"Vulnerability wielded wisely" builds strong connections

The road to feedback, belonging has no stop sign | practice (split each time) | "Vulnerability wielded wisely" builds strong connections Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( May 6, 2024 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [X]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [The road to feedback, belonging has no stop sign]( [The road to feedback, belonging has no stop sign]( (Pixabay) An organization that created an anonymous, online "Ask the Executive Leadership Team" tool was surprised when employee engagement rates increased but the quantity of concerns didn't decrease correspondingly. "[O]ne day, it struck me that [a]ddressing culture never ends ... [and] continually advancing the organization was my job," writes Suzanna de Baca, president of Business Publications, who noticed that the feedback kept getting more discerning -- and typically centered on belonging. Full Story: [Business Record (Des Moines, Iowa) (tiered subscription model)]( (5/3) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: "The fact we recognize and can express this lack of belonging says we are making progress even if it doesn't feel like it," de Baca says, [noting that "issues of individualism and belonging" exist in every company](. Even the most skilled leaders who want to ensure authenticity, visibility, civility, value and respect in the workplace have an uphill climb, "but addressing belonging may just be the key to your future success," de Baca asserts. [] Smarter Communication [] ["Vulnerability wielded wisely" builds strong connections]( ["Vulnerability wielded wisely" builds strong connections]( (VM/Getty Images) Simon Bailey, a researcher on brilliance and author of "Resilience@Work," was nervous on stage, speaking after two well-known, excellent speakers, but as he threaded his personal anecdotes of loss into the speech, he saw he was forming a "palpable" connection with the audience. "For emerging leaders aiming to chart a successful course, remember that vulnerability, wielded wisely, is not your Achilles' heel but your strength -- fortifying you as you face the world head-on," writes Bailey, who offers seven ways to share the trait. Full Story: [Leadership Now]( (5/3) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: To start being more vulnerable, [embrace visibility, solicit support and strive for open dialogue](, Bailey recommends. Four other tips include reining in vulnerability so it's strategic, not an "unchecked floodgate of emotions." [] [The perils of peer reviews: Strategy, back-stabbing]( Peer feedback reviews common in many companies can be gamed and thus flawed for a host of reasons, including a peer wanting to be helpfully critical -- but not so much as to prompt retaliation, write Helge Klapper of Purdue University, Henning Piezunka of INSEAD and Linus Dahlander of ESMT Berlin. Their research of Wikipedia employees shows that "candidates who behaved strategically ... significantly increased their chances of becoming an administrator," and they touch on ways to a peer review can be more fair. Full Story: [INSEAD Knowledge]( (5/3) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Transparency in peer reviews can lead to machinations but, done right, can increase engagement, accountability, fairness. [Acknowledge that strategic approaches are likely](, and mitigate them by building in safeguards, the researchers advise. [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Ensure mental health programs will connect with employees of color]( Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (5/3) [] - [Adopt a "greater good" approach to build a better leadership team]( Chief Executive (5/3) [] - [Leap the 4 hurdles to a truly equitable workplace culture]( Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (5/3) Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Nonverbal Communications Skills -- The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [Best Practices for Email Etiquette]( - [11 Habits That Will Give You A Complete And Successful Life]( - [Creating Positive Habits - The Ultimate Guide]( [] In Their Own Words [] [H&R Block's Jones on team talk and learning to learn]( H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones insists employees share a quick personal or work-oriented check-in and check-out at every meeting -- because former Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once told him that a team only comes together when the members are talking to each other. Jones' own leadership advice is a "fail fast" tweak: "If you know that failing is inevitable and that learning is the goal," use those opportunities to eventually "become better at learning how to learn." Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (5/3) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Tiny town embraces pink, quirky Blondies Butcher Shop]( [Tiny town embraces pink, quirky Blondies Butcher Shop]( (Blondies Butcher Shop/Instagram) When burned-out Bighorn Mountains paramedic Lindsay Loken got tired of putting people back together, she moved back home to Wanamingo, Minn., bought the small town's shuttered meat locker and learned how to take animals apart. Farmers helped the determined blonde master the trade so locals are happy with the local meat -- and amused enough by the Blondies Butcher Shop name, dozens of humorous signs and gallons of pink paint inside and out to keep coming back. Story: [CBS News/WCCO-TV (Minneapolis)]( (5/6) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - ["No agenda, no attenda" guide to productive meetings]( Charter [] - [11 actions leaders can take to heal company rifts]( C-Suite Quarterly (Los Angeles) [] - [How to derail to a defensive manager and move forward]( Candid Culture [] - [Someone old, someone new: Build generational interaction]( Raconteur (UK) [] - [Power up your productivity with these ChatGPT prompts]( Forbes (tiered subscription model) [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [Inflation Reduction Act tax trends begin to take shape]( As tax guidance related to the Inflation Reduction Act continues to be released from US government agencies, trends in how companies are leveraging certain incentives are beginning to emerge, according to Lauren Collins from Vinson & Elkins LLP. During this podcast, Collins discusses trends in tax credits linked to domestic content, energy community and hydrogen production credits. Collins also outlines the popularity of transferable tax credits and the uncertainty of direct pay incentives. Full Story: [Renewable Energy SmartPod]( (4/30) [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] In the Herman's Hermits song "I'm Henry VIII I Am," Henry VIII was the eighth husband of the widow next door (not true in real life). How many of those husbands were named William? [Vote]( [Vote]( [1]( [Vote]( [2]( [Vote]( [3]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew I'm baaaack! Many thanks to Diane Harrington and the crew for covering Leadership for me while I took a week off. They did a great job! I'm not much on vacation-taking. I like the work I do, so it often doesn't occur to me to put in for time off. If you're like me, then I recommend taking some time away from your work. It's a refreshing experience. I took a staycation, mostly, with the exception of a trip to the North Carolina mountains on Saturday to see my spouse's cousin get married underneath a waterfall. It was beautiful, and even one day spent in the mountains refreshed my body, mind and soul. I got some writing projects done, but for most of the week, I simply "wasted time" and focused on self-care. I highly recommend a lazy week away from your desk, and you don't need a wedding excuse to spend an afternoon under a waterfall. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] It's just something that's happening around us. It's a reminder of the pageantry of nature. It can be very beautiful if you allow for that in your heart. [Jonathan Larson](, entomologist on the emergence of the double brood of periodical cicadas [LinkedIn]( [X]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) [SmartBrief Future]( Copyright © 2024 SmartBrief. All Rights Reserved. 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