In this episode, we go over several ways to keep heads up when times look low!

Show Notes: Team Motivation: How to Motivate Your Team Members in Uncertain Times

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/team-motivation-teams-learn-faster-when-theyre-having-fun/)

Show Notes: The Five C’s of Management

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/five-cs-management/)

Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

That's why Gen X team members want you to just pick up the phone and call them and why Millennials will text each other on Slack even though they are sitting in the same room.

So if you haven't listened to last week's episode yet, and you want to have a little fun, that episode is really informative about how to communicate with people in other generations.

This week, though, we've going to talk about miscommunication in the workplace. Specifically, I'm going to talk about how some of the communication habits that we've developed -- ones that are comfortable to us -- have a tendency to cause confusion in the workplace when we are talking to people in different generations.

So, if you want to keep your workplace vibes immaculate and stop being a total NPC, stick around—this episode is gonna be elite, no cap. We’re about to eat. 

Show Notes: Bridging The Invisible Communication Gap in the Workplace​

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/bridging-the-invisible-communication-gap-in-the-workplace/)

However, I have to admit, some of the things I uncovered while doing this project really surprised me. So, I thought it might be a good idea to publish the results.This episode will cover a few key items.

First, we will identify the specific generations. We hear people using terms like Baby Boomers and Millennials, but what do those terms really mean? And do entire generations think similarly.

Next, I’ll show you the specific communication channels that each generation prefers. Interestingly, the communication channel preferences are pretty obvious when we look at the technology changes that occurred in each generation.

Then finally, I’ll point out the pros and cons of each type of communication.

You might actually find that the channel preferred by a different generation is more efficient.

Show Notes: Differences Between Generations and Style of Communication

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/differences-between-generations-and-style-of-communication/)

However, corporate cultures with rigid rules and coworkers that resist change can quash this creative process before it even starts. Anytime you hear things like, “That’s just the way it’s always been done,” or “We’ve tried that before. It didn’t work,” you’ll be experiencing this type of resistance. These attitudes can prematurely end meaningful conversations and inhibit the generation of new ideas.

That’s where learning how to improve your conversational skills can drastically change the playing field. In this post, we delve into a conversation skill and cultural tool that serves two purposes.

It facilitates smoother daily interactions and even fosters a sense of camaraderie through team-building exercises. We’ll also spotlight a principle celebrated in Improv, renowned for its remarkable ability to create spontaneous magic on stage.

The “Yes, and…” approach! This isn’t merely a technique for casual conversation, though. It’s a transformative strategy that can revolutionize how individuals and even entire companies communicate. Adopting this mindset encourages open-ended questions, fosters active listening, and promotes a positive attitude – all of which are essential components of good communication skills and effective team dynamics.

Show Notes: How to Improve Your Conversation Skills and Become a Creative Problem Solver

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/improve-your-conversation-skills-and-become-a-creative-problem-solver/)

So even if you think you are an excellent listener I highly encourage you to at least hear some of theses pointers and, if you aren't already incorporating them, realize the faults in your listening abilities and maybe start focusing on them a bit.

Show Notes: How to Improve Listening Skills in the Workplace

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-improve-listening-skills-in-the-workplace/)

In order to help, I wanted to start the new year off with an episode about how to become more organized as a leader. If you recall, a few weeks ago, I did an episode about creating a specific vision of where you want to go -- a roadmap if you will.In that episode, I encouraged you to set Daily and Weekly Action Plans to help you accomplish those long-term goals.

Well, in this episode, I'm going to give you five steps to help you organize your schedule so you are more likely to accomplish the daily/weekly action plans, that will help you move toward the milestone, and eventually accomplish those long-term goals.

Show Notes: Top 5 Ways to Stay Organized as a Leader

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-simple-tips-to-get-organized-as-a-leader/)

At the time, I was a commissioned consultant. And my average commission was a couple hundred dollars. But with the sheet right in front of my face everyday, I started asking customers to double up orders to get a bigger discount. Many did.A few times each week, I surpassed that $500 goal. It became very common for me.So, I ripped down the paper and replaced it with, "How can I make $1000 today?"

Within a year, I was consistently pulling that amount in a few times each week as well.

Today, my sheet says, "How can I make $100,000 today." And, although it isn't as common as when I had the $500 goal, I do hit that number often in a given year.All that changed was the way that I talk to myself. And we're going to explore that concept on today's episode.

Show Notes: What Do You Say When You Talk to Yourself?

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/what-do-you-say-when-you-talk-to-yourself/)

Even during the optimal times, keeping a motivated team is one of the greatest challenges. And no matter how good things are right now, every company will go through some hard times. During those tough times, you'll question everything you knew about how to motivate your team as a leader.

Great leaders separate themselves by remaining the driving force of a motivated team. On this episode, we'll go over the types of motivation, how to keep happy employees, and different ways to achieve employee satisfaction.

Show Notes: 5 Steps on How To Motivate Your Team As a Leader

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/do-you-really-know-how-to-motivate-your-team/)

Well, the answer is both “yes” and “no.” Any type of criticism can be destructive to a relationship no matter the motives of the giver.

On this episode, though, we will cover some things that you can do, other than criticize (whether it is constructive or destructive), to help someone else correct mistakes. Basically, we will cover a number of constructive ways to influence others that won’t seem to the other person like a personal attack.

Show Notes: The Difference Between Constructive and Destructive Criticism

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/the-difference-between-constructive-and-destructive-criticism/)

I suppose that all of those things are true. But my advice is not to overly complicate the process. In “plain speak,” figure out where you want to go, determine a route to get you there, and start moving.

Here is the step-by-step goal-setting process that I use.

1) Create a Clear Vision of Where You Are Heading (Long-Term Goals).
2) Define Your Milestones (Your Midterm Goals).
3) Set Daily and Weekly Action Plans to Move You Toward the Next Milestone (Short-Term Goals).
4) Track Your Progress Visibly Along the Way. (That’s One More Mile Down.)
5) Review Your Goals Regularly and Make Adjustments When Needed.

On this episode, I'm going to cover each of these steps in more detail.

Show Notes: Set Clear Goals to Move Toward Your Vision for Success

(https://www.buildingyourteam.com/create-clear-goals-to-move-toward-your-vision-for-success/)

After that we looked at how to generate new customers for your small bussiness, then last week, I showed you how prospective customers, those folks that are going on to your website, or calling your phone number, or chatting with people on your team, they want instant gratification. The faster that you respond, the more opportunities you get.

This week though, we're going to talk about how to actually close those loads of leads you've amassed using the previous 3 tips. The mistakes people often make when they're starting to try to make sales off a steady stream of leads, and the things you can do to counter those mistakes. 

Show Notes: Closing the Sale: The 3 Mistakes That Are Losing You Deals

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/closing-the-sale-big-mistakes-that-cause-your-customers-to-buy-from-someone-else/)

When website visitors search for valuable information, products, or solutions, they expect instant results. If they fill out your web form  or leave their email address, and your sales team takes hours—or worse, days—to respond, those potential customers have probably already chosen a competitor.

Nothing fixes this problem like establishing a clear, intentional follow up process and, more importantly, making it fast. This week we're going over the absolute best way to start up that follow up process, what goes through the mind of a buyer when they are searching for your service, and why any of this is so important to begin with!

Show Notes: Speed is the Key to Increase Your Lead Conversion Rate

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/speed-is-the-key-to-increase-your-lead-conversion-rate/)

On this episode, I'm going to show you how small businesses in 2025 and 2026 can find new customers. By the way, if you are a local company who sells products or services to a local area, go back and listen to last week's episode. The techniques I cover on the "how to network" topic will help.

However, this week, we're focusing more on the business-to-business customers.
And we'll really focus in on what to do when only a niche group of people in a client company can buy from you.

For instance, my consultants specialize in leadership development in companies. So, only C-Level executives or high-level HR or Learning and Development managers can really buy what we sell. If a company has 10,000 employees, less than 100 of them would be a valid potential buyer.

So, the better you are at narrowing down who -- exactly -- is the potential buyer of your product or service, the easier it is to not only find them, but get them to come to you when they are ready to buy!

Show Notes: Small Business Lead Generation Techniques That Actually Work

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/small-business-lead-generation-why-spamming-and-cold-calling-does-not-work/)

Most companies, big and small alike, are ramping up for the end of year and trying to crush the lofty sales goals you set this time last year. So, in this series, we're going to do our best to help you maximize the sales number for the rest of the year, and help you get started well right out of the gate as you start 2026.

On today's episode, I'm going to give you a few secrets that will help you network effectively at business networking events.By the way, even if you are not in sales and not a small business owner, the techniques we cover on this episode will help you expand your sphere of influence.

And we are timing the release of this episode to come out just before the holiday season. So, if you are attending Thanksgiving or holiday parties with your spouse, the networking techniques will help you start more meaningful conversations in those -- sometimes awkward settings.

Show Notes: How to Network Effectively at Business Networking Events

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/increase-your-sphere-of-influence-how-to-network/)

There are a lot of things working against us both societally and culturally when it comes to specifically corporate life, and there's a few tips I've found extremely useful in navigating this environment and persevering in the field. 

I'm also joined by Amy Maybury today, one of our absolute best senior consultants and one of the most inspiring business women I've ever met. She'll be giving first hand accounts to go along with each of the five tips so you have some really tangible examples of how these tips can work in action.

Show Notes: 5 Tips for Climbing the Corporate Ladder as a Woman

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-tips-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder-as-a-woman/)

I thought that was odd. Although GDP was -0.6 in the first quarter of 2025, GDP is growing at the highest rate it has since 2005 (absent the pandemic recovery years.)

Our theory here is that with that kind of GDP growth, companies will likely be scrambling to hire new team members in the very near future.

So, on this episode, we are going to cover the best questions to ask during a job interview so, when you do start hiring again, you hire the best candidates. We'll show you how to create the criteria you will use when determining if a candidate will be a good fit. Next, I'll give you a list of questions to ask during the interview process. And finally, I'll give you my best way to determine the best candidate based on the data you collect during the interviews.

And, if you happen to be a candidate looking for work, you can use the same list to help you match your skills with the correct job for your strengths.

Show Notes: The Right Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/a-quality-formula-for-interviewing-candidates-questions-to-ask-in-a-job-interview/)

It also gets a lot harder to recognize trouble employees when, most of the time, the reason they're hurting your company, is the same reason you hired them. Difficult employees aren't always something that needs to be changed completely, most of the time they just have misguided traits you need to put on the right track. 

Learn just how to do that and so much more in this weeks episode! 

Show Notes: How to Handle Difficult Employees As a Manager

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-handle-difficult-employees-as-a-manager/)

Here at the Leaders Institute, we help companies and clients organize team building activities year around but right about now until about December is our absolute busiest time of year. That's because right now is when every company is trying to decide exactly what they want to do for their end of year get together. 

So whether you have a small business or a huge corporation; a suit and tie company or a more casual, young place of work, let's go over christmas team building activities that will absolutely work for you. 

Show Notes: Christmas Team Building Activities to Build Morale and Fun at Work

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/christmas-team-building-activities-to-build-morale-and-fun-at-work/)

Amy is in the process of writing a new book about owning your job and position and as we start getting into the interview she'll tell us how she kind of accidentally became an expert on this topic we're about to talk about. 

Through her life of early success, risks that paid off, and risky life decisions she's developed a career that has been through every stage you can imagine and has continued advancing and advancing at a rapid pace.

So have a listen to a few of the tips she has to share and I'm sure you'll leave the episode with promise of your own career you've never had before.

Show Notes: 5 Ways to Take Initiative in Your Job to Create Opportunity for Career Advancement

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-ways-to-take-initiative-in-your-job-increase-productivity-and-create-opportunity-for-career-advancement/)

In fact, if your organization has a culture of internal leadership development programs, you're going to be able to attract new team members as well as retain the top talent you already have. 

So basically in this session we're gonna pull back the curtains and kind of show you how to build your own personal leadership style. We're also going to show you how to tap into the untapped leadership potential that your team may have. 

If you follow these 5 practical steps, you'll be able to increase the productivity of yourself and your company extremely quickly.

Show Notes: Developing Leaders: 5 Steps to Developing Leadership Skills

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/developing-leaders-the-5-step-leadership-skills-development-process/)

Well on today's episode, I'm going to reveal a powerful method to make communication, problem solving, leadership skills; make the training for those type of concepts stick with your team way more, and leave way more of a lasting impression. 

And also, there's one really big secret I'm going to share with you that can really help your employee development training be way more effective, better the morale of the whole program, and maximize the genuine enjoyment your students get out of the session.

So if any of that sounds appealing or you want to know that one game changing secret, take a listen!

Show Notes: Soft Skills Training That Actually Works for Today’s Teams

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/soft-skills-training-that-actually-works-for-todays-teams/)

Whether it's holiday parties, sales kickoffs, or, of course, annual meetings, the planning has to begin now, and it's worth planning them the right way. In the case of annual meetings, the importance is apparent. 

Most companies only get all the employees together once a year, and typically that is at the annual meeting, so every piece of information and every learning activity that is done is vital with little room for filler. 

Despite this, annual meetings can be prime suspects for employee disengagement. Forcing a group of team members to learn and discuss necessary parts of business right after most have had a break and are just starting to get back into the swing of things is naturally going to lead to tuning out. It doesn't have to be that way though. 

Stick around for five excellent tips to ensure every employee at the annual get together is focused and learning every step of the way. 

Show Notes: 5 Tips to Solve Team Disengagement in Annual Meetings

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-tips-to-solving-team-disengagement-with-team-building-activities/)

Classroom based training remains one of, if not the absolute best mediums to learn professional development skills, but the classes are only so effective if they are taught properly. 

In an age where there are digital and online courses galore which are cheaper and more accessible, getting the real value out of in-person classrooms requires the ability to do it right. 

So let's look at just a few of those ways to get real value out of your courses.

Show Notes: Classroom Training Tips to Improve Learning Experience (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/classroom-training-does-not-equal-boring-training/)

A common issue across so many managers, supervisors, and bosses out there is, regardless of how qualified they are as managers, they struggle desperately with being good leaders. Being a good leader, creating an effective environment, and manifesting real teamwork in the workplace are skills not often really taught to new managers. 

But looking at how drastically different a team with a really excellent coach is managed versus a standard workplace team will show the importance of great leadership. 

So find out how you can start incorporating some of these coaching techniques in your workplace with the five C's of management!

Show Notes: The Five C’s of Management

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/five-cs-management/)

The reason why we get such good results is that we learned early on that people learn by doing -- not by hearing and seeing. So, boring lectures with a ton of bullet points don't typically work very well.

On this episode, I'm going to pull back the curtain a little and share with you how to make your training sessions more interactive -- really how to make them more fun.

In the first part of the episode, I'll also show you scientifically why the traditional way that we teach people usually bombs. Interestingly, we've know that this teaching method fails for over 100 years, but most trainers still use this method.

So stick around until the end, because I'll give you five secrets to making any training that you deliver more compelling, more interactive, mor fun, and more memorable (in a positive way)!

Show Notes: Learn by Doing: Make Work Learning More Interactive

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/learn-by-doing-make-work-learning-more-interactive/)

She said, "Give me your card. I just left one of the most boring and taxing meetings ever organized."

And actually, that happens a lot. When event planners organize meetings, their time is limited. And they want to maximize the time they have available.

So, the technical, business related topics take priority and the person, fun stuff sometimes has to take a back seat.

So this week, I want to give you one of my favorite and absolutely most versatile team games. This is the one that we teach to our brand-new presenters to let them cut their teeth on because it is very easy to deliver and it has a ton of different takeaways.

So, you can use this as a meeting icebreaker at your normal weekly staff meeting or as a warm-up activity for 1000s of people.

We call it the Tennis Ball Team Building Game, but I've heard it called The Cycle, the Ball Circuit, and a bunch of other names.

Show Notes: Tennis Ball Game – A Fun Team Building Game

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/resources-tennis-ball-game/)

But team building doesn’t have to be cheesy. They can be fun. They can be powerful. And most importantly, they can make a real difference in how your team members work together.

Choosing the right event is easier than you might think. You just need to follow a simple, three-step framework.

Show Notes: 3 Steps to Choose the Best Corporate Team Building Event

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/3-steps-to-choose-the-best-corporate-team-building-event/)

Full Show Notes: Change Your Mindset: How to Develop a Growth Mindset

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/change-your-mindset-how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset/)

Full Show Notes: Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Team Culture

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/strategic-thinking-make-strategic-thinking-part-of-your-team-culture/)

In many cases, your challenging employee isn’t just trying to make your life more difficult.

Their difficult behavior often reflects strengths you saw when hiring. But some are simply problem employees, and keeping them due to staffing needs is a management mistake. Your first step as a new manager is identifying which is which.

These five common types can disrupt the whole team with negative attitudes or disruptive behaviors. Yet, many bring unique talents that drive success when guided properly. Their bad attitude might stem from passion or ambition misdirected. A clear plan with specific examples can channel their energy into positive change. Not every tough case is a toxic employee waiting to implode.

But some employees consistently show problematic behavior that hurts morale. Retaining them out of desperation risks poor performance across the board. Disciplinary action becomes necessary when efforts to redirect fail. Good management separates those with potential from true troublemakers who harm the team.

You’ll learn to spot these behaviors and act decisively. This episode breaks down the five types, their quirks, and how to handle difficult employees effectively. With the right approach, you turn challenges into wins for the whole team.

Full Shownotes: Complacency in the Workplace 

Shownotes: Improve Interpersonal Relationships in the Workplace

(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/improve-interpersonal-relationships-in-the-workplace/)

In essence, your leadership skills and moral compass have a direct impact on their career. Even if you treat everyone fairly, your impact on their lives is unmistakable. This is why having a great boss is the number one wish of most employees. They often rank this above more vacation time and a bigger paycheck.

However, some managers can inadvertently destroy the confidence of their employees. When this happens, it can permanently damage morale. Low morale then creates poor employee retention.

Even the best executives avoid committing these bad leadership behaviors.

Full Shoe Notes: 5 Ways that Poor Leadership Skills Can Harm Morale (and How to Fix Them)

Instead, you want to focus on the problems that you have helped employers solve. If these prospective employers know that when they hire you, they will have fewer challenges to deal with, you will put yourself at the top of the hiring list.

Instead of Making Your Resume a List of Accomplishments, Make It a List of Problems Solved.

Don’t get me wrong. Your resume should absolutely be about you and your accomplishments. However, if that is all that you highlight, you will miss out on a great opportunity to set yourself apart from your competition. Human beings tend to all have a few things in common. Most of us are pretty self-centered. We all have problems. We also all have challenges that we have to deal with. Well, guess what. Your prospective employer isn’t a title or a company. The prospective employer is an actual human being. The prospective employer has challenges and problems.

So when he or she makes a hiring decision, the main thing they want to know is the following…

Will hiring this particular person help me solve problems or will hiring the person cause more problems?

Often, we assume that the prospective employer will read our qualifications and automatically conclude that this qualification will be of benefit to the company. By the way, most prospective employers are smart people. So many actually will do this. However, if you do this step for the employer, you make that person’s job easier.

So if you do this simple step, you now present yourself as someone who can make the job of the employer much easier. That is huge considering the main goal the prospective employer has. The way that you are presenting your information to the employer is making his or her job easier. You are a problem-solver.

Show Notes: How to Update Your Resume in 2023

Knowledge is vital to getting ahead, but it’s just the ticket to get into the game.  What you DO WITH the knowledge is much more important to your success.  The most highly sought after skill in business is not accounting, or engineering, or computer skills – it’s public speaking.   Folks who reach the highest level of every institution typically know less about the day-to-day operations than the newest employee. However, they tend to excel at leading and motivating people.  The very best leaders in any organization are not the people who grow their own stature.  They are the people who grow other leaders.

Once I figured this out, I realized that just about everything that I was doing to get ahead was absolutely wrong.

To Be a Great Leader, Teach the People Around You Secrets to Success.

For instance, I used to work from early morning into late in the night to make my productivity high for the company.  I was working really hard, but I never got promoted.  The reason why was that I was so productive, that the manager couldn’t afford to promote me.  If he did, he’d have to hire two people to replace me.  Don’t get me wrong, though.  I’m not saying sluff off and you’ll get promoted.  Instead, I started to teach the people around me how to do what I was doing to increase their own productivity.  Many hands make light work. 

When the next promotion came around, I was the obvious choice.  In my early days, I always wanted to make myself look good and make my “competition”, my coworkers, look bad.  I figured that was an effective way to get ahead. 

Instead, that just made my coworkers mistrust me, and when I needed their help, it was very challenging to get it.  After the leadership course, I realized that people who build up their coworkers are seen as “natural” leaders. So I took a different approach with remarkable results.

Show Notes: Leaders Have Senority When Times Get Tough.

When I was a kid, our little town had a community center with a basketball gym. I wasn’t a member, by my best friend was. He went there three to four times a week to play ball with other kids. One weekend, I spent the night at his house, and he invited me to go to the gym with him. I spent 10 minutes or so practicing a few shots. Some other kids arrived, and we were divided into teams. Within the first couple of trips up and down the court, I realized that I had the least skill on the court. (Just as an FYI, I never did develop this skill.)

My point is that the other kids were much better than me at basketball because they practiced. I didn’t.

People who are effective listeners are effective listeners because they practice. You can be a good listener as well with just a little practice, yourself. In fact, listening is one of the most important skills in leadership development. If you want to be a great leader, the first step is to develop good communication skills. And the easiest way to do that is to develop active listening skills.

Show Notes: How to Improve Listening Skills in the Workplace

Every small business is the proverbial “Needle in the Haystack,” so small business lead generation is critical to an entrepreneur’s survival. And the better your sales team gets at lead generation, the faster your small business will grow into a big business. You need to create a strategy for finding new leads that become new customers.

Remember, it is a lot easier to turn a prospect or lead into a customer if the lead calls you versus when you call them. It cracks me up when I hear titles of articles, seminars, or books about how to “Make Effective Cold Calls” or how to “Warm Up Cold Calls.” Below are a few best practices that each is a great way of generating leads without an email list, a newsletter, or really, without ever having to make a cold call.

However, just like we covered in How to Network at Business Networking Events, business-to-consumer sales and business-to-business sales are totally different. So, developing qualified leads for consumers is totally different than generating qualified leads that are other businesses. So, as we go through the process, I’ll give examples of each type of lead generation strategy.

Here is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process for Small Business Lead Generation:

1. Before You Spend Time or Money on Small Business Lead Generation, Identify Who Your Target Market Is and What Problems They Have.
2. Create Brand Awareness by Posting Your Solutions to These Problems in Blog Posts and on Social Media Platforms.
3. Catalog Your Small Business Success with Case Studies and Sharing Customer Successes.
4. The Generate New Customers for Small Businesses, Focus on Referrals and Repeat Business.
5. If You Have to Cold Call in the Digital Age, Call to a Targeted List Who Already Knows You.

We are taught to create this word-of-mouth advertising by “going out and networking” within the business community. So we go to business network happy hours or professional networking events. Of course, the unstated goal when we attend these meetings is to meet new people and make new connections so that these people and connections will buy from us. If you think about it, though, why is everyone else attending?

Yup, that is correct. They are all their to try to sell or promote themselves to you as well. So a majority of the people in the room came primarily to sell to other people in the room.

See the problem?

For instance, very few chamber members go to Chamber of Commerce meetings to buy things. The odds seem to be stacked against the attendees from the beginning. So, it is no wonder why most of most leave these networking functions thinking that we just wasted their time.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. By making just a few simple changes to your approach, you can become a center of influence in any room. You can generate new opportunities for business growth by making valuable connections with other top professionals. In effect, we can use these meetings as a way to generate significant word-of-mouth advertising.

Show Notes: Get Customers from Business Networking Events (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/increase-your-sphere-of-influence-how-to-network/)

1. Taking Initiative in Your Job Will Increase Productivity and Create Opportunities for Career Advancement.
2. Anticipating Problems Before They Arise Can Help You Proactively Support Your Team and the Organization.
3. Establishing Clear Goals for Yourself and Regularly Assessing Your Progress Improves Performance in Less Time.
4. Communicate Effectively to Improve Collaboration and Teamwork.
5. Taking Advantage of Training and Development Programs Will Help You Grow In Your Role.

Show Notes: Own Your Job (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/own-your-job-take-responsibility-and-be-more-accountable-in-your-job/)

What does it really mean to take ownership, though? For starters, it’s about doing more than your job description. Developing your ownership mindset will help you reach your career goals and even excel beyond them.

The good news is that we’ve compiled five ways to develop your sense of ownership of your job:

1. Taking Initiative in Your Job Will Increase Productivity and Create Opportunities for Career Advancement.
2. Anticipating Problems Before They Arise Can Help You Proactively Support Your Team and the Organization.
3. Establishing Clear Goals for Yourself and Regularly Assessing Your Progress Improves Performance in Less Time.
4. Communicate Effectively to Improve Collaboration and Teamwork.
5. Taking Advantage of Training and Development Programs Will Help You Grow In Your Role.

Keep listening to learn more about how taking ownership for your job will create your best work!

Show Notes: Own Your Job to Get Ahead and Increase Your Income (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/own-your-job-take-responsibility-and-be-more-accountable-in-your-job/)

Deal with Team Conflict in Four Simple Steps.

1. Ask Yourself, Where Can I Take Responsibility for this Team Conflict?
2. Try To Understand The Other Person’s Perspective Before Making Your Point.
3. Be Empathetic, But Direct In Your Team Communication.
4. During the Team Conflict, Invite the Other Person into the Conversation by Asking Questions.

By the way, if you are enjoying the podcast, I'd like to ask a favor of you. Would you mind leaving me a review on your podcast app? The podcast content is absolutely free, and positive reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify help us keep the show free. It only takes a couple of seconds, and I appreciate the feedback so much.

So, enjoy the interview with Kelsey Greenwood.

Show Notes: 4 Steps To Effectively Handle Team Conflict As a Team Leader (https://team-building.org/4-steps-to-effectively-handle-team-conflict-as-a-team-leader/)

In this episode, I show you the easiest ways to add additional income to your household and create good financial habits to increase wealth.

Show Notes:  How to Build Wealth (by Doug Staneart) (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-build-wealth-in-three-simples-steps-wealth-strategies-for-any-age/)

As a review, the first phase was to focus on your organization’s goals to create a shared vision for your team. When your team focuses on a common goal and sees the big picture, a collaborative environment will begin to form. The second step is to establish trust and effective communication within your team. Next, we showed you how to reduce conflicts among team members.

You will have a difficult time motivating your team if they don’t trust you or each other. In addition, you will also have a difficult time getting others to cooperate if there is a conflict. So first, make sure to spend some time building more of a team culture using the tips from the other two posts.

To Gain Team Cooperation, You First Have to Know Motivates Each Member of the Team.

If you have never read about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it is a fascinating study in psychology. Dr. Maslow theorized that we have five levels of needs. The needs range from physical needs like food and water to more altruistic needs. In this theory, we all are most concerned about the lowest level of needs until those needs are satisfied. For example, if a person is thirsty and dehydrated, he or she won’t have much concern for anything else.

Over the years, psychologists have argued about the levels in the hierarchy. The actual levels and order of each level aren’t as important to this discussion as the agreement that we have a hierarchy, though. As leaders, we have to know the hierarchy of our team members and what level they are currently at. For instance, one team member may have been entirely motivated by recognition and appreciation. However, if this person’s child gets sick, the priorities change in an instant.

The point is that the tips below are time-tested ways to build a cooperative team. If the trust is high and conflicts are low, these tips should work very effectively. So, if you find some members of your team to not be as cooperative, it might be that something has happened to move them to a lower level in Maslow’s Hierarchy.

Your goal as the leader of your group of employees is to build a cooperative workplace where staff members are consistently at the highest level of this hierarchy.

Show Notes: Highly Effective Teams Are Collaborative  (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-valuable-ways-to-build-a-cooperative-and-effective-team/)

• People love to be agreed with.
• People hate to be disagreed with.
• We like other people who agree with them.
• We dislike other people who disagree with them.
• People who are good at resolving conflicts look for some point of agreement. Then, they use good people skills to get the other side to see a different point of view.

Understanding Human Nature Allows Us to Resolve Conflicts More Positively.

These statements are true among the entire human race. So, when we disagree with people, we are likely to raise resentment. As a result, it might be a good idea to strengthen our soft skills – what psychologists call emotional intelligence – when dealing with conflicts. Poor communication often leads to conflict. For instance, if we find ourselves in a tense situation, and we naturally want to raise our voice. The other party is likely to respond in kind. This will usually escalate the conflict quickly.

In situations where we have to interject disciplinary action, the first step is understanding human nature. We may think we are just having a constructive conversation. However, the person we are coaching will feel like the conversation is a personal attack. So, these strategies can help keep difficult conversations from developing into an interpersonal conflict.

Show Notes: Highly Effective Teams Deal with Conflict in a Positive Way Part 4 of 6
(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-turnkey-conflict-resolution-strategies-for-your-office-team/)

In the first part, we gave an overview of each of the five steps to creating a highly effective team. Then, last week, we covered the value of creating a great vision and mission for your company. Here is a review of this employee engagement process.

Five-Step Process to Build a Culture of Teamwork in Your Organization and Improve Team Success.

The five-step leadership development process is as follows.

1. Highly Effective Teams are Mission-Oriented.
2. Build Trust and Rapport with the People that You Want to Lead.
3. Resolve Conflicts and Create an Environment Where Disagreements Do Not Cause Personal Conflicts.
4. Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation from Your Team (Even When You Are Not Looking).
5. Build Confident Leadership Teams Around You.

Each of these steps is progressive. For instance, if we have a lack of trust within a group of individuals, we will likely have more conflicts. If we are in conflict with our team members, it will be difficult to gain cooperation. The point is that the better we do in the early stages, the easier it is to have success in the latter stages. In this session, we will focus on Step #2: The Seven Best Ways to Build Team Trust.

How to Build a Culture of Trust in Your Team. 7 Expert Ways to Build Team Trust.

Think about the relationships that you have with others as being a checking account. Each person that you interact with has an entirely different account. When we have positive interactions with a person, we make deposits into that account and improve our level of trust with that person.

However, when something negative occurs or there is a conflict, a withdrawal is made. So, if you want to build trust in a team, you as the leader have to make a tremendous number of deposits into the accounts of each team member. However, if you make withdrawals, you and your team are likely to have trust issues.

Below are seven key ways to build mutual trust within a team. We suggest that you spend a week focusing on a single principle every day. Don’t go to bed each day before you apply the principle for that day. By the end of the week, you should already begin to see significant changes in the rapport that you have with others.

By using these principles consistently, you will create open communication and improve workplace trust.

1. Avoid Criticizing Your Team.
2. Look at Things from the Other Person’s Point of View.
3. Smile More. (It Makes You More Approachable and Friendly.)
4. Make an Effort to Remember Names.
5. Avoid Placing the Burdens of Your Problems onto Your Team’s Shoulders.
6. Take Responsibility for Clear Communication.
7. Practice Good Listening Skills.

Show Notes: Highly Effective Teams Have a High Trust Level

Many of us use the mission and vision interchangeably. However, the two statements are distinctly different. The Mission Statement focuses on where the organization is right now. In contrast, the Vision Statement creates a picture of the organization’s future.

The values of your organization, though, are probably more important than even the vision and mission. These values are the criteria that you use to make decisions within your organization.

If you wanted to take a trip in a car, the vision would be the destination. The mission would be the vehicle. Finally, the values would be the directions or the road map to get there. So, you can see that each of the three is important to get to the end goal. Without the destination, we have no way of knowing if we are moving toward our goal. In addition, without the right vehicle, the journey will be more challenging. Then, of course, without a map, your journey can have a lot of wasted effort.

Show Notes: Highly Effective Teams are Mission-Oriented (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/mission-vision-and-values-template-and-examples/)

Obviously, managers want to make improvements that lead to positive changes within the team. In fact, many leaders focus just on this part of the leadership process.

However, sometimes it is helpful to take a step back in order to recognize when a team is working effectively. Managers often overlook this important part of this process. The workings of a highly effective team are not always obvious or intuitive to everyone. We sometimes don’t recognize our team members when a team is doing well.

Show Notes: How to Build Highly Effective Teams in 5 Easy Steps (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-characteristics-highly-effective-teams/)

Western law is based on Judeo-Christian principles of right and wrong. So, if you adhere to these principles, the difference between persuasion and manipulation seems obvious. However, if your morality or belief system is based elsewhere, the difference is a huge gray area.

I once hired an account manager who was incredibly charismatic and likable. In fact, she was one of my best salespeople for quite a while. After a while, though, I started noticing odd things happening with her clients. It started small. For instance, on occasion, she would “accidentally” charge the client a discounted price to close the sale. In others, she might charge the customer an inflated price to increase her commission. I remember having a few discussions with her about ethics and morality.

Eventually, I had to let her go. I found out later that she had previously co-owned a competitive company. From what I could determine, her partners had somehow cheated her out of her equity in the company. It is possible that each of the partners was somewhat shady. It is also possible that the first experience jaded her. Her mentality shifted to “cheat others before they cheat you.”

I tend to find that people who manipulate others have a seared conscience. They see others as being cheaters, so they see nothing wrong with cheating them first.

How to Know When Someone Is Manipulating You. Part One: The Emotional Appeal.

“At their root, magic tricks and confidence games share the same fundamental principle: a manipulation of our beliefs.” – Maria Konnikova, Author of Confidence Game.

Con artists realize that the beliefs of people are more malleable in a heightened state of emotion. If you think about it, when we get really angry, we don’t think very rationally. I have, on very rare occasions, seen my sweet, amiable wife get so angry that she does something extremely out of character. (Forget that it is often me who caused this anger to be there in the first place. That is beside the point.)

Since people do act out-of-character when in a highly emotional state, con artists often use emotion to manipulate.

Show Notes: How to Know When Someone Is Manipulating You

Instead, you want to focus on the problems that you have helped employers solve. If these prospective employers know that when they hire you, they will have fewer challenges to deal with, you will put yourself at the top of the hiring list.

Show Notes: Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile for 2023 (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-update-your-resume-linkedin-profile-to-set-yourself-apart-from-the-crowd/)

Chuck has distilled all his expertise into a few simple ideas designed for leaders of small- and medium-sized businesses. In the interview, he gives advice on organizing time better, dealing with too many emails, how to deal with not having enough budget for a job, and much more.

For details about Chuck's book, go to Hope Is Not a Business Strategy.

For instance, let’s say you started a new career during the pandemic. It took a while to get into the swing of things. You were working from home for the first year. But now, you understand your job role. You know some of your coworkers fairly well. You also know who you report to, who is responsible for what, and what you need to do to advance.

In 2022, things started to change, though. The boss threw you a curveball. For the first time, you had to come into the office (at least some days every week.) So, for the last year, we’ve all been rebuilding our team cultures.

Now, the specter of “recession” is on the horizon.

So, this episode has two parts. This week, we cover a few reasons WHY you need to build your team culture. Next week, we'll give you a few tips to help you do it.

Show Notes: Best Team Building Ideas 2023 [Especially If We Enter a Recession] (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-charity-team-building-ideas-2022-fun-philanthropic-corporate-activities/)

In this session, I’m going to give you step-by-step instructions on how to create a long-term vision for yourself. Successful people know that good vision statements can create positive changes in both their personal and professional life. Hard work will help you increase your success. However, an ideal vision statement can help you create a roadmap to accomplish your career goals more efficiently.

Basically, spending a little time clearly identifying your life goals will keep you moving on the right path. You’ll create a simple action plan for yourself. In my experience, having a good life vision is the most powerful tool in your toolbelt to lead to professional success.

The good news is that the process doesn’t take much time. It is fairly quick and easy. But it is also powerful. As you go through the process, I’ll give you Personal Vision Statement examples to make the process even easier!

Show Notes: Create a Personal Vision Statement for the New Year (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/personal-vision-statement-personal-vision-statement-generator/)

We are big believers in fun team outings — especially for smaller teams. The good news is that these team-building activities are fairly easy to organize. They are also fairly inexpensive. In fact, you can receive a fantastic return on your investment by building team spirit and communication skills.

Surveys show that the main reason for employee dissatisfaction is the employee’s personal relationship with his or her immediate manager. So, these simple, spontaneous acts of teamwork can increase job satisfaction significantly. (Team work leads to teamwork!)

Below are a few ideas that we have found work really well to build teamwork. Psst! These work best when you offer them as a bonus activity versus a requirement. “If you and your family are available, the company is going to pick up the tab for…” works much better than “Everyone is required to attend…” Many of these team outings are great for their flexibility. You’ll find that employee engagement increases when a team-building event is offered or voluntary rather than required. Attendance can be the entire team (in large groups) or departmentalized (in small groups).

Show Notes: Fun Team Outings that Build Morale (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/meetings-try-fun-team-outings/)

According to Harvard Business Review, “[Because] organizations face unprecedented challenges, fostering the creativity necessary to develop truly breakthrough ideas has become more important than ever.”

Anyone can follow a pre-established recipe. It takes expert strategic thinkers, though, to know when that recipe is no longer working. In this post, we are going to cover how great strategic thinkers give companies a competitive advantage in the marketplace. If you develop this critical skill, you will create new opportunities for yourself and be elevated to higher-level positions in your organization.

What Is Strategic Thinking and How Does It Help You Become a Better Leader?

In order to understand the importance of this skill, let’s start at the beginning. What exactly is strategic thinking? And why are strategic thinking skills so important to business success?

Definition of Strategic Thinking.

Strategic Thinking (Critical Thinking) is a process of identifying ways to move a person, team, or organization toward a long-term goal. When you think strategically, you have to anticipate setbacks and challenges and have a plan to deal with them. You also have to measure your progress toward the goal.

A good way to explain this is to think about playing Chess. A good strategy will anticipate how your opponent will move and plan your own moves well in advance. So, strategic thinking is planning combined with adapting to changes in order to reach the ultimate goal.

Personally, I believe that the absolute most-effective strategic thinkers are those who are also adjusting the long-term goal consistently as well. At times, you may find that your goal isn’t big enough. In those cases, you want to increase the goal. In others, the marketplace may change, or we may uncover competitive intelligence where we change the goal altogether.

Going back to the Chess example, in some cases, a good leader may realize, “Whoa, we aren’t playing Chess at all. This is a brand new game.”

How Does Thinking this Way Help You Be a Better Leader?

My team went through this with the Covid-19 pandemic. At the very start of the spread, our strategy was to reschedule meetings postponed due to meeting restrictions. Next, we had to adapt when the restrictions increased and the weeks of delay turned into months.

Eventually, we realized that our customers were being forced to transform their in-person meetings into virtual ones. Many of these customers had little or no experience organizing big virtual meetings. Since we had that expertise, we were able to adapt quickly to the new needs of the market. Good leaders are able to do this.

Poor leaders tend to be more reactionary. When challenges develop, the poor leader is always playing catch-up. This type of leadership is like playing baseball and just watching the ball go by you. The more times that you do this, the more strikes are against you. Eventually, you have to swing out of desperation. A better strategy is to study the pitcher. If he throws his fastball high in the strike zone 80% of the time on the first pitch, I can anticipate that. When I see that action, I can capitalize on it. If he doesn’t, I make an adjustment on the second pitch.

Show Notes: Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Team Culture (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/strategic-thinking-make-strategic-thinking-part-of-your-team-culture/)

If you are like most people, you probably believe you are a great listener. The problem is that everyone else that you have to deal with needs to improve their listening skills, right? The truth is that this often-used term has two parts — “Listening” and “Skills.” We often overlook the second part. Skills are those strengths that we develop through consistent focus over time.

When I was a kid, our little town had a community center with a basketball gym. I wasn’t a member, by my best friend was. He went there three to four times a week to play ball with other kids. One weekend, I spent the night at his house, and he invited me to go to the gym with him. I spent 10 minutes or so practicing a few shots. Some other kids arrived, and we divided into teams. Within the first couple of trips up and down the court, I realized that I had the least skill on the court. (Just as an FYI, I never did develop this skill.)

My point is that the other kids were much better than me at basketball because they practiced. I didn’t.

People who are effective listeners are effective listeners because they practice. You can be a good listener as well with just a little practice, yourself. In fact, listening is one of the most important skills in leadership development. If you want to be a great leader, the first step is to develop good communication skills. And the easiest way to do that is to develop active listening skills.

Improve Listening Skills at Work — The Four Levels of Listening

In order to become a better listener, step one is to determine what good listening skills are. In our leadership classes, we introduce four levels of listening. The levels are listed below from the worst listening skills to the best.

1. Level One: Ignore the Other Person Completely. This level isn’t really listening, but we tend to do it a lot.
2. Level Two: Just Pretend to Listen to the Other Person. We do this when we are trying to be courteous, but we really aren’t interested.
3. Level Three: Selectively Listen to Your Coworkers. This is the level at which we spend the most time at work. Oddly enough, we tend to do this to save time.
4. Level Four: Attentively Listen to Your Team. This is the highest level of listening. The more we focus on this level, the better listeners we will be.

Critical listening around the office isn’t difficult. You can encourage your team to take small steps and teach them the art of listening. That is if you have taken the time to practice good listening skills yourself.

One of the best ways to set a good example is to practice empathetic listening in one-on-one conversations with your team. Use the practical tips above. Successful leaders pay careful attention to details and make great listening a daily routine. You can too!

 93% of small business owners fear a recession in the next year.

Uncertainty causes fear. Fear can lead to reduced morale and decreased job satisfaction. If you are a team leader and you do nothing to help, you may be inadvertently pouring fuel on the fire. In this post, we will give you a motivation strategy to help you develop happy employees — even during hard times.

In fact, if you use just a few of these new ideas, you can improve employee engagement. You can help your team feel that they are a part of a unique team culture and build loyalty and… dare I say… more of a family atmosphere.

Most Wealth Is Created During Hard Times.

Before I get into the tips to motivate your team during a recession, let’s explore the opportunities that a bad economy creates. Recessions (and depressions) often terror in the minds of most people.

I’m a history buff. I remember learning about The Great Depression in school, in movies, and from my Granddad. Each of these sources depicted the depression as an awful time when everyone became poorer. However, a few people become unbelievably wealthy during the Great Depression.

Show Notes:  How to Motivate Your Team Members in Uncertain Times (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/team-motivation-teams-learn-faster-when-theyre-having-fun/)

When we do this, though, team members end up having to do more to make up for the lack of personnel. Eight-hour days may increase to nine or ten-hour days.

Interestingly, these team members will develop natural efficiencies. They will figure out shortcuts. People naturally find ways to do more with less. But, eventually, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

When this happens, how do you keep morale high? How do you help your team members stay positive and forward-looking? As time goes on, morale can drop.

At this point, leaders will look for a fun way to build morale. They may investigate organizing a team-building activity. So, in this situation, can team-building activities help increase productivity? Can we avoid the expense of adding new personnel?

Also, is this process more difficult in a down economy? The answer to that question is… “Well… It depends…”

Don’t Confuse “Morale Building Team Activities” with “Productivity Building Activities.”

Team Building is almost a generic term for both “morale building” and “productivity building” activities. But confusing the two can be a costly mistake.

Let’s first cover how these two types of activities differ.

By the way, each has a purpose. Each of these types of events should be used. The problem occurs when leaders want to improve productivity but schedule a morale-building activity.

Although people will often call both of these types of activities “Team Building,” the activities themselves get totally different results. Both are needed to create a team culture. But quite often, leaders will schedule one type of activity, hoping to get the needed result from the other. They will often be sorely disappointed.

Show Notes: Can Team-Building Increase Productivity in a Recession? Well, It Depends (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/can-team-building-increase-productivity-in-a-recession/)

In fact, if you do this really well, your customer base will actively promote you to new customers!

If you want to create a successful company, creating a fantastic USP is the starting point. An effective USP will help you develop a more effective marketing strategy. It will help your sales team close more deals and increase revenue. You’ll also improve your market share without incurring additional costs.

This simple first step is, by far, the best way to create a competitive edge over every other competitor in your industry.

Show Notes: Create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and Customers with Flock to You (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/leadership-comes-from-your-unique-selling-proposition/)

The same is true with your coaching approach. You can attend management training courses. Each will help you improve your communication skills and grow in emotional intelligence. But good coaching occurs when managers develop skill improvement over time. You can’t be a great coach by giving positive feedback one time. So, set goals to develop a habit of continuous learning.

Good coaches will spend a day or a week focusing on each of the ideas below. Then, once they create new behaviors in each area, they go back and focus on each area again and again. The more you study these ideas, the more times you will develop an entirely new approach in each area.

Show Notes: The Five C’s of Management-Do Managers Need to Develop Good Coaching Skills? (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/five-cs-management/)

1. First, You Have to Rebuild the Trust of Your Team (Both with Each Other and with You.)
2. Second, Your Team Has to See the Value that Being a Part of that Team Provides.
3. Finally, Make Your Office a Fun Place that Team Members Want to Come to.

This process has a specific order, by the way. If you just add a pool table to your office, but the trust level is low, it is a waste of money. Work to develop the trust first. Then, create the collaborative environment. And only then do you focus on the fun part. (It will be even more fun when you get to it.)

Show Notes: Team Building Ideas to Tear Down Communication Silos (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/effective-team-building-event-ideas-will-tear-down-communication-silos/)

For example, an entrepreneur may hire an administrative assistant or a salesperson. Up to this point, the business owner has been involved in ALL customer communication. But the moment a new team member is hired, the owner loses some of that communication. He or she is no longer involved in every conversation. This is good because the company adds productivity. However, this growth may cause miscommunication along the way.

In a bigger company, perhaps sales and marketing are divided into two separate departments. Each of these new departments has goals that may differ and will be managed by different executives. The managers become captains of their new ships. They may even feel like they have to compete with the other “captains” for resources or personnel.

Of course, in huge multinational companies, communication silos can be a big problem. Different regions, divisions, departments, markets, and even countries and languages, create multiple silos.

So, eventually, these silos or walls may lead to mistrust or miscommunication. Companies that minimize the challenges created by these silos have an advantage. These leaders may then look for strong team-building event ideas that “will tear down the walls.”

So, in this episode, we are going to cover a few ways to tear down these communication silo walls.

Show Notes: Team Building Ideas to Tear Down Communication Silos (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/effective-team-building-event-ideas-will-tear-down-communication-silos/)

Don’t sell. Instead, be a respected consultant for your clients and customers. They will love you and refer you to new business.

Show Notes: Small Business Lead Generation Mistakes (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/top-ten-small-business-lead-generation-mistakes/)

The keywords and phrases you use on your website are vital. When you design your content, you have to focus on what your customer wants. For instance, instead of writing content about being the best endodontist, write about straightening teenage teeth. If you create informative content, Google will send people to your website.

Google picks top websites based on the frequency of people clicking on and staying on certain sites. It’s almost like a beauty pageant judge. Your pages are ranked based on how often they are picked to determine your rank. That rank determines your “findability.”

One of the easiest ways to rank better is by starting to post your knowledge. Share with the world what makes you an expert! Write some blog posts. Spread free knowledge. If it’s worth buying or saves people time, they’ll investigate your company further. The more you share, the more people see you on social media platforms and learn about you. The more they learn, the more they’re likely to become qualified leads and soon-to-be customers. If your content is worthwhile, your customer base will seek out more. Give them a web form to offer their contact information. *DING!* Built-in leads!

Show Notes: 
Top Ten Small Business Lead Generation Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make (and How to Avoid Them)
(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/top-ten-small-business-lead-generation-mistakes/)

Combatting the intrusion of unconscious bias is vital to a company’s success. In fact, the diversity your team provides can drive this success. Different perspectives and different backgrounds can create new ideas. If you want to get your diverse team to be more collaborative, here are ideas.

Inclusive companies meet the needs of their team by providing a common purpose and supporting a diverse environment. So, first, build open lines of communication. Next, celebrate the team’s achievements. Finally, welcome conflict. Use this conflict to generate breakthrough ways of thinking in your industry.

For full show notes, visit Three Stereotype Shattering Strategies to Unite a Diverse Team

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/three-stereotype-shattering-strategies-to-unite-a-diverse-team/

COMPLACENT (definition): marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies (Merriam-Webster).

Complacent: 7 Surprising Ways that Your Past Success May Limit Your Future Success

1. Stagnation in the Marketplace is Often Caused by Complacency.
2. Hunger for Success Causes Us to Look for Opportunities.
3. The Bigger the Ship the More Time It Takes to Steer Away from Danger.
4. The Skills and Knowledge that We Acquire to become Successful Create a Perception of Loss If We Change.
5. The Devil You Know is Better than the Devil You Don’t.
6. The “Avis: We Try Harder” Effect.
7. The Complacency of Others that Allows Us to Succeed Sometimes Envelops Us as Well.

Show Notes: 7 Surprising Ways Your Past Successes Limit Future Success

Below are a few ideas that we have found work really well to build teamwork. Psst! These work best when you offer them as a bonus activity versus a requirement. “If you and your family are available, the company will pick up the tab for…” works much better than “Everyone is required to attend…” Many of these outings are great for their flexibility. You’ll find that employee engagement increases when a team-building event is offered or voluntary rather than required. Attendance can be the entire team (in large groups) or departmentalized (small groups).

The team outing ideas in this episode can help build more team culture in between your normal team meetings.

Show Notes: Try Fun Team Outings to Build Team Culture

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/meetings-try-fun-team-outings/

The effectiveness of the exercises or events depends on the inclusion of the whole team, in smaller teams, aiming for a shared goal. Some involve a random object, such as tennis balls, while other fun activities could use puzzle pieces with trivia questions.

SHOW NOTES: What Is Team Building?

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/what-is-team-building/

“Under promise; over-deliver.” – Tom Peters

There is a donut store in my neighborhood owned by a little oriental lady who is an expert at maximizing word-of-mouth advertising.

The first time I walked through her doors, she greeted me with a warm smile thanked me over and over for coming in, and gave me a fresh, hot donut hole to eat while I waited.

She had a whole store full of people but treated each one as if he or she were the only person in the world at that moment.

As I left the store with my order, I peeked into the box and found two extra donuts. I assumed that she had made a mistake. However, when I went back a couple of months later, she greeted me saying that I was her good customer and again I got more than I ordered.

When it happened the first time, I didn’t tell a lot of people, but when I realized that that was her way of doing business, I told many people.

You can do the same in your business. Under promise and over deliver and the customer will always be happy.

When I conduct sales training, I promise a 10% increase in sales. When my clients receive a 40%, 50%, or even 60% increase, they are delighted, and they tell more people.

If you want to increase word-of-mouth advertising, always give a little extra.

Bonus Daily Leadership Principle
Principle #29: Always Give Something Extra.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-bonus-principle-always-give-something-extra/

For instance, if his customers ever need service on their car, Girard personally represents them when they come into the service department, and sometimes, pays for the work himself. Every one of his customers (and there are thousands) receives a special card from him every month. It may be a St. Patrick’s Day card in March or a Thanksgiving card in November, but they hear from him every month. He has hundreds of things that he does in which he goes out of his way to make sure his customers are satisfied, and most are repeat buyers and refer friends to him.

LEADERS GO THE EXTRA MILE

When we go out of our way for someone, when we do something above and beyond the call of duty, we are creating a memorable impression upon that person.

Harvey Mackay once had a friend relay a story about a colleague that called him at 2:00 AM desperate because he needed $20,000 or he would lose his business. This friend told Mackay that if his own business had been in trouble, he couldn’t think of more than a couple of people he could call for help.

Mackay replied that he could name 50 people that he could call. Mackay has those relationships because he has gone to bat for each of those 50 people when they needed help.

By going the extra mile, his network of people who absolutely trust him is huge.

If you want relationships like that, go out of your way for people.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #28: Go Out of Your Way for People.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-28-go-out-of-your-way-for-people/

She falls down, the parents say, “That’s OK. You can do it!”

The baby walks just a few feet, and she’s a champion.

Why don’t we use the same encouragement for our employees and coworkers?

DON’T LOOK FOR PERFECTION RIGHT AWAY. LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Most managers constantly call attention to the mistakes of their employees. Then they wonder why they must constantly look over the shoulders of their people. The secret to being a good manager is that whatever you call attention to, you get more of.

So, instead of pointing out the mistake, point out the improvement in the right direction.

If we want to build great leaders, we must help build their confidence as they gain experience. Call attention to their successes no matter how small these successes seem to be. When we do that, we are anchoring the positive behavior that they are exhibiting.

Want to change behavior? Try calling attention to someone’s mistake indirectly, and then watch to see how the behavior changes.

When you catch that person doing things the right way, praise the improvement. Chances are that you’ll begin to see this behavior more consistently.

Praise improvements in the right direction, and you’ll build strong leaders around you.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #27: Praise the Baby Steps.

What makes him such a great coach is that he is a very mild-mannered person, but when he caught someone doing the right thing, he enthusiastically called attention to it. I still remember specific plays that I made in college because Coach Gaines would always give an immediate pat on the back. Then later, when we reviewed the film, he would show the great plays over and over again so that everyone saw them.

The other strength that Coach Gaines had was the way he made corrections and pointed out mistakes. Rather than saying, “Staneart, you missed two tackles,” he called attention to the mistakes as a team. The TEAM missed six tackles. He let us save face.

In the few years that I played for him, he developed three players who played professional football and one who has been an all-pro every year he played.

MOST MANAGERS CALL ATTENTION TO MISTAKES

Most managers use what Ken Blanchard calls the “Leave Alone, Zap” method of coaching. They leave their direct reports alone until they make a mistake, and then they come by and “Zap” them to make corrective action.

This type of management style makes it to where the manager becomes the merchant of death in that the only time the direct reports get coaching is when they get hammered.

A better way of managing and coaching people is to look for the things that they are doing right and reinforce those things.

Show encouragement and help them strengthen those things that they are already doing well.

If we catch people doing things wrong, their focus is on the mistake. If we catch people doing things right, their focus is on their success. We get more of what we focus on most.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #26: Catch People Doing Things Right.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-26-catch-people-doing-things-right/

William James, the father of modern psychology, said that in a person’s entire lifetime, he will only tap into 10% of his potential. Psychologists call this untapped potential our “blind spots.”

OUR JOB AS LEADERS IS TO HELP MINIMIZE THE BLIND SPOTS IN OTHERS

When we recognize potential in others, we need to encourage them to tap into that potential.

My files are full of letters from managers who came into their own shortly after getting that first big promotion.

OFTEN, BEING RECOGNIZED BY A LEADER IS THE CATALYST FOR NEW LEADERSHIP.

All they needed was someone to believe in them. A boss, mentor, or supervisor saw potential in them. Then, the confidence that they had grew even more dramatically when others see this confidence in them as well.

Don’t discount people because they have a few rough edges. Instead, look for the strengths that they have and help them grow even more in those areas.

People tend to live up to the expectations that others set for them, so set your standards high and encourage others to reach them.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You
Principle #25: Recognize the Potential in Others and Help Them Achieve It.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-25-recognize-the-potential-in-others-and-help-them-achieve-it/

Many of this week’s principles will help you gain the trust and respect from people around you. As the levels of trust and respect increase, your influence over others will grow. The trust and respect will result from the “Win/Win” relationships that you have already built by using the earlier principles.

1. Establish solid trust before offering advice.
2. Keep promises… even small ones.
3. Be enthusiastic about the success of others.
4. Recognize the potential in others and help them achieve it.
5. Catch people doing things right.
6. Praise the baby steps.
7. Go out of your way for people.

Leadership Principle #22 – Establish Solid Trust Before Offering Advice.

“Trust men, and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The term “constructive criticism” is an oxymoron.

Think about it… When was the last time someone gave you constructive criticism and you responded with the following?

“Thank you so much for pointing out that mistake for me! If you hadn’t said something, I would have just continued to screw that up. Thank you so much.”

I know, I’m being a bit sarcastic, but it proves a point. Anytime we criticize someone, that person will always hold some resentment against us.

Can we point out the mistakes of others without resentment? Yes, but we must have their solid trust, and they must know that our only concern is their welfare.

EVERY RELATIONSHIP HAS VALUE.

Picture your relationships with others as a check registry. Anytime you have said something positive to or done something positive for the person, add a deposit into the account.

Anytime you have said something negative to or done something negative against that person, register a withdrawal.

When we use the principles in the book, we build a positive trusting relationship with people, so we have a positive balance in this account. However, if we have violated these principles, then our relationship bank account may be way overdrawn.

We’ll probably need to make more deposits before trying to influence these people or change their behavior.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #22: Establish Solid Trust before Offering Advice.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-22-establish-solid-trust-before-offering-advice/

I have asked hundreds of different audiences across the country why they think that we don’t give as many compliments as we probably should (or receive the number of compliments that we probably deserve.) In response, I have heard every answer under the sun. But what I find most often is that we are mainly too self-centered and too busy to take the time to give a sincere compliment to our fellow human beings.

A GOOD COMPLIMENT IS THE OPPOSITE OF FLATTERY

There is also a negative connotation about giving compliments to people. We think of people who give compliments as brown-nosers or kiss-asses. In the modern era, we have confused a sincere compliment with flattery. To most people they are one and the same.

In addition, men are also less inclined to give compliments to female coworkers out of fear of being accused of harassment.

With all these challenges to overcome, most people just don’t bother to compliment one another now. It’s easier just to keep to ourselves.

A GOOD LEADER CAN USE COMPLIMENTS TO SET YOURSELF APART FROM THE CROWD

You can compliment people on what they have. A compliment like this would be something like “Nice tie.”

You can compliment people on what they do. “Thanks for turning in the report early,” is an example.

However, each of these types of compliments has a chance of being seen as insincere.

However, if you give the people around you a compliment based on a strength of character that you notice in them, they will always see the compliment as sincere.

Give them a strength-centered compliment and their confidence will grow. You will also be well thought of by that person.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #21: Give Strength-Centered Compliments.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-21-give-strength-centered-compliments/

A company called Bonusly conducted a similar survey of why people leave their jobs. They found that “almost half (46%) of respondents have left a job because they felt unappreciated. Another 65% admitted that they would work harder if they felt like their contributions would be noticed by management.”

MOST PEOPLE ARE STARVING FOR APPRECIATION.

We wouldn’t dream of letting children (or employees) go for days without food. But we’ll let them go years without something just as important, the feeling of being appreciated.

A simple kind word of appreciation is a simple way to build trust, gain cooperation, and anchor positive behavior in others.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #20: Show Sincere Gratitude.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-20-show-sincere-gratitude/

David’s job was to interpret the designs from the architect and get his crew to implement the designs. So, every morning, he would meet with the superintendents and foremen and tell them what they were to do that day.

After a few months, David began to realize that the ideas he brought to the crew typically were either taking a long time to implement or had to be reworked.

David’s general contractor realized what was going on and explained to him that the crew resented being ordered around on the job site. He asked David to begin to ask for the advice of his superintendents and foremen rather than dictating to them.

The difference was like night and day. David began drawing up alternative plans and bringing them to the crew. He would ask their opinion, and nine times out of ten his original idea was the popular choice. The other 10% of the time, David learned valuable insights about design and construction. Things he could have never learned in school. Rework dropped dramatically.

When we order people to do things, they will resent us for telling them what to do. Even if there is a great deal of trust, the person being ordered around will typically follow through out of compliance versus cooperation.

However, when we ASK people to do things for us, they will usually respond in a much more positive way. You can have similar results if you ask questions instead of giving orders.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation
Principle #19: Ask Questions Instead of Giving Orders.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-19-ask-questions-instead-of-giving-orders/

One of the hardest things for young people to realize when they get their first leadership position is that they don’t know everything yet. When we are young, we think that our formal education taught us everything we’d ever need to know.

When we get into the real world and realize that we don’t know it all yet, we want to make sure that no one ever finds out.

TO BECOME AN EXPERT, ASK FOR HELP FROM OTHER EXPERTS

The best thing to do in this situation is to admit that you need help or more information. Most people around you will respect you more.

Captain Christopher J. Courtney in his article called “The Successful Lieutenant” said it well, “It is a cardinal error for a lieutenant to be a ‘know-it-all.’ Nothing turns off the troops faster or brings down morale more than a know-it-all lieutenant… Admitting to your platoon sergeant that you do not know something is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of honesty.”

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #18: Ask Other People’s Opinions.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-18-ask-other-peoples-opinions/

One of the most common complaints I hear from front-line employees is that top management does not take their ideas seriously and does not address their concerns. Many companies today have a top-down communication in place that can stifle creativity and build resentment in front-line employees.

Many of these employees have ideas that could revolutionize the company, but far too often, the ideas are overlooked because the people at the top are too focused on the status quo.

Those dialogues that we create with the people who work for us can provide us with valuable information – both good and bad. This information is critical in helping us make solid decisions in the marketplace.

If you want to influence others in a positive way, take a lesson from Oprah and McDonald’s and create dialogues rather than monologues.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation
Principle #17: Encourage and Facilitate Two-Way Communication.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-17-encourage-and-facilitate-two-way-conversations/

Franklin spent the first hour of his day planning the events of his day (to do this he invented the Franklin Planner) and reading. He often claimed that the first hour of his day was the most important.

How does this relate to raising your own energy level? We have a choice every morning when we wake up. Do I want to hit the snooze bar a few times, or do I want to put some energy and enthusiasm into my day?

Frank Bettger, in his book How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, said that if he had to narrow down to one thing why he has been so successful, it would be enthusiasm.

ENTHUSIASM IS A SECRET TO SUCCESS.

His enthusiasm was what moved him from a “second rate bush-league making $25 a week” to the starting shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. His enthusiasm was also what transformed him from a washout in sales to the most successful insurance agent of his time.

Where did his enthusiasm come from?

He says that he didn’t have any enthusiasm in the beginning, but he faked it. He acted like he was enthusiastic, and behold he was. After a few successes, the enthusiasm came easy.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #16: Show Enthusiasm and Energy.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-16-show-enthusiasm-and-energy/

Most people have an eager want to be accepted by others or want to be esteemed by their peers. So, if we can show people how what we want them to do will help them become more of a part of the team, then they will usually enthusiastically do what we ask.

These are the 7 things that you can do to gain cooperation from others.

1. Acknowledge the importance of other people.
2. Show enthusiasm and energy.
3. Encourage and facilitate two-way conversations.
4. Ask other people’s opinions.
5. Ask questions instead of giving orders.
6. Show sincere gratitude.
7. Give strength-centered compliments.

Leadership Principle #15: Acknowledge the Importance of Other People.

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James

Most people have one defining need that very rarely gets satisfied. Many of us will move Heaven and Earth to satisfy this need. This one attribute is the single most motivating factor that leads to success. It is the need – the want – to feel important.

The person who can satisfy this need in others, the person who can sincerely make other people feel important, can be very influential and is typically regarded by others as a good leader.

Two managers were recently consulted about a very sticky problem that had surfaced. The senior manager offered a suggestion to the boss that sounded reasonable. However, the more junior manager disagreed. Then, in front of other staff members, he told everyone why the idea wouldn’t work.

After a few weeks, the junior manager noticed that tasks that had usually been completed in a timely manner by the other manager were taking an unusually long time. He knew why. So, he pulled the other manager aside and offered an apology.

The senior manager’s face got very crimson, and he exploded. He cursed. He screamed. The junior manager just let him vent and apologized again. The senior manager stopped, apologized for his outburst, and afterward, things pretty much went back to normal.

Realize that if the junior manager had apologized quickly, the outburst probably wouldn’t have occurred. The longer that a problem or argument festers, the more damage will develop in the relationship. So, mend fences with those you have wronged, and do it quickly.

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #14: Mend Fences Whenever Possible.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-14-mend-fences-whenever-possible/

She was very consistent. Anytime she saw me doing or saying something that could cost me potential sales, she would matter-of-factly say something like, “I remember back when I…” and she would tell me about a time when she had made a similar mistake.

Her indirect coaching allowed me to save face. It also helped my career because I didn’t have to make the same mistakes that she had made.

YOUR TEAM CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES – NOT THEIRS

Did it work? You bet. Within three years, I was one of the top salespeople in the world for that company and had become a pretty good coach as well.

It’s very easy to point out mistakes that others are making in an overt way. Most people do this. However, it takes a skilled mentor to point out mistakes in a way that lets the other person save face.

Letting people know how you have made a similar mistake first allows them to be more open-minded about their own mistakes.

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #13: Admit One of your Own Poor Decisions before Pointing Out a Similar Mistake by Others.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-13-admit-one-of-your-own-poor-decisions-before-pointing-out-a-similar-error-by-others/

A PERSON WHO IS DEFENSIVE WILL VERY RARELY SEE THE LOGIC IN AN ARGUMENT

If the goal is to persuade the other person, then it is a good idea to find some common ground.

Ask yourself a few questions.

• What about the two opinions is similar?
• What is some point that we can agree upon?
• What single thing can we both agree on?

I am not suggesting that you cave in, by the way – far from it. What I am suggesting is tearing down the defensive walls so that both parties can see a logical conclusion.

When we can find common ground, the emotion and defensiveness are somewhat diminished. At this point, if we use some of the other principles from this booklet to allow the other person to save face if he is wrong. This will allow us to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

So, when you feel an argument brewing, find some common ground as soon as possible.

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #11: Look for Some Type of Common Ground as Soon as Possible.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-11-look-for-some-type-of-common-ground/

In Ben Franklin’s autobiography, he wrote about how in his younger years, he made many enemies because he frequently corrected people publicly when they were wrong.

What he found was that although he was very convincing and had facts on his side, he rarely persuaded anyone that they were wrong.

“A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” – Samuel Butler

To make things worse, he noticed that many of these men held grudges against him for years.

Ben Franklin learned from his mistakes. He developed several skills that we can use as well. When someone stated an opinion that was in error, he began to respond with phrases such as, “In many cases, I would probably feel the same as you about this. However, if the facts of the situation were different…”

He also came up with what salespeople now call the “Ben Franklin Close,” in which he drew a line down the middle of a piece of paper. He would then ask the person who differed with him to tell him all the pros of his idea, and he wrote them on one side. He then asked for all the cons and wrote them on the other. The other person usually came to his conclusion by being a little more objective.

ASK QUESTIONS TO POINT OUT MISTAKES INDIRECTLY

One of the best ways to point out mistakes indirectly is to ask questions. Let me give you an example.

Let’s say that you have a person who works for you who is constantly turning in reports after the requested deadline. You might start by giving clarification to your entire team about the importance of the deadline.

Then, if the person continues to turn in the information late, follow up with a question like, “I know that the team is focusing on getting the reports in early. How did you do with your report this week?”

Instead of getting angry, the person will typically try to offer some type of excuse.

When this happens, just follow up with one more question, “Yeah, I can understand how that would be a problem. What are you going to do this week to make sure that it doesn’t cause a challenge for you again?”

If you use this type of questioning, the person is more likely to take responsibility for making sure that the activity gets completed properly. So, let’s take a page from Ben Franklin’s autobiography and never tell someone “you’re wrong.”

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #10: Point Out Mistakes Indirectly
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-10-instead-of-telling-people-they-are-wrong-point-out-mistakes-indirectly/

“Anger is always more harmful than the insult that caused it.” – Chinese Proverb

We must remember that when we get angry, we lose control. We may say or do things that we later regret.

When things don’t go our way, someone slights us, or circumstances turn against us, the natural human reaction is to get angry. The longer that we let it fester, the angrier we get. After a little bit of time, something that was very small in the beginning becomes huge as we play it over and over in our heads.

The worst thing that we can do at this point is to confront the person who has slighted us because people tend to respond in kind to us. If we begin to get angry, the person we are communicating with will probably begin to get angry as well. The argument will quickly escalate.

PEOPLE TEND TO RESPOND IN-KIND

However, when people get angry with us, and we remain calm and collected, one of two things will happen. They may storm off frustrated because we didn’t fight back. Or they will realize how foolish they appear and feel ashamed. Once people have a chance to vent, and the person that they are venting to remains calm and collected, they will typically cool down and begin to communicate more clearly. Remember, people respond in kind to what they see and hear.

Either way, we have avoided the negative consequences. So, if you want to keep long-lasting friendships, be slow to anger, especially over petty issues.

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #9: Be Slow to Anger Especially Over Petty Issues
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-9-be-slow-to-anger-especially-over-petty-issues/

These principles are excellent when used to calm an angry person or persuade people to see a different point of view. You may not convince the other person every time, but you should see more positive resolutions.

Keep in mind, that if we have not established solid trust by using the principles from last week, resolving conflicts can be much more difficult.

1. Be proactive instead of reactive.
2. Be slow to anger—especially over petty issues.
3. Instead of telling people they are wrong, point out mistakes indirectly.
4. Look for some type of common ground as soon as possible.
5. If you find that you are in the wrong, admit it.
6. Admit one of your own poor decisions before pointing out a similar error by others.
7. Mend fences whenever possible.

Leadership Principle #8 – Be Proactive Instead of Reactive.

“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” – Lester R. Bittel

For full show notes, visit Daily Leadership Tips - Leadership Principle #8 – Be Proactive Instead of Reactive.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-8-be-proactive-instead-of-reactive/

 THE FOUR LEVELS OF LISTENING

The lowest level of listening is to completely Ignore the speaker.  We all fall into this trap from time to time, such as when we are in a boring meeting and our mind wanders.  

 The second level of listening is when we Pretend to listen, but we are really just looking for an opportunity to end the conversation or change the subject.  

The third level of listening is when we Selectively listen (mainly out of self-interest.) When we listen at this level, we will practically ignore the other person unless they are talking about something that directly concerns us.  

Selective listeners will sometimes listen just enough to form an opinion or a rebuttal.  They tend to interrupt a lot and give advice.  

When we move into this level of listening, a lot of times, we do so to speed up the listening process. But for the most part, this type of listening can slow down the communication process giving us a negative result.  

The highest level of listener is the Attentive or Focused listener.  This person ignores all distractions and focuses totally on the speaker.  

In any given conversation, we will typically slip from one of these types of listening levels to another.  The key is to get our minds off ourselves and onto the other person.  

If we are genuinely interested in the other person – if we really care about the other person – we will automatically spend more time in the focused listening level.  

Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Principle #7: Be a Good Listener.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-7-practice-good-listening-skills/

Regardless of how you follow up, if you want to ensure that the communication occurs, you must go above and beyond the call of duty.

To be a great leader, take responsibility for clear communication.

Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Principle #6: Assume Responsibility for Clear Communication.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-6-assume-responsibility-for-clear-communication/

 I’m ashamed to say that at one point in my life, I was one of those people.  

Luckily, at one point in my career, I had a good friend that sat me down and said, “You can continue to come up with more excuses, or you can use less energy by just solving the problem.”

It hit me like a ton of bricks.  It wasn’t the economy or my manager. It wasn’t my coworker who was causing me to fail.  I realized that every mistake or problem that had ever occurred in my life had one common variable.  -- ME! 

At that point, I took a good look at myself.  I looked at some of the mistakes I had made and asked myself, how can I avoid making the same mistake again?  

I started to use every obstacle as a learning experience.  Don’t get me wrong, I still make excuses on occasion, but they are few and far between, and they no longer define me.  

Since I made that conscious decision, my career has really taken off. There are some people out there who make themselves feel better by bringing other people down.  

They revel in their ability to know who had a heart attack, who is getting divorced, who is stealing office supplies, and more.  The more they can bring other people down, the better that they feel.

Good leaders are the ones who stop this type of behavior in its tracks by just refusing to participate and standing up for coworkers who aren’t there to defend themselves.  If you want to be a great leader, avoid placing the burden of your problems onto other people. 

Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Principle #5: Avoid Placing the Burden of Your Problems onto Other People
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-5-avoid-placing-the-burden-of-your-problems-onto-other-people/

 When we remember someone’s name, we’re telling him, “You’re important.”  Therefore, when we forget a person’s name, we may leave the opposite impression.

 Do you want great service at a restaurant?  Call the waitress by name when you place your order.  

 Want to be the center of influence at a party?  

 Introduce people you just met to others at the party.  

 People love to hear their own name.  In fact, Dale Carnegie said that “a person’s name is to that person, the sweetest most important sound in any language.”

If you want to be a good people person, focus on remembering names.  They will feel more important because you remembered, and they will think more of you as well.

 Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Principle #4: Make an Effort to Remember Names.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-4-make-an-effort-to-remember-names/

When someone has a problem or needs help, they walk up to the door, just about to walk in, and they see the negative countenance.

Most people just turn around and decide to come back later.

A neutral expression can be just as unconstructive.

People don’t like to guess whether someone that they work for or work with is in a good mood or bad mood.  A genuine smile can do a lot for you and for the people around you because it will make you more approachable.

Smiles are also contagious.  One well-placed smile can go a long way to improving morale and building rapport.

Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Principle #3: Smile More
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-3-smile-more/

If someone missed a block, he’d yell and curse. If a player dropped a pass, he’d shout profanities and ridicule the player.   

Consequently, the players were focusing on their mistakes rather than their successes.  The coach eventually moved on, and after he left, morale improved dramatically.  The very next year, the team won their first bowl game in years and went on to twelve straight bowl games in the following years.   

The practices were the same.  The fan support was the same.  The only thing that changed was the atmosphere on the field during the practices and the games.    

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER? 

Think about someone who you know who you think is a great leader.  Is this the type of person who quibbles and complains about irrelevant issues?  Does the person point out every mistake?  Probably not.  In fact, this person probably does just the opposite.  The person is probably a master at keeping others focused on the relevant and pointing out every improvement.   

ANY JERK CAN COMPLAIN 

Any jerk can complain or criticize – and most do.  But real leaders are the people who build others up, not tear them down. 

Typically, when we point out mistakes that others are making, we are doing so to create a behavior change in the person.  However, when we point out mistakes that others make, the automatic human reaction is to get defensive or shift blame elsewhere.   

People rarely make a change in their behavior based on criticism. 

In section three, we’ll cover seven ways to create behavior change in others without raising resentment.  Each of these tips will work much better than constructive criticism.  

The next time you feel like you need to complain or to criticize someone, think about the outcome you want.  Do you want that person to change his behavior? If so, by criticizing, you will cause the person to want to defend himself.  This booklet is full of principles that you can use to build trust with and ultimately influence others.  The next time you want to criticize or complain, try silence as an option.   

Week #1: Build Trust and Rapport Quickly

Daily Leadership Principle #1: Avoid Criticizing and Complaining

We created this daily leadership tip series to offer real-life examples of each principle. During the 28-day leadership challenge, we want you to purposefully apply these principles in your life. If you do, I think you will be surprised at the number of people you will influence in a positive way. To get the best results, look for ways to apply one principle per day for 28 consecutive days.

We Organized This Daily Leadership Tip Series into Four One-Week Sections.

Each week, we cover seven different principles focused on a single topic within leadership development. In Week #1, we cover 7 Ways to Build Trust. Next, in Week #2, we give you 7 Conflict Resolution Leadership Tips. Then, in Week #3, we show you 7 Ways to Gain Cooperation from Your Team. Finally, in Week #4, we cover 7 Ways to Build More Leaders.

I know what you are thinking, though… Wait… Doug… There are only five days in a workweek. So, why are there seven leadership tips each week? There are two main reasons for this. First, the goal here is to help you create new habits. We form habits by doing certain behaviors every day. If you take a couple of days off, you will break your momentum. More importantly, though, the relationships we have with friends and family are also important. You also want to use these daily leadership tips with your friends and family!

How to Get the Most Out of these Leadership Skills

• First, go through the entire series in order from start to finish.
• Next, highlight any important points that could help you personally.
• Then, re-watch one principle per day for 28 straight days. When you do, look for ways to consciously apply that principle during that day.
• At the end of 28 days, review any principles that were particularly difficult for you to apply.
• Finally, begin the entire process again to reinforce each habit.

For full show notes, visit Daily Leadership Tip Series on our website.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-28-ways-influence-people/

Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

This book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression. Napoleon Hill interviewed and studied the most successful people and business leaders of that time. He identified 13 principles that they all shared.

Less than six years from the time I read this book for the first time, I made my first million dollars.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek.

Simon Sinak first published this book in 2009. However, the book really took off after Sinak became a TED Talk sensation. His TED Talk is the third most-watched video in the entire series. The book and speech are centered around a very simple premise. If you understand the Why, then the how is pretty easy.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

Stephen Covey came up with a new way of thinking about becoming a great leader. He identified that the habits that we develop determine our level of success. For instance, people who sleep in, show up late, and give a minimal amount of effort are doomed to live a mediocre life. However, when you change your daily habits, you change your success almost immediately.

Atomic Habits by James Clear.

His concept is really, really simple. It is really difficult to improve by 100%. However, it is much easier to improve by just 1%. Small changes lead to big results. Improve by that 1% every week, and in 100 weeks, you have your 100% improvement. He calls the changes atomic because when we look at them by themselves, they seem so small.

Leadership and Management Books about Increasing Efficiency.

These next few books are some of my favorite management skill books. In addition to building great relationships with your team and thinking bigger, good leaders are also able to direct and organize their team as well. The books in this series offer simple how-to guides in managing the people that you lead.

The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson.

The book outlines ways to help your team members set goals, shows you how to praise your team, and also how to reprimand them. This is a great starter book for a new manager or leader.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell.

John Maxwell is the undisputed king of management skills. He has written dozens of books on the subject. So, picking my favorite was very tough.

This is one of the best books on leadership that gives the technical “how to: manage others.

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

David and Goliath was another one of the great recent surprises in the best books about leadership training. If you are a small business owner or if you manage an agile team, this book is for you!

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman.

In the same light, Traction is a fantastic book for small business owners. 

For full show notes Click here 

Interestingly, in his first week, we were in our corporate library at the office. I began to pull a few of my favorite leadership books off the library shelves. “Have you read this one?” I asked. He shook his head no. “This one?” Another no. I found it interesting that he had read hundreds of books but almost none of my absolute favorites.

He suggested that I make a list of a few of my very favorite leadership training books along with a quick synopsis of each. I hope you like the list!

Start Reading Positive Leadership Development Books Early in Your Career.

When I was in college, a business partner of my dad’s recommended that I read How to Win Friends and Influence People (above.) At the time, I hadn’t read an entire book from cover to cover in years. In fact, I kind of hated reading. This businessman, though, was very successful. I figured that if he was recommending it, there was a good reason.

I read the book in less than a week, and a whole new world opened up to me. The book was unlike the boring textbooks I had read in college. The tips were practical advice. The stories and case studies in the book were fun and funny. At the time, I got angry. In High School, teachers required me to read books like Wuthering Heights and Of Mice and Men. They were pretty entertaining books, but not very practical. Why on Earth had my teachers not introduced me to books like the ones above?

Once I finished the first book, I couldn’t get enough. I began reading EVERYTHING. In many months, I would read three to five books. Then, I found audiobooks, and I was able to increase the number of leadership books read even more. Many of the best business books that I read during this time are listed below. I truly believe that the avid reading that I did early in my career was what allowed me to make my first million dollars in my 30s. Perhaps you will get a similar positive result.

FYI… Not all of the books I read were a good influence. I have listed a few BAD leadership books at the bottom of the list. So as you read, make sure to verify the validity of the advice before making big changes. Enjoy!

For full show notes, visit The Top 25 Leadership Books of All Time

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/

For instance, let’s say that you started a new career during the pandemic. It took a while to get into the swing of things since you were working from home for the first year. But now, you understand your job role. You have also gotten to know some of your coworkers (at least virtually.) You also know who you report to, who is responsible for what, and what you need to do to advance.

Things finally seem to be going well. Then, the boss throws you a

 curveball. The entire corporate team is now scheduled to come back to the office.

Over the past two years, more people started working from home than ever before. For some, this was a spontaneous adaptation to the job they already held. Others, though, started new jobs with new companies for the first time, remotely. Going back to the office whether full-time or part-time will now be a major adjustment.

This is causing stress and anxiety for those who were starting to get their groove. These feelings may be more common than most realize. Forbes reported on the subject citing a study conducted by The Adeco Group which revealed that “49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers said they have felt, or are feeling, anxiety about returning to the office.”

So keep this in mind as you begin to schedule your first meetings with your returning team. In this post, we will give you a few ideas on how to use philanthropic corporate events to relieve some of that stress for both your leaders and your team members!

For full show notes, visit Best Charity Team Building Ideas for 2022

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-charity-team-building-ideas-2022-fun-philanthropic-corporate-activities/

If you own or run a business you have two choices. You could search for leaders in the marketplace and try to convince them to join your team. Alternatively, you can build leaders from within your organization. When you do the latter, you have the potential to create enthusiasm within your team. You are creating a culture of growth and energy. (It is actually cheaper for your company and more rewarding to you if you do this, by the way.)

In this episode, I’m going to cover the seven best ways to build your next generation of leaders. If you are interested in building leaders from within, these tips can really help. This is the final episode of our six-part series on developing highly effective teams. If you create a formal training program for your high-potential employees using these management skills you will create a leadership pipeline in your company.

How to Influence People in a Positive Way and Help Your Team Grow.

Before I get to the seven best ways to build new leaders within your team, let’s start with why these skills work. Although every human being is different, most of us want specific things from our leaders. For instance…

• People will do things for and follow people who they know, like, and respect.
• Every person wants to feel important.
• Leaders who make those people around them feel important build confidence in those people.
• Confident people who feel that their job is important will trust and respect those leaders.

Many people think that a good leader has to tear people down and build them back up. This is a huge mistake. For some reason, we believe that the way to get people to be productive is to kick them in the pants. Typically, that will get you the opposite effect. Your team may comply out of fear, but they will not grow in confidence. As a result, you will have to order them to do every little thing for it to get done.

For full show notes, visit Building Leaders from Within
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/building-leaders-from-within-the-7-best-ways-to-build-your-next-leaders/

The fourth stage of team development is to build team cooperation and team collaboration. This is part five of a six-part series on how to develop highly effective teams. Just like previous stages of developing teamwork, this stage of leadership development is progressive. So, you will get the best results if you have already spent some time on steps one and two.

As a review, the first phase was to focus on your organization’s goals to create a shared vision for your team. When your team focuses on a common goal and sees the big picture, a collaborative environment will begin to form. The second step is to establish trust and effective communication within your team. Next, we showed you how to reduce conflicts among team members.

You will have a difficult time motivating your team if they don’t trust you or each other. In addition, you will also have a difficult time getting others to cooperate if there is a conflict. So first, make sure to spend some time building more of a team culture using the tips from the other three episodes.

f you have never read about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it is a fascinating study in psychology. Dr. Maslow theorized that we have five levels of needs. The needs range from physical needs like food and water to more altruistic needs. In this theory, we all are most concerned about the lowest level of needs until those needs are satisfied. For example, if a person is thirsty and dehydrated, he or she won’t have much concern for anything else.

Over the years, psychologists have argued about the levels in the hierarchy. The actual levels and order of each level aren’t as important to this discussion as the agreement that we have a hierarchy, though. As leaders, we have to know the hierarchy of our team members and what level they are currently at. For instance, one team member may have been entirely motivated by recognition and appreciation. However, if this person’s child gets sick, the priorities change in an instant.

The point is that the tips below are time-tested ways to build a cooperative team. If the trust is high and conflicts are low, these tips should work very effectively. So, if you find some members of your team to not be as cooperative, it might be that something has happened to move them to a lower level in Maslow’s Hierarchy.

Your goal as the leader of your group of employees is to build a cooperative workplace where staff members are consistently at the highest level of this hierarchy.

For full show notes, visit Team Cooperation-How to Build a Collaborative Team.
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-valuable-ways-to-build-a-cooperative-and-effective-team/

This is part four of a six-part series Characteristics of Highly Effective Teams. Last week we covered how to build trust and a team culture within your group. The focus of this session is on conflict resolution strategies and dealing with difficult people. Remember that these principles are cumulative. The strategies to resolve conflicts work much better in an environment of teamwork is already present. If you find that your team members are experiencing a high level of conflict, back up and work on building the level of trust.

7 Turnkey Conflict Resolution Strategies for Your Office Team

1. Be proactive instead of reactive.
2. Be slow to anger-especially over petty issues.
3. Instead of telling people they are wrong, point out mistakes indirectly.
4. Look for some type of common ground as soon as possible.
5. If you find that you are in the wrong, admit it.
6. Admit one of your own poor decisions before pointing out a similar error by others.
7. Mend fences whenever possible.

The first three principles are ways to avoid conflict before the disagreement even occurs. Numbers four through six help you resolve conflicts. Finally, the last principle is there to help make sure that the conflict doesn’t return. Let’s cover each principle in a little more detail.

For full show notes, visit 7 Strategies for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-turnkey-conflict-resolution-strategies-for-your-office-team/

In the first part, we gave an overview of each of the five steps to create a highly effective team. Then, last week, we covered the value of creating a great vision and mission for your company. Here is a review of this employee engagement process.

Five-Step Process to Build a Culture of Teamwork in Your Organization and Improve Team Success.

The five-step leadership development process is as follows.

1. Highly Effective Teams are Mission-Oriented.
2. Build Trust and Rapport with the People that You Want to Lead.
3. Resolve Conflicts and Create an Environment Where Disagreements Do Not Cause Personal Conflicts.
4. Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation from Your Team (Even When You Are Not Looking).
5. Build Confident Leadership Teams Around You.

Each of these steps is progressive. For instance, if we have a lack of trust within a group of individuals, we will likely have more conflicts. If we are in conflict with our team members, it will be difficult to gain cooperation. The point is that the better we do in the early stages, the easier it is to have success in the latter stages. In this session, we will focus on Step #2: The Seven Best Ways to Build Team Trust.

For full show notes, visit 7 Expert Ways to Build Trust in Your Team 
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-expert-ways-to-build-trust-in-a-team-that-you-can-do-today/

1. Highly Effective Teams are Mission-Oriented.
2. Highly Effective Teams Build Solid Trust.
3. Highly Effective Teams Debate Positively.
4. Highly Effective Teams Cooperate with Each Other and Gain Cooperation from Others.
5. Highly Effective Teams have a Culture of Leadership.

For full show notes, visit 5 Characteristics of Highly Effective Teams
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-characteristics-highly-effective-teams/

To contact Doug Staneart, dial (800) 872-7830 or Tweet him at @dougstaneart

First, we’ll talk about Christmas team building events for small groups. Next, I’ll share some of my favorite activities for larger groups. Finally, we’ll cover a few virtual holiday party ideas. Let’s start with the easiest — the small group activities.

For full show notes, visit Christmas Team Building Activities to Build Morale and Fun at Work

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/christmas-team-building-activities-to-build-morale-and-fun-at-work/

This company was a stream of income that she created without any money being spent until she had collected revenue from customers. Granted, it took a lot of time and the income wasn’t significant. However, she built up a client list that loved her style and her products. So, anytime she had a new idea, she had a list of potential customers. As time went on, the customer list grew and grew. Each new t-shirt style became more lucrative.

In the beginning, she worked very hard to make a single sale. Back then, if she added up her time, she was likely making much less than minimum wage per hour. However, as her client list grew, the number of work hours per sale dropped significantly.

Basically, if you have more income than expenses, you can invest that money to generate additional streams of income. If you don’t have more income than expenses, you need to invest some of your time to generate the additional streams of income.

Interest that You Pay to Other People Is a Negative Stream of Income.

Along those lines, if you spend more money than you make, you will always be poor. However, if you make more money than you spend, you can easily generate wealth from day one. Interest for debtors is your biggest obstacle to wealth. However, interest to creditors is the biggest source of wealth.

For the full show notes, visit 

Step #3 to Build Wealth Is to Create Multiple Streams of Income. (Get Your Money to Work for You.)

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-build-wealth-in-three-simples-steps-wealth-strategies-for-any-age/

When I applied to go to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a living. I watched my mom and dad struggle financially my whole life. So my goal was to become a millionaire. Not knowing any millionaires at the time, though, I had no clue how to become one. This was a time before Mark Cuban figured out a way to play audio over the internet. It was before Zuckerberg created a social yearbook to remember the names of girls that his friends met on campus. It was also before candy matching games soaked people for millions $1.99 at a time.

Like a lot of young people, I paid my way through college by taking out student loans. When I graduated from school, my first job didn’t pay a whole lot. So, before long, just to get by, I started to charge everyday expenses to credit cards. When I entered the business world, I had a negative net worth.

However, a little over a decade later, I made my first million dollars. It took 12 years to make this first million. Less than six months later, though, I made my second million.

You’ll Never Get Rich Unless You Understand the Difference Between Wealth vs. Income.

Although my income was well over a million dollars every year, I didn’t start building wealth right away, though. There is a big difference between income and wealth. Income is just the amount of money that you make. If your expenses are less than your income, your net will be positive. You will be able to put this excess into a savings account if you like or create an emergency fund. Over time, the savings can grow into wealth. However, this is the process of getting rich slowly. Depending on the current inflation rate, by the time you want to spend these savings, your money will likely not be worth as much as when you socked it away. Income is not wealth. In fact, saving is also not wealth.

You create wealth when you create something (or invest in something) that generates income for you whether you work or not. By the way, you can start building wealth at any age. My son Ben takes after his mom — he’s very good with money. A few years ago, he pulled out his cash box that was stuffed with years of Christmas and birthday money. He had socked away almost $1500 just $20 or $40 at a time.

When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, the stock market crashed in March and April. In May, Ben bought bargain-priced stock which he sold just a few months later almost tripling his nest egg. We call the money Ben received as gifts income. When he put that money in his cash box without spending it, he created savings. However, when he invested the money he got a return on his investment. This passive income created wealth for him.

For Full Show Notes, Visit How to Build Wealth
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-build-wealth-in-three-simples-steps-wealth-strategies-for-any-age/

A client recently asked me to do some research on the differences between the generations in the workplace. Specifically, she wanted to know about the different styles of communication between different ages. I like to think of myself as a communication expert. Granted, those who work around me will likely argue with that diagnosis. However, I have to admit, some of the things I uncovered while doing this project really surprised me. So, I thought it might be a good idea to publish the results.

This session will cover a few key items. First, we will identify the specific generations. We hear people using terms like Baby Boomers and Millennials, but what do those terms really mean? And do entire generations think similarly. Next, I’ll show you the specific communication channels that each generation prefers. Interestingly, the communication channel preferences are pretty obvious when we look at the technology changes that occurred in each generation. Then finally, I’ll point out the pros and cons of each type of communication.

You might actually find that the channel preferred by a different generation is more efficient.

In this episode, we cover what the four generations in the workplace are -- Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z. We also cover the technology that was introduced during each generation's formative year that shape the channel of communication that each prefers. I'll give you a hint... Millennials and Gen Z are pretty much polar opposites in how they like to communicate.

For full show notes, visit Differences Between Generations and Style of Communication
https://www.leadersinstitute.com/differences-between-generations-and-style-of-communication/

For instance, if you are doing an onboarding meeting, then a game that gets the group to know each other better (like “Getting to Know You”) can easily be tied into the theme of the meeting.

If your meeting is to report sales numbers or project reports and the results are competitive, then a competitive game can be easily inserted. You will find it easy to tie the competitive game to the competitive reports. Regardless, stay away from just inserting random games just to add fun. Most of the time, if the meetings themselves aren’t really fun, the games won’t be either.

Getting to Know You.
Codenames: A Fun Game to Play on Zoom If You Have a Small Group.
Guess Who? Classic Board Games Made for Zoom Meetings.
Poseidon’s Plunder Virtual Treasure Hunt
My Rich Uncle Virtual Escape Room
The Charade Zoom Murder Mystery Game.

For full show notes visit Fun Games to Play on Zoom with Coworkers to Build Teamwork

Zoom is currently claiming to have over 300 million daily users. Google Meet and Microsoft Teams each claim over 100 million daily users. That means that each day, as many as 1/2 a billion people are still meeting virtually. Unfortunately… Most of these virtual meetings are really, really, really boring. We want to change that.

Back when Covid first hit in 2020, the virus scared many team members. They were also nervous about their business future. Moral plummeted worldwide. And many teams had to learn on the fly how to do their normal business via Zoom call or video call. Well, I’d like to say that our team was way in front of the crowd at attempting to a “new normal.” I’d like to say that. I mean, we did have a couple of distinct advantages.

First, our company was a virtual company before we ever had a corporate office. In fact, in the first 15 years of our existence, we were entirely a virtual office. So, when Covid hit, we already had a lot of structure in place to perform well virtually.

The other advantage that we had was that we have a whole team of professional speakers who perform well in virtual meetings. So, again, that was a great advantage.

However, the changes that came about with the Covid Pandemic had never been seen before. So even though we had a couple of advantages, we still had a tough time adapting. (Just like everyone else.)

For full show notes, visit fun games to play on Zoom with your coworkers.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/fun-games-to-play-on-zoom-with-coworkers-to-build-teamwork/

If you are new to public speaking, an impromptu speech is one where you have to speak on short notice. So you won’t have a lot of preparation time. Even seasoned speakers can panic when asked to deliver one of these “spur of the moment” presentations. It makes sense. When we train new speakers, we tell them to organize their thoughts and practice the speech a few times. When someone puts you on the spot and askes you to speak, you can’t do any of these things. There are no note cards. So, impromptu speaking is a solid speaking skill. The better you get at this, the better a speaker your audience will see you as.

In the session, we are going to cover two parts of speaking off the cuff. First, we are going to talk about how to reduce nervousness when someone puts you under pressure. Then the second part is a simple structure you can use to design a compelling speech focused on a single main point. This structure will work in almost every impromptu speaking situation. (We will also give you a couple of concrete examples of how to use the structure.)

For full show notes, visit How to Improve Impromptu Speaking Skills

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/how-to-improve-impromptu-speaking-skills-tips-to-deliver-an-improvised-speech/

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/leadersinstitute

Here are a few tips to help you start off on the right track.

• Ask the same questions to every candidate. This will let you compare each one using the same criteria.
• In your list of questions, choose some that help you assess the actual skills of the candidate.
• Add in some questions that help you determine their personality.
• Finally, add in questions to help you determine if their values mesh with the corporate values.

In a moment, I’ll give you a sample list of interview questions. First, though, let’s talk about the values part. This suggestion is one of those tips that has absolutely revolutionized how we hire.

Ask Questions to Determine the Values that You Want in a Team Member.

Just before Covid hit in 2020, my executives and I set an audacious goal to quadruple the size of the company. (I know. The timing was awful.) We knew that we would need to hire new candidates to help us get to the goal. We also knew that the company revenue had plateaued a few years ago. I realized that to get to the next plateau, we most likely would need to make some changes in personnel.

One of our team members had a brilliant idea. We have a list of our corporate core values that we live by. Why not score our team members based on each of these core values. To experiment, I and the other two executives scored each other. Not surprisingly, each of us scored pretty high in each of the areas.

Next, we each score every single one of our team members. Interestingly, the team members who scored very high in our values were also the ones who appeared to be the most productive for the company as well. The ones who scored lower were more mediocre by comparison.

The technique worked so well for our current team, that we made it a part of the hiring process. So, in addition to asking questions to determine the skills of the candidate, we now ask questions to help us determine their values as well.

For instance, core value number one at our company is responsiveness. We send out an email asking candidates to go to our calendar and set up a meeting. We automatically exclude candidates who take more than a day to respond.

For full show notes, visit Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/a-quality-formula-for-interviewing-candidates-questions-to-ask-in-a-job-interview/

Over the years, I’ve made some stellar hiring decisions. On the other hand, I’ve also made some catastrophic blunders as well. Eventually, I figured out a system that has allowed me to hire excellent candidates with lower turnover. I had to learn these job interview tips through the school of hard knocks. Hopefully, you will be able to learn from my mistakes so you can create a solid team for your organization.

I organized this session in three (really four) parts. Part one gives you a few tips to help you identify the perfect candidate when you see him or her. The next part offers questions to ask during the job interview. I also inserted a mini-part on questions to avoid during the job interview — (Again, school of hard knocks.) The last part covers how to use the information collected from the interviews to make a good hiring decision.

Let’s start with part one.

How to Know If a Candidate Is a Good Fit for the Job and Company.

Before you start to interview candidates, start by identifying what a good candidate looks like. There have been times in my company where we were growing so fast, that we made hiring decisions based on if the person had a pulse. Some of these rash hiring decisions turned out well. However, this was based just on dumb luck. Other hiring decisions caused big problems and uncomfortable terminations.

Most interviewers scan a candidate’s resume or LinkedIn profile for education, work experience, and references. Obviously, you do want to take these items into consideration. However, none of those things will tell you if the person is a good fit for the position. In addition, none of them will show you if the person is a good fit for your team.

So, before you start interviewing, identify the skills needed for the job. Also, identify the values that you want in a candidate.

• Identify the Skills Needed for the Job Before Interviewing Any Candidates.
• Identify the Personality Traits Needed for the Job Before Interviewing Any Candidates.
• Great Teams Contain Individuals Who Complement Each Other’s Strengths and Make-Up for Their Weaknesses.

For additional details, visit https://www.leadersinstitute.com

For full show notes, visit Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/a-quality-formula-for-interviewing-candidates-questions-to-ask-in-a-job-interview/

In this episode, we cover The Top Ten Small Business Lead Generation Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make (and How to Avoid Them).

For full show notes, visit Top Ten Small Business Lead Generation Mistakes

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/top-ten-small-business-lead-generation-mistakes/