“Everybody Matters” by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia
Wh
en it comes to maximizing potential, Bob Chapman and his team at Barry-Wehmiller have mastered this leadership practice.This is the story of how the Barry-Wehmiller company has experienced enormous transformative change with the manufacturing companies that theyacquired by simply applying leadership principles that buildcultures of trust, security,and fulfillment. And the best part of the story is the business results that have resulted from adoption of these core principles and leadership practices. There is a reason why this book is on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list. Check it out!
“Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us” by Tasha Eurich
Tasha Eurich hits another home run bestseller with Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More than We Think. One of the most striking discoveries in her research was that 95% of us think we’re self-aware, and yet her research indicates only 10-15% are actually truly self-aware. If being self-aware is a meta-skill of the 21st century, then as leaders we need to look at how we increase our self awareness in support of our leadership effectiveness. We think so highly of this book that we’ve integrated Insight into our leadership development programs.
How to Get Your Team to Be More Courageous
During my career, I’ve worked with senior and executive teams to increase the effectiveness of their collective leadership. One of the big skill areas that correlate to whether a team is high performing or not is what we call “Courageous Authenticity.” Put simply, does a team have the capacity to be real with each other; do they share their opinions openly; do they consider other perspectives without judgment; and do they hold the team interests above their own.
Over the past few months I’ve had several teams identify this leadership competency as an area they want to grow and develop so it becomes part of their operating system. So, here are two ways to help your team be more courageous and real with each other.
1) Be confident with your own identity, and share your opinions. When tensions arise, people often feel their identity is being threatened – examples include competence, need to be liked, etc. When threatened, people either get defensive or retreat. It’s impossible to be courageously authentic when you’re in a defensive orientation. I coach my clients to anchor back to the belief that they are entitled to their own opinions, just as others are entitled to their viewpoints. When expressing your opinions or as I say speaking your truth, you’ve got to be confident in your own identity and not worry about what others think. If you fear rejection, you’ll either go into fight mode or retreat. Bottom line, be confident with your own identity, and speak your truth even though it may ruffle some feathers. Advocate for yourself.
2) The second way to be courageously authentic is to understand where others are coming from. There are three behaviors to start practicing as was outlined in Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen: Inquire, Paraphrase, and Acknowledge.
Let’s start with the ability to inquire. By asking solid open-ended questions, without judgment or blame, you can start to understand their story. Asking good insightful questions will mitigate defensiveness. The second practice is paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is about replaying back what you are hearing to ensure you are getting it. Phrasing such as “I’m hearing that you and your team are feeling threatened by this new policy, is that correct?” And lastly, people need acknowledgement to feel valued. They need to know their opinions matter and that they matter. Acknowledging does not mean that you’re agreeing with them, it simply means you understand and are hearing their position. Acknowledgment phrasing sounds like, “I now see where you’re coming from and I understand your concerns.” You have not agreed with them, just acknowledged their viewpoint and/or position.
If team leaders start to practice these two skill areas, their level of courageous authenticity will increase. And as we know from our work with The Leadership Circle, courageous authenticity is one of those power competencies that impact all aspects of a team’s performance.
If you have ideas and suggestions to help teams show up more courageously, post your comments and join the discussion!
“Smarter, Faster, Better” by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg’s earlier book, The Power of Habit, was so insightful and intriguing that I decided to pick up his latest best seller: Smarter, Faster, and Better. This is a great read with memorable stories and case studies that will help with the stickiness of his teaching. Great read!
The Power (of the) Nap
People have long searched for the remedy to the afternoon exhaustion that sets in, leaving them tired and unproductive. Employees often sip coffee or pound energy drinks in an attempt to stifle their grogginess. But research indicates the best thing you can do to improve your alertness, mood, and productivity, is simply take a power nap. Power naps have proven to be extremely effective in combating the effects of sleep deprivation and boosting productivity during the mid-day lull. In a research study conducted by the NASA sleep researchers, a short power nap of just 26 minutes boosted the performance of their pilots by an impressive 34%.
The act of napping shouldn’t be viewed as laziness or lethargy, but rather an essential part of the day. Winston Churchill was a major fan of naps, saying, “You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner… Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day.”
In the corporate world, a power nap may be a hard thing to implement. Companies like Google have established extravagant places for their employees to nap, referred to as the Energy Pods. But for those who aren’t lucky enough to enjoy the exuberant benefits provided by companies like Google, we may have to adjust our thinking on the implementation of napping into the work place. Based on the statistics, napping will increase employee productivity. For managers, power napping should be something that is encouraged. The best investment you make in your business might just be a comfortable place for employees to slip away for a quick nap. For employees working in an environment where napping is taboo, look for a quiet place during your lunch hours. At the very least, try napping when you get home. It could seriously improve your mood during the evenings, and increase performance for any leftover work you have.
Here are some quick tips to get the most out of your power naps:
- Go dark and quiet. The body is most able to fall asleep in this setting. If this means goofy earplugs and an eye mask, so be it.
- Keep it short. A power nap should only last between 20 and 30 minutes. Napping for too long can actually increase grogginess.
- Be consistent. Try to shoot for napping at the same time each day so your body gets accustomed to napping and you will fall asleep faster.
So the next time you go to pour your fourth cup of coffee in an attempt to push through the afternoon, remember the power of napping. It will boost productivity, performance, mood, and alertness, and leave you feeling ready to take on the rest of your day.