If you’re getting lots of ideas, you’re probably doing a lot of things right when it comes to encouraging workplace innovation —making it safe, asking for input, and responding well. That’s a great start. But how many of these ideas are you implementing? Imagine if you weren’t just getting lots of ideas, but remarkable, practical ones.

In Karin’s just released TEDx talk, she shares why psychological safety is vital, but not enough when it comes to workplace innovation— and a practical technique to help you get better ideas.

Why Psychological Safety x Clarity Leads to Better Workplace Innovation

In our research for Courageous Cultures, 50% of the respondents said they hold back ideas because nothing will happen. If you shoot down too many ideas, people will stop trying.

When you are clear about the kinds of ideas you need, and what would make them remarkable, you’ll get better ideas. The better the ideas, the more you’ll use them. The more ideas you use, the more people will share. Now you have a virtuous cycle of both confidence and innovation. Not to mention more remarkable ideas.

How We Learned the Secret to More Remarkable Ideas

When we first began experimenting with practical approaches to make it feel safer and easier to share ideas, we tried two approaches.

Sometimes, we say, just say bring us ANY practical ideas to improve the organization.

In this scenario, people learned some critical thinking and problem-solving skills, had fun, and got to know one another better. It wasn’t a complete loss. But most of those ideas weren’t implemented. Reinforcing the “nothing ever happens, so why bother” statistic.

With others, we got very specific about what a good idea would accomplish. Leaders identified three or four areas of the organization where they really wanted ideas and were very clear about any constraints the teams needed to consider, and then they applied the tools.

Similar process. Similar time investment. A significant difference in the number of ideas implemented.

A Closer Look at the Intersection of Clarity and Psychological Safety

The Two Dimensions of Innovation

1. Psychological Safety: Cultivating an environment where people feel secure in expressing their thoughts.
2. Strategic Clarity: Directing those thoughts towards meaningful areas for innovation.

The Role of Strategic Clarity in Decision-Making

• Clear Outcomes: Knowing where you want to go makes it easier to decide if an idea will help you get there.
• Focused Engagement: When people know what the objective is, they’ll contribute more effectively.

In the worst-case scenario, when psychological safety and strategic clarity are both low, most ideas will be negligible, and people are unlikely to have, or share them. Frustration is highest in this scene, and people are likely to give up, quiet quit, or leave.

When clarity is high, but psychological safety is low, people will have ideas, but they might be too nervous to share them. You’ll have invisible ideas, along with the frustration that first sparked our original research. This is the challenge that most people deeply committed to psychological safety are working to solve.

When psychological safety is high, but clarity is low, you’ll end up with lots of ideas.   There may be some good ones, but it’s tough to see them. You’ll spend significant time listening (and responding to) ideas, which eats up time from implementing the good ones. You’ve got a pile of unmanageable ideas. This is a challenge that many people deeply committed to psychological safety are faced with.

And, why some leaders shy away from encouraging workplace innovation, “we don’t need more ideas, we have too many already, we just need to execute.”

When strategic clarity and psychological safety are both high, you’re more likely to get remarkable Ideas. When you have more remarkable ideas, there’s less frustration and more usable innovation.

Your turn.

How have you seen better clarity lead to more remarkable ideas?

The post Workplace Innovation: The Secret to Getting Better, Remarkable, Usable Ideas appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Today on Asking For a Friend, I interview Peter Economy, the Inc. Leadership Guy on how to deal with a jerk at work.

Peter and I are kindred spirits and have been passionately connected on this topic of dealing with jerks at work for some time.

Here’s a very early Inc. interview on being a jerk at work, after my very first book on Overcoming an Imperfect Boss came out in 2014.

How Do I Deal With a Jerk at Work? (Highlights)

Q- In your book, “Wait I’m Working With Who?” You talk about 16 kinds of jerks at work and how to work with them more effectively.

What’s one of your favorite jerks at work to contend with?

Peter Economy (2:10) On Dealing With a Credit Thief

You know, I, I listed 16 in the book and there’s probably even more than that. It’s just amazing how many different ways people can be toxic, and I mean nasty, that kind of thing.

So  I think really the one we probably most resonate with is the credit thief.

Let’s say you’re on a team that was supposed to accomplish something. And the team worked really well together. Maybe there were five of you, you’re all working great together.

And then there’s somebody who kind of jumps up as the team leader and they end up taking all the credit, you know, they’re in the staff meeting with your boss and maybe your boss’s boss,  and they’re the one who jumps up and says, “I got this great thing done, and I did all this and I did all that.”

And all of a sudden there, they’ve got the shine, the spotlight shining on them. And so that’s pretty typical. I mean, that kind of person, and it could be a coworker, it could be a teammate or it could be your boss.

Karin Hurt (03:28)

I’ve seen that a lot too, obviously—a boss who takes all the credit and doesn’t acknowledge the fact that the people who work for them actually got the work done. That’s a big one for sure.

And, you know, what’s interesting in our courageous cultures research that we just finished the most surprising fact was when we asked people “Why, if you had a really great idea to improve the customer experience or productivity process, why would you hold it back?”

56% said the reason they would not share an idea like that is that they wouldn’t receive credit.

Refuse to Play Their Game (10:35)

Karin Hurt

So let’s talk about some of these tactics. One of my favorites was refuse to play their game because it’s so tempting to play their game.

They do passive-aggressive and you’re like, ah, maybe I could play that too. So what unpack that a little bit for us.

Peter Economy

Yeah. Well, it, it is a game,

I talked about it earlier about there being maybe a couple of kinds of toxic people, those that are consciously toxic and those that are unconsciously toxic and the ones that are, you know, consciously toxic, they’re playing a game.

They’re playing a game on you. They’re hoping to get a response. It’s sorta like, you know, pushing a button on a video game. If I push the button hard enough and often enough, maybe I’ll get something to happen and this is what they want to do.

They want to get you to play their game and, and get a reaction.  And they enjoy that. They actually get some pleasure out of that. So, you know, first of all, you got to figure out, um, that you’re being played. I mean, you got to step back and say, “Hey, you know, I think I’m being played by this person.”

Wait, What If My Boss is the Jerk?

A few years ago, I taught a night MBA class at the University of MD called Dealing with Difficult People. One of the assignments was to work on your relationship with one particularly difficult person at work.

Over 90% of the class chose their boss. So what do you do if your boss is the jerk at work?

See Also: 5 Reasons Not to Be a Jerk When an Employee Resigns 

and 3 Consequences of Promoting the Smart, Successful Jerk

The post How Do I Deal With a Jerk at Work? (With Videos) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

We were just wrapping up the first session of a  leadership program when “Sal” raised his hand. “How do you help a new manager be more confident?”

He continued, “I mean it’s tricky to have a difficult conversation or run a great meeting when you’re not convinced you know what you’re doing. And the problem is, your lack of confidence makes your team question your competence. Which of course you can sense, which makes you feel even less adequate.

And then the whole thing just goes downhill from there. I want to get in front of this as fast as I can to help this new manager, what advice do you have?”

3 Ways to Help a New Manager Be More Confident

I’m so glad Sal asked that question because the struggle is real.

It’s tricky to show up confident when you’re not convinced you know what you’re doing. So, if you’re looking for ways to help a new manager (or yourself) show up with more confidence start here.

1. Train Them on The Fundamentals

This sounds obvious, but most managers we talk with tell us they wish they had received some fundamental leadership training when they first started their role.

By the time they land in one of our foundation programs they say, “Wow, I wish I had learned this ten years ago! It would have saved me so much heartache and frustration.”

If you want to help a new manager be successful, be sure they’ve received training on fundamentals like setting and reinforcing expectations, checking for understanding,  keeping the team focused on what matters most, building trust and connection, how to delegate, and building a cadence of accountability and celebration.

Be sure to pick a practical training program, that gives them ways to practice and reinforce what they’ve learned.

You don’t learn how to be a great leader by watching a video.

Be sure to ask these 5 questions before choosing a leadership development program.

2. Ask Confidence-Building Questions

When managers lack confidence, we often find that they have had one or two bad experiences that dominate their thinking.

“OMG one time I tried to give someone feedback and THEY CRIED!!!!”

“I tried to give my team recognition and no one seemed to care, so why bother…”

The truth is, sadly, our brains are wired to remember the bad experiences more than the good ones, which is not helpful. Confidence-building questions can help your new manager bring more positive memories to the forefront and balance their thinking.

Here are a few starters:

• What does your team love about your leadership? How does that help them to be successful?
• Can I do this? If so how?  HT to Dan Pink
• Tell me about a time you had an awesome _________ conversation. What made it so successful?
• How did you learn to do ____? What ideas do you have about how you could teach that to your team?
• (For a new manager promoted over their peers) What is one behavior that you know led to your success in your former role? WHY did that work? How can you help your team better understand the “why” and “how”?

3. Break it Down

When a new manager takes over a team for the first time, there is so much to learn and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Help them focus on one skill and outcome at a time.

Here’s an example (just to get you started …):

• Week one: Get to know your team by having a one-on-one with each team member (learn about who they are as people.)
• Week two: Establish your top MIT (Most Important Thing) priorities.
• Week three: Work with your team to communicate those priorities and check for understanding.
• Week four: Build your 5 x 5 communication plan. (How will you communicate those priorities five times, five different ways?)
• Week five: Help your team identify their most critical behaviors for achieving their MIT priorities
• Week six: Focus on recognition. Celebrate what’s going great. Where do you see the behaviors in action? How can you recognize these behaviors in ways that are specific, relevant and timely?

Just a start

So that’s a start. What would you add? What’s your best advice for helping a new manager build confidence and competence?

Other Resources You May Find Helpful

Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul

9 Ways to Teach Yourself to Be a More Confident Boss

10 Common Excuses That Silently Damage Manager’s Careers

Why To Be Over-Confident (every now and then)

How to Help Employees Have More Confidence

The post How to Help a New Manager Be More Confident appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Let’s Grow Leaders Beyond Borders (Guest Posts and Other Engagement)

This Friday, I was featured on SmartBlog on Leadership on one of our favorite topics, Trust and Transparency.

Read More from Let’s Grow Leaders on SmartBlog, Can “Those People” Be Trusted

A quick excerpt: 

Do you spend more time thinking about why people can’t be trusted or why they can?

When planning large-scale change, or developing a communication strategy, do you ever find yourself focusing on the lowest common denominator? How much time do you spend thinking about why people can’t be trusted? Do you worry about what could go wrong if some faceless person does or says something stupid with the information you provide? Do you stress about what will happen if “those people” get a hold of the information prematurely? Read More

Volunteering and Leadership?

If you missed, Why Volunteering Makes You a Better Leader (Also on SmartBlog), I would love to hear your stories of how volunteering has informed your leadership. This has been my most socially shared topic to date.

Yoga and Leadership, Really?

I am an active Instigator in the Lead Change Group, and this week I stir up more thinking on recognition. Last week I wrote on leadership and yoga, in Lead Asana

Please Join the Ongoing Conversation

I write for you. Please share what’s challenging you, and I will work to spark conversation about it. Please drop me a note with what’s on your mind how is leadership hard for you? I also stir up conversation on my Let’s Grow Leaders Facebook Page. I am currently using Facebook to collect ideas on a 2013 rebuttal to The 1943 Guide To Hiring Women. Would love for you to add your comments on Facebook. I will pull our collective thinking together in a future post.

The best part of this scene is your comments: I am delighted by your thoughts and ideas as you comment on posts. My goal is to create a safe community for exploration and conversation. Bloggers:  I am always looking for ideas to enhance the Let’s Grow Leaders Conversation. If you ever read one of my posts and are interested in including a link to your post in the comments PLEASE DO! The more ideas, the more we all grow.

Coming Soon: Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival

I have been overwhelmed with the response for the first Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival, which will premiere March 15th. Please be sure to log in on Friday to hear thought leaders around the world give their advice to frontline leaders.

Tomorrow’s post on Let’s Grow Leaders, In Defense of the Imperfect Boss, was inspired by an over 300 comment discussion in the Harvard Business Review LinkedIn Group Should make for great conversation.

(Heck, why not just enter your email address and subscribe, so you don’t miss any of this.)

Namaste.

The post Let’s Grow Leaders as Shared In Other Growing Scenes (a Sunday Supplement) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

And so, with deep gratitude for all of your support, I share a few of my favorites in case you missed them.

Best of 2012: 3 Most Popular

Most Viewed, Recognition Power Words: The Phases That Mean the Most

This one was also a lot of fun, because it sparked such an interesting conversation (and debate) on LinkedIn as well. I began with a question to the online community, “What words make the biggest impact when providing recognition?” Recognition is so important to us all, and there are so many important viewpoints on how to approach it.

Runners Up, Humility Matters: 9 Ways Confident Leaders Remain Humble and A Strategic Story About Strategic Storytelling.

Early Favorites

These posts were not official contenders for the best of 2012 because they were written early in the game, mostly to a very small audience. A little rough, but heartfelt.

Felons, Leopards, Spots and Feedback: A Short Story of Missed Opportunity

Stupid Feedback, When Stupid Smarts and What to Do About It

5 Ways Leaders Bust Confidence

I’m Going to Sit Write Down and Write Myself a Letter

Guest Posts and Interviews

Grateful for the Connection and Support from Dan Rockwell, The Most Powerful Thing Experienced Leaders Do (interview with Dan Rockwell on his site, Leadership Freak)

Favorite Guest Post on another site, Leader Athletes: Training Long for the Long Run (Guest Post on Lead Change Group)

Youngest Guest Post on Let’s Grow Leaders, Leadership from a Kid’s Point of View: Lucky or Skillful (Sebastian Hurt, Age 7)

What was your favorite post of 2012?

The post Best of 2012: Top 10 Posts From Let’s Grow Leaders appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

The main idea, in any leadership role, we must first look deeply at ourselves– and understand how our experiences and motives impact our view of others.

“Self-deception, blinds us to the true causes of problems, and once we’re blind, all the ‘solutions’ we can think of will actually make matters worse. Whether at work or at home, self-deception obscures the truth about ourselves, corrupts our view of others and our circumstances, and inhibits our ability to make wise and helpful decisions.”

The first obstacle is understanding when we are operating from a less than objective place.

The irony is that even when we think we are working on a conflict, or working on ourselves, we can’t really do it, if there is self-deception involved.

From a place like this, it’s tough to.

change ourselves (because we don’t believe we need to)

implement new skills or techniques (because we are not truly open)

communicate clearly (because we are not sure how it will be received)

reach compromise (because we believe our way is right)

what else?

The post Leadership, Influence and Self-Deception appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Later this month, I am bringing about 100 folks together to chat about influence. We will create space to share our stories. And take an honest look at how we roll.

“Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our souls. Our influence is determined by the quality of our being.”

~Dale E. Turner

Questions of Influence

What is influence?

Why does it matter?

What skills are most vital?

How do we build them?

What if our influence isn’t working?

What if you went back through your life and gave out “most influential awards”?

Who would win?

Why?

Did they have power and control?

Or was it something else…?

The post Questions of Influence: Asking Questions that Inspire Results appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Larry Owensel is a professional dancer and personal trainer, and teaches the interval kickboxing class I have been taking each week for the last 4 years. It’s a great workout for sure, but mostly I go to experience Larry in action. Larry, a great grandfather in his mid fifties, has charisma. He transforms attitudes and bodies by motivating his loyal following to believe in the possibilities and always stretch for more.

Perhaps his leadership comes from his humble beginnings, or his inspiring mother who constantly encouraged him to not settle for “good” when he could be “great.” Or maybe the secret is his training in the martial arts (he holds a 6th degree blackbelt in Shotoko Karate and a 3rd degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do), or his time spent as a marine corps drill instructor. I am sure all this has helped him to hone his style, but after talking to him, I am convinced it’s his passion for his calling and his deeply spiritual approach to leadership.

Passion

His eyes light up, “I am in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE with dance nothing else makes me feel the way dance does.” It shows in his every move. It shows when he stops the action to get all our clumsy bob and weaves moving in the right direction. It showed on the morning the sound system broke and he taught the entire class through non verbal motion and just sounding out the beat “tat tat tat.”

Spirituality

The passion is clear, but so is the spirituality. “It’s about getting everyone’s energy flowing together, all those hearts and minds. I don’t want us to think about it, I just want us to flow.”

I asked him about how he works so differently with each person in the room (there are usually over 70 of us and various levels and personalities), and he tracks with each athlete in a different way (he calls us “athletes”, we like that). Today in class, I got the intense “you are stronger than that” speech, while others he treated to his encouraging grin.

“I just step in their aura, and look in their eyes. I see what they need deep inside, not what they think they want. It gives me a good sense of what to ask right in that moment, and I take my best shot, he said humbly.” And the grinned, “I am usually right.”

Deliberate Approach

We learned in Olivia Fox Cabane’s work that deliberate choices on every move make a difference. I asked Larry about that. “Oh, It’s all very deliberate.” He doesn’t move or lead by chance.

I notice his deliberate and careful approach to not up the intensity of what he refers to as “an extreme cardio class for athletes.” He just works on the basics and gets them to feel mastery over one thing, so that they can move to the next thing the next time.

I was struck by our conversation on humility, also a very prominent theme in the Cabane book. “When people come back to me and say they dropped 2 dress sizes, and try to give me the credit, even if I know I had an impact, I bow (he shares his namaste gesture), and say “thank you.” It is important to Larry to acknowledge the spirit that is moving through him, and treating that power with sincere humility.

We often think of charisma as something vital for business or politics. Charisma can have awesome power to transform in all professions. I am grateful for my weekly dose of inspiration and role modeling.

Namaste.

The post Portrait of Charisma: Something About Larry appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

“By the time we are in our 40s our path is set your potential is channeled, you are just not going to accomplish anything significant you haven’t already started.”

Wait, what?

For some reason, that comment from a friendly conversation infuriated me, and I kept trying to decide why.

A Picture of You With Your Potential Intact

“I wish I could show you a picture of yourself with your potential intact.”

~John Maxwell, Beyond Talent

He and I both have great families, interesting lives, important work.

Both paths, even if they were truly “set” are good. And for some reason, I have to know there is more.

There are still many areas where “great” is an option, and I can’t imagine not opening my heart to new possibilities.

We all know people with incredible talent at all stages of life, who for one reason or another are not maximizing their potential.

Many of these folks are in our families, neighborhoods, churches, and workplaces. Sometimes they remain good (rather than great) because they are not investing the time and energy in the arena in which they could become great. There is also the crowd that seems to be in the right field, but for lots of “reasons,” don’t take it to the level they could.

The athlete who doesn’t properly train, the musician who doesn’t practice, the leader that does not hone her skills. There are usually lots of “reasons” for the settling, often beginning with the words, “not enough” money, time, energy, network, support.

I worry what they really lack is the belief in their ability to pull it off.

In his book, Beyond Talent: Become Someone Who Achieves Extraordinary Results, John Maxwell identifies 13 choices we make that can amplify our talent. A good read, and all focus areas to consider. He begins with a chapter called “Belief Lifts Your Talent.”

“Its one thing to believe that you possess remarkable potential. It’s another thing to have enough faith in yourself that you think you can fulfill it. When it comes to believing in themselves, some people are agnostic.”

Maxwell offers several “Talent and Belief” application exercises, designed to get people thinking about their opportunities for greatness.

As many writers do, he starts with a strength inventory (identifying top skills and talents) and moves on to thinking about what activities arouse your passion. What I like about his approach is that he then asks the reader to consider what opportunities might be presenting themselves, and to create a picture to bring it all together.

“Take some time to consider what kind of picture emerges based on these talents, interests and opportunities. How might they come together for someone other than you, someone with fewer obstacles or limitations– someone who is in the right place at the right time? Dream big– no idea is outrageous. Brainstorm what someone in that situation might be able to do, and what he or she could become.”

Ever since that conversation with my friend, I believe I am dreaming a bit bigger and looking for opportunities in more arenas.

What is your picture of greatness?

Other articles you may find useful:

Your Talent Strategy: How to Avoid This Human Mistake

How to Be an Even Better Leader

Looking for more ways to grow?

Learn more about our leadership development programs.

Or download our brochure or contact us at info@letsgrowders.com 443-750-1249

Or learn about our books.

The post Maximize Your Potential: It’s Never Too Late to Grow Great appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

And there is also the need for “happy talk,” timed well.

One thing that I found as I have grown in the business, is how much people listen not just to what we say but to our entire mood. Of course, they text and instant message about it too just saying.

If you google, can humans control the weather… you will get a list of links and even all the patents involved. But, if you ask, Can Leaders Control the Weather the answer seems to be a quicker yes.

I have been paying a lot of attention to the weather being created by myself and others. Particularly the impact of what I call “happy talk,” and the results it can drive.

A few weekends ago, we had lots going on in our business which required many conference calls over the weekend to ensure everyone was in the loop and on track. Each time I dialed into the status call, Nancy (let’s call her Nancy, since that is her real name great when that works), engaged everyone with such tremendous excitement and enthusiasm. Through her “happy talk,” each person understood that their contribution to this effort was vital. Everyone worked very hard and her mood was contagious. The project came off extremely well.

That Saturday night, I walked into a restaurant and heard “I just wish this joint had someone who was eager to talk about leadership now that would be great.” I laughed, knowing that someone in this “joint” knew me and was eager to engage let’s call him “Dave” (since that’s his real name). Not a close friend, but someone who always pays attention, and wants others to feel good so they can grow. He is one of my leadership heroes.

The thing is “happy talk” is engaging. When leaders make people feel great they want to become greater. They want to follow the folks that made them feel happy.

In memory of Claire Graham, who performed the role of Bloody Mary many years ago in our Salem Player’s community production of South Pacific. I will never forget your rendition of “Happy Talk.

The post Happy Talk: Energizing Results Through Positive Words appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.