Talk Like A Leader

At some time in your leadership journey, you will need to manage a timing or priority conflict with another person. They will stop you in the hall while you are on your way to a meeting and ask for a quick decision. You will get a phone call while you are composing an important email. When this happens, you will probably want to defer the engagement AND protect the relationship. In this episode, I’ll share a strategy you can often use to do that well. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Most people thrive in environments where there are more positive experiences than negative experiences, and it can be difficult to create that type of environment at work. Most people notice and comment on what went wrong in preference to noticing and commenting on what went right. As leaders, we want engaged, committed, positive teams, and that often calls for creating an environment where we notice what went right. In this episode, I’m proposing a simple way to keep this concept top of mind. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Mistakes. We all make them, and there are two different kinds with two completely different implications. In this episode, I’m looking at the difference between head mistakes and heart mistakes, how to handle them both when we make mistakes and when others do, and why it matters to leadership communication. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

While learning to say “No” is a useful and powerful leadership skill, it can be the end of a conversation. And, while it is sometimes necessary to end a discussion so that you can move on, it is more often helpful to keep the conversation going. To do that, good leaders learn how to say “No” by first saying “Yes”. That is the approach I’m exploring in this week’s episode. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Habits are a funny thing. They can help you. They can hurt you. And, they happen automatically without conscious thought. This week, I’m sharing some thoughts on communication habits and making a suggestion to help you improve your communication habits so that you can talk like a leader. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Recently, I had an experience that revealed to me my true, subconscious view of the word feedback. In this episode, I’ll share that experience, and what I learned from it. I’ll also share thoughts on how to apply that lesson to become a better leadership communicator. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app  

The remote work environment and it’s stressors can drive you and others deeper into your own communication blindspots. This week, I’m taking a look at some possible blindspots of each DISC style so we can look out for them and take action to avoid slipping in to them. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When people take a DISC assessment, they often wonder if their style can change over time. The question shows up in two common ways: Either they think their style may have changed from childhood to adulthood or they believe their style is different than it was the last time they took an assessment. In this episode, I’m going to talk about basic, core personalities and whether or not they can change over time. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In this election season, we get to observe politicians from both major parties and from all political perspectives make their case for why they should be elected. Much of what they do makes sense in the political world, and it’s terrible if done in most leadership situations. In this episode, I’m looking at five specific things you can observe in political discourse that you can learn NOT to do in your leadership communication. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

In a prior series of episodes, I explored the idea of unintentional threat triggers (and how to avoid them) using the DISC model as a framework. Last week, I used David Rock’s SCARF model to explore how to keep your anger response under control. This week, I’m sort of combining those two ideas to look at how you can use the SCARF model as a way to reduce the ways you might come across as a threat to others. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about the SCARF model. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

A great deal of Talking Like a Leader depends on remaining calm and rational in difficult – sometimes irritating – situations. Remaining calm and rational depends on not getting angry when things get difficult. In this episode, I’ll explore a concept and share a model you can use on yourself to remain calm and rational. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When you are coaching a team member for improved performance, it is very tempting to just tell them what needs to be done so you can get on to the next task on your list. Unfortunately, telling people what to do rarely gets voluntary compliance. How, then, do you get people to take ownership and solve the problem? This week, I’ll explore this idea and offer a better way than telling people what you want them to do. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Sign up for our free virtual leadership conference, Virtual LeaderCon, coming September 14-18. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

As working from home stretches to months rather than weeks, leaders find themselves planning for and communicating about longer time horizons while working from home and communicating with their teams who are also working from home. This week, I’m revisiting and building upon a piece of advice that my colleague Wayne Turmel shared in an episode we recorded in March of this year – When You Suddenly Find Yourself Leading Remotely. The specific issue is the need for more intentionality in a remote work world. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Sign up for our upcoming free virtual leadership conference, Virtual LeaderCon, coming September 14-18. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Like a home project that gets delayed for too long, chronic conflicts will continue to get worse the longer we ignore them. Also like a home project, confronting the conflict will likely make it worse in the short-term before it gets better. In this episode, I'll share a lesson from cleaning my garage that will help you address the chronic conflicts you face as a leader. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

As you work to develop your communication techniques to better Talk Like a Leader, I encourage you to consider the importance of character development on both your growth as a leader and your ability to communicate as one. In this episode, I’m considering thoughts about the importance of character as a leader and how it affects your communication effectiveness. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

One of the biggest challenges I face in communication is remaining patient when an idea is very clear to me and it's not clear to the person with whom I'm communicating. When I'm not mindful, that challenge becomes frustration that looks like anger to the other person. And, communication breaks down. In this episode, I cover some ideas about human nature and our mindset towards others that can help all of us navigate past this common issue to become better communicators. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

When we get frustrated with a person and allow our frustration to vent in the form of an attack on their character and intelligence, we resort to what is known as an ad hominem attack. This rarely works well in debate or in leadership communication. This week we’re looking at a better way to speak about performance in coaching and feedback conversations. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

Properly applied, the DISC model is a powerful tool to help you become a better communicator. Improperly applied, it can cause significant problems for you. In this episode, I’ll look at how improper application of the DISC model can create problems for you and what you can do instead to use it for better results. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

A challenge that we all face in leadership communication is the struggle to fairly evaluate all sides of an issue before making a decision, and we all share the problem of confirmation bias. Most, if not all, people struggle with both seeking and honestly considering information and perspectives that are different from their own. This tendency can create both communication and results problems. This week, we'll take a look at confirmation bias and consider two ideas for combating it. Additional Leadership Resources Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app

This is our final episode in a 5-part series of conversations about the coaching mindset. Carl Smith is my guest, and we discuss the contribution Cautious style people bring to coaching conversations. As in the other episodes in this series, we consider both how a Cautious style coach can get out of their own way and how a leader can better coach a Cautious style team member. Additional Leadership Resources Learn more about Carl Smith. Take our free DISC Assessment. Download our free report, The First 7 Things to Do When You Get Promoted. Follow us on Facebook. Subscribe to the Podcast Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher Google Play TuneIn RSS Or your favorite podcast app