The I in Team Series

Call Directions Website Contact the business

The I in Team Series The I in Team Series explores three separate areas of life, starting with the self.

Find: Learn who you are as an individual
Be: Learn the traits of a positive leader
Build: Learn how to build the best teams in your life

10/12/2026

A toxic employee isn't always someone who struggles to meet expectations. Brian Smith explains why workplace toxicity is defined by behaviors that consistently undermine a team, even when an employee meets or exceeds performance goals. Recognizing that difference is essential to protecting a healthy workplace culture.

Listen to the full podcast here:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

An employee can deliver great results and still have a negative impact on the people around them.In this revisit to Epis...
10/12/2026

An employee can deliver great results and still have a negative impact on the people around them.

In this revisit to Episode 517 of Daily Influence, host Brian Smith explores why identifying toxic workplace behavior requires looking beyond performance metrics and paying attention to how individuals influence their teams.

Brian discusses how emotional intelligence, constructive feedback, and S.M.A.R.T. communication can help leaders address harmful behaviors while creating opportunities for improvement and accountability.

🌟 In this episode:
• Why high-performing employees can still undermine trust, collaboration, and overall workplace culture
• How leaders can recognize patterns of toxic behavior through emotional intelligence and open communication
• Why clear expectations, structured remediation, and consistent feedback help address difficult behaviors responsibly

📲 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

One of the real tests of teamwork is learning to work effectively with people you would never naturally choose as friend...
10/12/2026

One of the real tests of teamwork is learning to work effectively with people you would never naturally choose as friends.

Teams bring together different personalities, communication styles, priorities, experiences, and ways of solving problems. Some relationships develop easily. Others require patience and deliberate effort.

Professional teamwork does not require personal chemistry with everyone. It requires enough maturity to respect another person's contribution, communicate clearly, and pursue shared goals even when the relationship is not naturally comfortable.

The "I" in Team philosophy places responsibility on the individual to consider what they contribute to a relationship, especially a difficult one. We cannot control another person's personality, but we can examine whether our assumptions, reactions, or communication are making collaboration harder than necessary.

Some of our greatest professional growth can come from learning to work well with people who think very differently from us.

What has a difficult working relationship taught you about yourself?

Comparison can quietly turn teammates into competitors even when everyone is working toward the same goal.Someone receiv...
10/09/2026

Comparison can quietly turn teammates into competitors even when everyone is working toward the same goal.

Someone receives recognition, and we wonder why our work was overlooked. A colleague advances faster, and we begin measuring our progress against theirs. Another person's strengths become evidence of what we believe we lack.

The problem with constant comparison is that it distracts us from understanding our own contribution.

The “I” in Team is not about proving that one individual matters more than another. It is about recognizing that every person brings different strengths, experiences, responsibilities, and opportunities to contribute.

A team does not need everyone competing to become the same kind of valuable. It needs individuals who understand where they add value and continue developing that contribution.

Someone else's success does not automatically diminish yours. Sometimes their strength complements the very thing you bring to the team.

Are you developing your contribution, or spending too much energy measuring it against someone else's?

10/09/2026

Transparency should be a normal part of workplace culture, not something reserved for difficult moments. Brian Smith explains why leaders build stronger trust when they communicate openly about challenges, successes, and failures while helping employees understand where the organization stands and where it's headed.

Listen to the full podcast here:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

Trust isn't built overnight. It's earned through consistent actions, honest communication, and accountability.In this re...
10/09/2026

Trust isn't built overnight. It's earned through consistent actions, honest communication, and accountability.

In this revisit to Episode 282 of Daily Influence, host Brian S. Smith explores what it takes to create a high-trust workplace where people feel supported, valued, and confident working together.

Drawing from the "I" in Team Series and S.M.A.R.T. Management principles, Brian shares why transparency, empathy, and accountability are essential to building stronger relationships, encouraging innovation, and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

🌟 In this episode:
• How transparency and consistent communication help leaders establish trust throughout their organizations
• Why accountability and empathy must work together to create a reliable, supportive workplace
• How high-trust environments encourage collaboration, innovation, and meaningful contributions from every team member

📲 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

10/08/2026

Sometimes the biggest improvements begin by simplifying what matters most. Alicia Hughes shares how bringing her team back to one guiding question, “Is this in the best interest of the people we serve?”, helped create alignment, build momentum, and lay the foundation for meaningful organizational change.

Listen to the full podcast here:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

Strong workplace cultures aren't built through slogans. They're built through the actions leaders take every day.On toda...
10/08/2026

Strong workplace cultures aren't built through slogans. They're built through the actions leaders take every day.

On today’s Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Alicia Hughes, educator, executive leader, author, and TEDx speaker, to explore how putting people first can create measurable organizational results.

Alicia shares the leadership practices behind a 97% staff retention rate while leading 260 employees and helping increase a school's graduation rate from 30% to 90%. She explains why recognition, kindness, and knowing when to change direction can make a lasting difference.

🌟 In this episode:
• How intentional leadership practices can strengthen employee retention, trust, and workplace culture
• Why simplifying priorities and recognizing ineffective initiatives can lead to better decisions
• How small moments of kindness, recognition, and joy can help people feel valued and motivated

🔗 Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-victoria-hughes/
Email: [email protected]

📲 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

10/07/2026

Fixing a problem quickly does not always mean solving it. Brian Smith explains how repeatedly addressing symptoms without identifying the root cause can allow small issues to return, grow, and eventually become much bigger problems.

Listen to the full podcast here:
🔹 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-influence/id1692151268
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oHl6dCDByXkQeHiyUB75K?si=260da18d6772452a
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
🔹 iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-daily-influence-119778869/

A mistake was discovered during a project, but the most surprising part was that several people had already noticed it.O...
10/07/2026

A mistake was discovered during a project, but the most surprising part was that several people had already noticed it.

One person assumed someone senior would address it. Another did not want to interfere with someone else's responsibility. Someone else worried that raising the issue might create tension. By the time the problem was discussed openly, fixing it required far more time and effort.

Teams do not fail only because people make mistakes. Sometimes they fail because individuals see something important and decide it is safer to remain observers.

The "I" in Team perspective places value on individual contribution, and that includes the responsibility to contribute what you see, know, and understand when it can help the team.

Speaking up does not require having the perfect solution. Sometimes positive contribution begins simply by asking, “Have we considered this?”

The next time you notice something others may have missed, remember that your perspective may be exactly what the team needs.

What keeps capable people from speaking up when they know something is wrong?

Address

107 South 1st Street
Elgin, IL
60118

Telephone

(224) 523-7576

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The I in Team Series posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The I in Team Series:

Shortcuts

Share