The Leader Factor

In today's episode, we're continuing our leadership series on leading with character and competence with a discussion on the second cornerstone of character: humility. Humility is a performance accelerator; it allows you to develop, grow, and progress faster. It's the culminating stage of a leader's emotional and psychological development, and it's also one of the most difficult character traits to cultivate. This is a unique episode that will leave you with insights on humility that you haven't considered, which you can use to improve your leadership today.(04:27) What is humility? Tim and Junior describe the behaviors of humble leaders and define humility. "Humility is the unresented acknowledgement of two things: number one, you need other people's help, and number two, you don't know everything. It puts you in a different frame of mind, a different attitude, a different emotional state."(08:26) Humility is a performance accelerator. "The problem with hubris is that you become your own obstacle, you get in your own way, and with humility, you're able to move on, learn from the experiences that you're having, and go forward unencumbered, unrestrained."(17:31) Humility is an acknowledgment of the truth. "Humility is simply an acknowledgement of the truth of things, and the truth is we are all dependent, and we do need each other. So an attitude of humility is really appropriate in human interactions as we think about how we need each other and how we should help each other. If you live life and you're hoarding, trying to hoard recognition, praise, honor, and credit, it diminishes others."(25:19) To achieve humility, we must overcome insecurity without using junk theories of superiority. "One of the distinguishing characteristics of those who have humility is that they stare right into their imperfections and weaknesses. They acknowledge them, they know what they are, and paradoxically, that is actually what enables them to stand with so much confidence. Because they're not worried about being found out, there's not something that they're trying to hide, that they're self-conscious about and worried that people are going to discover."(35:36) Leaders can think about their inquiry vs. advocacy ratio to overcome personal hubris. "If we're just stuck in advocacy mode, then we're not getting the feedback, and the reality that we're looking at may be distorted."(41:00) Humble leaders are kind and demanding at the same time. "These are humble, very effective leaders that have evolved as leaders to a world-class level. They delegate more with the understanding that people grow only when they leave their comfort zones and travel to their outer limits. They realize that stretching, because they put a lot of stretch in the goals they give people, is both painful but also exhilarating. And that's the only place where people can build new capacity."(51:13) To gain humility, you must develop a high tolerance for candor. "Ask yourself, on a scale from 1 to 10, what is your tolerance for candor?"(54:45) Tim and Junior share additional characteristics of humble leaders. "They don't need to hear themselves talk, so they don't clamor for airtime. They stop telling the world how smart they are. They don't subscribe to the leader as an expert model in which the leader is the repository of all knowledge. They value the appreciation and recognition of their peers when it's meaningful, but it's not a requirement. They have learned that leadership often requires that we go for long periods and long distances without reward or recognition, that we toil in obscurity, and that due credit might come, but it might not. Final-stage leaders learn to fuel their efforts through intrinsic rewards. They learn that achievement carries its own compensation."Important LinksLeading with Character and Competence

In today's episode, we're continuing our Leading with Character & Competence series with a discussion about integrity. Integrity is the first cornerstone of character and is about being honest, trustworthy, and reliable. It's about doing the right thing even when it's difficult. Integrity is key to building trust and credibility, which are essential for effective leadership. (0:01:27) Integrity is the first cornerstone of character. Tim and Junior use some famous quotes and concepts to define integrity. It's basic honesty. It's consistency and uprightness. It's squaring up to who you are and what you believe. It's adhering to strong moral values even or especially in the face of challenges.(0:08:43) Are you for sale? Tim tells a story that he mentions in his book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, and explains that without integrity, business ethics go out the window.(0:17:44) Ethical dilemmas and moral muscle memory. How do you build a moral muscle memory even if bribery or temptation come into play? Tim and Junior share childhood and personal examples of integrity (or the lack thereof) in their own lives. (0:28:05) The pressure of the disproportionate misfortune. How does Jean Valjean from Les Miserables play into the concept of integrity? Junior shares his philosophy on why some situations make it more difficult to make ethical decisions than others.(0:34:27) What could integrity cost you? Often this conversation about integrity happens at a pretty surface level, and you think about it just out of principle. But what happens when you really weigh the cost of it all?(0:44:05) Recommendation: Take responsibility. You're responsible for your values, your attitudes, your beliefs, your desires, your actions, your influence, and the consequences of all of those things. You can't detach those. You have to take responsibility for all of those things. But how do you do it?(0:51:19) The steel plant and the walkabout. Tim shares a story from his days as plant manager at Geneva Steel where he learned that people are governed from the inside out, through their own restraints, through their own accountability.Important LinksLeading with Character and Competence 

At LeaderFactor, we view leadership as an applied discipline. It’s a learnable skill. It’s something that you can improve with good information and a lot of effort. Leadership is a factor in every decision and every outcome. Character and competence are two big pieces of leadership that will frame everything that follows.(0:07:04) Character is your core. Your core refers to the way that you govern yourself from the inside out. You’re making decisions and you’re choosing to influence people toward worthy goals and worthy ends. If we treat leadership as an applied discipline, character separates good leaders from great ones.(0:15:06) Leaders are paid for their judgment, productivity, and collaboration. Judgment is a combination of integrity and knowledge. Productivity is a combination of discipline and skill. Collaboration is a combination of humility and communication.(0:25:36) Dissonance between the institution and the individual. Often, it’s a collision between personal incentive and an organizational incentive or a personal interest and an organizational interest.(​​0:30:48) Competence is your crust. This is on top of the core of character. It’s your technical skill, expertise, talents, and aptitudes. If we want to improve our influence there are two levers: who we are and what we do.(0:39:08) Dangerous leaders with low character and high competence. How can you avoid dangerous hires that are fueled by charisma? Tim and Junior explain how to protect yourself against these kinds of hires with low character.(0:41:43) The three traits of great leaders. Tim and Junior explain how self-awareness, continuous learning, and authenticity help leaders maximize their influence in their organizations.

This episode is part two of our two-part mini-series on Psychological Safety in Personal Relationships. Tim and Junior will pick it up right where they left off and start by discussing contributor safety as it relates to our personal lives. They will continue with practical examples, and you’ll even get introduced to the LIVE model, an acronym to help you recognize and reward vulnerability around you. If you missed last week’s episode, you may consider starting there, because this conversation begins right where that one ends.(0:01:00) Contributor safety–How do we improve? Junior starts the episode with a question: Do you grant others maximum autonomy to contribute in their own way as they demonstrate their ability to deliver results? The level of autonomy that people have should be appropriate to their role and to their performance.(0:16:27) Challenger safety–How do we improve? Challenger safety is the culminating stage of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety. Junior asks the question: Do you consistently invite others to challenge the status quo in order to make things better?(0:27:20) Your two choices: Change your behavior or change your belief about the behavior. Which is easier? Definitely the latter. But which has a profound impact on the cultures you participate in? Absolutely the former.(0:33:02) The L.I.V.E. Model. Do you look for, identify, validate, and encourage acts of vulnerability in your everyday life? Tim and Junior explain that this is the mechanism for creating healthy, deep, and resilient relationships.(0:39:19) Trust and psychological safety. You can’t trust someone who’s unpredictable, and you can’t trust someone’s reaction if it’s not predictable. The same is true for rewarding vulnerability. If you’re not 1000 percent sure that you’ll be met with warmth, you won’t engage in vulnerable ways.Important LinksThe L.I.V.E Model

We all have relationships we wish to improve. The concepts behind The 4 Stages of  Psychological Safety™ can help us improve our relationships both at work and beyond the office into our everyday lives. This week Tim and Junior will get personal and discuss how recognizing and rewarding the vulnerable acts of others can make a positive impact on everyone around us. This is part one in a two-part mini series on this topic.0:03:43 What is psychological safety? Psychological safety as we see it, is a culture of rewarded vulnerability, and culture is the way we interact. Junior asks the questions, can you separate culture and psychological safety? Where does culture live? What are the stakes?0:12:11 Psychological safety includes emotional security and trust, but Tim and Junior explain why you can’t conflate trust and psychological safety.0:20:57 What gets in our way? In many settings, family settings, with all kinds of relationships, and certainly in the workplace, you will be put under pressure and face trauma, stress, and strain. Even the best people in the world will be tested in terms of psychological safety in their personal relationships because they're going to find themselves under stress. 0:29:01 Inclusion Safety–How do we improve? Tim and Junior apply the first of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety framework to everyday life. 0:46:00 Learner Safety–How do we improve? Tim and Junior apply the second of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety framework to everyday life.

In today's episode, Tim and Junior dive into the world of cross-cultural communication and explore the importance of understanding cultural differences. From nonverbal communication to attitudes towards conflict and time orientation, they examine how cultural dimensions impact our behavior and interactions with others. Join them for an episode full of practical tips for developing intercultural competence and improving your effectiveness in a globalized world.(0:01:27) Introduction. Over 70% of failed international ventures are due to cultural differences. Cultural misunderstandings, we'll talk about those today, can cost companies millions of dollars, and they can damage relationships with partners and customers around the world.(0:14:25) Defining cultural differences. The way that we view cultural differences is often geographic, our awareness of that needs to be not just at the level of geography, but at the level of person-to-person. (0:20:09) Some cultural variables to consider. The effectiveness of our approach to culture will be dictated in some measure by the awareness of these differences that we've talked about and how those differences impact our behavior and strategy. Are your people used to communicating directly or indirectly? Do they value individualism or collectivism? How do they view hierarchy? What is their time orientation? How do they use nonverbal communication? What’s their attitude towards conflict?(0:37:55) Localization and globalization examples. Why won’t you find the same McDonald's menu in every country? (0:42:52) Geert Hofstede and power distance. Tim and Junior share a cultural dimensions theory based on a series of surveys that were done in the '70s and '80s at IBM.(0:47:32) Power distance and psychological safety. Cultures with low power distance that emphasize equality, individual rights, and autonomy create an environment more conducive to developing Stage 4: Challenger Safety.(0:51:20) Overcoming bias on global teams. Tim and Junior discuss how to create Stage 1: Inclusion Safety and frame humanity above human characteristics.(1:04:13) Developing interpersonal or intercultural competence. This is how you improve your teams on a practical level.

In this episode of Culture by Design, Tim and Junior discuss the importance of psychological safety in healthcare. They highlight the significant issue of medical errors in the industry and propose creating a culture of rewarded vulnerability to overcome the fear of speaking up. They also discuss the barriers to psychological safety in healthcare and the ultimate impact of psychological safety, which is to improve patient outcomes and reduce preventable medical errors, ultimately saving lives. The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety offer strategies for measuring and improving the fear of speaking up at all levels of the organization. By prioritizing psychological safety, healthcare leaders can create a better work environment and improve the quality of care for patients.Important Links and ReferencesWorld Health Organization. (2017). Global Priorities for Patient Safety Research. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/258881/WHO-IER-PSP-2017.11-eng.pdf?sequence=1Institute of Medicine. (1999). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/catalog/9728/to-err-is-human-building-a-safer-health-systemAchieving Physical Safety Through Psychological Safetyhttps://www.leaderfactor.com/podcast/achieving-physical-safety-through-psychological-safetyMagill SS, Edwards JR, Bamberg W, et al. Multistate point-prevalence survey of health care-associated infections. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(13):1198-1208. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1306801Allegranzi, B., Bagheri Nejad, S., Combescure, C., Graafmans, W., Attar, H., Donaldson, L., & Pittet, D. (2011). Burden of endemic health-care-associated infection in developing countries: systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 377(9761), 228-241. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61458-4Zimlichman E, Henderson D, Tamir O, et al. Health care-associated infections: a meta-analysis of costs and financial impact on the US health care system. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(22):2039-2046. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.9763

Layoffs are not just big business decisions. They are profoundly personal for both the individuals who are affected directly and those who remain after them. The goal of this episode is to explore how organizations can navigate through these difficult decisions and prioritize people and culture. If you haven't been affected by a layoff yet, chances are you'll eventually find yourself affected by one. You may avoid one, or maybe even run one. In any of those cases, today's discussion will help you.Episode Links and Resources-Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company-Workers Feel Survivor’s Guilt as Pandemic Continues and Layoffs Deepen-6 Strategies to Curb the Impact of Survivor's Guilt in the Workplace-Roaring Out of Recession-Changes in the Work Environment for Creativity during Downsizing-No Security: A Meta-analysis and Review of Job Insecurity and its Consequences-The Paradox Of Layoffs: Engagement Drops When You Need It Most-Tech layoffs in 2023 are already one-third of last year’s number and it’s only January

In this episode, Tim and Junior will discuss the catastrophic consequences of a "nice" culture. The intention behind cultivating a nice culture is often genuine. Leaders believe they are doing a good thing that will motivate people and create inclusion. However, it often has the opposite effect, resulting in a lack of honest communication, intellectual bravery, innovation, and accountability.(11:01) We want to be polite, courteous, and kind, but still be willing to confront hard truths. "Nice gets dangerous very quickly, Junior, because people will say, 'Well, I don't want to hurt your feelings.' Okay, that could sometimes be the motivation, but more often it's that I'm actually trying to protect myself. So now in the room, we have shifted from playing offense to playing defense."(26:20) Niceness over time creates inertia in the organization. "The organization loses its ability to act preemptively because we're preoccupied with being nice. So, we can't address issues in a timely manner. We don't have, as I said, the tolerance for candor. And so, we wait, procrastinate, and fail to act. Meanwhile, a problem or a threat or a danger grows and compounds. Pretty soon, we have a crisis."(40:04) How do we combat the consequences of a "nice" culture? To combat a "nice" culture, you have to be willing to do these four things: 1) clarify expectations and performance standards, 2) publicly challenge the status quo, even if you helped create it, 3) provide air cover for people who speak up, and 4) confront performance problems immediately.Important LinksThe Hazards of a “Nice” Company Culture - HBR ArticleWhy Some Leaders are Afraid of Psychological Safety - PodcastDiagnose the Levels of Inclusion and Innovation in Your Organization

In today's episode, Tim and Junior will also talk about why psychological safety is impossible without emotional intelligence and the connection between these two important concepts. Emotional intelligence or EQ, as we define it, is your ability to interact effectively with other humans. It's your delivery system. This is a practical episode full of tips on improving your emotional intelligence and interactions in general. (03:40). Is EQ something that can be improved? There's a difference between a fixed trait and a learnable skill. Based on longitudinal studies, behavioral and social scientists have concluded that EQ is absolutely learnable. How would your life be different if you significantly improved your EQ? This episode is an opportunity for introspection and self-reflection, and this is the first self-reflection question that Tim and Junior ask during the episode. (06:27) Junior shares some stats surrounding EQ and its effects in the workplace. 71% of employers value EQ over IQ, and HBR found that EQ is a better predictor of workplace success than IQ in most jobs. The Center for Creative leadership found that 75% of careers are derailed from reasons related to emotional competencies like handling interpersonal problems, and unsatisfactory team leadership during times of conflict, and World Economic Forum named EQ a top 10 skill for 2020. (13:45) What is EQ? EQ is your delivery system and conduit of influence. This concept is applicable regardless of your role or profession, whether you're a chef, network engineer, journalist, or fishing guide. (16:12) Emotional intelligence is our ability to interact with other humans. Interpersonal effectiveness comes from 3 things: awareness (what you perceive about yourself and others), beliefs (what you believe about yourself and other people), and behaviors (the way you act, what you say and do).(21:16) EQ as an individual metric leads to psychological safety as a group metric. When we're talking about EQ, we’re talking about you as a person, your self-regard, social regard, self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and social management. So when we measure emotional intelligence, we don't do it in groups, we do it at the individual level. But psychological safety? That gets measured at the group level since it's essentially the collective EQ of the group. (30:29) Teams don't outperform their leaders, they reflect them. We learn leadership and we learn culture by observing the modeling behavior of the leader. How would a team outperform the leadership that is modeled by the leader? They're not going to outperform that leader, they’ll reflect them. That's just Newtonian physics applied to organizational behavior.(36:58) What’s the anatomy of culture? From habits to norms, and from norms to cultures, culture is made up of discrete, everyday interactions.