The Leader Learner Podcast

Send us a textCheck-In: Do think the best time of your life is in the past, present, or futureBig Ideas:flexibility in work schedules - what do we need to do sothe equipment that supports remote workingshifting mindsets around traditional ways of workingshifting schedules to accommodate global clientssense of freedom in being able to shift your scheduleflexing people's pay to allow for flexible schedulesBe present, be equipped, be allowedCompressed work week - had to create the modelKeeping people engaged after 30+ years in the corporate worldEmpowering people to have balance and to grow in new waysEmployees feel energized and motivated when they have a larger fulfilledNeed for new working models to offer employees Younger generation doesn't want the traditional 9-5, 5 days a weekCovid has shifted us into new ways of thinking about how we work and where we workCan flexibility work for manufacturing, and other hands-on type of work?Hesitation to allow flexible schedulesCreation can happen NOT sitting in front of the computerCompanies are losing good people if they don't offer flexibilityUsing co-working spaces for networking and shifting perspectives and interacting across-organizationsHow do I lead remotely?  How can we support leaders to build trusting teams remotely? How to facilitate meetings remotely so that people can feel that connection?The small moments of trust building,, in person, can't be as easily transferred to online spaces.Making connection the primary intention of all gatheringsIntention, Execution, Results - Observe what is happening in your meetingsFocus on how people want to feel at the end of a session - the doing happens as a result of the feeling (fulfilled, energized, inspired, motivated, engaged, supported, etc...)Making sure that everyone has a voice in whatever way that voice wants to be heardNot micro-managing people's time and checking their online status when working remotelyWhen people speak in the first 5 minutes of the call, they end up speaking more throughout the meetingThe relationship between trust and empowermentWhat's preventing leaders from trusting their employees?We want engaged employees, but we don't create engagement in the meetingsMeeting etiquette and expectations -- different practices across organizations, regions, countriesLess moments to sync outside of meetings when we are remote - more presence needed in online meetingsWhat kind of leader does your company need you to be?In our fast-paced world, are we giving space for people to BEMessaging around productivity and efficiency and how it impacts people Separating your ego from your leadershipSelf-reflection as the key to good leadershipResources Mentioned:The Extended Mind, by Annie Murphy PaulMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In: If you could live anywhere, where would you live and why?Big Ideas: when books make leadership seem easy, when it's not5 elements that every team needs to function well together, written as a pyramidusing books as a guide can lead us down the wrong pathThe 5 Dysfunctions are: Absence of Trust, Fear of Conflict, Lack of Commitment, Avoidance of Accountability, and Inattention to ResultsLencioni is anti-consensusCan people have results without trust? (example - the Chicago Bulls of the 1990's)Trusting someone's character and capabilitiesPeer review of modelsBooks can be seeds of discussion, but not guides for team performanceComponents of trust, and signs when trust is absentTrust not being valued by a manager - it being seen as too "fluffy"Does the importance of trust depend on the type of team you are within the organization? If everyone's competing for the CEO's job, how can you trust those you work with?Power in organizations - the individual versus the groupHow can one be political without being egotistical?Politics is making your power concrete. It's not bad or good in nature. It's a tool.What am I applying my politics for?Playing the game without playing the game. Being aware of the game and playing it for the good of the company.We teach people NOT to play politics at work, and then they get into organizations where people are all playing different gamesWhen people suffer when they don't know the rules of the game they are playingPlay the game to be a successful contribution to the organizationBelief that good people don't politics - it's not the tool, it's what you do with them that mattersCan you win the fight being a good, upstanding person?Power is largely due to the collective sum of all the relationships you have within an organization. Fear driven relationships aren't relationships - they are transactional Choosing NOT to play the game, can be seen as more ethicalResources:The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick LencioniAmy Edmondson and Psychological SafetyEdgar Shein and Psychological SafetyMaslow's Hierarchy of NeedsMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In:How did you spend your summer breaks as a child?Big Ideas:How do you know when connection exists in a group?The importance of having care/connection when giving feedbackConnection is not the same as relationshipFeel a connection to someone without a relationshipA relationship can exist without fully knowing someoneTrusting character versus trusting someone's competenciesTrust: Competence, Kindness, ReliabilityBRAVING Model of Trust (Brené Brown): Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-Judgment, GenerosityIntent doesn't always match impact - can care about someone and still hurt themCreating more intention when giving feedbackBeing unkind versus the perception of being unkindDoes kindness have a place in business?We choose complacency and kindness can cross over -  we don't give feedback when it's needed because we know it will hurtWhen is too much too muchConnecting just enough to do my job wellHow much is too much connecting as a leader?Do people want their leaders to know about them? Connecting with people to be strategic/manipulative rather than humanDo we need to know the in and outs of our teams to be a good leader?Shifting connecting depending on the individual needs of your teamDo we need to manage the perceptions of others on our team?You don't have to ask, but you have to listenPeople on our teams have different attachment stylesIs it too much to have to adapt/chameleon to our teams needs?Ask people what they expect from you and set boundaries Accompanying our team membersAccompanying and giving the infrastructure to othersHaving clear expectations and the same map means we don't need to be as connectedConnection is needed to set expectations and create the map togetherIs connection turning into the solution to all of our leadership problems?None of us has a map of where our business goes, so connection support usCommon understandings of what you need to be doing and then you can improvisePull back from connection as being "the answer" to your leadership issuesKnowing information can share that you careThe little things are important to othersWhy are you connecting?What's the "right" amount of connection with our teams?Resources:The Speed of Trust, Stephen CoveyBRAVING Inventory, Brené BrownHow to Know A Person, by David BrooksMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In:In your opinion, when is innovation overused?Big Ideas:Binary questions - Are they useful or not? Are creating and innovating the same?Moving from being salaried to hourly and the implications/impact it hadFeeling of liberation being hourly rather than salariedSense of equity - treating all of us the sameMental load and how it's often not counted in salariesSense of autonomy in deciding to work or notWorking to deserve the salarySpace for thinking/reflecting separate from doingWhat's your relationship to decision-making? Working less as one of the goalsStepping back to reflect on the decision and knowing the criteria of successFailpoint brainstormingSunk Cost BiasIs salary associated with time spent in a corporate setting? Are we creating space for psychological detachment from work?Companies taking time of employment engagementIs a salary enough of a reward for engagement? Can we pay someone based on meeting metrics?Quality versus quantity of workCan companies do what entrepreneurs do in terms of paying employees?Parkinson's Law -- the task will expand to fit the time givenPlaying with time to get you motivated Honoring where people are in their lives, and adjusting their expected time at work to their stage in lifeKronos time (the passing of time)  versus Kairos time (the quality of time)Universal income - untying productivity with your value in societyCould we live in a world where people do what they love with loveDepression and it's connection to purpose and meaningThe attention economy and how it draws people inMoral decision about what we produce and whether it's worthyInequity in salariesTime I spent at work doesn't matter  - what, how, and why matters more Quality of time versus quantity of timeResources:Taking Smart Risks - Doug SundheimMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In Question:Would you tell people if you won the lottery, would you tell people or keep it a secret? Big Ideas:Exercise:Draw a meeting on a paper.Color code.  RED- people talking too much. GREEN - people talking too little. ORANGE - people speaking in a toxic wayWhat do you notice? Share of voiceWhen is interrupting others okay? Cultural differences between share of voice, and adapting to how others communicateHow can we encourage green people to talk more, besides simply "Speak up"?Wait time.Eye contactModerate conversation moreDoes everyone's voice need to be heard?Are we using breakout rooms to create engagement1-2-4-ALL Giving people the opportunities to write first, then share with a pair, then the whole groupTurn to your neighborBrainstorming are often more geared for extroverted people. Extend the brainstormWhen we don't hear from others, we don't hear oppositionPower has nothing to do with performance at times.Certain situations when collective intelligence is not appropriateHearing from the experts, credible, valuable contributors? Wisdom of the LOUD, doesn't necessarily incorporate the most credible peopleContext mattersCollective intelligence - more people sharing, focus on social sensitivityMore social sensitivity when there are women in the roomSwap out the moderators of a meeting, to shift the share of voiceConnection between empowering people and burnout - some people aren't ready to be empoweredEntrepreneurship training versus leadership trainingFront load the sharing to equate share of voiceBring awareness to peopleONE BREATH SHARE - keeps sharing limitedWhat's the purpose of the meeting?Who's really making the decision?Resources:Leadership is Language by L. David Marquet1-2-4-ALL, Liberating StructuresNominal Group TechniqueHumanocracy by Gary Hamel and Michele ZaniniMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In: What cause would you be willing to give up your life for?Big Ideas:gratitude can help us out of dark placesattitude of gratitude is not the same as a practice of gratitudegratitude practice as a daily ritualgratitude as a feeling, not necessarily saying "Thank you."feeling proud rather than just luckyWho are you grateful for who supported something you are proud of?Characteristics that supported the achievement - who helped to develop those characteristics in you? Strangers who helped you - being grateful for the unseen peopleThe emotion of gratitude - not just talking about it, but feeling into it with eyes closedRecognition is not the same as gratitudeWaiting for recognition leads us unto a dangerous pathGratitude comes from within, recognition is externalGratitude is the feeling, recognition is the actionWhat's the prerequisite to gratitude?Doing gratitude isn't the same as feeling gratitudeCreating the pause and intention to feel gratitudeHabit stacking - way of creating new habits on top of old habitsSpeaking gratitude out loud can be powerfulResources:Atomic Habits by James ClearMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In:If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change?Big Ideas:Should organizations provide resources for employee mental health?Mental health is still a taboo topic for many, especially in organizationsNot educated about topics of mental healthShame associated with an EAP programCulture of "suck it up," "be strong," and "pull up your bootstraps."Perception of being weak - the stigma of mental health issuesIs there a right way to support people around mental health?Community-based program to support employee mental health - feeling not alone by sharing with othersTrust advisors in Switzerland - listen and provide options, not therapy or coachingComplexity of situationsNeurodivergent employees and mental health - are they in the same box?Leaving your personal life at the door doesn't workCompartmentalizing our lives doesn't workWe are meant to be in community with others - we are not autonomous beingsIs community more important than the product?Sitting with our emotions, rather than trying to push past themPersonal responsibility - where am I participating?Yoga, nap rooms, etc support the symptoms, but not the causeProvide the relationship space for peopleContinuity of support - more than just a couple of days offPeople who can step off the work highway, and others who cannotPressure on employees can't be fixed with nap podsThe CEO who was fired for providing more for his employees, but not focusing enough on profitNot about finding faultMental health is not linearYES/AND - both individual and organizational responsibilityMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In:Which superpower would you like to have? Big Ideas:Definitions of authentic leadershipAuthentic leaders deeply understand their values, strength and purpose and use that to motivate and inspire othersThe ability of people to tell their own stories and help people connect to that story4 Dimensions of Authentic Leadership: Self-Awareness, Relational Transparency, Balanced Process, and Internal Moral PerspectiveVulnerability is a strength not a weaknessHow our unconscious mind interferes with authenticityDon't bring our true self to work due to cultural expectations, fears, peer pressure, etc.Authentic Leadership is self-referentialAuthentic leaders are proactive in looking at their biases and how they process peopleLeaders already think they are being authenticSelf-awareness isn't a destination, it's a journeyThe 5 Rs - Review, Remember, Recognize, Reflect, RenewYou can never say that you completely know yourselfDon't crucify others or ourselves for our biases - we all have biasesOwn up to others your biases - ask others to give you feedback about your biasesAuthentic leaders lead as uniquely themEverything comes down to the strength of our core People claiming to be self-aware, but acting as if they are notHow can one facilitate authentic conversations?Create spaces that are empowering enough to be vulnerableWhen you look into the mirror and ask questions, who responds? Connection between courage and authenticityKindness and complacency Should we always be authentic? Authentic leaders know what they do not know and are willing to admit itEmpathetic feedbackLooking for the elements of truth in hard feedbackHow do we encourage people to take the time to reflect? Not look at what's right or wrong, but look at what happened and making meaning from itEvery day has moments of authentic leadershipEvery day provides moments for self-reflectionAmara's Bio: Amara is a certified executive and leadership development coach with great passion for leading authentically. I work with executives and leaders to embrace authenticity, strengthen positive behaviors, develop new leadership capabilities, grow influence, and deepen impact. My clients achieve positive lasting changes in leadership behaviors. www.authentictransformations.netwww.Amaraemuwa.netPlease check out her new book, The Truth Behind Excuseshttps://authentictransformations.net/behind-excusesMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textCheck-In:Do you like to be used or second hand items?Big Ideas:Is leadership working? Does leadership training work?Training cannot be done outside of the contextConsuming, Connecting, CreatingStopping our ways of being are habitual is more challenging than we thoughtWe are emotional beingsEmbodiment of the ideas takes longer than a trainingBeing intentional about practicing the ideas we learn in the training - take the pause and creating a support systemSense of personal responsibility of the individuals in trainingThe treadmill and lack of control prevents people from implementingTop management not participating in training themselves - "I am a CXO, so I don't need training." This creates misalignment.Transparency around how we are learningAlienation of true selves when we go to workMeasuring leadershipAttribution errors - when we attribute success to one person, rather than multiple factorsA record doesn't matter when you hire someoneBeing a good leader of yourself, to support other leadersWhat can I do today? Taking personal responsibilityImitation versus borrowingReading books that make you think rather than telling you what to doSometimes the expert is wrong - we can't always take someone's formula and apply it to ourselvesProcess consultation - practicing on the spot Having multiple ongoing touchpoints throughout, or after a training is overVoluntary training or mandatory training? Does participation shift?Resources:Less is More by Jason HickelHBR - Why Training Fails and What to do About It (2016)The Financial Times - Success is more complicated than one exceptional individual (2023)More yummy content on leaderlearner.fm

Send us a textSPECIAL NOTE: This podcast was originally recorded as part of the "Talent Unleashed" podcast, which never launched because Theresa was too optimistic about her time capabilities. We decided to honor the guests and publish it under this brand instead. Enjoy :) BIG IDEAS:The F*ck Up List - an explicit place for sharing our mistakes and making it transparent and acceptablethe person who is responsible for the f-ck up is the one who adds it to the listchallenge of internalizing the culture of being okay to failsharing failures as a way to help others in the future, so they don't make the same oneNon-judgmental view of failureintention to learn from the mistakes, have a good laugh about our mistakes, create more awareness and transparency aroundentries of the F-up list also include the resolutions, not about pointing fingers or blaming otherstechnological and social structures to prevent mistakes in the futureThe Prime Directive - "Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand."high level of trust - see best intentions of everyonegreat sense of ownership and freedom - space to make mistake and not be blamedcomfort in challenging because not afraid of mistakes - leads to innovationcriticize the work, not the personlow egos help reduce social conflictrequesting feedback on a regular basis - making it an active processfeedback on open forums - in shared spacemodeling of open feedback from the foundersreducing fears and doubts though mentoringhiring too quickly can erode culturetruly wanting people to grow not all frameworks will fit your needs perfectlyRESOURCES MENTIONED:The Prime Directive HolacracyBIOGRAPHIES:To learn more about Robin and Echometer, head to these links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-roschlau/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanmicheldiaz/https://echometerapp.com/en/To learn more about Camilla, head here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillamaia/https://www.behance.net/camilla-maiahttps://medium.com/@c.cav.maiaMore yummy content on leaderlearner.fm