Coaching for Leaders

Steve Dosier: Blue Star Intel On episode #89, I welcomed Steve Dosier, a StrengthsFinder expert formerly of Gallup and now with Blue Star Intel, to teach us about the history of CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder). This week, he takes Bonni and I through our StrengthsFinder 2.0 results so you can learn more about the value of utilizing your CliftonStrengths report. Questions Steve asked of us: Individual Questions How closely do you feel your Top–5 Strengths match you? What do you agree strongly with? Are there any areas that don’t quite sound like you? Relationship Questions What Strengths do you feel you both connect upon and why? What Strengths do you find complimentary to your own and why? How do you leverage each other’s Strengths to get the best from each other? (You get the best of me when…) I feel this Strength helps me provide a unique contribution to our relationship… (My contribution to this relationship is….) Now that you know each other’s Strengths as defined by the Clifton StrengthsFinder Report, what do you better understand and appreciate about each other? (Was there a point of conflict or disagreement that StrengthsFinder has helped you better understand and manage?) Bonni’s Strengths: Relator Achiever Connectedness Futuristic Strategic Dave’s Strengths (link to Dave’s report): Futuristic Relator Intellection Learner Responsibility Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Steve Dosier: Blue Star Intel CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is one of the most popular instruments utilized in corporate training and coaching programs. In this episode, I welcome Steve Dosier, a StrengthsFinder expert formerly of Gallup and now with Blue Star Intel, to teach us about the history of CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) and help us discover how we can get the most value from the CliftonStrengths assessment. Here are some of the resources we discussed during the show: StrengthsFinder 2.0 book* (a code is included in this book for the instrument) Now Discover Your Strengths* (also includes assessment) Living with Your Strengths book (also includes assessment) StrengthsFinder training for individuals and teams* (use code CFL10 for a 10% tuition discount) You can purchase a code ala carte to take the StrengthsFinder assessment at this link without purchasing the book. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. What does a life plan give you? Clarity around what is important The ability to better manage priorities and balance your time Better sense of what to say no to… More of a sense that you are truly living “Contrary to popular belief, great things almost never happen by accident. Great accomplishments are planned. Sadly, much of the planning we do goes into accomplishments that leave us feeling empty in the end.” -Donald Miller How to phrase a goal: SMART goals Careful of negatively-focused goals, such as I want to lose weight… Focus on what you will gain (as in what will the benefit be…) Increase the likelihood of following through on goals Put them somewhere where you’ll see them Track your progress along the way Share them with others Create an ideal week that aligns with your life plan and your goals See Michael Hyatt’s book on Creating Your Personal Life Plan Other resources we mentioned: Remember the Milk Hope for the Flowers Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Loren Kousaie: Microsoft Almost everyone who leads is doing more influencing of people through technology. Many of us are even working remotely or managing others who work remotely. In this episode, I welcome Loren Kousaie from Microsoft to speak about his extensive experience in leading people virtually over the years – and to offer us suggestions and what we can do better when communicating and leading from a distance. Here are the questions I asked of Loren: Tell me about your role at Microsoft and how you’re physically spaced from your team. What’s a typical day like for you? Also, what kind of tools are you using to connect with your team? What is different about leading people working virtually than leading in other venues? How do you set expectations with your team about what a remote relationship with you will be like? When you started leading virtually, what was the biggest mind shift you had to make? What would you like to have known about leading virtually that you didn’t when you started? Leadership can be lonely. Leading virtually can be even lonelier – what do you do to stay in community with others, either professionally or personally? What’s a discovery you’ve made about yourself along the way that’s contributed to your success? “In order to arrive at what you do not know You must go by a way which is the way of ignorance. In order to possess what you do not possess You must go by the way of dispossession. In order to arrive at what you are not You must go through the way in which you are not. And what you do not know is the only thing you know And what you own is what you do not own And where you are is where you are not.” -T.S. Eliot Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Virtually all leaders in organizations are called upon to manage (or at least be part of) the hiring process. In this episode, Bonni and I look at some common mistakes made in the hiring process and some straightforward things you can do to get better results in your hiring decisions. Common Failures in the Hiring Process: 1. Testing for interview skills instead of what it will take to do the job well Utilize behavioral interview questions Test for skills instead of only considering interview responses Book recommendation: Hiring Smart! by Pierre Mornell 2. Falling victim to the halo effect Sometimes one positive thing inappropriately interferes with our perceptions Define your criteria in advance of meeting with candidates Use multiple data points 3. Missing small clues along the way Have a multi-step process and track the individual’s progress through it 4. Forgetting that the very best candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them Look at your process from an outsider’s perspective 5. Not leveraging technology Leverage services that will help you connect with candidates Remember the hidden job market A mentioned a brief note about episode #85 Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Feeling beaten down? Discover ten uplifting strategies to help you bounce back. Embrace awe in your achievements and seek genuine support from friends. Engage in kindness without expectation, and let nature work its magic on your mood. Reading can inspire a mindset shift, while spending time with children brings joy. Learn to communicate your needs effectively, find perspective from mentors, and prioritize mental health connections. Transform challenges into opportunities for growth and fulfillment!

Bestselling author Daniel Pink discusses the changing nature of sales, challenges misconceptions about extroversion in sales, and emphasizes the importance of authenticity. He also delves into effective leadership qualities, the evolution of car buying models, and the impact of self-awareness on influencing others.

7 Ways To Stop and Think Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, posted an article this past week titled The Importance of Scheduling Nothing. Here are seven ways that you can also stop and think: 1) Stop telling yourself the lie that next week/month/year will be better 2) Book time to think each day, especially if you are a scheduler Dedicate time each day to think If you really want to discover what’s important to you, check your calendar and your bank account Check out this advice from Ursula Barnes, the CEO of Xerox 3) Brainstorm with yourself before brainstorming with others Check out the interview with Leigh Thompson on the most recent HBR Ideacast highlighting the truth about creative teams 4) Turn things off Turn off the phone and email Here’s a recent New York Times article citing research on the importance of freeing our brains 5) Write stuff down Check out David Allen’s book Getting Things Done Michael Hyatt produced a podcast on the Lost Art of Note-Taking on episode #47 of his show, This Is Your Life I use the Moleskine notebook for Evernote for all my note-taking…but it’s more important you have and use a system, than what the system is 6) Put things into “later” buckets I do this most actively for physical mail, bills, and online articles I use Pocket to save things to read later I use Buffer to queue posts to my social networks 7) Start saying no to more Start with something small Are you getting at least as much as your are giving? (financial, enjoyment, love, contribution to the world) I’ve left some professional organizations where the above wasn’t the case Bonus) Eliminate choices that may seem sacred Get rid of TV? Do you need to always be tied into the internet? This week, I’m taking 15 minutes every day to stop and think…please join me. Connect online to discuss your results! Thank you to Carmel Purdey, Mad Oo, MIchael Oneski, and Emad Aladawee for either liking our page on Facebook, following me on Google+, or following me on Twitter. Want a booster-shot mid-week? I send a weekly article via email so you can stay connected with our community and keep getting ideas and tools that will keep you moving forward. If you’re not already receiving the weekly articles, please subscribe at this link.

Lynette Young: Google+ for Small Businesses Virtually everyone wants to build their professional network, but few people are truly effective at doing it in person – and many believe it’s ever more challenging online. On this episode, I welcome Lynette Young from Purple Stripe Productions and author of the book Google+ for Small Businesses. Over 1.5 million people follow Lynette online, so she brings a lot of credibility and experience to those of us who want to engage online more effectively. Please note that since this episode originally aired, Google has permanently sunsetted the Google+ social media network. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jamie Welsh: Red Willow Group When any of us are seeking better results, our first inclination is often to explore how we can change others. In reality, one of the best changes we can make is to first look at ourselves. In this episode, I welcome Jamie Welsh from Red Willow Group to explain how she coaches business leaders to look inward first when there are trying to create outward results. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.