Who experiences greater levels of stress: non-leaders or the boss? When I ask this question while teaching workshops on leadership, nearly all the bosses in the room respond that they are the ones under greater stress. They’re wrong. Hard data makes it clear that non-leaders experience greater stress and in many instances it has a negative effect on their performance.
Texans know every herd follows a lead steer.
On several days throughout the year, you can see a herd in the old cow town of Fort Worth, Texas, a city of approximately 800,000 people, following its lead steer. The surprise, however, is that this herd is on bicycles and its lead steer is their mayor, Betsy Price.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD), which published my new book Connection Culture, featured this article in the April 2015 issue of TD Magazine. Check out “Connect to Engage” to learn how transforming managers into leaders can boost employee engagement.
| Date: | April 1, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Appearance: | Article in TD Magazine |
| Outlet: | TD Magazine |
| Format: | Magazine |
What sports fan in the 1980s and 1990s wasn’t inspired by Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player ever? His last-second jump shots, airborne dunks, and tenacious defensive coverage made him a crowd-pleasing favorite. Now Jordan has been recognized as the first professional athlete to become a billionaire. What can we learn from his success?
I am excited to announce that my latest book, Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work is now available!
Connection Culture includes inspiring stories of great leaders who created connection cultures, scientific evidence that people and organizations need connection cultures to thrive, and descriptions of ways to connect that include attitudes, uses of language and behaviors. Written for busy leaders with little time to waste, Connection Culture is concise, inspiring, and practical.
Here’s a few of the wonderful reviews Connection Culture has received:
“A great leadership guide for leaders at every level.”
–Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute
“This is more than a great read; Michael’s connection strategy is a game changer for leaders.”
–Vernon Clark, Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Former Chief of Naval Operations
“Connection Culture provides ideas, actions, and pathways that servant leaders can use to not only enhance performance, but more importantly to build a strong culture.”
–Howard Behar, Former President, Starbucks International
To learn more about the book and to purchase, please visit www.connectionculture.com/book.
It’s ironic that successful self-leadership has more to do with others and less to do with self. I learned this later in life.
The sooner you see it, the better.
Following are three lessons I learned from personal and professional experiences over the course of my life. My hope is that they will help you be more successful over your career and journey in life.
#78 Discuss a Story a WeekPart IV of Fired Up or Burned Out has 20 inspiring stories of great leaders who created Connection Cultures (see pages 132-194). Take your team through one story each week and discuss how you can employ the practices in each chapter to your workplace.
To receive a complimentary digital copy of Fired Up or Burned Out, sign up for my Connect to Thrive newsletter, which offers helpful tips and resources on connection.
This is the seventy-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
If you asked your employees what the organization’s core values are, could they tell you? Most cannot.
This is a problem for leaders since it is impossible to create a healthy corporate culture, which I refer to as a “Connection Culture,” if employees can’t articulate what the organization stands for. Furthermore, the organization’s values should be ones that encourage connection and teamwork, rather than silos and dysfunctional behavior.
The following steps can help leaders to identify and establish core values that are meaningful and encourage connection across the entire organization:
