Magic Johnson's success secret? Don't do any job halfway

Magic Johnson's success secret? Don't do any job halfway | practice | Gallup authors: How to re-energize today's teams Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( June 13, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Magic Johnson's success secret? Don't do any job halfway]( [Magic Johnson's success secret? Don't do any job halfway]( Johnson (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson has had as much, if not more, success off the basketball court through myriad business ventures, which he says he knew he wanted to pursue while still playing, so he cold-called top business leaders and asked them to mentor him, which many of them did, fueling his passion for success. Johnson started working hard early, helping his father in his trash collection business, saying he learned that if "you are willing to do one hard job halfway, you'll probably end up doing everything in life that way." Full Story: [ThinkAdvisor (free registration)]( (6/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: [Johnson was able to create]( a successful chain of inner-city movie theaters that were bought out by AMC by offering a dining experience he knew lower-income families could afford and enjoy. Top leaders, he says, are those who can see opportunities where others don't ... or won't. #1 Rated Board of Director Management Software OnBoard is the most effective, simple, and secure way to run your board meeting. Trusted by more than 5,000+ global organizations across 100,000+ meetings each year, OnBoard provides boards an award-winning, user-friendly design, with insight analytics and real-time collaboration.[LEARN MORE]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Gallup authors: How to re-energize today's teams]( [Gallup authors: How to re-energize today's teams]( (nazarkru/Getty Images) Whether employees are in-office or remote, the engagement and connection between them and their managers has become more tenuous, which can lead to less engagement or interest in the customer -- and real business problems, according to the Gallup Organization's Jim Clifton and Jim Harter in their book, "Culture Shock." Leadership coach John Baldoni spoke to Harter about ways managers and employees can reconnect and get re-energized. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (6/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Get attuned to each employee's needs -- peer coaching can help, [Baldoni writes](. Define schedules that work best for businesses and employees, and follow them yourself so they know its not "an empty request." [] [Read more]( from John Baldoni on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [How employee-forward choices can transform a company]( Zero synchronous meetings for a month led to a 15% jump in productivity for TechSmith, CEO Wendy Hamilton says in an interview with consultant Gleb Tsipursky, noting that the experiment reinforced the importance of determining when, and even if, such meetings are needed. Hamilton explains several of the company's employee-first innovations, and Tsipursky concludes that "[b]y listening to employees, embracing flexibility, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, companies can achieve greater productivity, engagement, and retention in a rapidly changing world." Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (6/7) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Try a flexible schedule that requires workers to be in the office for only a portion of the week -- TechSmith uses 20%. Switch communication to one medium for staff. TechSmith has gained efficiency by using a messaging app and saving email for outside correspondence, [Tsipursky writes](. 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Sims says she's motivated by helping others, but realizes to be truly helpful "I must grow as a human, employee, friend, sister, daughter and spouse. I am determined to make a positive difference and positive impact in any way possible." Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (6/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartPulse [] What is the most pressing leadership skill development need you personally have? I want to improve my executive presence 22.40% I want to be a more inspiring leader 19.80% I want to be more decisive 11.45% I want to be more strategic in my thinking 20.31% I want to get better at developing my team members 18.75% Something else 7.29% [] Being an inspiring presence. Forty-two percent of you report wanting to improve your presence and ability to inspire your teams. A big part of that is authenticity. The more authentic and comfortable you are with who you are, the easier it is to build trust. Trust, in turn, inspires commitment from your team. When you're being you and being authentic, it's easier to communicate because you don't have to memorize a script or focus on putting on appearances. You can just connect directly with your audience which then demonstrates more [compelling executive presence](. The next time you have to communicate with team members, try going in unrehearsed, set aside any fears you have, and just speak directly. Pay attention to their reactions. You might be surprised by how quickly you connect with them and how your straightforward message can inspire action. -- 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]( [] Have you been burned before by not having a contract with someone and relying on a handshake agreement instead? [Vote]( [Not yet -- all my handshake agreements have gone well and without issue]( [Vote]( [Yes. The handshake agreement was a bad idea and I should have had a contract instead]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Former Merck CEO: Leadership is made in small moments]( True leadership is not found just in the big moments of success, but "is in the many small, quiet moments with the team," says Ken Frazier, former CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck, who believes it's important for leaders to speak out on issues, but also hear opposing views. "That is an important aspect of leadership: showing employees that you are listening, and you respect them. If you don't have influence on people, you cannot lead," Frazier says. Full Story: [McKinsey]( (6/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Body surfing bear surprises beachgoers in Fla.]( Beachgoers near Destin, Fla., were recently surprised by a young black bear that popped up in the surf then emerged from the sea and navigated beach chairs and umbrellas before running off into the dunes. Even bears need a little vacation to the beach, right? Full Story: [WVTM-TV (Birmingham, Ala.)]( (6/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [How leading firms manage sustainability data]( Data is the linchpin of corporate sustainability. This podcast explores how firms like Amazon and FedEx collect and disseminate sustainability data. John Mennel, managing director at Deloitte, joins the show to discuss how various corporate stakeholders value sustainability and other ESG trends. Mennel also outlines specific strategies and solutions companies are using to collect, organize, prioritize and report sustainability data. Full Story: [Sustainability SmartPod]( (6/6) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] Who among the following is the only one awarded the Nobel Prize in literature? Check the answer [here](. [Vote]( [James {NAME}]( [Vote]( [Anton Chekhov]( [Vote]( [Jorge Luis Borges]( [Vote]( [William Butler Yeats]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew The [leadership advice from Magic Johnson]( is timely as [the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championshi](p Monday night, besting the Miami Heat. One note of trivia: Denver has made it into the conference finals four times in the franchise's history. They lost to Johson's Los Angeles Lakers each time. 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 [] [] It's all valid -- everybody's got their own path. I wouldn't want to sit around and listen to me all day. 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