Talk Like a Leader

This episode continues a series of four episodes inspired by the weeks of Advent. As I record this episode, we have just passed the Sunday of Advent that represents love. So, I'm exploring how love builds leadership and improves your leadership communication. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

This week is the first week of Advent 2020 and the theme for the week is hope, and that is the source of my inspiration for this episode. Hope creates motivation and energy while the opposite of hope – despair – demotivates and discourages. As we close a really difficult year, I'd like to remind you to focus on hope. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

At some time in your leadership journey, you will need to manage a timing or priority conflict with another person. They will stop you in the hall while you are on your way to a meeting and ask for a quick decision. You will get a phone call while you are composing an important email. When this happens, you will probably want to defer the engagement AND protect the relationship. In this episode, I'll share a strategy you can often use to do that well. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Most people thrive in environments where there are more positive experiences than negative experiences, and it can be difficult to create that type of environment at work. Most people notice and comment on what went wrong in preference to noticing and commenting on what went right. As leaders, we want engaged, committed, positive teams, and that often calls for creating an environment where we notice what went right. In this episode, I'm proposing a simple way to keep this concept top of mind. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Mistakes. We all make them, and there are two different kinds with two completely different implications. In this episode, I'm looking at the difference between head mistakes and heart mistakes, how to handle them both when we make mistakes and when others do, and why it matters to leadership communication. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

While learning to say "No" is a useful and powerful leadership skill, it can be the end of a conversation. And, while it is sometimes necessary to end a discussion so that you can move on, it is more often helpful to keep the conversation going. To do that, good leaders learn how to say "No" by first saying "Yes". That is the approach I'm exploring in this week's episode. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Habits are a funny thing. They can help you. They can hurt you. And, they happen automatically without conscious thought. This week, I'm sharing some thoughts on communication habits and making a suggestion to help you improve your communication habits so that you can talk like a leader. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Recently, I had an experience that revealed to me my true, subconscious view of the word feedback. In this episode, I'll share that experience, and what I learned from it. I'll also share thoughts on how to apply that lesson to become a better leadership communicator. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

The remote work environment and it's stressors can drive you and others deeper into your own communication blindspots. This week, I'm taking a look at some possible blindspots of each DISC style so we can look out for them and take action to avoid slipping in to them. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When people take a DISC assessment, they often wonder if their style can change over time. The question shows up in two common ways: Either they think their style may have changed from childhood to adulthood or they believe their style is different than it was the last time they took an assessment. In this episode, I'm going to talk about basic, core personalities and whether or not they can change over time. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In this election season, we get to observe politicians from both major parties and from all political perspectives make their case for why they should be elected. Much of what they do makes sense in the political world, and it's terrible if done in most leadership situations. In this episode, I'm looking at five specific things you can observe in political discourse that you can learn NOT to do in your leadership communication. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In a prior series of episodes, I explored the idea of unintentional threat triggers (and how to avoid them) using the DISC model as a framework. Last week, I used David Rock's SCARF model to explore how to keep your anger response under control. This week, I'm sort of combining those two ideas to look at how you can use the SCARF model as a way to reduce the ways you might come across as a threat to others. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about the SCARF model. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

A great deal of Talking Like a Leader depends on remaining calm and rational in difficult – sometimes irritating – situations. Remaining calm and rational depends on not getting angry when things get difficult. In this episode, I'll explore a concept and share a model you can use on yourself to remain calm and rational. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When you are coaching a team member for improved performance, it is very tempting to just tell them what needs to be done so you can get on to the next task on your list. Unfortunately, telling people what to do rarely gets voluntary compliance. How, then, do you get people to take ownership and solve the problem? This week, I'll explore this idea and offer a better way than telling people what you want them to do. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Sign up for our free virtual leadership conference, Virtual LeaderCon, coming September 14-18. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

As working from home stretches to months rather than weeks, leaders find themselves planning for and communicating about longer time horizons while working from home and communicating with their teams who are also working from home. This week, I'm revisiting and building upon a piece of advice that my colleague Wayne Turmel shared in an episode we recorded in March of this year – When You Suddenly Find Yourself Leading Remotely. The specific issue is the need for more intentionality in a remote work world. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Sign up for our upcoming free virtual leadership conference, Virtual LeaderCon, coming September 14-18. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Like a home project that gets delayed for too long, chronic conflicts will continue to get worse the longer we ignore them. Also like a home project, confronting the conflict will likely make it worse in the short-term before it gets better. In this episode, I'll share a lesson from cleaning my garage that will help you address the chronic conflicts you face as a leader. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

As you work to develop your communication techniques to better Talk Like a Leader, I encourage you to consider the importance of character development on both your growth as a leader and your ability to communicate as one. In this episode, I'm considering thoughts about the importance of character as a leader and how it affects your communication effectiveness. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

One of the biggest challenges I face in communication is remaining patient when an idea is very clear to me and it's not clear to the person with whom I'm communicating. When I'm not mindful, that challenge becomes frustration that looks like anger to the other person. And, communication breaks down. In this episode, I cover some ideas about human nature and our mindset towards others that can help all of us navigate past this common issue to become better communicators. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When we get frustrated with a person and allow our frustration to vent in the form of an attack on their character and intelligence, we resort to what is known as an ad hominem attack. This rarely works well in debate or in leadership communication. This week we're looking at a better way to speak about performance in coaching and feedback conversations. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Properly applied, the DISC model is a powerful tool to help you become a better communicator. Improperly applied, it can cause significant problems for you. In this episode, I'll look at how improper application of the DISC model can create problems for you and what you can do instead to use it for better results. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

A challenge that we all face in leadership communication is the struggle to fairly evaluate all sides of an issue before making a decision, and we all share the problem of confirmation bias. Most, if not all, people struggle with both seeking and honestly considering information and perspectives that are different from their own. This tendency can create both communication and results problems. This week, we'll take a look at confirmation bias and consider two ideas for combating it. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

This is our final episode in a 5-part series of conversations about the coaching mindset. Carl Smith is my guest, and we discuss the contribution Cautious style people bring to coaching conversations. As in the other episodes in this series, we consider both how a Cautious style coach can get out of their own way and how a leader can better coach a Cautious style team member. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Continuing our discussion about the coaching mindset, Carl Smith and I consider the Supportive style contribution to coaching. Carl shares what he has learned as a Supportive style coach and I share some observations about how to be a better coach for people with Supportive traits. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

This week, Carl Smith and I turn our attention to coaching discussions when one party has a primarily Inspiring trait using the DISC model terminology. We look at how a coach with Inspiring traits can better adapt to work with others and how a leader who is coaching an Inspiring style team member can invite them in to the conversation. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In this episode, Carl Smith and I get more specific about coaching mindsets. Using the DISC model as a framework for understanding, we discuss what it means to be a Dominant style coach and how to coach Dominant style team members. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Continuing in the theme of considering our mindsets, this episode kicks off a 5-episode series on the coaching mindset. I'm joined by my friend and colleague, Carl Smith, for a discussion about the mindset we bring to coaching and how it affects our coaching effectiveness. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

My conversation with Kevin Eikenberry about the importance of how you frame a problem continues in this episode. We discuss the meta-frame - or larger frame - you bring to your problem solving, coaching, and conflict resolution conversations and how that meta-frame can either help or hurt your problem solving efforts. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Kevin Eikenberry Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In this episode, Kevin Eikenberry joins me for a conversation about the importance of how you frame a problem when you communicate and work with others to solve the problem. This was a lively and engaging conversation, I think you'll get some great insights from Kevin. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Kevin Eikenberry. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In prior episodes I have talked about Providing Context When You Share Data and Learning to Speak Accurately. In this episode, I'm looking at the idea of speaking accurately from a slightly different angle. This perspective is more about the intent of the data presentation than about the facts of it. I'm looking at the challenge - and questionable honesty - of presenting data in a way that will elicit a stronger emotion than appropriate for the situation by manipulating the presentation. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

Last week, I discussed speaking accurately. This week, I'll explore accuracy on the other side of communication - listening. Just as speaking accurately moves you towards greater clarity and buy-in, listening accurately moves you towards mutual understanding and trust. When you learn to listen accurately, you can maintain the emotional control needed to respond appropriately without over OR under reacting. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

Striking the balance between overstating and understating a problem or situation depends on accurate speech. In this episode, I'll share thoughts on how to speak more accurately and why it matters. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

This podcast is about more than just talking or sending messages. It's about the broader context of leadership communication. In this episode, I'll share a story with you about what happens when you don't make yourself accessible, some thoughts about what that means to you as a leader, and offer perspective on why it matters. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

As a society, we are now well in to the first shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While I can't foretell the future exactly, it appears that it could happen again before the pandemic runs its course. So, we need to develop skills to help us manage close, long-term contact with the same people day-in and day-out. Learning to recognize, control, and short-circuit transferred aggression is one of those skills. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

When you are confronted with a problem it's easy to drift toward finding the person to blame. A better leadership response is to find the source of the problem and fix that rather than finding the person to blame. In this episode, we'll look at how to focus on fixing the problem rather than on fixing the blame. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

Seeing things from another person's point of view is a key element in Talking Like a Leader. When you can't see your team's environment, it's easy to forget that their behaviors, results, and efficiency are affected by it. If you suddenly find yourself working remotely, remembering that they are no longer in the office is an important thing to remember. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

Leaders frequently need to communicate data in the form of numbers. When you're working with a team of people who know the context you operate in, those numbers probably make sense. But... What if they don't? What if you're communicating data to a person outside your team? What if you're communicating data from outside your team to your team? Does the person or the people with whom you're communicating understand the context of the data? Or, is it just a jumble of numbers with no real connection to the hearer's experience? These are questions to address when you need to communicate data to other people. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

As we confront the stresses and pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and what we must do to adjust, it's easy to commingle our personal wishes and desires about the way we wish things were with the actual demands of the environment in which we operate. When we commingle these issues, we tend to demand things from others that are personal wishes rather than business demands. In this episode, we'll explore how that can damage leadership communication and what you can do to avoid this trap. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Learn how to make working from home work with our work from home video course. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

This conversation with Carl Smith about time perspectives continues this week. This is the third of three episodes related to how people view and communicate about time. In this episode, Carl and I will explore ways that people with a primary people orientation view time, how they can be misunderstood, and how they can improve their communication with people who have a more task-oriented perspective. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Learn the overall communication style of your team with a DISC style team report. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

This week, we continue the conversation with Carl Smith about time perspectives that we started two weeks ago. In this episode, Carl and I will explore ways that people with a primary task orientation view time, how they can be misunderstood, and how they can improve their communication with people who have a more people-oriented perspective. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

As businesses around the country make quick adjustments to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, many people suddenly find themselves leading - at least for a short time - a remote team. This week, my guest is co-founder of The Remote Leadership Institute, Wayne Turmel. Wayne shares insights for helping you better lead a team in a remote working environment. Additional Leadership Resources The Remote Leadership Institute The Long-Distance Leader Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

Not everyone views time the same way, and those differences can become major drivers of stress, frustration, and conflict. This is the first of three episodes where Carl Smith and I explore different perspectives on time and how leaders can better navigate those differences. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook.

When we try to coach people towards higher performance, it's easy to get frustrated and to make some common coaching mistakes. In this episode, I'll define the difference between coaching and discipline and give you three do's and don'ts of coaching conversations. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

In honor of National Pancake Day, I'm discussing the Pancake Theory of Communication. How is communication like a pancake? What can we learn about communication from pancakes? Tune in to find out. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

Change is emotional, and change is a choice. As leaders, we hope to help others make the choice to change rather than feel like they got forced to change. Using the four levers of change and learning a simple communication strategy can help you to help others to accept, embrace, and implement change. In this episode, we'll take a look at the four levers of change and this simple communication strategy. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

Change communication is a topic that nearly warrants its own podcast. It's complicated, it's messy, and it has lots of conditional issues to consider. And, it's worth talking about on this podcast. In this episode, I'll lay out some starting thoughts on how leaders can better talk about and sell change. I'll continue to explore this topic in future episodes. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

Carl Smith and I continue our conversation on building trust. This week, we'll discuss less the process of building trust and more the impact of it with specific examples from our experience that illustrate the importance of knowing the order to follow when engaging with another person. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

Different people think about and approach building trust in different ways. In this episode, Carl Smith and I discuss the two sides of trust and how understanding them can help you build trust with more intentionality. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

In this episode I'm excited to welcome my long time friend and colleague JJ Brun to the podcast. JJ is a communication and relationship expert from Canada who served as an intelligence offer for the Canadian Forces in Bosnia. He has a great perspective about leadership communication that I'm happy to share with you this week. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Learn more about The Retired Spy. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

I recently re-read what has become a leadership classic - Leadership and Self-Deception. It reminded me of the ways we interact with others as objects rather than as people. It also reminded me that how we use words can both influence and reveal how we view others. In this episode, I'm inviting you to consider how you use the words With, For and To and what that can do to your communication effectiveness. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Leadership and Self-Deception from the Arbinger Institute. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.

As we enter a new year, the idea of reflecting on the past year and thinking about changes for the new one are on many people's minds. Two weeks with grandchildren has given me a refreshed perspective on leadership communication that leads to three communication resolutions for the new year. In this episode, I'm inviting you to join me in making and keeping these resolutions. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted.