Training & Leadership Success LLC

07/16/2024

The words you use have an outsized impact on your team’s performance and culture.

If you want to build an environment where people:
-Seek help
-Have each other’s backs
-Are open to feedback
-Use innovative problem-solving
-Achieve superior results …

… add one of these phrases to your conversations just 1X a week:

1. “I’ve made this mistake before when I was new / in your shoes.”
2. “This is new territory for us all - including me. So, I’m going to need everyone’s input.”
3. “I appreciate you bringing this bad news to me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Let’s learn from it.”
4. “I made a mistake. Can you help me figure this out?”
5. “You look concerned. How can I help?”

When you show your team that mistakes are learning opportunities and that you’re not perfect (who is?!) you build a psychologically safe environment where people excel.

Try it! Small, consistent steps will have a massive impact on your culture in just a few months.

☎️ Reach out to us for more guidance on “How To Say It”.

Graphic featuring the brilliant Amy Edmondson.

07/08/2024

Thank you Edward Segal for including our CEO Loren Margolis in your Forbes article about what executives can learn from the presidential debate.

You’re aware of your body language when you’re presenting. But what about when you’re NOT speaking - but still on stage?

You’re still signaling your level of gravitas and competence even when you’re not speaking.

Learn how to handle those situations, and your nerves, here.

Biden’s disastrous performance at the recent presidential debate is a reminder for executives on how to avoid repeating his mistakes when delivering presentations.

06/27/2024

How do the best leaders create a culture that attracts and keeps their best people? Our CEO, Loren Margolis is featured in U.S. News and World Report discussing the top characteristics that great companies share:
• Psychological safety. Employees are encouraged to speak up and take risks without fear of punishment.
• Career growth. Great organizations provide opportunities for learning and development.
• Feedback culture. Positive and constructive feedback is communicated consistently, so people know what they do well and what needs improvement.

➡️ Read how you can identify a great place to work and steer clear of the bad ones.

Great companies to work for often share these characteristics.

06/19/2024

Trust is the currency of leadership. People must trust your words and your actions for you to effectively lead them and your organization.

Think about how many interactions you have in a single day. That’s how many opportunities you have to build - and keep trust.

Focus on these three elements if you want to deepen the trust of others.

1.) You Act Authentically: People trust you when they interact with the real you. You don’t “wear” one face at work and and another outside of work. You also act genuinely and consistently with everyone - regardless of rank or title.

2.) Your Competence Is High: People trust you when they can have faith in your capabilities.

3.) You Act With Empathy: People trust you when they believe you truly care about them.

Now, over to you …
* Which part of this triangle is the strongest element for you?
* Which part can use strengthening?
_________________________
Based on the research of Anne Morriss and Frances Frei featured in HBR. Sketchnote by Tanmay Vora.

09/19/2023

It’s great to be in the company of such accomplished business owners and coaches as we share recommendations for how you can help your employees adjust to coming back to the office. Thank you Forbes Coaches Council for bringing us together.

Managers now find themselves responsible for ensuring a seamless transition for team members returning to in-person work after a prolonged period of working remotely.

08/28/2023

What do you think? Is a name-brand company better for your career growth than a good job title?

… It depends.

Loren Margolis shares the answer to this age-old question and more in The Muse

The answer is complicated, but here it is.

08/24/2023

Our Founder, Loren Margolis shares timeless tips in Thrive Global about how to get your mind and your whole self back on track after your summer holiday.

If you’re struggling to be productive after taking time to recharge, these tips will help you get back into work mode.

08/23/2023

💲"Appreciation is a currency that you can freely spend without fear of bankruptcy." I shared with a leader in our recent coaching session.

My client smiled.
He asked if he could quote me.
He was about to have a team meeting.

My client is the head of R&D at a pharma company. He's an inspirational, strategic leader. His people and clients love him.

His 360 feedback came back with a noticeable opportunity for growth.
The teams around him shared that they craved *recognition*.

They were tired.

They worked so hard during the pandemic. Now, post-pandemic supply chain woes continue to wear them out. He doesn't share readily share appreciation.

He's been short listed for global COO and decided to develop in this area.

He made a plan to more consistently, genuinely share appreciation.

✅ Send short, group Slack messages.

✅ Add appreciation as a monthly bullet point to his 1x1 agendas.

✅ Remind himself (OK, his assistant put it into his calendar) to observe his people and "catch them" doing something great.

It just started a week ago - so, I'll keep you posted.

Over to you ... When was the last time you shared short, sincere appreciation to your employees?
- When they burn the midnight oil.
- When they go out of their way for a client or colleague?
- When they step out of their comfort zone and succeed?

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💡We work with organizations to develop self-aware, confident leaders who strategically grow your business.
✅ Follow this page for leadership development insight.
☎️ Reach out to learn how we can help your organization’s leaders to grow.

08/14/2023

26% of your career growth rests on your Executive Presence.

You know it when you see it in someone else …
It draws you to that leader.
It earns your trust.
It keeps your attention.

But what exactly is it—and how can you develop it?

Professor Brooke Vuckovic from Kellogg School of Management researched it created this formula.

While these 3 underlying components are universal, executive presence still looks different in each person, situation and culture.

1.) Credibility
- Deep expertise.
- Your ability to *communicate* that expertise through verbal, vocal, non-verbal tools.

2.) Ease
- Your emotional agility, or ability to manage your feelings in difficult situations.
- Your relationships. How well you connect with others — demonstrating authentic interest in others through listening, empathy and social skills.

3.) Ego
- The right balance of true confidence and true humility.
- Demonstrating that you believe that you have something to contribute —and that you believe other people do, too.

📌 Executive presence is a must for career growth.

Additional tools in the comments.
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💡We work with organizations to develop self-aware leaders who engage teams and grow your business. Reach out to learn how we can help your leaders to grow.

07/31/2023

Facilitating important meetings in front of key stakeholders can make anyone anxious, especially when your audience is making important, strategic decisions based on your recommendations.

Introverts sometimes need time to mull over their thoughts before speaking up, which can unfairly affect how you’re perceived at meetings when a snappy comeback is expected.

There are ways to work around this challenge …

✔️If you’re leading the meeting, keep a private agenda just for yourself with all of your notes and who you’ll be calling on to support your ideas or answer questions you may not be able to answer.

✔️ Speak with the people that you’ll be calling on (get their permission if you need to), to give them a heads up that you’ll be referring to topics or questions to them.

✔️Plan what you’ll “spontaneously” say. Write down your thoughts and prepare your speaking points in advance so you look spontaneous.

✔️ If you’re a participant, get the meeting agenda in advance so you know what topics will be covered, the questions that may be asked, and when you’ll likely be called on.

I share key tips for introverted leaders in this U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce article. Read it here:

How do you prepare when you need to be “on stage” at important meetings?

While extroverts are more commonly found in leadership roles, introverts can also serve as highly successful executives with unique skillsets.

07/24/2023

While our work culture has a ways to go, we see many organizations are finally waking up to the fact that command and control leadership doesn't work. That supportive, psychologically safe workplaces are essential to retaining your best talent. Read how psychological safety is key to attracting and retaining your best talent.

Rather than perpetuating the same old top-down power dynamics, leaders can instead prioritize employees' needs.