Can a department-wide leadership void be fixed?

Be cautious when employees display these behaviors | practice | Can a department-wide leadership void be fixed? Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( July 25, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Be cautious when employees display these behaviors]( [Be cautious when employees display these behaviors]( (Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images) Your employees could be sending cautionary signals -- or "beige" flags -- that they're thinking of exiting your company if they begin to withdraw from others, their personality changes or they don't go beyond what's expected of them. Talk with them to discern their goals and show that you "have a genuine desire to help the person feel more like they belong there," says London Business School professor Randall Peterson. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (7/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Have ongoing conversations with your direct reports about their level of engagement so any growing detachment can be detected early and addressed. "If the employee is not responsive, then at some point you have to ask them about their intentions as to this job," says Diane Rosen, a principal at Compass Consultants. 2023 Board Effectiveness Survey Stay ahead of 2023's board challenges with insights from OnBoard's latest Board Effectiveness Survey. Explore findings on member effectiveness, diversity, mission focus, technology gaps, and evolving ESG management for data-backed recommendations. [View the Results.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Can a department-wide leadership void be fixed?]( [Can a department-wide leadership void be fixed?]( (jayk7/Getty Images) Someone who inherits an entire team of leaders that isn't working effectively must weigh the urgency of change versus the time it will take to upskill each person, consultant Alaina Love writes. A quick training alone isn't likely to make them leadership material, so the incoming manager must plan to devote time to ongoing coaching. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (7/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Observe how each person performs, slot them into positions that best suit their skills, and encourage rather than micromanage, [Love suggests](. Put your initial energy into enthusiastic team members who want to grow. [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Want to learn more about your company? Take a walk]( Just as engineers use something known as a Gemba walk to gather onsite information, leaders can use empathy walks to discern the emotional state of their employees as well as their work processes to improve moral, retention and efficiency, writes Nicole Price, the CEO of Lively Paradox. "By consistently taking the time to understand their organization and employees, leaders can stay ahead of potential issues and continue to make improvements," Price writes. Full Story: [Spiceworks]( (7/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Empathy walks should be part of your routine with the goal of listening to your team's concerns and challenges, [Price writes](. "When employees feel that their voices are being heard and that their experiences matter, job satisfaction and a better sense of camaraderie within the organization can be increased." Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Mastering Microsoft Outlook: 20 Expert Tips & Tricks]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [The Future of AI in Technology]( - [How To Improve Your Stage Presence For Public Speaking]( - [6 Worthless Security Tactics That Won't Go Away]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [How to make your strategy less wrong over time]( Digital Tonto blog (7/23) [] - [Use these 5 rules to differentiate your business from competitors]( Beyond Philosophy (7/20) [] - [Are a lack of skills hampering your change efforts?]( NOBL Academy (7/21) [] SmartPulse [] How effectively does your leadership team function? Extremely -- they are a high-performing team 14.60% Very -- they generally work well together 35.77% Somewhat -- they function but have their issues 30.66% Not very -- they struggle to work well together 12.41% Not at all -- they're a dysfunctional team 6.56% [] Functional versus dysfunctional leadership teams. It's about 50/50 that leadership teams are functioning well or poorly. Usually their level of performance directly affects the performance of their broader teams. The real question is why are some teams high-functioning and others aren't. This is usually a matter of trust. That trust is based on how well the team members know one another, can predict each other's behaviors and have team/individual goals that are aligned with organizational goals. How well do your leadership team members really know one another? This is more than happy hour superficial knowledge. It's about understanding each other's values, goals and perspectives. Having a deeper understanding of the individual makes their behaviors more understandable and predictable. That predictability is the basis of trust. If you don't have this depth of understanding on your leadership team, start building it. Spend time in candid conversations on values, goals and beliefs. The sooner you improve trust on the team, the sooner you'll see improved performance. -- 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]( [] How clearly is your organization's culture articulated and disseminated through the company? [Vote]( [Very: we have clear statements of our culture and everyone knows and understands it]( [Vote]( [Somewhat: people generally know what our culture is but there is some lack of clarity]( [Vote]( [Not very: we have conflicting views of culture and no one can really articulate it]( [Vote]( [Not at all: what's culture?]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Health care CEO shares why peer mentoring is key]( Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, an obstetrician/gynecologist and president and CEO of Craig Hospital in Denver, says leaders have an obligation to mentor, coach and inspire the next generation of health care role models, especially when would-be leaders are feeling unsure of themselves. "There's a really invaluable role for sponsorship, that idea of making sure you're dropping the right names with the right people and suggesting, 'Hey, you know, I know this person has particular strengths or skills or passions. Let's bring them into this conversation and this work as well,'" Allen-Davis says Full Story: [Chief Healthcare Executive]( (7/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [The Steely Dan beer jingle you've probably never heard]( [The Steely Dan beer jingle you've probably never heard]( (YouTube) When you think about beer jingles and those who write them, the band Steely Dan doesn't immediately spring to mind, but in the early 1970s, they wrote an untitled song for Schlitz Beer, which has since been bought by Pabst Brewing Company. [The song](, which centers on the theme of "you only go around once," was shelved after a sexual double entendre was discovered in the Spanish lyrics. Full Story: [American Songwriter]( (7/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] Christie's auctioned photographer Diane Arbus' "[Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C.](" for how much in 2007? Check your answer [here](. [Vote]( [$10,000]( [Vote]( [$77,000]( [Vote]( [$229,000]( [Vote]( [$1.2 million]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew The theme of today's issue seems to be about the steps leaders can take to [make sure their team is engaged](, [well-trained]( and [provided mentoring opportunities](. While it may feel like a tall order to accomplish all of those things, simply [making time to listen to your team]( and taking an interest in their struggles and their victories can go a long way. How do you keep your team engaged and up-to-date on their skills? [Tell me](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! 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 [] [] I can't ask for more out of life, and the more I learn the less I know. [Tony Bennett](, singer 1926-2023 [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