Keep getting passed over for promotion? Check your style

Toxic bosses can be poisonous. Here's how to survive | practice | Keep getting passed over for promotion? Check your style Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( March 21, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [Toxic bosses can be poisonous. Here's how to survive]( [Toxic bosses can be poisonous. Here's how to survive]( (Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images) Dan Rockwell writes that toxic bosses are like "a blindfolded monkey splashing poison," while Advantere School of Management professor Simon L. Dolan gives you clues on how to spot one because they'll be taking credit for someone else's work, comparing themselves to others and believing they need "superhuman strength." The best leaders are "respectful, supportive and nurturing of growth," Dolan says, while Rockwell asserts that good bosses "teach you to become yourself." Full Story: [Daily Mail (London)]( (3/16), [Leadership Freak]( (3/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Bad bosses can make you temporarily forget who you truly are, Rockwell writes, but they can also help you remember because once you get fed up with them, they can ultimately "free you from people-pleasing. You don't care what they think. You do what you do because it's who you are," Rockwell notes. $20B Club 2023: Big pensions, big trends Understanding trends among the biggest pensions helps all DB sponsors in their fiduciary duties. Looking at the latest corporate disclosures provides sponsors with the perspective and broad-stroke trends in the corporate pension industry. [Read the report]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Keep getting passed over for promotion? Check your style]( [Keep getting passed over for promotion? Check your style]( (Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images) If you keep getting passed over for a promotion, it may be because you have an overly friendly, overly detailed or overly indecisive leadership style, writes executive coach Joel Garfinkle. "If you're afraid of overstepping your bounds, plan to have some real conversations with your boss about the reach of your authority, and their expectations on your role in making choices," Garfinkle writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (3/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: If you're a diligent worker, you may be giving off an air of being unapproachable. Promotions tend to go to those that others see as a source of help and support, which means checking in with co-workers or becoming a mentor can show higher-ups you're ready to join them, Garfinkle writes. [] [Read more]( from Joel Garfinkle on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Storytelling requires the kind of soul AI is missing]( [Storytelling requires the kind of soul AI is missing]( (NurPhoto/Getty Images) Esther Choy, the CEO of Leadership Story Lab, recently used ChatGPT-4 to compose a poem about the importance of leadership storytelling, and while it was accurate, it was missing something vital -- the triumph over obstacles that creates the heart of good storytelling. "What draws audiences to a story, what makes people feel a sense of connection, is the difficulty we face, the pain we endure and the revelation we arrive at," Choy writes. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (3/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Choy also used ChatGPT-4 to write a rap song extolling Alexander Hamilton's leadership advice, which, again, lacked a sense of soul, proving, "AI cannot replace hundreds and thousands of jobs in the business of storytelling, yet." Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Tips & Tricks Guide - Microsoft Windows 11]( - [Career Planning Tips]( - [25 Cryptocurrencies You Should Know About]( - [Nonverbal Communications Skills – The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [How Technology Can Help You Get a Good Night's Sleep]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Why short-term thinking is "endemic and dangerous"]( Next Big Idea Club Magazine (3/20) [] - [Is your board cybersecurity savvy? Don't be too sure]( The Wall Street Journal (3/20) [] - [How chief strategy officers can be a force for business growth]( AiThority (3/18) [] SmartPulse [] What would your team members say is your greatest strength? Your inspirational leadership 9.55% Your ability to develop their skills 10.56% Your strategic vision and ability to innovate 13.57% Your decisiveness 8.55% Your caring, empathy and compassion 42.71% Your ability to influence others 9.54% Something else 5.52% [] (185 responses) [] Caring counts. While many of these leadership traits had some decent representation, far and away was the importance of caring, empathy and compassion. People want to work for people who care about them. They're willing to forgive mistakes when it comes to decisions, strategy and influence if they know you genuinely care about them. When was the last time you sat down with your team members and expressed genuine concern for them? How often do you take time to listen to them and empathize with the challenges they face? A caring leader is one they're willing to confide in and work hard for. Make the investment in demonstrating you truly care about them. -- 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 easily do you get thrown "off center" by events around you? [Vote]( [Not at all. I'm pretty unflappable]( [Vote]( [Somewhat. Major disruptions can knock me off center]( [Vote]( [Very. It doesn't take much to knock me off center]( [Vote]( [Extremely. The littlest things can send me for a loop]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How this leader is helping women break into tech fields]( Judith Spitz, founder of Break Through Tech at Cornell Tech, is using short-term "sprinternships" and other programs to help women and other underrepresented undergraduates break into the tech field and says they're looking to scale it to other universities. "We're also trying to figure out how to pivot companies from thinking about this as a social-good engagement to a strategic solution to their diversity pipeline problem," Spitz says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (3/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Stargazers will be treated to a 5-planet view this month]( Attention stargazers! Five planets -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus -- will all be visible in the night sky this month, with the best viewing on March 28. The brightest planets will be Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, with Uranus the dimmest, experts say, which is why you may need equipment and a dark location to catch the best views. Full Story: [Thrillist]( (3/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [Renewables - Luke Brett from Reuters]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] POLL QUESTION: In 1985, Libby Riddles won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The next year, Susan Butcher started a winning streak. How many did she win in total? Race to the answer [here](. [Vote]( [2]( [Vote]( [4]( [Vote]( [5]( [Vote]( [10]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew My other full-time job is as the spiritual director of a small, interfaith spiritual community in South Carolina. On a lark, I asked ChatGPT-4 to write my upcoming Easter sermon. It wasn't bad, and probably would have gotten a passing grade in one of my theology classes years ago. But let's just say, it lacked ... soul. While accurate, it was less than inspiring. This is the point[Esther Choy makes in her article](. We worry if AI will take our jobs, but no machine, no matter how sophisticated, can provide the nuance, heart and soul needed for compelling storytelling ... or sermons. The AI-generated Easter sermon gave me some good material to get my talk started, but when you want to deliver the good news of your business to the world, you still have to tell that story from your human heart for it to be fully relatable and compelling to your audience. 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 [] [] Sometimes you have to say, 'No. This is my space.' [Lance Reddick](, actor, musician 1962-2023 [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 © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036