You may be an ineffective leader if ...

Rehearsing for catastrophe and other astronaut lessons | practice | You may be an ineffective leader if ... Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( August 22, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Rehearsing for catastrophe and other astronaut lessons]( [Rehearsing for catastrophe and other astronaut lessons]( (Pixabay) Astronauts are used to high-pressure situations and train extensively in responding to emergencies by clearly identifying the problem, sweating the small stuff and constantly thinking, "What's the next thing that will kill me?" says author and former astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield. "Rehearsing for catastrophe has made me positive that I have the problem-solving skills to deal with tough situations and come out the other side smiling," Hadfield tells author Eric Barker. Full Story: [Barking Up The Wrong Tree]( (8/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Teamwork is one of the best ways for astronauts to survive in space, so Hadfield says each team member must ask, "How can I help us get where we need to go?" and put their ego aside to build trust. "Once people know they can trust you and you fully know the current lay of the land, then try to add value," [Eric Barker writes](. [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [You may be an ineffective leader if ...]( [You may be an ineffective leader if ...]( (Symphonie/Getty Images) Being laidback and giving others room to have their say can backfire as a leadership trait if colleagues view you as disengaged, writes author and executive coach Joel Garfinkle. Make sure an easy-going attitude is backed up by assertiveness and willingness to make decisions, Garfinkle counsels, pointing to employee interviews for an executive he was coaching. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (8/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Don't be too quick to change your choices, which can mar the benefits of being flexible, [Garfinkle advises](. Be willing to have tough conversations and insist on accountability, because being firm is just as important as being well-liked. [] [Read more]( from Joel Garfinkle on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [When teamwork leads to worse communication]( Sometimes, no matter how great the people on a team, "the benefits of collective intelligence can be outweighed by the cost of having to coordinate," a recent study shows. Social biases and having a few more confident team members also contribute negatively to teamwork, as does lack of face-to-face interaction, writes researcher Taha Yasseri of the University College Dublin's Geary Institute for Public Policy. Full Story: [The Conversation]( (8/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Don't bother with training sessions before setting a team loose on a task, as it removes the advantage of learning from others in the group. "Simpler tasks that don't require extensive creative problem-solving" highlights that disconnect even more, making individual work much wiser, [Yasseri explains](. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Nonverbal Communications Skills -- The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [Best Practices for Email Etiquette]( - [11 Habits That Will Give You A Complete And Successful Life]( - [Creating Positive Habits - The Ultimate Guide]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Use this flight path to bring big projects in for a smooth landing]( INSEAD Knowledge (8/21) [] - [Navigating the mental minefields that hamper decision making]( Digital Tonto blog (8/20) [] - [How to practice problem-led leadership]( Ideas Made to Matter (MIT Sloan School of Management) (8/21) [] SmartPulse [] When is the last time you went out of your way to thank a team member for their contributions? Within the last couple of days 79.55% Within the last month 17.73% Sometime this quarter 0.91% Sometime this year 1.36% I don't go out of my way to thank them 0.45% [] The high ROI of a "thank you." Taking time to say "thank you" to someone on your team or in your organization is a simple investment to make and the vast majority of you have done so recently (97% have done so within the last month with 80% of those doing it in the last few days). It's the right thing to do, it's appreciated, and it makes people feel seen and valued. If it's not part of your regular habits, start by adding a reminder to your calendar to drop someone a note. Saying "thank you" in person or on the phone is best because it personalizes it and shows them you're making a point of seeing them. While emails can suffice for expressing gratitude, a handwritten note can be seen as exponentially more valuable. If you're in the minority that doesn't thank people for their contributions very often, give it a try and see how rewarding it can be for both of you. That might create a positive reinforcement loop that gets you saying thank you more frequently. -- 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 good are you at fulfilling commitments you set for responding to people's requests? [Vote]( [I'm great: when I tell someone I'll get back to them by a certain date, I never fail to do so]( [Vote]( [I'm good: every once in a while I fail to meet a self-imposed deadline]( [Vote]( [I'm okay: I generally meet self-imposed deadlines but miss a bunch of them too]( [Vote]( [I'm not good: I often fail to meet response deadlines I set]( [Vote]( [I'm bad at it: It's rare that I meet a response deadline I set for myself and them]( [] In Their Own Words [] [CEO says compassion is a key trait for leaders]( Being a caretaker for her mother during the final stages of cancer helped Ashwini Zenooz, CEO of healthcare technology company Commure, realize that leaders don't know everything that's going on with others, so leading with compassion is key. "For me, I always want to make sure that I'm doing right by people, and I question myself a lot," Zenooz says. Full Story: [LinkedIn]( (8/16) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Top 50 blunders by network TV executives, ranked]( [Top 50 blunders by network TV executives, ranked]( (Pixabay) Whether it's "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour," the rebooting of "Quantum Leap" without Scott Bakula or "The Office" carrying on without Steve Carell, TV producers have made some boneheaded moves over the years and Rolling Stone's Andy Greene offers 50 blunders. "This list could have easily been six times longer, since buffoons have been running networks since the earliest days of television," Greene notes. Full Story: [Rolling Stone]( (8/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Podcast Network [] [Sustainability in Action - The ACC Sustainability Leadership Awards]( Sustainability presents different challenges for different organizations. This podcast episode shares the stories of companies that have been recognized by the American Chemistry Council for their leadership efforts when it comes to sustainability. The companies include Covestro, Dow, DuPont, Evonik, SABIC and WM. Full Story: [Sustainability SmartPod]( (8/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] When the Curiosity rover touched down on Mars in August 2012, the spot it landed on was named after which science fiction writer? [Vote]( [Isaac Asimov]( [Vote]( [Ray Bradbury]( [Vote]( [Arthur C. Clarke]( [Vote]( [Anne McCaffrey]( [] Editor's Note [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Chellew Few leaders are in life-or-death situations like astronauts, but unexpected events (a pandemic, for example) could be the next thing that could kill your business. This is why [former astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield recommends]( rehearsing for catastrophe because you never know when it will strike. Eric Barker's article is worth your time as he lays out what it takes to prepare for a trip to space and how it can help earth-bound leaders. Training to expect the unexpected and creating real-time simulations to sharpen your skills could mean the difference between your enterprise growing or burning up in the business atmosphere. 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 not so much about what you ask as what you don't ask. [Michael Parkinson](, television host, broadcaster, journalist 1935-2023 [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