Leaders Should Only Give Ideas After Asking Teams for Input

Over the last 12 years, thanks to social media, I have had the privilege to meet a variety of amazing marketing, leadership, and customer experience experts. One of these experts is Victoria Hepburn from New Jersey. We recently had a discussion about leadership, career development, productivity, and more, and highlights follow below Victoria’s bio.

Victoria Hepburn, ACC is a certified business transitions coach, Amazon bestselling author, and speaker based in Hackensack, New Jersey. Her company, Hepburn Coaching, specializes in helping professionals and business teams maximize business results and personal well being using science-based brain training and career acceleration tools. Her new book, Pressure Makes Diamonds: Simple Habits for Busy Professionals to Break the Burnout Cycle, is available on her website at www.victoriahepburn.com, as well as on Amazon and Audible.

QUESTION: What was the impetus in writing your book about burnout, and what is the single best take-away that you hope all readers have from the book?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: I wrote "Pressure Makes Diamonds: Simple Habits for Busy Professionals to Break the Burnout Cycle" after years of coaching values-driven professionals who felt frustrated or lost on their career journey. With this book, I want to offer simple actions that professionals can take to break out of the overwhelm and increase their confidence and clarity at work quickly.

Early in my career, after I was promoted to a senior chemical engineering role, I quickly realized that I wanted to make a career change. It was so hard to figure out what would make me happy and how to make a career pivot while working in an demanding role. Fast forward to today, after two amazing career pivots - engineering to corporate sales to author and certified business coach - I want to share what I've learned to help values-driven professionals make a positive impact on their lives, organizations, and ultimately, our planet.

QUESTION: One of your specialty areas is public speaking. What three recommendations can you share to help people who are fearful of public speaking?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: Public speaking is something I love because I get to share stories and techniques to help professionals increase their confidence and clarity in their lives.
    
Here are three key points to consider if/when people are fearful of public speaking, whether in front of a group or someone you don't know:
(1) Focus on your audience: You are sharing insights that can help someone else. Whether it's a business presentation or networking outreach to learn more about a dream company, you have unique experiences and training that may be helpful to your audience. Don't deprive them of your insight and positive energy.
(2) Don't allow your past to define who you are today: Just because you may have had a bad speaking experience in the past doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. It means you should practice. Even professionals at the top of their game mess up - pro athletes make errors that lose games, stand up comics have jokes that aren't funny. You have to keep going knowing you only fail if you stop trying to deliver your best.
(3) Use a centering practice: I've been speaking on stages since I was five years old, and my nervous system still shifts into fight or flight mode like everyone else. To manage the racing heart and shallow breathing, I have a centering practice to help me become calm quickly so I can connect with my audience. I use the Heartmath Quick Coherence technique because you can do it with your eyes open anywhere and feel the shift in your energy. Find what works for you - an affirmation, Box Breathing, a Body Scan mediation, a Power Pose. Practice often so you can rely on it when under stress. I'm a certified Heartmath Mentor/Coach and use the techniques personally and with coaching clients.

Here's a link to the Heartmath Quick Coherence Technique:
https://www.heartmath.com/quick-coherence-technique/

QUESTION: I once had a boss who told me to lower my expectations when it came to the employees who reported to me. How would you have responded in that situation?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: When I supervised a manufacturing team early in my career, I quickly learned that everyone has a different work ethic and capabilities. We work in organizations to leverage the collective strengths. It's the diverse talents and experiences that each person contributes to innovate and deliver results that leaders want. Leaders who are never satisfied or want things done precisely their way, inadvertently tell their team they don't trust them or value them. Studies show that teams that feel supported by leaders are more innovative and adapt quickly when crisis hits.

It's critical for leaders to communicate the mission and goals, define the minimum acceptable delivery, the timeline, and what’s at stake for the team. Then let them do the work. Trust the team to deliver as needed. Make yourself available to clear barriers and support problem solving efforts throughout the process. Just because people do things differently from how you do them doesn't make them wrong.

TWEET THIS: Studies show that teams that feel supported by leaders are more innovative and adapt quickly when crisis hits. -@v_hepburnauthor #EmployeeExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog

QUESTION: You wrote a Blog post entitled, “How Leaders Can Improve Remote Employee Engagement In Uncertain Times.” Can you briefly talk about the five ways?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: I highlighted five proven ways that leaders can secure productivity and positive business outcomes with remote workers. We have to be a bit more intentional in our communication when working remotely, and leaders have to create time and space to check in with team members to ensure that they stay engaged.

Here are the five ways:
(1) Focus on employee output and not hours worked: You hired talented adults and trust them to drive results. Clear objectives, deadlines, and two-way communication along the way will help your team feel supported as they use the flexibility to maximize productivity.
(2) Remind managers to show employees that they are trusted and valued: Activity and time tracking apps, and expectations for being responsive to email, Slack, or text at all hours undermine your productivity goals and send a clear message that you don't trust your employees to prioritize business goals.
(3) Communicate like you never have before: Leaders can build trust by affirming their commitment to doing what’s right and making decisions, business strategies, and taking action that reflects that commitment.
(4) Leaders must frequently clarify the organization’s mission and direction: This helps managers establish priorities and teams organize priorities as the business landscape changes.
(5) Implement a plan to support your managers’ well-being and work/life balance: Humans are not machines. The well being data is clear that taking time to support managers yields powerful business returns as engaged managers motivate employees and accelerate business results.

(Post referenced:     
https://victoriahepburn.com/how-leaders-can-improve-remote-employee-engagement-in-uncertain-times/)

QUESTION: How can employees who work in silos (aka, different departments) come together to work collaboratively?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: As someone who has worked with cross-functional remote teams across multiple time zones, I know it can be a struggle. I offer simple tips that fall away when we get too busy and default to habitual behavior.It's easy for teams to get derailed by competing priorities and urgent tasks that reduce progress toward long term goals.

It's important for leaders and project managers to make time to build relationships beyond the transactional work check-ins. Whether you set up social meetings or build time for rapport builders in meetings like icebreakers or acknowledge incremental wins, case studies are useful to give other function areas insight into what another department is/does. In my sales career, more successful leaders had a habit of inviting other departments to present their updates so that the remote sales reps knew who did what inside the company and could ask direct questions.

QUESTION: You wrote about leading by example. Of the ten ways you mentioned, which three were your favorite, and why?
VICTORIA HEPBURN: My 3 favorite ways to lead by example are centered around personal growth actions that help strengthen the team:
    
#5 - Be persistent. Build up your resilience to stress and challenges by taking action. Go over, under, or around any hurdles to show that obstacles don’t define your company or team.
#6 - Create solutions. Don’t dwell on problems; instead, ask your team for solutions and give your ideas afterward.
#9 - Take care of yourself. Exercise, don’t overwork, take breaks throughout the day. A balanced team, mentally and physically, is a successful team. Model it, encourage it, and support it!

(Post referenced:
https://victoriahepburn-com.storychief.io/10-ways-to-lead-by-example/)

TWEET THIS: Leaders: Ask your team for solutions and give your ideas afterward. -@v_hepburnauthor #LeadershipTip #EmployeeExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog

QUESTION: Since 2020, “Many organizations have ramped up their investments in diversity, equity, and inclusion - largely in the form of anti-bias training, employee resource groups, mentoring programs, and more. But gauging the effectiveness of these measures has been a challenge...Organizations must also assess employee experience.” How do you recommend organizations implement change in these very important areas?

(Quote referenced in this post: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/cultivating-an-inclusive-culture-through-personal-networks/)

VICTORIA HEPBURN: Culture change starts with leaders who make investments of time and money that align with the goals and ends when front-line employees are living the new reality. Since my background is not in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) work, I'm speaking from my experience navigating change as a former corporate professional and currently as a business owner. It's important to recognize that awareness training and changing policies is good, but what's critical is pull through at all levels and for all employees. Often the message at the top isn't reflected at middle and front-line management meetings. Also, we humans forget most of what we learn in training within days because we don't practice the new skills.

To fight this normal human tendency, there must be accountability for leaders to have tactical plans to address inequity and strengthen opportunity for all employees. That could include stronger new hire programs to get new people plugged into the corporate network quickly, have more opportunities for promotions, mentorship, sponsorship, and public recognition, all of which increase retention and engagement.

To read more about DEI, click here:
https://shegeeksout.com/revisiting-the-dei-acronym/

My thanks to Victoria for sharing her inspiring business insights and for appearing here on my Blog.


Where to find Victoria online:
All links on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/victoriacoachme

Amazon book page:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCQHBZ6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=pressure+make+diamonds+Simple+Habits+for+Busy+Professionals+to+Break+the+Burnout+Cycle+victoria+hepburn&qid=1606824016&s=books&sr=1-1

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/v_hepburnauthor/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/VHepburnAuthor/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/v_hepburnauthor

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriahepburn/

Image Credit: Debbie Laskey.

Would you pick up the dust ball – or just the quarter?

Over the last decade, thanks to social media, I have had the privilege of meeting a myriad of amazing marketing, branding, customer experience, leadership, and social media experts. Sam Horn is one of these internationally known experts and is based in Texas. We recently discussed leadership, corporate culture, and communication, and highlights follow Sam’s bio.

Sam Horn, CEO of the Intrigue Agency, helps people create respectful, collaborative, one-of-a-kind communications and projects that add value for all involved. Her commentary has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and more. Her presentations receive high evaluations for featuring original insights and stories, laugh-out-loud anecdotes, and actionable recommendations people use immediately to produce real-world results. She is known for her ability to help people create intriguing, purposeful, original communications that help them break-out instead of blend in. Her TEDx talk on INTRIGUE has nearly 500,000 views and shows how to connect with anyone anytime. Visit her websites at www.samhorn.com and www.intrigueagency.com and connect on Twitter @SamHornIntrigue.

QUESTION: You've written nine award-winning books published in 17 languages on a variety of business and communications topics. Which was your favorite to write, and why?

(Here's the link to Sam’s Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Horn/e/B000APIGKQ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

SAM HORN: That’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child! I would need to ask what topic someone was looking for. Based on the answer, I would then respond accordingly. For example, if someone wanted advice to create a perfect pitch, I would choose POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything. If someone wanted to read about removing conflict from the workplace, I would choose Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict. If someone wanted to read about office bullying, then I would answer with Take the Bully by the Horns. And that’s just three – there are more.

QUESTION: No one ever wants to work for a bully. One of your many speaking topics is bullying in the workplace, and you also include a bullying quiz on your website. What are some of the things employees can do if their boss is a bully, and if their workplace culture is toxic?

(Here’s the link to the bullying quiz on Sam’s website: https://www.tonguefu.com/bullying/)

SAM HORN: A bully is someone who doesn’t want to cooperate and just wants to win. We cannot wait for this person to self-correct. Their entire house of cards is built on making everyone else wrong. Instead, we need to hold them accountable for their inappropriate and egregious behavior.

I always recommend that we document the behavior, so it is objective and not subjective. If someone has behaved in a bullying manner, go back to your desk, and write down at such and such a time, this person did XYZ. Documentation gives the decision-makers an opportunity to act.

QUESTION: You wrote a post entitled, “Never Again Give an Elevator Speech.” That seems like unusual advice. Please explain.

(Here’s the link to the post:
https://samhorn.com/why-never-to-give-another-elevator-speech-and-what-to-do-instead/)

SAM HORN: Turn a one-way elevator speech (aka, monologue) into a two-way elevator connection (aka, dialogue). Want to introduce yourself in a way that isn’t confusing and that can actually lead to meaningful conversations and connections? Keep this question in mind: “What are the end results of what you do that we can see, smell, taste, and touch?”

Here’s an example: A conference attendee once approached me and said that he had difficulty explaining what he did. After a brief discussion, I realized that he made the software that makes it safe for us to buy things online. But I told him not to tell people that. Instead, I suggested that he ask people, “Have you, a friend or a family member ever bought anything online on eBay, Travelocity, or Amazon?” This question increased the odds that they’ve experienced what he does or know someone who has. They might respond, “Well, I never shop online. But my wife’s on Amazon all the time. She loves the free shipping.”

Now, confirm your connection by linking what you do to what they just said, “Well, our company makes the software that makes it safe for your wife to buy things on Amazon.” You’ve now made a connection – and in a much better way than with an elevator speech, aka monologue.

QUESTION: You wrote a post for Huffington Post entitled, "Don’t Just Lean in, Step Up" that was posted on January 22, 2014, but is just as timely today – seven years later. One quote stood out to me: "You do not serve when you step back." Can you please explain what you meant?

(Read the full article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dont-just-lean-in-step-up_b_4645588)

SAM HORN: Think about sports for a moment. If you are a basketball player, do you want the ball to attempt a game-winning shot?

There are two types of people in this world: the type of person who steps up and says, “give me the ball,” and the type of person who steps back.

Leadership is very similar. Sharing accomplishments with all the highs and lows is not bragging. On the contrary, it teaches others how to take risks from real-life examples.

QUESTION: Which three leaders inspire you, and why?

SAM HORN: Here are lessons learned from three leaders I’ve worked for.

My first boss was at a restaurant where I worked as a waitress in South Carolina. I saw a quarter on the floor and picked it up, but there was a dust ball nearby that I left on the floor. I saw the dust ball, and he did too. I knew that I should have picked it up. The boss asked me why I did not pick it up. I learned a life lesson that day that has remained with me: it is imperative to do the right thing no matter who may be watching. Imagine if I had been a customer watching the quarter being picked up by an employee – but not the dust ball. I definitely would NOT have wanted to be that customer!

A boss of a tennis pro shop where I worked sat me down with someone I did not get along with. He said that we had to overcome our personality differences – that our problems with each other were negatively affecting the entire workplace. He said I was good at my job and that the other person was good at his job. But the two of us had to work together to figure out how to work in cooperation rather than in conflict. Perhaps, the inspiration for our working in cooperation to improve the situation was that we were told we were both valued.

Jim Petrus, General Manager of the Grand Wailea in Hawaii, was also an inspiration. In preparation for the hotel’s soft opening, I saw him on his hands and knees planting flowers and doing landscaping. I learned that it is imperative for employees to see top leaders actually doing work – if they want to earn respect and loyalty and create a positive corporate culture, as opposed to simply sitting in corner offices and earning large salaries.

QUESTION: One of my favorite leadership quotes is from author and consultant Mark Herbert (@NewParadigmer on Twitter): "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others." What does that quote mean to you?

SAM HORN: We all have the opportunity and responsibility to be a good leader, to champion others’ accomplishments.

TWEET THIS: We all have the opportunity and responsibility to be a good leader. –@SamHornIntrigue #LeadershipTip #EmployeeExperience #EmployerBranding

My gratitude to Sam for appearing on my Blog and for sharing her inspiring insights.

Here’s the link to watch Sam’s TEDx Talk on YouTube:
“Intrigue – How to Create Interest and Connect with Anyone” (January 3, 2014)
https://youtu.be/Xlg8zdSVjgg

Image Credit: Frank McKenna via Unsplash app.

Leadership Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Whenever I think about leadership, I think about Eric Jacobson. Today, I would like to welcome Eric back to my blog. We met through our work with MicroMentor in 2009, and since then, Eric has appeared on my blog twice as a featured guest and countless other times with quotes. Eric has more than a quarter-century of experience in successfully leading employees and teams through periods of revenue growth, new product development, and re-engineering. He is an experienced mentor and coach and holds an MBA Degree from Keller Graduate School. Eric’s passion is helping individuals to become effective leaders at work, within organizations, and wherever they are called upon to lead and inspire. Recently, Eric and I had a conversation about the changing nature of leadership, and highlights follow below. For more about Eric, visit his Blog and follow him on Twitter.

QUESTION: I had a discussion with a fellow customer experience colleague (@AnnetteFranz) and she mentioned that heads of businesses should refer to themselves as executives rather than leaders. This comment has remained with me. Why do you believe there is such a lack of quality leadership today?
ERIC: There is a lack of quality leadership for a couple different reasons. Often, people who excel at a technical level within an organization are promoted to a management position only to discover that they either have no desire to be a leader and/or lack the skills to effectively lead. They hold the “executive” title but aren’t effective leaders. At other times, individuals who start out as effective leaders become less effective when they focus their attention on meeting the needs of Boards and investment bankers rather than their employees. These often conflicting situations keep these executives from truly LEADING their businesses.

QUESTION: There's a new book entitled "Superbosses" by Sydney Finkelstein. The book received the following praise from Millard Drexler, Chairman and CEO of J. Crew Group: "A smart leader surrounds himself with smart people. Through the book, Finkelstein showed the surprising ways leaders actually find, develop, and grow a team of curious, talented individuals." What are three ways YOU think a super boss grows a team of talented employees?
ERIC: Here are my three:
1. Ensure that each team member clearly understands his or her role on the team and understand the team’s mission. Discourage any one team member from “being a hero.”
2. View disagreement as a good thing and allow team members to constructively express their viewpoints. Encourage the team to steer away from groupthink.
3. Ideally seek to allow each team member's success dependent on another team member's to foster collaboration across all functions.

QUESTION: One of my favorite quotes about leadership is from author and consultant Mark Herbert (@NewParadigmer): “Leadership is a gift, not a position. It doesn’t require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to trust and be trusted – and block and tackle for others.” What does this quote mean to you?
ERIC: This is a great quote and such important advice for leaders. To me, it means trust your employees and get out of their way so they can do their jobs. Don’t sidetrack them from getting their most important work done by injecting tasks that don’t support the primary task at hand. Allow them to take risks and to fail. Then, use those situations as learning opportunities. It also means to me, remove obstacles within the organization. Remove outdated and no longer needed policies or processes. And when it comes to being trusted as a leader, do what you say you will do. Deliver on your commitments. And, don’t promise something you aren’t going to provide.

QUESTION: When President Obama introduced Janet Yellen as the new Federal Reserve Chair in October 2013, he said, “Janet Yellen is a proven leader who knows how to build consensus, the kind of person who makes everybody around her better.” What three tips can YOU provide to create this type of leader?
(Here's the link to my post about this news: http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-kind-of-leadership-legacy-are-you.html)
ERIC: Here are my three:
1.  Listen to all sides of an issue and provide individuals with a safe environment to express their opinions.
2.   Help educate and inform those you work with so that they, too, can understand the fullest spectrum of the collective viewpoints.
3.   Share and explain how coming to a consensus nearly always wins out over making no decision.

QUESTION: How can a CEO/President define or set the direction for his or her company's culture?
ERIC: Explain it. Believe it. Be it. Live it. In other words, walk the talk. Lead by example. Clearly demonstrate your support of the culture.  Fully support the employees who, and the actions that, contribute to the desired company culture.

QUESTION: What have you learned from your three favorite leaders?
ERIC: From my favorite workplace leader, I learned to listen to both sides of an issue because the truth is likely in the middle of the two sides. From a fellow Rotarian, I learned to lead with a “can-do” attitude. That positivity and enthusiasm is contagious. It drives success. From all leaders who do this, I learned to be decisive. Make decisions. Don’t stalemate yourself or your employees by being indecisive.

My sincere gratitude to Eric for sharing his leadership insights again on my blog. Check out his two previous appearances at the links below:

http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-training-customer.html

http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-importance-of-mentorships.html

Image Credit: Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lead and Then Get Out of the Way

Allow me to re-introduce Ron Thomas. Ron appeared on my blog and shared some leadership insights back in April 2011, so it’s time for a repeat appearance. Click here for the original post. Back in 2011, the world of social media was quite different. Facebook and Twitter were not as widespread as today, Instagram and Pinterest were not as popular, and we did not depend on our mobile devices in the same manner as we do today. That said, Ron and I met through social media (Twitter) and spoke by phone when he was based in New York. I witnessed his move to the Middle East for a company that found him via social media, and we stayed in touch across the miles. Ron's new role is CEO, Great Place to Work - Gulf Region, based in Dubai, and formerly, he was the CHRO for a defense contractor in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Follow Ron on Twitter @ronald_thomas and read his posts on CEO.com  and TLNT.com. We recently discussed some timeless leadership tips, and highlights of our conversation follow.

QUESTION: When we first connected, you were based in New York City. You now work in the Middle East. What are some of the leadership and management differences you have encountered since working outside the USA?
RON THOMAS: The culture of doing business is different in the Middle East. It's more about building relationships than the hard charging way of getting it done. When in a meeting, you will spend a lot of time talking about things that have nothing to do with the business at hand. In the final stages, we will revert back to the topic and close it. If not, we will meet again after those points are cleared. The relationship side is important because it is about getting to know the actual person, not just about the business person.

QUESTION: When President Obama nominated Janet Yellen as Federal Reserve Chair, he said, “Janet Yellen is a proven leader who knows how to build consensus…the kind of person who makes everybody around her better.” As a leadership expert, what three tips can you provide to create this type of leader? (Click here for my blog post referencing this quote.)
RON THOMAS: Such a powerful quote. To me, that means hire competent people and let them run it. This type of leader is not a manager but more of a coach. She coaches her team to greatness.
* If you hire them for a job, get out of the way and let them do it.
* Your role is to coach your people, not manage them. Managing is an old and fading concept of organizational dynamics.
* Look at the people you manage as peers. Forget about the dotted line concept. These are your partners. 

QUESTION: Every CEO/President has his or her own style for achieving success. But if that individual is not a people-person, how can he/she create a positive corporate culture? (For example, management by walking around won’t cut it in this scenario.)
RON THOMAS: I agree, MBWA works for the people person, but if that is not your style, the bottom line is fostering some type of collaboration with your team. Act more like a trusted advisor and leave the manager's title on the coat rack. Get to know your people, their wants, desires, career plans, family, etc. The more you know them as a person, the better you know them as an employee.

QUESTION: One of the things we both agree is necessary for all new employees to be successful is the implementation of an effective onboarding strategy. What are your four must-have tips to all businesses when it comes to creating effective onboarding strategies?
RON THOMAS: The most important question a new employee is asked on day one comes not from the organization. It comes from a new employee's significant other, friend, or family. That question comes at the end of day one throughout the end of the first week. How do you like your new job? The best way to ensure that the response is positive is to have an onboarding strategy.
* It's a celebration. This new arrival has “chosen” your company to say yes to her talent. Design your program around that celebration.
* Develop your plan into two parts: part 1 is the orientation into the organization, and part 2 is the orientation into their department.
* Follow up at the end of the first week and throughout the next 3-6 months.
* At the 6-month interval, bring back all the new employees hired during that time period for a “New Employee Luncheon."

QUESTION: One of my favorite quotes about leadership is from author and consultant Mark Herbert: “Leadership is a gift, not a position. It doesn’t require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to trust and be trusted – and block and tackle for others.” What does this quote mean to you?
RON THOMAS: Lots of times people who are in charge of others tend to feel that they must show how smart they are. This is especially true with newer managers. NEVER EVER go down that road. The worst description that you want tagged to you is being or thinking you are the smartest person in the room. I call it SPIR syndrome. This type of attitude smothers your creative people for they know that whatever they do, you are over their shoulders showing them how “you would do it." If this is the case, why did you hire them in the first place? In order for your people to grow, you have to let them go out and run. Sometimes they will make mistakes, but if you hire right, they will, for the most part begin to develop their own style. And that is where the creativity and resourcefulness creep in.

My gratitude to Ron for sharing his thoughts from across the miles.