Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. This Monday show helps you discover leadership wisdom through insightful conversations. Independently produced weekly since 2...
727: How to Show Up Authentically in Tough Situations, with Andrew Brodsky
Andrew Brodsky: Ping
Andrew Brodsky is an award-winning professor, management consultant, and virtual communications expert at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He is an expert in workplace technology, communication, and productivity, and serves as the CEO of Ping Group. He is the author of Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication*.
We’ve all heard the well intended advice that having interactions in person is always best. And that being as close to perfect as possible is ideal. Turns out, not always. In this conversation, Andrew and I explore how adapting to the context of tough situations can help you show up in a way that’s helpful for the other party and for you.
Key Points
In virtual interactions, what feels authentic to you may not seem authentic to the person you’re interacting with.
While video is best for being present, it may not be best when your underlying emotions could leak into a situation.
Surface acting helps us all land with the other party more authentically. Audio only can help this land better.
If using a less rich medium to communicate (i.e. email instead of a conversation) it’s helpful to explain why you made that choice.
People who appear perfectly competent may not be as likable. Consider surfacing blunders that aren’t central to the core expertise of your work.
We often default to the medium that works best for us. Consider what will land best with the other party.
Resources Mentioned
Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication* by Andrew Brodsky
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Genuinely Show Up for Others, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 590)
How to Make a Better Impression on Camera, with Mark Bowden (episode 643)
How to Grow From Feedback, with Jennifer Garvey Berger (episode 713)
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37:44
726: Make Work Better Through Simplicity, with Paul Akers
Paul Akers: 2 Second Lean
Paul Akers is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for the professional builder. Through a series of twists and turns he discovered Lean and the Toyota Production System (TPS) which was instrumental in propelling FastCap as an example of Lean manufacturing and culture, now followed by thousands of companies around the world. He is the author of 2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home*.
We often add more in order to make a system better. The opposite tactic is often more useful: making things simpler. In this conversation, Paul and I explore how to make worker better by starting small.
Key Points
Your pride will blind you to what you most need to learn.
Begin by addressing the things that bug you. Lean is about making things simpler.
Instead of batching, consider one-piece flow. This helps you improve as you go.
Set the standard at 2 seconds to try something new. Anybody can achieve that.
Start in the bathroom. Showing respect in the place everybody visits sets a standard for the rest of the organization.
To make something stick, (1) set the expectation, (2) inspect the expectation, (3) reinforce the expectation.
Resources Mentioned
2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home* by Paul Akers
Example of 2 second lean in practice
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How To Create Joy At Work, with Richard Sheridan (episode 122)
Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
How to Change the Way You Think, with Ari Weinzweig (episode 592)
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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
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37:16
725: Leading with Humility: Three Shifts that Empower Others, with Joel Pérez
Joel Pérez: Dear White Leader
Joel Pérez is an executive and leadership coach, speaker, and consultant who is passionate about helping leaders and organizations achieve their goals and develop a posture of cultural humility. He has over twenty years of experience in higher education, serving in various key leadership roles. He is the author of Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility*.
We could all get a bit better at bringing a dose of humility into our work. Inside organizations, cultural humility starts with how leaders show up each day. In this episode, Joel and I examine three shifts that will help us better empower others.
Key Points
While humility starts with an individual, it must move beyond them to improve the organization.
Maintain high standards while avoiding perfectionism by discussing how mistakes get handled in advance.
To prevent a sense of urgency from rushing a bad decision, consider who’s missing from the conversation.
Listen, ask curious questions, and say thank you when receiving criticism.
Criticism doesn’t need to be addressed in the moment. Consider reflection, other data points, and responding more in a future interaction.
Resources Mentioned
Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility* by Joel Pérez
Dear White Leader website
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
The Starting Point for Inclusive Leadership, with Susan MacKenty Brady (episode 584)
How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551)
How to Discover What People Want, with Tiziana Casciaro (episode 565)
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39:15
Help People Move Towards Vision, with Brooks Bradford
Dave speaks with Brooks Bradford, an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, on how he got intentional about motivating people – and himself – towards an important vision. Applications to the Coaching for Leaders Academy will close on Friday, March 14, 2025. Visit the Academy page for details and to apply.
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21:07
724: How to Bring Out the Best in People, with Donna Hicks
Donna Hicks: Leading with Dignity
Donna Hicks is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the former Deputy Director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution (PICAR). She has facilitated dialogues in numerous unofficial diplomatic efforts and was a consultant to the BBC in Northern Ireland, where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She is the author of Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict and Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People*.
Everyone wants to be treated in a way that shows they matter. We may differ in status, but we are all equal in dignity. In this episode, Donna and I explore how appreciating dignity can help us bring out the best in people.
Key Points
Everyone wants to be treated in a way that shows they matter.
Dignity is different from respect. Everyone has dignity, but not everyone deserves respect.
A major misconception of dignity is that we receive our worth from external sources.
We’re at our best when connected to our own dignity, connected to the dignity of others, and connected to the dignity of something bigger.
Start with vulnerability and empathy. These open the doors to connecting with your own dignity and the dignity of others.
We may differ in status, but we are all equal in dignity.
Resources Mentioned
Dignity: It’s Essential Role in Resolving Conflict* by Donna Hicks
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People* by Donna Hicks
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143)
Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254)
Help People Show Up as Themselves, with Frederic Laloux (episode 580)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. This Monday show helps you discover leadership wisdom through insightful conversations. Independently produced weekly since 2011, Dr. Dave Stachowiak brings perspective from a thriving, global leadership academy, plus more than 15 years of leadership at Dale Carnegie. Bestselling authors, expert researchers, deep conversation, and regular dialogue with listeners have attracted 40 million downloads and the #1 search result for management on Apple Podcasts. Activate your FREE membership to access the entire leadership and management library at CoachingforLeaders.com