ask for it differently. Choose one of these questions to start with and use it as a jumping-off point for quality feedback.

Your future self will thank you.

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6 Tips For When You Get Burned Out From Work https://thefutureorganization.com/6-tips-for-when-you-get-burned-out-from-work/ Wed, 21 Apr 2021 06:19:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=42020 No matter if you’re an entrepreneur or an employee in an organization, chances are you’ve experienced burnout.

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No matter if you’re an entrepreneur or an employee in an organization, chances are you’ve experienced burnout.

It happens to everyone, especially when we pour so much of our time and energy into working our jobs.

But instead of pushing through burnout and letting it grow and snowball, it’s important to combat it and allow yourself to refresh and rejuvenate.

Here are six tips for when you experience burnout. These are things I’ve done throughout my career—some even as recently as today—to fight the inevitable feeling of burnout.

  1. Pay attention to the signs. Take time to evaluate what’s causing your burnout and how it makes you feel. When you’re self-aware enough to know the signs, you can prevent burnout before it grows.
  2. Rest. Just like you would rest a physical injury instead of pushing through the pain, you need to rest your mind and body to overcome burnout. Take a break. Trying to power through the burnout will only make it worse.
  3. Do the easy work. When you start to experience burnout, put your detailed and involved tasks on the backburner and instead focus on tasks that don’t require as much creativity or brainpower. That way, you’re still getting things done, but it isn’t adding to your mental load.
  4. Find an outlet. Take up a hobby or activity you genuinely enjoy doing, like drawing, meditating, or playing chess. It doesn’t matter what the activity is as long as it excites you and gives you a chance to recharge and focus on something other than work.
  5. Delegate. Determine the tasks that are causing your burnout and delegate them to other people. When you offload things that cause burnout, you have more time to focus on the tasks you enjoy doing.
  6. Get support. Turn to your network of friends, family, and other entrepreneurs to talk through your burnout. Work can be isolating, so reach out to people for human interaction and support when you start feeling overwhelmed.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

These six tips can help you turn around when you experience burnout. You owe it to yourself to address burnout instead of letting it run its course. Be proactive when you start feeling burned out and stop to take care of yourself. When you address burnout and follow these tips, you will feel more energized and better prepared to do great work.

No matter where you are in your career, you’ll inevitably face burnout. Knowing what to do when that happens with these six tips can make all the difference and turn that burnout into a well-deserved break that helps you come back better than ever.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Alignment Problem: The Implications of AI On Our Lives and Our Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-alignment-problem-the-implications-of-ai-on-our-lives-and-our-work/ Mon, 19 Apr 2021 10:19:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41983 AI has been a very hot topic of discussion among business leaders over the past few decades, and there are varying degrees of worry.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Brian_Christian_-_Ready.mp3

Brian Christian Transcript

Brian Christian is the author of The Most Human Human, which was named a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and a New Yorker favorite book of the year. He is the author, with Tom Griffiths, of Algorithms to Live By, a #1 Audible bestseller, Amazon best science book of the year and MIT Technology Review best book of the year. And his newest book is The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values.

AI has been a very hot topic of discussion among business leaders over the past few decades, and there are varying degrees of worry. Today Brian is sharing his view on AI and machine learning and whether we should be worried or not. He also explains why everyone should get to know more about AI, even if you aren’t in a technical role.

In this episode of the podcast we explore:

  • The history of AI and machine learning
  • How questions from Elon Musk pushed Brian to write his book, The Alignment Problem
  • What is supervised learning vs. reinforcement learning in regards to AI
  • Potential problems we should look out for when it comes to AI
  • What is an algorithm and what goes into creating one
  • Advice for people who want to be more aware of this realm

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Diminishing Leadership Behavior To Watch Out For https://thefutureorganization.com/3-diminishing-leadership-behavior-to-watch-out-for/ Fri, 16 Apr 2021 23:47:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41900 Are you a multiplier or a diminisher?

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Are you a multiplier or a diminisher?

According to Liz Wiseman, author of Multipliers, all leaders fall into one of the two categories.

Organizations can’t afford to have leaders who are diminishers. These are the people who keep people on choke chains and restrict growth and progress.

Multipliers, on the other hand, encourage their people to experiment and grow. They let their employees soar like kites while still holding the strings.

Leaders can learn how to be multipliers and develop the positive attributes of leadership. The first step is looking out for signs that you are a diminisher and overcoming those weaknesses. In many cases, these diminishing actions are so ingrained in leadership that we don’t even realize that they are hurting the organization.

Here are three warning signs to look for in diminishing leadership:

1. Being idea-rich. If you as a leader provide all the answers all the time, people will start to get lazy and disengaged. Instead of coming up with their own innovative ideas, they will spend all their time bringing your ideas to fruition. An idea-rich leader prevents other people from forming and presenting their great ideas.

2. Being optimistic all the time. Optimism in general isn’t a bad thing, but leaders shouldn’t ignore challenges and struggles. Things are hard, and it’s important to accept that. Acknowledge the struggle from time to time, especially to recognize what your team has overcome.

3. Being a rapid responder. If you rush to fix everything as the leader, it pushes other people from getting involved. People can’t take ownership of something until you let go of it. Don’t respond so quickly that your people can’t do their jobs.

All future leaders need to be multipliers who help their people grow and soar. As you go throughout your career as a leader, watch out for these behaviors of diminishers and work to overcome them.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Ways To Make Your Voice Heard At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-make-your-voice-heard-at-work/ Wed, 14 Apr 2021 23:13:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41897 What’s one of the best ways to advance your career and open doors for new opportunities?
Speak up at work.

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Struggling to make yourself heard at work? You’re not alone.

Research has found that about half of all employees don’t regularly speak their minds at work.

But if you want to grow your career and have a better work experience, you’ve got to speak up. When people know what you stand for and what you can contribute, you’ll get more opportunities and build more connections.

Try these five strategies to put yourself out there and make yourself heard at work:

  1. Speak up in meetings. Your biggest opportunity to speak up is in meetings. Be confident–you were invited for a reason and not just to sit back and agree with everything. Prepare what you need to say and don’t be afraid to jump in. If you need a nudge, be the first one to talk before it gets too chaotic or put yourself on the agenda so they have to listen to you.
  2. Join a committee. Nearly every organization has committees for everything from improving engagement to planning parties and welcoming new employees. Find something that matches your talents and interests and go all in. Actively participate, have an opinion, and volunteer for assignments. A smaller group may make it more manageable to be heard and help your presence be felt around the company.
  3. Participate in the intranet. Many companies have some sort of intranet for employees to chat and share experiences and ideas. Make your voice heard online. Start conversations in the employee chat or answer questions in the forum. Being assertive online can translate into real-life confidence.
  4. Ask questions. If you struggle to share your own ideas, make your voice heard by asking questions. Speak up in meetings by asking questions to clarify what is being discussed. Visit your manager or a colleague with a question about a project or a possibility of what could happen. Asking questions asserts you in the action and makes sure you are heard.
  5. Offer a solution. People don’t want to hear what’s wrong–they want to know how to fix it. Instead of raising complaints, offer solutions. Look around the company and find a way to solve an existing problem. Show that you are valuable and have a positive attitude. It just takes one great solution or idea to launch your career. Be a problem solver and share those ideas in meetings or in a one-on-one. 

Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard at work. Choose one of these strategies to start small. Believe in yourself and what you have to say!

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3 Tips To Help You Set Boundaries https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-help-you-set-boundaries/ Wed, 14 Apr 2021 05:02:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41894 To succeed as an entrepreneur and as a leader, you can’t just give in to what everyone else wants you to do. You have to set boundaries.

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To succeed as an entrepreneur and as a leader, you can’t just give in to what everyone else wants you to do.

You have to set boundaries.

Without boundaries, you’ll find that your time is spent doing what others want. You’ll lose control of your personal and professional growth and go throughout the day being reactive instead of proactive.

That’s no way to live or run your business.

In this video, Blake shares three tips to set boundaries. These are things she does in her own life that put her in control of her schedule, work, and personal life.

If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Setting boundaries tells the world that you value your time and your quality of life. By following these tips and setting boundaries, you can create a life and a business that you really want to have. A happier, healthier life starts by setting boundaries.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How to Create Executive Presence and Why It’s So Important https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-develop-executive-presence/ Mon, 12 Apr 2021 10:05:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41855 Whether you lead a team of thousands, a team of hundreds, or a team of five, you should have executive presence.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Tom_Henschel_-_Ready.mp3

Tom Henschel Transcript

Whether you lead a team of thousands, a team of hundreds, or a team of five, you should have executive presence. While executive presence alone most likely won’t get you promoted or keep you in your current role, it is something that will set you apart. It is also a huge part of motivating and inspiring your team.

So what is executive presence? That is exactly what we are talking about today. Tom Henschel is the host of The Look & Sound of Leadership, which has been airing since 2008. Tom is also a communications coach for executives at companies like Warner Bros, Toyota, Mattel, and Sony Pictures.

Tom is president of the executive development firm Essential Communications. He was also classically trained at The Juilliard School, Drama Division. Tom was a professional actor for more than 20 years and has appeared in over 100 plays, films, and TV episodes.

In this episode of the podcast we explore:

  • How Tom went from acting to coaching executives
  • What is executive presence and why is it so important
  • Do you need executive presence in order to be a leader?
  • The aspect of executive presence that leaders struggle with
  • How to have executive presence in a virtual world
  • Action items leaders can implement today to create executive presence

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Pillars Of Being a Lifelong Learner https://thefutureorganization.com/3-pillars-of-being-a-lifelong-learner/ Thu, 08 Apr 2021 15:03:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41723 Of all the skills needed to succeed in the future of work, the most important is this: learning how to learn.

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Of all the skills needed to succeed in the future of work, the most important is this: learning how to learn.

With an increasing pace of change and an abundance of information, employees and leaders must be lifelong learners. Perpetual learning isn’t about sitting idly by and letting new things come to you; it’s about actively seeking out new things, people, and ideas.

Being a lifelong learner is an active pursuit that can enrich your career and life in many ways.

Here are three pillars to being a lifelong learner:

Learning on an Ongoing Basis
Formal learning that happens in schools and universities is just the beginning. Perpetual learners are constantly learning in many ways, both through formal education and training programs, but also through non-formal learning from books and podcasts and even through experiential learning as they try new things and immerse themselves in the evolving world of work.

Constantly Applying What You Learn
Learning doesn’t do much if you don’t actually apply what you learn. Perpetual learning includes more than just work-related content—it can be used personally or professionally. True lifelong learners constantly apply their new knowledge to solve problems or identify new opportunities.

Understanding the Results and Feedback from Applying What You’ve Learned
As you apply what you learn, pay attention to any feedback you receive or conversations it starts. Being a lifelong learner means opening yourself up to continually change, improve, and grow, and the people around you will likely take notice. Take note of the feedback and results that come from your new knowledge and use that as an opportunity to start new conversations and build off your original learning.

Lifelong learning is truly the pursuit of a lifetime. The process is never fully done as you continue to learn, apply, and evaluate new things. Success in the future of work comes from being a perpetual learner and continuously finding new ways to learn and grow.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Difference Between Diversity & Inclusion and Why You Need Both https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-diversity-inclusion-and-why-you-need-both/ Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:40:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41718 Diversity and inclusion are both hot-button issues that frequently come up in conversation, especially among business leaders.

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Diversity and inclusion are both hot-button issues that frequently come up in conversation, especially among business leaders.

And although they are often used together, they don’t mean the same thing.

Diversity and inclusion are different, but both are vital to creating an effective and forward-thinking organization.

In the video below, I share the define diversity and inclusion and share why we need them both to work together.

If you want more content like this then please subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notified when new videos are released.

Employees want to work for companies that are diverse and inclusive. Focusing on these issues can be a major boost to your organization. Diverse and inclusive teams are more productive and innovative, resolve conflict better, and represent a wider base of people with unique points of view.

Now more than ever, diversity and inclusion should be huge imperatives of your organization. It starts from the top with leaders who understand the difference between diversity and inclusion and work to make both a reality.

Companies can’t afford not to focus on diversity and inclusion. The two terms are different, but both are crucial to success. It’s time for leaders to step up and demand diversity and inclusion within their organizations.

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#1 Strategy For Effective Social Media Marketing https://thefutureorganization.com/1-strategy-for-effective-social-media-marketing/ Tue, 06 Apr 2021 09:22:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41710 In today’s ultra-connected world, social media is a crucial tool for building your personal brand and your business.

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No matter what type of business you own, chances are a lot of it happens online.

In today’s ultra-connected world, social media is a crucial tool for building your personal brand and your business.

It can be tempting for entrepreneurs to post whatever they want, whenever they want. Take a cool picture? Post it on Instagram. Have something to say in a video? Post it on YouTube. It’s a trap I fell into when I first started using social media, but it soon became messy and chaotic.

In this video, I share the most important strategy for effective social media marketing.

If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Using this strategy helps you identify the voice you want to have and the channels you want to use. It creates a consistent, strategic approach to social media. As you grow your brand online, consistency is key.

Social media is one of the best tools for building your business. Don’t leave it up to chance. Take it seriously and spend time following this top social media strategy. Your effort will pay off with effective social media marketing and incredible opportunities to build your brand and business.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Luvvie Ajayi Jones On How to Fight Fear, Get Uncomfortable, and Be A Professional Troublemaker https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-fight-fear-get-uncomfortable-and-be-a-professional-troublemaker/ Mon, 05 Apr 2021 10:08:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41674 Fear is something that we all deal with both inside and outside of work. What is fear stopping you from doing today?

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Luvvie_Ajayi_Jones_-_Ready.mp3

Luvvie Ajayi Jones Transcript

Fear is something that we all deal with both inside and outside of work. What is fear stopping you from doing today? Are you not speaking up in meetings because you might say something dumb? Have you avoided asking for a raise or a promotion because you might be told ‘no’? Do you shy away from challenging your manager’s ideas because you might get reprimanded?

My guest this week is Luvvie Ajayi Jones, bestselling author of I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual and the brand new book, Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual. For years Luvvie let fear stand in her way, but she’s definitely not anymore. While we can’t get rid of fear completely, we can live out our lives boldly in spite of it.

Today Luvvie shares her personal story of how she overcame fear and became a professional troublemaker–and she gives advice on how we can do the same.

In this episode of the podcast we explore:

  • How Luvvie started writing and what most shaped her outlook on life
  • Why she argues that being a troublemaker is a good thing
  • How to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
  • The importance of setting boundaries at work and in your personal life
  • How Luvvie deals with trolls and toxic people
  • Why leaders can encourage everyone around them to be troublemakers

“Our comfort zones are not the place where big things are waiting for us. They’re not the place where the best life that we want to live is waiting for us. Because the reason why it’s comfortable is because you’ve learned all you had to learn. There is nothing in there that challenges you. And there’s no way you’re going to grow.”— Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Techniques Leaders Can Use to Get the Most Out of Their People https://thefutureorganization.com/3-techniques-leaders-can-use-to-get-the-most-out-of-their-people/ Fri, 02 Apr 2021 23:25:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41119 Are your employees suffering from mediocrity?
One of a leader’s most important jobs is to make sure their employees are delivering great work.

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Are your employees suffering from mediocrity?

One of a leader’s most important jobs is to make sure their employees are delivering great work.

It’s one thing to tell people what to do—it’s another to make them actually want to do it.

Here are three techniques leaders can use to get the most out of their people:

Motivate
This is the pushing motion that moves employees towards greatness. You can’t motivate people until you understand what they value, but not everyone values the same things. To truly be able to motivate people, you have to get to know the people you lead as individuals, not just as cogs in the corporate machine. It’s all about human connection.

Engage
Engaging employees sustains them and keeps them going. When employees are engaged, they are much more likely to put forth their best work. Employee engagement is directly related to employee experience, which has three parts: technology, physical space, and culture. Leaders can impact each of these areas to create an engaging environment for employees.

Inspire
This is the technique that pulls employees towards a better future. Being an inspiring leader includes doing both tangible and intangible things. Tangible actions include engaging in highly collaborative behavior and encouraging creative thinking. Intangible actions are sometimes harder to see but include making emotional connections with employees and championing change.

As a leader, you need to help your employees do their best work. Don’t just tell them what to do—motivate, engage, and inspire them to get the most out of your people.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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6 Levels of Being an Amazing Listener https://thefutureorganization.com/6-levels-of-being-an-amazing-listener/ Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:00:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41581 When you have a conversation with someone, are you listening or just hearing?

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When you have a conversation with someone, are you listening or just hearing?

There’s a dramatic difference between actively listening to someone and simply hearing. The ability to be a great listener is one of the most important skills for future leaders.

Research from Zenger Folkman defined six levels of listening. Being aware of these levels can help leaders become better listeners who are more engaged in their conversations.

In this video, I share each of the six levels and how you can work towards being an amazing listener.

If you want more content like this then please subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notified when new videos are released.

When an employee needs help or has a question, they need to be able to talk to a leader and feel they are really being listened to. Leaders have a great impact in how they listen to their people—there’s no greater form of respect than truly listening to what people are saying.

To succeed as a future leader, practice active listening. Go through this list to get to the top level of being an amazing listener.

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3 Tips to Upsell Your Customers & Make More Money https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-upsell-your-customers-make-more-money/ Tue, 30 Mar 2021 23:12:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41113 What’s one of the most important things you can do to grow your business and make more money?
Learn the art of the upsell.

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What’s one of the most important things you can do to grow your business and make more money?

Learn the art of the upsell.

Upselling is adding smaller products or services on top of your core products. These additions might not seem like big moneymakers, but they can add up to significantly increase your revenue over time without dramatically increasing your workload.

When done right, the art of the upsell helps you bring customers more value and make more money.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three tips to upsell your customers:

1. Identify additional products or services you can sell.
Start by thinking about your customers—what additional products or services could you offer that would be valuable to them? Look for things that will add value without requiring a huge effort on top of your core service. Blake often sells webinars to her customers, so she can upsell by offering social media promotion and marketing to help her customers generate more leads. The upsell builds on the core product and adds more value for customers.

2. Think through cost.
Even with an upsell, your focus should still be on your core product. An upsell should add around 20% to your total price. When considering the cost, think about how much your customer can typically spend. Don’t undercharge for your services—look at the market and what people are willing to pay so you can charge as much as you can. To increase your cost, create the perception of value by building your personal brand and making your services more valuable.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

3. Communicate what you are selling.
An upsell only works if you communicate and offer it to customers. If you’re comfortable talking about money and budgets, your clients will be too. Get comfortable thinking on the fly so you can find ways to upsell your products as you talk with clients. Be comfortable offering your additions. After you’ve gotten a verbal agreement to the upsell, send the details through email to finalize the deal.

Learning how to upsell your customers can dramatically change your business. These three tips show how to create additional products and services that are valuable to your customers. Over time, these small additions can lead to major growth in your revenue.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Why Capable People Are Reluctant To Lead https://thefutureorganization.com/why-capable-people-are-reluctant-to-lead/ Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:35:44 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41509 One of the biggest challenges CEOs today say they are facing is lack of leadership talent to carry the organization forward.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Scott_DeRue_-_Ready.mp3

Scott DeRue Transcript

One of the biggest challenges CEOs today say they are facing is lack of leadership talent to carry the organization forward. But it is not a lack of talent that is at the root of this problem.

My guest this week is Scott DeRue, the Edward J. Frey Dean of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Based on his award-winning research, this challenge CEOs are facing is caused by the fact that 40%-50% of capable leaders are not stepping up because of the risks involved in leadership roles.

Today Scott shares the research behind his article titled, Why Capable People Are Reluctant To Lead, as well as what we can do to change that.

In this episode of the podcast we explore:

  • The three kinds of risks that deter people from leadership positions
  • How we can overcome all three risks
  • What separates great leaders from average ones
  • The biggest mistakes Scott sees leaders making
  • The most important thing for leadership development

“One thing that we can all do to maximize our own potential is lean into those risks–Whether it’s outcome risk, whether it’s image risk, whether it’s interpersonal risk– let’s not let that risk hold us back. But let’s lean into it. Let’s embrace that risk. And in doing so, by stepping up and assuming these leadership roles, we’re able to have a bigger impact in the world.”–Scott DeRue

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The 3 Imperatives for Every Business https://thefutureorganization.com/the-3-imperatives-for-every-business/ Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:45:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41405 When a business is struggling, most leaders would start cutting back on headcount to save money. But not Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy.

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When a business is struggling, most leaders would start cutting back on headcount to save money. But not Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy.

At the time he was appointed CEO, Best Buy was on the brink of shutting down. But Hubert not only didn’t cut people, he actually put more money into training, incentives, and wellness.

I hope you enjoy the video below. If you want more content like this then please subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notified when new videos are released.

Hubert believes that every business has 3 imperatives:

?People Imperative. You need to have good people who are well-trained and well-equipped.

?Customer Imperative. You need to have happy customers to whom you sell.

?Financial Imperative. You need money.

According to Hubert, strong financial performance is an outcome of the Customer Imperative. And the Customer Imperative is an outcome of excellence on the People Imperative.

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Create Amazing Customer Experiences With These 10 Principles https://thefutureorganization.com/create-amazing-customer-experiences-with-these-10-principles/ Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:50:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41321 In recent years, there’s been a power shift.
It used to be that companies had all the power, but now the power belongs to customers.

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In recent years, there’s been a power shift.

It used to be that companies had all the power, but now the power belongs to customers. They expect a great experience and will take their business elsewhere if they don’t get it.

Serving customers and ensuring they have a great experience is an important role of leaders. To succeed, future leaders must have the valuable mindset of servant-leadership.

More than the product or price, customers care about the experience and service. Companies that are completely focused on customers have a huge competitive advantage.

My wife Blake Morgan is one of the world’s leading experts of customer experience. In her book The Customer of the Future, she outlines 10 principles leaders must follow to serve customers:

Realize the Power of the Customer Experience Mindset
Leaders need to adopt a mindset of customer experience and set the tone for their organization. When leaders provide elevated customer experiences, they can align the focus and mindset across the company.

Build a Customer-Centric Culture
Customer centricity starts with culture. Companies need to focus on internal culture before they think about the external customer experience.

Develop Customer-Focused Leadership
Leaders come and go, but they can set up programs for ongoing training and development for the next generation of leaders. A systematic approach to leadership development ensures great leadership for the long term.

Design a Zero-Friction Customer Experience
The goal of customer experience is to make it as simple and convenient as possible for customers. Don’t require them to provide too much effort—organizations need to work harder to make customers’ lives easier.

Create Customer Experience-Focused Marketing
Marketing now has more influence than it ever did as customers increase the number of channels they want to engage on. Customer-focused marketing is consistent across all channels.

Here is a deep-dive to discover if digital transformation actually prepared these companies for COVID-19 and investigate the reasons for their success and contributors to their failures. Any company, no matter the size or industry, can learn from these examples to see the importance of digital transformation and continual evolution.

Leverage Technology to Make Customers’ and Employees’ Lives Easier and Better
A great technology strategy can be a huge uplift in both the employee and customer experience. Stay on top of new technology to find innovative ways to serve your people.

Undergo a Digital Transformation
Big companies that undergo digital transformations have better long-term stock price performance. Find ways to use technology to better serve customers and create a cohesive digital experience.

Focus on Personalization
Modern customers crave personalization. It’s the companies that leverage data to personalize the individual experience that will win customers.

Embrace Customer Experience Analytics
Companies today have access to a treasure trove of data. This data can be used to create better experiences and increase sales.

Define Your Code on Ethics and Data Privacy in Customer Experience
The vast majority of customers aren’t comfortable with their personal data being auto-collected because they don’t believe the data is safe. Create a code of ethics for how you collect and use customer data and share that with customers.

Customer-centric leaders focus every day on serving their customers. They set the tone for their organization, which can lead to strong customer loyalty and growth.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Modern Customer Podcast where Blake interviews business leaders around the world to provide surprising and counter-intuitive insights on customer experience and social customer service.
  2. Grab a copy of Blake’s latest book The Customer of the Future which was chosen by Business Insider as a top 20 book c-level executives are reading right now and was recognized by Book Authority in the top five 100 Best Future Technology Books Of All Time.
  3. Sign up for her personal newsletter for more weekly customer experience content.

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The Most Effective Time Management Hack for Maximum Productivity https://thefutureorganization.com/the-most-effective-time-management-hack-for-maximum-productivity/ Tue, 23 Mar 2021 08:34:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41319 One of the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur is finding time to do everything.

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One of the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur is finding time to do everything.

Between managing your business, building a team, and planning long-term strategy, you may feel like you are running out of time. You may feel like your days lack rhythm and are chaotic as you run from task to task.

There are many ways to use your time more effectively, but the best time management hack for entrepreneurs is this: batching tasks.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

When you batch tasks, you lump similar tasks together. You could batch checking your email and social media to just one time per day. You can also batch your meetings to only a few days a week. I only schedule meetings and phone calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which helps me get in the mood for those activities and makes me more productive. On the days I don’t have batched meetings, I can focus on deep work instead of having to stop every few hours for another meeting.

Any type of similar activity can be batched, even recording podcasts, writing content, or taking pictures. Set aside a time to do these activities together once a day or once a week instead of bouncing between them all week long.

When you don’t batch tasks, you jump back and forth between tasks as they come. You may spend each day writing an email, making phone calls, updating your website, and working through your finances, only to do all those same activities the next day. But every time you switch tasks, it takes your brain time to re-focus and get engaged. Over time, you lose a lot of time and energy by jumping between tasks, and life can feel chaotic and disorganized.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

When you batch tasks, you get through tasks more quickly because you’re already in the flow and the right mindset to knock out a bunch of the same tasks. Instead of bouncing between emails, phone calls, meetings, and writing, you can get in the zone of one type of task. Batching tasks makes you more engaged and productive. When you batch tasks, you get back all of that time it takes you to re-focus between tasks.

No matter what type of business you run, you definitely have tasks that can be batched. Take a look at your daily or weekly schedule and find similar tasks that you can batch together and do at the same time. Over time, this effort will pay dividends.

Entrepreneurs have enough to do without getting distracted. Batching tasks can keep you productive and energized.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How to Live & Work When We Have a 100 Year Life https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-live-work-when-we-have-a-100-year-life/ Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:47:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41349 This week my guest is Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and bestselling author of The New Long Life.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Video_-_Lynda_Gratton_-_Ready.mp3

Lynda Gratton Transcript

With new modern technologies and the knowledge that we have in order to lead more healthy lives, we are living longer than ever. So what does that mean for the way we live and work? For decades we have lived out our lives in three main stages– full time education, full time work, and full time retirement. But in a 100-year life, that structure is no longer effective.

This week my guest is Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and bestselling author of The New Long Life.

As Lynda shared with me:

“At any point in time, you could follow a number of different paths. And I think that’s a mindset shift, really. The idea that at any point in time you could plan to be something different. That’s the first action. So let your imagination go in terms of thinking about “what could I be?”

In this episode of the podcast we explore:

  • Why Lynda wrote her book, The New Long Life: A Framework for Flourishing in a Changing World.
  • If life stages are no longer in a linear path, what does it look like?
  • A look at the three fundamental principles Lynda uses in her MBA class to help students understand and navigate the challenges ahead.
  • Why we all need more personal agency and responsibility over our careers.
  • Lynda’s advice on how we can prepare for the new world of work today.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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What Makes Some Leaders Great? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-makes-some-leaders-great/ Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:04:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41229 Why do some leaders become more successful than others?
Are they more talented? Do they have more resources? Are they more capable?

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Why do some leaders become more successful than others?

Are they more talented? Do they have more resources? Are they more capable?

This is something I’ve always been fascinated by.

I’ve interviewed over 500 leaders on my Future of Work Podcast, I interviewed over 140 CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader, and I’ve also worked with countless other leaders over the years.

I always ask them…

“Why did you get the job? There are clearly other people who are just as talented and capable as you, but for some reason, you are the one who got the leadership position and not James or Alison.”

This question always gets leaders to reflect on what they do differently than others and it leads to the follow-up question I ask them which is…

“What is your top leadership hack, strategy, or technique that has most contributed to your success as a leader?”

This was something I specifically asked the 140 CEOs when I interviewed them. I was fascinated to learn that most of these leaders have an extra ingredient, something small that they do on a regular basis that gives them the edge over everyone else.

It could be how they run a meeting, how they approach making a tough choice, how they stay connected with their teams, how they treat others, or even how they practice self-care.

Over the years leadership has traditionally been a cookie-cutter approach. Everyone learns the same things in their MBA programs and everyone learns the same things in their corporate training programs.

So if everyone is taught the same things and the same approaches how do you stand out?

You break out of the cookie mold and create something that is yours. But that’s easier said than done.

Unfortunately, when I wrote, The Future Leader, I wasn’t able to fit these leadership hacks and techniques in the book, I simply ran out of space!

So I put together a series of 31 videos where I share what I learned from these business leaders and created, The Leadership Reset Program which I encourage you to sign up for.

This program is designed for seasoned or aspiring leaders looking to step up their game by learning the techniques, tactics, and strategies that the world’s top business leaders use.

If you sign up you will get access to 31 videos where I will share a leadership hack, tip, technique, or strategy from one of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, Yum! Brands, MasterCard, Siemens, & more!).

Each video is 3-5 mins in length and is practical and actionable. You will learn what these world-class leaders are doing in their own personal and professional lives to be successful leaders.

Here are a few of them:

  • How the CEO of Avanade makes tough decisions.
  • What the CEO of Intercontinental Hotels Group does to stay grounded with his teams.
  • How the CEO of Otis Elevator creates her own leadership style.
  • How the CEO of MasterCard balances the macro with the micro.
  • What the CEO of 36,000 person Mapfre does when his employees make mistakes.
  • What visualization technique the CEO of clothing retailer LL Bean use to make important decisions?
  • How the former CEO of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest employers, plans all his days for success.
  • And much more!


We drip the videos out over a 31 day period so that each day you will get access to a new leadership hack, tip, or technique. You will also be able to access them anytime via the course platform and if we create new ones you will also get access to those too.

I’m very proud of this program that my team and I put together and I hope you decide to give it a shot.

I also want to hear about your leadership hack! What is the one thing you do on a regular basis that makes you a successful leader? Please share below so that we can all learn from each other.

Sign up for The Leadership Reset here, it costs less than a cup of coffee a day and the value you get will change your career and life.

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The Power of Employee Experience And Why We Need It Now More Than Ever https://thefutureorganization.com/the-power-of-employee-experience-and-why-we-need-it-now-more-than-ever/ Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:22:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41116 In these challenging times, we’re all looking for a bit of stability.
Something we can count on and that will bring us purpose and joy.

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In these challenging times, we’re all looking for a bit of stability.

Something we can count on and that will bring us purpose and joy.

For many people, that stability comes from a steady job at a company that supports and empowers them.

Employee experience has never been more important than it is now.

I hope you enjoy the video below. If you want more content like this then please subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notified when new videos are released.

With everything going on in the world, employees want a place they can feel comfortable and engaged. They want a place where they can make a difference and be themselves.

Companies need to take care of their people and put them ahead of profits. Nothing today is more important than supporting your workforce and ensuring your employees have what they need to succeed.

But although employees have never needed strong experiences more than they do now, many organizations still offer the same old ways of doing work, which leads to low engagement. When companies are struggling, employees are the first to get cut, even though managers and leaders should have their employees’ backs.

The recent global challenges have shown that most organizations aren’t ready for the future with their outdated technology and processes.

Now is the time to re-think how we feel about work. It’s the time to double down on employee experience, break out of what’s been done in the past, and create an environment where employees are supported and empowered and where they want to come to work.

It’s time to re-focus on culture, technology, and physical space. It’s time for leaders to be approachable coaches and mentors who care about their employees.

In this time when employees need stability and an experience they can rely on, leaders and organizations need to move from words to actions to deliver those experiences.

When you focus on employees, the profits will follow. When you focus on experience, employees become more engaged and productive and contribute a culture that makes the world a better place.

That’s the power of employee experience.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Lies We Tell Women That Hold Them Back From Success https://thefutureorganization.com/5-lies-we-tell-women-that-hold-them-back-from-success/ Tue, 16 Mar 2021 11:28:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41192 Today I am taking over my husband Jacob Morgan's newsletter. For years Jacob has advocated for me, coached me, and allowed me to stand on his platform to build my own.

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Today I am taking over my husband Jacob Morgan’s newsletter. For years Jacob has advocated for me, coached me, and allowed me to stand on his platform to build my own.

He is a true partner. My name is Blake and I am Jacob’s wife.

If you follow Jacob you know that for more than a year together we’ve been working on building a business to help people learn how to do what I did - go from working for a corporation to learning how to start your own successful business.

Jacob and I have launched a podcast called the Be Your Own Boss Podcast.

BYOB has allowed me to explore topics I’m deeply passionate about - because I personally have changed so much in the last 10–15 years. I went from being a very shy, nervous individual into a seven figure entrepreneur. On stages I’ve spoken to thousands and thousands of people - my biggest event will be in June of 2021 for 20K people for a popular event called Million Dollar Round Table.

This is a video I made to speak directly to women about my own fears, and how I overcame them. If you want more content like this, please subscribe to our Youtube channel.

I was recently ranked as one of the top 40 female keynote speakers in the world by Real Leaders Magazine. I’m still shocked that my job is professional speaker - after all I used to want to cry if ever called on in a meeting. That was humiliating - but now I’m the same person, but I’ve evolved.

It’s incredibly hard to make that leap from having a boss to being self-employed. The change was needing someone to give me work, to going out and hunting the work down on my own - enjoying it, and excelling at it. If I can do it, I know you can too.

That said, I hope my story can inspire other people - but I also want to speak directly to girls and women. I believe that the limiting messages we tell women - that hold them back - starts very early. My goal is to help girls and women achieve their full potential, and I intend to do that by sharing more of my own transformation.

Please watch this video and - if your’e comfortable with it - share it with your friends, family and community. Helping a lot of people starts with one person listening to your message and saying, “YES!”

Your advocate,

Blake Morgan

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Aron Ain, The CEO of 13,000 Person Ultimate Kronos Group on Building A Company Where Everyone Loves to Work https://thefutureorganization.com/aron-ain-the-ceo-of-13000-person-ultimate-kronos-group-on-building-a-company-where-everyone-loves-to-work/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 10:17:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=41131 For several years in a row Aron has been on the Glassdoor top 100 CEO list and in 2012 he won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Aron_Ain_-_Ready.mp3

Aron Ain Transcript

For several years in a row Aron has been on the Glassdoor top 100 CEO list and in 2012 he won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. UKG was rated the #2 best large employer in America by Forbes, it received a 100% on the Corporate Equality Index, and prior to the merger both Kronos and Ultimate Software were separately named a Best Workplace for Parents by Great Place to Work.

How do you build an organization where people love to come to work? Aron Ain, CEO of Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), believes it is all about trust, transparency, and collaboration. Contrary to past fads, creating an engaged workforce is not about free food, free gym memberships, and frequent parties.

As Aron says, “I believe people join organizations because of the organization. I believe they leave because of who they work for.”

In this episode of the podcast Aron shares:

  • How to keep consistency among leaders in an organization.
  • What it means to be an “un-leader”.
  • How to deal with failure.
  • Why showing true gratitude for employees is so important and what that looks like.
  • The importance of humility and vulnerability
  • How to keep leaders accountable for being the best they can be
  • And much more!

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The leaders that employees deal with on a daily basis make or break the experience that employee has. You can work for the best organization in the world, but if your direct manager is a horrible leader, you are going to hate your job.

Because of that fact, leaders inside of UKG, known internally as people managers, are held accountable to be great. People managers are not just evaluated and rated by their direct reports, they are also evaluated by the employees who work for them. Twice a year employees inside of UKG are given a survey with 19 questions with straight forward questions that measure the effectiveness of their manager. These are separate from engagement surveys as those only measure the relationship between the employee and the organization, not the relationship between the employee and the manager.

How to keep consistency among leaders in an organization
Inside of any organization there could be anywhere from 10 to thousands of leaders who are in charge of teams. So how do you make sure that your leaders are consistent and living up to the company values? This is part of why UKG has the employee surveys in place. Leaders are evaluated by employees twice a year, and if they aren’t either at a 90% or higher, or at least improving each time, there are steps in place that are taken.

Depending on the situation the first step if a leader is struggling is to have a conversation and see if improvements can be made. The next step may be to move the person out of a leadership role, while still remaining at the company. And if all else fails, they may be asked to leave the company if they aren’t a good fit with the company values.

Having these ratings from employees is a huge game-changer as leaders typically look at employee engagement surveys to get a feel for how they are doing, but that’s not an accurate picture of the employee-manager relationship.

Aron shares a story about when UKG first started implementing these manager effectiveness surveys. There was a manager who asked Aron for a sit down meeting. When they were talking the manager asked Aron, “Are you going to train me to be a better manager?”. Aron told him that of course he would, but wondered why the manager was coming to him at that moment asking for help.

The manager told Aron that he had always seen himself as a great leader because his team always gave high scores on engagement surveys. But when it came time for these new surveys he received a 59 out of 100 and he was shocked. He had never had the right data that would help him measure his true performance. Well after realizing it he worked hard to improve and two years later he had a score in the 90s.

It is so important for leaders to get an accurate view of how employees see them. How can you expect them to change if they don’t realize they are doing anything wrong. As Aron shares, “Our homegrown training program for our managers is called Courage to Lead. And I tell them the action word isn’t lead. The action word in it is the courage, because it takes unbelievable courage to be a great leader. It’s hard…it’s hard.”

What does it mean to be an un-leader
In Aron’s book, Work Inspired, he talks about the concept of the un-leader. What is an un-leader? Well Aron believes CEOs get too much credit when things go well and they get too much blame when things don’t go well. But this shouldn’t be the case. The reason organizations do well or don’t do well does not rely solely on what the CEO does, and CEOs need to have more humility and humbleness. They need to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around them.

To be an un-leader means you realize the value of the people around you and as a leader you understand that you are not more important than anyone else in the organization. Un-leaders show respect, they offer dignity, and they are thoughtful to the people they work with. They realize that they play by the same rules as everyone else. When un-leaders don’t know something, they don’t act like they do. They admit that they are not sure.

Aron says, “I don’t expect everyone to care about people in the full spectrum of how I care about people. But I do expect everyone to be respectful. I do expect everyone to tell the truth. You want to ask people who work with– you want to get on my bad side quickly, don’t tell the truth. It’s like, I just have no patience for that. Look, I’m a sore loser. I’ll admit that, I play to win. But it doesn’t mean I do it in a way that doesn’t exhibit good sportsmanship and being thoughtful about it.”

How to deal with failures when you give employees autonomy to experiment
One of the key components of the UKG values is trust, it is something that Aron emphasizes. He doesn’t ask employees to gain his trust, they start with full trust in the very beginning, the trust is theirs to lose.

So as a leader if you give full autonomy and trust to employees how do you deal with failures when they happen? Aron says for him it comes down to not keeping score.

He says, “I try really, really hard to not keep score. And the reason I try really hard to not keep score, if you came and sold me on an idea to do something, and six months later, it’s not going well– and you know it better than anyone that it’s not going well– what do I want you to do? I want you to stop it, stop the project, stop throwing good money at a bad idea. But if every time I’m keeping score, and I’m going to put you in the penalty box, then you’re going to spend another six months absolutely, positively proving it was a stupid idea. And wasted another six months of time and money. So that’s how I deal with failure. Now, if the same people keep bringing ideas, and we say, okay, go do it. And it keeps being a dumb idea. And at some point, I say, well, I’m not sure that this person has great judgment on ideas like this, but I certainly start with the way I described it.”

Action items for leaders who want to start improving
When asked what advice he has for leaders who are looking to better themselves, Aron says the biggest thing is to understand the world doesn’t revolve around you. Work hard to trust your people, communicate with them, be transparent, and show them respect.

You should also respect that people have lives outside of the organization and that their families are the most important thing and they should come first.

Take time and think about what it looks like to trust your people. If you trust them to get their work done, how does that exhibit itself? You can’t just say the words, you have to make trust a living breathing part of your organization.

“If we want to be great leaders, if we want to create organizations where everybody loves to work, if you want to have these places that have these great people work for us, then you better find ways to engage them and you better do these key components around this that we’ve been talking about. You may be able to trick the people to come work for you. But you’re not going to keep them.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Don’t Follow Your Passion, Bring it With You https://thefutureorganization.com/dont-follow-your-passion-bring-it-with-you/ Thu, 11 Mar 2021 13:01:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40954 What’s one of the worst pieces of career advice you can get?
Follow your passion.

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What’s one of the worst pieces of career advice you can get?

Follow your passion.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most frequently given pieces of advice. There seems to be an idea that if you follow your passion, you’ll instantly find success in your career. But that’s not the case.

The problem with following your passion is that it assumes passion exists outside of you and that you need to go chase it.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Passion isn’t one static thing that you can chase down. As you grow, learn, and experience new things, your passion will change and evolve. What you were passionate about five years ago might be totally uninteresting to you now because of how you’ve changed.

Not to mention, most of us can’t figure out our passion before we figure out what we want to pursue. That’s a lot of pressure on people to find your passion before you jump into a career.

I wasn’t passionate about the future of work, employee experience, or speaking until I started doing these things. I saw a void I could fill and an opportunity to build my personal brand. But as I started sharing my ideas and took advantage of these opportunities, the passion came. Now I’m extremely passionate about my work and the messages I share.

I didn’t follow my passion—I brought it with me to my career.

Whatever you do, bring that passion with you. Don’t feel boxed in to where your passions take you. As you change and grow, your passion will change too. Let that lead your career in new directions.

What’s the best career advice you can get? Don’t follow your passion—bring it with you.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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7 Principles of the Future Employee https://thefutureorganization.com/7-principles-of-the-future-employee/ Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:01:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40950 Employees today are dramatically different than they were even a decade ago.
Think of how employees have had to adapt and change in the last year—employees in 2021 are different than they were at the beginning of 2020.

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Employees today are dramatically different than they were even a decade ago.

Think of how employees have had to adapt and change in the last year—employees in 2021 are different than they were at the beginning of 2020.

The world of work is constantly changing. Skills and mindsets that were long considered to be in the future are gaining steam now. To stay relevant, employees and organizations need to be aware of what to expect from future employees. And the future is now.

These seven principles of future employees are becoming true today, especially after the transformative year of 2020. These are the skills future employees need to embrace and the things companies need to consider to hire and retain the best talent.

The future employee needs to cover these seven principles:

1. Has a flexible work environment.
Employees of the future won’t be bound to a desk or cubicle and will instead have the freedom to work when and where they want. We’ve seen countless companies shift to remote and flexible work during the pandemic, and many employees won’t want to go back to work in an office.

2. Can customize their own work.
Future employees won’t follow the typical career path of climbing the corporate ladder. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to guaranteed career success. Instead, future employees will be able to shape their career paths and choose their next projects and positions.

3. Shares information.
Gone are the days of hoarding information to seem smart. Future employees share ideas and information and freely collaborate with their colleagues. The people who share information will become the next generation of leaders.

4. Uses new ways to communicate and collaborate.
Instead of only relying on emails and phone calls, future employees will embrace new technology to communicate and collaborate in the most efficient ways possible.

5. Can become a leader.
Future leaders have the unique opportunity to become leaders within their organizations by sharing their ideas and feedback in public ways with their peers and managers. Employees can build their own networks and get recognized for their contributions. There is no longer one path to becoming a leader - anyone can do it with the right skillset and network.

6. Shifts from knowledge worker to learning worker.
The most important skill for future employees is to know how to learn. The ability to learn new things and apply them to new situations will be crucial to success. Instead of relying on what they learned in school, future employees will always be learning.

7. Learns and teaches at will.
Employees no longer have to participate in formal training programs to learn. They can share information and best practices within their organizations through mentoring programs, internal collaboration tools, and face to face interactions. Future employees are eager to share and teach others, and they also ask questions and learn from the people around them.
We’re well on our way to the future of work, and how employees work, learn, and grow will never be the same. To succeed in the future of work - now and throughout their careers - employees need to embrace these seven principles.

For more information on these principles, check out the graphic below:

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why Perfectionism Is A Killer For Entrepreneurs https://thefutureorganization.com/why-perfectionism-is-a-killer-for-entrepreneurs/ Tue, 09 Mar 2021 13:15:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40948 Are you waiting to launch your new product, course, or business because you want it to be perfect?
I’ll let you in on a secret—you’re going to be waiting for a long time.

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Are you waiting to launch your new product, course, or business because you want it to be perfect?

I’ll let you in on a secret—you’re going to be waiting for a long time.

Entrepreneurship and perfectionism are complete opposites. Just by being an entrepreneur, you’re taking a risk and doing something that hasn’t been done before. As you innovate and go into uncharted territory, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to make mistakes and that things won’t be perfect.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

If you believe you can’t do something until it’s perfect, you’re going to have a hard time being an entrepreneur. In this world of being your own boss and calling the shots, there’s no such thing as perfect.

To succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to push past the fear of things not being perfect. Don’t wait until you have all the answers, until your website is perfect, or until your products are immaculate.

Launch it! Get out there! After you’ve put your business into the world, you can get feedback and improve as you go along.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

Entrepreneurship is an ongoing journey and process. It isn’t a one-time thing, and it certainly isn’t perfect. In fact, it can be downright messy. But as you continue on the path, you can make improvements to your product and your business and see it grow and change.

Perfectionism and entrepreneurship are opposites. To reach your true potential as an entrepreneur, you have to get over the idea of perfection.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The 8 Archetypes of Leaders–Which One Are You? https://thefutureorganization.com/the-8-archetypes-of-leaders-which-one-are-you/ Mon, 08 Mar 2021 09:40:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40944 Manfred Kets de Vries is The Distinguished Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD, one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. He has received INSEAD’s distinguished teacher award five times.

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Manfred Kets de Vries Transcript

Manfred Kets de Vries is The Distinguished Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD, one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. He has received INSEAD’s distinguished teacher award five times.

Manfred is also the author of 52 books including The CEO Whisperer, Mindful Leadership Coaching, and Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership. And he is a consultant on organizational design, transformation, and strategic human resource management to leading companies all over the world.

From a young age Manfred was interested in psychology and human behavior, he was intrigued with trying to figure out why people act in certain ways. In college he studied economics and organizational behavior. Throughout his career he has focused on the intersection of these two areas and eventually he was appointed as the Global Leadership Director at INSEAD and he started a program specifically for leaders where 21 executives come together and Manfred creates what he calls tipping points for them to teach them how to make decisions in more humane and effective ways.

There is a Gallup poll that shows that 85% of employees worldwide don’t feel engaged at work. And as Manfred says, we only have one life to live so we should be making the best out of it. So he enjoys working with leaders because they have such a profound effect on the lives of their employees.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The 8 Archetypes Of Leadership
Back in 2013 Manfred wrote an article for HBR on what he calls the 8 archetypes of leadership. These are recurring patterns of behavior that Manfred says influence a leader’s effectiveness inside of an organization.

As Manfred says in his article “I think of these patterns as leadership “archetypes,” reflecting the various roles executives can play in organizations and it is a lack of fit between a leader’s archetype and the context in which he or she operates is a main cause of team and organizational dysfunctionality and executive failure.”

The eight most common archetypes are:

1. The strategist: Leadership as a game of chess. These people are good at dealing with developments in the organization’s environment. They provide vision, strategic direction and outside-the-box thinking to create new organizational forms and generate future growth.

2. The change-catalyst: Leadership as a turnaround activity. These leaders like messy situations that they can come in and fix. They are good at implementing organizational change. But when things are good they tend to get bored.

3. The transactor: Leadership as deal making. These leaders thrive on negotiations. They are skilled at identifying and tackling new opportunities. They are great dealmakers.

4. The builder: Leadership as an entrepreneurial activity. Leaders in this category dream of creating something and they have the talent and determination to make their dream come true.

5. The innovator: Leadership as creative idea generation. Leaders in this category focus on the new. They possess a great capacity to solve extremely difficult problems.

6. The processor: Leadership as an exercise in efficiency. These executives like organizations to be smoothly running, well-oiled machines. They are very effective at setting up the structures and systems needed to support an organization’s objectives.

7. The coach: Leadership as a form of people development. These executives know how to get the best out of people, thus creating high performance cultures.

8. The communicator: Leadership as stage management. These executives are great influencers, and have a considerable impact on their surroundings.

It is important to know which type of leader you are, as well as what archetypes your peers and team members fall into in order to create the most effective and cohesive teams.

Can you change your archetype?
Over the course of your career as a leader you may be interested in changing your archetype. Manfred says it is possible, but it’s not easy. Instead of trying to change yourself, you may consider surrounding yourself with people who fall into the archetypes that you need for what you are currently facing. Embrace the traits you have, and allow other people to fill in the gaps where you are lacking.

And there may come a time, Manfred believes, when it may be time to resign from that position and go elsewhere. Maybe it is time for you to do something different. Years ago Manfred was speaking to a group of around 200 executives and he asked them how long is the productive life of a CEO and they said seven years, plus or minus two years. After that it’s time to move onto something else.

What should you do if you are placed in a position that doesn’t match your archetype?
There may be times when you feel you are being put in positions that don’t match up with your archetype and at that point Manfred says you have a decision to make. We are no longer living in times when you stick at a specific job at one company for decades. So you have to figure out what gives you energy and what brings you joy.

Manfred suggests keeping a diary for a few weeks to keep track of the periods of time that you feel positive energy and joy as well as situations that impact you negatively. That way you can look back and see what things are important to you, what things you should seek out and what situations you want to avoid. Looking back on that log of activity you can make a decision as to whether it is worth it to stay in that position or not.

Keeping archetypes in mind when you build your team
It may not be possible to have each of the eight archetypes represented on every team you work with, but it is good to keep these archetypes in mind as each one has a role to play in an effective team.

Manfred gave an example of an investment bank that he worked with in the past. They had a group of seven people who covered almost every archetype except they didn’t have anyone who was good at coaching.

As Manfred shares, “they were not good in coaching, they were too busy with strategy, deal making and also having the things on time, all those kinds of things. So because of that, they decided we have to do something about it. And we have to hire someone who takes that role, because it will be growing very fast, and we don’t pay any attention to that kind of thing. And we’re not very good at it either, given our personality.”

It is important to know which category you fall into and to be able to identify what’s missing. It’s not an exact science, and what combination of archetypes you need depends on the industry that you are in, but it is definitely something you should be aware of.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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It’s Official, The 9-to-5 Workday is Dead…Actually…It’s Been Dead For Years https://thefutureorganization.com/its-official-the-9-to-5-workday-is-dead-actually-its-been-dead-for-years/ Thu, 04 Mar 2021 12:53:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40732 It's amazing to me that what I (and many others) have talked about for over the past decade is finally becoming reality.
That reality is the end of the 9-to-5 workday.

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It’s amazing to me that what I (and many others) have talked about for over the past decade is finally becoming reality.

That reality is the end of the 9-to-5 workday.

This became news recently when Salesforce announced that it was not requiring employees to work from an office anymore and instead it was offering three new options which are flex (1–3 days per week), fully remote, and office based.

By the way… some companies like Microsoft, UnitedHealth Group, Cisco, and others, have been operating like this for many years, but hey, if more companies are willing to embrace flexible work I’m all for it!

When you consider the various advancements and achievements of humans over the past 10 20 years (such as genome sequencing, smartphones, social media platforms, space exploration, driverless cars, AI and automation, etc) the idea that a human being has to be in an office from 9–5 each day so that they can “work” is such an outdated concept that it’s laughable.

“You’re telling me that I have to sit in this little box for 8 hours each day to work and meanwhile we are out there exploring Mars?”

It almost sounds like a joke that a comedian would share on stage doesn’t it?

All it took was a global pandemic to get leaders around the world to realize that maybe this 9-5 workday thing is a bit outdated.

Most people don’t realize that this idea of working 40 hours a week came from Henry Ford in 1926. Prior to that, people who worked in manual labor jobs actually worked longer 10-12 hour days. We’re talking about a practice that is almost 100 years old!

While we’re at it, let me also state work-life balance is also dead. This idea went hand-in-hand with working 9-5 and implied that anything before 9am or after 5pm was personal time and that anything between 9-5 was considered work time. We are all seeing and experiencing first-hand that work is integrating into life and life is integrating work. These things don’t fit into neat little buckets anymore nor should they.

Why can’t a grown human being decide to work a few hours in the morning, then take some time to exercise, spend time with their kids, and relax before finishing up what they need to get done later on in the day or evening?

Of course, we all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people around the world to turn to virtual work and thankfully we had the infrastructure and the technologies in place to support this shift.

But!

Let’s Clarify What The Death Of The 9-to-5 Workday Actually Means
Does it meant that offices are going to vanish and that we are all going to work from homes, coffee shops, or even co-working spots for the foreseeable future? Nope! In fact, people said that many years ago and it never happened.

The end of working 9-to-5 is not the same thing as the end of in-person work. I don’t think offices are going to disappear…not even close.

I still believe in the value of in-person interaction for collaboration, innovation, team-building, trust, psychological safety, growth, and development. As great as technology is, it’s not quite the same as being with someone face-to-face. But do we need to do this for 8 hours a day between 9-5? Nope!

This shift means that organizations around the world are going to become more flexible in nature. Meaning work will be embraced as something you do, not as a place you go to. I think this is rather exciting for all of us.

Maybe you will work a few hours a week from the office each afternoon, perhaps you will work 3 days a week from the office in 12-hour shifts, who knows…maybe you will decide you love working from an office and you want to continue to work there 5 days a week.

Flexible work means exactly that…being open-minded about when and where we work.

There’s A Dark Side
Technology and our ability to always be connected is what is allowing flexible work to become a reality but being connected doesn’t mean being available, and that’s a key distinction we need to make otherwise we will all end up working 16 hours a day and burning out.

It’s going to be crucial for leaders to encourage employees to create boundaries and for employees to actually create them. Just because you wake up at 5am and go to bed at 11pm doesn’t mean you need to be working from 5am-11pm even if you are connected!

The great thing about flexible work is that it allows for more control, equality, engagement, productivity, and flexibility BUT it only allows these things if we can create boundaries which is something most people struggle with.

I’m optimistic about the future of work and I hope we see more organizations around the world shift to this way of working but let’s remember that connectivity doesn’t imply availability.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Tips to Create a Motivational and Inspirational Message for your Team https://thefutureorganization.com/5-tips-to-create-a-motivational-and-inspirational-message-for-your-team/ Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:31:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40729 One of a leader’s main responsibilities is to motivate and inspire their team.
This is often done by sending a note or letter, especially at the start or end of the year or as a way to give updates.

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One of a leader’s main responsibilities is to motivate and inspire their team.

This is often done by sending a note or letter, especially at the start or end of the year or as a way to give updates.

Here are five ways to create an effective message that connects with employees and motivates the team:

Be Real
People want leaders who are authentic and real. Your company and your employees may be going through changes and struggles right now. Acknowledge those difficulties and your own struggles. Being real builds stronger bonds and shows employees you’re human and really care about them.

Be Grateful
No matter what you’re writing to employees about - good news or bad - always be grateful and thank them for their efforts. Employees appreciate being appreciated. Starting your letter with gratitude sets the tone and lets employees know you see them and value their work. Being grateful is especially important in our current climate when things are likely more difficult for employees.

Be Proud Of Success
Share what has gone well for your company and be proud. Success in 2021 may look different than it has in the past, but there is always something to celebrate. Your success might have been surviving a pandemic or pivoting to better serve your customers. Be proud of what you have accomplished and endured and share that with your team.

Be Empathetic
Chances are employees have it worse than you do as a leader. Don’t downplay their difficulties. Acknowledge their struggles, especially in the current pandemic. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what they’ve gone through and how you can help.

Be Hopeful
The last year has been rough. But don’t focus on the negative. Your job as a leader is to be optimistic and set a hopeful tone for the future. End your message on a hopeful note and share optimism with employees. Being hopeful doesn’t mean being fake or sugarcoating difficulties. It means finding the positive and holding to hope that things will turn around.

Creating a message for your team is your chance to share news and your vision for the future.

Follow these five steps to draft a message that connects with employees, motivates them, and helps them feel seen and connected to the company.

It isn’t easy to be a leader or employee right now, but real communication can improve the situation for everyone.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Tips On How To Speak Up In A Meeting https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-on-how-to-speak-up-in-a-meeting/ Tue, 02 Mar 2021 10:27:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40713 Are you nervous to speak up in meetings?
Does the idea of standing in front of a group make you nauseous?

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Are you nervous to speak up in meetings?

Does the idea of standing in front of a group make you nauseous?

Many people are hesitant to speak up in meetings, but if you want to advance your career and
build your personal brand, you have to push through the nerves and speak up.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three ways to build your confidence and speak up in meetings:

1. Don’t be the notetaker. It’s easy to volunteer to take notes as a way of getting involved in the meeting without saying anything, but it’s really just a way to hide in busy work. If you want to be seen as a leader, you have to speak up and not hide behind taking notes.

2. Force yourself to say at least one thing every meeting. It just starts with one comment or question at every meeting, every conference session, every breakout group. Over time, that exposure helps you become less nervous speaking in front of people. You don’t have to speak the entire time—just force yourself to say one thing.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

3. Think of what you’ll say in advance. Before you speak, consider what you could say to add value to the meeting. Make it thoughtful, take a breath, and share your message. Less is more, so even one thoughtful comment or question can go a long way in showing your presence and adding value.

By following these three tips, over time you’ll be less nervous to speak in meetings. As you learn to effectively speak up and add value to meetings, you’ll be able to build a presence for yourself and showcase all you have to offer.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How Smart Companies Can Close the Skills Gap: Insights from the Former CEO of Guardian Life https://thefutureorganization.com/how-smart-companies-can-close-the-skills-gap-insights-from-the-former-ceo-of-guardian-life/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 09:54:08 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40704 Deanna Mulligan is the former President, CEO, and Board Chair of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, a 160 year old Fortune 250 company with around 9,500 employees.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Deanna_Mulligan_-_Ready.mp3

Deanna Mulligan Transcript

Deanna Mulligan is the former President, CEO, and Board Chair of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, a 160 year old Fortune 250 company with around 9,500 employees. She is also the author of a new book called Hire Purpose: How Smart Companies Can Close the Skills Gap.

Deanna was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” by Fortune in 2019 and she was named one of “The 50 Most Powerful Women in New York” five times by Crain’s New York Business. Prior to Guardian Life Insurance, Deanna held senior positions at AXA Financial and New York Life Insurance and she was a principal at McKinsey & Company.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

In the financial crisis of 2008 nearly 9 million people lost their jobs. For four years unemployment was at an all time high, and people were having a hard time finding new jobs. It was at this time that Deanna started thinking about the concept for her book, Hire Purpose. She knew it was important to find a way to make sure that this type of situation would never happen again.

The focus of the book was, as Deanna shares, “How can we make sure that people are constantly being re-trained, thinking ahead, upgrading their skills, so they don’t have long periods of unemployment in the middle of their career–when they might have children and they might have elderly parents to take care of, when it’s the most difficult, when they’re saving for retirement– to be unemployed.”

From the very beginning of her time at Guardian she made learning a priority in the culture of the organization so that people could constantly upgrade their skills and their talents.

What is the skills gap and why is it a problem?
Technology is rapidly changing and customer expectations are changing along with it. As consumers we expect products and services to be faster, better, cheaper, and more customized. Because of that organizations are having to adapt and implement newer, better technologies to keep up with demand.

As a result of these changes, employees who were trained for a specific job with one set of technologies, now have to be able to do something completely different, and if those employees are not consistently growing, learning, and developing new skills, they are going to get left behind.

The consulting firm, McKinsey & Company estimates that in the next 10 years 350 million jobs globally will be changed significantly. They also estimate that 75 million of those jobs will go unfilled because there will not be enough trained people to do the work. Deanna believes that it is up to leaders to make sure that their people are ready for this new world of work.

Many companies today are looking to hire people with certain skills and abilities for new roles, but they are having a hard time finding anyone that is qualified. That is our current skills gap problem, and it’s only going to get worse, unless we all take action.

What can CEOs do to close the skills gap?
As a leader of Guardian Deanna knew that she had to make learning a priority. But she realized that while initiatives are good, having one or two in place wouldn’t solve the problem. She knew she had to build a culture of learning that would become integral to the day to day operations of the organization.

One example of what Deanna implemented inside of Guardian was the start of leader learning day. On that day 900 of the Guardian leaders from around the country came together to figure out what they as leaders needed to learn and what ways they could help their employees learn. It was so successful that the following year the learning day was opened up to everyone inside the organization and it was extended to a full month instead of one day. Employees, no matter what level they were in the organization, could attend seminars, lectures, and courses online or in person. They came together to figure out things like–what am I going to do next? How do my skills and passions apply to what the company sees as new jobs coming up? Where can I go inside or outside the company to get the training I need?

People at Guardian understand that they are accountable for their careers and that the company wants them to be successful and therefore is behind them every step of the way to make sure employees have the resources and tools they need.

Who is responsible for learning–the individual or the organization?
For many decades there has been an assumption in place that what we learn in school will get us to where we need to be in our careers, and if anything new comes up our company will just teach it to us. But with the fast pace of change this is no longer sufficient. We have to realize that we need to be lifetime learners in order to keep up.

Deanna believes that education is a team effort. As she shares, “From my perspective companies that can afford it should help their employees to learn new skills and to do everything they can to be of assistance, but the company can’t know what you love or what you’re passionate about, or what makes you tick. And it really has to be a combination of the skills that the company is looking for and what you like to do and are passionate about, because learning takes energy. It’s hard to learn without passion, and I don’t think that anybody can force you to learn. You have to have initiative and want to learn.”

One thing we have all realized during the pandemic is that when we have to, we can learn new things. We all had to learn how to work from home, how to use Zoom or platforms like it, how to juggle family life while simultaneously working, etc…As humans we have the ability to learn new things and adapt. We have to stop getting stuck in a fixed mindset, where we believe that we have a limit on things that we can learn–and we have to move to a growth mindset, where we understand that we can gain new talents and skills through hard work, advice, education, curiosity, etc…

Advice for individuals who want to become perpetual learners
For any individual employee out there who wants to be prepared for the future of work and who wants to become a perpetual learner Deanna has a few pieces of advice.

1. Start small–look at a problem that you have at work or even at home and figure out if there is a different skill, ability, or technology that you could use to solve it. How could you take a different method than you’ve used before to take on a current problem.
2. Don’t be afraid to fail–When babies first learn to walk they fall down a lot. But they get back up and try again. And as adults we don’t even remember falling down, but if we gave up after one or two falls we would still be crawling. The same goes with learning new skills. You will probably fail a few times, but after you succeed even once you will have the confidence to keep going. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
3. Develop a learning culture–Once you solve a problem at work it will get easier to go find another one to work on. And it can encourage other people around you to think about problems they can solve as well. There could be a problem that will take multiple people, so think about putting together a group to solve it. It doesn’t matter what your seniority level is at work, you can inspire a learning culture around you at any level.

Advice for leaders who want to build a culture of learning
If you are a leader inside of an organization who wants to ensure that your people are prepared for the future of work and any employment changes in the future Deanna also has some advice for you.

1. Celebrate success–When an employee changes the way they do something or they learn something new–even if it is something small–it is up to you as the leader to elevate that. Make sure everyone knows about it and get everyone excited about it. Maybe you can get a cake, or put up a sign that says thank you to that employee, or call them out in a group meeting.
2. Give people room to fail–It is completely unrealistic to think that your employees are going to feel free to learn new things without making mistakes. Learning is about experimenting, struggling a little bit, and figuring things out. Failure is a part of that process. You have to let employees know that failure is okay and it is normal.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Improve Your Strengths and Work on Your Weaknesses https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-improve-your-strengths-and-work-on-your-weaknesses/ Thu, 25 Feb 2021 09:44:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40557 What’s the key to continually improving yourself and finding success?
Self-awareness.
After all, you can’t improve if you don’t know where you need to improve.

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What’s the key to continually improving yourself and finding success? Self-awareness.

After all, you can’t improve if you don’t know where you need to improve. And you can’t grow your talents if you don’t know your strengths and things you are already good at.

Improving your strengths and working on your weaknesses can start with one simple activity that only involves a piece of paper and a pen.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

On one side of the paper, write down all of your strengths. On the other side, write down all of your weaknesses.

Be honest with yourself and use this exercise as a chance for self-reflection. No one is checking on you, so truly evaluate yourself without worrying what anyone else thinks. Write down as many strengths and weaknesses as you can think of, even if the lists are uneven.

Then, take it one step further by mapping your strengths to different career paths, future goals, or plans for growth. For example, if you write down that one of your strengths is communication, you can map out what to do with that communication skill, such as becoming a speaker, working in marketing, or writing a book.

Mapping your weaknesses creates ways you can improve. For example, if you list that one of your weaknesses is being bossy, you can map out steps to overcome bossiness, such as taking a step back in meetings, actively listening to other people, and becoming a team player. Your map can help you turn your weaknesses into positive attributes.

This activity is simple, but it’s a crucial first step towards self-awareness and improving your strengths and weaknesses. You may have an idea of what you’re good at and what you need to improve, but actually seeing your strengths and weaknesses written out gives you a better idea of where you are and gives you time to reflect.

Check in with yourself regularly and perform this exercise every month or quarter. Over time, you’ll see your strengths column grow as you improve and eliminate your weaknesses.

The path to self-awareness starts with a pen and paper. And it can make all the difference in how you see yourself and how you grow.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Future Leaders Must Be Able To Adapt To Rapid Change, Says Citrix CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/future-leaders-must-be-able-to-adapt-to-rapid-change-says-citrix-ceo/ Wed, 24 Feb 2021 12:32:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40552 Changes happen all the time.
Through his decades-long career in technology, Centrix CEO David Henshall has seen some major changes.

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Through his decades-long career in technology, David Henshall has seen some major changes.

But those changes and the speed at which they occurred pale in comparison to what will happen in the future.

David is president and CEO of Citrix, a software company with more than 8,000 global employees. He has been recognized for his strong leadership skills, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he saw the writing on the wall and had engineers improve the customer interface and prepare to scale to handle the changing needs of customers before the pandemic hit full force.

I had the chance to talk to David pre-COVID for my book, The Future Leader. No one could have predicted a global pandemic when we talked, but the ideas David shared about future leaders are especially poignant in today’s landscape. He believes the pace of change will only increase in coming years and that leaders need to adapt and evolve. We’ve seen that need over the last year and will see it intensify in the future.

Accepting The Pace Of Change
One of the defining features of the future of work will be the astounding pace of change. This speed is both a challenge and an opportunity for leaders and their organizations. The breakneck speed can be overwhelming and cause some companies to get disrupted. But when leaders stay ahead of the pace of change, they can become industry leaders.

David said this: “Both the rate and the pace of change have been accelerating and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. As a result, disruption can come from anywhere and from any size company. This speed changes everything from how we lead to how we create products to how we service customers. Leaders must understand and accept that this is the new world they will have to lead in. The only way to succeed in this world is by challenging the status quo.”

Future leaders can’t be overwhelmed or intimidated by the pace of change. Instead of avoiding it or clinging to the past, they need to lean into it and have it push them towards the future. The pace of change affects every aspect of business, and leaders need to set the tone for the rest of the company.

Developing Adaptability
The rapid pace of change affects everything else about the future of leadership, including how companies operate, hire and retain talent, and adopt new technology.

To keep up, David believes all leaders need to develop adaptability. He says that the ability to take in information, experiment, fail fast, and innovate will be crucial for leaders.

As technology increases, businesses will have shorter cycles than they had in the past, so the idea of a multi-year rollout will become incredibly rare. Leaders need to know how to experiment and disrupt themselves so they can adapt to changing trends and technology.

David calls it internal entrepreneurship—even leaders of large companies need to think like entrepreneurs and not be afraid to try new things. The leaders and companies that take the best risks will be rewarded with growth and success.

David put it this way: “New competitors can pop up almost overnight. Because of that, you can’t become complacent and think that what worked last year is going to work next year. It keeps it interesting and keeps businesses very dynamic.”

Becoming Digitally Fluent
One of the most important concrete skills for future leaders will be digital fluency. Technology is the lifeblood of future businesses, and David says it’s important for leaders to understand the context around it, whether it’s the technology trends, the impact of social media, or even generational fluency.

Becoming digitally fluent is part of a leader’s need to be continually learning. A leader doesn’t need to know the ins and outs of every piece of technology, but they do need to have a basic understanding of what it is, what it can do, and why it matters.

When a leader is digitally fluent, they can better adapt and keep up with the pace of change. Building digital skills sets the foundation for future success.

The future of work is arriving at breakneck speed. To be ready for the fast-paced future, leaders need to become adaptable and digitally fluent. Leaders who develop these skills can lead the charge for future improvements and disruptions.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Tips to Manage Uncertainty https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-manage-uncertainty/ Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:48:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40546 It’s no secret that we’re living in an uncertain world.
Running a business is also a leap of faith that comes with plenty of uncertainty.

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It’s no secret that we’re living in an uncertain world.

Running a business is also a leap of faith that comes with plenty of uncertainty. Things changing so fast can feel overwhelming.

But if you want to succeed in this uncertain world, you have to learn how to manage that uncertainty. You can’t make the world any less chaotic or guarantee your business will be successful right away, but you can control your own sphere of influence and how you react.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three tips to manage uncertainty:

1. Recognize what you can and can’t control.
Some things are simply out of your control, like the weather, the economy, or what potential customers are searching for. Those things are uncertain, and there is nothing you can do about them. Recognize what you can control—things like your content, your website, and your personal brand.

2. Focus on what you can control.
Instead of spending your time and energy worrying about things that are far out of your control, focus on what you do have power over. As an entrepreneur, you likely have control over your brand, your sales strategy, and your vision for the future. Instead of getting caught up in the things you can’t control, focus on what you can control, including your reactions and behavior.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

3. Focus on positive self-talk.
During uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to be your own coach and cheerleader. Don’t beat yourself up when things go wrong, especially when they are out of your control. Instead, focus on the positive and surround yourself with constant positive self-talk. Over time, this positivity will become a habit and your default to keep you moving through uncertainty.

Following these three steps can help you manage uncertainty much better.

It’s easy to get swallowed up in all the changes and chaos of the world, but focusing on positivity and what you can control can make all the difference in putting you in the right mindset for success, no matter what’s going on in the world.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Power Moms: Advice for Professional Women, Their Families, and Their Employers https://thefutureorganization.com/power-moms-advice-for-professional-women-their-families-and-their-employers/ Mon, 22 Feb 2021 09:37:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40540 Over the past few decades we have made greater strides in workplace gender equality and we have seen more and more women step into leadership roles, but we still have a ways to go.

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Joann Lublin Transcript

Joann Lublin is the author of Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life, which came out this month. She is also the author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons From Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World.

Joann is the former Management News Editor of The Wall Street Journal where she created its first career advice column which she wrote up until May 2020. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 and she won the Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest accolade in business journalism, in 2018.

Over the past few decades we have made greater strides in workplace gender equality and we have seen more and more women step into leadership roles, but we still have a ways to go. There are still stereotypes and mindsets set in the past that give the notion that women have to choose between a career and having a family, they can’t have both.

But as Joann has found in her conversations with female senior level executives, not only can women have both, they can thrive and succeed at both at the same time.

While interviewing one executive and mother for the book, Joann found out that the woman had felt it necessary to not put up photos of her children on her desk at work until they were of high school age and she had proved herself at the company. She knew that having pictures up of small children some people might question her conflicting priorities.

Another woman shared that when she returned to work after a couple of years at home with her kids she was asked by male and female coworkers “how do you do it all?” and she said she was very offended by that. Because people wouldn’t have questioned her husband’s ability to do it all even though they are equal partners in parenting. People have these set mindsets that women are the ones doing 100% of the parenting while the men are 100% focused on work, but that is not the case.

What is the motherhood penalty?
Joann has a section in her book called The Motherhood Penalty, which reflects decades of research that highlights the bias against women with children. Research suggests that when hiring managers are going through resumes and it is clear from what they can see which people have kids and which ones do not have kids, the managers are more likely to give the interviews and the jobs to the women without kids.

The other aspect of the motherhood penalty has to do with pay. Either because of the breaks women have after having children or the fact that they choose to go back to work at reduced schedules the earning power of moms suffers. Yet this issue does not happen with men.

Joann does add a bit about how men can suffer when it comes to parenting biases. She says, “Men have other problems being effective parents and effective members of the workplace, but the fatherhood penalty is more of if they want to be involved. Fathers, they feel like they’re penalized, that their career is going to suffer, that they’re not going to be a guy’s guy. And so they’re reluctant to take the parental leave, even if it’s generous and paid, that their employer is offering because somehow they won’t look like they themselves are committed to their career. So we need to change our image of what makes for a good parent and what makes for a good worker. From a gender and parenting standpoint.”

The good thing that we are seeing now is Millennials and Gen Xers have more employment choices now. Where past generations may have learned to live with companies that had cultures that penalized parents, nowadays there are so many employment options that people can vote with their feet and move to a company that will treat them equally.

The work/life balance myth
Joann believes we need to give up on the notion of work/life balance. As she shares it is an ideal that can never be realized. In her book she compares balance to maintaining a yoga pose for 24 hours, you can’t do it.

The concept that she talks about in her book is work/life sway. “The idea of work life sway is that you accept the belief that there is no such thing as balance. And you recognize that there are going to be moments in your day and in your life when you have to be 110% there for your job, for your company, for your work. But family needs may intrude without warning, and you have to be prepared and willing and able–thanks to technology– you can sway the other way.”

One example of work/life sway Joann gives from an executive that was interviewed for her book is from a woman who had returned to work after having a child and one day she got a live video call while she was in her office. The call was from her nanny who knew that the mother wanted to see her child take his first steps. The executive obviously stopped what she was doing and watched her son take his first steps. Instead of having to partition her life off into personal life and work life, they sway together, happening simultaneously.

Our current situation with the pandemic is further proof that we don’t have to be locked in an office away from family for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in order to get things done. Most of us have been forced into living work and life simultaneously at home. And we’ve made it work.

Flexibility can’t just be a policy, it has to be a way of life
One important piece to being able to live in a work/life sway is the organization you work for and the managers you have. It is important to find a place to work where flexibility and maternity/paternity leave is not only a policy, but it is also something that is lived out in the culture.

It is so critical for leaders inside of organizations to live out these types of core values. If you want your people to believe that it is okay to take 3 or 4 months of parental leave after having a new child, you have to be willing to set the example. People are going to look to senior level executives to see that they practice what they preach. Employees want to know they won’t be reprimanded or looked down on for taking time off, or for leaving early to watch their child’s soccer game, or to go home to take care of a sick kid.

Joann has a story about a woman who was the head of HR at a tech company who decided to make an example of what the company viewed as flexibility and leaving work early. She had a son who was in his last year of high school and she knew he would be leaving home the following year to go to college. So she decided that every Thursday she was going to leave by 5pm–no matter what was happening at work–so that she could take her son out to dinner for bonding time.

Not only did she leave at 5pm every single Thursday for the full year of his senior year, she posted about it on the company’s internal website so that employees worldwide saw her example. She showed that the company policies weren’t just lip service or words on a page, they were meant to be lived out by everyone.

When it comes to finding a place to work, this is something to really consider. Is the senior level leadership living out the values and the professed culture of the company?

Women can’t be afraid to set expectations and ask for what they want at work
One of the senior leaders I interviewed for the podcast awhile back spoke of having two phones, a smartphone and a flip phone in order to disconnect from work. While at work she would have her smartphone with her and people could call, text, or email and she would respond.

But once she went home the smartphone was put away and she only had her flip phone with her. Only a select few people had the number to the flip phone so that she would know if it rang, it was an emergency or something very important. Aside from that she wouldn’t check emails, social media, text messages, etc…while she was at home with family.

The same was true when she went to work, her family knew that if there was an emergency or something important they could call that flip phone and she would answer, but otherwise they would wait until she got home. And her coworkers and her boss knew if that phone rang she was leaving the room, no matter what was happening. She set those expectations up from the beginning so that everybody was on the same page and knew what was happening.

Joann says women are not as good at setting up expectations as men are. They tend to be more afraid to ask for what they need. But putting up boundaries and letting people know what it is you want is a critical part of having a successful work/life sway.

When it comes to asking for what you want Joann suggests not doing it as a solo act. Connect with other working moms in your company, figure out the main issues you are all dealing with and come up with some solutions together that you can take to your leaders.

Joann’s advice for working dads
When it comes to “power dads” Joann says her biggest advice is not to just try to be supportive of their wives or life partners, but to be an equal partner. What women who want to be successful in their careers and have children want is co-parenting.

And this is something to talk about early in relationships. Joann says, “Frankly, the time to talk about that is not when you’ve gone 24 hours straight, with not much sleep, because you’re at each other’s throat. And Gosh, darn it, I changed the diaper the last time the newborn woke up. You need to kind of come to some meeting of the minds, frankly, at the start of your commitment to a long term relationship. If you want to have children, you should talk about that. We should also talk about who’s going to stay home when the kid is born, who’s going to stay home when the kid is sick, whose career is going to take priority, as these kids are growing up is one of us willing to be a stay at home parent for a couple of years, is the other one willing to be the stay at home parent the next couple years.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Ways To Future-Proof Your Career https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-future-proof-your-career/ Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:17:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40341 Within six months of entering into a new relationship, I was cheated, lied to, and berated.
So I decided to end that relationship, and I quit my job.

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Within six months of entering into a new relationship, I was cheated, lied to, and berated.

So I decided to end that relationship, and I quit my job.

My first job out of college came with big promises of exciting opportunities. But it didn’t take me long after I started to realize that I was just there for grunt work and would never have the experiences I was promised.

It was then that I realized that there’s no such thing as job security. The only security that exists is what you create for yourself.

We spend as much time working as we do living, so we might as well build a life and career we truly want to live.

My disastrous first job was one of the last times I worked for someone else. I took things into my own hands to future-proof my career.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are three ways you can do the same and shape your work to create a better personal life.

1. Be a perpetual learner.
You can’t rely on schools or employers to teach you everything to need to know in life. Take control of your own personal and career development. Pay attention to the tangential so you can see how your skills and interests can be applied to things on the side. Don’t be so heads down that you miss what’s going on around you.

2. Fake it ‘til you make it.
Everyone faces imposter syndrome and often feels like they don’t belong. Don’t let those thoughts take over! When I was starting out on my own, I told myself that I was building something great and was a fantastic entrepreneur. Eventually, I started believing it and found success. What you tell yourself matters.

3. Don’t follow your passion, bring it with you.
This might go against all the career advice you’ve ever received, but don’t go chasing your passion. Passion isn’t something static you can chase, but instead something that will grow and change throughout your life. Most people can’t even decide their passion until they start doing something. Become passionate about what you are doing instead of bringing it with you.

To future-proof your career, you have to take matters into your hands. Improve your work life and you’ll improve your personal life.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to build a life you really want to live.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Tips To Setting Effective Team Goals https://thefutureorganization.com/5-tips-to-setting-effective-team-goals/ Wed, 17 Feb 2021 13:12:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40367 Each year I try to set out a few business and personal goes for myself but I don't really share them with people. So this year when I put my goals together I shared them with my entire team of ten people.

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Each year I try to set out a few business and personal goes for myself but I don’t really share them with people. So this year when I put my goals together I shared them with my entire team of ten people. Business goals included things like creating 5 new products for Future of Work University and hitting certain revenue goals for my business and for the Be Your Own Boss Podcast that I started with my wife Blake.

Personal goals included things like spending more time creating content and less time reviewing content, having fewer meetings, and playing some over the board chess tournaments. My team and I also went over team goals such as coming up with more creative content ideas and everyone being more autonomous in how they work, meaning if they have an idea for something, they should just run with it instead of asking me about it.

Having team goals especially sets the tone for your future work and where you’ll go as a group (and as a leader, professionally and personally).

Here are five tips to setting effective team goals that I have used:

1. Look towards the future.
Where do you want to be in three or five years, both individually and as a team? What do you hope your team will have achieved? Work backwards to set goals that will help you reach where you want to be. Decide on steps you need to take to put you on a path to future team success.

2. Set a vision.
What is the overall purpose and mission of your team? Keep that in mind when setting goals. It can be tempting to move the team in another direction or work on tangential goals, but team goals should always tie back to the overall vision. With the purpose and vision as your guiding force, it will be easier to get everyone’s buy in.

3. Set individual goals and responsibilities.
The team will have an overall goal, but you also need to break down how that goal will be achieved. Give each person on the team unique responsibilities to meet the goal. Play to their strengths to create an action plan where everyone plays a valuable role.

4. Make it SMART.
This is goal-setting 101, but it’s crucial to the success of team goals. Effective goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. It’s one thing to say your team hopes to generate lots of leads this year, but it’s another thing if your team’s goal is to generate three times as many goals per quarter as it did in 2020. SMART goals can be the difference between merely hoping you improve and actually seeing growth and success.

5. Communicate and update.
A goal isn’t effective if it is forgotten after it is set. Make goal updates a regular part of your team communication. Try including it as a permanent item on meeting agendas or having a set day each week to check in with each other via Slack. Regular communication holds everyone accountable for progress towards the goal and improves your chances of actually achieving it.

Setting team goals takes work and communication, but the effort can pay off in an effective team that continues to grow and improve. Use this time of year to reflect with your team and look towards the future. Now more than ever we need leaders to focus on teams and not just individuals. We need to come together to solve problems, identify opportunities, and help each other during tough times.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Tips to Craft a Perfect Email https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-craft-a-perfect-email/ Tue, 16 Feb 2021 13:02:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40335 Want to create an email people will actually read?
It’s impossible to succeed as a modern entrepreneur without knowing the art of the perfect email.

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Want to create an email people will actually read?

It’s impossible to succeed as a modern entrepreneur without knowing the art of the perfect email.

Every day, we get so many emails that are confusing or difficult to read. If you want to grow your business, build connections, and ensure people actually read your email, make sure you convey something powerful.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three tips for crafting a perfect email:

1. Personalize it.
People aren’t going to pay attention or respond to an email that was clearly sent to a huge group of people. To get someone’s attention, make it personal. Address them by name and include something about them, such as a response to their recent article or a compliment on their podcast, to show that you did your research and know who you are addressing.

2. Keep it short.
Your email shouldn’t be longer than two paragraphs. In fact, some of the most powerful and effective emails are only a few lines long with space in between. It can be more difficult and take longer to write a succinct email, but it can pay off by making your words more powerful and getting your point across better.

3. Be clear on what you’re asking for.
If you aren’t clear with yourself on the objective of the email, it won’t be clear to the person receiving it. Ask for exactly what you want instead of wasting words beating around the bush. Share exactly what you want or need from the message.

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

Creating the perfect email really comes down to one key thing: self-awareness. Think of an email you want to receive and write that email. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator, know exactly what you are saying or asking for, and pay attention to what you’re writing.

Following these three steps will not only make you a more self-aware communicator, but it will also help write emails that people not only open and read but actually respond to.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How to Thrive in a Post Covid-19 World https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-thrive-in-a-post-covid-19-world/ Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:14:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40385 Business leaders are always looking ahead to see what is coming in the future of work. The trends that we have seen coming in the next 5-10 years have been accelerated due to the pandemic in 2020. Things that we thought would happen in 5-10 years have happened in weeks and months.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jeff_Schwartz_-_Ready.mp3

Jeff Schwartz Transcript

Jeff Schwartz is the U.S. Leader for the Future of Work at Deloitte and author of the new book Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work.

Jeff is also the global editor of the Deloitte “Global Human Capital Trends” report series, which he started in 2011.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Business leaders are always looking ahead to see what is coming in the future of work. The trends that we have seen coming in the next 5-10 years have been accelerated due to the pandemic in 2020. Things that we thought would happen in 5-10 years have happened in weeks and months.

When it comes to the future of work Jeff believes that we are in the end of the beginning, and we are beginning the next chapter. We now have the technologies in place, in this new chapter we are going to see the implementation and scaling of these technologies and the new ways of working.

“One of the one of my favorite quotes is a quote from Albert Einstein who said that you can’t use an old map to explore a new world. And I think that’s part of what we learned in 2020…But a lot of people are using old maps for new problems. And this is a big shift we’re going through now.”

Jeff believes that Covid-19 may be an event that changes work forever. One of the things we are challenged with in 2021 is to figure out if we now return to what we did before, or if we use the events of 2020 as an on ramp to something new. Jeff’s view is that we will use it as an on ramp to something new.

What does the future of work actually mean
We hear the phrase “the future of work” so often these days. It is at the forefront of so many discussion. But what does it actually mean? Jeff said it can mean a lot of different things, but for him there are three main things that make up the future of work: how work is changing, how workforces are changing, how workplaces are changing.

Jeff says, “I think we spent the last 20 years setting the table for the future of work discussion. Identifying what the work, workforce, workplace options are, what the implications are for communities, regulation, education. 2020 was a bit of a fast forward button or a forced experiment button. And as I was mentioning earlier, you know, I think we are at the end of the beginning of the future of work. And we are at the beginning of the next chapter, which is taking these changes to work, workforces, and workplaces, and just implementing them at scale. Not on the side, but in the heart of what we’re doing.”

Top trends in 2021
Jeff and his team at Deloitte have been releasing trend reports since 2011 and they recently released their report for 2021. Some of the top trends they focused on were:

    • The integration of wellbeing into work, not as a set of side benefits, but in a deliberate way that is integrated into work
    • Super teams, which is how we put AI and robots on the team in a way that supports people and allows them to do more human work such as deep care, deep teaching, deep design, etc…
    • Beyond re-skilling and looking at developing enduring human capabilities, giving workers what they need so they can shift and work up to their potential even when they have to do something outside of what they were hired to do
    • The real challenges around workforce governance, we found out in 2020 we don’t have the data and information needed
    • The elevation of the HR role in the first few months of the pandemic and looking at how HR can lead into this reimagination and re-architecture of the work era.

What Jeff worries about for the future
When it comes to the future of work Jeff is mostly optimistic and he doesn’t have many fears. But he does have a specific worry about the future.

As he shares, “My concern is that we aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities that we have in front of us, as both businesses and as communities in society. We’re at a very interesting point, where we have the opportunity to do some pretty amazing things in terms of the way we live our lives, we organize our work, the way we organize education, the way we organize our businesses. And I worry that we’re not really as focused on the opportunity as we can.”

He is concerned that some of us are not prepared for the unpredictable part of life. As the world changes some of the institutions we have–such as schools, communities, and businesses–will have to be able to stretch and flex to be more relevant.

We have to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that we have in front of us. With the innovation and technology we have today we have the opportunity to do some pretty amazing things in the way we live, work, learn, and organize.

What do business leaders need to do to take advantage of the future of work
When it comes to taking advantage of things coming in the future of work Jeff has some advice for business leaders. They are:

  1. Leaders need to recognize that the role of business leaders is to deliver value, not just cost savings. Big changes in the economy comes not just from cost savings and productivity, but from innovation, new value, and creating new sources of meaning.
  2. Leaders must wrap their minds around the idea that they are leading workforce ecosystems today, not just individual employees. It is not the same as 30 years ago where you just focus on who to attract, develop, and retain. It’s now about accessing, curating, and engaging. You can access talent in the form of a human or a machine. You can look inside of your organization or by using talent marketplaces. You really have to look at all of the ways you can access and curate talent.
  3. Leaders must think of themselves as co-creators. We have to move from a supervisor mentality to a player-coach mentality.

Jeff’s advice for individual leaders looking to navigate this new world of work
Individuals have a lot of responsibility in preparing themselves for the future of work. But we are highly adaptable and there’s a lot we can do. Jeff’s advice for individuals is:

  1. Adopt the growth mindset, don’t have a fixed mindset. Growth mindset is the belief that you can improve your abilities through hard work, exploration, curiosity, and learning. Your capabilities are not stagnant, you can do something to better yourself.
  2. Understand the importance of being a team player. There is nothing wrong with individual work, but in this new world of work individuals must be able to work well with a team, no matter what their role on that team is. We have to understand the different roles of teams, what a high performing team is, and understand that you may play different roles in different teams that you are on–whether you are a participant or a facilitator, an expert, or even the leader of the team
  3. Embrace the 100-year life span and the 50-60 year career. As we live longer lives we have to recognize that our careers no longer mean working for one company in one department. You will have multiple reinventions in your career, so it is important to recognize that and prepare for it.

“If you think that your journey is going over one mountain, and you find out that the journey is going over six mountains, it really helps to know that it’s a six mountain journey versus a one mountain journey, right? You’re mentally prepared, you’re physically prepared. And you know, we’re telling people, it’s a one mountain journey, you go to school, you pick a career, you go to work for somebody, maybe it’s a two mountain journey, or maybe there’s another mountain behind this one, but if we know that it is a portfolio of reinvention that the journey is much more varied than we thought. We think that will help us to be prepared.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How To Get Your Team To Embrace New Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-get-your-team-to-embrace-new-technology/ Thu, 11 Feb 2021 13:03:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40166 Change is hard.
Don’t believe me? Try getting your team to accept new workplace technology.
No matter how good the new system is, people will still push back and refuse to use it.

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Change is hard.

Don’t believe me? Try getting your team to accept new workplace technology.

No matter how good the new system is, people will still push back and refuse to use it.

It’s not just about giving employees the tools—companies also have to train employees on the technology and teach them how the new tools will improve their work.

Employees often continue using outdated technology because they are familiar with it from using it for so long. Making the shift to something new, even if it is better and easier, is still hard.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

One way to get your team to embrace new technology is through learning and training programs. Many companies have technology-related training programs that allow employees to either test new software or be trained on all of the features of the new technology. Giving employees opportunities to learn at work can get them on board with the new technology. When they see its value and know how to use it, the technology becomes less overwhelming.

PwC set the gold standard for this approach with its Digital Accelerator Program. In an effort to digitally up-skill its tens of thousands of employees around the globe, PwC built the Digital Fitness App. Employees take a quiz to find their technology strengths and weaknesses, and then the app pushes content related to the areas of technology they need to learn more about, including things like the Internet of Things, AR, and automation.

Not all companies have technology training programs, so employees may have to take learning into their own hands by finding the gaps in their technology understanding and learning new skills. With YouTube videos, podcasts, Ted Talks, online learning modules, and many more options, it’s never been easier to learn new skills without a huge investment of time and money. Staying up to date on new technology and learning those skills can provide great opportunities for future growth.

Many companies also use reverse mentoring around technology. These programs typically feature a younger employee mentoring a more senior employee about various technology tools. Reverse mentoring fosters a community and culture where employees feel comfortable going to each other for technology help.

Getting new technology is only half the battle—you then have to get your team to embrace it. By focusing on the value of the new technology and providing resources for training and development, you can help your teams overcome the learning curve and stay on top of new technology.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Want To Succeed In The Future Of Work? Become A Global Citizen https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-succeed-in-the-future-of-work-become-a-global-citizen/ Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:43:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40160 By all accounts, Ilham Kadri should have never even learned to read, let alone lead an international company.
Ilham was raised in Morocco by her illiterate grandmother. Girls in her town were taught from an early age that there were two exits in life: the exit from their parents’ home to their husband’s home and the exit to the grave. But Ilham’s grandmother encouraged her to find a third exit through education. Ilham charted her own course and went to college to major in math and physics before getting her master’s degree and a PhD.

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By all accounts, Ilham Kadri should have never even learned to read, let alone lead an international company.

Ilham was raised in Morocco by her illiterate grandmother. Girls in her town were taught from an early age that there were two exits in life: the exit from their parents’ home to their husband’s home and the exit to the grave. But Ilham’s grandmother encouraged her to find a third exit through education. Ilham charted her own course and went to college to major in math and physics before getting her master’s degree and a PhD.

Today, Ilham is CEO of Solvay, a materials and specialty chemical company with 25,000 global employees. Her career has taken her around the world and introduced her to amazing people, causes, and cultures—nearly unthinkable as a young girl in Morocco. Ilham has negotiated large contracts in Japan and Latin America, managed projects in the Middle East and Africa, overseen expansions of projects in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, led marketing projects in Belgium, helped open a new office in North Carolina, studied in Canada and France, and the list goes on. She’s lived in more than 15 locations around the world.

I was able to interview Ilham for my book, The Future Leader. As I talked with more than 140 other top CEOs around the world, the idea of having a global citizen mindset came up frequently. Ilham doesn’t just believe those words - she lives them as a true global citizen. And in order for leaders to succeed in the future of work, they must become global citizens as well.

Ilham learned the importance of patience when working in Japan, that a verbal commitment is just as important as a written one in Saudi Arabia, the importance of going slow to go fast in Africa, that nothing is impossible in China, what entrepreneurship is in the United States, and the importance of balancing a healthy life in Europe.

She told me this: “Being a global citizen is not automatically about living in different countries or traveling all the time. It’s about having a global mindset. You have to be open to other people and ideas and to respect the diversity of cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, thoughts, and orientations. This is essential for the future leader.”

In our modern connected age, every company is a global company. Even if you don’t work in dozens of countries like Ilham, all leaders must be able to lead in different situations and understand and appreciate new cultures.

Ilham shared a story of when she was leading the water business for Dow in the Middle East. She was faced with the challenge of negotiating a large deal between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. to build the region’s first reverse osmosis plant. With her global citizen mindset and knowledge of both cultures, Ilham was able to bridge both worlds and bring both sides together in a successful deal for everyone. That success earned her the nickname “Water Lady” in the region, and it was largely possible due to her understanding of and respect for different cultures.

Global citizen leaders surround themselves with people who are different than them and respect and understand different cultures. They invite other people to challenge their beliefs and learn and grow from each new person and culture they interact with. No matter where you put them in the world, they can lead successfully because they are humble, know how to listen, and respect the diversity of ideas. Instead of looking for differences, they build bridges and find similarities.

“Leaders must be curious connectors and understand the perspectives of those who are not like them, use those perspectives, and adapt to different ways of doing things. Listening to this diversity as well as including it, appreciating the richness of humanity, makes me more balanced, more grounded, and more impactful. People still buy, sell, and work with people, so being a global citizen means you understand people, all people,” Ilham said.

Being a true global citizen requires authenticity. Ilham says it involves embracing the diversity of people, of data, of geographies, and of stakeholders around you in your ecosystem. And being able to mobilize them around your purpose. In an increasingly global world of work, being a global citizen has never been more important.

To become a global citizen, ask questions, sit back and observe other cultures, surround yourself with a diverse group of people, and learn to appreciate and respect the cultures around you.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Want To Succeed In The Future Of Work? Become A Global Citizen first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Want to Close More Sales? Try This Strategy! https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-close-more-sales-try-this-strategy/ Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:27:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40152 Are you an entrepreneur focused on selling services instead of products?
Then you know the success of your business revolves around your ability to gain clients and close sales.

The post Want to Close More Sales? Try This Strategy! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Are you an entrepreneur focused on selling services instead of products?

Then you know the success of your business revolves around your ability to gain clients and close sales.

It doesn’t matter if you are in financial consulting, personal styling, web design, or any other industry—this strategy can boost your sales and increase your revenue.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

When people approach you to work on a project or consult for them, don’t just give them one price. Give them three different options:

1. Lower cost option with basic services
2. Medium priced option (20% higher than previous package) with added services
3. Expensive option (20–30% higher than previous package) with added services and value

Now more than ever, people are moving from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. We are collectively realizing that the only job security that exists is the one that you create for yourself, but how? My wife Blake and I are successful entrepreneurs who both made the transition while we had full-time jobs. You can learn how here.

http://bit.ly/entrepreneurfulltimejob

Download our new guide on 5 Tips For How To Become An Entrepreneurs While You Have A Full Time Job.

The simple act of offering three options instead of one changes the question of if they should work with you to how they should work with you. With only one price, it’s easier for prospective clients to say no. But giving them options showcases your skills and helps them see the value of your work. I’ve used this strategy throughout my career, and you’d be surprised to find how many clients choose the medium or most expensive option. If you give people options, you’re more likely to close the deal and less likely to leave money on the table.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Future of Work Post Covid-19: Insights From Goodwill CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-of-work-post-covid-19-insights-from-goodwill-ceo/ Mon, 08 Feb 2021 09:55:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40171 Steve Preston is the President & CEO of Goodwill Industries International, the world’s leading workforce provider. He leads a team of around 140,000 employees across the United States.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Steve_Preston_-_Ready.mp3

Steve Preston Transcript

Steve Preston is the President & CEO of Goodwill Industries International, the world’s leading workforce provider. He leads a team of around 140,000 employees across the United States.

Prior to his current role Steve served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

He orchestrated successful turnarounds as the CEO of two private corporations, Oakleaf Global Holdings and Livingston International and he was the CFO of two Fortune 500 companies — Waste Management and ServiceMaster.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The world looks very different today than it did just over a year ago. The pandemic and other world events have had long-lasting effects on the way we live and work. Steve’s role at Goodwill has put him in the unique position of not only having to address these issues inside of his own organization, but because one of Goodwill’s main operations is workforce development and job placement, he has had to pay attention to how things are changing in all industries.

Goodwill has 650 job centers around the country where people can go to get training development, coaching, and job placement services.

One major trend Steve has been focused on is the acceleration of job displacement due to Covid-19.

As he shares, “Before the pandemic, we were very focused on what everybody’s calling the future of work. And that is a significant migration in labor demands by employers that are more focused on technology skills, and other cognitive and relational skills that surround the product development and service delivery. And so many of the forecasters or economists were forecasting that 30 or 35 million jobs would be lost over the next decade. Well, what happened when COVID hit is not only did we see unemployment spike, there were two other phenomena within that, number one, that people who lost their jobs were people with lower levels of education, lower income levels, and disproportionately people of racial and ethnic minorities. And then in addition to that, employers accelerated their adoption of digital technologies, customer interactions, supply chain support, and other kinds of internal management processes.”

Because of both of these situations happening quickly–1. That the people who were most likely going to lose jobs over the course of the next decade lost their jobs in 2020 and 2. Companies accelerated their digital transformations–we are now in a situation where people urgently need digital skills to be able to compete for jobs. We have employers who are looking to upgrade the level of skills for all roles and the people who need jobs right now don’t have those skills.

The future of the office
One thing that we have come to realize over the past year is it is possible to get work done at home. In fact a lot of people are finding they are more productive at home. Organizations are realizing that even though people aren’t physically in the office or always working the traditional 9-5, work is getting done.

So does this realization mean that physical office spaces will disappear in the future? Steve doesn’t think so. While we can work from home, as humans we thrive on interaction, relationship, and connectedness that just isn’t the same when we talk virtually.

Most likely what will happen is a hybrid model that allows people to work from home part of the time while still coming into the office on a regular basis. Whether they are in the office more will depend on the role they have.

Steve says, “I’m definitely thinking about a hybrid model, because I do not want to throw out the human interaction side, I think that’s critical. And I think, you know, especially when you are dealing with complex business issues, and making tough decisions– having trust, having those deep personal relationships, is just, I mean, that’s how leadership functions well, is being having that joint accountability and trust, and being able to move forward together with those situations in place. And pure remote doesn’t do that.”

Steve’s advice for people looking for jobs now
Trying to find work in the middle of a pandemic is hard, it is stressful, and some may feel like it is impossible. But Steve has some great advice for anyone who is looking for a job right now.

First of all, he says it is so important to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. Don’t let the stress of finding a job or being turned down for a job affect your mood. Spend time with friends, stay engaged, and take care of yourself.

It’s also important to take advantage of the time that you have without a job to build your skills. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on getting a degree, there are so many places to learn these days. Develop skills, specifically digital skills like coding or data. Utilize this time to better yourself so that when the right job opens up you are ready for it.

Bettering yourself can also look good in an interview. When talking with a potential employer when they ask you what you have been doing during your unemployment you will have a great response. You’ll let them know what you’ve been doing to build skills whether it is from online courses, reading books, listening to podcasts, etc…

“Time is precious, you know, and most of us in our lives are always looking for time. And when you’ve got it, the challenge with having time, like unemployment is it’s filled with all sorts of anxiety and urgency. But you have to find space to make it a good time, to come out at the other end in a better position when you entered it.”

Steve also says to look around at the network around you. We all have networks, whether we realize it or not. A conversation with someone you know may lead you to a job. So talk to the people you know, let them know what you are looking for, and who knows it could lead you to something.

The best skills and mindsets for the future
In this new world of work there are certain skills and mindsets we should focus on. And it is important to have a balance between technology skills and human skills. Being able to walk into a new job and feeling comfortable around their technology whether you have used it or not is beneficial. Specific digital technology skills such as coding, data analytics, Python, Tableau, etc…are good as well.

Basic workplace effectiveness skills are crucial as well. Knowing how to effectively communicate, how to negotiate, how to present yourself, how to listen to others are all key skills if you want to have a successful career.

When it comes to certain industries looking to hire people, Steve says the retail industry is starting to come back. Logistics has stayed strong and IT jobs are always in demand. Hospitality on the other hand–hotels, restaurants, airlines–have not bounced back yet and it could be awhile.

Purpose in business
One thing that Steve is very passionate about is purpose in business. As he shares organizations are large ecosystems with tons of employees who are impacted by the actions of the leaders. So it is crucial for leaders to bring wholeness to organizations and to create cultures that allow people to thrive and grow.

“When you don’t have principled leadership, you see terrible things happen. I was CFO of a large company during the Sarbanes Oxley meltdown in the early 2000s, you saw all kinds of moral issues across the world. I was the HUD Secretary during the housing crisis. And there were all kinds of moral failures across businesses, you know mortgage institutions and in any number of, you know, lenders and people who are in the securitization industry, we need principled leadership and people who have a sense of true north, because in so many ways, great leadership brings flourishing to their organizations and to our communities. And bad leadership causes terrible things, which can result in a systemic breakdown.”

Steve is no stranger to leading in tough times. His advice to leaders right now is to know what the mission of your company is and what you’re hoping to achieve. You have to use that mission and lean into it as a rallying cry for your people. Because, as Steve shares, what happens in a crisis is people are scared, they are confused, and the last thing they need is lack of direction. It is up to you as the leader to provide that direction for them.

Know what your problems are, what are you facing as an organization. Then using your mission and your goals figure out a solution for that problem. And it is so important to keep your employees engaged in the process along the way. Employees want to see what is happening and know what their role is.

“In a crisis can actually be a great time to infuse purpose into the organization and see your employees rise up to to go after that mission.” Leaders have to be open and transparent. People want to know what the truth is and they can tell when you are not being honest. Be decisive, be clear, make a decision, and move forward. Your people want to trust you, and they want to trust that they can follow you as their leader.

Skills in a post-Covid-19 world
Historically many people have been excluded from jobs because they didn’t have a certain degree or a specific amount of experience to even be considered for the role.

But this practice is starting to change. Companies are starting to realize that it is better to focus on skills in recruiting and promotions instead of education, degrees, and specific experience.

Steve says at Goodwill the first thing they do when a candidate walks through the door is they do a skills assessment. Then when working with that person for a desired future role they can help pinpoint what skills the person already has and what skills they will need to work on in order to successfully take on that role.

A lot of times we have a hard time translating our skills into specific roles, we may not even realize that we have a set of skills. One group of people who have a hard time with this are veterans. They don’t usually have college degrees or formal education, but they have phenomenal training, discipline, they have great communication and even leadership skills.

“I am optimistic, because I think we’re reaching more people through what’s kind of opened up over the last nine months, I think, and I’m hopeful that employers will continue to open their minds about how best to fill those roles. And I’m very hopeful that people like Goodwill, and other people in this industry will continue to expand the relevant opportunities for people to get relevant skills for relevant roles.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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4 Ways To Elevate Yourself https://thefutureorganization.com/4-ways-to-elevate-yourself/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 13:12:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40022 If the last year has taught us anything, it's that we can't stay stagnant. We always have to be improving and elevating ourselves.
The world around us is changing at a breakneck pace, and we have to be continually improving to be the best versions of ourselves and keep up with it.

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If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t stay stagnant. We always have to be improving and elevating ourselves.

The world around us is changing at a breakneck pace, and we have to be continually improving to be the best versions of ourselves and keep up with it.

This is especially true for future leaders, who need to be in their best shape to lead in this rapidly changing world. You can’t stay the same and expect to be able to lead teams in the future.

I had the chance to talk to Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners, about this topic. He has led a fully remote team for years and has seen in the last year how people have had to adapt and improve themselves to work in and lead remote teams. He knows the importance of continual improvement and says it comes down to your daily habits and actions. You have to know where you want to go in order to put in the work to get there.

In his book, Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others, Robert lays out four ways to elevate yourself for continual improvement:

1. Spiritual. This isn’t necessarily religious, but it’s about knowing who you are and what you stand for. This includes the personal standards you live by each day. In order to improve yourself, you have to know where you are going and what you want most.

2. Intellectual. Spiritual elevation helps you realize where you want to go, intellectual elevation helps you get there. This includes establishing routines and healthy habits and setting long-term and short-term goals.

3. Physical. You have to take care of yourself physically to have the strength and energy to reach your goals. Elevate yourself with improved eating and exercise habits to take care of your body.

4. Emotional. Your emotional levels affect your relationships and how you react to challenging situations. Everyone faces stress and trials, but when you elevate yourself emotionally, you are better prepared to handle the ups and downs.

You can truly elevate yourself when you focus on these four connected areas. Putting all your effort into physical improvement won’t help you set goals, just like building yourself up intellectually won’t help you emotionally prepare for future challenges. These four areas work together to create a well-rounded, elevated person.

To be your best self now and in the future, focus on elevating yourself in these four areas: spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional. When you know where you want to go and how to get there, you can be in your best form, no matter how the world changes.

For more information about how to elevate yourself, check out this graphic:

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Focusing on Technology Your Teams Actually Need https://thefutureorganization.com/focusing-on-technology-your-teams-actually-need/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 02:07:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40019 Technology is changing all the time. It's easy to get swept up in what's new and shiny, but what matters most is using the technology your teams actually need. The newest device or program doesn't do your company any good if it doesn't help your employees do their jobs better.

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Technology is changing all the time. It’s easy to get swept up in what’s new and shiny, but what matters most is using the technology your teams actually need. The newest device or program doesn’t do your company any good if it doesn’t help your employees do their jobs better.

It’s a fine line to balance being friends with technology and chasing every shiny thing. But when you find that balance and focus on the right technology for your employees, it can make all the difference in propelling your company forward.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Run A Technology Audit
Once a year, conduct a technology audit of your company. Take a step back and look and what technology your teams use and how they use them. Identify bottlenecks that can be improved by new technology or bottlenecks that are caused by technology that need to be improved. It’s easy to get caught in the weeds when you only consider the day-to-day uses of technology, but an annual audit forces you to look at things through a big-picture lens to really see what is and isn’t working.

Collect Data
Don’t assume that just because you give your employees technology that they will use it. Collect and leverage data to make the best employee-focused technology decisions. After all, the people using the technology every day will have the best insights and perspectives. Ask employees about new technology after it is introduced so you can continually stay in touch with how the technology is working. Talk to employees, run focus groups and surveys, and have an ongoing feedback process around technology so you can make changes and keep improving.

Have A Practical Perspective
With so many technology options, it can be overwhelming to find the best solution for your company. Adopt a practical perspective with technology to only pay attention to what has use and value to your organization today. Don’t chase the newest or shiniest objects - focus on things with a current practical business application. That practical perspective will help you find the tools that will empower employees to perform effectively and keep your company moving forward.
Technology is the central nervous system of an organization. It’s what supports programs and systems and has a huge impact on employee experience. Things like flexible work schedules, collaboration, communication at scale, and much more are only possible through technology. Technology shouldn’t be ignored, but it also shouldn’t overshadow other priorities. By focusing on technology your teams actually need, you can build a great employee experience and keep your company and your people moving forward efficiently and effectively.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How To Respond To A Stressful Situation https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-respond-to-a-stressful-situation/ Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:57:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=40009 It’s no secret that we’re all living with added stress these days.

Between the global pandemic, social and political unrest, and changes to our work and home situations, most people are facing more stress than ever before.

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It’s no secret that we’re all living with added stress these days.

Between the global pandemic, social and political unrest, and changes to our work and home situations, most people are facing more stress than ever before.

But even with these changes and added responsibilities, it’s important to not lash out at our friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else we come in contact with.

Instead, find ways to respond to stress and work through it yourself.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Blake and I have spent the last year focusing on controlling our emotions and our stress more effectively. We’ve found the best way to respond to a stressful situation can be boiled down to two simple actions:

1. Take a deep breath.
Breathe in deeply through your lungs and let it go. When you’re faced with something difficult or stressful, taking a deep breath gives you a small break and helps you delay your reaction. The breath can literally release some negative energy and give you a chance to reset and respond more calmly.

2. Take space.
Many of us are at home with other people in a tight space. When you feel stressed, find somewhere you can be alone—an empty room, a corner, or outside. Use that space to step away from the situation and process what you are feeling. When you’re stressed, even just a few minutes of silence by yourself can make a huge difference. Don’t ignore or stuff down your stress—take space to process it before you respond.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

These two simple steps are powerful to responding to stressful situations. Just because life might seem more difficult and stressful right now doesn’t mean we can’t improve and find happiness. When you’re faced with a stressful situation, take a deep breath and take space. You’ll be pleased with the calming results.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How To Go From Top Performer To Excellent Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-go-from-top-performer-to-excellent-leader/ Mon, 01 Feb 2021 10:07:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39988 Ryan Hawk is the host of one of the most popular management and leadership podcasts in the world called, The Learning Leader Show. The show was chosen by Apple Podcasts as an “all time bestseller” in 2020 and it has received acclaim from Forbes and Inc. Magazine.

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Ryan Hawk Transcript

Ryan Hawk is the host of one of the most popular management and leadership podcasts in the world called, The Learning Leader Show. The show was chosen by Apple Podcasts as an “all time bestseller” in 2020 and it has received acclaim from Forbes and Inc. Magazine.

He is also the author of Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader. It was named one of the 100 Best Management books of all time by Book Authority and it was named the best leadership book of 2020 by Forbes.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.


Contrary to popular belief, top performers do not always make the best leaders.

At the beginning of his career Ryan was in sales making cold calls for LexisNexis, and he was very successful at it. Because he was a top performer he was promoted several times and ultimately he moved to a sister company and became the VP of North America. Over his time as a leader he learned a lot and was able to gain the skills needed to lead, but thinking back to his first management role, Ryan says he wasn’t prepared for it.

Being a top performer does not mean that you are a great leader. But so many companies still rely on this benchmark alone when promoting people to leadership roles.

As Ryan shares, “the funny part about it is there’s very little of what you did as an individual contributor that actually translates to you being a good coach or manager of a team of others doing that. The skill sets are just completely different. And I understand why you look towards the top performer because basically the thought process is well, they were really good, so they probably have earned some respect from their peers. Let’s elevate them and then tell them okay, tell everybody else exactly what you did so that you can create a bunch of clones essentially. So I get that that’s why it happens. However, there are a lot of superstar performers that are horrible coaches.”

Ryan was able to learn from hands on experience and ultimately he decided to create his own sort of leadership PhD in the form of one on one conversations with leaders from all walks of life. This turned into his podcast, The Learning Leader, which he still hosts today. He interviews CEOs, athletes, authors, professors, and many others who have experience in leadership in order to help listeners continuously learn, grow, and improve.

The difference between a top performer and a leader
Most of us have had a teacher at some point in our lives who was extremely smart and knew their subject very well, but had a hard time teaching it to others. They make what they do look easy, but as soon as someone has a question they struggle to help that person truly understand.

As Ryan shares this happens in sports too. Superstar players like Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan are put in coaching roles and while they are amazing players, they are not great coaches.
“I think the same happens in the sales world. The same happens in all the business world where you’re just grabbing the top performer, without actually fully checking, can they coach others who aren’t as talented as them? Can they help other people who aren’t naturally as good as them? And that’s the problem, is sometimes we elevate and promote people who are just not good teachers, not good coaches, and a big element of management, of leading a team is teaching and coaching other people to levels that they didn’t even realize they were capable of reaching.”

Organizations need to look at other qualities for potential leaders aside from generating the most money or bringing in the most clients. They also need to invest more in training future leaders to make sure any individual who is being promoted has the skills necessary to lead.

Based on surveys I conducted for my recent book, The Future Leader, on average people are moving into their first leadership role in their mid to late 20s, but leaders say that on average the first time they receive formal leadership training is somewhere in their late 30s or early 40s. That’s a huge gap of time that people are leading without any kind of formal training.

How to solve the leadership problem
As Ryan shares, it is important that we realize that attaining a leadership role is not the only sign of success in someone’s career. Not everyone wants to be a leader, and not everyone is cut out to be a leader. There are other paths people can take in their career that will allow them to be successful without leading others.

It is up to organizations to create multiple career paths for employees. People need to feel like they can continue to be an individual contributor while also being able to grow and thrive in that role. Management roles should not be the only way to move up and grow inside an organization.

“I think it’s good to have both sets of people or a wide variety of people. I love having people on my team that I know, they’re never going to be a manager and that’s completely fine. They’re going to crush it here. Let’s just do everything we can to support them to make sure they’re feeling growth to take care of them. As well as there’s the other group that maybe they really want to be a manager and they have some of that innate skill and talent that let’s let’s work with them to get better and better, so when it comes time for them to run a team, they’re in a better position than I was when I got promoted cold.”

What Ryan looks for in a great leader
Ryan believes great leaders are fulfilled by teaching and coaching other people. They genuinely enjoy helping others grow and improve. They are selfless people who put others before themselves. People who get focused on an end goal and set out to achieve it no matter what with the mindset of “nobody’s going to get in my way”, aren’t in a place to be a successful leader. Leaders care more about people than the end goal.

Great leaders value diverse thinking and differing points of view and they are able to put themselves in other people’s shoes. They have patience and a willingness to learn. They embrace curiosity and they are comfortable admitting they don’t know everything–they’re not afraid to ask for help. They are both respected and liked.

Why you must start by leading yourself
In Ryan’s book, Welcome to Management, he points out that before you can lead a team, you must learn how to lead yourself. We’ve all heard the phrase that is used on airplanes when they say you must secure your oxygen mask before assisting others, and that is the same concept here.

It is important to look inward first and figure out what you need to do to put yourself in the best position to lead a team who actually wants to follow you. In Ryan’s case he wanted to become a learning machine so that his team would see him as someone who was constantly striving to get better. So he built a four part framework for himself to figure out what it actually means to be a learning machine and how to actively live it out on a daily basis.

His four part framework consists of:
1. Learn: He is constantly reading articles and books, interviewing different leaders, listening to podcasts and finding new information and great ideas.
2. Test: When he finds a great idea he then tests it out to see if actually works
3. Reflect: After he tests an idea out he looks back on the process and the results to see how it went and to decide if he should keep going with it or let it go.
4. Teach: Teaching is a great way to reinforce new things. Ryan shares his experience with others in order to solidify what he has taken in and tested out.

To give a picture of what this process looks like in real life Ryan shares an example of how this could be used for something learned in an article. Perhaps you find an HBR article on how to run better meetings. So you’ve read the article and you’ve thought about how you could use this with your own team. And you’ve brought the idea to a mentor or someone who has led teams before to run the idea past them for their feedback. Instead of just soaking in the information and thinking about it, you need to test it.

So in your next meeting you try out the ideas from the article and you invite your mentor to sit in on the meeting to see how it goes.

After the meeting is done you meet with your mentor or with people who were in the meeting that you trust and who will be honest with you to get their feedback on how it went. You all reflect on how it went, what worked and what didn’t. Should you keep using it or scrap it?

Then you teach the idea to someone. It could be someone you are mentoring or someone in your company who is thinking of moving into a leadership role. You sit down with that person and explain the idea you learned, how you used it in your meeting, and what worked well and what didn’t.

“Before you know it, you’ve been in all four quadrants in one day, or maybe a few days, whatever it may be of saying this is how to….and you do that for basically everything within your career, or everything in your life, of always striving to fuel the intake engine, run experiments based on what you learned, reflect on how it went–what to keep doing what to stop– and then sharing with other people. And it just goes on and on and on and never stops. And then once you pause at the end of the year, if you’re regularly behaving on it, wow look at everything we’ve done over the course of the year, we’ve changed a lot. Because you’re in this constant state of being a learning machine. And that’s how I think you can regularly figure out new and better ways to do things.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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You Shouldn’t Have A Typical Day; Here’s Why https://thefutureorganization.com/you-shouldnt-have-a-typical-day-heres-why-2/ Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:51:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39799 What does a typical day look like for you?
It’s a question I’ve asked to hundreds of CEOs and top business leaders around the world.

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What does a typical day look like for you?

It’s a question I’ve asked to hundreds of CEOs and top business leaders around the world.

And the answer I get almost every time is that they don’t have a typical day.

There are some commonalities from day to day, like when they wake up, when they exercise, and when they finish work. But what happens during the day varies so much that it isn’t typical. One day a leader may be meeting with employees and their executive team, another day they may be visiting the contact center, and another day they may be interviewing new employees or meeting with customers. Two days are rarely the same.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

What can we learn from this?

If you want to follow in the footsteps of the world’s most successful business leaders, avoid having a typical day. Do something to get out of your routine, try something new, or even just mix up the order you do things in.

Not having a typical day helps you stay creative and innovative. It protects your sanity and helps your business grow. This is especially important as automation and technology increase. It’s the people who can break out of their typical days and avoid doing the same things over and over who will be the most successful. Emerging technology can take care of the repetitive tasks; we need to be able to handle the atypical tasks and adapt.

So ask yourself what a typical day is like for you. If it’s the same thing every day, start today to make a change.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Leaders Share 7 Tips To Stay Productive While Working From Home https://thefutureorganization.com/leaders-share-7-tips-to-stay-productive-while-working-from-home/ Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:13:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39782 Although news of vaccines are extremely positive, it's likely that many of us will continue to work virtually for much of the year. Several organizations have even said that they will make virtual work a core part of their talent strategy going forward. Of course there are definitely benefits to working from home.

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Although news of vaccines are extremely positive, it’s likely that many of us will continue to work virtually for much of the year. Several organizations have even said that they will make virtual work a core part of their talent strategy going forward. Of course there are definitely benefits to working from home.

I’m a fan of not having a commute and being comfortable in my environment. I also like being near my wife, fridge, and my dogs!

But it also comes with challenges, like feeling isolated and constantly chained to work. If you’re considering being in a virtual work environment for the long haul then here are seven tips from top leaders to stay sane and productive while you embrace your WFH situation.

1. Have A Plan

Start your day with a prioritized list of what you want to get done. Be proactive and choose your target tasks for the day. Doug DeVos, president of Amway, told me this: “The main thing is to wake up and try to engage your mind. What are you thinking about? What are you doing? How do you create that process of going forward? What’s my plan, even if I have to adjust it? I get up and create my list of tasks for the day.” At the start of each day, create a list of the top three things to accomplish or work on that day. You might not get to all of them, but writing the list keeps your mind focused on the things that are most important.

2. Adjust Your Expectations

Don’t go into working from home expecting it to be exactly the same as working in the office. Switch your mindset to focus on productivity, not the number of hours you sit at a desk. Some parts of your job will like be smoother from home, such as sharing files and reaching far-spread employees, while other aspects of work may be more difficult, such as gathering teams and coordinating schedules. Understand that it won’t be exactly the same and lean into the benefits and strengths of remote work. With accurate expectations, you can set yourself up for success for working from home.



3. Check In With People

One thing missing from working in a traditional office is being able to easily drop in and check on co-workers. Don’t sacrifice human interaction just because you’re working from home. Send a friendly email to a co-worker, start a conversation on the company chat channel, or have a standing virtual happy hour with your co-workers. Check in with people to refresh and recharge. It’s a benefit to both you and them. “A lot of people are struggling with where things are right now—maybe they have a family member who’s ill or they’re a parent and their kids are at home,” said business author Julie Zhuo. “Across the board, many people are struggling, and it’s really important to be conscientious of that. I recommend you find a time to be able to check in with people at a personal level.”

4. Keep It Short

Emails, meetings, texts—keep them all short. Your day can easily get sucked up with messages and meetings that are much longer than they need to be. You wouldn’t go to someone’s office and give a monologue—don’t do it when you’re working remotely. That doesn’t mean you can’t catch up with co-workers or spend time collaborating, but really evaluate the purpose of your meetings and communication and be aware of the time restraints and needs of others. It can be difficult to understand someone’s schedule and workload when you aren’t together in person, so err on the shorter side.

5. Get The Right Technology

Your productivity is directly related to your technology. If you have technology that makes it easier to communicate, collaborate, share files, and stay organized, you and your team will likely be more efficient and productive. Many companies didn’t have the right technology in place when they made the quick switch to remote working in the spring. But now, months later, there is a huge variety of tried and tested solutions to get work done well. If your technology isn’t working or is slowing you down, find a better solution instead of working with a sub-par option. Even when working from home, you should embrace new technology and find ways to leverage it to improve your workflow. Christian Ulbrich, president and CEO of JLL, had this to say: “We will succeed in the digital era only if we engage with enthusiasm and welcome the ideas and opportunities that digital tools, data analysis, and new technologies will bring.”

6. Find A Release

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you always have to be working. Find a way to relax your brain and unwind before, during, or after work. Use the time you would be commuting to get outside, clear your head, and unwind. Your release could be going for a walk, trying a new restaurant, playing with your kids—anything that isn’t related to work. Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC, gets up early every morning to take care of the animals on his ranch. As he feeds his animals, he relaxes and enjoys his release to set his mind at ease before he begins his day. Clearing your mind helps you set barriers around work and puts you in a better mental state.

7. Get Active

Working, sleeping, and living in the same space can be draining. You’re probably used to at least walking around your office, so try to stay active in your WFH situation as well. Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO of Genpact, told me this: “I spend most of the day on video conferences, but I try to squeeze in a run beforehand if I can. If you’re dealing with a global time zone situation, maybe the better option is to shut down at a reasonable time and go for a run in the evening.” Find what works for you. Many successful leaders swear by their daily activity. Get up and exercise, go for a run or walk to get fresh air, or set a timer to get up and walk around your house every hour. Staying active is crucial for your physical and mental health.

It might not have been expected a year ago, but working from home can be a great situation. As you settle into working from home for the long term, remember to adjust your expectations, stay organized, and make time for yourself to fully embrace your working situation.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Tips To Conquer Procrastination https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-to-conquer-procrastination/ Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:08:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39792 Putting off starting that big project? You aren’t alone.
When you work for yourself and set your own schedule, it’s easy to procrastinate.

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Putting off starting that big project? You aren’t alone.

When you work for yourself and set your own schedule, it’s easy to procrastinate.

This is something I’ve had to overcome throughout my career as an entrepreneur. Conquering procrastination builds your mental strength and allows you to better use your time to improve yourself and grow your business.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three proven tips to conquer procrastination:

1. Start small. Big projects can seem daunting or overwhelming.

It can be easy to procrastinate when you have projects like building a website or writing a book staring you down. But you don’t have to do it all at once! Instead, break the big project into smaller, more manageable tasks. Finishing one small task gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps you see what step you need to take next. Starting small helps you see the path forward towards finishing the larger project.

2. Tell someone.

Hold yourself accountable by telling a friend, spouse, or mentor what you are going to do. Give yourself something specific and a deadline of when it will be done. That person can hold you accountable. Having an external force who is relying on you can push you forward to getting stuff done.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

3. Give yourself a reward.

Motivate yourself to get to work with an incentive after the task is complete. Find the reward that motivates you—it could be taking the rest of the day off work, buying something new, going to dinner, or whatever it takes to motivate you to get to work. But be firm with yourself so that you don’t actually get the reward until you finish the task.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastination, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay there. When you feel the urge to procrastinate, try these three tips and conquer that procrastination.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Essential Career & Life Advice From The CEO of UScellular https://thefutureorganization.com/essential-career-life-advice-from-the-ceo-of-u-s-cellular/ Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:20:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39820 Laurent Therivel is the CEO of UScellular, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the United States with 5,000 employees across 23 states. Previously he spent 12 years at AT&T where he most recently served as CEO of AT&T Mexico leading 18,000 people.

Becoming the CEO of a company during a pandemic comes with a unique set of problems. A role that usually requires a lot of face to face interaction with employees, customers, and vendors has been mostly limited to phone calls and online meetings.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Laurent_Therivel_-_Ready.mp3

Laurent Therivel Transcript

Laurent Therivel is the CEO of UScellular, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the United States with 5,000 employees across 23 states. Previously he spent 12 years at AT&T where he most recently served as CEO of AT&T Mexico leading 18,000 people.

Becoming the CEO of a company during a pandemic comes with a unique set of problems. A role that usually requires a lot of face to face interaction with employees, customers, and vendors has been mostly limited to phone calls and online meetings.

Laurent joined UScellular as their CEO in July of 2020. He says he’s had to heavily rely on data and analytics to see how their services are working for customers across the country, and that’s been difficult. Usually he would prefer to interact more to get a better feel for how things are going.

This past year there has been a fundamental shift in the way we live and work and Laurent believes that this shift has allowed us to take trends that would have taken 10 years or so and accelerated them to be accomplished in a couple of months. Laurent shares that he feels he has been able to be more efficient in his role due to technology. Now instead of having to travel across the country to visit with his team he can do it all from his computer at home. He has also been able to meet with smaller groups inside the company for Q&As and discussions, which is much easier than meeting with a huge group every time he shows up at a location.

So while this move was challenging for Laurent, he also has seen the silver linings and the positive impacts as well.

What to do if you aren’t happy with your job or your company

Most of us have had a time in our careers where we just aren’t sure if the role we have or the company we work for is the right fit. A time when you just don’t know what you really want to do in life.

For people going through this right now Laurent gives two pieces of advice. First of all, he says, you have to do your homework. It is important to carefully distinguish the difference between a company and a role. What about your current situation do you not like? Do you and your boss not have a good working relationship? Does your skill set not match up with the work you are doing? What is it that is making you feel unhappy?

Figuring this out can help you decide what to do. If it is a problem with your boss, maybe you can sit down and have a discussion with them to fix that relationship. If you don’t like the actual work you are doing or it doesn’t match up to your skillset, maybe there is another role for you inside the organization that could be better.

Laurent believes people are too quick to say the company itself is not a good fit, but usually it is their role or a relationship with a boss or coworker. Really look deep at why you are feeling unhappy.

He also says that people need to figure out what their worth is externally. There are two problems that come along with not accurately evaluating your external worth.

A lot of times people feel stuck in a role because they limit themselves. Laurent says, “They remain stuck, when they could be doing something much more exciting and much more interesting and a much better fit with their skills. But because they don’t believe in themselves and because they haven’t taken the time to find their worth externally, they don’t take the leap.”

Other people over value their external worth. They may think they are doing exceptional work, and that they are really making an impact, but that may not be the case. So they come into work and complain, and they feel underpaid and undervalued, but really they are the ones not rising to their full potential. You really have to do your homework and be honest with yourself to figure out your external work and what your performance really looks like.

This episode is brought to you by my friends at ServiceNow, a software company that makes the world of work, work better for people by delivering digital workflows that create great employee experiences, and unlock productivity. If you or your company is looking to transform old, manual ways of working into digital workflows, then you need ServiceNow. They are trusted by over 6,200 enterprises customers. Check them out here.

Laurent’s advice for leaders who feel they are not progressing in a company

For mid-level leaders who feel that there aren’t any opportunities inside of their organization to progress or rise up through the ranks Laurent shares his advice. He says this is a common scenario, there are a lot of leaders going through this. For this situation he says leaders have to be willing to develop their skill set laterally.

He says, “Too often people say I feel stuck, I feel stagnant. And then you say, Okay, well, are you willing to move geographically? No, no, no, my family’s here, you know, I can’t move. Okay. Do you want to try a different role? Do you want to move laterally in the organization and try and build your skill set somewhere else? Well, no, I don’t really want to do that. I think I’m good at accounting, or I’m good at logistics, or whatever it is, they’re good at sales. Okay, so if that’s the case, really what you’re doing is you’re waiting for your boss to retire or die, right? If that doesn’t happen, then you don’t know where to go.”

You have to be open to lateral moves if moving up the rank isn’t a possibility at the moment. Don’t be the one to limit yourself. Laurent also stresses the importance of having open and honest conversations with your loved ones so you know the right decisions to make in your career. Don’t assume the reaction your spouse, significant other, or kids will have to a career choice. You never know until you talk with them.

Advice for senior leaders who are burned out or bored

People at any level of leadership tend to place limits on themselves. It is fairly common to hear senior leaders talk about how they feel burned out or bored with their role, but Laurent says a lot of times this is because they have limited themselves for one reason or another.

Feeling bored or burned out may signal that it is time to try something else, but it can be hard to leave a role for various reasons. Sometimes senior leaders may have become used to living a certain way financially, so they stop themselves from pursuing their passions because it may not provide the same level of financial security.

As Laurent says, “I find that that a lot of times, senior leaders in their career aren’t willing to really make the difficult move, because they’ve convinced themselves that they have a lot less flexibility, a lot less optionality than they really do. Which is sad, because if you think about all of the hard work that you’ve put in, it should be to go create optionality later in your life, right? You should have the ability to go teach classes or be a mezcal importer, by the way, is what I want to do when I retire. So I think some of it has to do with, again, going back and having those conversations to make sure you know how much optionality that you really do have.”

Figure out how much risk you are willing to take as well as what you truly value in life to decide where to go when you feel this way.

How Laurent makes difficult decisions

When it comes to making tough decisions Laurent says he uses a combination of analytics and advice. He doesn’t just go with a gut feeling. It’s all about taking a step back and looking at the issue impartially. Emotions do play a part in making decisions, but in this first step Laurent tries to separate emotions.

It is also important, Laurent shares, to have a healthy dose of humility. “Everybody thinks that the problem that they’re facing is unique and has never before occurred in this universe. And chances are, it’s occurred hundreds of times. And so if you can develop a trusted set of friends, a trusted set of advisors, trusted set of mentors, that helps. And if nothing else, you know, there’s one thing that people like talking more about than anything, which is themselves. And so we find people that have faced a problem like this and just reach out to them and say, hey, how did you think through this, and I think having the humility to do that, is, is critical to making an informed decision.”

Leaders also need to be able to admit when they may not be the best person to make the decision. Laurent says there are times when he is not the best person to make decisions. He only wants to be involved in decisions if, and only if, he can add value.

“Most people, I think, would have an image that a CEO is making 10 decisions a day. And I think if that’s the case, you’re probably a little bit out of whack, and probably your team doesn’t feel very empowered, either.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Learning How To Say No Is An Invaluable Skill https://thefutureorganization.com/learning-how-to-say-no-is-an-invaluable-skill/ Thu, 21 Jan 2021 11:29:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39704 I used to say yes to every request, both personal and professional. If someone wanted to meet for dinner, pick my brain, or work together on a project, I always said yes.

But over time, I realized I was exhausted and depleted. I could never meet my goals for myself and my business because I spent all my time saying yes to everyone else instead of saying yes to myself.

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As an entrepreneur, you likely get bombarded by requests to do all sorts of things.

Family, friends, co-workers, managers, even internet strangers — everyone wants you to write them an article, be on their podcast, collaborate with them on a project, or go to a conference.

It can be tempting to say yes to everything, especially when you’re just starting out and want to build your brand and network.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

I used to say yes to every request, both personal and professional. If someone wanted to meet for dinner, pick my brain, or work together on a project, I always said yes.

But over time, I realized I was exhausted and depleted. I could never meet my goals for myself and my business because I spent all my time saying yes to everyone else instead of saying yes to myself.

My life and career were stalled because I was spending so much time and energy on other people instead of on myself and my own projects.

Learning to say no is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your career. When you say no to someone else, you are really saying yes to yourself. You’re allowing yourself to focus on things that can give you a sense of purpose and meaning and help you grow your business.

Learn how to say no now. In the future, we’ll be even more connected, which means you’ll get even more requests. The only way to succeed in that world is to prioritize and put your goals and projects first. Say no to outside things so you can say yes to the things that help you grow.

It was when I learned to say no that my business really took off. It felt like a weight had been lifted. I had more time and energy to do things that helped me achieve my goals.

Start practicing now and learn to say no. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How A Brain Tumor Made This CEO A Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/how-a-brain-tumor-made-this-ceo-a-better-leader/ Wed, 20 Jan 2021 22:01:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39690 Before going into surgery Sheryl wrote two letters to her team: one telling them she would see them when she returned healthy in six weeks, and another asking them to make her proud and continue the work they had started, this is the letter her team would receive if she didn't make it out of surgery.

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“What is the one moment or experience that most impacted who you are as a leader?”

This was the question I asked over 140 of the world’s top CEOs when I interviewed them for my latest book, The Future Leader.

I received a lot of interesting responses and stories but none hit me as hard as the one that Sheryl Palmer told me.

Sheryl is the CEO of a company called Taylor Morrison, which is a home builder in the United States with over 2,500 employees. Like many leaders around the world, Sheryl was always running around being busy, fighting fires, going to meetings, and just trying to get as much done as she could.

Then she got the diagnosis…

Sheryl had a life-threatening brain tumor and needed surgery to remove it.

Before going into surgery Sheryl wrote two letters to her team: one telling them she would see them when she returned healthy in six weeks, and another asking them to make her proud and continue the work they had started, this is the letter her team would receive if she didn’t make it out of surgery.

The day before her intensive surgery, Sheryl was working with the chairman of the board to finalize a big deal for Taylor Morrison, it was the potential sale of a business unit which would have impacted many of her employees. She wanted to have peace of mind knowing that her team was in good hands.

It could have been Sheryl’s last day on earth, and she spent time making sure her team was in the right place to succeed and take care of their people. That’s true leadership.

I asked Sheryl how this experience changed her as a leader and as a person, here’s what she told me…

“Although I always believed I lived life to the fullest and looked for the good in each person and situation, going through this made me realize how precious each life encounter really is. It made me a better leader because I was able to appreciate how important every interaction is, and not to take anything or anyone for granted. Many leaders go through their days fighting fires and not appreciating the golden rule of business: people work for people, not companies. A leader’s responsibility is to set the vision and not allow the business just to happen, but rather make relationships and interactions intentional, meaningful, and purposeful. Some may consider it really hard work, but being a leader is a choice, and if you decide that is who you really are, there is no middle ground - it’s all-consuming, not two parallel paths. Being a leader can’t just be when you show up to the office. It’s your natural passion and an eerie intersection in all parts of our lives. But when you really do it, it’s the most rewarding life journey in the world.”

I still get goosebumps when I share this story with others but I also get the feeling of enormous hope, knowing that there are leaders like Sheryl out there who are looking after others. It’s no coincidence that Sheryl and her company have received numerous awards.

I wanted to share this story with you in the hopes that it can inspire and motivate you to become an even better leader, one who takes care of their people and does everything in their power to make sure that they are safe and in a position to succeed.

But I also want to hear from you, do you have any stories of leadership you can share with me? Something either historical or something that you have experienced or heard about? I’d love to share more of these stories with all of you!

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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6 Tips For How Female Entrepreneurs Can Make More Money https://thefutureorganization.com/6-tips-for-how-female-entrepreneurs-can-make-more-money/ Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:22:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39654 Although my wife Blake and I run similar businesses, our experiences aren’t always the same. I have no problem asking for and talking about money, but it’s taken Blake years to get comfortable with it.

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Although my wife Blake and I run similar businesses, our experiences aren’t always the same. I have no problem asking for and talking about money, but it’s taken Blake years to get comfortable with it.

I’ve learned from Blake that this is a common theme for female entrepreneurs. As young girls, you’re often taught to be nice, polite, and sweet. But those characteristics don’t translate to running a successful business and getting paid.

Many women are uncomfortable talking about and asking for money, but you have to get over that fear and the constant need to be liked if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are Blake’s six pieces of advice for women entrepreneurs on how to get paid:

1. Don’t try to get everyone to like you. Too many women spend time wondering if people like them instead of hustling and making money. Worrying about people liking you limits how much money you can make. Instead of trying to get other people to like you, focus on liking yourself and building confidence. People like confident people and will be drawn to your skills and hard work.

2. Get to know your money. If you want to make more money, you have to know your money. Pay attention to your bank accounts so you know what’s coming in and going out and where you are spending. If you want to make more money, you’ve got to be interested in money.

3. Start talking and have a voice. Don’t just sit back and take notes. You can’t be a leader if you don’t talk and have a voice. Start showing up and making your voice heard. The more you speak up, the less scary and easier it will become. And as you speak up, people will realize your skills and open more opportunities.

4. People in business aren’t your friends. Don’t go into business looking to make friends. People may seem friendly until they need something from you, and it’s easy to get taken advantage of by someone you thought was a friend. Wanting everyone to like you is hurting your career. Find friends somewhere else and keep your business contacts separate.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

5. Don’t fill dead air 24/7. Be comfortable with silence. Too many women fall into the trap of asking for a sale and then rambling on and on, which can discredit them. Ask for the sale and then wait for a response.

6. Stop apologizing. Get rid of those lessons you learned as a little girl. It’s good to take up space and be heard. Don’t apologize for being bold and working hard. You don’t need to apologize for being successful.

I’ve seen in my wife the power of female entrepreneurs. You have every right to work hard and ask for money. Own your success and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and get paid.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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How the CEO of CPChem leads with Trust, Transparency, and Simplicity https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-cpchem-leads-with-trust-transparency-and-simplicity/ Mon, 18 Jan 2021 09:28:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39634 Ever since Mark first became CEO in 2017 he has focused on trust, transparency, and simplicity. And while those values are important at any point in time, they were even more crucial throughout 2020.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Mark_Lashier_-_Ready.mp3

Mark Lashier Transcript

Mark Lashier is the CEO of CPChem, a company that produces petrochemicals and plastics with 5,000 employees around the world. 50% of the company is owned by Chevron and 50% is owned by Phillips Petroleum. Mark has served in leadership roles at Chevron Phillips Chemical and Phillips Petroleum for three decades.

With the challenges that we have all had to face over this past year, we have seen organizations and leaders make changes to adapt to our new way of work and life. Mark Lashier, CEO of CPChem, says that all of the events of 2020 reinforced some of the basic principles he has always believed in.

Ever since Mark first became CEO in 2017 he has focused on trust, transparency, and simplicity. And while those values are important at any point in time, they were even more crucial throughout 2020.

In order to carry on with business Mark knew that his employees and his customers had to trust him and each other, he knew he had to be open and transparent with everyone to keep them up to date, and he had to remove red tape and bureaucracy so people could do their jobs.

Bringing trust, transparency, and simplicity to life 

Any company can have great values or mission statements in place, but if they aren’t brought to life inside of the company the words don’t matter. Mark shares how trust, transparency, and simplicity live and breath inside of CPChem.

He says that first of all it is important that all leaders inside of CPChem demonstrate these behaviors. So these become guidelines for hiring and promoting people to leadership positions.

The other crucial component of bringing these values to life is giving employees permission to hold the leaders accountable for these behaviors.

Mark says, “When you’ve got employees that maybe in the past were afraid to speak up for whatever reason, now they’re not afraid to hold top leadership accountable for the things that we’re saying. And I think that’s an incredibly beautiful thing. And that is just self reinforcing. It makes us so much more effective in getting out messaging, we’re trying to continue to move our culture to a better and better place.”

The most important lesson Mark has learned from others

Over the years Mark has received a lot of advice from leaders around him. Some of the key advice he has been given has been around leading with integrity and doing what you say you’re going to do. Also it has been around humility and leading in a way that puts the interests of others above your own.

Mark shares that the most important lesson he has learned from others is “The more you advance in your career, the less it’s about what you do. And it’s more about what other people do, what you can help them do and the barriers you can remove to help them be successful and engaged.”

This episode is brought to you by my friends at ServiceNow, a software company that makes the world of work, work better for people by delivering digital workflows that create great employee experiences, and unlock productivity. If you or your company is looking to transform old, manual ways of working into digital workflows, then you need ServiceNow. They are trusted by over 6,200 enterprises customers. Check them out here.

The shift we are seeing in the CEO role

In the past, the way we viewed CEOs was almost as a celebrity–someone who is unapproachable, who sits up in an ivory tower and makes decisions. They usually spent most of their time traveling or in their office, so most employees didn’t see their CEO face to face even after working for the company for years.

Now we are seeing a move away from this type of CEO and we are seeing CEOs spending a lot more time in front of employees, they are more approachable, some have open-door policies, they are open and transparent about their lives and struggles. So why is this change happening?

Mark believes it is largely due to technology and communication. He says there is so much more opportunity these days for CEOs to be visible than in the past. It is now possible for CEOs to create short videos to share with employees or to write monthly newsletters or to do virtual town hall meetings. That wasn’t possible in the past.

As Mark shares, “there just was a lot more bureaucracy around in leadership in those days. And so it could behave more like a cult of personality, than anything else. And it just created an atmosphere where I think CEOs were more revered than respected. And they just didn’t have the ability to reach out through all of that all those layers of protection to connect with people. And I don’t think I would have thrived as a CEO, or perhaps even had the opportunity to be a CEO in that environment. But I certainly enjoy this environment much more.”

The importance of leaders thinking beyond dollars and cents

There used to be a mentality that the main purpose of a business and all of the leaders in it was to make as much money as possible. But now there is a realization that it’s not just about making a profit, it’s about positively impacting employees, customers, and communities.

Mark says, “We like to think about ourselves as being sustainably profitable and sustainably growing. And there’s a lot of dimensions to that you can’t be sustainably profitable, or sustainably grow if you’re in a community and you’re abusing that community, either environmentally or through bad employment practices. Or if you’re not taking care of employees providing a great work environment or career opportunities, they’re going to go elsewhere, which will impair your ability to be sustainably profitable over time.”

Yes, as an organization you have to be profitable, that is important. But if you want to be sustainably profitable, as Mark talks about, you have to make sure that you are not only taking care of your employees and customers, but also the community around you, the environment, and the world as a whole. Organizations have a huge responsibility and they can change the world, if they want to.

“If we’re not providing solutions for humanity, we’re not going to be sustainably profitable, or grow sustainably over a long period of time.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Difference Between Employee Engagement And Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-employee-engagement-and-employee-experience/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:30:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39539 What’s the difference between employee engagement and employee experience?

The same as the difference between updating a car by just painting the outside and replacing the entire engine. One method makes the car look nice, but the other actually improves its performance.

Employee engagement is popular, but it’s a short-term fix. Employee experience is a long-term solution that addresses the core of major issues.

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What’s the difference between employee engagement and employee experience?

The same as the difference between updating a car by just painting the outside and replacing the entire engine. One method makes the car look nice, but the other actually improves its performance.

Employee engagement is popular, but it’s a short-term fix. Employee experience is a long-term solution that addresses the core of major issues.

Most companies invest in employee engagement and measure it with periodic engagement surveys. Employee engagement starts with good intentions but doesn’t lead to real change.

Employees are likely engaged when they start working for a company, but over time their engagement naturally starts to dip. When that happens, the company tries to increase its engagement score, usually through perks like free food or work from home Fridays. Those efforts raise the engagement score, but then over time it drops again and another perk is introduced.

The result is a cycle of employee engagement with regular adrenaline shots of new perks. The problem is that these Band-Aid solutions don’t change the core workplace practices.

On the other hand, employee experience looks at the workplace with a long-term view. Employee experience improves core practices around people and involves truly knowing your employees and giving them what they care about to create an environment where they are empowered and valued.

Employees can tell the difference between a temporary perk that’s intended to make them want to work more and a truly improved employee experience that considers their motivations and desires. Employee experience considers all aspects of an employee’s time at the organization. It might not be as flashy as free yoga classes or bringing your dog to work, but the end results are much more beneficial.

Instead of focusing only on employee engagement, it’s time to see the difference and focus on employee experience.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How To Turn Exhaustion Into Positive Energy https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-turn-exhaustion-into-positive-energy/ Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:25:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39519 After months of a pandemic, stay-at-home orders, changed work schedules, and more, you’re likely feeling exhausted. And you’re not alone! Even without a pandemic, being an entrepreneur and balancing the many aspects of your life can be draining.
But it’s during these difficult times that we can see what we’re made of. These trials define who you are as a person and can be an opportunity to learn and grow.

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After months of a pandemic, stay-at-home orders, changed work schedules, and more, you’re likely feeling exhausted. And you’re not alone! Even without a pandemic, being an entrepreneur and balancing the many aspects of your life can be draining.

But it’s during these difficult times that we can see what we’re made of. These trials define who you are as a person and can be an opportunity to learn and grow.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

It’s taken years of trial and error, but here are five things that have helped us turn exhaustion into positive energy. These tips have never been more relevant than they are today:

1.Figure out what drains you. Everyone gains and loses energy from different activities and situations. Some people are drained by being around other people for too long, while others are drained with too much time by themselves. You may be drained by a certain task, social situation, or environment. Know yourself and define what drains your energy so you know to avoid those situations as much as possible.

2. Figure out what gives you energy. On the flip side, everyone gets energy from different activities. Look at your life to figure out what activities or situations cause you to gain energy. It could be a specific task, activity, or social setting that gives you life.

3. Set boundaries. Without boundaries, your energy tank can be depleted from constantly feeling you have to participate in every event, respond to every email, and get involved in every issue. Learn to say no. Set healthy boundaries for yourself, both with your family and friends and also with your work. As an entrepreneur it can be tempting to want to work all the time, but you need to set boundaries so you have energy to do the tasks that are more rewarding and purposeful for you.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

4. Follow a schedule. A routine can give you energy. Create a general schedule for your day and try to stick with it. A schedule creates more energy because you know what to expect and what you can depend on. Instead of wasting energy trying to find time to work or wondering what to do next, you can pour that energy into being productive and let the schedule guide your day.

5. Be real with yourself. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t give yourself so much work and pressure, especially now in the middle of a pandemic. Know yourself and pay attention to your energy levels. Give yourself time to rest to recharge your energy and set yourself up for success.

It’s easy to feel exhausted. But instead of pushing through that exhaustion and only making it worse, follow these steps to create more positive energy and start living the life you love.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Former Axiom CEO Elena Donio Shares Three Trends For The Future Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/former-axiom-ceo-elena-donio-share-three-trends-for-the-future-of-work/ Tue, 12 Jan 2021 12:31:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39482 In business and in leadership, the only constant is change. Just as a leader gets comfortable with something, things often change and move them towards something different.

That’s the case for Elena Donio, who has led change to champion workplace equality and representation and also seen changes within her own industry.

The post Former Axiom CEO Elena Donio Shares Three Trends For The Future Of Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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In business and in leadership, the only constant is change. Just as a leader gets comfortable with something, things often change and move them towards something different.

That’s the case for Elena Donio, who has led change to champion workplace equality and representation and also seen changes within her own industry.

After four years as CEO of Axiom, a legal services provider with 2,000 employees, Elena stepped down in 2020 and remained a member of Axiom’s board.

Elena is a skilled leader who is aware of everything happening around her, both individually and in her industry. She believes future leaders need to adapt and take a stand to make a difference.

I had the chance to interview Elena for my book, The Future Leader, when she was still at Axiom. Her ability to lead an innovative company and think outside the box have served her well, especially as she pays attention to what is coming down the pipeline.

Elena believes future leaders need to be aware of three major trends shaping the future of work:

Technology and AI

One of the biggest trends for the future of work according to Elena was echoed by countless CEOs I talked to around the world: the growth of new technology and AI. Companies have access to more technology and data than ever today, and that huge amount of data opens doors for new opportunities.

Future leaders don’t need to be experts on new technology, but they need to be willing to experiment and try new solutions. Elena recommends trying new apps and devices and really getting into what clients and the next generation of employees might be experiencing and what could improve their work and lives.

Elena believes future leaders need to be curious about new technology and know what’s happening with technology and in their industry. With things changing so rapidly, leaders have to make a conscious effort to stay on top of trends and changes so they can lead their company and connect with employees.

Elena put it this way: “It’s really important to be inquisitive, to be listening, to be hearing, and profiling for ideas in all places of the company, to be able to be vulnerable and know that the best answers very often don’t come from the top officers, but rather come from a syndicate of individuals who are closest to the client, closest to the problems and opportunities that we’re seeing in the field, and to really be active in creating and enforcing and rewarding that kind of dialogue.”

Distributed Workforce

Employees don’t always sit together in offices — especially with the COVID pandemic — and leaders need to be able to adapt to a distributed workforce. A growing number of people around the world are working remotely, even outside the pandemic, which allows companies to access a wider range of talent and for employees to have flexibility in how and where they work.

But in order to best leverage a distributed workforce, leaders need to know how to communicate and motivate employees they don’t often see in person.

Elena said this: “The global economy driving a distributed workforce calls on us to be better at communication and keeping people connected, and the tools and scaffolding are adapting to make that possible.”

In the future, it won’t be enough to send a company-wide email, because attention spans are changing. At Axiom, Elena and her team used different media to connect with employees, such as videos and connecting employees in shared spaces. She says future leaders have to be creative about the way they communicate, especially when it comes to building connections with younger employees. That means adapting to and embracing new ways of communication across a distributed environment.

Gig Economy

When the gig economy first took off more than a decade ago, many people thought it was a fluke because people couldn’t get full-time jobs during the recession. But the gig economy has shown its staying power and continues to grow at a staggering pace today.

“The idea that the economy has recovered in such a big way yet the gig economy is stronger than ever is really indicative of the fact that this is just how many people want to work,” Elena said.

Future leaders need to understand and be able to work with the gig economy. Elena thinks this is especially important to understanding the expectations of the next generation entering the workforce. These younger workers often want to optimize around experience and touching multiple things in their lives, such as multiple different types of solutions and technologies and multiple different groups of people, ethos, and environments. In order to meet their expectations, future leaders must know how to connect with gig workers and offer purpose and connection.

The future of work is changing, and leaders need to be aware of evolving trends so they can create a future-ready environment for their employees.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Former Axiom CEO Elena Donio Shares Three Trends For The Future Of Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How To Use Failure To Propel You Forward https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-use-failure-to-propel-you-forward/ Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:05:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39444 If there is one thing that’s true about being an entrepreneur, it’s that you have to get used to rejection and failure. These things are a part of the game when you have your own business.

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Jacob and Blake Morgan Transcript

If there is one thing that’s true about being an entrepreneur, it’s that you have to get used to rejection and failure. These things are a part of the game when you have your own business.

Entrepreneurship is all about innovation and curiosity and you can’t have those things without failure. The important thing is knowing how to deal with this reality and not letting it stop you from moving forward.

We have both encountered failure over the course of our careers. The reason we have successful businesses now is because we learned to deal with that failure and we’ve used it to propel us forward instead of letting it hold us back.

Here are some of the lessons we have learned over the years on how to deal with failure and rejection as entrepreneurs.

Let yourself process the failure

When you experience failure in your business, whether it’s a small error or a huge mistake, it is important to deal with the feelings and emotions that come with it. Don’t go into denial or try to cover your feelings with food, drinks, or anything else. You may feel a range of emotions from anger to depression or even embarrassment. That is completely normal, but you have to let those out.

Talk to a friend or a loved one. Write out your feelings in a journal. Seek professional help if you need to. Don’t let these emotions eat away at your or cause you to lash out at people around you. Take the time and space you need to process the failure and how it made you feel. Failure will get easier the more you experience it. Just know that you will overcome it and you can use it to help you succeed in the future.

Focus on what you learn, not so much on the failure itself

It is easy to get obsessed with failure. Most likely your mind will start to analyze everything about the failure — why it happened, what you could have done differently, how stupid the mistake was. But you need to focus on the lessons you can take from what happened. What can you take from that experience to help in the future? Use this as a learning experience and a way to propel you forward. Don’t let it hold you back.

Have somebody to talk to

When the two of us fail, we talk to each other and it really helps. It is so important to have someone you can talk to when you fail. This can be a friend, a spouse, a family member — any one you trust. Talking about things out loud with an objective third party may even shed some light on the situation that will make you realize it wasn’t as big of a mistake as you thought. They will probably have a different perspective on the situation that can help you learn from what happened.

This episode is brought to you by my friends at ServiceNow, a software company that makes the world of work, work better for people by delivering digital workflows that create great employee experiences, and unlock productivity. If you or your company is looking to transform old, manual ways of working into digital workflows, then you need ServiceNow. They are trusted by over 6,200 enterprises customers, Check them out here.

Sweat it out

It can definitely help to get out and exercise. You can go for a walk or a run. You can go to the gym. You can do yoga. Do whatever you can to get moving and refocus your mind. It can also help with chemical imbalances that may also play a role in negative thoughts. This goes along with eating healthy and taking care of your body. If you aren’t taking good care of your body and you don’t feel good physically or mentally, rejection and failure will be a lot harder to work through.

Put failure in context

Sometimes we are harder on ourselves than we need to be. So you failed, is it something you are new at? Is it something that is out of your comfort zone? Is it something that is extremely challenging that you are still trying to master? Realize that you are doing your best and that failure is natural. Don’t be too hard on yourself or make a failure out to be worse than it actually is.

Be resilient, but take a break if you need to

You can’t let failure keep you down. It is important as an entrepreneur to learn to live with failure and not get to you too much. Get back up on your feet and do better, work harder, and take what you’ve learned moving forward.

With that being said, you can also take a break if you need to before getting back up. It doesn’t have to be an instant jump up. As mentioned previously, find ways to process the failure and your feelings, but once you’ve done that it’s time to move on. If you need to take a day, two days or a week off, do it. Find ways to laugh, be with family and friends, enjoy nature, etc.. But don’t let yourself stay down too long.

Fail fast and fail smart

Failure is going to happen, but you have to fail smart. For example, if you have three kids and a house with a mortgage, it’s probably not the best time to put every penny of your kids’ college fund into one idea. If you have an idea you want to explore, give yourself a budget and a timeframe to test it out and if it fails, let it go.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

Use failure as fuel

As an entrepreneur, it is crucial that you take your failures and use them as motivation to do better and be more prepared. Don’t think of it as something that ends your path as an entrepreneur, think of it as a launching pad to your next opportunity.

Be aware of self-talk

After a failure it is easy to default to negative self-talk such as, I’m never going to be able to do this, I’m so stupid, or I’ll never succeed. But every time you recognize negative thoughts, you need to shift your mind to positive self-talk. You have to be your own cheerleader. Focus on what you’ve done well and the good things you have in your life.

Stay optimistic

No matter what you fail at or how bad you think things are, it is important as an entrepreneur to stay optimistic and to have hope. Talk out loud about the future you want for yourself. Be proud of your failure and what it has taught you. Don’t let it be a roadblock. Stay positive. It is okay to feel negative at times, but don’t let that become your default mindset. Don’t let your life become mostly about the negative. If you feel sad or down after failure, that’s fine to feel that for a time. But be careful, negativity can spiral out of control if you stay there too long.

Remember and accept that failure is going to be a part of entrepreneurship. There is no running or hiding from it. There is nothing wrong with failure, think of it as something that is pointing you in the direction that you’re supposed to be in. Acknowledge it, talk about it, take a break if you need to, and then jump up and get back to work.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Are You Finding Time To Be Curious? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-finding-time-to-be-curious-3/ Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:07:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39331 We often spend so much time surrounded by to-do lists, calendars, and endless meetings. But even with all that, are you finding time to be curious?

Curiosity is all about asking questions, challenging the status quo, and exploring new things. It’s also one of the most crucial skills for future leaders.

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We often spend so much time surrounded by to-do lists, calendars, and endless meetings. But even with all that, are you finding time to be curious?

Curiosity is all about asking questions, challenging the status quo, and exploring new things. It’s also one of the most crucial skills for future leaders.

As children, most of us were naturally curious. We asked questions about everything and considered all sorts of possibilities. But as we grew up, that curiosity was squashed until we now have to make time to practice curiosity.

Being curious allows you to uncover new opportunities. It keeps your mind sharp and makes it so you don’t get too set in your ways.

Curiosity doesn’t require lots of supplies or even a huge amount of time. But when you regularly find time to be curious, it will become more natural. You’ll start to re-awaken that curiosity from your childhood and you’ll start looking at the world and your work from a new point of view.

Finding time to be curious can include:

  • Giving yourself time to simply think and run through possibilities
  • Reading, watching, or listening to something new
  • Going on a walk and letting your mind wander
  • Asking questions of a friend or colleague
  • Brainstorming ideas and writing down or considering everything that crosses your mind
  • Going down a rabbit hole about a new subject
  • Drawing, sketching, or painting whatever comes to your mind

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

When you’re curious, you’re not constrained by the status quo or the typical ways of doing business. You let your mind wander as you consider new ideas and are open to new perspectives.

With the day-to-day aspects of our jobs and lives, it can feel like you don’t have time to be curious. But practicing curiosity is simply too important to ignore. Curiosity is important for all of us, especially leaders. It’s the curious people who will shape and create the future of work, and that’s someone you want to be.

What are you doing to make sure you can be curious?

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Are You Finding Time To Be Curious? first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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6 Tips to 10x Your Productivity https://thefutureorganization.com/6-tips-to-10x-your-productivity/ Wed, 06 Jan 2021 10:56:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39287 These six tips can greatly increase your productivity as an entrepreneur. You might not be able to make time magically appear on your schedule, but you can use your time wisely to maximize what you can get done in a day.

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As an entrepreneur, it often feels like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done. Between all of your work responsibilities, plus perhaps a full-time job and the demands of your personal life, it might feel overwhelming.

You can’t add more hours to the day, but you can work smarter to be more productive.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

These six tips are proven to dramatically increase your productivity and what you can get done in a day.

When you follow these tips, you’ll be amazed at all you can accomplish:

    1. Check email once or twice a day. It’s easy to get sucked into email and check it every few minutes, but spending too much time in email can drain your productivity. Instead, only check it once or twice a day. When I made this switch, I started by checking my email three times a day, but now I only check it once a day at 4 p.m. I use an auto-responder to tell every person who sends me an email that I only check email once a day and that they can text me if there’s an emergency. When I’m not stuck in my email, I have more time for important tasks.
    2. Remove phone notifications. Too many people have notifications on their phones for their email, social media, and other apps. No matter what you’re doing throughout the day, you’re constantly disrupted by the chime or buzz from every notification. You don’t have to respond to these things right away. Remove extra phone notifications so that you only get an alert when you receive a call or text.
    3. Limit meetings. When you start as an entrepreneur, you may want to take every meeting, no matter when it occurs. But having meetings scattered throughout your week can really upset the flow of your work and limit your productivity. Just when you get into the groove of a task, you have to stop for a meeting, and then spend time later getting back to that groove. Instead, I don’t schedule meetings Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. I started with just one meeting-less day a week and slowly moved to three. Now I look forward to my non-meeting days because I have freedom to focus on what I want without distractions.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

4. Batch tasks. Batching is grouping similar tasks together. Instead of bouncing between your various tasks, try to do them all at once. Spend a day recording videos or podcasts, or block out an afternoon to write or respond to emails. Have a set time every day to work on social media. When you batch tasks, you can stay in the right frame of mind and churn out a lot of quality work at once instead of bouncing around between various tasks.

5. Keep track of what you need to get done. Some people track goals, and other people track tasks. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just that you have a system that works for you so you can easily see every day what needs to get done. As you track your goals and tasks, start with the most time-consuming or difficult task. If you don’t get it done first thing, it’s easy to put that task off until it eventually gets pushed to the next day. The thing you don’t want to do is what you need to get done first.

6. Learn to say no. Setting boundaries is crucial to being productive. No one can say yes to all of the meeting and phone call requests they get and still expect to get their own work done. When you say no to other people, you’re really saying yes to yourself and what you want to focus on.

These six tips can greatly increase your productivity as an entrepreneur. You might not be able to make time magically appear on your schedule, but you can use your time wisely to maximize what you can get done in a day.

______________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

    1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
    2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
    3. You can also connect with us on FacebookInstagram,  TwitterYoutubeand Linkedin.
    4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Former Ketchum CEO On Communication, Diversity, and Attracting Top Talent https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ketchum-ceo-on-communication-diversity-and-attracting-top-talent/ Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:54:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39209 In an industry known for helping clients solve crises and evolve, Barri Rafferty doesn’t shy away from a challenge—including leading in a rapidly changing world.

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In an industry known for helping clients solve crises and evolve, Barri Rafferty doesn’t shy away from a challenge—including leading in a rapidly changing world.

She served as CEO of leading public relations agency Ketchum for nearly three years before becoming the EVP, Head of Corporate Communications at Wells Fargo in July 2020.

Barri is a champion for diversity and empowering women and is known for her strong but kind leadership style.

I had the chance to interview Barri for my book, The Future Leader. In many ways, Barri already embodies many of the skills and mindsets that will be required for future leaders. Barri’s long career in communications and leadership has provided her great insights into what it will take to stand out as a leader in the future. It’s all about building relationships and strengthening what makes you unique and diverse.

Tap Into Communication And People Skills

Take it from a master communicator—future leaders must know how to represent themselves and communicate well. Instead of relying on hard skills, the future of leadership revolves around soft skills and being able to build relationships and interact with people.

Barri grew up in the South and was taught from an early age to be kind and well-liked. But as she grew in her career and stepped into leadership roles, she had to learn that it’s better to be trusted than to be liked. It’s a challenge that many leaders, especially women, face. Growing up, everyone wants to be liked, but when you come into the workforce and have to make tough calls, it’s more about building trust than making friends.

Barri puts it this way: “Sometimes you’re going to have to make tough calls. People aren’t going to be happy, but if they trust you and they understand why you made that decision, they’ll follow you. But they don’t have to like every decision.”

Barri believes leaders can be both nice and strong. Her former CEO told her that she “throws a punch with a velvet glove”, a trait Barri has always been proud of. In today’s ultra-connected world, some leaders rush to respond to emails, texts, and messages and end up doing it in a way they aren’t proud of that doesn’t truly represent them. But successful leaders, both now and in the future, will know how to communicate in a way that is both kind and firm and showcases who they are.

Barri believes future leaders need to understand their own emotions and the emotions of their employees. Throughout her career, she has worked on what she calls “fearless listening”, or the idea of really listening, probing, and trying to understand the situation before jumping in with a solution. Leaders often feel the need to assert themselves over everything, but future leaders will understand fearless listening and know when to stay quiet and soak in other people’s perspectives.

Encourage And Facilitate Diversity Of All Kinds

When Barri took the helm of Ketchum in 2018, she became the first female CEO of a top five public relations agency. But she wants to ensure she is just the first of many. As a vocal advocate for gender equity and inclusion, Barri helped found a group called Omniwomen, which is aimed at increasing the number of women leaders. She has been a fierce proponent of pay equity and inclusion of all types of under-represented groups, not just women. Through her words and actions, Barri shows that future leaders must step up and facilitate diversity and inclusion in their companies and industries.

Aside from traditional diversity tenants, including bringing together people from different genders, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, and more, Barri believes in the importance of diversity of mindset.

Barri told me this: “We’re a company where most of our people work in big cities. So we had to think about how well we listened to and understood people who live in rural areas or other parts of the world. What different types of mindsets do we need to bring in to come up with the right solutions? I think that’s something for companies to look at in a different way.”

Embracing diversity allows leaders to better connect with their employees and customers. As they practice fearless listening, they can realize the many opinions and perspectives and find a place for them all at the table.

Attract and Retain Top Talent 

One of the most important skills for future leaders will be the ability to attract and retain top talent. Increasingly, companies aren’t just competing for customers; they’re also competing for talent. Barri believes that to get the best employees, leaders need to be willing to make changes to their model to stand out from the competition.

“If you want to attract and keep top talent, then you need to make sure to invest in their experience,” Barri said. “Employees have more power, and this will only continue to increase. We have to build organizations with our people, not for them. Leaders must understand that they and their organizations are nothing without the people who work there.”

Future leaders will also need to leverage technology and mobility to connect with their workforces. Leaders will need to know how to connect with and manage talent virtually. That mobility, or being able to have freedom in work schedules, will create unique experiences for teams to come together. I talked to Barri before the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re definitely already seeing much of this take place. With more employees working remotely, either temporarily or indefinitely, the ability to connect with and manage talent virtually is becoming increasingly important. That skill will continue to grow in future years and could be the difference between a company that attracts top talent and one that struggles to find the best employees.

“If everyone can work from their home or anywhere, why do they want to work for me? How you make that work culture unique to attract the right talent is going to be a new challenge. Differentiating your culture in a virtual world is going to be much harder,” Barri said.

In the future, leaders will also have to take a different approach to talent retention. It’s one thing to bring in the best employees, but it’s another to keep them engaged and sticking with the organization. Barri believes the key to employee retention is making the employee experience different.

“I think how we rotate talent, how we move people around the world, how we think about job trajectories will change. It might be quicker and leapfrog from side to side versus just going up to build different skill sets. I think there’s going to be some interesting ways to look at talent retention.”

The future of work and leadership is already among us. To lead successful companies, leaders must develop their communication skills, champion diversity and inclusion, and focus on employee experience in a virtual world.

_________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Top 15 Leadership Lessons From 2020 https://thefutureorganization.com/top-15-leadership-lessons-from-2020/ Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:28:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39199 This past year really brought a lot of challenges for every single leader around the world. We had to learn how to adjust to a pandemic, how to address social injustices, how to lead virtually and much more. My guests really shared a lot of inspiration, motivation, as well as realistic advice for listeners.

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Jacob Morgan Transcript

This past year brought a lot of challenges for every single leader around the world. We had to learn how to adjust to a pandemic, how to address social injustices, how to lead virtually and much more. My guests shared a lot of inspiration, motivation, as well as realistic advice for listeners.

Even though all of the interviews were great and informative, I have a few favorites that I really enjoyed. And from those episodes I have compiled 15 leadership lessons that are crucial for leaders to learn in order to succeed in the future.

Leading by example: Arthur Blank, co-founder The Home Depot

In all of his businesses Arthur lends a hand when needed and there is no job he won’t do. He understands the importance of showing employees that what they do day to day is not beneath him as the leader. When you lead by example and let people know that you are not just sitting up in your office looking down on the employees who allow the business to succeed it makes people actually want to show up and work hard.

Creating your own luck: Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream

In Shellye’s book one of the main topics she talks about is the importance of creating your own luck in your career.

You can’t just sit back and wait for something lucky to happen. Shellye explains that creating luck means positioning yourself so that when an opportunity shows up you actually have the ability to take advantage of it. Planning can improve your odds for good things to happen. After you set your goal, that’s when you get to work. Figure out what skills, experiences, and knowledge you will need in order to reach your goal and go after it.

What culture is and what it isn’t: Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix

Marc was part of the team that helped to create the culture at Netflix which is still thriving all these years later.

Culture is not just what you say, it’s not something that you put up on posters around the office, or some catch phrases that you come up with in a meeting. Culture comes from how leaders act with each other, their employees, and their customers. It is something that is lived out each day inside the organization. As leaders you must know what your values are and what you want the company to look like and you have to show up with those in mind every single day.

It doesn’t have to be crazy at work: Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp

A lot of people these days feel that always being busy and working long hours means they are successful. But Jason disagrees with that. He is a big believer in capping a workweek at 40 hours. Anything that doesn’t get done in that time can wait.

Working 50-80 hour work weeks is not sustainable. In an emergency these long hours can be done, but to keep it up consistently doesn’t produce the best results. Just because you put in a lot of hours doesn’t mean you are producing good work, you can spend extra hours on bad work. Most of the time the best ideas and new innovations come after people come back to a problem refreshed. Working until you are beyond exhausted and stressed doesn’t usually lead to breakthroughs.

What to do if you feel stuck at work: David Cote, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell

Most of us have had a time in our lives when we have felt stuck in our job. In those times it’s easy to feel hopeless. David has been there, and he gave some great advice about what to do.

First of all, you have to have performance, and your performance can’t just be okay. You’ve got to be in the top 10%. Be a standout in all you do. You also need visibility. If you are performing very well, but the person who can do something about your career can’t see it, nothing will happen. So make sure you have visibility. But you have to be careful with this one because you don’t want to go around tooting your own horn or wearing your ambition on your sleeve. It is a delicate balance.

How to lead with courage: Kate Johnson, President of Microsoft US

Kate is a huge believer and practitioner of leading with courage. Most people probably think about courageous leadership as guns blazing in the heat of the battle or a leader who is invincible and strong. But Kate’s definition is a bit different than that.

Kate says that courageous leadership is the willingness to activate your team and own the outcome. It’s about bringing all of your strengths and weaknesses to the table with total transparency and clarity and figuring out how to assemble a team to fill in wherever there are weaknesses.

Leaders have to try to get things right, instead of always trying to be right. They have to lead in the way that is best for employees, customers, and the community. And they cannot be afraid to address current issues impacting the world.

How Covid-19 has changed leadership forever: Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO of Genpact

Covid-19 changed the way we live and work. Tiger believes that after all of this passes some things will never go back to what they were before, but he does believe that offices will come back, at least in some form.

Tiger believes that post Covid there will be more flexibility in the way we work. He also suggests the idea of companies acquiring more office space than they have now. Instead of having one office building with 10,000 people, it makes more sense to have 10 offices with 1,000 people in each one. This could bring offices closer to people, bring down commute times, and potentially cut down on air pollution.

The current situation is also impacting the speed at which organizations go through digital transformation. Companies who have just talked about digital transformation for years, have been forced into acting on it quickly. Companies who were resisting change in the past, can no longer wait, even if they wanted to.

How leaders can serve their employees: Carrie Birkhofer, President & CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union

Carrie believes leaders should serve their people, their people should not be there just to serve them. She genuinely cares about her people and she wants to make sure that every single one of them is heard and respected.

As the CEO she makes sure to meet every single employee on their first day. Once the employees have had time to settle in and get used to their roles, Carrie and her Vice Presidents follow up with them, take them out to lunch and let them ask anything they may have been too nervous to ask on the first day. Now more than ever leaders must put people first if they want to succeed in the future.

Creating a mission that resonates with employees: Steve Bilt, CEO of Smile Brands

Anyone can come up with a mission statement or a company purpose that sounds good. But it can’t be something that just lives on a wall or in the company handbook. It has to be something that is infused into every aspect of the business.

Steve believes a company mission needs to be something short and catchy that people can remember. It needs to be something that you can evaluate and check in on to see how well the company is living up to it. It has to be something that is living and breathing inside your company.

This episode is brought to you by my friends at ServiceNow, a software company that makes the world of work, work better for people by delivering digital workflows that create great employee experiences, and unlock productivity. If you or your company is looking to transform old, manual ways of working into digital workflows, then you need ServiceNow. They are trusted by over 6,200 enterprises customers, Check them out here.

People are the solution, not the problem: Hubert Joly, former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy

A lot of leaders first starting at a struggling organization probably would think about cutting back on the headcount first to save money. But Hubert not only didn’t take that route, he actually put more money into training, incentives, and wellness.

Hubert truly believes that leaders should treat humans as a solution to the problem, not as a source of the problem. And we should use headcount reduction only as a last resort.

Why leaders need a short attention span: Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC

There’s always been this traditional mentality that leaders need to have a long term plan and stick to it. But Jim believes that leaders actually need to have short attention spans if they want to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. Why? Because Jim says the biggest problem with CEOs at his level of tenure is they have become entrenched in old thinking.

Jim is always looking for the next round of changes that make PTC better, or that protect them from a new threat headed their way. This is a quality that he believes all CEOs should have. Always looking to the next thing, not just riding current success.

The best leadership lessons can come from those around you: Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers

Chris McCann didn’t learn leadership skills by attending a top tier University, Chris learned how to lead by those he surrounded himself with.

Sometimes the best leadership lessons can come from those around you. Later on he did take some leadership courses at Cornell University, but in the early part of his career he had no formal training. Mostly he learned from other leaders he came to know, including the CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, the former CEO of AXA Financial, Ed Miller, and his own brother Jim McCann.

How to think like an entrepreneur: Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square

Lots of people are going through a time of reinvention. And having the mindset of an entrepreneur can be an invaluable asset.

Jim says true entrepreneurs solve problems that haven’t been solved before, they don’t just start a business, they do something that has never been done before. The first rule of being an entrepreneur is you can’t be an expert. When you do something no one else has, no one is qualified to do what you are doing. So don’t be discouraged when you have to experiment and fail at times. When you pave the way to something new, you are going to have to learn as you go.

Putting people ahead of profits: Pehr Gyllenhammar, former CEO of Volvo

As a leader Pehr understands that the most important thing is appreciating all of the people who work for you. And remembering that it’s oftentimes the people on the front lines who make your business successful.

There are very few leaders today who are actively putting the well-being of their people ahead of profits. Pehr understood that if he didn’t have good people working for him, he wouldn’t have productivity and he wouldn’t be able to achieve the big goals the company had. Profit is important, but it’s people who do great work who allow you to be profitable. Pehr made it a priority to take care of his people and to protect the most vulnerable. Because of that his employees trusted him, they were more motivated, and they felt safe.

Creating culture for a remote workforce: Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners

Robert shares that the key to having a successful remote team is by starting with the core values of the organization. Once you know your core values you can intentionally attract and hire the right people. Contrary to what happens in most organizations, Robert and his team understand that not every person will feel like the company is right for them.

A lot of organizations try to be the best place to work for everyone. But just as not everyone will like the same food, or the same music–not everyone is going to be a good fit for your company, and that is okay. Robert says staying consistent in your core values is very important for building a sustainable culture for a remote workforce.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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What Are You Doing To Build Your Own Career Ladder? https://thefutureorganization.com/what-are-you-doing-to-build-your-own-career-ladder-2/ Thu, 31 Dec 2020 10:29:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=39063 For decades, we were taught that the only way to succeed was to climb the corporate ladder.

That meant starting as an associate inside an organization and then getting promoted as you paid your dues and slowly climbed the ladder. Eventually, you would get to a point where you and the people around you felt you were successful. Everyone followed that path because that’s what we thought it meant to have a good career.

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Where are you on your career ladder?

For decades, we were taught that the only way to succeed was to climb the corporate ladder.

That meant starting as an associate inside an organization and then getting promoted as you paid your dues and slowly climbed the ladder. Eventually, you would get to a point where you and the people around you felt you were successful. Everyone followed that path because that’s what we thought it meant to have a good career.

Today, that way of thinking has gone out the window and people are realizing that there is more than one way to success.

You still have the option to climb the traditional corporate ladder, but success can come in many other forms, too. You may move around multiple companies throughout your career, go off on your own as an entrepreneur, or make a total career switch. What matters most is that you are in charge of your own career ladder.

But to find your own way to success, you have to build your own ladder.

That means building your personal brand through social media, becoming a subject matter expert within your company, and finding ways to build and showcase your leadership skills.

Luckily, we have more access than ever before to tools and resources to learn whatever skills and information we need. And almost all of it is available at little or no cost. If you want to learn how to be a leader, there are countless books, podcasts, and video workshops available. The same is true for nearly any possible skill, from coding to speaking Spanish to becoming a master negotiator. If you want to take your career in a certain direction, you can find a way to learn those skills and steer your future.

In today’s world of work, you don’t have to climb the same corporate ladder as everyone else to find success. You can create your own career ladder to personal success, but it takes work to make it happen.

What are you doing to build your own ladder?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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The Hardest Leadership Question for CEOs to Answer https://thefutureorganization.com/the-hardest-leadership-question-for-ceos-to-answer/ Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:05:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38929 Over the past few years I was able to interview over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Kaiser, MasterCard, Best Buy, Verizon, Audi, KPMG, and many others.

From all of the questions I asked them there was one that they had trouble answering, and that was...

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Over the past few years I was able to interview over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Kaiser, MasterCard, Best Buy, Verizon, Audi, KPMG, and many others.

From all of the questions I asked them there was one that they had trouble answering, and that was…

“How do you define leader and leadership?”

Sounds weird right? After all, these are some of the most successful CEOs in the world and they responsible for billion dollar companies and thousands of people!

But think about it for a minute, how would you define and explain leader and leadership to someone who has never heard of the concepts or ideas?

Here are a few of the definitions that CEOs gave me, which one most resonates with you?

“I define leadership as a critical role that focuses on both the vision of the future and the possibility and the hard realities of the present and the lessons learned of the past. A leader is the person who inspires others and is the the walking symbol of humbleness.”

Bernard Tyson, Former CEO of Kaiser Permanente with over 200k employees (he passed away a few months after we spoke).

“Leadership is not about holding a specific title or achieving a certain level in an organization. I believe leadership is about helping others realize their potential and inspiring them to work with you to achieve a shared vision for the future.”

Kathy Mazzarella, CEO of Graybar with over 8k employees.

“Leadership means LISTENING and ACTING – I probably sound like a broken record on this topic – but it’s the truth ! I always say that the all you have to do is LISTEN to your customers and employees and do what they TELL you ! It’s a simple formula!”

John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile with over 44k employees.

At the risk of making this a super long article, I’ll stop here (I have another 140 or so definitions!)

The truth is leaders don’t spend enough time defining leader and leadership and as a result neither do the organizations they are a part of.

But how you define these things is essential because they will define the type of leader you become and the types of leaders you create. This actually one of the most crucial things that you as a leader need to do.

I recently gave a talk to hundreds of top executives and here’s a clip where I talked about this in more detail.

After you watch it let me know what you think, send me your definition of leader and leadership!

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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#1 Question You Should Ask Before Becoming an Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/1-question-you-should-ask-before-becoming-an-entrepreneur/ Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:40:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38922 Are you ready to jump into becoming an entrepreneur and go off on your own?

There’s one important question you need to ask yourself: “What am I going to sell?”

In other words, how are you going to make money? Without a product or service to sell, you can’t have a profitable business.

It may sound simple, but so many people think they can make the switch to being an entrepreneur without putting real thought into what they will sell.

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Are you ready to jump into becoming an entrepreneur and go off on your own?

There’s one important question you need to ask yourself: “What am I going to sell?”

In other words, how are you going to make money? Without a product or service to sell, you can’t have a profitable business.

It may sound simple, but so many people think they can make the switch to being an entrepreneur without putting real thought into what they will sell.

My wife Blake and I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

As you answer that question, here are a few things to consider:

What are you good at?

Take an inventory of your skills and talents to see if there is something you could turn into a business. Look at what you are doing in your current job and see how you can leverage that into a side hustle. You may find you have a natural knack for consulting or writing in your current job, which means you could likely take those skills and go off on your own.

What do people ask you to do?

Before Blake started her business as a speaker, writer, and CX expert, people were constantly asking her to give speeches and write articles. She soon realized that she could turn those things people were always asking for into a profitable business. The things people ask you to do show you that there’s interest and demand for your talents. You might always have people asking you to bake them a cake, organize their house, or build them a website. Do those things for free for a while and then start charging to build your business.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Fortune 500 CEO Says #1 Secret To Her Success Is Taking Jobs That Make Her Uncomfortable https://thefutureorganization.com/fortune-500-ceo-says-1-secret-to-her-success-is-taking-jobs-that-make-her-uncomfortable/ Mon, 28 Dec 2020 08:04:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38842 Kathy Mazzarella is the Chairman, President, and CEO at Graybar, a wholesale distribution company that’s been around for 151 years. The company has around 8,700 employees and $7.5 billion in revenue. She has been with the company for 41 years and has been president for 9 of those years.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Kathy_Mazarella_-_Ready.mp3

Kathy Mazzarella Transcript

Kathy Mazzarella is the Chairman, President, and CEO at Graybar, a wholesale distribution company that’s been around for 151 years. The company has around 8,700 employees and $7.5 billion in revenue. She has been with the company for 41 years and has been president for 9 of those years.

Kathy Mazzarella has a great story of how she first started at the company she now leads as Chairman, President, and CEO. When she was 19 years old she decided she didn’t want to go into medicine anymore so she dropped out of college, where she had a full scholarship, and moved back home with her parents.

It only took about three days before both she and her parents came to the mutual conclusion that Kathy needed to get a job and move out.

So she set up an interview with a company called Genentech where she was applying to do some research work. But on the day of the interview she got lost and had to ask for directions.

She just happened to walk into Graybar to ask someone at the front desk for directions and the woman asked Kathy if she was looking for a job. Kathy said she was and the woman let her know they were hiring and asked if Kathy wanted to take the test. Kathy agreed to do the test, she was hired, and that was the start of her 41 year career at Graybar.

Over the past few decades she has worked her way up from an entry level employee to leading the company. And she believes that day she got lost was a blessing because it led her to an amazing career.

Why you should take the jobs that make you the most uncomfortable

Even though Kathy has worked at the same company for 41 years, she has worked in around 15 different positions within the company. It was actually her time in HR that really shaped her current leadership approach, because she was truly able to see the people side of the business.

Prior to working in HR Kathy was a very number focused type of person. It really changed her perspective and made her focus more on the people she worked with. Kathy believes the best leaders have the broadest experience. Because experiencing different roles inside of a company or in a few different companies helps leaders gain an appreciation of how interconnected the business actually is. It helps them see the different roles, elements, and responsibilities that make up the business.

A lot of roles can look easy from the outside looking in. But when you truly experience the role for yourself, most likely it isn’t as easy as it seems.

Kathy also advises leaders to take jobs that make them uncomfortable. She says, “When you’re the expert, you tend to get into autopilot mode. You’re very comfortable in your lane, you stay in your lane, and it’s really fun to be the expert that everybody comes to you to ask your opinion on a particular topic. It’s very uncomfortable to go into a position where you have no grounding. But you also really challenge yourself. I’ve told people in the past, take the job that you’re least qualified for. Because you’re going to learn the most, you’re going to work harder than you’ve ever worked, you’re going to challenge yourself, and you’re going to have to lean and depend on your team more if you don’t know the topic.”

You definitely open yourself up to a lot more opportunities when you have a wide variety of experience and skills.

What it’s like being a female CEO

When asked what it is like being a female CEO Kathy says she doesn’t think of herself as a female CEO. She just always knew she had to do a good job and work hard.

As Kathy shares, “when I said I was going to do something, I would make sure I did it. And I never really thought about the fact that being a woman, I couldn’t be president. Some of that could have been because I was raised that way to my father was a very big influence on my life. And he taught me that the only limitations I had in life were those that were self imposed and that I should never let anybody in my life put me in a box.”

When she first started as CEO there were 18 women who were leading Fortune 500 companies and now there are 37, so progress is slowly being made even though there is still a long way to go. But as Kathy mentions women didn’t really become influential in the workplace until the 80s and 90s, so the start of the progress didn’t start until fairly recently. So Kathy believes that as time goes on we will see more and more women leaders.

The truth about balancing everything as a CEO

Early in her career Kathy was traveling a lot, she was working long hours to prove herself at work, she was going to school at night, plus she was raising young children with her husband who was also in school getting his PhD. She remembers it being very difficult and stressful, but they made it work.

A lesson that she learned during this time was that not everything is going to be balanced all the time, and that’s okay. She says, “Keeping the balls in the air, some of the balls fell, you know, I mean, you can’t be perfect. That was a lesson that I learned in my mid 30s. I remember coming in from traveling in the house was a mess. And because my husband was doing the best he could, I had two little kids running all over the place. And I remember falling just to the floor in the hallway and I said I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be perfect. I can’t have the perfect house. I can’t have straight A’s. I can’t be number one at work. I can’t have my kids being perfect, I just can’t.”

And she says finally giving herself permission to not have to be perfect was a life changing moment. She realized that trying to be perfect was actually selfish, because being perfect is not about helping other people, it’s about caring too much about what people may think about you. It is a never ending quest to be an artificial character.

Giving yourself permission to be human releases a lot of stress and pressure that comes along with perfection. In life you are not always going to have things balanced, it is about making choices. At different points in your life you will need to focus more on work and in others you will need to focus more on family and your personal life. And that’s okay.

What keeps Kathy motivated

Kathy has a very rigorous schedule with a lot going on, especially now that she is leading a company through a pandemic. She also wakes up at 4am everyday so she can go through her morning routine before starting work around 7am. In normal times she travels a lot, although this year has been different.

But with her busy schedule and the pressure of work what keeps her motivated? She says being the CEO of one of the largest and oldest companies in the United States comes with a lot of responsibility. A lot of people are depending on her to run the company in the best way possible.

How she leads impacts how her employees feel and how they interact with their customers and their communities. They count on her to make the big decisions so that they can do their best. Kathy feels she has to work harder than they do.

She says, “I need to work harder than them. Because they depend on me to take care of the big stuff. So they don’t have to worry about it. And I can’t let these people down. I just can’t let these people down. The people that work for Graybar, and our customers are amazing human beings. That became even more evident during this pandemic. And the way they gave back to the communities the way they took care of each other. And even the way they took care of me. That’s the reason I get up. And anytime I feel sorry for myself or get tired or get exhausted, or get frustrated or burned out, I think about that person that’s counting on me. And the fact that these people care so much, that they even care about me, I can’t let them down.”

The moment that had the biggest impact on Kathy’s leadership approach

When asked what moment most shaped her as a person and her leadership approach, Kathy shared a story of a time when she was passed up for a big promotion. At the time she was a vice president and there was a senior position open that she applied for.

She worked really hard, she and her family had sacrificed a lot in order to work hard. She worked on the weekends, she worked overtime, she traveled a lot. So when she didn’t get the job she was devastated.

She thought about giving up on growing her career or about possibly moving companies. But she called her dad and he gave her great advice. He told her, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Everybody’s going to watch how you recover. This will determine your future and leadership. So make that call now and step up.”

He told her to call the person who got the role to congratulate him and to offer her support. He reminded her that not everyone gets the job they want, it’s all about how you recover. Her dad went on to say that one of the biggest regrets he had in his career was moving companies when he didn’t get a promotion he wanted. And he advised Kathy to not make the same mistake.

So Kathy took her dad’s advice. She called the guy who got the job, congratulated him and told him she wanted to do anything she could to make him successful in his new role. And it ended up having a big impact on her career.

When the time came for Graybar to get a new CEO one of the people voting on who to put in place recalled the time when Kathy lost the job and how she handled herself. He said it really showed that she put the company first and that really changed his perspective of her. Now the man who got that original promotion reports to Kathy. And he is one of her strongest partners.

Leadership lessons Kathy has learned

Kathy has learned a lot during her 41 year career at Graybar. One thing she shares is never settle for the status quo. Whatever it is you want to do in life, do it in the best way you can, aim high and don’t just settle. She says we all have special gifts to offer our communities, our families, and our organizations and in order to reach our full potential we have to work hard and keep reaching.

It is also important to be true to who you are and to stand up for what you believe in. She says, “I tell our young leaders all the time, if it doesn’t feel right, and you walk from a business transaction, you will never lose your job. I have your back. But if it doesn’t feel right, and you take that contract, or whatever it may be, and it’s bad, you will lose your job. Because you got to stand up for it. There’s a level of integrity and you know what’s right, and you know what’s wrong, never, never sacrifice it. Once you lose your integrity, you lose everything, you lose everything. And no career and no business environment, or whatever it is you’re trying to do is worth losing your soul. It’s not.”

Another lesson she thinks is important is to use your setbacks to build strength and resilience. Don’t give up and run away from hard things. And make sure as leaders you leave things better than when you took over. You should always aim to leave in a way that allows the next generation to come in and continue building where you left off.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Want To Be A Better Leader? Master The Skill Of The Translator https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-be-a-better-leader-master-the-skill-of-the-translator/ Thu, 24 Dec 2020 14:00:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38657 When it comes to the future of leadership, some of the most important skills to have are actually the ones that have been around the longest.

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When it comes to the future of leadership, some of the most important skills to have are actually the ones that have been around the longest.

I interviewed more than 140 CEOs for my book, The Future Leader, and asked what skills and mindsets leaders will need to succeed in 2030. Some of their top answers were listening and communication. Together, I call these the skill of the translator: the ability to translate noise and messages into actionable communication. Although the skills of listening and communication are timeless, they have never been more important than they are now. With new technology, globally distributed teams, and an increased focus on purpose and meaning, being a translator is more important than ever.

Listening

Most people hear during a conversation, but how many of them actually listen? If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone who you could tell wasn’t really paying attention or who was distracted by their phone or something happening nearby, you know how this feels.

Hearing is the unconscious act of letting sound enter your ear. Listening is purposeful and involves actually paying attention to what someone is saying. It’s been said that listening is the greatest form of love and respect, and this is especially true from leaders. When your employees know you are really listening, they feel seen and valued.

Practice active listening by putting away technology and distractions, having respectful body language, and involving yourself in the conversation to let people know you are truly listening.

Communication

It used to be that when people wanted to send a message, they only had a few options—sending a memo, making a phone call, or visiting someone in person. But that’s far from the case today, when we have everything from texting to emojis, VR, and Slack messages.

One of the most important parts of modern communication is understanding the available channels and using the right channel to send the right message. If you have an involved follow-up question, don’t send it in a massive text. If you have personal feedback for someone, it’s probably best to do it in person.

Communication will become even more important in the future as leaders have to fight against more noise. Successful leaders know how to get their messages across, even with all of the distractions and surrounding noise. With a limited amount of time with people, leaders have to make every moment and chance for communication count.

Future leaders must have the skill of the translator. They need to use their strong listening and communication skills to build bridges between people and get their messages across. How well you can practice these skills can directly impact your success as a leader.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Five Things Great Leaders DON’T DO https://thefutureorganization.com/five-things-great-leaders-dont-do/ Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:18:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38634 Great leaders stand out because they avoid falling into common bad habits. They push themselves to be uncomfortable and improve and have the self-control to step away from things most other people usually do.

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Pick up any leadership book (including mine) and you’ll find lists of things great leaders do. But what about the things they don’t do? What a person chooses not to do is just as important as what they actually do.

Great leaders stand out because they avoid falling into common bad habits. They push themselves to be uncomfortable and improve, and have the self-control to step away from things most other people usually do.
Consider these five things great leaders don’t do:

They don’t ignore criticism
Nobody likes to hear negative things about themselves, but great leaders welcome criticism and consider it an opportunity to grow and improve. Weak leaders often avoid or ignore criticism because it damages their egos. But great leaders are self-aware and don’t take criticism personally. They view feedback as a chance to better serve the people around them and are willing to make changes to improve themselves and their company.
“I’ve seen many people hit a ceiling in their career because they couldn’t get over the number of critics they had and what those critics were saying about them,” Tim Ryan, U.S. chairman and senior partner of PwC, told me. “The reality is that being able to handle this is a skill that is going to become more important. You will never please everybody, but you must always listen to people’s views without unraveling, be able to communicate effectively, course correct as needed, and keep moving forward.”

They don’t let their emotions take control
In the high-stakes business world, it’s easy for emotions to take over. But great leaders don’t make rash decisions or blow up whenever things go wrong. They stay even-keeled and know how to regulate their emotions. That doesn’t mean they’re robots — they experience emotions just like everyone else, but it’s how they respond and channel those strong emotions that matters.

When I interviewed Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, he told me this: “The first layer of skills a good leader must master are internal: managing himself or herself as an individual human being, including emotional balance. A lot of leaders are tempted to ignore or deemphasize this most basic layer, but they do so at their peril.”

They don’t avoid responsibility for their choices
Being a leader means making decisions that not everyone will agree with. A great leader stands by their actions, even if they make a mistake. They don’t pass the blame to someone else; they succeed and fail with their company. If they offend someone or make a mistake, great leaders don’t shy from the consequences. They own their actions, make amends if necessary, and move forward.

Mark Feldman, CEO of GSN, takes responsibility to lead by example. He told me this: “The question I ask myself every day is ‘Does every person in this organization see that I model in my behavior what I expect of them?’ Put another way: ‘I hope there’s not a person in this organization who thinks there’s anything I would ask them to do or has been affected by anything that I don’t ask of myself or expect of myself.’”
They don’t break commitments

Great leaders stay by their word. If they say they will do something or be somewhere, they follow through. Strong leaders are dependable and don’t let people down. Even if something better comes along, a leader sticks by their word and is trustworthy.

Steve Smith, CEO of Amstead Industries, gave it to me simply: “You can’t fake it. You’ve got to be transparent. You’ve got to be candid. You’ve got to be trustworthy.”

They don’t say never
Great leaders look towards the future and consider the big picture. They realize the world of work is always changing, and what works today may be totally ineffective in a few years. They don’t limit their thinking by saying they will “never” do something or that something will “never” happen. Great leaders think big and are willing to adapt and change to stay relevant and disrupt their industries.

I love what Michael Kasbar, chairman and CEO of World Fuel Services, told me about this: “For leaders of the future, it’s not about picking a single path and sticking to it; it’s about exploring many paths at the same time, seeing around many corners to understand the best way forward.”

What do your actions say about you? What do you choose not to do? Great leaders set the tone by make intentional decisions about what they choose to do and not to do.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Get a Response From A Prospect https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-get-a-response-from-a-prospect/ Tue, 22 Dec 2020 13:24:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38580 Have a person you want to interview, a product you want to sell, or a connection you want to make? You’ll likely send that person an email.
But chances are you’re not the only one who wants to target a person, and they might get dozens of similar messages every day. And they probably delete 95% of them.

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Have a person you want to interview, a product you want to sell, or a connection you want to make? You’ll likely send that person an email.

But chances are you’re not the only one who wants to target a person, and they might get dozens of similar messages every day. And they probably delete 95% of them.

If you want to get a response, you’ve got to do some research to make your message stand out.

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are Blake’s three proven ways to get a response from someone you are targeting:

  1. Don’t send mass emails or LinkedIn messages. When you send a canned email to a huge group of people, it shows you lack ethics and aren’t willing to put the time in to get results. So many people send mass messages addressed to “whom it may concern” instead of putting in an actual name. Instead, take two minutes and write a message to each person you are targeting. Even just putting adding their name and something personal puts you ahead of 95% of people.
  2. Google the person you are targeting. Before you send your message, do some research. A quick Google search can tell you what’s happening in their life now. That information helps you craft a message that is personalized and interesting to them. Discover what’s happening in their company, their industry, or their personal life, and then use that to build a connection and craft a personalized message.
  3. Figure out a way to be relevant. People care about messages that matter to them right now. Why should they pay attention to you? Make your pitch personal and relevant. If the message isn’t interesting or relate to them, they aren’t going to respond. Tie your pitch into their life and career and show them why they should care about it right now.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

Following these tips is sure to help you get a response from the people you are targeting. It might not always be the response you want, but it’s a step in the right direction and shows they even cared enough to respond at all.

Sending targets messages takes time, but if you follow these three tips you’ll be on your way to better success.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The CEO of Groupon Shares His Recipe for Success https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-groupon-shares-his-recipe-for-success/ Mon, 21 Dec 2020 10:05:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38532 Before Groupon Aaron held a lot of marketing and leadership positions at Orbitz and optionsXpress and he held consulting roles at AOL and PwC.
Aaron Cooper, who recently moved into the role of interim CEO at Groupon, says his recipe for success has been working across many different industries and in very diverse roles. These experiences have given him the skills and mindsets he needs to be the best leader he can be.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Aaron_Cooper_-_Ready.mp3

Aaron Cooper Transcript

Aaron Cooper is the Interim CEO at Groupon, an online marketplace with around 4,000 employees globally. Prior to that he had worked in several other roles at Groupon including president of North America, Chief Marketing Officer, head of Global Travel, Head of North America Services and Head of North America Goods.

Before Groupon Aaron held a lot of marketing and leadership positions at Orbitz and optionsXpress and he held consulting roles at AOL and PwC.

Aaron Cooper, who recently moved into the role of interim CEO at Groupon, says his recipe for success has been working across many different industries and in very diverse roles. These experiences have given him the skills and mindsets he needs to be the best leader he can be.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

He says it has been incredibly important for his career that he’s been able to work in finance, marketing, brand marketing, and general management across industries such as travel, retail, finance, and internet. He has worked with companies who were very successful and growing and he’s worked for companies that were in distress.

All of these experiences have shaped his leadership approach and have led him to his current role.

In fact, Aaron says most of the biggest career moves he made were jobs he didn’t even know were available. He got into a role and did exceptionally well and then management would grab him and tell him he’s moving to a new role. He said he learned quickly to just say yes to these opportunities and it has proved to be an effective way for him to climb up the ladder.

What to do when you work for a bad boss 

Aaron says he’s worked for a few tough bosses that have bordered on being too tough. There are always going to be people we work for who aren’t the best leaders. But Aaron says he always uses these opportunities to learn something and grow.

He says, “At those times I was focused on what I can learn out of this situation. It’s a mind shift, you have to decide that you want to be in that situation and you’re up for learning from this person. I also find that when you adopt that mindset, the tougher boss changes their attitude towards you. Which is something that I realized as well, hey, I’m a student, so please teach, has been a productive relationship for me to get the most out of those. And because of that there are tools that I have in my toolkit now.”

The best bosses on the other hand make employees want to show up every single day for them. Aaron says he had a great boss who with very little effort could get the very best out of Aaron. He knew the boss had his back and believed in him, so Aaron wanted to do his best and live up to the reputation the boss believed in.

Aaron gives an example of this great boss. Aaron had moved into a role leading online marketing and his team did a deal, but it ended up being a bad deal that cost a lot of money. Instead of just firing him or demoting him, the boss called Aaron out and said it was his to solve. He was counting on Aaron to fix it.

But the way he called Aaron out was in such a positive way that Aaron was able to come back from the failure. He motivated his team and they all went after it and fixed the problem. He actually looks back at this experience in a favorable way, which is all because of how the boss handled the situation.

Aaron says being a good leader comes down to how you leave people feeling. When you leave the room is everyone wanting to crush it, and do a great job for you? Or does everyone want to leave the company?

How Aaron carves out downtime and why every CEO should do the same

Aaron is very busy with his role as CEO, leading his company through the pandemic, as well as his personal life with his wife and kids. He has found that it is so important to carve out time every day for downtime, time to think through issues, focus on one specific problem, or just think of the next big move for the company.

He actually says his ideal amount of downtime each day is three hours. Which seems like a lot in a normal workday, but he says it’s important to have a good chunk of time so you can actually dive deep into the problems and issues you’re trying to solve.

Aaron says, “if you actually get a chance to think there’s such important things that you can always solve for your team. And sometimes during that time, I may call somebody and think a problem through with them. Absolutely. But it’s time for me to just make sure to take a step back and make sure that in the relative challenges of COVID and people working from home, and everything that comes with that for running a company where local businesses around the world have been shut down and their business has been impaired. And we’re looking for our strategies that we’re working on right now to be successful to help our broad community of Groupon. There’s so much in there for me, just to make sure that as things change day to day everyone’s coming along the same way.”

And even though downtime sounds like someone is just sitting around and pondering things, that is far from the truth. Aaron is very structured with his downtime. He always has a list of priorities he has to think through and he is very active and engaged during the entire time. During this time he only focuses on the top priorities, you can’t let priority 6 or 7 sneak into your thought process at this time. It has to be about critical issues only.

How to give employees the autonomy to make decisions on their own

In the past companies have tended to be bogged down with bureaucracy and hierarchy that made the decision process long and tedious. Just to get permission to buy a new piece of equipment or streamline a process it may take weeks or months to run it up the ladder and back down.

Now, with our current pace of change companies can no longer afford to make decisions this way. Employees have to be able to have the autonomy to make decisions for themselves. So how does Groupon make this possible for employees?

Aaron says it comes down a couple things they have done internally. The first big thing is transparency. Every employee, whether they have been at the company for 10 years or 4 months, knows what the company priorities are and they know what the current strategy is.

In fact when they launched a new strategy during Covid-19 they not only announced it company wide, but they went team by team, person by person to make sure they fully understood what the new strategy meant.

But Aaron knows that people can’t just understand the strategy, they have to believe in it. But you can’t force people to believe in something, it has to be a back and forth conversation until everyone is on board. This process takes consistency, discipline, and commitment.

So you have to have transparency and alignment in order to successfully hand over control to your employees. As Aaron says, “Within that empowerment giving someone the task, the resources and trusting them and their judgment becomes so much easier, because trying to goal something so specifically for the uncertainties going on right now is that much harder. So I’m really proud of our team across the board for the way that everyone has come along on this.”

How Aaron works on being a better leader

One thing Aaron has found very helpful in his journey as a leader is reflection. He takes time to reflect on the week to think back to when he wasn’t the leader he wanted to be so he can address those issues.

He also recently attended a class on authentic leadership which really impacted him and the way he approaches leadership. You have to figure out what kind of leader you are and you have to authentically lead in that way. Don’t try to be someone you are not. You can’t just read about another leader and try to copy and paste that into your way of leading.

When asked what kind of leader he is, Aaron said “An energetic leader, I’m a structured thinking leader. I like to make sure that we have the strategy and goals set out clearly. And people have embraced those. Because for me it’s grounded in getting the absolute best out of the team. And having them show up in ways where the energy that they’re both getting and giving to Groupon makes them feel better about themselves outside of Groupon, especially in a pandemic.”

And so he shows up everyday with that purpose and mission in mind and he leads as authentically as he can.

How Aaron keeps up with the constant pace of change

One thing a lot of leaders struggle with today is trying to keep up with things when the pace of change is so constant and so fast. This year has really shown how fast things can completely change. So how does Aaron keep up?

He says constant learning is a crucial key. He is always reading and is a part of a few book clubs, he listens to podcasts, he meets with other leaders, etc…He also finds it important to pay attention to his employees and what they are saying. They bring different perspectives and ideas that drive him forward.

What should leaders stop doing to become better leaders

For any leaders who want to better themselves Aaron’s advice is to stop playing it safe. You are going to have tough decisions to make and you are going to have to keep the company moving forward, playing it safe will not help you. You have to be bold. Especially with the things we are facing this year.

He says, “One of the things I learned in my turnaround management days is you’ve got to make the hard decisions, because time does not help when you’re running out of cash. We were in that situation here. But I learned that earlier in my career, and that’s something that now in leading through a year like now, it shows up, and it shows up in important ways. So stop playing it safe, is I think, really, really big.”

What should leaders start doing to become better leaders

Aaron says it is crucial for leaders to have a mission, a passion, an obsession and they have to be able to name it so that they know what they are doing when they get out of bed in the morning. This really goes back to the importance of reflection and understanding what kind of leader you are.

As Aaron shares, “Here, we’re helping local businesses, we’re helping local businesses through a challenging time, we’re helping our customers do more. There’s more ways that we can help. But we are redesigning Groupon into a recovery so we can help grow local commerce. And for us, that’s energizing, it shows up in multiple ways from our strategy, just to the way we were working throughout the team to develop more empathy and more listening on the front end with customers and merchants. But I would say you gotta you got to start with that passion. But again, I think the ingredient for that is you have to do the reflection. So you can really be genuine and honest with yourself about what your passion is all about.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Importance Of Being Human In A Technology-Driven World https://thefutureorganization.com/the-importance-of-being-human-in-a-technology-driven-world/ Thu, 17 Dec 2020 14:43:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38386 There’s no denying that our world is becoming increasingly technology-driven. What’s the best thing you can do to prepare? Focus on being human.

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There’s no denying that our world is becoming increasingly technology-driven. What’s the best thing you can do to prepare? Focus on being human.

Why Is It Important To Be Human?

Every company can exist without technology, but no company can exist without people. No matter how advanced technology becomes, it will never totally replace humans.

Before we had automation, we created jobs that could neatly fit into buckets and easily be done in a series of steps. But because we didn’t have technology, we put humans in those jobs. Now we have technology that can step in and take over those jobs, leaving humans to actually be human. As technology becomes more prevalent and powerful, the biggest value we can bring is to be human.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

How Can We Be Human?

Being human at work means practicing the innately human skills that technology can’t do—things like empathy, creativity, collaboration, self-awareness, innovation, coaching, mentoring, and much more. As humans, we are naturally skilled in these areas, but we’ve been conditioned to not practice these things within our companies. To truly be human at work, we have to practice what makes us human and build real, human connections with our colleagues and customers.

What’s The Benefit Of Being Human?

Technology will only grow in the future, and being human and embracing our uniquely human characteristics will be the most valuable skills organizations will need. People who are good at being human will be in high demand, even above people with advanced technical skills. If we want to create human organizations, we need humans. When you practice human skills regularly, your value will increase and you’ll be presented with new opportunities.

Technology is a powerful tool for future organizations. But so are humans. The most important thing you can do to future-proof your career is to be human in a technology-driven world. Embrace and develop those uniquely human skills that technology can’t replicate. When you build empathy, creativity, communication, and more, you set yourself up to lead in the future of work.

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1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Future Leaders Must Be Relentlessly Optimistic Says Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow https://thefutureorganization.com/future-leaders-must-be-relentlessly-optimistic-says-bill-mcdermott/ Wed, 16 Dec 2020 10:10:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38339 Knowledge, communication, humility, and other skills are important for future leaders, but it really all comes down to one mindset: optimism.
That’s according to Bill McDermott, CEO of Service Now. He believes relentless optimism is one of the best attributes a leader can have.

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Knowledge, communication, humility, and other skills are important for future leaders, but it really all comes down to one mindset: optimism.

That’s according to Bill McDermott, CEO of Service Now. He believes relentless optimism is one of the best attributes a leader can have.

Bill’s journey to leading a major tech company started when he bought the Amityville Country Delicatessen in Long Island when he was 16. That business helped him pay for college and taught him valuable skills about leading a business and managing people.

Today, he is widely considered one of the best leaders in the world. Bill transformed SAP during his tenure as CEO, increasing the market value from $39 billion to a staggering $156 billion. The company has grown to more than 100,000 global employees. In 2019, Bill left SAP and is now CEO of cloud software company ServiceNow.

I was able to talk to Bill for my book, The Future Leader, and greatly appreciated his insights into how the world of work is changing and how leaders need to remain optimistic as they evolve.

Using Technology To Become More Human

Looking towards the future, many people are scared of technology taking over their jobs or making organizations less human, but Bill has a more optimistic approach. He believes leaders need to realize the potential and possibility of using technology to help us become more human.

Bill told me this: “AI and machine learning create so much anxiety, but they also provide incredible opportunity. There can be no fear. We need to be optimistic about the exciting possibilities that result when people and machines work together. Emerging technologies can liberate people from routine and dangerous labor, allowing a shift to higher-value tasks that only humans can do, ultimately making them more effective and happier. In the end, it is a better experience. Machines can’t dream. Only people can.”

Leaders can’t afford to be crippled by fear of AI or new technology. They have to find ways to integrate technology into their existing systems to replace those mundane or repetitive tasks. Every company in every industry has tasks that can be replaced by technology without causing humans to lose their jobs. It actually gives people more room to focus on the uniquely human aspects of their jobs, like creativity or building relationships.

Leaders set the tone for how their employees and organizations think about the future of technology. If a leader is scared or timid, that same attitude will be reflected in employees. But if a leader realizes the potential of technology and finds ways for people and machines to work together like Bill suggests, that positivity and optimism will radiate through the organization. And those are the companies that will lead their industries in the future of work.

“We must remain totally open to the possible,” Bill said. “When you embrace the change and create solutions and processes that address our evolving world and needs, that is a winning formula.”

Setting An Effective Vision

Aside from technology, one of the other most important parts of a leader’s role is to set the vision. Bill believes leaders owe their people a compelling vision and a clear strategy, without which the people simply work harder and dig a deeper ditch to nowhere.

Vision is what sets the tone and gives employees purpose and meaning in their work. It gives the company something to strive for as a group and creates a more engaged workforce.

“Once the vision is established, you must communicate that vision clearly and often,” Bill said. “The goal is to unleash people to live up to their greatest potential. That most often occurs when people do work they actually love.”

Bill knows a thing or two about vision. In 2015, he took a major fall and lost his left eye. Now facing limited eyesight, Bill knows that vision isn’t just what you can see. It’s the strength, resolve, and passion to keep working towards the future. That’s what leaders need to instill in their organizations with their words and actions.

Bill believes that setting a strong vision leads to cost-savings for a company, but so much more, including more innovation, optimized operations, more personalized customer services, and an enhanced customer experience.

From vision to technology, the most crucial mindset for future leaders is optimism. When leaders have a positive view of the possibilities for the future instead of getting bogged down by negativity, they can find unimaginable growth and progress.

Bill summed it up when he said this: “Never underestimate the power of relentless optimism. Challenges create opportunity. We must think boldly and create the solutions others view as impossible.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Strategies To Move From Negative To Positive Thinking https://thefutureorganization.com/3-strategies-to-move-from-negative-to-positive-thinking/ Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:10:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38300 If you want to succeed in anything in life, from being an entrepreneur to playing competitive chess, you have to learn how to think positively.
So often, our default language to ourselves is negative. With every little mistake, we start to beat ourselves up and think negative thoughts.
But the best mindset you can create shifts that negative self-talk to positive self-talk.

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If you want to succeed in anything in life, from being an entrepreneur to playing competitive chess, you have to learn how to think positively.

So often, our default language to ourselves is negative. With every little mistake, we start to beat ourselves up and think negative thoughts.

But the best mindset you can create shifts that negative self-talk to positive self-talk.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three strategies to make the switch to more positive thinking:

1. Imagine an older version of yourself. When you make a mistake and are tempted to think or speak negatively, picture an older and wiser version of yourself. What would that more experienced person say to you? They wouldn’t beat you up—instead, they would likely tell you to try again and keep going. Imagining an older version of yourself gives you perspective and lets you know that one mistake doesn’t define your entire life or career.

2. Lean into negative thoughts. Often, our negative thoughts are trying to tell us something. In many cases, our mind or body is afraid and trying to protect us from that fear. It can be helpful to lean into the negative thoughts and address why those thoughts are there. If a fear of failure or losing is causing negativity, address the fear as the root problem of the negativity. Instead of pushing down negative thoughts, try to work through the fear.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

3. List positive and grateful things. When you find yourself falling into the trap of negative thinking, stop and create a list of three positive things. Even if you made a mistake or something went wrong, you can list positive things like having a learning experience or discovering something about yourself. You can also turn to positivity with gratitude. Instead of thinking or speaking negatively, make a mental list of three things you are grateful for. Replacing your negative thoughts for positive ones can train your brain and help you move away from negative self-talk. Over time you will be able to catch yourself in the moment and make the mental switch.

Mistakes and bad things happen—it’s inevitable in your life and career. The key to success is turning those mistakes into learning opportunities and not tearing yourself down about every little slip up. These strategies can turn negative thinking into positive thinking and set you up for long-term success.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Lessons from a CEO: How to Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Your Own Success https://thefutureorganization.com/lessons-from-a-ceo-how-to-take-risks-break-barriers-and-create-your-own-success/ Mon, 14 Dec 2020 09:49:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38251 Shellye Archambeau is no stranger to roadblocks and barriers. All throughout her career she has encountered them.
But one thing she learned early on was that life is not fair, you’re not always going to have an easy time. The good news is, you can do something about it. Shellye realized she had to be intentional about everything that she did and every decision she made in order to improve her odds of being successful and reaching her goals.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Shellye_Archambeau_-_Ready.mp3

Shellye Archambeau Transcript

Shellye Archambeau is the former CEO of MetricStream, a Silicon Valley based governance, risk, and compliance software company, and the author of the new book, Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms. She also serves on the boards of Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta.

Under her leadership MetricStream was recognized for growth and innovation over the years and was named in the top 10 of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50. Shellye was named the second most influential African American in IT by Business Insider. She was ranked one of the “100 Most Influential Business Leaders in America” by Newsmax and she received the NCWIT Symons Innovator Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Shellye Archambeau is no stranger to roadblocks and barriers. All throughout her career she has encountered them.

But one thing she learned early on was that life is not fair, you’re not always going to have an easy time. The good news is, you can do something about it. Shellye realized she had to be intentional about everything that she did and every decision she made in order to improve her odds of being successful and reaching her goals.

She knew that if she just did what everybody else did, she probably wasn’t going to get much out of life.

In her new book, Unapologetically Ambitious, she shares some of the biggest lessons she has learned throughout her career and what she had to do to reach the goal she set in place as a 16 year old.

Why you need to set goals

At the age of 16 Shellye decided she wanted to be a CEO. With that goal in place she worked hard and she always knew which direction to go. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do at a young age, but you do have to be able to set goals for yourself. Even if it means just looking forward to a goal next year or in 6 months.

If you don’t set goals, you don’t know where you are trying to go, you don’t have anything specific you are trying to achieve. If you don’t have a goal in mind then it doesn’t matter what you do next or how you make decisions. You have to know what you are aiming for to know what actions to take.

As Shellye shares, “Setting goals is really all about picking that objective in the future. And honestly, if you can only think two years ahead, then that’s better than nothing, right? I don’t care how far ahead, however far ahead you can pick, just pick that goal. Ask yourself, what has to be true for you to achieve that goal? And then ask yourself, how do you make that true? Which is basically the plan. What has to be true? And then how do I make it true? That’s how I think about everything. And that’s how to make the plan.”

When setting goals it is also important to let others around you know what your goal is. Tell your boss, your mentor, your spouse, your coworkers. People can’t help you if they don’t know what you are aiming for.

And while it can be easy to give up goals at the first sign of hardship, don’t give in. Figure out a different path, but don’t change your goals. Make sure you stay focused on them and keep working to get there.

Few people make consistent daily decisions that get them to their goal. That is the key to success. Shellye says that’s where the real power lies. Make every decision and every action count in your journey to your goal.

How to create your own luck

In this world you have to create your own luck, especially when it comes to your career. Shellye explains that creating luck means positioning yourself so that when an opportunity shows up you actually have the ability to take advantage of it.

Planning can improve your odds for good things to happen. After you set your goal, that’s when you get to work. Figure out what skills, experiences, and knowledge you will need in order to reach your goal and go after it.

When you set a plan Shellye says you have to assume it’s going to happen and get ready for it. If that means you have to take a course or read some books or learn a new skill get to it. Don’t let yourself get to the point where the opportunity arrives but you miss out because you aren’t prepared.

Do your homework, always keep learning. Don’t go into a meeting to learn something, learn what you need to before the meeting so you can contribute. You have to be proactive every step of the way.

Shellye also advises people to take the time to let people know what it is you actually do. Don’t just give them your job title, titles are useless. What that job title means inside your company could be completely different inside of another. Explain what it is you do so that when somebody is looking for a person with a specific set of skills they will remember you.

Dealing with imposter syndrome

So many leaders deal with imposter syndrome, that voice in your head that says–what makes you think you can do this? Wait until they find out you don’t have the skills to do the job.

You may never fully get rid of it, but you can deal with it in order to make sure it doesn’t stop you from succeeding. Shellye says the first thing is to realize that almost everyone (if not everyone) deals with this at some point in their life. It’s not just you. Understand that although the voice sounds real, it’s not.

Also realize that you would not be in your current position if the people around you felt like you didn’t belong. So if you can’t believe yourself when you try to quiet the doubts, believe the people around you.

And Shellye says, worst case scenario, just fake it until you make it. Act like you are comfortable and confident, even if you aren’t. Because eventually you will figure it out and realize you belong.

Fostering self determination

Self determination means you believe you are in control of yourself. You have confidence in yourself that you can go get things. But you also need relatedness, a feeling that you belong.

So fostering self determination is really about creating an environment in which you feel you belong and that others care about you. So how can you do this? Shellye suggests joining groups, starting a club, getting people together around a hobby you are passionate about. Create that community for yourself where you belong.

Forget about work life balance

The phrase work-life balance has become very popular over the past few years. It is a very hot topic, but Shellye actually hates the term. She believes it just sets us up for failure and disappointment.

Because in a true work-life balance both sides should be equally balanced at the same time, and life is too tumultuous for that. It is almost impossible to balance both, one side will suffer or the other side will. And trying to pretend we can have it all while staying sane is not healthy.

Shellye likes work-life integration instead. You have to prioritize and deal with what needs to be dealt with no matter what side it is on. Especially these days in the pandemic when we are all wearing so many different hats. Life and work are blurring while we work from home with our kids and families. Don’t worry about being balanced, just get done what needs to get done on all fronts.

Embrace your limits

Most of us have gone through our strengths and weaknesses at some point in our career. We are usually pretty aware of what we are good at and what we struggle with.

But what usually happens is people tend to focus on their weaknesses and they try to work on getting better. If you already know what you are good at, wouldn’t your time be better spent making your strengths even better? If you take an hour to work on a weakness you have you might improve a tiny bit, but if you could work for an hour on something you are already great at, think of how much more you could achieve.

You are known for your strengths, so strengthen your strengths. Focus on those areas and really push yourself. And then lean on others around you to fill in the gaps where you have weaknesses.

Learning to swerve

So many people are having to swerve in their careers now with Covid-19. With all of the shutdowns and restrictions businesses and individuals have had to figure out how to continue to grow and thrive.

Being able to swerve in your career means you can move around the roadblocks you can’t move. All of us are going to face roadblocks from time to time. Some that you can easily get around and some that seem impossible. You have to learn to go over, under, around, whatever you have to do to get past them.

Roadblocks can be a boss who doesn’t see your potential, or a coworker who tries to push you down, or an organization with no new opportunities. Whatever it is figure out what you can do to swerve.

As Shellye says, “The only difference between a roadblock and a stepping stone, is how high you lift your leg. So don’t let anything stop you.”

Never say die

One of the values that was added to the MetricStream culture back in 2008 was never say die, which meant never give up. It’s all about resilience. They had to figure out how to fight to keep the company going when the economy crashed and they did. Shellye says it is so important that you don’t stop just because life gets hard, keep going, keep pushing.

The most important thing they did in the middle of this storm was to focus. As Shellye explains in hard times everyone in the company has to be pulling in the same direction. Communication is critical so that everyone is on the same page and knows what is important. And the whole company focuses on what really matters and all the extra stuff falls away.

During these times leaders also have to have a vision and they have to share that with the company, because when you are going through dark times it’s easy for people to want to jump ship. Leaders have to have a vision and they have to inspire everyone to keep moving forward. Life is hard for everyone, the key is to not let those circumstances affect your drive and motivation. Keep pushing forward and never give up.

How Shellye takes risks

In order to grow and move up in your career you are going to have to take risks. As Shellye says, you can’t get opportunity without taking risks. But risks can be daunting. What if you fail or fall on your face?

Shellye has been taking risks her whole life and what she does is she asks herself a few questions before making a move.

  • What is the likely outcome?
  • If I do this, what is the upside?
  • What’s the worst that could happen and can I live with it?

Most of the time people walk away from risks without even considering them because they are afraid. But if you take the time to understand what it is you are afraid of, you may find it’s not that scary after all.

There are some risks where an outcome could be a long term negative impact on your health or it could mean your family ends up on the street. But usually if you think about the worst that could happen it’s not that dramatic. There are a lot of outcomes that you can live with. So when you are faced with a risk really look into it and what could potentially happen. You never know, it could result in the best decision you have ever made.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Lessons from a CEO: How to Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Your Own Success first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How to Practice Servant Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-practice-servant-leadership/ Thu, 10 Dec 2020 14:27:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38092 Where do leaders sit in your organization—on the top or at the bottom?
Up until the last five or ten years, many organizations followed a traditional hierarchy with the leader on the top of the pyramid telling everyone what to do.
But now we’re seeing an inversion where the leader is at the bottom propping everyone else up.

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Where do leaders sit in your organization—on the top or at the bottom?

Up until the last five or ten years, many organizations followed a traditional hierarchy with the leader on the top of the pyramid telling everyone what to do.

But now we’re seeing an inversion where the leader is at the bottom propping everyone else up.

Successful leaders are servants who take care of their people and care about them. They stand alongside their employees to support and coach them.

Practicing servant leadership comes down to one core principle: believe your job is to make other people more successful than you.

When that is your focus every day you come to work, it changes your thoughts and actions. You think about your role differently because you realize your job isn’t just about you—it’s about supporting, coaching, and lifting the people around you. And it doesn’t stop when they find success. You want them to be more successful than you. That’s the definition of true servant leadership.

Here are five practical ways to put servant leadership into action:

  • Discover the stressors in your employees’ lives. What is causing them stress and frustration? It could be anything from having to regularly stay late to having a long commute. Serve them by finding ways to remove those stressors.
  • Show appreciation and recognition for employees. Even a small acknowledgement of a job well done can go far in serving employees and making them feel valued. Appreciation can be as simple as a handshake and personal thank you. It doesn’t have to be big as long as it is heartfelt and personal.
  • Understand employees as individuals, not just as workers. Your employees are actual people who come to work every day, not just job titles or cogs in the company machine. As the line blurs between work and personal life, leaders must really understand their employees.
  • Understand moments that matter in the lives of your employees. Find out about those big moments—first day on the job, first promotion, first house, birth of a baby, etc.—and do something to create a meaningful experience. Serve your employees in their moments of need and their moments of happiness.
  • Remove employees’ obstacles. What’s standing in their path to success? It could be office politics or a policy that adds unnecessary red tape. Do all you can to remove those obstacles to make it easier for employees to do their jobs well.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

When you come to work every day ready to serve, it is evident in your conversations and actions. Leaders set the tone by serving their employees. When you are a servant leader, it encourages employees to serve each other and creates a supportive and collaborative culture.

Servant leadership is the future of successful, people-centric leaders. And it all comes down to one mindset—to make people more successful than you.

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post How to Practice Servant Leadership first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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3 Ways To Be An Authentic Leader From FINCA Impact Finance CEO Andree Simon https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-be-an-authentic-leader-from-finca-impact-finance-ceo-andree-simon/ Wed, 09 Dec 2020 16:00:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=38044 Just like each employee and company is different, each leader is unique. Employees don’t want to work for a leader who is a carbon copy of every other leader—they want someone who is uniquely themselves and true to their beliefs. To be successful, leaders must be authentic.

The key to authenticity for future leaders comes down to one idea: be true to yourself.

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Just like each employee and company is different, each leader is unique. Employees don’t want to work for a leader who is a carbon copy of every other leader—they want someone who is uniquely themselves and true to their beliefs. To be successful, leaders must be authentic.

The key to authenticity for future leaders comes down to one idea: be true to yourself.

When I interviewed Andree Simon, CEO of FINCA Impact Finance, for my book, The Future Leader, she told me a story that still sticks with me:

“For a long time, I thought that leaders had to look and behave a certain way and that they had to behave with absolute authority and never show weakness. I had the opportunity to work with this amazing coach. She made this comment to me at one point: ‘You know, it’s kind of like you’re wearing a gorilla suit a lot of the time. You’re zipped up inside this hot, sweaty suit. But you’re really not acting like yourself.’ It was a really liberating thing to hear. I took that gorilla suit off and I became true to myself in terms of what I believe in as a person and how I communicate with people, and I allowed myself to be really confident.”

By many accounts, Andree isn’t your typical leader, and her role as president and CEO of FINCA Impact Finance also isn’t typical. Instead of staying in her office like many CEOs, Andree spends half the year visiting employees and customers in remote locations around the world, including Tanzania, Pakistan, and Haiti. She doesn’t try to fit into a mold—she is just herself. To be successful in the future, Andree believes all leaders need to remove their gorilla suit and be true to their authentic selves.

Here are three ways from Andree to be yourself as a leader:

1. Take Care Of Yourself

Being a leader can be stressful. With so many outside forces, many leaders fall into the trap of focusing on what other people expect them to do instead of who they really are.

Andree regularly takes time for self-care, which allows her to stay in tune with her own beliefs and strengths. She gets up every morning to exercise, no matter where she is in the world, and spends time meditating and doing yoga before she begins her day. She believes the workplace should encourage physical and emotional health.

Taking time for herself gives Andree the energy on long days, which are becoming more common in our hyper-connected world. Leaders can’t constantly be giving without replenishing themselves and staying true to their own beliefs and values.

Taking time for yourself as a leader reminds you that you are a priority. It helps leaders stay in tune with their own emotions and be true to themselves.

2. Be A Learning Leader

Authentic leaders are always learning and improving to become the best versions of themselves. Andree calls it being a “learning leader.”

“Every business has been so impacted by changes in technology,” she said. “You can’t lead an organization through all the changes that are going to be necessary unless you are willing to change yourself. You have to have a learning mindset. You have to balance the confidence that you need to have as a leader of a global organization with the necessary humility to admit that you don’t know what you need to know.”

Andree believes people who don’t want to learn won’t be successful at the helm of changing businesses. Becoming a learning leader means continually expanding your knowledge base and staying up to date about what is happening within your organization and the competition. Learning leaders are true to themselves as they realize areas they need to improve, grow, and learn.

3. Don’t Have All The Answers

No one knows everything. Some leaders fake it and pretend they have all the answers, but authentic leaders realize when they need help and know-how to ask questions.

Andree aims to build a team of experts around her who will help her make the best decisions for the organization. She says one of the biggest changes she made when she stopped wearing the gorilla suit and came into her own as a leader was bringing questions to people and listening to their answers. Instead of trying to fake it like she knew everything, she now feels more powerful when she turns questions to the group to elicit feedback and work through issues together.

Andree told me this: “I think that being able to ask questions and collaborate with confidence has actually made it possible for people to see that I’m telling them the absolute truth when I tell them what I know, and it’s given me the opportunity to build trust with people that I couldn’t have ever built if I had kept wearing that gorilla suit.”

Every leader is unique and different, which is the beauty of our world. Leaders who are true to themselves and don’t feel like they need to fit a certain mold will build strong relationships and see success. Future leaders must be authentic to build trust and encourage others to follow their visions.

Andree sums it up this way: “Be the best leader that you are and don’t try and follow a model that somebody else tells you you should be.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Deal With COVID https://thefutureorganization.com/3-tips-for-entrepreneurs-to-deal-with-covid/ Tue, 08 Dec 2020 08:51:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37984 Building a business for yourself is hard enough.
But add the stress and uncertainty of a global pandemic, and things go to the next level.
Now is actually a great time to be an entrepreneur because it puts you in control of your success and allows you to build your own job security.

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Building a business for yourself is hard enough.

But add the stress and uncertainty of a global pandemic, and things go to the next level.

Now is actually a great time to be an entrepreneur because it puts you in control of your success and allows you to build your own job security.

But being an entrepreneur during the craziness of COVID doesn’t come without its challenges. It’s a strange and stressful time to be building your business. We’re right there with you. We understand the stress and uncertainty and feelings of overwhelm that come from going down the entrepreneurial path during COVID.

Here are three things that have helped us stay centered that will help all entrepreneurs deal with COVID:

My wife Blake made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Turn off the news. 

With so much division and negativity in the world, watching, listening, or reading the news can be a serious drain on your emotional energy. It might sound crazy, but you have to do what’s best for you. And for many people, that means turning off the news or seriously cutting down your news consumption. You’ll likely be amazed at how much you don’t miss the noise and distraction.

Find a safe space.

With everyone spending so much time at home, it can be difficult to have a space for yourself. Find a safe space that is just for you—your bedroom, a closet, your backyard, anywhere—and retreat there when you need to clear your head and have a few minutes to yourself. Even just a few minutes listening to music or being by yourself can restore your energy and stabilize your emotions.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

Stay in the moment.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the unknowns of the future. We can’t control what will happen next month or even next week, but we can control how we feel in the moment. Be where your feet are and stop your brain from fast-forwarding and imagining what could happen. Take a deep breath, focus on what you can control, and stay in the moment.

These three tips can help entrepreneurs navigate the difficult terrain of COVID and sustain you in a difficult time. Although the current situation is stressful and difficult, taking time to breathe and calm down can reset your emotion level and set you up for success.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Life & Business Lessons from the CEO of Wex Inc. https://thefutureorganization.com/life-business-lessons-from-the-ceo-of-wex-inc/ Mon, 07 Dec 2020 12:13:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37940 A lot of things in the world have been changed by Covid-19. The way organizations operate, the way employees connect with one another, and even the way leaders have to lead.
Melissa Smith, the CEO of Wex Inc., who is responsible for around 5,000 employees around the world says connecting with her people is more important now than ever before. And one important way she does that is through recognizing her people for what they do.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Melissa_Smith_-_Ready.mp3

Melissa Smith Transcript

Melissa Smith is the CEO of Wex Inc. a provider of payment processing and information management services in the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. They have around 5,000 employees and under Melissa’s leadership the company has gone from $50 million to $1.7 billion in revenue.

Melissa began at Wex Inc. in 1997 as a senior financial analyst and she worked her way up to being CFO and then President of the Americas before becoming CEO.

A lot of things in the world have been changed by Covid-19. The way organizations operate, the way employees connect with one another, and even the way leaders have to lead.

Melissa Smith, the CEO of Wex Inc., who is responsible for around 5,000 employees around the world says connecting with her people is more important now than ever before. And one important way she does that is through recognizing her people for what they do.

She takes time to send handwritten notes to employees who have been promoted, or who have gone above and beyond in a project, or who have volunteered for events in the community.

She believes that people need to be recognized with little things like handwritten notes and big things like stock grants. She says it is so important for people to know that their work is recognized and valued.

This recognition can actually go both ways. Melissa has been grateful for letters that her employees have been sending her during the pandemic to let her know they appreciate what she does. In fact, she has one employee who sends her a note every single month, and it really means a lot to Melissa.

Overcoming internal and external doubt

A lot of leaders deal with imposter syndrome at some point or another. In fact, a majority of the leaders I speak with on the Future of Work podcast admit that they have faced internal and external doubt throughout their careers. It just comes with the territory. Leaders are going to have times when they feel they are not right for the job or that they don’t have the skills to complete a task.

So how can you overcome those feelings? Melissa says that when it comes to internal doubt it’s all about toning it down. Most likely those thoughts and feelings will never go away completely, but you have to learn to switch that inside voice off.

When it comes to external doubt, it is a balancing act. You have to be able to listen to feedback from others and learn to accept constructive criticism. But you also have to be able to recognize if people are just naysayers who question your abilities without reason. For the naysayers you just have to learn how to move on and prove them wrong.

Melissa’s experience as a female leader

While Melissa doesn’t really think of herself as a female leader, she does recognize that some people will be surprised when they meet her, especially because of the industry she is in, which tends to be male dominant.

In fact when she recalls a time when she was the CFO at Wex Inc. and she and the head of investor relations were on a call with an investor and a portfolio manager that Melissa had not yet met. When both sides went to hang up, the other side of the call thought they had hung up but hadn’t. So she heard a part of their conversation.

The portfolio manager was saying “The CFO is a chick”. And the investor that Melissa knew responded and said “Yes, but she’s a geek chick”. And then they went on to talk about the answers to questions they had.

What she took away from that experience is that people recognize that she is different and they stop to acknowledge that, but at the end of the day what they really care about is the content of what she has to say. They care about performance and results.

When asked if she has to work harder or be tougher as a female leader, Melissa says, “It is different, yeah. Clearly it’s different. I think the important part, though, is those things happen. But if you allow that to be kind of the central part of your thinking, so if I start with the fact that it’s unfair, then you’re almost putting your own baggage on top of what’s already going to be a little bit more difficult.  And so what I think of that is, I would rather not have that in the back of my mind, not have your own mind questioning what you’re capable of, on top of what’s going to be other people who do perceive that they just can’t relate or understand sometimes or how you’re capable of doing what you’re doing. But that’s not for me to own. You know, I think that’s for me to a certain extent, to put blinders on and focus on what needs to get done.”

The importance of saying yes to opportunities 

Melissa has given a talk for TEDx and in it she talks about the importance of saying yes to opportunities at work. Career progression, Melissa believes, is in part our own responsibility. It is part your capability, part sponsorship, and part timing.

When you say yes to something outside of your normal responsibilities it allows you to get exposure to people you wouldn’t normally have and it shows a set of skills that are different then what you normally use.

As Melissa shares, “Often what I was given for assignments that would be outside of my job were things that weren’t fun, or, you know, something was broken, or something was happening across some other parts of the planet. And I was being asked to step in and be involved. And I really think that doing that was part of a big part of my career progression, because it again, allowed people to see me in a different light than they would have if I was just, you know, the CFO or the controller or some of the things that I’ve done in my past.”

So if you get the opportunity to do something outside of your job title, or something even a bit outside of your comfort zone, you should definitely consider saying yes.

Dealing with failures and mistakes

Every single leader deals with failures or mistakes at some point in their career. Melissa says she views these as learning opportunities. We are all constantly learning and evolving, so using these situations to grow and get better is important.

Melissa says it is crucial for leaders to create an environment that accepts failures. If people feel like they can’t fail, they are going to be too safe.

One thing she has learned is not to put difficult things off for later.  As she says, “bad news doesn’t age well”. If there is a hard decision you have to make, or a hard announcement you have to give, do it sooner rather than later.

Advice Melissa would give to her younger self

If she could go back in time and give herself some advice Melissa says she would tell herself you have the power to impact the way others think and feel by your actions.

She says, “When you get older, you realize that everything you do affects the people around you when you know, like it or not. And so you have to be, you know, you have to just be thoughtful about that…you might meet with somebody and for you, that meeting, you know, maybe the last thing that’s on your mind, but it may be the most important meeting of the day for that other person. And so kind of taking a deep breath, and being the person you want to be in that moment, is, I think, really important. And something particularly in this pandemic environment. Like, you know, you might be running 100 miles an hour and really thinking about a lot of things. But if you can just take a deep breath and reframe yourself for what you’re about to go into it. I think that’s really important.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How The World Of Work Is Changing https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-world-of-work-is-changing-2/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 13:04:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37842 How we work today is drastically different than it was even just a few years ago. Even before things like COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, work has been undergoing a dramatic shift.
From a high level, there are 3 main areas to pay attention to.

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How we work today is drastically different than it was even just a few years ago. Even before things like COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, work has been undergoing a dramatic shift.

From a high level, there are 3 main areas to pay attention to.

Technology and Connectivity

The idea of working without a smartphone or the internet seems crazy, but that was standard practice not too long ago. Technology, especially AI and the Internet of Things, is constantly growing and evolving and bringing with it new opportunities for growth. Technology impacts how we work, where we work, and the type of work we do. Companies best positioned for the future leverage technology to increase productivity and efficiency.

We have been seeing this first hand as a result of COVID-19. Some organizations out there have already been investing in emerging technologies and workplace practices and experienced minimal disruption and change during the pandemic. For others, their entire businesses have been negatively impacted as they scrambled to keep up.

A more globally connected organization means we can be distributed and also tap into top talent anywhere in the world.

Power to Employees

A power shift has been happening in recent years that puts employees in the driver’s seat. Instead of having to explain to companies why they need to work there, companies now must explain to employees why then need them to work there. With more power comes increased transparency and an openness between organizations and employees. It’s led to a greater emphasis on employee experience and better workspaces, diversity, and flexibility as organizations work to recruit and keep the best employees.

It’s no wonder that employee experience was the #1 talent trend for 2020 according to a study that was done by LinkedIn. What is your organization doing to help make sure that people WANT not NEED to work there?

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.  

Creating Human Organizations and Leadership

No company can exist without people. As technology increases and can be used to automate mundane tasks, organizations must find a way to become more human. Employees and leaders are emphasizing those uniquely human characteristics, such as collaboration, creativity, and vulnerability that can’t be replicated by machines. Human organizations allow employees to be unique and thrive and encourage leaders to act as coaches and mentors instead of just telling everyone what to do.

This was one of the main drivers that pushed me to write my new book, The Future Leader. Technology can and should be used to make our organizations MORE human.

These three changes to the world of work — plus countless others — are hugely positive in creating a forward-thinking and welcoming environment. As technology takes over repetitive tasks, humans are free to work as they please, improve themselves, and work together to make huge strides.

Organizations need to continually grow and improve to match the overall changes. Companies that embrace these changes instead of running away will be the most prepared for the future of work.

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Keys for Building a Personal Brand https://thefutureorganization.com/3-keys-for-building-a-personal-brand/ Wed, 02 Dec 2020 12:01:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37819 What’s the single best thing you can do for your career?

Build your personal brand.
It doesn’t matter if you work for someone else or for yourself. Your personal brand is what you stand for, how people perceive you, and what you’re known for. It can make the difference between getting career opportunities and staying stagnant.

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What’s the single best thing you can do for your career?

Build your personal brand.

It doesn’t matter if you work for someone else or for yourself. Your personal brand is what you stand for, how people perceive you, and what you’re known for. It can make the difference between getting career opportunities and staying stagnant.

Everyone has a personal brand, even if they don’t realize it. But to shape your own brand, you have to be proactive and take control. When’s the best time to start building your personal brand? Today!

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

Here are three keys to building your personal brand:

  1. Consistency. What is your area of expertise? What do you want to be known for? Choose a topic and stick to it. It could be anything from marketing to leadership to coding or accounting. The key is to be consistent. If you’re all over the place, people won’t know what you stand for or what skills or knowledge you have to offer. Choose a message and stick to it.
  2. Frequency. Once you’ve chosen your topic, be frequent about the message. Share it as much as possible across multiple channels. Leverage social media to share articles, podcasts, photos, videos, and more. Within your organization, start conversations on the intranet or get involved in committees. Don’t spam people, but get your message out there as much as possible. You want to be in people’s minds, and that doesn’t happen by only speaking up or sharing once a month.
  3. Visibility. Your consistency and frequency don’t matter if they aren’t visible. You have to share your message in the most visible ways on the most visible platforms. Reach out to other thought leaders, podcasts, or publications and offer to contribute or collaborate. When your message is visible, people will think of you when they need someone for a particular task or topic.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

Building a personal brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years and years of staying true to these three principles and continual practice to build your brand. Keep working on your personal brand—it’s the most crucial part of building your career.

These three keys can help shape your personal brand and set you on the path to success, whatever your path may be.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Avanade’s CEO Emeritus Shares What It Takes To Build A Strong Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/avanades-ceo-emeritus-shares-what-it-takes-to-build-a-strong-culture/ Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:45:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37784 Ask any employee around the world, and they’ll likely tell you that company culture plays a major role in their overall experience.
But what makes a strong and effective culture? Who leads the charge?
In most cases, leaders set the tone for their organizations. As culture becomes more of a defining quality in attracting and retaining top talent, future leaders will play an even more vital role in establishing culture.

The post Avanade’s CEO Emeritus Shares What It Takes To Build A Strong Culture first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Ask any employee around the world, and they’ll likely tell you that company culture plays a major role in their overall experience.

But what makes a strong and effective culture? Who leads the charge?

In most cases, leaders set the tone for their organizations. As culture becomes more of a defining quality in attracting and retaining top talent, future leaders will play an even more vital role in establishing culture.

Adam Warby has been with business technology company Avanade since its founding in 2000 and became the company’s second CEO in 2008. He played a pivotal role in establishing and growing the company’s culture and turning it into a regularly recognized top employer.

Today, Adam is CEO Emeritus and Avanade has more than 36,000 employees working around the globe. I had the chance to visit Adam in the UK and interview him for my book, The Future Leader. Adam shared three skills leaders need to develop that can help build a strong company culture.

Look Outside And Be Present

For Adam, leadership starts with showing up and being present. As he travels around the world to meet with various teams, Adam throws himself into being present with each person he meets. It’s easy for leaders to get caught up with what’s going on within their own office or within their own company, but Adam believes the most effective leaders look outside themselves to truly understand what is happening in the world and with their clients and employees. They show up every day to be present both inside and outside the company.

A silly example of showing up is when Adam sent an April Fool joke to the company a few years ago that many people fell for. Adam got more than 100 responses from employees, and he took the time to respond to every message.

“That’s it. It’s a connection, it’s showing up in a place where you would necessarily expect the CEO,” he said.

Being present and looking outside themselves builds a culture where everyone matters and is seen by leaders and colleagues. Every member of the team is worth paying attention to and deserves to be seen and respected.

Balance Humans And Technology

Although Adam oversaw a technology company, he realizes that technology isn’t everything. In his mind, technology is a powerful tool because it allows leaders to focus more on what really matters, which is the people of the organization.

Adam told me this: “I see artificial intelligence and technology as extremely positive for future leaders. It will give them a partner in the decision-making process while allowing them to focus on the most important aspect of leadership: people. I think in a world that is recently driven to technology, balancing that as a leader in humanity is important.”

Finding that elusive balance can come in many ways. As an individual, it often looks like unplugging or finding a non-technical outlet. Adam turns to gardening and calls his daffodils and roses his therapy against the world of technology. As a leader, the balance means finding the right applications for AI to augment traditionally human roles and allowing your people to thrive in other areas. For a company, it means creating cohesive automation and digital systems that help create a better experience for both employees and customers.

As technology grows, the balance between humans and technology will shift. Future leaders must continually re-evaluate how their company uses technology to ensure it is helping customers without taking over. Finding the balance between humans and technology builds a culture that values people and innovation. That culture gives employees the freedom to pursue the ideas and qualities that are uniquely human.

Practice Empathy And Inclusion

Future leaders must be empathetic and inclusive and create a culture where everyone is welcomed and accepted as they are.

“I think it’s important for leaders to be aware and very conscious of the divisive forces in the world,” Adam said. “Our social impact, our impact on underrepresented communities, our diversity — all those things are crucial to our success.”

Adam has long been a proponent of inclusion and diversity. One of the hallmarks of his time as CEO was the creation of Avanade’s corporate citizenship mission to enable young people and their communities to achieve more through the power of digital innovation.

Being an inclusive leader means not only creating diverse teams with employees from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, but also setting the direction and framework for every voice to be heard and have an impact. Adam believes that the ability to build agile teams creates the right sort of diversity, the right levels of skills in a team, and purpose and direction for employees.

Culture is the foundation to a company’s success. Leaders set the tone for the culture, no matter if they have been there from the beginning or are in their first day on the job. Developing these skills sets the groundwork for leaders to improve and build a strong and supportive culture.

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1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How The President Of Microsoft U.S. Leads With Courage & Empathy https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-president-of-microsoft-u-s-leads-with-courage-empathy/ Mon, 30 Nov 2020 10:28:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37736 With the chaotic state of the world right now we need leaders who are courageous and empathetic.
One leader who truly understands how to lead with both courage and empathy in these challenging times is Kate Johnson, the President of Microsoft US.
Leaders can’t just stay where they are comfortable anymore, they have to be willing to take a risk and own all the consequences. They have to be open, transparent, and vulnerable. They have a deep understanding of their people and their customers.

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Kate Johnson Transcript

Kate Johnson is President of Microsoft US, a $45 billion division including all of Microsoft’s solutions, services, and support revenues across public and private sectors in the United States. Kate is responsible for a team of 10,000 people and she is currently very involved in Microsoft’s culture journey led by CEO Satya Nadella.

Prior to Microsoft Kate served as the Chief Commercial Officer for GE Digital. She has held several key senior leadership roles at GE, Oracle, Red Hat, and Deloitte Consulting.

With the chaotic state of the world right now we need leaders who are courageous and empathetic.

One leader who truly understands how to lead with both courage and empathy in these challenging times is Kate Johnson, the President of Microsoft US.

Leaders can’t just stay where they are comfortable anymore, they have to be willing to take a risk and own all the consequences. They have to be open, transparent, and vulnerable. They have a deep understanding of their people and their customers.

When the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, first approached Kate she was working for GE and felt very loyal to the company. She had no intentions of leaving the company. But she couldn’t turn down a meeting with Satya. And the reason she ended up making the move was because of something he said.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

When Kate had asked Satya about his philosophy around culture he said that Carol Dweck was one of his personal coaches and he spoke of how a growth mindset has the ability to unlock the purpose of a company and the potential of the people. Hearing that Kate knew there was alignment from the top to the bottom of Microsoft and she jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.

How to lead with courage

Most people probably think about courageous leadership as guns blazing in the heat of the battle or a leader who is invincible and strong. But Kate’s definition is a bit different than that.

She says, “One of the things that we’ve been learning is the connection between courage and vulnerability. So everybody thinks if you’re courageous, that you have no weakness. You are strong, they picture warriors, you know, with lots of armor and heading off. That’s not what courageous leadership is. Courageous leadership is the willingness to activate the troops and own the outcome, but also to do so bringing all of your strengths and weaknesses to the table with total transparency and clarity, and kind of owning work with that and figuring out how to assemble the team to bolster wherever there are weaknesses. And that’s a different kind of leadership that I think is essential today.”

One example Kate shared of how she is living out courageous leadership has to do with the training she has been going through with her team. Kate asked Brene Brown to help 140 leaders in her division. During this learning journey the whole group went to Alabama to spend time with the famed Harvard attorney Bryan Stevenson to talk about race in America.

The group read his book and then spent a few hours talking with him. They were so shocked and moved by what he said they decided they needed to learn more. Kate asked Bryan to speak at the Microsoft Sales Kickoff, which was a great success. Not only did he receive two standing ovations from the entire US team but it opened up some great conversations about race.

Kate and her team decided to go together — 7,000 people across 42 movie theaters to see the movie Just Mercy. Throughout this year she has reached out to her team to ask what she can do to address racial inequalities and racial tensions. She has opened up some tough conversations and pushed the organization to do better.

This is what courageous leadership is. When asked what courageous leadership looks like Kate said, “There’s a million different examples that I could give to you. But the one that resonates most frequently, is when you see a person trying to get it right, instead of trying to be right.”

She mentioned how Microsoft used to be a company of “know it alls” but now, under Satya’s leadership it has become a company of “learn it alls”.

“And a learn it all is somebody who has no preconceived notion of what the answer is, and is all about creating an inclusive process to go get that answer. Courageous leaders show up like that every single day, versus one that isn’t so courageous as one that walks into the room, thinking they know the answer, and thinking that their job is to convince everybody else what the answer is. And it’s that get it right versus think you’re right.”

Balancing family and work

A lot of leaders struggle with balancing work and personal life. There is sometimes a struggle for female leaders specifically who may be pressured by society or a boss to pick between an executive role and a family life, thinking both can’t be possible. But as Kate shows, it is definitely possible to be a successful leader and a great parent and spouse. But it takes work and intentionality.

Kate says it all comes down to making sacrifices. And she has a practice in place that really helps her put up boundaries. She gives her kids her calendar at the beginning of the year and they get to block out important dates, whether it is a school recital or a sports tournament or graduation. And then her team knows that those dates are spoken for.

There are also certain work black out dates which she knows she has to be present at work for. And it’s when some of the dates overlap that all parties have to come together to find a solution. But it all works out.

Kate says, “I’ve always balanced it. And I’ve always enjoyed both roles. And the more that I can be the same person, as I play both roles, you know, mom to Owen and Jake and leader of MSUS, being the same authentic person with same quality, same sense of humor, same flaws, same pros and cons that’s when I know I’m doing it right.”

Kate’s advice for female leaders

Kate admits that when she first started as a leader she said no to her family more than she did to work, because she felt like she had something to prove and she had to show she was willing to work hard. She didn’t have confidence that her boss would understand if she said no to work.

But she had a wake up call from a boss one time. Kate’s boss asked her one day, “if you didn’t show up to work tomorrow, do you know what would happen?” and Kate said, “I don’t know, what?” and her boss replied “nothing”. The sun will still come up tomorrow whether or not you are here.

She learned that it is okay to say no to work. People will understand. As long as when you are at work you work hard and you have a good reputation, no one is going to think you are lazy if you say no from time to time.

It’s okay to say no. In fact, Kate says saying no to some things will probably help you raise the quality of your game and the places where you do say yes. And this is not something she just practices herself, she coaches her people to say no too.

She actually sent a note out this past month to remind her team to say no more often, especially to things like internal meetings where it doesn’t really bring any value to customers.

The key to saying no is providing an alternative. If you have to say no to a meeting maybe someone else at your level can attend, or maybe the meeting can be moved, or perhaps they could tape the meeting for you so you can keep up to date.

How Microsoft is focusing on empathy

The purpose and mission of Microsoft is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. In order to do that they understand they have to prioritize empathy. Kate says empathy is just deep understanding. In order to serve their customers employees need to know how to be empathetic and how to immerse themselves in the needs of their clients.

This episode of Future of Work is supported by Teamistry, a podcast that tells the stories of teams who work together in new and unexpected ways… to beat the odds.

Each episode tells a unique story and provides practical lessons for your team and your business. I got a sneak peek of season 2 and was immediately sucked in with its documentary-style narration, details about stories I thought I knew but didn’t, and practical lessons that I was able to apply to my business. Check it out here.

Kate truly believes that, “our empathic muscle is directly tied to how much share we can grab in the cloud market.” So they practice empathy every single day.

Microsoft leaders teach employees how to be empathetic. When interacting with customers employees should listen before they talk. Instead of just talking about the products and services, employees should first get to know the clients unique problems and needs.

Satya Nadella models this for the rest of the company. Kate says Satya is one of the most empathic leaders she has ever worked for. Kate went with Satya one time to see a customer in Nebraska. In order to understand the technology inside of a combine used in the customer’s fields Satya actually got into the combine and drove it.

As Kate shares, “You can’t be empathic without having that proximity, that closeness, to deeply understand something. And so, I hope we’re doing it every single day. Now, it’s a little bit more difficult in the virtual world to practice empathy. But, you know, I think we’re starting to get the hang of moving from this notion of physical proximity to emotional and intellectual proximity, where asking the right questions is how you unlock the next level of learning, as opposed to just getting physical proximity and having great observation skills.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Future of Work: New Research Study From Pega https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-of-work-new-research-study-from-pega/ Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:23:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37604 Over the past few months I've been working with Pega (paid client) who recently put out The Future of Work Report which is based on a survey of over 3,000 senior managers and frontline IT staff. The findings were quite interesting.

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We have seen more change in the past ten months than we have in the past ten years.

Even prior to COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, organizations around the world were having to adapt to things like AI & technology advancements, globalization, the changing nature of talent, and just the overall pace of change we are all experiencing.

I wrote about these trends in an article called: 140 Top CEOs Say These Are The 6 Trends Leaders Must Pay Attention To.

Over the past few months I’ve been working with Pega (paid client) who recently put out The Future of Work Report which is based on a survey of over 3,000 senior managers and frontline IT staff. The findings were quite interesting.

When COVID-19 struck many organizations around the world were caught off-guard.

When I wrote my book, The Future Leader, I was very much focused on the next 5-10 years. But with current events it’s clear that The Future Leader is the present leader, in other words, the timeline to evolve and change has shrunk!

The future of work has been a topic that I’ve been writing about for many years and I truly feel like NOW is when organizations and leaders around the world are taking action. Consider the following finding from Pega.

It’s clear that one of the things that have saved many organizations and industries around the world during COVID-19 has been technology. It is because of technology that employees were still able to create new products and services, serve customers, close deals, and communicate and collaborate. What would have happened if COVID-19 occurred a decade or two decades ago?

Today, every company is a technology company which means every leader needs to be a technology driven leader, but of course this extends to ALL employees. According to the Pega report, 78% of respondents say that everyone in the business should see themselves as part of IT.

This has been extremely crucial now when everyone is working from home and is responsible for things like their own wifi and audio and video set-up.

But, even though technology is playing such an integral role, many employees see room for improvement in the tools and resources they currently have access to.

When I interviewed John Legere, the former CEO of T-Mobile he told me, “Today’s leaders need to either decide to embrace new platforms and technology or be prepared to be left behind.”

For many years there has been a collective fear about the impact that technology will have on work but from the Pega study and from the 140 CEOs I personally interviewed, there is tremendous optimism.

According to the study:

  • 46% of leaders cite cost savings and 43% citing revenue generation as changes they are trying to achieve with technology.
  • 65% of leaders see technology as an avenue to achieving higher quality work.
  • 50% of the leaders surveyed also believe technology will create more reliable work.
  • 49% even see it as a way to increase employee satisfaction.

We live and work in a rapidly changing world and it’s clear what worked in the past won’t work in the future. In addition to making changes to technology, my hope is that leaders around the world will use this new found momentum to challenge conventional practices and ideas around work in general.

Reexamine your performance reviews, engagement surveys, flexible work programs, leadership training, recruiting strategies, and diversity & inclusion efforts.

Let’s tear down the many outdated ways of working and replace them with approaches designed for 2020 and beyond.

If you want to grab a copy of the report you can do so here at no cost.

I recently had a couple of live discussions with their team all about the future of work in multiple industries, you can check them out below:

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5 Things To Look For When Hiring a Freelancer https://thefutureorganization.com/5-things-to-look-for-when-hiring-a-freelancer/ Wed, 25 Nov 2020 13:16:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37524 Now is a time of transition and reinvention for many people around the world. Perhaps one of the biggest shifts happening is a move from full-time employment to entrepreneurship. Lots of employees have lost their jobs and are now considering if they even want to go back to the workforce. As more people continue to ... Read more

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Now is a time of transition and reinvention for many people around the world. Perhaps one of the biggest shifts happening is a move from full-time employment to entrepreneurship.

Lots of employees have lost their jobs and are now considering if they even want to go back to the workforce.

As more people continue to explore working for themselves there is going to be an increased demand in these people getting help for their businesses. This includes a variety of areas like sales, web design and development, social media, and a host of other areas.

Of course I’ve made some mistakes and had some bad experiences but overall these 5 tips have served me and my wife Blake quite well.

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

As a disclaimer almost all of the freelancers I have worked with over the years have come from Upwork which is a freelance marketplace, although the criterial below should be applicable to any platform you might be using.

1) 90% and above approval rating — regardless of whatever platform they’re using, there is going to be an approval rating. I am looking for the top 10 percent of the pool. In my experience freelancers below this level tend to have issues with quality of work or communication.

2) Total earnings in their career — looking at how much money they’ve already made in their freelancing career tells us (Blake and me) how serious they are and the amount of experience that they already have. On a site like Upwork you can see much they have earned on the marketplace. I prefer more seasoned freelancers although this isn’t a hard rule since sometimes people can be new.

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journey and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to. Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

3) Native English Speaker (or your local language) — depending on the work you’re giving them, more often than not, you’re going to want someone who is proficient in english. This will make communication easier and it avoids things getting lost in translation. This is crucial especially if someone is helping you with any kind of content.

4) Read Reviews — this helps you determine how good they are and how they treated their clients in the past. Sometimes negative reviews can be unjustified so having context around why those reviews exist is important. The same thing is true for positive reviews, I always like to know why someone received great feedback, not just that they received it.

5) Life Stage — Blake and I like somebody who will stay around for a long time so we want people who are stable in their personal and professional life. This might sound like a strange thing to look for but if someone is a digital nomad traveling the world or is perhaps right out of college and is just testing our being a freelancer, then they might not stay around for a while. Of course, this depends on if you just need a quick task or a long-term relationship. For me, I’m always looking for someone I can work with for many years to come.

Your criteria might be a bit different depending on what you are looking for, but this is a great place to start!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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CEO of Global Fortune 500 Company On The Top 3 Mindsets For Future Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-of-global-fortune-500-company-on-the-top-3-mindsets-for-future-leaders/ Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:04:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37389 I had the chance to interview Candido for my book, The Future Leader. Throughout his career, he has worked with leaders and future leaders around the world. Candido has a reputation of being a tough but compassionate leader, which is something he expressed future leaders would need to emulate. According to Candido, here are three of the skills and mindsets future leaders must develop in order to succeed.

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3 Crucial Mindsets For Future Leaders From Candido Botelho Bracher

What will it take to succeed as a leader over the next decade? It all comes down to how you think.

Candido Botelho Bracher has decades of experience in finance in Brazil. His current position is CEO of Itau Unibanco, the largest financial conglomerate in the southern hemisphere. Candido leads more than 100,000 global employees and more than $400 billion in assets.

I had the chance to interview Candido for my book, The Future Leader. Throughout his career, he has worked with leaders and future leaders around the world. Candido has a reputation of being a tough but compassionate leader, which is something he expressed future leaders would need to emulate.

According to Candido, here are three of the skills and mindsets future leaders must develop in order to succeed.

Open-Minded

Future leaders can’t believe they have all the answers on their own. They must be willing to listen to outside perspectives and consider new ideas.

Candido greatly stressed the importance of being open-minded for future and current leaders. This is especially important as business transformations become more frequent and necessary and companies adapt and evolve. Future leaders must always be open to questioning ideas and assumptions from people on their team and outside voices. With so much change, leaders can’t be expected to always have all the information and answers. Instead, they must realize the value of the people around them and be open to new ideas.

Candido told me this: “Increasingly, leaders will have to rely on their people with varied backgrounds and perspectives to make the best decisions. This means that in order to have a successful company, leaders must be open-minded to ideas that are not their own.”

Being open-minded means not making decisions until hearing multiple perspectives, talking to different groups, and asking questions. Candido surrounds himself with a diverse team that provides him different points of view and often challenge his own ideas. Staying open to new perspectives helps him see what is best for the company and its customers instead of what he alone believes is right.

Focus On Customer Satisfaction

Leaders have numerous responsibilities, from representing their companies to developing employee experience and creating future leaders, but Candido believes that above all, future leaders must be tireless in seeking the maximum satisfaction of their clients. Successful current leaders are focused on their customers, and that will increase greatly for future leaders.

One of Candido’s main objectives at Itau Unibanco is make customer satisfaction the most important part of the company. That means that every decision Candido and his team make has the customer in mind, from what technology to use to what people management tools will create the best experience. The company is working to become increasingly agile and efficient, all in the name of improving customer satisfaction.

In order to stay focused on customer satisfaction, future leaders must have a broad-based vision of all the variables that affect their business. There are numerous factors that contribute to the success of a company and the satisfaction of its customers. Leaders must stay organized and have an ear to the ground to understand everything contributing to their organizations. In many cases, that comes from delegating and staying in regular communicate with frontline employees to see how the company is interacting with customers in action and getting feedback and suggestions from them.

Collaborative

Future work isn’t done by individuals—it’s done by teams working together with each person contributing. Leaders have the unique role of not only establishing the goals and vision for the company, but also in creating a collaborative environment where work can get done.

Candido says future leaders will need to be able to stimulate collective work, which means combining an elevated degree of entrepreneurship, initiative, and autonomy with clear processes to achieve results. Teams must have the freedom to make their own decisions to move towards larger goals.

Leaders participate in the collaborative environment, but they do so by listening and becoming part of the team. Candido said that listening has been one of the biggest contributors to his career success.

“I ask a lot of questions, and I listen even more. I am obsessed with the quality of the atmosphere in my team and stimulate emerging conflicts so that they can be resolved in a transparent manner,” he said.

Leaders can’t simply sit back passively and expect their teams to come together. They must foster the environment to drive collaboration by creating cohesive teams, stimulating opportunities for growth and development, and providing tools and resources that help teams get their jobs done well.

Take it from someone with a decades-long career at the top of his field—future leaders must be open-minded, customer-focused, and collaborative. These three mindsets are crucial in setting leaders up for long-term success.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How the CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union Takes Care of Herself & Her People https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-bay-federal-credit-union-takes-care-of-herself-her-people/ Mon, 23 Nov 2020 12:35:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37377 This year has brought on a lot of challenges for leaders in every industry.

Some leaders have struggled and even failed. Others have really embraced change in order to help their people get through these tough times.

One CEO that has really used the current challenges to make her organization even better is Carrie Birkhofer, President and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union. Even before the pandemic she knew the importance of putting people first.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Carrie_Birkhofer_-_Ready.mp3

Carrie Birkhofer Transcript

Carrie Birkhofer is President and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union, a non profit financial cooperative with 225 employees. She’s been the CEO there for 25 years and under her leadership the credit union has grown from $70 million to $1.4 billion in assets.

This year has brought on a lot of challenges for leaders in every industry.

Some leaders have struggled and even failed. Others have really embraced change in order to help their people get through these tough times.

One CEO that has really used the current challenges to make her organization even better is Carrie Birkhofer, President and CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union. Even before the pandemic she knew the importance of putting people first.Carrie was one of the CEOs I interviewed for my book, The Future Leader and during the interview she said the following, “I meet employees the first hour on the first day they start at the Credit Union. New employees are welcomed as a group and when new hires start together, I’m there. I greet them, I welcome them, and I answer any questions they may have. All new employees, regardless of their position are seen, heard, respected, and listened to by the leader and they know that I’m there to serve them, not the other way around.”

This is a great example of what leaders should be every single day, but especially now as we all go through the historic crazy times 2020 has brought. Leaders should serve their people, their people should not be there just to serve them.

What does servant leadership look like

What does it look like to serve your employees? Carrie has some great real life examples of what it looks like. First of all, Carrie makes sure she meets new employees on their first day at work.

In good times, pre-COVID that meant four or five current employees and Carrie getting together in person with the new employees. The current employees would share who they are, what their path has been at Bay Federal, and something interesting that they want to share. Then they would have the new employees do the same thing, except they would share their paths getting to Bay Federal.

And then Carrie would go last, because she doesn’t want to influence the process. Most people don’t even know who she is until she shares. She also gives the new employees a chance to ask any questions they want. But because she realizes they may be too nervous to think of anything, Carrie and two executive vice presidents take that same group out for lunch so they can ask their questions once they are more comfortable.

Obviously this process looks a bit different with COVID. But this is still a priority for Carrie, so the initial meeting is done either via Zoom or in a large room where everyone is socially distanced. And instead of physically taking the group out to lunch she orders everyone lunch from Door Dash and they get to eat at their home while on a Zoom with Carrie and her team.

She also started writing a Friday morning email to all employees when things got crazy earlier this year. She wanted to make sure everyone was up to date and had all the information they needed. She got such great feedback from it, that she continues it to this day. And even though she says it is a lot of work on her part, it is worth it because it has allowed her to be even more connected with her team.

This year has also brought a lot of attention to racial inequalities. Carrie wanted to make sure she addressed this in the right way. So she called up all of the employees in the company who identify as black and she checked in on them. She asked how they were doing, she asked what she could do to help, and she made herself available to them. She genuinely cares about her people and she wants to make sure that every single one of them is heard and respected.

The day to day of a CEO before and during COVID

As a CEO Carrie’s day to day looks a little different now. Pre-COVID Carrie would be out of the office a lot more. She attended community events, went out to build business relationships, took part in conferences. But now she is primarily working from home. And she has been spending a lot more time communicating with her employees, the board of directors, and the senior leadership team.

Nowadays she wakes up quite early with her new puppy. She starts her day off by going for a walk to the Monterey Bay where she does a gratitude mantra. This has really helped her to stay grounded during all of the craziness of 2020. During her walk when she gets to a certain spot she takes time to ask for wisdom and guidance from family members who have passed on. She says a prayer of thanks. She gets perspective and reflects. And she takes in the view of nature around her. She does this every single day without fail, rain or shine.

Then when she gets back she has some coffee and goes into her office (which right now is in her bedroom). She takes a look at her calendar to see what her day looks like, every day is very different, but generally she has Zoom meetings and activities from 8:30am to 4:30pm. And she ends her day with the same walk she does in the morning.

She is very involved in her Rotary Club, she has the new employee orientations on the first Monday of every month, she meets daily with her executive assistant, and daily with her two vice presidents. She also meets twice a week with her senior leadership team.

And while the amount of communication needed these days can be exhausting, she enjoys feeling more connected to her team now than ever before.

Making the shift at first seemed daunting but as Carrie shares, “Well, on March 13, the governor kinda hinted that we were shutting down and on March 17 everyone went home. And we adapted that day, it took about a week for the technology team to get 100 employees situated at home and I know companies much larger than us did as well. It was kind of a miracle in the business world, that we all did it. But it happened really quickly. It happened overnight. And if you had told me six months ago that this is something that we will have to do, and this is how we’re going to operate, and you’re gonna do it in less than a week, my team would have laughed at me. But we did it. And we just, I think it shows the power of having a clear mandate. That’s an important thing. If you have clear crystal clear direction, I think teams can do amazing work. And it also shows me the power of a team that is very synergized and works collaboratively together.”

Keeping culture alive while working remotely

Bay Federal has a lot of unique activities in place to keep the company culture alive when so many team members are working from home. One tradition they have had for a long time is around Halloween. Before the pandemic they had every department pick a theme and the employees decorated their area over the top with props and everything. Then the senior leadership team would go around to every location throughout the day. It was a very big production.

But knowing this year they had to do it a bit differently they made the whole week of Halloween spirit week where everyone could dress up for a different theme every day whether they were physically in the office or working from home. Everyone got to upload a picture of themselves in their costume and prizes were given out to the best ones.

Carrie also makes sure to start each meeting with a different fun question, like what is your favorite rock band? What is your favorite meal that you are Door Dashing right now? This practice really helps with Zoom meetings so that they don’t just jump into things without doing something fun first. Carrie has also used this question time to ask people what their favorite cake is, and she keeps track of all the responses so she can send people their favorite cake on their birthday.

The leadership team was able to have a socially distanced barbeque where they got to play trivia games, good food, and they could reconnect since they hadn’t been together in quite a long time.

This episode of Future of Work is supported by Teamistry, a podcast that tells the stories of teams who work together in new and unexpected ways… to beat the odds.

Each episode tells a unique story and provides practical lessons for your team and your business. I got a sneak peek of season 2 and was immediately sucked in with its documentary-style narration, details about stories I thought I knew but didn’t, and practical lessons that I was able to apply to my business. Check it out here.

The importance of putting people first has been talked about for many years. But this year has really shown us that leaders actually need to be human, they have to get to know their people, and they have to put people first in order to thrive and grow. Any leader who doesn’t do this will get left behind.

Carrie’s advice for future female leaders

We have a long way to go to bring equality to leadership. We need more women leaders. Carrie has been a CEO for 25 years so she knows the challenges and the benefits of being a female leader.

Her advice to any women who want to be leaders is, “Show up. When you’re in the office, when you have an opportunity to be seen and heard, show up with confidence, and professionalism. Be prepared. You know, don’t apologize. Be bold. And listen and ask others what their opinions are, but don’t be afraid to share your own. And I think the world is ready for you. There’s a lot of acceptance being recognized for diversity. And so it’s finding that right audience that’s listening to you. Don’t carry a chip on your shoulder, be inquisitive, be curious. Be kind. And at the same time be bold.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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6 Tips For How To Effectively Lead Remote Teams https://thefutureorganization.com/6-tips-for-how-to-effectively-lead-remote-teams/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:42:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37196 COVID-19 has forced most of us to work virtually and while there are of course plenty of benefits to this, there are also many challenges. Especially when we think about leadership. Leaders not only set the direction of the organization but they also have to inspire, motivate, and engage their people. Doing this in person isn't easy, but doing this virtually when you can't even see your workforce face to face is even more challenging!

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COVID-19 has forced most of us to work virtually and while there are of course plenty of benefits to this, there are also many challenges. Especially when we think about leadership.

Leaders not only set the direction of the organization but they also have to inspire, motivate, and engage their people. Doing this in person isn’t easy, but doing this virtually when you can’t even see your workforce face to face is even more challenging!

I know many leaders out there who are effective when they are able to interact with their teams face to face but in a virtual environment they are…not so great.

I’ve been leading a team of a 12 people for over the past decade and I’ve never met any of them in person!

We are spread around the world in various parts of the United States, Serbia, Macedonia, India, and the Philippines. My team helps me with everything from managing social media to content strategy and planning to audio and video editing, and everything in between.

We work very effectively and it’s because of 6 things we do.

Set up clear guidelines and expectations

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is they don’t have any structure in place for virtual teams. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean your responsibilities vanish, in fact, it’s more crucial that you stay on top of what needs to get done.

Make sure you have the right tools in place

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen leaders try to give virtual inspirational talks to their teams while their video is blurry or their audio sounds like they are under water. Having the right tools in place refers to hardware and software (things like project and task management solutions and collaboration platforms)

Trust your team and give them autonomy and decision making power

In a virtual environment you can’t actually see anyone working and it’s tempting to try to micro-manage. Resist the urge! Treat your people like grown-ups and trust them before assuming that they aren’t going to do their job. If problems arise, then you can step in.

Use video conferencing tools

Sure, it might take a bit more effort to get “camera ready” but it’s worth it. Of course having EVERY meeting with video enabled could be a bit much but seeing your team is important. I find that seeing faces and body language leads to far better communication and collaboration.

Get to know your team as human being not just workers

Today we are having calls and meetings with team members from our bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and closets. We are quite literally letting people into our lives and our homes. It’s a great opportunity to build on that by getting to know your team more as human beings instead of just as workers. What do they care about? What do they value? Do they have kids? Is everyone safe? These are very basic questions to ask.

Do regular check-ins

In an office environment it’s easy to just walk by someone’s desk to ask a question or to have a quick brainstorming sessions. This is one huge aspect of work that a virtual environment can simply not replicate… the serendipitous or random conversation. However having regular check-ins can help. Just casual messages like “Hey can I help with you anything?” or “How are you doing today?” can do wonders.

If you practice these 6 tips then I can promise you will be far more effective at leading a remote team. It’s what I’ve been doing for over a decade now.

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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This is the true story of Charles Plumb https://thefutureorganization.com/this-is-the-true-story-of-charles-plumb/ Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:17:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37171 During the course of his career he flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam.
Charlie was 5 days away from the end of his tour when he took off on his 75th mission...it didn't go as planned.

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This is the true story of Charlie Plumb.

Charlie grew up as a farm kid from Kansas with dreams of becoming a pilot. After graduating from the Naval Academy and completing his training, he became a part of the program which is now known as “TOP GUN.”

During the course of his career he flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam.

Charlie was 5 days away from the end of his tour when he took off on his 75th mission…it didn’t go as planned.

He was shot down somewhere over Hanoi and was taken prisoner and tortured. He spent the next 2,103 days of his life (around 6 years) in a cell that measured 8 feet x 8 feet.

Charlie survived and continued flying for a few more years before retiring.

One day he and his wife were sitting at a restaurant and a man from another table came over and said, “You’re Plumb!” You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

“I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprised and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!”

Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.:

That night plumb couldn’t sleep he kept thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning, how are you?’ or anything, because, you see, I was a fighter pilot, and he was just a sailor.”

As Charlie likes to ask, “who is packing your parachute?”

He uses the metaphor both literally and figuratively because we need many different types of parachutes. Charlie needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute.

Who are the people in your organization and your life who help you build your business, make you successful, or just help you get through your day? Who is encouraging you, challenging you, and getting your back when things are tough?

Do you recognize these people and tell them you appreciate them?

Sometimes it’s the small acts and actions of others that can profoundly shape and alter your life, hopefully for the better.

For me, it was a cup of coffee. I know, sounds weird right? But I actually wrote up my story in a recent LinkedIn article called, How 15 Years Ago a Cup of Coffee Changed My Life.”

We all have our own stories of what shaped us, pushed us, and got us to where we are today, what’s yours?

And remember, recognize those around you because you never know who might be packing your parachute!

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post This is the true story of Charles Plumb first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Want To Succeed As A Future Leader? Study Chess https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-succeed-as-a-future-leader-study-chess/ Tue, 17 Nov 2020 10:09:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37127 Like the complicated game of chess, leadership has numerous moving parts and potential outcomes. To avoid getting checkmated, leaders need to stay aware and informed, listen, and work with technology. With the right strategy, future leaders can have a victorious outcome.

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The game of leadership is a lot like the game of chess. With multiple moving parts and constant changes, chess masters have to stay aware of their surroundings with an eye on their pieces, their competition, and the future.

Alan Trefler is well aware of the similarities between chess and business because he is a master of both. As founder and CEO of Pegasystems, he has grown the company from a handful of employees to more than 5,000 global employees. He is also a champion chess player and tied for first place in the World Open Chess Championship before founding Pega. Alan has led his company through tremendous growth—Pega was founded before the internet was invented and is now a leading technology company.

Like champion chess players, Alan believes leaders must be looking towards the future to consider a variety of scenarios. Understanding chess helps understand the world of business and leadership. As a chess guru myself, I loved chatting with Alan for my book The Future Leader and hearing his comparisons between leadership and chess.

Alan uses a three-phase approach to chess that is as applicable in the game as it is in business and leadership. He begins by looking for similarities between the board and anything he has seen before.

Then, he works his way through a scenario. Alan takes the similarities that appear to be most interesting for him or most risky for his opponent and then pictures what would happen next if he were to take certain actions.

His final step before making a move is to take a step back and ask himself what he’s missed. The goal is to avoid falling into a trap because he was too excited to move forward.

This way of thinking is critical for future leaders to stay aware of what is happening around them and to move their companies forward while avoiding as much risk and disruption as possible. Taking calculated risks and understanding different scenarios and outcomes is crucial to leading in an uncertain world.

Awareness And Staying Informed  

When Alan played in his first chess tournament at 12 years old, he was fooled by a subtle chess move and ended up losing all five of his first official tournament games.

That experience has stuck with him and taught him the importance of being aware of your surroundings.

One of the most important skills for future leaders is being informed. Leaders must be highly knowledgeable so that the things they do and the things they promote are sensible. Instead of getting distracted by something shiny like Alan did in the chess game, successful leaders focus their awareness on what really matters.

Formal authority is becoming less and less important, which means that leaders don’t automatically have followers just because of their job title. Alan believes leaders must have an informed opinion, which comes from researching and staying alert.

“The way you know you’re a leader is that people choose to follow what you say and what you advocate,” Alan said. “I think that the era of the imperious leader is going to decline, both because of bad examples and because people increasingly seek a level of independence, where their decision of who to follow will ultimately be what makes leaders leaders.”

To Alan, leadership is defined by character and the ability to show a level of reliability to the people who follow you. We’ve moved past the era of coercion, and people now have choices about who they follow. People want to follow leaders who are aware and dependable and not distracted by subtle chess tricks.

Listening and Being Persuasive

Alan believes one of the most important skills for future leaders is also one of the most overlooked: listening.

“For people who tend to be quick to answer, sometimes you can come to answers without properly understanding the context of the questions,” Alan said. “I think listening skills are important today and will be increasingly important in coming years, because frankly, fewer and fewer people listen well.”

Listening to all types of people, not just other executives who always agree with you, is what pushes leaders to consider new perspectives and opens the doors to new possibilities and opportunities. Truly listening allows leaders to form stronger opinions and stay in tune with the needs of their employees and customers.

The best leaders don’t jump to conclusions, but instead are open to new ideas and seek new opinions. Listening takes on many forms, from asking questions during meetings to seeking out feedback and having a variety of conversations. Truly listening to feedback helps leaders see connections, just like chess masters look for connections on the board.

Working With Technology

As we move towards the future of work, many people are concerned about the growth of AI and technology, especially in regards to losing their jobs or being made obsolete by technology. But Alan believes the best leaders will work with technology while tapping into their inherently human traits.

Alan ties it into chess by thinking of Garry Kasparov, which created advanced chess, or the ability for a strong player to join with two or three computers to work in tandem and combine the insights and intuition that humans are so good at with the computer’s mechanics and ability to avoid errors.

“I think that for the next decades, we’ll see increasingly people and computers operating in a symbiotic fashion, as opposed to technology that is detrimental to humanity,” he said, although he noted it may take some time to develop those relationships.

Leaders who can best harness technology and work with it instead of against it will be prepared for the future of work. That means understanding and staying abreast with new technology and experimenting with new ways to automate and digitize aspects of your company to drive efficiency and growth.

Like the complicated game of chess, leadership has numerous moving parts and potential outcomes. To avoid getting checkmated, leaders need to stay aware and informed, listen, and work with technology. With the right strategy, future leaders can have a victorious outcome.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The First 90 Days: Strategies for Leaders in Transition https://thefutureorganization.com/the-first-90-days-strategies-for-leaders-in-transition/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:19:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=37084 We all go through periods of transition. Whether it is a change in a role at work or moving to a different company or even going through a new season in your personal life, transitions are a part of life.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-__Michael_Watkins_-_Ready.mp3

Michael Watkins Transcript

Michael Watkins is the Professor of Leadership and Organizational

Change at the IMD Business School and the co-founder of Genesis Advisors, a global leadership development consultancy based in Boston where he coaches C-level executives of global organizations. He is also the author of 11 books including the international bestseller, The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter.

Michael was recently ranked among the top 50 management thinkers globally by Thinkers50. Previously he was an adjunct professor at INSEAD and an associate professor at the Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

We all go through periods of transition. Whether it is a change in a role at work or moving to a different company or even going through a new season in your personal life, transitions are a part of life.

For leaders transitions are critical, and if they are not handled correctly the results can be disastrous. Michael’s book, The First 90 Days, looks at how leaders can make the most out of their first three months of a transition as well as some common traps that leaders fall into during that critical time.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The breakeven point

Michael uses a financial analogy to explain why mastering transitions is so important. A financial break even point looks at how long it takes an investment to get to a point where it pays for itself.

With leaders the break even point is looking at the point where you as a leader are creating value for the company. The longer it takes you to get up to speed in a new role the longer it’s going to be before you stop consuming value and start producing value. As a leader you need to figure out how you can get to the point of true value creation as fast as you can, but in a smart way.

In a study that was conducted by Michael and his team a few years ago they found that unaided the process for leaders to reach the breakeven point can take up to six months. So if that timeframe can be reduced it not only helps the organization it also helps set the leader up for success very early on.

And of course, the time it takes to start creating value also depends on the type of transition you are going through. Staying in the same company but moving to a different role may take less time than moving to a different company and starting in a role that didn’t exist before.

Common traps leaders fall into during transitions

There are several traps people can fall into when they are going through transitions in life and at work. It is important for leaders to be aware of these traps so they can be careful to avoid them.

One of the biggest traps Michael points out is when leaders stay in their comfort zone and continue to define their role through the lens of what they are good at.

Michael says, “When I coach people one of the questions I ask them fairly early on is what are you really good at and love doing that you need to do less of here? And what are you perhaps not so good at or not enjoying doing that you need to do more of? So as you enter a new role, you need to think about what do I need to let go of and what do I need to embrace? And that kind of helps get you through the comfort zone trap.”

When you are making a transition, don’t just assume that what has worked in the past will work in your current situation. This is especially important if you are not only transitioning in a role, but also in a different organization. A lot of times the job description that’s given to you in the interview may not give you the full scope of what needs to be done, so it is important to check and recheck what you’re really there to do. Go one level deeper than the job description to find out why you are there. Figure out how you can add unique value to the organization and then use that as your North star.

Another trap leaders can fall into during a transition is not reaching out to peers and stakeholders early enough. A lot of emphasis is put on leaders to connect with their team and their boss, but most leaders neglect to connect with their peers and stakeholders and that can be harmful later on. Michael says you shouldn’t wait until you have a problem and need their help before you reach out to them.

A third trap to watch out for is what Michael calls the action imperative. When you are put into a new role most likely you are going to feel pressure to do something or make a decision right away. Most of the time that pressure is coming from within yourself, and not something that people expect. Of course there are exceptions, but in general try to fight this feeling.

As Michael shares, “It’s that sense, maybe it comes a little out of the imposter syndrome kind of idea, or that sense of I need to prove myself, show that they made the right decision in hiring or promoting you. And you can have that pressure, and that can lead you to do things that you’re perhaps not fully ready to do or that are not as informed enough or not socialized enough. And that can create a vicious cycle if you’re not if you’re not careful.”

When you start to feel pressure to do something right away, ask yourself where is this pressure coming from? Is it coming from within yourself or is there a legitimate reason for you to act on something immediately.

The lack of leadership training inside organizations

One thing I found while writing my latest book, The Future Leader, is that most people spend 10–15 years in leadership positions before getting any formal leadership training from their organization. There are quite a few people who are promoted to leadership roles in their 20s and 30s but on average people are in their late 30s or early 40s before going through training. So how are you as a leader supposed to get up to speed and have a successful transition into a position of leadership if you have never had any formal training?

This episode of Future of Work is supported by Teamistry, a podcast that tells the stories of teams who work together in new and unexpected ways… to beat the odds.

Each episode tells a unique story and provides practical lessons for your team and your business. I got a sneak peek of season 2 and was immediately sucked in with its documentary-style narration, details about stories I thought I knew but didn’t, and practical lessons that I was able to apply to my business. Check it out here.

Michael says it means it leaves responsibility for leadership development on the individual. This can seem daunting, but the good news is there are so many resources out there these days you can turn to. There are online courses, books, videos, etc… on leadership and the skills related to being a great leader. So if your organization is not providing you with the skills you need, there really isn’t an excuse.

And while leaving training up to the individual isn’t the best way of operating for an organization, it is happening more often now because of the unraveling of the social contract between organizations and individuals. It is no longer common for a person to stay at one company for their entire career. Gone are the days where the company provides a safety net for employees, and so employees no longer feel loyalty to the company.

Leaders have to be proactive and intentional in onboarding and integrating themselves into a new role. As Michael says, “If you don’t own your transition, your transition will own you.”

How to have a successful transition

For leaders going through a transition process Michael says it is important to understand the challenges up front and be clear about how you are going to create value in what you are there to do. Be sure to plan your learning process, engage with peers and stakeholders early on, and be really thoughtful about how you are going to arrive in the new organization and the messaging you want to send.

Michael says, “a lot of what you do early on, is about signaling and symbolism. So be really thoughtful about that because those early actions can send very powerful messages whether you intend them to or not.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The First 90 Days: Strategies for Leaders in Transition first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How to Show Emotional Intelligence In Times Of Crisis https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-show-emotional-intelligence-in-times-of-crisis/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:03:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36916 Now more than ever we need leaders to practice emotional intelligence. This is something I heard time and time again when interviewing CEOs for The Future Leader. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and the emotions of others. It’s moving past the hard skills of leadership to the "softer side" that allows you to connect with people on a deeper level.

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Now more than ever we need leaders to practice emotional intelligence. This is something I heard time and time again when interviewing CEOs for The Future Leader. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and the emotions of others. It’s moving past the hard skills of leadership to the “softer side” that allows you to connect with people on a deeper level.

Emotional intelligence is always vital to leaders, but especially during times of crisis. When things are difficult, emotions run high. It’s a leader’s job to regulate their own emotions and help others do the same while still moving the business forward. Obviously, the crisis every organization is currently facing is the global pandemic. But crises large and small happen every day, and leaders must be able to lead with emotional intelligence. Here are five ways to show emotional intelligence in times of crisis:

1. Be authentic

Communication is vital during a crisis. People need their leaders to be authentic and genuine. That means sharing information that people need to know and being transparent, but not letting your emotions get in the way and coming across as hot-headed or out of touch. An authentic leader communicates clearly and isn’t afraid to show some emotion.

2. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes

Empathy is a cornerstone of emotional intelligence. Leaders always need to be able to see things from other people’s perspectives, but especially during times of crisis. Consider the situation of your employees, customers, and team members and how your leadership decisions will impact them. Don’t make decisions based solely on your own perspectives. L.L. Bean CEO Stephen Smith told me this: “To be able to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and to look at any dilemma or any problem, or anything you’re trying to solve from multiple perspectives, is one of the most important things for leaders to be able to do.”

3. Don’t make impulsive decisions

During times of crisis, emotions are high. The coronavirus pandemic has made many people feel anxious, worried, and stressed about the uncertainty of the future. Those emotions are valid and important, but don’t use them to make impulsive, rash decisions. People are looking to you as a leader to be even-keeled, so give yourself time to think things through calmly before making decisions.

4. Stay in tune with your own emotions

Practicing self-awareness becomes even more important during a crisis. You can’t lead others well if you aren’t in tune with your own emotions. Take time every day to check in with yourself. Spend a few minutes meditating, writing in a journal, or walking outside to see how you’re really feeling. When you practice self-awareness, you are in charge of your emotions and can better lead others by example.

5. Talk to people

You can’t understand what people are going through and how a crisis is affecting them if you don’t talk to them. Get out of your office and build relationships. Go to the source, get information, and connect with people on an emotional level. A crisis is the time to show that leaders are human and can build real relationships.

Leaders have to deal with crises, many of which we can’t even imagine. Emotional intelligence is one of the best tools leaders can have to guide their organizations through difficult times and come out stronger on the other side.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post How to Show Emotional Intelligence In Times Of Crisis first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How Do The Values Of Your Organization Come To Life? https://thefutureorganization.com/how-do-the-values-of-your-organization-come-to-life-2/ Wed, 11 Nov 2020 10:03:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36874 What are your organization's values?
Chances are they include things like: trust, collaboration, innovation, honesty, putting the customer first, and diversity.
Do you think your company is the only one with those values? Of course not!

If the words themselves aren’t unique, then what makes your company different?
Values are just words or phrases, they aren't special. What matters is how those values come to life.

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What are your organization’s values?

Chances are they include things like: trust, collaboration, innovation, honesty, putting the customer first, and diversity.

Do you think your company is the only one with those values? Of course not!

If the words themselves aren’t unique, then what makes your company different?

Values are just words or phrases, they aren’t special. What matters is how those values come to life.

It’s easy to write “diversity and inclusion” on your website or on banners hanging from the company rafters. But it’s quite another thing to actually make sure that you’re hiring diverse candidates and that all of your employees genuinely feel like they belong and can make a difference at your company.

If you were to write down the values of your company on a sheet of paper and then walk around your office, would you see those values in action?

Here are five ways to make your company’s values come to life:

1. Do a value audit

If you were to write down the values of your company on a sheet of paper and then walk around your office, would you see those values in action? Do you see trust? Do you see innovation? Do you see integrity?

If you can easily see the values, your organization is likely doing a good job of bringing them to life. However, if you can’t see the values or if you see the opposite values in action, it’s probably time for an overhaul.

2. Start at the top

Values should be personified by top leaders at the company. If the CEO and other top executives make things like innovation and empathy part of their mindsets and actions, those values will flow to the rest of the employees and become a crucial part of the company. However, the opposite is also true. You can’t change behavior or get people to act a certain a way by telling them what to do, you must show them how to be.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.  

3. Get employee feedback

Ask employees how they think the organization is doing. Can they name the values without looking at them? Better yet, can they give examples of how they have lived those values or have seen others personify them? Employees who are in the trenches often have the greatest insights and most valuable recommendations for how to improve the culture…listen to them.

4. Focus on purpose & meaning

Employees want a sense of purpose & meaning at work (and in life). I wrote about this extensively in an article titled, “The Difference Between Purpose & Meaning and How to Create Both.”

We are all more likely to be engaged in our jobs and live the values of an organization if we are able to see how the work we are doing is making an impact. Oftentimes this can be achieved through story-telling and more transparency.

 

5. Reward values

Back up the values with rewards. If your company values things like diversity and inclusion and collaboration, then reward employees that showcase those characteristics. Rewards don’t need to be monetary, they can also include something as simple as recognition. For example, sending an email to a team saying, “I just want to highlight the amazing work that Lisa did this week by stepping up and helping he peers…”

Employees naturally work towards whatever is rewarded and encouraged so highlight what you want to see more of!

Many companies have similar values, but that doesn’t mean every company is the same. Focus on bringing the values to life and turning them into the walk and talk of your company instead of just words on an inspirational poster.

Truly applying the values will help separate your organization from the rest.

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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Former CEO of Amway Doug DeVos Says All Leaders Must Be Servants https://thefutureorganization.com/former-ceo-of-amway-doug-devos-says-all-leaders-must-be-servants/ Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:46:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36851 The idea of servant leadership is a far cry from the command and control style of leadership that was commonplace just a few decades ago. To succeed in the future of work, modern leaders must be humble and willing to serve their employees and company to get the best results.

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Do leaders exist to lead, or do leaders exist to serve?

According to Doug DeVos, president of Amway, leadership is all about service.

Doug leads a global team of more than 20,000 people. Although he has the title of president, he views himself as a servant-leader with a goal of lifting others up.

He puts it this way: “Leadership is serving those around you in a way that helps them be the best they can be, and therefore achieves the results for your organization or team.”

The idea of servant leadership is a far cry from the command and control style of leadership that was commonplace just a few decades ago. To succeed in the future of work, modern leaders must be humble and willing to serve their employees and company to get the best results.

As part of the research for my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world about how leaders will need to think to be successful in the next decade and beyond. Having a servant mindset was an overwhelmingly popular response. When I interviewed Doug, he shared his insights and experiences of leading with a servant mindset.

Doug learned the servant mindset as he watched his father Rich co-found and lead Amway. Rich championed the concept of servant leadership and taught Doug by example that leaders lift from the trenches instead of shouting commands from above.

For Doug, leadership can only be defined in terms of being a servant. Instead of focusing on titles and corner offices, Doug’s leadership emphasis is on serving and lifting the people around him. That servant mindset of a servant is a large reason for Amway’s success.

How To Develop A Servant Leader Mindset

Doug believes a leader’s entire goal is to serve the organization. All leaders set a vision, objectives, and strategies. The difference with a servant leader is how they communicate their messages. As Doug says, there’s a difference between communicating in a self-aggrandizing way to showcase yourself instead of doing something because it’s the right thing for the organization. Servant leaders don’t care who gets the credit for a great idea as long as it serves the company.

The mindset of a servant leader is more than just being humble—it involves being curious and innovative to find new ideas and working with diverse teams to include a variety of perspectives.

Doug told me this: “I think leaders of the future have to put themselves in places with new people and have conversations about the issues that are important in the areas that they’re leading.”

A leader can’t truly be a servant if they don’t know their employees and customers. They have to be curious about new ideas and willing to have uncomfortable conversations to truly understand their people and their organization. With that foundation of understanding, they can know where to serve and focus their efforts.

Doug believes that focusing on softer, people skills creates a strong work environment.

“Sometimes when you talk about these softer skills, there’s an impression that performance is going to suffer, and I think what we try to say is we believe exactly the opposite.” In reality, these skills and mindsets are crucial to success individually and as an organization. Doug’s team at Amway is in regular conversation about how to grow this mindset within the organization.

Serving and Developing Employees

A large part of being a servant leader is serving employees and providing them opportunities to grow and develop. Servant leaders are by nature focused on the future because they want to plant the seeds and create the leaders who will keep the company on a successful path.

“One of the things we learned early on at Amway is that it doesn’t start with the shareholders or the executives,” Doug said. “It starts with your newest employee. If you’re creating an environment that’s attractive for them and that they can be successful in and have a desire to be part of and stick with, then the rest of the organization is going to be fine because to a certain extent, you’re connecting with the future.”

Doug wants all of his employees to succeed and develop, but he realizes that people have to make their own choices and he can’t force them into anything. He understands that his success is built on the success that he can help encourage others to achieve for themselves. But that doesn’t mean he can force others to success—he can only provide opportunities and a framework for growth.

“We can provide controls and things of that manner, but I can’t make somebody go out and do something. I can’t make somebody in our salesforce sell our product. I can only offer the opportunities.”

Those opportunities can take numerous forms, from establishing mentoring programs and training courses to facilitating small group development or encouraging a flexible schedule and work-life balance.

Successful leaders of the future must adopt the mindset of the servant. This humble, curious approach to leadership focuses on the good of the organization and its people. By developing the mindset within yourself and fostering future leaders, the entire organization can succeed and move forward.

How To Become A Servant Leader

  • Get to know your employees as individuals. Ask questions and listen to their perspectives.
  • Communicate what’s best for the organization, not what is best for you personally.
  • Onboard new employees by integrating them into the culture from the beginning and setting them up for success.
  • Develop a strong framework for employee development, such as training or mentoring programs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Former CEO of Amway Doug DeVos Says All Leaders Must Be Servants first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The 14 Principles Of The Future Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/the-14-principles-of-the-future-organization/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 11:04:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36739 In my book, The Future of Work, I laid out 14 principles of the future organization. And while that book was released back in 2014, these principles are still very relevant for organizations today and we have a lot of work to do in each one of these areas in order to succeed in the next decade and beyond. So let’s take a deeper look at each one of these 14 principles.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jacob_-_14_principles_podcast.mp3

The 14 Principles of the Future Organization

The way we work is changing.

It’s not going to stop changing anytime soon, in fact, the change is only going to speed up.

Organizations have made progress in adapting for the future of work, but we still have a long way to go.

In my book, The Future of Work, I laid out 14 principles of the future organization. And while that book was released back in 2014, these principles are still very relevant for organizations today and we have a lot of work to do in each one of these areas in order to succeed in the next decade and beyond. So let’s take a deeper look at each one of these 14 principles.

Globally distributed with smaller teams

We have been seeing organizations move away from having all of their employees located in a few corporate offices to having employees spread out all over the world. This allows teams to be smaller and more agile.

It also opens up a wider pool of talent for organizations then we have seen in the past. Proximity to the corporate headquarters is no longer an issue. This is an exciting change because it means organizations can utilize the best talent and individuals can work for their dream company no matter where they are in the world. We were already seeing this change back in 2014, but now with COVID-19 we are seeing this become even more common.

Connected workforce

While it is great to have a global team around the world, it is not possible to work effectively from all over without being able to stay connected. Your team needs to be able to connect to the right information and to each other anywhere, anytime, and from any device. Which means your organization has to have the right technology in place to make that happen.

Technology is the central nervous system of any organization. With the current pandemic companies have been pushed to achieve in 3 months what they had been trying to do over 10 years. But with or without the pandemic, companies have to continue to create and invest in the technologies that connect their workforce.

Intrapreneurial 

There are several traits that come to mind when you think of an entrepreneur. Passion, drive, innovation, creativity, forward thinking, etc… Wouldn’t you love to have people inside of your organization with these traits? You should. Intrapreneurs are entrepreneurs that work inside of an organization instead of off on their own.

You can foster the intrapreneurial spirit inside of your organization by letting employees test their ideas out, experiment, pitch new projects, and run with the ideas that have potential. There are several organizations that are allowing employees to be intrapreneurial such as LinkedIn, Adobe, and AT&T.

For individuals this means that you have to have entrepreneurial skills in order to succeed and get ahead. You have to be scrappy, resourceful, and curious. Don’t just wait for your manager to tell you what to do next, don’t just think inside the box, don’t get pigeon-holed into a certain job description. Don’t be afraid to take an idea and run with it.

Operates like a small company

Organizations can no longer afford to be bogged down by bureaucracy, not in this fast paced world we are living in. No matter how many employees you have you have to operate like a small company.

Small companies are agile and adaptable. They are able to make quick decisions and pivot at a moment’s notice. Again, with the pandemic I think companies have been forced to do this for now. We all had to act quickly at the beginning of 2020. But if you want to succeed in the future you have to be able to continue to act small and agile. You will not win if you operate at the speed of sludge.

Are your employees empowered to make their own decisions or do they have to go through multiple levels of hierarchy to get an answer? Do you have small enough teams or do you have 40+ people in meetings? Do you allow employees to run with ideas or do they have to sit in back to back meetings all day?

Don’t tell me it’s not possible to make quick decisions, we’ve all had to do it this year. And if you can do it for COVID-19, you can do it anytime.

Focuses on “want” instead of “need”

In the past when there was a position to be filled inside of an organization the leaders would post a job ad and qualified candidates would apply. There would be an interview and the candidate had to convince the interviewer why they would be the best fit for the position. It was always assumed that the candidate needed a job and they were at the mercy of the organization to hire them. It was about what the candidate could bring to the organization.

Now with globalization and the fact that individuals can work pretty much anywhere around the world as well as the fact that it is a lot easier to be an entrepreneur and do your own thing now it is no longer the individual who has to do the selling. Individuals have so many choices, they don’t have to settle for anything. It is up to the organization to prove it is a place where the individual would want to work.

In order to attract the best talent you have to create an organization where people want to come work, you cannot assume that they need the job anymore.

Adapts to change faster

The world is moving at such a fast pace. Organizations can no longer afford to take a “wait and see” approach. They cannot sit back and follow in the path of what others are doing. In order to succeed organizations have to look forward, act fast, and move more swiftly. Things will never be as slow as they are right now. This goes for technology, workplace trends and also reacting to current events.

Innovation everywhere

Does your organization allow anyone to come forward with a new idea? Or do all of your innovations come from a certain department or level of hierarchy? In order to succeed in this rapidly changing world of work, innovation has to come from anywhere and everywhere inside your organization.

And ideas and innovation are two different things. Ideas happen all of the time. We all have hundreds of ideas every single week. But it’s the process of taking an idea and actually turning it into something that leads to innovation.

Does your organization allow anyone to come forward with an idea? If an employee has a suggestion, feedback, or an idea do they have the potential to do something with it?

Runs in the cloud

On-premise technologies have a shelf life, and their days are surely numbered. If your organization is purely operating with on site servers and technologies it won’t be long before you fall behind your competition. The future is cloud based technology. It allows organizations to scale up or down very quickly.

More women in senior management roles

This is a big one. We have made some progress here, but not enough. Less than 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. We need much more diversity in our leadership roles. Without diversity in leadership, companies are missing out on a huge talent pool that brings with it a new set of skills, mindsets, and perspectives.

How can you properly serve your customers and create new products and services if everyone on your leadership team is exactly the same, without any diversity? We definitely need more women leaders.

Flatter structure 

The stereotypical hierarchical structure that we have seen in most of our organizations is the pyramid with the CEO at the top and multiple layers in between them and the frontline workers. We can agree that while some structure inside of organizations is good, we need to have a more balanced system.

Information, communication, and ideas should not all come from the top down. It should move from side to side, from the bottom to the top as well as the top down. It doesn’t need to be flat, but it needs to be flatter. We need less layers between frontline workers and the CEO.

This principle helps with agility and nimbleness as well as creating purpose and meaning for employees. When the organization is flatter and communication is flowing freely, employees have a better sense of what is happening inside the organization and why.

Tells stories

We like to tell stories to our customers through our websites, social media, TV ads, etc…So why don’t we take time to create stories for our employees? Stories help us to connect emotionally with an idea or a brand. They paint a picture and make values and purpose come to life.

This episode of Future of Work is supported by Teamistry, a podcast that tells the stories of teams who work together in new and unexpected ways… to beat the odds.

Each episode tells a unique story and provides practical lessons for your team and your business. I got a sneak peek of season 2 and was immediately sucked in with its documentary-style narration, details about stories I thought I knew but didn’t, and practical lessons that I was able to apply to my business. Check it out here.

Employees want to work for an organization that they believe in. They want to find value and purpose in the work they do everyday and what better way to explain the organization’s mission then through stories. When they know what they are working for employees are more likely to go above and beyond. We all want to know that what we do every day impacts our community and our world. Take the time to tell your company’s story to every single employee.

Democratizes learning

Just as learning in our schools is outdated, learning inside of our organizations is outdated. It is too structured and formal. If you sign up for a learning opportunity at work most likely you are going to watch a video from the 80s or you will attend a scripted lecture with someone going through a PowerPoint.

Learning should reflect the year we live in. If it is so easy for me to learn something on my own through YouTube or Khan Academy or Coursera why can’t it be the same way inside our organizations. Learning has to be democratized. It must be put into the hands of every employee because every employee has something to teach and every employee has something to learn.

Shifts from profits to prosperity 

Profit is the financial gain that an organization receives and it is the primary measure of success inside of most organizations. But prosperity looks at much more than money. It looks at employee health & wellness, community involvement, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, etc..

The purpose of a business can no longer be just about making money, it’s about impacting all stakeholders. Not shareholders, stakeholders. Our communities, partners, suppliers, vendors, customers, and employees all have a stake in the success of the business.

We have to move away from just the dollars and cents and focus on the greater impact our organizations make on the world around us.

Adapts to the future employee and the future manager

Organizations that want to succeed in the future of work have to be able to adapt to the future employee and the future leader. Leadership is changing in a big way, for more information on how it is changing you can check out my new book, The Future Leader. But organizations need to know what the future of leadership looks like and make sure they are promoting the right people to those positions. Organizations also have to stay on top of what employees want and need. We cannot just continue on and assume that we can succeed while continuing in the old ways of working.

Right now, we’re seeing such an amazing time and exciting evolution around how we work, how we lead, and even how we structure our companies. Don’t get stuck in the old way of doing things. We must continue to adapt, learn, explore, and grow if we want to avoid getting left behind.

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The 14 Principles Of The Future Organization first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Think Like a CEO: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Every Day https://thefutureorganization.com/think-like-a-ceo-3-questions-to-ask-yourself-every-day/ Thu, 05 Nov 2020 11:32:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36495 Over the years I've had the opportunity to work with and speak with a hundreds of CEOs at companies around the world. I love to ask them about their habits and how they approach business and life in general.

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Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with and speak with a hundreds of CEOs at companies around the world. I love to ask them about their habits and how they approach business and life in general.

I’m always interested in what makes someone successful and I have found that while how you work matters, how you think, actually matters even more.

Success isn’t an endpoint it’s a constant evolution. If you view it as something static then your success will always be temporary. This is because we live in a rapidly changing and evolving world.

If you truly want to be successful then follow the example of some of the top business leaders.

Ask yourself these three questions every day:

What did I learn today?
As I mentioned, things change quickly. You can’t rely on educational institutions or on your company to teach you everything you need to know to be successful. In fact, most of what you learn in a 4 year university becomes obsolete by the time you graduate.

This mean you must become a perpetual learner. Meaning, you have to “learn how to learn.”

This requires conscious thought and energy to learn something new every day, even if it’s something small. Perhaps you got some new insights from a conversation you had, a podcast you listened to, a TED talk you watched, or a book you read.

You can ask yourself this question at the end of each day or even after the end of each interaction you have.

If you start to notice multiple days in a row where the answer to the question above is “nothing,” then you should really visit your daily activities and interaction to see where you can make changes.

Remember, growth happens when you learn.

What is the best thing I did today?
We are all busy, especially now with COVID-19. It’s easy to focus on all the things we didn’t do, what we didn’t accomplish, or the mistakes we made.

But instead, focus on the positive things you did. In my family for example, when we sit down at the dinner table, we each say something we are grateful for on that specific day.

It could be something as small as having a good meal, being able to go to the park, or just having some time to relax. The point is to focus on the positive and on the good.

From a business perspective the same the same logic applies. What made you feel good, proud, or accomplished? Practice positivity and gratitude and you’ll be amazed by the positive changes in your life both personally and professionally.

What can I do better tomorrow?

One of the most effect things that successful people do is focus on the future and looking for areas where they can learn, grow, and improve.

Maybe you can do a better job of:

  • Handling a difficult situation
  • Recognizing an employee
  • Communicating with your peers
  • Taking some time for yourself
  • Not getting worked up when someone upsets you

You get the idea…

Some of the most successful people I’ve talked to and worked with are constantly evaluating themselves and tweaking their approach to work and relationships.

Even small updates and changes can lead to big progress over time. Taking time to be self-aware and look for ways to improve sets you on a path for continual progress and development.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel

As a bonus question, ask yourself who you can help! No matter if you’re a leader or an entry-level employee, there are always people you can help. It doesn’t have to be huge effort, but reaching out to someone and offering a helping hand shows humility and builds relationships.

Asking yourself these questions at the end of every day only takes a few minutes, but the practice of self-evaluation leads to strong self-discipline and continual improvement. If you want to be a future-ready leader, you’ve got to think like one. And it starts by asking yourself these questions every day.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Ways To Create Healthy Boundaries In Business https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-create-healthy-boundaries-in-business/ Wed, 04 Nov 2020 14:32:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36473 For the first few years of my career I was terrible at creating boundaries. I said yes to everything and everyone until I finally got burned out. One day I realized that I wasn't actually doing anything I needed or wanted to do, instead I was doing what other people wanted me to do!

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Being able to effectively create boundaries is a very important skill for everyone to master. But, creating boundaries can sometimes be a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

For the first few years of my career I was terrible at creating boundaries. I said yes to everything and everyone until I finally got burned out. One day I realized that I wasn’t actually doing anything I needed or wanted to do, instead I was doing what other people wanted me to do!

It was time for a change. I learned how to say no to other people and things so that I could say yes to myself and the projects I wanted to work on.

There are 3 effective strategies you can use for creating boundaries.

1) Find a nice way to say “no” – You don’t have to be a jerk. For example, when someone asks me to do something that I don’t want to do, I might respond with something like, “Thanks so much for the opportunity, I really appreciate you thinking of me for the project but unfortunately I’m not a good fit, best of luck with it though!”

2) Don’t fill the space – This is especially crucial in the world of sales. Oftentimes we tell someone how much something costs and then we get so uncomfortable that we start filling the space with noise. For example, “I’d be happy to help with you project, this is something I charge $10k for.” …. silence…. “But, I’m happy to do it for $8k for you.” …..silence….”How much do you want to pay for it?” Say what you need to say and then shut up! Let the silence linger.

3) Don’t bend the rules – If you set up certain policies or rules for yourself then stick to them. If you don’t do work with friends or family members then stick to that rule. If you don’t do work for free, then stick to that. If you don’t offer discounts…then don’t! Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but you get the idea.

My lovely wife Blake Morgan, made a video about this which you can see below.

If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where we teach you how you can be your own boss.

If you want to catch some of our behind the scenes stuff you can also follow us on Instagram!

Blake and I made lots of mistakes during our entrepreneurial journeys and learned things the hard way, but you don’t have to.

Whether you are considering going off on your own or you already have, this will be a valuable resource for you. Download our PDF on the 7 things you need to master if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on FacebookInstagramTwitterYoutube, and Linkedin.
  4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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The Secret Ingredient To Domino’s CEO’s Success? Focus On People https://thefutureorganization.com/the-secret-ingredient-to-dominos-ceos-success-focus-on-people/ Tue, 03 Nov 2020 11:36:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36431 Domino’s Pizza is known for getting pizza to customers quickly, but it doesn’t take the same approach with its employees. Domino’s and its CEO, Richard Allison, know that focusing on people takes time and can’t be rushed. Of all the ingredients that go into making a delicious Domino’s pizza, the most important is the focus on its people.

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Domino’s Pizza is known for getting pizza to customers quickly, but it doesn’t take the same approach with its employees. Domino’s and its CEO, Richard Allison, know that focusing on people takes time and can’t be rushed. Of all the ingredients that go into making a delicious Domino’s pizza, the most important is the focus on its people.

I had the chance to talk to Ritch for my book, The Future Leader. With all the moving pieces of leading a massive company and keeping Domino’s at the forefront with innovative ideas like mobile order tracking and ordering with emojis, Ritch holds true to his people. Technology and innovation are important, but it’s nothing without strong people. He believes that in order for leaders to be successful in the future, they must prioritize their employees and create an environment that celebrates and develops future leaders.

Moving People Forward 

Being a leader isn’t about sitting in an ivory tower and giving commands—it’s about moving the company and everyone in its towards a better future. People are at the heart of any progress the company makes.

For Ritch, leadership is all about marshalling the collective resources, skills, and energy in the organization towards a vision. He views his job as a leader to make sure all 15,000 Domino’s employees and 300,000 franchise employees are moving in a common direction to build a brand and achieve business goals.

“Every day, those people wake up and make choices all day long about how they’re going to spend their time,” Ritch said. Each day, I only interact with a small handful of them directly. I think part of leadership is trying to make sure that every day, even when you can’t personally be there to guide it, people are committed and passionate about where we’re trying to go, as a company.”

In order to focus on people, Ritch believes leaders must align their teams around objectives so employees know what they’re trying to accomplish together. They make sure everyone on their teams has the resources and capabilities to actually work towards that vision and play their part. That means communicating regularly and being open to feedback. People-focused leaders empower their employees with tools to get the job done instead of simply charting a course without providing the resources.

Developing Future Leaders 

Much of a leader’s job is to develop their people and encourage their success. Leaders who focus on people don’t just push the entire company forward—they also invest in individuals and give them resources to grow personally and professionally.

Ritch put it this way: “We have to make sure we’re creating a compelling path of opportunity for people and that we’re investing in their growth and development over time. It used to be that their loyalty was assumed. Now, loyalty has to be earned. What better way to earn that loyalty than by focusing on helping create other leaders?”

Domino’s has done this by evolving its approach to learning and development. Domino’s hires employees at all levels with the goal of growing them into leaders over the next 10 to 15 years. Ritch says the company wants to source the majority of its leaders internally instead of having to go outside and hire them.

Domino’s Global Operations Leadership Development program, or GOLD, is an immersive four-year experience to build the next generation of Domino’s leaders. The program teaches them the hard skills of running the business, but it is also constantly changing to include training of softer skills that are becoming more crucial for future leaders. Ritch says the program is a work in progress and that the company is investing time to consider how to properly teach the skills, both technical and people-related, that future leaders will need.

Domino’s also offers a huge variety of other training programs for employees in stores, corporate, and the supply chain, with a goal of continually building up their employees.

Future leaders must also continually develop themselves, as well. Ritch says it’s crucial to leaders to take the time and invest in themselves and their own skill development.

Changing Skills For Leaders

Ritch says that over his career, the skills that are important to success have changed. Early in his career, he believed having hard skills was the most important thing because it helped leaders fulfill their responsibilities and get things done.

“Now, in this job as a CEO, it frankly is the softer skills that are more important,” he said. “It’s about setting a vision. It’s about aligning a team against that vision. It’s about motivating people. It’s about developing people and giving them opportunities to grow over time.”

Future leaders must continually develop themselves as the needed skills change, but they won’t be successful if they don’t focus on their people. Great leaders develop other great leaders by giving them opportunities and creating frameworks for development.

Successful leaders and companies are continually developing, but Ritch Allison shows that the secret ingredient is this: focus on people and help them grow.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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9 Skills and Mindsets for Leaders in the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/9-skills-and-mindsets-for-leaders-in-the-future-of-work/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 09:58:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36391 We are facing a leadership crisis today. The world of work is changing, which means we need a different type of leader to guide our people and organizations to success. The old ways won’t work anymore.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Audio_-_Jacob_Morgan_-_Blakes_Show.mp3

Jacob’s Special Episode Transcript

We are facing a leadership crisis today.

The world of work is changing, which means we need a different type of leader to guide our people and organizations to success.

The old ways won’t work anymore.

In my newest book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 CEOs from around the world to get their view of how leadership is changing, what it’s going to look like in the future, and what we need to do now to be future ready leaders.

One thing was clear in all of their responses, what has worked in the past will not work in the future. We need a new kind of leader. Leadership can no longer be based solely on confidence, seniority, the ability to make money for the company, acting like you know it all, etc..

Another thing that I found in my research for the book was the lack of leadership training inside of organizations. Most people become leaders in their mid to late 20s, but most leaders have admitted that they didn’t receive formal training until they were in their late 30s and early 40s.

That means there is a period of 15-20 years where leaders inside of our organizations are leading, but they haven’t been taught how to do it effectively. No wonder we have such a lack of strong leadership.

But just because you don’t receive formal training inside of your organization doesn’t give you a free pass to be an ineffective leader. You can take training into your own hands. You have the ability to learn what you need to know to be the best leader you can be.

 

The first step is answering a tough question

If you are ready to be a future ready leader, the first step you need to take is to define leader and leadership for yourself. What does it really mean to be a leader? It may seem like a simple question, but it is actually the hardest question for the 140+ CEOs I interviewed to answer.

We see leaders in action every single day, whether they are good or bad. It is something so common, that we don’t tend to spend time defining leadership, because we assume everyone knows what it is. It’s like water. You wouldn’t explain water to someone, because we all just know what water is.

But defining leader and leadership is such an important step. Without a definition we get inconsistency inside of our organizations. Most organizations have some great leaders that people love and some horrible leaders that people can’t stand. That wouldn’t happen if we had a clear definition of leadership. It would help put filters in place that help the right people get promoted to leadership positions. 

If you want great leaders, start by defining what a great leader is. And use that definition to promote people inside of your organization.

The Notable Nine

From the interviews that I did with the 140+ CEOs I ended up with four mindsets and five skills that leaders need to adopt in order to succeed in the future of work. They are: 

Mindsets:

  1. Explorer: Become a perpetual learner, be curious and focus on agility and adaptability
  2. Chef: Learn how to balance humanity and technology
  3. Servant: Serve your leaders, your team, your customers and yourself by being humble and vulnerable
  4. Global Citizen: Surround yourself with different people and look at the big picture

Skills:

  1. Futurist: Look towards the future and think through different scenarios
  2. Yoda: Practice emotional intelligence and empathy
  3. Translator: Develop listening and communication skills
  4. Coach: Motivate and engage others and create effective teams across geographies and generations
  5. Technology Teenager: Embrace new technology and be tech-savvy

This episode of Future of Work is supported by Teamistry, a podcast that tells the stories of teams who work together in new and unexpected ways… to beat the odds.

Each episode tells a unique story and provides practical lessons for your team and your business. I got a sneak peek of season 2 and was immediately sucked in with its documentary-style narration, details about stories I thought I knew but didn’t, and practical lessons that I was able to apply to my business. Check it out at here.

Leaders must be like lighthouses

On the cover of my book is the image of a lighthouse. And I think it is such a great visualization of what a leader should be. A lighthouse is designed to help mariners and explorers reach their destinations, but in a safe way. It helps travelers keep out of shallow waters, off of the rocks, and away from danger. And I think of leaders in very much the same way.

The whole purpose of a leader is to guide their people and organizations to success, but in a safe way. With the nine skills and mindsets leaders can build themselves up to be a lighthouse so that they can shine a bright light onto the sea of uncertainty that we’re all a part of.

But one thing a lot of leaders forget is that if there are no ships in the water, then a lighthouse is useless. Without great people to lead, a leader is pointless. Leaders can’t just focus on building themselves up, they must also focus on the success of their people.

________________________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The 5 Qualities of A Purpose-Driven and Caring Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/the-5-qualities-of-a-purpose-driven-and-caring-leader/ Thu, 29 Oct 2020 13:13:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36222 Your job as a leader isn’t just about making the business more money.

You need to look beyond the organization to see how the work you are doing is impacting society, local communities, and even the world.

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Your job as a leader isn’t just about making the business more money.

You need to look beyond the organization to see how the work you are doing is impacting society, local communities, and even the world.

I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Polman (the former CEO of Unilever) for my new book, The Future Leader. One of the things he told me when I asked him about leadership was…

“Leaders must find a way to reconnect with citizens and restore confidence in a reformed economic and social system that is more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.”

This means that you need to care…really care.

But simply telling leaders to “care more” doesn’t meant that they will.

From the hundreds of CEOs and business leaders I have interviewed and worked with, I have identified 5 common qualities that purpose driven and caring leaders have, which you can see in the image below.

❤ They spend most of their time outside their office.

Purpose-driven and caring leaders engage with customers but also with employees at all levels of the organization, not just with their peers, this also includes front-line employees. It’s crucial to get out of the proverbial “ivory tower” to understand what is happening on the ground floor of the business and in the lives of the people who work there.

❤ They practice empathy and self-awareness.

Purpose-driven and caring leaders put themselves in the shoes of their employees and try to feel what they feel, this is what empathy is all about. Sympathy on the other hand is simply the act of telling other people “I’m sorry.”They are always aware of the impact that they have on others, their own strengths and weaknesses, and how others perceive them.

❤ They have a cause that they fight for.

Purpose-driven and caring leaders have a cause they fight for that extends beyond the business. It could be something climate change, diversity and equality, refugees, served the underrepresented, helping end poverty, or working with underprivileged children. As leaders, they understand that part of their responsibility is to help make the world a better place.

❤ They see their employees as human beings.

Purpose-driven and caring leaders understand that their employees aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, they aren’t cogs, they aren’t job descriptions — they are people, just like you and me. People with hopes, dreams, passions, fears, and families. These leaders make sure to get know their employees as human beings not just as workers.

❤ They realize that being purpose-driven and caring is a choice that only they can make.

Purpose-driven and caring leaders understand that looking out for others and caring for those around them is a choice. It’s not something that is justified on a spread-sheet or via a financial analysis. Viktor E. Frankl, the author of the profound book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” wrote…

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to chose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

As a leader you are responsible and accountable for the choices you make, and it’s up to you alone to make the right one.

How many of these 5 qualities do you and your leaders possess?

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why All Leaders Must Be Coaches And Mentors https://thefutureorganization.com/why-all-leaders-must-be-coaches-and-mentors/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 12:23:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36168 What can you do to make sure that you will add value to any organization you are a part of, regardless of what the future might bring?

Help make other people more successful!

Well...sort of.

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What can you do to make sure that you will add value to any organization you are a part of, regardless of what the future might bring?

Help make other people more successful!

Well…sort of.

When we hear that leaders must be coaches and mentors that’s what we assume, that this means helping making someone more successful, but that’s easy to do.

You might spend just ten minutes with someone to teach them something new and now they are a tiny bit more successful…good for you, but it doesn’t stop there.

You’re job as a leader is to help make other people more successful… THAN YOU! These are the two most crucial words that we need to add to the end of that sentence.

A coach and mentor helps you become a better version of yourself, they help you overcome obstacles, cross boundaries, and accomplish what you thought was impossible.

In my time working for corporations I never had this, which is why I ultimately ended up leaving and working for myself around 15 years ago.

As we see the influx of more technology and automation in the workforce it’s clear that the leaders who simply focus on decision making and commanding and controlling will be augmented and eventually replaced by technology.

However, the great leaders out there who focus on the human aspect of work will see their value increase 10x because this is something that technology will not be able to do anytime soon.

The best part is that leadership isn’t about a job title.

Employees at all levels can find people to coach and mentor, either at work or outside of work. I absolutely believe that this is the best thing you can do for your career.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.  

The future of work is uncertain and can be scary at times.

But the need to be human and help other people will always exist.

How can you help make someone else more successful than you and have you done so already?

Share your story below!

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Great Leaders Need To Be Risk-Takers https://thefutureorganization.com/great-leaders-need-to-be-risk-takers/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:59:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36126 The future of work is full of opportunities. But people won’t be able to take advantage of those opportunities if they don’t take risks.

It’s a philosophy Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream, has followed her entire life. Shellye looked for opportunities early in life and took risks to get them. As an African American woman with an eye on not only working in but leading the tech industry, Shellye often had to chart her own course, but she grew by taking risks and creating success on her own terms.

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The future of work is full of opportunities. But people won’t be able to take advantage of those opportunities if they don’t take risks.

It’s a philosophy Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream, has followed her entire life. Shellye looked for opportunities early in life and took risks to get them. As an African American woman with an eye on not only working in but leading the tech industry, Shellye often had to chart her own course, but she grew by taking risks and creating success on her own terms.

Shellye started her career with a job in sales at IBM after learning that many CEOs had previously worked in sales. During her 15-year career with IBM, she became the first African American woman in the company to be sent on an international assignment. Her later role as CEO of MetricStream put her in elite company as one of just a handful of female CEOs of technology companies.

I had the chance to interview Shellye for my book, The Future Leader. She shared that the one thing future leaders must know how to do is take risks.

Shellye told me this: “Those who learn and are able to take the best risks will drive the best performance. With all these things changing around you, unless you’re a risk-taker, you’re just not going to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that exist out there.”

Throughout her career, Shellye has taken risks to grow herself and her companies. She believes future leaders must also be willing to take risks to succeed. That doesn’t mean being reckless—it means being transparent and honest.

Risk-Takers Are Agile

How things have always been done simply won’t work in the future. Future organizations will move away from traditional hierarchal structure and more towards networks. Shellye says the future is less about leading from a base of power and more about leading from a base of influence. That means being agile to accept new ideas and ways of working.

Future leaders need to be agile in their thoughts and more collaborative in how they operate.

“Leaders need to become more comfortable with being flexible trying new things and trying to build and embrace more collaboration deeper within the organization,” Shellye said.

True collaboration and risk-taking comes from collaborating and including people of all tenure and experience to really get things going. A leader can’t only be agile based on their own ideas and point of view—they have to consider other perspectives and feel comfortable changing their mind, really listening to other people’s ideas, and then implementing them to evolve the company.

Risk-Takers Are People-Centric

Risk-taking leaders don’t just take risks to improve their own standing—they do it with their people in mind. Future leaders have to realize that the only way towards lasting success is to focus on people, both employees and customers. The best leaders are the ones who take risks that will provide a better experience for their people.

Shellye believes that future leaders must be empathetic. Employees want to know that leaders actually care about what they themselves care about. Instead of simply saying the right things, leaders need to back up their words with actions.

Future leaders must also be customer-centric. Shellye says that many leaders and organizations claim to be customer-centric and put the customer at the center of everything they do, but that’s not really the case.

Shellye told me this: “In the future, things are going to be so transparent and it will be so easy for customers to switch, that the person who is actually able to meet the customers’ real needs the best, wins. And it’s not just what they need now, but what they need going forward.”

To lead their organizations to success, future leaders must be truly focused on customers and take risks to position the company to best anticipate their needs. They can’t simply do things that have always been done. They will have to really connect with their customers, understand them, and then know the best path and risks to take.

Customer-focused leaders develop a culture of customer centricity within their organizations. They don’t just put words on a wall—they are clear in their expectations of how they and their employees should behave to really make the customer the star of everything. Throughout her career, Shellye has addressed leadership topics in staff meetings by sharing how she expects certain issues to be addressed or handled. She believes it’s important for people to hear and the how, not just the what. By aligning around the how, a true culture can be built.

Risk-Takers Are Self-Aware

Risk-takers don’t just jump into every unknown pool and hope they swim. They understand their own strengths and weaknesses so they can take calculated risks that play to their strengths. Leaders of the future must be self-aware and lead with understanding.

Self-awareness comes in many forms, but for future leaders it will be manifest in transparency. Employees are going to want to know what leaders actually care about and that they are comfortable walking the talk.

“I think employees are going to hold leaders much more accountable than they have in the past, for their full set of actions. We’re starting to see it now, and I think that’s just going to continue. It’s not just a blip,” Shellye said.

As a leader, Shellye aims to be accessible and approachable so that people aren’t afraid to tell her the bad news and the good news. As CEO of MetricStream, she walked around the office frequently to get a sense of how things were truly going. In order to move the company forward, leaders have to face the facts and be honest about the true state of things so they can make improvements.

The future is changing, and leaders must be willing to take risks to meet those changes. Successful, risk-taking leaders are agile, focus on their people, and are self-aware to take the best risks for long-term success.

How To Become a Risk-Taker

  • Build a network of diverse people and listen to their unique ideas and perspectives.
  • Practice being agile by changing your plans and approaches to problems and products.
  • Build connections with employees and customers as individuals.
  • Establish a customer-centric how and what for employees’ actions.
  • Share your goals with employees and be accountable with your progress.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Great Leaders Need To Be Risk-Takers first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Moments That Shaped the CEOs of Honeywell and PTC https://thefutureorganization.com/the-moments-that-shaped-the-ceos-of-honeywell-and-ptc/ Mon, 26 Oct 2020 10:36:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=36078 Jim and David may not have thought about being CEOs growing up and in their early careers, but it goes to show that no matter what your past looks like, you can achieve greatness. Every leader has their own unique path to greatness, every individual has their own unique path, to unlock the potential of who they are. We all deal with our own challenges and obstacles, but it is important to remember that your past does not dictate where you can go and what you can achieve.

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Jim Heppelmann is the CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of “7 IoT leaders to Watch in 2017” by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he was recognized as “IoT CEO of the Year” by PostScapes, “Technology CEO of the Year” by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and he received the CAD Society Leadership Award for his work with the Internet of Things. Together with Harvard Professor, Michael Porter, Jim has co-authored three highly influential articles on the transformational impact of the Internet of Things on business.

David Cote is the former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the bestselling book, Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term. During his time at Honeywell David fixed a toxic work culture and grew the company’s market capitalization from around 20 billion to 120 billion, delivering returns of 800%. Currently David is Executive Chairman of Vertiv Holdings Co, a global data center products and services provider. He is a member of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group on Foreign Relations and the Conference of Montreal.

Both Jim and David have had unlikely paths to being the CEOs of two well-established, global companies. Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota as one of eight children. In college he studied mechanical engineering with an emphasis on computer-aided design.

It was actually one of his older sisters who inspired him to attend college and study to become an engineer in the first place. After she graduated from college and got her first job she was already making as much as their parents, and Jim was amazed by that. So engineering brought him to college, but once he got there he fell in love with computer science. He studied at the intersection of where software meets engineering.

David nearly quit high school, because although he was good at school, he hated it. He ended up sticking with it and became the first one in his family to graduate high school. David was accepted to the University of New Hampshire, but decided he didn’t want to pursue college so he went to work as a mechanic with his dad in a small garage.

After that job didn’t pan out he went to Michigan to work as a carpenter with his uncle, but learned he wasn’t good at that either. So he enlisted in the Navy for six years on a nuclear submarine. The day before he was supposed to swear in he called the chief petty officer and asked what would happen if he didn’t show up. And although the chief petty officer made it sound almost impossible to get out of, when David realized cops wouldn’t just show up at his door and arrest him, he made the decision not to go.

After that David decided to go to college, but after two years there the Assistant Dean of Students told him he could no longer live on campus because he was too much of a troublemaker. So, needing some money, David decided to get a job working second shift while going to school, which he did for 6 months, when a buddy of his invited David to come work with him on a fishing boat in Maine.

Because he was spending so much time on the boat he ended up doing very poorly in school, so he decided to quit. He ended up getting married and one month later his wife was pregnant with their first child. David says this is the moment he realized he had to do something, he had to get direction and stay focused. He was scared he wouldn’t have enough money to raise their child. And from that moment on he had a purpose and a focus that has brought him to where he is now.

David’s advice on how to lead in tough times

Leaders today are definitely leading through difficult times, and David has led through his share of challenging times as well. He says one of the toughest times was the great recession of 2008-2009. And he knows how it feels to be in the middle of a crisis and feel like it is the worst one ever. But it is important to realize that while these recessions are unique, there are certain actions that we can take regardless of the situation that can help organizations to survive it.

David’s advice for anyone leading in tough times is:

  • Don’t panic
  • Make sure that you keep thinking independently
  • Never forget to put the customer first
  • Be thinking about the recovery even while you’re in the middle of the recession

What to do if you feel stuck in your job

Some people may read or hear David’s background story of what he went through before he became CEO of Honeywell and they may feel like they are in a similar situation where they feel stuck in a job. Maybe you feel like there is not a clear progression forward in your career. David gives his advice to people in this situation, some things that helped him get to where he is now.

And he breaks this advice up into a few different points. First of all, you have to have performance, and your performance can’t just be okay. You’ve got to be like the top 10%. Where you went to school makes a difference for your first job, after that it is up to how you perform. Be a standout in all you do.

You also need visibility. If you are performing very well, but the person who can do something about your career can’t see it, nothing will happen. So make sure you have visibility. But you have to be careful with this one because you don’t want to go around tooting your own horn or wearing your ambition on your sleeve. It is a delicate balance.

If you have a boss who doesn’t feel that you are performing as well as you think you are, this is where you have to be self aware and figure out is there something you can fix or do you just have a bad boss, which David says happens less often than people think. So learn to be self aware and realize when there is something you need to fix. We all have issues, and it’s important to know what they are.

Achieving work-life balance as a CEO 

As the CEO of 6,500+ employees, Jim seems very relaxed and happy. He doesn’t seem stressed out at all. One thing that has helped him with this a lot is having a work-life balance. He not only leads the organization, but he also makes time to spend time with his family, take care of the animals on his farm, and cook. But that wasn’t always the case.

Jim says when he first became a CEO he burned the candle at both ends, he tried to do everything on his own. And overtime he learned that was not sustainable. When sharing what he learned he says, “what I should do is focus my energy where I really bring a lot of value to the table, again, which tends to be around product strategies, marketing strategies, marketing messages, competitive strategies, and so forth. And let somebody else manage the financial plan, let somebody else manage the professional services margins, and things like that because I don’t need to do that and I don’t bring a tremendous quality to it, you know, nothing super unique or special. And at the end of the day, you’ve got to pick your battles, there’s just not enough time for a CEO to be in charge of everything. So I got a lot happier after I realized I should roll with the punches and just really add value where I think I have the most value to add.”

This is such great advice for all CEOs, don’t try to have your hand in all the cookie jars. Don’t take everything upon yourself and don’t think you have to have all the answers. You will get burnt out that way. Surround yourself with people who are good at what you are not good at and rely on them.

Three ways to battle entrenched thinking 

No matter what industry you work in, you may find that people around you are entrenched in old ways of thinking, especially if they have been in a certain role for a long time. People don’t like change, it’s just a fact of life. So how do you change that? Jim has three ways that he battled entrenched thinking inside of PTC when he first joined.

  • Make change part of your company branding–Create a company culture that likes change. Part of what Jim did to change the culture was he adopted some slogans like Take a Fresh Look. Everything about the company should embrace change and discourage getting complacent.
  • Lead by example–Live out the values you want to see inside your organization. If you want employees to embrace change, you must first be the one to embrace change. Make sure people know it is not about making one change and then staying there, it is about constant change. The point is to try to be that company who changes all the time, you can’t pin them down, because they’re too busy changing.
  • Celebrate change–Recognize individuals who step out and do something different, even if what they tried didn’t work.

Jim and David may not have thought about being CEOs growing up and in their early careers, but it goes to show that no matter what your past looks like, you can achieve greatness. Every leader has their own unique path to greatness, every individual has their own unique path, to unlock the potential of who they are. We all deal with our own challenges and obstacles, but it is important to remember that your past does not dictate where you can go and what you can achieve.

If you have a growth mindset, meaning you believe you can continue to grow and develop throughout your life through dedication and hard work, then you can achieve great things.

So what is your story going to look like? I hope these two stories from David and Jim motivate you, inspire you, push you and get you to realize that you can build and shape a future that you want to have for yourself.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The Moments That Shaped the CEOs of Honeywell and PTC first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How 15 Years Ago A Cup of Coffee Changed My Life https://thefutureorganization.com/how-15-years-ago-a-cup-of-coffee-changed-my-life/ Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:47:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35898 A cup of coffee changed my life forever. Sounds crazy right?

It was 2016 and I had just graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a dual B.A. in business management economics and psychology.

I was VERY excited to join the corporate world.

My plan was simple. Get a good job, work hard, go back to school to get my MBA, and then climb the corporate ladder to be an executive at a company like Coca-Cola or IBM.

Simple right? Nothing went according to plan.

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A cup of coffee changed my life forever. Sounds crazy right?

It was 2006 and I had just graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a dual B.A. in business management economics and psychology.

I was VERY excited to join the corporate world.

My plan was simple. Get a good job, work hard, go back to school to get my MBA, and then climb the corporate ladder to be an executive at a company like Coca-Cola or IBM.

Simple right? Nothing went according to plan.

My first job out of college was working for a technology company in Southern California. When I interviewed there I was told that I would be working on all sorts of amazing projects, meeting with business leaders, traveling the country, and changing the world.

Just what I wanted!

In fact, I was willing to forgo my 3 hour daily commute to and from work to be a part of this great company.
A few months into my job I was stuck doing data entry, cold-calling, and powerpoint presentations.

One day, an executive comes out of his nice corner office and says, “Jacob, I have some really important I need you to do!” Naturally I got excited and I ran over to him. I figured I paid my dues and my time has finally come.

“What is it?” I asked.

He took out his wallet and handed me a $10 bill. “I’m late for a meeting and I need you to run to Starbucks and get me a cup of coffee, and get something for yourself as well.”

I was crushed…deflated…demoralized…and forever disengaged.

That was one of the last full-time jobs I ever had working for anyone else. I realized at that moment that something about work and leadership was and is broken.

I didn’t know at the time but that experience would set me on my current path of helping create organizations where we genuinely want to show up and developing leaders who we want to work with and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

A few years ago I was speaking at a conference and a business leader came up to and asked…

“What do I need to do now and teach my leaders now, so that they can be prepared to lead in the future?”

I certainly had my ideas and theories about this but I decided to see if I could find any books or research studies that tackled this. After all, the world is changing quickly and what worked in the past is not going to work in the present (or the future for that matter).

While there is a lot of great content on leadership, sadly, I couldn’t find much content or research on The Future Leader.

What I did find was mainly based on a few stories, anecdotes, or observations, but it didn’t feel concrete.

So, I set off to try to create something unique. I wanted to answer a very basic question, “will the leader of the future look that different than the leader of today, and if so, how?”

To answer that question I wanted to interview the world’s top business leaders who are shaping their organizations, society, and the world at large. I wasn’t sure how many CEOs would agree to speak with me, maybe 10? 20? 30 if I was lucky?

I was very fortunate that over 140 of the world’s top CEOs agreed to speak with me. CEOs from companies like Oracle, Unilever, Audi, Mastercard, Best Buy, Verizon, Kaiser, KPMG, and dozens of others.

I was am also grateful for LinkedIn’s partnership – together we surveyed nearly 14,000 employees around the world to see how employee perspectives align with CEO insights.

What emerged is the most comprehensive and in-depth research project I’ve ever come across which looks at the trends shaping leaders, the greatest challenges leaders must overcome, the mindsets that leaders need to embrace, and the skills that leaders need to master.

Who would have ever thought that a cup of coffee would have set me on this current path nearly 15 years ago?

Today, my community is large enough (over 100,000 LinkedIn newsletter subscribers alone!) where we can collectively make a difference in the world.

To create organizations we are all want to show up, and to develop leaders who we all want to work with.

If you have gotten value from my content over the years I’d love it if you consider grabbing a copy of the book for yourself and your team. Here are some quick purchase links for you:

Amazon (available for any Amazon geography, also available on Kindle)

Books-A-Million

Bookshop.org (Supports independent bookstores)

Barnes & Noble

Porchlight Books (great for bulk copies)

If you do end up getting a copy please let me know in the comments so that I can thank you personally. If you’re interested in large bulk copies for your team please email me, Jacob@TheFutureOrganization.com.

2020 has clearly been a tough year for everyone. But it’s been amazing to see how many people around the world are using this tough time as an opportunity to invest in their own personal growth and development.

I appreciate all of your support. I know that together we can make change happen. Life is short, we all deserve to work for organizations and with leaders who help build us up and make us more successful.

We need more Future Leaders and that starts with you.

Lead on!

Jacob

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The 3 Best Tips For Changing Jobs https://thefutureorganization.com/the-3-best-tips-for-changing-jobs/ Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:14:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35833 Over the past few months there has been a lot of turbulence in the workforce with people leaving their organizations both voluntarily and involuntarily.

Now could be an opportune time to consider reinventing yourself and exploring other opportunities. In fact, I've received countless emails and comments about this which is why my wife and I started our Be Your Own Boss Podcast!

Let's say you decided it’s time for a change and are ready to switch jobs. What should you do now?

Switching jobs isn’t something that should be taken lightly, but if for example you find yourself in a toxic work environment where you can’t advance, it may be time to move on.

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Over the past few months there has been a lot of turbulence in the workforce with people leaving their organizations both voluntarily and involuntarily.

Now could be an opportune time to consider reinventing yourself and exploring other opportunities. In fact, I’ve received countless emails and comments about this which is why my wife and I started our Be Your Own Boss Podcast!

Let’s say you decided it’s time for a change and are ready to switch jobs. What should you do now?

Switching jobs isn’t something that should be taken lightly, but if for example you find yourself in a toxic work environment where you can’t advance, it may be time to move on.

After you’ve made the decision to look for a new job, here are three things to consider:

Understand why you want to leave
People leave their jobs for a variety of reasons. Before you leave your job, make sure you’re leaving for the right reason(s), not for something superficial. Good reasons to leave include things like no prospect of growth or advancement, a toxic workplace culture, a poor relationship with a leader, or conflict with personal and professional values.

Bad reasons to leave include things like not enjoying the free food your company provides, being unsatisfied with the extra perks, being bored, or being challenged too much.

As you go through your mental checklist ask yourself questions like:

  • Does this really matter that much?
  • Is this something I can fix or change?
  • Can I do something else that augments how I feel?
  • Changing jobs is exhausting and time consuming so before you get in too deep, make sure you are leaving for the right reasons.

Some organizations actually have a high number of what are called “boomerang employees.” These are people who left the company to find greener pastures only to return upon realizing how good things really were.

Develop yourself
In today’s world of work your mindsets and skillsets are more important than your resume and your job title.

Organizations value employees who can learn how to learn. You can’t just rely on educational institutions or on organizations to teach everything you need to know to be successful. Sometimes you will need to leverage your own time and resources for growth and development.

However, chances are that your company does have some resources that you can take advantage of before moving on. Find out what training and development opportunities exist and how you might be able to leverage them for a future role. For example, if you want to transition from marketing to web development, perhaps your company has related training programs and courses you can sign up for which are at no cost to you.

If you have downtime at the company (like I did in my first job) don’t squander it playing on Facebook, use that as an opportunity to continue your learning journey. In my case, 15 years ago when I knew I wanted to leave my employer, I used all of my downtime to learn about online marketing.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel

Leave on good terms

No matter how rocky the time at your current job has been, don’t burn any bridges on your way out. You aren’t Georga Costanza from Seinfeld so take it easy!

References and relationships still matter, so try to make things right before you leave. The last thing you want is a disgruntled former boss or co-worker making it difficult for you to move on to a new opportunity with a bad reference. There’s nothing worse than working at a well-known company on a big project, only to not be able to use it in your resume, it’s a huge wasted opportunity.

It’s also a great idea to stay connected to your co-workers and your leaders, assuming you have a good relationship with them. Having a network always helps, this was a big mistake I made when I left my last full-time job. I didn’t bother to try to keep any of my relationships and ended up having to start all over again from scratch!

We don’t always leave a company because of a bad relationship or a negative experience, sometimes it’s just time to move on. I’ve interviewed many business leaders who speak quite highly of their former employees.

Remember, you are in control of your career path. If you’re in a situation where you don’t feel like you are getting what you need or deserve, then it could be time to switch jobs or even careers.

Don’t take the decision lightly, and once you’ve decided to go, follow these three tips to ensure your job search and transition goes as smoothly as possible.

Have another tip to share? Have you switched jobs? Leave a comment below, I read all of them!

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The 3 Best Tips For Changing Jobs first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The U.S. Chairman of PwC, Tim Ryan, Says Future Leaders Must Have Thick Skin https://thefutureorganization.com/the-u-s-chairman-of-pwc-tim-ryan-says-future-leaders-must-have-thick-skin/ Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:12:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35766 Tim Ryan, U.S. Chair and Senior Partner at PwC, knows a thing or two about resilience and pushing himself to grow and improve.

Aside from his successful accounting career, Tim is also an accomplished athlete. He has pushed himself to the limit by running more than 25 marathons and maintains a rigorous fitness routine that includes 150 pushups and 1,200 sit-ups a day.

The post The U.S. Chairman of PwC, Tim Ryan, Says Future Leaders Must Have Thick Skin first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Tim Ryan, U.S. Chair and Senior Partner at PwC, knows a thing or two about resilience and pushing himself to grow and improve.

Aside from his successful accounting career, Tim is also an accomplished athlete. He has pushed himself to the limit by running more than 25 marathons and maintains a rigorous fitness routine that includes 150 pushups and 1,200 sit-ups a day.

Tim credits his extensive exercise routine for giving him the energy to manage his workforce of more than 55,000 employees. But aside from the physical strength, it also builds mental stamina. And that mental strength and resilience is one of the top skills leaders can have.

I had the chance to talk with Tim for my book, The Future Leader, and he shared with me that the biggest challenge leaders will face over the next decade and beyond is the need to have thick skin. Future leaders may not need to run miles every day to be strong, but they do need to be mentally strong and resilient to lead changing companies.

Tim told me this: “The leader of today has a lot of people looking at him or her. This will be exponentially the case in a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain. Being able to handle change and critics is a skill that is going to become more important.”

Becoming a resilient leader happens by developing strong mindsets and being willing to improve and adapt with feedback and the evolving business world.

Era Of Humble Leaders 

Leadership has undoubtedly changed over the past decades, and Tim believes it will continue to change at an even faster pace. One of the biggest changes will be the movement from dominant leaders to humble leaders who are willing to adapt and change.

“The day and age of the dominant CEO is likely coming to an end, and I think we’re entering the era of humble leaders who need the true appreciation that they don’t have all the answers, that they will make mistakes, that they’ll be rewarded for acknowledging and learning from those mistakes, as long as it’s sincere and genuine,” Tim said.

It used to be that CEOs needed to be the smartest person in the room and have the strongest voice. But instead of being the loudest, future leaders will be chosen because of the vision and humility. Tim believes people will be leaders because of their flaws, their humility, and their ability to listen and truly act on what stakeholders are telling them. It’s a monumental shift to celebrating and promoting people who are humble enough to listen to others and admit that they don’t know everything.

Being humble means being vulnerable and open to change. But future leaders can’t just pretend to be humble—they have to actually be vulnerable enough to put themselves out there and adjust to make improvements. As Tim points out, vulnerability doesn’t always have to be personal about the leader—it can also be willing to transform a business model, implement new systems, or enter new markets as an organization. It’s only when leaders are willing to be vulnerable that they can push themselves and their organizations out of their comfort zones and see real growth.

Welcome Feedback 

Going along with humility and vulnerability, future leaders also need to be open to criticism and feedback. Leaders and CEOs of the future have lots of people looking at them. Tim says he’s seen people throughout his career hit a ceiling because they couldn’t get over the number of critics they had and what those critics were saying.

“You will never please everybody, but you must always listen to people’s views without unraveling, be able to communicate effectively, course correct as needed, and keep moving forward,” Tim said. “Shutting people out will be a barrier for future leaders.”

Most people have experienced a leader who criticizes people they don’t agree with and automatically shuts them down. Many leaders simply aren’t open to criticism, but critics are unavoidable.

Tim told me this: “The best future leaders are going to be the ones who have thick skin, who can’t get unnerved and unraveled if there’s criticism coming their way, but actually have the strength to listen to it even though it comes from a place you may not like, or a point of view you may not like, and make you and the organization better.”

Tim says the best thing people can do to develop thick skin and welcome criticism is to practice and catch themselves in the moment. Most people tend to block out people who give feedback or constructive criticism, but Tim says it’s important for future leaders to recognize their natural reaction as it happens and then practice taking feedback about an idea or their performance and truly applying it to improve without being unnerved. Future leaders have to be the best listeners in the world to be willing to not only listen to feedback, but also apply it to make improvements. It takes practice to overcome your natural tendencies to block out that feedback.

The future of leadership is changing before our very eyes. To keep up with the changes and thrive as a leader in the next decade and beyond, leaders must be resilient and humble. Developing those qualities takes practice and a strong mental capacity.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Purpose, Culture, & Leadership: How to Master All Three https://thefutureorganization.com/purpose-culture-leadership-how-to-master-all-three/ Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:42:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35728 Steve Bilt is the CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to over 425 dental offices. Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor.

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Steve Bilt Transcript

Steve Bilt is the CEO of Smile Brands, a company with 5,000 employees that provides business support services to over 425 dental offices. Smile Brands has been on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list three times and Steve is one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor.

Steve was recognized as People-Focused CEO of the Year and Healthcare CEO of the Year by American Business Awards. He is also a top-rated US Large Company CEO on Glassdoor, Comparably and CEOWORLD Magazine.

Steve was on the founding management team of Smile Brands in 1998. He started as the company’s CFO before becoming the CEO a year and a half later. As the CEO he worked hard to build close relationships with the dentists so that he knew what kind of support they really needed. That is what has set Smile Brands apart from other companies, because it allowed Steve to tailor the business model in a way that works at scale with a lot of dentists.

Several other companies who were trying to provide similar services ended up failing, and Smile Brands was able to acquire a few of those companies. From 2003 to 2004 Smile Brands went from 45 locations to over 300 locations.

Smiles for everyone

The mission of Smile Brands is really built on three words–Smiles for Everyone. It is the purpose behind everything they do. Steve really wanted to make sure that every party involved in Smile Brands got a fair deal and was happy with the result. So everyone at Smile Brands is focused on making sure patients, employees, vendors, the community, and the investors all get a fair deal, it is always a win-win for everyone.

Giving an example of this mission Steve says, “I was just on the phone today with someone saying, you know, I’m sensing by your body language, that you feel like this isn’t a good deal for you. It’s a good deal for us, but if you don’t, you shouldn’t do this. That’s Smiles for Everyone. The guy was like, wow, that is great to hear. And let me clear that up. And as we had a great conversation with that basis, we think that way with all of our employees, our patients and everyone that becomes part of your DNA as a culture.”

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

At one point Steve left the company. He had been the CEO for a while and it was suggested to him that he retire. At the time he took the hint and left. After he left the company the leadership decided to try to move to a more execution oriented model, which was very different from Steve’s purpose driven style with focus on direct interaction with the dentists.

The mission statement went from Smiles for Everyone to Give providers and their dental teams the freedom to put patients first so that they can become the most preferred dental office in their community. And while it’s not a bad statement, it really did not resonate with the Smile Brands team. Moving from focusing on purpose to focusing on metrics really caused the company to lose its soul and its art.

Steve was actually away for 2 ½ years and he missed the business a lot. But in 2016 he was given back the role of CEO. And as he went around to different locations to meet with employees he realized how much they had been waiting to go back to Smiles for Everyone. In fact he had originally had bracelets made with the phrase on it for everyone to wear. And when he returned he found people pulling the bracelets out of their drawers saying they had been saving them for the day he returned.

Creating a mission that resonates with employees

Anyone can come up with a mission statement or a company purpose that sounds good. But it can’t be something that just lives on a wall or in the company handbook. It has to be something that is infused into every aspect of the business.

Steve believes it needs to be something short and catchy that people can remember. It needs to be something that you can evaluate and check in on to see how well the company is living up to it. It has to be something that is living and breathing inside your company.

For example, with the mission Smiles for Everyone, Steve says he uses the phrase in every meeting and he tries to use it in every interaction to show people what it actually looks like to live out the mission.

Steve says, “As soon as you start to lengthen it, to create more explanation for it, you’re doing two things, you’re making it harder to use. And you’re also telling people what the standard of success is. When the point of the mission statement that we have is only you can say what makes you smile in this situation. So I can’t put criterion around it to say, well, as long as my lighting is good enough, you’re gonna be happy with this interview. As long as my, you know, shirts the right color, I can’t put the standards on it. Only you get to judge that. And so that’s why I kept it very short, so it was highly subjective. But you as the constituent and me as the constituent would evaluate it qualitatively. That’s another thing, which means I have to ask you, if it’s working for you, not just hand you statistics and say it is working for you, which is what most businesses do.”

Leading through a pandemic

This year has been difficult on so many businesses around the world. And Smile Brands has definitely been impacted by current events. Their business dropped by around 93% in three days when the pandemic first started. Steve and his leadership team knew they had to act fast.

One thing they implemented right away was daily calls for the leadership team. For the first full month of the pandemic the leadership team met every single day Monday to Sunday. And after the first month they eliminated their Saturday and Sunday meetings, but they still meet every Monday through Friday even now, six months into the pandemic.

He also told his leadership team early on, “his is my first pandemic. So I’m probably not going to do it that well. I’ll make you guys a promise, my second pandemic, I’m gonna be really good at this.” He says it was tongue in cheek, but it also was his way of letting leadership know that they have the freedom to figure out things together as they go. He was telling them none of us have been through this before, so mistakes will be made, and that’s okay. None of us should be afraid to fail.

They also did have to furlough 85% of their workforce, which was a really hard decision for Steve and his team to make. But he explained to employees that while it is painful to go through this now, it would be even more painful to go through this and come out the other side and not have a job to come back to.

One of the biggest things they have done to help employees through this tough time is constantly communicating with them. Employees have been kept up to date throughout the entire pandemic so they know what is going on, what to expect, and how to plan for the future.

They also provided webinars and assistance with common issues employees were dealing with, such as how to sign up for unemployment in their area.

Steve says, “We also set in mind a canyon metaphor, not a mountain metaphor, but a canyon metaphor. And the reason the canyon was so important, as we sort of started here, we slid down to the bottom, which could still be a mountain metaphor. But what I wanted people to think about is surviving on that canyon floor during COVID. And then building back to a new place, not climbing back to the old place. So we really reinvented every aspect of our business, while we’re on the canyon floor.”

The good news is they have started emerging from the canyon floor. They’ve got 100% of their revenue back and they are starting to hire back their employees.

Steve’s advice for leaders looking to be more effective 

One of the biggest pieces of advice Steve offers to others looking to be more effective leaders is to find a mechanism as a leader to be wrong. Leadership is not about knowing everything and having all the answers.

He says, “It’s not reality, especially today, when things are happening so fast, and short cycle. And oh, by the way, we’re in the middle of pandemic and social unrest and everything else. So you know, you’re doing a lot more to help people understand how to explore their way to making decisions or to commit to a decision than you are necessarily knowing the answer. So I think that’s number one. And so, you know, that thing about that being my first pandemic was a freeing trick, if you will. All of us as a leadership team need to say, hey, don’t sweat it. We don’t have to be right. We just have to be moving.”

Steve believes that one of the most powerful things leaders can do is to say “I don’t know the answer to that. Let’s figure it out”. Growth comes when everyone is questioning things and exploring things together instead of having answers given to them.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Ways the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, Puts People First https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-the-ceo-of-microsoft-satya-nadella-puts-people-first/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 10:24:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35572 A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture. It could be the employee perks, new technology, or new customers, but what it really comes down to is this: Satya puts his people first. As I spoke with top CEOs from around the world for my new book, The Future Leader, Satya Nadella’s name constantly came up as a leader these CEOs admire. And for good reason: Satya is humble and people-focused and has a staggering 98% approval rating. By putting people first, he led an amazing turnaround at Microsoft and continues to guide it towards the future.

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A lot has been said about Satya Nadella’s turnaround of Microsoft, transforming it from a company many people viewed as outdated to one of the most valuable companies in the world with a strong culture. It could be the employee perks, new technology, or new customers, but what it really comes down to is this: Satya puts his people first. As I spoke with top CEOs from around the world for my new book, The Future Leader, Satya Nadella’s name constantly came up as a leader these CEOs admire. And for good reason: Satya is humble and people-focused and has a staggering 98% approval rating. By putting people first, he led an amazing turnaround at Microsoft and continues to guide it towards the future.

Here are three ways Satya Nadella puts his people first:

1. Creates a clear vision. Satya believes one of his main responsibilities is to create a clear, tangible, and inspiring message to move employees forward. He regularly communicates with all of Microsoft’s 156,000 employees around the world to share his transparent plans for the company’s future and invites their feedback. It’s not unusual for Satya to send a company-wide email with real ideas for the future, not just corporate fluff. He trusts his employees and regularly communicates a clear vision that he motivates them to follow.

2. Embraces the growth mindset. Satya is known for embodying the growth mindset—the idea that challenges are opportunities and people can grow, change, and develop new skills. He encourages employees throughout Microsoft to embrace “learn-it-all” curiosity and experiment with passion projects and innovative ideas. When mistakes happen, Satya uses a gentle, empathetic approach to encourage employees to re-work their designs and try again. He’s been known to take the fall for employees’ mistakes to give them a chance to learn, grow, and re-tool their ideas.

3. Showcases employee success. Satya begins his weekly senior leadership team meetings with a segment he calls “Researcher of the Amazing” that showcases employee success from around the world. On many occasions, employee teams join the meeting via video to demonstrate their developments and inspire the leadership team. Instead of putting himself first, Satya steps aside to share his employees’ successes as a way to inspire the rest of the company before they jump into hard numbers.

Leading a big company doesn’t have to come with a big ego—in fact, a big ego can be detrimental to the success of the company. Satya Nadella shows that even the leader of a huge tech company can—and should—put people first. Taking an empathetic and gentle approach to value each employee and encourage them to be and do their best drives a culture of innovation and collaboration at Microsoft, which has been a huge reason for the company’s turnaround since Nadella took the helm.

I hope you can implement some ideas from Satya’s leadership style in your own organization to put people first.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Ten Attributes of a CELEBRATED Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ten-attributes-of-a-celebrated-culture/ Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:04:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35532 What is corporate culture?

Some people say it's what happens when "the manager leaves the room."

I prefer to think of corporate culture as the side effects of working for your organization.

Have you ever watched a show on TV only to be rudely interrupted by a commercial pitching you some kind of a prescription drug?

I always love when they get to the side effects which include things like: nausea, weight gain, hair loss, bleeding from the eyes, and in some cases death.

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What is corporate culture?

Some people say it’s what happens when “the manager leaves the room.”

I prefer to think of corporate culture as the side effects of working for your organization.

Have you ever watched a show on TV only to be rudely interrupted by a commercial pitching you some kind of a prescription drug?

I always love when they get to the side effects which include things like: nausea, weight gain, hair loss, bleeding from the eyes, and in some cases death.

Whenever I hear those I think, “who in their looney tooney mind is taking these prescription drugs?!” But then again, most of work for organizations where we experience the same side effects.

Where from prolonged exposure we:

  • Gain weight
  • Loose hair
  • Argue with our spouse
  • Get depressed and angry
  • Bleed from the eyes (come on, we’ve all been to those meetings!)

The side effects of working for your organization don’t have to be bad. They can also include things like growth and development, a deeper sense of purpose and meaning, and improved engagement.

Marc Randolph is the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, here’s how he thinks about corporate culture.

Employee experience is a combination of three environments that the organization can design: culture, technology, and physical space. Culture is 40% of the overall experience and it’s usually the hardest nut to crack!

But what are the attributes of a great corporate culture? There are ten of them which create what I call a CELEBRATED culture.

The culture of the organization determines how employees are treated, the products or services that are created, the partnerships that are established, and even how employees actually get their jobs done. What’s fascinating about culture, though, is that it exists regardless of whether the organization realizes it or decides to create it.

Corporate culture is like air–it’s around all the employees who work there, the customers feel it, and so do the partners and anyone who interacts with the brand. That’s why it’s so crucial to actually create and design a culture instead of just letting it exist.

So what does the cultural environment actually look like? There are 10 attributes that organization must focus on to create a CELEBRATED culture:

•    Company is viewed positively. Just like when you bring home a significant other to meet the family for the first time and want to get their approval, employees want to feel good about the company they work for. Employees should be proud to work for an organization because it has a good reputation in the industry and in the community.

•    Everyone feels valued. Employees want to feel valued at work, which covers a lot of categories. It means that their work is appreciated, their presence is noticed, their ideas are listened to, and they are compensated appropriately for the work they put in.

    Legitimate sense of purpose. When employees have a real sense of purpose, they feel connected to the organization and are more likely to put in their best work because they want to, not just because they need to. Employees and employers need to work together to develop a sense of purpose that motivates everyone to do their best.

•    Employees feel like they’re part of a team. Work is a team sport, and the best organizations allow their employees to be on a number of different teams. It could be geographically or within a department or a group of people tasked with solving a certain problem. Teams are dynamic and fluid and much more than can just be put on an organizational chart.

•    Believes in diversity and inclusion. Diverse organizations bring together people from all kinds of backgrounds, religions, races, sexual orientations, and generations and mixes them to work well together. In an inclusive environment, employees are free to be themselves and share their unique points of view.

•    Referrals come from employees. When we find something good, no matter if it’s a restaurant or a movie, we naturally want to share it with others. The same should be true of the workplace–if it’s a good place to work, employees should naturally want to share it with others and refer their classmates, friends, and family to work there as well.

•    Ability to learn new things and given resources to do so and advance. One of the worst feelings for an employee is that they are stuck in their job with nothing new to learn and nowhere to go. Development programs, training, and new technology can encourage employees to learn something new and keep them engaged and moving forward.

•    Treats employees fairly. Sticky situations may arise at work, but the best organizations treat their employees fairly. That means there aren’t biases towards certain ideas or types of people and that putting in real effort gets noticed by people who matter.

•    Executives and managers are coaches and mentors. The days of leaders sitting at the top of the organization and looking down on employees are long gone. Today, executives and managers are on the ground, interacting with employees to encourage them and coach them through their jobs and careers.

•    Dedicated to employee health and wellness. Employees can’t focus at work if they aren’t taking care of their physical and mental health. Forward-thinking organizations realize that wellness is connected to job performance and provide ways for employees to improve their health at work and at home.

By focusing on these elements, organizations can actively create strong cultural environments that represent their values and make their company a great place for employees and customers.

What are the side effects of working for your organization?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The CEO of Newmont Mining on How to Focus on Value Over Volume https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-newmont-mining-on-how-to-focus-on-value-over-volume/ Tue, 13 Oct 2020 12:54:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35512 Should leaders focus more on value or volume? Quantity or quality? According to former Newmont Mining CEO Gary Goldberg, the answer is value.

Gary Goldberg led Newmont Mining’s 28,000 employees for seven years before stepping down in 2020. During his tenure, he turned the company’s performance around by focusing on value over volume. Instead of mining as much gold as possible, Gary led Newmont to mine the most valuable gold. The same principle applies to leadership. By focusing on delivering value for their organizations instead of focusing merely on volume or profits, leaders can create long-term success for their companies and employees.

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Should leaders focus more on value or volume? Quantity or quality? According to former Newmont Mining CEO Gary Goldberg, the answer is value.

Gary Goldberg led Newmont Mining’s 28,000 employees for seven years before stepping down in 2020. During his tenure, he turned the company’s performance around by focusing on value over volume. Instead of mining as much gold as possible, Gary led Newmont to mine the most valuable gold. The same principle applies to leadership. By focusing on delivering value for their organizations instead of focusing merely on volume or profits, leaders can create long-term success for their companies and employees.

Leaders are responsible for not only adding value to their organizations, but also for creating organizations that provide value to employees, customers, and stakeholders. In order to do that, leaders must focus their skills and mindsets in certain areas.

Employee Engagement and Relationships 

Focusing on value means prioritizing and investing in employees, who are the most valuable part of an organization. As Gary told me, business success is linked closely to employee engagement. Creating a strong, engaged culture helps leaders bring in and retain the best talent and grow their organizations.

Employee engagement is about more than just offering flashy perks like free food and a fun campus. It’s about creating an environment where employees want to come to work, can see the impact of their work, and are empowered with the tools they need to get their job done. Leaders set the tone for employee engagement by looking for ways to add value to employees’ lives, both at work and at home.

Gary regularly has lunch with small groups of employees to ask them one main question: What have you done to add value for Newmont this morning?

He told me this: “I get some really neat answers and learn a lot about what’s going on in the business, but it’s that personal contact where they get to see that you’re a human being and you listen to what’s important to them that really helps to build trust.”

When employees trust their leaders and feel seen and valued by them, they naturally become more engaged at work. Focusing on individual relationships adds value to each employee and encourages them to do their best to help the goals of the company.

Innovation and Adaptability

To be able to create and provide value for a company, leaders must also be able to evolve and innovate. In the rapidly changing world of work, the most successful leaders and companies are the ones that can adapt. Gary believes it’s not the strongest or the smartest that survive, but the ones who are most adaptable to change.

“Future leaders must be adaptable in order to understand trends that increasingly impact how people choose to invest their time and their money. This includes everything from robotics to climate change,” Gary said.

Adaptability is especially important when putting together effective teams as the workforce changes. Leaders must be able to change course quickly and put people in the right roles to move the company towards success. Leaders need to be adaptable to lead a workforce of blended generations.

To build adaptability, leaders must pay attention to their employees and the world around them. They must have an ear to the ground of what is happening in their industry and with their competition, as well as to the world at large. Being adaptable comes down to understanding trends and people and being willing to evolve.

Communication and Listening 

Gary views one of the biggest roles of a leader as articulating a winning strategy to the entire team. A leader must have a clear vision of where the company can go and then communicate that clearly to employees and motivate them to move in that direction.

But articulating a winning strategy is often easier said than done. Gary believes that as the workforce gets more diverse, leaders will need to be able to articulate that strategy to a broader range of people. To do so effectively, leaders must understand the unique needs and motivation of each employee to communicate in a way that resonates with them.

“It’s not enough to have a title—leaders need to live their vision and values, encourage people to speak up, and listen to what they say,” he said.

For leaders, communication is about listening as much as it is about speaking. Leaders must have strong listening skills and an open mind to get feedback and gain perspectives from others. Gary likes to triangulate and hear from multiple people before he makes a well-informed decision.

Gary’s focus on value over volume helped turn Newmont Mining around and re-establish it as an industry leader. Leaders create value in their organizations when they are willing to build relationships, communicate, and stay agile.

Gary sums it up nicely with his motto: respect the past, invent the future, and enjoy the journey. Great leaders look at where they’ve come from and respect where the company has been, but they are willing to push towards the future and find joy in the journey.

How To Become A Value-Focused Leader

  • Build relationships with employees and learn their unique motivations and perspectives. Find a way to connect with employees on a regular basis.
  • Apply employee feedback to empower them with tools and training to best do their jobs.
  • Stay connected with industry and customer trends with an eye to the horizon. Be willing to adapt and change with new technology and trends.
  • Practice communication skills to reach a diverse workforce. Understands the needs of each group.
  • Listen to multiple points of view before making an informed decision.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How the Co-Chairman of Amway Leads from the Heart in Uncertain Times https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-co-chairman-of-amway-leads-from-the-heart-in-uncertain-times/ Mon, 12 Oct 2020 08:29:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35430 Doug DeVos is the co-Chairman and former CEO of Amway, the world’s largest direct selling company that provides health, beauty, and home care products. The company was actually founded over 60 years ago by Doug’s father and his father’s best friend. The company now has around 15,000 employees.

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Doug DeVos Transcript

Doug DeVos is the co-Chairman and former CEO of Amway, the world’s largest direct selling company that provides health, beauty, and home care products. The company was actually founded over 60 years ago by Doug’s father and his father’s best friend. The company now has around 15,000 employees.

Doug has been inducted into the U.S. Direct Selling Association Hall of Fame and he received the Direct Selling Education Foundation’s Circle of Honor award. He currently chairs the Executive Committee for the National Constitution Center and he is a chairman of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations.

The world has been going through some challenging times over the past year with the pandemic, political unrest, extreme weather, and social injustice. Businesses are having to learn how to adapt quickly.

The founders of Amway, Doug’s father, Rich, and his father’s best friend, Jay, were no strangers to tough times. Growing up Rich’s family went through the Great Depression, they didn’t even have a dime to their name. Rich’s father lost his job, they lost their house, they had to move in with Rich’s grandparents. But they didn’t give up.

Before Rich and Jay started Amway they were in World War II together and when they came back to the US they wanted to start a business. So they started a flight school, even though neither one of them knew how to fly. After that endeavor failed they bought a boat and decided to sail to South America. They made it to the coast of Cuba when their boat sank. But that didn’t stop them.

Doug shares, “It was these stories of determination and persistence that seemed to turn out well in the end. And that’s been my experience, not that life is without challenge, of course, there’s challenges. Of course, there’s tragedy. I know you’ve dealt with it, everybody deals with it. You lose a loved one unexpectedly. Something happens that you didn’t plan on, it’s crushing. But you just have to keep moving forward. And in my experience, I’ve seen people move forward from really, really tough circumstances, and find a better future. And it’s a lot better to keep that pursuit alive than to just stop and feel stuck.”

How Amway is navigating through challenging times

Just like every other business around the world, Amway is finding ways to continue providing great products and services in the midst of tough times. And Doug shares that the key to successfully getting through times like this is knowing who you are as a company. As a company you have to understand who you are and why you do what you do. That is the foundation that you can go back to in times like these.

Doug says, “When you talk about injustice in the world, we go back and say we have provided an opportunity for everybody, anybody from the very beginning. So we can express our values through how we operate. You know, because we’ve been doing it ever since we began. So we don’t have to make something up or try to catch up or adjust. But what we do have to do is look at ourselves honestly and say, can we do it better? Can we provide a better opportunity for more people, that becomes more real, and can we give them better products to sell and better support with technology and operations? Those are the things that we have to challenge ourselves and be honest to say, you know, in some aspects of the business, we could be better, we should be better, and we will be better.”

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

 

Inside of Amway they have also had to reinvent themselves in three main ways to keep working effectively in this new world of work.

  • Technology: They have heavily invested in new technologies to allow them to keep working while everyone is at home. They are coming up with creative ways to allow employees to communicate with each other, with leadership, and with customers while working remotely from home.
  • Workplace practices: They have changed the way they receive feedback from employees. Instead of doing a survey every two years they are now getting feedback every 30 days. The leaders at Amway have put attendance and vacation policies on hold and they are focused on making sure all of their employees are set up well at home, that they are safe, that they are supported, and that they are rewarded.
  • Communication and collaboration: In order to keep moving the company forward in these times the leadership at Amway knows they have to express the company vision to everyone. They have to be able to communicate and collaborate while working remotely. They have found that they are communicating more often now, with technology, than they did when everything was done in person.

Doug says Amway is continuing to be successful because, “We believe that people given an opportunity can have a business of their own and be successful, we feel the same way with our employees, they want to work, they want to be productive, they want to do well. And so when we allow that to happen, we can follow their lead.”

The center of Amway’s culture

Culture is a critical part of any company. When asked how Amway looks at culture Doug says they start with the heart. When it comes to fostering culture he believes that you have to have a heart for the business and for other people.

Doug gave an example of a time when Amway had put a program in place to foster communication within their manufacturing team. And after going through the program an employee described how much of an impact it had on him. The employee said he had a coworker who he couldn’t stand working with. The coworker was hard to get along with and they just didn’t work well together. But after going through this program and communicating with each other he learned that his coworker was going through some really tough things at home and he brought a lot of huge burdens in with him to work. And after understanding that they were able to communicate better and ended up enjoying working together.

Leading with your heart is a big part of the Amway culture. The other two major components are having a growth mindset and always being creative, and thinking of new ways to move forward.

The concept of leading with your heart is so needed inside of organizations right now. As we go through tough times leaders need to be able to be empathetic and understanding of what employees are going through. Even when tough decisions need to be made, like letting people go or huge layoffs, leaders can make those decisions while showing they care. For example, at one point when Amway had a downturn and had to lay off quite a few people they reached out to other local businesses to see if they were hiring. They worked very hard to match outgoing employees with local jobs based on their skills and abilities. So being empathetic doesn’t mean you will never have to make a hard decision, but it means you won’t make that decision easily and you will do whatever you possibly can to try to help your people.

Some people may feel that leading from the heart is too soft or doesn’t make sense for making money. But as Doug shares, “leading from the heart doesn’t mean you don’t hold people accountable. It doesn’t mean you don’t set targets and goals for yourself or for others. It just means that when you’re working with people, you work with them differently, that you’re not a boss with a subordinate, you’re a leader with a team. And so your role, you begin to think of your role differently of bringing people in.”

The biggest challenge for businesses right now 

This year has been difficult for business leaders, and while we will get through this pandemic eventually there will always be challenges for leaders to overcome. One major issue Doug believes that businesses are facing now and that they will continue to face for a while is division. And the worst thing we can do, Doug says, is blame other people instead of working together to overcome challenges.

He says, “I’m blessed to have had a chance to continue to serve on the National Board of Trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. And you find that through the US Constitution, you know, there’s a lot of things there. But what it is, is it’s an idea, and a document that helps bring people together, not that we have all the answers, we want to be a more perfect union.  But it’s a place if we’ll work together, even if we disagree. And there’s been a lot of disagreement since the founding of our country. But people found a way to work together, even the formation of the Constitution took a whole bunch of people all summer long arguing until they found something. But they didn’t give up on the conversation. They didn’t give up on their future. And I think I think the biggest challenge for business is to continue to apply that faith, that belief in the future, and really challenge ourselves to work through whatever the challenges are, but to do it together, don’t blame other people, but figure out how to connect with other people. Say, let’s focus on the problem or the challenge and see what we can do to address it.”

There are always going to be changes in the marketplace and challenges that come our way, but the most important thing is to face these challenges together in collaboration. Overcoming things together will always be more effective than dividing and turning on each other.

Another challenge that business leaders of the future will have to deal with is the pace at which things are changing. Leaders in the past had the luxury of being able to be able to know the general direction that they needed to go, but the variations today are so dramatic and things are so uncertain it is hard to know which way to go.

So what can leaders do? Doug says, “You lead then from the inside out, you know, you start with your values and your belief systems, what do you believe in? And then you figure out how to apply it to those changing conditions. You know, we would have to do that on a regular basis to say what do we believe in? Because your belief system, whatever it is for you, it is going to drive a set of behaviors, in my opinion. So when you believe something, you’re going to go in a direction and then you’re going to make adjustments, you know, to the uncertainty Wow, I didn’t see that one coming. But here’s how we can turn this challenge into an opportunity. You know, and here’s how we can move, and minimize the bad or maximize the good in whatever change is happening.”

And ultimately you have to believe in your people and the teams around you to try to come together and find solutions.

How to reinvent yourself

A lot of people these days are having to figure out how to reinvent themselves, whether it is because they are being laid off or because they foresee disruptions coming in their industry, etc…

Doug himself has recently gone through a reinvention after moving from CEO of Amway to co-Chairman. And he has some advice for others trying to make a transition. First of all, he says that just because your job or your position or something around you has changed, it doesn’t mean that your value as a person has changed. You still have the same talents, the same skills, and the same values as you have always had.

He also says it is important to look at the bigger picture, don’t pigeonhole yourself into a certain industry or job title. Consider alternatives that would be a fit for your skills. It might be something outside of your comfort zone or something you hadn’t considered before. Be open minded and curious.

And finally he says, don’t let yourself get stuck. This is something he learned from his father and his grandfather. No matter what setbacks you face, just keep moving forward.

He says, “You’ll probably have a few failures, a few things won’t work out, you won’t get the next opportunity to come your way that you were hoping for. But if you keep at it, and you keep that attitude strong, and you keep working at it, I think people put their money on people who are trying to find a way forward even in tough situations.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Practicing Self-Care Will Make You A Better Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/practicing-self-care-will-make-you-a-better-leader/ Thu, 08 Oct 2020 13:13:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35245 Being a leader is hard...really hard.

As a leader one of your main responsibilities and privileges is to serve, hence the concept of the "servant leader."

You need to serve your team, your customers, your partners, and your leaders (if you have them).

BUT... there is one group that leaders oftentimes forget to serve, and it is perhaps the most important one.

As a leader you also have to serve YOURSELF! Yes, you have to serve yourself.

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Being a leader is hard…really hard.

As a leader one of your main responsibilities and privileges is to serve, hence the concept of the “servant leader.”

You need to serve your team, your customers, your partners, and your leaders (if you have them).

BUT… there is one group that leaders oftentimes forget to serve, and it is perhaps the most important one.

As a leader you also have to serve YOURSELF! Yes, you have to serve yourself.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail below.

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

If you’ve ever been on a plane you’ll recall that during the safety briefing the flight attendants always say that in case of an emergency you should put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.

Why?

Because if you are incapacitated then you can’t help others. The same idea is true when it comes to leadership.

If you are burned out, disengaged, exhausted, stressed out, or physically sick, then you can’t show up to leader others.

As a leader you need to serve yourself. This means taking care of yourself physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Do whatever you need to do so that when you show up to work, you are at your best and you are able to guide and lead those around you.

This might mean you eat healthy, exercise, meditate, journal, take time for yourself each day, stop working at a certain time, indulge in one of your hobbies, go to therapy, or do something else that lets you serve yourself.

Whatever it is that you need to do…do it.

Barbara Humpton is the CEO of Siemens U.S. and she is responsible for the lives of over 60,000 employees. One of the ways she practices self-care is by making sure she gets enough sleep each night (around 8 hours!)

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Is Your Company Viewed Positively? It Matters to Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/is-your-company-viewed-positively-it-matters-to-employees/ Wed, 07 Oct 2020 15:24:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35235 Is your company viewed positively? It matters... a lot!

Making sure your organization is viewed positively can keep employees happy and proud to be associated with your brand.

Have you ever dated someone who you thought was a great catch, and then all of your friends and family members told you that they didn't like him or her? Even if you thought this person was "the one," you started to have doubts and reservations about them. The same is true in the business world.

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Is your company viewed positively? It matters… a lot!

Making sure your organization is viewed positively can keep employees happy and proud to be associated with your brand.

Have you ever dated someone who you thought was a great catch, and then all of your friends and family members told you that they didn’t like him or her? Even if you thought this person was “the one,” you started to have doubts and reservations about them. The same is true in the business world.

Let’s imagine you start working for a company that you think is a great fit. One day, you head over to a dinner with friends and family. They find out where you work and say things to you like…

“How, could work for a place like that?”

“Are you sure you want to be there?”

“I’d never be able to work there no matter how much someone paid me.”

And this happens to you a few times as you go out with different friends.

Eventually, you will start having doubts.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you will quit the company, but your overall employee experience will be affected negatively.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you!

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

I’m sure you can think of several examples of organizations that have treated animals cruelly, represented unethical business practices, harmed employees or the environment, or treated customers unfairly.

Keep in mind that this isn’t just about employees viewing the company positively, but the public as well. We live in a very open and transparent world, so when an organization does something wrong or unethical, people tend to find out.

Similarly, when an origination is admired and revered, people wanted to work there. The most recent Fortune list of the world’s most admired companies includes Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Costco, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because these companies have such great reputations.

Sometimes organizations aren’t viewed positively because they are simply engaging in poor business practices, but other times organizations don’t do a good enough job of letting the world know what they stand for, why they do what they do, and what it’s like to work there. In either case, the situation needs to be corrected.

Now contrast the above scenario to a similar one where at a dinner party people find out where you work and respond with…

“Wow, I wish I could get a job there.”

“That place is terrific, they are doing a lot of good in the world.”

“You should really be proud to work there.”

Now your overall employee experience gets a nice boost!

I used to think that lists that highlight the best or greatest companies to work for had no real business merit. However, they actually have an impact on the overall brand perception of the organization and on the overall employee experience.

Employees feel a greater sense of pride when they work for one of these awarded organizations, and it also appears that they stay there longer. What’s interesting about these lists and awards is that some of them are quite hard to get onto and require significant financial and people resources. In other words, to get the award or make the list, you genuinely have to make some changes in your organization, which is a good thing.

There are many of these lists and awards, including most admired companies, most sustainable, best places to work, happiest places to work, greenest companies, and so on.

Company perception can have a tremendous impact on the business. A study by LinkedIn found the following:

•  The cost of a bad reputation for a company with 10,000 employees could be as much as $7.6 million in additional wages.

•  Employers who fail to invest in their reputation could be paying up to an additional $4,723 per employee hired.

•  Nearly half of U.S. professionals would entirely rule out taking a job with a company that exhibited negative employer brand factors, no matter what pay raise they were offered. Even a pay raise of 10% would only tempt 28% of use to sign on the dotted line.

•  Companies with all five positive employer qualities–job security, professional development opportunities, opportunity to work on a better team, the same values as the employee, and an organization that is talked about positively–can win over nearly half of those aged 18-34 with no pay increase.

This doesn’t mean your goal should be simply to make every list that’s out there. That would be nice, but it’s far more important to understand what the organization wants to be known for and how it can effectively tell the story and build the employer brand around it.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Credit Union CEO On 5 Ways Leaders Can Build A Meaningful Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/credit-union-ceo-on-5-ways-leaders-can-build-a-meaningful-culture/ Tue, 06 Oct 2020 13:42:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35218 What does it take to become the Best Credit Union To Work For?

A commitment to culture and creating a space where everyone is accepted.

That’s the goal of Bay Federal Credit Union, which has not only been named the best credit union to work for in the U.S., but has also been recognized as a top workplace in numerous other categories.

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What does it take to become the Best Credit Union To Work For?

A commitment to culture and creating a space where everyone is accepted.

That’s the goal of Bay Federal Credit Union, which has not only been named the best credit union to work for in the U.S., but has also been recognized as a top workplace in numerous other categories.

At the helm is CEO Carrie Birkhofer, who leads a team of 220 employees who serve more than 77,000 members in California. She views her main responsibility as a leader to bring others together towards a common vision. That comes by creating a meaningful culture that celebrates and engages employees as they work towards that common goal. Culture will be a driving force for future organizations and a crucial factor for leaders over the next decade and beyond. I interviewed Carrie for my book The Future Leader, and she shared five ways she builds meaningful culture that all future leaders can follow.

1. Serve Your Team 

Leaders must serve their teams and set the tone for a culture of service within the organization. For Carrie, that starts from day one. She meets with new employees the first hour of their first day at Bay Federal to welcome them and answer questions.

“All new employees, regardless of their position, are seen, heard, respected, and listened to by the CEO. They know that I’m there to serve them, not the other way around,” she said. That humble mindset builds a culture where every employee has a role to play as they serve each other and their customers.

Serving your team looks different for each organization. At some companies, it’s personally taking groups of employees to lunch, for others it’s hosting town halls, and for other organizations it’s celebrating birthdays and milestones. Whatever fits your style, find a way to serve your team and let them know that leaders are there to serve them; they aren’t there to serve leaders.

2. Develop Emotional Intelligence 

Leaders can’t create a strong, accepting culture if they aren’t in the right mindset themselves. Leaders need to always be improving themselves by looking inward at their fears and struggles and working to overcome them.

“I think skills with people are crucial for leaders. You need to have strong emotional intelligence, be empathetic, and have humanistic qualities so people can relate to and want to follow you and share your vision,” Carrie said.

Leaders should create a list of qualities they want in their culture and then work to embody those traits. Before they ask their employees to develop in a certain way, they must be willing to adopt those same traits.

3. Keep Employees Engaged

Engaged employees are excited to come to work. They are eager to participate in the company’s culture and go out of their way to make a difference for their teams and customers. Focusing on engagement brings together diverse teams and encourages each person to contribute in their unique way.

Employees need to feel that they are part of something bigger and that there is a purpose to their work. Successful leaders make sure each employee, no matter their position or seniority, knows how their work impacts the goals and progress of the company. Engaged employees care about their work and the people around them, which drives a culture of caring and connection.

4. Get Regular Feedback

What worked once won’t work forever, especially in the ever-changing future of work. A strong culture is continually being fine-tuned and updated to meet changing needs for employees and industry trends. Carrie believes a strong culture is developed when people feel welcomed, seen, and heard.

“Things are changing, and we’ve got to listen to what people want. People’s desires and needs change, so we must be flexible towards them,” Carrie said.

Carrie regularly asks employees for honest feedback about her leadership. Her goal is to proactively improve instead of being reactive and only making changes after it’s too late. She strives to build a culture where employees feel valued and know that their opinion makes a difference.

Feedback comes in many forms, whether it’s directly to the leader or in a collaborative state that encourages employees to work together to improve the company. When people collaborate, they can solve bigger problems and make a more positive difference than if they work alone. Feedback at all levels of the organization, such as between employees and from employees to managers, keeps communication lines open and allows the company to continually evolve.

5. Recognize Employees

The desire to be recognized for doing something great is part of human nature. When employees are recognized for making a meaningful impact on the company, it adds to the culture and showcases the talent and abilities of each person. Companies with strong cultures find unique ways to celebrate the success of teams and the individual contributions of employees.

Recognizing employees also means recognizing who they are as people and celebrating their personalities. Bay Federal is known for its annual Halloween costume and decoration contests that allow employees to show their creativity and share with members for a vote on social media. Recognizing creativity and individuality creates a culture where everyone is welcomed.

A company can’t succeed without a strong culture that involves and engages employees. Carrie’s example shows that companies of any size can be incredible places to work when leaders put in effort to continually develop a strong culture.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
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That Will Never Work: Netflix Co-founder on How They Beat the Odds https://thefutureorganization.com/that-will-never-work-netflix-co-founder-on-how-they-beat-the-odds/ Mon, 05 Oct 2020 07:34:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35177 Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix. He also served on the board of Netflix up until 2003. And Netflix wasn’t his only startup, he’s founded or co-founded 6 other successful startups. He is also the author of the bestselling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.

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Marc Randolph Transcript

Marc Randolph is the co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix. He also served on the board of Netflix up until 2003. And Netflix wasn’t his only startup, he’s founded or co-founded 6 other successful startups. He is also the author of the bestselling book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

From very early on Marc was entrepreneurial. As a kid he was always trying to find problems and unique ways to solve them. He sold seeds door to door, did candy arbitrage, he even carried a notebook around with him to write down invention ideas he had. He was always starting clubs and groups and coming up with products throughout high school and college. And as Marc shares, one of the keys to being an entrepreneur is practice, practice, practice. 

In his early career Marc had a small startup that he was helping run. After the company was sold he had to find something else to do so he went to work at another startup company which just happened to be led by a man named Reed Hastings. 

How Netflix came to be

Marc and Reed ended up carpooling to work each day so they got to know each other pretty well. One day they found out that the startup they were working for was being acquired and they both would be losing their jobs in the merger. So they had to figure out their next move.

Marc had several more ideas for products and companies so he wanted to continue his successful journey with startups (he had done 5 previously). But Reed wasn’t as eager to start another company, he had other plans. But they came to an agreement that if Marc came up with a great idea Reed would be the angel investor and he would share the board. 

So Marc got to work to come up with the next winning idea. And as they carpooled into work Marc would pitch Reed his ideas. And after many not so great ideas such as personalized dog food and customizable shampoo, Marc pitched an idea that at the time didn’t make sense, but that later on would become Netflix. They both agreed that in theory the idea was a great one. The only problem was that at the time he came up with the idea of video rental by mail the only video format was the VHS cassette which was heavy and expensive to ship. So that idea at the time was discarded with the dog food and the shampoo. 

It just so happened that at a later date Reed found an article about a new technology called the DVD and realized this could be the missing piece to an otherwise great business idea. So they went and got a used music CD and a small envelope and they mailed it to themselves to see what would happen. And in less than 24 hours they had the small envelope with an unbroken CD in their mailbox and they knew they had something. 

How to scale culture 

As Marc shares culture is not just what you say, it’s not something that you put up on posters around the office, or some catch phrases that you come up with in a meeting. He says, “Culture is how you act. It’s how you are, it’s the things you do. And even more importantly, culture springs from how the founders and the early employees act with each other, with their employees, with their customers. And so, huge amounts of the Netflix culture arised organically, from the way that Reed and I behaved, the way that I treat people, the way I worked with people before.”

When Netflix first started as a company they had a very small staff of around 20 or so people and most of them had worked together before in other companies. So it made it easier to maintain a culture at that point. Marc says he knew that he could ask an employee to take ownership of a project due in two weeks and then know that in two weeks they would show up with the results no matter what. The small team worked really well together and had a culture of mutual respect, trust, and ownership.

But that gets hard to maintain when your company grows and you have 100, 500, or 1,000+ employees. 

“When you get bigger, something happens where someone shows up late, or they show up but don’t have everything done. And a lot of managers would say, Oh, this isn’t good. Okay, we can’t have that happen. Everybody, I want status reports. I need to know if there’s gonna be a problem in advance. So everyone needs to send status reports. And everyone goes, Oh, status reports. And then someone else shows up and they’re there on time with it all done, but they spent too much. And  many managers will go, Oh, I can’t let that happen. Okay, I need to pre-approve anything over $100 to make sure you don’t make a spending mistake. I need everyone to send expense reports. And then everyone goes, oh, god expense reports.”

And as Marc goes on to share what happens over time is you build the company in a way that protects you from people with bad judgement, but along the way with these added rules, steps, and processes you are simultaneously driving the people with good judgement crazy. And that is how you lose good employees. 

So what the team at Netflix decided early on was that they would build a company just for people with good judgement. People that they knew they could count on, people that weren’t afraid to work hard and take ownership of things and in exchange the leadership team could give employees freedom and the ability to make their own decisions. And while Marc admits there was a time when they almost lost the culture as they grew, ultimately they have been able to keep it with intentionality, even now with almost 9,000 employees. 

How Netflix overcame a 40% decrease in workforce

Up until the spring of 2000 Netflix was doing great. They had been offering monthly subscriptions, they had no due dates and no late fees and people were loving it. But then the dot com bubble burst and they were in trouble. They were on the brink of going broke and they needed help fast. Marc and his team were actually exploring selling Netflix at that point. 

But they also had another idea that they felt could save the company from ruin and that was to pitch an idea to Blockbuster. And while it may seem odd now because Blockbuster isn’t even around anymore, back in 2000 business was booming for them. They had 9000 locations and Netflix saw an opportunity to make a partnership. Basically they were hoping that Blockbuster would agree to a blended model, which would mean they would continue their current in-store business, but they would also give customers the option of ordering a movie online, having it delivered to their house, and then dropping it back off to a Blockbuster location in person or vice versa, picking a movie up in person and then mailing it back in. 

But Blockbuster wasn’t interested. They said no to Netflix, and they decided to use that model but to do it on their own. So not only did Netflix not get the rescue they were hoping for, but now they had another competitor. But that didn’t stop them. They realized there would be no one to save them, they would have to save themselves and that just pushed them to work harder. 

But even though they were working hard to figure out a solution, they were still bleeding cash. Marc and his team knew they had a tough decision to make. They were going to have to say goodbye to some people on the team. They had to lose 40% of the employees. And as Marc shares it was the most painful decision he has ever had to make, especially because a lot of these people were hired by Marc himself. 

After reducing the workforce the Netflix team went into survival mode. They got back to the nitty gritty of the business to figure out ways to bring costs down, turn visitors into subscriptions more quickly, and how to run things more effectively. Marc says they had some big breakthroughs, but they also had a lot of luck involved in bringing them out of this tough time. 

The greatest lesson Marc has learned 

Marc has started six successful businesses, he has mentored hundreds of early stage entrepreneurs, he has been a CEO, a board member, and an investor. Along the way he has learned a lot, but his biggest piece of advice for leaders looking to create great companies where people want to work is to empower people to make mistakes. 

He says, “The thing that I’ve learned over and over and over again, is that there’s no such thing as a good idea. That too many companies believe that there are good ideas and the people who have them, that the proportion of good ideas commensurate with how high you are in the company. And I learned that’s just ridiculous, and that the only way to find out whether ideas are good or bad is to try them. And so the trick is not building an organization just good at coming up with ideas, but building an organization which is tremendously good at trying thousands of bad ideas.”

In order to do that leaders not only need to allow their people to make mistakes, but they also have to give people the power to make decisions. This is incredibly hard to do, but as Marc shares just because it is hard doesn’t change the importance of doing it. Marc believes that the most effective way to build a culture of innovation and risk taking is to demonstrate it at the top.

Also, when it comes to entrepreneurship Marc believes that while anyone can have a good idea, “The singular difference between an entrepreneur and someone else is a predisposition to action. Everyone thinks of ideas, a small number of people say let’s do something about it.”

Randolph’s Rules for success 

Marc’s dad imparted eight rules for success to him as a young adult, and he still looks at this list everyday, in fact it’s hanging up above the sink in his bathroom. So I asked Marc to share what these eight rules are. They are:

  1. Do at least 10% more than you are asked
  2. Never, ever, to anybody present as fact opinions on things you don’t know. Take great care and discipline.
  3. Be courteous and considerate always–up and down
  4. Don’t knock, don’t complain–stick to constructive, serious criticism
  5. Don’t be afraid to make decisions when you have the facts on which to make them
  6. Quantify where possible
  7. Be open-minded but skeptical
  8. Be prompt

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Game Of Business Has Changed https://thefutureorganization.com/the-game-of-business-has-changed/ Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:01:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35042 Business has always been a game.

Just like top athletes train and practice to come out victorious, companies train and prepare so they can beat the competition. Instead of scoring home runs or goals, however, companies compete on things like revenue, profit, and quarterly metrics.

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Business has always been a game.

Just like top athletes train and practice to come out victorious, companies train and prepare so they can beat the competition. Instead of scoring home runs or goals, however, companies compete on things like revenue, profit, and quarterly metrics.

It’s all designed to take market share away from the competition and for organizations to become more powerful. For decades, the focus of nearly every organization has been how it can beat the competition and become victorious. Most companies have been emphasizing their numbers to make shareholders happy and doing whatever it takes to make sure that their quarterly reports are better than someone else’s.

However, in recent years the game of business has fundamentally changed. Now it’s not about scoring more points or bringing in a bigger profit than the competition, it’s about outlasting them and making greater positive impact on the world.

In fact, last year the Business Roundtable which is a collection of some of America’s top CEOs and corporations recently put forward a statement saying that the purpose of a corporation isn’t about profits anymore, instead, it’s about creating “An Economy That Serves All Americans.”

Instead of the old way of thinking of business as a sprint to the end of the quarter to see who could have the biggest profits, today’s game is a marathon that is more about endurance than speed. The winners of the new game are the companies that can stay in the race while others have fallen behind and can’t keep going. This is a concept that James Carse talked about in his groundbreaking book, “Finite and Infinite Games.”

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail below and I hope provides some inspiration and motivation for you to think about business differently.

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

How do companies stay victorious in the new business game? It all comes down to a changed mentality.

To be successful, companies must focus on long-term growth and endurance instead of just what will take them over the top next quarter.

For most companies, that changed mindset affects the investments it makes and where it puts its time, money, and resources. With the old way of thinking, companies might throw a bunch of money at a marketing campaign to push sales over the top or try to entice customers to buy so their profits grow.

Organizations that are more focused on the long game are much more likely to be successful and stick around for longer. In contrast, companies with a short-term mindset will blow through their resources quickly and miss the chance for lasting success. In the business marathon, companies have to think past the first few miles.

The things that make lasting change to a company aren’t the short-term projects and bursts of success–it’s the focus on the bigger picture and putting effort into things that will last long after the quarter is over.

Investing in culture, technology, people, and physical space will prove much more fruitful in the long run. Investing in culture creates a solid brand where employees want to work and feel valued and appreciated. That transfers to customers who want to connect with the company and who will stay loyal for a long time.

The same goes for investing in people–putting the effort into finding the right people, training them, and then giving them the flexibility to use their skills can lead to huge long-term rewards for the company as employees give their best effort. Investing in technology and physical space ensures that what the company says it will do and what it actually does are the same. Keeping up with the newest technology allows companies to reach customers where they are and to find long-term solutions that won’t soon be outdated.

To win the new business game, companies need to redesign themselves so that people are in the middle, not profits.

The game of business has changed, and companies that can’t change with it will likely be left behind. In order to truly be successful, companies need to switch the focus from profits to people and invest in things that will keep them around for the long term. Is your organization ready for the change?

_______________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why You Should Fake It ‘Til You Make It https://thefutureorganization.com/why-you-should-fake-it-til-you-make-it/ Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:15:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=35024 I never had a good job working for anyone else. Regardless of it was me or the company, I realized pretty early in life that I was unemployable.

So now what?

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I never had a good job working for anyone else. Regardless of it was me or the company, I realized pretty early in life that I was unemployable.

So now what?

What does an unemployed and unemployable person do? Become an entrepreneur of course!

But that is easier said than done.

After my first few miserable jobs out of college, I didn’t really even know what “entrepreneur” was. In fact, my entire goal in life simple became, “how I can make a living without having to work for anyone else ever again.”

That’s it…simple right?

I did whatever I could to try to make money including finding all sorts of marketing jobs on craigslist, doing search engine optimization work, and writing articles for various organizations.

The reality of the situation was that I was a struggling young kid not making much money. But that’s not what I told myself.

Nope…what I told myself was, “I am a young entrepreneur building a life for myself that I truly want to live.” This became my motto and I repeated it many times a day.

It was hard for a long time. I wasn’t making much money, just barely enough to cover my expenses which thankfully weren’t that much. I was single living in San Francisco with a roommate. I had no car, no kids, no wife, and no mortgage.

I learned an important lesson early on in my entrepreneurial journey which was “Fake It Until You Make It.” In my mind, this translated into focusing on the positive self-talk and telling myself a narrative that I wanted to become reality (being a successful entrepreneur) even though it was really just a made-up story (I was really just a struggling young kid with not much money).

What you believe and what you tell yourself matters. Because it will guide your behaviors, your actions, and how you feel about yourself.

Here’s a clip from my talk at TED Academy in front of around 2,000 people filmed in Athens, Greece where I talk about this in more detail and share some personal stories. I hope it motivates and inspires you!

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

You can think of yourself as the struggling kid with no money or you can think of yourself as the young entrepreneur who wants to build a life for themselves that they truly want to live.

How you talk to yourself and the story you tell yourself is a choice.

What story are you telling yourself each day?

Fake It ‘Til You Make it!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
3. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin.
4. If you’re interested in sponsoring or have suggestions for the show, you can send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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Centro CEO On Three Trends Impacting The Future Of Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/centro-ceo-on-three-trends-impacting-the-future-of-leadership/ Tue, 29 Sep 2020 15:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34934 When Shawn Riegsecker founded Centro in 2001, his goal was to create a digital media service for ad agencies.

He couldn’t have imagined how big it would become. Centro has appeared on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, The Inc. 500, and lists of best places to work for multiple years in a row. Shawn was also named the 2019 CEO of the Year by Illinois Technology Association.

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When Shawn Riegsecker founded Centro in 2001, his goal was to create a digital media service for ad agencies.

He couldn’t have imagined how big it would become. Centro has appeared on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, The Inc. 500, and lists of best places to work for multiple years in a row. Shawn was also named the 2019 CEO of the Year by Illinois Technology Association.

That’s not to say there weren’t bumps along the way. Periods of tremendous growth brought issues of hiring people quickly who ended up not being the right cultural fit for the company.

Shawn’s ability to learn from those challenges, pivot, and keeping looking towards the future is what makes him a great leader. More than prioritizing profits, he understands that people are the heart of any organization. When I interviewed Shawn for my book The Future Leader, he shared incredible insights that are only gained from nearly two decades of creating and leading an innovative company.

Shawn told me this: “There’s no shortcut to being a great leader. In fact, getting there will take time and you will likely face ups and downs along your journey. In order to get what you want, you must do those things that give you the confidence to do just a little bit more the next day. I believe the greatest point of growth occurs when you push yourself outside your comfort zone.”

Throughout his career at Centro, Shawn has continued to push himself and the company. In order to stay relevant in the future, he believes leaders must put in work to understand what’s happening in the world and create an environment that best serves employees. To do that, leaders have to know the trends impacting how employees think and how leaders lead. Shawn believes there are three trends impacting the future of leadership.

Transparency

Today’s leaders are under a constant microscope, and that will only continue in the future. With more openness to criticism and judgement, leaders need to be mentally and emotionally strong and build authentic relationships to share information and be as transparent as possible.

Leaders also have a responsibility to share information and data with their employees and customers. Shawn believes leaders need to get really good at delivering information and looking for holes in information within the company. When those gaps arise, it creates an opportunity for someone to fill that gap with their opinion or a story that may be untrue.

“Strong leaders always need to be looking for the gaps and how to fill the knowledge gaps, which means increasing the level of communication,” Shawn says. “Without information and data, the employees just aren’t as engaged and productive. I think that we’re going to enter a world of transparency that corporations haven’t seen before.”

Sense Of Purpose

Modern companies don’t exist just to make money. They need a deeper sense of purpose, which is driven by leaders. Shawn says leaders need to dig deep to find their own higher purpose and share that vision with employees.

“Everybody wants to work for a mission- and purpose-driven company. You need to be incredibly clear on what that mission and purpose is. It’s got to be something in line with your employees’ values. If you have that, you will get an engaged workforce in line with your mission,” Shawn says.

For Centro, the higher purpose is using technology to make their customers’ lives easier. Their software solutions help companies around the world grow their businesses.

Shawn regularly shares that purpose within the organization so that employees know what they are working for. When employees feel connected to something greater than just making money, they are engaged at work and want to do their part to make a difference. Leaders set the tone—when they believe in a bigger purpose, it fuels the culture and makes employees believe as well.

Worker Expectations 

As the workforce changes and becomes not only younger but also more diverse, workers tend to have different expectations than they did in the past. People no longer spend their entire careers at the same company and instead are often eager to move to the next thing. Shawn believes leaders should harness the expectations of employees so that they are moving forward and progressing by putting the work in, not because they feel entitled.

Channeling new expectations into productivity comes by getting rid of drama and gossip within the company. It means eliminating the victimhood mentality that employees feel like victims when things are hard.

Shawn replaces that mentality by developing younger employees. He believes leaders must invest in the development of their employees. Even if you can’t give them a promotion or the raise they want, helping them experience the industry is critical to their future success and building the next generation of great leaders.

Trends may impact the world where leadership occurs, but the ultimate goal and purpose of leadership stays the same.

Shawn put it nicely when he said this: “To me, success is when you can create something where the happiness quotient of the people you manage continues to increase under your leadership. When they go home at night, because of their relationship to you, they’re a better husband, wife, mother, father, whatever, and their lives are improved.”

Leaders of the future must understand transparency, a deeper sense of purpose, and changing expectations, but it all really comes down to understanding one thing: people.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How the Former CEO & Chairman of Best Buy Transformed the Company https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-former-ceo-chairman-of-best-buy-transformed-the-company/ Mon, 28 Sep 2020 08:20:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34891 Hubert Joly is the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy. Currently he is a professor at Harvard Business School, he is on the board of two companies--Johnson & Johnson and Ralph Lauren. He is coaching and mentoring a number of CEOs and senior leaders and he is writing a new book which is set to come out next May titled: The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism.

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Hubert Joly Transcript

Hubert Joly is the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy. Currently he is a professor at Harvard Business School, he is on the board of two companies–Johnson & Johnson and Ralph Lauren. He is coaching and mentoring a number of CEOs and senior leaders and he is writing a new book which is set to come out next May titled: The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism.

Hubert was elected a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. He was honored as one of the 25 most influential executives of the business travel industry in 2006 and 2009 by Business Travel News Magazine. He was voted one of the top 100 CEOs on Glassdoor in 2017 and 2018. And he was named one of the best CEOs in the world by the CEOWorld Magazine.

He didn’t always dream of being a leader. In fact when he was 10 years old he wanted to be a vet and then in high school he felt his career would be in economics. After college he spent 12 years at McKinsey & Company as a consultant before ultimately realizing he wanted to lead a business. And he has led quite a few companies through turnarounds and major digital transformations.

How Hubert transformed Best Buy 

When Hubert was first approached about the position of CEO at Best Buy the company was struggling. It was on the brink of closing. Most people would have run away as fast as they could, not wanting to be attached to a failing company. But Hubert did his due diligence, he visited several locations, spoke with employees, and thought about what could be done to turn the company around. And he ultimately took the job.

He realized early on that while everyone gets excited about technology and gadgets and love using them, a lot of times we need help figuring out how to use them. So Hubert knew Best Buy had to be able to help people solve technology issues and answer questions.

Hubert also saw the need for displaying actual working products on the shelves instead of boxes with products inside. Looking at shelves of boxes is not inspiring, people need to be able to see and experience the products for themselves.

So he saw a lot of opportunities to improve Best Buy. He says, “I felt that there was an opportunity. That we have enough assets and that because the problems were self-inflicted, we could effectuate a turnaround. So I told the recruiting committee of the board, look, I want the job and here’s my eight page memo on what I’m going to do if you guys recruit me and I never looked back.”

Hubert says there are four levers in a turnaround. They are to grow the revenue line, cut costs, optimize benefits, and then if the first three are not enough, as a last resort you go after the headcount or redeploy people.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The three ways to cut costs before cutting your headcount 

A lot of leaders first starting at a struggling organization probably would have thought about cutting back on the headcount first to save money. But Hubert not only didn’t take that route, he actually put more money into training, incentives, wellness, etc…

As he shares, “I’m not the cut, cut cut guy. I’m a big believer that in business you have three imperatives in business. One is the people imperative, you need to have good people well trained, well equipped. Then you have the customer or business imperative, you need to have happy customers to whom you sell, you know, compelling services. And then you, of course, have a financial imperative, which is you need money. But the financial performance is an outcome of excellence on the customer imperative, which itself is an outcome of excellence on the people imperative. So it’s people, business, finance, and you treat profit as an outcome, not as your singular focus.”

Hubert truly believes that leaders should treat humans as a solution to the problem, not as a source of the problem. And we should use headcount reduction only as a last resort.

How to balance profit and purpose 

Hubert is a big believer in being focused on purpose and humanity in business and killing the idea of shareholder primacy. The sole purpose of a company can not be just to make money. He still understands that companies need to take care of shareholders, but taking care of them should be an outcome, not the first priority.

People should be at the heart of the business. They are the engine that allows the business to work. So how did Hubert convince the board members and shareholders at Best Buy that purpose and people mattered just as much as profit and revenue?

He shares that part of the issue with past management is that they would tell shareholders a lot of exciting stories about what could be done, but they never delivered actual results. When he laid out his plan for the shareholders and board members at Best Buy he focused on what he calls the say-do ratio–the ratio between what they said they were going to do and what they actually did.

There were plenty of opportunities, but the shareholders needed to see that they could actually be executed. So every quarter Hubert would give them progress reports with tangible results. Leaders need to keep shareholders in the journey. Give them hope and confidence that things are going to work, but be honest and open with them and keep them in the loop.

As long as you are delivering and focusing on that say-do ratio you should keep your eye on the prize. Don’t let shareholders sway you too much. Hubert says, “I think management teams that use the short term focus of the investors as an excuse to not do the right thing, I think are completely misled. I have found that if you go to the investors, and share with them, what you’re doing, the investments you’re making, the return you’re expecting, they’ll believe you and follow you. And then in the end, during our second phase, I actually told our investors our purpose is not to make money.”

When leading Best Buy Hubert believed the purpose of the company was not to make money, it was to enrich lives through technology by addressing key human needs. He made it clear that they were not in the business of selling TVs, they were in the business of understanding what it is people are trying to do in their life and being there to advise and support them. But when you run your business with that mindset, the money will be the outcome.

The danger that leaders need to avoid 

In the past people looking to become leaders were taught that being smart was really important. It was believed that if you wanted to be a great leader you had to know it all, have all the answers, you had to be able to solve any problem, and show others that you are intelligent.

Hubert sees that as a danger for leaders. Having this mindset makes it easy to fall into the trap of power, fame, money and glory. While these things on their own are not necessarily bad, they are easy to get wrapped up in. Leaders who make decisions based solely on gaining more power, fame, money or glory usually end up in scandals and disasters.

Instead leaders should lead with humility, integrity, transparency and empathy. Leaders no longer have to know everything, they can look to the people around them for ideas, solutions, and results.

The five Bs of purposeful leadership

In order to avoid the traps of power, fame, money, and glory Hubert says leaders need to reset. And he gives 5 Bs that leaders should focus on in order to truly be purpose driven and centered on their people.

  • Be clear about your purpose as a human being–What drives you in life? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to contribute? Make sure you lead with those things in mind and make sure the company you work for aligns with your purpose. And this also means you understand the purpose of others around you and what drives them.
  • Be clear about who you serve as a leader–Your focus should be on the people around you, not yourself. If you are serving yourself or your boss, that’s a problem.
  • Be clear about your role as a leader–Your role as a leader is to create an environment in which others can be successful. It’s not to be the smartest person in the room or to know it all.
  • Be a value driven leader–Having integrity is fundamental

Be an authentic leader–You have to be able to be vulnerable and genuinely connect with people around you.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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3 Ways Jeff Bezos Shows Emotional Intelligence https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-jeff-bezos-shows-emotional-intelligence/ Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:10:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34778 As the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos’ net worth is larger than some countries’ GDPs—combined.

But what does the Amazon founder and CEO view as the top sign of intelligence? It’s not money or prestige—it’s the ability to admit when you are wrong.

Emotional intelligence is the foundation of Bezos’ strong leadership and one of the reasons he and his company are so successful. He leads in a way that recognizes and celebrates the softer sides of business and puts him in charge of his emotions. Emotional intelligence or as I like to call it in my book, the skill of Yoda, is one of the most important skills that a leaders can possess.

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As the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos’ net worth is larger than some countries’ GDPs—combined.

But what does the Amazon founder and CEO view as the top sign of intelligence? It’s not money or prestige—it’s the ability to admit when you are wrong.

Emotional intelligence is the foundation of Bezos’ strong leadership and one of the reasons he and his company are so successful. He leads in a way that recognizes and celebrates the softer sides of business and puts him in charge of his emotions. Emotional intelligence or as I like to call it in my book, the skill of Yoda, is one of the most important skills that a leaders can possess.

Here are three of the many ways Jeff Bezos demonstrates emotional intelligence:

1. He acknowledges challenges. Leaders are humans, not robots. They have emotions and understand that their employees have emotions as well. Instead of glossing over challenges, Bezos acknowledges them and their impact on his employees. One recent example came from his announcement of Amazon’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He began by acknowledging, “These aren’t normal circumstances.” Acknowledging difficulties opens leaders up to empathy and making real, authentic connections with their teams. Successful companies aren’t immune to trials, but glossing over challenges can force leaders and employees to hide their emotions.

2. He is even-keeled. As CEO of one of the largest companies in the world, Bezos faces constant scrutiny, both in his personal and professional life. It’s a trend that many CEOs believe will continue to grow for future leaders. Bill Rogers, CEO of SunTrust Banks, told me this: “Leadership will be a much more public endeavor than it has been in the past.” Bezos is a true example of this. But even with massive amounts of criticism and public scrutiny, Bezos stays steady. He doesn’t get riled up or fight back at critics. He keeps his emotions in check to stay professional and courteous. That doesn’t mean he can’t be bold and passionate, but he does it in a way that protects himself and his company. When claims of Amazon’s allegedly callous workplace practices topped the news, Bezos didn’t fire back. Instead, he defended Amazon’s culture and encouraged employees who had faced issues to contact HR or email him directly. His direct response showed his passion without taking away from the seriousness of the issue.

3. He surrounds himself with smarter people. A cornerstone of emotional intelligence is self-awareness or knowing your own strengths and weaknesses. Bezos realizes he doesn’t have the answers to every problem, so he intentionally builds teams with people who are smarter or more experienced than him. That self-awareness and humility allow him to follow his own advice and admit when he doesn’t know the answer. Bezos changes his mind as he learns new information. Being self-aware allows him to build strong, collaborative teams and create a culture of growth within Amazon as employees work to acknowledge their weaknesses and make improvements.

Jeff Bezos is living proof that leaders don’t rise to the top simply by understanding numbers and making money. They also must understand people and their own emotions. Practicing emotional intelligence is vital for today’s leaders and especially the leaders of tomorrow. If you want to take on Amazon, you’ve got to have emotional intelligence that takes on Jeff Bezos.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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There’s More To Life Than Work https://thefutureorganization.com/theres-more-to-life-than-work-2/ Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:43:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34726 One of the things that I have personally struggled with for a long time is seeing beyond my work.

This is especially challenging when you work for yourself. For many years I always felt a but guilty for not spending my free time working.

Even those of you who have more traditional full-time jobs I'm sure can relate. For many of us it's quite hard to separate work and life, especially now during COVID-19.

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One of the things that I have personally struggled with for a long time is seeing beyond my work.

This is especially challenging when you work for yourself. For many years I always felt a but guilty for not spending my free time working.

Even those of you who have more traditional full-time jobs I’m sure can relate. For many of us it’s quite hard to separate work and life, especially now during COVID-19.

It’s hard to not check email when you first wake up or right before you go to bed.

It’s hard to not work a little but when you’re on vacation.

It’s hard to not have a conference call while your kids watch a cartoon.

It’s hard to not have technology at the dinner table “just in case” something happens.

It’s hard to now put away your computer because you have “just one more thing” you need to do.

If you think about it, you actually spend the majority of your life working.

Some of us really enjoy what we do and others, not so much. Either way, it’s not hard to see why we can sometimes feel like work is the only thing we are doing in life.

But it is important to remember that we don’t live to work, we work so that we can live.

We work so that we can live happier, fulfilled, more engaged lives. It’s actually the stuff that happens outside of work that gives so many of us meaning.

Love, passions, hobbies, travel, kids, spouses, pets, etc. These are the things that matter most.

Whether you love your job or hate your job, at the end of the day it is not the only thing happening in your life. Remember what it is you are working for.

In my case it’s for my 2 amazing kids Naomi (4 years old) and Noah (4 months old), my wife Blake, and my loving Yorkie rescue dogs!

I don’t post pictures of my kids online, but here is a pic of Blake and our dogs 🙂

What are you working for? Share below in the comments.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you!

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Otis Elevator CEO Judy Marks On How to Embrace Technology While Staying Human https://thefutureorganization.com/otis-elevator-ceo-judy-marks-on-how-to-embrace-technology-while-staying-human/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 13:00:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34676 Every day, 2 billion people across the globe use Otis elevators. The machines have been around for more than 165 years and are ripe with potential for innovative updates. In the future, elevators could use AI to better manage the flow of passengers and be connected to the Internet of Things for remote maintenance and self-reported repair checks.

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Every day, 2 billion people across the globe use Otis elevators. The machines have been around for more than 165 years and are ripe with potential for innovative updates. In the future, elevators could use AI to better manage the flow of passengers and be connected to the Internet of Things for remote maintenance and self-reported repair checks.

Just like elevators have seen dramatic changes over the last century and a half, so has leadership. And like elevators, leadership is poised for technology-fueled growth and change.

Judy Marks is CEO of Otis Elevator, the world’s largest elevator company. Most people take elevators for granted—which is just how Judy likes it. The goal is for people not to think about the technology they are using because it is so seamless and safe. But even a standard in human movement needs an upgrade, and Judy is on a mission to guide her company through a digital transformation towards the elevator of the future.

I was excited to chat with Judy for my book The Future Leader. Judy recognizes the power and potential of elevators and of her people. She showcases how leaders of the future must not only be tech-savvy, but also have an eye towards innovation and staying human.

Leading With Technology  

When Judy became CEO, one of her primary goals was to turn a legacy company into a digital technology leader. To be successful in the future of work, Judy believes all leaders must be tech-savvy. In her eyes, there’s no avoiding digital transformation. Instead of running from new technology, leaders need to use it to improve their companies and disrupt their industries.

Elevators have been around for more than 100 years, but in that time, we’ve also seen incredible technological growth. The challenge for Judy is combining legacy technology with new advances to create a forward-thinking product that still holds strong to its roots. Her approach to technology falls into two main areas: developing her product and developing her people.

Judy’s team of nearly 70,000 global employees consists of 33,000 mechanics. On any given day, a mechanic could be servicing a 100-year-old elevator or one that was installed last week. Judy understands the importance of incorporating new technology not only into her products, but also into her employees. As automation grows, Judy grapples with questions of if people will continue to pursue labor careers in service and construction. She uses technology as a way to attract and retain talent by incorporating technology that mechanics are eager to learn and use. In Judy’s mind, technology isn’t optional—it’s a requirement for the future. Technology is changing the skills needed in her industry, and she needs to leverage those changes to continue to attract the top talent.

“It’s not just about applying technology for productivity,” she said. “Technology is mandatory because of the availability of skills in the future. We have to use technology to balance and blend with the future workforce.”

Elevators have a huge potential for new technology, such as using AI to group passengers by destination and increase speed and capacity. Otis is also working towards using analytics to pinpoint preventative maintenance before breakdowns occur to keep systems running smoothly. The future could also include remote service instead of having to fix issues on-site.

Judy realizes that skyscrapers and tall buildings aren’t going away, so there will always be a need for elevators. But those buildings are changing, and Otis needs to change alongside them. Judy views her job as leveraging new technology and encouraging her team to change its business models and the value it provides along the way.

Staying Human And Passionate 

Technology and digital transformation are crucial for every future leader, but Judy believes it’s also important to stay human.

“I hope as leaders we don’t become so data-focused and so automated and removed that we lose our passion and compassion,” she said.

Even with new technology, Judy says future leaders must always have passion about leading their teams and their industries. Leaders have to set the vision for each generation, which means looking to the future to guide the company and its people where they need to go.

But at the same time, leaders must have compassion for the people they serve. As Judy says, she’s in the people business. Even as Otis combines people and machines, it can’t lose compassion for the people.

Judy believes one of the most important roles of a leader is to create a sense of purpose for employees. As humans work more with machines, a challenge for leaders will be keeping the human workforce engaged and motivated.

“My role in terms of leadership is to set the vision and to share it. To create an environment where people can resonate not only with the mission but deliver it. To eliminate obstacles so my team can succeed. I think all of those are part of leadership,” Judy says.

Staying human and leading with compassion keeps leaders engaged with their workforces instead of focusing solely on technology and numbers. As technology and automation increases, finding the balance and not losing track of the people and vision will become even more challenging.

Even with all of the changes on the horizon, Judy looks towards the future with optimism.

“I think it will be fascinating and exciting and maybe even a little scary to be a leader 10 years from now. There won’t be a simple playbook to follow. The pace of change will be frenetic, and leaders will have to deal in a world with a lot of unknowns. But people will rise to the occasion. I have no doubt. They have every generation, and they will continue to do so.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How the CEO of 6,500 Person PTC Gets His People to Embrace Change https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-6500-person-ptc-gets-his-people-to-embrace-change/ Mon, 21 Sep 2020 08:16:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34636 Jim Heppelmann is the CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of “7 IoT leaders to Watch in 2017” by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he was recognized as “IoT CEO of the Year” by PostScapes, “Technology CEO of the Year” by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and he received the CAD Society Leadership Award for his work with the Internet of Things.

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Jim Heppelmann Transcript

Jim Heppelmann is the CEO of PTC, a technology software company with 6,500 employees in 30 countries. Jim was named one of “7 IoT leaders to Watch in 2017” by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he was recognized as “IoT CEO of the Year” by PostScapes, “Technology CEO of the Year” by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and he received the CAD Society Leadership Award for his work with the Internet of Things.

Together with Harvard Professor, Michael Porter, Jim has co-authored three highly influential articles on the transformational impact of the Internet of Things on business.

Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota as one of eight children. It was during his upbringing on the farm that he really learned the value of hard work as well as the ability to take things apart and put them back together, which is in part why he was successful as a mechanical engineer.

It was actually one of his older sisters who inspired him to attend college and study to become an engineer in the first place. After she graduated from college and got her first job she was already making as much as their parents, and Jim was amazed by that. So engineering brought him to college, but once he got there he fell in love with computer science. He studied at the intersection of where software meets engineering, which turned out to work great as he is now the CEO of a company that produces software for engineers.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel

An inside look at the role of CEO

A lot of people may think they have an idea of what CEOs do throughout the day, and of course it differs a bit for each CEO depending on the organization. But Jim shares what it is like for him day to day as a CEO.

He says, “I don’t want this to sound derogatory in any way, but maybe I’m responsible for herding cats, because there’s a lot of people that are part of a lot of initiatives, a lot of programs, a big organization. And I’m trying to keep all of that moving in the right direction generally. So I’m not doing the precise tweaks, but try to keep everybody understanding where we’re going. And make sure they’re moving in that direction, and they’re moving at the right pace. So that, you know, it all comes together each quarter when we’re delivering products or projects or trying to make the quarter quarterly results happen.”

He also shares that a large part of his day is made up of meeting with his people to check in to see how things are going, what projects they are working on, how they are solving problems, etc…He doesn’t try to tell people what to do, but he makes suggestions and tries to guide people in the right direction.

One part of the job that gives him a lot of energy is interacting with customers. He really enjoys figuring out what it is they are trying to do, how PTC can help them, and getting feedback on the good and bad aspects of their products.

All in all Jim sees himself as the vision guy. While he realizes the need for internal meetings and keeping the organization on track, he really loves working with the engineers on the next generation approach they are building and working with the customers on where the company is going and the vision for the future of PTC.

Why CEOs should have a short attention span

Jim often wakes up in the middle of the night with new ideas or ways to solve a problem. And the joke at PTC is that about the time Jim gets bored with something that is when it really starts to work. That’s because as long as he is focused on solving something he is going to come in to work with those middle of the night ideas to keep tweaking and fixing certain things.

But Jim believes that CEOs should be a little impatient and have a short attention span. Why? Because Jim says the biggest problem with CEOs at his level of tenure is they have become entrenched in old thinking.

About some CEOs, he says, “They made a decision five years ago. Maybe even eight years ago, and for a couple years, they improved it a little bit. And then they’ve just spent the last five years tell everybody why it works. And saying we’re not going to change it. And I’m a little bit of a different cut. I say, hey, we did this, we improved it, it’s working. But we’ve got to think about what’s next. And then let’s not wait until it’s not working to think about what’s next. Let’s some of us start thinking about what we’re going to do next, even while this is still working pretty well.”

Jim is always looking for the next round of changes that make PTC better, or that protect them from a new threat headed their way. This is a quality that he believes all CEOs should have. Always looking to the next thing, don’t just ride current success.

Achieving work-life balance as a CEO 

As the CEO of 6,500+ employees, Jim seems very relaxed and happy. He doesn’t seem stressed out at all. One thing that has helped him with this a lot is having a work-life balance. He not only leads the organization, but he also makes time to spend time with his family, take care of the animals on his farm, and cook. But that wasn’t always the case.

Jim says when he first became a CEO he burned the candle at both ends, he tried to do everything on his own. And overtime he learned that was not sustainable. When sharing what he learned he says, “what I should do is focus my energy where I really bring a lot of value to the table, again, which tends to be around product strategies, marketing strategies, marketing messages, competitive strategies, and so forth. And let somebody else manage the financial plan, let somebody else manage the professional services margins, and things like that because I don’t need to do that and I don’t bring a tremendous quality to it, you know, nothing super unique or special. And at the end of the day, you’ve got to pick your battles, there’s just not enough time for a CEO to be in charge of everything. So I got a lot happier after I realized I should roll with the punches and just really add value where I think I have the most value to add.”

This is such great advice for all CEOs, don’t try to have your hand in all the cookie jars. Don’t take everything upon yourself and don’t think you have to have all the answers. You will get burnt out that way. Surround yourself with people who are good at what you are not good at and rely on them.

Three ways to battle entrenched thinking 

No matter what industry you work in, you may find that people around you are entrenched in old ways of thinking, especially if they have been in a certain role for a long time. People don’t like change, it’s just a fact of life. So how do you change that? Jim has three ways that he battled entrenched thinking inside of PTC when he first joined.

  • Make change part of your company branding–Create a company culture that likes change. Part of what Jim did to change the culture was he adopted some slogans like Take a Fresh Look. Everything about the company should embrace change and discourage getting complacent.
  • Lead by example–Live out the values you want to see inside your organization. If you want employees to embrace change, you must first be the one to embrace change. Make sure people know it is not about making one change and then staying there, it is about constant change. The point is to try to be that company who changes all the time, you can’t pin them down, because they’re too busy changing.
  • Celebrate change–Recognize individuals who step out and do something different, even if what they tried didn’t work.

The impact of augmented reality on the future of work 

One of the major trends Jim is paying attention to at the moment is augmented reality and the impact it is having on the future of work. There are so many applications for this technology. And one way it could help has been magnified by Covid. One quarter of the world works behind a computer screen and digitalization has done amazing things for knowledge workers who are in these positions especially in these times when they can easily work remotely from their homes. But for the other three quarters of the world the front line workers don’t have any other option but to go to work physically at a specific location or they can be laid off or fired.

Augmented reality (AR) could really solve this problem for frontline workers. It can also help people make fewer mistakes, do their jobs more efficiently, and it can even help with the current skills gap problem.

In the US the demographics have changed, and we no longer have new generations of workers going into factories and industrial work, for a variety of reasons. People felt like this work was moving overseas, this type of work is no longer seen as desirable, etc…So what we now have is a majority of people in this industry reaching retirement age with no one younger coming in to take their places. This is the skills gap problem.

How could AR help solve this problem? It could record the knowledge of the current workers to be used for training in the future and it could also be used to show potential workers what the work is really like to convince them to go into that field of work.

As Jim shares, “AR can play a huge role. Because for example, we can capture the expertise of the retiring worker, that kind of AR YouTube idea. We can capture that expertise, store it, and when a new worker shows up through a Hololens, or phone or tablet actually redeploy that coaching that’s been digitized into the physical environment for the benefit of the new worker. So the new worker can be coached in the actual environment by somebody who retired two years ago. It’s just a very powerful idea.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post How the CEO of 6,500 Person PTC Gets His People to Embrace Change first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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3 Companies with Great Mentoring Programs and Why You Should Have One Too https://thefutureorganization.com/3-companies-with-great-mentoring-programs-and-why-you-should-have-one-too/ Thu, 17 Sep 2020 14:17:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34497 Have you ever had a great mentor? Someone who guided your career, helped you learn and grow, acted as a sounding board, or helped you transition to various stages of work and life?

Unfortunately, I never had a mentor or a coach at any of the organizations I worked for. I suppose that's one of the reasons why I went off on my own 15 years ago. I never really felt that anyone had my back, was willing to guide me, or help me grow personally and professionally, and that's a bit sad.

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Have you ever had a great mentor? Someone who guided your career, helped you learn and grow, acted as a sounding board, or helped you transition to various stages of work and life?

Unfortunately, I never had a mentor or a coach at any of the organizations I worked for. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I went off on my own 15 years ago. I never really felt that anyone had my back, was willing to guide me, or help me grow personally and professionally, and that’s a bit sad.

It’s one of the reasons why I help organizations around the world today create places where people actually want to show up to work each day and leaders who others genuinely want to work with.

According to a recent survey published by Olivet Nazarene University, 76% of people consider mentors to be important, but only 37% currently have a mentor. The difference between those two numbers could be due to leadership and a lack of formal mentoring programs.

I had the chance to interview Luigi Gubitosi, CEO of Telecom Italia, for my new book, The Future Leader. He told me this: “I see the leader as a coach, as a conductor, as somebody who orchestrates the efforts of many. Whoever thinks leadership is a one-man show is in for a bad surprise.”

David Baiada is the CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care and he is also a big believer in prioritizing mentoring, he told me, “Getting the right people in the right chairs and actively coaching and supporting their ability to be successful is something that I work on every day. When each employee is sharing examples and coaching each other on our company values, it creates a sense of connectedness to the work and to each other.”

Mentoring develops employees, builds connections, and helps organizations strengthen their talent pipelines.

Here are three companies with great mentoring programs:

Caterpillar

The goal of Caterpillar’s mentoring program is to facilitate continual learning and development. Every new hire at Caterpillar is assigned a mentor for their first three years to provide guidance on corporate culture, work-life balance, soft skills development, and a variety of other subjects. All employees, no matter their seniority, can rotate between departments to learn about different fields and expand their networks. Caterpillar also has 13 employee resource groups for mentoring in a larger setting. In Caterpillar’s reverse mentoring program, younger employees mentor senior employees about things like new technology and generational changes.

General Electric

GE has long been a leader in mentoring and was one of the first companies to adopt reverse mentoring. Its mentoring program encourages collaborative learning by bringing in top executives to mentor employees at all levels. Aside from teaching critical skills, the mentoring program allows executives and employees to build real, human connections. The collaborative environment encourages employees to develop themselves and gives them the tools to succeed, which strengthens GE’s pipeline of future leaders and mentors. GE has other programs, including a two-year rotational program in sales and marketing and a wide variety of employee resource groups like Women’s Network and Transgender and Ally Alliance.

Bain and Company

In our digital world when many interactions happen through screens, Bain and Company aims to provide one-on-one connections and strong interpersonal relationships and growth. Every consultant at Bain has a mentor, including younger employees who are partnered with senior employees. Additional professional development is provided in specialized affinity groups, such as Blacks at Bain, Latinos at Bain, and Veterans at Bain, which give employees a chance to find commonalities and guidance with their peers.

Every company can and should have mentors. If your organization doesn’t have an established mentoring program, create one or find a mentor on your own. Building those connections and having someone in your corner can give you a huge advantage in your career and your life.

Building those connections and having someone in your corner can give you a huge advantage in your career and your life.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Best Decision Making Hack https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-decision-making-hack/ Wed, 16 Sep 2020 14:18:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34462 Have you ever made a decision that you later regretted? I have...many times.

But after implementing this decision-making hack, the number of those bad decisions decreased dramatically.

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Have you ever made a decision that you later regretted? I have…many times.

But after implementing this decision-making hack, the number of those bad decisions decreased dramatically.

For me I’ve taken on speaking engagements that I wasn’t sure of, worked with clients who I had doubts about, and invested in new business opportunities that I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do.

In each of these cases I had to decide, is this something I want to do or not?

Unfortunately, I didn’t really have a process for how to make decisions. I said yes to all sorts of things I should have never said yes to including things that I was just “luke warm” about.

How can you implement a short-cut to help you with the decision making process?

I made a video about this which you can see below. If you want more content like this then make sure to subscribe to the Be Your Own Boss Podcast Youtube Channel where my wife Blake and I teach you how you can be your own boss.

I struggled a lot with decision making until a leader I was working with gave me a hack that changed my life.

He said…

“Think of the decision you want to make and put it on on a scale of 1-10 with ten being ‘I absolutely want to do this!’ and 0 being ‘I never want to do this.’”

Thinking I was clever I said, “I’m at a 7.” Which as well all know isn’t terrible but it’s also not that great either.

In fact, many of us tend to default to 7 because it’s easy, it keeps us from making a definitive choice.

“Oh, and it can’t be a 7,” he said.

This one simple act of removing the7 from the grading scale made a huge difference!

Why?

Because a 6 isn’t that great so it’s easy to say “no” to.

An 8 is actually pretty good so that is easy to say “yes” to.

I’ve used this very simple decision making hack for many aspects of my life and business. It forces me to pick a side and avoid taking the easy way out by scoring everything as a 7.

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Find out by taking this quiz which looks at “The Morgan’s 4 M’s of Entrepreneurship” which include Money, Mindset, Motivation, and Market.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a business leader inside of an organization, I think this decision-making hack can be quite useful to you and it can also be applied to many different aspects of work and life.

The whole point of all of this is forcing you to be decisive, which is a skill we can all get better at and dramatically benefit from.

Give it a shot. The next time you need to evaluate something or make a decision use the scale of 1-10 and remember…it can’t be a 7!

Hope you find this helpful.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (once a week).
  2. Subscribe to our Youtube channel where we talk about these things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.
  3. You can also connect with us on FacebookInstagramTwitterYoutube, and Linkedin or send us an email at morgans@byobpodcast.com.

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What Does It Take To Be A Fortune 500 CEO? Perpetual Learning https://thefutureorganization.com/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-fortune-500-ceo-perpetual-learning/ Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:50:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34394 Kathy Mazzarella is CEO of Graybar and one of just two dozen female CEOs in the Fortune 500. Kathy worked for Graybar, a global supply chain services company, for 32 years before becoming CEO. She started as a customer service representative and worked her way up through sales and marketing before becoming the SVP Sales and Marketing and eventually CEO.

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Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company puts a person in a fairly elite club. But being a female Fortune 500 CEO is even more exclusive.

Kathy Mazzarella is CEO of Graybar and one of just two dozen female CEOs in the Fortune 500. Kathy worked for Graybar, a global supply chain services company, for 32 years before becoming CEO. She started as a customer service representative and worked her way up through sales and marketing before becoming the SVP Sales and Marketing and eventually CEO. Kathy knows the business inside and out because she has experienced nearly every part of it hands on. One of the reasons she is such an effective leader of her more than 8,500 global employees is because she is constantly learning.

As I talked with Kathy for my book The Future Leader about how leaders need to think and act to be successful in the next decade, the idea of constant improvement and development kept coming up. Kathy’s own dedication to continually push herself has clearly played a large role in her success.

“Leaders must possess a growth mindset in which they are constantly learning, innovating, and exploring new ideas,” Kathy said. “They must learn to ask different questions and analyze issues critically, rather than relying on past experience and long-held assumptions to make decisions.”

Being a super perpetual learner is more than just always having your nose in a book. Future leaders must be well-rounded and continually learn and improve in a number of areas.

Learning To Adapt

In our interview, Kathy talked about the danger of becoming complacent. When leaders get comfortable, they lose a sense of urgency and a desire to change. But the world is changing at a breakneck pace, and leaders can’t sit idly by. Kathy says leaders must model a sense of urgency for their employees.

Because the world is constantly changing, leaders must be able to see the big picture, anticipate what lies ahead and position their organizations for future success. Leaders create an environment where employees are encouraged to experiment and fail and then learn from their mistakes.

Kathy feels a sense of stewardship over Graybar because she has been with the company for so many years. She believes her job is to leave the company better for the next generation of employees. That comes by moving the company forward, adapting, and putting it in a position to lead the industry into the future. Long-term success is only possible for companies and leaders that adapt and continually re-evaluate how they operate.

Learning To Engage 

Good leadership is really about people. If a leader doesn’t have people to lead or can’t motivate or inspire people, they aren’t a true leader. Learning to engage with diverse groups that are constantly changing and evolving is what sets a great leader apart from a mediocre one.

Kathy says leadership is first and foremost about creating an inclusive environment where people feel valued, connected, and safe. Leaders must create a sense of belonging where people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. That comes from engaging with employees and providing a sense of purpose and meaning. It’s building an environment and culture where employees come to work every day because they want to be there, but because they have to be.

Kathy told me: “Leaders must be intentional about developing their people and providing opportunities where their talents can be used to have the greatest impact on the success of the organization.”

As the workplace changes—and it certainly will over the next decade—leaders need to adapt their approach to best match what employees need. Kathy says that instead of focusing on differences, leaders need to set the example and focus on uniting people around a shared purpose.

Learning To Decide 

Leaders of the future will be bombarded by huge amounts of information. That data will help them lead their organizations by providing insights into markets, customers, and employees, but it can also be crippling. To best leverage information and move the company forward, leaders must learn how to decide.

Kathy says that leaders must be comfortable dealing with complex information from many sources and have a strong understanding of data analytics. They must also ask the right questions, recognize patterns, and use data-driven insights to make strategic decisions quickly. They must learn how to discern the right information and who to trust to make calculated but quick decisions. That means collecting information from a diverse team and sources that challenge their ideas instead of working with a team of people who agree with everything they say.

Leaders are ultimately responsible for the success of their organizations, which means they have to achieve results but also take responsibility for the outcomes. Not every decision will go over as planned, but good leaders move forward, adapt, and continue to learn the best way to make decisions.

How Can You Become A Super Perpetual Learner? 

  • Stay informed about what is happening in your company, in your industry, and in the world. Don’t sit idly by because you don’t know what is going on.
  • Experiment and encourage others to do the same. Take action and be innovative. Even if your risks don’t turn out, they can create learning opportunities.
  • Play to your employees’ strengths. Build people up and provide opportunities for them to make the biggest impact to the organization. Spend time with people to learn about their skills and interests and put them in the best places.
  • Learn about data. Know what type of data your company collects and uses and the stories it tells.

I also love this quote from my interview with Kathy: “Leadership is not about holding a specific title or achieving a certain level in an organization. I believe leadership is about helping others realize their potential and inspiring them to work with you to achieve a shared vision for the future.”

Kathy Mazzarella shows the power of perpetual learning. Great leaders keep pushing themselves to grow and develop skills in a variety of areas. As they do, they can lead their organizations and themselves to success.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post What Does It Take To Be A Fortune 500 CEO? Perpetual Learning first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Bestselling Author Dan Pink on The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing https://thefutureorganization.com/bestselling-author-dan-pink-on-the-scientific-secrets-of-perfect-timing/ Mon, 14 Sep 2020 10:19:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34328 Dan Pink is the bestselling author of six books including Drive, To Sell is Human, and his newest book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. In 2019 London based Thinkers 50 named Dan the 6th most influential management thinker in the world.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Dan_Pink_Podcast_-_DONE.mp3

Dan Pink Transcript

Dan Pink is the bestselling author of six books including Drive, To Sell is Human, and his newest book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. In 2019 London based Thinkers 50 named Dan the 6th most influential management thinker in the world.

He has contributed to Fast Company, Wired, The New York Times, Slate and others. And prior to working on his own, he worked in several political positions, including chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore from 1995-1997.

Dan has been writing for around 20 years and a lot has changed in the world of work since he first began. But his first book was actually ahead of the game back in 2001 when he wrote Free Agent Nation: How America’s New Independent Workers Are Transforming the Way We Live. He recognized the trend before the iPhone came out and just a few years after broadband internet.

Now the numbers have risen quite a bit and we are seeing a lot more people go off to work for themselves, thanks to advances in technology and the changing relationship between organizations and individuals. And now with the pandemic and we are seeing a lot of people make career transitions and try to do their own thing.

As Dan shares, one of the interesting things that has come about from Covid-19 is the quick move to remote work for so many people. Companies who pushed back on work from home situations for so long because they thought it would never work were forced overnight to set employees up to work remotely. And Dan believes that is a potentially significant, lasting change that will make remote working much more normalized.

The science of time

Dan’s newest book, When, came about while he was trying to figure out the best way to work from home and be productive. He wanted to know when to do work, when to do certain tasks, when to start a project and when to abandon a project, etc…

And while he was researching the topic of perfect timing he realized there was a lot of information available, but it was all over the place. And he found that contrary to common belief timing is not an art, it is really a science.

He says, “It wasn’t simply, you know, in one domain, it wasn’t simply saying in economics. It was in economics, it was in social psychology, but it was also in anthropology, it was in linguistics, it was in molecular biology, it was–there’s a whole field called pronto biology. It was in epidemiology. It was in anesthesiology. I mean, there’s like, you know, all these different fields and so it took me two years to go through the research.”

But what he found over the course of the two years of research has helped him find the best timing for different tasks and allowed him to find his optimal schedule for productivity.

How to optimize productivity

Through his research Dan found that spread over the various fields that have studies on time was the conclusion that our performance changes throughout the day. The day turns out to be pretty fundamental and our brain power does not remain constant during the course of a day. We all have daily high points and daily low points that we need to pay attention to. Understanding these basics can help us make better decisions about when to do certain tasks during the day.

One example of this change in performance comes from a study of students in Denmark who took a standardized test. They all had to take the test on computers, but the school didn’t have enough for everyone to take the test at the same time. So some students took the test in the morning and others took it in the afternoon.

And the test results showed that the students who took the test in the afternoon scored systematically lower than the students who took it in the morning. Their scores looked as if the students had missed two weeks of lessons.

There are also studies in hospitals that show that handwashing in hospitals deteriorates significantly in the afternoon. And anesthesia errors are four times more likely at 3pm then they are at 9am.

As Dan shares, “I mean, over and over again, just about every dimension of performance, you see systematic differences in performance based on time of day. And so while you might not always be able to control your schedule, most of us don’t have full control over our schedule. It isn’t simply the case that these differences are meaningless or that a cup of coffee can cure it. You actually want to take a much more thoughtful, intentional, systematic approach to when you do things in the course of the day.”

How should we structure our day?

Based on the findings from Dan’s research it appears there are three types of people. Those who rise naturally early (larks), those who naturally sleep late and wake up late (owls), and people who are in the middle (third birds). Most people are in the middle. And there are multiple tests you can take and instruments to help figure out where you are on the scale, but Dan gives one simple way to figure out which one you are.

First, think about when you would ideally go to sleep, if you had a free day and you didn’t have anything that would require you to sleep at a certain time. Naturally when would you like to fall asleep. Then think about when you would ideally like to wake up in the morning, again if nothing was causing you to wake up (kids, work, noise, etc..). When would you ideally wake up?

Then using those two times find the midpoint of sleep. For example, maybe you would ideally like to go to sleep at midnight and wake up at 8am. Your midpoint of sleep would be 4am. Now if your midpoint of sleep is before 3:30am you are probably a lark. If the midpoint of sleep is after 5:30am you’re probably an owl and if your midpoint is between 3:30am and 5:30am you are probably a third bird in the middle. People in the middle tend to be larkey, but not a full fledged lark.

So taking that information you can find out how to start experimenting to get to your ideal productivity. We all move through the day and experience three periods of time:

  • Peak–the time when we are most vigilant and productive. We are best able to avoid distractions during this time. This is when you should focus on analytic work that requires heads down focus and attention. For larks and third birds this is early in the day. For owls this is late afternoon.
  • Trough–This is a terrible time of day when we see drops in performance. This is when you want to do basic administrative work or work that doesn’t require massive brain power or creativity.
  • Recovery–For 80% of us we hit this point in late afternoon/early evening. This is when our vigilance is down, but our mood is up. This gives us a mental looseness that is good for insight tasks. During this time focus on creative problem solving or things that require divergent thinking.

Even though we can loosely map out the periods of time, not everyone’s daily schedule will be the same. There is no magic routine that works for everyone. There are some out there who say things like you need to wake up at 5:30am to start your morning routine for a successful day. Don’t try to copy and paste what someone else is doing. Experiment with your daily schedule and see where your peak, trough, and recovery happen and work your day around what works best for you.

What to do if you don’t control your own schedule

For those of us who make our own schedules, this can be easy to experiment with and discover. But for a majority of people their schedule is created by the manager or other leaders inside the organization. So what can you do if you don’t control your schedule?

Dan suggests that in this situation you talk openly and honestly with your manager. Let them know these are the hours I am most productive in so I would like to save that time for the most intensive projects.

He gave an example of a guy in Philadelphia who realized he did his best work right away in the morning, but every day the manager had him scheduled in back to back meetings from 9am to 11am. So he talked with the manager and wanting to allow the employee to be productive, they changed things up to make it work.

Also, make the most of the margins you can. Maybe you don’t have full control of your schedule, but maybe there is a half hour during your peak time that you can get good work done. Don’t squander that time using social media, answering routine emails, or talking to a coworker, use it when you can.

How to get over a slump

Another aspect of timing that has an effect on us is beginnings, middles, and ends. And the peculiar thing about midpoints that Dan found in his research is that they can have dual effects. Sometimes they can drag us down and sometimes it fires us up.

Dan gave an example he found from Jonah Berger and Devin Pope based on a study done with the NBA. What they did was they looked at the score of games during halftime and how it worked at predicting the end score of the game. And what they found was teams who were leading at halftime were more likely to win.

But there was an exception. Teams that were trailing by one point at halftime were more likely to win than teams who were ahead by one point at halftime. Being just slightly behind gave players more motivation while being slightly ahead allowed players to feel complacent. This is the same way in our work.

So what we should do is acknowledge the midpoints, imagine you’re a little behind and let it fuel your motivation, let it wake you up rather than let you rollover and become complacent.

Advice for leaders who want to be more mindful of employees’ time

So what can leaders do with this information to help employees get the most of their peak time? First of all, Dan says leaders need to recognize that their team’s brainpower doesn’t remain constant over the course of the day. And that when people do certain tasks has a material effect on their performance so you have to be intentional about it.

He says, “These leaders are intentional about what to do, they all have to do lists and strategic plans and all that. They’re intentional about how they do stuff because they have, you know, they have coaches, they have learning and development and training departments. They’re intentional about who does stuff because they have an HR department that hires people. But when it comes to when they do stuff as leaders or when their team does stuff, they think it doesn’t matter. And it matters. Evidence is overwhelming that it matters. So my best advice is to give the “when” a seat at the table.”

Also, be aware that every project has a beginning, a middle, and an end and all of these points have an effect on us. Picking the right date for a project to start gives you a better chance. And pay attention to the midpoint and let it motivate your team instead of letting it discourage them.

Be intentional about timing and the effect of time. Because whether or not you pay attention to it you make a choice. We either make choices intentionally or our timing decisions happen by default.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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Over 70% of People Experience Imposter Syndrome: Here Are 5 Ways Leaders Can Conquer It https://thefutureorganization.com/over-70-of-people-experience-imposter-syndrome-here-are-5-ways-leaders-can-conquer-it/ Thu, 10 Sep 2020 07:47:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=34039 Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Like you don’t have what it takes to lead? That you shouldn’t be leading? That you’re a fraud? That you're just not good enough? Do you find that you are constantly overworking, are not able to appreciate your accomplishments, or that you micro-manage those around you?

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Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Like you don’t have what it takes to lead? That you shouldn’t be leading? That you’re a fraud? That you’re just not good enough? Do you find that you are constantly overworking, are not able to appreciate your accomplishments, or that you micro-manage those around you?

If so, then it’s likely you have experienced imposter syndrome which over 70% of people do…especially leaders. They are constantly under an enormous amount of pressure, they always need to have the right answers, to come up with the best ideas, and to be able to solve any problem. Leaders are people just like anyone else and they have the same fears and doubts.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here’s how leaders (and anyone for that matter) can overcome imposter syndrome next time it creeps up.

Surround yourself with people who are better than you

If you are constantly surrounding yourself with people that you more capable than, then you have a problem. This is the old way of thinking about leadership where everyone is supposed to be inferior to you. As the leader, you need to make sure that everyone around you is more talented and capable than you! If you’re smarter than everyone else on the team then you create a bottleneck where everyone will turn to you for everything, eventually this will collapse. You need to be around people who will push you and challenge you to grow.

Be vulnerable with your team

When is the last time you said, “I don’t know?” In my book, The Future Leader, I talk about this under the mindset of the Servant section. Being vulnerable isn’t a weakness it’s a strength. When you are ok with saying “I don’t know” you take some of the pressure off of yourself to have all of the right answers and you empower your people to step up.

Focus on what you are learning instead of what you are doing (from Carol Dweck)

This is something Carol Dweck talks about in her great book, Mindset. Shifting your thinking this way allows you to make mistakes because you see them as an inevitable part of the learning process. In other words you don’t focus on the mistake you made, you focus on what you learned instead.

Practice positive self-talk

I play competitive chess and racquetball and whenever I get a chess puzzle wrong or miss a shot in racquetball by default self talk tends to be “you idiot, how could you do that?” Sometimes I say these things out loud and if my wife is around to hear it she will say, “don’t talk to my husband that way.” I’m constantly trying to improve my self-talk to be more positive and encouraging, saying things like “you can do it” or “what did you learn from that?” How you talk to yourself makes all the difference in the world and you can lift yourself up or put yourself down, which one will it be?

Repeat things and know your stuff

Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” I remember when I gave my first talk over 15 years ago, I was terrified and wearing an oversize suit. But over the years the more I started to give talks the more confident and better I got. As a leader, sometimes it’s good to keep putting yourself into that uncomfortable zone until you eventually become comfortable with it. The second piece to this is “know your stuff.” In my recent book I interviewed over 140 CEOs and teamed up with LinkedIn to survey over 14,000 people. One of the reasons I did this was to actually have data and support for my ideas. My previous book on employee experience looked at 252 companies. Do your homework and make sure you have the support needed for your ideas and conclusions. If I walk into a boardroom and present something to an executive team, I know that I have the data and research to back up whatever I’m saying.

I hope you find these tips helpful. These are all things I practice myself on a regular basis. Do you have another tip you want to share with me?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How COVID-19 is Affecting Workplace Practices https://thefutureorganization.com/how-covid-19-is-affecting-workplace-practices/ Wed, 09 Sep 2020 10:17:17 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33972 COVID-19 has put a lot of stress on businesses and individuals around the world. It has undoubtedly changed how billions of people around the world live. But at the same time, it has also changed how we work and is causing us to rethink "the future of work."

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COVID-19 has put a lot of stress on businesses and individuals around the world. It has undoubtedly changed how billions of people around the world live. But at the same time, it has also changed how we work and is causing us to rethink “the future of work.”

From a business context, this global tragedy is forcing organizations to evolve their workplace practices quickly. Companies that perhaps didn’t believe in flexible work options or didn’t have remote work programs in place are now telling their employees they must work from home. And in order to stay productive and keep the business running, these organizations are being forced to quickly adopt workplace flexibility policies. That also means they are upgrading their technology to give employees the tools and resources to work remotely, such as internal collaboration tools, web conferencing capabilities, and security measures to share and protect information.

It’s been rather fascinating to see organizations accomplish in a few weeks what they have been trying to do for several years.

I put together a video which talks about this in more detail below.

Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The mass movement to remote work to protect employees is also forcing organizations to rethink their approach to leadership. Leaders still need to lead employees, even if they can’t see them or now oversee dispersed teams. In many cases, that means evolving how leaders engage with and motivate their teams.

In many ways, this horrible event is a wake-up call for organizational practices and policies that companies need to think of in terms of leadership, technology, workplace flexibility, security, and more.

  1. Organizations that never had flexible work programs now do.
  2. Leaders who didn’t believe in and practice things like emotional intelligence are now being forced to.
  3. The idea of putting people before profits is becoming more widely adopted.
  4. Employee experience is becoming more crucial than ever.
  5. Organizations are upgrading the technologies that employees use to get work done.
  6. Agility and The Mindset of the Explorer are becoming crucial.

Although it has come out of a terrible situation, COVID-19 is forcing us to redefine what it means to work and lead.

Through dark and tough times there is always the creation of something new. My big fear is that when we do get through this organizations around the world will simply get back to the old ways of doing things.

It’s going to be up to us as leaders and employees to make sure that doesn’t happen.

I’m filled with optimism and hope that we will finally focus on creating organizations around the world where people WANT not where they NEED to show up to work each day.

Let’s create the future of work we want to see!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post How COVID-19 is Affecting Workplace Practices first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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National Grid CEO Shares Three Ways To Be A Successful Future Leader -John Pettigrew https://thefutureorganization.com/national-grid-ceo-shares-three-ways-to-be-a-successful-future-leader-john-pettigrew/ Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:26:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33924 National Grid CEO Shares Three Ways To Be A Successful Future Leader

Before becoming CEO of British multinational electricity and gas utility company National Grid, John Pettigrew worked for the company for 25 years. He joined National Grid straight out of college in the early 1990s, when electricity and gas production was drastically different than it is today. To say he has seen the industry and his company change over the course of his career would be an understatement. But John knows that successful leaders anticipate change and are able to adapt quickly.

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National Grid CEO Shares Three Ways To Be A Successful Future Leader 

Before becoming CEO of British multinational electricity and gas utility company National Grid, John Pettigrew worked for the company for 25 years. He joined National Grid straight out of college in the early 1990s, when electricity and gas production was drastically different than it is today. To say he has seen the industry and his company change over the course of his career would be an understatement. But John knows that successful leaders anticipate change and are able to adapt quickly.

Today, National Grid provides electricity and gas to more than 10 million customers across the United Kingdom and the northeastern United States and is one of the largest investor-owned utility companies in the world. John oversees more than 23,000 global employees pushing for sustainable natural utilities.

I had the chance to talk with John for my book The Future Leader. From the changes he has seen and led over his nearly 30 years at National Grid, John told me three things future leaders must do to be successful in the next decade and beyond.

Pivot Regularly

John is a prime example of leading a company through change. During his tenure at National Grid, the company has merged, acquired new companies, consolidated areas, and developed new products and departments. But that amount of change isn’t any different from what other companies and leaders will face—the key is how leaders respond to change.

John told me this: “Change and disruption are becoming commonplace. Leaders will therefore need to be able to do things quickly and will need to pivot regularly, meaning they will need to be agile.”

Pivoting regularly could be switching directions to go down a road with new technology. It could be adapting to what customers want or where the industry is going. All industries are being disrupted. Leaders who aren’t agile run the risk of being disrupted instead of leading companies that are disrupting others.

To pivot regularly, John says future leaders must have skills in agility, problem solving, and life-long learning and development. They must be physically and mentally resilient, which means taking care of themselves and looking after their teams’ wellbeing. Employees can pivot and adapt much more easily when they are in a good mental state and feel engaged at work instead of feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the future.

Leverage Technology And Collaboration

John is a champion of remote and flexible work and sees it as the future of the workplace. We’re already seeing this with countless companies encouraging their employees to work from home indefinitely after the COVID-19 pandemic. But remote teams are only effective with the right technology and collaboration tools. Leaders must know how to use different communication channels to bring people together and motivate their teams.

Future leaders won’t shy away from automation, especially in routine tasks that can help the organization run more efficiently. Even with automation, John believes people will continue to play a key part in delivering solutions for customers and stakeholders. Teams must be able to come together to solve problems quickly and effectively, which means not only being united towards a common goal but also having the collaboration tools to make it possible.

Effective collaboration comes from bringing together people with different backgrounds and ideas to create cohesive solutions. Future leaders need to celebrate diversity and inclusion and bring people together. The workforce of the future will be even more dynamic than it is now, meaning that employees will often move between companies. To be effective, leaders must know how to quickly connect with and motivate a diverse group of people, many of whom may only be with the company for a short time.

Lead as a Role Model 

Leaders of the future will lead under a microscope and must be examples to their employees and customers. National Grid focuses on developing future leaders who are customer-focused and make smart decisions to meet customers’ expectations.

“The fast paced and significant technological and societal shifts we are all experiencing create complexity,” John said. “Leadership is about embracing that complexity and the ambiguity it creates and helping those you lead look ahead and navigate it so you and they can seek opportunities to influence positive change.”

Leaders are also responsible for creating an environment where employees and teams can collaborate and thrive. John says it is crucial for leaders to have regular constructive conversations to hold themselves and their teams accountable. As leaders set the tone for their organizations, other leaders will follow suit and develop an open and forward-thinking culture.

How Can You Develop In These Three Areas?

  • Take calculated risks to pivot your company as needed
  • Practice self-care to become mentally strong and resilient
  • Understand collaboration tools and use them frequently to bring teams together
  • Create diverse teams with different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view
  • Find ways to apply automation in your organization, even on small, mindless tasks
  • Establish regular construction conversations with employees

In the future of work, the only constant is change. Leaders will need to adopt the skills to pivot regularly, leverage technology and collaboration and lead as a role model to move their organizations to continual success.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post National Grid CEO Shares Three Ways To Be A Successful Future Leader -John Pettigrew first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How the Co-Founder of Home Depot Built a Multi-Billion Dollar Company by Putting People First https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-co-founder-of-home-depot-built-a-multi-billion-dollar-company-by-putting-people-first/ Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:39:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33880 Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, a home improvement retail chain which today has a market capitalization of over 300 billion and over 400,000 employees. Arthur is also the author of the new book, Good Company, which comes out on September 15. Arthur has been named one of the world’s 100 greatest living business minds by Forbes in 2017, Executive of the Year 2018 by Sports Business Journal, and one of the 50 most influential people in Sports 2016, 2017, and 2018 by Sports Business Journal.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Arthur_Blank_Podcast_-_DONE.mp3

Arthur Blank Transcript

Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, a home improvement retail chain which today has a market capitalization of over 300 billion and over 400,000 employees. Arthur is also the author of the new book, Good Company, which comes out on September 15. Arthur has been named one of the world’s 100 greatest living business minds by Forbes in 2017, Executive of the Year 2018 by Sports Business Journal, and one of the 50 most influential people in Sports 2016, 2017, and 2018 by Sports Business Journal. 

Arthur owns the Atlanta Falcons NFL  team and the Atlanta United Soccer team. His family businesses also include the nationwide PGA Tour Superstore, three ranches in Montana, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium which hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. Under his leadership The Home Depot was voted America’s most socially responsible company in 2001.

How Home Depot Came to Be

Back in the 1970s Arthur and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus were working together as employees of Handy Dan, one of the first home improvement retail chains. They were both fired in 1978, but they both knew they wanted to stay in the business of home improvement and so they decided to create their own store that could compete with Handy Dan, which was very successful at that time. 

In 1979 Arthur and Bernie started their first four stores in Atlanta, Georgia. As Arthur puts it, it was “a large warehouse, no frills, downmarket store, low prices, great service, great services, etc”. With those four initial stores they tested to see if their model would work. They really listened to their customers to find out what they wanted more of or less of, how the service was, how the hours were, etc…And they kept the things that were good and tweaked the things that needed work.

In 1981 they went public and opened up four more stores in Florida. A lot of people, including the executive VP of Goldman Sachs at the time, thought there was no way they could make their model scale across different states and so many stores. Fortunately, they were wrong. Arthur and Bernie had not only found a way to create a great culture, but they also found out how to keep it consistent across multiple stores and locations.

The secret to success 

Arthur and Bernie had found a way to not just have a successful business, but they were able to compete, and eventually surpass, companies that had been around for decades. Why? 

Arthur says, “I will tell you the conclusion I’ve come to is the only way we can do this, because I basically agree the culture is really the reason– it wasn’t really so much the products, or the pricing, or the assortment– all of that was terribly important, but the underpinnings all of what we did was this culture that was unique. That we only can do that if we begin promoting people based on culture first, not could they literally just write it down and make a list, etc, etc. But do they live it? Are they ambassadors for it? Do they represent our values day in, day out? And if the answer was yes to those questions, they were ready to be promoted as a store manager, district manager, district manager or whatever it may be”.

They knew that culture was the most important thing. That if the employees were happy at work, engaged, and well trained they would provide top notch service to the customers. They also knew they had to actively listen to customers and employees to continue to adapt. While other chains that had been around for 20, 30, 50 or more years continued to operate in the same ways without innovating or changing. 

From the time they started Arthur and Bernie knew they had to have core values in place. Those values were: put people first, listen and respond, include everyone, innovate on a continuous basis, lead by example, and give back to others. And those values weren’t just words that were written in the employee handbook or on the walls. They were values that everyone inside the company had to live and breath every day. And they were the guiding factors in who got hired and who got promoted. That is what has set them apart. 

What most leaders get wrong today

Arthur shares that successful leaders are ones that have a set of values and stick to them. They consistently lead based on those values–they are able to live those values out and articulate them to others. 

The problem, Arthur says, is that a lot of leaders today just want to send out a memo every other day reminding employees about the company values, yet they themselves don’t live them out. In order to be a great leader you have to not just talk the talk, you have to walk the talk as well. They have to lead by example, roll their sleeves up and set the pace for the organization. 

He also says leaders need to walk in the footsteps of your frontline employees. Don’t just read about how things are going, go down once and a while and experience yourself. That’s when ideas will come and things can adapt and change. Don’t just sit in your office passing down commands and reading reports. Get out and interact with everyone. 

The marriage of purpose and profit  

It seems that a lot of leaders feel that purpose and profit are mutually exclusive. You can focus on one of them or the other, but you can’t put both first. Yet, Home Depot seems to have mastered how to focus on both. 

Arthur says that it is more important now than ever to focus on both, because people are demanding it. Especially younger people, they want to be associated with companies who are sustainable that will be around for a long time, but they also want to be a part of something that is doing good. They want to be a part of organizations that are profitable, but also ones that give meaning and purpose to the work individuals are doing. 

Arthur believes the companies that want to win the best talent must find a way to focus on both profit and purpose. 

Leading by example 

Arthur is a leader that lives out the value of leading by example. And he has a lot of great stories of how he and other leaders have lived this value out. 

One story that shows how Arthur has led by example goes back to the early days of Home Depot. In order to fill their shelves they had a lot of products coming in which arrived in boxes with packing materials and so they ended up with a lot of corrugated materials. They were supposed to have compactors to break the boxes and other materials down to keep the space clear, but the delivery of the compactors was delayed and they didn’t get them until 2 or 3 weeks after they opened.

At one point there was so much material that there wasn’t any room to receive any more merchandise and everyone was working to get it cleared out. Instead of staying in his office and letting others clean it all up, Arthur rolled up his sleeves and started working on clearing it all up. In fact he ended up staying for 24 hours in the store cleaning up so they could have more room to accept more boxes. 

Another employee saw Arthur working nonstop and went to the store manager and said “You know, there’s this nut in the back. He’s been here for 24 hours, hasn’t left, he’s compacting all this stuff so we can get more merchandise up on the shelves. I mean, I don’t know who he is, but you ought to consider him for a promotion sometime”. And the manager had to let the employee know that Arthur was one of the founders. No one expected someone that high up to be down there working that hard. 

Arthur gave another story of how to lead by example. And this one is about the CEO of the stadiums Arthur and his family own, Steve Cannon. And Steve makes it a regular practice to go and do the work of the frontline associates. In fact he has a program in place called, you walk in my shoes. And one day he was working at a concession stand and while working there he noticed that the french fries were packaged in a way that caused one third of the fries to fall out. As a result of working in the shoes of frontline associates he was able to pinpoint a major problem and fix it to create a better customer service. 

That’s something that probably wouldn’t have been noticed unless he was able to experience it himself. 

Arthur also shared a time when he was at his guest ranch and was having a drink at the bar there and he overheard a customer talking about how a toilet was clogged up in the bathroom. Arthur went into the bathroom and fixed not just one but two toilets. And by the way, he didn’t tell anyone about it. He did it quietly and without complaint. But employees noticed and they were shocked that the owner would be fixing toilets. 

Why did Arthur do it? He says, “to me it wasn’t a big deal I just you know, I didn’t tell our guests because it’s not important but you know it’s important for the associates to feel there was no job beneath me. No job beneath that leader wherever it may be. That I’m there with them. I’m side by side with them.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post How the Co-Founder of Home Depot Built a Multi-Billion Dollar Company by Putting People First first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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14 Principles Of The Future Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/14-principles-of-the-future-organization/ Thu, 03 Sep 2020 14:24:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33629 I'm willing to bet that your company does not look or operate the same way today as it did a few months ago.

Even without COVID, our organizations are changing and evolving, which is a good thing.

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I’m willing to bet that your company does not look or operate the same way today as it did a few months ago.

Even without COVID, our organizations are changing and evolving, which is a good thing.

Over the past few months I’ve written a series of articles exploring topics like The Future of Work, The Evolution of Leaders, The Evolution of the Employee, and the Ten Principles of The Future Leader.

Today I want to introduce the 14 Principles of the Future Organization which was something I originally developed for my previous book, The Future of Work. The concepts in that book are just now becoming mainstream.

We are seeing an amazing evolution around how we work, how we lead, and how we structure our companies.

These are the 14 Principles of the Future Organization

Globally distributed with smaller teams

We are absolutely seeing a shift away from organizations “command and conquering” to instead focusing on small and more widely distributed teams around the world, especially as a result of COVID. Even before COVID it wasn’t unusual to see a single employee working in a remote location just so the company can say they have an “office” there. Talent is no longer dependent on proximity to the corporate headquarters.

Organizations like Amazon are also implementing the famous “two pizza rule.” If a team can’t be fed by two large pizzas, then the team is too big!

Connected workforce

A company cannot have a distributed workforce unless that workforce is able to stay connected with the right people and information; anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This means deploying the right collaborative technologies that enable this to happen. Technology is the central nervous system of any organization and EVERY company today is a technology company. I wrote about this in a previous article called The 12 Principles of Collaboration.

Intrapreneurial 

The same spirit, passion, and creativity that entrepreneurs have must also be fostered inside of organizations. Employees should be able to test out ideas, run experiments, pitch new projects, and “run” with the ones that have potential. They need to have the scrappiness and resourcefulness that entrepreneurs have.

Operates like a small company

A small company makes decisions quickly, isn’t bogged down by bureaucracy, and is more agile and adaptable. In a rapidly changing world organizations cannot operate as their stereotypical “larger selves” where employees spend all their time checking emails, having meetings about having meetings, and basically operating at the speed of sludge.

Focuses on “want” instead of “need”

Organizations used to assume that employees worked there because they needed to. Today, talented employees are seeing all sorts of opportunities to make a living beyond traditional employment. This means that in order to attract top talent organizations must create an environment where employees actually WANT to be there instead of assuming that they NEED to be there. This is done via employee experience.

Adapts to change faster

Today, “late followers” means “out of business.” Years ago it was acceptable to see what other companies were doing and being a “fast follower,” not so today. Decisions have to made faster and actions need to be more swift. This isn’t just an adaptation to technology either, new behaviors entering the workforce are also crucial to pay attention to and embrace. Remember, that things will never be as slow as they are now.

Innovation everywhere

Innovation no longer comes from a team, a department, or from a few people at the top of the food chain. In order to succeed in a rapidly changing world innovation must have the ability to come from anywhere including outside of the company. “Idea” and “innovation” are also two different things. Ideas happen all the time but the process of taking that idea and turning into something is innovation. Does your organization enable anyone to come forward with an idea and then give them the opportunity to turn that idea into something?

Runs in the cloud

On-premise technologies have a shelf life and their days are surely numbered. How much longer do you think your company can sustain it’s on-premise deployments before falling behind every single other competitor that is able to adapt to technological change faster than you? Three years? five years? Maybe ten years? Stall as much as you want but the “future organization” runs in the cloud.

More women in senior leadership roles

There are nowhere near enough women in senior leadership roles at companies around the world. This means that most companies are missing out a talent pool that brings with it a new set of skills, mindsets, and perspectives. Consider that women have the majority of purchasing power, will soon become the majority of the world’s population, will soon earn more than men, and will quite frankly end up crushing it over the next few years, more than they are now! The forward thinking organizations recognize the value of having more women in senior level roles and are taking actions to help encourage and support this.

Flatter structure

No organization that I am aware of has ever embarked on a journey to create a more hierarchical structure with more layers, more management, more bureaucracy, and less collaboration. Yet this is the stereotypical idea of what a strict hierarchy looks like and how it operates. Some structure within an organization is good but there needs to be a balance between being completely flat and being a pyramid. In other words, structure is fine provided that it serves the purpose of helping employees understand where they fit within the company and what the relationship structure looks like. However, this structure doesn’t mean that everything flows “top down.” Communication and collaboration flows up, down, and side to side.

Tells stories

Oftentimes organizations focus on telling stories to customers to build relationships with them, to elicit an emotional response, align with customer values, and get them to buy something. But it’s also crucial to tell stories to employees as well. Employees want to work for organizations that they believe in and whose values align with their own there is no better way to do this than through telling stories about how the company started, why it exists, and where it’s going. Telling stories is also crucial for purpose and meaning.

Democratizes learning

In most companies today, if you want to learn something you have to book a class or a training session, oftentimes days or weeks in advance. Learning is a very structured and linear process which is completely outdated today. Most corporate learning management systems are virtually obsolete and the content stored on them is scripted, boring, and dated.For the future organization any employee is able to act as a teacher or student that can learn from colleagues anytime and anywhere. Of course, this is largely facilitated through the use of collaborative technologies.

Shifts from profits to prosperity

Profit is just the financial gain that an organization receives and it’s the primary measure of success for most of them. Prosperity on the other hand looks beyond just how much money a company makes and looks at things such as employee health and wellness, community involvement, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and making a positive impact on the world. These are the values and attributes that the future organization must and will possess.

Adapts to the future employee and the future manager

It goes without saying that the organization of the future must adapt to the changes we are seeing around how employees work and how managers lead. Both of these are things discussed in previous posts which were mentioned above.

How many of these 14 principles does your organization put into practice?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post 14 Principles Of The Future Organization first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Are You Finding Time To Be Curious? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-finding-time-to-be-curious-2/ Wed, 02 Sep 2020 15:08:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33571 I'm super busy...like ultra super crazy busy!

I have kids to take care of, a business to turn, clients to work with, a wife to keep happy, dogs that need to be walked, a team of people I need to lead, plus there's looking after the house, helping with meals, bed times, etc.

I'M TOO BUSY TO DO ANYTHING ELSE!!!!

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I’m super busy…like ultra super crazy busy!

I have kids to take care of, a business to turn, clients to work with, a wife to keep happy, dogs that need to be walked, a team of people I need to lead, plus there’s looking after the house, helping with meals, bed times, etc.

I’M TOO BUSY TO DO ANYTHING ELSE!!!!

If you’re like most people you often get caught up in the day to day aspect of work and life.

Let’s face it, life in general is tough and in today’s world it’s darn near impossible. BUT, I want to encourage you to still find time to be curious. I know it’s hard, but it’s crucial.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Curiosity keeps you engaged, teaches you new things, helps you grow personally and professionally, makes sure stay relevant in a rapidly changing world, allows you to solve problems and identify opportunities, and…it’s fun.

Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

It’s the curious people who shape the future.

But how can you give yourself time to be curious when you are barely keeping your head above water?

It comes down to making time to be curious. For most people, it takes real effort to set aside our daily tasks and allow our minds to wander and think of new possibilities.

Here are five ways to make time to be curious.

Schedule it in

The most basic tactic is to simply schedule time to be curious. If it’s on your calendar, you’re more likely to actually do it. Scheduling in curiosity time can come in many forms, from giving yourself a few minutes to step away from your responsibilities to finding a new hobby or creative outlet. You don’t have to block out hours at a time — even just a 15-minute block can make a difference. And the more you schedule time to be curious, the more you’ll find yourself naturally becoming more curious.

I don’t do meetings on Mon, Wed, and Friday’s and I don’t schedule anything before 11am on Tues and Thurs. Not everyone controls their schedule, I get it. But you can still schedule some quiet or alone time for yourself each day. It’s an important practice.

Watch or read something new

Get out of your rut and watch a new movie or show you wouldn’t typically watch. Find a documentary, TED Talk, or podcast on a subject you know nothing about. Read a book in a genre you don’t typically read or a non-fiction book about something completely new. Let your mind ask questions as you read and wonder about the things you see.

A simple place to start is by looking at things tangentially related to your area of expertise or by exploring things you are passionate about or interested in.

Let your mind wander

Give yourself time to simply relax and let your mind be free. For some people this means meditation, while others let their mind wander while they spend time outside or exercising. Have you ever had a great idea while you were in the shower or while you were doing something completely unrelated to work?

Chances are these ideas pop into your head precisely because you aren’t thinking about work and you are letting your mind wander. Personally, I get all sorts of great ideas while I’m exercising or playing chess.

Forget your to-do list and let your thoughts go wherever they want. You might find yourself on a completely new thought or question then where you originally began.

Explore with a partner

You might need the buddy system to become more curious. If you’re afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, try doing it with a friend. Find a new hobby or explore somewhere new together. Even just walking in someone else’s shoes can open your mind to new perspectives and curious possibilities.

My wife and I team up frequently when looking to explore new business ideas, new movies or shows to watch, places to visit, foods to try, or just things we want to do. It’s easier for both of us to step outside of our comfort zone together because we can provide support and encouraged for each other.

Talk to new people

Most of us fall into the trap of simply searching online when we have a question, getting the answer, and moving on. Instead, try talking to new people. Find someone who is an expert or who can answer your questions and have a real conversation with them. You’ll likely go beyond where your internet search would have taken you. Talk to people wherever you go, listen to their ideas, and think of things from their point of view.

One of the reasons why I started my podcast was precisely because I wanted to speak with and learn from people who have diverse experiences, ideas, backgrounds, and insights. To this day it has been one of the best things I have done for my personal and professional life.

People are naturally curious, but those tendencies often get squashed and replaced by to-do lists and busyness. Finding time to tap into your natural curiosity and building the skill can drive your personal creativity and innovation and help you create the future of work.

In my new book, The Future Leader, I talk about this as The Mindset of the Explorer.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman Says Leaders Must Have A Deeper Sense Of Purpose https://thefutureorganization.com/former-unilever-ceo-paul-polman-says-leaders-must-have-a-deeper-sense-of-purpose/ Tue, 01 Sep 2020 12:00:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33516 Paul Polman has been through it all—he became CEO of a struggling multinational corporation during the height of the recession, survived a terrorist attack in Mumbai and has led global task forces and committees. Each of those experiences have contributed to his unique perspectives, but they don’t define him as a leader. His strong leadership is driven by a deeper sense of purpose, which Paul says is the most important attribute of a leader.

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Paul Polman has been through it all—he became CEO of a struggling multinational corporation during the height of the recession, survived a terrorist attack in Mumbai and has led global task forces and committees. Each of those experiences have contributed to his unique perspectives, but they don’t define him as a leader. His strong leadership is driven by a deeper sense of purpose, which Paul says is the most important attribute of a leader.

I had the chance to interview Paul for my book The Future Leader, and he told me this: “I have always passionately believed that the single most important attribute of a leader is to be driven by a deeper sense of purpose.”

Think about that—more than any other attribute a leader can have, Paul believes the most important one is a deeper sense of purpose.

Unilever has more than 155,000 employees around the world and annual revenue of more than $51 billion, but creating a sense of purpose is top priority. The company has put more than 34,000 employees through an interactive workshop on purpose and meaning that helps them create an individual purpose statement that connects to the purpose of the company as a whole. To do that, employees dig deep to discover what motivates them and drives their actions, which can be anything from personal values to past experiences.

A deeper sense of purpose can manifest itself in many ways, but here are three areas leaders can show their sense of purpose:

Doing Good 

A deeper sense of purpose is rooted in the idea of serving people, both those in your immediate reach and people around the world.

“You have to connect with the people and world around you, commit to a cause bigger than your own self-interest and, crucially, put yourself to the service of others,” Paul said.

Paul believes doing good and connecting with people is especially important in our modern era where trust has given way to skepticism and cynicism. It’s easier to be cynical, but leaders must combat the natural tendencies of others by being self-aware and emotionally intelligent.

Paul became the CEO of Unilever at the height of the 2008 financial crisis and stepped in to lead a struggling company. He credits much of his success in turning the company around to focusing on social responsibility and doing good in his community. Paul is a strong believer that businesses can’t survive if societies fail, which is shown through Unilever’s significant contributions to societies and economies around the world. The company and its employees use their skills and resources to make the world better by providing resources and supplies to developing economies and local philanthropies.

Authenticity

Successful leaders are impactful because they are authentic and true to themselves. They are guided by their personal values and stay true to those principles.

Paul believes authenticity also helps leaders build meaningful relationships. When leaders are true to themselves, it invites other people to let their walls down and be true to themselves as well, which creates strong bonds. Without authenticity, most workplace relationships are superficial, which is detrimental to collaboration, communication, and development.

Authenticity comes from caring about people and putting them first. Paul and his team were attending a business dinner in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 2008 when the hotel was attacked by terrorists. They were trapped for hours as attacks raged across the city, but people in the hotel came together to protect each other. That experience reinforced to Paul that people are good, and he showed that himself by returning to the hotel a few months later with other team members to serve dinner to the hotel staff as a way to say thank you and get closure. Being authentic means showing genuine emotion and demonstrating that people are important through your words and actions.

Resiliency

The world is changing at a breakneck speed, and the challenges that future leaders will face often aren’t even on our radars today. Paul is a strong believer that future leaders must be adaptable and resilient. They must have the courage to experiment and learn from disruption and to fail, recover, and envision the future.

A strong sense of purpose builds resilience. When leaders know what they are working for and envision long-term goals, they aren’t bogged down by temporary setbacks. They can quickly bounce back from failure and learn from their mistakes because their eyes are focused on their deeper purpose.

Resiliency also helps build patience and helps leaders look at the big picture instead of getting stuck thinking with a quarterly mindset.

How can you develop a deeper sense of purpose?

  • Create your individual purpose statement. Why do you do what you do? What’s your vision for the future?
  • Do good in your company, your community, and the world. Find a way to give back and be an example, even if it is just a small act of kindness.
  • Be authentic and show real emotion to build relationships. Talk openly with your colleagues and listen to their responses.
  • Set long-term goals and practice resiliency when challenges arise.

Of all the many skills for future leaders, former Unilever CEO Paul Polman believes a deeper sense of purpose is the most important. Developing that sense of purpose every day strengthens other skills that are vital for the future. Get out there and find your purpose!

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman Says Leaders Must Have A Deeper Sense Of Purpose first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How Leaders Can Win Today and Tomorrow: Insights from Former Honeywell CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-win-today-and-tomorrow-insights-from-former-honeywell-ceo/ Mon, 31 Aug 2020 08:20:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33455 David Cote is the former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the bestselling book, Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term.

During his time at Honeywell David fixed a toxic work culture and grew the company’s market capitalization from around 20 billion to 120 billion, delivering returns of 800%. Currently David is Executive Chairman of Vertiv Holdings Co, a global data center products and services provider.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/David_Cote_Podcast_-_DONE.mp3

David Cote Transcript

David Cote is the former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell and author of the bestselling book, Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term.

During his time at Honeywell David fixed a toxic work culture and grew the company’s market capitalization from around 20 billion to 120 billion, delivering returns of 800%. Currently David is Executive Chairman of Vertiv Holdings Co, a global data center products and services provider. He is a member of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group on Foreign Relations and the Conference of Montreal.

David’s journey to being CEO is anything but ordinary. He nearly quit high school, because although he was good at school, he hated it. He ended up sticking with it and became the first one in his family to graduate high school. David was accepted to the University of New Hampshire, but decided he didn’t want to pursue college so he went to work as a mechanic with his dad in a small garage.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

After that job didn’t pan out he went to Michigan to work as a carpenter with his uncle, but learned he wasn’t good at that either. So he enlisted in the Navy for six years on a nuclear submarine. The day before he was supposed to swear in he called the chief petty officer and asked what would happen if he didn’t show up. And although the chief petty officer made it sound almost impossible to get out of, when David realized cops wouldn’t just show up at his door and arrest him, he made the decision not to go.

After that David decided to go to college, but after two years there the Assistant Dean of Students told him he could no longer live on campus because he was too much of a troublemaker. So, needing some money, David decided to get a job working second shift while going to school, which he did for 6 months, when a buddy of his invited David to come work with him on a fishing boat in Maine.

Because he was spending so much time on the boat he ended up doing very poorly in school, so he decided to quit. He ended up getting married and one month later his wife was pregnant with their first child. David says this is the moment he realized he had to do something, he had to get direction and stay focused. He was scared he wouldn’t have enough money to raise their child. And from that moment on he had a purpose and a focus that has brought him to where he is now.

Becoming the leader of an organization with a toxic culture
David remembers the first days as CEO of Honeywell very vividly, and they were not very pleasant. He says there were some things that were fairly straightforward at first–introductions to employees, doing a lot with the press, etc.. But there was another part of those first days that really took David by surprise.

He was instructed by the board early on to not focus on any numbers or the financials until he became Chairman four and a half months later. He would be in meetings and he would ask a finance guy, “so how’s the quarter going?” and they would respond with, “Dave, I’ve been instructed not to answer any of those questions from you”. He said it got very weird.

Then when he became chairman he realized why they were keeping it all from him. David says, “The aggressive bookkeeping was, I’d say unhealthy to be conservative. You look at it over a previous decade, we only generated 69 cents of cash for every dollar of income we ever generated, which gives you a sense for the bookkeeping. We have a severely underfunded pension plan. That also had aggressive accounting. We had environmental liabilities that 100 years old, chemical company has that had never been addressed, nor recorded. And we had exposure to asbestos in two areas, none of which had been recorded or addressed”.

Things looked bad. And on top of all of the financial and legal issues they also had three warring cultures inside the organization. David knew he had to bring all of the cultures together under one new culture. In a few days David and his team developed a new culture, which they ended up calling the 12 behaviors. He knew that he had to have a culture where people work together and actually act on strategic decisions before any strategies could be put into place to fix the accounting and legal issues.

There were people who were thankful for the new way of doing things, but there were others who pushed against it because they were used to doing things a certain way. David knew that in order to make the new culture stick, he had to be firm and not give way to anyone trying to push back.

He says, “That’s when you’re in the crucible at that point. Because writing all the values down writing all the behaviors down, that’s the easy part. The tough part is when you get to walk the talk, do you stick with the investment in the seed planting that you talked about? Do you not allow them to do the accounting transaction or the distributor load? And those are the ones where I can say, to a fault, maybe, I never succumbed on any of them. And I would tell them, I want you to make it. You still have to figure out how you either sell more or cut costs, but I’m not going to do this and if you miss it, you miss it, but it’s on you. And I made sure I put in audit practices to make sure that none of this stuff happened. But it’s easy to know whether the accounting happened, distributed loadings a little tougher, you got to do a little more work to find out, was that happening. But once the employees start to see you walk the talk, that’s what starts to change the culture. You can have all kinds of posters and all that, but posters don’t do it. People need to actually see that it’s working that way.”

How David defines leadership
When defining leadership David breaks it down into three crucial elements. Good leaders must:

  • Have the ability to motivate a large group of people–this is the most visible part of the job, but it’s only about 5% of the job
  • They can pick the right direction–too many leaders can sound great, but do they make the right decisions to put the organization on the right path, in the right direction? You may be able to motivate people, but if you spend years wandering around with them instead of having a specific direction to lead them in, your not good for the organization
  • You have to mobilize everyone–So you’ve motivated people, you’ve picked the right direction, now you have to get the whole organization to move there step by step

How to lead in tough times
Leaders today are definitely leading through difficult times, and David has led through his share of challenging times as well. He says one of the toughest times was the great recession of 2008-2009. And he knows how it feels to be in the middle of a crisis and feel like it is the worst one ever. But it is important to realize that while these recessions are unique, there are certain actions that we can take regardless of the situation that can help organizations to survive it.

David’s advice for anyone leading in tough times is:

  • Don’t panic
  • Make sure that you keep thinking independently
  • Never forget to put the customer first
  • Be thinking about the recovery even while you’re in the middle of the recession

Why leaders must focus on short term and long term goals, not just one or the other
One of the main reasons David wrote his book, Winning Now, Winning Later is because he saw that most leaders feel that they have to choose between focusing on the long term or focusing on the short term. Leaders tend to see them as two conflicting things.

But David argues both have to be done at the same time. Because if you are not investing in the long term, eventually the long term becomes the short term and you’re out of gas, you’ve got nothing. Performance in the short term is also a validation of whether your long term plan is any good.

As David shares, “I think it’s a mistake if you pick one or the other. And I oftentimes said, one of the most deadly questions to respond to, is when an employee says something like, Hey, boss, which one do you want me to do? And the answer always has to be I expect you to do both. I want things right. And I want them fast. So I don’t want it to be–I have to choose between the two, I want you to always find a way to accomplish both.”

Advice for people who feel stuck in their job
Some people may read or hear David’s background story of what he went through before he became CEO of Honeywell and they may feel like they are in a similar situation where they feel stuck in a job. Maybe you feel like there is not a clear progression forward in your career. David gives his advice to people in this situation, some things that helped him get to where he is now.

And he breaks this advice up into a few different points. First of all, you have to have performance, and your performance can’t just be okay. You’ve got to be like the top 10%. Where you went to school makes a difference for your first job, after that it is up to how you perform. Be a standout in all you do.

You also need visibility. If you are performing very well, but the person who can do something about your career can’t see it, nothing will happen. So make sure you have visibility. But you have to be careful with this one because you don’t want to go around tooting your own horn or wearing your ambition on your sleeve. It is a delicate balance.

If you have a boss who doesn’t feel that you are performing as well as you think you are, this is where you have to be self aware and figure out is there something you can fix or do you just have a bad boss, which David says happens less often than people think. So learn to be self-aware and realize when there is something you need to fix. We all have issues, and it’s important to know what they are.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Five Signs You Work For A Truly Great Leader https://thefutureorganization.com/five-signs-you-work-for-a-truly-great-leader/ Fri, 28 Aug 2020 03:26:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33303 I've said this many times here...leadership is changing and as a leader you have two choices, you adapt or you get replaced.

I interviewed over 140 of the world's top CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade, and this was the general consensus.

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I’ve said this many times here…leadership is changing and as a leader you have two choices, you adapt or you get replaced.

I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade, and this was the general consensus.

When we speak about the traditional concept of “management,” few people realize that this entire field was designed and developed to maintain the status quo, to avoid and resist change, and to enforce standards, rules, and protocols.

Managers were like juicers and employees were the fruit. The role of a manager was to get every ounce of juice out of their people.

Engagement? Health and well-being? Employee experience? Flexible work programs?

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

There are all relatively novel concepts and ideas. Thankfully we live and work in a new world, things are changing quickly. Nobody wants to be a manager and nobody wants to be managed (in the traditional sense).

What we need are more LEADERS, but this isn’t simply a name or title change, it’s a mindset and skillset change.

So how can you tell if you are working for this new breed of truly great leader?

Well, there are 5 signs to look out for.

Acts Like A Coach

Coaches and mentors are powerful instruments of change. Coaches help us all the time in our personal lives whether it be on the soccer field, in the gym, or in a therapy session. Why shouldn’t we have a coach in the workplace? And who better to be that coach than your leader? Truly great leaders (and I’m not necessarily talking about senior executives) encourage and empower their employees to accomplish their goals the same way a trainer would. These leaders see beyond their official job description to have a genuine and vested interest in the success of their people. These coaches believe in lifting up employees, removing obstacles from their paths, and helping them become more successful than they are. Perhaps the most crucial quality of a great coach is someone who is willing to make you more successful than they are!

Understands Your Weaknesses But Focuses On Your Strengths

It’s easy for us to get hung up on the shortcomings of others. If something doesn’t go as planned, just blame the weaknesses for failure. “Jim isn’t a great designer so we didn’t get the project.” “Brenda isn’t a great speaker so the client didn’t listen to her.”

It’s much harder to look past the weaknesses to instead focus on the strengths that individuals possess. This doesn’t mean simply turning a blind eye to weaknesses, it means understanding that they exist but looking beyond them to focus on what someone is truly good at.

John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches ever, he guided UCLA’s men basketball team to 7 championships…in a row. He understood that you can’t have a team where everyone is an all-star. However, John also knew he had certain players on the team who could only consistently make a basket from a certain part of the court. Instead of trying to get those players to be great shooters from the entire court, he would design plays so that the player would get the ball in the specific part of the court where they had the highest chance of scoring…he focused on their strengths.

Truly great leaders understand the strengths of their employees and they do what they can to make those strengths shine. We see this all the time in sports teams. We need to see more of this in the workplace and it starts with the leaders.

Wants To Know Your Story

Everyone has a story of where they came from, how they got to where they are today, what they care about and value, and what they want their life to look and be like. Your story is what makes you… you.

When I interview business leaders on my podcast, The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan, I always ask them where they came from and how they got to where they are. The stories I hear are truly amazing.

Truly great leaders want to know your story, they want to get to know you as a person not as simply someone who is filling a role on a team. This can be as simple as periodically checking in and saying, “How are you?” to taking employees out for coffee and talking about anything non-work related. Building this relationship is crucial for truly great managers.

Does your leader really know you and your story?

Embraces Vulnerability

Similar to the above, truly great leaders embrace their own weaknesses. They don’t put on the facade of being the all-knowing and all-powerful “leader.” Although they want to know your story, part of embracing vulnerability is leaders being comfortable sharing their story, who they are, their strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears.

All too often we see our leaders act like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde where they have on persona for work and another persona at home. Great leaders have just one persona, it’s their authentic selves.

People don’t want to work for a robot, they want to for a human being and there is nothing more human than being vulnerable. This isn’t a weakness, it’s one of the greatest strengths that a leader can have!

Challenges Convention

Most concepts, ideas, and approaches in our organizations have been around for many decades. Our world has changed so much in the past few years yet our organizations are still stuck in a time warp. I like to say that we live in 2020 but work in 1975.

Just take a look at the impact that things like COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter have had on our organizations and lives. Within a matter of weeks we have had to change and adapt into something that we have been trying to accomplish for decades!

The whole approach of “we’ve always done it like that,” is the quickest way to land yourself out of a job and your company out of business.

Truly great leaders understand that sometimes starting fires is more valuable and important than trying to put them out. These are the leaders who not only ask, “Why are things done this way?” and “how can we do them better?” But they also embrace experimentation and challenging the status quo to come up with something better.

Whether it be getting rid of the annual review, implementing a new workplace practice, introducing a new technology, or redesigning a workplace, great leaders believe in going against the grain!

How many of these 5 things are you and your leaders doing? Share below!

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

Image by lumix2004 from Pixabay

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Smucker’s CEO Shares The Importance Of Mindful Leaders, Empowered Customers, And Engaged Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/smuckers-ceo-shares-the-importance-of-mindful-leaders-empowered-customers-and-engaged-employees/ Tue, 25 Aug 2020 13:59:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32041 Mark Smucker understands the need for leaders to look to the future. Growing up in the Smuckers family, becoming a leader in the family-owned company wasn’t a guarantee. To even be considered for the top role, Mark had to go to college and get experience working in other companies. He spent years getting degrees in international business and working around the world before becoming CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company in 2016. It’s those experiences that taught him the value of leading with a sense of purpose and creating powerful experiences for customers and employees.

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Smucker’s CEO Shares The Importance Of Mindful Leaders, Empowered Customers, And Engaged Employees 

Mark Smucker understands the need for leaders to look to the future. Growing up in the Smuckers family, becoming a leader in the family-owned company wasn’t a guarantee. To even be considered for the top role, Mark had to go to college and get experience working in other companies. He spent years getting degrees in international business and working around the world before becoming CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company in 2016. It’s those experiences that taught him the value of leading with a sense of purpose and creating powerful experiences for customers and employees.

Because Mark prioritizes creating a mindful and purpose-driven company, Smucker’s is regularly ranked as a top global company, even being listed as one of the top employers in the world. I had the chance to interview Mark for my new book, The Future Leader, and he shared powerful thoughts on three groups that drive purposeful companies: mindful leaders, empowered customers, and engaged employees.

Mindful Leaders

Successful future leaders don’t reign with an iron fist—they must practice mindfulness and positivity. According to Mark, a leader’s responsibility is to convey a message of hope and a bright vision for the future.

Mark told me this: “The best leaders are those who lead with a sense of mindfulness, hope, and compassion. They are in tune internally with their own organization. They’re mindful of how their actions or words impact the broader organization.”

Every meeting at The J.M. Smucker Company starts with the team discussing recent successes and positive happenings, which sets a positive tone before jumping into the numbers and the harder side of business.

The company’s 300 top managers are trained in techniques of mindfulness so they can best manage their teams with hope and compassion. But Mark doesn’t just train his managers—he also follows practices of mindfulness daily. He considers all of the decisions he makes with a sincere sense of compassion and empathy. Instead of focusing on numbers and being hardened and cold, Mark focuses on people and how his decisions will impact their lives.

Empowered Customers

A focus on mindfulness goes hand in hand with creating strong experiences for customers. Modern customers are empowered with technology and social media, and that will only continue in the future. The empowered consumer will change industries, especially as they have higher expectations for the level of service should receive. Empowered customers are more informed and connected to brands, and they expect convenient, personalized experiences every day. Mark says that experiences will be more important than brands or products.

Empowered consumers will also have a stronger voice, which future leaders need to listen to. Mark says leaders need to help their organizations understand why they need to adapt to changing customer demands and expectations. He says that listening to customers and giving them power to make strong choices will be one of strongest trends facing future leaders. The voice of consumers as a whole is important, as is the voice of each individual customer. Leaders need to be able to identify the most important forms of data and sort through the noise to deliver great customer experiences.

Mark puts this idea into practice at Smucker’s. Since Mark has been CEO, the company has updated many of its products to match customer demand, including updating some of its popular recipes and adding a pet food line.

Engaged Employees

Leaders don’t create successful companies on their own. As Mark says, mindful leaders connect with their employees and create engaged workers who are invested in moving towards the future vision of the company. To create engaged employees, leaders must be able to convey a strong message and compelling vision. Ultimately, it comes down to the question Why? Why are you in business? Why does you company operate in a certain way?

Mark told me this: “I think organizations are hungrier now than they ever were for understanding why, why we’re changing, why we’re doing this, why our business is challenged. What can we do different? The why is very important.”

For the J.M. Smucker Company, the why is to support family meals and hunger relief and education. That’s the bigger purpose. Every leader needs to be able to state their higher purpose and why. Being able to convey why a company is in business helps employees understand their role in the bigger picture and what they’re working towards. Engaged employees don’t just happen—they become engaged because of leaders who can clearly share a vision and motivate people to get on board and work towards something better.

The way we work is constantly changing, but core leadership principles remain. Mark Smucker shows that leaders who are mindful and care about people while staying connected and finding their why will always be successful.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why Companies Need Digital Transformation, Especially Now https://thefutureorganization.com/why-companies-need-digital-transformation-especially-now/ Mon, 24 Aug 2020 12:55:55 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=33152 Javed Khan is SVP and GM at Cisco Collaboration, a multi-billion dollar division inside of Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT, networking, and cybersecurity solutions. Prior to his current role, Javed ran Cisco’s Cloud Calling business as the VP and General Manager and before that he led the Webex Meetings business unit.

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Javed Khan Transcript

Javed Khan is SVP and GM at Cisco Collaboration, a multi-billion dollar division inside of Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT, networking, and cybersecurity solutions. Prior to his current role, Javed ran Cisco’s Cloud Calling business as the VP and General Manager and before that he led the Webex Meetings business unit.

Just like many organizations around the world, when Covid first started becoming a global issue Cisco had to take action in order to keep business going while also enabling employees to work from home. Because of the products they build, they had some advantages over other companies as they already had communication and collaboration tools everyone was familiar with.

But one challenge they had to overcome was an overnight need for their products from existing and new customers. The demand for their products was suddenly three times bigger in a very short period of time. So as a company they had to hurry to scale very quickly in a time when they also needed to move their workforce out of the offices. It required the team to come together, work a lot of long hours, and support their customers.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

How to create and foster casual interaction with a remote team
Javed and other leaders at Cisco also understood that they needed to support employees in a new way. This new way of working made collaboration and casual interactions with coworkers very different, but leaders at Cisco knew they had to find a way to keep both collaboration and social interaction going, because they are so important. Especially in the times we are facing now when people are anxious, worried, scared, etc…

At Cisco, they have done a few things to keep employees informed, involved, and engaged. First of all the leadership team leads frequent check in calls, this is different from their quarterly all hands meetings where they talk business and give updates. These check in calls are where people can casually hangout, sometimes they talk about social topics relevant at the time, sometimes they have entertainment, and sometimes they bring in external speakers.

They also have small groups that will get together to talk, without an agenda, about anything they want. These are usually on Friday evenings and employees are allowed to include their family in the calls if they want, but they are just casual conversations to allow small groups of employees to catch up and have fun.

The future of the office
With our current events there has been a lot of debate around whether or not employees will go back to working in offices once this is all over. Will everything go back to the way it was, or will office buildings disappear?

Javed believes we will see a hybrid setup post Covid. There will be an increasing acceptance of people working from home and we will have more technological advances that make it possible. But there will still be roles and situations that require working from an office. Some people will be able to work from home 100% of the time, some will have to be in the office 100% of the time, but a lot of people will probably do some kind of hybrid of working from home and occasionally going into the office.

Also, while we have technology to connect with each other and it will only get better, there is no substitute for in-person, face to face interaction.

Digital transformation during Covid
One thing Covid has done for businesses is it has made leaders realize the need for digital transformation. And it has forced companies to go through this transformation very quickly. Where leaders in the past have asked will this technology make us more productive, will it make our lives easier, will it improve our bottom line, etc..Now when thinking about digital transformation they are thinking about it in terms of, will this help me to stay in business.

As Javed shares, “People immediately went into a survive mode, where suddenly these technologies got deployed and tested overnight, and there were some learning pains. But I feel like companies fell into two categories. There were companies who had already started on this journey of enabling remote work. And they had a baseline of the stack already enabled. for them. It was a matter of, Oh, I have 10,000 employees. You know, I have 100 employees who had worked effectively using this, how do we scale it out to the entire corporation, but I already have this baseline technology in place. And there were others who had not started on this journey. And in those cases it took a little bit more work, you know, retraining your employees. But once you got through that initial phase–raise technology and develop product and some of the devices we have, once you go through that initial learning, we were able to get most of the companies up and running pretty quickly. But nothing forced that digitization more than the last few months. We’ve been trying to get people to use video for a long, long time and I think now, video you know, if your video is not on you get reminded–I can’t see you on video.”

 

How to evaluate how employees are doing without an annual review
One thing that Cisco is known for is their unique culture and getting rid of their annual performance reviews. So how do leaders know if employees are engaged and being productive if they don’t have an annual review?

As Javed shares, it is about having ongoing, honest conversations with employees. It is important to check in regularly and let employees know about the good things they are doing, and the things they need to improve on throughout the year, not just on one specific date.

Keeping conversations to once a year makes issues a surprise to employees, and it is hard to remember something that you did 5-6 months ago. Meeting one time a year is not effective and it can damage the manager/employee relationship.

Cisco also understands that keeping company culture consistent is key. Whatever culture you are trying to create, make sure you stick with it through good times and bad. If employees see a change in culture during bad times like we are going through now, they will see right through it and know they can’t trust their leaders.

Advice for people early in their careers
Javed is the leader of a multi-billion dollar division inside Cisco, but he has learned a lot on his way to the top and he has a lot of experience and advice to share with others. When asked his advice for people early on in their career who want to advance, Javed says, be curious and be willing to learn.

He says, “I did not set out to be a manager as an example, I started my career as an engineer and thought I was just going to be coding for most of my life. But as I got in, you know, got into trying out, leading a small team, or learning to lead. I think just being curious and trying those things out has helped me out a lot. The other thing is just learning from other people who do that better. Right. So a big part of me transitioning from an engineer to becoming a leader was watching other leaders motivate and speak and inspire. And while I might have thought that that might be something that I wouldn’t be doing, I think watching them learning from them, then being curious about the techniques and how leaders lead, I think has been a big part of my success. So be thirsty.”

Advice for leaders today
Javed also shared his advice for leaders who want to adapt, stay relevant, and better themselves. And he says his biggest piece of advice is to stay connected with your employees personally. Especially in the difficult times we are in, it is important to know how they are doing, what are they excited about, what are they scared about, how do they feel about work, what do they care about…etc…

“Because the rest of it, I think we’ve got a system and processes in place. You’re able to measure, you’re able to be effective, But in today’s world, I think spending more time with your employees making sure you’re understanding what else is going on, and what else they need beyond just the tools that work, I think is a big part of leadership today. And the biggest learning I’ve had in the last few months, you’d be surprised at how much else is going on in typical person’s lives and how it might be impacting their ability to be productive.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Why Companies Need Digital Transformation, Especially Now first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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10 Principles of the Future Manager https://thefutureorganization.com/10-principles-of-the-future-manager/ Fri, 21 Aug 2020 01:27:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32938 Over the next ten years will have somewhere around 225 million people in the world who are in some sort of managerial capacity, meaning they are responsible for others.

When it comes to the future of work it’s not just employees that are changing, managers are also having to change the ways in which they lead and in fact they are HAVING to become leaders.

These are 10 core principles or characteristics that managers will and must possess going forward. This image is taken from my book, The Future of Work.

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Over the next ten years will have somewhere around 225 million people in the world who are in some sort of managerial capacity, meaning they are responsible for others.

When it comes to the future of work it’s not just employees that are changing, managers are also having to change the ways in which they lead and in fact they are HAVING to become leaders.

These are 10 core principles or characteristics that managers will and must possess going forward. This image is taken from my book, The Future of Work.

Is a leader

There has long been a distinction between managers and leaders. Managers were the dictators and leaders were the visionaries. Going forward a manager MUST be a leader, that is, he or she must earn followers and not command respect. Being a manager is something you earn not something you are assigned to do. A manager cannot be someone placed in a position of power simply because they bring in the most money or are the best at delegating.

Follow from the front

This concept is all about the manager’s responsibility to remove obstacles from the paths of employees. A manager exists to make his or her people more successful not to have his or her people serve them. When a manager follows from the front he paves the way and enables team members to become successful.

Understands technology

Managers don’t need to become experts at every new technology that comes their way. However, now that technology has become such a crucial part of how we live and work it has never been more important for managers to grasp which technologies have the potential to benefit the organization and which new technologies might be coming their way in the near future. A manager must a keep a good pulse on technology.

Leads by example

A manager must be the first person to demonstrate a new behavior, to support a relevant technology, or to embrace a new concept. A manager cannot lead by delegating and ordering, a manager can only lead by demonstrating; they are the guinea pigs, the ones on the front line, and the ones who will help drive change.

Embraces vulnerability

A manager need to be ok with asking for help, admitting when they are wrong or when they don’t know something, and will feel comfortable when team members ask questions and voice their opinions even though they may contradict theirs. Embracing vulnerability is what leads to innovation, it’s about bringing down the stereotypical façade that managers are supposed to have (being robots) and being people. We are already talking about robots replacing many human jobs, let’s not jump the gun by having managers act like “human” robots. Managers must be people.

Believes in sharing and collective intelligence

A manager understands and embraces the fact that they may not have all the answers or make the best decisions nor should they want or be expected to. A manager knows that it is far more effective to rely on the collective intelligence of a team instead of the directions of one. This manager also acknowledges the benefit and value in sharing information instead of hoarding it; something that is largely being made possible with collaborative technologies.

Is a fire starter

Managers are oftentimes credited with having to “put out fires,” but their role should be the exact opposite! Managers SHOULD be fire starters; that is sparking ideas, challenging convention, and experimenting.

Gives real time recognition and feed-back

Any manager worth their weight in salt knows that annual reviews are not effective for either the organization or the team members. Instead managers will focus on providing their team with real time feedback and recognition through collaborative technologies and platforms and through regular, short, periodic check-ins instead of multi-hour long reviews.

Is conscientious of personal boundaries

A manager recognizes that team members have their own space, both digitally and physically. This means respecting those boundaries and being aware of when it is appropriate to “friend” someone through social channels, if/when it’s ok to schedule a 6am meeting or a 10 pm presentation, or if it’s ok to send emails or projects through on the weekends or during vacation time. With our ability to always stay connected managers must remember that connectivity doesn’t always imply availability. A manager must work towards setting expectations that boundaries exist and are respected.

Adapts to the future employee

Managers understand that the way we work and think about work is changing. This means they are open minded and accept change, in fact they encourage it and help drive it.

Managers who stay in an “old way of thinking” will unfortunately be replaced as nobody will want to work for them.

How many of these principles are you and your team members embracing?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

 

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Four Global Crises Businesses Are Facing Today and How to Solve Them https://thefutureorganization.com/four-global-crises-businesses-are-facing-today-and-how-to-solve-them/ Wed, 19 Aug 2020 15:47:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32919 Blair Sheppard is Head of Global Strategy and Leadership for PwC, a global network of firms delivering world-class assurance, tax, and consulting services for businesses. He is also the author of the new book, Ten Years to Midnight: Four Urgent Global Crises and Their Strategic Solutions, which came out on August 4th.

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Blair Sheppard Transcript

Blair Sheppard is Head of Global Strategy and Leadership for PwC, a global network of firms delivering world-class assurance, tax, and consulting services for businesses. He is also the author of the new book, Ten Years to Midnight: Four Urgent Global Crises and Their Strategic Solutions, which came out on August 4th. 

Prior to PwC, Blair spent the majority of his career as a professor at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. During his time there he also served as Founding CEO and Chairman of Duke Corporate Education and as Dean of the school. As Dean, Blair was the primary architect of Duke Kunshan University which opened in 2014. 

Blair was the first recipient of faculty of the year at Fuqua, he received the Business Person of the Year award for Education in 2011 by Triangle Business Journal, and the Eminent Scholar Award from the Institute of Finance at Frankfurt University in 2007. 

The concept behind Blair’s book, Ten Years to Midnight, started with a conversation he had with his boss at the time at PwC. They were discussing the fact that a lot of things in the world were looking dark and gray and they wanted to figure out what the major issues were and what causes were behind them. So they set out to interview people in around 60 countries around the world. They interviewed people from all walks of life–government leaders, heads of business, cab drivers, individuals in coffee shops, etc… And what they found was the whole world was worried about the exact same things. 

So Blair and his team started to research these major issues and what they found was that there are four major crises the world as a whole is facing right now and we have about 10 years to fix them before it is too late. 

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

The crisis of prosperity

As Blair and his team were researching for the book, one thing they found is that due to economic disparity in the world and people put at a disadvantage because of that, a lot of parents feel that their children will be worse off than they are. 

Blair says, “Think about 50% of the retirees in the United States are going to retire with basically no savings, kids graduating from college with a trillion and a half in debt, with a huge tax obligation we just created for them, right. And then people have a job and a mortgage and the kid in school who are likely to lose that job right and have to transition. That group is now collectively saying I’m really worried about the future. And when people stop believing in the future, they stopped dreaming, creating, developing, so we call that sort of a crisis of prosperity.”

The crisis of technology

Another key element we are facing right now is disruption from technology. There are great things that come with advances in technology–medical advances, improved quality of life, availability of valuable information, etc… But there are also negative impacts as well. 

One example Blair points out is social media. While the creators of social media intended their platforms for good, there are negative things that come from it, like increasing suicide rates. Technology also allowed us to create the Industrial Revolution which has brought about an improved quality of life in some aspects, but it has also harmed our environment. 

Aside from these examples there are other growing unintended consequences of ubiquitous technology that we have to fix. 

The crisis of institutional legitimacy

As it is growing clearer by the day, people around the world have lost trust in our institutions. We don’t trust the police force, we don’t trust the tax systems, we don’t trust our education systems, we don’t trust our governments. 

Blair says, “this is the one that worries me the most, by the way, because as soon as you stop trusting the institutions that make our life work, it’s sort of like a fish not trusting water. It just doesn’t work.”

The crisis of leadership

The three previous crises combine to produce this fourth crisis, which is mainly caused by polarization. A lot of times when people lose hope and feel that things are getting worse they blame the people in power. There is just a sheer inability to lead when the world is so fractured and polarized. In order to lead effectively leaders need people to trust them.   

About all four of the crises, Blair says, “The worry we have is that they’re all pretty serious right now. But if we don’t get our arms around them in a decade, they become really ugly, all four of them, all a sudden become really ugly.” So what can we do to start addressing these problems?

Conquering the four crises

In his book, Blair says that what we really need in order to address these issues is new types of leaders to rework our institutions, culture, and our way of thinking. We need leaders who have ingenuity, vision, innovation, energy, focus, and empathy. 

With the prosperity crisis we need to step back and figure out how to get everyone on a level playing field. Lack of access to technology shouldn’t hinder people around the world. But right now there are a lot of people being left behind in the world. And globalization stops working when you have enough places and people in the world that fall behind. 

As Blair shares, “While we’re focusing on being global competitors, we also have to help create thriving local communities. While we’re measuring GDP, we have to look at economic dispersion, how well the whole economy is doing, how well everyone’s doing, and other measures of social well-being, not just financial. And while we’re driving technology, we’ve got to say, have we thought about the unintended consequences of the thing we’re building? It’s sort of like the way we do drug development, right, which is– does it really do what it says, and what are the side effects?”

In regards to the technology crisis, Blair says one thing we have to be mindful of is how technology is impacting work. Will there be more jobs or less jobs in the future? Just like in the Industrial Revolution, the transition will be hard, but what problems can we think through ahead of time? 

There is also a lot to figure out around AI. It can violate privacy and put control in too few hands as well as make decisions that we can’t understand. How can we make sure that we keep it in check? Jobs, AI at scale, and technology making us dumber are all serious negative side effects of technology that we have to navigate as we continue advancing forward. 

When thinking about the technology crisis as individuals it is important to be aware of disruptions that are happening in your industry and be prepared to move if you see signs your job could be eliminated. Be curious and keep on learning new skills and surround yourself with people who are different than you are. Don’t just associate with people who work in your department, branch out and spend time with people in different roles, industries, and parts of the world. 

When addressing the leadership crisis it is important for leaders to understand the main underlying causes of this crisis, which are polarization and distrust in leaders. So they need to find ways to help people come together, to find solutions or compromises and they need to rebuild trust with employees, customers, and communities. It is also crucial that leaders know what the purpose of the company is. Because if you want to innovate inside of your organization you have to know what matters at the core of your business, otherwise it is easy to get lost. 

Blair’s advice for leaders who want to build trust is to be consistent, know what your values are and stay true to them. And in every decision you make, be transparent about what you are doing and explain what you are doing and why. Be very self reflective and self aware and know the impact you are having on people. 

Climate change and small business creation

Along with the four major crises, there are also other issues that are so urgent we can’t wait for them to be fixed. Two of those issues that Blair points out are climate change and creating small business at scale really fast. 

So why should leaders and organizations care about these two issues? With climate change it will impact everyone eventually, including your organization. But if we wait to be personally affected by it, it may be too late. It is also most likely that organizations will be forced to go net zero soon with new policies. So why wait to be forced into it. 

But this will impact your business eventually. Blair says, “There are physical risks associated with climate. So let’s imagine you hold real estate in downtown Miami and the first floor is underwater. You kind of care about it now. Right? Let’s imagine you’re in California and your property sits in front of a mudslide, let’s imagine you own timber, and it’s under fire. And so every business in the world has physical risks associated with climate, and every year they’re going to get worse.”

As for small business creation, a lot of small businesses have been impacted by current events. And every organization, whether they realize it or not, depends on small businesses to thrive. Small business, for a lot of companies, is the first step in the supply chain. So you depend on it. But the owners of these small businesses are also customers of larger companies and if they don’t come back, your revenue stream is going to go down. Small business is a crucial part of our economy. So every leader should be concerned about these two more urgent issues. 

What can leaders do now?

Blair gives a few tips that any leader out there can implement now to start making change.

  • Part one:
    • Look at the direct implications of climate risk on your company and figure out what you can do to get to net zero
    • Take a look at your organization and assess your ability to compete in a platform based world
    • Figure out if you are prepared for the pressures toward localization that we’re going to see
  • Part two:
    • Look at yourself and your leadership team. Are you ready for the three points above and have you invested in those things? 
    • Make sure you have a diverse team with people who are different than you are
  • Part three:
    • Pick a place (a city, a town, a village, etc…) you care about and make it better

“If you are working on making something in the world that’s physical geography better. It will force you to think about all the things you’re not thinking about today that are important for your business. And then when someone comes back and says you’re the bad guy, you’re not. Because you’re actually working the issue. And so it has two positive benefits you actually are helping. And so if I go back to your question, you know, one of our leaders who said, I’m going to worry about Black Lives Matters and diversity. And they did it before it was a big issue. And I think that taught a lot to us as a firm. And it actually puts us in a position where we’re kind of on the right side of the balance sheet when people start judging how you’re doing. And everyone should do that. But really make it better. Don’t fake it. Right? Go after it.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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Become a Better Leader: Stop Hearing and Start Listening https://thefutureorganization.com/become-a-better-leader-stop-hearing-and-start-listening/ Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:00:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32836 It is said that there is no great sign of love and respect that you can show someone then listening to them.

But... listening and hearing are not the same thing.

Hearing is simply the unconscious act of letting sound enter your ear. It require no focus, no attention, and no effort on your end.

Listening on the other is quite the opposite. It is conscious and purposeful and does require your attention, focus, and effort.

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It is said that there is no great sign of love and respect that you can show someone then listening to them.

But… listening and hearing are not the same thing.

Hearing is simply the unconscious act of letting sound enter your ear. It require no focus, no attention, and no effort on your end.

Listening on the other is quite the opposite. It is conscious and purposeful and does require your attention, focus, and effort.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

We have all experienced those conversations where you are speaking with someone but you can tell that they are mentally not there. They are hearing your but they aren’t listening.

Consider the scenario of an employee going to a leader for help or guidance where the employee can tell that the leader isn’t actually listening to them. Think about what that will do to their morale, their confidence, and their engagement, it’s crushing.

With all the technology and distractions we have today, it’s crucial for us to be able to take a step back and really listen to what’s being said. As automation and AI become more prevalent at work, listening is a distinctly human attribute that sets us apart. Robots and technology might be able to hear, but they can’t truly listen.

How do you move from hearing to really listening? Here are three tips:

Practice active listening

Most people can tell when someone is actually listening to them and when they’re distracted and not really paying attention. To practice active listening, eliminate any distractions. Put your phone down, step away from the computer, or go into a quiet room. Make eye contact with the person speaking and show you’re paying attention and interested in what they’re saying. Active listening turns a conversation into a collaboration, not just a one-way street. This means asking follow up questions and focusing on verbal and non-verbal queues which let the other person know you are right there with them.

Try to apply and understand

Shift your mindset to try to find value in what each person says. When you listen to understand, you start to see things from their point of view and can have your horizons expanded. Really focus on how you can understand and apply what the person is saying. The extra effort will increase how well you remember the conversation details in the future and make you a better listener. A part of this is practicing empathy where you try to remember a time when you felt a similar way or experienced a similar situation.

Focus on more than just your response

Many of us fall into the trap of focusing on what we’re going to say next instead of actually listening to the person speaking. I certainly fall into this trap in my personal life! We’re thinking of a counterargument or a point that will make us look good instead of actually focusing on what’s being said and perhaps more important why it’s being said to begin with. If you need to respond to something, set those thoughts aside for a few minutes and focus on just actively listening to the speaker. Then take a few minutes after the conversation to gather your thoughts and craft a response. When you do, also make sure to focus on the issue not on the person.

The old saying, “Hearing is through the ears, listening is through the mind” has never been more true. To thrive in the future, organizations need to stay human, and that starts with employees and leaders who focus on the uniquely human attribute of listening. Listening instead of just hearing turns you into a better employee, leader, and individual. Put these tips into action to stop hearing and start listening.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

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5 Strategies For Working With Leaders Who Don’t Want To Change https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-for-working-with-leaders-who-dont-want-to-change/ Fri, 14 Aug 2020 15:00:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32624 Leadership is changing.

This is the consensus from the over 140 CEOs I interviewed for my book, The Future Leader.

Change is hard, in fact it goes against our very human nature! Nobody wants to be changed.

Don't believe me?

Then why do babies cry whenever you change them?

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Leadership is changing.

This is the consensus from the over 140 CEOs I interviewed for my book, The Future Leader.

Change is hard, in fact it goes against our very human nature! Nobody wants to be changed.

Don’t believe me?

Then why do babies cry whenever you change them?

There are 5 strategies you can use when working with a leader who refuses to change.

If you prefer, you can watch the video I did below and make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel for my content.

Understand their objection

Saying, “my leader won’t change” isn’t an excuse. You need to go one level deeper to understand what the issue is. WHY doesn’t the leader want to change?

Maybe they don’t feel safe to try something new, perhaps they are too focused on being liked by everyone, maybe they are open to change but just don’t know how. Whatever it is, you have to understand the objection so that you know how to talk about it and address it.

I once gave a talk to the executive team at a large oil company on the skills & mindsets from my new book, The Future Leader. After my session one of the executives came to me and said “those are nice ideas but they won’t work on my team.”

“Why not?” I asked, “because we don’t have the time to do this stuff,” he said.

I countered with, “how long do you think this will take?” “A few hours a day at least, he said.”

Finally, I responded with “can you give me just 20-30 mins a day of leadership training, my goal is to get you and your team to improve by just 1% a day.” He hesitated for a minute, and then agreed, and more importantly, everyone else on the leadership team made the same commitment.

Long-story short, I understood his objection and removed it. There is always a WHY behind the objection, find it, and address it.

Honor the past

You must respect and acknowledge where leaders have come from and what they have accomplished. This is something I learned from Frances Frei, the former SVP of Leadership at Uber.

Imagine you spent years of your life doing something a certain way and then someone comes along and says, “Hey, all that stuff you did in the past, it’s garbage, here’s the new stuff you gotta do.” OF COURSE, you are going to fight back on this.

Instead, you need to come at it from, “I acknowledge and respect the successes you have had in your leadership career, let’s build on those together so that you can be just as successful in the new world of work.”

Honoring the past means occasionally referencing and acknowledging it, just like you would with a dearly departed ancestor or family member.

Propose solutions

Years ago I had someone on my team who was quick to point out all the things that I needed to change or do better.

They liked to critique me and my other team members but they never actually proposed solutions for what can be done to improve. That person is no longer working with us.

It’s easy to point out that change needs to happen, anyone can do that. But not everyone can help propose solutions for how to make change happen.

For example, don’t just tell your leader that your company needs to focus more on innovation. Instead, say. “I have some ideas I’d like to test out, can I have an hour each day to work on something that I can then present to you in 2 weeks?”

Don’t complain and say “our corporate culture is terrible.” Instead say, “I don’t think our culture does a good job of putting people first, how about we try putting in some ‘people-metrics’ like diversity and inclusion so that we can look at how well our people are doing as well as how well our company is doing financially.'”

You get the idea…solutions.

Speak their language

Why should a leader change? Will it help with team productivity? Will it boost morale or satisfaction? Will it allow the leader to attract and retain top talent? Will it drive innovation? Understand what the leader cares about and position the change in that context.

For example, before this pandemic started flexible work was a huge issue of contention. Instead of telling a leader, “I want to work from home two days a week” try saying, “if you let me work from home two days a week it will really improve my productivity, engagement levels, and ability to be a better contributor, can we test it out for a few weeks and see how it goes?”

You have to position change in the language the leader will understand and appreciate.

When all else fails

If you have done all of the above and the leader you work with is still stuck in the 80’s and 90’s world of “management” then you have a few last-ditch options.

  1. Do nothing and continue to suffer (not recommended).
  2. Keep working on your leader to get them to change.
  3. Move to another team.
  4. Quit!

Ya, I said it, quit. Get the heck out of there. Life is too short to work for a leader who doesn’t care about you or embrace new ways of working.

This also means that if you’re a leader who doesn’t change, then people should QUIT working for you too.

But you’re not the type of leader to resist change are you? Nope. You’re the type of leader who embraces change, welcomes it even. You understand that what worked in the past won’t work in the future and that we are all a part of a new world of work.

For those of you want to be a future-ready leader and master these 4 mindsets…

The Leadership Mastery Framework is the only leadership course in the world based on expertise from more than 140 hands-on-in-the-field CEOs (from companies like Best Buy, Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Verizon, and more). It’s built for striving leaders in every level of their companies and anyone who knows they have more to give to make a genuine impact. 

This course is the fast track to leadership mastery for the future. I want you to reach every inch of your full potential and make the supersonic impact you’ve been itching for, and this course will show you how it’s not only possible but vital that you take action.

Enrollment CLOSES TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO GO!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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14 Top CEOs Share Their Definition Of “Leadership,”​ What’s Yours? https://thefutureorganization.com/14-top-ceos-share-their-definition-of-leadership%e2%80%8b-whats-yours/ Fri, 14 Aug 2020 02:24:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32579 There was one question top CEOs had a hard time answer...

But first, some context.

Over the past 18 months, I had the privilege to interview some of the world's top CEOs for my book, The Future Leader. I spoke with CEOs from companies like Best Buy, Audi, KPMG, Oracle, SAP, Verizon, MasterCard, Royal Caribbean, InterContinental Hotels Group, and dozens of others.

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There was one question top CEOs had a hard time answer…

But first, some context.

Over the past 18 months, I had the privilege to interview some of the world’s top CEOs for my book, The Future Leader. I spoke with CEOs from companies like Best Buy, Audi, KPMG, Oracle, SAP, Verizon, MasterCard, Royal Caribbean, InterContinental Hotels Group, and dozens of others.

I was trying to understand how leadership is changing what leaders need to do in order to adapt and be successful in the new world of work. I asked these CEOs about trends, skills, mindsets, challenges, and everything and anything in between.

All the leaders gave me fantastic answers, wonderful stories, and profound insights, everything flowed very easily…until we got to THE QUESTION.

There was one question that the world’s top business leaders struggled with the most. It’s the question that made all of them pause and create a kind of awkward silence. It’s the question that made many of the CEOs say things “wow, that’s a good question,” or “nobody has ever asked me that before.”

What was the question?

“If I came from another planet and had no concept of ‘leader’ or ‘leadership,’ how would you explain it to me?”

This is where the awkward pauses started…

The problem is we don’t spend enough time thinking about this because we all assume we know what good and bad leadership is and what it looks like. We see and experience leadership all the time – when we go to the grocery store, when we show up to work, when we turn on the news or watch a movie when we play sports…it’s everywhere.

For many, trying to explain leadership is like trying to explain water to someone. We don’t do it because we all know what water is and we all know what leadership is…right?

Consider how the following CEOs defined leadership when I spoke with them:

“Leadership is about helping others realize their potential and inspiring them to work with you to achieve a shared vision for the future.” – Kathy Mazzarelli, CEO, Graybar

“Ensuring that people have everything they need to achieve the missions of an organization. That’s it, all else is footnotes.” – Hans Vestburg, CEO, Verizon Communications

“Leadership is a combination of legitimacy, personality and management skills that make others want to follow someone’s direction.” – Pierre-André de Chalendar, CEO, Saint Gobain

“Leadership is helping people succeed, inspiring and uniting people behind a common purpose and then being accountable.” – Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever

“A leader focuses on both the vision of the future and the possibility and the hard realities of the present and the lessons learned of the past, a person who inspires others, someone who is a walking symbol of humility.” – Bernard Tyson, Former CEO, Kaiser Permanente

“As a leader you must trust and empower your teams. Give them a clear direction, explain the purpose of the company and give them the means to do their jobs. A leader must also empower people and help them grow and build on their strengths while practicing to improve on their blind spots.” – Isabelle Kocher, CEO, Engie

“Leadership is showing up and stepping up at a time when people need you and doing the right thing, no matter how hard it is. I remember my former boss said to me that there’s a right thing to do and there’s an easy thing to do, and very rarely is the right thing to do the easy thing to do.” – Keith Barr, CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group

“Leadership is about the ability to drive results, set the vision and share it, create an environment of success, and remove obstacles.” – Judy Marks, CEO, Otis Elevator

“A leader is someone who can think strategically, simplify the strategy so everyone in the organization can understand it and communicate that strategy simply, enthusiastically, and in a caring way.” – Ajay Banga, CEO, MasterCard

“The most basic definition of leadership is you set the destination. You come up with a strategy to get to that destination and do your best to align and supply the resources to make that happen.” – Mark Hurd, Former CEO, Oracle

“Leadership is helping believe in a better tomorrow or a better outcome than you have today.” –Marissa Mayer, Former CEO, Yahoo!

“Make setting audacious goals a fundamental belief. Do things, as John F. Kennedy famously said, “not because they are easy, because they are hard.” Leadership stands for progress, empowerment, empathy and trust. At a time of too many cynics who throw up their hands and cry, “impossible,” I employ optimism, the only free stimulus in this world.” – Bill McDermott, CEO, ServiceNow (Former CEO, SAP)

“Leadership is getting people to willingly go someplace they wouldn’t go themselves” – Tom Wilson, CEO, Allstate

“I define leadership as making a positive impact on people; employees, shareholders, customers, business partners and the public at large.” – Levent Çakiroglu, CEO, KOC Holdings

All of the CEOs I interviewed defined “leader” and “leadership” differently. Sure, there are some common themes, but the definitions themselves are unique.

The worst thing you and your organization can do is NOT have a clear definition of what leadership is and what it means to be a leader.

These definitions will dictate the leadership filters that your organization puts in place.

I’m always amazed how at a single company there can be some leaders who everyone admires, respects, and wants to work for, and at that same organization there can be other leaders who everyone hates and runs from. How can that happen?

It’s because the people who promoted them had different definitions of leadership.

If your definition is focused on profits, then those are the filters that will get created, if your definition is focused on putting people first, then those are the filters will get created.

The first and most crucial step for anyone embarking on their leadership journey is to define what this means to begin with. Your definition and concept of leadership will change over time. That’s ok, but you have to start somewhere!

What’s your definition of “leader” and “leadership?” Share below!

For those of you want to be a future-ready leader…

The Leadership Mastery Framework is the only leadership course in the world based on expertise from more than 140 hands-on-in-the-field CEOs (from companies like Best Buy, Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Verizon, and more). It’s built for striving leaders in every level of their companies and anyone who knows they have more to give to make a genuine impact. 

This course is the fast track to leadership mastery for the future. I want you to reach every inch of your full potential and make the supersonic impact you’ve been itching for, and this course will show you how it’s not only possible but vital that you take action.

Enrollment CLOSES ON AUGUST 14th.

Image by: https://www.instagram.com/stefanschweihofer/

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140 Top CEOs Share 5 Most Crucial Skills For Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/140-top-ceos-share-5-most-crucial-skills-for-leaders/ Tue, 11 Aug 2020 22:29:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32486 Leadership is changing...you as a leader MUST change, and perhaps more important, we should all DEMAND that our leaders change. It's necessary for the very survival of our organizations.

This isn't opinion, it's fact.

Don't believe me?

In doing research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world's top CEOs from organizations like Oracle, Unilever, Best Buy, Kaiser, Verizon, InterContinental Hotels Group, MasterCard, and dozens of others. I also partnered with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 employees globally.

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Leadership is changing…you as a leader MUST change, and perhaps more important, we should all DEMAND that our leaders change. It’s necessary for the very survival of our organizations.

This isn’t opinion, it’s fact.

Don’t believe me?

In doing research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs from organizations like Oracle, Unilever, Best Buy, Kaiser, Verizon, InterContinental Hotels Group, MasterCard, and dozens of others. I also partnered with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 employees globally.

Collectively, these CEOs are responsible for the lives of over 8 million employees and trillions of dollars.

I don’t care if you believe me when I tell you that leadership is changing, but you should believe the world’s top CEOs. They told me that when it comes to leadership, what worked in the past, will not work in future.

Things like globalization, the changing nature of talent, AI and technology, the emphasis on purpose and meaning, and the demand for more transparency means that our organizations are going to look fundamentally different than they did in the past. As a result, we need a new breed of leader.

Research by DDI found that only 14% of organizations have a “strong bench,” which is ready-now leaders who can step to replace those who retire or move on (DDI). Half of the organizations surveyed by DDI say their leaders are not skilled to lead effectively today and 71% say their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations in the future.

If you want to be an effective leader (now and in the future), someone who positively impacts your organization, your people, and your community, then these are the 5 skills that you need to master…and soon.

 

Coach

No matter if they are on the basketball court or in the office, great coaches don’t just tell people what to do, they make people want to actually do it. Coaches help people become better versions of themselves.

Coaches motivate, inspire, and engage people to move them in a certain direction. One of the most important things a leader can do is to create future leaders and make other people more successful THAN THEY ARE. As the workforce becomes more dynamic than ever, leaders must also get comfortable working with people who are completely different than them. As a great coach, your job is to understand similarities and commonalities between yourself and your team. Don’t fear the differences, respect them. Coaches create effective teams by connecting with people and truly understanding them as human beings, not just as workers.

“I see my role as a coach. On one side, I need to produce a vision. On the other side, I need to enable people to deliver this vision and to be comfortable in their ability to deliver, and to make sure that I always push them to their maximum.”

-Michel Combes, CEO of Sprint (30,000 employees).

Futurist

Most people think of a futurist as someone who predicts the future, but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, futurists help make sure that individuals and organizations aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. This was the most important skill across all the CEOs I interviewed. Futurists consider different possibilities and must be able to identify patterns, stay connected to relevant trends, and scan for signals of what the future might bring. For leaders this means that you have to be more connected than ever to your network. Future leaders must be comfortable thinking in terms of scenarios and have plans in place should one of them come to fruition. This is analogous to a chess player considering various moves on a chess board.

“The fact is that adapting to change is not enough, we need to lead change and create the future. Adapting is keeping your head above water, but leading and creating is sailing on top of it.”

-Alfredo Perez, CEO, Alicorp (10,000 employees)

Technology Teenager

Today’s teenagers are technology savvy and digitally fluent. Leaders of the future must be the same way. Leaders don’t need to understand the details of how technologies are deployed, but they do need to understand what impact a particular technology might have on their business. That means being able to answer questions about the overall technology landscape and how it impacts your industry and business. That broad understanding helps you determine which tools might have the greatest impact on your business and which ones can wait. Jump in–surround yourself with new technology and start playing around with it to see what it can do for your company and your career.

“Tomorrow’s leaders will need to have a technology fluency that lets them anticipate opportunities and threats, distinguish hype from credible, and embrace transformative possibilities.”

-Michael Tipsord, CEO, State Farm (over 90,000 employees)

Translator

Translation is the bridge that connects things or people together. Leaders of the future must be translators, or great listeners and communicators. Listening and communication have always been crucial, but they will become even more important in coming years. Communication is what allows you to inspire, connect with, and align those around you, both verbally and non-verbally. Listening is the deliberate effort of understanding someone or something, and it can be very difficult in today’s distracted world. A good listener asks questions that promote discovery and insight, builds a person’s self-esteem, creates cooperative conversations, and explores other paths or opportunities. Future leaders need to cut through the noise to deliver and listen to important messages.

“I’ve always gone through the world where it’s a reverse pyramid. I’m so far from my customers that the most impactful I think that I can be doing is listening, and understanding what’s happening on the front line.”

-Michael Kneeland, CEO, United Rentals (over 18,000 employees)

Yoda

Leaders of the future must learn to channel their internal Yoda and be emotionally intelligent. The word “emotional” is rarely used in the same sentence as “leader,” yet empathy and self-awareness are crucial skills for future leaders. Empathy is about being able to understand the feelings and emotions of another person and put yourself in their shoes. For leaders, empathy comes into play when trying to resolve a conflict by understanding everyone’s perspectives, developing products or services for customers, or improving collaboration. Emotional intelligence also includes self-awareness, or being mindful of your own emotions, feelings, motives, and desires. At the heart of being Yoda is creating an emotional human connection with other people. Doing so makes us vulnerable, but it also makes us human.

“The first layer of skills a good leader must master are internal: managing himself or herself as an individual human being. This includes physical health; emotional balance; self-knowledge – everything that you bring along with you to each meeting, each decision, each public event. A lot of leaders are tempted to ignore or de-emphasize this most basic layer but they do so at their peril.”

-Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon Communications (over 152,000 employees)

Unfortunately, most organizations around the world and most MBA programs don’t teach these skills.

For those of you want to be future-ready leaders and master these 5 skills…

The Leadership Mastery Framework is the only leadership course in the world based on expertise from more than 140 hands-on-in-the-field CEOs (from companies like Best Buy, Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Verizon, and more). It’s built for striving leaders in every level of their companies and anyone who knows they have more to give to make a genuine impact. 

This course is the fast track to leadership mastery for the future. I want you to reach every inch of your full potential and make the supersonic impact you’ve been itching for, and this course will show you how it’s not only possible but vital that you take action.

Enrollment CLOSES ON AUGUST 14th, I hope to see you inside!

 

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We Are In A Leadership Pandemic: Research Proves It https://thefutureorganization.com/we-are-in-a-leadership-pandemic-research-proves-it/ Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:00:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32443 Most business leaders around the world are not good leaders. They aren't bad people, but their approaches to leadership are simply put...obsolete. We can especially see this quite clearly with what has been going on with Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and the ongoing fight against racism and social injustice.

To give you an analogy, it's a bit like trying to fly a modern-day passenger plane while being trained on an original Wright Brothers plane. There's a chance you might get the plane in the air, but you won't go far.

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Most business leaders around the world are not good leaders. They aren’t bad people, but their approaches to leadership are simply put…obsolete. We can especially see this quite clearly with what has been going on with Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and the ongoing fight against racism and social injustice.

To give you an analogy, it’s a bit like trying to fly a modern-day passenger plane while being trained on an original Wright Brothers plane. There’s a chance you might get the plane in the air, but you won’t go far.

Leadership around the world is failing us.

Consider some of these sobering statistics take from my book, The Future Leader:

  • 80% of employees say they can do their jobs without their managers and say their managers are not even necessary (Ultimate Software and Center for Generational Kinetics).
  • Almost half of 2,257 survey respondents said they could do their jobs better than their boss (Randstad).
  • 60% of employees have left or are considering leaving their jobs because they don’t like their direct supervisors (Randstad).
  • 50% of Americans have left a job at some point in their career to get away from their managers (Gallup).
  • In the UK, nearly half of British workers believe they could do a better job than their boss and 13% actually said their bosses are dangerously incompetent at their jobs (Independent).
  • Only 15% of employees around the world are even engaged in their jobs (Gallup).
  • According to a survey of 25,000 leaders around the world done by DDI, only 42% of organizations said that the overall quality of leadership inside of their organizations was high.
  • Only 14% of organizations have a “strong bench,” which is ready-now leaders who can step to replace those who retire or move on (DDI).
  • Half of the organizations surveyed by DDI say their leaders are not skilled to lead effectively today and 71% say their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations in the future.

CLEARLY something is wrong with leadership around the world otherwise these statistics wouldn’t be as terrible as they are. All of the human indicators are telling us that we have a problem yet most organizations and leaders are doing nothing to correct the problem.

Imagine for a moment that you are driving a car and in the middle of your trip as your speeding down the highway, the “check engine” light comes on, followed by the tire pressure warning, the low fuel light, and the battery light, all while your car temperature indicator is in the red. Now imagine your whole family is sitting in the car with you.

Are you really just going to keep driving along? I hope not!

Yet here we are, and the business world is on cruise control but the scary part is that we are all sitting in the same car

In the United States alone there are around 25 million supervisors and managers today, these are people who are responsible for others. I estimate that by 2030 we are going to have around 220 million leaders around the world.

That’s a lot of leaders!

We have lots of people in leadership roles but unfortunately, many of them are bad leaders, there’s just no other way around it. But, their days are numbered because the way that we think about leadership is changing…Leaders Must Change.

Leadership is not about making the most money

Leadership is not about a rank or title

Leadership is not about playing office politics to get the top.

Leadership is not about being friends with other leaders who will promote you.

Leadership is not just about staying at the company for a long time until you get promote.

Leadership IS ABOUT putting people first

Leadership IS ABOUT being able to influence change

Leadership IS ABOUT making other people more successful than you

Leadership IS ABOUT rallying people to build a better world

Leadership IS ABOUT YOU!

Being a leader is the hardest job in the world but it’s also the most rewarding. Everyone in the world has the potential to become a leader, even if you’re a leader of self.

The first step towards becoming that leader is making the conscientious choice that you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and do whatever it takes to positively impact your community, your organization, your people, and yourself.

Are you ready to take that first step?

Introducing… The Leadership Mastery Framework. The only leadership course in the world based on expertise from more than 140 hands-on-in-the-field CEOs. It’s built for striving leaders in every level of their companies and anyone who knows they have more to give to make a genuine impact.

This course is the fast track to leadership mastery for the future. I want you to reach every inch of your full potential and make the supersonic impact you’ve been itching for, and this course will show you how it’s not only possible but vital that you take action.

Enrollment closes on August 14th, I hope to see you inside!

 

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Becoming a Manager: What to do When Everyone Looks to You https://thefutureorganization.com/becoming-a-manager-what-to-do-when-everyone-looks-to-you/ Mon, 10 Aug 2020 09:27:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32379 Julie Zhuo is the bestselling author of The Making of a Manager: What to do When Everyone Looks to You. She was also the first intern at Facebook when they had 100 employees and were just starting out as a company. She worked there for a total of 14 years and during her time there she became a manager and then ultimately the VP of Product Design. 

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Julie Zhuo Transcript

Julie Zhuo is the bestselling author of The Making of a Manager: What to do When Everyone Looks to You. She was also the first intern at Facebook when they had 100 employees and were just starting out as a company. She worked there for a total of 14 years and during her time there she became a manager and then ultimately the VP of Product Design. 

Actually, it was because of her experience at Facebook and first becoming a manager very early on in her career that caused her to write her book. Her internship at Facebook was something she did while in college and then right after she graduated she took a full time job with the company. When she was asked to become a manager at the age of 25, she had had no prior training or management experience and she wasn’t exactly sure what she was supposed to do.

But as the culture at Facebook was at that time, as a startup, employees all had to try new things and say yes to some things that took them out of their comfort zone. So Julie said yes to the position. Then she went to a bookstore to read up on the skills that managers need, how to lead people more experienced than she was, how to delegate, etc… But what she found was books directed at CEOs and senior level executives on very advanced concepts, when what she needed was the basics to start out with like how to lead a one on one meeting and how to motivate employees. So she wrote her own book on the subject later on in her career to help others in similar situations.

The definition of a manager

Julie shares that when she first started out as a manager she didn’t have a very clear definition of what a manager was. The only thing she had was a general idea of what her past managers and bosses had done in the past, which was mostly give feedback and tell her if she would be promoted or if there was something she could do better. And that is the picture she had in her mind for years until she became a leader herself and learned over the years that a manager shouldn’t just be a series of actions, but they should be someone who is focused on getting results from a group of people and doing whatever necessary to help them succeed. 

Julie also believes there is a difference between a leader and a manager. She says, “Sometimes people use them interchangeably, but to me, they’re quite different. To me, leadership is a quality or a trait. And I think all of us are, you know, can be leaders in certain contexts or can exhibit leadership traits. Being a leader just means that you are somebody that other people will listen to, and will follow. And you have that ability to influence and help organize a group of people towards doing something together. I think of a manager as a specific role, like it’s a specific job function with a set of responsibilities and the major responsibility of a manager is you are trying to get a group of people to work together and to achieve some certain outcome, right? There’s a reason why teams are formed. There’s a reason why companies are formed, they’re trying to aspire to, hit their mission or they’re trying to hit a business goal or they’re trying to do this and that and your job as a manager is to help this group of people hit that goal.”

The word manager is descriptive of the role inside of the company, whereas leadership refers to qualities and traits people can have. Anyone can learn leadership qualities, but not everyone who has leadership qualities should necessarily be a manager. Everyone who is a manager should definitely have leadership qualities, though. 

Common mistakes that new managers make

Over her career Julie has not only experienced being a first time manager, but she has witnessed others experience it for the first time as well. And there are certain mistakes and pitfalls that a majority of managers make when first starting out. 

The first one is feeling that as a manager you have to have all the answers. A lot of people have this feeling that if they are unsure about something, it’s a signal that they are not cut out for the role of a manager. But that’s not true. As Julie shares, as a manager you are going to feel uncomfortable or unprepared at times, and that’s okay. You are having those feelings because you are managing for the first time, things are new. A lot of the confidence and know-how will come with time and practice. Every manager goes through this when they first start out. 

And even as you get experience, those feelings may be there when you have to address something new later on in your career, the difference is you will be better equipped to deal with new situations as you progress and you will develop the tools you need to deal with uncertainty. 

The second mistake that new managers make is feeling like they need to know how to do the roles of their employees as well or better than they do. For example, when Julie moved to the manager role she realized she had to lead a team of designers who were more skilled at designing than she was. Because of that she felt like she had nothing to contribute and she felt inadequate at her job. But now she realizes that was incorrect. 

Your job as a manager is not to be the best at the roles of your employees. If you are very skilled in one specific area, then maybe you should be in that role as an individual contributor. But as a manager it actually benefits you to have a group of people who are more talented than you are. Your job is to elevate those talents so that everyone on the team can be working at their best. 

The third pitfall that new managers can encounter is a feeling of superiority, or getting a big head from a promotion. Julie says that at Facebook they had a way of making sure that didn’t happen. When people moved to a role of management it wasn’t called a promotion. Instead they used the word transition, to recognize that management was on a parallel path with any other role. Because there are multiple ways to move up in your career. Just because you don’t become a manager doesn’t mean you haven’t improved and succeeded. It’s just a different path. 

How to overcome imposter syndrome

Most of us have experienced imposter syndrome at some point, the feeling that happens when you don’t believe you are equipped to do something you are doing. When you doubt your ability and feel inadequate. Julie says she definitely felt this when she first became a manager and, in fact, she has felt it at times throughout her career even after gaining experience. 

So how can we overcome imposter syndrome? Julie shares the following tips: 

  • Recognize that you can ask for help. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who have more experience in the area you feel doubt in. Learn from their expertise. 
  • Don’t be afraid to admit that you are nervous or that you don’t know something. Everyone goes through this at times, and it doesn’t mean you’re an idiot. It means you’re human. 
  • Turn to things that bring you energy and peace in those moments of anxiety and doubt. Go for a run, meditate, go out and see some friends, spend some time doing a hobby you enjoy, etc..This will help build your confidence back up before facing the issue head on. 

The biggest difference between an average manager and a great manager

Whether you are a brand new manager or you have been managing for 20+ years, there are certain traits and qualities that make a great manager stand out from average managers. First of all, Julie says great managers are able to get great outcomes from their teams over and over. 

But there are three other things that Julie uses to judge if someone is a great manager. They are people, process, and purpose. The first is, how does the individual deal with people? How do they nurture their talent. Do they play to people’s strengths and are they making sure that they have the right people on the right problems. Great managers need to know how to let their people shine and excel. 

The second thing that a great manager has is the ability to figure out the processes. That is how people work together in the context of a team. And the third thing is a manager has to know how to convey a company’s purpose to employees. Because as Julie says, you can have the best talent, but if they don’t know what they are working towards, you are not going to get their best work. 

Your people need to know what they should be aspiring towards, what you are trying to achieve together, what success looks like for them as a team, etc…

The first year of a manager

Julie walked us through the first year of a manager in increments of the first day, the first week, the first month, and then the first year to help us to understand her recommendations for people just starting out in that role. 

First, on day one of being a manager you should talk with your manager and make sure you understand what success looks like for your role. Have them help you plot out benchmarks that you should be hitting throughout your first year as a manager. It is critical that you know on day one what you’re expected to do. Knowing the expectations ahead of time ensures you will do a great job versus a mediocre job. 

For the first week in that new role, Julie suggests you focus on listening to your people. You need to get started on developing trust relationships with the people on your team. Talk to every single person on your team, get to know them as an individual. What are their hopes and dreams? Where do they want to go in their career? What do they think about the team? Do they have problems or friction with anyone on the team? What could the team do better? 

This not only helps you to get to know people, but it helps employees feel like they have contributed, they feel like they have a bit of ownership in the team. 

Moving on to month one, this should be an extension of what you are doing in week one. You have to continue to invest in the relationships with your people. By the end of month one you should have a good sense of how the team operates. Julie says that before you change anything, it is important to know what the situation is now, to begin with. Don’t just try to change things up as soon as you move into the role. Really, it’s going to be 3-6 months before you get a great sense of the people and the business. 

At the end of year one what you should be looking for is, as a team, have we set clear goals? And of the goals you have set as a team, are you starting to see the fruits of those goals? You should be asking for constant feedback from day one, so that you know what is working and what needs to be adjusted. You should get feedback from your manager, your peers, and members of your team. You should also sit down with your manager at the end of the year and see if the expectations that were laid out were fulfilled. If not, figure out together what needs to be adjusted to do better in the next year.

The Leadership Mastery Framework is the only leadership course in the world based on expertise from more than 140 hands-on-in-the-field CEOs (from companies like Best Buy, Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Verizon, and more). It’s built for striving leaders in every level of their companies and anyone who knows they have more to give to make a genuine impact. This course is the fast track to leadership mastery for the future. I want you to reach every inch of your full potential and make the supersonic impact you’ve been itching for, and this course will show you how it’s not only possible but vital that you take action.

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How do you lead in a world that doesn’t yet exist? https://thefutureorganization.com/how-do-you-lead-in-a-world-that-doesnt-yet-exist/ Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:14:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32170 The world is changing quickly, we all know and experience this on a regular basis. But this poses a massive challenge for leaders. How can we lead in a rapidly changing world and perhaps in a world that doesn't even yet exist? Whether we look at technology and automation, multiple generations at work, globalization, social and racial injustice, COVID-19, or the many other trends that are shaping work and life, the bottom line is that things are changing.

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The world is changing quickly, we all know and experience this on a regular basis. But this poses a massive challenge for leaders. How can we lead in a rapidly changing world and perhaps in a world that doesn’t even yet exist? Whether we look at technology and automation, multiple generations at work, globalization, social and racial injustice, COVID-19, or the many other trends that are shaping work and life, the bottom line is that things are changing.

In the past few weeks several Chief Human Resource Officers I have interviewed on my podcast have come under and have lost their jobs. You can read more about what happened on my LinkedIn post.

What should leaders be doing? I recently did a live session where I talked about several strategies leaders can implement, you can watch the replay below and make sure to subscribe to the Youtube channel to get access to more videos and to be notified when I go live.

Here are 7 strategies

Accept that this is the new normal

This is what the CHRO of MasterCard told me when I spoke with him. I asked him how keeps up with everything that’s going on and he basically told me that keeping up implies that the pace of change is temporary. But things will never be as slow as they are now.

Think like a futurist

From the 140 CEOs I interviewed for my latest book, The Future Leader, this was the #1 skill they identified as being most crucial. This skill is about thinking in terms of possibilities and scenarios instead of just picking a single path. I actually did a video on this which I think explains the concept nicely. You need to constantly ask yourself a series of 4 questions when making decisions:

  1. Why might “this” happen or not happen?
  2. What else might happen?
  3. What do I want to happen and how can I make it happen?
  4. What factors might influence why this will or won’t happen?

Lead by example

A mother brings her child to see Gandhi. She says, “Please tell my child to quit each sugar.” Gandhi says, “Please come back in six months.” She and her child leave and return in six months. Gandhi looks at the child and says, “Quit eating sugar.” The mother asks, “Why did we have to wait six months?” Gandhi says, “I had to quit sugar myself before I told someone else to do it.” The point of this story is that as a leader, you can’t ask someone to do something or behave in a certain way unless you are going to do it first.

Be a perpetual learner

My dad came from The Republic of Georgia (not Georgia the state!) and didn’t speak a word of English. He bought an English to Russian translation dictionary and would watch the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin shows. Being a perpetual learner means you don’t rely on educational institutions or organizations to teach you what you need to know in order to be successful. You have to take control over your own personal and professional development and learn how to learn.

Recognize the past

I learned about this from Frances Frei, the former SVP of leadership at Uber and professor at Harvard Business School. She has worked on many leadership programs and learned that if you want to be able to create change inside of an organization you have to start by recognizing the past. Think of how you would honor an ancestor, it’s a similar idea. It’s about acknowledging and respecting what came before, and trying to build on top of that as opposed to talking a sledgehammer to everything.

Think like laboratory not like a factory

Factories are linear, process-centric, and embrace the status quo. Laboratories embrace failure, use data, experiment, and challenge convention. Leading in a rapidly changing world means you will have to make mistakes along the way, learn quickly, and apply what you learned to new situations and scenarios.

Surround yourself with people who are more talented than you

Leaders have traditionally been seen as the most capable and skilled people on a team and it’s something leaders have grown accustomed to. But this model is being flipped on its head. Leaders MUST surround themselves with people who are more skilled and talented than they are. This will certainly require a bit of courage, boldness, and getting out of your comfort zone.

I hope you found these strategies helpful!

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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You Should Avoid Having A Typical Day: Here’s Why https://thefutureorganization.com/you-should-avoid-having-a-typical-day-heres-why/ Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:11:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32111 What does a typical day look like for you?

It’s a question I’ve asked of hundreds of CEOs and top business leaders around the world. They almost always tell me the same thing: they don’t have a typical day. Every day is different. The most successful business leaders surround themselves with a diverse group of people, they are a part of a variety of projects, they attend different meetings, speak with customers and employees, and they make sure that they aren't doing the same thing and seeing the same people every single day.

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What does a typical day look like for you?

It’s a question I’ve asked of hundreds of CEOs and top business leaders around the world. They almost always tell me the same thing: they don’t have a typical day. Every day is different. The most successful business leaders surround themselves with a diverse group of people, they are a part of a variety of projects, they attend different meetings, speak with customers and employees, and they make sure that they aren’t doing the same thing and seeing the same people every single day.

It doesn’t mean successful business leaders don’t have some structure or scheduling, they do. For example they may exercise at the same time each day, eat at the same time, and stop working at the same time each day, but they are like bookends. It’s what happens in between these things that really matters.

Avoiding a typical day will:

  • Keep you more engaged and energized at work
  • Build curiosity by allowing you to discover things and people
  • Allow you see other aspects of the business
  • Foster empathy
  • Help you create better relationships and connections
  • Develop a global mindset
  • Overall make you a better leader and contributor

When you are constantly doing the same thing like a machine it’s easy to get burned out, frustrated, and disengaged. I’ve been there.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

So how do you avoid having a typical day? Here are five tips:

Get out of the office

It’s easy to fall into the same routine when you’re in the same place all day, every day. Get out of the office and take your work on the road. Work from home or a coffee shop or even a communal workspace in your building. Visit customers and distributors. Take your team for an off-site meeting. Changing your scenery can change your mood and outlook.

Find a hobby

Try to find time every day to pursue a hobby. Having something to look forward to after work can motivate you to try something different at work. The hobby can be anything from cooking to exercising to basket weaving. Hobbies break up the monotonous schedule and get your creative juices flowing. For me, it’s chess!

Avoid screens

One of the quickest ways to get sucked into a mundane routine is to spend all day looking at a screen. In our connected world, it may seem impossible to put your phone, tablet, and computer away, but it can be a good exercise in creative thinking that pushes you outside your regular day. Give your mind a break and spend screen-free time talking with people in person and seeing other parts of the business.

Talk to new people

Open your mind to new ideas and people. Invite a new co-worker out for coffee or just swing by the desk of someone you usually only communicate with via email. Face-to-face communication builds relationships and expands your network beyond just the people you see every day.

Change your schedule

Try mixing up your day by changing your schedule. Even small changes, like waking up 15 minutes earlier to run or read before work, can be a nudge to get out of your routine. If you normally do something after work, try doing it before work. Change your weekly meeting time, stay up late, or take a longer lunch break. These small changes can propel your day to something new.

Avoiding a typical day can get you out of a rut and help you be more connected and creative. These five simple steps can move your typical day to an unexpected and unique, atypical day.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Ways the CEO of Costco, Craig Jelinek, Puts His People First https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-the-ceo-of-costco-craig-jelinek-puts-his-people-first/ Wed, 05 Aug 2020 00:28:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=32098 Costco warehouses are for more than just bulk goods and samples—they’re also home to happy employees. Costco is regularly ranked a top place to work and a company with the happiest employees, largely due to a culture that values employees and treats them fairly with good benefits and wages. Setting the tone for that culture is CEO Craig Jelinek. Craig follows in the footsteps of previous Costco leaders to put his people first and continue a legacy of engaged employees.

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Costco warehouses are for more than just bulk goods and samples—they’re also home to happy employees. Costco is regularly ranked a top place to work and a company with the happiest employees, largely due to a culture that values employees and treats them fairly with good benefits and wages. Setting the tone for that culture is CEO Craig Jelinek. Craig follows in the footsteps of previous Costco leaders to put his people first and continue a legacy of engaged employees.

Last chance! My free live masterclass on how to lead by putting people first only has 2 days left (tomorrow and Thursday) We filled up so I added a few more spots for those you who want to sign up last minute. Now, more than ever, we need leaders who are willing to step up and put people above all else. Learn more and sign up here.

Here are three ways the CEO of Costco Craig Jelinek, puts his people first:

Treats Employees Fairly

One of the biggest hallmarks of Costco is the high wages and benefits it gives employees. Costco expects its employees to work hard and be dedicated, and in return receive industry-leading wages and benefits like health insurance, stocks, and life insurance. Craig is a firm believer in paying people a living wage and providing quality benefits. Even as he strives for low overhead at Costco, he won’t cut employee pay, which shows that he values employees and helping them provide for their families more than he prioritizes revenue. During times of economic struggle, Craig has implemented wage increases and refused to cut healthcare benefits.

Leads with respect

This quote from Craig summarizes his attitude towards his employees: “If you treat employees with respect, good things are going to happen to you.” One of the easiest and most effective ways to put people first is to respect them. For Craig, that means being nice to them, listening to them, and valuing their opinion. His goal is to retain happy employees, which starts by creating an environment and culture where they feel respected and valued.

Practices Empathy

Craig knows the importance of treating his employees well because he’s been in their shoes. His entire career was spent in grocery stores, and he joined Costco just months after the first warehouse opened in 1984. Craig has worked in numerous positions at Costco and has a deep love for the company and its employees. Because Craig knows what it’s like to work at Costco without being the CEO, he is empathetic to the needs of his employees and can connect with them on a different level. He builds personal relationships with everyone from cashiers to managers.

Craig Jelinek’s approach to putting his employees first is simple: treat people fairly and value them for their work, and they’ll stick around. Craig’s humble and kind attitude prioritizes employees over every other group at Costco—even customers. By putting employees first, Craig has built a powerful company that keeps growing and improving with every happy employee.

Hope to see you next week for my masterclass on the 5 Behind-the-Scenes Key Steps to Putting People First as a Leader.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

Image from: https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-ceo-craig-jelinek-bio-2019-3 Susan Walsh/AP Images

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The CEO of 100,000 Person Genpact on How to Lead in the New Normal https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-100000-person-genpact-on-how-to-lead-in-the-new-normal/ Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:54:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31999 Tiger Tyagarajan is the CEO of Genpact, a global professional services firm with 100,000 employees that drives digital-led innovation and digitally-enabled intelligent operations for organizations around the world.

Prior to Genpact, Tiger worked for several well-known companies such as Unilever, Citibank, and GE. He was actually one of the industry leaders who pioneered a new global business model and transformed a division of GE into Genpact back in 2005.

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Tiger Tyagarajan Transcript

Tiger Tyagarajan is the CEO of Genpact, a global professional services firm with 100,000 employees that drives digital-led innovation and digitally-enabled intelligent operations for organizations around the world.

Prior to Genpact, Tiger worked for several well-known companies such as Unilever, Citibank, and GE. He was actually one of the industry leaders who pioneered a new global business model and transformed a division of GE into Genpact back in 2005.

Tiger serves on the Board of Catalyst, a global non-profit organization working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs to help build workplaces that work for women. He also was one of the founding supporters of the U.S. chapter of the 30% Club, which is committed to gender balance on boards of directors and in senior management. He is an active member of the Fortune CEO Initiative, a forum for corporate leaders committed to addressing major social problems as part of their core business strategies.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Just like organizations all over the world, Genpact has had to adjust to the new normal that we are facing with Covid-19. And with a team of 100,000 people all around the world, it is not a simple thing to do. As Tiger shares, when they first learned of Covid-19 there wasn’t a playbook that they could just look at and act on. Tiger and his team knew they had to do something and that time was of the essence, so perfection was not what they were aiming for. They knew they had to build something quickly, start using it, and then allow the team to improve it over time.

While the experience was stressful, there are a couple things that Tiger shares, that made a difference in the way Genpact reacted.

Leaders need to have North Stars 

A practice that Tiger has put in place for himself, and one that he highly suggests for all leaders, is having a few North Stars in place that help guide you as a leader when making tough decisions. These are the values and the culture of your organization that you need to base all decisions on. And it is important for everyone in the organization to know what those values are, know what those North Stars are, so that everyone is on the same page.

Tiger says, “As long as you are clear about that, as long as everyone is clear about that, you have first of all an alignment, where everyone says– that’s the North Star, those are our values, that’s our culture. And that therefore makes decision making easier and with speed. And second, you do your best to deliver whatever North Star you defined. So for us, the North Star for us was, we always pride ourselves on incredibly great service to our customers. And we think that’s what makes us different. And that’s what gets us new business and growth. And we also pride ourselves on being a great place to work for our employees. So therefore, right out of the gate, we said, we want to achieve two design principles in every decision. Number one, do the right thing for our employees– protect their safety, and wellness– and two make sure that we continue to find a way to deliver service to our clients because we quickly realized that a lot of the services we deliver, if you stopped delivering, our clients would suffer significantly, and the economy would suffer significantly. Whichever economy it serves. So we had to balance, in every decision, these two things, but it allowed us to take decisions that basically said, these are the two important things, everything else doesn’t matter.”

So what are your North Stars? What are the values inside your organization, what is the purpose or the mission of your company, and what culture are you trying to create? Figure these out and making decisions will be a lot easier.

What will work look like post Covid-19?

Right now the way we work looks a lot different than it did even just 6 months ago. The question is, once we get past this, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later, but once we get past Covid-19 what will work look like? Will it be changed forever or will some things go back to normal.

One thing that a lot of people are speculating about is that the office will be a thing of the past and that everyone will be working from home. Tiger doesn’t agree. While he does agree that some things will never go back to what it was before, he believes that offices will come back, at least in some form.

Tiger says that assuming that 50% or more of the work going forward will be done from home is too simple, it is more nuanced than that. There may be some roles that make more sense to do from home, for example inside of Genpact there are some employees who at certain times of the year have to work for five days straight without a break, sometimes into the midnight hours. For that type of work it would make sense to be in the comfort of your own home while working long hours.

But there are a lot of roles where it would not make sense to work from home long term and there are a lot of people who are excited and just itching to go back into the office. Some people thrive on that person to person interaction and collaboration, which is missing right now.

Tiger believes that post Covid there will be more flexibility in the way we work, maybe at certain times of the year or certain days of the week people will be able to work from home, but there will be times when the office is necessary. He also suggested the idea of companies possibly acquiring more office space than they have now. Instead of having one office building with 10,000 people, maybe it makes more sense to have 10 offices with 1,000 people in each one. This could bring offices closer to people, bring down commute times, and potentially cut down on air pollution.

The current situation is also impacting the speed at which organizations go through digital transformation. Some companies who have just talked about digital transformation for years, have been forced into acting on it quickly. Companies who were resisting change in the past, can no longer wait, even if they wanted to.

Tiger says, “What COVID-19 has done is created a couple of constraints that have forced innovation and experimentation. It’s the single biggest experiment, people are calling it as the biggest experiment that humans have done considering the time frame. And, and I wonder whether other intractable problems in the world are actually solvable, by actually deliberately putting constraints on.”

Could problems like climate change be solved if we put our own constraints on it and forced ourselves to solve the problem now? Tiger thinks it is possible, but just like Covid is affecting everyone in the world, in order to solve climate change it would require everyone coming together. It couldn’t just be a small group of people.

Two things leaders must focus on in the new normal

Our current events have shaped the way our leaders need to lead. Not only have they had to make tough decisions about layoffs, closing offices, and trying to figure out how to keep business coming in, they also have had to assist employees in moving from working in the office to working from home in a very short period of time.

There are two things that Tiger and his team have pinpointed as changes they had to make to adjust to these times. One was the frequency of communication with employees. In the past, during normal times, Genpact leaders held town hall meetings once a quarter. Now they are holding town hall meetings once a month and they are sending out video blogs once a week.

When they would hold town hall meetings once a quarter around 5,000 to 7,000 people would show up, but now that they are virtual and held more frequently there are around 20,000 people joining.

The other important aspect that Tiger and his team have focused on is empathy, which is important in all times, but it is much harder when everything is virtual. Leaders have to understand the difference in leading an in-person meeting and leading a virtual one. With virtual, you can’t read body language as well. It also is easier in a virtual meeting to have everyone sign in and just start the meeting, skipping the usual banter and check-ins that happen when you meet in person. This is something that Tiger is really focused on fixing, because it is important to keep that casual conversation, to let employees know that you care about their well being and to judge how people are feeling. Are they stressed, are they depressed, are they excited? These are important things for leaders to know about their people.

In our new virtual world leaders have to go above and beyond the old ways to make sure they stay in touch with employees and empathize with them.

How Genpact is addressing diversity and inclusion

More than 15 years ago Tiger and his team at Genpact set out to address gender diversity inside of their organization. They realized not enough women were represented in leadership, and they knew that had to change. Over the past 15 years they have made significant progress, going from one woman on the leadership team to five and from zero women on the board to four women on the board now. He admits there is still a long way to go, but in a short amount of time they have made good strides forward.

In light of the current events around the world that are shedding light on racial inequality, Tiger and his team knew they again had to make some changes. But they knew time was of the essence and they didn’t want to talk about actions to take for months and months. They wanted to act immediately. They had a meeting on a Monday morning at 9am and by 10am a decision was taken and by that evening they announced their decision publicly. They added racial equality as a pillar of their D&I strategy. And they announced that they were putting Hope Cooper, one of the rising African American leaders in the company, in charge of the initiative.

Tiger released an open letter addressing the situation and how the company would react. The company also hosted six open listening sessions across the US so people in the African American, Black American population could share their experiences, their fears, and their ideas. Tiger and Genpact took those thoughts and created an agenda with defined metrics and initiatives with impact.

Since then Genpact has also partnered with organizations such as the NAACP to start a dialogue on how the company can bring its unique skills and support to the table to form a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship.

Tiger and his team are definitely not just about talking about change, when they see a problem that needs to be addressed, they are all in. They take the steps needed to immediately start the process of change. And that is so important for leaders to remember. You can’t just talk about changing for the better or impacting your community, you have to take action. That is the only way our organizations and our leaders are going to positively impact employees, communities, and the world.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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5 Strategies for How Leaders Can Adapt to the New World of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/5-strategies-for-how-leaders-can-adapt-to-the-new-world-of-work/ Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:08:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31846 Leadership is changing right before our eyes, but what should leaders be doing to adapt and to make sure that they are staying on top of their leadership game? This is a question I've been asked quite a bit by my community so I wanted to share 5 things you can do.

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Leadership is changing right before our eyes, but what should leaders be doing to adapt and to make sure that they are staying on top of their leadership game? This is a question I’ve been asked quite a bit by my community so I wanted to share 5 things you can do.

1) Do some basic education

No more of this “heads down” mentality, stick your head up and start paying attention to what is happening around you. Read the news, look at trending stories, listen to podcasts, watch videos, etc. You have to give yourself some time to be curious and to explore. This sounds simple and basic…which it is…but you’d be surprised how many leaders out there are so caught up in the day to day aspects of work, that they forget to look beyond their noses! Your challenge: spend 10-15 mins a day just catching up on what’s happening in the world around you.

2) Talk to people

Your employees, your leaders, your peers…talk to all of them and ask them the following questions:

  1. What trends are you paying attention to in the world and why?
  2. What implications do you see these changes having on leadership, your career, and on the organization as a whole. Your challenge: speak with 3 people you work with and ask them these questions.

3) Join groups

If you aren’t a member of my Facebook group I encourage you to join, it’s called “The Future If” and we have over 2,000 people from around the world who come together to explore all sorts of issues and topics…and have some fun too. Of course there are plenty of other groups out there and associations, take advantage of them. Your challenge: Join a group where you can participate in discussion about the future, your career, and how the world is changing.

4) Surround yourself by people who are not like you

This is one of the most crucial mindsets for future leaders and it’s one that I refer to as “the global citizen.” From the 140 CEOs I interviewed for my new book, The Future Leader, this was one of the 4 mindsets that they said is essential to practice. If you’re an older white guy surrounded by other older white guys then you won’t be able to learn, grow, and adapt when you need to. You have to surround yourself by people who don’t: believe in the same things that you believe in, look like you, act like you, and think like you. This is tough for leaders to do because we all want to be in our comfort zone…it’s to break out of it if you want to adapt. Your challenge: Look at who you surround yourself with and do a quick check, is everyone around you like you?

5) Be a lighthouse

Part of adapting and evolving as a leader is understanding that as you grow and develop you must take others with you. A lighthouse without ships in the water is useless. As you become a better leader remember to shine your line onto others and onto the sea of uncertainty that we are all a part of. Your challenge: Do something this week that helps one of your peers or co-workers.

I hope this helps you, if you have any other tips or strategies you are using to keep up with your leadership game let me know!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Three Powerful Ways To Motivate Yourself At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/three-powerful-ways-to-motivate-yourself-at-work-2/ Wed, 29 Jul 2020 10:53:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31816 Motivation is key to your success at work. Your boss can try to motivate you, but in most cases, you can’t rely on anyone else and have to find your own internal motivation. No matter if you work in an office or remotely for yourself, everyone needs help from time to time finding motivation to push through and be productive.

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Motivation is key to your success at work. Your leader can try to motivate you, but in most cases, that only gets you so far. At some point you need to find your own fire…your own internal motivation. This is true whether you are working virtually, in an office, or for yourself. Everyone needs help from time to time to find motivation to push through tough, boring, or tedious times to be productive and successful.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are three effective ways to motivate yourself at work (and life!)

Set Goals

Start every day with an idea of what you want to get done that day. Setting goals gives you purpose and direction instead of just wandering around trying to find something to do. Goals can be big or small. Each day I like to focus on 3 – 5 big things that I need to get done. For example this might be recording 2 videos for a course or my Youtube channel, writing 2,000 words for a book, doing a webinar, or the like. Once I complete my big tasks I give myself permission to be done for the day because these large “things” also require me to do a series of smaller things to complete them. Recording a video requires that I pick a topic, create an outline, record the video (which might take a few tries), and upload the video. Setting these types of goals, tasks, or whatever else you want to call them, gives you something to focus on and provides a sense of accomplishment when they are completed.

Seek Purpose & Meaning

I wrote a whole article about this a few weeks ago called, “The Difference Between Purpose & Meaning and How to Create Both” which I highly recommend you read. The point is that you are more likely to feel motivated and productive if you have a sense of how the work you are doing is making an impact. This can sometimes be a struggle, especially when it comes to routine or boring tasks. However, connecting the work you do to a bigger purpose can be incredibly motivating, one way you (or your organization) can do this is via story-telling. If you have direct access to customers, employees, or partners then it’s much easier to see how your work is making an impact. But if you don’t have this access then you can either tell yourself these stories or you can try to reach out to the people consuming your product or services. Another useful tactic is to find opportunities outside of your core responsibilities to volunteer for. This could include everything from volunteering at an animal shelter to volunteering to be a part of something like a company technology council. Take time to talk to people and build relationships because we often find purpose and meaning from the people around us.

Reward Yourself

Find something to motivate yourself and work towards as a future reward. Using a non-work related example…I try to eat as healthy as I can for 6 days of the week and then for Saturday’s at lunch I go a little crazy. I reward myself with things like pizza, cheeseburgers, or some other unhealthy indulgence. Oh, and there’s also dessert…lots of it. I take this same approach when it comes to work. If I have a few days of hard work, or if I feel like I have accomplished something, then I might take a day off of work. Maybe I’ll splurge on something like a mini family vacation, or a fancy dinner. Whatever it is, I make sure to reward myself for accomplishments. The flip side of this is what to do during times of failure. In my case, I don’t punish myself when things go poorly. Instead, I try to focus on what I can learn from my failures. This is very important. Your internal voice and your self-talk make a huge difference. Do you beat yourself up and tear yourself down or do you build yourself up and encourage yourself?

Staying motivated can be the difference between a fruitful, productive career and merely skating along and counting the hours until the day is done. Take control of your own motivation with these three tips to keep you engaged and productive all day long.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Leadership Lessons From Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers Insurance https://thefutureorganization.com/3-leadership-lessons-from-jeff-dailey-ceo-of-farmers-insurance/ Tue, 28 Jul 2020 23:24:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31569 Jeff Dailey is an insurance veteran with more than 30 years in the industry, starting as a claims adjuster and working his way up to Farmers Insurance CEO. He oversees 20,000 employees and 45,000 independent agents around the world. I had the chance to chat with him about the future of leadership and what it will take to succeed as a leader in the future. He's one of the amazing CEOs I interviewed for my recent best-selling book, The Future Leader.

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No matter what, accidents happen. The insurance industry has been around for a long time, and it will continue for generations to come. And although some methods haven’t changed much over time, the industry has created some innovative leaders driving their people and organizations to great success and teaching the rest of us how to lead in a challenging industry.

Jeff Dailey is an insurance veteran with more than 30 years in the industry, starting as a claims adjuster and working his way up to Farmers Insurance CEO. He oversees 20,000 employees and 45,000 independent agents around the world. I had the chance to chat with him about the future of leadership and what it will take to succeed as a leader in the future. He’s one of the amazing CEOs I interviewed for my recent best-selling book, The Future Leader. 

Insurance is known for being a fairly traditional industry, but I appreciate Jeff’s ability to try new things and look towards the future. Although he has been in the industry for longer than some of his employees have been alive, he is still always learning and looking for ways to improve and grow, both as a company and as an individual. His insights into the future of leadership showed his wisdom and eye towards the future.

Here are three things I learned from Jeff about the future of leadership:

1. Inclusivity brings opportunities. Jeff told me this: “Ultimately the goal of every leader should be to allow everybody to contribute to the best of their possible potential, and to the extent that you’re not inclusive, that becomes impossible to do.” In an inclusive, organization, everyone has a chance to contribute and grow, which opens doors to innovation and progress. I’ve learned that diversity is simply about having a mix of people but inclusion is about making sure that all of those people like they belong.

2. Leaders must separate the important from the unimportant. Information is growing at an exponential rate, which means it is getting more and more challenging for leaders to keep up. Jeff says leaders of the future need to have systems in place to synthesize information. In order to stay ahead of all the new information, leaders need to be able to focus on what’s important and ignore things that aren’t important. One effective way to do this is to allow those around you to come forward with ideas. Let them bring forward what they see and hear in the world around them.

3. Change management skills are essential. Jeff is a veteran to leadership positions and says the old advice was to get your team moving towards something and plow towards the goal, no matter what. In the past, leaders could be considered good just by staying the course and ignoring the noise around them, but that’s no longer the case. Jeff says leaders of the future need to be much more adaptable to change and have strong change management skills. That means not only being agile and adaptable, but also being able to lead people so they can pivot and change quickly. Future leaders need to get people to understand the reason for quick changes and encourage them to be able to continue working towards a goal even if that goal changes. I learned about one of the most effective ways to do this from Frances Frei, a Harvard Professor and former SVP of Leadership at Uber. She told me that if you want to make change happen, you must first honor the past instead of simply trying to change it and get rid of it.

Jeff’s experience shows that in order to succeed in the future, leaders must be agile, focused, and inclusive. Even in the most long-standing industries, future leaders have to adapt and be willing to move.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Farmers Insurance CEO Jeff Dailey

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How to Build an Invincible Company https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-build-an-invincible-company/ Mon, 27 Jul 2020 07:55:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31791 In the midst of the pandemic, organizations are facing challenging times and over the last few months, we have seen positive and negative decisions occur in response to what is happening. There have been some companies who have handled tough decisions while still keeping their people first--showing employees respect, empathy, and transparency. And there are other companies who have made, what seem to be, harsh and unfair decisions in a way that create anger and chaos. The question is, is there a way for organizations to prepare for uncertainties and challenging times in advance, so we don’t have to get to a point where these tough decisions have to be made?

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Alex Osterwalder Transcript

Alex Osterwalder is the bestselling author of Business Model Generation, Value Proposition Design, and Testing Business Ideas. He also released a new book back in April called The Invincible Company: How to Constantly Reinvent Your Organization with Inspiration from the World’s Best Business Models.

Alex is ranked #4 on the Thinkers50 list of the top 50 management thinkers in the world. Along with Yves Pigneur, Alex invented several practical business tools, including the Business Model Canvas, that are used by millions of business leaders today. For this invention they won the Thinkers50 Strategy Award in 2015.

He is also the founder of Strategyzer, a company that provides organizations with corporate innovation strategy, training, tools, and software.

This episode is brought to you by Cisco. Nearly overnight, the entire world has found itself adapting to a new way of working. The future of work requires a modern approach to collaboration – helping people securely connect wherever they work, while staying safe and being productive. Cisco is shaping this path forward. Check out their new page devoted to the future of work to learn more and check out their resources including articles, videos, and a workplace maturity assessment.

In the midst of the pandemic, organizations are facing challenging times and over the last few months, we have seen positive and negative decisions occur in response to what is happening. There have been some companies who have handled tough decisions while still keeping their people first–showing employees respect, empathy, and transparency. And there are other companies who have made, what seem to be, harsh and unfair decisions in a way that create anger and chaos. The question is, is there a way for organizations to prepare for uncertainties and challenging times in advance, so we don’t have to get to a point where these tough decisions have to be made?

Creating resilient organizations

There are situations where leaders will have to make tough decisions, regardless of how much advanced planning is done. But, as Alex’s book examines, there are ways to make our organizations more agile and fluid, so that when a crisis comes, they are able to not just survive, but thrive through it.

Alex gives a great example of two companies who faced the same crisis and their different outcomes. There were two large photography/film companies, Kodak and Fujifilm. Both were extremely successful at one time, but when the industry was disrupted Kodak kept using the same business model, which no longer worked. As a result Kodak went bankrupt and completely went away.

Fujifilm on the other hand had a CEO who had been obsessed with the thought of the company dying for awhile and had put a plan in place before it was too late. The company aggressively reallocated resources into a whole new way of business, which was cosmetics. It turns out the chemical process and the intellectual property related to aging film can be used in cosmetics for aging skin. So instead of staying on the same logical path of film, they saw the industry coming to an end and went an entirely different direction. They are still around today.

The key is they planned for this extreme disruption before it happened. If you wait until a crisis happens to react, you are never going to have a resilient company. You can’t make a change that big overnight, which is what a lot of companies are trying to do right now. You have to do the work upfront and be a bit of a futurist so that you can see multiple possibilities ahead.

So really, the responsibility for creating resilient organizations starts with the leaders. But the traditional way of leading organizations is not the right model for this type of change. We need a different style of leadership.

Moving away from the stereotypical leadership style

In the past, a lot of people have viewed a leader as someone who is the smartest one in the room, the one who makes all of the decisions and picks the right ideas. As Alex shares, if you as the leader are the smartest one in the room, you have failed in your hiring.

Being a leader is not about being knowledgeable in every aspect of business and it is not about making every decision, it is about creating the environment for great ideas to emerge and succeed. It is the job of the leader to create the culture that embraces creativity and innovation, and to give authority to individual employees to make decisions.

Alex gives a great example from the German company, Bosch. They decided they were going to invest in 200 projects inside the organization. So they gave those 200 projects a budget of 120,000 Euros and they gave them three months. After the three months were up the company looked at the results from all 200 projects and they killed off 70% of the projects and re-invested a bit more into the remaining 30% based on the results they saw. The remaining projects got to continue on for a bit more time and then after that time was done they all got reevaluated. And based on the findings from the evaluation, they discontinued 75% of those projects. So at the end of the process they got down to 15 projects (out of the 200) to continue on with.

The important part, as Alex explains, is, “It wasn’t the leadership that decided on the ideas, per se, it was the evidence that showed if they would get follow up investment. So what’s the leader’s role? It’s about creating the right environment where these teams can explore, fail a lot, and learn the environment where the teams that didn’t get follow up investments are not kind of stigmatized as losers because they couldn’t get the project, right? No, that’s a normal ratio from early stage venture capital. We actually know that one out of 250 ideas is an outsized winner. So, it’s that kind of culture you need to put in place. So we don’t start to stigmatize those who didn’t succeed, because they’re contributing to the portfolio. So as a leader, again, you shouldn’t be the expert, because then you hired wrong. That obviously depends on the kind of domain you’re in. And your main job is to create the conditions for success to emerge. So,you know, that is one of the messages that I found really, really intriguing from Alan Mulally, he likes to say, sometimes, as a leader, you can create too much value.”

How to create a culture of innovation

Leaders can’t just let culture happen, culture has to be designed and managed. If you want to create a culture of innovation, it has to be done intentionally. A lot of organizations have failed at innovation because the CEO is not spending a lot of time focused on it. And if people inside the company see that the leaders don’t care about innovation, or worse, that leaders are punishing creativity and new ideas, then people are going to stop trying. CEOs do have to spend time focusing on executing and managing the existing, but if innovation doesn’t have enough power, it’s always going to play second fiddle.

As Alex shares, “At Logitech, the CEO Bracken Darrell spends 40 to 60% of his time on innovation. That gives innovation power because it’s symbolic if the CEO spends a lot of time on innovation. Then the next question is oh, so the CEO picks the winning ideas? No, the CEO creates the culture and metrics and spaces where innovation can emerge. And that is a partnership between innovation and execution. Those are two different domains and they need to live in harmony, not kind of entrenched in a kind of Warzone. So, sometimes innovators like to call themselves pirates or rebels. I think that’s silly because pirates and rebels get killed. Like why would you want to be a pirate or rebel? It’s not about breaking the rules. It’s about the leadership creating the right rules so we can do both. World class execution and world class innovation.”

If a leader feels like they just don’t have an innovative team, most likely there is a cultural problem. Either that leader or a previous leader in the company has punished people for actually exploring ideas or there is no incentive to innovate. The first thing that needs to happen to create an innovation culture is to tear down all of the blockers that are preventing people from innovating.

One of the biggest blockers to innovation that Alex mentions is business plans. He says business plans are the enemy of innovation because it is an execution document where you describe a dream in detail and you execute it. Innovation is about picking an idea, adapting it, and then changing it until you create value. There are other blockers like focusing on the wrong metrics and leaders thinking they can do everything on their own. You have to get rid of all of the blockers to innovation before you can put innovation into place. Alex suggests leaders read the shareholder letters from Jeff Bezos, which are publicly available.

How to start building an invincible team

If you are a mid-level manager, or a leader who is responsible for a team, but maybe you are not the CEO of the company, what can you do to start building an invincible team? Using a method from Rita McGrath, Alex says the first step is to take a look at your CEOs agenda and see how much time is carved out for innovation. Or look at the company’s last four important meetings and see how much time was spent talking about innovation. In either of those instances if the answer is not over 40%, you actually need to consider if it is worthwhile to spend your time on innovation, because as he says you will be “fighting against windmills”.

This is an important first step because you have to know what your company’s innovation readiness is. Is your environment ready for innovation to happen? If it is not, take a look at the top levels of the organization and ask yourself who can you get on board as a sponsor to support innovation. Is there someone at the top level who is willing to push for innovation and offer top level protection for people to explore?

Alex says, “You need that top level protection, I’d say, because otherwise all you’re going to do, and unfortunately we still see this in quite a few companies, all you’re going to do is innovation theater. No company is lacking innovation activities. There’s incubators, there’s all that kind of stuff. I’m not even talking about ping pong tables, I’m talking about real innovation activity. But as long as it’s not connected to strategy, it’s really a little bit of a suicide mission. I know a lot of innovation leads are up for that suicide mission. That’s why they call themselves rebels and pirates. But I think we need to be a little bit more pragmatic. And, you know, first understand, how ready is the company. And then based on that assessment, either change the job or say, Okay, here’s the strategy.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Companies That Are Putting People First During COVID-19 https://thefutureorganization.com/companies-that-are-putting-people-first-during-covid-19/ Fri, 24 Jul 2020 00:26:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31656 How a company responds during a crisis can speak volumes about its culture and character and of course the experience it wants to create for its people. Does it rush to sell its product and boost sales? Does it reach out to customers? Does it protect its management and lay off entry-level employees? Treating people well during times of prosperity is easy, but treating people well during times of stress and tension is what really matters.

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How a company responds during a crisis can speak volumes about its culture and character and of course the experience it wants to create for its people. Does it rush to sell its product and boost sales? Does it reach out to customers? Does it protect its management and lay off entry-level employees? Treating people well during times of prosperity is easy, but treating people well during times of stress and tension is what really matters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given companies around the world a chance to show what they are made of. Instead of simply putting their core values on a poster, this is a chance to live them. A number of companies are focusing on their people and showing that employees really matter. Of course, there are plenty of other companies out there who are doing the exact opposite.

Here are three examples of companies putting their employees first during this global crisis:

PepsiCo

PepsiCo was one of the first companies to give its front-line employees pay raises, continue to pay employees who can’t work due to COVID-19, and offer a variety of assistance packages. The packages include an extra $100 per week to employees who produce, transport, or deliver products, as well as a full salary for up to 14 days for employees who have to be quarantined. PepsiCo is also offering employees at least two-thirds pay for up to 10 weeks if they are sick or have to take care of a sick loved one.

PepsiCo also unveiled new caregiver benefits, including two-thirds pay for up to 12 weeks for employees who can’t work from home and must care for a child. The company views its employees as “the backbone of the company,” which is demonstrated through its actions.

Twitter

Twitter set the tone for many large companies when it was one of the first to switch to a work-from-home model during the pandemic. After moving all employees to work remotely, the company announced that any employee who wants to continue to work from home can do so forever. The choice for if and when an employee wants to return to work in the office is up to each individual.

Twitter also supports its employees in the pandemic by reimbursing any additional childcare expenses working parents may experience and paying for employees to set up their home offices, including covering their internet costs.

Starbucks

Starbucks committed $10 million to its Global Partner Emergency Relief Fund to support employees around the world affected by the pandemic. Employees can apply for a grant to help them get through extreme hardship.

Aside from providing traditional health benefits for its employees, Starbucks recently unveiled expanded mental health benefits for all employees who work 20 hours or more per week. Every employee and their family members will have access to 20 therapy sessions a year at no cost.

“As we navigate this global crisis, we never lose sight of the wellbeing of our partners, who are the heartbeat of this company,” said Lucy Helm, Starbucks chief partner officer.

These companies show the importance of putting employees first, especially during tough times which is when it really matters. From childcare costs to medical leave and mental health treatments, there are many needs for employees during this unprecedented time, and the best companies work to meet those needs. For all of the leaders out there, remember that now is the time to be a human being first and a business leader second. No organization can exist without people and I can promise you that when the pandemic is behind us, it’s the organizations who put their people first that will continue to thrive and attract and retain the best people.

These are some of the many companies that are stepping up to take care of their people. Do you have another company you want to add to the list? Please share below!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The #1 Cause Of Stress In Our Lives And How To Manage It https://thefutureorganization.com/the-1-cause-of-stress-in-our-lives-and-how-to-manage-it/ Thu, 23 Jul 2020 00:05:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31622 It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the majority of Americans say their job is the biggest cause of stress in their lives (and this is true in many other parts of the world as well). As we push ourselves harder and are constantly connected, stress has started to take an even bigger toll on our lives especially when you consider the impact that COVID-19 has had. Many employees constantly feel burned out and overworked. When you’re stressed, you’re not as good of an employee or leader, and you’re definitely not as good of a friend, spouse, or parent.

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It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the majority of Americans say their job is the biggest cause of stress in their lives (and this is true in many other parts of the world as well). As we push ourselves harder and are constantly connected, stress has started to take an even bigger toll on our lives especially when you consider the impact that COVID-19 has had. Many employees constantly feel burned out and overworked. When you’re stressed, you’re not as good of an employee or leader, and you’re definitely not as good of a friend, spouse, or parent.

A growing number of organizations have initiatives to promote health and wellness which is great to see. However, it’s ultimately up to us as individuals to take control over our own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health and to control our stress levels.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Here are four ways to manage your stress at work:

Take a stress audit.

What causes you stress at work? Is it having to do the work of two people because a co-worker left? Is it being called into meetings at all hours of the day? Is it a client with a bad attitude? Analyze what triggers your stress and try to find solutions to control the trigger or avoid it altogether. Don’t focus WHY you feel a certain way, instead ask yourself WHAT is causing you to feel a certain way, that way you can take concrete action to fix the issue. For me a packed day of meetings is a huge cause of stress, so I try to avoid having days like that.

Set boundaries.

Stay in control of those stress-causing triggers. Talk to your boss and set boundaries. If always being on call is causing major stress, set limits of when you will and won’t respond to a work call. Openly share what is causing you to stress with your manager and find solutions that work for you and the company. I have someone on my team who helps me with content and a few years ago I threw a ton of work at her with unrealistic expectations. Instead of her saying, “sorry I can’t do this.” She responded with the clever, “how would you like me to prioritize all of the projects you have assigned?” This was her way of saying, “this is too much work, I’m happy to do it, but with a more realistic timeline and expectations.” You don’t have to be rude when setting boundaries. If you’re getting invites to 10 meetings a day from 6am to 9pm try telling your leader or team, “I’m being invited to a lot of meetings which ones are the top priority for me to attend?”

Stay healthy.

Usually, I’m traveling a few hundred thousand miles a year for speaking and advisory engagements. If I don’t stay healthy I can’t deliver a good talk or workshop. Now with COVID-19 this also means I can’t deliver a good virtual keynote or an interview for my podcast. I have to stay healthy so that I can deliver good quality work to the organizations who hire me. This means getting enough sleep (even with a 2 month old!), eating healthy, exercising, and taking time to relax. Your physical health is connected to your mental and emotional health. Take time each day to move your body and be active, try to eat healthy so you have more energy, and give yourself enough time to rest. You can’t lead others and you can’t be an effective team member if you are burned out, stress out and overworked.

Be realistic.

Oftentimes, stress is caused by creating unrealistic expectations for ourselves. I’m certainly guilty of this and when you work for yourself like I do, this is even harder to manage. For many years I would pile on as much work into a single day as I possibly could. In a single day I would schedule meetings, time to do podcasts, videos, write articles, and more. I learned my lesson when after a few short months I couldn’t do it anymore. Remember that you’re human and can’t do everything on your own. Learn what you are capable of accomplishing in one day, and divide the rest of your responsibilities for other days. With realistic expectations, you won’t feel overwhelmed when you can’t possibly get to everything in one day. I try to focus on 3 or MAYBE 5 goals to get done for the day and if I do those then that’s it, I get to spend my free time working on my chess game.

Managing stress is an ongoing process. Find ways to mitigate stress triggers and take care of yourself. If you find talking to your boss and setting boundaries at work isn’t working, don’t be afraid to leave that job behind and find something that is a better fit for your mental and emotional needs. Life is too short to be a part of an organization that is causing you emotional and physical harm.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here

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Leading By Putting People First: What Does That Mean & How Do You Do It? https://thefutureorganization.com/leading-by-putting-people-first-what-does-that-mean-how-do-you-do-it/ Tue, 21 Jul 2020 23:55:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31616 There's a lot of talk of leading by "putting people first" but what exactly does that mean and how do you actually go about doing that? Putting people first is a philosophy backed up by a set of actions which prioritizes the people of an organization above all else including shareholder value and profits, even if it means that leaders must make personal sacrifices.

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There’s a lot of talk of leading by “putting people first” but what exactly does that mean and how do you actually go about doing that? Putting people first is a philosophy backed up by a set of actions which prioritizes the people of an organization above all else including shareholder value and profits, even if it means that leaders must make personal sacrifices.

We hear about this a lot but rarely do we see it.

There’s a a restaurant near where I live called “Ole’s Waffle Shop” which is owned by Ken and Vickie Monize that employs around 40 people. The owners of that restaurant wanted to retire next year and build their dream house on land they purchased in Santa Rosa. Then the pandemic hit and their sales plummeted by 85%. The owners could have just closed their doors and retired early, but they didn’t. Instead, they sold their property and put nearly $400,000 of their own money into paying their employees so that they could survive during this difficult time. When you walk into the restaurant portraits of the employees line the walls to remind everyone what it takes to run a family business.

This to me is putting people first. The owners of this small mom and pop restaurant believe that their job, their responsibility, and their privilege is to take care of the people who helped build the business, even if it means they have to sacrifice personally. If Ken and Vickie Monize are willing to do this then why aren’t the many billion dollar organizations out there who are putting their people on the chopping block? If a waffle shop can do this, then so can every other company…if they are willing to sacrifice.

How to put people first

In the context of most companies, there are 5 steps they can follow to put people first.

Step 1: Understand what it means to be a leader

You are the lighthouse that guides other people to success in a safe way, your job is to help make other people more successful, even more successful than you!

Step 2: Know your people

Your employees are not workers, they are human beings with fears, dreams, aspirations, families, and passions. Get to know them!

Step 3: Focus on employee experience

There are 3 environments your organization can shape which are culture, technology, and physical space. You have to invest in and optimize all three to create a place where employees WANT not NEED to show up to work each day.

Step 4: Measure human factors

At Barry-Wehmiller, the 12,000 person manufacturing company, they don’t measure “head count” they measure “heart count,” to remind themselves that they are in the business of taking care of people. Whether you are looking at diversity and inclusion or overall happiness of your people, human factors are important to consider.

Step 5: Focus on purpose and meaning

We all want to feel like we are making a difference and are contributing towards building something great. Purpose and meaning are two different yet crucial aspects that make us who we are as human beings.

I’ll leave you with this quote from one of the co-owners of the waffle shop.

“You can’t just say goodbye and good luck to somebody that has worked very hard everyday to help you build a business. You just can’t say goodbye to that. You just can’t stay good luck. I hope you do well,” Ken Monize said. “It’s not in our vocabulary — we won’t do it.”

Lead on!

Jacob

image: https://pixabay.com/photos/sunset-lighthouse-dawn-dusk-sky-3120484/

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Humanocracy: How to Create Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them https://thefutureorganization.com/humanocracy-how-to-create-organizations-as-amazing-as-the-people-inside-them/ Mon, 20 Jul 2020 08:26:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31536 Gary Hamel is the author of five books including bestsellers What Matters Now and The Future of Management. His upcoming book is called Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, which comes out in August.

Gary has been on the faculty of the London Business School for more than 30 years and he is the director of the Management Lab. He has been named “The World’s leading expert on business strategy” by Fortune magazine, “the management innovator without peer” by the Financial Times, and he has been ranked by The Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker. He is also a fellow of The Strategic Management Society and the World Economic Forum.

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Gary Hamel Transcript

 

Gary Hamel is the author of five books including bestsellers What Matters Now and The Future of Management. His upcoming book is called Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, which comes out in August.

Gary has been on the faculty of the London Business School for more than 30 years and he is the director of the Management Lab. He has been named “The World’s leading expert on business strategy” by Fortune magazine, “the management innovator without peer” by the Financial Times, and he has been ranked by The Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker. He is also a fellow of The Strategic Management Society and the World Economic Forum.

This episode is brought to you by Cisco. Nearly overnight, the entire world has found itself adapting to a new way of working. The future of work requires a modern approach to collaboration – helping people securely connect wherever they work, while staying safe and being productive. Cisco is shaping this path forward. Check out their new page devoted to the future of work to learn more and check out their resources including articles, videos, and a workplace maturity assessment.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

There are some companies that seem to dominate at strategy and innovation–like Google, Airbnb, and YouTube. These companies found a way to create rule breaking strategies that have pushed them into the forefront in their industries. But why is it that some companies can figure out how to do that, while others (the majority) have such a difficult time innovating? That is what Gary has been trying to figure out over his career and what he found was that most organizations are alike–they are all using the same bureaucratic model that stifles creativity, innovation, and adaptability. As organizations we need to move away from this old way of leading, but how?

Why we haven’t moved away from bureaucracy

One of the major reasons why organizations have not been able to move away from this outdated model is because leaders do not trust their people. But because of that lack of trust, it ends up being a self fulfilling prophecy. If leaders feel that they have to treat their people like children because they can’t be trusted, the people will feel that and they will stop making decisions on their own. If leaders try to control every aspect of the work, then what motivation does the employee have to do something new and innovative?

Gary says, “I make the point in the book that there’s a great irony in the fact that most of us, you know, at some point in our life, we’re going to buy a car or two or three as we go through life, many of us will ultimately buy a dwelling of some sort. And yet those same human beings go to work and can’t requisition a $300 office chair without somebody’s permission. And we know from a kind of academic research that when you shrink somebody’s autonomy, you also shrink their creativity, you shrink their courage and people just kind of give up. And so, where they may be very engaged in other parts of their life, they’re not very engaged at work.”

The reason why Gary wrote his book was because he became frustrated looking around at a majority of companies that aren’t focusing on innovation. They are only changing when they face a crisis and have to change. And while 87% of CEOs think innovation is the top three priority, 94% will tell you their organizations are not very good at it. So Gary wanted to help organizations to see that you cannot become more capable of innovation if you don’t change the structures and principles that have kept organizations in a stand still up until now. He also saw that organizations are not utilizing their people to the fullest. Not only that, they are actually holding the people back.

We have been using the wrong definition of leadership

There are many definitions of leadership, if you ask a room full of 20 people to define the word you will probably get 20 different answers. But Gary says we have been defining it all wrong. Over the last few decades the words leader and manager have been used interchangeably. And usually when we think of leaders we think of the top 20 people inside a company who make all the decisions.

How does Gary think we should define leadership? He says “Ask yourself, if you had no budget at work, if you had no title after your name, what can you get done? And so people who need the stick of bureaucratic authority to get something done, I don’t think most of those people are leaders, maybe very good administrators, they’re not leaders. Leaders are people who know how to mobilize the people around them, know how to get folks to move forward together, and can be catalysts in making that happen. But they’re not necessarily defined by a particular place in the organization. So probably, since Drucker was writing, we really know how to train managers, I don’t think then or now we really know how to train leaders. But we kind of gave everybody a battlefield promotion when we started referring to managers and leaders. My argument is there are not a lot of managers who are leaders, anybody can be a leader. It has nothing to do with credentials. It has nothing to do with hierarchy, whether you have the courage, the compassion, the sense of community to step up and make something happen, even when you lack that positional authority.”

So should we get rid of the concept of management altogether? Gary says, we may need to change our language when it comes to management, as it does not refer to a layer of the company or a certain elite group of people. Management is really anything that helps us combine our efforts, do something consistently with purpose effectively multiplying our individual work. Gary believes most people and most teams today are capable of managing themselves. So we need systems and processes of managing together, but we don’t need multiple ranks of managers who see their primary role as control and oversight.

How Adidas got rid of bureaucracy

Gary worked with Adidas and they brought him in to help them get rid of bureaucracy and to build a more innovative culture. They were lagging behind Nike and Under Armour in North America and they wanted to fix that. Gary says that in this instance he was able to train a couple thousand employees on how to think like business innovators. These employees were frontline, retail people who were now trained in innovating and then the company opened up the conversation to get ideas from these employees. Thousands of ideas were created in these open meetings and it got the employees excited and inspired for the first time in their careers. This was so successful they had a second round, but this time they focused on their manager model. They opened up the conversation about the business and the manager model to thousands of employees, which took a lot of courage on the part of the CEO. But that courage paid off big time.

A lot of times it is the CEO standing in front of the organization giving their perspective on problems and issues. They are the ones giving the roadmap for how to move forward. But what if any individual inside the company could give an opinion, could have their voice heard, could help solve problems.

Gary says, “ If you look back at all the people who changed our world, that’s what they do, they’re not waiting to be asked. They do not assume they’re helpless because they don’t have a title after their name. They see a problem. They build a community. They go, they build. They try something and they go from there. So these are the hackers. These are the activists who’ve changed things. And it’s kind of amazing to me that, you know, I hear all these CEOs that say, “Gary, our organization needs to change faster”. So I ask them a question, “have you trained every employee to think like an activist? Do they know how to build a prototype? They know how to build a community around them to go try something.” “No,we’ve never done that.” So how can you complain that your organization can’t change fast enough? Well, you haven’t taught every single person how to be an agent of change in your organization.”

The 7 Principles of Humanocracy

In his book, Gary shares seven principles of humanocracy that define the DNA of a Human-Centric organization. They are:

  • The Power of Ownership–Companies have a wealth of talented employees, but they aren’t given ownership of their work. Which means their ideas never see the light of day. Employees want to be passionate, engaged, and inspired. So give them the power to do so.
  • The Power of Markets–While markets can’t function in the absence of appropriate regulatory structures, they are unmatched in their capacity to harness human wisdom and initiative.
  • The Power of Meritocracy–If you want a human-centric organization you can’t have rigid hierarchies that make executives king-like and employees like underlings. Hierarchies should be natural and dynamic, based on an individual’s performance, not title or tenure.
  • The Power of Community–As human beings we are programmed for community. We need to feel like we belong and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Leaders need to strengthen the bonds of community within the organization.
  • The Power of Openness–It is important for everyone in the organization to feel that they can voice their opinions. And people should be encouraged to voice different opinions and not feel they have to agree with the boss. Diversity of thought, background, culture, etc…is extremely important to the success of an organization.
  • The Power of Experimentation–The pace at which any organization evolves is determined in large part by how many experiments it runs. You shouldn’t let your organization sit still and wait for a crisis to change. In good times and in bad, you must go try something new.
  • The Power of Paradox–Conundrums are what make life interesting. You have to help your organization become a master of paradox. When you can master it, work will become more interesting and the organization will be more capable

If we want to see change inside our organizations, we can’t keep defaulting to the old way of work. As Gary shares in his book, “We need to embed new human-centric principles in every structure, system, process, and practice. If we’re serious about creating organizations that are fit for human beings and fit for the future, nothing less will do”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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4 Tips for How to Effectively Lead a Remote Team https://thefutureorganization.com/4-tips-for-how-to-effectively-lead-a-remote-team/ Thu, 16 Jul 2020 14:17:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31369 Chances are you are one of the many people around the world working from home right now. The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered office doors overnight and sent millions of people around the world to work remotely.

Even as states and countries start to re-open and some people head back to the office, more companies will stick with their remote working capabilities. In most cases, working from home is safer for employees and helps organizations better allocate resources.

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Chances are you are one of the many people around the world working from home right now. The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered office doors overnight and sent millions of people around the world to work remotely.

Even as states and countries start to re-open and some people head back to the office, more companies will stick with their remote working capabilities. In most cases, working from home is safer for employees and helps organizations better allocate resources.

But working from home is one thing—leading from home is another. You may have gone from overseeing your team directly in person one day to checking in with them remotely via email the next day. Leading a remote team takes a different type of leadership, and it can be a difficult transition for people. But as more companies shift to remote work, knowing how to lead people who aren’t in the same physical space as you is a crucial skill. In fact all leaders need to embrace a set of new skills and mindsets in order to lead effectively in the new world of work.

I’ve been running a remote team for the past 12 years. My team of 10 people is distributed around the world and I’ve only ever even met one or two of them in person. Through some trial and error, I’ve learned how to lead a remote team to successfully where things get done and everyone is happy.

Here are three of my top 3 tips:

1. Set clear expectations. For people thrown into working from home, the entire situation can be new and unknown. Working from home doesn’t mean employees get to lounge around and do nothing all day. Set clear guidelines and expectations from the beginning, including how you want them to work, the quality of the work, and when they need to be online and available. I’ve found this works for full-time and part-time employees. Even with the flexibility of remote working, being clear about needing someone online for certain hours can make a huge difference. Do it from the start to avoid awkwardly having to backpedal and set expectations down the road.

2. Get the right technology. One of the biggest challenges for companies thrown into remote working during the pandemic was having the right technology in place. But now that the systems are working and have been tested, they’re more likely to stick around. Carefully think about what your team needs to succeed—is it communication tools? Task management software? Videoconferencing capabilities? Security measures? Make sure everyone on your team has the tools they need to do their job well from home. The good news is that many products are available for free, at least on a trial basis, so you can test the waters before deciding which systems to use and don’t forget to collect employee feedback.

3. Trust your people. You’ve set expectations and given them the tools to succeed. Now let them do it! One of the biggest challenges for leaders who are used to having their teams within arm’s reach at all times is to trust them to get the job done when they can’t check in every few minutes. Resist the urge to micromanage. Trust your employees to be adults, and trust yourself that you picked a good team that will continue to work at a high level. When employees feel you don’t trust them or don’t think they are being productive, it shows in their work. Check in with your employees enough to collaborate and stay on the same page, but don’t babysit them.

4. Be human. You must remember that with the current crisis we are in, you are a people leader first and a business leader second. This means you focus on the well-being of your people before you focus on the sales that were closed. It’s ok to be vulnerable and open with your people, especially now…they will appreciate it far more. It’s during these times of crisis and stress that we need leaders to demonstrate their humanity. Trust is crucial, and there’ no better way to earn and create that trust than by being a human being. As a leader you are going to have to work harder than ever before to guide your people, motivate them, inspire them, and look out for them.

Leading a remote team is a challenge, but it can also bring great opportunities to work with the best talent around the world. Take time to stay connected with your employees. Check in with them about work and about life. Millions of us may be working remotely unexpectedly, but this will definitely become part of our new normal. If you want to be a leader in the future, you’ve got to know how to lead remote teams.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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AI Is Going To Impact Your Job, Here’s Why You Should Let It https://thefutureorganization.com/ai-is-going-to-impact-your-job-heres-why-you-should-let-it-2/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 16:19:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31361 Conversations about AI are nearly unavoidable these days. It seems like everyone has an opinion about how AI is taking jobs from humans and how it will impact and transform our work situations. Many of those conversations are full of fear that the machines are taking over and soon employees in all industries will be replaced.

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Conversations about AI are nearly unavoidable these days. It seems like everyone has an opinion about how AI is taking jobs from humans and how it will impact and transform our work situations. Many of those conversations are full of fear that the machines are taking over and soon employees in all industries will be replaced.

Here’s the truth: yes, AI is impacting jobs. But we should let it.

That doesn’t mean that machines will soon leave us completely unemployed and take over our world. Instead, it means that AI is augmenting and transforming jobs to make them better. Just because it’s new and unknown doesn’t mean it has to be scary. Here are three reasons you should let AI impact your job.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

 

AI removes mundane tasks.

AI is built to do repetitive tasks like data entry, analysis, and scheduling. The best applications for AI are areas where humans don’t typically want to spend their time. AI takes over those boring, mundane tasks and does them faster and more accurately than humans, which gives humans a chance to work on other projects that are more exciting and engaging. Think of AI as a skilled assistant who frees your schedule to work on more interesting things.

AI provides a chance to learn new skills.

A growing number of companies, including Accenture and McDonald’s, are re-vamping their workforces with AI without losing a single human employee. That’s because employees that are being replaced are being up-skilled to work in other areas of the company. Accenture replaced many of its entry-level data entry employees with machines but then trained the human employees on business strategy and moved them to other areas of the company where their skills could be better used. By allowing AI to work in areas where it thrives, humans have the chance to expand our skillsets and careers into new areas. AI could be the boost that takes your career to the next level and encourages you to learn something new.

AI allows us to focus on human qualities.

Even the most advanced robot can’t collaborate with humans or be as creative as a human can. There are certain skills that are uniquely human and can’t be duplicated by a machine. As AI takes over many of the mind-numbing tasks humans used to do, it frees us to focus on what makes us human. We get to build relationships and be innovative.

AI in the workforce is unavoidable. Instead of living in constant fear of being replaced by machines, we should be excited for the change. Embrace AI and encourage its growth in your organization. AI is going to impact your job, but with the right attitude, that impact could be a great starting spot for your next step forward.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

 

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Future Leaders Must Guide A Distributed Workforce By Example https://thefutureorganization.com/future-leaders-must-guide-a-distributed-workforce-by-example/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 03:40:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31267 What does it take for a leader to live in California but have teams of employees in multiple time zones across the globe? According to Mark Feldman, CEO of GSN, the answer is not very much sleep.

As companies expand with global teams and distributed workforces, leaders have to do more than just learn to have meetings at all hours of the day—they must also learn how to build a solid culture and keep teams working towards common goals, no matter where they are in the world.

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What does it take for a leader to live in California but have teams of employees in multiple time zones across the globe? According to Mark Feldman, CEO of GSN, the answer is not very much sleep.

As companies expand with global teams and distributed workforces, leaders have to do more than just learn to have meetings at all hours of the day—they must also learn how to build a solid culture and keep teams working towards common goals, no matter where they are in the world.

As CEO of GSN, home to GSN Games and the Game Show Network, Mark oversees nearly 200 employees. Although his home office is in California, the company’s biggest office is actually in India. He has seen the distributed workforce experience tremendous growth since his career started more than 20 years ago, and he realizes that future leaders will have to work even harder as the workforce becomes more distributed, not just in terms of geography, but also in terms of age, culture, and numerous other factors.

I had the chance to interview Mark about his company and the future of leadership for my book, The Future Leader, and appreciated his insights and experiences on leading a distributed workforce by example.

Being Present

Mark works from the GSN headquarters in California but has employees working in New York, Boston, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Kiev, London, and Bangalore. Many other leaders will find themselves in a similar situation with global teams of employees, each with their own culture and location.

Mark believes that one of the biggest challenges of leading a distributed workforce is being present, even if you aren’t physically together. Every day, leaders must be authentic and transparent with all of their teams, not just the ones they can see in front of them. In every communication, leaders have to model the values, passion, commitment, and accountability that are crucial to the company’s success. Email communication can often come across as trite and meaningless, so leaders have to be constantly developing the mindset of being present across difference workplaces and cultures.

Leading a distributed workforce means building a strong company culture, but it also requires acknowledging and celebrating each individual employee’s culture. Practices that work at one location could be ineffective in another location because of the cultural beliefs of the area. Each team can be working towards the same goal to build the company, but doing it in slightly different ways that leverage their location, age, and culture.

“None of us can think we’re always going to be ahead of the increasing pace of change. You need to be open to hearing from the marketplace and from your teams where that change is needed because you’re not always going to be the one to see it first,” Mark said.

GSN is constantly thinking about developing future leaders and finding and training the best talent. But that process looks slightly different in Tel Aviv or London than it might in San Francisco. Leaders have to stay in tune with local employees to meet their needs in the best way possible while still staying true to the company’s goals and purpose. Staying present with employees ensures that leaders know what’s working and how to best connect with and train them. To lead distributed teams, leaders must be constantly learning and adapting to what works best for each group around the world.

Mark gave this example: “You can’t drop into the office in the Ukraine with a group of engineers with a particular task and assume that the way you managed and motivated the team you were just with in Barcelona is going to be the same. You need to be open to listening and learning and figuring out how you can get everyone on board. That demands a lot of openness to learning something new every single day.”

Leading by Example

One way Mark tries to stay present with all of his teams is to lead by example. He told me this: “The question I ask myself every day is, ‘Does every person in this organization see that I model in my behavior what I expect of them?’ Put another way: I hope there’s not a person in this organization who thinks there’s anything I would ask them to do or has been affected by anything that I don’t ask of myself or expect of myself.”

Leading by example means being accountable and doing what you expect employees to do. Mark realizes that if he wants something to happen in his organization or certain values to be highlighted, he needs to set the example and facilitate positive change. Some leaders think they are above the rest of the company and try to create an aura that is separate from their employees. But part of finding success as a future leader is being authentic and inspirational, which comes from leading by example. Get your hands dirty, put your feet on the ground, and model the attitudes and behaviors you expect from employees. If you want employees to build strong relationships with customers, build strong relationships with them and involve yourself with customers. Real change, especially to attitudes and values, starts with leaders.

Leading by example can be uncomfortable and push leaders out of their comfort zones. Mark believes it’s important for future leaders to have a strong comfort level with the inherently uncomfortable nature of the role. After all, growth and progress comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and encouraging others to do the same.

How we work and lead is constantly changing, and future leaders need to be comfortable with change and discomfort. Being present and leading by example can help future leaders build strong connections, no matter where in the world their teams are located.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-eliminate-bureaucratic-red-tape-bad-excuses-and-corporate-bs/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:49:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31217 Martin Lindstrom is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books including Buyology, Small Data, and his upcoming book--The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS (Jan 2021).

Martin is the founder and Chairman of Lindstrom Company, a global branding and culture transformation firm working with Fortune 100 companies in more than 30 countries. He has advised companies such as Mattel, Pepsi, Burger King, and Google. Martin has been ranked on the Thinkers50 list for 3 years in a row and TIME Magazine named him one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential people”.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futureofworkpodcast/Martin_Lindstrom_Podcast_-_done.mp3

Martin Lindstrom Transcript

 

Martin Lindstrom is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books including Buyology, Small Data, and his upcoming book–The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS (Jan 2021).

Martin is the founder and Chairman of Lindstrom Company, a global branding and culture transformation firm working with Fortune 100 companies in more than 30 countries. He has advised companies such as Mattel, Pepsi, Burger King, and Google. Martin has been ranked on the Thinkers50 list for 3 years in a row and TIME Magazine named him one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential people”.

This episode is brought to you by Cisco. Nearly overnight, the entire world has found itself adapting to a new way of working. The future of work requires a modern approach to collaboration – helping people securely connect wherever they work, while staying safe and being productive. Cisco is shaping this path forward. Visit bit.ly/webexfow to learn more and check out their resources including articles, videos, and a workplace maturity assessment.

Have you ever had to deal with rules or guidelines at work that don’t really make sense? Have you ever had a great idea for your organization that would save time or money only to have the idea killed as it went up the corporate command chain? I’m sure we’ve all experienced these bureaucratic red tape in our careers and this is exactly what Martin is trying to combat. He is trying to bring common sense back into the workplace.

How innovation is killed

For the past 20 years, Martin has been working with companies to transform their brand and corporate culture. And what he found was that every company has an immune system that works as a defense mechanism for change.

He says, “Companies have it (the immune system) because as soon as they migrate from being a small startup company to become a real serious bureaucracy, what happens is that people are protecting what they already have. And through that, they create processes and compliance and rules and guidelines. And all that becomes almost an invisible straight jacket, which is almost sucking the oxygen out of the room in terms of innovation and transformation.”

He gave an example of something he experienced while working with McDonald’s many years ago. The company had come to Martin to help reinvent the happy meal. Martin and his team came up with a great concept of redesigning the meal to be healthy, but fun. They realized that in order for kids to eat healthy there had to be a narrative that made the food cool, fun and exciting. They came up with a story where the broccoli was the bushes in the forest, and the tomatoes and the cucumbers were tools and weapons in the story along with all of the other food. They tested this on kids and they loved it. Parents loved it. The McDonald’s franchisees loved it. So McDonald’s gave the green light to pilot the idea across Europe. After two years the company went to launch the new happy meal and guess what it was? The old happy meal food with an apple added.

After that experience, Martin realized he needed to understand the “immune system” and actually address the lack of common sense that happens with bureaucratic red tape and corporate command chains. Since then they have actually hired psychologists to join the team at the Lindstrom Company.

Why companies need to think like entrepreneurs

So what can companies do to start removing the red tape and stop killing innovation? Martin says they need to go back to the concept of entrepreneurship. One key trait entrepreneurs have is they see the world through the eyes of a customer or a consumer, they don’t see things through the eyes of a business person. Usually the reason an entrepreneur is starting a new business or service is to fill a gap they experienced so they are the consumer. They have felt the pain or frustration on the consumer side, so they know how to make the experience great for others. But what happens over time is the company grows and the entrepreneur starts getting nervous about others stealing their idea or that some of their 3000+ employees will mess up the company brand or philosophy. That’s when the safety net comes in, in the form of rules, regulations, policies, etc…And slowly the company starts seeing the world from the inside out instead of the outside in. This is when the common sense starts fading away.

As Martin shares, “When you lose a sense of common sense it is quite often because you lose contact with the consumer, the customer. Really the people who are paying your salary, and you need to reconnect with the real world. And most companies today believe that they’re doing that through data, they believe that the spreadsheets and all these statistics and research studies are telling them the truth. But the reality is, there’s one little thing missing. And that thing is empathy. The ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person and feel what that person is feeling. And as soon as that happens, it’s almost like you’re resetting the whole mindset. And that’s where common sense is coming back.”

The six roadblocks to common sense

In Martin’s new book he lays out six of the most common roadblocks to common sense. They are:

  • Bad customer experience–The company is not feeling the pain the customer feels so no one inside the company acts on behalf of customers to fix problems. The way to fix this is through empathy–finding ways to put yourself in your customer’s shoes.
  •  Politics–There are two issues in this roadblock. First not knowing what other people in other departments or divisions are feeling and not caring. And the second issue is the KPIs that are not aligned.
  • Technology–Technology is a wonderful thing, but there are always multiple issues with it throughout the day that can be a time waster and it can build frustration. We spend around 15% of our day fixing tech issues. It can be a tool or a weapon
  • Meetings and PowerPoints–Not only do we have too many meetings, but almost everyone is multitasking in them and the culture most companies have created around meetings is toxic. They run over, everyone has their own agenda, people are trying to show off instead of be productive. We cannot be productive if we spend all our time responding to emails and sitting in meetings.
  • Rules, regulations, and policies–There are a lot of rules, regulations and policies inside of organizations that just don’t make sense. We have to be able to question rules and eliminate them if they are not reasonable.
  • Compliance and Legal–A lot of times people in this function of the company say no just for the sake of saying no. When this function has too much power, it can destroy your company and how it evolves. You have to have the right balance between keeping the company safe and secure, but also they have to be service minded and remember that any rules put in place should be sensible and be for the best of everyone involved.

How do we get back to common sense?

We have all probably experienced at least one of the six roadblocks, if not all six. So how do we start moving our organizations back to common sense? Martin’s advice is, “First of all, acknowledge there is an issue. Number two, map down what the issues are. And the best way you can do that is to look around in your office everyday, take photos and map this down. Then the third thing is then to categorize it. The fourth thing is to create a whole new business model around it. So you actually are both earning money while you’re fixing the problem at the same time. And the fifth issue I would suggest, is really to celebrate this whole thing internally.”

Why should we celebrate internally? A lot of times we want to change, but we don’t dare to. He gives an example of a group of chickens he had that were kept in individual cages for 6 months and then the cage doors were opened for them one day. They all went out the door of their cage for 30 seconds and then went straight back to the cages. So in order to get them to come out he had to put corn in front of their individual cages and each time he would put the corn further and further outside the cage.

Martin says, “That little piece of corn just outside the chicken case, I call a 90 day intervention. These are short lived, very quick changes you make in the organization. And what you do is whenever you succeed, you’re celebrating that throughout the organization. And the celebration is really important, because if you celebrate when picking up the first corn, all the other chickens are looking around, and they feel Wow, I want to feel that too. And it kind of justifies or verifies, or at least it somehow tells the world this is the right thing. And it changes the culture as a consequence of that. And if you continue having these small wins, time after time, certainly it’s solidified the fact that we are on the right path. And that’s where you have a transformation of a culture happening. So really what I’m saying here is it’s super important for you not to just have these long term goals and talk about what’s happening five years from now is the goal still fine. But you have to break it down to small bite sized things and celebrate it every time. And I think the key problem in organizations today is that companies are setting those small goals sometimes, but they’re not celebrating the success of them, the victories, and that’s just as important as fulfilling them.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Does Your Company Honestly Care About You? https://thefutureorganization.com/does-your-company-honestly-care-about-you/ Thu, 09 Jul 2020 01:10:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31087 I moved to San Francisco over a decade ago. At the time I was working for a marketing agency in downtown doing search engine optimization work and digital marketing. They would host lunch and learns, talk about the company values, and try to convince people that they were valued. It was all fake.

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I moved to San Francisco over a decade ago. At the time I was working for a marketing agency in downtown doing search engine optimization work and digital marketing. They would host lunch and learns, talk about the company values, and try to convince people that they were valued. It was all fake.

I hated that job. I remember waking up each morning at 6am with the pit in my stomach feeling…dreading heading into the office. Sadly, many people around the work get this same feeling. Instead, we should get butterflies in our stomach from being so excited to show up to work, but how many of us actually get that?

It doesn’t matter if you’re an entry-level employee or a top executive, we all deserve to be a part of an organization where:

  • We feel like the leaders care about us.
  • We are recognized for our contributions.
  • We can share our ideas and have our voices be heard.
  • Teams are diverse and inclusive.
  • We can grow and develop personally and professionally.
  • Employee experience is a core focus.
  • People always come before profits.

Imagine what our organizations would look like if everyone wanted to show up to work each day. We would be able to mitigate any threats that came our way. We would be able to solve the grandest challenges. We would be happier, more productive, and successful.

I imagine a world where we all genuinely WANT not NEED to show up to work each day. Do you honestly feel like your leaders and the company you are a part of cares about you? If so, why?

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

Image from: http://wondrlust.com/knowledge/the-many-benefits-of-caring-for-others/

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JLL CEO Christian Ulbrich On Technology Of The Future And How To Face Uncertainty https://thefutureorganization.com/jll-ceo-christian-ulbrich-on-technology-of-the-future-and-how-to-face-uncertainty/ Wed, 08 Jul 2020 00:26:06 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31039 Commercial real estate might not seem like the most innovative industry, but one of the industry’s biggest players is transforming with technology to rely more heavily on data and create a more efficient model.

JLL is one of the world’s largest commercial real estate companies, with nearly 100,000 employees across the globe. I had a chance to talk to CEO Christian Ulbrich for my book, The Future Leader, and his excitement and passion for technology was clear.

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Commercial real estate might not seem like the most innovative industry, but one of the industry’s biggest players is transforming with technology to rely more heavily on data and create a more efficient model.

JLL is one of the world’s largest commercial real estate companies, with nearly 100,000 employees across the globe. I had a chance to talk to CEO Christian Ulbrich for my book, The Future Leader, and his excitement and passion for technology was clear.

Christian told me this: “We will succeed in the digital era only if we engage with enthusiasm and welcome the ideas and opportunities that digital tools, data analysis, and new technologies will bring.”

Christian has led his company to many innovative applications of technology, including using camera technology to anonymously track employee movement, which JLL can then use to help shrink its customers’ real estate footprints and lower their cost and environmental impact. He understands that in order to succeed in an uncertain future, leaders must understand and thrive on technology.

Technology

Like many leaders, Christian believes the constant stream of digital and data innovations will keep turning business models upside down. It can be difficult for companies to keep up with the constant disruption from new technologies. But Christian says that passionate leaders who continually look for improvements to keep their companies competitive can make all the difference.

“To win in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and beyond, leaders must thrive on change, embracing volatility with enthusiasm and being willing to look beyond traditional approaches,” he said.

Leaders of the future need to be comfortable in the digital world but not fall into the trap of adopting technology just to chase what’s new and shiny. Christian says that along with being tech-savvy, leaders need to be able to step back and focus on what is best for customers and the future of the business.

Christian put it this way: “Employees, clients and potential customers have heightened expectations about the promise of technology. As companies compete for talent, employees expect their workplace technology to be as easy-to-use as the tools they use at home.” He also noted that customers are looking to vendors to provide new technologies that will help their organizations reduce costs and improve business performance.

Christian believes one of the biggest responsibilities of leaders is ensuring that they harness new technologies for good. Technology also includes data and properly leveraging the vast amount of data available to companies today. Data is powerful and should be used judiciously with the long term in mind.

Christian shared with me the example of data in commercial real estate. JLL has access to millions of data points about how people use space to live and work and how those spaces operate. JLL uses that data to help its customers make the best real estate decisions and save money, while also engaging employees and boosting productivity. Data must be used responsibly, but it was tremendous power to increase both customer and employee engagement.

Uncertainty

Going hand in hand with technology is uncertainty. No one knows what will happen next, and even the most experienced leaders can’t know with certainty what the next decade will hold. That change, especially with new technology, can feel unsettling for employees. Leaders need to provide their employees with a clear, inspiring, and motivating case for change. They can’t simply follow the trends and move around recklessly without vision. In order for their people to stay engaged during uncertain times, leaders must be the driving force with a vision for the future.

Christian says that as the world becomes more automated, the quality of human experience will become even more important. How people think about work is changing, along with their need to have a sense of purpose and connection. How we treat each other matters.

Uncertainty and a rapid pace of change means organizations must be agile and leaders have to be able to read the tea leaves to anticipate changes and move quickly. Teamwork will matter more than ever because an agile company can only happen when everyone embraces constant change.

How can future leaders follow in the footsteps of Christian Ulbrich at JLL? It starts by finding the balance between technology and humans. Stay connected to the right new technology to further your business, but don’t lose sight of your customers and employees. Leverage data in the right way and guide people towards a clear vision, no matter what uncertainty the future holds.

Christian shows that every company—no matter the industry—can and should innovate. Staying ahead of new technology and guiding their organizations to a clear vision will help future leaders thrive in uncertain times.

From my interview with Christian, here’s another quote I love: “A big challenge will be to constantly provide transparency for your internal and external stakeholders on the journey ahead for your business. The lack of trust in global corporates and their leaders will force them to spend much more time explaining their thought processes and the value their company is creating for the society.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post JLL CEO Christian Ulbrich On Technology Of The Future And How To Face Uncertainty first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The CEO of 1-800-Flowers on How to Lead In Turbulent Times https://thefutureorganization.com/the-ceo-of-1-800-flowers-on-how-to-lead-in-turbulent-times/ Mon, 06 Jul 2020 10:09:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=31014 Chris McCann is the CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’ older brother opened his first flower shop. In the 1980s Chris joined his brother in the business and they have been working together ever since.

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Chris McCann Transcript

Chris McCann is the CEO of 1-800-Flowers, a floral and gourmet food gift retailer and distribution company with over 3000 employees. The company was started back in 1976 when Chris’ older brother opened his first flower shop. In the 1980s Chris joined his brother in the business and they have been working together ever since.   

Chris was named to the National Retail Federation’s “The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2018.” And under his leadership, 1-800-Flowers was named one of 2017’s most innovative e-retailers on the Internet Retailer ‘Hot 100’ list.

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Chris actually studied political science in college with the hopes of being a lawyer. When he was back home for holidays and weekends he helped out with the family businesses which included his father’s painting business and his brother’s floral business. When the time came for him to decide whether or not to continue on to law school, his brother convinced him that there was great opportunity in the floral business, but no other company was filling that role at the moment. No one had taken the opportunity to become what Jim described as the McDonald’s or the Holiday Inn of the florist world. 

When Chris realized there could be a great future in his brother’s business, he decided to jump in and try it. The brothers agreed to a six month contract and they have been renewing that contract 6 months at a time to this day. Chris is currently on his 72nd six month contract right now. 

Learning to lead 

Chris had worked other roles inside his brother’s business throughout the years, including delivering flowers to customers, but once he decided to go full time with his brother he soon took on a leadership role. He talks about the process and how he really learned along the way. Later on he did take some leadership courses at Cornell University, but in the early part of his career he had no formal training. Mostly he learned from other leaders he came to know, including the CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon and the former CEO of AXA Financial, Ed Miller. 

Chris gave an example of a time when he had turned to Ed for advice when having to let a person go. “As we were growing our company, we had people that were with us for a long time. And sometimes you run into a situation where the job outgrows the person, but yet the person was very loyal to you and very important in growing the business early on. And letting that person go would be very, very difficult to do. And I remember having conversations with Ed about this. He said, “You’re not being loyal to that person”. I said, “Well, I sure am, I’m keeping them in a job”. He said “no loyalty is making sure that every person on your team is in a position to succeed, whether inside your company or outside your company. So if the job has outgrown someone and you don’t have a position in your company. It’s your responsibility to do everything you can to get them the right job outside of your company”. And that really transformed the way I thought about people.”

Chris also learned a lot from his brother, who not only started the floral company, but he also worked full time as a social worker who helped troubled boys. Jim brought a mantra into 1-800-Flowers that he learned from his time as a social worker. When working with kids in difficult situations, Jim said, in order to connect with them and be able to help them he realized he first needed to build a relationship with them. So he brought that mantra into the business, you build a relationship first, you do business second. And that really shaped Chris as a leader. 

How to lead in turbulent times

Chris has had to lead his team through some very challenging times. He led the company during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, during the recession, and he is leading them now through the pandemic. When leading in times like this Chris says the most important things for leaders to focus on are communication and visibility. 

He says that as leaders we need to communicate a lot more than usual during tough times to let people in the company know that you are on top of things and that you are looking out for their best interest. As leaders you also need to make sure you are visible to people during these times too. Even in normal times you shouldn’t be sitting in your office all day, but especially in times of turbulence people need to see you and they need to feel like you are accessible. People today are fearful and they have had their lives disrupted, they need to know that the mission of the company hasn’t changed, that they are still impacting the lives of their customers, and that the leaders of the company acknowledge times are hard. 

As Chris shares, “There are some things that will not change, and that’s our commitment to our vision, any company’s commitment to their vision and their values is very important to be communicated to people. I think that at the same time, you have to be flexible, because you have to as a company respond to the changes being thrown at you. You don’t have to change as a company, but you have to change the challenges being thrown out.  And then also, I think, the most important thing that we’ve done in this situation, which is different than the financial crisis, it’s certainly different than the 9/11 attacks. The fact that people needed to know that every decision we made would be made with the safety and health of our associates, our customers, our vendors, first and foremost.”

Dealing with tough decisions

When it comes to making tough choices Chris has learned that the first thing leaders must do is make the decision very diligently, you can’t just react. It is important to take a step back, look at whatever data you have, and analyze all the impacts of your decision. In almost every decision there are positive impacts and there are negative impacts. Know what the positive impacts are and figure out how to manage the negative impacts appropriately. 

“For example, if you close a facility, it may be the right decision for the business, it may be the right decision for the profitability of a company, but there’s negative impacts on the people that are in that facility. What do you do for them? How do you help manage that process? It goes back to our earlier conversation about loyalty. So I think, as we look at this, you need to really understand the information, assess the possible outcomes. And then most importantly, I think, take responsibility. Once you make that decision, you can’t pass that responsibility on to someone else. It’s your responsibility to make sure it’s successful.”

You may have to involve other people in your decision, but regardless as the leader, the responsibility always falls back on you. So it is important to think decisions through carefully. 

Dealing with imposter syndrome 

It is very common for leaders to struggle with self doubt or a lack of confidence, especially when they don’t get formal training. Chris admits he feels imposter syndrome from time to time. When asked how he deals with it, Chris says it takes time and experience. Each time you face a tough decision or a problem within the company it will take you to the next level. And the more experience you have the more comfortable you will be to the point where you can feel like you know what you are doing and it doesn’t matter what others are doing because you are measuring your success based on the inputs and successes of the people around you.

Chris shares a few theories he and his brother used in their business. He says, “I remember as we were growing our business early on, we said there are two management theories that we will follow. One we call the Nike theory. And it was just do it because there’s nobody else here to do it. So figure it out and get it done. And then the other was the Reebok management theory. And Reebok at the time was all about cross training. And we made sure we did that, made sure we’d rotate people throughout the company. And as you do that, and you get experience in each of these different areas, you really build your own self confidence.”

 

 

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Difference Between Purpose & Meaning and How to Create Both https://thefutureorganization.com/the-difference-between-purpose-meaning-and-how-to-create-both/ Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:11:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30943 Companies used to think that in order to attract and retain the best talent, they just had to offer perks and a nice paycheck. Now, it’s evident that employees care about more than just making money. They want a sense of purpose and meaning in their work and are often willing to take a pay cut to get them. We often see these two words go together and they are used interchangeably but what do they really mean and how can leaders and organizations create more purpose and meaning for their employees?

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Companies used to think that in order to attract and retain the best talent, they just had to offer perks and a nice paycheck. Now, it’s evident that employees care about more than just making money. They want a sense of purpose and meaning in their work and are often willing to take a pay cut to get them. We often see these two words go together and they are used interchangeably but what do they really mean and how can leaders and organizations create more purpose and meaning for their employees?

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. When I asked them about trends facing future leaders, one of the most common responses was providing purpose and meaning. These aren’t just “work issues” these are crucial aspects of our lives as human beings,

Here’s how we need to think about purpose and meaning.

Your job is what you do, and your purpose is the intention of the job. Your purpose creates an impact or outcome, which then drives meaning, or why you do what you do. Purpose and meaning are two different, but very important, parts of the equation.

Job

This is really just about what it is that you do whether it writing code, handling customer service issues, or sales. Everyone generally knows what their job is, it’s what they got hired to do.

Purpose

This goes one level deeper than the job. For example you write code so that you can create user friendly products that customers want to use. You sell so that you can generate more revenue for the business which in turn helps it grow and invest in new opportunities. This is the bridge between the work you are doing and the impact it has on customers, employees, or the world at large. Sadly, many employees struggle with their purpose because we have built organizations that focus on tasks, projects, busy work, and things that keep us “heads down.” As a result, many employees around the world can’t see and are not allowed to see past this very basic layer. The engineer who designs a product rarely speaks with customers or hears their stories. The sales professional who brings in the deals doesn’t know what happens with the money he or she brings in, they just know they need to bring in more of it because it’s their job.

Impact

This is what actually happens from your purpose. In other words, your purpose in customer service is to resolve any issues, get customers to want to come back to the brand, and hopefully make their lives better and easier. But, is that the actual impact that you are having? Your purpose is about the potential but the impact is about reality. You want your impact to be greater than or equal to your purpose, never less than. Just as in the purpose section, most employees have not idea what impact they are having. Leaders however tend to have a more solid grasp of their purpose and meaning since they move away from the purely task or project based work to focus more on the big picture.

Meaning

This is subjective and unique to each and every one of us. This is about why we are doing something and the feeling we get from doing it. If you are writing code you might get meaning from working on complex problems or challenges, if you’re in sales you might get meaning from building relationships, if you’re in customer service you might get meaning from helping people.

Creating Purpose and Meaning

The balance of power has shifted towards employees, and organizations are now focusing more on employee experience and creating an environment where employees want to show up to work. Leaders and organizations can no longer simply think of themselves as just there to make money or drive profits. They can’t be isolated; they must work towards something bigger and more meaningful.

Where to begin:

  • Leaders must first understand their own purpose and meaning and the difference between these two things.
  • Give more access to ALL of your employees so that they can see how the work they are doing is impacting the business, employees, or the world. Let the engineer talk to customers, let the sale professional know how the money they are bringing in is being used, share stories of how HR teams are creating better experience for the people who work there. BUILD THE BRIDGE.
  • Get to know those around you as individuals and as human beings, not just as workers. What do they care about and value and why?
  • Make purpose and meaning a core part of your messaging with your people. These should be frequent conversations and discussions not one-off things.
  • Align the values and the purpose of the organization with the purpose and the meaning of the people who work there, if there is no alignment then they shouldn’t be working there!

Purpose and meaning are not just reserved for the privileged few. WE ALL deserve to understand how the work we are doing is making an impact and we all need to look inwards to get a better sense of who we are and why we are doing the work we do.

I’ll leave you with this quote from the late Bernard Tyson, the former CEO of Kaiser Permanente (a healthcare company with over 300,000 employees) who sadly passed away in 2019 a few months after I had the privilege of speaking with him. When we spoke he shared something with me which puts all of this into perspective.

“Companies of the future can no longer think that they can just exist…significant companies of the future cannot just exist in this little bread box, in this isolated place. We are a part of a greater society and a greater society is a part of us. The trend of when and how we engage in the bigger societal issues will continue to be a part of the future of leadership.”

I dig deeper into the ideas of purpose and meaning in my book, The Future Leader.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Want to Become A Better Leader? Follow The Golden Triangle of Leadership! https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-become-a-better-leader-follow-the-golden-triangle-of-leadership/ Thu, 02 Jul 2020 00:26:31 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30924 Every leader is unique and takes a different approach to leading based on their background and perspective. Everything from how they were raised to where they grew up to who they surround themselves with influences their leadership style. Who are you as a leader? What makes you that way? And how does that influence the type of leader you can become?

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Every leader is unique and takes a different approach to leading based on their background and perspective. Everything from how they were raised to where they grew up to who they surround themselves with influences their leadership style. Who are you as a leader? What makes you that way? And how does that influence the type of leader you can become?

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. Each person I talked with was an accomplished leader, but they were each very different in their personalities and approaches to leadership. Not only that, but they all defined leadership in their own way.

From all of these conversations, I developed the Golden Triangle of Leadership. These are the three things that define who you are as a leader and shape your leadership abilities: your beliefs, your thoughts, and your actions. Each of these principles is connected and works together to create a leader. Your beliefs will shape your thoughts and your thoughts will dictate the actions that you as a leader take.

Beliefs

Your beliefs are things you accept as true. For leaders, your beliefs act as a guiding light and become your philosophy on business and life. Think of these as your North Star.

As a leader ask yourself what are some of the core things you believe in? Write them down and be honest with yourself about them.

Thoughts

Thoughts are the ongoing things you think about as a result of your beliefs. For example, if you believe that people are more important than profits, your thoughts will center around how to develop and value your employees instead of simply increasing revenue.

Do a thought audit at the end of each day and see if any patterns emerge around how you think. Is your day comprised of thinking of ways to generate more revenue for the business? Maybe you’re constantly thinking about your team and what you can do to help them? You can even do this a few times throughout the day to see where your head is at.

Actions

Your actions are what you do. They are influenced by your thoughts and beliefs and a way to put those ideas into something tangible. If your thoughts are focused on developing your employees, your actions will likely include things like focusing on employee experience and taking the time to listen to employees and value their feedback.

Pay attention to the decisions and actions you take. Do you notice patterns? What programs are you investing in? Where are you cutting dollars? What are you championing at your company? How do you talk to and treat those around you?

To be an effective and dare I say, great leader, your beliefs, thoughts, and actions must all align and be positive. Many leaders aren’t even sure of what their beliefs are, they simply sway like branches in the wind. You should know what your beliefs are, you should see them manifested in the thoughts you have, and you should see them come to life in the actions that you take.

Understanding these things does require a bit of introspection and self-awareness which is one of the most crucial leadership skills you need to master.

If your triangle doesn’t align, or you find your actions don’t match your beliefs or thoughts, it’s likely a sign that you aren’t being true to yourself, you are compromising, trying to take shortcuts, bowing to external pressures, or perhaps you have just lost your way as a leader. Use this framework as a regular check-in to make sure you that you stay the course.

I go deeper into the Golden Triangle of Leadership and the mindsets required of future leaders in my book, The Future Leader.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Want to Become A Better Leader? Follow The Golden Triangle of Leadership! first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Stanley Black & Decker CEO Says A Leader’s Job is to Humanize Everything https://thefutureorganization.com/stanley-black-decker-ceo-says-a-leaders-job-is-to-humanize-everything/ Wed, 01 Jul 2020 08:54:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30845 Years ago, there was an experiment where people rode a bicycle for a few hours and got comfortable with how it moved. Then, the researchers changed the bike so that when a person turned the handlebars to the right, the wheels went left, and when the person turned the handlebars to the left, the wheels went right. It was nearly impossible to adapt to the change, especially after the people were so used to riding their bikes a certain way.

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Years ago, there was an experiment where people rode a bicycle for a few hours and got comfortable with how it moved. Then, the researchers changed the bike so that when a person turned the handlebars to the right, the wheels went left, and when the person turned the handlebars to the left, the wheels went right. It was nearly impossible to adapt to the change, especially after the people were so used to riding their bikes a certain way.

Stanley Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree shared that story with me and compared it to the future of leadership, where things that we knew worked in the past will be changed and upended. We’re used to doing things a certain way over and over to get success, and now the handlebars are reversed and it takes a new way of thinking to succeed. Instead the repeating the same actions over and over, Jim says the paradigm is now to be open-minded, understand how to seize opportunities, and be bold and agile. And that way of thinking can work for a while until the handlebars change again and we need to take a different approach. Leaders have to constantly find new approaches and new ways to ride the bike.

One of the biggest reasons how we ride the bike is changing is because of new technology. Modern businesses are surrounded by new opportunities with AI and machine learning. Often, leaders fall into the trap of feeling they have to adopt every new technology and automate as much of their business as possible to keep up with the competition. And while automation can greatly improve an organization’s efficiency, it isn’t everything. In fact, a leader’s prime responsibility isn’t to adopt new technology, it’s to keep the organization human.

Jim told me this: “The leader’s job will be to humanize everything. Humans in the end require the human touch to be inspired. They can’t be inspired by interacting with robots and artificial intelligence.”

Humanizing An Organization

I had the chance to interview Jim for my new book, The Future Leader. We spoke about the skills and mindsets leaders will need to succeed in the next decade and beyond. Jim spoke passionately about keeping humans at the center of the business and keeping the company as human as possible, even as we’re surrounded by new technology. A company can become very clinical if the leader allows it to become that way instead of focusing on the human aspects of the company.

But keeping the organization human doesn’t mean avoiding technology or not adapting to changes and trends. In fact, it’s the opposite. Jim believes that future leaders will spend much of their time thinking about how to evolve the organization at a rapid pace. The goal is to manage a culture that continues to provide a human element to everything. To do so, leaders need to continually look to the future to make sure their vision and culture is in line with the company’s goals.

Humanizing an organization often means ceding control for leaders, which can be a huge challenge. Ceding control isn’t natural for most leaders, who have built their careers on controlling things. But to be successful, especially as organizations become less hierarchal, leaders need to build trust into their organizations and empower teams to do what needs to be done. The world will become less black and white with more opportunities of how to solve problems and find success. Jim says that because there won’t be a straight line from point A to point B, there will be more failures. Teams may have to fail to succeed and may fail several times before they succeed. Instead of jumping in right away, leaders must trust the humans and trust that their teams will figure out how to get to a successful end result. That’s part of being human—experimenting, collaborating, and continually refining until we find success.

Building that trust comes from inspiring employees, building rewards systems, and giving them a purpose. Humanizing an organization and building trust will be challenging, but it will create a sustainable human company.

“The future will be more human interaction, more making sure that people’s human needs are met. We all do some of that today, but that will become more important in my view,” Jim said.

Technology Revolution 

Stanley Black & Decker has been around since 1843 and has undergone multiple evolutions and continual adaptation to stay relevant and provide the best tools and experiences to customers. Technology plays a large role in organizing and leading the company. Jim compares it to running on a treadmill. As the treadmill speeds up, you also have to speed up with it or you’ll get thrown off the machine. However, Jim notes that at some point there’s a limit to a person’s ability to run, based on their age and fitness. That means that at some point, every leader will get thrown off the treadmill, which is moving faster and faster with no signs of stopping. To keep up, Jim says that leadership doesn’t just need an evolution—it needs a revolution.

In a revolution, leaders must learn how to use technology and humans together. The future isn’t about technology versus humans; it’s about technology working with humans against a problem. As leaders make their organizations human, they must still have an eye on changing technology to find the best solutions to their organization’s pain points.

What can you do to humanize your organization?

  • Create diverse teams and give them space to experiment and find their own solutions.
  • Build and strengthen human relationships full of trust.
  • Pay attention to new technology and how it can help your organization by augmenting the work humans already do.
  • Be agile and willing to more with new trends, ideas, and technology. Try your best to keep up with the treadmill.

Humans are central to leadership, both now and in the future. Jim says that leadership is the art of guiding and directing people in organizations to a positive visionary outcome. As technology grows and naturally dehumanizes organizations, leaders will have to work even harder to inspire their teams and humanize their companies. It’s all about constantly re-learning how to ride the bike. Of all the many responsibilities of a leader, the most important is to humanize everything.

From my interview, here’s another quote I loved from Jim: “In this type of environment, the only chance an organization has is to be completely open to change and what that means is inclusiveness and collaboration, and having every available individual to have a voice, and to tap the vast horizontal talent that organizations have in a much more efficient way than we have historically.”
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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How Leaders Can Empower Everyone Around Them https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-empower-everyone-around-them/ Mon, 29 Jun 2020 10:22:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30806 Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School. She is also the bestselling co-author of two books, Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business and Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You.

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Frances Frei Transcript

Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School. She is also the bestselling co-author of two books, Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business and Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You.

In 2017 she joined Uber’s team as the first SVP of Leadership and Strategy to help the company navigate its public crisis in leadership and culture. She has a popular TED Talk titled How to Build (and Rebuild) Trust which has over 4 million views.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Click here to get the transcript or listen to your favorite player.

Frances has always been interested in operations–how things work and how to make things work better. But being interested in operations has led her work to focus on leadership. As she shares, “I pretty quickly came to the conclusion that if it weren’t for the pesky humans, operations would work beautifully. And then I got super intrigued by the humans, and then realized that the humans were led. So then that took me to leadership aspects, but the technology and the operations have stayed strong. So most of the companies I’ve worked with have some, they’re either being disrupted by technology or they’re digitally native. But everything I do is around how to make people and organizations better.”

Leadership is about making other people better

In her book, Unleashed, Frances talks about one of the big assumptions that people have about leadership that is actually incorrect. For the last few decades, the focus has been on building leaders up and getting them to inspect themselves. When actually leaders should be focused outside of themselves–it should be about making other people better first. Leadership isn’t about you, it is about other people.

Leaders should walk into a room and not want everyone to be thinking about them as a leader, but the leader should be the one thinking of everyone else and how to set those people up for success.

The problem with Uber and how they fixed it

While teaching at Harvard Business School (HBS), one of Frances’ students approached her to convince Frances to have a conversation with Uber’s then CEO, Travis Kalanick. Due to several scandals and bad decisions the company was going through a very public crisis at the time in leadership and culture. After Frances and Travis talked for three days, Travis asked for her help and she officially joined the team in June of 2017.

She was prepared to stay until the job was done, and as she shares, they were able to turn things around much quicker than she had expected. At the core of what they did was a massive amount of executive education.

Frances shares the major underlying problem, “Of all the problems that were surfaced, well over 90% had to do with a person and their manager. There were 3000 managers at Uber. So there were either 3000 bad people, or Uber was doing something systematically to not set managers up for success. We very quickly found out that it was the latter. And here’s what was going on, I get hired as an individual contributor, and then the company was growing so fast that like, five minutes later, you got promoted to a manager. You didn’t have any training. And then five minutes after that, by the way, you became a manager of managers. Turns out that management is a skill, a skill that can be taught, but no one was teaching folks. So we had to teach people how to manage, like, how to give effective feedback, how to set goals, all of the basics, including then how to be inclusive. How to set people up for success. So that was one part, is that it was clear that managers were at the tip of the spear where the problems were, but it wasn’t their fault and education would solve it.”

From there Frances was able to get Uber and HBS to partner to create a training platform that was accessible to all 3000 managers across the world. Through this platform they gathered top experts in teams, globalization, leadership, etc…who then taught classes on things like how to build trust, how to set a team of people up for success, and how to design and shepherd a culture. This training continues on inside the company even to this day. And it has had a huge impact on how the company operates.

What to do when company values are weaponized

Frances works with other companies, as she did with Uber, to help fix broken cultures. When asked if there has been anything she has tried that failed, she brought up the topic of weaponized company values. What is a weaponized value, you may ask. Frances explains it as taking an internal value, which may sound like a wonderful thing, and using it in a negative way for your own personal benefit.

She gives the example of a value inside of Uber when she first arrived, which was Default to Trust. Now that sounds like a beautiful cultural value, basically saying let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt. But what was happening was senior leaders were taking that value and throwing it in the face of junior people who started questioning them. They used Default to Trust as, stop questioning and just do what you are told for their own selfish reasons.

The part that failed was that she thought the answer was to re-educate people and change the thought process behind the value that was twisted. But in those kinds of situations, Frances says, the only thing to do is get rid of the value altogether. Once a value has been weaponized there is no amount of re-education that can bring it back to the original intent. Let it go and come up with a new value.

The three elements needed for successful change

In light of all of the challenging times we are facing around the world–including the global pandemic and the protests in America, Frances shared her advice to leaders on what to do in difficult times like these. There are a lot of CEOs and leaders around the world who are stepping forward and taking action for the better, but in order to make those changes sustainable there are three elements, Frances says, that have to be present. The three elements needed for successful change are:

  1. Honor the past–Talking about the past in a sincere and detailed way is important in any change whether inside of an organization or a society. You need to say, some of you will remember we did this before, here’s what happened. Here are some good things that came from that, and here are some lessons we learned. Don’t assign blame to individuals, share the good and the bad and the lessons learned. Then explain the changes being made and why they will make things better.
  2. A clear and compelling change mandate–This is the answer to the question “why now”? This is normally the hardest thing for a company to come up with, because if things are going well, it’s hard to get people to want to change. You have to be able, in a short and concise way show a super compelling reason why change is needed. You have to get people’s pulse up to get their entire heart and soul into the change.
  3. Have an optimistic way forward–The way forward has to give hope, but it also has to be extremely thorough and detailed. What specific steps need to be taken to get us to a better future?

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Thinking Like A Futurist is the #1 Skill For Leaders: Here’s How to Master It https://thefutureorganization.com/thinking-like-a-futurist-is-the-1-skill-for-leaders-heres-how-to-master-it/ Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:22:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30714 What’s the top skill leaders need to succeed over the next decade and beyond? According to my interviews with more than 140 top CEOs, far and away the most needed skill is being able to think like a futurist.

Contrary to what some people believe, futurists don’t predict the future. Instead, they help make sure individuals and organizations aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. Thinking like a futurist involves looking at different possibilities and scenarios as opposed to picking one path and sticking to it.

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What’s the top skill leaders need to succeed over the next decade and beyond? According to my interviews with more than 140 top CEOs, far and away the most needed skill is being able to think like a futurist.

Contrary to what some people believe, futurists don’t predict the future. Instead, they help make sure individuals and organizations aren’t surprised by what the future might bring. Thinking like a futurist involves looking at different possibilities and scenarios as opposed to picking one path and sticking to it.

Why Thinking Like a Futurist Matters

Most leaders use the old way of thinking where they find one possible scenario for the future and plan everything around it. But as the world starts changing even faster and the number of possibilities grows wildly, leaders and organizations need to be able to adapt and prepare for numerous possible scenarios and outcomes. That’s where thinking like a futurist comes in.

Being able to think like a futurist is a crucial skill because companies that aren’t prepared for the future will have a much harder time adapting and will likely get disrupted. Change comes fast, and we must keep an eye towards the future and be prepared for whatever will happen.

I interviewed Alfredo Perez, CEO of Alicorp in Peru, and he said this: “The fact is that adapting to change is not enough; we need to lead change and create the future. Adapting is keeping your head above water, but leading and creating is sailing on top of it.”

Companies that are led by futurists will be able to sail on top of the water and create change instead of struggling to evolve as the changes come quickly. With things changing so rapidly, leaders must be able to respond to and ideally anticipate change and have plans in place to address them.

How to Think Like a Futurist

One common method for thinking like a futurist is to look through the cone of possibilities. As you peer from one end of the cone, things that could happen within the next days or months are fairly clear. However, the cone gets wider with more possibilities when things are further away and not as clear. Things towards the center of the cone are more likely, as opposed to things on the edges that become less and less likely. Thinking through the cone of possibilities opens your eyes to potential scenarios according to how likely they are to occur.

To think like a futurist, you must look beyond what could happen in the next weeks or months. You have to be open to the entire cone of possibilities. The point is to think in terms of possibilities and scenarios and be open to numerous situations.

Many of us practice this way of thinking in our personal lives as we make big decisions like getting married or buying a house. We think through different scenarios for these long-term decisions to ensure we’re making a good choice, like considering our long-term compatibility with a partner or how the value will increase on a home. We need to extend the same way of thinking to our long-term business decisions.

I recommend asking yourself four questions when thinking through potential future decisions:

  • Why might “this” happen or not happen?
  • What else might happen?
  • What do I want to happen and how can I make it happen?
  • What factors might influence why this will or won’t happen?

Asking yourself those questions for various scenarios can open your mind to new possibilities and help you decide what outcomes are the most likely. With that mindset, you can start to prepare yourself and your organization for the future.

We also need to look towards the future and keep an eye on the horizon for potential trends and changes. We can’t afford to wait until something is right in front of us to pay attention to it. Stay informed on what’s going on in the world, how technology is being developed, and what your competitors are doing. This information can help you be aware of how the world is changing and let you know what you can do to prepare.

Thinking like a futurist is a skill that takes time to develop. Putting yourself in the right mindset and being open to new possibilities can help train your mind to consider the future and be prepared for whatever comes your way.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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According to 14,000 Employees Around the World, Leaders Today Are Not Ready for the Future https://thefutureorganization.com/according-to-14000-employees-around-the-world-leaders-today-are-not-ready-for-the-future/ Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:10:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30670 The world is changing quickly and with that change comes a lot of unknowns, just take a look around the world today. Do you feel that you have the right skills and mindsets to thrive in the future of work? What about your leaders and your organization as a whole? What are you doing to make sure you can lead in the new world of work?

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The world is changing quickly and with that change comes a lot of unknowns, just take a look around the world today. Do you feel that you have the right skills and mindsets to thrive in the future of work? What about your leaders and your organization as a whole? What are you doing to make sure you can lead in the new world of work?

For my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs around the world and partnered with LinkedIn to survey nearly 14,000 global employees. The CEO responses helped me identify what I called, “The Notable 9” which is a collection of 9 skills and mindsets that will drive success for leaders in the next decade and beyond.

When surveying these 14,000 employees one of the things I asked them was if their organizations have a policy or program in place to address leadership requirements over the next decade. Only 33% of the employees said yes. This means two-thirds of companies aren’t training future leaders or even identifying the skills their employees and future leaders need to be successful.

When I asked the CEOs this same question the results were a bit better with around 60% of them telling me they had programs in place. The rest of the CEOs told me they were mainly focusing on the short-term.

This is a massive gap between CEOs vs those who actually work with and for these CEOs and perception is reality. This means that if you as a leader have plans and programs in place to address the future of leadership but the people who work for you don’t see, hear about, or experience those programs…then it really doesn’t matter how confident you are in your future leadership pipeline.

Leaders, I hate to tell you, but the perception of the people who work at your organization becomes the reality of that organization.

The good news is that all is not lost. The future of work is something that we shape, create, design, and build… it’s not something that happens to us. This means that there is tremendous opportunity for leaders around the world to step up and to start thinking more clearly about what it will take to lead in this rapidly changing world that we are all a part of. We are experiencing this transformation before our eyes with COVID-19, racial and social injustices, and the already existing trends (like globalization and technology) that are making us realize that what worked in the past when it comes to leadership, will NOT work in the future (or the present for that matter).

What I have consistently seen across the board from the research I did is that we simply don’t have future -ready leaders, and plenty of other studies confirm that. But we can change that, YOU can change that. The time is now.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How the CEO of AARP Drives a Learning Culture, Develops Future Leaders, and Shapes the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-aarp-drives-a-learning-culture-develops-future-leaders-and-shapes-the-future-of-work/ Wed, 24 Jun 2020 03:09:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30646 It used to be that what a person learned in college was enough to last through most of their career. Things didn’t change that much, and the learning that happened in school was enough for them to get by. That’s no longer the case. Today, leaders and employees at all levels need to be constantly learning and establishing a learning culture within their organizations.

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It used to be that what a person learned in college was enough to last through most of their career. Things didn’t change that much, and the learning that happened in school was enough for them to get by. That’s no longer the case. Today, leaders and employees at all levels need to be constantly learning and establishing a learning culture within their organizations.

When researching for my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs around the world about the skills and mindsets leaders need to master to be successful in the next decade and beyond. I heard over and over again about the need for leaders to become perpetual learners, but only a few leaders touched on the importance of extending that mindset to the entire organization. One of the them was Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP. She leads a team of 2,300 employees to serve 38 million members around the world. Jo Ann is definitely a super perpetual learner, but she has also worked hard to create a learning culture at her company and develop future leaders.

Creating A Learning Culture

Jo Ann believes that a learning culture isn’t just something that’s nice to have; it’s so powerful that not having it can lead to a company’s demise.

“Organizations that are not continually learning and adapting will lose their competitive edge and ultimately won’t survive,” she said.

Clearly, continually learning and encouraging others in your company to do the same is imperative. Jo Ann encourages her employees to try new things and fail fast. At AARP, employees know it is ok to fail and learn, as long as they share that learning across the organization so no one else makes the same mistake. This is particularly noteworthy for a company that had long been much more risk averse. Jo Ann says the new approach promotes risks towards big opportunities for AARP to engage more members and engender brand loyalty.

One of the biggest things to continually learn about is technology. Jo Ann says that even though technology is changing at a rapid pace now, this is the slowest it will ever be. To succeed, leaders of the future must stay ahead of new technology and continually innovate, take measured risks, and be ready to change and adapt at any moment. Leaders can’t lead with their heads down but must look around and be aware of what’s happening around them by talking to people, experimenting, and looking to what’s happening on the horizon.

Employees want to work for organizations that provide learning resources and opportunities. Jo Ann also told me, “Organizations that do not develop a learning culture will not be able to hire and retain the kinds of talent they need to succeed. Those people will just go somewhere else. For future leaders, this type of perpetual learning is as essential as air and water.”

Developing Future Leaders

AARP places a huge emphasis on developing future leaders at all levels throughout the organization. The foundation of all future leaders is the company’s values: impact, innovation, humanity, empowerment, and honesty. Every AARP leader is expected to practice core behaviors including Talk Straight/Listen Actively, Take an Enterprise-wide View, Make Informed Decisions, Inspire and Engage, and Exhibit Integrity. Jo Ann says applying the core values and behaviors helps the company create leaders who are challenging the status quo and taking AARP in new directions. Current leaders aim to organize teams that possess strong technical skills, critical thinking skills, and creative problem-solving skills that will be crucial to future leaders.

Jo Ann and AARP created two leadership development programs to not only teach their employees skills for the future but also build the company’s learning culture. The first leadership program is called the AgL Program and is targeted at AARP’s vice presidents and higher. Leaders at the director level participate in Leading From the Middle. In partnership with Georgetown University, these programs help leaders at all levels feel engaged and build their skills and sense of ownership.

As employees develop into leaders, they also find their purpose and meaning. Jo Ann understands the importance of having employees who are engaged in projects that allow them to express their gifts and causes they are passionate about. The more skills employees develop, the more passions they can find. Learning creates purpose and meaning.

“It doesn’t matter whether we’re just graduating college or coming to the end of a lifetime of service to an organization or cause, the same powerful impulse to express who we are through what we do remains alive at every point in our lives,” Jo Ann said.

Shaping The Future Of Work

Jo Ann and her team at AARP are creating a workplace that supports how people work today and how they will work in the future. The national office recently underwent a complete renovation to support a more interactive, collaborative, and mobile workforce. The updated offices include new fitness facilities to reflect AARP’s commitment to health, flexible meeting spaces to accommodate changing needs, and new technology and collaboration tools.

AARP isn’t just focused on the here and now—it is also developing innovative tools and processes for its future workforce. Its recent organization-wide technology upgrade was aimed at equipping the workforce of the future with the technology to work from anywhere, any time. This matches with Jo Ann’s belief that leaders of the future need to be technologically savvy and be a positive role model in adopting new technology.

The future of work doesn’t just happen with an updated office or a leadership development program. In order to shape the future of work, companies and leaders need to develop a mindset of innovation, growth, and collaboration. By valuing its employees and encouraging development and flexibility, AARP is shaping the future of work and creating a sustainable learning culture.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Lead a 100% Remote Team https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-lead-a-100-remote-team/ Mon, 22 Jun 2020 12:00:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30622 The team of 170 people at Acceleration Partners is 100% remote, and they have been since day one. So Robert knows the ins and outs of successfully leading a team that he doesn’t see in person every day. This is something that a lot of CEOs are having to learn on the fly now, as a large portion of organizations are moving to virtual during the pandemic.

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Robert Glazer is the bestselling author of Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others. He is also the CEO of Acceleration Partners, a 13-year-old company that manages affiliate and partner marketing programs for a lot of well-known brands such as Adidas, LinkedIn, Target, Instacart, and Hotwire.

Robert has around 260,000 LinkedIn newsletter subscribers, he has a 100% approval rating as a CEO on Glassdoor, he is ranked #2 on Glassdoor’s list of Top CEO of Small & Medium Companies in the US, his company has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating as a place to work, and 99% of employees would recommend the company to a friend. He frequently contributes to Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Thrive Global and he is the host of the popular Elevate Podcast.

The team of 170 people at Acceleration Partners is 100% remote, and they have been since day one. So Robert knows the ins and outs of successfully leading a team that he doesn’t see in person every day. This is something that a lot of CEOs are having to learn on the fly now, as a large portion of organizations are moving to virtual during the pandemic.

You can watch a video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

How to create culture for a remote workforce

Robert shares that the key to having a successful remote team is by starting with the core values of the organization. Once you know your core values you can intentionally attract and hire the right people. Contrary to what happens in most organizations, Robert and his team understand that not every person will feel like the company is right for them.

A lot of organizations try to be the best place to work for everyone. But just as not everyone will like the same food, or the same music–not everyone is going to be a good fit for your company, and that is okay. As organizations we need to learn to embrace that fact. We need to be open and honest with potential hires about what it is really like to work inside the organization. It is not effective to sugar coat what their experience might be.

Robert says staying consistent in your core values is very important for building that culture. Inside of Acceleration Partners they reward and punish based on the company values, which are Own It, Embrace Relationships, and Excel & Improve. Those are the values that they consistently talk about and support. There is no question about what the company stands for and what they look for in their employees.

For people who feel that it is a good fit, the company has a lot of tools and resources that they utilize to help everyone feel connected. Employees use Slack to communicate, they have frequent video calls, they have regional in person meetups, and they have a company wide in person AP Summit at the end of each year.

But ultimately it is the people who create the culture. So having those core values set up from the beginning and using those for attracting and hiring is critical.

Four ways to elevate yourself

In his book, Robert lays out four elements that go into bettering yourself. They are:

  • Spiritual– this is not religious, it is about knowing who you are and what you stand for. What do you want the most and what are the standards you live by each day. You need to know where you are going.
  • Intellectual— This is how you get to where you are going. You need to have long term and short term goals. You have to establish routines and healthy habits.
  • Physical–If you don’t take care of yourself physically you will be too tired and unfocused to get things done. Eat healthy, exercise, take care of your body.
  • Emotional— This is how you react to challenging situations and it affects the quality of your relationships

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Top Challenges for Future Leaders https://thefutureorganization.com/140-top-ceos-say-these-are-the-most-crucial-challenges-for-future-leaders/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:37:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30384 Leadership has always been challenging, but the future of work will bring fresh challenges to future leaders. Over the next decade, leaders will have to face obstacles and challenges not faced by current or past leaders. But what are those challenges? As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world and surveyed more than 14,000 LinkedIn users. One of the questions I asked was about the challenges future leaders would face. From their varied and insightful responses, I broke the challenges down to two main areas: futurize and humanize.

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Leadership has always been challenging, but the future of work will bring fresh challenges to future leaders. Over the next decade, leaders will have to face obstacles and challenges not faced by current or past leaders. But what are those challenges? As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world and surveyed more than 14,000 LinkedIn users. One of the questions I asked was about the challenges future leaders would face. From their varied and insightful responses, I broke the challenges down to two main areas: futurize and humanize.

Futurize

Future leaders can’t afford to lead their organizations by looking in the rearview mirror. They need to futurize, or bring their organizations into the future. But of course, it isn’t that simple. There are numerous challenges that fall into this category.

Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Thinking

Many leaders think quarter by quarter to please their shareholders and investors. We’ve been conditioned to think in the short term and expect fast results. Future leaders need to be focused on long-term success for both the organization and the people.

Adapting to Technology

New technology is coming incredibly quickly, and it often seems like once we’ve finally mastered something, it’s outdated and there’s a flashy new solution. Leaders need to pay attention to technology and be able to change their perspective to understand what new developments are most important and what else is coming down the pipeline.

“Today’s leaders need to either decide to embrace new platforms and technology or be prepared to be left behind.” John Legere, Former CEO, T-Mobile

Keeping Up With the Pace of Change

The world is changing incredibly fast, and future leaders will be challenged to keep up. They need to embrace change, stay agile, and be open to new ideas.

“The pace of change is faster and while you don’t have to know everything, you do have to know how to get it. The commitment to being a life long learner, I think the premium on that is much higher now for our leaders.” William Rogers, CEO, SunTrust Banks

Moving Away from the Status Quo

Just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it will still work in the future. Leaders need to be confident and bold to take risks that move away from the status quo just because that’s how things have always been done.

Humanize

We tend to put a lot of emphasis on future technology, but a company can work without technology; it can’t work without people. The challenges of humanizing involve balancing humans with technology and ensuring your people are prepared to succeed in the future.

Leading Diverse Teams

Not everyone in the world looks and thinks the same, and your organization should reflect that. Diverse teams bring in new perspectives. Future leaders need to put together teams of people with different backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations, and belief systems to work together towards a common goal.

“One mark of a future leader should be the ability to work alongside people of different ages and with different backgrounds.” Sébastien Bazin, CEO, Accor Hotels

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

People are an organization’s biggest asset, but many companies face the challenge of finding and keeping great employees. Instead of job candidates trying to convince organizations they are the best choice, now leaders and organizations must convince potential employees they are a great place to work.

“We’re moving from an era of lifetime employment to lifetime employee ability where if your people don’t feel that they learn and progress and they’re up to speed in their areas of expertise, they will leave you because they will become themselves obsolete. We have to admit that we are not bringing in the company people with a perspective that we had 20 years ago, 10 years ago that people will stay there forever.” — André Calantzopoulos, CEO, Philip Morris International

Reskilling and Upskilling Employees

How we work and the tools we have are changing rapidly, and many employees find themselves not having the right skills to do their jobs or thrive in the future. Leaders face the challenge of knowing how best to upskill employees and give them what they need for future success.

Doing Good

People want to be part of organizations that care about more than just making money. But in many cases, the leaders and shareholders are conditioned to think more about profits than doing good in the world. Future leaders need to make sure their work is improving the world and then share that message with others.

Making the Organization Human

With automation and a focus on efficiency, many organizations fall into the trap of focusing on results instead of people. Each individual matters, and future leaders need to understand their employees as people, not just cogs in the machine.

“A leader of the future will have to be astute enough to balance automation with the human touch. They have to decide what types of tasks to automate so that they can spend more time on high-value activities. But also decide which businesses will continue to benefit from human judgment.” — Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, of Biocon

These challenges are widespread and require serious effort. Based on the LinkedIn survey, most leaders and organizations aren’t ready to face these challenges. The good news is that we still have time, but we need to start now to develop future-ready skills and mindsets.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Employee Experience is the #1 Issue At Work – But Who Owns It? https://thefutureorganization.com/employee-experience-is-the-1-issue-at-work-but-who-owns-it/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 13:12:36 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30377 According to LinkedIn's 2020 Global Talent Trends Report, Employee Experience is the #1 thing that over 7,000 HR professionals are focusing on. I define employee experience as "creating an organization where employees WANT not NEED to show up to work by focusing on three environments: culture, technology, and space."

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According to LinkedIn’s 2020 Global Talent Trends Report, Employee Experience is the #1 thing that over 7,000 HR professionals are focusing on. I define employee experience as “creating an organization where employees WANT not NEED to show up to work by focusing on three environments: culture, technology, and space.”

Now more than ever with COVID-19 and all of the challenges around social injustice and racism, employee experience is center stage. It’s easy to treat employees well when the organization is thriving, but how your organization treats employees during times of stress is even more telling.

But who actually owns employee experience? I like to look at it as a type of ripple effect that starts with the most senior level leaders of an organization and extends to every employees regardless of their seniority.

Initiated by the CEO and executive team

The entire employee experience journey of an organization starts with the Reason for Being and the values of the organization. This comes from the CEO and the rest of the executive team, it’s the foundation that employee experience is built on top of. Executives need to incorporate employee experience and the reason for being into their talking points, meeting agendas, and priorities both internally and externally. Executives must be the biggest evangelists and champions for employee experience. If you look at organizations like Google, Accenture, Cisco, or Airbnb, all of their CEOs do an amazing job of using language and messaging that incorporates EX.

Owned by the people team

The People team (or commonly known as HR) is the task force that is responsible for coming up with strategies and tactics and make employee experience a reality. This group tests ideas, provides guidance, uses analytics to guide experience decision making, and takes ownership over making sure things get done and implemented. It doesn’t mean that HR makes all of the decisions but it does mean that they help steer the ship. The main goal of the people team is to make sure that employee experience sits at the center of the organization.

Driven by leaders

Every leader at an organization is responsible for driving employee experience. This means making sure that the three environments I talked about earlier are actively being designed for and focused on in their respective teams. The people team will give you guidance on strategy and what to do, but as a leader it’s up to you to make sure you actually implement what they recommend. A big part of employee experience for leaders is making sure that they get to know their people as individuals not just as workers!

Championed by everyone

Every employee from the intern to the CEO needs to get into the habit of sharing ideas, participating in focus groups or surveys, collaborating with others, and providing feedback on what they would like their work experience to look and feel like. If you don’t speak up to have your voice heard then you shouldn’t be complaining about anything inside of your organization.

Employee experience is absolutely the next big battleground for organizations around the world. It’s the organizations that are able to design the best experiences for their people that are going to be able to attract and retain top talent and thrive in the future of work.

Want to know how well your organization is doing when it comes to employee experience? Take the assessment and find out! You will also get access to my free employee experience training series!

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Take the employee experience assessment and get the free training series.

3. Grab a copy of The Employee Experience Advantage, which is based on an analysis of 252 organizations around the world.

4. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Want Perfect Leadership Scores? Ask Taylor Morrison CEO Sheryl Palmer https://thefutureorganization.com/want-perfect-leadership-scores-ask-taylor-morrison-ceo-sheryl-palmer/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:04:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30374 What does it take to earn a near-perfect approval from your people? What about having an astounding 94% of employees say they would recommend working for you to a friend? It takes true leadership and putting principles into action. Making them your walk and your talk, not just lip service or words on a poster.

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What does it take to earn a near-perfect approval from your people? What about having an astounding 94% of employees say they would recommend working for you to a friend? It takes true leadership and putting principles into action. Making them your walk and your talk, not just lip service or words on a poster.

Sheryl Palmer knows exactly how to do it because she has managed to lead her company to astounding rankings with her great leadership. Sheryl is the CEO of home builder Taylor Morrison and oversees more than 2,500 employees. When researching for my book, The Future Leader, I was able to talk to Sheryl about what it takes to become such a well-respected leader. Sheryl had amazing insights but was also incredibly humble. My biggest takeaway from talking with her is that great leaders don’t just read and study leadership—they put the principles into action and work to improve every day.

“I think our imagination is what limits us as businesspeople. We have to overcome our own barriers and limits and imagine the change we’re trying to create.”

Sheryl showcased this in a dramatic way when she put her people above everything else. A few years ago, Sheryl was faced with a huge obstacle when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Before taking leave to have surgery, Sheryl wrote two letters to her team: one telling them she would see them when she returned healthy in six weeks, and another asking them to make her proud and continue the work they had started when she didn’t make it. The day before her intensive surgery, Sheryl was working with the chairman of the board to finalize a big deal for Taylor Morrison and left with peace of mind that her team was in good hands and would continue the work. It could have been Sheryl’s last day on earth, and she spent time making sure her team was in the right place to succeed and take care of their people. That’s true leadership.

Sheryl views being a leader as a choice. She told me that once a person decides they really are a leader, there is no middle ground. It’s all-consuming and becomes your passion, not just who you are when you show up to work.

In her own words: “It made me a better leader because I was able to appreciate how important every interaction is, and not to take anything or anyone for granted. Many leaders go through their days fighting fires and not appreciating the golden rule of business: people work for people, not companies. A leader’s responsibility is to set the vision and not allow the business just to happen, but rather make relationships and interactions intentional, meaningful, and purposeful.”

As Sheryl says, really diving into leadership is incredibly difficult, but it is the most rewarding life journey in the world. This will become even more important for future leaders who will face growing challenges, an increasing pace of change, and a diverse workforce.

Sheryl made a full recovery from her brain surgery and is still leading the company she loves. She got to send the first letter to her team and continue working with them.

From talking to Sheryl, it became clear why she is so well respected by her employees and peers. She cares deeply and is incredibly passionate about her people. Everything she does at Taylor Morrison, from growing the company to delivering great service, is to support her employees and serve them. Her actions are authentic because being a leader to her is about so much more than just the title or corner office; it’s about making a difference and building real relationships.

Being a great leader comes from something deep inside. It comes from finding a passion, building lasting relationships, and going all in. Instead of simply reading about leadership and understanding principles, the best leaders jump in and put those principles into action to improve the lives of their people every day.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Sheryl that I hope will inspire and motivate you to be a better leader.

“The most blessed opportunity I’ve had in my career is to lead Taylor Morrison, but let’s be real. This is not Sheryl doing this. This is a company of 2,600 team members, and what happens sometimes is that leaders forget that. They forget where they came from. They forget the path they traveled. They forget actually who they are, and they certainly forget about the importance of the people around them. Resist that at all costs and don’t forget what’s important in each and every day as you lead a company.”

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How Leaders Can Get the Best from Their People https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-get-the-best-from-their-people/ Mon, 15 Jun 2020 09:18:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30457 Liz Wiseman is a New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. She has been listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and in 2019 she was recognized as the top leadership thinker in the world. She is a researcher, an executive advisor, and the CEO of the Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm. Some of her recent clients include Apple, Disney, Tesla, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Liz Wiseman is a New York Times bestselling author of three books, including Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. She has been listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and in 2019 she was recognized as the top leadership thinker in the world. She is a researcher, an executive advisor, and the CEO of the Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm. Some of her recent clients include Apple, Disney, Tesla, Facebook, and Twitter.

Previously, she was the Vice President of Oracle University and the global leader for Human Resource Development at Oracle Corporation. She frequently guest lectures at BYU and Stanford University.

You can watch the video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

In Liz’s book, Multipliers, she describes two types of leaders that we have all encountered–diminishers and multipliers. As Liz says, organizations cannot afford to have leaders who are diminishers. The good news is multiplier leadership can be learned and developed.

Diminishing leaders vs. multiplier leaders

Liz gives a great metaphor for these two types of leaders. Diminishers tend to keep people on choke chains while multipliers let people off the leash, but they still hold on. It’s as though the employees are kites allowed to soar while the leader is still hanging on to the kite strings.

It’s not that diminishers are necessarily horrible people trying to control everything. As Liz shares, “Some of it comes from that micromanaging bully, narcissistic boss who, you know, gives you a little task to do rather than challenges and opportunities. But most of it’s coming from what I call the accidental diminisher. And these are leaders who care about their people, want to be good leaders trying to do the right thing. Like in my case with Ben, I was just excited to be collaborating with him. Where I needed to say, this is yours let me back away. Hold the strings of the kite rather than suffocate you because of my enthusiasm.”

The multiplier effect

As Liz researched for her book she interviewed well-respected professionals and after asking them to identify some multiplier leaders they had worked for she asked them what percentage of their capability those leaders had been able to get from them. On average it was 95%, however she found that a lot of people gave answers of over 100%.

At first she challenged that, saying your intelligence and capability is always capped at 100%, it’s not possible to be over that. But these individuals said that the leaders were able to not only get 100% of their ability, but they stretched them and caused them to become smarter over time.

Liz says, “We know this, that intelligence. It languishes. It shrinks essentially when it’s not used. And when intelligence is challenged and used and applied, it grows. We literally get smarter and more capable around certain kinds of leaders and people and colleagues and roommates and family members. And that is really the multiplier effect. It’s getting all of people’s capability plus a growth dividend. And then the dynamic that happens across an organization where people come to work knowing that not only are they going to be fully utilized, they’re going to be challenged. That you need to show up, game ready. That’s the multiplier effect.”

The five disciplines of multipliers

For the book, Liz analyzed data on over 150 leaders and she found several areas where multipliers and diminishers act similarly including customer service and market insight. But she found five active ingredients unique to multipliers. They are:

  • The Talent Magnet: They attract and optimize talent to its fullest. They get the best out of everyone, regardless of if the people report directly to them or not
  • The Liberator: They require people’s best thinking. They create an atmosphere that is both comfortable and intense.
  • The Challenger: They extend challenges. They lay down challenges that stretch, but they also generate the belief that it can be done
  • The Debate Maker: They debate decisions. By allowing people to debate decisions early on they help people understand the change and be a part of the execution.
  • The Investor: They instill accountability. They have high expectations, but they also provide necessary resources needed to deliver and sustain result s.

Diminishing behaviors to watch out for

There are several diminishing behaviors that leaders can look out for, and to do this you have to practice self-awareness. As a leader most likely you won’t have employees coming to you to point out your flaws, you have to be aware of them yourself.

One of the first behaviors Liz points out is being idea rich. If you as the leader provide all of the answers, all of the ideas, people around you tend to either get lazy or they are so busy running around trying to bring your ideas to fruition that they don’t have time to think of anything on their own. She suggests leaders keep a notepad or sticky notes around to write down ideas as they come up, and keep them to yourself until the next group meeting to discuss with your team.

Another behavior to watch out for is being optimistic all the time. Optimism in itself is not a bad thing, but there are times when individuals or the organization as a whole is going through a tough time. It is important to acknowledge the struggle sometimes. Especially as we look at the times we are going through now, try to understand what your people are going through and let them know you acknowledge this is a tough time.

A third one to be aware of is being a rapid responder. Liz says, “If the manager is so quick to respond. Then nobody else gets to do their job. Nobody else gets to take accountability because that manager has just taken it from them. So the little rule I use, I’ve had some rapid responder tendencies in the past is I use a 24 hour hands off rule, which means if an email comes in and one just came in on Friday, it was sent to me and one other person on my team who is actually the one responsible for this project. Well, I knew he was out for a bit. In a meeting and he wasn’t going to get to this and my fingers on the keyboard. About to reply because I’m like, oh, this is important. And this person is going to want to hear from us. And I just take my fingers off the keyboard and I’m like 24 hours. Hands off. Which gives him a chance to come back from his meeting, come back from his son’s Little League game, whatever it is, and take ownership and responsibility. But people can’t take ownership for something unless the manager lets go of it.”

By being aware of these behaviors, and other problem ones, and embracing the traits of multipliers we can get the absolute best from our team. Imagine what our organizations could do if we allowed our people to operate at 95% and greater.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Want to Be a Great Leader? Become a Great Coach! https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-be-a-great-leader-become-a-great-coach/ Sat, 13 Jun 2020 00:09:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30343 If you’ve ever played a sport or even watched a great team play, you know the importance of a good coach. Without a coach, even the most skilled players likely won’t reach their full potential. It takes someone with the vision to put the best team together, move people to the right positions, and train and encourage players to be their best to win championships. I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader, and asked what skills they thought would be important for leaders in the next decade. Many of their most common responses fall under the skill of the coach, or translating those sports analogies to the business world.

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If you’ve ever played a sport or even watched a great team play, you know the importance of a good coach. Without a coach, even the most skilled players likely won’t reach their full potential. It takes someone with the vision to put the best team together, move people to the right positions, and train and encourage players to be their best to win championships. I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader, and asked what skills they thought would be important for leaders in the next decade. Many of their most common responses fall under the skill of the coach, or translating those sports analogies to the business world.

Future leaders must be great coaches. This means that they know how to motivate, engage, and inspire people, create other leaders, work across generations and cultures, and put together effective teams. Studies have found that companies with better coaches have three times as many people who are willing to go the extra mile. Leaders with the skill of the coach create teams with high employee commitment scores. Clearly, this skill is crucial for not only creating great teams, but keeping them loyal and motivated.

Here are four aspects of the skill of the coach and how to develop them:

Motivating, Inspiring, and Engaging People

Great leaders don’t just tell people what to do; they make people actually want to do it. Motivating a team is a crucial skill, but it is also very challenging. Motivating (push), inspiring (pull), and engaging (keep) people are three different things that work together. To develop this skill, leaders need to really know their employees as people. They need to understand what motivates each person, which comes from talking to them about their interests and goals. Engaging employees means focusing on employee experience and building a strong environment in three areas: technology, physical space, and culture.

Pedro Parente, former CEO of BRF, told me this: “If you want to get better and long-lasting results for your organization, then you must do so by being an inspiring leader. Not long ago, companies could achieve results and generate value by imposing views and standards and working through a top-down, command system. Our reality has changed dramatically and nowadays long-term results have to do with organizations that are able to change, to adapt fast enough and build cultures that are based on values.”

To be a coach, build and strengthen relationships with your employees and create organization-wide values that can motivate, inspire, and engage your people.

Creating Future Leaders

One of the most important roles of a leader is to create future leaders. Leaders need to show up to work every day determined to help the people around them become more successful than they are. That shift in mindset impacts everything about how successful leaders think and work. Creating future leaders means investing in employees and creating training and development programs. It means mentoring employees and helping in their personal and professional lives. Find ways to teach other employees, either one-on-one or as a group. Keep an eye on skills of the future to know how to best prepare employees with the new skillsets they’ll need.

Working Across Generations and Culture

Future leaders will face the unique challenge of working in a multi-generational workforce that is diverse and spread around the world. Oftentimes, this will mean leading people with different backgrounds and beliefs than you.

Sébastien Bazin, CEO of AccorHotels, put it this way: “As a future leader you must be able to work with people regardless of how old they are, where they come from, what they believe, or what gender they are.”

Developing this skill means understanding each group individually and knowing what makes them tick, what they are looking for in a work experience, and what they can offer the team. Leaders need to be comfortable working with people who are different than them and encourage an accepting attitude in their teams.

Creating Effective Teams

Just like coaches have to put together the best players on the field or the court, leaders must assemble employees to be effective and productive. Not every player or employee is an all-star, but they all have areas where they can excel. The key is to focus on each person’s strengths and put them on a team that plays to their strengths. In many cases, leaders create an environment where teams can collaborate and succeed instead of having to hold their hands the entire time. To practice this skill, become familiar with your own strengths and weaknesses and those of the people on your team. Create an environment that is open and supportive.

Coaches must be constantly working with their team to strengthen skills, put people in the right positions, and develop them for future success. Similarly, future leaders need to know each person individually to not only put them on the right team but help them develop. The skill of the coach is crucial in building an organization where employees are engaged and have the resources and skills to succeed.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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In Today’s World Every Company and Every One Needs A Reason For Being https://thefutureorganization.com/in-todays-world-every-company-and-every-one-needs-a-reason-for-being/ Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:26:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30326 Some organizations are great, some...not so much. You can tell the difference between these types of organizations almost as soon as you walk into the office, sit down for an in person or virtual interview, or talk to someone who works there. Truly great organizations care about their people and create high-quality employee experiences. These are the companies that are focused not just on increasing their bottom lines, but on building communities for their employees and customers where everyone is engaged and moving forward.

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Some organizations are great, some…not so much. You can tell the difference between these types of organizations almost as soon as you walk into the office, sit down for an in person or virtual interview, or talk to someone who works there. Truly great organizations care about their people and create high-quality employee experiences. These are the companies that are focused not just on increasing their bottom lines, but on building communities for their employees and customers where everyone is engaged and moving forward.

One thing that sets great companies apart is that they have a reason for being. Every company has a mission statement, but a reason for being turns that on its head. This isn’t your typical corporate jargon but instead showcases the organization’s values and what it is willing to do for its employees and customers.

To be a powerful reason for being, it needs to contain four important parts:

Shows the company’s impact. Employees want to work for an organization that does good in the world and in the community. This is especially true with Millennials, who are often willing to give up higher pay if there is a strong mission or principles with the organization. Even for-profit companies can have a big impact on the community that their employees can get behind. Think about Airbnb’s goal to belong anywhere or Starbuck’s mission to nurture the human spirit, one cup, one neighborhood, and one community at a time. These reasons for being show that any type of company can have a positive impact on the world.

No talk of money. Many organizations fall into the trap of turning the focus of their mission statement into being a leader or the best in their industry. They want be #1! This shows that the most important thing for that company is competition and financial gain. Not everyone can get behind money as the driving factor, especially if it comes at the sacrifice of employee experience and a strong sense of community. Leave money out of it and focus on other goals for your company and your people.

Something unattainable. Goals that can be met are great, but there’s something about setting your eyes on the stars and aiming for something that you can’t actually grasp. A reason for being is an overarching goal that gives the company something to constantly work towards. An organization might not be able to ever actually bring a smile to the face of everyone in the world or end childhood hunger, but they can make it their mission to try. With an unattainable goal, there is always room for hope and progress.

Rallies employees. The goal of a reason for being to make employees excited so that they want to come to work and put forth their best effort. Employees and customers are more likely to be excited about a motivational message that encourages them to build connections and do good. A reason for being is unifying and provides a sense of purpose for where the company and its employees are going. A good reason for being finds commonalities between people and encourages them to work together.

Organizations that have reasons for being are more likely to have engaged and fulfilled employees. These types of organizations can easily point to their reason for being and showcase what the company stands for and where it is going. But it’s not just the company that can have a reason for being—employees and teams can have them, too. Find what motivates you and your employees and create a reason for being to act as your goal and rally cry.

To bring this to life I put together the following video which I hope will motivate and inspire you. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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HP’s Chief HR Officer On How to Create A Great Corporate Culture for Virtual Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/hps-chief-hr-officer-on-how-to-create-a-great-corporate-culture-for-virtual-employees/ Mon, 08 Jun 2020 11:56:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30258 HP has over 55,000 employees and like many other companies around the world they had to pivot to working virtually during COVID-19. HP was able to adapt very quickly and they have a lot of unique programs and tools in place to support their employees. Leading the way is Tracy Keogh, their Chief HR Officer and co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s global taskforce for Future of Work. Tracy and I talked at length in a recent episode of "The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan."

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Tracy Keogh

Tracy Keogh is the Chief Human Resource Officer at HP and co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Taskforce for the Future of Work. Prior to HP Tracy was the SVP of HR at Hewitt Associates where she created an award winning virtual learning and development network.

Tracy has been recognized as a global top 10 breakaway leader in HR by Evanta, she was inducted into the National Academy of HR and she was recognized by Human Resources Executive Magazine as HR executive of the year in 2015. She was also named one of the top 50 most powerful women in technology by the National Diversity Council in 2016. And she is widely credited for building the most diverse board of directors in corporate America.

HP has over 55,000 employees and like many other companies around the world they had to pivot to working virtually during COVID-19. HP was able to adapt very quickly and they have a lot of unique programs and tools in place to support their employees. Leading the way is Tracy Keogh, their Chief HR Officer and co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s global task force for Future of Work. Tracy and I talked at length in a recent episode of “The Future of Work With Jacob Morgan.” You can check out the full episode below or click to read the transcript and listen to the episode on your favorite platform.

How to maintain a culture in a virtual setting

Many leaders may be trying to figure out how to maintain corporate culture when all of the employees who are used to coming into the office every day now find themselves working from home. Tracy says, “I actually think you can maintain your culture. It’s with every action and every program that you do even if you’re not in the same office. I don’t think I’ve ever seen our culture more alive or evident than during this pandemic. People are very attentive during these times. So I feel like you need to put culture first, as you’re thinking about any activities or decisions that you’re making.”

A few examples of the things they put into place to help employees working from home include:

  1. Homework clubs–When employees moved to work from home Tracy interviewed 4 teachers so employees could listen in and learn from them. Then they broke up into homework clubs led by teachers to assist parents trying to navigate home education
  2. Themed days— Motivational Mondays, Training Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, Thoughtful Thursdays, and Family & Friends Fridays.
  3. Weekly call with medical director who answers questions from employees about issues related to health, wellness, & COVID-19.
  4. Online cooking classes
  5. A global dance party— They hired a DJ and had a 12 hour dance party starting in one timezone and working its way across the world for all employees.

Another crucial component here is leaders who are practicing empathy and emotional intelligence. As Tracy and I talked about, now is an important time for leaders to be human beings first and business leaders second. For example, one of the leaders at HP held a meeting where the employees all had their kids on their lap.

The idea here is to take as much of the in-person aspect as you can and move it to the virtual world, but then organizations must build on top of those things with intentionally designed activities and programs.

Digitization and re-skilling

One of the biggest trends Tracy is currently paying attention to is digitization and re-skilling. Realizing this is important, HP has been focused on evolving the knowledge base of their employees. Tracy believes talent development in general looks very different now than it has in the past. She says, “I think we’re moving more towards skills-focused versus role focus people, because people move in and out of different roles, but it’s those skills that we need moving forward so that we really want athletes who can apply their different skills to solve problems in different ways, depending on the environment and the business challenge.”

HP has also changed the way employees learn. While training is important, they realize that experience and projects play an important role in how employees learn new skills. The company works with employees to map out their career path to figure out what experiences and projects are best suited to where they want to go.

During COVID-19 HP actually took their merchandisers (who work in retail stores showing customers equipment and helping them make product and software decisions) and had them help with their customer service and support teams. HP wanted to find a way to keep these employees paid and on-staff so they focused on the skills that these employees and found other roles where those skills could easily be translated to. HP did the same thing with interns, moving them to a virtual setting (and keeping them paid).

Overcoming difficult times

There’s no doubt we are facing uncertain times, but it is up to us as individuals to decide how we are going to come out on the other side. Tracy says,

“Try to look at the positive of the situation. This is an incredible learning opportunity. This is unprecedented in the world’s history, that the whole world has had this kind of issue happen at the same time. And so taking some time and stepping back and thinking about what you’ve learned, how you’ve grown, what you’ve done well, what you wish you were better equipped to do and then figuring out, ‘Okay, well, this is what I’ve learned about myself during this time. Then how do I look moving forward, to make myself smarter, stronger, more resilient, better, and what can I do in the future?’ I think it’s an amazing learning time. One of the things that I’ve given as gifts to most of my friends’ children is a journal. Just to take time to write, it’ll be something historic later on. When you look back that you were there in the pandemic of 2020, and what your thoughts and feelings were. I think taking that inventory and understanding that for people is important, and then looking back and seeing what you’ve learned and then how it propelled you forward, I think it will be really kind of the best thing to do about this. Take advantage of the opportunity.”

If you want listen to the full conversation where we also talk about leadership training, personal branding, having a growth mindset, and much more, then you can listen to the podcast below or you can click here to get the transcript and listen on your favorite platform.

For leaders trying to navigate these times, Tracy’s advice is to connect with your people and show your leadership. Communication and listening to employees is key. HP has been taking frequent poll surveys to ensure all employees are supported and feel engaged. She says it is critical, especially in these times, to be transparent and open with employees. Even if you have tough messages to share. Empathy is also very important for leaders to show in this time.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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New Research: Which Country Has the Best Leaders? https://thefutureorganization.com/new-research-which-country-has-the-best-leaders/ Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:49:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30161 Will the leader of 2030 be that different than today and if so how? These were the two questions I wanted to answer in my new book, The Future Leader. I wrote the book before COVID-19 and now the insights and the research are especially more relevant since leaders are having to adapt and change quickly!

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Will the leader of 2030 be that different than today and if so how? These were the two questions I wanted to answer in my new book, The Future Leader. I wrote the book before COVID-19 and now the insights and the research are especially more relevant since leaders are having to adapt and change quickly!

Unfortunately, there isn’t much research or data on how to lead in a new and rapidly changing world so, I decided to do my own research.

For part 1 I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, Koc Holdings, SAP, Oracle, MasterCard, Verizon, Unilever, Best Buy, KPMG, and many others. I asked all of these CEOs a series of 12 questions covering everything from skills and mindsets for future leaders to trends and challenges and even how a typical day for a leader will change. More of this will be shared in the future.

After compiling, categorizing, and tabulating all of this data I was able to determine the top skills and mindsets that the world’s top CEO’s believe are most important for leaders. The general consensus was that while some core aspects of leadership will remain the same, such as setting a vision and execution on strategy, leaders also require a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to guide themselves, their teams, and their organizations to success. Why do we need a new set of skills and mindsets? Because of the 6 trends you can see below (I wrote about all of these in more depth here).

For part 2 of this research I partnered with LinkedIn to survey almost 14,000 employees around the world representing the U.S, UK, India, Brazil, China, Australia, UAE, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This gave us good global representation and allowed me to compare the insights across seniority levels.

I took all of the data from the 140+ CEOs around skills and mindsets and asked the almost 14,000 employees around the world how well their mid and senior leaders were practicing these skills and mindsets. The respondents were able to select from four options (a fifth option of “not sure” was included but I’m not including it here):

  1. Not well at all
  2. Somewhat well
  3. Reasonably well
  4. Very well

The skills and mindsets include things like: curiosity, having a growth mindset, thinking like a futurist, coaching and mentoring, emotional intelligence, thinking globally, and several others.

In the two charts below you can see the global breakdown of the responses which looks at the top two categories of “reasonably well” and “very well.” The first chart looks specifically at mindsets (how leaders need to think) and the second chart looks at skills (things that leaders specifically need to know how to do).

Mid-level leaders (“managers” in the chart)

Brazil surprisingly had the highest percentage of respondents say that their mid-level leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) came in second place. Brazil also had the highest percentage of people who were confident in their own ability to practice these mindsets and skills.

Senior executives

Here too, Brazil had the highest percentage of respondents say that their senior leaders are practicing these skills and mindsets “reasonably well” or “very well.” India scored in second.

Interestingly enough even though mid-level leaders in the U.S. scored in third place, senior executives in the U.S. were nowhere near the top of the pack. I was rather surprised by these findings since many tend to look to the U.S. as exemplars when it comes to evolving workplace practices and leadership styles.

I’d love to hear from all of you, does this research align with what you are seeing and experiencing in your own part of the world? Of course, we couldn’t survey every country but we tried to get a good geographic representation.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Evolution of Employee Experience https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-employee-experience-2/ Wed, 03 Jun 2020 12:13:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30136 As with anything in the business world, things evolve and change. The evolution that we are seeing today continues to shift organizational priorities more and more toward focusing on people and bringing humanity and experiences into our organizations. This is an immensely exciting thing to see! Years ago with the advent of what many would consider modern business, focusing on utility made sense. At the time, it was just common practice, and pretty much every organization took the same approach. Then, this shifted toward productivity, getting the most out of people.

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As with anything in the business world, things evolve and change. The evolution that we are seeing today continues to shift organizational priorities more and more toward focusing on people and bringing humanity and experiences into our organizations. This is an immensely exciting thing to see! Years ago with the advent of what many would consider modern business, focusing on utility made sense. At the time, it was just common practice, and pretty much every organization took the same approach. Then, this shifted toward productivity, getting the most out of people. Next, we saw the emergence of engagement, which is all about making employees happy and engaged at work. Now, we are shifting to what I believe is the next and most important area of organizational, employee experience. This is also one of the top talent trends for 2020 according to Linkedin. I explored this in depth in my recent best-selling book on employee experience. Let’s look at this evolution and how we got to where we are.

The Evolution of Employee Experience

Utility

Decades ago the relationship we had with our employers was pretty straightforward. Employers had jobs they needed to fill; we had bills to pay, things we wanted to buy, and certain skills we could offer, so we tried to get that open job. This basic relationship also meant that work was always about utility–that is, the bare-bones, essential tools and resources that an employer can provide employees to get their jobs done. Today that is typically a computer, desk, cubicle, and phone. In the past this may have been a desk, pen, notepad, and phone, or perhaps just a hammer and nails. Can you imagine if someone were to bring up health and wellness programs, catered meals, bringing dogs to the office, or flexible work efforts in the past? They would have been laughed at and the employee most likely fired on the spot! These things are all relatively new phenomena that are now only starting to gain global attention and investment, especially as a result of COVID-19. Granted, there are still plenty of organizations out there that are still stuck in the utility world.

Productivity

After the utility era came the productivity era, when approaches were created to optimize how employees worked. Just like swimmers and sprinters try to shave seconds off their times, managers literally used stopwatches to time how long it would take employees to complete a task to shave off a few seconds here and there. All of this was designed to improve productivity and output while emphasizing repeatable processes, such as the famous factory assembly line. Unfortunately at the time, we didn’t have robots and automation to do these jobs (which they would have been perfect for), so instead we used humans. Today, we finally have the technology capable to do the jobs they were designed for, and the humans who were simply acting as placeholders are now in trouble. Robots aren’t taking jobs away from humans; it’s the humans who took the jobs away from robots. As with the utility era, there also wasn’t much focus on creating an organization where the employee truly wanted to be. Productivity was simply utility on steroids!

Want to know how well your organization is doing when it comes to employee experience? Take the assessment and find out! You will also get access to my free employee experience training series!

Engagement

Next came engagement, a radically new concept where we saw the collective business world say, “Hey, maybe we should pay more attention to employees and what they care about and value instead of just trying to extract more from them.” And thus, the era of engagement was born. This was quite a revolutionary approach that shifted some of the focus away from how the organization can benefit and extract more value from employees to focusing on what the organization can do to benefit the employees and understand how and why they work. This is where we have been for the past two or three decades. Some people think employee engagement has to be replaced by employee experience, but they actually work together–engagement as the short-term perks and initiatives and experience as the long-term cultural changes and organizational redesign.

Employee Experience

Today’s focus is employee experience. For the people who are a part of your organization, their experience is simply the reality of what it’s like to work there. From the perspective of the organization, employee experience is what is designed and created for employees or what the organization believes the employee reality should be like. Put another way, employee experience is creating an organization where people want to show up. This typically falls into three categories: culture, technology, and physical space.

One crucial thing to keep in mind is that employee experiences can’t be created unless the organization knows its employees. If you’ve ever booked a trip through a travel agent, you know that they spend an extensive amount of time getting to know who you are so he can plan a trip that is sure to give you a memorable experience. Similarly, the organization must truly know who its workforce is, which means not only leveraging people analytics but also having a team of leaders who have the capacity and the desire to connect with people on a truly individual and human level.

We’ve come a long way since the days of focusing on utility and productivity, and employee experience allows us the chance to refocus on employees and drive our organizations towards the future.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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How The CEO Of A 32,000 Person Company Makes Communication Count https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-a-32000-person-company-makes-communication-count/ Tue, 02 Jun 2020 09:24:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30114 If you only had a few minutes to share a message with people, what would it be? How would you make sure it stood out and was memorable? That’s a question that future leaders will need to ask themselves as they communicate with their employees amid their busy schedules and other obligations, especially as their organizations grow. It’s also part of the reason why communication is such a vital skill for future leaders.

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If you only had a few minutes to share a message with people, what would it be? How would you make sure it stood out and was memorable? That’s a question that future leaders will need to ask themselves as they communicate with their employees amid their busy schedules and other obligations, especially as their organizations grow. It’s also part of the reason why communication is such a vital skill for future leaders.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs across the globe. As I asked about the mindsets and skills leaders will need to be successful in the next decade and beyond, communication kept coming up. Listening and communication have always been vital to leaders, but they will become even more crucial in coming years as we become surrounded by more noise and competing messages. These are also two skills that changing dramatically. Leaders need to know how to communicate effectively and cut through the distractions to reach employees and customers.

One of those CEO’s is Tsuyoshi “Nick” Nagano, the former president and CEO of Tokio Marine (and current Chairman of the Board), a global insurance company headquartered in Tokyo. As Nick told me, “I firmly believe we are seeing a revolution in the sense that salary and personal advancement will no longer be such dominant factors in the companies people wish to work for. I see a shift in the next generation of people wanting to work for companies that are both successful as enterprises but also contributing to building a better society.” Leaders need to communicate this to everyone and anyone that interacts with the organization and this shift has been a consistent theme identified by the many CEOs I interviewed. The challenge is of course scaling this messaging. In Nick’s own words. “As a CEO I may spend 70% of my time communicating with the people in my company. This may seem like a lot, but when you consider that I manage a global workforce of 32,000, this can mean they only listen to me speak live or virtually for 20 minutes per year on average. Thus these 20 minutes really need to count, otherwise, where is my impact as CEO?

That quote really puts into perspective the impact of communication and how leaders need to be able to share messages and build connections quickly and efficiently. Nick knows that communication plays a vital role in leadership, and every message needs to count.

Like many other CEOs I interviewed, Nick believes the key skills of communication and listening will always be important. The difference in the future, however, is that the channels and forums we use to communicate will be vastly different. That means leaders need to not only understand the options for various channels but also know the best way to spread their messages to reach their customers and employees. Many of those channels likely don’t currently exist, which means that in order to become a great communicator, future leaders will need to pay attention to trends and new technology.

But that technology will likely create new challenges for leaders. Nick says that technology and virtual collaboration will only increase the time demands on CEOs. Being able to talk to employees and teams around the world at any given moment provides amazing opportunities and can make it tempting for future leaders to work 22 hours a day. However, Nick warns that this approach isn’t sustainable or scalable. Prioritizing communication and making it as effective as possible will help leaders reach out to global teams with technology while still preserving balance and mental stamina.

When a leader prioritizes communication and sets the example for communication that matters, it spreads through the entire company. At Tokio Marine, the company is constantly thinking about the future and how to build a more efficient and collaborative organization. Under Nick’s leadership, the company is building an agile leadership pipeline that is proactive to change. One of the key hallmarks of that pipeline is leaders who can drive collaboration and communication. With communication a priority throughout the company, leaders at all levels follow suit to make their messages impactful and persuasive. Leaders may only get 20 minutes with their employees a year, or they may get 20 minutes a day, but each of those minutes should count and be valuable.

Future leaders need to take their communication skills to the next level and be able to adapt them for changing channels and audiences. As the pace of changes increases, leaders need to be able to prioritize communication to make every minute count. It only takes a few minutes to share a message and build a relationship, but those moments are crucial for tomorrow’s leaders.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from our discussion where I asked Nick how he defines leadership.

“Leadership is not something that is defined in the present. I think leadership should be defined by the fingerprints you left on the organization 5, 10, 50 years down the line. Did you leave good people, did you leave good values, did you leave a business ready for the next big shift? These aren’t questions for the present, to say you are a good leader now is just to say what a good job your predecessor did and you are executing. Leadership is where you are taking them on the journey but you can only see whether the route and team you chose is right with the benefit of hindsight.”

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Seven Steps To Become A High Growth Individual https://thefutureorganization.com/seven-steps-to-become-a-high-growth-individual/ Mon, 01 Jun 2020 08:09:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30080 Most of us have had our lives disrupted by the current pandemic in some way. We have had to find new ways to connect with friends and family, we aren’t traveling as much (or at all), and we’re having to adapt to new ways of working and learning. It might feel like you have little to no control over what is happening, but as Whitney shares, “if we’re going to manage the disruption, we need to disrupt ourselves”.

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Whitney Johnson Transcript

Most of us have had our lives disrupted by the current pandemic in some way. We have had to find new ways to connect with friends and family, we aren’t traveling as much (or at all), and we’re having to adapt to new ways of working and learning. It might feel like you have little to no control over what is happening, but as Whitney shares, “if we’re going to manage the disruption, we need to disrupt ourselves”.

You can watch a video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast. If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

This episode is brought to you by Mitel. Don’t compromise on business continuity. Mitel can meet all your business communications needs while working from home with all-in-one cloud calling, conferencing, collaboration, and contact center tools — free until 2021. Visit Mitel’s remote working solutions to learn more.

How to disrupt yourself and why it matters

Clayton Christensen of the Harvard Business School was Whitney’s mentor and she co-founded The Disruptive Innovation Fund with him. It was Clayton who coined the term disruptive innovation, which he talked about in his book, Innovator’s Dilemma. The idea behind the term was that a small silly idea can take over the world, for example how the telephone disrupted the telegraph or how the automobile disrupted the horse and buggy. In more modern examples, we can see how Netflix disrupted Blockbuster and how Uber disrupted cabs.

Whitney took that idea and instead of applying it to a product or a company she applied it to individuals–personal disruption. But she says there is one big difference between personal disruption and what Clayton was talking about. With personal disruption, you are both the small silly idea and the idea taking over the world. You are both Netflix and Blockbuster. You are both Uber and a cab.

Why should we disrupt ourselves? Whitney says, “the question you have to ask yourself is, do I wanna jump or do I want to get pushed? When you jump, you’re acting. When you get pushed, you’re going to feel pushed, and it will feel like a failure. And it’s a very different equation around resilience and rebounding than if you’ve chosen to jump.” Disruption is going to happen, whether we want it to or not. We control whether we disrupt ourselves or let disruption happen to us.

140 of the world’s top CEOs identified a specific set of 9 skills & mindsets that are crucial for leaders to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

The seven steps to managing the S-Curve of learning and mastery

In Whitney’s book, Disrupt Yourself, she gives seven accelerants that can help you speed up your learning and mastery.

She says “The idea is, at the base of the S the growth is slow until you reach a tipping point or you near the curve and you move into hyper growth. And then you get to saturation, the growth tapers off. Well, that insight was that the S-Curve could help us understand how we learn. It could help us understand how we grow, how we develop. So, whenever you start something new, you are at the base of an S. Whether it’s a new project, it’s a new job, whether it’s dealing with COVID-19, you’re at the base of the S and growth is happening, but it can feel very slow. It can look like a slog. But knowing that helps you avoid discouragement. And then you put in the effort, and you accelerate competence and confidence and engagement. The idea of personal disruption is, you move up that S-curve, you learn and then you leave and then you repeat. You do that over and over again, and the faster you’re able to do it, the higher-growth individual you can become.”

The seven steps are:

  • Take on market risk— The idea of playing where no one else is playing. We are much more likely to be successful if we can be the one to create instead of waiting to compete with others who have already created.
  • Play to your distinctive strengths–lean into what you do well, and mitigate the weaknesses that derail you.
  • Embrace your constraints–Your constraints could be time, money, supporters, etc..whatever they are, embrace them and use them to your advantage. Tension positively impacts innovation
  • Battle your sense of entitlement–Don’t sit back and wait for things to come to you. You are no more or less important than anyone else. Put yourself out there and make it happen
  • Step back to grow–Your journey to success isn’t a straight line. Sometimes in order to disrupt yourself you may have to take a few steps back to ultimately move forward
  • Give failure its due–The more you are willing to fail, the faster you will get better. We have to separate the act of failing with the emotional response of shame.
  • Be driven by discovery–take a step forward, gather feedback, and adapt.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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AI: What Is it, What Are The Benefits & Challenges And What You Can Do To Prepare For It https://thefutureorganization.com/ai-what-is-it-what-are-the-benefits-challenges-and-what-you-can-do-to-prepare-for-it/ Thu, 28 May 2020 13:14:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=30004 Over the past few years the conversations around AI and automation have taken center stage. Some people are excited to embrace the growth of AI, while others are frightened and worried about how our jobs and our lives will change because of it. But there's still a lot of confusion around AI.

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Over the past few years the conversations around AI and automation have taken center stage. Some people are excited to embrace the growth of AI, while others are frightened and worried about how our jobs and our lives will change because of it. But there’s still a lot of confusion around AI. What is it? Why is it becoming a focal point today? What are the challenges and benefits around AI? What can we do prepare and make sure that we not only stay relevant but thrive in a technology driven world?

Humans have long been obsessed with creating AI ever since the question, “Can machines think?”was posed by Alan Turing in 1950. With the prediction that AI will grow over 150% this year over last year, it is clear that this trend is not going anywhere anytime soon and it is impacting every industry and every geography. One thing that is clear is that AI is a big part of the future of work, so get ready.

I put together a video that I hope will educate, inspire. and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post AI: What Is it, What Are The Benefits & Challenges And What You Can Do To Prepare For It first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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This Is What Organizations Will Look Like In A Post COVID-19 World https://thefutureorganization.com/this-is-what-organizations-will-look-like-in-a-post-covid-19-world/ Wed, 27 May 2020 13:56:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29978 Business will never be the same as a result of COVID-19. We are all being forced to challenge our conventional ideas around work. I've written a few articles about this looking at the evolution of work, the evolution of leaders, and the evolution of employees. In this article I specifically want to look at how organizations are evolving.

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Business will never be the same as a result of COVID-19. We are all being forced to challenge our conventional ideas around work. I’ve written a few articles about this looking at the evolution of work, the evolution of leaders, and the evolution of employees. In this article I specifically want to look at how organizations are evolving.

Evolution of Organizations

Teams

Jeff Bezos has the “two pizza rule,” meaning that any team should be able to be fed by just two pizzas; if not, then the team is too large. We are seeing a big shift away from large structured centrally located teams to smaller more globally distributed teams which are held together by technology. As long as team members can access to the internet it doesn’t matter where they are located. Organizations need to move quickly!

Workforce

I may sound like a broken record when I say this, but the future of work is absolutely about breaking down barriers between teams and geographies. Sales should be speaking with product development, marketing should be speaking with customer service and support, and engineering should be speaking solution delivery teams. The traditional model saw only people in the same team or physical location share and collaborate; no more. The organization of the future is a connected organization where information, collaboration and communication happens without boundaries.

Operational Model

There’s a reason why large organizations are stereotyped as being slow-moving, bureaucratic, old-fashioned, and simply outdated…because many of them are. Larger organizations are at a high risk for being disrupted which means they need to learn how to operate like smaller companies. However, a paradox exists. As organizations grow so does their complexity which results in more sluggishness. These same organizations also want more profits which means they have to grow. So, they are stuck with trying to find a way to grow while becoming less complex.

Organizational Focus

Organizations around the world have been making a various dangerous assumption; assuming that employees would work there because they needed to. Years ago this was definitely the case as there was really only one way to make a living. However as Dan Pink rightly commented when he said, “today talented people need organizations less than organizations need talented people.” This means that organizations have to shift their focus from creating a place where they assume people NEED to work there to creating an environment where people WANT to work there.

Adaptation

Going forward, “late adopter” means “out of business.” Years ago organizations had the luxury of seeing what their competitors were doing and then quickly following on their heels. Today that is no longer true. Organizations must adapt quicker and more aggressively if they wish to thrive in this new rapidly changing business world. COVID-19 has certainly proven that to be the case as organizations not prepared to work or do business in this new world have struggled dramatically (or have disappeared altogether).

Innovation and Ecosystems

Innovation was something that used to be done only by a specific department within an organization. Today we are seeing a completely new model of innovation opening up based on ecosystems which includes employees, customers, partners, the general public, and yes, even competitors. Organizations that create these ecosystems will thrive.

Cloud vs on-premise

One of the keys that will enable organizations to evolve from a technology perspective is their shift from on-premise to cloud. In fact it’s hard to imagine this shift not becoming the standard over the next few years. Shifting to the cloud allows for benefits such as faster upgrade time, improved flexibility, reduced costs, and increased accessibility and adoption of the technology platforms.

Women in leadership

Today there are approximately 15% of women in executive officer positions in the U.S. which is a shockingly low number. One of the things we can expect to see is an increase in this number. Having more women in leadership sees dramatic positive impacts on organizations such as higher return on equity, sales, and on invested capital.

Change in organizational structure

I’ve spoken with, worked with, and have researched hundreds of organizations over the past few years. I’ve never met an executive or leader who said “we need more hierarchy” or “we need more layers.” In fact the exact opposite is true, organizations are trying to “flatten” their structure to improve communication and collaboration. This means that the traditional strict pyramid hierarchy no longer makes sense for the modern organization and we will be evolving to flatter more nimble structures.

Story-telling

We used to assume that this was only important for attracting customers. However, when it comes to creating a desirable employee experience and one where employees can relate to the company they are working at and align their values; nothing is more powerful than story-telling. Employees must understand WHY the organization exists and then they can help figure out HOW to make the organization successful.

Democratized learning

In most organizations around the world today if you want to learn how to do something you usually have to take a class that the company may or may not offer. Oftentimes you travel to another location, listen to a guest speaker, watch some outdated scripted videos, read through a training manual, and maybe do some hands-on exercises. In other words, your entire education and learning is dependent on the organization. However we are seeing this evolve so that any employee can educate or learn from any other employee. This is largely possible through technology such as internal collaboration platforms, social networks, and new online learning tools.

Loyalty 2.0

Life-time and long-term loyalty are completely dead as is the notion of job security and pension plans. The average employee tenure today is under 5 years and for millennials it’s under 3 years. Loyalty is becoming more geared towards projects, leaders, or co-workers as opposed to the organization as a whole. Companies must switch from a long-term career mentality to a shorter term project term mentality. As André Calantzopoulos the CEO of Philip Morris International told me, “we’re moving from an era of lifetime employment to lifetime employability.”

From profits to prosperity

Profit is just the financial gain that an organization generates and has always been the primary measure of success. When it comes to the future of work money will no longer be the primary success factor that organizations are measured by. Instead factors such as health and wellness, community involvement, employee happiness, sustainability, world-impact, and the like, will be the new measures of success. Today with COVID-19 we are seeing a which leaders are willing to put their people or their profits first. The former CEO of Volvo, Pehr Gyllenhammar was a champion of this.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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The Best Leaders Are Great Communicators Says Former Discover Financial CEO David Nelms https://thefutureorganization.com/the-best-leaders-are-great-communicators-says-former-discover-financial-ceo-david-nelms/ Tue, 26 May 2020 11:06:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29956 David Nelms is the former CEO of Discover Financial with 17,000 employees. Communication is a hallmark of David’s leadership style and played a huge role in growing his company and creating an engaged and productive workforce. He realizes that the importance of communication will only grow as how we communicate changes.

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David Nelms is the former CEO of Discover Financial with 17,000 employees. Communication is a hallmark of David’s leadership style and played a huge role in growing his company and creating an engaged and productive workforce. He realizes that the importance of communication will only grow as how we communicate changes.

As part of the research for my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world. Most of them agreed that some of the core principles of leadership won’t change in the future, for example, creating a vision or communication. But at the same time things like communication will change dramatically. It’s the leaders who can evolve with new communication channels and approaches that will be the most successful.

Communication is a hallmark of David’s leadership style and played a huge role in growing his company and creating an engaged and productive workforce. He realizes that the importance of communication will only grow as how we communicate changes.

David said this: “A leader who doesn’t adapt to the new ways of communication will never be heard. We aren’t getting and sharing information the same way we used to. Understanding the various tools we have to communicate as well as how to communicate across different channels is essential, and as the number of ways to communicate increases, this skill will only become more valuable.”

David is a strong believer in feedback loops. At Discover, David would constantly communicate with his teams. He hosted regular Q&A town hall meetings and annual roadshow meetings with a live video feed for all 17,000 employees. He also wrote regular blogs where employees could participate in open dialogue on a variety of topics. And it was not uncommon for David to drop in on employee huddles to talk with teams directly. He even hosted monthly customer listening sessions where he would listen in on service calls and then develop action plans to address any issues.

As technology grows and how we work evolves, people are working in a more collaborative fashion, which requires greater communication as we can clearly see from this current pandemic. A great leader can’t be a great collaborator and encourage their team to collaborate if they themselves can’t communicate well.

David says the new channels have made communication more important and diverse. “As you think about social media and real time, historically people could have one or two primary modes, and now it’s many ways to connect with employees and leaders. A leader who doesn’t adapt to the new communications the way people and employees are getting information now will never even be heard in some cases.”

Communication is a timeless skill that leaders have always needed. With new technology and channels, the ability to connect with people the right way has never been more important. As David Nelms says, in order for leaders and organizations to succeed in the future, they must learn how to communicate.

“For many years it was phone – based and voicemail, and then we added email. But now, it’s really starting to explode with videoconferencing and collaboration tools, so there’s going to be a lot more diversity of types of meetings and contributions. Communication is also a lot more continuous and real time versus periodic. Historically, we all did annual plans and maybe didn’t deviate that much, and a lot of the focus during thee year is “are we on plan and what do we need to do to get on plan.” That’s going to be shifting to shorter and shorter periods and it’ll be a little bit more what’s the opportunity, are we adjusting this month; not are we exceeding the plan, but are we maximizing the potential.”

If you want to be a more effective leader and communicator then ask yourself the following questions when you communicate with others:

  • What are the best channels to use to get information across?
  • How does the way you communicate make those around you feel?
  • Are you communicating in a clear, open, passionate, and humble way? Are you being human?
  • If someone communicated to you in the same way you are communicating to others, what impact would it have?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The Best Leaders Are Great Communicators Says Former Discover Financial CEO David Nelms first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Former CEO of Volvo, Pehr Gyllenhammar, On Why People Must Come Before Profits https://thefutureorganization.com/the-former-ceo-of-volvo-pehr-gyllenhammar-on-why-people-must-come-before-profits/ Mon, 25 May 2020 09:28:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29910 Companies are going through difficult times right now with the current pandemic, and while Pehr is not currently the CEO of a company, he is no stranger to leading during challenging circumstances, including recessions. When asked how current leaders are handling organizations during this tough time, Pehr says there is one critical thing that leaders are not doing a good enough job with

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Pehr Gyllenhammar Transcript

Companies are going through difficult times right now with the current pandemic, and while Pehr is not currently the CEO of a company, he is no stranger to leading during challenging circumstances, including recessions. When asked how current leaders are handling organizations during this tough time, Pehr says there is one critical thing that leaders are not doing a good enough job with.

You can watch a video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast.

Putting people ahead of profits

There are very few leaders today who are actively putting the well-being of their people ahead of profits. Pehr says, “I put people before profits in the sense that if I don’t have good people, we could not have productivity, we could not go to have our aspirations come true unless we have good people. So I have people before profits and it’s not declining profits. I think that profits are very important for any shareholder company and that the shareholder should have their part of course, but that the people will create it.”

He says companies today are not only laying people off, but they are doing it brutally. And that’s not the way to lead. During the recessions Pehr went through as a CEO he made it a priority to take care of his people and to protect the most vulnerable. Because of that his employees trusted him, they were more motivated, and they felt safe.

Creating meaning and purpose for employees

The backbone of any organization is it’s people, if you want to succeed your people have to be happy, motivated, engaged, etc… Pehr did a lot at Volvo to prioritize the well-being and purpose of his employees. He actually got rid of the whole assembly line in order to keep employees from getting injured.

Instead of having employees work on a small piece of a part that was moving down the line they were able to work on a whole part of the car while it was stationary. “That made them save, first of all, their hands and their body, so they were never injured, they didn’t have to run after a product or walk with a product. And they could also do a whole part of a car, which is something that is satisfaction, that if you do the whole body, if you do the interior, if you do the mounting of the engine and the transmission, that is a full cycle of work, and it’s meaningful, compared to having a simple tool and just mounting something that you know what it would become, but it was meaningless.”

Pehr understood that employees completing a mundane, partial job would cause frustration and boredom. And when people are bored quality declines.

Another thing Pehr made sure to do as a CEO was to have a presence with his employees. He didn’t hide away in a corner office, he walked through the factory and talked with individuals. And he says this is important not only for factory settings, but for a CEO in any industry. Take the time to get to know your people.

Advice for leaders of the future

In his upcoming book, Pehr reflects on what he learned as CEO of Volvo. He says, “In reflecting on what has been formative in my own life, I consider the consequential parts, not to be things or titles, but people. When a company or an organization has been the most rewarding, it has always been due to the people that the company or organization brought into my sphere, people I had the privilege of getting to know.” This quote really speaks volumes to who Pehr is as a leader and his belief in putting people first.

When asked for advice on how to implement this way of leading, Pehr said he thinks a lot of it has to do with a person’s upbringing and attitude about life. It’s not something that can easily be taught, but more so something you have to have from within.

He says leaders have to have sympathy with their whole team, regardless of what role they have. You can’t play favorites. He also believes it is a mistake to hire only people who think and act like you do, even if you get along with them best. “If you don’t have people that are unlike you and that bring something to you, then it won’t work well. To have pals around you is not the way to run a business and the people who are underneath the top management, they will see it very quickly.”

________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The Former CEO of Volvo, Pehr Gyllenhammar, On Why People Must Come Before Profits first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The One Thing That Technology Can Never Take Away From Us https://thefutureorganization.com/the-one-thing-that-technology-can-never-take-away-from-us/ Thu, 21 May 2020 12:16:51 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29790 The AI and automation discussion is a constant one. Although it has quieted down a bit while we focus on dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic, it will eventually pick back up. But over the past few months I've been glad to see so many stories and examples of leaders and people in general who are being...human. This is something we cannot forget!

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The AI and automation discussion is a constant one. Although it has quieted down a bit while we focus on dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic, it will eventually pick back up. But over the past few months I’ve been glad to see so many stories and examples of leaders and people in general who are being…human. This is something we cannot forget!

We must always remember that business…work…is still fundamentally a human thing. Of course, we can’t turn a blind eye to the dramatic impact that technology will have on our professional and personal lives which means we must ask, “what is going to be the role of humans in the future of work?

140 of the world’s top CEOs identified a specific set of 9 skills & mindsets that are crucial for leaders to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

For over the past decade I’ve been fortunate to travel the world speaking at conferences, advising leaders, and meeting interesting people from all walks of life. Now more than ever, I’m convinced that our main role as humans is to be…human. We must focus on things like empathy, communication, connecting with one another, building relationships, coaching and mentoring, being vulnerable, and doing and being all of the things that make us who we are.

Technology will never be able to take away the humanity that each and every one of us possesses.

I put together a video which I hope will inspire and motivate you. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The One Thing That Technology Can Never Take Away From Us first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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This Is What The Future Of Work Looks Like https://thefutureorganization.com/this-is-what-the-future-of-work-looks-like/ Wed, 20 May 2020 14:14:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29797 The world was changing quickly BEFORE COVID-19 and now as a result of the pandemic, organizations are changing faster in the last few months than they in the past few decades. We are having to rethink the technologies we use to work, how we design workspaces, where employees work, how we lead, and even what "work" means in general.

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The world was changing quickly BEFORE COVID-19 and now as a result of the pandemic, organizations are changing faster in the last few months than they in the past few decades. We are having to rethink the technologies we use to work, how we design workspaces, where employees work, how we lead, and even what “work” means in general.

The infographic below highlights some of the major changes we are seeing and will continue to experience over the coming months and years (feel free to share or repost the image with attribution).

Employee engagement to employee experience

For many years we have collectively focused on employee engagement with minimal results, something I talked about in my HBR article a few years ago. That’s because engagement is the cause and experience is the effect. Employee experience is the combination of three environments, culture, technology, and physical space. The future of work is creating an organizations where employees actually WANT (not NEED) to show up.

Hard skills to soft skills

Writing, reading, math, and technological fluency have traditionally been priorities for organizations around the world while the typical “soft skills” such as emotional intelligence were not. Today, we are seeing that it is perhaps these soft skills that matter most…especially during times of stress, crisis, and tragedy. Soft skills = the new hard skills.

Set hours & location to flexibility

Especially with COVID-19 we are seeing employees work whenever and wherever they can in order to get their jobs done. Work is not something you go to, it’s something you take with you wherever you are.

Managing to coaching and mentoring

Instead of telling others what to do, leaders must believe that their job is to help create other leaders…even if they are more successful than they are! As I talk about in my new book, The Future Leader, leaders must be like lighthouses that guide others to success and safety.

Humans act like robots to humans work with robots and AI

Show at the same time, wear the same thing, do the same work, eat at the same time, leave at the same time… rinse and repeat. Sounds like something designed for robots (except they don’t even need to eat!). We created jobs designed for robots but decades ago we didn’t have robots so we used humans instead. Now, we finally have technology that is able to do the jobs designed for it to begin with! Humans must be augmented by robots and AI to focus more on the creative and strategic aspect of works – not pitted against technology.

Process-centric tasks to strategic focused tasks

This goes hand in hand with the one above. We must move away from focusing on processes and steps to unlocking our true potential and focusing on the things that makes us unique. Creativity, complex problem solving, imagination, thinking big picture. These are all things unique to humans. A process centric tasks is equivalent to putting together pieces of a puzzle but whereas strategic focused tasks are equivalent to solving a mystery.

Hierarchy to flatter structures

Instead of the traditional hierarchical model, organizations must adopt a more flattened approach where anyone can speak with and interact with anyone else. There is no longer any justification for keeping people from interacting and engaging with each other because of their seniority level. New collaborative platforms are making this especially easy today. Break down that pyramid.

Static workforce to dynamic workforce

Over the past few decades it was assumed that you are either an employee or you aren’t. Today (and more so in the future) we are seeing a very dynamic workforce where organizations have full-time, part-time, gig-workers, contractors, and a constantly changing and evolving workforce.

Factory to laboratory

Factories are linear and are all about the status-quo, avoiding failure, command and control, and repeatable processes. Laboratories embrace failure, use data, experiment, and are constantly challenging the status quo. Organizations must be laboratories if they wish to thrive. This means challenging convention workforce practices and ideas that have been around for decades.

Move for a job to move for a job and life

People are no longer putting all of their eggs in the “job basket.” Things like quality of life and purpose and meaning are now what employees care about just as much as, if not more than just a paycheck. This is why employee experience is so crucial.

Work-life balance to work-life integration

Gone are the days of just working 9-5 and assuming that anything that happens before 9 or after 6 is “personal time.” We are already starting to see this big shift to work-life integration with COVID-19 where you bring your life with you to work and your work with you to your life. This is the new normal.

Knowledge is power to perpetual learning is power

Knowledge is a commodity. To be the smartest person in the room all you need is a smartphone! Instead, what is far more valuable is your ability to learn new things and apply those things in different environments and scenarios. Learn how to learn!

Long-term employment to focusing on projects and tasks

Pensions don’t even exist anymore. The assumption that someone is going to stay at your organization for a decade or more has been challenged and instead we are seeing employees stay a few years at most before moving on.

Pen and paper to digital everything

COVID-19 has been making this a reality for many organizations around the world as employees are being forced to work remotely using digital platforms and technologies. Believe it or not, most companies are still very much lacking in digital transformation efforts.

Decisions based on intuition to decisions based on data

For many decades, strategic and important decisions were made based on gut reactions and intuition. In the future leaders are going to have access to unbelievable amounts of data and the insights that comes from that data. This means no more guesswork. Leaders will be able to combine their intuition and judgement with data insights to make the best possible decisions.

Retire at 65 to retire when dead

With life expectancy increasing and people staying in the workforce even longer, the notion of retiring at 65 is obsolete. Instead of politely asking your older workers to retire, keep them on as advisors, coaches, and mentors to the next generation of workers. Their insights and experiences are invaluable! All of us will have to reinvent ourselves several times during the course of our careers.

One workspace to a spectrum of spaces

Open spaces or closed spaces? Both of those arguments miss the point. It’s not about one or the other. Instead organizations must focus on creating multiple workspace options for their employees so that they can be most productive and engaged depending on the work they are doing, this of course includes flexible work.

This is what the future of work looks like and we are already seeing these changes happening today. Leaders around the world have a choice to make. Are they going to help shape the new world of work or are they going to cling to the past…the “old ways” of doing things? I see tremendous opportunity on the horizon for the bold and courageous leaders out there…if they take action.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Times Are Stressful: Here’s How to Create More Joy at Work and at Home https://thefutureorganization.com/times-are-stressful-heres-how-to-create-more-joy-at-work-and-at-home/ Mon, 18 May 2020 13:14:02 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29727 Joy and happiness are two very important aspects of life, and they are just what we need now as we face difficult times around the world. What is happiness and joy to you? We all have times that we struggle to find one or both. In her book, Ingrid shares a moment of awareness that changed her life. She shares, “Joy isn’t hard to find. In fact, it’s all around us”. Before we are able to create more joy and happiness at work and at home, we first need to define them separately, because a lot of times they get grouped together.

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Ingrid Fetell Lee Transcript

Joy and happiness are two very important aspects of life, and they are just what we need now as we face difficult times around the world. What is happiness and joy to you? We all have times that we struggle to find one or both. In her book, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness (which was a Next Big Idea Club selection — chosen by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant as one of the “two most groundbreaking new nonfiction reads of the season!) “Ingrid shares a moment of awareness that changed her life. She shares, “Joy isn’t hard to find. In fact, it’s all around us.” Before we are able to create more joy and happiness at work and at home, we first need to define them separately, because a lot of times they get grouped together.

You can watch a video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast.

The important distinction between joy and happiness

In our quest to live fulfilled lives, it is important to understand the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is a long-term, ongoing evaluation of how we feel about our relationships, health, work, purpose, etc…Usually we evaluate this based on a certain period of days, weeks or months.

Joy, on the other hand, is an intense momentary experience. Things that make you laugh, smile, make you feel alive. It may be spending time with family, enjoying time working on a hobby you’re passionate about, a celebration, great conversation with friends, etc… In other words, joy is the little moments that build up to happiness.

As Ingrid shares, we may not notice it but we tend to put off joy in our pursuit of happiness. She says, “When we focus on ‘Am I happy?’ Oftentimes what we concentrate on are the big things. So we say, ‘I gotta get that promotion, I gotta buy that house, I gotta find my partner.’ And a lot of those things are not in our control fully, and a lot of these that require us to put off joy. We say, ‘Okay, I gotta get that promotion, so I’m not gonna go see my parents this weekend. I’m not gonna go hang out with friends. I’m not gonna do that hobby that I’ve been dying to take up. I’m gonna put that off until after I get the promotion.’ And then what happens, we get the promotion, and then we need more. We settle in and we’re looking toward the next milestone, and so joy falls by the wayside.”

Why you should stop thinking about happiness entirely

A lot of our struggle with “finding” happiness and knowing if we are living a happy life is the vagueness of the word. We tend to treat happiness as a future state, something to achieve, a destination. Once we get to our destination of happiness, everything will be great. The problem is, we never truly arrive at an end.

We think we will be happy once we get that promotion, or the new house, or have our first child, or have enough money to go on that trip. But once that milestone is over, we don’t stop and say “that’s it, I’ve achieved life”, we go on to the next milestone. It is never ending, so having that mindset will only lead to disappointment.

So what should we do? Ingrid says we should stop thinking about happiness altogether. Instead we need to focus on adding moments of joy into our lives. She says, “If you know that adding little moments of joy to your day adds up to not just to happiness overall but that it reduces stress, that it increases our resilience by lowering those physiological responses to stress and also facilitating more adaptive coping mechanisms. We’re more likely to grow from a crisis, for example, or from a difficult time at work if we invite little moments of joy into our struggle. So, it impacts our health. It impacts our connections. We have greater trust and intimacy when we have little moments of joy that we share with our partner. It impacts productivity and cognition. So if we know that these little moments of joy are helping us in all these different ways than focus on that. Ask, “how can I create a few more moments of joy today, this week, in my marriage, in my work? How do I create those things? How do I share them with others?” And the happiness takes care of itself.”

The 10 aesthetics of joy

In her book Ingrid shares 10 aesthetics of joy, which are ways in which we can create these little moments of joy in our lives. They are energy, abundance, freedom, harmony, play, surprise, transcendence, magic, celebration, and renewal. She shared a few of them with me in depth during our discussion.

Play is one of our most direct roots to joy. Play is how we find new ideas, adapt to change, explore the world, break out of our comfort zones. Ingrid says “It’s one of the most mysterious but most essential tools for survival.” One example of how to bring play to a work context is keeping a game on your desk as a reminder of the need for play at work.

In order to feel a sense of joy, we have to feel physically free. But Ingrid’s research also found that while we like to be free, we also don’t like to be fully exposed. We need prospect–we need a view of our surroundings and an idea of what’s happening around us. And we need refuge–a protected space to hide out. In an office setting this translates into having a workspace with both open space and closed off areas for employees to use. This gives employees a feeling of freedom. I’ve long said that it’s not about open or closed spaces, it’s about giving employees multiple workspace options.

Celebration is what happens in a moment of intense joy – when our joy feels so contagious that it draws other people in. Celebration can be spontaneous or planned. It can be shown through singing, dancing, food, etc.. In the workplace this is one thing we can definitely improve upon. We tend to celebrate birthdays in a plain, boring break room with a cake, and maybe a banner. It’s not very joyful. Ingrid suggests that instead of celebrating birthdays, organizations should celebrate more work-relevant events. Join dates, promotions, successes, and even failures.

Bringing joy to work

Even if you don’t love your job, you can find moments of joy anywhere you work. Some things that you can start doing today to create more joy at work include being more curious, thinking back to what you liked to do as a child, make space and time for joy, keep items that spark joy on your desk, and give yourself permission to find joy. Plan time on your calendar to focus on joy if you need to. For leaders, lead by example and show your employees how to bring joy to the office.

To leaders, Ingrid says, “Joy starts at the top. If you don’t model the behavior of demonstrating that joy is important within your organization, it won’t carry any weight because people are so used to the mentality that joy is extraneous, it’s not important, I’m not supposed to bring that to work, that it needs to be modeled at the top. And I’ve seen this in working at IDEO, you see it very, very clearly that leaders at IDEO are joyful. David Kelley, founder of IDEO, is a joyful guy, and he brings that to his work. And he’s playful and he tells his funny stories, and sometimes they’re stories of failure which is vulnerable thing. It takes vulnerability on your part to feel safe to express joy and exhibit joy in that way.”

You can watch a video of our full conversation below or just listen to the audio version as a podcast.

________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Times Are Stressful: Here’s How to Create More Joy at Work and at Home first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Why All Leaders Must Be “Technology Teenagers”​ https://thefutureorganization.com/why-all-leaders-must-be-technology-teenagers%e2%80%8b/ Thu, 14 May 2020 16:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29610 Whenever we have issues with technology whether it be a device, an app, or a piece of software, who do we usually turn to for help? Our kids (especially teenagers!). Teens oftentimes don't know the inner workings of a piece of software, they can build a new device for you from scratch...yet somehow they just know how to figure technology out without having to be professional developers.

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Whenever we have issues with technology whether it be a device, an app, or a piece of software, who do we usually turn to for help? Our kids (especially teenagers!). Teens oftentimes don’t know the inner workings of a piece of software, they can build a new device for you from scratch…yet somehow they just know how to figure technology out without having to be professional developers. Leaders need to have a similar approach to technology…they need the skill of the technology teenager which is one of the nine skills and mindsets that leaders need to possess if they wish to be successful in the new world of work.

Want to see if you have the skills and mindsets that over 140 of the world’s top CEOs identified as being most crucial for leaders? Take the assessment and find out.

Most teens can easily navigate through new technology, but few of them are actually technology experts. They understand the technology and are digitally fluent without being expert coders and programmers.

Too many leaders today shy away from technology; they think it is scary, unknown, or overwhelming and something that IT should be dealing with. But the truth is, leaders don’t need to become experts, they just need to become more tech-savvy and digitally fluent. We need to be continually trying to figure out what a technology is, how it works, what the value is, and what the implications are. Leaders need to be technology teenagers.

Robert Dutkowsky, former CEO and current executive chairman of Tech Data, told me this in our interview: “The leader of an organization has to be right on top of technology because virtually every company in the world today is a technology company.”

Technology has a dramatic impact on our lives, our organizations, and the world as a whole. Leaders need to understand what impact a particular technology might have on the business, on their career, and on their people.

How to Become a Tech-Savvy Leader

The first step to becoming a tech-savvy leader with the skill of the technology teenager is to explore and be curious. I rarely see teenagers reading instruction manuals about new products—they just jump in and go for it. Leaders can follow the same approach by jumping in and exploring. We often learn more about technology by actually using it instead of just reading about it.

Instead of being overwhelmed and shying away from technology, future leaders need to adopt the mindset that this is the new normal. We will always be surrounded by new technology, and it will continue to come at us faster and faster. To succeed, leaders need to be aware of the technology landscape and know how to find the best technology for themselves, their employees, and their organizations as a whole.

Michael Tipsord, CEO of State Farm, told me this: “Tomorrow’s leaders will need to have a technology fluency that lets them anticipate opportunities and threats, distinguish hype from credible, and embrace transformative possibilities.”

Luckily, there are incredible resources to help us learn about new technology. Online resources like YouTube, blogs, podcasts, and TED Talks can provide an overview of new technology and how it can best be applied. Surround yourself with people who are more tech-savvy than you. Build a network of people who can provide advice and answer questions. Embrace technology and realize the potential it has for your organization. There’s no avoiding technology and surviving as a business, so buckle up, pay attention, and welcome these advancements with open arms.

Ask the Right Questions

Leaders don’t need to understand every detail of a particular technology, but they do need to understand what impact a particular technology might have on the business. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you should be able to ask the right questions.

Leaders need to be able to have these conversations and should be able to answer questions like:

  • What does the general technology landscape look like? What are some of the emerging technologies out there today?
  • Which technologies are going to impact your industry?
  • How might your organization use various technologies to improve things like customer satisfaction, employee experience, or productivity?
  • What might happen if the organization doesn’t make investments in technology?
  • How are your customers and employees using various technologies?

Technology is an unavoidable part of the future of work. It opens countless doors to increased productivity, connection, and potential, but leaders must be willing to adopt new technology and leverage the best solutions for their organizations. To succeed over the next decade and beyond, every leader needs to be like a technology teenager and become curious and tech-savvy.

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Why All Leaders Must Be “Technology Teenagers”​ first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Evolution Of Leaders: What Worked In The Past Won’t Work In The Future https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-leaders-what-worked-in-the-past-wont-work-in-the-future/ Wed, 13 May 2020 10:15:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29570 The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the "leader" is evolving.

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The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the “leader” is evolving.

Last week I looked at The Evolution of the Employee so it’s only natural to look at how leaders have to evolve as well. In 2014 I wrote a best-selling book called, The Future of Work and I developed a concept in there called “The Evolution of the Leader” which shows how this leadership is changing. This change has been gradual but COVID-19 has dramatically sped this up.

This is how leaders are evolving and what organizations around the world need to embrace, prepare for, and encourage.

Managers must be leaders

There’s a constant debate around whether we need more managers or more leaders or if someone should be called a manager or a leader. Nobody wants to be managed and many don’t even want to be called a manager. In fact if you look up the word manager in the dictionary you will find that synonyms include: slav-driver, boss, and my personal favorite…zookeeper. Anyone who is responsible for others must not only be good at things like delegating, team-building, and executing on strategy but they must also be good “people” leaders who can engage, empower, and inspire others. With the current pandemic we are all experiencing, it’s never been more important for leaders around the world to put the needs of their people first and the priorities of the business second. You can’t just be put into a position to lead others because you are good at office politics or because you closed a big deal…leadership is earned from those you serve, it cannot be commanded by how much you earn. There are 9 skills and mindsets which make up a truly great leader.

Leaders must understand the trends shaping the future of work

I talked about this in a previous article, they are:

1) Globalization: the barriers to doing business anywhere in the world are decreasing

2) Changing demographics: with multiple generations in the workforce and people working longer, we need to rethink what “employee” means and looks like.

3) New behaviors: originally I attributed these new behaviors to technologies such as social media, but it’s clear that COVID-19 is another factor here that is forcing us to think differently about work (and life).

4) Technology: things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things, and the like, are forcing us to think differently about work.

5) Mobility: working anytime, anywhere, and on any device

Leaders must understand what these five trends are and how they are going to impact their respective organizations, their careers, and the lives of people they serve.

Leaders must embrace vulnerability

We can no longer have leaders in the workplace that resemble robots. It’s bad enough that there is quite a bit of concern around actual robots taking jobs away from humans, the last thing we need are humans that act like robots. It makes me think of the saying, “I’m not a doctor but I play one on t.v.” – applied to leaders this would be “I’m not a robot but I play one in the workplace.” Brene Brown said it best when she quipped that there is no innovation without vulnerability. This is because people want to build relationships with other…people. This requires trust and a human connection. When leaders put up a wall of being stoic, all-knowing, emotionless beings, they kill off any hope of innovation, trust, and connection. Leaders embracing vulnerability in the workplace isn’t important because it’s a nice thing to do but because it’s crucial for effective communication, collaboration, and innovation.

One of the things that I’m particularly fascinated by during this pandemic is how many of the stories about robots and automation taking away jobs from humans have been replaced by stories of leaders who practice compassion, vulnerability, and service to their people. In other words, we are reminded that business is still fundamentally a human thing and we should never forget that.

Leaders must challenge convention

Why is it that we constantly hear about leaders who are “putting out fires?” Leaders must be the fire-starters! That is, they must be constantly thinking of ways that they can challenge the assumptions that we have around how work gets done, ESPECIALLY now. In fact leaders today don’t even have much of a choice, they are being forced to do this.

Should leaders make all the decisions? Do we need annual employee reviews? Can flexible work become a standard practice for everyone? Why is leadership training only offered to longer tenured employees and not all employees? Are profits still the primary goal of our company? These are the types of questions and ideas that leaders should be thinking about.

Today, we have too many managers, their stereotypical role focuses on constraint, control, order, diligence, and sticking with the common assumptions that have long guided how we work. Instead, leaders must become “fire-starters.”

The world of work is changing quickly and there is no place for those who are not willing to adapt. We all need and deserve to work for a new type of leader. Are you that future leader?

________________________________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post The Evolution Of Leaders: What Worked In The Past Won’t Work In The Future first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How to Lead From the Future https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-lead-from-the-future/ Mon, 11 May 2020 17:16:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29516 Every company wants to be more innovative in order to stay relevant, to be successful, to bring in the best talent, and to help the world become a better place. But innovation takes planning, effort, focus, and intentionality. So what is keeping companies from being innovative and how do we fix that?

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Mark Johnson Transcript

Every company wants to be more innovative in order to stay relevant, to be successful, to bring in the best talent, and to help the world become a better place. But innovation takes planning, effort, focus, and intentionality. So what is keeping companies from being innovative and how do we fix that? To find out, I spoke with Mark Johnson who co-founded the consulting for Innosight with Clayton M. Christensen in 2000. Mark also has a new book out called, Lead From the Future which was the topic of our conversation. You can listen to the full discussion below but make sure to have a pen and paper handy, there’s a ton of useful information!

This episode is brought to you by Cisco Webex. To help navigate our new reality and its impact on workplace transformation, Cisco Webex is launching The Future of Work; a destination to help you understand the trends transforming the workplace; highlighting remote work as well as workstyles, innovative workspaces and integrated workflows for teams. To learn more visit this page and see if you can spot me on there 🙂

3 Barriers to Breakthrough Innovation
Mark has been an advisor and consultant to many Global 1000 and start-up companies and one thing that companies keep coming to him to figure out is how they can foster disruptive breakthrough innovation. Mark says, “you’ll hear companies talk about, we’ve gotta be more innovative. And what they really mean is, a specific kind of innovation, they mean, how do we get beyond our core? How do we get out from underneath ourselves and do something that really gets us into the new and different? And so, they’re looking for that more disruptive breakthrough kind of innovation. And what we find is, most breakthrough innovation efforts stall or breakdown or fail, either because:

1) There are not enough resources invested upfront to really give it the kind of wherewithal it needs to succeed.

2) When there are challenges at the core, or there are just general difficulties and priorities to do other things then resources will get pulled from breakthrough innovation efforts.

3) Leadership tends to get impatient with the incubation and development period that these growth efforts take. So leadership teams themselves just suffer from being very short-sighted and short-term-ism, the importance of profitability over sustainability.

There are all these incentives and biases that crop up in the way that further break these things down.”

In response to these challenges Mark formalized a way of thinking that can help leaders overcome these barriers and stay relevant. We need to move away from how we traditionally think about vision statements, strategy and long term planning and start leading from the future.

How Companies Normally Think About the Future and Why it Needs to Change
Traditionally when trying to plan for the future companies have used what has been termed as a “present forward mindset.” What does that mindset look like? Mark says, “basically you take the existing structure and processes and rules and norms of today and you put that within a business, and you try to continue to extend that forward by both incremental and breakthrough innovations that are tied towards improvement of the core. And there’s nothing wrong with that, in fact, organizations do need to operate and execute, they need to continue to do product development, they need to drive marketing and R&D for the sake of continuing to serve the current set of customers or consumers, that is something that needs to move forward. But the challenge is, if that’s all that you do, you’re making this huge assumption that businesses can be extended out indefinitely over time, and as we know, if you take the horizon far enough, there’s likely to be severe commoditization to a business or real disruption, things that create discontinuities just like in the crisis today.”

What mindset does Mark suggest we move to? He termed it “future back,” where you look out to the future (about 5-10 years) to develop your vision and you work your way back to present day to see what strategy you need to put in place to get there. How far you look into the future will vary from company to company, so it is important that you and your team work together to come up with the appropriate time horizon for your type of business.

No matter how far you look out, one important thing to note, you cannot come up with a future picture and a long term plan and think that’s it. Companies who either come up with this plan once and never revisit it, or who think they can come up with one plan and keep their heads down for several years getting there are not going to succeed.

Use this long term goal as a north star that gives hope and inspiration, but you have to bring that narrative to life by revisiting it often, be in the mode for learning, experiment with different things. It has to be able to be adjusted as time goes on as the rest of the world changes.

How to Implement Future Back Thinking in Three Phases
In his book (and in our discussion), Mark shares the three phases we go through to implement future back thinking. They are:

1) Develop an inspiring vision–this is not your typical 1-2 sentence vision statement. It’s about developing a clear-eyed view about what the next 5-10 years look like for the world and then for your specific company

2) Translate it into a clear strategy–If vision is about being a storyteller, then strategy is about becoming an engineer. After creating inspiration, hope, and purpose behind what the organization wants to achieve you have to translate that into something tangible that you can act on

3) Prepare for and manage its implementation–This step is about implementation and milestones, but a huge piece of this is also about setting the organization up for success. You have to have the right leaders in place and you have to carve out the resources (and keep them carved out) needed.

What Non-Leaders Can Do to Move Their Company to Future Back Thinking
If you are not a leader inside of your organization is there a way you can help push your team to start using future back thinking? Mark says, “I think we all have an opportunity to spread language and a way of thinking, and hopefully, leadership will pick up on that. I think reinforcing the importance based on case examples of visionary organizations that are able to… Be able to inspire the organization and then practically think of ways to anticipate alternative paths in the short-term, like what we do in the COVID crisis. And then do not think of anything as one and done, but remain agile and willing to pivot and that think in the sense of humility as being behind learning and learning being behind innovation. All of this, I think, by language alone and principles can turn an organization, and it’s not just leadership that can do that, people everywhere can influence by what they say and what they talk about.”

To hear more insights from Mark’s new book, Lead From the Future, listen to the full interview by clicking the play button below.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

  1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
  2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
  3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Research Shows Only 8% Of Leaders Are Great Listeners And Communicators https://thefutureorganization.com/research-shows-only-8-of-leaders-are-great-listeners-and-communicators/ Thu, 07 May 2020 10:40:24 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29425 Leaders of the future must be translators which means that they are great listeners and communicators.

Unfortunately, this is a skill that leaders today are surprisingly doing a terrible job of practicing. I partnered with Linkedin to survey nearly 14,000 employees around the world and only 8% of employees reported that their mid and senior-level leaders are practicing this skill "very well." Clearly there is lots of room for improvement!

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Listening and communication are perhaps two of the most timeless leadership skills yet they are also the ones that are changing the most! In my new book, The Future Leader, I talk about these two as the skill of the Translator.

The word “translation” comes from the Latin word translation which means “carrying across” or “bringing across.” I like to think of a bridge that connects things or people together. Translators have been around for thousands of years and are responsible for much of what we know about our collective history. They make sure everyone is on the same page and can understand each other. Without a translator, productivity is halted, no one can collaborate, and ideas aren’t pursued or developed.

Leaders of the future must be translators which means that they are great listeners and communicators.

Unfortunately, this is a skill that leaders today are surprisingly doing a terrible job of practicing. I partnered with Linkedin to survey nearly 14,000 employees around the world and only 8% of employees reported that their mid and senior-level leaders are practicing this skill “very well.” Clearly there is lots of room for improvement!

Even though listening and communication have always been crucial, their importance is going to increase 10-fold over the coming years. The world we live in now is becoming increasingly connected and distributed. Social causes are becoming business imperatives and the amount of noise and distractions that all of us are dealing with is immense. Just think of all of the channels we can communicate on and listen to, and it’s growing. These channels are also causing us to change our behaviors, grown men are now using taking selfies with each other and using emojis to communicate with one another!

140 of the world’s top CEOs identified a specific set of 9 skills & mindsets that are crucial for leaders to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

Why Listening Matters
Listening and hearing are two different things. Often, we get caught up in only hearing something without actually listening or internalizing what is being said. Hearing doesn’t require effort, it’s the unconscious act of letting sound enter your ear. Listening, on the other hand, is a purposeful and conscientious effort.

Think of a time when you were interacting with someone and you could tell that although they heard what you were saying, they really weren’t listening, how did that make you feel? The consequences of employees feeling like their leaders aren’t listening to them are disastrous. It kills morale, engagement, passion, and excitement of any kind. It turns employees into cogs.

With the many new communication channels we now have access to, listening for future leaders means having many ears to many different grounds. The world is becoming more connected and distributed, and that will only continue to grow. It’s going to be more important than ever for leaders to understand their employees and customers, and much of that comes from listening.

Michael Kneeland, president and CEO of United Rentals, told me this: “I’ve always gone through the world where it’s a reverse pyramid. I’m so far from my customers that the most impactful I think that I can be doing is listening, and understanding what’s happening on the front line.”

Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman created six levels of listening. To become a better listener, put these steps into practice:

  • Level 1: You create a safe environment where pretty much anything can be discussed.
  • Level 2: You put away distractions like phones and laptops and you make appropriate eye-contact with the other person.
  • Level 3: You try to understand the main focus of what the other person is saying.
  • Level 4: You pay attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice.
  • Level 5: You understand the emotions and feelings of the other person and you acknowledge them.
  • Level 6:You ask good questions that are designed to let the other person see a new perspective or challenge an assumption that they might have.

Why Communication Matters
Communication is about understanding the different channels to use and how to get your message across regardless of the channel you are using. Communication is one of the greatest tools in the leader’s utility belt. It’s what allows you to inspire, connect with, and align those around you. Effective communication also helps make sure that strategies get executed effectively.

In the next decade and beyond, there will be even more noise and ways to communicate. To effectively share messages, leaders will have to know how to cut through the noise and use the right channels. If you don’t prepare now to become a great future communicator, you messages will fall flat or get lost in the noise.

Tsuyoshi ‘Nick’ Nagano is the president and CEO of Tokio Marine, a multi-national insurance holding company which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Nick clearly articulated the importance of communication.

“As a CEO I may spend 70% of my time communicating with the people in my company. This may seem like a lot but when you consider that I manage a global workforce of 32,000 this can mean they only listen to me speak live or virtually for 20 minutes per year on average. Thus, these 20 minutes really need to count otherwise where is my impact as CEO?”

To be better at communicating with others, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What are the best channels to use to get information across?
  • How does the way you communicate make those around you feel?
  • Are you communicating in a clear, open, passionate, and humble way?
  • Are you being human?
  • If someone communicated to you in the same way you are communicating to others, what impact would it have

Together, listening and communication form the skill of the Translator and even though these things are timeless they are changing dramatically. Future leaders won’t be able to survive without these crucial skills. Developing listening and communication skills now can prepare future leaders for the changes that will come in the next decade.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur than my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Research Shows Only 8% Of Leaders Are Great Listeners And Communicators first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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The Evolution Of The Employee https://thefutureorganization.com/the-evolution-of-the-employee/ Wed, 06 May 2020 10:26:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29387 The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article, I specifically want to take a look at how the “employee” is evolving.

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The current COVID-19 epidemic we are all experiencing is forcing organizations around the world to challenge their conventional ideas around work. In this article I specifically want to take a look at how the “employee” is evolving. If you look up the word “employee” in the dictionary you will actually find that synonyms for the word employee include: cog, servant, and slave. This is how we have thought about our workforce for decades, as expendable and replaceable resources. We need to change that.

In 2014 I wrote a best-selling book called, The Future of Work and I developed a concept in there called “The Evolution of the Employee” which shows how this mentality is changing. This change has been quite slow but COVID-19 has made this evolution a present day reality.

This is how employees are evolving and what organizations around the world need to embrace, prepare for, and encourage.

Truly flexible work
The first two items above along with “focusing on outputs” comprise this idea of flexible work, that is working anytime, anywhere, and being evaluated not by how many hours you sit in a chair but by what you produce. There is no longer a need for most employees to work from an office or to work 9–5. COVID-19 has clearly shown us that with millions of people around the world being forced to work remotely. However some organizations out there like Unilever, Cisco, Microsoft, and Aetna have been offering flexible work for years. The future of work = flexible work.

Use any device
Gone are the days of company sanctioned phones and computers. Instead, the future employee will be able to use any device they chose to get their jobs done. Companies like Ford, IBM, and Intel, have been among those leading the way in allowing their employees to use many personally owned devices for work. With the blurring and integration of work and life this is the new norm.

The death of the “ladder” and customized work
When you start working for a new company usually you start off at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole. In other words you begin as a sales coordinator, then a sales manager, senior sales manager, sales director, and so on and so forth. You have to climb the ladder for a few years in the hopes that one day you will reach a position that you are happy with. However with the gig economy, collaboration platforms, and new leadership approaches; employees are now starting to shape their own career paths and how they actually work. Those who are able to build the strongest personal brands for themselves will be able to have the greatest influence in shaping their own career paths.

Sharing is caring
Employees use to hoard information and keep it to themselves. There was no incentive, scalable way, or reason for employees to share what they know with others. Knowledge is power and if employees keep their ideas to themselves then they have the power. Employees were also not encouraged to share or think creatively, their job was merely to show up to work and perform their tasks…that’s it! For the future employee the exact opposite is true. Collaboration platforms are making it easy for employees to share information and organizations are creating incentives to do this ranging from internal incubators to intrapreneuer programs to open innovation programs. We are also seeing a shift from focusing on individual performance to focusing on team performance which does a far better job of encouraging employees to work together.

Going forward any employee can have an idea that can turn into a new product, service, or opportunity. Shell with their GameChanger program and Whirlpool with their “Winning Workplace” program are just two examples of organizations that are shifting their culture from hoarding to sharing.

Anyone can be a leader
As mentioned above employees were thought of as being expendable cogs which meant they had no voice within the organization. Once again, collaboration technologies play a crucial role as they give any employee within an organization the chance to be a recognized leader by sharing their ideas, thoughts, concepts, etc. Any employee that is able to build a following with the content they share internally is capable of being a leader; something which was not possible before especially not at the scale that collaboration platforms allow today. Think of how many people have become leaders as a result of social platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, now employees can do the same inside of their companies. Of course doing this also means embracing a new set of skills and mindsets required to lead.

Knowledge vs adaptive learning
Knowledge is now nothing more than a commodity. To be the world’s smartest person all you need to do is pull out your cell phone where you can get answers to anything. This means that for the future employee it’s not knowledge that is the most important but the employee’s ability to learn new things an apply those learnings to new situations and scenarios that come up. In other words, always being able to learn how to learn and stay adaptable. This is far more important and valuable than what you “know.” In other words, think of yourself like an app!

Everyone is a teacher and a student
In most organizations today if you want to learn something you have to sign up for and attend a class that may be a few days or a few weeks away. Today (again thanks to collaboration platforms) any employee can take out their cell phone and record a “how-to” for anything ranging from setting up a modem to programming something on excel to learning active listening techniques. Simply being able to connect employees to each other provides a way for democratized learning and teaching in ways that were never before possible. Thanks to sites such as Udemy, Youtube, Coursera, and Khan Academy we have the ability to learn what we want to learn and teach what we are uniquely qualified to offer to others.

We need to redefine what “employee” means. We are not expendable and replaceable cogs. We are human beings with ideas, passions, fears, relationships, and solutions. The world of work is constantly changing but there is one thing that I can promise you. If your organization doesn’t change how it thinks about the people who work there then it won’t be in business much longer, nor should it!

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur than my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.

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Dan Heath On How You Can Solve Problems Before They Happen https://thefutureorganization.com/dan-heath-on-how-you-can-solve-problems-before-they-happen/ Mon, 04 May 2020 13:45:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29344 Leaders especially are constantly running around trying to "put out fires." But, what if there was a way to stop the fires from happening to begin with? That is the premise of Dan Heath's new book: Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen. Dan is the best-selling author of six books five of which he wrote with his brother Chip Heath (who I had on my podcast a little while ago). These books include classics such as: Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments.

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Dan Heath Transcript

Leaders especially are constantly running around trying to “put out fires.” But, what if there was a way to stop the fires from happening to begin with? That is the premise of Dan Heath’s new book: Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen. Dan is the best-selling author of six books five of which he wrote with his brother Chip Heath (who I had on my podcast a little while ago). These books include classics such as: Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments.

How do we stop chasing fires and start preventing them? It’s all about Upstream thinking.

This episode is brought to you by Cisco Webex. To help companies navigate the new reality of remote work, join us for a live future of work marathon series with customers and industry experts: #RemoteWork – The Future of Work is Now.

The Upstream Parable
Back in 2009 Dan heard a parable that is well known in public health and it really resonated with him. It is what inspired him to write the book. He tells it like this, “You and a friend are having a picnic on the bank of a river. And you’ve just laid down your picnic blankets, you’re about to have your meal when you hear a shout from the direction of the river. You look back and there’s a child thrashing around in the water, apparently drowning. So you both dive in, you fish the child out, you bring them to shore. Just as you’re starting to calm down you hear another shout. You look back, there’s a second child splashing around again, apparently drowning and so back in you go. You fish them out, then there are two more children who come along right behind and so begins this kind of revolving door of rescue, where you’re in and out, and fishing kids out and it’s exhausting work. And right about that time, you notice your friend is swimming to the shore, steps out, starts to walk away as though to leave you alone, and you cry out, “Hey, where are you going? I need your help. All these kids are drowning” and your friend says, “I’m going upstream to figure out who’s throwing all these kids in the river.”

And that is the problem with most organizations. We are too focused on our own work and trying to quickly solve any issues that come up in order to just keep moving forward – we reward busy work. The result is an endless cycle of putting out fires as they come, when instead we should be able to recognize recurrent problems so we can get to the root cause. If we can find out how to fix the systems that cause the problems in the first place, we would save so much time and energy.

How to move from downstream thinking to upstream thinking
Inside of most companies employees are divided into separate functions–marketing stays in the marketing department, sales in sales, HR in HR and so on. This setup is not conducive for upstream thinking as it keeps everyone secluded and not working together to address problems. As Dan told me:

“Focus in organizations is both an enemy and an ally. It’s an ally in the sense that when we get people focused on particular measures or a particular area of responsibility, it makes them more efficient. But, focus is also an enemy in the sense that it blinds you to things that are just slightly outside of your box.”

Dan gives a great real life example from the travel website, Expedia. One employee working in the customer experience group was looking through some data from their call center and he found that for every 100 people who booked a flight through their site, 58 of them were calling for help. This employee saw something wrong with that picture, since the company’s whole business model is self service travel planning. Call center agents are focused on things like reducing call time and the number of issues, they don’t ever ask “hey, how can I keep Jaco from calling to begin with?”

What this employee discovered was the number one reason people were calling was to get a copy of their itinerary, which should be an easy task. So this employee and his boss went to the CEO with the data and convinced the CEO to create a task force to address the issue. The task force met together and found multiple ways to address this problem and they saved the company 100 million dollars.

This is such a great story, because this employee could have easily ignored the data, no one was complaining. Everyone answering phones in the call center was just taking these calls and quickly assisting people over and over again. But had they ignored it they would have wasted countless hours and resources.

Here’s another example from Linkedin who was actually a research sponsor for new book, The Future Leader. Dan Shapero is the Chief Business Officer at Linkedin and as many of you know, Linkedin has a recruiting tool you can subscribe to. It’s an annual subscription and the general process was that around month 11, Dan and his team would see which accounts haven’t been that active and then they would try to swoop in and try to get these people to renew for the following year. But then Dan started to wonder if there was a way to get earlier warning of who would churn. It turns out that Linkedin has tons of data but they never really used it. They could actually get a good sense of who is going to churn by around week 4! So instead of investing a ton of resources towards the end of the process, they decided to invest more in the on-boarding of new subscribers. This change resulted in tens of millions of dollars in profit. This all happened because of the shift from Downstream thinking (how do we get as many people to renew) to Upstream thinking (how do we keep people from NOT wanting to renew in the first place?).

Three main barriers to upstream thinking
In the book Dan lays out three main barriers to upstream thinking. They are:

  • Problem blindness–We cannot solve a problem when we don’t perceive it as a problem.
  • Lack of ownership–It is easy for us to lay blame on others instead of owning it. We all have influence in situations, we just don’t always use it.
  • Tunneling— We adopt tunnel vision because we want to keep moving forward. If we hit an obstacle we want to get it behind us as quickly as possible and continue on.

It is so easy to stay in our rut. As Dan shares, “our schedules are so overloaded that we’re so locked in, head down, that we forget that there’s even another mode to be in. And yet, if we want our work to improve, it has to be at that level, it has to be at the level of stamping out problems rather than just reacting to them again and again.”

We adapt to irritants, when we don’t have to
Humans are extremely adaptable creatures, we can block out what we don’t want to pay attention to, but that’s not always a good thing. One example Dan gave was this, “I came across this woman who told me she had just been moved physically within her office so she had just taken over a new desk, and her desk was right by a stairwell door. And they’re often reinforced so they’re heavy doors, and this thing just creaked like crazy and it drove her nuts, and of course a lot of the people around had kind of adapted to it. And a couple of days of this thing just distracting her, she finally just brought in a can of WD-40 from home and generously lubed up the hinges on the door. All the sudden it was quiet, just perfectly quiet and she said her office mates treated her like she had come down from on high. They were just in awe that she had solved this problem. And I think that’s a great example of where our capacity to adapt as human beings is actually maybe a little bit too powerful. That we adapt to things in our lives and in our work, and even in our country that we needn’t have adapted to that we could have solved with just a little bit of forethought.”

This episode is brought to you by Cisco Webex. To help companies navigate the new reality of remote work, join us for a live future of work marathon series with customers and industry experts: #RemoteWork – The Future of Work is Now.

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Why Employee Experience Matters Now More Than Ever https://thefutureorganization.com/why-employee-experience-matters-now-more-than-ever/ Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:41:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29244 With the current pandemic that we are all experiencing it’s never been more important for organizations around the world to focus on employee experience. This was Linkedin’s top talent trend for 2020 and that was BEFORE the pandemic even started.

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With the current pandemic that we are all experiencing it’s never been more important for organizations around the world to focus on employee experience. This was LinkedIn’s top talent trend for 2020 and that was BEFORE the pandemic even started. How you treat your employees during difficult times matters much more than how you treat your employees when things are going great.

I define employee experience as creating an organization where employees WANT, not NEED to show up to work, by focusing on three environments which are culture, technology, and physical space. This shift from need to want, is something that organizations are struggling with.

Together these three things make up what I call, The Employee Experience Equation which you can see below.

If you want to see how well your organization is doing you can take this assessment based on an analysis of 252 organizations. You can also sign up for this free training series which will give you MUCH more information and context on employee experience.

Culture
We have all heard of corporate culture and the many ways to describe it. Some say “it’s what happens when the manager leaves the room,” others say culture stems from the values, attitudes, practices, and the mission of the organization, and some say culture is controlled by the CEO and the executives. I like to think of culture as the side effects of working for your organizations. Just like taking a prescription drug can have side effects such as weight gain, nausea, skin discoloration, or bleeding from the eyes; working for your organization can have the exact same side effects! But in your organization these side effects can also be positive with things like growth and development or purpose and meaning. Culture is about the feeling that employees get working for you as a leader and for your organization, it’s the “vibe” you get when you walk in the door and it’s the mood and the tone that the workplace sets. It’s the leadership style, the sense of purpose your employees feel, the organizational structure, and the people that make up your organization. It’s not written and it’s not stated yet it is one of the most important elements of creating and designing the employee experience. Typically corporate culture is what energizes us or drains us, it motivates us or discourages us, it empowers us or it suffocates us. We all experience the corporate culture of our organizations every single day, whether it be positive or negative. Culture is 40% of the overall employee experience.

Technology
The technological environment of the organization refers to the tools employees use to get their jobs done. This includes everything from the internal social network your company might use to the mobile devices that are approved to the laptops, desktops, and video conferencing solutions that employees have access to. This also includes any apps, software, learning tools, and user experience and design elements that impact how employees use these various tools. Technology is the central nervous system of the organization and most concepts and themes related to the future of work are not possible without technology.

It’s not hard to see why technology is such a big part of the employee experience. If you show up to work and are forced to use technologies that were considered “cool” in the 90s then clearly you’re going to be a bit frustrated with getting your job done. Using outdated and poorly designed technologies will: make it harder for your to communicate and collaborate with employees, drastically increase the amount of time it takes you to get your job done, and create an environment that sees you being frustrated, angry, and unproductive instead of being engaged, happy, and productive. Technology is 30% of the overall employee experience.

Physical space
The physical workspace is the one we can see, touch, and taste, and smell. It’s the art that hangs on the walls, the office floor plan, the demographics of the people we work with (old, young, diversity, etc), and any physical perks we might get such as catered meals in a beautiful cafeteria, an on-site gym, or a lounge area that employees can use to unwind a bit. Before reading on think for a minute about your physical workspace and how it makes you feel. Does your space drain you or energize you?

Over the years we have seen a big debate between open and closed spaces but both of these miss the point. It’s not about one floor plan or the other it’s about creating multiple floor plans so that can employees can pick in environment based on the work they are doing. Physical space is 30% of the overall experience.

The future of work is all about the employee experience and this is something that organizations around the world are realizing and investing in but there’s a long way to go. Less than 10% of organizations are doing an amazing job of investing in these three environments. Most are either focusing on one of the three or at best two out of the three but that’s not good enough. What kind of an experience are you creating for your employees and how are you doing it?

Take the assessment to see how well your organization is doing.

Get the free employee experience team training series to start taking action.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur than my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Nurture Crazy Ideas That Change The World https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-nurture-crazy-ideas-that-change-the-world/ Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:22:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29200 Safi Bahcall is a second-generation physicist, a biotech entrepreneur, a former public company CEO, and bestselling author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. He was also on President Obama’s Council of Science Advisors and it was during that time that he started down the path that would lead him to write Loonshots.

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Safi Bahcall Transcript

Safi Bahcall is a second-generation physicist, a biotech entrepreneur, a former public company CEO, and bestselling author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. He was also on President Obama’s Council of Science Advisors and it was during that time that he started down the path that would lead him to write Loonshots. I recently had the opportunity to speak with him for an episode of The Future of Work with Jacob Morgan. You can listen to the full episode below.

A few years after Safi started a bio-tech company his father was diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia. Safi figured that since he’s in the field, he would be able to help his father out. He quickly realized that nothing he did made a difference and his father passed away shortly after.

According to Safi, “I had access to all the latest science, and tools, and technologies ’cause I was in the field, but nothing I could do made any difference and he died not much later. And then over the next few years, as our company grew, I just kept noticing everywhere I looked inside tiny companies or the biggest companies and buried in the basement of those organizations were promising ideas that could have helped my father. Not because any of the people involved are bad people. Because of some weird mystery that happens when people come together in a group. It sort of boils down to this one question of, why do good teams kill great ideas?”

And so, Safi’s journey to explore answer this began…

He uses a great analogy to explain behavior and corporate culture. Imagine a glass of water, if you put your finger in it and move it around, the water just sloshes around your finger. But if you lower the temperature to 32 Fahrenheit then suddenly the behavior of those molecules changes. But as Safi told me, “there’s no CEO molecule with a bullhorn saying, ‘it’s 33 Fahrenheit everyone slosh around, oh wait, it’s 31 degrees everyone now freeze!”

Inside of organizations, this all boils down to two core things, culture, and structure. Culture is the pattern of behavior that you can see on the surface and structure is what’s underneath that drives those patterns of behavior. Yelling at your employees to be more innovative or to be more engaged will have the same impact as yelling at a block of ice telling it to melt.

What Safi realized was that there is a better way to change the culture of an organization. When giving his explanation he uses the example of a glass of water. When the water is room temperature you can swirl the water with your finger and it will slosh around. But when the temperature is lowered and the water freezes it becomes rigid and you cannot insert your finger anymore.

He says, “You can think of culture as that pattern of behavior that you see on the surface. You

have a wildly political culture or a very innovative culture. You have molecules that are totally rigid or they’re sloshing around. You can think of structure as what’s underneath that drives those patterns of behavior. So in a glass of water, a small change in temperature can transform you between those two behaviors. So the reason it matters so much is that no amount of yelling at your employees to, “Hey, everybody, let’s innovate more,” or, “Let’s watch two-hour movies about brotherhood or sing Kumbaya.” All of that stuff won’t make much difference, just like yelling at a block of ice, “Hey, molecules, could you all loosen up a little bit?” It’s not gonna melt that block of ice. But a small change in temperature can get the job done. A small change in temperature can melt steel. And so that’s what the core idea is. It’s what are those equivalents of the small change in temperature or sprinkling salt in a glass of water, that can have a big impact on the patterns of behavior that you see on the difference between a political culture versus an innovative culture.”

How do you change your organization’s “temperature”? Essentially it is about what the leaders reward and what they celebrate. If you reward rank only, then your organization is going to have a very political culture because everyone is fighting against each other to get a higher rank. On the other hand, if you reward and celebrate intelligent risk taking and results, then Safi says you “naturally create environments where people are pulled to innovate rather than pushed or yelled at from the top to innovate.”

Leaders also need to get to know their individual employees in order to personalize incentives. Not everyone is motivated by money. Some people are motivated by new opportunities, some by having a choice in what projects they work on, some want to get public recognition. The more you can personalize rewards, the better.

Of course, CEOs of large companies don’t usually have the time to figure out what every employee is motivated by, and that is why Safi believes every organization should have a person or a team in place to create and maintain these personalized incentive packages. Just like organizations have a Chief Revenue Officer and a Chief Technology Officer, they should also have a Chief Incentives Officer.

“If you’re running a company, which would you rather have? A workforce that’s got the best gadgets of anybody in your industry or the most motivated workforce in your industry? Personally, I’d rather have the most motivated workforce. Yet, what companies have as they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Chief Technology Officers. And then, you know HR is sort of a back office afterthought. But imagine if you thought of it strategically. You have a budget. How do you think just as strategically about using that budget to incentivize your people? Like you do with a Chief Revenue Officer to use your marketing budget or a Chief Technology Officer to get the best product. What if you could make that a weapon?”

What you will learn:

  • How small changes can have a big impact on the culture of an organization
  • The best way to approach incentives
  • Safi’s unique advice for entrepreneurs
  • Whether or not we should get rid of hierarchy
  • The two forces working in every organization and how to manage them
  • What is intelligent risk taking and why leaders should encourage it

This episode is sponsored by Linkedin Learning. During these trying times, they are stepping up to give away their most popular courses for free. If you want to gain access visit this page.

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12 Things Top Companies Do To Make Flexible Work Successful During Coronavirus (and beyond!) https://thefutureorganization.com/12-things-top-companies-do-to-make-flexible-work-successful-during-coronavirus-and-beyond/ Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:59:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29069 With the current pandemic, millions of people around the world are working from home. This will likely continue over the coming months but even after the pandemic is over, I expect we will see a dramatic rise in flexible work arrangements. However, in order for these efforts to be successful organizations need to use a ... Read more

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With the current pandemic, millions of people around the world are working from home. This will likely continue over the coming months but even after the pandemic is over, I expect we will see a dramatic rise in flexible work arrangements. However, in order for these efforts to be successful organizations need to use a new set of digital technologies and embrace a new way of working, something I wrote about way back in 2012 with my book, The Collaborative Organization.

At the time I had the opportunity to work with and research hundreds of organizations to see how the very best were making use of digital technologies to connect people to each other and to information around the world (especially applicable to flexible work). Technology is the central nervous system of every organization but it can be tricky. After all no two companies are alike in terms of strategy, budgets, teams, corporate cultures, and the like. So how can we know what makes some organizations successful?

The answer lies in chess…

I happen to be a huge chess fanatic. I play competitively, take lessons with a grandmaster, and study several hours a week. Did you know that there are more possible moves in a game of chess then there are atoms that exist in the universe? Chess is virtually an infinite game yet somehow we have grand-masters who are always at the top. How do they succeed in this infinite game? They identify patterns and look for identifiable scenarios. This same approach is applicable for getting teams to work together in virtual environments using technology. So having said that, here are the 12 common habits or success factors for these collaborative organizations.

140 of the world’s top CEOs identified a specific set of 9 skills & mindsets that are crucial for leaders to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.


Lead by example
If leaders at your organization don’t use and support collaboration and communication tools and strategies then why should anyone else? Leaders are very powerful instruments to facilitate change and encourage desired behaviors. So if you want to make flexible work arrangements work, then make sure your leaders are on the front lines.

Individual benefit vs corporate benefit
For those who might be hesitant, don’t focus on the overall corporate value and benefit of flexible work programs or collaboration technologies. Employees want to know how change will impact them on an individual basis. How will this make their jobs and lives easier? That’s the messaging and the story-telling you need to focus. There’s a difference between, “this will save the company $520,000 a year” vs “this will help make sure you can attend the important family events in your life.”

Strategy before technology
Before rushing to pick that shiny new collaboration and communication platform focus on developing a strategy which will help you understand the “why” before the “how.” This is crucial for the success of any collaboration initiative. You don’t want to be in a position where you have deployed a technology without understanding why. Especially during this pandemic, make it clear what the desired goals are so everyone is on board.

Learn to get out of the way
By trying to enforce and police everything, you stifle collaboration and communication within your organization and eventually employees won’t want to take advantage of either the technologies or the programs that you offer. Some best practices and guidelines are fine to have but let your employees do what they need to do.

Listen to the voice of the employee
We are always so adamant about listening to the voice of the customer, what about the voice of the employee? When going down the collaboration road within your organization it’s important to make employees a part of the decision making process from step one. Listen to their ideas, their needs, and their suggestions and integrate their feedback into your technology and strategy.

Integrate into the flow of work
Collaboration should never be seen as an additional task or requirement for employees. Instead collaboration should fit naturally into their flow of work. For example, with my virtual team of ten employees turning on Skype every morning and looking at what’s going in Asana is how we all start our day, it’s not an afterthought or something additional we do…it’s how we get things done.

Create a supportive environment
If your organization focuses on rewarding employees for individual performance as the main driver of success then it will become quite hard to encourage employees to share and communicate with each other (digitally or physically!). Why would they want to? There is nothing wrong with rewarding employees for great performance but it’s also crucial to reward teamwork. For example organizations can make a percentage of an employee’s bonus tied to how well they collaborate with their co-workers. A supportive environment also means having training and education resources available for employees as well as evangelists within the organization. Considering today’s environment this could be something as simple as how to look great on a video conference call or how to run a virtual meeting successfully.

Measure what matters
There are a lot of things that an organization can measure but it doesn’t mean that all of these things should be measured. Focus on the metrics that matter to your organization and the ones that are tied back to a business case. Some organizations focus on “busy” metrics such as comments submitted or groups created. Others focus on metrics such as engagement (defined as how connected and passionate an employee feels about the company and the work they do).

Persistence
I believe that collaborative initiatives shouldn’t be pilots they should be corporate initiatives. This means that after COVID-19 passes, we shouldn’t go back the old ways of doing things. These efforts can certainly take time but if the organization makes the decision that collaboration is the direction they want to go down then that’s it. No giving up and no turning back. Moving forward, organizations cannot succeed without connecting their employees and their information. Making collaboration work isn’t an option it’s THE option.

Adapt and evolve
It’s important to remember that collaboration is perpetual. It’s a never ending evolution as new tools and strategies for the workplace continue to emerge. This means that it’s important for your organization to be able to adapt and evolve as things change. Keep a pulse on what’s going on in the industry and inside of your organization. This will allow you to innovate and anticipate. So many organizations were caught off guard by this pandemic because they had neither the tools, the training, the leadership, or the guidelines to help make flexible work successful.

Employee collaboration also benefits the customer
While customer collaboration and employee collaboration do solve very different and unique problems, employee collaboration has tremendous value to your customers. Employees are able to provide a better experience and superior support by being able to tap into internal experts, information, and resources which can be used to help customers. Consider a customer that is working with a support representative who unfortunately does not know how to solve the customer’s problem. The employee however has access to the entire organization to find the right information and share it with the customer. This isn’t possible without technology.

Collaboration can make the world a better place
Perhaps the most important principle of collaboration and using these emerging technologies is that they can make the world a better place. Sure, collaboration can make our employees more productive and benefit our customers. But collaboration also allows employees to feel more connected to their jobs and co-workers, reduces stress at the workplace, makes their jobs easier, allows for more work freedom, and in general makes them happier people. This means less stress at home, less arguments with spouses, and more time to spend with loved ones. Collaboration not only positively impacts the lives of employees at work but also at home.

Some of the 12 principles above are a bit easier and more immediate to implement. However, in the long run, it’s going to be crucial to focus on all 12 principles to help ensure success with flexible work arrangements including strategy and technology.

__________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur than my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

The post 12 Things Top Companies Do To Make Flexible Work Successful During Coronavirus (and beyond!) first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Using Science to Make Your Meetings Matter https://thefutureorganization.com/using-science-to-make-your-meetings-matter/ Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:44:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=29039 My guest this week is Steven Rogelberg, the Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte and the bestselling author of The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance. In our discussion today you will hear what steps we can take to create great in-person and virtual meetings, how to leverage silence in meetings, what to do if you feel like you have too many meetings, how to get everyone in the meeting to participate, how to deal with negative people in meetings and much more.

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Steven Rogelberg Transcript

Dr. Steven Rogelberg is the Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte. He is a professor of Organizational Science, Management, and Psychology as well as the Director of Organizational Science. He has over 100 publications addressing issues such as team effectiveness, leadership, employee well-being, and meetings at work.

Steven is also the author of The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance, which is based on his 20 years+ of research on the topic of meetings.

Most of us have to deal with meetings on a regular basis, whether they are in person meetings or virtual, and they can feel like a waste of time. But Steven says, the solution to bad meetings is not to get rid of all meetings, he says that would be a dangerous approach. “Meetings are really an evolution in the world of work. It’s a recognition that organizations can be better with and through people. As organizations basically recognized that employee voices would be helpful and meaningful, they wanted to develop systems and approaches to capture those voices. And that’s really where meetings come in. So a world without meetings is actually much more problematic. We need meetings for communication, cooperation, consensus decision-making, and in many regards, organizational democracy takes place in meetings.”

So, if we shouldn’t just get rid of meetings, what is the solution? Steven has found that there are many problems with meetings that we need to address in order to make horrible meetings into great ones. He says, “There’s no magic formula for an ideal meeting. The research doesn’t suggest that you can do A, then B, then C, and bam, that’s the ingredients for an ideal meeting. What the research suggests is that the best meeting leaders have something in common. And what they have in common is a similar mindset and it’s the mindset of being a good steward of others’ time. And when you have that mindset, you start to become intentional. You start to think about various decision points that exist when you’re running a meeting. You just don’t dial it in. So you start to ask yourself, “Why are we meeting? What do we truly need to accomplish? Who really needs to be there? What’s the best way of getting this work done?” I’m sure we’ll talk later about the fact that there are some alternative techniques such as leveraging silence in meetings, that can be very, very powerful. So the key characteristic of an excellent meeting is a meeting that’s designed in an intentional way and a way that truly honors the time of those that are attending.”

A few things you can start to implement right now include:
Intentionally picking a time length for the meeting –don’t just default to 30 or 60 minutes
Only invite people who are essential to the meeting. If others are interested you can tape the meeting and share it with them later
Utilize silence in the meeting–this allows ideas to freely flow without interrupting each other and it helps introverts to participate
The leader should facilitate the conversation, but they should not be the only voice heard, it is important to get everyone to participate.

“When you have a bad meeting, you just don’t leave it at the door. It actually sticks with you. You ruminate and you co-ruminate, you have to tell someone else about your bad meeting. So, the consequences of bad meetings for individuals and for teams, and then as a result for organizations is really well-established. But there is a flip side. What we have found is that when leaders are more careful in the calling of meetings, really making sure that they are relevant, when leaders carefully manage time in meetings, and when leaders create freedom of speech in meetings, that employees report feeling more engaged with the jobs overall. While we often think about meetings as being places of drain, meetings done right can actually be places of gain.”

What you will learn:

  • A look at the evolution of meetings
  • The biggest challenges that meetings bring
  • Aspects that the best meetings have in common
  • How to leverage silence in meetings
  • What steps you can take to have a great meeting
  • What to do if you have so many meetings you can’t get work done
  • Advice for meeting leaders and participants

This episode is sponsored by Linkedin Learning. During these trying times, they are stepping up to give away their most popular courses for free. If you want to gain access visit this page.

The post Using Science to Make Your Meetings Matter first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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Think Like a Chef! Two Ingredients Great Leaders Must Balance https://thefutureorganization.com/think-like-a-chef-two-ingredients-great-leaders-must-balance/ Tue, 14 Apr 2020 12:19:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28883 Imagine a busy kitchen with a professional chef in charge. The dishes are being prepared carefully with attention paid to each flavor and ingredient. A pinch too much of one spice could throw the entire dish out of balance and make for an unhappy customer.

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Imagine a busy kitchen with a professional chef in charge. The dishes are being prepared carefully with attention paid to each flavor and ingredient. A pinch too much of one spice could throw the entire dish out of balance and make for an unhappy customer. Chefs have to juggle many people and ingredients in the kitchen and are always exploring new ingredients. To be successful, they must balance flavors and not be afraid to try new combinations.

Similarly, leaders of the future oversee organizations where projects and products are prepared carefully with attention paid to each component. Like chefs, leaders must balance the needs of their employees, shareholders, and customers while also looking toward the future and not being afraid to innovate. In order to be successful, future leaders need to adopt the mindset of the chef. The good news is that there are only two ingredients that leaders need to balance!

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Oracle, Unilever, Best Buy, and many others. One common thread stood out across all the interviews: the need for balance. To be successful, future leaders must balance the two most important ingredients in any business: humanity and technology. I call this HumanIT.

Often, leaders and organizations place nearly all of their focus on technology. They want to be early adopters of the newest systems and are constantly looking for ways to add technology to their business. While technology is crucial to organizations, focusing on it too much can hurt other areas of the company. Think of what would happen if a chef focused too much on certain ingredients and neglected the flavors of the rest of the dish. The result would be an unbalanced (and perhaps inedible) disaster. In order to be successful, leaders must find that elusive balance between people and technology.

Technology
Technology is transforming how we live and work right before our eyes. It’s especially evident in today’s COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t ignore technology because it is coming at such a rapid pace and will surely disrupt us if we don’t proactively find solutions. Leaders of the future don’t need to be afraid of technology. Instead, they should embrace it and look for ways to leverage its power inside their organizations and with customers.

However, technology shouldn’t be added simply to add technology. It should be an integral part of how the company operates and its culture. Technology is best used when it removes a layer to get people closer together, either with internal teams or to connect the organization to its customers. Speed, efficiency, improved decision making, productivity, and the like, all come from technology.

Humanity
On the other side of the equation is the human side of the organization. This includes things like developing a sense of purpose and building the employee experience. The human side of work is ultimately why people work for their organizations. Employees want to work for a company where they feel valued and seen and where they are excited to come to work every day. Building a strong culture and empowering employees with the tools they need to succeed plays a huge role in the overall employee experience.

Future leaders must be purpose-driven and care about their people. Employees aren’t just cogs in the machine to drive higher profits. They are real people with goals, plans, and personalities. To create sustainable organizations, leaders need to understand their employees and foster strong co-worker relationships. They need to help make work meaningful and create development opportunities for all employees. The challenge when working with people is the combination of skills and personalities and ensuring everyone is in the right place doing meaningful work. Trust, innovation, collaboration, sales, and the like, all come from humanity.

Creating HumanIT By Working Together
People and technology are both crucial elements to an organization. Future leaders need to embrace both sides. Use too much technology and your organization will be efficient and productive but it will struggle with innovation, attracting top talent, and shaping the future. Use too much humanity and your organization will have top talent and great ideas but it will be too slow to move and won’t be productive or efficient. We need both, but in balance.

Humans and technology have their limits, and leaders need to recognize and appreciate both the abilities and constraints. The future isn’t about pitting technology and humans against each other; it’s about technology and humans working together in a cohesive environment created by thoughtful leaders.

Just like a chef carefully crafts their recipes to highlight the unique characteristics of each ingredient, leaders to need to carefully build their teams and organizations to leverage both humans and technology. Thinking like a chef can help future leaders embrace all of the ingredients, find balance, and pull together individual flavors to create innovative masterpieces.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur than my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

The post Think Like a Chef! Two Ingredients Great Leaders Must Balance first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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How To Change Anyone’s Mind https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-change-anyones-mind/ Mon, 13 Apr 2020 09:46:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28855 How many times have you tried and failed to change someone’s mind about something, whether it was a family member, a coworker, a friend, or a boss? Jonah says it is because we are going about trying to change their mind in the wrong way.

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Jonah Berger Transcript

Jonah Berger is a Professor at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a world-renowned expert on change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He is also the bestselling author of numerous books including a brand new one titled, The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.

How many times have you tried and failed to change someone’s mind about something, whether it was a family member, a coworker, a friend, or a boss? Jonah says it is because we are going about trying to change their mind in the wrong way. He says, “If you look at a chair in a room you are sitting in and you wanna move the chair, pushing that chair is often a pretty good approach, right? If you push that chair in the direction you want it to go, it often moves in that direction. But there’s one problem, when we apply that same notion to people which is that people aren’t chair. When we push physical objects, they tend to go, when we push people they tend to push back. Rather than changing, they often do the exact opposite of what we want. And so what the book is really about is, is there a better way? Could there be a different approach? And if you look to chemistry there actually is. There’s a special set of substances in chemistry that make change happen faster and easier. They don’t do it by adding more pressure or pushing harder. They do it by removing the barriers to change and those substances which you can probably guess are called catalysts.”

Changing minds is about removing barriers that are preventing the change. In his book Jonah lists 5 key barriers to change.
1. Reactance–people resisting change because they feel like they don’t have control
2. Endowment–We tend to feel attached to the way we already do things, and that makes it extremely hard to change our ways
3. Distance–When we are faced with ideas too far from our current way of thinking they tend to get ignored or we even potentially do the exact opposite
4. Uncertainty–It is easier to convince someone to make a change if you can find a way to help them experience the differences the change will bring. That way they can see the benefit for themselves
5. Corroborating evidence–Sometimes one person saying change is needed is not enough, you may need multiple sources to provide enough evidence for the change to take place.

So how can you start removing barriers to change in your life and work? Jonah says, “I
think the first thing is just to start by finding those barriers, identify those roadblocks, those
parking breaks. We tend to have barrier blindness, we tend to ignore them, but in case we don’t
know what they are, we can’t solve them. And so, really start by being more aware of what they are and discovering them. And only then, once we’ve discovered them, then can we solve them. I talked about five ones in the book. I think those are the five ones that come up again and again and again, but there are others, in different situations, people may experience others and so I would start by understanding those five and then look for others in your own situation.”

What you will learn:
Five key barriers that prevent change from happening and how to overcome them
How employees should approach leaders regarding change
How to move from making decisions based on fear to being more logical
How we can change our own minds

This episode is sponsored by Linkedin Learning. During these trying times, they are stepping up to give away their most popular courses for free. If you want to gain access visit this page.

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Want To Quit Your Job and Work For Yourself? 7 Things You Must Know How to Do https://thefutureorganization.com/want-to-quit-your-job-and-work-for-yourself-7-things-you-must-know-how-to-do/ Thu, 09 Apr 2020 10:33:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28764 One of the biggest questions people face when thinking of going off on their own is…when? How do you know when the time is right? This is exactly what my wife Blake and I talk about in the latest episode of the Be Your Own Boss Podcast

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I’ve been an entrepreneur for almost 15 years now…my wife Blake, for 5. We have gone through all sorts of ups and downs over the years. One of the biggest questions people face when thinking of going off on their own is…when? How do you know when the time is right? This is exactly what my wife Blake and I talk about in the latest episode of the Be Your Own Boss Podcast (you can play the episode right below).

Before my wife and I became entrepreneurs we had experiences letting us know we were ready and it was time. For me, it was simply having bad jobs working for other people. The pivotal moment was when an executive at a company I was working for made me go get him coffee. I built my side hustle while I had a full-time job and as soon as I started making enough money to cover my expenses…I quit. For my wife, it was getting laid off from a Fortune 100 company and realizing that people kept asking her to speak and write about customer experience which she now turned into her business. My mom spent many years working for an insurance company and she would come home most nights crying from stress and being treated poorly. Finally, my dad told her to quit because it just wasn’t worth the negative impact it was having on her life. She want back to school and became a marriage and family therapist.

Each person has their own journey and experiences that give them the nudge that it’s time to take the plunge. I’m a big believer in paying attention to the signs which will guide you down the right path.

But before you jump into the world of being your own boss, here are seven things you should know how to do:

Self-motivate. When you’re your own boss, no one is watching to make sure you hit deadlines and get things done. You must be motivated to build something for yourself and be accountable to yourself.

Be self-aware. Entrepreneurs are cautious but bold. They know what they don’t know and are aware of their own brand. They can self-edit and control what they put into the world. They are also aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.

Manage highs and lows. Creating your own business comes with uncertainty and ups and downs. You must be able to manage your emotions when things slow down and stay motivated and engaged as you wait for the next big thing. Conversely when things are going very well you need to be able to properly manage your expectations.

Draw boundaries. When you set your own schedule, you are in complete control. You have to set boundaries and learn to say no without overextending yourself. This is something that took me several years to figure out!

Run a business. You may be a great marketer or developer, but that doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be a great business owner. There are lots of other responsibilities, including building a team, managing finances and finding clients. To be successful, you have to have a growth mindset to step outside your comfort zone and constantly learn.

Take risks. Setting out on your own comes with risks, no matter your stage of life. You have to be confident in yourself and your idea to go all in.

Be a people person. Even when you are your own boss, you still have to work with other people. To be successful, people have to want to be around you. They need to believe you and want to follow you.

If you don’t have all of these skills, take time to develop them while you’re still in the security of a full-time job. There is never a perfect time to go out on your own. Our experiences were each different, and each person will have their own path and journey. Entrepreneurship is all about mentality. If you are in the right mindset and have the right skills, you can be ready to take the plunge whenever it’s right for you.

As I always say, the only job security that exists is the one that you can create for yourself!
If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The BYOB Podcast Newsletter to get notified when a new episode comes out (one a week).
2. Listen to the third episode of the podcast where we talk about these 7 things in much more detail including sharing our personal stories.

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WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge On Why His Company Has No Managers, No Mistakes, & Amazing Results https://thefutureorganization.com/wd-40-ceo-garry-ridge-on-why-his-company-has-no-managers-no-mistakes-amazing-results/ Tue, 07 Apr 2020 07:27:19 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28693 Aside from overseeing nearly 500 employees around the world with an astounding 93% employee engagement, Garry also leads The Learning Moment to share his coaching mentality and has collaborated on multiple leadership books.

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“Leadership is about taking care of who is in your charge.”

It’s a simple sentiment, but it’s powerful. It sums up WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge’s approach to leadership and it is one of the reasons he is such as well-respected leader. Random fun fact, we are both Australian! Aside from overseeing nearly 500 employees around the world with an astounding 93% employee engagement, Garry also leads The Learning Moment to share his coaching mentality and has collaborated on multiple leadership books.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at here. I knew from the beginning that I had to interview Garry to get his insights into coaching, mentoring, and development as a servant-leader. My interview with Garry exceeded my expectations, and I was amazed by the examples and insights he shared.
Here are some of the ways Garry trains future leaders and what he’s doing within WD-40 to develop as an empathetic servant-leader and help others do the same.

Want to see if you have what it takes to lead over the next decade and beyond? Take the assessment based on 140 CEO interviews and find out!

Jacob: What trends do you think will impact the future of leadership?

Garry: I think a trend of being able to be informed will impact leadership. And making sure that we don’t get distracted, so I think focus is going to become even more important.

Jacob: What mindsets do you think are crucial for leaders of the future?

Garry: Collaboration. Global. Inclusivity. A learning mode. Being purpose-driven.

Jacob: What skills should leaders have the coming years?

Garry: The first thing that comes to mind is understanding empathy. Know how to be emotionally intelligent. Know how to continue to learn. Know how to be open. Learn to be more adaptive. It’s no longer, do as I say; it’s really, how do we find the best solution together?

We have to empower, engage, and be accountable ourselves as leaders and hold people accountable. Leadership is not about being in charge; leadership is about taking care of people in your charge.

You can learn competencies around certain things, but it’s really the human side. 66% of people don’t really get engaged in their work. And if you can unleash that … how do you do that? That’s the human side.

Jacob: What differences would you see between a leader of today and a future leader?

Garry: Future leaders will be servant-leaders instead of autocratic leaders. They understand the importance of emotional intelligence. They are always learners. They value the gift of feedback. They are always looking to move forward and are open to change.

Jacob: What will a typical day be like for a future leader?

Garry: They’ll spend more time learning and absorbing. They’ll spend more time generating thinking and diverse conversations.

Jacob: What do you think some of the greatest challenges will be for leaders of the future?

Garry: I’m not sure that the challenges will be much different than they are today, but the way we handle them will be. Today, we live in an uncertain, complex world, and I don’t think it’s been any different than that in 30 years. It just has gotten a lot faster, and I think you’ve just got to be aware of that. Leadership is a contact sport. We’re always in contact with people. People change and environment changes, and we have to be adaptable.
So, you know, he who leads by the crystal ball learns to eat glass, so I can’t see the future.

Jacob: Are you guys thinking about the future of leadership at WD-40 or preparing for it in any way?

Garry: We see ourselves as a learning leadership laboratory. We call ourselves a tribe, not a team. We have coaches, not managers. The reason we call ourselves a tribe is because we believe that tribes have attributes that are very important to long-term enduring businesses. For example, the tribal leader, the responsibility is learning and teaching.

Tribes have values. People want to belong to things. You know, one of the biggest motivators we have as human beings is we don’t feel like we belong. So in a tribe you can create belonging. Tribes are future-focused, because if they’re not, the examples are that they end up not existing any longer.

Tribes understand the power of specialized skills. Although together we’re one, we have specialized skills within the organization that are important. Tribes are warriors. We fight for our place, but we protect each other. We’ve been building this tribal behavior based on people, purpose, and values.

So, we’ve been building this tribal behavior based on people, purpose, values. The other thing that’s really big in our company is we don’t make mistakes; we have learning moments. And a learning moment is a positive or negative outcome of any situation that needs to be openly and freely shared to the benefit of all. And the reason that we call them learning moments is, people don’t like to admit they made a mistake. But they are very comfortable when you translate that into learning. And I think 99% of people who work for our company globally say they love to work at the company. And we have 93% employee engagement, and our goal is 95. And we’ve been working on this for 21 years, to get to this. Now, interestingly enough, along the same period of time, being a public company, we’ve had a compounded annual growth rate of total shareholder return over that period of time of about 14% compounded year on year. And what we do is sell oil, really. But if you ask us why we exist, we exit to create positive, lasting memories in everything we do. We solve problems, we make things work smoothly, and we create opportunities. So we say we’re in the memories business, because if you can create memories, they’re one of the things that will last a long time past all of us.

Jacob: Have you thought about skills that you yourself will need as a leader in the future?

Garry: I just need to continue to learn. I was fortunate enough back in 2000, I went back to school and got a master’s in leadership. I’m not sure what skills I’ll have to learn, but I’m on the lookout for them.

Jacob: How do you define leadership?

Garry: Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of people in your charge.

Jacob: Are there any leadership hacks that you’ve used over the course of your career that you think help make you a more effective leader?

Garry: Every morning, wherever I am in the world, I send a daily inspirational quote out to the tribe. It helps keep me connecting. I do it seven days a week at about 4 a.m. every morning. It’s my way of reaching out a little bit.

I do other stuff, like I make sure that I recognize people for sincere work; I write personal notes. I get in really early in the morning because by the time the tribe is here, wherever I am, at any office in the world, I want to spend time with them.

So that’s something that I try to really work on. I also goof off. I really do intentionally show my vulnerability. The three most powerful words I’ve ever learned in my life are “I don’t know.” And I’ve been really happy being the dumb guy. And then most of the time I am; I often say I’m consciously incompetent. And I think that does help people feel comfortable.

Have any stories of great leaders you want to share? Please leave a comment below and let me know.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2.Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Take Control of Your Time & Get More Done https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-take-control-of-your-time-get-more-done/ Mon, 06 Apr 2020 09:34:40 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28654 My guest this week is Laura Vanderkam, the author of several books on productivity and time management, including Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. These days most of us have been forced to step away from our normal routines, and that can be stressful and chaotic at times.

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Laura Vanderkam Transcript

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several books on productivity and time management, including Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.

These days most of us have been forced to step away from our normal routines, and that can feel stressful and chaotic at times. But as Laura shares, it is all about our internal dialogue and how we shape the way we handle the current situation. “It can be easy to tell ourselves stories about the chaos and how crazy it is and how you can get nothing done. But once you have a story in your mind, you start looking for evidence to support that. And so if your story is, Everything’s crazy, I can’t get anything done, this is horrible, this is terrible, well certainly you can find a couple of stressful moments in any given day, and then now you’ve got points of evidence supporting your story. But if you start from the story of, Well, this is challenging, but I am a resilient and productive individual, I will get through it, well you can also find evidence of that. You can celebrate little moments like, Wow, I just pitched a huge project over Zoom and it worked, they said yes.That’s wow, great. Or, I managed to have lunch with my family. When does that happen on a weekday? So you can celebrate things like that.”

In her book, Off the Clock, Laura shares seven strategies we can use to avoid stress and feel better about the hours we have. They are:
Tending your garden–we need to cultivate our time the same way we tend to a garden, and the work is never done
Make life memorable–People feel time is more abundant when they do things out of the ordinary
Don’t fill time–we are very good at filling time, a lot of times with unimportant things, but it is up to us to be mindful and choose what to do with our time
Linger–it is important to slow down and notice things. We need to learn to savor our time
Invest in your happiness–It is important to use our resources to spend more time on things we enjoy vs. things that make us wish time away
Let it go–Unhappiness stems from a mismatch between expectations and reality. If we can’t change reality, we have to learn to change our expectations
People are a good use of time–Interacting with others and spending time with people is never a waste of time

Putting these strategies into practice can help us take charge of our time. The fact is time is going to continue moving on whether we pay attention to it or not. It is so important to be aware of how we use our time because then we can pinpoint areas we need to work on in order to make every second count.

Laura’s advice to leaders of organizations is, “People who feel a sense of autonomy are generally far more happy and more productive. So as much as possible, if you can give people some control over their work, over when they do it, over how they work. I’m a big fan of, now we’re all working remotely, but I’m a big fan of allowing people to do that from time to time, if that would make them feel better about it. Of letting people set their own hours, if that is remotely possible. And even people who do have to be scheduled for shift, maybe there could be a lot of input into when those shifts are, that people can work with each other to come up with shifts that they are all happy with, that it’s not just decreed from above, that it’s things people have a say in. And that can go a long way toward making people feel like they matter.”

What you will learn:
Seven strategies to avoid stress and feel better about the hours we have
Laura’s thoughts on work-life integration and the hustle culture
How to change our view of the challenges we face
How to savor life’s best moments no matter how busy you are
How to make life memorable
How to invest in your happiness

This episode is sponsored by Linkedin Learning, they help employees achieve their goals with insights-driven course recommendations and relevant, high-quality content. If you want a free demo, just visit this page.

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Now More Than Ever, Leaders Must Practice Empathy and Self-Awareness: Here’s How https://thefutureorganization.com/now-more-than-ever-leaders-must-practice-empathy-and-self-awareness-heres-how/ Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:31:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28546 Leaders of the future must learn to channel their inner Yoda, which means being emotionally intelligent, specifically being able to practice empathy and self-awareness. This is what 140 of the world's top CEOs told me when I interviewed the for my new book, The Future Leader. You can read about all of the mindsets and skills they identified in this article from a few weeks ago.

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Some of the best advice for future leaders might come across like some of the strangest: you have to be like Yoda.

Yoda, everyone’s favorite green Jedi from Star Wars, is known for being incredibly emotionally intelligent. Throughout Star Wars, Yoda appears as a guide and mentor to many of the other characters who turn to him for his wisdom.

Leaders of the future must learn to channel their inner Yoda, which means being emotionally intelligent, specifically being able to practice empathy and self-awareness. This is what 140 of the world’s top CEOs told me when I interviewed the for my new book, The Future Leader. You can read about all of the mindsets and skills they identified in this article from a few weeks ago.

Want to see if you have what it takes to lead over the next decade and beyond? Take the assessment and find out!

What is empathy and how to develop it
Empathy is more than just saying, “I’m sorry.” It means really putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and looking at things from their perspective. Empathy is the cornerstone of a more human organization. For decades, leaders thought that coming across as stoic and unemotional was the key to success. But now employees want to work for organizations where they feel connected and emotionally invested, which comes from creating a more human organization. Much of that starts with having an empathetic leader. This is especially true in today’s CoronaVirus environment.

I love what Stephen Smith, CEO of L.L. Bean, told me in our interview: “Historically, empathy has not been a word that’s used in business very often. But to be able to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and to look at any dilemma or any problem, or anything you’re trying to solve from multiple perspectives, is one of the most important things for leaders to be able to do.”

As a leader, empathy comes into play in many scenarios, such as trying to resolve a conflict by understanding everyone’s perspectives, developing products or services for customers, improving collaboration, creating psychological safety within a team, or just making better business decisions by understanding both the business and the human implications.

Some of the best advice on developing empathy comes from Dr. Brené Brown. She created a four-step approach to practicing empathy:

-Perspective taking, or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes
-Stay out of judgment and listen
-Recognize emotion in another person that you have felt before
-Communicate that you recognize that emotion

At its core, empathy is about creating an emotional connection to another human. In order to do so, we must be vulnerable and in tune with our own emotions. Leaders should practice these four steps on a regular basis when interacting with customers, employees, or friends and family.

What is self-awareness and how to develop it
Self-awareness is about being aware of your own emotions, feelings, state of mind, motives, and desires and understanding how others perceive you. Developing self-awareness makes you a better communicator and influencer, which makes you a better leader.

Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, told me this: “The first layer of skills a good leader must master are internal: managing himself or herself as an individual human being. This includes physical health; emotional balance; self-knowledge – everything that you bring along with you to each meeting, each decision, each public event. A lot of leaders are tempted to ignore or de-emphasize this most basic layer but they do so at their peril.”

Developing self-awareness means being honest with yourself. It’s an ongoing process. Research has found that the more senior people get in their organizations, the less self-aware they become. But as you become a more influential leader, you actually need to become more self-aware.

Dr. Tasha Eurich is an expert in self-awareness. She says there are two types: internal and external. To develop internal self-awareness, start asking yourself what? instead of why? You can always explain the what, so asking yourself “What made me respond that way in the meeting?” can pinpoint your emotions more than asking yourself, “Why did I act that way in the meeting?” Make sure you also understand your strengths and weaknesses and things like what motivates you or zaps your energy.

The best way to develop external self-awareness is to get candid feedback from the people around you. Sometimes this can be difficult to hear, but knowing what people think about you and how they view you can help you find areas to improve and areas where you are doing well. Positive feedback is okay to receive, but it’s the critical feedback that will ultimately help you improve.

It took Yoda years and years to become the emotionally intelligent Jedi master we know and love. Developing these same characteristics requires time, practice, and vulnerability. Soft skills are increasingly important for future leaders and are becoming the new “hard skills,” so becoming emotionally intelligent is one of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for future leadership success.

Are you and your leaders practicing empathy and self-awareness? Share your stories below!

__________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2.Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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140 Top CEOs Say These Are The 6 Trends Leaders Must Pay Attention To https://thefutureorganization.com/140-top-ceos-say-these-are-the-6-trends-leaders-must-pay-attention-to/ Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:36:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28483 These are the six trends 140 CEOs identify that will play a major role in shaping future leaders over the next decade and beyond. It's true that we are seeing these in action today but over the next ten years, they will be front and center.

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Over the past 16 months I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world from companies like Audi, MasterCard, Unilever, Best Buy, Oracle, Kaiser, Verizon, and dozens of others. This was all done as part of research for my new book, The Future Leader, which examines what it will take to be a leader in 2030 and beyond. You can read this article if you want to learn the specific skills and mindsets these told me are most crucial. One of the questions I asked all of these CEOs was around the greatest trends shaping the future of leadership.

Want to see if you have what it takes to lead over the next decade and beyond? Take the assessment and find out!

These are the six trends they identify that will play a major role in shaping future leaders over the next decade and beyond. It’s true that we are seeing these in action today but over the next ten years they will be front and center.

AI and Technology
When I asked CEOs what they viewed as the biggest trends impacting leadership, the most common answer I received was the growth of artificial intelligence and technology. It’s no secret that technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace. Artificial intelligence has the power to completely transform how businesses operate and people work. But with the excitement of AI and new technology comes fear and uncertainty. It’s up to leaders to assuage those fears by looking for ways to implement AI that adds to employees instead of replacing their jobs. Leaders need to calm fears and remain positive about new technology. They need to be well-versed on AI and experiment with new technologies so they can help others understand the potential impact on their jobs.

As Christian Ulbrich, the CEO of JLL, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate firms with almost 100,000 employees around the world told me. “We will succeed in the digital era only if we engage with enthusiasm and welcome the ideas and opportunities that digital tools, data analysis, and new technologies will bring.”

Pace of Change
Right alongside the growth of AI and technology is the overall pace of change. How we live and work is drastically different today from what it was five years ago—let alone 20 or 30 years ago. Change surrounds us in the form of climate change, globalization, diversity, and dozens of other things. Change is constant and has always happened. What’s different about today is the rate at which change occurs. To be successful, organizations must be constantly looking forward, and leaders must lean in and embrace change instead of shying away. Future leaders need to be agile, easily adaptable, and comfortable challenging the status quo.

The pace of change is aptly summarized from a conversation I had with David Henshall, President and CEO of Citrix, a computer software company with over 8,500 employees around the world. In our conversation he said:

“Both the rate and the pace of change has been accelerating and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. As a result, disruption can come from anywhere and from any size company. This speed changes everything from how we lead to how we create products to how we service customers. Leaders must understand and accept that this is the new world they will have to lead in. The only way to succeed in this world is by challenging the status quo.”

Purpose and Meaning
While companies used to be able to easily attract top talent with the promise of a high salary, that’s no longer the case. Employees now want to work for an organization that offers purpose and meaning, and they’re even willing to take a pay cut to get it. Purpose is the reason for an organization’s existence and often includes things like investing in employees, making a difference in the world, or driving innovation. Meaning is the personal impact of each employee’s work. Employees want to see that their efforts are impactful and contributing to the overall purpose of the company. To set the example, leaders must first understand their own job, purpose, impact, and meaning before helping their employees do the same. They need to get to know employees individually to understand what motivates them.

Before he passed away suddenly, I had the opportunity to speak with Bernard Tyson, the former Chairman and CEO of Kaiser, which is one of America’s leading healthcare providers that employees over 200,000 employees. He told me: “Companies of the future can no longer think that they can just exist … significant companies of the future cannot just exist in this little bread box, in this isolated place. We are a part of greater society and a greater society is a part of us. I think the trend of when and how we engage in the bigger societal issues will continue to be a part of the future of leadership.”

New Talent Landscape
“I often say in my business that the competition for talent is more fierce than the competition for customers.” That’s what Jeffrey Puritt told me. He’s the President and CEO of TELUS International, an outsourcing and offshoring company with over 30,000 employees globally.

Recent years have brought tremendous change to the overall talent landscape, and it’s only just beginning. As older employees retire and younger generations enter the workforce, many companies find themselves on the constant hunt for skilled employees. At the same time, diversity and inclusion are becoming even more important. The new talent landscape is more than just changing demographics; it’s a new approach to attracting and retaining talent while also training and upskilling employees to be prepared for the future of work. Leaders of the future should strive to develop diverse teams and create an inclusive environment. They need to invest in upskilling employees while also finding ways to involve older employees and motivating employees of all ages to take control of their own career development.

Morality, Ethics, and Transparency
Gone are the days of controlling leaders trying to be the smartest person in the room. A recent push for morality, ethics, and transparency has led to more authentic and humble leaders. Companies with ethical foundations perform better financially and have higher customer and employee satisfaction. These types of organizations are created by moral leaders. At the same time, leaders are being put under a microscope as people demand transparency. Leaders can no longer hide behind their title—they must be open and honest to their companies and the public. Leaders of the future must determine their own moral compasses and have a strong sense of their personal beliefs. Simply standing still is no longer good enough; leaders need to take a stand and be as transparent and authentic as possible.

When I spoke with Hubert Joly, the former CEO of Best Buy (now Executive Chairman), he told me:

“Integrity in this world of transparency is more important than ever. It’s not just about complying with the rules. It’s about doing the right thing.”

Globalization
As technology grows, the world becomes more connected and seems smaller. Each country used to be its own economy, but now we can work with and communicate instantly with people all over the world. All businesses are now global and have the potential for worldwide employees and customers. Globalization brings complex geo-political issues and great opportunities to collaborate and share cultures. Future leaders need to embrace globalization by becoming global citizens who appreciate different cultures and know how to communicate across cultural and language barriers. Foreign ideas should be viewed as opportunities, not fear-filled challenges. Leaders of the future need to pay attention to global issues and understand what is happening around the world.

Pierre-André de Chalendar is the CEO of Saint Gobain, which employs over 180,000 people around the world and in our interview he put this nicely: “The world is simultaneously becoming more global due to digital technologies and infrastructures, and more local, with a strong comeback of regional specificities where a good knowledge of local culture is a crucial condition for success. Consequently, the leaders of companies have to deal with these two opposing trends.”

Future-ready leaders need to understand trends and adapt their leadership approach for changes in the way we think, work, and live. These six trends will be crucial for leaders over the next decade and beyond.

Are you aware of these six trends, what are you doing to prepare yourself and your organization to face them?

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2.Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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How to Innovate and Create the Future https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-innovate-and-create-the-future/ Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:35:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28465 Jeremy Gutsche is the founder and CEO of Trend Hunter, a website where people from around the world can share business ideas and trends. It's basically like a giant innovation focus group. He is also the author of two books, Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change and Create the Future: Tactics for Disruptive Thinking

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Jeremy Gutsche Transcript

Jeremy Gutsche is the founder and CEO of Trend Hunter, a website where people from around the world can share business ideas and trends. It’s basically like a giant innovation focus group. He is also the author of two books, Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change and Create the Future: Tactics for Disruptive Thinking.

As Jeremy points out in his books, it is still possible to innovate in times of uncertainty, which is encouraging with what we have going on in the world right now. He says, “Chaos creates opportunity always. And what happens is that we get intimidated by the doom and gloom of bad times. But actually, if you look in history, what happens is that we get caught in a groove. Successful people get caught in a groove. Successful people are the ones that miss out and get disrupted because we get caught on a path of repeating past decisions. And chaos changes that. So if you look historically, you will see an astounding list of companies that were founded during periods actually of economic recession. Disney, HP, Apple, Burger King, Fortune Magazine, the list goes on and on, I’ve got about 50 in the book, but these are all companies that were actually started in a period of recession. And of course, this is a difficult time that we’re in with Coronavirus. It is going to spark different opportunities, people are trying new things, like more of these virtual seminars, ideas, we’re starting to rethink about what’s important and why.”

So during this time are there specific mindsets and skills individuals should be focused on in order to deal with these crazy times? Jeremy says it is important to embrace what is happening around us instead of trying to fight against it. We are all going through the same difficult time so everyone will be more understanding of failures or mistakes, but it won’t work to fight against what we are going through, so just embrace it.

He also says we have to be willing to destroy the old way of doing things. “It’s a simple note that right now the rules of the game have changed. And if you’re willing to just embrace looking into what those new rules could be, combined with your curiosity and insatiability, then you’re really well prepared for the future.”

Jeremy has always focused on trends, for his books and for his website. So how can you go about spotting trends? Jeremy says “The trend is your friend and your best guess at where the future is headed is to better understand trends. And I’d say just increasing your knowledge of how trends work could actually have a pretty big impact. And I’ll give you two example lessons on that. The first lesson would be, that we tend to use the word “trend” to represent a pretty wide range of things. On one end, there’s this super mega trend like the rise of female purchasing power or eco, and those are interesting but they’re just so big and everybody knows them that they’re not necessarily going to change your mind too much. You’re gonna follow them anyways and that’s life. On the other end, we use this word “trend” almost incorrectly to describe what’s trending on Twitter, and the new little product that’s interesting. But actually that’s so little and a flash in the pan that you might not be able to do anything with it. So what you’re actually looking for would be something in the middle which we would probably call cluster or consumer insight, which would be when you can find grouplings of multiple examples that all show you something that’s new and interesting.”

Things you will learn:
Long term implications of something like Covid-19
How to innovate in chaotic times
Why success can be a double edged sword
What skills and mindsets individuals need right now
Real life examples of companies who found a way to thrive in difficult times
How to spot trends
What leaders can do to support people on the front lines of the virus right now

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A Look at the Past and Future of Humanity https://thefutureorganization.com/a-look-at-the-past-and-future-of-humanity/ Mon, 23 Mar 2020 09:54:56 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28292 Toby Ord is a philosopher and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. He focuses on the big picture questions facing humanity such as global poverty, health, the long term future of humanity and the risks which threaten to destroy our entire potential.

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Toby Ord Transcript

Toby Ord is a philosopher and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. He focuses on the big picture questions facing humanity such as global poverty, health, the long term future of humanity and the risks which threaten to destroy our entire potential. Toby is also the author of a new book called, The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity.

How does he research and think about future risks and possibilities? Toby says, “I have looked into a lot of the astrophysics of questions about the earth’s lifespan and things like that. And when it comes to particularly the risks that we might face over the next 100 years. Yeah, I’ve had to read a lot about science and technology and really talk to a lot of experts. That’s been a real focus with the book. It looks at a lot of issues in cutting edge science and I really… This is a real area where it’s easy to screw it up when you’re writing a book like this if you have a great idea about something closer to your own discipline, but then you have to say a lot of things about other disciplines for it to make sense. It’s easy to just kind of make it up. So I wanted to really make sure I didn’t do that. And I talked to really the cutting edge experts in all of these different risks and I also have them look over the book before it went to print to make sure that I hadn’t made any errors and that I was faithfully conveying the cutting edge information about these things.”

In his book, Toby breaks up the future risks into three categories:
-Natural Risks such as asteroids, supervolcanoes, and stellar explosions
-Anthropogenic risks such as nuclear weapons and climate change
-Future Risks such as pandemics and unaligned AI

Toby also spends a lot of time advising governments and leaders at organizations around the world. When it comes to the things they are most concerned about Toby says, “So some of this was on my earlier work about global poverty. So trying to understand how we can most effectively help people in poor countries. And some of it has been… Yeah on future trends and technologies and ideas for example, about interest in AI and work. I would like them to always be asking me these other questions about existential risks. These are risks to the entire future of humanity and what they could be doing to protect us. They don’t tend to ask me about that. Hopefully, after this book comes out, they will… But my experience when talking to them about those existential questions is that… And they say, “Wow that’s really interesting, but it’s above my pay grade.” And everyone seems to react like this at least up all way through the national level of government. That it’s something where it just feels a bit too big for them to deal with. And they’re used to thinking about the new cycle the next week or so or about the election cycle. But something that’s, that you’re talking about, what do we need to put in place such that we can be protected from engineered pandemics in 20 or 30 years time? How do we need to start working now in order to avoid that? It’s so far beyond their normal horizons and it’s at such a level thinking about not just a country and not even just global level, but the entire future of humanity that they’re not really used to thinking about those questions at all. And I’m hoping to make them better at thinking about these things.”

But despite all these risks Toby is not pessimistic. He shares, “We have the potential to have a really great future. It’s not a pessimistic book. And I think that we want to with clear eyes see the types of risks see how high they are and then act appropriately and defend our future, so that we can have a great future going forwards.”

What you will learn:
How Toby goes about determining what the future risks for humanity will be
A look at some of the most immediate risks we face
Toby’s view of the future of AI and automation
How we can think about the big picture without getting overwhelmed
How we are currently doing when it comes to climate change
How much technological progress have we experienced

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“Data Geek” Leaders Are The Future, Says 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. CEO https://thefutureorganization.com/data-geek-leaders-are-the-future-says-1-800-flowers-com-ceo/ Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:15:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28189 Chris McCann knows a thing or two about flowers and gifts — and about leadership. He’s worked for 1–800-Flowers.com for more than 30 years and served as CEO since 2016. Chris helped lead the company as one of the first successful e-commerce sites and a global leader that includes numerous gifting mainstays.

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Do you have the skills and mindsets that over 140 of the world’s top CEOs said are crucial for future leaders? Take the assessment and find out at FutureLeaderSurvey.com

Chris McCann knows a thing or two about flowers and gifts — and about leadership. He’s worked for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. for more than 30 years and served as CEO since 2016. Chris helped lead the company as one of the first successful e-commerce sites and a global leader that includes numerous gifting mainstays. His transformational leadership of more than 5,000 employees is based on staying ahead of trends and using algorithms and data to drive success.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world, including Chris. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com. Chris and I had a fascinating discussion about the future of leadership and how all future leaders need to understand and leverage data.

Jacob: What trends do you think are going to impact the future of leadership?

Chris: What we’re seeing today I think is really accelerated change in technology, and technology moving at a faster and faster pace. When I look at what’s happening and how technologies are being adopted, they’re really being adopted at an accelerating rate. This not only enhances the need for, but it drives transparency. And with transparency, comes a different way of leading. A leader is no longer given the benefit of having a table of knowledge that is not widely known and widely shared with others. So they can’t come across with that wonderful wisdom of, “I’m the only one in the room that knows this,” because data is generally transparent. So I think that poses different communication challenge which is wonderful, because I think transparency also fosters more collaboration in any environment, certainly in a work environment.

What people expect of business leaders especially is different than what they expected of business leaders in the last five or 10 years. They want to know what’s the social statement that our business is making? What’s the reason why we exist in society besides the goals of a business of tracking and retaining customers? What is the social benefit? So for us it starts with, and as we look at that we say, well for our impact in the societal framework, it has to be relevant and tangential to our business.

Closely tied to that is the shift in employee loyalty tendencies. What employees are looking for out of their business. It’s the work environment, it’s no longer just what’s the compensation, and what’s my opportunity to advance as an individual. It’s the work environment. Is it a collaborative environment? Is it an environment that’s driven by values? Is it an environment where the company is having an impact on society? So I think those employee loyalty tendencies are changing, and will certainly influence leadership strategies. And that’s I think closely related to just workplace flexibility, and how people are looking at that, and what kind of environment it provides them.

Jacob: How should leaders be thinking over the next decade?

Chris: I think first and foremost, they need to be thinking that they’re in a constant state of change. How is my business being changed, and therefore how do we adapt our business to that change, I think is the most important mindset. That means recognizing that change is taking place and embracing it.

Jacob: What skills do future leaders need to have?

Chris: An algorithmic approach and realizing that you don’t want somebody else to come along with a better algorithm and take part of your business. You have to be applying that approach to your business constantly. How does an algorithmic approach change the processes of how you interact with your customers, your supply chain, and your vendor network? CEOs need to really be data geeks. If it’s not your core skill set, you need to have somebody close on your team whose core skillset it is. Data and the analysis of that data will not only help us keep up with the accelerating pace of change, but will forecast some of the changes we need to make.

Jacob: What do you think the main differences will be between leaders today versus leaders in the next decade?

Chris: I think the main differences are going to be that they’re more driven by data and algorithms and understand an algorithmic approach. They’re going to be masters at communication, both internally and externally. Communication happens through different channels, and they need to be masters of all of those channels. If I go back in time again, in our company understanding when social media really first started taking hold, understanding not only the impact it would have on how we engage with our customers, but the impact on how we would engage with our employees, and how we embraced social communication tools early on in our company. It changes the way leadership communicates with the rest of the team.

Jacob: What do you think a day in the life of a leader is going to look like over the next decade?

Chris: It’s going to start with a morning readout of what’s taking place in the business. Combing through the data, seeing a visual dashboard of the pulse of the business. Fostering the conversation around that, taking care of any internal issues or objectives that need to be met. And then spending the rest of the day externally in the community.

Jacob: What do you think some of the greatest challenges are going to be for leaders over the next decade?

Chris: Understanding the incredible acceleration of technological change and how that’s impacting changes in consumer behavior. We see that constantly in how people adopt new platforms and migrate. I think it’s always important to be on the forefront of change, even though by doing so you’re going to make mistakes and have failures. But the last thing you want to do is have a societal change of consumer behavior and then try to react to it afterwards. You have to really have the mathematical capabilities, and the understanding and utilization of data and analytics.

Jacob: Are there any leaders today who you think illustrate what leaders will be like in the future? Anyone you particularly look up to and admire?

Chris: One I just had the opportunity to spend some time with last week was Dr. Jim Goodnight with SAS. He is now 77 years old and is the founder of the company and has been their only CEO since the beginning. I admire his tremendous approach right off the bat of building the company and really paying attention to the people. One of his great quotes is he recognized early on that he’s in the information business and the creative business. And that 95% of his assets drive out of his driveway every night, so what can he do as a leader of his company to make sure they come back in the morning?

It’s just a novel approach, and his company has always been written up as one of the great places to work, both domestically and on a global basis. So from an employee-focused point of view, as well their impact on society, he’s made it a conscious effort of his company to really focus on education.

Jacob: Internally, are you talking about the future of leadership?

Chris: We’re talking about it, but I think maybe just a little bit differently. I’m still in the early days of learning to be an effective CEO. I’ve been with the company forever, and I’ve ran all aspects of the business. But it is a different challenge being the CEO. So clearly my board is focused on that with me. I work with other external advisors to make sure that I’m developing my leadership skills for the future. And I think it’s important that with our board, we have a good cross section of people, especially a couple of people that are very focused on how technology changes leadership.

Jacob: How do you define leadership?

Chris: To me, leadership starts with responsibility. A responsibility to lead and the responsibility for achieving your business goals and metrics, while at the same time developing and leading the people on your team. If you come away on any given day where you feel you’ve motivated or inspired someone to do more, then you’ve acted as a leader.

Jacob: Do you have any leadership hacks that have worked well for you?

Chris: I learned early on that the best way to lead someone is to try and coach them into leading themselves. It’s always better to ask questions than to give directions. That’s one of my key tenets of leadership. I never want to come across as knowing everything. I think we’re better off if you get people to throw their ideas on the table in a very collaborative manner.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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To Be A Great Leader, Think Like An Explorer https://thefutureorganization.com/to-be-a-great-leader-think-like-an-explorer/ Tue, 17 Mar 2020 10:02:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28124 Imagine leading a team of men through the Antarctic — a few months into your journey your ship gets trapped and crushed in ice, before it does, you and your crew escape to an ice floe (massive piece of floating ice) where you remain for several more months.

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Do you have the skills and mindsets that over 140 of the world’s top CEOs said are crucial for future leaders? Take the assessment and find out at FutureLeaderSurvey.com

Imagine leading a team of men through the Antarctic — a few months into your journey your ship gets trapped and crushed in ice, before it does, you and your crew escape to an ice floe (massive piece of floating ice) where you remain for several more months. Eventually the ice floe cracks and starts to melt forcing you and your men into your lifeboats to search for land. It’s over year since you step foot onto solid land. Having to battle unpredictable conditions, starvation, the freezing cold, and exhaustion, you and all of your men survive.

That was the real experience of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, one of the greatest explorers and leaders of all time. He didn’t lose a single man on his team because of his ability to adapt to new and unknown situations, embrace a growth mindset, practice curiosity, and remain agile and nimble. Shackleton was described as the type leader who would give the shirt off his back to one his crew, he remained optimistic and hosted singalongs and toasts to keep up the morale of his people, he always put his people first and quickly shifted his goal from exploring the Antarctic to the safety and health of his men.

Future leaders might not be leading sea expeditions, but they will still face the unknown. In order to be a great leader, you must think like an explorer. According to over 140 CEOs that I interviewed for my new book, The Future Leader, the mindset of the Explorer is among the most crucial. You can see nine all of them in this previous article called: 140 Top CEOs Identify Crucial Skills And Mindsets For Future Leaders.

Curiosity
Future leaders need to be curious, which means they are willing to venture into the unknown. The natural curiosity we all have as children tends to fade as we go to school and enter the workforce. To be successful, leaders need to tap into their curious natures and take time to ask questions, explore new possibilities, and allow their brains to wander to new ideas. Try to give yourself time each day to be curious and challenge convention ways of doing things.

Perpetual Learner
To survive their missions, explorers need to always be learning. The world is constantly changing and new information is made available every day. Perpetual learners take control of their own professional and personal development to constantly learn and apply their new learnings. Don’t rely on educational institutions or on organizations to teach you everything you need to know be successful. The good news is that with technology we have access to learn anything we want at any time, right at our fingertips.

Growth Mindset
Leaders with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to learn and improve instead of permanent roadblocks and barriers to success. If you have a growth mindset, you realize that where you are now isn’t where you’ll always be, and you aren’t afraid to embark on a journey to learn and reach new heights. A growth mindset means that you believe you can improve and that your intelligence and your abilities are not fixed.

Open-Minded
Explorers facilitate discussion and are willing to consider outside perspectives. They realize that they won’t always have the answers for everything, but they are open-minded to new perspectives and willing to consider other possibilities outside of what they think is right. For leaders, it’s tempting to assume that what they know or believe is always correct but this is not the case. Encourage being questioned and challenged by others.

Agile and Nimble
To be successful, explorers need to change direction and be flexible in their thinking. If they are too set in their ways, they may miss opportunities for growth or success that come from unexpected sources. Although they may set out with a map, their route could change and evolve, and explorers are comfortable leading their teams on the new path.

Just like Shackleton and his team had to adapt and continually learn to stay alive, future leaders must also be willing to consider other perspectives and continually grow and evolve to succeed in the ever-changing world of work.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2.Grab a copy of The Future Leader and learn all the skills and mindsets that future leaders must possess to be successful. It has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why Everyone Should Think Like an Entrepreneur https://thefutureorganization.com/why-everyone-should-think-like-an-entrepreneur/ Mon, 16 Mar 2020 08:43:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=28098 Jim McKelvey is the co-founder of Square and the author of a brand new book, The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time. Jim and I had a great conversation about what it actually means to be an entrepreneur and why our current use of the word is not correct. You will also hear how Square was created and how they were able to take on and beat Amazon.

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Jim McKelvey Transcript

Jim McKelvey is the co-founder of Square and the author of a brand new book, The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time. Square was founded in response to a problem Jim had in his glassblowing business. He ended up losing a big sale because he couldn’t take an American Express card. So he set out to solve that problem along with his former intern, Jack Dorsey.

Jim says true entrepreneurs solve problems that haven’t been solved before, they don’t just start a business, they do something that has never been done before. And that is what he and Jack did, they solved a problem in a way that no one else had ever thought of before. They even were able to beat out Amazon when the company tried to copy the setup Square had.

The reason behind how they beat Amazon, Jim says, “In Square’s case, I outlined about 14 things that we were doing absolutely differently from everybody else, 14 separate things and we were probably doing some more subtle stuff on top of that and each of those 14 things influenced each of the other 14 things so it was very complicated but imagine the difficulty of trying to copy 14 things at once and what I do is I just… You need to just fall back to math, you say “Well what are the odds of copying one thing successful?” Well, let’s say it’s 8 out of 10. Four out of five times you’re gonna get it right. You’re gonna try to copy something that’s been done before, you’re a company like Amazon, you got a lot of smart people, a lot of money, you got an 80% chance of nailing it. Okay, great, so that’s one thing. Do two things, that’s 80 squared or 80% squared so now you’ve got a 64% chance and you keep adding and adding. Now you’re down to the point where the odds of actually going in and successfully copying all of these things which are necessary for the company to succeed is very slim and even a company like Amazon couldn’t do it.”

When it comes to true entrepreneurship Jim doesn’t believe is starting with a product or a service. He says it all starts with a problem that needs to be solved. “So if you say somebody has an idea for a thing, I’m not particularly interested but I am very interested in a problem that somebody tries to solve. If somebody says to me, “Hey, I have invented this widget.” I don’t care. If somebody says to me “Jim, I’ve got this problem and I am annoyed by this thing and here’s how I plan to eliminate that problem.” That’s fascinating because the elimination of problems, the solution to an existing problem is super fascinating because that’s what moves the world forward.”

And Jim shares that innovation cannot happen without failure. So we shouldn’t be afraid to fail. He says, “I see people who I know are capable of doing great things disqualifying themselves. It’s not even that they’re failing, it’s that they’re not trying because they sit there and their whole life, they’ve been conditioned to get this guarantee before they do anything and then you come to the situation where by definition, there are no guarantees. It is impossible to have a guarantee that something that has never been tried before will work. Then the answer is, “Well, don’t ever try” but that’s insane, right? But we’ve become so conditioned for this that I figured we needed a way to, first of all, discuss it in a way that allowed people to argue with me. So read the book, use my definitions and then get in my face.”

What you will learn:
How to get your team to innovate
Why we’ve been defining the word entrepreneur the wrong way
How Square was created and how they took on and beat Amazon
Whether or not you should follow your passion
How to deal with failure
Jim’s view on whether or not you can buy happiness

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All Leaders Need A World-Sized Mindset Says CEO of Fortune 500 Travel Company https://thefutureorganization.com/all-leaders-need-a-world-sized-mindset-says-ceo-of-fortune-500-travel-company/ Thu, 12 Mar 2020 07:21:42 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27994 The world is becoming increasingly connected, and future leaders need to have world-sized mindsets. That’s the message from Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings. Overseeing multiple worldwide brands like Priceline.com, Booking.com, Kayak.com, and OpenTable.

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The world is becoming increasingly connected, and future leaders need to have world-sized mindsets. That’s the message from Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings. Overseeing multiple worldwide brands like Priceline.com, Booking.com, Kayak.com, and OpenTable. The company has 24,500 employees in 200 countries, Glenn understands the opportunities and challenges that come with global connectivity. But as the world changes and leaders have more exposure to the world around them, they need to think big and be aware of the global impact of their actions to be successful.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs around the world, including Glenn. He shared his great insights on what leaders need to do to succeed in the next decade and beyond, including having a global mindset.

Jacob: What trends do you think are going to impact the future of leadership?

Glenn: One of the trends that we’ve been seeing over the past 20 to 30 years is a significant accelerating rate of change in the business environment. That means leaders have to adjust to make decisions so much faster. In fact, it’s reached a level where it’s impossible for the leader to make all the decisions, so you’ve got to be able to push downward decisions so that you’re empowering other people to make those decisions. If you don’t, you’re never going to be able to keep up with all the changes that are happening.

The people who are looking backwards, and looking at how can we execute our way out of the struggles that we may be having in our business right now? I think, are ultimately going to fail.

Another one is recognizing that the leader is important to help the success of the organization, but it’s the organization’s success that’s the goal, not the leader’s success. So, it’s the issue of you should not let your ego, as a leader, help determine what your decision should be. It should always be subsumed to the organization’s success, not the leader’s success, and you see a lot of examples of failure that may have come out of confusion by a leader thinking that their success was more important than an organization’s success. And, that goes into the other issue of leadership which is being willing to sacrifice, and the first sacrifice you should be making is your own. Trying to remember that the people who you are working with need to be provided for first, and the leader is last in line or should be last in line.

Jacob: What mindsets do you think are going to be important for the leader of the future?

Glenn: Clearly, globalism has been a force that has been going around for some time now, but it continues to increase. You can’t be a leader of a world-sized organization without having a world-sized mindset. While in many places, you’re finding a push against globalism and internationalism. You’re seeing a rise in xenophobia, and that is a trend that somebody has to fight against and really consider oneself a citizen of the world and not a nationalist if you want to have a worldwide company. You can’t have a narrow view and think of things from a point of view of your culture or where you’re from. You’ve got to be able to think much more broadly.

Jacob: What skills do future leaders need?

Glenn: They have to be willing to learn, always. You can never stop learning because with this accelerating change, this issue of a world view, if you stop learning, the world will have changed more and you’ll no longer be effective.

Something else that’s important, you’re gonna need a greater deal of empathy. And the reason is because as our business continue to evolve, you’re seeing a schism between the haves and the have nots, and there was a mindset in the past of well, if this person is not doing well, they’re just not working hard enough. But, I think what we need to do is develop more empathy you know maybe the way they created the structures around the world are creating some of the inability for some people to participate, and I think that empathy will help leaders think about ways to try and become more inclusive of people that have been unfortunately hurt by the structural changes happening around the world in terms of businesses.

Jacob: What are some of the greatest challenges that future leaders will have to overcome?

Glenn: Dealing with the expectations that business leaders have to become more than just business leaders. In the past, the biggest part of the social contract between a business and its employees was to pay them and have people work, get paid, work, get paid, but now, particularly the millennial generation expects a lot more. They expect their organization to take stands on issues. They expect their organization to make statements about whatever the issues of the day are. That’s a big difference because the challenge now is for a business leader who on the one hand has a fiduciary obligation to what’s best for the organization, and at the same time, also now has an obligation to a bunch of other stakeholders beyond that, which would be its employees, its customers, its suppliers, its community and all these other issues. And, that’s a change from the past, and that’s going to be a very big challenge for a lot of business leaders, one because a lack of having grown up in that type of environment so it’s a new skillset to learn and do but even more so, it’s because it requires making choices that probably many business leaders would prefer not to have to make because one would end up, no matter what choice is made, causing some of their stakeholders to be unhappy whether it’s customers, suppliers or whoever.

Jacob: How do you define leadership?

Glenn: I think you have to define it by the traits of what a leader is and does, and so we can go down the list about being willing to sacrifice for the organization, humbleness, willing to listen, having a belief in what the mission is, having vision, and more. How you describe leadership is by the characteristics of a leader.

Jacob: Do you have any leadership hacks, tips, techniques that you’ve used during the course of your career that you think helped make you a more effective leader?

Glenn: Well, it’s a thing that people talk about all the time, and that’s listening. It’s recognizing you don’t have all the right answers and hiring people who can help you learn what the right answers are. But if you don’t listen to what they’re saying, it’s not going to help you very much is it. So, I would say listening more than you talk is a good thing to do.

Jacob: What one moment or experience most shaped your perspectives on leadership?

Glenn: In 1995, the company I was at, Kidder Peabody, was bought by Paine Webber and my job, along with most of the other bankers at Kidder, was eliminated. The process was about as cold as it could be with people not expecting that there would be a mass layoff and on the day it happened, you were asked to come to a conference room and simply told your job had been eliminated. You were told to sign an agreement immediately if you wanted to get a severance package and then go back to your desk with a security officer and gather your personal belongings and leave the premises. Forever since, one thing that comes into my mind in every business decision I make is how might this impact employees

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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3 Ways To Think Like A Global Citizen https://thefutureorganization.com/3-ways-to-think-like-a-global-citizen/ Tue, 10 Mar 2020 09:40:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27906 Leaders of the future will need to look beyond their own cities, countries, and teams to work with the entire world. There are no such thing as just local or regional companies.

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Could you be taken out of your current environment and still be an effective leader anywhere in the world? For example, if you lead a team in the U.S. would you be able to lead a team in Japan, or Brazil? Having the Global Citizen mindset means you embrace diversity and can think globally. Based on the over 140 CEOs interviews I did for my new book, The Future Leader, this is one of the most crucial mindsets for future leaders to possess.

Leaders of the future will need to look beyond their own cities, countries, and teams to work with the entire world. There are no such thing as just local or regional companies. With increased connectivity, every company has the potential to be a global organization and attract customers and employees from around the world. As a leader you must also be comfortable working with people who don’t look like you, think you like, behave like you, or even believe in the same things that you believe in.

According to Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oreal, “A diversified workforce in every function and on all levels strengthens our creativity and our understanding of consumers and it enables us to develop and market products that are relevant.”

There are three things you can do now to develop and practice the global citizen mindset:

Immerse yourself in different cultures

It’s one thing to read about a new country or culture, but it’s another to really experience and immerse yourself in the culture. Eating at a new ethnic restaurant each week doesn’t count! If you visit a new part of the world try to take some time to understand their customs, points of view, history, and their beliefs. If traveling is out of the question then spend some time learning about your diverse colleagues. Surrounding yourself with people who are just like you is easy and so is isolating yourself in your own cultural and belief system, unfortunately this creates a very limited way of thinking and seeing the world. You’ll likely find inspiration from new cultures, even if their approach to leadership and life is vastly different from your own ideas. You don’t need to live out of a suitcase!

Lead diverse teams

If your situation allows for it, get experience leading in different parts of the world. Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE recently said, “The Jack Welch of the future cannot be like me. I spent my entire career in the United States. The next head of [General Electric] will be somebody who spent time in Bombay, in Hong Kong, in Buenos Aires.” It’s easy to fall into our comfort zone of teams we like to lead in areas where we like to work. It becomes familiar and easy, but it doesn’t push us outside our comfort zone or open us up to new ideas and perspectives. Lead teams from different departments and geographies. If you experience is predominately in finance, try leading a marketing or HR team. Branch outside of what you know to work with remote teams from around the world or teams based in other countries. Get as much global experience as you can and learn to lead from new perspectives. This of course requires tremendous courage because you are moving away from you know and are comfortable with and shifting towards something less certain and familiar.

Actively surround yourself with people who are not like you

Global citizens do more than just accept diversity—they actively surround themselves with diverse teams. This means that if you are a part of team where everyone looks the same that you speak up and say something. Don’t just be ok with being a part of a diverse and inclusive team, ask for it…demand it! Be open to their perspectives, you’ll probably realize you have more in common than you thought, and the diversity of ideas and opinions can lead to new ideas for the entire team.

Ilham Kadri, the CEO of Solvay, a 25,000 person chemical company. She has lived and worked in many parts of the world and is the type of leader you can put into any city with full confidence she would lead successfully and effectively. She told me a story of how she earned the nickname “water lady” by negotiating a water treatment plant between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Whereas others had a hard time making this project a reality, Ilham understood the different perspectives, values, and cultures of these two very different parts of the world and was thus able to negotiate something both parties were happy with.

Adopting the mindset of a global citizen is all about being open to new ideas and new people. In many cases, it will push you outside your bubble to understand new cultures and listen to new perspectives. But in our connected and diverse world, everyone deserves to be heard and represented. A global citizen leader can work across cultures to lead people from around the world.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2.Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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Addressing the Nation’s Greatest Talent Challenge https://thefutureorganization.com/addressing-the-nations-greatest-talent-challenge/ Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:48:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27858 Victor Hoskins is the President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Most recently he led the team responsible for winning the Amazon HQ2, which will be bringing anywhere from 25,000 to 37,000 jobs to Northern Virginia.

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Victor Hoskins Transcript

Victor Hoskins is the President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Prior to that, he was Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for the District of Columbia. In his current role, he works hard with his team to attract companies and jobs to the area. Most recently he led the team responsible for winning the Amazon HQ2, which will be bringing anywhere from 25,000 to 37,000 jobs to Northern Virginia.

What was it like to compete for the Amazon HQ2? Fairfax county was one of 238 jurisdictions in the running and their initial proposal was 250 pages long. A few months later Amazon responded with over 100 questions which took 1100 pages to respond to. It was definitely not an easy feat!

When looking at the big picture Victor has been paying attention to two main trends when it comes to talent. The first one is the need for regions to find ways to keep college students in the area after they graduate. In Victor’s region there are 60 universities and he says, “there’s a real retention effort that we’re launching focused on the kids that are in school right now and connecting them directly to companies, whether that company is Leidos or that company is Booz Allen, whether it is North Broman or Boeing we’re trying to connect them directly to the companies as they’re going through their undergraduate education because what we find and what I think all of us found is, when you work at a place while you’re in school you may be going back to that place or a similar company when you get out of school so really bridging that, making that connection or may not just doing this at the undergraduate level but we also want to look at this at the high school level, trying to get these kids into internships, just to get to understand what companies do and develop their interest early on.”

The second thing he is paying attention to is the need for companies to retrain the talent they already have instead of hiring new people. It makes a lot more sense to utilize the people already inside of your organization who know the company culture, then to hire a new person who has to learn everything from square one.

When it comes to AI and technology, Victor is not worried. We have had many shifts in the way we work in the past, for example there was a day when milk and ice was delivered by horse and carriage, but we have always adapted and created new jobs. He believes we will continue to adapt, create, and learn.

Victor’s advice to students in high school or college is do your best every single day. He says, “I feel like I’m at a job interview every day. Every day, I’m at a job interview, which means that I have a chance to make a good impression or bad impression. Me, I choose every day to make an extraordinary impression. I throw my body and my mind into everything that I do. Listen, I was at that brown bag talking about a book. It was the last thing on earth to discuss before I go six feet under. I mean, to me that was a moment to explain something to them that I do wanted to talk to them about since I got there. And this is, this moment right here, this is the greatest moment in my life right now, you know why? Because you only have these moments so do them in an extraordinary way. Do not be average.”

What you will learn:
What it was like to compete with 238 jurisdictions to win the Amazon HQ2
What companies like Amazon and Nestle are looking for in talent
Workplace and talent trends Victor is paying attention to
How Victor inspires his team
How companies are attracting and retaining talent

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Thoughtful Risk-Takers Will Be Future Leaders: Interview with MasterCard’s CEO Ajay Banga https://thefutureorganization.com/thoughtful-risk-takers-will-be-future-leaders-interview-with-mastercards-ceo-ajay-banga/ Fri, 06 Mar 2020 07:48:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27539 For Ajay Banga, leadership is about more than just a title. It’s about making a real difference in peoples’ lives. And he believes those people who care and take thoughtful risks will be the successful leaders of the future.

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For Ajay Banga, leadership is about more than just a title. It’s about making a real difference in peoples’ lives. He believes those people who care and take thoughtful risks will be the successful leaders of the future.

Ajay worked for some of the biggest companies in the world, including Citigroup, Nestle, and PepsiCo, before joining MasterCard and then becoming CEO in 2010. He oversees nearly 15,000 employees in more than 60 countries, with customers in nearly every country around the world. Ajay is also passionate about social development issues, diversity and inclusion, and purpose and meaning. He is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute and is involved in numerous other councils and organizations to champion international business, U.S.-India strategic relationships, cybersecurity, and more. Ajay is a well-respected leader because he not only gets results but genuinely inspires and cares about his people. Ajay inspires me and I hope he will inspire you as well!

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 CEOs around the world to get their insights about what it will take to be a successful leader over the next decade and beyond. Ajay was one of these 140 CEOs, and I loved his thoughtful responses on the wide range of opportunities and challenges future leaders will face. You can get all of the insights and research by grabbing a copy of the book.

Let’s get into the interview.

Jacob: What trends do you think will impact the future of leadership?

Ajay: Firstly, consumers and the workforce are seeking more from companies in terms of sustainability, purpose, meaning, moral leadership, and rebuilding trust.

Secondly, technology will continue to be a powerful enabler of even better, more efficient, and intimately personalized services. But along with these benefits will come some fundamental questions and moral considerations related to personal privacy and cybersecurity.

Third, the geo-social-political environment is rapidly evolving. The need to facilitate international commerce has created a complex global regulatory environment.

Jacob: What mindsets do you think leaders of the next decade will need to have?

Ajay: Leaders need to have a sense of urgency. Today’s world of rapidly advancing technology and ever-shortening innovation cycles leaves no room for procrastination.

Leaders also need ownership and empowerment. Our people, at all levels, are expected to treat our company like it’s their own. Leaders also need to practice thoughtful risk-taking. Rarely are you going to have perfect information. The willingness to decide at that time will depend on your ability to take a thoughtful risk, which ultimately depends on your courage. The thoughtful part depends on your humility and realizing that you don’t have all the answers.

A leader must always operate with the belief that one person can make a difference. That means being willing to take things on versus waiting for someone else to take responsibility.

Jacob: What should leaders of the future need to know how to do? Are there any specific skills you can think of that come to mind?

Ajay: The leaders who deliver results now and in the future will be those who are able to build inclusive cultures and execute under rapidly changing circumstances. You need to harness the collective uniqueness of those around you to widen your field of vision.

In the past, leaders were chosen for what they could deliver, but tomorrow’s leaders will be defined by their good judgement. Never has the role of moral leadership played a more important or challenging role in defining the success of a company.

Jacob: When you think of leaders of today versus in the next decade, what do you think some of the main differences will be between the two?

Ajay: At the heart of leadership is people. As human beings, we have needs, wants, ambitions—these things fundamentally don’t change. What does change are the means at our disposal to pursue those needs and our expectations on how quickly and to what degree we get them met.

Jacob: If you were to imagine a day in the life of a leader in the next decade, how do you think they’re going to spend their day?

Ajay: The leader of the future will probably spend a lot of their day building bridges and relationships with new, unconventional, or unexpected partners. Leaders will probably also have to make a dedicated daily investment in receiving and adjusting feedback and metrics about their operation in real-time.

Jacob: What do you think some of the greatest challenges will be for leaders of the future?

Ajay: Finding the courage to take thoughtful risks. The willingness to make a timely decision always depends on your ability to take a thoughtful risk.

Also avoiding the temptation of short-term gain over sustainable growth. As a leader, it is in your own self-interest to operate in a way that connects you with people and allows you to interact with a sense of decency that creates respect and belonging. You need a purpose for your company. If you’re only looking at profit maximization, you’re likely just ordering people around, not leading them.

Jacob: Are there any leaders today that you can point to that you think illustrate what you think leaders will be like in the future?

Ajay: The purest expressions of leadership are timeless. Some of the best qualities we can hope to find in future leaders can be found in leaders from the past, like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, who exemplified the premise that one person can make a difference.

Jacob: Internally, are you thinking about leadership of the future?

Ajay: MasterCard believes in being a force for good. We believe that creating inclusive opportunities for all is the way to do business. We embed those values in everything we do—they’re not just words on a poster. We have a culture built on purpose where we embrace diversity as the key driving innovation.

Jacob: How do you define leadership?

Ajay: A leader is a person who can think strategically and communicate that strategy simply and clearly. Set the direction, make sure it’s clear so people can understand it, and take them along on the journey. That is leadership.

Jacob: Have you thought about skills that you will need as a leader in the future?

Ajay: I often tell my people that what made them successful to this point may not be what allows them to take the next step. It wouldn’t be very authentic of me not to take my own advice. I believe curiosity is a must. You need to constantly focus on learning new skills to help you adapt to new challenges.

Jacob: Do you have any leadership hacks that have worked well for you?

Ajay: I don’t believe in tricks or shortcuts to good leadership. But I would offer this advice: Be urgent and be patient…and embrace both completely. A lot of people think that urgency and patience are contradictory. And they could not be more wrong. You need to be patient enough to listen to everybody, but yet, you must have a sense of urgency to take a decision and execute.

Jacob: What one moment or experience most shaped your approach to leadership?

Ajay: My father was among the first graduates of the military academy in independent India. He served 35 – plus years in the Indian Army and retired as a three – star general. He was strict about certain things: timing, keeping your word and caring about people. At one point, we lived in a huge house with a big compound in Hyderabad, and every day on the way out, he would talk to the army guard at the gate with the same interest in his eyes that I saw him talking to a visiting general from a different country, or his boss or somebody else who was a colleague of his. And I think that’s the single most important lesson I got from him. Yes, it’s important to be on time. Yes, it’s important to care about stuff. But it’s really important to connect to people at every level, because that’s where you’ll get the tips and information and knowledge from — and the ability to be a better person.

Ajay was one of the over 140 CEOs who I interviewed for my new book, The Future Leader which explores the most crucial skills and mindsets for future leaders.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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How Accor Hotels CEO Sébastien Bazin Leads Across Generations https://thefutureorganization.com/how-accorhotels-ceo-sebastien-bazin-leads-across-generations/ Tue, 03 Mar 2020 12:37:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27628 Leading one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, especially one known for its innovation, comes with its own set of challenges. Adding to that fact are AccorHotels’ nearly 300,000 employees around the world, many of whom come from diverse backgrounds and cover multiple generations.

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“Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up.” – Sébastien Bazin, CEO, AccorHotels

Leading one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, especially one known for its innovation, comes with its own set of challenges. Adding to that fact are AccorHotels’ nearly 300,000 employees around the world, many of whom come from diverse backgrounds and cover multiple generations. As the workforce changes to include a wide variety of ages, leaders will be faced with the challenge of engaging and inspiring a wide range of employees. Sébastien Bazin, CEO of AccorHotels, prioritizes diverse teams and knows how to lead across generations.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 top CEOs from around the world, including Sébastien. I was blown away by his bold take on leading across generations and creating teams that leverage and highlight demographic changes in the workforce.

From my interview with Sébastien, here are three takeaways of how he leads across generations and encourages everyone in his organization to do the same.

Adapt to Lead Diverse Teams

As the workforce changes, leaders will find themselves working alongside people of different ages and backgrounds. These diverse teams are not only more innovative, but they reflect the diverse population. Sébastien says one mark of a future leader is their ability to work across these diverse generational teams, especially navigating the differences in workplace preferences between millennials and older generations. He said this:

“One mark of a future leader should be the ability to work alongside people of different ages and with different backgrounds. Millennials for example, they have been changing the workplace ever since they started arriving on the scene nearly a decade ago. Craving autonomy and flexibility, millennials tend to be more confident and more adaptable when it comes to new concepts, new technologies, etc. But their older generational counterparts also have many things to teach these new hires: knowledge about the industry/company, interpersonal skills, how to deal with failure…Education, as is always true, is a two – way street. Great leaders must have the adaptability to lead diverse teams, coalescing different ages, personalities and cultures around a common vision.”

To be successful, future leaders must adapt with their teams and create a cohesive environment with all employees working towards the same goal.

Think Outside the Norm

Too many leaders are stuck in an old way of thinking and are scared to try anything new. Sébastien says it’s important to have the boldness to break out of the norm and think outside the box. That could mean creating unique teams, trying something new, and not being afraid to innovate and break out of the status quo. This means not penalizing employees who do this as well.

Encourage Diversity and Innovation

Sébastien says Accor considers itself to be more than just a hotel company. The organization is undergoing a dramatic transformation culturally, technologically, and physically in its hotels and with its employees. The company promotes diversity and inclusion and champions innovation. By encouraging employees to discover new opportunities, Sébastien and his team push the boundaries. Sébastien recognizes that all employees, no matter their age or background, have the ability to create something new and exciting and gives them the resources to make it happen. According to Sébastien:

“Accor has been so unique because every-time we welcome a new partner, we embrace wholeheartedly a new culture, a new way of thinking. Accor is never one single culture, no matter when it comes to clients, partners or employees”

Sébastien shows how important it is for future leaders to know how to lead across multiple generations. Leaders can follow in Sébastien’s footsteps to create diverse and innovative companies that celebrate employees of all ages.

If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith.

3.If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did. You can subscribe to that here.

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Why Work Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy https://thefutureorganization.com/why-work-doesnt-have-to-be-crazy/ Mon, 02 Mar 2020 23:21:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27590 Jason Fried is the co-Founder and CEO of Basecamp and bestselling author of Rework and It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work. He has also given a TED Talk titled Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work.

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Jason Fried Transcript

Jason Fried is the co-Founder and CEO of Basecamp and bestselling author of Rework and It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work. He has also given a TED Talk titled Why Work Doesn’t Happen at Work.

Jason is a big believer in capping a workweek at 40 hours, he says, “We don’t want people working more than 40 hours. You don’t need to. And if we’re doing that, then we’re doing something wrong, actually. I know a lot of companies, long hours is seen as doing something right, like, “Let’s stay late, and let’s work on the weekends and let’s pull all-nighters.” I think that’s completely wrong. And so, we’re very careful about not encouraging our employees to work that way.”

Anything that cannot get done in 40 hours can wait until the next day or the next week. The reason is 50, 60, 80 hour weeks are not sustainable. In an emergency, they can be done once in a great while, but to keep it up consistently, it doesn’t produce the best results.

Jason says, “I’m sorry, 80-hour weeks if you wanna be in business for a long time. Sometimes you’re gonna burn out, or you’re gonna burn people out, and it’s gonna be very difficult. Okay, maybe you can do it, but it’s not gonna be pleasurable, it’s not gonna be enjoyable. You’re not gonna keep a good team together with you for a long period of time. And you’re gonna lose a lot of great people along the way. And I don’t wanna lose great people. It’s hard enough to find great people. So I wanna keep them happy with the reasonable work hours, challenging work, great people, great environments, and those kinds of things.”

Just because you put in a lot of hours doesn’t mean you are producing good work, you can spend extra hours on bad work. Most of the time the best ideas and new innovations come after people come back to a problem refreshed. Working until you are beyond exhausted and stressed doesn’t usually lead to breakthroughs.

“It’s just kind of unusual in the United States, with our work hustle culture that’s just I think really damaging and really destroying people over the long term. And I know that, hey, sometimes when you’re in your early 20s you wanna put all the hours in, and you want bust your ass and the whole thing, I get it. But the thing is that it’s not sustainable. And when you have companies that encourage that kind of behavior when those companies themselves know it’s not sustainable, that’s almost fraudulent, and I just don’t wanna be that kind of company.”

There may be people reading this who are feeling stuck in a situation at work where leadership encourages people to work 60+ hours and rewards those who come in early and stay late. For those people, Jason says you should assess the situation and figure out what you have control over. Can you talk to leaders to get them to change? Can you set an example and change the mindset? If you have some control, figure out how to make it better.

If you don’t have control, it may be time to look for another job. “Most people who profess the craziness and are all in on these long, long, long hustle things, they keep doing it until they can’t. They don’t choose all of a sudden, like when they’re 35, to go, Oh, I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m gonna go back to a normal day’s work. Because the habits they’ve built are all built around busy, and packed schedules, and hustling, and the whole thing. So it’s very hard to break habits. If that’s what you’re used to doing, you’re gonna keep doing that, and at some point it’s going to collide with reality and life. Or it’s going to keep you from reality and life. And I think that’s really unfortunate too. Work is not that important to keep everything else out of your life.”

What you will learn:
The problem with the hustle culture
Why Jason feels work should be capped at 40 hours per week
What to do if you feel trapped by work
Advice for leaders who want to give employees more autonomy
What it is like to work at Basecamp

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How Leaders can Overcome the Advice Trap https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-overcome-the-advice-trap/ Mon, 24 Feb 2020 08:32:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27418 Michael Bungay Stanier is a bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and the upcoming book, The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever, which comes out on February 29. He is also the founder of Box of Crayons

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Michael Bungay Stanier Transcript

Michael Bungay Stanier is a bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and the upcoming book, The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever, which comes out on February 29. He is also the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led.

If you’ve had the chance to read The Coaching Habit you know the seven essential coaching questions, but Michael’s newest book builds on top of that and helps readers figure out how to take steps to stay curious and change behaviors.

Michael shares that the biggest hurdle we have to overcome is the advice monster. What is the advice monster? He says, “the advice monster is that thing that keeps looming up going, “No. No. No. I know you think you’re curious but let me just pull you back onto the dark side, and have you lurking into telling advice and offering solutions and being the person with the answer.” And everybody listening in right now knows this experience, somebody starts talking and you don’t really know what’s going on. You don’t really know the people involved. You don’t really have the context, you certainly don’t have the technical specifications required and after about 10 seconds, you’re like, “Oh, oh no, no. I’ve got something to say here. No, no, no, stop talking.” And if you recognize that at all in yourself, and you do, you know you do. This is your advice monster. It’s the pattern of behavior that has you going, “The way I add value is I jump in and I provide solutions.”

And while human nature is to think our advice is good, that’s not usually the case. And Michael shares three main reasons why giving advice isn’t the best course of action.
We try to solve the problem
Your advice isn’t as good as you think
Sometimes it is better to let people solve their own problems

The answer is to be curious a little bit longer and take a more coachlike approach. “It is not a bad idea to just as a philosophy to go, “Look, even if I have good advice, what if I just shut up? Not forever, not for days, not for months, but just a little bit longer.” That’s how we define coaching, or being more coach-like. Can you stay curious a little bit longer? Can you rush to action and advice-giving a little bit more slowly? That’s it. It’s like coming back to this idea, that there’s a time and a place for advice, it’s not just as fast as you think it is.”

What you will learn:
What is the advice monster and how do we become aware of it
How to develop the coaching habit
How the role of leadership is changing
Some myths about coaching that we need to overcome
How leaders can become more effective coaches

This episode is sponsored by my friends at Conga, the company that’s helping people spend less time on manual work and more time on the projects they love. If you’re tired of endless paperwork and manual processes, make sure to check them out at http://bit.ly/congaddxf

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How Former Yum Brands CEO David Novak Created A Recognition Culture https://thefutureorganization.com/how-former-yum-brands-ceo-david-novak-created-a-recognition-culture/ Tue, 18 Feb 2020 09:00:39 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27195 One of the best examples of a recognition-focused leader is David Novak, the former CEO of Yum Brands. As CEO, David oversaw 1.5 million employees around the world and made recognizing their accomplishments one of his major goals

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Ever since we were young and got our first soccer participation trophies, people have loved to be recognized. It’s especially true at work, where hard work often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. Leaders who can create a culture that values employees and celebrates their successes can build an inclusive culture where employees are engaged and excited.

One of the best examples of a recognition-focused leader is David Novak, the former CEO of Yum Brands. As CEO, David oversaw 1.5 million employees around the world and made recognizing their accomplishments one of his major goals.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com. I appreciated hearing wisdom from David’s career and his amazing stories of developing as a leader and helping people around him do the same.

David says the event that had the biggest impact on his career was when he was running operations at PepsiCo. He traveled throughout the company to visit employees and hold round table discussions as a way to get to know employees.

At one meeting, David talked with a group of merchandisers and asked who was really good at merchandising. Everyone started raving about an employee named Bob who they all said was an amazing merchandiser. At the end of the table, Bob started to cry. He had been with the company for 47 years and was set to retire in two weeks and didn’t know people felt that way about him.

The experience hit David in the gut. He didn’t want any other employees to go so long without knowing the impact of their talent and dedication. He vowed to do everything in his power to make sure there weren’t any Bobs in the organization and make recognition the top value and behavior on every team and in every culture he influenced.
David kept that promise to himself as he became CEO of Yum Brands. He says the best companies create cultures where everyone counts and knows they matter. Leaders of the future will make purposeful recognition the single biggest trait to drive their performance.

Recognition should be personal and impactful. During his career, David had fun with recognition and used it as a motivational tool and a way to break out of routine. When he was president of KFC, he wrote a person’s accomplishments on a floppy rubber chicken and then take a picture of them holding it. At Pizza Hut, he gave away giant cheese heads for a job well done. The focus on recognition spread throughout the company, and soon leaders of other restaurants and divisions created their own fun and unique recognition programs.

David believes there’s a recognition deficit in the world. People lose interest in their jobs and ultimately leave because they don’t feel appreciated or recognized. It’s up to leaders to change that trend and pay attention to their employees to recognize them for progress and accomplishments.

Future leaders need to understand and connect with their employees. Building a recognition culture comes from appreciating each person’s work and making sure their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

If you want to learn the leadership secrets of some of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, MasterCard, Yum! Brands, and more), you can sign up for the Leadership Reset to get access to the video coaching and training sessions.

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The Future of Education, Skills, and Jobs https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-of-education-skills-and-jobs/ Mon, 17 Feb 2020 10:24:16 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=27162 Today’s guest is Dr. Denise Trauth, the President of Texas State University. She is currently in her 18th year leading the university. We are talking all about the future of education, skills, and jobs.

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Denise Trauth Transcript

Dr. Denise Trauth is the President of Texas State University. She is currently in her 18th year leading the university. Prior to that Dr. Trauth was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Under Dr. Trauth’s leadership, Texas State has experienced its largest construction program since being founded in 1899, became a federal Hispanic-Serving Institution, was designated a Texas Emerging Research University, has been reclassified as an “R2: Doctoral University – Higher Research Activity” under the Carnegie Classification system, and moved up to NCAA Division I.

Dr. Trauth and her team at Texas State make sure they are staying in touch with industries in the area in order to provide the most relevant and up to date education for students. She has noticed two big trends currently impacting the business world. She says, “What we see in particular is that business is being impacted by two factors in particular: One is technology, and the other is globalization. And those two factors have a big impact on everything we do. It might not be terribly apparent in every single one of our academic programs, all 200 of them, but it does infuse the way we think about curriculum, the way we approach curriculum, and particularly, how we think about adding degree programs or getting rid of existing degree programs.”

Technology impacts every aspect of our lives, so it’s not surprising that it is changing the way students learn. And while Dr. Trauth doesn’t believe that face-to-face learning will be going away anytime soon, it is important to utilize technology in education.

“We have configured the classrooms differently. That’s one thing. All of these classrooms obviously are capable of having lots and lots of technology, whether you’re talking about the individual devices, or you’re talking about the devices the instructor is using. What that means is, all of our new buildings and a lot of our older buildings have been converted. So there are lots of places to plug in and recharge, that makes a big difference. The other big difference is what we’re calling, Makerspaces. We have about five or six Makerspaces across our campus here in San Marcus and also our campus in Round Rock, where students can do everything from 3D printing to manufacturing some kinds of prototypes for classes. A lot of opportunities; lasers, laser printers, lots of opportunities for students to make things.”

Globalization is also impacting the future, for the good and the bad. As Dr. Trauth shares, “What’s happening on the other side of the world has great implications for us and the implications are widespread. Starting with the cultural implications. Our students, more and more, are working with… When they graduate and they go to work, and we try to replicate this on our campuses, that they’re going into a very diverse environment, where people don’t all think alike. Where people certainly don’t all look alike, and it’s important that we educate our students to go into that kind of a world where there’s just a lot of different ethnicities, races, religions, philosophical backgrounds, political parties. That’s all now a part of a college education. So that’s kind of where it starts for us, is educating our students for this cultural diversity that if they haven’t experienced it in the university, they’re gonna experience it when they go to work”.

Dr. Trauth’s advice for leaders who want to stay relevant is two-fold. First, she says it is important for employers to reach out to universities to get involved, especially by joining advisory boards. Secondly, employers should be tolerant of educational differences. Students may be different than the employer, but that is a good thing.

What you will learn:
What the future of education looks like
Big trends Dr. Trauth is paying attention to in the world of education
How education leaders are planning for the future of learning
What skills and mindsets employers are looking for in prospective hires
How technology is impacting education
How to teach students to be lifelong learners
Advice for employers, leaders, and individuals looking to stay relevant

This episode is sponsored by my friends at Conga, the company that’s helping people spend less time on manual work and more time on the projects they love. If you’re tired of endless paperwork and manual processes, make sure to check them out at http://bit.ly/congaddxd

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140 CEOs on What it Will Take To Be a Leader in 2030 https://thefutureorganization.com/140-ceos-on-what-it-will-take-to-be-a-leader-in-2030/ Mon, 10 Feb 2020 09:22:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26869 My new book, The Future Leader, comes out on February 26th and it is based on interviews I had with over 140 CEOs around the world. In the book the two questions that I wanted to answer were: Is the leader of 2030 going to look that different than today? And if so, how is that leader actually going to look different?

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Jacob Morgan Transcript

My new book, The Future Leader, comes out on February 26th and it is based on interviews I had with over 140 CEOs around the world. In the book the two questions that I wanted to answer were: Is the leader of 2030 going to look that different than today? And if so, how is that leader actually going to look different?

To find out the answers to my questions, I interviewed CEOs around the world from organizations like Mastercard, Unilever, Audi, Best Buy, Oracle, Kaiser, SAP, Koc Holding, Enel, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dominos, Dunkin’ Brands, National Grid and many others. I also teamed up with LinkedIn and we surveyed 14,000 employees around the world. And this gave me a very good picture around what the future leader is gonna look like.

And what I found out from these interviews was that most of the top CEOs around the world believe that while there are going to be some attributes that remain the same for leaders of the future– things like being able to create a vision and execute on strategy– they also believe that business leaders are going to need to arm themselves with a new set of skills and mindsets in order to stay relevant.

Why do they need a new set of skills and mindsets? It’s because our organizations are going to look fundamentally different over the next 10 years than they do now because of technology and artificial intelligence, because of things like purpose and meaning that employees care about, globalization, the changing nature of talent, etc… And because our organizations are going to look different, it makes sense that we are going to need a new type of leader to guide and lead these organizations over the next 10 years and beyond.

So what I created after interviewing all these CEOs is something that I call The Notable Nine, a collection of four mindsets and five skills that leaders of the future will need to succeed.

The Four Mindsets are:

The Explorer: This includes practicing curiosity, being a perpetual or lifelong learner, having agility and nimbleness in your way of thinking, having a growth mindset, and being open-minded.
The Chef: As a future leader, in 2030 and beyond, you are going to have to balance ingredients, and there are two ingredients that you as a future leader are going to have to balance. The first ingredient is technology and the second ingredient is being purpose-driven and caring.
The Global Citizen: As a leader you must think globally and embrace diversity
The Servant: Leaders need to know how to serve their team, serve their customers, serve their leaders, and serve themselves. There is more to being a servant leader than we usually talk about

The Five Skills are:

The Futurist: Making sure that you can think in terms of possibilities and scenarios.
Yoda: This one is all about emotional intelligence–specifically empathy and self-awareness
The Translator: Listening and communicating with all of the channels that you have access to–email, video chats, text messaging, Slack, Facebook at Work, etc….
The Coach: You need to believe that your job as a leader is to help make other people more successful than you are
The Technology Teenager: Leaders must be tech-savvy and digitally fluent just as today’s teenagers are

These are the four mindsets and five skills I want you to teach your team, to everybody in your organization. That’s it. Four mindsets, five skills. If you can do this and teach others these things, I’m very confident that you will become a future-ready leader and you will be successful. And by the way, success doesn’t just mean making money. It means having a positive impact on society, on the world, on communities in which you serve.

To order the book or learn more about it, go to getfutureleaderbook.com.

What you will learn:
What it will take to be a successful leader in 2030 and beyond
A look at the global leadership gap (leaders around the world think they are doing much better than they really are!)
A look at the insights found from Jacob’s interviews with over 140 CEOs around the world
The trends shaping the future of leadership
The greatest challenges future leaders will have to face

This episode is sponsored by my friends at Conga, the company that’s helping people spend less time on manual work and more time on the projects they love. If you’re tired of endless paperwork and manual processes, make sure to check them out at http://bit.ly/congaddxb

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4 Ways Leaders Can Create A Better World From Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman https://thefutureorganization.com/4-ways-leaders-can-create-a-better-world-from-barry-wehmiller-ceo-bob-chapman/ Thu, 06 Feb 2020 11:07:13 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26659 Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman follows a people-centric philosophy he calls Truly Human Leadership. His unique approach has influenced countless others and emphasizes many of the soft skills that will be required for successful future leaders.

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It takes a special type of person to lead a $3 billion company and more than 12,000 employees. But even more so, it takes a special kind of leader to be named the #3 CEO in the world and be recognized for a people-first approach to leadership.

Barry-Wehmiller CEO Bob Chapman follows a people-centric philosophy he calls Truly Human Leadership. His unique approach has influenced countless others and emphasizes many of the soft skills that will be required for successful future leaders.

I love what Bob said here: “We imagine a society where people think of others first and where people feel cared for. When they feel cared for, they care for others. Our model of leadership fosters environments where people feel valued, and when they feel valued they go home and treat their spouses well and their children well. By creating better jobs through more caring working environments, we can create a better world.”

Leaders have the potential to create a better world, simply by making people feel cared for and valuing them. But how do we really make that happen?

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com. Bob’s name kept coming up as a leader other leaders admire, and my interview with him showed why.

Bob shared so many great insights during our interview. I’ve narrowed them down to four key takeaways of how leaders can value their people and create a better world.

Practice empathetic listening
Bob says empathetic listening is the basis of being a good leader and caring about people. Without empathetic listening, you can’t be a truly human leader. Empathetic listening means taking an interest in what people are sharing and putting yourself into their shoes to understand their point of view. Empathy drives a sense that the leader is there to create a better future for each person.

Genuinely care about people
The best leaders recognize that every person is different and has unique motivations, skills, and challenges. Genuinely taking an interest in people and caring about them creates a more caring world. But Bob is quick to say that caring doesn’t always equal nice. Similar to parenting, leadership means being a steward of peoples’ lives and having a positive impact.

Create a vision for the future
People look to leaders for guidance for the future. Where are you going? Why do you want to go there? How will you get there? When employees feel valued and appreciated, they will follow a leader’s vision for the future. That means the leader needs to move people to a better place than they were before. Creating a vision for the future is about more than just increasing the company’s bottom line. It means looking at how people have grown and how the company has improved overall to be better than it was when it started.

Recognize and celebrate people
Employees want to know they matter. One of the best ways to do that is to recognize great progress and effort made by people. It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top celebration and it certainly shouldn’t seem rote. A meaningful word or note of appreciation from a leader can make a difference. Bob says that daily acts that allow people to feel valued and share their gifts fully creates a caring environment and encourages people to return home to be good stewards in their own families and personal lives.

Empathetic leaders who care can make a world of difference. I agree with Bob that leaders truly can impact the world and make it a better place. These four tips from Bob are a great starting point for leaders of all kinds to value their people and improve their environments.

If you want to learn the leadership secrets of some of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, MasterCard, Yum! Brands, and more), you can sign up for the Leadership Reset to get access to the video coaching and training sessions.

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Leadership is Language https://thefutureorganization.com/leadership-is-language/ Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:24:07 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26564 David was in the Navy for 28 years and he was ultimately selected to be captain of a nuclear submarine. And it was during his time as a captain of the USS Santa Fe that he changed his leadership style and that change led to him writing his first book.

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David Marquet Transcript

David Marquet is the bestselling author of the 2013 book, Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders and the new book, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don’t, which comes out on February 4th.

David was in the Navy for 28 years and he was ultimately selected to be captain of a nuclear submarine. And it was during his time as a captain of the USS Santa Fe that he changed his leadership style and that change led to him writing his first book.

What does David mean by “leadership is language’? He explains that while there are a lot of professions that require a person to work mainly with their hands, in leadership, because it is always about other people, leaders interact through words–face to face, emails, company statements, annual reports, etc…As he says, “the magic of leadership is that by changing your words you will change the world around you because if you ask a question a different way, you’ll get a different answer.”

In his book David gives six plays that all leaders should use to improve how their teams operate. He says a big problem with leaders today is that they are trapped in an industrial-age playbook. In the industrial age leaders gave commands and employees followed, and that was it. But that way of leading is no longer effective, it is outdated.

The six plays are:
Control the clock, don’t obey the clock--Pre-plan decision points and give your people the tools they need to hit pause on a plan of action if they notice something wrong.
Collaborate, don’t coerce–As the leader, you should be the last one to offer your opinion.
Commit, don’t comply–Rather than expect your team to comply with specific directions, explain your overall goals, and get their commitment to achieving it one piece at a time.
Complete, not continue–If every day feels like a repetition of the last, you’re doing something wrong.
Improve, don’t prove–Ask your people to improve on plans and processes, rather than prove that they can meet fixed goals or deadlines.
Connect, don’t conform–Flatten hierarchies in your organization and connect with your people to encourage them to contribute to decision-making

David also explains the uneven “share of voice” that happens inside of so many organizations. Inside of meetings leaders tend to talk the most, which is not good. It is something that leaders need to be aware of. He says, “As a leader, you don’t need to say a lot because you already know what you think and when you start talking, you’re anchoring the group. Basically, the idea is you’re bringing them to your way of thinking, which is what you think you wanna do but it’s actually not. What you want to do is understand how they think and what they think, and at the end, you can decide what to do, whether you could do what they wanna do or what you wanna do, that’s fine. But it’s after uncovering what everybody thinks.”

What you will learn:
The real-life example of how David changed his leadership style while captaining a nuclear submarine
Why employees should talk more than leaders
6 plays for all leaders to implement to improve how their team operates
How to embrace variability, instead of reducing it
How to foster a culture of collaborative experimentation

This episode is sponsored by my friends at Conga, the company that’s helping people spend less time on manual work and more time on the projects they love. If you’re tired of endless paperwork and manual processes, make sure to check them out at http://bit.ly/congaddx

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Interview with SOS International CEO Arnaud Vaissié On The Future Of Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/interview-with-sos-international-ceo-arnaud-vaissie-on-the-future-of-leadership/ Fri, 31 Jan 2020 11:24:49 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26443 An accomplished and experienced leader, Arnaud Vaissié co-founded medical and travel security firm International SOS more than 30 years ago. He is still the chairman and CEO and has seen the company grow to more than 10,000 employees in 90 countries. Arnaud is well respected in his industry and company and has a 90% approval rating from employees.

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An accomplished and experienced leader, Arnaud Vaissié co-founded medical and travel security firm International SOS more than 30 years ago. He is still the chairman and CEO and has seen the company grow to more than 10,000 employees in 90 countries. Arnaud is well respected in his industry and company and has a 90% approval rating from employees.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world to get their insights and what it will take to be a successful leader over the next decade and beyond. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com. I talked with Arnaud about the future of leadership and how organizations and individuals can prepare now for an uncertain future. His experience shines in his insightful answers.

Jacob: What trends do you think will impact the future of leadership?

Arnaud: The critical trend will be the combination of additional technological changes and more independent work. The office worker as we know it today might become the minority in the future. Independent work and all forms of traditional office work will have drastically been changed. Therefore, leadership will be more through influence than command.

Jacob: What mindsets do you think leaders of the future in 2025 will need to have?

Arnaud: The fundamentals won’t change, but some behavioral adjustments will be required. First of all, the fact that a leader needs to show curiosity will stay the same because the world will keep seeing an acceleration of innovation. The second aspect is having a global mindset.

Jacob: What should leaders of the future need to know how to do? Are there any specific skills you can think of that come to mind?

Arnaud: They will need to know how to communicate. At the same time, they will need to have a better understanding of technology. Today many leaders have relatively little understanding of what technology and engineering can bring to the table, the risks and rewards.
To be able to create an environment where both the staff and the customer become individuals. In a similar way, customers were looked at as generic groups. Going forward, the understanding of what individualization is going to bring to the table is going to be critical.

Jacob: When you think of leaders of today versus in 2025, what do you think some of the main differences will be between the two?

Arnaud: Leaders of the future will be motivating their people in order to get them to be innovative and create new ideas. It means relinquishing some control and power. Leaders of the future will have to understand the triggers of a regulatory environment even more than they do today. In the future, I believe countries are going to rebuild as many barriers as they can. Therefore, to understand and manage those barriers in the future is going to be critical to success.

Jacob: If you were to imagine a day in the life of a leader in 2025, how do you think they’re going to spend their day?

Arnaud: I think they will spend more time on the environment. I mean by that the stakeholders at large, whether they are the regulators, the politicians, the employees. The non-client related issues. Because they’re willing to hear with the development of the business even more in the future than they’ve done in the past.

Jacob: What do you think some of the greatest challenges will be for leaders of the future?

Arnaud: You have to continuously shield your opinion, and at the same time good leadership is about being opinionated. You have to have a strong belief in what you believe in and what you want to go for. At the same time, the facts around you change all the time. How to be constant enough so as to develop a successful future for your organization, but accepting to change enough so as to adjust to a world that is changing all the time.

Jacob: Are there any leaders today that you can point to that you think illustrate what you think leaders will be like in the future?

Arnaud: I think our French president is pretty good in this regard. He has a lot of what leaders in the future need to have: smarts, vision, optimism, communication skills. I didn’t vote for him in the first place, but I think he’s pretty good there.

Jacob: Internally, are you thinking about leadership of the future?

Arnaud: Sure. Day in and day out. We spend 6% of our revenues on technology, and technology is what the future is going to be all about. Are we missing the right one, are we going to be disrupted by some guy that we’ve never heard of somewhere, or by the big guys somewhere else? 2025 is not that far down the road. I don’t have the feeling that things are going to be drastically different. It is just that if we don’t have the leaders who really promote and push innovation quickly enough, we won’t be in a leadership position any more.

Jacob: How do you define leadership?

Arnaud: It is having the capability of making knowledgeable decisions and liking to do so. Some people like to be leaders, others don’t. It can be helped in the teaching. To me a leader is someone who has this capability, but leadership needs to be based on the right grounds: knowledge, listening skills, and courage.

Jacob: Have you thought about skills that you yourself will need as a leader in the future?

Arnaud: I’m an old leader, and the thing that one may lose with time is curiosity. Because I’ve been in leadership for so long, I need to maintain this edge on curiosity and not being blasé. Because some points you say, “I’ve seen it all,” and frankly with changes going on, nobody has seen it all.

Jacob: Do you have any leadership hacks that have worked well for you?

Arnaud: What I really believe in is collective leadership. Even though in the end the leader may make the final decisions, there is a need for a core group of a few people with whom there is complete freedom of expression, and therefore where ideas can be confronted in a completely open way, where you know that there is minimum ego or political issues involved.

If you want to learn the leadership secrets of some of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, MasterCard, Yum! Brands, and more), you can sign up for the Leadership Reset to get access to the video coaching and training sessions.

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Hacks for Bringing Joy to Your Job https://thefutureorganization.com/hacks-for-bringing-joy-to-your-job/ Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:30:35 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26297 Bruce Daisley is a former Twitter VP and bestselling author of the forthcoming book, Eat Sleep Work Repeat: 30 Hacks for Bringing Joy to Your Job, which comes out February 25th. Bruce also has experience working for Google and YouTube.

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Bruce Daisley Transcript

Bruce Daisley is a former Twitter VP and bestselling author of the forthcoming book, Eat Sleep Work Repeat: 30 Hacks for Bringing Joy to Your Job, which comes out February 25th. Bruce also has experience working for Google and YouTube.

There are some statistics that show that only 13% of employees are engaged in their jobs. Why is that? Bruce says it is because, “If you have a look at status, higher power is dis-inhibiting. What I mean by that is if you watch people who are bosses, people who are presidents, people who are high-status individuals, they generally are unencumbered by this sort of self-consciousness that the rest of us fail. And the correlate of that, the flip side of that is that lack of status is inhibiting, meaning that when we have no position in the hierarchy when we are junior, when our opinions are told that they don’t matter, it means that we repress how we feel. And you observe this more and more, countries that have strong hierarchy generally find that their workers are less engaged, because when they’ve got less input into decisions, when they’ve got less contribution to make, they generally think, “I can’t get anything done here.” So they’re gonna repress their emotions. And so you observe this, one of the most hierarchical countries in the world is France, and worker engagement is one of the lowest, 3% of French workers describe themselves as job. I mean, it’s a number so low that it makes you go back and check the methodology. But it’s the same methodology they use around the world, and yeah workplace engagement is really low, we feel like we’re bowing to our bosses.”

So how do we fix the problem? When it comes to fixing workplace culture there is the big picture, which means changing the policies the company has in place such as flexible working arrangements. But there is also the little picture–simple changes that individuals can make to improve day to day work.

Bruce gave some examples of some of the simpler things that we can implement right away to make work better. One thing is walking meetings, where instead of sitting down in a one on one meeting people can take a walk around the building inside or outside while meeting. This can break up the routine, allow people to get up and move around, and it may even produce more creative ideas.

Another example he talked about was moving the coffee machine or the water cooler because of the research that shows face-to-face conversation empowers workplace productivity. If there are teams who don’t normally interact moving the coffee or water can spark those conversations to start.

“I think the reason why the book has ended up being the best selling business book of the year in the UK, is because these changes are so simple, that anyone can stage their own intervention. They can say, Actually, we could do two of these things next week.”

What you will learn:
What it’s like to work at Twitter
Why are so many people not happy with their jobs
Who is responsible for your happiness at work?
Simple things that can be implemented to improve productivity and happiness
What happens if your managers just shut all your ideas down?
What is a monk mode morning
Bruce’s thoughts on the hustle culture that we’re seeing

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5 Important Leadership Lessons From Box CEO Aaron Levie https://thefutureorganization.com/5-important-leadership-lessons-from-box-ceo-aaron-levie/ Fri, 24 Jan 2020 10:45:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26178 Some leaders are born, and others are made. For Box CEO Aaron Levie, leadership and entrepreneurship come easily. He started Box while still in college and has grown the company from a small startup to a publicly traded tech giant with nearly 2,000 employees.

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Some leaders are born, and others are made. For Box CEO Aaron Levie, leadership and entrepreneurship come easily. He started Box while still in college and has grown the company from a small startup to a publicly-traded tech giant with nearly 2,000 employees. The road to success hasn’t always been easy, but Aaron and his team have created a thriving company with a clear vision and goals for the future. As one of the youngest CEOs of a large company at just 34 years old, Aaron offers unique perspectives on leadership and where it’s headed.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world, including Aaron. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com. I sat down with Aaron to discuss his views on the future of leadership; here are five important lessons he shared.
The future is customer-led, not company-led. Power dynamics are shifting and giving power to customers, which means leaders need to be much more in tune with delivering a great customer experience and amazing service. As Aaron said, “If you’re not tuned into their latest needs and issues on both an individual and a macro basis, there’ll be a competitor that will emerge that will deliver that value much more seamlessly and much more rapidly to customers.”

Leaders are responsible for the product experience. Modern leaders don’t just oversee things and crunch numbers on spreadsheets—they are actively involved in creating the product, or anything that the customer interacts with. Leaders need to ensure they they’ve put together the entire product system in a way that best serves customers. Aaron says the move to product-focused leaders is one of the biggest changes that needs to occur in corporations because it allows companies to focus on customers and more quickly adapt to change.
Agility can make or break a company. With constantly changing technology and markets, companies and leaders need to be agile and know how to pivot and make decisions quickly. Aaron sees one of the biggest challenges for future leaders as keeping up with change and being on the offensive instead of the defensive. Those challenges also bring great opportunities to lead change and disrupt industries. It all comes down to the speed at which the company is operating and how it responds to the level of dynamic inputs and outputs.
Leaders need to constantly communicate the vision. One of a leader’s most important responsibilities is to chart a strong vision for where the team or company needs to go. That also means lining up the right people who can execute the vision. The new way of thinking involves constantly communicating the strategy and staying authentic and transparent. Leaders of the future must be constantly focused on improving the culture and keeping the group moving together towards the goal.

Core leadership principles don’t change. Aaron says that a leadership book written decades ago would largely still hold true today, but the way things are manifest are very different and faster now. People are different today, but good leaders will always need to be able to communicate, align the company, and have a clear vision, no matter the trends or technology.

The core principles may stay the same, but the way of thinking around leadership is definitely changing. Aaron highlights many of those changes with his fresh approach to building a strong company culture and engaging employees. Connecting with customers and being integrally involved in product development are relatively new responsibilities of leaders that could yield huge rewards. Box is aggressively investing in talent enablement to train the next group of leaders. If the next generation follows in Aaron’s footsteps, they will be prepared to take on whatever rapid changes come next.

If you want to learn the leadership secrets of some of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, MasterCard, Yum! Brands, and more), you can sign up for the Leadership Reset to get access to the video coaching and training sessions.

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How Chipotle is Investing in Their People https://thefutureorganization.com/how-chipotle-is-investing-in-their-people/ Mon, 20 Jan 2020 09:20:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=26055 Marissa Andrada is the Chief People Officer at Chipotle, a very popular restaurant chain with 2,500 restaurants and 80,000 employees. Prior to Chipotle Marissa had led HR for companies such as Starbucks, Kate Spade, GameStop, Red Bull, and Universal Studios.

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Marissa Andrada Transcript

Marissa Andrada is the Chief People Officer at Chipotle, a very popular restaurant chain with 2,500 restaurants and 80,000 employees. Prior to Chipotle Marissa had led HR for companies such as Starbucks, Kate Spade, GameStop, Red Bull, and Universal Studios.

Marissa has seen quite a few changes in HR over the past 10-20 years. One of the biggest changes she mentioned is a shift in leadership. Purpose, vision, and values have been around in theory for awhile, but it wasn’t until recently that companies took these words from something on a poster in the hallway to something that companies actually live out through leadership. And employees can tell when leaders are actually living out what they talk about in company meetings or if it is all just talk.

When it comes to tenure in restaurants, a lot of times employees are coming and going frequently. Although Marissa shares that tenure at Chipotle has increased, she also says they understand that not everyone will stay at the company long term, and that’s OK.

Marissa says, “We’ve introduced so many new things that I believe are just leading edge for restaurant and retail, and we believe that, for example, debt-free degrees, we believe that first and foremost, that we are investing in and creating future leaders for Chipotle and for our restaurants, and ultimately the company. And if not, we’re creating future leaders for the world. I think there’s a responsibility that companies have especially one as large as ours is not only to do well, but also to do good in the world. And so that’s how I answer that question like that’s why we do it.”

Chipotle has also moved away from the traditional annual performance review. They now have what they call a 4×4 conversation, which is a meeting that happens four times a year (at least) where managers ask employees four questions. The four questions are:

What are your most significant accomplishments since we last met?
What are the most important things you will focus on before we meet next?
What obstacles are you encountering right now?
What can I do better or differently as your manager to support you?

Marissa shares, “It’s interesting when we first introduced the first 4×4 conversation, we just said, “Have a conversation,” and people were freaking out going, “Where’s the form? What do I fill out?” And then at the year-end, they’re like, “Where’s my form? What do I fill out?” And we just kind of said, “Hey, we’re all learning this together. At minimum, we want you to have this conversation. If you feel like documenting it, do it.” And so that was what we did at the Restaurant Support Center. But then for our crew members, what we created was just kind of a template to walk through those four questions. But it also helped people to understand, “Hey, here’s what I’m held accountable for,” but it’s not a traditional performance review form. It’s really highly customized for that employee. And so that we have a different spin on that and that it’s in a very Chipotle way and not a traditional performance review.”

What you will learn:
What first drew Marissa to HR
How they scale their values and culture across 80,000 people
What Marissa is most excited about regarding People Experience at Chipotle in 2020
The unique way they approach performance reviews
Some specific mindsets and skills they look for in potential leaders
How new employees get onboarded at Chipotle

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Philip Morris International CEO, André Calantzopoulos, On Leading Change In Evolving Industries https://thefutureorganization.com/philip-morris-international-ceo-andre-calantzopoulos-on-leading-change-in-evolving-industries/ Fri, 17 Jan 2020 11:50:37 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25994 It’s rare that a company decides to disrupt itself. As André Calantzopoulos says, it takes a strong leader to survive major organizational changes.

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André Calantzopoulos knows firsthand about the changing business landscape. As CEO of Philip Morris International, he has seen his company change from a major cigarette producer to a company developing products that reduce the risk of using tobacco or nicotine. By changing the makeup of the products, Phillip Morris avoids exposing its customers to dangerous nicotine and releasing harmful chemicals into their lungs. Part of the journey has included convincing people who smoke to switch to safer products or quit, which André says is not an easy task.

It’s rare that a company decides to disrupt itself, as André says, and it takes a strong leader to survive major organizational changes. André has worked for PMI for more than 30 years, starting as a business development analyst and working his way up to CEO in 2013. He has seen remarkable change in the company in that time and has played a major role in transforming how Phillip Morris interacts with customers and the type of products and marketing it develops. He now oversees more than 77,000 employees around the world.

As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world to get their insights on what it will take to be a successful leader over the next decade and beyond. André’s unique experience as a transformational leader created a fascinating discussion. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com.

Here are some of what André shared about leading major change within an organization and the skills all future leaders need to have to be ready to change.

First, he believes that core leadership values and principles don’t change, but the context around leadership has evolved with new technology and consumer trends. Today’s on-demand world puts everything in real time and impacts innovation cycles, response to consumer cycles, and a demand for instant reactions and information. To keep up, companies need to be ready to adapt and be agile to move with new changes. There isn’t a single function that can resolve everything anymore, which means leaders need to facilitate fluidity in their organizations to find the right solutions and responses to various issues and changes.

Future leaders need to be entrepreneurs. They shouldn’t be afraid to disrupt things, because if they don’t proactively disrupt they will likely end up being disrupted by someone or something else. Organizations used to have a few years to see a trend and adjust, but today’s leaders must anticipate change and move forward quickly.

With changes comes the need to have intimate knowledge of consumers. Organizations need to understand customers’ needs and leverage data to equip themselves with the right insights. At the same time, leaders also need to know their employees so they can put the right people in the right places. André says employees connect with purpose and challenges and want to work for companies that provide both. A consumer and employee perspective on a sense of purpose is increasingly important to understanding people and keeping the company ahead of change.

While they might not all evolve to the extent of PMI, all organizations are changing, either on their own accord or because they are being forced to by new technology and trends. To be successful in the future, leaders need to anticipate change, be comfortable with disruption, and connect with consumers and employees with a strong sense of purpose.

If you want to learn the leadership secrets of some of the world’s top CEOs (Airbnb, MasterCard, Yum! Brands, and more), you can sign up for the Leadership Reset to get access to the video coaching and training sessions.

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How Leaders Can See Around Corners https://thefutureorganization.com/how-leaders-can-see-around-corners/ Mon, 13 Jan 2020 10:45:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25891 Rita McGrath is a professor at Columbia Business School and author of the new book, Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen. She was also recently ranked #5 on the Thinkers50 list for her work in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship and for being a champion of harnessing disruptive influences for competitive advantage.

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Rita McGrath Transcript

Rita McGrath is a professor at Columbia Business School and author of the new book, Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen. She was also recently ranked #5 on the Thinkers50 list for her work in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship and for being a champion of harnessing disruptive influences for competitive advantage.

What does it actually mean to see around corners? Rita says it’s not about predicting the future, because predictions are hard, but it is about paying attention to signals. She says, “it’s more about expanding your range of possibilities that you’re considering, and then really being prepared to challenge your own assumptions. And I think that’s really where the seeing around corners part is so valuable, because if you think about it, any business grows up with a set of assumptions about what’s possible and what’s not. And what an inflection point does is it really changes the nature of those assumptions.”

Companies have to be able to pay attention to possible disruptions that could affect the way they do business. But what tends to happen is companies get comfortable doing the same thing and they think as long as it is working now, it will continue to work in the future. Companies such as Blockbuster and Toys R Us didn’t pay attention to signals all around that would have allowed them to adapt with the times and because they failed to pay attention they are no longer around.

Rita explains that the way to keep a lookout for inflection points is to think of a disaster scenario that would have a huge impact on your company and then work backwards from that “time zero event” to see if it has merit. For example, for someone working at a business school an example of a scenario would be students lose interest and employers don’t really care about business degrees. So the time zero event could be 50% of all existing business programs shut down, working backwards what would have to happen for that to take place?

And by looking at all the evidence you can figure out either this is not a likely scenario at all so just forget about it, or it is a very real possibility so what can I do to shift my strategy.

So what can you start doing now to improve your ability to “see around corners”? Rita says, “I think the first thing is this idea of the edges, that you really need to embed ways of learning about what’s happening, that isn’t right in front of you, that’s farther out. Go to conferences that aren’t directly related to what you do, maybe take a training course. Today, you can learn almost anything in 10 minutes a day on YouTube, and that’s really interesting. I read a lot. I actually… One of the reasons I really like my Twitter feed, and to some extent, LinkedIn, is a lot of the people that I interact with introduce me to sources I wouldn’t necessarily have run across on my own. And I think that’s another kind of interesting practice. I would say, this takes time. Now, it doesn’t take huge amounts of time, but if you’re spending every waking moment nose to the grindstone, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, you’re much more vulnerable to missing things than if you give yourself a little bit of that imagination space.”

What you will learn:

    What it means to see around corners
    Why leaders struggle to see around corners
    How to spot inflection points and avoid downfalls in business
    Real-life examples of companies who survived disruption
    How is the role of CEO going to change in the next 5-10 years

    This episode is made extra special by my friends over at Poppulo, a global leader in employee communications technology. Make sure to grab their awesome guide on The Role of Employee Communication in the Digital Workplace here: http://bit.ly/poppulo

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    ]]> Alicorp CEO Alfredo Perez’s Three Predictions for The Future Of Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/alicorp-ceo-alfredo-perezs-three-predictions-for-the-future-of-leadership/ Fri, 10 Jan 2020 09:56:48 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25797 Leadership principles may sound different around the world depending on the language you speak, but the messages remain the same. Alfredo Perez is CEO of Alicorp in Peru and is recognized for growing the company and creating a strong culture as a leader.

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    Leadership principles may sound different around the world depending on the language you speak, but the messages remain the same. Alfredo Perez is CEO of Alicorp in Peru and is recognized for growing the company and creating a strong culture as a leader.

    Alicorp is a large consumer goods company in Peru that sells everything from grocery items to haircare and household products. Alfredo oversees a diverse team of more than 5,000 employees as the company sends its products all over Peru. His leadership has shaped the company by helping it grow and preparing it for the future.

    As part of the research for my new book, The Future Leader, I interviewed more than 140 CEOs around the world to get their insights on what it will take to be a successful leader over the next decade and beyond. Alfredo shared some fascinating thoughts about what will happen in the future of work and leadership. You can learn more and get a copy of the book with all of the insights and research at GetFutureLeaderBook.com.

    I appreciated Alfredo’s unique take on leadership from an international perspective. He showed that the challenges and opportunities facing leaders of the future are universal. Here are Alfredo’s three predictions for the future of leadership:

    The pace of change will only increase.
    Technology is already disrupting how we live, think, and act, and the rate at which that changes will only get faster. Adapting to change isn’t enough; we need to lead change and create the future. Alfredo says future leaders need to balance pragmatism and speed with careful consideration for the implications of their decisions.

    Leaders must have a transformational instinct.
    Some leadership capabilities are timeless, but other necessary skills are new with changing technology and work demands. Alfredo says having a “transformational instinct” is crucial for future leaders. This way of thinking means leaders are always looking for new and better ways to work. The relentless pursuit adds value by continuously transforming the company. Future leaders need to be willing to experiment and fail to bring about forward-thinking change that can improve the company.

    People will always be the focus.
    Even with changing technology, people will always be central to everything that leaders do. The best leaders stay close to people, both employees and customers. One of Alfredo’s biggest leadership tips is holding regular meetings with employees at all levels and talking with them in an unstructured fashion. Staying close to people provides leaders with new perspectives and can open their minds to issues and points of view they might have never considered otherwise. Technology is powerful, but it also brings the challenge of needing to be more human and filling in the gaps that machines can’t reach. Building strong relationships will always be crucial to success and will never be able to be fully replicated by machines.

    Clearly, strong leadership skills are essential no matter where you are in the world. Alfredo’s thoughts help leaders prepare for the future and the changes it will bring.

    Learn more about the future of leadership from business leaders all over the world.
    Grab a copy of the book here: www.getfuturelader.com

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    How to Make Work Meaningful https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-make-work-meaningful/ Mon, 06 Jan 2020 09:50:26 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25674 Tom Rath is a bestselling author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. He has written several books, his newest one comes out in February and it is titled, Life’s Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World.

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    Tom Rath Transcript

    Tom Rath is a bestselling author and researcher who has spent the past two decades studying how work can improve human health and well-being. He has written several books, his newest one comes out in February and it is titled, Life’s Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World.

    Tom set out to write this book as a result of his personal reflections over the last several years. He says, “I’ve really been personally reflecting on, given my own health challenges and threats and my mortality, what are the most important things for people to get focused on? In particular, most of my writing and research is focused on that nexus of people and organizations, and how can we help people to lead better lives through the organizations that they’re a part of? And one thing I’ve observed after 20 years of, kind of following this area is that we’re often so quick to look inward and think about self-development and our own brand and how we can improve personally, and the more I have studied these topics, my big takeaway is that we can get more done and life is less stressful and more liberating when we find real concrete ways to focus almost all of our energies on the contribution we’re making to other people”

    The book addresses topics such as how to separate our identity from our job title, why following our dreams is not always the best approach, and the things teams need to address in order to be effective.

    One thing Tom has observed over the years is that the relationship between organizations and employees is broken. Why? Mostly because the basic structure of organizations today is outdated and ineffective for the modern age. It no longer suffices to bribe employees to work with monetary rewards, people today want more than that. They want purpose and meaning in the work that they do. They want to feel that they are contributing something to the organization and the world.

    As Tom shares, “I think the question is how quickly can we get to a place where each of us as individuals and organizations start to say, “Are we producing people who are better off when they go home at night?” They’re healthier and they’re more financially secured, that does matter. They have better relationships with their family members because they chose to be a part of this organization.”

    But this isn’t just up to the organizations to fix, individuals have a role as well. “Each of us has the responsibility to make sure that we’re not tolerating a job or a work that’s making our lives worse at the end of the day than we were when we showed up in the morning. And we need to start to ask some of those critical questions, ask the people around us, ask your best friend or your spouse, “Do you think I’m a better person because I’m doing this job right now versus where I was a year ago?” And sometimes they can help hold up a mirror where we need it as well.”

    What you will learn:

      Why Tom first started writing, even though it is not what he originally planned on doing
      How he approaches his day to day work and life
      What’s wrong with the employee-organization relationship and how do we fix it?
      Advice for leaders who want to be role models
      How to discover what you contribute to the world
      Why following your passions and dreams is not the best approach

      This episode is made extra special by my friends over at Poppulo, a global leader in employee communications technology. Make sure to grab their awesome guide on The Role of Employee Communication in the Digital Workplace here: http://bit.ly/poppulo

      The post How to Make Work Meaningful first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

      The post How to Make Work Meaningful appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

      ]]> How this CEO Leads a Team of 56,000 https://thefutureorganization.com/how-this-ceo-leads-a-team-of-56000/ Mon, 30 Dec 2019 09:37:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25469 This week’s guest is Dan Helfrich, the Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting. He has been with the company for over 20 years and he currently leads a team of 56,000 people. During our discussion Dan shares how he creates a consistent culture for such a large workforce

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      Dan Helfrich Transcript

      Dan Helfrich is the Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting, where he has worked for over 20 years. Although he had always wanted to be a sportscaster, once he graduated from Georgetown University, he had a choice between broadcasting and consulting and he ended up choosing consulting. And that choice has led him to where he is now, which is leading a team of 56,000 people.

      Dan is very passionate about diversity and inclusion, which seems to be at the center of a lot of conversations today inside of organizations. Dan says, “I actually think some are talking about it as a theme, and I think that’s wrong. Diversity and inclusion is an imperative, not a management fad, and not something to pay lip service to. And what we’re doing is, we are putting diversity and inclusion, and I view those as related concepts, but that have distinct elements to them. We’re putting that at the center of everything we do, we’re striving for increasing the representation of our teams on a ton of dimensions, in terms of gender, and in terms of race, and in terms of sexual orientation, and in terms of veterans, and in terms of parents.”

      So how does he make sure that diversity and inclusion is part of the DNA of an organization with a team of 56,000 people? First of all, Deloitte puts all of their leaders through unconcious bias training. Also, at the end of every meeting Dan personally asks two questions to the group–how can this team be more diverse and how can this team be more inclusive?

      As Dan shares, “No team is ever diverse enough, and no environment is ever inclusive enough. And so, opening the conversation to that set of topics unleashes a whole lot of great thinking and a whole lot of dialogue that creates comfort level in an organization about talking about things like race, and talking about things like different ages in the workplace, and what that means, and what the implications are. And that, I have found to be incredibly powerful.”

      His suggestion to leaders or even individuals inside of organizations is to ask questions and be curious. He says we need to be vulnerable and we should always seek to improve ourselves and our cultural awareness.

      As a CEO Dan sees himself as a “captain”. He says, “I’ve played competitive sports my whole life, and there’s many different ways that I see people showing up as the chief executive of an organization. The way I view it is, I’ve been bestowed a responsibility by a group of peers. And the best captains aren’t necessarily the best players. They have leadership characteristics to coalesce and make the team perform at an optimal way, but there are superstars on my team that are way better than me at a bunch of different… A bunch of different dimensions of being a consultant. And I show up as a captain, knowing that I get the privilege to lead a group of peers, but I never forget that I’m serving that group of peers, and that’s how I think of the role.”

      What you will learn:

        How Dan leads a team of 56,000
        How to candidly talk about diversity and inclusion inside your organization
        What makes a great leader
        How Dan makes tough choices
        Examples of how Dan has used empathy in his career
        How Dan fosters an environment of inclusion with the large number of individuals on his team

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        The post How this CEO Leads a Team of 56,000 appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

        ]]> How the CEO of Ketchum Leads by Example https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-ceo-of-ketchum-leads-by-example/ Mon, 23 Dec 2019 09:05:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25304 Barri Rafferty is the President and CEO of Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm serving clients in over 70 countries. Ketchum has been named PR Agency of the Year and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive Campaign of the Year Awards.

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        Download the Transcript

        Barri Rafferty is the President and CEO of Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm serving clients in over 70 countries. Ketchum has been named PR Agency of the Year and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive Campaign of the Year Awards.

        She became the first female CEO of a top five global public relations firm at the beginning of 2018. In total, she has worked for Ketchum for 24 years. When asked what her leadership style is, Barri says, “My goal is to bring out the best in the people that work for me. So I feel like as a leader, I’m very much of a coach. I go… I move really fast, so I have to trust the people around me. And I really encourage us to all collaborate and work together. We have a lot of debate on… Any leadership team I ever have, I always think if people aren’t debating and pushing back on me and there’s not a few raised voices, or curse words every now and then, that it’s probably not a good thing, right? We’ve gotta get in it, but we lock arms when we get out. And I also think I am a very nurturing leader too in a lot of ways. I still write birthday and anniversary cards, do personal gifts for the holidays”

        As a leader Barri believes that communication is crucial. Having open, honest communication between employees and leaders really makes a difference in the culture of an organization. One of the ways she listens to her employees is through Glint Pulse surveys that take place three times per year at Ketchum. These surveys allow her to see what issues matter to employees and one issue they are focusing on currently is workplace flexibility.

        In order to fully embrace this flexibility Barri understands it is important to make employees know it is available and allow them to take advantage of it without feeling bad about it. They have implemented flex February where everyone shares pictures of where they are working remotely on the company’s social media. They also believe in “Leaving Loudly” which means that instead of trying to sneak out or be quiet about leaving early due to a doctor’s appointment, child’s recital, family event, etc…you should tell people and feel good about it.

        Diversity and inclusion is also very important to Barri and her team at Ketchum, especially as they are helping organizations create a message and reach potential clients. So they are working hard to make sure they have diversity in age, race, gender, location, political views, backgrounds, etc…
        When asked to give advice to anyone looking to be a better leader, Barri says, “I would say build a style that’s authentic to you, right? I think if you have to put on one persona at home, and one persona at work, it’s hard to be an authentic leader. So if you can build it from your personality, some of us are introverts, some of us are more introverts some are more expressive, some are more amiable, right, you have to start with that foundation and then build around it the leadership skills, but if you can show up at work as a leader true to your core, I think you’re gonna be a better leader, no matter what.”

        What you will learn:

          How to build confidence as a leader
          How Barri keeps up with the fast pace of change
          A look at how the company fully embraces workplace flexibility
          How Ketchum is removing bias from the hiring process
          How Barri describes her leadership style
          A look at how Ketchum upskills and trains employees

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          The post How the CEO of Ketchum Leads by Example appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

          ]]> The Future of Education https://thefutureorganization.com/the-future-of-education/ Mon, 16 Dec 2019 09:37:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=25138 This week’s guest is Martin Boehm, the Dean of IE Business School, one of the world’s leading higher education institutions. It is really at the forefront of innovation in education technology and preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow.

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          Martin Boehm Transcript

          Martin Boehm is the Dean of IE Business School, one of the world’s leading higher education institutions. It is based in Madrid, Spain, but most of their programs consist of 80-90% international students.

          The business school was ranked the 3rd European Business School by Financial Times, 1st Worldwide Distance Online MBA by QS, 1st Business School in Europe and 3rd in the world by The Aspen Institute, and 3rd Non-US MBA Business School by Forbes, just to name a few of their awards.

          Education hasn’t changed much over the past 100+ years and it is becoming more apparent that we are in desperate need of change in this area. With all of the technological advances, the evolving workforce, and an incredibly face pace of change in the world today we have to update our way of educating to allow students to prepare for the future of work. And that is just what Martin and his team at IE Business School are doing.

          One thing that has to change is we have to move from simply imparting knowledge and facts to students to helping students develop skills. In order for students to be prepared for the future, they need to have skills like learning agility, curiosity, collaboration, problem-solving, etc…So that instead of focusing on one certain career path they have a wide set of skills that allow them to continually adapt and reinvent themselves when needed.

          We are no longer living in a world where a person can study a specific field in college, graduate with a degree, and then work for the same company for 25, 30, or 40 years. With AI, automation, and new job creation individuals need to have a different set of skills and mindsets while in school as well as after graduation.

          As Martin shares, “I think we have to reinvent ourselves or we’re going to have to reinvent ourselves over our career multiple times. Maybe you might’ve heard people talk about the so-called T model, right? Where they actually say, well, education is about having a broad foundation. I mean some basic skills and then the T is essentially about, I have to specialize and become an expert in something. Right? And that’s going to serve me for the rest of my life over the next 30-40 years. I’m going to, that’s what I’m going to be doing. I think what we’re going to have to do is we’re going to have to evolve from this T model to more of an M model or W model, which means, I mean there’s going to be multiple times and throughout your lifetime, throughout your career where you might have to reinvent yourself and specialize in something.”

          So who is responsible for keeping individuals consistently learning and upskilling? Martin says that learning does take some “intrinsic motivation” on the part of the individual. We as individuals need to do our part to find ways to learn new skills. We cannot leave this up to universities and organizations.

          But organizations do not get a free pass either. Martin says, “For instance, if I as a CEO, if I as an organization understand that my company is going or my industry for the matter of fact is undergoing a fundamental transformation that is going to leave many of my employees and their skills as obsolete. I think I have an obligation. I think I have a responsibility as well to push them, to help them to actually transform in line with the industry in order to be able to acquire these skills in order to remain and stay relevant.”

          What you will learn:

            What is the IE Business School
            How education is changing and why it is critical that it changes now
            How types of degrees could change in the future
            How the IE Business School is experimenting with education technology
            Martin’s advice on what to major in or what degree to focus on
            Steps we can take to become lifelong learners
            What today’s organizations are looking for when recruiting new graduates

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            The post The Future of Education appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

            ]]> Why and How to Become Indistractable https://thefutureorganization.com/why-and-how-to-become-indistractable/ Mon, 09 Dec 2019 10:13:09 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=24959 My guest this week is Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and the new book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. He has been studying and writing about behavior design and habit formation for many years.

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            ]]>
            Download the Transcript

            Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products (2014) and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life (2019). He started and sold two tech companies and he has taught at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Design. He has been studying and writing about behavior design and habit formation for many years and he became fascinated with how technology persuades people to do things they normally wouldn’t do. This is ultimately what led him to write his bestselling booked Hooked.

            Nir’s newest book came about as a result of his search for a solution to a problem he had with staying focused and getting things done. Nir says, “Hooked is about building good habits, Indistractable is about how do we break bad habits.”

            Being distracted is not a new problem. These days we tend to place the blame on technology, social media, smartphones, etc… But as Nir points out, “People have always been finding ways to escape boredom. So it’s not a new [being distracted]… I don’t think that it’s necessarily a technology problem. I think that what’s changed is that if you are looking to escape, it’s easier than ever, that you can find that escape because it’s just sitting here in our pocket.”

            Since the beginning of time people have been distracted by the news, by gossip, sports, movies and so on. Technology is something to turn to when we want to be distracted, but it is not the cause of our problem.

            For example, during Nir’s 5 years of research for the book he found that one of the root causes for distraction in the workplace is a toxic corporate culture. When people are unhappy at work, when they feel like they have no say, when they feel like the work they do is meaningless they turn to distractions, and a lot of times they not only distract themselves, but they distract everyone around them.

            Nir says that there are three attributes of companies who have an indistractable workplace culture. They are:

            They give people psychological safety
            They give employees a forum to talk about problems and issues
            The management exemplifies what it means to be indistractable

            “When people do work in these type of toxic work environments with high expectations and low controls, the reason they get more distracted and get less done is because of that workplace culture that, in fact, by giving people agency and control over their time, ironically, they become way more productive because what are we doing, we’re increasing their agency, that characteristic that’s missing, the low control.

            Now we have high expectation with high control. That’s a great work environment…The first step is to lead by example, follow the tactics in the book. There are hundreds of things that you can do, one at a time, you don’t have to do everything all at once, but one at a time, you can start instituting these practices to become indistractable yourself to lead by example.”

            What you will learn:

              A look at the root cause of distraction in the workplace (hint: it’s not technology)
              The three qualities of a company that has an indistractable workplace culture
              How to balance important things and urgent things
              Four steps to becoming indistractable
              Why Nir hates to-do lists
              Nir’s simple advice for leaders
              How to overcome distractions in the workplace

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              The post Why and How to Become Indistractable appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

              ]]> How The World’s Largest Design Firm is Thinking About the Future Workplace https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-worlds-largest-design-firm-is-thinking-about-the-future-workplace/ Mon, 02 Dec 2019 08:51:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=24693 Diane Hoskins is the co-CEO at Gensler, the largest global design and architecture firm with over 6,000 professionals across 50 offices. You may have seen some of the structures they have worked on, including the Shanghai Tower, the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, the Microsoft headquarters in Ireland, the Ford Foundation Center in New York, and countless others all over the world.

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              ]]>
              Download the Transcript

              Diane Hoskins is the co-CEO at Gensler, the largest global design and architecture firm with over 6,000 professionals across 50 offices. You may have seen some of the structures they have worked on, including the Shanghai Tower, the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, the Microsoft headquarters in Ireland, the Ford Foundation Center in New York, and countless others all over the world.

              When speaking about the work that Gensler does, Diane says, “We bring insight-driven and research-driven design solutions to some of the most challenging and most amazing opportunities out there, all around the world. Working with leading companies in the tech industry and governments, and law firms, and organizations all over the world and also projects like airports, and sports stadiums and hospitality and even health and wellness. And really bringing a full 360 understanding of really the transformation of live, work, and play. And our deep research is helping us to bring insight into the design solutions that we offer with a goal of, at the center, really at the center of all of our work is the human experience.”

              Traditionally we have thought of workspaces as a place where people just show up to work, but it is really so much more than that now. It’s no longer just a space where we go from 9 to 5, because of the integration of work and life that is happening. As Diane shares the workspace is what allows people to connect, collaborate, share, innovate, and make a difference. A workspace should reflect the culture, the mission, and the purpose of the organization. This is a major shift that is taking place in workspace design.

              The old debate between open and closed spaces in the workplace is quickly becoming something of the past. It is becoming more apparent that it is a diverse work environment that is what makes the most sense. It’s important to have a mixture of open spaces that encourage collaboration and interactions as well as some closed spaces for phone calls, meetings, and individual work.

              Gensler is utilizing a lot of new technologies to help design workspaces that make sense for the needs of their individual clients. The ability to use data sensors, wearables, and algorithms in the design process is something that couldn’t have been done years ago and it is impacting the future of workspace design.

              So with all of these updates and changes, how do you keep your workplace relevant for years to come? Diane says, “There used to be a lot more specific design around the process, almost this idea of taking apart the process and then overlaying that on the floor plan and designing each department in its own way, and really looking at the actual work activity. And with the rate of change of what people do, and how companies are transforming, to your point, you basically can design something that will be obsolete you in a year, six months, or two years. And so the the understanding of what work is and how people work, is less about the process, which is probably a little bit more of a factory mindset, and more about, as we were talking earlier, it’s about really supporting individual work, group work, and the organization itself. And ultimately then, there’s total flexibility to be able to then support any work process, any new type of offering that that organization is going to bring to the markets, new kinds of people they may be bringing in, different generations and so on and so on.”

              What you will learn:

                A look at the new role workspaces play
                How real estate impacts climate change and how Gensler is addressing the problem
                What role technology plays in workspace design
                What it’s like to work at Gensler
                How to keep your organization’s workspace relevant for years to come
                A look at the future of workspace design

                The post How The World’s Largest Design Firm is Thinking About the Future Workplace first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How The World’s Largest Design Firm is Thinking About the Future Workplace appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                ]]> Blockchain and the Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/blockchain-and-the-future-of-work/ Mon, 25 Nov 2019 11:00:00 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=24144 Don Tapscott is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman at the Blockchain Research Institute and bestselling author of 16 books. His most recent book is Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World.

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                ]]>
                Download the Transcript

                Don Tapscott is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman at the Blockchain Research Institute and bestselling author of 16 books.

                His most recent book is Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World.

                Don has been on the Thinkers50 list 5 times, most recently in 2017 when he was ranked #2 on the list. He also wrote the afterword for my 2012 book, The Collaborative Organization.

                At the Blockchain Research Institute, Don and his team study hundreds of cases and stories within 15 industries in order to document the strategic implications of blockchain. Because of this research they are able to help leaders in business and government navigate the blockchain revolution.

                Why do we need blockchain? As Don explains up until now we have had intermediaries such as banks, brokers, credit card companies, governments, etc… in order to make sure that assets are safe. But these intermediaries are getting hacked and they sometimes have processes that are outdated, lengthy and costly. That is where blockchain comes in.

                The intermediaries will not disappear altogether, but the value will change. He says, “I think the opportunity to create new value, may be bigger than the old disintermediation. I mean, look at… Barnes and Noble suffered, but look at Amazon, it’s the most valuable company in the world now. It’s in the middle, right in that space. So I said, “The problem is, the leaders of the old middle are not typically the ones to create the new middles.” So what happens to these people? Well, we’re of the view the future is not something to be predicted, it’s something to be achieved. It depends on what they do. And traditional people in the middle, I’d say Western Union, I wouldn’t think that they have a huge chance. I don’t know the company very well, but I don’t see a lot of signs that they’re trying to innovate a whole new model for remittances globally, using this technology. So it’s really up to you.”

                Blockchain still has a long way to go, it’s still, as Don says, “relatively immature”. It’s going to take a while to fully implement it, but it is still a profound advancement and it is definitely going to impact the way we live and work.

                Don’s advice to individuals and leaders is to be curious and look into blockchain to learn what you can about it. He says if you run a large corporation it doesn’t matter what function you are in–whether you are the CEO, in HR, even in marketing–you will be affected by blockchain and there will be big opportunities to utilize it.

                What you will learn:

                • What is blockchain and how is it impacting the future of work
                • Don’s advice for the younger generation currently in college
                • The implications of AI–will they be positive or negative?
                • A look at specific trends that are forcing organizations to take blockchain more seriously now
                • Don’s advice for both non-leaders and leaders on what we should be doing about blockchain

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                Drones and The Future of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/drones-and-the-future-of-work/ Mon, 18 Nov 2019 10:14:33 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=22537 This week’s guest is Ben Marcus, the Co-Founder and Chairman of AirMap, a company that develops the digital infrastructure, standards, and services for drones to fly safely at scale.

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                Ben Marcus is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Airmap, a company that develops the digital infrastructure, standards, and services for drones to fly safely at scale. Basically they create the digital highways that allow for drones to fly. He grew up near an airport and was always fascinated with aviation.

                He became a pilot, a flight instructor and eventually a flight test engineer who certified planes. And it was while he was learning to fly that he began his journey to come up with the idea for AirMap.

                Ben says, “When I was a flight instructor flying over Los Angeles, I used to fly every day, and have a student next to me, look down at the freeways, and they’re jammed packed with people. These cars are just stopped, and I felt so bad for all these miserable people stuck in traffic and I’m the only one up here in the sky. And I was like, “Why is there not more people in the sky with me?” And so, I’ve dedicated my life and my career to helping extend the benefits of flight to more and more people in their daily lives.”

                So what do drones have to do with the future of work? The fact is drones are already being used in a lot of industries to help with cost savings, employee safety, and training. Ben gave an example of how the telecommunications industry is using drones to help with the process of inspecting their antennas. This process is usually dangerous for human workers as well as time-consuming, but now the drones are easily and safely able to take video of the equipment that employees can then review to ensure everything is working properly.

                In the future, we will also see drones used in more science-fiction-like ways. Ben believes that drones will have a huge impact on the world of talent because we will be able to fly to work. This will change how organizations think about where to put their headquarters and how individual employees think about where to live.

                “If you can fly to work, you can avoid all of that lost productivity, all of that expense, and you can basically live where you want. If you can fly at 100 miles an hour instead of being stuck in traffic at 20 miles an hour, you could live five times further away and have the same commute time. So I actually think that this is gonna lead to a de-urbanization trend and I think it will counter a lot of the negative consequences that have come from urbanization. I think we can have a lot more green space, we need far fewer parking lots and fewer roads. We can have a much more environmentally sustainable way of life going forward. So that’s a really exciting future.”

                Ben’s advice to business leaders is if you haven’t started working with drones yet and implementing them in ways across your organization, you should start now, because your competitors are most likely already working with drones.

                “Many of these large enterprises that have been experimenting with drones are now moving from an experimentation phase into a scaling phase where they maybe have had a drone initiative in their innovation department and they’re now moving that across the enterprise and figuring out how they can really make this a part of their workflow, how the data that’s collected from drones can be integrated into their ERP systems, how do you really make this a part of the fabric of how our company operates? That’s happening now in a lot of businesses across lots of industries all around the world. So, it’s not too late, but you should get started right now.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:
                How Ben got involved with drones and AirMap
                What do drones have to do with work, jobs, careers and the business world
                The impact drones will have on the world of talent
                Some cool examples of how drones could affect our daily lives
                How to ensure drone safety
                What listeners need to know or think about when it comes to drones

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                How to Navigate Your Organization Through Digital Transformation https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-navigate-your-organization-through-digital-transformation/ Mon, 11 Nov 2019 10:14:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=22391 My guest this week is Chuck Kosal, the Chief Transformation Officer at Deloitte Tax, the tax function of the global firm Deloitte.

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                Chuck Kosal is the Chief Transformation Officer at Deloitte Tax LLP, the US tax function of the global firm Deloitte. Deloitte has a total of around 312,000 employees around the world and the US tax function is made up of around 12,000 of those employees. They were actually named “Americas Tax Technology Firm of the Year” for the 2nd year in a row by the International Tax Review.

                Deloitte Tax is working to create digital innovation that helps its clients adapt to accelerating globalization, increased regulatory and business complexities and other significant transformational changes in the corporate landscape. And in order to accomplish this the organization has to continually evolve to keep up with the needs of their clients.

                Part of Chuck’s role is to help the organization navigate change and transformation. This can be a very challenging task because people tend to resist change. Chuck says, “You think in any conversation people always embrace change, they talk about how they want things to be better, how they want things to be different, but the reality is often, human nature is they want everybody around them to change, they think what they’re doing is pretty spiffy, right? And so I could share an anecdotal example of a current technology we have in place, that everybody has complained about for a number of years. We announce that we’re gonna change it and people scream and yell and drop to the floor and kick and scream like my youngest child, that, “don’t take it away for me this terrible technology.” So, it’s every day is spent navigating the organization, navigating the stakeholders, doing audience analysis to ensure I understand what’s in it for the other side, showing empathy.”

                Deloitte Tax is going through a digital transformation. As Chuck describes it, they are “trying to go from doing digital to being digital”. They realize that their clients are used to the quick and seamless interactions with companies like Amazon, Uber, Google and these clients are going to expect the same service from Deloitte as well.

                When it comes to organizational transformation Chuck says one of the biggest pitfalls companies encounter is the fear of taking the first step.

                “You’ll hear a lot and I’m sure on your podcast, this idea of being bold. You don’t actually need to be bold, you need to be brave. And you need to take the first step towards a change and I see that in the context of transformation. Digital or otherwise, any types of business transformation, even personal transformation, it’s the first step that’s the hardest. When you think about, it’s that first workout that’s the hardest, it’s the first investment you make that’s the hardest. And so I would say that’s the biggest challenge that I would tell people. It’s an easy challenge to overcome, just take your first step. Big or small, just take a step and see how it goes. And you might find that it’s not as bad as you think and you might actually get some results that will inspire you to take a bigger step next time. But don’t let paralysis be the enemy. Don’t let this idea of how change might… What the outcome of change might be to not actually try it. And so I would say that’s it, it’s take that first step.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:
                What does a Chief Transformation Officer do
                A look at the trends Chuck is paying attention to
                How Deloitte is moving from doing digital to being digital
                How Chuck and his team are utilizing technology
                How companies can keep up with new technologies
                How to deal with change and approach people who are resistant to change
                The role of empathy in business
                Some of the pitfalls or mistakes companies make when going through a transformation

                Huge thanks to VMware for sponsoring this episode! If you want a free copy of my upcoming book ‘The Future Leader’, visit this link.

                The post How to Navigate Your Organization Through Digital Transformation first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How to Navigate Your Organization Through Digital Transformation appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                The Customer of the Future with Futurist Blake Morgan https://thefutureorganization.com/the-customer-of-the-future-with-futurist-blake-morgan/ Mon, 04 Nov 2019 09:39:20 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=22113 Blake Morgan is a best-selling author, speaker and futurist who focuses on customer experience. Her new book, The Customer of the Future: Ten Guiding Principles for Winning Tomorrow’s Business, was just released on October 29.

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                Blake Morgan is a best-selling author, speaker and futurist who focuses on customer experience. Her new book, The Customer of the Future: Ten Guiding Principles for Winning Tomorrow’s Business, was just released on October 29.

                Creating great customer experience is critical for organizations looking to get and stay ahead. With all of the technologies we have and use on a daily basis (Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, etc…) as consumers we have come to expect personalized, easy, quick experiences. The problem is so many organizations are not keeping up with technology. Most, if not all, of us have stories about horrible experiences when interacting with insurance companies or cable companies or airlines.

                Creating great customer experience is intertwined with creating great employee experience, because it is employees who are fulfilled, happy, and engaged who are going to be willing to go above and beyond for the customers. Employees who do not have the resources, tools, and training to do their job correctly are not going to provide great customer experience.

                Blake shares a story that she heard from an HR executive at Workday, that proves this point completely. There was a salesperson who worked at the company, but he had a very hard time selling the software. The software itself was very hard to sell because it is only replaced every 10 years, but on top of that the salesperson was going through some difficult times personally, which made selling even harder. He had found out his daughter was suffering from an illness and the insurance he had through the company would not cover the medical attention his daughter would need.

                He approached HR to ask for an exception and surprisingly they were able to change his policy to cover what his daughter needed. He was so grateful and relieved that he had a complete turn around professionally. He became the highest-grossing salesperson at the company and he started bringing in million-dollar deals.

                Blake says, “What I love about this story is that the head of HR didn’t even remember approving this policy change for this young man because it was just so normal to be a human being and do the right thing for the human beings that work for you. And I think most companies, they’ve become so procedure obsessed, so operations obsessed, so money-obsessed that they completely miss the human element, they treat their employees like robots, which is ironic because we’re all afraid of being replaced by robots. Well, most companies already treat their employees like robots and their employees treat customers like robots.”

                Think of how much our customer experience would change if we could start by treating our employees with empathy, compassion, and kindness.

                “Being a successful business today takes hard work, but if you’re just the one who has common sense, if you have integrity, if you have fair business practices, I believe that you can make it based on these old principles of integrity, of a commitment to being better. Jeff Bezos recently said, “I believe that one day Amazon will fail. Amazon will go bankrupt.” And that’s this humility, this awareness of… His company’s own mortality. Like even Amazon could disappear overnight. That keeps him humble. And earning our keep every single day, no matter if it’s in our relationships with our family, with our employees, with our customers, it’s that humility. All of this could just go away. So every single day we need to try our best and commit to our originally established own vision and not let it lose its luster over time.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:
                How Blake got involved in the customer experience space
                What is the difference between customer service and customer experience
                A look at the biggest trend causing organizations to spend more time on customer experience
                How does employee experience fit in with customer experience
                Examples of companies who are getting customer experience right
                A look at the 10 guiding principles in Blake’s new book

                Huge thanks to VMware for sponsoring this episode! If you want a free copy of my upcoming book ‘The Future Leader’, visit this link.

                The post The Customer of the Future with Futurist Blake Morgan first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post The Customer of the Future with Futurist Blake Morgan appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How This CEO is Transforming His 22,000 Person Company to Focus on Purpose  https://thefutureorganization.com/how-this-ceo-is-transforming-his-22000-person-company-to-focus-on-purpose/ Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:12:14 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21931 Daniel Martinez-Valle is the CEO of Orbia, a global leader in polymers, materials, and infrastructure. In this week's discussion, you will hear how Orbia is committed to “help the world take shape and create a more livable, lovable planet for everyone”.

                The post How This CEO is Transforming His 22,000 Person Company to Focus on Purpose  first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                Daniel Martinez-Valle is the CEO of Orbia, a global leader in polymers, materials and infrastructure. Orbia has over 22,000 employees in 41 countries around the world. They are committed to “help the world take shape and create a more livable, lovable planet for everyone”.

                The company has been undergoing a major transformation, including a recent name change, from Mexichem to Orbia. There are three main components to the transformation they are going through, when explaining them Daniel says, “The first one has to do with articulating a very clear purpose, that people in our organization and our stakeholders can really understand and connect to. The second one, our values, which is very important as we move along, and as people make daily choices within our organization and within our extended organizations. And then the third one is to really transform our company and to become truly, a customer-centric organization.” They are changing to be a more human company, one that cares about the world, the environment, people and society.

                Orbia’s transformation is holistic, it is not just about a name change or a website update or a change in strategy, every single aspect of the organization has been affected by this transformation. So why are they going through this change? As an organization Orbia wants to make sure that they are impacting the world around them in a positive way. There are many world issues that need to be addressed, including food and water shortages and pollution.

                As they go through this transformation one of the fundamental steps is articulating a very clear company purpose that employees and stakeholders can connect to. Daniel says, “For us purpose means what is the fundamental reason why we exist, and why we come to work every day, beyond sort of generating profits, generating dividends or having the ability to pay bi-weekly, or weekly wages. Why would people care if Orbia ceases to exist five years from now, or 20 years from now? Why do we matter, why do we exist? And it’s a combination of a number of individual reflections in terms of, how can we transcend in life, why are we here and how can we make sure that in our final hours we can look back and say, at least one life could breathe easier because we lived. And when we combine that as a collective, and when we move from a ‘Me’ mentality to a ‘We’ mentality, that’s what purpose means.”

                And they don’t just put values and mission statements up on the walls of their organization and hope that it will inspire employees. They are backing up their values and purpose with action in every aspect of the organization. From incentives, to training programs, to the way they onboard new employees, everything inside of the organization stems from the purpose of why the company exists.

                “I think the very basic analogy that I give very colloquially to people is if this were acupuncture, we have to insert a needle in every single pore of the skin. And if this is not sort of a truly holistic process, then the transformation will not be effective down the road. So, in everything that people see and every interaction, they need to feel that they need to see this transformation in order for this to be real. And at the end of the day, it has to transform itself into a social movement. It’s not something that people in corporate offices can say, “This will happen.” People have to embrace: What are our values? What is our purpose? Where do wanna take the company? How do we define success? How are we gonna make sure that we are making the right choices? How are we gonna embrace failure? And how are we gonna change the culture in order to make this transformation happen? And if I am one of those 22,000 employees, how do I need to understand my role in this transformation journey, and then that’s when it becomes a social movement.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:
                What it is like to work at Orbia
                Why the company is going through a transformation
                How you can help employees find their purpose
                How to change corporate culture
                How purpose and profits can be fully aligned
                Daniel’s advice for people who want to be better leaders

                Huge thanks to VMware for sponsoring this episode! If you want a free copy of my upcoming book ‘The Future Leader’, go here.

                The post How This CEO is Transforming His 22,000 Person Company to Focus on Purpose  first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How This CEO is Transforming His 22,000 Person Company to Focus on Purpose  appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                The History of AI and What to Expect in the Future https://thefutureorganization.com/the-history-of-ai-and-what-to-expect-in-the-future/ Mon, 21 Oct 2019 08:00:58 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21741 Pamela McCorduck is an artificial intelligence (AI) expert and author. She has written 10 books, the newest one comes out this month and it is titled: This Could Be Important: My Life and Times with the Artificial Intelligentsia.

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                Pamela McCorduck is an artificial intelligence (AI) expert and an author. She has written 10 books, the newest one comes out this month and it is titled: This Could Be Important: My Life and Times with the Artificial Intelligentsia.

                Pamela first became interested in AI when she was studying at the University of California, Berkeley. She was an English major, but she had a job typing in the business school, which is where she met some of the “fathers of AI”. Two assistant professors in the business school who she became acquainted with through her job approached her to see if she could help them work on a book. The book was on the topic of AI, something that at that time Pamela knew nothing about.

                When she asked one of the assistant professors what AI was he gave her a great definition. He said, “I would define it as machines doing something that if a human did that we would say, ‘Oh that’s intelligent behavior.” Pamela said that while working on the book in 1960 she fell in love with the field of AI and she has been learning all she can about it ever since.

                Back when Pamela first started immersing herself in AI, it fascinated her so much that she decided she wanted to write a book on the history of artificial intelligence. With the help of AI experts at that time, she wrote Machines Who Think, which looks at the evolution AI has gone through from the time of the classic Greek poets to the 20th century.

                Pamela states that the algorithms we use today were actually developed in the 80s, but at the time we didn’t have the advanced technology needed to use them. So the things we are seeing today in AI and machine learning which seem so futuristic, are actually from a few decades ago, we just didn’t have the technology needed until now.

                When asked about the meaning behind the title of her new book, This Could Be Important, Pamela said, “This book is a memoir of sorts, and it starts from the time that AI really grabs me by the gut and goes on. So my husband was the chairman of the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon in the 70s. And in the late 70s, he was called to Columbia University because the Ivy League was among the last to establish computer science departments. And so he established the Computer Science Department at Columbia where he earned his Ph.D. and, of course, we moved to New York City, which I loved ’cause I’m a writer. And that was the writer’s company town in those days. Anyway, I got into all kinds of literary circles ’cause I still thought of myself as a literary person, and I would run into various public intellectuals and I would say, “You know, this artificial intelligence, this could be important.” And they would look at me as if I were absolutely nuts and laugh. I mean, what else could they do? And it went on for two decades at least.”

                Pamela believes that AI will have a major impact on the future of work and the future in general. And there will be benefits as well as some challenges that come with it. She understands that AI will never make a perfect paradise because we as humans will never be perfect. But that doesn’t mean we should forget it altogether.

                “It’s not gonna be paradise, but it’s gonna be a lot easier for a lot more people, and that gets to one of the things that really makes me unhappy about people like Musk who say, “Oh, we’ve just gotta stop AI.” And I’m thinking “You live in a privileged society, and you live a life of great privilege in that society. Who are you to say nobody gets the benefits of AI because it might have some bad effects?” There is a world of need out there that AI could supply, and it’s not up to us privileged white people, and privileged white men to say, “Oh no, sorry, we’re not gonna have that because there are dangers.” Well, yes, of course, there are dangers but boy, think of the benefits.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How Pamela first got involved in the AI space
                A look at the history of AI
                What is symbolic intelligence and why is it so important for the future
                The impact AI will have on the future of work
                How the current industrial revolution is different than the first
                What is was like in the early days of AI and what Pamela learned from the “fathers of AI”

                Huge thanks to VMware for sponsoring this episode! If you want a free copy of my upcoming book ‘The Future Leader’, go here.

                The post The History of AI and What to Expect in the Future first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post The History of AI and What to Expect in the Future appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How to Balance Technology and Humanity https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-balance-technology-and-humanity/ Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:26:54 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21600 In our discussion today you will hear Sanjay’s story--how he came to the US from India, how he started his career, and how he ultimately ended up at VMware. You will also hear Sanjay’s view on how to balance technology and humanity in the workplace, what technology freaks him out, why he values storytelling and much more.

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                Sanjay Poonen is the Chief Operating Officer at VMware, a global leader in cloud infrastructure and digital workspace technology. They are the 5th largest software company and they currently have around 26,000 employees in offices around the world.

                Sanjay has been with VMware since 2013, prior to that he was President & Corporate Officer – Platform, Applications & Industries at SAP. He started his career as a software engineer at Microsoft followed by Apple.

                Technology today is advancing more rapidly than ever before, and it’s hard to tell what the world will look like 10-15 years from now. But Sanjay says some things will never change and as we progress we still need to make sure that we are training our children the fundamental principles of science, technology, engineering, math, logic, physics, etc…He also believes storytelling is an important skill for the future.

                He says, “I think it’s super important that we emphasize storytelling to our kids. And I hope that dinner table conversations are not obsessed with keeping the TV on and the device on. We try to keep a no device policy for a period of time in the evenings in our home. It’s super important we go back to that basic principle of what people did around the dinner table, which is telling stories. And I hope that the classroom setting is the same time too. One of the dangers of this obsession with devices is that we move away from whatever friendship or family constructs that got people telling stories. I find often today, people are so obsessed with their devices, they’re not as good at carrying on a conversation, they’re looking down.”

                Technology can be used for great things and it can be used to make our lives easier. But we also have to be careful because it can also be used in dangerous ways as well. Sanjay explains that just as fire can be used for good (keeping us warm, cooking food, giving light) and bad (arson) technology can be used either way as well.

                For example, AI can be used to help doctors take more efficient, legible prescriptions via speech recognition technology rather than writing them out by hand. And it can be used in vehicles to help people park better or to drive more safely in heavy traffic. But it can also be used in selfish or even evil ways. With facial recognition there is a possibility that someone could be wrongfully identified and end up in trouble. Companies can sell data they have gathered from customers without permission. Because of these issues Sanjay believes it is critical for technologists, leaders, and governments to constantly have conversations and debates in order to make technology a force for good.

                As a leader, how does Sanjay attract and retain the best talent? He says it starts with practicing servant leadership. “It’s super important that you’re always humble and hungry, and looking to learn. And part of it, being a servant-leader doesn’t mean that you’re a doormat that everybody steps over. I’m strongly opinionated, I’m passionate, I’m a hard negotiator, all those things. But I don’t want any smell of me that I’m arrogant, unwilling to learn, unwilling to listen. I make plenty of mistakes, I’m a work in progress. But I want my team to feel like, “You know what, this guy’s got a growth mindset, so I can give him feedback. And I want the person who’s at the lowest rung of my organization to feel like I’m approachable, as opposed to sitting in some ivory tower with a bunch of security guards around me that they can’t come and talk to me or send an email to me or walk into my office. And I’m always challenging myself to how I could continue to drive that servant leadership mindset, both in myself, and role model it to my organization.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                Sanjay’s general take on technology today
                The importance of leaders speaking up and taking a stance instead of staying neutral
                How to balance technology and humanity in the workplace
                How Sanjay brings in the best people and keeps them motivated
                The importance of storytelling
                Why Sanjay believes an A should be added to STEM to make it STEAM
                What technology freaks Sanjay out

                Huge thanks to VMware for sponsoring this episode! If you want a free copy of my upcoming book ‘The Future Leader’, go here.

                The post How to Balance Technology and Humanity first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How ManpowerGroup is Using Science and Technology to Predict Human Performance https://thefutureorganization.com/how-manpowergroup-is-using-science-and-technology-to-predict-human-performance/ Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:40:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21433 Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Talent Scientist at ManpowerGroup and Professor of Business Psychology at Columbia University and the University College in London.

                The post How ManpowerGroup is Using Science and Technology to Predict Human Performance first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Talent Scientist at ManpowerGroup and Professor of Business Psychology at Columbia University and the University College in London. Tomas has written 10 books and over 150 scientific papers on the psychology of talent, leadership, innovation and AI. He has also delivered multiple TED Talks, including one on “The Power of Negative Thinking” and another on “Why do so Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders”.

                What is a Chief Talent Scientist? In Tomas’ case it means combining his expertise and background in organizational psychology and analytics & assessments. Tomas says, “If you combine both things, and an interest in understanding human performance, then you get the kind of interface or the main area niche that I specialize. And at Manpower Group, our agreement is to really use all of our data, our tools and expertise to predict performance and understand human potential in a deeper way.”

                ManpowerGroup’s main purpose is to “understand where people can be deployed most effectively, and where people will be thriving, and what role, job, or capacity. And then helping organizations not just deal with their current talents, but predict what their future talent issues might be.”

                They are currently working to help match people with jobs that they have the potential for, but have never actually done in their lives. For example, there may be a marketing employee who would be great in more of a customer service role, but they have never worked directly with customers before. In the past this employee may not have been considered for a role in customer service because of their lack of experience. But ManpowerGroup is looking at how data assessment and AI can be used to match the employee with a role that matches their skills without past experience.

                One of the biggest trends that Tomas has been paying attention to is the growing need for soft skills like empathy, emotional intelligence, teamwork, resilience, and creativity. As technology advances and we start using more AI, automation, and data assessment inside of our organizations, there is going to be a greater need for people to be more human.

                “The last things machines are going to be able to do is to show respect, appreciation, or care for others. So in a way, even though you would think that as technology and AI becomes a more prominent aspect of jobs and careers, we should all become data scientists, geeks of one sort or another, and learn coding, actually the real need is for people who develop and boost their human skills, the soft side of talent, which is actually the hardest one to develop and to find.”

                Tomas’ advice to job candidates today and in the coming future is to be flexible, adaptable, and well-rounded. Things are changing and in order to succeed you can’t pigeon hole yourself into one role, or a specific job title. It is important to be curious and to constantly learn new skills. AI and automation will disrupt jobs, individuals can thrive, but they can’t expect to do so if they sit back and expect to be safe in one single role for the rest of their life.

                “Fundamentally, we believe that there will always be three core employability skills that will continue to matter in the future. This is what we use when we assess candidates, when we evaluate potential and when we try to almost distill all the different jobs and careers to their fundamental core elements. These are learning ability, so the ability to learn new things, reason and acquire new knowledge and expertise. The second is work ethic or drive, determination. And the third is, people skills.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What is the role of a Chief Talent Scientist
                Tomas’ view of science vs. intuition when it comes to hiring talent
                Why we need to rethink the way we promote and train leaders
                Tomas’ advice for candidates looking for a new job
                The best way to take criticism and negative feedback
                Why soft skills are becoming so important for the future of work

                The post How ManpowerGroup is Using Science and Technology to Predict Human Performance first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                An Inside Look at the Academy at Bank of America, Which Supports More Than 40,000 Employees Each Year https://thefutureorganization.com/an-inside-look-at-the-academy-bank-of-americas-training-and-development-division-that-trains-40000-employees-every-year/ Mon, 30 Sep 2019 16:05:45 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21270 John Jordan is the Head of the Academy at Bank of America, an award-winning employee development organization that trains around 40,000 people per year.

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                John Jordan is the Head of the Academy at Bank of America, an award-winning employee development organization that trains around 40,000 people per year. As John puts it, The Academy is, “truly an environment where people can practice, where they can learn that goes beyond just the typical sort of learning environment into a really high-touch coaching environment and we’ve really seen great results so far.”

                John has been with Bank of America for about 16 years in a wide variety of roles, all of which have prepared him to lead The Academy.

                The Academy is used to onboard new employees, to support and train employees looking to move into a leadership position, to help employees enhance their current skills and more. They use a combination of web-based training and hands on practice. One example of training they have is a client engagement simulator that allows employees to practice using the online systems while having client conversations at the same time. This allows employees to get comfortable interacting with customers live on the phone before they officially step into their role.

                Since starting The Academy, Bank of America has seen a lot of benefits from the program. Their turnover rate is the lowest it’s ever been and their client experience rating is the highest it’s ever been. John and his team understand the importance of investing in their people.

                John says, “I’ve heard a stat that I’ve just sort of repeated over and over again, which is if you have a bad onboarding experience, you’re six times more likely to leave the company within the first year. We saw a pretty high turnover amongst people within our first year and it just became a question of, were they onboarded well? Were they trained to do the job well? Did they get good practice?”

                When you have great employee experience, you have people who want to stay at the organization a long time. And when you can have tenured employees who know what they are talking about and who can give great advice you get great customer experience.

                One set of skills that The Academy is focused on teaching is soft skills such as empathy, problem solving, good communication, adaptability, creativity, etc…And John shares that they actually teach the basics such as how to give a proper handshake, make good eye contact, and how to hold a conversation.

                “I think empathy is such an important skill in this day and age to really understand where the person sitting across the table is coming from. We have really put a lot of money where our mouth is on that front and through The Academy really invested in empathy. We feel like there’s a lot left to do there. I believe talking about technology of the future, things like virtual reality are going to maybe help us with that, to put us in someone else’s shoes or help us to see some of the challenges that our clients may be facing that we can’t necessarily know or see on a daily basis. Lots to learn there and I’m really excited about and hopeful for just continuing to build a more and more empathetic workforce.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What is The Academy and how does it work
                A look at how learning and development has evolved over the years
                How the program is impacting turnover rates
                How John and his team are leveraging AI for training
                How leadership has evolved over the years inside of Bank of America
                What skills will be needed for the future of work

                The post An Inside Look at the Academy at Bank of America, Which Supports More Than 40,000 Employees Each Year first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post An Inside Look at the Academy at Bank of America, Which Supports More Than 40,000 Employees Each Year appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How to Teach Empathy and Instill the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion: Insights from Ingersoll Rand’s Chief Diversity Officer https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-teach-empathy-and-instill-the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion-insights-from-ingersoll-rands-chief-diversity-officer/ Mon, 23 Sep 2019 10:13:50 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=21097 My guest this week is Michelle Murphy, Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Ingersoll Rand. Michelle recently wrote an article, titled Truly Effective Diversity Training Can Be Measured in Goosebumps and she gives us the highlights in today’s discussion.

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                Michelle Murphy is the Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Ingersoll Rand, a manufacturing and sustainability company that creates products and services for commercial, industrial and residential customers. Some of their products include heating and air conditioning systems, golf carts, and power tools. They were formed in 1905 and today they have 40,000 employees around the world.

                Michelle recently wrote an article, titled Truly Effective Diversity Training Can Be Measured in Goosebumps where she opened up about the moment when she realized the importance of diversity and inclusion inside and outside of the workplace. Her experience ignited a passion for creating a safe place to work inside of Ingersoll Rand as well as encouraging others to do the same in organizations around the world.

                With the current world of work, where we are all so connected and where we can interact with customers and coworkers from countries all around the world the issue of diversity and inclusion is more important now than ever before. It is crucial for all of us to have empathy and compassion and to be able to see the world through the eyes of others.

                Ingersoll Rand has some great programs in place to foster and develop a culture of diversity and inclusion. They include:

                Relaunch–a program offering the opportunity to help qualified engineers in the community relaunch their careers after having to step away for a time

                Black Leadership Forum–A 1 ½ day immersive and experiential learning forum tailored to bring leaders and high potential black talent together to learn, further a sense of community, and convene a discussion among other companies for strategic initiatives to advance black leadership

                Strengthen Economic Mobility–A commitment to achieving a workforce that is reflective of their community populations – a maintaining livable market-competitive wages and progressive benefits; including broadening community access to well-being services including food/nutrition, housing and shelter, transportation, education and climate comfort.

                Paradigm for Parity–Ingersoll Rand has pledged to bring gender parity to leadership roles by 2030

                The question is, is it possible to teach someone to be empathetic or to focus on diversity and inclusion? Michelle says, “When I think about how do you teach someone, I feel like what we do is we try to create opportunities to offer experiences for people, because I’m not sure that there’s a training you could go to, or that you could teach people what it’s like to feel certain ways. So, creating experiences where people get to watch others describe their feelings, and share in that, tend to take us a little bit further than I’ll call maybe a typical training class. Because what you realize in that setting is, “These are the people I see and work with every day, and I know them pretty well, and I think they’re smart people and good people, and I like them, and wow, I had no idea that that’s what they were dealing with.” Sometimes that acknowledgement is part of what helps create the opportunity for learning, for maybe that person who doesn’t demonstrate empathy easily or well. Sometimes creating those experiences where they have those opportunities is the best way to do it.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What events shaped Michelle’s view of diversity and inclusion
                How to teach diversity, inclusion, and empathy
                A look at some of the programs in place at Ingersoll Rand that help foster diversity and inclusion
                Michelle’s view on the current war for talent
                How to measure diversity and inclusion
                What skills will be needed in the future of work
                What Michelle looks for during the interview process
                Some of the future challenges we will face when it comes to diversity and inclusion

                The post How to Teach Empathy and Instill the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion: Insights from Ingersoll Rand’s Chief Diversity Officer first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How to Teach Empathy and Instill the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion: Insights from Ingersoll Rand’s Chief Diversity Officer appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Face of Business: Insights from Maria Bartiromo FOX Business Global Markets Editor and Anchor https://thefutureorganization.com/how-artificial-intelligence-is-changing-the-face-of-business-insights-from-maria-bartiromo-fox-business-global-markets-editor-and-anchor/ Mon, 16 Sep 2019 09:43:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=20933 My guest today is Maria Bartiromo, anchor and Global Markets Editor for FOX Business. In today’s conversation, you will hear some of her findings and what CEOs are saying about AI and technology.

                The post How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Face of Business: Insights from Maria Bartiromo FOX Business Global Markets Editor and Anchor first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                Maria Bartiromo is a FOX Business Global Markets Editor and Anchor. She has been a journalist for 30 years and has worked for CNN, CNBC, and FOX. She has received two Emmys and a Gracie Award and in 2009 the Financial Times named her one of the “50 Faces That Shaped The Decade”.

                Maria was the first journalist to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on a daily basis and she was the first female journalist to be inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame Class of 2011. She has written three books, The Weekend That Changed Wall Street, The 10 Laws of Enduring Success, and Use The News: How to Separate the Noise from the Investment Nuggets and Make Money in Any Economy.

                She has a one-hour special coming up on September 22, 2019 at 8pm EST, called Artificial Intelligence: The Coming Revolution, which will air on FOX News. The report is based on research Maria has been conducting for over a year on how Artificial Intelligence is changing the face of business and the workplace. She has traveled around and interviewed the leading technologists of the world, people like Marty Schmidt, Provost at MIT, Peter Thiel, founder of Palantir and co-founder of PayPal, Ginni Rometty, Chairman and CEO of IBM and Jim Hackett, Chairman, and CEO of Ford Motors.

                After all of her in-depth research, what does Maria think will happen to jobs in the next 5-10 years? “I mean this is today in 2019, we have more job openings than we have people. I mean, the labor force is so tight right now with a 51-year low in unemployment, and jobs are plentiful. I think that will only get worse, whereas there won’t be enough people for the jobs that we need, and the jobs that we have will be able to be filled by computers. I think longer term, you are going to see a massive displacement in work and in jobs. I think the most important thing that people have to do is, first of all, recognize that machines are getting smarter and smarter, and they will take your job. You need to make sure to arm yourself with the right information and education, where you are savvy with technology because if you’re not savvy with technology in the next 10 years, you will be left out.”

                There’s no doubt that AI is becoming smarter and smarter and implementing it into business can save money and time. It can also allow humans to get involved in more creative roles and it will free us up to do the things we actually want to do.

                So what can we do as individuals to prepare for the future of AI and technology? Maria says first and foremost we have to enjoy every moment of every day because life is short and it is precious. Secondly, she says that education is key. Things are changing in a rapid pace and it’s not going to slow down. We need to be perpetual learners, constantly growing, innovating, dreaming, creating, and learning so that we can keep up in this upcoming world of work.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How Maria conducted research for her upcoming piece on Artificial Intelligence
                A look at the assumptions she had in her mind before she started working on this report and how they changed in the process
                What Maria thinks will happen to jobs in the next 5-10 years
                How AI and technology will specifically impact leaders
                Who is responsible for upskilling? Organizations or individuals?
                What jobs will be in demand in the future
                Why some CEOs are worried about AI and some are optimistic
                Advice for what individuals should do to prepare for the future of work

                The post How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Face of Business: Insights from Maria Bartiromo FOX Business Global Markets Editor and Anchor first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Face of Business: Insights from Maria Bartiromo FOX Business Global Markets Editor and Anchor appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How Estonia Created a Digital Society for Entrepreneurs and the Impact it is Having https://thefutureorganization.com/how-estonia-created-a-digital-society-for-entrepreneurs-and-the-impact-it-is-having/ Mon, 09 Sep 2019 07:24:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=20748 Ott Vatter is the Managing Director at e-Residency, an initiative started by the Republic of Estonia in 2014 to encourage more people to start businesses in Europe. It makes it easier for remote workers and entrepreneurs to work while on the move.

                The post How Estonia Created a Digital Society for Entrepreneurs and the Impact it is Having first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                Today I am joined by Ott Vatter, the Managing Director at e-Residency, an initiative started by the Republic of Estonia to encourage more people to start businesses in Europe and to make it easier for remote workers and entrepreneurs to work while on the move. E-Residency was the first digital initiative of its kind, and there are now over 55,000 e-residents worldwide, including Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Pope Francis, and Angela Merkel. It has been so popular that e-residency applications have been growing faster than the number of births in the entire Estonian nation.

                Today we are talking about how e-Residency came to be–what made the government of Estonia start this initiative, the benefits that have come from it, what impacts the country has seen from the program, and the possibility of other countries creating their own programs. You will also hear some mistakes they made along the way and how they overcame them.

                Ott Vatter is the Managing Director at e-Residency, an initiative started by the Republic of Estonia in 2014 to encourage more people to start businesses in Europe. It makes it easier for remote workers and entrepreneurs to work while on the move.

                E-Residency was the first digital initiative of its kind, and there are now over 55,000 e-residents worldwide, including Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Pope Francis, and Angela Merkel. It has been so popular that e-residency applications have been growing faster than the number of births in the entire Estonian nation.

                So why was it first formed? Ott says, “If we look at the population first of Estonia, we’re only 1.3 million people. With the domestic market, we can’t really develop or scale. We’re also demographically losing people. People are moving away. Some people are moving back. But in general, the outlook in 50 years, 100 years is not that positive. We have to be clever in these ways that we can actually innovate. We’re not a rich country in terms of national resources, or we don’t have huge resources of oil. But what we do have is the basis of a digital country. We could really capitalize on that. The infrastructure of e-Residency was already there for our own citizens. We didn’t have to invent anything new, but we could replicate the same model for foreigners. We use the same identity card, taking away the photo and making it available for others as well.”

                Any individual is able to apply for e-Residency, even if they are not currently looking to start a company or work remotely. Some people just do it to say they are an “e-Estonian”. One of the main benefits of joining e-Residency is the ability to use your digital certificate to sign documents quickly and it allows remote entrepreneurs to let other people handle the basic administrative tasks which leaves the entrepreneur freed up to focus on more important parts of running a business.

                When thinking about the future of work Ott believes that being a digital citizen will have huge benefits. He says, “People are traveling around even more and more. I think remote work is growing immensely. Digital identity is something that makes your life easier. As a German citizen, you wouldn’t have to fly back to your own country, for example, from Thailand and wait in line in the tax office to fill out a form. Or in the U.S., for example, the tax forms, I mean, they’re crazy. You physically have to be present to actually present all of these documents. I think the future of work is about being location independent. Being able to submit or do your business from anywhere in the world. I think digital identity will play a very big part of this revolution.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What e-Residency is and why it was started
                Why the concept of a digital society is so important
                The impacts of e-Residency on the country of Estonia
                The role of privacy and security in a digital society
                Some of the mistakes that were made in forming this program and how they were overcome
                What Estonia is doing as a country to encourage people to start businesses there

                The post How Estonia Created a Digital Society for Entrepreneurs and the Impact it is Having first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How Estonia Created a Digital Society for Entrepreneurs and the Impact it is Having appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                How to Attract and Maintain a Diverse Workforce: Advice from 3M’s Chief Diversity Officer https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-attract-and-maintain-a-diverse-workforce-advice-from-3ms-chief-diversity-officer/ Tue, 03 Sep 2019 05:12:59 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=20583 This week I am joined by Ann Anaya, the Chief Diversity Officer at 3M, a global company with 93,000 employees in 70 countries around the world. They use science and innovation to create and supply products for the fields of industry, worker safety, health care, and consumer goods. One of their most well-known products would be the Post-it Note.

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                How to Attract and Maintain a Diverse Workforce: Advice from 3M's Chief Diversity Officer

                This week I am joined by Ann Anaya, the Chief Diversity Officer at 3M, a global company with 93,000 employees in 70 countries around the world. They use science and innovation to create and supply products for the fields of industry, worker safety, health care, and consumer goods. One of their most well-known products would be the Post-it Note.

                In our conversation today you will hear Ann’s advice for people looking to make a career shift and why it is more important to focus on your skills rather than your past job titles. You will also hear how the Post-it was created, what people outside of HR need to know about diversity and inclusion, and what programs 3M has going on to emphasize and focus on diversity inside the organization.

                Ann Anaya is the Chief Diversity Officer at 3M, a global company that creates and supplies products like the Post-it note. They have 93,000 employees in 70 countries around the world. Ann has been with 3M for six years. She actually began her career as a lawyer, first for the state court in Minnesota and then for the US Attorney’s Office focusing on major white-collar and complex crime. Six years ago she was looking for a change in her career path and she applied into legal affairs for 3M. After working in legal affairs for four years she was asked to consider the newly opened position of Chief Diversity Officer.

                Ann gave advice to others who are looking to change careers, she said there are three pieces in figuring out the best industry and role.

                What is your passion?
                What are you good at?
                Figure out where your skills and passions make a difference and then take action

                She says, “we all know that we’re really good at some … a handful of particular skills and one of the things that I am fortunate to have as a skillset that I do well at is the ability to influence change and doing that through advocacy. Yes, those are skills for a trial lawyer or a litigator but those are skills that we use in so many other ways. Number one is passion. Number two, what skills do we really have that we’re really good at? Then, finally, I would say, where can we take our experiences and apply them in a way that there is a need to make change?”

                Ann also had a mentor, who played a huge role in helping her figure out where her skills fit best. She believes everyone should have people in their lives who push them, challenge them, and stretch them in order to be better. As she puts it, “We all need champions. We can’t do it alone” no matter if you are a leader or an entry-level employee.

                3M has been focused on intentionally embedding diversity and inclusion into their brand, their mission, and their goals. They are going through a “new culture refresh” and it will be a part of all 3M does. And they are finding that having a diverse and inclusive organization not only impacts the employees, it also impacts the customers.

                “Diversity is all about demographics and inclusion is about our environment or the atmosphere we create in our workplace. There is no one without the other. You can’t have an inclusive workforce if there isn’t diversity within the workforce and you can’t be inclusive without the diversity of ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds. You won’t benefit from diversity, inclusion unless you have both.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                Why we should focus on skills rather than job titles
                Advice for people who would like to explore a new career path
                Why people outside of HR need to know about diversity and inclusion
                What is diversity and inclusion and why is it important
                Programs 3M has in place to embrace and promote diversity and inclusion

                The post How to Attract and Maintain a Diverse Workforce: Advice from 3M’s Chief Diversity Officer first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

                The post How to Attract and Maintain a Diverse Workforce: Advice from 3M’s Chief Diversity Officer appeared first on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                The Six Leadership Principles This CEO Has Followed for Over 35 Years and Why They Work https://thefutureorganization.com/the-six-leadership-principles-this-ceo-has-followed-for-over-35-years-and-why-they-work/ Mon, 26 Aug 2019 13:00:46 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=20302 Farooq Kathwari is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. an American furniture chain founded in 1932. The company now has more than 300 stores across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Farooq has been President of the company since 1985 and Chairman & CEO since 1988.

                The post The Six Leadership Principles This CEO Has Followed for Over 35 Years and Why They Work first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                Farooq Kathwari Transcript

                My guest today is Farooq Kathwari, the Chairman, President, and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc., an American furniture chain founded in 1932 with more than 300 stores across the world. Farooq has a new book coming out on September 3 titled: Trailblazer: From the Mountains of Kashmir to the Summit of Global Business and Beyond. He has a truly fascinating life story, some of which you will get to hear today. Our discussion today covers a lot of ground including how his background shaped his approach to leadership, the immigrant mentality to work, the six leadership principles he created over 35 years ago that his team still follows today, and how to get people around you to think like an entrepreneur.

                Farooq Kathwari is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. an American furniture chain founded in 1932. The company now has more than 300 stores across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Farooq has been President of the company since 1985 and Chairman & CEO since 1988.

                Farooq’s journey to his current role inside of Ethan Allen has been a very unique and inspiring one. He grew up in an area of conflict and he and his family became refugees and were forced to split up. At the age of 20, he made his way to Brooklyn, New York where he attended NYU at night and worked as a bookkeeper for a printing company during the day.

                He also worked hard as an entrepreneur to sell arts and crafts to stores like Bloomingdale’s and Lord & Taylor. He later was hired as a junior financial analyst at Bear Stearns on Wall Street where he succeeded and therefore was recruited to set up an investment company. All the while he still sold his arts and crafts. It was at the investment company that Farooq was introduced to the co-founder of Ethan Allen, Nat Ancell.

                He had a partnership with Ethan Allen which later on led to a merger. When he was in his 30s, he became the head of Ethan Allen.

                How has his past shaped his approach to work and entrepreneurship? Farooq says, “When you say immigrant, you can also use the word entrepreneur. When you leave your home, when I came here with enough money for, I think about five or six months to survive, well, you have to be entrepreneurial. So immigrants, by nature, who leave their homes, who travel, have more of an entrepreneurial attitude, because not everybody from every other world leaves. It’s a few people who leave. They’ve got to have that DNA to be able to leave, to take risks. Immigrants also take risks.”

                He also truly believes in treating all people with dignity and respect. He brings that belief into his role as a leader and tries to empower his employees. When he first started as the head of Ethan Allen he met several thousand employees from different locations and he said something shocking which was, “The main job of a leader is to help their people become better. If the leaders don’t do that, people have a right to revolt.” Farooq says helping people become better is “a very critical factor in leadership. Leaders don’t think that their job is to make people better.”

                Farooq has all of the company’s managers and leaders write a report for him every single week. In the report, they can share things that are working well, things that need improvement, and issues they are having with any employees.

                This practice came from one of the leadership principles Farooq created 35+ years ago. He still follows all of these principles today. They are:
                Leaders must have self-confidence. This also means leaders have to empower people. Leaders who don’t empower people don’t have self-confidence.
                Hard work–if leaders don’t work hard, how can they ask their people to work hard?
                Excellence in innovation–You have to have a passion for being the best
                Accessibility–leaders need to be approachable and they need to treat people with respect
                Customer focus–The customer is number one, you have to take care of them
                Prioritization–Leaders must constantly think about prioritization because not everything is important

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What you will learn:
                A look at Farooq’s fascinating life story and how he went from an immigrant student at NYU to the Chairman, CEO, and President of Ethan Allen
                How his background shaped his approach to leadership
                The leadership principles that Farooq created 35 years ago and why he and all the leaders at Ethan Allen follow them still today
                How he provides feedback to employees who are not performing well
                How to continue persevering in business when you keep getting told ‘no’
                How to create an entrepreneurial mindset inside of your organization
                What skills will be most relevant for employees in the future

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                Deloitte’s Chief Innovation & Digital Officer Shares Seven Factors that Impact Digital Transformation Success https://thefutureorganization.com/deloittes-chief-innovation-digital-officer-shares-seven-factors-that-impact-digital-transformation-success/ Mon, 19 Aug 2019 14:36:53 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=20160 This week I am joined by Ragu Gurumurthy, the Chief Innovation and Digital Officer at Deloitte.
                Today we are talking about a hot topic--digital transformation. What it actually means, what it looks like to be a digitally transformed company, what skills are needed to achieve transformation and much more.

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                Ragu Gurumurthy Transcript

                Ragu Gurumurthy is the Chief Innovation and Digital Officer at Deloitte, the world’s largest professional services company with 240,000 employees around the world. Ragu has been with Deloitte for over 13 years. Prior to that, he worked at companies like T-Mobile, Morgan Stanley, and AT&T.

                In March 2019 Ragu authored a report titled, Pivoting to Digital Maturity: Seven Capabilities Central to Digital Transformation that looks at why some digital transformation efforts succeed while others fail. In the report, he explores seven digital pivots that can improve the chances of success for organizations going through digital transformation.

                So what does digital transformation actually mean? Ragu says, “There are so many ways of defining digital transformation. It’s an eye of the beholder, so to speak. Simply put, the way at least we would define digital transformation, it is about becoming a digital enterprise, holistically, by leveraging data, technology and people, data technology and people to evolve all aspects of the business; what they sell to their clients and customers, how they operate the business and how they sell to their customers. How do they relate to the… How do they reach their customers? How do they serve their customers in terms of customer experience? It is really thinking about all the aspects of business enabled by data, technology and people.”

                As a whole, when asked where the business world is at in terms of digital transformation, Ragu says we are still in the very early stages.

                Ragu believes that although the digital era is upon us, it’s not all about technology. People are important, in the words of Ragu, “people are very important. I see them as the quarterback in this transformation.” A mixture of technological intelligence and human intelligence is what Ragu believes will get us to a new frontier.

                The seven digital pivots Ragu explored in his report are:

                Flexible, secure infrastructure
                Data mastery
                Digitally savvy, open talent networks
                Ecosystem engagement
                Intelligent workflows
                Unified customer experience
                Business model adaptability

                Ragu’s advice for organizations looking to go through digital transformation is, “the biggest advice I have is to do a thought experiment. Think about, how would I use technology, data and available AI software, voice recognition, it could be semantic language processing. You don’t need to be a technologist. Read basic at the highest level, what do these things do and see how can I use it to solve the problem differently? That’s my advice, think about doing things differently in different things as a supporter would say, what exactly you can do and go do it. Experiment and learn.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                A look at Ragu’s report: Pivoting to Digital Maturity
                What it looks like to be a digitally transformed organization
                Trends Ragu is paying attention to
                What skills are needed to go through digital transformation
                What Deloitte is doing internally to digitally transform
                How to overcome the challenge of change management

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                How To Encourage Innovative Thinking Inside Of Your Organization: Chief Innovation Officer, Engineering at NASA Shares Techniques https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-encourage-innovative-thinking-inside-of-your-organization-chief-innovation-officer-engineering-at-nasa-shares-techniques/ Mon, 12 Aug 2019 15:13:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19924 My guest this week is Omar Hatamleh, the Chief Innovation Officer, Engineering at NASA and Executive Director of the Space Studies Program at the International Space University.

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                Omar Hatamleh Transcript

                My guest this week is Omar Hatamleh, the Chief Innovation Officer, Engineering at NASA and Executive Director of the Space Studies Program at the International Space University. In today’s discussion, you will hear how Omar has seen NASA change over the last 21 years, how they plan to use technology like 3D printing and AI in the future, and his thoughts on which technologies are overhyped. Omar also gives us a sneak peek into how NASA works including how they tackle problems, how they build effective teams and deal with failure, and how they focus on creative thinking.

                Omar Hatamleh is the Chief Innovation Officer, Engineering at NASA and the Executive Director of the Space Studies Program at the International Space University. He is the former Deputy Chief Scientist Ames and he has been with NASA for the past 21 years.

                Over his 21 years at the company, he has seen a lot of things change. Back at the time of the Apollo program the whole environment at NASA was very competitive as several nations were racing to be the first to get to the moon. It then moved to a collaborative environment when several nations came together to put the space station into orbit.

                Now, Omar says, they are in a third movement, which has been to get into the commercial sector. They are now using their expertise to help small companies and startups learn the technologies, knowledge, and ability they need to have an impact in the aerospace industry.

                “Combined with the amazing corporate knowledge that we have, and amazing innovation and agility that the corporate sector has, I think that creates an excellent environment to create more jobs, improve the economy, and so on. Then, what you need to do, is basically, we’re going to free up our resources, and go explore deep space. Our next goal is going to be, for example, going to the moon again by 2024. From there, we’re going to go to Mars, hopefully soon after that, in a decade or so.”

                Omar leads design thinking workshops at NASA where he tries to get people to think completely outside of the box. He shares some examples of real-life companies who have solved major problems by coming up with unconventional solutions.

                One example he gave was regarding an electric bicycle company that produced bikes with a lot of electronics and sensitive pieces. They found that 60-70% of their orders were being returned damaged because the shipping companies saw that they were bikes and assumed they were durable. Someone at the company had a brilliant idea to print a picture of a flat screen TV on the outside of the box instead of a bike and it solved their problem.

                NASA uses the latest technologies including AI, 3D printing, and quantum computing. Omar believes there are positives and negatives to all technology and the advances we are going to see in the future.

                With driverless cars, for example, they can cut down on the number of cars each family needs, it can cut down on accidents, and it makes travelling easier because you can sleep or work along the way. Having autonomous cars can also create new jobs for technologies that will be needed, such as new gadgets that people can use now that they aren’t focused on the road. But it also could have a negative impact on manufacturing workers because we will need less cars. It will affect insurance companies. It will affect hotels because now people are able to sleep in the car while continuing towards their destination instead of stopping and staying somewhere overnight.

                These new technologies will displace jobs, but they will also create new ones. The question is will it all balance out? Will there be more jobs lost than created or vice versa? Only time will tell.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How NASA has changed over the past 21 years
                How they plan to use 3D printing and AI in the future
                What skills will be needed for the future of work
                5 technologies that Omar believes will have the biggest impact on the future
                How design thinking is used at NASA
                The importance of diverse teams and how to ensure you have truly diverse teams
                How they deal with failure at NASA
                Examples of real-life companies solving major problems by thinking outside the box

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                How the Canadian Public Service is Creating a Talent Cloud of Free Agents https://thefutureorganization.com/how-the-canadian-public-service-is-creating-a-talent-cloud-of-free-agents/ Tue, 06 Aug 2019 21:13:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19800 Abe Greenspoon is the Program Lead for Canada’s Free Agents, a Government of Canada program launched in 2016 that proposes a new model for workforce mobilization. Abe has been in the public service of Canada for about 10 years.

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                Abe Greenspoon is the Program Lead for Canada’s Free Agents, a Government of Canada program launched in 2016 that proposes a new model for workforce mobilization. Abe has been in the public service of Canada for about 10 years.

                The idea of creating a more autonomous, mobile workforce first came from a report released in 2012 from Deloitte. The report looked at how the government might reorganize itself to better respond to problems of the future and it proposed a concept of a cloud-based workforce based off of the IT cloud computing.

                Essentially they have a group of workers in a database “available to do project-based work, move around the organization, solve problems, return to the cloud when they weren’t needed anymore, and then just continue on to different projects.”

                So when a position opens up, Abe and his team advertise for it within public service and those who are interested can apply. Abe says that this new way of flexible work has created greater employee satisfaction and better career decision making along with many other benefits.

                The process to become a free agent is tough, not just anyone can become a free agent. In order to become one, you have to be willing to continuously learn and grow and you can’t get stuck in one technical field of work. They need to be willing to explore, they have to be curious, and they can’t be scared to fail. Free agents should be quick learners and they should easily be able to adapt because they move around to different roles in different offices quite frequently.

                In order to make sure they are hiring the right people, Abe says they use a lot of unconventional hiring tactics including improv and puzzle-solving. It tends to take about three months for people to go through the process of applying, interviewing, and then getting the official offer.

                Even though these free agents are technically gig workers, they still receive the benefits a full-time regular employee would typically receive like pensions and health insurance.

                Abe believes that this way of working also helps create a sense of purpose for employees as well. He says, “the opportunity to choose your job, to have that autonomy to make those decisions, I think puts you in a better position to find your purpose. I just think, naturally, you’re going to try to look for those opportunities that suit you better, you’re going to think more, and self-reflect more about what environments you’ll thrive in, what environments you won’t thrive in, and to have that ability to choose; it leads to all sorts of other kinds of downstream benefits, I think, once you give people that ability. So, finding your purpose, I think, it’s something we realized over time is, it’s a potentially really interesting outcome to giving people this sort of autonomy for their jobs.”

                While this is only being implemented in the public service space at the moment, there are many ways that leaders in the private sector could learn from this concept as well.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How the government of Canada is implementing a cloud-based workforce
                What it takes to be a free agent
                How they use games and improv in the hiring process
                Abe’s view of Universal Basic Income
                How they handle benefits for flexible workers
                The benefits of giving employees flexibility and autonomy

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                Intel’s Chief Talent Officer On How To Transform Talent To Prepare For The Future https://thefutureorganization.com/intels-chief-talent-officer-on-how-to-transform-talent-to-prepare-for-the-future/ Tue, 30 Jul 2019 19:24:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19547 Amber Grewal is the Chief Talent Officer at Intel, a company with over 107,000 employees in 36 countries around the world. Prior to Intel Amber was the Corporate Vice President, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at IBM and the Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at GE.

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                Amber Grewal is the Chief Talent Officer at Intel, a company with over 107,000 employees in 36 countries around the world. Prior to Intel Amber was the Corporate Vice President, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at IBM and the Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at GE.

                Some of the major trends Amber is paying attention to at the moment are:

                1. The pace at which technology is growing and changing
                2. The change in the average span of a company, which is now around 15 years and how to survive beyond that
                3. The growth in the gig economy
                4. The desire of employees to know they are doing meaningful work and making an impact
                5. Working with a multi-generational workforce

                All of these trends are driving Intel to make changes internally and they are directing Amber to figure out how to evolve HR in order to address these challenges. At Intel, they have quite a few programs that their employees can take advantage of.

                One of these programs is called Freelance Nation that launched in 2014 which gives employees more flexible working options and it helps them develop and refine their skill set. They can try out working in different roles and even different regions.

                Another program focuses on training leadership on how to inspire employees in this new era of work. Leadership training and development is especially important now inside of Intel as they are going through some major cultural transformations.

                When sharing some insight into Intel’s internal transformation, Amber said:

                “I would say, to the hard part of what transforming to a PC, to a data-centric company, at the foundation of it is culture. So we are going through, I would say, one of the largest transformations as a company, ever in our history. And the foundation of it is a culture transformation. So a culture of not only who we need to be today, but who we need to be tomorrow, in this dynamic business environment, and how we serve our customers, how our business model is shifting. So as we speak, we’re going through a significant cultural transformation. And figuring out what are the behaviors that are needed in order to do this? Holding our, teams, and leaders accountable to that. We’ve completely have re-looked at, and are rethinking our whole performance management system, specifically to that.”

                What advice would Amber give to employees who are trying to future proof their career and succeed in the future of work?

                She says, “Things are changing so fast, and the reality is it’s never going to be this slow again. So being comfortable with uncomfortable is just the new way. And honestly, my advice, whether you’re an individual contributor, new in your career, or you’re a very senior leader, the one key area that I would tell everyone is, learning agility. That ability to constantly learn is going to be important. Because even if you’re a leader who’s been doing something for 20 years, you’re going to be in a different environment, different workforce, disruptive technologies are changing our business model. So that means your ability to learn and adapt is critical.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What the Chief Talent Officer at Intel actually does
                How to create meaningful work and help employees discover meaning in what they do
                What changes Amber is seeing in what talent wants and expects from organizations
                The role of AI and technology in the future
                How Intel equips employees for the future of work
                Advice to employees on how to succeed in the future
                Advice to leaders on what they can practice to stay relevant

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                5 Ways to Manage the Top Cause of Stress In Your Life https://thefutureorganization.com/5-ways-to-manage-the-top-cause-of-stress-in-your-life/ Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:05:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19319 Do you constantly feel stressed at work? Are you burnt out and overwhelmed? Do those feelings come home with you after work and transfer to your personal life? If so, you aren't alone. More than a quarter of workers in the U.S. consider their jobs to be the top cause of stress in their lives. Stress-related issues cost companies more than $150 billion a year.

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                Do you constantly feel stressed at work? Are you burnt out and overwhelmed? Do those feelings come home with you after work and transfer to your personal life? If so, you aren’t alone. More than a quarter of workers in the U.S. consider their jobs to be the top cause of stress in their lives. Stress-related issues cost companies more than $150 billion a year.

                Learning to manage your stress can transform your work experience. A growing number of companies are creating wellness and mindfulness programs, but it really comes down to you taking the initiative and getting in control of your stress.

                Here are five ways to manage workplace stress.

                1. Identify stress triggers. Take a step back and realize what causes those stressful and overwhelming feelings. It could be a demanding boss, long work hours, difficult co-workers, or a cutthroat company culture. Identifying the triggers to your workplace stress can help you realize what changes you need to make to create a more peaceful and comfortable work experience. Set boundaries to keep the triggers at bay.

                2. Stay organized. A messy workspace or unstructured day can add stress and lower your productivity. Take a few minutes at the start of the day to clean your work area and prioritize your tasks for the day. Other tasks may come up, but understanding the tasks that are most important puts you in control of your work and schedule.

                3. Set reasonable expectations. Many people feel stress when they expect perfection but fall short. Instead of setting your sights too high and feeling stressed when you can’t reach that level, set reasonable expectations about what you can achieve. Aim for high-quality work that helps the company but that allows you to still have a positive mindset to help your team and organization.

                4. Exercise. Get your body moving. Even taking a short walk on your lunch break can lift your mood and bring a fresh perspective. Sitting in one place can be discouraging and make stressful situations feel even worse. When you feel stressed, take a break for fresh air, go on a run, or try a new exercise class. Instead of combating stress with unhealthy habits, you’re doing something good for your mental and physical health.

                5. Find an outlet. If work dominates every aspect of your life, you’ll never be able to completely step away from the stress. Find something that allows you to relax outside of work. It could be reading, hiking, or cooking. An outlet helps you relax and get your mind off work, while also giving you something to look forward to during stressful times.

                Workplace stress is incredibly common in our modern world, but it doesn’t have to be. Take the steps to manage your stress and create a better work environment. Take it one day at a time and celebrate even small successes.

                Learn how you can better equip yourself and your organization to deal with the major workplace changes that are taking place with my free Future of Work Training Series today!

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                How One of The Largest Private Equity Investment Firms Is Ensuring The Best Experiences For Their Employees https://thefutureorganization.com/private-equity-investment-firms-experiences-employees/ Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:24:27 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19301 My two guests today are Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri, the Chief Human Resource Officer at TPG and Anna Edwin, who is the Global Head of Talent Development at TPG. Our conversation today explores how TPG is shaping great experiences for their employees, the changes they’ve made to the performance review process, the mentoring opportunities they offer, how the role of leadership is changing, how Anna and Anilu think of the future of work. You will also hear Anna and Anilu’s advice to managers on how to give intentional, effective feedback.

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                Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri is the Chief Human Resource Officer at TPG, one of the world’s largest private equity investment firms. Prior to moving to TPG, Anilu was the Chief Diversity Officer and Global Head of Talent Development at Goldman Sachs.

                Anna Edwin, is the Global Head of Talent Development at TPG and she works very closely with Anilu. Prior to TPG Anna was the Head of Global Leadership Development at BlackRock and VP Human Capital Management at Goldman Sachs.

                Anilu is actually the first ever CHRO at TPG and she is enjoying being able to shape that role. She says the firm has gone through several different evolutions of paying attention to its people, but they are now at a place where they are ready to have a specific team in place to intentionally create these experiences to set TPG apart from all other organizations.

                Some of the programs, benefits and perks that they are currently working on include:

                Updated parental leave that gives 12-18 weeks for primary care and 2-4 weeks for secondary care that can be taken anytime in the first year of becoming a parent
                Lunch is provided for employees
                They are currently working with Author of Radical Candor, Kim Scott to improve the ways they provide feedback to employees
                Updated performance review system that allows they to provide ongoing feedback rather than once or twice a year

                At TPG they are also focusing on providing flexibility, diversity and inclusion, and career planning for their employees as these are the biggest trends they are seeing when it comes to the future of work.

                Speaking to the growing trend of employees wanting a clear understanding of their career path inside the organization, Anna says, “I’ve noticed people lately, before accepting an offer, want to understand what their career trajectory is going to look like, asking for a little bit more of a, I won’t call it a formula per se, but really wanting to have an understanding that they’re going to be with an organization where they can grow. So they want to trust the organization that they’re going with and hold people accountable in a different way than I’d say maybe historically you’ve seen in the market.”
                When it comes to finding and retaining the top talent Anilu says, “I think that the reputation of your firm is something that you can never take for granted. Because it is definitely the calling card in the market, and if that doesn’t align, or if you have a different understanding of how you’re perceived in the market, you are going to run into trouble. So I think that we keep very humble on that, but I feel very good about how we’re positioned.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How TPG is shaping great experiences for their employees
                Anna and Anilu’s advice to managers on how to give intentional, effective feedback
                How hiring and retaining talent has changed
                Workforce trends they are paying attention to
                Changes they have made to the performance rating process
                Their thoughts on benefits and perks

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                How Red Hat Develops Open Leadership https://thefutureorganization.com/how-red-hat-develops-open-leadership/ Tue, 16 Jul 2019 18:07:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19202 Not every employee is a manager, but every employee is expected to be a leader. That’s the mentality at open-source software company Red Hat as it pioneers the concept of open leadership. Under open leadership, everyone can be a leader by believing in the community and working to get the best out of every person. ... Read more

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                Not every employee is a manager, but every employee is expected to be a leader. That’s the mentality at open-source software company Red Hat as it pioneers the concept of open leadership.

                Under open leadership, everyone can be a leader by believing in the community and working to get the best out of every person. DeLisa Alexander, Red Hat’s Chief People Officer, says that every manager needs to be a leader, but not every leader needs to be a people manager. Some employees are thought leaders, while others are technical or project leaders. The common theme is that they try to get the best out of the people around them.

                The concept of open leadership has been in the works for years. Red Hat executives realized early on that successful leaders and employees didn’t demonstrate the typical leadership behaviors for a traditional hierarchal organization. For years, the company has been studying what makes someone a great leader and trying to identify common traits.

                Being an open leader has nothing to do with a person’s job title and everything to do with their ability to influence. Leaders have a growth mindset and work to bring out everyone’s unique strengths. As Alexander says, open leaders believe everyone has untapped potential and work to create the conditions where people can stretch themselves and grow.

                Red Hat includes all 13,000 employees on an email list where anyone can say anything and expect a response. When the HR department announced a new benefit and some employees weren’t happy, they were able to voice their concern and start a conversation about adjusting the benefit to something that would work for everyone.

                A few years ago, Red Hat started trying to articulate the purpose or why of the company. Why is Red Hat here? To get everyone on board, Alexander and her team invited all employees to share a time when they were proud to be part of Red Hat. In all, more than 2,400 stories were submitted. The HR team sorted the stories by theme and found that certain departments connected more with certain themes. They then tasked each function to create a statement of purpose for their group. In the end, it took a year and lots of engagement to boil it down to the statement of “We’re here because we believe open unlocks the world’s potential.” The statement resonates with all employees because they played a role in its development and because it showcases open leadership.

                In a way, open leadership also allows each person to live their potential. By encouraging the best of everyone and creating an environment where everyone is welcome and encouraged to share with and motivate others, Red Hat has created a unique culture of growth and progress.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Why IPsoft CEO Believes The Labor Force Will Be 50-50 Digital And Human In 2025 And How We Should Prepare https://thefutureorganization.com/why-ipsoft-ceo-believes-the-labor-force-will-be-50-50-digital-and-human-in-2025-and-how-we-should-prepare/ Mon, 15 Jul 2019 18:01:01 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19176 This week’s guest is Chetan Dube, CEO at IPsoft, an American multinational technology company which primarily focuses on Artificial Intelligence. Join us as we talk about AI of the past and the future. You will hear what kind of AI IPsoft is currently designing and building, whether or not AI can become as creative as humans, who or what Amelia is, and what we can do as individuals to prepare for what’s to come. With Chetan’s prediction that the workforce will be 50-50 digital and human by 2025 this is an important discussion you won’t want to miss.

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                Chetan Dube is the CEO at IPsoft, an American multinational technology company which primarily focuses on Artificial Intelligence. IPsoft has just over 2,000 employees in 15 countries.

                When you think of AI you might remember an experience you’ve had with a chatbot when trying to contact a company in order to ask a question, make a return, or purchase an item. Most of our experiences with chatbots are extremely frustrating and commonly end with us screaming “agent” into the phone. But IPsoft is working on solving this problem.

                Chetan says the problem is the average IQ of the chatbots and virtual assistants is around that of a 5 or 6 year old human. How can you expect great customer service from a five year old? You can’t. So what IPsoft is doing is studying the human brain and finding ways to mimic the human hippocampus, ways to make chatbots and virtual assistants more flexible and able to read a customer’s mood.

                So where are we now in the grand scheme of things being able to recreate human intelligence in AI? Chetan says, “It’s not a discussion if true artificial intelligence will start to rival human intellect. The only thing that is of discussion nowadays is when. Is it going to be in, as you mentioned, the Curtswell, the singularity and you feel that, is it going to be in 2030-35, is it going to be as we maintain by 2025, you will pass someone in the hallway and you won’t be able to tell if it’s a human or an android. I think that’s the real difference is that just the time horizon. If it’s going to be in the next six years, if it’s going to be in the next 11 years. It’s inevitable at this point that you will get to the point where these agents start to mimic human intellect.”

                With all of that said, Chetan still believes that AI will never be able to truly master human creativity. This is a skill that is unique to humans. Machines and Technology can complete tasks, find answers in their databases, use algorithms to solve math problems, but Chetan believes they won’t be able to cure cancer, create life, find a way to colonize Mars, etc…Humans will always have a role no matter how many jobs AI can take over, because of human creativity.

                The fact is advances in AI and technology are coming, it is not a question of if, but when and how fast. So what is Chetan’s advice for how to prepare for what’s to come? He says, “Dust the rust off your brain and focus on creativity and coming up with things that are … Do not play the machines on their playing field, you will lose. Do not play on mundane, ordinary chores and say I’m going to be the Luddite or neo-Luddite and try and stop the machines from driving cars or flying planes or driving trucks. They’re going to. They’re going to. That’s what they do. They are just more effective at that. Humans are more effective at, and will continue to be, creativity.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How Chetan defines AI
                What kind of AI IPsoft is designing and building
                Where we are in the grand scheme of things of being able to recreate human intelligence
                Is the world of AI over hyped?
                Whether or not we should be worried about AI
                How we can embrace AI and what’s coming
                Who or what Amelia is

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                How To Embrace AI Instead Of Fearing It https://thefutureorganization.com/embrace-ai-instead-of-fearing-it/ Tue, 09 Jul 2019 23:50:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19109 There's a lot of talk these days about AI replacing jobs and offices and factories getting taken over by robots. One study found that 27% of employees are scared of losing their jobs to AI and 72% of people expect AI to eliminate more jobs than it creates.

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                There’s a lot of talk these days about AI replacing jobs and offices and factories getting taken over by robots. One study found that 27% of employees are scared of losing their jobs to AI and 72% of people expect AI to eliminate more jobs than it creates.

                Here’s the truth: yes, companies are using AI to replace and augment jobs, but they aren’t getting rid of humans. Dozens of large companies have automated their processes to replace humans, but instead of kicking those employees to the curb, they’ve re-skilled them and moved them to different, human-friendly parts of the company.
                Instead of fearing AI, we need to embrace it. AI allows companies to automate mundane tasks, which frees human employees to focus on the more human aspects of their jobs, such as creativity, collaboration, and communication. Modern technology is amazing, but there are some things that AI simply can’t do. Those are the areas where humans will always thrive because the natural human connection can’t be replaced by machines.

                Look for ways to automate at work. If your company isn’t actively finding AI solutions, take the initiative and find some solutions yourself. Don’t be afraid of AI. Instead, take charge and help your company be a leader in the field. AI is coming whether we like it or not, so we might as well be proactive and find ways to eliminate those repetitive and time-sucking tasks.

                Think about the future. What skills could you develop now that will help when AI changes your company? Start developing those skills or encouraging your company to create a training program that upskills workers. Develop those softer skills that are unique to humans and that can’t be replaced.

                You can also embrace AI by encouraging others to do the same. Instead of spreading panic, spread an optimistic attitude. When your co-workers see your excitement about the future of AI and understand the low risk of their jobs being completely eliminated, they can also be excited and help move your organization to the future of work more quickly.

                The future with AI may still be relatively unknown, but embracing the change instead of running from it can help you set the tone for the future and put you in a place to showcase your uniquely human characteristics.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How Citi Is Upskilling Employees, Preparing For AI, Getting Involved In Social Issues And Much More https://thefutureorganization.com/citi-upskilling-employees-preparing-ai/ Mon, 08 Jul 2019 05:46:23 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=19071 This week’s guest is Cameron Hedrick, Citi’s Chief Learning Officer. Citi is addressing a lot of key issues including climate change, urbanization, AI and automation, changing demographics, and plenty of others. Today in my conversation with Cameron you will hear some examples of what they are doing to deal with these issues and the importance of organizations taking a stance on controversial topics.We also talk about how learning has changed over the past few decades, how Citi is upskilling employees, how to measure corporate culture, what it’s like to work at Citi and much more.

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                Cameron Hedrick is the Chief Learning Officer at Citi, a 200 year old financial services company with around 200,000 employees in 100 countries. Cameron has been with Citi for 16 years and prior to that he worked at Fidelity for over 7 years.

                As Chief Learning Officer at Citi Cameron is responsible for the performance rating system inside the organization, defining the corporate culture, and of course the learning platforms.

                Citi is addressing a lot of key issues including climate change, urbanization, AI and automation, changing demographics, and plenty of others. Some of these issues may make sense for an organization to focus on, such as AI and automation, but how does climate change and urbanization affect Citi and other organizations?

                When it comes to urbanization Citi realizes that there is currently a higher concentration of people in big cities–New York, Chicago, LA, etc… and so in the past a lot of companies have focused on putting headquarters there to draw in the best talent. But what Citi has realized as well is that the cost of distance between the worker and the company is going down, because with current technology people are able to live anywhere and work.

                Cameron explains why they are addressing climate change as well, “I think we think of it for at least two reasons, but the obvious one is that it changes business dynamics, right? When you have areas that are going to be dramatically impacted by climate change or over time, coastal flooding will change the sort of real estate outline of the coastal areas that we’ve come to know, many of which are heavily populated. When drought and rain patterns happen, that changes the flow of goods around the world. So those are some of the reasons we look at it from a business standpoint. And then from a social responsibility standpoint, we think about it as well. Are we being responsible as a firm to not contribute to the issue?”

                What is the culture like inside of Citi? Cameron says especially because they are a financial institution the culture has a large focus on ethics and trust. It is also about creating harmony between “the mission and value proposition that we put forth with the way we rate and pay people with the policies and processes that we put in place and with the leadership behaviors we espouse.”
                Citi uses something called the voice of the employees survey to measure culture and then they cross-pollinate that survey with other metrics such as performance rating patterns, attrition patterns, audit issues, etc.. and when you put all of these metrics together you start to see the company’s strengths and weaknesses. From there they can create actionable items to work on their weaknesses.

                Citi is a 200 year old company, but they are not afraid to evolve and change with the times. Cameron attributes the company’s longevity to collaboration, local management, and the proper amount of risk.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How a 200 year old company has kept up with the changing world of work
                How learning has changed over the past decades
                Macro trends Citi is paying attention to
                How they are upskilling their employees
                Cameron’s view of AI and automation
                How Citi handles performance ratings
                How to measure corporate culture

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                Bestselling Author And Zen Buddhist Teacher On How To Reclaim Joy, Combat Stress, And Find Meaning At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/zen-buddhist-find-meaning-at-work/ Mon, 01 Jul 2019 19:50:43 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18996 My guest today is Haenim Sunim, bestselling author and Zen Buddhist teacher. Join us as we discuss what a typical day looks like for a Zen Buddhist teacher and monk, how we can reclaim joy in our lives and work, Haemin’s thoughts on technology, practical steps to take to combat stress and much more.

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                Haenim Sunim is the bestselling author of Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection and The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World. He is also a monk and a Zen Buddhist teacher. Haemin was born and raised in South Korea and moved to the US when he was 18 to study at Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton. While he was working on his Master’s degree program he went back to South Korea and received the proper monastic training there.

                He has over 1 million followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. His first book sold over 3 million copies and he has taught Asian religions at Hampshire College in Massachusetts for seven years.

                In our society today people always seem to be so busy. We get burnout, stressed, overworked, overwhelmed. Haemin believes it is because we are goal driven, striving to get the end result as quickly as possible, and we aren’t taking time to enjoy what we are doing. We have lost the joy of living and working.

                Is it possible to reclaim our joy at work? Haemin says it is possible and suggests, “one of the ways to reclaim joy is to rediscover your own intention. What is your first reasons why you got into that particular industry? Or, that particular job. Usually that intention, first intention wasn’t just make a lot of money and just do this kind of thing or that. But rather, it usually centers around helping other people or doing something good for the greater society or something. If you can just realign yourself with your first love, with your first intention, that’s one step closer to reclaiming joy.”

                He also suggests taking time off away from work to avoid burnout. Even if you only take one hour away from work to go for a walk and think about other things it can help you feel better.

                In order to combat stress Haemin suggests we don’t keep everything compiled in our head, because that is what makes it worse. If you have too many things happening and you are overwhelmed, write everything down on paper and start with the easiest tasks first. Getting those first couple tasks done will motivate you to keep going.

                Haemin’s daily routine is a very intense one, when he is at the monastery he is up by 3:00am and then throughout the day they have specific times blocked off for meditation, cleaning, and eating. When he is not at the monastery he is up by 5:00am and he always makes time to meditate and to walk before and after he goes in to work at The School of Broken Hearts in South Korea.

                One of his pieces of advice to listeners is to go to bed an hour earlier than usual, and see how it affects your schedule and attitude. By going to bed earlier, you get up earlier in the morning which gives you more time in the morning to start your day right–whether you pray, meditate, workout, etc.. starting your day right can have a huge impact.

                And if you are having trouble finding purpose and meaning at work, Haemin says, “people find it when you are doing something beyond your own self interests. If you are helping other people, no matter how small it is, you see that you are contributing something for the better. The reason why it provides you with the sense of meaning is because from a Buddhist perspective, there is nothing but one interconnected reality. If you just subscribe yourself only in terms of your conceptual thoughts, ideas, then you reside, you live your life mainly from the perspective of your own ego.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                How Haenim became a Zen Buddhist teacher and what a typical day looks like for him
                How we can reclaim joy in our lives and at work
                Haemin’s advice on combating stress
                His thoughts on technology and social media
                How to deal with loss in business
                How to disassociate ourselves from our career
                Advice to graduates figuring out what to do in life
                The importance of self care

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                You Shouldn’t Have A Typical Day; Here’s Why https://thefutureorganization.com/you-shouldnt-have-a-typical-day-heres-why/ Thu, 27 Jun 2019 18:38:32 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18949 Do you have a typical day to day routine? If so, what does it look like? Here’s what I have learned about routines from years of interviewing C-Level executives.

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                Over the past several years I have interviewed tons of C-level executives from around the world from companies such as IBM, McDonald’s, EY, Siemens, Accenture and many others. One question that I repeatedly ask my podcast guests is “what does a typical day look like for you?” and almost always the response is, “I don’t have a typical day”.

                I think this is something we can learn from these business leaders. We all need to break out of our normal everyday routine. We shouldn’t be having the same day over and over again. Take a different route to your office, have a conversation with a coworker you don’t normally see, take an online course you’ve been wanting to try, work in a different location in the office, etc…Wee what could happen if you venture away from your normal routine.

                In order to be successful in the future of work, we need to change our day to day routine. How can you start breaking out of your typical day?

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Shaping The Future Of A City: Insights From President And CEO Of The Chattanooga Chamber Of Commerce https://thefutureorganization.com/shaping-the-future-of-a-city-insights-from-president-and-ceo-of-the-chattanooga-chamber-of-commerce/ Mon, 24 Jun 2019 19:14:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18902 My guest today is Christy Gillenwater, the President & CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. Christy has been in the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development field for over 20 years and she is at the forefront of Chattanooga’s Velocity 2040 initiative which is helping the city prepare for the future of education, infrastructure, collaboration, thriving and leadership. You will hear more about this initiative in today’s conversation as well as what role business plays in the future of cities, what individual citizens can do to shape their own city, Christy’s view of AI and automation and much more.

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                Christy Gillenwater is the President & CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. Christy has been in the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development field for over 20 years, mostly in various cities throughout Indiana. She moved to Chattanooga in 2017. Chattanooga is the first city to be twice named Outside Magazine’s “Best Town Ever” and it was recently ranked one of U.S. News’ Best Places to Live.

                What does a Chamber of Commerce actually do? Christy shares that while every chamber has differences, one of the main focuses they all share is “the economic prosperity of their geographic region, so whether that’s the county, their city, or a multi-state, multi-county area, they focus on making sure that their existing businesses can grow, thrive and prosper, that those companies have the talent they need to meet existing and future customer demands. They really think about and partner with their elected leaders, and business leaders, around what does their community need to continue to grow and diversify, and build their GDP in their area.”

                One of the main focuses of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce is Velocity 2040, which allows the community to have a voice in the city’s preparation for the future. A committee of over 50 people conducted a series of workshops and then they went out into neighborhoods and surveyed citizens. These surveys were meant to find out the priorities, hopes, and dreams of the community. From there the committee put together the Velocity 2040 report, which is what is being used to create actionable plans that bring the dreams of the community to life.

                The five priorities that were pinpointed by the surveys are:

                Learning–They are focused on educational excellence which means making sure students have what they need to learn and ensuring that everyone has access to good schools and good jobs.
                Thriving–They are thinking about the types of jobs that are being created and doing what they can to make sure the best talent is being recruited to the local area
                20 Minutes or Less–This is in reference to their new transit standard to help families and individuals overcome “time poverty”
                Leadership–Making sure the community is intentionally inclusive and diverse
                Collaboration–They have a new collaboration process in order to solve issues with openness, respect, participation, and a shared vision.

                For each of these five areas the community is working on specific strategies that will help achieve their goals to build a better Chattanooga over the next 20 years.

                Christy says individual citizens are able to make a difference in their cities. She encourages everyone to reach out to and engage with their chamber members. “I would say call your elected officials. Call your city council member. If you have county commissioners, or a county mayor, reach out to them. How can I help? Call your state legislators if there’s something you’re passionate about, and figure out how to volunteer, how to get engaged. Call your United Way.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What a Chamber of Commerce actually does
                Some of the big trends Christy is paying attention to when thinking about how the workforce is changing and how it’s impacting citizens
                A look at some of the initiatives the city of Chattanooga has going on, including Velocity 2040
                Christy’s view of the future of jobs and AI and automation
                What Christy believes the city of the future looks like
                What citizens can do to help shape their own city
                What role business plays in the future of cities

                Links From The Episode:

                Velocity 2040 Information
                Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce

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                Here’s Why “Team Human” Will Win https://thefutureorganization.com/heres-why-team-human-will-win/ Wed, 19 Jun 2019 07:45:30 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18838 There’s no doubt that technology plays an increasingly important role in our everyday lives. No previous generation has been tasked so greatly with developing technology and charting its course. Some people believe technology is the next great society and will take over humans, while others believe humans have the power to leverage technology to their ... Read more

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                There’s no doubt that technology plays an increasingly important role in our everyday lives. No previous generation has been tasked so greatly with developing technology and charting its course. Some people believe technology is the next great society and will take over humans, while others believe humans have the power to leverage technology to their benefit.

                Best-selling author Douglas Rushkoff is a firm member of Team Human. In fact, it’s the title of his most recent book. His goal is to help individuals and companies reacquaint themselves with what it means to be human in our very strange digital age. In order to avoid falling into the trap of conceding to technology’s power, Rushkoff believes people need to remember what makes humans special. Instead of pitting humans against technology, the key to Team Human’s victory is to use technology to their advantage.

                “We have to retrieve and embed human values into the digital infrastructure or we risk leaving them behind at our great peril,” he says.

                Too many companies fall into the trap of treating their people like machines and focusing solely on their productivity and output. Instead, the key to human success comes in the soft skills and traits that are uniquely human, such as eye contact, touch, and conversational rapport. Using technology to drive efficiency is a great use of new tools, but Rushkoff warns about the risks of de-valuing human qualities and interactions.

                Rushkoff compares our digital age to the ideas of Darwin. Instead of more advanced groups replacing their predecessors, the idea of evolution is really about growing collaboration in more advanced forms. For humans, that means collaborating with technology in a way that takes the best from both groups. Each innovation humans create, whether it’s language, text, or the internet, offers the possibility for increased connection and collaboration with each other. Those tools can be harnessed to combine the resources and talents of Team Human into a powerhouse of innovation. Rushkoff says we’re relying on technology in the wrong way instead of using it to allow humans to be human.

                What does this mean for organizations? It means companies should embrace their human employees and use new technology strategically. The best companies succeed because of human ideas and connections. Focusing on an organization’s purpose and the good it puts into the world can keep Team Human on track for success. Treat humans like humans instead of machines that could be replaced.

                Times are changing, but humans will always come out on top. Embrace Team Human and remember that humans will always be a competitive advantage.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Why Generalists Will Triumph Over Specialists In The Future Of Work https://thefutureorganization.com/generalists-triumph-over-specialists-future-of-work/ Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:20:04 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18809 My guest today is David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. In our discussion today you will hear the backstory of how he came to write this book, which is quite fascinating, very serendipitous, and not what you would expect. David’s research has found that while specialists still have a place and they are still needed, they have been overvalued in our society whereas generalists have been greatly undervalued. It is generalists who are most likely going to triumph in the future of work. And this is the topic we are focusing on in today’s discussion. Why are generalists more successful leaders? How can you develop your range? When did the idea of specialization start and why? David answer’s all these questions and more!

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                David Epstein is the author of two top 10 New York Bestselling books, The Sports Gene and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, which is the topic of today’s discussion. David has a fascinating and very diverse background that led him to write both of these books.

                David has a Master’s degree in environmental science and journalism. While he was in college studying to be a scientist he was also a competitive runner. When one of his teammates died in a race, David decided to merge his interests of science and sports together to figure out what happened and why extremely fit athletes can suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

                While investigating the disease he ended up writing for Sports Illustrated. During his time at Sports Illustrated he wrote about things like the only living Olympian to have survived a concentration camp and the revelation that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was using steroids. He was also asked to speak at a conference about sports development where he and Malcolm Gladwell, Author of Outliers: The Story of Success, debated the best route to success in sports.

                Through his research David has found that the best success comes from athletes who have a “sampling period” early on in their career. They don’t focus in on one sport, they try a wide variety therefore learning a broad range of skills and techniques. This goes against the typical view that athletes should train and specialize in one sport from early on in order to master that one sport.

                David then applied this same theory to see if it was the same in the workplace as it is on the field, and his research showed that while specialists still have a place and they are still needed, they have been overvalued in our society whereas generalists have been greatly undervalued. It is generalists who are most likely going to triumph in the future of work.

                David says, “If you go back through periods in history, there are times of more and less specialization. But, I’m thinking about it much more in a modern sense. I think some of that made sense, some of the science of management efficiency. Because, as industry grew, people were facing pretty repetitive challenges, or what the psychologist, Robin Hogarth, calls kind learning environments. Where you’re doing the same thing over and over, the feedback is very clear, next steps are clear, all the information is available, and the feedback is always accurate, and so on, and patterns repeat.That made a lot of sense for industry, and I think it also influenced things like education, because that was preparing workers for that type of work, and so on. It totally made sense. But, I think in the knowledge economy, people aren’t facing those repetitive challenges the same way, and they’re having to re-invent themselves over their career.”

                If you are a specialist now, David says, it’s never too late to make changes. But you don’t have to change the industry you are in to become a generalist. The problem comes when we get into a rut and keep doing the same thing day after day. After awhile of this we plateau, we stop growing and learning. We have to keep challenging ourselves and get out of our comfort zones.

                “I don’t think we have to think about taking flying leaps all the time. But, for me, I am, at all times, basically running little experiments to keep trying to triangulate what types of projects and work fit me. I’m just doing that all the time, and I’m sure I will for the rest of my life.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What led David to write both of his bestselling books
                Why generalists are more successful leaders
                How you can develop your range
                When did the idea of specialization start and why

                Link From The Episode:

                Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

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                Does Your Company Have A Reason For Being? https://thefutureorganization.com/does-your-company-have-a-reason-for-being/ Fri, 14 Jun 2019 07:09:15 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18832 Some organizations are great. Some organizations are not so great.

                You can tell the difference between these types of organizations almost as soon as you walk into the office or sit down in an interview or meeting. Truly great organizations care about their people and create high-quality employee experiences. These are the companies that are focused not just on increasing their bottom lines, but on building communities for their employees and customers where everyone is engaged and moving forward.

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                Some organizations are great. Some organizations are not so great.

                You can tell the difference between these types of organizations almost as soon as you walk into the office or sit down in an interview or meeting. Truly great organizations care about their people and create high-quality employee experiences. These are the companies that are focused not just on increasing their bottom lines, but on building communities for their employees and customers where everyone is engaged and moving forward.

                One thing that sets great companies apart is that they have a reason for being. Every company has a mission statement, but a reason for being turns that on its head. This isn’t your typical corporate jargon but instead showcases the organization’s values and what it is willing to do for its employees and customers.

                To be a powerful reason for being, it needs to contain four important parts:

                Something unattainable. Goals that can be met are great, but there’s something about setting your eyes on the stars and aiming for something that you can’t actually grasp. A reason for being is an overarching goal that gives the company something to constantly work towards. An organization might not be able to ever actually bring a smile to the face of everyone in the world or end childhood hunger, but they can make it their mission to try. With an unattainable goal, there is always room for hope and progress.

                No talk of money. Many organizations fall into the trap of turning the focus of their mission statement into being a leader or the best in their industry. That shows that the most important thing for that company is competition and financial gain. Not everyone can get behind money as the driving factor, especially if it comes at the sacrifice of employee experience and a strong sense of community. Leave money out of it and focus on other goals for your company.

                Shows the company’s impact. Employees want to work for an organization that does good in the world and in the community. This is especially true with Millennials, who are often willing to give up higher pay if there is a strong mission or principles with the organization. Even for-profit companies can have a big impact on the community that their employees can get behind. Think about Airbnb’s goal to belong anywhere or Starbuck’s mission to nurture the human spirit, one cup, one neighborhood, and one community at a time. These reasons for being show that any type of company can have a positive impact in the world.

                Rallies employees. The goal of a reason for being to make employees excited so that they want to come to work and put forth their best effort. Employees and customers are more likely to be excited about a motivational message that encourages them to build connections and do good. A reason for being is unifying and provides a sense of purpose for where the company and its employees are going. A good reason for being finds commonalities between people and encourages them to work together.

                Organizations that have reasons for being are more likely to have engaged and fulfilled employees. These types of organizations can easily point to their reason for being and showcase what the company stands for and where it is going. But it’s not just the company that can have a reason for being—employees and teams can have them, too. Find what motivates you and your employees and create a reason for being to act as your goal and rally cry.

                If your organization doesn’t have a reason for being, it’s time to sit down and make it happen.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Creating Autonomy And Internal Mobility For Employees: Insights From The CEO Of Globant https://thefutureorganization.com/autonomy-mobility-employees-globant/ Mon, 10 Jun 2019 06:32:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18740 My guest today is Martin Migoya, Co-Founder and CEO of Globant, an IT and Software development company that uses the latest technologies transform organizations.Globant has a really unique way of providing autonomy and internal mobility to their employees via what they call “pods” and you will hear all about that approach in today’s discussion. We also explore what happened at the company after they stopped their annual employee engagement surveys, Martin’s take on the global state of AI, and his advice for leaders around the world looking to transform their organizations.

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                Martin Migoya is the Co-Founder and CEO of Globant, an IT and Software development company that uses the latest technologies transform organizations. They have worked with companies such as Disney, the Met Police in London, and the MTA in New York. Globant was founded back in 2003 by four founders and today they have almost 10,000 employees in 16 countries.

                Creating and maintaining a culture with a handful of people is one thing, but how has Globant scaled that culture while growing to almost 10,000? Martin explains that one of the main goals of their culture was to go against the typical command and control system that a lot of the professional service industry has always had.

                The leaders at Globant use a very unique method to give their employees autonomy and internal mobility. The company is made up of what they call Pods and they currently have around 1,200 pods. Each pod is made up of a group of 8 to 20 people, depending on the project they are working on. The pods can stay together for a few months or even up to 14 years, whatever is needed for the lifetime of the customer and project they support.

                These pods each create a pod constitution by having all the members of the pod meet and discuss the values and principles they would like to hold and they discuss what will be needed in order to make the customer happy. During this discussion they also assign roles–they decide, for example, who’s going to be the accountant, who will be the entrepreneur,who will be the teacher, etc…

                Globant is also supportive of internal mobility inside of the company. They help and support employees who want to move from one role inside of the organization to another, even if they are completely different, say going from finance to entertainment. They also support employees who want to change cities. Globant is located in 40 cities and employees are free to change if needed.

                Martin says it is difficult to allow complete autonomy and mobility, but it is something very important to Globant and it is a huge part of their culture. Martin shares that even though anything is possible, there are some limits. He says, “The first thing we ask people is, okay, you want autonomy. You need to behave like an adult so if you’re finishing a project and you have the next six months within that project, you need to finish it. You need to commit to that. Otherwise, it’s not autonomy. It’s misbehaving like a kid. All right?”

                Globant also got rid of the typical annual employee survey years ago and now they use a feedback tool called BetterMe, which allows for constant, real time feedback. They have found that using this method provides more meaningful feedback and they now have 20 times the feedback that they received using other methods.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What it’s like to work at Globant
                How they make internal mobility easy for employees
                The result of getting rid of annual engagement surveys inside of Globant and what they do instead
                Martin’s view of the global state of AI
                Martin’s advice for leaders around the world looking to transform their organizations.

                Links From The Episode:

                Globant.com  

                The Never-Ending Digital Journey: Creating new consumer experiences through technology  

                Embracing the Power of AI: A Gentle CXO Guide 

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                Three Ways To Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Manager https://thefutureorganization.com/three-ways-strengthen-your-relationship-manager/ Thu, 06 Jun 2019 19:20:22 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18712 How is your relationship with your manager? Is it a strained relationship, is it a healthy relationship, or maybe you don’t know your manager at all. In this video we are talking about three ways to build your relationship with your manager, that if implemented can have a huge impact on the way you work.

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                Do you have a good relationship with your manager? Hopefully you do, but there are a lot of employees out there who either have a strained relationship with their manager or no relationship at all.

                Having a bad relationship with your manager can affect your day to day work as well as your quality of life so it is important to make sure you work to strengthen it. Here are 3 things you can start doing to day to build a better relationship with your manager.

                Open/clear communication
                Empathy
                Manager = Human

                In any relationship communication is the key. Make sure you get one on one time with manager regularly. In your one on one discussions ask questions, ask for clarifications, let them know if you need help, etc.. Don’t be afraid to speak up and tell the truth and don’t just tell them what you think they want to hear. Be honest, open, and direct.

                It is also important to practice empathy when it comes to your manager. Put yourself in their shoes and try to understand where they are coming from. There is a real life example that I encountered that shows the importance of empathy for your manager. I knew someone who expressed their desire for flexible work, they wanted to work from home a few days a week. The manager immediately said absolutely not, you need to be in the office all the time.

                Initially it seemed the manager was rude, uncaring, and controlling and the employee could have kept thinking those things were true, but instead she went to the manager and had an open conversation. She asked what the reason behind the no was. The manager then explained that the truth was he was scared of flexible work. He wasn’t sure how to manage people outside of the office, he thought he would lose control and that quality of work would suffer.

                Because they had that open and honest discussion they were able to address the concerns and they set ground rules and guidelines that allowed the flexible work to be offered.

                Going along with empathy, it is important to remember that your manager is a human just like you. Sometimes it is easy to forget that. They get stressed out, burned out, happy, excited, worried, etc…just like you.

                Try implementing these practices and I’m sure your relationship with your manager will improve.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How To Bring Together IT And HR To Meet Employee Needs https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-bring-together-it-and-hr-to-meet-employee-needs/ Tue, 04 Jun 2019 16:57:57 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18681 Imagine walking into a car dealership and telling one of the sales representatives that you’re looking for a car. When he or she asks what you are looking for, you say that it needs to be able to fit five people, have great horsepower and torque, be painted blue, and have all the new modern features of today’s car. The dealer says they have something for you and then proceeds to wheel out a Frankenstein-like monstrosity that has five seats all on the left side of the car, a massive engine on the right side of the car, a steering wheel that’s attached to the roof, and splotchy blue paint. And they expect you to buy it! When you voice your displeasure, the dealer says the car has everything you wanted. Technically, it does meet the bill, but it is not at all what you wanted or had in mind.

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                Imagine walking into a car dealership and telling one of the sales representatives that you’re looking for a car. When he or she asks what you are looking for, you say that it needs to be able to fit five people, have great horsepower and torque, be painted blue, and have all the new modern features of today’s car. The dealer says they have something for you and then proceeds to wheel out a Frankenstein-like monstrosity that has five seats all on the left side of the car, a massive engine on the right side of the car, a steering wheel that’s attached to the roof, and splotchy blue paint. And they expect you to buy it! When you voice your displeasure, the dealer says the car has everything you wanted. Technically, it does meet the bill, but it is not at all what you wanted or had in mind.

                That’s the difference between focusing on the needs of the employees versus the requirements of the business. Most IT departments simply go through a checklist of items instead of understanding how and why employees work. The problem with this, as outlined in the Frankencar example above, is that the way employees work rarely aligns with the technical checklist of the organization. However, it is possible to combine the needs of employees and the requirements of the organization with a little collaboration.

                Typically the IT and HR functions inside of organizations don’t work together that closely. When it comes to designing employee experiences, this creates an amazing opportunity for these two roles to partner. IT needs to be more flexible and open to understanding the needs of the employees, but at the same time HR also needs to be aware of any potential issues that might surround any new technology deployment. I look at these two functions as chefs who are working together to create an amazing dish.

                This creates a unique opportunity for business leaders in HR-related roles to partner and work with those in IT-related roles. Bring IT and HR together and start having the conversation about how the two departments can collaborate. You might even start with IT including HR in some technology discussion and having HR include IT in some of the people-centric discussion. Bringing these organizations together helps organizations listen to their employees and shows a commitment to enabling employees to do their best work.

                Don’t give your employees Frankencars—listen to their needs and find the best comprehensive solution instead of just going down the checklist.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                The CEO Of Gallup Shares Six Things You Need To Change In Your Organization Now https://thefutureorganization.com/ceo-gallup-change-organization/ Mon, 03 Jun 2019 17:42:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18669 My guest today is Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup and co-author of the new book, It’s the Manager. The book examines 52 discoveries found from the largest study done by Gallup on the future of work that point to why managers are the biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success. Today in our discussion we are talking about the content of Jim’s book and the six things that their research found that organizations need to change right now. You will also hear what Jim’s first job was and how it changed his life, why there is a shift towards purpose and meaning in the workplace, and Jim’s view on perks.

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                Jim Clifton is the Chairman and CEO of Gallup, an American analytics and advisory company founded in 1935. Jim has been the CEO since 1988 and under his leadership Gallup has expanded from a predominantly US based company to a worldwide organization with 30 offices in 20 countries. Gallup is made up of 2,000 professionals plus 35,000 contract workers across 160 countries.

                Jim is also the co-author of a new book called It’s The Manager, which is based on data Gallup has collected from their largest study on the future of work. The book examines 52 discoveries found from that study that point to why managers are the biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success.

                From the Gallup study Jim and co-author Jim Harter found six things that have been done in the past that most organizations still seem to hold on to. These six things need to be changed inside of organizations immediately in order for organizations to stay relevant and successful in the future of work.

                One of these six changes Jim talks about is the shift from working solely for a paycheck to now the need for purpose and meaning at work. The things that employees want has changed over the last few decades. When Jim was starting out in the workplace in the 70s and 80s he says he wanted 40 hours a week and a fair paycheck out of work, that was it. His main dream and focus was on getting married, having kids, having a nice house, etc…

                But now with the new generations coming into the workplace they don’t have the same dreams and aspirations as Jim and his generation did.

                “My generation got married like 15 years earlier on average than this generation. We had a bunch of kids and we also owned our homes. But all of that means that when I went to work, I really wasn’t concerned with what the mission or purpose was of the organization. I mean this is a striking difference, but now I’m staying with millennials because they’re 40% of the workplace when they come to work. They’re saying, my life now merges with the workplace, not with my family, and I need to know that if I’m going to spend all this time here, how does that fulfill that need? Because my job is much more a part of my life than any generation ever.”

                Another change that is pointed out in the book is the need for managers to focus on employee development instead of employee satisfaction. Jim says, while there is nothing wrong in providing perks for employees, it should not be the reason employees come to work.

                There’s been a rising trend in organizations believing that they need to provide ping pong tables, latte machines, nap pods, free lunch, etc…but employees want to have a real purpose behind the work that they are doing. Employees want to know that the managers are going to work on their strengths and help define a development plan and help them grow inside of the organization.

                As stated in the book, “When you have great managers who can maximize the potential of every team member, you have delivered on the new global will: a great job and a great life. That is the future of work”.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                What Jim’s first job was and how it changed his life
                The biggest changes Jim has seen in the workplace over the past few decades
                The difference between a coach and a manager
                Jim’s view on perks in the workplace
                Why organizations use workplace practices when there’s no data to support that they work
                A look at the research and findings for the book, It’s the Manager

                Links From The Episode:

                It’s The Manager on Amazon  

                Jim Clifton on LinkedIn 

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Three Ways To Think Like A Futurist https://thefutureorganization.com/three-ways-to-think-like-a-futurist/ Thu, 30 May 2019 17:21:25 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18625 Have you ever wondered what it means to be a futurist and how they are able to anticipate future trends? Today I am sharing three things that futurists do everyday that can help you start thinking like a futurist yourself.

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                What does a futurist actually do? They don’t predict the future, no one can do that. But they use strategies to anticipate what could happen in the future and they figure out ways to best prepare for all possible scenarios. They make sure no one is surprised by what the future may bring.

                Here are three ways you can think like a futurist:

                1. Look for signals
                2. Thinking of implications
                3. Explore scenarios

                The first one is look for signals, also known as horizon scanning. You can look for signals of upcoming trends by reading, listening to podcasts or radio shows, talking to people, looking at certain websites, paying attention to research, etc…

                Once you identify signals of something that is on the horizon that could be a big trend in the future, then it’s time to think of the implications. If this does become a major trend what impacts would it bring? What would it mean for jobs, the workplace, leaders, communities and so on.

                That brings us to the third thing, which is exploring scenarios. Just like in the game of Chess, it is important to think about all the possibilities instead of focusing in on one scenario. For example, if we look at AI and automation as a signal of something big coming we should not just explore the one possibility that it will be all doom and gloom with 80% of jobs taken and no use for humans.

                Instead we should look at every possible scenario that could happen and figure out how to best plan for each one.

                If you are able to take these steps each day, you will be thinking like a futurist. You will be able to better anticipate and prepare for all possible future scenarios.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Business Leaders Discuss The Importance Of Diversity https://thefutureorganization.com/business-leaders-discuss-the-importance-of-diversity/ Wed, 29 May 2019 17:26:52 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18609 Diversity is definitely a buzzword in today’s business world. But more than just a passing trend, diversity should be a core value of every business. Each week I talk with business experts on my podcast The Future of Work Podcast. I enjoy hearing what they have to say about important topics, and diversity is no exception. Here are a few things my recent guests have shared about why diversity is so important and the challenges that organizations face as they try to become more inclusive.

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                Diversity is definitely a buzzword in today’s business world. But more than just a passing trend, diversity should be a core value of every business. Each week I talk with business experts on my podcast The Future of Work Podcast. I enjoy hearing what they have to say about important topics, and diversity is no exception. Here are a few things my recent guests have shared about why diversity is so important and the challenges that organizations face as they try to become more inclusive.

                Anka Wittenberg is the SVP and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at SAP and an advocate for workplace diversity. As a mother of three, Anka is a walking example of diversity, especially when one of the characteristics that makes her unique—being a mother—was what made it difficult for her to get an interview with many large firms in Germany. Anka believes the uniqueness of a workforce emerges when organizations include people from all walks of life. Corporate cultures are changing to include more diverse thoughts. Many employers are focusing on a more holistic picture and are seeing the business impact of greater innovation and customer satisfaction as they embrace a more diverse workforce.

                Churchill Franklin is the CEO of Acadian Asset Management, and John Chisholm is the company’s Chief Investment Officer. Their company culture embraces listening to both clients and colleagues to become a leader in the investment industry. In order to do that, Churchill and his team have embraced cognitive diversity. Employees come from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and educational systems. The more perspectives around the table, the better for the business and clients. When employees have a variety of personalities and perspectives, they can bring new points of view to discussions.

                Churchill and John are quick to point to research that shows that diverse groups perform better than homogenous groups. This is true at Acadian as diverse teams are tasked with problem solving—each employee may have a different approach, but together the team can thoroughly examine the problem from all sides. Diversity is more than just a person’s race or religion; it can also include their thought process and how they approach challenges. Churchill and John admit that it is often easier to hire and work with people who think alike, but doing so can pigeonhole a company into one approach instead of opening ideas for innovation.

                Karyn Twaronite is the Global Diversity and Inclusiveness Officer at EY. With employees in more than 150 countries, it can be a challenge to bring together people with diverse backgrounds to create high-performing teams. Karyn believes diversity and inclusiveness impact client relations, service, marketing, HR, and much more. Karyn and her team work to ensure EY embraces diversity beyond just gender and nationality but also with different educational levels and areas of expertise.

                Karyn thinks of diversity as three Cs: compliance, character, and commerce. It used to be that companies were only focused on the compliance of diversity and filling quotas of certain types of employees. However, that doesn’t show the entire picture. Character showcases how engrained diversity is into a company’s culture. Commerce is how diversity impacts a business’s performance. Each C is important, but together they create the full view of diversity. Embracing and highlighting diversity adds to the employee experience because employees want to feel they can use their unique strengths and skills at work.

                Celeste Warren, Vice President of Human Resources and Global Diversity and Inclusion, Center of Excellence at Merck, says it is important for organizations to create a culture that allows employees to be their true selves at work. A challenge of diversity and inclusion is making sure people aren’t marginalized and that their ideas are considered and added to an organization’s success. Merck brings group leaders together each month to discuss the various diversity challenges within the company and to represent different types of employees.

                Diversity is definitely a powerful way to improve the employee experience. By embracing all types of employees and customers, companies can find unique solutions, diversify their offerings, and move towards the future as leaders.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Jacob Morgan Answers Your Questions About Leadership, Employee Experience, The Future Of Work And More https://thefutureorganization.com/jacob-morgan-answers-your-questions-about-leadership-employee-experience-the-future-of-work-and-more/ Tue, 28 May 2019 18:20:38 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18598 This week we are doing something a bit different due to my busy travel schedule and the fact that the week started with a holiday. Instead of having a one on one conversation with a guest, I am answering your questions from social media. Topics range from advice on how to get leaders to buy into employee experience to the top 5 hard skills needed for the future and how often to do employee surveys plus much more.

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                Last week I went to social media to find out what your questions are related to leadership, employee experience, and the future of work. You asked and now today, I answer.

                The following questions are the ones I am addressing on today’s episode:

                1. Often leaders are on the fence about investing in employee experience, especially when it requires outside support or consulting. What are the top 3 things you’ve heard from leaders that have pushed them to actually take action on an employee experience shift?

                2. Would you make any changes to your top 5 soft skills for the future (perpetual learning, accountability, empathy, self-awareness, entrepreneurial thinking) if you were to create the list at this moment again?

                3. What are the top 5 hard skills that will be relevant in the future? Now, it seems it is programming, however, a lot of it will be probably replaced by AI, therefore what hard skills will be the most relevant in the future?

                4. If you were responsible for employee engagement and happiness in a company, what would be the first three initiatives or actions you would take at this position? Let’s assume the company culture is not yet defined and we are talking about a corporation.

                5. How fast the “ask for feedback, analyze, and respond” process has to be? We’re used to annual surveys and I understand it’s no longer possible to respond annually, but what is a good timing? 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks?

                6. I am lucky to be at a firm thinking about the future of work and upskilling, but what advice would you give those employees or orgs who are not early adopters to start thinking about the future of work?

                7. What are some tips to create a work environment where employees feel safe enough to share their thoughts and concerns with leadership before issues become major problems?

                8. You said in a recent podcast that being a good coach is the number one behavior of a great manager. What are some key steps to becoming a good coach?

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How To Work With Your Spouse https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-work-with-your-spouse/ Wed, 22 May 2019 18:28:29 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18540 My wife and I have worked together for many years, we spend almost all of our time together. It can be challenging at times, but we have three tips to share that we have found helpful for working together successfully.

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                If you have ever worked together with your spouse or your significant other you know that it has its challenges. My wife and I have worked together in our home for many years and we have found a few things we can do to make working together easier and more successful. Today we will be talking about three of the main things we have found to be helpful:

                Take time/space
                Respect boundaries
                Help each other

                Don’t be scared to take time away from each other. We all have times when we need space from our significant others, but especially when you are working together. When you feel you need to have some space to yourself go outside, go into another room, put headphones on, or go out to get coffee. There’s nothing wrong with needing time and space to yourself.

                You also have to respect each other’s boundaries. When you are working right next to your significant other, it’s so easy to want to talk about non-work related things–what do you want to do for dinner, where are we going this weekend, where should we go on our vacation, etc… But it is important to remember that both of you have work to get done. My wife and I, even though we work from home, we have decided to treat our time at work as though we are in an office. We are there to get work done and so we have to respect each others work time. We still bounce ideas off of each other and get advice, but we keep it work related from 9-5.

                Taking time to help each other is another important tip. My wife and I help each other all time time with work related items. We ask each other to proof read things, we ask each others opinions on speaking engagements, we bounce ideas off of each other. We want to support one another and be as successful as we can be.

                If you currently work with a spouse or significant other, I highly suggest implementing these three tips as we have found them to be very helpful.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How To Really Drive Change At Work https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-really-drive-change-at-work/ Wed, 22 May 2019 01:07:12 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18521 Long hours, bad cubicles, tedious work, toxic culture — there are a lot of reasons why people would want to make a change within their organization. Change can be something as small as getting the office supplies you need or as big as revamping the corporate culture and brand, but no matter the size, change can have a big impact on the morale, growth, and revenue of a company. Change is especially important as we march towards the future of work, as the rate of change is sure to speed up and organizations that are stuck in their ways will likely be left in the dust. But how can you really drive change within your organization that will last and keep your company at the forefront?

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                Long hours, bad cubicles, tedious work, toxic culture — there are a lot of reasons why people would want to make a change within their organization. Change can be something as small as getting the office supplies you need or as big as revamping the corporate culture and brand, but no matter the size, change can have a big impact on the morale, growth, and revenue of a company. Change is especially important as we march towards the future of work, as the rate of change is sure to speed up and organizations that are stuck in their ways will likely be left in the dust. But how can you really drive change within your organization that will last and keep your company at the forefront?

                Most people automatically think that it’s the people that make the change, and that to drive real change you need better leaders and managers. But that isn’t always the case. In fact, most people fail to realize that the system you build is more powerful than the people in the system. If your organization is a terrible place to work and you bring in a new manager to make everything better, you’ll often find that the new leader doesn’t make any changes and could actually make things worse. Even the best intentioned manager is often limited in what he or she can do by the systems that are already in place. A manager who wants to open up communication in an organization can’t do much no matter how grand their plans if they are locked into the organization’s existing hierarchal system. Just look at how the U.S. presidency works — the president can’t do whatever he wants because there are limits built into the system. The same principle is true within organizations and impacts change both big and small.

                Much more than people, systems are what actually create change. If you want change within your organization, you have to revise the system. Changing the system may seem like a daunting task, and that’s because it can be. However, updating the system to something that is more open to change is worth the effort and can set your company up for success. Taking the time to change the system makes your company more agile and makes it easier for change to happen quickly and efficiently that reflects what employees and customers want. Instead of disrupting the entire organization, change within a good system is seamless and keeps the company ahead of the competition.

                To first drive change, look at the system that is currently in place and figure out how to change it. What practices are broken? What is limiting people from doing what they really want? Where are the roadblocks for new ideas? It could be the organizational structure of how employees report to management, it could be the corporate culture that follows strict traditions, it could be attitude executives have to new technology, or any other number of bad practices. Systems come in a number of forms and can be small and large. Look at how work gets done in your organization and find ways to update and streamline the process.

                This is all to say that people aren’t important in driving change. Without bold, visionary people in leadership positions, change would never get started in the first place. These people need to take a stand to let others know that changing the strategy and tactics of the organization won’t last. They need to be the ones to change the very system and workplace practices the organization uses.

                To drive real change, you have to start by rebuilding and rethinking the system.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Keeping Up With The Accelerating Pace Of Change: Insights From Mastercard’s President Of Operations And Technology https://thefutureorganization.com/accelerating-pace-change-mastercard-technology/ Mon, 20 May 2019 17:17:05 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18497 Today’s guest is Ed McLaughlin, President of Operations and Technology at Mastercard. Join us as we talk about how Mastercard creates great digital experiences for their employees, how they are keeping up with the accelerating pace of change, and how they balance gathering information and data while providing privacy and security. Ed also reveals some cool AI programs Mastercard has in place such as NuDetect and SafetyNet and he explains why he is so optimistic about the future of AI and automation.

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                Ed McLaughlin is the President of Operations and Technology at Mastercard, where he has worked for the past 14 years. In his current role Ed oversees all of Mastercard’s technology functions including the global network, processing platforms, information security, and technology operations.

                As Ed points out, working in technology doesn’t mean he is sitting in a cubicle coding all day. Work in technology is very much a people centered role. “I think technology has always been people at its heart. What really matters is who are the people, and how well we use the stuff, how good we’re at it, and how much we understand what all of that’s for. Technology is always for a purpose, and it’s people that give it that purpose. Yeah, I spend a lot of time. I still code every once in a while, but it’s not the work of doing it, it’s really working together to create the value that is. I think just about everything we do is either done through or with technology these days. It’s just really how we make things, how humans work together.”

                When it comes to the doom and gloom talk about AI and automation, Ed says he is “profoundly optimistic” He believes that these advances in technology have the potential to free humans up to do the things they actually want to do. He says, “When I hear talk of a jobless future, I just think it’s just a lack of imagination. I mean, when I think of all the things I wish we could be doing if we could have more resources freed up, my lists have lists.”

                Mastercard is actually harnessing AI inside of the organization in order to flag fraudulent activity for customers, to help employees collaborate effectively, and to make it possible for employees to continuously learn and grow.

                One tool they use is called Safety Net, which monitors all transactions in real time and looks for fraudulent behaviors. It helps protect the company from the 200 fraud attempts that happen every minute, which would nearly impossible to do with just human employees.

                Another program they have in place is called NuDetect, which can detect if someone is trying to sign into a customer account using a stolen identity. The AI looks at behaviors such as what height the phone is at when signing in, the way the person types, whether they are sitting or standing, etc….

                With all of the new technological advances and the fast rate of change in today’s world of work, how are companies supposed to keep up? Ed says it is important to stay constantly curious and don’t get stuck doing things as they have always been done before just because change is hard.

                “I do think, and this is hard, you need to have an enthusiasm for what’s new, not to be fashionable, not for fashion’s sake, but to always be questioning. I think it’s a skeptical enthusiasm of, “If a new capability is there, does it allow me to do what I want to do better?” I think as long as you’re centered on what you’re trying to do, then all the new capabilities I find just profoundly exciting.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                ●How to create great digital experiences for employees
                ●Why Ed is optimistic about AI and automation
                ●A look at some cool AI programs Mastercard has created such as NuDetect and SafetyNet
                ●How Mastercard upskills and retrains their employees
                ●What the office space is like at Mastercard
                ●How they are keeping up with the pace of change
                ●How to balance information and data with privacy and security

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Are You Finding Time To Be Curious? https://thefutureorganization.com/are-you-finding-time-to-be-curious/ Wed, 15 May 2019 23:18:18 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18459 Our lives get so busy and filled up with work and the day to day responsibilities, it’s easy to forget our natural desire to be curious. Curiosity is important, it is curious people who shape the future (including the future of work). We need to find time in our busy lives to give in to curiosity.

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                When we are young curiosity comes naturally. We explore, we ask questions, we create, and we imagine. But as we get older the responsibilities of life tend to get in the way of our curiosity. It is important to find time to be curious, because it is curious people who shape and build the future.

                It was Einstein who said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Curiosity helps us to solve problems, it helps us create new technologies, it sparks innovation, and it keeps our minds sharp.

                So no matter how busy life may get make sure you take the time to think outside the box, ask questions, read something new, explore, challenge the status quo, and imagine. Be passionately curious.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Futurists Weigh In On How To Improve Workplace Training https://thefutureorganization.com/futurists-weigh-improve-workplace-training/ Tue, 14 May 2019 20:46:03 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18445 Everyone has sat through boring workplace training sessions that seem like a waste of time and are a drain on employees. On the other side, many people have attended useful and lively trainings where they actually walk away engaged and educated, ready to apply what they’ve learned to their jobs. How can we make every training useful and engaging? That’s a question many companies face. Each week I talk with top executives, authors, and professors on my podcast, The Future of Work Podcast. Many of my guests are experts in training and learning and have shared their thoughts on how we can improve workplace training in the future.

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                Everyone has sat through boring workplace training sessions that seem like a waste of time and are a drain on employees. On the other side, many people have attended useful and lively trainings where they actually walk away engaged and educated, ready to apply what they’ve learned to their jobs. How can we make every training useful and engaging? That’s a question many companies face. Each week I talk with top executives, authors, and professors on my podcast, The Future of Work Podcast. Many of my guests are experts in training and learning and have shared their thoughts on how we can improve workplace training in the future.

                Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder and senior partner of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations work better. He believes that in order to properly train employees, managers need to act like coaches. Michael says coaches need to stay curious by asking the right questions of their employees, including open-ended questions like “What’s on your mind?”, “What is the real challenge for you?”, and “How can I help?”. In order to provide the right training and coaching resources, managers need to know the challenges and needs of employees. Much of that comes from creating a culture where employees feel safe to share. Coaching as training takes practice for managers and employees, but it can lead to positive change throughout the organization and employees who are better equipped to do their jobs.

                According to John Hass, Chairman, President, and CEO of Rosetta Stone, everyone needs to be involved in lifelong learning. The same principle can be applied to workplace training—employees should always be learning new skills and keeping up with technology. John is a big believer in personalized learning and using technology to allow students and employees to learn at their own pace. In order to take advantage of new technology and use it properly in the workplace, we have to broaden our skillsets and improve our job flexibility. Organizations can support that by providing training opportunities for employees to learn new, applicable skills.

                Cindy Parnell is the Executive Director at Arizona State University Career and Professional Development Services. She sees many organizations that partner with ASU to invest in their future workforce. In other words, training starts early—before employees are even hired—to make sure students and future professionals are developing skills the organization needs. Employers often visit classrooms and student groups to share tips on what skills are important, how to develop soft skills, and how to have a successful interview. Cindy says that the companies that are involved in training students end up having prepared employees who are ready to get to work.

                Connections between employers and universities was also a common thread for David Deming, professor of Public Policy, Education, and Economics at Harvard. He says a problem facing employees and organizations today is that companies don’t want to invest the time and resources to train new employees who are just going to leave a short time later. He suggests that there needs to be better connections between universities and companies to fill in the gaps of job training. While much of what is learned in college is useful, most employees still need some type of on-the-job training to give them the more practical skills. David encourages organizations to embrace training and break out of the mold of the typical employee they hire. By taking a chance on someone with a slightly unconventional background, they could end up finding a great fit for the company.

                Monica Pool Knox, Head of Global Talent Management at Microsoft Enterprises, says that both employees and employers need to be involved in training. Employees want different skills and experiences than what have traditionally been offered, so employers need to branch out with the types of training they offer. A lot of that revolves around new technology. Individuals and employers should both be involved in staying on top of new technology and seeing what emerging skills are needed in the market. Embracing diversity in teams and trainings to put employees with different backgrounds together can help everyone learn new skills and be exposed to new points of view.

                There are a lot of approaches to workplace training, but these thought leaders’ suggestions and advice are powerful to any employee or employer looking to improve their learning and training routines.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How Fidelity Investments Is Using Data And Analytics To Create A Diverse And Inclusive Organization https://thefutureorganization.com/fidelity-investments-data-diverse-inclusive/ Mon, 13 May 2019 17:53:41 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18418 Today’s guest is Amy Philbrook, the Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity Investments. Join us as we discuss why diversity and inclusion is not just something that leaders need to be focused on and how we all can be a part of improving D&I inside of our organizations. Amy also shares some fascinating stories from inside Fidelity that show how they are using data and analytics to address areas that need improvement. You will also hear what trends Amy is paying attention to, what has made her stay at Fidelity for so long, how to get leaders to care about diversity and inclusion and much more.

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                Amy Philbrook is the Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity Investments, a financial services company with around 50,000 employees. She’s been with Fidelity for 24 years working in almost every department. She started her career there in customer service answering phones.

                “Diversity is the presence of differences and inclusion is leveraging those differences to create value,” Amy says. They are two separate things and you can easily have one without the other. It’s easy to feel included on a team full of people who are just like you. And you can have a very diverse team, but if you don’t create an environment that is inclusive and that encourages everyone to share their ideas, those differences won’t really matter. You have to have both diversity and inclusion.

                As the head of D&I, Amy works closely with the People Analytics team at Fidelity to make sure they leverage data in order to are make the best choices for the organization. “Data is the foundation for every decision you make in corporate America, and human decisions are no different. So working with the leaders in one sense means doing heavy lifting on people analytics and data analysis and then sitting down with the leadership team and putting that data on the table in a way that they can understand. And that motivates them to take action”.

                Amy shared an example from a recruiting issue at Fidelity that was solved using data analytics. They found that they had a challenge retaining women in their first year at the company, no matter what role they held or what experience level they had. After conducting interviews, analyzing internal social networks, and finding out what managers were observing they were able to pinpoint the issue, which was that in the first year at the company women were more focused on learning the job vs. building a network.

                Because they used data to pinpoint the main issue they are now able to work on a direct solution for the problem. They are currently modifying their onboarding process to ensure that everyone coming into the organization has a network of people around them that they can connect with and turn to for help.

                In a perfect world we wouldn’t need a D&I team because everyone inside of organizations would be focused on staying diverse and inclusive, but we do not live in a perfect world. When it comes to getting leaders to buy into the importance of D&I, Amy says she tries to say away from technical D&I language she talks in terms of business, productivity, outcomes, etc…”I think it (D&I specific language) comes with baggage that creates barriers that waste time and energy trying to get over them.”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                ●How to use data to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization
                ●Why she has stayed at Fidelity for 24 years
                ●Why everyone should care about D&I and not just leaders
                ●How to get leaders to care about D&I
                ●How Amy works with People Analytics to improve D&I inside of Fidelity
                ●Trends Amy is paying attention to

                Link From The Episode:

                Amy Philbrook on LinkedIn

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                3 Questions To Ask Yourself At Work Everyday https://thefutureorganization.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-at-work-everyday/ Wed, 08 May 2019 16:58:28 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18353 Today we are talking about three questions you can use on a daily basis that will help you be a more effective individual worker and leader in the workplace. I have used them in my own daily routine and I have seen great results.

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                There are three main questions that I ask myself on a daily basis that have helped me work more effectively. Today I’m going to share these three questions (and one bonus question) and I challenge you to start implementing this routine into your daily life to see what impact it has.

                The three questions are:

                What did I learn today?
                What is the best thing that I did today?
                What can I do better tomorrow?

                Question number one is what did I learn today. In today’s world of work it is critical to be a perpetual learner. If you find that you are not learning new things every day, perhaps every few days, that is not a good sign. So this is an important question to ask to make sure you are able to respond to it at least every few days.

                There are so many ways that we can learn new things, there’s really no excuse. You can watch videos, listen to podcasts, read books, take part in discussions, take a course, etc…

                Question number two is what is the best thing I did today. This is an objective question and it could be focused on what did you do that made you feel proud, accomplished, fulfilled, excited, encouraged, etc… This could be work related or it could be something you did in your personal life. A lot of times we tend to focus on the negative things that happen throughout the day, but this question allows us to reflect on the positive things.

                Question three is what can I do better tomorrow. Maybe today you attended a meeting and you had a great idea but you kept it to yourself. Well then you can make a choice to speak up at some point in tomorrow’s meeting. All of us have things we can improve upon, this question allows us to pinpoint some problem areas and actually make steps forward to improve upon those areas. It can help push you to continuously grow.

                I have one bonus question to add which is, who can I help today/tomorrow and how? Can you bring coffee in for a coworker who has a really early morning? Can you give career advice to a new intern? Maybe you have downtime and you can offer help to someone who is overloaded.

                If you can ask yourself these questions on a daily basis you will notice that over time your behaviors will change. Focusing in on these four areas can help you become a more effective individual worker and leader in the workplace.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                Is Your Company Dedicated To Employee Health And Wellness? https://thefutureorganization.com/is-your-company-dedicated-to-employee-health-and-wellness/ Tue, 07 May 2019 18:22:10 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18333 Workplace stress can lead to all sorts of unhealthy habits and problems that affect our bodies. Weight gain, poor eating habits, heart problems, trouble sleeping, depression, and anxiety are just a few of the common things that we can experience because of workplace stress. This keeps us from doing and being our best at work and at home. Organizations are acknowledging this shift and are doing all sorts of things to help keep employees' minds and bodies healthy.

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                A few years ago when I would ask executives whether they had employee health and wellness programs, they would say, “Absolutely, we pay for their gym membership and give them healthy snacks.” We’ve come a long way since assuming health and wellness is about food and muscles. Today, health and wellness means focusing on the mind and the body. According to the American Institute of Stress, our jobs are by far the leading cause of stress in our lives. We work longer hours, we’re more connected, our attention spans are shorter, and we just can’t seem to find the time in the day to do everything we need to get done. Oftentimes this means we skimp out on the time we need to keep ourselves healthy. We don’t have time to eat breakfast, so we grab an egg sandwich from McDonald’s; we’d love to work out, but we have a big presentation due, so we have to skip the gym; and we can’t relax and have time to ourselves after work because we keep checking out email every five seconds. Then, of course, we have family and all sorts of other things in our personal lives that we need to deal with. We live in a new world where things move faster and we’re always connected.

                Workplace stress can lead to all sorts of unhealthy habits and problems that affect our bodies. Weight gain, poor eating habits, heart problems, trouble sleeping, depression, and anxiety are just a few of the common things that we can experience because of workplace stress. This keeps us from doing and being our best at work and at home. Organizations are acknowledging this shift and are doing all sorts of things to help keep employees’ minds and bodies healthy. Health and education training programs, healthy snacks and meals, gym memberships, access to nutritionists, team and company fitness contests, nap rooms, wearable fitness devices to track activity, and walking meetings are just some of the things that are being implemented at organizations around the world. We also have to focus on the mind, which includes stress workshops, financial planning advisors to help with saving for retirement and college tuition, yoga and meditation classes, and the like.

                Forward-thinking organizations understand that their responsibility isn’t just providing a job for their employees. It’s also looking after them and taking care of them. Although health and wellness programs are typically experienced while employees are at work, the impact is oftentimes felt at home, as well. Employees who feel taken care of will be more relaxed, have more energy for their friends and family members, feel better about themselves, and lead a happier life. There are also plenty of benefits for organizations, such as reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs, higher employee morale, and lower employee turnover.

                Still, health and wellness doesn’t mean offering short-term solutions to long-term employee needs. It means having an organizational commitment to looking after employees. One-time events that aren’t part of a larger healthcare strategy will likely fail.

                Marriott International has 200,000 employees around the world and truly believes in employee health and wellness. In fact, its CHRO, David Rodriguez, believes the wellness program helped save his life. He was diagnosed with leukemia and through Marriott’s TakeCare program was able to successfully make it through chemotherapy while learning new habits that helped put him in a better physical and mental place. Health and wellness is a unified goal that starts at the top with the CEO of Marriott International and spreads to presidents across every geography. These executives are tasked with helping employees take advantage of the various programs, including everything from physical fitness classes to online courses, to financial planning assistance to getting involved with local community efforts. In turn, Marriott sees employees becoming more committed to the company and what it stands for.

                Health and wellness efforts do more than just keep employees strong—they also show a company’s commitment to overall employee well-being. Take a look at your existing programs to make sure it is more than just snacks and gyms. Offer health and wellness programs that employees really want, and watch the results grow.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                The Best Leadership Advice From Walmart, Box, Lego, National Grid, WD-40 And Others https://thefutureorganization.com/best-leadership-advice-from-top-companies/ Mon, 06 May 2019 17:20:34 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18310 Today’s episode is a mashup of clips from a handful of past guests all on the main topic of leadership, in honor of my new book coming out towards the end of the year. I am currently working on the book right now and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. The book will include input from over 120 CEOs around the world that I have been interviewing over the past year and a half. For the book I’m also teaming up with LinkedIn to survey around 14,000 employees from around the world, so it truly will be a unique project. I hope you’ll check it out once it’s out, but for now here are some highlights on leadership from past episodes.

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                Having great leadership inside of an organization is critical. An organization can succeed or fail based on how it is lead. I’ve had some great discussions on the podcast over the years on this topic of leadership and today I’m sharing a few of my favorite clips.

                Garry Ridge is the President and CEO of WD-40. Garry knows a lot about leadership as he has been a leader inside of WD-40 for over 30 years in various roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He also co-authored the book “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A”.

                Garry defines his role as a leader as “taking care of people” and he believes wholeheartedly in the concept of servant leadership. He says, “As we stand as leaders, it’s our job to ensure that we have a viable strategy, we have a business model, we have resources, we have goals, we have all of the things that it takes to have a business that can perform. Once we’ve done that, we become the servant. And it’s our job then to help people step into their best personal self every day”

                It sounds simple, but there are a lot of people who do not lead this way. Why? Garry says it’s because a lot of leaders are afraid to admit they don’t have all the answers, they are afraid of giving their people a lot of responsibility, and then cannot allow empathy to prevail over ego.

                Kimberly Samon is the Chief Human Resource Officer at Weight Watchers, now known as WW. She has been in the HR space for over 20 years, but she is just as passionate about HR as she was the day she started. Weight Watchers is evolving and modernizing and in my interview with her back in February 2018 Kimberly explained how they went from an industry in turmoil to one that is thriving.

                When it comes to the future of leadership Kimberly believes it needs to be less about command and control and more about giving people a purpose and helping them understand the impact they are having on the organization and the customers. People want to follow someone they trust and believe in, not someone who sits up at the top and barks out orders.

                She also feels that data will play a huge role in the future of leadership. She says, “We sit on a tremendous amount of data that can be so powerful to our consumer particularly as we refine our approach on personalization. We have a saying here that consumers want us to “show me that you know me”. How do we take all of this data and really turn it into something that is personalized to the consumer, to our members? From my perspective, I’m thinking through the same on how do we do the same for our workforce? Is there a world in the future where everyone doesn’t have to have the exact same benefits or everyone doesn’t have to have the exact same work schedule? I don’t know we haven’t done a lot work on it but I do believe with the advent of all the data analytics we can craft some pretty specialized programs not only for consumers but for employees alike.”

                Clay Johnson is the EVP and Chief Information Officer at Walmart and Jacqui Canney is the EVP and Chief People Officer at Walmart. With over 2 million employees, Walmart is the largest private employer in the world, so as you can imagine it is a huge challenge to be able to retain, train and upskill that big of a workforce. One of the things we touched on during the podcast interview back in December 2018 was how leaders can balance shareholder value and doing what’s right for the employee.

                Clay and Jacqui both agreed that treating your employees well and equipping them with the tools and resources they need have a direct correlation with shareholder value—they aren’t two separate issues.

                Jacqui says, “What drives us is that shared value concept and having our associates have the benefits, the training, the education, the wages that are market relevant in leading in many ways that’s how we differentiate as winning. So we talk about our people make the difference that’s absolutely what we believe and I think that you’ll see that people talk about companies and they say our people are our asset. Our people are our company and investing in our people is investing in our company and I would say if you look back at our results, since we made that public announcement around where Wall Street kind of dinged us on the share price our results continued to climb and I do believe because we are providing a better customer proposition but that’s because our people are better equipped with the tools, the education, the training that they need to serve the customers whether it’s online or in the store”

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                ●How Tracy Reinhold became the Chief Security Officer at Fannie Mae and what he attributes his success to
                ●How Peter Walmsley addresses employee engagement and performance reviews at GSN Games
                ●How the leadership model at Lego has changed and why
                ●Why focusing on shareholder value alone is a bad thing
                ●How to get leaders and managers to buy into change
                ●What skills and abilities WW (Weight Watchers) is looking for in leaders for 2025 and beyond

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

                The post The Best Leadership Advice From Walmart, Box, Lego, National Grid, WD-40 And Others first appeared on Jacob Morgan | Best-Selling Author, Speaker, & Futurist | Leadership | Future of Work | Employee Experience.

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                There’s More To Life Than Work https://thefutureorganization.com/theres-more-to-life-than-work/ Thu, 02 May 2019 04:36:47 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18295 It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day of work. Most of us work at least 5 days a week and 8-10 hours a day, some of us work even more than that. It’s not hard to see why we can sometimes feel like work is the only thing we are doing in life.

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                It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day of work. Most of us work at least 5 days a week and 8-10 hours a day, some of us work even more than that. It’s not hard to see why we can sometimes feel like work is the only thing we are doing in life.

                But it is important to remember that we don’t live to work, we work so that we can live. Even though work is a big part of our time, there is more to life than work. We work so that we can live happier, fulfilled, more engaged lives.

                Outside of work is love, passions, hobbies, family, pets, travel, etc… Whether you love your job or hate your job, at the end of the day it is not the only thing happening in your life. Remember what you are working for.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                The Nine Lies About Work: Insights From Cisco’s SVP Of Leadership And Team Intelligence https://thefutureorganization.com/nine-lies-about-work-ciscos-leadership/ Mon, 29 Apr 2019 19:24:11 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18215 This week’s guest is Ashley Goodall, the SVP of Leadership and Team Intelligence at Cisco and the author of the new book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World. Most of today’s discussion centers on Ashley’s book, which was co-authored by Marcus Buckingham who was also a previous podcast guest and as the title of the book suggests, there are 9 likes about work which ashley and marcus set out to dispel and we’re gonna cover all 9 which include: “people care which company they work for”, “the best people are well rounded”, “people need feedback” and “people have potential”. So if you think any of those statements are true, you are wrong, and today you will find out why!

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                Ashley Goodall is the SVP of Leadership and Team Intelligence at Cisco and the author of the new book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World. Prior to Cisco, Ashley spent 14 years at Deloitte where he worked in several roles, including Director and Chief Learning Officer, Leadership Development.

                When conducting research for the book, Ashley and co-author Marcus Buckingham found that a lot of the “basic truths” people think they know about work are actually not true at all. These nine lies that they found are based on data and evidence from the real world of work, it’s not just an opinion or a philosophy.

                These nine lies found in the world of work are:

                1. People care which company they work for
                2. The best plan wins
                3. The best organizations cascade goals
                4. People are well rounded
                5. People need feedback
                6. People can reliably rate other people
                7. People have potential
                8. Work life balance matters most
                9. Leadership is a thing

                If you are like me, reading through the list you may be surprised to see a lot of statements that you have held as truth for many years, even decades. But as Ashley went through and explained the reasoning behind why these statements are lies it made complete sense.

                Taking number one as an example, people care which company they work for, it may seem like an obvious statement. But the truth is people don’t care what company they work for, they care about the team they work with. The experience inside of a company varies from team to team.

                Ashley says, “We discovered at Cisco, I mean I think this data point is the one that sort of puts the whole thing into a fairly sharp focus, if you go from one of our 50% most engaged teams to one of our 50% least engaged teams, in other words, you pass the sort of median point of team engagement in a downward direction, your chance of voluntarily resigning from Cisco goes up by 45%.That’s an enormous, enormous, enormous difference. And the point is, of course, as you go from a great team to a horrible team, you’re still working for Cisco, so if it were true that you cared which company you worked for, that hasn’t changed. But clearly, every time what trumps this idea of company is team.”

                Another example is number eight, work life balance matters most. We hear a lot about work life balance, but Ashley says it is an unattainable idea and the phrasing is deceiving. Saying work life balance implies that everything about work is bad and everything about life is good. And trying to keep a perfect balance between the two is fragile and stressful.

                “More useful is the idea that whether it’s in work or in life, there are certain activities that fill us up, that rejuvenate us, that express who we are as people, where we want to make our biggest mark on the world. Activities that replenish us, activities that express, if you like, our love for the world around us, and that it’s not really work life balance that we should be after, therefore, it is love loathe imbalance. We want to intelligently work throughout our lives to create more of the activities that we love, and fewer of the activities we loathe, whether that’s at work, our outside work.”

                So what is the purpose of the book and redefining the workplace truths? These lies cause dysfunction and frustration inside of organizations and they keep leaders from achieving their true potential. By identifying and addressing these lies in the workplace our organizations can function more effectively and our leaders can be more successful.

                What You Will Learn In This Episode:

                ●Ashley’s role inside Cisco
                ●The nine lies about work that we generally accept as truth
                ●The data and evidence Ashley and Marcus used for the book
                ●The 3 problems with the annual performance reviews and what Cisco is doing instead
                ●What makes a good team leader

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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                How To Manage Your Time Effectively https://thefutureorganization.com/how-to-manage-your-time-effectively/ Wed, 24 Apr 2019 20:51:21 +0000 https://thefutureorganization.com/?p=18157 Are you managing your time effectively? I know this is something I struggled with for quite awhile. Today I am sharing three things that have helped me regain control of my time and that have helped me improve the way I work.

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                Time management is so important and it is also something that I struggled with for quite awhile. When you don’t know how to effectively manage your time it can lower productivity, cause stress and frustration, and it can keep you from more important things.

                Today I’m going to share 3 things that have helped me manage my time more effectively:

                Understand how time is spent
                Batch Tasks
                Prioritize 3-5

                The first thing you need to do is figure out where your time is going. This is so important, because if you don’t know where all of your time is going how can you figure out what you need to fix, what you need to say no to, and what you need to say yes to.

                One way to do this is to keep a journal and jot things down as you are doing them and keep track of how long you spend doing each task. You might be surprised by what you find. Maybe you are spending more time on the phone than you think. Maybe 50% of your day is spent in meetings. Maybe you spend a lot of time helping coworkers figure things out. You can’t fix anything until you know what needs to be fixed.

                The next thing I found to be extremely helpful is batching tasks. People tend to think that multitasking is great, but the truth is, it’s not effective. Bouncing from one unrelated thing to another slows you down because your brain takes time to shift from one thing to another.

                But try batching similar tasks together, this has kept me from getting distracted and losing focus. For example, I might decide to write first thing in the morning from 8-11, then work on keynote prep from 1-2 and then have a few phone calls from 3-4:30 and then check emails from 4:30 to 5:30. As a rule, I only check social media once a day and I set limits on when to check emails.

                And finally, prioritize your top 3-5 items you want to get done for the day. Some of us could keep working constantly, 24/7. Prioritizing not only sets goals for you to shoot for, but it gives you a limit and the ability to disconnect at the end of the day when these items are done instead of continuing on endlessly. Once those 3-5 items are done you can disconnect, relax, spend time with family, do side work if desired, etc….

                These three steps are a great start to managing your time more effectively. Try it out and see how much better you feel when you have more control over your time and tasks.

                Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences in your organization.

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