How conscious conversations aid leaderships decisions

Why the right amount of tension is good for a company | 7 steps for effectively leading a new team | Read more from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( October 25, 2022 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading Edge [] [Why the right amount of tension is good for a company]( Learning to keep the right amount of tension while casting a fly fishing rod to avoid whacking himself in the head taught executive coach Todd Ordal the value of leaders creating enough tension to achieve their company's goals and build a culture employees enjoy. "Without healthy tension in a business, things go slack, and bad things happen," Ordal writes. Full Story: [Applied Strategy (Todd Ordal)]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [7 steps for effectively leading a new team]( New leaders will succeed in moving their team members forward if they take the time to listen to them, share a bit about themselves, review current policies and processes for alignment and show appreciation for what the team has accomplished so far, writes Alaina Love. "People will go the extra mile when they feel their hard work is appreciated by leadership," Love writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership Level Up Your HR Team's Expertise with a SHRM Certification Take your HR department's effectiveness to the next level with SHRM certification - from strategic thinking to applying best practices, your team will drive innovation, perform competently, and contribute to an inclusive workplace culture.[Begin Today.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Why winning strategies are those that inspire]( Whether a company's strategy is focused on competitive advantage or built upon optimizing connections to attract customers, any strategy must take human need into account and "speak to people's values, hopes, dreams and ambitions," to succeed, writes Greg Satell. "A leader's role cannot be merely to plan and direct action, but must be to inspire and empower belief in a common endeavor," Satell writes. Full Story: [Digital Tonto blog]( (10/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [Get ready for the future of recruiting]( Talent relationship management is the future of recruiting, helping hiring pros build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with candidates. Read our TRM 101 eBook today to learn how to build a strong talent relationship management strategy. [Read Today.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [How conscious conversations aid leaderships decisions]( Leaders sometimes need to make quick decisions, but taking time to have what leadership coach Chuck Wisner calls "conscious conversations" that allow others to have input and leaders to ask questions can improve the quality of those decisions. "A thirty-minute conscious conversation takes far less time than the time needed to undo work after an unvetted or a pressured decision," Wisner writes. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Use the power of questions to minimize pushback]( Using the Socratic method of asking thought-provoking questions instead of laying out a clear argument for something can allay fears and minimize pushback by helping others see the benefits from their own perspective, writes Robert Whipple. Whipple offers six types of questions to ask while warning that the method could backfire if it is not used carefully. Full Story: [The Trust Ambassador]( (10/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [4 Simple Productivity Improvement Points To Dominate Your Day]( - [The Ultimate Guide To Developing Self-Discipline]( - [30 Life Lessons Learned in 30 Years]( - [How to Find Average Salary Information for US Workers]( - ["I Will Teach You to be Rich" Book Summary]( [] SmartPulse [] How do leaders in your organization view the world? They're exceedingly, and sometimes dysfunctionally, optimistic 17.05% They're reasonably optimistic 39.21% They balance optimism and pessimism 32.95% They're somewhat pessimistic 7.95% They're exceedingly pessimistic 2.84% [] Balanced optimism. While most of you reported your leaders skew optimistic, there's a large group (17%) that believes the optimism is excessive. Being too optimistic can lead you to ignore risks, minimize obstacles, and not be as diligent as you need to be. Excessive optimism can also lead to lofty and soon-to-be missed expectations which can then cause a downward performance spiral. While optimism is important, if you find you're too optimistic, find a skeptic in your organization who can help you find a more balanced view. Actively consider risks and challenges and accept some level of probability that they might occur. Balanced optimism can keep people engaged and motivated but not set them up for discouragement if things don't play out as expected. -- 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: How willing are you to "blow up" to force overdue action to occur? [Vote]( [Very: I'll blow up whenever anything slows down unreasonably]( [Vote]( [Somewhat: I'll blow up when something important gets bogged down]( [Vote]( [Not very: It takes an extreme situation to get me to blow up]( [Vote]( [Not at all: I don't see any value in losing my temper]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How to demonstrate the importance of social capital]( Leaders can help employees build social capital -- strong and weak connections to their colleagues -- by modeling its importance, creating sponsorship opportunities between senior and junior employees and making it part of performance management, says McKinsey partner Brooke Weddle. "Incenting leaders to think that way and to build connections accordingly is a helpful lever in terms of increasing motivation," Weddle says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (10/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Tired of traffic jams? Here's a $300,000 solution]( Commuting could be a breeze for the proud owners of Alef Aeronautics' new Model A flying car, which the startup hopes to have in the air by 2025 with a flying range of 110 miles -- and a driving range of 200 miles. The single-passenger prototype costs about $300,000, but CEO Jim Dukhovny says there could potentially be a $35,000 Model Z available by 2030. Full Story: [CNET]( (10/19) [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 [] [] Let the old dreams die. We have new ones. [John Ajvide Lindqvist](, writer [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