5 ways leaders can help their successors

Losing productivity? It may be time to grieve | 5 ways leaders can help their successors | Read more from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [Update Profile]( | [Web Version]( January 26, 2021 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [Losing productivity? It may be time to grieve]( Failing to grieve all that we have lost -- especially over this past year -- can harm our focus and mental health, writes Ed Batista. "Our loss and suffering may be lesser, and we will need to put them in perspective, just as we will need to surmount them to rise to the challenge of the present moment, but we can mourn them all the same," he writes. Full Story: [Ed Batista Executive Coaching]( (1/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [5 ways leaders can help their successors]( Leaving an old role ideally means you've left a good foundation for your successor, especially in terms of institutional knowledge, networking and the team's talents, writes Alaina Love. If possible, have this person shadow you to "provide firsthand insight about what to expect once in the role," she writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (1/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Bridging the CFO-CIO Gap Successful CFOs develop, cultivate and lean on strong relationships with leaders in other areas. Learn the language and landscape of your chief information officer to help [position yourself as a stronger ally.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Why it takes curiosity and support to innovate]( Curiosity is the root of innovation, but collaboration and corporate support are necessary for ideas to become realities, writes Kristiina Hiukka. "There is a vast difference between posting a motivational slogan for innovation and implementing practices that support innovation," she writes. Full Story: [Real Leaders]( (1/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [See what life's like for employees and customers]( CEOs can improve customer and employee satisfaction by occasionally trading places and witnessing friction points that reveal flaws in high-level strategy, writes Martin Lindstrom. "Go small, with a guaranteed outcome, then celebrate the success -- and then have another group duplicate your success on another friction point," he writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (1/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( How to Master Your HR Investigations Workplace investigations can be intimidating, but have no fear. We've partnered with HR consultant Kate Bischoff to provide you with the best practices to ace your investigations. [Download the guide]( to learn the key elements of this critical HR task. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Communication strategies for difficult employees]( When you understand the personality types in your workplace, including complainers, aggressors, perfectionists and procrastinators, you can adapt and communicate more effectively, writes Paul Thornton. "Difficult people require clear expectations and direct feedback," he writes. Full Story: [Lead Change]( (1/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( How industry leaders thrived in 2020 What did leading Fortune 500 Brands do to take on 2021 and manage ‘ops-down’ to each associate? How are they able to keep operations safe & healthy for employees and still be in a position for a much better new year? [#2020Hindsight - Register for the Webinar]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartPulse [] Who has had the greatest impact on your leadership development over the years? A boss I've worked for 64.47% A peer 6.78% A member of my team 4.77% A family member 8.06% A leadership coach/expert/speaker/author 11.53% A business personality (CEO, well-known executive) 4.39% [] Poll analysis Bosses by far. The vast majority of you have been most impacted by a boss you've worked for in terms of developing your leadership skills. Let's flip that around -- if you're a manager, what are YOU doing to develop your people? Clearly bosses have a disproportionate impact on team leadership skills development. Are you spending enough time on it? Are you creating development opportunities for team members? Are you investing in their skills through training, resources, and most importantly, giving them your time and attention? A leader's job is to create the next generation of leaders. Make sure that, when your team members answer a poll like this in their future, they're thinking of you and selecting their boss as having had the greatest impact on their leadership development. -- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of [thoughtLEADERS](, which includes TITAN-- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: ["One Piece of Paper,"]( ["Lead Inside the Box"]( and ["The Elegant Pitch."]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: Have you ever been through a merger/acquisition process during your career? [Vote]( [Yes, I've had my company be acquired by another]( [Vote]( [Yes, I've been at a company that acquired another one]( [Vote]( [No, I've never been involved in one of those situations]( 5 Ways to Hire Like It’s 2021 We dug deep to learn what job seekers want from an employer for 2021. While there are more candidates seeking work, there's also more competition among businesses for the most qualified people. [Get the leading edge with this free guide](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] In Their Own Words [] [How U.S. Cellular's CEO approaches hard decisions]( Making tough decisions requires CEOs to step back, analyze the problem and get feedback from trusted advisors, says U.S. Cellular CEO Laurent Therivel. Another trait Therivel recommends for CEOs is to make fewer decisions, instead trusting your team in many cases. Full Story: [The Future Organization]( (1/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Crop lights provide art and function]( Designer Daan Roosegaarde has installed red, blue and ultraviolet lights on farmland in the Netherlands as an art installation and a "light recipe" that helps plants grow without as much pesticide. "Light is not decoration, it's activation and it's communication," says Roosegaarde. Full Story: [Dezeen]( (1/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] James daSilva James daSilva Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor! I've had the great fortune of editing this email for nearly 10 years. Before that, I was a copy editor, including at a small daily newspaper in upstate New York. My last haircut was Jan. 27, 2020. Thank you for reading and subscribing. I know you don't need to read SmartBrief on Leadership. Rather, you're here because you're on a lifelong journey -- a journey of being a better leader, communicator and thinker. 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? A favorite story from The Onion? [Drop me a note.](mailto:jdasilva@smartbrief.com) 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 [] [] Growth and comfort do not coexist. Ginni Rometty, business executive [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [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, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004