Engaging Leader: Leadership communication principles with Jesse Lahey

Nearly half of your company’s payroll is being spent on things that don’t matter to your strategic goals. That’s based on results of a six-year global study of 350,000 people by the firm FranklinCovey. Here’s the good news: You can change your practices and the culture of your team to automatically self-orient around the important […]

Nearly half of your company’s payroll is being spent on things that don’t matter to your strategic goals. That’s based on results of a six-year global study of 350,000 people by the firm FranklinCovey. Here’s the good news: You can change your practices and the culture of your team to automatically self-orient around the important things that really make an impact. The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity is a new book that builds on the latest neuroscience plus decades of experience and research in the time management field. According to Kory Kogon and her co-authors, the result is time management redefined for the 21st century. Kory Kogon is the Global Productivity Practice Leader for FranklinCovey. She joins us to discuss the 5 choices: * The first two choices are focused on decision management. * Act on the important, don’t react to the urgent. * Go for extraordinary, don’t settle for ordinary. * The second two choices are focused on attention management. * Schedule the big rocks, don’t sort gravel. * Rule your technology, don’t let it rule you. * The last choice is focused on energy management. * Fuel your fire, don’t burn out. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Book: The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity * Website: www.the5choices.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kory-kogon/1/237/6ab * Twitter: @korykogon * TV interview on MSNBC: 5 Ways To Better Manage Your Time * TV interview on Today show: How To Get Your Email Organized 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.

The things you and your team want most—peace of mind, fulfilling relationships, success at work—are surprisingly straightforward to achieve. But habits and behaviors often trip up our best efforts. Let Peter Bregman help you learn quick, counter-intuitive actions that save time, boost energy, and increase productivity to get the results you want. To thrive in […]

The things you and your team want most—peace of mind, fulfilling relationships, success at work—are surprisingly straightforward to achieve. But habits and behaviors often trip up our best efforts. Let Peter Bregman help you learn quick, counter-intuitive actions that save time, boost energy, and increase productivity to get the results you want. To thrive in our fast-paced world, four seconds can help leaders and organizations make intentional choices that lead to better outcomes. In our conversation, we cover: * How to increase your ability to resist distractions and focus on what really matters * Why listening—not arguing—is the best strategy for changing someone’s mind * Why setting goals can actually harm performance * How to stop “performing” and start experiencing the moment (which will immediately improve your performance) Peter Bregman began his career teaching leadership on wilderness and mountaineering expeditions, and then moved into the consulting field with the Hay Group and Accenture, before starting Bregman Partners in 1998. His new book is Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Stop Counter-Productive Habits and Get the Results You Want. His previous book was the Wall Street Journal bestseller 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, winner of the Gold medal from the Axiom Business Book awards, named the best business book of the year on NPR, and selected by Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Post as a top 10 business book. Featured on PBS, ABC and CNN, Peter is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, National Public Radio (NPR), Psychology Today, and CNN. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Book: Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Stop Counter-Productive Habits and Get the Results You Want * Previous book: 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done * Website: www.peterbregman.com * Leadership school: peterbregman.com/leadership-school/ * Twitter: @peterbregman * Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeterBregmanAdvisor * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterbregman * Google+: plus.google.com/105321784293998607584/posts 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.

Today, more than 80 percent of large and mid-size employers offer wellness programs, and more than two-thirds offer financial incentives to take various wellness steps. However, a large percentage of employers don’t believe their wellness programs are working. In its 2012 national survey, Kaiser/HRET found only 52 percent of employers believed their wellness program was effective in reducing their company’s health care costs. And according to another study, only 44 percent of employers had actually evaluated the effectiveness of their program. Elizabeth Bierbower, President of the Employer Group Segment at Humana, joins us to discuss what you can learn from the mistakes other employers make with their wellness programs. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: Humana.com * LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/pub/elizabeth-bierbower/8/76/a16 * Article: “The Do’s and Don’ts of Measuring Wellness” * Article: “Why Wellness Isn’t Just About You” * Study: Employee Health Trumps ROI * Actuarial study: Wellness Study Associated With Health Improvement Through Lower Health Care Costs, Fewer Unscheduled Absences 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.

Storytelling is a key tool for leading change. In episode 102, “Storytelling for Leaders,” Amanda Marko joined us to discuss why it’s such a powerful tool and provided tips for putting it to work. In this episode, Amanda returns to talk more specifically on the “how” of storytelling for leaders, and she explains four storytelling […]

Storytelling is a key tool for leading change. In episode 102, “Storytelling for Leaders,” Amanda Marko joined us to discuss why it’s such a powerful tool and provided tips for putting it to work. In this episode, Amanda returns to talk more specifically on the “how” of storytelling for leaders, and she explains four storytelling frameworks to lead change: * Connection story: overcomes natural skepticism by letting people know that you are like them * Influence story: helps to change someone’s mind * Success story: a more personal and memorable version of a case study * Clarity story: an organizational narrative or strategic story Amanda Marko is president and chief connection officer of Connected Strategy Group, which helps leaders communicate their business strategy and engage stakeholders during times of change. Amanda is one of only a handful of people globally – and the first person in the U.S. – licensed to deliver Storytelling for Leaders, which teaches business leaders a proven method for creating messages that resonate, build engagement, and drive change. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Podcast episode: 102: Storytelling for Leaders: How to Influence, Engage & Inspire * Other Engaging Leader posts and videos about storytelling * Website: www.connectedstrategygroup.com * Workshop: www.connectedstrategygroup.com/storytelling-for-leaders * Free 30-minute audio training: “Making the Business Case for Storytelling”. * Twitter: @connectedstrat * LinkedIN profile: www.linkedin.com/in/amandamarko * LinkedIN company: www.linkedin.com/company/connected-strategy-group * Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Storytelling-For-Leaders-Workshops * Article: “When Managing Change, Don’t Just Defer to Data” * Article: “How to Uncover the Secrets Your Employees Hold” * Article: “The Cure for Micromanaging” Subscription Links iTunes Stitcher RSS Your Feedback If you like our show, please

As a leader, how can you create a great place to work that not only attracts great people but also promotes smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance? As you probably already know, there’s a popular annual survey about great places to work that boils everything down to trust. But is there more to it […]

As a leader, how can you create a great place to work that not only attracts great people but also promotes smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance? As you probably already know, there’s a popular annual survey about great places to work that boils everything down to trust. But is there more to it than that? In the brand-new book The Best Place to Work, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman, Ph.D. uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and management to reveal what really makes us successful at work. Combining powerful stories with cutting-edge research, Dr. Friedman shows leaders at every level how they can use scientifically-proven techniques to work smarter and turn any organization—regardless of its size, budgets, or ambitions—into an extraordinary workplace. An expert on human motivation, Friedman has served on the faculty of the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and consulted for some of the world’s most successful organizations. Popular accounts of his research have appeared on NPR and in major newspapers, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Vancouver Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Guardian, as well as magazines such as Men’s Health, Shape, and Allure. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Book: Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace * Company Website: www.ignite80.com * Twitter: @RonFriedman * LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/pub/ron-friedman-ph-d/b/53b/511 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.

Tobacco-free workplaces have become the norm, but what if your company still has older facilities that have permitted smoking and tobacco products for years? You may face serious resistance from employees, unions, and even local management to transition the facility to a tobacco-free workplace. How do you effectively engage employees and leaders to support the change to tobacco-free? To share her experience and discuss best practices, our guest is Laura Higginbotham. She is Health and Productivity Leader at Owens Corning, a Fortune 500 manufacturer with about 15,000 employees in 27 countries. OC is most famous for its PINK® FIBERGLAS™ insulation and its mascot, the Pink Panther. The Owens Corning World Headquarters campus has been tobacco-free since the new campus opened in the 1990s. Over the years, Owens Corning has also opened several new tobacco-free manufacturing plants, but at the beginning of 2013, smoking and tobacco products were still a part of daily life at several older factories. My interview with Laura was recently recorded onsite at OC’s World Headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/laura-higginbotham/5/80a/806 * Corporate website: www.owenscorning.com 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.

Is it possible to be at your best even when you are under-qualified or doing something for the first time? And after decades of experience, can you keep your skills from becoming obsolete and irrelevant, and recapture the curiosity and fearlessness of youth to take on new challenges? With the right mindset, you can. For […]

Is it possible to be at your best even when you are under-qualified or doing something for the first time? And after decades of experience, can you keep your skills from becoming obsolete and irrelevant, and recapture the curiosity and fearlessness of youth to take on new challenges? With the right mindset, you can. For today’s knowledge workers in this rapidly changing business environment, constant learning is more valuable than mastery. Liz Wiseman provides a guide for professionals seeking personal renewal, as well as for all leaders who must ensure their workforce remains vital and competitive. Liz Wiseman teaches leadership to executives around the world. Her new book is Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. She is also the author of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter and The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools. Wiseman conducts research in the fields of leadership and learning and writes for Harvard Business Review and other journals. Previously, she was an executive at Oracle Corporation, where she worked over the course of 17 years as the Vice President of Oracle University and as the global leader for Human Resource Development. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: www.TheWisemanGroup.com * Website: www.RookieSmarts.com * Website: MultipliersBooks.com * Book: Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work * Self-assessment: “Are you in the learning zone?” quiz * Twitter: @lizwiseman * Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Multipliers/104874642893022 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/Multipliers-Leadership-Network-4215807 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.

On Engaging Leader, we talk a lot about who you need to be and what you need to do to be an engaging leader. But what if you keep catching yourself doing the wrong things? For example, you know you shouldn’t practice command-and-control management or act like the smartest guy or gal in the room. […]

On Engaging Leader, we talk a lot about who you need to be and what you need to do to be an engaging leader. But what if you keep catching yourself doing the wrong things? For example, you know you shouldn’t practice command-and-control management or act like the smartest guy or gal in the room. But then at the end of another meeting, you realize you’ve once again taken control, made all the key decisions yourself, and stifled healthy debate. Are you doomed to be stuck in mediocre leadership? No, it’s probably just that a mental imbalance has crept into your life and is preventing you from living out the engaging leadership you are capable of. Body/mind balance can be upset by stress, life events, or trauma of any kind – including minor traumas like the flu, or bigger life upsets like a child leaving home, moving, or loss of a parent or friend. Our natural personality traits tend to get exaggerated by these imbalances, and Bach Flower Remedies can help us to come back into balance. Bach Remedies are natural remedies made from the flowers of 38 different plants. This is an alternative-medicine approach, along the lines of acupuncture, homeopathy and herbalism. In this episode, Jesse and his wife Erin discuss how Bach remedies work, where you can buy them, and how to use them. Five remedies a leader may find helpful: * Vervain – For those who are intense and have lots of ideas and want to convince others to jump on board with them * Impatiens – For those who are naturally impatient with others, feel like others can’t keep up with them. * Vine – For those who are natural leaders, dominant, bossy. Will temper that tendency and help you be a good leader, instead of pushy and demanding which can ultimately harm your efforts. Good in combination with impatiens. * Oak – Mental fatigue and strain from prolonged effort, those who have ultra-responsible personalities. Can stifle your creativity. Self-reliant types who don’t want to delegate. * Olive – Worn out from too much taking care of things or others for too long. Just feel tired and worn out. Want to just sit and do nothing. Four remedies that can help you sleep better: * Impatiens (same as above) * Vervain (same as above) * Rock Rose – Intense nervousness, feeling of being threatened (work overload, job insecurity, etc.) * White Chestnut –  For thoughts that just go round and round in your head. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: www.FeelBach.com * Website: www.BachFlower.com * Amazon: Flower Essences department 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

Chronic medical conditions drive more than 75% of health care spending. However, people with a chronic condition typically get care through a health system designed for acute care — fragmented, episodic care triggered by an adverse health event. This episode discusses how employers can better engage the sicker portion of their employees and family members to improve health and reduce costs. Scott Wallace is a visiting professor at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and a leading expert in employee-health strategy and chronic-disease-care design. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * Website: Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine * Workshops: Redefining Health Care * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/scott-wallace/b/a44/374 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.