Coaching For Leaders

Bringing smart ideas to the table isn't enough; we also need to be able to sell those ideas. The best idea communicated poorly will fare much worse than a mediocre idea communicated well. In this episode, I'll examine what you can do to help your ideas take off. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Six mistakes you may be making when pitching a great idea: 1) Neglecting to interact with the people who are impacted most by your idea. 2) Ignoring people who could help you. 3) Spending too much time on the unimportant details. 4) Assuming the "pitch" is the decision point. 5) Failing to strategize how to work around obstacles. 6) Hesitating on bad news. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Jackie Tirpak, Catherine Powell, Waldemar-Joachim Siara, and Rick Gray for either liking our page on Facebook or f

JoAnne Norton: Family Business Consulting Group Family businesses account for 60% of all jobs in the United States and 98% of all companies elsewhere. The dynamics of family business are unique and communication becomes even more critical. In this episode, I interview family business consultant JoAnne Norton of the Family Business Consulting Group on how family business can prosper from one generation to the next with effective communication. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

As our careers grow, we get more and more opportunities to attend conferences. Most people fail to maximize what they can gain from a conference. In this episode, I interview experienced conference-goer and speaker Charles Max Wood of Ruby Rogues and Javascript Jabber on how he maximizes the value he gets from conferences. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com My guest this week is: Charles Max Wood of the Ruby Rogues and Javascript Jabber podcasts Learn Ruby on Rails at Chuck's site: Rails Ramp Up Twitter: @cmaxw Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Jeffrey Powers, Eveliina Vuolli, Cesar Abeid, Suzie Farthing, Michael Farthing, Risto Mononen, Kristie Cole, and Christina Caesar for either liking our page on Facebook or following me on Google+ A special thank you to Suzie Farthing for writing an iTunes re

All of us are trying to be effective while handling some level of chaos, yet some are more efficient in getting it all done than others. Dave responds to a listener question and gives suggestions for how to get it all done when the reason you aren't getting it done is because you have too much on your plate. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com 1) Figure out what you need to do exclusively, that no one else can do Look at the last really full week you had... What could you teach someone else to do? Are you believing the fallacy that no one else could do as good a job as you on all your tasks? 2) Have defined outcomes for a specific timeframe Contract with your manager on what outcomes are most important Remember that you can't hit a target that you don't have Keep these priorities simple and easily trackable. The SMART framework can be helpful (see episode #15) 3) Do quality work (be careful about just

All of us are being bombarded by so much information and data that we can barely keep up. If we want to be able to influence more effectively, we need to be able to do it concisely. Bonni and I discuss strategies for making this happen. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Mark Twain received the following telegram from a publisher: NEED 2-PAGE SHORT STORY TWO DAYS. And famously replied... NO CAN DO 2 PAGES TWO DAYS. CAN DO 30 PAGES 2 DAYS. NEED 30 DAYS TO DO 2 PAGES. In his book Information Anxiety, Richard Saul Wurman states that a standard issue of the New York Times contains more information than a citizen of 17th England would have absorbed in their entire lifetime. The problem? Many people will tune us out when we are not concise. People stop taking calls or are often "unavailable" from people who can't be concise. Lots of people will stop seeking advice from someone who can't give it concisely.

Every one of us must face the challenge of influencing someone who managers us. While some people have a natural talent for this, most of us have a hard time getting started since doing this well is more of an art than a science. In this episode, Bonni and I discuss eight things you can do to influence in the correct way. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Bonni and I discuss our eight suggestions for managing up: 1) Support your manager publicly: Avoid gossip if you can, and when someone is truly trying to problem solve, do your best to help them understand each side of the situation instead of being critical. One of the fastest ways to lose trust with your manager is for them to discover you've been speaking poorly about them behind their backs. 2) Tell your manager what you are planning: It rarely is a problem to over communicate something...most people take the opposite position and don't communicate en

A great mentoring program can help both the organization and its people achieve incredible results. In this episode, I welcome mentoring expert Stella Cowan to discuss what leaders should consider when designing and implementing a formal mentoring program in their organizations. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Interview with Stella Cowan Here are the resources Stella mentioned on the show, along with some additional tools: Dr. Lois Zachary (Center for Mentoring Excellence) Ida Abbott (home page) Stella recommends her articles “Beyond Mentors, the Need for Champions" and “Mentoring Groups and Mentoring Circles”) Stella recommends two to us during training/orientation and to provide continued support to mentors and mentees are: “Being an Effective Mentor: 101 Practical Strategies for Success,” and “Working with a Mentor:  50 Practical Strategies for Success.” So You Want to Be Mentored by Stella Cowan* Inte

Interview with listener Stefan Three lessons from Stefan's story: The importance of leaders to be willing to admit mistakes Why creating results over time helps you stand out from the crowd The power of a long-term vision Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. I heard throughout my life that I should always honor those who are older than me and I've always been asked to lead them. In this episode, Bonni and I discuss situations where we've both been asked to lead people older than us and identify seven principles that can help you do this successfully as well. 1. Everyone is your superior in some way. “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson 2. Focus on the right questions instead of the right answers. 3. Befriend people who are older than you are - and younger too. 4. Remember each person will be very young and very old. Movie

Almost all of us are doing more virtually than we ever have before - and that includes our leadership responsibilities. Virtual leadership has become the norm in many organizations and leaders have had to adapt in order to influence effectively across distance. In this week's episode, I speak with virtual teams expert Mike Demas on what strategies leaders can use in order to be as effective as possible in a virtual environment. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Special Guest: Mike Demas, Director at Micron Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com The four elements that Mike mentioned: Trust Flexibility Availability Investment early in the relationship I am accepting subscriptions to my free newsletter. If you would to receive more leadership resources, you can SUBSCRIBE HERE. Also, you'll receive as a bonus, a video and down-loadable list of t

Leaders face difficult situations when their organizations struggle through budgetary challenges. My guest, Dr. Carol Taylor, is all too familiar with such challenges and tells the story of the crisis that faced Vanguard University when she was appointed president. She is the author of "Leading a Turnaround and the Joy of a Third Class Ticket" found in Thriving Leadership, edited by Karen Longman, and joins me on this episode to share her leadership journey at Vanguard. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Special Guest: Dr. Carol Taylor President, Vanguard University Author of Leading a Turnaround and the Joy of a Third Class Ticket, found in Thriving Leadership, edited by Karen Longman Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Two challenges for you after listening to today's show: Visit the Vanguard University website for inspiration on what wonde

Questions are the language of coaches. Stories are the language of leaders. In this episode, I welcome Sandie Morgan, Director of the Global Center for Women & Justice at Vanguard University of Southern California, to speak about how she utilizes storytelling to influence the world. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Interview with Sandie Morgan Director, Global Center for Women & Justice Vanguard University of Southern California Hear Sandie and Dave biweekly on the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com I am moving the show away from a focus on series and instead towards a new topic each episode. Towards that goal, next week I'll be responding to a topic suggestion from Tom on how to handle complaining in your organization...especially from a repeat offender. Thank you to Eric, Kim, Kathy, Sandrine, Eveliina, Garry, Jennifer, Bill, Grace, and others for subscribing to the fo

Susan Cain: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Those of us who have a preference for introversion often are misunderstood by colleagues and organizations. In this episode, we explore how introverts can bring value to organizations and highlight the research of Susan Cain, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Special Guest: Susan Cain I interview Susan on her New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Thank you to Stefan Schulz for liking our page on Facebook. If what you've heard on this week's show has been valuable to you or if you've benefited from past episodes, please leave us a review on iTunes. You can do this at coachingforleaders.com/itunes and then click "View in iTunes." We are very grateful for your feedback! Wherever you are in the world

While we all enjoy many aspects of our personality, most of us trend towards either extraversion or introversion in how we engage with the world. In this episode, Dave & Bonni Stachowiak discuss this dichotomy, how to lead those who have preferences in each area, and advice for your own leadership style. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Special Guest: Dr. Bonni Stachowiak How to lead those with an extraversion preference: Give them opportunities to communicate ideas and thoughts Help them use their preferences in sales interactions Recognize that they may become impatient with a slow pace, so give them indicators of movement, when possible Use feedback regularly How to lead if you have an extraversion preference: Take time to listen Ask others how they want to be led Avoid using "thinking out loud" as an excuse for not treating others well Give yourself "time outs" when you need them Recognize that venting does not actually live up to its reputation How to lead those with

There are few people who are better examples of getting noticed in a noisy world than Michael Hyatt. Michael is the voice behind MichaelHyatt.com and his blog attracts more than 300,000 unique readers each month. He joins me on today's episode to discuss his book Platform: Get Noticed In a Noisy World. If you have something to say or sell in today's marketplace, this is a must listen for you. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I interview Michael Hyatt on this episode. You can purchase his new book Platform: Get Noticed In a Noisy World at http://platformbook.com Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Community News I mentioned on today's show that I have additional resources and notes on what I am reading on my Twitter account. My Twitter ID is @DaveStachowiak Be sure to check out The Five Biggest Mistakes CEOs Make in Speaking by Ben Decker. This is a great read and aligns beautifully with our series, regardless if you are a CEO or not. A special thank you to George Bell and St

Some people have heard that myth that how you look is more important than what you say. In this episode, I address this myth, describe in detail why what you say is the most important part of your presentation, and give practical advice for how to assemble presentation content. You can build a good presentation, even if you don't feel that you have professional delivery skills. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I begin this episode by speaking about the often misunderstood study from Dr. Albert Mehrabian that is often cited as evidence by those who claim that how you say something is more important that what you say. Olivia Mitchell from Speaking About Presenting has an excellent article that addresses this issue head on. In addition, this video provides great perspective: The bottom line? What you say is far more important than how you say it. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo da Vinci Article I published last week: How One Key Question Gets Audience Results "

We turn our final episode of our training series to what every leader ought to know about sending people to training. Since episode #30, we've learned about many aspects of training, so this week we turn our focus to what you should know (and do) when sending people to training. I welcome Janet Riley, a gifted trainer and consultant, to help explore this topic. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Janet's extensive career in the learning and development industry has provided her thousands of hours in experience training leaders around the world, most recently with the David Allen Company. She provides important and practical wisdom for all leaders. Here's what I asked her: When is training a good way to develop someone? When is training the wrong answer? What are three things leaders can do before training to support people changing behaviors? What are some of the different attitudes people show up with in a training classroom - and how can a leader respond to each of these? What

Aaron Kent: Dale Carnegie In the opening of this episode, I mentioned the book Soar With Your Strengths, which I recommend. This week, I welcome a dear friend and business partner as my guest. Aaron Kent is the President & CEO of Dale Carnegie of Southern Los Angeles. I asked Aaron the following questions during our interview: What are some common misconceptions leaders have about training companies? How would a leader know its the right time to consider bringing in an outside resource like Dale Carnegie? What should leaders do to prepare for a first meeting with a company like Dale Carnegie? How does Dale Carnegie approach a first meeting (i.e. what can leaders expect?) In your experience, what do leaders who have great success with training do differently than those who have mediocre success? What's one thing that leaders don't do when hiring you that you wish they did? Since this show is about engaging and developing others with coaching, who is a leader that's been an effective coach for y

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Be sure to align with the organization's mission, vision, and goals: Requires that you have at least a basic understanding of strategy (long-term planning). There are many approaches to strategy. A good person to know about in the area of creating competitive advantage is Michael Porter. Steps to needs analysis: Determine the problem(s) by finding a key business lever that will make a big impact on the organization if it gets fixed/improved. People pay more attention to fixing problems than they do to making improvements. Affirm that the problem really is the problem (work with stakeholders to see if there is consensus on the key prob

Whether you have access to many training resources or none at all, there is a lot you can do as a leader to train others. In this episode, we'll examine 5 effective ways you can train the people you lead. Prepare Estimate how much time you will need in advance - then double it. If you fail to block enough time, either you will sell the person short by rushing, or you will impact other business operations by taking more time than planned. Be realistic with how long things will take. Coach the rest of the team and remind them that access to you when you are conducing on-the-job training will be more limited. Be sure to consider the organizational outcome you want to have come out of the new skill or behavior you are working on. It's not enough just to get the other party good at actions - they need to understand how these actions fit into the big picture. Demonstrate You'll want to fully demonstrate what it is that you want the other party to do. Suggest that the other person watch and observer -