Leadership, Disrupted

Leadership, Disrupted

By Dan RustBusinessManagement
Download on the App Store

Leadership, Disrupted episodes

  • Leading the Layoff Survivors
    Today's episode is focused on leading a team, a department or an entire organization AFTER a large layoff. I studied more than 8,000 employees who survived a corporate layoff and discovered that, on average, their productivity, work quality and engagement all declined significantly. Retention rates of these employees also declined sharply, so employers were losing more of those they had planned to keep.

    Even the layoff of only a few, or even just one employee, can have a significant negative impact on those remaining. So my goal in this episode is to help you understand the research and recommended leadership strategies to keep employees motivated and engaged during difficult times, especially after layoffs. We will be talking about:

    *  Pre-layoff preparation and communication
    * The expected decline in the ‘survivor’s’ passion, creativity and commitment
    * How employees mask their true feelings
    * The impact of even small or singular layoffs
    * What kind of leader do they need now?
    * Post-layoff communication cadence
    * How to avoid losing your most effective and productive ‘survivors’
    58 min
  • Are You Ready for Third Wave DEI?
    The phrase “First Wave DEI” refers the time period before May of 2022, with many decades of slow (and unsteady) progress toward greater awareness (and in some cases, appreciation) of the societal importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. Race, gender and sexuality were the primary focus of DEI initiatives during this period. In the workplace, Human Resources departments were primarily responsible for establishing and enforcing equitable policies.

    The “Second Wave DEI” period began in the wake of George Floyd’s murder where we saw an acceleration and intensification of efforts to drive change in actions, mindsets and results. Racial equity and justice understandably took center stage, but sexuality and gender issues also gained momentum, particularly the human rights of non-binary and gender-fluid individuals. The increased focus and passion also produced an intense push-back from some individuals and groups. The societal “conversation” (and conflict) easily spilled over into the workplace conversation (and conflict).

    “Third Wave DEI” refers to a near-future period when the focus of DEI initiatives expands from primarily race, gender, and sexuality to encompass the full range of human diversity. In this near-future, creating societal and workplace cultures of belonging and inclusion will mean greater attention to neurodiversity, non-traditional family structures as well as difference related to cultural, language, lifestyle and life experience, work experience… the full dimension of human diversity is almost limitless. This does not mean that the "big three" (race, gender, sexuality) represent issues that have been resolved, and these will still be areas of major focus when it comes to creating a truly inclusive society/workspace. But in Wave 3, the workplace conversation/conflict will begin to move along a different path from the societal conversation/conflict. This webinar will focus on the challenges and opportunities that will spring from this Third Wave of DEI.
    1 hr
  • 2023 – Leadership in the Year Ahead
    Once again I was NOT invited to the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland this January. So while government leaders were rubbing shoulders with big business, big philanthropy, big media, and other cultural leaders to, as they say, SHAPE global, regional and industry agendas, for the rest of us, I was having conversations with what I like to call WORKING leaders. People like the CEO of a $50 million manufacturing company in Ohio, the VP of marketing for a global food distributor, the Director of Sales for a farm implement dealership, the head of Human Resources for a large consulting business in the UK, the CEO of a cryptocurrency startup based in Singapore, and lots of other folks who, again, I like to call WORKING leaders. I have conversations with people like this every week and it’s the best part of my job. I remember having conversations with business leaders a year ago, in early 2022, and their big top-of-the-mind concerns were supply chain disruptions, productivity of remote and hybrid workers, when and how and IF to transition them back to the office, and of course retaining top talent was a big issue.

    This year most of the business leaders I speak with think we are going to have a recession, but that’s not primarily what they were talking or thinking about. They were not intensely focused on the recession that may happen in the next 12 months. What they were focused on were the big transformations that are going to play out over the next 10 years.

    * The evolving employee recruiting and retention landscape.
    * The growing impact of Artificial Intelligence, especially the generative AI app called ChatGPT.
    * Creating an INCLUSIVE work environment where every employees feels SEEN, KNOWN… every employee feels CONNECTED to the mission of the organization AND connected to the PEOPLE they work with, and every employee feels VALUED for their contributions to the business.
    * In the face of all of these technology-driven accelerations, how do we keep our organizations as HUMAN as possible, how do we help our people be as mentally fit as possible?

    Can we hope for a future where we have both more/better technology and more humanity all at the same time? Can we realize the potential of pairing great people with innovative technologies? It doesn’t HAVE to be about replacing one with the other, it can mean allowing people to free up more of their time to do what humans do best.

    So continuing the look forward into what we should expect, as business leaders, in 2023 and beyond, at this point in time we are almost three years out from the uprisings of 2020 in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. And we know that in that year a lot of businesses made really big promises to their employees and customers and other stakeholders around equity and social justice. There was a huge WAVE of training and corporate culture change initiatives. Unconscious bias in the workplace, micro-exclusions and micro-aggressions. Social justice, equity, inclusion and belonging. These were all terms that became part of our corporate conversations. And I think 2023 is the year we’re going to see if those major initiatives will be sustained, if those big promises are going to be kept. Business leaders will be responding to political and cultural change this year, and in some cases, resistance.

    What I’m hearing from many senior leaders is that they remain committed to their DEI and ESG goals, but they are going to avoid language that tends to TRIGGER a pushback. So business may remain committed to their ESG goals but simply find new ways to communicate them.

    So one of my predictions – if we want to use that word – for 2023 is that business leaders in many cases WILL be more deeply connected to their DEI and ESG goals, even if their language or narrative changes.

    Also in 2023,
    39 min
  • 2022 Year in Review
    We look back at the year 2022. There were plenty of interesting and unexpected things that happened this past year to provide us with leadership lessons and observations IF you are paying attention and asking the right questions.
    46 min
  • The Leader as Coach
    In this episode we will help leaders understand the approach of an optimal leader coach, and align coaching style with the employee’s competency/skill level. Performance coaching starts with a strong coaching relationship of trust, going in both directions. Followed by clearly defined performance objectives and standards. Good coaches measure individual and group contributions against clearly defined standards for performance. When gaps are identified, these are clearly and positively communicated, then they work diligently to close the gaps. Holding others accountable to their goals provides opportunities for growth, learning, and ongoing motivation.

    Coaching Analysis Questions

    * Identify the specific behavior discrepancy.
    * Is it worth your time and effort?
    * Do they know the behavior is problematic?
    * Do they know WHAT they are supposed to do and WHY?
    * Do they know HOW to do it?
    * Are there obstacles beyond their control?
    * Do they think your way will not work or their way is better?
    * Is there a way to “flex” the requirements to align with the individual’s natural competencies or strengths?
    * Do they have other priorities?
    * Does desired performance produce positive consequences?
    * Does desired performance produce actual or perceived negative consequences?
    * Does problematic performance produce positive consequences?
    * Does problematic performance produce negative consequences?
    * Are personal problems interfering?
    * Could they do it if they chose to?
    1 hr 3 min
  • LOUD Leadership, the Cure for Quiet Quitting?

    As a leader, if you are wondering what to do about quiet quitting, I suggest you start by focusing on yourself. Because the most recent research and survey data shows that LOUD Leaders have 30-40% fewer quiet quitters. "Quiet Quitters" are disengaged employees who choose to stay in their jobs, but are doing only what is specifically required of them at work and nothing more. Many of these employees will tell you that they are "working to live" as opposed to "living to work."  Whatever the root causes, many employees have made the conscious decision to reduce the importance they attach to their work lives, in favor of family, friends and their mental, as well as their physical, well being. LOUD Leadership is an approach that respects and validates these employees while ultimately boosting their engagement at work through respect, trust, recognition and treating them as human begins making valued contributions to the organization.

    38 min
  • What Does Great Leadership LOOK like? What’s the ONE THING? Cracking the Employee Engagement Code.

    Quiet quitting is just the latest popular term referencing employees who put no more effort into their jobs than absolutely necessary. The bad news is that employee engagement has been in decline for more than 20 years, and yet there is GOOD NEWS because employees have told us EXACTLY what it takes to drive their full engagement. In this episode we start with the role of leaders in boosting (or destroying) engagement, and the primary focus of those exceptional leaders who have the proven ability to motivate and energize their employees. Then we go into detail regarding the 10 proven engagement drivers.

    1 hr
  • Leading in a Disrupted World, Rethinking Capitalism, Employee Expectations, Leadership Pressures

    We are living and working in disruptive times: technology-driven upheavals, economic recession and inflation and supply chain issues, global pandemics, terrorist attacks, trade wars, culture wars. Employee expectations for their relationship with employers and leaders are evolving.  And as employees needs and priorities change, it makes sense that leadership would need to evolve as well. In this disrupted landscape we need to do more to develop evolved leaders who can best serve their companies and their employees. Leaders are feeling more pressure from the top down, and the bottom up. They are being asked to do more with less, and to do it faster. 

    33 min
  • Introduction: Dan Rust Previews the Podcast

    This is a brief introduction to the "Leadership, Disrupted" podcast which explores the art and science of high-impact leadership in a disrupted world where the future  – of business, of capitalism, of our society, and yes, of leadership – is changing and evolving and where none of us can be certain what the future holds, but we are sure that it will be fundamentally different. All of this will be discussed from the perspective of real leaders in the real world who are changing the way business works.

    3 min

About Leadership, Disrupted

From the publisher's feed

This podcast hosted by Dan Rust explores the art and science of high-impact leadership in a disrupted world where the future – of business, of capitalism, of our society, and yes, of leadership – is…