How Lego's "leadership playground" connects employees

How Lego's "leadership playground" connects employees | practice | If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( February 22, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [How Lego's "leadership playground" connects employees]( [How Lego's "leadership playground" connects employees]( (SOPA Images/Getty Images) Lego Group has boosted employee engagement and motivation by building a "leadership playground" -- complete with a Lego campfire -- where team members gather and feel safe to "be curious, brave and focused," says Chief People Officer Loren Shuster. "By giving employees ownership for shaping the leadership culture, you get a much higher level of empowerment and a sense of accountability," Shuster says. Full Story: [Fortune (tiered subscription model)]( (2/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Create your own leadership playground by identifying the qualities of leadership your company values and building a psychologically safe place where employees can freely express themselves and hone their skills. Train "playground builders" in methods, rituals and communication to make your playground safe and effective. [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net]( [If you want teams to take risks, they need a safety net]( (rudall30/Getty Images) Employees are more engaged and innovative when they feel psychologically safe to express themselves in meetings and they know that failure will be treated as a learning experience and not punished, write Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman. Leaders can ensure this safety by listening deeply and creating ground rules and opportunities to speak up and collaborate in meetings, they write. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Making learning from failure a part of your company's culture goes a long way to creating psychological safety, Helbig and Norman note. "Admit your own mistakes, failures and lessons learned, thereby modeling the behavior you want to promote in your team," they write. [] Smarter Communication [] [3 guilt-free ways to say "no"]( Turn down requests effectively by thanking the person for asking, then either requesting more time to consider your reply or giving a gentle but firm "no" and offering some action you feel you can do, writes Shari Harley. If the request is a nonstarter from the beginning, politely decline without explanation because people "aren't interested in why we can or can't do something; they just want to know if we will do it," Harley writes. Full Story: [Candid Culture]( (2/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Whatever you do, don't ignore the person's request, Harley advises. "No gives people closure. Silence leaves people in limbo wondering what they should do next," Harley writes. 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]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [How the MOVE framework can improve the quality of your decisions]( Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (2/21) [] - [What executive decision-making and poker have in common]( John Millen blog (2/18) [] - [Don't be so quick to blame past leaders for present problems]( Chief Executive (2/21) [] In Their Own Words [] [Why a leader's comfort zone can make them less effective]( Antonio Carrillo, CEO of Arcosa, says he finds his comfort zone by visiting the company's plants, but leaders must be able to stretch themselves and endure discomfort, but also know when they need to take a break. "You're going to be faced with so many new challenges, and if you're not self-aware, you will keep going back to your safe place to figure out how to deal with them," Carrillo says. Full Story: [LinkedIn]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [What can we learn from strangers? A lot, says this artist]( Photographer and artist Imran Nuri quit his job in May and spent 12 weeks driving all of the 48 contiguous US states to talk to strangers, take their picture and ask them about their philosophy on life, which Nuri says uncovered more commonality than he expected. "Our world is moving exponentially towards hyperspecific radicalization in every direction, so it's more important than ever to broaden our horizons by making friends, or having conversations, with people who are different from us," says Nuri, who shot more than 87 rolls of film to capture 1,042 photos of 1,019 people. Full Story: [My Modern Metropolis]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] POLL QUESTION: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" won Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes on this day in 1958. How many Academy Awards did it win a month later? The final tally is [here](. [Vote]( [5]( [Vote]( [7]( [Vote]( [9]( [Vote]( [11]( [] Pets of SmartBrief Leaders [] Sammy the letter carrier Sammy the letter carrier Linda Sedlacek sent in this photo of Sammy who loves to deliver mail in the office. Linda says Sammy is a therapy dog, "so I've had to find new jobs for him during COVID-19 when all his visits were cancelled." Looks like Sammy's enjoying his new role! What furry, feathered or otherwise non-human companion keeps you company in the office? [Send me your photos](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Once upon a time, I worked for a major cable news network. The first department I worked for had a manager who obviously favored some employees over others. I was not among the chosen, and neither were several of my co-workers. We were routinely publicly demeaned by this manager and made to feel that we were not valued. The bottom line was his favoritism created a culture that was not psychologically safe for those outside his favor. This led to an exodus of staff, either to other media outlets or to positions elsewhere in the network. Creating psychological safety is a must for leaders who want to build trust and well-functioning teams. How is your company creating an atmosphere that encourages employees to get out of their comfort zone and learn from failure? If employees feel unsafe, they'll most likely find the exit sooner, rather than later. 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]( [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 [] [] None of us know what a year may bring forth. 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