Engaging Leader: Leadership communication principles with Jesse Lahey

Some people fall far short of their leadership potential because they let the best part of their time, energy, and focus get sucked up by non-strategic tasks like replying to emails. On the other end of the spectrum are leaders who don’t have the impact they’d like because they don’t consistently respond to important emails. […]

Some people fall far short of their leadership potential because they let the best part of their time, energy, and focus get sucked up by non-strategic tasks like replying to emails. On the other end of the spectrum are leaders who don’t have the impact they’d like because they don’t consistently respond to important emails. When people can’t rely on a leader for appropriate communications, their trust and confidence will erode. By adopting effective email habits, leaders gain several key benefits: * Clear, strategic thinking * Uninterrupted work focused on pre-defined priorities (answering emails generally is not work that is adding value) * Real conversations that demonstrate leadership presence * Full delegation of responsibility * Timely responses to emails that truly deserve your attention Over the years, I’ve adopted several practices to maximize productivity despite the increasing volume of email. Here are several critical practices for leaders, regardless of your email application. * Turn off notifications on your desktop computer and mobile devices. An incoming email is not more important than the person you are currently talking to or the task you had proactively chosen to work on. Every time you take your focus off your current conversation or task to look at an incoming email, you subtract from your leadership presence and deep thinking. * Invest time setting up email filters. I use several filters so that only key email hits my inbox. Here are my two most important filters: * CC Mail: If my name doesn’t appear in the “To” field of an email, it goes into a “CC Mail” folder. These CC (and BCC) emails rarely require me to take action, and it saves a huge amount of distraction to keep them out of my inbox. I simply scan the folder several times each week to help me stay in the loop. The following image shows how I created this filter in Google Apps (Gmail). * Bulk Mail: As you know, spam is unsolicited email, and your email program should be helping you filter out that email automatically. Bulk email (also called “Bacn”) refers to e-newsletters, social media digests, monthly billing statements, and other email that you want to receive but has zero urgency. It’s a pain to set up a filter that includes all these senders (and add new ones as you sign up for them), but over time it adds up to a lot of time saved; also, email programs are beginning to provide smart filters that help automate this. These emails skip my inbox and go into a separate folder that I review a few times each month. * Turn off incoming email. Process incoming email only during scheduled timeblocks (see the next hack). However, you may need a solution for this that still allows you to 1) obtain information from past emails related to something you’re working on, and/or 2) access incoming emails that you consider time-sensitive at that moment. I use Inbox Pause for Gmail as my solution, because it allows me to access past emails without being distracted by new emails, and it allows me to see incoming emails if I really need to, by searching for the sender’s name or domain. * Determine how often and what time you really need to process your email. Given my role, I perform best if I limit this to once or twice per day … generally just a single mid-afternoon session. My main goal is to spend one hour or less per day on email,

The best wellness programs are ones people don’t even know they’re doing. That may sound like a pipe dream, but a leading researcher says it’s realistic and effective. A few small changes in the workplace can change a waistline … and a culture. Leading behavioral economist, food psychologist, and bestselling author Brian Wansink, Ph.D., joins us to discuss both small tweaks and major redesigns that actually work in helping employees make healthier choices. The answer is not to tell people how to eat, or to limit their lunchtime menu to spinach and legumes. Instead, Wansink says the solution is to set up the workplace environment so employees will naturally eat healthier – and so your foodservice vendor will still be profitable. As Brian and Jesse discuss, the easiest way to reverse weight gain and related health problems is to work with human nature, not against it. They share ideas for “mindless” eating solutions for a healthier workforce, and explain how leaders can use a 100-point scorecard to see where you are – and how to get where you want to be. Brian Wansink, Ph.D. is a nutritionist, behavioral economist, professor, and the director of Cornell University’s renowned Food and Brand Lab. He is the author of the bestselling book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, as well as hundreds of professional books and peer-reviewed journal articles. His newest book is Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Slim By Design: * Book: Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life * Twitter: @slimbydesign * Facebook: www.facebook.com/SlimByDesign * Website: www.slimbydesign.org * For Brian Wansink: * Twitter: @BrianWansink * Facebook: www.facebook.com/brian.wansink * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wansink * Food and Brand Lab: * Twitter: @CUFood_BrandLab * Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Cornell-Food-and-Brand-Lab/172471172043 * Website: foodpsychology.cornell.edu Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please

Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. When you are fully charged, you get more done, your mind is sharp and creative, you feel fully alive – and you are a better leader, parent, spouse, and friend. Does that happen by accident, or are there specific actions that create […]

Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. When you are fully charged, you get more done, your mind is sharp and creative, you feel fully alive – and you are a better leader, parent, spouse, and friend. Does that happen by accident, or are there specific actions that create this daily charge? Tom Rath is a research scientist with The Gallup Organization who has spent his entire career studying workplace engagement, health, and well-being. He last joined us in Engaging Leader episode 58 to discuss his bestselling book Eat Move Sleep. His newest book is Are You Fully Charged? 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life. Tom joins us today to discuss the most proven and practical strategies to help you be fully charged – and to help you teach and coach the people you lead to be fully charged too. According to Rath’s latest research, three key conditions differentiate days when you have a full charge: * Meaning: doing something today that makes a positive difference, especially if it benefits another person * Interactions: creating far more positive than negative moments * Energy: making choices that improve your mental and physical health Jesse and Tom discuss proven and practical tips in all three areas to help you be fully charged – and to help you teach and coach the people you lead to be fully charged too. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Tom’s book: Are You Fully Charged? 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life * Book mentioned by Tom: The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work * Documentary movie: Fully Charged – features interviews with leading experts, as well as real-life examples, to reveal sme of the most practical ways we can all energize our work and life * Book for kids: The Rechargeables – a timeless story about how to be healthy and create energy in our daily lives * Mobile app: Welbe – tracks how you eat, move, and sleep, connecting with wearable devices (Fitbit, Jawbone, etc.) and with friends across platforms (iOS, Android, etc.) * Website: tomrath.org * Twitter: @TomCRath * Previous interview: 058 – EAT MOVE SLEEP: Why Small Choices Make a Big Difference Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback

Gamification and mobile technology can both make it easier for employees to use their benefits, and provide the motivation to make it what they want to do. In past episodes of Game Changer, we’ve looked at some gamified applications related to certain health benefits – such as episode 3 with UnitedHealth, episode 7 with Movable, and episode 11 with Mindbloom. Today, we’re looking at MacroLife and its creators say it integrates not just health care but a wide range of employee benefits. MacroLife is a new gamified benefits solution from ACI Specialty Benefits, one of the 10 largest providers in the US of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, as well as wellness, work/life, concierge, and student assistance services. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Video about MacroLife: acieap.com/gameofbenefits * Video about ACI: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp5ClfeyLv8 * MacroLife website:  www.acimacrolife.com * ACI Website: http://www.acispecialtybenefits.com * Twitter: @ACISpecBenefits * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aci-specialty-benefits * Facebook www.facebook.com/ACISpecialtyBenefits To stay up on the latest news and trends in employee gamification, join the Game Changer group on LinkedIn. Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. Five years ago, Jesse had given up on the umpteenth system he’d tried for organization and productivity. As he went back to the drawing board, he discovered that a new approach had taken the world by storm. It was called Getting Things […]

Being an engaging leader starts with engaging your own work and life optimally. Five years ago, Jesse had given up on the umpteenth system he’d tried for organization and productivity. As he went back to the drawing board, he discovered that a new approach had taken the world by storm. It was called Getting Things Done (GTD), and five years later, it still guides Jesse’s personal productivity as well as our project management at Aspendale Communications. Now, a completely re-written and updated edition of the bestselling book has been released. The book is Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen. Jesse and David discuss what’s in the new edition, talk through some of the most powerful and easy-to-implement GTD practices, troubleshoot some of the pitfalls, and provide advice how to engage the rest of the team with GTD. Examples of the Art of GTD * Mind like water (Get stuff out of your head, into a reliable system, so your brain doesn’t feel pressured to hold onto it. Your brain is for having ideas, not for holding onto ideas.) * Clarify outcomes * Decide next actions Examples of the Practice (“Tricks”) of GTD * For actionable items: Two-minute rule (Dump it, Do it, Delegate it, or Defer it) * For nonactionable items: Labeler and one or more filing cabinets (General Reference files, Project Support files, etc. – with files simply alphabetized) Tricks That Took Jesse Multiple Tries to Successfully Implement * Cloud-based organizer for Next Actions (since 2012 has Basecamp for client projects and Toodledo for all other tasks) * Weekly Review Tricks That Jesse Re-discovered after Reading the 2015 Edition of Getting Things Done * Project List vs. Next Actions lists * Weekly Processing vs. Weekly Planning * Email Processing vs. Email Replies * Contexts The Getting Things Done steps: Capture—collect what has your attention Clarify—process what it means (“what’s the next action?”) Organize—put it where it belongs Reflect—review frequently (weekly is appropriate for most items) Engage—make the best action choices based on the context, available time and energy, and priority Resources Mentioned in This Episode * David’s book: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity * Website: gettingthingsdone.com * Twitter: @gtdguy * Instagram: @dallen45 * Setup guides: Guides for implementing GTD with specific tools such as Google Apps, Evernote, Outlook, iPhone/iPad, and paper organizers * Book recommended by David: BrainChains: Discover your brain, to unleash its full potential in a hyperconnected, multitasking world * Book recommended by Jesse: The One Minute To-Do List: Quickly Get Your Chaos Completely Under...

According to The Gallup Organization, only 24% of employees at companies that offer a wellness program actually participate in it. What’s more, only 12% of employees strongly agree that they have substantially higher overall well-being because of their employer. Today we’ll discuss what’s wrong with the traditional approach to workplace wellness, and how your organization can improve health, employee engagement, and the bottom line by taking a whole-person approach that allows employees to thrive across five universal elements of well-being: * Purpose/Career: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals * Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life * Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security * Community: liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community * Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily Doug Stover is a senior managing consultant with Gallup. He’s business leader for Gallup’s Well-being consulting practice, a strategic advisor for Gallup’s leading clients, and a public speaker on well-being in corporate environments. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: www.gallup.com * Website: www.healthways.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/doug-stover/0/bb0/662/en * Article: Memo to Executives: Well-Being Boosts Employee Engagement * Article: Most Company Wellness Programs Are a Bust * Article: Study mentioned by Doug that looks at well-being by occupation * Book: Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements * Texas Health Resources Wellbeing Program Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

How do you move people from being passive followers doing what they were told, to becoming proactive, engaged leaders themselves? We’ll give you a hint: It’s not about being visionary or giving the right orders. David Marquet is the author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders. David was […]

How do you move people from being passive followers doing what they were told, to becoming proactive, engaged leaders themselves? We’ll give you a hint: It’s not about being visionary or giving the right orders. David Marquet is the author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders. David was the commander of a U.S. nuclear submarine when he decided to flip old ideas of command-and-control leadership on their head. He vowed to never give another order (except to launch a weapon), replace instructions with intent, and give the control of the ship to his officers and crew. In this conversation, we’ll learn how that worked out, and what business leaders can learn from his story about how and why to turn followers into leaders. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: www.davidmarquet.com * Book: Turn the Ship Around! * Ladder of Leadership: www.ladderofleadership.com * Twitter: @ldavidmarquet * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/L-David-Marquet/423471681025176 * Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/davidmarquet * Article: Why Motivating Starts with Using the Right Language (Ladder of Leadership) Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

Longtime listeners of Game Changer know that gamification isn’t about rewards and competition. The most effective gamification makes use of intrinsic drivers to engage employees. GamEffective strives to be the “Fitbit of work,” taking the place of traditional performance management, feedback, and even continuous improvement practices such as kaizens. Gal Rimon is CEO of GamEffective, which he founded in 2012, with the vision of bringing next-generation gamification to enterprise applications. Previously, was CEO of Gilon-Synergy Business Insight, a national leader in Business Intelligence. In 2010, Gilon-Synergy was acquired for $20 million by Ness Technologies (NASDAQ:NSTC) and Gal went on to serve as Senior VP at Ness, and was member of its executive management.  Prior to that he was VP customer relations and operations at Deloitte Consulting. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: www.gameffective.com * Twitter: @galrimon and @gameffective * LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/company/gameffective * Article: “Gamification and Kaizen – using gamification for continuous process improvement” * Article: “Gamification is the new corporate performance management” * Article: “How to communicate your enterprise gamification project: best practices” * Article: “Why conventional wisdom about enterprise gamification is flat out wrong” To stay up on the latest news and trends in employee gamification, join the Game Changer group on LinkedIn. Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

It’s sort of a chicken-or-the-egg question. To take your next step toward great leadership, do you start with introspection and learning to think like a leader? Or do you put yourself into positions where you are forced to learn by doing? Most leadership books and courses give you one answer. But a contrarian and counter-intuitive […]

It’s sort of a chicken-or-the-egg question. To take your next step toward great leadership, do you start with introspection and learning to think like a leader? Or do you put yourself into positions where you are forced to learn by doing? Most leadership books and courses give you one answer. But a contrarian and counter-intuitive new book by one of the world’s top business experts says they’re wrong. Herminia Ibarra was a Harvard professor for 13 years, and she’s currently professor at INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France. Thinkers 50 placed her among the 10 most influential business gurus in the world. She joins us to discuss her newest book, Act Like a Leader. Think Like a Leader. Herminia’s research shows you must act your way into a new type of leadership thinking. Branch out beyond your routine work, habitual networks, and historical ways of defining yourself, and these new ways of acting will change the way you think and expand your capacity to be a leader. Join us as Jesse and Herminia discuss issues such as: * Does making the leap to bigger leadership start inside us (self-assessment and introspection) or outside us (experimentation)? * Does the research support a “fake it to make it” approach? * If becoming a great leader is less about thinking about how you will lead and more about doing leadership work, what are the most important responsibilities of leadership work? * The easiest ways to get started in each of the three ways we can step up to great leadership: * Redefine the scope of your job to make time for more strategic work and more work outside your function, department, or even organization. * Diversify your network by forming relationships and interacting with people who see the world differently. * Expand your sense of identity by experimenting with unfamiliar and playful ways of connecting and engaging with others to get things done. * Many experts recommend that leaders set aside a few hours each week for uninterrupted thinking, in order to have more and better strategic ideas. What would you recommend instead? * Is it really an either/or situation? If I’m a first-time leader, or even a seasoned leader who wants to develop further, should I combine the learn-by-doing approach and the think-then-act approach? Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Book:  Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader * Website: www.herminiaibarra.com * Twitter: @HerminiaIbarra Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please rate us on iTunes. That makes a huge difference in helping more people discover it. We love to know your thoughts about this episode. Please submit your comments below! You can also email comments to Jesse at jesse@engagingleader.com, subscribe to him on 

A recent study found that the U.S. lags behind other countries in improving disease prevention and life expectancy. America’s weak link? The workplace, according to the study. But it’s also one of the easiest to strengthen, and the workplace provides a unique platform for engaging people to adopt healthier habits. In particular, the still-evolving field of behavioral economics provides opportunities for employers to use evidence-based strategies to improve the health of their workforce. Jesse is joined by Dr. Derek Yach from the Vitality Institute, to discuss the reasons for this health care gap – and what your company can do to engage your workforce for better health and productivity. Their conversation includes three components of behavioral economics to help employees – despite everyone’s irrational-but-natural inclination to choose short-term gratification even if it has negative long-term consequences – take healthier actions: * Financial incentives (such as discounts, lotteries, rewards, etc.) * Choice architecture (especially a healthy “default” if no choice is taken) * Tools to make healthful choices easier than unhealthy choices. The study by the Vitality Institute was recently published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The Vitality Institute is an action-oriented global research organization working to strengthen the evidence base about what works and what doesn’t work in health promotion and disease prevention. As described by National Public Radio, the Vitality Institute “finds ways to pay people to do healthful things” like eating more vegetables or exercising. In doing so, it helps health plans around the globe (including its parent company, Discovery Limited, South Africa’s largest health insurance company) save on health care costs. Derek Yach has focused his career on advancing global health. He is Senior Vice President (SVP) of the Vitality Group, where he leads the Vitality Institute. Previously, Dr. Yach was SVP Global Health and Agriculture Policy at PepsiCo, headed global health at the Rockefeller Foundation, was a Professor of Global Health at Yale University, and is a former Executive Director for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health of the World Health Organization (WHO). Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Twitter: @swimdaily * LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/pub/derek-yach/61/692/533/en * Books by leading behavioral economist and food psychologist Brian Wansink, Ph.D.: * Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think * Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life * Article: Workplace Health Programs Are Key to Improving American Life Expectancy and Health * Article: Making the Workplace a More Effective Site for Prevention * NPR radio interview and article: How One Man Tried To Slim Down Big Soda From The Inside * Article: