Cross-departmental "pen pals" can enhance a company

How a shift in belief can produce life changes | Permission is a building block of leadership | Read more from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( July 26, 2022 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [How a shift in belief can produce life changes]( Questioning self-defeating beliefs, building relationships, forgiving those who have hurt you and thinking about your importance to the world can lead to positive change, writes Dan Rockwell. "Change your beliefs, change your life," Rockwell writes. Full Story: [Leadership Freak]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Permission is a building block of leadership]( When leaders give themselves permission to listen, relax, be imperfect and gain clarity before making decisions, their teams will follow and become more engaged, writes Alaina Love, the CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting. "As your people seek to bring the whole of who they are to their work, they are also counting on support from you, the kind that you can only deliver when you are being truly authentic," Love writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (7/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Voluntary Benefits: Coverage Your Employees Want Voluntary benefits help healthcare companies compete in a tight labor market. [Get our guide]( and learn the coverages employees want. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Strategy requires self-control and a focus on the facts]( Successful companies consistently march toward their goals, face the "brutal facts" of their situation and exercise self-control amid a volatile business environment, says author and business consultant Jim Collins. "Companies that get in trouble tend to often place big bets because they're uncertain, but they're big bets that are uncalibrated, and then uncertainty intersects with a big uncalibrated bet," Collins says. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (7/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite-style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [Cross-departmental "pen pals" can enhance a company]( Encouraging employees to connect with those in other departments can help your team be more innovative, learn, grow and tap into the power of diversity across the company, writes Aytekin Tank, founder and CEO of Jotform. "Keep in mind that each of your departments working together harmoniously -- IT, marketing, design, sales, customer support -- will significantly influence your company's success," Tank writes. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Are you grappling with remote meeting anxiety?]( Quell anxiety about on-camera remote meetings by setting aside enough time to be prepared, using enjoyable activities or breathing exercises in between meetings to relax and looking for flexibility to avoid too many back-to-back meetings, writes Morra Aarons-Mele, founder of Women Online. "The more you practice being intentional about your time and energy, the more your muscles get strengthened for it -- fear and anxiety starts to reduce because you've already proven to yourself that you can survive it," Aarons-Mele writes. Full Story: [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)]( (7/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our partners - [8-Step Guide: How to Overcome Laziness and Start taking Action]( - [How Technology Can help You Get a Good Night’s Sleep]( - [Effective Leadership Primer]( - [Quick Reference Guide – Time Management]( - [Quick Reference Guide – Office 365 Essentials]( [] SmartPulse [] How receptive are you to "constructive" feedback that you disagree with? Very: It helps me learn about my blind spots 38.37% Somewhat: I don't like it and resist but do pay attention to it 54.22% Not very: I push back on it and only listen when it's a strong message 5.62% Not at all: everyone has an opinion. Doesn't mean I have to listen to it 1.79% [] Feedback can be tough, but you listen. 92% of you report being open to feedback and acting on it. That's tremendous. As uncomfortable as it might be to receive it, it can be even harder to deliver it. You owe it to the other person to at least listen and consider their position and, fortunately, the vast majority of you do. To make receiving feedback easier, ask the feedback provider to explain the behaviors they see that they want changed. Ask for observable instances of those behaviors. By doing so, you're taking some of the emotion out of the conversation and making it about your behavior versus about you as a person. Those approaches should make it a bit easier to listen to and act on the feedback you're being provided. If you're in the remainder who aren't receptive to feedback, here's some feedback -- consider your position and what insights you're walking away from. Those might be great opportunities to improve your performance and your relationships with others. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] POLL QUESTION: When you delegate work, who are you most likely to give the task to? [Vote]( [A high-performer -- I know they'll get it done]( [Vote]( [A low-performer -- it's a good chance for them to step up]( [Vote]( [Someone with a development need around that task]( [Vote]( [I don't delegate]( [] In Their Own Words [] [What Morgan Stanley's CEO looks for in leaders]( James Gorman, chair and CEO of Morgan Stanley, says competence and collegiality are key for top leaders in his organization -- which means their executives could be leading any of their competitors -- and they have a "strong sense of self" but know how to work with others. "You need to be able to engage in contentious debate without people walking out of the room feeling burned," Gorman says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Change a tire on a moving car? These guys set the record]( Changing a tire can be challenging under any circumstances, but Italian Gianluca Folco [did it in 1 minute and 17.64 seconds]( as driver Manuel Zoldan kept the car slowly moving while balanced on two wheels to set a new Guinness World Record for changing a tire on a moving vehicle. They beat the old record by nearly 13 seconds. Full Story: [NDTV (India)]( (7/23), [United Press International]( (7/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [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 [] [] We're all one beat away from becoming elevator music. [Don DeLillo](, writer, playwright, screenwriter [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, a division of Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005