Build trust with others by giving trust first, writes Eric Barker, sharing ideas from authors Peter Kim and David DeSteno, and displaying confidence, integrity and self-control. Other ways to show your trustworthiness include ensuring your words match your actions, being willing to say "I don't know" instead of making things up and apologizing when you get it wrong, Barker adds.
Put it into practice: Make it easy for others to trust you in the long run by "reducing the situational factors that might tempt even good people to cheat or betray and upping the things that make people think long-term," Barker writes. "Shift the circumstances to make good behavior more favorable and bad behavior less enticing."
Healthy conflict is good for an organization, but it requires that leaders have difficult conversations, create effective coping mechanisms, build capacity for conflict and see it as a force for innovation and curiosity, writes consultant Marlene Chism. "By opening dialogue about the various demands, drives and desires, you create understanding, collaboration and alignment," Chism writes.
Put it into practice: If leaders are prone to avoid conflict, bringing in new managers won't "right the ship," Chism writes. "They won't be supported, and as a result, the new leader learns quickly to align with the example in front of them." The only solution is to increase your company's capacity to handle conflict.
Read more from Marlene Chism on SmartBrief on Leadership
Make your Employee Surveys Actionable By leveraging employee feedback, companies can gain valuable insights into their organizational dynamics, identify areas for improvement, and implement targeted strategies to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction. Read the Article »
You may be silencing the members of your team inadvertently by insisting on your preferred form of communication, writes leadership development facilitator and author Elaine Lin Hering, who suggests reducing that barrier and recognizing that if you want others to speak up, you must create a culture where it's rewarded. "The more we see people using their voices, talking about things that really matter, the more voice becomes the norm," Hering notes.
Put it into practice: Before you speak up in your organization, ask yourself why it's important to you, explain your view clearly and if you encounter resistance, see it as a chance "to understand their concerns and how you might secure a yes," Hering advises. "Instead of assuming that others see things your way, spell out your observations and interpretations, then ask them how they might see it differently."
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How frequently do you deal with rumors and misinformation at your company?
All the time. It's non-stop
11.02%
Frequently. I hear it more than I'd like
30.51%
Sometimes. We face occasional distractions
26.70%
Not often. Maybe once or twice a month
16.94%
Not at all. It's not a challenge for us
14.83%
Eliminating distractions. While the majority of you report not having to deal with rumors and misinformation at work, a significant portion of you (41%) deal with it frequently.
These discussions can fester if left unchecked and you can enable a culture where these issues run rampant. As a leader, step up and shut down rumors, gossip and misinformation. When you hear about it, confront it.
Let your team know the workplace is no place for unsubstantiated discussions that can harm reputations and ruin relationships. Direct their energy toward more productive pursuits like building better relationships with colleagues, team members, partners and customers. While it's uncomfortable to confront such behavior, failure to do so will create the culture you deserve.
-- 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."
After 30 years at Unilever and two years into her role as CEO at Chanel, Leena Nair says she's committed to equity by increasing the presence of women in the C-suite but says she's still careful to pay attention to all voices in the room. "I have always believed in the collective voice, collective intelligence, diverse perspectives," Nair says.
Australian sculptor David Cox created his first phoenix made from old piano keys and other parts for a friend's recording studio; he's now made more than 50 for people who want to turn old pianos into art. "Each one is very different to the previous, with each customer sharing different stories they remember of Nanna teaching them to play, or fun family times shared around the piano," says Cox.
So, yesterday, I wrote up what turned out to be a totally bogus recap of what I thought happened in the women's college basketball tournament over the weekend. Apparently, my source was old. Iowa had not been defeated by LSU but was playing them Monday night. Thus revealing my total ignorance of women's college basketball.
I heard from a good many of you about my mistake, and you were all gracious enough to forgive me ... and to think the whole thing was an April Fool's joke.
Sadly, I am not clever enough to come up with that kind of prank, and really, it wouldn't be very funny (especially if you're an Iowa fan). Anyway, it turns out I'm the April Fool!
Meanwhile, the Iowa Hawkeyes, led by Caitlin Clark's 41 points, beat the LSU Tigers 94-87 last night to send them into the Final Four.
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