1. Sponsor an employee goal. Most all leaders know of at least one goal that each employee is working on during the year. Now, get beyond the average leader and help employees take action to achieve their goal. While they bear the primary responsibility for their professional development, it's also your responsibility to help provide resources for them to get there. This might be in the form of funding, but it could also be providing them with an introduction to someone, making space in the workday for their development, allowing them to utilize company resources for their goal, and many other possibilities. Be creative. The best leaders don't let lack of funds stand in their way - they find a way to ensure that people get development through many opportunities. 2. Know family names. Before you brush this one off as too personal for you, consider this: how do you respond when people in your life take the time to know the names of your family and ask about them in regular conversation? You pay attention and you appreciate it. While nobody would suggest that leaders spend all day asking about people's families, you should be paying attention to who is important in the life of the person you lead. Those people influence their decisions and values - and when you take the time to ask and to care, people notice. 3. Learn the story of someone you lead. You probably know the stories that you have observed of the people you lead. Perhaps you even know a bit about them from other colleagues and leaders. However, do you really know what brought them to your organization and what keeps them going? Do you know their long-term career goals? Have they shared a significant turning point in their lives with you? If not, you have an opportunity to learn more about their story. When you know their story, you know them - and you create engagement. 4. Recognize someone publicly. People are used to hearing from leaders right away when something is wrong. Things rarely get pointed out when something is right - but it's just as important that we make time for this. Finding the time to recognize people in front of others builds trusts and shows that we notice the good things as well. Plus, people are a lot more likely to accept constructive feedback later if they know the leader sees the good. For a detailed overview of how to do this effectively and to keep it from sounding like insincere flattery, be sure to revisit the ATTRIBUTE-EXAMPLE-THANK model that I discussed in detail during episode #9. 5. Give constructive feedback. Employees may like you better in the short term when you go easy, but the best leaders know that long-term growth makes constructive feedback a must. Ironically, employees will actually like and respect you more in the long-run if you are someone who is ready to give tough feedback and help them learn and grow. Few leaders do this well and you set yourself apart from many if you can give feedback. Check out the EXPECTATION-EXAMPLE-EMPOWER model in episode #10 for a roadmap on how to give constructive feedback. 6. Talk about your own mistakes. Nobody is immune from mistakes and leaders that attempt to appear perfect to the people they lead earn little respect. We are all human and we want to be lead by humans too. When you see someone you lead making a mistake you once made, share your experiences as well. It helps humanize you as a leader and also gives the employee confidence that they can overcome the obstacle. 7. Reward innovation, even when it fails. The problem with many leaders and asking people to "think outside the box" is that they only really want thinking that leads to immediate success. True creativity is messy and brings failures along the way with the successes. If you don't acknowledge creativity even in the midst of failure, the next person in your organization will be even less likely to stick their neck out. When it comes to innovation,

Understanding the theory behind engagement is an important first step, but it's worthless if we don't also have perspective on how to practically apply engagement in our organizations. This week, I interview Jan Frazee from Southwest Search Dogs. Jan is someone that I've come to respect over the years both personally and professionally for her ability to engage volunteers in her organization -- and I respect her even more as a parent, since she's also Bonni's mom! Interview with Jan Frazee President and Chief Executive Officer Southwest Search Dogs info@southwestsearchdogs.org Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Every leader needs to engage others in order to maximize the potential of the other person and their commitment to the organization. This week, we're beginning a series on how to engage the people that you lead. This week's show begins with a quote from Teresa Amabile, author of The Progress Principle. In a recent commentary on Marketplace, she states, "The single most important thing that can keep workers deeply, happily engaged on the job is moving forward on work they care about -- even if the progress is an incremental "small win." Drive by Daniel Pink is an excellent read on how to engage others. In this book, says there are three things that Pink suggests we focus on the engage others: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Autonomy - Do I have the ability to have control over my life and career? Poor leaders say - "This is the way this has to be done." [My way is best.] Effective leaders say - "What's the best way for you to reach this objective?" [My way is best for me.] Mastery - Can I become better at something that's important? Aerospace workers constantly demonstrate their commitment to master something important. WordPress is probably the most popular website platform today and is built by people who get paid little or nothing. It's not about just the money. Purpose - Does what I am doing matter? I give an example of the custodian at our church - he has purpose in what he does and shows it daily. Do you as leader talk about why what you are doing each day matters? Why do you do it? What's the reason you or your organization do what you do? If you don't, you should! Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

This episode puts all the pieces together from our personal leadership series into your 2012 action plan. I discuss in detail how I've used the Creating Your Life Plan ebook from Michael Hyatt to bring value to my life. During his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs said: “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'no' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” See his full talk at this link. A piece of my vision that I had written down last year was: "The Coaching Skills for Leaders podcast and blog generates multiple comments weekly from listeners who have used the show to better their leadership and coaching skills." The action step behind that was: "Produce a consistent coaching podcast and blog that dramatically increases our audience’s skill level in self-leadership, coaching, and personal productivity." My Values (see episode #20 for a full overview on how to get clarity on your values) Meaning: Investing my time and talent into things and people that personally inspire me in the world. Sustainability: Putting my effort into things that will provide lasting, positive change in the world. Vision: Creating the future by building things twice. Empowerment: Give others the confidence to learn, grow, and contribute to the world in sustainable ways. Love: My passion and desire to treat people like fellow human beings. Priorities: Faith Health Bonni Baby Learning Career Extended Family Friends Service Finances An example of my vision for children: "I want my children to remember me as a guiding light in their lives who empowered them with love of God, family, learning, discipline, and friendship. I want them to look back at their time as children as a time filled with many life lessons, joy-filled days, and discipline that served them in their lives as adults. I want them to feel like they were empowered to be whoever God created them to be and that their mom and them always came first in my life. I want them to remember that my love helped them become beautiful and whole people, who would then go on to love their own families and spread God’s love in the world." Current Reality: We don’t have a baby. We will have a baby soon. Neither of us know what the heck we are doing. Specific Commitments: Spend at least one hour daily (outside of care time) that is focused on connecting with our son through cuddling, play, and other ways that he is ready to explore the world. Begin introducing books, reading, and storytelling to him as soon as is practical so that he begins to associate learning and growth with a happy and successful life in this world. Work with Bonni to determine a meaningful name for our little boy. Finish reading “Raising Cain” to establish good practices to support his growth emotionally. Attend as many doctor appointments as possible to continue my education as a father and build a long-term relationship with our pediatrician. Complete reading the American Academy of Pediatrics book section on the first year of life that was recommended by our pediatrician. Step in as the primary care giver at least one day a week so that Bonni has time to rest, even before she returns to work. Determine a guardian for our little boy, should Bonni and I both die when he is young. Another of an action item this year from my career section: Create at least 100 Coaching Skills for Leaders podcast champions by the end of 2012 (people who contact me to say that they’ve gained something from the show or otherwise demonstrate through actions that they are big fans of the show). Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Having a powerful vision can mean the difference between mediocrity and clear direction for the future. I welcome special guest Dr. Kirwan Rockefeller, author of Visualize Confidence, in order to help this community create our personal vision. To reach me with questions, comments, or feedback: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Kirwan and I discuss the importance of vision and how to create a personal vision. You can find many more resources and exercises in Kirwan's book Visualize Confidence. Coming up on future episodes: Your 2012 Action Plan - January 30th Engagement - the month of February! What do you want to hear? Leave feedback (see below). Listener Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I responded to feedback from a few members of our listening community: Yuria wrote from Japan to provide feedback on creating her perfect day and what she's gained from the show. Fazila wrote about the importance of being able to lead from many different places - I couldn't agree more! Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback See you in a week for the next episode!

Our personality preferences influence every relationship we have, including those where we lead and coach. I welcome special guest and Innovate Learning senior facilitator Susan Gerke to discuss our strengths and blind spots in this episode. To reach me with questions, comments, or feedback: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Susan and I discussed the spectrum of directing vs. informing language. Here are a few of the resources from Susan: Go Team Resources Upcoming Webinar facilitated by Susan Gerke and David Hutchens (information forthcoming at this link in early February) The I in Team by Susan Gerke Coming up later this month: Creating Your Personal Vision - January 23rd Your 2012 Action Plan - January 30th What do you want to hear? Leave feedback (see below). Listener Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I responded to a question from Fazila about the distinction between mentoring and coaching. Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback See you in a week for the next episode!

Your core values influence how you view the world and how you interact with others. It's key that we understand our own core values as part of our series on personal leadership. I read a quote on page 46 of The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner Here are the values that I spoke about: Meaning - Investing my time and talent into things and people that personally inspire me in the world. Sustainability - Putting my effort into things that will provide lasting, positive change in the world. Vision - Creating the future by building things twice (once with vision, once in reality). Empowerment - Give others the confidence to learn, grow, and contribute to the world in sustainable ways. Love - My passion and desire to treat people like fellow human beings. Some questions for you to consider as you determine your core values: What is your perfect day? What are you doing when you are in flow and lose track of time? What events are you most proud of in your life? When do you feel most alive? What makes you angry? What are you willing to fight for? I mentioned this document on the show that contains a list of values and may be helpful in determining your core values. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

It's the new year and an important time to consider ourselves first, so that we can better lead others. This week, I begin a series on personal leadership that will take us through the month of January. To reach me with questions, comments, or feedback: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Here are a few resources that I mentioned in this episode: The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner Five Practices - Model the Way is the first one Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Cashman HBR Managing Yourself The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey First three habits: private victory Habit #1: Be proactive Between stimulus and response, we have choices we can make Story of Viktor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie January 2012 schedule for this show Core Values - January 9th What are my strengths and blind spots - January 16th Creating Your Personal Vision - January 23rd Your 2012 Action Plan - January 30th What do you want to hear? Leave feedback (see below). Listener Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Episode #18 show notes First Break all the Rules Engagement series for this show coming in February! Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback See you in a week for the next episode!

As leaders, we need to support learning right after it happens. In this episode, I'll review fives ways you can do this as a leader. To reach me with questions, comments, or feedback: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback 1) Provide opportunities Find something for them to start to use what they've just learned. If you need to, help create opportunities! 2) Review the actions taken Do a debrief afterwards - particularly if something didn't work well. The sooner it happens, the more likely it is that you'll reinforce good habits and correct poor ones. Avoid reviewing things weeks or months after they happen. 3) Inquire about what they are thinking, feeling, or noticing I mentioned Peter Senge's Fifth Discipline Fieldbook You won't hear much at first but over time you'll hear people say lots of things 4) Correct the flight plan Here's a link to a great article on this concept from Tim Enochs 5) Use encouragement Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Dale Carnegie says "Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise" in How to Win Friends and Influence People. This is a must read for any leader. Also, review episode #9 from this show for a detailed overview on giving encouragement through recognition. Listener Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Stefan Schulz wrote from Germany to let me know about a brief video on the central concepts from Daniel Pink's recent book called Drive. Here's a link to the video and also a link to this important book. If you read no other book in 2012, this one is a must. Thank you Stefan for your feedback and I'm thrilled to have you as a listener! My wife Bonni (and president of Innovate Learning) sent me an article this week related to our topic from episode #16 on how to spend $700 on your professional development. MIT is launching a new, low-cost online certificate program. Here's a link to the article on Inc. and also a link to MIT's announcement about the program. Stay tuned for more! A Final Note - Where We Are Heading in 2012 The pilot of this show is over. A full production schedule is coming in 2012. We begin with personal leadership in January. Call and send feedback in advance and help shape the direction of this show in 2012. Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback See you in a week for the next episode!

Helping people utilize new skills they are learning is an essential skill for all leaders. In this episode, I'll examine four ways you can do this as a leader. To reach me with questions, comments, or feedback: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback REFRAME Move people away from just task accomplishment and more towards skill mastery. There's a difference between having knowledge and being an strong contributor to an organization. Challenge people for practical experience. Challenge them to put what they are learning into action. RECONNECT Engage people during regular development meetings (at least once a month - once a week is ideal). Discouragement and obstacles will happen - we need to provide coaching along the way. Give perspective by using encouragement and also reward progress (not just results). Challenge people to compare themselves with themselves. RENEW Make things new again. You can't know everyone on January 1st - be ready to add in more, make changes, and adapt Add new challenges and opportunities throughout  the year. Avoid people getting into extremes - either overwhelmed or underutilized. Especially watch out for underutilized. Overwhelmed is easy to stop - underutilized is often only recognized after a person decides they are leaving. RETURN Help them determine how they can return value to the organization. What can they do to teach others? What can they do to teach you? What are new responsibilities that connect back to their long-term goals? LISTENER FEEDBACK Kathy wrote a comment on our Facebook site reminding us that one way to utilize extra budget at the end of the year is to purchase a voucher with a professional organization that will allow you to apply the credit in 2012. If your organization doesn't offer this, be sure to ask. Thanks for the great suggestion, Kathy! Stay connected with this show on iTunes or on Facebook I'd love your feedback on this show as well as any questions or topics you'd like me to address in future shows: CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback See you in a week for the next episode!