Avsnitt
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Leadership Pitfalls: What to Stop & What to Start
Are you unknowingly holding your team back? Small leadership habits can have a significant impact on workplace culture and productivity. In this episode of Good Company, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren delve into behaviors that leaders should avoid and unpack the steps they can take to foster more positive and productive workplaces. They explore the power of creation-based conversations, why holding team members accountable is key, and how problem-solving conversations create better workplaces. Tuning in, you'll discover a five-step approach for handling conflicts and challenges, the "genie" question, why controlling your emotions as a leader is essential, ways opinions dilute true expertise, the idea of indirect positive feedback, and more. Join the conversation to explore how asking better questions, leveraging expertise, and providing structured feedback can substantially enhance workplace culture and productivity!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Why leaders should shift their approach from judgment to curiosity and support. [0:01:48]
• Navigating judgment effectively and why leaders should always assume good intent. [0:04:00]
• The power of reframing ideas as questions to foster engagement and ownership. [0:07:19]
• Reasons leaders should end open-door policies and focus on problem-solving. [0:11:33]
• How to create places for constructive conversations and define clear dos and don’ts. [0:14:53]
• An approach to create problem-solving conversations for effective conflict resolution. [0:17:39]
• Steps leaders can take to control their emotions when navigating conflict. [0:22:28]
• Unpack the issue of over-collaboration and the idea of a credibility scale for teams. [0:27:08]
• Ways to identify and evaluate expertise for effective credibility rankings. [0:30:45]
• Shifting from incorporating direct positive feedback to indirect positive feedback. [0:34:41]
• Examples of disempowering phrases leaders should avoid and what to say instead. [0:37:23]
• Takeaways from today's conversation and what Drew and Brett have planned. [0:49:22]
Quotes:
“We are always going to judge; that is just how the brain works. It's more about stopping the default negative assumptions as a reaction to whatever [leaders] are being hit with.” — Brett Elmgren [0:06:06]
“If venting is never followed with action, then it actually creates a culture of entitlement.” — Brett Elmgren [0:14:00]
“There is positive intent in every difficult conversation. You should not be having the conversation if you cannot find the positive intent.” — Brett Elmgren [0:16:58]
“Stop looking for who is right and stop trying to solve the problem as quickly as possible.” — Drew Dudley [0:21:04]
“The power of naming your emotion is a very important one [for a leader].” — Drew Dudley [0:23:22]
“Some of your best insight only gets offered when you ask for it from team members.” — Drew Dudley [0:34:27]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Opposable Mind
Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership
Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership
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How can organizations foster trust, resilience, and connection in a world increasingly marked by disconnection and distrust? In this thought-provoking episode of Good Company, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren tackle the complexities of post-pandemic organizational culture. They explore why some companies thrived during adversity, the tension between engagement and accountability, and how assumptions about leadership and decision-making shape workplace dynamics. Packed with actionable insights, this conversation challenges leaders (and employees) to rethink their approach to building trust and culture. Tune in to discover strategies for bridging divides, strengthening team cohesion, and leading with authenticity in today’s ever-changing work landscape!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Improving engagement through quick office returns and intentional social connection [0:01:31]
• How resilient leaders minimized disruption by acting fast in the face of adversity [0:05:44]
• The need to accommodate diverse needs when balancing remote and in-office work [0:07:44]
• Shaping a strong culture through consistent actions aligned with shared values [0:10:31]
• Reasons that employees struggle when leaders dismiss cultural initiatives as "soft" [0:16:31]
• Five ways healthy cultures drive engagement, productivity, profitability, and more [0:18:34]
• The danger of a single story and why you can’t outsource culture to the C-suite [0:22:14]
• A simple question that serves as a litmus test for a strong organizational culture [0:26:06]
• Fostering trust and honesty within organizations in an age of disinformation [0:28:21]
• C-suite scuttlebutt: frustration with a perceived sense of employee entitlement [0:33:36]
• Employee entitlement versus the demand for a more human-centered approach [0:40:32]
• Demystifying the executive suite by helping employees understand leadership better [0:44:10]
• Practical strategies for building unity and overcoming division in organizations [0:48:20]
• Wrapping up and what's next: key takeaways and upcoming topics [0:52:32]
Quotes:
“We overcomplicate [culture] – If you want to change the culture, just change the way you do things. That's it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:11]
“[Organizations that have] supportive, psychologically safe, – and empowering cultures of accountability, transparency, [and] authenticity – have way higher employee engagement and productivity, like 21% higher profitability and 147% higher earnings per share.” — Drew Dudley [0:19:13]
“Don't outsource culture to your boss. You are the culture!” — Brett Elmgren [0:24:58]
“Allow your people to discover you. Don't try to introduce yourself to them.” — Drew Dudley [0:32:21]
“Engagement minus accountability equals entitlement.” — Brett Elmgren [0:35:53]
“The best cultural indicator is how generous your collective assumptions are in an organization.” — Brett Elmgren [0:53:13]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Reality-Based Leadership | Cy Wakeman
‘Why good leaders make you feel safe’ | Simon Sinek | TED
Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership
Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Building Better Workplaces: Leadership for a Post-Pandemic World
Welcome to Good Company, the podcast redefining leadership to create workplaces where people thrive! In this debut episode, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren share their vision: inspiring leaders to transform culture and drive meaningful change. With personal stories and fresh perspectives, they explore the challenges facing today’s organizations. The discussion examines the pandemic’s lasting impact on workplace culture, raising questions about resilience, recognition, and the disconnect between leadership efforts and employee well-being. What makes people feel strong at work? Are organizations doing enough to address collective trauma and foster recovery?
Drew and Brett offer thoughtful insights on building environments where employees feel valued, autonomous, and connected. With practical strategies like improving communication and redefining recognition, this episode offers actionable ideas to help leaders build better workplaces. Listen in for a candid, thought-provoking conversation that will leave you inspired to create positive change!
Key Points From This Episode:
• An introduction to hosts, Drew and Brett, and the origins of this podcast. [0:01:11]
• What people would like to improve when it comes to their organizational cultures. [0:04:34]
• Examining the pandemic as a collective trauma and how businesses can address it. [0:06:55]
• Reflections on whether the pandemic is over in the context of work. [0:11:52]
• Unpacking the nature of happiness and what brings people joy at work. [0:14:11]
• The range of pandemic workplace experiences from positive to traumatic. [0:25:18]
• Debating a company’s responsibility for employee mental health. [0:31:23]
• Key areas where people are feeling weak and unable to access resilience. [0:41:06]
• Evidence-based approaches for creating safer more resilient work environments. [0:47:17]
• Effective strategies for showing recognition and appreciation in the workplace. [0:51:51]
• Final insights and data concerning today’s topics. [01:06:30]
Quotes:
“I don't think human beings – were meant to live in perpetual states of uncertainty. And that, to me, is what's lingering [from the pandemic] – the uncertainty persists when the pandemic has stopped.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:12]
“I'm wondering if we're asking the right questions of employees when we say, ‘Are you happy?’ As opposed to asking them, ‘When do you feel happiest?’” — Drew Dudley [0:19:52]
“Strength is a prerequisite for happiness.” — Drew Dudley [0:23:31]
“70% of employees who are heavily monitored report higher levels of work-related stress compared to people that aren’t.” — Drew Dudley [0:45:30]
“She goes, ‘I learned a long time ago, this simple practice where whenever something negative happens, there's really only one question, that's effective. What did I learn from that experience? That's it.’” — Brett Elmgren [0:50:46]
“94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.” — Drew Dudley [01:07:43]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Power of Habit
Supercommunicators
Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership
Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership
