Will Guidara: Unreasonable Hospitality

Will Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership received four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars, and in 2017 was named #1 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He has co-authored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40, and is the recipient of WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award. He is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect*.

We expect hospitality from a restaurant or hotel, but we often miss opportunities for this mindset at work. In this conversation, Will and I discuss effective leadership as an act of hospitality, not only for the organization and team — but for the leader themselves.

Key Points

Service is black and white. Hospitality is color.

Hospitality elevates service not only for the person receiving it, but for the person delivering it.

Hospitality is a dialogue, not a monologue. With employees, this means giving feedback continuously.

When offering criticism, make a charitable assumption. The message is still the message, but the context matters.

Giving attention to your top performers does a lot to invest others in their work.

Make it cool to care.

Resources Mentioned

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect* by Will Guidara

Interview Notes

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Roy Schwartz: Smart Brevity

Roy Schwartz is co-founder and CEO at Axios HQ, the world’s first AI-powered internal communications management platform. He’s also the co-founder of Axios, the award-winning news organization known for its Smart Brevity writing style. He's the co-author, along with Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen of Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less*.

Most organizations spend way more time and strategy on external communications than internal ones. In this conversation, Roy and I discuss how your internal strategy can reduce email, save time, and create space for innovation and insight.

Key Points

An effective, internal publication via email reduces the amount of total messaging people receive.

Position one, big item in every publication. There should be a hierarchy of what’s important, since not everyone will read everything.

Keep each topic to 200 words and under 1,000 words for the entire publication.

For each topic, start with a strong, first sentence — and then provide context for why it matters.

Find a word other than “newsletter” to name a regular, internal publication.

Bring personality and smiles into internal publications. People will engage and look forward to reading.

Done well, internal publications help inform, recognize, provide accountability, and allow leaders to focus on the human aspects of communication.

Resources Mentioned

Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less* by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz

Axios HQ: AI-powered newsletter software

Interview Notes

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Laure Arron: Who Has Your Back?

Laurie Arron is the founder of Arron Coaching, LLC and trusted adviser and executive coach to C-suite executives and Chiefs of Staff. She spent 30+ years climbing the corporate ladder at a Fortune 10 company in sales leadership, strategic planning, business transformation, and Chief of Staff roles. She is the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders's Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve.

Executive leaders need both truth-tellers and those who can manage on their behalf. Increasingly, the Chief of Staff role is becoming more prominent. In this episode, Laurie and I discuss their role, where they add value, and how they benefit the entire team.

Key Points

The Chief of Staff role has become a more prevalent executive role, especially in the technology, finance, and healthcare industries.

A Chief of Staff is distinct from an executive assistant. A effective Chief represents the leader, manages on their behalf, and coordinates their work.

Every top leader needs a truth teller. A key role of the Chief of Staff is to be up-front with the person they serve.

An effective Chief is proactive in addressing issues before the leader ever knows about them. They know where messages are being lost or diluted.

Ideally, the Chief of Staff helps create a climate of free expression throughout the team.

Resources Mentioned

Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders's Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve by Laurie Arron

Let Bartlet Be Bartlet from The West Wing

Interview Notes

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Ty Wiggins: The New CEO

Ty Wiggins is a leadership expert who is passionate about setting up new CEOs for success. As the global lead of Russell Reynolds Associates’ CEO & Executive Transition Practice, he helps world-leading CEOs successfully transition into their roles, guiding them through their first 12-18 months as their trusted advisor. He is the author of The New CEO: Lessons from CEOs on How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes)*.

Taking on a top job is unique in many ways. In this conversation, Ty and I explore what new, top leaders can do to get out of the bubble and hear more truth. Plus, we discuss why the first 90 or 100 days might not be the best metric for top leaders, and how to better start with easy wins and early moves.

Key Points

You’ll see more in the top job, but hear less. This is even more pronounced for those promoted internally.

Getting out of the bubble means spending more time with middle managers and front-line employees. Second and third time CEOs do this more from the start.

Key questions that can help you hear more: (1) Tell me some of the workarounds you have in place and (2) What's the question I haven't asked you but I should?

The first 90 or 100 days as a success metric is often overstated in top jobs. You’re often still learning context at an exponential rate.

If it’s on fire, fix it. If it is smold­ering, leave it alone until you have more context.

It’s helpful to address common pain points for easy wins. They don't have to be enormous, but they should be deliberate.

Resources Mentioned

The New CEO: Lessons from CEOs on How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes)* by Ty Wiggins

Interview Notes

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Ruth Gotian: The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring

Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor of Education in Anaesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has been hailed by Nature and The Wall Street Journal as an expert in mentorship and leader­ship development. Thinkers50 has ranked her the #1 emerging management thinker in the world and she's a top LinkedIn voice in mentoring. Ruth is the author of The Success Factor and now along with Andy Lopata, The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring*.

We’ve all heard about the benefits of mentoring. In addition to receiving mentoring, great leaders give back by providing it to others. In this episode, Ruth and I discuss what the research shows that the best mentors do well.

Key Points

Effective mentors use a combination of skills in coaching, sponsorship, role-modeling, and mentoring to support the situation.

Informal mentoring tends to be more effective than formal pairings. 61% of mentoring relationships develop organically.

Open up your network to your mentee. It’s an essential way to support their growth — and yours.

Park your ego at the door. Instead, allow your mentee to shine. With their permission, amplify their achievements.

Take the role of “sophisticated barbarian.” Approach mentee situations with knowledge and experience, but with distance and objectivity of their other, daily interactions.

Document the challenges, accomplishments, and next steps during mentoring. This helps your mentee recognize accomplishments and grow their confidence.

Resources Mentioned

The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring by Ruth Gotian and Andy Lopata

Interview Notes

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How to Build a Network While Still Doing Everything Else, with Ruth Gotian (episode 591)

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The Way to Get Noticed by Key Stakeholders, with Daphne E. Jones (episode 614)

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David Novak: How Leaders Learn

David Novak is Co-Founder and the retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company. During his tenure as CEO, Yum! Brands became a global powerhouse, growing from $4 billion in market cap to over $32 billion. After retiring in 2016, he became Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, dedicated to developing leaders at every stage of life. He is the author of How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World's Most Successful People.

One element of powerful leadership is bringing different people and ideas together to create something entirely new. In this conversation, David and I discuss how leaders can use pattern thinking to create new value. Plus, we explore why active learning is so critical for successful leadership.

Key Points

Pattern thinking is 1+1 = 3. Create something bigger than its parts by pairing things not related to make something new.

Be curious about the world by being an active learner. Use books, travel, listening, and hobbies to come across insights you wouldn’t normally see.

Active learners seek out patterns proactively in order to create something new.

Questions to ask yourself:

The last time you came up with an especially creative idea or solution, what was your inspiration? What pattern were you applying and where had you discovered it?

How much time do you spend exploring outside your usual work and life experiences? Where are you getting exposure to different disciplines or industries?

Think of a challenge you’re facing or a problem you’ve been struggling to solve? Have you looked for patterns or ideas from unusual sources yet? If not, where could you turn next?

Resources Mentioned

How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World's Most Successful People by David Novak

Interview Notes

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide.

Question from Qasim

Qasim asked our thoughts on how to break the busy cycle and actually get started with something important.

Aruj wondered how to handle a tricky situation where colleagues are gossiping lots in the office.

Alice has three great opportunities in front of her was curious our advice on how to decide between them.

Resources Mentioned

How to Decide by Annie Duke

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Matt Abrahams: Think Faster, Talk Smarter

Matt Abrahams is an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. He is a lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and a keynote speaker and communication consultant for Fortune 100 companies. He is the host of the popular podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart and the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot*.

One of the most common places leaders get put on the spot is when facilitating a question and answer session. In this episode, Matt and I discuss the mindset, preparation, and steps that will help you answer questions with confidence and increase credibility with your audience.

Key Points

Many presenters think about a Q&A session like playing dodgeball. It’s more helpful to frame it as dialogue.

Answering questions well allows you to project authenticity, expand on key points, and resolve objections.

Use the ADD framework to respond to a question. A: answer the question, D: detail an example, and D: describe the value. If helpful, adjust the order.

Set boundaries for the kinds of questions you’ll answer and the timeframe for them. The audience expects you to lead the conversation.

Ask yourself a question if nobody else asks one first. This might start with, “A question I’m commonly asked…”

End with an exclamation point. Sticking the landing provides you confidence and shows credibility to your audience.

Resources Mentioned

Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot* by Matt Abrahams

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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That’s a Great Question (Dave’s Journal)

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Michael Bungay Stanier: The Coaching Habit

Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of eight books, including The Coaching Habit*, which has sold more than a million copies and is the best-selling book on coaching this century. He is the founder Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that’s trained thousands of people around the world to be more coach-like. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times.

One of the most common desires leaders espouse is wanting to get better at helping others grow. One great way to do that is to become more coach-like. In this conversation, Michael and I explore how we can do better at building this skill.

Key Points

Care deeply for others while also being disconnected from their outcomes. Give people responsibility for their own freedom.

Consider asking, “How much risk are you willing to take?” Allow the other party to define the boundaries.

Bring a difficult observation as a third point. Separate the message from the person and let them decide what’s true.

Avoid asking “why” questions of others to avoid putting people on the defensive and trying to solve their problems.

A helpful checkpoint: is this question something that’s helping me or helping the other party?

Silence is a measure of success. When you ask a question that lands, people need time to answer.

Your body leads your brain. Notice your physical presence and how it manifests when you’re listening well.

Resources Mentioned

The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier

Register your book receipt for bonus items from Michael

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237)

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Jeff Wetzler: Ask

Jeff Wetzler is co-CEO of Transcend, a nationally recognized innovation organization, and an expert in learning and human potential. His experience spans 25+ years in business and education, as a management consultant to top corporations, a learning facilitator for leaders, and as Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America.

He is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is an Edmund Hillary Fellow. Jeff is the author of Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life*.

Leaders are not the only people who need to have difficult conversations in the workplace. Yet, leaders set the tone for how much people are willing and able to talk about hard things. In this episode, Jeff and I discuss how leaders can make it easier for those important conversations to happen.

Key Points

In one study of managers, most people admitted to remaining silent with their bosses and nearly 75% said colleagues also felt uncomfortable speaking up.

Meet people on their own turf. Others are more likely to speak up if they are in a setting that’s more comfortable for them.

Leaders should consider shifting timing and/or medium to one that’s of the preference for the person who doesn’t have power.

Explain why you’re asking about a topic and your intention for a conversation at the start. Providing context prevents people from having to guess at your agenda.

Set a mutual agenda for a conversation by asking a question like, “In addition to this, what else should be part of our conversation today?”

Establish a tone for open communication by radiating resilience. Words like these might help: “If I were in your shoes, I might be feeling frustrated or even resentful. If that’s how you’re feeling, I would understand completely. Please don’t hold back.”

Resources Mentioned

Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life* by Jeff Wetzler

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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How to Ask Better Questions, with David Marquet (episode 454)

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How to Grow From Your Errors, with Amy Edmondson (episode 663)

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