If you’re ready to help your team think critically and creatively, it might be time to ask great questions. In this episode, we’re going to dive into how you can build independence and critical thinking skills in your team by asking open-ended questions. Tap into your curiosity to step up your leadership!

1. Engaging people by asking specific questions to help them understand their responsibilities can support independence and critical thinking.
2. Open-ended questions are thought-provoking, while yes-or-no questions discourage creative thinking.
3. As leaders, our curiosity can help us discover what is holding our team members back - why are they struggling? Why don’t they feel comfortable asking for help?
4. Don’t be afraid to challenge assumptions! It’s not about putting people down or even calling them out; it can help you better understand a team member’s behavior.
5. Questions can build trust. Your team members are less likely to be on the defensive when you use questions to work through issues. 

In today's swift-moving employee market leaders are far too often putting people that are technically good at their jobs into leadership positions, without first developing them on how to be leaders of people.

How do you course correct, or better yet make sure you don’t make that common mistake? Develop your people to lead others from the moment they join your team. For more tools on how to develop others around you, contact us today.

We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

If your team is operating in chaos, you may have a pot-stirrer in your midst. In this episode, I’m sharing some insights into the inner workings of the pot-stirrer’s mind. Strong leaders have a responsibility to help their teams see their way through tough situations - it’s time to stop stirring the pot and start stepping up.

1. Pot-stirrers thrive on chaos and tension in the workplace. They manipulate and strong-arm people into unstable situations to gain power and control.

2. The first step to making a change is recognizing pot-stirring behavior patterns in yourself or others and making the decision to adjust the team’s path.

3. Be open about the negative impacts of pot-stirring. Low morale, low productivity, high turnover rates, and employees feeling stifled are all symptoms of having a pot-stirrer in your organization.

4. The majority of employees experience stress in the workplace, and there is a correlation between traumatic workplace experiences and counterproductive behaviors.

5. We have to understand the root causes of pot-stirring in ourselves and others to help unpack where those behaviors come from.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how to manage the pot-stirrer in your organization (even if it’s you). We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

The fear of failure can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you let it. It’s time to leave the fear behind and break through your barriers. In this episode, I’m here to tell my own personal story of MY fear of failure and share ideas for how you can overcome what holds you back.

1. If you are becoming stagnant, look inward to discover the truth of why it’s happening. Stagnation can cause us to be afraid to step outside of our comfort zone and try new things.

2. Look back and think about the potential regrets from not taking that risk - do they outweigh the feeling of fear of the unknown?

3. Leaders who are afraid to fail are often risk-averse. If you’re so risk-averse that you miss out on opportunities, think about bringing someone you trust onto your leadership team.

4. Teams that display growth and adaptability have leaders that welcome innovation and change. If you can’t see how to execute new ideas and that makes you shoot them down, empower your team members to plan, try, and fail.

5. Fear of failure is often linked with low self-esteem or self-worth. Get educated and connect with others (like mentors, coaches, therapists, etc.) who can help you understand your self-esteem or self-worth.

6. When we focus too much on what others will think of us instead of looking in the mirror, we can end up with anxiety about losing our status or reputation.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how to meet your fear of failure head-on. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

It happens to everyone, so why are we so afraid of being wrong? In today’s episode, I’m diving into the power you gain when you stop fearing failure. Owning your mistakes strengthens your integrity and creates opportunities to learn more about yourself, your work, and your team. 

1. Leaders and team members need to get over the fear of disappointing others and ourselves. Keep your integrity and self-respect by taking personal ownership of mistakes. No blame shifting!

2.            Making mistakes can trigger feelings of embarrassment and shame. Most people don’t learn how to move through those emotions which can lead to withdrawing and an unwillingness to take risks.

3.            The fear of being wrong can undermine our relationships. When leaders get defensive or shift blame off of themselves, it makes team members feel like they can’t come forward to discuss what isn’t working.

4.            Leaders often dwell too long on what’s wrong and don’t move forward to the next steps quickly enough. Focus on failure as a learning opportunity.

5.            Reflect and analyze what happened and why. Encourage your team to do the same. Don’t focus on “who”, focus on “how” and “why” things went wrong.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how to overcome the fear of being wrong. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Navigate team meetings, bold conversations, and tense moments with ease through well-timed pauses! In today’s episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I want to share the Power of Pause with you. When you have the emotional awareness to know how to apply it, you can avoid having your thinking hijacked by tension or frustration.

1. Even though “hitting the pause button” might seem simple, simple actions can be the most powerful.

2. When emotions are high, taking a pause gives you an opportunity to ask questions that helps you unlock why you are triggered and how to move toward a solution.

3. Taking a pause can give you time to reevaluate your perspective – you might realize you agree on more than you thought.

4. A pause gives you a moment to take a breath to help regulate your brain. When you’re dysregulated because of frustration or irritation, you might be more reactive than usual.

5. You are responsible for your behavior – even when you’re triggered! Slow things down or the people you connect with might leave that interaction feeling confused, bruised, and misused.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how the power of pause can improve communication in times of conflict. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

No matter what kind of organization you lead, the way you support others and support yourself determines your team’s strength and success. In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I interview Larry Brey (“LB”), the Associate Pastor at Elevation Church. We discuss how LB builds leaders and helps them understand a vision greater than themselves.

1. What makes you unique is what makes you powerful. Embrace “the DNA” of who you are and build that up in yourself rather than trying to become the person you think people want you to be.
2. As a leader, your vision can either become polluted or diluted. It can be polluted by others injecting their vision into yours, or diluted when you become too apprehensive to have big, tough conversations.
3. There will be moments when you don’t think you’re strong enough to keep going. Know how you’re going to handle that moment in advance because if you wait until that moment to figure it out, you’ll probably get it wrong.
4. As a leader, your silence can be louder than your words. When people don’t know how you feel, they’ll fill in the blanks with their own insecurities. Let your team know how you feel about them (not just their performance).
5. When leading others, encourage them to talk about what works and what doesn’t. Agree upon safe language so that no one feels like they’re under attack.
6. New employees need four relationships in an organization - a supervisor (who helps them understand their job expectations), a friend (who laughs with them as a peer), a mentor (someone who helps them improve themselves), and a pastor (someone who will carry the burden of life with them). 

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about building leaders. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

If you’re worried about the state of your team, it might be time to hold up the mirror and see if the inconsistency in your leadership is the culprit. In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I’m going to walk you through the costs of inconsistency so you can understand the significance of being consistent and increase the overall health of your team.

 Here are a few of the topics we’re going to cover:

1. Consistent leadership promotes team accountability, enhances communication, improves team performance, and encourages feelings of safety and trust.
2. Inconsistency leads to a lack of clarity. Communication breaks down, expectations aren’t understood, and team members can often feel like they are in a toxic environment.
3. If you’re making decisions based on personal preferences or whims rather than objective criteria, others may lose confidence in your decision-making abilities.
4. Your fear of losing quality employees may be driving your inconsistency, but this may be, in fact, causing the problem you’re trying to avoid.
5. If your lack of confidence is driving your consistency, this trickles down onto your employees, causing stress, lack of motivation, and poor morale.
6. To cultivate consistency, embrace an agile leadership style, ask members of your organization about your actions, cultivate a growth mindset, and harness available data to influence and empower you.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about improving trust, accountability, and performance in your team through consistent leadership. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

After the upheaval over the past three years, the workplace has emerged as an enemy. It’s time to unpack what happened and create a path forward. In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I sit down with Gary Campbell, the Founder and Owner of Impact to Lead LLC and CEO of Johnson Health Centers. Together, we talk about the importance of leadership when rebuilding trust and navigating an uncertain world.

1. During and after the pandemic, some leaders handled aspects of their workplaces poorly, which has caused burnout among employees. This gets shared on social media, especially among millennials and Gen Z.
2. Leaders have to listen and seek to understand employees before they seek to be understood. Then they can ask employees what kinds of solutions they are looking for and help develop some options.
3. When employees feel safe in the workplace, they’ll feel comfortable bringing their issues up to managers. Creating a safe space is crucial.
4. Mindset is important. As leaders, what we focus on matters. If we have a negative outlook, that will bleed into our employees’ experiences.
5. Build trust with employees by being visible and available. Try communicating changes or current events in the business or offering a forum for employees to ask questions or raise concerns.

 Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about shaping your workplace. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

For better or worse, the patterns you embody have brought you to where you are today. I’m here today to invite you to examine your patterns and identify the ones that no longer serve you. In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I’m going to discuss the importance of interrupting harmful patterns and give you tools on how to step into new habits that align with the person you know you can become.

1. A pattern interrupt is a cognitive strategy for disrupting patterns of behavior and thought. This can look like mindfulness, meditation, or changing your self-talk.
2. As leaders, the patterns that shape us will inevitably shape our teams. It’s our responsibility to cultivate awareness and choose our patterns wisely.
3. A pattern interrupt challenges our beliefs about ourselves and our lives. This gives us an opportunity to break free from our self-imposed limitations.
4. Pattern interrupts can bring on personal growth, transformation, and increased adaptability.
5. Try different pattern interrupt methods! “Start, Stop, Continue” is a great one for interrupting negative self-talk.
6. Work with an accountability partner. Find a coach, mentor, or peer who will help you stay on track. 

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how pattern interrupt can help you and your team. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Lead in all areas of your life, not just in the office. To be a productive, effective leader, you need to be strong, healthy, decisive, and disciplined. Getting enough sleep is the foundation for all of these things. In today’s episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I meet with Chris Warnes (C.W.) to talk about how revolutionizing his sleep habits has helped him build his success.

Here are some topics C.W. shares to give us a deeper understanding of sleep:

1. Getting enough sleep is the key to being able to do lots of quality work over a long period of time.

2. Reading Sleep Smarter by Sean Stevenson revolutionized his sleep habits.

3. If you’re struggling with your physical health and performance, you might need more sleep.

4. To be a true leader, you have to lead in all areas of your life. This includes your family, health, etc. 

5. Setting up a routine is incredibly important for leaders to focus, be productive, and recharge. Schedule your sleep just like you schedule your work time.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about taking your sleep seriously as a leader. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.