Lena Reinhard’s Post

“The Mentally Strong Leader” by Scott Mautz, Chapter Seven – The Decision-Making Habit - https://lnkd.in/gxChmUeQ Decision-Making Habit #1 - Avoid Decision Making Biases * Gartner research show over 60% of employees cherry-pick data to support the decision they want to make. Check out the Bias Buster list on page 243. Decision-Making Habit #2 - Stop Bad Habits that Lead to Bad Decisions *Forty percent of our daily activity is driven by habits; most often habits we don't even think about. Check out the Bad Habit Inventory on page 247. Decision-Making Habit #3 - Clarify the Who, What and How of Decision-Making * Who makes the decision? * What (exactly) are you deciding * How will you decide? Decision-Making Habit #4 - Hold Disciplined Decision-Making Meetings * Define everyone's role * Control the discussion flow * Send decision-meeting agendas in advance Decision-Making Habit #5 - Know When to Decide and When Not To * Mentally strong leaders make better decisions time after time, but deciding at the right time. Check out the Decision Timing Table on page 255. Decision-Making Habit #6 - Collect Data Wisely, Analyze it Critically *Kellogg School of Management showed that in a typical meeting, an average of thee people do over 70% of the talking. Decision-Making Habit #7 - Explore a Better Third Option * Pairing Paradox - we're drawn to having two options to decide from. Decision-Making Habit #8 - Maximize Decision Confidence * Debate. Decide. Commit. Decision-Making Habit #9 - Elevate Your Predictive Ability *The most difficult decisions are made in the face of adversity. Decision-Making Habit #10 - Default to Being Decisive *The worst thing you can do as a leader is not decide. Next up: Chapter 8 - The Goal-Focus Habit

For most, uncertainty creates more stress than certain pain. How do you handle it as a leader? In a 2016 study, subjects with a 50% chance of receiving an electric shock were more stressed than those certain they would receive one. As leaders, it's easy to blame others or fall into the victim mentality when our business faces challenges. But we are responsible for the choices we make, especially under uncertainty. It's really hard to see that in yourself. A recent client came to every meeting with a fully baked plan of what to do, expecting appreciation for the forethought and frustrated by the strong resistance—often done quietly, through inaction. Most leaders fall into the "certainty trap." They declare what the outcome will look like and pass the hard work of managing uncertainty onto others. Uncertainty can trigger our fight, flight, or freeze response, causing us to withdraw. Here’s how to recognize these behaviors in yourself and others in a meeting setting: Fight Examples: - Dominating conversations - Engaging in unproductive conflict Flight Examples: - Avoiding confrontation - Denying changes in circumstances Freeze Examples: - Depression and demotivation - Analysis paralysis If you see these behaviors in your team, look in the mirror. As a leader, you are likely pushing certainty, avoiding uncertainty, and not appreciating the work being done by your team to bring it into the center of discussion. Reframe your thoughts constructively to change your reactions and foster a more positive environment. How do you manage uncertainty and ensure your team feels safe and energized?

Emotional Intelligence is crucial for leaders, with self-management being a key aspect. Leaders can enhance their self-management skills by identifying their emotions, taking time before reacting, surrounding themselves with supportive people, and practicing emotional agility.

Leading through crisis or change is one of the most challenging task for leaders. Our latest blog offers practical strategies and valuable insights that can help leaders guide their teams through difficult times effectively. https://bit.ly/3V0x24E

Emotional Intelligence is crucial for leaders, with self-management being a key aspect. Leaders can enhance their self-management skills by identifying their emotions, taking time before reacting, surrounding themselves with supportive people, and practicing emotional agility.

During my first years as a young manager, my boss passed by my cubicle and asked to speak with me. The second I closed the door, he screamed at me, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!??!?!?!?" I volunteered to develop a new flow that would save the company months of work, but I was late, putting the project at risk. Time was running out. I didn't scream back, I didn't argue, and I didn't lose my posture. Why? Because I was trained to operate in chaos. Because I identified anger and fear rising within me and chose to stay calm. Because I knew that reacting with the intent to stop the fear and blame would yield worse results. I responded calmly, respectfully, and to the point. I acknowledged that we were late and the risk to the project and shared my next steps. My manager calmed down. Many leaders operate well when they can control the outcome and the environment mostly stays the same. When there's too much change, they lose their calm and try to control the situation. Many times, they use micromanagement. After all, as humans, we hate change. Change creates chaos. Chaos is danger. Danger creates fear and anxiety. And who enjoys feeling that? However, chaos is normal and creates opportunities for creativity, innovation, and growth. The best teams are forged in chaos when people unite for a mutual cause. Leaders should welcome chaos and train themselves to operate effectively instead of controlling everything. The first step is to build awareness of how you feel during chaos. With practice and awareness, leaders can learn to operate more effectively. *If you want to help your organization operate more effectively in situations of chaos, contact me. * If you would like to see what I publish without relying on the algorithm, then click my profile picture, follow me, then click the 🔔 near my profile picture

https://lnkd.in/gF4caCut I like this short article. Ivory tower has been in my lexicon since I first heard the concept regarding people, executives, management, mentality of. It explained several things that did not make sense to me in good and bad experiences (growth) I have had in my career. 20 years old convinced, I am the anti-ivory tower guy, not me, never. I get it. I am susceptible. I have been in the condition. In my opinion it is a slippery slope, the webs you weave, the walls you put up. Since an apprentice I have found it odd that leaders and groups of leaders leading people can ever convince themselves they are dialed in or have they’re finger on the pulse when SOP is looking from a distance. It is not all metrics and pie charts. Engage for the sake of it. Be worthy of trust. If you don’t know, but got lucky enough to get a position that pays as if you do, read, study, find experts, get quality advisors in your ear. Delegate to the experts. Go for a meaningful walk around. Step into the shoes. Look around for the sake of looking around. It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David Thoreau

Excellent insight from Paul and the important work we do as leaders

You Naturally Lean Toward Either People or Results - Spoiler Alert, lean toward people and the results will follow Long-standing psychometric research into human behavior, as measured by assessments based on the DISC model, indicates that each of us has a natural leaning toward being either task focused (results) or relationship focused (people). More recent neurological research supports this predisposition as well. While we all have the capacity for both task and relationship, each of us tends to start with or emphasize one over the other. One side is simply more comfortable. The potential problem for us as leaders is that we automatically tend to lead from our comfort zone. For example, if you’re a task-focused leader, you’ll tend to be more focused on expectations and goals, holding people accountable for outcomes, ensuring your team gets stuff done, and driving results. On the other hand, as a relationship-focused leader, you’ll tend to be more focused on interacting with your people, listening to their perspectives, enhancing their experience of the workplace, and maintaining healthy relationships. Both areas of focus are important to leadership, but our comfort with either the task side or the relationship side means our leadership often becomes unbalanced. If we’re not mindful about our most comfortable, automatic tendencies toward either results or people, we end up rowing with one oar.

Monday motivation: Great leaders change lives. 12 things that make them memorable: 1. They Believe in You ↳ They see the potential you may not see in yourself. 2. They Trust You ↳ They give you the freedom to learn and grow. 3. They Lead by Example ↳ They show you the way through their own actions. 4. They Listen With Empathy ↳ They listen to understand, not just to reply. 5. They Respect Your Personal Life ↳ They value your time outside of work. 6. They Offer You Flexibility ↳ They make it easier to manage your responsibilities. 7. They Welcome Your Ideas ↳ They encourage you to share your perspective. 8. They Invest in Your Growth ↳ They support your development and career growth. 9. They Give You Honest Feedback ↳ Their constructive guidance helps you improve. 10. They Challenge You to Be Your Best ↳ They push you to stretch and reach your potential. 11. They Forgive Your Mistakes ↳ They create a safe environment for you and your team. 12. They Admit When They're Wrong ↳ They take responsibility for their mistakes. Great leaders are human too. They have bad days and make mistakes. But you know they genuinely care about you. They inspire you to be a better version of yourself. If you've had a leader like this, you know how valuable they are. They're the ones you remember long after you've moved on. And if you're a leader, be this kind for others. Agree? Repost to share with your network ♻️. P.S. Know a leader like this? Tag them in the comments.