Join Emily Leathers, an executive coach and author of "The 7 Leadership Lies," as she unpacks the myths leaders often tell themselves, from overcommitment to the misconception that emotions have no place at work. Emily emphasizes the importance of prioritization, revealing how to manage expectations without the pressure of timelines. She advocates for embracing emotions, arguing that they can enhance decision-making and foster a healthier workplace culture, especially in the tech sector. Tune in for valuable insights that can transform your leadership approach!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Recognize Limiting Rules
Leaders often create rules for themselves, believing these will improve their management.
These rules, however, frequently lead to exhaustion, overwork, and overwhelm.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Prioritize Importance
Prioritize tasks based on importance, not how recently they were suggested. Step back and address underlying issues instead of overworking.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Practical Prioritization
Prioritize by starting with the end goal and measuring your progress toward it. Consider why you're prioritizing something and don't be afraid to push back.
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In 'The Advice Trap', Michael Bungay Stanier builds on the principles of his previous book, 'The Coaching Habit', to help leaders and consultants avoid the pitfalls of premature and unsolicited advice-giving. The book emphasizes the importance of taming the 'Advice Monster' within, which is driven by the beliefs that one must have the answer, be responsible for everything, and stay in control. By staying curious longer and rushing into advice-giving more slowly, leaders can foster a more engaged team, promote organizational change, and create a curiosity-driven company culture. The book provides practical tools and strategies for effective coaching, including the use of probing questions, mindfulness, and humility[2][4][5].
The Coaching Habit
Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael Bungay Stanier
In 'The Coaching Habit,' Michael Bungay Stanier provides a straightforward and effective approach to coaching. Drawing on his extensive experience training managers worldwide, he introduces seven essential coaching questions designed to help managers unlock their team's potential. These questions include the Kickstart Question, the AWE Question, the Lazy Question, the Strategic Question, the Focus Question, the Foundation Question, and the Learning Question. The book emphasizes the importance of saying less and asking more, fostering a collaborative and empowering work environment. It combines practical advice with research in neuroscience and behavioral economics, making coaching a daily, informal part of managerial work rather than a formal event.
The 7 Leadership Lies
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Emily Leathers
Emily Leathers discusses common lies that leaders tell themselves, which can lead to frustration and impostor syndrome. She provides insights on how to reframe these beliefs for more effective leadership.
Emily Leathers: Emotional Leadership
Emily is an executive coach and software engineering manager. She has led teams and advised other managers for years. She’s seen the difference a truly passionate leader and manager can make for their team and the world around them.
Like a lot of managers and coaches, she’s had a front row seat to the patterns that cause a lot of leaders to overwork and over stress. She is the author of the guide The 7 Leadership Lies and she’s the host of the Emotional Leadership podcast. She’s also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy.
In this conversation, we discuss some of the common lies that leaders tend to tell themselves that lead to frustration and impostor syndrome. Then, we explore better ways to frame these beliefs, to lead with more confidence and effectiveness.
Key Points
Lie #1: I’m supposed to do everything I, my manager, or my team can think of.
Truth: A leader’s job is about prioritization - and that means prioritizing how we spend our own time as well.
Lie #2: There’s a timeline.
Truth: There is no rush. Work gets much easier when we turn off the unneeded sense of emergency. Prioritization is the aim.
Lie #3: Emotions don’t belong at work.
Truth: Every action we take is driven by an emotion. You are going to experience emotions at work - that or you’ll be staring at a wall all day without a single thought in your mind. Turning them off isn’t an option. Learning to allow your emotions and use them to your advantage is critical for your success as a leader.
Lie #4: I’m supposed to have an answer for any problem or question a team member asks.
Truth: A manager’s role is to help your team solve problems, not to solve problems for your team.
Resources Mentioned
The 7 Leadership Lies
Anger + Allowing Strong Emotions with Vivien Yang (Emotional Leadership podcast)
Related Episodes
How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404)
What to Do With Your Feelings, with Lori Gottlieb (episode 438)
The Way to Be More Coach-Like, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 458)
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