Almost all of us are doing more virtually than we ever have before - and that includes our leadership responsibilities. Virtual leadership has become the norm in many organizations and leaders have had to adapt in order to influence effectively across distance. In this week's episode, I speak with virtual teams expert Mike Demas on what strategies leaders can use in order to be as effective as possible in a virtual environment. Special Guest: Mike Demas, Director at Micron Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Leaders face difficult situations when their organizations struggle through budgetary challenges. My guest, Carol Taylor, is all too familiar with such challenges and tells the story of the crisis that faced Vanguard University when she was appointed president. She is the author of Leading a Turnaround and the Joy of a Third Class Ticket found in Thriving Leadership edited by Karen Longman, and joins me on this episode to share her leadership journey at Vanguard. Special Guest: Dr. Carol Taylor President, Vanguard University Author of Leading a Turnaround and the Joy of a Third Class Ticket, found in Thriving Leadership* edited by Karen Longman Two challenges for you after listening to today's show: Visit the Vanguard University website for inspiration on what wonderful work they are doing since emerging from this crisis Share this episode with someone who is leading through a challenging time or crisis Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Authentic leaders know that there's more to an apology than simply the words "I'm sorry" - although that's a good starting point. Mistakes are inevitable, but few leaders are able to communicate a genuine apology. This week, Bonni Stachowiak returns to discuss how we can make our apologies more meaningful and genuine to the people who receive them. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Components of an authentic apology: 1) State "I'm sorry" or "I apologize" with sincerity 2) Be specific about what you are apologizing for and own it 3) Discuss what you will do to avoid the mistake in the future Tell me what you did to incorporate something from our discussion above - I want to know what is working for you! Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com The TED Talk on vulnerability we mentioned can be found here: The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown We are accepting subscriptions to our free newsletter. If you would to receive monthly articles, interviews, videos, and other leadership resources, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE. Also, you'll receive as a bonus, a video and down-loadable list of the 10 Books That Will Make You a Better Leader. A special thank you to Peter Trudelle, Mary Kelly, and Kurt Allebach for liking our page on Facebook! If you haven't already, you can visit our Facebook page at coachingforleaders.com/facebook Thank you to all our listeners on Stitcher. Please add us to your favorites list and give this show a "thumbs up" if you enjoyed it. Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

Getting results isn't always easy, but the process is simple. In this episode, I'll review the 3 steps that you need to get the best results from the people you lead. I'll also point out many of the common mistakes that lots of us make when trying to follow these simple guidelines. If you aren't getting what you expect from people, this show is a must-listen for you. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback What do I want for you? People know what outcomes you want People know when you're going to check-in People expect consequences 1) Establish outcomes up front Dictating the process makes it yours and takes away innovation Establish the metrics for success Let people decide how they will get there 2) Agree to regular check-ins People don't need to feel micromanaged if check-ins are scheduled If they are mostly on track, leave them alone… If they are going off track, provide coaching… 3) Provide accountability If something doesn't match the expectations - call people on it Acknowledge people in some way - best is a thank you Session #9 - positive feedback Session #10 - constructive feedback Tell me what you did to incorporate something from the notes above - I want to know what is working for you! Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Question from Tom Suggestion from Andy We are accepting subscriptions to our free newsletter. If you would to receive monthly articles, interviews, videos, and other leadership resources, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE. Also, you'll receive as a bonus, a video and down-loadable list of the 10 Books That Will Make You a Better Leader! A special thank you to Ondar Yardas - thank you for liking our page on Facebook! If you haven't already, you can visit our Facebook page at coachingforleaders.com/facebook Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

If you are doing any type of serious leadership, you are going to hear complaining. As I discuss in this episode, complaining isn't always a bad thing, but you need to handle it appropriately as a leader. In this episode, I discuss seven ways to handle complainers in your organization. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback 1. Expect ingratitude “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” - Colin Powell 2. Give people time and a venue to complain People don't always want a solution to their problems Limit this time 3. Set the agenda in advance (and time frames) Have them bring an agenda to the meeting Follow that agenda If they aren't ready for that, you set agenda and send to them in advance 4. Require solutions to problems Ask people to always bring a realistic solution along with any complaint They know the issue better than you do - they've thought it through 5. Set time limits and stick to them (see details in the 6 Habits to Keep People from Wasting Your Time article) Let people know in advance how much time you have End meetings on time If you need to, book something else after the meeting 6. Be frank with people Tell people why you aren't taking action If they aren't coming with solutions, call them on it. Share examples. 7. Limit your interactions with that person (try the others first) Gallup says that the best leaders spend a majority of their time with their best people You don't have to always be available - schedule a time Use caller ID Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Two recent articles I've written on this topic that might also be helpful: 6 Habits to Keep People From Wasting Your Time Hear Complaining? You're on the Right Path We are accepting subscriptions to our free newsletter. If you would to receive monthly articles, interviews, videos, and other leadership resources, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE. Also, you'll receive as a bonus, a video and down-loadable list of the 10 Books That Will Make You a Better Leader! A special thank you to Jerome Tinard and Roger Fisher - thank you for liking our page on Facebook! If you haven't already, you can visit our Facebook page at coachingforleaders.com/facebook Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

Questions are the language of coaches. Stories are the language of leaders. In this episode, I welcome Sandie Morgan, Director of the Global Center for Women & Justice at Vanguard University of Southern California, to speak about how she utilizes storytelling to influence the world. Interview with Sandie Morgan Director, Global Center for Women & Justice Vanguard University of Southern California Hear Sandie and Dave biweekly on the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

It's been a full year since I launched Coaching for Leaders, so in this special anniversary episode, Bonni and I look at a more personal topic: what leadership lessons we've learned from our son Luke in the first six months of his life. As you'll see, the lessons could apply to many relationships, both personal and professional. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback What leadership lessons we've learned (or been reminded of) in our first six months of parenting: Sleep deprivation can take down anybody. Expectations are huge…and a bit of grace goes a long way. No matter how organized you are, you will get barfed on. There is true joy to be found anywhere and everywhere. It's really not about you most of the time. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I'm announcing the Coaching for Leaders e-newsletter! If you would like to subscribe to receive monthly articles, interviews, videos, and other leadership resources, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE. Also, you'll receive as a bonus, a video and downloadable list of the 10 Books That Will Make You a Better Leader! In this episode, I also referred to my article on the Chick-fil-A leadership lesson. You can find that article here. Thank you to Tom Julian and Stefan DeArrin Simmons for liking us on Facebook. You too can visit us at this link. Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

Almost all of us are put into leadership roles where we need to influence people that we can't bark orders to. It's essential for all of us to learn how to lead without a formal title. In this episode, I explore 6 things you can do to lead others outside of title and position that will create better results for both of you. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback 1) Find out what's important to people - and then help them get it Appreciate the past Understand the present Picture the future Identify passions ARTICLE LINK: 4 Ways to Prepare Your Team to See The Future 2) Go out of your way to recognize people Write thank you notes - I write at least 1-2 each week Do everyone possible to share people's name is a positive way publicly Use people's names 3) Make decisions for the long-run 4) Don't love 'em and leave 'em 5) Engage your opponents Take time to listen to people who disagree with you You don't have to agree - but understand where they are coming from 6) Have a sense of humor Groundhog day Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback If you use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, be sure to check out the new Podcasts app on iTunes. It's free! Next week is episode #50 and the first anniversary of this show. To celebrate, Bonni will be joining me and we'll be talking about leadership lessons we've learned in parenting during the first six months of Luke's life. Don't miss it! If this show has been helpful to you, please visit the following address and write the show a brief review: CoachingforLeaders.com/itunes  Thank you for being a partner in helping us to engage and develop others! Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

All of us would like to believe that we can lead in such a way where people would never drive us nuts. Of course, that's not reality - and we've all had to deal with people many times that push our buttons in all the wrong ways. In this episode, I share a recent experience I had where someone was driving me nuts and what mistakes I made (and advise I have) for leading when this happens. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Here are nine things you can do to lead when someone is driving you nuts: 1) Ask yourself, it is personality or performance? Rarely do we get to decide what personalities we get to work with and lead. If it's personality, challenge yourself to be flexible. 2) Give people the benefit of the doubt. Almost nobody wakes up in the morning with the goal to make other people miserable. 3) Address non-performance early. If there is a clear performance issue, address it early. Trust your instincts and those of the people around you. What should it be? For me, 2 incidents. People know you are watching, that you care, and what the expectations are. 4) Tell people you are giving them a second chance. Error on the side of over-communicating here. 5) Use email wisely (and Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Stay off posting or sending things in writing when you are mad. Follow-up expectations with an email summary. 6) Find out if it can be fixed before losing your cool. Most everything can be fixed. 7) Sleep on it. We don't make good decisions when we're tired. We anger faster. We take twice and long to handle stuff. We don't have perspective. We have the tendency to fire off emails. 8) Let other people do their jobs once you've raised a concern. Sometimes you'll get punished for being proactive. 9) Decide how much of your time and energy this is worth. Dale Carnegie says, "Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth and refuse to give it more." This too shall pass. Often I find that I am angry at myself when I feel like I am angry at others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback If this show has been helpful to you, please visit the following address and write the show a brief review: CoachingforLeaders.com/itunes  Thank you for being a partner in helping us to engage and develop others! Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

Everyone interacts with the world differently, but there are two broad ends of the spectrum that can help us understand how we see the world and how we can support those that we lead. In this episode, we'll look extensive at the judging-perceiving personality type preference and how appreciating both sides can help you to understand and lead others more effectively. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Are you a Chaos Muppet or an Order Muppet? Check out this article from Slate. Judging preference Organized Scheduled Planned Energized by planning Tips for leaders who prefer judging: Not everyone will have planned things out as well as you have Watch out for micromanagement You're going to need to be flexible with the real world How to lead those with a judging preference: Get them in the room when doing long-term planning and scheduling Coach them if they get too caught up in their planning Help people recognize when they need to be flexible Perceiving preference Spontaneous Adaptable Flexible Energized by deadlines Tips for leaders who prefer perceiving: Be careful not to change directions too many times on people There are huge advantages to giving people more time Remember that you can (and likely will) drive those with a judging preference nuts How to lead those with an perceiving preference: Coach them if they aren't trending towards making decisions Tap into their strengths when things need to change direction quickly Let them be flexible in the workplace (workday, schedule, timeline) Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback We briefly mentioned an upcoming opportunity to get some coaching from me if you'd like to dive further into looking at your personality preferences. We'll have more information coming in the next week or two, but if you think you might want to know more, send an email to feedback@coachingforleaders.com with "Personality" as your subject line and I'll get back to you information as soon as we have it. If this show has been helpful to you, please visit the following address and write the show a brief review: CoachingforLeaders.com/itunes  Thank you for being a partner in helping us to engage and develop others! Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.