In "The Long Distance Leader," Kevin Eikenberry addresses the challenges of leading remote teams and navigating the complexities of geographically dispersed workforces. The book emphasizes the importance of prioritizing leadership principles over physical location, offering strategies for effective communication, collaboration, and team building in virtual environments. It explores the nuances of managing diverse teams across different time zones and cultural contexts. The book provides practical tools and techniques for fostering trust, engagement, and productivity among remote team members. It serves as a valuable resource for leaders seeking to build strong and successful remote teams.
Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth[2][4][5].
Published in 1982, 'In Search of Excellence' by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman is a landmark management book. It analyzes 43 top-performing companies from the Fortune 500, using the McKinsey 7-S model, to identify eight common themes that contributed to their success. These themes include a bias for action, staying close to the customer, promoting autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands-on and value-driven management, focusing on core business, maintaining a simple organizational structure, and fostering simultaneous loose-tight properties. The book emphasizes the importance of people, customers, and action in achieving business excellence and has been widely influential in management practices[3][4][5].
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes Kevin Eikenberry to the show to explore the ever-evolving landscape of leadership. Kevin, a seasoned expert in leadership and learning with over three decades of experience, shares his expertise on how flexibility and adaptability are integral to effective leadership in today's fast-paced and scattered work environments.
Drew and Kevin dive into the various challenges agency leaders encounter as they adapt to a world that demands greater flexibility than ever before. They discuss the transition from traditional, rigid work environments to a more fluid and dynamic approach, where leaders must balance consistency and adaptability. Kevin underscores the significance of mindset, skillset, and habits in enhancing leadership abilities. Together, they examine the aspects of leadership that remain constant despite the changing landscape and emphasize the areas where leaders can foster growth.
Kevin shares practical strategies for enhancing leadership effectiveness, including fostering intentional and natural interactions with your team, regardless of location or time zone. Whether you lead a team in person or remotely, Kevin's insights provide leaders with the tools to navigate uncertainty and lead with confidence. This episode is filled with tips for creating meaningful connections with your team, promoting a culture of accountability, and continuously improving as a leader.
Don’t miss this inspiring episode if you’re aiming to elevate your leadership skills and adapt to the demands of leading in a flexible work environment. Whether you’re an experienced agency owner or just beginning your journey in leadership, Kevin’s wisdom and practical advice will undoubtedly guide you toward becoming a more impactful and flexible leader in your agency settings.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- Embracing flexible leadership in a post-COVID world
- Balancing mindset, skill set, and habit set for effective leadership
- Integrating casual interactions naturally into remote work settings
- Transitioning from autopilot leadership to intentional adaptation
- Moving beyond viewing employees' needs as excessive
- Implementing consistent habit changes for improved leadership
- Encouraging accountability and feedback within teams
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