Have you ever thought about how how you’re communicating progress in your organization? In this latest edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series for my leadership podcast, I share findings from a fascinating study that show this can have a powerful impact on sustaining motivation over the long term.With the start of a new year, there’s naturally a lot of focus on setting goals, developing plans, and executing strategies that will help your organization to succeed over the next 12 months.Now most of us are familiar with that reality of how when we take on learning something new, or making a change to our lifestyle like eating better or exercising more, at the start we tend to do very well at keeping up with this new effort.Unfortunately, there comes a moment where that early motivation we had to commit to this change or to learning this new skill starts to wane and we find ourselves reverting back to the old and familiar.Of course, this behavioural pendulum is not limited to changes we make in our personal lives as the same thing happens when the senior leadership proposes changes that we might at first be excited about and want to dedicate our best efforts to, but then over time, our interest deflates and progress slowly comes to a standstill. And if you encounter this pattern enough times in your workplace, it’s not surprising to find a lot of resistance to any change initiative surface as people have learned not to buy into it as it’ll inevitably end up in that pile of good intentions that amounted to little change.So how do we stop or even avoid this cycle? Well, there’s a fascinating study that looks at what the relationship between progress and motivation and to find out what it says and what we can learn from it in terms of how we lead, just hit the play button below and listen to this latest episode of my podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”, and I’ll share all the details.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4a2Q5aRUsCSftJkDNCDPMU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the perks of hosting my leadership podcast is I get to speak with some fascinating and thought-provoking people whose insights help us to learn and grow. So for my last episode for 2020, I wanted to share some of my favourite moments from this past year where my guests shared insights that are both timely to what we’re dealing with right now, and timeless for how it will help us in 2021 and beyond.Now to be clear, this isn’t some kind of Top 10 list of mine, given that I’ll be publishing in mid-January 2021 a list of the most popular episodes from 2020 based on listening/download metrics.Instead, these are moments from conversations I’ve had with some of my guests that in some cases were prescient in addressing the challenges we’re now dealing with, even though at the time of our recording we weren't in the midst of a global pandemic.In other cases, my guests offered insights that can help us to not only get through what we’re facing today and for the next few months in 2021, but even beyond the pandemic when we finally beat this virus once and for all.What I especially like is how despite their focus being on different aspects of leadership, organizational culture, and business strategy, there is a common thread running through each of them that helps to paint a bigger picture of what leaders need to do to not simply get through the challenges of this pandemic, but what they’ll need to prepare for after this pandemic is over if they are to bring out the best in those they lead.It’s my first time putting such an episode together and I do hope to make it an annual tradition for my leadership podcast. So I hope you’ll enjoy this retrospective look at some of my favourite guest moments in 2020, and I look forward to sharing with you the fantastic line up of guests we have in place for 2021.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kv69PD431Lif9L7oPU0WMNoteworthy links:How Will You Remember 2020?3 Lessons On How Promoting Sense Of Belonging Can Drive Change Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few words inspire optimism and hope for the future like "opportunity". But as I reveal in this latest installment of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, the truth is our relationship with opportunity is much more complicated and worthy of more reflection and review.Granted, in light of the pandemic, pondering our relationship with opportunity might seem like something that should be examined at a later date, when the situation is calmer or at least more certain. But that’s why in this episode I share quotes from such innovative thinkers and doers as Thomas Edison and Sir Richard Branson to remind us that conditions are always ripe for finding opportunities and that the real challenge is how we understand and evaluate them.Now I don’t want to write anything more as I don’t want to give too much away. But given how my Leadership Espresso Shot series on my leadership podcast is designed to offer these condensed, but thought-provoking insights into how to improve your leadership craft, I can tell you it’s worth taking 10 minutes out of your day and give this episode a listen.https://open.spotify.com/episode/73Rqb4R8ekhoggVAAUZcWW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For most of us, the best leader we ever worked for not only led our team to succeed, but also helped us fulfill our career aspirations. So what is that ‘secret sauce’ that allowed these leaders to not only achieve their organization’s goals, but attract and grow employees under their care? That’s a question I’ll be putting to my guest, Professor Sydney Finkelstein, in this episode of the Leadership Biz Cafe podcast.Sydney is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management and is on the global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Sydney has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers “Why Smart Executives Fail” and his latest, “Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent”, which Sydney and I discuss in this episode.Over the course of our conversation, Sydney shares:What traits leaders who are able to attract and build talent within employees share in common.Why superbosses love hiring people more talented and smarter than them, and what prevents other leaders from doing the same.The two things superbosses do to empower their employees to be “super engaged” in the work they do.How superbosses approach delegation differently from other leaders, where they’re a combination of both effective delegator and micromanager, and how this balance actually leads people to deliver their best efforts.If you enjoy the episode, I’d appreciate it if you could share it with your social media networks. The easiest way to do this is to share a link to our podcast page, where people can find links to subscribe to our show on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apply Podcasts, Deezer, Pandora, Google Podcasts, and Listen Notes, listen via our media player to every episode of our show, and find links to the show notes for all our episodes.https://open.spotify.com/episode/1IyTCezE5XgJDWgaNjgjGlNoteworthy Links:Buy “Superbosses” on Amazon*.Learn more about Sydney’s work on his website.The Sydcast - Sydney’s podcast where he interviews people from all walks of life.*Affiliate link used to support this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the key responsibilities of leadership is to provide a workplace environment that encourages people to do their best work. In this edition of the Leadership Espresso Shot series for my leadership podcast, I share 4 steps that can help leaders cure a toxic workplace.In my previous piece, I asked the question as to whether your leadership inspires collaboration or conflict amongst your employees and shared strategies for how leaders can not only avoid organizational silos, but the more damaging mindset of seeing people as us vs. them.This piece certainly proved to be popular, with many people reaching out to share with me various measures their organization has had to put into place to ‘keep the peace’. But I also had a few leaders reach out to say how they’re struggling with how to overcome a toxic workplace environment that is not only impacting employee productivity and morale, but understandably leading to higher than normal turnover rates.So to follow up on that piece I mentioned above, I decided to use this Leadership Espresso Shot series in my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast to share a science-based strategy for how leaders can cure a toxic workplace, bearing in mind that no two workplaces are the same.Even if you don’t suffer from this problem, I’d like to encourage you to take the few minutes to listen to this episode as I do believe the strategies I share here can also help prevent the slow creep of workplace toxicity in your organization.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eUggLin6QJygb9GJT5RcfNoteworthy links:3 Steps To Create An Organizational Vision That Energizes EmployeesDoes Your Leadership Inspire Collaboration Or Conflict Inside Your Organization? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If ever there was a singular event that brought to the forefront the influence - if not importance - of good governance, there’s little question the pandemic fits that bill. Indeed, throughout the world, we’re seeing a critical examination of not only how effective governments at all levels are at not only protecting its citizenry from this global pandemic, but doing so in a way that doesn’t create long-term damage to their economies and societies at large.While in some countries this discussion has become highly politicized, the fact is leaders in both the private and public sectors have a vested interest in how well - or how badly - their governments manage this crisis.That’s why I wanted to sit down with Adrian Wooldridge, the political correspondent for The Economist who along with John Mickelthwait, editor in chief of Bloomberg News, have written their 7th book called “The Wake Up Call - Why The Pandemic Has Exposed The Weakness of the West, And How To Fix It”, to talk about what governments in Europe and North America need to be doing to not just beat this health crisis, but ensure we do so in a way that doesn’t permanently damage our economic and social infrastructure at the same time.Admittedly, this is a different conversation from what you usually hear on this podcast. But through my speaking work with leaders and their organizations, it’s become clear how critical this is for leaders in multinational, national, and regional organizations.In fact, I’ve created new keynotes around leading beyond the pandemic, as well as adapting previous leadership keynotes I’ve given to take into account the new realities leaders and their employees are grappling with and will continue to grapple with in the months and years ahead because of the fallout from this pandemic.As such, I invite you to check out this episode because whether your leadership is based in the private or public sectors, we all should be invested in learning what our governments should be focusing on to help overcome this current health crisis, and what role our organizations should play to assist in this fight.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fA8Tgy4MGxde1qmOccoFL?si=xjcMdxkwRHym7DC8So2uzQNoteworthy links:Buy Adrian Wooldridge’s book “The Wake Up Call” on Amazon*Is Your Leadership Lacking This Critical Element During The COVID-19 Crisis?3 Steps To Boost Your Critical Thinking Skills During The COVID-19 Pandemic3 Important Lessons On Crisis Management From The COVID-19 Pandemic*Sponsored link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During challenging times, it’s critical that leaders boost their communication time to provide clarity and assurance to their employees. In this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I make the case that it’s equally important for leaders to express more gratitude through their leadership when faced with uncertainty about the future.Now this past Monday was Thanksgiving Day here in Canada which commemorates the end of the harvest season. For my family, this long weekend holiday is our favourite time to visit with our extended family and share laughs, good times, and warm memories. Unfortunately, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians have been advised to stay home to slow the spread of this virus. But while we weren’t able to visit with family, I still found myself thinking about all the things I’m grateful for, despite all the challenges and problems this global pandemic has given rise to.And this got me thinking about how important it is for leaders to express gratitude through their leadership, especially during challenging times. In fact, there are several studies that demonstrate the numerous benefits leaders can tap into by bringing more gratitude into the way they lead. So what are those benefits and how can leaders express gratitude through their leadership? Well, to learn the answers to those questions, you need to listen to this episode.In the meantime, if you’ve been enjoying my leadership podcast, I’d appreciate it if you could share my show with your colleagues and network. The easiest way to do this is to share a link to our podcast page, where you can listen to ever episode of my show, as well as find links to subscribe on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Listen Notes.Speaking of different platforms where you can listen to my leadership podcast, you may recall how I shared recently my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast is now on Deezer. Well, I’m happy to share the news that just last week, my podcast was added onto Pandora as well.Now given the topic of this episode, I do have a personal message I share with listeners of my leadership podcast. So I do hope you’ll check this episode out and hopefully gain both insight and inspiration for not only why you should express more gratitude through your leadership, but how to get started right now.https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WO0h345XeFwkdsvfo9Tje?si=f5gs-p2bSjqvZB5Vq1V8zw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the global pandemic expected to continue well into 2021, pandemic fatigue has become a real issue as prolonged stress has been shown to impact our critical thinking skills. In this special episode of my leadership podcast, I share 3 simple steps that will help you boost your critical thinking skills during this global pandemic.https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wx3RexJpxz0UJG0f6pjCe?si=6CItbQe4SQm4ssx5Tlv3yA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no question you'll make mistakes as a leader, no matter how experienced you may be. What really matters is how well you manage mistakes, especially when you're the one responsible for them. In this episode of my leadership podcast, I share 3 questions you should ask yourself to determine how well you manage mistakes.Of course, it's never easy to have discussions around mistakes that were made, regardless of who made them. And so, to help ease ourselves into this conversation, I share in this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series a personal story about one of my daughters. If you've ever attended one of my leadership keynotes – either in person or lately in one of the virtual conferences I've done online, I'm sure you've noticed how I enjoy sharing stories to help illustrate a point, if not also to make the ideas more memorable. And when you hear how this story ends, I'm sure you'll understand why I enjoy sharing this one.Now as I mentioned at the end of this episode, not only are we hard at work creating more episodes of this podcast to help you learn to improve the way you lead, but we're working on expanding our presence on as many platforms as possible. That's why you can now listen to our show on Deezer, in addition to iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Listen Notes, TuneIn, and many, many more.That's why I'd like to ask for your help in return by sharing this or any other episode of my leadership podcast with your network to help us continue to spread the word about this show and hopefully, help improve the leadership craft.And with that, here's my latest Leadership Espresso Shot, featuring not only a sweet story, but 3 important questions you should ask yourself to ensure you are effectively managing mistakes.https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CfTNiBXgOjmFezkm6Lgwg?si=7bed18dc092b4006Noteworthy links:How To Use The Power Of Storytelling In Your Leadership In 3 Simple StepsDo You Allow Your Employees To “Own The Suck”?How To Increase Self-Awareness In Our Leadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many organizations, it can take up to 10 years before new leaders get leadership development training, leaving most to figure things out on their own. So what should new managers be paying more attention to? And what mistakes are they more likely to make? That's what I'll be discussing with my guest, Inc columnist Peter Economy, in this episode of my leadership podcast, "Leadership Biz Cafe".Peter is a best-selling business author, developmental editor, and publishing consultant. Some of you might know him as The Leadership Guy from his popular column on Inc. He's also the best-selling author of over 100 books, his latest being “Wait, I'm the Boss?!? The Essential Guide for New Managers to Succeed from Day One” which Peter and I will be talking about in this episode.Over the course of our conversation, Peter and I discuss:The key to measuring employee progress and performance that every manager should be employing in their leadership toolkit.4 factors critical to assessing employee performance.How new managers can ensure they're using delegation as an effective tool for employee growth and retention.How new managers can break down barriers that impede diversity initiatives in their organization.What senior leaders need to be mindful of in terms of developing their leadership pipeline.If you enjoy this or any other episode of my leadership podcast, I'd like to ask you to help support my show by sharing it with others. Best way to do this is to share a link to our podcast page where you can listen to all 65 episodes (and counting!) of my podcast, as well as find links to subscribe to my podcast on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Listen Notes, and Google Podcasts.Speaking of podcast platforms, I'm delighted to announce that you can now listen to my leadership podcast on Deezer! So there's yet another way you can listen to my show and on a personal note, it's gratifying to see my podcast continuing to grow in popularity and finding an audience amongst those eager to learn how they can improve the way they lead.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6f0TscioY1d3iRDSfA1GRQ?si=5386e7b9605746c9Noteworthy links:Buy Peter's new book “Wait, I'm the Boss?!?” on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian listeners).Read Peter's “Leadership Guy” column on Inc.Learn more about Peter's work at his website: petereconomy.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.