Why saying "no" can help you get to "yes"

3 steps to teaching yourself new tricks for success | Equity for Black employees remains unfinished business | Column: Why rigorous data can help improve racial equality Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( December 7, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [3 steps to teaching yourself new tricks for success]( Growth starts by accepting that old ways of thinking or doing are no longer helpful, as that creates room to absorb new information and learn new paths to success, writes Barry O'Reilly. "The key to breaking through these barriers to unlearning is to start small and deliberately practice," he writes, and offers two case studies. Full Story: [Barry O’Reilly]( (12/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Equity for Black employees remains unfinished business]( Two recent surveys suggest Black employees still feel disadvantaged and discriminated at work despite corporations publicly expressing that they are changing their cultures, writes John Baldoni. Broader efforts at equity are laudable, he writes, but "if Black employees' specific challenges are not explicitly addressed, they will remain unaddressed." Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (12/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] - [Column: Why rigorous data can help improve racial equality]( MIT Sloan Management Review (tiered subscription model) (12/3) [] [Read more]( from John Baldoni on SmartBrief on Leadership Moving the D&I Needle With HR Data Data is a critical factor when building diversity and inclusion strategies that actually move the needle in the workplace. With advice from HR leaders, learn why diverse organizations grow faster, what metrics you need to be measuring, and how to [begin building an inclusive culture using HR data](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Use this system to improve company speed and flexibility]( Companies need to be deliberate in each stage of strategy, starting with planning and continuing through resource allocation and regular reviews, according to research from Bain & Company partners Sarah Elk and Joost Spits. Within those categories, aim for a running list of strategic priorities rather than calendar-based thinking, and be prepared to reinvent the meetings where strategy is hashed out. Full Story: [Bain & Co.]( (12/3) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( 5 lessons you can implement today at any facility COVID has forced operations and human resources to think and act differently.[Learn how]( Ulta, Avis, Kroger and Shell fostered their HR and Ops leadership to engage their employees while unlocking cost savings. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Why saying "no" can help you get to "yes"]( [Why saying "no" can help you get to "yes"]( Cole (Cindy Ord/Getty Images) Turning down opportunities that don't line up with your priorities, values or long-term goals can ultimately be more fruitful than saying yes all the time, writes Kat Cole, president and chief operating officer at Focus Brands. The toughest part can be telling yourself "no," even if you've learned how to turn down other people, she writes. Full Story: [Substack/Kat Cole]( (12/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Influence picks up where authority leaves off]( Learning the art of influence can help you drive change and build your career even when you don't have direct authority, writes Keith Ferrazzi in his book "Leading Without Authority." This mindset of building connection is especially helpful to improving key relationships marked by tension or competition. Full Story: [Reset Work]( (12/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [[Q&A] How to safely reopen your workplace]( Many companies are ready to open back up and workers are eager to return to their desks, but a successful workplace re-entry plan hinges on companies providing a safe work environment. [This Q&A]( with Niraj Patel, head of Advance Analytics, Platforms & AI at DMI Inc., covers the steps companies need to take to re-open and how technology can deliver the necessary data to ensure protocols are being followed to stay open. [Read now]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Working A weekly spotlight on doing more without working longer [] [3 ways to relieve the monotony of working from home]( Clearing clutter in your home office, setting dedicated working hours and changing up your scenery can help avoid doldrums of remote work, writes Tara Rethore. "Simply taking a walk or working in a different room or at the kitchen counter helps to change the view," she writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive online]( (12/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Melinda Gates wants to "make the world better"]( Melinda Gates discusses the pandemic, the vaccines in development and how she tries to focus her life on who she can help. "I cry a lot, and then I come back and I say, 'How do I take what that person shared with me and what I learned, and how do I plow that back into the work to try and make the world better?'" she says. Full Story: [The New York Times (tiered subscription model)]( (12/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Special camera unlocks blind photographer's art]( Pranav Lal is known for beautiful landscape photographs despite being born blind, as he uses camera software that translates sound into images by identifying the brightness and elevation of objects. "When I travel, I actually now can be a 'real tourist' -- I gawk in the interest of science," he says. Full Story: [CNN]( (12/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [3 ways to tell whether you're a good manager]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Do you manage managers? Here's what you need to know]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Bezos: Sometimes it's best to "disagree and commit"]( Fast Company [] - [Why Tony Hsieh was like the Willy Wonka of shoes]( LinkedIn [] - [7 strategies for breaking bad pandemic habits]( Real Leaders 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 was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something. 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